Beautiful Day in Paradise

This is the view of Sampson Cay Marina as you are coming into the channel.

     Pete and I were up at the marina office by 8 and things were already hopping.  Many of the cruisers anchor just outside and come in to do the laundry, purchase items at the store, or come in for breakfast at the restaurant.

These nurse sharkes and rays knew it was feeding time.
The fishermen were cleaning their catch.

     While we were registering, we found out that they are running a “sale” right now, trying to drum up business ($2.00/ft and $0.25/gal water, which is very reasonable for the Bahamas). Everything is al-la-carte: laundry $4.00/ machine; Showers $4.00 for a token for 8 minutes; internet is $10/day, $25/3 day, $55/7 days.

 

    In the morning, we are one of 7 boats and definitely the smallest boat here in the marina.  The water is crystal clear.  We have had a ray and a nurse shark swim under the boat along with a variety of small fish.  I sat under the gazebo for a while and tried to read some, but watched a lot more: people in boats and dinghies, fishermen bringing in the catch for the restaurant, the sharks and rays looking for food from the fishermen, the cruisers coming and going back to their boats.  By evening, a trawler and a sailboat had joined us on our dock.

One never knows what beauty
can be found around a curve on
a walk from the marina at low tide.

    Pete and I decided to try the restaurant for dinner when it opened at 6 PM. The Chef’s specials tonight included Pumpkin Leek Soup and Lobster Sheppard’s Pie. Both were delicious.  The soup reminded us of Ann Lopata’s Pumpkin Mushroom soup. By 8 PM the small restaurant was packed. We found out later, they are not used to such traffic and the wait staff is new.  As a result, we waited about an hour for our desert. Well, we ARE on “Island Time!”

I found something in the Bahamas that was not blue and green,
but still very beautiful!

          If we have to stay put for a couple of days, I promise I won’t complain about Sampson Cay Yacht Club. It is a very, very pretty piece of paradise!

~  ~ (\_~ ~ ~     Kathy and Pete