Life in George Town

Life here in Geroge Town can be as lazy or as hectic as you would like it to be. On one side of the Elizabeth Harbour is Great Exuma Island where the actual town is located and on the other side is Stocking Island where the beaches are. There are anchorages on either side and usually depending on what you’re doing is where you might anchor your boat. Stocking Island is home to Monument Beach home of the Sand Bar, Sand Dollar Beach and Volley Ball Beach home of the Chat and Chill Bar. Volley Ball Beach seems to be the busiest as on any given day there is dominoes, basket weaving, yoga, cards and well, volley ball being played. You have lots of tourist from the main island that get carted over on the water taxis and us cruisers that anchor right in front of it and dinghy to shore. Activities start at about 9 am with tournament volley ball and yoga and by the time that is done the bar opens and the music begins. Lots of people gather by the volley ball courts to shoot the breeze and watch the games while we watch the tourist turn bright red in an effort to make sure they go home with a tan once leaving in a week. You can take a short walk across the island and hit the Exuma Sound side which is the ocean side to walk on the practically deserted beautiful beaches. Dirk enjoying his life

Beautiful Exuma Sound

Nothing like having a half mile of beach to oneself to contemplate life.

On Monument Beach you can hike up to the monument and take a moment to soak in the beautiful scenery and wonderful turquoise waters below.

Chris & Irina with us overlooking the sound

The view from the monument overlooking Monument Beach

Trails lead all over the island and can give you quiet a work out as some are very steep and some have ropes to aid in pulling yourself up with.

Pull Nancy, pull...

Dirk, Chris, and Irina deciding the path to take

Our mornings usually start right before 8am as that’s when the cruisers net is on channel 68. Here is where you will catch the daily weather as some other poor soul got up at 6:30 to listen to Chris Parker and relays it for us. Then you get the local businesses telling what’s going on for the day as well as activities planned by boaters. People announce who is new in the anchorage and boats departing say their goodbyes. If you choose not to do one of the many beaches for the day you can go into town which is across the harbour and an easy trek on a calm day in the dinghy. If it’s windy prepare to get wet especially if you have several people, lots of groceries, or full water cans in the dinghy with you. As you head to town you must go under a small bridge into Lake Victoria where they have a long floating dock for dinghy’s to tie up to.

The bridge and only entrance to Lake Victoria
Here also is where you can fill up your water jugs for free with RO (reverse osmosis) water.Any time we go into town we take the water cans so as not to have to do any major water runs in one day. Town has just about all the amenities that you’re likely to get in the Bahamas. A decently stocked grocery store although one must get there right after the supply boat arrives if you want a good selection of fruits and veggies to pick through. The typical road side food shacks serving up Bahamian fare and the straw market where the ladies sit around all day weaving baskets and trying to get you to buy something, anything from them. On Wednesday mornings the highlight is the propane truck at 11, or 12, or 1, whatever suits their fancy, no problem mon….Usually boaters arrive early and start the line of tanks forming. On the day we needed a fill, the truck ended up being a couple hours late so us ladies took off to do other errands such as food shopping, buying internet from the pet place not to be confused with Pets Place which is a café. By the time we got back to the parking lot of propane tanks most of the men had dispersed to a little bar across the street for cold beer to fend off the heat. Finally the truck arrived and we were filled and headed on our way.

Tuesdays and Thursdays is Poker at St. Frances resort and we usually head over early so as to eat first. They have very good food and its priced very reasonable. We haven’t missed a day of poker since we have been here and we sometimes get invited to private games on the weekends that are meant for more of the serious players. We haven’t been doing bad at all with one or both of us making it at least to the final table and if we are lucky walking away with a bit of cash in our pocket which usually just paid our entry fee into the game but it’s the entertainment factor and the friends that we are making which makes it a lot of fun. Friday in town usually has a couple things going on to keep the average cruiser busy. Whether its Two Turtles with their barbeque ribs and live band or Fish Fry village which doesn’t exactly have fried fish as we found out. So why do people say they are heading over to the fish fry if there is no fried fish? “No problem mon”…. Sunday is the day for the pig roast on Volley Ball beach which creates a lot of boat traffic here in the anchorage. Pretty much the rest of the time one fills in the day with running errands, napping and trying to figure out your social calendar as there is so much to do. Some days we run so much I long for deserted islands again. This past Saturday was such a day, up at 8am for the cruisers net, 9am Dirk heads in for tournament volley ball, back to the boat, load water cans and selves into the dinghy and head across the harbor into town. Have lunch and help another cruiser with internet, I run to the market for a few quick items as Dirk fills the water jugs, speed back across the harbor, unload the dinghy, put away the groceries, change into bathing suits and hit the beach for fun volley ball at 2:30. After volley ball run back to the boat for a quick shower and head to poker for a private 6pm game. There were two being played that night but we could only make one as on Hamburger beach there was a parrot head party and ARG ( Alcohol Research Group) meeting going on. They were broadcasting Jimmy Buffetts live concert from Tampa as we stood around the bonfire consuming our research materials from ARG meeting. We finally left as the croud was dwindling and crashed. Not every day is that busy and thank goodness its not because I dont think I could keep up. I have to say, if your bored in George Town, its your own fault. The 26th of this month kicks off the Family Island Regatta and should be loads of fun. Already the town is building the shacks that will house all the food, drinks and fun. Its a week long event and should provide many fun times. On the 29th, Dirk's mom flys in from Germany to spend a couple weeks with us so Im keeping busy organizing, restocking and cleaning. So till next time let me get to it.

My pantry under the floor getting organized.