CODA STILL HERE IN THE BAHAMAS 2025 (36)

 CODA : Enjoying my Birthday early in the Exuma Islands, Bahamas.

15 February 2025 

Monument Beach, Elizabeth Harbour, Georgetown, Great Exuma Cay, Bahamas 

Junkanoo Mask (this one is 8 feet tall).

Marc-  It is not quite my birthday (it is on the 16th) but we were having fellow boaters from Lake Champlain, Mary, Malachi and Nicholas, over for a hamburger lunch and some birthday cake.  The lunch was fine and the homemade (rather boat made) birthday cake was delicious.  It was great having friends aboard for a visit.  I have not seen them since we left the Hudson River last Fall.  Everyone is well and their boats are anchored nearby in Elizabeth Harbour.

Sue spotted these dolphins just before ou lunch guest arrived,

Today was a Junkanoo celebration day.  It's a celebration of Bahamian identity and culture, and a way to honor the African culture.  For us it was a chance to see elaborate costumes and listen to really cool music.  All ages groups were represented and many boaters participated.  The only downside was getting very wet while crossing the 1.5 mile wide harbor in 20 knot winds in an 8 foot dinghy.

At the end of the day we walked over to the northern end of Stocking Island.  It was amazing to see boats anchored way up there (we completed a three mile walk).

The star of the Junkanoo procession.

Even some cruisers participated.

We finally returned to our boat.  This Cabo Rico 38 is moored next to us and appears to be the sister ship to our friends John and Mindy Donnelly's boat, Coquina.

We went on a hike to North Beach.  Very clean and quiet.

At the far northern end of North Beach is a bar called "Da Sand Bar.com".

And the bar does have great sand out front.

Sue:  Marc's birthday cake was peach upside down cake.  The recipe came from Susan DeSimone.  She brought it to our house the night before we left for Florida. It was delicious!  She first had the cake here in Georgetown Harbor when getting together with friends from Middlebury, who brought the cake to Pathfinder for dessert.  Turns out that peach upside down cake maker was Dorothy Mammen, who I know from the Milk & Honey Quilter's Guild.  It's a small world, especially in Vermont!  I was happy with how the cake came out today (my first time making it).  The only way it could have been better is if we'd had ice cream with it, but we don't have a freezer.

We have not seen an ice cream shop in Georgetown (or anywhere in The Bahamas).  We looked at the ice cream at the Exuma Market yesterday.  We were going to buy some Breyer's.  I picked one tub up, and another and another.  They were not solidly frozen, one did not have its seal, and all of them were sticky!  ICK.  We settled on Dove ice cream bars.