Heading Home Already?

Sun Daze at marina in Nassau

Time has flown by quickly and we are getting ready to start the journey home.  We usually stop in Nassau before crossing the tongue of the ocean.  That leg of the journey is about 36 hours for us, since Sun Daze's top cruising speed is about 6.5 knots.  Not very fast at all.  So we like to stop here in Nassau to obtain fuel, some fresh vegetables, and get our last taste of the true Bahamian food.  

Nassau is not where we hang out.  Too touristy and not laid back enough for us.  But it is a good stopping point for entering or leaving the Exumas.  A few days here to stock up and ready ourselves for coming back to the real world.  We enjoy hanging out in Potter's Cay while in Nassau. 

 

Bridge to Paradise Island

Potter's Cay is located under the bridge heading to Paradise Island.  Now I know a lot of you would love to venture across the bridge, but we tend to hang out with the locals under the bridge.  Here you will find many "shacks" that are run by the local Bahamians, and the locals come here to have lunch and chill on their down time.

Lunch of fried fresh hog snapper

Nothing fancy here, though.  As a matter of fact, the first time I was introduced to Potter's Cay,  I was a bit hesitant of eating anything offered here.  None of these little shacks would ever pass US health inspections, but when in the Bahamas, do as the Bahamians do, right?  And we have eaten here many times and never had any issues.  Plus, you cannot get fish any fresher.  The hog snapper above was just caught and cleaned and we were able to choose which fish we wanted to eat.  It was fabulous!

 

Our favorite guy for conch salad

We typically stay at the marina for a couple of days waiting for a weather window to cross over the tongue of the ocean and head over the gulf stream back to Florida.  So we will eat at the shacks as much as we can.  And this is the place for fresh conch salad!

Conch salad ingredients

The conch is caught fresh daily, extracted from the shell, then pounded to tenderize.  It is then chopped, along with onions, tomatoes, and peppers.  Some like to add cucumber or fruit, like mango or pineapple.  We usually stick with the basic salad.  

 

Conch salad...almost done!

The Bahamians like their conch salad spicy!  Most add ghost peppers, and although we like it spicy, we can't eat it as hot as they do.   So we ask to have it "lightly spiced".  Otherwise, we would not be able to handle it.   With a finish of fresh lime and sour orange juice on top...it is ready.  So good!!!

 

One of our favorite shacks...Mr. Bones Seafood - the best hog snapper!

Our bellies full of what will be our last real Bahamian food for a while...we make sure the boat is ready to go.  Now all we have to do is wait for a good weather opportunity to head out of the harbor.  It is with mixed feelings as we are getting close to leaving this beautiful country.  Excited to get back home, but sad to leave the lovely people, the exquisite views and our days of leisure.  

After looking at the weather forecast, it appears the winds will be in our favor for the next couple of days.  So there it is...we are ready to head home.   

Until next time...Bahamas...we love you!

Enjoy!