This morning we woke up finally able to relax and enjoy ourselves. Daisy took a walk on the beach and immediately ran chest deep into the water. She never does this in the ocean in the States, so there must be something special about Bahamian waters. With the water this color, it’s almost impossible to take a photo without it looking like a calendar picture of paradise.
Before we could go anywhere today, we had to wash the dirt and salt off the boat. It would have been nice to use a hose from the dock with fresh water, but water is 35¢ a gallon here, unlike in US marinas where it is free. Instead, we used a water sprayer we bought at West Marine that draws salt water from the sea which goes through a hose with a spray head on it. With a little bit of soap, the decks were clean again. Then we grabbed our bikes and headed for the water taxi to take us to North Bimini. The water taxi costs $2 a person and the ride is very short.
Once there, our first stop was Batelco (Bahamas Telephone Company) to add minutes to our Bahamas phone. The cost is 64¢ a minute after 7 pm, so when I talk with Jen every night at 9:30 for two minutes it costs me about $1.25. Well worth the price. Sadly, the phone we used last time, a gift from our friends Gavin and Alice, has stopped working so we had to buy another phone for $49. Last night, I called Jen on my iPhone and that probably cost $5 for two minutes, due to roaming charges. Again, well worth the price.
We rode our bikes the length of North Bimini. At the far north side there is a luxury gated community called Bimini Bay with condos, houses, and a marina. We had a delicious lunch in their pizza/sandwich shop, a roasted veggie wrap for me and a Caesar salad for Mark. I also had a very tasty strawberry smoothie and Mark had a coke. This all came to $29. We don’t eat out very much, but felt we deserved this.
Everything is pricey here as it all has to be shipped in. While at Batelco, I asked the lady helping me if they have a large grocery store here, because all we’ve seen are tiny stores, smaller than convenience stores in the States. She said they order what they need that isn’t in stores and it comes on the supply ship each week. We passed the ship as they were loading a car on it. It seems like it would be easier to have a ramp to drive it on the boat, but this seemed to work. The car was swaying and came very close to the crane, so I hope the owner wasn’t watching the process.
As we rode our bikes down the main street of Bimini, every block had some type of store in very small houses. I asked at Batelco about getting an Internet air card, and we were directed to a small house. The lady said she was out of them but would be getting more in on Monday or Tuesday. I asked how much they cost and her reply was, “Last time they were $70.” Obviously, they can name any price they want and I wouldn’t doubt that the cruisers and visitors pay more than the locals, but if we can help their economy, I don’t mind paying a little extra. Actually, aircards in the US cost about this, so it is quite fair. One of the best stores we saw was a place that sold liquor and hardware. Odd combination, but clever name, Booze & Screws.
