Evening of 59th day and Day 60. Lay days in Nassau
Evening of Day 59 After walking our feet off, we headed back to town and found that the ferry was not running. So we hailed a cab and we shared the ride with another couple. The cab driver dropped the first couple off first and took us down Umbrella Street which has brightly colored umbrellas suspended over the road. This area by the Gray Cliff Hotel is known for its chocolate and its distillery- which even makes its own moon shine!
Made it back to the marina safely with a quick stop at Dairy Queen. Bill was talking about ice cream and that piqued the interest of the cab driver, so we stopped for quick visit. We treated taxi driver and Bill bought two blizzards to have on board in our freezer. He is such a sucker for ice cream.
Finally made it back to the boat. But we did not stay long as Bill found us a great deal on a motel room which included the cost of tickets to Atlantis. So we packed our overnight bag and walked up the hill to the motel to check in. After a long hot shower, we both felt better and headed out to wander the marina and hotel at Atlantis. We could not believe the landscaping surrounding the hotel and we were even more amazed at the huge mega yachts in the marina.
We walked through the hotel which has several Chiluly glass sculptures as chandeliers, a casino, several restaurants, lots of swanky stores - Cartier, Gucci, etc. and one very large aquarium.
The decor is based on the theme of the lost city of Atlantis- lots of nautical items and references to Poseidon and sea serpents and creatures. The floors have inlayed tiles, walls with mosaics and stone sculptures. Very fancy.
Bill had to try out Poseidon's throne.
And we spent quite a bit of time watching the game fish which filled the aquarium that was about 12 feet tall and 120 feet long and 80-100 feet deep. Couldn't tell how wide it was - but the whole thing was massive. Lots of coral and rocks and the fish ranged from the smaller Angelfish and Surgeon fish to Tarpon, Snapper and Grouper to Rays and Sharks.
We ate a quick dinner at a pizza parlor in the Atlantis complex and waited til nine to experience the Junkanoo parade. Was quite a show with a parade of about fifty dancers and musicians all costumed. Everyone in the crowd was moving to the music - especially when they started "Sweet Caroline". The crowd appropriately joined in to help sing the chorus! Was lots of fun!
We wore ourselves out today so we went back to the motel room for a good nights sleep.
Day 60
Woke to another sunny day in Nassau. Had breakfast and then went to register at Atlantis and get our wrist bands for the water park. We then returned to the motel to check out and walked the two blocks to return our things to the boat.
On the boat we changed into our bathing suits and repacked our satchel to carry only the essentials into the Atlantis water park. Bill is all excited to experience the slides and pools and beaches in the park.
We entered the water park through a tunnel filled with artifacts of Atlantis and aquariums.
Leaving the tunnel you enter Atlantis proper. We walked through the grounds and pool area and were amazed at the landscaping and attention to details in the buildings. Wandering around the grounds, all 154 acres, reminds me of Disney.
There are four hotels, each with restaurants and shops and beach area and each hotel has a theme related to the sea- The Reef, The Cove, The Royal and The Reef. There is also a casino and performance hall at The Royal.
Next Bill tried the slides, with names like Leap of Faith, Challenger, The Abyss and The Falls. I was not up to slides called Leap of Faith!!!
Next we tried the Rapid River twice and enjoyed the tranquil spots and the rush of going through the rapids.
After having our fill of playing in the water, we walked back to the boat via the Coral Hotel. and enjoyed their shark tank and aquariums.
Having worn ourselves out yet again, we headed back to the boat to get ourselves cleaned up and fed and a good night rest!
As we prepare for our Bahamian Adventure, we are making lists upon lists of things to do and provisions to buy for our upcoming trip to the Bahamas. Bill has spent much time readying the boat for the cruise, checking engines, batteries and all the systems on the boat - electrical, plumbing, navigation, refrigeration and air conditioning. Sure kept Bill busy!!! We took the boat out to check all the systems and to get fuel. We had to re-remember all the navigation and auto pilot workings and surprisingly we did remember!! We have spent the last two days loading the boat with provisions- water, food, tools, clothes, toiletries and cleaning supplies, and our pantry and cabinets are full. We are sitting a bit heavier in the water now that we are fully loaded. Also Bill has finally gotten his TO DO list down to the few remaining items so he sees the light at the end of the tunnel!! We have researched the charts and guide books and have a tentative pla...
Day 12 We left our anchorage at sunrise to head out of Great Sale Cay Harbor. Turning west and then north, we will cruise around Great Sale Cay toward Abaco's barrier islands, eventually reaching the eastern edge of the Little Bahama Bank today. As we turn Northeast, we get some spray. Crustacean is quite salty now! Winds are out of the east 10-15 knots with waves at one foot. We cruise past Little Sale Cay we see a steady stream of sailboats going both east and west. I counted 15 total. Nice wind for sailing. Halfway through our trip, you begin to see the outer barrier islands on the horizon to the north. Five miles later you can see Little Abaco Island to our south. Here is a chart of the area we traveled from Great Sale to Allan's-Pensacola Cay today. The further we travel east, the Little Bahama Bank narrows, The winds pick up and seas run 1-2 feet. Crustacean got even saltier! As we approached Allan's-Pensacola the wind and sea...
Day 24 We had a change of plans. Our friends who we met cruising the Loop, Trisha and Mike, are traveling north through the Bahamas and are close, so we will join then in Hope Town. We will then back track a bit to visit Man-o-War Cay and Marsh Harbor after visiting with them. It is a bright sunny day with light winds as we weigh anchor to leave Great Guana. There is lots of freight and commercial traffic today- tugs and barges, large freighters and flat bed delivery boats. It takes all these to handle the shipping needs and construction on the islands. We trip today took along the north east side of Great Guana and then past Scotland Cay, which is all privately owned. Next we passed Fowl Cay which is a nature preserve known for its diving. Following Fowl Cay is Man-o-War Channel with its deep water access to the Atlantic and Man-o-War Cay, known for its ship building and maintenance. Sorry, pictures of the passes and islands did not turn out too well...
