A Bahamian Fascination

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A picture perfect view of Nassau island from the airplane. Blueish green waters, deep blue skies with pockets of clouds- a painter’s inspiration. The mid day sun reflecting off water molecules creating an illusion of a silver expanse ( as we approached closer), a lone sail boat in its midst - these were my thoughts as our plane landed in our dream holiday destination - the Bahamas!

After a hour long wait on the tarmac, the plane finally made it to the gate. The immigration lines were long and the arrival hall was packed with tourists. We hailed a cab the old fashioned way(no Uber or Lyft here) in the direction of our hotel, the British Colonial. Our cabbie, named Hafeed was chatty, and he told us that the Bahamas was a British colony just like India was and was celebrating 50 years of independence from the Brit’s. Interestingly, his accent was American and he drove like a yankee! But he was friendly and pointed out to us the important landmarks along the way - the Baha Mar, the Cricket club, Fish Fry village, Junkanoo beach, the Port and Straw Market.
The British colonial Hotel, constructed in 1900, had its own history to boast of. It was one of the oldest properties on the island and an interesting Hollywood trivia was that, the James Bond movie Thunder ball was shot on site!

It was almost 5pm when we checked into our hotel room overlooking the beach. There were children and adults swimming and sunbathing in the pool and some in the sea, making the most of the balmy weather. It was late in the day, so we decided to walk around the city. To our surprise, many of the shops were closed for the day and the strip-malls wore a deserted look. A few minutes down the road and across from the Port was the famous Straw Market - a large indoor facility hosting multiple local vendors under a single roof. They too were winding up their businesses for the day and quoting high prices for small souvenirs!

The sun was setting as we headed back to the British Colonial. With its back to the beach and it’s proximity to the Port, it was a vantage look out point for cruise liners entering and leaving the harbor. Dinner that night was at the hotel’s seaside restaurant. Our table was by the sea and as we waited for our order, we watched the Royal Caribbean pull out of dock - fully illuminated against a star less sky - looking resplendent in the night. The ambience was serene, peaceful and beautiful. A perfect ending to a long awaited day -a cherished dream and a fantasied destination - this was what our childhood imaginations had conjured up as ‘paradise on earth!’

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Photos

mesmerizing colors
Bahamas - a birds eye view of pristine waters

the sweetest coconut water
the best coconuts in the world are in the Bahamas

blue waters and blue lounge chairs
who says blues are no fun?!

Carnival Cruise - illuminating the night
pulling out of Nassau harbor, Bahamas

Royal Caribbean in dock- royal and stately
Port Nassau, Bahamas

Comments

[Hana]

Beautifully Described
They say a picture's worth a thousand words, but your words are worth a thousand pictures! You have a knack of describing your trips so vividly, it feels like I'm there too! Great read, hope you had a good trip!

[Asra]

thank you!