Mouths, Necks, Bottoms and everything in between

Got your attention?  Well, let me start by saying this is not an "adult content" kind of post! 

While we were in Bimini, one of the activities we/I did a few times was walk along the beach.  It was so peaceful and quiet, not to mention beautiful!

I'm not a huge fan of collecting shells. Yes, they are pretty, but they are the past, present, future homes of/for something. And if they aren't being used as homes, they are being crushed to smithereens and added to the bottom of the ocean or the shore, which we all know is important.



But what I did enjoy collecting was glass!  I was completely amazed how much glass was mixed in with the sand and shells along the shore line and the beach. 

As I looked for and collected these shiny, jagged pieces, I got to thinking and wondering.

What was this piece's original purpose?  Was it part of a bottle that was used to hold beverages, condiments, spices or medicine?  Was it part of a vase, bowl or plate?  Had it been a window in a car or building?  Was it part of a picture frame?  Was this the mouth of a soda bottle or beer bottle?  Certainly this one had to be the neck of a wine bottle.  And that one had to be the bottom of a medicine bottle.

That begs the question...from where did it originate?  I was in Bimini but was it "born" in the U.S. or some foreign land?  How far had it traveled before I found it?

And how did it end up in the ocean?  Was it something that went out with the trash?  Was it thrown overboard by a passing cruise ship?  Did a storm demolish somebody's home and empty the contents into the sea?  Was it a message in a bottle sent by someone stranded on an island or a kid as part of a school project?

So many questions!  And no answers.

After 3 short trips along the beach in Bimini, I collected two quart-sized bags full of colorful glass pieces, all in varying degrees of "aging".

Laid out to dry after being rinsed of salt water and sand.

There were pieces of all different sizes, textures, shapes.  Some were relatively new while others had been weathered a bit.  It was easy to see which pieces had been tossed about by the waves with the sand and shells for quite some time.  But in spite of each piece being broken and jagged, the sides and ends were pretty smooth.

Collection organized by color. 

Blue seems to be the rarest. And who knew there were so many shades of green!  (I thought brown would be the most prolific.)  But I also found two pieces of china.

Some interesting finds!  (Click on picture to enlarge.)

From the top left: the bottom of a Coke bottle, a piece of a Coke bottle, interesting markings on the next two and a small teal piece.  Bottom of a small brown bottle, green piece with writing on it, trademark/copyright symbols on the others.

Can you find the heart?

For now I'll add them to containers and use as decoration.  One man's trash is another woman's treasure. 

So the next time you're at the beach, see what pieces of glass you can find!

Sunrise over Bimini

Just like each of the previous days, the sun was going to rise over Bimini.  But Sunday wasn't "any other day".  It was Easter Sunday!

We set the alarm to be up bright and early.  What a treat it was to watch the sun come up in the still and peace of the morning!   

There were no distractions.  There was no pomp and circumstance.  We reflected on the meaning of Easter, appreciating the sacrifices and gifts, in our own personal way.

After another beach walk and breakfast, we were able to catch a few more rays by the pool before heading to the airport.

Knowing there would be minimal (um, non-existent) opportunities for food and beverage, we had lunch before calling for a taxi. 

Upon checking in, the agent told us there was a problem with the plane and they had to divide it into two flights, in smaller planes. We would be on the second flight leaving at 4:30pm.  No problem.  We were on the list so it was all good.  We had our books and thankfully packed a few cold drinks.  We selected a spot in the corner and waited.  "No worries, Mon."

The scheduled departure time (4:30) came and went.  It was a little after 5:00 before the first group was called to their flight.  Keep in mind the airport was pretty tiny and the a/c wasn't working.  (Looking back, we should have sat outside where it was breezy, but the seating wouldn't have been very comfortable.)  5:30 came and went.  Now I was getting a little anxious.  Were we going to make it home tonight?

There was a bit of commotion in the waiting area.  Some people changed their flight at the last minute and weren't on the list.  Some people had been told their flight had been changed from noon to 4:00 but nobody could find a record of that.  There were 11 people waiting for a flight on a plane that only held 9 people, and two of the eleven were Mr and Mrs LARGE. 

Finally, the captain of the plane that was to take us back to Ft. Lauderdale came into the waiting area.  We were told to point out our luggage and they would start loading it.  He sized everyone up and assigned seats.  We were packed in like sardines, but we were on the plane and we were heading home!

A very smooth twenty-five minute flight.

But we didn't touch down at the same place we took off, which I guess was because we had to clear Customs.  Ok, but we were one step closer to being home!  But how were we going to get from Customs at the Executive airport to Bimini Island Air, where we had left our car??  It's not like were at the BIG airport where taxis are everywhere.

"No worries, Mon."  Fortunately, someone was still at the BIA (on Easter Sunday?!?) and she came to get us. 

After an uneventful drive north, we were finally home around 8:00pm. 

All in all, it was a nice trip with numerous opportunities for relaxing and exploring options for a future visit.  And a nice way to celebrate Frank's pre-birthday weekend!

No schedule, no worries!

Saturday morning in Bimini!

We were looking forward to the day because Frank made arrangements with a local guide, Strata, for a traditional Bahamian fishing adventure.  Strata travels light because there are no rods/tackle/gear involved with his kind of fishing:  It's called hand lining.

We made sure to have a hearty breakfast because we were going to be on the boat for half a day, "reeling in our catch" by hand.  After filling our bellies, we stopped by the office as we had a few questions about some places we wanted to visit on North Bimini after fishing.  Doyle answered all our questions and even informed us, oh by the way, that our fishing trip had been cancelled!  It was too windy and Strata's boat wouldn't have been comfortable in such conditions!  Needless to say we were bummed about not fishing but better to be safe than sorry. 

We wasted little time changing from our fishing clothes to our beach clothes, packing a bag and heading out to explore the area around the resort. 

Amazing color changes!

So pretty....so quiet!

 

The beach was so quiet and peaceful and we were pretty certain we were the only ones.  Lo and behold we walked a little further and there was a family of 3 hanging out on the beach.  As we got to where they could hear us, Frank said, "I think this is a good spot to set up camp."  Of course, that broke the ice with the mother and daughter that were sitting there.  Turns out they have a condo in Bimini Sands, live in Amelia Island and the husband played for FSU.  What a small world!!  The daughter with them works at the fitness center on Amelia and their other daughter and her fiance run the recently renovated and reopened Florida House Inn.   They gave us the scoop on Bimini Sands, the Beach Club (which was NOT within walking distance which we had been led to believe), etc.  After learning we could not walk to the pool at the Beach Club, we retraced our steps and decided to hang out by the pool at the condos for a little while before taking the water taxi back to North Bimini.  We had a hankering for conch salad!

From mid-morning until we were leaving for lunch, we kept hearing drums, trumpets and general band noises.  Turns out one of the bands in town for the Battle of the Bands was staying at Bimini Sands.  Keep in mind that the competition wasn't going to take place until later in the afternoon.  But as one of our driver's said, "It's a big part of our culture and a big deal for them to come for the weekend."

This group practiced for a few hours.

The Legends Marching Band (Freeport, Grand Bahama) were pretty darn good!  Brief video.

During our morning visit to the office, we were talking with Doyle, our new best friend, about our desire for conch salad.  He said we HAD to go to Stuarts Conch Stand which was between the Big Game Club and Bimini Bay (which we wanted to check out anyway for a future visit).   Lunch at Stuarts was our mission!  On the map, it looked like it would be a reasonable walk.  And since we had such a big breakfast, we were ok with that.  We got to what we thought was "not too much further" when we stopped one of the locals to confirm.  She said we should probably take a cab as we would stay on this road, go past Joe's Conch Stand and then it would be just past Joe's.  Well, we opted not to do the cab which turned out ok.  It really wasn't that much further.  But we were very excited to see the sign.  It was everything Doyle promised!

Turns out Fabian Stuart is Doyle's uncle.  Lots of room to "just sit, relax and watch the water, watch Fabian prepare the salad and enjoy a cold beer or two."  Just as Doyle promised.

Fabian in the back chopping up the conch.

Fabian at work.

Empty conch shells.

Inside Stuarts Conch Stand.

"The Conch Wrangler"

Aaahhhhh!

Conch salad and a cold Bahamian beer....Doesn't get much better!
Salad:  conch, green pepper, tomato, onion, seasoning, lime juice.  (That's it!)

From sea to table.

It's been well over ten years since either of us has been to Bimini.  My fondest recollection of visiting the island was by way of a dive trip and being introduced to the End of The World Saloon.  It was a bar that had been around for a very long time, frequented by Ernest Hemingway, known for the writing on the walls, the sand floor and the undergarments hanging from the ceiling.  The back of the place opened right to the ocean where piles of empty conch shells rested.  It was also home to Sara who made the best conch salad, ever!  (The crew from the dive boat would send money with those going ashore in return for a "red cup" full of the delicious concoction.)  Needless to say, I was very excited to be able to go back. 

In doing a little research before our trip, I found that the EOTWS had been renovated and had reopened just a few weeks ago!  I knew they had saved as much of the walls with writing as they could and incorporated it into the renovated building.  (Thankfully they were starting a new collection of undergarments.)

It was very different inside.  Much bigger, more places to sit.  But still had the ring toss game.  There was even a deck/patio outside! 

A cold beer and cold concoction at the End of the World Sandbar (as it is now known).

Sadly, the charm and history of the old watering hole is gone as it is now a lively bar/club where many of the locals hang out.

After returning to South Bimini, I opted for a walk down the other side of the beach while Frank was interested in finishing a book. 

Many boats returning after the end of a beautiful day.

The channel leading into Bimini Sands.

Don't want to be late for happy hour!

Someone else's collection of shells.

Rather than going back to North Bimini and getting into all the craziness of their Homecoming festivities, we opted to have dinner at the Beach Club. 

Grouper with broccolli and fancy mashed potatoes.  Lobster pasta.

Sunset in the Bahamas!

Frank's choice for dessert:  Key Lime pie

Inspite of not being able to fish, it turned out to be a pretty good day and it gave us an opportunity to explore Bimini in a way we probably wouldn't have been able to.