That was the gist of our time in Bimini this weekend:
* No shirts (for Frank) by the pool.
* No shoes while walking on the beach.
* No cell phone service.
For quite some time we have been talking about making "the crossing" from the East coast of Florida to Bimini by boat. But it seems the stars were never lining up in our favor. (It has been too windy/rough seas when we were here. Or flat calm, perfect seas when we were gone.)
So we decided to go for it...fly to Bimini for the weekend and we would make arrangements for fishing when we arrived. This was going to be the first trip in a
long time where we didn't have anything planned - no people to host, no events to attend, no place to be. We were going to relax, read, work on our tans and play everything by ear. After all, we were going to be on "island time". (It's not just an expression, it's a way of life!)
We left Friday morning for the Ft Lauderdale Executive Airport and Bimini Island Air as our flight was scheduled for noon. Good thing we packed a lunch and something to drink because "island time" had kicked in and we hadn't even left US soil yet. (Our flight was delayed, thanks to a crew from Discover Channel, with LOTS of equipment and the US Customs people wanting to inspect everything!)
No worries, Mon. We had our books, provisions and a place to sit in an air conditioned building while we waited.
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| We weren't expecting this "luxury" plane! |
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| Ready to go! |
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| Beautiful waters surrounding the Bahamian islands. |
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| The Bimini International Airport |
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| A glimpse of the island. |
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| Our "home" for the weekend, on South Bimini. |
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| Marina to the left, Atlantic to the right. |
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| We had the pool pretty much to ourselves the whole weekend. |
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| No dilly-dallying here! Bathing suit on and drink in hand! |
We were a little surprised how quiet things were at the resort. But we were excited to see the bar by the pool and anticipated being able to get a drink with ease. Unfortunately, it turned out to be "self service" (i.e. you walk to the bar upstairs and get it yourself).
After a little time by the pool, we decided to venture to North Bimini. The only way to get there is by taking the water taxi. It's a short jaunt, just across the channel.
While waiting at the taxi stop, we saw this poster.
After talking to several people, "
Homecoming" is an annual event where people return to one of the Bahama Islands a weekend of festivities, fun and time with family. This year, Bimini was hosting. Things started on Friday and continued until Sunday.
After spending a little time in Alice Town, checking out everything going on, we decided to head toward the Bimini Big Game Club. It's a spot that has been around for a long time, but recently, Guy Harvey added his name to the operation.
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| Oh to catch one of those marlin! |
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| View of the marina at BBGC. |
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When in the Bahamas, it's all about the conch.
This meal was conch chowder, conch fritters and fried conch. Delicious! |
We decided to call it an early night as Frank made arrangements for a fishing trip, old school Bahamian style (hand line-no rods), with a local guide.
So far, the adjustment to "island time" is going just fine!
