Everything is better after a good night's sleep (n'est ce pas ??) and this morning was certainly no exception. 11 hours straight ZZZ's ?!

We spent some time chatting with many fellow cruisers here on the docks with us, and then it was time to grab a sweater, and along with Serendipity, we walked the few minutes up to the end of the road (of the 5 mile isle that South Bimini is), and took the the water ferry ($2 per person per ride) over to the other isle, to spend some time in Alice Town (North Bimini).

Alice Town is considered the "commercial centre" of Bimini. What we found was one single quiet road, lined with very interesting and colourful homes, some small general stores, many closed and boarded up places, some local places to have a bite, some bars (not open that early in the day), in other words, a little bit of this and a little bit of that.



We strolled up and down the very narrow main street (a few times over), basking in the knowledge that we had "finally" reached "somewhere".

We had a great time chatting with many Biminites, all of them so friendly and most of them engaged us in conversation many times over. Each and every time we walked away with a smile. Not only do I love their accent, I love that they LOOK at you when they talk to you, they HEAR you. And they laugh. Deep good belly laughs. They enjoy life, and it shows. Did I mention I love their accent?

Main job of the day was to get our sim card, and once that was accomplished at Batelco, we rewarded ourselves with freshly made twizzle doughnuts. By the time we got there, there were only two left... of course we had to buy them. I had a great conversation with the lady in the clothing store about the carrot cake that we have to go back and get. Nothing like it 'mon, she said !

So back to the doughnuts... one mouthful was all it took for us to moan. Or rather I moaned and Dave rolled his eyes in agreement. Heaven ! Notably the name of the bakery too !!

We walked some more just getting a feel for the place, conch shells lying around everywhere. Everyone drives golf carts. A few cars would pass us, and given the narrowness of the street, the other oncoming car would move over. People sit around enjoying the people that cross their path. This be life !

This was the preferred summer home of Ernest Hemingway. Fountain of Youth can be found somewhere here. If you dive, there be great wrecks (as this was the place of shipwrecks and rum runners back in the day).

We stopped for lunch at CJ's, and had us some cracked conch.



OMG, insanely good. (I missed out on the cracked lobster by mere minutes).



and the shells? They be found here (and there and everywhere!).



From this,



a Bahamian Resident, poet and historian, Ashley Saunders, built this,



that rose into this,



and now this,



The Dolphin House (both a museum and rental house).

We paid $2 per person for a guided tour of his creativity. After 20 plus years, it is a work in progress he says and still "under construction". Decorated with mosaics assembled of sea glass, shells, bottles, licence plates and much more stuff than I can even remember, all with a dolphin and island water theme. All of it unwanted items - gathered from ocean debris or freebies that people give/send to him, or something he created out of nothing. A bottle filled to the brim with colourful thread glazed into the wall. A mirror found in the dump, edged with shells. A story to each piece, all of it lovingly touched and tale told by the hands that created it.

He says he was compelled and inspired to do this after one of the dolphins he was swimming with looked him in the eye...

And there be no scenery like this. The sound of the crashing surf, the crystal clear waters...





It be a good day mon !

NOTE: Many more pictures found on our Sailing Banyan Facebook Page.