FIRST LIGHT

San Salvador, the farthest east island of The Bahamian Archipelago, is roughly rectangular in shape, stretching north to south, and surrounded by a quarter mile of shallow reef that plummets down into the depths of the Atlantic in a matter of hand-widths... literally. One hand width takes you from 2 to 300 meters, another takes you to thousands. We spent our first full day here circumnavigating the island via car courtesy of Lauren who, with the help of Rob, drove. "Stay Left" was a constant mantra, mostly for fun as they did an excellent job.

We started at the very small but nicely stocked grocery for some chilled water and fabulous home-grown tomatoes and onions. At the "Home Center" Rob secured more fishing line and hooks. We tried to find lures at the Pharmacy ... Rob got a few leers from some of the local ladies, but we were out of luck fishing-wise. Beer was another stop, and then a return to the marina to drop off a case for Martin who, with wife Claudia and their two small children, was on a neighboring Lagoon catamaran. They are on their final leg of a mammoth adventure from Europe thru the Caribbean and finally to Florida where they will sell their boat and return home to Germany. I'm certain their story would have been fascinating, but they were only little-while friends.

There IS just one road around San Salvador, the Queen's Highway, though there are many tangents that bring you, circuitously, to beaches, look-outs, lighthouses, and a golf course that never made it into reality. It reminded me of Danny DeVito's drive thru the jungle in "Romancing the Stone" with Rob negotiating enormous potholes or threading thru bushes that brushed both sides of the car or splashing thru milky puddles. We found the monuments to Columbus, got lost a few times, went looking for something cold and tasty at a tiny French hotel; we secured a map, but beer and lunch were not on the menu. On and on we drove with thick brush on either side of the barely 2-lane road; various glimpses of the ocean or lagoons which honeycomb the interior of the cay were the only breaks other than the unsigned two-track roads that slipped off randomly to either side.

Towards the end of our trip we climbed the northwest point's lighthouse where hornets buzzed around the circular stairs and unsecured doors led onto the upper widow's walk. Rob - always a stickler for rules - climbed INTO the Fresnel lens for some amazing photographs. Finally, hot and tired, we found a lovely, lonely beach and snorkeled out to find brain and staghorn corals, sun fish and rainbow tangs. As the sun slipped west we strolled the shady beach in search of shells. Then, exhausted and starving, we headed back to Ms. B and boat beverages and noshes. It was a fabulous day capped off by a starry night with fresh baked brownies and scotch.

Today, on the advice of the fisher folk we met at our first dinner, we have purchased a day-pass to the Columbus Isle Club Med... and DANG!! Were it not for the drive-you-nuts beat of the incessant disco and the screaming from the bar-dance-off it would be heaven. We all reveled in the sumptuous buffet breakfast (complete with on-tap beer!), then Harv and I lazed on the comfy lounge chairs by the warm pool while Rob went catamaran sailing (he flew a hull!) and Lauren connected with a French teacher on the beach. Lunch was an amazing array of fish tartar, pizza, Asian pork, chicken and bbq ribs - cut the wrong way across the bone rather than with it ... French perhaps?? :^\ Our choice of wine was brought to our table. Dessert was a potpourri of cookies, ice creams, tarts, chocolate mousse ... my GOD I'M STUFFED, and we still have another late-afternoon lunch to go!! Lauren has been stashing away goodies for our return. Rob is wide eyed (and a bit slack jawed after several margaritas, beer, now wine ... and given the French penchant for top-less-ness).

This place is the absolute antithesis of the boat! It is decadence incarnate, the French version of a mix of Vegas and Disneyland. There is currently an auditory guessing game 'en france' going on at the bar - all I can understand is the answers "Brit-tin-ney SPEARRRSSSSS!!!!", "Dances With The Wolves!!" and now the damned disco-rap has begun again. Lauren has gone to snorkel. I felt, if I joined her, I'd spend the entire afternoon losing everything I've already consumed. Rob is off for another sailboat adventure. Harv and I have retreated to the wicker and plush cushions of the veranda. Truly, at a cost of $67 per, how could we have missed this gem ... yet, with half of their stay left, how will our crew EVER return to the Spartan-ness that is our boat? Mutiny or not, we depart in the morning for Conception.
(Photo is of Rob (with the orange-edged sail) winning the race at Club Med ... just before he flew a hull and had the hike-out strap fail :^)