A Bahamian Christmas Day
25 December 2016
Anthony Bourdain. We had our first authentic Anthony Bourdain moment. Anthony Bourdain is a chef, a traveler, a person who mixes the local flavor of far off lands with food, music and getting to know the locals. I have always wanted a very true Anthony Bourdain moment…and Christmas Day delivered many authentic Bourdain moments that would take pages to describe. What started as a pot luck cruiser Christmas dinner, turned into a befriending the Land and Sea Park Warden, into learning about local Bahamian boat building, into sampling Bahamian food and drink and eventually enjoying a Bahamian dance party on the porch of the Park Staff housing.
The afternoon started quite innocently with each boat bringing an offering of food to the housing of the Land and Sea Park Staff. As each boat arrived, more food piled onto the table and the din of voices grew greater with greetings and good wishes. With all 95 cruisers accounted for, a blessing was given and the kids of all the families were given first rights to the feast that had been prepared. Amazingly, this year boasted the most number of cruisers in sometime, but even more kids than in many years. A total of 22 kids were cruising with their families! With the seeds of cruising planted, many will return later in life as adults, much like a tradition passed on from one generation to another.
The throng of people cycled through the line of ribs, jerk chicken, turkey, ham, endless side dishes and desserts and settled in various corners for short chats of “cruiser talk”. “Cruiser talk” consists of sorting out names, where you are from, what boat you are on and where you are headed. At some point, the conversation usually turns to what you do for work or how long have you been cruising….it’s all standard conversation to break the ice. In our 24 hours we have learned that one fellow has done business with my Dad, one boat hails from our home waters of Bradenton and lives 20 minutes from us and for some reason the Canadians love the Exuams as cruising ground.
With pleasantries out of the way, we explored further to the overhang below the porch and spent the next several hours engulfed in local conversation. The Park Warden, who we had met the day before, welcomed us once again and entertained us with great warmth and hospitality. We were just outside his living space overlooking the mooring field and with each passing cruiser he called them out by name and wished them a Merry Christmas. It was his staff and himself who had spent the better part of the night and morning cooking all the meats which had been delivered weeks before from Florida and Nassau. The longer we hung around, the more we learned about the Land and Sea Park, what the staff deals with, the lives of those living on this remote island…there are only about 6 people who live on the island permanently and they are all Park Staff.
Late in the afternoon, George the DJ and the Warden offered a homemade version of Grand Mariner which was very smooth and tasted more like candy than a sipping drink. With the ice broken, the various conversations sprang up with other cruisers as well as the Exuma residents. I spent some time talking with a fellow from the Black Point Settlement, whose father is a traditional Bahamian boat builder. His father builds boats which race in the Bahamian Regatta, as well as boats for regular customers. They are built in the traditional mahogany wood, with some new school twists of newer techniques for sealing them…but still very traditional. The longer we all talked, the more we learned about the drug running on the islands, the illegal immigrants landing in the islands, the poaching and the celebrities that visit the Park. Johnny Depp has been here for filming and next week Oprah will be on one of the many private islands.
As the sun set over the horizon, more cruisers descended from the porch above to join what was quickly becoming a Christmas party rather than a Christmas meal. The music changed from George’s computer to a more intimate guitarist playing a variety of popular songs. Strumming the strings and the familiar lyrics caught the attention of the people around the porch. The collective group became the background vocalists as we belted out words in chorus. Before long, people were dancing, singing and continuing the good wishes of Christmas. Later in the night, the mood swung back to George the DJ and he obliged the group with quite an array of dance music from many genres. Motown, Oldies, Hip Hop and Reggae blared into the night. It seemed as through the music and laughter was carrying across the anchorage on the gusty wind. For just a few hours, everyone had put their worries behind them and lived in the moment. Everyone danced, had fun, shook hands and hugged as if we were all family. The feeling of friendship was palpable.
The entire day was our Anthony Bourdain moment. Bonnie and I did not exchange gifts this year, but the Exumas Land and Sea Park gave us the gift of wonderful memories that we will carry with us on our journey.