This is our last night on Eleuthera, we went into town today for provisions (the mail boat came in today and Diana horded every yogurt she could find) and we went to Pammy's a local hole in the wall with great food and got Grouper Burgers to go. Back on the boat we sat out in the cockpit to enjoy our Grouper with a Margarita and chips and enjoyed another glorious sunset. It never fails to amaze me at the wonderful life this can be. Anchored here we are surrounded by other cruisers from around the world. It's such an interesting community, we are all equal, just some have more experience than others but everyone relishes the experience and the people you meet. As I think about it, growing slightly more mellow after two margaritas, it seems like such an unlikely situation. Certainly its more exciting because I have this flaming extrovert on board who walks into a room and immediately shouts "hello everyone, we are on a boat and want to know all your stories",
Just a few examples that are so enlightening:
We are currently anchored with a German flagged boat in front of us. Thy are Swiss, keep their boat in Ft Lauderdale, come every year to the US to sail into the Bahamas. Behind us is a Dutch flagged boat from Rotterdam, sailing through the Bahamas to Honduras and Central America. In Rock Sound we met a Swedish couple who now live in Charleston, he was in the Swedish Navy, is an Architect / City Planner and come to the Bahamas regularly. In Governors Harbour we met Catherine who owns The Buccaneer Club, she still has a home in Italy where she worked for John Galliano but came back "home" to Eleuthera. In Great Harbour we met a lovely older couple who have lived on their boat, and traveled the world since 1992 ! And a young couple from Minnesota on their first voyage. Diana is on a Facebook site "Women who Sail" and has many friends from that connection and its so interesting when we pull into a new harbour someone says "we are there too!", like the Australian Couple at Port Lucaya that we met after they had made two Atlantic crossings from Greece and traveled half way around the world, and the English couple who bought a boat in Tortola and sailed it to the Bahamas to met up in Rock Sound Eleuthera, or Early Out, a couple who retired early from IBM and are now enjoying the cruising life.
We all exchange boat cards and relish the times when we again meet up, usually in some remote anchorage, like last night when Island Breeze sent Diana a message, "we just anchored on your port side". This experience is so rich and rewarding, regardless of weather, the people you meet are worth it all, this is a close knit community. Its small but worldwide and never fails to amaze me.