Blog #2 Our First Days in Freeport

Our flight on Friday was fine. Less than three hours. Westjet are the best. When we had cleared customs and were outside at the airport, I had difficulty seeing Janet and her Jaguar. I had to ask someone standing beside me if that car over there was a Jag. Too funny!!!! Janet chauffered us home to this lovely house you can see above. This shows the living room, dining room and kitchen. The kitchen has even more cupboards than I could fill!!! It is great. There are two bedrooms, one for all you potential visitors out there, two and a half baths and is right on the canal. A 15 minute walk to the beach which is really gorgeous!!!

Janet dropped us off at the grocery store and we delighted in finding lots of different food. So much different food that our bill came to almost $300. The woman checking us out stopped about half way through and inquired if I was buying all of this food. Prices were generally all higher that at home. Everything has to be imported from the U.S. The main industry here is tourists not turnips!!!



This is the other way out of the sliding glass doors into the screened in porch overlooking the canal. There are so many fish in the canal it looks as easy to catch as shooting fish in a barrel but I hear they are very quick not to get caught. We have been so busy we haven't even put our rods together yet. An 88 year old Bahamian man was telling me yesterday that I need 50 lbs test on my line!!!!! Good grief!!!! I have 8 lbs and thought that would be fine. Guess not!!!

On Saturday Janet, our landlady, took us around a bit and then to Ocean Reef to rent a car. We hadn't planned on renting a car but after walking to the beach without the umbrella, chairs, water, towels, snacks etc. etc. and seeing how far it was to the nearest store we decided a car was a good idea. We are now the proud owner, for 3 months, of a white Nissan Sentra 2002 model. Nothing fancy but it is sure getting us from A to B. Only one problem.....they drive on the left here. OMG how interesting this is!!! I have a mantra as I drive, "Left, left, left, left........" Thankfully there aren't a lot of cars on the roads and believe you me, I am the slowest and proud of it!!!!

Back to the beach above. Friends of ours have their boat docked at Ocean Reef and yesterday we went over for a wonderful buffet lunch and then Judy and I went kayaking. The most challenging part for me was coming off the back of their boat and into the kayak. Almost quit but then got brave enough to do it!!!! Whew!!! We paddled out of the canal and into the ocean. Oh my, the waves were so much bigger out there!!! We turned right and headed to a lovely little beach where we stood in the water and I even had a wee swim.

This character was all into kayaks and Judy invited him in for a sit. Then she proceeded to show him how to paddle. Not a good idea. He now thought he was part of the crew and when we were ready to leave he kept insisting that he was coming too!!!! His parents were off in the rocks collecting something. He told us it was crabs so I went over and the mother showed me that she was collecting "curbs". Like itsy bitsy conchs. She knifed one out of its shell and gave it to me to eat so of coarse I ate it. Thinking to myself, I guess this little critter is still alive and it didn't taste like chicken!!!! Never need to have it again but I have had it once.

Everything here is conch. So far we have had conch fritters, steamed conch, conch salad, cracked conch and after I have had a conch milk shake I will have done it all!!!

This is sure different to being in San Blas, Mexico. So far we are liking it just fine. It is very nice to have everyone speaking English and they call me "Baby, Honey Baby, Sugar, Babe etc etc." Everyone is very helpful and kind. We have lots of places to visit in the next three months and hope you will stick around to hear all about it.

They have a program here called People to People and we have already been adopted by a woman who will be our ambassador and show us all around the island to see things we are interested in. Naturally, I want to see and experience this island from the true real side. Not the touristy side so it will be interesting and a lot of fun.