Keeping It Real - A travel note from the Bahamas

As my husband went for the third time to the same local dive to eat his beloved boiled fish, a local started chatting him up.  Hubby then with his childlike excitement started to chat him up on all the fish that he has caught in his fishing adventures, all of the food we have tried and on how we love the Bahamian people. The handsome Bahamian with his perfect white teeth turned out to be a professional fisherman.  Living 21 days at the time at a commercial fishing boat.

Soon a group of locals surrounded him as he continued his story telling activities. One of the local, a big burly guy named Marco, told him : "I like you man.. you are keeping it real.  Not like most tourists that come here and just want to shop and stay at fancy hotel".  With bouncy excitement, my husband retold the story to me.. ." Keeping it real.. is what we are..he pronounced proudly."

We landed in Nassau a week ago.  Living in a rented condo in a beach community called "Love Beach".  Away from the mega hotels and the touristic area. The beach is breathtaking, with various shades of aquamarine dotted with coral reefs and fringed with soft pinkish sand..  At night the full moon casted ample light for us to still see the blue of the water.  This is one of the top 3 beaches I have ever seen in my life, and yet most tourists never made it this way.

We shopped and cooked at home.  Explored the stinky fish market at night.  Meeting and chating with the locals during the day.  We did visited the Atlantis to check it out, and decided almost promptly that the manmade beach and the glitz are not our style.

Locals:
Frank: 89 years old resident of our  complex.  a world traveler with a keen eye on land investing.  " I can count the countries that I have not visited easier than counting the ones that I have".  We used his pots and pans to cook the lobster (local called it crawfish) that hubby pulled out from the rocks.

Quentin: Young fisherman with perfect teeth.  Gentile and very sweet.  He fished by using arrow and bow underwater.

Marco and Marco and Marco: Met three locals named Marco

Dario: the caretaker who lives next door.  He gave Anthony his hawaian sling to use for a day. 

Dragan Popov and his boy friend: a couple of  french guys who lives a couple doors down.  Own a non profit organization that take teens out to sea : www.islandexpedition.com/

Iannis: a Bahamian born Greek, owns a club called Bambu.  Walk around town with a huge body guard next to him.  Drink like a fish the whole night while working and crazy jittery during the day.

A pretty lady on the beach: a private banker who works for a Swiss Armenian family gazilionnaire.  She was shelling to make tootpicks with shell toppers.

Foods

Conch (pronounce "konk" in bahamas) is their main sea food stapple.  Conch fritters, cracked conch (similar to fried calamary), conch chowder, conch salad

The picture above is actually Conch salad made by Anthony at our own condo following the local recipe.  Yum.
Grouper is regarded as the most beloved fish.  Boiled fish serve with grits or jonny cake, stew fish, steam fish.. you name it.. fish..

I also tried souse (boil stuff) with pig feet and lamb tongue.. not very impressed because the lack of spicing.

Ate cherimoye, local fruits (we call it sirkaya in Indonesia).

The beaches..

The beaches are great.  Visibility is unbelieveable even in the city port area.  Pink sand beaches everywhere with every shades of blue and green water.
We didn't have a chance to explore too many beaches just because we are so happy with what we have right outside of our door.