What words would I use to describe my experiences in the Bahamas? The words that come to mind are Friendly, Safe, Gentle and Comfortable. I am in the "out islands" and it is rural with small towns and therefore very different from New Providence Island and Nassau. Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas and is a very large city with the tourist-friendly experiences you would expect but also with the crime and poverty found in most large cities. Of course you can stay in the tourist zones and stay insulated from the less desirable areas just as you can in any big city. I didn't sail all the way to the islands to experience big city life or some "kind of real" Disney like tourist place.
The people that I have met and interacted with have been super friendly. Back home in Minnesota we often wave from car to car when we encounter someone we know but in the Bahamas you wave at everyone, not just a "index finger" wave but a whole hand wave with a smile. And everyone says "Good Morning", or "Good Afternoon", or "Hello, how are you?" to EVERYONE, not just people you have met. This takes a little getting used to but soon becomes natural and fun.
All the islands I have been to have been very safe. I still tend to lock things up when I leave for extended periods but it appears that few people lock up their dinghy or their boat. All the Marinas have security such as gates and keys but you just don't hear about any crime and you don't see much of a police presence. Of course on a small island you have very little room to hide any stolen property, I mean, if you steal a car or golf cart you can only run a couple of miles and you're out of road and island so where are you going to hide? Plus it seems that everyone knows everyone with such a small population (2/3 of the Bahamian population lives in Nassau while only 4 or 5 thousand live in Marsh Harbor).
The Bahamas are very Christian and rather conservative. They generally dress conservative with a kind of casual business look, very few shorts or revealing dresses although some very fashionable types. We tourists are all over the place as you may expect. Most businesses close on Sunday and the only radio station I can get plays church services and Christian music all day on Sunday. The Christian music has a great island flavor and the church services reflect the Bahama culture which is 80 percent black. Many churches are represented and while there is a Lutheran presence, I have not found it yet. I suspect they are huddled together someplace practicing waving at strangers ;>)
The people we meet seem gentle because the people are so friendly and kind. You rarely hear harsh or offensive language, in fact, one of the few times we encountered crude language was at a restaurant and it was spouting out from, you probably guessed it, an (ugly) American. Our waitress came over immediately and apologized for the lout. I was hoping he was Canadian but he had a Jersey accent :>(
The comfort level comes from the familiar language, currency, and overall culture. The Bahamian people seem to go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable and having a good time. I realize that their economy is based primarily on tourism but I get the feeling that their attitudes toward others is genuine because it is so universal. I have not seen any evidence of discrimination in their diverse society. Men, women, black, and white seem to work and play together with no apparent walls between jobs and activities. I wonder what their secret is, we've been trying to do that for 150 years and still have problems getting it right.
This afternoon I went to the Strawberry Monkey Yacht Club bocce ball tournament which is held in a vacant lot across the road from our marina. The winning team gets to inscribe their names on the "Golden Monkey" trophy. It is very informal and lots of fun but mind you learning did happen too. Never let the kids play because they always win. Check out the next picture (they may have been midget ringers). Needless to say, I managed to drag down my teammate (a former 3 time champ) to an early elimination. The adults gathered at Snappa's for adult beverages and discussed our loss to those little bocce ball pros.
