Win $10,000 for sending an e mail

The decision has been made. We have decided to sell our luxury waterside home in Exuma. To sell the property we are asking for your help, and in return you could win $10,000.

The home is called Highclere House and the details are to be seen on www.welcometoexuma.com/for_sale.html and on the properties page of this blog

How can you win $10,000?

Send an e mail to anyone you think would be interested in purchasing a luxury furnished home on the Bahamian island of Exuma. Tell them where the details are to be found. Send a copy (cc) to exumadolphin@yahoo.com. That is all you have to do.

When the home is sold we will go through the e mails and see who recommended the property to the purchaser. That person will win the $10,000 reward.

If more than one person recommended the property to the purchaser, the winner will be the one whose e mail has the earlier date.

To save you time we have set out below a suggested text for the e mail. Cut and paste into your e mail form and don’t forget to add exumadolphin@yahoo.com   in the copy file…..

“Dear ……..

I found  a luxury property  located by the ocean in Great Exuma in The Bahamas, which I thought might be of interest to you as a second home. The full details are on www.welcometoexuma.com/for_sale.html.”

GOOD LUCK

More details of this beautiful home can be found on the PROPERTIES page of this blog…check it out.

Offer does not apply if other commissions are involved

The Exuma Cays

If you’re looking for a true escape—a vacation where you’re more likely to see giant starfish, wild iguanas, swimming pigs, dolphins, and sharks than other people—visit the Exuma Cays in the Bahamas. The archipelago stretches about 80 miles northwest from Great Exuma, the chain’s main island and activity hub, relatively speaking.

You’ll want to spend a couple days boating and floating through the 365 cays (one for every day of the year, as the locals say), most uninhabited, some owned by celebrities. But I recently spent one day hitting as many islands as I could. If a trip to the Exumas isn’t in your future, slap on some sunscreen, blend up a pina colada, and join me in some (virtual) island hopping.

1. The Journey Begins

We started our adventure in Barraterre, on Great Exuma’s northern shore. Pat Smith of Four C’s Adventures (242/464-1720, www.exumawatertours.com) was our trusty captain and guide. Born and raised in the Exumas, he definitely knew the best spots to show us. A full day expedition with Four C’s starts at $700, and the boat seats up to 12 people.

Can you believe the color of that water? You’ll notice how much the shade shimmies from sea green to sapphire in the rest of the photos. It’s the prettiest water I’ve ever seen.

2. The Starfish Reserve

Our first stop came before we hit the first island. Locals call the water surrounding the first few cays the Starfish Reserve, where tons of starfish dot the ocean floor. I had never seen them so big! As long as you don’t keep them out of the water for too long, it’s okay to pick them up. And the water is extremely shallow, so it’s easy to find them.

3. Conch Shell Diving

A little ways past the Starfish Reserve, our guide dove in the water and had no problem coming up with several conch shells. He later used them to make us some tasty conch salad, the Bahamas’ version of ceviche. Besides the raw conch, which you pull out from the shell, the dish includes chopped onions and peppers, lime and orange juices, and whatever spices you want to throw in. Watch the video to see how our guide created this tasty dish for us, fresh from the ocean floor.

4. Little Galliot Cay Sandbar

It was so exhilarating to step on a footprint-less stretch of sand and make the first mark. Visit in the morning during low tide for the most sand. I’d love to spend a few hours hanging out here with a good book—complete solitude!

5. Little Farmer’s Cay

If you’re looking for a little civilization, stop off at Little Farmer’s Cay. It’s the first inhabited cay in the chain, about 40 minutes (18 miles) from Great Exuma. The island has a restaurant and a small grocery store where locals gather to play dominos. But don’t expect too big of a party; just 70 people live on the island.

6. Staniel Cay

Staniel Cay is the activity hub in the cays, and a favorite destination of yachters. That’s thanks to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, the only full service marina in the cays. Shack up in one of the cotton candy-colored cottages, some perched on stilts right in the water. The club’s restaurant is the place to be for lunch, dinner, and nightlife. An airstrip, grocery store, and a few shops round out the island’s offerings.

7. Thunderball Grotto

Just across the water from the Staniel Cay Yacht Club is Thunderball Grotto, a marine cave that snorkelers (at low tide) and experienced scuba divers can explore. It definitely was a bit of work paddling inside, and then once in I felt somewhat claustrophobic, but it was worth it! Now I can say I snorkeled inside a cave. The grotto was featured in the James Bond films Thunderball and Never Say Never Again.

8. Big Major’s Cay

Swine flu is so 2009. Take a dip with swimming pigs at Big Major’s Cay. These guys aren’t shy; as you pull up to the island they’ll dive right in and swim out to greet you. Don’t forget to bring some scraps!

9. Compass Cay

Compass Cay is the perfect deserted island boater’s paradise. Tie up your boat, grab a cold Kalik beer out of the fridge, and hang out on the dock with boaters from around the world. Don’t let the big guys swimming below scare you; they’re harmless nurse sharks. (Check out that conch salad video for a visual!)

10. Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park

Spanning 22 miles, the protected Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the first park of its kind in the world, boasts some of the best snorkeling and diving in the country. Since its waters have essentially never been fished, it’s like seeing what the ocean looked like before humanity. For landlubbers there are hiking trails and birding sites.

11. Shroud Cay

If you boat around to the back of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, you can climb up to one of its highest points. To do so, you need to wade through shoulder deep water and climb up a rocky path, but the 360 view is so worth it!

12. Norman’s Cay

Another great stop-off point for that 5-o’clock-somewhere cocktail and good Bahamian cooking, Norman’s Cay’s one restaurant, MacDuff’s, has a Margaritaville feel. If you’d like to spend the night, two guesthouses face the ocean (242/357-8846, www.ncbcmacduffs.com). In the 1970s and 80s, the island was the private domain of Colombian drug smuggler Carlos Lehder.

13. Drug Plane

This plane, crashed off Norman’s Cay in the early 80s, was supposedly part of Carlos Lehder’s operations. Although I didn’t get in the water, the snorkeling here is said to be great, since the water is so shallow.

14. Saddle Back Sandbar

Does anyone ever get sick of secluded sandbars? Saddle Back was another beaut, and guess what? Not a single soul in sight. Keep your eyes peeled for sand dollars.

15. Allan’s Cay

For this stop all you’ll need are grapes and a stick. Sounds like a strange order, but Allan’s Cay, at the tippytop of the Exumas chain, boasts hundreds of wild iguanas. They’re not scaredy iguanas; just pop a grape on your stick and they’ll come crawling out for a snack.

Getting Here

Direct flights are available from Miami or Fort Lauderdale and take about 1.5 hours. Prices start around $350 in high season (Christmas–April). Exuma International Airport is about nine miles outside of Georgetown, the island’s capital.

Where to Stay

If you’d like to spend a few days on Great Exuma (which I highly recommend) before your island hopping adventure, these hotels are our Fodor’s Choices in various price ranges.

Augusta Bay. The perfect balance of luxury and laid-back, without the megaresort feel, this 16-room resort on 300 feet of narrow beach is a mile west of George Town. Under new ownership, rooms underwent a $2 million renovation in 2008. French doors open onto private patios or balconies that overlook the pool and a beautiful white sand beach. Starting at $275/night in high season. (full review)

Club Peace and Plenty. This pink, two-story hotel is in the heart of the George Town “action.” Rooms have private balconies overlooking the pool or ocean; this will become your favorite place to have breakfast. There’s no on-property beach, but its Beach Club on Stocking Island is a five-minute ferry shuttle away (free for guests). In high season the hotel is known for its Friday-night parties on the pool patio, where Lermon “Doc” Rolle has held court at the poolside bar since the ’70s. Starting at $180/night in high season. (full review)

Grand Isle Resort and Spa. This luxury resort picks up where its neighbor, the former Four Seasons, left off. The five-year-old, 78-villa complex boasts a spa (the only one on the island), an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, and a poolside patio restaurant. A secluded patch of Emerald Bay Beach is right off the pool, and guests can use kayaks and snorkel equipment. Rooms are elaborate, and vary from one-bedroom garden-view villas to four-bedroom penthouses. All have fully loaded kitchens, private patios, washers and dryers, and come with your own golf cart. Starting at $460/night in high season. (full review)

This article copied from Fodors

Property Prices in Bahamas

Although sales in the Bahamas’ second home market were soft last year, the decline
was not nearly as bad as anticipated, according to Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham.
So it’s good to know that while big business was unfortunately particularly vulnerable to the global downturn, private Bahamas real estate sales went ahead, albeit at a slower pace.
Mr. Ingraham noted that second home sales in the Bahamas islands of Nassau, Abaco and Grand Bahama were the most resilient.
It’s expected that the second home and rental market will improve along with the US economy.
Investments in other areas of the Bahamas will also have a positive affect on the demand for Bahamas real estate.
A number of large international companies have been given the green light to open corporate headquarters, sales offices and training facilities in the Bahamas.
This includes Swiss watchmaker Rolex (Caribbean), which has received permission to locate its watch making and repair training centre in Nassau, Bahamas.
Also, Oldcastle Building Products (Caribbean) is to locate its sales office for the region and North America to Nassau.
And Brimac Environmental Group received approval to transfer its corporate headquarters to the Bahamas.
In Exuma, the opening of the new luxury 183 room Sandals Resort has
created jobs for 300 Bahamians.
The nearby Grand Isle Resort and Spa, with its magnificent golf and ocean-front villa-only beach resort of luxury villas and penthouses, is poised to benefit.
In Andros, the small boutique Tiamo Resort is set to be relaunched on Andros Island the upscale Delphi Club in South Abaco scheduled to open in April.
The multi-million dollar luxury golf and marina resort, Albany, in south
western Nassau is moving ahead.
And the $75 million first phase of the Caves Heights condo development
on beautiful West Bay St in Nassau is almost complete.
Mr. Ingraham is hopeful that a number of stalled tourism will kick back into life this year.
And so, while Bahamas real estate has been impacted by the worldwide recession, the economic engine, although sluggish, is still chugging along.

St Francis Resort

I always am trying to find little gems of places and St Francis is certainly a gem, but not just because of its incredible setting, clean, neat rooms and grounds, and great food but most importantly because of the wonderful family that gives their heart to the place and to their visitors. Namely George, Jill, and their son, Greg. From the startlingly simple reservation, to getting picked up at the pier by Greg in a motor boat to be whisked across the bay under a full moon, to George and Jill’s authentically giving nature it was a pleasure and an honor to be under their care. And yes, the setting was insanely beautiful. Our room (and all rooms) overlook the ocean and we slept to the sound of the surf. Each morning Greg brought us a continental breakfast that changed a little each day and the lunches and dinners at the lively restaurant were fantastic. Great snorkeling in the bay in front of the hotel. We also swam in the surf, kayaked over to the Chat and Chill, saw every sunrise and sunset and generally relaxed. I use tripadvisor often but have never written a review but St Francis has motivated me to write this the day after my return. My only concern is that the St Francis will become too popular!

“Doc” Lermon Rolle

Ever heard folks say they’ve got a job for life? Well that’s pretty much the way I feel working right here at Club Peace and Plenty. Speaking God’s honest truth, I’d have to say this job is my life. And that’s the way it’s been since I left the Two Turtles hotel and first stood behind this bar back in 1967. For those of you who can’t work that out in your heads – something that comes easy when you spend your days adding up the cost of drinks and making sure folks pay what’s due – that’s for going on 42 years!

And back in January, on the 20th if you want the exact date, on the occasion of celebrating the hotels’ 50th anniversary, I had my own little ceremony too, when on account of my long service as ‘Doctor of Libations’ I was presented with a certificate and this Omega watch I’m wearing right now. That was quite a party. People didn’t just come from all over the hotel here, they came from all over the island. Even the Minister of State for Culture showed up with a fancy plaque announcing our election to the Commonwealth’s antiquity register.

Course over the years, I’ve almost lost count of the famous faces who’ve made their way to this historical place and asked me to pour them a Kalik beer or mix them something exotic with our Nassau Royal. Jessica Tandy, Robert Mitchum, Gene Hackman, Jack Nicklaus, how long have you got? The actor Johnny Depp even came to accept an award himself right along there in what’s known as our Slave Kitchen Bar.

And it’s not just stars and celebrities I’ve got to know. I guess you’d say I’ve got this gift at remembering folk and they seem pleased as can be when I welcome them back year after year and have their favourite drink all ready and waiting for them. Fact is, listening to their adventures since they last left is as entertaining as me getting to tell them mine. Well, almost!

Cracked Conch

6 med. conch, bruised until thin & fairly well shredded 2 eggs, beaten until frothy 1/2 c. evaporated milk 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 c. flour

Clean conch for cooking.  Bruise (pound) with a metal mallet until very tender.  Mix together eggs, milk, salt & pepper.  Dip conch in egg mixture, then roll in flour.  Fry in 1/4″ or less fat (oil preferred) until brown. Note:  Where conch is unavailable, lobster may be substituted.

Bahamian Cuisine

Although virtually any type of international food can be found in The Islands Of The Bahamas, it would be a mistake to miss an opportunity to sample the local cuisine.

No matter where you are, you won’t have any difficulty finding plenty of restaurants serving Bahamian cuisine and fresh local seafood at reasonable prices.

Seafood is the staple of the Bahamian diet. Conch (pronounced “konk”) is a large type of ocean mollusk that has firm, white, peach-fringed meat. Fresh, uncooked conch is delicious; the conch meat is scored with a knife, and lime juice and spices are sprinkled over the meat. It can also be deep-fried (called “cracked conch”), steamed, added to soups, salads and stews or made into conch chowder and conch fritters.  It is known for its alleged aphrodisiac properties. The Bahamian “rock lobster” is a spiny variety without claws that is served broiled, minced or used in salads. Other delicacies include boiled or bakedland crabs, which can be seen, before they are cooked, running across the roads after dark.

Fresh fish also plays a major role in the cooking of The Islands Of The Bahamas — a popular brunch is boiled fish served with grits, and when done right, is often the most flavourful way to enjoy the taste of a fresh catch. Stew fish, made with celery, onions, tomatoes and various spices, is another local specialty. Many dishes are accompanied by pigeon peas and rice (the infamous peas ‘n’ rice served throughout the Caribbean), with spices, tomatoes and onions.

Another main ingredient in Bahamian fare is coconut.  A dessert is not quite Bahamian unless the sweet taste of the coconut is added! Coconut trees are in abundance in the Bahamas and coconuts are a common ingredient in Bahamian dishes especially desserts. Coconut can be found in tarts, cakes, pies, pudding, trifle, custard and ice cream and sometimes shredded on top of almost anything!  Coconuts are available year-round. They are usually found in grocery stores and at fruit stands with the outer ‘husk’ removed. The hairy brown shell (size of a large grapefruit) is lined with ‘meat’ and contains juice (termed coconut water or milk). To get the juice out without spilling, you can tap a screwdriver into one of the soft round spots on the end of the coconut and drain it into a glass.

Peas also figure prominently in the wide array of fragrant Bahamian soups – pea soup with dumplings and salt beef and the familiar split pea and ham soup are just two of the many pea-based broths. One soup unique to the Caribbean and Bahamas is the souse (pronounced “sowse”) — the only ingredients are water, onions, lime juice, celery, peppers and meat; no thickeners are added. The meat added to a souse is often chicken, sheep’s tongue, oxtail or pigs’ feet — giving the souse a delicious, rich flavor, new to many visitors.

The cuisine of The Islands Of The Bahamas is never, ever bland. Spicy, subtly and uniquely flavored with local meats and produce, more than any other cuisine in the West Indies, Bahamian cooking has been influenced by the American South. One very popular example of this influence is the “fish ‘n’ grits” mentioned above.

For a late breakfast or early anything ask our friendly conchmonger to ‘scorch’ (Bahamian word for score) a fresh conch. Needed in this concoction is a squeeze of lime, slices of onion and the all important fire-hot Bahamian bird pepper. The whole mixture is then eaten out of a plastic bag and washed down with soda or beer. A truly Bahamian treat!

copied from BahamasGateway.com

Tiger Woods in Exuma

It is rumoured that Tiger Woods, the recently embattled golf superstar, sailed in to the Bahamas to escape the media coverage and public scrutiny over his sex scandal. He reportedly spent Christmas in George Town, Exuma, aboard his yacht “Privacy”, with witnesses claiming that he was seen there up to Sunday.

An article in The Tribune reported that “Meanwhile the sex scandal that has engulfed him may have cost shareholders of companies endorsed by the world’s No. 1 golfer up to $12 billion in losses, according to a study by two economics professors from the University of California.

The study, released on Monday by researchers Victor Stango and Christopher Knittel, gave an estimate of damage to the market value of Woods’ main sponsors caused by revelations of alleged extramarital affairs that surfaced after he was involved in a minor car accident outside his Florida home on November 27.

“We estimate that shareholders of Tiger Woods’ sponsors lost $5-12 billion after his car accident,” the researchers wrote, adding that millions of shareholders were affected.

“Our analysis makes clear that while having a celebrity of Tiger Woods’ stature as an endorser has undeniable upside, the downside risk is substantial, too,” Stango, a professor at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, said in a statement released with the study.

The Story of Bonefish Folley

If you’ve got the time to hear the story about how I got to be called Bonefish Folley, then I’d be happy to tell it.

Fact is, it goes back all the way to the rum running days, the time of American prohibition, when I was living in Bimini. Course I was just a kid in those days, so I’d hang around and watch them take the booze off the boats it came in on, pack it up real good so as no one could tell what it was, and load it onto the big ship that’d be heading back to the States.

Well, I was around so much I guess the folks on that big ship must have taken a shine to me. After a while, mister Carl Folley, the man who owned it, started taking me to school, treating me like the kid he never had, and before I knew it, everyone was calling me ‘Folley’.

Not that I minded you understand. There were a lot less Folleys than Rolles, which is my real name by the way. And that song they made up about me “Bonefish Folley, he’s the one and only” wouldn’t be half as catchy if it was Israel Rolle.

Why I’m known as ‘Bonefish’ should be easy enough to work out. It’s on account of how the fish have always seemed to prefer my lines. Word got round to folks who were visiting that if you wanted to have the best sport and catch yourself the biggest bonefish, you’d come out with me.

Over the years, I’ve been deep-sea fishing with people from China, Japan, the USA, England… and all over the world. Famous folk, too, like President Nixon, Ernest Hemmingway, Prince Rainier of Monaco, Robert Taylor, Lana Turner, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and my old friend John Wood, who’s the US Ambassador to The Bahamas.

Nowadays, I’ve got my sons and grandsons to help me out. But I’m still fishing around the West End where I live.  And I’m a lucky man because the fish are still biting.

Junkanoo in Exuma

Junkanoo is a Bahamian festival that occurs during the dark hours of morning on the 26th of December and again bringing in its first hours of light on the first day of the new year. Thousands dance through Bay Street, Nassau’s town center, like a wild ocean of colour, while deep goat skin rhythms reverberate off the surrounding walls and cow bells chatter over the singing of brass horns. The sidewalk like a snake comes to life twisting blacks and browns while balconies and roof tops sway under the rhythmic feet of onlookers. There is a timeless sense, a feeling inside that is so vital that even the deaf feel to move. And as though possessed, these God-like cardboard sculptures dive and rise to the awesome music that lifts their spirits beyond the flesh.” (courtesy – c2000 M. Govan & E. Robinson)

To experience Bahamian culture and art, you should make plans to attend Junkanoo. The Bahamian festival of Junkanoo is an energetic, colourful parade of brightly costumed people gyrating and dancing to the rhythmic accompaniment of cowbells, drums and whistles. The celebration occurs on December 26 and January 1 — beginning in the early hours of the morning (2:00 a.m.) and ending at dawn.

Junkanoo is reminiscent of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras and Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival, but it is distinctly Bahamian and exists nowhere else. Parade participants — arranged in groups of up to 1,000 — are organised around a particular theme. Their costumes, dance and music reflect this theme. At the end of the Junkanoo procession, judges award cash prizes. The three main categories for the awards are: best music, best costume and best overall group presentation.

The most spectacular Junkanoo parade occurs in Nassau. However, you can also experience it on Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Bimini and Abaco. It’s held on Boxing Day (December 26) and New Year’s Day (January 1) from 2:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m.

If you wish to experience the cultural festival of Junkanoo, plan ahead and arrive early. In Nassau, some of the best views are upstairs on Bay Street, or on the street-side bench seats, which you may reserve in advance.

Junkanoo first began as a temporary celebration of freedom for slaves who were given three days off at Christmas time. Donning scary-looking masks, slaves played homemade musical instruments (drums and bells) and cavorted about freely on the island.

The origin of the word “Junkanoo” is unknown. The most popular belief is that it’s derived from “John Canoe,” an African tribal chief who demanded he be allowed the right to celebrate with his people even after he was brought to the West Indies as a slave. Others believe the name is from the French “gens inconnus,” which means “the unknown people” and refers to people wearing disguises and thus being unknown.

Junkanoo’s roots can be traced to West Africa. In fact, other areas in the region that practised slavery — like Bermuda and Jamaica — had their own versions of John Canoe parades.

Junkanoo probably began in the 16th or 17th century. Around Christmas, Bahamian slaves were given a few days off. This allowed them to leave the plantations to be with their families and to celebrate the holiday with music, dance and costumes. In the early years, Junkanoo participants wore grotesque masks and walked on stilts. They were allowed to move around anonymously and let off steam.

After slavery was abolished, Junkanoo almost disappeared, but a few islanders kept the tradition going. Over time, Junkanoo’s popularity has waxed and waned. Today, it is a joyous celebration of freedom. It is an important part of the Christmas season, and The Islands Of The Bahamas is the only country where you can experience it.