Bahamian Time

Bahamas time is a concept that has taken a little while to get used to. At first I took it to mean that Bahamians are always late- which accounts for most of Bahamian time. However, it could also mean that they can be early and just leave whenever they want- or when it is most convenient for them. Our taxi was to arrive at 550am to take us to the airport for our 7am flight to Eleuthera– at 540am I heard a horn outside the hotel and then I heard tires squealing as somebody took off rather in a hurry. We waited at 550 for our Taxi whom did not show (although he claimed to have arrived, honked and left). No other taxi was available until later and we had locked ourselves out of our hotel room in an effort to check out. Now what? We decided to wait on the street to see if a bus might drive by or another taxi. After about five minutes Luis drives up and offers us a ride. Luis was driving home after dropping his daughter at work and felt sorry for us standing there looking rather stranded. He informed us that the Bahamians believe in Karma – pay if forward.

T’ings are Different in the Bahamas.

Traveling to the Bahamas for reasons other than vacation has lead to some curious observations.

Initial thoughts:

We arrived in Nassau on February 1st after a day and night of travel. We were tired and welcomed the warm breeze as we negotiated our way through the airport. Our first stop was the Pineapple air counter to pay for our tickets to Eleuthera. “T’ings are different in the Bahamas” is something we would hear again and again. We finalized our flights and made our way via taxi to the cheapest digs we could find- The Orange Hill Beach Inn. Although a very pleasant setting, the hotel is a bit run down – which is ok if you like to share your bed with bugs. Other than that, the Orange Hill Beach Inn is outside of the main town, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and directly across the street from our first white sand beach encounter.

When I travel, I prefer to stay away from the big touristy areas- I prefer to get a real feel for the culture and people- I like to eat at authentic places and explore the streets and villages. We spent our first full day exploring Nassau which began with a number 10 bus ride from Orange Hill into the center of town. Nassau is a fast paced town which boasts at least two Starbucks (for good or for bad) and a multitude of fast food restaurants. Burger King was the first store front sign outside of the bus stop. Our day of exploring took us through the town and across the bridge to Paradise Island- what a shock. If you only ever visited Paradise Island you have never been to the Bahamas. You have been to a resort with a very Vegas combined with Disney Land and Sea World Feel. You might as well as stay home. But, I guess the Bahamas are driven by tourism and this was the epitome of tourism at its finest!

I learned the most that first day from the water taxi guide as he briefly, but loudly, provided the rich history of Nassau along with a spiel about being poor and that it was the “rich tourists” like us that put food on his table. Just about everyone put a dollar or so in his hat- $45 in 15 minutes- not a bad gig. I love taking public transportation in foreign cities as it is usually way cheaper than taxis ($1.25 vs $20) and provides a short snip-it of daily life of the locals. The school girl on her way home , the parents with the sick child or the elderly lady with all of her groceries balanced on her lap. In general, the Bahamians seem to be a happy people- easily distracted and fond of engaging conversation about anything, particularly themselves.