Let the Partying Begin!

Monday we worked hard, resisting the Tongue of the Ocean’s attempts to swallow us alive.  Tuesday we played.

Bruce and Gayleen of the sailboat Pearl (“sailing buddies” on the passage from Bimini, even though we lost track of each other during the ngiht) are in a neighboring slip at the Nassau Harbor Club Marina. They joined us at sunset for camp-style dinners (potatoes, carrots, onions, sausage or tofu) roasted in foil over our propane grill. We set our alarms for 4:30 am and retired to cabins for a short snooze.

It was shorter than we anticipated: a horn blared at midnight, loud enough to wake the dead. Maybe that was the intent. The harbor lit up with fireworks, amid shouts and music.  Happy New Year!

 
At 4:30 am we hoofed it to downtown Nassau—a half-hour walk—to catch the remainder of Junkanoo, a joyous street celebration and costume parade ushering in the new year. The party starts each year at 1, 2, or 3 am, or thereabouts, and continues until it’s finished. Some say 9 am; some say noon.

 

 

Our weary bodies gave in at 7:30 am; we headed for a bus stop for the return trip.
 
Pope and I are commemorating the holiday by rejuvenating our boat for a new year; I continued work on a mosquito net for the companionway, an hours-long hand-sewing job in the absence of a sewing machine. Pope mended a tear in the dodger, the awning over the companionway that protects us from the worst of the salt spray while underway; then, he sat down for the grueling stitching of a long tear in the jib (front sail) resulting from the thrashing it took on the passages. Tomorrow, we are due for an oil change, new fuel filter, and search for a new digital camera.

If I get ambitious, I might scrub the dirty deck, sadly neglected among all the other repairs and maintenance. Tonight, a really special treat: our first pizza in two months, from Domino’s! My mouth is watering in anticipation. Nassau is the closest we’ll get to a big city in the Bahamas.
 

Across the street is Fresh Market (similar to Whole Foods); prices are about twice as much as in the USA. $7.50 for a bottle of salad dressing; $3.50 for a can of organic beans; a roll of paper towels set me back $3.99. Everything is imported. Starbucks next door is open til 6 pm; blogging from there. Air conditioning! A welcome distraction from the hot day and incessant itching of no-see-um bites!