Final Tamarind Cottage Day and Lobster Dinner

 My last day on Eleuthera was generally a pretty one, though I would say that some of my time could have been better spent. It started out lovely and sunny, so I figured I'd try to take a few extra photos of the property. See the top little window? That's where my bed was/where I could look out in the morning and see what kind of day it was going to be.

 Down the hill at the dock there were all these volunteer tomato plants that made many of my meals just a bit more special.

 Tamarind Cottage as cyanotype.

 Bromeliads I believe?

 More tomatoes.

 A view of the cottage from a different vantage point.

 The last day involved a trip to Governour's Harbour for cash as well as Ben Bay and Gaulding Key. On that day I actually went farther out to the far side of the rock and got to see a wider variety of fish. And I found this neat-o thing, which I took out of the water for a photograph before returning to the sea.

 Just a little god-light.

 So perhaps the thing I wish I had figured out much, much sooner, was the fact that there was a dude right in Gregory Town selling a variety of seafood. Frozen, but local. I knew that if I was around at a certain hour I could potentially go to the harbor and buy fish directly from fishermen, but I was generally still on some beach around the time they came back to shore. The point is I was able to buy two lobster tails for my last night's meal, but I should have been buying lobster tails and other such treats from the very first day instead of eating macaroni and cheese. In any case, these were Caribbean lobster tails that I steamed in a combination of Sands beer, butter and garlic and served over spaghetti with a fresh tomato/garlic/basil pseudo compote. Tomatoes were from the property.

Yup. The life. I was living the life.

Twin Sisters and Ben Bay Beaches in Eleuthera

The next day I had two new beaches on my radar: Twin Sisters Beach and Ten Bay. Twin Sisters wasn't far north of Gregory Town according to the internet directions I found, and while that was true the directions weren't totally helpful when it came to finding the beach. I think some of the landmarks had changed so while I could see the beach from the shoulder of the road, it wasn't quite clear how to get through all the brush. Eventually I did figure this out, but I wasn't feeling it. Many of the beaches on Eleuthera necessitate some rather rough driving off the main highway. This gives you more a sense of peace and isolation, but this beach was within spitting distance (if you were a superhero Llama) of the highway, which kind of ruined the vibe. Because a) I felt far more exposed...anyone could see my parked car and peer over toward the beach and see me. Who these 'anyones' could be and why they would give a shit is totally unclear to me but I guess I'm always on the offensive against rape and murder. I had planned on swimming out to the 'sisters' to see what kind of fish I could see, but I ultimately chose to simply eat half a sandwich before moving on.

Half a sandwich. My Kindle Fire also stopped working that day, so I had to take a book from the cottage. John Grisham's The Appeal.

My next destination was Ben Bay, which was described as having easy/close snorkel options on reefs that also helped keep the beach/water calm even on rougher/windier days. Now the directions to this place were a little more complex, involving right and left turns at forks every .1-.5 mile once off the main road. This was complicated by the fact that it seemed like there were options that wouldn't come at quite the distance I had written down. At some point I definitely took a left when I should have taken a right and found myself bumping along a mainly dirt/rock road with rather dense brush on my right and left. Suddenly I found myself looking at a huge tractor like machine in the middle of the road and got concerned. Was there someone in it? Or was it a farming piece of equipment left behind for some later time? Would they just move without my having to get out and ask? A few seconds later three blonde headed boys hopped out of the truck and one man to boot. The man came by and said they could move the thing and I confirmed I was even on the right road for Ben Bay. Now here's something about the boys and man that might surprise you: they were white. And maybe that won't surprise you that much. How about this...they were dressed in what I can only describe as 'Amish-styled clothing.' Dark pants, simple shirts with no buttons, straw hats. The man had a beard and very piercing blue eyes. In any case it turns out that I was not on the right road. So first he helped me get turned around (these are not roads that are built for 3-point turns) then gave me the directions I needed to get to the Bay...then he asked me if I was alone and I said yes and he kind of gave me a look. Then he asked me if I had a cell phone. I said no and he gave me even more of a look. Then he also noted that I needed to put more sun lotion on behind my ears because they were burned (entirely true) and noted that I had to be careful about sticks on the sides of the road that could potentially pop a tire. I asked him what kind of farming they did, and he said mostly sheep. At that point I realized that beyond the brush that lined the roads there were wire fences and beyond those fences were definitely some sheep doing their sheep thing. He said they also grew fruit. He was very nice and we ended our conversation with his saying if I got into trouble I could just come back their way because they'd be around. Which actually was kind of comforting; if I had gotten a flat tire in the middle of really and truly nowhere it would have been quite the thing. With better directions and a little chutzpah I made my way and found Ben Bay. And man. What a great spot. Because it's harder to find and rougher on cars I think it doesn't get as much traffic as other spots (which again is sort of a stupid thing to say because no beach ever had more than 10 people on it at one time). For the first 40 minutes I was the only person with this view.

I think this may be me being smug about how stupid beautiful it was.

A few other folks showed up eventually. A group of younger Italians I think and a couple. I took a walk along the edges, which is all I guess volcanic rock or something? Research is not something I've done clearly.

The person who took this picture just couldn't wait for me to finish opening and closing my mouth. That person was me.

So you see how it's white all along there where the water is breaking over the reefs? Yeah that's where it was fun to swim out and see some things. It's where I saw the barrucuda-like fish.

So neat.

Rough around the edges.

Later on the Italians left and then a couple and their three red headed children appeared. The husband quickly got into snorkel gear and headed out to the reef with a spear. I spoke with the wife briefly, asking just what he was out to catch and she said lobster. She mentioned that earlier that week he had caught one big enough that it fed the whole family for dinner. Soon enough he came out with one lobster and put it into a bucket. I was a little shy and didn't want to crash the party but you know I wanted to see it. Then when he came out with another one closer to where I was situated, I did go over and ask if I could take a photograph because that is just really the coolest thing ever. Then he asked me if I wanted a photograph of me holding it, which of course I did. Of course I did! So he told me how to hold the lobster and I got my moment. I told him I'd tell all my friends that I caught the lobster....but I just ruined that now didn't I.

After more delightful snorkeling, reading, lying down and sandwich eating (and beer drinking) I decided it was late enough in the day that I should do my ritual Gaulding's Key time period (basically 3-5). There I spoke with a couple I had seen on the two days prior. They'd just been talking to a younger couple who had just arrived on the island and were in search of a car to rent. Then the older couple left. Then I left and went to Daddy Joe's because I thought an early meal out would be nice. There I reconnected with the older couple, who suggested I try this green drink. The name of which I cannot recall. It was sweet and heavy on the rum.

I hadn't realized that Daddy Joe's was cash only and I was running low on money in hand, so while I had planned on trying more of their menu, I ended up with the conch soup because it was in my budget. But it was very good. Spicy and rich.

The younger couple also came in and sat down. We chatted for a while (they were from Brooklyn and the closest in age to me that I'd really seen on Eleuthera) and they also ordered drinks that turned out to be strong in liquor and vibrant in color.

And after my drink I went back to the cottage and settled into a lovely evening. I think I may have chatted with other guests on the property that night and the night before, or some combination.

Beachy Times and Lunch c/o The Beach House and Tippy's

Though the first two days were sad in their temperatures and level of sunniness, the days that followed were decidedly better. On this particular day I decided to head south towards Governour's Harbour. The day was anchored around my desire to have lunch and snacks at two different restaurants in close proximity to one another. The plan, which went off without a single hitch, was to spend my morning at the Coco di Mama Beach, which is called something different by locals...Travelers' Rest maybe? L. and I had enjoyed a portion of a day there last year, but the resort (Coco di Mama) was in service then so there were more folks on the beach. On this particular day it was me, a dude fishing, a little girl and her mother. That's it. Well, until a very loud party of middle aged Italians showed up later on in the day and ruined the so amazingly tranquil and quiet atmosphere.

The beach is on the Caribbean side of the island and when L. and I went last year it was much the same as far as being incredibly calm and incredibly shallow for a very, very, very long distance. I floated then sunned then floated and then sunned a good number of times. Not much going on as far as sea life but the shelling was pretty good.

My badass sunglasses can give you a bit of a sense of how there wasn't anyone else around.

The Italians ran me off with their complete gusto for life, speedos and general noisiness. But it was also about time for me to have a snack, so it wasn't all bad. I went to the Beach House first, which is where L. and I had our first lunch out last year. I had the grouper fingers and a beer. The bartender, a dude named Breeze, chatted me up, telling me about how he had lived in the States but that George W. Bush had kicked him out (not personally, I assume) and recommending I buy real estate on the island before suggesting we go out later to a club that was open late. After my earlier party with strangers experience, I demurely refused his offer...it really sounded like it would either be too much fun or a disaster.

The view above my head. The grouper fingers were great. Could have been just a tad crispier on the outside, but they were perfectly delightful and fresh on the inside.

I then went to Tippy's, which I had read about last year but we didn't actually make it to see it for ourselves. I've got to say the atmosphere and vibe of the place on the day I went was not quite as interesting as I might have expected. Everything was expensive and the folks eating certainly seemed on the well-off side, but there wasn't a real sense of fun. Maybe things get more fun later? Probably. In any case I had a momentary brain spasm and ordered conch fritters even though I know I don't really like conch fritters. So you won't be surprised that I only ate one of them. They were huge and hot and I enjoyed the chili lime dipping sauce, but it's just too starchy/bready for me. I like my conch free of such leaden constraints .

This was the restaurant's resident dog, Matilda. Since I was on vacation and she's not my pet, I did give her a few fritter scraps.

Which endeared her to me enough that when I walked out to the nearby beach, she came along.

This was on the Atlantic side and a bit more rough. I did see folks snorkeling but I wasn't feeling it.

I then drove back north, past Gregory Town and on back to Gaulding Key. Gaulding Key became my official 'end of the day beach.'

I swam a bit but mostly just soaked up the last of the sun while reading a book.

And then I returned to the cottage and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

I forget what I ate, but it may very well have been more pasta.

Conch Salad on Harbour Island c/o Conch Queen

Monday was a sunnier and warmer day all around so I decided to check 'visit Harbour Island' off my to-do list (because when you have six unstructured days all your own, it's best to have at least some small goals even if they are mainly to lie down or swim). To get to Harbour Island you have to drive north on Queen's Highway, a two-lane highway with no shoulder or dotted line that runs the length of the island. You drive past the N. Eleuthera airport and go a couple more miles to a dock that is the launch point for ferries to Harbour Island. The construction work they had been doing has moved forward since my last visit. What was a gravel parking lot is now paved and lined. The little bench area where we sat before getting on the ferry was gone. I remember getting a lot of bug bites by that bench. There's a definite unpredictability to just when the ferries are going to go across. These are really just what seems to be maybe two to four boats that can fit about 10-12 folks at a time, so I think they don't want to waste the gas unless the majority of the spots are filled. The folks using the ferry are a mix of tourists like me who are taking a day trip to the far more expensive and fancy island, and Eleuthera locals who are commuting to the island for work.  On my way over I probably sat on the boat for 10 or 20 minutes until more people showed up. On the way back there was already a critical mass so I felt like I 'just made it,' though really another ferry probably would have come along in 20 or 30 minutes. Probably. The ride itself is probably 5-10 minutes. Nothing epic. The wind will whip your hair, and there aren't a lot of things to hold on to to keep your balance when things get a little bumpy, which resulted in my putting my camera away soon after leaving the dock...I would have been pretty bummed if I or my camera went overboard.

I did have a pretty set idea of what I wanted to do with my afternoon on the island and it began with getting conch salad at Queen Conch, which was on the bay-side of the island just maybe a quarter plus of a mile walk along Bay Street. I got there at 11:45 and while the kitchen was open, the conch salad was made by a different set of folks who hadn't yet come in. The lady at the counter said they'd probably arrive around noon, so I took a beer that I had bought at the beer store across the way and sat down on their deck to pass the time. It was windy and a bit brisk, but the sun was staying put and I didn't mind...not with a beer in hand and mystery novel to read.

There was some rigamarole when it came to the salad. Just in terms of more and more folks started showing up also asking for the salad. Noon came and went and the conch salad preparers still hadn't arrived but more and more people were appearing. I began to get a little territorial and edgy since I had been the first to arrive. The system - it turned out - is you write your name down and what level of spiciness you want your salad and they go down the list, making the salad in front of you. Once they arrived I did have to get a little aggressive about making sure it was determined that I would get served earlier since I had been there before any of the others had arrived. Perhaps this pushiness led to my not getting the salad made in front of me, but that was fine since I had a fine view nonetheless. I ordered the exotic conch salad, which included mango and green apple and perhaps one other fruit. I liked it very much. I asked for it medium but it definitely had a kick that I enjoyed. Made the Kalik beer taste faintly of bananas but good other than that.At $12 it was a pretty good deal, especially for the islands where everything is just crazy expensive. Everything was so fresh. The conch were tender and not too chewy. The fruit tempered some of the spiciness of the jalepeno and whatever special sauce they use. Just so good. In retrospect I should have made a point of having more salad throughout my trip.

So one funny thing that happened was that I noticed this couple at Queen Conch also ordering the conch salad, and my main thought was simply that I wanted to make sure I got mine before they did because they came after me. Selfish, I know. And that is what happened. We were sitting on opposite sides of the counter so we didn't really interact. Then I paid my bill and began walking toward the Atlantic side of the island in order to enjoy the view, get some sun and have a fancy cocktail or two. The main area of Harbour Island is Dunmore Town, and it doesn't seem very big, yet its streets aren't entirely intuitive so while I thought I knew how to get to the Pink Sands Resort, I found myself slightly turned around at one point. This was generally fine by me, it was a sunny day and there are plenty of very cute houses to covet. But at that same point this couple came around a corner and since I think they recognized me from the Queen Conch experience/just took pity on the poor girl walking around a little lost, they offered me a ride. Harbour Island's main mode of transportation is golf carts, so this was a ride in a golf cart. I was happy to take them up on it and so we sped off, the husband mentioning he just needed to make one stop before dropping me off, which was of course totally a-ok with me. As we put put putted down a small lane, passing multiple roosters as well as a school with plenty of kids outside playing, we had the usual conversation folks have on vacation. You know, exchanging home locations, asking how their trip has been thus far etc. Well, in our case it took about three steps in this standard conversational gambit to realize that their sons went to George School...the same high school that I also attended! It's not a big school and most of us who went there generally recall it fondly, so it was quite a funny coincidence. Their kids were younger than me, so we hadn't overlapped but it was still fun to exchange impressions of the school and how it has changed over the years. I was so tickled I asked if I could take a photograph of them in front of my destination, which they didn't find too odd thankfully.

Pink Sands is where L. and I ended up going to lunch last year during our Harbour Island day. My plan was to just have a cocktail or two and then spend a little time on the beach before going on to Sip Sip for an additional snack. Pink Sands' grounds are extensive and slightly maze-like. I should have snooped more, but I felt like it would be better simply to make my way to their Blue Bar.

I so enjoyed the lemon daquiri from the previous year that I didn't even consult a menu when I went up to the bar to place my order. Very quickly, this beauty was in front of me and I was sitting and just looking out on the Atlantic. Shabby it was not.

After a bit of cocktail time (drinks cost more than my conch salad), I took to the beach.

And after a bit of beach time, I walked my way to Sip Sip. I had heard about it when L. and I were planning our trip last year, but we decided not to check it out though I don't recall why exactly. I ended up sitting at the bar and ordering their gazpacho and a pineapple chili margarita.

This was definitely a hip and happening spot. The woman next to me and I started a conversation and she had a few recommendations about the food, one of which was the lobster quesadillas. They sounded amazing but at $48 a plate, a little too rich for my blood. The gazpacho was solid, I especially liked the more roughly chopped bits of cucumber and tomato that at first settled to the bottom of the cup before I stirred it up a bit. The drink was also quite good, the pineapple and spice elements in a good balance.

After lunch I strolled back towards the docks, enjoying the sunny ambiance and cacophonous sound of roosters crowing.

Roosters in these parts were very very protective of their lady chickens. I envied them the attentions. Ha.

Once back on Eleuthera I had a very simple plan: buy a beer and go drink it before snorkeling at Gaulding's Key. Don't worry while it seems like I'm a total lush, I was in fact pacing myself. Gaulding's Key is, compared to some of the beaches on the island, a breeze to get to. There's a sandy not-too-terribly-bumpy road you go down that doesn't have as many twists and turns as others, but you still end up on a beautiful strip of beach with very few others. This first visit found two young Polish couples and one slightly older couple from Maine. I decided to wait on the beer and first go into the water to see some fishes. One of the Polish dudes suggested I go to the far back side because that's where the hippest and most happening of fish could be found.

So that little island is where I was headed. The majority of the way out there was made up of sandy bottomed walking; it stays shallow for quite some time before dropping off. I stayed on the left side/closest to the beach of the island because I suddenly realized that while there were other folks on the beach, they weren't paying attention to me/wouldn't notice if I went around the back-end and never came back. Maybe they would have noticed eventually, but not for a while. And this is a strange fear. Sensible, but limiting. I'm a good swimmer, the waters were extremely peaceful and while yes, there is always the possibility of a shark or some such beast to be in the waters, the statistical chances of actually being attacked are pretty low. So if I wasn't prone to drowning, and I wasn't actively afraid of sharks, why would it bother me if no one was there to notice me disappear...when I wasn't going to disappear? It's a circular line of thought I went through multiple times throughout the trip when I'd want to do something and I'd start to do it but then I'd start to worry about myself. Self-preservation without real threat. It was kind of weird. All to say that because I didn't go to the far side of the island I didn't see that large a selection of fish. It was still a good swim, and I definitely saw a bunch of very small little fish, but I knew that with a little more gusto I could have seen more. No matter. It was all still very delightful on the whole. I took some photographs with an underwater camera at multiple spots...all of which turned out pretty poorly at least in their printed forms, but I'm wondering if I can perk them up with photoshop.

When I first arrived at Tamarind Cottage Kimy, the Proprietress, asked me if I wanted any of the foodstuffs that her sister had left behind during her visit. This was a mix of stuff, including preseasoned and frozen ground beef. I figured that couldn't hurt, especially since I had also bought a small jar of tomato sauce. Additionally, Terry had pointed out all the 'volunteer' cherry tomato plants that grew all over the property thanks to wild chickens eating tomatoes in one spot and depositing their digested seeds elsewhere. And there were also some impressive potted basil plants at the back of the cottage, so I decided my dinner on this particular evening would be spaghetti with the beef from Kimy's sister mixed with a bit of tomato sauce and made even more special with the addition of freshly chopped cherry tomatoes and basil.

A very nice way to end the first of my sunnier days on Eleuthera.