While waiting for weather to give us that "window" to cruise over to Compass Cay in the Exumas, we kept ourselves entertained with Nassau exhibits, learning more about Bahamian culture. One stop was to find the Junkanoo exhibit where it was shown on the map, which it wasn't...but they did have a Junkanoo costume that I kiddingly asked Bob to get into...for those of you who know Bob...you will be as amazed as I was that he actually did it...AND smiled! I really almost "inked" myself over it.
No explaination needed, but there were two of these in the downtown area. We wish they were as concerned about the safety of crossing the street. Near death experiences occured freqently... My morning run includes several "dashes" getting to one side of the road to the other; as there are never sidewalks on both sides, very fast traffic, lots of honking...then throw in the dog that leaps walls! (at a single bound....super dog!)
Bob's comment "It would be like paying for sex" they were asking $30-50 for these. On my morning run I found a vendor along the sea that was selling lobsters 6 for $60...I ran back to the boat and said; "Baby; it is time to overcome your adversity of paying for lobster and pick out some of those bad boys" We got 6, weighed the tails as we got home and they were about 8oz each, and Bob cooked them (one each) so perfectly that you did not need to dip it in butter, awesome meal.
Of course I would end up dancing on the local TV channel with a group of Bahamians ending their fundraiser for Parkinsons Disease, this doesn't show the dancing, but this is part of the group that invited me to join them. On my morning run I met the organizer handing out trophies, asked and what it was about, she explained to me and I said I would come back to buy T-shirts for my four Grandkids and ourselves as a donation. Perhaps I can run in the marathon next year, a 10K.
A historic photo of The Queens Staircase just North of Downtown, we went there two years ago and walked the staircase (kind of like the Stillwater stairs!) to the fort above. The photo below shows Bob at the bottom of that climb.
Finally found the Junkanoo Museum! As our taxi driver was taking us around on a tour I screamed "OMG there it is...the Junkanoo Museum" Needless to say...I am crazy about Junkanoo, it is the Carnival/Mardi Gras of the Bahamas, costumes and music, is that not a good enough reason to LOVE IT? We came back the next day and spent a couple of hours here, we were lucky to be given the tour by the husband of Nassaus Junkanoo Queen who has lead her group for 45 years. In Aruba they call the dancing "jumping" in Bahamas they call it "rushing" and the costumes cost on an average of $2,000., they are made from paper and if the judges find any other materials they lose points.
Just one corner of the museum with so much color it makes you dizzy. Our taxi driver Mo, drove us on what he called a ghetto tour taking us to a store at Ross's corner to find some Junkanoo music for me, the "tour" to get there was the best; one street we went down was called Dead Cat St, another was Dog Flea Rd, and Tin Shop Street. Along the way he showed us the Junkanoo Shacks where they make the costumes 24/7 until 12/25 for the first Junkanoo, and then the last parade on New Years Eve. Each little territory has their own group. It was the most colorful day we had culture wise in Nassau, we saw poverty but we also saw such happiness! Go Mo.
This is one of the historic costumes on display with the cowbells in hand, the masks covered their faces so they could retaliate against the people who did them wrong the year before. That has changed now thanks to the local police, and now the costumes may change to other materials due to the fact that with climate change they get more rain than ever before in Dec. and lets face it...rain and paper don't mix well.
We spent the afternoon today at the Art Museum, they had an exhibit of WHO IS BAHAMIAN? Black and white photos of locals were hung on a long cord, after our tour we noticed these displays all around the downtown.
This young man said "look! I am Tom Cruise in Cocktail!" as he flipped his machete while cutting fish, he did the behind the back, under his leg, pretty good show!
OK...Bob decided that buying lobster was not so far after all. "Just in case" he says...as in two weeks we fly home to MN from Exuma, and will we find lobsters hiding under ledges between now and then? Keep in touch and find out!
While waiting for weather to give us that "window" to cruise over to Compass Cay in the Exumas, we kept ourselves entertained with Nassau exhibits, learning more about Bahamian culture. One stop was to find the Junkanoo exhibit where it was shown on the map, which it wasn't...but they did have a Junkanoo costume that I kiddingly asked Bob to get into...for those of you who know Bob...you will be as amazed as I was that he actually did it...AND smiled! I really almost "inked" myself over it.
No explaination needed, but there were two of these in the downtown area. We wish they were as concerned about the safety of crossing the street. Near death experiences occured freqently... My morning run includes several "dashes" getting to one side of the road to the other; as there are never sidewalks on both sides, very fast traffic, lots of honking...then throw in the dog that leaps walls! (at a single bound....super dog!)
Bob's comment "It would be like paying for sex" they were asking $30-50 for these. On my morning run I found a vendor along the sea that was selling lobsters 6 for $60...I ran back to the boat and said; "Baby; it is time to overcome your adversity of paying for lobster and pick out some of those bad boys" We got 6, weighed the tails as we got home and they were about 8oz each, and Bob cooked them (one each) so perfectly that you did not need to dip it in butter, awesome meal. 
Of course I would end up dancing on the local TV channel with a group of Bahamians ending their fundraiser for Parkinsons Disease, this doesn't show the dancing, but this is part of the group that invited me to join them. On my morning run I met the organizer handing out trophies, asked and what it was about, she explained to me and I said I would come back to buy T-shirts for my four Grandkids and ourselves as a donation. Perhaps I can run in the marathon next year, a 10K. 
A historic photo of The Queens Staircase just North of Downtown, we went there two years ago and walked the staircase (kind of like the Stillwater stairs!) to the fort above. The photo below shows Bob at the bottom of that climb.
Finally found the Junkanoo Museum! As our taxi driver was taking us around on a tour I screamed "OMG there it is...the Junkanoo Museum" Needless to say...I am crazy about Junkanoo, it is the Carnival/Mardi Gras of the Bahamas, costumes and music, is that not a good enough reason to LOVE IT? We came back the next day and spent a couple of hours here, we were lucky to be given the tour by the husband of Nassaus Junkanoo Queen who has lead her group for 45 years. In Aruba they call the dancing "jumping" in Bahamas they call it "rushing" and the costumes cost on an average of $2,000., they are made from paper and if the judges find any other materials they lose points. 
Just one corner of the museum with so much color it makes you dizzy. Our taxi driver Mo, drove us on what he called a ghetto tour taking us to a store at Ross's corner to find some Junkanoo music for me, the "tour" to get there was the best; one street we went down was called Dead Cat St, another was Dog Flea Rd, and Tin Shop Street. Along the way he showed us the Junkanoo Shacks where they make the costumes 24/7 until 12/25 for the first Junkanoo, and then the last parade on New Years Eve. Each little territory has their own group. It was the most colorful day we had culture wise in Nassau, we saw poverty but we also saw such happiness! Go Mo. 
This is one of the historic costumes on display with the cowbells in hand, the masks covered their faces so they could retaliate against the people who did them wrong the year before. That has changed now thanks to the local police, and now the costumes may change to other materials due to the fact that with climate change they get more rain than ever before in Dec. and lets face it...rain and paper don't mix well.
We spent the afternoon today at the Art Museum, they had an exhibit of WHO IS BAHAMIAN? Black and white photos of locals were hung on a long cord, after our tour we noticed these displays all around the downtown. 
This young man said "look! I am Tom Cruise in Cocktail!" as he flipped his machete while cutting fish, he did the behind the back, under his leg, pretty good show!
OK...Bob decided that buying lobster was not so far after all. "Just in case" he says...as in two weeks we fly home to MN from Exuma, and will we find lobsters hiding under ledges between now and then? Keep in touch and find out!
