Eleuthera means Freedom - Really??? 1.28.2018
We continue to stay at Spanish Wells Yacht Haven – captive here due to weather. The wind continues to blow 20-35 miles per hour. The sun is shining today with the temperature about 75+ degrees – not so bad although we are itching to move on.
Friday I finally got a haircut. Serena, a local Bahamian in her late twenties (my guess) has her own shop that she inherited from her sister. She is a member of the Sands family that was one of the founding families of Great Guana Cay. She did a really good job – see pictures and judge for yourselves, but I am not wearing a hat and Dan, Bill and Karen have either gotten their hair cut or will be getting haircuts from her before we leave the Island.
I feel like myself again with short hair. Thank you Serena!
Yesterday, Saturday was another great (but windy) day. We rented two cars and the eight of us went off to explore Eleuthera, the largest island in this chain. The office arranged the ferry and cars for us. We had to take the ferry from Spanish Wells to Eleuthera and a cab to the car rental place. Interestingly, the car we rented had no plates but the girl from the rental place (cash only) assured us it would not be a problem.
We went from beautiful spot to beautiful spot.
The Glass Window is a narrow bridge joining the northern and southern portions of the Island. At this point, the island is probably only around 200 feet wide. To the East is the Atlantic and with the winds blowing 25 knots the waves were very impressive as they crashed into the cliffs. We were told to visit the Glass Window on a strong wind day – we definitely got that right. To the west is the Exuma Sound – a shallower bay protected by the Island. The contrast was dramatic and the water gushes into the Sound from the ocean.
Glass window - you can see the water crashing on the Atlantic side.
Glass Window - the wave crashing on shore is taller than the people.
Bay side of Glass Window.
Queens Bath is a section of the westerly coast where you can see the waves breaking and there are also flat areas cut out of the rock that form natural pools. On calm days people sit in the pools. Today was not one of those days.
At Queen's Bath the waves feed the pools.
Bob and Sheila at Queen's Bath
The Cliffs is an area with a large indentation into the rock and dramatic cliffs. We could not tell if this cut was man made or natural. The grooves looked like a machine had made them, but glaciers have been known to leave similar grooves. Again, the waves crashing into the cliff and the water surging up the indentation in the rock made for an impressive sight.
Water rushing in at The Cliffs
Hatchet Bay – this was a spot we had considered anchoring. After we saw it I was glad we reconsidered. It looked well protected but the Waterway guide suggested we lock our dinghy there – this is the only place where they give this caution. There was a cute restaurant there called The Front Porch. The owner was lovely to talk to.
Governor’s Harbor is another spot we are considering for potential anchoring after we leave Spanish Wells. We stopped by to have a look. This anchorage was called one of the most beautiful in the Bahamas by the same Waterway guide. They were shooting a Swiss reality television show there.
Preachers Cave – this is a cave where the first settlers to the Island found refuge after being washed ashore after being shipwrecked on the infamous Devil’s Backbone Reef. This was a group of British Lutherans who left Bermuda looking for religious freedom. Eleuthera means Freedom in Greek. They named the Island.
Karen and Hugh at Preacher's Cave
Inside Preachers Cave
Preacher's Cave
We didn't have time to explore the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve. We walked in and knew that we had to come back at some point.
Pond at entrance to Leon Levy Preserve.
Road sign on Eleuthera
A few things I have learned about the Bahamas
Houses here don’t have addresses. Each house has a name. Can you imagine working in the post office?
Cars drive on the left side of the road.Some cars have the wheel on the left and some have it on the right.Road signs are still in miles per hour even though many of the cars have speedometers with kilometers.
People are incredibly friendly. Everywhere you go they wave to you, offer you rides in their golf carts.
The accent here at Spanish Wells is hard to understand and difficult to pinpoint. It almost sounds Australian to me. There definitely is some of the original English influence.
We will probably be here until Wednesday when the wind is supposed to quiet down – at least for a while.Today will be spent on the beach and doing some boat chores.We still have to clean and pay bills even though we are in paradise!
