Many people have warned us about pirates, and we know the they can be a real problem. However, we've found that the more realistic concern is that we will become pirates. Without the stabilizing forces of work, family, and daily responsibility, we've both begun falling into bad habits. No mayhem yet, but we've only just begun and there is so much further to go.
Leaving the community of Black Point, we headed for a solitary anchorage and went off to explore the beach. Like everywhere else in the Bahamas, the land is limestone; sharp, brittle, and miserable to walk on. Although the experts consistently report it is only limestone, the rock appears to be the product of some horrendous and catastrophic volcanic event.
The garden of Eden was true to its name. The family home and the garden are on solid limestone broken up by small caves and faults. Over many years, Willie and his family gradually composted soil and planted seeds in the depressions. They now grow guava, papaya, mangos, squash, pumpkins, peas, lemon grass, tomatoes, wild apples, tamarind, and many other nutritional or medicinal plants. These banana trees are planted deep in a rocky pit. Instead of reaching up, the family has to bend down to pick the fruit.
Although some of us saw a porpoise, we could be encouraged to imagine that this piece is a mermaid.
At first the garden appeared to be only the setting for a collection of driftwood sculptures, mounted on rocks or positioned on the ground. Willie Rolle, creator of the garden came out and gave us a tour of his work and the gardens around his home.
We were surprised to find the Garden of Eden planted on a small residential street in Black Point.
We joined the parade of boats leaving Staniel Cay after the weather cleared and went to the traditional Bahamian community of Black Point. People in the community are known for their skills, the women plait baskets and the men fish. We came into the anchorage to find both the usual cast of cruisers and the local work boats.
About every week, a cold front passes through the Bahamas bringing with it storm conditions which may include some of the following options, high winds, big waves, thunderstorms, squalls, and dangerous conditions. We spent the last front at Staniel Cay. There are several things to be nervous about as a front approaches. First, nobody wants to be the IOTA (idiot of the anchorage)* and make a fool of themselves in front of a critical audience of cruisers who are more than likely to use your poor showing as educational and entertaining monologues for large social gatherings. Cruisers are also adept at giving play by play critiques on the VHF as you fly across the anchorage, dragging anchor and endangering others. A front brings yet another opportunity to make a reputation so that new acquaintances greet with you with knowing looks and comments about, "Oh, you're THAT AMANTE".
Allens became crowded with lizard lovers and we left with a good wind. It was wonderful to finally use that pretty sail.
No visit to this Cay would be complete without meeting the beer drinking boar, from a distance. He is over 200 hundred pounds and has impressive tusks. People who know him can ask him to lie down with success, but they DO NOT TOUCH HIM, as we observed on our visit.
We set off to explore the island on trails over the island and along the rocky cliffs.
We met Jan and Cameron in the Riverside boat yard as we first started working on Amante. They seemed to be from another world with their talk of spear fishing and Jan's long tiny braids. Almost a year later it was a great surprise to be eating dinner on their boat, Ruben sandwiches made of fish that they had speared and other wonderful things. Although they stayed in the Abacos, Cameron's drawing of Amante is framed and hanging in the cabin and Jan's curry ginger squash soup is going to be the winner at any pot luck.
