GENERAL INFO (Jump to Diary)
(Jump to where I finally reach
Bahamas)
Commonwealth of The Bahamas is a country within the Lucayan Archipelago. The
Bahamas is the site of Columbus's first landfall in the New World in 1492.
It covers 13,878 km2 and is made up by 29 islands, 661 cays, and
2,387 rocks.
It have close to 400.000 inhabitants of which the major part is African
ethnic and Christians. It have been an British colony, but gained its
independence in 1973.
The climate of the Bahamas is pleasant tropical savannah climate. Besides
from the aquatic wildlife, here are some interesting parrots, flamingos and
iguanas. The mammals count Bahamian Hutia; Geocapromys ingrahami
and thirteen species of bats. The archipelago is home to 57 native species
of terrestrial reptiles and amphibians.
DIARY
(Jump to where I finally reach
Bahamas)
25/1 2019. I set out on a 92 day adventure in the
Caribbean Islands with a
backpack weighing 3,0 kg and additional 1,7 kg of camera, flip-flops and
clothing on me. The first stint is a short but extremely cold walk to the
train station, in the middle of the night. Time for breakfast and boredom in
the airport, followed by a short flight to London, then the plan was Fort
Lauderdale in USA.

Unfortunately, I'm bounced by the security control, as I will spend more
than 90 days in "US airspace" from I leave London to I reach Paris. And the mandatory
American visa/ESTA only covers 90 days, never mind where you go in Mexico, all
the Caribbean islands and more! I had not expected that! I thought entering
an independent country or a French colony would reset it. Or leaving the
area in time. Considering the amount of time and effort I have put into this
project, I am disappointed - and a bit scarred: What else can go wrong?
First solution is a new return ticket, one day earlier.
That will be close to US$ 1.000 and a bloody long flight due to stopovers. Next idea is a night in London's
Gatewick Airport, and a new
direct flight in the morning; around half that price. 27 hours is a long
time to spend in an airport, but the weather and my cloths and flip-flops
are not really a good combination for a walk around London.
I just wander around within the first part of the airport, looking at the few shops and the
many people, until I can obtain my new boarding card, and enter the departure
area with more shops and restaurants. The counter opens at four, but they do
not have flights for Bahamas in the morning. It turns out the girl cancelled
my Nassau flight and booked me a Bridgetown; Barbados flight????
I return to the counter I bought the ticket, but here is a new staff, and
the ticket is non-refundable. I can either buy a new ticket for tomorrow,
Miami-Nassau for US$1850 - and additional loose the US$470 I spent on the
Barbados ticket, or I can fly to Barbados in the morning and then spend
additional US$ 450 on a Barbados-Miami-Nassau ticket the day after. I go for
the latter, despite I loose yet another day and a paid hotel. Well, I have
spend additional US$ 920 on flights and US$ 200 on hotels. On the bright
side; I have explored Gatwick for 27 hours and I get a night in Barbados
(only dark hours)!
As I try to get into the departure area with all its restaurants; I'm
bounced: I can only enter four hours before my flight.
Spend a better part of the evening finding a hotel near Bridgetown airport
and writing a complaint to the company, who sold me the Barbados ticket.
Dinner is a rather good veggie burger before I retire. The hotel room within the airport is more a
box, but I'm not giving any balls anyway. It got everything you can ask for:
Bed, shower, toilet, towels, working desk, TV, climate control, free coffee,
tea, hot chocolate and real quiet.
26. A new day, but still the same airport until
12;50. I have to check-out from the hotel at nine, and finally; I get to enter the
Departure area. It is fare from as exciting as I had hoped. I find some
lunch and walk restless around till it is time to board the flight to
Barbados. Well, I keep walking, as the
flight is several hours delayed. At least, it is a direct flight. Not much about Bahamas so far on
this diary, sorry.
27. I finally made it to Bahamas!
It is Sunday, and the girl in immigration tells me there easily can be two
hours in-between busses at the main road. A taxi is $35-40, and I get the
taxi administrator to look for someone, willing to share a taxi to down-town
Nassau.
It is not working, and after ten minutes, he is off, and offer me a lift for
$20. He warm me; this is not nice neighbourhood. The coastal road, on
the other hand look real nice.
There are none at the backpackers place, and I don't feel like walking the
2,5 km back
to town at four. I just sit down and start working on the porch. I try to
call them and text
them, but I remain alone.
I do a little loop around the neighbourhood, but besides from a bottle of
water, I only find five closed restaurants - and they seem to be closed for
quite some time.

I look at some small Anolis, a colourful moth and the smallest hummingbird I
ever seen (Bahama woodstar, Calliphlox evelynae?). At first, I thought it was a moth, and not a large one.
At dusk I
start wondering what I'm going to eat, and where I'm going to sleep. Then a
German and Austrian turns up, and they have a key. Inside, they find the
sleeping Don (the host), who have been waiting for me all day....
We sit at the porch and watch the rats, large millipedes and cats pass bye,
while the bats rule the air. We order pizza, and I get enough for tomorrow
as well.
28.
I had planed to have four full days to
explore New Providence and especially Nassau, but now I only have two. I am
up way too early; it is pitch dark and there are no busses. I have to wait
till seven, before I head down-town. A short walk in the drizzle bring
me to another bus, and then I'm at the Potter's Cay bridge. I choose the
wrong bridge, and the drizzle turn in to cats & dogs way out on the bridge.
I get completely soaked, but get the iPhone I use for GPS and my camera safe
in a little plastic bag.
I find the right way, still through heavy rain, but I am
told the market will only open in two hours. The only real interesting thing
I see here, is the conch fishermen's' catch: I had not thought it was in
these large numbers! Well, I'm not waiting here in the harsh wind and rain,
and I start walking back. On the way, I find kind of a breakfast; a real
sweet cake in a sealed plastic bag at a gas-station.
I
get to Fort Fincastle, which is tiny and fare from interesting. A few red
canons, some well maintained buildings and a view to the rain. Right next to
it is Queen's Staircase. A strange canyon (man-made, I think) with nice
vegetation and a set of stairs in one end.
I pass through the centre of town, and find the huge
Straw Market. These days, it is all about souvenirs, and despite most shops
are closed,
here are a lot! I chat with quite some of the ladies here, but
eventually, I have to get out in the light rain again.
On
the other side of town, I find the slightly larger Fort Charlotte. It might
be because I visited the most impressive castles all over Europe this
summer, but I am fare from impressed.
Next to the fort is the Botanical Garden. I walk almost the entire way
around it, before I find the entrance. And it is closed. Apparently, they
are still renovating after the last hurricane.
The rain have stopped, and I pass through Nassau again.
Here have started
to be tourists around the shops, and at noon, the sun
starts to shine. Once again, I head out to Potter's Cay
market, this time walking all the way. Here are still not much action, and
it turns out the market is only open on Saturdays - where I planed to get
here. Now, there are only a two meter table with a few vegetables on. I walk
back towards the tourist area, but drop in to a fish restaurant who have a
Chef's Salad and a table next to the canal.
I spend the afternoon walking aimless around Nassau, and
find quite some old colonial houses. The beach is right outside the centre,
and I do a long stroll along it. A lot of seagulls sit on the sand, and
they more
or less ignores me. Back in town, I pass the Straw Market and do way too
many loops in the centre of town. I get a huge mug of Chai Latte, and at
five, I find a bus, heading up the hills to my hotel. Newer mind who I have
meet, everyone seems eager to chat and they all are so friendly.
Not
many photos due to the weather, and not that good either. I try to find some
nature for tomorrow, and figures the airport bus will be the best offer.
Back home, I start working and make a pizza break. In an effort to catch up
on sleep, I call it a day at ten. Photos of the day (and yesterday):
Nassau on New Providence.
29 .
I find a bus down-town and then out near the airport. This is the end of the
island with the big, posh houses and golf courses. I find the northern
beach, which is perfect. I have several kilometres all to myself, and I do a
long walk. Here are not many shells and alike, not even where some old coral
reefs break the white sand.
Some striped fish are trapped in the crystal clear water in the rocks, and
some strange snails are grassing on the corals.
I find some shade under some pinetrees and look for seaturtles, dolphins and
mermaids. All I see is an American Oystercatcher; Haematopus palliatus.
On
the way back, pass a real posh neighbourhood with a cafe. Good timing,
as a thundershower passes while I sip my large Chai Latte. I head out to the
airport, and find the road along Lake Killarney - a nice name for a swampy mangrove.
As I had expected, I can't really penetrate the area. Either it is entangled
bushes or swamp. I see a single Great White Egret; Ardea alba, some
silkplants and what might be White Mangrove Trees. At some point, I give up
entering the mangrove, and turn around.
As
I pass the airport, a taxi turns around and offers me a free ride to Nassau.
Here are hardly any busses accordantly to the police officer I asked, and I
enjoy his hospitality. He give me the scenic north coast ride, and I give
him $10, when we reach down-town Nassau.
I
find some late lunch at a Greek restaurant; Cesar Salad, and do a bit
walking around in the familiar town. On a remote pier, I find a Northern
Curley-Tailed Lizard; Leiocephalus carinatus. Normally, I try not to
disturb the animals I photo, but I have to give this a notch to get it to
curl up its tail.
In
the late afternoon, I find a bus home and start working. I take Don up on
his offer on pasta with sauce and pepper fruits, sprinkled with cheese.
Again, I call it a day early, as I slept badly last night (I was actually
freezing!), and I have a flight in the morning. I expect I have seen what
interests me here.
North-Western New Providence and
Lake Killarney.
30. I'm up early, and the ride to the airport is
way more smooth than expected. I only have to walk 200 metres to get to the
airport, and I wonder why they say there are no busses here - except of
cause if you are a taxi-driver. I have thee hours to spend, and sip tea,
watch the flights taking off and prepare Diary 2 for
The next island; Grand Bahama. |