April 12, 2015 -- Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas

Twenty-six years ago, Gary and some of his friends from college were stuck here when a norther came through, wrecking their plans of sun and surf with rain and wind and more wind.  Many of the days were spent wandering around town, visiting bars, and strat)egizing whether to move the boats or just wait out the storms.

Yesterday, we visited Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar to have an honorary Goombay Smash for the memory of that visit and Gary's friends who were on that trip.  This guy, Ken, said he's referred dozens of cases to our company, IMIS, over the years.  How freaking small is the world, eh?  Ken asked me to take a picture of him and Gary together because he thought his business associates would get a kick out of it.

Ken kept saying how great it was that we are doing this trip with Elliott; that he hopes Elliott knows what a wonderful experience this is for him.  (I think Elliott knows.)

We had a blast at Miss Emily's with those two; the dad, Len, is 84 years old, and still boating, though not single-handing a sailboat like back in the day.  He is on a big trawler right now.  He has had an interesting life, for sure.  He used to fly planes in and out of Bimini, taking passengers on sight-seeing tours or back to the mainland.  His son lived there with him and would sell polished conch shells and shellacked starfish to tourists just coming in off the planes or ferries.  He tells of how he always had money in his pocket.  He's met Sting, Peter Tosh, and Bob Marley, Bob when he had to flee Jamaica.  Said he used to play pool with Ziggy Marley.  What a life.

So, Gary and I finished our Goombay Smash, which the Blue Bee Bar is famous for and then Ken bought us another round.  Now, Gary and are I lightweights in the drinking game, and one Smash was doing a pretty good job upside our heads, so two was quite amazing.  We weren't falling down drunk, but any anxiety I may have ever felt in my life melted away. 

Perfectly-Named Boat

And I actually drank about a fourth of Gary's second drink because it was just sitting there.  It was a good time and when Len and Ken decided to go to the Wrecking Tree for a meal, we thought we might go, then we thought we might go to Sundowners (another bar), but decided to go back to the boat instead.  Elliott fixed up a nice supper, which I slightly remember eating, and then I passed out for about five hours in the cockpit.  I was awakened by loud music coming from shore.

Sundowners, another local bar, was having some party (I later found out it was a wedding party), with lights and music and dancing!  I kept thinking about how those folks are going to feel in the morning once the church bells start ringing.

The bells have rung and gone and we are getting ready to head back to shore in the hopes that The Wrecking Tree is open on a Sunday so that Gary can try their much-recommended Cracked Conch.