rest of the week...in Hope Town

It has been a little over 3 weeks since returning from our trip, so unfortunately the details of the final 10 days of our time in Abaco are becoming less and less vivid for me.

Our time in Hope Town, as you can tell, was unforgettable. The rest of my memories will have to be in short passages, as I remember them...


I remember late night talks on Estella or Charlotte Ann with our family, Tiffany, and the MacLean's...sharing dinner, laughing with our excited/goofy children as they try to get our attention, listening to music, and sharing things about our lives "on land" back home, which seemed so far away...

Snorkeling in the reefs off the beach! It was beautiful, but unfortunately I got "spooked" when my mask kept leaking and freaking me out... but Brian had a great time! I tried again later in the trip and had a better experience.

I remember visiting the beach every day of the week when Tiffany was here. She and I enjoyed taking turns playing with the girls and reading our novels.

Here is an interesting crab we found near the lighthouse




I remember the girls being "silly" with their Aunt Tiffany, and Madelyn making her laugh with her inventive new "language"!

One day Brian was not feeling well and needed to rest on the boat all day. Tiffany and I took the girls to Hope Town Harbour Lodge to see the swimming pool and poolside restaurant. Tiffany ordered "conch fritters" and loved them! This day was colder and very windy. The girls put their toes in the pool, but it was too cold to swim. (This first photo is from Google, when someone else was visiting in better weather!)

I remember taking the dinghy to the marina in the dark with Tiffany at night to go to the showers. We wanted to shower on land to preserve Estella's water supply, and we typically showered at night because it was easier to organize w/ the girls. One night we also did laundry at the marina. As we slowly made our way to the marina's dock, we glided past all the sailboats in the quiet harbor, and saw the flame in the famous lighthouse shining brightly. I remember that my senses seemed heightened, with the cool air, night sky with stars, moored boats, my husband and daughters sleeping in Estella, my friends near on their boat, and my sister with me in the inflatable boat. I wanted to savor these moments! The end of the trip was approaching quickly, too quickly...

Of course, I remember the daily Cruisers' Net on the VHF radio. We listened every day at 0815am.
http://www.usual-suspects-sailing.com/exp-abaco-cruisers-net.htm

I remember walking through the little streets of Hope Town, stopping in some tiny shops to look around, and having ice cream at "Munchies". Randomly, we were serenaded by an older Bahamian man who sang an Elvis Presley song "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" to us. :)

I remember going out with Tiffany one night to Harbor's Edge bar, when Brian graciously watched the girls on Estella. We tied up the dinghy at the bar's dock using a flashlight to help us. Then as we ordered drinks at the bar, we saw the Indianapolis Colts were playing on the bartender's TV! The live band was from a nearby island, Lubbers' Quarters. We loved the band's reggae/calypso music and the people-watching. The crowd was a mixture of local Bahamians, North American cruisers, retirees who spend the winter on Elbow Cay, and others.

I remember leaving Hope Town in the morning on a very windy day. We had to motor sail the entire way because the wind was (once again) on our nose. It was refreshing but wet sometimes as the salty spray splashed onto our dodger and faces. The sail was only a few hours long, and then we were back in Marsh Harbor again, this time dropping our anchor instead of tying up at the dock. We were reunited with the MacLean's who had met up with their cousins the day before.