A little cooler today although still warm. Went for a nice walk with Patti in the morning and ran into several other people we knew out walking. When I returned Andy put the dinghy in the water as he had decided that today was the day to get his haircut. Parked the dinghy and walked to where we thought the hair salon was. Found it and the sign on the street said “Open for business Monday through Saturday.” Got up to the door and it said “Open for business Tuesday through Saturday.” You’re in the islands, mon. We will attempt again tomorrow.
After that we walked to the grocery store and ran into a couple more people we know. Guess if you are here long enough, since the place is so small, you will start to feel at home. The store shelves were practically empty. We found out later that Monday is delivery day and Tuesday is the day to shop. Made a mental note of that…just hope we can remember. On our way back to the boat we ran into Joe and Judy on their moped. They had discovered a shop that sells beverages only. We went in and the prices were much better and later that afternoon our pop, beer and wine were delivered to the boat…free of charge. You’re in the islands, mon.
When we got back to the boat we had a surprise visit from Frank Sarver. He and Bea offered to pick us up at 1:30 and take us on a driving tour. When we did, they drove us all around the immediate area around Marsh Harbour that we never would have seen on foot. Since they have been coming down here for 17 years they know the local area very well.
They drove us to the church where they live. It is very sparse and their room is located right in the church. They share the bathrooms and kitchen with the church people and seem quite happy doing it. Only last year did they install a stove in the kitchen. The cost was $1,000.
They showed us a bee hive that has been there for several years and they can’t get anyone to come and take it away. Being that they are honey bees, we were surprise that no one wanted it.
Behind their little church a new meeting center is being built. They explained that it has been under construction for several years. They build when the church has a little extra money and then do nothing again until they have money again. They are trying to teach their very poor congregation about the concept of community service as it is nonexistent in this culture. Someone had donated this beautiful cabinet for their room when the new building is completed.
The are is quite depressed and sparse. They drove us to the airport where they showed us the new tarmack they have built, only one problem, they ran out of money to connect it to the airport so for now, it has never been used.
A very enjoyable day and we appreciated their time and local knowledge.
The Great Loop 
Leave a comment