Nassau

April 3, 2007

We hadn’t planned on going to Nassau since it doesn’t exactly receive rave reviews, however we were determined to make the best of it and went ashore with a list of things to buy as well as sights to see. While the sightseeing may not have been excellent, we managed to get almost on our list for Whisper which would have been tricky elsewhere. The immediate downtown area caters solely to cruise ship passengers which disembark by the thousands daily. The waterfront area is full of souvenir shops, duty-free shopping (which consists mainly of liquor, watch and purse stores), all you can drink and eat booze cruises, party boats and general hustlers trying to sell you the shirt of their back. We wandered around here for an hour or so and then walked a few blocks south to Fort Fincastle. The Fort was erected in the late 1700s but was never used in battle and eventually served as a lighthouse. It didn’t seem to have very much historical significance but provided a great view of the harbor. We walked back down to the waterfront and pigged out on Burger King for lunch!



two cruise ships at anchor in Nassau.


The view from Fort Fincastle in Nassau. You can see the cruise ships in the background.


The cruise ship wharf/Nassau's waterfront. The tourist industry in Nassau is focused on business from cruise ships and visitors on Paradise Island where Atlantis is located. The waterfront is filled with vendors catering to (and making money from) cruise ship visitors.


Kristen chowing down on some Burger King. Health food galore!

After fortifying ourselves with junk food, we dinghied to Potter’s Cay, an open-air produce market, and stocked up on fresh fruit and vegetables for the Exumas. The prices were very reasonable and it was fun to shop from local vendors as opposed to the supermarkets. We also each had a cold Kalik at one of the fish stands.

After taking in some non-touristy Bahamian culture, we went to the other extreme and dinghied over to the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island. It’s hard to describe the extravagance of the resort, so hopefully the pictures can help convey the overall impression. It was like a few hotels at Las Vegas put together and instead of the luxury cars cruising the strip, the docks at the marina were filled with multi-million dollar mega-yachts complete with 5+ person crew, underwater lighting and the requisite 60” flat screen TVs. The resort has enough attractions to keep someone busy and entertained for weeks: waterslides, multiple restaurants, a movie theater. The highlight of the resort was the expansive, walk-through aquarium which contained many different types of fish, almost all of which can be found in the waters of the Bahamas. We recognized many of them and our stomachs growled as we looked at the massive groupers swimming around. However, instead of grouper for dinner we treated ourselves to a pizza at the Atlantis Marina Pizzeria.


Atlantis


an aquarium full of jellyfish. yikes!


Whisper at anchor with Atlantis in the background.