Much of today’s mental energy was invested in getting one of our two 10-gallon propane tanks topped off. Paula has used well more than half of one tank (judging its weight) in 34 days, which is a bit faster than usual. We attribute this to some nights at anchor when there is no electricity for microwave assist and the higher winds have prevented grilling, as well as her baking spree and the double meals she often cooks in port to freeze half of.  We have a full spare, but since we have no idea where we may find a propane refill station in the places we will travel to, we decided to try to have it topped up.

We located a “gas” place, Nassau Propane & Tanks, who were open and would fill our tank on the spot. (Some places require you to leave the tank and pick it up later-sometimes the next day). We found that the marina courtesy car was available from 1pm to 3pm.

So off we went again on the madcap Bahamian roads, only this time with a flammable propane tank in the back seat. Our destination was clear across the island near the airport road. This trip required us to do a lot of highway driving and go through half a dozen clockwise (left-sided!) roundabouts and interpret unfamiliar lane instructions painted on the road. The highways and smaller roads were all jam-packed on this sunny breezy Saturday. We saw a huge crawling procession of black and white SUVs which we thought must be a funeral. Pedestrians blithely stepped into the highway carrying full shopping bags, serene in the knowledge that everyone would stop for them. Cars and trucks insistently nosed or backed onto the highway with the same assurance that the shoppers evinced. Horns were heard frequently, but not the 60 second “I want to punish you for what you just did” blaring that American drivers favor. No, these were frequent little staccato toots that could mean, “Watch out”, or “I’m merging, ready or not”, “Hello Mr. Sidewalk salesman, I want to buy a newspaper”, or even “Hi, Joe, I see you in your car on the other side of the highway”.

The actual propane fill-up was the easiest and quickest part of the day. In two minutes we were done, while Paula watched in amazement as one of the attendants began to fill a second patron’s 50 lb tank that looked as if it had survived splash-down from a space launch about 15 years ago.

On the way back, we were relieved, but fatigued.  One-way streets and congestion forced us off the beaten path to wend our way back by a different route. We wound through an industrial area, residential streets that featured new construction abutting abandoned or neglected plots of land, and the shopping district.

There was no pattern. We saw small stand-alone shops, sometimes located in people’s homes, sometimes under make-shift carports as well as fancy and hyper-modern complexes. Many stores specialize in one type of item: “John Chea’s Meats #8”, “700 Wines and Spirits”, “SunTee Embroidme”, and the ubiquitous “Island Luck” which is the leading online casino and sports book lounge in the Bahamas (according to their website). It is illegal for Bohemian residents to gamble in a real casino in the Bahamas, but they are permitted to gamble online as long as it is done in a Bohemian owned and operated “web shop”. This is what “Island Luck” is.

We only got lost once, and we only shouted at each other once, which we count as pretty darn good. No time was left to attempt a visit to the fish docks, which was a mild disappointment. Maybe another day. Arriving back at the marina with fifteen minutes to spare, each of us plopped down on the settees feeling relieved yet depleted and took short power naps.

Tonight the wind has again began to blow like gangbusters, and we are rocking in the slip. At the gas dock, guests and staff are actually wearing coats and jackets-it’s 79 degrees but with the wind chill it feels like a mere 70.

For dinner, Paula thawed frozen salmon. After a brief marinade with Ken’s Italian dressing, she poached it in lime/butter stock, and served it with a topping of sautéed cucumber, green pepper, celery, and bacon, which is what she had handy in the fridge. It was a little dry, but edible. Green beans, whole potatoes, and Johnnycake (to hell with the carbs!) rounded out the meal.

Thunderstorms and very high winds are on tap for late tonight, tomorrow, and part of Monday. Maybe daylight savings will bring some more moderate easterly trade winds 🙂