5/8/2015 – We are preparing to leave Nassau this morning without looking back. Nassau only became a destination when my bilge blower bit the dust. I emailed them while in Bimini and they said they had one in stock. We took a slip at the Nassau Yacht Haven and it turns out the marine supply was just across the street. We walked yesterday to the supermarket which is almost comparable to Winn Dixie back home and got a few needed supplies. There was a Dairy Queen in the shopping center so we had ice cream for the first time in a month. In the afternoon we walked over to the bridge to see the fish shacks beneath the bridge. The area is called Potters Cay and is mostly for the locals. They literally are shanties with portable generators running for electricity. Although food was served, they were mostly bars with a handful of produce stands and a few boats selling fresh fish. This was not a place we wanted to be after dark. The first shack we came upon was a gambling shack with a lot of loud talking and lots of spirits. This did not set well with Lynne so she was apprehensive and a little fearful as we continued to stroll through the area. Needless to say she would not allow us to stop to taste the food. We then proceeded to walk to the other bridge and finally took a cab who recommended the Junkanoo Festival which was having a fish fry. It turned out to be three stages with bands and a fee of $15.00 per each. It was next to a permanent row of fish shacks similar to those under the bridge but with a more upscale appearance and better clientele. The cab cost $15.00 there and then they wanted to charge $20.00 back but I got them to agree to $15.00. Traffic is constant and heavy down Bay street with cars blowing horns and trying to bully their way through and the cab drivers drive like maniacs.
Nassau in general is a high crime area especially near the marinas and all shops have locked doors with buzzer release. All windows have bars. It could make you a little insecure.
I am continually wondering how the locals can afford the prices for groceries and other products here in the Bahamas.