Elvis and MaryAnne's, Rolleville, Exuma

Elvis and MaryAnne of Rolleville, one of the remotest settlements in Exuma, have recently opened up a beachfront restaurant.  All you can eat buffet for $17 and the food is great.  Just another day in paradise!

Elvis had the driftwood paintings of his friend Eddy Jude displayed around the bar.  I love the rusty nails in the Chickadee....

What do you get....

when you cross a proper British colonial band with a junkanoo spirit?  The Nassau Police Band.

 

 Click to enlarge to see best smile on the band leader's face.

The local kids in the community band were equally sweet....

Tomorrow...the beautiful baskets from the straw market.

It's a Bahamian Ting

 Have arrived in Exuma for last two days of the National Family Island Regatta when traditional wooden sailing sloops from all over the Bahamian archipelago arrive in Georgetown Harbor for five days of racing competition.  This is one of the biggest events of the year in the "Out Islands" (the ones where the cruise ships don't go) and Bahamians pour into Exuma from all the other islands.

All these people will race the boat -- when the wind picks up they shimmy out onto two wooden rails to keep the boat from blowing over.  You can see this in the previous pic although the wind was not particularly high so they weren't all the way out.

 Many of the boats are brought over from the other islands on the ferries.

 And because this is Exuma, where everything and everyone is mellow, the police boat not only has  policemen with bulletproof vests and guns, but also all their family and friends.

 During and after the races the party continues on the government dock in Georgetown which has been transformed by the temporary construction of a Main St. of food and drink shacks.  What you can't hear is the blasting music from the huge speaker towers.

 

 

 Guava duff and sheep tongue souse....it's a Bahamian Ting....

 I can personally vouch for Froggy and Yvonne's ribs....and the Bahamians do in fact make the best macaroni in the world, served by the slice.

Coldest beer and gullywash.

Tomorrow, the parade!

Barrier island walk

back at the Chat 'N' Chill...

Exuma Junkanoo

Junkanoo is a Bahamian street parade that traditionally occurs before dawn on Boxing Day, December 26th.  The tradition dates back to the 16th or 17th century when slaves were given one day off after  Xmas to celebrate with their families.  Usually the junkanoo begins before dawn but this year it was held after sunset, I think in an effort to lure larger tourist crowds.  It seemed to have worked as the ratio of tourists to locals was much higher than in years past and the streetside bars were doing a ripping business.  However, it didn't have the same magic as the pre-dawn junkanoo with the drums being warmed over makeshift fires before the parade and everyone lining the streets rubbing the sleep out of their eyes wondering why the hell they got up this early---until the fun starts that is.  The marchers often spend months working on their costumes and floats and in Nassau, where the largest junkanoo is held, competition is intense for various best-in-show categories.  The size of the smaller Exuma junkanoo waxes and wanes with the economy....happily larger this year than last.  Like many nations heavily dependent on tourism, the recent economic meltdown hit Exuma hard.

Winter dreams and pretty dresses....

Today my "ant" Anne sent me the this pic, made from a photo I sent her in December and inspiration from the Snowflake Bentley post (can you see the little buddhas in the snowflakes?).  If it looks familiar it is....I will name these the "valentine series".   Anne suggested that I should turn my sights to designing house dresses made from William Morris fabrics (and also here)----how could the NYT style section not love that?  While fashion has never been my strong suit, I was reminded of a picture I took last year of myself and my friend Julia....

 

Julia has many pretty dresses....I love this pic of her matching the table cloth and the house-warming gifts she brought.

topping up leaky radiator in another sweet dress.....

continued experimentation on perfect macaroon recipe in another....

which of course provides actual real reason to wield machete -- always a good thing.

The wind and rain is howling outside.....I feel my seasonal affective disorder acting up!