Life in The Bahamas

There have been many places to see in our journeys but Staniel Cay has been a hoot in a lot of ways.  First and foremost, the people are kind and pleasant to meet.  This has been the case throughout the Bahamas and it has been nice.  The children are polite and well spoken and helpful to lost strangers.  But back to the stories.  Like a lot of rural areas, the life here is very laid back.  Store hours are seemingly posted for tourists to feel better because they aren't even guidelines for the locals.  When we first arrived we went to the local place for supplies, Isles Grocery Store.  The hours were posted and we were several hours before closing, theoretically.  The screen door was open but locked.  A boy planing with an airplane in the yard (most businesses are also places of dwelling) told us they were busy and closed.  A women in the house next door was busy hanging new-Martha Stewart no less-window treatments but she would come wait on us if we hurried.  There wasn't much on the shelves but we bought some things since she had gone to the trouble of opening the door for us.  That afternoon we went in search of the bread store and post office.  We had been told the bread could be found in the yellow house.  Sure enough, in front of the yellow house is a hand painted sign on a scrap of plywood stating-BREAD.  We knocked on the door and were told that the bread was all gone but we could put in our order for the next day so we did.  We walked up the hill to the blue house that is also another grocery store and bought some more essentials like crackers and soda.  When we asked where the post office was we were directed to the green house slightly down the hill.  The nice lady told us she (the postmistress I assume) wasn't home so come back tomorrow, maybe around 10.  Dutifully, we waited until the appointed time and went back.  When I knocked on the door and asked if it was the post office (clearly it was the kitchen of a house) the lady inside said that yes it was but she was closed and take my letter to the Isles Grocery store and they would take care of it.  I can only imagine that the Bahamian government doesn't pay her by the piece.  Anyway, the mail was taken to the store and set to one side.  If our yacht club bill ever reaches Fort Walton Beach, I will be pleasantly surprised.  It is not a system we're used to but it all seems to work for them.  Mail and all supplies come in once a week and the line of dingys heading in are quite the spectacle.  We joined the long queue after another great snorkel and found most of the shelves already picked over but just being part of the crowd and checking out the offerings was enough.  You can buy a card (no guaranteed delivery but you can buy them), a bilge pump, a machete or a dozen eggs along with an assortment of other necessaries.  It's the Island Life, mom.