I just listened to '16 Carriages' from Beyoncé's new country album. Good lord, it's raw. I remember always empathizing with her during her tour. It was long, and of course, it’s not her first rodeo. As phenomenal as she is, she is still human. I wish being a successful artist didn't involve being commodified.
Anonymity will always be meaningful to me. Walking down the streets in an old t-shirt and jeans or traveling with the barest essentials and connecting with genuine humans is gold; nothing ever compares to that. This is what I experienced in the Bahamas
I had planned this trip as a mental retreat. The only way I can fully relax is when I’m scuba diving, as it requires complete immersion and trust in nature. This dive was different; it was going to be with sharks, and I was excited. It was meant to be a two-day dive over the weekend, and I hadn’t planned anything else.
I had just checked into the Airbnb where I would be staying when I received a message that the dive on the last day was cancelled due to weather conditions. It didn't feel that bad since I have another day of diving.
As I pondered on how to make up for the lost day, I decided to visit the beach, take a dip in the Bahamian ocean, and then grab lunch. The beach was breathtakingly beautiful, and as I immersed myself in the refreshing water, I couldn't help but feel rejuvenated.
Just as I was about to leave, I noticed a gentleman who later introduced himself as Dino, he does watersport rentals. I approached him and asked him where I could buy some Conch. Someone had told me that if I liked ceviche, then I would enjoy Conch too. I hadn't said the name correctly so he corrected me and said "do you want the authentic one or the tourist friendly one". I said, "listen do I look like a tourist to you" then we both started laughing. He said it would take me 30 minutes to get there by road. Then, I exclaimed, 'Nah, that's too far; I'm hungry.' I asked why I would want to travel by road when I'm on an island. He suggested taking his Jet Ski, to which I replied, 'Say less!
Initially, he pointed the place to me and said I had to rent the Jet Ski to and fro, the water was choppy so I asked him to please come with me. Off we went to his recommended venue. It was Goldies!
During the ride, I remember feeling grateful for the fact that I could do that on a Thursday without feeling any sense of guilt. This was me jet skiing on one of the most beautiful islands in the world to grab lunch. I took a Jet Ski to eat the most beautiful conch I've had till date. It's these little moments that makes me feel whole, I did not even think about the cancelled dive until i was back to my AirBnB.
When I go to the Caribbean, I try to stay away from hotels as much as possible, I've found that these establishments are Americanized and designed in a way that you may not even leave the resort, which means you don't get to connect with the real locals or impact them directly. The only exception was Barbados because it was my sister's birthday. Even at that I still found a way to make friends with the hotel staff, Nicole whom I met even sent me outskirt of town to get my hair braided. Same was the driver we used during the entire time, he was happy to take me around and tell me stories. It saddens my heart that there is a a possibility that I may never see these people again which is why I give my best self whenever I encounter people on my travel. It is usually an experience for me and i hope they feel the same.
I ordered the grilled Conch, it was served with plantains, potatoes and vegetables. It has a spicy kick to it and of course I paired it with the famous Bahama Mama cocktail. It was sooo good! I invited Dino to join me for lunch but he declined, I knew he was shy so i didn't want to insist. He said he was going to chat with his friend while i go to lunch.
Once I finished we headed back to the shore where we met, the water was a bit choppy and took more effort coming back but I did it still. Once we got to the shore I ordered a drink while i waited for the sun to set. I'm not sure if this is a me thing but there is something so phenomenal about taking a dip and watching the sunset simultaneously. I later got dressed and asked happy people like myself to take some pictures of me.
After the sunset, reality began to set in that I had no plans for the following day. I'm a planner by default and having no plans actually stresses me. While I do tend to leave room for serendipitous moments, I don't typically plan for an entire day of inactivity so I asked Dino what a typical Bahamian would do on a lazy day. We both laughed and he said "You don't want that," so he recommended some tours downtown Nassau to me. He emphasised that I should take the public transport Instead of a taxi.
On day 2 of my trip, I headed straight downtown, I have now had a couple of itineraries to fill my day. On the bus to my first venue, the driver was very chatty and nice so we chatted throughout the duration of the trip, while other passengers incepted here and there. I must have had a random Deja vu moment of me taking public transport in Lagos where people would have full on conversations with strangers, although mostly chaotic but I felt the same sense of belonging I used to feel during those times. It was quite refreshing.
The driver stopped right downtown Nassau, so I began my tour walking down to the Queen's Staircase. It was quite a walk, but I didn't mind; everything at that point was a tourist attraction to me.
On arrival, I was hungry because I hadn't had breakfast, I ordered some Conch Fritters, It was the most horrible one I had during my stay.
I had an inclination that it was going to be a tourist trap before ordering, but I was too hungry to care. Once I finished eating, I embarked on my tour. After visiting the Queen's Staircase, I headed for the straw market and the slavery museum, then walked around downtown.
By the time I was finished with my tours, I was too sober so I thought I would relax a little, I went to a beach party called Tiki Bar. I am famous for exploring food and drinks whenever there is bad weather. Oh, that reminds me of a time I traveled to Halifax and there was a hurricane. I engaged in food tourism the entire time, and I found it equally rewarding.
I had a good time at Tiki, but I needed to make plans for the night, so I decided to go to Baha Mar, this was never the plan. While I like fine dinning and fancy restaurants, I don't like the fact that its been Americanised, it was exactly what I thought of it, i didn't feel like I was on an island again, It had a Las Vegas feel to it which is definitely not why I was at the Bahamas, the food was average and extremely overpriced but the entertainment was good. They had some 90s music which made up for my "not so great" evening.
On arriving back to my AirBnB, I snuck some work in then called it a night hoping I would be diving the following day. I checked my email first thing in the morning like I normally do and i saw an email that the dive had been canceled. I almost cried, but then I consoled myself by thinking, My mom had been calling me since I departed. Maybe it was God saving me from becoming shark food, Lol!
Jokes apart, the shark dive has been on top of my bucket list. I had a shower anyway thinking I would figure out a plan before I finished dressing up. Oh yes, I did, I wanted to eat Conch again, this time, the Conch salad. So I packed my beach bag with all the beach essentials. When I'm on an Island, I like to pack for uncertainties, regardless of the weather, I will always have my swimsuit and my essentials.
I was beginning to feel like a local, I took the public transport again and off I went to the fish fry. I sat next to the driver and we talked politics, helped him understand Africa is not the same as Nigeria. Our conversation was tailored to Nigeria and how the Yoruba culture extends to Cuba. We had such a great conversation that the drive felt too short.
On arriving at the fish fry, I headed straight to my now favourite place "Goldies". I had now experienced what a mediocre meal feels like so I knew not to gamble. I ordered the Conch Salad, writing this reminded me of burst of flavours, I can only describe it as something similar to Peruvian Ceviche. Even at that, it doesn't come close. It was so fresh and I felt ten times healthier and was very proud of my choice.
As I sat waiting for my food to arrive, I noticed turtles swimming in the water nearby. This sight filled me with joy, prompting me to embark on a turtle-hunting adventure. However, our plans were interrupted by a sudden heavy rain, forcing us to relocate to another table. While I sat at the table eating my food, a gentleman (whom I later found out owned the restaurant) sent me a tequila shot. What else is there to do on a rainy day on an island? If you're like me, your answer would be drink of course, so I raised my glass to say thank you and drank it. Within five minutes, another shot came but before I finished drinking it, I thought it would be polite to go say thank you in person before ordering my main course. I had no idea I was about to sign up for another drunk episode. Hmm yea, I have my limits but I just tend to forget when i'm having an awesome time. Also, I rarely get drunk when I'm solo travelling as I'm a one man squad and have to be at alert all the time.
The people at the table were so much fun, and they were all telling jokes. I love a good laugh, so I indulged in it, while the jokes and shots were flowing simultaneously. Goldie then officially introduced himself as the owner of the restaurant and introduced his daughter, whom I call Kirks, who was later going to be my savior. She didn't sit with us as she was working. We all had such a great conversation, and everyone at the table had good jokes.
My main course arrived, and then I remembered I had asked to use the restroom. I recall just sitting there, feeling like I wanted to sleep, while Kirks checked on me multiple times. Each time, I insisted I was fine. However, she mentioned that her dad had sent her again to ensure I was okay. It was too late; everyone had already assumed I was drunk. Eventually, I managed to open the door. Kirk gave me lemonade to help with my situation, I eventually threw up and tried to get rid of as much alcohol as i could out of my system. I started feeling incredibly drowsy, she ushered me to her office, which thankfully was away from the restaurant, sparing me from the full walk of shame.
I laid down on the couch, but then I felt like puking again. I couldn't muster enough strength to make it quickly, so I ended up vomiting on my dress. Goldie walked in on me, I was so embarrassed. To my surprise, he grabbed a towel and started cleaning me up. I don't think I could ever do that for a stranger. He made sure I was fine before leaving, and then he asked if he could drop me off. I told him that Kirks was going to drop me off. Although we hadn't discussed it before, she quickly agreed to take me home, which made me so happy.
At the end of the day, Kirk is a woman, and I felt safer with her. I must have slept for an additional hour, and when I woke up, I felt fully restored. I thanked her sincerely, realizing I wouldn't have known what to do without her. The level of kindness and safety I experienced with the entire crew was unimaginable. We got to know each other properly as I could now hold a conversation. She's such a decent human being, and we have stayed in touch ever since.
Overall, it was a great trip, even though the original intent was not fulfilled. I made new friends who upheld values and took care of me, a total stranger. I will always remember that.
