From: BrianGale@alum.bucknell.edu [mailto:BrianGale@alum.bucknell.edu]
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2003 3:15 PM
To: celebration_news@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [celebration_news] Abaco Sailing Tours
Hello all! The last two weeks I have continued as tour guide to the Abacos. Last week my friend Robin came down to escape the late-winter blues in downeast Maine, and this past week my friend Josh escaped the frozen city of Burlington, Vermont. Robin had a perfect week of sun and temps in the 80s, whereas Josh brought a little New England with him, 25 to 35 knot winds and cold temperatures for the first three days of his trip, though the weather has now returned to it's norm - perfect.
Josh also came down to celebrate his 30th birthday. The local reefs played along, and at the Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park we were able to watch SIXTEEN Spotted Eagle Rays swim circles in perfect synchroization. Spotted Eagle Rays are by far my favorite of the reef dwellers, and to see a troop of sixteen of these beauties, well, it just doesn't get any better.
Aside from snorkling daily, I hit the usual Abaco attractions with my guests. Pete's Pub, a great beach shanty in a small cove in the southern Abacos, yet the owner (Pete) is also a renowned artist. We had the good fortune to visit the pub/gallery/foundry on a day that they were making bronze castings via a 3000 year-old method. It was incredible to watch them pull a vat of molten bronze out of the blast furnace with a chainfall, then pour the liquid into the molds.
We also visited Hopetown and their lighthouse, one of three remaining hand-cranked, kerosene-fired lighthouses. It's neat to climb the staicase and check out all the machinery (not to mention the 1200 pounds of mercury that the light rests on!), and the view from the top is of course breathtaking.
And of course no tour of the Abacos would be complete without a visit to Nipper's Bar (or Nippa's if you're from the northeast). Nippa's is an incredible place - it's on the highest point on Great Guana Cay, so the view is fantastic. They've got two pools, good burgers with great fries, a perfect white sound beach as far as the eyes can see, and the third largest continuous reef in the Northern Hemisphere. (Kinda reminds you of taking college tours, doesn't it? Everyone had some obscure item that they were incredibly proud of - the oldest ornithology library, the largest eight-sided building in the Western Hemisphere. I believe Bucknell has the largest unsupported spiral staircase east of the Mississippi. 'Ray Bucknell...)
Oh yeah, Nippa's is also a bar, with a lovely little drink called the, uh, Nippa. In a word - yum. Makes you want to ignore that reef. Get nipped at Nippa's.
With Robin and Josh gone I now head back to Nassau to pick up my friend John for a few days, and then I'll continue south, first back down the Exuma chain to Georgetown, then east to do a circuit of a few of the outer islands.
Thanks again to all who continue to write, it's a big lift on a potentially lonely day. But please, please, PLEASE remember not to send me back my original email to me. It costs $3-5 to send each of these rambling updates, and when 10 people send it back to me - well, the budget really takes a hit.
I hear the Canadian-US border is geting knocked around with a bit of spring snow - 10" in Toronto? I'll try to send some warmth home with Josh!
Brian
Forecast for Saturday through Wednesday:
Sun, highs in the mid 80s, lows in the mid 70s, humidity in the 70s-80s, winds southeast 10-15.
Of course this is coming straight from Barometer Bob, so we need to take this with a MOUNTAIN of salt...
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