Thompson Bay, Stella Maris

Stella Maris dinning room to ourselves

 

This morning we take the car north to Stella Maris a resort for breakfast. This time of year is their slow season and this is our third time here for breakfast. They seem to have less and less guests each time. 7 years ago they had a full buffet breakfast and a fair amount of guests. This time we are the only costumers insight when we arrive, although another group had breakfast before we showed up. 

 

Their busy season is around the holidays and late Fall. They have the only airfield on this end of the island. They also have a small, but decrepit marina on the west side on the island. We order off the menu and have a very good breakfast.

An interesting change from our last visit 4 years ago to the Bahamas is the acceptance of credit cards everywhere without charging extra. I think the government has prevented businesses from charging extra. I assume since cash was an easy way to avoid paying the VAT taxes. Some places only accept credit cards, I assume to prevent cash going into employee pockets.

 

After breakfast we drive to the Columbus monument on the north end of Long Island. Since our last visit the Government paved the road to the monument parking lot, paved that too and also put in cement stairways and rails up to the top of the cliff where the monument is. “This monument is dedicated to the gentle peaceful and happy aboriginal people” and “arrival of Christopher Columbus”. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our way south we stop at the Tropic of Cancer, parallel. Gee, Mark and Karen look so much taller than Linda and I.

 

 

We do a short hike to the “Shrimp Hole” a small pool in a open cave. We see one shrimp. On the way back to the car rental place we fill our water jugs and fill the car gas tank.

We relax on the boat in the afternoon. I go for a swim and wash and shower off the back of the boat. Linda reads and snoozes. We then head into shore to met up with Gayle and Bruce, who are past cruisers, who we first meet on their boat “Acquarelle”, who built a house at Thompson Bay and no longer sail. We meet them for dinner at “The South side”. We get back to the boat shortly after sunset.

 

Bruce and Gayle

 

Genie and Brad with Karen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset from South Side