Bahama Mamma

Sun drenched, salty, sandy skin, bare feet, a seemingly endless row of stalls of fresh caught seafood and a Bahama Mamma punch buzz. I found my happy place. Coming off of a week long Caribbean cruise and having been to Nassau before I thought that I'd seen it all and that the island had nothing to offer me, but oh was I wrong! This was the one stop where we got off the ship with no itinerary for the day. After wandering around aimlessly looking at souvenirs we decided to grab a cab to a free public beach known as Cabbage Beach that we had seen on a map of the island. As soon as we arrived there were women selling all-you-can-drink coconuts filled with fruity concoctions that they were pouring out of 2 liter soda bottles for $20. As sketchy as it seemed my husband and I decided, somewhat reluctantly, "when in Rome" and went for it. The beverages were cold and tropical and really completed the island beach vibe. I think it turned out to be the deal of the trip considering how much drinks cost on the cruise ship. With my punch buzz on I decided it was time for a swim in the warm, crystal blue water of the Atlantic Ocean. It was absolutely gorgeous and took me back to my childhood in Florida and summers spent at the beach. My swim also worked up a hunger so we decided it was time for lunch! We hailed a cab and asked the driver to take us to the place he would go to eat fresh seafood, in other words, somewhere that the locals go. He drove us to his favorite spot called Potter's Cay which happens to be under a bridge and looks like a swap meet of seafood - stall after stall of beautiful freshly caught seafood. We thought we had died and gone to heaven. It appeared we were the only tourists there which really made us feel like we were getting the real authentic deal. There were elder locals hanging out, drinking beer and playing checkers, families sharing food and fishermen hauling in their catch of the day. We shared plate after plate of fresh shrimp, conch (a local specialty) and white fish, along with the lightest, most refreshing conch civeche salad and washed it all down with Kalik the local beer. Being simple and crude stalls under a bridge, the food wasn't as inexpensive as you'd imagine but it was fresh and well worth every penny. It was a magical afternoon! We got Nat Geo worthy photos and really felt like we were part of the island for a few hours. Nassau, I beg you to embrace me once again soon...it was hidden paradise at its best!