It doesn't surprise me that many travelers shrug their shoulders at the mention of Nassau.
Most people come in on a cruise, stay for a day or two, walk through the straw markets and visit Atlantis. The harbor area is very busy and geared to sell trinkets to tourists, not something you would necessarily want to experience more than once.
When I was in the Bahamas I spent a few days on the island, and I was hellbent on finding something to connect with, a reason to come back on a plane rather than allowing it to be nothing more than a cruise-ship stop.
I stayed at the British Colonial Hilton (I could see the cruise ships from the hotel's beach), but on a free afternoon I wandered the other way - away from the noise - and went to check out the Graycliff Hotel, the island's only five-star hotel.
On my tour of Nassau I also met Arlene Nash Ferguson, the Bahamian woman in the video below, and she gave me a tour of her museum and a quick history lesson of the Junkanoo Festival.
The word Junkanoo developed after a slave named John Canoe led the charge for the freedom of slaves in the 17th Century (seriously). It's held every year during Christmas time - a large parade with costumes, music, and Bahamian flair.
Funny fact: The costumes are so big and heavy that a strong wind one year forced the festival to be canceled - the participants were getting blown over (one young man broke his leg)!
Check out this video to get a feel for it - perhaps an idea for a holiday getaway next year?
It’s a great alternative to the harbor area where the cruise ships dock: The beach is lined with small, locally-run restaurants and watering holes. Bright colors, big personalities galore – the perfect place to stick out your hand and introduce yourself to the locals.
Quiet and timid during the day, the “strip” fills up as the workday ends and the sun begins to fall and the colors in the sky change. We had a few and then walked back along the beach to the British Colonial Hilton, watching the blue beyond the clouds turn to a purple and orange.
Tomorrow: The story behind the Junkanoo Festival for which the beach is named (complete with yours truly in costume!).
Rodin Museum Did you know the Rodin Museum in Paris was originally the Hotel Biron where Rodin once lived? Rodin donated his entire collection of sculptures, and paintings by Van Gogh and Renoir to the French State. The government turned the entire building into a stunning museum that is a marvel and a must to see.
