Farsighted Fly Girl

Sunset is my favorite time of day. I love the drama of the changing sky and the pretty colors that spread across it. Of course, the best sunsets are always over water so I've compiled some of the most memorable sunsets of my island travels. My all time favorite is this stunning sunset over Hilton Head Island, above. The Spanish moss dripping over the water just ups the dazzling effect. This sunset is dipping down over Eleuthera in the photo above. The amber and apricot hues over the water and palm trees create a lovely image. I think this flame-colored sunset over Cozumel is the most striking. It looks like streaks of fire rolling over the water. The fact that I viewed this from a pirate ship seems extremely appropriate. In Fajardo, Puerto Rico, the slip of rosiness behind the palm tree on the right qualifies as the most delicate sunset. Do you have any sunset (or sunrise) memories from your travels?

I've just finished decorating my Christmas tree, which always inspires me to think about the origins of many of my ornaments.  Glittery, beaded, balls from India are favorites, as well as embroidered bells from Italy. But the most unexpected decoration is a pure white sand dollar I got from St. Croix. Sand dollars make elegant Christmas ornaments and are commonly used in coastal areas and the Caribbean. The pretty sand dollar-covered tree above was captured in Eleuthera, with echos of the sea right outside. I never realized that sand dollars are fuzzy sea creatures similar to starfish. The sand dollars that wash ashore are actually skeletons.  Decorating a tree with skeletons gives a whole other perception that doesn't quite fit with the holiday season but I still think they're pretty. Will you be decorating with any souvenirs from your travels this season?

The Caribbean reaps lot of attention for golden sun, powdery sand beaches and turquoise water.  And it's true, all of these elements  offer enough beauty to soothe your frazzled soul.  But there's one Caribbean attraction that I think deserves more notice.  It's the sunsets. There's nothing more gorgeous than a blazing sunset over a stretch of water. I make it a point to capture a sunset on every island I visit. The drama of it all is enough to make me forget the sun and just come out at sunset. I captured this setting sun in Eleuthera, at the Cove resort.  The property boasts a lookout tower just to watch spectacles like this.   Watching the sun gently dip over water, with palm trees casting shadows, is one of my favorite island activities.  What's your favorite way to enjoy the beauty of a destination?

I've always loved the deep crimson and overall weirdness of pomegranates. What other fruit comes in pods like that? As a child who devoured Greek mythology, the fact that Persephone ate six pomegranate seeds that would doom her to six months in the underworld with Hades, added to the drama. But I'd never actually seen a pomegranate tree until I was in Eleuthera. The ancient pomegranate is native to Persia and the Himalayas but occasionally grows on some Bahamian islands.  Persians (Iranians) believe that it was a pomegranate that tempted Eve, not a boring apple. I got a kick seeing pomegranates growing on spindly trees, surrounded by hibiscus, yellow elder and Royal poinciana tropical flowers. It truly looked like the garden of paradise.  Have you spotted any surprising plants or fruits on your travels?

An essential outing in Eleuthera is a visit to Elvina's bar and restaurant.  A laidback surfer's hangout run by  Eleuthera native Elvina and her Lousiana-bred husband, Chicken Ed,  Elvina's draws local and tourists for a taste of Eleuthera nightlife. Tuesday and Friday nights are when the bar hops with live music, often lead by Eleuthera resident Lenny Karavitz.  I stopped by Elvina's late one Saturday night with my journalist crew. Chicken Ed sat outside at the door, nodding to regulars while gaggles of locals sip Kalik and eye newcomers. The band was led by a blond American singing "Lay Down Sally." Not exactly what I had expected to hear.  He continued with weak renditions of blues classics and I started to believe that I wouldn't be hearing anything authentic, when Blue took the stage.  Covered in shades and a cowboy hat, Blue dug into rake n' scrape tunes filled with scratchy rhythms from the  carpenter's saw, goombay drum and concertina...

Baths are my favorite method of relaxation, sitting in warm water always soothes away stress and fatigue.  Climbing through the craggy hills and coves to reach Eleuthera's Queen's Baths , I felt both of these sentiments without so much soothing. The Queens Baths are small, natural, tidal pools surrounded by miles of uneven coral and oolitic limestone. Yes, I had an informal geology lesson while scaling the formations. Oolitic limestone is composed of calcium carbonate "oolites", which are small spheres formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate on sand grains or shell fragments.  In other words, deep grooves covered the formations as you can see above. In order to make it to the Baths, you need steady feet, good balance and sturdy- soled shoes. Of course, I had none of these.  Fortunately, I made it by walking slowly and carefully. I wasn't about to climb down the curvy rocks that lead into the pools in my sandals but the water rippled enticing...

Yesterday, I finally talked to the man who changed my mind about airline service. With all the nickle and diming, security hassles and overall disreguard for customers, airline flights have become something I want to get through as quickly as possible.  Forget smiling attendants and helpful ticket agents, I'm just happy  to make it through security and in a seat.  So when I flew into Fort Lauderdale for my connecting flight to Eleuthera, I was aiming to get  out of there as quickly as possible.  I had no idea that my experience would not be close to quick and that I might not make it out of Florida at all. You see, I didn't book my ticket. The PR agency that organized my press trip did.  It seems that they only left 20 minutes to connect to my flight. Apparently, that's an illegal procedure because you're required to allow at least an hour.  Especially in Fort Lauderdale. If you've never been to Fort Lauderdale Airport, let me explain. It is an ...

I love Caribbean art. So when I heard about a gallery opening on Eleuthera, I raced there with my press group.  Eleuthera is a tiny island and everyone turns out for any kind of festive event. Everybody means families with children, teens and Lenny Kravitz, who was on the island celebrating his daughter Zoe's birthday.  I was enthralled by the vibrant images popping off the gallery's walls, like the striking painting above, called "Junkanoo Lionfish." And this one, fashioned from old car parts to create a vivid turtle shell. I was interviewing the owner, Ann, who was supposed to have been my masseuse on the beach that afternoon but her opening forced her to cancel, when I glimpsed Lenny in a plaid shirt out of the corner of my eye.  I was still busy taking photos when one of my journalist buddies grabbed me. The whole group was expecting me to be the one to get the scoop on where Lenny was playing.  He was standing near the door and I was e...

On the northern tip of Eleuthera, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other, the Glass Window Bridge dramatically rises from a natural rock formation. Covered in craggy cliffs and ridges, while periodically splashed by aggressive waves, the area exudes an eerie vibe.  At Glass Window Bridge, Eleuthera narrows to an isthmus only as wide as the bridge itself, which is why it's called the narrowest place on earth. It's also the only place on the island that I fellt uneasy.  Only later did I learn that rogue waves, sometimes as high as 100 feet, sometimes wash people and vehicles into the ocean.

Governor's Harbor is a settlement that covers the center of Eleuthera.  The area boasts the distinction of  being the first permanent European settlement in the New World as well as exhibiting  the true essence of Eleuthera.  For the most part, the island is quiet and sparsely populated  but Governor's Harbour offers glimpses of candy-colored houses, a legendary Friday night fish fry and Saturday morning sailboat racing. Preparation for the races start at 10 AM, when children and adults launch and rigg their boats on the beach. The first race sails at 11:00 with a course clearly viewed from the harbour. I was charmed to see children sailing and swimming on a Saturday morning instead of holed up in front of a computer somewhere. It felt like a peek into another era when nature and simplicity were still revered. By about 2PM, the races were over and the boats dotted the beach like oversized flippers. Some of the kids scurried across the street to...

It's the middle of the holiday season and after four straight days ( Christmas Eve, Christmas, birthday, Kwanzaa)  of celebrating, I'm finally relaxing. For me, that means a book, music and a cup of tea.  My relaxation ritual made me remember how I observed the locals unwinding on Eleuthera and Harbour Island. Despite the popularity and common association with tourists, I never saw a native Bahamian touch a Bahama Mama  or Yellow Bird cocktail. Instead, I saw them relaxing at cafes, eating conch fritters and drinking tea, coconut water or Goombay Punch.  Forget Coke or Pepsi, the go to soda in the Bahamas is the  sweet, bubbly, red, Goombay Punch. I've heard the taste described as a pineapple Life Saver and that pretty much sums it up except I think its a lot more refreshing. Another alternative for a quick break is Goombay Fruit Champagne. It's less sweet than the punch and tastes like cream soda. I saw school children drin...

Conch salad  fittingly represents the breezy, easygoing Bahamian lifestyle and you will find the delicacy everywhere on Harbour Island, the tiny island two miles East of Eleuthera. Located along the waterfront, Queen Conch is the Harbour Island headquarters for a daily dose of fresh conch salad. A conch (konk) is a mollusk that's basically a marine snail.. First the insides are scooped out of the rosy shell. A special knife is used to scrape the wiggling meat out of the shell, which sometimes hides large pink pearls. The basic ingredients for a conch salad are tomato, onion, green pepper, lime juice and at Queen Conch, sour orange juice, which is a cross between a lime and an orange.  A special pepper sauce is also added for a zesty kick. A large knife is used to swiftly cut up all the ingredients before your eyes. Then the salad is scooped into a plastic container with a spoon. Conch salad is refreshing and mild, it tastes like a chewier verion o...

One of the first things that I discovered in Eleuthera was that pink shows up on more than just its sandy shores. In fact, I found that the sand wasn't a true pink at all but really specks of pink washed with white, pictured above, under my pink toe nails. Although I dutifully scooped a bottle of the sand for my pink sand collection, I was disappointed that it wasn't a deeper shade of pink. But after a few days, I realized that pink dominates the island's color spectrum and accurately reflects Eleuthera's calm, cheery vibe. First I was greeted by North Eleuthera's rosy-hued airport. Then I was drawn in by pops of berry-colored blooms lined by a lavender fence. Then I spotted a pastel pink church. And I was tempted to lounge in cotton-candy-colored lawn furniture. Most significantly, the signature conch shells that dot the beaches and supply the basis for the famed conch salad, add a serene pink glow everywhere you turn. Most of all, the pink s...

I'm headed for a press trip to Eleuthera, (El Loo thra) a Bahamian out island famous for its quiet beauty. Pink sand beaches are another Eleuthera claim to fame and you know how I love pink sand. I'll be delving into the history and culture of this 110 miles long island, which was the first European settlement in the Bahamas. I plan to take in bone fishing, a weekly fish fry jump up and hang out at Elvina's, the legendary beach side bar noted for Lenny Kravitz jam sessions. I'll be gone for the rest of the week but expect dreamy Eleuthera updates by next week.