Farsighted Fly Girl

"Ask Jimmy what makes it so great. He sat right there at the bar and wrote the song," explains Ma Ruby, when asked about her world famous cheeseburger. Jimmy would be the "Gulf and Western" singer Jimmy Buffet   of Margaritaville and Parrot Head fame. "Cheeseburger in Paradise" is his much -quoted song about finding nirvana between two slices of bread with a sea breeze wafting in the background. A couple of  other island  restaurants claim that they originated the dish but according to the Parrot Head Handbook and Ma Ruby herself,  her little eatery in Tingam Village Hotel on Harbour Island is the place that stirred Jimmy's appreciation. The legendary burger is a huge slab of meatloaf-like beef between two thick slices of  toasted Bahamian bread and cheese. Since I don't eat burgers, I can't tell you about the greatness of her cheeseburger but I can tell you about the greatness of Ma Ruby. Her restaurant is filled with signed hats, photos an...

When I was touring resorts in Harbour Island, I was struck by a dazzling collection of Haitian art covering the walls of  a gorgeous, ocean front cottage.  The fact that my focus was drawn to a few wall hangings in the midst of a sprawling, sun -kissed, property speaks to the power of Haitian art. I immediately recognized them as Haitian drapo vodou or ceremonial vodou flags, by the distinctive beading and sequin work. As I follow the tragedy of the Haitian earthquake, I often think of the resilence of Haitian culture. The art, music and spirit of Haiti continues to survive in the face of centuries of hardship and opression. Despite the stereotypes and misinformation, Vodou  remains a syncretic relligion that combines ancient African spiritual beliefs with Catholicism, in much the same way as Cuban Santeria, Brazilian Candomble and Jamaican Obeah and it does not involve devil worship.  Instead, V odou acknowledges one God, as well as...

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...

Harbour Island brims with charm on every inch of the three and half mile paradise. Even the roads are quaint because you won't find many cars instead, golf carts represent the  most popular Harbour Island transportation choice. You can rent tiny two seaters or roomy four seaters like the one I'm riding above, to zip around to see the island highlights. Along the narrow streets you'll see scores of golf carts lining the curbs. Sometimes, so many of the little carts cram the roads that that they appear to outnumber Harbour Island's population of 2,000 and actually take on human characteristics. To me, the carts above look like a couple in a face off. The golf carts offer the perfect way to absorb the island's personality and see hallmark's up close. This might look like a cute cottage but it's actually one of Harbour Islands's most popular businesses, Arthur's Bakery.  People crowd the shop to score golden, buttery, coc...

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...