Time to "Top Up"

Top Up is the Bahamian term for adding more minutes to your phone and/or data plan. We do this mildly but today it was time to "Top Up" our immigration period. When we arrived in the Bahamas we checked into Green Turtle Cay customs to announce our arrival and get a cruising permit to stay. Because at Green Turtle they only have customs officer we can only get 90 days. If you have an immigration officer there you can ask for more. Well our 90 days are up on the 16th and today the 12th was the earliest that we could ask for more. That's why we are here in Marsh harbour again. Here you have to go to the government office which is a $20 dollar cab ride round trip. At Treasure Cay where we were at earlier this week you have to go to the airport which was a $60 taxi ride. Thus we came back to Marsh to "Top Up" and do a little shopping.

Fortunately our friends Vickie and Buck on Virginia Gaye have friends at the ECC school who offered to take us. That was more than great. After checking into immigration which took about 30 minutes the ECC van driven by Ron from Prospector at Mangoes marina also took us to the very upscale (for the Abacos) hardware store called Abaco hardware and also the Maxwells Grocery and then delivered us directly to our dinghies at the government dock. WOW what a morning.

This weekend is the Barefoot Man concert and we wanted to go to Great Guyana Cay but the forecast is for very moderate winds tonight and tomorrow. The anchorage at Guyana is not good -- mostly sand and turtle grass and difficult to get an anchor to hold. With so many expected boats there it could be a problem. That and around noon when we returned to temptation there were a lot of clouds building for a possible thunderstorm. We stayed put for today and may go to Guyana tomorrow if the winds are not too strong or maybe Saturday. Cold front coming Sunday into Monday so it will be back to Treasure for the North Winds. Can't get back into HopeTown anymore with so much southern traffic coming through.

Let's see if me make Barefoot man tomorrow or Saturday. The concert is okay but the CROWD IS A SPECTACLE -- that is really what I want to see.