Swimming with the pigs

Today we joined the crew of YOLO and took a long dinghy ride to No Name Cay near Green Turtle Cay. The water was pretty flat so it was a nice ride.

We saw the fabled swimming pigs there. They are on the beach nearest GTC. Volunteers have set up a watering station and signs requesting visitors bring food and water. Naturally there is little to sustain the pigs there but the generous handouts from strangers is just sustaining them fine. I saw no skinny pigs. A large number of very cute piglets.

GTC has been very quiet for the holiday season. Only today does it look like there is an influx of visitors. Good thing -- the locals really need the commerce. Unless something happens there will probably be no Cruisers Xmas party this year -- no one is attempting to organize one and then there have been only a few boats in the anchorage and only 5 boats here at the Green Turtle Club and 3 over at the Bluff House. All the moorings are full in Black Sound and 99% are flying Canadian flags.

Yesterday I cooked a local lobster -- ohhh boy was it good. I'll do more soon. They are cheaper than steak.

The day before we visited town and the library. The book exchange at the library was pretty poor. The village is overall run down from our last visit -- really sad but if you want to buy a new home here you are looking at close to a million dollars -- just crazy.

We stopped at the Sundowner's club about Sundown with the crew of Endless -- Mike and Nina. We had the signature drink there called a Sundowner (rum punch) and free appetizers -- it was a soda cracker with a meat product sliced and a piece of cheddar cheese. Check Karen's Facebook page for the picture -- ahhh very quaint, but it's the Bahamas Mon! The high point there was a large stingray in the water just below the floor there. Really Cool.

There is a book exchange here at the marina but the other night when I was looking for it an obviously local lady came in the with a canvas bag and just filled it with books leaving few to choose from -- Oh well I guess she is just being enterprising and books are the resource.

Today for the first time I heard the drums beating in town at 5am. It is a custom to bang drums through the streets from about 5am till dawn to "welcome the Christmas Spirit". It's quaint but I like listening.

The rest of the time is spent with long walks to different beaches and swimming in either the ocean or Sea of Abaco depending on conditions.

Oh and on this first day of winter -- we had a high of 78 and a low of 72. Tomorrow will be colder with a high of 77 and a low of 70. Got to love it.