It IS better in the Bahamas!

We've been on Grand Bahama Island for 6 days now....the last two days the weather has been crazy with gale force winds (45mph+). Even at the docks boats are blowing around, except for "Cloud Nine", Tom has her tied up like a mummy. We've taken the opportunity of bad weather to explore this island...we've made several trips in to town on the city bus, which is actually an enlarged van. On the way home on Saturday, there were 16 of us jam-packed in the van...there were groceries under seats, tied to the top of the van, kids on every available lap, 4 people in the front seat...you get the picture...As the 25 mile trip progressed more people flagged down the van from the road and somehow we made room for one more...at each stop, the bus driver helped ladies to their doors with their groceries, people on the bus carried each others children and everyone helped each other. The chatter on the bus was fun to listen to. Tom mentioned that he wanted to buy fresh conch to try his hand at Bahamian conch salad...so when the bus was empty, the bus driver drove us to the bay where a conch diver was standing in shallow water surronded by mounds of conch. They taught us how to extract the conch from the shell by cutting a slit in the back of the shell that releases the conch...when the diver pulled the conch out, there was a silvery transparent membrane that looked like a rice noodle...he said "eat it, it'll put lead in your pencil"...so we did! Just like fear factor. One of the people on the bus invited us to church on Sunday and we accepted, so we were picked up by the bus and off we went to St James Baptist Church in West End, Grand Bahama. Everyone in the church was dressed to the nines...the women in beautiful dresses with big bright colored hats, the men in suits and ties...we were hugged by everyone and made to feel so welcome. The service was 2.5 hours long...there was alot of rousing singing and dancing in the aisles...and a great sermon about "love"...usually after church the people in the village cook out on their lawns and you can buy jerk chicken, ribs and fresh steamed conch...but the weather was too windy. We loved the last two days, and once again realized that if you're open to the possibilities you can have wonderful, unforgettable experiences, even in a storm!