Back in the Bahamas and I was insistent that we have a nice meal. I wanted something decadent and accompanied by wine. Shar knew of a place and suggested it. She had mentioned the upcoming dinner to her cousin and invited her, too. Monica had treated me to a Canadian spread (thanksgiving) and so I was glad she accompanied us. Kind girl and great conversationalist.
Mahoghany delivered. Roasted cauliflower risotto, a mezze board, foie gras manicotti and blackened snapper. A few bottles of wine later and I was in heaven. That is an aspect of vacation for me. I loved exploring the islands but the food factor lacked. Huge disappointment in my world. It was so bad that I didn't think about what I was eating as I was afraid that I would not be able to eat if I dissected the quality of the ham and cheese sandwiches for example. The bread was universally bad as well as pastries in general. I needed a quality meal and thankfully, the Bahamas had a fantastic restaurant.
After the meal we went dancing. I loved that Shar enjoyed dancing nearly as much as I do. Although, I prefer different music than what they were playing that night. Electronica is really not my thing. We danced for a bit and then headed back to Cable Beach. We figured we could do a night cap at one of three places within walking distance to their apartments. The first place looked empty. The second place had closed but due to their friendship with the owner we were given a drink to go. The third place had people but an odd vibe. And, honestly, at this point, I was ready for sleep. The following morning promised yoga or a run. I preferred the yoga class.
I left Shar to attend a two hour class and give her space to catch up on work. I knew how to get back to her place and so I was not concerned. The class, itself, was more meditative and restorative. A few chatarangas. I appreciated it still. I prefer vinyasa but having the opportunity to practice was lovely.
I made my way back to Shar's house and patiently waited for her to complete her work. We had a culture fest to attend. And, I dreamed of a return to the daiq shack. The culture festival provided food, drink and people watching. It was a two day event and we caught the tail end of it. There was music, dance and competitions. Yes, I watched a pineapple eating contest that was somewhat entertaining. They had pineapples hanging from a post and six contestants competing to eat the pineapple without using their hands. Entertaining.
We sampled fare from Haiti, Peru, Poland, Jamaica and Mexico. I loved the polish sausage skewer from Poland and ceviche from Mexico. A mix of beverages, sun and little water had an interesting effect on both Shar and I. Let me just say that my return to the U.S. was long and dehydrating.
I had a 9 1/2 hour layover in New York. My original plan was to take the train into the city and check out restaurants. When would I have the opportunity to that again?
However, I was in no shape to take the train into Manhattan. Instead, I stayed at the airport and tried to stay hydrated. There was a coffee shop open 24 hours and many other travelers sleeping on the floor like me.
I returned to ABQ via ATL and managed to make it back to SF 24 hours later. A whirlwind of a trip. Since I was travel logged, I had to put my return to the breakfast burrito off for a few days. I always crave mexican food when abroad.
At any rate, my trip inspired me to consider future travel. Where to next? Europe, I think. Spain is in my sights along with Vietnam and southeast Asia. Must work to make it happen. For the time being, I will be enchanted by my current city. The food, people, culture....speaking of that, day off provides opportunity to soak. Cheers!
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