David & Karen Arrive at Staniel Cay
Ambler Isle
V and S
Sun 24 May 2009 18:25
We'd hired Harry Nixon Aviation to fly David and Karen from Nassau to Staniel Cay in his 4 0r 6 seater Cessna. Numerous phone calls back and forth confirmed the detail, the flight number, the times, and more. When David and Karen showed up at the Cat Island Air counter as instructed, the agent from Flamingo Air said she knew Harry Nixon, and he'd want them to fly with Flamingo Air! The flight left in 3 minutes. Harry Nixon called us and said the plane had left the airport, unsure of the time. So we figured he'd hired another pilot to take them. We hurried to the airstrip and saw a 12 seater taking off. We'd missed the landing, and Dave had left for the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, 1 mile away. We finally found them and ferried them to the Amber Isle. We enjoyed Amber Islanders along the ride. Barefoot Man was crooning in the background as we boarded. Ah, they were in the Bahamas. The next day, a big black raincloud came over us, and it rained the entire day. Departure to islands north was planned for their 3rd day, but we stayed on to see the sights. Of course, a trip to pig beach to feed the "girls". Karen was delighted. Next we went to Thunderball Cave to snorkel and see the thousands of fish. Karen was reluctant as first, forgetting her prior year's snorkeling. But finally she entered the cave. A grotto, really, the top is open and sunlight streams in. We swam, fed the fish, and took photos. Next we dinghyed to Club Thunderball for conch lunch. A Bahamian treat, it is a must-try every year. The hiking trails along the beach beckoned, and we walked to the cliffs to enjoy the panoramic view. Now we could leave. Awaking to more rain, we weighed anchor and headed out. The outside, ocean side was too rough, so we sailed 6 hours north to Norman's Cay on the protected side of the islands. It was calm.. We were missing a few favorite sights, the Sea Aquarium, Rocky Dundas Cave, and a visit with the nurse sharks at Compass Cay. But we got the longest leg behind us. At 5:00pm we anchored in the Cut at Norman's Cay.