Ahh… what a lovely week off in the Bahamas. I did practically nothing, except lay on the beach, sleep, eat, and drink. And I found what may have to become the house drink of Casa de Steve – the Goombay Smash. Here is one recipe for the drink that I think closely matches the version I had. I recall it having dark rum, coconut rum, and pineapple juice. After doing a bit of online searching for a recipe, I found many, and have realized the combinations vary widely depending on the bartender’s preference. But the key ingredients are the rum, some kind of coconut-flavored alcohol, and pineapple juice. They were dispensing this stuff out of gallon jugs. It was quite tasty.
I was at an all-inclusive resort, which was the first time I had ever been at a place like that. The convenience of the all-inclusive was nice – no need to carry around money, since you didn’t need it. The downside was that most of the staff didn’t seem motivated to work for a good tip, since the tip was already included in the price. Some service was better than others, and was rewarded accordingly. Another downside was the boorish behavior of some of the other guests, who I guess were out to get all of their money’s worth by being rude, gluttonous pigs. I tried to avoid them as much as possible.
A few things I learned while on vacation:
- The sun is very hot and strong, even with a high-numbered sunscreen on. My shoulders were burned by the second day.
- People drive like lunatics. Apparently, the road signs are suggestions or optional instructions. It’s one of those things you have to experience to understand.
- I think anyone who wants to can have a bus company, as long as you have a route number on your bus and you follow the route. The buses themselves were interesting constructs: as you face front, there was one set on the left, the aisle, and two seats on the right. Attached to each right side seat was a jump seat that could be folded out into the aisle when the bus got crowded. It makes things interesting when you’re in the back of the bus and need to get off when people are in the jump seats.
