The Exumas are an exotic collection of free islands with sapphire blue water everywhere.
Here, nature outnumbers man, coastlines remain flawless,
your sails are filled with the wind, and the memories you have here will last forever.
This is a brief synapsis of our travels.
As the plane lowered in altitude, it was clear we were arriving in paradise.
We started the trip with a local beer, which we would recommend the Kalec Gold.
We rented a car for the week, which made getting around so much easier,
and stayed at a house at February Point, just a couple of blocks away from downtown Georgetown.
The house we rented came with sea kayaks and stand up paddle boards.
We padded along the coast and over to the beach across the harbor.
You can see sea turtles, sharks, and huge sharkfish.
We hung out at Rusty Anchor a good bit as a three minute walk from the house.
Catch and release pier fishing was also in the neighborhood,
and a small reef along the beach with some sea slugs, chobies, flamingo tongues,
and others could be found while snorkeling.
We made our way over to catch a fire, which boasted a beautiful sunset,
flavorful drinks, and good times.
Make sure you go there on live music night, and be prepared to be on island time
as the kitchen is small, but we were plenty entertained the whole time.
The ladies at the next table over were also fun hanging out with.
The next day we crossed the tiny bridge over to Little Ozuma,
and to the tropical Cancer Beach, which is named for its geographic coordinate.
It is the longest beach on the island, and we think it's the prettiest,
and maybe the prettiest we've ever seen.
It was just us and a couple of wind circles hanging out and basking in the sun.
The traffic breeze beach bar was closed that day,
but it is highly suggested so you can see its spectacular views.
It rained on and off the next day, so we hung out all day relaxing in the hot tub
and floating in the pool.
The pool in the neighborhood was basically empty the entire trip,
and so was the beach area.
You have to ask for the hot tub to be turned on, and it heats up rather fast.
We decided to take a stroll around Georgetown, which is the capital of the Izumas,
in a short three-minute drive.
The town basically has everything you need, groceries, fishing supplies,
a liquor store, knickknacks, and one.
Don't expect to buy items for the prices you see in the states,
as a bag of chips could cost you $6 or more.
The sign at the end of town shows you just how close the other towns are.
You wouldn't think so many towns would be on such a small island.
We headed down to the straw market where you can find local behemian crafts,
jewelry, baskets, and other souvenirs.
Ladies there were very friendly, and we got some t-shirts and hats.
We also picked up a very fancy new camera,
which was fun to play with for the rest of the trip.
Peace and Plenty was one of our favorite spots.
Be sure to go there on a barbecue night.
The music was fun, the food was good, and the vibe was just what we needed.
The next day we rented a boat from Men's Water Sports,
where they talked about protecting Elizabeth Harbor,
and gave us a very detailed Google image of how to get around.
We took turns driving the boat and checked out Guanakay Elkhorn Foral Reef.
No one was there except us, and we could go whatever place we wanted.
We saw flamenco tongues, toe beans, trumpet fish, starfish, and more.
This area was an easy anchor, and does get very shallow during low tide.
We took turns driving the boat and checked out Guanakay Elkhorn Foral Reef.
We headed over to Stocking Island and passed a ton of sailboats and catamaranas,
as there was a regatta in town.
Stingrays will come right up to you looking for a taste of some con,
or in my case, as you'll see in a minute, a little nimble on my GoPro.
We don't have time to go, but this area is also near Turtle Cove and Mystery Cave.
A visit to Stocking Island would not be complete without a brief stop of chat and chill.
We had some island music, good company, fight to eat, some libations.
The regatta brought a lot of cruisers, and along with them, their furry friends.
As you rode in between the anchor boats, you could hear and see the happy sea dogs.
It was time for us to further explore, and we headed to Channel Marker Foral Reef.
You hook up to a mooring buoy, up off, and enjoy the wonderful fish everywhere.
Be sure to account for the swing in the boat, as the current can pull you over the reef.
The next day, we went on a jet ski excursion with Xuma Water Sports.
This was an adrenaline pumping ride. The caves were just so beautiful, your jaw would drop.
We went over to check out the famous swimming pigs. When they heard the jet ski motors,
they all started to come out of the brush to get something to eat.
This is one of my favorite things I saw, and I love feeding them turkey hat dogs.
We saw about 10 grown pigs and several piglets.
We also went zig-zagging through the mangroves. This was so amazing, and we saw sea turtles, stingrays, and a blue hole.
We all had to head back to the states. When Cody arrived at the Exumus, his drone was compensated by immigration,
and he was excited to get it back.
