Junkanoo

Last thursday night, Doug and I found ourselves in the middle of a Junkanoo.   A Junkanoo is a Bahamian festival that's basically a street parade that features costumes and mostly percussive instruments like drums, cowbells, sticks and the like.  Whistles and party horns are used as well.

We were walking down the road from dinner and I heard the sounds of a Junkanoo as we rounded the corner near Mangoes restaurant.  Jan and I have been in Junkanoos before in Bahama Village (where our friends Bill and Michelle have a house) in Key West.   It was cool to be in the middle of one in the Bahamas.  All ages were participating and the kids seemed to really get into it.

The circus is in town

What?  They don't drive yellow lamborghinis on your beach?

It's bike week again.  The first time I experienced it I thought it was kinda cool but drawn out.  Now, it's just a noisy week full of people who clog the roads.  All the displays are basically the same thing over and over.  Still, being a biker (?) I will probably ride up to Destination Daytona and browse all the stuff.   I'll try to do it in a way that doesn't clog the road.

Yesterday, after buying some things I need to take back to the boat, I was driving down the beach road and noticed all the parasailers back up in the air - after the winter off.   I'd been in contact by email with Daytona Parasailing about a job as a captain during my 'off' weeks during the racing season.     I'm supposed to call them for an interview, so I decided to just drive down the beach and see if the guy was at his booth on the beach.

When I stopped at his booth (E Z UP tent on the beach), he was away working on a boat (fairly common I think).   While I was standing there talking to one of the workers, a bannerplane flew by about as low as I've ever seen one.  The banner was no more than 25 feet above the waves - just barely off the beach.  Not something you see everyday (well, unless you work on the beach). Maybe that will become normal for me.

There were a LOT of guys on 1500cc+ motorcycles cruising up and down the beach wearing cowboy boots.  It was kinda funny to watch.  Every now and then one would hit a patch of loose sand hand almost lose it.

Back in the land of NO

Photo of the day: Sunset Great Sale Cay

Within 10 minutes of touching down on American soil in Melbourne Fl on friday night, I was graphically reminded of an article I read in one of my sailing magazines a couple of years ago.  The article pointed out how many signs we  have all over the U.S. telling us what we CAN'T do.  The cruiser who wrote the piece had pointed out something that I'd noticed before, but just hadn't made the connection in my mind of- that there just aren't as many 'restrictive' signs in a majority of the places I enjoy visiting.   

No doubt,  the places I enjoy visiting the most are third world countries and the lack of taxes and regulation has in many cases created a slightly (sometimes more than slightly) less tidy society.  The unquantifiable side effect of more taxes and regulation is a feeling of more 'contained' society.  In the US, there's a sign to guide you through every single part of life here.  I'm a firm believer that most rules/guidlines/policies in life come about because of some idiot doing something that created a rule against it.    

No doubt we have to have some amount of regulation, but I come from the mindset of 'less is more'.  I guess it's the libertarian in me, but it's very obvious after returning from less regulated countries (and by NO means do I include Europe in this category) such as Costa Rica, Jamaica, BVI, Mexico - and now the Bahamas - just how regulated we are here.  It kinda goes against the 'land of the free' motto a little bit in my mind - but that kinda went out the window when my country told me I can't go and visit Cuba anyway.  We're more "the land of the many - but slowly deteriorating freedoms".

Back in the mid 90's, when I was still heavily into growing my "JUST FLY" business, I always kept some "JUST FLY" stickers with me.    One of my daily routines in the winter on the Outer Banks was to go by 7-11 and get a big cup of coffee and drive over to the Avalon Pier where I could see the waves from warmth of my car seat.  As I was sitting there one day, I noticed a sign that I'd looked at every day for years.  It said:  "No Surfing, No Swimming, No Fishing within 75 Yards of the Pier".   With all this "NO" all over it - it screamed for a Just Fly sticker.  Of course, I couldn't resist and so 2 minutes later, there was a new bright red Just Fly sticker under the No,No, No sign.   

A few weeks later, to my surprise - famous local artist Ellie Grumiaux, a master with pen and ink - who would do quick drawings for the local paper - had a drawing of the sign (complete with Just Fly sticker) in the newspaper.  The drawing had the caption - "Just Fly?  That's what it says..."

I went to see Ellie and he gave me the original - which I have to this day.  Here's a quick photo of it I took with my iPhone.

Back in Daytona

Doug and I flew back to Daytona last night from Marsh Harbour.  I drove Doug to St. Augustine this morning so he could take the cheap flight home on Sky Bus.

 I left the boat on anchor in the Marsh Harbour anchorage.     I will go to work the Atlanta race on wednesday of next week and then plan to be back on the boat around the 12th (hopefully with Jan - as long as her schedule allows).  I'll try to post some photos from the first part of the trip later.