Last Thursday we left Marsh Harbour and made the 'long' (5 mile) trip to Man-O-War Cay. Once you are in the so-called 'Hub of Abaco', most of the locations are only a short distance away, no long passages between destinations.
Man-O-War is very much a Loyalist Cay, and is largely populated with people of English descent who came here during or after the revolutionary war. Albury is a family of early settlers on the Cay and you see the name everywhere: Albury's Boat Yard, Albury's Ferry, Albury's Harbour Store (very nice by the way) , etc.
One of the distinctives of the cay is that no alcoholic beverages are sold on the island. This and the fact that they do not embrace the tourist economy as much as many of the other islands gives it a much quieter and laid-back feel. After having a slip in Marsh Harbour near Snappas restaurant and bar with entertainment at least two nights a week, it has been a nice change. We have been on a mooring near Man-O-War Marina and it has been very quiet.
In addition to Albury's boat yard that largely makes new boats, Edwin's Boat Yard is a full-service and busy yard here. The jobs must be pretty good, because the workforce is largely made up of African-Bahamians that commute over and back from Marsh Harbour every day.
The houses here are well kept and have landscaping that is nicer than any we have seen so far (with the possible exception of the Prime Minister's house in Cooper's Town). The people here have been nice, but generally fairly reserved.
The cemetery was interesting. Many of the graves in an earlier cemetery were washed away in various storms - a common island problem. In the new cemetery, the graves are cut out of coral rock and sealed with cement tops. Following is a picture of a grave being prepared.
Today we went to the morning service at the Man-O-War Church Of God. Bob Cornea, father of the owner of Harbour View Marina that we stayed at in Marsh Harbour, has been serving as an interim pastor of this church. Bob was a missionary to the Bahamas and has been involved in ministry here for many years. We sat behind Lolla, the 'famous' baker on Man-O-War and her husband Martin. Bob gave a spirited sermon on enduring through tough times.
Tomorrow is election day in the Bahamas. We have tried to figure out the positions of the various parties, but really have not come to any understanding of the differences. We hope the Bahamians make a wise choice.
Another beautiful beach:
Tomorrow we plan to head to Hopetown and its iconic lighthouse.
Tom
Man-O-War Cay
Abacos, Bahamas
http://g.co/maps/gs9cv
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