March 22-23, 2010 Farewell Bimini Sands

March 22-23, 2010

We ended our stay at Bimini Sands Resort on March 24th and left for Chub Cay in the Berry Islands. We had a nice trip without any drama - YIPPEE! I'll have more on that in the next entry, but for now we had more fun in Bimini.

For this first section, there are no pictures and as you read, you will understand why.... I also hesitated to add it to the blog, but it was a big deal so it is in here!

March 22, 2010

I will start with saying that we are having a wonderful time in S Bimini. We have had dinner at the Bimini Beach Club at the southern end of the island with Dieter and Maya. The meal was terrific with sushi and local dishes (I had lobster fettuccini – yummmm).

However the big event for today was our walk on the beach this afternoon. Maya and I were letting Calypso and Porter run on the beach as we usually do. They ran off to greet two other people walking on the beach. When we caught up to our dogs, Porter was frantically licking his sandy back right paw. I searched him for burrs because this is something he does, but found nothing.

It didn’t take us long to figure out that he had stepped on a Man-o-War tentacle as he had been running down the beach. Good News – Maya is a retired veterinarian. After licking, Port got up and started retching – it wasn’t a seizure, but just vomit. Maya instructed me to walk Porter in the sea water – partly because the water would help to neutralize and partly to keep him from licking. He was really favoring his leg, but walking along with me. All the way back to the beach access, Maya was telling me what I could do once back to the boat: 1) Urine would be best, 2) Vinegar may also work.

I got back to the boat and rinsed Porter off with the hose. Then I told Mark what had happened and requested his help with the urine thing. He laughed and said he didn’t have any left. I was so disappointed, but took matters into my own hands. With Porter in the tub, I did my thing (paints a picture, doesn’t it?? I know, one you would rather NOT have). I don’t know if I will recover from the look Porter gave me. Anyway, got him rinsed off, and he was much better. I did the vinegar treatment for insurance. (I read later online that vinegar may intensify the toxins rather than help).

At any rate, Porter seems to be OK and was walking well on his back paw by evening.

March 23, 2010

Maya acted as tour director and we rode bicycles to "The Fountain of Youth". Apparently S Bimini had an underground spring that Ponce de Leon claimed to be a fountain of youth. He also claimed one in Florida near St. Augusta, and maybe one in N Bimini (probably several others). Maya explained that Ponce de Leon was searching for a cure for impotence (part of my history lesson that I didn't ever learn). Therefore, the many locations. However, many people claimed to have been healed of their afflictions from the fountain in S Bimini.

The fountain truly is just a hole in the rocks inside the well. Citizens of S Bimini developed the small park around the fountain for visitors to enjoy.

Mark and I also got out and explored the southern part of S Bimini. The houses were lovely and again colorful. The Bimini Beach Club in on the tip of the island. They also have a marina and a lovely facility with pool and a great restaurant. The marina docks are fixed and the path into the marina is better off left to locals because it is shallow in places.

As we were making our way to the tip of the island we noticed a bigger ship just outside the shoals. Then the ship made a 90 degree turn and headed for shore. When we returned from exploring, the ship had beached itself just south of the resort. They were working with trucks, sand and earth movers, but we never did find out what was going on. Obviously, they knew just where to approach the beach to avoid the rocks that are along that beach.