The Bahmanians

The Bahmanians

The Bahmanians

The people of the Out Islands are friendly. They are real people, people without pretensions, their roots anchored firmly in the past. They say “God bless you” rather than good-bye, and think nothing of letting a stranger into their home to use the bathroom, or for a drink of water. They are a jolly people who look forward only to the next day, and are grateful for it.

Perhaps you’ll meet the tourist guide who lives alone with her small son and drives an aging Chevrolet that rarely starts. It doesn’t phase her a bit. She carries on with life, never complaining, knowing that, one way or another, she’ll get there in the end; and she always does.

Maybe you’ll meet the taxi driver whose small, three-bedroom home shelters not only him and his wife, but five grown-up children and six of his grandchildren as well. Far from being harassed by the situation, he’ll tell you how happy he is that they are all around for him to enjoy.

These aren’t isolated cases. Of course, you’ll find the occasional bum lounging on the beach, and there are certainly some strange characters wandering the streets of Nassau. There’s a certain amount of petty crime on the islands and everyone wants more money. But on the whole, there’s an overwhelming air of tranquility, a “don’t worry; be happy” attitude that pervades the islands, and it’s infectious. Visitors returning home often find the easygoing Bahamian ways, the shrug of the shoulders, and an almost overpowering desire to put everything off until tomorrow, has returned with them.