Along The Waterfront in Nassau, Bahamas

This past weekend, I spent a day in Nassau in the Bahamas, doing all the usual touristy things.  I spoke to a couple of regulars, who both make their living off the cruise ships that come into port — on Saturday, my ship, The Carnival Imagination, was one of six ships in port — on a daily basis.

I braved the super-heated atmosphere of the Straw Market — and I’m not talking about the temperature — until I found an item I wanted to buy: a carved turtle made from tamarind wood, and a rattle inside.

I spoke to Mitzi, who was selling it:

After bargaining her down from $25 to $15 for my turtle, I headed outside to talk to Wesley, who creates bugles from conch shells.  He was a little less forthcoming than Mitzi, and wouldn’t reveal any of his trade secrets:

Buying a conch shell bugle would have meant checking my bag, which I hate to do unless absolutely necessary, so I’ll just have to return next year with an empty carry-on so I can buy one of Wesley’s bugles.

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