Nassau in Photos

“As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn’t supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart-broken probably more than once and it’s harder every time. You’ll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You’ll fight with your best friend. You’ll blame a new love for things an old one did. You’ll cry because time is passing too fast, and you’ll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you’ve never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you’ll never get back” Nassau,the Bahamas, June 2011 I was inthe Bahamasfor my birthday with one of my Gemini friends, who celebrates her birthday three days before me. Whereas her birthday was quite sunny and warm, the day of mine, was with some showers and thunderstorms. This image was taken a day or two before my birthday, I think. I was walking on the beach, debating what to shoot, what to drink or whether to have a swim or not. And then I saw these teenager-kids goofing around. Throwing each other to the water, swimming back to shore, stepping back to the pier and doing it again. I decided to follow them with my camera and catch their great-young and restlessness energy. I couldn’t ignore the happy expression on this kid’s face and his inviting gesture. Do you think I jumped too?

“To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most of the people you see every day, is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform” Nassau, the Bahamas, June 2011 This picture always reminds me the Brazilian movie ‘City of God’. Not that I can compare between the two situations (as probably there is no room for comparison) but there was something in the teenagers fast energy, that reminds me the fast-moving energy in the movie I watched so many years ago, but still echos in my mind. The movie tells the story of two childhood friends who grew up in the same violent neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, but each of them took a different path; one became a photographer, the other a drug dealer. I was watching these teenager boys goofing and playing around, throwing each other to the water time after time. I followed them with my camera as I wanted to grab their energy, not their attention. This image grabbed me immediately; the way they straighten their backs, they way they walk tall and the confident way they carrying themselves. They were walking like that till they got to the edge of the pier and then they jumped.

I spent a very relaxing week in Nassau, Bahamas. Our condo was situated at the northeast end of the island, which was great for walking to many restaurants and shopping. It’s also a short little jaunt over to Paradise Island where there are two main attractions. First, Atlantis, a Vegas style casino and resort that will not disappoint. They have beautiful gardens and pools, fantastic restaurants (and Starbucks), a spa and a wonderful concierge who gave us many good insider tips. Paradise Island is also the home of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat. A beautiful, simple, quiet place to do yoga, relax, walk in nature, eat healthy food and meet lovely people. Another great place is the Canadian owned Goodfellow Farms on the west side of the island. A wonderful venue for lunch, and a great little country store. If you are a Bob Marley fan, the Marley resort is a pretty cool place to stop and have a look around. Be sure to walk the shore and eat the local conch delicacies.

I’ve decided to take a new approach to Afar Highlights and instead of writing about set destinations, thought it would be interesting to talk about the journey process instead. We set sail on the Carnival Fascination on a Thursday in March; my first but surely never last cruise. I would highly recommend a cruise to anyone who is thirsting for travel but isn’t quite familiar or experienced to just immerse themselves into a new culture. Why? Because you get the pleasure of traveling to places you have never been before; meeting different people and learning their history, while still being able to ground yourself with what you know. Food and accommodation are included. I didn’t hesitate when it came to putting food on my plate. The cruise offered night clubs and karaoke every night. A cruise definitely offers the most amount of fun in ways of commuting to your destination; a car ride, you get stiff; a plane ride, jet lag. Cruises allow you to swim, shop, gamble, drink, party, and EAT all while still having the advantage of seeing parts of the world you never knew, or perhaps loved so much to reacquaint yourself with the Fun Days at Sea!

JAN 2013. Travelled to Nassau to meet cargo ship MV BBC Asia. She was late, so spent 3 days sampling rum and watching cruise ships come and go.

Nassau is the commercial center of Commonwealth of Bahamas located on the Island of New Providence. It has historical places and beautiful views.

I captured this photo on my flight to the Bahamas and I was awed by its beauty. The islands look so unreal, almost photoshopped. But this pictures shows the true beauty of nature at its best.

While I was island hopping in the Bahamas, I decided to stop at the capital to pick me up a Bahamas Mama--a gorgeous hand crafted wood carving you can buy if you find yourself down wood carving alley. There are a few things you can enjoy here; two major tourist attractions are Atlantis and shopping Downtown.

Devastatingly beautiful with a meaningful history. Make time to take photographs and take in the scenery.