We arrived in Black Point, Exumas, yesterday morning around 10 am and anchored in the spot that has always been left for us, midway between the government dock and Ida Patton’s dinghy dock. Our first stop after rowing ashore was at Ida’s laundromat. We had done two loads of laundry in Rock Sound so didn't need her machines but bought one of the pastries that Ida always has on hand.
(Ida has the finest laundromat in the Bahamas, perhaps in the world for all I know. We could have waited until Black Point but were glad we hadn’t. The Rock Sound laundromat, 3 T’s, is run by the former center fielder on the national Bahamian softball team which played in tournaments all over the world. He regaled us, and his two Bahamian customers, for hours with tales of his travels and other topics that came to mind. It was a fascinating time and we enjoyed it immensely.)
Our second stop in Black Point was Pearmon Rolle’s house. Pearmon makes a unique form of coconut bread unlike, and better than, any other in the Bahamas. We always get a loaf from her and treasure our visits with that dapper, diminutive, charming lady.
We then had lunch at her daughter Lorraine’s cafe - pizza from the oven Lorraine put in a couple of years ago. Lorraine’s husband, Uriah, has inexplicably become an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan and the cafe is now festooned with Steeler flags, banners and other football memorabilia. The business is doing very well - each day several fast boats come loaded with tourists from the Georgetown area for lunch at Lorraine’s and the other restaurant in town, Deshamon's.
As we were waiting for Lorraine to open for lunch we saw Keith walking down the road. He is the carburetor mechanic and conch salad maker. We talked him into getting a fresh conch and turning it into a conch salad for us. He said he would make one for us if we came to Deshamon's after lunch. We did and he made a bowl for us to take back to the boat.
We rowed back to Ida’s dinghy dock later that afternoon for excellent rum punches at Zhivago’s Scorpio Bar. It was a brief but rewarding visit to the small town I fell in love with so many years ago.
There were other friends that we missed seeing this year. We missed Basil Rolle, Pearmon’s husband and Lorraine’s dad. He was the first person I ever met from Black Point. I was anchored at Chicken Cay in 1999 where Basil was the commuting caretaker. He came out in his rickety skiff to say hello. From the way he talked about Black Point and from his genuinely sweet personality, I knew already it was a place I would love when I got there. Basil passed away four years ago.
I missed Kevin Rolle who became my best friend in Black Point. He was the myopic town cop who really wanted to become a preacher and was working hard at it. Soon after he made the transition he died of a heart attack. I miss him every time I pass the cop house.
Willy Rolle, Lorraine’s uncle, has been in poor health these past few years. Up until last year we would see him struggling to walk to town and back. This year we didn’t see him and decided not to bother him. He was the most interesting of all the Black Point folk we’ve known.
I have so many great memories, so many stories, that I treasure from my visits there over the years. Without a cruising sailboat to find places like Black Point my life would have been greatly diminished.
Merry Christmas and happy New Year.
(Ida has the finest laundromat in the Bahamas, perhaps in the world for all I know. We could have waited until Black Point but were glad we hadn’t. The Rock Sound laundromat, 3 T’s, is run by the former center fielder on the national Bahamian softball team which played in tournaments all over the world. He regaled us, and his two Bahamian customers, for hours with tales of his travels and other topics that came to mind. It was a fascinating time and we enjoyed it immensely.)
Our second stop in Black Point was Pearmon Rolle’s house. Pearmon makes a unique form of coconut bread unlike, and better than, any other in the Bahamas. We always get a loaf from her and treasure our visits with that dapper, diminutive, charming lady.
We then had lunch at her daughter Lorraine’s cafe - pizza from the oven Lorraine put in a couple of years ago. Lorraine’s husband, Uriah, has inexplicably become an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan and the cafe is now festooned with Steeler flags, banners and other football memorabilia. The business is doing very well - each day several fast boats come loaded with tourists from the Georgetown area for lunch at Lorraine’s and the other restaurant in town, Deshamon's.
As we were waiting for Lorraine to open for lunch we saw Keith walking down the road. He is the carburetor mechanic and conch salad maker. We talked him into getting a fresh conch and turning it into a conch salad for us. He said he would make one for us if we came to Deshamon's after lunch. We did and he made a bowl for us to take back to the boat.
We rowed back to Ida’s dinghy dock later that afternoon for excellent rum punches at Zhivago’s Scorpio Bar. It was a brief but rewarding visit to the small town I fell in love with so many years ago.
There were other friends that we missed seeing this year. We missed Basil Rolle, Pearmon’s husband and Lorraine’s dad. He was the first person I ever met from Black Point. I was anchored at Chicken Cay in 1999 where Basil was the commuting caretaker. He came out in his rickety skiff to say hello. From the way he talked about Black Point and from his genuinely sweet personality, I knew already it was a place I would love when I got there. Basil passed away four years ago.
I missed Kevin Rolle who became my best friend in Black Point. He was the myopic town cop who really wanted to become a preacher and was working hard at it. Soon after he made the transition he died of a heart attack. I miss him every time I pass the cop house.
Willy Rolle, Lorraine’s uncle, has been in poor health these past few years. Up until last year we would see him struggling to walk to town and back. This year we didn’t see him and decided not to bother him. He was the most interesting of all the Black Point folk we’ve known.
I have so many great memories, so many stories, that I treasure from my visits there over the years. Without a cruising sailboat to find places like Black Point my life would have been greatly diminished.
Merry Christmas and happy New Year.
