"Islands in the sea" a Nassau Travel Page by dlandt

We know the Bahamas as a place we go for vacation. These low lying, sandy islands are nearly a paradise temptingly close ot our shores, only 50 miles from Florida. When we think of it, we think of rum floaters, white sand, colorful fish, and deep red sunsets. Water abounds, and so do water sports, all accompanied by friendly Islander accents.

... and it lies outside the sun. Its the tradition of Empire and Commonwealth, Pax Brittanica and Queen V. Represented at the UN and periodocally making contributions to the world through Caricom and other international bodies, a few hours spent simply watching the news proved as entertaining as it was informative.

An awful lot of the Bahamas looks like this. Not technically in the Caribbean, the Bahamas has its share of the region's endemic poverty and hardships. Prices can be high, while salaries can be low. "Alla dem got rastaman gangster boyfriend" said a local to me while we watched a group of young women, sipping sweet fruit punch. The news, their music videos, a lot of the things that go into daily life aren't always the paradise we know the Bahamas for.