“Man plans, God laughs” – a quote from Rod today.

February 21, 2023

Lynn here…

So if you read yesterdays blog, we were supposed to be in Highbourne Cay today, our first stop in the Exumas, but things took a turn. Let’s back up a few days. 

Saturday night we had a great dinner at the marina – braised lamb shanks, risotto, mushrooms, and we took home some leftovers. Guinness helped himself to a lamb bone and by the time Rod got it away from him, he had chewed off the knuckle of the bone and swallowed it whole. He was having a great time. 

We didn’t think much of it at the time, but he didn’t poop Sunday or Monday.  He’s been listless and not wanting to eat which is unusual for him   Rod woke up at 1:30 Tuesday morning and realized what might be happening – a possible blockage in his intestines. 

It’s hard to imagine how different things are here in the islands. Spanish Wells doesn’t have a pet clinic but there is a vet who visits once a week, some weeks. Nassau is where all the services take place. So we changed our plans and headed over here. Nassau has a reputation for being more like the inner city in some of the major US cities and our boat doesn’t lock up, so i was concerned about safety issues. And Rod was concerned about the marinas and traffic in town with the narrow channel and cruise ships.

We got the name of three vets from the wonderful groomer who is also a vet tech in Marsh Harbour and found one on the western side of the island with a nearby marina. Turns out this place is one of the most luxurious marinas in the world and only 15 minutes from one of the recommended vets. We have a cab picking us up at 2:00 – more later…..

So, Guinness is fine.  They ran tests and he had passed most of the stuff through his small intestine and into his colon, but the vet wants to see him in the morning. They gave him special food that’s easily digestible and he gobbled it up. 

But the most interesting part of this is the area we find ourselves in. We are now in Lyford Cay, (google it) the land of the “rich and famous”. The mega yacht parked near us is worth $100million and charters for 12 guests and 19 crew at $525,000 a week – can we find ten other friends to join us (just kidding!)

And the cab driver didn’t have a problem with our dog in the car since Scarlett Johanssen uses him to take all four of her dogs to the same vet when she’s in town. The grocery store down the mall from the vet was as beautiful as any Whole Foods in the US. We have gone from a very underdeveloped part of the Bahamas to an area more like Beverly Hills in a few hours. 

The “little” cottages right behind our slip.

So we will now rearrange our schedule and try to rebook the marinas in the Exumas. While this is lovely, the restaurant requires men to wear jackets, no children under 18 allowed in the restaurant (obviously no dogs) but the beach is lovely and we hope to spend some time there tomorrow before we take off and get back on track. 

This was stressful, but Guinness is fine and seeing this part of the Bahamas really gives us an appreciation for how the rest of the islands are challenged. We’re glad we can support their economies and enjoy the unspoiled and underdeveloped areas of these islands.