Trip Report Bluff House G T C
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Posted by Andy Wendy Dunwell on June 04, 2000 at 18:26:23:
Thank you to everyone who contributed on the Message Board answering (what now seem to us to be) 'stupid outsider' questions prior to our arrival on holiday in GTC 20th May 2000. It is an honour to post this trip report as demanded by the rules of the Board. I trust it is long enough to satisfy the criteria and we are more than willing to pass on our experiences or information to anyone needing specifics in the future. We (that is Wendy 41yrs sales manager, Andy 42 yrs policeman and Salli 15yrs student) are from New Marske, a village on the cold north east coast of England. It's about an hour north of York and 2 hours south of Scotland for those who've visited England in the past. As an aside, we've had 4 inches of rain at home since we left - I wish I could donate some to The Abacos to help you out! We travelled with Virgin Holidays from Gatwick, London to Miami on 19/5 and had to overnight at the airport hotel before the onward Gulfstream/Continental Connections flight to Treasure Cay next afternoon. TIP #1 - the Beech 1900 to Treasure doesn't have restrooms - need I say more? We found the airport staff, taxi drivers and 'unofficial' ferry dock workers to be very helpful, personable and accommodating. Everyone had a smile to greet us and the transport system was efficient with no delays. TIP #2 - carry some $5 & $10 bills on arrival. What a sight we shared as the Bolo Ferry whisked us across to GTC and gave us an impromptu sightseeing trip of the west coast. We dropped off fellow travellers in New Plymouth, Black Sound and White Sound. First impressions were good - this was going to be a holiday to remember! The preconceived mental pictures we had formed from the various Abaco websites proved accurate - this place has no visuals to hide! A photographers dream. Molly ran down from Bluff House to greet us with a huge hug closely followed by Michael in the van. We've never ever had that sort of 'hello' from a hotel manager anywhere in the world. The cases went in the van and Molly picked up a wedding cake from the ferry. The wedding was in progress at the time and delivery was bang on time! UPS and FedEx weren't involved...... TIP #3 - don't be fooled by the White Sound approach to Bluff House - the new marina building site is temporary and does not in any way detract from the beauty on top of the hill or create any disturbance for guests or yachts moored in the Sound. We were upgraded to room 8B (big big thanx Molly) - a beautifully furnished villa/suite with space, wooden/tiled floors, fully equipped kitchen, large deck etc etc. Not a hotel room but a small house! Don't forget we're English not Texan! With an extra bedroom built on the deck this would have been a typical British bungalow (except for the view that is). There's a king size pull out bed in the lounge and a queen in the bedroom - enough space for 4 comfortably and several more in emergencies.... Our first evening, a heady mixture of dancing to the Gully Roosters and getting a taste of the Goombays at the 'all-invited' wedding reception in the Bluff House nearly managed to overcome the jetlag. Next morning we met the 'locals' under the Abaco Sea side dock - 3 huge (to us) porcupine fish named by us Ethel, Godfrey and daughter Mary. They had with them their assorted colourful grunt, snapper, tang and sergeant major buddies. Occasional visitors were Florida Stingrays and medium size Barracuda. TIP #4 - these resident fish are cute and take some catching so be happy to feed them. Small barracuda, the odd bonefish and other species can be caught off the beach and grass flats at Bluff on lures for the not-too-serious fishermen. Please use barbless hooks and put them back. We hired a golf cart from Janet Sawyer (Bay St Rentals). She keeps a small selection at Bluff House and runs the 40 minutes from town each morning to complete the paperwork - we called her mad and she agreed! What a great lady - always laughing and flexible where necessary. The electric cart is perfectly suited to the roads and pace of the island. $40 per day is the rate and more cost effective than the taxi. The locally produced sketch maps of the island are easily obtained and perfectly adequate for all but the directionally challenged. TIP #5 - Golf carts are considerably smaller and slower than the local contractors pick-ups. Always take care, especially on bends. Driving is on the left. There is little or no traffic to speak of, even in 'town'. TIP #6 - don't be scared to explore even the most unlikely looking small tracks yet always respect the 'Private' signs. We tried to get to the northern tip of the island and unwittingly entered a private area - Larry came down to 'his' beach, gently and politely reminding us to be careful. All beaches are public - access to them isn't - except by sea. The rough track out of Bluff House winds its way through forest and past unexpected, almost 'secret', views (I won't spoil your surprise) finally arriving at the area around Green Turtle Marina and Brendal's Dive Shop. Our first task was to fix Salli up with an Open Water Diving Course to fulfil one of her many lifetime ambitions. We were greeted by Mary, Brendal's wife, who knowledgeably and patiently explained the merits of each course they ran (SSI or PADI for OWDC) and kindly wrote out a full itinerary for the various parts of the course fitting in with our holiday plans.
The Dive Operation consists of Brendal (a Platinum Pro 5000 instructor - more of him and his red lycra later...), wife Mary and currently two British PADI instructors Bev and Simon. They mainly use a 34 ft/24 person custom diveboat and 16 person pontoon boat to service a selection of dive/snorkel trips daily as well as speciality 'adventure/picnic' days. All levels of competency are equally catered for and the underwater terrain is superb. The Dive Logs show vis of mainly 120ft and no less than 50ft (day after storm). Wrecks, catacombs, coral pillars and deep ledges - variety abounds. We cannot profess to be experts in the 'diving world' but have experienced other dive operations in the Caribbean and at home. I have no fear in saying that Brendal's facility is professionally run, safe and fun in all the right quantities. The quality of tuition Salli received was top notch, both on land and at sea. The pricing structure is the same as everywhere else we have ever visited in Florida or Caribbean. The whole operation is environmentally aware and all of Brendal's star fish are his friends and individually named (Harvey the Shark, Calypso the 80lb Grouper etc etc). New Plymouth - easily found as it is at the end of the road - if lost ask 'Purchase' the white and tan dog from Coco Bay and he will hitch a ride into town with you too. We were told that he didn't need to go to town and the ubiquitous 'go home' command worked beautifully - as it does for all the dogs on the island. We only met friendly hounds and each one had it's own unique character - just like the people on the island. Sorry, got distracted by pooch stories. New Plymouth - just like the ads and website says. Clapboard style houses of all ages painted in muted pastel colours which glow bright in the evening sun. It is laid out in a grid and easily small enough to walk round. It is FULL of character, both animate and inanimate. Here are our personal highlights. Albert Lowe Museum - personal guided tour by charming elderly man and wife (who live next door and we apologise profusely for forgetting their names) round this small yet very interesting and unusual history of GTC. What makes it special is the personal angle - the guide has lived on the island for most of his 70 something years and vividly remembers all that has happened. Take our advice - do not miss it and consider a donation of more than the obligatory $3 per person to help pay for repairs to the a/c! Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar - no clues here except don't judge a book by its cover and try the smash. Another 'must do'. TIP #7 - take your business cards or company T shirts with you TIP #8 - the Barclays Bank is only open Tuesday & Thursday short hours. No ATM. Cemetery - a quiet (!) part of town, beautifully maintained and it tells the history of this 'family' island through the headstones. Wendy visits local cemeteries where ever we go and she strongly recommends this one. Large black Butterflies and lizards abound. Memorial Sculpture Garden - yet another way of learning the social history and loyalist connections of the Out Islands. Situated right across the road from the New Plymouth Inn. Plymouth Rock Liquor Store and Ocean Blue Gallery - share the same front door. Liquor at less than duty free prices and some British cigarettes in 200s for those who need them! Also has a bar with light food. The Gallery is full of originals painted on GTC by a variety of artists
at original prices. Many prints also available. TIP #9 - The air conditioning in the Liquor Store makes it a haven during the heat of the day. Grocery Stores - 3 in town all selling similar items. We were surprised by the vast array of choice at all of them. Fresh bread available daily. One observation was the lack of fresh fruit and its price. Otherwise the balance of a shopping basket is comparable with British prices plus a little bit. American visitors told us the prices were way higher than in the States. The People - we've just done a 'think back' session. None of us can remember a time when we passed an islander in the street or in the golf cart and weren't spoken to or waved at in greeting. This is a genuinely friendly island with generously friendly inhabitants. Tourists are respected and welcomed. On no occasion did we feel pressured or ripped off by anyone.
We hope all visitors show the same respect to the islanders and their very special way of life. Nippers - we have read the threads on the Message Board relating to the very same Sunday that we were there (28th May). Can I begin by stating that we arrived and left sober. We don't recall being anything other than civil and courteous to everyone we met. I certainly wasn't wearing a thong and neither was my wife or daughter...........
We walked from the dock through to Nippers and found that small part of Guana is as beautiful as GTC. We didn't get to see the rest but you can bet it's gorgeous too. This is a personal perspective and is not intended to agree or disagree with anything that has been written elsewhere nor to add to the current obvious bad feeling that clearly exists. We have no right to comment on what we see as Guana's business. We are well travelled, common sense and down to earth people who respect the law and customs of what ever part of the world we happen to be in. Nippers is a fun day out. It contains a cross section of life in a very small area. We saw no racism, ageism nor dog/catism. It is set on one of the best beaches anywhere with crystal turquoise water and a reef within easy swimming distance right in front of the decking. We saw american beauties and not so beauties in thongs and skimpy swimming attire. No one was topless (or bottomless for that matter) - in fact we saw no one topless throughout our stay. It certainly isn't like the Med and anyone who has witnessed or taken part in anything approaching Club 18-30 style antics will consider Nippers to be calm and somewhat sophisticated. The music is mainly live (thanx Stone) and people happily dance all round the place. The choice of food was outstanding and the quality just fine for such a small establishment. The Pig Roast ran out at #350! It was crowded - adding to the atmosphere in our view. We reckon around 500 were there. The staff were very busy, necessarily abrupt because of time constraints and volume of orders, yet always remained courteous and had a smile. We saw no fights, no illegal behaviour and nothing that offended us or our daughter (15 yrs). If anything had started or been anything other than normal we could have moved away onto the beach or back to the boat with ease and avoided it. What we did witness was a large group of 'smiley happy people holding hands' - enjoying themselves without malice to anyone else. Whether this is the right location and type of behaviour for Great Guana Cay is for the residents to decide and act accordingly. Only one thing did startle me and I can't find reference to it on the various Board messages - a whaler full of young people took off along the reef with no regard for the many snorkellers out there. The whaler had to turn sharply at the last second to avoid a disaster. I'm sure the publicity from a bad injury in those circumstances would do serious harm not only to Nippers but to the Abacos in general. All it needs is a line of inshore bouys to keep things safe. A parking lot for boats? Brendal Stevens - his reputation goes before him and Wendy says he has hidden talents especially when he wears his red lycra swimming trunks. Everyone who has met him will be giggling by now! He's so famous a road is named in his honour - the one which runs into his house. Look for Stevens Lane - please don't tell the Bahamas Planning Authority - I suspect they might not be aware as yet. He's that sort - always professional and almost serious whilst working yet able to switch off in an instant and entertain his audience, whether it be at sea or on land. He defies his age - whatever it may be. I've yet to meet 2 islanders who can agree on it! Only he knows and it really doesn't matter. He's superbly fit and loves to show off his pristine body to the ladies. His love for the underwater world and life in general is complete. I met no one who had a bad word to say about him. I cannot imagine that he would knowingly offend anyone. Salli did 6 dives with him and completed the 'classroom' work with Mary his wife. She certified and scored 98%. That isn't a reflection on Sal - it says everything about the Dive Operation., In addition we all went out on his Sunday 'Nippers/Dolphin Encounter' trip. We encountered Nippers but not dolphins. Oh well. At least they're free to come and go as they please and Brendal doesn't lower his standards by encouraging/feeding/penning them to satisfy mere humans. We still snorkelled off Whale Cay and swam on the inner sand bar on the way home. His Goombay is a 'special mix' but has the same effect as all the rest. He is yet another of GTC's great characters and the place simply wouldn't be the same without him. TIP #10 - If you get the chance to go on any of his trips we would recommend you snap up the opportunity. Money well spent. Mike - I can only apologise for mentioning an 'off-islander' as a character of GTC. He is born and bred in Manchester, England and sold up his life to go wandering the tropics afloat. He holed up in White Sound on his yacht Daze Off as Floyd arrived and hasn't moved since. The boat survived and so did his spirit. It seems that everyone entering White Sound gets to know him. He volunteers his services as unofficial harbourmaster, guide and general dogsbody simply to help out whenever he can. He takes friends and 'special' travellers out to the reef on snorkelling trips and ferrys people about of an evening in his tender. He always knows where the best parties are and can dance your socks off.
And what does he ask for these services?
Absolutely nothing although a Rum and Diet Coke is always welcome.
You can't miss him - he'll be by the Hors D'oeuvres table at Bluff House most evenings around 6pm wearing a Cuba T shirt. In a couple of weeks it'll be a brand spanking new DHL one (when we get back to work that is). Bluff House Staff Vern - just go to the bar after 3pm and the regulars won't bat an eyelid as she insults you and tells you the correct manners she demands whilst being greeted. I saw so many 'first timers' look shocked. By the second time they'd wised up and entered into the spirit of things. She's a lovely lady who'll stay awake as long as the customers want her to. She makes the Bluff Bar come alive by her mere presence. Take the time to chat to her and you'll see what we mean. TIP #10a - ask Vern how her day has been BEFORE asking for a drink Restaurant Staff and Kitchen Staff - we found them to be jovial and accomodating and deserving of much respect. They work hard and certainly show the guests how to boogie on Thursday nights when the Roosters play live. Sadly we found that not all the guests at dinner were as polite as they might have been towards the girls. We found this embarrassing. Despite this they never lost their cool and always showed perfect manners in response. Isn't it sad that the staff know how to behave when guests don't? Bluff House Food - It is top class in choice and quality. The Filet Mignon is superb and deserves a special mention. We stayed and ate there everyday for 13 nights. We could have gone elsewhere if we weren't perfectly happy. We didn't. TIP #11 - if you like Lobster (Crawfish) don't go out of season like we did! Julie and the Chambermaids - cleaned the rooms to perfection every single day. The room was spotless despite our best efforts to bring the beach inside with us. Troy the Gardener - sorry about Wendy putting 'the hex' on the Century tree and causing so much work. Thankfully it fell when no one was about and didn't damage the new decking. It says a lot about the way Bluff works when you're met on your first day by a hearty welcome and handshake from the gardener wishing you a good stay. Molly - I hope by now you've figured out what sort of 'ship' she runs. Her staff are a credit to her and I'm sure she's the reason it's that way. She leads by example. A total workaholic who dedicates herself to making her guests as happy and comfortable as humanly possible. I'm convinced that 'impossible' isn't in her vocabulary - if it can happen it will. Weddings are her speciality. I can't think of a more difficult task than trying to satisfy expensive and expansive wedding day plans organised from thousands of miles away often through a third party on such an out-of-the-way place as GTC. I'm sure she works out at the gym to bend over backwards that far and have the strength to pull so many strings at once. TIP #12 - if you plan to get married in Paradise choose Bluff House on Thursday afternoon
(evening Bar B Que with live Gully Roosters and the whole island turns up for your reception!). Conclusions We have travelled far and wide from our home in England over the past 20 years. We've had brilliant holidays throughout Europe, the Middle East, America and the Caribbean. It's always difficult to say goodbye and return home. We have only ever been to the same place twice - Antigua - which is still special in our hearts for many reasons.
However, all that has now faded into memory. On the day we left all three of us cried and cried on the deck at Bluff House.
We had no wish to leave these beautiful people behind.
The Abacos and GTC are indeed wonderful.
The local people are what make it really special.
If the labour laws in the Bahamas were different we would sell up and move in tomorrow without fear of leaving anything behind. It's the sort of place that demands your greatest respect and we would love the chance to be part of that. If you get to Bluff House read the visitors book - you'll find our sentiments recorded there. Thank you to everyone who made our holiday so special - we WILL return. If anyone out there needs a top class sales manager, personnel expert, marketing guru, seasoned policeman, security expert (hardly needed I know), journalist, part-time photographer, freight/customs/export/handling agent, computer/internet trainer(s), budding dive instructor or professional tarot card reader our CVs will e-mail by return. We're not joking either. Andy, Wendy and Sal.
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