Eleuthera is still beautiful. The water still shimmers its array of translucent blues and greens, the sand beach is still soft white with tiny specks of pink, and the verdant green palm trees still sway and rustle in the wind. But there’s an underlying unease in paradise. There’s a sense that nothing’s quite what it seems, and that you can’t trust anyone but your family and yourself. At least you hope you can trust your family and yourself. The coronavirus is now the welcoming agent in The Bahamas.
At first it wasn’t so bad. There were no Covid-19 cases in this island nation. It was widely believed that heat and sun slowed or maybe even stopped transmission. Bahamians kept working and tourists kept coming. Maybe there were fewer people than normal for early March in the bars and restaurants and on the beaches, but they were jovial crowds. Then one case was reported in Nassau, The Bahamas’ capital city. Airlines started reporting massive cancellations and no one wanted to fly. Then the one case became three cases in Nassau and misinformation was the norm. “I heard there were two cases in Palmetto Point” (on Eleuthera.) Hopefully that’s not true.
The Bahamians, normally a particularly good-natured lot, understand the gravity of the situation. They know there is no care anywhere other than in Nassau, 60 miles to our west and accessible only by boat or plane. If you get sick on Eleuthera there is a new small clinic that’s very good, but they’re certainly not set up to handle a pandemic. Hand sanitizer sits by every cash register in the small grocery stores that dot the island. If you talk to someone (and you usually don’t), both parties take a step backward first, then rush off to wash hands.
Now the Prime Minister has dictated that only essential businesses can remain open. Grocery stores, banks, not sure but we fervently hope liquor stores. If the apocalypse is coming I sure don’t want to address it sober. Tippy’s, the popular bar/restaurant next door to us is closing. Pineapple Fields, the boutique hotel across the street, is shuttering.
But amongst all this doom and gloom, tourists are still here. They’re still sunning on the beach and snorkeling. I saw one flying a kite today. It’s a strange dichotomy. On the one hand you have permanent residents like me and Bahamian nationals feeling the strain of closed businesses, lost jobs, and maybe most of all, fear. This contrasts sharply with the sun bathers. Maybe it’s safer here, maybe it’s not, but I don’t know how these people just merrily continue with their vacations. I have a hollow pit in my stomach all day everyday that sometimes makes me want to throw up.
I don’t know how long we’ll be here. Right now it does seem safer than the U.S. We have transportation lined up to take us back to Rhode Island when we want to go. Something’s going to have to nudge us that direction. Either a confirmed case of Covid-19 on Eleuthera or a potential closing of U.S. or Bahamian airspace would motivate us. We still cling to the hope that heat and sun slow transmission. We are well stocked here and probably could live for at least two months without visiting a store. We’ve got 68 rolls of toilet paper (I counted.) And this is, you know, paradise.
Katie, that was a moving and beautiful piece, depicting the dichotomy on the island right now. Hope you and Fred stay healthy.
I left Eleuthera last week for Toronto. The day after arriving here my mission to Bolivia was cancelled due to this Coronavirus. So no work to rush off to. I now wish I were in Eleuthera, it is so eerie here, but at the same time people are being kinder to each other. Stay healthy and enjoy paradise!
TP and booze in Paradise. What’s better than that!?
Thanks for the glimpse into life there. I miss it. And you guys. 😘
Tippy’s closed! At least your beach is open. The “authorities” closed our beach here on St. Simons Island. How can you close a beach? And 68 rolls of toilet paper! I think we have about 15 here in the all powerful, always fully stocked USA. And that’s after stops at four different stores which netted a grand total of 6 rolls (thanks to Walmart). There is really no good place to be right now except with people you love. Hug them, appreciate them, and make sure that they know you love them.
Absolutely let’s love! I should point out that we aren’t hoarding TP. We always buy in bulk because we have three houses with constant visitors.
We left the beautiful Eleuthera mid February. Now in the US with all the unknown, some of our kids working from home, two are nurses working in health care praying the don’t get the virus and bring home to their own kids. Would love to load them all up and hide away on the island. Prayers you all stay safe and virus free!
I am also here in Eleuthera. North Eleuthera. . I am Bahamian, but live mostly in Toronto. I flew down here right before things started getting bad with my kids to “hide out”.
We are very happy we did, but I still have a sense of fear if someone gets sick and we are very far from hospital care. I’m not so sure Nassau will be able to handle this pandemic, but I know Toronto health care is.
We just pray we made the right choice.
Stay safe.
I left yesterday with my daughter for the same reason back to Raleigh, NC. My original intention was to hunker down there just like you. I still believe we would have been safe just staying outside, etc. Social distancing is easy there, but I also understand the healthcare issue. God Bless all our family and friends on Eleuthera and around the globe.