We found Tevas. On Monday, we walked back to the shopping district to check out the area and do some e-mail activities at an Internet cafe. Along the route was a sports shoe store. In we walked and there, on display, were the exact copies of the pair that I broke. So within a few minutes, I was now the proud owner of a new pair of Tevas. My inexpensive sandals had done good service but were now ready for the scrap pile. Based on my experience, Karen got a backup pair as well but she took longer to decide. With all the walking, we do wear out the foot ware. We also visited a museum giving some of the history of Nassau that was put together by volunteers. It was interesting looking at the role Nassau played in the development of the Bahamas. A book that we highly recommend that fictionalizes some of this history is "Winds From the Carolinas" by Robert Wilder.

On Tuesday, winds, sunlight, and tides looked good so we left for Allan's Cay. To get there, we had to pass over the Yellow Banks. This is an area of relatively shallow water with periodic coral heads. You need to arrive in this area about mid-day. With the sun overhead, it is easier to spot the coral heads. We got there a little early, but with Karen strapped to the mast (this was the fun part), she made noises and frantic arm motions whenever a head got near and we successfully wandered through the field. We anchored in Allan's Cay, in time for a nice swim. Allan's is famous for the iguanas that inhabit the small islands. These guys are quite inquisitive and come out to greet you looking for handouts. There is a high-speed powerboat that comes out of Nassau every day to bring people to feed the iguanas so they are well conditioned. The iguanas are very near sighted so many a finger has been mistaken for a bit of lettuce. To anchor, we used the Bahamian anchoring technique. This involves using one anchor up current and placing a second anchor down current. The current changes during the day and the boat rides to whichever anchor is upstream. We were surprised by the strength of the current that can run to over 2 knots. You have to be careful swimming or snorkeling to take this into account as it is difficult to do anything in a 2 knot current except hang onto a tow line.

Next we moved onto Norman's Cay. Again the current was strong so we used two anchors and tried to find some sheltered areas out of the current for swimming and snorkeling. Norman's was made famous (or infamous) for drug smuggling in the 80's as there was a major smuggling operation set up there complete with airport, armed guards, and buildings. The buildings are ruins now and you can wander through them. We also walked up to McDuff's for a beer. McDuff's have the best hamburgers for miles, in fact, the only hamburgers for miles. They have set up a beautiful outdoor bar/restaurant that overlooks the banks and have several cottages for rent. It is a great spot for lunch or dinner. We did try to go to a small island with a sandy beach and single palm tree for a swim. Just as we approached, we noticed a small, 4-5 foot shark slowly swimming in the shallow water by the beach. We both felt that either the shark or ourselves would have to go and as he didn't, we did. The weather was windy and with the current, snorkeling was difficult. We did not find any good coral patches although I am sure they are there. We just needed more settled weather.