Last weekend we were in need of an escape from everything, and found the perfect spot at Mangrove Cay Sea View Villas on Mangrove Cay – part of the archipelago that makes up Andros Island located about a 20 minute plane ride west of New Providence. Mangrove Cay is the smallest of Andros’ 3 main islands, sandwiched between the much larger north and south islands. Like the rest of Andros, Mangrove Cay is dominated by the West Side National Park, with the vast majority of its 890 inhabitants occupying the land nearest the Queen’s Highway on the east coast.

Roadside Aerial View of Sea View Villas by Jennifer McLaughlin

Aerial View of Sea View Villas by Jennifer McLaughlin

Arguably the north and south islands offer more sights and activities for tourists, but we were looking for partial isolation and total relaxation. Mangrove Cay is perfect for this! The main attractions on Mangrove Cay, and arguably all of Andros, are bone-fishing expeditions and blue hole exploring. With spring break and bone fish season in full swing, all the fishing lodges were full and the boat captains happily employed. We asked our host to look into the possibility of hiring a boat to take us on a bird watching/island exploring trip (inspired in part by this photo essay of West Side National Park by Bahamas National Trust employee Heather Carey), but it wasn’t to be. We will have to return some time after the high season has passed, and the far more lucrative fishing expeditions are not quite so high in demand.

First sight

Our self catering villa, situated in the Lisbon Creek Settlement on the southeastern edge of Mangrove Cay, offered stunning views of the bonefish flats and other small islands off the coast. The only sounds were those of the wind in the trees and birds calling to each other. Only occasionally did cars pass on the highway out front. We rented a car for the one full day we were there and were able to stop in at the various beaches along the east coast, eat delicious conch salad, and visit a blue hole. The last day was spent doing nothing but relaxing on the terrace and it was glorious.

Bahamian Great Blue Heron

Hello! So almost four months, and a visit from my youngest child, into my new life in the Caribbean, I feel like I’m finally getting a sense of my new home. The differences from my life in Europe could not be greater. Instead of free reign over miles and miles of cities and landscapes, I am limited to an island that is half the size of Tulsa, OK (my home city). Due to security concerns there are many parts of this island that are off limits to me. Add to that the tracts of land that are “exclusive,” and therefore not accessible without paying out large sums of money, and my world has significantly shrunk.

Photographically speaking, I could not be further from the wood and stone, browns and greys and deep forest colors that I am used to in my photos from Europe. The naturally sepia toned hues that dominate my personal favorites are absent in a country that is perpetually sunny and devoid of ancient ruins and hardwood forests.

However, there are pockets that are just explosions of bright colors. I decided my goal for this tour is to attempt to capture photos that celebrate that vibrancy. This means a major shift from my proclivities – from those shots that bring the viewer a feeling of spookiness, melancholy and nostalgia. I am still finding old historical houses and buildings that are in dire need of some love and restoration and you can bet that I am all over those. But while here in the Bahamas, I will be making a greater effort to make great photographs that are sunny, bright and convey a much different atmosphere than what I am most comfortable showcasing.

Swinging in Paradise

Drawbridge Cafe

Beauty and Chaos

My neighborhood

I see beauty here

This is the oldest lighthouse in the West Indies, located at the tip of Paradise Island (formerly known as Hog Island), at the entrance to the Nassau Harbor. We finally made our way down to Junkanoo Beach (close to Fish Fry) this morning to grab a couple of shots of this iconic lighthouse. For the last several months I’ve been wondering where all the seagulls that you typically find near coasts were. Turns out they like the harbor downtown!

Thanks to a new membership to the Bahamas Golf Federation, we spent the afternoon on Baha Mar’s Royal Blue Golf Course.