Nassau in The Bahamas

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The Straw Market, now in a permanent building again, was full of people looking for souvenirs of their visit. The main purchases appeared to be bags, t-shirts, and objets d’art such as carved statues and gaudy paintings. Some straw items are still sold such as hats and shopping bags, but now The Straw Market is a general market that sells souvenirs. It’s also a good place to shelter for a few minutes if there’s a tropical downpour.

Other sights worth visiting include Fort Charlotte – 15 minutes’ walk due west of the British Colonial Hilton hotel – with its guns pointing menacingly towards the cricket pitch and the cruise ship terminal. The entrance fee is 1 dollar and the information provided gives an accurate appraisal of the history of the fort. From the ramparts you can see the beach cabins on Arawak Cay, where everyone should eat at least one meal during their stay and try the gin and coconut milk combination called a ‘Sky Juice’.

Head east along Bay Street and then up Elizabeth Avenue to see Nassau’s most interesting sight. The Queen’s staircase is in a gorge that was hollowed out of the ground by 6,000 slaves using six-inch long chisels, just to provide a potential escape route for the governor in case of surprise attack. This is the story that the local guides will tell you at least; whether it’s true is another matter. It’s entertaining to listen to their stories and I did have to admit that in places the sides of the gorge do show marks similar to those made by chisels. 64 steps make up the staircase, one for each year of Queen Victoria’s reign.