Friday, December 20, 2013

Thursday, December 19, 2013 
 There's one cop in town and this is what he drives
He took a 5 week vacation with no replacement while
he was gone...and according to the bartender at our
local "free internet" hangout...there is 0 crime on the
island because everyone knows everyone and sooner
or later if a crime should happen, someone is going to tell
 Looks pretty impressive
 I don't think I've ever seen one of these before
Us gathering information from some people who have
been cruising this area for the last 16 years!
 Lobsters headed to the United States...they are huge!
 The ferry taking those huge lobsters!
 Today is Thursday and all of the locals who own businesses
are having their goods either coming in or going out today.  Today is
a very busy day on the island.  Deliveries, bank open, and BTC (telephone
company) all open today.  The place was bustling!
Well lookie here...I think we found a Rescue Truck
Still no fire house, but at least a Rescue!
 I feel like I'm in Key West
Mamma chicken with her chickies!
 More beautiful flowers
 This is actually a green channel marker
Like the arrow :0)
Here's the red one...it comes with advertising and directions!

Another grand day in Green Turtle Cay.  Everything you hear about needing to slow down to their pace is true, because they truly don’t care about time.  We went to the bank 3 times today before we finally withdrew some cash.  It HAD to be today!  The bank and the phone store are only open 5 hours on Thursdays and they will be closed next week until the first Thursday in the new year.  The place was mobbed.  They had two tellers working and about 18-20 people waiting at one time.  They do it differently here though.  You walk in and you ask “who was the last person to walk in?”  They raise their hand and you know you’re the last in line, yet you’re still on an honor system.  They have chairs all around the small room on 3 sides and everyone sits and waits their turn.  One lady was due to get up next but the policy there is “if you are related to a teller you are not allowed to go to their window” so the person after her gets to go next, and when the next available teller was done she got to go up.  It was interesting to watch people they would come in, because everyone knew everyone in the room except us “visitors” of course!  We finally gotter’ done though!
Then we went to the phone store 3 times!  The phone store hasn’t been open for the last 3 weeks so it, too, was mobbed!  The first time I went I stood in line for about 20 minutes then left.  They also only had one teller.  The size of the store was probably the size of a walk-in closet and about 7 people could fit inside of it.  The line outside was quite long needless to say! The second time I went I waited in that long line for about an hour.  I verified with the people in line that I could use my credit card to buy a phone there, and they said yes, so I was in for the long haul!  I finally get to the window and the woman says “our credit card machine is broken; I need either cash or a check…” I just looked at her and without even realizing I did it, I said “you’re kidding me” and let my head drop on the window!  I then said thank you and turned around to leave; I even thanked her nicely!  Once again I still have no phone in hand!  I want to call Jenny!!  When I turned to leave everyone in the “closet” asked what was wrong, I told them and a small mutiny was about to happen, so I quietly escaped!  We figured, if the credit card machine was out of order; why not put a sign on the door saying so.  But no, they wait to tell you once you get to the window.  And, due to “system issues” which there was a sign for on the door posted that morning they were closing at 1 p.m. instead of 3 p.m.  So people still think they have till 3 to come in and do their business. NOT!  One guy showed up at 1:10 wanting to buy a $5 SIMM card and they told him he should have been there by 1.  Great customer service I gotta tell ya!  Oh, and by the way, the only reason I was able to get a telephone and call Jenny finally, was because Gary got cash out of the bank before me so I sent him and Bob to the phone store to get the phone before they closed.  They arrived about 5 minutes before closing, and as soon as they walked in, the woman came and locked the door.  Shewwww! 
 
So after finally getting some cash and phone we went and got something to eat and then headed back to the boat.  It was around 3 then.  None of us were up to par from our “laundry” last night so we decided to go back to our respective boats and crash for a couple of hours.  Then we were going to get together and have “layered nachos” one of Jayne’s finest meals and then go over to the marina and watch the “Gully Roosters” play tonight.  NOT again!  None of us were able to take a nap and all of us were too tired to go out.  So we have decided this is a “down night” and not doing anything! 

So we find it just plain crazy dealing with people at businesses.  All of the credit card machines are “down,” they really just don’t seem to even care if they wait on you.  After watching 3 or 4 people waiting almost an hour at the phone store become exasperated that they didn’t take credit cards, one woman finally said to the phone woman, “Why don’t you at least put a sign on the door saying that the credit card machine is not working?”  The woman said, “Well, the credit card machine isn’t working!”  She’ll have no phone for 2 weeks.  The clock on the wall right behind the phone woman was still on Daylight Savings Time.  When asked by Bob if that was the right time, she said, “No, it’s still on Daylight Savings Time, but I can’t see the clock.” 

But we brought 98% of the things we need with us so we don’t need to deal with those issues too much.  All the townfolk are happy to see us and great us warmly.  Smiles all around.

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