Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
North & Central Andros
Technically one island, North and Central Andros are the largest of the three islands that
make up Andros (North Andros lies north of Stafford Creek and Central Andros lies to the
south). Much of the island is smothered in pine forests that have twice been logged - first
to provide pit props for English coal mines and later for Chicago newspapers. The island's
exotic hardwoods, mahogany and lignum vitae (sometimes called 'sailor's cure' because
its sap provided a cure for syphilis in the 19th century), for example, are long gone, but the
logging tracks remain. It's the most popular of the Andros islands, and visitors here enjoy
great diving, fine beaches and bonefishing.
NICHOLL'S TOWN AREA
Sleepy Nicholl's Town (population 500) is the closest settlement to the San Andros airport
and the center of activity for all of North Andros. It has small stores, a supermarket, a gas
station, a Georgian-style government building and not a heck of a lot more.
North of town lies the hamlet of Morgan's Bluff, with some extraordinary beaches hid-
den down dirt roads. Ask a local to draw you a map. You'll still get lost.
To head south, follow the road via the little fishing village of Lowe Sound, and then
pass Conch Sound to Mastic Point. This small commercial harbor dates from 1781, and is
the place to hunt down
goombay
music. Much of the land inland around San Andros is in-
tensively farmed for citrus, potatoes, tomatoes and other produce. If you see a woman in a
prairie dress and bonnet, she's a member of the island's Mennonite community, who moved
down from the US to start a farming operation.
BUSH MEDICINE
Traditional folk healing is still alive, especially in the Family Islands, where loc-
als have a suspicion of doctors and cling to folk remedies. Bush-medicine heal-
ers, often respected obeah practitioners, rely on native herbs, which they mix in-
to concoctions, or potents, using recipes that have been handed down through
many generations.
The sovereign ingredient is
cerasee
(Momordica charantia), an orange-fruited
vine credited with resolving every imaginable human ailment. Aloe is also used
for curing many ills, from sunburn to insect bites, while breadfruit leaves are
said to cure high blood pressure.
However, not all cures use berries and leaves. For example, 'goat nanny'
(goat droppings) is said to cure whooping cough, while congested air passages
are cured by pouring 'chamber lye' on the head. This golden liquid is named for
the pot into which a person relieves himself at night when not blessed with an
indoor toilet.
