Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Conch shells also make wonderful souvenirs - buy a polished specimen from
any local straw market or gift shop, or look for your own on an uncrowded
beach. Jewelry made from the rosy coral interior of the shell is also popular, as
are the rare pink conch pearls sometimes found inside.
Nassau and Grand Bahama have high-quality, if pricey, supermarkets. On the Out Is-
lands, pickings are slimmer - the smallest islands may have only a tiny convenience store
selling chocolate bars and dusty cans of peas.
FISH FRY
From Nassau to the tiniest Out Islands, local social life revolves around the Fish
Fry. A Fish Fry is both a place and an event. As a place, it's usually a collection
of brightly painted wooden shacks in a central location, either downtown or by
the harbor. During the day, it's empty, but at night it lights up as an outdoor food
market, each shack serving plates of fried seafood - conch, turbot, lobster - and
hearty sides like peas 'n' rice. Everybody gathers at the Fish Fry to eat, drink,
gossip and dance, fueled by homemade wine and rake 'n' scrape beats. It's one
part church picnic, one part neighborhood party, one part food court, one part
nightclub. On some islands, the Fish Fry only happens on Friday or Saturday
night, while on others it's a nightly event. Nassau's Arawak Cay is the island's
most famous Fish Fry, but Out Island versions are even more fun for mixing and
mingling with locals.
