“This is the paradox of twenty-first-century life: staggering prosperity seems to be tethered to surging rates of alienation, despair, and existential precariousness. Humans have constructed the most sophisticated civilizations
ever to grace the planet, but countless millions need to medicate themselves to cope with living within them.”
~ Brian Klass, Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters.
Eleuthera: (Greek word origin meaning Freedom)
There are many advantages to 15 weeks at sea. The obvious benefits include a break from the northern cold and our first endless summer filled with 75-degree days, blue skies, and white beaches. Each day offers its share of discoveries and enjoyment. One of the less obvious perks is our unintended digital detox. The news we receive on our cell phones from the Associated Press ebbs and flows with cell service, acting as a strong filter for the nightly news, CNN, and the continuous stream of horror images coming from the United States and around the world.
Similar to withdrawing from alcohol or other substances, limiting social media and news consumption has been a gradual process, an adjustment to behaviors that are deeply ingrained. At home, we made a habit of watching the NBC nightly news with David Muir. Now, we prefer to watch the sunset instead. With restricted access to all forms of news, we have become more intentional about what we choose to consume in this digital media age. Instead of scrolling through memes, toxic news, and trashy TV, we read, listen to podcasts, write, reflect, and paint. This shift in behavior has significantly influenced our mood and opened our outlook.
Our time in Eleuthera was a gift filled with the freedom to explore. This 110-mile-long chain of islands, located at the eastern end of the Bahama archipelago, was ours to discover. From the marina at French Leave, we set off on our journey, renting a car to navigate the island. We admired the historic architecture of Governors Harbor and enjoyed the local cuisine at excellent restaurants, where the daily catch of snapper, grouper, or mahi showcased the island’s rich marine life.
Eleuthera’s culture is influenced by several waves of people, starting with the Lucaya, who were driven from South America by the warring Caribs and sought refuge here between 500 and 800 A. D. Their population reached 40,000 before Columbus landed in the Bahamas in the late 1400s. The second wave of Spanish colonists all but eliminated the indigenous population through the spread of disease and enslavement. In the 1600s, a third wave of British colonists made their mark by introducing new agricultural practices, bringing enslaved labor, establishing plantations, and shaping the local architecture with their colonial building styles, which are still visible today. A fourth flood of immigration occurred during the Revolutionary War when British loyalists fled North America. They re-settled the area, bringing enslaved people and a variety of production crops.
We traveled north on the winding road, enjoying the variety of habitats from forests and scrub to rocky coasts. The winding road was lined with farms cultivating bananas, pineapples, and other crops, alongside remnants of large silos that might have been used to store cotton. We stopped at the Cliffs and visited the Glass Window Bridge.
The Glass Window Bridge is a spot made famous by the painter Winslow Homer in 1885. At that time, a natural coral bridge separated the deep blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean from the shallow, clear waters of Eleuthera Bight. A series of hurricanes destroyed the natural bridge, which was later replaced by the one-lane concrete bridge that stands today. Standing on the east-facing side of the bridge, we could see the powerful Atlantic Ocean crashing against the rocks, creating a stark contrast to the calm aqua waters on the west side. There was nothing commercial about this place, although it seemed to be in a state of disrepair by our standards, but it served its purpose to the locals.
The scenery inspired us to explore the island’s flora and fauna more deeply. Following our daughter Shannon’s recommendation, we visited the Leon Levy Plant Preserve. This visit was not your typical stroll in the park; it was a living catalog of native plants and a tribute to Bahamian history and culture. The site was the first national park on Eleuthera, functioning as a botanical garden, an environmental education center, and a facility for propagating and conserving native plants. The Preserve’s living collection of 410 native species unique to these islands offered us a wealth of knowledge about Eleuthera’s natural history.
The park features manicured paths that cross through sections of mangroves, freshwater wetlands, poisonous and medicinal plants, and economic botany. Eleuthera consists of limestone and coral, but the land has become fertile due to soil carried by atmospheric processes from the Sahara Desert, thousands of miles away. We learned about bush medicine, which involves brewing teas from the bark and leaves of certain plants—knowledge passed down from enslaved Africans brought to the Bahamas in the 1700s. Bush teas and medicines have been used for centuries. Using dried leaves from the Thatched Palm to create “straw plait” dates back to the pre-Columbus era when the Lucayans inhabited the Bahamas. This tradition continues today through the making of straw baskets, bags, and hats. Having learned in Marblehead that Mahogony is nearly extinct, we tried to identify saplings in the economic botany section. Sure enough, the preserve is working to cultivate this species.
Another highlight was a visit to Tippy’s Bar on French Leave Beach. The restaurant and bar overlooked a long stretch of French Leave Beach. We were immediately struck by the coral and conch used to decorate the walls, the white signs on the ceiling displaying the names of places worldwide, and the colorfully painted wood plaques representing local fish. The artist painted a fish and then used pieces of sea glass as scales. The staff seemed to love their work and sang along to the music playing in the background while mixing drinks.
Our digital detox has allowed us to engage more deeply with our surroundings, spend more time exploring the outdoors, and strengthen our connection to the natural world. Disconnecting from screens has led to increased physical activity and improved overall well-being. Our travel experiences have broadened our perspectives on completely different ways of life. We feel revitalized by meeting new people, discovering new places, and experiencing various cultures. It’s a stark contrast to the distracting news media and drama-filled environment that we can’t control.
With gratitude for this period of peace and tranquility amid the chaos.
Kailoa Signing off!
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