Footnote from Bimini

Although we left Bimini, Bahamas a long time ago, our stay there deserves this footnote.

Jon, David, Katie and I sailed to Bimini from Miami during the kid's spring break in 2001. My two most vivid memories are 1) going to the End of World Cafe and eating the best conch salad I've ever tasted in my life and 2) hanging out at the Complete Angler, an old hotel for sports fishermen where Ernest Hemingway stayed in the mid-1930s. It had a library with walls that were covered with photographs of his Marlin fishing exploits, some letters and postcards, and other memorabilia from that time in his life.

I read The Old Man and Sea in high school and didn't have a clue what it was about. Then in my junior year of school, I saw my Dad reading a biography of Hemingway, called "Papa." He was so intensely reading it, that I checked it out when he was finished. I couldn't put it down, and when finished, I read all of Hemingway's novels. I was a scrawny kid from the middle of north Texas and had never been anywhere else other than Oklahoma and Colorado. Hemingway's novels and his own life story opened up a world of possibilities for me and were my first inspiration to travel and try to live life to the fullest. Later, Jon and I visited his home in Key West, Florida.

I was looking forward to showing the Complete Angler to Stephen and Guita while in Bimini and on our second day there, we went out for a walk looking for it. I knew I'd recognize it. After walking nearly the complete length of the island, I finally asked someone for directions (the island only has one street going the length of it). We were told that it had burned down several years ago. We got several versions.....arson, electrical, it was so old. But we had walked right past it not far from where we were docked. Everything was lost. Here is the photo of that remains. So sad.

In addition, the End of the World Cafe was closed down and was no longer the end of the world as there were newer buildings jutting farther out at the southern most end of the island. Oh well, just a reminder that nothing is guaranteed to be permanent. I think Hemingway's advise would be to grab everything with gusto while you can because it (or you) may not be here tomorrow.