Global Journey Blog vol.4 -Yui Ikegami

Hi, my name is Yui Ikegami and I am currently studying abroad in Miami.

It has been three months since I started my study abroad program in August, and I am getting used to life here.

This time, I would like to talk about my trip to the Bahamas, which I suddenly decided to take.

Background of my trip to the Bahamas

Why did we go to the Bahamas?
I would like to explain the geography of Miami again to explain why we went to the Bahamas.

Miami is located in the southern part of the Florida Peninsula in the southeastern United States.
It has a mild climate and is a prosperous winter resort, but it is also a gateway for trade and cruise ships to South America and the Caribbean.
There are many Hispanic immigrants, and a variety of cultures from Cuba, Jamaica, Venezuela, and Colombia can be found here. It is a diverse and rich city, with a fusion of different national cuisines, Latin music playing in the streets, and two thirds of the population speaking Spanish.

While spending time in such a place, I became interested in the countries surrounding Miami and wanted to visit some of them.
However, due to the unstable social climate, I learned that there are a surprising number of areas that are not safe to travel to.
I met people from Ecuador and Jamaica who told me, "I don't feel safe sending you to my country.

After considering the political situation, I planned a trip to the Bahamas, with its beautiful beaches and colorful cities.

What does the Bahamas look like?

It is 800 kilometers from the Florida peninsula. It was about a 30-minute flight from Miami.
It consists of about 700 islands, but only about 30 are actually inhabited.
The surrounding ocean is not affected by pollution and remains crystal clear and beautiful.

The view from the room we stayed in

I would like to talk about the Bahamas under three themes.
1. Resort area that thrives on tourism
2. Nassau, home of the Caribbean pirates
3. Culture in the Bahamas

1. A resort town that thrives on tourism

Around 1950, the government invested an enormous $55 million to build a port that welcomes large cruise ships, hotels, and other tourist facilities. The city has flourished as a resort area, with celebrities using it as their vacation home.
At the same time, however, the city center was lined with old concrete buildings that were not exactly glamorous, and children could be seen helping out in the businesses. We felt that even though the city is developing through tourism, there are issues to be addressed in giving back to the local economy.

This time we decided to stay in Nassau, the capital, for four days.
When we arrived in the Bahamas, it was not the beaches or the large harbor that made us feel like we were in a resort area, but the luxury of the hotel where we stayed.
The hotel was right on the beach, with restaurants, shopping, jazz bars, a casino, and many other facilities.
So the cost of lodging would be very expensive... I thought so, but the price was not too expensive compared to the luxuriousness of the facilities.
I learned in class that one of the hotel's management policies is to keep accommodation costs low so that more people can stay at the hotel and anticipate profits from the surrounding facilities.

I spent my time being conscious of keeping accommodation costs low and not overspending on hotel services and food. This was the moment when my learning in the hospitality class came in handy.

What I ate there
1) Jerk chicken (Jamaican food, but I ordered it because I heard it has been enjoyed locally for a long time. My Korean friends ate it with a nonchalant look on their faces, but I was half in tears. too spicy.😅)

Rum cake (This cake is made with rum, a local specialty. There are many flavors to choose from.)

2. The capital city Nassau, home of the Caribbean pirates

Today it is a resort area with abundant natural beauty, but in the 17th and 18th centuries it was home to the "Pirates of the Caribbean.
Pirates of the Caribbean. Isn't it exciting to hear that there were real pirates in the area?

The word "pirate" may conjure up images of maritime ruffians, but there was a time when things were actually a little different.
During the Age of Discovery in the 16th century, Spain and Portugal began to use ships to transport the wealth they had acquired in the Americas, and the weaker nations of England and France began to use pirates to plunder their ships.

In the 17th century, each country issued a "privateer's bill of marque" to "legally" allow plundering, and pirates continued to plunder treasure from their base in Nassau.
In the 18th century, however, the crackdown on the privateering system became more severe, and the pirates lost their way. They became real ruffians. As their hideout, Nassau was also called the "Pirate Republic," and it seems that famous pirates were active there.

In Nassau today, you can see facilities related to pirates, such as a museum that tells how pirates lived in those days and a library that was originally a prison camp.

Although I could not feel what the city looked like in those days from the streets, it was fun to look at the sea and imagine pirate ships and wonder if there are descendants of pirates.

We did jet skiing (we rode freely at sea on a water bike with a maximum speed of 60 km/h.). It was an exhilarating experience, even though we ran into a coral reef.)

3. Culture of life in the Bahamas

In 1973, approximately 250 years after becoming a British colony in 1718, the Bahamas officially became an independent nation, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Our tour guide told us about the pre-independence and new national initiatives.
This person still holds both a valid British and Bahamian passport.
He was taught British English in his early education, but he uses Bahamian English, which he created after independence and which he values as his own identity.
I felt that the Bahamian English spoken by the local people is distinctive and has a unique rhythm.

Also, there are some unique phrases such as
"een notin": "ain't nothing" (do nothing)
Terreckly": "Directly" (immediately)
Ma bey": "my boy" (referring to a friend or companion)
and other expressions.

The guide also talked about post-independence efforts,
We learned about their various attempts to establish a national flag and anthem, a free health care system, a well-developed education system, and efforts to formulate culture and the arts.

(Souvenirs made from shellfish, such as whelks, were on display.)

The Bahamas is a land of beauty and abundant nature, a land of history that was also a playground for pirates.
On this trip, we were able to learn about the history of the island and the efforts of one hopeful nation.

It was a beautiful country with a warm climate, crystal clear waters, cheerful people, and a diverse mix of cultures.
I would like to visit other islands besides Nassau next time.

In the next issue, I will look back on the first half of my stay.
See you next month!