Long Island virtually begs you to stay forever. It’s not that there is a lot going on; quite the contrary. But the people are friendly and their lifestyle interesting. We drove to the south end of the island where the road literally ends on a beautiful beach that spills into the incredible blue waters of the Bahamas. Not a person insight!
Serendipity was with us when we picked up a hitch-hiker, Ernest Watson.  Ernest owns a little roadside bar and restaurant where we had an ice cold beer while he entertained us with stories about his life. He told us how to hunt wild boar and land crabs. He told us about spearing lobster and fish. He showed us his garden and the kid goat he nursed back to health. Then he told us how to cook it all. We learned that he was going for land crabs that night and that they were a staple item on the menu.   We arranged to return the next day for lunch. The menu—crab and rice, lobster salad and whatever else he thought appropriate (he chose broiled lobster tails!) Real down home Bahamian food!
Another drive took us north. The difference was striking. Where in the South there were many abandoned houses, some in great disrepair, the North had many fine homes with well-kept yards. We stopped for lunch at Max’s (world famous) Conch Bar in Deadman’s Cay. Coming to the Bahamas and not having a conch salad would be like going to Rome and not visiting the Coliseum. When we arrived, the tiki hut bar was crowded with an international set. We sat next to a French couple who enthusiastically recommended the grilled conch.  We watched Max as he expertly chopped and diced the ingredients for conch salad (recipe below) with a razor sharp 12 inch blade, putting Benihana to shame.
The Queen’s highway that runs the entire length of the island is bordered on each side with stone walls in various states of repair. The walls are remnants of the plantations that were established by Loyalists who fled the American colonies during the Revolution.  There are many architecturally unique churches scattered about the island some reminiscent of Mission style and small chapels in Greece. Clarence Town is known for two of the several churches built by Father Jerome in the Bahamas. 
It is somewhat ironic that in spite of our change of plans, fortune brought us to Long Island, our destination when we first set out in December. Now, having spent a few days there we know we want to return next winter.

Conch Salad
Chop and dice roughly equal quantities of tomato, green pepper and onion. Some people squeeze the juice from the diced tomatoes before adding them to the mix (Friendly Joe on Bimini who prepares the best salad we’ve tasted, does this). Some people also chop and dice a bit of apple for the salad. Then, chop and finely dice some raw conch (the quantity roughly equal to the rest of the ingredients so you have about half conch and half vegetables). Squeeze a good quantity of lime juice into the salad. (Personally, we also like to add some lime zest, but that’s not authentic) Some people also add some orange juice to the mixture. A bit of goat pepper (habañero) or other kind of pepper for heat. Salt to taste. Enjoy. We also use this recipe for diced fresh raw tuna and snapper.