Javier: Today, we rode the ferry to Andros, Bahamas. Andros has a completely different atmosphere compared to Nassau. Nassau is oriented towards tourists unlike Andros. Andros’s population is far smaller, and the landscape reflects it. There are fewer homes and less people in the streets.
Our rooms are above a grocery store. Surprisingly, that is the town‘s grocery store. It’s not large, so it demonstrates the size of the area’s population. We went a small adventure to find the beach, which we successfully found. The beach was great, and the experience was fantastic.
Our rooms are above a grocery store. Surprisingly, that is the town‘s grocery store. It’s not large, so it demonstrates the size of the area’s population. We went a small adventure to find the beach, which we successfully found. The beach was great, and the experience was fantastic.
Kira: Andros’ environment is noticeably different. The smaller population and smaller reliance on tourism allows the people to live with minimal amenities. We (refreshingly) cannot walk around the corner to find a Starbucks or McDonalds. I can only imagine that this creates a closer community. The small general store below our apartments appears to be the life-source for the town. Shipments of food, water, and other supplies come in once a week, which makes me wonder what happens if they run out of necessities. There is a strong reliance on Nassau, yet the ferry costs $60, which could make it difficult for locals to move back and forth between the islands easily.
After our visit to the beach, and considering the larger size compared to Nassau, I’m surprised that the island has not become a largely developed hotspot for tourists.
After our visit to the beach, and considering the larger size compared to Nassau, I’m surprised that the island has not become a largely developed hotspot for tourists.
Morgan: After the long ferry ride early in the morning and basically watching the sunrise with the other ABers, we arrived on the large but sparsely populated Andros island of the Bahamas. The island is not as “tourist-friendly” as Nassau; there is debris along the side of the road and beach access is hard to come by and find. However, we arrived in our apartment-style living arrangement around noon and ventured off to find a beach. Half an hour later we were swimming in the beautiful, clear blue ocean and soaking up the Caribbean sun!
Jennifer: So far this trip has been exciting and eye-opening. Nassau was similar to other tourist/vacation-y/resort-filled places I’ve been like Miami, with a few differences. We could tell that tourism was a huge priority and source of income and livelihood for the Bahamians of Nassau. They were all friendly but I noticed a bit of tension between the rich tourists visiting and the people who live in some of the more economically challenged or modest places that surround the huge million dollar resorts and hotels. We arrived at Andros today and this island is very different. It is less populated and less focused on tourism. The people who live here seem to be shocked by our appearance on the island. Our privilege as college students at a school like UMD is becoming apparent as we get used to showering in a cold, trickling stream of water and shopping at a small market that feeds many of the people in the area. 
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