Dollars from the Bahamas & a school of grunts

The Bahamas' unit of currency is the Bahamian dollar ($B) which is based on the U.S. dollar. One Bahamian dollar equals 100 Bahamian cents (pennies).

As the Bahamian and U.S. dollars are equivalent (1 $B = 1 $US), residents or visitors may spend either Bahamian or U.S. dollars in the Bahamas, though outside the Bahamas, Bahamian money is not too valuable (trading at times at nearly half its face value), except as a popular collector item, so make sure to get rid of all your Bahamian dollars before you leave. (To understand more about money read this article on the gold standard. If the Bahamian politicians were honest -- and rational -- enough to implement such a program, the Bahamian dollar would be worth 20 times that of the U.S. dollar within 5 to 7 years.) [source: thebahamasguide.com]

grunt, any of about 150 species of marine fishes of the family Haemulidae (Pomadasyidae) in the order Perciformes. Grunts are found along shores in warm and tropical waters of the major oceans. They are snapperlike but lack canine teeth. They are named for the piglike grunts they can produce with their pharyngeal (throat) teeth. Some (genus Haemulon) are further characterized by bright, reddish mouth linings. Grunts are edible and valued as food, though most species are small. Some are noted for a behavioral trait in which two individuals approach and “kiss.” The purpose of this, whether sexual or aggressive, is not known.

The haemulids, although known collectively as grunts, are known individually by a number of names, among them porkfish, pigfish, sweetlips, margate, and tomtate. Among the better-known species are the blue-striped, or yellow, grunt (Haemulon sciurus), a striped, blue and yellow Atlantic fish up to 46 cm (18 inches) long; the French grunt (H. flavolineatum), a yellow-striped, silvery blue Atlantic species about 30 cm (12 inches) long; the margate (H. album), a usually pearl gray species of the western Atlantic; the pigfish (Orthopristis chrysoptera), a western Atlantic food fish, striped silvery and blue and about 38 cm (15 inches) long; the porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus), a western Atlantic reef fish that, when young, is marked with black and serves as a “cleaner,” picking parasites off larger fishes; several species of sweetlips (Plectorhynchus), which are Indo-Pacific fishes, highly variable in colouring and sometimes kept in marine aquariums; and the tomtates (Bathystoma rimator and related species), grunts found off Florida and the West Indies. [source: britannica.com]

Both cards accompanied with this great prince Harry stamp! From a set of 4 stamps (15, 50, 65 and 70c) issued in 2012 in favor of Queen Elizabeth II's diamond Jubilee, hence the reason there's a diamond depicted.

Thank you very much Niki!

Take it easy....Bahamas

Okay, this is rather interesting. This card from the Bahamas took some time to reach me and the sender and I weren't really sure why it was taking so long. Today I received this lovely card and noticed it had a slightly different cancellation than the first card I received from the Bahamas. When you look closely you can see that the card was stamped in Freeport on the 20th of November, but you can also clearly see 17th of December. The latter cancellation reminded me very much of the Australian post and I was right. Apparently this card has travelled to the Netherlands with a 'layover' in Australia. Why? I have no clue as the address is correct and the Bahamas isn't a territory of Australia so it had no reason to make a stop which sometimes happens with French overseas territories for example. SWLF = Sydney West letter facility, by the way. If anyone has an explanation, feel free to comment.

                                                        Thank you very much Niki!

Bahamas

Scattered like dabs of possibility on an adventurer’s palette, the Bahamas are ready-made for exploration. Just ask Christopher Columbus, he bumped against these limestone landscapes in 1492 and changed the course of history. But adventure didn’t end with the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. From pirates to blockade dodgers to rum smugglers, wily go-getters have converged and caroused on the country’s 700 islands and 2400 cays for centuries.

So what’s in it for travelers? There’s sailing to Abacos. Diving Andros' blue holes. Kayaking the countless cays around Exumas. Lounging on Eleuthera's beaches. Pondering pirates in Nassau. Indeed, there’s a Bahamian island to match most every water-and-sand-based compulsion. Each of them framed by a backdrop of gorgeous, mesmerizing blue.

But every adventure has irritations, and here indifferent service, high prices and hungry no-see-ums take the lead. Nassau and Paradise Island are the prime troublemakers. But if casinos, Aquaventure and duty-free shopping don’t top your to-do list, consider dropping off the grid for a bit in the Out Islands. Prices remain high but there’s more bang for your Bahamian buck, with friendlier service, fewer crowds and, well, the pesky no-see-ums haven’t gotten the memo. But don’t wait long. Change is in the air and the Out Islands are blipping onto the radar screens of mega-developers and land grabbers the world over.

For now loaf, paddle, dive and après-snorkel. Paint your own adventure, the palette awaits. [source: lonelyplanet]

Thank you very much Niki!