We had been looking forward to this vacation for months. All our planning, working hard, and saving finally to be rewarded with a week of pure relaxation. We had chosen a winter date for this cruise in order to give us a break from the long dreary February days. Through our time together this was the first extended trip that we had taken, and we intended to make the most of it.
The ship would be docking each day to allow passengers to visit various coastal towns in the Bahamas. Jane had wanted to get some touristy knick-knacks to bring back for our home, so we planned on getting out to do as much shopping as possible during our trip. She is so good at picking out just the right things to make home seem so warm, and her excellent taste makes every furnishing & decoration seem to fit in perfectly. I couldn't wait to see Jane's excitement at discovering new accessories.
The first two days when we stopped in port, we were a bit disappointed at the manufactured tourist souvenirs. Nothing unique. Stuff mostly made in Asia passed off as representative of the Bahaman culture. As much plastic and resin material goods as you would find in any junky U.S. tourist trap.
However, on the third day, we pulled into a port to find a shop just as we had imagined. Filled from top to bottom with authentic goods from the island region, complete with a lovely native woman who owned the store. She was quite dark, with a bright, seductive smile. Very tall, must have been close to six feet, and slim. She was dressed in a colorful yellow & orange wrap-type of dress with a small blue box-like hat. She told us that her name was Reni, pronounced Ree-nee. She spoke in a clipped, staccato voice with a slight English accent. Her soft husky whisper was clear and drew you in to listen closely.
Reni showed us some small throw blankets, the kind that Jane loves to curl up with for a nap. Jane picked out a couple, thankfully not too pricey, then she spied some woodcarvings that appealed to her. One in particular, a nude woman, was exquisite. Reni told us that it was carved from a tropical hardwood found on the island. The wood was dark, and polished to a high luster. The detail of the features was amazing. In this carving, you could sense the very soul of the person who had been the inspiration for the figurine.