Land Tour of Andros

Though I am not new to Andros and have visited several times throughout the course of my life, I have never really explored the island. I am currently working as an intern for the next few months and will be sharing some of my experiences here at Small Hope and around the area. I've only been here for a week so far, but on my day off I joined some guests (Cheryl and Jeff) on a land tour with Dennis. The agenda was to explore some blue holes, caves and check out the northern part of the island. On our way up to Conch Sound, we passed pine forests, schools, colorful houses, a Mennonite farm, and a handful of building projects that were left abandoned. It was certainly insightful to ride with our knowledgeable tour guide (and trusty divemaster)Dennis, who answered our questions with ease. When we reached the sound, we saw the flattened water which signified a blue hole underneath and we all got our snorkels on to explore.

Blue Hole at Conch Sound

Caves

What a sight! The cracks in the limestone fell deep and hundreds of fish were passing through as the limestone walls bent and curved in different directions. Several schools of fish of varying size swam beneath us as we floated at the surface. A large blowfish hovered in the open space while another hid behind a crack and slowly peered out everytime I moved a different way. As I watched a lionfish swim around, Dennis called me over and pointed to a sleeping nurse shark, which was exciting for me but  unfortunately it swam away before Jeff and Cheryl could make it over to see.



Unfortunately we set out on a relatively chilly day and the water was so cold I had goosebumps and we were all shaky. We returned to the car, cracked open some drinks, and further explored the island and saw some lovely beaches, Captain Morgan's caves in Morgan's Bluff, and met some locals after having experienced some car malfunctions. We missed out on Captain Bill's Blue Hole, but I'll check that out sometime soon when I have the time. All in all, we had quite an adventure and I look forward to more trips like this. Pin It Now!

Annual Small Hope Bay Lodge Staff Party

Nassau Here We Come

Every September Small Hope Bay Lodge closes temporarily to undergo maintenance, repairs and inventory. The first order of business however is the annual staff party. 

Whether it is at Captain Bill's Blue Hole, Somerset Beach, or right at Small Hope the staff party is always a ton of fun. This year Jeff decided to fly everyone over to Nassau and hold the party at Traveller's Rest, a beach side restaurant run by his mother, Joan Hanna. 

Austin, Nicky, Fede, Dale and Tony on the Pursuit

On the morning of the party everyone woke up and headed to the airport, except for a select few who elected to go to Nassau in The Pursuit, Small Hope's 21 foot V-hull. 

Tony and Inez cutting the rug

Arriving in Nassau everyone dispersed for a couple hours to do a little shopping before meeting up at Traveller's for some food, some drinking and of course some dancing. With a live band playing throughout the day there was always someone on the dance floor. Alvin, Jardie and Tony especially enjoyed dancing the day away. 

Alvin gets the dancing started

The food was of course delicious and once everyone had digested a little it was time to hit the water. 

having fun out on the water

There was not a dry seat in the house as everyone had a blast riding on the tube! Fede and Jeff were excellent captains...they only dumped a few people off. 









All in all is was a great day in Nassau and a terrific staff party, one we will not soon forget. A big thank you goes out to Jeff for planning such a wonderful day and leaving everyone with some amazing memories. Annual renovations and inventory are now getting underway at Small Hope,  everyone is getting excited for October and looking forward to the new season!

 Highlights from the 2012 Small Hope Staff Party

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Solo Beach Cruising

Recent guest, Michael from Spain, knows how to relax. He took two weeks at Small Hope Bay Lodge and spent his days sleeping in, sunning on the beach, snorkeling the Andros Barrier reef and biking all over the island.

Michael left here refreshed, rejuvenated, recharged and with plans of returning! Pin It Now!

Moving Into The Digital Age

For all of our guests, past, present and future, that have Facebook accounts -- come join our group! Post pictures and videos. Reconnect with guests that stayed here at the same time you did. Share stories and adventures!

Join here.

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SHBL Music Project

Any of our guests who have been here since April probably have seen Ashley bring out his guitar to entertain after dinner on the patio or in the lounge. Those same guests may have noticed that sometimes there is a lull in the music or sometimes someone just singing along because no one knows all the words to the song we are playing.

We've also been noticing our CD collection at the Lodge. Some of the CD's we have are older than the newest generation of divers that we are taking Over The Wall!

So we at SHBL are challenging (and imploring!!) our guests to take part in the SHBL Music Project. We would love it if our guests would bring us mix CD's of their favorite music. Before your trip, burn a CD with all of your favorite songs, label it as "Your Name Here's SHBL Mix" and bring it with you on your vacation. We'll put it on a special shelf of guest mixes.

If you are REALLY ambitious, you can print the lyrics out for the songs for us to add to our song books for sing along nights. If Ash doesn't know how to play the songs, he'll learn!

So put your thinking caps on and put together your ultimate playlist. This should be an interesting and musical season!

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Check Us Out On Youtube!

Come and see what is happening and how the diving is going on the Small Hope Bay Lodge Youtube channel! Subscribe to us to be updated automatically when a new video is uploaded and leave comments to let the world know what you think! Pin It Now!

Who Needs TV?

The teenagers this week got a little creative and put their own twist on the game of Ping Pong. Patrick and Michael played a rousing game of mouth only table tennis that had the rest of the guests cheering them on and laughing until their sides hurt.

The question is -- Who won? Pin It Now!

Taking the Plunge

Congratulations to Bill and Nicole for "taking the plunge" at Small Hope Bay Lodge! The whole Small Hope Family wishes them the best and cannot wait to see them again! First anniversary, maybe?

Some of our other guests took the plunge at Uncle Charlie's Blue Hole



It looks like Chip, Jane, Hayden, Megan, Audrey, Jenny, Jim, Drew and Ally had a lot of fun! Pin It Now!