One Of The Things I Miss Most About The Bahamas Is Bahamian Food
I spent a month last year in the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, never heard of it? It is a long thin and somewhat unpopulated island on the far eastern side of the Bahamas. I have to say that one of the most enjoyable aspects of the trip was the Bahamian food, of course I love that about every place I visit! I love trying out all the local dishes and the Bahamas was no exception.
Food is probably not the first thing you think about when you think about the Bahamas with all the beautiful white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise and azure water. If you don’t allow yourself the indulgence of as much Bahamian food as you can experience you will regret it later.
The cuisine gets the attention it deserves at the local island restaurants showing a diversity that is unexpected with many international styles mixed in. The exact native food that you experience will even vary from island to island and also depend upon the species of fish being served. As one might imagine a great many of their dishes are seafood based with the abundance of water the islands all share.
Get ready to experience food choices and tastes you have never had because in the Bahamas the chefs enjoy being unique and distinctive.
One of the foods that you will probably not experience anywhere else on so large a scale is the meat from the Conch. This is the favored food of native Bahamians and is used in just about every possible dish you can imagine. When I was living there last summer I had conch salad, conch fritters, conch chowder and even conch burgers! One of my favorites though was raw conch with lime juice, hot peppers, and fresh tomato and onions. But beware, when I say hot peppers, I mean hot! Being of Cajun descent I was raised on hot food and not even the peppers in Mexico are as hot as these!
Another popular dish among the locals especially is fish and grits. The fish is cooked with salted pork, peppers, and onions and served with grits as a breakfast fare. I got quite used to having it every morning.
You have to try the local variation of fish chowder on whatever island you stay as well. Although the exact recipe may differ slightly it is usually made with fresh grouper, which are abundant there, tomatoes, lime juice, and dark rum, absolutely delicious.
Don’t be afraid to try these and the many other fine local foods offered if you get the opportunity to travel to the Bahamas.
Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find more about Bahamian food and ethnic foods at http://www.ethnicfoodsplus.com
How to Fix and Repair Headlights for Maximum Safety
Basically, fixing and repairing your cars headlights is something everyone can do. You could take your car to your local car dealer and pay hundreds of dollars or you could repair them yourself for as little as $15. I would rather keep my money than make my local dealer rich with their outrageous markups and prices. Here is how to properly evaluate, fix and repair almost any automotive headlight problem.
First, determine what the problem is. Are they dim, not working at all, hard to see with at night, have water inside, failed inspection? If they don’t come on at all either you have a burned out bulb or an electrical problem. An electrical problem can be expensive and very labor intensive to fix - but they are usually vary rare. So lets first look at the bulb. The bulb unscrews out of the back of the headlight lens on most newer cars (on older cars with glass headlights the whole lens is the bulb and you just replace it with a new glass replacement $10 - $20 at Walmart). After removing the bulb, look at it. Does it look burned out? Is it black, melted, discolored? If so, replace with a new one. You can purchase replacements at your local automotive store or Walmart for under $20. Insert the new bulb or bulbs and make sure not to touch the glass part of the bulb with your fingers - the grease we emit on our fingers will cause the bulb to wear more quickly or even blow. After installing the bulb try the lights. 99% of the time this is the reason they will not turn on. If it still doesn’t light you have an electrical problem and this should be referred to your local mechanic.
If you have water in your lens this is caused by a leak, crack, or hole in the lens. With the newer plastic lenses you need to remove the lens and then carefully drill a small hole into the bottom of the lens (be careful not to hit the bulb. Let the water run out and then patch with silicone (easily obtained at Walmart or your local automotive store). Then find the source of the water. Usually the seals start to go bad after 3-5 years. You can cover the seal around the lens with silicone to reseal the lens. If the leak was caused by a crack a clear sealant like urethane can be used to seal the crack or small hole. If it is a large hole it would be best to replace the lens.
The other major problem is cloudy, yellow headlight lenses which can lead to diminished output, poor nighttime visibility and basically an unsafe car. There are now headlight repair, restorer and cleaner kits available to cure this problem. In the past you had to resort to replacing your lenses which can be very expensive - $200+ per lens not including installation and labor at your local car dealer. Now for under $20 you can fully restore your headlight lenses to like new optical clarity and greatly improve your nighttime safety. For more information on these kits please see the link below.
There you have it - the three biggest problems with automotive headlights and how to fix and repair them for greater safety for nighttime driving - and save big by doing it yourself. Please take the time to make your headlights and rest of your car as safe as possible. As having volunteered for a volunteer emergency squad for years I have personally witnessed dozens of fatal crashes that could have easily been avoided by just properly repairing and fixing the headlights. Be safe, drive safe - remember the life you save may be your own. Please pass this around so that it may benefit as many people as possible and increase the safety on our roads.
David Maillie is an alumni of Cornell University and holds numerous patents including his recently awarded patent for headlight repair, cleaner and restorer. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: MDwholesale.com
Who Needs A Passport?
The passport issue has become a sticky one in our post 911 world. In the United States in particular a new law called The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act was passed in 2004 requiring passports for travel to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico, and Canada. The government is phasing these areas in over time but by January 1st of 2008 the rules will be in effect for all of these areas. This section of the act, called the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative calls for more stringent regulations where before one could travel from the U.S. to these destinations with only a picture ID and a birth certificate.
A passport has been required for international travel so there are no changes to be made there, but if you intend to travel in the Americas or the Caribbean after December 31st of 2006 you will need a passport.
So, how do you go about getting a passport you ask? Well, for starters give yourself plenty of time. It is suggested you allow at least six weeks prior to your departure. United States passports are issued through the Department of State and they will investigate to be sure that you don’t have outstanding warrants, past due child support and other issues.
In order to obtain a passport for the first time you must appear in person at one of the more than 7,000 passport acceptance facilities located in the United States with two photographs of yourself, proof of U.S. citizenship such as a birth certificate, and a valid photo ID like a driver’s license. These acceptance facilities can be found in many Federal, state, and probate courts as well as post offices and public libraries.
All persons traveling must have their own passports including infants. All minors under the age of fourteen must also appear in person and have the consent of both parents. In the case of divorced parents you will have to show the court order granting custody as well. If both parents cannot be present then one parent must submit the second parent’s notarized consent authorizing the issuance of a passport. There is a form available called the DS-3053 from the State Department.
The fees for passports are as follows:
Age 16 and older the passport fee is $55 plus a security surcharge of $12 and an execution fee of $97.
Under the age of 16 the passport fee is reduced to $40 with the other fees remaining the same for a total of $82.
The acceptable forms of payment vary with each facility so you will have to check with them to see whether they accept checks or credit cards.
Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. To get quality luggage for your next trip go to http://www.luggageplusmore.com
Making Your Retirement Dreams Come True In Spain
For some reason most of we Americans who have never visited Spain think of this country as a small one and it comes as a shock to find that of all of our States only Texas is larger than she.
Possibly our ignorance of Spain is due to the fact that few members of this generation have visited Spain. This is due in large part to the many wars that have ravaged Spain. After World War II Spain was virtually ignored for years.
Tourists were coming to Europe as never before, but the main points of interest were further north, England, France, Switzerland, Italy. In 1947 only 3,700 of our countrymen entered Spain and the figure only slightly more than doubled in 1948.
But finances have been chaotic since the war and everywhere prices have literally zoomed. France, once a bargain paradise, became as expensive as the United States, or nearly so. And Switzerland and Italy trailed not far behind. Rumors began to drift up from the south that Spain was still operating at pre-war prices. That you could travel in Spain at a fraction the price in the more popular tourist countries, or could retire on a pittance.
And nothing spreads so fast in the traveling set, and those who live permanently, or semi-permanently abroad as such rumors. Thousands began to drift into Spain, and then tens of thousands, until at this writing at least a quarter of a million Americans visit Spain each year, and thousands have become permanent residents.
Of course, just because a country is cheap is no reason to retire there. Possibly the cheapest place I have ever been is the interior of Turkey. I would estimate that given the current black market rate of exchange, you could live there like a pasha for $50 a month for a couple. But what would you do? What would you see? Who would you talk to? You might live in a palace and have a swarm of servants on $100 a month in one of the smaller towns of inland Turkey - but you’d probably go stark raving mad after a couple of months or so.
But Spain offers a good deal more than economy. Her scenery is varied, her climate probably the best in Europe, with the possible exception of the Greek islands, there is a wide Anglo-American population which guarantees companionship if you cannot find it among the Spaniards, and the luxuries as well as the necessities of life are available.
There is one thing that you are undoubtedly going to resent in Spain and I might as well state it bluntly. In spite of the fact that Uncle Sam is currently playing footsie with Franco, in return for military bases, this country is a police state and everywhere you see signs of it. In no country in Europe, even behind the Iron Curtain, have I seen so many armed police and soldiers continually patrolling the streets and roads, two by two, machine guns slung over their backs. Spain has one of the largest standing armies in Europe, and have no doubt about it, it is not because Franco’s state fears invasion - the army and police are there to protect the state from the Spanish.
However, as far as you, personally, are concerned you are not apt to be touched by this situation. Foreigners, and particularly Americans, bring foreign exchange into the country so largely they are left alone. Spain is a beautiful country, her people wonderful people. If you are not depressed by her social system you will probably love her.
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