A post from Maurice

The Bahamas conjures up exotic holidays with continuous sunshine and blue skies, swaying palm trees, flash hotels, diving on colourful coral reefs or getting bronzed on the wonderful deserted sandy beaches, where you might bump into a celeb (category B tho’), a place where no-one will believe you are going to do some work. And the reality? We are on Andros – not a tourist destination (unless you are into bone-fishing), but it does have its charms. And we are here in the wet season too although people do not believe that either! And we have been working hard! Up early every day, sometimes before 6, as the other day to catch a boat for Joulters Cay – a classic location for carbonate sedimentologists, with the spectacular ooid sand bars, beaches and tidal deltas, and the extremely young (1000 year-old) cliffs of cemented oolite – and yes we were lucky to go there but the sun hardly came out and one of us (whose name begins with F) was up to her neck in a pond measuring a bunch of parameters. But we did 'catch' some conch, not that they could run away, which were duly eaten after much hammering of the shell to extract the animal, and bashing of the meat to tenderize it (actually I had to pass on it - conch did not agree with me last week!). 

The local people are extremely friendly here – always waving and tooting at you as you drive past, and they are exceedingly helpful – especially if your car breaks down – as has happened several times for us. The insects however are a pain – the mosquitoes, doctor flies (so called cos when they bite it is like having an injection) and the ants – actually crawling across my screen as I write now!  

But the sedimentology is wonderful to see and gives one plenty to think about, and the hydrology /hydrogeology fascinating. I have learnt a lot there. Perhaps it is surprisingly, since I have written sections in books on the subject, that I have never been to the Bahamas before. It was just that the opportunity never came up, so it is a great privilege to be here now and with a great bunch of enthusiasts…. my Bristol Andros chums – many thanks for the company, the banter, the debates – all good fun, and I also have the tee shirt - marvellous.   

-Maurice Tucker