SHAMBLES RAMBLE
Travel Writing and Galleries By Alexander Adams
Providenciales 2017
Clean Sheets and a Mozzie Net
28th September:
'At the time of writing, I have just finished showering, shaving, and dressing in a foreign bathroom. No wires were dangling precariously through the window, the basin wasn’t ringed by plastic toys, and the water wasn’t from a contaminated cistern. I’m sitting at a real desk in a clean room next to a bed with fresh linens and an unbelievably blue quay nearby. I am now on Providenciales. I have left Salt Cay.'
'At the time of writing, I have just finished showering, shaving, and dressing in a foreign bathroom. No wires were dangling precariously through the window, the basin wasn’t ringed by plastic toys, and the water wasn’t from a contaminated cistern. I’m sitting at a real desk in a clean room next to a bed with fresh linens and an unbelievably blue quay nearby. I am now on Providenciales. I have left Salt Cay.'
Ordered Beauty
28th September:
'Not far from the house there was a bar, so I thought I’d stop in just to see if they did food. I had money on me, and I didn’t mind treating myself (and I don’t think anyone would begrudge me for that). When I walked up the small hill to where the bar was I was greeted with a view over the marina. The water was spectacularly blue. It was like liquid sapphire. Maybe it just really stuck out to me after the excessive silting of the water around the island, and the copious amounts of seaweed that had washed up. But unlike the wildness of North Beach, the marina was ordered beauty.'
'Not far from the house there was a bar, so I thought I’d stop in just to see if they did food. I had money on me, and I didn’t mind treating myself (and I don’t think anyone would begrudge me for that). When I walked up the small hill to where the bar was I was greeted with a view over the marina. The water was spectacularly blue. It was like liquid sapphire. Maybe it just really stuck out to me after the excessive silting of the water around the island, and the copious amounts of seaweed that had washed up. But unlike the wildness of North Beach, the marina was ordered beauty.'
Privilege of the Few
28th September:
' I listened in on their conversations, discussions about how long they think it’ll be until they get their power back. Apparently the richer areas already had their power back up and working, but they had no idea how long it would take to reach the poorer areas. The impression I got was one of a dichotomy; locals vs. tourists. Tourists bring the money and get prioritised as a result, because without them the whole island suffers. Yet it’s hard not to see the injustice of people having to prioritise hotels over their own houses. '
' I listened in on their conversations, discussions about how long they think it’ll be until they get their power back. Apparently the richer areas already had their power back up and working, but they had no idea how long it would take to reach the poorer areas. The impression I got was one of a dichotomy; locals vs. tourists. Tourists bring the money and get prioritised as a result, because without them the whole island suffers. Yet it’s hard not to see the injustice of people having to prioritise hotels over their own houses. '
The White House on Salt Cay
The Most Protein I'd Had for 3 Weeks
30th September:
'This morning, Jane made Canadian bacon and eggs with bread. I asked what made it ‘Canadian’ bacon. Did it used to play ice hockey? Did it have a tendency to burn down the White House? She didn’t seem to know, but it appeared to just be small slices of ham that you fry. Not that I was complaining.'
'This morning, Jane made Canadian bacon and eggs with bread. I asked what made it ‘Canadian’ bacon. Did it used to play ice hockey? Did it have a tendency to burn down the White House? She didn’t seem to know, but it appeared to just be small slices of ham that you fry. Not that I was complaining.'
Cat pls
Pls Cat No
Water Mess
3rd October:
'Upon arrival I was greeted by the builders for the third time. They were putting the pole up ready for the power line, but then they hit the water main, said ‘well, that’s it for today’, and just left. They left Jane with no running water and made the road in both directions into a shitty water feature. Then the water company showed up, realised the water was running, and left to turn the water off somewhere else. Incredible. If Jane was struggling to stay optimistic before, now her smile’s definitely going to slip.'
'Upon arrival I was greeted by the builders for the third time. They were putting the pole up ready for the power line, but then they hit the water main, said ‘well, that’s it for today’, and just left. They left Jane with no running water and made the road in both directions into a shitty water feature. Then the water company showed up, realised the water was running, and left to turn the water off somewhere else. Incredible. If Jane was struggling to stay optimistic before, now her smile’s definitely going to slip.'
A Wild Dad Appears!
6th October:
'Went for a walk along Grace Bay together to try and find a place for breakfast. Unfortunately nowhere was really viable, so we just went for a swim instead. The current was ridiculously strong. It was like swimming upriver. But it was fun to spend some time with dad again, talk about things. In passing over an American breakfast, we opted for an American lunch. For the third time in the same week, I was at Big Al’s. Henry was behind the bar again. He’s shaved his head and it looks pretty cool.'
'Went for a walk along Grace Bay together to try and find a place for breakfast. Unfortunately nowhere was really viable, so we just went for a swim instead. The current was ridiculously strong. It was like swimming upriver. But it was fun to spend some time with dad again, talk about things. In passing over an American breakfast, we opted for an American lunch. For the third time in the same week, I was at Big Al’s. Henry was behind the bar again. He’s shaved his head and it looks pretty cool.'
Sunken Ships
Muted Evening
Accurate Summary
Beachboy
7th October:
'Of course, another quality of having dad around is that you’re always kept busy. Last night, after a few hours’ break at Northwest Point (I drove the car!) we went out to danny Buoy’s. Because of course there’s an Irish pub in the middle of the Caribbean.'
'Of course, another quality of having dad around is that you’re always kept busy. Last night, after a few hours’ break at Northwest Point (I drove the car!) we went out to danny Buoy’s. Because of course there’s an Irish pub in the middle of the Caribbean.'
A Little Father/Son Moment
A Little Father/Son Moment
Poser
Beachside View
The End of the World
The Silliest Creek
7th October:
'The only things silly about Silly Creek were the properties built along it. Clearly if you build a house out there you are not looking to be an active member of society. One in particular was obscenely opulent. It had a revolving bridge to bar people from entering the grounds unless they fancied swimming across, which was hardly a deterrent considering how pristine the water was. Originally we thought it must’ve been a hotel or a resort, so large and grand it looked. But no, all ten bedrooms, turrets, balconies, Turkish marble driveway of the $128 million property was privately-owned. It’s incredible how much it contrasted with Five Quays (one of the worst-affected areas of the whole island) to find a seaside mansion completely unoccupied, and think how many displaced families could be housed there.'
'The only things silly about Silly Creek were the properties built along it. Clearly if you build a house out there you are not looking to be an active member of society. One in particular was obscenely opulent. It had a revolving bridge to bar people from entering the grounds unless they fancied swimming across, which was hardly a deterrent considering how pristine the water was. Originally we thought it must’ve been a hotel or a resort, so large and grand it looked. But no, all ten bedrooms, turrets, balconies, Turkish marble driveway of the $128 million property was privately-owned. It’s incredible how much it contrasted with Five Quays (one of the worst-affected areas of the whole island) to find a seaside mansion completely unoccupied, and think how many displaced families could be housed there.'
The End of the World
Paddling
7th October:
'We drove until we couldn’t drive any further, so we stopped at the top of a hill that overlooked some particularly gorgeous water. It was a milky blue, with no buildings in sight, and a few small islands that looked like green bushy mushrooms rose out of it. Like forested jewels in a mirrored sky.'
'We drove until we couldn’t drive any further, so we stopped at the top of a hill that overlooked some particularly gorgeous water. It was a milky blue, with no buildings in sight, and a few small islands that looked like green bushy mushrooms rose out of it. Like forested jewels in a mirrored sky.'
Behind the Scenes
Quick Dip
7th October:
'We walked down to the edge, and I went for a swim. Despite how far out it extended it never got any deeper, and was always at waist height. It was also very warm. It felt like I was having a bath.'
'We walked down to the edge, and I went for a swim. Despite how far out it extended it never got any deeper, and was always at waist height. It was also very warm. It felt like I was having a bath.'