Pirate History of Bahamas & Canada

#PirateHistory_Bahamas_NSCanada

I am venturing to the Caribbean Island of New Providence in the Bahamas and in particular the Capital City of Nassau
 To study the connection of the Golden Age of Piracy (1690-1730) with my Province of Nova Scotia located in Eastern Canada
So even though i am greeted with bright, vibrate colors the area had a dark past, so lets investigate

First lets start with Nassau and its history as a Pirate Haven;

1) It became an important pirate republic during the early 18th century attracting the likes of the famous Blackbeard and Bartholomew Roberts
2) Pirates found refuge here on the island taking advantage of its remote location plus weak governance
3) The Republic of Pirates in Nassau was so strong it had a degree of impunity which created that culture for themselves and their followers
4) The history says there should be buried treasure here because of this lawless industry
A) But most was lost at sea through wrecks,
 B) Taken to other locations then buried, but then the pirate was killed before he could reclaim it 
 C) Or simply the loot was in the form of trade goods which would have been either sold or deteriorated over time

Sorry all you Treasure Hunters out there 

The connection to my Province of Nova Scotia Canada;

1) Some of the pirates who sailed through Nassau also visited the waters of Nova Scotia as no ocean is big enough (3000 kms or 1850 miles in distance) when looking for a treasure loot 
2) In Nova Scotia the government would grant the pirates a license to attack the countries enemy ships during wartime, hence the name Privateers
(remember it was a new area with limited tax money to built a navy)
But it was a grey area as you can imagine, so these Privateers ventured into the Caribbean raiding all ships taking the valuables
but also food, water and clothing for survival on the sea
3) With some of these captured ships, the Privateers would bring back the Pirates to Nova Scotia for trail and execution by hanging
  then to collect a bounty that was placed on the heads of some of the pirates from the Caribbean
 

The beginning of the end;
The British and other European powers engaged in an extensive naval campaigns to end the piracy on the open seas
It involved patrolling the waters, naval battles plus establishing fortified positions like this in
 Fort Charlotte Nassau or Georges Island in Halifax


Okay this case is closed jajaja  time to explore the rest of the island

Well since a found a (colorful) Police Station here are some strange laws in the Bahamas

1) Its illegal to wear camouflage clothing as its deemed disrespectful to the folks in the military plus its police forces
2) Its legal to enter the Bahamas by sea without a Passport.....but i would not recommend this 
3) You are not allowed to import motorcycles or vehicles that are ten years or older
4) To protect the coral reefs there are no spearfishing or underwater guns allowed
5) Feeding pigeons near a church or monuments is a no no
6) Taking photos of alcoholic beverages in public spaces or near religious sites, again not allowed
7) Wearing stilettos in certain areas because of the damage it may cause to the surfaces of public spaces

KeyTips;

1) Do not depend to use your credit cards especially in the smaller businesses
(because of costs associated)
 or some will have a minimum purchase amount to use plastic, but many prefer cash only
2) Tipping the restaurant servers, housekeeping, taxi drivers, the packing boys at grocery stores etc
is very welcomed, as they are paid a low wage
3) Follow the traffic rules on your rental scooters and do not be a jerk tourist
4) Do not touch the coral as there are very fragile animals and are critical to the ecosystem

I am loving the green message

By 2030 the Bahama National Energy Policy will have 30% renewables, mostly from solar power
 The end result; it will lower costs, improve the grid reliability and achieve energy independence

The Bahamas (from the Spanish phrase baja mar....shallow sea) archipelago has more than 700 islands but only 30 are inhabited
New Providence Island is the most populated with 70% of the total (400,000)
that includes the largest city and capital Nassau

Time for some samples
Hey, finding pirates is hard work 😀

The Bacardi family relocated one of their operations to Nassau from Cuba after Fidel Castro and his rise to power in the 1960s
The location was closed in 2009 but now is home to John Watlings Distillery which is run by sixth generation members of the Barcardi family

Having a Bahama Mama Cocktail

The starving artist is not just a saying, but someone who prioritizes their creative work above financial stability
So i like to buy some local pieces when i am able to support their dreams