Days before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, the civil rights activist spent time in Bimini, Bahamas. It was there where he would write his final speech.

“Swim, eat, drink, work, read, talk, read, fish, fish, swim, drink, sleep.” That’s Bimini, summed up by a character in Hemingway’s novel “Islands in the Stream.”

First thing we did after arrival was to gather our snorkel gears and head for the beach 10 minutes away from our marina. Snorkeling along the reefs we could see needle fish, stingrays and other exotic and vibrant marine life that lives around these living corals. We then took a long walk on the beach while watching the sunset, combing for sea glass, and even picking up plastic that ends up on the beache. Afterwards we sat and chilled by the beach where Claudia, ordered from Shadow’s Coconut Bar, a drink served inside a coconut made with three (or four…maybe five) different kinds of rum, fresh coconut water, and juice.

Later we continued walking along a quiet stretch of white-sand beach, Claudia and I were mesmerized by this remote retreat of old-school fishing  Island with miles of mangroves and spectacular ocean views. We were only about 60 miles from Miami, but the slow-and-easy lifestyle on the historic atoll feels like a world away. As one Bimini native said to us: “No rushing, no pressure, no heart attacks”.

Next day, we treated ourselves to some great conch salad from the world famous Joe’s Conch Shack. It was fantastic – very simple – chopped conch, onion, pepper, tomatoes, garlic salt and lime juice – and delicious. The folks at Joe’s Conch shack de-shell the conch when you order your salad and prepare everything right in front of you. They were even kind enough to show us how to remove the conch from the shell. Oh, there was a nice side benefit as well – conch slop or pistol, a slimy, disgusting mess that is cleaned from the edible meat of the conch. It is really gross but it’s supposed to be an incredible super powerful aphrodisiac – why not give it a try? Our other Bimini treat was the coconut bread. Bimini bread is known for being really tasty and sweet. The day we went to Nate’s bakery, he was just finishing up a batch of coconut bread – which we could not resist. It was the best we’ve had in a long time.

One thing that totally amazed us ever since we arrived is the abundance of conch shells. They are everywhere and decorate docks, piers, fences, porches. They are scattered on the streets, at the beach and people even use them for construction! No wonder! The shell is an extremely hard material! It is interesting though, to see posts and walls built out of conch shells and concrete.

Last day in Bimini, we were invited to a potluck dinner at the marina, gather by all the boaters (a common event throughout the Bahamas organized by cruisers). Claudia prepared her famous Chicken Curry with rice. Her dish was gone in 10 minutes. I didn’t even have a single bite. We met some wonderful people but one couple from New Orleans stood out, Juan and Allison. They are a Hollywood couple who does costumes and marine consulting for movies that have boats (Will Smith, Bad Boys series). What a way to end our visit in Bimini.

Next stop – Great Harbor Cay in the Berry Islands. 85 miles east, where we’ll need to drop anchor in the middle of the ocean (Great Bahama Bank). Our adventure keeps getting better.