WHERE DO YOU GO FIRST? AFTER LANDING ON A TROPICAL ISLAND. THE BEACH, OF COURSE. AND THE BAHAMAS HAS PLENTY OF THEM. THE BEAUTY OF THE BAHAMAS IS IT’S NOT JUST ONE ISLAND, BUT IT’S 60 ISLANDS. 16 ISLANDS FAMOUS FOR THEIR SOOTHING PALETTE OF WHITE PINK AND TURQUOISE. IN THE BAHAMAS, PARADISE OFFERS OPTIONS. EXUMA AND ELEUTHERA ARE OASES OF CALM. CAN ISLAND IS EVEN QUIETER. WHILE NEW PROVIDENCE ISLAND GIVES NEW MEANING TO FUN IN THE SUN. WE ARE HERE ON BUTE REBEL CABBAGE BEACH, ONE OF MANY PUBLIC BEACHES HERE ON NEW PROVIDENCE ISLAND, AND JUST A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY FROM DOWNTOWN NASSAU. NASSAU IS THE BAHAMAS, CAPITAL CITY HOME. TO 244,000 PEOPLE. MORE THAN 60% OF THE COUNTRY’S POPULATION. YET JUST OVER A THREE AND A HALF HOUR DIRECT FLIGHT FROM BOSTON, NASSAU IS THE HEART OF RESORTS SHOPPING AND DINING. NASSAU IS A PLACE WHERE WE CALL IT A COSMOPOLITAN FLAIR. WE DO HAVE SIGNATURE HOTELS LIKE ATLANTIS AND BAHAMA. THERE’S NIGHTLIFE. IT’S ACTIVITY. THERE’S A LOT TO DO. LYDIA DUNCAN IS DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE BAHAMAS MINISTRY OF TOURISM. SHE TAKES US TO THE AREA KEY FISH FRY, WHERE LOCAL VENDORS SERVE BAHAMIAN CUISINE. WE LOVE SEAFOOD IN THE BAHAMAS. FISH IS A MUST ABOUT THE FISH FRY. BUT CONCH IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE ENJOY AS ONE OF OUR LOCAL DISHES OVER FRESH CONCH SALAD AND FRITTERS. WE TALK TOURISM, THE BAHAMAS NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY, 7 MILLION VISITORS CAME HERE IN 2020 TO JUST SHORT OF A RECORD 7.2 MILLION IN 20 1985. 90% OF THE VISITORS THAT COME TO OUR SHORES ARE FROM THE UNITED STATES. IT’S AROUND 25%, ACTUALLY COME FROM THE NORTHEAST. CRUISE SHIPS BRING MANY OF THESE TOURISTS TO DOWNTOWN NASSAU, WHERE THEY EXPLORE OPEN AIR MARKETPLACES AND COLORFUL PLAZAS. MOST OF THESE THINGS, GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS WERE BUILT WHEN THE BAHAMAS WAS A BRITISH COLONY, SAYS CHRIS CURRY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF HISTORY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE BAHAMAS. WE CERTAINLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT PARLIAMENTARY SQUARE. THE BUILDINGS DATE BACK TO THE LOYALIST PERIOD AROUND 1810. AND SO YOU HAVE, OF COURSE, OUR HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, WHICH DATES BACK TO 1729. STEPS AWAY THE POMPEII MUSEUM OF EMANCIPATION AND SLAVERY STANDS ON THE SITE WHERE ENSLAVED PEOPLE WERE ONCE SOLD AT AUCTION. IT’S A STORY THAT HAS TO BE TOLD BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE MAY FORGET. NOW IT’S A TWO STOREY BUILDING THAT HOUSES OUR POMPEII MUSEUM NAMED AFTER THE FAMOUS REBEL INSURRECTIONIST LED A REVOLT BETWEEN 1828 AND 1832 IN EXUMA. 2023 MARKS THE 50TH YEAR OF THE BAHAMAS. INDEPENDENCE FROM ENGLAND. WE’VE HAD STABLE AND PEACEFUL GOVERNMENT AS AN INDEPENDENT, SOVEREIGN NATION SINCE 1973. WE HAVE MUCH TO BE PROUD OF AS A PEOPLE. WHEN YOU HEAR SEAN CONNERY, BAHAMIAN SAY, THAT’S US. JUNKIE WHO IS THE BAHAMAS MOST BELOVED TRADITION, SAYS EDUCATOR AND CURATOR ARLENE NASH FERGUSON. IT IS THE NATIONAL CULTURE FESTIVAL OF THE BAHAMAS. IT WAS BROUGHT FROM WEST AFRICA IN THE HEARTS AND SOULS OF ENSLAVED AFRICANS. TODAY, IT IS A PARADE AND ACCOMPANY TITIAN JUNK. A NEW TAKES PLACE AROUND CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR. THIS STREET FESTIVAL IS KNOWN FOR ITS ELABORATE COSTUMES. ALL HANDMADE FROM CARDBOARD AND PAPER. ENSLAVED AFRICANS WERE NOT PERMITTED TO LEARN TO READ AND WRITE. THE STICKING OF THE PAPER ON TO YOUR CLOTHES TELLS THE STORY ALL ITS OWN. WHY TEACH THEM THE FULL ART? I TEACH THEM HOW TO WIRE THE COSTUME, HOW TO PUT IT ON THE CARDBOARD COLORATIONS OF COSTUMING. QUENTIN BRAVOS, WOODSIDE IS PROPRIETOR OF THE JUNK NEW WORLD MUSEUM, AN ARTS CENTER INSIDE A PRIZED COLLECTION OF COSTUMES. NO TWO ALIKE. SO ALL THE FRIENDS FOR ALL OF THOSE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF COSTUMES IS CUT JUST LIKE THIS? YES. THERE’S NO MACHINE. NO MACHINE. IT’S ALL HAND ON HAND. IF CARRYING THE LEAD COSTUME, YOU NEED AT LEAST OR 20,000 STRIPS. ARTIST AND VOLUNTEERS WORK A YEAR IN ADVANCE TO ENSURE JUNK IN YOU IS A JOY TO WATCH AND EXPERIENCE. WE BUILD IT TO TEACH THE YOUNG ONES TO KEEP IT ALIVE, TO KEEP OUR CULTURE ALIVE. JUNK IS SOMETHING WHICH KEEPS THE COMMUNITY AND KEEPS PEOPLE TOGETHER. AND AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THE BAHAMAS CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE THIS YEAR. YES. LOTS OF ACTIVITIES ARE PLANNED. OF COURSE, A BIG CHUNK OF NEW PARADE WILL BE HAPPENING IN THE COUNTRY, GOES ALL OUT. AND WHILE WE WERE IN THE BAHAMAS, WE’RE INTERVIEWING THE DIRECTOR OF TOURISM, LETICIA DUNCAN. SHE MENTIONED THAT HER SISTER IN LAW WORKED AT A BOSTON TV STATION. TURNS OUT IT’S CHANNEL FIVE AND ITS STATION PATE AND BOW, A TECHNICAL DIRECTOR HERE AT THE STATION. SHE’S THE WORLD’S. SO IS SOME KIND OF CONNECTION WHICH WE’RE GOING TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BECAUSE THERE’S