TAKE A
ROOSTER TO ELEUTHERA
The
Travel Guides talk about Harbour Island, the tiny island off the bigger island
of Eleuthera in the Bahamas. They wax eloquent about the charming
Loyalist cottages, luxurious resort hotels, high end and not so high end
marinas, the stunning pink beaches and beyond words blue and turquoise waters.
But.
And this is an oversight I really don't understand. They say
NOTHING about the Roosters. Not mentioning the Roosters is like not
mentioning the Hibiscus, or the Bougainvillea, or the coral sand. They
are EVERYWHERE. Their numbers are legion.
You
and yours are having French Toast on the porch of Dunmore Deli; they trot
regally under the table next to you. You visit the historic library
shaded by giant Banyan trees; they stand guard. While you watch the
sunset over the Caribbean, they take their evening strolls. You are
enjoying a vacation read; they take a short cut across your porch.
The
visual presence is indeed striking. But the best part, the really BEST
part is the surround sound! Beginning at, I'm guessing, 3:00 AM, the lead
Rooster (not sure what his actual title is) decides it's time to wake the
troops. Sounds a lot like a scream, so it does get your attention.
Ensuing is the All Island Alert System (AIAS), which continues until long
after the sun rises. One can lie there in the dark and imagine the relay
beginning with the lead Rooster under your window, rippling out to Roosters on
the far reaches of the island, then skipping across the sea to the shores of
the next island, and so on.
Not
to be forgotten are the wives and progeny of the Roosters. They nest
under overturned boats, under houses, in the thick of tropical plants.
They cluck cheerfully and scurry across the street, completely
unconcerned with oncoming golf cart traffic.
So.
On our last day on Harbour Island, we came across a bumper sticker that
pleads "Take a Rooster to Eleuthera", where apparently there is no
overpopulation of poultry. Likely due to the overpopulation of feral
dogs.
