Being a former British colony, the Bahamas maintains many traditional British "thingies" that were--until now--quite foreign to me.


Like the game of squash.


Now, before you get on your high horse and start thinking that any game that shares its name with a somewhat soft-skinned yellow member of the gourd family must certainly be for wimps, I've got news for you:


It's a bloody tough game.


Nassau offers a couple venues to play the game: The Village Squash Club and several courts near the Radisson in Cable Beach. (Though these are scheduled to be closed, I think, due to the Bahamar development that is supposed to be starting in that area.)


I guess the sport has traditionally been played by the more "upper crust" segment of societies; people with names like Buffy, Beau, Biff, and Randolf. We don't have any of those where I play, as far as I know, but I'm amazed at how many people of all ages play it.


There's a US Squash Team, a World Squash Federation, and any number of other individual associations throughout the world, dedicated to this sport.


And, did I mention that it's a bloody tough game?


One of the major reasons for this is that the ball you use doesn't actually bounce. It just drops to the floor like the French Army at the first sign of enemy troops. As a result, and unlike raquetball, you have to move very quickly to hit the thing. So, the engineers at the Royal Academy of Raquet Sciences decided to make it a bit easier on players by extending their racquet a few inches.


I thank them for that.


However, after a few gruelling matches my legs still don't seem to appreciate the improvement, as they guide me over to the bar for a well-deserved beverage.


Oh, did I mention there's a full bar at the squash club too?


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