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In April 2000 some guests started a guestbook with their comments. All the comments we have up to aug 2003 are collected here - we hope to catch up again when we have some leisure!  Please note that these comments are transcribed completely unedited, as can be verified by inspecting the Guestbooks at Calypso if you visit. We apologise for the occasional grammatical or orthographical lapse! We urge you to enter comments in the guest book if you stay - this is not a literary competition, other potential or actual guests will appreciate your candor and information - everyone has a slightly different take on the Island and on Calypso, but so far everyone seems very happy! Some guests leave without writing comments, perhaps they forget, perhaps they were too rushed, or shy, but we always wonder if they enjoyed themselves, and if we can improve things, so please : write something! If you like, you can also enter comments directly at rentors.org.

We loved it here! What a tranquil setting. Morgan and Anne,  April 2000

It’s hard to say in words how much it touches us that we were able to share and enjoy your tropical paradise. For all your help and kindness we say Thanx! We’ll never forget the fun and all the wonderful sights we’ve enjoyed. Tim & Debb, May 2000

Calypso was wonderful - we truly relaxed here. Loved the blue and red trails around the property, the kayak ride out to the island, the bike ride to Double Bay, pizza at Mate & Jenny’s. Even though our rental car broke down - at the lighthouse of all places! - we kept smiling - drinking Kaliks and eating pineapple (wow!) Mark and Donna, you are great hosts: available when needed, invisible the rest of the time! The house was big and comfortable and we’ll tell all our friends! We’ll be back! - Don and Joan, May 2000

There was nothing to do here! - it was perfect. We had a great time at the secluded beaches and the crystal clear water. Enjoyed breakfast on the patio overlooking the palms and the ocean, and the sun showers in the backyard after a long day at the beach. -Jennifer and Bart, June 2000

What a wonderful week we have had! This has been such a blissful honeymoon for us, and we will always remember Calypso! We loved the gorgeous & dramatic sea (especially hearing the waves at night!) & loved exploring beautiful Eleuthera on your bikes! Even the rainy days were fun - hunkered in this quaint house, feeling the breeze! The sun shower was our favorite! Thank you for your gracious hospitality! - Kelli and Scott, October 2000

- night falls quickly in the islands; one minute you luxuriate in the heat of the sun - blinding beautiful sun - and the next blink shows a true dusk yet a moment before full dark. The house was lit. We knew we were "home". After a restless night, I awoke to a night lit with the full moon - and I felt my pupils dilate so that - like a cat - I could view my surroundings -- on both sides, water! And hammocks, flowers in abundance, birds awakening, and the ever present sounds of the sea. Together we watched the post-card views: sunrise, sunset, low tide.... the library, carribean, church graveyard.... the sea, coves, palms - this place is truly beautiful. - Susan and Vaughan October 2000

We had an extraordinary time!! Mark and Donna, you were so patient, and gracious to us, allowing us to borrow your spears and faith that we would return your sea kayak in one piece! Despite all the challenges of island living, (escaping sharks and scorpions and we also broke down on lighthouse beach and flat tires) all is well, with wonderful stories to tell. We really enjoyed your peaceful beaches, sunrises, and sunsets, (sound side) beautiful gardens at Calypso. Snorkeling (especially at lighthouse beach) and Harbour Island. Will tell others about your island papadise and hope to return soon. Keep in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! - Lynn and Steve Nov 2000

What a truly wonderful place you have here. Our family thoroughly enjoyed your little piece of paradise! Thank for helping us out with the kayak, the BBQ, the spears and for enjoying dinner with us. The kids had a great time exploring, especially Sean, our little "Island boy" who caught ( and let go) lizards, snakes, crabs, hermit crabs_..but missed the lobster. Ahh!! Calypso is such a peaceful place we just relaxed and enjoyed the week! - Kim,Steve,Katie, Dannie amd Sean April 2001

As "Michelle" arrives we bid a fond farewell and Good Luck!! We had a busy vacation, but enjoyed staying here very much. - Wayne and Dianne Nov 2001

Thank you for a wonderful few days, The property is great. We hope Missy is feeling better. Won't bother you with good byes Just Thanks a lot_We really enjoyed it. We'll be in touch - Marko and Tess Dec 2001

Had a wonderful month — in spite of the bugs. Everything was terrific just wish we caught more fish. Found many interesting shells and creatures on the beach in front of Calypso and at low tide at "Ten Bay". Delicious lunch at "Northside" in Rocksound. Please keep feeding the hummingbirds and bananaquit (and moneybats!) — they're great to watch. - Andrew, Louise, Graham and Catherine Feb 2002

Had a grand time. What a dreamy haven for an artist and nature lover! Tom and Kathleen March 2002

What a wonderful place to just be left alone. The beach was perfect. Cool breeze all day; all night. Sea Star was also perfect. It was so nice to come in from the beach and shower, then relax and listen to classical music. I slept so beautifully listening to the faint crashing waves and soft whisper of the ever-blowing breeze through the trees.Sailing with Mark for the morning was great. He was a wonderful skipper and an even more wonderful instructor. Don’t miss your chance to go out with him. I am going to miss this beautiful place, and I am going to miss Mark and Missy. They were indeed ever present and ever invisible. We came to Calypso not knowing what to expect – and we found it to be exactly what we were looking for. Simplicity, privacy, comfort, tropical beauty, hospitality.The house had everything we could ask for – and if we couldn’t find it here, Mark or Missy made it available to us. We opted to use the bikes and our feet for transportation and enjoyed every minute of it (except for a couple of hills on the bike ride!) The small, added touches – flowers in the windows, shells around the property, gardens, hammocks – all helped to make our stay a dream.Perfect weather during our initial stay. It will be hard for us to leave this paradise. Thanks for everything. With a honeymoon like this, there’s no doubt for a beautiful future! Audie and Jen april 2002

Just wanted to let you know we had a fabulous time at your place. Thanx so much. I speared fish everday, caught lobster -  it was so awesome. I've told so many people and although we usually like to go to new places we may just come back again someday. Mark and Missy were great too thanx again - Kenny and April june 2002

Calypso is the best! Cri and I had a wonderful and relaxing honeymoon. We did a lot of snorkeling together and saw many fun fishy things (feeding stingray, fleeing turtles, beautiful tiny balck fish with electric blue spots, no sharks, grazing conchs and lots more – oh, and quite a few lobsters too. I did some good fishing (5 bonefish, Governor’s Harbour is the best bet) and Cri churned through 15 books (great library). Also we are quite pleased to be returning to civilization with a most “uncivilised” tan even though we arrived at the beginning of the rainy season. The rain never lasted long enough to raise a frown. We had some great meals at Runaway Bat restaurant in South Palmetto Point. It’s Cri’s favorite place to eat .. “romantic” she says. On our last trip there we went down to the docks and saw a tiger dhark swimming in 3 feet of water right at our toes. Cri got some good pictures. When we went up and told the cook, he promptly took off his apron and went to go try and catch the shark!I would recommend early June to birding afficionados as there are quite a number of nesting species who will put on interesting displays if you venture too close to their nests. Mark and Missy were wonderful hosts (I’ll have to take some golf lessons so that when I get back down here I can hit straight from Morningstar to the pump house). Thanks very much for the hospitality and friendship. Raf and Cri June 2002.

 We had a wonderful 5 days at Sea Star. Thanks to Mark and Missy for accommodating our schedule and givi9ng us the opportunity for this great vacation. SeaStar and Eleuthera were remote, laid back & beautiful just what we were looking for. Our recommends: The restaurant at Cigatoo Inn (Paolo’s great!). The beaches at Ten Bay (go early in the day before the water starts to recede, beautiful!) and Rainbow Bay, snorkeling below the house, mate and Jenny’s pizza, Sunset Inn for Lobster, Goombay Smash, the pineapples, and a day trip to harbot island – oh, and sailing with Mark! Not so good: lack of signs (you have to be good at finding things!), restaurant at Runaway Bay (lousy service, not so hot food, high price tag), sandflies (were lots of bug repellent), and buying gas ($3.25 a gallon! Ouch!)Had a great time! Thanks for everything! Matt and Vicki july 2002.

 We spent 7 days with no car, no phone, no TV and never once felt bored! We filled our days no problem; we snorkeled out front where we saw lots of beautiful fish, interesting corals and passing cruise ships…why? Took a ride on the bikes to Double Bay which has a great swimming beach and nice big waves that day. You can actually wal there by just heading right down the beach. Mark was great and we enjoyed a day on the “Papaya”. We snorkeled around looking for conch, but instead a million scary jellyfish floated by. We did see a beautiful dolphin swimming alone on the way home. She looked at us from under the water for a minute as I jumped in with my mask. We checked each other out for a moment – too bad I didn’t have the chance to touch her.Some recommendations:Ice cream shop! Bugspray and babyoil; Unique In for dinner and “Guava-duff”. Relax and have a great time!! We certainly had a great time and would come back anytime! Tim and Lyne November 2002.

 I’m just going to give you a few highlights:Do’s:

1. Snorkel as much as possible
2. Use the local ministore for a few items. Don’t waste your time going into town. You are on vacation
3. Take all showers if possible outside – it’s the best feeling.
4. Don’t bother with any of the restaurants here, they are all overpriced and not that tastey. But if you must go out visit mate and Jenny’s

Got to go our cab is here – Amy and Chip December 2002

1-1-03 Wow! Marvellous. Everything except those bugs on the last night! Ate well, slept well, loads of adventure! Relaxed! Bike ride to Governor’s Harbour was especially great. Loved every minute except leaving! See you again. – Rebecca, Tom, Amilia, Joshua KC Missouri

 2-16-03 A honeymooner’s Paradise! That’s exactly what Calypso was to us! An absolutely perfect place to spend our honeymoon – from the pink sandy beaches, to the starry nights, this place is a perfect getaway!We especially loved the fresh cut flowers and plants adorning the entire house. The gardens are beautiful and the bougainvillea is our FAVORITE!Paul Adams is a superb host with a well-balanced approach of friendliness and willingness to make us feel we’re absolutely secluded.We soaked in as much of the warm sun and cool breezes as possible to always remind us of our unforgettable honeymoon! So perferct! Jeff and Rebecca, Falls Church Virginia

 3/29/03 – 4/5/03 Calypso was even better than its description on the web and than Paul’s email follow-ups. The gardens and cut flowers were wonderful. The beaches were empty, pink , and wonderfully relaxing. The snorkeling just to the right of the path was much better than expected – absolutely stunning clear water, thousands of colorful fish and beautiful coral. Great food and atmosphere at Tippy’s and at Rose’s “Northside”. Rose was a charmer – go there! We rented a car for 3 days and it was just right. Biked to Goodfellows’ for fresh veggies – well worth the trip 6 or 7 miles away up the Banks road. Millard’s store for fresh fruit. Paul was a wonderful host; the fire felt great on the one cool night. We wish we would have listened to his suggestions earlier about avoiding sand-fly bites. We will recommend Calypso top anyone we know who is looking for peace, solitude and great beaches. Dave and Janet Minnetonka Minnesota

 5/18/03 – 5/25/03 The Bahamas has been a good adventurous trip. Choosing Eleuthera for our vacation was right on for the island secludeness and quieter pace. Calypso is definitely an excellent  property to stay in. It’s got the beach, the pond, well cared for gardens. My wife and myself have enjoyed the peace and quietness. Paul Adams, Mark Adams and his wife were really helpful. They are excellent people. We definitely enjoyed chatting with Paul, and sailing to “Little Bay” in Mark’s boat was quite a pleasant experience. Swimming in Little Bay was excellent. While in Eleuthera we drove up and down the island and visited places suggested by Paul and Mark. Harbor Island is nice, Spanish Wells even better. We visitied Northside Restaurant whose host Rose prepared excellent ribs and fried plantains for my wife. We also tried conch salad at Four Points (Rock Sound), which was good. Tippy’s was also good. Do not forget swimwear when going out as Eleuthera seems to have an excellent beach everywhere. Of all tropical places we have been, Eleuthera definitely offered some of the most secluded and nice beaches. Carlos and Nora, N. Hollywood, CA.

 5/31/03 – 6/7/03 This place has changed our lives with its beauty and serenity. Our love has flowered and grown here. This time and place will forever be in our hearts. Not bad for a 4^th date! Randy and Diane

 6/12/03-6/22-03 We found Calypso to be the perfect, secluded tropical paradise. The grounds, cottage and beach were just as advertised, though maybe even better! Mark and Missy were great hosts – never interrupting but always pleasant when interrupted. Not having a car the first five days was a good way to get in touch with this part of the island snd to separate from our home lives. We had picked up groceries on the taxi ride in, and then re-stocked on bike rides to Millard’s and Sands. We were disappointed at the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables (not the right time for local crops, I guess) ; but the fresh coconuts (thanks to Kevin, the yard-man) fresh mangoes from the trees across the lake, and fresh pinapples (so unbelievably luscious that chills go up your back!) from Millard’s all made up for it. We too found the sand-flys (“no-see-ums” back home) annoying but the strong wind and “Cutter” spray helped; mosquito season must not be here yet as we hardly saw any. What were truly a nuisance were the wasps. While we were not bitten (yet), their nest building habits under chairs, ledges and palm fronds required our check before barging into their space. On the other hand, perhaps the birds’ beautiful chirping is somehow related to such a wide array of insect meals.For our last five days we rented a car from “Big T” (332-1788) for $50/day + gas (now $3.33/gallon!). Our first trip was to the well-stocked “Market Place” at the Shell Station in Rock Sound. The other great thing was finding the “Four Points Restaurant and Bar” a couple hundred yards past the market Place; it’s too new (11/02) to show up in the travel guides and maps yet. They have a large Tiki-Hut-like sating area on the bay, overlooking their own “conch-corral”. The conchburger with an ice cold Kalik – perfect!  Thw owners are Margaret and Joey Lewless – 334 2778.Another trip was to Harbour island, just to see what all the mystique was about. We were not impressed. Even during this slow summer season it was too busy, crowded with golf carts (that sounded like mosquitoes, they were so annoying), and the locals were not nearly as friendly as in Governor’s Harbor or Palmetto Point. The highlight though was walking through the grounds of the Pink Sands Hotel and having a bite at the Blue bar overlooking the beach. The pina coladas – with fresh coconut! – were to die for. Other than those places we only went out for two meals. We were the only diners on a sunday night at Unique Village. The view was terrific (but just like at Calypso) and it was nice chatting with the staff, but the food was mediocre. Thankfully, Mate and Jenny’s was great. The place is small, dark and funky and the “cracked conch” meal and the conch pizza (just had to have one) was better than expected. But the best thing, of course, was Calypso itself. The new deck is perfect, the snokelling is convenient, the gardens and trails are restful, and the little homemade cabana on the beach is absolutely perfect! Thanks to Paul, Mark and Missy. We plan to return. – Ken and Tanice

 June 23 – July 7 2003 Calypso is great – Thank you for everything Mark and Missy. The island is beautiful, the gardens peaceful, the snorkeling wonderful. Too many things to talk about, so here is the cut and dry.

Ø      Baby-oil you legs – no-see-ums are serious predators

Ø      Snorkel a lot – then walk down the beach and snorkel more

Ø      Borrow the Hawaiian sling from Mark and shoot your dinner (red hinds are tasty on the pit – strawberry grouper.

Ø      Attend the fish-fry in Governor’s Harbor – the best food at the best prices on the island.

Ø      Read the book The Elusive Beaches of Eleuthera, great book – tells you about the exact locations of the beaches – or at least gets you close.

Ø      Sit on the cabana – drink coffee/beer whatever

Ø      Watch the moon rise while sitting on the beach in the ti-ki hut

Ø      Take outside showers – they are better

Ø      Get mark to cut open a coconut with his machete, then drink the milk.

Ø      Eat the pineapples and bananas, mangos etc

Ø      Kayak to the island – or anchor then snorkel

Ø      For homemade bread, wonderful key-lime pies and other baked goods,go see Muriel’s Bakery just past and across the street from the Palmetto Point postoffice, white building with teal trim, enjoy! We did, yummy.

Ø      And one other thing, don’t be alarmed by all the people walking around with machetes. It is the Bahamian pocket knife.

Ø      Enjoy yourself

Holly-Nicole and Mark

 July 22 – 29 2003 The grounds at Calypso are magnificent! We loved the tiki hut at the beach. A must see: Preachers Cave the north end of the island. A lot of history in that cave. Found a couple of great swimming holes along the beach at low tide (good when it’s not a calm day – go south) and also another good beach minus the rocks short walk north (?).We only rented a car for 2 days which is plenty. Good place to eat is Sunset Inn (closed on Thursday) and good service. It was nice to relax and do nothing. The showers outside are great. Sea Star is a very secluded place and quiet. The stay was too short. -         Barbara

 August 9-16 2003 Awesome vacation!! Eleuthera has become one of my favorite spots on Earth. As a single babe, out in the world, I never felt safer or more at home. The Bahamians are more than friendly and Missy and Mark made it all the better.

Ø      Sail with Mark, he’ll show you the island and how to tie knots!

Ø      Double Bay beach – I had the whole stretch of beach all to myself!!

Ø      Mate and Jenny’s – Mate is a major flirt !! but also a really sweet guy (get the rum punch to drink)

Ø      Ask Missy about the “Guild” – local concept, great stuff to buy.

Ø      Spend lots of time in the Calypso cabana – watch the freighters sail by.

Ø      Lay in bed and watch the dawn

-         Akeba

 August 24 –31 2003 Has it been 7 days? Time flys when you are in paradise! We had a wonderful time exploring Eleuthera, but mostly exploring Calypso. We rented a car for one day, and went to Rock Sound. Not too mkuch going on, then stopped in Tarpum Bay. Great beach on the carribbean side – lots of neat shells! Then we traveled all the way to Surfer’s beach – impressive! But too bad there was a stiff onshore breeze, turning all the waves into messy shorebreak. If you are headed to Harbour Island for a day trip stop by Surfer’s beach. It’s kind of a hike but worth it when you get there. Went to one opf the few open restaurants (it’s the vacation season for locals), Sunset Inn. We were the only patrons, excellent service, great food. Did a lot of snorkelling and shell hunting right on Calypso beach. If you walk towards Unique Village on the beach, there are a few good sandy spots to swim and body surf. Tips to pass along. Wear sunscreen – even if you have a great tan you will get little bumpies if you don’t. Close the bottom windows if the wind shifts offshore (from the lake), this is when the sandflies attack. If you want to shop, get “touristy stuff”, many stores are closed now especially in Governor’s Harbour and Rock Sound.Low tide is in the afternoon – make sure you go and peek in all the tide pools – endless fun and surprises. We had a gorgeous time – read a lot of books – and enjoyed getting away from it all. The intrepid honeymooners – Darren and Kimberlee