No rental car when it means driving on left (wrong?) side of the road

When I found out I was following the UNLV basketball team to the Bahamas, I originally rented a car, forgetting this Caribbean country once was under British rule.

Driving on the wrong, er, left side of the street? I could see myself getting confused and making wrong turns and having to file an insurance claim.

No, taxis will do just fine.

Driving on the left side is one of the few noticeable reminders of the Bahamanian connection with the Brits. Spelling center “re” is another.

But few others remain. Walk into the tourist-heavy downtown Nassau, just steps away from where a Royal Caribbean ship is anchored, and in many ways it doesn’t even feel like a foreign getaway, what with Burger King, McDonald’s and Subway nearby.

And the many souvenir shops could be ones located in tourist areas throughout the U.S., including Las Vegas, with $3.99 T-shirts to go with your mugs and magnets.

There are reminders, though, that this is the Bahamas, and a good time is never too far away. A 10-hour festival takes place every Saturday in August, and it was rocking as I rode in from the airport.

Plus, rum cakes are seemingly everywhere. One downtown restaurant advertised rum cakes, rum and rum fudge.

Good thing I didn’t rent that car.