By ROGAN M. SMITH,NG Senior Reporter,rogan@nasguard.com

It's not every day that a black man is sworn is as President of the United States.

And for scores of Bahamians, the opportunity to plunk down a few hundred dollars and trek up to Capitol Hill to witness history in the making is well worth the cost.

In a little over two weeks, President-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in as 44th President of the United States and its first African-American president, during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Several Bahamians say they plan to be right there to watch him take his oath at the inauguration.

Marvette Davis, a retired mother of two and self-described "Obama fanatic", says she is looking forward to being a part of history.

"I [am not] letting this recession hold me back. I'm starting my new year off with a bang. I'm going. This kind of event is priceless," she said.

But, she won't be alone.

An estimated five million people are expected to cram into the U.S. capital on January 20.

Obama's historic win last November created a lot of buzz and demand for tickets to the inauguration has reached a fever pitch.

Interest is so high that ticket seekers are reportedly willing to shell out five figures to get their hands on one. However, the tickets are free. The problem is, the U.S. government has only printed a quarter of a million tickets so far and is reportedly holding them in a secure location.

The government will then release the tickets at the last minute - sometimes less than a week before the event.

The inauguration has also created a flight frenzy. Travelers are now scrambling to purchase last-minute tickets for the historic event. And ticket prices online have soared.

Airlines have also started adding flights to the Washington, D.C. area.

On Expedia, a round-trip, coach flight from Nassau to Washington Dulles International, leaving the Friday before the inauguration and returning the day after the inauguration, ranged from $390 to $1,298 on various carriers. Bahamasair's price was listed as $419 as of Thursday. However, those prices are expected to increase as January 20 nears.

Similarly, scores of hotels in Washington D.C. had no rooms available for the same dates, and others that did have the rooms had steep rates, ranging from $499 per night up to $960 per night for two to three star hotels. Most of the four and five star hotels were completely booked for the same dates.

Here in The Bahamas, airlines are offering package deals to Washington D.C. for persons interested in taking part in the festivities.

However, some Bahamians are showing a bit of creativity in a bid to avoid the high prices, and Catherine Moxey is one of them.

The Yamacraw resident and mother of three, says she plans to fly into Miami and then drive up to D.C.

"I think it'll be cheaper that way. But, even if I had to pay a higher price to be there, I would, because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity," she said.

And while she doesn't have a ticket, she's says she's sure she'll still be able to get a glimpse of the new president.

"I don't care if I have to watch from a big TV screen; I'm [going to] be there. I have a friend in Miami who is going as well and she applied to her [congressman] for tickets, so hopefully she'll get them and we can be up closer. I know I won't be able to go to the ball or anything like that, because those events are for the big whigs, but it will be an honor just to be there."

In the U.S., a congressman or senator grants requests for inauguration tickets. However, they are limited.

Meantime, Davis said she had already planned to go to Washington D.C.

"From before Obama won, I said to myself if he wins, I am going to D.C. to the inauguration, I don't care what it costs. My daughter used to live in D.C., so I'm familiar with the area and know my way around and I can't wait," she said.

"I feel like Barack Obama is our president. I was rooting so hard for him while he was on his campaign trail, so I just can't wait to see him and his beautiful family on inauguration day."

Davis says she hasn't gotten her ticket yet, but is optimistic that she'll get her hands on one.

The theme for the 2009 inauguration will be "A New Birth of Freedom."