Bahamas

1/17/09

Good evening from the Bahamas! I have officially begun the first leg of my journey. I woke at 3 a.m. this morning (man, it seems like a long time ago…) in order to get a 4 a.m. ride to the airport from my father. Thanks for the ride Dad! Although it was a very early morning, I was so excited that my dad and I had a very lively car ride down. Saying goodbye was tough, although my tears were spent the night before saying goodbye to mom. My flight left on time and arrived safely in Atlanta, Georgia. I had an hour layover and then my flight departed for the Bahamas. The late afternoon sun was beautiful on the island of New Providence. There were even 9 (or more) students from Semester at Sea on my flight! There were 6 of us sitting near each other, which was a great way to get to know a few people before the ship departs.

1/18/09

(Since I have had no internet, I am putting both of these posts together)

I am writing this from the Wyndam Grand Resort on Cable Beach. It’s a beautiful hotel on the North side of New Providence Island. Nassau is the biggest city and capital of the Bahamas, and is located on New Providence Island. Cable Beach is named so because this is the location where the very first trans-Atlantic telephone cable emerged. The cable was run underwater from England across the ocean floor until it resurfaced in the Bahamas. Most of the hotels are on Cable Beach, except for the Atlantis, which I will write about later. I have an ocean-front room overlooking the pool, the lagoon, and the ocean. Last night my plane arrived around sunset so by the time I arrived at the hotel it was late dusk. I saw the beautiful view this morning! I arose at 7:30 to make the most of my only full day on the Bahamas. The bus to Nassau runs every 3-5 minutes, so I hopped on one and was let off right in front of the famous “Straw Market” in downtown. There were probably 50 or so vendors hawking t-shirts, “Chanel/Coach/Louie Vutton etc” purses, photo frames, shotglasses, and any other wares tourists will buy.

Walking through and out of the Straw Market I found the promenade that lines the Nassau harbor. There I had my first glimpse of the MV Explorer! It was docket alongside three Carnival Cruise ships, and was dwarfed by all three. The 7 story MV Explorer will be home for the next 112 days. I am SO excited! Seeing the ship made me so excited that I ran up to it and checked out the port. They wouldn’t let me on today, but my boarding time is 8:20 tomorrow, a mere 12 hours from now!!

After checking out the MV Explorer, I boarded a ferry to Paradise Island, the home of the Atlantis Hotel. What a grand hotel! I have been to some very deluxe places, but Atlantis takes the cake. It had the glitz, grandeur, and size of the Las Vegas mega-hotels with the swimming, weather, and views of the Bahamas. The only place that I have been that is comparable is the Hilton Hotel in Kona, Hawaii. Luckily for me, my blue watch is nearly the same color as the wristbands given to the guests of the Atlantis. I managed to sneak in, and spent a few hours exploring and swimming. However, I went out to the beach, and was denied access to the hotel on the way back in. I was ready to leave, so I caught the ferry and then the bus back to my hotel.

Ravenous after a busy morning, I returned to the hotel around 2. Lunch consisted of conch fritters and a margarita on the beach while listening to Bob Marley. It was wonderful. I spent a few hours reading on the beach and swimming in the ocean. Sunset was beautiful, and now I am about to grab a bite to eat. Before I know it, I will be on the Explorer!

1/19/09

Update: I boarded the ship this morning, it is AMAZING!! I will send out photos later. My roommate is Heather Dunn from Escondido, CA. She is really nice, I know we will get along well. I have to board the ship soon, so I have to go... but I will update later!