Caribbean Adventures

Puerto Rico (March 2007):

We had a weekend getaway to San Juan courtesy of one of my best friends who flew us over for the weekend. We stayed at her upscale apartment that had sea and river views on either side. On Friday night we explored Old San Juan, the oldest settlement in PR which still had the colonial aura. It is an island which is connected to the mainland through three bridges. We indulged in some local fare for dinner and had tamarind and coconut ice cream, typical island flavors, from a street vendor. Next morning we were up early to catch the boat shuttle to the beautiful island of Vieques for the day. Though Culebra would have been our first choice of island to visit, it was so popular that all the tickets were sold out early enough. These islands are part of a group of islands known as the Spanish Virgin Islands. Upon arrival we took a mini-van taxi to a well known beach area. The golden sandy beaches were pictureque and the ocean looked inviting. We spent the day hanging out at the beach, having pinacoladas at a beach side bar and then headed back to the mainland after sunset. Next day we headed for a different kind of activity by visiting a Rio Camuy, one of the most beautiful cave systems amidst a rain forest. It was a spectacular site as we had a guided tour through the maze of caves that also housed families of bats. Unfortunately the waiting time was nearly 3hrs and we had to miss driving up to the Observatory in Aricebo, something Nelson really wanted to do. I remember having a nice dinner at a restaurant downtown in the business district before heading out on an early morning flight.



Belize (September 2008):

We spent our 5-day honeymoon in the island of Ambergris Caye in Belize. We took a small plane from the Belize City and Nelson was treated to a spectacular view from the cockpit. We stayed at Victoria House Resort. We had a room in a private a unit of about 3-4 rooms that included its own pool. The hotel had a great bar and restaurant, but we also ventured in to town in a golf cart and explored other dining options.The service staff was competent and friendly. Each day was defined by the various activities we took part in. The sunset cruise, snorkeling (where I almost drowned as the water was much deeper and the waves much stronger than I expected) and a boat trip to the Mayan ruins were some the activities we enjoyed through the hotel services. In addition, Nelson has also booked a day trip to the mainland where we did tubing and ziplining with a personal tour guide. As it was our honeymoon, I made sure to indulge in a few spa treatments as well. It was a wonderful adventure and Belize offered a lot to fill our five days with unforgettable memories.



Bahamas (September 2009):
Ever since we heard about the Atlantis resort on the local radio show, we had to see what the hype was about. That's how Bahamas the first destination for our anniversary. We were thrilled to be upgraded to the Royal Towers from our original booking in the Beach Tower. The no expense spared, artistic decor and architecture of the resort was amazing. The high end restaurants and buffets offered great but expensive food. We had fancy dinners at Mesa Grill and Nobu. The highlight of the tip was my anniversary gift from Nelson, which was an interactive adventure with the Dolphins. I kissed a Dolphin and liked it! The beach accessible from the resort was beautiful but we spent more time in the numerous pools and the water park area. The lazy river was the longest I've ever been on. The marine habitat which we kept discovering until right before our departure was aesthetically pleasing. The vast complex also included entertainment of all types such as, shopping, a casino, comedy club and a night club. Luxury would be the one word to describe our experience at Atlantis. Three days was enough time to enjoy all this resort had to offer as well as take a short boat ride to Nassau and explore the mainland that included some government buildings and a large flea market.