7/11/2004-Today we woke up for Sunday Brunch which we had at the Marketplace. The Marketplace is a more upscale buffet from the Water's Edge. The food is really good and there is a wide variety. Walking around I was in search of some nice Prime Rib. I saw a cutting station for it and I approached it. I looked at the sign and it read, "Roasted Lamb" Yuck!!!! Oh well, I end up getting some Pizza, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Waffles, Sausage, Bacon... All the healthy stuff. Sydney meets me at the table, and I notice she has some of the Roasted Lamb on her dish. She says to me, "You've got to get some Prime Rib... MMmmmmmmm!!" I ask her where she got it and she said in the middle station. I went back and read the sign. It still said "Roasted Lamb" I laugh to myself and I ask Sydney, "Is that Prime Rib juicy? How does it taste?" She quickly cuts me a piece, and I say no just taste it and tell me if it's juicy so I can get some of my own. She eats it and with a famished smile says, "Mmmm... it's so good!" I can't control myself, and I casually mention that what she is eating is Roasted Lamb. She is in denial and says that it isn't. Eventually she believes me, and she turns to me and says that it tastes funny. I laugh throughout brunch. We end our meal with some ice cream.
2:00pm- We walk from the Resort to the Harbor. Part of the way we get there via a shuttle from the Hotel to the Harborside Village Timeshares (free transportation of course) We are a little tired at this time, so we take a short nap on a bench while waiting for the ferry which will take us from Paradise Island to the Blue Lagoon Island. It is a 30 minute ferry ride, and we disembark. We are so excited. The dolphin encounter is a large stretch of ocean with some walkways leading to different little mini-harbors. At each mini-harbor is a 10 foot by 2 foot platform which we stand on. The platform is waist deep, and outside the platform is the ocean which is 23 feet deep. We stood on our platform and a dolphin named Mina came up to us. Mina was a pregnant female dolphin. She was really friendly. We got to hug Mina, and she gave us a kiss on the cheek. Mina also turned upside down and we rubbed her belly. Sometimes Mina got bored playing with us and she would swim away. It was disconcerting looking down from the platform and seeing a huge dolphin swim up from the depths to us. It made us realize how deep the ocean was. Mina stopped cooperating during our encounter. I guess she was bored because she wouldn't come back. Another female Dolphin named Soka came and approached us from underneath the platform. But when Soka popped her head in front of us, so did Mina! We had two dolphins within inches in front of us. We had the chance to dance with Soka. Sydney got into a fight with one of the dolphins and the dolphin kept on splashing her. She splashed the dolphin back. Some people in our encounter had the chance to have the dolphin push them via their feet across the sea. Overall it was really fun to play with the Dolphins. They are really mischievous and playful. I just wish the dolphin encounter was longer. We went back on the ferry and headed for Paradise Island.
Back at the hotel, Sydney and I decide to go on the Waterslides right next to our room. It was hot and we needed to cool off.
Later that night, we had dinner at Fathoms. This restuarant is another "resort upscale" restaurant. Meaning expensive. The restaurant was darkened and the only light came from the Aquarium Tank walls. It was an eerie effect, making one feel like they are dining in the middle of the ocean. I had the Salmon Wellington which is a roasted salmon filet breaded like a beef wellington. Sydney had the Oysters on a half shell followed by some salad. It was another delicious dinner. We notice that even though the prices for everything at the resort are expensive, the the more expensive restuarants have better quality of food and better service. Remember to bring at least $700 just for dining. Either that or eat one meal a day, and make it a buffet. After dinner we take a stroll outside the resort. We look down into the Ruins Tank (the same tank which surrounds you at Fathoms) and see a humoungous Manta Ray. It is at least 7 feet from wingtip to wingtip. Sydney gets excited and while overhead of the tank she chases the Manta Ray. We both run and try and take pictures and video of the animal. It is really huge. I know that if I was in the tank and the manta ray swam overhead that it would darken the surrounding area. We had previously seen this Manta Ray, but we only viewed him from the side and not from the top of the tank.
At nighttime, Atlantis is really beautiful. You can look down on the aquariums and have a nice top view of what you are viewing when inside the hotel or the restaurants. There are a number of waterfalls that can be heard in the background. It is dark enough to see the stars. It is really a romantic setting. The architecture is that of a what a risen Atlantis would look like. I enjoyed walking at night with Sydney during our honeymoon. It is sad, but tomorrow we have to go home...
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
7/10/2004- Saturday
Today was the start of the Bahamian Independence Day. Since it fell on a Saturday, they are reserving much of the celebrations for this upcoming Monday. Sydney and I woke up late again! This is of course a natural luxury for people on a honeymoon. We'll be sad when it's back to the 8-5 schedule when we get back. We decided to try and access the different parts of the resort through the trails which connect the Coral Towers, to the Royal Towers. The trails take you through different caves, and are interconnected by rope bridges. One of the nice things about walking through the trails is the number of waterfalls that we must pass by. Some of the views on the trail also permit you to look across the harbor at the main resort. It is very beautiful. We eventually got to the Royal Deck outside the Royal Towers. At this time 2:30pm, it was already around 80-85 degrees, and the humidity was approaching 70%. We decided to stop for a nice refreshing Strawberry Daiquiri at on of the local stands. The price was $5 each, which is pretty much a bargain over at Atlantis. I notice that a can of Red Bull goes for $7!!!! We each walk around in the heat with our beverages, and come across the hotel staff setting up a number of booths. The sign says, "A Taste of The Bahamas" This doesn't start until 4pm, so we browse the stands and wait for the celebration to open. Sydney looks around and gets some souvenirs, while I try to find some escape from the heat. 4pm hits, and we get a chance to sample some of the Bahamian Dishes. I start out with an unusual dish called a Hamburger. Sydney buys some Conch Salad, some Mangos and Pineapples, and then some Conch Fritters. A Conch is a type of snail or shellfish or whatever. I'm just glad that when we ate it, it was in processed form. The Conch Fritter is ground Conch fried in a batter. It tastes somewhat like a crab cake. Sydney ate portions of the fruit and threw away the Mangos which she didn't like. It was now 90 degrees, and we had seen most of the celebration. There were some musicians playing Calypso type music on Steel Drums. It was nice to have this music playing as we walked. We headed toward The Dig, the Atlantean Excavation site for some escape from the heat. Inside one of the rooms two walls are glass aquariums which provide an underwater view of the Dig. It was nice and cool here, and we finished the Conch Fritters and Fruit. I don't know why, but I love going back to The Dig, it reminds me of the attractions at Disneyland with so much detail put into it's creation. There are psuedo-hieroglyphics on the wall and everything is made to look ancient.
Later that night we decide to have dinner at The Cafe, by the hall of the Great Waters. This is a somewhat upscale restaurant, with 10 foot tall glass walls, that let you peer into the adjacent aquarium through The Dig. I had the Roasted Chicken and Sydney had Lobster Tail. This restuarant was far superior and far more expensive than the others we had gone to. The views of the Aquarium are breathtaking, and Sydney and I were staring at the Aquarium during dinner like a child does when he is watching television. We couldn't take our eyes off of it.
A few hours later we decide to catch a movie in the Resort Movie Theater. We watched Paycheck, starring Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman. It was actually pretty good. I don't know why it didn't do better in the theaters. The movie was free, but the popcorn wasn't. Midnight, and we decide to turn in after a brief walk through the resort. Tomorrow we get to swim with Dolphins!!
Today was the start of the Bahamian Independence Day. Since it fell on a Saturday, they are reserving much of the celebrations for this upcoming Monday. Sydney and I woke up late again! This is of course a natural luxury for people on a honeymoon. We'll be sad when it's back to the 8-5 schedule when we get back. We decided to try and access the different parts of the resort through the trails which connect the Coral Towers, to the Royal Towers. The trails take you through different caves, and are interconnected by rope bridges. One of the nice things about walking through the trails is the number of waterfalls that we must pass by. Some of the views on the trail also permit you to look across the harbor at the main resort. It is very beautiful. We eventually got to the Royal Deck outside the Royal Towers. At this time 2:30pm, it was already around 80-85 degrees, and the humidity was approaching 70%. We decided to stop for a nice refreshing Strawberry Daiquiri at on of the local stands. The price was $5 each, which is pretty much a bargain over at Atlantis. I notice that a can of Red Bull goes for $7!!!! We each walk around in the heat with our beverages, and come across the hotel staff setting up a number of booths. The sign says, "A Taste of The Bahamas" This doesn't start until 4pm, so we browse the stands and wait for the celebration to open. Sydney looks around and gets some souvenirs, while I try to find some escape from the heat. 4pm hits, and we get a chance to sample some of the Bahamian Dishes. I start out with an unusual dish called a Hamburger. Sydney buys some Conch Salad, some Mangos and Pineapples, and then some Conch Fritters. A Conch is a type of snail or shellfish or whatever. I'm just glad that when we ate it, it was in processed form. The Conch Fritter is ground Conch fried in a batter. It tastes somewhat like a crab cake. Sydney ate portions of the fruit and threw away the Mangos which she didn't like. It was now 90 degrees, and we had seen most of the celebration. There were some musicians playing Calypso type music on Steel Drums. It was nice to have this music playing as we walked. We headed toward The Dig, the Atlantean Excavation site for some escape from the heat. Inside one of the rooms two walls are glass aquariums which provide an underwater view of the Dig. It was nice and cool here, and we finished the Conch Fritters and Fruit. I don't know why, but I love going back to The Dig, it reminds me of the attractions at Disneyland with so much detail put into it's creation. There are psuedo-hieroglyphics on the wall and everything is made to look ancient.
Later that night we decide to have dinner at The Cafe, by the hall of the Great Waters. This is a somewhat upscale restaurant, with 10 foot tall glass walls, that let you peer into the adjacent aquarium through The Dig. I had the Roasted Chicken and Sydney had Lobster Tail. This restuarant was far superior and far more expensive than the others we had gone to. The views of the Aquarium are breathtaking, and Sydney and I were staring at the Aquarium during dinner like a child does when he is watching television. We couldn't take our eyes off of it.
A few hours later we decide to catch a movie in the Resort Movie Theater. We watched Paycheck, starring Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman. It was actually pretty good. I don't know why it didn't do better in the theaters. The movie was free, but the popcorn wasn't. Midnight, and we decide to turn in after a brief walk through the resort. Tomorrow we get to swim with Dolphins!!
Saturday, July 10, 2004
Our Honeymoon Continued...
What we neglected to mention about arriving at Atlantis in Paradise Island was that we were aggressively targetted for sale of Timeshare in Atlantis. While we generally wouldn't consider buying timeshare, what did entice us was the free $125 worth of vouchers which we could use anywhere. So this morning Sydney and I woke up and attended a timeshare presentation for villas in Atlantis Resorts. It started out with a FREE buffet breakfast, which we ate our fill at the Seagrapes restaurant. We then listened to a 15 minute presentation, and had the opportunity to view a model villa in the Harborside resorts which is across the harbor from Atlantis. It was tempting, I mean who wouldn't want to be able to have their own 2 bedroom home when they vacationed in the Bahamas complete with full access to Atlantis Resorts amenities. After the tour we were brought back to the sales office, and were again tried to be convinced on buying a timeshare. $1400 down and just $130 a month for 10 years. It seemed like a bargain. Sydney turned to me, and I looked at the salesperson and said, "No thank you.." We exited the sales office and spent our $125 of vouchers on a Dolphin Encounter which costs $170 usually. Thereby making our cost $45. Hmmm what a bargain for eating a free breakfast and listening to someone talk about timeshare..
Later that day, we took a ferry to downtown Nassau which is on the mainland. We went shopping at the Straw Market which is their version of a swap meet. It was located in a large thatched straw structure with no ventilation. Already I could feel myself getting clausterphobia. We shopped a little their and then explored Nassau and looked at the shops. We ate at the Twin Brother's Restaurant, which was recommended to us. I had the Grouper Fingers, and some Rice & Peas which is a traditional Bahamian dish. Sydney had the BBQ Ribs. The food was decent. I also had some beer called Kalik, which is probably worst than Budweiser, but oh well.. Sydney had the Bahama Mama, which she didn't finish. We walked around town more, and bought some sundries and souvenirs and headed back on the ferry to Atlantis. The round trip was $6 per person.
At night we decided to visit the Casino. Sydney in the kindness of her heart, donated some of our money to Sol Kerzner (owner of Atlantis) via the Blackjack Tables. I'm sure he was appreciative. We did so for a few hours and later retired to our room for the night.
7/9/2004- Friday- This morning we woke up early and decided to have a morning view of Predator's Reef, which is a large shark and manta ray tank along with a glass tube walkway. We then lay out by the pool, and caught some rays, caught up with magazine reading, etc.. After some lazy enjoyment by the pool we went back to the nearby town next to Atlantis for some souvenir shopping. We bought a lot of souvenirs today and I don't know how we'll carry them home. Maybe someone can pick us up from the airport (hint hint..) We grabbed some lunch at a local eatery called Choosy's. This is a sandwich shop/grocery store combo. The food here was actually pretty good. I had the Fish Sandwich and Sydney ate the Stir Fry Beef & Snow Peas.
When we got back to the resort, we decided to play Bingo... BINGO!!! Okay playing that game automatically places you in the Senior Citizen's category, but we wanted the cool prizes. Of course we lost, and we went back to our room after touring the other wings of the resort. I have to describe the resort as a combination of Disneyland, Venetian, Raging Waters, and Sea World all in one. There is a lot to look at, and it is very creatively layed out. You do indeed feel like you are in the sunken city of Atlantis.
Nighttime, and now we are going for a nice dinner. We dine at Villa D'Este, an Italian Restaurant. They started us off with some Foccaccia Bread which is still in the baking pan. It was delicious! Our appetizer was the Lobster and Artichoke dip, which again was delicious. So delicious in fact that it ruined our appetite for dinner. I had the Penne Bolgnese with Meatballs, and Sydney had the Halibut with Dried Proscuitto. We didn't get to finish our main courses.
After dinner was another quick donation to Sol Kerzner via the Casino. Oh well you win some and you lose some... and then bed. Tomorrow is the Bahamian Independence Festival, and we will tell you all about this tomorrow. Also Sunday we have a Dolphin Encounter scheduled. Stay Tuned!!
What we neglected to mention about arriving at Atlantis in Paradise Island was that we were aggressively targetted for sale of Timeshare in Atlantis. While we generally wouldn't consider buying timeshare, what did entice us was the free $125 worth of vouchers which we could use anywhere. So this morning Sydney and I woke up and attended a timeshare presentation for villas in Atlantis Resorts. It started out with a FREE buffet breakfast, which we ate our fill at the Seagrapes restaurant. We then listened to a 15 minute presentation, and had the opportunity to view a model villa in the Harborside resorts which is across the harbor from Atlantis. It was tempting, I mean who wouldn't want to be able to have their own 2 bedroom home when they vacationed in the Bahamas complete with full access to Atlantis Resorts amenities. After the tour we were brought back to the sales office, and were again tried to be convinced on buying a timeshare. $1400 down and just $130 a month for 10 years. It seemed like a bargain. Sydney turned to me, and I looked at the salesperson and said, "No thank you.." We exited the sales office and spent our $125 of vouchers on a Dolphin Encounter which costs $170 usually. Thereby making our cost $45. Hmmm what a bargain for eating a free breakfast and listening to someone talk about timeshare..
Later that day, we took a ferry to downtown Nassau which is on the mainland. We went shopping at the Straw Market which is their version of a swap meet. It was located in a large thatched straw structure with no ventilation. Already I could feel myself getting clausterphobia. We shopped a little their and then explored Nassau and looked at the shops. We ate at the Twin Brother's Restaurant, which was recommended to us. I had the Grouper Fingers, and some Rice & Peas which is a traditional Bahamian dish. Sydney had the BBQ Ribs. The food was decent. I also had some beer called Kalik, which is probably worst than Budweiser, but oh well.. Sydney had the Bahama Mama, which she didn't finish. We walked around town more, and bought some sundries and souvenirs and headed back on the ferry to Atlantis. The round trip was $6 per person.
At night we decided to visit the Casino. Sydney in the kindness of her heart, donated some of our money to Sol Kerzner (owner of Atlantis) via the Blackjack Tables. I'm sure he was appreciative. We did so for a few hours and later retired to our room for the night.
7/9/2004- Friday- This morning we woke up early and decided to have a morning view of Predator's Reef, which is a large shark and manta ray tank along with a glass tube walkway. We then lay out by the pool, and caught some rays, caught up with magazine reading, etc.. After some lazy enjoyment by the pool we went back to the nearby town next to Atlantis for some souvenir shopping. We bought a lot of souvenirs today and I don't know how we'll carry them home. Maybe someone can pick us up from the airport (hint hint..) We grabbed some lunch at a local eatery called Choosy's. This is a sandwich shop/grocery store combo. The food here was actually pretty good. I had the Fish Sandwich and Sydney ate the Stir Fry Beef & Snow Peas.
When we got back to the resort, we decided to play Bingo... BINGO!!! Okay playing that game automatically places you in the Senior Citizen's category, but we wanted the cool prizes. Of course we lost, and we went back to our room after touring the other wings of the resort. I have to describe the resort as a combination of Disneyland, Venetian, Raging Waters, and Sea World all in one. There is a lot to look at, and it is very creatively layed out. You do indeed feel like you are in the sunken city of Atlantis.
Nighttime, and now we are going for a nice dinner. We dine at Villa D'Este, an Italian Restaurant. They started us off with some Foccaccia Bread which is still in the baking pan. It was delicious! Our appetizer was the Lobster and Artichoke dip, which again was delicious. So delicious in fact that it ruined our appetite for dinner. I had the Penne Bolgnese with Meatballs, and Sydney had the Halibut with Dried Proscuitto. We didn't get to finish our main courses.
After dinner was another quick donation to Sol Kerzner via the Casino. Oh well you win some and you lose some... and then bed. Tomorrow is the Bahamian Independence Festival, and we will tell you all about this tomorrow. Also Sunday we have a Dolphin Encounter scheduled. Stay Tuned!!
Friday, July 09, 2004
Our Honeymoon
7/6/2004 Tuesday- Today we arrive at the Bahamas. It is hot and humid. As we departed the plane, we notice that the in general the service staff appears very laid back, in fact laid back to the point of disinterest or rudeness to any of our inquiries. Oh well! We arrive in Atlantis resort via a van driven by a nice lady who tells us all about the sites. In the Bahamas people drive on the left hand(Wrongside) of the road. She says it is a throwback to the days of British rule. When we arrive at the hotel, we notice that check in is at 3pm. It is 9am, so we decide to eat at the local buffet restaurant, Water's Edge. The food is okay, and it cost just a measley $40 (Yikes!) I decide to make the most of it and fill my stomach to capacity. Sydney still feels the ill effects of her stress flu and has little appetite. We eventually get to our room and rest up a bit. We upgraded our room from the Beach to the luxurious Coral Towers. Uh huh.. Luxury.. Later that night we walk in The Dig which is a recreation of an Atlantean City Ruins. It is pretty neat, kinda Disneyesque in its presentation. We have dinner at Mama Loo's which is a not-so-authentic Chinese Restaurant. Sydney has the Conch Salad. (Look up Conch, yummy) I have the Fried Rice as usual. After dinner we get back to our room and rest.
7/7/2004- Wednesday- We wake up late this morning and walked to the Mayan Slides. This is a recreation of a Mayan Temple with water slides. I take a ride down with a raft which propels you through dark tunnels and ends in a pool of sharks. Sydney took pictures, so you can see it yourself. Later we went back to the room to sleep again... Hmmm we must have the honeymoon flu or something... We play at the casino for a few rounds, and later have lunch at the Atlas Bar & Grill, a decent bar restaurant. I get a stomachache and go back to the room to drop off the kids. I later fall asleep again. Honeymoon flu! At night we get some Ice Cream and we walk around the Predators Reef which is a glass tube surrounded by all these cool predator type fish, such as Manta Rays, sharks and Barracudas. It is a very nice immersive experience...
To Be Continued...
7/6/2004 Tuesday- Today we arrive at the Bahamas. It is hot and humid. As we departed the plane, we notice that the in general the service staff appears very laid back, in fact laid back to the point of disinterest or rudeness to any of our inquiries. Oh well! We arrive in Atlantis resort via a van driven by a nice lady who tells us all about the sites. In the Bahamas people drive on the left hand(Wrongside) of the road. She says it is a throwback to the days of British rule. When we arrive at the hotel, we notice that check in is at 3pm. It is 9am, so we decide to eat at the local buffet restaurant, Water's Edge. The food is okay, and it cost just a measley $40 (Yikes!) I decide to make the most of it and fill my stomach to capacity. Sydney still feels the ill effects of her stress flu and has little appetite. We eventually get to our room and rest up a bit. We upgraded our room from the Beach to the luxurious Coral Towers. Uh huh.. Luxury.. Later that night we walk in The Dig which is a recreation of an Atlantean City Ruins. It is pretty neat, kinda Disneyesque in its presentation. We have dinner at Mama Loo's which is a not-so-authentic Chinese Restaurant. Sydney has the Conch Salad. (Look up Conch, yummy) I have the Fried Rice as usual. After dinner we get back to our room and rest.
7/7/2004- Wednesday- We wake up late this morning and walked to the Mayan Slides. This is a recreation of a Mayan Temple with water slides. I take a ride down with a raft which propels you through dark tunnels and ends in a pool of sharks. Sydney took pictures, so you can see it yourself. Later we went back to the room to sleep again... Hmmm we must have the honeymoon flu or something... We play at the casino for a few rounds, and later have lunch at the Atlas Bar & Grill, a decent bar restaurant. I get a stomachache and go back to the room to drop off the kids. I later fall asleep again. Honeymoon flu! At night we get some Ice Cream and we walk around the Predators Reef which is a glass tube surrounded by all these cool predator type fish, such as Manta Rays, sharks and Barracudas. It is a very nice immersive experience...
To Be Continued...
