Vacation: Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas

Recently I was fortunate enough to be able to spend 4 days in the Bahamas with John, my sister and her boyfriend. 

It came right as I was starting to get over my cold and right when I needed a break from work and the ever worsening winter weather. 

We flew in to Nassau on the Thursday morning and quickly changed into bathing suits and hit the beach with some vacation beers.

We stayed at the Harbourside resorts for the first night before moving to the Coral Towers for the remaining two. 

Atlantis has several communities I suppose you could call them: Harbourside was where the insane multi-million dollar boats come to dock. We oohed and ahhed and wondered how the other half lived. Then I checked myself a realized how lucky I already was being able to afford to jet away to the surf and sand for a few days.

For dinner one night we hit up the highly recommended Fish Fry, a kind of plaza of restaurants over the bridge from Paradise Island on the main island.

The food was amazing and way better priced than the tourist stuff on Paradise Island. 

Plus the food was more traditional of the Bahamas and not the standard Western fare we found in Atlantis. 

I wanted chicken and fish (weird but true) and more local eats rather than Quiznos and Starbucks and Johnny Rockets.

I ordered the chicken with rice and peas, coleslaw and plantain.

Robin got lobster, Aaron got grouper, and John got red snapper.

I tried all three of their seafood options and can honestly say I would have ordered any of them had I gone back.

The red snapper was particularly delicious.

We spent most of our nights there wandering around the vast grounds, walking through the aquarium at night and taking in the views.

We were also lucky enough to get the 'Taste of Atlantis" package which included a free drink or food samples at many of the restaurants.

Continuing to surprise myself, I drank my margarita and really enjoyed it.

Note: In first year university I ruined tequila for myself and haven't been able to even smell it since.

Eating fish and drinking tequila. Big changes.

AND - I didn't get seasick on our catamaran trip!

We booked a 3 1/2 hour sail around the island, drinking up the sun (and rum punch) and snorkeling on a reef full of colourful fish.

This is where I got a bit seasick and had to return to the boat after about 30 mins of riding up and down the waves and getting mouthfuls of salt water.

That night we ventured to another string of restaurants under the bridge to get a highly recommended (by my sister and her boyfriend who had already been once) conch salad.

Had I known what conch looks like prior to this I probably would not have eaten it but I didn't, and I tried it, and it was better than I anticipated.

(I also had a mussel the night we went out to Cafe Matisse and spent most of our money on wine and Italian food.)

Basically I think seafood is slowly starting to catch on.

Behind the restaurant we saw where they were keeping the conch

so we asked if we could have a shell to bring home.

Our host kindly agreed and brought us two shells before we headed back (in the rain) to Atlantis.

We stayed up late talking and drinking proseco and when we began to pack up our stuff, Aaron commented how heavy our shells felt. 

Sure enough when we peaked in we discovered that our shells had only been cleaned superficially and the inhabitants were still very much alive inside of their shells.

Long story short, we didn't bring those shells home.

Being a collector of shells from most places I go, I was disappointed.

But the trip was so full of crazy adventures that in the end it didn't matter.

Things I don't have pictures of (yet): going down all of the fast and often very steep (the Leap of Faith is almost a complete vertical drop before you fly through the shark tank) water slides, spending hours floating down the not-so-lazy river (complete with rapids), and WALKING WITH REEF & NURSE SHARKS.

John has those pictures and video.

I'll share them as soon as I get them!

The Bahamas can be expensive but Atlantis is never boring. 

And it may be the place that finally convinced me that seafood ain't so bad.

Adventure Afternoon: The Warsaw Caves

If you ever find yourself in the Peterborough area of Ontario, I highly recommend checking out the Warsaw Caves Conservation Area.

(website with much more information can be found here)

 

After visiting with some friends (and an unfortunately unsuccessful hunting trip in the morning for the boys), we headed to the caves to check them out.

There are 7 in total (on the map, the boys found and explored more unmapped ones) and many of them connect so you can go down into Cave 1 and come out of Cave 3.

 

The park is beautiful, the ground covered with these giants stones out of which grow massive trees.

 

 

 

Some of the openings are so tight you wonder how a person could possibly squeeze through.

But after sending in our guinea pig (John) we followed him into the dark and squeezed our way through the cold rocks into every single cave.

 

At times we could walk, but more often than not we found ourselves crawling on our hands and knees or flat on our stomachs to wiggle through very narrow openings.

 

For someone who isn't crazy about the dark, nor small spaces where an exit isn't always readily visible, the experience was amazing.

 

I had so much fun, I'd recommend it to anyone.

 

Plus I didn't see a single bat or animal and only saw 2 somewhat large spiders (who minded their own business and didn't try to attack me as I feared they would).

 

After exploring the dark caves we walked down to the water and took in the scenery. The boys attempted to find new caves (I was content to stick to the ones that were on the map) and climbed up onto some of the larger rocks.

 

Highly recommended.

The park is open for camping, canoeing, hiking, picnics, fishing and swimming as well so I may be back next summer to check out the other activities.

 

First Anniversary: Day Two

After a nice sleep in our honeymoon suite we woke up and headed over to 5 Lakes Spa for our couple's massage.

I would gladly pay someone to massage me first thing in the morning every day.

I'd be so happy.

 

Then we got back on the road and made our way to a few more wineries.

First up:

 

 

The view was spectacular (as is the case with so many wineries in Niagara. Really, you need to see them all) and the wines were good (especially the rose!). We got a quick tutorial about red versus black soil and we attempted to taste the difference between cab francs grown in each. We didn't notice too much of a difference but once suggested you kind of catch it in the acidity.

 

We left with a bottle of the 2012 Cabernet Franc Rose and the 2011 Pinot Gris.

Then it was back on the road to finally visit a place I'd been dying to check out:

 

I had looked at this as a possible wedding venue but it's pricey... but so beautiful, inside and out.

If I win the lottery I'm throwing another big party so we can get married again here.

Not that I didn't love our venue, don't get me wrong. I wouldn't change a thing about our wedding.

I just want another one!

We tried more wines, John took a tasting "flight" with 4 pre-selected wines and I opted to pick my own.

We left with a bottle of the 2012 Aligote, the 2010 Gamay Noir 'Droit', and a 2008 Late Harvest Reisling.

 

Then, after some more fun pictures in front of the fountain, we packed up to hit another winery.

Our next stop brought us to one we'd visited in January:

 

I love the covered bridge and in January when we first visited there was a wedding party taking photos here. This would also be a beautiful spot to host a wedding.

Third wedding will be here.

We left with 6 bottles of the 2011 Vidal (it's $6.95, you pretty much have to get either a dozen or a half dozen). a 2009 Reisling, and a jar of red pepper ice jelly.

 

Then we decided to try another place we hadn't already visited:

 

The people here were especially lovely and chatty. I was surprised to find out this winery is responsible for the Sibling Rivalry wines! I suppose if I had bothered to read the label...

But we left here with a 2011 Baco Noir Reserve and a 2011 Estate Reisling.

There was one called 'Family Tree' with an amazing label but the wine we found too dry and we decided to go with the sweeter reisling.

This was obviously a reisling heavy trip.

 

Our last stop was reserved for the winery we had gone to on our actual anniversary but there was another wedding going on and we didn't want to crash.

 

They recognized us when we came in, saying, "the bride and groom are here!" which was so welcoming. We were given a glass of sparkling wine to celebrate, then we sampled a few and grabbed a glass each to take on our walk down memory lane.

We stopped for a few fun pictures along the way.

 

We sat on the secluded beach and just enjoyed our last day as newlyweds.

 

That first year went by entirely too fast but we had some wonderful adventures.

Now we're busy working on year 2 and the even more wonderful things our future has in store for us.

 

Including drinking the 21 bottles of wine we bought for ourselves.

 

And to cap off a perfect anniversary trip?

QPC-BLTs.

Barf.

 

First Anniversary

 

It's crazy to think that in just over a week John and I will be celebrating our first anniversary as Mr & Mrs.

 

Time really does fly.

 

Last year at this time I was busy finishing up favours for the guests, going over the seating plan, finalizing music selections, and getting really excited.

 

Since we got married in the Niagara region and then spent the next few days buying cases (literally) of wine, eating slabs of wedding cake, being pampered at the spa, and cuddling in bed, we decided that it would only be right to go back and do it all again.

 

 

I booked us into a ... let's call it a not-so-upscale hotel (I didn't want to spend upwards of $300 on a room for one night when we could use that money to buy more wine and/or eat at the Jamie Kennedy restaurant with the ridiculous view).

Bonus points for me: the hotel has a heart shaped hot tub.

It's on my bucket list.

Cheesy honeymoon suite: check.

I also booked us into a Reisling & Oysters tasting at Thirty Bench (the same place we went "snowshoeing" in the vineyard just prior to Kilimanjaro).

 

I've also been having a hard time deciding what to get John as an anniversary present.

The first anniversary is supposed to be paper but my gosh there aren't a lot of good options for a guy like John.

While I'm sure he would appreciate a cutesy print of our wedding date etc I think it'd be more of a gift for me.

 

I toyed with the idea of booking him into a mountain climbing excursion but it wouldn't be until at the earliest May and it would be expensive - and he made me promise no expensive gifts because his gift is something for us to do together.

 

Which made me put my plan to book us into a night ropes course in the trees on hold, because this could very well be what he's planned.

 

So I came up with this.

(I won't get too specific in the off chance he reads this prior to August 24th)

 

A card.

Crafted specifically for John's likes and interests.

Which will contain 5 elements.

 

What are these 5 elements, you ask?

 

The 5 ways we express love, as John was telling me about earlier today.

I thought, what a perfect thing to incorporate into his gift.

 

They are (from sheknows.ca):

 

Words of affirmation
For some people hearing "I love you", words of praise or compliments are what they value most. These individuals feel that words have more weight than actions and would rather hear "the reasons behind that love" versus any other expression of love. This also means that if something negative or insulting is said to one of these individuals it will not be easily forgiven.

Quality time

For some people spending time with loved ones is their preferred love language. Whether it be a quiet lunch or an afternoon walk, spending quality time and being the focus of their undivided attention leaves them feeling satisfied and comforted more than words. "Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful" to these individuals, since "being there" is crucial.

Receiving gifts

Not all people who enjoy receiving gifts are "materialistic" this just means that for these individuals love is equated with a tangible gift. The gift doesn't have to be extravagant or elaborate, but it does have to be meaningful and thoughtful. So if you know that your partners favourite comedian or band is going to perform and you surprise them with tickets, that would show love behind the gift. But if you were to buy a gift certificate or an impersonal gift, prepare for some serious backlash.

Acts of service

Hearing the phrase "let me do that for you" is music to our ears, but for people who see acts of service as the greatest expression of love, hearing this phrase is like hitting the jackpot! These individuals want their partners to notice that their own responsibilities are grand and sometimes daunting and that a helping-hand every once-an-a-while shows love and care. Just as much as these individuals love acts of service, they do not deal well with broken promises and laziness and have very little tolerance for people who make more work for them, because it shows a lack of value for them.

Physical touch

The language of physical touch doesn't only refer to physical touch and affection in the bedroom, but refers to the everyday physical connections, like handholding, kissing, pats on the back, and any type of re-affirming physical contact. A person who desires physical touch and affection isn't overly touchy-feely but for them touch shows how much their partner cares for them. If that physical bond is broken by abuse their entire relationship can be destroyed indefinitely.

Maybe just before we leave I'll post the finished product.

For now... it's still too early to post it because, who knows, John might get bored and wander onto the blog and ruin the whole thing.

Then we'll just have to buy each other wine.

All the wine.

 



 

P.S. SOMEONE PLEASE REMIND ME TO TAKE OUR TP TIER OF WEDDING CAKE OUT OF THE FREEZER TO DEFROST ON THE 23rd!

Kilimanjaro: Day 6 - Mweka to the Finish

Sunday Feb. 10, 2013

Springlands Hotel, Moshi

 

Sleeping in until 7 am was a luxury. I slept literally until David knocked on our tent and brought us hot water. Breakfast was the standard except the ouji was a bit grainer and paler - but I still devoured it. We packed up our stuff and then the porters came together and sang 2 Kili songs for us. We got to shake hands with them but most of us went in for big hugs with lots of asante sanas.

 

 

Then we walked for about 3 hours to the end of the path where the buses were waiting. Along the way we saw black & white collubus monkeys (though hard to see very well because most of them were hiding in the trees) and blue monkeys. It made the trip feel complete.

 

We were very fortunate to have had good weather (a Swiss guy at dinner one night back at the hotel had told us he summited in a blizzard), to have all summited, and to have had such good people with us.

 

Back at the hotel we had time to shower (the most glorious shower I may have ever had), do a bit of laundry in the sink, and then to have lunch and some celebratory drinks. Haji, Nuru and Norbert came back to present us with out certificates and then a few of us cabbed into downtown Moshi to use the ATM. After tipping our guides and porters they left, and we continued to drink and reminisce until about 10 pm.

Now I'm in a king sized bed, very excited to fall asleep.

 

Things I would pass on to other Kili climbers:

 

1. Wear lots of layers. The temperature can change from wet snow to hot sun in about 30 mins.

2. Hiking poles saved our lives on slippery rocks many times - have them.

3. Get a perscription for diamox (acetazolamide). 3 of our 8 didn't take it and only one of those 3 didn't have horrible altitiude sickness. Everyone felt pretty awful at the top but I'm convinced the diamox is what kept me from feeling fine.

4. A lot of it is mind over matter. Yes, you will feel exhausted. Yes, sometimes you feel like you've reached your limit. But you haven't. When you stop and look around you and see the incredible views you're priveledged to, you realize the entire thing is worth it.

5. Be friendly. Your group are the people who get you to the top. Cheer them on and they will push for you to succeed too.

6. Respect and appreciate the porters. They will blow you away. They go twice your pace with no poles, often not really appropriate gear or clothing, and they carry 15-20 kg while they do it. They work hard for very little money. Say hello, learn their names.

7. Bring lots of meds. I almost single handedly supplied our group with ibuprofen. It is a must. You will likely get at least one headache. Bring imodium (I had the opposite problem but if you've got diarrhea you won't want to scramble up the Barranco wall), gravol, tylenol, tums (especially if you like to put hot sauce on everything like I do), etc.

8. Drink lots of water. The Swahili word for water is 'maji' and it is like magic.

9. Bring energy bars and snacks like trail mix. Our trail mix went over well with our guides. We also had candy and chocolate and people were always happy to see both of those things.

10. Bring good sunscreen and PROTECT YOUR LIPS. Half of us have very chapped lips from the sun or wind or both. It's painful. I've been rubbing everything on them to try and heal them faster.

 

And lastly - Enjoy every single moment. At times it felt like we'd never get to our destination (many, many times actually) but summiting is a blur and before you know it you're getting on a bus to come back to the hotel. Enjoy the views, the stars, the uncomfortable sleeps, the weird malaria pill dreams (I only had one), the amount of oxygen you realize you can take in at the lower altitudes, everything.

 

P.S. Bring things you can trade at the finish gate. I traded a flashlight for the two bracelets. But the winner was one of our group members who traded her bracelet for a beer!

 

 

 

Kilimanjaro: Day 5: Barafu to Uhuru Peak to Mweka

Sat Feb 9th, 2013

Barafu Camp (4600 m)

 

So.

We were woken up at 12 am and got ourselves ready before heading to the mess tent for ouji and cookies and tea/coffee/milo. We got out water and then we were off! 5-ish hours walking uphill at a slow pace in the cold. It was incredible when we first started because we could see the line of headlights leading up the mountain. The stars were absolutely awe inspiring. Once we got high enough we could see the entire city of oshi lit up. Such a crazy view. We took our breaks, we passed other groups (I got rudely spoken to by another climber for passing him even though my guide was physically pushing me), and we sang songs and made small talk. I tried to keep myself from thinking about how much further we had to walk by writing this entry in my head and thinking about what I would do when I got home (answer: take a hot bath and stay in it until the water goes cold, buy and eat an entire footlong sub). We saw two people being brought back down the mountain and we saw several people sitting to the side puking their little hearts out. One from our group threw up his breakfast. For the most part no one else really complained about the altitude - escept one or two (including John) who felt light headed, and one who felt tight chested. I popped an advil before we left and I didn't even have a glimmer of a headache/

 

 

After walking for 5 hours, the sun began to rise. Never have I seen a more beautiful sunrise in my entire life. From up that high it seemed almost magical.

 

We finally made it to Stella Point and that sign was a welcome sight after such a grueling walk. I thought to myself that this was what exhaustion felt like.

 

We finished watching the sun come up, switched off our headlmaps, and took a few pictures. Then we walked for about 45 mins around the edge of the crater to the summit. Beside us was the most beautiful and impressive glacier I've ever seen. Also the only glacier I've ever seen but I doubt many could top it. Walking to Uhuru Peak I started out with a burst of excited energy but before long I was walking 'pole pole' for no other reason than I was exhausted.

 

 

 

 Finally reaching the summit was an incredible feeling. Even more incredible was that all 8 of our group made it to the sumit. We got some nice group photos.

 

 

I was starving so I sat down and ate a granola bar. No one ese had any appetite. I obviously have reverse mountain sickness. Once we got our pictures and hugged our guides, we made our way back down - which took about 3 hours from summit to the camp.

 

At the top I had on 3 pairs of pants, 2 gloves and hand warmers, and 7 layers of shirts and jackets. By the time we got back to Barafu I was ready to strip down to my underwear. We essentially slid down a sandy, rocky hill for about an hour, then carefully picked our way down through rocks. Finally getting back to camp was an amazing feeling. We lay down for a nap then packed up. We have lunch then we will walk again for awhile to our last camp for dinner. Where I will sleep like a baby.

Such a tiring day but so rewarding. Haji told me at the summit, "so piece of cake, right? (I said no) I know, but if I told you how hard it was none of you would have gotten out of your tents."

8:00 pm

Mweka Camp (3100 m)

So we walked another 18 km to our final camp. That's crazy. We walked 40 km today. Haji said that to the summit and back was about 22 km. Insane! As we left barafu it started to snow and it snowed for about the first hour of our 5 hour walk.

 

Then it turned to rain, then it let up and we had some sunshine. The walk was all downhill but it was hard on our knees and feet and toes, especially after coming back down from 5895 m to around 4600 m. We talked a lot about our experience getting to the summit - a lot of people had hallucinations, would never do it again, etc. Personally, I don't think I'd ever do it again but I'm SO glad I did it. It was incredibly tough and easily the hardest, most challenging thing I've done. But it was also the most amazing. I'm so proud of myself for reaching the summit. I'm proud of our group for all getting there. And I'm proud of John for getting to the top.

The world's highest free standing mountain!

Then we hiked another 18 km down rocky trails on only a few hours nap (about 30 mins for me). I bathed my feet when I got here. Then we had crepes and potato/vegetable soup, rice with chicken and sauce and mango and bananas. It felt so nice to sit and eat and drink hot tea. Right now I'm in my sleeping bag, ready for a looooong sleep tonight. Shane negotiated with Haji and got us an extra hour of sleep in the morning. Wake up call at 7 am!

We're back down at a low altitude so everyone's in good spirits. Tomorrow after breakfast we walk for about 3 hours to the bus that will bring us back to the hotel. I'm sad that this adventure is coming to an end but I can't wait to take a shower and sleep on a mattress again. Plus - next up is the safari!