Welcome to the Bahamas!

Where?: Paradise Island, Bahamas

When?: August 2008 with my boyfriend, Jonathan

Hotel?: The beautiful Atlantis Hotel!

Duration of flight?: 3 Hours just about.

Population?: 330,549 (Bahamas)

Why?: First vacation alone with my boyfriend :)

My experience: Well first and foremost, my boyfriend and I stayed at the beautiful and gorgeous Atlantis Hotel. This hotel is by far the best hotel I have ever seen and stayed in, in my life. There is so much to do here that you honestly do not need to leave the hotel because you have everything there. From pools, water slides that go underneath shark tanks (right side picture above), their own beach, a dolphin cay, mountain climbing, clubs, casino, top notch restaurants, everything you can think of Atlantis has it!

With regard to the people in the Bahamas, they are again another set of great people along with all the other places I have visited. These people were always trying to get my boyfriend and I to have a good time. And we in fact had a wonderful time, can not complain one bit. We did everything including snorkeling (picture on the left of my sugar pie and I). That was my first time snorkeling and it was awesome because we saw beautiful fish. If you love to it, Atlantis has great restaurants of all kinds. They have the Mosaic which is like a buffet type of restaurant, the have Bobby Flay's restaurant named Mesa, Cafe Martinique was another excellent restaurant a little pricey but very good food. 

Overall, Bahamas was a great experience mostly because of where we stayed. Atlantis is by far one of the best hotels in the world, at least in my eyes! The nightlife is great Atlantis has a great club named Aura which is awesome and another lounge which is good as well. But one doesn't really have to stay in the hotel, outside the hotel there is Senior Frogs which is always a good time. There is just so much to do in the Bahamas that no one could honestly be bored at any point in their trip. 

Go to the Bahamas!

Bienvenido a Puerto Rico!

Where?: Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico

When?: Memorial Day Weekend 2007 w/ my mother.

Hotel?: Melia Caribbean Resort in Rio Grande

Duration of Flight?: 3 1/2 hours

Population?: 3,994,259 (Puerto Rico)

434,374 (San Juan)

52,362 (Rio Grande)

Why?: Memorial Day Weekend!

My experience: Puerto Rico is a beautiful island with lots to see. My mother and I stayed at the beautiful Melia Caribbean hotel in Rio Grande. Melia hotels are very nice hotel no matter where you go to. I stayed at the one in Cuba and I had no complaints at all, same with in Rio Grande. What I liked the most about the hotel (which others might not like) was the fact that you had to walk everywhere if not have someone in a golf car take you to your destination. In the hot weather, sometimes this isn't your favorite thing to do but when its nice out, it's definitely a beautiful scenario. 

Just like any island, there are always famous monuments to go see. For instance El Morro (the first picture on top), is a famous monument which Cuba also has. I think that if anyone goes to Puerto Rico they should definitely go to the Bacardi company (picture on the left). Considering many people around the world probably drink this alcohol, it would be nice to see exactly how it is made. I honestly had a great time here because when you first get there, you enter this like movie theater which everyone sits down and they give you background information about how Bacardi originated and what not. Which is anyone does not know, Bacardi was started in Cuba not Puerto Rico, so for all of you Puerto Ricans who think your country started Bacardi, you are wrong! :) And I have proof which I will show you in a second. But back to the tour. Once you are done with the little movie that they show you, you then are placed in a different room which shows you exactly the process of how Bacardi is made and its different flavors. It was really nice to actually see in front of you how it was made. There were different tables in which you would press the button and put the headphones on and it would give you information on whatever button you clicked on. The good thing about going to Puerto Rico is the fact that they allow each person to bring back 5 bottles each back to the United States, therefore my mother and I brought back 10 bottles of all different flavors of Bacardi! And no we are NOT alcoholics, we gave out pretty much all the bottles except two to our friends and family members. 

Now back to the moment that all Cubans want to show all Puerto Ricans. (Drum roll please)... Here it is! The actual first seal proof certificate that says Santiago de Cuba, because this is where it started! The original owners of Bacardi were Cuban and then they eventually moved to Puerto Rico in which they decided to change it Puerto Rican Rum instead of keeping it Cuban Rum. It is ok Puerto Rico that you took our rum, just give us our recognition, that's all! :)

But anywho, I would definitely recommend anyone going to Puerto Rico and enjoying their beaches, the nice people, the beautiful monuments, and of course their so called rum. 

Bueno, adios y ven a visitar a Puerto Rico. (Well, goodbye and come visit Puerto Rico).