So many islands and so little time to see God in the Bahamas.
Over 700 islands make up the Bahamas, and I’ve visited several. They never disappoint. My latest trip was to Freeport, where we stayed at the all-inclusive Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach Resort.
After deplaning from our American Airlines flight which originated in Baltimore, Maryland, we danced to immigration while trying to avoid the enormous drops of rain needed to keep nature beautiful. A friendly agent ushered everyone back outside under a roof, where we were supposed to retrieve our luggage before passing through customs. One problem—our suitcase was not there.
I see God when he sends help.
A short, skinny man with a smile greeted us and asked for a description to search for the missing case. Under pressure, I felt stressed as I searched through my phone to find the picture I had taken three months ago of our well-worn 52-inch suitcase. After finding the photo, I showed the caring man my receipt for the $30 we paid to deliver our case. He took my husband’s email and said we’d hear from him soon.
Frazzled, we climbed into a taxi as the kind driver put our carry-on and backpack into the back. The lush green plants along the road were freshly washed from a tropical thunderstorm that had our plane circling the island for over an hour before being cleared to land. Exhaust fumes filled the van as we flew down the road, running on what felt like only five of the eight cylinders, as the driver was careful not to hydroplane on the flooded streets. The van definitely needed some work. Entering the resort, a line that went from one end of the open-aired lobby to the other greeted us. We waited two hours in that long line, tired and hungry after not eating for twelve hours.
Viva Club’s receptionist’s loving nature allowed me to see God again.
When it was finally our turn to check in, instead of signing a paper and getting keycards like everyone else, a man escorted us around the corner to the Viva Vacation Club entrance, where there wasn’t a line.
Looking at my husband, I said, “Something was gnawing at the back of my mind that we didn’t have to wait in that awful line. I’m sorry I didn’t ask.” It only took the gorgeous dark-haired lady with braids two minutes to hand us our keys, resort map, and dinner reservation schedule before we were on our way to our oceanfront room with a breathtaking view of the colorful water and palm-lined beach.
The entertainment was phenomenal.
Every night, the employees put on a show. They consisted of a circus with acrobats performing high above us on ropes, exquisite dancing, and musicals. There was also a trapeze for those not afraid of heights—not me—to take lessons on. The staff had put on a show the last time we were there, but that was not to be this week.
They had exercising and Zumba classes in the pool, and one day they filled the entire pool with foam as we danced to the music playing on the stereo’s speakers. We passed on karaoke since God didn’t bless my husband or me with a voice meant to sing into a microphone.
The restaurants were delicious, and I could see God in the employees who cared about doing a good job.
The buffet had so many choices, and delicious fruits, mouth-watering vegetables, and spicy meats filled our stomachs. Barely having room for dessert, we forced in the yummy ice cream and cakes before waddling back to our room.
Beautiful white sand and a colorful ocean relaxed me.
Every day when we opened the door to leave our air-conditioned room, we walked into a wall of heat. Sweat dripped, and birds chirped as we sat under the shade of a palm tree with our feet in the white powdery sand watching the small waves of the emerald and aquamarine striped water with seaweed-infused sand at the water’s edge listening to the “Hi, baby, want your hair braided?” as a local lady walked down the beach. We even ventured out on a paddle board, where I fell headfirst into the bath-like water because I didn’t have my sea legs. It turns out I wasn’t as bad as I thought. Someone had forgotten to put the fin down on my board. That made all the difference.
American Airlines saves the day.
After a trip to the store for essentials on our first night, the airline finally delivered our suitcase over fifty hours late. We were just glad to get it back so we could take pictures with our underwater camera. We snorkeled the reef that afternoon, making videos of colorful tropical fish, but the blue ones were my favorite, although I never figured out their name.
Colorful views abound.
Walking to dinner that evening, we shared the path with the beautiful pinkish vibrant lavender-colored bougainvillea, off-white, and gorgeous pink hibiscus, as we stared at the breathtakingly huge red poinciana tree in the distance. I lived in the moment and stopped to take a few pictures to share with my Facebook friends.
The resort needs attention.
The grass was over a foot high in some areas. This shocked me because most Caribbean resorts meticulously take care of the landscaping. When the caretakers finally cut it, grass covered the sidewalks, and no one seemed to care. I was shocked by the beautiful overgrown bushes covering half the sidewalk. It was surprising to see a worker sitting in the dirt painting the berm of the sidewalk one day. Regardless, I still found the resort beautiful. And even though I’d already visited here over five times, I’d return in the future.
Even with all that went wrong, spending a week on this beautiful island and sharing my book Gone in an Instant: Losing My Son, Loving His Killer with a few employees was a joy. It was sad to say goodbye. But to take more trips, I had to go home to prepare for my next adventure, but not before publishing my second book, a travel memoir, called Life Begins with Travel: Facing My Fears, Finding My Smile.
