Trip to the Bahamas

It's been a while since we have taken a vacation with just the two of us.  Ed found a super deal on cheapcaribbean.com for a week's stay at the Viva Wyndham Fontana All-Inclusive Resort in Freeport.  http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/FPOVF/main.wnt  After our two week adventure with Scott & Patsy on the sailboat through the Bahamas previously, we knew we would enjoy the area.

Reservations were made, stops made for mail & milk, and arrangements made for Maddie (our dog) and we were ready to go.  First lesson learned -- when using a website other than the airlines, you need to go in later and select your seats on the actual airline website.  We were able to get seat assignments for 3 of the 4 legs, but the first one we wouldn't know about until we got to the airport.

Based on prior experience (with car trouble) we have found that it is easier to get a motel room in Denver when leaving on an early flight.  They also have park/ride accommodations at several of the hotels, so we could leave the car there until our return.  Second lesson -- be sure and verify that the hotel shuttle is still operating when your flight returns.  (We squeeked by by a half hour leeway.)

Our luggage was checked in Denver, and once our passports were verified, we didn't need to use them again until we had to fill in the Bahamian Customs paperwork when we arrived.  We lucked out -- our seats were in Row 12 and next to the window.  Non-stop flights are nice, but 4 hours in one spot can get tiresome.  My chiropractor recommended rolling up a jacket or sweater and using it as a backrest for the journey.  Great idea!!  As always, Ed and I carry our books (interchangeable) and cribbage board to pass the time.  We had a short layover in Miami, and then we were on our way.

There was a lady in a wheelchair on our Freeport flight.  Since they didn't have a rampway to push her on -- this is how she was loaded into the plane.

The plane ride to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas is only 55 air minutes from Miami.  The skies were clear and the water inviting.  What a world of difference upon arriving. 

Most countries require one Customs form per household; however, we were told that Bahamas require one per person.  (Click to play -- We were pleasantly entertained while completing the paperwork.)  After checking in, we went to retrieve our luggage.  It appears that the conveyor stopped mid-stream, and several pieces of luggage were left on the outside of the terminal.  After a few minutes of convincing, one of the airport personnel got the conveyor belt started again.

We shared a van (Click to ride along) with 3 other couples (one being from New Jersey and who we would see often throughout the week).  Once settled in the van, we took off "on the wrong side of the road."  Traffic flows on the opposite side of the road in the Bahamas.  This van was equipped with the driver's seat on the right; but, many of the vehicles come from the US, so the driver's seat is located on the left. 

We arrived at the resort after a "quick" ride.  The island is flat and covered with shrubbery.  The recent "heat wave" has also impacted the island, and there have been several fires.  Luckily, they have been in unpopulated areas. 

At check-in we were told that they had "overbooked" and the oceanview room that we had requested was not available.  It appears that this was "spring break" and many of the rooms were filled will college students from around the US.  They gave us a room in the "garden" area, and told us to check back in the morning.  Like other accommodations in Mexico and other places, there is always a "timeshare" pitch available.  We told the gal that it was difficult to get enthused about applying when we couldn't get the correct reservations.

A little bit about the resort -- there are 4 main living areas (2 of which have oceanview accommodations).  There are 4 restaurants -- 1 is full-time buffet and is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The Italian and Oriental restaurants are sit-down dinner and require reservations  (dress is casual/formal).  The beach bar served hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken nuggests for lunchtime.  There are 3 pools -- main one for swimming, a hot tub and a wading pool.  And, of course, there is always the ocean and the large beach area.  There are basically 2 bars.  The main bar is near the lobby and available all day.  The beach bar is available from 10 AM - 6 PM for those sunworshipers.  House wine is provided with the meals; 2 flavors of beer (both locally made), and most any other cocktail you can think of (pina colatas, bahama mamas, and strawberry daquiris were in high demand).  We taught them how to make a Colorado Bulldog to add to their beverage list.  They have nightly entertainment (comedy or musicals); and that is followed with disco or kareoke.  There is a drugstore and clothing store with limited inventory. 

The following morning, Ed was able to secure our Oceanview room and we were ready to vacation.

Note:  The blue jug on the table.  This was the best purchase at the store -- it holds about 4 drinks and eliminated multiple trips to the bar.

Lines could be long, and then on some days, passengers from the arriving cruise ships were given the resort as one of their excursions to come and enjoy a day in the sun. 

Arriving on Weds we were at the end of the Spring Break timeline.  As the week progressed, things started to change around the hotel -- the drink glasses went from disposal to plastic, the bar stools reappeared, the large patio chess pieces became available, and the street lights appeared on the pathways.  It seems that the college students had a 'field day' with whatever wasn't fastened down.  Word of warning -- you might want to avoid the area around Spring Break if you are planning on traveling.  By the end of the week, there were multiple rollaways beds coming out of the various rooms -- meaning more than the usual patrons were there.

Pool area was enjoyed both in and out of the water.                      Note:  the sun can be brutal & it is highly recommended that you pre-tan before arriving in the Carribean.

The pool was also available for water aerobics and the local sea gulls to clean their wings.    Note:  the trapeze on the other side of the pool.  This was available to anyone who was daring enough to try.

Days were spent on the beach.  If not sunbathing, the hotel offered non-motorized beach equipment. 

Kayaking, wind surfing, and small catamarans were available.  There was a roped off area around the reef where one could go snorkeling.  We also opted to take a boat ride to snorkel over the Lucayan Reef about a 1/2 mile off shore.

 

On Saturday we opted to take a taxi ride into Freeport and see some of the island. 

The taxi dropped us off at Port Lucayan Marketplace.  Here they have various shops, restaurants and bars.  We stopped in at Sparkeys to make a toast to Scott & Patsy with a bottle of Kalik.  They had introduced us to this beer on our previous trip.  We weren't able to connect this year because they were sailing in the southern Bahamas near Georgetown.

We purchased a conch salad from a local vendor at the marina.  Then we headed to the casino.

While exploring the marina, we noticed a ferry ride to Taino Beach.  So after our luck ran out at the casino, we caught the ferry.

When we got to the ferry dock, we learned that the surrounding beaches were owed by the hotels, and we would need to take a taxi ride to the local beach.  We went to Junkanoo Beach Club.  They were having a beach wedding and afterwards, they came into the bar to celebrate.  I offered to take a group photo (so guess we became part of the wedding party)

We caught another taxi and headed back to the Marketplace.  Here we had dinner at Agave's.  They were serving lobster burritos.  They were delicious!!          While waiting for the band to begin their nightly performance on the Count Basie Square stage, we stopped in at the Rum Runner Bar.  Here we had a few beers with members of the British Royal Naval Fleet that were on leave.

The trip was enjoyable and we were glad that we took the time to enjoy it.  We each added some color and currently we haven't had any peeling -- so guess we used enough sunscreen.                        We really didn't have many complaints after we received the right room.  Although we had a coffee maker in our room, it became a joke whether room service would leave us any coffee for the next morning.  We averaged about 40-60 as to not getting any. 

We had a late flight home.  Due to the tornadoes in Texas, they had overbooked our flight to Denver.  They offered free tickets and lodging if someone would fly out the next morning.  We volunteered, but they didn't need us after all.  The flight was quite bumpy because we flew over the storm system that was headed east from Texas.  We managed to get the car from the motel; and were happy to see our own bed when we finally got home.