Bahamas
This is the first time that I've checked email. They have a cybercafe in the hotel and its pretty cheap. Yeah right now the weather sucks. It's overcast, and drizzling outside so no one is at the beach. Yesterday it was beautiful outside though. It was probably in the 80's I laid out on the beach but I missed some spots when I used my suntan lotion and half my body is burned. We went into town which was ok but its really small. We went to a couple of clubs yesterday but they were both dead. They said it was their off season. Our hotel is rather empty too, although we have met some other semester at sea students who are staying here. We've met quite a few S & S students walking around. So far things are good, we got extra keys and they don't know four people are staying here and my roomates are really cool. Our hotel is nicer than a lot of other hotels I've seen but it could use some redecorating. It has a 70's motif to it and yesterday I got stuck in the elevator, but it really wasn't that bad. We're all going to go snorkeling sometime soon and I'd like to go kayaking sometime while we're here.
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yeah we met up with Vinney, we are all at an internet cafe in the middle of town. We actually went to the Atlantis yesterday. It was the largest and nicest hotel I have ever seen. It's gigantic and very cool. Unfortunately they have security guards by their beach and pool and you have to have a room key or a wrist band to use their facilities so that ended that. But, I was hanging out at the Towne hotel yesterday and the girl from the Atlantis stopped by to meet up with a friend and all of us went to a club.
It was the same club I went to on Friday when no one was there, when we went yesterday there were hundreds of people there. At 2:00 in the morning a huge fight broke out and people were being thrown off the balcony on the second floor and landing on the bar below. Then they called security and the police and twenty minutes later a fight broke out between them and we could here gunfire outside.
As soon as everything was settled we left and on our way out another fight broke out right behind us and this guy was just jump kicking people down the stairs. We got a taxi ride home but he wasn't actually a taxi and we think he was drunk because he was swerving all over the road. But we made it home ok.
I still have three other roommates, the hotel isn't on to us but they are on to Vinney, three people tried checking into their room and it wasn't under either of their names.
That's the update.
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Bahamas, Bahamas, Bahamas mama babies drama! That is all i can say! I really don't know where to start so I will start with Saturday...... Well Friday night turned out to be a beautiful night with many of my friend; however trying to pack at 5 AM after drinking shots all night wasnt the easiet! I slept the whole flight though! Saturday night I met up with 2 of the girls I am staying with... Shanna and Julie. We decided to meet up with some friends of Julies that she had met while out here..... they turned out to be 14 Cubanos from Miami! They were so much fun! We all piled into a mini van and went to the Atlantis to go to the club. Imaging 14 Cubans, me and 2 other white girls piling out of a mini van taxi! It was quite the sight! To say the least we had an excellent time and club hopped til 6AM! They had to catch their ship back to Miami by 7.
Sunday me and the girls relaxed and walked around a little bit... Sunday nights all the locals meet up at the "Fish Fry" It is a strip of restaurants and bars and everyone fills the streets. They have a DJ'd reggae party..... of course we were the only tourists here and also the only white ones at that... granted we stuck out we had a good time! We ended hanging out with a bunch of people including 2 girls named...Reema..... and I don't remember the other one... We all had drinks and listened to the music... we also had a few reggae dance lessons from the locals. We then left with about 4 car loads back to our hotel were we quickly changed and then all went to this club called the Zoo.... the zoo was the perfect name because it was filled with all animals! LOL! About 2 AM the group left to go to a smaller club called the Drop Off where we ended the night with dancing and a few drinks....
Monday one of the local girls picked us up and took us around town, she gave us probably the best tour we could have gotten on the island... we ended up at her house picking and eating fresh tangerines from her trees! She dropped me off to get a few things like postcards and such and plans to meet me back at our hotel for dinner!
To say the least am having an excellent time and enjoying myself before I board the ship tomorrow morning. I cant really fully explain the culture here..... it is pretty different but I can tell you the most beautiful thing is they are so laid back. Last night Stephan told me that time waits for no man and we are going to live it up tonight. They dont seem to care about tomorrow... or anything else but to live for the moment which is something I realized that I no longer do... my mind is always ticking away to whats next? Or what I have to do tomorrow. The beaches are amazing with white sand! Reema said that I am welcome to come back to the island anytime and stay at her house.... nice to know!
I miss you all and will keep you posted! Wish me luck on my first day tomorrow! Kisses!
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Cari [item 3]
Hi! I had a phone call from my daughter Cari earlier today and she sounds great. She could not go on anymore about how many wonderful people she has met already. She said that the weather is not that great, windy and they can�t spend too much time on the beach. Cari also said she spent time with SAS alums and how great they were answering all kinds of questions the Spring group had and how the alums got everyone even more excited about the trip, if that�s possible. I was also comforted to hear that the kids are watching out for each other, offering space in hotels to kids staying further away didn�t want to pay the cab prices or making sure that several people rode together that no SAS student was traveling alone I understand the group is meeting at the Sheraton again tonight while the parents are on the cruise ship.
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Roxy [item 4]
Hey everyone,
The trip I have been waiting for and preparing for is finally here and it is even more incredible than I expected! The Bahamas was so beautiful. The plane ride was fine and so many people were staying at our hotel. We got to hang out at the Atlantis a lot, which was really cool-it is so extravagant -- we met a guy for there and he took us around and we saw all the fish tanks, slides, everything. The second day we rented scooters -- it was so much fun! We got to see so much of the island but it was pretty scary and a little acquired at first but we got the hang of it quick! Anyway we got in a cool club in Atlantis - the dragon and hung out at our hotel. Tuesday we boarded the ship! I love you all - - Roxy