LIKE SHIPS IN THE NIGHT
So far, this year is
quite promising. Travel restrictions due to COVID have eased dramatically, and
now the only thing holding us back is the cost of traveling! Our passports are
in order, we recently signed up for Global Entry, the government program that
helps with border crossings, we’re up to date with our vaccines, and of course
the inclination to travel remains strong with us, even if it’s just three weeks
since we returned from our last international trip.
COMING AND GOING AND GOING
AND COMING…
Too soon?
Given our druthers we
would not have planned these two trips so close together, but Grenada was
booked and purchased last year and we would not be able to switch dates without
a stiff penalty. The Tenerife trip fell into our laps as a gift of time share
points, with the timing coinciding with the spring break for Janet’s English
grandchildren.
So, still basking in the
glow of our time in Spain, the memories of the Canary Islands still vivid, in a
few days we’re heading off to stay at the Sandals Resort on the Spice Island of Grenada.
I know, I know….1st
world problems.
ISLAND OF SPICE
This will be our fourth
visit to a Sandals Resort. It’s an all-inclusive, adults and couples only resort
chain headquartered in Jamaica. At Sandals you will never hear the word “no”.
Accommodating, thoughtful staff, opulent grounds and several swim-up bars make
for an indulgent week.
Admittedly I have been
won over to the Sandals experience. Before our first trip to Antigua, I had my
doubts about resort travel. It’s not traveling but vacationing I would say. Afterall,
there’s only so many Dirty Monkeys you can drink or you tire of trying to teach
the bartenders how to make a proper Zombie Rum drink. Where was the adventure? The
sightseeing? The culture?
JUST BREATHE
What has won me over to
Sandals is the free scuba diving they offer. Normally it would cost about $200
to go out on a two-tank dive, but at Sandals they are free! Through the dive centers
at Sandals, I have become PADI Open Water certified. Getting certified costs,
but that was money well spent. Also, it is not a requirement to be certified to dive at Sandals, you need only take a short resort certification, just so you know how to use your gear. .
Another major plus of diving
with Sandals are the dive masters. Their guidance on the dives takes all the
worry out of it. Just breathe and enjoy the beauty that is beneath the surface.
Diving is much easier than snorkeling for me.
WHERE AM I?
Because Sandals is a
chain there are certain similarities with each location and throughout there
are certain expectations to the accommodations and the service, but each resort has its own unique personality. We have traveled to Antigua, The Bahamas, Sandals
South Coast in Jamaica and now Grenada.
The grounds of Antigua
were spread out and incredibly lush, and restaurants were scattered in
different places, whereas The Bahamas was tiny and the restaurants were all clustered
together like a food court at the mall, but it did have a private island. In
Jamaica there was a two-mile private white sand beach surrounded by a 500-acre
nature preserve. There they had an over the water bar with hammocks.
So far, the diving in The
Bahamas was the best for clarify and marine life. Sometimes it was a 45-minute
boat ride to get to the dive spots at Antiqua. The dive spots in Jamaica were
just a short ride off shore where we did drift diving, where we followed the dive
master around until it was time to surface and the boat swung by to pick us up.
The first time I ever
dove was with Janet in the waters off Grenada while we were on a Windjammer
Cruise that sailed from St. Lucia to Grenada and back. The beauty was shocking
then and I’m looking forward to diving again in Grenada in just a few days.
Thanks for reading
Love Janet and greg
© 2022 by Gregory Dunaj
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