I’m so excited….just finished my fourth open water dive and now I am officially certified!! Woo hoo! Now I have the rest of the week to dive, except for the day before I leave. I know I’ll be doing a boat and shore dive on Thursday, so that should be a ton of fun. I saw such cool multicolored fish today and a pretty big jelly fish and stingray.
Last night we went to the “Taste of Bonaire,” which is held four times a year and features food from the local restaurants, craft vendors and live music. I tried goat and iguana stew, goat’s blood, and fish balls. 
Hmm…yum! It actually wasn’t that bad. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the cactus soup. Tonight is BBQ night at Captain Don’s! Ok, enough with this computer…I must go back in the water!
We arrived in Bonaire yesterday after we island hopped from Aruba to Curacao to Bonaire. The flight from Aruba to Curacao was 25 minutes and from Curacao to Bonaire, 12 minutes. Located in the Netherland Antilles, Bonaire is part of the Southern Caribbean and is known for it’s incredible scuba diving, windsurfing, and kitesurfing.
Today, I started the part of my confined water certification, which includes four dives in the ocean. Roger Haug is my instructor and he does a great job teaching the scuba skills and making you feel comfortable and confident from the start. Bonaire is a great place to learn how to dive because you can go from shallow to as deep as you want in increments right off the shore.
Sherwood supplied me with my mask, snorkel and fins, as they are a sponsor of DEMA’s “Be a Diver Program.” The kinesis fins cut the water really well and the frameless mask folds up easily, so it makes for a great second mask. I can’t believe the variety of fish in size and color, some that can be seen close to the surface.
Captain Don’s Habitat has a real homey feel with people from all over the world becoming friends as they dive together. In my certification group there is a mother and daughter from Washington D.C. getting certified together and a 12 year old boy whose parents have been diving for years here in Bonaire.
After a four hour plane ride from JFK, I was just a 10 minute car ride from paradise. I couldn’t believe my eyes when we pulled up to the Divi and Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives. I’ve been to a few Caribbean destinations before, but the deep crystal blue water and beautiful beach was a spectacular site to see. 
Divi has a few properties in Aruba…the two all-inclusives, Divi Aruba and Tamarijn Aruba, and a la carte properties which also offer timeshares at the Divi Phoenix, where rooms include your own kitchen equipped with everything including a blender for frozen drinks to bring to the beach, the Divi Links which sits on the beautiful 9-hole gold course, and the Divi Dutch Village . We’re staying at the Divi Aruba and I love the fact that it’s a little more laid back than Tamarijn Aruba, but you have access to all of the restaurants and activities at the Tamarijn Aruba including a children’s camp. And, get this, if you are traveling with children or teens, they stay and eat free up to 18 years old when traveling with two paying adults! The properties have a total of 11 restaurants and almost as many bars between them and the food is top notch. When we first arrived, we were really hungry, so we sat down at the Coco Grill and had some cooked to order thin crusted pizza made in front of you. 
Last night, we had a progressive dinner…an appetizer of sushi, spring rolls, and tempura at Ginger, the Asian restaurant, an appetizer (I had the salad nicoise) at the Red Parrot, the main course at Paparrazi, a delicious Italian restaurant, which serves great fish and pasta dishes, and desert was at the bar/restaurant, Mulligans over at the Links, which is a fun hangout for tourists and locals. Last night was karaoke night and while it’s been awhile, I did get up and belt one out the best I could! I love the open air atmosphere at Mulligans. While it’s inside, it is open around the perimeter and offers an incredible view of the impressive golf course. Today we had lunch at Purebeach on property at the Divi Phoneix. The bar/ restaurant is really chic with a lounge type feel of Miami Beach or Ibiza, Spain, with a mix of European and Caribbean music playing in the background. 
Situated right on the beach, you’ll want to kick back with a drink or enjoy their lunch or dinner menu. I had a salad nicoise with fresh seared tuna which was wonderful in taste and presentation. For dinner, we ate at the romantic, high end restaurant, Windows on Aruba, which is upstairs from Mulligans and offers an even better view of the golf course, which they light up at night in different color lights, making it a gorgeous setting. The food was phenomenal. I got the sea bass upon recommendation 
and an appetizer of scallops with seaweed salad mangoes. The vintage wine selection is also expansive with many top of the line wines from which to select. To set the mood, there is usually a sax or flute player. The best part about this restaurant, is that for just $30, you can enjoy anything you’d like off the menu if you are staying at one of the all-inclusive properties. 
Tunes of Louis Armstrong are playing in the background. I couldn’t ask for anything more peaceful than this. Earlier today, I had a swedish massage at the Indulgence by the Sea Spa, which was amazing. It usually takes me awhile to unwind, but the therapist was great and I was in total relaxation mode in just a few minutes.
And ladies, if you want your man to actually spend some time with you on the trip, you’ll be happy to know it is just a 9 hole course! There is a casino within just a few minutes next door to the Divi Aruba which is always a must stop to see if the slots will be good to me. Sorry to say they were not tonight, but the casino had a fun vibe.
There is nothing that turns me on more than someone who cooks healthy, and so when “Rock and Roll Chef” 
Our days were a great mixture of cooking and wine classes, and activities like kayaking, water ski lessons, snorkeling, pilates and yoga classes, spa treatments on the beach, and parasailing. Most activities are included with the resort, but if you’d like to go parasailing, you can contact the concierge and they can hook you up with Ray’s Watersports. You can even renew your vows, as the resort does an outstanding job at creating a romantic ceremony on a beachside gazebo, complete with a terrific minister, champaign, delicious rum cake, and Bob Marley music for the walk down the aisle.
Every Friday night, the general manager puts together a grand gala featuring over 100 local and international dishes and a room dedicated just to desserts. Plus, there is a live dance band after dinner to work it all off!
After just a three and a half hour plane ride from JFK on Jet Blue, we were in beautiful Montego Bay. In the airport, there are lounges for the many resorts in Jamaica including the SuperClubs properties where we quickly dropped our luggage and were taken to a van and transported to Negril, where we checked in to the Grand Lido Negril Resort and Spa, the flagship for the SuperClubs all-inclusive resorts. The resort is extremely romantic, specializing in honeymoons and weddings. There is a two mile stretch of gorgeous white sand beach, two pools, five restaurants, and a fabulous spa which offers complimentary manicures and pedicures. There is also a clothing optional section. Of course as amazing as this is, I am probably the only single woman here and with my brother! Not that I’m not happy he’s here doing my video work with me, but how do I always end up in the most amazing of settings alone or with a relative?!
Since we were pretty tired today, we just drifted away on a raft in the rather calm sea, ate some great Jamaican food and had a few frozen drinks. I love resorts like this because everything is included and you can eat and drink as much as you want and not think about it! Also included are non-motorized water and land sports such as kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing, tennis and volleyball.
These past two days in Barbados have been full of adventure and activities I’ve never done before. I hate the feeling, but I find that as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become a little more frightened when it comes to things I haven’t done before. Maybe it’s the fact that I seem to be very accident prone and the possible consequences are always running through my head, whereas when I was younger, I was more carefree. However, I try not to let the fears get the best of me, and if there is an adventurous activity, especially one that involves the water, I always sign up for that option. 
For lunch, we went to a great rum bar, the Fishermans Pub in Speightstown, and had real down home Barbados cooking, including flying fish, fish cakes, a deliciously prepared chicken dish, plantains, sweet potato mash, and cou cou, a popular corn meal and okra dish. Speightstown is a fun little shopping area as well. 
was a major last minute booking, and while I don’t have complete confirmation, we suspect it may have been the “Big O,” as we saw many airforce planes at the airport upon arrival. The beach at the Crane has been named one of the top ten in the world by Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. The sand is actually pink and is the softest on the island. 
Tomorrow we’re going to experience the submarine Atlantis, and see all of the wonderful underwater life, which should be a lot of fun! We’re off to dinner now…I’m going to come back five pounds heavier, but it’s all worth it!
Under the direction of Roger Chubb and Virginia Trieloff, the exhibitions highlight the best of Barbadian, Caribbean, European and Canadian art and raises money for various Barbadian charities. While ownership has passed through a few families, there has been a house on this site since the latter part of the Seventeenth Century. Current exhibitions include Barbadian Furniture from 1680-2009 and Sculpture in the Garden by Jerome Radigois, which is definitely a site to see. Both will be highlighted until the end of May. Corrie Scott is a successful artist and well known in Barbados for her magnificent portraits, paintings, and promotion of the arts. She is very involved with the Lancaster House and takes it upon herself to get the word out to the world of all the various art exhibits, music and theater events. She works closely with Wendy Kidd, who planned the incredible Holders Festival, which included numerous local and national well-known music acts, as well as artists, jewelers, and craftsmen.
You can go home with your very Barbados Rum in a personalized etched bottle. It’s the perfect place to come for an hour or relax for an entire day on their patio, just reading a book and enjoying the cool breeze. 
The brightly colored hibiscus flowers that covered the long wooden dining room table were gorgeous and all of the glasses and silverware were antique. The meal itself was phenomenal. We started off with a carrot, pumpkin, ginger soup, then some mango sorbet, and for the main course, a delicious mahi mahi. John and his wife host Sunday brunches and people can enjoy over 30 traditional food items while sitting outside and enjoying the peaceful setting.
The drink menu was extensive and I enjoyed the first drink on the menu, called the #1, which included dark rum, amaretto, pineapple, coconut, and cherry liquor. Let’s just say I felt really good after just one! I started off dinner with a delicious portobello mushroom salad followed by seared tuna and topped it off with a wonderful mix of guava, mango, and rasberry sorbets. Leave yourself plenty of time at The Cliff, as it is the perfect setting for a relaxing and romantic meal. 
