Atlantis

We made delightful new friends here at the Poop Deck a couple of days ago. Upon arriving at the bar, I struck up a conversation with the lady next to me, a tiny blond lady sitting next to a seriously salty, blue-eyed sailor. She is Sandi and he is Captain Mike of Aquabelle, a beautiful mega-yacht. We have been practically inseparable since. More news on this when I can post up the pictures, but the most fantastic outcome of this chance meeting is that we spent all day yesterday at Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island playing in the water park. Captain Mike was able to get additional crew passes as we had helped him bring the boat to the marina on a blustery, difficult day. Interesting to see there are still enough wealthy people in the world to populate this incredible place. You have to look it up on the internet, it would take me too long to describe it. Highlight of the day: The Abyss. This is a fully enclosed water slide, most of which is in complete darkness. This is a good thing. If you saw what you were about to do, you might think more than twice about the wisdom of this idea. It starts with a 60-foot almost vertical dead drop, then hurtles you around (still in the dark) several fast curves, a brief spit into sunlight, and finishing once again in the dark into the splashdown pool. At first you cannot even breathe. You wonder what the hell is happening to you in the dark. Next, you realize you must breathe, but there is not even enough breath to scream, only that which is sufficient to keep your lungs inflated with air, not water. Next, a glimpse of sunlight, which appears to be reassuring but in fact is not, as you realize you are no where near done yet. Gulping a big breath in this time, you plunge back into blackness and your brain starts to believe you are going to survive as you are deccelerating somewhat. Finally you arrive in the splash pool, shaking all over. Relief floods through your body, but the adrenaline is still so high that you take that big lungfull of air and whoop like an idiot. Then, you gotta laugh. Why do adults do this kind of thing? I dunno - maybe training for the next exciting sailboat adventure.