Florida, the sunshine state of USA

Having raised in Chennai, I was taught Marina Beach is the second longest beach in the world and there was always a question which one is the first longest beach in the world. Miami in Florida came as an answer and it was always my long dream to visit this place in Florida. What so fascinating about this place Florida and why everybody wants to visit this place? The first striking feature of this place is the weather which is warm throughout the year especially during winter when Northern states of US are shivering in extreme cold. We decided to travel by train from Newark to Florida as an adventure. It took nearly 24 hours one way to reach Florida from Newark. I never thought that they were trains in US but this indeed was a classical experience from Amtrak service.

Thanks to Vincy and Karl, my Hamburg friends who live six months in Hamburg Germany and six months in Vero Beach Florida gave a great motivation to visit them. Also had a great chance to meet my American friend Andreas who was also living in Orlando, Florida after nearly three years. Florida has many attractions to cover for a week. The Sea World Orlando is definitely a must see for me. The various dolphin shows, the whales outing, the adventurous rides, 3D shows, Atlantic tour are worth experiencing. The South beach in Miami is a great experience for many tourists. We didn’t go to Disney world since we thought it was too early for Anish to experience Disney world. Key West is another attraction in Florida and the drive from Miami to Key West is definitely one of the best road trips. 

Another experience which one shouldn't miss in Florida is the Alligator tour in the swamps. If you have a good sunshine, one gets a chance to see lots of them, if it’s cloudy and rainy, hardly u can find any of them. The color of the water in Florida beaches are worth mentioning, they are completely green from the outset. The weather stayed absolutely fine throughout the trip with minor showers here and there. Had a chance to go to swimming with Anish for the first time and indeed it was a sweet one. Thanks to Vincy who cooked awesome food for us and more importantly accommodated us for a week during our stay in Florida. All in all, this trip would remain in our memories forever.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Cruise to Nassau, Bahamas

Travelling by Ship for many days is an experience which I never tasted till now and I always thought it must be boring after couple of hours. But the cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas gave a different perspective of cruise ride and in the end it turned out to be one of the memorable experiences of our lifetime. If one wants to shut down from regular life and really make holidays, Cruise could be an ideal choice. If you have a good appetite, then Cruise is a place to enjoy different kinds of cuisine. 

There are so many entertainments in Cruise such as comedy shows, dance shows, games, swimming, water rides, pubs, magic shows, Jacuzzi and also options for babysitting. Thanks to Vincy who motivated us to try Cruise when we visited them in Florida. It was a peek time between Christmas and New Year but still it was considerably a decent deal. Nassau, the capital of Bahamas is indeed a great place to visit. The colors of the waters, the fort Charlotte, the hotel Atlantis are worth mentioning. There are many options to try water sports in Nassau. Everybody thinks Bahamas belongs to Caribbean but it isn't. But Bahamas do have a national cricket team.

After the cruise, there is definite chance of increasing the weight by 5 kgs, so please watch out for what you eat :P The dining in the cruise is simply worth mentioning, the ambiance they have, the chef’s attire , the various menus they offer and the background music are great experience. We had lot of apprehensions of sea sickness for Anish but in the end, it turned out to be a great experience for him as well. I can strongly recommend making a cruise ride if you are located or visiting any sea coast in Florida. Normally the cruises start from Port Canaveral or Miami. Thank god I got this wonderful opportunity to explore Florida and Cruise to Bahamas with Anita and Anish when I am working in USA. Florida, certainly the sun shine state of USA.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S