States and the Bahamas, my journey in the midst of global chaos

I love complex and unusual tours. Today’s world has turned our work into a very complex quest, that  is why I like to combine a couple of countries in one tour.

No, I’m not a masochist at all. But I agree with the conviction that the harder the tidbit gets, the nicer the aftertaste. And maybe now is the time to test your professionalism.

The American Dream.

All my conscious life I wanted to visit America. Childhood songs “American boy”, pencil cases at school with the cherished logo, TV series “Friends” were replaced by Green cards of friends who one after another won, went away and shared their rapturous emotions.

I thought long and hard about the contents of my program. I wanted to visit friends, fly over the Grand Canyon, see the legendary New York City, and taste something quite unusual.

Since my visa was not exactly an easy one, I was only tied to one point. The flight to the USA was to be through Miami airport only.

I chose Miami + Bahamas – what for Belarusians used to be a very difficult combination.

Visas with comfort.

Visa to the U.S. is now very long and very hard to get, and the visa to the Bahamas used to be processed at the British Consulate for as much as 3 weeks. The package of documents was like for a real UK visa – certificates, statements, certificates, all with a certified translation and so on.

Of course, not many tourists would want such a long process of paperwork and waiting for a vacation.

Why the Bahamas? My partners invited me to visit the Bahamas, and not just the Bahamas, but the most expensive aristocratic hotel on the island, the Rosewood Bahamar. When I received the invitation, it was already too late to run to the British Consulate; I had no time for visa issues.

But that doesn’t mean I have to turn down such a tempting offer, does it? “I’ll go without a visa,” I decided!

Or rather try to arrange it online directly in Miami. Difficulties with the visa to the Bahamas was that no one knew how to properly issue it. There was an option to make an electronic visa for the islands, but how to properly submit it, how long to wait for an answer, whether you have to go to a personal interview at the Bahamian consulate in Miami – there were more questions than answers. Also due to the pandemic, there were additional documents: Health code for $25, PCR tests and more.

I submitted my electronic visa application very late, 5 days before my flight to the islands. After 2 days, I called the consulate, talked to the consul, asked him to approve the visa as soon as possible and voila – the electronic visa is in my mail! One of the strange documents that were required to upload to the system was a certificate of my criminal record, translated into English.

As for visas to the U.S. – our tourists get them in Minsk,in a short time, all the cases have a positive result!

The Road

I flew economy class with Turkish Airlines on the route Minsk-Istanbul-Miami. Well, I think that since visas to the States are in short supply, I will sleep alone in a comfortable row. Imagine my surprise when the huge Ayrobus was 100% full. I was surprised when the enormous airbus was 100 percent full.

Despite the fact that we flew like herrings in a jar, the flight was almost unnoticeable. The service of Turkish Airlines, films and interesting conversationalists next to each other saved us.

Miami, Fort Lauderdale

Miami impressed me at first sight. I knew it was good. But I didn’t know it was this good!

The first week I lived in Fort Lauderdale, a beautiful American resort with a wide white-sand beachfront, with luxury hotels, and with yachts everywhere. The area is like America’s Venice – it is situated on the water. There can be traffic jams in the city. But that’s because the bridges open once an hour. “Hello Peter,” I wanted to chant when I first saw this marvel.

“What’s it like in an American movie?” my friends asked me time and again.

It’s true that in the morning many people go out for a run, walk their dogs along the promenade. And the most amazing thing is that they smile at you and wish you a good day. I remember with an ironic smile how I was practically shouted down by three female employees at our airport before my flight.

To be honest, American openness and benevolence are a little alarming. Why are they so happy to see a stranger? Well, I think, in America they allow guns in every house, that’s probably why

The purpose of my trip to Fort Lauderlale was to attend university. I wanted to take a pre-master’s degree, clean up my English, or rather turn it into American English.

I rented an apartment by the sea. An inexpensive cozy 2-bedroom apartment (one bedroom) will cost you about $700 per week.

I studied until 13:00 and I could spend the rest of the day on the beach. The beaches of the coast are municipal, but the hotels have their own sunbeds, which by the way are very good.

We had sea turtles living on our beaches. Many areas on the beach were fenced off with red tape and marked with a sign saying “Here sea turtles lay their eggs, do not disturb them. The penalty is arrest”.

One night we went to the beach for a picnic. I convinced the locals that going to the beach at night to drink wine and look at stars is very cool. We come on the beach with plaids and basket of dainties, and toward us crawling baby turtles. It turns out, at night they get out of their sandy den and explore the area. Many swim away into the water and start a new life.

During my time in the states, I sinned: I never once tried a hamburger and I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t even go to McDonald’s. But I dined at a variety of restaurants in the city every night, the food is wonderful. And you don’t even have to choose the places – it’s delicious everywhere!

Elsa, a hurricane with a beautiful woman’s name.

I flew into Miami on some very interesting dates for Florida. Hurricane Elsa was coming into the state. The news showed how Elsa had made trouble in Cuba, practically damaging the entire island and washing away parts of the Dominican Republic.

To give you an idea of the full extent of my fear, here are a couple of facts about this storm.

Hurricane Elsa was the earliest hurricane in the Caribbean Sea. It became a Category 1 hurricane, peaking with maximum sustained winds of 1 minute at 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 991 millibars. (29.3 inches Hg). This made Elsa the strongest July hurricane recorded in the eastern Caribbean since Emily in 2005.

I walk in the morning in front of an impending hurricane, gazing up at the sky, listening to the wind, and texting my friends, “I’m scared, I’m scared!”

I ask the locals, “How do you live here, aren’t you afraid of hurricanes, because you have them every year?”

“Not at all. It’ll drip a little bit, ruin what’s incomplete, maybe break glass somewhere else and that’ll be the end of it. You can drink cocktails in the sea bars in the evening and don’t be afraid of anything,” they grin.

As I watched the weather change and the skies transform, I didn’t want to believe those cheerful Americans. The X day came early-the night before the storm began, as the weather forecasters had suggested, and I could feel only huge gusts of wind through my window. I could feel only huge gusts of wind outside my window, lightning everywhere, and thunder rumbling.

The funniest thing was that I bought tickets to the Bahamas, exactly on the day of the storm, and it turned out that we got in the middle of it: Elsa storm is not 1 day, but 5.

From space, the Bahamas is the most beautiful place on Earth.

The Miami Nassau flight took only 27 minutes from takeoff to landing. We flew beautifully, with lightening and thunderbolts sponsored by lightning and thunderstorms.

The Bahamas is 700 islands, of which only 30 are inhabited. I lived in the most important one, New Providence. It is where the capital city of Nassau is located.

I was lucky enough to stay at the finest Rosewood Bahamar Hotel. It’s not a hotel, it’s a real English colonial mansion with a dash of Bahamian pace of life. Everything to make you feel like a true aristocrat.

You don’t need to rush anywhere; business can wait. “Sir, bring me a glass of cold champagne,” I ask lazily, stirring my dessert with a delicate fork.

In the morning pink flamingos, the hotel’s trademark, can be found by the pool. This is quite unusual: the birds stroll around the territory under the supervision of security guards. Three hotel employees accompany them.

But the hallmark of the Bahamas is a not-so-beautiful and sophisticated animal. The harbour porpoise, you guessed it right. Special Bahamian pigs, a rare species? That’s what I thought until I flew to Pig Island. It turns out that the pigs are just as common as the ones we have in our home country villages.

According to the legend, a long time ago a seafarer dumped them on a deserted island. To this day, they live there: they swim in the turquoise waters of the world’s most glamorous islands, appear in Instagram celebrities and bloggers, eat food carefully prepared by tour organizers. That’s who’s life is a fairy tale!

By the way, if you are offered an excursion to Piggy Village, don’t accept it. The amazing guinea pig life can only be seen on Pig Island, which is quite far from Nassau. Piggy Island can be reached by helicopter or by boat.

The diving and snorkeling on the islands is insanely beautiful. Perhaps I haven’t seen more colorful colors of water in the ocean, brighter than fish and coral.

The Bahamas is also known for its pop-stars. So much luxury real estate on the islands have bought up the world’s selebrities. But do not worry, they are not sitting behind seven locks on their own private islands, you can meet a star for dinner at the hotel, I saw Mariah Currie for example.

Bahamas hotels: what’s in store for you?

The hotels have an interesting concept. I would say that there are resorts – hotels consisting of three and even (in my case) four totally unrelated hotels. Next to Rosewood is Haight. That way you can’t tell it’s not one big hotel. The hotels are connected by a huge casino. After the Haight is SLS, which can be accessed through the shopping avenue. In a word – the city!

Of course, there are secluded hotels, among which, for example, Sandals Emerald Bay Hotel. If you want to feel like Robinson Crusoe, take a catamaran and go on a journey to the lost caves, have a picnic on a desert island – choose Sandals. Incidentally, the Sandals chain is renowned for its art of arranging romantic tours and honeymoons.

I would also call this hotel a hotel for those who have a hard time breathing. The whole hotel is decorated in light colours and has panoramic windows. This suggests such an abundance of light and air in the space-oh, it makes me want to go there right now!

It is impossible not to mention the legendary Atlantis. Unfortunately, I have not been there, but its figure is impressive even from a distance!

Do you know how I often say? If a place hasn’t left such impressions in your soul that you take away with you and willingly share with your friends, then it’s a bad place. Wouldn’t you agree?

Every hotel has to have its own atmosphere. Some hotels in my life were associated with delicious wine, others with an atmosphere of privacy, some made me feel like a goddess and a global star at the same time.

Back to our Rosewood Bahamar. Despite the flamingos at breakfast and the turquoise waters of extraordinary beauty, this hotel – an English residence I will associate………………………………………………………… with a bed. Not once in my life or anywhere in the

world have I slept on such a bed. The bed is magical, I swear to you! I fell asleep in a minute, even though I suffered from insomnia for over a year.

Naturally, full of energy and impressions from such sleep, I bragged to my new acquaintances. They laughed and said: the fame of the beds at Rosewood goes around the world, and we came here to sleep!

Are the inhabitants of the Bahamas pirates?

I would like to make a special mention of the islanders – they are festive people! The capital city of Nassau is all painted in oil paints, pictures with bright colors on almost all the walls of the city. The houses are bright purple, lettuce, yellow and pink. A lot of flowers on balconies – the country, though poor, but with positive outlines.

I wore glasses with black lenses – the whole palette of colors is framed also by the bright sky and the crystal emerald sea of all shades of blue.

No, of course the locals aren’t pirates. These people are a holiday! Although they do love pirate stories! Apparently, they are flattered that the whole world considers them super powerful and talented bandits.

Miami, Sunny Island.

Back in Miami (by the way, the ticket Nassau-Miami will cost you only 100 euros) I settled in a small Moscow: the Sunny Isles neighborhood.

The majestic high-rises shout, “Go to work to reach us ! »

I stayed at the Trump Tower Hotel, a modest hotel, but ideally located. The funniest thing was the shops across the street. “Matryoshka and other Russian names beckoned me in. You go inside and smile: the Russian song “They Won’t Get Us” is playing, there is Soviet champagne and Baltika beer, and saleswomen in Russian gastronomic aprons offer to buy Russian cucumbers, mushrooms and sal olivier.

I experienced a real high from the Russian mashed potatoes and chicken, I ate them and got nostalgic! It is true that the Russian soul is special: you live in a suite, have lunch and dinner in the best restaurants in Miami, and get a real buzz from food bought at the deli.

Amazing people,” say the Americans! Americans, who are they?

Overall, the U.S. is a place for ambitious people who are ready to build a career and success in business. Americans are the kind of people who, at any age, start from scratch where many would put a stop.

It is a country of private initiative, where everyone has the right to integrate into society. People with disabilities find jobs and perform important functions, and at the wheel of a tractor you can meet a 90-year- old old lady who earns money even in extreme old age.

If someone tells you that life and career are coming to an end by the age of 40, look at Americans who are getting a new education at 40.

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