A Heart's Desire: Atlantis

When I was a kid, I was so fascinated at the story of the lost island of Atlantis created by Plato. Even after I have grown up, I from time to time fantasized about this Utopian city at any opportunity when the name was brought up. A few years ago, I heard that there is actually a "real" Atlantis in one of the Caribbean islands and have since made up mind to live my fantasy one day. Finally in the 2nd week of this November, we boarded the plane to my dreamland in Nassau, Bahamas.

During two and half hour flight, I refreshed myself with the information about Atlantis I searched on the Internet. After the acquisition of its bankrupt predecessor at a price tag of $125 million in 1994 by Sol Kerzner, a South African-born accountant-turned-entrepreneur, over $800 million was poured in to parlay Sol's vision of a fairytale vacation resort into a wondrous reality. Within a few years,  the mythical city of Atlantis was created from the seabed to the skies with the completion of  the 1,200-room Royal Tower, a major architectural achievement of arches, domes and spires;  the Caribbean's largest casino in the Royal Tower containing millions of dollars in arts decoration; the world’s largest open-air marine habitat home to 50,000 sea creatures; new lagoons and countless waterfalls; a spectacular Mayan Temple Waterslide complex; 6 swimming areas etc. In 2007, additional $1 billion investment saw the expansion of the warterscape to include a dolphin habitat, more pools and extension of river rides; the rise of the luxurious 600-room resort within the resort, The Cove Atlantis; a 497-key condo-hotel, The Reef Atlantis; creation of the largest conference facilities in the Caribbean with over 500,000 indoor and outdoor space; the 30,000 square-foot flagship Mandara Spa etc. In over a decade, the myth and legend of a lost city of Atlantis have been brought to life with the owner's vision, chief architect's aesthetic and ingenious design and humongous sum of capital.

The plane eventually landed in Nassau, Bahamas. My little guy could not wait to jump out of the plane. Atlantis is located at Paradise Island, which is 45 minutes drive from Nassau International Airport. As the bus was getting closer and closer to the island, the soaring Royal Tower seen so many times in the picture was looming larger and larger in front of us. Atlantis, we were here now.

The temperature was not as hot as we expected, lingering around 27 and 28 degree Celsius but good enough for us to enjoy all water activities. Unfortunately the pristine two-mile white sand beach was closed to tourists due to strong wind. My boy was so disappointed that he could not continue his collection of shells which he started from the cruise to Eastern Caribbean last December.  But his spirits were soon elated when he saw the pools, current rides and water slides. He grabbed a tube and jumped inside quickly. By the time I climbed in clumsily, we were already drifting to the first rapid current. With a horrifying scream followed by crazy laughter, we passed our first current.

At the Mayan Temple, we were waiting among the snaking lines of dripping tourists for our turn for the Serpent Slide that goes zigzag down through the Temple into an acrylic tube that slices through a shark-infested tank. Every time we slid down, my boy would point at the swimming sharks excitedly. We stood at the bottom to watch those who took their Leap of Faith, an almost vertical 60-foot long slide. Even though a friend said that the experience was not scary as it seemed because you did not even have the time to feel scared during the free fall before you reached the bottom, I did not venture into this for fear of my feeble heart.

We even went on a snorkeling adventure aboard a 45-foot catamaran which took us to the wide open crystalline Caribbean waters off the coast. While I was still figuring out how to wear the mask, my boy was already 20 metres away in the open sea, making acclamation at the sight of the colorful fishes and coral reefs under the water until he gobbled in several bitter and salty water. Though he refused to go into sea water again citing he was still too small, by the lure of seeing the sharks down below, he got into the water once more while holding on the rope as required by the friendly crew under such circumstances.

When we strolled along the paths at Atlantis, we were being constantly reminded of the creative design of the Aquarium with the surprising appearance of the sea habitat below, beside and above. My most favorite place was the Dig where we were able to embark on a journey through the streets and tunnels of the lost city of Atlantis while viewing the relics of the civilization as well as the stunning and beautiful marine life circling around the ruins, reminiscent of the foregone glory. Throughout the whole journey, we were in the unchanging mood of awe and amazement. My boy was never that patient and stagnant, exploring each exhibit so diligently and carefully and gasping at the size, shape and color of creatures.  At the end of journey, we were still being cast under the mystical spell, hesitant to leave everything behind. So the journey started all over again.

On the last day of our trip, no one seemed to want to depart. But every dream comes to an end with the inevitable return to reality. As the famous arch gradually disappeared out of our sight, I suddenly remembered my mentor's words: Dream Big. Even if you realize a small part of it, you could still achieve more than most of other people.  Everyone has his own "Atlantis" in his heart and mind. If this grandiose Atlantis could be brought to existence from its humble start, what else can not be made possible?

The Cove Atlantis