by Niambi Brown Davis

There is a lot to be said for standing in the right place in an airport ticket line. One August day, we were bumped from our original flight and flew home from Nassau on a later, first-class trip. Along with the white-napkin dinner (a more than adequate replacement for coach class crackers and cheese), we owned vouchers for two round-trip tickets back to the Bahamas.

In January, we bought a calendar and blocked out the second week of June with a large red X. The countdown began, along with growing dreadful at each foot of snow that fell. How many of those days would be eaten up by an extended school year? But thanks to creative school administrators, we could head back to Nassau on schedule.

From Nassau Harbor, the Royal Towers of Atlantis fill the sky over what was once called Hog Island. The terra cotta structure, connected by a suspended Bridge Suite, has become synonymous with the Bahamas and Paradise Island.
No artistic expense was spared in creating the mythical image of Atlantis. World renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly was one of many commissioned to carry out the theme. Soaring tubes of quartz stand between the Royal Towers and the Crystal Gate. A midnight blue and white orb represents the Temple of the Moon, while fire-colored tendrils depict the Temple of the Sun. Both sit above the heads of slots, blackjack and baccarat players. On the other side of the gaming action, you'll find Poseidon's Chair, which has become a requisite souvenir snapshot. Even the tallest of tourists is swallowed up, with legs dangling, by the gigantic blue and gold seat.

In case you find the $25,000 a night Bridge Suite (and other luxurious digs) to be a little pricey, Atlantis offers three additional tiers of accommodations: the luxurious, upscale Royal Towers, the contemporary, relaxeded Coral Towers and the casual, tropical Beach Towers. If your room is merely a place to shower, change, and sleep, the Beach Towers are more than adequate.

A room card is the key to the kingdom of pools, beaches and spectacular marine exhibits. Without it, guests of other hotels can expect to be ushered politely back into the resort's public areas. Comfort Suite guests are the only exception if they have full Atlantis privileges.

WATER WATER EVERYWHERE
Something for everyone exists among the beach areas, pools and marine exhibits. Schools of brilliant, tropical fish shimmer like living jewels as they glide through replicas of ancient artifacts. An 800 pound grouper shares the Ruins Lagoon with Bubbles, a giant ray. Bubbles is one of only two rays known to live in captivity. At feeding time, surrounded by swirling fish, Atlantis' seakeepers hand-feed their charges. To get an eye to eye view of the rays, sawfish and barracuda that live in the Predator Lagoon, take a stroll down the underwater sidewalk inside a completely submerged viewing tunnel. On the upper level, drinks, snacks and lunch can be found in the Lagoon Grill and Bar. It sits over the water, covered by a shell-covered dome whose ceiling depicts the underwater creatures of ancient Atlantis.

Great Hall of Waters is a perfect name for the magnificent floor to ceiling aquarium that has visitors lined up along the walls with their mouths hanging open. It showcases a constantly changing panorama of tropical sea life with a school of darting yellow fish, a lazy giant turtle, or a spiny lobster, all staring back at the amazed humans on the other side of their world.

From the extreme drop of the Leap of Faith to the meandering Lazy River, an entire day can be spent at one of the seven pools or Atlantis' beachfront. Food and drinks, are never far away, but the early beach lover gets the covered chair. By late morning they have all been claimed, and a big hat is the only shelter from the midday blaze. From anywhere on the dense white sand, beachgoers can watch shrieking captives flash by, strapped to a speeding banana boat or the more adventurous who harness themselves to a parasail or skim across the waves on jet skis.

Along the beach you can get a temporary tattoo, have your hair braided, or enjoy a beachside massage, all sanctioned by the hotel. Still, there are always a few enterprising and independent entrepreneurs among them who peddle foot massages or rum drinks served in hollowed-out coconuts.

FOOD

While at Atlantis, it is impossible to suffer from a lack of culinary variety or to go hungry. From fish and chips at beach side stands to the traditional fine dining of the Bahamian Club, American, Continental and Bahamian specialties are available for every taste and price range in the seventeen restaurants scattered throughout the property. A favorite for families is The Marketplace. Its never-ending variety of food begins with the seafood station - a long lacquered counter filled with steamed shrimp piled high around lemon wedges, spicy sauces, seafood salads and steamed salmon. Fragrant rice, vegetables and carved meats fill another side of the buffet just across from pizzas, sushi, salads and sumptuous desserts. The longest line leads to the stir-fry station and its sizzling stone surface where chefs in tall, white hats turn raw shrimp, chicken and other fresh ingredients into the dish of your choice.

KEEPING IT REAL

When you are surrounded by the cocoon of resort life, it is easy to forget that paradise depends on where you live. On another side of the island, away from middle-class neighborhoods of elegant white and pastel homes and basketball hoops set on asphalt driveways, is another community known as over the hill. In one section of narrow unpaved streets, some of the houses have no indoor plumbing and their only source of water is a pipe at the end of the street. You might see some of the same people who changed your bed or served you a poolside drink.

SHOP TILL YOU DROP
Shopping rivals lying on the beach as the most avid vacation pursuit in the Bahamas. Atlantis Crystal Court is lined with designer boutiques such as Gucci, Versace and Cartier. Created from a little more than one yard of fabric, that $1,000 blouse should come with a bodyguard or at least a lifetime supply of Shout stain remover. Near the Court's entrance, the fragrance of fine cigars wafts from the Havana Humidor. Inside, watch them being made from scratch by a man surrounded by sheaves of tobacco leaves.

At least two days should be reserved for shopping on Nassaus' famed Bay Street. Make the first day a scouting expedition to separate the wheat from the chaff. Weed out the shops full of souvenir trinkets made in Indonesia, cheap T-shirts and dreadlocks attached to red, gold and green knit caps. Look for government-sanctioned duty free shops that bear the pink flamingo logo. It ensures that your Rolex is really a Rolex and not a knockoff flashed from one side of an open trench coat.

Not for the timid or easily intimated is the legendary Straw Market. Go with your game face on and be prepared to haggle, or just say no to the aggressive vendors who could quit the market and set up shop giving lessons on high-powered sales techniques. A great example of bargaining is a wallhanging that began at $400 and finally sold for $65.00. For similar merchandise with a less intense haggling experience, try The Bahamas Craft Center on Paradise Island.

Nassau has its own Prince George Plaza, an elegant alley of Kate Spade purses, Cuban cigars, exquisite lingerie and windows gleaming with white resort-chic linen. On the other end of Bay Street, Hoffer Sports sells urbanwear from its ultra modern, pale turquoise building. Groups of young men browse for the latest jerseys, athletic shoes and Timberlands in the cool, music-filled interior. And for beautiful original Bahamian artwork, carvings and excellent customer service, be sure to visit Josephine's on Bay Street.

FUN FUN FUN
There is fun for everyone - families, teens and kids, gamblers and partygoers. The Atlantis Theatre boasts a twenty-five foot screen, a red-jacketed attendant and concession stand with popcorn, sodas and candy. During days of intermittent showers, two extra matinees are added. For kids of four to twelve, Camp Discovery is the place for exciting adventures from its Base Camp, a replica of a Spanish galleon that ran aground on the Bahamas coast in 1622.

If you're over 18 and want a good laugh, head for the Jokers Wild Comedy Club. Teens and preteens (at age-specific hours), should check out Club Rush for Playstation and Game Cube action as well DVDs shown on a big screen TV. Older teens can dance until 12:30 a.m. A tour is available during the day for parents to see just where their kids disappear at night. The club is well-supervised and proper ID is required, without exception. If a matinee is not your thing, try the Atlantis library. Check out a book, or read while looking out over the rain-swept beach. But beware the library police. Bookplates caution that a fine of $275 will be added to the hotel bill of anyone whose book is not returned. Hopefully, that was a typo and the decimal was left out.
One morning after an overnight thunderstorm, a glorious double rainbow arched over the Leap of Faith. All along the hotel, guests stood on their balconies, cameras aimed in sync to capture that once in a lifetime image. An 8x10 enlargement is the perfect antidote for those bleak days of January, when the vacation countdown begins again.

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