Straight from The Horse’s Mouth

Laura St. John There has been no holiday for Glenn and I this year. So, in order to fulfill my wanderlust and give myself a mental vacation I've had to wade the streams of my recollections. Come along with me for a guided imagery tour of the islands.

One idyllic day, while sight seeing the coast line of the Bahamas, we saw a manta ray leap out of the water. He flapped his "wings" and did a great belly flop. He was five feet wide, black on top and white as pearl on bottom. We were so close, I could see his smiling mouth underneath. We drove the dinghy over shallow coral reefs in such clear water the surface looked like glass. We glided over sand flats so bright it looked as if we were hovering over land. There were big orange star fish the size of Frisbees. The colors of the sea were a healing symphony for the eyes. We moved through cool waves of liquid sapphire, then sky blue, and then turquoise. Dolphins frolicked beside us. We spooked a nurse shark near the beach. It was so beautiful, we soaked it all in.

An idyllic tropical island photo, the perfect picture to take you on a mental vacation. Photo by Laura St. John Later in Puerto Rico we explored the rain forest. The earthy smells of the jungle were rich and heady. After a shower the water dripping off leaves like diamonds was absolutely intoxicating.

Further east in the Caribbean there is a tiny island called Saba. It is only five square miles in size with mountians of over 2,000 feet, and is fantastically covered in a jungle softly buffeted by trade winds. This place is a hippie’s best dream. The ecolodge residents grow their own food, make their own electricity and compost ALL the waste. A biologist there educated us on the rare orchids that are still being discovered. This is a paradise with no phones or televisions, just hiking and gardening.

On islands further south we saw deep green fields of sugar cane, tiny colorful towns steeped in history and secluded beaches that shimmer and shine. For us, it was a beautiful time of awakening of the senses and renewal of the spirit.

Whew! I feel better! Thanks for sharing that reflective swim through my memory.

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