Leaving Paradise
 On my last night, I once again had a wonderful meal then took a quiet stroll around the property and ended up at "Ocean Club", the hotel nightclub located in the vast lobby. I found a most comfortable velvet covered barrel chair and table near the window and the hostess quickly accepted my drink order. I must have sat there for several hours, listening to the live island band, feeling the warm tropical evening breeze and contemplating all the wonders I had encountered during this part of my vacation. It was everything I could have imagined and more. The next morning as I readied to leave I could not help but take one more walk around the property to cement forever, these visions that were graciously given to me for the past week.
It was with great saddness that I next found myself on board a taxi and headed towards the airport. I watched with great interest the sights that pasted by and remembered several that I had only days before, lingered at and enjoyed. Arriving at the airport, I checked in at the counter where they confirmed my flight.Intertestingly enough they did NOT take my bags but rather, advised me to carry them to the next checkpoint where they were then deposited. Guiding me a bit further, I then passed through the metal detector and then led to the immigration point. Passport checked, I then entered customs and was required to fill out my declarations. Once again my luggage appeared and I was then told to carry it to the next point, evidently a checkpoint for vegetables and fruits. My bag went in the xray and at the other end it appeared...along with a security official who questioned me about the "grapes" that I was apparently concealing. Confused, I opened my luggage for their closer inspection where they found the "grapes" to be nothing more that a small container of Skittles. Everything now OK, I was told to carry my bag to the waiting airline official, where they tagged and finally took the luggage. It wasn't long before I was ready to board my aircraft.
As the small propeller aircraft roared down the runway and lifted off, I watched with some saddness my beautiful paradise grow smaller and smaller. Soon I was over the translucent water and thirty minutes later, I landed in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As my plane was of the smaller variety, it parked south of the concourse on the tarmack and we were instructed to deplane and board one of the waiting shuttle buses. This unairconditioned bus took its time making its way to the actual airport and I was relieved to finally arrive and enter the ever so cool and covered facility. My connecting flight to St.Louis was at the far end of the concourse but I had plenty of time so I slowed my pace and enjoyed the sights and watched the people. Upon hearing both the English and Spanish versions of the gate operator, I boarded my flight and soon I was once again airborne. I watched out the window knowing that I was moving further and further from my paradise but enjoying the thoughts of beautiful days and nights spent there. Soon I found myself over the Bahamas and delighted in the view below.
Several hours later, I arrived in St.Louis and found that my connecting flight home was but a few steps away, directly at the gate opposite. There I sat and waited watching the CNN news and realizing that in all of my vacation, I had not watched any TV at all! I suppose I was so busy with drinking in all that I could of my surroundings, that the rest of the world and its troubles didn't really matter much. Back on my flight, I soared above the countrys midwest and farming communities, small towns and open farmland. Now the day almost over and at an end, I watched the sunset over my home as we descended for final approach. There were my mountains, my cities and freeways, my schools and buildings, my traffic and...my home. But I retain that memory of my paradise, and keep her near my heart even now. But all is not sad, for tomorrow I embark on my NEXT phase of this vacation...where will it be? Stay tuned!
Today's Quote:
Only a fool would refuse to enter a fool’s paradise—when that’s the only paradise he’ll ever have a chance to enter.-Jessamyn West
9:17:58 PM 
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