Poker, Pina Coladas, Dolphins, and Yachts!

Kerri and I have just arrived back in Costa Rica after our trip to the Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. We were there for Paradise Poker's Conquest of Paradise Island poker tournament. The tournament went great and winner Brian Malczewski walked away with a cool $500,000.

The Atlantis Hotel

View from Our Room

Ten days at the resort were wonderful, though I didn't have nearly as much time for "vacationing" as I thought I would. Trying to do my "day job" while helping run the tournament was a double-time job. But Kerri and I definitely enjoyed ourselves while we were there!

Along the Village Marina

"The Dig" Aquarium

We had dinner at Nobu, walked the maze of aquariums, strolled along the Marina Village and ogled the multi-million dollar yachts. I even snuck away on the last day we were there for a day by the pool and hitting the Atlantis water slides.

The Village Marina

Village Marina Shopping

The Straw Market

Dancing Bahamian Style

And we were particularly lucky to have our good friends Pat and Brooke from Denver join us at the resort for a week.

Pat and Brook in the Ocean

Brooke and Her Coconuts

Kerri spent time with them at the pool and beach during the day and then I joined up with them for dinners and hitting the casino at night. They even went swimming with the dolphins and on a shark-feeding trip. It was great to see them having not seen them since I left Denver 4 months ago!

Kerri and Brook in "The Dig"

Pat and Brooke at the Beach

Getting home was a bit rough. We were deplaned in the Bahamas due to "weather in Miami", re-boarded and took off, told mid-way to Miami that they were experiencing a Level 4 storm in Miami and tornados (tornados in Miami?), circled Miami for 2 hours, were redirected to Key West, sat on the ground in Key West for 2 hours, flown back to Miami after the storm subsided, and then caught our connection back to Costa Rica. All in all a 5 hour journey turned into a 12 hour journey! But we are home safe and sound now.

Dinner at Nobu