pigletfish
Contributor
I've been off the board since July, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now that my treatments are nearing an end, my husband and I are starting to plan a long-awaited and much-needed vacation. Hurray! We plan to go for 7-10 days in early February, after I've had a couple of months to regain some strength.
I am one of the unlucky 13% of breast cancer patients who develop the disease in their 20s or 30s. My age and good physical fitness have been an asset overall in recovering from the surgery and fighting through everything. However, chemo has been difficult and has left me bedridden for weeks at a time. As a result, my muscles have atrophied and my cardio fitness and staminia are now, how shall we say, "diminished". :05: I know I will bounce back, and I should be getting stronger already by the time we go on vacation, but probably not strong enough yet to go scuba diving.
So, for this vacation, we are looking for a Caribbean island where we will find warm water (~80 degrees) and great snorkeling -- not too much current or surge, good vis, and lots of fish (and turtles and rays, please!). Since I am an underwater photographer, I prefer to snorkel in water <5 feet deep (the shallower the better), where I can easily get close to the little critters. We'd also like some topside activities -- easy hikes, gardens to visit, scenic drives, that sort of thing.
In the general region, we've already been to Bonaire, Curacao, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John, St. Kitts, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Belize (Ambergris Caye and Placencia), and Roatan. For this trip, we'd prefer to go someplace new. Recommendations please! Many thanks!!
I am one of the unlucky 13% of breast cancer patients who develop the disease in their 20s or 30s. My age and good physical fitness have been an asset overall in recovering from the surgery and fighting through everything. However, chemo has been difficult and has left me bedridden for weeks at a time. As a result, my muscles have atrophied and my cardio fitness and staminia are now, how shall we say, "diminished". :05: I know I will bounce back, and I should be getting stronger already by the time we go on vacation, but probably not strong enough yet to go scuba diving.
So, for this vacation, we are looking for a Caribbean island where we will find warm water (~80 degrees) and great snorkeling -- not too much current or surge, good vis, and lots of fish (and turtles and rays, please!). Since I am an underwater photographer, I prefer to snorkel in water <5 feet deep (the shallower the better), where I can easily get close to the little critters. We'd also like some topside activities -- easy hikes, gardens to visit, scenic drives, that sort of thing.
In the general region, we've already been to Bonaire, Curacao, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John, St. Kitts, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Belize (Ambergris Caye and Placencia), and Roatan. For this trip, we'd prefer to go someplace new. Recommendations please! Many thanks!!
