the watch of time

Many of us in Canada look in forward to a getaway, from late fall to early spring, to a warm southern destination somewhere in the Caribbean.

While we can plan and prepare for the trip as best we might, there are likely to be some surprises along the journey, some favourable and some not.

For instance:

• The degree of appreciation of shorter palm trees is directly correlated to their position in providing better shade on the beach
• Your travel agent may be uninformed about some local customs, such as that the only cream available for coffee comes from ordering a frozen dessert (true story!)
• All-you-can-eat buffets are great as long as one remembers that not all food categories need to be sampled at one meal
• Paying for adult-only areas does not guarantee that children will not show up periodically
• A certain degree of faith is required in the use of some resort equipment where hand washing is not an enforceable requirement
• A shopping centre along the beach with no chain stores may be replete instead with locals persistently hawking similar lines of largely useless merchandise
• Beach sand in consistently warm climates may be cooler than beach sand in those where warmth is more fleeting
• Having a huge on-site pool at a resort does not guarantee there will be shade protected seating, possibly leaving only shaded areas of the water
• Ceramic flooring may be great for comfortable outdoor walkways, but make for chill walking conditions in air-conditioned rooms overnight
• Becoming reacquainted with the ocean is more enjoyable when its embrace is temperate