Your frenemy “Cassie” is a braggart, from shopping to travel, she’s always going on about something she’s done better than you. Recently, she went somewhere tropical and came back boasting about how she swam with the dolphins and the surreality of it. You politely smile, nod and pretend to listen to her wax on about how wonderful it was while rolling your eyes on the inside. It’s not as though she rode a shark or high-fived a polar bear.
Don’t get me wrong, swimming with the dolphins is a great thing to do, a unique activity for the rest of us who don’t live anywhere near them. However, it is one of those things you have to do if you’re visiting Hawaii, the Keys, Bermuda, etc. so most people who travel to these places come back with similar stories and photos.
Now it’s your turn to one-up her travel stories. Head to the Bahamas and visit the Exuma Islands. Here, you can soak up some sun on the crystal-white sands, cruise the island on a scooter or sail out to Big Major Cay to swim with pigs. Yes, you read that correctly. When you pull up to the island in your boat, these little cuties dive right in and swim up to greet you. They’ve become accustomed to locals feeding them table scraps, so visitors should try to remember to stuff their satchel with some bread or other pig-friendly snacks. You can walk the beach with these guys, sit and play with them or jump in the ocean and have a race. They’re game for whatever you want to do, as long as you give them attention and something to eat.
When you come back from your vacation, blissful and tan, pay Cassie a visit. As soon as she starts taking over your vacation story with, “When I went to Barbados, I swam with dolphins…” you can interrupt with, “Swimming with dolphins is so yesterday. I swam with piggies!”
About the author: Joy likes swimming with almost all members of the animal kingdom. She often acquires a car rental to visit and explore far flung destinations.