Paradise Found

Today our nation 'observes' Christopher Columbus day. For the most part, it is observed on the calendar only. Sure the banks and government buildings are shut down, but there is no real celebration throughout our great land.

In reality, on October 12, 1492, when Columbus sailed the ocean blue, he did not discover America. He landed, instead, on a tiny island in the Bahamas, call San Salvador.

The cross in San Salvador commemorates where Columbus supposedly landed his ships.

I live in an area of the country that has a large Native American population. They are quick to point out to the rest of us that 1. Columbus did NOT land in America, and 2. He did not DISCOVER America, as it was already occupied...by them. I think we have to concede that point to them. It was already occupied, and there was no 'discovery'.

What I have trouble understanding or believing, --and I question---is why?  oh why?  would Columbus EVER leave the place he did land?  WHY?  How could he even think about leaving once he had found this paradise?

The high school in Kansas, where my children

attended had an excellent

high school science teacher,

that taught the kids more than

'science by the book'.

They got to take field trips and learn from hands on experience.

These field trips might be to a local farmer's pond, or they might be to

SAN SALVADOR THE BAHAMAS.

Yes, really.  Every single year the seniors get to

take a field trip to the

Bahamian Field Station

located on an old U.S. Navy base.

There the students and their sponsors,

and that super-teacher,

stay for a week,

studying the corral reefs, the fish, the ocean

and take a crash course in ocean-life.

One year I tagged along as a sponsor. I haven't quit dreaming of the place since. The island high school was a stone's throw from the ocean, and I every single day often dream of teaching there.

It is a week the student's never forget. Besides snorkeling every day, (most of the day), there are also other sights we got to see: the bat cave (uber cool), the lighthouse (not for those that don't like heights ...me), the castle, the culture, and of course Columbus's landing. You can even search the area for 'treasure'. When we were there they said that there had been some rubies and saphires found recently.

You can see by the pictures (NONE of them color-enhanced by the way) that it truly was Paradise Found that October day.

Really, what could have been the pull for

Mr. Columbus

to leave this

paradise

and return to Queen Isabella

in Spain?

Ever since my trip to San Salvador, I have questioned the
'old guy'
and wondered about his mind....logic....and good sense!!

One of these days I am going back, and it might just be a one-way ticket ........to Paradise.

Happy Columbus Day.