Decisions, Decisions

So, I have a choice to make.

I have three vacation destinations from which to choose. My job for today was to do a little "homework" on each locale, and see which one I'd like to visit. But the internet here at work is being difficult, so I haven't been able to do nearly as much reading as I'd hoped. But I have read a little bit, and seen some amazing pictures. However, the pictures can be deceiving: Remember; I will be backpacking, not staying in the lap of luxury in some beach-front resort. Although it would be a nice surprise to land and have a nice hotel room waiting for me. Wink wink, Billy.

Anyway, this post has a purpose, and it is this: To ask you all if you have any recommendations. So, any advice? Anything I should know about? Any excellent tips you have about any of my choices that I won't find on Google? I don't really want to know the bad stuff, but feel free to give me sugar-coated bad stuff, too. I just need help. Billy's giving me the reigns of choice, but I'm severely under informed.

So, here goes:

South Africa. Maybe Cape Town?

Billy says that going to South Africa for my first trip abroad may be a bit much for me to handle. He thinks maybe we should go somewhere a bit more tame. I tend to agree with him (I'm thinking about bugs and safaris and heat...), but I must admit that the idea of saying "When I was in South Africa..." has its appeal. And then there's the cage diving with sharks. [As a side note, I told Billy last night how I'd written about the cage diving with sharks that he's so intent on. "Did you say Great Whites?" he said, panicked. "No," I told him. "I just said sharks." "But," he countered, "they'd be Great White Sharks!" Okay, okay. Great Whites. I get it. So I guess I'd be saying "When I was cage diving with Great White sharks in South Africa..." Either way, it sounds dangerous and awesome.]

Belize.

Goddamn. The photos of this place are beautiful. Billy has informed me, however, that going to Belize requires that we SCUBA dive. Which is fine and all, but that means I have to take SCUBA classes. Boo. I don't want to spend a few days of my first vacation out of the U.S. and on some exotic beach in school. But it would be amazing. I'm sure I could stand a few lessons. And I'm sure there are tons of other things to do, too. Oh, and the site says "English speaking." That's a big plus in my book. At least I won't feel like an idiot when I have to talk to people.

Maldives.

Once again, the photos are phenomenal. Breathtaking. Clear water, white sand. Paradise almost. But again, I must remind myself that this would be no All-Inclusive Resort vacation. Billy said that, if we chose the Maldives, we'd just sit around on a beach all week. "Which sounds great," he said, "but I know you, and you're going to want to do something after a day or two of just sitting on the beach." True. But my idea of "doing something" doesn't necessarily involve strapping a tank to my back and floating around in shark-infested waters. I consider drinking "doing something." I'm pretty open.

I have some pictures that I scrounged off of Google Images that I intended to post, but Blogger won't let me post them. So, although I can't supply you with a visual I will say this: they all look amazing. And, still, I have no idea where to go.

So, please, if you've been to any of those places, if you live or have lived in any of those places, PLEASE toss your two cents at me. I'd appreciate it.