Another Big Vacation - Part 3

"If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, 

why oh why can't I?"

— E.Y. Harburg 

The next morning we woke to the twists and turns of the massive ship winding its way past the reef and through a narrow channel cut into the shallow waters of the Belize coast.  The water glistened a light turquoise and the horizon was dotted with submerged islands of Mangrove trees, fishing boats, and other cruise ships making port.

We were happy to see one cruise ship in our anchorage, as planned, the Carnival, Magic.  It carried our friends from Corpus Christi, TX to join us in our Belize Adventure.  We had scheduled cave tubing and zip-lining in the Belize jungle through cavetubing.bz, and were extremely excited to start this adventure.

The shallow waters prevent docking, so all ships have to tender in their passengers.  The large tender boat piled us in as a tropical downpour reminded us why everything is so green in the tropics.

Once in Tourism Village (Couldn't they be a bit more creative with the name?), we scrambled for a few ponchos for the less insulated of our group and found our shuttle bus.  The shuttle was supposed to be reserved for us, but oddly some lost people jumped in, not knowing where they were supposed to be and the owner of the business, not wanting to pass up a sale, sold them their seats. It was no problem since they were a great couple.  In no time our friends Corey, Vanessa, Melissa and Trey had joined us and we were informed of the bad news:  the river was at flood stage and our float was canceled, but zip-lining was still available.  Saddened that our top adventure was canceled, we decided to enjoy ourselves nonetheless; besides, with friends like this, how could we not have fun?

An hour inland, our surroundings went from coastal savannah to lush jungle.  The rain had stopped, but since we all wore mostly our swimsuits, it wasn't a concern.  As we waited under the thatched prep area to be equipped, they calmed our nerves by introducing us to a tarantula... (Link if your browser has trouble, best if viewed on YouTube)

We all were strapped into harnesses, put on musty helmets, and handed soggy gloves from the last group.

  Last to be equipped was little Zoey.  I looked around for the child's harness and found none.  I asked, and they said it's one size fits all, as they pulled the straps tight and tied the excess in knots around her. 

Super excited and bit nervous (especially the littlest among us and me, her mom), we began to climb the hillside, ready to fly through the treetops.

 We all loved the exhilaration of zipping along the sturdy wires as the beautiful tropical jungle whizzed past us.

Zoey did amazing.  She refused to ride with anyone and each ride ended in a tear trickling down her cheek, but with determination to go on.  As she slid along line 5 of 7, she failed to have the weight and momentum to reach the next platform and was sent sliding back towards the center.  My little girl had to be rescued.  A little shaken, she decided to call it a day and wait for us at the bottom.  I was so proud of her.

Lunch was Belezian-spiced chicken, rice and beans in coconut milk, and coleslaw.  It was all delicious. During the ride back we were topped off with rum punch and the driver even made a special stop for us at the liquor store for some hard to find One Barrel Rum (super good and cheap).

Back a Tourism Village we shopped for some souvenirs and settled into the seaside bar for ceviche, drinks, and to leave our mark on Belize.  We were all sad to have missed the cave tubing, but happy to be with each other and have shared the adventure we did. Here's my super cool video documenting the whole experience: (Link if not viewable on your browser; best viewed on YouTube)
 

   

Having planned the first two stops, we left the last one open.  We planned to meet our friends again, and wondered what could Cozumel bring?

(to be continued)

Another Big Vacation - Part 2

 “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” 

 ― Jawaharlal Nehru

Having thoroughly enjoyed our previous experience in Honduras at Upachaya, we knew we wanted to go back with the whole crew on this trip.  Our reservation was made easily online and we prepared to visit the Mesoamerican Reef once again.

Carnival cruise line had crated a "tourist town", Mahogany Bay, for their Roatán experience.   Whereas Royal Caribbean ports in Coxen Hole, (named after the 17th century pirate John Coxen) the largest city in Roatán at a population of five thousand.

The two locations couldn't be more different.  Mahogany Bay is a mini resort paved, cleaned, painted and polished to appeal to the modern tourist and their ideas of vacationing in pristine cleanliness with first-world luxuries.  The beach at Mahogany Bay is made of imported sand and lined with chairs, umbrellas, and the sounds and smells of an ideal Caribbean vacation.

Coxen Hole has the usual port of entry tourist shops packed into a mini-mall type of introductory experience; 

Overlooking the island from the tourist area.  (John filming in the background)

Playing it up in the tourist shops.

...but once you set foot outside of the well guarded gates, you enter a true Central American experience.

Directly overhead, in the middle of town.

We exited onto bustling streets lined with sweaty, pushy salesmen attempting to direct you to their small storefronts.  The streets were uneven, cracked and unmarked.  Tangled power and cable lines  crisscross overhead and tropical trees and hibiscus flowers line the dingy streets.  Cars zoomed by in various degrees of disrepair, zigzagging along sometimes three vehicles wide on the narrow streets as pedestrians bravely claimed their share of the already overfilled road.  We saw one car with a large hole the size of a watermelon in the windshield filled with spray-foam insulation.  Third-world repairs are the best!!

We wandered down the street towards the nearest shops as children excitedly struck up conversations and walked along with us.  We often stepped over half-dead dogs who had flopped themselves awkwardly across the narrow broken sidewalks trying to sleep away the damp heat as tall slender chickens (which survive better in the tropics) darted under trees in nearby yards.  We found a few treasures in the modest little shops and found some empty chairs in a little ocean-side bar with a little dock for us to walk out over the water as we shared a few icy Monkey La-Las.

Still awaiting our tour, we wandered into what had affectionately been called the "local's beach", a slender stretch of rocky sand nearby the port.   We found ourselves on a small rickety dock enjoying the views of the ocean as Zoey tossed rocks in the ocean with the local children.

Our driver was prompt as usual and we, along with another family of 3, set out for Upachaya in Mud Hole (Maybe after a pirate named Mud?).  Before we knew it we were out on the water and swimming through the beauty that is the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

Zoey tried her best to join in, but the almost immediate introduction of salt water in her mask and eyes quickly revealed that she is not ready for this adventure.  When we were around the boat she did jump in to experience a small amount of snorkeling and got to hold a rather large star fish, but the rest of the time she played happily on the boat with Mario, one of the great guides.

We saw so many great sites, but instead of telling you, we used our new GoPro Hero 3+ video camera to document our adventure.  As it's our first attempt at videography and editing, it's a bit rough, but I hope you enjoy it. (If you can't select the video, or to see it with alt music click HERE.)

After the trip we were treated to a wonderful vegetarian snack lunch and the staff picked a fresh coconut for Zoey to eat and drink, which she loved.

When we arrived back in Coxen Hole, we dropped off our supplies at the ship and went back into town to finish our day.  As we walked we received an unofficial, unsolicited tour provided by one of the locals.  Bianca had her picture with him, which she loved......Okay, she wanted to shoot us.

After many musty hot shops, we settled back into the little ocean-side bar with a dock and enjoyed a drink of the local beer and played on the dock before departing.

As the ship pulled away from Roatán, Honduras, we all reflected on the authentic nature of our experience.  The grit, grime, sultry heat, blooming flowers, outgoing people, and rickety nature of the town only adds to the experience of visiting a far away place.  We all agreed it's a great place, worthy of visiting again.

The next day we would awaken in another country, ready for another experience; Belize City, Belize.

(to be continued)

Another Big Vacation - Part 1

"A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in."

-Robert Orben

Walking on the beach in Galveston, TX.

I've slacked a bit on the blog because life has a way of getting busy, but here's what we've been up to!!

My sisters planned a big cruise for the same dates and destinations we had gone last year:  Roatán, Honduras, Belize City, Belize, and Cozumel, Mexico.  Of course I wouldn't pass up  a chance to spend time with my sister Chrissy, and my little girl needed to see her aunt also, so the three of us booked our tickets.  We were excited to revisit these great locations, spend time with family, and curious about a different cruise line, Royal Caribbean.

John, Karlie, Zoey and myself arrived in Galveston a day early after an overnight drive of 9 hours.  Karlie and Chrissy had found us an interesting hotel with a great location.  The place itself was a little run down and the staff lacked in the hospitality department, but we couldn't beat the views we were privileged to wake up to both mornings.           

Our morning exercise took us to the shoreline to outrun the wind as fog still enveloped the town.

 As we walked collecting treasures for Zoey, I braved a touch of a jellyfish and convinced my daughter and sister to do the same...because I am a great role-model.  It is very clear why the call it a jellyfish, because it feels just like thick jelly.

 Next we drove the length of Galveston and back towards Kemah, TX.  In Kemah we toured a few great live-aboard sailboats and decided it is not only a financially feasible option for us in the future, but that living in one is not much different that our current home, so the transition would be easy.

The day was chilly (go figure it was December) so having had a long night previously, we finished a bit early with dinner at Fish Tales.  Karlie and I were challenged to our first raw oysters, and we both accepted with grimaces. We both agree, they are...gulp....slimily okay.

Brandon, Chrissy, and Bianca arrived late that night via shuttle transport after we had tucked in for the night, so the next morning we had a great morning reunion.  Waiting for the time to depart, we walked the beach tossing jellyfish back in the ocean then shuttled the crew to the pier to load onto the ship.

Once aboard we started with the essential exploration of our rooms, self-guided tours, first meal, and jumped in the hot tub as the boat launched.

Days and nights aboard the boat we ate, sat in the hot tubs, swam in the salt-water pool, drank foo foo drinks, ate, danced, watched flying fish, played shuffle board and miniature golf,

Doing it right!!!

...drank foo foo drinks, napped, shopped, ate,

...watched an ice skating show, played dodge ball,

A team to be reckoned with...

 ...ate, drank foo foo drinks, rock climbed,

Sadly I didn't make it to the kiddie bell, I might be a bit scared of heights.

Karlie is a pro!!

...dressed up, took pictures,

...participated in ridiculous game shows, and last but not least enjoyed time with each other.  Did I mention on a cruise ship you eat a lot, and drink at least one foo foo drink a day?


You may be wondering, what was Zoey doing all this time?  Although she spent much of her time with us, immersed in our activities;

Enjoying our morning balcony view.

So happy to see Aunt Chrissy.

Our waiter made her a paper animal each night.

Loving her towel-monkey our cabin steward made.

...she also enjoyed the kid's daycare area.  She played with kids her own age, created art projects, had her face painted, read books and watched shows. The first night's dinner she curled up o the chair and slept through the main course.  After that, we had to enforce an-hour-nap a day to ensure she could enjoy the night shows and stay awake during dinner.

John and I had been able to experience the Carnival, Magic (which runs the same course at the same time) on our previous trip and were able to now compare it to the Royal Caribbean, Navigator of the Seas.   Both were great vacation ships, but when we went on Magic, it was less than a year old, and we were on Navigator's last sail before refit.  Comparing them based on that was a bit difficult.  The ship was a bit worn, and so was the staff, probably ready for a much needed vacation.  Although both ships had comparable amenities, the Navigator's buffet had shorter lines and Carnival's snack shops were more plentiful, flavorful, and diverse.  We preferred Carnival's dinner menu, much to our surprise after reading some other reviews.  One plus when in port was disembarkation via tender was much quicker on Navigator.  In the end they were both great ships and vacations, but we didn't really see a justification in price increase for Royal Caribbean over the cheaper Carnival, when comparing these two ships.  Note: Perhaps I would change my mind after a refit, but unlikely.

For us, the purpose and highlights of cruising are the destinations. Our three ports of call were as exciting as ever.  After three days at sea, our first port of call was Coxen Hole, on the isle of Roatán, Honduras.

 (to be continued)