Back On U.S. Soil

Yep, they let me back in the country :) Not sure if that's good or not - I mean if they didn't let me in I could've gone back out :) I would've missed my kids because I certainly missed them after a week. But what a great trip! We had a fabulous time.

The brief cruise run-down:

Left Tampa Sun. 11/15



At sea Mon. 11/16 - hung around the ship, played mini-golf, got my nails done, dressed up for dinner at the steakhouse (it was formal night) and Happy Birthday to the triplets - they are officially 3 - hey, we had to celebrate something :)



Cayman Islands Tues. 11/17 - no excursion - just shopping :)



Yes, that's Kirk. Yes, it's a tattoo - he designed it - says my name - very cool :) Our ship is behind him.



Our view from the tender boat - very blue water.



Just being goofy - we're on vacation after all!!



Cozumel, Mexico Wed. 11/18 - this time we're docked - Carnival next to Princess - little jealousy forming - I liked the Princess ship better (we cruised Princess last time) but Carnival had a better stateroom - hmm...



Looks like what I imagined Mexico to look like :) Notice they're getting ready for Christmas.



Ate at a real Mexican restaurant - it even included entertainment...



After lunch went rock-climbing and on a zip line then snorkeling - managed to climb one wall shaking - don't want to do it again. The zip line I could do again any day - repelling too - as long as I can climb stairs to get there!!



Kirk makes it look easy... (I think that's the 45 foot wall - no one tried the 60 foot wall - wonder why!)



After cheating death we snorkeled saw lots of fish - a few baracuda - then relaxed by the pool and the beach - doesn't get better than that!



Belize (borders Guatemala) Thu. 7/19 - off the ship just after it "docked" - another tender boat from ship to shore - then a two-hour bus ride into the country - plenty of time to see the countryside:

A house.



A supermarket.



After two hours we made it to the Mayan ruins - crazy people I tell ya - human sacrifices - getting high to talk to their "gods" - bizarre - but they had a cool "temple" that we got to climb. Couldn't be scared of heights - no hand rails and we were a good 100 or so feet up (750 feet above sea level at the top).

We're heading up to the top were the guards are - yep, those are people up there and they have pretty big guns - I don't think they like tourists as much as the tour guides :)



Fresco design on the side of the pyramid - we're now half-way up.



View from the top.



Straight down.



The guys with guns - told you they didn't like tourists - we got up there and they bolted - also gave us a hard time for not knowing the difference between Belize and Guatemala - um, how are we supposed to know?



See that tiny road - closer to the camera is Belize - further away is Guatemala - yep, I knew that!



Life on the edge.



Not the best picture of me but that's how close to the edge we were - with no hand rails!



Kirk's being dangerous :) Okay, it doesn't seem so when you look at the photos but everyone who was afraid of heights clung to the walls or didn't even make the climb!



Side view - coming down.



Two hour bus ride back - small siesta for all of us (meaning the tour guide didn't talk the whole way back) - then leaving Belize - slightly late - we arrived back to the ship just minutes before it was scheduled to pull away - oops!



Our ship is so far away! (on the far left)



Closer up - we pull up to the side and climb on board.



Honduras Fri. 11/20 - last stop - super hot - felt like the ship pulled right up to the parking lot - no excursions again - just a bit of shopping - not many stores and they all seemed American.

Notice the ship in the back!



Isla Roatan - a shot of the actual island and not just the port.



The shops.



Don't ask cause I have no idea. Wondering about my hair? Flat irons were contraband so I used mine sparingly (hey, formal nights I HAD to look good!) - made for a lot of bad hair days...



View of the port from the ship.



Saturday - another day at sea - no ports 11/21 - just relaxing - taking pics of the ship :)

Waterslide - oh yea, I went on it - at least 12 times - would've gone more but there was a line and who wants to wait?!



In the buffet dining hall - view from the steakhouse.



Returned to Tampa WAY too early yesterday morning. I'll miss our room and balcony the most - we propped the door open every night to hear the waves. It stayed that way until about 7:30 the next morning when our next door "neighbors" went out for a smoke - boy they were LOUD!

Okay, maybe that wasn't as brief as I intended but hey, it's not ALL the pictures we took :)

Overall it was a great trip - lots of relaxing and renewing with Kirk which was much needed. Missed the kids but I'm so glad that Kirk and I made the trip.