Friday, January 6, 2012: Flight to Orlando
My flight was at 7am and I was up at 4am. Normally I take BART, but at 5am I want a chariot, so I called a cab. I got to the airport with time to spare. I've never been in the American terminal before, and it's nice: Good choices for food. All local places, and I got a smoothie from Plant Organic. This was possibly the most exciting part of the trip, since the flight to Orlando was over places like Arizona and Texas - dull, flat scenery.
Upon arrival I got together with my friend Scott - we've known each other since I was three years old, so talk about a reunion. He's working at Disney now so we headed over there for dinner, then went to Main Street and caught the end of the Electric Light Parade (which I remember from when I was a kid) and then saw the light show and fireworks over the Cinderella Castle. No one does fireworks like Disney!
Then we wandered a bit, and went to the Haunted Mansion, which we both love. Disney is also really good at lines, and making them interesting. Even though it was pretty empty, we enjoyed the line since there are these cool interactive deals - gravestones and a wall that plays music to the touch and books on the bookshelf that push themselves out after you push them in. After that we looked for some Tigger gear, but nothing too exciting, and by then I was totally zonked so we drove to Kissimmee to my aunt & uncle's place. He has this new car with all sorts of lights and button and knobs - it's totally like the Bat Mobile. Thankfully, it also has a GPS so we could find their place.
Then we wandered a bit, and went to the Haunted Mansion, which we both love. Disney is also really good at lines, and making them interesting. Even though it was pretty empty, we enjoyed the line since there are these cool interactive deals - gravestones and a wall that plays music to the touch and books on the bookshelf that push themselves out after you push them in. After that we looked for some Tigger gear, but nothing too exciting, and by then I was totally zonked so we drove to Kissimmee to my aunt & uncle's place. He has this new car with all sorts of lights and button and knobs - it's totally like the Bat Mobile. Thankfully, it also has a GPS so we could find their place.
Saturday, January 7th: Kissimmee and Tampa. Don't feed the alligators.
Saturday started out with… drumroll please… me and Anna drawing at the lake. We went joyriding in the golf cart then found a nice place to sit and draw and talk and draw. The weather was great and there was a rower on the lake and some birds. Perfect morning.
Then we picked up Pete and all had lunch together at Cheeks before heading out to Tampa to meet the rest of the clan. We took the scenic route - we missed the turn into the hotel driveway and then had to choose between the airport and a nice drive to parts unknown. We chose parts unknown and then found our way back. Nice little place once you get there, and Anna and I found a nice tree to draw. Then we all sat around out back and chatted until wandering across the street for dinner. The waitress was dropping Rs left and right - she was from Bahston - and Jean and I were cracking up. But dinner was good.
Sunday, January 8th: Tampa. Seahorses, lifejackets, and a sail-away.
Sunday morning Pete, Anna, and I headed over to the Aquarium. It's conveniently located between all of the cruise ships and quite nice. They have rocking chairs from the Cracker Barrel scattered throughout, and had a nice seahorse exhibit.
They also have a bar with nachos and a cold drink, and we took advantage of that before heading over to the ship. When I say they're near the ships, I mean it: Pete had to move the car from the aquarium lot to the cruise ship lot, but since I had to check in separately, I just pulled my bag out of the trunk and walked across the street to the entrance. I was glad for those nachos - the next hour or so consisted of long line after long line. When you finally get through all of those lines and onto the ship, you are greeted by loud music and people who are way too Disney Happy. You have enough time to find your room and get some real lunch before it's time for the emergency drill. The drill consists of following a herd of people down several flights of stairs into the theater, where they demonstrate how to put a lifejacket on. Oddly, what you don't know after all of this is where the heck the lifeboats are!
After the drill, we all gathered on the front deck of Pete & Anna's suite to watch the sunset and sail-away. They had a suite with one of the decks on the front of the ship, and it was a beautiful evening as we followed another huge boat out of the channel. We watched the sunset as we went under this very cool long bridge.
Anna timed our dinners around the sail-aways and sunsets, and that was really worthwhile. For bonus points, the full moon was a just a few days away, so we got to watch the moonrise.
Dinner the first night was at the Tex-Mex place, and I had fajitas while Anna had something that greatly resembled a medieval torture instrument.
Dinner the first night was at the Tex-Mex place, and I had fajitas while Anna had something that greatly resembled a medieval torture instrument.
Monday the 9th: At Sea. Ocean swell or earthquake?
Today was spent booking across the ocean. Jean and Catie were queasy, but I just felt as though I was in a mild earthquake. The sunrise and sunset were amazing, and we had snails for dinner. Well, we went to the French restaurant anyway, and Jamie had snails. This was also the day the Towel Animals began: I got back to my room to find a towel dog with a note telling me to reset my watch.
Tuesday the 10th: Roatan. Brian almost drowns, but everyone else has fun.
The morning started with a lovely sunrise, followed by running upstairs for breakfast since Anna forgot to put the order out on the doorknob the night before. We had a trip to Maya Kay planned, and getting there was easy: The little ferry was just as we got off the ship and it was like a 5-minute ride to the little private island. Anna and I love the water and have our own snorkeling gear, so while Brian and Jamie were renting some, we were getting our land-gear stuffed in a locker. The island has a nice beach with good swimming and some shade, but we headed down this long pier to get to snorkeling land. A nice man squirts Joy in your goggles (to keep them from fogging) and then tells you to follow the bottles that are tied to the bottom. The fish were amazing, but it was not for beginners: The water was really rough and you were really close to the reef. Apparently Brian sucked some water into the his snorkel, and Jamie towed him back to shore. Meanwhile, Anna and I were enjoying the fishies (although she later told me that she saw a lion fish).
After a good swim, it's time for lunch, and they had barbecue for us, and Coke! The ship is all Pepsi, but most of the ports seemed to be Coke. Anna and I had spied a mangrove tree just past the dock, so after lunch we wandered down there to draw the roots and discovered monkeys! There were three howler monkeys living there and they were quite curious about us. There's an animal rescue center on the island, and the monkeys had their own mini island and were bouncing around in the trees. We had a good time watching and drawing them, then wandered over to a bench swing before taking the tour of the sanctuary.
After a good swim, it's time for lunch, and they had barbecue for us, and Coke! The ship is all Pepsi, but most of the ports seemed to be Coke. Anna and I had spied a mangrove tree just past the dock, so after lunch we wandered down there to draw the roots and discovered monkeys! There were three howler monkeys living there and they were quite curious about us. There's an animal rescue center on the island, and the monkeys had their own mini island and were bouncing around in the trees. We had a good time watching and drawing them, then wandered over to a bench swing before taking the tour of the sanctuary.
What a fabulous collection of creatures! They were rescued from their lives in shopping malls and poaching and being found as an infant without the mother. We got to hold and feed a baby monkey, which was just the cutest thing. The mother was MIA, and the baby had been really small when they first got it, but had gotten bigger and had quite a lot of energy -eventually climbing on Brian's shoulder. They also had some crocodiles, two jaguars and spider monkeys, and birds. They also had a little Mayan museum, but we didn't have much time left to spend there. We did have time for the gift shop, though, and Anna and I both got monkey t-shirts.
Then it was back to the boat, another amazing sunset, and Chinese for dinner. The dinner was noteworthy for the unintentional amusement. First they kept bringing Brian all sorts of soups, trying to navigate his food allergies, finally leaving him with pea soup and a thought bubble that said "I didn't even order soup!" Then there was the piano player. Two floors down (there's an atrium) he was belting out the tunes - and I mean belting. I like live music, but he played the piano with the grace of an axe murder. I'll stick with Elton John.
Towel animal: Elephant
Wednesday the 11th: Belize. Mayan calendars and cave tubing
Amazing moon rise this morning - we've had such fantastic sun and moon action that is only appropriate for 2012. Anna and I didn't have a specific tour today (having had our monkey fix on Roatan), so we were just going to sketch on the pier. We were anchored for this stop, so you need to get on a tender for shore - along with 1,000+ other people. Happily, the suite has a long list of perks, and one of them is priority for the tenders. So we met a man in a black suit at the Italian restaurant and he took us down the back steps to the front of the line.
It's a 15-minute ride to the mainland, and the tenders here are basically anyone who owns a boat. I enjoyed the ride and once we got to the shore Anna and I decided to sit in the sun before it got too hot and humid, and that lasted about 10 minutes. Then we wandered the shops for a bit. Anna knew that there was a handicrafts market just outside the port gates, and let me tell you, the minute you cross outside the port authority, the locals are on you like flies on turd to take you on a tour. We made our way past them to the booths and the first one was some wonderful hand-carved slate works and wooden masks. We both got slate Mayan calendars. Very cool. Another booth had some wonderful hand-carved chess sets - they were like Mayan pyramids with the top level being the chess set, and a drawer to hold the pieces. I was sorely tempted, but the size and weight made me not get it. Although later I realized that I could have had Anna ship it to me so I wouldn't have to worry about it on the plane. Ah well.
It's a 15-minute ride to the mainland, and the tenders here are basically anyone who owns a boat. I enjoyed the ride and once we got to the shore Anna and I decided to sit in the sun before it got too hot and humid, and that lasted about 10 minutes. Then we wandered the shops for a bit. Anna knew that there was a handicrafts market just outside the port gates, and let me tell you, the minute you cross outside the port authority, the locals are on you like flies on turd to take you on a tour. We made our way past them to the booths and the first one was some wonderful hand-carved slate works and wooden masks. We both got slate Mayan calendars. Very cool. Another booth had some wonderful hand-carved chess sets - they were like Mayan pyramids with the top level being the chess set, and a drawer to hold the pieces. I was sorely tempted, but the size and weight made me not get it. Although later I realized that I could have had Anna ship it to me so I wouldn't have to worry about it on the plane. Ah well.
We made our way back to the port property (across the street and past a dozen local "tour operators") and wandered the shaded shopping area. There were your usual trinket shops along with a drugstore with hand-written labels and a sign that said "no photography." Even better there were some wonderful carved pillars and local plants to draw. There was also a shop with wonderful wood work. I got a fridge magnet and was tempted by a beautiful cheese board made out of 6 different woods and shaped like a fish, but I don't cut that much cheese, so I really couldn't justify it.
We were starting to melt, so it was time to head back to the boat for some lunch. We met Jean and Pete and headed up to the 13th floor, and while we were sitting there about to order we saw Rick wander by so he joined us as well. While Jamie and Brian were on a long bus ride to cave tubing, Anna and I made time for the pool and some more sketching.
There were wonderful clouds all around, making for another beautiful sunset and sail away. There were four ships in the area and we lined up and took turns going out of the channel. I had dinner in the cafeteria (I think they call it "the Marketplace") and then went for a walk on the top deck and looked out at stars, stars, and more stars.
Towel animal: Ray
There were wonderful clouds all around, making for another beautiful sunset and sail away. There were four ships in the area and we lined up and took turns going out of the channel. I had dinner in the cafeteria (I think they call it "the Marketplace") and then went for a walk on the top deck and looked out at stars, stars, and more stars.
Towel animal: Ray
Thursday the 12th: Costa Maya, Mexico. Get me a Slinky.
Today was Mayan Ruins day for me, Anna, Rick, and Jean. A quick load onto the bus, a 45-minute ride in air-conditioned comfort, and a guide who's an archeologist. We learned about the site and which leaves from the trumpet tree to smoke if you want to contact the gods. Then we got to actually climb some ruins. The steps are huge an uneven and Jean and I were holding our breath as a couple of guys were swinging their kid down the steps ("One, two, three, wheee!"). But we did appreciate someone else's comment about wanting a Slinky! A great trip, with just enough cloud cover to keep us from completely broiling.
After that, Anna and I headed to the tourist area on the port. Cheesy tourist stuff, but very colorful, and a nice view of the water and dolphins to watch - with shade!
For dinner it was Teppenyaki. I've never had this before but it's dinner with flair - they prepare it in front of you with style. I mean juggling eggs on a spatula (and the chef got egg in his eye). Goggy would love it. We had an origami thing going on as well, and Jean got really creative making Viking sails out of her menu and chopsticks and using her fruit as the boat. Glad to have her as a role model. And of course Brian got more soup!
Afterward, Jamie and I found our way to the chocolate festival - we had to wind our way around since they were doing traffic control by closing some doors. I liked the ice cream the best; Jamie found some pointless white sponge thing that we both decided was, well, pointless.
After that I sat on my patio and looked out at 5 million stars with lightening flashing on the horizon. Infinitely cool.
Towel animal: Unknown species, but friendly.
After that, Anna and I headed to the tourist area on the port. Cheesy tourist stuff, but very colorful, and a nice view of the water and dolphins to watch - with shade!
For dinner it was Teppenyaki. I've never had this before but it's dinner with flair - they prepare it in front of you with style. I mean juggling eggs on a spatula (and the chef got egg in his eye). Goggy would love it. We had an origami thing going on as well, and Jean got really creative making Viking sails out of her menu and chopsticks and using her fruit as the boat. Glad to have her as a role model. And of course Brian got more soup!
Afterward, Jamie and I found our way to the chocolate festival - we had to wind our way around since they were doing traffic control by closing some doors. I liked the ice cream the best; Jamie found some pointless white sponge thing that we both decided was, well, pointless.
After that I sat on my patio and looked out at 5 million stars with lightening flashing on the horizon. Infinitely cool.
Towel animal: Unknown species, but friendly.
Friday the 13th: Cozumel, Mexico. The rain dance that worked.
For breakfast we headed upstairs again - great omelets. Then Anna and I met Catie and headed over to Discover Mexico. This required taking a cab, which was fine once you get there. When you get off the ship you are in the tourist port area, and in order to get down to the cabs you have to walk all the way through the shops.
Discover Mexico is a very cool place that is essentially a museum. Inside they have all sorts of beautiful carvings and weavings (and a rooster made from dried peppers).
Outside they have scale models of all sorts of Mayan ruins, and it's really cool to see the different styles - they weren't all just stacks of rocks! They were built in different styles, with different numbers of levels and facing particular ways. You don't realize this when you're standing in front of them since they're huge piles of rocks.
They have a nice tour with someone telling you about the different sites, and they have a show of a rain dance, that consists of wrapping rope around the top of a telephone pole, and four guys loop themselves in one end, which a fifth guy stands on top of the pole and plays the flute and dances - calling to the winds. Then the four guys hang upside down and spin around the pole - uncoiling the rope - down to the ground.
Outside they have scale models of all sorts of Mayan ruins, and it's really cool to see the different styles - they weren't all just stacks of rocks! They were built in different styles, with different numbers of levels and facing particular ways. You don't realize this when you're standing in front of them since they're huge piles of rocks.
They have a nice tour with someone telling you about the different sites, and they have a show of a rain dance, that consists of wrapping rope around the top of a telephone pole, and four guys loop themselves in one end, which a fifth guy stands on top of the pole and plays the flute and dances - calling to the winds. Then the four guys hang upside down and spin around the pole - uncoiling the rope - down to the ground.
Sounds crazy but it worked - as we were eating lunch it started to rain! We were under cover, so we enjoyed some fabulous tacos (she was making the tortillas right there) while the traditional dancers played Angry Birds on their iPhones.
On the way back to the ship we stopped at the little shops on the street. We saw a dress that matched one of Pete's Hawaiian shirts, and Anna had to get it. She also got some vanilla extract. Catie was checking out the purses - Coach and Louis Vuitton. They had tags that said "made in Italy" on one side and had Chinese characters on the other. She found a pink pink pink one that was just perfect for her.
On the way back to the ship we stopped at the little shops on the street. We saw a dress that matched one of Pete's Hawaiian shirts, and Anna had to get it. She also got some vanilla extract. Catie was checking out the purses - Coach and Louis Vuitton. They had tags that said "made in Italy" on one side and had Chinese characters on the other. She found a pink pink pink one that was just perfect for her.
Another perfect sunset, then I had dinner at the café again, and enjoyed a nice walk on the ship's deck.
Towel animal: Cobra.
Saturday the 14th: Sailing back. 30 and too many Rs.
Today was a sea day - making our way back to Florida. I joined Pete and Anna for breakfast and we had room service which was nice as always. By now Jean and I are wondering how we're going to feed ourselves when we get back - you mean you don't just pick up the phone and the butler brings you cheese and crackers at 3?
For lunch they were doing a taste of India, and a bunch of us tried that. Good food, great variety, and soup!Today was also Brian's 30th birthday, and Jean had prepared a PowerPoint presentation, complete with music. She also had t-shirts printed for us, which she held up with pride, until Pete pointed out that she had misspelled "Carribean." I figure it's like the postage stamp with the upside-down airplane - it's the typo that makes it so precious.
For dinner we went to the steak house, where we were put in the back room with some extremely loud people. They eventually finished their meal and headed to the bar (not sure they needed one more drink) and it was suddenly quieter. The food was fantastic, and as it was Brian's birthday they sang to him and brought him a giant slice of cake - which he can't eat. The rest of us could, though, and it was good!
In the evening Anna and I went to the cruise ship version of Cirque du Soleil. A sort of hybrid of different types of dance, acrobatics, and a magician. Actually quite good, although with all-purpose performers you get the occasional person who's built like a truck doing ballet.
I got back to the room late to find that my towel animal was a bunny - with creepy red eyes. I disassembled him.
Sunday the 15th: Back in Florida.
I woke up early to the smell of pollution. We were back in dock, and the cruise ships are across from the industrial area. Right next to use was some form of gas tanker - it had "No Smoking" written on it in massive letters that you could read across the channel.
We had breakfast together then said our goodbyes. Pete and Anna headed home; Jean's clan went to the aquarium before heading off to their afternoon flight; and I headed straight to the airport. Well, almost, the cabbie had to stop for gas.
I got to the airport with time to kill, but it had a nice seating area, some good music playing, and a cobb salad and wi-fi.
The flight back was more interesting than the flight over, going over several canyons and snowy mountains. The pilot was pessimistic about the weather - "So far it's clear in SFO, but that can change" - but it was beautiful coming in, with enough clouds to make it interesting but not choppy.
I got home in time for dinner and laundry and was thankful that Monday was a holiday!
