A Caribbean Safari????

 We love animals!  Our safaris in Africa have been some of our best experiences while traveling.  Who would have thought that the highlights of a Caribbean Cruise would also be seeing wildlife!

Alligators right by our walking path in the Everglades!

Manatees circling our ship as we were pulling away from the dock

A fish feeding frenzy in the Bahamas!

Sloths in Roatan, Honduras.

The guide assured us that they were every bit as lazy as we had been led to believe.

But could anything be any cuter? 

The workers lift them up by their arms and sort of hang them on you.

Also McCaws

And spider monkeys

They are the opposite of the sloths - perpetual motion machines who look in pockets and will take glasses and anything not attached firmly.

The guide put food on our heads which the monkeys loved!

These animals were all rescued from illegal sales and have found sanctuary in this wonderfully run place.

Schools of fish off the coast of Roatan

Colorful starfish in 'Star Fish Alley'.

Dolphins welcoming our snorkel group to Belize

A cooperative Moray Eel

Pelicans

A family favorite thanks to Grandpa Lewis's Pelican poem!

The fishermen were cleaning fish and the pelicans were looking for any scraps that might be thrown their way.

Standing in shallow water with stingrays and nurse sharks!

The sharks have rough sandpaper like skin

The rays feel like squishy mushrooms.

Seeing a Seahorse in the ocean

They hide among the roots near the shore because according to our guide, everything likes to eat them.

Feeding Tarpons

They are aggressive, stealth hunters.

And yes holding that little fish out there was a bit scary!

Of course iguanas in Mexico.

And finally in Key West, Hemingway's cats - well actually the descendants of his polydactyl cats or cats with extra toes.

They live at the house where he lived during his time in Key West.

And have free rein of the house and gardens.

The cruise was one memory making day after another.

 

Aruba! Jamaica! Ooh I Want to Take Ya

 For years I have wanted to go to Jamaica.  George went there with his family after his graduation from high school in 1968.  For part of the time they stayed on Negril Beach which was then '7 miles of white sand beach with one small hotel and two bungalows.' Now that white sand beach is lined with hotels.

I guess that is progress!

Our son-in-law Mark served his mission in Jamaica. 

I was so excited that our cruise ship would be stopping there.

We docked at Falmouth and enjoyed a rafting  excursion on the Martha Brae River.  

The rafts are 30 feet long and are exactly the same as those once used to transport goods from the plantations to the port.

The scenery is a lush tropical paradise.

Our 'dispatcher' was over 60 years old and had been on the river for more than 30 years.

Most of the young guys quickly passed us by but he didn't mind.  He just chuckled and said that they were all hoping to get another guide job on the river today but they couldn't go back to the starting spot until he arrived anyway!

The very relaxed trip didn't bother us at all.

Why rush when you are on vacation.

Slow down and enjoy the beauty.

Enterprising locals had set up small 'stores' along the bank just in case you wanted to stop and shop.

I didn't buy anything until we got to the end.  Wahoo!   They had Dr. Pepper and I quickly got one before I asked how much they were.  $5 for the can.  Oh well, it did taste great!

George enjoyed some $11 ice cream at a place ranked by National Geographic as the 4th Best Ice Cream in the world.  We could both hear Grandpa Lewis saying, "You should be able to buy 3 gallons for that price."

In case you are wondering how the river got its name well....there is a legend of an old Arawak 

 witch (Arawak are indigenous Caribbeans - they are the ones that first encountered Christopher Columbus) who lived on the banks of the river Matibereon.   Having heard tales of Arawak gold, Spanish treasure hunters captured the witch and tortured her to lead them to the treasure.  Pretending to comply, she led them to a cave, then suddenly disappeared.  Frightened, the Spaniards ran out of the cave only to be engulfed by the river.  The witch then changed the course of the river forever.  Supposedly the gold is still hidden somewhere near the river.  I'm still fuzzy on how the Matibereon River became the Martha Brae!

Such a fun day in Jamaica!

Cruises

 For most of my life, I thought that I could never go on a cruise.  I was sure that my motion sickness would keep me safely on solid ground.  But when John and Katherine said they wanted to go on a cruise to Antarctica, my competitive spirit took over and I knew I had to go.  Armed with scopolamine patches and plenty of dramamine, I got on the ship and I survived.  In fact I loved it.  Although we haven't been on too many ocean cruises, I can say that I love it now.  Months before the mission call came, we booked a  Caribbean Cruise and it was wonderful.  

Fort Lauderdale - Bahamas -Jamaica -Roatan, Honduras - Belize - Cozumel - Key West

10 Fantastic days on Holland America's Eurodam.

Maximum Capacity 2104 passengers

Small compared to the giant Royal Caribbean - Icon of the Seas

Maximum Capacity 7600 passengers and 2350 crew.

I am not sure that I would enjoy that as much. 

I'll stick with the smaller HAL ships.

A few things I loved

The steel drum band

Trinidad and Tobago's national instrument

They performed classical music as well as show tunes.

Amazing talent! None of them read music.  They learn new songs just by listening and copying.

Yummy food from pizzas to fancy meals to lobster rolls.

No reason to ever be hungry on a cruise.

Beautiful sunsets!

Love shipmates with a sense of humor!

And yes, it is easy to get turned around and lost on a cruise ship.

Sometimes strange things happen - like George getting a pedicure!

What a wonderful way to relax and enjoy spending time together before we head off to Peru for 18 months!