16 March. Today is yet another Sea Day. After all of the fun we had in Jamaica, we needed a day to have a lie in. For us though, it didn’t really happen. There was this time change thing that was happening and I just couldn’t get that extra hour of sleep.
I was rather embarrassed. I awoke to go to yoga in the morning. When I got upstairs, No one was there. A girl walked in and I asked if there was to be a yoga class. She told me I was an hour early. What a silly woman I am. I forgot to change the time on my phone. No harm done. I got George a glass of orange juice and a cookie and brought it to him. At 8:30 I returned to the gym for the yoga class. I was the only one there. A few minutes later another lady asked if she could join and off we went.
This yoga class is more of a stretch class and that is just fine by me. I’m new at this and it works for now. Stretching is better than nothing. I asked the new gym instructor a few questions about the difference between yoga and pilates and he told me I’d enjoy the pilates. He called it yoga with equipment. I said great and decided to got to the next class. I also asked him where we could find a chin bar on the ship and he told me to go to the third floor, go through the staff mess, take the lift up to the 10th floor then take the stairs to the 11th floor where I would find the bar I was looking for.
I went running back to the room, got George dressed and had him follow me. We went to the 10th floor looking for those stairs but didn’t find them. Then we went down to 3 saw a cabin steward and asked directions. He was flummoxed by our request and sent us to the front desk. When we arrived, they teased about my bringing bad news. We told him what we wanted and were told no. We asked if we could install a chin bar in the room for the duration of the trip and he told us he’d ask. He then proceeded to show George how to do chin-ups using a different piece of equipment that was there. So…..
Back up to the gym where he tried that. Yuck! It didn’t work. By this time, the guy in the gym came over and set up a way for George to do chin-ups every day. He did 10 I believe and called it a day. Pre-trip he was doing 30 at a time. 88 days in and he’s lost his mojo. We’ve decided that is the first thing he does every day when he wakes now.
After all this running, it was now around 11 am. We took showers and at noon we went for lunch. Today was the ladies luncheon and I asked George to take a few photos for me so he followed me down. All the girls gathered around the stairs and he took a few photos. He realized there were too many people so he went running around to the dining room entrance and took a video of all the girls as they went in. Thank you lover.
It was an enjoyable lunch and at around 2 pm I returned to the room. Now this is where it gets to be a bit odd. George wasn’t in so I left a note with the time on it and went up to the 9th floor to see if he was having lunch. Nope. I returned to the room to wait.
20 minutes later I added the time to the note again and toured the ship from 4 to 10. No George. At 3 I did it yet again. This was getting embarrassing because people began asking me where George was. I stayed mum.
I returned to the room and began to think the worst. Maybe after 4 years of marriage the honeymoon was over. In fairness to me, there was a woman on the ship flirting with him rather strongly one day. Anyway, I had a good cry then turned on a movie to wait. Around 1/2 an hour later he came back. My first question was "whose room were you in?" He told me he was in the Polo room playing bridge. A likely story! During my rounds, I was up there and the door was closed. How could he possibly be in there?
As it turned out, he and his partner came in 3rd. What a great day for him and a shameful one for me not trusting him. After a rather bad previous marriage, I went to the worst case rather than thinking it through. I’ll try not to do that again.
Dinner that night was in the Polo Lounge (room) and we met a few new people. This is always good fun. George passed out 2 puzzles and the next morning, one man called and told us he had finished it in about 40 minutes. That must be a new record.
The next day we were to land in Roatan, Honduras. We had plans to go diving with another lady and were eager and out of bed by 7. The ship stopped in the water. I’m not kidding. It just stopped. We were looking around and saw the pier in the distance and guessed we were a bit early. We were to meet our friend on the dock at 8 so we got all of our gear together and were ready to head out the door when the announcement came that we were skipping this port due to high winds that were expected and the danger to the ship and passengers.
How disappointing. When we were on the deck, we saw no wind. My NOAA app showed nothing suspicious, but I’m sure the ship has much better equipment than I have ever dreamed of. We decided to make the most of it and so we went up to do some exercise. Perhaps one of the reasons we had to cancel the stop was because of the Norwegian Escape that ran aground in the Dominican Republic on March 14th. Maybe the captain, or Oceania was being extra cautious.
On the way back we saw a couple playing cards and went over to have a chat. Later we decided to teach them Hand Knee and Foot and ran back to the room to get the cards. It was a nice way to spend a few hours in the morning.
We returned to the room and watched the rest of the movie we had started the night before. After lunch, we went back again to the room and watched a few more movies. Since it was St. Patricks day, there were a lot of green desserts laid out. I tried the Irish soda bread and will say it tasted like cardboard. I’ll pass next time.
At 7 that night we had dinner with the cruise director and another girl from the entertainment crew. Overall it was a very pleasant unexpected sea day.
The next morning we awoke at around 6:30 or so and had a bit of leisurely computer time before getting dressed to go on an excursion. Today we are in Santo Tomas, Guatamala and opted for the hike to the waterfalls.
The bus ride took about 30 minutes and the tour guide told us a lot about the town and the country. When we arrived, we had the obligatory loo stop then set off down the trail with a lady guide. The first stop was a sign with pictures of local birds so she could show us the birds we might see. The next stop (5 feet away) was another sign so she could show us some animals we might see. The next stop - George and I took off. And before you say anything grumpy, we had memorized the map so we knew the way to both waterfalls, and the way back out again. It’s a circular path with one switch back.
One of the joys of hiking for us is the solitude while being surrounded by nature. We got a hundred or so feet in front of the pack and that was all it took to be able to hear the birds and at one time we even heard the monkeys. The plants were abundantly lush. The root systems of the trees were astounding.
At the first waterfall, we took off our clothes and dove right in. The water was rather refreshing. At this stop I handed the phone to a friend and asked her to take a few photos. I think they turned out rather nice but I’m biased. When we are done with our swim we found a rock to sun ourselves on for a bit. On the way out, we decided to go over the shallow rocks to the entrance steps. They were moss covered so I went first as I’m more sure footed. George was to follow EXACTLY so he could get out. Guess what? He didn’t. And he fell. Thankfully there were no broken bones, but he did do a number on his elbow and wrist. I’m sure the abrasions will go away soon though.
When we finished there, we all headed off again. I laughed and told everyone they were just going to have to watch me walk in my swim suit. If they didn’t like it they could look away. We all had a good little chuckle. Once more, the guide stopped to talk about plants and some such. George and I were stuck behind the pack! Disaster for us. Now we would lose the solitude.
As luck would have it, they stopped again in a spot that allowed for us to pass them and we asked the second guide which was up next, the bridge or the second waterfall. Upon getting the answer we took off.
We arrived at the waterfall a good 10 minutes before the rest of the pack and once more stripped of and went for a swim. This time I took the phone with me. After all, iPhones are waterproof.
This one wasn’t as deep as the first. You walked along a gravely section of the pool that gradually dipped to chest high-around 4 feet. Then bam! In you fell. What a wonderful surprise. The water in both pools was invigorating. Not cold as I would have expected, but perhaps it has something to do with the 86 degree temperature and the 96% humidity.
After a refreshing swim, the others began to come along. While they jumped in and cooled off, George and I found a tree branch that had fallen over to sit on. There was a shallow pool under our feet and we dangled our toes in the water. As we did so, we realized we were in a fishy pedicure spot. When the fish first came up and bit, it was a bit of a shock, but then I decided to just let it happen. After all, I have paid for this service in other countries. Here it was for free (well, not really if you count in the cost of the excursion.) George giggled quite a lot as they tickled his feet.
After a half hour of this, we decided to carry on with the hike. We took off along the path and took a few photos of the local wild life. I saw some leaf cutter ants, a few spiders, and a yellow poisonous frog. I only know this because I have a puzzle version of it near the fountain in our entrance way. Had we been with the other hikers, I would have missed the frog.
We hiked the rest of the way back to the entrance area. When we arrived George went to sit down while I took a wander around the area. Inside they had a room full of glass cages with reptiles inside. There were a number of snakes, a tiny lizard much like the kind we have in Florida, and a tarantula; the thing of my worst nightmares. I ran back and brought George over to take a look at them.
When we returned, there was a lady making tortillas and she handed me a ball of dough. I patted out one in the shape of a heart - it was unintentional I swear. I tossed it on the stovetop and waited a few minutes to flip it over. The dough was hot! I used my finger tips just as the local lady did.
She showed me where the fillings were when the tortilla was finished and I fixed the little heart for my lover. I had one myself. Around this time the other guests came along and everyone got a chance to pat out a tortilla and we all had a very nice fresh lunch. I purchased two local beers for us as well as a bag of plantain chips. I opened them up and passed them around for the other guests to try. Poor George got one that was slightly burnt and refused to eat any others. Mine was fine, but the next one wasn’t. The local beers were good too. After an hour we all climbed back in the bus for the ride back.
The guide told us quite a bit more about the country. She was impressed that Will Smith had been there recently and talked about it ad nauseam. Some interesting facts: 25 different languages are spoken in Guatemala. Many of them are Mayan dialects. Everyone speaks Spanish and English isn’t really taught in schools. Each school teaches Spanish, some English, and one Mayan dialect in an attempt to keep the languages alive. I find this to be wonderful. Each year the world looses 9 languages. As of 2019 over 570 languages had become extinct with no living speakers, many of which were local dialects with no written records. What the Guatemalan government is trying to do is outstanding.
I asked about eating the iguanas as they are invasive in Florida and are on the kill list for most cities. The Miami Harald has written up quite a few iguana recipes, but all only use the tail. The guide told me they use the body and legs for a stew and the tail is cooked in other fashions. I’ll have to take our iguana hunter up on one when we return. I’ve been meaning to do this, but life has gotten in the way.
I also asked about the bars on all of the shops. Each one had a front gate that stretched across the entire shop with small shelves placed along the way. I’m assuming this was for the transference of goods and money. She told me that the crime rate was low, but that the indigenous people in the villages like the bars. I have a feeling this might not be exactly true as I saw the same setup in the city proper.
Another thing was the wages. Again with the slight feelings of guilt-or maybe I should say sadness. The lowest wage earners who only have elementary school education make between $100 and $150 per month. Those who pay to go on to junior secondary school can earn up to $500 a month. She didn’t tell us the wages of those who finished high school or even attended college.
George has a favorite saying "there by the grace of god go I". When we go on trips like this, I can’t help but remember that and thank my luck for being born where and when I was. I might not have had a great start in life, but I was able to work hard, study harder, and earn a very decent living for myself. I don’t think the same would be true if I were born into one of the South American families we have seen along this trip.
When we returned to the pier I told George I wanted to go for a scoot into the town center to the local market. We passed the cruise terminal and it had a few vendors inside so we compromised and opted to take a look there instead.
While inside, we found a bunch of puzzles and purchased two. I also bought a bit of local jade. It is much more rustic than the Chinese jade that I am used to. No liqueur for us this time though. We did see a shop that probably sold it, but other than the poster, there was nothing there.
All in all, I enjoyed our stay in Guatemala. Tomorrow is Belize. Diving again if all works out ok. This time it was organized by another passenger and first thing in the morning we need to take a ferry to get to the dive spot. It should be a great adventure…
No. It didn’t work out. Sadly there was some 'weather' and we were stuck on the ship yet again. We actually aren’t stuck, instead we are going to spend the morning searching for information and ordering more puzzles. Later in the day we will go ashore to see what there is to see here.
19 March. First thing this morning I managed to get our booster shot appointments. Not the first, the second booster. One of the stops is Israel and they need a booster within x days of landing. Ours will be out of date by then so while we are in Miami, I have decided that a booster is on the agenda.
George spent the morning working on the program for our database and I spent the morning spending money. I ordered a bunch of new puzzles to be delivered to the house. Perhaps one or two might arrive before we do so I can pick up a few for the upcoming Atlantic crossing.
Around 9 he hit a good point and decided it was time for us to go out. We decided that rather than wait for a golf cart we would walk over. It is a long bridge, but there are plenty of sails across it and there was a nice breeze so it’s not a bad walk. Around 1/2 way across one of the carts came up and we took the lift to the lighthouse. That was at the opposite end of the island to the pier.
We had a look around, watched how they hitched people up and decided against the zip line. To me it looked like being strapped into a straight jacket. From the ground it looked as though your arms were tied to your torso and there was no way to hold a camera.
Instead we decided to take a walk along the beach. The sand is not really sand, it’s crushed seashells, tiny gravel, and white sand. Not fun to walk in barefoot. Even worse in my huaraches. We headed over to the boardwalk so my feet wouldn’t hurt anymore. The driver of the golf cart told us there are 1200 beach chairs to choose from. Oh yeah! That is 4 each. Did I mention we are the only ship in port today? George got a real kick out of the beach wheel chairs. They are a really great idea. How wonderful that people who need them can now get to the beach.
Next up we decided to go over and look at the pool. As far as pools go, it’s a nice enough one. There is a built in bar with 3 tables in the water to rest your drinks on, it is 15,000 square feet. Just a bit bigger than ours at home :). There is even a bridge to cross midway, and a grotto-like area under the bridge if that tickles your fancy.
Along the way we saw a kids water area and a bar and grill. One of the waiters tried to get us to go inside for a drink, but I passed at 10 am. From here we wandered to the shops and we found a puzzle! Shocking I know. This is really more of a souvenir than a puzzle but it has Belize written on it so we got it. We looked at some of the other items available, but passed on all of it.
I had read there was a wildlife center on the island so we headed that way to take a look. They have a morpho and owl butterfly house that was a joy to see. The iridescence of the blue on the wings is truly amazing. We wandered around and watched the creatures for a while. The gentlemen working there explained the life cycle to us and when we went to leave, a few escaped. They have double doors and very gingerly pick up the butterflies and put them in a net to be put back into the enclosure. Much better than any other butterfly house I’ve been to.
We then wandered over to see the birds. There was a scarlet macaw and a toucan in cages. The macaws were vibrant, but the toucans were funner to watch. One was eating nuts and had a system of getting them open then eaten that was a hoot. Chomp, flip, swallow. From here we wandered over to the boa constrictor display. I turned and looked back at the butterfly house, and the misters used to cool one off reminded me of Disney. But more on that later.
Next up was the rest of the shops and the Duty Free. We headed over and got our usual local liqueur. They had plenty of rum, but the best part of this was the spiel the cashier gave when we asked him for what we wanted. "Here you have your church glasses; here you have the big titty rum, we were all out of the big booty but they make for a good post card to send home."
We left here and tried a sample of the coffee chocolate before heading back over to the bar to have a local beer - Belikin. Today we tried a dark draft and a light one. I guess it was around 11:30. Early for us to have a beer, but we always try one so why change things now? When we finished the small draft $8 beers, we headed back to the ship for lunch.
After lunch we returned to the room and George took a nap while I ordered a few more puzzles. When he awoke we went up to the Terrace Café to play a game of Eurorails. I won! This is a rare event for me. I skipped Pilates because I saw the instructor enjoying himself on the island and since I’m the only one to go I thought it best to give him some extra time off without having to talk me through the exercises yet again.
Dinner this evening was in Toscana with friends. A lovely way to end the day as always.
And now back to the Disney effect. To be honest, I did not like Harvest Caye. I’m sure I will upset many die-hard fans of the cruise line, but again, this is my blog. It is a purpose made 7 acre resort-style destination for Norwegian Cruise Line. It was first opened in 2016 and was in partnership with the Belize government. It is the first cruise port in the country. This development employs over 400 locals so it is good in the sense that it gives something back to the country.
Our diving and most of the excursions were cancelled today because of weather. I know that isn’t the fault of Oceania, but Harvest Caye is no substitute for anything. I am guessing this port of call was put on the agenda because of the port fees. After all, Norwegian and Oceania are of the same group.
I realize I am spoiled. I have no desire to sit at a pool in a foreign country. I have one at home. I have no desire to sit on a man-made beach when we have lovely ones 1/2 an hour from the house. I guess it is a great place for people who don’t live in the South Florida area we do, but we really could have done without this stop.
The island really reminded me of Hong Kong Disneyland when they had the special invitation only events. There were very few people and all too many places to relax (attractions if we are at Disney). The paths are designed to take you past the shops as you enter and exit the island (park). The stuff in the shops is mostly kitch and over priced. To make matters worse, much of it had Made in P.O.C. on the packaging. The Duty Free liqueur we purchased was $30-more than the most expensive we have bought on this trip. Again, I know it is for the convenience of having it there but I’d rather pass. When I travel, I don’t want a man-made version of what the real thing should look like. I want the real thing. On a positive note, it wasn’t crowded.
Tomorrow is Costa Maya and I am thankful we have an excursion. We were just at that port in October on Virgin’s Scarlet Lady and don’t want to spend two days in a row in the same sort of fake resort environment. I don’t understand these island builders-to me it is just Pleasantville (1998). But again, I guess it fills a niche.
The highlight of the day for us was watching 3 pelicans dive and eat their dinners. I loved the way they make a nose dive into the water and grab the fish. They then tilt their heads back and you can watch them swallow their catch. The flying fish caught on to this and started heading towards the boat and away from the mangroves where the pelicans were at.
Until tomorrow, Happy Puzzling and Smooth Sailing.
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