cruising for christmas

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

fur babies are home and happy - 'bout licked me to death

tulip - next to the meat is smashed potatoes - or some foo foo name that called in on the menu - but essentially mashed potatoes

abu partied every night . . . one night he came home at 7 am - he met loads of "friends" - they are already chatting on facebook - he would cruise again tomorrow and not have a care in the world if the ship ever stopped anywhere

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

roatan was my favorite - lush and green - some mountains, the seaviews and another nice local driver - although his english and my spanish made for some interesting conversations

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

carnival has there own private port - my first attempts to higgle a local taxi driver didn't work so i did what any good higgler does - walk away

so you can take the magic beach chair to the beach or walk - we walked

it's a private beach - just for the port folks and it was PACKED! with all the same folks from the ship - yikes

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

after a short stop on the beach and a beer at US prices

we headed back to the taxi stand - the price was reduced $20 - after my walk away - and we took off

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

abu wanted to visit the monkey sanctuary

our guide there

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

we were told the monkeys live for 25 years in capivity

i asked "how long do they live in wild?" the response 50 years

to which i proclaimed "and that is why i don't swim with the dolphins"

imagine cutting a life in half for human pleasure

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

our driver

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

4 cruise ships were in port that day - the driver said saturday and sunday there are no cruise ships in port

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

goodbye roatan - hello ship

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

this night i succumbed to my "stateroom" to nurse the legionaires disease i'm sure i caught on the ship

although the ship looks clean - and people are always moping, vacuuming, wiping stuff down - there are surfaces every where

carnival has placed automatic hand santizer everywhere and reminds you to open the bathroom door with a tissues mounted right on the door

but the second day i was on the ship - i felt a sore throat coming on - then coughing - runny nose and general bad feeling - i got some dristan on board - $15.75

i am never sick so this was strange for me . . . and i'm still feeling bad

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

last day onshore before our at sea of capitivity is COSTA MAYA

costa maya doesn't exist - it is the private port area near the formally sleepy fishing village of MAHALUA but costa maya banners fly all around and even the local taxi drivers had shirts proclaiming costa maya bigger than the real town's name

once again - i headed straight out of the port but this time - private taxis were not even allowed on the port

so abu and i took a bus "downtown" where they drop you off right in front of some restaurant

driving up i saw 5 taxis parked nearby and headed to them - abu said mom there were taxis back there - son those taxis are too close to port - still tourist taxis or at least tourist prices

i walk in the street where i see the taxis and the drivers are all slouched down sleeping

"anybody wanna go for a ride?"

there must be a pecking order because one driver got the job and we were off to see the mayan ruins about an hour away

[Seveen]

Re: cruising for christmas

as best i could i explained our cruise departure time to the driver - we were leaving earlier than usual today and he said "no problem"

in the car i noticed his cell phone and the time on it - i told him that was not "ship time" showed him my watch

and he took off like a bat out of hell - lol