June 25, 2010
Cozumel. David and the boys had booked an excursion to go to the Mayan Ruins this day, so I was flying solo. It really wasn't solo as I had Jen and my mom and dad to pal around with. This was the day the cruise was for. The big 50th anniversary of my mom and dad. This was the day we all wore our matching shirts which mom and dad had made for us. After breakfast we found a spot on the ship to take the big group picture. Of course there were shenanigans going on, but we were able to get over our giggles and take some really great family photos. After the photos David and the boys headed off to their meeting spot and I met my mom and dad and Jen and headed out to explore Cozumel. All I can say is Holy Jewelry Stores Batman! Silver, gold, diamonds, rubies, tanzanite......you name it they were ready to sell it to you! Of course there were "special" deals for cruisers. Sorry Cozumel, I grew up in the jewelry industry and it takes more then that to get me to buy! I did find a shop that had the cutest hippo statues EVER! I so regret not getting the artists name. Oh, well next time. I finally got up the courage to ask for a price. When all was said and done the salesman and I were off about $800.00 in what I was willing to pay, so needless to say the hippos stayed in Cozumel. Again, next time. It was HOT, HOT, HOT in Cozumel, so going into the stores was more to cool down then anything. There were stores shoved in every nook and cranny. I missed David and the boys dearly, but I knew they were having a blast exploring the Mayan Ruins. It was a spendy excursion, but they all had a great time and experince of a lifetime. Jen wanted to stop by Senor Frogs, but didn't find anything she couldn't live without. I was able to find an authentic Mayan tomahawk for Tony's weapon collection. I "bartered" for a better price and in the end felt like I did good. We did a lot of walking that day and returned to the ship dripping wet from the heat. The boys finally made it back to the ship and it was time to celebrate the BIG 50! I thought long and hard for what I could give mom and dad that they didn't already have, and through the miracle of the internet, I was able to get them featured on the cover on Time magazine. The entire family contributed their thoughts about mom/dad/grandma/grandpa and the gift was well received. I even gave a little speech at dinner about the hard work it takes to make a marriage work. I am soooo proud of my mom and dad and even more proud to be their daughter. After dinner we hit the promanade and took advantage of the many deals that were being offered to us. Next up Day 7 and getting ready to pack it all up!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Haven't forgotten
I know, I know, I still have to finish the cruise posts. I promise to have Day 6 posted by this weekend. We have been very busy with something called life these past two weeks. Oh how I wish we were back on that boat..............................
Saturday, July 31, 2010
We Interrupt the Cruise Posts.........
Day 6 of the cruise will just have to wait because today is Daddy Hunt's birthday!! Daddy Hunt is an amazing guy. He is not nearly as crazy as Mommy Hunt, but that's okay. In times of crisis he is the one we all turn to for our support. He is our rock. When Mommy Hunt is freaking out because the car was in an accident, it is Daddy Hunt who reminds her, "at least nobody was hurt". When Mommy Hunt is freaking out because the house is a wreck, it is Daddy Hunt who always asks, "where do you need my help". When Mommy Hunt thinks the weight of the world is on her shoulders and feels like giving up, it is Daddy Hunt who takes her gently in his arms and says, "I am here for you". And when Daddy Hunt thinks somebody is not being nice to his children, it is Mommy Hunt that just stands aside and lets him take over. Daddy Hunt, thank you for always being there for us. Even through all the eye rolls, the hmpffs, the stares and the stink eyes your love for us is unwaivering. I hope this year is a magical one for you. I love you to infinity and beyond and couldn't imagine like without you. Living with a Polish Jersey Girl isn't easy. Thank you for putting up with me. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Cruise Day5
June 24, 2010
Grand Cayman. Probably the most upscale island we visited. I really liked Grand Cayman, but Haiti still won my heart. This was our only port of call that we docked in the ocean and had to be tendered to shore. There were three other cruise ships also visiting that day. We were tendered by local boats that held about 200 people. One of the other cruise lines tendered their passengers using their lifeboats. I found this quite funny. We arrived on the island and once again had no excursions booked. We immediately came upon a little historical area that told us about the history of the island. After reading and taking a few pictures, we headed to town to look at some of the shops. I loved the island feel of the town. There were shops and eating places everywhere you looked. It was really hot out so it was nice to go into the shops to cool down a bit. I did not find the help particularly friendly. Tony managed to find a wooden knife to ad to his weapons collection. I fell in love with a gorgeous ceramic lizard which came home with us. We drooled over the Lladro creations in the stores. We went out and explored the town more and found chickens just wandering the streets. We also explored their post office and discovered huge handcrafted iguana figures all over town. We ended up finding a museum where we learned a lot about their culture and history. That was fun. When we were done exploring, we headed back to the ship to eat and swim! Next up: Cozumel.
Grand Cayman. Probably the most upscale island we visited. I really liked Grand Cayman, but Haiti still won my heart. This was our only port of call that we docked in the ocean and had to be tendered to shore. There were three other cruise ships also visiting that day. We were tendered by local boats that held about 200 people. One of the other cruise lines tendered their passengers using their lifeboats. I found this quite funny. We arrived on the island and once again had no excursions booked. We immediately came upon a little historical area that told us about the history of the island. After reading and taking a few pictures, we headed to town to look at some of the shops. I loved the island feel of the town. There were shops and eating places everywhere you looked. It was really hot out so it was nice to go into the shops to cool down a bit. I did not find the help particularly friendly. Tony managed to find a wooden knife to ad to his weapons collection. I fell in love with a gorgeous ceramic lizard which came home with us. We drooled over the Lladro creations in the stores. We went out and explored the town more and found chickens just wandering the streets. We also explored their post office and discovered huge handcrafted iguana figures all over town. We ended up finding a museum where we learned a lot about their culture and history. That was fun. When we were done exploring, we headed back to the ship to eat and swim! Next up: Cozumel.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Cruise Day 4
June 23, 2010
Ochos Rios, Jamaica. Welcome to Jamaica, Mon. I do not have much nice to say about Jamaica. It was stinky and smelly and I could not wait to get back to the boat! We did not book any excursions for Jamaica. We decided we would just walk around and explore on our own. We no sooner got off the pier and were asked at least a million times if we needed a taxi. We were also asked if we needed any weed. Say WHAT? NO, NO, NO, and NO again was the word of the day. My brother in law joked that he was going to make a shirt and sell it that said, "No thank you , Mon". I think he could have sold a million that day. I kid you not, everywhere we turned we were asked if we needed a taxi. Not far off the pier were shops where we could go and look at pretty much everything imagineable. Some of the scenery was really pretty, but I wouldn't want to get lost in that town. We did manage to find a local who had a donkey and a bunch of other animals who allowed Tony and my Mom to join his show. (Of course for a "donation"!) Seriously, I don't know what this guy was high on, but he was an interesting fellow. We saw some lovely turtles and explored the markets. Tony managed to find a boomerang to add to his weapons collection and I managed to buy a beautiful wood carved and painted bowl from a very nice local woman. My dad also bought me a cute pair of dolphin salt and pepper shakers to add to my collection. Thanks, Dad!!! Oh and I almost forgot Tony got a hat complete with crocheted dreadlocks. We returned to the boat for yet another scrumptious buffet. I went to the top deck to take more pictures of Jamaica while others either went swimming or to the gameroom. Jamaica wasn't all bad, just not a place I would want to go for an extended vacation. Next up Day 5 and Grand Cayman.
Ochos Rios, Jamaica. Welcome to Jamaica, Mon. I do not have much nice to say about Jamaica. It was stinky and smelly and I could not wait to get back to the boat! We did not book any excursions for Jamaica. We decided we would just walk around and explore on our own. We no sooner got off the pier and were asked at least a million times if we needed a taxi. We were also asked if we needed any weed. Say WHAT? NO, NO, NO, and NO again was the word of the day. My brother in law joked that he was going to make a shirt and sell it that said, "No thank you , Mon". I think he could have sold a million that day. I kid you not, everywhere we turned we were asked if we needed a taxi. Not far off the pier were shops where we could go and look at pretty much everything imagineable. Some of the scenery was really pretty, but I wouldn't want to get lost in that town. We did manage to find a local who had a donkey and a bunch of other animals who allowed Tony and my Mom to join his show. (Of course for a "donation"!) Seriously, I don't know what this guy was high on, but he was an interesting fellow. We saw some lovely turtles and explored the markets. Tony managed to find a boomerang to add to his weapons collection and I managed to buy a beautiful wood carved and painted bowl from a very nice local woman. My dad also bought me a cute pair of dolphin salt and pepper shakers to add to my collection. Thanks, Dad!!! Oh and I almost forgot Tony got a hat complete with crocheted dreadlocks. We returned to the boat for yet another scrumptious buffet. I went to the top deck to take more pictures of Jamaica while others either went swimming or to the gameroom. Jamaica wasn't all bad, just not a place I would want to go for an extended vacation. Next up Day 5 and Grand Cayman.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Cruise Day 3
June 22, 2010
Haiti. Best known for its earthquake awhile back. This was not the Haiti we saw. We went to a private island that Royal Caribbean leases on Labadee, Haiti. Labadee was not affected by the earthquake. Haiti was my favorite port of call. We arrived in Haiti around 7:00am. Stephen had booked an excursion to go parasailing which he absolutely LOVED. Sorry, no pics of him parasailing as we were on a different excursion. The rest of us went on a historic walking tour of the island and we loved it. We learned so much about Haiti and its culture. I was taken aback by the pride the Haitians have for their country. Our tour guides name was Lami and he was amazing. After our tour was over with, it was time to hit the beach. We got our lounge chairs and floating mats. It was pure heaven!!! We spent several hours at the beach. We did not need to return to the ship for lunch because an island lunch buffet was waiting for us on the island!! Yummy! After lunch, we split up. David and I hit the local shops and Jeff, Steve, Tony and Brian went off to do some exploring of their own. We eventually met up with Kelly and Jen. The prices in Haiti were unbeliveably cheap. I wanted to buy a souvenir that was made on the island and I selected this little turtle. Tony decided he was going to bring back a weapon from each country, so he decided on a wood machette. We had to be back on the ship by 3:00. When we got back to the ship we went swimming and relaxed on the ship. Next up, Ochos Rios, Jamaica mon!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)