**willow**

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My summer vacation
Current mood: tired
Category: Travel and Places

Saturday-June 7, 2008

 I got off to an early start with my 7 am flight – at the airport by 530 am – and it was a good thing. The gate was hard to find – I had to trek down a very long jet way with intended to be amusing signs that said things like – "this way to A4B, true – we lost a bet – False". And "no bathrooms, no food, no drinks, the plane will be paradise after this".  By the time I got to the actual gate they were beginning to board.  The pilot warned that the flight had to be re routed due to bad weather, and that our arrival to Miami would be late, and to expect turbulence.  We were only a few minutes late and the turbulence was minimal.

Arrived at the Red Roof Inn by noon, and checked in.  I signed up for the shuttle to the Port of Miami the next day, was told it was at 1 pm, and I said "and check out is at 11?". (Really?)The clerk said I could stay in the room until noon. I wonder if I was the first to question that.

 The room was comfortable, nice pool there too. 

I was going to go for a walk, but realized that since it was located right next to the airport it was not a great neighborhood for a walk, so I went to Bennigan's and had lunch. After lunch sat by the pool with a book and relaxed until I fell asleep out there and when I woke up decided I should go to my room if I was going to sleep.  Took about a 4 hour nap.  Found some one had vomited right outside my door and called for housekeeping. They came shortly after and made a half hearted attempt at SWEEPING it up with a broom.  Got most of the chunks but it reeked.  Then, my toilet overflowed. I ended up changing rooms. Other than noisy neighbors, the rest of the night was uneventful.

Sunday-June 8, 2008

 –  had the "lovely" continental breakfast, well ½ a very weird bagel and a glass of OJ.

  Checked out & sat in the lobby on the internet on my laptop until the shuttle came in.

The ship – Carnival Valor is HUGE.  My cabin is much nicer than the cheapest one available that I reserved.  I went to lunch on the Lido deck and had a margarita at the "sail away "party.  There was music and dancing and had the opportunity to work on my Soulja Boy dance.

 Explored the ship to get myself oriented to where things are. By the time that was over my luggage had arrived in my cabin and I quickly unpacked and it was dinner time.  I wore my red dress with the big white flowers – looks kind of tropical.

My dinner table mates are very nice – young couple. Carlos and Wishshonda. They met in the Army – she is now out, but he is still in and home on leave after a year in Iraq. After his 30 days leave he has to go back to the hell hole.  There are several men on the ship who are on leave.  I was very impressed with them and their ambition, intelligence and courage.  Respect for both of them serving in the Army and serving in Iraq.

Later I went to a schedules "singles/solo passenger"   gathering, and I was the only solo person there, everyone else showed up in pairs.   I'm feeling a bit like I am on Noah's ark and every one is 2X2 except for me.  Considering going to the "friends of Dorothy" gathering next – maybe I'll meet someone there…   J

Monday – day at sea June 9, 2008

Went to the obligatory "talk" about the ports, sat on the deck in the sun for a while, and looked through the shipboard shops.

 I wanted to pamper myself so I got a manicure and pedicure.

It was formal night.

I wore my black simple V neck dress with a tie just under the bust line and my pearl jewelry.   Before dinner went to the "Captain's party" had champagne, and an hors duerves.

After dinner I went to the show to see Phat Kat and really liked him.

I was feeling pretty lonely, thinking about the significance of the date tomorrow, I had several of the   drink of the day specials – yellow bird. Ended up drunk and going to bed early.

    Tuesday - June 10, 2008

Grand Cayman

Took the Jeep 4x4 tour of the Barker National Park, Hell, and to a lunch by the beach. 

The national park was wild and beautiful. Apparently many of the trees were severely damaged by hurricane   Ivan 2 years ago and are just now recovering.  Beautiful flowers and vines blooming, the ocean, white beaches.

The tour guide was native to Jamaica and a riot. 

While we were riding to the park he was telling me about his family. How his kid's mother has asthma, and how bad it gets and she needs to go to the hospital for nebulizer treatments. And his mama had asthma and had died from it. Or so he thought. His mother had died fairly recently and when he went home his brother pulled him aside telling him "daddy killed mama" His brother had a dream in which his mother told him to go upstairs and look in her purse and when he did there was a note that Daddy had told her he was going to kill her and that since he was police he could get away with it and the note said to talk to her brother. She had called him right before she died and told him her husband was going to kill her.  Apparently the cause of death was listed as asphyxiation, from the asthma, but the family believes it was asphyxiation from daddy.  To top of the whole story he says Daddy paid off someone to move the body by putting money in the casket for the person to take the body out and make it disappear. Apparently it was a closed casket funeral and his sister was begging to see mama one last time but daddy would not allow viewing and had the casket nailed shut. Quite a story…

I have pictures of my visit to hell – I had been there before,  the rock formations are cool, but otherwise it is pretty much a tacky tourist trap.

The lunch was grilled hamburgers or hot dogs, chicken and assorted salads.  The hamburger was actually tough and dry.  Didn't really get to swim as lightening was starting on both sides of us and I didn't feel like it was safe to go for a swim in lightening conditions.  When we   got to the pier, it was pouring rain for a while, then stopped and cleared up.

Did a little shopping, back to the ship to get ready for dinner.  Before dinner I went to the spa for a fabulous massage, hand, foot and scalp conditioning treatment and facial. Very relaxing lying there – I could look out over the ocean.  I think I fell asleep. It was pouring rain again when I woke up.  I really just wanted to lie there for the rest of the day, but had to go get ready for dinner.

Wore black capris with black silky camisole and chiffon black and cream shirt

  The after dinner show was a juggler – Manuel Zuniga, and the comedian Allyn Ball, who also did a midnight adults only show. It was filthy but funny; I laughed so hard my belly hurt.  I needed a laugh.

Wednesday –  June 11

Roatan Island, Honduras

Scuba day!!!

Roatan is so lush and beautiful. It is minimally developed, no tacky fast food places etc. There is extreme poverty, and tourism is there lifeline for income at this point, so I expect changes are coming as it becomes more developed. The cruise line is investing many millions building piers and other ship accommodations.  I want to go back. Went to a resort called St Anthony's Key for the dive. Very nice resort.  They gave a quick review and then took us out on the boat, Serge – the very handsome Swiss dive instructor was my guide with 4 of us in his group. The reef is lush and beautiful with coral, fish, and anemones, saw a big crab. Unfortunately my flash on my underwater camera I purchased on the ship this morning did not work so   don't know what will come out or not. (Found out later the battery was dead.) It was a beautiful diving experience and felt SO good to have the tanks on again and be under the sea looking at the true beauty down there.  

The dive instructor told us he had moved to Roatan 2 years ago from Switzerland and that he does not miss the cold and snow, he only misses the chocolate.

On the down side, we waited for over an hour for our transportation back to the ship, so didn't get to the port area until it was last call to get on the ship in time to sail so didn't get to do anything else.  Then to top it all off someone stole my Carnival towel right from next to me, and I will have to pay for it at $22. I confronted the couple who took it and they absolutely would not relinquish it. Other than knock them down and kick the crap out of them I just didn't know what to do.

I wore my white capris, tortoise shell belt, white and tan tank with a white lightweight sweater to dinner, along with my white and tan multi-strand necklace – and got my picture taken in it with a beach back drop. Decided drinking was not in my best interest so stuck with diet coke.

After dinner music was Motown sounds with Jerome Dabney.   He was VERY good, and did a killer Stevie Ray Wonder at the very end.  Unfortunately he was singing all the Motown romantic lovey-dovey songs and that was hard…  Love the music – left me feeling emotional though.

Thursday – June 12
Belize

I went on a horse back riding in the rain forest tour.  The wait for the bus to get to Bacab Eco Park was long, but finally we were on out way.  When we got there found out they had an unexpected ship in port – probably due to some rough weather in the region, and did not have enough horses to go around, so we had to re arrange the outing. They offered us a free butterfly tour, but when they said no mosquito repellant on the butterfly tour I soon changed my mind. This is a rainforest, and it is rainy season and the mosquitoes were in swarms.  I immediately slathered myself in their super strength repellant and went to the pool area – which was gorgeous. Water falls, and a water slide that came down the water fall and into the pool.  Then Lunch – traditional Belizean food - rice and beans cooked in coconut milk, spicy chicken, fried plantains. Mmmm….. The rice & beans were so good.

Then off to horses. After we were matched up with our horses we sent out on the trail. I had an unusual saddle – I think maybe Spanish style with a large flat horn.  More beautiful lush tropical scenery than imaginable.  Flowers, vines, howler monkey in the trees, birds calling, butterflies, an incredible experience.  My horse decided to get ornery on me and wanted to turn around and follow another group back to the beginning and I had to turn him around 3 times before he obeyed me. Once I thought he was going to throw me off.   Once we were on the right path and he understood I meant business he was better.  I quite enjoyed when we got to trot some and I didn't want it to ever end.

After wards – back to the port area and did a little shopping and got a beautiful shell necklace and earring.

It was the second formal night. Wore my sexy white dress with my new jewelry. I had photos taken on the grand staircase. I felt like quite the model with the photographer.

The after dinner show was a Las Vegas Revue dancing and music type show – a tribute to the 80's.  Flashdance, Madonna, Michael Jackson (Thriller), Cindy Lauper etc. It was fun.  Lots of old memories.

We also had the midnight buffet – with carved ice dragon and amazingly beautiful desserts, and decorations.

Friday – June 13
 Cozumel   

I woke up very tired. I had gone to bed around 1 am. Just as I started to drift off to sleep the announcements on the PA started. "Will passenger Ashley XXX please call the purser's information desk immediately". The announcements were approximately every ½ hour throughout the night. The final announcement was that "the missing passenger has been found and is safe and sound.  Sorry for any inconvenience, you can all go back to sleep now. "

I looked at my clock. 7:30 am…….

I went on an ATV in the jungle and beach excursion. Tour guides were Luis and Victor (the Mayan Gigalo) Victor took every opportunity to be in pictures with me and assist me in every way since I was the only "single" woman there. The ATV's were just a blast. I got so muddy and filthy it was hilarious. Racing down paths, through mud, water, rocks bumps etc. One guy rolled his ATV over and into a barb wire fence – he was pretty cut up.  We saw a sink hole that was used as a sacrificial pool by the Mayans.  It goes down 65 feet to whirlpool effect that sucks the sacrifice through to another sinkhole and eventually out to the ocean. The water is brackish – a mix of sea and fresh water.

Also saw caves used as protection from hurricanes by the Mayans.

  When we got to the beach after I attempted to shower   off the mud, there were outdoor showers. I tried my best to scrub off, but the dirt was not budging.

Then to the beach, snorkeling – guided out and saw a yellow ray, ( the guide was calling it a jello ray – took me a bit to figure out what he meant) spotted eel, puffer fish, anemones,  sea urchins and a zillion angel fish and parrotfish, tiny solid  bright blue fish,  and tiny blues with yellow fins and tail.

I was still dirty after the approximately 1 hour of snorkeling, so I tried another shower. Still dirty.

The Cozumel beach was super white, not really like sand though, more crushed shells and coral.  It was pretty, but hard to walk on barefoot – rough and sharp.

Lunch on the patio by the beach and then back to port all too soon.

More shopping, bought presents for kids.

I went back to my cabin and thoroughly scrubbed myself in the shower with lots of soap and a rag to get off more of the dirt. It was so embedded in my nails and nail polish I had to take off all my nail polish to get the rest of the dirt from there.

Dinner was casual, but wore my black dress with the white abstract design.  After dinner the show was a ventriloquist – Jerry Goodspeed. His puppets were quite mouthy and ornery.  Then comedian Jim Brick was funny.

There was a midnight buffet on the lido deck, but after the show I went up, got a juice and went to bed early – midnight (that's early?)

Saturday – June 14
day at sea

I slept in – til 730 – then laid in bed for another hour before fully coming to life. I am going to need a vacation from my vacation.  A quick shower (still finding traces of dirt from the ATV adventure) and to the lido deck to eat breakfast outside by the pool and relax with a book in the shade. I am burnt from snorkeling and my back is sore. It will be a pretty well quiet day - packing and relaxing.

Lunch on the Lido deck – and the chocolate extravaganza buffet.  I had a piece of white chocolate cake, took only a couple bites, and was very good but too rich. Also a chocolate orange pocket – ate a bite of it, a chocolate wonton, and a piece of pineapple dipped in the chocolate fountain. A storm came up during the buffet and crowds came in from the outside deck by the water slides which is the "family area". The other outside deck area is adults only and has a retractable glass roof, but not a chair to be found out there.

Later I was wandering around and found a deck I had not noticed before – of the American lounge on each side was a smaller deck-very quiet and peaceful. I went out on the portside (left for ye landlubbers) and sat in a lounge chair. There was only one couple at the far end and a crew member hanging out at the other end. I was quietly contemplating the beauty of the ocean, the deep blue lapis lazuli color of the water and pale aquamarine nearer the boat where the water was stirred up by the boat with occasional white caps. As I looked out I thought I saw a small boat a way out from the ship. At first I thought it might be fishermen, but then thought "why would they be fishing out there in such a small boat?" I thought maybe it was my imagination. But the more I looked the more sure I felt it was a boat with people in it and I saw some flashes of light from the boat.  A few minutes later there was an announcement that there was a small boat sighted and a distress signal received and that we were turning the boat around to approach the small boat to give assistance.  Several crew members came out to the deck I was on at that time.  I talked to a couple of them and they were sure and in agreement that it was Cubans trying to get to the states. They said it is not uncommon to see them in small boats, no food or water, once found them unconscious in a boat.   Think about it, a small boat with 7 humans, inadequate water, inadequate food, heading to the US through shark infested waters during hurricane season.  And we have had some rough weather this week. How desperate are they? The ship was not allowed to pick them up according to coast guard rules, but was required to give assistance. We pulled fairly close to them, they rowed over, and we opened the tender door, and handed down food and water and waited for the coast guard to arrive – who took them back to Cuba, where they are likely in jail at this time.  I guess I am a bleeding heart liberal at the very core of me and I feel very sorry for them. I think everybody deserves a chance, and I wish I knew their story, could talk to them and learn what drove them to take these desperate chances.

After dinner went to the carnival "Legends" show which feature passengers as Madonna, Brittany Spears, Elvis, Ricky Martin, etc.  The cruise director did Dolly Parton and he was hilarious as were a couple other crew members who played Sonny and Cher. Went to the midnight show, Jim Brick – the comedian who did his adults only show.  It was OK but not nearly as good as Allyn Ball.

Took one last walk around the ship, up to the lido deck, to say "goodbye" then had a cookie & a brownie, and went back to my cabin to sleep.

Sunday- June 15

Departure (or as they call it - disembarkation)

Took the tour bus to South Beach for the Art Deco Tour.  The tour was disappointing – just the bus breezing on by while and 18 year old told a minimal history of the area.  Couldn't even take pictures as there were no stops and the windows were too reflective to take anything like a decent photo. Then they dropped us off for 3 hours on Ocean Avenue. Now this started the interesting part. First I walked across Ocean Blvd, to the beach, took off my sandals and rolled up my pants and waded in. The water felt so good, and the sand was beautiful, and the whole beach was lovely – wished I had not packed my swimsuit into my checked luggage & had put it in my carry on so I could swim. Stayed there a little while, then on to the next thing I wanted to see.  We had breezed past a Holocaust Memorial that looked intriguing, so got a taxi and went back to that to look closer, take photos and read the wall. It is a large hand, with victims carved into the forearm and the number tattoo carved into the arm as well.  The large statue is backed by curving marble walls with all the known names of Holocaust victims engraved in, as well as pictures and a history of the events.  As I touched the walls with the names I became very emotional, tears welling up in my eyes. There was a picture of bodies being pushed into the ovens at Dachau. I was reminded of when I visited Dachau when I was in Germany.  I had entered a building with no knowledge of what it was. I felt cold and had a very overwhelming grief feeling. Later when I watched to movie about Dachau in the museum there, I realized the building that gave me such a sad feeling was where thousands of bodies had been burned in the ovens.  I am not a "spiritual "person, but I felt the sadness and grief in that building and I will NEVER forget that experience.  It is so sad how people can be so full of hate and anger towards others based on their race or religion.

After that I walked through the Botanical Garden next to the memorial. Very lush and beautiful. The flowers were just blooming everywhere. Also had an orchid area, with many blooming orchids.

Then took a Taxi back to Ocean Avenue, to the Casablanca Hotel where the movie by the same name was filmed. They had a café in front on the porch and sidewalk with small tables – white table cloths and umbrellas  etc. I had some breakfast and OJ, and sat on the outer porch people watching for a while. Then I did go inside and take pictures of the bar area which has been preserved in the old way.

By the time I had done that it was time to slowly start walking back to the meeting point for the bus to the   airport. 

Now I am sitting a the airport with hours  until my flight home...

Back to the real world.

Monday June 23 - I am home - recovered from my  vacation and back to the reality of laundry, cleaning, yard work and JOB.