Magic Day 4: Roatan Bay Island, Honduras

Posted on December 14, 2013

Wednesday, November 7, 2013

Oh, happy day – LAND!!! Large tourist parks like Gumbalimba are wonderful, with all their ziplines, lush nature paths and organized outdoor activities. They’re lots of fun and everything is clean and well-maintained.

Wares hanging at a Coxen Hole shop

We’re not going that route. We hope to experience the real island while putting money directly into the local economy so, we head to the queue of taxis. Even though there is access to electricity, running water and (even) cable TV on the island of Roatan, Honduras is considered to be one of the poorest of Central American countries. (If you visit, don’t forget the bug spray as sand fleas are ferocious! One flea bite that got through the spray stayed red many days after.) The manager of the taxi company asks drivers, one-by-one, if they speak enough English to be our guide. Finally, he turns to us and says it’s our lucky day. HE’s going to take us around the island! So, off we go with our new friend, Rubin.

Welcome!

A local sanctuary called Mayan Eden is just off the main road. It’s not pretty, but in a very natural state. It’s small, somewhat rundown, but there’s a lovely dock further down the path.

Iguanas are lazing about – munching on leaves, sunning on the ground, on the roof of a shelter, in the trees. We feed a few, but politely decline an offer to hold one.

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Iguana.
Iguana who?
‘ey, gwanna climb up this tree and feed me?

There is a small enclosed butterfly farm on the property, but it rained earlier and we don’t see many. The flowers are fresh and shiny from the recent soaking.

Wish Leaf blossoms

Color coordinated

We wander down to the dock, where a young man points out an octopus that’s changing color, right before our eyes! Sorry for the watery image. I tried to sharpen it as much as possible.

Our guide points out a local favorite, the Monkey Lala lizard. I take a quick shot, as they move fast! Remember the National Geographic commercial, where a lizard skims effortlessly over the water in a standing position? That’s the striped basilisk lizard, also known as the Jesus lizard or Monkey Lala. It has special feet and a crazy running technique that keeps it from sinking as it races across the water. There’s more about it at natgeojesuslizard.

Monkey Lala, Jesus lizard, Striped Basilisk lizard – pick a name, any name!

Monkeys are more our style. One, a black spider monkey named Hannah, leaves muddy tracks as she runs up my leg and jumps into my arms. The guide says she prefers women. She curls up, snug as a baby. When we leave, they pry her out of my arms. “Bye, Hannah.”

Sweet Hannah

Wanna hold ‘im?
No thanks, Mauricio.

This restroom could have been a painting!

Rubin takes us to his favorite view of the island after stopping by the roadside to get a bag of his son’s favorite snack. It’s a hairy looking ball with yellow tinged spikes. He insists we try some. Mmm … tastes just like a plump Chinese lychee!

Juicy!

Rubin’s favorite spot, overlooking the island

Lunch at one of Rubin’s local hangouts, Bayside Restaurant & Grill. The restaurant is in the grittier part of Coxen Hole, but it gives the restaurant atmosphere.

Blissful breezes

Mine, all mine!

A hummingbird is perfectly framed as it perches behind us

Rubin drops us off and we take a short stroll through Mahogany Beach. There are lifts to take tourists over, food and drink, row-on-rows of beach chairs and outdoor games.

Sand & Sun

It’s getting late, time to go …

On board, we clean up for a very special show. A Las Vegas magician is brought in to dazzle us with flashy moves and cool illusions. Again, “No pictures, please.”

Preparing to be entertained

Even crew members dress up for the event!

We sit next to Jeremy, a crew member who wears many hats, as they often do. The former architect from Australia is an example of the scope of professions from which cruise staff migrate. He followed his passion and now travels the world!

Posted

Magic Day 3: 89 Cruises and Counting …

Tuesday,  November 6, 2013

Sorry Lonnie, Tre’s thick beard puts your little Billy Goat Gruff puff to shame!

We had a three hour brunch. (Cue “Gilligan’s Island” music.) Yes … a thr-e-e-e ho-o-o-ur brunch. We ran into old friends and caught up on our lives, thoroughly! Janie and Lonnie used to work at the same company before Janie left and it took a fast and furious death dive from which there was no recovery. You could say that was the beginning of Sarbanes-Oxley.

This trip is not the first time we’ve unintentionally found each other. About 15 years ago, we ran into Janie & Tre on a busy street in Canada! They are a lovely couple and we have plenty of laughs over old times.

Competitors vie enthusiastically for the middle slot in the marriage contest

One of the more entertaining shows we attend is on marriage. A couple married 53 years are so cute! They sit on stage with two other couples, chair backs together, writing separate answers to questions from 6’3.” The husband is a frisky one. The wife will occasionally reach back and try to whack his leg with her cane if she thinks he’s misbehaving!

One of the best interactive activities we enjoy is karaoke in one of the lounges. The dance moves of two men add a real “Motown Sound” to the song. You can see the older gentleman cue his protege, as if he’s a former Pip!

 

Carnival dancers and students dip and sway to the music

Carnival dancers lead a class on ballroom dancing before there’s a dance-off. Their graceful moves and high energy when performing rivals any such acts you see in Vegas!

I have to give a “BIG, BIG THANK YOU!!!” to the crew. They play a huge part in our cruise experience. They work long hours, seven days a week, for six to nine months straight, to ensure that passengers are well cared for and safe! I read name tags from Croatia, the Philippines, Turkey, Indonesia, Serbia, etc. Our dinner waiters also work the breakfast shift.  We learn that one of our servers, Marlon, has another talent when he breaks into song during dinner!

 

Walking around, we bump into Susan Drew Brock, a well-traveled passenger. During one of the activities, 6’3″ pointed out Susan as a very special guest. I sit down with Ms. Brock for a little chat:

Earlier this year, Susan cruised to South America on the Splendor. She remembers its maiden voyage, when she flew into England and boarded it to visit Russia, Finland, Sweden and Germany. Two years ago this week, Brock flew to Spain for the Magic’s maiden voyage, an ocean crossing!

Susan is not just a spectator. She’s judged events such as the Hairiest Chest Contest. Cruise directors call out her name when they need a volunteer to break the ice and start the ball rolling. The former cheerleader was actually quite shy growing up. Since then, she has sung the national anthem many times for the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo and the Texas Rangers. “Our nation is very blessed! Thank God we’re here in America, where we can sing the national anthem and say the pledge of allegiance.” Susan still teaches and says a group of students are from the Congo. They lived in a crowded, dangerous camp for several years and saw their father decapitated by a machete. She’s determined to see that they have a better life in America.

The former nurse, singer, Miss Kodak, actress and Miss Pibb still sings. She’s related to the Barrymores. Drew is the family name that started the well-respected acting dynasty.

When asked, “Are you rich?” by a passenger, Susan replied that she was rich in family, good health and friends. The tablemate persisted, pointed out her many travels. Well, here is how Susan does it:

* You have to pay yourself

* Set clear goals

* Live simply. She does her own hair and nails. She mows her own yard.

* When it comes to spending, shop around. Don’t take the first thing you see.

* When traveling, don’t pack the kitchen sink.

* Think ahead.

* Take tours when visiting other countries, as you may never come back; meet locals;     try local foods; learn about their cultures

Susan thinks cruises are the best way to travel – park your car, unpack, make new friends and sample all the varieties of food you want!

With a sparkling smile, she imparts one last piece of advice – “Have fun. Enjoy life!”

Magic Day 2: Meet the Cruise Director!

Monday,  November 5, 2013

Today, I caught up with the Cruise Director, nicknamed 6’3″. It’s a long ways to look up, even when she’s wearing flats! The former model sat down for a short interview before heading out to host the next activity.

Lots to see and do – food, fun and favors!

Romantic sunsets …

Vegetarian Indian dishes!

Didn’t win Air Guitar Contest, but had fun tryin’!

Videos & board games are in the library

High tea

Meet the Captain!

Magic Day 1: Bon Voyage!

Sunday,  November 3, 2013

Three days after booking a cruise, we’re here! (Great last minute deals can often be found.) Galveston is a short drive down the freeway and the Carnival Magic is calling!

There are about 4,000 other guests, but it doesn’t feel crowded at all. We pull a cold bottle of Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple-Pomegranate juice from the bag and toast our voyage. The whole ship is feeling the magic of Carnival!

What Next?

Thursday,  October 28, 2013

Back in town, we check our mail. A letter arrives from RacTrac. There was an issue with one of our gas fill-ups at a RacTrac while on the trip. It was possible the hose bumped into the fuel pump and caused the mistake, but the rep went ahead and sent us a gift card with the difference. A check arrived and I have to say that RacTrac knows how to maintain a good rapport with customers!

We’re staying with a relative in the Houston area as we look for a short-term apartment or extended stay lease. (We plan on traveling early next year.) Looked at house sitting sites, but there are more people looking to house sit than looking for sitters. We’ve visited over twenty different properties and find a few that fit our schedule. As we narrow down the list, I glance over at my husband. He looks back. “I don’t want to stop traveling.”

Ashton Villa in Galveston, Texas

Saturday,  October 26, 2013

Yesterday was our first day back in seven weeks! We only had time to change out clothes for others and spend the night with relatives. Today, we take care of some business before driving an hour to Galveston. A good friend’s daughter is getting married this evening and we just made it home in time for the event. It’s the weekend before Halloween and hotels are packed. There are ghost tours and all sorts of activities during this time. When my husband made the Priceline online reservation, he wasn’t using the mouse. Somehow, scrolling down, a one star hotel in an adjoining city was confirmed. It’s the first time we have ever hit a one star. Eeek! What are we in for?!? After talking to a friend who also couldn’t get the room they wanted, we don’t feel so bad. They wound up with a one star in Galveston because everything else was booked. 

At least we get bagels and biscuits with gravy for breakfast! Other friends are getting powdered donuts and milk!

The wedding is a beautiful affair! It’s held in the circular garden next to the 1859 Ashton Villa, an elegantly restored Victorian home.

Perfect day for a wedding

Victorian style and gold filigree touches enhance this Texas Historic Landmark

Day 51: Little Rock

Thursday,  October 24, 2013

We go by the state capitol. The rotunda is being renovated and we’re able to get an up-close view of the massive electric chandelier that usually hangs as a focal point in the rotunda. Made around 1914, it weighs over 4000 pounds.

Arkansas State Capitol rotunda chandelier is enormous and takes a half hour just to lower it.

 

We visit the state treasurer’s office to hold $140,000 in bills. We also receive special coins as a memento of our visit.

Fists full of dollars

Outside, we walk around the memorial to the Little Rock Nine. They bravely stepped through the doors of Central High School in 1957. The Arkansas governor had tried to prevent the school integration, but President Eisenhower intervened and the students were admitted.

Memorial to the Little Rock Nine on the grounds of the the Arkansas State Capitol

That GPS did it again!!! It sent us down a narrow dirt road that deadends. We get the correct directions from a local business and go two miles down to the Crater of Diamonds State Park. A couple we met in West Palm Beach were the ones to tell us to check it out if we go through Arkansas. It doesn’t look like a crater to me, but it is – a long ago volcanic crater. It’s the ONLY diamond producing site in the world where the public can search for diamonds and keep their finds. Basically, it’s a big field (37 1/2 acres) divided by a raised dirt path and marked by sections. People are scattered about, carrying their tools – buckets, sieves, shovels, knee pads.

Mason sits and wonders why people toil under the hot sun for many hours

I use the recommended technique. Walk along and just keep your eyes open. Just two days ago, a teenager from Oklahoma found a 3.85 carat yellow diamond just sitting atop the dirt! She named it “God’s Jewel.” That makes it about 400 diamonds found here this year. (The largest diamond ever discovered the the United States was also unearthed here. It, “The Uncle Sam”, was a whopping 40.23 carats!) Lonnie stays up at the center. He thinks that’s a low yield and not worth his time. I tell him that if God wants me to have a diamond, I’ll find a diamond. Well, God didn’t want me to have a diamond. That’s fine, I have everything I need and even a memento of my diamond search.

Look at my pretty rock!

We get into Dallas and go through two construction jams on the highways before arriving in Fort Worth. We’ll be staying with relatives tonight before heading home!