We just spent a week on Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas. Our first stop was Cozumel, where we did the Dolphin Push, Pull, and Swim excursion. It was amazing. It was just the four of us with the trainer, and of course the beautiful Isabella (the dolphin).
Val was injured and couldn't walk, but they worked with us to get him in the water so he could do this. There will be more I want to say about our unexpected need for wheelchair assistance on this trip, and traveling with special needs, in another post. But for now, enjoy these photos of the fabulous day with Dolphins! Isabella was so well trained, so smart! And she seemed to be having fun with us.
Here, Val is being pushed by Isabella. She is so strong!
I left the ship and forgot my camera cords and card converters, so all we have are these photos of the dolphin park. There was also a sea lion show but all on my camera for now. May be able to add that in later. Would definitely recommend this activity for anyone visiting Cozumel!
This past week we have had Georgia from Australia visiting. She has kept us on our toes and gotten us out of our usual routine. We had never been to SkySpace, but Georgia found it and off we went. This is a see-through slide, on the outside of a 70-story building. The slide just goes down one story, so it's not very long, but it is at the top of the building, at the 70th story. Eek!
I opted to forgo the slide, but Val and Georgia both had their turn and were glad they did. Val said " that's lame" - but only because it was so short (and only after he had finished his turn). Still, now they can both say they have done this. Photo proof --
This photo has the slide part of the building circled --
If you are ever in L.A. - it's a worthwhile place to visit. Even if you do not go on the slide, the views from there are stunning. There is even a little café where you can get a drink and a bite and just watch the view.
We loaded the 6 of us up and drove to Las Vegas. The 4 hour drive took closer to 5 hours after I followed Val's detour. (thanks Val). Once we got there it was go, go, go. So much to see!
Looking good ladies!
Our first night we saw the show Absinthe. This is the most hilarious show. A bit raunchy but isn't that how Vegas is supposed to be? I think even the boys blushed. If you haven't seen it ...... GO!
One of my most favorite photos! Christi & Wanda with Paris Hotel/Casino in background.
Night 2 we saw the David Copperfield show. He is pretty entertaining. The rest was just exploring and seeing what we could see. We exhausted ourselves in that heat!
We drove by the Hoover Dam on the way back to my place. For goodness sakes it was HOT. We only got out for a minute and hurried back to the van. When we passed Baker on the way home, the Baker thermometer said it was 119! I believe it too.
After we left San Gervasio, we made a stop at a relatively secluded beach. So... darn.... pretty..... Just let the photos speak for themselves.
This photo of my sister and her husband is like a postcard. (minus the photo bomb in the background LOL).
After the beach, we made it back to the pier in time to do some shopping before getting back on the ship. It was crowded on the pier - there were several cruise ships in at the same time. I can imagine it's probably like that all the time. Look at this -- our ships were parked directly next to each other. How in the world they do that is beyond me. I have a hard enough time parking my car LOL.
Cozumel was the best stop of our trip. Absolutely gorgeous. The water was so clean and blue that even from the ship in relatively deep waters, we could still see through to the bottom.
We took a tour inland to the Mayan ruins at San Gervasio. The temples and shrines here date back to 300 AD, and this was once a place of worship of the goddess Ix Chel, deity of the moon, childbirth, fertility, medicine, and weaving. Our guide said Mayan women would visit San Gervasio if they were having issues with fertility.
Also prevelant in San Gervasio were iguanas. More like miniature dragons! We saw many of them, and some were nice enough to pose for photos. I thought they were pretty incredible.
Now we get to some amazing photos so be sure to click through - In Belize, we visited the Mayan ruins site of Cahal Pech, located in the western town of San Ignacio. Clusters of temples and palaces circle a series of plazas, and the residences suggest it served as a royal compound. It was amazing to be able to climb and walk on the structures. The steps were so steep, the Mayans, who were a much shorter people, must have had a time of it.
This stone bench built into the wall would have been covered in animal skins/furs ... it was a bed.
The doorways were also pretty short, another proof that these were a shorter people. HEY maybe I'm just a tall Mayan?
It was also HOT like you wouldn't believe. There were a couple people who appeared pretty close to heat stroke. We were very happy to be back on our bus after the adventure.
Our first stop was in Roatan, Honduras. Roatan is an island about 40 miles off the northern coast of mainland Honduras. We did an island tour and a little bay tour.
This photo was taken in Dixon Cove Harbor - and thankfully that is NOT our ship!
This ship ran aground in 1971. As it started taking on water, the crew unloaded the cargo. Since then, the ship has been pretty thoroughly scavenged, yet remains as a landmark in the cove.
The coastline of the island was beautiful, though the island itself was a bit of a disappointment. Interesting culture, fueled mostly by tourism. I am a bit baffled as to why that is, not seeing what the draw is to Roatan. Still, it's all about the photos right?
We went with my sisters Christi & Wanda, and with Wanda's husband Gary. Val & Gary are pretty funny together, so they kept us very well entertained.
No drama this trip (shocking right?). No fires, hurricanes, or international incidents. All in all, a perfectly normal trip, which is something new for us.
I am sorting through photos, and will be posting more details soon. In the meantime, here are some photos from around the ship.
We were on the Royal CaribbeanLiberty of the Seas. Other than little 3-night Ensenada trips, this was our first larger trip on Royal Caribbean. Let's just say, not impressed. The crew were very nice and outgoing, but the organization left a bit to be desired. Will be picking other cruise lines over Royal Caribbean in future. I will post more about the ship and my review of that. We did get some great photos!!
Our Alaska cruise started and ended in Seattle. We visited Chihuly Gardens and were amazed at the beautiful glass gardens. Definitely a must see! I have never seen anything like it. Gorgeous blown glass. Cannot imagine the amount of time that went into this. Just enjoy the pics....... And if you're ever in Seattle - visit it! (right next door to the Space Needle).
In Ketchikan we visited the Rainforest Sanctuary, which basically involved a mild walk through part of the rainforest. The excitement here started after we exited the rainforest. This gorgeous bald eagle was in a tree just watching us. Isn't she fabulous? (and aren't I glad I have such a good zoom on my camera!)
A little farther along, we came across this other eagle sitting on a log, also watching us. I suspect they were a pair. Did not see a nest though.
That log is in a dry spot in some marsh land around the rainforest. The guide was showing us how the native trees have adapted, since they cannot take root in the marsh. They instead take root in fallen trees. See this photo, the fallen tree has other trees sprouting from it. I thought that was interesting.
At the edge of this forest was an old saw mill. Just take a look at the size of the trees that come out of this forest. HUGE.
Val tried his hand at sawing through one. Though that effort didn't last long LOL.
The Alaska Raptor Rescue was showing off some of their rescued birds. And they were amazing. This wide-eyed owl posed for us. She lives in the rescue because she had a broken wing that healed but did not give her full use. So she will spend her life with the rescue.
They also showed us this girl, who had been found as a chick on the side of the road, starving. She has a deformed beak, making catching /eating food a problem for her. The raptor center clipped part of her beak, to allow her to eat, and they give her bite-sized food. This allows her to be a healthy beautiful bird, and they use her in their education programs. She was unfazed by us ewwwing and awwwing over her. It was very humbling to see such an amazing creature up close. you can see how her beak is deformed. It crosses and just isn't shaped right.
NEXT STOP - Crab feast! We stopped at George Inlet Lodge for crab. Val and my sister Wanda were very happy campers! I am not much of a seafood eater, but I was there for moral support!
That was it for Ketchikan. Our time here was much too short. After the Sanctuary walk and the crab feast, we got back to the ship with no time to spare. We didn't even get to walk around this cute little place.
That wraps up our Alaska adventures. Next stop, Victoria, Canada.
