Hello again everyone! Bob and I are back, and I have to tell you how much fun we had! Bob says I could have fun anywhere (maybe he’s right!) but we had a great time on this cruise.

This is a HUGE ship! I thought I was on some big ones before, but this one is really big! We met the captain the first night at the formal reception (such a nice man!) and he told me there are sometimes 3100 passengers on the ship! It weighs over 100,000 tons! Whew! It’s like a little floating town. There are 14 decks and there is so much to do! We hardly did anything on the ship – it seemed like such a waste. I want to go back and just stay on the ship for a week! There is a huge theater, a casino (I actually played Blackjack and won $100!), a skating rink, even rock climbing! Oh, and shops! Plus bunches of live performers and even parades! This is a great cruise ship if you’re looking for lots of fun.

So the first night out we just did the usual reception and strolled around, seeing what we could (there is SO much to see!). I’m glad I was there with Bob. There are so many people and there is so much going on. We had a lot of fun together, but I think it would’ve been a little overwhelming if I was there by myself.

The first day out was at sea, so we did have some time to enjoy the ship. We watched some kids do that but I sure wasn’t going to try! We did play some miniature golf together (Bob beat me, of course!), and then Bob headed off to the sports bar while I did some intensive shopping. Later on we saw a FABULOUS acrobatics show that evening! Oh, and the Italian restaurant (Portofino’s) is terrific! I stuffed myself silly! Whew! Was that just one night?

With so much to do we barely got ourselves to bed in time to be fresh for Belize City the next morning! What a beautiful place. Lots of gorgeous old architecture and unique shops. There are some Mayan-type ruins in Belize (I never knew!) but our first shore excursion was through Belize City. I never knew there was a cathedral in Belize, but there it was! First though, we headed off to the sanctuary, which is just full of native wildlife. I’m such a sucker for animals so I had to go see this part. It was a hot and sticky day, but so worth it to see jaguars, panthers, and so many birds! You’d think we’d be used to heat and humidity after Miami, but it’s hotter and more humid in a jungle, that’s for sure! After the trek through the sanctuary and city was over, we stopped in a wonderful little spot for lunch. Then – shopping! This is a great little tour but if you’re thinking about going, be sure to dress for it and wear comfortable shoes! You’ll end up walking lots, and it is hot hot hot!

We got back to the ship in later afternoon and I have to say I was thrilled to visit the skating rink! So nice and cool! Bob took a nap, and then it was off to another fantastic dinner. We stopped by the jazz bar later that night and it was so romantic! It was like Bob and I were kids again, out on a date!

The next day, we headed off on another challenging shore excursion. I think I’m getting too old for this stuff, but Bob thinks it’s good for us! He’s probably right – it gets me moving around so I don’t gather dust and cobwebs!

Our port of call was Costa Maya, Mexico, and this time we headed off to see two archeological sites – Dzibanche and Kohunlich. This was a hard tour to arrange. We had to head right out as soon as we left the ship since it’s an eight hour excursion and the ship isn’t in port for too much longer than eight hours.

Dzibanche is really fascinating. I’ve never heard of it and I watch those Discovery Channel shows with Bob all the time that talk about the ancient civilizations. Anyhow, it’s this beautiful place with lots of pyramids. Not as big as the ones in Chichen Itza (Bob really wants to go there after this trip!) but there are more than I thought. Apparently it was a really important city in ancient times. We even climbed up one of the taller temples! In the heat and all it was hard, but it was worth it. Then we were off to Kohunlich, another ancient city I’d never heard of before. These places are tucked way back in the jungle so you feel like you’re the only ones who ever saw them. Kohunlich was my favorite. You wouldn’t believe all the stuff the cities had back then. Just like now – masks of famous people, ball courts, special areas where the rich people lived, and lots of steps! The Temple of the Large Masks was so impressive. Oh, if you go, keep in mind your only food will be a box lunch from the ship (good, but I was starving!) and a soda on the way back. Also, they charge you an extra fee if you bring a video camera. And bring some kind of bug spray! Jungles are packed with all kinds of bugs, and it seems like half of them are out to eat you!

Whew, this is a long post! I’ll be back tomorrow to fill you in on what we did in Cozumel.