Last, Grand Cayman, Grand Cayman Islands

A beautiful cruise from Roatan to Grand Cayman, the last port of call on this Cruise.

One channel on the room TV was the ships location. Here is the map of our last trip before heading home. we left down near the green (roatan) and headed up towards Cuba. We joked about if we missed it we would go home to GITMO Bay where we lived for 3 1/2 years. the blue is shallow water 100ft or less, the white is deep water and green of course is land mass.On the left is the Yucatan Peninsula upper right is Cuba.

There were two other channels showing the view forward on the ship and one showing Aft.(where we have been).

I went down to the 3rd deck and took this picture up to see Sherry on our Balcony on the 5th deck.

(Above is the third deck, empty as we are pulling into port and folks getting ready to catch the ‘tender’ launches) Now I am one interested in boats. These guys are about as good as USN Coxswains. The first boat: (a smaller one)

#2 boat much bigger, watch this maneuver.

Swinging around while the first boat stays tied up.

Now I walked back on the third deck and shot this down so you can see how close that skipper swung that boat around. Neat.

There is two feet between these boats. Below the #1 boat is departing with folks going ashore at Grand Cayman.

After we got ashore I took the first picture of the clear water, you are looking about 40’ down. Clear aqua water.

A storm on the horizon behind our ship. Note the differences in water colors as you go out to sea. Beautiful Aqua to light blue to dark blue.

We are tourists of course, and done the tourist thing, a picture with this Pirate, the friendly kind.

We had a tour here but decided to give it up to friends, but they never took it either because of mixup in tour scheduling. We just walked near ships landing then headed back to the ship for a snack before dinner.

Back aboard, Sherry found out it was a Chocolate celebration. Fruit on sticks covered with milk chocolate. But look above at that beautiful fruit. The watermelon is carved into some beautiful roses with white tipped pedals.

Above was a sushi bar, I don’t do sushi, but it was pretty. I had a cookie swan filled with Pineapple ice cream. (below)

We had three regular waiters Left is Kwan Right is Jayjay.

Below is the festive time after dinner in the dining room.

Our final waiter Marlon, dancing,

Back at the room we found the bed made and an elephant wearing my sun glasses and two mints.

A cool towel Elephant and an open sea what could be better?

My after dinner yogurt on the balcony.

The ship is now headed back toward Tampa and we are packing for disembarking.

Thanks for coming this way and joining us.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Notice in health food shop window:
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS.

The most expensive car in the world:

This is the only one built. Prototype of an 88 Oldsmobile it sold for 3.4 million. GM refused to allow Olds to build it because it was too much competition for the Vette.

At sea to Isla Roatan

 

One of the Honduras Bay Islands. Very picturesque. Our next stop from Belize. Sherry is looking for our pictures. There are between 15-20 of these boards full of pictures. Photographers are at dinner. Stopping folks on the way to dinner, at the Gang ways and even some places ashore shooting pictures. Then they are printed professionally and posted. If you do not want to buy you pictures you throw them in the discard box.  We did buy three shots because it was our 55th anniversary. Of course they have some fancy ships frames to sell also, those we skipped.

And this going ashore at Mahogany Bay, Roatan

At sea towards Roatan we walked and climbed stairs. To try to burn some of the calories we were taking in. This picture is looking down 10 decks to the lobby of the Colossus. That fan design is tile in the deck.

This picture is at the top of the Colossus. I am thinking that this depicts Paul’s journey to Rome when the storm hit the Mediterranean Sea. But I didn’t know he had nekkid girls on the voyage, the artist evidently did.

Entering Mahogany bay you are struck with it’s beauty and the rusting hull of a once gallant ship.

This is a deep bay and we the ship was able to tie up at a pier. We gave our tour tickets away (The tour did not materialize here either). We didn’t feel much like a tour, so we went ashore and took a chairlift ride over to the beach.

The sand is blindingly white.

Now where this says ‘Bad Tipper’, the other side says, ‘Good Pirate’, so you can take the picture either way.  Now Sherry's was true.

‘Bad Girl’ is not true but the truth is on the other side, on the reverse side of this says “Nice A$$”

(But of course being a party pooper would not let me use that side!)

This shot of the ship shows how close in it is.

I saw this swing this morning from our balcony. I hoped we would get a chance to sit and swing, and we did.

Our Balcony is here and just across from that swing.

This shot taken from the chair lift.

This view down at the entrance to the Beach if we were walking.

Of course I liked this Parrot Pirate.

Back on the ship Sherry loved her daily Bible reading on the Balcony.

I wanted to show you the view of that relaxing swing, this is what I saw from the ship, except someone was sitting in it.

Dropping our umbilical cords and lines we again headed out to sea and Mahogany Bay was becoming a nice memory. (Nothing like this sea, huh?)

Thanks for coming along with us.

This was the most beautiful place visited. But to be honest people were also the least friendly, I was very surprised, for a place that thrives on tourists. Maybe it was just a bad day. All we did was walk around a little and come back to the ship.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Did I read this sign right?

Spotted in a safari park:
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR.

When you are holding me tight!

Okay that song has been going on in my head. If you are old enough you remember:

Oh, hot diggity, dog ziggity
Boom what you do to me
It's so new to me
What you do to me
Hot diggity, dog ziggity
Boom what you do to me
When you're holding me tight, …..

But back to our cruise and ashore in Belize. We are at the Altun Ha Mayan ruins. The Mayans disappeared about 800 AD. The women were about 3’ tall and the men up to 4’tall. the High Priest wore very high head dress to make him appear much taller.

Our little tour guide she has never been out of Belize other than to Mexico. they go to Mexico for an outing where they can go to a Wal-Mart, there are none in Belize.

Another mound. 90% of the ruins are still unexplored. This is a tomb for the high priests. When a high priest died they added another level and sealed it off. So the taller the mound the more High Priests that they had. They were a working race of folk.

Below is an herb tree. crushing the leaves that had fallen gives off a sweet aroma.

Note the rock bleachers to the left of the ceremonial mound, for watching the games

More mounds, there are about 130 unexplored mounds in this ruin area.

Below is the banyan tree.

The limbs shoot down roots, the ones you see at the right hanging, if left alone, will reach the ground and take root and form another tree trunk. Some of these things go for hundreds of yards. We were fortunate (or unfortunate) to have one about a 100’ across in our yard while we lived in Cuba for 3 1/2 years. Unfortunate because of the many falling leaves to rake. LOL Fortunate for the wonderful shade it provides.

With my girl in front of the bleachers. And below is me and the driver I dubbed Richard Petty. He is from New York. His mom was from Belize and returned home. He has traveled most of the USA, doesn’t like to drive in NYC, As you can see from the height, he ain’t no Mayan.

We were met coming down from one mound by these guys with baby alligators. They allowed me to hold them for pictures. Sherry wanted to see them up close too!

Back in Belize City, as you can see most of the shops are closed for Independence Day.

Back on the ship now, a time to relax with my date and

Watch a beautiful sunset.  Now off to get some strawberry frozen yogurt. Then to the Stateroom and get some….

REST!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for coming by the log.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Did I read this sign right?

Seen during a conference:
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR.

This is a 1950 Ford Woodie.