February 3, 2015: Belize City, Belize

Our next stop was in Belize City, Belize.      In the 1700's, Belize City was actually founded by former pirates.  When a group of British buccaneers decided it was more lucrative to harvest lumber out of Belize's wooded interior.    With tropical hardwood in great demand, the town grew rapidly.  Thousands of African slaves were brought in to float the logs and load the ships, and before long, the European population had exploded as well.   The two groups and their descendants began to mix, ultimately creating the Creole culture so prevalent today.

Though no longer the capital, Belize City remains at the heart of the country---its gorgeous Caribbean coastline and rich cultural life a magnet for residents and tourists alike.   Home to a lush tropical rain forest and the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, it's also the gateway to adventure.  From jungle treks to cave tubing to scuba diving, the opportunities are endless.   And also fascinating is a tour of the ancient Mayan city of Altun Ha, once a major trading center long before the Europeans arrived.

We went on a cave tubing excursion which was alot of fun.      We had to carry tubes down into the dark caves, barely being able to see where you walked.    Our group had to hang on to each other's tubes so we stayed together.      The water was pretty warm.    There were bats roaming around way above in the caves.     We did a little walking around the caves, too.     I was surprised that this was my mom's favorite tour on the trip.

All of us had drinks and dinner in the main dining room. The food is always so good on the cruises. I usually gave 5-8 pounds on each cruise.   This may be why I can never seem to lose weight, as I have been on too many cruises with good food.

February 2, 2015: Roatan, Honduras

Our first stop was in Roatan, Honduras.  Dive shops about Roatan. Home to the world's second-largest coral reef, this diver's paradise is teeming with colorful marine life.  Though just as colorful are all the characters that have passed through the sandy shores of this beautiful Bay Island. Roatan has a long and tangled history of Paya Indians, Spanish conquistadors, British pirates, rebel slaves and more recently, European and North American expats. But it's not just the underwater wonders that have lured foreigners to lay down their roots here.  Roatan has a very unique cultural identity unlike anywhere else on the mainland of Honduras.  Everything here has been perfectly seasoned with Caribbean flavor---from the music and local cuisine to the laid back island lifestyle.

At 31 miles long and no more than five miles wide, Roatan is the largest of the Honduras' Bay Islands.

Mom and I signed up for the zip line tour.    I have wanted to go zip lining so convinced her to go along.     We had to put on a bunch of equipment in order to zip line.      They had to give me extra because of my weight, which was so embarrassing, yet brought us a bunch of laughs.        

I was scared the first time I went, but it ended up being lots of fun and I did pretty well at it.    Mom went by herself on the first couple of traverses, but then went with the guide for the rest, as it made her nervous. I thought it was a blast.         Of course, I got a bunch of photos of us.   There were 12 traverses all through the jungles of Roatan.       If you are afraid of heights, I probably wouldn't recommend this tour.

After zip lining, we got to hang out with some monkeys. I had one on my shoulder, who tried to climb over my head. It was quite funny.      

After the tour, we ran into Marianne, who said they had gone swimming and were now shopping. I went into the store where Joy and Kim where shopping.       Then, Mom and I walked over to this indoor flea market. She got a beautiful piece of pottery.      Then, we were going to walk around the town.  This little boy followed us around.    He was quite interesting.  Mom got scared so we turned around.  At the end of the walk, the little boy asked for money.  Mom gave him $5 but it was partly torn.  He said he couldn't accept torn money, so she gave him $1.  I guess he learned his lesson that ripped money is still just as valuable.      

February 1, 2015: Day at Sea

Between  the 1850's and the 1950's, millions of European immigrants sailed across the ocean to start a new life.   With the growing demand, shipping companies began building faster, more spacious vessels.  Then, in 1870, the Oceanic raised the bar altogether, adding electricity and running water to its list of lavish amenities.   Ocean travel has come a long way since.

We watched a group of passengers start to learn Michael Jackson's "Thriller Dance", which they planned to perform for everyone on the last night of the cruise.  It was fun to watch them learn the moves. I probably should have joined in, but knowing me, I am not the most coordinated person.

Went shopping in the stores on the ship. I wasn't too impressed with the shops on this ship, nor was I impressed with the other activities, like the ones on the other cruises we have been on.    

We all went for drinks before dinner.  I tried to get the drink of the day so I could get the glass.
Each drink was $7.95.

Went to watch the Superbowl game, which they aired in the main theater.   The New England Patriots played the Seattle Seahawks.   The room was crowded.  They served the traditional football foods such as wings, nachos, and hot dogs.