Saturday, May 10, 2014

Caribbean Vacation Part 2 - Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, Honduras

Welcome back to my Caribbean adventures! Last week was all about the trip to Galveston and the ship, the Carnival Magic. This week you'll get to see the first port, which was Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, in Honduras. We actually went to Maya Key, which is a sort of sanctuary for rescued animals. Jaguars, parrots, monkeys, and even a puma. Maya Key also offers some entertainment for tourists by way of snorkeling, beach-y goodness, food, drink, and pool.

As a heads-up, there may be a second part to this post with some video my wonderful father got with his GoPro while snorkeling.

Also, if you visit, look out for the tiny black fish at the end of the dock where you get in the water to snorkel. He will bite the crap out of you! I actually have a little fish-mouth-shaped mark on the back of my leg from the little jerk.

 My first views of Mahogany Bay from the ship.

 Obligatory tourist shots with the big, pretty sign.

 This got me... This is a jade plant. We have this in Oklahoma, but it is primarily a house plant. Very pretty in windows, but it doesn't do so well outside. It's tropical, you see... Well, so is Honduras. These were everywhere, and it was rare that one was shorter than me. They are TREES!

 One of the street performers in the port.


 


Hanging out with some animals. Me and Dad, both holding a very vain macaw-on-a-stick, an anxious monkey, and a blind, albino crocodile. The crocodile was a lot warmer and squishier than I thought he'd be.

 


 I got really, really excited about a couple things. The first was that I saw a dolphin in Galveston. It's the first wild dolphin I've ever seen. The second is that I saw an actual coconut tree. With coconuts in it. One of them fell down and I got a picture of it, too.



 Some of the rescues I mentioned. The macaw at the top is pretty amazing. He also loved cameras.
Toucan and Jaguar. The jaguar had a worn path where he paced that same spot constantly.
The wild hermit crab. I almost stepped on him as he went scuttling across the path. And the puma, or in Oklahoma, the mount'n line.

 Our last look at Maya Key as we headed back to the port.

 One of Dad's favorite pictures. Our ship's smokestack through the foliage.


 And more obligatory tourist shots with the big boots and bird. Josh is a friendly pirate who loves guns. I am a friendly pirate who hates birds. Dad is an unfriendly pirate who hates people.

And that wraps up Mahogany Bay! Next week, on Clothing-Cooking-Computer Geekery, we see the beautiful land of Belize! Zip-lining, cave tubing, and more awesome plants!

Friday, May 2, 2014

Caribbean Vacation Part 1 - The Carnival Magic

So I just got back from the most amazing vacation ever! This one topped my trip to Europe when I was 15 (mostly because I could enjoy some of the more adult activities this time), and I can't wait to throw my pictures all over the internet!

It was an 8 hour drive to get down to Galveston, Texas, where our ship was docked. We went down the weekend that all the bluebells were going insane, so I got some great shots of those. Today's pictures are going to be from the journey to the port and the 3 sea days.



The four above were both at stops we made in Texas to stretch our legs. Why can't resting places in Oklahoma be that nice?!


Having some fun in Galveston before crashing in the hotel room.



On the left is the first view I got of the Magic. On the right is the shot of the whale-tail smokestack.




Fun about the boat. Josh and I on the deck, my Jamaica Sunrise, and Josh singing some Foo Fighters for karaoke.



  
Various shots around the ship.
Top Left: The water. I could not get over the water. Expect a post on just the water.
Top Right: Our partial sunset. We tried so hard to catch one but kept missing it!
Middle Left: Front of the ship. It was blocked off due to wind most of the trip.
Middle Right: Lifesaver! Not sure why it says Panama, since the Magic is out of Italy.
Bottom Left: The stair mechanism for cleaning the windows. I believe we're on Deck 11.
Bottom Right: The Theater. The curtain was amazing!!


I cheated on this one... We were actually in Honduras for this shot, but since it is a shot of the boat, I figured it could go here.

Stay tuned, kids! Next week we adventure in Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan, Honduras! Snorkling, fish bites, and wild hermit crabs!