Cozumel.....PAR-TAY Town!

The 1st thing that hit me when I began to examine the Cozumel pictures was the fact they are NOT touristy...in the usual sense. In place of scenery, et al, there were shots of our group in full party mode! Strange....

The 1st pic is of the newly-finished piers at Cozumel. They have recovered from the disastrous hurricane of two years ago, and are back in business. The downtown is being rebuilt with new buildings, and new scenes to absorb. Here is a picture of our docking at Cozumel's new pier. To the left is Carnival's "Miracle", based out of Tampa. Straight ahead and at an angle is the side of a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship, and of course the balconies at right belong to our "Star Princess"


Lunch at Senor Frog's....some of our members had not yet gotten their burgundy red T-shirt with the "University of Senor Frog Drinking Team" emblazoned upon it. The food was so-so, but the shots distributed round and round (mostly to other groups) were a lot of fun to watch!


We depart at sunset...last ship out. The day was fun filled, and I promise on a future visit to do more scenery instead of the party stuff which seems a bit overdone!!! How did I ever let my group talk me into this....?


Cruising is fun. Duchess and I enjoy both cruising alone, and with a group. The two versions are quite different. On this one four of the five duets involved had adjacent rooms, and with Princess that means balconys that open and connect. Made for easy communication and a giant platform for drinking, discussion, and nice breakfasts as we docked each day.

Duke

Grand Cayman, mon!!!

Grand Cayman! The place just reeks of money and happy people. Such a 180 degree turn from Ocho Rios. This triple island colony of Britain has 52,000 residents, and 300 plus banks! It is neat, clean and the people were smiling and joking. The small cove pictured here is typical of what we saw in water and sand. Bright, clear, clear water and lots of lovely people all around.


We visited the Butterfly Farm, quite an experience...while too tame for some, it was educational and the insects were gorgeous. This pair of 4 inch butterflys are in the process of mating. After they are done (up to 24 hours folks!) the male has finished his work, and he retires to set-out plates of sliced fruit, fermenting in the heat and sun, where he drinks heavily, and actually gets "drunk" on the fermented fruit juice. The female has to find a place to attach her eggs to a tree of the ONLY type of fruit that particular butterfly eats (each type eats different leaves). Typical, the lady works, the guy parties! I will do a set of butterfly pics later...probably in a couple of days.


Of course, you had to know with our group we ended up in Senor Frog's Pub and Grill where we indulged. Note the tall, tall glasses for the ladies and their fluffy drinks. Note also the glassy-eyed stare of the folks after a few libations.


The DJ was drinking huge quantities, and free drinks were delivered direct from the bottle to those joining the conga line. Here is Duchess enjoying a quickie libation!


It was a fun day, and Duchess and I are contemplating a return by air for a week to sample the many wonderful restaurants we saw on the island.

Duke

p.s. Tomorrow.....PAR-TAY central....Cozumel!

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

OCHO RIOS...The very name projects visions of exotic sights and people. The reality for me is best projected by the joy I felt leaving the place in the evening....

On docking, the picture of huge homes on the hillside gave us great anticipation as to the things we'd be seeing. Duchess and I were to have joined some of the group for horseback riding and an actyual ride into the surf. Duchess, most unfortunately, fell in the motorhome enroute to the ship and her shoulder was too sore to allow riding....we opted for a bus tour. MISTAKE!

Things in Ocho Rios were generally squallor! Homes were unfinished, falling down, etc. People seemed listless and simply meandering about. Here is the "James Bond" dock where we landed. Rusty and old, it was named as it was used for the filming of "Dr. No", the James Bond flick.

The hospital we drove by resembled a decrepit old Tampa warehouse. The famed "Dunn's Falls" we viewed from a back entrance where forty or so vendors were VERY pushy about their wares, and even snapped this picture of the Duchess and I. We escaped mostly unharmed....but could have lost a lot of money if we'd been less than determined.

Our drive was punctuated by numerous stops for "opportunities" to buy things. We soon learned and refused to get off the bus and headed instead back to town for a roundevous with others from the horseback riding at Hard Rock! Then back to the boat for an overnight......

Next stop...Grand Cayman and a MUCH better place...those pics will be here tomorrow.

Duke

More Cruise Pics.....

The cruise begins.....Afternoon at sea out of Fort Lauderdale & "The Cruisers" at the fantail bar enjoying the view behind us.

The ship making way with into the deep blue waters off Florida's SE coast...

The afternoon gives way to the evening in a marvelous view of water, and weather....
Almost too tasty to let go....

We begin 7 days of enjoyment/drinks/great food/drinks/fun landings/drinks/nice sights/drinks, etc.

Duke

O.K., Just One More Tonight!

A cove on the shores of Grand Cayman Island. Lovely blue, blue waters, and clarity to die for. The water is so clear we could see the bottom from the ship!


More in the morning kiddies!

Duke

Home From The Sea!

Dollar Coronas in Cozumel! Some of our "Cruisers" group enjoy....

How very nice.....

We're home, and I am editing pictures from Cozumel, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, etc. Post more in the morning folks.....tired tonight!