Day 4 - Roatan, Honduras

Our Geocaching Travel Bugs Visit Honduras

Day 4 - Roatan, Honduras

Today, we arrived in Honduras on the island of Roatan.

The weather was warm, clear, and windy.  The N Jewel was the first to make it to the one ship dock. Later arriving ships usually have to anchor out and tender their guests a shore.  Because of the strong winds, they were unable to tender and come ashore.  It must have been very disappointing for these passengers, and the the local merchants who depend on cruise ship passengers.  

For us though, it meant it meant far fewer cruisers to deal with.  We were picked up and whisked away in a small van to do some snorkeling on the the opposite side of the island.  We went to Turquoise Bay by Subway Dives.  We brought along our own snorkels and masks, but rented fins.  We thought we might need a wet suit, but the water was warm enough without one...lovely

We spent the day snorkeling on the barrier reef and were thrilled to be back in the water.  The water was a little choppy, but it was 81 F and very clear.  We saw a couple of rays, lots of fish- puffers, sand dabs, tang, angels, trumpets, sea stars, brain coral, purple lace fan coral, pipe organ coral, and lobsters.

The sand was white, the water turquoise, the beer was cold.  It was a great day.  After returning late in  the afternoon, we had just enough time to find a geocache in the Market outside the cruise terminal

and get our passports stamped before boarding the ship.  We are now currently heading north, with one last day ashore in Mexico before returning to New Orleans on Sunday.

At 9:45 tonight there is going to be a chocoholic buffet!  I can hardly wait and will surely regret participating, with a big smile on my face!

All is well with the Worrall Travel R's aboard NCL Norwegian Jewel.

Day 3- Belize it!

We got up early this morning to collect the first tender group of tickets so that we could get to shore in a timely manner and make our 9:30 tour to the Mayan ruins on Altun Ha!  While we waited for our tour time at the cruise ship terminal, we searched around for a geocache and found one close by.  

Found a Geocache in the Bus Yard

I wanted to do a little shopping when I discovered I left my money in the safe along with Russ's wallet.  Darn!  No cash purchases today.  We didn't really need to buy anything, but it would mean that we would have to leave the bus without tipping our guides at the end of the day.  We can only hope the other members would be generous tippers and pick up the slack for us slackers.

The ruins  we saw today were built after 625 AD, post classic period.   When discovered  by Pendergast in the 1950's, the ruins looked like small jungled mountains.  

The Mayans believed in building their homes on top of their parent home.  The parent home became the tomb for the deceased parent, and the eldest son would cover the home /tomb with dirt, and build his home on top of the old one.  This custom continued for many generations.  Some of the excavated mounds had up to five homes built on top of one another.

Do you see the Mayan Face?

Nice view from the Temple Top

It is now 2:30 and we are headed back to the boat for a cool beverage and a dip in the pool before the sunsets.

Cheers from the Worrall Travel R's.

Day 2- If It's Tuesday , It Must be Cozumel

We slept like rocks last night and were awakened from a deep sleep when the alarm went off at 6:00 a.m.  With a few stretches, shower, and breakfast, we disembarked in Cozumel, Mexico at 8:00 a.m. as soon as NJ parallel parked at the dock across from the Disney Wonder.

Russ and I signed up with an off ship, small group excursion with Native Tours out to the Mayan ruins in Tulum.  We walked from the NCL dock to the ferry dock, where we met our tour guide Audie, a Lebanese American, working in Mexico. 

There were ten in our group from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, and Norwegian.  We boarded a 45 minute ferry from the island of Cozumel to the mainland, transferred to an air conditioned van and drove another 45 minutes south to Tulum on the Yucatan peninsula.  

Our guide was extremely well informed about Meso-American history and culture and kept us enthralled with wonderful stories from start to finish.  Tulum was built around 650 ad. , destroyed during the Spanish conquests, recaptured by the jungle, refound in 1956, excavated, and opened for tourists in 1960.  The setting of Tulum is on a bluff above the ocean where 10-15,000 Mayans once lived before being conquered by the Toltecs and then the Spaniards.

We returned to Cozumel about 3:30 in the afternoon with just enough time to do a little shopping and enjoy a walk along the Malecon enjoying the sculptures

and enjoying some ice cold beverages...beer and margaritas, before boarding the N Jewel at 4:30, casting off the lines and heading to Belize.  This is definitely a Worrall Wind Trip! Sure is wonderful being back in Mexico, even if only briefly.

If it's Wednesday...it will be Belize in the morning.  

Cheers from the Worrall Travel R's

Day 1 - On Our Way To Cozumel

NCL Norwegian Jewel left port at exactly 4:00 p.m.  Fog skimmed over the Mississippi and shrouded the banks as we turned a 180 in the middle of the river and headed out to sea.  Soon a white nothingness pressed in around us.  Ghostly ships anchored in the river appeared briefly and disappeared into the mist.  It took us six hours before the bow of the ship was in the sea. Jewel's movement changed only slightly as we felt the gently swells underneath us.

After dinner, Super Bowl viewing, and live entertainment (a preview of the week's performances) We sat on our deck in the warm humid air and eventually went to bed with the sound of sea.  It was bliss enjoying a glass of wine which we never drank while sailing our own boat, and retiring without worrying about sail changes, navigation, squalls, night watch, or anchor alarms. Oil drilling platforms lit up like Christmas trees and became crystal clear the farther we sailed from the shore.

Monday.  First Day at Sea.  

Now that we are cruising at sea, we will have to wait to post photos.  The satellite connection is slow and doesn't want to upload the photos.  I ll take care of the photos when we return to New Orleans, next Sunday.

We arose early and made our way to the fitness center for a workout before breakfast.  The ship's staff is  very conscientious about spraying everyone's hands with disinfectant before entering the dining rooms and the fitness center.  Given the incidence of Noro virus on cruise ships, we are pleased with their diligence in preventing the spread of bacteria and viruses.  Every entrance to a public meeting area has hand disinfectant dispensers.


After breakfast, we decided it would be fun to do a little golf practice in the cage.  We were disappointed with the ship's golf equipment for the cage.  We could select from one battered driver...for lefties.  Seriously? and no pitching wedges.   There is only one cage on board and we could each have only one club.  Russ chose a 7 and I found a 5 iron.  When we inquired about balls, the young man at the desk gave us each one.  Really, be a sport, could we have a few more?  Okay, we each got two, and not out of stinginess, but that exhausted the supply.  Then we had to sign some paperwork for the precious equipment.    After hitting our four balls a several dozen times, we returned the equipment.  Not sure we'll do this often.

Off to play BINGO....or so we thought, until we found a comfy looking lounge chair for two in the morning sun.  Russ read, and moi, I took a wonderful little power nap.  So much for BINGO.  It was time for lunch, a stroll around the deck and an afternoon of playing cards with some folks from Minnesota.  They taught us how to play Hand and Foot which has many similarities to Baja Rummy.  The sea has been calm, gentle swells, and no white caps.  We spent a pleasant afternoon relaxing and playing cards.

We met the Master (Captain) of the ship tonight. He politely bowed to people and gave them fist bumps instead of handshakes.  Guess he doesn't want to catch or spread gems by shaking hands either.  We talked with one of the officers today about the water system on the boat.  They desalinate seawater and the ship's gray water, producing 60 tons of water an hour!  We were happy if we got 14 gallons an hour aboard Worrall wind.  Amazing.

Our first day at sea was capped off by some champaign, dinner in the elegant dining room, and a Seventies music and dance performance in the Stardust Theater.  It's been an exhausting day. ;-).  Tomorrow, we will be in Cozumel exploring Mayan ruins.  

Cheers from the Worrall Travel R's

We Are Sailing Again!

This is our first time cruising on a boat that is not ours.  we are not the captain, first mate, helmsman, crew, cook or galley slave.  We are thrilled to be passengers on this trip.  Nice digs, and no night watch.  Yeah!

We arrived in New Orleans last night, boarded the ship this afternoon, and are preparing for an emergency evacuation drill in five minutes!  Gotta go!  More later.

Worrall Travel R's on Norwegian Cruise Lines heading to the Western Caribbean.

18 Life Lessons Learned From Traveling The World

Vanuatu - Protection from Cave Spirits

I just read a great article that I want to share with fellow travelers and want-to-be travelers called 18 Life Lessons Learned from Traveling the World. It is well written, easy to understand, and reflects the lessons we have learned from our nomadic lives.  As you read through this blog with photos, click on any of the captions and you will be  taken back in time to the detailed blog or photo album of the experience.

Traditional Eating Position of "old people" in this Fijian Villag

As Americans, we like to think of ourselves as world savvy, but in fact we are insulated from the rest of the world.  Only 39 percent of us have passports and the majority of Americans have never ventured outside the boarders of the USA.  Many would have a hard time finding Alaska on a map, little less Vanuatu or Fiji.

Vanuatu family in the midst of meal preparation

Our access to world news, geography, and events is paltry, overshadowed by local stories, celebrity gossip,  polarized political snarkiness, and narrowed curriculum taught in our schools, all of which minimizes and trivializes our viewpoint regarding the rest of the world and limits our understanding, compassion, and acceptance of other cultures, people, and languages different from our own.

It is really an imperative that young Americans travel more and experience the rest of the world so that when our opinons are formulated, they are derived from first hand knowledge and experience, not from media or the majority of Americans who have never ventured out of their country and perhaps not even out of their state or city.  

Russ fits eyeglasses throughout the South Pacific

Assisting Cook Island Rangers in Suwarrow jetty repair

We would become a stronger nation by being more knowledgeable and less opinionated about which we know nothing.  The term "ugly American" is derived from opinionated American travelers with a superiority based in ignorance, fear, and misinformation.

You do not need to possess a lot of wealth to travel.  You need to possess the will to travel and you can find many ways to do so inexpensively.  Look into Affordable Travel Club if you are 40+ and Air BNB for inexpensive accommodations around the world.  Young and old can Sign up to be a crew member on a yacht.
Hostels are for all ages and are a wonderful communal living experience with people from all over the world.

Russ and I have joined a couple of travel/service organizations recently to promote friendship and be goodwill ambassadors.  Several years ago when we started our sailing voyage, we became Commodores of the Seven Seas Cruising Association where the symbolic motto is to "leave a clean wake".

Roz teaching Vanuatu children living in the shadow of a volcano,  geography and plate tectonics

Mt. Yasura and Vanuatu Photos - Click Here

We are now members of US SERVAS of SERVAS International and Friendship Force International, Sacramento Chapter.  Both of these organizations promote friendship, peace, and cultural understanding domestically and around the world.  We visit their homes and invite them to visit ours.  We have found that it is the people not the places that have enriched our lives.

Russ teaching generator repair in Vanuatu

If you have not yet read the article about 18 Life lessons from Traveling the World, please do so.  Hope you will join us as fellow adventurers, travelers, and good will ambassadors.  Our whole world is a a magnificent place, not only for the natural beauty, but for the rich diveristy of animals, culture, and wonderful human beings.

Cheers from the Worrall Travel R's

AND....We are Home!

California is in Sight!

Mt. Shasta Welcomes Back to California

After 15,311 miles of cross country travel from California to the East Coast, North to Nova Scotia, West Again through Canada, and south from Vancouver to California, we are now home.

Our fifth wheel Trail Blazer was wonderful and suited our needs perfectly, especially once we got a handle on backing into places with it.  We actually think backing a fifth wheel is harder than anchoring.

The RV is getting a well deserved rest for a couple of months until we head south to Arizona to join the rest of the snow birds the first of the year.

NEXT BIG TRIP IN THE WORKS

In April we leave for Japan, China, Russia, and Eastern Europe.  We'll keep you posted as those plans develop. We will be touring with small groups and crossing China to Russia by train (May 9 to June 5 - 09/05/14 Australians put the day first and month second), until we get to Eastern Europe, then we plan to EurRail down to Turkey July-September.  Let us know if you want to join us or meet up with us somewhere along the way!

Cross Country Wrap Up - Friend and Family Visiting - The Horse is Heading for the Barn!

By the time we reached Washington State,  the Trail Blaze R and the Worrall Travel R's were touristed out.  Having been to Washington and Oregon several times, we took photos of only those places we had not previously been and for photos of family and friends along the way.  Visiting, not touring, was the highlight of our time heading south to home.

Enjoy some of the last of the photos as we made our way home.

Our first stop was in Bothell, where our niece Denise, her husband Matt, and their son Dixon joined us for a BBQ at the Campground.  We took Dixon geocaching and set up an account for him.  Hope he enjoys this new hobby of treasure hunting with Mom and Dad.

Matt, Denise, Dixon, and Russ

We also had the opportunity to visit Alicia, Jeremy, and son Vin in Bothell.  Alicia is the granddaughter of Johnie and Bev, our sailing buddies.  We met Alicia when she graduated from high school and her parents took her cruising in Alaska for her graduation present.  We had a wonderful time then and visiting with them in Bothell.  We had such a good time playing with Vin and playing cards, I forgot to take any photos.  Darn!

When we left Bothell, we headed south to Gig Harbor and spent a couple of great days with Army friends, Glen and Claudia.  They were our sponsors and the first people we met when Russ was assigned to Germany in 1970.  We have been friends ever since.  Terrific people and lots of fun!  We taught them how to play Fiji Rummy, and ate way too much of Claudia's great cooking.

Glen and Russ look like they came out of the same mold.  They even speak RV.

We had planned on visiting Mt. Rainier, one of our favorite places, on our way out of Washington, but you guessed it.....rain, rain, rain.  So we continued into Oregon and spent a night at the Mt. Hood RV Park.  We stayed there many years ago in my mom and dad's class C when our kids were in high school and attending the Mt. Hood Ski Camp during the summer.  It's still a lovely place, very green, and this time of the year, very wet!

Leaving Mt. Hood, we dropped down to Bend, Oregon to visit friends Tim and Meryl.  They were our slip buddies in Emeryville for many years and have since moved to Oregon where they have built a wonderful home.  We had a wonderful time with them.

Meryl and Tim

What a great visit, and we fell in love with Bend. We might be considering this as a place to relocate!  Wow, skiing, rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, golfing, beautiful parks, quaint shops, lots of cultural activities.  While we were visiting, Mt. Bachelor got its first snowfall of the season.  The ski area is only 20 minutes from town.

Winter is in the Air....Time to Fly South

Ski Runs on Bachelor

Once again, we were on the road

Heading south west to Shady Cove on the Rogue River to visit friend Dede and Bill from Colfax who have relocated to their slice of Paradise, Fish Camp on the Rogue.  Our plan to was to drive by Crater Lake on the way, but the snow that fell closed the road.  Oh well!  Next time!

We enjoyed a great afternoon with Dede, Bill, and friends at Fish Camp.

Yum!

Alas, it was time to head home.  We dropped down into California past Mt. Shasta, and down past Mt. Lassen.

Mt. Shasta

Mt. Lassen

Before spending a couple days at Lake Almanor with Russ's brother Don and sister-in-law Diane, we made a stop at Birney Falls.

We celebrated our home coming and Don and Russ's Birthdays at the Lake Almanor Country Club.

Don and Diane

So that's it folks.  We have been home now a few days in California where tons of little house projects have already started to consume our time, and I thought I would get this blog posted before we got too busy.   Russ attended a Lions club meeting this week and volunteered at Rail Road Days yesterday to work in the Lions Vision Van.  We interviewed for SERVAS, a world wide hospitality network to spread world peace, saw the movie Rush...great!  and trekked a 10 km folks march with the Placer Pacers today around Colfax and down the Stephens Creek Trail.  It's good to be home.

All is Well with the Worrall Travel R's as we settle in for the Fall in Colfax.  

Cheers!