Cozumel

 The pier

 My first Starbucks sighting!!

 Mi gusta tequila!

 Our swimming hole for the day.

 The resort we spent the day at.

 The bar nestled behind palm trees.

 Rustic Cozumel beach.

Playa Azul.

Our last port of call was Cozumel, Mexico.  I spent the morning shopping and negotiating with vendors on some souvenirs.  Bought some beautiful hand embroidered tops and bags.  A few handmade bracelets and hand painted pottery.  Once I was done stimulating the economy at the Cozumel port I went back on the boat and got my travelling partner.  We then headed back out to the taxi stand and I lined up a taxi to take us to a nearby, local beach named Playa Azul.  (My Spanglish was in full force this day!) 

Our friendly taxi driver took us to his 'friends' resort located on Playa Azul and it couldn't have been more perfect.  It was quiet with very few people in sight.  We had waiters standing by to deliver anything our hearts desire, use of the pool and facilities, and a beautiful little beach with sparkling blue water.  We spent the day swimming, drinking Mexican coca-cola which is SO much more delicious due to its use of REAL sugar content (vs the corn syrup we get in the states), and snoozing on padded beach loungers. 

We had the BEST day on our last day at port.  After leaving the beach we finished up at Carlos and Charlies where we had yard drinks and a HUGE platter of local taco fixings.  We were not excited to get back on the boat but we reluctantly got back on and headed back to Nola. 



Honduras

 Coxen Hole, Honduras

 A lot of lush greenery with homes built into the hillsides.

 Roatan Bay - Gorgeous white sand beach.

 Velvet white sand and crystal clear turquoise water.

 Quite an active beach, lots of locals mingling with the tourists along the resort lined coast.

 Moi

Lush green hills

We ported in Coxen Hole, Honduras on our 2nd stop.  After we made it through the new, pristine cruise port full of duty free shops and local artisans we were taxied over the hills and into Roatan Bay.  We spent the day at the Tabayana beach resort.  It was packed full of people with locals wandering through selling anything from Cuban cigars to massages on the beach.  We relaxed in loungers for a few hours, dipped in the water, and chatted with some friends from the cruise.  Ate a BBQ lunch with a local rice & bean dish and the BEST tropical iced tea that have ever passed my lips.  I didn't care if that iced tea was made from the local water source (which appeared to be a stagnant puddle) because it was so delicious and you better believe I had 3 huge glasses. 

Then (you know me, a sucker for a massage) I was convinced by a local woman named Suzi to get a massage under a hut by the ocean.  $25 for 4o minutes sounded like a great deal, especially with this beautiful scenery to add to the ambiance.  Being that I was covered in sand didn't matter to Suzi, but ended up creating more of a 'scrub' than a massage.  She scraped and scratched at me for about 10 mins.  All of a sudden she pulls off my bathing suit top, luckily I was face down, and squirts a ton of massage oil down my bottoms.   All this occurring as she complained to her friend, also massaging another beach goer right next to me, about her boyfriend and kids, throwing in a lot of colorful cursing, and threatening to burn down his house.  In an effort to get out of the awkwardness that was ensuing I asked her to rub aloe vera on my sunburned shoulders, which she did, and then she sent  me packing.  It was a very weird 'massage' and definitely lasted WAY less than the quoted 40 mins, resulting in about 15 mins, which was for the best...  One word...awkward. 

Back on the van to head back to the cruise port we got to take in the rustic beauty of Honduras.   The beaches are pristine, the hillsides are lush and green, and wild flowers grow along the roadside.  This is definitely a place we intend to return to.  We loved every minute of our time here and saw so many beautiful resorts along the coastline.  

You better BELIZE it!

 Our view while on a private island in Belize.  White sand and turquoise water.

The beach on the island was full of gorgeous shells, corals, and other rustic sea elements.  I spent a good hour collecting shells and coral to sneak in my luggage back home. 

 A nearby uninhabited mangrove island.



 The view from our palapa.

 Palapa huts and palm trees.

The island.  There wasn't much to it.  Just pure island paradise.

 Leaving the island.  We were so sad to leave. 

The ship waiting off the coast of Belize.

Belize was good to us.  As we missed our first port of call, Costa Maya, due to high winds, we were EXTRA excited to get off the boat and explore a private island off the coast of Belize.  We were picked up by a ferry, right off of the boat, and jetted off to a private island.  There were about 40 other people on the island, soaking up the sun and relaxing on the white sand.  We had a palapa (palm hut) all to ourselves.  I spent about an hour searching for and collecting the most amazing corals and shells, that I successfully brought home for my collection.  I also made quite a few friends, you know me...Ms. Social butterfly :)   We ate a local lunch, enjoyed the local brews, and simply relaxed lazing the day away under the sun.  We love the island life!!  

We're on a boat!

     

We are back from our cruise, and back to reality.  Here is the first in the photo series I am going to put up about the trip.

We sailed from New Orleans to Costa Maya, Belize City, Coxen Hole Honduras, and Cozumel Mexico.   Our ship, the Norwegian Cruise Line Spirit, was 'smaller' ship of about 2,500 guests + crew.  I didn't take many pictures around the ship because I kept forgetting the camera and was just too darn busy soaking up the vacation bliss.  We really enjoyed the food.  Breakfast consisted of Cafe au Lait, fruit, oatmeal, pancakes, and the occasional strip of bacon.   There were tons of fresh made pastries, waffles, crepes...you name it, they had it.  We rarely ate lunch, and when off the boat ate at the excursion location.  We had nice dinners at some of the optional restaurants (this included an additional fee), of Cagney's steak house, La Trattoria, and a French restaurant (coq a vin!) but also enjoyed the buffet.  The head chef on the boat is Indian and we had some amazing curries!

Our cabin was a king bed, a small desk, a sitting chair, a closet, and a bathroom fit for an RV.  The bed was not terribly comfortable but we made the best of it.  The boat was full of a vast array of characters including a bunch of college kids on spring break.  You will note in the picture of the pool how packed it was as they all spent their days and nights partying away.  It was not uncommon to see a frat boy running down the hall with an older gal scooting right behind him on her hover round.  It made for interesting people watching, that is for sure! :) 

We had a wonderful vacation, although aren't convinced cruising is for us.  There is a lot of down time as you sail from port to port, which for a busy body like me drove me a little mad.  When we couldn't dock at the first port, Costa Maya, I thought I was going to lose my mind on another day at sea.  I was also a little sea sick :( 

What we did love were the ports of call.  Which...I will post details on next!!

A necessary evil...

Old Navy - $29.94

Lime Ricki - $50

Lime Ricki - $14.95 top + $8.95 bottoms

Mod Cloth - $89.99

Teal or Red?

Always for me - $89

I totally loathe this.  I HATE shopping for bathing suits.  Sadly for me, I have worn my favorite Calvin Klein tankini far beyond it's better years and now I am left to do the despicable chore of shopping for a new swimsuit.  I need a new suit before we set sail for our cruise in March.   I am hoping to find one soon so I can have something cute to wear to the pool and beach.  Hopefully something that doesn't make me look beached on a lounge chair. 

I am turning to online shopping because in the dead of winter, with the exception of Target, no one has bathing suits out in Portland, Oregon.  I refuse to wear a bikini, for more reasons than I can name here, thus I am searching for a tankini or a one piece.  I found some suitable looking candidates.  Mid-section coverage and large rump coverage a must.  What do you guys think??  I need help!!!

Or...there is always these....?

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Going Coastal

Lincoln City, Oregon

Mo's famous clam chowder & home baked bread

Nautical Signs

We spent our New Years in Lincoln City, Oregon which is a quiet town on Highway 101.  The beaches in Oregon are grey, generally overcast, and flushed with waves from the cold, salty Pacific Ocean.  Our beaches are clean, quiet, and if you get up early enough to go for a walk you can find yourself some beautiful seashells, and solace.   

As in most sleepy ocean side towns, Lincoln City has some small diners, shops, and restaurants.  Mo's is a local favorite and they are known for their clam chowder.  We went there for lunch to help stave off our NYE fatigue and ate heaps of home baked bread with clam chowder.  So delicious!!  We sat in the brief rays of sunlight, sipped our coffee, and enjoyed our view of the bay.  I also found these quaint nautical signs in the restaurant lobby.  I wanted the 'bar' one but then realized I don't have a bar, nor anything that resembles one, and in an effort to not spend $ on things I don't need, didn't make the unwarranted purchase.

We also went to a local candy shop and picked up some chocolates and taffy.  No pictures of these because let's just say they didn't last long enough for me to get my camera out.  Let this stand as my formal apology to anyone who was hoping to get some treats from the beach...they didn't make it back.  Whoops!!

Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas.

We are packed and headed out of town - Las Vegas bound!  Vacation is upon me and I may be off the radar for a couple of days.  After much debate, I have decided that I am not taking my laptop with me on vacation.  However, I will try to blog from my phone and see if I can get some LV related posts up.  K will be playing in some tournaments.  I have a spa day booked.  There is some fine dining (In-N-Out burger included), shopping, and relaxing to be had.  Wish me luck, and if I hit it big I will send for you! ;)