I know all of you have made grand resolutions for 2019 & I hope all of that meets a logical end ;) After all, it is hope, curiosity & enthusiasm that keeps a person looking forward to a new day else life gets boring as hell...
When I look back at 2018 I see that I just penned a paltry sum of 3 blogs. Some of it is attributed to my laziness & some of it to writers block :D Me writing about the new year in the end of February itself shows what big of a lazy ass I have become ;)
So my resolution this year is to over-turn this awful number of 3 blogs to a significant one ;)
So Ladies & gentlemen, without wasting much of your time on "gyaan" ;) I would like to provide you the beautiful trip that I just embarked upon.
The Land of Maya, The land of the Tequila, Chocolates & pristine beaches, The Western Caribbean aboard the magnifico NCL Getaway!!
West Bay Beach, Honduras
The Plan
Facebook has got this amazing feature called "Memories". Everyday in the morning it reminds you of the amazing experiences that you have had in the past. So one such day, my Bahamas & Jamaica Trip started to pop-up in the memory section in FB. Scrolling through the pictures brought back the memories of the beautiful Caribbean landscapes & beaches.
Also it was a Friday & i happened to order some Chinese food in the afternoon & the fortune cookie that came along with the food had a note, something in the lines of "you always leave a part of yourself in the place that you have traveled".
So all these were clear indications from the Almighty that i need to pay my visit to the Caribbean again ;) & thus was reborn my desire to visit the Caribbean. I logged into the NCL website & started checking for offers.to my surprise there was a great Thanks Giving deal going on & after consulting with ever enthusiastic wifey, I booked a 7 night cruise to the western Caribbean.
Cruise Itinerary
Day1 - Depart Miami
Day2 - At Sea
Day3 - Harvest Caye, Belize
Day4 - Roatan Bay, Honduras
Day5 - Costa Maya, Mexico
Day6 - Cozumel, Mexico
Day7 & Day8 - At Sea & back to Miami
Since this cruise was spending 2 days sailing(Day2 & Day7) I was wondering if i will get bored on the cruise ship. Man i was so so wrong!! NCL Getaway is such an amazing cruise ship, you wouldn't get bored even for a minute...
NCL Getaway
The Trip
It was a chilly morning in NJ. I was desperate to just leave this dreaded cold behind and embark on an epic trip. With sleepy eyes boarded the early morning flight to Miami,Florida. The views from the plane were spectacular. Reached Miami in the afternoon & completed the boarding activities & headed straight to the top of the ship to capture some spectacular views of Miami's skyline. We also happened to spot a Manatee while in Miami....
Soaking The Sun from the Skies in Florida
Manatee Sighting Near our Hotel
View outside the Cruise Ship
Day 1 & Day 2
As Day1 & 2 were just for lazing around we explored the sheer piece of engineering marvel...
There were great water rides aboard the ship & amazing cocktails included in the package..The ship had a great dance floor too called SpiceH2O which is located atop the ship & has open skies. Also, it has a huge screen just like the screens in the Cricket Stadiums...There were also great shows on board the ship like dance performances, Stand-up comedy shows etc. and not to forget the superb Casinos.
So sipping on the cocktails, indulging in lip smacking food, dropping down at incredible speeds in the water rides, gambling away at high seas, watching amazing shows and ending it all by dancing atop the ship illuminated by the sky filled with bright stars concluded Day 1 & Day2, a poetic experience indeed :D
View inside the Cruise Ship
View atop the Cruise Ship
SpiceH2O
Harvest Caye, Belize
The Getaway pulled into Harvest Caye & after some lip smacking breakfast we disembarked the ship.
Yummy Breakfast
Harvest Caye is a small Island in Belize specifically to cater to Cruise ship passengers.
The Island hosts many activities like the 1300 foot Zip Line, Kayaking around the island, paddle boating etc.
There are also tours that take you out of the island into the mainland like Mayan Ruins tour etc.
Belize also has the second largest Coral Reef in the world after the Great Barrier reef in Australia.
The Reef is 300 kms long & a must visit place while in Belize.
So naturally we opted to snorkel the beautiful Barrier Reef of Belize....
The Belize Barrier Reef photographed from the International Space Station in 2016. Pic Courtesy Wikipedia
After we got off the ship we explored the island for a while & hopped aboard the boat which took us to the snorkeling site. It took us 45 minutes to reach the site. After general instructions we snorkeled through the blue waters of Belize.
We saw some spectacular Corals & Fishes. unfortunately after 30 mins or so in the water the skies started becoming dark & the visibility reduced.So we weren't able to explore the Reef to the fullest. Nevertheless, we had a great time as we were able to Snorkell for atleast 30 minutes.
So we boarded the boat & were provided some "Rum Punch" to make us feel better I guess ;)
We were shipped back to the Island where we sipped some nice,crisp & bubbly Belizian Beer.
Though we hardly spent 8-10 hrs in Belize we had a great time in Belize & look forward to snorkel the reef again in the future :)
Me & Wifey Posing ;)
Artists performing Welcome dance for the tourists
Expansive Beach beds to soak in the sun
Huge Swimming pool
Light House & the 1500 Foot Zip Line
Tourists Paddle Boating
Botanical Garden
Roatan Islands, Honduras
It was Day 3 & the Getaway pulled in to Roatan Bay, Honduras.
Roatan is a small island in Honduras situated in Western Caribbean & having 50000 inhabitants.
Roatan is 40 miles away from the Mainland Honduras & this is an important fact because off-late there is lot of hearsay about Honduras. All thanks to the news about a caravan pulling into the States ;) So when i was mentioning about to this trip to my colleague she asked me aren't you scared to visit Honduras? People are fleeing poverty there & it is dangerous like some sorta Zombie apocalypse :D
Unfortunately the untouched beauty of this tiny country with its turquoise beaches gets shrouded in all the negative news in the mainstream media.
We had an initial plan of just heading to the famous beach of Roatan. However when we disembarked the ship we were surrounded by travel agents to opt for the island tour.So we were like why not. So we hitched a ride with a local cabbie.
It is only after getting into the cab, reality hit.The driver did not know English. Adding to that there was no internet for help.10 years back I was asked to learn Spanish by one of my previous employer for a project for a Spanish client & all thanks to them I managed at least have a 1 word kinda conversations with the Driver about the island ;)
But you have to give it to the driver making genuine effort just like my Spanish speaking effort to converse with me in English. He also added that kids are now learning English in schools to cater to Cruise passengers which will boost their local economy. It is always amazing to hear such great stories :)
He showed us the island & took us to some famous spots. He also took us to some nearby dwellings.
We also indulged in some local tropical delicacies.
He took us to a chocolate shop who showed us how chocolate was made & provided some chocolatey history on making & usage of the Cocoa beans by the Mayans.
Did you know
- Mayans were the first to discover Cocoa beans.
- Mayans prepared a unique drink by adding chilli peppers & water to Cocoa beans & called it "XOCOLATL".
- Mayans called it the "Food of the Gods"
- Cocoa was consumed during religious occasions
- Cocoa beans were used as a barter in exchange for food & clothes.So next time when your folks tell you "Paise paid pe nahi ughte" Translation - Money doesn't grow on Trees, you can proudly disagree ;)
After tasting variety of chocolates & buying some that can be devoured back home, we hopped on to the cab to continue the tour.
After another 30 mins drive we reached our final destination of the day which is also the highlight of the island and our only agenda in Honduras before we were taken to this great Island tour,The West Bay Beach.
At first glance i was just blown away by the sheer beauty of this beach. Swimming in this crystal clear beach was a real treat.I also got a chance to taste the Honduran beer, Salavida.
After spending 2 hrs or so at the beach we were dropped off to the ship.
I must say we had an amazing time in Honduras & the Honduran people are really amazing.
Disembarking Roatan
This is Epic
Island Tour Map
Picturesque Spots in Roatan
Wouldn't you like to swing here ? ;)
Chocolate Shop
How they make Chocolates & some Chocolates we picked at the store
West Bay Beach
So all in all it was a day well spent & back in the ship they had a massive spread of food. It was Thanks Giving!
The Chefs in the ship showed their remarkable culinary skills by doling out some amazing Turkey delicacies which is a hallmark of Thanks Giving :)
Thanks Giving Decoration in the Ship
So this Concluded Day 4 & we did not even realize how fast 4 days had passed....
4 days of awesomeness had come to an end & we were ready to embark on more adventures & learn about more cultures as part of Day5 & Day 6.
Since this blog is already so huge & I did not want the most amazing leg of the trip which talks about about the Mayan Culture, Mayan wonders like ChicenItza & not to forget Tequila ;) to get lost somewhere in the bottom of this blog.Hence, I will be writing a Part- 2 of our experience of cruising through the amazing countries in the Western Caribbean....
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog & until part 2 comes, ciao :)
