Cruising the Western Caribbean

A lot of things have happened in my life over the last couple of months. In December I walked in the WSU graduation ceremony and celebrated my last days in Pullman with family and friends. I have so many great memories of my time in Pullman. I think former WSU head football coach Jim Walden said it best: "I can't define it; I can't tell somebody who isn't a Cougar what it's like. There's something that happens at Washington State, you quietly and subtly become infected. There are very few people I've ever met who have gone to WSU and not come away with a favorable impression...Washington State was a passion. Being a Cougar was a passion." It's hard to leave friends and the places that become home. Still, I know I have many adventures still ahead of me.

Over the winter break I went on a Caribbean cruise with my grandma (my graduation gift!). It was an amazing trip (minus the seasickness!), and I am very grateful that I got to share the experience with her. We went on a 7 day cruise through the Western Caribbean - beginning in Tampa, Florida then heading to Key West, Florida; Belize City, Belize; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Roatán, Honduras.

This was my first cruise experience, and it was a great way for my grandma and I to travel together. We got to do relaxing things on the ship, but we also got to do some more adventurous things in the ports of call. On the ship we ate really good food, played bingo and mega trivia, relaxed on the promenade deck, and went to many different shows. There was a group of singers and dancers that put on three different shows during the week. There was also an illusionist, a comedian, and a violinist. Life on the ship was fun because there was always something to do and people to talk with. However, I learned that I am not a sailor. Suffice it to say - I got sick. This photo of us was taken on the ship on New Year's Eve.

My grandma and I were on the promenade deck when a school of dolphins swam by. They weren't there for long, but it was amazing to see them.

Key West was our first stop. We took a trolley tour which allowed us to see almost all of the island. We saw many of the island's historic buildings such as Hemmingway's house and the Truman Little White House. We had fun walking around and looking at all of the fun shops. We also took time to enjoy some authentic key lime pie and to make a quick stop at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. However, the best part of our visit to Key West was the amazing sunset. I've never seen a more beautiful sunset in my life.

Our next stop was Belize City, Belize. We took a two-hour bus ride from the east coast of Belize to its western border with Guatemala to see the Mayan ruins of Xunantunich. I loved the bus ride because I got to see so much of the countryside and the people. After the ruins we had a great lunch at a local restaurant.

This is a picture of the temple that I climbed to the top of. It was a steep climb, but well worth the view.

The architecture was incredible. The history of the Mayan culture was also fascinating, and it was amazing to consider the ancient civilizations that built these structures.

The very next day we woke up in Costa Maya, Mexico. The itinerary was almost exactly the same as the day before. We took a two-hour bus ride southwest from Costa Maya, toward Belize, and visited more Mayan ruins followed by lunch. While the ruins of Kohunlich weren't nearly as large at the ones in Belize, there were many more of them to explore.

The final port of call was Roatán, Honduras. Roatán is an island just off the coast of Honduras. You can actually see the mainland from the island. The island was very lush and tropical, and had an African Caribbean feel. In Roatán we took a semi-submarine tour of the coral reef, shopped in the West End Village, and saw a dance/drum performance. I loved all the places we visited on the cruise, but I really loved Roatán. There was so much to do and see, and the beaches were beautiful.

The main reason I chose to go on a cruise in the Western Caribbean was so I could visit more Spanish-speaking countries. I got to speak a lot of Spanish on the trip - more than I thought I would! I really enjoyed my experiences in all three countries. Even though the visits were short, they gave me a chance to see things I would otherwise never have gotten to see. I'm very grateful I had this opportunity.

I have a lot more pictures than what I included in this post. If you don't have facebook, follow these two links to see more:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2172603&l=3c20c&id=27218371

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2172616&l=3ff25&id=27218371

Hasta luego!