Boy, did that go fast. At this time last week, the ship was leaving Miami on its way to Grand Cayman.
We had a great time. Missed the girls, especially towards the end of the trip, but I have to admit that it was so very nice to do the things that we wanted to do, when we wanted to do them. Never in a million years would we have been able to take the girls ziplining in Belize (yes, that’s me in the photo) or take a 7-hour excursion to see the Mayan ruins in Tulum, Mexico in 100+ degree heat. That gorgeous beach in the photo above was the view from the ruins – it’s no wonder the Mayans considered Tulum a sacred site. The setting was breathtaking.
We enjoyed the cruise itself, even though it was very crowded. 3600 passengers, 1/3 of whom were kids. How nice that none of the 1,200 children was our responsibility!
Some highlights:
– Trying snuba for the first time in Grand Cayman. A cross between snorkeling and scuba – we were able to dive about 20 feet below the surface of the water and see a shipwreck. The oxygen tank was on a raft floating above us and we breathed through a hose that was attached to the tank by a very long cable.
– Ziplining in the Belizean jungle. Very cool. Very fast. Very high. I was a little disappointed not to see more wildlife, except for mosquitoes.
– Not getting eaten alive by the mosquitoes while ziplining. In fact, not one bite. That’s never happened to me before – I’m usually their dessert. Our avoidance of a mosquito attack was entirely due to my super-duper chemical Deet spray.
– Spending quality time with the hubby.
– The Mayan ruins in Tulum – as I said, just a beautiful setting. But so freakin’ hot. We took a ferry from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen on the mainland. There were lots of new hotels there and it would probably be a great place to take the kids.
– Placing third in the cruise’s blackjack tournament. Came very close to winning $500, but got slammed with a horrible last hand. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted. And I did win some tacky Carnival giveaways.
– Getting a facial and a massage. How relaxing!
– Leaving work and everyday stress behind.
Tomorrow we reunite with Sophie. Yeah! Chloe is with her great-aunt and great-uncle for another week, attending day camp there. I’ll fetch her next weekend. And I can’t wait to see them both. Because as much fun as it was to get away for the week, it’ll be really nice to give them hugs again.
There is no doubt that Sophie has thrived as the only child this week. She eats up the attention. Happy as a clam not having to compete with her sister to get two words in edgewise. Happy to get lots of hugs and cuddles from her mom and papa. Happy to stay up a little later than usual.
