Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Twice a year, the earth moves into a position where the sun's vertical rays are striking the equator.  On those days, there is equal daylight and dark all over the planet. March 21 is called the vernal equinox, from the Latin equi, meaning equal.   We call it the first day of spring. And Spring arose on the garden fair, Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere; And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.                    —Percy Bysshe Shelley

New Orleans was waking, waiting for us as we traveled up the Mississippi. Coming home is always bittersweet for me. We pack so much into seven days and nights.   I am always totally exhausted when the disembarkation port comes in sight. Still, I'm sad the cruise is over. Docking. Can anyone look at this beautiful city without thinking about Hurricane Katrina? I have got to do this again.  Anyone want to come with me? So thankful.

The cruise had been booked and I was surfing the NCL website, looking for things to do on the cruise, when I got the most welcome surprise. Rascal Flatts had been scheduled for a concert on the ship, and there were still tickets available. In my opinion, The Broken Road is the best song that has been written since Dolly Parton penned I Will Always Love You. After the group finished with Bless the Broken Road , the spotlight was turned on a young couple.  The young  man proposed to the woman, and from the way she was glowing, I assume she said yes.  Gary then sang the chorus of Broken Road to them, and told them if they kept God in their marriage, they would be fine.  This concert was so good.  I think when we are remembering this cruise years from now, it will be defined as 'the cruise when we heard Rascal Flatts'.

Unlike the other ports you have seen here, I have been to Cozumel several times, the first in 2001 on our very first cruise.    Eleven  years later, it hasn't changed that much.  When we got there on Friday, there were four other cruise ships already there. There is enough bling in Cozumel for everyone in the world to have some.  The shopkeepers are highly competitive and stand outside their shops, trying to entice you to come in. Tourism is the biggest industry here.  The town is relatively clean and safe as long as you stay in the dock area.  Some people returned to the ship with loads of merchandise they had bought in the shops. I always feel a little weird when the flag flying is not the Stars and Stripes. I don't know who this statue honors, but everyone gets pooped on sometimes. Someone was wise enough to put a park in the middle of town. Nothing is priced in the stores.  Apparently, th...

The places we have visited so far have all been places we had never been, so naturally we wanted to experience all that we could while in port. There are travelers who choose not to leave the ship. Some have been to a particular port many times before, or just don't care about seeing it. Cruise lines even offer 'Cruises to nowhere' for people who just love being on the ship. We love the days at sea, reading on the deck, enjoying the sun and sea breeze. We watch for flying fish, and we have seen them every time we have cruised. This time, we saw many dolphins riding the waves created by the ship while we were in the Gulf of Mexico. When we get tired of the deck, there are many things to do inside. This is Aaron, who led progressive trivia every night. It was much harder than Jeopardy, and I did not win the fabulous key chain. This couple, Arvin and Emily, are singers who entertained us every night except one. They are not only awesome singers, ...

After we returned to port from the island sightseeing tour, the stores and booths were busy with shoppers. We bought some bling for our granddaughters, which they probably didn't need, but I don't come home without a surprise for them. Byron seemed especially proud of the airport tower, which is built high on a hill far away from the airport near the beach. These Garifuna dancers started dancing and posing for photos as soon as we docked, and they were still dancing and posing when the last passenger embarked. The dancers represent descendants of slaves who disguised themselves as women to avoid fighting in a war.  I gave them a tip; anyone who can dance all day in the heat on concrete deserves one, no matter what their story is. New girlfriends returning to the ship after a hard day of shopping. Roatan, Honduras in the rear view mirror. It was a most excellent day.

When we began the island tour of Roatan, our enthusiastic guide, Bryon, mentioned that an iguana farm was included in  the tour.  He told us they were protected and it was against the law to kill them.  He then told us that all the locals ate them; in fact, it is one of his favorite dishes. We exited the bus in a crowd.  I could see the metal fences ahead, thinking that the iguanas were housed there.  The crowd thinned.  Looking around, I could see iguanas everywhere.  It was the stuff of nightmares.  If my lil' ole sister had been with me, she would have been screaming hysterically. Byron supplied us with banana leaves to feed the iguanas, cautioning us to keep our fingers away from their teeth. He also begged us not to step on their tails.  They would lose their tails if we did, and it just takes forever to grow a new one.   Glad they didn't see Hub's toe peeping out of that sandal! After observing them a...