Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Monday Morning

Waaaaaaahhhhhhhh....

Last Full Day


Sunday:

Last day on the ship. We didn’t do much today but sit around, eat, shake our heads at the crazy girls getting tans, eat, read, eat, watch the dolphins play in the surf from waaayyy up out a window, eat, gamble, eat, and eat some more. If you look really closely at all that blue, those little dots are dolphins leaping out of the water.

I really tried to win the cost of the cruise back for the old lady, but every way I hit that little button, we lost. I tried standing on my head, holding my tongue differently, using my foot but nothing worked. I even kissed and petted the machine, but still nothing.

So now the sun is setting on the final day of our cruise. When we wake up tomorrow morning, we'll be back in Tampa. It's been a lot of fun, but I'll be happy to see Auntie and Daddy again.


Cozumel!



Saturday, 4:00 pm

So what does the crazy old lady do this morning?! After making me stay up until 2:00 am, she pops out of bed at 6:45!!! We had to be at the end of the pier by 8:45, but that’s ridiculous!!! We were looking out the window and couldn’t see land, so we thought we were still coming in, but as soon as we got up on deck for breakfast, there was Cozumel on the other side!

We had breakfast (STILL no bananas!!) and disembarked down to a huge long dock. When I turned around, there was the whole ship. It was even bigger than I thought. We met our tour under a sign for Mayan ruins and beach. I stayed hidden because I didn’t want to get in trouble for stowing away, since I didn’t have a ticket. Our guide was called Nacho and he was very friendly and knew all kinds of stuff about Cozumel and the Myan’s. My head hurts from all that learning.... We took a short bus ride through the island and landed at some simple ruins (not the stuff you see on TV), but still interesting. I was amazed at how well all that stuff held up, considering how old it is. I wonder if I’ll look that good when I get that old.... There was a really scary iguana living in one of the walls. I had to hide for awhile because I thought he was going to eat me.

At one point, the old lady placed me in the middle of the road to take my picture. Good thing there weren’t any cars around and then I got chance to pray to the Moon goddess and her husband the sun. After that, we saw the biggest tree I’ve ever seen. I wanted to climb it, but the old lady wouldn’t let me. On our way back to the bus, we bought a cool monkey t-shirt for Daddy and the old lady bought herself a pendant with the Myan calendar on it. Just as we were loading, the old lady spotted a hummingbird right outside the bus. I wanted to take it home with us, but she said we couldn’t catch it.

Then back on the bus for 30 min (at least I didn’t have to go back in the backpack) to a nice little beach. Too much water though... The old lady had raspberry and pinacollata something-r-others (which I stole a few sips of) but she kept getting in that scary water, so I just sat under the palm trees and napped.

At one point, she started jumping around and yelling. It turned out a little yellow fish, long and thin like a 4 inch shark with a brown stripe, kept bumping against her leg. He never bit her, but he wouldn't stop swimming in and out and around her legs. She finally had to get out of the water to get away from him. Guess he liked the taste of her sunscreen!

We had very yummy chicken quesadias there (nothing like American ones). Then we loaded back on the bus and headed back to town and the dock. We were supposed to meet all the other crazy girls at a place called Senior Frog's. It turned out to be a very scary place! Lots of loud music and, well, the staff was um kind of crazy.... Connie showed up after about 10 mins but none of the other girls did so we gave up after 45 min and left. But not fast enough because some crazy guy, that turned out to be from our ship, poured his drink down Connie's back... It was all sticky in her hair. Glad it wasn't me!!!

The old lady bought some more junk, like a hat for the man with the fuzzy face and some little rings for Auntie and I got a cool sombrero and a scarf. Then we headed back to the ship. The old lady swam in the pool on deck because no one else was around. She said it was nice, but it's a salt water pool, so she got all itchy and had to go down to take a shower. Salt or no salt, you won’t catch me anywhere near there!

Then the old lady and Connie sat in the room for awhile and read (while I snuggled with my Chica) but it was 20 below in there (you can't control your own thermostat, except to open or close a vent) so we left to wander about, but it was cold everywhere. So they came back and changed into long pants and jackets (yes, it was THAT cold) while I jumped under the covers. I’m not telling if I was alone or not. We monkey’s don’t kiss and tell. The old lady wandered around with Connie until dinner at 8:15. Then they looked for the supposed pool party, that never really materialized, the old lady went and sang a karaoke song by herself (so glad I missed that again) and now she’s back here in the room interrupting... Well, never mind.

Time for sleep! One more day....

Late Friday night


Just wanted to add an update... I think I’m in love... I wonder if the captain will marry us?

We had one scare where I had to hide under the pillows. These guys in uniform came in. I thought the law had finally caught up with us, but they just moved things around and turned down the corner of the bed. They left this guy behind to guard us...

The old lady said I didn’t miss much at dinner. There was tons of food again, of course. All they do around here is fatten you up and try to get you drunk. Of course, being a good little monkey, I stayed waaayyyy away from alcohol. Pay no attention to those pictures on Facebook...

After dinner, the old lady went and sang karaoke (glad I missed that!) Then they went and listened to a comedian named Kenny Miller. The old lady said he was surprisingly good (but no monkey jokes). Then it was back to the kareoke room again. I’m so glad I stayed here!

Finally she is back in the room... totally exhausted. Tomorrow we hit Cozumel. She says I can go, but Chica has to stay on board. I don’t think that’s very fair. Not sure I want to be separated so soon.

Day Two

Friday, 8:00 pm

I couldn’t believe the old lady woke me up at 7:45 this morning! I thought the whole point of being on vacation was to sleep all the time. And then she spent an hour screwing around with the little computer we brought, trying to get the internet to work, because she missed Auntie and Daddy and wanted to know if they were doing ok. I don’t miss anybody... Daddy who....

We went out on deck and all we could see for miles and miles was water!!! Ahhhhh... It was beautiful blue water.... but it was water!!!!

Breakfast was a big buffet, but no bananas! What’s wrong with these people! The old lady stuffed herself again and then started walking around the ship some more. I’m already getting very tired of all this walking around. Finally she and her really nice roommate, Connie went and changed into bathing suits and took me up on the deck to get some sun. Of course, everyone else on the ship had the same idea. I've never seen that many half naked people in one place in my whole life! At one point, the old lady said she was going to check out the people soup. I hid under the towel as she went down and put her feet in the pool, but she complained there were just too many people. Then another time she and Connie went down this big slide, but it was full of water, so I hid under the towel again. Mostly, we just read and got tanned. Do I look any darker?

More food stuffed in the old lady’s face and then she and Connie went back to the cabin. Connie napped while the old lady tried to get on the internet. Still nothing from the family. Guess they don’t miss her either. So she read awhile until it was time for dinner. This evening is supposed to be formal in the dining room. I can’t wait to wear my tux again. What’s this!??? The old lady says I can’t go! That she’s not bringing little monkey’s to the formal dinner! Well, I never!!!

But actually, that’s ok, because I met the most wonderful person in the whole world and we get to spend the evening together. This is me with my beautiful Chica. Isn’t she the most wonderful thing you have every seen? Connie found her in a shop on the ship. I know she’s been waiting there for me forever.

At sea! Sort of....


Thursday, September 30 11:30 pm



The ship is huge! The old lady keeps getting lost! We grabbed some lunch and I even got a banana and then started exploring the ship. Our cabin is on E deck, room 191. We’ll never find it again!


It took us hours just to get out of the port and under the skyway. That big scary bridge isn’t so frightening from underneath, except that it looked like the ships fins were going to hit it, right up until we went under it!

These are all the crazy old ladies I was with. Can you imagine a sweet little monkey stuck with all those crazy women!? I especially like the sunglasses one of the ladies gave to us. I tried to wear them, but they were a little big.

The whole time, as we headed out of Tampa Bay, there were alternating Sheriff’s and State Law Enforcement boats running along side us. I was sure the old lady was going to get arrested now!

The old lady was worried she’d get seasick and brought stuff to put behind her ears to help. So far she says she hasn’t needed it. I just smeared a little banana behind my ears, and I’m fine. Occasionally the ship takes a big dip and I can really feel it roll, but most of the time I just feel the vibrations and hear occasional creaking. Sometimes the vibrations are really strong and it feels like we’re going to break apart. That would be horrible! I already have a lifeboat with my name on it. No water for this little monkey!

The old lady brought me out on the deck for the sunset and I was sure I was going to blow over board! It was very, VERY windy, but she promised she would never let go of me.

I wore my tuxedo and hat at dinner. The guy in the funny suit, Justav, that takes care of everything in the dining room laughed at me, but I don’t think he was being mean. I just don’t think he’s ever seen a monkey in a tux before. They piled on food and more food. I don’t know where the old lady put it all, she's not THAT big!

After dinner, we went to an introductory dancing show thingy. The old lady said the dancers weren’t very good, but I sure can’t get my lets to do that, so I think they did pretty good! Then we just walked around and around until my little monkey legs can’t stand up any longer.

I’m going to bed if we can find our way back to our room.

The port


Thursday, September 30 12:30 pm

Finally after what seemed like forever at work, and forever in the car driving, we arrived at the port. In spite of my earlier excitement, I have to admit I’m a little scared. Little Monkey’s don't like situations when they don't know what's going to happen. And then, through the backpack, I could hear the security people making the old lady dump out her water canteen (I thought they were going to arrest her, guess they thought she was a terrorist even though she was drinking out of it). The she dropped her boarding pass when she dumped the water so she had to go back through the big archway thingy that beeps. She was very embarrassed, I knew we’d be arrested then. Great, I was going to spend the whole time in a jail! And then, on top of all that, the old lady went to show the credit card she’d used to book everything, and it wasn’t there!!! Luckily, she’d brought a backup or we really would have been spending the weekend in jail!

Cruisin' Day!!!


Thursday, September 30 8:30 am

I’m up early, have washed my face and fluffed my ears. I’m waiting for the old lady to finish dropping her suitcase on her foot and hurry up and get out the door! I have my straw hat and sun glasses on and my suitcase ready, so let’s go already! Nooooo.... she’s stuffed me in the backpack and says that’s where I have to stay until we get on board the ship! Now that’s just not fair! Especially since we have to go to work for a few hours. I want to go now!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Traveling Again!


At last, I'm finally on the move again! This time I get to go on a big ship with a bunch of girls. In fact, I'm the only guy in the group. They said I was special and that's why I get to go.

I'm a little nervous about being on the water. Don't want to fall overboard. But the old lady says she'll keep me far away from the railing at all times.

Stay tuned for lots of photos and updates.