After the visit to the ruins, we went to a restaurant for lunch
The group having lunch. Bacalar, Quintana Roo, Mexico www.islandlifemexico.com/bacalar-visitors-guide
Another view of group having lunch on lagoon. Beautiful area.
Back at the pier. Royal Caribbean ship had left.
Another view of pier.
A closer view of photo on the left.
Back of ship. (Majuro - Capital of Marshall Islands)
Name of ship. Marina is owned by same company that owns Norwegian Cruise Line and other ships.
12/05/2023
The following photos are of the sun setting
Inside one of the public restrooms. Deck 5. Mostly all black!
Cien Pesos Méxicanos. 100 Mexican Pesos. About $5.00 U.S.
Day 4 - Harvest Caye, Belize
12/06/2023
Views of Harvest Caye from my veranda Opened in 2016, NCL owned.
Pier
A close-up view
The ship rotating to dock
Lots of activities on the island. I took tour that took me to the mainland. Private island by Norwegian Cruise Line.
12/06/2023
Workers securing ship to pier
View of island
The Marina finally docked
The Marina as we walked to area where we boarded a boat to the archeological site
The Marina from the boat As the boat slowed, we were told to look out for manatees. None seen.
Another boat docking
Before we toured the site, we were given an explanation of items found at the site.
Another stone with inscriptions. www.themayanruinswebsite.com/nim-li-punit.html
12/06/2023
Touring Nim Li Punit
One of the stones found still standing
Ball Court information
Ball Court
View of part of the site. Place is much bigger than what we saw.
A tomb
Explanation of Structure 7
12/06/2023
Another tomb
Explanation of Structure 5
Those green things? Ants moving pieces of leaves
Leaves being cut by ants
Gumbolimbo - On St. Croix we call it "turpentine tree".
Two iguanas fighting at the spice farm. At the farm, I learned how black pepper (in a bunch) and vanilla (looks like an orchid) grows.
Bus stop - The roof of a bus placed on wood posts to make it a bus stop.
Leaving Belize
12/06/2023
Looking back at Belize
Another view
And then it began to rain.
Marina from boat
Back on the pier. Various stores the the pier.
Mangrove
It was pouring!!
See the windows above the 2 boats? That is the ocean view cabin I requested. However, I was upgraded to a larger cabin with a veranda.
12/06/2023
At one time there were 3 dolphins
After a few minutes, the dolphins left the area.
Lighthouse on island. I did not get to tour island
The pool area on a wet cloudy day.
Part of the Grand Staircase from inside an elevator
Yours truly
Belize's $20 dollars note
Day 5 - Santo Tomás, Guatemala
12/07/2023
More rain
Entering the harbor from my veranda
Another view of Marina entering harbor
The pilot?
The guides waiting for us.
We took a bus to this area (Rio Dulce) and then a boat to the trail area.
Pssengers getting on the boat.
Passengers on the boat
12/07/2023
A view of the dock with boats from the boat we were on.
Looking back. We are on Rio Dulce
Homes/businesses in the area
Hacienda Tijax: hotel, restaurant, farm and trail. Opened 1990
Cabins (rooms) of the hotel www.tijax.com/index.html
Map of the area
Map of the trails
A suspended bridge
12/07/2023
Explanation of site
Welcome to the tropical paradise of Hacienda Tijax.
A hut we encountered on trail with information about the area.
The roof
A type of fern
One of the suspended bridges
It was a long bridge
Some of the passengers walking across the suspended bridge
12/07/2023
Jorge on the bridge
Look Out Tower we were headed to
Shaman Tower
View from the hill
Ants moving pieces of leaves
The pieces were bigger than the ants
The Tower. Opened 1990.
View from one of the windows
12/07/2023
Jorge on the top of the tower
Explanations in the Tower
Explanation of Mayan calendar
Map of area
View from Tower
Another view from Tower
Rubber trees
Back on the bridge
12/07/2023
The suspended bridge. I think at this point, I got lost. See * below for explanation.
Back to the point where bus was waiting for us to go back to ship.
Back on the pier.
Still raining
More views of the Marina
* How I got lost Someone dropped their glasses and the Guide left the suspended bridge to look for them. I stopped and looked at what was going on. I decided to walk ahead with others, who were a few yards ahead of me. All of a sudden, I saw no one. I tried to follow the arrows on the trail. No luck. I ran into 3 men cutting grass with machetes. I said hi and then walked back. Why didn't I ask them for help? The machetes bothered me. I began to eat a box of cereal I had in my backpack from the ship to take my meds. I began to yell "hola" and "hello". Nothing. All of a sudden, I realized the suspended bridges were close by. The sign for the tower showed up. Was I going in circles? I walked back. I eventually ran into 2 men. I told the older guy that I was lost. He told me to follow him. But weren't we going farther into the trail? He said we were not. I was scared. He began to call someone. The person answered. He then called the person on his phone. A third man showed up and told me to follow him. When I turned around, the other two guys had left. Before you know it, I was back at the restaurant. Everyone was happy to see me. I tried to eat the lunch that was saved for me but I was too exhausted to do so. I found out that the guide had told the folks at Tijax that I was missing. They contacted the 3 men I had seen cutting the grass, workers on the farm. Thank God everything turned out okay. Quite an experience!!
The brochure cover of the trail
Front - 5 Quetzales
Back
Day 6 - Roatán, Honduras
12/08/2023
Approaching pier. This and the next 7 were taken with Lumix camera.
The night before, we were told that we would have to tender in. It appears 2nd ship never materialized so we were able to dock.
The NCL Viva docked at the original pier.
NCL Viva
Work continues on the buildings on the pier
More construction
The workers
I will later eat in the restaurant/bar on the 2nd floor of the blue building. The food was delicious.
12/08/2023
Entering the harbor
Another view
View of 2nd dock ("new")
Another view of "new" dock. The 3 white lights in the sky and the 2 blue rectangles on the left, are reflections from the door of the veranda.
A home on the island
Homes on the island
I took the island tour that took us to an animal sanctuary which also had butterflies.
Toucan
12/08/2023
Cacoon. See it?
A moth. Top of wings is blue.
One of the figurines around the sanctuary (See larger photos below.)
Another figure
A Guinea fowl (At one time on St. Croix my grandmother owned a few.)
Explanation of Kinkajú
A kinkajú. Cute, right? Look at his claws!!
It came out to eat
A better view
Continued on Page L-3
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