Kyde and Eric

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We took an incredible Caribbean Cruise with Eric's parents during the winter of 2008! We did tons of excursions and started to test the waters of international travel. We had thought about traveling the world prior to this trip, but our experiences here really gave us the push we needed to take the idea seriously. We took tons of video during this trip, but we didn't piece the segments together. We thought they worked better separately in our blog format. Enjoy!

Drive to Miami and At Sea - December 14, 2008

Living in VA, we aren't close to any of the major cruise ports. So, in order to take a cruise, we have to find a way down to Maimi, Florida. Eric's parents came up with the idea of driving and that worked for us. So, there would be two legs to the trip. Eric and I would drive to Eric's parents house in South Carolina and then they would pack us in their truck to make the long haul to Miami.

We have a calendar competition where we see whose birthday month has a cooler photo. This calendar was about cows. Normally I win.

But not this time.

When you go on a cruise, they take a million pictures of you everywhere you go intending to sell you a print of it for $30 million later. We took a picture of the picture taker when we got on the ship. He did not buy a copy.

Kyde stepping on the boat.

It was actually cold on the ship when we first got on. In all my brilliance, I left my coat at home. So, I squeezed into Kyde's.

Ice cream on the boat. Round one.

Much windier than it looks.

Here is a video of said wind. She jumps up and it actually blows her back a little bit.

Blingin' with excursion tickets.

Kyde can't chew on her arm wearing this "seat."

This hottub was not too hot for the hottub. In fact, it was borderline cold.

Sunset!

Not everything about a tropical cruise is beautiful.

A Day at Sea - December 15, 2008

The first day at sea was spent exploring the ship. Pretty lax day, but fun.

We went to a pizza/calzone making demonstration. This moustache was pimping around.

Playing with Chip's waterproof camera in the kiddie pool on the ship. I dropped it to the bottom and tried to pick it up with my mouth, unsuccessfully.

We found this frog, right.

And violated it.

Glowing hamsters.

It's like that hallway in Charlie and the Chocolate factory.

Roatan, Honduras: - December 16, 2008

After the day at sea, we arrived at Roatan, Honduras. We had booked an excursion to go snorkeling, kayaking and for a quick hike. It was raining pretty hard by the time we got to the dock so we got loaded up onto the bus. By the time we got to the snorkeling location, the rain had calmed down. The day was pretty amazing, and our guides were awesome. Very cool day.

Another instance of them taking your picture, but Kyde forced a myspace shot out of it. Free!

The rest of the crew.

It started to POUR down rain, so we got in the bus to head to the snorkeling place. The windows of the bus got so foggy. The guide had to wipe of the window with a towel while the driver was manuvering up a windy mountain road. Epic.

Once we got in the water the rain had quit, which was nice I suppose. Kyde's first snorkel experience begins.

Kyde diving to touch the bottom of the bay we were snorkeling in. Good work!

One of the amazing guides brought up conch shells from the bottom.

Another guide (Alfredo) took this awesome picture with our camera.

They had this large rodent thing in a cage where we ate. They called it a rabbit, but they were wrong. A little kid kept feeding it snacks, it was pretty entertaining.

A video of the little kid feeding the "rabbit."

After we ate some amazing food, we went for a hike with the guides. This is Kirk and he has a sea urchin. He also picked up a black one, which according to the other guides has poison in it. They wouldn't touch it.

Kyde didn't hold the black one either.

After the hike, Kyde took a picture with the guide team. Seriously, these dudes were awesome. She's looking very white.

The crazy bus ride back to the ship. No trouble passing on a double yellow!

Belize - December 17, 2008

The next day, we arrived in Belize City, Belize. Our excursion was to go ziplining, which is basically wearing a harness and riding across a large opening over trees and valleys on a wire hooked to two trees. The ride out to the zip line location was about 1.5 hours out into the country across a very bumpy road in a big gnarly bus, but it was totally worth it as the zip lining was intense.

They had a huge TV screen they were playing Wii on. Not a projector, it's a low res LCD panel basically. Still cool.

This is literally across the street from an amazing beach/ocean view. Nice place.

...aaaaand right down the street they were literally pulling a body out of the water. No joke.

After a long drive out into the middle of nowhere we stopped for a restroom break. This was next to the bathroom, no idea what he was building.

Once we got to the zipline place, we got geared up in a helmet/harness system. My junk got all bondaged up, not cool.

Headgear.

A shot down from the platforms we were on. At some points, we were much higher.

This is a video Kyde made running a zipline. It gives a reasonable idea of what ziplining was actually like, only its more fun in real life.

Amazing lunch, for real.

The hut lunch took place in.

Outside our lunch hut. A basic idea of what the landscape looks like. Helmet hair.

Cozumel, Mexico - December 18, 2008

The day after Belize, we were in Cozumel, Mexico. The excursion for the day was a buggy ride, which actually went all the way around the island. We had a snorkeling stop, a couple of quick beach stops, a lunch stop and a stop at a little store during the drive around the island. It was good times!

Another stolen myspace shot.

Goth girl. After she went snorkeling her makeup was running down her face, pretty good stuff.

The line of buggies!

A guide, our buggy and one of our lesbian buddies!

The accelerator of the buggie was literally a loose wheel thing. It was kind of tricky to work with.

Kyde and our two lesbian buddies.

We went snorkeling again, this fish was Kyde's BFF. She literally shrieked when he came this close. Haha.

She held a starfish too. Less scary apparently as there was less screaming.

Back in the buggy on the coast. What I don't understand is how those women could be lesbians even after seeing how gorgeous I am.

Kyde on a stop on the coast. She looks like she's cold, but it was really nice out.

The people that ran the excursion gave us stickers so we could get free drinks at Senior Frogs. Free as in we didn't have to pay, but we did have to endure the obnoxious atmosphere. If you take a shot, they pinch your nipples. Glad I don't drink. But a clown did make Kyde a hat with two dogs humping on it, so it wasn't a total wash.

A Day at Sea - December 19, 2008

Enough said.

Great Stirrup Cay - December 20, 2008

This was the private island the cruise line owns. It was decent, but a little crowded and slightly ghetto. They wanted us to snorkel in a little ghetto area, but we went for a hike and went out in a secluded area that was unsupervised. Way cooler. Ended up going out a couple hundred yards to another small island and snorkeling around it a bit.

I AM A LIGHTHOUSE.

I AM AT AN AIRPORT.

I AM AT A LIGHTHOUSE.

I HAVE FRIENDSHIP!

I HAVE AN ISLAND!

I HAVE A SNORKEL!

This old man was taking a picture of two people that were hardcore making out on the beach.

Miami, Florida - December 21, 2008

It was time to go home.

Jesse has a gift awaiting him!

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