Gallivanting Grandma

Thursday – January 7, 2016

The early morning hour had seemed like a good idea when we signed up for a lengthy excursion to the Mayan ruins of Altun Ha. The ship had traveled during the night from Roatan, Honduras to the tiny Central American country of Belize. The air was humid and tropical on our small balcony and the air conditioning worked well in the cabin.

English is the official language in Belize due to a hundred twenty years of colonial rule as British Honduras. However most of the people also speak Creole and Spanish. Belize acquired independence in 1981 and since then, has been developing its natural resources and tourism. 

Other gigantic cruise ships anchored near the Norwegian Dawn off the Belizean Barrier Reef which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Catamarans picked us up at 8:15 and transported us to shore where we boarded a bright yellow air conditioned school bus.

The bus carried our group through Belize City and out to the rural countryside. Valentino, our tour guide said he “was ‘pure’ Mayan on both side of his family.” He explained the history of Mayan civilization and the history and culture of Belize during the hour-long ride to Altun Ha. He was very informative.

Most of the structures of Altun Ha have not been excavated however, the mounds have provided historians with information about the Mayan people who lived there from about 900 BC through 900 AD.

Valentino explained the multiculturalism of Belize: approximately 10% Mayan, 49% Mestizo (Spanish), 22% Black African, 5% White, 3% East Indian, 1% Chinese/Asians, 6% Mixed Race. He proudly stated that everyone lives peacefully together.

We had a late lunch onboard in the Garden Cafe and later watched another fiery Caribbean sunset.

The Norwegian Dawn weighed anchor and maneuvered slowly through the buoys until she was back in deep water. John Masefield’s poem rattled in my head: “I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by….”

Later in the evening, we enjoyed a performance of ‘David & Abi Haines Magic’ in the Stardust Theater. It was amazing!!!

Wednesday – January 6, 2016

“They dined on mince, and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon; And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by the light of the moon…..”

The ship traveled along the Central American coast all night and we arrived at the island of Roatan, the largest of Honduras’ Bay Islands. The Norwegian Dawn anchored offshore with three other gigantic ships, like pleasure yachts in a cove. We didn’t have any scheduled excursions this morning so we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then obtained “tender tickets” to go ashore.

There was just a row of recently built tourist shops crowded with cruise ship passengers. We noticed a road leaving the shops so we took a walk into town.

The town reminded me of other Caribbean communities with brightly painted buildings and welcoming signs. Schools were still closed for the holidays and children were everywhere. It seemed like a friendly place and I hope the economy was boosted by the cruise ships.

We caught one of the tenders back to the ship and sat on a high deck and watched the world go by. As the sun set, the Norwegian Jade, our sister ship, sailed off into the great beyond….

Perhaps we were getting our sea-legs; or just getting into the ‘swing’ of things on board. No worries. It was easy to just relax and enjoy the ride.