Sunset Leaving Cozumel, Mexico

These Pictures Give An Idea As To How Big This Ship Really Is . . . Compare Ship To Size Of People.

Watching NFL Playoffs (With The 49er's Beating The Saints) On Lido Deck -- Baby, It's Cold Outside!!!

Pat & Debbi Bronder & Alan Dixon -- (Behind) Paul Kelley & Melissa Rich

Day 6 -- Jan 13 -- These Pictures Taken As We Were Ready To Set Sail From Cozumel From The Deck With The Walking Track -- The Uppermost Deck On The Ship

Day 5 -- Jan 12 -- The Trinity Cruise Group (11 couples -- Minus One)

Going up the steps from the left and down from the right -- Alan & Gina Dixon, Leslie & Jim West, Kathy & Paul Kelley, Melissa & Dan Rich, Renee & Charlie Qualls, Debbi & Pat Bronder, Bob & Sheila Privett, Janet & Dan Workman, Michael & Lois Heady, Rob & Tina Wilson.  Jim & Jaime Hankins are missing from the picture.

Lining Up To Take A Tender Boat Back To Our Ship "The Conquest"-- The Largest Ship On The Waters

Line to board a tender boat to return to the ship after spending the day on Grand Cayman Island.

The Beautiful Turquiose Waters Of Grand Cayman Island

At Grand Cayman we were transported from the ship to the shore by the small "tender" boats shown at the docks. We did some shopping in Georgetown and then spent a couple of hours in this  beautiful water at the Seven Mile Beach on Thursday, January 12.

Day 4 -- Jan 11 -- Climbing Dunn's River Falls Step By Step

 Link to the Walmart album -- Best Viewed as a slide show . . .

 http://photos1.walmart.com/walmart/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=7096269003/a=4199307_4199307/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=walmart/

This Is What Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica Looks Like Without All The People

Mike, along with several others from our group, climbed this falls.  This is one of the more popular excursions available in Jamaica.

Scenery Along The Way To Dunn's River Falls

Journal Entries Before And During The Excursion To Dunn's River Falls In Jamaica On Wednesday, January 11.

View from the balcony of our room in the early AM as we were approaching Jamaica on Jan. 11.

Journal Of Our Bus Ride With Rafael To Dunn's River Falls

Jan 11
5:45 When we got up  -- ship slowly approaching Jamaica.  Docked at 9:00.

7:45 up to Lido deck to meet others.

9:15- 9:20 --Found our bus -- Rafael driver -- Pat riding shot gun.

Tour booked from Island Marketing.-- 22 seater  counting shot gun where Pat sat.

9:30 Left for Dunn's Falls supposedly 1 hour 20min. trip

Those from our group -- Pat&Debbi -- Dan&Janet--Sheila&Bob--Mike&Lois

(Quotation Marks indicate quotes from our bus driver, Rafael.)

One of Rafael's favorite quotes which he repeated many times --

"DON'T WORRY  BE HAPPY!!!  Every ting gonna  be all right!!!"

Drove on left side of the road. Steering wheel on the right so no American made cars.

Drove along ocean -- saw several large resorts

10:05
Small hut type homes

Contrast in structure -- nice homes with a/c  next to a huts with windows open.

Gas around $5/gal -- sold by liter here. Diesel a little cheaper than gas.

10:15

Drive  became mountainous.
80 kilo/hour

Rafael answered our questions with "yeah, mon"

Talked on cell phone while driving.

10:17

Town of Duncan

Road sign -- Stealing electricity? You will be caught! 

Selling  water shoes for climbing Dunn's River Falls along road side.

10:30

Started raining

Rafael called rain "Liquid sunshine" 

Fish for red snapper -- fish with spears

Red clay dirt used to make aluminum.

Rafael kept saying -- "nobody move, nobody get hurt."

Very low tide.  Maybe 10 feet???

Rafael quotes "This driver don't tell lies!"
"On Kingston Mountain. Very close to the sun."
"Trying to beat others to falls so can get fresh part of the water."
"No deer on Jamaica -- just goats."

Club Ambiance Hotel
Runaway Bay community -- in news. -- not far from falls.

Rafael said that he doesn't know much history because he doesn't like to read -- likes to eat

Salem --
Public buildings stronger steal structure -- go there for shelter in hurricanes.

Sun came out didn't rain long.

Rafael: "Goat meat with gravy so good that if you lick off finger will eat the whole finger."

Saw statute of Christopher  Columbus.

"14 parishes in Jamaica -- each with capital."

Rafael led us in singing, "If You're Happy & You Know It"

"No problem" -- frequent quote from Rafael

Play lots of football in Jamaica.

Bus made a very loud squeaking noise all the way to the falls. 

On The Way Back --

After we left the falls we ate lunch at Jerk  Centre, a roadside "walk-up" to the window restaurant.

We ate at picnic tables outside.  I had 1/4 jerk  chicken & Mike had jerk pork with rice' n beans & slaw.  After Pat started feeding the birds food scraps, a lady came out from the restaurant and said to stop.

Stopped at a shopping center -- prices high -- would have had to bargain for price.

Rained most of the way back to ship.

Children wear uniforms to school.

Kids go to school in two shifts -- 7 to 11 -- 1 to 5.

When back in Montego Bay, vendors were selling hot peanuts in the middle of the intersection.
They had little grills in the middle of the road to cook the peanuts.

We saw a lot of crazy driving and what looked like near accidents.

Familiar Faces On Lido Deck Before Jamaican Excursions

Pat Bronder

Gina & Alan Dixon

Tina & Rob Wilson

Tina & Rob Wilson with Dan Workman

Dan & Janet Workman

Bob Privett

First Views of Montego Bay, Jamaica from the ship with ship in port . . . .

Tomorrow -- Day 4 -- Jan 11 -- Montego Bay Jamaica

Planning to do the Dunn's River Falls excursion

Day 1 -- Watching NFL Playoffs From The Sky Pool Area

Day 1 -- Jan 8 -- New Orleans As We Are Leaving Port

Day 1 -- Jan 8 -- Gentlemen, Start Your Engines

Day -- 1 -- Waiting On Upper Deck For Ship To Embark

Day -- 1 -- Life Boat Holds 150 People

Day 1 -- Jan 8 -- Safety Instructions Before Embarking

Shortly before 4:00 PM -- At Muster G

Day 1 -- Jan 8 -- Boarded ship around noon ...

Picture of the Conquest thru window pre-boarding.

Cruise Itinerary -- January 8 - 15, 2012

Sun New Orleans, LA 4:00 PM

Mon Fun Day At Sea

Tue Fun Day At Sea

Wed Montego Bay, Jamaica 9:00 AM 6:00 PM

Thu Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 7:00 AM 4:00 PM

Fri Cozumel, Mexico 10:00 AM 5:00 PM

Sat Fun Day At Sea

Sun New Orleans, LA 8:00 AM

Whatever Will I Do?

Guess there is no need to take my laptop on the cruise with the prices below for internet access. And all phone calls in or out even voice mails left when the phone is turned off would be $2.49/minute. This is going to be even more of a get away week than I thought -- no phone, no computer??? Whatever will I do??? LOL!

• 480 minutes for $159
• 240 minutes for $89
• 120 minutes for $59
• 45 minutes for $29
• Pay As You Go: $0.75/min

I Was Excited To Get My New Phone Before The Cruise UNTIL . .

. . .  I got on line to make sure that cell phones could be used on board and read that international roaming charges apply for cell phone use on board in the range of $1.99 - $2.49/minute.

Also sounds like internet access may cost around $ .40/min.

Needless to say, we won't be using the cell phone except for an emergency and internet usage will be very limited.

Sample Picture Of Our Room -- Oceanview with Balcony

Our Ship -- The Carnival Conquest

.

• Year Built: 2002
• Last Refurbished: 2005
• Gross Tonnage: 110,000 tons
• Passenger Capacity: 2,974
• Crew Size: 1,150
• Amenities: Outdoor Movie Screen, Fitness Center, Spa, Swimming Pool (4)

New Beginnings 2012

Starting the year out with a cruise is definitely a "new beginning" for me! I have said many times in the past that I would "never, ever" go on a cruise. Why? I'm not totally sure . . . maybe I just don't like the idea of being on a big boat in the middle of the ocean with no way off?  Kinda like the "Titanic Syndrome"??? And, of course, going on a cruise is something Mike has always wanted to do. Anyway, even giving consideration to going is a huge change -- a new beginning -- for me.

And this cruise is just the beginning of the changes and new things that I am eagerly anticipating in 2012 as I continue to look to God for continued restoration of my health and the continued opening of new doors for service and ministry.

I believe God has given me two scriptural mandates for 2012:

#1 -- "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus . . ." ~ Hebrews 12:1-2

#2 -- "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." ~ Isaiah 43:19

For years my response to the unexpected things that turned up in our lives was always, "Life IS An Exciting Adventure!" I have to admit that during the 16 years that I was SO, SO ill and in these last 3 years of slow but ongoing recovery where it has been 4 steps forward and 2 steps back, I have let Satan rob me of that adventuresome spirit.  BUT , NO MORE!

LIFE REALLY IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT! 

And, I'm making a willful choice to make my life an EXCITING ADVENTURE WITH GOD!!!

Won't you join me . . .?