There was no dock in Belize, so we had to take tender boats from the ship to get there.
The port in Belize.
The excursion that we had chosen for this destination was offered by Carnival. The advantage to taking Carnival trips is that the ship will wait for you if you're late! Our excursion was a boat ride on the River Wallace, followed by a trip to see the Mayan ruins at Altan Ha.
Here are Chris & James at the start of our river boat ride.
There was lots to see on the boat ride. The kids (and the guide) spotted a manatee in the water. We saw a crocodile, bats, and several iguanas perched in trees.
Look at the black figure in the center of this next picture. It's a Black Howler Monkey!
Here's another one.
Our boat ride ended at the Black Orchid Resort. We were able to order hamburgers and traditional rice & beans for lunch.
James & Hannah
Chris & me
There were some local vendors selling their wares on the resort property. Hannah bought some bracelets for some of her friends.
After lunch we took an air conditioned bus ride to Altun Ha. The 45 minute ride took us through the Belize country side. We got to see a lot of how the people live and it gave us an appreciation for what we have.
Altun Ha
The ruins at Altun Ha were not discovered until the 1960's. Here's Hannah standing in front of some.
James & Hannah
Family picture
Close up of one of the structures. Note the masks carved in the center.
We got to climb this temple. According to our tour guide, most Mayan ruins cannot be climbed anymore. Chris & I got to climb Chichen-Itza when we were in Cozumel on our 1996 trip. I know that climbing is not allowed anymore there. I am glad that the kids had the chance to see these beautiful ruins from all angles. This temple was much easier to climb than Chichen-Itza! Shortly after its discovery, stone stairs were constructed along the side of it.
View from the top of the temple.
Hannah & Chris at the top.
Today's date was July 4th. The ship displayed a few American flags in honor of this holiday. Many of the guests on the ship were dressed in patriotic colors.
We met up with the Washburns for some pre-dinner drinks.
The kids at dinner.
On a few of the nights at dinner, the dining room staff sang and danced for us. Here are Hannah & Tyler with our servers. Raymond (on the far right) was our head waiter and he was from India. The kids LOVED him! The other two guys (we could never figure out their names - the names were too complicated) were from Indonesia and ever so sweet!
Tonight's towel pet.
Went to Chichen Itza. Too scared to climb to the top of the temple. This one looks easier.
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