My 28th Birthday in the Caribbean 2007

I spent my 28th birthday on a cruise, so I thought I'd just post some of the highlights of my trip here.

On the beach at Costa Maya, Mexico, 3/6

Right before getting back on the ship with Paul, Sarah, and Brian

San Felipe Fortress, the major Spanish (non-Mayan) landmark in Guatemala, 3/7

I went with Sarah, here she is on top of the fortress, Rio Dulce behind her

Jaguar Temple, Lamanai, Belize, 3/8

Sarah, Katy, Brian, and me at the High Temple, Lamanai, Belize

Midnight birthday shots to kick off my birthday

Cozumel, 3/9

My birthday dinner with everyone!

Back: Mihai, Sarah, Paul

Front: Me, Brian, and Katy

On the ship's pool deck, 3/10

Last party night!

Cozumel, Mexico 2007

I spent my 28th birthday in Cozumel with Brian, Sarah M, and Paul. I fell in love with the city. There is no better place to spend a youthful birthday. Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Cozumel is a tourist destination for its scuba diving and snorkeling, neither of which I did on this trip. I did party on the beach though.

Near the port with Paul and Sarah

The port

Through the town

At the beach

Me and Sarah drinking piña coladas


Shots with Paul and Brian

These things make me very happy

In Mexico, I am tall and leggy

Lamanai, Belize 2007

Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language- it used to be "British Honduras." They also speak Kriol and Spanish there though. Our English-speaking guide took us on a boat to Lamanai a Mayan archaeological site, which used to be a huge city.


Sarah, Katy, Brian, and I at the High Temple in Lamanai, Belize


The High Temple

  See me?
Jaguar Temple


Mask Temple

Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala 2007

Guatemala is in Central America and is bordered by Mexico to the northwest, Belize and the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. When our ship landed, Sarah and I did an excursion to Santo Tomás de Castilla, a port city in the eastern Gulf of Honduras coast.

The Dulce River flows into the largest lake in Guatemala, Lake Izabel. At the entrance of the lake rests the Spanish Castle of San Felipe. Sarah and I toured the 17th-century fortress that once served to keep pirates of the Caribbean at bay.

In front of San Felipe Fortress, the major non-Mayan landmark in Guatemala

In a Spanish Prison Cell in San Felipe Fortress

Sarah in the San Felipe Fortress courtyard

Our tour guide showing us the original canon the Spanish used for pirate-shooting

On top of the fortress

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Fruit and vegetable market

Clothing market

Lush green country

Costa Maya, Mexico 2007

Costa Maya is a small tourist region in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, between Cancún and Belize. The area is generally undeveloped but has been growing quickly and rapidly after the construction of a large pier to accommodate cruise ships. The Costa Maya includes two small villages -- Majahual and Xcalak. We went to the beach in Majahual.


The after-the-adventure photo at the port


Tourists chatting with a local The fishing village of Mahahual has soft sand beaches, grass thatched palapas, and a coral reef a short distance off-shore, as well as several bars, restaurants, and shops. Mahahual is only about 2 miles from the port; cruise ships can easily be seen from the village. And that's where our problems began.

Walking past the village

Me on the beach at Mahahual

Sarah took a picture of us- Looks like Paul and I are reading
Paul notes that we can see our ship from here! We went to a cafe for drinks and snacks   This is fun! Time to go back. This is what we should have done...
... This is what we decided to do instead. We figured that since the ship was only two miles away, and we could see it, we could walk back. One little thing we failed to calculate was the location of the ocean relative to the land. So after walking for an hour down a secluded path, we reached a beach facing the ocean and an unscalable wall. Our choices: try the wall anyway, head into the ocean, or walk back one hour and risk missing our ship back to the US. 

This is what denial looks like.

We chose ocean. Now our second problem: as we reached dry land on the other side we were confronted by Mexican port authority trying to figure out why we're trying to swim around border control. Conversation clearly starts off on the wrong foot as he accuses us of trying to break the law, but he then ironically suggests bribery. Finally, through a combination of my persuasive abilities and Spanish sweet-talking, he finally lets us go without going to jail or paying money or anything. And that's why you should learn Spanish, kids!

New Orleans 2007

Our cruise ship departed from New Orleans so we drove down from Charlottesville and tried to see some sights before boarding.

Brian is excited that we're here!

Paul welcomes us to Jackson Square Park

Brian's friend Victoria lives in New Orleans so she met up with us and showed us around. This was my second time in New Orleans, but the first time was New Years Eve 1999, and it was pretty crazy. This was nice little Southern brunch tour.

Our fearless tour guide, Victoria

Never forget that Andrew Jackson was a huge asshole.

Paul modeling

St Louis Cathedral By Sarah M.

Brian and Victoria

Near St. Louis Cathedral

Sarah, me, Brian, and Paul

(Katy napping, Mihai in casino?)

Pretty streets of New Orleans

Royal Street

It was also all of our first visit to the city after the 2005 Hurricane Katrina flooding of the city. Victoria says that the city still hasn't fully recovered, though the parts of the city we were in looked very nice.

Katrina art

The Official Hurricane Katrina Poster 

Following Sarah

 At Johnny's Po-Boy Restaurant - By Brian

That's a serious Po-Boy

Brian looks like he's going to steal my grits

Thanks Victoria! Thanks New Orleans!