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Published: February 21st 2010
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South America Cruise #8~
Valparaiso, Chile: This was the first day of our new cruise, and so Larry and I decided to take a new ascensor up the mountainside to take in some new sights. Up here we had lunch, bought Drew & Cassie a birthday present, and then came back down. On the way back to the ship we stopped at a local market to buy some souvenirs for ourselves and family.
Coquimbo, (and La Serena) Chile: Here we spent the day with our friend Nicole - exploring Coquimbo and La Serena. First, we went up a mountain to check out a strange cross-like building at the top. Once we reached the cross, we found out we could go inside...downstairs there was a church and a small museum, and upstairs there were great views and some busts of famous Chileans. Afterwards we went to the seaside of La Serena to have a pizza lunch at a quaint cafe. On the way back to the ship we stopped at a local supermarket to buy some cheap snacks and Chilean wine! 😱
Arica, Chile: Today, Larry had to work all day, and so Nicole and I got off
the ship and took a nice walk along the shore, taking advantage of the sunshine and the beautiful day. Eventually we stopped at a lovely seafood restaurant for lunch overlooking the ocean.
My Surprise Bachelorette Party!: This was a WONDERFUL surprise that I'll never forget! My cast (the singers and dancers that I work with) threw me a surprise bachelorette party backstage!! And I really had NO idea... Tripp, a fellow dancer and friend - who also happens to be the costume manager - called me one afternoon and told me that I had to bring one of my costumes backstage to be washed. So, when I brought it down I was blindfolded and taken to my make-up station....needless to say, I was very confused! Finally, when he took the blindfold off and I understood what was happening, I was very surprised and happy. Not only was the entire cast there....but they also all had brought down drinks & food, they made some party games, and also decorated! It was a REALLY fun party, and again, one that I will never forget!
Lima, Peru - Day 1: Larry, Nicole and I spent this day together....we first went to
a local market to buy some Peruvian goods, including some art, alpaca blankets, and Nicole bought 'Amil' - an alpaca teddy! (We already had 'Lima' - another alpaca teddy - and so Nicole got his cousin...'Amil' is 'Lima' spelled backwards!) 😱 Later for dinner, we went to Lima's #1 restaurant -
Astrid y Gaston. This was an especially unique dining experience because we all got to try guinea pig...which was actually quite good!
Lima, Peru - Day 2: This day we spent with Drew & Cassie - a couple of our friends on the ship. (Drew is the DJ and Cassie is the Party Planner...) Here we went to a beautiful church and its crypt down underground. Those bones in the picture are real human bones! Kind of creepy, huh??
Manta, Ecuador: This was a fun day because we headed to a local beach with a bunch of our friends from the ship. The highlight of going to the beach in Ecuador...$2 tubing rides!! 😱
Puntarenas, Costa Rica: On this day I was lucky to get picked as a tour escort - which basically means I get to go on a ship tour for FREE! I started
off the full-day tour by going on a river boat tour - where we went in search of Costa Rican wildlife. I saw lots of different birds, lizards (including one that ran in an upright position!), and even crocodiles! After the river boat, we headed to a rain forest reserve, where I got to take a canopy ride and then had a buffet lunch. Before leaving, I purchased some coffee for our families - which apparently won the #1 coffee award last year!
Cast / Costume Photos: Here are some cast / costume photos! Some are glamorous, and some are...well, just funny! 😱
Nicole's Birthday!: Happy birthday, Nicole! This evening we had a show to do, so beforehand the girls all decorated Nicole's make-up station for her birthday. After the show, we all did a shot and then headed to the Crow's Nest - where we had presents and cake waiting for Nicole! All in all, a fun night!
Puerto Chiapas, Mexico: Here, Larry and I took a bus into the city for lunch and to take in the local Mexican sights. On the way home, we stopped to shop and watch a folkloric show.
Huatulco, Mexico: This was a great port because the nearest beach was only a stone's throw away from the ship, so when Larry and I arrived there that morning, we were able to meet up with a lot of our friends on the ship. Together, we enjoyed lunch on the beach, sipping margaritas, laying in the sun, and of course, banana boating! We went back to the ship at the last possible moment before it sailed away, so as not to miss any time on this lovely beach! 😊
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico: In Cabo, Larry and I had a ship tour - dune buggying all around - including through the desert hills and on the beach. It was really fun and we saw some lovely scenery as well. After the tour was over, we headed to the famous
Cabo Wabo Cantina for lunch and margaritas! We were especially excited to see that Sammy Hagar would be making an appearance that night, but disappointed when we realized we had to be back on the ship before he'd be getting there. 😞 Oh well...what can you do? We still left feeling like we had had a pretty good day...until we got
Overlooking Valparaiso
(Yes, Melanie DID have a root canal HERE!) back to the ship and I realized I had brought back more with me than a tan! I'm pretty sure I had picked up a parasite, which resulted in spontaneous diarrhea, that lasted for nearly 5 weeks in all! In fact, it lasted for so long, that 'he' even got a name - "Parasite Pete!" Eventually I took some antibiotics to get rid of 'him'...
Enjoy...the blog (not the diarrhea story)!
Love,
Larry & Melanie
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