This week’s photo challenge on I heart Faces is My Story in Photos: Places I Love. They are lifting the requirement to see faces this week – they want us to post photos of the most romantic places we’ve been!

I Heart Faces is a photography sharing forum that focuses on the art of capturing faces and their various emotions. Each week, people from across the world enter their favorite face photos.

Click on the picture for a better view and click the button to check out lots of other faces, or to enter a photo of your own!

If you are one of the large group of my enthusiastic fans five people who occasionally read my blog, then you must already know that my husband took me on my first cruise for my 50th birthday. We barely made it onto the ship, and you can read all about that ordeal here. But it was worth every minute of aggravation we went through to get there, as these photos will attest.

We cruised out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Sea. It was a five day cruise to the Western Caribbean. The first port of call was Key West, a romantic place I had always wanted to visit!

Key West has a laid, back, quirky, off beat appeal. The homes are quaint, colorful, packed with personality and have some of the most gorgeous, tropical flowers and trees around them that I’ve ever seen.

This “market” is unlike anything you will find anywhere else. This photo is quintessentially Key West!

A walk down Duval Street lived up to it’s reputation of oddities, variety and a 24 hour party atmosphere. We met some characters, that’s for sure!

Yes, there really are chickens running all over the place in Key West!

Our next port of call was Cozumel. We played golf at the Cozumel Country Club. It was overrun with all kinds of critters. We saw snakes, iguanas, alligators and this large crab was determined to keep me from hitting my ball!

The next stop was Playa Del Carmen. We took a cab to a eco-water park called Xel Ha. It was all inclusive food and drinks, as much as you wanted, all day. This lagoon was full of tropical fish and they offered snorkeling gear, kayaks and rafts for use.

There were chairs and hammocks set up all over the park, walking trails, several wonderful restaurants and bars and even a place to swim with dolphins (for an extra fee.)

We floated down this authentic lazy river on a double raft. It would have been very romantic, but we were having to paddle the whole time against the waves to keep from crashing into the rocks along the shores.

Part of the park had access to the beach and the ocean. This was my favorite photo from the whole cruise. It was  paradise.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the color of this water.

Even the rocks were unbelievably beautiful.

As you can see, it was a great place to loll around in a hammock.

At the time, I had no idea this would become my header photo for a blog!

Our last stop on this cruise was Belize. We had to take a tender from the ship into the small port.

We went into the tropical forest in Belize to visit the majestic mayan ruins of Laminai, which means “submerged crocodile” in the Maya language. It’s also the third largest  and possibly most interesting, archeological site in Belize.

Our tender boat, and the Jewel shared the water with these Belizean fishermen.

Since this post is for I Heart Faces, here are our smiling faces, just before going to a romantic dinner onboard our ship.

We loved getting away on this romantic cruise and I can’t wait to take another one!

A Guide To Caribbean Cruises

Planning to go on a Caribbean cruise? You need to decide two things in advance – when you’re going and where. Read on for useful information to help you make those choices.

Many people say that the Caribbean islands are best enjoyed during summer, but keep in mind that Caribbean cruises during this time are usually jam packed. This is when families, tour groups, and even corporate assemblies prefer to visit the islands, so if you’re planning to join the pack, be sure to book your cruise in advance. The average cruise length is about seven days.

If you want to enjoy big discounts, though, then try Caribbean cruises during the fall. Rates are substantially lower (sometimes half the regular rate), and you usually don’t need to wait in line for slots to free up.

When deciding between Eastern or Western Caribbean, your decision should depend on what you intend to do during the course of the cruise. As a general guide, you should go for a Western Caribbean cruise if you want to spend more time sailing (rather than going on land for other activities). Western Caribbean cruises start in either in New Orleans, Texas, or Florida, and then make their way to Palaya del Carmen in Mexico, the Caymans, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica, among many other destinations. There are many things to do in a Western Caribbean cruise, and toping the crowd favorite are tours of the Mayan ruins.

If you want to do more shopping, though, then you might enjoy an Eastern Caribbean cruise better.  This way, you get to see the shopping spots and fantastic beaches of the Bahamas and Puerto Rico (among others).

If you can’t decide, it might be a good idea to buy guide books to Caribbean cruises. Many books offer you great advice on the itinerary and the cruise ship to tally with your goals and interests.

About Western Caribbean Cruises…

Experience an area where old world land and sea combine with some of premiere resort spots on earth. Hop on a Western Caribbean cruise line and let the journey begin. It’s easy to see why Western Caribbean cruises rank among travelers’ most popular cruising destinations. From swimming with sea turtles and stingrays in the Grand Cayman, walking among the ancient Mayan ruins and experiencing the Spanish influence on Mexico’s coast, or climbing the famous Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica, it’s all in a day’s fun when you sail on any of our cheap Western Caribbean cruises.

Each port of call in this region offers rich a history and culture all it’s own. Last minute cruises will ensure that your 4 to 5 day Western Caribbean cruise itinerary lets you discover the best of what each has to offer.

Depart year-round from Florida and all major ports on America’s gulf coast to voyage first-class at discount cruise prices. Check out our deals on cheap cruises to the Western Caribbean and choose from one of many Western Caribbean cruise ships ready to set sail at your earliest convenience.

Don’t Miss…

▪ Climb up spectacular Dunn’s River Falls.
▪ Snorkel with stingrays.
▪ Go horseback riding on the beach.
▪ Dive 800 feet below sea level in a research submarine.
▪ Discover the inhabitants of a coral reef on a glass-bottomed boat.
▪ Explore ancient civilizations as you climb mysterious Mayan pyramids.

Find a Western Caribbean Cruise Deal…

Looking for a deal on a Western Caribbean cruise? We have selected the best cruises – from weekend getaways to more extensive escapes, we have a deal that fits your budget. Find a cruise online or call 1(866) 836-6963 to speak with a cruise expert.

LAMANAI

Looming over the west bank of the New River Lagoon, Lamanai, or “submerged crocodile,” is off the beaten track-perhaps the reason why it thrived for over 3000 years. The city of Lamanai began its regional supremacy around 1500 B.C. Extending from the formative years of the Mayan world to the preaching friars of Spanish colonists, Lamanai flourished and supported a vast community of farmers, merchants, and traders.

profile of Crocodile Mask at the base of Temple N-9-56, Lamanai

Crocodile Mask at Lamanai

Named for the thriving crocodile population in the nearby New River lagoon, Lamanai’s main structures and excavated artifacts exhibit many representations of the famed reptile. Because some of Lamanai’s ruins are some of the oldest in Belize dating back to 700 B.C., the site has received more attention than other archaeological sites in the country. Still, of the 700 buildings within the complex, less than five percent have been excavated and explored. Aside from the central pyramid, thick forest has consumed many of the limestone mounds that housed the thousands of Mayan inhabitants. With a population exceeding 35,000 at the height of the city’s power, Lamanai’s trading influence extended over the borders of present-day Guatamala, Honduras, Mexico, and Belize.

Artifacts Recovered from Excavation at Lamanai

Artifacts Recovered from Excavation at Lamanai, close up

Abnormally high concentrations of corn pollen scattered throughout the area indicate Lamanai originated as an agriculturally based settlement. As the Classic Period came to an end in the ninth and tenth centuries, many of the neighboring Mayan cities proceeded through a period of decay to final collapse. Lamanai survived this time of upheaval and continued trade with sites in the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula on into the Post-Classic Period. Copper, tin, and bronze objects flowed into Lamanai from sources in west Mexico, the Oaxaca Valley, and probably middle Central America. Lamanai also profited from intense immigration from the fringes of nearby cities that were undergoing gradual abandonment.

Main Temple at Lamanai Under Reconstruction

The Spaniards first arrived in the middle of the sixteenth century. The European presence immediately began a series of changes that predominantly focused on Catholic conversion. Missionaries erected Christian churches and related structures into the indigenous settlement pattern. For nearly a century the Spaniards controlled the region despite the fact that their friars and missionaries rarely inhabited Lamanai or its surrounding villages. The church offerings of the time show a resurgence of Maya iconography, which had never been fully suppressed at the time of Spanish contact.

Old Spanish Church at LamanaiIn 1640, the Mayans rebelled against the Spanish influence in much of the region and burned the churches to the ground. After the Spanish were eradicated, a series of epidemics eventually weakened the city and finally put an end to 3000 years of social, political, and cultural dominance within the region.

Old Sugar Mill at Lamanai

Old Sugarmill at Lamanai

Although Lamanai is accessible by road, most visitors prefer to travel by boat along the New River and witness the same flora and fauna ancient Mayan traders observed on the way to the city. The river twists and divides its way through the forest en route to the New River Lagoon, a body of water more than a mile wide sitting on the fringe of the ancient city.

Grey Neck Rail on New River Lagoon

Howler Monkey at Lamanai

Lamanai is also a botanical and wildlife reserve and showcases many native exotic birds and plants used for medicinal and commercial purposes. Most trees are labeled along the trails for easy identification. 

This tour is designed to last aproximately 6 1/2 hours. It includes a hour drive from Belize City. When we get to Orange Walk Town, we will board a boat and do a river cruise for approximately 1 hour. On the river cruise we see crocodiles, several species of birds, Howler Monkeys and much more.

Lunch is also included in the tour.

This tour leaves Belize City at 8:00 every morning.

Tour cost: $ 100.00

Book with us at : actionboysbelize@yahoo.com

ALTUN HA RUINS

The true ancient name is unknown and “Altun Ha” is a Mayan translation of the nearby village named “Rockstone Pond.”

Even though Altun Ha is small as compared to other ruins in the region, the extent to which the site has been cleared and restored makes it easy to imagine its past glory and wealth as a major ceremonial center. Plaza A is a large grassy area, surrounded on all sides by pyramids and is adjoined by Plaza B which contains the largest structure on the site, the Temple of the Masonry Altars, which rises 54 ft. above the plaza.

THIS TOUR IS DESIGNED TO LAST APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS. IT INCLUDES A 50 MINUTES DRIVE THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE TO THE SITE. WHEN WE GET TO THE SITE WE WILL HAVE A SHORT BREAK AND THEREAFTER HEAD ON THE SITE. WHILST ON THE SITE WE WILL BE DOING PRESENTATIONS ON MEDICINAL PLANTS, INDIAN HISTORY, AND SITE HISTORY .

YOU WILL BE ALSO OFFERED A COMPLIMENTARY CITY TOUR WHERE YOU GET THE CHANCE TO SEE SOME OF OUR HISTORICAL SITES. YOU CAN STOP TO SHOP AND HAVE LUNCH.

GROUP DISCOUNT OFFERED

WE ALSO OFFER A COMBINATION OF THE BABOON SANCTUARY AND THE MAYA RUINS OF ALTUN HA. $ 95.00 USD PER/ PERSON WHICH IS ALSO SUITABLE FOR SENIORS AND KIDS. ON THIS TOUR YOU GET TO ACTUALLY TOUCH A HOWLER MONKEYS IN THE WILD.

Our official website: http://www.actionboysbelize.com

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