Cruisin' V: Scuba Diving in Belize City, Belize

Overnight our ship cruised a short distance down the Yucatan Peninsula to reach Belize City, Belize. The country of Belize became independent from Britain only a short time ago, 1981. As such, it is quite a young country and appears to still be getting to its feet. Tourism is far and away the greatest source of income and a good portion of that industry takes advantage of the nation's beautiful beaches and spectacular marine treasures. One particularly well-known treasure is the Great Blue Hole, which, based on the picture on the link, is rather aptly named. Over 400 feet deep with much of the water inky black due to lack of sunlight, divers looking for real adventure head to Belize. Amateur divers like us, however, stick to the shallow reefs.

Having taken a scuba class at UNC my senior year, I've been pining for the chance to don a BCD (buoyancy control device), some fins, my mask, and play around underwater. When Sachi listed the possible excursions for the cruise, the one thing I insisted on was scuba diving. She made it happen. We arose earlier than usual after arriving in port, donned our swimsuits, and headed to the dive shop. A group of both experienced divers (as evidenced by their gear) and novices gathered and then got onto a smaller speedish boat right from the cruise ship. At an appreciable clip we pulled away from the Navigator and headed to an island scuba training camp. You really get a sense of how large the ship is when seeing it adrift at sea accompanied by a few other behemoths.

On the island we took a brief dive class where we signed our life away (oh liability forms), swore we were in perfect health, watched a video, and then boarded another boat. We reached a small sandbar where we donned our gear and practiced skills essential to get diving permission: 1) remove and replace the regulator (breathing apparatus), 2) remove own regulator, breath from buddy's reg, then replace buddy's with own reg (how to share air in an emergency, and 3) allow water to fill the mask and then clear it (very useful skill). Maybe there was another but I can't remember it. In any case, all but two of the ~20 divers passed (including all of us). Next stop, the reef!

The reef started at a depth of about 30 feet and extended another 10 feet down to the bottom, so our total depth was around 40 feet. Although the waves were quite choppy and it even rained for a little while, the sun was out and the water looked gorgeous. Far more beautiful, though, was the sight that first greeted my eyes when I jumped in. Aquamarine water with incredible visibility with greens and darker hues near the coral and plant life. I was the first of our group (us three + a UW undergrad we sort of befriended) to hit the water, so I hung out by a buoy until the rest jumped in. Their technique could have been better, especially concerning the mask. The trick is to hold it against your forehead with the heel of your palm when jumping in so that it doesn't get moved or even ripped off your head. Oh well, everyone made it in fine. We followed the guideline down slowly, equalizing pressure often. I felt like that last year and half hadn't even passed, it was so easy. We cruised around the reef and I managed to achieve neutral buoyancy which was my favorite skill to practice at school. The dive lasted about 30 minutes but it felt so much shorter. It was a thrill to move through the water with so little effort and be so close to plant and animal life otherwise inaccessible. Our poor friend had some trouble and had to surface early. Saket was next to leave and ended up a little low on air (breathing too fast!). I was last up and sad to go.

There were snacks and drinks on the boat, and we soon headed back to island. We grabbed a "lunch" of chips and salsa, then waited for the boat to take us back to our ship. It was early afternoon by the time we returned, so we met up with our parents, showered, then relaxed for a while before wandering a bit then eating dinner. After dinner we watched another fun song-and-dance show, then it was off to bed early. I can't wait to go diving again!

44.

Today, January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. The moment was historical for many reasons, and I enjoyed watching the proceedings with my colleagues and friends at school. Everyday we witness history in the making, but seldom do we recognize truly "historical" moments as they are happening.

As we watched his inaugural address, I could literally feel my lungs swelling with pride to hear Obama declare that America is ready to lead the world again. Some might argue we have been leading the world since the end of World War II, but I would hardly call the last eight years an example of leadership. From mishandled/misguided wars to negligent global trade and environmental policies to of domestic policy, George W. Bush and his administration failed America and its people, and they failed the world.

No longer will the world be so wary of America's might. The roots that bind America to the world will be nourished once more by policies that will put peace before pre-emption, cooperation before condescension, and freedom before fear.

Hello, world. The United States of America is back.

Hail to the Chief.

Cruisin' IV: Cozumel

This morning we pulled into Cozumel, Mexico. Rather sad that despite living in the South my whole life, and in Texas for almost ten years, it took a cruise to get me into Mexico. Frankly, I had no real desire to visit the country until now; not to hate on our neighbor to the south, but there are many places in this great world I would rather visit. But I digress...

We arrived in port early in the morn, and after a hearty breakfast we headed ashore. Naturally, the first thing we encountered was a mini town selling all kinds of souvenirs. Cruise ships seem to make port a good distance from both downtown and the major businesses. I'm sure practical nautical considerations are a factor here, but I can tell you taxi drivers certainly benefit from this arrangement. We hired a driver to take us to the Mayan ruins Cozumel, and Mexico in general for that matter, is famous for. The Mayan civilization is famous for its elaborate architecture, religious rituals, and famous prediction based on its calendar that the "End of Days" will occur on December 21, 2012. The driver waited for us while we explored the ruins:

You can see Saket walking off in the distance. This was an entrance to the complex.

We had arrived soon after the place opened so we managed to beat the crowds. A setting like this is best enjoyed in solitude. Mosquitoes proved to be our most significant companions and we were all bitten rather soundly. I noticed trilingual signs and tried to find out what the third language was (the first and last are clearly Spanish and English, respectively).

My hunch is that its a Mayan language (still spoken in some parts of Mexico), but I am not sure. After leaving the ruins we were on our way to the beach. Considering the tropical clime, Mom was just itching to get her hands on some fresh coconut and asked our driver where we could get some. Our driver had some sharp eyes (and good reflexes) and, sure enough, spotted a man selling coconuts by the road. With some deft whacks with his machete, Mom, Dad, and Saket were in coconut heaven:

Next stop: the beach. We ran into some difficulties when we tried to pay our driver. Unfortunately, we were a bit light on cash and of course there was no ATM at the beach. Travelers checks it was, except I was a fool and improperly signed mine; in any case I wouldn't have gotten cash for it since the retailers saw our distress and abused us roundly. They agreed to cash one check (if we bought something), but then claimed they didn't have enough cash for the second (after saying they did before we cashed the first one). That was upsetting, and we ended up tipping our driver enormously for the trouble we caused him. Anyway, the next hours were more pleasant. We enjoyed ourselves by relaxing, swimming, and eating some junk food (nachos, guacamole, beers, and margaritas) for lunch. The water gleamed like shimmering sapphires by the scintillating sand:

Finally it was time to return to our ship. We hung around for a little while in the shops picking up some swag. I finally bought a shark's teeth necklace beaded with red and black coral. I've been coveting a shark's teeth necklace ever since our trip to the Outer Banks in 2004. It's not that I don't like sharks. I think they're marvelous creatures and we should respect them instead of hunt them mercilessly. They are truly masters of the open seas, and I don't think I'm being hypocritical by wearing some of their teeth. These are creatures that practically shed teeth like we shed skin (okay, that's exaggerating but they do replace them quite frequently). You'll see that necklace in later pictures.

Back on the boat, we ate some snacks and lounged a bit before heading to dinner. For dessert, the ship was serving a "second dinner" of sorts up on the top deck that started around 11. It was a gorgeous spread and I could only convince myself to eat some dessert (coffee and vanilla ice cream). I also saw the most beautiful watermelon on the planet (next to an adorable eggplant penguin:
It was late after dessert, so we headed back to the staterooms for some rest. We were due in Belize City, Belize the next day and the three of us were scheduled to do some scuba diving, so a good rest was needed for all.

Cruisin' III: First Day at Sea

For some strange reason, I didn't sleep as soundly as I am wont, and found myself wide awake just after 7. This was a fortunate bout of insomnia on my part, since it meant I could witness my first sunrise over the open ocean.

And what a spectacle it was. Rosy-fingered dawn, indeed, couched on a bed of Carolina blue.

But, during the fifteen minutes in which I stood rapt on our balcony with my camera frequently held to my face, the sunrise soon turned into something spectacular:

Regretfully, sunrise never was so splendid for the remainder of our cruise. I will certainly treasure those solitary minutes with the sun for years to come.

After everyone had risen we breakfasted on a deck up high and set our exploring again. Dad, Sachi, and I found ourselves at the prow of the ship where we luxuriated in the sun and took some pictures.

It was very much a "Titanic" setting, and I'm sure many a passenger has found themselves compelled to shout (laughably) immortal words to the indifferent waves below. After enjoying the prow, I headed upstairs to see how high I could climb. Sachi and Dad went swimming while Saket sat in the sun to read. I'm rather at odds with the concept of swimming on a ship at sea, but I suppose it is an easy way to entertain a large number of passengers and keep them in close vicinity to virtually 24/7 bars.

We spent the rest of the day engaged in various activities, from watching some dodgeball tournaments to rock climbing and catching a variety show or two. Dinner that night was a swanky affair and we all got dressed up. There was free champage on the Promenade and it was nice to see everyone dressed so elegantly.

After dinner we attended a song-and-dance show that was quite good and then headed back to the stateroom to change. Some more wandering (and maybe some drinking too) and then we called it a night. We were set to arrive in Cozumel in the morning. We also found this as a present when we returned.
How sweet.

Cruisin' II: The Journey Begins

After unloading our gear, we headed up to Deck 11 (of fourteen decks) for lunch at the all-you-can-eat buffet style dining room. The cruise ship had many dining options from casual cafes to swanky sit-down restaurants featuring fare from all over the world.

After lunch we spent some time playing mini-golf,

and enjoying the view.

In compliance with federal (and no doubt international regulations), we had to assemble on the deck in full emergency regalia (i.e. a bright orange life vest properly worn) at 4:30 to go over emergency procedures. Unfortunately, due to either the crowd or the poor PA system, we hardly heard a thing the announcer said, so we just stood around and tried to stay comfortable in the hot sun.

Finally, the drill being over, we dropped our jackets at the stateroom and headed out for more exploration. The ship was rather large and there was much to see. We began by heading to the main deck, the Royal Promenade.

It looked almost exactly like a shopping mall, which makes sense since this is the place the cruise line wanted you to spend the most money. The deck was lined with shops, two cafes (well, one was free the other you had to pay for the coffee and ice cream), two bars, access to the casino below, and ended with our dining room, the Swan Lake Room. Dinner was pleasant, as we had two nice waiters attending us. The fare was pretty good with aesthetic presentation.

We shared a bottle of wine every night; something of an extravagance for our family.

After dinner, we split ways to either to relax and unpack in the stateroom or check our some karaoke. Instead of just relying on a computer for music, this night of karaoke featured a live band accompanying the singers. Ended up being an enjoyable show with some folks really strutting their stuff. Nearly the whole room (including us) joined in for "Hey Jude" sung by a couple in their later years. After karaoke I caught a little bit of the welcoming parade while Saket and saw us finally leave the shore on an upper deck (we were supposed to set sail at 5 but didn't leave until 11). That's about it for day 1!

Cruisin': Drive to Florida and Boarding the Ship

As you might know, my family loves to travel. Finding time to go places has become a bit challenging in the last couple of years since Saket and I have both moved out of the house and our schedules no longer align as often and as long as they once did. A cruise to some warm destination has been in the plans for many years now, and trip to the Caribbean even longer (an almost sure trip in 1998 was abandoned because I broke my wrist two weeks before we were to leave). This winter the stars (and planets, and comets, and other heavenly bodies) finally aligned and on Dec 14, after Saket and I flew back to NC from Chicago and Palo Alto, respectively, we began our drive to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

The drive was easy and uneventful for me since, for once, I was exempt from driving duty. In order to save some money, and since I would seldom be using any of the family vehicles, we decided to take me off our auto insurance. As a result, I could still legally drive but would no longer be insured in case of a collision or other mishap. To be on the safe side, Dad thought it best that I stay away from the wheel. Hey, no complaints...I got to sleep and relax instead :).

As the temperature steadily increased and the flora changed from pine to palm, we found ourselves staying the night in St. Lucie, just a short ways from Ft. Lauderdale. Seeing all the Christmas decorations made me wonder what Floridians feel about the holiday. The near-universal portrayal of snow and sleighs must be a little disappointing for children used to temperatures in the 70s F and surfboards instead at that time of year. But since Santa isn't exactly part of the Christian tradition, I suppose there is nothing heretical about a well-tanned Santa in shades.

Our cruise-line-of-choice was Royal Caribbean. Rather, Sachi and my parents did all of the preparation for this trip, and for that I am profoundly grateful. Last quarter was rather trying for me and it was nice to able to embark on a vacation knowing everything was already well-planned out. Our ship was the Navigator of the Seas and it was a sight to behold. Boarding took some time because there were so many people, but by about 2 o'clock we were aboard and headed to our stateroom. The space was certainly smaller than your average hotel room, but well supplied and certainly adequate to our needs. We didn't plan on spending too much time in them after all.....

Obamamania

As many of you no doubt know, I am an avid supporter of now President-elect Barack Obama. Compared to friends like Saket and Mike (Lee), I was a little late in joining the Obamatrain simply because I did not know enough about then-candidate Obama at the end of 2007. It didn't take me long to become a fan and devoted supporter. I admire Barack Obama not only for his uplifting rhetoric, but his clear talent and vim for gathering the best minds together to tackle issue, and not surrounding himself with a coterie of yes-men and sycophants who lack both backbone and the will to approach matters objectively and intelligently (read George W. Bush). The star of the United States of America, my country and one of the finest nations on this great Earth, has lost much of its luster in the past decade, not just the last eight years. Compared to Bush, Clinton was a saint, but he left the White House smelling of scandal and shame that was later overpowered by the cloying odor of deeper and danker iniquities.

Enough of ranting at and criticizing the past. Every informed citizen of America knows how badly we need change in this country, and not just at the highest levels of government. I thought I'd draw up some lighter reasons why I like Barack Obama:

1. We live on the same street in Chicago (three blocks apart).
2. He likes to play Scrabble (my favorite game) and Texas Hold'Em poker.
3. He likes college basketball and placed the Tar Heels favorably in his bracket in the last tourney.
4. He is a family man who clearly cares deeply about his wife and daughters.
5. He likes to dance (and is pretty good at it)
6. He remains cool and unflustered even when under great pressure.
7. He worked at the University of Chicago (where I am a student).
8. He can take care of himself.

Enough with the adulation for now. Let's see if he can fulfill even a quarter of the promise's he and his campaign have made. I wish you all the best, (soon to be) President Barack Hussein Obama.