holiday cruise : the highlights (part 2)

*Rushing to karaoke on 2 separate nights, only to miss the sign-up both times..... but, as expected, there were some tremendously bad (but hilarious) singers. The type who truly & honestly think that they're gifted artists with melodic vocals.

*Speaking of karaoke, I was so amped each time for potential hilarity (despite failing to make the sign up time) that I wore my little retro red running shorts underneath my pants each night..... ready and waiting to strike if & when I got to sing. Next time, baby.

*Numerous foreign-tourists & their awkward swim attire (you know what I'm talking about)

*Formal night on the ship.. with the sole mission of myself, my sister, and my cousins to be awkward in every picture.. and embarass our parents/grandparents whenever possible. Our head waiter kept us going with random magic tricks & pranks involving Coke cans, silverware, and napkins.

*Watching some intoxicated fellow-cruisers stumble around the midnite buffet.. and how amazed they were by the small mountain of fruits at the end of the buffet line. This would have been a good moment to bust out the water-balloon catapult.... sigh... should've brought it along for the trip.... another note-to-self for the next time.

*Sea kayaking with my cousin Chad when we had our day on the private island. Our kayaking guide was a very outgoing Australian guy.. who fulfilled the stereotypical wildlife loving aspect by leaping out of his kayak to grab conch shells & starfish.. and excitedly leading us towards anything he saw swimming nearby

*Speaking of aquatic wildlife... the first thing the guide led us towards was a 5 foot shark he saw in the distance. I was thrilled when I saw the fin cutting through the water as we paddled towards it..... I expected to be pretty freaked out in such a situation.. but I was paddling like mad to get near the beast. It was only a 5-footer (which is still big enough to freak anyone out a bit)... yet I got pretty still after we corralled it for a short while with the kayaks. Any bigger of a shark and I would've wet myself. Guaranteed.

*Having a starfish (or "sea star") slowly crawl across my hand. They definitely don't move/behave anything like the ones in cartoons/movies

*Spending almost the entire rest of my afternoon in "iguana cove"... taking pictures & climbing the rocks to be amongst these crazy lizards. Watching them fight over food was very entertaining... especially when we pitted the supposed king of the iguanas against a rooster for a piece of fruit. Also got some pictures/video of a wild octopus in the shallow water of the cove. Intense!

*Nature hike with some of my cousins.. chasing chickens & catching hermit crabs


and now... for some more pictures!