2 for 1

**Blog Entry 1**

I’m going Mental!

I mostly have photos to post this time but here’s a bit of news.

So we had a special guest entertainer on the ship this last cruise - a Mentalist! His name is Ross Johnson and he did two shows. Both of his shows were great. As he likes to say, “I know what you’re thinking.” I can’t figure how he did his illusions/tricks/feats of mentalism but I’m not sure I want to know. It’s fun being mystified.

It was Carnivale in Dominica this week. There were many fantastic costumes, drunkies, and a huge parade of condom toting teens and adults. Dominica is having a huge problem with HIV and drug use so they were giving out condoms, wearing them as earrings and had t-shirts on that said “Abstain” or “Don’t” or just the simple “CONDOM”....very to the point.






We walked around a bit then went and had a ginger shandy - I have to try and make one of those at home. While we were drinking our shandy, we spotted a Green Heron. I tried to get some photos....here’s one..

About half way through this trip, Captain Trond Kildal left the ship for a short while. It was alarming to be onboard without “our captain”, I mean there was a sub-Captain up there but it’s just not the same. Larrance and I both agreed that the ship felt “Trondless.” Hurry Home, Captain!

We went hiking on Pigeon Point on St. Lucia. Pigeon Point was a stragetic island for both the French and the Engllish - so there’s an old English fort there. So we hiked up to the two major points on the island and did a bit of swimming. It was a nice day, kind of felt like we were back on Mount Desert Island. We were accompanied on our hike by Andy, Michael and the new Hungarian Gymnast, Katya. She didn’t know we’d be hiking so she was wearing flip flops. Not very good for hiking so she borrowed Larrance’s water shoes.





While we were on the beach the Fruit Man in his boat came to shore to sell bananas, coconuts and sugar cane.

Then we went to the Captain’s Cellar to have a Piton which is the local brew.

On Antigua we met up with the Second City cast of the Dawn to have lunch at Big Banana. We had a nice time catching up wtih all of those folks. It’s always lovely to see people that you know in places that you don’t know.

On the last port of the cruise, Tortola, Larrance and I went to a Botanical Garden. Photos tell it best...







**Blog Entry 2**
"I am Born."

So this is my Birth Week! My Birthday was on Feb. 28th - late greetings/presents/accolades/offerings/tokens of gratitude will be accepted at anytime! In addition to this being my Birth Week, Larrance’s sister, Sue, and her husband, Neil, are onboard.

This week was a five day cruise. On the five day cruises we got to Cozumel and Belize, with two sea days on either end of the cruise. In Cozumel, Sue and Neil went on a shopping/folklore/tequila tour. They had a great time. Larrance, Andy, Michael and I took a ferry from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen. Playa is on mainland Mexico. This is another place I suggest visiting - I loved Carmen. We walked around the town - Playa del Carmen is like a more arty, unique Cozumel. Cozumel has about 20 Diamonds International and even more t-shirt shops. Playa has some of that but it also has some great art shops and a huge beach front with fantastic restaurants and lots of waves to play in. So we wandered the town, had lunch, went swimming and then went back to the ship to get ready to do our show that night. The shows went great. Afterwards I drank a Cosmopolitian....I haven’t been drinking much alcohol lately....so the Cosmo went straight to my head. I was super loopy.

The next day (my Birthday!) we were anchored in Belize. Sue, Neil, Andy, Larrance and I decided to take the AltunHa and Belize City tour. Altun Ha is a Mayan ruin and the name translates as Stone Rock Water. The site was lovely but the bus ride was horrendous. We must have been on the bus for 5 of the 6 hours of the tour. The air conditioning didn’t really work and I got a little car sick. But seeing the ruins made it all worth it...Altun Ha was neither a religious/sacrificial center or a political center. They think it was a trade/commerce center. At the end we were allowed to climb to the top of one of the Mayan structures. The steps were uneven and steep but the view was great. Neil almost fell off the top of the temple....twice. The second time he was resuced by Larrance and our tour guide, Ginny.






View from the top

Mayan ruin with an Allspice tree

Pride of Barbados tree

It was my Birthday so we decided to sacrifice Andy.
He begged us not to but I reminded him that it was my Birthday and that I require a certain level of uh...sacrifice. Then he said, “I have a present for you!” I immediately removed him from the altar and let him live. I am benevolent! We also need him for the shows.`

On the way back to the ship, we toured Belize City.

That night we had our improv shows in Spinnakker lounge. The first show was well attended but not full. The second show was crazy! There were people everywhere - even sitting in the aisles. The ship bills our second show as an “Adult” show but to be honest it’s not that different from our first show. Well, that wasn’t true this week. As Spring Break approaches our crowds are getting younger and rowdier so the show was truly an adult show. Not much swearing but lots of word play - the show felt very free and fun. Afterwards I had a drink but not a Cosmo....for some reason I was still loopy. I think I’ve just become loopier with each passing year.

The next day we took it easy. Breakfast, gym, taught a workshop, watched a little t.v., played with my new Game Boy Advanced (thanks, Larrance!). Then Sue and Neil took us out to the Lotus Garden restaurant. Sue & Neil gave me a bottle of Channel No. 19 - ooh la la! We had a great pan asian meal complete with the surprise delivery of a Birthday Cake. After dinner we met most of the cast and a few friends from the JARS and the cruise staff in Maltings for a drink. The boys o’ Second City, Andy, Ben & Michael, gave me a lithograph of a painting we saw in Playa del Carmen. And Tommy, from Cruise Staff, made me a card and all of the Cruise Staff signed it! So nice! We closed down Mailtings and then went to the Crew Bar. We closed that down too. It was a good birthday. I did miss getting to talk to everyone on my actual birthday but everyone who came did their best to make it fun and memorable.

~Jen

P.S. I gave myself a Pedicure - Thanks, Momma!'
I have more images but I'll publish them later! xoxo!