Travel and Recreation
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Question of the week: What was... December 6, 2009 2:15 am Guess, I'll get this one started. Everyone else feel free to chime in.
Be the first to leave a comment.My most memorable travel experience was a day in Roatan Honduras this April. We stopped there on our Norwegian Pearl cruise. Sailing into Roatan was an experience in itself. As a dim fog lifted over the island, we were greeted with a skyline of low rolling mountainous terrain. Tiny churches and tropical houses dotted the fauna. Gentle waves crashed against the shoreline of beautiful turquoise waters. The island beckoned us in with it's spirit of mystery and vibrancy. After about an hour of sipping coffee on deck in my lounge chair, the pilot boats finally maneuvered us in and the anchors were dropped. Looking down onto the island, we were greeted by dancers from the Garifuna people of the island. They drummed and danced us a warm welcome to their island. Roatan is a relatively new port for cruises, and is less commercialized than some of the popular ports of call. Consequently, shopping and walking tours are not abundant. There is a small strip of shops, owned by the cruise companies, just as you exit the ships. The local shops are not very commercialized and are more suited for locals than tourists. Therefore, we opted to hire a driver for the day from Cynthia and Diana Tours for $80 or the full day. Our driver Isiah greeted us promptly as we debarked in a modern air-conditioned passenger van which was roomy and comfy for me and my 17 year old son. Our first stop was to be the Yubu Experience at Potlilly Blight, which shows traditional customs of the Garifuna people, African descendants that settled in Honduras via the slave trade. I was surprised to see there was a diverse population of black people in Honduras. I had expected it to be more Hispanic, but there was a good mix about 50/50%. On the way to Yubu, we stopped at a few roadside markets, and some scenic picture taking spots. Saw a few shipwrecks, stopped at a local convenience store which was more of a shack, and enjoyed the scenery of banana plantations and lush foliage. We were stopped a few times by local police armed with m-16 rifles. I highly recommend a private driver in Roatan for this reason. We felt safe and secure with Isiah behind the wheel and were waved through all the checkpoints. I never felt scared or unprotected with him by my side. Yubu was nice. We paid the $5 admission fee and ascended the wooden steps to a thatched roof hut like structure. Drumming and dancing natives welcomed us. We viewed some traditional structures, watched a bread-making exhibit, and sampled some of the local foods. Back on the road again, Isiah took us to some of the local spots he hangs out with his friends. Surprisingly, all the way in Honduras they get American music. He especially loved country and rap. He popped in a few rap cd's and he and my son discussed the latest in American hip hop culture while I laid back and enjoyed the view. We arrived at our next stop the Mayan Princess Resort about 30 minutes later on the opposite side of the island. It was breathtaking. I have never seen such a beautiful beach in my life! The water was perfect. Mayan Princess has a beautiful pool with waterfalls, and bridges, and lagoons. We grabbed a couple of chairs on the beach 1st, and went off to explore. Having Isiah made this so much nicer, since part of his duties included babysitting my towels and personal belongings. We walked next door to the Bananarama beach resort and danced and shopped along the beach. We walked out on the pier and looked at a few tropical fish in the water. Then, we came back to Mayan Princess, had a light lunch of local seafood and pasta, and took advantage of the pool, massages, and the other amenities. After a day of sightseeing, dancing, dining, and shopping, we headed back to the beach. We stopped and did some shopping at the port shops, and got back on the ship. Sail away was beautiful and we were pleased with a breathtaking sunset. Since it had rained a bit earlier in the day, it was breezy, and huge white crested waves crashed against the rocky shore. It was like something out of a magazine. I think a few tears formed because I really did not want to come back home. The night ended with more dinner, dancing, pictures, and strolling around the ship. I love Roatan, and I think it will always have a special place in my heart. I just got a good vibe from the place. I can't wait to return one day. Soon.
Avoid a Potentially Embarrasing... December 4, 2009 3:10 am I found myelf in a precarious situation flying home from Miami this April. My son and I were seated in the emergency row exit on a completely booked flight. I was thrilled at getting the emergency row seat because of the extra leg room, as my son is tall.
Be the first to leave a comment.So, I get seated and settled, and the flight attendant comes to give us the if this plane goes down this is how you are supposed to save the world speach... She then asks me to fasten my seatbelt. Now, I was pre-op 330lbs then, and thick waisted. " Uhhm can I have a seatbelt extender" I mumbled? "Excuse me"? she replied. Now I know this bit#h heard me! "I need and Extender. It won't fasten" "Well, I'm sorry mam, but we don't allow extenders in the emergency row for safety reasons." Now I can't to this day figure why they don't allow extenders on the safety exit row? Is it because if you're fat you can't save people? Is it because the extenders don't open easily, and you won't be able to get unfastened to save the world? If that is the case what about the fat people on the rest of the plane with extenders? Do they just die? At any rate, I was in a pickle. "So, if you can't get it fastened, you'll have to move to another seat" A faint sheen of sweat forms across my face. My stomach starts to churn. My heartbeat increases it's rhythm. My armpits are heating up. I want to vomit, I want to cry, I want to die! How did I let myself ge tthis FAT??? WHY MEEEEE!?!? "Well you don't have any empty seats, so where are you going to put me?" "Well, we'll just have to make an announcement and request another passanger trade with you." OMG!!! Is she freakin serious? The armpits are trickling now. Is she really going to announce to 100 people that my fat ass can't fit in this seatbelt and they need to trade with me or we'll have to stay in Miami? This can't be happening to me! Well, I squeezed, and sucked in, and lifted, and shifted my belly fat, which was still full from the last day of Norweigan cruise breakfast buffet, cause eventhough I had eaten enough for a Somalian village the past 7 days, I had to get my money's worth and have that last free meal. OH MY FREAKIN GOODNESS! I can't breathe. I am sure by now all of my lower body is numb from lack of circulation, so even if this plane goes down, I still won't be able to save all these skinny people on here with me cause I can't feel my legs. But by golly I am in this stupid seatbelt, and this skinny b%tch ain't embarrasing me by making me trade seats. She finally leaves to go on with her skinny, cute, perfect flight attendant duties... I unsnap the belt. Whew. Son, was my face purple from not breathing? He rolls his eyes at me. TEENAGERS! Here she comes! Here she comes! I lay the belt across my waist unsnapped and pretend to be reading a magazine to cover up my evidence. We take off. Lord I hope there is no turbulence, cause if there is my head is gonna hit the roof of this plan, cause there is no way I can snap myself back into this seat. In conclusion, we made it back to Atlanta safely. It was a smooth and turbulence free ride. But, looking back, I out myself and all those passengers in danger because I was too fat to fly an hour withthe too tight seatbelt on me. So, if you are fat. DO NOT sit in the emergency exit row.  Otherwise your feelings WILL get hurt.
Size Friendly Hotel Tip December 4, 2009 3:01 am Have you ever found yourself in a tiny hotel room? Besides the limited room space, the bathroom and shower can be a challenge for people of size. Did you knwo you can request a handicapped room at no extra cost? Naturally the hotel will make these rooms available 1st to guests who are wheelchair bound, or otherwise mobility impaired, but if there is an unbooked room available when you check in, why not request one. These rooms usually offer more space, and the showers are more abmple sized. They also have a hand held shower head which makes rinsing off easier. The sinks are higher as well. These rooms are generally on the 1st floor, so if you want an amazing city view, you may have to sacrifice for the extra room space. Booking a handicapped access cruise cabin can be more challenging, because they are so limited on the ships, but they do offer quite a bit more space.
Be the first to leave a comment.Bon Voyage ~LaShelle
Thanks for joining
December 4, 2009 2:57 am Hello OH friend. Thanks for joining the group. I started this group because I love to travel. Give me a couple of dollars and a few days off work, and I am on the road. So many times pre-op I encountered challenges travelling because of my size and health issues. And post-op I am concerned about the availability of nutritious protein packed food choices. I hope this group will be a good resource for people to share their experiences, questions, and advice.
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