Sandy's Great Adventure (Part 2)

So where was I? Oh yes. Just left the Caymen's, I believe.

Then there was Honduras. Here we came to play with the dolphins. This was something to behold. After a madcap taxi ride and a long walk we boarded a small dingy boat and went to another island where they had a dolphin center. There were sixteen dolphins there and we got to play with one of them, a young male, Bill, for a half hour. The skin of a dolphin feels like rubber or a boiled egg. They are very friendly and very eager to please, but like dogs they have very distinct personalities. They are also way smart and so cheerful. It was like meeting water sprites. We played and splashed and had our pictures taken and it was over much too quickly.

The place itself was also rather neat. Apparently they do research with dolphins for various companies and scientific groups. The dolphins are well cared for and the tests are strictly behavioral, not chemical or cruel. They even take some of the dolphins out on diving trips with tourists. That sounds way cool to me. I asked if they were worried that the dolphins would not come back and they said none of them had ever run away (or swum away) because they knew life was easier and food was more plentiful here.

One little boy in our group was so funny. He demanded that he be in a group with a boy dolphin. He didn't like girls, you see. Dolphins in captivity do have a pecking order pack community, so it was interesting to see the dynamics of who was in charge of who in the water. I could have stayed for hours.

This was also the day when some of the high personal drama really began to take shape. You see I had made a deal with myself before I left that under no circumstances was I going to yell or lose my temper with anyone. I was on vacation. For the most part I kept to that. I also recognized that 11 days in close quarters with anyone and eventually people will get on each others nerves. However I was in for a few surprises on this trip.

The first was my traveling companions methods of self amusement. While I guess maybe I had noted it a very long time ago, I had forgotten or was unaware, that he chewed tobacco in the evening. Saying that I was appalled doesn't really cover it. Further he would usually dump out the bottle and rinse it out before retiring each night, but one night he left it open on the bathroom counter. The bathroom reeked in the morning. This whole thing really got on my nerves. Additionally, he never asked me what I wanted to do, he simply told me. Never a "please" or "would you like" or anything to that effect. Also he had to have the TV on whenever he was in the room and would flip channels constantly. He would often walk in when I was reading and turn on the TV with out asking. Lastly he had his wrist watch set to go off every morning at 5:30 AM but he never got up then. When I asked him to stop he said he wanted to get up then, but he never did. I often could not go back to sleep after it had gone off. The point of all this is, the evening of Honduras I had had enough.

So, when he walked in and said, "Come on, let's go swimming," at 6:00 PM, before we had eaten dinner (meaning after swimming an hour and then coming back I would have to clean up and dress for dinner putting dinner at 8:30 or 9:00 and I had a bit of sun burn and was already tired), I said "No!" He got huffy and left. Later, after I had a delightful meal at the sushi bar and met several new friends and he had eaten dinner alone in the room from the cafeteria, I apologized for being short, though not for saying no, explaining that he never asked and always ordered. He acknowledged the problem and said it was because he was so much younger than his siblings (over a decade) so that for all intents and purposes he was an only child and the baby and used to his own way. Then he proceeded to continue these behaviors the rest of the cruise. After that, I let him. If I wanted to do what he told me to, I did. If not, I politely declined. I love him to pieces, really, but I know now why he is single. I doubt he would take my advice, so I am saying nothing about it, but it makes me sad. This in no way diminished the trip and I'm glad to have spent the time with him, but I doubt I would share a room with him again, ever. The point was the only confrontation was that night.

The next morning we went to Belize. Mark opted to go on a reef snorkeling trip and I went on a different wildlife adventure on my own. The time apart was a good idea and excellent timing. I took a charming boat up the Belize River to observe wildlife, monkeys, birds, iguanas, manatees, crocodiles, bats and plants for several hours and then after a simple, indigenous supper, we went to the Belize Zoo.

Now this is a terrific idea. It is a zoo that only houses indigenous wildlife and plants. All the animals there were either injured and therefore being treated, confiscated pets or born in captivity. Further there were no cages, only fenced (and often open) pavilions. It was really a very neat experience. There were monkeys, McCaws, Tucans, leopards, Pumas, Otters, and the most evil looking bird I have ever seen, the Harpy Eagle. It really was an delightful experience and anyone could see how well cared for and healthy the animals were. The monkeys were like drunk acrobats and the otters were like little eager children. When I got back, Mark had managed to burn himself (though luckily it faded by the next day to a tan). So we had a pretty peaceful evening before our early disembark for the Mayan Ruins the next day.

Tomorrow I'll finish up our travels and then get on to the important part, the food!