Caribbean Cruise and New Orleans

 Norwegian Cruise Lines ship 

2,000 passengers and 980 staff members

 one of two pools on the ship

 8 wonderful dinning rooms

 elevators in the atrium of the ship

 87 degrees at Belize City

swimming in the warm Caribbean

dancing with the dolphins.

 Everything is for sale at local pharmacies.

 beautiful island children

At 300 feet above the Island of Roatan, Honduras, we got a 

wonderful view of the island.

 Reefs in the Caribbean are 10-15 million years old.

The largest barrier reef in the Western hemisphere is located 

10-40 miles off the Belize mainland. 

 Remember, don't befriend the monkeys. This one took Ken's soda.

 slow moving iguana

 Beignets and coffee for breakfast at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans.

 Doreen's jazz band was fantastic!

 We saw many restored houses on The Katrina Tour.

Louis Armstrong park 

The damage from the 2005 Katrina disaster still remains.

 Brad Pitt designed this home and many others for homeless Katrina families. 

All homes are eco-friendly. He and his family have a home have a 

home in the French Quarter.

 Near Burbon Street

 St. Louis Cemetery where all graves are above the ground. This practice was started when the French settled the area in the lat 1700's.

 10-50 bodies are entombed in each drawer of this tomb. The film Easy Rider included this statue in a scene in the film. 

 Marie Laveau, aka The Voodoo Queen, is buried here.  1782-1881 

Hers is the second most visited tomb following Jim Morrison of the Doors.

 the muddy MississippiCaribbean Cruise and New Orleans

Mexico 2011

Mexico City is built over the ruins of a great Aztec city, Tenochtitlán. Because it is built on a lake, Mexico is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a year. At 7,300 feet, Mexico City has the highest elevation and is oldest city in North America. It is also one of the largest cities in the world with a population of 21,163,226. The air in city is very polluted from all the traffic.

In 1531, a farmer named Juan Diego saw an early morning vision of the Virgin Mary in which he was instructed to build an abbey on the Hill of Tepeyac in Mexico. The local priest did not believe his account and asked for a miraculous sign, which was later provided as an icon of Our Lady of Gaudalupe permanently imprinted on the Juan's cloak where he had gathered roses. Over the years, Our Lady of Guadalupe became a symbol of the Catholic faith in Mexico. This photo shows the framed cloak on display.

Valle de México, Teotihuacán is known for its two vast pyramids, Pirámide del Sol and Pirámide de la Luna, which dominate the remains of the metropolis. The city was thought to have been established around 200 BC, lasting until its fall sometime between the 7th and 8th centuries.

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacan. Perhaps best known for her self-portraits, Kahlo's work is remembered for its "pain and passion" and its intense, vibrant colors.

Sitting in Frida's blue walled garden.

Long colorful boats are used to tour the Floating Gardens.

Cosmovitral, the botanical garden with the biggest stained glass in the world.

On weekends, indigenous Mexicans sell their wares in the city.

Mexico introduced chocolate, corn, and chilies to the world.These peppers are the size of golf balls.

Monarch butterflies from the eastern US and Canada fly 2,000 miles to winter in Mexico.The high altitude areas over 8,000 feet covered with fir trees northwest of Mexico City, have been made into natural reserves.

By December, as many as 100 million monarchs will gather at high altitude areas.

The combined weight of their tiny bodies cluster in dense layers on top of

one another can actually break limbs from the fir trees.

When they fly, it looks like orange leaves falling from autumn trees.

Many monarchs drink from the small stream behind us.

Everone has something to sell.

Pitzcuaro Island is inhabited by an indigenous community that practice old traditions.

Court yard of our hotel in Angangueo.

Woman in traditional clothing for members of a small mountain community.

Most Mexican houses are built in stages over many years.Small shops are commonly found on the first floor of most homes. On the average, Mexicans make about $8 per day.

Market day in a small village. About 60% of the modern Mexican population is

mestizo (Indian-Spanish), 30% is Indian or predominately Indian, 9% is Caucasian, and 1% is other.

Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary of Mexico.

Inside the catherdal, parishioners attach ribbons and locks with prayer requests.

Breakfast outdoors at our hotel in Mexico City.

A delicious lunch of white fish smothered in macadamia nuts.

Two of Mexico's tallest volcano peaks: 18,491 and 16,148 feet high, as seen

from our airplane on the way home.