Photo Review - Ryndam New Years Cruise

[Shetlander]

Really enjoyed reading your review as it brought back memories of our cruise in October with our two boys (9 & 5). Ryndam suited us really well.

[AlohaPride]

I have been waiting on the edge of my seat for your vow renewal pictures!! The wait is killing me. I can't wait to see how it turned out!

[1of4]

I have been waiting on the edge of my seat for your vow renewal pictures!! The wait is killing me. I can't wait to see how it turned out!

 

So sorry. We got another foot of snow today and I can't shovel it only because I can't throw it any higher. I throw it up and it rolls back down the snow banks to my feet.:mad:

 

I don't mean to keep you in suspense, I am just worn out and exhausted and fall asleep when I get home from work instead of editing photos down to size and uploading them to Shutter fly.

 

Dh is shoveling now so hopefully I can get back at the computer:)

[AlohaPride]

So sorry. We got another foot of snow today and I can't shovel it only because I can't throw it any higher. I throw it up and it rolls back down the snow banks to my feet.:mad:

 

I don't mean to keep you in suspense, I am just worn out and exhausted and fall asleep when I get home from work instead of editing photos down to size and uploading them to Shutter fly.

 

Dh is shoveling now so hopefully I can get back at the computer:)

 

My post was not meant to make you feel bad or pressured. Just to let you know how eagerly I look forward to celebrating your renewal with you ;) Take your time, LOL, but know I've been coming to this thread many times a day JUST to see your pictures :)

 

Good luck with the snow. From what I've heard, it's not fun. I wouldn't know. I've never even seen snow.

[RuthC]

Good luck with the snow. From what I've heard, it's not fun. I wouldn't know. I've never even seen snow.

Want mine? I'm sick of the stuff. I'm sitting here wondering why I've booked two cruises to Alaska for this summer. :rolleyes:

 

(no, I'm not changing my mind about them.)

[arzz]

AlohaPride you are more than welcome to our Chicago area snow also!

 

This winter is particularly difficult for us as we are unable to get away to somewhere warm .... But then again, it seems that almost every day they are canceling flights in and out of O'Hare so if it were a cruise we might not even make it out of town!

 

All the more enjoyable, 1 of 4, that you are sharing your wonderful, warm trip with us. It is a delight that thaws the soul.

 

Take your time. I am a patient audience.

 

Interesting to see the rope on the pyramid to stop climbers at that point. Several years ago we visited that pyramid (I believe from a cruise on what was then the almost brand new Statendam) which my DH could not resist climbing ... And almost unseated a large stone that would have fallen on lord knows who if he hadn't caught it. Lesson learned!

Edited February 5, 2014 by arzz

[1of4]

My post was not meant to make you feel bad or pressured. Just to let you know how eagerly I look forward to celebrating your renewal with you ;) .

 

Too funny. I just thought I would fill you in on why I am so S-L-O-W. But I offer the same as arzz...you are welcome to as much of the crappy white stuff that you can take...please...just come and take it.:)

 

Thanks everyone. I have just done a bunch more photos that INCLUDE the vow renewal. Now hopefully I will get time tomorrow morning to put them up. Right now I have reached my "best by" date and I am off to bed. The alarm rings at 4 AM for my drive into the city:mad:. But it pays for the cruises so I am not complaining...just tired.

[AlohaPride]

Want mine? I'm sick of the stuff. I'm sitting here wondering why I've booked two cruises to Alaska for this summer. :rolleyes:

 

(no, I'm not changing my mind about them.)

 

Thank God for that!! I don't know what I'd do if you were to change your mind. Having you with us is one of the things I'm looking forward to MOST about our cruise!

 

AlohaPride you are more than welcome to our Chicago area snow also!

 

This winter is particularly difficult for us as we are unable to get away to somewhere warm .... But then again, it seems that almost every day they are canceling flights in and out of O'Hare so if it were a cruise we might not even make it out of town!

 

 

My Aunt lives in Evanston. I hear horror stories. I've been trying to convince her to take a trip to see us (tickets are in the $400's right now from Chicago) but she can't make such a long flight. :(

[SilvertoGold]

Want mine? I'm sick of the stuff. I'm sitting here wondering why I've booked two cruises to Alaska for this summer. :rolleyes:

 

(no, I'm not changing my mind about them.)

 

Because you love the majesty of the scenery and sitting out on deck in the cool air watching the ocean?

[kazu]

Thank God for that!! I don't know what I'd do if you were to change your mind. Having you with us is one of the things I'm looking forward to MOST about our cruise!

 

 

 

My Aunt lives in Evanston. I hear horror stories. I've been trying to convince her to take a trip to see us (tickets are in the $400's right now from Chicago) but she can't make such a long flight. :(

 

 

 

I LOVE the addition to your signature - it's nearly like a small movement.:D

 

1of4 your photos are so great - I hear you on your snow - I'm happy to send our anywhere too.

 

Looking forward to more when you have time;)

[RuthC]

Because you love the majesty of the scenery and sitting out on deck in the cool air watching the ocean?

 

Ah, yes. :) That, and seeing the mountains reach out straight from the sea, grasping for the heavens.

It's paradise.

[1of4]

Okay...I'm back in the land of the city (slow drive) but nobody around here shovels so it is misserable on the side streets and the city hasn't been around yet.

 

My two children have had the school shut 7 days in 2014 due to snow:eek:.

 

Makes wortking on the photos bitter sweet!

 

Back at Chacchoben:

 

We walked away from the temple down another path that had monkeys playing in the trees. By the time I got my telephoto lense on they had skeddadled...very inconsiderate of them...but I have a DS like that so I understand....

 

Follow me down this path:

 

 

Our guide explained the Mayan calendar and why the world was not supposed to end on December 21, 2012 (the day mum died). It was an ending for us, and a new begining, just like the Mayans said it would.

 

Evidence of their civilization was apparent everywhere:

 

We kept following the path along until....

 

we hit the wall.....

 

Okay, just kidding...but look what this wall let to...how in heavens did they build such structures! Amazing!

 

 

We were allowed to climb these stairs...but I wish we weren't as DS, DD and even DH were gone in a flash leave me to climb the knee-high (almost) stairs by myself (with vertigo) also carrying the camera and the tablet...I was not impressed. Then they stood on the top looking down at me...nice touch. Not DS though, he was gone with a Club Hal friend whose parent's brought snacks (thought never crossed my mind). I know who my friends are!

[1of4]

So up I went...did I mention I have lost 70 lbs? Well I still have 50 (at least) to go so this was not an easy task....

 

Okay I will stop whinging and get back to the pictures....

 

 

This was our guide...and the last you will see of DS (bending over in white shirt) as he was too busy having fun...as it should be. He got told that he has to let me know where he is having that fun...I will show you why in a minute....

 

Our guide have us 20 minutes and stayed at the bottom....I didn't even have time to discuss if I could make it....I was left alone looking up:

 

 

I was reminded that a journey starts with the first step:

 

 

I wasn't happy when I got near the top as I could easily have got dizzy and gone down the fast way...but boy of boy...it was worth the effort:

 

Being last to the party has its disadvantages...like the certain people that have to get to a site and say "take my picture" to their partner and it might as well be to the whole group AS THEY DON'T MOVE. Even when you wait patiently for their "turn". Okay. Off my soapbox. You can not see the base of this tempt becasuse of one red shirted woman...if you look at the bottom, left of middle, you will see her...and many times over through this next section of pictures.

 

 

There, above, I got the base in but couldn't get the side....

 

I "ran" back and was late trying to get a clear photo...to no avail, but I tried:

 

[1of4]

There were two temples up here on the plateau, so we went through an opening in another retaining wall and down some stairs:

 

 

From down on the next plateau I finally got a picture of the 2nd temple without people....

 

 

But not for long...what is up with these peoople....didn't they get enough photos the first 15 minutes??!

 

 

Sorry, another close up because I just can't get over the work they did without machinery:

 

 

And there is the 3rd temple. I think this is the one that we could see from the road. Not sure though because our guide was waiting for us at the bottom of another set of stairs in the shade; smart man.

 

The woman in white has just climber under the rope that is there to keep people off...I guess she read the fine print that said if you are wearing a white shirt you can ignore the ropes....

 

[1of4]

 

We waited our turn and our friend, John, took our photo without DS...but now I was starting to worry about him as I thought I would see him when I got up to the plateau...nope!

 

 

DD was all excited...you can walk right around it mummy, she said...yeah right. DH said that I couldn't do it as it was narrow and he didn't want my to fall...good call....bye family...

 

 

I said it looked like they were going over the side of the earth....

 

I went the safe way and took a picture....

 

 

What were they looking at? Well the only sample of original plaster/stucco as apparently all of the temples were covered in it:

 

That is why they have it under a roof:

 

[1of4]

I ran out of picture space...

 

 

 

The view "from the other side"

 

 

 

I thought I could sneak back up the stairs and get a clear photo of temple two (I really tried hard)....but...

 

 

Apparently 15,000 photos were just not enough for these two....

 

 

 

 

 

 

By this point I was verging on panic after seeing that drop and not seeing DS. DD and DH couldn't find him and we were running out of time. DH said for us to go down and he was probably waiting with the guide. DD wanted to go down the original stairs as they were more difficult than the "easy" stairs I was about to use....

 

Edited February 6, 2014 by 1of4

[1of4]

Down I went...one step at a time...and sideways....

 

 

Very slippy in spots:

 

 

 

Phew I am down...DH is down...no sign of DS and DD is on the steep stairs....my "mum" gene was going crazy....

 

 

You can kind of get a sense of how high each stair is by seeing DD's white pants....but no problem for miss gymnast...she practically hopped down...

 

 

Now where the heck is DS. Our guide didn't know but said some people had gone back to the welcome centre...boy did I sprint down there in the heat...not a pretty sight but I was on a mission....

 

Found him!!! My heart missed a beat and DS knows now what NOT to do on an excursion. In his own defence he said he had to use the washroom "really really" badly.

 

Back on the bus for the drive back to the port. The closer we got the darker the clouds. The next sprint was all 4 of us down the dock to "home"....

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

You really did take a lot of pictures.

Our weather has been crappy here as well. Yesterday was a nightmare of snow, rain, freezing rain on top of the snow we had gotten on Monday. Many communities are out of salt. Western part of our area has power restored but over 850,000 people in the eastern part of the state are still without power. And more snow is due on Saturday/Sunday.

[1of4]

You really did take a lot of pictures.

 

Our weather has been crappy here as well. Yesterday was a nightmare of snow, rain, freezing rain on top of the snow we had gotten on Monday. Many communities are out of salt. Western part of our area has power restored but over 850,000 people in the eastern part of the state are still without power. And more snow is due on Saturday/Sunday.

 

Yes I know KK. I make a photo scrapbook with the pictures and we enjoy them for years to come. It is only us 4 so the pictues and memories are all we have so I do take many; probably too many.

 

A 9 year old boy died in our town just now...he was playing in the snow yesterday and his fort collapsed in on him. His mum felt funny and found him and dug him out but DH just called to say it is on the news that he just died. My heart is breaking as what 9 year old boy wouldn't want to play in 10 feet of snow that we have? DS is getting lectured NOT to make tunnels at school. Heck the snow is over my head in the back yard and is now a foot up our main floor windows.

 

But I think the weekend storm will miss us for the most part so I am counting my blessings as we really have no more place to shovel it to.

[kazu]

Yes I know KK. I make a photo scrapbook with the pictures and we enjoy them for years to come. It is only us 4 so the pictues and memories are all we have so I do take many; probably too many.

 

A 9 year old boy died in our town just now...he was playing in the snow yesterday and his fort collapsed in on him. His mum felt funny and found him and dug him out but DH just called to say it is on the news that he just died. My heart is breaking as what 9 year old boy wouldn't want to play in 10 feet of snow that we have? DS is getting lectured NOT to make tunnels at school. Heck the snow is over my head in the back yard and is now a foot up our main floor windows.

 

But I think the weekend storm will miss us for the most part so I am counting my blessings as we really have no more place to shovel it to.

 

So sorry to hear about the tragedy in you town. Very sad.

 

On a brighter note, your pics are stunning as usual and I REALLY like the addition to your signature.:D:D Thank you for helping the new website:D

[SilvertoGold]

Ah, yes. :) That, and seeing the mountains reach out straight from the sea, grasping for the heavens.

It's paradise.

 

I love your attitude. Lovely description! On a clear day... wow!

 

Glad you are making the trek to Alaska this year. We almost never miss 2 -4 weeks up there and love every minute of it!

[AlohaPride]

Ah, yes. :) That, and seeing the mountains reach out straight from the sea, grasping for the heavens.

It's paradise.

 

It sounds amazing, but what's even more amazing is that I'm sure your words don't do it justice. I couldn't BE more excited!

 

Sent from my SGH-T779 using Tapatalk

[1of4]

It sounds amazing, but what's even more amazing is that I'm sure your words don't do it justice. I couldn't BE more excited!

 

You will LOVE Alaska. That was our first HAL cruise and we can't wait to go back:

 

Tracy Arm Fjord

The klondike railway:

Inside passage

Glacier Bay

[AlohaPride]

Thank you for the pictures! I can't wait for our trip. :)

[1of4]

The skies opened as the 4 of us boared the Ryndam. Due to the time, we went directly up to the Lido to grab some lunch, hoping it would still be open as our vow renewal was scheduled for 7:00 followed by the PG so it would be a long wait for dinner!

 

Not much was open but we each found something to eat while the Ryndam got ready to leave.

 

 

The Lido gave us a good view of the NA:

 

 

Soon the ship was moving and the dark clouds that hugged the shore exploded:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Due to rain, DS went to Club Hal and DD, DH and I moved down to the covered promenade deck