Smile #41 - Two Men Harry Potter Show

It has been a few years since the last Harry Potter film was released. When we came across an advertisement for Potted Potter a few months back, we thought it would be a great date night. Aside from our guess of the name deriving from Harry Potter, we didn't know much about the show. We came to find out this is a popular parody famous for showcasing all seven Harry Potter books in 70 mins.

Lead by Dan Clarkson, who played a Potter fanatic and Jeff Turner, who pretended to be one. Together, they left the audience grasping for breathe.

Revealing the overly simplified or wrong set design - a coconut palm tree representing the mysterious and frightening Forbidden Forest, a large wardrobe from Narnia and a choo-choo train that supposed to portray the iconic Hogwarts Express - the audience roared in laughter. :)

The show continued with characters reenacting the quintessential scenes with silly wigs and props, such as a mop for a broomstick and a dragon stuffed animal. Pop culture references were added in the mix. I am Hermone and I am off to the UN. :) Audience were invited to a game of Quidditch. The finale with "I will survive" parody was the best! :)

The show was a great refresher to the Harry Potter series. :) Plus they served Butterbeer! :)

Smile #40 - Nice to Meet You, Belize City & Cozumel plus the Atlantic Ocean! [III]

Nice to Meet You, Belize City & Cozumel plus the Atlantic Ocean! [III]

A quick sail over and we are at Cozumel bright and early!

We woke up with minor exhaustion and utmost excitement. We would be visiting one of the New7Wonders of the world, Chichen Itza! :) It is one of the largest Mayan site located in the Peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico.

The day started a bit bumpy with high wind causing docking delays and last minute meeting relocation changes. Finally after we docked, we were rushed to exit the ship to catch a 45-mins ferry to Playa del Carmen. The area was busy and crowded. We were met by our tour guides and immediately led to board our bus.

During the two hours, the tour guide gave us an extensive review of the Mayan history and more. Staring out the window, we passed miles of grassland with the occasional cows and horses.

After two hours, we arrived at this place of peace and power. The widely recognized structure, El Castillo, the Pyramid of Kukulkan, stood boldly before my eyes . Indeed it is a true masterpiece of architectural genius.

Our tour guide explained, there are four staircases and each staircase consists of 91 steps. Adding all sides plus the top platform is 365, the number of days in a year.

He lined us up in front of the pyramid and asked us to madly clap our hands. The sound from our claps traveled to the top and produced an echo, a sound similar to a bird's chirp. It is just unbelievable! :)

The detailed cravings found on each structure.

We were given only limited amount of free time to roam freely.  The entire site was so extensive. It was regrettable we couldn't stay longer to admire all the structures.

   

The tour guide also introduced us to a real life Mayan. For some odd cultural misunderstanding, Mayans were thought to be extinct. Well, myth busted. I have officially met one! :)

A Mayan woman who lives in the jungle

Vendors were posed on every corner ready to hawk at every tourist. Handmade wood craving, assortment of bowls and colorful tapestry covered every walkway. Couldn't help myself but to bring home a beautifully painted bowl. :)

Watching a trail of waves ripple as the ferry speed back to Cozumel. I must say experiencing Chichen Itza was one magnificent adventure to the past! The history and sights are definitely unforgettable! :)   Thank you for the history lesson!

For more, Read:  I went to the hood in Belize - Smile #39 and the best part about cruises - Smile #38

Smile #39 - Nice to Meet You, Belize City & Cozumel plus the Atlantic Ocean! [II]

Nice to Meet You, Belize City & Cozumel plus the Atlantic Ocean! [II]

Finally arrived in Belize City after two days of cruising. It was a perfectly sunny day. We quickly snapped a photo of us and the view. :)

Looking fresh in my new shades, hehe

Side story: Photo-ops were set up at the pier, including a dolphin. This costumed dolphin welcomed me with open arms, but I was not interested in a hug on a summery day. As we continued to walk across the pier, we stopped at other photo-ops. This dolphin obviously did not like the idea of us skipping him. He quickly ran up to join us at the last photo. Goofy dolphin man :)  Too bad we couldn't find this picture among the many pictures they captured of us.

Teams of tour guides lined up at Tourist Village waiting to prowl. Overwhelmed by the eagerness of the tour guides, we decided to explore beyond the fence. We had no idea what was coming. The world outside of the gates was different. Aside from more tour guides, people are also pulling you in every direction.

"You have such pretty hair, come have your hair braided?" "Oh sir, let your girl to have her hair braided."

Just a few minutes out the gates and we were warned to not to venture further or we would be swarmed by a lot more people. We took his advice and turned right back in the tourist village.

We were sitting in the shades to regroup for Plan B when we overheard a tour guide explaining his tour to a group of fellow cruise mates. We hopped on board and off we went on a city tour of Belize City . :)

This is Junior, our tour guide. He is a Belizean native who know just about everything about Belize. He was hilarious and keep us all laughing the whole time.

Quick Fact: There is no actual beach in Belize City even though it's right by the coast. The water near the coast is very shallow and muddy which explains why our cruise ship can't dock. The only beach is man-made.

First stop: Cucumber Beach

It was definitely shocking and see the water is not crystal clear. The man-made beach was attached a bar/restaurant. We got to try the local Belizean beer - Belikin.

Junior explained the local advertise Belikin Stout to be a man's beer and a real man only drinks that. Instantly the sales went up the roof for Belikin Stout. Effective advertising! :)

Next stop: Liquor tasting. 

We tried cashew wine among a number of other liquors. I am not a wine drinker, but cashew wine was different. It was a bit sour with nutty taste. Nothing like I have tried before.

Next stop: Junior's Hood...

He had to stopped by his house to retrieve a package or something. We were a bit nervous when he left the van. The area we were in reminded me of the refugee housing in Hong Kong with clothes hung outdoor to dry and gathering outside.




A couple facts I also learned from the tour:

• Foreigners are a large source of income to the country; therefore, people would not harm tourists to ensure their countries' reputation is maintained. 
• Junior joked that in the US, we have too many signs and traffic lights while in Belize, we don't have enough. There are only two traffic lights and no stop signs. 
• Many of the commercial buildings are essentially just houses with a sign posted outside to indicate they are a business, including the post office. 
• No McD, Starbucks, KFC. If residents want typical American fast food, they'd drive to Mexico (~1 hour from Belize City)

Soon we said our thank you and waved goodbye to Junior. We stayed outside the fence for a few moments to visited some shops. Before long, coconut sellers spotted us.  Since Chef Bubble has been interested since the day started, it took almost no persuasion before we were paying for it. Once you buy the coconut, you can pour as much liquor as you want. Be your own bartender.  Sipping on fresh coconut juice was so refreshing under the hot sun.  :)

Belize was an eye opening experience. I was in a bit of cultural shock at first, but I am glad I went on the city tour and see Belize beyond the touristy shops. Seeing the residential area made me realize just how fortunate we are and appreciate the everyday amenities.

Thank you Belize, one day I'll return for more cashew wine :)

For more - Read my adventure with the Mayans - Smile #40 and the best part about this cruise - Smile #38.  

Smile #38 - Nice to Meet You, Belize City & Cozumel plus the Atlantic Ocean! [Part I]

Nice to Meet You, Belize City & Cozumel plus the Atlantic Ocean! [Part I]

I spent the past week sailing down the Atlantic Ocean with Chef Bubble. The days on the ship seemed to move at a very slow pace even though the ship is cruising at high speed to reach the next port of call. Our at-sea days were spent on lounging at different bars, visiting shops, sun bathing, napping, eating and MORE eating, :)

The dinning options is a highlight of this trip. I love the fact that you can get UNLIMITED amount of food! Can't decide? Order both! You want to order 2 appetizers? 3 entrees? and the entire desserts menu? SURE!

The wait staff are super friendly and they try to learn your habits.

Side story: The waitress comes around to offer rolls after everyone is seated. One night, the waitress came and I had stepped away from the table. Chef Bubble ordered two rolls for us. She didn't realize that. So the next night, as usual she came to offer rolls. Everyone was given one roll. But for Chef Bubble, she smiled and placed two rolls on his plate. And every night from then on she always put two on his plate. I bet she thinks he eats both. Even though the truth is I am the one always wanting two rolls! :)

I love our room service lady. She worked tirelessly to keep our room tidy and spotless. I admit I am not the cleaning person, my clothes laid all over the place, jewelry and personal care products spread across every counter. She always came in the morning to change the sheet and realign all the bottles. During the afternoon, we would jump into bed for a quick nap or relax with the TV. She then comes again while we are at dinner to remake the bed. The coolest part is the towel animals she always left behind! :)

Look at this monkey!

Shows were put on every night.  Two particular shows we watched - Encore, An Ice Spectacular! and Saturday Night Fever - were extra fantastic. The ice skaters danced while conducting extreme gymnastics such as rope suspension and flips in mid air. I was blown away! :) Saturday Night Fever is a Broadway hit musical based on a popular 1970s feature film. I loved the set, the music and the costumes. The main lead, Tony, truly portrayed the dancing and attitude of that era. :)  

Enough about the amenities on the ship now. Read Smile 39 on my cultural shock in Belize and Smile 40 on our trip to one of the New7Wonders.

Smile #37 - Lost My Lion Mane

Finally made an appointment to get my haircut! :)

My mane has been growing since graduation (which is ten months ago, holy cow!) I wanted my hair to grow out long and luxuriant. Although I am low maintenance with my hair, I do put ton of heat to straighten it. As a result, I ended up with more split ends than anything. Exact opposite of what I want.

Even though the house was full of customers, I only had to wait a few minutes. Power of making an appointment! :) After I was invited to the chair, I showed the hairstylist a quick picture of what I would like to see ideally. He proceeded to to pick up the scissors and began to snipping. With each strategic cut, a handful of hair fell to the floor. In just a few minutes, all the dead ends are gone! :)

Don't think I am ever going to wait this long to get my haircut. I am so glad it's off my shoulder. :)