Tuesday, March 12, 2024 (part two)
If you've been following the news at all you know that Haiti is disintegrating. But Labadee is wholely owned (or long-term leased) by Royal Caribbean and is across a mountain range from the rest of the island. My original excursion was canceled and that's just as well, but we can still get off the ship and stay safe in our enclave.
Maureen and Robin need Starbucks, since the room service timing is so unpredictable. I go down with them, even though I abhor Starbucks - but there's always a photo op lurking, especially when there are so few guests abroad in the early hours!
We go to breakfast at a leisurely pace and try to eat a bit more thoughtfully - with some degree of success! While we're enjoying our coffee we see two Haitian Immigration officers cruising the Windjammer dining room! Ma want to go tell them that she's from Guayana and we all have to convince her to just sit still with her mouth closed! She's not allowed to have any more Starbucks!
As we're leaving we run into Diana and Dan, which is good since they and I are the only ones planning to get off the ship! They are sitting with Chris and her husband and there are SIX of the immigration officers sitting near them!
I go back to the room to get my things and come back to sit with D&D while they finish breakfast. Chris wants to come with us, since her husband has no interest in going ashore, so the four of us disembark and walk the pier to the entrance to Labadee. I've been here once before, so I don't feel the need to do much but visit the shops quickly. A tram driver takes pity on us and drives us all the way to the market. But he lets us off in the section where the artisans all have their own stalls. I'm hoping to just go to the building with prices! I'm not fond of haggling, especially when things are so darn dismal for these people! I succumb to just a couple of things and beat it back to the actual building. It isn't long before the other three find me.
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| It's kind of a haul! |
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| Incredible! Through two rings! |
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| The lady in purple isn't part of the troupe! |
I've chosen a little bookmark that's handpainted and the lady says she thinks it five or six dollars. When I get up to the register, it is six, and I'm fine with that! In a few minutes she chases me down and hands me a dollar back! They had found out it should only have been five!! I've never had that happen before!!
After shopping we head back toward the ship and spot the outdoor buffet that can have our lunch if we're hungry. Right now we're just thirsty and get some water and wander around a bit taking photos and sitting, talking, and taking in the scene. There are accrobats and danceers and musicians and it's really nice. Finally we've sat long enough that breakfast is burned up and we check out the buffet. There is ceasar salad, watermelon salad with feta, black beans and rice, corn on the cob, hamburgers, hot dogs and jerk chicken! There's a dessert section, too, but we're ignoring that!
Finally, after we're all full and we've exhausted the photos ops. We take a leisurely stroll back to the ship, arriving back around three. Just time enough to relax a bit, shower, and change for dinner. It's Caribbean night, fittingly enough! My photos from yesterday haven't yet shown up, so I've now done all I can do until bed time! Yay! I have to say first, that I never felt even slightly endangered and, second, it was surreal to be so at ease and living the life of Riley while there is so much devastation just over the mountains. Is this part of being an Ugly American? I couldn't bring myself to bargain with people who might not have food or water or electricity or medical care when they go home at night.
Dinner is Caribbean themed, tonight, and I go along part way with the Crispy Coconut Jumbo Shrimp and the Jerk Seasoned Pork Chop, but I have to have the Royal Chocolate Cake. And a glass of the malbec which may or may not be appropriate with jerk pork but I don't care! Early on in the dinner, the staff parades around the three decks of the restaurant, dancing to a Caribbean beat, while the guests all wave their napkins in circles in the air!
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| Such a lovely peacock curtain |
After dinner the Adventure of the Sea Orchestra performs in the theater. There are nine of them from many different countries including Poland, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Columbia, and they are marvelous. We recognize every song and they end with a ten-minute tribute to John Williams.
We've decided not to try to get to the ice show tonight, since we only have fifteen minutes to find both the venue and seats! There are two other opportunities, after all. Instead we check to see if there's anything going on in the pub, which there isn't, and do a little more window shopping. The salesman in the jewelry store tells me they don't sell windows! It's okay because I'm not buying either windows or jewelry! Diana and Dan had an appointment to check out some works by their favorite artist but the guy is at dinner. They go back later, although I would have given him a pass!
It's a quiet night and we all turn in early. I've got to be in the theater at about 7:45 in the morning to meet D&D and our other tour-group members for a three hour walking tour of Puerto Plata! No breakfast or decaf for me!
