But I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

The day started with us all moving more slowly than we had been, but that was fine; we were not in a hurry.  From our window we could see the water was teeming with jellyfish.  Progresso has one of the longest cruise ship piers in the world.  It has a shopping mall and some other businesses actual along this pier that juts out into the ocean.

I didn’t take any photos of breakfast… but it was as excellent as it has been. 

We ended up deciding the boys would stay on board today as the girls and John and I went on shore.  We were barely to the bus stop when we remembered stuff the girls left on board.  John and the younger girls waited while Marie, Tab, and I headed back to our stateroom. 

We boarded the free bus that takes you to the mouth of the pier.  We didn’t have a plan.  We knew the free bus would take us within a few blocks of beach clubs and that we’d just need to walk to one and then rent some chairs, etc. 

So this is where we don’t have pictures.  But we do have a vivid memory and a story to tell.

So we walk through a small crowded mall-like area with people robustly suggesting that we purchase their products.  It was a little intimidating and we were clutching onto our girls.  We exited on the street side and there were then a lot of vendors suggesting their beach related products.  We had read that we were just  a few blocks from the beach and I do have a pretty map-ready brain and sense of direction.  But as we took some steps we heard an offer for $10 per person for a beach club with chairs and transportation.  John and I made eye-contact then we circled back to that vendor to hear more.  He described a clean beach with restaurant and changing rooms and chairs and umbrellas and the opportunity to purchased meals or other amenities.  This sounded like a great price.  He indicated it was a short distance away and made a call for a driver.  We paid him cash just as the driver arrived.  We then climbed into an 8 passenger minivan… John and I and our four daughters then started driving away.  And though John was in the front seat and I was in the way back our brains seemingly had the same thought at the same time: “Did we just pay someone to kidnap us?” 

As we drove due east I kept my eyes turned to my left as I watched between the buildings for the sea to stay in our view.  I sternly whispered to Marie and Tabitha to stay alert.  They sensed my concern.  Meanwhile John tried to make conversation with the driver, who did not speak much English.  John kept asking how much further.  The man kept saying, “short drive.”  I kept praying and praying and asking God to forgive our stupidity and protect us.  HOW STUPID!  Oh, how stupid.  My brain started to wonder great and wild and terrible things.  We must have driven 10 minutes on that straight, one-way street, when we finally turned left, then left, then right into a little closed off restaurant and beach area. 

It was beautiful.  There was one other family already there.  A short while later a few others also arrived.  I can’t say I completely relaxed, but we did relax enough to enjoy the gorgeous, if not shabby, beach.

We spend a lot of time in the water.  It was warm and lovely.

The girls built gorgeous sand castles.

I asked John to buy some sodas for each of us and some of the food.  There had to be 10 employees taking care of the 20-25 guests.  That would not make for much earnings per person.  Ships don’t come to Progreso nearly as often as the other Western Caribbean ports.  Its a very under/undeveloped port as yet.  We will one day be able to say we visited when it was a diamond in the rough.  And we lived.

Sadly, the empanadas were taste-less.

The deal was we were to ask them to call for a cab when we wanted to return to the ship.  Mmmmmm – they weren’t all that keen on calling. 

I started to get very stressed again.  Maybe we were being held until we paid more?

Finally about 6 others we also ready to leave and the dozen of us got into a bigger van that the one we came over in and headed back to that intense shopping mall where the free buses were.

Eventually we got back to the port.  Seriously exhausted.  We did do a little shopping – you’ll see later!

We had a late lunch and I got another Guy’s Burger.  I had one yesterday, too, but since I didn’t take a photo it didn’t happen?

Oh – would you look at that?  Fro-Yo!

She liked to pretend she was a spy of sorts as she went down the hall.  She’d hum “spy music” and look back and forth up and down the hall as she’d shimmy and stop, and lean and shimmy again…

They did not have Mac and Cheese on the menu tonight.

The girls wore the new dresses Daddy bought them in port. 

Marie had an amphibian hind appendage. 
(frog leg)

I stuck with beef.

The little girls went to Club Ocean and John and the big kids watched Shazam!  I chatted/texted my friend Tara.  Somewhere in the last 12 hours I suddenly had free wi-fi.  I had paid for the Social Media package to allow me to use Instagram.  But I was suddenly able to use iMessage and I wasn’t complaining.