Day 18 (Disney day 8)

Universal studios!!!! Only the four of us today, Lalie + Matt say nothing for kids to do and Fern says its a waste of money - they think we mad!!!!! So after a long night  of celebrating NEW YEARS, and bringing 2012 in,in style, we woke up at 6:00 and left the hotel by taxi on our way to UNIVERSAL STUDIOS !!!!!.  The drive is about  30 minutes tops so by 7:45 we were waiting in line to enter.  The tickets were US$100.00 to get in so about R810.00 per person - we have been spoilt so much. We started at Adventure land as there are two different lands now .....AND WE WERE OFF !!!!!  We dashed the mad dash to the FAMOUS Harry Potter RIDE and OMG it was amazing you ride like your on an actual broom flying around Hogwarts.  Harry is on the broom in front and guiding you through the maze of scenes.  Definitely would have queued for that ride if we had had to.  Apparently yesterday the queue was 3 hours long.....can you believe it.  Next Britt & I did TWO incredible roller coasters that were two dragons, from Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire, and wow they were AMAZING , we then made our way through the streets and boy oh boy did it feel like you were walking in the movies, they had Olivanders and the book store and a mini Hogwards that was just mind blowing bcos it really looked awesome!!  They had the sweet store with the chocolate frogs and all the other crazy candy from the movies.  Mom bought us wands, Harry's , Ron's and Hermannis - exact replicas of the ones in the movies.  We grudgingly left Harry Potter's area and then made our way down to the Jurassic park and it was Erin's turn to ride and the next thing the ride broke and to our amazement there were actually people fixing it and not just a sign saying "out of order" people were actually fixing it and then within 10 min it was fixed and there were people riding it again.   Spiderman ride, this was amazing too, its a mix of a coaster and a movie with scary scenes and because if was 3D everything jumped at y0u - you even feel the tingle on your forehead.......whoop whoop!!!!!!   The amazing HULK coaster, Mom + Erin toke on look at this ride and the people screaming on it & wouldn't do it Britt & I  did it of course & WOW it was our favorite ride yet!!! loops, sprays of water, upside down, speed,  height you name it....wooooow!!!!!! Next was Cat In The Hat,  calm and relaxed ride compared to the rest....lol.  After that was a break for lunch - so sick of this yucky food, the fast food here is terrible - tasteless and boring.  Moving onto Universal Studios the older of the two parks, not that you would guess it but Mom told us.  First ride was Shrek 4D, it was an amazing show & you can definitely see the difference between 3D + 4D here.  After that was The SIMPSONS RIDE, ja Mom was like really...... but it was fun......ha ha We then went on the Jaws Ride, this was on of the oldest rides in the park but again it looks new and it was brilliant, ship wrecks, fire on water, big splashes, Jaws attacking our boat - really good fun.  We were totally exhausted at this point, our feet and legs are aching - we been walking and up since 06h00 and it was about 18h00 so twelve hours of fun - Erin fell asleep in the taxi on the way back and we were all fast asleep by 21h00.  What an awesome day - its definitely OUR FAVOURITE PARK, the four of us agreed that we would choose this over Disney World any day.  The rides are close together much more exciting, faster and more fun!!!  The decor and sets are exactly like they are in the movies - its as if all the movies were filmed right here in the parks.  There  was loads to do for Josh & Jamie age - pity my cuzzies did not go, but next time guys.

Day 15 (Disney day 5)

Rest day......badly needed, our feet, legs and bodies are aching.  We slept in had a nice "chillax" and by lunch time we all headed out to Downtown Disney.  We went by boat from Port Orleans to Downtown Disney - about a 20minute ride.   I really love this area - loads of shopping, restuarants, pubs, candy shops, stalls, lego land, dino land you name it....easy to spend a good 4-5 hours before even realising it.
Since we were so nicely rested we decided to head down to Epcot Centre to do some night rides during the Disney Magic Hours - which are for residents of Disney World ONLY.  It was so nice and quiet queues were 5-10 minutes long.  Our first ride was Soaring - a ride that simulates a peaceful hang-gliding flight over the Golden State of California - many sights to be seen and quite an exciting ride.  We all got the giggles because above us on the screen we could see all the feet of the people on the Hang-glider above us - but it was still an excellent ride.

Next was Epcot Mission Space......this ride.....OMG......The ride begins with the launch countdown, and they throw in some psychological effects that help build the tension you might experience before a launch. As the countdown approaches, the seats tilt back into the launch position of facing the sky on your back. At lift off you feel the engines roar and blast off. The ride creates large G Forces, and a tremendous feeling of increasing speed as the craft escapes the Earth's gravitational pull, your chest sucks in and you can bearly breath........As the flight continues there is a simulated feeling of weightlessness. Each member of the four people in the vehicle has a mission to accomplish during the simulated flight to Mars. I was really worried about our Flight Engineer as everytime I asked if he was ok all I got was a deathly grunt.......but we all made it safely back to earth.......thank heavens...

Guess where we went next......shopping for space food of course.......we are now qualified astronauts and it was imperative that we went all the way - unlike Virgin Airlines......hee hee he.....

It was midnight when we queued up for more autographs from Mickey himself, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Daisy......,Erie's autograph book is looking good right now !!!!!!!!

Off to bed we go.........

Day 13 (Disney day 3)

Magic Kingdom
Started the day at "Cinderella's Castle" again today, as they put on an amazing show on the steps in front of the castle, very well done and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone, all the Princes and Princesses were out and dancing etc etc.
Next was the Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom which takes you on a 10 minute tour of four continents this ride is definitely one of the funniest at Disney World. You'll board a boat with names like "Amazon Annie" with your trusted guide?? at the helm. While they all follow the same "shtick", the guides are what make this attraction so much fun, especially if they throw in a few ad-libs. Even when you've heard the same corny joke a thousand times before, you can't help but laugh. Very enjoyable ride!!!!
Lunch at the Crystal Palace Restaurant, a buffet of American cuisine as part of Character dining, here the kids met Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore and Piglet (who Fern called "The Big Ham") Piglet clearly did not have a good sense of humour.......
Feeling a little exhausted we all went back to the hotel in the rain - the first we experienced - soft but dampening, Shan & Britt stayed at Magic Kingdom alone and carried on with rides etc........very safe the kids can do things on their own and just catch the bus back - very proud of you girls!!!!
Erin, Jamie, Josh and Lans + Matt all went for a nap.  Fern & I dashed off to Downtown Disney - WOW awesome shopping here - but we were really after some cheesy shirts, the in-thing here is for big parties to all wear the same shirts, yip same colour, same cheesy lines etc......Well we went and got shirts for the 9 of us for New Years Eve - if you cant beat them we gotta join them, giggled all the way there and back...cant wait to see if Matt + Lans are actually going to wear these!!!!!!
Dinner - Polynesian hotel - "Spirit of Aloha Dinner".....OMG this was worse than the ho-down dinner......lol!!! The theme - supposed enchanting music, South Sea island costumes and traditional dancing plus an all-you-care-to-eat dinner created from the islands of Tahiti and Fiji. The stage is set in the open air theatre on the Seven Seas Lagoon,  our waitress was so old - everytime she disappeared for more than 10 minutes we thought we may have lost her - poor old duck !!!  Fern was pulled onto stage by the "professional folk" dancers.......lol.... the rest is history!!!!!  We ended off the evening with a "little shopping" at the Polynesian hotel adding to our huge collection of badges, lanyards and over-weight luggage!!!!!!!!

Day 14 (Disney day 4)

Hollywood Studio's
We started off with "Voyage of the Little Mermaid" where you go under the sea with Ariel and her friends in this live action musical.  The opening sequence (Under the Sea) is really well done and is a real showcase of what good puppetry really is.  Everything in Disney is done to the max - no short cuts no cost savings - mind-blowing !!!!!
Next was an incredible STUNT SHOW, Lights, Motors, Action!  35minutes of a high-octane stunt show.  An experience of unbelievable excitement as cars accelerate towards each other and swerve away at the last second, motorcycles smash through windows, Jet Skis leap out of the water, a stunt person falls off a 5-story building and massive fireballs explode in the air this all right before your disbelieving eyes!
This extreme Stunt Show is inspired by the smash-hit Moteurs… Action! Stunt Show Spectacular - what a show!!!!!!
The Great Movie Ride, the thrill begins when you enter the full-scale reproduction of Hollywood's historic Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Then you're ushered onto The Great Movie Ride for a journey that'll put you in the middle of the action from gritty gangster flicks of the 1930s to the adventure of contemporary classics such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, Casablanca, Fantasia, Mary Poppins
Next was a Toy Story Midway Mania ride - 4D - mix between a ride and a show - great fun!!!!
Queues at this park are long and not many rides can be done in a day - you walk and walk and walk and walk !!!!!!!
Dinner we went to Epcot Studios to Norway (World Showcase) we went for an amazing medieval dinner at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, another Pincess Storybook Character Dining.  We met Mary Poppins, Snow White (who asked us if Joshie "went to slay a dragon" as he had disappeared from the table and was hiding from her..... well that had us all in hysterics)........
IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, a mesmerizing fireworks, laser and water show featuring a rousing soundtrack that brings together the past, present and future of our planet and its colorful nations. Breathtaking fireworks, brilliant bursts of fire, laserlight effects, dramatic fountain barges, a truelly awesome experience.
Obviously we hit the shopping areas again - our collections are definitely not complete as yet!!!!!  Not sure how the hell we are going to get this stuff home !!!!!!!


  

Home Sweet Home

British Club class was amazing once again, BUT we did not sleep well at all...Erin was a little miserable on the flight - complaining of nausea and stomach cramps etc.  Britt seemed to sleep well - Shan & I ended up watching movies most of the night.....yawn!!!!!
We arrived at 06h25 this morning, collected our luggage and exited through the arrivals gate, OMG to the most amazing surprise ever - there was Clyde, Sandra, Justine, Barry, Sonia, Micky & Ty & Tyrone, with A HUGE SIGN - "Welcome Home Nic Chicks"......what an amazing home coming, I was so close to tears was fighting them back all the way - such amazingly special people in our lives - we are truely blessed.  Thank you special friends - we will never forget what you did for us - love you all madly!!!!!!!!!
Arrived home - chilled had a bath and tried to sleep - hopefully tonight will be successful and we will start fighting this jet-lag !!!!!!!!!!!
So nice to be home !!!!!!!!!!

Day 21 (London Day 3)

Alarm went off at 06h00 this morning, we had only just fallen asleep, but hey things to do and things to see in magicial London.  We were up and at breakfast by 07h00.
Caught a London Cab to Buckingham Palace, its still dark outside, it is freezing cold and the rain is pelting down but the Nic Chicks are adament we are seeing Buckingham Palace.  I dont think our cabbie had any sleep either as he was as crabby as can be - well he only received the fare and not a cent more - old arsehole.....oxygen thief....coffin dodger.....ok ok its early for us too ok.  We did giggle a whole lot not sure if oru sense of humour was in full force or we giggled from exhaustion - but it was funny.
We spend a whole 20min admiring Buckingham Palace and then tried to find Victoria Station in the rain, gave up and called a cab, at least he was a bit more pleasant clearly had a good night sleep - lucky bum!!!
Off to the London Eye,which is walking distance from our hotel, day is clearing beautifully and has warmed up a bit, more tourists are creaping out of their holes and we are now in queue to get on the amazing London Eye ride, the worlds tallest observation wheel.  The view is breathtaking, you can see Buckingham Palace, Big Ben a gorgeous view of the River Thames and just a stunning view of London City.
After this we went to see a 3D show on London and the London Eye - bit boring but Shanie and I were highly entertained by a dumb Chinese chick who was filming the whole 3D show on her phone without the 3D glasses cause she was wearing those and seeing a perfect picture on her phone.  We giggled so much - lucky the show was short or we would have been kicked out for sure...lol.....
We then went souvenir shopping for our friends and family back home.
12h00 midday was our transfer to the airport for our flight home, we are exhausted......but happy to be going home....but sad to leave this gorgeous city!!!!
Our flight leaves at 17h50.
Missing our friends and family and looking forward to the flight home and some rest, our legs and feet have been exercised to the max - if we had to add up the km's we have walked in the last 3 weeks I am pretty sure we would have done the Comrades....maybe even twice!!!!!
We have made some incredible memories, some breathtaking moments, spent some magical time making dreams come true....been close together through the most incredible three and a half weeks of our lives.....we have no words for what we have experienced - we can only try and put what we saw into words but what we have are memories and these will last forever !!!!!

DON'T CRY BECAUSE IT'S OVER......SMILE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED !!!!!!!

Day 19 (London day 1)

The girls and I did this leg of the trip alone, three days in London just the four of us.....rest have all ventured home on different flights in different directions. We arrived at 06am at Heathrow terminal and then went in search of "hotel by bus" the people who would transfer us to our hotel. Park Plaza County Hall, gorgeous hotel and in an awesome location so central to everything - walking distance to Big Ben, London Eye, Thames River, London Aquarium and Waterloo underground tube station. Sandy I can honestly recommend this hotel to you for your clients -amazing!!!!! We checked in went for breakfast and since our body clocks were still on USA time and it was only midnight and we were totally shattered decided to go and have an hour or two sleep before we venture out in to the freezing city, we got up after 3ish (few hours more than we expected) and got tickets with "Big Bus Tours" its a hop on hop off system with live commentory. We jumped on and rode for about 1 1/2 hours seeing the sights, tourist attractions and getting familiar with the city.  We were expecting to jump off back at the stop at the hotel BUT low & behold if the damn bus did not dump us off at Baker Street stating last stop. OMG now to navigate our way home - this city is so damn huge, we found our way to the Baker Street underground, found out we need the Jubilee line and to get off at Waterloo, what an introduction to London.....holy cow!!!!!! We were meeting Gilly at 18h00 and were now running late, we got out of Waterloo station and it was pitch dark, we had no idea if our hotel was left or was it right - the maps were not helping.....WTF tired + lost + late + exhaused and did I mention we were tired!!!!!!!  Gilly to the rescue - she walked all the way to the hotel and when she found out we were lost told us to stay put and she found us...YAY for Gillie.  We then jumped back on the underground and went to Hyde Park where they were having the last night of the Winter Wonderland.....lights, stalls of food from every country, BIG fun fair, shopping, Mull Wine of which Gilly and I dived in - YUM it is like Gluvine - definitely needed to calm the nerves and to warm us up.
Dived into bed at 22h00.  Need to be up early tomorrow we have a full day planned.

Day 20 - (London day 2)

OMG we woke up at 12h30midday - WTF ..... 14hours of sleep or something ridiculous.......How the hell did this happen?????  We rushed around got dressed and dashed out of the hotel.  Jumped on the bus and went to London Dungeons.....s c a r y....stuff.  Erin was petrified she kept saying I want out of here Mom, it was hectic.....scary stuff and sooooo well done.  There are live actors, shows, two hair-raising rides and interactive special effects that take your through Londons horrible history, from the Plague to the fires throughout the years, Jack the Ripper and Sweeney Todd.  Erin was accused of various crimes in court including bum pinching etc etc, and we were sentenced to death..........  Need to be BRAVE and not exhausted, we jumped, giggled and screamed ALOT. 
From there we went to Madam Tussauds, over 300 celebrity figures, the girls had a blast - we took the most pics here as you can imagine from Britt kissing Justin Bieber (yuch...) to Shanaid seeing Captain Jack Sparrow (johnny depp) and nearly fainting to Erin screaming with peasure and delight to have her photo taken with Invisible Woman from Fantastic Four. 
Just to mention the sun only rises at about 7h30-08h00 and sets at about 16h30-17h00 so you do alot of sightseeing in the dark.  Leaving Madam Tussauds at 18h30 we were then shopping in the dark.....we got so good at this shopping thing - it was no problem at all.
We arrived back at the hotel (no hitches this time from the tube station) and were relaxing in bed by 21h00 awaiting sleep, at 22h00 we were still awaiting sleep, at 01h00 we were watching movies and by 02h00 we finally started feeling sort of drowsy.  We are sleeping when we should be awake and awake when we should be asleep - the next person who mokes their baby better come and chat to me......OMG

Day 12 (Disney Day 2)

Up early (AGAIN), we had breakfast with the Disney Princesses, Erin chose a Cinderella Dress (not cheap US$60 odd) - hectic stuff!!!  Jamie tried on every Disney Dress available but all were to "scratchy".....Erin looked gorgeous and the Disney Princesses were amazing with the kids, we met, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella and Belle. Breakfast was good even the men and boy in our party enjoyed it, Josh wasn't to keen to take photos with them although....lol....The kids have autograph books which all the characters need to sign and they then take photos with them for the opposite page.
First ride at Disney World was "Space Mountain" - excellent ride to start with it was like a real roller coaster ride in space, it was all in the dark - it leaned you one way and then whipped you in the opposite direction - really makes you feel out of control....yeah man !!!!!!
Next was Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, Erin got a speeding fine but was still good enough to get her drivers licence, OMG Shanaid was a disaster - she was all over the track and a danger to all other contestants.  I am seriously reconsidering allowing her to get her learners in Feb next year, we do not need anymore dangerous drivers on SA roads......eeek!!!!!
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was the next exciting roller coaster ride - the queue's were madness, we waited for a painfully long 90minutes for a 3minute ride.  What a ride !!!!!!!  It is a rollicking runaway train of a roller coaster that rushes through the gold-mining town of Tumbleweed in the Frontierland area.  The sounds of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad wheels chug-chugging, then ratchet and racing across seemingly rickety tracks. Swoop around sweeping turns and tear up rolling hills that dip or drop into canyons and caverns.  This is where I left my Guess sun glasses in the storage compartment of the rail car - was so annoyed!!!!!!!!
Dinner was at Hollywood Studios - famous Brown Derby Hotel. 
The Hollywood Brown Derby is the signature restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Modeled after the original Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant from Los Angeles, you'll find everything here a Hollywood fan would want such as the caricatures on the walls of famous people, curved booths, elegants sets and waiters dressed in tuxedos. The food is wonderful and we had their very famous "Old Famous Cobb Salad" - Lan's you did good getting us in here as the reservations here are very hard to come by.  We got tickets to the Fantasmic show...WOW ... it is a breathtaking 25-minute lavish musical extravaganza in sight and sound,  fireworks and water show performed by Disney Characters—including heroes, princess and villains. Combining explosive pyrotechnics, shimmering laser lights and dazzling dancing water effects with beloved Disney songs and animations.  Incredible!!!!!!
Some late night shopping and badge collecting was then the order or the evening !!!!!

Day 11 (Cruise Day 8, Disney day 1)

This morning we disembarked from the ship at about 07h30-08h00 after a very rushed breakfast, basically sat down ordered wolfed what we could down and rushed out.  We went through Customs and Immigrations to enter back into the USA, again off came the shoes, belts etc etc - oh my hat - the security issues.....  We then waited and waited and waited for Lana & Matt to get through customs....mmmm Lans sorry but gonna have to tell them - Madam did not tag one of her suitcases = d i s a s t e r.  6400 passengers on board each with a minimum of one bag......need I say more.  Eventually we see the four of them come through the customs door - Matt after trying to stay calm had his shirt untucked, his hair all over the place, his face as red as a tomatoe.....Lans with a silly grin and the kids none the wiser.  Well we then wait a little longer for our transfer to arrive - a driver arrives shouting out "Anthony - Disney Port Orleans, Anthony - Port Orleans" - since none of us are called Anthony we ignored him and wondered when his damn passengers were going to appear.  Eventually we found out his name is Anthony and he is transferring us to Disney Port Orleans in Orlando !!!!!!
The transfer to Disney was very comfortable and we stopped on Christmas Day for lunch - awesome...wait for this......McDonalds....ok ok get off the floor - we had no other damn option and besides in 30years time we wont forget where we had Xmas lunch in 2011 will you remember yours?????
We arrived at Disney's Port Orleans - French Quarter Hotel, well is was....o k ......infact it was great but coming off of that ship anything less than 7* would not have been good enough !!!!!  S p o i l e d ....or WHAT????
We checked in and unpacked and had an introduction to Orlando like never before, we took the bus to Magic Kingdom and a boat from there to (cant recall will fill this in later) but it was a cowboy saloon ho down type dinner, here we had a real SOUTHERN fried meal, serious ho-down music, dancers and our meal consisted of :  Southern Fried Chicken, beans, corn bread, mash and ribs...yeehaaa !!!!!!
We had our first group dinner photo taken here which cost us a small fortune something like US$31.00 for one photo, which Lana managed to destroy before we even got home as she folded up the stroller with our costly photo inside she says "it was a highly resistant stroller to fold up" we now know why !!!!!!!!!!
Magic Kingdom tomorrow - whoop whoop !!!! Mickey here we come.......

Day 10 (Cruise day 7)

We all woke up at our own pace this morning, the girls looked after their little cuzzies for the night to give Matt & Lan some badly needed time out!  Joshua entertained all at breakfast by balancing a tea-spoon on his nose... Which then got all the cuzzies having to give it a try...... So funny!!!!! We all met up at 10h00 in Studio B to take photos with Santa, all the kids received a small gift from Santa and Joshie whispers to Lana "Mom I asked for a toy" ......so damn cute we then tried to explain that this Santa was just here for his photo, and his toy will come later!  He then gave poor Puss in Boots such a huge hug it must have sent him to go "pottie" cause he left and did not come back!  Britt & Lana went to do the zip-line across the ship ......eek but these two are brave! Britt has not stopped talking about how awesome it was!  Next was ice-games show where skaters perform the game "monopoly" on ice - have to see it to believe it!  "Let you entertain me" was an aqua show which again showed the amazing divers at their best!!! Everything they do they do as only the BEST, the costumes are incredible, the scenes are amazing the shows are just unbelievably good.  I suppose when you have a choice of people to employ from anywhere in the world you choose only the "cream of the crop".  The staff on board are so service driven its like they all are on constant video camera watch, they are helpful, friendly, out goimg, full of fun, laughter and quick to assist wherever possible. Kids had their last rides on the carousel today!!!! They think this is exciting imagine when they get to Disney World. Had to pack, as bags must be outside our staterooms by 23h00 tonight.  We need to be off the ship early tomorrow morning for our transfer to Orlando!   Mixed feelings today, excited for Christmas and Disney World but oh so sad to leave this floating dreamland, we are all feeling like we  could easily do another week in a heartbeat!

Day 9 (Cruise Day 6)

MEXICO.........OK this day had to be mine!!!!! (STAUM) only because we where in Cozumel, Mexico... BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!! Okay, well that morning we woke up pretty early.... Got off the boat, took pics, and walked through all the stalls selling Mexican goods, the adults decided to rent a car for the day to go and explore the island, we ended up with two fantastic FUN fire engine red jeeps....we started off by taking the roof tops off (of course) it was sooo hot and  then we where off!! lol.... so we drove around mom, luli, matt and fern had Margaritas in a coconut at a stall on the beach along the way ...... just saying but it was 'delicious' :D .......oops secret is out - hey Shan you me on a stunning white beach, blue seas and Margaritas.......teenage dream.....yeah man!!!!!! The beaches are amazing here the sea is so blue it looks almost unreal !!!!!  We took photos and had a great time having nachos, jerky chicken, taco's and the adults had more Margaritas - we watched Matt undress and wear only a Mexican Poncho and a Sombrero just because the sign said naked beach, we know we are not rule breakers but really uncle Matt I think it was just the name of the beach!! lol........ Fern definitely requires advanced driving lessons as poor uncle Matt had to constantly jump out of his STARTED jeep to come and start ours!!! could it maybe have something to do with the fact that it was a stick ( manual) and not automatic vehicle??   Matt and luli then got pulled over by the cops because of all us kids standing at the back of the jeep waving, laughing and just having fun!!! They just gave us a warning and let us go...... We then went to Car........something park where we had swam with dolphins, my favourite sea animal, wow what an experience it was fantastic something we will never ever forget.  We kissed a dolphin, let a dolphin kiss us on the cheek, played with them and learnt all about them, it was awesome!!!!!  I did not want to get out of the water, there was one dolphin that took a liking to me and would  not leave me alone, he kept swimming away from his trainer and coming to me.  After the dolphin experience we went to watch a sea lion show this was cute but did not have the impact on us the Dolphins did.  After that we swam in the pool at the Nature Park and then left to drive back to our ship.  Cozumel is such a small island we drove right around it  in a couple of hours, so amazingly beautiful. We then had time to do some shopping before we embarked again.  What an amazing day!!!!!

Day 8 (cruise day 5)

Today we had a day at sea....which means we cruise without a stop to our next destination which is Mexico, we had a chilled, relaxed Breakfast, took our time and just took it slow......after breakfast we decided to go to the pool to swim, tan and just chill..It was just so nice to sit in the blazing sun and to just relax! After a good swim we chose to get out the sun and to go watch a movie in the A Theater, A movie that Naid said shes been wantinsg to see for a long time "Mega Mind" in 3D it was so cute and the way the way Jamie fell asleep on Naids lap!!! hehe too sweet !!!!  We went for an amazing dinner and then went to bed early, the adults apparently only got into bed after midnight sometime, sounds like they had fun too..... 

Day 7 (Cruise day 4)

Cruise day 4 Woke up today as the ship was starting to dock at Montego Bay in JAMAICA .....yeah man !!!!!!! We had a quick breakfast and then got the all clear to disembark, the Jamaican's are so friendly and sweet.  We made our way to the tour guides as were were on a tour bus which would take us around Jamaica and show us the sights etc, our tour-guide Tehena was a real lovely lady, she sang to us, told us all about her Island and made us giggle and laugh with all the funny sayings and antics.  Yeah man is like the most said two words in Jamaica.....very cute we were all speaking like Jamaicans by the end of the day.   We went for lunch in Montego Bay - Pier One, we had the most incredible time, the guide taught us a dance and we then had to compete  "The Jamaican Dance off"  against the other tourists but HEY we from AFRICA nobody has more rhythm than we do and Matt won - whoop whoop Matt......... Back on the bus to have a stop for some shopping, whoop whoop our favourite activity, so many awesome goodies here, Britt bought a Reggae coloured Jamaican hat with dreadlocks and all.....what a laugh!!!! Soon it was time to embark again as we set sail to Mexico.....cant wait. had an awesome dinner on board watched a show and then Fern + I went for a drink or two and finally found our way back to our cabins at well after midnight. What a day it was!!!!!!!!

Day 6 (cruise day 3)

We woke up and found we were in Labadee, Haiti.   We got ready and met the Janks on the island as the kids had been up since 04h00.  We walked around the shopping area of Labadee as this whole area has been leased to Caribbean Cruise Liners.  We bought a few curious and were then ready for our excursion to a Sand Bar.   We then got onto another boat where we were welcomed with a rum punch for the adults and a virgin punch for the children (juice....boring!!!!) lol.... Our skipper then headed out to sea to find a Sand Bar, this is an island of sea sand that sticks out of the sea when the tide is low.  Can you imagine we  swam in the middle of the ocean, Erin made a sand castle on the SAND Bar along with two little Japs that spoke with a hectic American accent - so odd.  The water was so warm and we felt we could just stay in there the whole day!! We got back onto the little boat and headed back for the main island..... On our way back on the boat the skipper made the ride back very exciting by going over the waves fast and making us all bounce around in the boat - it was awesome!!!! We like flew in the air every time.. When we got back to the main island Mom + Fern decided to go walk + explore Labadee some more while  the rest of us went back on the boat to have lunch and go spend the afternoon at the pools etc..... Other wise the island was so beautiful !!!! It seemed so peaceful and quiet. Great experience!!! Naid and Britt xoxo

Day 17 (Disney day 7)

New Years eve..... We were up early this morning, to take advantage of the Magic Hour at Disney's Animal Kingdom, we zipped to Asia land and went on the very famous Mount Everest ride. The girls did the ride four times, it was hair raising, you go up about three stories high scream around a bend and low and behold if the tracks are not smashed up and broken, yip you head backwards down a roller coaster faster than lightening! Scariest ride I have ever attempted, needless to say we got off and went again....I think the exhaustion has gotten to my brain! When the park opens for everyone else but the Disney residents this ride is closed after about an hour or two as the queues get so long you can stand for 3-4 hours for one ride. We did the Animal Safari after that, where you get to see animals rescued by Disney World the animals are all in an amazing condition. They are put in barns during the evenings and are all hand fed so really just a big zoo but I guess the Americans never get to see what we can see in a heartbeat!! Shan & Britt got another fast pass for Mount Everest while I took Erin to USA land to Dino Park where her and I did two or three rides! We all met up at the Lion King Show, the costumes and props again were out of this world, was nice to sit and relax for an hour. Our feet and legs are finished and we are beyond exhausted, we are seriously tired of crowds, there are millions of people everywhere and apparently this year there are 2 million more people visiting the parks than what there were last year. I am positive we have met, bumped into, or lined up with at least half of them. Magic Kingdom was at capacity today and their gates were closed - seriously scary thought. We have reservations at Tony's Town for tonight but with the crowds we have decided to take a rain check especially because of Jamie & Josh as they are way to small to be put through that crazyness!! So far Animal Kingdom(Mount Everest) for me  has been my favourite, the rides are scary, exciting, brilliant, the park itself is beautiful and it's not as busy as the others! At least you can get to do more than four rides in two hours here!, Shopping side they had a few different items to what you find in the other parks. , what really impresses me is the fact that you can look at an item in any of the parks, 5*, 3* hotel or Downtown Disney and all the prices remain exactly the same!! Not like you can then get yourself a "bargain" ...lol.
We had the Cirque De Soleil (Circus show) this evening, breathtaking choreography and live music of Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba amazing acrobatics, beautiful dancing, incredible music and the perfect dose of humor.
Followed by a bit more shopping and good old USA pretzels

Day 5 (Cruise day 2)

Cruising day ....... sailed the prestine waters of the Caribbean, we took the opportunity to explore and enjoy the many activities on board! Started off with a lovely healthy breakfast at the Park Cafe which is in Central Park on deck 8 yip a whole deck of trees, plants, flowers, shops, restuarants, bars, sitting areas in which to enjoy the park and the sun. We ended off with an amazing dinner and then the Broadway music comedy "Chicago" - Shanie was in her element as this is one of her fav musicals!!!!! Lots of sun today and by midnight we were all in bed!!! Haiti tomorrow folks!!!!

Day 4 (Cruise day 1)

Left Miami after breakfast at the hotel, we then walked along the Miami South Beach where I managed step back on some lovely sharp rocks cutting my foot to the extent that it was bleeding profusely!! Whoopie i get first prize for the first accident of the trip!!! We then left by transfer to Fort Lauderdale Cruise Terminal, roughly an hour transfer. The road trip was amazing, the views of Miami are absolutely stunning - definitely the life of the rich & famous!! We arrived at the Cruise Terminal along with 6400 other passengers, we were expecting a long wait and hectic delays for check in, but oh my he'll it was quicker than some airports it was amazingly professionally handled, friendly staff, tags for luggage were printed in minutes and we were free to board. Our first view of the Allure of the Seas ship was mind blowing, the size of this ship is much bigger than one expects it to be! 19 decks high, 350m long and 67m wide, it cruises at 22 knots. The buildings in Fort Lauderdale looked like mini land compared to the "Allure"! Walking on board this ship is like walking into paradise, the Royal Promenade which is on deck 5 also the embarkation deck is the first thing you see, a replica of a 1937 Mercedes Benz sports car is displayed next to a bar called the "Rising Tide" which moves up and down between deck 5 and deck 8. There are shops of all kinds, food outlets, restuarants, bars, gift shops, night clubs, theatre, casino and a carousal all on this deck. Rest of the afternoon was spent trying to find our cabins unpack luggage and eventually try and find a restaurant in which to have our first dinner!! The amazing thing is that you are issued with a sea pass card, which opens your cabin door, but then also becomes your credit card on board the ship. You don't need to carry credit cards, cash etc at all, kids can collect meals, drinks, ice creams etc etc with their cards without having parents around!! We set sail at 17h00 and we spent time exploring this mighty beast, the steadyness and smoothness of the ship is fantastic, you feel like you in a shopping center and not on board a ship! We then watched an Oceanaria Aqua Show at the Aqua Theater, amazing stuff. Our first meal was a lovely pizza at a small Italian spot called "Sorrento's".

Day 3

We're in MIAMI chick!!
Checked out of NYC early this morning, transfer with super shuttle - must say not a bad service offered comfortable and fairly on time.
Fern + I took it in turn getting irritated with the airport officials, firstly if you are travelling internally in USA you pay for each piece of luggage you are allowed 50 pounds in weight at $25.00 per bag and overweight is an additional $80.00 per bag......total damn rip off we ended up payimg more for the luggage than we did for the air tickets. This was a terribly stressful time for me as we were rearrangimg clothes from one bag to the other trying to do damage control. in the process of doing this we managed to destroy Erin's suitcase to such an extent we had to replace it in Miami later that afternoon.

We then moved onto buggage control where we had to remove everything but our g-strings, Fern in his socks with his pants falling down because his belt was apparently also a potential terrorist threat, was ready to punch the officers on duty. Some Jap officer even tested his hand luggage for explosive devices - trust me we had serious sense of humour failure....Shan is adamant she will NOT be parting with any clothes so I guess we will repeat this on the return journey......Britt happy to part with all but her jean shorts and bikini's.... Erin not too phased eitherway.....

We then tried to get the family all seated together, well ...... we sure did land up together at the arse end of plane - literally the last row of seats in the aircraft. We were then entertained by all our fellow travellers who loitered around our seats waiting for vacant toilets. Does anyone have any idea how many times an aircraft toilet is used.....we have full stats should anyone ever require them.

Finally, we landed in gorgeous Miami, we booked a quick transfer to Miami South Beach where we are booked into the Palms Hotel + Spa. Miami is everything you imagine it to be, beautiful buildings, vibey atmosphere, loads of beach-bums, people riding bikes in costumes, roller skating, skate-boarding, busy - plenty of amazing restuarants - mainly seating outside on the pavements - very festive. We caught a "local bus" from just outside our hotel to Lincoln Road - in search of "Dash" - the Kardashian store. We are still searching .....
The girls absolutely loved the amazing shops on Lincoln Road, everything from Sketchers to knickers.... We had dinner at a cute little Italian spot - pizzas were excellent and so was the well deserved glass of wine...ok two....yes yes three. We dragged the girls back to the hotel on the bus and they are safely tucked up and ready for sleep.....yet again exhausted.

Lana, Matt and kids arrived today so our party of nine is now complete. Tomorrow we board the cruise ship...ALLURE OF THE SEAS. Fern + I are sitting at the bar downstairs enjoying a glass of wine in peace .... We are about to gate crash a local wedding at the hotel = we hope to not be noticed in our jeans and slops....

Day Two

Today we managed to leave earlier..... we left the hotel to 50th Street Station and caught the subway to Brooklyn.....dodgy area. We walked across the famous and very beautiful Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Roughly 1.8km walk - VERY COLD and windy but definitely worth it, from the bridge we could see Ellis Island and the statue of Liberty and the new 911 Memorial buildings. The bridge was build from 1869 to 1883 and it is in an amazing condition, there are numerous padlocks randomly placed along the bridge - we presume they are in honour of those locked in a relationship or those who jumped from the bridge and "unlocked their lives"...LOL

We then caught the subway to Statten Island Ferry Terminal, the ferry passed the amazing Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island - various other smaller islands before it docked at Statten Island. You then have to disembark and requeue to embark for the return journey. There are people dressed up and posing as the Statue of Liberty - Fatima "freaks" of note. Naid & Erin then decided to rather take the lift on the ferry than to stand in the queues to get down the stairs and then managed to go down one level too many which landed them in "hot water" as we could see them from the ferry but could not get to them!!! Luckily we managed to get the ferry staff to help them out and send them back safely to us!!!!!

Next was "Starbucks" for coffee's and hot chocies! amazing stuff!

Back on subway ... First day we did not have to use any cabs ... We visited Chinatown looking for bargains - what a let down definitely would not recommend this at all. Prices were not great and you are seriously harassed by the desperate street vendors and shop keepers. We then went across to Little Italy for pizza and a glass of wine! Again this could be done in midtown Manhatten but it was an enjoyable experience anyway.

The sun sets at 17h00 here in NYC so it is confusing as we left Little Italy and by the time we came out of subway it was dark and the NYC night atmosphere was back making it seem much later than 17h00.

New York is hectic, the subways are constantly full and it honestly leaves one wondering if anyone actually works here, or could there be this many tourists all at the same time. The constant noise, crowds, continues emergency sirens of ambulances or police or fire engines is mind blowing. We find the people here are unfriendly, cold and unhelpful to tourists. It gives you the impression that people live a very lonely and stressful life here. We have spent two days traveling amongst the locals and not using the usual hop on hop off buses or too many cabs etc as we wanted the girls to experience both sides!! The shopping is expensive for us poor South Africans at a rate of R8 something to the dollar.

We bid the "Big Apple" farewell tomorrow morning as we head off for Miami!!!!!