Cozumel and Passion Island

Part 25

Ryan called this morning. He is very concerned about four of his high school buddies who are about to be shipped off to Iraq. He had written them a long letter, and asked if we could print it and deliver the copies so they’d be sure and get it before they leave.

From the previous episode:
Tomorrow we would dock at Cozumel and make our way to Passion Island. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? I wondered if I really wanted to go to such a place with my son -- or more to the point, if he would want me hanging around putting a damper on his "passion". Time would tell...

Our excursion didn’t leave until 11:00 am, so I hadn’t bothered to set the alarm. When I woke at 8:30, Ryan was long gone.

After a quick shower, I neatened up the room a little. The love seat was piled high with clothing and miscellaneous stuff – I didn’t think we’d brought so much with us. On the table, our bottle of champagne floated in a bucket of water. Ryan appeared at 9:00, just as I prepared to go topside for some coffee.

“Hey. Sleep well?” was Ryan’s greeting.

“Yup – like a baby. When did you get up?”

“Oh, about 7:00, I guess.”

“Whatch’ya been doin’?”

“Eating. Walking around. Hangin’ out.”

“I was just about to head out and get some breakfast. I want to catch up on my notes, too.”

“I’ll go with you. I could eat some more.”

We went up to the buffet. I settled for two cups of coffee and a sweet roll, while Ryan went for the full treatment. We walked out to the table area on the stern.

“Ready for the beach?” I asked.

“Oh yeah! What’s the deal?”

“We’re going to Passion Island.” Ryan gave me an inquisitive look, eyebrows raised.

“What’s the deal there?”

“We’ll see. It sounded good – lunch, open bar, floating chairs…”

“Cool.”

I savored my coffee and took a bite of the roll. The pile of fruit on Ryan’s tray started to look really appealing, and he caught me eyeing it.

“Go ahead. Want some bacon too?”

Ryan’s breakfast was very good. I know this first hand.

At a nearby table, I spotted a woman who looked familiar. I thought it might be Babette (ocngypz), who had hosted the party on the first day aboard. Since we hadn’t really met, I was unsure.

Ryan settled it. “Yeah, that’s her.”

We made our way to Babette’s table and invited ourselves to sit. We had a long talk about cruising and life in general. During this time, the Mercury led a parade of ships to the dock at Cozumel – two older Carnival ships tailed us in all the way. If I’m not mistaken, this was Babette’s twenty-seventh cruise on Celebrity. She had a lot of interesting knowledge about the whole operation, especially the politics and personalities involved in the industry.

As we approached the dock, Ryan excused himself to get ready. I finished another cup of coffee, and opened my journal. Next thing I knew, we were sliding into the berth. The open page in my book had one word written on it. “Monday.”

Back in the room, Ryan was packing up. Same outfit as before: cargo shorts with a belt, low brown work shoes, and a tank top – just the image for Passion Island. I smeared some of the SPF 45 lotion on his back. I compared its consistency to butter before. Actually, it was much more like axle grease.

In a few minutes I was ready, and we descended the forward stairs to the exit on the third deck. Outside, a man held a “Passion Island” sign aloft, collecting passengers for the trip. We marched two-by-two behind him up the dock and through a little shopping area. A very young man in a military uniform stood outside of a liquor store, a machine gun slung over his shoulder. He eyed everyone suspiciously.

Outside a narrow gate, a bus waited in the parking lot. We boarded, but did not leave for quite a while. The bus was barely half full – maybe the guides were trying to drum up some more business. The parking lot served a rental car company, and while we waited tourists secured cars, jeeps and mopeds before heading off. I wonder to this day whether one couple who took off on mopeds made it back alive. They came very close to catastrophe more than once just trying to get out of the lot.

Eventually, we left. Two guides, one ostensibly in training, launched into their routine. We headed northeast through downtown and continued past the airport and the president’s seaside vacation home. Signs of life became less frequent. When it appeared that the main highway was about to simply end, we turned off onto a dirt road that became narrower and bumpier as we progressed. Up a slight rise and down the other side we passed what appeared to be a small factory in a state of severe decline. Around a corner, we were confronted with a pack of busses next to a small dock.

The literature said that one could choose to canoe to the island, which lay across a shallow choppy channel 1-2 miles away. One of the guides quickly ruled out that possibility, as it was too rough on this day. I imagine it would have taken a large percentage of the time allotted for the excursion, so I was glad to board the flat-bottomed ferry with everyone else.

Privately owned, Passion Island in misnamed. It is not an island in the strictest sense. It is connected to the main body of Cozumel by an impassable mangrove. On the trip over, we were informed that this was the location for filming various Corona Beer commercials. Ryan claimed to have seen them, though I had not.

As we arrived at the island we were informed that it was a little crowded right now with excursionists from the two Carnival ships. They were due to leave in a very short while, however, and then we’d have the island to ourselves. We were directed to a pavilion for an information session, and snuck around the line of people pausing for pictures with the island’s photographer. Lunch would be served just after noon.

Ryan and I made our way through the palm trees to the curving white beach beyond. It really was quite an attractive setting. The Carnival passengers occupied most of the formed fiberglass beach lounges, so we settled into a pair that were behind the main row along the water’s edge. The location was strategic – about 30 steps from the open bar.

After a quick Passion Punch, we had time for a dip before lunch. The water was warm and gentle – just perfect. On the way to eat, we relieved the bartender of a pair of Coronas.

Lunch was in the thatched-roof pavilion, and we were among the first to partake. There was grilled chicken and marlin, rice, fruit, salad, guacamole, salsa and fresh bread. Ryan took a mound of guacamole and a lesser mound of salsa, which he mixed with the rice. “I love this stuff. We used to make it when I was in the service.”

At a nearby table, a woman sat looking somewhat annoyed. She turned our way and said, “Aren’t they supposed to have hot dogs and hamburgers here?”

Ryan looked amazed and said under his breath, “How could you not like this? It’s delicious.” I had to agree.

I expected Ryan to turn green after his second helping of guacamole. We sat for a while to digest before heading back to the beach. The Carnival passengers showed no signs that they had to leave anytime soon, so we got more Coronas and went back into the water.

The crowd on Passion Island was remarkably non-passionate. I had imagined Ryan being besieged by lovely young women, abandoning me to make the return trip with his new love on another ship. Not even close. There were a couple of children and a few elderly folks, and a lot of people in their 40’s.

It was not until after 2:00 that the horn sounded for the departure of our island mates. Everyone got up at once, and suddenly we were almost alone on the beach. Access to the bar was unfettered. Eventually, a few of the Mercury passengers filtered to our vicinity, but everyone kept to themselves.

About 2:30, a passionate-looking young couple came strolling down the beach. The woman stopped and asked “Did they call the Carnival people yet?”

I looked around. I could count the number of people visible on two hands and a foot.

“Yeah. About half an hour ago.”

“I knew it!” She turned to her companion. “I told you this would happen!”

They turned and ran toward the dock. I wondered if there was a canoe waiting for them.

Ryan swam to shore. “What was that about?”

“They missed the boat. Must have been occupied.”

He smirked. I smirked back.

We did a little Corona Beer photo shoot. I still haven’t seen Ryan’s pictures from this trip, but he took dozens. He was lining up a shot when we heard from behind, “May I take your picture?”

I turned and was confronted by passion personified. A young Mexican woman with long black hair and burning eyes stood in the sand on the slight rise behind us. She wore a tiny bikini, and had a camera slung around her neck.

“Are you father and son?” she asked.

“Yeah” said Ryan.

“Will you marry my son?” I asked, in my head.

She posed us, snapped a picture and rushed off. “Strange,” I thought.

A few minutes later the horn signaling our departure time sounded. I headed for the restrooms for one last time. As on my previous visits, the facility was occupied and I waited outside with the attendant. I never did figure out if the attendant was a older man or a woman, but between each use he/she would enter the room, clean it, and emerge a minute later to direct me inside. A large tip jar sat next to the washbasin. I added to it.

As we walked to the dock, the bikini-clad girl ran up and breathlessly said, “$10 each, or two for $15.” I was a little taken aback, being propositioned so brazenly. To think, I had wanted Ryan to run away with her just minutes before. When my mind emerged from the gutter, I saw she was holding our picture. Two copies. I handed over the money.

I looked at the picture and wondered once again if Ryan had really gotten a haircut on the Mercury.

Reversed hair roles. Father and son 22 years earlier
Magens Bay, St. Thomas

When we got on the boat we were treated to a tipping ritual like I’d never before witnessed. We honored the shore staff and the boat driver before being introduced to the cook, a young man in a crisp white apron and chef’s hat. We were led in a chorus of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” while the cook passed his hat around the boat. Since I had learned my lesson about carrying money on excursions the day before on Grand Cayman, it was no problem to keep up with the demand.

After the boat ride, we boarded the bus. “I’m beat,” said Ryan. “You don’t mind if I just close my eyes. Do you?”

“Sounds like a great idea to me.” There are certainly proper times for a nap – after a few hours in the sun on a beach with an open bar is certainly among them. “Wake me up when we get back to the ship.”

Once we were rolling, the guides – who sat in the shade and drank water all day – had other ideas. It was party time! They told jokes, sang, led the passengers in song, told stories, promoted shopping – the trip back was anything but peaceful. Ryan looked at me every minute or so and rolled his eyes. “Can’t they just be quiet? Does this get them better tips?”

I looked attentively out the window to avoid being singled out for some charade. Along the dirt road, I noticed some strange things. In places, side streets could be seen peeking from the overgrowth. They were paved with intricate patterns of interlocking stones, and had high curbs. Here and there were little utility buildings. Was this a failed development, or a former resort destroyed by a storm? I never found out.

The bus stopped in town to discharge a few people who wanted to go shopping. We passed on the opportunity. On the dock we passed another young man sporting a machine gun.

“Don’t even look at him,” said Ryan. I followed his advice and we went directly back to the ship, arriving around 4:00. I opted for the T-pool, while Ryan stayed behind in the room. Once again the pool was filled, and the people were stationary. This was turning out to be a great disappointment after the Galaxy experience, where we usually had the run of the place. I went to the sauna instead. I never saw anyone else in there.

When I got back to the room, I was surprised to see that Ryan was not sleeping. Instead, he was eating – the next best thing. The TV was on, tuned to CNN. Two room service trays sat at his feet on the bed.

“Hungry?”

“Yeah. I can’t believe this is all free.”

“You didn’t know that?”

“No. I heard some guy on the bus say that you didn’t have to pay for room service. I didn’t believe it, but they didn’t make me sign for this.” After a pause punctuated by chewing, “It is really free, isn’t it?”

“Yup. No charge.”

I immediately thought back to a camping trip we made when Ryan was about 3 or 4 years old. We had been in Fort DeSoto park on an island off Tampa when a surprise storm blew up in the middle of the night. We got off the island just before it went under water, and sought refuge in a motel in St. Petersburg. I’ll never forget little Ryan all snuggled up in the bed, eating cheese curls and watching TV. He looked like he was in paradise. I knew that we had a picture of this event, so I went for my camera to record the modern day re-enactment.

“DON’T TAKE MY PICTURE WHEN I’M EATING!”

I thought he was kidding, but when no smile followed the warning I backed off. It would have been a classic.

Reviewing the Mercury Daily, I spied an event that was just minutes away at 5:00.

Complimentary Cocktail Celebrity Escape Sail Away Pool Party. “Great,” I said to Ryan.

“What?”

“Another open bar. Just what we need. This is another one of the special things for the Adults Only cruise.”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Ryan responded warily. “You go if you want. Maybe I’ll come up later.”

He switched channels on the TV, stopping at a promotion for tonight’s show in the theater. Joel Bauer, Mentalist and Perceptionist. The promo showed him appearing on various mainstream television shows as well as CNN.

“Sounds interesting,” said Ryan.

“Yeah, we’ll have to stay up somehow.”

I changed and made my way poolside just in time for the festivities. I expected that drink choices would be limited and that it would be difficult to get served. When I marched up to the Sky Bar and asked for a Pina Colada, I got it right away. No questions asked. No signature.

I met fellow Cruise Critics Donna and Harry (NJ Cruisers) at the bar and we got to chatting. Soon their lost friends Alison and Philip happened by, and we sort of took over one end of the bar. At one point, Harry leaned over and said “Is that a ball?”

I wasn’t quite sure what I’d heard. “Yeah, this is a great time.”

Looking at my hand, he said, “No, no. Is that a Ball watch you’re wearing?”

“Oh, no. Timex. Drug store special”

Harry collects watches, in particular pocket watches. I guess I got a good imitation of something special for my $20.

The band (Opus) cranked up right below us in the stage, and soon the place was hopping. I must say that in contrast to the band on the Galaxy, these guys were a pleasure to listen to.

We talked and drank, and drank some more. Three bartenders worked non-stop at this small bar, and waiters with tray-loads of drinks appeared from back rooms to dispense their wares to the crowd. The pools and hot tubs remained open until 11:00 pm every night on this trip – they usually close by 7:00. This really made for a more lively atmosphere, and I would have welcomed a swim under the stars on the hot, hot nights of our summer trip.

As 6:00 approached, we all ordered what we thought would be our last drink of this event. The ship sailed at 6:00 sharp, the horn drowning out the band momentarily. The sight of the lights on shore as we maneuvered out of the berth and away from the island was stunning. I caught a glimpse of Ryan milling around taking in the sights.

Instead of winding down, the party picked up in intensity. We all thought it ended at 6:00, but the weary bartender informed us that the open bar went until 6:30 as she delivered another round. And so it went. People were clearly having a great time.

The band approached a new peak, and Donna said, “There’s a picture for you.” She nodded over my shoulder. Behind me a young woman, moved no doubt by the music, appeared to be performing some kind of mating ritual with the hand railing. It was just as well that my camera battery was spent.

I hooked up with Ryan at the dinner table. He said he really wasn’t very hungry. I feigned surprise.

I noticed that when anyone got up from the table for a minute, Maro would appear and carefully fold their napkin into some exotic shape. I made a mental note to bring the video camera some evening and get this on tape. When it came time for dessert, Ryan said, “Nothing for me, thanks.” Simultaneously, everyone at the table looked at him as if he were an alien.

Later, as we were about to leave, Maro swooped in and placed a silver covered platter in front of Ryan.

“I am very sorry sir that it has taken us so long to prepare this very special dessert for you.” He lifted the cover and we all craned to see. The platter was elaborately decorated with swirling chocolate sauce. Along the top edge, the sauce spelled “No Dessert”. In the center, a pouting face with the tongue hanging out.

The show was a disappointment. Although Mr. Bauer did some interesting things, he did them at the rate of one every 40 minutes or so. By 11:00, we had seen three. In between was endless and pointless hype. I came dangerously close to dozing several times. Later I questioned whether the interesting things deserved the label. I theorized that performing for an audience after they’d been to a 90-minute open bar was an integral part of the strategy. We probably all did doze off, at which time Mr. Bauer rigged the outcome of his “tricks”. It was definitely time for bed after the show.

“So, what are we doing tomorrow?”

“A little culture. We’re going to see some Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. It’s kind of a long bus ride, though.”

I waited for a comment. I didn’t know what his reaction would be. Silence.

I turned in Ryan’s direction. He was asleep.

Bored already?

Next: Chichen Itza

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The messages below are from the original posting on CruiseCritic.

Great Chapter and pictures Chestuh. I smiled and laughed out loud. When's the book coming out?

Judy
Okay, now I am like the other posters. I am hooked. I have avoided looking into who this Chesterh fella is for several months as I didn't think I'd be interested. Now at midnight midwest time I am proping the eyes open hoping I can go back and catch up on all that you have written.

I am very impressed and enjoyed so much your account of your day in Cozumel with your son. Our thirty something son went on his first cruise with us last July and was so dazzled by "that guy on the pool deck who cooks the hamburgers for you and there's no charge".

Thanks so much for sharing this with us.

Nancy
Aaaah. My weekend "fix"
Thanks, chesterh. I guess I missed the Galaxy sailaway band events in July -- we were usually outside somewhere uncrowded looking at the shore recede or something similar.

I've also been enjoying Ryan's growing conceptualization of cruising (eating, eating, eating, mostly). And share his concern for his friends. Do keep us all informed! What's Ryan doing now, BTW? And where is he? Or is that part of your eventual conclusion?

S
S&J
Chesterh, I hope....
....you are putting this all in book format for yourself and for Ryan. Someday (30-40 years from now) when you aren't around....I am certain Ryan would love to savor the memory.

I am still captivated by your story telling. Thanks, again, for sharing your trip with us. I, too, caught myself laughing aloud.

Keep 'em coming!

Lori
ChesterH,

I have read all of your entries as soon as they come out - I am one of the people who get antsy for them!

I have never made any comments on any of them, but this one....oh. When I scrolled down and saw the picture of you and your son when he was a baby, I got goose bumps and tears came to my eyes! What a great set of pictures to hang together! I don't have any children, but I would give anything in my life to have pictures like that (old and current) of my father and me.

Thank you for sharing your wonderful experiences!
Dawn
Thanks isn't enough
Hi Chester,
The first thing I do on Sunday morning is check for a new chapter. Now I can go and make some Starbucks and read and imagine..............

Thanks so much for all your detail and humor.

Carole
As usual, another winning chapter, Chester!
You really do have a talent for travelogue, C....

and the pictures of you and Ryan now and then...what a hoot! Obviously your son takes after his father.....what was that about Ryan needing a haircut again?

I laughed out loud at the "no dessert" dessert. Those are the little details that make your stories so special.

Thanks again for all you do to share your experiences with us, and make us all smile and "wish we were there"....

Abby
Thanks again, Chester ......and CaroleSP, you're my kinda woman!
All the installments are great reading, but I've enjoyed Cozumel especially! Brings back memories to our great day there last September.

CaroleSP: I religiously read the Sunday Travel section over coffee at Starbucks! It is truly a religious experience....I know just what you mean!! BEAV
Beginning with the first installment, I have printed out 84 pages and the printer is starting to get low on ink.
So hubby and I sat down on this cold Sunday morning to read what is printed so far; as we would finish a page we would pass to one another and then to our son. We have been engrossed all morning. The grandsons could have whatever they wanted for breakfast, Capn Crunch, oreos, oatmeal cream pies. After all they are at Granny's house and she has a lot of reading to do.

Okay so around noon we gave in and made everyone a ham sandwich. Then back to more reading. Somewhere around page 71 it was discovered we are down to one partially used roll of toilet paper. Not to worry. As soon as Gran gets to page 84, I'll go to the store.

We have been on the Galaxy cruise all morning. Probably set sail on the Mercury tonight. Hope we finish in time to go to work tomorrow.

Off to the store now.

MissyLou
Chesterh thanks again for taking time for this latest installment. The pictures are great. Looks like Ryan is going to look like his Dad when he grows up. Oh dear, gets older is what I should have said. Do tell him we will all keep good thoughts for his four buddies. It's a hard time for so many, with luck it will be over before it's started. Best to Kris. Barb
How did Kris like . . . .
.....those earrings? We all liked them. Can we have a jump to the future so we hear her reaction or do we have to wait until she gets them chronologically?

S
How did you retain all the details ?
When I wrote my review I did not let as much time go by between chapters and I still had a hard time remembering the sequence of events. How are you doing it?

Great as always,

Derrick
Arrgh! I have been not reading the Celebrity board for too long! I was not expecting another one of these for a few years .

I must say I'm quite impressed. I was impressed by your first review but a free cruise? I'd better start writing some reviews !

I will check back for the next installment... As I said, I don't usually look at this board but I will for this.

Oh, about the "paying for bandwidth" bit - nonsense! There are ads here, and the more bandwidth you use, the more money CC makes on ads! They should be giving you a cruise. I'm sure all the hits on this review have been great for CC.
cruiseny
Rambling Responses
Nice to see some new "faces" at this late date -

Judy, I am waiting patiently for a publisher to come out of the woodwork. Since it is much more likely that I'll win Powerball, I still buy tickets.

Nancy, I am sorry about the ink consumption issue, but glad the grandsons got to gorge themselves on all the goodies. Good practice for cruising...

"S", I don't recall any sailaway band events on our July trip either. This one was an "Adults Only Cruise" extras - a nice feature, I thought. Ryan was a chef-in-training until the middle of December, when his employer went bankrupt. He is considering a program at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia to become an X-ray technician. We're trying to encourage him without being overbearing... I'll follow up in the epilogue, eventually.

Kris says she loves the earrings. I believe her, because she is not a good liar and I'd know in a second. I found a matching bracelet for a holiday gift. Kris put it on right away and is still wearing it three weeks later. Neither of us can figure out how to undo the clasp.

Lori, Ryan hasn't read any of the story yet. He hasn't even read the Galaxy story. I do hope to live to se the day when he does, even if it is fifty years hence.

Dawn, I got a little bit choked up when I went looking for the old picture. I ended up on the floor with 25 year's worth of pictures spread out all around me. Events that seemed to take ages when they were occurring are now just a flash in the past. It's fun to remember...

Carole, I look forward to Sunday morning so I can read the paper and drink (generic) coffee, knowing that I've finished writing for the weekend. What a relief!

Abby, the No Dessert episode was classic. It seems I always have a camera with me, except of course when something priceless happens...

Beav, thinking of Cozumel was a pleasure for me. I knew it was about 65 degrees warmer there than here, and I could almost feel the heat (and passion).

Larsen, Ryan's buddies ship out a week from today. All of us parents are commiserating. Ryan spent two months in Kuwait during the little-publicized Desert Fox operation. It was no fun for him, or us. Ryan did a lot of "growing up" during that time, and it changed him forever. No need to rush growing up, though – getting there is most of the fun.

Derrick, you are the undisputed King of Details. My journal entry for Monday still says "Monday", and nothing more. I'm afraid I'm forgetting all kinds of good things. What I do is play the day like a movie in my head. Each time through, some more detail and various interconnections become progressively clearer. It is an interesting process…

Cruiseny, I'm trying for one a week for the duration. Of course I was kidding about the bandwidth thing, but the dog still does not have a t-shirt. I don't know if anyone noticed, but an excerpt and picture from this story (about the CC party) were used in the CC Newsletter a few weeks back. Doesn't that count???

All the best to everyone,

chesterh
quote:
Originally posted by chesterh:
Ryan hasn't read any of the story yet. He hasn't even read the Galaxy story. I do hope to live to se the day when he does, even if it is fifty years hence.

Doesn't know what he's missing!

quote:
I'm trying for one a week for the duration.

Good to know. I will be back on Sundays, for the duration !

quote:
Of course I was kidding about the bandwidth thing, but the dog still does not have a t-shirt. I don't know if anyone noticed, but an excerpt and picture from this story (about the CC party) were used in the CC Newsletter a few weeks back. Doesn't that count???

I must say, the only people that I'm coming out of now unimpressed with is CC. C'mon Laura, GIVE THE MAN A T-SHIRT FOR GOODNESS SAKE! It's only good business!

cruiseny
Earrings?
I just found Chester's stuff yesterday. Read it all. Can't wait for the next installment.

But . . . what's this about the earrings? I confess I read out of order (second cruise first) and kept waiting for a shopping excursion. Did I miss it? Someone please tell me about the earrings !!!!

Chester -- as others have said, you have a real talent. Awaiting the next installment . .

sunnypat
When Chesterh was offered this second cruise 'free', his wife, Kris, was unable to schedule time off from school to travel with him. Therefor, being the gentleman he is, Chesterh decided to buy her something special as a compensation for having to stay home and work. It was the discussion of several posts as Chesterh made several comments about 'down filled' and hardware stores. Needless to say his loyal readers would not let him off that easy and insisted he buy her something expensive, pretty and full of sparkle. Once he reached home he posted a picture of a beautiful pair of earrings he had purchased. I believe they were tanzanite. I'm sure Kris would have perfered having sailed with him, but as a consolation prize they were great. His last post indicates there was a matching Bracelet to go with them. Now that's love! Larsen
Chester they keep getting better and better. On a bitterly cold day, I'm enjoying the reading. Cute baby picture of Ryan!

Snowballfurball
Thanks, Larsen!
I'll have to find the photo of the earrings. How sweet of Chester!
Thanks again Chester!!
I have been waiting like the rest of your fans for the latest installment. The pictures of you and Ryan are great; a true family treasure! I hope all Ryan's friends are OK. We live in a tense time in our world.

I cannot beleive how well you remembered our conversations at the sail away party! I DO remember the lady trying to lap dance with a deck rail; adults only indeed!! You really got me though with Harry's question about your watch!! I remember thinking you must think my husband is really weird asking that sort of question! His obsession is now known to all!

We hope to finally see Alison and Philip this weekend to share photos, etc. Hard to beleive we've all been so crazy that it's taken this long for us to get together again, but we are all talking about another cruise, adults only if we have a choice!

All the best to you and yours! I am still waiting for the dining room photo of Ryan and Babette!

With a big smile,

Donna

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Cozumel and Passion Island

Ryan called this morning. He is very concerned about four of his high school buddies who are about to be shipped off to Iraq. He had written them a long letter, and asked if we could print it and deliver the copies so they’d be sure and get it before they leave.

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