Lew's Mexico Update

We started discussing fall break on July 28th (yes, that is the day we got back from our 10,000 mile trip of the summer), and after much discussion, deliberation, and indecisiveness, we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to spend our fall break on a cruise to the Baja of Mexico. It was cheap, and we got what we paid for.
We left Prescott after church on Sunday, following a very apropo sermon on rest and enjoying the Sabbath. The drive to San Diego went quickly, though we, of course, played with fate again and drove on empty for many miles.
Ark's cousin, Katie, was kind enough to let us crash in her apartment for the night and even buy us pizza for dinner. On Monday, we enjoyed a lovely run in La Jolla. Running at sea level is fun and oh, so much easier that running in Prescott! Katie's roommate Anthea kindly took us to the port in the afternoon. Thank you so much for everything, Katie and Anthea.
The cruise departed right on time, and after putting our bags in our room, we found our way to the top deck to watch the San Diego skyline recede. We explored the ship for a while and then ate dinner. Ark got tricked into buying water, and we were irritated when we found out that the water cost us almost 6 dollars. But we got over that and enjoyed the dinner. We were pretty tired, so we didn't do much that night except eat and go to bed.
Tuesday was our "fun day at sea." And it sure was fun (please note sarcasm). The best word to describe our day would be "boring." Who is bored on a cruise ship? Well, we were, and I would guess that most people who don't drink, get drunk, or enjoy watching other people walk around slobbering drunk would also be bored. We were saddened by the emphasis placed on drinking on this "family friendly" cruise. Unfortunately, the weather was also quite chilly, so sun-bathing was not an option. We slept, ate, watched movies, ate, and slept most of the day.
On Wednesday, we got off the ship on Catalina Island, where we walked around the town of Avalon, and then went snorkeling. Snorkeling was definitely the highlight of the trip. We were thankful for the wetsuits in the 60 degree water. The fish, kelp, and ocean floor were beautiful, and apparently, our snorkeling guide thought we were beautiful as well, since he gave us his e-mail, his phone number, and an open invite for scuba diving lessons and back country camping on Catalina. Too bad he's 60+ years old.
After our chilly swim, we went for a run and warmed up.
Thursday was our day in Mexico. We got off in Ensenada. We walked around the town for a while. We were looking for a beach on which to lie to get a tan (one of our goals for the trip), but after walking 2 miles and not finding one, we decided to turn around and sunbathe on the ship instead. We read, slept, and sat in the sun for several hours, achieving our goal of a tan.
Friday morning found us back in San Diego, and home we drove (after a long stop in Phoenix to try on and buy running shoes...In case you haven't noticed, we're running a lot because we're trainng for a half marathon in January.).
Overall, we were rather disappointed with the cruise itself, but we did rest and have a fun time. I've been told that other cruise lines are better, but for right now, I'm content not cruising again. And now, the world has stopped spinning and rocking (it only took 3 days of being back on land to feel stable again), and we're back in the routine of school and life, praising God for His blessings, His wisdom, and His protection.