Archive for the ‘2013’ Category

For our one-year anniversary, we decided to leave the little one with grandma and grandpa, and set sail on the world’s largest cruise ship, Allure of the Seas!

You can pay for the photo they take of you when you board, or you may be able to sneak a grainy watermarked snapshot of the screen that displays this option…

Undeniably, the Allure of the Seas is an impressive vessel.

It has many areas to explore, such as this olde time theme park section of the ship…

Or the Central Park with beautiful vegetation.

The fresh breezes on the balconies soothed the soul.

I found the best places are just for relaxing…

Although for the ambitious, there is a jogging track.

You’ll need to run a few miles with all the unlimited food available onboard. It was hard to resist the “make-your-own-pizza” bar. I brought along my own smoked ghost peppers to spice it up a bit more.

Our first port of call was in Haiti.

My wife, the mermaid!

…while Christian just relaxed.

Next port of call, Jamaica!

Here we chilled with an old school reggae duo.

It’s obligatory to climb the famous Dunns River Falls in Ochos Rios.

Although super-imposed with (literally) boatloads of tourists, there’s still a chance to catch a good shot.

We went off the beaten path to find some authentic jerk chicken.

It was a bit rainy in Montego Bay, but we made the best of it.

And were rewarded by a beautiful rainbow.

Back onboard we tried our luck on the Flowrider wave machine.

My wife got the hang of it pretty quickly!

And even tried the zip-line!

One last stop in Cozumel, Mexico…

…where my wife rode horses…

…while Christian scuba dived the crystal clear waters.

Boarding the ship one last time, we made our way back to Florida.

Goodbye Caribbean islands…

…we were on our way to the Florida Keys!

No trip down to the Keys could be made without the muscle to get you there. We were stoked to have the convertible SS Camaro for the journey.

The drive on the Overseas highway was exciting!

When we finally arrived in Key West, Christian sampled some of the world’s hottest hot sauces.

And then tagged base on the continental United States’ most Southern Point.

Finally, belly’s full, skin tanned, and work forgotten, it was time to return to reality… Farewell, uncruel world!

Costa Rica 2013

Posted: May 2, 2013 in 2013, Travel
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It was time for the new Nommesens to take their first family vacation!

After a grueling eight-hour overnight layover in the Houston airport, the bus ride to the Arenal Volcano district was a breeze. Here’s Mrs. and Miss Nommesen ready for the six-hour ride…

Although the volcano was shrouded in clouds, the poolside hammock kept little Zhenya busy.

New Year’s Eve in Costa Rica called for a night out on the town. Here, Daddy and Z prepare to enjoy a gourmet meal cooked with fresh organic fixings.

My wife was so happy to be in Costa Rica she kicked a dog.

The first real adventure was in the Santa Elena Cloud Forest. Our guide told us there were as many as 300 different species of plants living on one tree!

Zhenya kept up on the multi-mile hike through the wonderful foliage.

That doesn’t mean she was always happy about it though…

Down off the mountain, we knew we had to experience the beautiful beaches. This shot was taken just above one of our favorite spots in the Manuel Antonio National Park.

Warm weather meant warm water. Not bad for January!

Zhenya spent hours in the water. And running from it…

Zhenya wasn’t the only one being chased by the warm waters…

Daddy was content to just relax on the beach with his bride, casually reading about the history and culture of this Central American paradise.

Of course, he took some time out to collect shells with Z…

For daddy’s birthday, all three of us went para-gliding. We thought Zhenya would be afraid, but she was almost completely silent once we were airborne. Or maybe she was breathless…

You can’t make a trip to Costa Rica without an encounter with the beautiful wildlife.

This red-eyed tree frog is a familiar sight to all who visit.

In Costa Rica, there are 338 known species of hummingbirds!

Costa Rica’s butterfly species make up approximately 90% of all Central American butterflies, and 18% of the world’s total butterfly species.

This guy tried to steal my lunch!

A friendly local didn’t seem to mind the view…

Spotting this little monster off the jungle path gave us a bit of a start. Good thing we have a zoom lens!

Not all of the wildlife is for viewing. Some are for eating!

In all, a very fun, exciting, as well as relaxing, family vacation. Thank you, God!