A Year (and a Half) in Photos, Part Seven

<— More photos that-a-way!

So, just a couple of weeks ago, Chris, Christy and I did one of the most awesome things ever.  We went on a cruise to Mexico.  But this was no normal cruise.  No, siree, no.  This was…  ShipRocked 2011!  Basically, it’s a hard rock/metal cruise that happens only once a year.  All the bands are actually on the boat with you the entire time.  Concerts happen at night, and during the day, the musicians just hang out on the boat like they were any other regular vacationer.  It was totally hilarious to see Geoff Tate of Queensryche walking around the pool deck with his wife eating an ice cream cone.  Or Josh Todd from Buckcherry getting some sun in the pool all day.  Hell, Chris and I ended up hanging out with David Beeson of Broken Teeth on a couple of different days.  He and his brother just happened to sign up for the same Mayan Ruin tour that we went on in Costa Maya, and we ended up hanging with them back at the boat.

It was obvious from the moment we stepped on the boat that this was going to be a vacation for the band members just like it was for us.  No one had access to phone or email, so they were getting a reprieve from their managers and publicists.  But the best part is that they weren’t getting hounded by fans, either.  Everyone treated them just like any other cruise party, and let them do their thing. It made the interactions with them much more enjoyable and genuine.

Aside from the concerts, there were nifty events like bloody mary bingo, heavy metal karaoke, and the Mustache and Mall Hair Ball.  We ported in both Costa Maya and Cozumel, and we essentially spent the entire week half naked.  I seriously only put on clothes when I absolutely had to.

The cruise began in Ft. Lauderdale on Monday, the 14th, but we actually flew down the Saturday before.  We immediately rented a car, and drove up to Tampa so we could party there that night and hit Busch Gardens on Sunday.  Of course, the trip started out with a little detour…

 

So, we were driving along Alligator Alley, and we kept seeing these signs for Billy Swamp Safari.  We had to.  It cost us a couple of hours, but how could we turn down water buffalo and air boat rides and fried gator?
.

Yes, I’m wearing the zebra striped sunglasses.

Gators.  We saw lots of them.

Yep, it’s definitely swamp land out here.

Watching the water buffalo while we chowed down on fried gator.

That night, we went to an old school, rave-style dance party in Ybor City.  Did I mention that Chris grew up in Florida?  His parents still live in Jacksonville.  He knows the area inside out.

The next day… rollercoasters!  I turned into a total kid again.  Thankfully, both Chris and Christy are just as much rollercoaster fanatics as I am.  We had a freaking blast!  Final tally —  12 coaster rides and 3 water rides.  We were literally rode hard and put away wet.

All aboard!

The pool deck and stage.  We figured out early on that we could see the stage perfectly from those raised hot tubs, but nobody else seemed to realize that.  They would totally clear out when the bands came on stage, so we would have those hot tubs to ourselves to watch the show and drink ourselves silly.  It was perfect!

Hinder.

Austin Winkler of Hinder.

Josh Todd of Buckcherry.

I was really happy with a lot of the shots I got of the bands.  A couple will be with the photography set that I post next.

Yep, he’s still one of my star crushes.

Not really sure the point of a mini golf course where every hole is exactly the same… but okay.  I’ll go with it.

That was a line for one of the meet and greets.  We didn’t go, and I’m glad, because we ended up meeting everyone we wanted to meet by just bumping into them on the boat or in Mexico.

<img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6056/6391308

459_e43f2ed113_z.jpg” alt=”Christy” />
Getting ready for the formal night.

Hey, it was a Mustache Ball.  How did you think he’d dress?

Ready for the formal!

This is now my profile picture on Facebook.  Ha…

I look like my mom in this picture.  So much so, it kind of weirds me out.

I guess technically this should be in my photography set, but hell.  I just want to post it now.  It cracks me up so much.

Paparazzi’d.

Geoff Tate of Queensryche.

Michael Wilton of Queensryche.

About to get off the boat!  But first…

Chris and I needed to have a quick-draw shoot out.

I’m not sure who won.

Costa Maya.  Yep, that’s pretty much it.  It was decimated in 2007 by a hurricane, and they haven’t rebuilt much.  Aside from the Mayan Ruins further west, it’s nothing but a tourist trap.  I would never visit there again for a vacation.

The boat.

A hand made goods market at the entrance of the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins.  I bought a really pretty embroidered dress there.

Chacchoben Mayan Ruins.

Tebowing.  The new thing.

Modified planking.

Owling.

Tag team Tebowing.  I think we covered all the bases.

Christy, me and Chris.

Manuel, our Mayan Ruin guide.

At Señor Frogs, cause that was the only thing to do in Costa Maya after the Mayan Ruins trip.  Anyway, we though our palm tree drinks looked suspiciously like giant dildos.

Christy and the giant dildo drinks.

Thankfully, Chris didn’t order a dildo drink.  Cause that just would’ve been… awkward.

Cozumel, on the other hand, was much more awesome.  Christy went diving that day, so Chris and I had the whole day to ourselves.  Rather than pay for some silly cruise organized excursion, we just got off the boat and made our own fun.  We rented a scooter from some local dude for $45, and rode all the way around the island.  We stopped at every bar along the way on the beach.  We ate the real Mexican food, went snorkeling right off the back of some guy’s property, downed tequila and rum and Mexican beer, and sunned on the beach with our feet in the sand.  That day was one of the most awesome of my life.

We found a little Rasta bar on the south side of the island.

It was covered in t-shirts from patrons past.

Me checking out the decor.

Oh, hai!

Funny story… So, my brother was all worried about us being out and about it Mexico because it’s so dangerous there.  Well, get this.  Many of the locals were telling us that they were closing up shop because they were afraid of the people getting off our boat.  Ha!  They were like, "What kind of cruise is this? Everyone has tattoos and piercings…."  Amused.

Like I said, I spent most of the trip half naked.  And it was awesome.

Oh, my god, this is the life.

I wonder how often they get taken up on that offer for topless pictures.

We also found this bar in the middle of an alley that had rocking saddles for bar stools.

It was imperative that we ride them.

I don’t know if you can see it, but there’s a sign in the upper left corner that says, "Show me your boobs, free shots. Chiquitas only."

A nice guy offered to take one of us together.

Somehow, I managed to NOT get it in this picture (copious amounts of alcohol, perhaps?), but Kid Rock had actually left a dollar bill pinned up top, as well.

Back on the boat, about to sail for Florida, and we’re getting ready for HellYeah!  Oh, and there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for Chris to be dressed like that.  He just wanted to.

HellYeah!

By far, THE best concert of the trip.  I love that band.

Last dinner of the cruise.

This picture cracks me up.  Every time I see it, I think, "Please don’t stab my breast implant.  That would suck."

I love how we are all so much more tan on the way home.

Rock on, friends.  Rock on.

That’s attractive.

Chris and David Beeson of Broken Teeth.

I swear, I think that’s all of the snapshots.  Just one more post with my photography album, and we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Cheers,
Felina