The Castaway Hotel - 8 - 41. Chapter 41 - Our Next Adventure

Our second cruise started off much like the first, except we left from Miami. We boarded the ship on Sunday afternoon, but we weren’t going to hit our first port until Tuesday. Since the boys had been on a similar ship, I wasn’t as worried about their getting lost and left them to find their own entertainment, providing they stayed in groups of four or more. Since everyone agreed, Jake and I spent most of this time alone, after making certain some of the older boys were responsible for watching over the three youngest.

We arrived in Cozumel, Mexico early Tuesday morning and went ashore as fast as we could. We were going to start out by taking a tropical jeep safari and I wanted to get out first, before all of the other tourists did. We were going to require the use of several jeeps to accomplish this, so I didn’t want to get there and discover there weren’t enough vehicles remaining to suit our needs.

When we arrived, I was surprised to learn the guide would drive one jeep, but we’d be required to drive the others and follow him. Jake and I showed our driver’s licenses, along with a handful of the older boys, and then we eagerly pulled our vehicles into a linear formation, behind our guide.

This adventure began with a forty-minute ride into Playa del Carmen, where we then turned away from civilization and journeyed to the southeastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Along the way, we traveled through a wide variety of lush tropical vegetation and disturbed the wildlife inhabitants of the area. Although we tried to minimize our impact, the sounds generated by the vehicles and the noise the boys made, still had a disruptive effect. Our approach sent several iguanas and many tropical birds fleeing, as they tried to avoid any potential contact.

Our first stop was a natural cave. After we got out of the jeeps, our guide led us along the banks of an underground river, which we followed until it emptied in an underground lake. It was eerily quiet as we studied the dark waters, except for the occasional comments from the boys.

“It’s kind of spooky,” Little Ricky observed. “I wonder what types of animals live down here.”

“There might be animals that haven’t even been discovered yet,” Carlos offered. “Maybe el chupacabra lives in this cave and that’s why no one has ever seen it.”

“What is that?” Graham followed, confused.

“The chupacabra is monster that lives in Mexico,” Carlos explained. “It’s name means goat sucker, because it bites its victim and drains it of blood.”

“You mean it’s a bloody vampire?” Peter shouted.

“Boys, I’m sure nothing like that lives here, if it even exists,” I interrupted, hoping they didn’t get too carried away.

“How about something like Gollum?” Ricky asked, while flashing a devilish grin. I knew he was only trying to stir up the pot, so I tried to shoot him down quickly.

“Gollum was just a fictional character that was created by the guy that wrote the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy,” I replied.

“But don’t many of the things people use in stories have some basis in fact?” Ricky countered. “I mean, it did live in a cave, near an underground lake, so maybe there are other creatures like him.”

“Ricky, I think you know better than that,” I challenged, while staring at his impish grin. I knew he was doing this just to spook some of the younger boys. “Do you think everything Stephen King writes about is based in fact?”

“I’ll bet some of it is, so maybe that was too,” he replied, to my chagrin. I thought it best to end this discussion and try to find a way to ease their minds, but Andrew spoke up before I could do that.

“Dad, Jesse says he thinks he saw something moving over there,” he stated, while pointing to a dark recess in the cave.

“It’s probably just his imagination,” I responded.

“That’s what I thought, until I saw something move over there too,” Andrew countered.

“Your dad’s probably correct,” the guide added, while trying to keep from laughing at our discussion. “During all the times I’ve been in this cave, I’ve never run across any creatures, except for a bat or two.”

“I didn’t see anything, but I thought I heard something a little while ago,” Barry added, in support of his friends.

“That was probably just an echo from all the noise we’ve been making,” I offered, “or possibly one of these other jokesters tossed a pebble, to make you think something was there.”

At that point, the guide jumped in and told us we’d better get going again, if we wanted to get back in time. In fact, he seemed to possess a new determination to extract us from our surroundings and end this debate.

To everyone’s relief, we emerged from the cave and into the sunlight without encountering any aggressive or dangerous life forms. Everyone seemed none the worse for wear – well, maybe I shouldn’t say that. The three youngest boys were still letting their imaginations run rampant and convinced they had seen or heard a beast lurking in the shadows while we were underground. They reasoned it didn’t do anything because of the size of our group, but they were certain it would have revealed its presence and attacked, if there had been just one or two of us alone in the dark.

Fortunately, our next stop was Xpu-ha (pronounced shpoo hah) Beach. There, the bright sunlight, white, powdery sand and warm waters of the Caribbean allowed the boys to forget about the cave and relax, as they swam or lounged along the shore. While we unwound, a Mayan style lunch was grilled for us, right on the beach. We started off with some roast pumpkin, followed by Cochenita Pbil, which is pork that has been seasoned and roasted in a banana leaf. We were also given roast maize (corn) and Mayan hot chocolate to wash it down with.

After eating, we spent a little more time on the beach, before we made our return trip to Cozumel. Once we got back, we set off again and were transported to Chankanaab National Park. There, we met one of the most amazing creatures that made its home in the ocean. After being given a brief orientation, we were then led to a platform and introduced to a group of bottlenose dolphins. Over the next forty minutes, we learned a great deal about their behavior and participated in an assortment of exercises with them.

Once we finished learning about these amazing animals, we were given thirty minutes to swim with them. Andrew wanted to do this very badly, and luckily I had thought ahead and come prepared. I hadn’t really anticipated this circumstance, but I did think he might want to get in the water at some point. Therefore, I quickly wrapped his cast in a pair of clear plastic bags I had carried with me, but this time I secured the protective covering with black electrical tape, to prevent it from tearing loose. Andrew was thrilled when he realized he was going to be able to participate too, at least to a limited extent. I made sure he understood he was to stay in the shallower sections, just in case he lost his balance or a dolphin accidentally knocked him over. After he agreed, we all spent the next half hour enjoying these fascinating creatures. I’m not sure what they were trying to tell us, with their series of clicks, whistles and other sounds, but I believe it was that they were enjoying this as much as we were.

Shortly after we returned from this outing, I quickly explained our next activity to the family. We were going to be boarding a 105-foot replica of an eighteenth century Spanish Goleta, which is a schooner like vessel, for a Pirate Lobster Dinner Cruise. While we enjoyed our steak and lobster meal, we were entertained by watching some exciting, and high-flying, pirate fights, as we sailed along the coastline. They even had music after the show, for those that cared to dance, and an open bar, for those old enough to partake. We all had a great time.

It was fairly late when we arrived back at the cruise ship and at midnight it set sail again. Wednesday was another fun day at sea, but some of the boys had more fun than others. I heard that Sammy and Ted enjoyed another sexual romp that afternoon, but I also heard about another encounter that I would never have suspected. Shortly after breakfast, Peter approached Little Ricky to apologize, sort of.

“I’m really sorry I didn’t get you anything for your birthday last week,” Peter began.

“It’s okay,” Little Ricky assured him. “I wasn’t expecting you to.”

“Well, I’d like to give you something now, if you don’t mind,” Peter continued. “If you come back to my room, I’ll give you a gift I’m sure you’ll enjoy.” The way it was said and where Peter’s eyes were focused made the implications obvious, so Little Ricky eagerly followed him back to his room.

I’m still amazed that Peter claims to be straight, because he seems to like to do things with the other guys, and Little Ricky took full advantage of the opportunity. He allowed Peter to undress him and then Peter began to fondle his genitals, until he became erect. Once Little Ricky was hard, Peter pushed him back on the bed, took Little Ricky’s manhood into his mouth and proceeded to give him the best blowjob he knew how. It was more than good enough for Little Ricky and it was obvious he enjoyed it, because he blew his load a few minutes later.

“I wanted to do that for you before I went back home,” Peter admitted. “I’m really going to miss all you blokes.” Although Little Ricky knew Peter would be returning to Australia soon, the excitement of the vacation had made him temporarily forget about it. Now, he wanted to do something special for Peter too.

“I’d like to give you something too,” he began, “before you go back home. I haven’t done this before, but I know you’ll really like it, so I’m go to let you fuck me.” Peter’s mouth dropped open.

“You want me to shag you?” Peter quipped, astounded. “I don’t want to hurt you, mate, and I’m not sure I’d know what to do to keep that from happening.”

“I think I do, from watching and listening the others, so I’m willing to try it, if you want to?” Little Ricky answered. “I know you were hoping I’d do that for you the last time we were together, but I wasn’t ready then. I knew you were disappointed, but now I’m willing to make it up to you.”

Peter couldn’t believe his good fortune and eagerly shed his own garments, as Little Ricky looked around for the appropriate supplies. He found that Ricky had put them in the bathroom and soon came out carrying what he needed. Within minutes, he was explaining to Peter what he’d need to do to loosen him up and then he helped Peter slip on a condom and lube that up as well, prior to getting into position. Before long, he was kneeling on his hands and knees, with Peter waiting behind him.

“Okay, but go slow,” Little Ricky urged.

Peter did as he was told and slowly brought the head of his dick against Little Ricky’s anal opening. Carefully, he pushed at Little Ricky’s backdoor, but it wasn’t budging. Peter tried again, as Little Ricky began to push out, and finally the head popped in.

“Ugggh,” Little Ricky moaned.

“Are you all right?” Peter asked, as he froze in place. “Does it hurt?”

“It did a little, but not too bad,” Little Ricky replied, “but give me a second, before you do anything else.”

Peter remained as motionless as a statue, as he waited for Little Ricky to tell him he could continue. Before long, he received his next command.

“Okay, you can push in a little more,” Little Ricky told him, so Peter gently applied a little more pressure to make that happen. This time, however, he seemed to slide right in and Peter soon found his pubic patch resting against Little Ricky’s butt cheeks.

“Wow, that wasn’t bad at all,” Little Ricky acknowledged. “Okay, you can start now, but go slow, until I get used to it.”

Peter did as Little Ricky suggested and began rocking back and forth in a nice slow rhythm. Before long, Little Ricky began to get into it and tried to back into Peter, as he was thrusting forward, and then move back again, as Peter withdrew. This added stimulation soon caused Peter to feel his midsection heating up, so he quickened his pace slightly. They were really going at it now and both boys were making all kinds of guttural, animalistic noises. A minute or so later, Peter arched his back and drove completely into Little Ricky, as several volleys of his boy seed erupted into the condom’s reservoir.

“Thank you, mate,” Peter sighed, nearly breathlessly, a few seconds later.

“You’re welcome, but I enjoyed it too,” Little Ricky countered. “I wasn’t sure I would, but that wasn’t half bad. I guess now I see why the others like to do it so much.” Little Ricky giggled after saying this and then Peter hugged him in appreciation. A short time later they reappeared on deck and I don’t think anyone suspected or knew a thing about it, until Little Ricky admitted it to me later.

The next morning we docked at Grand Cayman, which is the largest of the Cayman Islands. We ate a quick breakfast before we left the ship and then I hurried the boys off to our first activity, which was a glass bottom boat tour. We boarded a 100-foot yacht, which features the world’s largest glass bottom, and soon witnessed many of the Grand Cayman’s underwater delights.

The water was crystal clear and the visibility seemed limitless, as we peered beneath the surface. We were astounded by the brilliant marine life swimming there and surprised to see divers in the water below us, hand feeding the various creatures that make this area their home. The boys who went snorkeling on our previous cruise, and got to feed the fish during the outing, thought back upon that memorable experience. I think some of them were eager to join the divers too, so they could enjoy feeding these creatures too, but it wasn’t to be.

Before the hour cruise was up, we were taken over the site of a sunken shipwreck as well, to complete our experience. I guess I’d never thought much about it before, but there seems to be a lot of ships lying beneath the regions of the ocean we’d visited lately. I’m sure hurricanes have played a sizable role in this, but I’m also convinced there were other reasons for some of these wrecks. A few might have even been sunk during a fight with another vessel, either during a war or while fending off a pirate attack, but Davy Jones’ locker sure has a lot of clutter.

Once we left the boat, we began a tour of the local area. As we rode around on the air-conditioned bus, we learned that Christopher Columbus had discovered the Cayman Islands in 1503. Over the next two hours, we got to see the Conch Shell House (which merely has a unique texture to its exterior), the Govenor’s residence and the old Cayman homestead (a pink and white cottage built in 1912, which has been restored with a woodstove, kerosene lamps and mahogany beds). We also visited the world’s most famous turtle farm, where several species of endangered turtles survive and thrive.

We also saw the black rock formation that is named ‘Hell.’ Although visitors aren’t allowed to actually go into the area, we were able to observe it from a distance. Hell is about half the size of a football field and is filled with black limestone formations (stalagmites), which erupt from the surface. Some of the first people to view this area claimed it must be what hell looks like, hence its name. It even has its own post office, so the boys eagerly purchased a number of postcards, so they could send their friends, aunts and uncles a postcard from Hell.

Then we made a visit to the Tortuga Rum Factory, where those of us old enough got to sample the product. The rum produced at this factory is a blend of Jamaican and Barbados rum and I found it quite interesting. The factory’s name comes from the original name for the islands, Las Tortugas or the Turtles, because of the vast numbers of turtles that thrived there. Even though the younger boys couldn’t sample the rum, we all got to enjoy a slice of original Tortuga Rum Cake. There were actually several flavors of rum cake to choose from, which included chocolate, coconut, banana, and coffee, to name a few.

We finished up our stay at Grand Cayman with the ‘Cockatoo Catamaran Sail and Stingray’ outing. A motor coach whisked us away to the Cayman Islands Yacht club, where we boarded a custom built 60-foot catamaran, which currently holds the Cayman Islands around the island speed record. A catamaran is the name for a twin-hulled boat, and it took us around the North Sound, with our final destination being Stingray City.

Actually, Stingray City is merely a sandbar where the local fishermen had cleaned their catch for many years. Over that time, the stingrays lost their fear of man and now interact freely with the numerous visitors that come here. After learning we could also feed the stingrays, many of the boys were interested in participating. Even though they wanted to get in the water and do this, I was a little concerned. I knew the stingray’s sting is poisonous and can sometimes prove fatal, so the boys’ welfare was of utmost concern while we were here.

Seeing we were having a very animated discussion, one of the professional divers came over and spent some time explaining how the stingray’s reputation has been greatly exaggerated. He told me that although these creatures have the potential to be dangerous, unless frightened or provoked, they are usually not a threat. He then went about showing us how the stingrays are fed and how the stingrays interact with those feeding them. After talking it over with the boys again, I allowed those who wanted to take the chance, to do this. However, they were always under the watchful gaze of a group of professionals, who were ready to step in, if the situation warranted it.

I was truly amazed at how docile these creatures seemed and how much pleasure the boys got from doing this. The stingrays even allowed the boys to pet or stroke their bodies and even seemed to enjoy having it done to them. I think I changed my attitude about them, although I might still be on my guard, if I ever encountered one at another location.

Once we left Stingray City, we did some more sailing, as we wound our way back to the yacht club. Upon arriving there, we took the motor coach back to the ship and returned to our cabins. All in all, it was a whirlwind day and we had a great deal of fun, but now it was time to clean up, as the ship moved on to our next destination.

The ship left port by 4:30, so we’d be having dinner onboard. After we finished eating, we were left to find our own entertainment, until we reached our next stop the following morning. The boys were fine with this, especially the couples, so I didn’t foresee any problems arising from our short time at sea.

We docked at Ocho Rios, Jamaica at 8:00 and hurried ashore. I had a couple of things planned for this stop, but I wanted to get the first one out of the way early, before it got too hot. We boarded an air-conditioned bus and took a forty-minute ride to our destination. Of course, the boys pelted us with numerous questions about where we were going and what we’d be doing, but Jake and I kept our lips sealed. We only told them they’d see when we got there.

This was an activity I’d been forced to contact the operators about, before we left on vacation, for two reasons. One was due to Andrew’s injury and the other was because Jesse didn’t meet their minimum age of 12-years. Since I knew that pair would like this activity better than anything else we’d done, I had to do some serious negotiating, purchase some special equipment and have it shipped to this location, with the promise that I’d let the company have the items after we used them for this limited outing. After doing all of this, the owners agreed to let both boys participate as well.

The bus took us to a spot two thousand-feet above sea level, and once there, we got off the bus. After we were all standing in a semi-circle, I explained what we’d be doing next.

“Okay, we’re going to be taking the ‘Mountain to Sea Bike Adventure,’ I began. “This is 90% downhill, so it won’t be that tough on those of you who are out of shape…”

“Like you and Papa Jake,” Ricky interrupted, with a huge grin on his face.

“We’ll soon see who’s out of shape, wise guy,” I replied, “but Jake and I will have an extra load. Unfortunately, Andrew and Jesse won’t be able to ride their own bikes, although I know they’d love to. The reason for Andrew is obvious, but Jesse is too young, at least as far as the operators of this activity are concerned. They require participants be at least 12-years old, so Andrew and Jesse will ride in a seat that will be connected to the rear of Jake’s and my bike.”

The boys looked confused by this comment, until our guide wheeled one of our bikes into view. There was an egg-shaped attachment fastened to the rear wheel, which extended behind the bike. It was suitable for a passenger and a quarter of it was open, so the occupant could see out. The seat was also equipped with a seatbelt and it rode above it’s own set of wheels, so it was also quite stable. Since it would put an extra drag on our bicycles, it was fortunate for Jake and I that most of this journey was downhill, so it wouldn’t be too bad.

Jesse looked disappointed that he wouldn’t be allowed to ride his own bike, so I pulled him aside and explained the situation, face to face. “Jesse, I had little other choice in the matter,” I told him, as soothingly as I could. “The owners have their rules and we have to follow them, even if we disagree with them. It was either leaving Andrew and you behind, doing it this way or not doing it at all.”

After a few minutes more of reasoning with Jesse, he finally relented and accepted what was going to happen. He’d be riding in the contraption behind Jake, while Andrew would be riding behind me.

Our guide then gave us a brief orientation and explained what we’d be doing, before going over the safety rules. Once this had been accomplished, he assigned each boy to a bike. Of course, Jake and I knew which two were slated for us, so we helped Andrew and Jesse get situated, before we got in position to start out. I think the older boys, the ones that prefer cars instead of bicycles now, were even looking forward to doing this. I found it amazing they were willing to do something on vacation that they would probably complain about having to do at home?

It turned out to be a lovely ride and a very enjoyable experience for all of us. The scenery was outstanding, so I urged our guide to let us go as slowly as we could, so we could take time to enjoy the sights as we made the descent. The road we were on was surrounded by dense, lush woodlands, which not only were beautiful to behold, but also helped to shade us from the hot sun. The roadway eventually emerged from the trees and opened up into a very peaceful meadow. There were a few animals out and about, so some of the boys were busy trying to point them out to Jake and me, as we made our way to Mount Zion. Before we arrived there, we stopped at the Spicy Grove Tavern to replenish our body fluids and quench our thirst. After downing a couple of drinks each, we got back on our bikes and set off once again.

During this portion of the trip, we passed the ruins of an historic seventeenth century sugar factory and a series of polo fields, until we reached a scenic little cove. Nature had carved it out of rock and left a serene pool, which would have been ideal to swim in. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to do that, so we pushed on until we reached our final destination and met up with the motor coach again.

After another short ride, we took a tour of a 1000-acre estate, which belongs to Sir Harold Mitchell. The estate is a working plantation and is full of bananas, sugar cane, orchids and cattle, along with much more, and we were able to view it all from a tractor-pulled jitney. A trained cadet, whom most of the boys found very cute, explained everything we came across and Jake and I found him to be quite informative.

After leaving the plantation, we traveled to Dunn’s River Falls. This is a 600-foot waterfall that is shaped like a giant staircase. Some of the more adventurous among us decided to climb it, which they did under the supervision of an experienced guide. Jake and I decided to remain with the three youngest, as well as those that didn’t want to do this, and we merely watched as the others made their trek. We did manage a few good laughs, as we observed some of their not-so-graceful slips and spills, which made me wonder if Jay had somehow magically appeared and joined us.

I know Jay has outgrown his clumsy stage now, but it did bring back memories of some of the near disasters and comical moments he’d been responsible for on our first vacation. Unfortunately, he couldn’t come with us this year, because he had a summer internship with a fairly well known architectural firm. The experience would give him a leg up when he applied for a position after he finished his coursework and graduated from college, so he did that, rather than join us.

Once we finished up here, we had to hustle to get back to the ship on time, so it wouldn’t sail without us. Our cruise ship was scheduled to leave at 3:30, so we only had about twenty minutes to spare, before we begin our trek back to Miami.