scubacruiserx2

Thank you Nancy and all the best to you . We really don't mind going by Pat and Joe ( As long as you remember who's who ) . 🙂😄

We met Kiki and Carlos our driver at the end of the pier and began the trip North . We did ask if the rain in the mountains would be a problem and they didn't think so . About an hour into the 2 hour ride Carlos spotted a Toucan so we stopped . My autofocus on the camera wouldn't work well with all the branches but we could see that it is a Keel -billed Toucan . Also Carlos saw a Laughing Falcon on a bare tree Farmland stop This is the first time that we were able to get some decent photos of hummingbirds

We were really looking forward to Costa Rica perhaps the most biodiverse country that we would visit . But there was rain on the horizon and forecast as we made port at Puerto Caldera . We would be using our guide from our previous visit Kiki who was excellent in all respects . But instead of going South to the Rainforest at sea level we would be going North to the Monteverde Cloud forest at nearly a mile high - like Antigua . The pier is very long and narrow and the buses couldn't turn around so they had to back to the ship one at a time or drive forward on to the pier and then back off of the pier . Additionally there was another ship , the Ocean Victory , with many people carrying their luggage . We had to ask people to move who were waiting to get on the busses so that we could meet our guide at the end of the pier . We wished that we could dress like the locals so we could blend in . The local beach

Dinner was delivery so that we could go to see Paolo Schianchi the guitar player

A very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate the birth of Jesus . 🎂 Sunday October 16th a day at sea sailing toward Costa Rica at breakfast After breakfast we attended the Interdenominational service with a great group of people who agreed to meet together on the days at sea for a Bible study . And , of course lunch wasn't far away over the horizon at the Retreat .

It was shrimp night at the Canaletto

Back at the ship there's a place to eat nearby Only saw one blue-eyed Jaguar And a dead puffer fish floating by the bouncy bridge leading to the ship

You're welcome . We go by word of mouth from others on CC , our TA or a Google search . The most reliable is Tours by Locals . You do pay a kind of finders fee to TBL the first time around . But once you have used them we contact them directly like Eric in San Francisco . We hope to go to Hawaii in the Spring for our anniversary so we plan on stopping there coming and going and he will take us to Big Sur , Wine country and Yosemite before and/or after Hawaii .

We liked it as a nice break from the ship's food and it was pretty reasonable in terms of price .

We were ready for lunch and we requested a locals only type of place and they knew a good place The set up reminded me of the cafeteria culture that was popular when I was a kid like Morrisons or Piccadillys . We saw the food by the door and picked a couple of meats and a couple of veggies , found a table and the food was brought to you . For dessert we split a fried plantain stuffed with a black bean like center One thing that we had hoped to see is a Resplendent Quetzal which is the National bird with a long tail . The Quetzal is also the name of the currency . They are getting harder to find and the best that we could do was a photo of a photo . Fidencio and the driver did a fine job and we would highly recommend them When we were on the way back we experienced quite a thunderstorm and at the sound of the first lighting bolt , the driver said that the Volcano was erupting , Yikes ! 😱

Our next stop was at a plain looking entrance to the place where the president was staying . Fidencio ( our guide ) pointed out several of the security guards which do not resemble our Secret Service in suits , but resemble plain clothes men instead . The place was the El Convento Boutique Hotel . https://www.elconventoantigua.com/the-hotel/el-convento Jailbreak The men's room or perhaps , a doggie comfort station And 2 of the iconic views here the Arco de Santa Catalina https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arco_de_Santa_Catalina And the Volcan Aqua https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcán_de_Agua We would recommend Tennis shoes or comfortable walking shoes with the angled and sometimes slick cobblestones .

Inside the church There was a copy of the return of the Prodigal Son The original Rembrandt which is perhaps his greatest and /or most famous painting , hangs in the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg , Russia . We have seen it several times and stood in front of it by ourselves for an extended time - always in awe of the painting and the story of God's love and patience for us to return to Him . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_the_Prodigal_Son_(Rembrandt)

There was a garden outside that we went to . On the way we saw this cross with the implements for the torture and death of Jesus behind a locked gate . The dice represent the way the soldiers gambled for Jesus clothes . Hernando Pedro https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_de_San_José_de_Betancur

We met our guide and driver and set out for Antigua about an hour and 40 minutes away . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigua_Guatemala We did request a bathroom break which was at a gas station with a bathroom . We had to get the keys and it had a metal door and bars inside - like a jail cell When I came out to the van I noticed that a man with an assault weapon was standing nearby . When I asked the guide if that was security for the President and he explained that the gas stations like this one ( without a convencience store ) were owned by the cartel who used them to exchange money . The elevation of Antigua is 5000' . We first went to the San Francisco Church where mass was being celebrated so we waited outside . We bought a snack of homemade Plantain strips as it was near lunch .

We arrived at the port at about 10:00 and were there until 19:30 . Oh did we forget to mention the sunrise ? Note the large piles of coal and the skinny , bouncy bridge that leads from the catwalk to the shore

Saturday October 15th we were in Puerto Quetzal , Guatemala and we were informed by the Captain that the President was going to be in town in Antigua and that we should expect to see extra security . The last time that we were here was on Good Friday and the Catholic Church had a large processional of people carrying statues from the church on a large platform on their shoulders But first was breakfast We had deconstructed our Eggs Benedict to show how the meat was now cut in half . But we had ordered a side of back bacon which we used to reconstruct and return our EB back to their former glory .

Thomas was a very good guide in all respects . A couple of outtakes from Huatulco Birds nest At lunch View from the port

Sunset , a sail away and a dinner cruise

A return to the port

The next stop was at Playa La Bocana for lunch and a nice conversation Notice the dirt floor . The first time that we went to South America our driver stopped for breakfast on the was to the port and they were watering and raking the dirt floor . Another cruiser riding with us became very concerned and refused to eat the empanadas . Some artwork at the men's room As a surfer I naturally watched the waves and noticed that they were closing out which means that they break all at once making for a very short ride . A surfer did go out and had a very hard time getting out past the breaking waves and chose to come back in . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huatulco

We next went up above the city to look at a possible wedding destination Same photo using a flash Video clip of the overview :

Not too many people on the beach yet but the boats were in We met Thomas and drove to the Faro and a scenic overlook of the Pacific On these rocks Thomas spotted a Black Iguana which was white in color The Nieuw Amsterdam

Friday October 14 found us pulling in to the pretty port town of Huatulco at Dawn

Dinner was provided by Door Dash HAL style A walk up to the Lido for a fresh crepe

A day at sea Calm seas and lunch at the Retreat Must have been a break in the supply chain - no guacamole And finally the announcement that we had been waiting to hear from the Captain - masks are optional for the crew