Not quite live Explorer Mazlatan to Vancouver.

What a gorgeous place! Thanks for all of the beautiful pictures.

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We did the train with Azamara last Feb, round trip was too long a day and the canyon wasn't as special. Wish we had your options

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So the last from the canyon.We found it truly beautiful but the proviso is we had a perfectly fine day and were able to see it in the morning light.It did not look quite as good in the afternoon.

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So back to the bus.But why is the road here so wide.well it doubles as the areas airport.

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We were taken back to the hotel for lunch.Looking over the Canyon there was obviously a disturbed area.Several houses on the top of the other side of the canyon.

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We were then taken to the station for our 1pm train.I made a prediction we wouldn't be leaving before 2pm.The cows also thought there was no danger at 1pm.

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Then the sound of a train.

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But that is the train coming from the Coast.Had a little interaction with a couple of Mexican ladies on that train.Myself and a Canadian fellow ended up being in her selfies.We made her day by blowing kisses.

Now just after 2pm our train pulls in.

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A second engine to descend the mountains.

There were not as many basket weavers at the crew change station.

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The views going the other way and on the other side of the train were different.

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The scenery before the steeper descent.

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This was the next stop after the crew change.It seemed the crew thought the food here was better as they all got something from the place in the second picture.

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Don't think I would stay here though.

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Cheap at just $1 per kilo.

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Back to the countryside.

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The train is quite long.

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Once again you can see where you are going.

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We were then served a meal on the train.Prepared by the hotel.The apple was edible.The ham and cheese roll was inedible.Rojaan's roll was like a brick and mine was very soggy.So I went to the dining car and had a Mexican mixed plate.

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It was great.Very spicy and the meat tender.

Though in the dining car were 3 guards each armed with a pistol and an autmatic rifle.Wonder why those are needed?

The last of the train journey.

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We were 2 hours late back at El fuerte.A couple late sunset shots from the bus.

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Arrived back at the ship at ~ 11pm.The welcome as usual.

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They had put on snacks and drinks in the Panorama lounge.Reports that it was very nice but all we did was head straight to our suite and within minutes off to sleep.

The late arrival back from the Copper Canyon has it's consequences.We will be late into Cabos San Lucas where there had been planned 3 long and 2 short excursions.The long ones all cancelled leaving a catamaran cruise or tequila tasting.We opted just to walk the town.

But first cruising down the coast of Baja close to Cabos.A naval ship and the perils of mass tourism.

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The pilot boat comes alongside and he boards.

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We are not the only ship in port.

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Lots of new condos,hotels here.

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Now I have wanted to photograph a woodpecker in the wild for a while.But does getting one on the main road from the port to the CBD count as the wild?

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We walked to the oldest church in town.

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Then the plaza.

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So now time to head back.mostly cheap tourist junk for sale and overpriced restaurants and bars.

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Lots of money tied up in the marina.

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Now we came ashore hoping to spend our last pesos.That basically proved impossible.We decided to have a drink at a bar where you get back on the zodiacs or tenders for the larger ships.There was basically nothing for rojaan to drink.Only 1 white wine-a chardonnay.I had what was advertised as their strongest tequila cocktail.It tasted like they had left out the main ingredient.Rip off.

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So back on the zodiac.

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Past the last of the big ships.

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And where the catamaran cruise went.They did see a humpback whale.

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Now I have wanted to photograph a woodpecker in the wild for a while.But does getting one on the main road from the port to the CBD count as the wild?

So back on the zodiac.

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So now just 2 sea days left before reaching San Diego.Nothing much happening on deck.Many first time cruisers on board this time and funny hearing them say how bad the sea is-for the Pacific a 1-2 metre swell is nothing.Several lectures but a lot of time lying on the bed looking at the back of my eyelids.So a change of tack.here are some of the meals.Unfortunately they no longer give you copies of the menus so as I suffer from CRAFT disease forgive the lack of detail of what the dishes are.

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As I have said before the standard of food on this cruise was not up to previous standards.Not bad but often just plain but occasional dishes that were a fail.Tom Yum soup and Pad Thai definite failures.

Sometimes though I liked the plain dishes as they were comfort food from my childhood such as liver and shepherd's pie-those received negative comments from some.

But to the pictures.

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The last night was an Asian themed night.I felt this was poorly done.

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Often on the Explorer the ship's carpenter does a map of the voyage which is auctioned off to raise funds for the Crew fund.This time it raised $1000.

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I would like to buy one but as usual when you know the bidder you know you wont win at a price you are comfortable with.A travel guy well known in small ship cruising was the winner.

The next morning we arrive in San Diego.The Carl Vinson is in port and we dock close to the Midway.

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On the other side is the maritime museum.

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It is also close to the airport.As a bit of a plane spotter this is great.

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So the first of our cruises has ended.I enjoyed it but to quite a few it was disappointing.Many wanted to see more of the wildlife particularly whales and dolphins.Research however suggested that late March was at the very end of whale watching in the sea of Cortez.As well the photo shown at our first briefing of an orca the week before convinced me whales were not going to be seen.The only real disappointment was that there are 3 resident pods of sperm whales which I would have liked to have seen.

But the positives.It is an area that I would not have ever seen if it were not for this itinerary on the Explorer.The islands were interesting and the bird life particularly in the first 2 days was extraordinary and the sheer number of birds exceeded those seen in the Galapagos.

The trip to the Copper Canyon was very good even with the hotel problems and the long days.I dont need to go back but I am grateful that we could do it.You do need to spend at least a night there if you go privately.

If you want to see and interact with whales,sharks and dolphins this is not the way to do it.You need to stay on the Baja peninsula or live aboard on a small boat cruising the Baja coast and go in season.February and early March probably the best.

We did have an operator from Baja on the expedition team and he was great value.His name is Tim Hatler.

http://palapasventana.com/

Also although there were several fairly new expedition staff the team was very good.Robin Aiello was siperb as always.Enjoyed the talks by the geologist Jonathon Furmann and I enjoy the company and experience of the birder Chris Harbard.

Especially encouraging was seeing Hilman on the Expedition staff.We knew him as a waiter in the restaurant previously.Very enthusiastic and will go far.Great to know he was encouraged by Dominic another who has made the transition from the Restaurant to the Expedition staff and was Asst.Expedition leader on our Cape to Cape cruise last year.

So although in some ways not a full expedition cruise I still really enjoyed it.