Live from Star Princess, Buenos Aires to Los Angeles

[MicCanberra]

Thnaks again for the review and for the extra information about Miraflores and Quito. It all adds to the memory bank when I eventually visit next year. cheers:D

[nreeder]

The airport in Quito better not be closed, or those of us (many) who are currently in Manchupicchu are not going to get back to the ship!!!!

 

Much more to follow on today, but we are totally exhausted after a very long (2 am to 10 pm) day. We are currently going to bed in the Aranwa Hotel and Spa which is almost as spectacular in a different way than Manchupicchu.

 

When we get back to the ship and we have a sea day, I'll give you all of the details.

 

Norm

[KYteach]

We are leaving Lima after two half-days in the port of Callao. The weather has been warm and the sky hazy. Yesterday we were told that it was due to mist from the sea but today our guide owned up to the fact that it is pollution thanks to way too many cars. Oh and talk of heightened risk of muggings and robbery was greatly exaggerated, thankfully. We felt safe everywhere and have not heard of a single incident.

 

Yesterday we took the “Lima on Your Own Tour” through Princess which drops you off at the Marriott in Miraflores. We met some friends who are down here for the winter and wandered through the parks that line the top of the cliffs. There is a shopping center built into the sides of the cliff too, but we resisted the urge to shop and enjoyed the views that would have undoubtedly been spectacular without the smog / haze. Miraflores is one of the best neighborhoods and it is very safe to walk around. The downtown is quite interesting too.

 

After our visit with friends, we took the Princess bus back to the ship and wandered around the “Peruvian Market” which is set up right by the ship. The prices weren’t bad at all. Folks kept saying “wait for the Indian Market”, but if you’re paying $2 USD for a carved leather bookmarker, how overpriced can it be?

 

After a wee bit of shopping, we got cleaned up for dinner and the dining room was a ghost town as folks were either off on late tours in Lima or enroute to Machu Picchu. Despite the meager attendance, we managed to join a couple from London and a gentleman from San Francisco for a lovely dinner. The wait staff was downright giddy since they weren’t running like crazy for a change. In fact, several sang at times and one of the waiters played an ice bucket stand like a trombone and got a standing ovation. It was all so festive and relaxed.

 

Princess brought on a Folklorico group called “Magic Peru” and they put on quite a nice show of the native music and dances. The acrobats doing the Caesar dance were particularly memorable, and we were glad we kept our eyes open for this show which lasted an hour, a marked contrast to the 30 minute shows that Princess has been putting on.

 

This morning we did the Princess “City Drive and Indian Market” tour. We drove through some not so nice areas, but amazingly the streets and sidewalks were litter free. Although it was clear that many of these areas are poverty stricken, the residents still had pride in their city.

We learned that Lima is made up of 43 neighborhoods, each with their own mayor, taxes, and government. Callao has another 7 neighborhoods, so you have 8 – 10 million people (depending upon which guide you believe) in a fairly small, congested area.

 

We went to Plaza Mayor first which was one of the places the captain warned us about. There was obvious police presence and we felt very safe as we took pictures of the cathedral and the Presidential Palace. The churches in particular are very ornate here, but I guess that holds true for many parts of the world.

 

We drove through the congested streets, and all of us were thankful that we had a skilled bus driver. You need nerves of steel to get behind the wheel here. Many intersections don’t even have traffic signals or stop signs and with narrow roads, it gets really interesting.

 

We traveled through the streets of Lima and the bus driver would occasionally pause for us to shoot pictures. Then we got to Miraflores for a stop at Parque del Amor that has the famous statue of a couple kissing. Several tried to imitate the pose while others wandered while oohing and ahhing over the mosaic walls and the ocean way below.

We got back on the bus for the final stop which was the Indian Market. It is several blocks of stalls and shops with vendors selling all sorts of Peruvian trinkets such as blankets, scarves, sweaters, gold and silver jewelry, and all sorts of artwork. The prices were great and we did manage to pick up a few items in the short 50 minutes that we were there.

 

At the end there were probably 8 busses worth of people congregating and trying to find their bus. While we were waiting, we ran into a couple from our roll call who raved about the Culinary Tour from the day before. We made a mental note to do that when we return!

 

We were all safely picked up although we got back to the ship about 45 minutes later than planned, and folks raced over quickly to the Peruvian Market to spend the rest of their Nuevo Sol’s (or American dollars) in the 15 minutes before we were due back on board.

 

Despite the rotten traffic, everyone managed to make it back to the ship and we left on time just after 2 PM. We have another sea day tomorrow before we arrive in Manta. Oh, and those who booked the Quito excursion are disappointed. The airport in Quito in is under renovation and is closed. We’re doing an independent tour near Manta so it wasn’t a big deal for us, but I understand that some are disappointed as this stop was billed as “Manta / Quito”. It could be worse – we could be working and not on a lovely ship!

 

By the way, the Internet has been quite speedy and reliable compared to the usual Princess standards. I hope I haven’t jinxed it by saying that!

 

Julie and Henry--we SO wish we were there with you--having wine on your balcony on sailaway--playing daily trivia. This cruise is definitely on our bucket list, as we so enjoyed the cruise last year. Loving your reports! Continue to have fun. A needlepoint friend of mine is on the ship with you--Shanda.

 

Jim and Sandye

[sweet carol]

I believe friends of ours are on your ship perhaps you have meet them Susan and Wayne from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada?

[azbirdmom]

The airport in Quito better not be closed, or those of us (many) who are currently in Manchupicchu are not going to get back to the ship!!!!

 

Much more to follow on today, but we are totally exhausted after a very long (2 am to 10 pm) day. We are currently going to bed in the Aranwa Hotel and Spa which is almost as spectacular in a different way than Manchupicchu.

 

When we get back to the ship and we have a sea day, I'll give you all of the details.

 

Norm

 

Hope you are having fun! Joe May actually said that the airport opens from time to time but that it was going to be closed when we were in Manta, hence no tours to Quito. And it is an 8 hour drive, so no way that you could do it by air. See you back on board soon - safe travels.

[azbirdmom]

Julie and Henry--we SO wish we were there with you--having wine on your balcony on sailaway--playing daily trivia. This cruise is definitely on our bucket list, as we so enjoyed the cruise last year. Loving your reports! Continue to have fun. A needlepoint friend of mine is on the ship with you--Shanda.

 

Jim and Sandye

 

We have been thinking about you a lot, Sandye. We hope you and Jim are doing well and wish you were here! We haven't connected with others for trivia - I think we had just the right group of folks last year and it was so much fun. Will keep an eye out for your friend.

[Holomoku]

We also have friends on this trip, Maryln & Dean Walston and have been following along on this thread. Mahalo to all that have posted here, we want to do this cruise soon. Our friends said that some people did report being robbed in Lima. Oh well, that is the chance we take when going ashore in foreign ports and even domestic ports.

We'll be on the Star next month, so take good care of her for us. Great to hear the crew is so nice, we have never had a less than stellar crew!:D

[MicCanberra]

We also have friends on this trip, Maryln & Dean Walston and have been following along on this thread. Mahalo to all that have posted here, we want to do this cruise soon. Our friends said that some people did report being robbed in Lima. Oh well, that is the chance we take when going ashore in foreign ports and even domestic ports.

We'll be on the Star next month, so take good care of her for us. Great to hear the crew is so nice, we have never had a less than stellar crew!:D

That is a shame that some people were robbed. I suppose with over 200 cruise passengers going ashore the odds were there for something to happen. The best thing to do is be aware of things around you and to travel in small packs/groups and do not take anything you are not willing to lose when touring these type of places. :D

[camahta]

Norm- I can't wait to compare trips tomorrow. I'm on the 3/14 departure. We are in Quito for the night and waiting for you all for the charter flight Sunday afternoon (in Quito where the new airport will be open).

 

Azbirdmom- please don't jinx the ship internet :p. All the people in my group have been giddy with the free wifi in the hotels and airports. To us these have all seemed really fast. I heard a someone (not in our group) complain about the Internet in the airport being slow and we all smiled at one another thinking...you don't know slow. Haha and I have loved your updates while we have been away from the ship. So thank you.

 

Holomoku- they are my new friends! I will show them your post at coffee time when we return to the ship.

 

I too heard the very informative Joe May say the Quito airport is closed on Sundays while undergoing renovations. But the fancy new airport just opened 3 weeks ago. I asked here at the hotel and was told the old airport located closer to downtown will be used for domestic flights or maybe private companies. And the new one is set for international. I have no idea if any of this is true. The important thing is there is at least one airport open and slated for us to use tomorrow.

 

Samantha

[OCruisers]

We also have friends on this trip, Maryln & Dean Walston and have been following along on this thread. Mahalo to all that have posted here, we want to do this cruise soon. Our friends said that some people did report being robbed in Lima. Oh well, that is the chance we take when going ashore in foreign ports and even domestic ports.

We'll be on the Star next month, so take good care of her for us. Great to hear the crew is so nice, we have never had a less than stellar crew!:D

 

Just wondering if they found Lima less safe than other port stops on this itinerary?

 

LuLu

~~~

[tequilasunrise]

Thanks for the "Live" thread. Very interesting!:)

[azbirdmom]

Greetings from hot, steamy Manta. We had the most wonderful tour today with Heike from Metropolitan Tours. I have to thank Amelia for her earlier live from as several of us took this tour because of her rave reviews earlier in the season.

We went to the Pacoche rain forest and had a fun time hiking down and across a stream where we saw howler monkeys, tiny frogs, and all sorts of lush plants. It was an amazing experience.

After that we went for lunch at a yacht club and went on to Montecristi to see the church and to shop for native trinkets such as Panama hats. Finally we went to a museum and then got back to the ship sweaty, tired, but happy after such a nice day.

I kept this brief as Princess is dropping Manta as a port next year. Joe May said that they might have done it sooner but they didn’t have other options for the return of all of the passengers on the Machu Picchu excursion. The primary reason is safety, and we did hear reports of corruption, robberies, and kidnappings from our guide - none involving passengers!

By the way, we asked our guide about the Quito airport and she said there was a new one but it isn’t entirely working which is a common theme in Ecuador. She said that they pick which airport to use, and sometimes the answer is neither.

Also, regarding the issues in Lima, we did hear that a crew member was robbed at knifepoint in Callao just outside the port gates. They apparently lost a backpack and a laptop computer but were not harmed. We also heard reports of anywhere from 1 to 3 passengers being robbed in Lima, but no one we spoke to has actually spoken to anyone involved in those incidents.

The Star continues to be a wonderful home, and the staff is just as energetic and friendly as when we boarded a week ago.

[OCruisers]

Greetings from hot, steamy Manta. We had the most wonderful tour today with Heike from Metropolitan Tours. I have to thank Amelia for her earlier live from as several of us took this tour because of her rave reviews earlier in the season.

We went to the Pacoche rain forest and had a fun time hiking down and across a stream where we saw howler monkeys, tiny frogs, and all sorts of lush plants. It was an amazing experience.

After that we went for lunch at a yacht club and went on to Montecristi to see the church and to shop for native trinkets such as Panama hats. Finally we went to a museum and then got back to the ship sweaty, tired, but happy after such a nice day.

I kept this brief as Princess is dropping Manta as a port next year. Joe May said that they might have done it sooner but they didn’t have other options for the return of all of the passengers on the Machu Picchu excursion. The primary reason is safety, and we did hear reports of corruption, robberies, and kidnappings from our guide - none involving passengers!

By the way, we asked our guide about the Quito airport and she said there was a new one but it isn’t entirely working which is a common theme in Ecuador. She said that they pick which airport to use, and sometimes the answer is neither.

Also, regarding the issues in Lima, we did hear that a crew member was robbed at knifepoint in Callao just outside the port gates. They apparently lost a backpack and a laptop computer but were not harmed. We also heard reports of anywhere from 1 to 3 passengers being robbed in Lima, but no one we spoke to has actually spoken to anyone involved in those incidents.

The Star continues to be a wonderful home, and the staff is just as energetic and friendly as when we boarded a week ago.

 

Thanks for your update. Love reading what you enjoyed and hints on what to do. Especially interested in the safety factor.

 

Sure, we know to take care where ever and it wouldn't keep us from going ... but some ports are more of a concern than others and being EXTRA EXTRA careful is good to know in advance.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Holomoku]

Camahta - Good to hear that they have more cruising friends, they are good fun people. Good to know that our Coffee Time tradition continues on!:D Wish I were there instead of here. Do say Aloha to them for us. We last saw them here on their port stop in Kailua-Kona last fall.:o

 

OCruisers - I get the feeling from reading about the Lima area that it is more "unsafe" than elsewhere in S.A. I do know that when in China I did check my pockets as soon as someone bumped into me, but really no more so than anywhere else in the world. One just has to be aware and take personal responsibility for as much of their own safety as they can.:)

[san diego sue]

To AZbirdmom,

So glad you enjoyed your tour in Manta. I was with Amelia on that tour in December. It was one of the best tours we took in SA.

A big difficult walking in the rain forest at times with some of those slippery rocks but so much fun.

Did you buy a Panama Hat in Monti Christi? My husband did, one of those they roll up and put in wooden box. Well, the box kind of messes the hat up(ruins the shape).

[MicCanberra]

Thanks for the review, keep them coming please.:D

[nreeder]

OK, we are back on board, now at sea.

 

We had an absolutely wonderful trip up to Machupicchu. So here goes the summary and it’s probably going to be long as we covered a lot.

 

The printed itinerary that we were given got a last minute change. Originally we were supposed to leave the ship at 3 am on the overnight stay at Lima, Peru. However, the ship got notified by their insurance company that they needed to do a “list” test and that required that all of the gangways be closed overnight even though we were docked. So we were notified that we would be leaving the ship on the first afternoon at 6:45 pm and taken to the Sheraton Hotel in Lima for our overnight stay and early morning departure to the airport. This was a last minute expense for Princess, but we didn’t have to pay anything extra.

 

The Sheraton was very nice and some passengers seemed to think this was a five star hotel. We thought it was pretty much a standard Sheraton, nothing special but clean and modern. Wasn’t anything compared to the hotels that followed

 

We took off at 6 am for Cuzco, the old Spanish city up in the Andes. Elevation is 12,000 feet + so we were on the Diamox prescription that our doctors had given us before we left for the trip. We really didn‘t have any trouble with the altitude for the 3 days. We did however, both contract colds--Maureen first, and me three days later, so we are fighting that but it didn‘t spoil anything.

 

We then drove to Ollanta station to get the train to Aguas Calientes. This was a wonderful trip up a long valley for about an hour an a half. They gave us box lunches on board. There was a roaring river that paralled the train tracks, with brown muddy water roiling over boulders in the riverbed. Was way too rough to ever river raft on that one! Along the way were a few Inca ruins and a lot of the stone terraces they created to have some level land for growing crops.

 

We transferred to a bus for the last half hour journey up a multi switchback road to Machupicchu. There were about 88 passengers on this trip. But the good news was that were divided into four groups, each with our own guide, and each in our own bus as we traveled, so it was a smaller group experience, and the guides were great. He explained the history and creation of the citadel up there and how they cut, honed, and moved the gigantic stones that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. .

 

It’s an almost mystical place. We had cloudy weather, but it was 67, so it was very comfortable climbing around the city. Because it’s so high up in the mountains, (8,000 feet), it rains a lot, and they had to deal with that. They created channels in the stones to channel the water, even creating “fountains” which had a number of stone “turns” to slow the water down as it fell vertically. They worshiped the god of the sun, and the god of the water as life giving gods, so it was practical as well as religious for them. There were wispy clouds on the surrounding peaks so you kind of felt like it’s a primeval environment.

 

Just as Maureen and I finished the free time at the end to wander around, it started to rain steadily, but we were under a pavilion that had a little outdoor snack stand, and we had waterproof jackets and boots anyway for up there. The bus once again took us back to Aguas Callentes where they took us to a nice restaurant where there was a big buffet for dinner. Finally, we took the train back to Ollanta Station and then our tour bus took us to the hotel….

 

We were absolutely blown away by the hotel. It’s called the Aranwa Hotel, and it’s part of what I assume to be a Japanese chain, but don’t know for sure. We drove in at night, in pouring rain. The bus went off the highway down a dirt/mud road lined with corn fields on both sides, so it didn’t look very promising. All of the sudden, we came up to a giant two storey wooden gate where there was a guard. He opened the gate, and it was kind of like Shangri La dropped into the middle of a cornfield in the Sacred Valley.

 

The hotel grounds were a series of ponds with little Japanese bridges. Flowers and trees were everywhere. Our room was outstanding. It was probably 30 feet long and 15 feet wide with a wall of windows and a terrace that looked out to a garden. A giant bath with double spa tub and separate rain shower lined in sparkling tile and granite floors. The next morning we had an elaborate buffet for breakfast including made to order omelets

 

The morning trip went back up to Cusco and we saw the Sacsayhuaman (pronounced sexy woman!) temple which was one of the most sacred temples the Incas created. It was an open space surrounded by giant stones today, but which was much taller originally. When you see reconstructions, these places are not the kind of grandeur like Europe. They used giant black stones with smaller stones towards the top and thatched roofs to cover the rooms. But the size and effort to create these things is amazing.

 

Finally, we went out to Cuzco airport for the flight back to Lima, Peru. Again, we had a splendid hotel, the Swissotel Quito. This was a big tower with glass elevators, large rooms, and giant marble baths. We had dinner (sea bass which was very mild and good)

 

The next morning was again one of those “early“ things--wake up call at 2 am. They took us to the airport for our 6 am flight to Quito, Ecuador. We then had a 3 hour tour of the central historical area. By the way, there was some controversy on board the ship as passengers were told that the optional trip from Manta, where the ship was docked after leaving Lima two days before, was cancelled because the airport was closed.

 

There’s some truth to this, but it’s misleading. What closed was the old airport which is kind of in the central city. What opened three weeks ago was a brand new sparkling airport but which is now an hour and a half outside the city. I have a feeling that Princess cancelled tours from the port of Manta to Quito because it’s an hour flight, then an hour and a half bus ride to the central historical core and if you double that for the return, you’ve already used up 5 hours of an 8 hour day.

 

Historical Quito was great. They took us to the Saint Francis church and convent. It has a large courtyard surrounded by two story arched cloisters. They then took us up into the choir loft of the church so we could see it up there as Mass was in progress (it was Sunday). After that, they gave us 25 minutes of free time to browse the shops lining the square in front. However, Maureen and I just went back into the church for the rest of Mass and received communion as we are Catholic. It was a little strange as the church was packed with people standing along the sides (it’s Lent right now), but probably only 100 people went to communion out of the 800 or more that were inside.

 

The tour guide then took us to the main central square where the cathedral, city hall, and presidential palace are. Was very pretty there with lots of families out for a Sunday walk. Finally they took us to the Jesuit church which has been undergoing restoration after a fire five years ago. This was opened up just for Princess passengers. If you ever wondered what happened to the Inca gold, a large part of it is inside here! The altar is made of solid gold, and there’s gold leaf on all of the pillars, ceilings and walls in ornate Spanish/Moorish style. The place glistens and you are in awe of what they created.

 

Finally, we got back on the bus with a box lunch and flew to Manta, Ecuador which is on the coast where the ship was docked. It’s also the real “home” of the Panama Hat which was invented and is still created here. The expensive ones can be $500-$800 but you can get cheap ones for $20 too. We didn’t have time for that, and I wouldn’t wear one anyway.

 

So, while this was an expensive tour, Princess did everything in a very classy way and we feel so very lucky to have gotten to see these places. We have memories now that will live with us for the rest of our lives.

 

Off to Costa Rica tomorrow.

 

Norm

[as19111]

Norm, thanks so much for the Machu Picchu update. We are taking the 6 day land tour pre-cruise next January and I'm sure we will duplicate some of your trip.

 

Could you comment on how the luggage for the MP trip was handled? We need to keep our meds closeby and in cooler temps and since it will be the full 21 day travel supply, it gets cumbersome carrying it around 24/7.

 

Once you were at MP, how strenuous was the climb? If one didn't go all the way to the top and stayed at the first level, what would you say was significantly missed.

 

On the train heading to MP, is it better to sit on the left or right side, or is there assigned seating?

 

About how many hours of daylight did you have during the MP tour?

 

Thanks for the mention of the Diamox. I will ask my doctor about it on my next visit.

 

Thanks!

 

Andrea

[MicCanberra]

Another excellent review Norm, keep it up. Some great information about the hotels and your tour generally, makes it good reading. cheers:D

[CruzinNoony]

Norm, I just discovered your "live from" and I read all 4 pages. We have been to SA three times, so have been to all of the ports you are reviewing and it is fun to relive them. Bill, thank you for posting the penguin pictures of Volunteer Point in the Falklands. They brought it right back! And, Norm, I agree that a lot of the fun was the bumpy ride to get there and back!!:rolleyes:

[Steph27]

Norm,

I am very much enjoying your review. We cruised from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso on Oceania several years ago. Recently I have been thinking about booking a cruise that visits Lima and Ecuador. Would love to see Machu Picchu. Sounds like Princess handeled the changes in itinerary very well.

Your descriptions are excellent. There is great detail but you are not too verbose either. You keep it all very interesting. I enjoy your writing style. I write a blog about my travels with tons of photos. However, your descriptions are so good that the absence of photos makes little difference.

Looking forward to the next installment.

[nreeder]

Greetings from Costa Rica. We’ve been here twice before on two Panama Canal cruises. So we thought we knew kind of what was coming. We booked the Rainforest Sky Walk, Pura Vida Gardens & lunch trip.

 

Turns out we actually stopped at one of the resorts we had 17 years ago (first for a bathroom break, and later for a fruit snack and shopping.) The resort had grown but it was still lovely.

 

The rainforest was different than we expected or experienced before. When we did the Panama Canal cruises, they were in the Fall, a different time of year from now. So it was wet and tropical then.

 

Now, it was hot and dusty. The trails we used led to long 100 foot suspension bridges that you literally walked among the tree tops. It was different, but because it was so hot, we actually saw no wildlife, birds or animals. Before we had seen monkeys and macaws, but not this time.

 

After this morning adventure, we went to lunch at the Pura Vida Gardens. This has a large open air pavilion where a buffet lunch was served. We tried a can of Imperial Beer, the Cost Rica local brew and it was just fine especially because it was ice cold and we are in the high 90’s today with about 90 per cent humidity.

 

We then walked along the garden paths which are lined with all kinds of tropical plants including ginger, helconias, hibiscus, and a lot more. Not all of these are natives, but it was very pretty. Finally we returned to the ship.

 

Across the dock from us is the Cunard Queen Elizabeth. This is only about the second time that we’ve had another ship in port the same time as us. It’s interesting to look at, but I’m not into dividing passengers into First Class and Second Class categories, or wearing a jacket to dinner every night. We much prefer the Princess approach and my Hawaiian silk shirts are just fine for dinner most nights. We did have formal night last night so I was in my tux and Maureen in her best and it was fun to see everyone dressed up.

 

Tomorrow is Nicaragua and we have a 4 X 4 trip there. Will report back soon.

 

P.S.To answer some of the above questions:

 

We were allowed one "carryon" size suitcase that we each checked for the flights. Then we could take a small backpack to carry with us at all times, i.e. plane, train, bus etc. Keeping things cool will be a definite problem however.

 

You will not see everything there is to see at Maccupicchu if you stay on the first level and the guide who explains all the pieces and history needs to take you around to the different levels in order to do this, so you would be on your own. We did have probably 45 min to an hour of free time up there after his narration was over.

 

If anyone has heart or breathing problems, this trip is definitely out of the question. We had at least two people who definitely (in my opinion) should not have been up there. One has back and heart problems and needs to sit down every 20 minutes. There's no place to do so and he could not breathe up there. He even had to be taken to someplace away from the tour in Quito for oxygen because he couldn't breathe. So consider this trip if you have any health issues. There were a number of people who did have altitude problems on this trip.

 

I didn't mention that there was an alternate Princess tour that was added after our 3 day one sold out in two days. it was four days. They spent two nights in Cuzco, and one night in Quito. The advantage was they got more time in Cuzco. The disavantage was they spent all three nights at altitude. Cuzco is 12.000 feet and Quito is 10.000 feet so that may have stressed some people on the alternative tour too.

 

Norm

[MicCanberra]

Greetings from Costa Rica. We’ve been here twice before on two Panama Canal cruises. So we thought we knew kind of what was coming. We booked the Rainforest Sky Walk, Pura Vida Gardens & lunch trip.

 

Turns out we actually stopped at one of the resorts we had 17 years ago (first for a bathroom break, and later for a fruit snack and shopping.) The resort had grown but it was still lovely.

 

The rainforest was different than we expected or experienced before. When we did the Panama Canal cruises, they were in the Fall, a different time of year from now. So it was wet and tropical then.

 

Now, it was hot and dusty. The trails we used led to long 100 foot suspension bridges that you literally walked among the tree tops. It was different, but because it was so hot, we actually saw no wildlife, birds or animals. Before we had seen monkeys and macaws, but not this time.

 

After this morning adventure, we went to lunch at the Pura Vida Gardens. This has a large open air pavilion where a buffet lunch was served. We tried a can of Imperial Beer, the Cost Rica local brew and it was just fine especially because it was ice cold and we are in the high 90’s today with about 90 per cent humidity.

 

We then walked along the garden paths which are lined with all kinds of tropical plants including ginger, helconias, hibiscus, and a lot more. Not all of these are natives, but it was very pretty. Finally we returned to the ship.

 

Across the dock from us is the Cunard Queen Elizabeth. This is only about the second time that we’ve had another ship in port the same time as us. It’s interesting to look at, but I’m not into dividing passengers into First Class and Second Class categories, or wearing a jacket to dinner every night. We much prefer the Princess approach and my Hawaiian silk shirts are just fine for dinner most nights. We did have formal night last night so I was in my tux and Maureen in her best and it was fun to see everyone dressed up.

 

Tomorrow is Nicaragua and we have a 4 X 4 trip there. Will report back soon.

 

P.S.To answer some of the above questions:

 

We were allowed one "carryon" size suitcase that we each checked for the flights. Then we could take a small backpack to carry with us at all times, i.e. plane, train, bus etc. Keeping things cool will be a definite problem however.

 

You will not see everything there is to see at Maccupicchu if you stay on the first level and the guide who explains all the pieces and history needs to take you around to the different levels in order to do this, so you would be on your own. We did have probably 45 min to an hour of free time up there after his narration was over.

 

If anyone has heart or breathing problems, this trip is definitely out of the question. We had at least two people who definitely (in my opinion) should not have been up there. One has back and heart problems and needs to sit down every 20 minutes. There's no place to do so and he could not breathe up there. He even had to be taken to someplace away from the tour in Quito for oxygen because he couldn't breathe. So consider this trip if you have any health issues. There were a number of people who did have altitude problems on this trip.

 

I didn't mention that there was an alternate Princess tour that was added after our 3 day one sold out in two days. it was four days. They spent two nights in Cuzco, and one night in Quito. The advantage was they got more time in Cuzco. The disavantage was they spent all three nights at altitude. Cuzco is 12.000 feet and Quito is 10.000 feet so that may have stressed some people on the alternative tour too.

 

Norm

Very, interesting report once again. Thanks. I think I will need to get my wife and myself a bit fitter so that we can cope with all the stairs and walking (especially at altitude). We live at about 2500 feet so it will make a significant difference.:D

[K-Roo-Zers]

Hi Norm,

 

Hope you and your wife are feeling better and recovering from your colds.

 

Your reports are so interesting, descriptive, well written and a pleasure to read.

 

We are looking forward to our wonderful 49 night journey next February on the Crown Princess, and your trip is giving us a terrific insight on what to expect.

 

Keep up the good work, and stay well and safe.

 

Best wishes

Nicki

[azbirdmom]

We did a different tour than Norm in Costa Rica today. We joined with 8 others from Cruise Critic and booked with Odyssey Tours. Our first stop was the Scarlett Macaw sanctuary which we had to ourselves. At first we thought that there would only be birds in cages but we were wrong. There were many Scarlett Macaws flying overhead and they came close enough for us to pose with. There were also howler monkeys up in the trees and other monkeys in cages. The animals here were either rescued from the wild or were kept as pets by people who couldn’t take care of them. It was really a nice stop.

We then drove up a very primitive road high up a mountain where we could see rainforests on one side and the ocean on the other. After that, we drove towards the “Croc Man” area where we had lunch while awaiting our boat on the Tarcoles river. Lunch was “typical” Costa Rican food with a choice of fish, chicken or beef, with salad, rice and beans. It was quite tasty.

After lunch we boarded our boat and saw lots of birds, cows, and then crocodiles. The guide on the boat teased crocodiles with fish and got them to jump way out of the water. I think it should be called crazy man instead of croc man as it was nutty what this guy was doing, but we were highly entertained. In fact the entertainment continued later as several folks at dinner wanted to see the short video I shot on my iPhone and I obliged them.

We ended the day at a souvenir shop that all of the busses seemed to stop at. It was a full day, 8 hour tour. The bus was very comfortable, and there was a cooler with water, soda, and beer for us to help ourselves to at any time. I would highly recommend Odyssey tours.

It was an extremely hot day and the forecast was that it would reach a high of 99. I’m not sure if it did, but it was very uncomfortable weather-wise. We were thankful for the air conditioned bus and any breezes.

Just outside the gates of the docks there were quite a few tents set up with all sorts of things to buy, from painted feathers to coffee to Cuban cigars. We almost missed it as it started just the other side of the tourist building. The prices were much better than the souvenir place.

Seas are still fairly calm although we did get some wind and waves upon leaving Puntarenas. The weather and seas have been awesome thus far so we are due for some rocking and rolling.