and so it begins.....RTW16

[cbb]

June 20, 2016 Day 170

 

Today's port was the one that some people were stressing over because it was in Acapulco. We had been scheduled to come here on the original RTW itinerary but it was changed to Puerto Vallarta, then some time ago we learned that Acapulco was back on the itinerary.

 

Some of the passengers were concerned for their safety after hearing about murders and shootings in Acapulco and the subsequent governmental action of putting a heavily armed and a very visible military presence in the streets.

 

I had no fear but we had decided some months ago, before all of the itinerary changes, that we would be most comfortable taking a ship's excursion.

 

This excursion was called "Historical, Traditional & Picturesque Acapulco" and was a very good tour. Victor was our guide for a group of 10 in an a/c van.

 

He was born and raised in Acapulco and was an excellent driver in a city with heavy traffic. He shared the history of his city and country, and most importantly for me, the best place to stand to get a great picture!

 

Our first stop was at La Mirador Hotel, the site of the famous La Quebrada Clift Divers. Usually they dive later in the day but because we were in town, we were told, they dove for us, which was greatly appreciated!

 

We saw 5 young men dive from various elevations after climbing from the sea up the face of the clifts. Heck, right there....I'd be done ... for the week!

 

The tradition of clift diving began in the 1930s when the guys competed against each other to see who could dive from the highest point into the sea.

 

Then, as now, the men must perfectly judge when the waves are at their highest...sometimes a 5 second span for their dive or they will enter the water at its shallowest.

 

Today they are professionals in a union and their fathers start them diving at a very young age to pass on their skills. They begin at a tiny elevation and gradually increase the heights until they are diving at age 18 from 20 meters off the clifts into an inlet that is only seven meters wide and four meters deep.

 

The most advanced divers launch themselves at 40 meters. There is a statue of Our Lady of Guadeloupe at the top for them to pray. On her Feast Day many more men dive to honor her.

 

Our next stop was the Fort of San Diego. It was originally built by the Spanish to protect the settlement of Acapulco and reminded several of us of the Fort at Fortaleza, Brazil. Now I know Brazil was a Portuguese colony but the footprint of the 2 forts was almost identical.

 

Acapulco has turned their Fort into a historical museum and should be very proud as it is very well done. We were told that the Museum is usually closed on Mondays but was opened especially for our ship.

 

One had to be in a shore excursion to enter so that there was a guide to show us around. Most of the Museum staff had the day off. We could wander, however, and most of us headed to the top to take panorama pictures.

 

The Museum tells the story of Acapulco and the waves of cultures that came into the area; Oltecs, Mayans, Aztecs with other groups who came in and out of the area prior to the arrival of the Spanish.

 

There is also information on the importance of Acapulco to the Spanish and their trade with Asia. Galleons began making trips between Asian ports, especially Manilla, and Acapulco and from Acapulco to Spain.

 

Of course, anyplace Spain was making money or carrying goods attracted the attention of the Dutch, and particularly England's Queen Elizabeth I's privateers (really pirates but under her protection!)so there was always the threat of them.

 

The Dutch actually invaded Acapulco in 1615 and pretty much destroyed the town. The Fort was built then to protect the port and ships. Earthquakes followed in the 1770s and the Fort was destroyed and rebuilt.

 

It is a very interesting place and I had no idea of its importance to Spain's Asian trade routes. Well done, Acapulco Museum curators!

 

We then headed for the Las Brisas area and the Chapel of Peace for a visit to this lovely place of sorrow and hope. In 1967 the Trouyet family lost 2 sons in an airplane crash.

 

From their grief, the parents, with the help of the President of Mexico who was a personal friend, built an ecumenical chapel which opened in 1971.

 

The lower level is open-air and features a large white wall and floor that are the tombs of the family including the two brothers.

 

The upper level is the church and has a very contemporary design that features soaring ceilings, plain white walls and a simple hand-carved cross.

 

Outside, visitors can see a complete view of the Bay, as well as linger in the gardens, listen to the water features, see the sculpture of two hands clasping- a symbol of brotherly love- and look up at a beautiful large cross.

 

From sail-in we saw this cross high on a hill and after traveling throughout town I realized that one can see this iconic symbol of Acapulco from every place.

 

Our final stop was to the Los Flamingos Hotel. In the 1950s and 1960s Acapulco was the place to be seen and to party. Many millionaire Hollywood stars had second homes here and it became quite fashionable to vacation here.

 

Elizabeth Taylor, Eddie Fisher and Brigitte Bardot all had homes here and the Los Flamingos Hotel was the home of "the Hollywood Gang."

 

Several of the most well-known and wealthiest Hollywood men invested in the hotel and it became their retreat. Johnny Weissmuller, Red Skelton, Fred MacMurray, John Wayne, and Frank Sinatra all made this their get-away.

 

Upon their death it was bequeathed to one of their workers who retains ownership today.

 

It is rather hard to miss as it is painted flamingo pink and it offers a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean and even today, no other house or building overlooks it so it retains its privacy for all who stay here.

 

We had some liquid refreshments here on a lovely covered patio where the breezes were cool and we could understand why famous people under constant scrutiny and seeking quiet time would come here.

 

All too soon it was time to return to the van and head back home to the Insignia.

 

Acapulco is an interesting city comprised of distinct neighborhoods that have a historical identity. The north end of the bay is the old traditional area where those jet-setters of the mid-20th century vacationed. Today the southern end of the bay is where high rise luxury hotels and homes are being built.

 

Acapulco is situated on a lovely bay with the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains behind it. Unfortunately, this lovely city has huge problems. Evidently garbage collection can be spotty so people throw stuff away and guess where it ends up...the bay. It has become the final resting place for anything thrown into the streets.

 

And of course, the other great problem is the drug cartel wars. Acapulco is on the route for drugs coming into Central America from South America and competing gangs want control of the routes. Terrible murders and other crimes have been committed by rival groups and the Mexican government is trying to stop the violence.

 

The Mexican government has put enormous numbers of Navy, Marines, Army, and local police in every place that having heavily armed troops can make a difference.

 

As we drove through neighborhoods we saw men carrying very large weapons on street corners, on vantage points above our pier, and in very visible places on city sidewalks, on the beach, and on boat patrols.

 

The tourism industry has taken a huge hit because of the violence, the U.S. State Department has issued travel advisories and spring-break students have been warned not to go but our guide said that the violence is against the members of the competing drug traffickers and tourists are not targeted.

 

It is, of course, up to each traveler to decide whether to visit or not, but in our little van with Victor, I felt perfectly safe and I'm so glad I got to see lovely Acapulco.

[Floridiana]

You took the exact same ship's tour we did a few years ago and, like you, I found it fascinating. Ours was on a Monday as well, the divers came for the ship's passengers and the fort was opened for us.

[cbb]

Wednesday, June 22, 2016 Day 172

 

Today we arrived in Puerto Quetzal, Guatamala around 8:00am, were cleared pretty quickly and those of us on shorex were off the ship and onto our buses by 8:30ish.

 

Many of us had scheduled shorex since the places we wanted to see were quite some distance from the port facilities and it made sense for the tour company to drive. There certainly isn't anything to see in the port area and there is nothing to take a cab to in Puerto Quetzal.

 

If one wanted to have a leisurely day, there is a craft market set up just outside the port area that one can walk to but I think it would be difficult to spend more than a couple of hours at most looking at the same handicrafts repeatedly.

 

We opted for the aptly named "Colonial Antigua" which is about 90 minutes drive from the port inland and up into the mountains. It was forecast to be in the 90s in the port area, but 90 miles inland and 4500' elevation up it was delightful in the 70s.

 

It threatened to rain on us in the afternoon as it always does this time of year in the tropics but we stayed dry the whole 8 hours! (that's because I had remembered to bring the ponchos!)

 

We passed sugar cane fields, coffee trees on the side of mountains, and green green green everywhere because it is, after all, a tropical jungle!

 

Upon arrival I quickly understood why it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This lovely town served as the capital of Central America for more than 200 years (1543-1773).

 

It was destroyed , rebuilt and destroyed again by earthquakes so the Spanish gave up and decided to move the capital to Guatemala City.

 

Eventually, countries were carved out of Spain's Central American empire and received their independence many years later.

 

Coming to Antigua is like stepping back in time. The buildings are so well preserved and all look to be freshly painted, but many are painted in the matte finish that gives the town the old look.

 

The streets are clean, the plants all perfectly maintained, and we felt totally safe walking the little side streets by ourselves.

 

Purple, orange, and red bougainvillea drapes itself all over the walls and add old buildings painted yellow, white, aqua, and terra cotta.

 

Everywhere you look are the dark green covered mountains in the background that are actually volcanos. We saw Aqua (water) and Fuego (fire) volcanic mountains and Fuego continues to emit steam today.

 

In Antigua is the University of San Carlos, the third university founded in the Americas (1676), the Cathedral of Santiago built in the 1500s but rebuilt after the 1691 earthquake, the central plaza, and cobblestone streets everywhere.

 

Also located there is the Hotel Casa Santo Domingo which is newish (1989) but the development of the hotel was instrumental in saving the remains of the Capuchinas Convent built in 1736.

 

We saw the Church of San Francisco even though the original church was built in the late 1600s and its ruins are next to the "new" sanctuary which was built in the 1700s after the earthquakes.

 

There are old buildings with lovely stone work, black wrought iron over windows, beautiful arches, flowers throwing themselves over ancient walls and shops selling all kinds of handicrafts.

 

You will be approached by people selling their goods but they are good natured and are willing to take "no" or "maybe later" for an answer and to move on.

 

Look on the backs of some of the young women and see their beautiful babies asleep or peeking out of a multi-colored hand-woven sling.

 

Lunch was at the Porta del Lago Hotel which was very good. There was "European" type breads as well as small corn tortillas, stewed vegetables, rice, grilled chicken and steak, churros and flan for dessert as well as various dips and salsas. I was surprised not to see some kind of beans!

 

The Hotel is in a lovely setting and we dined outdoors on a covered patio with the food served there buffet style. Several of the diners tried local beer and seemed happy with their choice! The rest of us had bottled water and of course, Guatamala coffee which was excellent.

 

Part of the tour was to go to a jade factory and learn all sorts of things and then perhaps buy something.

 

I did not want to do this at all and Sandra, our wonderful guide, was totally cool with the idea and told us how to get to the Santo Domingo Hotel as well as some other places to visit.

 

We earnestly promised to be back at the jade factory on time, and if fact, we were early which she appreciated.

 

Back on the bus for everyone including the packages of jade jewelry and apparently packs of coffee were sold there as well!

 

It was a great day and all of us agreed that we were so glad we had chosen to come to Antigua.

 

If you have the opportunity to visit, do not hesitate to go! It is drop dead gorgeous and you will really feel that you have stepped back in time.

 

It doesn't feel touristy, which by this point in our RTW Adventure, we are experts in knowing touristy when we see it! Go and enjoy Antigua!

[Floridiana]

Antigua is indeed a wonderful town.

Your next port is one I don't know on this itinerary.

[StanandJim]

Your next port is one I don't know on this itinerary.

 

You don't know Bonaire? :confused:

[cbb]

Corinto is a small port city on the coast of Nicaragua.

 

It is a gateway to the interior of Nicaragua, especially for rum tours and visiting Colonial Leon which is where we're going in a couple of hours.

 

We're docking there now....more later! Have a great day everyone! c

[2552phxcrzr]

Sounds like a great day in Antigua City. We have booked a private guide and are really looking forward to seeing this UNESCO WHS.

[LHT28]

Cynthia

You brought back fond memories of our day in Antigua

we had lunch at hotel Santo Domingo & did a visit to the jade factory

I have a lilac Jade souvenir DH bought me small & easy to pack ;)

 

Enjoying your reviews

[Floridiana]

You don't know Bonaire? :confused:

 

The next port is Corinto in Nicaragua. That's the one I don't know.

[cbb]

OK people....we're talking a Pacific coast port, not the Caribbean...let's not get confused here!!

 

Thursday, June 23, 2016 Day 173

 

Today we came into the port city of Corinto, Nicaragua at 9am. According to my research there was very little to do in Corinto since it is mainly a gate-way to the interior...mainly to the cities of Colonial Leon and the ruins of Old Leon.

 

Many of us chose a shorex letting someone else do the driving. We're talking seeing men on horseback herding horses or cows down the side of the road, so this was an excellent decision for most of us.

 

We knew that there were few taxis with even fewer English-speaking drivers, major rental car companies are not in Corinto, nor does the local bus system adhere to a schedule.

 

If you come here, you will want to investigate private tour companies or use O's shorex; there is little opportunity to DIY here.

 

There are a few different shorex to chose from and I know the local tourism companies also use these same titles; Colonial Leon, Colonial Leon and Museum, Old Leon and Colonial Leon, hike the Cerro Negro, Botanic Garden and the Flora de Cana Rum Tour.

 

We chose the 4 hour Colonial Leon which allowed us the comfort of a plushy seated a/c van with a guide who used to be a history and geography teacher but guides full-time now. He's young and I'm pretty sure he makes more money guiding.

 

We traveled about 90 minutes, part of the way on the Pan-Am Highway, to the city of Leon. Yes, much of the time is taken to getting to Leon and back to the ship, but I'm so glad we had the opportunity to see the countryside of Nicaragua.

 

There is no doubt that the country is poor by anyone's standards yet the children all go to school paid for by the government.

 

The yards may not be pretty, but they are clean-swept, I saw little garbage on the roads and we did see men along the road cleaning trash and dumping into a truck to be hauled away.

 

The reason to come to Leon is for the Catedral de Leon. It is magnificient and, built in 1747, pretty much dominates the town square and its steeple can be seen from quite a distance.

 

The Catedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is pretty. One usually thinks of more loftier words to describe a cathedral, but it is such a beautiful church since it is all white.

 

Those of us agile enough to join Elvis.... yes, the guide was Elvis... climbed the 80+ steps to the roof of the cathedral to enjoy the promised stunning views of Colonial Leon and the range of volcanic mountains.

 

Nicaragua has 27 volcanoes and 7 of them are active. Thankfully, they were all taking a noon siesta; I did not want to witness any volcanic eruptions up close and personal!

 

Leon is also famous for another reason; it is the site of the student-led uprising against the government of President Somoza in the 1970s.

 

Leon is the home for two major universities and the students were rebelling against the graft and corruption of the man they saw as a dictator. They called themselves Sandinistas.

 

The Sandinistas became involved in US politics in the Ronald Reagan administration with the US selling weapons to Iran and the funds going to the Contras,(the Iran-Contra Affair), a military group that backed Somoza. Eventually the Reagan Administration ordered a boycott of Nicaragua's goods coming into the US.

 

The Sandinistas political party is currently in power today after being out of power for 16 years and general elections are in November, 2016. When you visit Leon you will see the flag on the country on the flagpole and beside it the the FSLN flag, the flag of the Sandinista Revolution.

 

The population of the country is 5.6 million with coffee, sugar, and peanuts as their major exports.

 

The government offers free public education to every child through high school and all are encouraged to attend a university or trade school. Elvis said that women currently outnumber men 10:3 in receiving a university education.

 

Elvis said the life expectancy of a Nicaraguan is 65 years with diabetes and kidney problems the leading cause of death. There is an attempt by the government to get free medical help for all but he said medicines are still not at the level of western powers and most go to Cuba for major surgery.

 

It is a poor country but the people are religious, gentle, and hard-working. Elvis thanked us for coming to visit his country since he said they truly love Americans. Go see this country if you can--I think it is going to be a force in Central America.

 

When the government is making educating the next generation a top priority good things are going to happen here.

[Floridiana]

Thank you for your beautifully written reports and the wonderful photos on your blog. It was a pleasure following you along. I am now off to my own travels.

[cbb]

Floridiana---safe travels! (do you also come from Indiana?...looking at the ending of your name) c

[JPR]

Er, sounds like you were reading from the Sandinistas' or some radical U.S. professor's propaganda screed. Somoza certainly was no prize, but he is long gone and Daniel Ortega and his Sandinistas were even worse for the country and strongly anti-U.S,, which is why President Reagan opposed them. The Sandinistas were and are essentially communist, and like their pals Fidel Castro and later Hugo Chavez attempted to subvert democracy and take permanent non-democratic control of Nicaragua. The economy collapsed and they were thrown out. No surprise that Nicaragua isn't doing very well economically, like every other communist or oppressive socialist state.

Edited June 25, 2016 by JPR

[buggins0402]

I'm glad you came away with a good feeling of Nicaragua, it is a lovely country. We took a land vacation there back during the "Great Recession" - it was a cheap alternative when we didn't know what our 401K's would look like in the aftermath. The very nice refurbished colonial hotels (under $100 a night) and $20 dinners for two fit the bill!

 

We loved Granada and San Juan del Sur and the country's natural beauty---wish we would have had enough time to visit Leon, also. Our arranged transportation vans frequently shared the road with donkey carts. It was also the location of one of our favorite travel memories, when the driver went off road a bit to allow us get a picture of a lake and volcano. We got stuck in the mud and our push out was achieved with the assistance from some local kids and a few dollars.

[fred 15]

Er, sounds like you were reading from the Sandinistas' or some radical U.S. professor's propaganda screed. Somoza certainly was no prize, but he is long gone and Daniel Ortega and his Sandinistas were even worse for the country and strongly anti-U.S,, which is why President Reagan opposed them. The Sandinistas were and are essentially communist, and like their pals Fidel Castro and later Hugo Chavez attempted to subvert democracy and take permanent non-democratic control of Nicaragua. The economy collapsed and they were thrown out. No surprise that Nicaragua isn't doing very well economically, like every other communist or oppressive socialist state.

 

Daniel Ortega is still in power. How is the new Chinese canal coming along?

[cbb]

jpr.

 

I'm pretty sure I've not been reading anything from anyone affiliated with the Sandinista party or communist screed.

 

I'm merely reporting that our guide says everyone in the country gets free public education and that they are working to bring good medical care to all people, including those in the very isolated and rural areas.

 

I'm also sure that there was an Iran/Contra Affair; hearing were televised on US national television.

 

Double checking what I wrote I cannot find anywhere I said that Somoza was either bad or good...I reported what the university students in Leon thought and no where can I find anything I said about Ortega other than his party is currently in power....which it is.

 

I deal in history....not political opinion and I cannot see where I expressed an opinion about the government of Nicaragua--other than they are offering an education to everybody. To this retired teacher....that is a good thing....

[cbb]

fred 15--

 

our guide did discuss the chinese canal and that billions of dollars are being spent with many locals being employed.

 

He said his job had taken him into Managua and he saw several Chinese people eating lunch. The talk of Managua is that they are expecting "many many Chinese" to move there for years.

 

if you know anything about the French/US construction of the Panama Canal you'll know that many wanted the canal to be dug through Nicaragua. I don't know how the Chinese are going to remedy the constant threat of volcanoes blowing up, the salt-water intrusion into a fresh water lake, and potential loss of species.

 

The Chinese wanted a 100 year lease; they got a 50 year lease. I guess this will be something for some of us to watch.

 

I don't think many people realize how much $ China is spending around the world; for we worldies it is an awakening to see their influence seemingly everywhere.

[cbb]

Saturday, June 25, 2016 Day 175

 

Yesterday, June 24 we docked at Puntarenas, Costa Rica around 11 am.

 

It is an interesting dock since one has to walk ~500 yards from the ship to the town. Periodically there is a little shuttle that resembles a train that will pick up and deliver, but notice the word "periodically."

 

Shorex offered here are the "Econ Mangrove River Cruise" which takes you along the Tarcoles River in a covered roof, open air boat.

 

Another is the "Macaw Sanctuary and Puntarenas Exploration" which is self-explanatory.

 

The third offering "A Walk in the Clouds" is walking across suspended bridges in San Luis Park's forests, see the hummingbird and butterfly gardens, drive to El Jardin, and a brief shopping stop.

 

We opted for none of the above, walked off the ship after lunch and visited the many stalls set up along the bay front. I was not able to add to the local economy but others made up for my deficiencies.

 

Mr. Wonderful and I and 2 friends walked 1.5 miles to the lighthouse, ambled some side streets and returned to the aptly named Paseo de los Turistas.

 

The Paseo is a nice, wide walkway along the beach with stores, cafes, and small hotels across the street.

 

The beach is a black sand beach but we were not tempted to go into the water as it was murky and I don't walk into murky water for safety reasons.

Critters might be lurking!!

 

It was a very hot and very humid day and upon our return to the cabin we once again blessed the people who give us a/c! (thank you Willis Carrier!)

 

I thought now I'd bring you up-to-date on the white elephant auction, quilt project, and accompanying auction.

 

Ray Carr, our super Cruise Director, held a white-elephant sale. Many items were donated for this event and unanimously we all said this was THE BEST entertainment of our entire voyage!! Ray probably lost 5 lbs doing this as he continually swabbed his face!!

 

Craziest things were donated....Crest teeth stripes, Australian electrical extension cord, bubbles and children's sun-glasses. Also donated were some of the sarongs given us for the Bali feast (probably the guys donated theirs!), magnets, wine, and Ray donated lucky cats.

 

For the rest of my life, when I see one of these battery operated "lucky cats", the ones who have a paw that goes up and down like a crazed slot machine player, I will think of Ray Carr. (We learned, first-hand, that there are also solar powered lucky cats!!)

 

Periodically, he would hold one of these up and say, "oh look what I found...has to be the last one on board"....and of course, that was replayed to great laughter at least 4 times, including the lucky cat sitting on a fish....don't ask!

 

A couple of days later was the quilt raffle.

 

The quilt is finished, and was displayed on Deck 5 by the black grand piano with little ropes around it to protect it from people who "just have to touch it."

 

Raffle tickets were purchased by many of the Worldlies, since this was an event only for us and the winner would be one of us. Raffle tickets were $10 and there was no limit on the number one could purchase.

 

Before the lucky number was drawn, there was another auction. This time it was mainly things that had been donated by Oceania.

 

Again Ray was extraordinarily entertaining and Victor and reps from each of the main departments were there---it was hilarious as they were often the target of Ray's remarks!

 

There were 4 sea charts, autographed by all of the officers and signed and officially stamped by Captain Flokos.

 

The high bidder then had the opportunity of paying that same amount each for any number of additional charts and she decided to pay for all 4 of them .

 

Certificates were bid on to take 2 crew members of your choice to dinner in the Grand Dining Room, to Toscana, to Polo, to Terrace, and to Tea. Those were quite popular. Quilts handmade by Sukey also were quickly snapped up.

 

One of the worldlies wanted to take the crew to Martinis....he would be probably enshrined in the crew quarters! Offer was rejected...someone has to take care of us and after 6 months of doing nothing, we need all the help we can get!

 

Ray suggested that the winner of the Toscana dinner take Michail (I think that is the correct spelling) who is the maitre d in Polo so that he could order around Bruno, the maitre d in Toscana. Both of these great guys work breakfast and lunch together at Terrace.

 

We all could just imagine Michail saying "more pepper", "I think I'll sit here, no here....no here.."...in short, anything to tease Bruno. The audience loved it!

 

One woman won "Be the Cruise Director for a Day." Ray says he's sleeping in since his day starts at 5:30am. I don't believe there will be any sleeping in!

 

All too soon that part of the auction was over and it was time for the quilt raffle drawing. Victor Conceicao, our much loved General Manager, drew the magic number.

 

The quilt is truly a work of love, hard work, dedication, and artistry. Each of the squares is to represent a port or sight and each has hand-work on it; some are completely hand-done, others are photo transfers enhanced by embroidery, beading, etc.

 

Betsy, if you're reading this....what a lovely idea...thank you! Trish, thanks for making it all happen.

 

The room number and name of the winning ticket was announced with great fanfare...only to realize...the winner wasn't present. Still, nothing was said about having to be present to win...but it was something of a let-down, especially for the women who had worked so tirelessly on the quilt.

 

Ray had told us that ALL of the money collected was to go to the Crew Fund.

 

Many of the crew cannot afford ipads or phones to call home so the crew fund buys those for them, other times it is to rent the buses for crew trips to places like the Great Wall, and sometimes it is to buy prizes for crew contests to encourage and reward efficiency, hard work, or duty above and beyond.

 

Ray said that he once was talking to a cruise director for another line who was bragging about how much money they had in their crew fund but Ray said at the end of his cruise there was very little left since O believes in spending on the crew, not saving it.

 

Our grand total, including an anonymous matching gift, the 2 auctions and the quilt raffle is well over $15,000. We passengers are absolutely thrilled with that number and Ray is blown away. I'm just betting the crew will be happy as well!!

 

Lots of events coming up; we just had the RTW private auction/raffle, tonight is the O Club cocktail party and tomorrow as we go through the Canal two of the RTW people are opening their owner's suites for a progressive cocktail party, byob to share.

 

Monday is an evening RTW mix and mingle with officers, crew and passengers, Tuesday is the RTW dinner with the Captain (whom we all adore) and Victor.

 

Here we are divided into two groups, with one group dining in Polo, the other in Toscana and one room has the Captain, the other Victor. I cannot discern any pattern to the division.

 

Wednesday is a morning RTW mimosa party and Thursday evening out of Key West is a RTW-only "End of the World" sail away party.....sob!

 

Friday morning....back to reality....but I'll think about that another day.....

[fred 15]

Should be exciting. New expansion locks open tomorrow. Any fanfare, discussion, preparation on board?

[cbb]

fred 15-

 

Captain Flokos told today us at noon that we should arrive at the pilot station around 6am and then ~1.5 hrs to Miraflores. We'll be up top by daybreak.

 

Ray Carr said yesterday that the last word he had received was that we would NOT be going through the new one because we're too small...bummer!

 

Still, it would have been neat to be one of the first through the new system which is inaugurated tomorrow as you said. Still, I like the old one so I'm happy!

 

Nothing has been done special on board for this, but they are running the "A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama" with David McCullough, which is wonderful, on ship TV. (the title is one of the great palindromes)

 

Our enrichment lecturer Commander Donald Campbell spoke on the Canal this morning with more tomorrow.

 

I asked Commander Campbell later if he knew anything more about the Chinese Canal than what I'd heard yesterday. He said that the Chinese have spent billions and haven't done anything.

 

Mr. Wonderful is also very interested in the project and says that the latest he's read is that "people have drawn lines on a map" but that no infrastructure has appeared.

 

so i guess the answer to your question about the Chinese canal project is......nothing much has been done.

[ronrick1943]

This is about the best trip report I've seen. Thanks for taking the time, sounds like your having a great time.

[fred 15]

Thanks. Looking forward to your impression of there canal. There will probably be commentary from the bridge as you go through.

[cbb]

Ronrick1943- thanks for the kind words...and yes, we are having the trip of a lifetime, thoroughly enjoying ourselves, and ready, with others on board, to do it all again in 2019 (O, are you listening...we want to do it again!!!)

 

Fred 15, Yes, we have a gentleman that Ray thinks is great coming on board for commentary as we move through the locks and canal so that will be great.

 

Captain greeted me at the door tonight and said "This is the last time you and I will be doing this" and I pretended as if I was crying so Victor quickly retrieved a napkin and hugged me....oh Captain, my heart is breaking already. How do I say goodbye to everyone?

 

I'm getting quite the reputation evidently...Ray Carr told me tonight at the Captain's cocktail party that the communists are sitting on the left side of the Lounge tonight! What a great line! (guess the Sandinista sympathizer label is sticking!)

 

my child emailed me and said "you commie Sandinista you" (absolutely no respect from the kid!)

 

Wayne, who's also doing a thread on RTW on ccritic, didn't know if he could play trivia today with a pinko....let the record show that the "pinko" helped us to #1 today....just sayin'!!!

 

Tea is also being moved to Terrace so that people can go to Horizons throughout the day without feeling as if they are disrupting things. No Bingo or Trivia tomorrow--just an easy-going trip through the canal....nice.

 

more tomorrow! Good night from somewhere in the Pacific....

Edited June 26, 2016 by cbb

[2552phxcrzr]

On our westbound PC crossing in 2014, we saw quite a bit of the construction work on the new locks. Looking forward to seeing the completed locks next year as we go through the old locks once again.

[mohd07724]

Cynthia,

 

I enjoyed reading your posts and information in your posts will help us with 2018 RTW planning in few months. Good to hear that you are looking at 2019 .....

 

Thanks for taking the time to write detail log.

 

Regards,