Jan 2016 World Cruise live report

[Floridiana]

Today we were down by the customer service desk.* We overheard an individual say that they had just embarked in LA and for future reference was wondering what hours the service desk was open.* The lady helping there told him, "The desk is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." He responded, "Is that local time or Miami time?"*

 

 

Sounds like a true story.

We met an American couple once on a tour to the Blue Mountains who said they wanted to fly to Brazil from Miami. At the check-in desk at the airport, they were asked whether they had a visa. They showed their visa credit card.

[Waynetor]

Los Cabos is a municipality located at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, in the state of Baja California Sur.* The municipality is made of Cabo San Lucas and nearby Tranquil San Jose del Cabo which retains the look and vibe of an authentic Mexican town.* In San Jose del Cabo cobblestone streets, intimate restaurants and boutiques radiate from the central main square and mission church.* Cabo San Lucas economy, like many resort areas in Mexico, was based on fishing but over the last couple decades has become geared towards tourism.

Tourists can enjoy watching whales that visit the area in winter due to the warm waters.* Los Cabos has over 300–350 sunny days per year with a rainfall rate of less than 25cm (10in), which mostly comes during the hurricane season of August to October.

 

El Arco, commonly called "the Arch", is a reference point in Cabo San Lucas and is only reachable by boat.* The Arch is a distinctive rock formation at the southern tip of Cabo San Lucas.* Just south of the Arch is Land's End, a rock that juts over the water.* This is the last instance of land in Cabo marking the end of the Baja California Peninsula and the beginning of continuous open waters southward all the way to the Antarctic.*

 

This area has become very popular with Americans looking for relatively cheap retirement property with excellent weather.*

[Waynetor]

Bienvenido/Greetings from Mexico’s sunny shores in Cabo San Lucas.* For tourists Cabo San Lucas offers the perfect blend of warm hospitality, and relaxation with Mexican tradition and ultramodern facilities.

 

Great weather today - slight breeze, just a few thin clouds and very pleasant temp around 30c/86f. Originally we were to be here until 9pm but that got changed to 8pm somewhere along the way.

 

Today is our last tender port on this voyage.* For the last hour plus before anchoring we slowly moved along the coast and into the port area giving us nice views of the dry, hilly coast.* Looking over the side of the ship I briefly saw some dolphins, 4 turtles and dozens of rays that were very close to the ship and the water surface.**Within the Bay area there were rays jumping clear out of the water - I was told they were Eagle rays - very hard to photograph as you don't know exactly where they will pop up and they come and go so fast but I did manage to get 1 excellent photo.*

 

This area was hit in September 2014 by category 3 hurricane Odile causing a fair bit of damage to some resorts and the town including the port that was closed for 2 weeks but now it would be hard to tell that anything had happened.

 

This is our 2nd time here.* It’s about a 10 minute tender ride into a marina – mix of fishing, personal and tour boats.* Last time we took a small glass bottom boat out to the arch area – there were about a dozen seals on the rocks – the boats get up quite close. Even with the small number of seals there is a strong odour.* There were also a few seals swimming around in the marina along with pelicans looking for handouts from the fishing boats that toss waste and rejects overboard.* We then walked around the marina area for a bit –once you get more than a couple blocks away from the water, things quickly change from pure tourism to a normal Mexican town.* It’s a fair bit of a walk around the marina to get to the main beach and hotel zone or you can take a short taxi ride.*

 

Getting around the main tourist areas in a wheelchair was easy though some stores had a high step up at the entrance and thus were not accessible. Getting on the glass boat bottom boat meant going down a ramp and climbing in the boat – not easy for Freda but she managed that time.

 

Today we stayed on board until after lunch.* With a fair wave swell in the Bay tendering was taking longer than usual.* Open tendering did not start until around 2 and that is when I got off.* Once ashore I went to the left - there was a small boat ramp nearby where a local had the heads of 2 large fish - he was feeding a seal and selling strips of the fish to tourist who wanted to feed the seal.* The seal would slowly move up the ramp to the edge where the people were standing and very quickly grab the strip of fish and get back into the water.* Near the ramp I could see lots of colourful fish of various types so off came the sandals and in a I went a bit - with my underwater camera, I got some decent photos while adding another body of water to my list of having been in. From there I walked a bit further to a beach - it was being heavily used by locals.* From there I doubled back and started walking towards the resort area to check out the wonderful beaches.* The waterfront area around the vary large marina is a wide paved pathway with lots of restaurants/bars/shops and vendors offering fishing and other tours - selling boxes of cigars was also very common.*

 

With our late departure today some passengers got to enjoy a taste of some of the vibrant nightlife here but that did not include us. I got as far and a big mall and decided I had been gone long enough, and had seen enough beaches on this voyage with more to come - the beach area would have been further and I would have had to double back later (or take the taxi).

 

Paying in US$ in easier than paying in pesos for goods and services in the tourist area* - I saw nothing priced in peso and there were vending machines for converting other currencies to US$.

 

Cabo San Lucas boasts a long list of operators that offer water activities like fishing, para-sailing, surfing and scuba diving making it a favourite destination for winter-weary northerners.* From the ship you can watch lots of para-sailers and jet skiers out on the water.* While activities based around the sea are very popular, ATV adventures to the desert and golf are also popular.* Business has been slow here during late spring but is just starting to pick up a bit as summer vacationers come to the resorts.* I noticed a very wide range of ages of the tourist here - young couple, families and older folk. Cruise ships in the summer are rare.

 

In town I got talking to a shop keeper that looked and sounded American so I asked him about it.* He said that “yes he was from the States but came here on vacation, loved it, and decide to set up a business.* “But” he warned me, “that it is not for everyone”.* He told me a story about 2 Americans that tried to set up a business here.*

Alice and Frank thought they could make a lot of money running their own bungee-jumping service so they pooled their money and bought everything they needed; a tower, an elastic cord, insurance, etc. They began to setup in the town square.* As they are constructing the tower, a crowd begins to assemble.* Slowly, more and more people gathered to watch them work.* When they had finished, there was such a crowd they thought it would be a good idea to give a demonstration.

So, Alice jumped, she bounced at the end of the cord, but when she came back up, Frank noticed that she had a few cuts and scratches.

Unfortunately, Frank wasn't able to catch her and she fell again, bounced and came back up again.* This time, she was bruised and bleeding.

Again, Frank missed her. Alice fell again and bounced back up. This time she came back pretty messed up -- she had a couple of broken bones and is almost unconscious. Luckily, Frank finally caught her and said, "What happened? Was the cord too long?"

Barely able to speak, Alice gasps, "No, the bungee cord was fine...It was the crowd. What the hell is a piñata?"

 

Today’s thought for the day - "Cruising has two pleasures. One is to go out in wider waters from a sheltered place. The other is to go into a sheltered place from wider waters." - Howard Bloomfield

[Floridiana]

Well, well Wayne, that story doesn't play nice.

[Waynetor]

A very happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.

 

Today started with a rain and a thunderstorm around 8am and slowly improved from there.* We did not see the sun at all until around noon.* The seas were a bit bumpy - just enough to make the sighting of any sea life very difficult most of the day - by late afternoon it was much calmer with beautiful clear skies.* I saw flying fish - the first time in quite awhile, and later a small pod of dolphins.* At one point late in the afternoon we could see the mountainous coast of Mexico but that did not last too long.***

 

I don’t want to be a name dropper but we have a VIP on board for this last segment.* The VIP walked up to one little old lady, shook her hand and asked, "Madame, do you know who I am?"

She pointed and answered, "No I don't, but if you ask the nice lady at the front desk, she will be able to help you."

 

Today’s thoughts of the day – “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.”- Jim Valvano

“The greatest thing a father can do to his children is to love their mother.” - Anjaneth Garcia Untalan

“It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a father.” – Pope John XXIII

"Having children is like living in a frat house - nobody sleeps, everything's broken, and there's a lot of throwing up." - Ray Romano

[Floridiana]

Food for thought!

[Waynetor]

Acapulco is a major seaport in the state of Guerrero. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico's history. Much of the city is surrounded by the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains.

 

The resort area is divided into two: The north end of the bay is the "traditional" area, where the famous in the mid-20th-century vacationed; and the south end is dominated by newer luxury high-rise hotels. Tourism is by far the biggest source of income for the area - it has been under threat in recent times due to some criminal activity and tourist are warned to be extra cautious. The beach life and the high energy night-life that goes with it are both big draws for tourist to come here.

 

The average high in June is 32c (89f).* June is 1 of the wettest moths - averaging 12 days of rain 263mm or 10.4in.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Waynetor

[Waynetor]

Forgot to mention yesterday we had another time change - but tonight we get it back so once again we will be 2 hours behind Miami.

 

After feeling like it is summer for most of the last 5+ months we can finally say summer has arrived.**First time we have ever been on a cruise ship in the summer.* Today was mostly sunny, hot and bit humid with a breeze only if right by the bay.

 

We had a lovely sail into Acapulco this morning.* Sailing along the coast we had a fair view of starting around 9am, but it was hazy until we got close to the harbour.* The seas were very calm.* We were flanked by dolphins for a good part of the way - I could clearly see them well below the surface right by the ship.* I also saw 4 sea turtles this morning but no rays like near Cabo.

 

Like the last time here I just got off for a walk along the beach.* We were warned here and in Cabo about drinking any water including ice cubes at any bars in town - could lead to an unpleasant evening or day tomorrow.

 

Near the port there was lots of taxis offering rides or tours.* It is only about a 5 minute or so walk from the pier to the start of the main beach area.* Along the first part the beach was just nice but once over to the hotel district, a stretch of white sugar like sand starts.* The earlier area has bars and restaurants and some chairs to rent.* It was being used mainly by local Mexicans.* Tourism is way down here and some restaurant have gone out of business.**There are many tourist stores, restaurants and cafes along the waterfront with everything priced in US$.* Lots of opportunities to do some sampling of Mexico’s iconic spirit tequila, either straight up or in a tropical drink (if you are willing to gamble on the ice).

 

The people who live at and near this port of call are very dependent on the tourism industry.* Although we are a relatively small ship, as we are out of the main tourist season they were glad to have any extra tourist arrive.* As you walk the town you are approached by many of the locals who ask/say.

"Taxi"

"Would you like to take a Taxi for $3.00?"

"Would you like to come into my store?"

"Would you like some jewelry?"

"Would you like an iced cold beer?"

"Would you like me to show you the beach?"

"Would you like to eat at my restaurant?"

This continues on the beach where many vendors come up to you trying to sell you some of the many things they are carrying which includes typical beach items and various foods* Given their dependence on tourism this is very understandable especially at this slow season and they know we are only in port for a short time.* This is all part of travel and in the end people need to make a living so we fully understand all of this as long as they are not aggressive when I say” NO”.

 

One thing I saw last time on the beach and again today was a very labour intensive fishing effort.* A very large net had been placed out in the harbour - a few hundred feet or 100m or so and then a team of 10 start pulling the 2 ends towards the shore slowly making the ends closer as they pull it in and after nearly an hour, dragging the fish up on the beach where they are sorted and sold at the road side.* About 30 pelicans had gathered to snatch up any that jumped out or any rejects at the end.

 

Straight across the road from the dock is a fort - there is a pedestrian bridge to take you across the road but there is still a paved path going further up - the fort is on a hill about the same height as the ship and its cannons are pointed right at us.*

 

There was a very heavy police (both military and tourist assistance personnel) presence around the waterfront area today.* Being from Canada, I'm not used to seeing truck loads of police going around holding automatic rifles.* I' m sure this helps to keep some of the local problems out of the tourist areas and makes us feel safer but at the same time, I think more people stayed on the ship all day than did in Cabo.

 

In our original itinerary Acapulco was listed, but in May that was changed to Peurto Valarta and then on June 15 it was changed back to Acapulco.* I would have loved to hear all the negotiations going on between the city and Oceania to get us to change - lots of rumours around the ship but they are all just guesses.* I can't verify this, but was told tonight that last year Acapulco had 160 ships dock here while this year only 11 are scheduled so they are really hurting for business.* Some of the issue is security, but it is also other Mexican cities making deals with the cruise lines that want to vary their itineraries from time to time.

 

Tonight we set sail about 15 minutes early, just a bit after it had become dark.* Instead of any show in the lounge we had a sailaway party up on deck 9 - basically the Insignia band with a few songs by the CD staff (some excellent singers in the group).* A good chance for some to dance and there were bucket of beer specials.

 

Today is another one of those days where we reflect on just how grand this voyage has been.* We think of the thousands of passengers that boarded in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale this weekend that will disembark and be home before us – many of those had not even booked their cruise when we embarked.

 

With this long voyage we’ve gotten to know our cabin steward more than one would normally do on a cruise.* Today I asked him “Without mentioning cabins number have you had weird experiences on this cruise?”* He said “Nothing special for him but he heard one passenger that got on in LA for their first ever cruise and shortly after boarding called the front desk saying that they were trapped in their cabin.”* When the clerk asked for clarification, the new passenger replied “Well, I see 3 doors, the first door opens a closet, the second door opens to the bathroom and third door has a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign right next to it.”

 

Today’s thought of the day - Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. - Mark Twain (1835–1910)

[Floridiana]

It's a shame when people don't get off a ship because of fear.

[2552phxcrzr]

Even in 2002 when we visited Acapulco, people were refusing to get off the ship. Sad really. I say be aware of the alerts and warnings, add a good dose of common sense to your sightseeing plans, and go and enjoy. Bad things can happen anywhere ... look what happened in Orlando recently.

[Waynetor]

Day 171 T - Jun 21 – at sea

 

Today started off as a typical tropical day - sunny, hot and humid and the seas were very calm* Around noon the wind picked up and the seas got rougher with more clouds moving in.* The captain explained that with the topography of the coast near us (Mexico/Guatemala border area) it is usually windy in this area. Before the seas got to rough for great viewing I did see a pod of dolphins at breakfast and very close to the ship a couple turtles along with flying fish.

 

One of the big events of the day was the white elephant sale - passengers, especially those doing the 180, donated goods they had bought but really had no use for once they got home.* Freda and I took a look at the large number of items and agreed they had no place in our home either.* Most of the items originally would have been on the cheap side but the CD did a great job of auctioning and for some items, he got well over retail - it was all for a good cause as the money (over $1,200) went to a staff fund.

 

I spent some time today going over photos taken by a wonderful photographer on board.* He and his wife have taken over 100,000 photos so far.* I copied about 50 or so of his better ones mostly from tours we had done together.* It is wonderful that people are willing to share as we both saw the same things but often from different points or moments and he has a much better camera.* One of his photos will make a great closing photo for the book I hope to do.*

 

Freda and I are experiencing a great deal of relief today - when we left Toronto we had a return flight booked on AA leaving Miami at 12:35. On Ju 16 we got a notice our flight had been changed to 8:08pm meaning we would be waiting over 11 hours for the flight and have to buy our our lunch and dinner. Trying to keep rack of all our luggage and Freda's equipment for that time would have been very difficult and we could not do any tours. We are now very thankful for the help of staff on board Insignia for their help in getting a new, non stop flight leaving at 12:10.

 

Tomorrow in Guatemala I have recently managed to get a spot on a private tour.* The tour is to Lake Atitlan located in the Guatemalan Highlands.* This lake is the deepest lake in central America and is surrounded by 3 volcanoes.* The tour includes a boat ride on the lake to visit a Mayan town.

 

Today’s thought for the day - “Do not insult the mother alligator until after you have crossed the river.” – Old Haitian Proverb

[Floridiana]

I am looking forward to your report on the lake!

[hypercafe]

Before your trip is over I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your travel log. It's like my trip is also ending in a few days.

[2552phxcrzr]

Day 171 T - Jun 21 – at sea

 

Today’s thought for the day - “Do not insult the mother alligator until after you have crossed the river.” – Old Haitian Proverb

 

There's a similar saying in Turkish to the effect that until you cross the bridge you call the bear uncle. :D

 

I like the thought of a white elephant sale. We will be bringing a few things with us that we normally wouldn't consider traveling with that we might not want to take back home ... this way there will be some benefit to leaving them behind.

[Waynetor]

The Republic of Guatemala in Central America is bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, Honduras to the southeast and El Salvador to the southwest.* Its area is 108,890sq km (42,043sq mi) with an estimated population of just over 16 million. Guatemala's abundance of biologically significant and unique ecosystems contributes to Mesoamerica's designation as a biodiversity hotspot.

 

After independence from Spain in 1821, Guatemala was a part of the Federal Republic of Central America and after its dissolution the country suffered the same political instability that characterized the region during mid to late 19th century.* Early in the 20th century, Guatemala had a mixture of democratic governments as well as a series of dictators.* From 1960 to 1996, Guatemala underwent a civil war fought between the government and leftist rebels (over 200,000 lives lost).* Following the war, Guatemala has witnessed both economic growth and successful democratic elections.* As of 2011 the estimated median age in Guatemala is only 20 years old.* This is the lowest medium age of any country in the Western Hemisphere and comparable to most of central Africa and Iraq.

 

The classic Maya civilization which collapsed around 900 AD is represented by countless sites throughout Guatemala.* The Spanish started several expeditions to Guatemala, beginning in 1519.* Before long, Spanish contact resulted in an epidemic that devastated native populations.

Along with Belize, El Salvador and Honduras there is a lot of Mayan history here.* In Guatemala around 60% of the population have some Maya ancestry (the percent is growing as the Mayans are having large families).* Over 6 million speak a variety of Maya dialects.* With over 2.3 million speakers the Kiche dialect is the most common.* Brightly coloured huipil gowns are still woven by Guatemalan women on had looms and are a popular souvenir.

 

The country is mountainous with small desert and sand dune patches, hilly valleys, except for the south coastal area and the vast northern lowlands.* Two mountain chains enter Guatemala from west to east, dividing the country into 3 major regions.* There are 33 volcanoes, several of which are still regularly active making them temporally closed to hikers.

 

The local currency is quetzal – named after the rainbow-plumed Quetzal, the sacred bird of the Maya.

 

Puerto Quetzal is Guatemala's largest Pacific Ocean port. It is important for both cargo traffic and as a stop-off point for cruise liners.

There is not a lot of interest for cruise passenger in the immediate vicinity of the port, but there is a market selling lots of crafts and souvenir items for those who choose not to take any tours inland as well as several bars, a restaurant, and performances from Marimba bands.* The nearest town, San Jose, is about a mile away. Cruise lines list this as the port for La Antigua Guatemala (normally just called Antigua), which is approximately 90 minutes away by bus.* The Central Park in Antigua is an UNESCO site with its cobbled streets and ancient colonial history dating back to 1543. The area is surrounded by volcanoes, mountains and coffee plantations.* World class golf and other various tour packages are offered specially created for cruise passengers.

[Waynetor]

The cruise ship port area was very nice with lots of shops, vendor stalls, cafes, and wifi. Very clean and easy, just walk off the ship. There were taxis and tour vans available there. I noticed the local women mostly wore brightly coloured, patterned outfits that looked very nice. We had a dedicated cruise ship dock but this is a busy tanker port area - I could see at least 6 ships anchored off the port waiting their turn to come in.

 

A lot of passengers today went to the UNESCO historical town La Antigua. A trip there offers great views of the volcanoes. Our roll call had a tour to there but I was too late to get on the list.

 

Our group of 25 met our guide at 8:30 and we were off in a bus that could hold up to 33. Shortly after getting out of the port area we could see 3 volcanoes although they were in a bit of a haze. Today was a hot but cloudy day - just a brief hint of sun around mid day so that even when we got close to the volcanoes, the tops were in and out of the clouds. One of the volcanoes is very active and has frequent small eruptions with lava flow. As we drove by we could see a small eruption - a cloud of steam rising from the top but due to the haze and distance we did not notice any lava - especially hard when driving highway speed. The area has earthquakes in the 3 to 4 range almost every day and they had 1 a few days ago around 5.4.

 

To get to the lake it took 2 hours 40 minutes with a short break. The first main crop we passed was filed of sugar can, later it was mostly corn and as the elevation rose there was many coffee plantations. The sugar is the biggest crop export with most going to Russia. Our guide told us since the end of the civil war this area has been mostly peaceful and the crimes we hear about are mainly in the Guatemala City area. He also pointed out that while many women still where the traditional clothing, most men don't - men often buy western clothes cheaply at 2nd hand stores supplied by goods some sources such as Goodwill. The biggest source of income for many here is remittance from family members that have emigrated to the US or Canada with tourism being the biggest local source of income.

 

Lake Atitlan is around 1,700m or over 5,000ft elevation. Once at the lake we broke into 2 groups for a half hour boat ride to Santigo. The population there is around 25,000 of which a high percent is Mayan heritage. The lake is odd shaped but very large - the largest in Central America. The lake is the caldera of all the surrounding volcanoes that has slowly filled with rain water.

 

We were greeted both before and when we got off, by street vendors, mostly with small items to sell. In town we walked up hill on the street that was lined with tourist shops, many offering the same items - as our guide said - if you see the same item in multiple places it is machine made - hand made items will have small flaws and mostly be unique. Popular items are colourful prints and fabrics that make wall hanging, carvings, jewelry, handbags, clothing such as shoes and belts and various trinkets. Besides the tuk- tuks taxis, a common way to get around is in the back of pickup trucks that have bars to hold onto - we all pilled into 2 vans and drove about a mile to a small Mayan temple. In Guatemala there is a large mix of Christian faith brought by the Spaniards and the old Mayan religions. The temple with a heavy incense presence had a Mayan god statue plus 2 Christian statues. From there we went to the Santiago Apostal founded in 1547. This colourful church had many figurines posed in various Christian scenes. Outside the church an elderly Mayan women was showing us how she takes a 60ft piece of cloth and makes a head piece that appears to be a hat. She got tips from us and then went on to do the same for other tourist.

 

Next we had lunch where we could order what we wanted from the menu - it did not too long but before we knew it is was time to rush back to the boats and start heading back - unfortunately no time for shopping.

 

On the way back to the ship it was very overcast and we actually drove through the clouds in places and had some light rain so the volcano viewing was poor then. We made it back to Insignia with 10 minutes to spare before final boarding.

 

US currency was readily accepted at any tourist related site and bargaining down the price around 40% was common.

 

Our tour today in a nice AC van cost us $70 each which included bottled water but no lunch. The guide was Carios Mijangos - he has been a guide here for about 20 years and his English was excellent. The person arranging the tour found him on Tripadvisor.

 

I thought the tour gave us a great glimpse into the current life of the Mayan people and we learned a lot about the country but unfortunately a lot of the time was taken up in travel - the port is where it is and the lake is where it is and the roads are what they are so not much could be done differently other than leave right as we had clearance which would of given us 30 more minutes. .

 

For tomorrow in Nicaragua I have another private tour. This time there are 20 of us. We have an a/c bus that holds 27 so we should be comfortable. This tour with Julio Tours Nicaragua will cost us $55US each. We will starting as soon as we can get off the ship once cleared. Its description is:

We will be picked up at the port and do a 1 hour drive to the city of Leon. On our way will make stops so we can take pictures of 3 of Nicaragua’s beautiful volcanoes.

Once we arrive in Leon, we will take a short sightseeing tour by car to give us an idea of the layout of the city. Then together we will park and explore this fascinating old city up close on foot. The walking tour will last 1 hour. It starts with a visit to the Calvary Church and other Cathedrals built hundreds of years ago by the Spanish. They all have cultural, spiritual and artistic significance. We can enter to see the Fresco paintings and statues that fill them all. We will visit the bustling Central Market like a local and have the chance to buy everything from Cuban Cigars, Nicaraguan coffee and souvenirs to local art.

At that point, we will have 40 minutes to walk freely to explore and photograph a city that has been a favourite of visitors for hundreds of years. We will have time to enjoy a beer or some Nicaraguan coffee.

Next we meet as a group again and walk together to visit one of the most beautiful Art Galleries in world, The Ortiz Gurdian. The art includes everything from Flemish masterworks from the 1400’s to Picasso and modern artist. This visit will also be about 45 minutes.

After the gallery it will be time for lunch. Leon offers many options to please anyone.We can choose from local food, sold by street vendors, or sit and enjoy a nice restaurant or cafe. It is our choice and we will have 1 hour to eat and relax. The tour operator recommends a restaurant which has a good menu including pork, chicken or beef any of them roast and it is coming with Salad, Rise, beans, French fries or fried plantain, a fruit drink or bottle water. It is $10.00us but is optional it is our own choice.

After lunch once everyone has eaten, we are ready to leave Leon center and go to explore the indigenes neighborhood Sutiava, where we will see a nice church and history of this area.

From here we will head back to Corinto where our ship will be waiting for you. We will return by 5:00 PM.

The tour includes round trip from Corinto to Leon and other stops as well as entrance fees and bilingual tour guide.

 

Chocolātl is a word passed down from the Mayan and Aztec. They held the cacao bean in such esteem that it was used as a currency. Their early version of chocolate was reserved only for nobles. I’ll give them a bit of a toast as I have my nightly chocolate treat tonight. Guacamole also has Mayan roots.

 

Today’s quotes of the day –“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.”- John Steinbeck 1902-1968

- “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber

Edited June 23, 2016 by Waynetor

[Floridiana]

Wayne,

Thank you so much for your entertaining reports. I enjoyed it very much, but I have to sign off now for an adventure of my own. :)

[Waynetor]

The Republic of Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American isthmus, bordering Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south.* The Pacific Ocean lies to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east.* The country's physical geography divides it into three major zones: Pacific lowlands; wet, cooler central highlands; and the Caribbean lowlands.* On the Pacific side of the country are the two largest fresh water lakes in Central America—Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua. Surrounding these lakes and extending to their northwest along the rift valley of the Gulf of Fonseca are fertile lowland plains, with soil highly enriched by ash from nearby volcanoes of the central highlands.

The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century. Nicaragua gained its independence from Spain in 1821. Since its independence, Nicaragua has undergone periods of political unrest, dictatorship, and fiscal crisis—the most notable causes that led to the Nicaraguan Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.* Nicaragua is a representative democratic republic, and has experienced economic growth and political stability in recent years.* With the conflicts now long over, the United Nations has declared Nicaragua now has the lowest crime rates in the Americas.

 

The population of Nicaragua, approximately 6 million is multiethnic.* Spanish is the main language but several others are common including English in some areas.* The biological diversity, warm tropical climate, and active volcanoes make Nicaragua an increasingly popular tourist destination.

 

Corinto is a town of 16,624 on the northwest Pacific coast located in sheltered Corinto Bay.* The municipality was founded in 1863 and was named in honour of the Greek city of Corinth.* It is Nicaragua's largest Pacific port handling a wide variety of goods.

In 1998 areas of Corinto were destroyed by Hurricane Mitch.

 

The town is not set up to handle a lot of tourist and the poverty is quite obvious.* The streets of Corinto are lined with quaint little shops (generally non tourist type) and lovely church buildings plus a museum but when ships come in tours go mostly to other areas such as the city of Leon or to see volcanoes along with fishing or boat rides to small islands with beaches.

[Waynetor]

This is a small port area.* There is cargo shipping done here but I did not see any freighters in the area.* Other than driving up and back down 1 street we did not see much of the town.* After we returned to the port, the guide told us there was a local market a block over and several passengers went to check it out.

 

The same tour company had another van full of passengers from our roll call that did the same tour, just a different person organizing it.* Since we were first, we had the tour company owner as guide. Most of the passengers doing Oceania tours did the same places we went.* We ended up with 24 in our van - the only seats empty were those that fold down in the middle isle so it was good there was no others.

 

Our tour to Leon was very nice.* Julio, the guide, started by giving us a lot of history and other info on the current situation here in Nicaragua.* Some of his points - Nicaragua is currently the safest country in Central America but there is a lot of unemployment as the country is only slowly recovering from the 45 year dictatorship, followed by embargoes, and civil war.* Some of the exports here include shrimp, peanuts, sugar, banana, coffee, cigars, and gold.

 

We did mostly what was on the original plan.* When we did a photo stop to look at the volcanoes we did not see any steam coming out but later in the day there was some at the top of one volcano.* Most of the way to Leon was verily flat with the ring of mountains off it the distance. After the photo stop Julio spent about 20 minutes explaining how the country got into a civil war and what his personal experience was including torture - very educational and it had great ending as a nephew of his former enemy saw in him a future and paid for his education to learn English so he could become a tourist guide.

 

Leon with a population of near 200,000 is the 2nd largest city in Nicaragua.* The present city is 18km (11mi) east of the Pacific Ocean coast.* The original Leon was founded in 1524 about 32km (20mi) east of the present site.* The city was abandoned in 1610 after a series of earthquakes. The city is mainly east of Corinto but also a bit south.* Leon is rich in both monuments and historical places.* There are about a dozen churches that predate the mid-1800s.* Although there were car type taxis, the most common is bicycles with a seating area added to the from - 2 people comfortably but a 3 could fit. After visiting the first area in Leon which included a large local market with all the wonderful sites we had become used to in Asia, we piled into a group of bicycles and moved on towards the Central Park area. We started at 1 large cathedral, and the walked through another market that filled a street that had been closed off before reaching the Central Park.* There we found a wide range of colonial buildings including city hall and a museum, statues, and again a very large cathedral.* Some vendors were set up there and we had time to look around.* The down side was 1 lady in our group had her wallet taken from her purse.* Before leaving there, the guide took food orders - beef or chicken or nothing to help save time at the restaurant.* We walked a couple blocks to the restaurant which was a nice location and setting.* It was very good that we had pre-ordered as it still seemed to take a long time for everyone to get served.*

 

We did not go to the Ortiz Gurdian art gallery as planned, but did go to an area with a caldera that would have been several acres in size with a large number of spots with boiling mud.* It was important to stay on the paths as the rocky base is thin in some parts.* The boiling mud was giving off a lot of steam and when on the down wind side the sulpher smell was overwhelming.**the day was already hot and sunny, but here it was extra hot, hot, hot!!*

 

On the way back to Corinto we made a stop along the waterfront for a nice photo op of the waves crashing on the black sand beach. Some in our group could not resit the nice, cold $1.25 local beers at a waterfront bar.

 

Based on the number of people on the tour, it only cost us $50 US each.*

We found most of the locals we met to be warm and friendly. Liberal use of Hola and Gracias always brings a smile.* Tourism is not big here and they are happy to see more people experiencing their country.

 

Tomorrow in Costa Rica I have another small group (15) tour while Freda will enjoy (hopefully) a quiet afternoon on Insignia.* The tour was with Gio Tours and cost $69us.* We get off the ship as soon as we are cleared.* Our itinerary is:

We will have lunch right away. After lunch we are going to the monkeys sightseeing area (about this one, just for you to have it on mind they usually get there only in the mornings so let's hope we could see them!), then the fruit stands.* We would be getting to the Jungle Boat Cruise around 3pm (which will be amazing because in the late afternoon we would probably see a great amount of birds and wildlife), then followed by a great ocean view point up in the hill where let's hope we can see an amazing sunset too. We'll be having a countryside tour on the road followed by a city tour on Puntarenas, where at the end we could stop to shop for coffee and vanilla essence if anyone in the party needs to buy something.

 

A little story from someone on another tour – They were traveling with a guide through one of the thickest jungles in Nicaragua, when they come across an ancient temple. The tourist was entranced by the temple, and asked the guide for details. The guide stated that archaeologists are carrying out excavations, and still finding great treasures. The tourist then queried how old the temple is.

“This temple is 1,503 years old”, replied the guide.

Impressed at this accurate dating, he inquires as to how he gave this precise figure.

“Easy”, replied the guide, “the archaeologists said the temple was 1,500 years old, and that was 3 years ago”

 

Today’s thought for the day - Never forget where you've been. Never lose sight of where you're going. And never take for granted the people who travel the journey with you. - Ritu Ghatourey

[SellaVee]

I can hardly believe you've only a week to go. It's been a joy travelling with you.

[RJB]

I can hardly believe you've only a week to go. It's been a joy travelling with you.

We also have enjoyed traveling with the world cruise. Gets me into to the mood to try one myself. One day??? Thanks

[Waynetor]

The Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Its coastline is 212km (132mi) on the Caribbean coast and 1,016m (631mi) on the Pacific coast. The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripo, at 3,819m (12,530ft). Over 25% of Costa Rica's national territory is protected the National System of Conservation Areas.

 

While Costa Rica only accounts for .03% of the Earth’s land surface, it has 5% of its flora and fauna species. This small country has more butterflies than all Europe and has 860 bird species that live here year round plus additional that migrates through.

 

Christopher Columbus sailed to the eastern shores of Costa Rica during his final voyage in 1502. It is the only Latin American country to have been a democracy since 1950 or earlier. It has no military but uses the saved money on health care and education.

 

The population is about 4.6 million.

 

With Costa Rica being located between 8 and 12 degrees north of the Equator, the climate is tropical year round. However, the country has many microclimates depending on elevation, rainfall, topography, and by the geography of each particular region. The "summer" or dry season goes from December to April, and "winter" or rainy season goes from May to November.

 

Puntarenas (means sand point) sits on a long, narrow peninsula in the Gulf of Nicoya on the Central Pacific Coast. This area stretching down to Panama has fantastic flora and fauna, radiant beaches, incredible eco adventure opportunities, and majestic national parks. The city’s main drag, a wide walkway fronting the beach that's jam-packed with places to shop and eat (fresh seafood is very popular ), is even called Paseo de los Turistas -- loosely, "stroll of the tourists." About 80% of the local economy is from fishing.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Waynetor

[Waynetor]

Ouch – one week to go – the end is in sight.

 

Once again we had a relaxing morning and got to enjoy the slow approach to this port. From the time we got up this morning we were cruising not too far off the coast with good views of the mountains all along the way.* Today is a hot, humid one, had sunshine to start but it clouded over by the time we got off for our tour.

 

This morning they had an auction that only those on the full world voyage could participate in.* Everything raised, along with the raffle ticket sales for the wonderful quilt was for the staff welfare fund - goes to prizes for various staff events and to help staff enjoy tours and when a special bus in needed to shuttle staff.* Some highlights were: An actual ship flag with the world cruise crest signed by the officers on board $500, a passenger had donated all the fridge magnets they used to decorate their cabin door $325, 4 voyage charts from segments (some maps were used on more than 1 segment) sold for $1,240, be CD for a day including making the TV show, eating in crews mess area, making announcements from the bridge and all show introductions - $550 and various dinning with 2 crew of choice - at tea time $60 up to dinner in Polo at $550.* The total from the auction was $5,010 and over another $5,000 in raffle tickets for the quilt - an excellent effort by those doing the world cruise in appreciation of the staff on board.

 

Costa Rica's real draw is its lush, natural beauty and biodiversity.* Most of its wildlife is protected from hunting by law.* Most cruise travelers use Puntarenas as a kick-off point for eco-adventures on the ground (horseback riding or hiking in the rainforest), in the water (river cruising, kayaking, white-water rafting) and even in the air (zip-lining, an activity which originated here and now has become popular throughout the Americas and the Caribbean).*

 

Costa Rican coffee is a very popular souvenir (tours of plantations are available).

 

A common phrase here is “pura vida”, literally “pure life”.* It is used as a response for how someone is and also used to say hello, goodbye or life is good (a sign of happiness).* If you ask any Tico (native Costa Rican) how they are, they always answer pura vida with a smile.

 

On our previous time here we did a tour organized on the roll call.* It included a nice drive out into the country side, passing through several small villages each with a couple dozen homes, a school and a church but the main stop was a slow, peaceful river cruise in a boat through the lush rainforest with about 20 others that was great for bird and other wildlife viewing.* We had a nice local lunch there also.* Just as we were getting settled back on the bus for the return trip someone asked if there were many monkeys in the area.* The guide said they are only occasionally seen – as soon as the words were out of her mouth 1 appeared in the tree right next to the bus.

 

The tour I did today was similar.* We decided that it would be better to eat just before leaving the ship at noon and do something else with that time.* We had only been on the road about a minute when the rain started.* At our first stop, the rain ended as we pulled into the parking lot.* This was part of the rain-forest that had a large number of White Face Capuchin monkeys.* We could position ourselves holding a lower branch with 1 hand and a piece of fruit in the other and the monkeys would come down the branch , along 1 arm crawl over your head and down the other arm and grab the food - lots of great photo ops.**

 

The next stop was at a small variety store that also had crafts and other souvenirs as well as a restroom. We could have free coffee samples.* The store was next to the river we would later sail on - from the bridge I could see about 30 large crocodiles all at one spot and the rivers edge. *The river is about 150km (90mi) long and has about 3,000 crocodiles .

 

As we approached the river cruise area the driver spotted a pair of rainbow coloured macaws high up in a dead tree so we stopped and got some great photos of them and a few vultures.* Once again our timing was just right, as we were about to climb back into the van and as another van stopped, the birds flew off.

 

There are several companies doing river cruises in this area.* Today we were with Jose's Crocodile River Cruise - In the boat there was our group and about 6 others from another group.* There was lots of room in the boat so most people could switch sides when needed.* The crocodiles in the main area we cruised are mostly 3.5 -5m (12 - 17ft) long.* We were all warmed multiple times to keep all body parts inside the boat - despite that 3 times one of the boat guides got out and fed a crocodiles that was on the river bank some chicken parts.* We also saw a Jesus lizard (walks on water), iguanas and red crabs but besides the crocodiles the big draw was the birds - some we saw included Tiger Heron, Woodstork, egrets, Yellow Crested Cara Cara, Spoonbill, Ibis and Cormorants.***

 

We had seen some distant lightning on the cruise and almost as soon as we got back in the van it started to rain again - this time it lasted for some time.* We next stopped at a couple stores that were purely souvenir based - out back there was a wood carver and 1 member of our group got him to engrave the piece they bought of his.* Next we went to Zephyr palace - a resort high on a hill overlooking the ocean - the rain stopped just before we got there but the view was completely blocked by mist.* We had a cocktail there to make up for the missed lunch - as we started or drinks the mist cleared enough for us to see the ocean down below - our guide estimated we were up about 600m (1,000ft) but it seemed more.* We could hear various birds calls but 1 stood out very clearly as being different.* Our guide point out a Tocan in a tree that was about 100m (300ft) away - he has great eyes so another round of great photos.* As we were about to leaves it was dusk and the mist moved back in.* On the way back to the ship we made a stop at a grocery/department store that some had requested.*

 

We had a great day and were very fortunate with the weather and nature sightings - just would have been great to seen the sun setting at the resort.

 

US$ are accepted almost everywhere - in fact many workers are paid in US$ and there is a movement to make the US$ the only currency.

 

We were back on the ship around 7:40.

 

Like the previous 2 ports, there would be nothing to do tour wise for anyone needing a wheelchair.* There has also not been any Oceania shuttles offered since LA.

 

Optimist/ pessimist thoughts for the day -

Optimist: Someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it’s a cha-cha - Robert Brault

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill

I have never seen a monument erected to a pessimist. - Paul Harvey, Radio commentator

The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”-John Maxwell or "The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails." - William A. Ward

Challenges can be stepping stones or stumbling blocks. It’s just a matter of how you view them. -Unknown

[Waynetor]

We had another time change last night so we are back to 1 hour behind Miami.

 

We have mostly cloudy skies this morning with some light showers followed by a mostly sunny afternoon.* The temp is nice and the seas just have a bit of a swell.* Mostly it is just us and the deep blue sea but we passed several other cargo ships and have had a number of birds following the ship much of the day.* Though the afternoon we passed the occasional island - they generally just appear as a dark lump off in the distance.* We saw lots of flying fish near the bow, but generally just one at a time, and they fly really, really fast, skipping a couple times, reaching up to around 20m (65ft) it seems.

 

A verily quite day today - a chance to go through some photos from yesterday - like everyone else I was snapping as many photographs as possible of the spectacular nature. *We had to fill out the end of cruise documents yesterday so they are planning to ship us out soon.

 

During his noon talk from the bridge the Captain discussed the approx canal transit schedule tomorrow:*pick up pilot around 6am and start transit between 7:30 and 8am and complete the transit between 4 and 5 in the afternoon - but all is subject to change.

 

We had a schedule dinner tonight in Polo but our afternoon trivia team decided to do a final dinner together in the MDR.* It has been a great team - Freda and I joined 2 members in Capetown and the other 4 joined in Singapore.* It was both a fun and most memorable evening.*

At dinner someone asked me "A penny for your thoughts" on one of those subjects we normally try to avoid, but I decided this time to put my two cents in.* It all seemed OK at the time, but I later wondered what happened to the other penny?

 

We have been less than impressed with the shows in the lounge since Hawaii but last night the comedian, Rick Starr was incredibly good.* I don’t believe I have laughed so hard in a long time - can't wait to see him again in a few days and then tonight the 3 ladies 'Divas3' did an another great performance - we were able to sing along with every song - those that never come to to the lounge (there are many) are missing a lot.

 

When the Panama Canal expansion started, the opening date was planned to be around the 2014 100 year anniversary.* When we originally booked the 2015 world cruise the project was aiming for completion by June 2015 – but that was further delayed multiple times due to disputes over cost overruns and strikes and other problems.* As we departed for this cruise, the date was to be April 2017.* We were told today the official opening ceremony will be tomorrow and the first ship through the new locks will be the day after we pass through.***

 

When the new locks are open many more cruise ships will be able to make the transit.* Some of the very largest will not be able to due to their height making it not possible for them to fit under the Bridge of America.**

 

In the buffet at lunch today they had cured ham, I suddenly felt sick thinking of the ham I had last week.

 

Today thought for the day - It's a big planet with endless beauty and drama just waiting to be discovered.* Tony Beck - photographer

[Waynetor]

The Panama Canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade enabling ships to avoid the lengthy, hazardous Cape Horn route around the southernmost tip of South America.*

 

France began work on the canal in 1881, but had to stop because of engineering problems and high mortality due to disease.* In 1904, the United States, under President Theodore Roosevelt, bought the French equipment and excavations for US $40 million, paid the new country of Panama US $10 million plus US $250,000 more each year, and began work on the Panama Canal on May 4. The project took a decade to complete opening in 1914.* As long planned, the canal was taken over in 1999 from the US by the Panamanian government.

 

While, globally, the Atlantic Ocean is east of the isthmus and the Pacific to the west, the general direction of the canal passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific is from northwest to southeast. This is because of a local anomaly in the shape of the isthmus at the point the canal occupies.

 

The layout of the canal as seen by a ship passing from the Atlantic to the Pacific is as follows:

From the formal marking line of the Atlantic Entrance, one enters Limón Bay (Bahía Limón), a large natural harbour.

The entrance runs 8.7km (5.4mi). It provides a deep-water port (Christobal), with facilities like multimodal cargo exchange (to and from train) and the Colon Free Trade Zone.

A 3.2km (2mi) channel forms the approach to the locks from the Atlantic side.

The Gatun locks, a 3 stage flight of locks 1.9km (1.2mi) long, lifts ships to the Gatun Lake level, some 26.5m (87ft) above sea level.

Gatun Lake, an artificial lake formed by the building of the Gatun Dam, carries vessels 24.2km (15mi) across the isthmus.* It is the summit canal stretch, fed by the Gatun River and emptied by basic lock operations.

From the lake, the Chagres River, a natural waterway enhanced by the damming of Gatun Lake, runs about 8.5km (5.3mi).* Here the upper Chagres River feeds the high level canal stretch.

The Culebra Cut slices 12.6km (7.8mi) through the mountain ridge, crosses the continental divide and passes under the Centennial Bridge.

The single-stage Pedro Miguel lock, which is 1.4km (0.87mi) long, is the first part of the descent with a lift of 9.5m (31ft).

The artificial Miraflores Lake, 1.7km (1.1mi) long, and 16.5m (54ft) above sea level.

The two-stage Miraflores locks, is 1.7km (1.1mi) long, with a total descent of 16.5m (54ft) at mid-tide.

From the Miraflores locks one reaches Balboa harbour, again with multimodal exchange provision (here the railway meets the shipping route again).* Nearby is Panama City.

 

From this harbour an entrance/exit channel leads to the Pacific Ocean (Gulf of Panama), 13.2km (8.2mi) from the Miraflores locks, passing under the Bridge of the Americas.

 

Thus, the total length of the canal is 77.1km (48mi).* (We are doing the transit in the reverse of the order given here).

 

The canal can only accommodate ships carrying up to 65,000 tons of cargo, but recently ocean going ships which are able to carry 300,000 tons have been launched.* The size of ships that can currently transit the canal, dubbed Panamax, is conscribed largely by the locks, which require ships to be less than 33.53m (110ft) wide and 320.04m (1,050ft) long, and have a draft of less than 12.56m (41.2ft) deep.

 

An expansion program consisting of the construction of two new sets of locks - one on the Pacific and one on the Atlantic side of the Canal is being completed.* While a wide range of cargo goes through the canal, an easy way to see the advantage of the expansion is the current locks can handle ships carrying up to 5,400 cargo containers while ships using the new locks will be large enough to transport 12,600 containers.* Not only will less ships be needed, so will less time transferring containers from ship to ship just to get the goods through this passage.

 

Each new lock will have 3 chambers and each chamber will have 3 water reutilization basins.The new lock chambers will be 426.72m (1,400ft) long, 54.86m (180ft) wide, and 18.29m (60ft) deep.* They will use rolling gates (3,100 tons each) instead of miter gates, which are used by the existing locks. The program also entails the widening and deepening of existing navigational channels in Gatun Lake and the deepening of Culebra Cut.