Puerto Chiapas - 2/10/14

This was our first time in Puerto Chiapas so we took a ship's tour. Puerto Chiapas is a village of almost 10,000 in the state of Chiapas. There is not much tourism infrastructure here, but the port facility is attractive and well-maintained. Two 15,000-foot volcanoes dominate the landscape. Chiapas used to be part of Guatemala, but now it is part of Mexico. We are just a few miles from the border. Tapachula City (pop. 500,000) is about 40 minutes away.

David, our guide, met us at the dock. He was a high school teacher but is now a licensed tour guide. He has a master's degree and has to take a lot of credits every year to keep us his tour guide license. He is young, cute, and has Mayan features. David says we will see the way people really live, and I believe we did.

Our first stop is the town of Tuxtla Chico. It is a small town with no hotels and no trendy restaurants. First we see the church, Santa Maria del Candelaria.. It is 400 years old. It is simple and elegant and airy. The walls are whitewashed. The roof and doors are made of local wood. There are lots of wood statutes of the Virgin inside.

Right around the corner we find the local market. It is an open air market about two or three blocks long. There are lots of unidentifiable fruits and vegetables and herbs. There are raw chicken presided over by women with fly-swatters. There was something about the size of a rabbit that had been roasted. David said it was a "local animal."  This market did not cater to tourists.

Next, we were taken to the town square where there were some statutes and a big pavillion.  There were a few booths here selling touristy stuff: local chocolate, toys, embroidered items, jewelry. In the pavilion a group plays the "municipal marimbas."  Apparently, each town owns some marimbas. They played familiar songs such as The Mexican Hat Dance. Some local women in Spanish-looking dresses danced on the stage. Their dancing was pretty lame. Mostly they just shifted from foot to foot. Then some other women came and did a "local dance" with bandanas that was somewhat better. Then members of the tour group were recruited to join in the dancing and it ended with a conga line.

Finally, our group went to a table at the back of the stage to see a chocolate demonstration. Chocolate comes from the cacao plant. It grows in a big yellow pod about the size of a large papaya. The outside is very hard. If you crack two of them together they will break in half. Inside there are white seeds (which are bitter at this stage) and some white slimy goop. They take the seeds out and dry them for three days. The goop is used to make some kind of healthy kind of water drink which we got to taste. The seeds are roasted and they turn dark brown or black. We tasted some. They are smoky and a little bitter, but in a good way. Next, the beans are pulverized and mixed with sugar and cinnamon on a stone called a metate. It becomes a granular, moldable mass. It tastes smoky and has a grainy texture. I didn't like it that nuch. The locals don't eat chocolate as candy. They mix it with milk or water and drink it as a hot drink.

We returned to the bus and after a short ride we arrived at Izapa, a Mayan city built around 1500 BCE. Izapa is, perhaps, the oldest known Mayan city. We saw some smallish pyramids and a place where a Mayan ball game was played.

Photos to be added when I return home.

Puntarenas Punt - 2/8/14

'Tis a puzzlement. Here is a paradise and the opportunity seems wasted. (Well, I wouldn't have made my paradise quite so hot.) This part of Costa Rica has a beautiful harbor, beaches, exotic jungles, tremendous Eco-diversity, majestic mountains (higher than the Chugach range), a stable government (as far as I know). So why don't the people here do something with their resources? Why don't they pick up all the trash that litters their beaches? (Why do they throw the trash on the ground in the first place?) Why are there abandoned uncompleted buildings in prime areas?

We have been to Puntarenas before, so we opted not to take a tour today. On previous visits we have gone inland to San Jose, the capital; upwards to the cloud forest; and followed the coast to the rainforest, a resort town, a river full of crocodiles, and several "shopping opportunities."

We went to the Horizon Court for breakfast, then we went down to the cafe for some good coffee. I suppose we could have gotten some really good coffee in the town, but we didn't think of it at the time. After a bit, we went out and walked around Puntarenas. There were a lot of stalls selling handicrafts and we bought a few gifts. They make very beautiful items out of wood here. It was very hot in the town so I decided not to go to an Internet cafe. We went back to the ship and had lunch.

About 30 mintes before it was time to set sail, there was a medical emergency (code alpha). We saw an ambulance arrive on the dock. Later we heard that a woman had fallen and was taken away in the ambulance along with luggage. Lucky for her we were in port when it happened.

After dinner we went to see a show with "piano entertainer" Stephen Kane. I didn't like his show. Maybe I'm not old enough to like his style of entertainment? When I was young, I used to think that when I got older I would start to like the music my parents liked. Now I know I will never like it that much. I will always love rock and roll.

Panama City - 2/6/14

The Island Princess anchored off Fuerte Amador last night in sight of the sparkling lights of Panama City. The capital of Panama has a population of over 1.2 million in its metro area. Fuerte Amador lies at the end of a long peninsula leading to Panama City proper.

We tendered in to Fuerte Amador and were met by our guide, Rudy. He drove 6 of us around in a mini-van.

On the way to the Panama Canal Museum we saw a striking multi-colored building. It was designed by Frank Gehry and is going to be an ecological museum. At the Panama Canal Museum, we watched a 3-D movie and then watched a cargo ship pass through the Miraflores locks. We could see the construction site of the new locks in the distance. We then wandered through the museum exhibits and a small gift shop.

Next, Rudy drove us to Casco Viejo, the old city. We passed through the former Canal Zone where many buildings built by the US can be seen, then through a rough district of depressing public housing, through a commercial district, and through lots of traffic. Casco Viejo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the original colonial section of town and was home to wealthy families for many years. In the 1930's it was abandoned as the wealthy families moved out to larger waterfront homesites. The beautiful colonial buildings fell into disrepair. Many had no roof. Many were occupied by squatters. 

 

Now, because of the UNESCO designation, restoration is starting to take place. The hope is that this area will turn into a vibrant residential district with boutique hotels and cafes mixed in. 

Panama's Coat of Arms

We had lunch in a little sandwich shop. We all wanted to try local food and we thought Rudy said they had empanadas there. It turns out they had empiredados, which are sandwiches, just like American sandwiches.

 

Modern Panama City

To be continued . . .

A Canal - 2/5/14

Panama Canal Fun Facts:

• The Panama Canal runs north to south (more or less).
• The Atlantic/Caribbean end of the Canal is farther WEST than the Pacific end.
• From one end to the other, the Canal is 50 miles long.
• It takes 8 to 10 hours to transit the Canal. About 40 ships a day go through during a 24-hour period of operations.
• There are three sets of locks, a dam, and an artificial lake, Lake Gatun. 
• The locks are 980 x 110 feet; some are longer. A "Panamax" ship is the widest ship that can go through the Canal.
• The locks contain 26 million gallons of water.
• They empty at the rate of 3 million gallons per minute. 
• This all happens by gravity; there are no pumps.
• 2014 is the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Canal. A second canal was supposed to be finished in 2014 but there have been contract disputes that have resulted in significant delays. The new canal will be wider and will use less water.

Our Canal Day:

Our day transiting the Panama Canal was exciting and fascinating, even though we have been here before. A pilot boarded the ship early in the morning. At some point some other Canal employees boarded. 

The ship's lecturer was on the bridge and began narrating our transit. You could see and hear this on the bridge cam channel on the TV in your room.

Upon arriving at the Gatun Locks,  a man in a small rowboat rowed out to the ship to grab the bowlines and bring them to the canal locomotives (the "mules"). Our ship required 8 locomotives. They travel along the sets of locks on a cog railway track. They don't pull the ship; they help to keep it centered so it doesn't hit the sides of the locks or, more importantly, the gates. We are on Deck 8. From our balcony we could see people on Deck 7, the Promenade Deck, as they leaned out to watch our transit. There was one man with a walkie-talkie who apparently worked for the Canal. He spent the entire time we were in any of the locks leaning over the railing and watching the gap between the ship and the side of the lock and talking into the walkie-talkie. This gap looked to be between 5 and 8 feet at most.

The ship had some kind of a poster contest, and some people hung Super Bowl banners from their balconies. We hung an Alaska flag from our balcony, using shoelaces and various knots I learned in Girl Scouts. Represent! Some of the ship's photographers had gotten off and they were now on the strip between the locks taking photos of people on their balconies.

When you are in a lock the ship will go up or down quickly enough to notice if you stare at a fixed point. However, you cannot feel any motion.

After we had passed through the final set of locks and underneath the Bridge of the Americas, we watched a number of boats remove people from the ship or deliver them to the ship. We saw the two walkie-talkie guys get off. Then another boat came up, and men in hard hats and safety clothes started climbing down the ladder onto the boat. We counted 25. We think they were working with the lines connected to the locomotives. The photographers were brought back, and another boat brought some other people and some suitcases and a lot of boxes. Finally, the pilot disembarked. Such a lot of activity!

At each end of the Canal, a large number of ships lie at anchor waiting for their turn. Most are cargo ships. We saw tankers, bulk cargo ships, container ships, and a car ship. We also saw an unusual white ship with big electronics installations on the decks. It was too far away to see its flag. We had binoculars, but it is very hard to use them while at sea.

After leaving the Canal, we sailed around the Amador causeway and anchored in the bay by Panama City. The magnificent skyline of the modern part of the city twinkled in the night as the sun set.

Juan Valdez Was Here (maybe) - 2/4/14

This morning we arrived at the port of Cartagena, Colombia. It is a beautiful natural harbor. Sir Francis Drake attacked Cartagena in 1586 and held the city ransom for $200 million (in today's dollars). After that, they spent the next 120 years building a fortified castle (castillo) to protect the city. It cost over $1 trillion (in today's money). We saw the castillo on previous trips, so we decided to stay close to the ship today.

There is a very pleasant area right by the cruise terminal. There are botanical gardens, an aviary, and a small zoo. And best of all, a wi-fi hotspot for $3/hour. While I updated my blog and Facebook, we listened to parrots squawking. After my hour was up we wandered around the botanical gardens. There were red, yellow and blue parrots, blue and yellow parrots, blue and green parrots, white parrots, flamingos, black geese, peacocks, and iguanas, all running around loose. There were cages with little tiny monkeys, deer, and maybe some other animals. My favorite bird was a gorgeous toucan. It was very tame and you could get close to it, but just when I got my facce in the frame with the toucan, Ken's camera froze up. Many photos will be posted when I get back to the land of high-speed internet.

 

There was also a nice gift shop (but we didn't buy anything) and a Juan Valdez coffee shop (but we didn't go in).

Our sister ship, the Coral Princess, was also in port.

Back on the ship we enjoyed lunch at the buffet and had pina coladas during sailaway. Around 4 pm there was a knock on our door and a room service waiter handed me a plate of chocolate-dipped strawberries and white-chocolate-dipped cream puffs, courtesy of Princess. Before dinner we saw a high-energy show called Piano Man, featuring dancing and the music of Billy Joel, Barry Manilow, and Elton John.

For dinner we went to the Bayou Cafe. The New Orleans-themed food and service were excellent and we stuffed ourselves. We could have had alligator ribs for an appetizer, but I'm just not that into reptile meat. We pretended it was our anniversary (right month, wrong day) and the staff sang Happy Anniversary to us. During our meal we also got to hear live piano music. It was terrific. I think only the Coral Princess and the Island Princess have a Bayou Cafe, and they may be eliminated soon, so go if you have a chance. I am sooooo full.

Our final activity of the day was a screening of a Nova show called "A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama," produced and narrated by David McCullough. It was a fascinating show, with photos, and even film, shot during the construction of the canal between 1901 and 1914. The story of the canal is amazing

One Happy Island - 2/3/14

We docked at Aruba from 7 am until 12:30 pm. The Pullmantour Monarch and the Aida Luna were also in port.  I think they are both German ships. It was warm and humid, but not overly hot.

We did not take a tour because we have been here before and because our time in port was so short. And because we didn't want to get up early. So we slept in a bit and had room service breakfast on our balcony. It was so romantic. The water is a gorgeous azure color. And did I mention the giant gantry crane right next to our balcony? We could watch some guys a couple of levels above us hammering on the crane - clang, clang, clang. We could watch containers being loaded onto semis with a lot of backing up going on - beep, beep, beep.

After breakfast we walked around Oranjestad to get some exercise. The Dutch  Colonial architecture is interesting, in a Disneyesque way. There sure are a lot of jewelry stores there. Upon our return to the ship we were given cold washcloths to refresh ourselves with.

After lunch in the dining room and a relaxing afternoon on our balcony and on the Promenade Deck, we went to see a show featuring an "instrumentalist" named David Klinkenberg. We didn't know what to expect and figured the instrument would be something unusual like a xylophone or harmonica, or we would see one of those guys who plays five different instruments at the same time. It turned out that the instrument was a violin and the show was EXCELLENT. Klinkenberg was polished and funny (and very cute) and he played with great style and offered his own unique interpretations of popular classical pieces, bluegrass, and more. He told us that the difference between a violin and a fiddle is the player, not the instrument, and the difference between the players is the number of teeth. 

After a pleasant dinner with a couple from the UK and a couple from Calgary, AB, we peeked in on a different show - a "comedy vocalist" named Gary Delena. We didn't like his crass insulting humor and left after a few minutes.

Alligator Alley - 1/31/14

Did you ever notice what people do while they are driving 70 mph? As a passenger, I am able to observe drivers and it scares the daylights out of me. Talking on cell phones and driving with one hand is very common. Texting is, unfortunately, very common. Reading a book is not common, but I saw it today. And peeling a banana - holding it with one hand, and peeling it with the other hand, and steering on an as needed basis. Yikes!

Fortunately, Alligator Alley is about as straight a road as they come. The land is perfectly flat and the road goes in a straight line for about 100 miles through cypress swamps and saw grass and everglades. If you weren't going so fast you could probably see lots of alligators. There are a couple of rest stops and a Miccosukee Indian casino, and a whole lot of nothing else. Then all of a sudden, you can see a power line up ahead, you cross under an underpass that appeared out of nowhere, and there you are amongst subdivisions and strip malls.

The rest was easy. We dropped off the car at FLL and took the shuttle bus to Port Everglades. We were dropped off at the Island Princess. We checked our luggage at the curb and after a short, well-organized boarding processs, we found ourselves welcomed aboard. Our luggage arrived in our room shortly after lunch, we unpacked, and we attended the muster drill. The sun was out it was finally warm, and the ship left on time!