Adventure Logan

Our trip to Columbia was a return trip for David. For 35 years he has told the story of arriving in Cartagena on the HMCS Saguenay in 1979 and visiting for 5 or 6 days.  While there, the ship replenished as is very common. However, when they ordered 6 sides of beef, the beef that was brought to the jetty was still walking. The cows were sent away and when they returned they were freshly butchered and now in baskets with dripping blood all along the way to the ship. Dave (who is generally not too queasy) was so turned off that he ate peanut butter for the rest of the trip. So it was quite interesting to visit with him. The population then was 300,000 and today is 1.3 million so not much looked the same to Dave.

We booked ourselves on a tour that included a bus portion and a ride on a carriage.

Since it was New Year’s Eve day the old town was very busy. They were setting up for parties on every corner. Our bus stopped us outside the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas but we weren’t given enough time to climb to the top (yippee). The couple from Arizona who were at our dinner table each night were on a different tour and they walked (climbed to the top) expecting to look down into the centre – but there wasn’t one so all they got was a view down to the base.

We toured inside the walls of the old town via horse and buggy over very narrow cobblestone streets. The architecture was very interesting – a lot of it called colonial.

The Panama Canal is a 77.1 km (48-mile) -long canal bisecting the Isthmus of Panama. It connects the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean Sea. There are locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, 26 metres (85 ft) above sea level. The current locks are 33.5 metres (110 ft) wide. A third, wider lane of locks is currently under construction and is due to open in 2015. Ships taking this canal can avoid the long journey that was once necessary for getting from one side of the Americas to the other — a route that went all the way around the southern tip of South America.

Our trip through the Panama Canal was fantastic! It was a long and hot day but the sights were worth all the effort. At 6AM we went to the bow of the ship to watch our entrance into the first locks. The staff served Panama Rolls and coffee! It was still dark and a huge line of tankers waited along the coast for their turn to go through the locks.

All ships have to book but ours was for a specific time so we did not wait. The fee for our passage through the canal was $350,000 – makes that bridge toll in Halifax look puny!

We entered the first locks at Panama City. (seen in the background)Sailing under the Bridge of the Americas. This road bridge spans the Pacific entrance to the canal.

The first three locks on the Pacific side (Miraflores) took the ship up 85 feet to the maximum height (Gatún Lake) and the last three locks (Gatún Locks) took the ship back down the 85 feet to sea level on the Atlantic side. The locks are fascinating  to watch when in action and it is almost hard to believe that they fill up so quickly (28 feet of water height in 8 minutes).

These locomotives called mules are attached to the ship and the tension of the lines keeps the ship in the center of the lock and away from the sides.  We only had about 1 meter of spare room on each side.

Since we couldn’t see ourselves I photographed the car carrier that travelled in the lane next to us. Notice in the second picture that it has risen to the second lock height and the doors are opening for the next lock.

The scenery through the canal is breathtaking and we spent the day moving from location to location on the ship to see things from different vantage points.

Dave watching the movement in the lock.

Gatún Dam

Exposed rock along the canal that was cut in steps. Sadly, it made me think of the over 30,000 people who died making this path through the rock.

Prison where General Noriega is now living

Centennial Bridge

The long day was worth every sweaty moment. By moving around the ship and finding various vantage points we saw lots and enjoyed the whole day. When we finally made it through the canal at about 4PM, we headed toward Columbia, South America.

We are off the coast of Cuba sailing towards Florida – arrive in Port Lauderdale in the morning. The Internet on board has been iffy and posting didn’t go well. I will post the pictures from the trip when we get home (Venice) tomorrow. Tonight though we wanted to wish you all well. The news digest which David reads religiously every morning tells us that the weather in the east has been nasty for some. We are hoping that you all have power and aren’t too cold.

We travelled to Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua and Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica on our way to the Panama Canal. The terminal in Nicaragua was small and we decided to stay close to the ship – so we walked to the town and did a little bartering and took a few pictures.

Dave particularly liked the big gun!

The scenery was very interesting and the coastline rugged and beautiful.

In Costa Rica we took a 5 hour excursion called Tropical Train Ride and Exotic Mangrove Cruise. It did give us a great chance to see the countryside and the seashore – as well as – to get close to nature in the mangroves. On the cruise we saw crocodiles, macaws, iguana, and lots of birds. To see a pair of macaws in the wide was awesome.

During the train ride, we saw howler monkeys in the trees and miles and miles of cantaloupe fields.

We arrived in Guatemala this morning at 8 AM. It is sunny and about 81 degrees. Since the largest town was a 3 hour return trip, we opted for a day dockside and then went back to the ship for lunch and the pool. It is a rough life but someone has to do it eh! The high sales pressure is almost unbearable – if only they would let a person look at the stuff for a few minutes they might get sales. When I want something,  I will buy it but the constant badgering to be their “first sale of the day” is annoying.

We have spent day 2 and 3 sailing south along the Mexican coast as we head for our first port Puerto Vallarta. Late this afternoon we passed Cabo San Lucas.

Yesterday the weather was warmer 16C (some people were still bundled up and made me think of the people in Florida when the temperatures drop below 70F). Today was about 20C and we found an almost empty spot with 20 empty lounge chairs. The view was super and the sun wonderful.

The one constant in cruising is planning were to eat the next meal. We eat dinner each night at 5:45 in the La Fontaine dining room with 2 other couples (from Phoenix and Amsterdam) but the other meals we have been eating at the lido buffet. It is so much nicer than the one on Carnival that we have been very happy to scout out all the selections and even try some new items. Last night was one of the four formal nights and it was interesting to see everyone so nicely dressed.

The staff on this ship has been scrubbing things constantly and there was even a 48 hour ban on allowing guests to serve themselves after the ship took on the new passengers in San Diego. Hand sanitizer is everywhere and they even have staff stationed around the food areas with bottles of it.

In addition to sunbathing we have attended 2 briefings on the excursions and on future cruises – wow they even had a 90 day one around Africa. Holland America is known for their long cruises so it was interesting to see the kinds of trips they offer. Of course no cruise is complete without the casino and although neither of us could care less it is a neat place to stop sometime during the evening as we wander from venue to venue.

There are lots of neat spots for sitting, sunbathing, reading and eating so we have been finding ones that suit us. We really like the Crow’s nest which is at the highest point forward. They have lots of seats but our favourite are large gold leather swivel chairs with matching footstools. They face the windows (moon and stars) and we usually end the night there with a drink – they serve Myers rum and coke which he tells me is poured generously.

Perhaps the funniest item that we see daily is the mats in the elevators. They are perfect for us seniors who never know what day of the week it is. I think I would like a set for home.

The two story Queen’s Lounge is the location of the big nightly shows. Last night we were entertained by a soul and Motown review called Groove Tonight and tonight we saw a ventriloquist and comedian.

Our cruise began (sort of) when the ship arrived Friday morning and docked directly across the street from our hotel. With a suggestion from a tour guide we met in San Diego, we had breakfast at the hotel and then resisted the urge to race across the street to board. (According to her the masses try to get on board for the noon meal and if we waited until 1 we could avoid the line-up. So we did. We managed to sit by the hotel pool and get a few rays until the line died down).

The ship is mid-sized (1350 passengers) so there is no fighting for deck chairs or even chairs by the windows. It is tastefully decorated for Christmas and some of the piped in music is seasonal. We are pleased with our room (king bed, sofa, desk and lots of closet space).

Once we were safely on board we did a self-tour to see where things were and just happened to squeeze in a couple of delicious desserts.

I was quite concerned that one of our large bags hadn’t arrived and we were pulling away from the dock. When I packed, I had separated our clothes into the two big bags so that if one got lost (by Delta) we would each have clothes for the 2 weeks. We called the main desk and they informed us that the missing bag was confiscated and that we needed to check at the office. It was there with a sticker on it because I had packed a 10 inch electric fan – apparently a no-no.

Dinner was delicious – chicken with cranberry sauce for me and prime rib for Dave. The couple who sat with us were interesting and we enjoyed their company. After dinner, we went to the Queen’s Theatre to see a performance by a comedian. Lots of laughs!

We arrived in San Diego on Wednesday night  at 7:30 PM (about 11:30 PM Dartmouth time) after a great day of travel. Both flights were good and the first one from Sarasota to Atlanta included an offer to take our carry-on bag along with the other luggage and to send them through to San Diego. I quickly moved the drugs and jewels (LOL) into my purse and we only had my purse and the laptop bag to handle.

Having supper at the Atlanta airport (please note,Trevor my nephew from Coke, that I stayed with the drink Coke products only rule – but then again it was hard to avoid – the Delta service was all Coke products including the festive Coke bears napkins but then again Atlanta is  the headquarters for both Coke and Delta)

Dave with the luggage was we waited for the courtesy shuttle to take us to our hotel.

The Star of India (150 year old steel ship) that is part of the San Diego Maritime Museum. This pic was taken from the glass elevator in our hotel.

After breakfast this morning we took a walk to see the USS Midway which is another museum along the bay front area outside our hotel.

Along the same walk was a statue The Kiss based on the Life Magazine picture (there is one in Sarasota as well but I am not sure if they are done by the same person)

On our return to the hotel we booked seats on the Historic Trolley Tour of San Diego. It is a 2 hour tour that allows passengers to get on and off at its 11 stops. Since the weather was threatening showers, we opted to stay on for the whole 25 mile loop and see all the sights from the trolley. Our tour guide, Richard, a former (possibly retired) minister did a super job of telling the interesting history of this city.

Coronado Beach

View of city from the Coronado Bridge

Balboa Park

Balboa Park

Old Town

Tomorrow we head out on our cruise (15 days through the Panama Canal). I am hoping to be able to post while on the ship but on the chance that I cannot Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

This evening we headed out to the new restaurant called FINS which opened today. Located next to laid-back and beach friendly Sharkys, FINS is a totally different experience.  As per the new rules for seaside building, this structure is raised a story above the beach so the balcony area has superior sight lines to the ocean. It is very modern and more high-end than its counterpart next door. We wanted to eat here on the first night and weren’t disappointed. I had a filet that just may be the best I ever ate (except for one my sister, Valerie, made me last month). This will be a place to bring our visitors for sure (Mary and Bob you are going to love it!)

This picture doesn’t do justice to this one story high waterfall at FINS.

This aquarium is the first thing you see when you enter FINS.

We ate inside but the outside balcony would be spectacular later in the season when the sunsets are at better times than the current 5:30!

My filet!!!!!  YUM!

Mary, Carol, Molly, George, Dave and Gus

Today was a busy one with our annual trip to see the Venice Boat Parade. Dave placed 7 chairs at the dock side in Nokomis yesterday and amazingly they were still there when we arrived tonight. Prior to the boat parade we spent an hour on Nokomis Beach – first time this year. I even managed to get my feet wet.

While we waited for the parade to start at 6 PM, we got to see the drumming ceremony get started. The weather was spectacular today – 80 degrees at 5 PM – and still 75 degrees at 9 PM. The usual “stars” were getting the event underway.

We only had to walk across the street to where our chairs were waiting and there we settled in to wait for the first boats to motor past us. It is hard to imagine that this was our 6th parade and by far the warmest night. Over 50 well lit boats participated in this year’s event. It’s estimated that upwards of 60,000 people lined the route from Nokomis to Venice. This 25th year of the parade almost didn’t happen – clearly not from a lack of spectators, but because there were not enough vessels. A campaign to get more participants worked!

To finish off the night we headed to Sharkys for a late supper and a mango bango!

Molly, Carol, Mary Evelyn and Debbie

Gus, Dave and George