Going Ashore

Going Ashore                            February 11, 2019

While Holland America's advertising touts its stops in various nations, these are really just a brief taste, lasting only a few hours.  Tours on shore are quite profitable for the ship, so there's lots of up-selling to lure you off on jungle tours or bird-watching outings or exploration of ruins.  When we stopped in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, buses began lining up on the pier early in the day, just after our arrival, to accommodate all of the various destinations and tour packages for that day.  We would be underway again by late afternoon, with a firm "all aboard time" of 4:30 pm.  The staff had made it clear, early on, that the ship waits for no one, so we were always very mindful of the time when we went ashore!

The large white buses on the far left took guests to destinations miles away in Guatemala.  The red "chicken buses" served as shuttles to the nearby visitor center.  

At each port, Bruce & I usually got off the ship to do our own exploring, which varied from dusty little towns, as in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, to lovely cities, such as Cartagena, Colombia, and Huatulco & Puerto Vallarta in Mexico.  All had their own interesting discoveries to be made.

Looking up at the ship from the pier.

Our first stop was Cartagena, and it was also the first time that Bruce and I had set foot in South America.  It felt a bit momentous.  Cristina, my USM Spanish profesora this fall, was a native Colombian, and her enthusiasm for her country of birth was infectious.  I looked forward to our very brief excursion into this historic city, which I had researched for a short class assignment.   Feeling pressured to make the most of our 4 hours ashore, we succumbed to an assertive van driver's invitation to join his group for a tour.  It was a very good decision.  Victor Manuel was an engaging host, spoke English well, gave his small group of gringos a whirlwind tour of this UNESCO Heritage city, and got us back to the ship on time!

First things first, before any touring - parrots & wifi in the Cartagena visitor center!  

                 Cartagena Castillo, built by the Spanish in the 1500's

Emeralds and coffee are two of Colombia's top exports.  Naturally, our tour stopped at an emerald operation, with jewelry makers and sellers.  

Cartagena sits on the Caribbean coast, and it has a beautiful public beach, within walking distance of high rise business buildings.  

Bourgainvillea, narrow streets, Spanish colonial architecture, sun-drenched colors - and HEAT & HUMIDITY!  That was Cartagena.  

Second stop was Costa Rica's Puntarenas.  Many guests were off to do zip-lining through the jungle or to cruise down a river, but Bruce and I were off to find an internet cafe and to see what Costa Rica had to offer in this tiny town.  It was another hot, humid day.  We walked the long pier and could see a few people swimming at the black sand beach.  Along the main drag, a couple of open air restos straddled the space between the street and the beach.  A shabby playground on one side of the street and a technical college, housed in a weathered armory, sat face to face.  As we moved away from the beach, we encountered the backbone of a functioning town with businesses such as hair salons, mechanics, doctors, restaurants - including several Chinese restos (what a disaspora the Chinese have endured) - as well as modest residences behind iron gates and the town church.  It felt quiet and safe.  We found a cafe with internet and settled down to catch up with home.  Immediately upon connecting to our Maine life, Bruce said, "Oh, no" in that heart-stopping way, and we learned that a dear friend had had a serious heart attack.  Checking our mail always brings the possibility of news that will shrink us into the shaky reminder that we are so very far away from everyone dear to us.  

                       Trekking into Puerto Puentas, Costa Rica.

                      Lovely venue for a skateboard park. 

               The sweet stone Catholic church, open to passers-by.  

And, finally, the outdoor bar where we sipped on limonadas and connected with home.  

Inspired by an intrepid woman who was traveling on Holland America alone, I decided to screw up my courage and walk into the port of Corinto, Nicaragua, by myself - along with a few other hardy passengers - since Bruce had other plans on ship.  It turned out to be a good experience.  I wandered through town, chatted a bit in my halting Spanish, fended off drivers offering rides around town for $1 - a simple "no gracias" did the trick - and saw real life, bustling on around me in the markets and little shops.  Before getting back on board, I bought a handmade wooden item from a man with 9 children, three of whom are doctors!

                     Market in Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua

The pedicabs used to get around Puerto Corinto - airy, relaxed        transportation!  

We had been told by our on-board expert that there was nothing at Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.   After experiencing their lovely visitor center, I felt offended for Guatemala  The ship was berthed at a very industrial pier, for sure, but the above-mentioned chicken buses shuttled us off to a pretty, nearby welcome area, where marimba players greeted us and a beautiful lay-out of shops and restos made our trip ashore worthwhile.  Of course, most passengers signed up for long, pricey bus rides to Antigua or Lake Atitlan.  As lovely as those places are, we'll be visiting them in March, so no need to travel there now.  

  Bruce passing lovely Guatemalan wares with nary a glance, hoping I'll do the same :).  

                                           Los colores! 

                        Headed for a beer and Wifi!

After a couple of days at sea, we began seeing steep mountains falling into the sea along the shore.  Our two Mexican ports were a sharp contrast to the three that we had just visited.  The cities of Huatulco and Puerto Vallarta were larger, more developed, more touristy - and quite lovely.  At Huatulco, we walked and sipped coconut water and ... you guessed it, enjoyed a beer and internet.  This is a planned community, we learned later, where there is a cap on the number of condos and with a focus on eco-tourism.  Our shipboard friend, Barb, went on a tour to some villages in the hills behind the port.  There she saw corn being ground into flour, tortillas being cooked, and found out that the local government has arranged for the tours as a way for residents to supplement their incomes.  Part of the deal is that the families are given pure drinking water and toilets and the opportunity to sell crafts. 

Bruce loves to chat with the local bomberos (firefighters) through our mutual connection with son Matt's profession.  Invariably, they are interested - or at least polite!  

 Can you imagine worshiping in this open santuary beside the sea?

I'm glad that Mexico can have a sense of humor about this situation - and make some money on it!  

     My coconut drink - being prepared from the back of a pick-up!

Puerto Vallarta was the last of our stops before our final destination of San Diego.  This was a large city.  The Volendam docked across the street from a huge Wal-Mart & Sam's Club.  Bruce & I hopped a local bus, headed for the old town and the expansive seaside walkway, called the malecon.  Immediately we were befriended by a Canadian couple who spend their winters here.  They showed us the ropes of local bus riding and shared their reasons for loving it here:  the weather, of course, which stays at a comfortable 80 degrees, as well as safety, friendliness of the locals, ability to get around on public transportation, lots of things to do, and low cost.  Lots of positives there! 

We easily found our way to the malecon, a wide car-less walkway along the beach.  Four cruise ships were in port so there were lots of tourists.  We looked for the sculptures along the malecon and the voladores and the old Catholic church.  Found them all!  

All along the malecon (seaside walkway) were unique sculptures by individual artists.    

These are the Voladores, performing an ancient Mesoamerican ceremony which has been designated by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.  The four men launch themselves, upside down, off a platform at the top of the pole.  One foot of each man is attached to a rope.  The ropes slowly unravel as they swirl their way to the ground.  Just an everyday event on the beach in Puerto Vallarta!  

                             Another sculpture - I love the swirling dress!

So, those were the stops on the Volendam's cruise.  They offered a change from ship-board life and gave us a hint of the variety of Latino cultures waiting to be explored in more depth.  Each time that we returned to the ship, we felt like we were crossing a veil, going from real life to fantasy-land.  

Panama Canal

Panama Canal                   February 8, 2019

To be honest, the Panama Canal is not something that I had given much thought to until Bruce proposed making it one of our destinations for this winter's travels.  During my lifetime, the canal has always existed, a vague foreign fact of life.  I took it for granted, not that I had much need to ever think about it.  It wasn't until I began reading David McCullough's Path Between the Seas that I gave it the respect that it deserves as one of the engineering marvels of all time.

The United States had wanted a path across the isthmus for many years in order, of course, to shorten the sea voyage between the east coast and west coast.  However, buoyed by their success in constructing the Suez Canal, it was the French who were the first to tackle the challenge during the 1880's.   They poured millions of dollars into the project and lost 22,000 lives due to tropical diseases, such as yellow fever and malaria, as well as other jungle related horrors.  Their persistence in trying to build a canal at sea level also led to their failure.  When they went bankrupt in 1889, a holding company took over and, after a decade and much lobbying, sold the land and equipment to the U.S. 

Forgotten in current times is that the canal was nearly built in Nicaragua.  Quite a struggle took place in Congress between those who favored Panama and those who favored Nicaragua.  Teddy Roosevelt had just become President.  He supported the Panama location, and the rest is history. 

With the American land grab in Panama, sometimes referred to as "gunboat diplomacy", the U.S. took on the challenge of creating a water route through the isthmus.  The first task for the Americans was dealing with yellow fever and malaria.  Dr. Gorgas, an Alabama physician,  had learned that these were mosquito-borne diseases.  He spent a couple of years taking steps to control mosquitoes in the Canal Zone, thus nearly eliminating the threat of these diseases.  However, even with this crucial improvement in work conditions, an additional 5000 lives were lost under the Americans, as a result of other diseases and accidents. 

The Americans upgraded the infrastructure in the Canal Zone as an enticement to attract workers.  

Among the unique solutions to the challenges presented by the geography in Panama, was the American decision to build a dam.  This would create a huge lake, Gatun Lake, and decrease the need for digging.  The French idea of a sea level project was dispensed with, and instead locks were built on each end of the canal, lifting ships up to the lake and finally lowering ships to the Pacific Ocean.  By the time the canal opened in 1914, this engineering feat had cost millions of dollars and thousands of lives.   The resulting marvel is what we experienced!   

Gatun Lake, the largest man-made lake in the world at the time it was made

Terracing and wire mesh help to keep the sides of the trench from sliding into the canal as a result of the torrential rainfalls in Panama.  

In recognition of the fact that many of the passengers on the Volendam had chosen this cruise specifically because of the Panama Canal transit, the company treated the event with a bit of festivity.  The day before, both a presentation on the history of the canal, as well as a documentary film were offered.  The sea schedule was to sail all night from Cartagena, Colombia, and arrive at the entrance to the canal around 7 am.  The front deck of the Volendam, usually off-limits, would be open for the day, beginning at 7:30, and "panama rolls", a Holland America tradition, would be served for the occasion.  We were left to wonder what sort of confection these would be - yummy yeast buns with a creamy filling, as it turns out. 

Bruce and I were up early to make the most of this event!  Shortly after sunrise, we emerged onto the deck at the aft end of the ship.  Scattered around the horizon were as many as 20 ships, all waiting for their scheduled time to enter the canal.   We learned that the canal is open 24 hours a day.   

           A ship on the horizon awaits its turn to enter the canal.

The first of three bridges that we went under, putting the continent back together!

Another special feature was having a Panamanian expert aboard, whose running commentary from the ship's bridge was broadcast all day.  This man had worked on the canal for many years and had a wealth of information to share.  The canal was turned over to the complete control of Panama in 1999.  

Early morning on the fore deck, enjoying panama rolls and watching the entrance into the canal.  

We had been encouraged to witness the voyage from different parts of the ship.  It was to take all day, not arriving on the Pacific side until   5 pm.  Going through the locks was definitely the most fascinating part.  The clearance on each side of the ship, once it was in a lock, appeared to be no more than 2 feet on each side.  Small trains on tracks, three on each side, pulled the ship through the locks.  

     Getting ready to enter the first lock, following another cruise ship.  In the channel beside us, approaching in the opposite direction, is a cargo ship.  

Looking down at the slim margin of space in the lock, as well as one of the small trains, pulling the ship.  

One of the fun activities was a "swim across the canal" - in the pool.  This one looks like a belly flop!   

            Panamanian tugs kept us on track as we exited the last lock.  

Finally, we could see the tall skyscrapers of Panama City in the distance as we approached the Bridge of the Americas and the Pacific Ocean.  It had been a fascinating voyage through what the American Society of Civil Engineers has ranked "one of the seven wonders of the modern world".  Bruce checked that one off his bucket list!  

                   Bridge of the Americas at the Pacific end of the canal.

One more post about the cruise and then we'll be into San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where we are now!

Cruising

Cruising                     February 6, 2019

Well, we're back on line after a two week interlude.  Our last blog post left off as Bruce and I were about to board Holland-America's ship, Volendam, for our first experience of big ship cruising.  Bruce had wanted to traverse the Panama Canal, and this seemed like the best way.   Unbeknownst to me, there was a charge for internet on board the ship.  At $25/day, it  wasn't even in the realm of possibility for the frugal Webbs!   So, as frustrating as it was, we went cold turkey for 2 weeks, except when we went ashore and found cafes with free internet (along with a beer :).

That was my major complaint - and really, it was a rather small issue compared to the amazing experience that we had!  The Volendam is a floating resort with all manner of ways to bring you pleasure.   Being cruise ship newbies, we were pretty agog at the decadence and high quality of most every aspect of on-board life.   We struggled with that at first but got embarrassingly accustomed to being waited upon, hand and foot.  Our cabin steward, Sahal, an incredibly hard-working Indonesian man, put in 10-12 hours a day, making beds, cleaning toilets, vacuuming, making towel animals and distributing small chocolate squares to each of his 29 rooms daily!  He was one of 500 workers at all levels of employment, from laundry workers to cooks to the musicians and bar keepers and navigation experts.  Quite an international community.  Very few of the workers were American, at any position.

                         Towel monkey, one of my fav's!

Cruise ships are known for their food. It was abundant, as well as beautifully prepared and presented.  Normally, we ate in the lovely self-serve cafe with an assortment of international offerings.  I soon discovered the smoked salmon for breakfast and indulged myself often.  The upscale, more formal "Dining Room" was absolutely elegant, an art deco setting with a bevy of waiters.  It wouldn't have surprised us to see Frank Sinatra come strolling through.  Here they straddle the line of old world tradition with several "gala" nights in which guests may dress formally - with most nights being "smart casual".  Even on a gala night, we were not turned away, me in my $5 Goodwill dress and Bruce with his clip-on bow tie!  No shorts allowed, though.

                       Gala night in the Dining Room :)

The constant temptation to overeat was a bit of a challenge.  Many guests were already overweight when they boarded.  We had read that the average guest gains 10 pounds on a two-week cruise!   However, Holland-America thinks of everything, with an onboard gym and a wonderful promenade deck for walking, as well as two swimming pools.  Three times around the deck equaled a mile.  For a fee, there were all manner of other opportunities for physical betterment, such as acupuncture and assessments of one's posture/feet and classes for pilates & yoga, as well as spa treatments.  I did take a couple of dips in the pools, but we stuck mostly to walking the promenade in the fresh air, looking out to sea.

                        the promenade - it was on our deck!

                                         the outdoor pool

Bruce had chosen the Holland-America line because it had a reputation of catering to an older crowd.  He wanted to be assured that he wouldn't be kept awake with karaoke and all-night parties.  Not to worry!  We were surprised at just how old the population was!  Virtually everyone was retired, and it was not unusual to see people using canes or even pushing walkers, with a small handful in wheelchairs.  I couldn't help but think of a floating Marigold Hotel.  We were impressed by how long the travel bug and world curiosity lasts.   This is certainly a way to keep going, far into one's dotage!  We learned that there is a medical doctor on board.  At least one passenger that we know of used the medical services in an emergency situation with painful kidney stones.  He was very pleased with the care he received.   The staff and crew, all in their 20's and 30's, were extremely cheerful and patient with this cohort of guests!


One of the cruise delights was meeting people from all over the world.  The passenger list numbered more than 1300 from 43 nations, albeit mostly the USA and Canada.  On our first night we met a couple from Aberdeen, Scotland, and on our last morning, we ate breakfast with a couple from Glen William, South Africa.  However, before the ship even left port, we encountered John and Barbara, retired from teaching university and elementary art in Gainesville, Florida, and found that we had a lot in common.  They became our ship buddies, and we enjoyed sharing many meals with them.

                   John and Barbara, our new shipboard friends.  

The entertainment was outstanding!  I hadn't thought much about it before embarking but we soon fell into a routine of attending the nightly live shows, being introduced to a variety of national quality performers whom we had never heard of.  Among them was John Wing, a comedian who was actually funny (and originally from Canada and an altar boy as a child :); Akos Laki, an incredible jazz sax player from Yugoslavia, now living in Rotterdam; Patrick Murray, a hugely talented ventriloquist who gives voice to Mathilda with a Jamaican accent (!); and Hyperion Knight, an impressive and personable piano virtuoso.  You can google any of these entertainers and be wowed!

In addition, there were all manner of diversions throughout the day.  No such thing as being bored at sea!  I learned about making Asian dumplings and tacos through cooking demonstrations put on by America's Test Kitchen, which is an organization featured on PBS stations.   Even though I've been cooking for decades, Maria, the young Latina chef, had helpful tips. 

 Maria, the America's Test Kitchen talented chef who kept up a fun patter while dicing and sauteing.

In fact, there were so many distractions among the interesting options, everything from casual live classical or jazz music in plush bars to movies and lectures on the places where we'd be stopping that, toward the end, I had to make myself sit down on a deck chair and stare at the sea for a while.  That was what I had been looking forward to while still at home in Gorham.  

Bruce's favorite part of the experience, apart from his goal of passing through the Panama Canal (more on that in another post), was just being at sea with no duties.  He was reminded, of course, of his time in the US Navy, with mid-night watches and perpetual exhaustion.  By contrast, this was so relaxing.  

We found this "secret" deck on the aft end which few other guests ever discovered.

Overall, it was a fascinating experience.  Cruise ships are a world unto themselves with behind-the-scenes activities that we had only brief glimpses into.  Being curious, we took in every coffee chat with the head of food & beverages or introduction to the singers & dancers or Q&A with the captain.  Still, we can only imagine what it's like to live and work aboard a closed community for months at a time.  We're glad that we did it - as passengers!  It fulfilled its purpose of checking off a bucket list item for Bruce.  But, it really isn't our style of travel.  The up-selling was particularly annoying to Bruce.  The over-the-top amenities were sweet for a while but not something that we need in our travels.  I doubt that we'll take another cruise - at least not for a while :).  

Next two posts will describe the transit through the Panama Canal and our excursions ashore.  

On the Road, Again - and In the Air & On the Sea

On the Road Again - and Air &Sea            January 17, 2019

This is a test:  a test primarily to see if this inept techie could get a photo from her phone onto this blog.  Should have tried it sooner but here we are in Ft. Lauderdale and finally have time for such things!   Yay!!  I did it - with in-family tech support, of course!

Could be a test, too, to see if we'd like spending more time here in the winter.  The photo gives a hint as to Bruce's conclusion.  Our first morning outside Maine was spent on the small patio of our Airbnb, sipping coffee next to a canal, temp around 70, sun shining, lush vegetation all around, and a fascinating hostess!

Rosemary had picked us up at the airport yesterday - she's an Uber driver, as well as running an Airbnb.  I immediately noted her Scottish accent - and the fact that she looked about our age!  She & her British engineer husband lived in Brussels for many years, then in Plymouth, Mass., now here.  In front of their canal-side home is moored a big motorboat, which also serves as Airbnb accommodation.  Rosemary manages all of this in a gentle, unhurried way, with the help of her trusty Roomba!

We spent today roaming around Ft. Lauderdale on foot, as is our habit.  The Riverwalk is gorgeous.  It wends its way alongside the New River, through the historic part of the city and past lots of new high-rise construction.  Hamilton is just finishing a run at the beautiful theater.  Massive private motor boats ply the waters.  The Florida East Coast Railroad tracks run through the center of town, necessitating the raising and lowering of the train bridge over the river multiple times a day. 

Tomorrow we board Volendam, our Holland-America floating home for 2 weeks.  It will take us down through the Caribbean Sea, stopping at a small island in the Bahamas, then on to Cartagena, Colombia, through the Panama Canal, then north on the Pacific side to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, & Mexico, arriving eventually in San Diego.  The stops last for a matter of hours only, so just a quick taste of each place.  Our purpose for the cruise is to experience passage through the canal, a bucket list item for Bruce. 

The cruise will be followed by a flight from Tijuana to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where we'll spend a month.  It's a UNESCO World Heritage city and is located at a fairly high elevation, so it should be a pleasant temperature and interesting place to explore.  We haven't been to Mexico for nearly 50 years, when we were grad students at Arizona State U. 

After that, Guatemala for the month of March.  So, follow along with us for this total Latino winter adventure!