While we know that the purpose is to protect us, the 3 ounce limit on toothpaste, etc. can be a pain. Now we've got something else to do to avoid a bad experience at the x-ray machine.
The new concern is Lithium Batteries. As of 1/1/2008, no loose Lithium batteries can be in your check-in baggage. The batteries allowed overall (Carry-on plus Checked) are limited based on grams of Lithium. Since gram weight of Lithium is not always displayed on the batteries, the milli-amp/hours rating can be used to estimate the Lithium content.
For most of us with cameras, camcorders, and laptops, this will only mean to pack your capped extra batteries in the check-in luggage. Those having heavy duty equipment had better learn more at http://www.safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html to avoid confiscation of your expensive batteries. There's a table there that will help you see if your batteries are at risk. Be especially aware of that Lithium METAL batteries are different and more tightly limited than the usual Lithium ION batteries.
Do your homework now, don't let a security check violation interrupt your relaxed vacation.
Dick leaves Vancouver for Alaska
Friday, December 28, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Home at Last!
We’ve made it – The end of our adventure. Sorry about the delay, but we had to concentrate on our business for a few days.Huatulco, Mexico
Huatalco is a government planned resort area that has not made it to the big time yet. The mountains and water are wonderful, and the crowds haven’t found it yet. We moored on a modern concrete dock in the center of this beautiful harbor that looks like it has been transplanted from the Mediterranean. I guess the theme is intended to make you ask yourself “Why fly 8 hours and spend Euros, when you can just slip down here and enjoy a 10 to one exchange rate in the same kind of setting?”.
We thought that a water tour of the 5 bays that make up this area would give us a good overview of what you’ll encounter if you come here. One of the hawkers on the pier offered us a 2-hour tour for only $10 each, so the 4 of us set out in our private launch with Carlos at the helm. We motored out of the harbor past the rusty shipwreck, and past nesting pelicans to the Blowhole, and toured up and down the coast past the lighthouse to see all five of the bays that will eventually be developed. They are all breathtakingly beautiful.
Our overall impression is that this is what Cabo St Lucas must have looked like 15 or 20 years ago. We’ll have to do an airfare comparison to see if this is a secret place for those tired of crowds and hubbub in Cancun and Cabo. I enjoyed a couple of Modelo beers while Patti did her best to keep the local economy alive by buying trinkets, and we then boarded the ship for our final stop in Acapulco.
Acapulco, Mexico
Our overall impression is that this is what Cabo St Lucas must have looked like 15 or 20 years ago. We’ll have to do an airfare comparison to see if this is a secret place for those tired of crowds and hubbub in Cancun and Cabo. I enjoyed a couple of Modelo beers while Patti did her best to keep the local economy alive by buying trinkets, and we then boarded the ship for our final stop in Acapulco.
Acapulco, Mexico
This stop is a great example of why we have to visit ports of call for our customers. You could never get the character and feel of this vibrant Mexican city from a brochure. After picking us up from the ship for a $10 per person taxi ride to the Hyatt Regency, he stopped at a convenient place to take photos of our ship for the last time. While we were stopped he suggested that we had several hours until check-in time. What a great marketer! We had already committed to give him $40 to get us all to the hotel. For only $100 more, we could tour the entire city until our hotel was ready for us. Our new friend and driver Alfonso Jaramillo Catete. (ajaramillocatete@yahoo.com.mx) then showed us how the hotels and attractions successively moved up scale as we rounded the bay. There was a neighborhood and price range for every type of traveler sharing the same beautiful bay. Over the hill in the next bay, new development was cranking out a new shopping mall to serve the exploding array of new condos. Alfonso was quick to point out that most of the condos were not time-shares. With this resort only 4 hours from polluted Mexico City, many families have purchased condos for weekend getaways. Time-shares are there, but do not dominate.
While we traveled back through the city, we happened upon Alfonso’s wife and kids out on break from running their internet café. Arriving at the Flamingo hotel where Johnny Weissmuller, John Wayne, and friends congregated in the 30’s we had a cool drink on the veranda overlooking the bay hundreds of feet below. While this hotel has some signs of it’s age, It seems like a great place to try out on a future trip. The neighborhood is not high class, but very pretty and very Mexican. Alfonso then drove us over see the cliff divers at just the right time to get the best seats. While downing a cool beer, and snapping shots of the daring divers scaling and jumping from the cliff, we could see those without guidance had climbed way down the cliff to watch while standing in the direct sunlight. We got some great shots of the divers, and continued to a Mercado for shopping. Along the way, we discussed Mexican beers. Alfonso jumped out of the van, ran across the street and purchased us each a beer for tasting. The best beer was Noche Buena, (Christmas Eve). One must take care because these beers are all on the high alcohol range, and can lead to “unexpected adventures”.
The Hyatt Regency is in the center of the crescent beach, and our 18th story suite had a walk-in closet, a dressing room, and a balcony that gave us a great view of the entire harbor. Alfonso had recommended a fish restaurant directly Across from the Hyatt, so we dined in style on the second floor veranda. The food was spectacular, and cost about ¼ of what you’d pay in South Beach. With the busy day of debarkation, touring, and dining, we turned in early. After about an hour’s sleep with conga drums and brass drifting up from the pool area, we experienced our first Mexican fireworks. It was sort of a 33 second drive-by exhibition of explosive bursts set for just about the 18th floor level. We got to the balcony about 5 second before the show suddenly stopped. It was almost like they didn’t have a permit, and had to move on before the police arrived. We grumbled, returned to bed, and just got to sleep in time for another fireworks show across the bay. After that, the fine linens and air conditioners did their job all night.
Our second day in Acapulco was laid back. After seeing so many things the first day, we were free to laze around the pool or walk the avenue along the beach. We found a natural food restaurant, where we found that natural and carbon-neutral can be really tasty. With a big day of travel the next day, we retired early for a “battery charge”. What we got was more like a cavalry charge, as another fireworks skirmish erupted at the far end of our hotel. As veterans, we raced to the window to see the last few bursts explode literally 100 feet from the rooms on our floor.
Hyatt’s shuttle got us to the airport with no problems, and we entered the twilight zone of air travel knowing that seeing our home was improbable that day. The flight to Houston was smooth and uneventful. Continental’s snack was actually a meal.
Then, the tentacles of the snowstorm in the east reached all the way to Texas, and our flight to Laguardia was delayed so that if the NY to BTV flight did take off we would still be in Houston. Based on prior experience in New York, we decided to overnight in Houston rather than go through another “No room at the inn” scenario at LAG. They say that good luck happens to those who are prepared for it, and it was our turn!
The desk set up for emergency hotel rooms sent us to the Humble Texas Hampton Inn. After getting in their van we almost felt like we were back on a cruise ship. For a fee of $59, we had a free happy hour with beer and wine, free transportation to Joe’s Crab House for Shrimp and crab cakes, and free pick-up from the shopping center where we bought clothing for the next day. It was like a little oasis in the desert of air travel.
The Hampton Inn fed us a great breakfast, and got us to the airport.
When we arrived in Burlington after almost 2 days in transit, we were glad to see that our baggage had arrived before we did. One of our bags had been damaged, and was replaced on the spot by Continental. After picking up our pre-warmed car at the long term parking facility, we made our way through the snow to our home on Lake Champlain.
Friday, December 14, 2007
A Tale of 2 Cities
During the last 2 days, we have visited 2 cities that looked very similar in the itinerary description. Our experience was very different:
San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
There is very little to do on this sandy peninsula where we docked, so we took a tour to the Spanish colonial city of Grenada.
A recent hurricane had created so many potholes that the oncoming traffic looked like watching skiers slalom towards you. When you combine this with the fact that we too were doing slalom on the same potholed road, the result was somewhere between frightening and exciting.
Our bus was a new Mercedes, but the seating was inspired by the stature of the local Mayas. When in my seat, I was immobile, and could feel the knees of the person behind me in my back.
After a 2 hour ride, we were left for 45 minutes in the town square. and then rushed through a 30 minute guided tour of the town. We missed many of the points of interest that were on our own intended self guided walking tour. The guide was pleasant, but not experienced. He should have clearly told us of his tour route, and ETA at each stop, so we could catch up if lost or side-tracked. Only the seasoned travellers in this group prevented someone form missing the ship.
The results were that we got one hour of touring this great colonial city out of 6 total hours on the trip.
The high spot of the day came after we returned to the ship. At the pier, we shopped for nicely crafted, low price trinkets and crafts from pleasant vendors covering about a quarter mile of beachfront under the palm trees. The non shoppers found a home at a thatched bar at the end of the market, where delicious $1 cold beers and a great view of the ship speeded our relaxation.
The lesson learned here was that schedules mean little in a third world country, and that any tour chosen must have enough time on the ground to allow for transportation mess-ups. Princess and the tour operator should upgrade guide training.
Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
Although there is no city at Puerto Quetzal, it is a main shipping center for landlocked Guatemala City. Thousands of containers are stacked at the port, which can also handle cruise ships.
We decided to see the UNESCO rated colonial city of Antigua, which is about 1/2 hour inland at 4500 feet. The divided paved highway made us forget that we were still in the third world as we whizzed through cane fields (some burning). Suddenly, about a mile in front of us, a thick dark cloud of smoke mushroomed in the center of the road. After waiting at a dead stop for about an hour, news came back to us that a fuel tank-truck had explode, and that the road would be closed until it burned out. After about 1/2 hour, an ambulance and fire truck rushed up the other side of the highway, and soon after, we made a U turn. Almost back to the ship, our bus broke down, and we had to wait another half hour for a new bus to be sent out, and for he bus drivers to plan an alternate route. Our very pleasant bus driver did his best, but could not communicate because English was not one of the requirements for his job. Our tour was "Antigua on your own".
Almost back to the dock, we turned right through the city's streets and back alleys. It was like playing Space Invaders as the bus driver wove through flocks of "Alien" vehicles like bicycles, oxcarts, dogs, horses, tricycle taxis, cows herded by kids on bikes, Kids on BMX's with 50 pound packs of wood for tonight's cooking, Pedestrians with immense loads on their heads, etc..
After surviving this gauntlet, we arrived at 1:00 PM. Superhuman effort by our driver kept us to only 1.5 hours lost. Upon arriving at the city, we were given a map with the central square, major tourist sites, and out bus departure site.
A delicious "Plato Typico" at a restaurant just off the square for only $12.50 settled us down, and we began our self guided walking tour. Although there were plenty of licensed guides to take you on a wanking tour for only $10, Patti and I had to go into overdrive to catch all of the points of interest on our list by ourselves.
Between 2 and 4 O:clock, we breezes through 8 sites, many of which were in a state of ruin. The Spaniards chose a great location for rainfall and temperature by locating in a bowl between several volcanoes, but were unaware of the seismic activity below their feet. Most existing churches and buildings have been rebuilt several times. Even today, there is a lack of multi-story buildings in this great city.
The last laugh has evidently gone to the diminutive surviving Indians. Very few Spanish types are seen on the streets, while sub-5-foot brown people are everywhere. I realized that they would fit perfectly in the bus seats that we had to endure the day before.
Our tour completed, the bus returned to the ship just in front of a commuter bus. We had a lot of fun watching the people waiting at the bus stops, and imagining how their day had gone. After whizzing by the remains of the burned tanker that had screwed up or schedule, we threaded by hundreds of trucks waiting for ships to arrive at the container port and reached the ship.
After watching the departure from our balcony, a quick shower, a dinner centered on Chicken Kiev, and watching a dance contest, we found our energy gages on empty and retired for a deep sleep.
Today we are in Huatalco, Mexico before ending our cruise in Acapulco tomorrow. We rented a boat, and toured the five bays that front this goverment-engineered tourist area. We'll add details on this and Acapulco when we reach Vermont.
Thanks for taking this trip with us. We'll be adding more content, so come visit us again.
San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
There is very little to do on this sandy peninsula where we docked, so we took a tour to the Spanish colonial city of Grenada.
A recent hurricane had created so many potholes that the oncoming traffic looked like watching skiers slalom towards you. When you combine this with the fact that we too were doing slalom on the same potholed road, the result was somewhere between frightening and exciting.
Our bus was a new Mercedes, but the seating was inspired by the stature of the local Mayas. When in my seat, I was immobile, and could feel the knees of the person behind me in my back.
After a 2 hour ride, we were left for 45 minutes in the town square. and then rushed through a 30 minute guided tour of the town. We missed many of the points of interest that were on our own intended self guided walking tour. The guide was pleasant, but not experienced. He should have clearly told us of his tour route, and ETA at each stop, so we could catch up if lost or side-tracked. Only the seasoned travellers in this group prevented someone form missing the ship.
The results were that we got one hour of touring this great colonial city out of 6 total hours on the trip.
The high spot of the day came after we returned to the ship. At the pier, we shopped for nicely crafted, low price trinkets and crafts from pleasant vendors covering about a quarter mile of beachfront under the palm trees. The non shoppers found a home at a thatched bar at the end of the market, where delicious $1 cold beers and a great view of the ship speeded our relaxation.
The lesson learned here was that schedules mean little in a third world country, and that any tour chosen must have enough time on the ground to allow for transportation mess-ups. Princess and the tour operator should upgrade guide training.
Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
Although there is no city at Puerto Quetzal, it is a main shipping center for landlocked Guatemala City. Thousands of containers are stacked at the port, which can also handle cruise ships.
We decided to see the UNESCO rated colonial city of Antigua, which is about 1/2 hour inland at 4500 feet. The divided paved highway made us forget that we were still in the third world as we whizzed through cane fields (some burning). Suddenly, about a mile in front of us, a thick dark cloud of smoke mushroomed in the center of the road. After waiting at a dead stop for about an hour, news came back to us that a fuel tank-truck had explode, and that the road would be closed until it burned out. After about 1/2 hour, an ambulance and fire truck rushed up the other side of the highway, and soon after, we made a U turn. Almost back to the ship, our bus broke down, and we had to wait another half hour for a new bus to be sent out, and for he bus drivers to plan an alternate route. Our very pleasant bus driver did his best, but could not communicate because English was not one of the requirements for his job. Our tour was "Antigua on your own".
Almost back to the dock, we turned right through the city's streets and back alleys. It was like playing Space Invaders as the bus driver wove through flocks of "Alien" vehicles like bicycles, oxcarts, dogs, horses, tricycle taxis, cows herded by kids on bikes, Kids on BMX's with 50 pound packs of wood for tonight's cooking, Pedestrians with immense loads on their heads, etc..
After surviving this gauntlet, we arrived at 1:00 PM. Superhuman effort by our driver kept us to only 1.5 hours lost. Upon arriving at the city, we were given a map with the central square, major tourist sites, and out bus departure site.
A delicious "Plato Typico" at a restaurant just off the square for only $12.50 settled us down, and we began our self guided walking tour. Although there were plenty of licensed guides to take you on a wanking tour for only $10, Patti and I had to go into overdrive to catch all of the points of interest on our list by ourselves.
Between 2 and 4 O:clock, we breezes through 8 sites, many of which were in a state of ruin. The Spaniards chose a great location for rainfall and temperature by locating in a bowl between several volcanoes, but were unaware of the seismic activity below their feet. Most existing churches and buildings have been rebuilt several times. Even today, there is a lack of multi-story buildings in this great city.
The last laugh has evidently gone to the diminutive surviving Indians. Very few Spanish types are seen on the streets, while sub-5-foot brown people are everywhere. I realized that they would fit perfectly in the bus seats that we had to endure the day before.
Our tour completed, the bus returned to the ship just in front of a commuter bus. We had a lot of fun watching the people waiting at the bus stops, and imagining how their day had gone. After whizzing by the remains of the burned tanker that had screwed up or schedule, we threaded by hundreds of trucks waiting for ships to arrive at the container port and reached the ship.
After watching the departure from our balcony, a quick shower, a dinner centered on Chicken Kiev, and watching a dance contest, we found our energy gages on empty and retired for a deep sleep.
Today we are in Huatalco, Mexico before ending our cruise in Acapulco tomorrow. We rented a boat, and toured the five bays that front this goverment-engineered tourist area. We'll add details on this and Acapulco when we reach Vermont.
Thanks for taking this trip with us. We'll be adding more content, so come visit us again.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Sea Day and Puntarenas Costa Rica
A relaxing day at sea:
I used this sea day as a "battery charger" for my body. Reading books on the balcony while watching passing dolphins and seabirds flying 20 feet away is a wonderful way to catch up on sleep and energy.
I did take time to attend a cooking demonstration by the ship's chef and maitre d'. They showed us how simple it can be to prepare several gourmet meals from scratch. After the tour, we toured the main galley of the ship as it cranked up for the night's dining. The surprisingly small area is so stainless and spotless that it looks dull. When the bright foods and aromas start filling the galley, it transforms into a wondrous visual and aromatic kaleidoscope.
Puntarenas Costa Rica
We woke this morning alongside a pier on this long peninsula. At 6 AM we went to Deck 14 for a quick breakfast.
Our tour bus drove right out on the pier to pick us up for our tours. After a scenic drive along the shore, we boarded an antique train at the mouth of a river, and passed through many squatter shanties as we climbed up the river valley into the interior.
Beside the reality of poverty and squalor in a 3rd world country, we also saw living fences for the first time. Barbed wire is strung on widely spaced posts, and suckers from a local tree are driven into the ground. With humidities of about 100%, the sticks root themselves into a impenetrable living fence in a year or two. Unfortunately these tall thick fences are the bane of tourist trying to get pictures of the beautiful green fields and livestock. Speaking of tourists, the tree used for these fences has a red bark that often peels away from the trunk in the tropical sunshine. The local name for these trees is "Touristas" (tourists).
When we reached the end of the tracks, we transfered to a bus which took us to the mouth of a river, where a pontoon boat was ready to take us deep into the interior of a mangrove swamp. Great viewing was had by all, with the following species accounted for:
Raccoon
Transparent fish
Vulture
Ibis
Night Heron
Spoonbill Heron
Other herons
King Fisher
Swallow
Macaw
Toucan
Swallow
Alligator
Monkey
After returning to the ship, Patti shopped the 500 meter long market at the dock, while I downed a very respectable local beer with an Ex-Pat from Houston. He was explaining how beautiful and inexpensive it was to live here. I stopped at one beer before I started to think whether booking cruises from here would work.
Because the next 2 cities that we are visiting are similar on the shore excursion forms, we'll write them up together.
I used this sea day as a "battery charger" for my body. Reading books on the balcony while watching passing dolphins and seabirds flying 20 feet away is a wonderful way to catch up on sleep and energy.
I did take time to attend a cooking demonstration by the ship's chef and maitre d'. They showed us how simple it can be to prepare several gourmet meals from scratch. After the tour, we toured the main galley of the ship as it cranked up for the night's dining. The surprisingly small area is so stainless and spotless that it looks dull. When the bright foods and aromas start filling the galley, it transforms into a wondrous visual and aromatic kaleidoscope.
Puntarenas Costa Rica
We woke this morning alongside a pier on this long peninsula. At 6 AM we went to Deck 14 for a quick breakfast.
Our tour bus drove right out on the pier to pick us up for our tours. After a scenic drive along the shore, we boarded an antique train at the mouth of a river, and passed through many squatter shanties as we climbed up the river valley into the interior.
Beside the reality of poverty and squalor in a 3rd world country, we also saw living fences for the first time. Barbed wire is strung on widely spaced posts, and suckers from a local tree are driven into the ground. With humidities of about 100%, the sticks root themselves into a impenetrable living fence in a year or two. Unfortunately these tall thick fences are the bane of tourist trying to get pictures of the beautiful green fields and livestock. Speaking of tourists, the tree used for these fences has a red bark that often peels away from the trunk in the tropical sunshine. The local name for these trees is "Touristas" (tourists).
When we reached the end of the tracks, we transfered to a bus which took us to the mouth of a river, where a pontoon boat was ready to take us deep into the interior of a mangrove swamp. Great viewing was had by all, with the following species accounted for:
Raccoon
Transparent fish
Vulture
Ibis
Night Heron
Spoonbill Heron
Other herons
King Fisher
Swallow
Macaw
Toucan
Swallow
Alligator
Monkey
After returning to the ship, Patti shopped the 500 meter long market at the dock, while I downed a very respectable local beer with an Ex-Pat from Houston. He was explaining how beautiful and inexpensive it was to live here. I stopped at one beer before I started to think whether booking cruises from here would work.
Because the next 2 cities that we are visiting are similar on the shore excursion forms, we'll write them up together.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Panama Canal Passage E-W Island Princess
We're finally through the Canal, and here's the longest palandrome that I ever encountered:
A Man A Plan A Canal Panama - Try it forwards or backwards.
The Canal Passage:
This is a special passage for me. My father was an officer on the SS Colombia and MS Panama during the 1920's and 30's before he got swept into WWII. I'm finally going to the places that I have only seen in my dreams.
When the 6AM alarm sounded, we ran to our balcony to find that were were already approaching the first lock. After rubbernecking at the jungle, and a 10-12 foot alligator from our balcony, we finally neared the first lock. Fortunately there is a secluded front deck just 40 feet from out cabin, so we went out there to get a forward view of the passage.
Four Mules (Gear driven engines) were connected to the ship by a brave person in an ordinary rowboat. They then guided us into the lock with inches to spare all around. After we were sealed in the lowest lock. water from the next highest lock was let into our lock No pumps are used, but the amount of water used is fantastic. with the upcoming new canal, this could be a problem, and conservation methods are planned.
The HAL Volendam pulled into the lock next to us, affording us with a better view of just how tight the fit is. Both ships see-sawed their way through 3 locks 28 feet at a time until we reached Gatun Lake. The Volendam then turned round to go back out to the Atlantic. We cruise on across Gatun lake.
This artificial lake holds back the waters of the Sagres river, making what was once the largest man-made lake in the world. After the French spent hundreds of millions unsuccessfully to build a sea level canal, the Americans took over in 1904 and spent 387 million dollars and thousands of lives over ten years to complete the task.
The 30 miles or more of total wilderness is caused by the inhospitable jungle, and security restrictions on the canal. Even a small rock becomes a thirty foot island as the jungle takes over. Little wildlife is visible, probably because the intense life drama is played out under the jungle canopy.
Famous names to Google for their contribution to the Panama Canal are Teddy Roosevelt, Ferdinand De Lesseps, Goethals, Walter Reed, and William Gorgas. You'll find out why you see these names on so many buildings and monuments.
Upon return to Vermont, I'll add some of the fantastic figures that can attempt to describe the immensity and importance of this wonder.
At 35 miles into the canal, we reached the famous Culebra Cut, where the 564 foot continental divide had to be breached to reach th Pacific. After almost 100 years, the terraced mountain still towers about 220 feet above the canal.
There's lots of activity here in this narrow space, with dredges maintaining the original canal, while drills and dozers begin work on the new canal. The new canal will take ships over PANAMAX (about 108 wide x 980 long), so that today's large tankers and passenger ships can save 8000 miles on the trip from coast to coast.
At the first lock leading to the Pacific (Pedro Miguel), we spotted an exciting abandoned hotel/ marina in an idyllic setting right next to the canal. It got my heart beating, and I had to read "Don't stop the Carnival" to get back on track. If you haven't read it - Do so!
Passing through the Miraflores locks,was just a reversal of the techniques that lifted us from the Atlantic. When we arrived at Panama City,the sun was setting on the beautiful skyline. We sailed through a cloud of moored fishing and pleasure boats, passed thunderheads of large ship waiting for overnight passage, and turned starboard to begin our passage through Pacific Central America.
TIP OF THE DAY
To go from Atlantic to Pacific, you actually go north. This means that starboard cabins get the early sun, while portside balconies swelter in the afternoon heat. Our solution was to reserve our two balcony cabins forward near a public deck that faced forward. We got one each of port and starboard cabins. As planned, we could see any view at any time of the day by shifting the center of our party. Room service got a little confused, but they did the job!
A Man A Plan A Canal Panama - Try it forwards or backwards.
The Canal Passage:
This is a special passage for me. My father was an officer on the SS Colombia and MS Panama during the 1920's and 30's before he got swept into WWII. I'm finally going to the places that I have only seen in my dreams.
When the 6AM alarm sounded, we ran to our balcony to find that were were already approaching the first lock. After rubbernecking at the jungle, and a 10-12 foot alligator from our balcony, we finally neared the first lock. Fortunately there is a secluded front deck just 40 feet from out cabin, so we went out there to get a forward view of the passage.
Four Mules (Gear driven engines) were connected to the ship by a brave person in an ordinary rowboat. They then guided us into the lock with inches to spare all around. After we were sealed in the lowest lock. water from the next highest lock was let into our lock No pumps are used, but the amount of water used is fantastic. with the upcoming new canal, this could be a problem, and conservation methods are planned.
The HAL Volendam pulled into the lock next to us, affording us with a better view of just how tight the fit is. Both ships see-sawed their way through 3 locks 28 feet at a time until we reached Gatun Lake. The Volendam then turned round to go back out to the Atlantic. We cruise on across Gatun lake.
This artificial lake holds back the waters of the Sagres river, making what was once the largest man-made lake in the world. After the French spent hundreds of millions unsuccessfully to build a sea level canal, the Americans took over in 1904 and spent 387 million dollars and thousands of lives over ten years to complete the task.
The 30 miles or more of total wilderness is caused by the inhospitable jungle, and security restrictions on the canal. Even a small rock becomes a thirty foot island as the jungle takes over. Little wildlife is visible, probably because the intense life drama is played out under the jungle canopy.
Famous names to Google for their contribution to the Panama Canal are Teddy Roosevelt, Ferdinand De Lesseps, Goethals, Walter Reed, and William Gorgas. You'll find out why you see these names on so many buildings and monuments.
Upon return to Vermont, I'll add some of the fantastic figures that can attempt to describe the immensity and importance of this wonder.
At 35 miles into the canal, we reached the famous Culebra Cut, where the 564 foot continental divide had to be breached to reach th Pacific. After almost 100 years, the terraced mountain still towers about 220 feet above the canal.
There's lots of activity here in this narrow space, with dredges maintaining the original canal, while drills and dozers begin work on the new canal. The new canal will take ships over PANAMAX (about 108 wide x 980 long), so that today's large tankers and passenger ships can save 8000 miles on the trip from coast to coast.
At the first lock leading to the Pacific (Pedro Miguel), we spotted an exciting abandoned hotel/ marina in an idyllic setting right next to the canal. It got my heart beating, and I had to read "Don't stop the Carnival" to get back on track. If you haven't read it - Do so!
Passing through the Miraflores locks,was just a reversal of the techniques that lifted us from the Atlantic. When we arrived at Panama City,the sun was setting on the beautiful skyline. We sailed through a cloud of moored fishing and pleasure boats, passed thunderheads of large ship waiting for overnight passage, and turned starboard to begin our passage through Pacific Central America.
TIP OF THE DAY
To go from Atlantic to Pacific, you actually go north. This means that starboard cabins get the early sun, while portside balconies swelter in the afternoon heat. Our solution was to reserve our two balcony cabins forward near a public deck that faced forward. We got one each of port and starboard cabins. As planned, we could see any view at any time of the day by shifting the center of our party. Room service got a little confused, but they did the job!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Cartagena Colombia
Hello to all,
Today's posting comes to you direct from the center of the Panama Canal. We'll talk about the canal after we exit it.
The beautiful Colombian city of Cartagena was our port yesterday. After the exciting passage through a fleet of fishermen in canoes at Boca Chica, we were greeted by a vision of the world class skyscrapers of Cartagena. Once, when I was a child, we had visitors from Colombia. As they exited the ship in New York City, they looked at the tall buildings, and said "Madre mia - These people live in Harmonicas!". Now the Colombians have Harmonicas of their own, with at least 12 more under construction.
After docking, we took a bus to past the Fortaleza to the beautiful 16th and 17th century old town to do a walking tour. We stopped as we passed through the 12 mile city wall to shop for trinkets in an old powder magazine. Handicrafts and trinkets were of excellent quality, while the beer's strongest quality was it's coolness. Colombia's aggressive street vendors have been controlled by licensing, and 18 year old ROTC-type Tourist Police with batons. Three "No's" did the job with almost all of them.
As a sidelight, these walls repelled a young cousin of George Washington when he attacked under the leadership of Vernon. Vernon's name was eventually used for GW's residence Mount Vernon.
Our walking tour covered the wonderful homes of the city, where we could get glimpses of the gorgeous courtyard gardens. The homes featured glassless barred windows, and balconies overflowing with Bouganvilla's of all colors.
We visited churches, Museums, and shopped for Emeralds.
The ship's troupe of performers had a new show for us at 10:15PM, but after all of our walking and warmth, we retired instead to insure being up for the Canal entrance at 6:45 AM today. This ship like Holland Americas new ships puts 2000 people in the space others use for 2600 passengers. It's a great feeling - As if the ship were for some reason not full. Kudos to both HAL and Princess. Our Balcony Suite just behind the bridge adds to make this a luxury experience.
This computer won't let me access my camera card, so you'll have to see the pictures of our adventure when we return. Now I know why we should have brought our laptop. Got to run now; we're passing through the Culebra cut, which is the Continental Divide.
Today's posting comes to you direct from the center of the Panama Canal. We'll talk about the canal after we exit it.
The beautiful Colombian city of Cartagena was our port yesterday. After the exciting passage through a fleet of fishermen in canoes at Boca Chica, we were greeted by a vision of the world class skyscrapers of Cartagena. Once, when I was a child, we had visitors from Colombia. As they exited the ship in New York City, they looked at the tall buildings, and said "Madre mia - These people live in Harmonicas!". Now the Colombians have Harmonicas of their own, with at least 12 more under construction.
After docking, we took a bus to past the Fortaleza to the beautiful 16th and 17th century old town to do a walking tour. We stopped as we passed through the 12 mile city wall to shop for trinkets in an old powder magazine. Handicrafts and trinkets were of excellent quality, while the beer's strongest quality was it's coolness. Colombia's aggressive street vendors have been controlled by licensing, and 18 year old ROTC-type Tourist Police with batons. Three "No's" did the job with almost all of them.
As a sidelight, these walls repelled a young cousin of George Washington when he attacked under the leadership of Vernon. Vernon's name was eventually used for GW's residence Mount Vernon.
Our walking tour covered the wonderful homes of the city, where we could get glimpses of the gorgeous courtyard gardens. The homes featured glassless barred windows, and balconies overflowing with Bouganvilla's of all colors.
We visited churches, Museums, and shopped for Emeralds.
The ship's troupe of performers had a new show for us at 10:15PM, but after all of our walking and warmth, we retired instead to insure being up for the Canal entrance at 6:45 AM today. This ship like Holland Americas new ships puts 2000 people in the space others use for 2600 passengers. It's a great feeling - As if the ship were for some reason not full. Kudos to both HAL and Princess. Our Balcony Suite just behind the bridge adds to make this a luxury experience.
This computer won't let me access my camera card, so you'll have to see the pictures of our adventure when we return. Now I know why we should have brought our laptop. Got to run now; we're passing through the Culebra cut, which is the Continental Divide.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Curacao and Aruba
Yesterday in Willemstad, Curacao, when faced with a $10 cab fare to town, we opted to take the pleasant 10 minute walk to town across the floating swing bridge (Good decision).
Although originally home to peaceful natives, this island was conquered by the Caribs, the Spanish, and finally the Dutch. The tall brightly painted buildings reminded us of a picture of Amsterdam with the color saturation turned way up.
If you're looking for Carbon-Neutral, this is not the spot. Unrest and political instability in Venezuela made this stable off-shore island an ideal place for refineries, which are still in operation.
A good side to this is visiting a thriving community whose economy isn't dominated by tourism.
After crossing the swing bridge, we had a delightful time browsing through the city as natives busily went about their chores. We especially loved the floating market, where boats from nearby Venezuela dock with a kaleidoscope of fruits, vegetables and fish. Nearby, we saw the oldest Synagogue in the new world.
Crossing the harbor on another bridge, we visited the growing maritime museum before being treated to a demo of the swing bridge in operation on the way back to the ship. The entire 500 foot bridge is hinged at one end, and the last pontoon is actually a powered boat which moves completely out of the way and returns it to position in about a minute.
Locals climbed the fence, and were jumping on to the moving bridge before it was even in position. We crossed behind them, and sipped cocktails on the balcony of our suite as we watched latecomers rush to catch the ship. We could see the officers maneuvering the ship directly from our balcony. They waved and went back to their job of safely sailing us off into a dramatic sunset.
Arriving in Aruba this morning, we were faced with a half day in port, so the ship could get an early start on the long trip to Colombia.
Patti and I had such a good time yesterday in town, that we decided to do it again. We visited a Museum in a historic fort near the yacht harbor. While the stories told were interesting, we considered our $6 per person to be a donation to build a better collection.
Most of Oranjestad's downtown section is predominantly touristic, and reminiscent of Ketchikan or Saint Thomas.
Barbara and Bud Took a 4x4 Jeep tour through the countryside, including and Ostrich Farm, Gold Mine, Lighthouse, and other sights.
While we often reccommend a walking tour of new places. this isn't the place. I noticed that cab drivers were offering 2 hour island tours for $10 per person, so you may still have a less expensive alternative to cruise line excursions.
If I don't have time to post pictures tomorrow from Colombia, I'll be sure to add them to these postings when we get back to the office.
Ciao, Dick
Although originally home to peaceful natives, this island was conquered by the Caribs, the Spanish, and finally the Dutch. The tall brightly painted buildings reminded us of a picture of Amsterdam with the color saturation turned way up.
If you're looking for Carbon-Neutral, this is not the spot. Unrest and political instability in Venezuela made this stable off-shore island an ideal place for refineries, which are still in operation.
A good side to this is visiting a thriving community whose economy isn't dominated by tourism.
After crossing the swing bridge, we had a delightful time browsing through the city as natives busily went about their chores. We especially loved the floating market, where boats from nearby Venezuela dock with a kaleidoscope of fruits, vegetables and fish. Nearby, we saw the oldest Synagogue in the new world.
Crossing the harbor on another bridge, we visited the growing maritime museum before being treated to a demo of the swing bridge in operation on the way back to the ship. The entire 500 foot bridge is hinged at one end, and the last pontoon is actually a powered boat which moves completely out of the way and returns it to position in about a minute.
Locals climbed the fence, and were jumping on to the moving bridge before it was even in position. We crossed behind them, and sipped cocktails on the balcony of our suite as we watched latecomers rush to catch the ship. We could see the officers maneuvering the ship directly from our balcony. They waved and went back to their job of safely sailing us off into a dramatic sunset.
Arriving in Aruba this morning, we were faced with a half day in port, so the ship could get an early start on the long trip to Colombia.
Patti and I had such a good time yesterday in town, that we decided to do it again. We visited a Museum in a historic fort near the yacht harbor. While the stories told were interesting, we considered our $6 per person to be a donation to build a better collection.
Most of Oranjestad's downtown section is predominantly touristic, and reminiscent of Ketchikan or Saint Thomas.
Barbara and Bud Took a 4x4 Jeep tour through the countryside, including and Ostrich Farm, Gold Mine, Lighthouse, and other sights.
While we often reccommend a walking tour of new places. this isn't the place. I noticed that cab drivers were offering 2 hour island tours for $10 per person, so you may still have a less expensive alternative to cruise line excursions.
If I don't have time to post pictures tomorrow from Colombia, I'll be sure to add them to these postings when we get back to the office.
Ciao, Dick
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Hello from the Island Princess off the coast of Cuba
We left BTV at 7 am yesterday, and arrived in San Juan at 2PM yesterday. The contrast between 13 degrees and 87 degrees was quite a shock. We had no delays or problems. But if you are slow on your feet, pre order one of those Beep Beep transporters from the airline when you make connections.
If you haven't cruised from San Juan recently, it's important to know that there are 2 cruiseports there. The old one is directly in Old San Juan, and you can just walk into town until the ship sails at 11:00PM. The new one is at the Convention center across the bay from Old San Juan, and requires a cab ride to get to Old San Juan. Know in advance which port you are using to make your plans work better. I'll do research when I get back, and share the results with you. I've already asked Royal Caribbean about getting a water taxi actross the bay, but I see no activity yet. The taxi drivers must have a strong presence in town.
We were wowed by the "Guitar/Folklorico" show on board last night. Juan Carlos was the guitarist, and his fully endowed dancers kept the men's eyes rivetted as they performed.
Juan is from Barcellona, lives in San Juan, once performed with Ed Sullivan, and is a great guitarist. Unfortunately, he had no CD's to purchase. I'll have to google him. He stays in San Juan, and plays on many ships. Don't miss him if he is on yours!
Today, we're having a "Quiet day at sea". After a room service breakfast, golf lessons, Bridge lessons, The Martini mixology class, and the champagne art auction, I definitely won't be bored.
Check in tomorrow to see what we're doing.
If you haven't cruised from San Juan recently, it's important to know that there are 2 cruiseports there. The old one is directly in Old San Juan, and you can just walk into town until the ship sails at 11:00PM. The new one is at the Convention center across the bay from Old San Juan, and requires a cab ride to get to Old San Juan. Know in advance which port you are using to make your plans work better. I'll do research when I get back, and share the results with you. I've already asked Royal Caribbean about getting a water taxi actross the bay, but I see no activity yet. The taxi drivers must have a strong presence in town.
We were wowed by the "Guitar/Folklorico" show on board last night. Juan Carlos was the guitarist, and his fully endowed dancers kept the men's eyes rivetted as they performed.
Juan is from Barcellona, lives in San Juan, once performed with Ed Sullivan, and is a great guitarist. Unfortunately, he had no CD's to purchase. I'll have to google him. He stays in San Juan, and plays on many ships. Don't miss him if he is on yours!
Today, we're having a "Quiet day at sea". After a room service breakfast, golf lessons, Bridge lessons, The Martini mixology class, and the champagne art auction, I definitely won't be bored.
Check in tomorrow to see what we're doing.
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