San Diego

It was a glorious clear day in San Diego with the temperature  being in the 80's.  The best part of the day was connecting with our families via Skpe and FaceTime.  The FaceTime did not work so well due to my inability to hear what was being said and my amazing digital control that always had my thumb over the web cam.  But now I know where the headphones are to be plugged into and the location of the webcam so next time should be much better.  It was so great to hear everyone's voices.  Beside our two hours on the Internet trying to catch up with all the news and emails (the ship's Internet is either down or you lose connections constantly) we did travel the town.  The morning was spent at Cabrillo National Monument, which offers a spectacular view of San Diego and the region.  The day was so clear we even could see well into Mexico.  After the monument it was off to Walmart for additional travel supplies.  We then drove to the island of Coronado.  We walked by the beach and to the hotel Del Coronado which is an outstanding hotel.  Then back to the city as we needed to be back 'home' by 4:30 or else the ship would leave for Honolulu without us.  
While ashore in San Diego, our faith in the fundamental kindness of people was renewed.  The address we had for the car rental agency was rather confusing because the entrance to the Avis office was on a cross street rather than the actual address we were given.  As we stared at our piece of paper and looked around confusedly, a young woman pushing a baby carriage approached us and asked if she could help.  Though she was also confused by the address, she did not hesitate to phone the car rental company and clarify their location for us.  We will recall her kindness fondly as our journey continues.

Cruise tip: rent a car from Avis on Kettner Blvd (entrance via Cedar) three blocks from the ship and they will drop you off at the ship when you are done, which is very handy when you are loaded down with critical ship supplies. (eg. Wine)

Cool Building in Panama City

Cloud Forest in Nicaragua

Here is a pic of the cloud forest in Nicaragua. If only Tarzan were available to swing on one of the vines!

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

The port lecturer on the ship advised that Nicaragua is still evolving its tourist facilities and advised us to bring our own toilet paper and hand sanitizer.  However, at least on the tour we took and the sights we saw, this information was not accurate.  So, we ended carting a knapsack full of toilet paper halfway across the country.  The relative youth of Nicaragua’s tourist industry has the advantage that the people are very welcoming and do not yet despise Canadian, American and European tourists. 

We took a full day tour that included stops at Lake Nicaragua, Mombacho Volcano and the town of Granada.  Lake Nicaragua is one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world.  It contains a variety of fish, including the bull shark, the only fresh water shark known.  Rising from the centre of the lake are two massive volcanic cones.  Local legend has it that the cones represent lovers who died in unrequited love when the girl’s father killed her lover, prompting the girl to commit suicide.  Another take on this legend suggests that the cones represent the girl’s bosom.  

Next we boarded a four-wheel-drive open bus to climb to the Apoyo crater at the summit of Mombacho volcano.  The summit was shrouded in clouds, thus we were unable to enjoy the expansive view that allows one to see four countries including Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador.  However the clouds were appropriate for the 1.5 km hike through the so-called cloud forest that surrounds the crater.  The trail is narrow with tree stumps used as steps.  Lots of ups and downs on the trail so Cia was very glad that we have been working out and also shunning the elevators on the ship and preferring the stairs.  The Cel learned of a fascinating hike at the summit that is four km long but so arduous as to require an average of four hours to complete.  It begins with 982 steps.  Perhaps some day...

The trees in the cloud forest obtain moisture directly from the humidity in the enshrouding clouds.  Over 35 species of different parasite and epiphytes can be found on a single tree.

After the hike round the crater we stopped at a coffee plantation where we bought some coffee.  Then we travelled to Granada, a colorful Spanish colonial town that has been pillaged and burned numerous times throughout its almost 500-year history.  In the town we enjoyed a delightful meal of Rainbow bass, fresh from Lake Nicaragua while we were entertained by a Mariachi band.  We also saw a group demonstrating Nicaraguan dance in the main square of Granada. 

From Granada, it was a 90-minute bus ride back to the ship during which we passed pineapple groves, sugar cane fields and papaya trees.  Also during the ride back to the ship, our guide, Max, told us of Nicaragua’s hope for its economic future.  When the country experienced a devastating earthquake in the 1990’s that destroyed over 80% of the bridges in the country.  Japan, provided aid by not only rebuilding all of the destroyed bridges, but also built brand new hospitals in every state of Nicaragua at no charge.  In return the Japanese are hoping to be granted a concession to build a canal from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific, in direct competition with the Panama Canal.  When a canal was first considered in Central America, Nicaragua was considered the ideal location; but international politics and scare tactics citing the volcanic geology of the country, prompted the Americans to build the canal in Panama.  Most interesting about the Japanese plan, is that they propose to build a dry canal across Nicaragua.  Partly to avoid damaging the ecosystem of Lake Nicaragua and also to avoid the size limits for ships (which is the case in Panama) the Japanese canal would consist of a high speed railway.  Cargo would be unloaded at one end of the line and loaded on another ship at the other end of the line.  The time required to transfer the cargo would be half the time required to transit the Panama Canal.  The only drawback, is that the shipping company would require a ship on each side of the Central American isthmus.  Should this proposal proceed, it will transform the Nicaraguan (and Panamanian) economies and it will be interesting to see what transpires. 

The town of San Juan del Sur is larger than Puerto Quepos in Costa Rica and a bar near the tender dock sells beer for $1 per bottle.  A great country to visit!

Now it’s time for Cia’s rant: As we were having lunch (which was included in the tour) in Granada, the woman across from me asked to borrow another person’s napkin.   She then took her leftover beef (the equivalent of one thin slice) and one small piece of potato and, using her fingers, plucked these bits of food into even tinier morsels which she folded into the used, soiled napkin.  Then she left the restaurant and went to give these scraps to a beggar woman she had noticed outside.  When she returned, her husband asked if there were crowds following her due to her noble gesture of generosity.  She replied that the beggar must have been running a scam because she did not want the scraps of food.  I was disgusted by this woman’s mockery of charity and had the urge to tell her off (or maybe just bypass the words and get right down to it and punch her out.)  From my perspective, what she was doing was akin to feeding scraps to an animal under the table.  If she were truly serious in her desire to help, she should have offered to buy the beggar lunch.  Am I wrong?  Her husband further reinforced my impression of their trumped up, Birkenstock-wearing, occupy-movement-cheering, self-aggrandizing, narcissistic, bleeding-heart phony sophistication by loudly blowing his nose into his cloth napkin two or three times and then depositing it onto the table while some of us were still finishing our meal—delightful.

CRUISE TIP: Here is a tip we learned from a fellow passenger.  When looking to hire a taxi or guide in one of these tropical ports, after asking whether the prospective driver or guide speaks English and receiving the stock reply of “Yes, señor,” follow up with the question, “So did it snow here yesterday?”  If you get the stock answer, “Yes, señor,” move on and look for someone else!

Puerto Quepos, Costa Rica

The population of Puerto Quepos is about 14,000.  The town is relatively undeveloped but includes the standard soccer field and church of all Spanish communities.  The town was built around an International Fruit Company banana plantation, but the company left the area in the 1990’s.  Now the economy of the town is based on the production of African palm oil and, of course, tourism.  It has one of the most popular surfing beaches in the world.  The official language is Spanish, but English is relatively common in the tourist areas.  The US dollar is the preferred tourist currency.  There are many expatriate Americans living in Costa Rica. 

We took a tour to Manuel Antonio National Park which, with it being a Saturday, was packed with locals.  The humidity was near 100% and the temperature 32 degrees Celsius.  Andrew, our tour guide, carried a spotting scope to help us see some of the fauna that are found in the park.  Most of the animals have superb camouflage and I doubt we would have spotted any of them without the aid of our guide.  Animals we saw included red-eyed tree frogs, lizards, white-faced capuchin monkeys, a three toed sloth, a woodpecker and a toucan (the bird depicted on the Fruit Loops cereal box).  One of the highlights was seeing an amazing iridescent lavender colored butterfly with wings as large as a human hand.  The hike through the park is 1.8 km long.  At about the midway point, the path descends to a lovely beach.  The terrain is uneven and good walking shoes are recommended, although at one point you need to ford a small tidal stream so be prepared to get your footwear wet.  If you are willing to take a public bus, you can get to the park for about 50 cents (MUCH cheaper than the ship tour).  The entrance fee to the park is $10. 

An alternate tour at this port that was highly recommended by all of the passengers who chose it, was the Pacific Forest Arial Tram that brings you to a series of about 10 ziplines over the forest canopy. 

For those of you who believe the new drunk driving laws being proposed in Alberta are overly severe, consider that in Costa Rica, the first DUI offence will cost you about $3000 in fines, the loss of your license for three months and three months in jail.  The second offence will land you in jail for three years, and you will lose your driver’s license for life.

CRUISE TIP: If you decide to do a zipline tour independently, be sure to find out how you get to the starting point, by tram or by foot.  If the latter, be prepared to be too exhausted to enjoy the zip experience.

The Panama Canal

Our entrance into the Panama Canal occurred at 7:10 AM at Gatun locks and we exited the canal at Miraflores locks at 3:20 PM.  Our course was southeasterly from the Caribbean Sea on the Atlantic side to the Gulf of Panama on the Pacific side.  The cost of passage for our ship was $127,000.  The canal is 80 km long and it was completed in 1914.  During its construction, over 200 million cubic meters was removed.  More than 20,000 people lost their lives in the construction of the canal.  On September 4, 2010, the millionth ship transited the canal.  Annually, 14,000 ships take the shortcut rather than go round Cape Horn.  Currently, expansion of the canal is underway to accommodate ships that exceed the Panamax standard.  This expansion project was started in 2007 and is scheduled to be complete by 2014, the centennial of the original canal.  The canal is the primary driver of the Panamanian economy and judging by the skyline of Panama City, business is booming.  During our transit of the canal, our companion ships were two container ships.  As usual, the trip through the canal was fascinating and watching the building of the new locks is a delight for all boys who like to watch giant dump trucks and graders and who want desperately to be at the controls of the enormous diggers.

Thanks to everyone who sent emails providing Calgary weather updates.  We did a little winter celebration dance in the 28 degree Celsius (notice there is no preceding minus sign) weather. 

We have met many friendly people aboard.  The group of six at the table beside us in the dining room are very pleasant and, since our table for two is separated from theirs by only about eight inches, they have insisted in including us in their generally amusing dinner conversations.  For instance, some of you may not be aware of this, but the Cel frequently likes to use aliases when introducing himself to strangers and also prefers to fabricate his occupation when asked.  For example, last April, while on a river cruise on the Danube River, the Cel’s name was Eugene and, when pressed, he would admit to being a mortician.  One of our almost tablemates however, had a story that surpasses any fabrication the Cel has ever dreamed up (but which he is liable to plagiarize at the first opportunity).  Apparently, someone once asked a tablemate on a cruise ship what he did for a living.  The fellow said he worked at San Quentin penitentiary.  Unwilling to leave it at that, the questioner followed up with, “And what do you do there?”  The answer silenced all further conversation, “I’m the state executioner!”  Conversation did not resume until the fellow admitted he was joking. 

Of course, the dinner conversation is not always light and amusing.  It is sometimes educational as well.  As an example, we learned that one can have eye makeup such as eyeliner, permanently tattooed into the skin.  Apparently, however, if you choose to undergo this time-saving procedure, it can adversely affect any MRI examination you may require afterwards.  And then there is the inevitable (given the average age of our ship mates) jolly discussion of health ailments.  So, instead of a palate-cleansing sorbet between courses, we were treated to a lively dissertation on wet and dry macular degeneration, the delight of the requisite needle stick in the eye for administering appropriate treatment, and the subsequent eyeball full of blood that eventually resolved after several days.  I tell you, the main course could not have arrived at a more appropriate time! 

When we find our fellow cruisers simply too delightful and amusing, we escape to the solitude of our balcony.  Alas, even there we need to beware of “da stink.”  Our neighbour two doors down also likes to spend reclusive blocks of time on the verandah.  Unfortunately, he suffers from a nasty cough that apparently affects his ability to keep from venting other gases so that as his coughing fit subsides, a vile effluent leaps effortlessly from balcony to balcony.  More than once we have been driven back into our stateroom to avoid “da stink.”

CRUISE TIP: Looking for a cheap watch or do you need an evening bag for formal night?  Wait until you are aboard the ship and take advantage of the $10 sale in the shops.

Aruba/Cartagena

Aruba is approximately 74 square miles in size and has a population of roughly 34,000.  The main spoken language is Dutch but in the tourist areas, English is no problem.  The U.S. dollar is widely accepted.  Aruba is the largest exporter of aloe and has the largest oil refinery in the Caribbean.  Indeed, as we sailed away, we saw about 12 tankers waiting off shore to offload crude or load refined petroleum.  The beaches look wonderful and the waters are a beautiful blue color.  We, however, spent our time at Starbucks fighting with the iPad.  Now I understand Steve Jobs’ marketing brilliance: if you want it to work well, everything you own must be an Apple product and aligned to Apple systems.  We have now changed the name iPad to PC (piece of crap).  Maybe by the end of 107 days I might have changed my mind, but not now. 

The food on the ship is spectacular, as are the staff.  Everyone is super friendly and committed to the Princess tag line: ‘Escape Completely.’  Last night was formal night and cocktails flowed at the Captain’s Party with choices including Gin Gimlets (I like those!) and lots of very colorful beverages such as Singapore Slings.  The captain could easily be a stand-up comedian.  He is from Liverpool and is NOT a fan of Man U.  However, he told us that he does have a very special plank available for any Man U fans he encounters.

Nearly two-thirds of the 618 passengers are on the world cruise and for some it is their third world cruise aboard this ship.  There are 123 Canadians on this leg of the cruise.

The night skies are fantastic and we are beginning to see constellations that we have not been able to observe since our trip to Australia in 1986. It is getting somewhat more difficult to recognize some of the constellations as our latitude gets further south (current latitude is 10 degrees North), but two nights ago it was worth getting up at 4am to see the Southern Cross on the horizon.  Canopus has joined Sirius and Capella among the brightest stars in the sky.  The temperature is glorious for star gazing.

Currently, as we write this, the temperature is 26 degrees and the sea temperature is 29.  We are only in Cartagena from 7 AM till noon today so we are opting to stay aboard the ship since we have seen a fair bit of the city on a previous visit; so maybe emeralds on another day.  To date, we have travelled 1487.7 miles (2380.3 km).

Next highlight will be the Panama Canal.  Cia signing off...

CRUISE TIP:  In Aruba when you leave the secured areas, lots of mini-van taxis that hold about 6 people will offer you tours of the island for about $20.  As you walk further into town, the price drops to $15.  In Cartagena, take a tour as it appears things are less settled and safe than they were when we were last here in 2008.  It is not recommended to leave the port area and walk into town.

First Sea Day

January 14, 2012
Our first sea day, and the waters of the Caribbean are calm, the sky partly cloudy, the temperature a pleasant 26 degrees.  It is remarkable how quickly we have adapted once again to life on the sea.
Our first encounter with some of our fellow passengers was as we waited to chat with the maitre'd to request a table for two.  We were number 27 on the wait list for people wanting to make various changes to their dining arrangements.   One ornery old fellow kept griping loudly that surely it was his turn and what in tarnation was the good of this process if he couldn't get his way NOW!  Happily, he was ahead of us on the wait list because I would have hated to get in his way.
When we were finally called to have our conference with the maitre'd, an elderly harridan scowled at the crewman calling the order on the list and then turned her glowering countenance upon us and hollered in a loud, screeching voice, "We are supposed to be next!"  Disregarding her protest, I wrapped my hand around a $20 bill should its use become necessary, and we made our request for a table for two.  "You'll be with us for the whole 107 days?" the maitre'd asked.    We replied in the affirmative and, as he studied his seating maps and I studied our cruise mates in line, I added, "And we would like the table for two for the entire duration." At that point I was prepared to hand over the twenty bucks, but he pre-emptied my largesse by telling us he could only guarantee our dining privacy for the first 15 days to San Diego and that the change would not take effect until the following evening's meal.  Perhaps a twenty might have done the job at that moment, and I was about to proceed with the bribe when the crone behind us created another ruckus insisting that it was her turn now.  
Perhaps some of you have had the pleasure of reading Darlene's blog that she wrote during her cruise to Asia last autumn.  If so, then you might also recall her acronym for a pervasive odor she noticed on the ship and dubbed SLOP (Smells Like Old People).  At one time, I doubted the veracity of her observation, but now I can say that I am pleased that our stateroom is very close to the very fresh smelling laundry room.  One has only to saunter a few steps forward or aft of our room before encountering the phenomenon that Darlene so aptly described.  
As much as it might disrupt my appetite for our upcoming dinner, I still have time to relate one more example of the bonhomie and camaraderie of our fellow cruisers.  We were seated in a lounge, awaiting the commencement of the afternoon trivia quiz.  I was reading my Kobo, while Marcia was using the iPad to write a journal entry.  An intense fellow approached us and asked, "Are you planning to play the trivia game?" Expecting he was about to invite us to join his team, Marcia and I smiled and told him yes.  You might well imagine our dismay when he reddened with indignation at that moment and, gripping his hands tightly together in order to avoid ripping the iPad from Marcia's grasp, said in a barely-controlled rage, "Well you  better get rid of that computer then, you damn cheaters!" before he stalked off!
While our fellow passengers might be a little brusque and slightly demanding, the staff aboard the Pacific Princess have been extremely friendly and accommodating.  We have no complaints.  
Alas, today we learned that our visit to Santa Marta in Colombia was being removed from the itinerary.  Apparently, the town was paralyzed by a series of drug gang wars that has resulted in the police virtually shutting down the entire city in an attempt to gain control of the chaos.  
Until next time...this is The Cel signing off.

This is Cia: Excuse the Cel's writing, some has been slightly embellished.  He has been reading way too much Stephen Leacock and is now prone to creative descriptions. The anal retentive trivia player did not call us cheaters but the implication was very clear.  Quiz B...   So instead of Santa Marta we will now go to Cartagena.   Hmmmm maybe this means I should  be getting something to match my emerald earrings that I purchased there during our last visit.  Seems to me like it was meant to be.

Cruise tip: visit the maitre'd immediately upon getting on the ship if you have a special request.  And forget any chance of an early sitting on a ship filled with SLOP, it seems to be their preferred feeding time.

Last day on land (for a spell)

January 12, 2012
We are in Fort Lauderdale on the eve of our 107 day cruise.  Apart from our marvelous time at Kennedy Space Centre yesterday, a portion of our time here in Florida has been spent purchasing supplies for our upcoming voyage.  Rather than lug a lot of the necessities of daily life from Calgary, we decided to purchase many of these things here.  I am glad we did so as I regard the six pieces of luggage piled in the corn of our hotel room (including a nice, large, pink  bag emblazoned with the words "Victoria Secret."  It is remarkable how much space and weight are occupied by a 14-week supply of such things as deodorant,razors, sunscreen, lip balm, toothpaste, mouth wash and so on and so on.  I pity tomorrow's porters (particularly the poor fellow who gets stuck lugging the pink VS bag!) 
It occurs to me that tomorrow is Friday the 13th.  Perhaps that is the explanation for the fact that the night before we departed from Calgary, a virus infected the laptop computer we were planning to bring with us that I had spent the past four months loading with various bits of research for our trip as well as various movies and music that might help occupy us on sea days.  Happily, the virus wasn't too nasty and I managed, with Marcia's assistance, to remove it with still two hours to spare before we were to depart for the airport at 4:30 am.

Cruise Tip: If planning a long cruise, consider buying supplies at your embarkation point rather than carrying it all from home.

Florida. Goodbye winter hello sunshine
January 10,2012
The adventure was to begin at 4am but started at 1am when Marcel woke me up to say the laptop that we were taking that had all our information had a virus.  A virus that did not allow him to access or do anything on the computer.  To say he was panic stricken was an understatement. After his second visit I awoke and suggested that he bring the computer upstairs so that we could search on my computer for possible solutions.   Success was achieved by 2am and  I awoke again at 4 to ready our selves for Darlene and Kevin's 4:30 pick up. Off to the airport with no snow in sight. Breezed through check in and customs and when we looked outside it was snowing heavily which resulted in a 45 minute delay late as they deiced the plane . Looking out the window at all the snow I looked at Marcel and said "Goodbye winter" as we rose in the sky to begin our adventure.


January 11 Space day
Attached is a morning shot of awakening in Cocoa Beach. Then off to the Kennedy Space Center starting with the Shuttle Launch experience, followed by the Hubble 3D IMAX film that describes the missions that repaired the Hubble Space Telescope.Then off to the "Kennedy up close tour".  On  this tour we were able to go to the places we always wanted to see such as the VAB, The Causeway, and Launch pad 39a which was the site of the Appolo and Shuttle launches. The special feature in the VAB was that the Endeavor shuttle was inside.  Within the enormous VAB, Endeavor looked like a model  airplane.  The shuttle was being  prepared for museum installation in Washington.   The tour ended at the Apollo/Saturn 5 building where a real Saturn 5 rocket is on display.  The exhibits here are superb and you can even touch a moon rock.  We ended the day listening to one of the former shuttle astronauts giving a talk.

Travel tip: book your admission to the Kennedy Space Center online in advance to avoid the lines. If it is still available, take the Kennedy up close tour which you can also book online. Plan to spend at least a full day at the space centre (unless you are prone to getting spaced out!)
Something new: ate broiled alligator as an appetizer.  Tastes like a cross of pork and chicken.