Ushuaia, Argentina

January 28, 2008

We entered the infamous Beagle Channel around nine sailing past the famous five glaciers: Romanche, Alemania, Francia, Italia and Holanda. What can you say? Nature at its best!

Finally around 1pm we sailed into Ushuaia, Argentina, a city that claims to the “southernmost city in the world”, although there are two other contenders. Puerto Williams on the Chilean island of Navarino is actually further south but only has 2400 inhabitants. And, of course, Punta Arenas, in Chile is much larger but a bit further north. Regardless of which city wins boasting rights, we are just about as far south as anyone can get and still live what we call a “civilized” life.

Ushuaia was mainly a destination for serious criminals sentenced to prison. Set up by the Argentine government, escape from the prison on Tierra del Fuego was virtually impossible. The prisoners cut wood in the forest around the prison and bit the town. Their forced labor also built a railway to the settlement, now a tourist attraction known as the Tren del Fin de Mundo or “Train at the End of the World”, the southernmost railway in the world.

I spent the afternoon in search of my first sighting of penguins and even hoped to see an orca. Unfortunately, I didn’t accomplish either! We did see Comorans, which if I were to show you photographs you would swear that they were penguins, until you saw one flying. Hopefully there will be plenty of penguins as we get further south into Antarcticia.

Located only seven miles from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego National Park encompasses a protected area of mountains and sea. We traveled southwest, through the suburbs of Ushuaia past very simple corrugated and wooden structures with steep roofs past he Pipo River to the National Park. At Ensenada Bay there are views of Redonda Island and across the channel are the stunning Nevados Mountains in the Sampaio Range. We headed toward the Roca Sea, traveling along a narrow and picturesque route which supposedly teems with local fauna…we were only able to see a few rabbits. We did see lots of pencil-pointed tree stubs, evidence that beavers had been there. The beavers are apparently very large…four to five feet long. If the size of the trees they cut is any indication, I believe it.

We walked along side the edge of the lake and the River Lapataia with its natural estuary. This is a popular camping area where you can pitch a tent or rent a small cabin for a few days. I found just the cabin I want! Heading on towards Lapataia Bay we boarded a catamaran and took in Lapataia and Ensenada Bays rocking and rolling all the way back in the Beagle Channel (named after the ship that Darwin was on when he explored these waters). It was like being on a major roller coaster for over two hours. Luckily I didn’t get sick, more than I can say for several of my fellow passengers. We did pass one small island with those comorans I spoke of earlier who were enjoying the 50 mile an hour wind with a large heard of fur seals.

All in all, it was a long and enjoyable day as I enjoyed being “at the end of the world” as the locals like to remind you.

We have just sailed pass Cape Horn in rough, but manageable seas (last year the ms Prinsendam hit huge waves that did damage to the ship and passengers to the point that they had to return to port for repairs and new supplies….luckily we avoided that.) so we are now on our way to Antarctica. They promise that tomorrow we will be surrounded by the whiteness and vastness of “the icy continent” I am looking forward to it!

Punta Arenas, Chile

January 27, 2008

Punta Arenas, which means “Sands Point” in Spanish, is the most prominent settlement on the Strait of Magellan and the third largest city in the Patagonian Region. Punta Arenas is the southernmost city of its size in the world, although Ushuaia, Argentina (which we will visit tomorrow!) is actually located further south. Regardless, we are wayyyyyy south! I remember flying into this city several years ago with Margaret Neely as we made our way to the fabulous resort of Explora…but this time I was able to actually see something of this interesting town that, before the Panama Canal, was a most important port in the world picture.

Although a bit cloudy and misty…and chilly!...we made our way to La Cruz Hill for a panoramic view over Tierra del Fuego, an island in the Straits of Magellan. The lookout also gave us a perspective on this thriving city of around 125,000 people. I was fascinated by one small coffee shop located close to the overlook that was painted a myriad of pastel colors….each slope of the roof was a different color.

Leaving there we visited a small regional museum kept by the Salesian Friars where we saw exhibits of magnificent flora and fauna of the region as well as relics of the folklore and handicraft of the native Indian tribes such as the Yaganes, Onas, and Alacalufes. This museum was one of the best we have seen so far and really explained the life of the early native people who lived a very minimum life in this wind-swept district. Their only clothing was the furry skins of Guanaco that they wore fur side in and then decorated the outer skin with colorful patterns.

Driving to the town center, we stopped at the ever present town square, usually called Plaza de Armas Square. Punta Arenas’s Plaza de Armas boasts a large sculpture of Hernando de Magallanes. The square was filled with the usual stalls of locals selling their wares and I actually bought three very small penguins…so, I am now a shopper!

Perhaps the most interesting visit was to the Braun Menendez Museum which is the former home of a prominent sheep herding family. The house, built around 1901 was very ornate, filled with large marble bathrooms. The fabrics and tooled leather on the walls, the furniture, the light fixtures were all extraordinary particularly when you consider that all had to be imported to this southern spot. The family lived in this special home until the mid 1950’s and luckily much of it has been saved so we can see how these successful people lived years ago. Most interesting!

Equally fascinating was the most picturesque and interesting cemetery just on the edge of town. Named for Sarah Braun, whose home we visited, the cemetery was meticulously manicured and is home to massive mausoleums and crypts of the rich and famous as well as the “humble”, as our guide so diplomatically said. I was amazed to see so many Croatian families buried in this most impressive cemetery.

So, my second visit to Punta Arenas was very satisfying. And now we are off to Ushuaia, Argentina our jumping off point to Antarctica. I can’t wait!

Puerto Chacabuco, Chile

January 24, 2008

Puerto Chacabuco, located at the head of Aisen Fiord, is the main port of the region and the port of call for ships sailing to the Laguna San Rafael national Park. Prior to 1991 Puerto Aisen was the main port in the Aisen Fjord. However in 1991 the Patagonian forests experienced serious fires and that disaster coupled with the eruption of the Mount Hudson volcano caused ashes and earth erosion to decrease the navigability of the Aisen River and the port had to be moved to where Puerto Chacabuco now stands.

It was from here that 10 of us brave and hearty souls boarded a small van to travel some 20 minutes where we boarded a very small boat and made our way up…or was it down???....the Aisen river to Deer Island.

Deer Island is a unique place, located at the junction of where the river meets the Fiord. Privately owned, this mountainous island is the home to some 300 rare and unexpected red deer (Cervus elaphus). When we arrived, I understood why we had been warned that this excursion was not for most on the ship. As the small boat pulled along side a steep rocky shore I saw a precarious wooden ladder anchored by a single rope tied to a tree above. My heart sank a bit hoping that I would be able to make my way up that ladder and onto shore. Little did I know that once up the ladder I would have to climb about forty or fifty “steps” that had been carved out of the muddy slopes. But climb I did and soon found myself on the porch of a very tiny one-room A-Framed chalet that is used occasionally by the owners. It was from this cabin that the 10 of us would begin our trek up and into the woods of this special place looking for those red deer.

Aldo, our Italian-born guide who learned his English while living and working in Scotland for 10 years and who is now married to a Chilean he met on a mission here and now has a six month old baby, told us that we were extremely lucky to be in Puerto Chacabuco on the beautiful sunny and warm day that we were. It seems that they get 9-10 FEET of rain a year…and it is rare indeed to see the sun. Indeed our day on Deer Island is another of those never-to-be-forgotten days of being in spectacular Chile. The Chileans are hiding a real treasure in the natural beauty of their county!

Aldo explained that because of the sun and the warm temperatures that we should not be disappointed if we didn’t see any deer. In fact, he explained, that he would be most surprised if we did. It didn’t matter as hiking through such spectacular country with those magnificent views in the clean and clear air was more than enough for us all. We took our time and made our way through thick tall crepe-myrtle-like bushes with rust colored trunks along paths that, from the droppings, were obviously used by those 300 deer. We would come to open areas where the ground was covered in the most vivid and prolific growth of dandelions making me think that Mother Nature had spread a yellow-polka-dotted quilt on the ground for us to enjoy. It was in one of these meadows that I decided to let the group go on ahead and I found a nice shady spot where I could lay back and take in the distant snow-covered mountains with the blue skies above. I even wondered that in my quiet meditation if I would be lucky enough to have an unsuspecting herd or deer wander by. Alas, as Aldo expected, that didn’t happen. But I was content to simply enjoy this natural beauty alone and quiet.

Back at the cabin we had a light sandwich with some fruit and cool drinks before making our way back down the precarious steps and ladder to the awaiting boat for our return trip directly to the ship.

Granted, it would have been nice to have seen a deer or two…but it matters not. Just being on Deer Island was an experience that I will never forget…nature at its best!

Puerto Montt, Chile

January 23, 2008

Welcome to the lake district of Chile….and what a spectacular place it is! Without question, this is one of the most scenic places I have ever been.

We headed out from the city of Puerto Montt which is relatively new in its architecture as the old city was totally destroyed in 1960 by a massive earthquake. We soon came to the Llanquihue Lake, the second largest lake in all of Chile. So beautiful! Along its black rocky beaches there are scores of small villas to be rented for the weekend…and what a place to come for a holiday. No spot would be better than the next as they are all special and all overlook the most beautiful snow-capped volcano you can imagine. If you were to look up the word “volcano” in the dictionary, the image of the Osorno Volcano is what you would find. Perfectly formed into a cone shape with the top two thirds “dripping” in snow, this magnificent volcano, still active…but quiet for now…dominates the region. With the lake as smooth as glass, the reflection of the volcano dominated our most scenic drive.

Eventually we made our way to Lake Todos los Santos, sometimes called the “emerald” lake…no doubt, because its pristine waters are the most beautiful emerald color you have ever seen. We boarded a comfortable catamaran for an hour’s cruise which gave us close-up views of the volcano.

Back on shore, we took a short hike across a rapidly flowing river for a close-up view of the Petrohue Rapids and waterfall. It was like looking at a picture post card in reality. Our only problem was fighting the large horse flies. The size of a pecan half, these stinging pesky creatures were determined that we were not going to invade “their” waterfall. Luckily since I had plenty of OFF wipes with me and I adopted a mind-over-matter attitude that I would simply not fight them off, they flew to others who spent their time swatting and waving while I enjoyed the view. And what a view indeed. Over thousands of years the force of the water has created deep troughs in the rocks where the emerald green water cascades with enormous speed and deafening sound. Those few minutes in that special place are ones that I will never forget and ever time I hear the sound of rushing water I am sure that I will be transported back to the Petrohue Rapids once again.

Our delicious luncheon of fresh salmon (Chile is second only to Norway in the exportation of salmon…a statistic they are working hard to change) served in a charming restaurant along side the lake was followed by a short visit to Puerto Varas where I sat in the lake-side park and listened to a street performer play his pan flute capped off the day…a very special day indeed with beautiful crisp but comfortable sunny weather and unforgettable scenery. It just doesn’t get much better than this.

Valparaiso, Chile

January 21, 2008


As our daily program explained, “Valparaiso, one of Chile’s most important seaports is fast becoming one of the most visited cities in Chile. Built upon dozens of hillsides, Valparaiso has interesting warrens of streets and cobblestone paths that have made it a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site.”

This was my second visit to this bustling sea port. I was here three or four years ago with my good friend Margaret Neely when we visited her daughter, Laura, who was doing her junior year in Santiago. In fact, as I boarded the bus for my day’s excursion, I immediately recognized a certain square that we had visited then. It was nice to return.

This visit offered me a new and “exclusive” adventure. Shortly after boarding the ship, I got a very nice letter from the cruise director inviting me to a special and “exclusive” luncheon at a winery outside the city. His invitation indicated that I would be joining other passengers booked on “back-to-back” cruises…those of us going on to Africa. I had heard rumors that there were anywhere from 16 to 28 of us doing both trips and was pleased to learn that I would soon get a chance to see who else would be part of that voyage in this “exclusive” luncheon. Well, was I surprised? This special luncheon was limited to only 226 people on ship! Very exclusive…after all there are only 700 on board. Bus load after bus load of us were invited. It seems that if you had booked into one of the upper level suites, or if you had booked early, or if you had done this or done that, you were a member of this “exclusive” group. So I am still unclear as to who else will be traveling to Africa with me.

Exclusive or not, we had a delightful day in the Casablanca Valley about an hour’s ride outside Valparaiso. We were taken to the 150 year-old estate of the Matetic family who bottles a full range of Chilean wines on their pristine property. As we entered the gates we were met by scores of gauchos, or cowboys, in full riding regalia, who escorted us into this beautiful place. Young bright-eyed and smiling children greeted us with long-stemmed flowers and walked us to the gardens. Each child was cuter than the next and so proud to be a part of this special day. Their parents were proud too as many of them lined the “avenue” taking as many pictures of their children escorting the “gringos” as the gringos took of them. I remember, in particular, this one little girl dressed in a colorful yellow dress with her hair plated in long thick pig-tales with tiny flowers worked into the braids. She was so cute. As we passed through the restored hacienda, whose beautiful suites can be rented by the night or week, we marveled at the exquisite and charming manicured gardens. A colorful band of men….some very young performed to the accompaniment of an old organ grinder, complete not with the expected monkey….but with some brightly colored tropical bird! The men all carried drums on their backs which they struck with sticks that were attached to their feet, so as they danced they created their own rhythm. As the tempo increased they soon spun into a whirl going round and round in a frenzy which reminded me of the whirling dervish black-hat dancers that I say some years ago in Bhutan. So entertaining.

As we made our way to a delightful luncheon served under a huge tent we admired the llamas grazing in gardens and strolled over ponds filled with beautiful water plants.

It was indeed a great day….now if I can only meet those going to Africa.

Coquimbo, Chile

January 20, 2008


We awoke to find ourselves docked at the small port of Coquimbo, Chile which with its sister city of La Serena more than 300,000 inhabitants. A large low peninsula separates a protected horseshoe-shaped harbor which, because of its calm waters became a harbor of choice for pirates who supposedly hid their gold and silver nearby. Today, the hillsides of this lovely resort area are covered with low multi-colored homes that are built under the shadow of a rather unfortunate and large concrete cross that hovers above.

Tourism has fueled the growth of this area and explained the scores of small and inviting restaurants, bars, and a beautiful new casino--no, I did not go in--along the long and sandy beach. Surfers contend with kelp gatherers (apparently the Japanese like the sea kelp from this area) for the best section of this picturesque beach.

We stopped at the Archeological Museum to learn more of the Diaguita and Molle Cultures and to see one of only five original Moai to be taken from Easter Island…how nice it was to have seen them in situ on last year’s world cruise! We even had a chance to visit the local handicraft market where my fellow shipmates could make their contribution to the local economy. What do they do with all that junk?

We drove for a while on the Pan-American Highway, passing by the Plaza de Armas (Every Chilean city seems to have a Plaza de Armas!). I regretted the fact that we didn’t have time to stop at the local Sunday market where all manner of fruits, vegetables, and “real” things were being sold my colorful vendors in their brightly-colored tented stalls.

All in all, we had a lovely day in this lovely place.

Arica, Chile

January 18, 2008


We arrived in Chile early in the morning…well, we just arrived in Chile….Peru is only 11 miles away! Because Chile is only some 120 miles, at the widest point, and almost 3,000 miles long we will be sailing in Chilean waters for a while….10-12 days…going in and out of the fiords and exotic ports of this interesting county with its a huge variety of climates, scenery, and landscapes.

The Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth, is what brought us to Arica. And our visit to this mountainous desert is one that I will never forget.

Striking out from the ship we drove along the beautiful beaches of Arica where we saw a large tent city. It seems that many Chileans come to Arica to pitch their tents in summer where they stay for several weeks. The community provides fresh water and trash pick-up and the Pacific Ocean, although just shy of the cold Humboldt current, provides stimulating swimming and surfing. Seeing these colorful tents, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the desert festival in Nevada…what is it called “Tall Man Burning?” or “Burning Man Festival?”…something like that…no matter…when I think of northern Chile I will always remember these colorful tents and the festival atmosphere they created.

Soon we were on our way up and into the desert. Tall sandy mountains quickly surrounded us on both sides. Along the way we spotted a few geoglyphs or lines in the sand. How these lines were produced I am not exactly sure. Were they carved into the sand? Or were they made from stacking stones? I must investigate more! Though much smaller in size these geoplyphs are exactly like what I would have seen had my tour in Peru of the famed Nasca lines not been cancelled. No one is really sure what the exact purpose of these lines were. Some think they are extraterrestrial in nature while others believe that they were mere “signposts” pointing to the ocean. Regardless of their use, it is amazing to realize that these lines...we spotted stylized llamas, eagles, human forms and monkeys… date back to the 12th century.

We were surprised to be traveling in a very rich and fertile valley. After all, we were in a desert…a very dry desert (Arica once went 14 years without a drop of rain!) But we soon learned that there was indeed water…the Taipicahue Stream supplied from the melting snows of the Andes Mountains where the highest peak soars to over 19,000 feet. Hard-working villagers toiled in their beautiful fields producing all manner of crops in the most pristine plots. The contrast of these carefully laid-out and manicured green crops against the dry and sandy surrounding mountains provided a visual memory that I will never forget.

As our bus began a long and tedious trail switching back and forth on a somewhat maintained narrow highway it wasn’t long until we were looking down into the valley we had just left. As we climbed higher and higher, dodging one pot hole after another and then one large truck after another, each loaded down with goods and supplies coming from neighboring Bolivia, we marveled at the skill of our driver as we gasped peering over the steep slopes of the sandy and rocking desert mountains. This was certainly not a trip for the faint of heart.

We stopped in the tiny village of Pochanchile to see the quaint church complete with a most colorful cemetery. Of course, the local craftspeople were there in full force to sell their goods…mostly cliché brightly colored tourist “junk”…junk that the tourist bought in bulk. What do these people do with all that junk when they get home?

We continued upward and upward, back and forth, switchback after switchback. We were delayed only once by an overturned flat bed truck that had lost its entire load of freshly milled lumber which was inconveniently scattered all over road. We gladly learned later that the driver survived this terrible crash! How, I will never know as the cab of his shiny bright red Volvo truck looked like a piece of wadded up paper. For five and one half hours we enjoyed this breathtaking scenery, complete with the Parinacota bofedal – wet spongy ground filled with lush grasses. We spotted llamas and vicunas and a small animal that I can’t spell or pronounce that looked like a cross between a squirrel and a rabbit. We eventually reached a large plateau that reminded me of being in big sky Montana with its vast flat lands and high snow-capped mountains in the far distance. We crossed the Lauca River where we soon encountered the Cotacotani lagoons--a myriad of inter-connected emerald green lagoons that have resulted from the effect of water flow that has been blocked by volcanic eruptions. Here was here that we reached Lake Chungara, the highest lake in the world at some 14,700 feet….and it was here that yours truly thought he was not going to make it!

The high altitude, the winding roads and the fact that I had not eaten for six hours were NOT a good combination for me. I stepped off the bus and like several of my fellow passengers, came very close to passing out cold. One poor man fell almost immediately….several others were rescued with oxygen tanks that the helpful guides provided. I, although nauseated and weak with a pounding head ache, slowly made my way to a small kiosk where, thank goodness, I was able to buy two small chocolate-covered wafers. Luckily I had brought along a warm sweater, scarf and gloves. I think my problems stemmed primarily from low sugar. I should have known better and brought something along with me to eat. However, we had been promised a box lunch that hadn’t shown up….we were told that Chilean officials would not let food on shore from the ship (I learned later that “packaged” foods would have been acceptable) and we had had to endure scenic but winding roads. Luckily, after only fifteen minutes we left making our way back down the beautiful mountains, stopping in about an hour for a lunch of chicken and vegetables (of which I ate very little…I didn’t think I could stomach it). I was able to get a cold and very sweet Sprite…and so by the time I got back to sea level and after a fitful sleep all bundled up in my warm clothes; I made it back to the ship and enjoyed a very comfortable and restful evening, although I avoided dinner.

Phew! What a beautiful place, this Atacama Desert…a place filled with mixed memories…a majestic place never to be forgotten.

Lima, Peru

January 15, 2008


The serenade of the ship’s fog horn continued through the night as we sailed along the Peruvian coastline. With my being on the 7th floor and hearing the horn throughout the night I could only imagine what it must have been like for my friends snuggly perched in their 12th floor penthouse suite. And, sure enough, when I saw them, bleary-eyed and a bit worse for wear, they confirmed that they had had almost no sleep from the constant blasting of the powerful horn.

Having breakfast on the Lido deck, aft of the ship, it was easy to understand the need for the horn. Such dense fog…a total whiteout! The Captain announced that although we were in Callao, the port for Lima, that because of the fog the harbor master had closed the port and we were simply treading water, so to speak, until we could dock….us and scores of other vessels. What an experience. We found ourselves in a symphony of fog horns. Deep tones, high tones, short blasts, long blasts, near and far…seemingly above us and below us…the horns melded together. What an eerie feeling to be sitting in this whiteness and be surrounded by so many sounds, each warning the other not to get too close. It was certainly one of those “moments” that I will never forget!

After an hour and a half of this concert, we finally, with the help of skillful tug boat pilots, made our way to port and began our exciting visit to the largest city in Peru, Lima. With over nine million citizens, Lima offers a view of the contrast that make Peru so exciting. From the luxurious high-rise condominiums along the coast of Miraflores to the hillside slums on the desert mountains, Lima has it all.

Our first day in Lima was a “Virtuoso Voyager’s Club” day. My great travel agent, Judy Brannon and her agency Century Travel, are members of this exclusive group. As a “perk”, they offer three wonderful days of excursions on this cruise and today was the first of those adventures.

We began the day with a visit to the famed Lima Archeological Museum. Although I had visited here twice before on previous visits, this time was special in that because of my visiting the ruins in El Brujo and Chan Chan I had a better understanding of the Moche and Chimu cultures. Our guide was most articulate and informative and I enjoyed getting a better perspective on these ancient cultures. It was fun too, to see the workmen setting up the central courtyard of the museum for a huge benefit party that was to happen later that evening…wouldn’t that have been fun to attend!

Leaving the museum, we had a great tour of many of the varied communities of Lima. We saw old and new residences; fishing villages and city streets….this city has it all. Eventually we found our way to the Patanos de Villa Marshlands, an extensive wetland system providing feeding, breeding, roosting and sheltering of some 60 species of birds. At least that is what they told us. I think the birds have gone on vacation…or maybe the fog drove them away, because there just didn’t seem to be any birds to view.

But the best part of the day was yet to come. We left the empty bird sanctuary and soon found ourselves at the Hacienda Santa Rosa….a private estate that is the home of Alfonso Navarro Denegri and his beautiful wife, Carmen. As we passed through the heavily carved doors of the thick terra-cotta stucco wall we were greeted by our hosts and four of their groomsmen atop the magnificent Paso or “stepping horses”. Accompanied by a colorful band, these beautiful horses paraded around the arena in complicated formations. Each rider sat taller and straighter than the next and each horse pranced as though it was his final showing….it was a beautiful sight. Soon our host joined us and greeted us with Pesco sours. As dancers performed and the band played on we enjoyed a beautiful and delicious luncheon under crisp white umbrellas. Wine flowed and the hospitality abounded. Carmen Reatequide, our hostest, was charming and beautiful. Dressed in full-length wide riding pants that looked like a skirt and a fitted black and white lace top with a crisp Panama hat over her “snooded” hair, she looked like something from a classic movie. She couldn’t have been more welcoming.

Dessert was served in the family dining room. It was on the tour of their very inviting home that I began to see beautiful paintings and sculpture. When I asked Carmen about them she told me that she was the artist. What beautiful things she has created. As I showed more and more interest she became equally excited to show and tell me more about her work. It wasn’t long until I, and two other interested guest, were escorted into her beautiful two-storied studio. Here she showed us the current work…thirteen paintings, each about four feet square. The series pays homage to Georgia O’Keefe and depicts thirteen stages of a rose. What exquisite paintings. We got so caught up in the studio visit, sharing Carmen’s enthusiasm and passion for her work, that we had to be summoned to the bus, to the stares of our fellow passengers. This “extra” experience was worth the scorn.

The next morning we awoke to more fog. I had some consolation in the fact that, due to lack of interest, my scheduled flight over the Nasca Lines had been cancelled. Chances are, because of the fog, we would not have been able to go anyway. (One of the best known archaeological sites in South America, these “lines” are called geoglyphs and , based on a studies of pottery found at the lines and dating of wood samples, it is believed that people living in the region of Nasca probably created these strange desert-drawings between 300 BC and AD 800. They depict animals including a 590-foot-long lizard, and a 295-foot-hihg monkey and are only visible from the air.) So, I had a leisurely day, shopping at a small flea market where I bought my cabin steward an inexpensive T-Shirt. (He was so very excited!)
My third trip to Lima was just as exciting and eventful as the others. Peru is truly a colorful and exciting place to visit and I look forward to returning and hopefully flying over the Nasca Lines then. For now, it’s on to Chile!

Trujillo, Peru

January 14, 2008


The early morning blasting of the fog horn let me know that we were sailing thru dense fog into the port city of Salaverry for our visit to Trujillo, Peru. (pronounced “true-he-yo”). Too early to get up I lay in bed and enjoyed the more than usual rocking of the ship….I think I even drifted back to sleep thinking I was swinging in a hammock on some distant shore. And, indeed I was on distant shores…the shores of Peru.

Leaving the pier for a long day’s adventure at three major archaeological sites the landscape fascinated me. Were we in a desert? The gray sand made me think so. Not seeing a single tree made me think so. Even the high craggy mountain completed covered with a thin layer of sand made me think so. Soon, however, we encountered the Moche River valley and the landscape quickly turned from dusty gray to brilliant shades of green. Crops abounded with various patches separated one from the other with a “fence” or border of ripening corn. A vivid orange-colored flower that resembles a marigold filled field after field. Palms and other low trees shaded half-finished adobe houses. (We learned that these working people build what they can pay for but make the lower level so that they can add another story as they need it and as money allows. Unfortunately few have taken advantage of this advanced planning and thus most of the small homes have a finished lower level with iron re-enforcing rods protruding over the roof awaiting the second story.)These small individual home-sites and farms soon became large commercial “plantations.” If you looked in any directions all you could see were tall and thick stands of sugar cane. Acres and acres and acres of beautiful green grass slowing waving with the ocean breezes, each bordered and separated by fast-flowing and meticulously maintained irrigation canals.

After an hour or so of this every changing landscape, a tree-lined street greeted us at the entrance to the small village of Magdalene de Cao. Perfectly laid out the base of each tree was outlined in an ever-so-tidy circle of small white-washed stones. As I looked down at them from the upper level of our double-decker bus (Our bus driver did a remarkable job of maneuvering that big bus thru the narrow streets…streets definitely not designed for double-decker buses.) the thirty or forty adobe homes of this working village appeared very small. And, indeed, I think the houses were smaller than what we build….the people are smaller and thus they build their houses to their scale. There was one house that stood out from all the rest.

Since all of the houses had flat mud roofs this one particular house with a terra cotta gabled roof behind high adobe walls definitely dominated the landscape. And if its roof wasn’t distinctive enough, the glorious and abundant draping bougainvillea in vivid shades of flaming orange and intense magenta and deep crimson sealed the deal…a special house, indeed.

The village offered even more color. Standing at the edge of the small and charming village square was the equally small and equally charming church with its freshly painted walls of deep ochre trimmed in deep burgundy.

Named for the high priestess of the adjacent historical site, Cao, the people of the village of Magdalene de Cao work at the site or in the sugar cane fields.

As we soon learned, the Moche culture (was the culture named for the river or the river for the culture…I don’t know!) dates from about 100 AD to 800 AD…although the beginning of the end started around 600 AD. El Brujo (the Sorcerer) excavation began in 1990 and continues today. The central Huaca (temple) Cao pyramid is approximately 100 feet tall. Its walls are decorated with colorful reliefs that depict complex representations of scenes, characters and geometric designs. It was here that the grave of the priestess Cao was unearthed. Unfortunately, like so many ruins, looters, both ancient and contemporary, have pilfered much of the site and the large caches of gold and other precious material have been lost forever. Apparently temples were built on top of existing temples. Couple this with the fact that there was no written language at the time and it is easy to understand why there are many questions as to the exact nature of the culture, its rites and rituals. From studying the ruins unearthed so far as well as the drawings found on pottery it is known that much of the culture was based on human sacrifice. As the work continues, more accurate knowledge, will undoubtedly surface.

Later in the day we visited another Mochian site…the Temple of the Sun and The Temple of the Moon. Again, colorful carvings and complex walls, layered one on the other show great skill in depicting this complex way of life.

Our final destination was in Chan Chan citadel, the most important cultural nucleus in the Chimu Nation which existed from around 1000 AD to 1450 AD. It was in Chan Chan that we saw the remains of the largest adobe city in the world. What a vast and impressive place. Only one of nine huge “palaces” is open to tourists and it is complex and beautiful. Located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean the decoration of this enormous palace is dominated by depictions of the sea. Horizontal lines chiseled into the tall walls mimic the ocean waves while borders and bands incorporate stylized sting rays and pelicans. Even fishing nets are represented in large over-scaled lattice patterns found through out the maze of walls and rooms and plazas. Such an impressive place…so much to learn and know!

Throughout the day, I couldn’t help but be touched by the local people. As our large and sometimes clumsy bus invaded these small towns and villages we were constantly greeted by the smiling faces and waving of these colorful and hard-working people. Only the many hairless Peruvian dogs didn’t seem to care or notice that we were in this special place.

Tomorrow we are in the exciting city of Lima…my third visit! I can’t wait to explore more and more of this wonderful country of Peru.

Guayaquil, Ecuador

January 12, 2008

The Ecuadorian pilot boarded the ship early to guide us through the Canal Del Murro and into the buoyed channel of the Guayas river. Escorted by dolphins, we arrived in the bustling port of Guayaquil (pronounced gYi-a-keel) around eleven in the morning. As with most of the ports we enter, we were surrounded by freighters that were loading and un-loading the large containers….but Guayaquil was different…there were thousands and thousands and thousands of these containers…many refrigerated and loaded with bananas. I was reminded of a documentary where a creative architect had designed a city using discarded containers for low-income housing and thought that he could find all the containers he would ever need here.

With over three million residents, Guayaquil is the largest city of Ecuador…and serves as the economic hub of the city. Although, like any large city, there are the inevitable slums, overall the city is relatively clean. Abounding with parks and public spaces, the city had a certain energy that is positive and productive.

We visited an outdoor “living museum” that showcased various species of animal and plant life of the area along with a collection of restored buildings from the late 18th century. From the wealthiest to the poorest, it was most interested to see how the locals lived…and worshiped…during this time. Colorful interiors with lots of mosaic tiles adorned the wealthier homes, while ingenious use of all manner of plant life eased the lives of the less fortunate.

An extensive tour thru the city gave us a glimpse of the new “upper class” of Ecuadorians who, like so many Americans, enjoy living in gated communities.

Visiting the famed “Iguana Park” was one of the highlights of the day. Located directly in front of the most impressive cathedral, this public park is a gathering place for scores of large iguanas. Locals and tourists alike flock to see colorful men feeding these very tame, if scary looking, creatures. One had to be careful to keep some enterprising “caretaker” from draping one of these green creatures around your neck for a photo…tip expected, of course! Likewise, it soon became clear that you had to be careful where you walked…iguanas like to evade the trees and they don’t mind where they rid themselves of the abundance of food they eat. If watching these four-legged creatures wasn’t fun enough, there was plenty to see of the two-legged variety as well. For some strange reason the young lovers of the city have chosen this park as they favorite place too neck. Every bench in the park was taken with a couple that were oblivious to anyone else but themselves. What a sight.

So…now it is on to Peru! The grand voyage continues.

Manta, Ecuador

January 11, 2008

After an early breakfast I made my way down the gang plank and boarded one of the first shuttles into the small and busy fishing port of Manta, Ecuador. Although hustling with activity, the community of some 400,000 seems to be suffering economically. In typical fashion, the market was jammed with the usual tourist junk complete with sad-eyed young boys who were obviously skipping school to peddle small packets of Chiclets and to beg to shine your shoes…no matter that you may be wearing white sneakers! . Mothers with their babies strapped to their backs worked fiendishly to lay out their wares in neat and tidy rows while their husbands and men folk stood around watching and whistling at the younger girls strolling by in their skin-tight jeans and six inch spiked and scuffed heels. Such a scene! I couldn’t help but chuckle at the contrast of some of my fellow travelers, who in their elder years, struggle with canes and shuffling feet to negotiate the paths of these aggressive vendors. What a dramatic contrast of how we live and how this hard-working salt-of- the-earth people live. It seemed almost sinful to see the rich tourist cajole and barter to extreme for some trinket that they will, no doubt, forget where they even bought it or, more importantly, why they bought it.. I silently watched one stately gentlemen bargain with one hat peddler…it worked! The price slowly but surely reduced from $30.00 to an eventual $10.00 complete with a balsam box for carrying.

Returning to the ship for lunch I sat for a few minutes on the deck watching the fishing vessels come and go. This is fishing in a serious way…major fishing…tuna fishing. Large crisp and tidy boats used 30-40 foot cranes to unload net after net filled with large fish. There were at least six or seven of these large boats each hauling out hundreds of nets of fish….it makes one wonder how many fish can be in the ocean when you think that this is one village with a few boats and yet that many fish are harvested daily all over the world. As soon as the fish were unloaded open-caged trucks arrived on the scene and a “hive” of hard-hatted men began unfurling, with the help of the large cranes, these enormous black fishing nets. What a ballet. The nets which seem to go on for miles looked new…very black and VERY big. A continuous row of large bright yellow floats bordered the edge, looking like a large necklace. While 10-15 men struggled to lay the unfurling net into a neat pile on the deck of the ship, two other men carefully “spiraled” the floats in an ever-growing cylinder. I have to assume that the careful placement of these floats and the stacking of the net means that once the ship is at sea and ready to deploy the nets that they will, hopefully, enter the water tangle free. Other ships docked near by that had completed the process and boasted a “pile” of black netting that rose 20-30 feet. I am here to tell you that these nets are BIG.

After a light lunch I joined a few fellow passengers to be escorted to a small Panama Hat factory on the outskirts of the village of Montecristi which is a “suburb” of greater downtown Manta and apparently the center of the Panama Hat business. It was here that we saw first-hand the entire process. The new growth of the Paja Toquilla palm…one that looks like what we call a Palmetto Palm…is shredded into fine, medium, or coarse fibers. These fibers are then boiled and stirred for some twenty minutes which has a bleaching effect. Once dried, the weaving of the hat begins. Laborers, both male and female use pre-sized wooden blocks or forms around which they weave fine a fine “plating” Sometimes this weaving is plain and other times it is very intricate. It was so fascinating to see a small fifteen-year old boy work his fingers so quickly that it was almost impossible to see what he was doing….the very delicate lace-like pattern is, apparently, his signature. I asked if he could recognize his hat from others and he smiled a toothless proud smile and said “Si! Si.”

I am unclear how many hours or days it takes to form the basic hat but once done it is passed on to another craftsperson who makes the brim. Again fingers flew as the brim grew wider and wider. The next skilled person does the finishing edge where the fibers are woven back into the brim. After washing, treating, and trimming, the hat is finally returned to the form to be pressed (using old irons heated in the fire!) into shape. A band is added and voila you have a hat…a Panama Hat. When asked why they are called Panama Hats when they are made in Ecuador, it seems that when the Panama Canal was being built that the workers used these hats to protect themselves from the hot sun and thus they got the name….true? who knows, but it sounds good to me! And YES! I bought one. I went for a medium grade hat and paid a grand total of $20.00…so little money for so many hours of skilled labor. The most expensive one I saw was $80. and yes, it was so finely woven that it could be passed thru a wedding ring. So watch out for me in photographs as I strut thru the South American rain forests with my fancy hat.

We sail tonight for Guayaquil Ecuador which, we have been told, is a more prosperous and booming place….stay tuned!

People

January 10, 2008 en route to Manta, Ecuador

OK…I know you are all wondering about the people on this trip. Of all the places and events that I discussed on my last trip, without question, the most often heard comment was “MORE about the crazy people on board.”

Well there is good news and bad news. The good news AND the bad news is that there doesn’t seem to be as many crazy ones here this year as there was last year…at least, so far!

Well, that’s not completely true. There is “big lips”…a 60ish? 70ish? Recently divorced brunette with short cropped curly hair who has the biggest reddest lips I have ever seen. Collagen? (Sp???) You think! And those lips aren’t the only thing she has had done either….we all heard all about it yesterday on the tender back to the boat….a new divorce, newer and bigger boobs, a tuck here a tuck there…she is traveling alone and on the prowl….for a younger man…she has already spotted one of the very young Dutch crew members. Tonight, a formal night, she was posing for the on-board photographer like there was no tomorrow. I can’t wait to see those pics on the board.

Then there is the “Big Hat Wig” Lady. Her name is some double initial thing like CC or DD or GG or something like that. She wears the funniest and cheapest wig I have ever seen and if that isn’t enough she plops some god awful canvas type hat (many that are bedecked with those silly travel pins and people seem to like to collect)…a new one each day… on top of that terrible wig. She wears this wig and hat all day every day wherever she is. With her loud and broad accent, deep with too many years of smoking and strong whiskey, I assume she hails from Texas. I overheard her as she exclaimed with rather exaggerated gestures to a large group of mostly uninterested people that she had already had a “knock-down-drag-out-pissin’ contest” with two of her table mates…people that she had decided didn’t deserve to be sittin’ with her anyway.

Then there is the other “Hat Lady” I just spotted her today and look forward to what I know is going to be a colorful lady! She apparently is at the end of my corridor, for as I was coming out of my room at 8 o’clock this morning this vision of black and gold passed before me. I had to look twice. It was 8 in the morning and she was sashaying to the atrium with this long-flowing black chiffon like dress…handkerchief hem and sequins…wearing gold slippers AND a tight-fitting fully sequined (quarter sized sequins!) cloche or tam atop the brightest and frizziest red hair I have ever seen. I mean I just stood there and looked at her and thought they are never going to believe this back home. I can’t wait to see her tomorrow….because I can just tell that she is going to be a character!

But, as always for all the characters, there are the great people too. My friends, I call the “Canadians” are great….we share a table at dinner and many good laughs, meals, and adventures at other times. Beautiful Marguerite travels with Rudy, while Isabelle and George are together. (We celebrated George’s birthday tonight with champagne in their room before our formal dinner complete with birthday cake and ice cream). I am so lucky to have met these fine people last year and to be able to travel with them again this year. (Marguerite and Rudy are on the left of the picture I have posted and I am standing behind George with Isabelle at his side).

Bernice is another new friend I am cultivating. She hails from somewhere in Florida and is seated at our table at night. This being her 69th cruise, she has traveled the world and knows a lot about a lot of places….and is a delightful dinner companion that I look forward to getting to know better.

I have also met Lane…a seemingly great guy from Calgary Alberta. Lane is an accountant who works for a while and travels for a while. He seems like a delightful man…we seem to have chosen the same excursions and have enjoyed seeing these great spots so far.

I am a member of a great trivia team…we call ourselves “Team One”…So far we have won two or three of the four or five games we have played thanks, in great part, to Bob and Kay who seem to know most everything, and Chuck and Sue who know the rest. Pete and I just fill in occasional gaps and take home the prizes.

So, I know it sounds like camp for adults…and in some ways it is…but it is fun. I will do my best to keep all posted on the antics of the people on board. No doubt, the crazies will appear….stay tuned!

Panama Canal

January 8-9, 2008

When I realized that I would be sailing the Panama Canal for the second time, I initially thought that I might be less enthusiastic than the first…no way! Awaking before dawn I made my way to the upper bow where I soon experienced a warm and breezy sunrise, sipping a cup of hot coffee and munching on a “Panama Bun”…a yeast-like roll filled with a creamy sweet custard. A tropical mist slowly rose from the distant layered mountains and I felt my heart race a bit as I realized that, once again, I would soon enter the Panama Canal.

What an amazing feat of engineering. Opened in 1914, the canal has only been closed twice…once when a land slide filled the canal and closed it for eight months and the second time, for twenty-four hours, when the US invaded Panama seeking Noriega. Some 40 to 50 ships go from ocean to ocean twenty-four hours a day. Indeed, what an amazing engineering feat.

Gatun Lake, a man-made lake, is the key to the whole operation. Losing some 50 million gallons of fresh water with each ship’s passage, the canal is dependent on the more than 200 inches of rain that falls each year in the Panamanian forest. After almost a hundred years of operation, the lake thrives.

Plans continue for the new locks being installed on both sides of the canal. Scheduled to open in 2014…on the 100th anniversary of the canal…these new locks will be wider and deeper thus allowing the newer ships to pass thru the canal. Unlike the older locks, the new ones will have “re-cycling” basins that will help control the loss of fresh water. The new locks will also depend on tugs to control the ships in the channels. Today mechanical locomotives, called “mules” (assumedly because in the original scheme live mules were used) are used to stabilize the ships as they move thru the canals on their own power. (I was under the misconception that these mules actually pulled the ships thru the channels…but learned on this passage that the were there to keep the ship straight as it worked it’s way thru the six locks.)

Taking almost ten hours from the beginning to the end, we have a very pleasant passage. The weather co-operated and although we are very close to the equator we had a nice breeze with very pleasant temperatures. Rising a total of some 85 feet in three locks we spent most of the day navigating thru the scores of ships going in both directions on the lake awaiting their turn at the locks. It seems that many ships make their reservations as far as a year in advance and pay up to as much as $250,000.00 a passage. (The least ever toll was $.32 paid by a 140lb man who SWAM the canal!) Soon after we cleared the last locks at Miraflores we sailed into the Pacific Ocean dropping anchor just off the coast at Fuerto Amador. What a beautiful evening….the lights of the multitude of Panama City skyscrapers twinkled in the distance.

Early morning found me boarding the tenders as I made my way to the port at Amador. The three islands of this area, fast becoming a very popular resort area with scores of cafes and yacht clubs, are connected to the mainland via a peninsula that was formed from the rubble of the channels at Miraflores. As we rode thru the old US Panama district we soon came upon a tall four-story high-rise museum/observation platform overlooking the Miraflores locks. A very informative movie introduced us to the handsome museum which did a great job of filling in the gaps that the ship’s commentators had failed to mention. And with each level came another observation deck which allowed us to see ships passing thru the very channel we had be in just the day before…and offered yet another perspective of this fascinating place.

Upon leaving the museum, we rode thru the old Fort Clayton, the former US Army base which is now used for a variety of colleges and international offices. I saw a large Smithsonian office as well as one for the International Red Cross. FSU, along with other US colleges and universities, has a satellite branch here. We continued on to Albrook Air Force Base. It was interested to see how the houses of the former Air Force VIP’s have been sold and are being re-worked…all since the takeover on December 31, 1999 and all part of the treaty that President Carter negotiated in 1977. We continued to enjoy a great tour of the area with our wonderful guide, a fifth generation Panamanian whose great-grandfather came here in 1910 to work on the Canal….she now holds dual citizenship, but claims Panama as her first country….at lease we enjoyed our tour until our bus broke down directly in front of the governor’s mansion (governor of all of the Panama Canal operations!) The guards were not happy campers thinking, I guess, that we were a bunch of terrorist intent on taking over the stately residence. Not to worry…a rescue bus was soon on the way and we continued to explore the fringes of Panama City learning that the cost of living is very low here, thus the wages are low…but comfortable.

So…my second passage thru the exciting Panama Canal proved to be as equally interesting and informative as the first….I look forward to my next passage! And the next…and the next!!!!

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

January 7, 2008

As I arrived in Costa Rica I chastised myself for never visiting this beautiful country when my brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Jennifer, were here as Peace Corp volunteers. How wonderful it would have been to experience this lush and green country through their eyes…but alas, I never made it until now…and I am glad that I am finally here!

A morning bus ride that skirted the port town of Puerto Limon carried us past untold acres of bananas and pineapples. These beautifully manicured crops have become both a blessing and a curse to the people of this region. A blessing in that it is giving a lot of work to people that need it….a curse in that the rain forest is being destroyed to provide land for cultivation. As we rode for miles with bananas growing on either side of the road I was fascinated by the patterns that the systematically laid-out rows of bananas made. Small canals separated about four or five rows of dense plants. The consistent rhythm became almost hypnotic as our bus moved at a steady pace. We learned from our most articulate guide that each plant produces only one bunch of bananas, taking almost a year. Once this single bunch is harvested, the mother plant is chopped down allowing the soil’s nutrients to go the small offshoot, or new plant, that is budding at the base of each plant. Mother Nature at work!

I was fascinated by the large blue plastic bags that enclosed each ripening bunch of bananas. It seems that these bags have several purposes. First, since the plants are sprayed by crop dusters once or twice a day with pesticides, the bags protect the fruit itself from the chemicals. In doing so, the bags also create a functional “greenhouse” effect causing the temperature inside the bag to increase and thus hasten the growth of the fruit. Likewise the blue bags provide instant “packaging” when, after harvesting, they are hung on an ingenious electric tram system, that interrupts the fields about every acre or so and delivers the ripening bananas back to the packing facility. It is all a very large and complex operation…controlled by mega companies like Dole and DelMonte …and, again, provides great economy for the region.

The pineapple fields were equally fascinating. Planted so densely that I am not sure how the workers access each plant, the blue-gray color of the maturing plants offered a wonderful contrast to the darker mountains in the background. The smell of the ripening pineapples was intoxicating and made my mouth water as we made our way up and up into the countryside finally arriving at a private reserve of some 400 acres that borders the Barulio Carrillo National Park. Here we boarded aerial trams that quietly and slowly carried us thru the canopy of the rain forest allowing us to experience up close and personal some two-thirds of all rain forest species. Ferns and orchids, mosses and air plants, birds and snakes…we saw it all.
A wonderful Costa Rican lunch followed with delicioius black beans and rice, chicken and pineapple….oh that pineapple….some of the sweetest fruit I have even eaten.

A forty-five minute hike with an expert guide show us even more of this special place. We avoided stepping on the leaf-cutting ants has they labored to transport sections of leaves they had cut…sections that appeared to be 100 times their size. I was fascinated with our guide pointed out that most carried a “body guard” ant on the leaf. This ant’s job is to protect the one carrying the leaf and simultaneously clean the leaf section of any bacteria so as not to harm the colony. We saw spiders that spin their webs horizontally so as to catch a few rain drops which will, at night, reflect the moon’s glow and thus attract mosquitoes. We saw large palm leaves that had be carefully “scored” by male bats to allow these large leafs to fold over, tent-like, yet still live and remain green, thus providing a shelter for the bat and his potential mate. We marveled at the tiny “elf slippers”, small red like flowers that were shaped exactly like small bedroom slippers that with water, thus providing nectar and water for humming birds. Indeed this rain forest was filled with so many fascinating and incredible symbiotic relationships of nature.

Yes, I truly regret that I never visited my Brother and his wife while they enjoyed this beautiful country of Costa Rica. Perhaps they will return with me some day to share more of its incredible and natural beauty.

GEORGETOWN, GRAND CAYMAN
January 5, 2008


GEORGETOWN, GRAND CAYMAN
January 5, 2008


GEORGETOWN, GRAND CAYMAN
January 5, 2008


Retiring to bed on Friday evening I was confident that the next morning I was surely going to Hell….well as it turned out, I didn’t make it! You see, I was scheduled to go on a shore excursion in Grand Cayman that visited a small village affectionately known as Hell! Last minute changes meant that the underwater submarine adventure I had booked for the afternoon had to be moved up in the day so my time in Hell would have to be scraped. As the Cruise Director so aptly said when we boarded the ship…we would, from time to time need to use the “F: word on our trip…so, being FLEXIBLE, for now, my trip to Hell has been postponed.

Arriving to a cold and windy Ft. Lauderdale mid afternoon on Wednesday, I had a delightful and restful evening at the Westin where I constantly ran into members of the “Club”….people that had been on last year’s Grand World Voyage. It is amazing how many faces and names I recognized. Some, who sailed on Friday on the Amsterdam for this year’s world cruise came early just to see friends off on the South America cruise. Oh these club members! I quickly hooked up with my four Canadian friends: Marguerite, Isabelle, Rudy, and George. Together we made our way to the ship for an easy embarkation early Thursday afternoon.

Although I booked a small inside cabin, at the last minute Holland America offered me an “upgrade” at a price I couldn’t refuse, so I am now ensconced in a lovely cabin with a large window, king-size bed, a small sofa, walk-in closet and recently refurbished bath complete with large soaking tub. I am set! My “home” for the next five months.

My dinner arrangements were confused on the first evening so I found myself at the later seating with a group of single travelers. It seems that the head waiter never got the email confirming our reservation for a specific table for the five of us at the earlier seating. Understanding and patient, I sat at the “new” table the first night with pleasant people. Luckily the great staff was able to rearrange the giant jig-saw puzzle of tables and on Friday I was properly assigned to “my” table with the Canadians and three other interesting travelers.

As usual, the food is wonderful….and so far….so good. I have begun my regime of lots of walking and careful dining….the five month spa adventure has begun.

After a rather turbulent night of fairly rough seas that disturbed many…(not me…I just went to bed and imagined that I was swinging in a hammock suspended between two palm trees) I awoke to a calm and beautiful day with the ship anchored just off the shore of the capitol city of Georgetown, Grand Cayman.


After a smooth and comfortable tender ride to the shore, it wasn’t long before I was boarding an open air two-storied boat that after fifteen or twenty minutes across beautiful blue seas we arrive at the Atlantis XI, a state-of-the-art, air-conditioned, 48 passenger submarine. Diving to depths of over 100 feet we saw thousands of beautiful tropical fish and marine life. Brain coral, sunken barges, and even a submerged sculpture….a mermaid used as an underwater landmark for divers, captured our attention for over an hour. It was the most comfortable “scuba” dive I have ever had.


Strolling around the busy and quaint center of town, I marveled that even though Hurricane Ivan destroyed or damaged almost 80% of the buildings in 2004, most were quickly repaired and reopened resulting in a small thriving community of colorful and attractive shops, restaurants, and resorts. What fun it would be to return and spend some time snorkeling and enjoying this delightful place.

I returned to the ship in plenty of time to enjoy a late lunch and prepare for the early sailing as we make our way to Costa Rica.

So my 2008 adventure at sea has begun…I am indeed a lucky man to be able to enjoy such a great time.