Category: Panama Canal
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Welcome Back to the US
We were roused early this morning for US Customs in Miami…..no luggage, no forms, no questions. Just eyeball to eyeball with a biometric camera which US Customs matches with data stored on a chip inside our passports. Quick, easy, and all electronic. Does anyone else remember the long long lines…
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Great Stirrup Cay
Today’s stop was the Bahamas island called Great Stirrup Cay. Purchased by Norwegian Cruise line in 1984, it holds the honor of setting precedent for similar purchases by most of the major cruise lines. This incredibly wise marketing decision for cruise lines is highly destructive to the local tourism economies.…
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Paradoxical Cartagena, Columbia
Cartagena showcases its Spanish old town and fortresses, all built during the years (1550-1830) of Spanish colonization and designed to fend off pirates and other invaders (including the English in the 1700s, which our guide thought was world changing). These are pretty similar to ones all over the Caribbean. In…
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Panama Canal…bucket list favorite
At 6 am this morning, I could sense the ship slowing to begin passage through the Panama Canal. It was already hot and sticky, but we grabbed a quick breakfast at the poolside restaurant and took up photo stations. As we entered the Canal, our ship was transferred to the…
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Costa Rica. Worth a Return Trip
It’s not likely that we will ever again visit Costa Rica, but of the places we have been, it is the one to which we would return. One of the first democracies in Central America, its location provides for enviable biodiversity and access to both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.…
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Simon Bolivar’s view of Latin American culture
Before departing home to see new countries, we spend time trying to learn about the culture and history of the places we will visit. We soon learned that Latin American culture is not a favorite subject in North America. Finally, we found a highly praised biography of Simon Bolivar written…
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Snooze cruising and sea days..
Sea days, with nowhere to go and nothing to see are perfect for reading and long afternoon naps. We each ventured out briefly in Guatemala to experience a Spanish colonial city (Bob) and a tourist-targeted local market (Betty), and then returned to cool snooze cruising. Yesterday, the ocean had motion,…
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Another resort…and a passenger story
We are slowly realizing that all of these Mexican Pacific ports are resorts featuring beaches, fishing and shopping. So, I cancelled my tours for today and tomorrow with plans to rehydrate instead. Bob headed out on a catamaran for a morning of snorkeling. This photo shows his catamaran passing by…
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Two Old Folk in Cabo
Cabo San Lucas is Mexico’s third most popular resort, after Cancun and Acapulco. Originally the site of a tuna cannery, Cabo no longer has any commercial fishing. The waters surrounding this tip of Baja California are protected (except for Japan and China which purchased permission for shark fishing. It’s known…
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Upper Class Privilege
It would be hard to find a more privileged group than the passengers on this ship. Recreational travel alone is a luxury. Recreational travel on a small (600+ passengers) cruise ship known for gourmet food and service-oriented staff is downright hedonistic. And yet, the most upper class members of this…
Uncharted Waters 