Panama Canal Day 10

A port day today! Puerto Chiapas is in the very southern part of Mexico. I took a tour here because everything is so far away from where the ship docks.

It is so lush and green in this part of the country and they grow and export many crops here: bananas, avocados, mangoes, coconuts, corn, and coffee to name a few. It was clear today and two volcanoes were visible. We were close to the Guatemalan border and many of the Guatemalan people come into Mexico to pick the fruit when it is time.

Our first stop was in the town of Tuxtla Chico. As the bus entered the narrow streets, navigation seemed to be impossible and I was amazed at our progress. There were many men pedalling bicycles that had a passenger riding at the front. Mexican ‘taxis’ sure look like a hard way to earn a living in the heat, easily 33 to 35 C.

We parked at the town square and were shown how Mexican chocolate is made, from plant to finished product. I had the opportunity to taste the raw cacao bean (mild with a slimy coating and bitter inside), hot chocolate (delicious with sugar and cinnamon), and finally the chocolate (powdery and very different from what we are used to).

 After that, some women in traditional costumes danced a few dances and invited some of the group to join them. 

We had the opportunity to buy some chocolate of course then we went for a walk over to the church.

Our guide was very knowledgeable about the various trees in the churchyard as well.

She then led us through the market. It is held daily and is full of wondrous booths selling all kinds of fruit, vegetables, herbs and fresh chicken. The women kept the flies away by waving a kind of whip around.

There were also shoes, Christmas decorations and miscellaneous items for sale, but it was predominantly a market for food. The variety was wonderful and I loved the patterns and arrangement of the produce.

Our next stop was the Mayan ruins of Izapa. They aren’t as extensive as others I have visited but I enjoyed them nonetheless.

Several workers were trimming grass growing up in the cracks and their young children were playing and interacting with the visitors.

It was so very, very hot there and I looked for shade whenever I could.

We were about 40 minutes from the ship and the drive was interesting and pleasant. I love Mexico! 

Back at port I browsed at some craft booths then attempted to check my email through a very slow internet connection. There was a cafe nearby and I treated myself to a refreshing margarita. As we sailed off, dancers and marimba players gave us a lovely send-off.

Tonight – the buffet, followed by laps on deck 7. The ocean is rough with swells of 2 ½ to 4 meters. So far so good, but I think I will take Gravol ‘just in case’.

Panama Canal Day 9

A day at sea today. I tried to sleep in but woke at 7 and got up at 8. Guess it pays to go to bed early. I attended a talk on things to see and do in our next 2 ports, Puerto Chiapas and Huatulco. Then I went to my Zumba class. A lot people cram into a small area to do this class and I am quite surprised how almost everyone follows, even though the cueing is minimal. I love the music and the moves and it’s a really great workout even though it’s only 30 minutes long. I am going to look for some good Zumba music and/or dvd’s when I get home.

After class, I headed to the photo studio to look at the 8x10 Panama Canal photos they have for sale there. Along came Darlene, then Dawn a few minutes later. We couldn’t have timed it better. We decided to go for ‘coffee’ and that turned into lunch in the lovely Versailles dining room. In the afternoon we went to another Q & A on ‘Life at Sea’ with the staff. Some great questions were answered.

Later on I went to a bachata dance class. After practising solo, we paired off and practised some more – another good form of exercise.

Every night between 5 and 6 depending on our location, the sun sets, providing wonderful color each and every time. You have to be alert because it sets quickly. However there is a lot of nice color afterwards for a few minutes as well.

We ate supper at the buffet and retired to our rooms early.

Panama Canal Day 8

Today we arrived in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. I was up bright and early as I had a tour booked, an 8 hour one called “Discover Costa Rica”. We were transported by bus to a town many miles away from port. We visited the town’s square and spotted a sloth way up high in the trees. There was also an iguana watching the tourists going by. Across from the park, we stopped to view the outside and inside of a large church.

Our next stop was at the Doka Coffee Plantation. It is a large property and workers are housed in nearby homes. We had lunch there first, then went to learn about the methods used to grow the coffee, harvest the beans, and process them. I was quite surprised at what goes into the making of coffee. Now I understand the term, ‘fair trade coffee’ and what makes it so expensive.

Our final stop of the tour was at an orchid farm.

They had some colourful parrots on display, as well as a multitude of amazing and wonderful trees, plants and flowers. They had areas of bamboo, my favourite! Their height was incredible, as was the diameter of each shoot. It was not the same type as I had seen in Maui. Rather, it was ‘Giant Bamboo’ from Burma with the capacity to grow 20 centimeters in height per week. Bamboo is actually a giant grass and has the ability to absorb more carbon dioxide and release more oxygen than any other plant on earth.

The weather today was a surprise - overcast and warm but not overly humid. Everywhere in Costa Rica it is lush and green. We went to almost 4500 feet above sea level. Costa Rica has mountains and active volcanoes, and it is also earthquake country with daily tremors (which we did not experience thankfully).

It was a long day and I did not realize how far we would travel. We got back to the dock just in time to buy a few postcards and shoot some wonderful sunset pictures. The beach was dotted with kids and families running in and out of the water and it made for some great photos, composition-wise.

I grabbed a quick supper upstairs and went to the excellent evening entertainment – “The Second City” comedy and improve – a great way to end the day.

Panama Canal Day 7

Got a good rest last night with the time change and woke up early on my own.

There were lots of interesting activities onboard this morning. First came a card-making class, then a great Zumba class. It’s only half an hour but I get pretty warm. At 11 AM they had the ‘unveiling’ of the emerald jewelry and a free draw which you had to be present for in order to win. Then I attended a Q & A session on the running of the ship which was very interesting.

I met my roommate and we went to the fancy dining room for a change to have our lunch. There is no specific dress code at noon so we were good the way we were. We shared a table with others and came away with some great travel tips.

I attended a short session on our next port of call, Puntarenas, then visited the library to look up info on some of the other ports we will be visiting. After that, I returned to the room to type and hang out.

While Dawn and I were writing, typing and visiting, there was a knock at the door. Thinking it was Merv and Darlene, I jokingly asked what the password was. A staff member said, “Chocolate covered strawberries?” Another plate had appeared together with a bottle of Chilean chardonnay! I looked at the card which read “Compliments from Guest Services”! We tried to refuse them, saying we hadn’t ordered them and explained yesterday’s mistake. But he insisted there was no mistake, so how could we argue? We had a good laugh again and enjoyed the delicious combination of flavours.

Panama Canal Day 6

Panama Canal Day! It was only 80 kilometers, but what a day!

Despite having a short amount of sleep, I was up at 6:45 AM! Our ship is sized exactly the largest that it could be to get through the canal. Clearance on either side is just 2 feet. Before we headed through, crew came aboard to assist with the transit. In fact the captain’s job is also taken over.

At the bow, prime viewing spots were already taken by early birds. But I finally discovered a decent one and camped out there for transit of the first locks. The locks on the Pacific Ocean side are called the Gatun Locks, named for the townsite where it was built.

At first was hard to figure out what all the equipment was for and how it was actually working. But then I literally got down on my hands and knees and shot blind through a hole near my feet.

There are 3 locks at Gatun. The first one lifts the ship 27 feet, the second also 27 feet, and the final one is 31 foot lift for a total of 85 feet. The water that raises and lowers the ships comes by gravity from Gatun Lake.

Throughout the day, the humidity and heat were oppressive. As I travelled around the ship, my camera lens would cool in the air conditioned places then fog up as soon as I went outside. I frequently replenished my fluids as I knew how easily I could get heat stroke.

The narrowest part of the Canal is the Culebra Cut, excavated through rock and limestone through the Continental Divide. The land on either side of us was cut like steps or terraces.

To return to sea level at the Pacific Ocean, it was necessary to go down the 85 feet again. This was accomplished through another 3 locks. The first descent was through the Pedro Miguel Lock, which took almost an hour to clear. Then after a brief time on the Miraflores Lake, we entered the final locks, the double Miraflores Lock.

We then reached Panama City, with a skyline dominated by many skyscrapers. After passing underneath the Bridge of the Americas we arrived at the Bay of Panama and the Pacific Ocean in 9 hours.

After being on my feet for much of the day, I came back to put them up for a much needed rest and also to cool off in the comfort of my new room. We shot the sunset at 5:59 PM, then grabbed supper in the buffet rather than go to a formal dining room. There was a mediocre ventriloquist in the Stardust Theater and I left early.

When I got back to the room, there was a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries on the table. I was delighted and sampled one while waiting for Dawn to return. When she did, she read the card of explanation. They had been delivered to our room in error - I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears! We had a good laugh about it (Dawn laughed harder I’m sure!) She went to the guest services to explain what had happened and they told her to enjoy them. So we did indeed, but wondered who was missing their delicious treat.

Tonight we change time zones and get an extra hour of sleep – yeah!