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Xmas in Central America 2019Xmas in Central America 2019
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December 2019 Read more
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  • TravelerXmas in Central America 2019
    Day 1

    Montego Bay, Jamaica

    December 17, 2019 in Jamaica ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    After a nearly 10 hour flight from Manchester, I have never been more grateful to get off an aeroplane! Not only was it packed, but the people on it seemed to have a pathological inability to sit still.

    We were greeted in Montego Bay by a quick shower of rain, but the humidity was something more akin to South East Asia. A short bus ride took us to the ship, where happily we were surprised with an outside cabin (having apparently booked it but forgotten). As it is on Deck 2, we are quite close to the water line which makes for brilliant viewing.

    There wasn't any time to explore Jamaica by the time we had boarded so instead we padded around the ship enjoying the food and drink, before sailing away for a day at sea.

    The day at sea itself was fairly uneventful. A late lie in to deal with jetlag, brunch and then back to the room to read as the sunbeds were filled with screeching families or people intent on drinking their body weight in inclusive alcohol in the first 24 hours. We did dress up in the evening though, and enjoyed a fancy meal followed by a quiz (dubbed the 'interactive quiz...begging the question what quiz isn't interactive?) in which we performed unusually poorly!    Read more

  • TravelerXmas in Central America 2019
    Day 3

    Santa Marta, Columbia

    December 19, 2019 in Colombia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We made the cardinal error this morning of getting up late-ish...so breakfast was heaving and far from a serene start to the day.

    A little after 9am, we ported in the industrial port of Santa Marta. Off the ship, we had to get the bus a laughable 300 metres through the port for health and safety reasons. But before we even got near the bus, the heat was stifling. Over 30° by 10am and rising, it made walking around Santa Maria a real challenge, even when drinking lots of water.

    We popped along the sea front and up to the cathedral to start with, before heading along shopping streets that resembled Bangkok - traders on the pavements creating narrow pathways between them and the shops. The heat, the noise and the smells made for a real assault on the senses that was seemingly inescapable wherever we went! Walking through a local park, we passed an unusual cemetery before going to the Tairona Oro Museum which looked at indigenous culture of the region. After a frozen lemonade and a failure to find wifi, we walked along the sea front in the sweltering heat before heading back to the ship hoping that the pool will be quiet!    Read more

  • TravelerXmas in Central America 2019
    Day 4

    Castillo San Felipe de Barajas Cartegena

    December 20, 2019 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    The departure from Santa Marta was sedate, as was the rest of the evening. However Cartagena beckoned in the morning.

    An early start to beat the breakfast rush, we ate and packed for the day before heading on deck for the sail in which was spectacular. Having to navigate around islands before coming into port in Cartegena gave us views over the new high rises and the old town alike, sat side by side in glorious sunshine.

    The port is unique in having a mini zoo at the entrance and we were treated to a plethora of birds as we headed for the taxi rank. A lovely chap named Manuel was our taxi driver and gave us an excellent running tour of Cartegena as we headed in to the Old Town. From the drop off at the clock tower, we headed back to a few photo stops he pointed out on our drive. The coloured and graffitied houses of Getsemani were lively and exciting, as was much of the vibe of the city.

    Whilst we mostly stuck to the shade, the walk out of the Old Town to the San Felipe fort was unshaded and the heat was already sweltering at 10am. The fort itself was massive, full of tunnels to explore that were designed to carry sound so intruders could be detected. Building began in the mid-17th Century and it was never taken...although whether that is due to the impressive fortifications or the unbelievable heat that just leads you to needing a long sit down is up for debate!

    The views from the castle over the city were incredible, as we sheltered under a pagoda and indulged in a bit of free wifi! After wandering in and out of tunnels, and up and down endless stairs, we trekked down the fort and back towards the Old Town.    Read more

  • TravelerXmas in Central America 2019
    Day 4

    Cartagena

    December 20, 2019 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Back in the Old Town, we had a walking route planned out to take in all the sights. We started at the San Pedro Claver Church where the peace and coolness (with added electric fans) meant we spent rather longer in the church than we usually would. The structure itself was fascinating - part church, part museum/gallery, part botanical gardens. The gardens in the central courtyard were really a stunning addition to the church and worth calling in for alone.

    Continuing on around the town, we walked to the Palace of the Inquisition in the Plaza de Bolivar, stopping for a cheeky frozen lemonade in a cafe overlooking the square. The small cobbled streets were heaving with tourists, sellers and locals all mingling in the midday sunshine. Going north past the Cathedral, where a service was going on, we headed for the city walls where the sea breeze was mercifully welcome. Passing the Heredia Theatre en route, we weaved through quieter, colourful streets alive with flowers and trees from every balcony. It reminded us a lot of Cuzco in Peru, albeit more colourful.

    The dungeons at the northern end of the walls now houses local market traders and we stopped in for a look along with endless tourist coaches. Looping back into town, we headed back towards the clock tower, looking for somewhere to have a quiet drink before returning to the ship. The Juan Valdez cafe in the shadow of the clock tower made a superb final stop, before Ben quickly bought a hat and we headed back to meet Manuel to take us home.

    Without the taxi, the 40 minute walk each way to town would have made the day unbearable in the heat, but we really lucked out with such a great driver/tour guide! An early departure of 4pm from Cartegena as we head on towards Colon, Panama tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerXmas in Central America 2019
    Day 5

    Agua Clara Locks, Panama Canal

    December 21, 2019 in Panama ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    A leisurely start today; we read, we swam, we ate. The port of Colon is not famous for a lot and not known for its safety. So we jaunted to the duty free area and back to the boat, before relaxing before our 2pm tour.

    Our fabulous guide Alexis began by narrating our way to the Agua Clara locks, the newest locks on the Panama Canal completed only in 2016. Driving through town, the poverty and run down state of the buildings was clear to see, juxtaposed to the commerce; a canal which costs upwards of $350,000 in fees to traverse and a huge commercial duty free zone.

    At the Agua Clara locks, we were treated to a huge container ship entering the lock, and so got to watch the whole process unfold - the scale is breathtaking. It took nearly half an hour to enter and empty one chamber of the three in the locks, the while process taking at least two hours.

    Back on the bus, we drove over the newly completed bridge which is part of the Pan-American Highway as we headed for Lake Gatun and some canoeing.    Read more

  • TravelerXmas in Central America 2019
    Day 5

    Gatun Lake, Panama

    December 21, 2019 in Panama ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    A short bus journey east of Colon, we headed for Lake Gatun and some wildlife spotting. We hopped on board some sit-on kayaks and headed out in to the lake. Once the largest man-made in the world, the Lake forms part of the Panama Canal crossing (although obviously not the bit we were on!). In glorious sunshine and 80% humidity, we headed out on the lake to look for howler monkeys, sloths and birds. Navigating tree stumps sticking out of the water, we drifted through beautiful scenery in the late afternoon sun. We were lucky enough to spot four howler monkeys, including two quite close up, some cormorants, a toucan and some other birds; sadly, no sloths. The water was a beautiful temperature, and with the sun going down and a slight breeze off the water the whole experience was stunning. On the way back, our lovely guide fed us with banana muffins on what became a christmas party bus with a rendition of Feliz Navidad under the coloured lights!Read more

  • TravelerXmas in Central America 2019
    Day 6

    Tortuguero Canals, Costa Rica

    December 22, 2019 in Costa Rica ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Throughout the night on our journey to Costa Rica, there was a huge lightning storm which lit up the sky. It had passed by the time we arrived in port but the air was still very humid.

    Our tour today started with an hour in the protected Tortuguero Canals. We lucked out again with our guide - Jesùs - who talked all about the history and nature of Costa Rica on our drive out. The weather was more overcast than previous days and the ground was still sodden with rainfall. As we drove up the coast, we saw rocks forming the shoreline that had only been there since the 2012 earthquake pushed them up (and at 7.5 magnitude, ruined much of the local infrastructure too). We were lucky enough to see a sloth high up in the tree tops, and a baby sloth hanging on low branches at the roadside as we drove.

    Once we had boarded our boat on the canal, we couldn't have been more lucky. We saw a kingfisher, iguana, tiger heron, plenty of other birds, beautiful butterflies and capuchin monkeys. There was also a crocodile at the water's edge making light work of a fish for lunch! To see them all so close up and in their natural habitat was absolutely brilliant, and Ben got some stunning photos of the wildlife.    Read more

  • TravelerXmas in Central America 2019
    Day 6

    Ziplining in Verugua Rainforest

    December 22, 2019 in Costa Rica ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    From the canals, we headed up the mountains and in to the rainforest, causing our bus a bit of trouble as we ascended some of the steeper hills. Waivers signed, kit donned and safety briefs completed, we headed to the first platform. Ben was first up of the whole group and flew off the first platform towards the second of twelve, rolling high above and within the rainforest canopy. We did keep an eye out for wildlife, although as we advanced through the zip wires the increasing speed made this more of a challenge. However just off the second platform, we were treated to the sight if some howler monkeys in the treetops...and their noise accompanied us most of the way around too! It was an absolutely cracking experience and well worth signing up for.

    As we were first up, we were also first down. Whilst we sat and waited in the cafe for the rest of the group, the rainforest truly earnt its name - the heavens opened and the rain poured...and those still ziplining got very, very wet!    Read more

  • TravelerXmas in Central America 2019
    Day 8

    Rose Hall, Montego Bay

    December 24, 2019 in Jamaica ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    After a lazy day at sea, we were all geared up - literally - to go snorkelling in Montego Bay. The weather, however, had other ideas. The heavy rain as we came into port did subside, but apparently the seas were too rough for snorkelling. So instead we hopped on a tour to Rose Hall.

    The great house is famed for being owned by Annie Palmer, the 'white witch', who killed her three husbands. The furnishings are all period but the house itself is restored, being extensively renovated in the 1960s. An interesting stop which we had planned to do next week, but we did lower the average age on the tour considerably!    Read more

  • TravelerXmas in Central America 2019
    Day 10

    Mahogany Bay Beach, Roatan

    December 26, 2019 in Honduras ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    After Christmas Day relaxing at sea, and a lovely christmas lunch, we ported in Roatan, Honduras. Sun blazing, we headed off the ship into the duty free village that really could have been anywhere in the world (and wasn't that cheap). We walked down to the local beach for a happy morning bobbing around in the sea with our new dry bag and fabulous views (although in truth the shoreline looked rather like Newquay - full of bright red Brits and Americans, drinking, shouting and getting redder). We returned to the ship after an hour, not wanting to burn, and took advantage of the nearly empty indoor pool for lunch.Read more

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