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Panama Canal

February - March 2020
This is our second time through the Panama Canal, 10 years after our first HAL cruise from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale Read more
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  • TravelerPanama Canal
    Day 1

    Winnipeg to Ft. Lauderdale

    February 23, 2020 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 0 °C

    On our way! Good flights, good weather and a shorter travel day going through Calgary instead of Toronto or Montreal. Thanks to Dan for getting up early to drive us. Checked our travel diary from 2010, the last time we went through the Panama Canal and saw he had taken us to the airport then as well. Had a good sleep and are now off to the ship. Free shuttles all around!Read more

  • TravelerPanama Canal
    Day 3

    At sea

    February 25, 2020 in Curacao ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Awake early though that doesn’t make sense as our location is still an hour ahead of home. Walked a mile around the ship before 8 then showered and dressed for the day. Attended the grand opening of the new jewellery shop. Effy is now the tenant in the shop area and celebrated the event with more champagne. Seems to be the norm. Attended the shore excursion talk and booked an excursion for Curaçao.

    Had reserved a table at the back of the ship for the next three evenings but when we arrived someone was already sitting there. Francisco, who had made our reservation, spoke to us and assured us that we now have that table for the rest of the cruise. It pays to be kind to the staff.

    Went to the show which was just 30 minutes long. Excellent dancing, high energy. Since we had been up early and Vic wasn’t feeling 100%, we wen back to our room and watched tv until an early bedtime.    Read more

  • TravelerPanama Canal
    Day 5

    Curacao

    February 27, 2020 in Curacao ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Laranha oranges are wild oranges originating from the Spanish Valencia oranges that produce fruit twice a year. They are so bitter that even the goats won’t eat them but the Jewish Senior family, beginning in 1896, started using the rind, sugar, clove and cardamom to make blue Curaçao liqueur.

    They now make it in many other flavours like chocolate , coffee, rum and raisin, etc.

    Also visited a local cottage business started by a 10 year old girl and her mother who wanted more sending money for her family trip to Orlando. Now the whole family works at making lip balm, organic soaps and skin butters. The girl is now 17 sad finishing high school.

    Watched a folkloric dance and music performance. Very educational and beautiful. Even Vic got in on the action. If only I could have remembered how to use his video camera. Yes I realize now I should have just used my phone.

    Visited an aloe farm where they make shower gels and face creams. An aloe plant is ready for harvest after 2.5 years. You can also eat the gel And of course it has many healing properties. Our bus let us off downtown where we had a small gelato in place of lunch. 29*C and as long as you idle walk in the shade or catch a breeze it was comfortable. Got back to the ship by 4 pm to shower and have dinner. Went back out for the evening.

    The yacht moored across from our ship was a owned by Bill Gates’ business partner. He is wishing to sell it. It has a full sized helicopter, three power boats and at least six jet skis. Anyone interested?

    All aboard is at 10.    Read more

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  • TravelerPanama Canal
    Day 6

    Aruba

    February 28, 2020 in Aruba ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    So hot here! Had a walking tour this morning which included some local snacks, one was pastechi, similar to an empanada but with Gouda cheese filling. Lots of historical info.

    Found another wedding. Seems to be what we do on vacation. Nice iguanas!Read more

  • TravelerPanama Canal
    Day 8

    Panama Canal

    March 1, 2020 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Clocks ahead last night so the 5 am alarm felt like 6. Still dark when we got to our preferred viewing spot on Deck 4 at the bow, the lights of Colon welcoming us. Through the first locks at 7 and enjoyed the traditional hot coffee and Panama buns while listening to the Panamanian narrator describe the building of the Canal.

    By 10, it felt like we needed a snack so sampled the crepes with apple filling.

    A nap on the Promenade was welcome as we sailed leisurely through Gatun Lake.

    Stopped for lunch and a bit of a rest. 35C is pretty hot and hydration is essential.

    Watched our final passage through to the Pacific Ocean at Fuerte Amador where we had had an excursion 10 years ago. This was the only set of local where they used the row boats to move the ropes to the ship.    Read more

  • TravelerPanama Canal
    1
    Day 9

    At sea along the coast of Costa Rica

    March 2, 2020 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Clocks back last night which generally would mean an extra hour to sleep. Apparently not in the cards for us so we walked the Promenade Deck for a mile or so before breakfast. The Dining Room opens for breakfast at 8 so we were at the doors at 7:55, just the the old folks we used to chuckle about when we were younger. They serve a lovely breakfast and the coffee is better the the Lido buffet. This may be our choice in the future.

    Mariners’ Reception at the World Stage this morning honouring Mariners with 200 or more sea days. There was one couple who had been on the ship for over 4 months. Their total sea days were over 1,000. A brunch followed for all Mariners complete with champagne and wine. Waked the deck later in the afternoon and saw tern, flying fish and later a number of small dolphins. There are always a number or other ship in sight, much different from the Atlantic crossings to Europe when one sees no other life for days on end.

    Gala night tonight complete with fillet mignon and crab. Other choices included duck breast and rack of lamb. Such difficult choices.

    Costa Rica tomorrow. Meeting time for our excursion is 8 am so packed our bags this evening complete with sunscreen and mosquito repellent.    Read more

  • TravelerPanama Canal
    1
    Day 10

    Costa Rica

    March 3, 2020 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Up before 6. Eager to get into land. Our excursion met at 8 and was a two hour bus ride to our first stop well over 3000 feet above sea level. We are definitely in the clouds as the excursion boasts. We have seen cashew trees, coffee farms growing only Arabica beans, the best coffee in the world. It is grown on hills with other crops planted among the coffee. This provides shade for the coffee and allows for another source of income. Unemployment is over 12% but the country very biodiverse.Read more

  • TravelerPanama Canal
    Day 11

    Nicaragua

    March 4, 2020 in Nicaragua ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Today we docked in Corinto and are going to El Viejo and Chinandega. We were welcomed on the pier by two groups of dancers, one modern group accompanied by a percussion group and one traditional group and traditional musicians. They played and danced for about an hour while we waited for our turn to disembark for our tour. About a dozen little girls in traditional dress greeted the first 100 or so passengers with gift bags. This port is industrial so if you want to see anything, you need to take a tour.

    This is the largest country in Central American . It means place with several deposits of water. 27% of the country used to be water. 7 active volcanoes . 6.2million inhabitants in Nicaragua and used to be the safest country in Central America. Political crisis in 2018 changed everything.

    First export is beef, then coffee, then gold. The gold mines are owned by Canadians and of course the currency is printed in Winnipeg.

    We stopped at the minor Basilica in El Viejo dedicate to Mary who is the patron saint of Nicaragua. Such a poor country and the children beg for money when you walk into the church. Th primary children go to school in the afternoon as the secondary students go in the morning.

    It is very dry though not a desert area. September as October are the rainy season.

    Our tour guide Bosco’s cousin’s. Holstein go to the Goethe Schule in Corinto. Bosch hopes to send his oldest son to English school next year.

    The temperature today is 36C though it feels like 40C because of the humidity. Gas is $1.20/litre.

    Visited a museum with artifacts from 3000 BC.    Read more

  • TravelerPanama Canal
    1
    Day 12

    Guatemala

    March 5, 2020 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Our excursion through Shore Excursion Group met at 7:15 am. Our guide Adolfo and driver Jorge were excellent. Many improvements to the port since 2010, more restaurants and vendors. The road part way to Antigua has been twinned since 2013. There are bananas, sugar cane which is being harvested now so there are many tandem trucks on the road and four active volcanoes, one of which is smoking.

    There are 22 Mayan languages now though there use to be 356.

    Avocados cost 1 Quetzal which is about 25 cents.

    The smoke from burning sugar cane obscured the very of the volcanoes for the first hour of our ride but it seems to be clearing.

    Toured the basilica and smaller church on foot. Lunch at a restaurant housed in the ancient cathedral    Read more

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