Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica

Happy Halloween and welcome to Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica! In Costa Rica if anyone asks you how you are, you’re supposed to reply “Pura Vida!” (loosely translated = Full of Life!)

Today was Dorothy & the Volcano. Unfortunately when you ask others to take your picture you just don’t know what you’re going to get. Here’s me, but you can’t really see the volcano.

Here’s the volcano, which was very neat – at least for someone who is a total novice to volcanoes. Poas Volcano has (according to our guide) the largest crater of any active volcano in the world. I’m going to have to Google this when I get back home, because he also says that Costa Rica has the best coffee in the world and the best pineapples in the world. That makes three countries I’ve been to that claim to have the best coffee and the best pineapples in the world – Jamaica, Colombia and Costa Rica. Hmmmm…

The volcano is not actively erupting, just steaming. Arenal Volcano, which is actively erupting was another tour option, but it was even longer than this tour (9 hrs.) and I’m not a big fan of large group trips. It was also more expensive. Heck, volcanoes have been around for a few thousand years, I’m betting there will still be some active volcanoes next time I feel like visiting one, and then I’ll go for broke. Costa Rica has 112 volcanoes, but only seven of them are active. The country has between 3,000 and 5,000 earthquakes per year (I’m checking that one too), but 99.something percent are too small to feel.

Being a native low-lander it didn’t occur to me to bring a jacket when I was going on tour in a tropical country. However the volcano is at about 9,000 feet above sea level and in a cloud forest. DUH! My New Yorker turned Floridian blood wasn’t thick enough for that, so I hope you like this lovely new jacket I’m wearing in the photo! It’s now a treasured souvenir. Eat your hearts out.

We also stopped in Sarchi, home of the largest ox cart in the world. Largest ox cart? Yup. Little did I imagine the wonders I’d be seeing when I set out to cross the Panama Canal! There were thousands of ox cart souvenirs at all the stops, but I resisted every single temptation. My family and friends will probably be happy that I did – maybe not. Anyway, nobody is getting an ox cart for Christmas. Sorry if you’re disappointed.

Let’s not forget the weird souvenir of the day – a purse made entirely out of candy bar wrappers! Remember those chains we used to make from gum wrappers? The Costa Ricans have expanded on the idea. This could have been mine for about $28 – tempting!!

There was a runner up for weird souvenir of the day, but if I don’t find anything weird tomorrow I’ll use today’s runner up.

Northward bound for Mexico! Oh crap, I forgot about the gym. Off to the g--y--m (bleah) … sea you later.

BTW, this was NOT our bus, but it's definitely sporty looking!

Panama Fun Facts

• Panama is the only country where you can watch the sun rise in the Pacific and set in the Atlantic (cool)!

• Fabric is measured in yards, distance in kilometers. Fuel is measured in gallons, milk in liters. (And I was confused already by all those saints!)

• The US dollar and Panamanian dollar are interchangeable, you can use US coins in Panamanian vending machines. (Many thanks to Diet Coke for teaching me that fact.)

• Panama has no military, but they do have special forces to guard the President.

• The lowest toll ever paid to go through the canal was 36¢ for Richard Haliburton who swam through in 1928. He was accompanied by a man in a rowboat who used an oar to chase away crocodiles (or so the legend goes). He also nearly drowned due to the churning waters caused by the opening of the gates. No more swimmers after that.

• The first attempt at building a canal through Panama was in the 16th century. If early attempts had been successful (without locks) it would have caused drastic world climate changes including severe hurricanes from the west coast of Central America up to Canada and an ice cap over much of Europe – the result of altering the flow of the Gulf Stream.

Today is a quiet day at sea, I've done my gym time, no weird souvenirs on the ship. Tomorrow I'll see my first volcano. Stay tuned!!!
'

Panama Canal & Puerto Amador

Well, yesterday was so full of the wonder of going through the Panama Canal, that I was a bit lax in my blogging. So here’s a little more about the “Ditch”.

What I’ve heard about the ships going so close to the walls of the canal is true. If you have a balcony cabin on certain decks you can indeed reach over and touch the walls of the canal. In this photo the blue is part of the ship’s deck, the white is the hull and you can see that it clears the canal by only a very few inches! The ships are pulled along by “mules” (I suppose originally they were real mules?) through the locks and, as you can see, everyone is quite friendly.

It was fascinating watching the Antwerpen Express as she went through the locks alongside us. Cost for a ship such

as the Coral Princess to

transit the canal is about $330,000 and reservations can be made up to 1 ½ years in advance; all payments are due at time of reservation. If your ship misses it’s reserved time, it must pay again to go through - no refunds. Ouch!!

Today was on to Puerto Amador, to the “Old” Old City, and to the “Colonial” Old City. The Colonial Old City had largely fallen into ruin, but families whose ancestors trace back to the Colonial City are now purchasing the old buildings and renovating them. It’s q

uite a status symbol to live in one of the restored colonial homes.

Amongst the many sights in the Colonial area is the “Golden Altar” - sorry I can’t recall the name of the church, I think it's San Francisco, but all these saints have me in a muddle. Anyway, in addition to being a spectacular piece of artwork, it has an interesting

history.

When Henry Morgan (pirate to Central and South Americans, knight & explorer to North Americans and Europeans) successfully raided Puerto Amador, the priests got advance word that an enemy fleet was coming. Some of their gold they sank in the ocean with buoys just below the surface. This altar was whitewashed to look like it was just made of plaster or wood. After 10 days of raiding Henry Morgan left with his riches, and made a large donation to the “poor church”!

The “Old” Old City was destroyed by pirate attacks as well as fire and only ruins remain. The Cathedral Tower is one of the icons of Panama.

This is one of the arches in the tower.

Panama is probably best seen on a pre-arranged tour. There are taxi drivers at the port who will take you into town, but their integrity is somewhat lacking. Bargaining is possible in all the shops, and there are souvenirs to fit all tastes and budgets.

Today’s somewhat weird souvenir is the following.

I’m sure it has some sort of meaning, but I’m not sure I’d want it in my living room!! There were some other weird souvenirs, but this is a PG rated blog!

Heading for Costa Rica, but first the bloody gym!

Morning in the Panama Canal

I guess this kind of says it all! At this point we are almost through the locks. Incredibly impressive! Did you know that the idea for building the Canal was first proposed in the 16th century by the Spanish explorers? The Coral Princess is a Panamax ship, meaning it just barely fits through the canal, and yes, if you have a balcony cabin on some decks you can actually reach out and touch the sides of the locks (although for safety reasons this is discouraged). A canal that is 70' wider and 100' deeper is being dredged and is scheduled for completion in 2014.

P.S. Broke even on the slot machines last night. Should have quit when I had tripled my investment.

Cartagena de Indias, Colombia

We’ve come 1,517 nautical miles (so far!) and have arrived in the beautiful city of Cartagena, Colombia. Everything here is named after a saint. San Felipe Fort, Santa Catalina Cathedral, San Pedro, Santa Teresa and San Diego Squares, I won’t even get into the monasteries, cloisters and churches. Suffice it to say, if you live in Cartagena, you KNOW your saints!

Rather than book a tour through the cruise line, I decided to wing it. Just as we were getting off the ship I met two passengers from New Zealand who were doing the same thing. The three of us wound up hiring a taxi and driver who agreed to take us to San Felipe Fort – a truly amazing feat of 15th century engineering, the Old City, Gold Museum, Inquisition Palace, Clock Tower (the original entrance to Cartagena), Cathedral, etc. for $10. That’s right, $10 for all three of us – not $10 per person. Roberto Lopez Tos was the driver and his English was quite good. He is licensed by the Tourism Dept. and I really think we got our money’s worth. In fact, we were so pleased that we paid him a bit more than double what his rate was and he deserved every penny of it. He showed us around for about 3 ½ hours, walking with us and explaining everything. We weren’t part of one of the groups of 40+ people touring together with little stickers on their blouses identifying which tour bus they belonged to. It was just Roberto and my new Kiwi friends Pamela and Peter – a private tour. Although we had to pay admission to the fort ($8) and the inquisition museum ($6.50), I’d say we got the best bargain - similar tours booked through the cruise line ran between $39 and $64 per person! And I can add two new friends to my address book to boot!



It struck me yesterday when I was looking at souvenirs that there are some really strange ones out there. For example, yesterday I saw an Aruban flag with the Boston Red Sox logo across it. Huh? Today we saw a metro bus with the Yankees logo on it. Go figure. Anyway, I’m now on the prowl for weird souvenirs. Today’s unusual souvenir is this painting of a man selling souvenirs (sunglasses, t-shirts and hats). Now why anyone would want a souvenir picture of a man selling souvenirs is beyond me, but if you want one I can tell you where to get it in Cartagena.



Another frequently found tourist attraction is men dressing up like statues along the sidewalk. Fooled me at first. I think it would be a hard way to make a living.





Here’s Pamela by Botero’s Fat Woman. I did not need a picture of myself with a fat woman, instead I got one with a “guard” at the Fort. You may wonder what he played on his trumpet … well it wasn’t taps. His favorite tune seemed to be “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head”. Wonder if he’d play some Frank Sinatra if we stuck around longer?
I’ve only done 30 minutes in the gym, so have to go back, but you can add about three hours of walking to that, so I’m hopefully ahead of the game.

On to the Canal!!

First Stop Aruba

So far so good! I’ve completed one of my goals, which was to read a classic novel. I read Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”, which I thought might be a murder mystery, but was instead about going up river in Africa. Okay, in all honesty I chose it because it was the shortest classic novel in the onboard library. After all I never said I was going to read War & Peace! But maybe guilt will get the better of me and I’ll throw in another classic before the cruise is over. Several of them I’ve already read (and written papers on) since I was an English Lit. major.

Also have kept to my promise of at least 45 minutes a day in the gym. Thank goodness, because I’m eating the hugest breakfasts. As a single woman who believe that peanut M&M’s are a nutritious breakfast (they have calcium, protein, Vitamin A and Riboflavin), you can imagine that I seldom cook bacon, sausages, hash browns, etc. The novelty is wearing off though, or maybe it’s my arteries screaming for help.

Remembering that this is a working vacation, and it’s important to get to know all of the activities, here’s a working pict

ure of me investigating “Movies Under the Stars.

Also learned to line dance yesterday, but didn’t have my camera.

Today was Aruba, which I visited once before when I was 13 (and the natural stone bridge was still standing). I guess that make me older than dirt. Anyway, the streets are filled with the usual t-shirt shops, Little Switzerland, Diamonds International, etc. I got a free peridot pendant and so I bought a pair of earrings too for $10, also received a coupon for a blue topaz gemstone that I’ll have made into something … maybe. Bargaining wasn’t great, so I’ll see if I can do better in Cartagena – our next stop.

Some neat architectural touches in Aruba, as you can see here.

And, as usual in Aruba, it was very dry and windy. If you want sun, Aruba is the place to buy your timeshare. They have the greatest number of sunny days in the Caribbean. Thus they also have cactus. The divi divi trees all look like they’re blown to one side … because they are!!

Should have followed my own advice and brought more cash!!! Lost $20 in the casino last night, but that’s not bad. They now have slot machines that you can charge to your cabin – VERY dangerous. You really don’t keep track as well and if your balance goes down to zero you can always just stick your cardkey in and charge another $10 - $100 more so you can keep playing. Smart system (for the casino).

Bye from Aruba. I need to hit the gym.

Going, going, gone !!

The adventure begins. The ship’s ready, I’m ready … let’s shove off!

Michael, my nephew, “chauffeur” and a bartender par excellence drove me to the ship:

I have to say the embarkation systems went seamlessly. I went from car to ship in under 10 minutes. No lines, no confusion, just “Welcome aboard, we’re glad you’re here!” It got a little more confusing once I was on board. No escort to the cabin? No white glove service? No champagne or orange juice? Hmmmm, they must be cutting back.

Wandered around until I did find my cabin. Bummer – an interior. But beggars can’t be choosers, and my cabin steward is a star. Giving him a nice tip at the beginning of the cruise helps to ensure outstanding service – something I learned at my father’s knee.

There’s so much to do onboard that I need my Blackberry just to figure out what’s going on and when. There’s a “Princess Patter” newsletter under the door each day with the days activities. Great comedy show last night, with a comedian who has been featured on Jay Leno’s show, today there are Photoshop editing seminars, Astronomy lectures, lessons on using a potter’s wheel, ship tours, treasure hunts, trivia contests, karaoke, casino, bingo, ice carving demo, fruit & vegetable carving, health & fitness seminars, and even a champagne waterfall! Here’s my contribution to that:

I have at least five goals on this sailing (so far).

1. Do not gain weight (at least 45 min. per day in the gym).
2. Write all the Christmas Cards I brought with me, about 130 of them (if you get a very early Christmas Card from me you will know why!!!
3. Read one “classic” novel.
4. Write a blog.
5. See and do everything that I can!

So far I’m on track … stay tuned …

BTW, the things I forgot: 1) my HP12C (calculator), 2) to put an “out of the office” message on my phone. I have to see if I can arrange that from Aruba.

Sea you later!

My suitcase has been open for three days now, and I'm finding this to be a fairly convenient way to pack. I'm calling it the "Oh yeah","Laundry Basket" or "Salad Bowl" method. In addition to making a list, I throw things in as I remember them. Along the lines of "Oh yeah, better remember my flash drive (throw it in), oh yeah, I don't want to forget my camera (toss gently), oh yeah I'll need quarters for the laundromat" - you get the idea.

Later I can arrange things, and get them to fit (maybe). Or at least I'll know I need a bigger suitcase.

Despite all the great tips on my Packing Tips & Tricks page, I am not bringing duct tape. I'm sure many of you are now slapping your foreheads in dismay, "What?! No duct tape?" but stick with me, I (think) I know what I'm doing.

1. You see, I happen to know that the Coral Princess is currently in dry dock in the Bahamas. They are putting down several miles of new carpeting, adding a "Movies Under the Stars" screen, and a ton (at least) of other stuff. I'm thinking that if I really need duct tape, and I'm good to my cabin steward, it will probably be made available.
2. I'm not going camping, I'm going to be on a luxury cruise ship. Camping is different. If I were going camping I would probably pack a (small) roll of duct tape - and a (large) can of insect repellent.
3. The ship will be stopping in several civilized ports of call. Although I don't know specifically how to say "duct tape" in Spanish, I do know how to say "tape" (cinta) - that's just a natural offshoot of spending a year living in Spain. Hell, even in English, half the US population thinks it's called Duck Tape. Why should I have trouble in Spanish?

So I think I've got the packing thing pretty well sewn up (and yes, as a matter of fact I do have a small sewing kit).

On Saturday I'll start letting you know what I've forgotten.

I AM trying to stick to navy, khaki, white and black so that things will mix and match. I AM relying on ONE pair of shoes for evening (black pumps), I'm bringing shorts and slacks with pockets so that I can get by without a purse as much as possible.

I'm currently quite satisfied with my progress. By Friday I'll probably be certifiable. Think I should add a list of "Things To Do Before You Leave" (hold the mail, turn off the water heater, clean out the fridge, breathe in, breathe out) to my site?