We have had our 3 stops in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Chiapas, and Huatulco. The weather has been quite warm and I’ve managed to get a really good sun tan as the sun is hot here – and you know how easily I tan. This area is very lush with beautiful beaches and mountains with rainforests. Centuries ago there were numerous advanced Indian civilizations, the greatest of these being the Mayans and the Aztecs. Today there are many fishing villages along the sea.
While we were in Puerto Chiapas, a “sister” ship of ours, the Rotterdam, was docked with us. A sister ship means the two ships are built from the same deck plans. There was a nice restaurant on the pier where we had a chance to see crew friends and passenger friends from the other ship. It was a fun day for all.
Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
Guatemala is considered by many to be one of the world’s most beautiful countries. Volcanoes, mountain lakes, and jungles, combined with a population that is mostly of Indian descent, make this a unique land. Geographically, Guatemala is the northernmost country in Central America. Guatemala’s people are descendents of the ancient Mayan civilization. While Europe was still mired in the Dark Ages, the Mayan civilization was at its peak. The Mayans are people of great intellectual strength and vivid creativity. They developed great public architecture, were by far the first to develop an accurate calendar and displayed an explosion of energy in the arts, commerce, mathematics, astronomy, and the development of the written language.
New Year’s Eve was a fun evening onboard. It was a formal night so everyone was out in their finery. I host dinner tables on formal nights and had very enjoyable company for the evening with all my tablemates being from the US which is quite unusual. I made it into the new year, finally heading for my cabin around 1:30pm. The people in the photo with me are Jeff, a passenger that I sailed with last summer on a different cruise, and Diane & Bud. Bud is our Lead Medical Officer onboard and his wife, Diane, sails with him. I have sailed with them in the past and was happy to have them onboard with me.
New Year’s day was a typical work day for me. I gave a presentation to passengers about what the grand voyages such as the upcoming one are like and what makes them different from a “normal” cruise. In the evening we arrived at Fuerte Amadore (Panama City) for an overnight stay. Since it was a holiday most places are closed but we will return here in about 10 days so will have an opportunity to see it then.
Transiting the Panama Canal is always fascinating to me. The canal has three sets of locks which operate as water lifts to elevate ships 75 feet above sea level, then lowers them back to sea level to transit from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
Our last port call on this 14-day segment from Los Angeles to Ft. Lauderdale was Cartegena, Columbia. I have been here several times and always enjoy it. My favorite all-time movie is Romancing the Stone and much of it was filmed here. It’s very historical here with many forts protecting entrance to the city.
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While we were in Puerto Chiapas, a “sister” ship of ours, the Rotterdam, was docked with us. A sister ship means the two ships are built from the same deck plans. There was a nice restaurant on the pier where we had a chance to see crew friends and passenger friends from the other ship. It was a fun day for all.
Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
Guatemala is considered by many to be one of the world’s most beautiful countries. Volcanoes, mountain lakes, and jungles, combined with a population that is mostly of Indian descent, make this a unique land. Geographically, Guatemala is the northernmost country in Central America. Guatemala’s people are descendents of the ancient Mayan civilization. While Europe was still mired in the Dark Ages, the Mayan civilization was at its peak. The Mayans are people of great intellectual strength and vivid creativity. They developed great public architecture, were by far the first to develop an accurate calendar and displayed an explosion of energy in the arts, commerce, mathematics, astronomy, and the development of the written language.
New Year’s Eve was a fun evening onboard. It was a formal night so everyone was out in their finery. I host dinner tables on formal nights and had very enjoyable company for the evening with all my tablemates being from the US which is quite unusual. I made it into the new year, finally heading for my cabin around 1:30pm. The people in the photo with me are Jeff, a passenger that I sailed with last summer on a different cruise, and Diane & Bud. Bud is our Lead Medical Officer onboard and his wife, Diane, sails with him. I have sailed with them in the past and was happy to have them onboard with me.
New Year’s day was a typical work day for me. I gave a presentation to passengers about what the grand voyages such as the upcoming one are like and what makes them different from a “normal” cruise. In the evening we arrived at Fuerte Amadore (Panama City) for an overnight stay. Since it was a holiday most places are closed but we will return here in about 10 days so will have an opportunity to see it then.
Transiting the Panama Canal is always fascinating to me. The canal has three sets of locks which operate as water lifts to elevate ships 75 feet above sea level, then lowers them back to sea level to transit from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
Our last port call on this 14-day segment from Los Angeles to Ft. Lauderdale was Cartegena, Columbia. I have been here several times and always enjoy it. My favorite all-time movie is Romancing the Stone and much of it was filmed here. It’s very historical here with many forts protecting entrance to the city.
I like to read your comments and know that someone is reading my blog. Feel free to give me some feedback.
Fascinating as always!
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