Day 6 – January 10. 2011 - Panama Canal

Day 6 – January 10. 2011 - Panama Canal

At 4:30 am this morning, Sharon was awaken by bright lightening coming in our window. So she decided to go up to the Crow’s Nest, to view our entrance into the Panama Canal, which was an hour earlier than expected.  The Crow’s Nest is at the bow of the ship and offers a good view of where we are going.  Even at that hour most of the front seats were full.  Sharon sat inside directly behind the ship’s flagpole.  A little blue light on the flagpole was indicating the direction that the ship was going in.  She was fascinated because she saw our ship and another ship entering the first lock at the same time  It reminded her of her first time through the canal in 1997 when she sailed in a “small Russian spy ship”.  When that ship was in the first lock, the ship behind them kept coming closer and closer and evidently put a big dent in the stern of the former spy ship.   She asked someone on board if this happened often and she got a resounding “NO it does not”.   The Russian captain was very upset and adamant about refusing any help to fix it.

Our passage on this trip took 9 hours from beginning to end.  When Julia finally got up to the Crow’s Nest she spotted a crocodile that was gliding along the canal and a group of capybara (the world’s largest rodents) roaming on the hillside.  It is fascinating all the manpower, money, time and technology that have combined to create this wondrous “8^th wonder of the world”.  It is quite a moment when you notice the brown water of the canal joining the beautiful blue water of the Pacific.  It’ a moving sight to sail under the Bridge of the Americas as you look out at all the other ships mostly cargo ones waiting to enter the canal.

Day 5 – Jan 9, 2011 – Costa Rica

Today we had booked an afternoon shore excursion to tour a banana plantation and take a boat up the Tortuguero Canal.  Both trips were very enjoyable.  Sharon has seen many banana plantations but this was my first.  I’ll never eat a banana again without being reminded of this place and the energy it takes to get this delicious fruit to our local stores.  As we drove around the Atlantic side of Costa Rica, I got a flair for the local color.  The port where we were docked at is the busiest in the Caribbean.  Our guide, Lucy was also very good about sharing information about her country.  For instance, they value education, the environment and peace (they have no standing army).   Costa Ricans have also enjoyed universal health care for more than 5 decades.

I was mesmerized with the rain forest along the canal, the flora and the fauna were all that I had expected, such plant and animal diversity.  We saw a “Jesus Christ” (because he walks on water) Lizard and a Cayman (a small harmless crocodile).  Sharon felt very relaxed throughout the ride and looked very cute in her Panama hat, so did the driver of our boat who was nicknamed “Gilligan”.   The people of this Central American country on the whole are very handsome.

Both “Gilligan” and Lucy were very good at spotting animals for us to gawk at:  a couple of lazy 3-toed sloths with an adorable baby, a wild looking Iguana, a quick sighting of a Toucan, many “little blue herons”, egrets and many other nameless tropical birds.

We returned to the port just in time for our departure.  The weather was perfect.  There wasn’t a hint of a wind and no humidity.

Both of us are meeting some very interesting people on board ship.  Along with Americans, there are Canadians, Germans, South Africans, Australians, Asians and even one couple who were originally from Astonia.  As you can imagine our conversations are lively. 

  

Panama Canal live

If you are interested you can watch our ship - the ms Amsterdam go through the locks at the Panama Canal in real time.   www.pancanal.com

Wave if you see us.  I'm at the bow and Sharon is in the Crow's Nest.

Day 4 - Saturday - January 8, 2011

Today was a day spent at sea.  Both Sharon and I basically relaxed.  I'm getting used to the ship and all the many services.  The food is great, so is the pool and especially the hot tub.

Day 3:  Friday.  We awoke off the coast of Grand Cayman.  The Captain announced that in order to go ashore we would have to use “tenders” which are small shuttle-like boats.  Therefore, Sharon chose to remain on ship and I went ashore by myself.  I was sure to take my Dramamine.  There’s really not much happening on the island unless it is geared to the tourists.  I met up with a delightful young family from California who invited me to go snorkeling with them.  This was perfect for me because I didn’t want to go on any ship sponsored excursion.  We took a taxi to “Seven Mile Beach” which was absolutely beautiful with white smooth sand and relatively warm water.  However, the sea was still rough so we apt to just go swimming, which was heavenly, except I lost my toe ring to the rushing waters!!!  Afterwards we had lunch at “Paradise Reef”.  I then left my new adopted family and headed off to find a beauty parlor and what an adventure that was.

I wanted to go where the locals go and not the tourists and that was just want I got.  A beautiful woman from Jamaica cut and styled my hair not really to my liking but I was so relaxed that I just let her proceed.  So there I sat in my wet bathing suit getting my hair cut to the tunes of religious music playing and the noises of “wild” chickens in the background.  My stylist had a bible on her cart.  The chickens just freely roam all around this island.  It seems that after the last hurricane all the domesticated chickens were replaced by these wild ones.  It’s quite funny.  I’m not in Peterborough any longer…

Observations aboard Ship: 

·         Like I mentioned before the staff and crew on the ms Amsterdam are most attentive.  Whatever you want they get for you or make sure that you will have it shortly.  I just may get used to this.

·         There are fresh exotic flowers everywhere.  The orchids are exquisite.

·         We are never at a loss for activities to participate in.  I may not get any reading done.

·         Professional shows every night.  On Saturday night Mitzi Gaynor will be performing.

First two Days at Sea

Day 1:  The check-in process for the ms Amsterdam at Port Everglades went very smoothly.  Julia was concerned that maybe she would be missing some important piece of paper and possibly be turned away.  Fortunately, everything was in order.  Sharon being the experienced world traveler was as “cool as a cucumber”.  Our beautiful ship disembarked at about 6:30 pm and set a course to the south in the Straits of Florida.  Our route to Grand Cayman will take us around the west side of Cuba and through the Yucatan Channel. 

Our first hours aboard ship were spent in touring the ship, becoming familiar with our new surroundings, meeting the staff and having a delicious dinner.  Therefore, at 11 pm we were still unpacking, a wonderfully exciting and exhausting day.

Day 2:  We woke up to a beautiful blue sky and a calm Caribbean Sea.  It’s amazing to look out the window behind your bed and see such beauty.  Our course today is heading directly to our anchorage off of Georgetown.

Sharon was up and about very early and ready to tackle the day because she was awaken at 4:30 AM a bright shinning Venus on the southeastern Horizon.  She wasn’t expecting to see it for a couple of days.  Julia, after a restless night took a morning mile walk around the deck followed with some yoga.  You just can’t beat Sun Salutations done on the deck of a cruise ship.   At 10:30 AM all the passengers were mandated to attend a “Passenger Safety Briefing” on the Promenade Deck.  The crew is *very* serious about our safety both in the case of emergencies and health concerns. 

The rest of the day was spent with attending some informative sessions on land excursions and sunning by the pool.  The hot tub is the best.

Sharon chilling at the airport hotel in Manchester