Day 10 – January 14, 2011 - Lima, Peru

Both Sharon & I woke up around 6 am, she was going on an early tour while I wasn’t leaving the ship until after lunch.  I took my daily walk around the deck and did my yoga practice up in the “Crow’s Nest”, since it was fairly windy and YES chilly outside.  It must have rained doing the night since the deck was wet.  There was an Asian woman up at the Crow’s Nest also doing her Tai Chi.  The ship was rolling more than usual, if only my yoga instructor could see me now.  I’m sure she would admire my dedication.  Afterwards, I felt some motion sickness.  The price I pay to be serene.
   Heading into Callao

                                                          

San Lorenzo Island with some fog, the usual condition for Lima in the morning, an affect from the Pacific trade winds.
Since I had time, I decided to go downstairs to the Digital Workshop to become more proficient at composing this blog.  The internet is very slow aboard ship and Jeff our wonderful microsoft expert showed me how to use the “Windows Live Writer”.
Sharon took a 6 hour tour through the old colonial part of Lima to see Enrico Poli’s private gold collection.  She enjoyed herself, especially the gourmet lunch that they had in a private home.  Sharon enjoyed the company of exceptional and nice travel mates.
I, on the other hand spent my afternoon shopping at the Indian Market.  It was definitely a tourist trap, with all the booths and their similar Inka crafts.  The ingenious people manning them are delightful. however shopping in Peru is not for those who are really there just to browse.  The salespeople stay right with you and are continually telling you all about the wonderful aspects of the product that you might be holding and of course it’s in Spanish so I couldn’t understand a word.  The street vendors are quite a lot more aggressive:  “Lady, Lady look at this turquoise necklace, yes Lady real turquoise see see”.  You do get used to it but it takes some time and being very assertive back helps but if you look at all interested they will just follow you up the street until you buy or become real firm.  I did relent and purchased one necklace for only $10 solis which is equal to about $3 American dollars.  I was pleased with all my purchases, especially the alpaca sweater and hats.
   Money Exchange
  Nativity set at the market

  A weaver


Chaotic street scene in front of the market

Peruvian Police and they are everywhere, even in front of the Post Office where I sent a birthday card to my daughter, Mary Theresa.  What an experience that was!!
Flowers everywhere – Roses and Cactus


and also construction crews.  This is an earthquake prone country.

Day 10

Both Sharon & I woke up around 6 am, she was going on an early tour while I wasn’t leaving the ship until after lunch.  I took my daily walk around the deck and did my yoga practice up in the “Crow’s Nest”, since it was fairly windy and YES chilly outside.  It must have rained doing the night since the deck was wet.  There was an Asian woman up at the Crow’s Nest also doing her Tai Chi.  The ship was rolling more than usual, if only my yoga instructor could see me now.  I’m sure she would admire my dedication.  Afterwards, I felt some motion sickness.  The price I pay to be serene.
   Heading into Callao

                                                          

San Lorenzo Island with some fog, the usual condition for Lima in the morning, an affect from the Pacific trade winds.
Since I had time, I decided to go downstairs to the Digital Workshop to become more proficient at composing this blog.  The internet is very slow aboard ship and Jeff our wonderful microsoft expert showed me how to use the “Windows Live Writer”.
Sharon took a 6 hour tour through the old colonial part of Lima to see Enrico Poli’s private gold collection.  She enjoyed herself, especially the gourmet lunch that they had in a private home.  Sharon enjoyed the company of exceptional and nice travel mates.
I, on the other hand spent my afternoon shopping at the Indian Market.  It was definitely a tourist trap, with all the booths and their similar Inka crafts.  The ingenious people manning them are delightful. however shopping in Peru is not for those who are really there just to browse.  The salespeople stay right with you and are continually telling you all about the wonderful aspects of the product that you might be holding and of course it’s in Spanish so I couldn’t understand a word.  The street vendors are quite a lot more aggressive:  “Lady, Lady look at this turquoise necklace, yes Lady real turquoise see see”.  You do get used to it but it takes some time and being very assertive back helps but if you look at all interested they will just follow you up the street until you buy or become real firm.  I did relent and purchased one necklace for only $10 solis which is equal to about $3 American dollars.  I was pleased with all my purchases, especially the alpaca sweater and hats.
   Money Exchange
  Nativity set at the market

  A weaver


Chaotic street scene in front of the market








Peruvian Police and they are everywhere, even in front of the Post Office where I sent a birthday card to my daughter, Mary Theresa.  What an experience that was!!
Flowers everywhere – Roses and Cactus



and also construction crews.  This is an earthquake prone country.

Day 9 – January 13, 2011 – Day at Sea

 

Notes from Julia:

Woke up late (8 am), not feeling too well.  Have improved as the day progressed, it’s hard to be ill when you are in such beautiful surroundings.  Windy on the deck so I worked out in the Fitness Center, which is small and crowded in the morning.

Sharon and I are adjusting to our living arrangements and even to our not being able to find each other during the day.  It all works out in the end.  I sat by the pool today and then had a facial at 3:15 PM.  Tonight is our first formal evening  “The Black and Silver Ball”.  We had dinner at the Pinnacle Restaurant, not our usual Lido which is buffet style.  This was Sharon’s idea; based on the fact that we looked so lovely, we should treat ourselves.  It was a fabulous gourmet Italian meal that we ate as we watched the sun set beside us.

After dinner we attended the show, a stunning Brazilian woman playing latin music on her electric harp, followed by a male ballad singer from Argentina that I wasn’t too impressed with.  We ended the evening by sitting at the Piano Bar.  This could become a habit.

Day 8 – Manta, Ecuador – Tour of Pacoche Forest  

This was a most interesting and fun day for me, especially the tour of a private preserve in a “Cloud Forest”.  Our guide was Tomas, a delightful young man from Quito.  In order to be a guide in Ecuador you have to complete a 5 year degree program and this was certainly evident.  His knowledge was extensive from geology to birds to politics.  He was most informative.  The sights on this tour were:

           

• Visiting a small fishing village and walking on the beach.                              
• Observing the carving of birds, turtles, etc. from a large nut.
• Coffee trees
• Bird of Paradise Flower
• Hummingbirds (over 130 species in Educator)
• A sugar caning operation
• A culinary exhibition (delicious chicken and fish meals with vegetables roasted in a banana leaf.
• Quietly watching three Hollar monkeys cavorting among the branches just above our heads
• A moderate hike in this lush forest.

Day 9 – At Sea – going south toward Calleo

Still settling in, spent most of the day walking the deck, sitting by the pool or in the hot tub, reading, etc.  Tonight was the Black and Silver Ball, we looked fantastic.

           

           

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.