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We had an uneventful flight home. While it's fun to be on a cruise, there truly is no place like home so it felt good to get there.

Katie has sorted through her pictures and posted them to her flickr website. If you're interested you can see them at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kishrieves/sets/72157616729537688/

Time to start planning another voyage.

April 11 - Last Day at Sea and Almost Home

What can I say? Princess arranged for another perfect day at sea. We sailed along the coast of Cuba this morning and through the day we saw much more traffic. We spent another leisurely day with the only chore being packing. It’s much easier to pack for the trip home since there are no choices to make.

We don’t stay out late in the evening, but I’ve heard that’s not the case with some of our shipmates. A bartender at one of the lounges told me that many of the cruisers show up at the bar at 2:00 AM and stick around until 3:30 or so. I don’t know how they get up the next morning!

Well, it’s been a lovely cruise and we caught this sunset shot so it seems fitting that it should end this chapter of our cruise blog.

April 10 - Ocho Rios, Jamaica

We docked this morning in Ocho Rios. Another ship was at the main cruise pier so we were at the oil storage docks, still very close to downtown shopping. Katie went off on her diving excursion. I hadn’t planned on going ashore but decided I should just to see Ocho Rios.

I was pleasantly surprised! The last time we were in Jamaica we were assaulted by vendors everywhere. Not so this time. The van/taxi deposited us at the Taj Mahal shopping center. Kind of a funny name for Jamaica. Shops there and at the other place I went had the usual tourist stuff. The second shopping center I went to had a large central plaza and there were some reggae musicians and a few dancers performing. There were some shady seats so I sat and watched and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Katie returned from a successful diving trip. They did two dives. During the first she didn’t see many fish; at the second site she reported seeing many more colorful fish and coral. Maybe I need to get updated on my C card in case she and I take a cruise to a place we can dive in the future.

We sailed at 3:30 for Ft. Lauderdale and home.

April 9 - At Sea in the Caribbean

We awoke to another bright and beautiful sea day. We worked out at the gym and went to the Thermal Suite. Then we lazed by the pool, Katie outside and me inside. With tomorrow at Ocho Rios and one more day after that I wanted to not overdue the sunshine.

Tonight was the second formal night. It was also the Captain’s Gala Dinner with lobster and giant prawns or beef Wellington. Everything was delicious.

Two Locks at Gatun

Two

April 8 - The Panama Canal

We began our approach to the Pacific entrance to the Canal around 6 AM. We sailed under the Bridge of the Americas and made our way into the first of the 2 Miraflores locks, each of which raises the ship 27 feet. It’s always amazing to watch the operation and realize that the gates and mechanisms are the originals from almost 100 years ago. It’s also incredible to think that there are no pumps and that the entire operation uses gravity to accomplish the raising and lowering of these huge ships. Behind us we could see the Celebrity Mercury also making the transit today.
After going through the 2 Miraflores locks we approached the one lock at Pedro Miquel. The last time we went through her a few years ago (on the Coral Princess that time too) we saw a very large alligator in the waters along the shore here. Sure enough, there he was! I’m not a good judge of sizes but a couple of men on the balcony next to ours commented that they thought he was at least 10 feet look. He would have made a lot of shoes, handbags and wallets!

After being raised again we began our all day transit through the Canal. A lecturer was aboard as always and as we went through the Culebra Cut, the most difficult part of the construction, he talked about the more than 30,000 people who died building the Canal. It’s in the process of being widened by the Panamanians.

In the afternoon we sailed through Gatun Lake and approached the Gatun Locks to exit into the Caribbean. Ahead of us we could see our sister ship, the Island Princess which had spent the day in Gatun.

The Gatun locks are three steps down to the sea. We went all the way aft and watched much of the transit and it was most interesting because we had a very large container ship just behind us in our series of locks and the Mercury in the locks next to us. As we were positioned in the 2nd of the 3 locks, the container ship entered the lock above us that we had just left. His bow loomed above us and as he drew closer to the gates it was an interesting sensation to have this huge vessel looking like it was coming right at us.

We finished our trip down and sailed for a brief stop at Cristobal, Panama. In the terminal building there was a market with vendors of lots of touristy things. The favorite purchase seemed to be Panama hats as evidenced by the number of people wearing them as we reboarded the ship.

Now it’s off to a sea day and Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

The Lotus Pool

April 7 - A Day at Sea

Today we’re sailing along the coast of Panama on our way to the Panama Canal transit tomorrow. It’s another picture perfect day at sea with blue skies, puffy white clouds and calm seas. The pool areas are packed with people getting roasted. We had lu7nch with the Captain and his senior officers today in Sabatinis Restaurant. For some reason we were among the most traveled passengers on the ship. I was surprised because on past cruises there were many people with many more days on Princess ships than I have had. Anyway it was an excellent lunch and we enjoyed it.
I’ve taken a few pictures around the ship and will post them to give you an idea of some of our favorite things. One shows the Thermal Suite. This area has four heated tile loungers which look like they would be very uncomfortable but are actually wonderful. There are also three steam room and a sauna, as well as two tropical rain showers to cool off in. The steam rooms feel great but I can’t stay in them long.
Another photo is a view of the Lotus Pool, the covered Adults Only pool. I thoroughly enjoy this pool. Sitting and baking in the sun isn’t really my thing anymore so this perfect.Well, more tomorrow.

Hummingbirds

Here's a video that I took of hummingbirds in the garden of Selvaturas Park in Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica. It's not the world's best video (taken on my digital camera), but stick with it for the full 39 seconds and you'll hear the sound of the birds buzzing around, and see 3 of them chirp at each other as they angle for a prime spot at the feeder.

Howler Monkeys

Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica

Today we docked in Puntarenas, Costa Rica and embarked on our trip to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. It was an early morning again but worth the trip. Our drive took us for a short distance on the Pan-American Highway until the turn off that led us up into the mountains and the continental divide of Costa Rica. The road we traveled was unpaved and exceedingly steep. After a two and a half hour drive we arrived at the Monteverde Cloud Forest. In Costa Rica all of the land in the mountains around the continental divide is a preserve and protected.

Our first stop was the hummingbird garden. It was amazing! There were several hummingbird feeders and the birds whizzed around landing and sucking the nectar. As they flew past us, practically brushing us, you could hear the sound as if a swarm of bees was passing by. Katie shot a short video which turned out really well but we’ll have to wait to upload it when we have a faster internet connection. Meanwhile the photo we’re posting shows a feeder with 3 hummingbirds.

Next we took the 3 mile walk through the forest. It was more than a good workout! We were at approx. 5200 feet and for us flatlanders the altitude and the climb up and down made a difference. We also had to cross 8 hanging bridges which for people like me who are afraid of heights was an experience. As we walked across the bridges about 100 feet above the treetops and they swayed from side to side, I confess that my heart was pounding. As we walked through the forest there were long vines hanging and I had visions of Indiana Jones crashing through.

After a nice lunch and a visit to the insect museum (which had the most incredible collection I’ve seen) we headed back down from the mountains. Along the way we paused to see a group of howler monkeys in the trees right off the road. These monkeys make the most incredible loud noise.

Once again we were astounded by the differences in the countries we’ve visited. Costa Rica is by far the most prosperous looking place we’ve been. There was no trash strewn along the roads and no signs of the poverty we saw yesterday in Nicaragua. The houses we passed even far out in the countryside had lacy curtains in the windows and looked well-maintained.
We sailed a couple of hours late from Puntarenas. I think we had to wait for the tides because it’s quite shallow. Now we’re on our way to the Panama Canal. But first we have a leisurely day at sea.

The Black Christ

This crucifix is the mostt treasured piece in the cathedral in Leon. It's carved of wood and is black in color. At some point in time thieves thought it was silver and stole it. When they discovered it was carved from wood they left it beside the road.

Momotombo Volcano, Nicaragua

Old and New Leon, Nicaragua

Today we docked in Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua. At a bright and early 6:15 AM we gathered for our tour to old and new Leon. The drive was again about an hour and a half through flatlands. The contrast from Guatemala was pretty remarkable. While some places we passed through yesterday looked poor, today’s looked absolutely destitute. The roads were littered with trash and the houses were in very bad shape.

We arrived at old Leon, another former colonial capital destroyed this time by the eruption of the nearby volcano Momotombo in approx. 1610. The place was only discovered in the last 40 years. People knew that the capital of the Spanish colony was in the vicinity but didn’t know the exact location because it was buried under 4 meters of dirt. What we saw were the foundation ruins of a city that formerly housed 200 Spaniards and 15,000 natives. The view from a promontory across the lake to the volcano was impressive.

After our visit to old Leon we moved on to new Leon, the place everyone moved after the city was destroyed. For a time it was the capital of the Spanish colony of Nicaragua until it was moved to Managua. The city was a stronghold of the Sandinistas during the Somosa era and was actually bombed by Somosa ar one time.

Our first stop was a very nice buffet lunch at a convent which has been converted to a hotel. Yesterday a monastery. Today a convent. Once again the venue was beautiful and the food was very good.

After lunch we walked to the cathedral and zocalo (main square). The cathedral is the largest one in Central America and was very pretty. The astounding thing was the entrance. The city in general was very dirty and the steps of the cathedral were littered with trash. There is a significant difference from Guatemala. One can easily understand why people from this country would do almost anything to get into our country. Forty years of political unrest and corruption have taken a toll on everything here.

Beautiful Grounds of the Monastery Hotel

Little Musicians

Palace of the Captain General - Antigua

April 4 - Antigua, Guatemala

We docked this morning at Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. As soon as the ship was cleared we were off for our tour of colonial Antigua, the former capital of Guatemala. The ride there was close to an hour and a half. The city is surrounded by three active volcanoes and several hundred years ago suffered significant damage from the eruption and subsequent mudslide of one of them. The capital was moved then.

The city was beautiful. Some of the old colonial buildings survived or were rebuilt. The original cathedral is partially in ruins but it was nonetheless interesting to see them. The city was getting ready for Holy Week and there were purple banners hanging from many windows to commemorate Lent. In the main church there was an elaborate carpet made of sawdust and seeds with fruits and vegetables strewn around the edges. This is a tradition in the city for Holy Week. Several of the streets downtown are closed to traffic and as we walked along we encountered a family group playing typical Guatemalan folk music. The two little boys playing the maracas and the marimba were very cute. One was 7 and the other 5 years old.

After our morning walk we had a lovely buffet lunch and some free time in an old monastery converted to a hotel. The grounds were beautiful with lots of flowers which perfumed the air. Within the grounds were a couple of small museums with sculptures and Holy Week artifacts.
The last stop of the day was a jade factory. Evidently jade is only found in 2 places in the world, Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Guatemala. The jade in Guatemala was just found about 30 years ago by an American archaeologist. Evidently the indigenous pre-Colombian people mined jade and prized it but the Spaniards didn’t so the mines were basically lost. Some of the pieces we saw were amazing.

All in all we truly enjoyed our visit to Guatemala.
April 4 - Antigua, Guatemala

A Mexican Woodpecker

This guy was busily pecking on the coconut palm by our casita pool. Maybe he was looking for some coconut milk for a pina colada.

View from Tulipan Restaurant

April 2nd - Bye, Bye Acapulco; Hello Coral Princess

This morning we had breakfast at the Tulipan Restaurant high atop the hill of the Las Brisas complex. Another open air restaurant, it has gorgeous views of the bay and Acapulco in the distance. Back in our casita before it was time to leave we sat on our balcony and watched a pair of woodpeckers working over the coconut palm tree next to our pool.

At noon we were off with our driver to the cruise terminal. Traffic was an absolute zoo. Anybody renting a car there is taking his life in his own hands. Check-in was easy and we were quickly onboard.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing at the pool. The ship is as nice as I remember her to be.

The Balloon Man in the Zocalo

April 1 - Acapulco

This morning we headed out with our driver/guide Gilly for a tour of Acapulco. First stop was the fort overlooking the harbor. The original fort was built before 1600 but was destroyed in an earthquake ( of which there are several hundred a year here - most imperceptible). The current fort was built on top of the old one in the early 17th century. Acapulco was an important port for the Spanish Empire. Silk, spices and other things from the Orient were brought there and shipped overland to the Caribbean side for transportation to Spain. Also ships laden with gold from South America and silver from Mexico passed through the port. The rich cargoes made it a favorite target of pirates. The fort was built with guns facing both the water and the land to prevent the pirates from assaulting it from either side. As a result, pirates waited in the next bay and attacked the ships after they left the safe harbor provided by the fort’s cannon.
The fort has a special exhibition of folkloric artwork from towns in the state of Guerrero. The picture we’ve attached is one of a figurine crafted for the Dia de los Muertes or the Day of the Dead (November 1) which is a big feast day in Mexico. Rather than a day for sadness and mourning it is a celebration as you can see from the skeleton playing his instrument.

Next we passed through old Acapulco. Along the way we saw the house where the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera lived when he was in Acapulco. He decorated the wall of the grounds with a magnificent mosaic depicting the rattlesnake which is on the Mexican flag. We stopped at the Hotel Los Flamingos which sits atop the highest cliffs in Acapulco and was the favorite haunt of old Hollywood greats like John Wayne, Cary Grant, Richard Widmark and many more.

AFinally we made a short stop at the Zocalo, the main square of Acapulco. A shady place with fountains and lots of cafes around it, it was full of locals eating lunch and enjoying the lovely afternoon. There were several vendors with huge collections of colorful helium balloons in a myriad of colors as you can see from the other photo. It was an interesting and educational tour.
The rest of the afternoon we spent at the beach club. Katie brought her mask and snorkel and was able to see a number of fish in the saltwater pools, including one that nibbled at her toe. All in all a lovely day in Acapulco.

Another photo from Las Brisas, Acapulco

Here's a picture of the beautiful La Concha Beach Club, belonging to the hotel we stayed at in Acapulco.

March 31 - Day One of Our Panama Canal Cruise

Katie and I met in Houston for our flight down to Acapulco. We had a car and driver waiting to pick us up and transfer us to Las Brisas Hotel. What a beautiful place! The hotel is built on a hillside overlooking Acapulco Bay. There are about 250 rooms divided into individual casitas, most with a private pool. The roads to get to the casitas are very steep and the hotel transports you around in pink and white jeeps. In fact, everything in the place is pink and white and there are hibiscus flowers everywhere, including fresh flowers strewn daily in the private pools.

After lazing by our pool for a little while we decided to check out the hotel’s private beach club at the foot of the hillside. A shuttle transported us down a winding road through a housing area in which the average home price is $2.5 million. At the bottom was La Concha Beach Club. There really isn‘t a beach. Rather the hotel has built decks and walkways along the ocean and formed a couple of saltwater pools which are sheltered from the seas. There‘s also a freshwater pool and a lovely open air restaurant serving lunch. It was late in the afternoon so we only stayed a short time but decided to go back the next afternoon.

We had dinner at the hotel‘s Bellavista Restaurant overlooking the bay and the city. It was a spectacular view of the lights of the city of more than two million. Then it was off to bed after a long day, especially for Katie..