Day 7 Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica

The trip today to the Guacaillos Estuary and the Tarcoles River was great. While I have perhaps seen more critters in the past when I have hit the rivers and canals of Costa Rica, today was fabulous. I especially like the crocodiles and birds that come in all shapes and sizes. It is amazing that Costa Rica has more species of birds than the USA & Canada combined. I’m sure that Canada has more very cold white birds though. That was for Ian & W3……. Don’t ask! We spent about 2 hours on the boat and saw all kinds of herons, ibis, macaws, hawks, and a whole bunch of birds that I have no idea what they were. Of course we saw quite a few crocs….. (aside from what some of the passengers were wearing). The day was a beautiful day thanks in large part to this being the dry season. In the afternoon I hung out at the pool sweating my buns off…. I know, no sympathy from those in cold country. Tomorrow we have a day at sea followed by our stop at Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala where I will fly to see the Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras…. I hope to get some great shots. I have wanted to visit there for some time. I’m looking forward to it, not the flight. I envision a plane & pilot like out of an Indiana Jones movie….

Day 6 At Sea, Cruising the Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

Today was another sizzling day. We had a really nice sail through the Golfo Dulce of Costa Rica. It is a marine sanctuary and a major nesting for three species of turtles, the olive ridley, the Pacific Green and the leatherneck. As we sailed through we saw a few whales which was pretty exciting. One appeared to come completely out of the water….very cool. We also saw numerous dolphins which were fun to watch as they played in our wake. It was a great day… A few things about the ship and voyage so far…. The food has been exceptional, some of the best I have seen. Kudos to the entire culinary team! The ship is really lovely, the colors are bright and really nice.. It is well maintained and has obviously had renovations done. It is a beautiful ship. The crew is providing excellent service which comes as no surprise. I met the Captain this morning. He came by and introduced himself as I was bronzing on the aft deck. He seems to be a really nice guy. He is going to send a note to Captain van Zaane and Apollonia saying hello from me. It was a sensational day. Tomorrow, we arrive in Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica a little before 0700. I will be going out to see the wildlife. I think I did this last year and it was amazing….. Here is the description: Tropical Mangrove River Cruise
The Guacalillos Estuary and the Tarcoles River are noted for mangrove forests that make an excellent habitat for endemic birds such as the mangrove cuckoo, hummingbirds, vireo, the Panama flycatcher, herons and egrets. This particular mangrove forest is important for the conservation of the endangered scarlet macaw. 250 species of crocodiles, insects and birds also make this area their home. The mouth of the Tarcoles River is one of the richest sites for sea and shore birds, especially from October to April. Ospreys, gulls, cormorants and pelicans are plentiful here, as are iguanas, lizards and storks. An easy walk takes you 560 feet along firm land next to the mangroves before boarding your open-sided, covered boat for a two-hour ride through the estuary.

I would like to extend a special welcome to the blog for Emily, Isabel, Nicole & Simone..... enjoy

Day 5 Transiting the Panama Canal

What a hot and sizzling day! We began our transit of the Panama Canal around 0630 this morning as we entered the Gatun Locks. No mater how many times I transit the canal I aleays find it interesting. I spend the day riveted by our every move as we transit, standing in the hot sun and going from the bow to the stern and back and forth. etc….. It was a great transit! We arrived at the Pedro Miguel Locks around 1:00 in the afternoon (I think…) and proceeded from there through the Miraflores Locks. We are now in the Pacific Ocean on our way to Costa Rica…. Tomorrow we have a day at sea to get fried some more….. The only other thing that happened today was I received a letter from the Manager of Guest Relations at Holland America which I thought was insulting. I thought it was a discredit to the thousands of outstanding men and women who work at Holland America bringing customer satisfaction everyday. Note to the GRM: I don’t confuse that easily….

Day 4 Cartagena, Columbia

We arrived into Cartagena early in the morning, around 0700. The port isn’t much to look at, just a bunch of containers. At 0830 I went off on my tour. It was already very hot and steamy early in the morning. We went off to the old walled city first stopping at Castillo San Felipe de Barajas Fort for a photo stop. Then it was off to Santiago's Bastion, where we began our walking tour. The tour provided a lot of great sights and interesting people shots. What a difference a day makes…. Yesterday I was wearing the crown of a king and today I was on the rack….That happened at the Inquisition Palace. We also strolled by the statue of Simon Bolivar. Finally, we toured the old Dungeons, which in the colonial times were used as a military barracks and a munitions depot, but now local artisans display their arts and crafts here. In other words… we went shopping. The internet has been a struggle. I may be putting things in piecemeal over a few days at times…. I’ll do my best.

Day 3 At Sea

Today was just perfect! I do feel bad enjoying all this hot sunny weather when I have so many dear friends in Canada freezing their buns off…. I’ll try and hide the pain. Last night was our first formal night. Dinner was truly spectacular. It was better than every single meal I had on the Grand Asia & Australia Voyage, including the Pinnacle. I had Lobster & Filet Mignon which was cooked to perfection. The 4 mushroom soup was to die for…… I hope last night’s dinner was just a typical example of what we can expect. The Executive Chef, Bernie Ruis has always been great. The Restaurant Manager, Thomas Grindlay does a fantastic job as well. The other thing that will make this voyage stand out is the fact that we have Henk Mensink as the Hotel Manager and his wife Christel as the Guest Relations Manager, both of which do a tremendous job. I included a photo of my friends Bill & Maryann Barry who will be traveling with me on the World Voyage (whenever that begins) and who will also be joining me on a trip later in the voyage to Victoria Falls in Africa, very cool…. Tomorrow we hit our first port, Cartagena, Columbia. It is not my first visit but I will be taking a tour to get the requisite blog photos… What you guys make me do! Here is the tour description:
Cartegena Walking Tour
Travel by motor coach to Santiago's Bastion, and begin your walking tour along San Juan de Dios Street with charming colonial architecture. Continue to Custom Plaza—a commercial center dating back to colonial times--and the Plaza de la Proclamacion to admire the Cathedral and the original headquarters of the colonial Spanish government. Watch for the statue of Simon Bolivar, as well as the Inquisition Palace and all the history it implies. Stroll through the Dungeons, which in the colonial times were used as a military barracks and a munitions depot, but now local artisans display their arts and crafts here.

Day 2 At Sea

What an amazing day!!!! The weather was just sizzling! I had a great day in the sun between trips to check on getting internet….. The decks are pretty full of people which you would expect on a non-Grand World Voyage cruise (are you noticing a theme here?) I saw my old friend Lori from the cruise staff and she and I claimed the spot of King & Queen…. It’s a good look. Later in the day, I sent an email to my friend Patty asking her to get some answers out of Seattle. The amazing thing is that I believe the crew onboard were genuinely kept in the dark about this being part of a Grand World Voyage. The people on board do a great job and deserve better communication from the headquarters….. By the way... the blog may be light on photos this voyage because the internet is very poor. It is much weaker then on the ms Amsterdam....

Day 1 Ft. Lauderdale Embarkation

The embarkation onto the ms Rotterdam went pretty smoothly and I was onboard at 11:00. By about 11:15 I was poolside soaking up the rays…. I saw a bunch of people I knew from past voyages, a mixture of crew & guests. It was a beautiful afternoon with amazing weather. It was rather irritation to continually hear about a Panama Canal cruise but it was a great afternoon nonetheless. The sail away party after muster drill was great. It was one of the best I have seen in a while. Other than not being the Grand World Voyage I signed up for it was a very nice day. I ate dinner on deck 5 (where I prefer not to be) because deck 4 was reserved for Anytime Dining, an option available on non-Grand Voyage cruises…… The people at my table are very nice and are all doing the Grand World Voyage, whenever that is…..

Have you ever been in the Twilight Zone?

Do, do , do ,do, do, do, do….. I booked a 131 day Grand Voyage leaving from Ft. Lauderdale and…. Then I entered the twilight zone. I boarded the ms Rotterdam and was told by all the crew that I had just embarked on a 14 day Panama Canal Voyage. I explained that it was a 131 day Grand World Voyage starting in Ft. Lauderdale and…. Do, do ,do, do, do, do ,do, the Twilight Zone. They said it doesn’t start until Los Angeles, 14 days from now. But I was booked on and paid for a 131 day Grand World Voyage, I exclaimed!!!!! Do, do ,do ,do ,do ,do do ….. I decided I better email my friend & travel agent Patty but…. Do, do ,do ,do ,do ,do, do. I couldn’t get the thousand minutes prepaid internet packages I bought because… you got it. They weren’t offered until L.A. Do, do, do, do, do, do, do. I finally have the internet sorted out but not the big issues…… Amazing, you just can’t make this kind of stuff up……

Fabulous Melbourne Florida.....

I had a spectacular day today in Melbourne Florida. I went to the beach to see a friend from the Grand Asia voyage who lives here. I met up with Barbara and her friend of 40 years, Star from Wisconsin this morning at Barbara's condo. They were already poolside when I arrived this morning. It was a fabulous day.... great company, great temps and lots of sun!!!!! The beach was really nice as well. Barbara's condo is on the ninth floor and what a view...... I hope my remaining days in Florida before we sail are half as nice as today. Tomorrow morning I'm off again making the final run into Ft. Lauderdale. I plan an early morning departure so I can get to the hotel early, turn in the rental car and relax poolside.... what a plan. I would have enjoyed another few days here but..... I must move on. Thanks to Barbara and Star for a wonderful day. P.S. Ian, it was a lot warmer here than in Canada.... we missed you. Barbara says hi to you and Carole.