Where Are the Burros?

December 29, 2012:  In port Puerto Chiapas, Mexico – A Visit with the Mayans

We docked at Puerto Chiapas at 7:00am.  Puerto Chiapas is a recently-constructed port and cruise terminal which provides direct access to the Mexican state of Chiapas.  Chiapas is located in the southwestern portion of Mexico, bordering Guatemala.  Prior to the arrival of the Conquistadors in the early 16^th Century, Chiapas was the heartland of the Mayan, Olmec, and Zoques indigenous pre-Colombian peoples.  Some sites, or the earliest known Mayan ones, are located near Tapachula about 30 miles inland from the port.

  

Puerto Chiapas Cruise Terminal

Thankfully not overrun with third class cruise ships and their fourth class passengers.

At 8:30am, it was onto the Tourist Bus for a visit to Izapa Archeological site and Tapachula.  After a 30 minute drive through the agricultural countryside, which featured extensive mango orchards, we arrived at Izapa.  Those parts of Chiapas State that we toured do not fit the common perception of arid, desert Mexico.  This area is well-watered, sub-tropical farmland, with small areas of remnant sub-tropical bush and forest.  The general perception from the window of a tour bus is that of a prosperous, agricultural region.

Izapa.  Izapa Archeological site was discovered in 1945 by construction crews building the Pan-American Highway.  The Smithsonian Institution was notified and sent archeologists; and the site, although not famous in the tourist world, has been actively researched since the 1940s.  Originally occupied by the Mayans from ~600 BCE to ~400 CE, Izapa was a major commercial center based on chocolate and obsidian trade.  There are over 160 identified Mayan structures.  Most prominent are mounds (flat-topped pyramids) thought to house temples and chiefs’ palaces on their summits and a ball game court at the base.

Izapa, Mayan Stela and Flat-topped Pyramid

Excavated and restored mound and stela.

Izapa, Partially Excavated Mound

Mounds are thought to have had structures on their tops where Mayan Chiefs lived.

Izapa, Sacrificial Altar (Foreground)

You could really lose your heart here!

Izapa, Mayan Ball Game Court

The winning team got to go to the Sacrificial Altar for heart surgery.  No such thing as a winning streak.

The site was abandoned by the Mayans in ~500 CE, but it was reoccupied about ~900 CE and remained active until the Mayans disappeared from Mexico and Central America in ~1200 CE.  Olmecs and Zoques then entered, only to be conquered and eaten by the Aztecs, who were, in turn, conquered (not eaten) by the Spanish.  The Aztecs were killed by “Guns, Germs, and Steel” (apologies to Jared Diamond).

Izapa, Another Sacrificial Altar

Such heavy demands put on winning ball teams.

We toured Izapa on foot for about two hours and listened to our guide’s description of the mounds, stela and ball court in the ever-increasing heat of the day.  (The lizards gave up about half-way through.)   Finally, we were herded back on the bus for the short trip to Tapachula to tour San Agustin Church, Socnusco Archeological Museum, and Tapachula Town Hall; all of which were located around the central town plaza.

Tapachula.  Our first stop was San Agustin Church, which was constructed in the 18^th Century on the site of the original Spanish church dating from 1525.  The church is in the neo-classical style, and the façade was constructed from the original 1525 building. The church’s interior lacks the profuse decoration of many Catholic churches.  Regretfully, statuary on the walls are largely recently-made, colored plaster-of-paris, which detract from the 18^th Century stark beauty of the whitewashed interior.

  

Archeological Museum and St. Agustin Church from Plaza

An open air market is located in the street between the museum and church.

 

St. Agustin Church Facade

Part of the original Spanish Church makes up the facade.

St. Agustin Church, Interior and Altar

This is where plaster saints come to die!

The Socnusco Archeological Museum is in the former city hall.  The museum’s collections are largely taken from nearby archeological sites, like Izapa.  Exhibits include stela, pottery, and other small artifacts from Mayan, Olmec, Zoques, and Aztec cultures.  They are well displayed and described in both Spanish and English.

Archeological Museum Entrance Ticket

Museum’s worldwide now like these giant tickets.  (Jaguar head part of Mayan aqueduct.)

Stela from Nearby Mayan Archeological Sites.

Sadly, no Mayan calendars.  They must have disappeared after the end of the world.

Mayan Burial Pots and Pestals

Where were the hearts buried?

After walking across the town plaza in the noon-day heat, we were in front of the new town hall, which is flanked by statues of Mexican national and local heroes – Hidalgo and Cordova y Drdonez.  It is a modern building without any architectural reason for comment; however, in the interior plaza, there is a mural depicting local life and two very large, stained-glass windows.  One window represents the local natural environment and the other, peoples of the area.   Both the mural and the stained-glass windows bring to mind the long tradition of mural painting in Mexico.

  

Tapachula City Hall Fronted by Mexican Heroes and Flag

By this time, the plaza was nearly empty except for crazy gringos!

 

City Hall Interior Stained Glass Windows

Murals in glass.

After cooling off at the expense of the local citizenry’s tax pesos in the municipal building, it was back on the bus for the 30-minute return trip to the ship.  Four hours had taken its toll, and the only sound was the soft snoring of our fellow passengers.  Hopefully, they remembered the tour after they awoke and left the bus at the Puerto Chiapas cruise terminal.

The rest of the day was largely uneventful.  We had lunch, skipped dinner and watched a movie in our suite.

Sunset Over the Pacific Ocean

Serenity.

Heading North in Central American Waters

December 26, 2012:  En Route to Puntarenas, Costa Rica – On to Costa Rica

After the excitement of the Panama Canal, cruising north northwest along the coast of Panama made for a relaxing and uneventful day.  J finally ran out of excuses for not exercising, so early in the morning (7:00am), he went forth for a 30-minute walk on deck.  From now forward, on every sea day morning, J is committed to walking 30 minutes.  Soon, he will start with the stationary cycle, the treadmill, and the elliptical trainer in the exercise room on board.  Luckily, “soon” is an ill-defined unit of time!

There were numerous activities scheduled.  We attended a lecture on Costa Rica, and one by Morton Dean, a former TV correspondent, well into his dotage.  But the best entertainment of the afternoon was a piano concert by Hyperion Knight (J even stayed awake).  Of course, there was the usual Team Trivia, which usually ends with our carry-forward, 2012 World Cruise team winning either first or, more likely, second.  We seem to have great skill at “thinking” ourselves into the wrong answer for one or two of the questions, thus losing first place.  Oh well, it is always a good way to spend 45 minutes, whether winning or not!

That evening we dined in and watched another James Bond movie (From Russia with Love).  The world can be such an exciting place!

December 27, 2012:  In port Puntarenas, Costa Rica – Avoiding Eco-tourism

Silver Whisper tied up at the Municipal Dock in Puntarenas at 7:00am, and by 8:15am, the march of  passengers down the long pier to the tour buses had begun.  Costa Rica is home of the eco-tour; however, neither of us were really enthusiastic about touring tropical rain forests, or any of the related “adventure” tours – zip lining (What is that tree doing there?), river floating (Are those two floating marbles or the eyes of a crocodile?), or jungle river cruise (Guide, that bug just carried off my wife!).  Rather than face the environment in the raw, we decided to wait until after the tour buses had taken away our eco-minded fellow passengers, walk down the pier, and look at the local crafts market stalls on the nearby beach.

Gray Pelican on Pier, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Seen Any Fish?

Leaving the ship and walking down the pier, we rediscovered one of the abiding truths -- a bright and sunny day can make you forget.  After 10:00am, it is very hot and humid in the sun at 10 degrees North.  Puntarenas is not a heavily- touristed destination; we were the only cruise ship in port.  Therefore, the market was not crowded, and we could shop at our leisure.  So long as you could stand the heat.  The handicrafts appeared to be largely locally made, or the vendors had some cunning way to remove the “Made in China” markings.  After about an hour, we returned to the Municipal Dock and took the locally-provided shuttle down the pier to the ship.

Municipal Dock, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

It is a long way from ship to shore in the hot sun.

The Beach, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

So few tourists, you can actually see the sand.

Handicraft Stalls Along the Beach, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

All items made (or possibly modified) in Costa Rica.

The Shuttle Trolley Back to the Ship

Riding the shuttle is a choice between exercise and heat exhaustion.

Once back on board, we had lunch and spent the afternoon reading, writing and playing cards.  At 6:00pm the ship sailed for Puerto Chiapas, Mexico.  All of our eco-tourist guests returned, having safely braved the dangers of the outside world.

Sunset Over Puntarenas Peninsula, Costa Rica

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

December 28, 2012:  En route Puerto Chiapas, Mexico – Lunch in Le Champagne

As we continued northwest along the coast of Central America, the seas remained relatively calm.  J continued his morning walk on deck.  Two days in a row!  A new record!  After breakfast, we attended a “Port Enrichment Lecture” by the ship’s destination consultant, who shall remain nameless, because J and E both thought his lectures were best seen as a reason to enter a darkened room and have a nap.

The Captain had invited all 24 of the 2013 World Cruise guests who had boarded in Ft. Lauderdale to lunch with him in the ship’s special restaurant, Le Champagne.  Normally, J and E do not dine in Le Champagne, because the $50 added fee includes specially-selected wines.  Since we do not imbibe, and the food, although beautifully presented, is not that much better than the ship’s main restaurant, it was a rare treat for us to lunch in this exclusive dining room.  The meal was excellent.  Both of us had the Lobster Thermidor, but the dessert was even better.  A menu is included so you can pine with envy!

Luncheon Menu, Le Champagne

It is best not to read this menu while microwaving your meal.

Following a long nap, it was on to trivia and into formal wear for dinner.  (Dinner was not really required after that lunch.)  However, we joined our friends, Patsy and Richard, reduced our food consumption to a minimum, and after dinner, attended a performance of opera arias by the six young professional singers who are aboard.  Then, it was back to the suite as we continued off the coast of Salvador toward Puerto Chipas, Mexico, where we would dock early the next morning.

Through the Panama Canal

December 25, 2012:  Panama Canal Zone En Route to Puntarenas, Costa Rica -- Crossing Between Two Oceans

Panama Canal and Surroundings

The Canal Runs North to South!

Our evening/night transit from Cartagena to Limon Bay, Panama (where ships are staged to enter the Panama Canal) was uneventful, and we were in the bay awaiting our pilot and tugs at 5:00am on Christmas Morning – Merry Christmas!  Since sunrise was until about 6:30am, J and E stayed in bed and waited for the first big event, the Gatun Locks. (See Map)  It is procedure for Passenger Ships to transit the Canal during daylight hours.  However, the Canal operates 24 hours a day.

M/V Silver Whisper Enters the Gatun Locks

"Mules" are waiting to hook-up on both port and starboard of the bow.

One might intuit that crossing the Isthmus of Panama by Canal would be a trip from east to west or vice versa.  But, the orientation of the Panama Canal, with its location in a north/south-trending river valley, is from north (Caribbean) to south (Pacific).  This is obvious from the attached map.  North is UP!

We went on deck just as Silver Whisper was easing into position to enter the first chamber of the Gatun Locks.  Canal crews attached steel cables to the bow and stern of Silver Whisper.   Those cables were hooked on both landward sides to “mules” (small electric locomotives) that hold the ship centered in the lock.  Mules do not move the ship through the locks; the ship uses its own power to move from lock to lock.  During our entire crossing, a narrator (provided by the Panama Canal Company) discussed the Canal’s operations and its history.

"Mule" Attached to Ship's Hull

This is a third generation "Mule."  The first generation was built by GE.  Guess who built this one!

The three chambers of the Gatun Locks raised the ship 85 feet from the Atlantic/Caribbean Sea entrance of the Canal into Lake Gatun.  Gatun Lake makes up the largest portion of the Canal.  It is a man-made, fresh water lake filled with water from the Chagres River.  All of the filling of locks in the Panama Canal use fresh water from Lake Gatun, and because Lake Gatun is higher than sea level, the locks are gravity operated and do not require pumps.  Currently, the locks are paired, so that two ships transiting in the same direction are handled at nearly the same time.  We were paired with a panamax German car carrier.

Another Cruise Ship in the Third Chamber of the Gatun Locks

Luckily we were not headed for the same port as this monster! 

Another set of locks are under construction, which will handle a class of ships called super-panamax, allowing these larger ships to pass through the Canal.  The bigger locks are slated to be in operation by 2015.  From what we saw of the construction work, a great deal more needs to be done by 2015.

Construction Works for New Locks

You boys are going to have to dig a little faster!

After clearing the last Gatun Lock chamber (about 8:30am) and passing into Lake Gatun, we were held near the entrance of the Lake so that ships in the Lake could be properly spaced and separated.  Passage through the Lake would take about four hours.  So, the next hours were spent watching the rainforest scenery, passing ships, and the Canal Company’s dredges used to keep the silting of Lake Gatun under control.  The west side of Lake Gatun is a continuous series of Panamanian National Parks, consisting largely of tropical rainforest.  These may be the most protected tropical rainforests in the world, as they represent the watershed for Gatun Lake and the Chagres River, which provides the water for the operation of the Canal.   No rainforest, no water, no Canal!

Canal Company Dredger on Lake Gatun

Forested areas around Lake Gatun are used for more than game hunting.

About 2:30pm, we passed the town of Gamboa, which is the major center for administration and operation of the Canal.  Here, we changed Canal pilots, from one responsible for the Caribbean side to one responsible for transit of the Pacific portion of the Canal.

Then, it was into the Gaillard Cut.  Construction of the Gaillard Cut cost more than 2,500 lives and was the major construction feat of building the Canal.  (Remember the photo of TR on the steam shovel.) Even today, there are constant signs of landslides.  Operations to repair and mitigate such problems from digging a very deep ditch into very unstable soils and rocks continue as we sailed through the Cut.

Gaillard Cut Recently Reconstructed Wall

Note the landslide near the center of the image.

Until the 1960s, there were no bridges over the Canal.  In 1964, as part of the Pan-American Highway project, the Canal was bridged near the southern entrance and Panama City.  In 2000, a second bridge, known as the Millennium Bridge, was built over the Canal at the southern end of the Gaillard Cut before the entrance to the Milaflores Locks.

Millennium Bridge and a Car Carrier at Narrows

Two tugs are assisting the car carrier to maintain course.

Passing through the Milaflores Locks brought us down to Pacific Ocean sea level.  While the Gatun Locks have three chambers, the Milaflores Locks have only two.  In this way, the difference in sea level between the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean is taken into account.  About 4:00pm, we cleared  the last Milaflores lock chamber and transited into the Pacific Ocean, setting course for our next port-of-call, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

Car Carrier Entering Milaflores Locks

Silver Whisper will enter locks to starboard (right) of the car carrier.

That evening, the ship’s chef prepared a special Christmas Day Dinner, and just so you don’t think that we are denied proper nourishment on this voyage, the menu is included.  No drooling please!

Menu Card for Chef's Christmas Day Dinner

Now this is serious eating!

On the Spanish Main

December 21 and 22, 2012:  Atlantic Ocean & Caribbean Sea En Route to Santa Marta, Colombia   -- Getting Back the Sea Legs

When we awoke late on Friday morning, December 21, we were cruising along the north coast of Cuba heading east-southeast toward the Windward Passage between islands of Cuba and Santo Domingo.  It was a perfect day for cruising with no swell or wind.  Like cruising in a bathtub!

We spent two days getting over jet lag, meeting old friends, and establishing a ship’s routine.  Since we are not playing duplicate bridge on this year’s cruise, we are attending lectures and other events during the day, which we previously missed because of playing bridge a minimum of three hours a day on sea days.  Of course, we continue playing trivial pursuit, and attending evening concerts.  And eating, always the eating!  

For this cruise, J has an exercise routine that was developed for him by his physical therapist; however, he has decided to put off starting it until after Christmas.  J does not believe in rushing into things, especially if they involve physical activity.

E has switched to a Kindle reader, and for the first time is reading her books on an electronic device.  Initially, there was some grumbling, but she has accepted that one reader is a lot less to pack and carry than five or more books.

In the evening, we watched the sun set over Cuba and wondered if we would ever get to travel there.  It is full of godless communists, and no right-thinking American would ever want to go there.  That is one more reason it is high on our list of places to be visited!

Sunset Over Cuba

Small Communists can be seen running along the beach hurling insults at the Imperialists on the ship.

The next morning, Saturday, December 22, we entered the Windward Passage and the Caribbean Sea, setting course due south toward our first port-of-call, Santa Marta, Colombia.  All day, an easterly swell increased, and by evening, we were rolling about between ten and fifteen degrees.   That afternoon, in the Spirit of Christmas, we watched the movie version of “The Grinch That Stole Christmas.”  J cheered for the Grinch and E cheered for Max, the dog.  We were the only two in the theater, so crowding and noisy children weren’t a concern.  It was really a great Christmas experience for, as they say, “children of all ages.”

By early evening, the roll made moving around the ship a bit challenging, but we were undaunted and donned our formal gear for the first time for the Captain’s reception and the dinner that followed.

December 23, 2012: in port Santa Marta, Colombia   -- Paying Our Respects to Simon Bolivar

Silver Whisper was scheduled to arrive in Santa Marta at 1:00pm, however, because of a medical emergency on board, we arrived at 8:00am.  After 10:00am, there was a shuttle bus into the city center, but we decided to stay on board until our city tour which began at 1:30pm.

After lunch, it was onto the pier and into a mini-tour bus which was thankfully air conditioned for our tour of Santa Marta.  Santa Marta is Colombia’s oldest European city.  It was founded by the Spanish Conquistador Rodrigo de Bastidas in 1525.  Rodrigo was an unusual conquistador.  He believed the indigenous people that were settled in the mountains behind his new Spanish colony should be treated humanely and not robbed of their gold.  These novel ideas were frowned upon by his fellow countrymen, who promptly put an end to Rob and then started to “collect” gold from the natives.  Silly man didn’t understand that the only reason a Spaniard would be in the New World was for Gold!

Rodrigo de Bastidas Tomb, Santa Marta Cathedral

Rodrigo didn't even get a return ticket to Spain.

In honor of this European tradition, our first stop was the Gold Museum, which was really less a gold museum than an anthropological exhibit dedicated to the Tairona Indians, whose settlements dominated the mountains inland from the city.  The exhibit, which is normally located in the Colonial Customs House that is under repair, was well done, but the amount of gold involved was minimal.  You will have to talk to the Spaniards about that.

16th Century, Colonial Customs House

Under renovation.

.

Tairona Funerary Pots

There were many pots, but very little gold. 

Our next stop was San Pedro de Alejandrino.  The site was a large sugar plantation, where Simon Bolivar was taken by its owner, after Bolivar fell too ill to travel during a trip to Jamaica.  He died there of tuberculosis on December 17, 1830.  The estate’s great house is now a museum focused around the room  where Bolivar died.  There is also a Botanical Garden, buildings associated with the original sugar central, and more recently-constructed monuments to Bolivar, the Liberator of much of South America from Spanish rule.

San Pedro de Alejandrino Botanical Garden

Great house and sugar central in background.

San Pedro de Alejandrino -- Simon Bolivar Monument

Mouments abound at this site.

San Pedro de Alejandrino Great House Chapel

Note: Chairs for very short-legged people in foreground.

San Pedro de Alejandrino, Great House Interior Court Yard

Bolivar's host in his last days was a man of considerable means.

San Pedro de Alejandrino, Monument Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Bolivar's Death

Definitely no shortage of monuments at this historic site.

Our next stop was the local shopping mall (Buena Vista Mall), which was indistinguishable from any of the thousands of American closed malls from Chile to Canada.  The Christmas shopping frenzy was at its peak, and there was almost nothing for sale in the mall that was reflective of local handicrafts or artisans.  (A pair of Crocs is a pair of Crocs!)

Also, the Christmas decorations were the same as any similar mall in the US.  J suspects the reason is that the decorations are all made in China, and why would the Chinese tell the local malls that they are actually making 20,000 plastic 20’ Christmas trees with blinking lights and rotating stars for thousands of malls in Christendom.  The Chinese have a lock on Christmas, and they don’t even have to put up with all that religious stuff!  (You see why J rooted for the Grinch!)

Christmas at the Mall.

One Chinese plastic Chistmas tree and two mall rats, aka J & E.

Our final stop was the Cathedral.  It was originally constructed in the 16^th Century, but was destroyed by an earthquake and reconstructed in the 18^th Century.  It is an extremely attractive religious edifice, mainly because of its simplicity of design.

Santa Marta Cathedral

Exterior View

Altar, Santa Marta Cathedral

Note the lack of gold ornamentation.  Wonder where the gold went.   

Colonial Buildings Near the Cathedral

Historic records would suggest that the tour buses are recent additions.

More 17th Century Colonial Buildings

The only area in Santa Marta without a traffic jam was the square around the Cathedral.

After our visit to the Cathedral, we were back on the bus for a one-hour traffic jam experience caused by the shoppers in the central business district.  In this area, local vendors of every imaginable type of goods had taken over the sidewalks, and the shoppers were spilling onto the narrow streets, so progress by wheeled transport was very, very slow.

About 5:40pm, we made it back to the Silver Whisper.  This was 10 minutes after the gang plank was to be brought aboard for our 6:00pm sail-away.  Luckily, our next port-of-call, Cartagena, Colombia was only a short distance away, so our 15-minute late departure from Santa Marta was not a major problem for the Captain.

December 24, 2012:  Cartagena, Colombia   -- Visiting the Spanish Dons

We docked at Cartagena cruise terminal on the Isla de Manga at 7:00am and by 8:00am, when we left the ship and walked through the cruise terminal to our baby tour bus, it was already hot and humid.  So, it was to be another half-day on the slightly air conditioned tour bus.  After the usual census taking which established that most people have problems counting beyond ten, it was off to our first destination, Cerro de la Popa.

Modern Cartagena from Cerro de la Popa

Can you find the four other cruise ships?

Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas and City Wall from Cerro de la Papa

All of this expense because of those cursed pirates!

Cerro de la Popa is a 17^th Century Augustine monastery, which no longer functions as a monastery but as a tourist attraction, largely because of the spectacular views of Cartagena from the hilltop on which it is situated.  Beyond the panoramic views, the still-active chapel contains a beautifully carved altarpiece, and the interior garden of the building provides a wonderful respite from the sun and heat.  Cerro de la Popa is the kind of site that fulfills one’s imagined image of a medieval monastery, excluding the tourists, of course.

Cerro de la Popa Chapel Altar

Sadly, no miracle.  The Virgin is glowing because of sensor saturation.

Cerro de la Popa Monastery Courtyard Covered Walkway

J got this shot after speaking loudly in Chinese to scare off the other tourists. 

Cerro de la Popa Monastery Doorway

There were no monks making cheese or wine anywhere to be seen.

Cerro de la Popa provided a comprehensive view of the old walled city of Cartagena and the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas.  The walls, built between 1600 and 1796, were intended to make the city, which contained the collected South American treasure of Spain prior to transport on Spanish treasure galleons, invulnerable to looting by the Pirates of the Caribbean, excluding Johnny Depp, of course.  San Felipe fortress, the largest fort on the Spanish Main, provided the teeth (guns) to punish buccaneers from England and France who dared to steal Spanish treasure.

Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas (Fort Saint Philip), positioned on a rise landward of the walled city, mounts 60-plus cannon on several levels behind extremely thick battlements.  The 360 degree positioning of the guns makes assault from land or sea nearly impossible. 

In the heat and humidity, it is a heroic effort just to climb to the top of the battlements.  With the help of bottled water, J & E made the climb and reached the top.  After an hour and a half of climbing among gun ports and firing positions, we made our way back to the bus.  Luckily, neither of us was overcome by heat stroke, because this was truly a “Mad dogs and Englishmen” adventure.

Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas Battlements

E to J, "You go ahead and climb up there.  I will call the ambulance now."

Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas Cannon and Guard House

"We climbed all this for that!  Where's the water bottle?"

The Cartagena Cathedral and The Walled City were our final stops.  Tour buses cannot enter the walled city (the streets are too narrow).  After leaving the bus, we walked through the Puerta del Reloj with its 19^th Century clock tower and into the Ciudad Amurallada, with its colonial houses and buildings.  Regretfully, we only visited the Cathedral and the attached nunnery garden.  But, the old city would be an attractive place to stroll on a cooler day when there were less than 5 cruise ships in port.

Puerto del Reloj and Clock Tower

Hurry up, there are 7,000 more tourists to go through the gate today.

Walled City Interior Buildings

Building with Covered Walkway is Cartagena City Hall.

Cartagena Cathedral from Plaza Simon Bolivar

By this time, you could fry eggs on the plaza tiles.

Cartagena Cathedral Interior

A wedding had just ended, so interior fixtures were covered in white lace. 

Nunnery Garden

Shade and peace at last. 

Being a Silversea tour, we had to have a shopping stop.  Since we were in Colombia (the emerald capital of the world), we were deposited at a local mall with one jewelry store after another.  Having no interest in green rock easily confused with a part of a broken beer bottle, J promptly wandered off, and E, who was not much more interested, went with him to keep him from getting into trouble.  After too much time at the mall (30 minutes), we returned to the cruise terminal and the ship, arriving ten minutes late for the scheduled “All Aboard.”

Arriving after the “All Aboard” is a very poor practice, but our tour group was saved from the Captain’s wrath by another group of hapless souls who did not arrive back at the ship until ten minutes after “Sailaway.”  Now that is NOT GOOD!  We sailed about 15 minutes late, cleared the harbor in good order, leaving behind the four other cruise ships, and set course for the Panama Canal.

Fortress at Entrance to Cartagena Harbor

Fortresses just aren't what they used to be!

By now it was too hot and humid for neither man nor beast.  But lunch and a long nap in our air conditioned suite revived us, and we went to play trivial pursuit.  As usual, our trivia team did well, and we received more shipboard points for Silversea logo t-shirts and other such essential items. 

Since it was Christmas Eve, J and E exchanged gifts.  E received a custom-made necklace and earrings, and J received the complete James Bond DVD set which will provide many evenings’ entertainment on the cruise.  Then, joining some of the other guests, we sang Christmas carols, or rather tried to sing. After a leisurely dinner, we watched the Christmas Eve Show presented by the ship’s entertainers.

Once More...

December 18 to 20, 2012:  Kona to Ft. Lauderdale   -- Travel Time or Welcome to “Cloud Cuckoo Land”

Departing Kona eastbound for the mainland is almost always a sleep-depriving redeye, and this trip to Ft. Lauderdale was no exception.  After the usual make-work activities of the TSA, and milling around for two hours in the Kona Airport, we boarded the American Airlines Boeing 757 with about 300 other hapless victims at about 9:30pm.  Fortunately, Silversea had provided us first class tickets, so we were a little less hapless than the other victims. 

The four and one-half hour flight to Los Angeles was uneventful, which was fortunate considering that if the AA Boeing had been a person, it would be residing at the local senior citizens’ home.  US airlines and their serious commitment to fly aircraft that are older than the cabin crews is a worrying feature of air travel these days, especially when there was no member of our cabin crew less than 40.  Troubling, very troubling!

We arrived on time at 5:30am and settled down for a two-hour wait for our onward flight to Miami.  The two-hour wait gradually turned into a four-hour wait as good old American Airlines could not find a big enough hammer to repair the scheduled aircraft (which was “in the hanger”).  But, we did get a lesson in the airline’s version of Chinese  water  torture  --  the drip-by-drip approach to announcing delays!  Every 15 minutes, there would be another announcement extending the delay,  and as a final coup de grace – the gate change,  which induces the mad rush of 300 victims through the terminal!  You have to really admire the intellect that designed a travel system which has been optimized to increase stress for all concerned.

At 10:30am, we finally left LAX bound for Miami.  Again, the flight was thankfully uneventful for the same reasons as before.  “American Airlines, the rest home for old aircraft,” should be AA’s motto.  It would be difficult to work into a logo.  We arrived in Miami about an hour and a half late and were pleasantly surprised to be met by a Silversea  greeter  and driver.  After about 45 minutes, the luggage was discovered and put on the carousel; all was well, and we were off on a one-hour ride on Florida’s infamous I-95 to Ft. Lauderdale and the Hyatt  Pier 66 Hotel, our accommodations booked by Silversea.

The Hyatt Pier 66 is located about 15 minutes from Port Everglades, where the Silver Whisper and numerous other cruise ships -- some larger than small towns -- embark and disembark passengers.  Pier 66 and several other close-by hotels are the port’s equivalent of airport hotels around LAX or MIA.  What this implies, without regard to branding, is that as a guest, you are dealing with Motel 66 on steroids.  We passed on dinner, except for some Oreo cookies J had gotten his hands on, showered, and went to bed.

The next morning, we went down to the public areas for breakfast (chit in hand) and found ourselves facing a queue that would have done any assisted-living facility in the US proud.  We are not keen on queues, but a queue consisting of senior citizens is a whole new level of unpleasantness. (Think about being attacked by a walker or a therapeutic cane.)  But, 30 minutes of queue later, we were shown to a table and fed the standard hotel breakfast buffet.  We lived.  Checking out at about 12:00pm, we milled around the lobby meeting and greeting friends from earlier cruises while hoping that our luggage got on the correct tour bus for the Silver Whisper and not the Silver Spirit (another Silversea ship simultaneously embarking passengers), or some other cruise ship.  Lots of checking, and more checking.

M/V Silver Spirit

Where the luggage could have gone, but didn't!

Port Everglades and the Intercoastal  Waterway

The Hyatt Motel 66 is located just to the right of the bridge.

Finally, at about 1:15pm, we boarded a tour bus and were driven to one of the Port Everglades cruise ship terminals, where we were screened by the TSA.  Typical TSA instruction:  “No, you cannot take your walker through the metal detector!”  And, after a final passport check, tickets were collected; ship id/key cards issued, and we were herded up the gang plank and boarded the ship.  On board the ship, we were imaged for security and escorted to our stateroom, which (much to our amazement) was full of suitcases that we had shipped FedEx on December 10.

E immediately attacked the cases, and the unpacking began.  E is a furious packer and unpacker and nothing else can be done until everything is in its proper place in the suite.  J mainly muddles about trying to help but largely getting in the way.  At 4:00pm, when boat drill was announced, we donned our life vests and paddled out into the hot Florida sun to be told about abandoning ship.  By this time, most of the unpacking was completed.

Abandon ship drill on a cruise ship is an exercise in futility.  There is no way bunches of 20-something hotel and entertainment staff are going to save themselves, let alone 300-plus, “me first” seniors.  So, the abandon ship drill is really a convincing demonstration that this is an abandon-hope drill, clearly illustrating that if anything seriously goes wrong, your best bet is to try prayer!

About 5:00pm, we got under way.  After crossing the Intercoastal Waterway, we entered the Atlantic Ocean and turned south along the Florida coast.  For about an hour after sunset, night lights of the greater Miami area provided a colorful background.  They were a very impressive display of high rise buildings for the next big hurricane to deal with.

 Where Bananas Come From

Dole banana boat entering Port Everglades

E (having finished unpacking) and J (finished setting up the computer and fooling with other electronics, namely, the electronic frame of Cooper pictures) went down to dinner.   It is nice not to have to go far for food, but it also requires moderation, not one of J’s strong areas.   Only two courses and no dessert later, we returned to our suite and went to bed as the Silver Whisper sailed almost due south bound for the Caribbean.

Goodbye Miami!

Miami at Sunset before the lights go on.