Today is my final day at sea as we are heading for a 7am mooring at Port Everglades in Ft Lauderdale.  The Veendam, however, continues on with many passengers heading for Boston in three additional days.  After that the Veendam will sail the Quebec City-Boston route for most of the spring and summer.  Will and I are taking a different Holland America ship, the ms Maasdam, for our one-week Canadian cruise since it begins in Montreal rather than Quebec.

So this is probably my last entry before returning to Tucson tomorrow.  After I enjoy some quiet time at home, I will probably add some more pictures to the blog and I will definitely post lots of pictures, as I usually do, on Shutterfly.

Saturday, 27 April 2013
Day at Sea

After the hectic day in Cartagena, Saturday is a nice day for resting.  The seas have remained calm during the entire trip, and as we venture further in the Caribbean and up to the Gulf of Mexico, the waters present a dazzling display of different colors.  I have been on special lookout at night for the stars in the Southern Hemisphere skies.  Unfortunately, although the days have been mostly clear, the nights have always been overcast and there has been little to see as the ship glides through the dark (sorry, Dr V!).

This morning’s Mariner’s Reception and Brunch starts at 10:30am and I am just getting ready to leave my stateroom as 10:30 ticks away.  The phone rings; the front desk is calling to remind me (in a nice way) that I am supposed to be at the brunch.  I don’t see any reason to rush and diddle about as I make my way to the Explorations Café on the uppermost deck.  The awards ceremony is just getting started and two women (not travelling together) are introduced, each having over 600 days at sea on Holland America ships.  Although the awards system now takes into account cash spent on board in addition to days at sea, this morning’s awards are for actual days at sea only. 

The reason for the phone call becomes clear when I am the next awardee called forward—with 109 days (including the current cruise)—number three for the record-holders on this cruise.  My reward is a very tacky fake copper medallion with a blue ribbon, and a photo (which they actually give me for free; now that was the big surprise!), with the Captain and the Hotel Manager.  [Too bad, the Chief Engineer was not present for this ceremony because I really would have liked to have had my picture taken with him!]

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other big incident of the day is the misadventure of my room key card (make that plural, cards), which doesn’t want to work anymore.  Even after I have another card made, I still can’t get into the room, which leads to a more serious issue:  there is no way to reach the Front Office since there are no telephones anywhere on this deck, except in the staterooms.  Since it’s the middle of the day and the housekeeping staff is taking its well-deserved break, I have to make the long trek back to the front desk twice (and twice again in the evening when the new key card stops working).  But the big issue is that if there had been a true emergency there was no way for a passenger to get help, except to bang on the door of a stranger’s stateroom.   The closest public-use telephone was two decks away.  Although I mention this to several members of the staff, no one seems at all interested in thinking that there is a problem here.  I’ll raise it again with Holland America after I get home.

Sunday, 28 April 2013
Falmouth, Jamaica

Falmouth is a port on the north side of Jamaica, not too far west of Ochos Rios, a popular beach resort.  Up until the 1950s it was the major port on this side of the island, but has since seen its tourist industry eclipsed by Ochos Rios and its industrial uses diminished by the end of the sugar industry.  It is a pleasant small town, however, and still retains much of the British influence established by the Moulton-Barrett family, the major landowners of the area.  Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the poet, is the most well-known of the family; her ancestors settled here and built many houses.

Today’s tour includes a visit to one of the country houses built by the Moulton-Barretts, Greenwood House, located in the hills, surrounded by plantations and looking down toward the sea.  The guide gives a very complete tour of the house, including some hidden amenities used by the family still in residence (like the 50” televisions hidden behind beautiful 18^th century mahogany cupboards).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also visit an Anglican church in the city of Falmouth itself, arriving just as Sunday service is ending.  The vicars and parishioners are very welcoming and the simple church has a quiet charm in its thick stone and dark woods, as well as a family of goats living in the attached cemetery.  There is also a pointless 30-minute stop for liquid refreshment at a restaurant overlooking a quiet bay.  At least there is very little shopping on the tour (this has been true for all of the tours Holland America has offered; at least the ones I’ve been on).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we return to the cruise center—full of duty-free shops and restaurants—I decide to take a short walk through the central part of Falmouth, which is right outside the port gates.  The natives are very aggressive about selling their cheap goods, however, so I soon head back to the ship for a late lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, 29 April 2013

George Town, Grand Cayman Island

Notorious home to the banking and insurance industries and trying to live down its anti-gay past, Cayman is quite a pleasant surprise.  If you ever visit the Caribbean don’t do any shopping until you get here—the variety of goods (not just the usual liquor, perfumes, and jewelry) is fantastic and there is a variety of name-goods shops from which to choose.  Outside the port, the small town offers a pleasant and clean series of seafront streets with more shops and restaurants.  The waters are a deep cobalt blue and the sand is sparkling white.  The Caymans are, of course, ideal for the active tourist, offering swims with stingrays and visits to turtle farms.  We more sedentary folk choose a tour that visits an historic residence, Pedro’s Castle (the oldest in the Caymans), which provides a nice comparison with yesterday’s house in Jamaica, and the Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Gardens.

The “multi-media” presentation at the house is a bit feeble, but the house itself is quite wonderful, with wide-ranging views of the sea.  The Botanical Gardens are well run and organized and offer plants from around the world, emphasizing the tropics.  The highlight of the Garden is their sanctuary for “Blue” Iguanas, the most threatened of the species, which is not open to the public.  However, several of the Iguanas like to wander the Gardens at will, and I was lucky enough to see two of these giants up close.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I leave you at the port of George Town, Grand Cayman, with the Mother Ship—Walt Disney’s Fantasy—and the Baby Ship—Holland America’s Veendam.

 

 

Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Transiting the Panama Canal
Pacific Ocean (south) to Atlantic Ocean (north)

Although we are not scheduled to go through the first set of locks until 8:15am, I am up for breakfast in my stateroom and a 7am t-shirt sale on the Lido Deck.

All of the forward decks, including the bow, are open, and there is good live narration throughout the day.  Somehow I luck out and find a chair right up against the front railing on the Verandah Deck.  Unlike on other ships, there are no glass panels blocking a clear view ahead and to the sides.  It is very warm and humid . . . but this is the jungle.

There are two sets of locks each ship must pass through as it enters the canal:  the Miraflores Locks take the ship up three steps in about an hour and shortly thereafter the San Pedro Locks continue the raising process with two additional steps.  The ship then enters Gatun Lake (formerly the world’s largest man-made lake), on which sail for several hours, passing the new Centennial Bridge, jungle islands, lush greenery and the Cubrera Cut which anchors the Continental Divide.  Then on to the Atlantic Locks at Gatun, which I visited yesterday, and four steps downward to the Atlantic Ocean (which is higher than the Pacific).
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After exiting the Canal at around 4pm, the guide is just about to wrap up her narration when she spots two crocodiles lolling on a small sandy patch of beach.  The crocodiles were kind enough to pose for me and I promised I would send their photos to Walt Disney and request an audition for the next version of Peter Pan.

Thursday, 25 April 2013
San Blas Islands, Panama

At 7am the Veendam glides into the waters close to the chain of San Blas Islands, both part of and independent from Panama.  This is planned as a brief stop so passengers may tender ashore for an hour—that’s all it takes to see everything on Carti Tupili, the metropolis of the area.  But as I hinted in my previous posting, there are major snafus with the ticketing and tendering process that result in my waiting four hours and getting on the very last tender to the island, only to have the tender’s engine go up in smoke before we leave the side of the Veendam.  We wait for another tender to be prepared and although the Captain allows us some extra time on shore, it is still a very rushed visit.  The island is picturesque if you enjoy watching people living in poverty asking for $1.00 to pose for a photo.  Sympathy rapidly evaporates, however, as you listen to the children running, diving, swimming—all the time chanting, “money, money, money.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is really difficult to get any information about why there was so much delay, but crew members just smile, nod, and ignore your questions.  The next day, however, the Captain makes a long announcement regarding the delays with full apologies.  The first tender had foundered on a reef and only two others were available for use (one has to be kept ready for emergencies).  He checked with local boats for getting passengers ashore, but deemed them not safe (the sea was a little choppy).  Too bad he didn’t offer this explanation while it was happening.  And he never explained my real pique:  why people with later tickets than mine were allowed to tender before others (like me), who quietly waited their turn.

Friday, 26 April 2013
Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena, located on the Caribbean Coast of the fourth South American country we are visiting, is a beautiful walled colonial city, with balconies over-flowing with flowers, street vendors carrying their wares on their heads, and taxi drivers and touts out to steal the shirt off your back.

We arrive in Cartagena an hour later than scheduled because a propeller had over-headed during the night and the captain had to abate somewhat the cruising speed down from 17.5 knots (for comparison the Queen Mary crosses the Atlantic at 24 knots and the United States holds the speed record for over 40 knots).  There is a free shuttle from the ship to the cruise center, but from there you are on your own getting to the old city (none of the excursions appealed to me).  I stand up on the shuttle and ask if anyone wants to share a taxi.  The first taker is Mrs. Maccione, owner of Le Cirque, but she gets so involved in duty-free shopping that we amicably go our separate ways.  I find a couple from Switzerland, with whom I share a cab ride.  Once there, the old city is very walkable although the heat and humidity are unlike anything I have suffered in a long time—and it’s only April.  Even walking along the top of the fortifications offers no breezes from the sea.  But I plow on enjoying the wonderful old architecture contrasting with the large displays of modern art throughout the city.

Heading back to the ship I do what no tourist should ever do, allow a tout—he claimed he was an American citizen who had lost his passport—to find a taxi for me.  He pays the driver in local currency—I watch the transaction carefully—and I pay him the equivalent $20.  It turns out the driver speaks no English and has no idea where I am going.  He pretends he doesn’t understand my rudimentary Spanish (I do know the words for ship and port), and after a very long ride we end up back where he had picked me up.  At that point I decide to forget the $20 and just get out of the cab.  The driver isn’t happy; I guess he thought he would get more money from me.  So I just hail another cab on the street myself, with a driver who speaks English very well, is dressed in shirt and tie and charges me only $10 for a quick and direct ride back to the pier—in his air-conditioned Mercedes taxi.  At least all I lost was $20 and some time, although the tout did try to get the shirt I was carrying (not literally off my back, at least).

Back at the cruise dock there is a small collection of tiny monkeys and colorful birds for passengers to coo over and the temptation of the air-conditioned duty-free shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, I would not have wanted to miss Cartagena.  The people in the city, while constantly asking you to buy unnecessary things, were not obnoxious and quickly took no for an answer (unlike the guide books warn).  But the heat was terrible (my shirt was wringing wet when I get back to the ship) and the taxi drivers need to be controlled.  On board again, I decide to have room service lunch in my stateroom, in my bathrobe, and enjoy a quiet afternoon.

Tomorrow is a sea day and the Mariner’s Brunch (for repeat travelers), which I might try to make at 10:30am.

San Blas Islands
Off the Caribbean coast of Panama

This morning is waiting, waiting, waiting, for the very slow tender launchings over the very short distance to Carti Tupili, one of the few inhabited islands of this 365-island archipelago.  The seas are a bit choppy, although the air is warm and clear, which accounts for some of the delay, but the rest of it is just crew member indolence and laissez-faire.  I do have a numbered tender ticket for later—they have stopped giving them out; I got one of the last ones available.  There is quite a bit more to this day’s adventures, but I will save the details for a later posting.  And it all ended well.  For now, it’s back to . . .

Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Fuerte Amador, Panama
Port of Panama City

. . . the first of two days at the Panama Canal, which I have had the wonderful opportunity of viewing from several perspectives.  We are anchored off Fuerte Amador, a series of causeway-connected islands at the Pacific (south) gateway to the canal that has become a center of cruise tourism.  Although the City of Panama is in the final construction stages of building a subway(!) there seems to be little enthusiasm for the dredging work required to build a pier at which large ships can dock.

My excursion today begins with a bus ride across the entire continent, from Pacific to Atlantic, crossing the Continental Divide—in 45 minutes—to the Gatun Lock on the Atlantic (north) end of the canal.  There is a high-level viewing platform that gives visitors a close-up look at the canal in operation.  Luckily for us, three large ships come through during the hour we spend on the platform.  For most of the day both lanes of locks are used in the same direction (northbound in the morning, southbound in the afternoon).  In the evening, when smaller ships are scheduled through the canal, the locks operate in both directions.  It is a 24-hour service, and HUGELY profitable to the Panamanians. 

 

 

 

 

The larger ships go through the locks with barely inches to spare on each side.  Thus the need for new post-Panamax locks, currently under construction at both ends of the canal.  After watching the Gatun locks in operation we head for the new visitors’ center at the construction site for the new locks.  The scale of engineer that is exposed is gargantuan, but most of it will be under water when the work is finished in 2014 (maybe).  The visitor center offers several videos about the canal in a very nice theatre, but they were disappointingly superficial.  I’m glad I did some advance reading about the history and operation of the canal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We head back to the ship—through very heavy automobile traffic—in mid-afternoon (after a turkey sandwich and banana muffin snack on the bus)).  There are many shops, restaurants, and duty-free mall back at the tender landing, but there is nothing other than t-shirts that I want or need (I confess I’ve gone a little overboard on t-shirts).

At 4pm I head back to the Veendam, although passengers may stay out all night if they choose, since we are anchored here until morning.  It’s my usual routine:  ice cream, a short rest, shower and dress, dinner in the dining room.  Tonight there is a 9:30 poolside party (more food) for guests and crew, but I am still able to turn in at my usual 10-11pm time.  I haven’t attended any shows because there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day.

Tomorrow we are scheduled to sail through the first set of locks—Miraflores—at 8:15 am.  And Holland America pays a toll—in cash, based on the number of passengers—of $200,000 for the passage (plus a premium for ensuring an early entry).  I will try to use my money’s worth.

 

 

 

 

 

The ms Veendam has left Ecuador, passed the Equator (I even have a certificate to prove it), and is heading for an 8am anchorage off Fuerte Amador, an isthmus sticking out into the Pacific from Balboa and Panama City.  We have a full day (Tuesday) here in Panama and then begin passage through the first locks of the canal at 5am on Wednesday.

But back to:

Friday, 19 April 2013
Trujillo, Peru
Port of Salaverry

After leaving the lush tropics of Lima last night, I awake to the barren desert landscape of Salaverry, the port for the province and city of Trujillo, only a few miles inland.  Unlike the deserts of Southern Arizona, there is little vegetation to relieve the dry gray sand hills surrounding the port.  The Veendam’s landing at 11am is greeted by another mariachi band, with some expert local children leading the dancing.  Today is a long day of touring and the buses are ready to leave as soon as passengers can get down the gangway.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first visit is to the Huacas del Sol and de la Luna, built by the pre-Columbian Moche civilization.  The drive inland is bordered by fields of corn, vegetables, and bamboo, all irrigated with run-off from the not-too-far-off Andes Mountains.  Thus the landscape is not nearly as barren as the seashore.  Southeast of the city of Trujillo, the Temple of the Sun is closed for restoration and renovation, but we are taken through the Temple of the Moon, an imposing structure that combines governance and funerary functions.  Much of the original adobe brickwork has survived along with sculptural wall reliefs in many colors, that illustrate both the class structure and religious beliefs of the original inhabitants.  There is much up and down hill climbing and the sun is hot, but the ruins are quite extraordinary, again a reminder of how much construction was going on even a century before the Incas and the Spanish invasion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From here we endure a rather long, bumpy bus ride from south of the city to the north, first encircling the city of Trujillo itself and then driving further north along the Pacific coast where violent crests of waves beleaguer the beaches.  This area—stretching from the northern parts of Chile, through all of coastal Peru, and the beaches of southern Ecuador, are among the spots most favored by surfboard riders and sun seekers in search of the perfect wave.  In spite of high temperatures, the sea is icy cold and too rough for casual swimmers.

We arrive in the beachfront town of Huanchaco for a lunch buffet at a lovely restaurant with three floors of balconies, Big Ben.  In addition to the shellfish and ceviche typical of Peruvian restaurants, there is plenty of shrimp, sea bass, and fresh vegetables, including local corn we had seen growing along the road.  The kernels are huge, compared to American corn, pale yellow, and very flavorful.  There is also—wonder of wonders—Spargle.  That’s German-style white asparagus, boiled and served chilled in a cream sauce.  Because of the labor- and time-intensive growing process, it is almost impossible to find in the US, and is treated as an expensive delicacy in Northern Europe, where there are Spargle festivals in early May.

There is time for a short walk on the beach to see specimens of reed fishing boats still used by some locals, and then it’s off to the most important archaeological monument in this part of Peru, Chan-Chan. Built as a city surrounding nine interlocking palaces, the uncovered remains spread out over an area too large to see in one visit. The tour gives a good sense of the purposes of the different areas and the stylistic changes that occurred over the short time-span the site was occupied by the Chimu Empire. (I need to catch up on reading a lot of history when I get back to Tucson.)

 

The final part of the excursion takes us into the city of Trujillo itself, for a short walking tour through its magnificent central square, surrounded by colorful civic and religious architecture. There are several tourist groups in the square and each is accompanied by its own member of the metropolitan police force!  As the sun goes down, the glimmering light provides an extra special glow to this glorious space, a fitting end to a long day.

 

 

Saturday, 20 April 2013
Day at Sea

Today is a quiet day at sea, very welcome after the past three days of shore excursions and tours.  The Captain has begun to make announcements about the gastro-intestinal virus that plagues cruise ships, especially as we get closer to the Caribbean, and emphasizes the importance of hand washing.  Self-service is no longer available in the buffet; all serving utensils are handled only by the crew; bread and butter and salt and pepper are not left on the tables during dinner.  Other than those precautions, everything proceeds as normal.

The first week of this cruise has been the most smooth sailing I have ever encountered, so at least that concern has been eliminated.

Sunday, 21 April 2013
Manta, Ecuador
We dock in Manta, Ecuador’s second busiest port (after Guayaquil), and an American naval station, in the early morning.  There is not much of interest to the tourist here and the one excursion that goes into the mountains and nature reserves is a much-too-long 10 hours, so I elect to stay on board in the comfort of air conditioning and low humidity.  Holland America has arranged for students at a local school and their families to visit and tour the ship while members of the crew work on repairs and painting at the school itself.

Monday, 22 April 2013
Sailing to Panama

So I am finally caught up as we sail toward Panama.  But I’m sure I’ll fall behind again as we head for interesting ports in Panama City, the San Blas Islands, and Cartagena, before the next sea day.