Day 13 – April 21, 2023 – Puerto Vallarta

On the railing, at 0630, were two pigeons that appeared to be wishing us a belated anniversary. The stuck around for a long time. It was special.

0800 we had a couples massage at the spa. Michelle massaged Diane, and Moi massaged me. Both girls were little, but Diane’s was littler than mine. Both, however, could really push hard on sore muscles. I can’t say my massage was relaxing because it really wasn’t. They were, however, beneficial in that for me, at least, they unraveled a few raveled spots around my shoulder blades. There were some really crunchy spots back there and Moi wasn’t hesitant about attempting to make them go away. So, tomorrow I will be sore for sure.

We did not go ashore today. Just lounged around on our balcony reading and resting. The temp is down to 80 which actually felt a little cool. I suspect the humidity here is a lot less which makes a difference.

It was nice and quiet on Lido for lunch with most everyone ashore doing stuff. According to our itinerary, everyone is supposed to be back aboard in about 3 minutes, then we’ll push away from the pier at 1500. That’s what happened.

Diane spotted this little manta ray swimming near the ship. He must have talked with the pigeons earlier.

We watched the departure then I went to a doctor’s appointment at the spa. Yes, the spa actually has a doctor. He does acupuncture which I’ve been interested in for my sciatica. He checked my back and left leg and reported that I definitely have inflammation all over the place. Then he explained the acupuncture process, showed me the needles, and asked if it was something I’d be interested in trying. Since I’ve never had acupuncture before I said, “Sure. Let’s do it!” So we did. Only took about 45 minutes and only cost $211. He suggested that I do 5 treatments to get the full value of the process but that meant I’d spend a lot of time in the spa and the price would be $800. I declined and suggested that I’d better join a gym and see if that helps.

When I got back, Diane made me take a shower to get rid of all that icky spa oil Moi smeared all over me in the morning so we could go to dinner.

Then we sailed away into the sunset.

Day 12 – April 20, 2023 – At sea – Our 55^th Anniversary

I woke early at 0630 and looked out our patio door to see what was going on. Just water.

Things were going fine until I decided to take my phone, iPad, and pills to the head so I could take my BS reading, sync my Fitbit, and take my pills. On top of my iPad, I’d placed an empty water glass to get water for the pills. That was the big mistake.

The only place that doesn’t have carpet is the head. It’s like stone tiles. So, of course, even though I managed to get my foot under the bumbling glass, it bounced off, hit deck, and shattered to smithereens. Glass everywhere. Naturally, this woke Diane, the opposite of what I was trying to do.

Bless her heart, she feared I’d fallen and came rushing to the rescue to find me gathering pieces of glass on my hands and knees.

After getting the big pieces and, placing them in the oddly intact lower half of the glass I got a towel and wiped then entire floor area to get the tiny pieces no one could see, vowing to warn the cabin boys about what had happened.

I was too busy to take any photos of this event.

Then I cleaned off our room tray, on which live a couple of large bottles of water we will never drink, added a damp washcloth, and took Diane’s shopping list to the Lido deck for food and coffee. I’m happy to report that I managed to get that full tray down 3 decks, and back to our room without spilling a drop. We were both very proud of me.

At 1300 we had lunch in the dining room with the Mariner Club. It was a lot of food picked from a menu, unlike the Lido where there are no menus. Just point at what looks good and they dish it up.

We lounged in our lounge chairs on our balcony and watched the world go by until it was time for supper.

Diane started out with crab cakes which she really liked. Then she had halibut that she didn’t like so much.

At 1730 we had a major dinner at the Pinnacle restaurant for our Anniversary Celebration. Diane had crab cakes & baked halibut (no photo), and I had a skimpy shrimp cocktail & 15 oz boneless ribeye steak. We also each had baked potatoes and they were huge. Mine was almost as big as my steak. I ate it all. Then we had dessert. The delivery was very elegant for all plates.

For dessert Diane had Baked Alaska and I had a couple scoops of ice cream.

After that sumptuous meal, we returned to our cabin and relieved ourselves of our shoes and clothing, and spent the evening laying naked on our balcony.

That’s not true, of course. What was I thinking?

Day 11 – April 19, 2023 – Huatulco, Mexico

Arrived at 1100, attended the mass gathering of people going on tours, got number Orange 10, then left the ship to march about ½ a mile to the bus. The bus wasn’t there when we arrived, so we waited in the 90+ degree heat till he showed up. It wasn’t long, but it seemed like a long time.

The bus took us on a tour of Huatulco. The first stop was on a hill overlooking the Eurodam and a pristine beach. Got off, took some photos, got back on. They never turn the buses off, so the A/C is always on. That’s good. Diane stayed aboard for this stop.

Next stop was an overlook of the city. Diane stayed aboard again.

Then we went downtown. The destination after the bus parked was about a mile away. In addition to the walking, the heat sapped everyone’s strength, so we went really slow.

We visited a museum where we learned how the indigenous people created colors for their incredible textiles The blankets and rugs were beautiful. The only thing we bought was a very colorful cat magnet.

Next stop was a church, but we skipped that and went directly to the restaurant that was next on the list. They had bathrooms.

Everyone else showed up a short time later and we were all served a snack consisting of a small helping of beans for dipping the two tiny Tostitos they served everyone. They were tiny, but they hit the spot and kept us going.

Interesting art in the restaurant. Kinda looks like a nod to COVID and masks, right?

We left the restaurant, Mescal Mas, before everyone else to visit the church. It was close by. It’s incredibly beautiful. The entire interior is covered with artwork. I have photos.

Our next stop was to catch the bus. We made it but lost our way for a minute and wound up being the last people to board our bus. That was fun.

Back at the drop off, we walked toward the ship, passed the first check point to show our ship’s card, then Diane said we need to catch the little taxi that runs up and down the pier and only takes tips. No set fares. I’m sure he makes a pretty good living because by the time people get to him, they’ll pay anything to get back on the ship where the A/C is blissful. For the last 100 yards of that trip Diane paid him $5. She wanted to give him $10 but I thought that was a bit much. The driver was happy with $5.

Made it back with time to spare. Everyone was supposed to be aboard by 1630 so we could depart by 1700 with all the paying passengers. It’s currently 1640 and there are still people trolling down the pier.

Tonight, we’re going to the theater to watch “A Man Called Otto”. I watched it on the plane to Fort Lauderdale and really liked it. It will be fun to watch again with Diane because I know she will love it.

On the way to the movie, we stopped at the EFFY Jewelry store and got Diane an emerald ring she’s been wishing for. It’s for our 55^th anniversary, and she earned it.

I was right. She loved it. The movie, I mean, and she kind of likes the ring a bit, too.

Back in our cabin we settled down to relax and watch the Mexican coast sail by on our way to Puerto Vallarta.

Day 10 – April 18, 2023 – Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

We decided to have breakfast in bed this morning because I didn’t want to make that trip to Lido. It’s pretty cool to have coffee delivered. Yogurt for Diane, and granola for me.

Joined the throng of folks leaving the ship for tours. Our number was Red-24. After leaving the ship we had a long walk to where the buses lived and folks out there directed us to the correct vehicle. We felt fortunate that we were able to get seats in the 2^nd row, and we could see out the windshield. Seeing out the windshield came with a mixed blessing because we had a front row seat for any cars or people who got mowed down. Fortunately, we had a good driver and that didn’t happen.

Bindy, our tour guide, introduced Alex, the driver, by saying he got his driver’s license the normal way, from a box of Captain Crunch cereal.

On our 5-hour tour we were shown 3 volcanos and some very narrow streets. They got so narrow, once we reached Antigua, that we had to empty our big bus and get on two smaller ones.

When we got to the heart of Antigua, we left the buses and walked to a plaza where locals inundated us with handmade tchotchke’s, as Diane likes to call them. I think that’s a Russian word for trinkets. All of those who had tchotchkes to sell were very insistent that we buy something from them. Even the smaller kids were involved.

In Antigua, all of the streets are made of cobblestones, and they are very rough and difficult to walk on for old folks which comprised the entire bus load of people we were with. Everyone on this cruise is old unless they’re part of the entertainment. Unfortunately, one elderly lady, who was a bit wobbly on her own, took a tumble after traversing only abut 15 feet into an intersection. She face planted and skinned her knees. Mother Bindy got her medical treatment quickly and an EMT patched her up and stayed with her for the duration of our visit to the area. Luckily, nothing broke but she was a bit shaken.

Total time on buses today was about 3-4 hours, but we had breaks along the way.

Hey! There’s my bride.

And an interesting fountain.

Everyone had something to sell.

Bindy was a wealth of knowledge and taught us a lot about Guatemalan agriculture in addition to the various cultures that makes Guatemala tick. We also learned how difficult it is for common people in Guatemala to navigate the intricate tax system they enforce. Sadly, none of their elected officials, who manage the tax maze, pay taxes. They declared themselves exempt. Nifty job if you can get it. Sure makes thing difficult for the common folks.

Back on the ship, although we were sweaty and tired, we went to the Lido deck to get a late lunch. Diane likes the Dive In venue for their hamburgers. It’s by the pool, hense “dive in”.

After eating we retired to our room to wait for our departure at 1630. We read, eventually fell asleep, and totally missed the sail away from this narrow Guatemalan harbor. Didn’t feel a thing. By then it was time for supper and Diane was still dragging. So, I went to the Lido Marketplace and used her shopping list to gather food to bring to our room. It was going great until I spilled a glass of cranberry juice all over my tray, my shirt & shorts, and the floor. One of the young waiters saw my dilemma as I stood in the middle of the puddle so no one would walk through it. He got busy and cleaned the floor up, cleaned me up, cleaned my tray up, and refilled the glass I’d just dumped on the floor. He also put a napkin under all the items I had so they wouldn’t slide and showed me how to transport the tray without dumping the drinks again. After that was all done, I made it to the elevator, down three floors, and to our room without incident.

Then we ate and kept on resting.

It didn’t take long for Diane to feel the need to do something, so she dug around in the dirty clothes suitcase and pulled out some shirts and shorts to rinse out in the tub. It’s jetted so they got a nice wash getting sloshed around with all those jets. Now the clothes are being rinsed, then she plans to hang them around in the bathroom thinking they will dry overnight. I’ll be taking a picture of all that.

Now we’re on our way to Mexico, arriving at noon tomorrow. It’s another short stop as we leave at 1630. We’re on another tour but for sure it’s going to be a short one.

Day 9 – April 17, 2023 – Acajutla, El Salvador

Arrived in port about 0730 and got to watch the skipper wiggle this big ship through a tight spot to a secluded pier. It was accomplished without mishap and smooth as silk.

There will be no walking on the pier as it’s an industrial area. Getting to town requires everyone to use either a shuttle bus, or take a tour.

Our ride will be on a tour bus. It’s a big one. It’s the pink one on the right side of the row. They were ready for us.

The ride through many very narrow streets was amazing. The driver didn’t hit anything.

We were taken to see volcanos, from a distance, then to a town that has an amazingly large vegetable market. All fresh produce that is grown by pretty much everyone who lives here. Lots and lots of bananas.

Met an indigenous lady who is very small and old.

There were kids everywhere who were amazed to see strangers like us in their town. Apparently, school got out early, or they have short days. All of them wear uniforms to maintain uniformity. Tricky, huh?

We had to be back at the ship before 1630, our scheduled departure time. We were plenty early because our trip wasn’t a marathon 9-hour bus ride. More like 5 hours.

When we got back, and had been on board a short time, I heard drums banging. Looking from our veranda I say a large orchestra arrange on the pier. They were playing a big band stuff and they were absolutely great. They played for a couple of hours with enthusiasm, and they were good. We understand they were a Navy band which we presumed because they were all dressed up in white uniforms that just looked Navy to us.

The band played until the last bus arrived and the gangway was removed. As the ship pushed away from the pier, they finished putting their instruments away and waved us off. Quite stunning.

The evening show was pianist Hyperion Knight. This guy is incredible. He narrated the entire show, giving us an education about the composers before playing them.

Then to bed at 2100. Got an early morning trip planned.

Day 8 – April 16, 2023 – At sea – Depart Costa Rica, bound for El Salvador

Woke up way late this morning around 0730. Took my pills and ate one of the oranges I snitched from the Lido Market after eating dinner yesterday. It’s OK. That’s legal.

Diane slept until 1030 which was good because she was pretty exhausted after that long bus ride and walking we did yesterday. Surprisingly, my normal morning pains were absent, so the walking was good for me.

We went to the Lido deck and ate a late breakfast. On the way out I greeted to a guy who had on a Navy hat. Those guys seem to be everywhere. His name is Jerry and his partner is Barbara. We wound up sitting down at their table and talking for about an hour.

Spent some time in swimming suits on our veranda. I have photos but I’m not allowed to use them. Diane said no. The weather was calm and the air was perfectly warm. Nothing to see out there except a bunch of seagulls that followed us from Costa Rica.

The ocean was initially very choppy in the morning, with white caps everywhere. As the day progressed, those went away, and the calm flat water returned.

Went to lunch then returned to the veranda for a while until the ladies next door decided to hang out on their veranda and talk loudly. So, we went inside and read, waiting till dinner then we’re going to see a magician in the theater.

We cruised up the coasts of Costa Rica, and Nicaragua to line up for our arrival in El Salvador. I understand that this will be the first time a Holland America vessel makes a port visit there.

The day was spent sleeping, resting, and eating when necessary. Spent some time on the veranda. Went to bed early because tomorrow’s port visit is only for 8-9 hours. We have a tour that starts at 0800.

Day 7 – April 15, 2023 – Saturday – Puntarenas, Costa Rica

I woke up about 0530 and spied the coast of Costa Rica in the distance on our starboard side. That’s the kind of stuff we see out our windows because we’re on the starboard side. Did I say that before? Probably not. Now you know. Just to make sure you understand, since we’re on the starboard side, when we sit on our porch looking longingly out to sea, the ships’ pointy end is to our left.

We fiddled around a while, waiting for the Lido foodery to get active so we could go get our morning coffee and some breakfast. Coffee, first.

Diane had her traditional yogurt and I had two poached eggs that were boiled as I waited, one sausage patty that was hard like a harness (but good), two sausage links, and two pieces of wheat bread. I ingested all this while looking out the window at Costa Rica. Kinda cool.

Back in our cabin I dialed up my messenger and sent big brother Jim a Happy Birthday wish because today is his birthday. He’s 80-something today. He’s 86 I think. I sent him a Happy Birthday text, but it wouldn’t send.

Then they opened the bow for people to go watch the docking process at Puntarenas Costa Rica. Arrival time was scheduled for 1100 and I think they made it pretty close. Departure time is 2230 this evening.

During this in port time, Diane booked us a tour. We were scheduled to leave on our bus tour first thing so we joined half the ship at the mainstage. We were issued number stickers that related to the bus we would ride. There were four of them, and we got #3.

Angie was our tour guide, and she’s a talker for sure. A native Tikas, she has an environmental engineer degree but didn’t like being cooped up in an office so branched out. She said she’s almost 5 feet tall and I’d say that’s pretty accurate. She talked almost non-stop on our trip to the botanical orchid gardens. We spent at least an hour there as Angie guided us through the flowers and displays explaining everything to us. She’s full of information is really good at sharing it.

I probably took a thousand photos of orchids but I’m not going to show you all of them. The most interesting ones we saw were those that were living free of pots, just absorbing moisture from the humid air.

This is Angie, our guide.

This is a shiny hollow log.

The electric wiring in some of the villages we went through was interesting.

Our next stop was the Doka Coffee Plantation in the mountains. It’s a one-and-a-half-hour drive from the orchids. Again, she talked all the way, educating us about Costa Rica’s history. She looks like she’s about 12 but admitted she’s about to turn 30. An amazing girl.

On the way we passed Kmart but we didn’t stop.

At the plantation we ate lunch before touring the facility. It was a wonderful meal and I didn’t take a picture. After that Angie took us on a tour of this facility, also, explaining the coffee growing process, the bean processing process, and the export process. She knows it all, which isn’t a surprise, because she said she’s been doing it for 9 years.

Angie strapped on this basket and told us that pickers get paid about $2 for each full basket. It takes a lot of coffee beans to fill it so it makes us appreciate that cup of coffee a little more.

After Doka, it started getting dark and we headed for another brief stop; an old church that was built of eggs. I need to research that a little because I really didn’t understand how that happened when Angie explained it.

On the trip home everyone was totally ready for a shower. The trip seemed to take forever and we arrived back on the pier at 2030. It was a very long day for us old people.

We rushed aboard to see if the Lido deck had any food left (they did) so we could eat something and go take a shower (we did).

Now we’re ready to tuck ourselves into bed as the crew takes the ship out and heads north to El Salvador. I took a peek out the door before laying down and discovered that we were already miles from the party beach. All they had to do was push us away from the pier and go straight ahead into the night. Never felt a thing.

Day 6 – April 14, 2023 – Friday – At sea

Today was spent just sailing around the coast of Panama, then turning WNW toward Costa Rica, our next stop.

Since we’re far from land, except for small islands in the distance off our starboard side. We have no information about names, or if they even have names.

After Lunch on the Lido Deck, we attended a briefing at what they call Mainstage. It’s an auditorium that will easily seat 1000 people, maybe more, where all the entertainment takes place. The briefing was about our next two port calls; Costa Rica, and El Salvador.

We have off ship activities in both countries that Diane arranged when she booked the cruise.

We will arrive in Costa Rica tomorrow morning at 1100. We have an excursion that starts at 1030 so the arrival time will make that difficult.

We’re wondering … OK, I’m wondering … if they might send a helicopter out for those of us attending the 1030 event. Probably not.

At 1500 we went to the theater to see “Panama”, a 2022 Mel Gibson movie. I got 2 bags of popcorn on the way in and ate them while waiting for the movie to start. Once it started, it was immediately evident that we wouldn’t be staying because the language was bad, and the voices weren’t in sync with the actors’ lips. Kind of weird

So, we went shopping on the 3^rd deck and bought two water bottles to keep us hydrated when we leave the ship tomorrow. And many times thereafter, wherever we go.

If it was a little cooler outside, we’d be in our deck chairs, but the humidity is still stifling, and the sky is muggy looking. So, we’re just hanging out in our cabin until it’s time to decide about where to eat. We both agree that we like the Lido Marketplace better than the formal dining room. At the Lido, you can look at the food and decide whereas the dining room requires one to choose from a menu. I have a hard time with menus for some reason.

Went to the Dive In for hamburgers and fries. Way better than Burgerville.

Considered waiting for a couple of hours to see the stand-up comic, again. Went to the crow’s nest and played dominos instead. I tried to lose but won a couple anyway. I’m pretty sure the set we were using was a mixture of two sets because we had 38 pieces in a 28 piece box. Still fun.

Then Diane pulled down one of the puzzles to fiddle with. Very complicated. We got all the pieces turned over, found all the edge pieces, put a lot of the edge together, then retired to our room to roost for the remainder of the night.

Our arrival time for tomorrow is 1130, an hour later than originally planned.

Here’s a fun photo of the passageway that goes past our cabin. It’s pretty long.

Our room …

Day 5 – April 13, 2023 – Thursday – Panama Canal Transit

At 0530 we got in line for entering the Gatun Locks, a series of three, that will raise the ship almost 100 feet for access to Gatun Lake. It’s a freshwater lake stretching approximately 45 miles across central Panama where we will transit locks to the Pacific Ocean. It’s a very slow process. We began with the first lock at 0700 and exited the third lock at approximately 0930.

The pointy end of the ship was opened to all passengers for the transit so everyone could have a good look at the process. Normally, this part of the ship is inaccessible while underway. I’m sure that has something to do with free flowing alcohol and the penchant of those who imbibe to not be careful. It’s a pretty fair drop from the main deck to the water and should one fall, it would definitely leave a mark. I speak from experience.

The ship ahead of us was a car carrier, bound for Portland, no doubt. Seems like there’s always one parked near the St. Johns Bridge when we go by there. From the looks of the way it fit in the lock, one might think it’s a perfect fit. You can see the masts of two sail boats tagging along behind it as they navigate the locks.

We finally hit the third lock and were turned loose on Lake Gatun. In the above photo you can see the railroad tracks on which the locomotives ride. There are one on each side of the ship, fore and aft. The ship propels itself through the locks and the locomotives job is to maintain the ship in the center of each lock as the water level is changed, up and down. It’s quite a ballet of machines because our ship had 2.5 feet to spare on each side making those little locomotives an important piece of the puzzle. They did a good job.

Diane lounged while I ran all over the place, trying to see it all. Hard to do.

Just had to throw this one in so everyone could see my pale little chicken legs.

Judging from the way the islands are moving past us, we’re going about as fast as a relaxed jogger. A guess, of course, like most of the judgements I make.

This is Tama, one of the cabin boys on our deck. He’s from Java.

About halfway across the lake we passed the Zandam, the ship Diane and I rode on our first cruise to Alaska. Interesting. We thought it was a big ship, and it really is, but just not as big as the Eurodam.

After a leisurely 4 hours cruise we entered the first of two locks known as the Pedro Miguel Locks at 1300. These two locks lowered us about 30.5 feet. The Miraflores Locks has 3 chambers that are separated from Pedro Miguel Locks due to a tectonic fault beneath Miraflores Lake. Miraflores lowers the ship an additional 54 feet allowing the ship to enter the Pacific Ocean on an even keel.

Looking at the above photo you can see the new channel added for larger ships and it appears that they have to go uphill a little to reach their locks. An interesting illusion

Here’s a better look at the locomotives that keep things centered.

A tight fit.

We exited the Miraflores at 1630. Upon leaving the last lock I saw, and photographed, either an alligator or a crocodile whimsically swimming in the lock exit next to us. He appeared to be right at home.

We entered the Gulf of Panama, on our way to Costa Rica, at 1700. Ahead of us were approximately 45 large vessels parked just north of the sea lanes. They seem to be waiting to transit the canal, but that’s a guess. Makes me wonder why they don’t just go get in line and move along.

Glad we’re through. From here we move north to Costa Rica.

Day 4 – April 12, 2023 – Wednesday – Cartagena, Colombia

The crew eased the Eurodam quietly into port and had us tied up at 0600 before most normal people wake up.

We decided to NOT join the group to cruise around town for a few hours. Instead, we choose to stay closer to the ship and visit the welcome center nearby. We’d heard it had kind of a petting zoo with parrots and various other birds so decided to visit that. It was virtually at the end of the pier, before having to go through customs to officially enter the country. It didn’t dissapoint.

First off, there were flamingos.

A little further in was this peacock with a posse of some sort. They followed his everywhere.

When he spread his tail, I swear I heard a collective sigh from the wannabes.

This guy let me pet him for a bit, but I wasn’t gonna let him wrap his feet around any part of my body, They’re pretty scary.

A little further back in the facility, we found this guy living in an enclosure with a bunch of pigs. It was pretty sad and we figured the pigs beat him up every night, trying to get him to leave.

Apparently he likes the attention, and stayed. Even with his disability, we had to applaud his willingness to strut his stuff and show the world what he had.

Or, maybe it was one of these guys …

Around a couple more corners and we found the open air atrium. There’s no enclosure. These guys just live here, flying all over the place.

… except for this guy. We learned later that he’s a Hermit Parrot…

We caught the shuttle bus back to the ship and prepared to get underway.

We departed Cartagena at 1300 or so. Backed away from the pier and into the turning basin on the port side, then accelerated away at warp speed.

A plumber showed up to fix the shower that Diane broke yesterday. Yup. She ripped the holder for the shower wand right off the wall. In her defense, it wasn’t the first time it had been ripped off the wall.

We lounged on a chaise lounge on our veranda and watched Cartagena fade away.

Got a brief tutorial from the skipper about how we’re going to transit the Panama Canal tomorrow. We get in line at 0530 and began entering the locks at 0700. If we want to watch what’s going on it’s going to be an early morning. The distance between the entrance locks and the exit locks is about 45 miles. Rumor has it that we’ll be passing the Zandam which is coming from the west. That was the first cruise ship we were on.

Ate dinner with Tommy Lee (girl), Mike, and Helen. Tommy Lee is from Texas and Mike & Helen are from Vancouver Island. Lots of Canadians and Washingtonians on this trip.

Went to the Mainstage and got entertained by a pretty funny guy, Steve Soelberg.

Back in our room by 2030.

Ship is rocking and rolling a little bit. I think the reason is because the ship speed is increased. During dinner and most of the day, the speed is slowed to take it easy on the passengers. At night, they crank it up a couple of notches.