Cruise: The End

Mexico was our final port of call; our last three days were spent sailing to Los Angles. It gave us time to take a much needed rest from the four back-to-back excursions. We celebrated Thanksgiving with our new friends. There was the last "formal evening" on Friday. It was fun to dress up (made easier by the fact you can rent a tux for the guys - Himself looked smashing!).



Early on the 30th we slowly made our way into the harbor at LA, traveling through a "pea soup" fog. The ship sounded its horn about every minute, and we could hear other horns sounding around us. Hear...we could barely see the water below us it was so foggy. At one point we went by a Sealand container loading area and all you could see was the huge mega-watt lights making cone shaped beams in the fog... looked like the 'mother ship' was getting ready to land!

I wish there was something nice to say about the disembarking procedure, but there is not. Horrible is the only way I can describe it. ALL 1900 passengers AND their carry-off luggage were scheduled to go thru customs AT THE SAME TIME. It was hot and they would not open the doors to the decks so we could get a breeze. The line winded around the ship, including in front of elevators so that when they opened the riders would face a wall of people (cranky, tired, foot-sore people). I actually saw one man in his mid-40s get off the elevator and SHOVE an elderly man WITH A WALKER in the line so hard he fell against another man who fell against me. I had time to brace, so I didn't fall. We were in line for 3 hours. It was pure craziness.

Once we were thru with that, we boarded our bus for the airport (I'd booked a transfer with the cruise line... next time I'll catch a cab as there were dozens of them waiting. I'd also book a late flight and ignore that stupid line until it was short!!) Anyway, the flight and all that was normal. Only interesting thing was seeing actor Tony Danza in the security line ahead of us. His shoes had to come off just like everyone else's!

Oh, one other funny "coming home" thing. I had turned my cell phone off for the length of the trip. On the bus to LAX I fired it up for the first time in 2 weeks. NINE voice mails downloaded. And they were kinda amazing! Some personal assistant to someone in Florida was frantically trying to get a hold of her boss. Seems the FBI was coming and she wanted to know what to do with some files or something like that. I'm guessing she was dialing an area code that the middle number is one off my area code. I haven't deleted the messages; I'll have to take another listen without the rumbling of a bus in the background!

All in all, we had an excellent time on the cruise. The ports of calls were all very interesting and I have wonderful memories of each.

Aruba - Snorkeling and seeing the beautiful tropical fish.

Columbia - The incredible engineering and architecture of the fortress, tasty coconut rice at lunch.

Panama Canal - watching the different widening methods from dredging to blasting, and the pure history of it all.

Costa Rica - See my first toucan, experiencing a rain forest.

Nicaragua - Masaya volcano and its sulfur fumes.

Guatemala - the beautiful brightly colored clothes of the Maya ladies, watching the volcano erupt

Mexico - baby sea turtles and drinking fresh coconut water.

Cruise: Mexico

Our last port of call was in Huatulco, Mexico. It is a lovely little town, with NINE bays all containing beaches. While it is a tourist town, there are not a lot there yet. It was the most beautiful beach port we visited.

** Coming into the Huatulco dock. **


In reading a cruising forum site, I found out that north of Huatulco was a sea turtle sanctuary. So we decided to cancel the excursion we had booked thru Princess, negotiate a taxi and go it alone. It was an excellent decision! After speaking with a couple different tour touts, one of them led us to his friend who had a taxi. We set our price and headed north. Our excellent driver was Alfredo.
** Alfredo **


The sea turtle sanctuary was about one hour north near the town of Puerto Angel (a very off the beaten path beach town). It’s an area I wouldn’t mind coming back to in the future for some quiet beach time. There were very few people using the beaches.

Anyway, when we got to the sanctuary we found out it had all sorts of turtles beside the sea turtles. But for us, we only had eyes for the elegant sea turtles. The area is a hatching ground and was very famous for its turtle meat factories and other turtle parts souvenirs. But it is now protected by Mexico and they have established both a hatching program (eggs are collected after the turtles come ashore to lay) and a breeding program (mature turtles are kept and the offspring are released). Because of the conservation program we were able to see turtles of all ages – from ping pong ball sized hatchlings, to dinner plate sized juveniles, to 5 foot long adults.

At this time the sanctuary is quite “basic”, but we were able to talk with the director and he told us of the plans for improving and expanding the program. I would love to come back in the future and see how it is coming along. http://www.tomzap.com/turtle.html I was a bit surprised there was no gift shop, as that is such a good way to raise funds. But as we pulled out of the gates, a man approached the taxi with different types of necklaces in his hands. And of those, there were little wooden sea turtle carvings.
** Hatchling **

** Juvenile (isn't he cute the way he rests his flippers?) **

** Adult Olive Sea Turtle **

** In the aquarium **



The patterns on the shells of the turtles were beautiful. I can understand why “turtle shell” combs, jewelry and such were so popular. However, it looks much better on the turtle than it does on people!

We drove back along the other side of the loop we’d started in our turn to Puerto Angel, seeing more beautiful countryside. Again, there were fruit stands along the road with all that delicious looking ripe fruit. We asked Alfredo about the green coconuts (as compared to the brown ones we normally see in our grocery stores). He explained the green ones are not as ripe and therefore have a lot “coconut water” still inside them. (Coconut “milk” is made by crushing the white flesh of the ripe coconut – it is NOT what you hear inside when you shake a coconut!). I commented that I had never had a fresh coconut. Before too much longer Alfredo had pulled over to a small stand that had coconuts he deemed “good enough”. He made our coconut order and a little girl took off to find the person who would be chopping open the selected coconut (which cost $1 US). I was so surprised when she came back with a boy of about 11! This is who was going to be swinging that machete?!?! Well, he did... with a practiced ease that spoke of years of popping open coconuts. Still, I cringed as I watched him hold the coconut with his hand as he whacked away the outer husk. It only took him about 5 swings before he was handing me a coconut complete with a straw for sipping. There was about a quart of fluid inside... slightly sweet and very refreshing. It was SO good! I could easily have one of those a day. After the liquid was gone, the boy cracked open the coconut & scraped out the unripe flesh. Interesting...it was like a jelly.

** Swinging the machete! **

** Enjoying my drink **

** Scraping out the flesh **



Before we were let off at the pier, Alfredo asked if he could take up to one more place. Checking our watches, we said “sure”. He took us to the hill top that overlooked the beautiful bay our ship was docked in. After enjoying the view for a while, we headed back down to the dock.

In the short amount of time left, I managed to walk a bit on the beach AND check out a couple shops with success. I was hoping to find two traditional forms of crafts famous from the Oaxaca region. First is the black clay pottery, which is made thru a rather tedious process. And the other item was the alebrije -- brightly painted wooden carvings of fantasy creatures or fantasy-looking animals.

** Souvenirs of Mexico **

The turtle necklaces, black clay pottery, a clay sculpture, the alebrije (as a sea turtle) and a bag of local Mexican coffee.

Cruise: Guatemala

The next day found us in Guatemala. From the harbor we saw 3 perfect conical volcanoes - a very pretty site from the ship.

Our excursion this time took us to Lake Atitlan, several hours bus ride away. We scored a front seat this time and had great views of the countryside. Lake Atitlan is the deepest lake in Central America... but they have never been able to locate the bottom! The guess is that it's about 1100 feet deep.

Lake Atitlan

River coming down from the mountains.

One of the first things we noticed were the many sugar cane fields. Most were ready for harvest, and the field were being "fired". This is a burning off of the outer leaves that gets rid of their brushiness and any vermin in the field. But it doesn't hurt the rest of the plant. Then it is whacked down to just above root level with machetes. It eventually is piled haphazardly into big trucks and taken for processing.

Sugar cane flowers

Firing the fields

Truck load of sugar cane

Smashed cane on the roads... bet it is sticky!

Sunset thru the sugar cane field smoke.

Alongside the road were all sorts of fruit stands. Each area seemed to specialize in a particular fruit... some pineapples, some coconuts, some mangos and so on. In towns, every stand had a little bit of everything. Talk about looking appetizing! You don't see this sort of fruit in the grocery store!

Coconuts...

Pineapple...

and a little bit of everything!


As we got closer to Lake Atitlan, the people's appearance changed. Physically they were shorter and thicker, but what you really noticed were the amazing woven clothes the ladies wore. The people around the lake are Maya. Because of the Spanish colonial method of keeping the native peoples and the Spanish peoples separate, there are strong cultural customs and handicrafts kept by the people.

When we arrived at the lake, there were MANY vendors waiting for us with those Maya handicrafts for sale. Had you not seen the people on the ride in, you would have guessed the beautiful clothing they wore and were selling to be costumes. The colors were just incrediable!

But I'll tell you... these were the most aggressive vendors on the whole cruise! There wasn't the quiet desperation of Nicaragua... this seemed more like pure competition. Full contact hawkers! Several people seemed quite overwhelmed and ran onto the waiting buses after our boat ride on Lake Atitlan. But that was no escape...they would follow you right up in the bus!

However, they weren't the most aggressive hawkers I've seen (they are lightweights compared to the Maasai ladies of Kenya!) and I did some FINE shopping! Beautiful items.

The Gauntlet!

Buy from ME!

Hitting up the buses

Or you can buy this, or this, or this...

When we had boarded the bus in the morning, our guide noted that a nearby volcano had started erupting earlier. As we motored along getting closer, we could see the lava scorched sides and steam rising up. On the way home, I was sitting down in the guide seat by the front door of the bus (GREAT for photos!) when Deane called out suddenly "Look at the volcano!!" As we watched (!!!) it erupted again... shooting out ash and stones in a high mushroom cloud. WOW!

Here's what the volcano web site said about that eruption (25 November):

GUATEMALA - Fuego volcano
November 29th, 2008
As of the 27th of November, the National Institute Of Sismología, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hidrologia, has reported that during the 25 November explosions from Fuego produced ash plumes that rose to altitudes of 13,500-15,100 ft and drifted West and South. The explosions produced rumbling and degassing sounds, and shock waves were detected 10 km away. Lava flowed 150 m W towards the Taniluyá ravine and incandescent material rolled down the flanks . Fuego, one of Central America's most active volcanoes, is one of three large stratovolcanoes overlooking Guatemala's former capital, Antigua. Frequent vigorous historical eruptions have been recorded since 1524 and have produced major ashfalls, along with occasional pyroclastic flows and lava flows.

What a send-off from Guatemala!

Mt Fuego as we arrived...

And as we were leaving!

** Our Guatemala souvenirs **

A bag of coffee, a small weaving, a musical instrument, a traditional shirt, a water bottle holder and a native jade necklace.

Cruise: Nicaragua

From Costa Rica we sailed overnight to Nicaragua. This port is not developed enough to allow a ship as large as ours to come in to their dock area, so we were “tendered” to the shore. To do this, they lowered several of our lifeboats and by groups people were taken to the dock. It was a bit choppy when we left, and to get from ship to lifeboat took a bit of timing. Wouldn’t be a good thing to try to cross when the ship was moving opposite the direction of the lifeboat!

** Our lifeboats, now tender boat **

** Where we had to come from. **

So we were heading along the Nicaragua countryside for our excursion. First stop, a market place for some souvenir shopping. And good shopping it was too! The Mercado had many small shops to look thru, and while they more or less had the same merchandise, there were enough craftsman differences to make it fun. We only had 45 minutes – 4.5 hours would not have been too much!

** In the Mercado **

** In one of the shops with our self-appointed "guide" and shopkeeper **

From there it was a short drive to the Masaya Volcano… an ACTIVE volcano. How cool is that!? Our guide informed us that only a few months earlier, Masaya had a little ‘hiccup’. Here’s what a volcano site said about that ‘hiccup’:

NICARAGUA - Masaya volcano

As of the 19th of June, the Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales (INETER) informs that on the 18th of June at 1650hrs, local time, an explosion happened in the crater of Masaya volcano, that threw gases and volcanic ash in moderate amounts. Communication of the park was received Masaya volcano, the explosion was felt by inhabitants of the zone and the ash column had dark color.

Masaya lies within the massive Pleistocene Las Sierras pyroclastic shield volcano and is a broad, 6 x 11 km basaltic caldera with steep-sided walls up to 300 m high. The caldera is filled on its NW end by more than a dozen vents erupted along a circular, 4-km-diameter fracture system.

Masaya has been frequently active since the time of the Spanish Conquistadors, when an active lava lake prompted attempts to extract the volcano's molten "gold." Periods of long-term vigourous gas emission at roughly quarter-century intervals cause health hazards and crop damage.

Wow! Had I known how much a hiccup it had been, I might have been a wee bit more concerned as I leaned over the wall to look down into its sulfur smoking crater!

The sulfur... it was rough!! Depending on where you were standing and how the wind was moving, at times it was literally choking in a weird sort of way. Not choking like when you are in too much wood smoke, but a chemical it-hurts-to-breathe sort of way. But it was so incredibly fascinating to see. It was one of my favorite stops on the entire cruise.

** Himself at the volcano park entrance **

** an old lava flow from the crater rim **

** Me on the rim. The cross is at the highest part of the rim. **

** A LONG way down! **

** Long way from every angle **

** Sulfur smoke **

** Himself in the midst of the sulfur smoke **

** Sulfur mineral on pumace **

** the extremely jagged landscape of pumace **

** Notice how are the cars are parked? **

** Why?! In case it "hiccups" (erupts), so you can get out faster?? **

** Video of the Masaya Volcano **

From the volcano we headed to lunch. More beans, rice, chicken, and fresh fruit! Good thing we love that stuff! Oh, they did have some sort of beef & onions and some fried sea bass. Cute restaurant, we were serenaded by a papa and his 2 sons. Papa on a bass guitar, Son 1 on a regular guitar and Son 2 on an accordion.

** Son #2 **

There was a nice garden of various fruit trees (they served REALLY fresh fruit). It's fun to see all that produce growing instead of sitting on a refrigerated shelf in the grocery store. I have discovered that I really enjoy banana plants. They are so cool looking! And interesting. The plant stem bears fruit one time and dies back, to send up another stalk to bear fruit. The normal span of this is 3 times before the root stock is depleted (according to our guides).

** The banana flower **

** With the cluster of fruit **

** Bananas upside down! **

** With my favorite plant! **

Back on the bus and down the road to Granada. This is where the "feel" of the excursion changed. The other places we had been were pure 'Tourist'. Scrubbed venues and smiling people, everything looking good. But in Granada you remembered that you were in Nicaragua... Nicaragua -- Sandinistas -- Contras -- and Oliver North. Guerrilla warfare and a country brought to economic ruin. Nicaragua.

** A destroyed hospital **

** The square **

** The horses were pretty much scrubs **

** Tho the oxen looked beautiful **

** Local eatery **

Here in the city you could see the after affects of war. Everywhere we'd been there were souvenir hawkers trying to get you to empty your wallet by buying their stuff. Some were pretty persistent too. But here there was a subtle feeling of desperation.

** Hawkers trying to sell to those on the bus **

And here was the only place in the 6 countries we stopped at that there were beggars in a very large number... and some of them were grandmothers. The Latino culture still has great respect for its grandparents. So to see the grandmothers with their hands out, whispering "Por favor, senora" just about killed me... I can never walk by them...

** One of the grandmothers **

We walked a bit to reach the museum we were to see. I'm not sure how long they've been doing the tourist bit in Granada, but they definitely don't quite 'get it'. I got the feeling that the line of thought is "tourist like museums, so we will make a museum and they will pay to see it". But the exhibits and signage are amateur. Huge displays holding one small item. Signs with major spelling errors. Artifacts within easy touching reach that should be protected.

I hope they figure it out. It was a beautiful country with talented artisans and gracious people, well worth the time to visit.

One the bus ride back to the ship, the driver suddenly pulled over to the side of the highway. There in the trees was a family of howler monkeys. First and last monkeys I saw... which suited me just fine! I'm no fan of them...they remind me of rats with hands!

** Howler monkeys **

** Souvenirs of Nicaragua **

A piece of local pottery, a cross with clay flowers, a clay chicken whistle, a painting by a Masaya artist, a carved soapstone Nativity and a bag of coffee.