Spring 2016 – Day 9

It was another beautiful day in our lives when we woke up to the port of Cartagena, Colombia – wow –South America again.

We had a “free” walking tour booked for the 6 of us and we were to get off the ship at 10:00am and take a taxi to the old city to meet up with the tour at the second stop; however, the ship didn’t make it to port on time because of delays in leaving our last port.

So, we walked off the ship and arranged for private guide for the 6 of us in what was to be a 3 hour tour;

however, it lasted until after 5 – what a great day in Cartagena.  The guide first drove us into the old city and parked the car at this this huge fort that guarded the entrance.  It is for sure the largest fort that we have ever seen.

She (our guide) took us to the top where she arranged with a fort tour guide to take us on a short tour of the fort and tell us its history.  The walk up was very, very steep, but we all made it and the tour was great, including going into some very narrow and small tunnels that were used by the soldiers to travel to parts of the fort and fight their enemies.

Then we got back into the van and she drove to the old city where we started walking.  All told, we walked a little over 4 miles but both of us are fine.  It was a great tour. 

At the end of the tour, we all, including the guide went to one of the restaurants we had found that was supposed to be the best of Cartagena.  There was about a 20 minute wait so we went next door and had a drink at a restored convent which is now a luxury hotel.  At the restaurant, called La Cevicheria, we split a couple of seafood dishes, one of which was a dish called Ceviche which is a mixture of all kinds of seafood cooked in lime juice very , very good.

Then she drove us around the new city including past the yacht basin where we saw one of the largest yachts we have ever seen.  It was owned by an individual from Montana named Washington and none of us had ever heard of him.  She finished the day by taking us back to the ship and we arranged for her to pick us up at 8:30pm and take us back to the old city to another great restaurant called La Vitrola and the food there was amazing.  There was no sign on the door and you had to knock to get in and if you didn't have a reservation, they will not let you in.  Thankfully we had a reservation.

We spent 2 ½ hours eating, first starting out with 6 different appetizers and then several main courses and finishing with dessert!!  After dinner, Jeff and Vera stayed to listen to some music at the bar and Barb and Tim and we went for a ½ walk before heading back to the restaurant at 11:30pm where she picked us up and took us back to the ship.

That’s all for tonight and tomorrow we are in Cartagena until 4:00pm and there is a lot of the old city left for us to visit.

Just walking around outside the port!!

Walking up to the fort

Part of the fort - lots of gun holes

In one of the tunnels with the guide from the fort

Snacks for sale on the street

Where we ate lunch

Lunch

More lunch

Some of the dinner apptizers

The door to the restraurant

Spring 2016 – Day 8

Today we were in Colon, Panama which is the port on the east side of the Panama Canal. 

Again, it was a beautiful day when we woke up and we met Tim and Barbara at the bottom of the gangway at 8:30am.  Jeff and Vera had decided to stay on the ship. 

We arranged with a guide with a van to take the 4 of us to the rainforest and the Gamboa Resort where they have an aerial tram to view the rainforest and the Panama Canal.  We were also going to go to the rescue zoo on the way back to the ship.

When we arrived at the resort after an hour drive we found out that all of the slots in the morning were taken so we made a reservation for 1:30pm and went to the zoo which was close, back down the road.

The zoo was not the greatest zoo we have ever seen, but it was fun and there were a lot of animals.  It was also Saturday so there were a lot of families with kids really enjoying the day, as were we with our driver/guide Jacob leading us around the zoo.

Then we went back to the resort and had lunch and talked while we waited for our reservation time.

We took a shuttle to the tram and the ride was amazing.  We were in a tram car for the 4 of us with a naturalist in the front talking about the rainforest and pointing our items of interest.  The ride was very slow and it took about 20 minutes to get to the top of the mountain.  Then we walked about another 20 minutes up the hill until we arrived at the top where we had a 10 story platform to climb. 

During the walk up, the naturalist pointed out a lot of interesting things, including the many nests of termites that were in the forest.  She opened up one next and offered a termite to eat, after eating one herself Ed took her up on it and he ate two.  The taste was that of wood!!

The climb to the top was on a ramp that revolved around the tower and both of us did not have any trouble making the climb.

The view from the top was amazing we could see the main river that feeds the big lake in the center of the canal and then the canal going both directions.

When we finished in the rain forest it was running late so the guide took us back the fast way and we were back to the ship at 4:00pm.

The rest of the evening followed our usual pattern of:

1.       Getting snacks and eating on our deck.

2.      Taking a nap

3.      Going to the show - it was good.

4.      Going to dinner - it was also good.

5.      Going to the casino where Barb and Barbara both played in a free slot tournament but did win,  Then in a regular session, Barb lost just a little and Ed lost.  The good news is that we are still ahead for the trip.

Tomorrow we land in Cartagena, Colombia and we are there for two days so it should be lots of fun.

The Gambio Resort on the Panama Canal

A Toucan

A termite nest

The 10 story tower we climbed

Our snack on the balcony

Spring 2016 – Day 7

Today we are in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica and it is one of the few islands that we visit in the Caribbean and Gulf that does not have tourism as their #1 producer of income.  This island is known for their production of bananas and other fruits.  It has beautiful beaches, mountains and even a rain forest.

We had arranged for a tour for the three couples to see a working banana plantation and then take a boat ride in the jungle, followed by lunch at a local restaurant out in the jungle area of the island.

We met our guide and driver just outside the pier and after driving for about 1/2 an hour we arrived at a working banana plantation.  As we drove in we could see hundreds and hundreds of banana trees and then we arrived at the production facility were the stalks of bananas were hung on hooks, with 5 bunches on each stalk.  Then a person would cut the bunches from the stalks and the bunches would go into water, washed and where they were sorted by grade and then packed into trucks or boxes depending on where they were headed.  It was really neat to see all of this production.  I have a video that I will add to the blog when we get home and have high-speed internet.

Then we boarded a 12 passenger boat for a tour down a small river into the jungle.  Along the tour, we saw many, many different kinds of birds, monkeys, sloughs lizards and a very small alligator.  It was a fun trip that took a couple of hours.

After the boat trip we went to this wonderful local restaurant were we ordered fresh grilled red snapper and also some rice and beans.  It was really good.  While we were there a storm blew up and we had to move our table to keep from getting soaked.  It even blew some of the thatch off of the roof.

We then were driven back to the dock where we shopped for a little bit before going back to the ship and yes going up to the food deck to get some snacks.

After that it was time for our nap.

After our nap, we went to the show which was a female singer who was very good and we had also heard her before – but that was just fine.

Then dinner and on to the casino where Barb broke even and Ed had another great night.

There are only a few pictures posted as the camera crashed while downloading the pictures to the laptop and I won’t be able to download any more from today until we get back home.

Tomorrow is Colon, Panama and I have a new card for the camera so there will be pictures!!

Night

Blue bags to keep the bananas protected

Sorting bananas

Very large bird's nests

Spring 2016 – Day 6

We heard about all of the snow and hope all survived it and enjoyed the snow.  It’s 90+ and sunny here – just saying.

Hope the puppies enjoyed the snow and are being good.

Today was our second day at sea and we followed our usual routine.

Ed got up early and saved deck chairs, ate breakfast and went to the gym for a ½ hour.  By then Barb was up and we both were on the deck in the beautiful sun.

As always, we were to meet our friends for lunch at 12:30pm; however, we forgot that the clocks were set back one hour last night so we showed up a little early – one hour!  So it was back to the deck for another hour of sun before lunch.

Barb and Ed shared a poached salmon with grilled veggies that was very good.

Then it was time to go play in the blackjack tournament where Ed qualified but did not win.  Tim did win so it was good we kept it in our group. It looks like we are booking this ship with a different itinerary next March 3^rd for our annual Blackjack cruise with friends.

After the tournament we played a little in the casino but didn’t do any good so it was time to go to the cabin for a nap.

After our nap we all went to a show and the entertainment was a piano player from New York who did Billy Joel music.  He was about average.

Dinner was excellent and then we went to the casino where Barb broke even and Ed had a great run. 

Tomorrow we are in the city of Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.

It was a good day today.

Going out in the afternoon

Time for the evening's activities

Spring 2016 – Day 5

When we woke up we were already docked in Cozumel, Mexico, which is an island off the Mexican Gulf coast.

There is only one town on the island and we docked at a pier about 10 minutes from downtown in an area that was made for the cruise ship with all of the new tourists shops and tourists restaurants. 

But, we were not staying at the port as we had an excursion to a Dolphin encounter.  Tim and Barb had gone to this place before and they were going again on this cruise and asked us to join them so we did and had one of the best tours we have had.   We drove about 10 minutes from town to this great big enclosed dolphin experience.  There were a number of hug “pens” out in the ocean where the dolphins lived.  There were 6 of us at one enclosure and a dolphin handler who taught us hand signals for the dolphin.  The go to experience touching the dolphin all over, even rubbing her belly.

Then we swam out about 50 feet in groups of twos and one was pulled on the dorsal fin back to the dock and the other was on a boogie board and the dolphin would come up from behind and push you back to the dock at a very fast speed.  It was amazing.

After that we went to a holding area where there were Manatees and we got into the water with them and fed them lettuce as they swam around us.

We don’t have any pictures at this time as they would not allow cameras as they were taking pictures and selling them to you.  Of course we bought the pictures on a cd and as soon as we get home, we will download the pictures to the blog.

At noon we took the shuttle back to the main part of town and went shopping in one of the oldest shopping areas in town and had a fun lunch at a restaurant within the shopping area.

We then took a taxi back to the ship and stayed inside for the rest of the afternoon.

We met our friends before the show and all sat together.  Tonight’s show was a comedian from Brooklyn and we all walked of the show shortly after it started as she was really bad.  So we went to the casino for a little bit, then to dinner and back to the casino.

We ended up the day with Barb winning again nicely and Ed lost.

Tonight we set the clocks back an hour and we have a day at sea tomorrow so it should be a relaxing day.

Night

At the Dolphin Experience

Lunch started with a big drink!!

Lunch

Going out for the evening

Spring 2016 – Day 4

This was our first full day of our cruise and also the first day at sea and the weather was perfect!!

We had slept in and Ed went up to the deck at 8:30am and there were hardly any deck chairs left but we found a great spot on the deck above the pool where we like to be.

Ed had breakfast and rode an exercise bike for 30 minutes and then went to the room to get Barb up.

We were both on the deck by a little after 10am and stayed there until 12:30pm when we met our friends in the Aqua Spa for lunch.  We ate healthy with a lunch of grilled salmon and some shrimp.

Then we went to the casino for the slot tournament.  Ed failed to qualify for the finals, Barb did and came in second, which earned her a casino t-shirt and $86, not bad for a $25 entry fee.  Barbara and Tim were there, so we decided to play a session at the casino.  Ed played for 22 minutes and had a big run and got up with his winnings and in the mean time, Barb hit for small jackpot so we left the casino winners – which is always nice.

After a snack on our deck, we took a nap and then got ready for the evening.

The entertainment tonight was the Celebrity singers and dancers and the show was really good, maybe the best production number that we have ever seen on a cruise.

Of course next was dinner and then we went to the casino.

We had a full table with 5 of us playing and two new people who thankfully knew how to play and Barb cheering us on, except when she went to play a slot machine.

Tonight, Barb did very well and so did Ed and we had a very successful day in the casino.

Tomorrow is our first port, Cozumel, Mexico – it should be fun.

Barb & Barbara at the slot tournament

Second place from our Casino Host Andrew

Snacks on our deck

Barb with her flowers

Spring - 2016 - Day 3

Today we boarded the ship.  We left the hotel at 10:00am and drove to the Budget car return where we had to wait about 45 minutes for the shuttle to take us to the ship.  It was only a short drive and we were in our rooms before noon.

After dropping our luggage off in our room, we met Jeff & Vera and Tim and Barbara on the back of the ship to have lunch and catch up on each other’s lives.  Then it was up on the deck to be out in the sun.

We stayed for a couple of hours before going in for the life boat drill.  After that we went up to the food deck and brought snacks back to the cabin and sat out on the deck watching the ship leave the Port of Ft. Lauderdale. 

By then our luggage came so we unpacked and had our first nap.

The show was about average and after that we joined everyone for dinner and then went to the casino.  The nice thing is that the shows are now at 7pm and 9pm so we always get to go to the 7pm show and then have dinner rather than as before when the shows were after dinner and we didn’t get to the casino until late.

While the host made our casino cards that we use for free drinks, we went into the future cruise lounge and booked a July 4th cruise to Bermuda that Jeff & Vera are taking and it is from New York.  Barbara and Tim also booked theirs tonight.  We can always cancel it but we booked it because there were some great incentives to book today.

Then we went to the casino and played for an hour with both of us losing just a little.

Tomorrow is a day at sea so it should be a very peaceful day.  Night

Waiting for the shuttle to go to the ship

A Carnival ship leaving port and another ship still docked

Spring 2016 – Day 2

We slept late and woke up to wonderful weather.  Ed went and ate breakfast and then a ½ on a stationary bicycle in the gym before we both got ready to go out to the beach.

The weather was perfect, in the high 70’s, very little wind and just a few clouds.

We went about 40 minutes south to our favorite beach in Miami, Haulover Beach and it was a great way to spend the day.

Haulover Beach was jammed with people as it was Sunday but we found a spot where we like to sit and enjoyed the day in beautiful weather.  For suntan lotion, we used #0, #2, #4 & #30 to protect us all over!

We finally left the beach at 4:30pm (without a sunburn) after showering at a beach shower and then we headed for a Cuban Restaurant in Little Havana in downtown Miami, about 30 minutes away from the beach.

For an appetizer, we had assorted croquettes of ham, chicken, cod fish all served with a Cilanto Sauce and they were very good.  For our main course we had a Cuban sampler platter consisting of white rice, black beans, Picadillo ground beef, roast port, sweet plantains, ham croquette, Cuban tamale and Cassava with Cuban Mojo (that’s right from the menu as we would never remember everything).  Ed really enjoyed it and Barb thought it was just ok.  Both of agreed that last night Cuban meal was the best.

Then we met Tim and Barbara from Washington, DC in the Executive Lounge and spent an hour or so just catching up.  They are a great couple and we are thrilled they will be joining us on this cruise.

That’s it from Ft. Lauderdale as tomorrow we pack up and get on the ship – it should be a fun cruise and what a fun two days to start the trip.

Night from Ft. Lauderdale.

The entrance to the beach

Dinner

Spring 2016 – Day 1

Our plane left from Bloomington right on time at 6:00am to go to Atlanta and then onto Fort Lauderdale.

The flights were uneventful and we landed in Ft. Lauderdale right on time – 1:45am and then the fun began at Budget Car Rental.  We had gotten a really good deal on a small Ford; however, when we got to the rental counter there was a huge line in the regular check-in line and a smaller line at the express line, where we were supposed to go as we had pre-paid for the car. 

The only problem was they were no cars!  Finally after about an hour we were able to get out car.  We were told by the counter staff that some people had waited 3 hours for their cars.  They didn’t have the cheap car that we had rented so they gave us a full size Ford and off we went to the Marriott.

We are staying at a Marriott in north Ft. Lauderdale that is about ½ hour away from the cruise port, but it was the least expensive of the Marriott’s this weekend.  To stay on the beach would have been a couple of hundred more dollars a night so we can drive to the beach tomorrow.  They upgraded us to a room on the top floor (17^th) and it will be just fine.

We finally got into our room at 4:00 and Barb took a short nap while Ed started to work on the blog.

When we arrived, the sky was cloudy, but by 5pm, the sun was out and it was a beautiful day.

Then it was time for dinner.  Barb had wanted to go to some authentic Cuban restaurants and so we went to one about 40 minutes away called Sergios in Pembroke Pines, FL.  Sergios was started 40 years ago by Cubans who felt there was not a good Cuban restaurant in the area.  WOW – what a great meal we had.

We started out with an appetizer that was a trio of port, ground beef and shrimp each served on a small bed of fried plantains.  Plantains are from the banana family.  It also had tomatoes, avocadoes and pico de gallo all mixed together. 

Then for our main course we had a dish called pan con bistec, which is thinly sliced grilled stead and onions topped with tomatoes, a pile of very, very thin shoestring fries, plantains, Swiss cheese and served on Cuban bread.  It was wonderful and we could not finish the sandwich. (we brought a menu back with us so we knew what we ordered)

We finish off dinner with a dessert of flan!!!

As it had been a long day, we drove back to the Marriott and relaxed the rest of the evening.

Tomorrow, hopefully the beach.  Night from Florida

Our room

Appetizer

 Dinner

The sandwich from the end

Flan