Picture Post #8 - Last one!

1) Rather than go "formal" we opted for room service instead!
2) My kinda drink...
3, 4, 5) Beautiful coastline and beaches of Cabo San Lucas!

m

Picture Post #7

1) Beautiful church in Hualtco, Mexico;
2) Acapulco just goes on and on and on...
3) Fort San Diego on Acapulco harbor;
4) Acapulco cliff divers target;
5) It's a l-o-n-g way down!!

m

Picture Post #6

Various views of Hualtco, Mexico -

1) Mom's catamaran in the old harbor;

2, 3, 4) Incredible views and lovely coastline; very reminiscent of Big Sur;

5) Magnificent Frigate Bird -- a constant companion; beautiful flyers!

m

Picture Post #5

Not sure where some of the pictures went; possibly on the 35mm camera! Either that, or my camera man was asleep at the SWITCH!!

1) Entering Mira Flores lock;
2) More Mira Flores; this lock is on the Pacific side;
3) Robert on the dock in Costa Rica;
4 and 5) Puerto Chiapas Mayan ruins; had them to ourselves!

m

Picture Post #4 - Panama Canal

1) Prior to entering the canal;
2) Entering first Gatun Lock;
3) Flooding first Gatun Lock;
4) Gatun lock "house";
5) Bridge spanning canal prior to Pedro Miguel lock.

m

Picture Post #3

Still in Cartegena; really thought it was a lovely city!

1) Statue in another square; lovely colors of the building!
2) Would you believe...And no, I didn't get a t-shirt!
3) Lots of wonderful colors!
4) Mom, R & Alberto, our terrific driver and guide.
5) Main gateway into Cartegena through city walls.

m

Picture Post #2

Not many pictures per posting!! Oh well!! Will just have to do multiples!!

1) The Big 3 next to town wall in Cartegena.
2) Wandering down a street; still Cartegena.
3) Great public art work all over town!
4) Actually found St. Sebastian, our favorite Italian saint, at the Cathedral! Notice the arrows!
5) Beautiful central square; lovely and cool; lots of trees and fountains.

m

Picture Post #1 - starting at the beginning...

Well, let's see if we can get some pictures going! ALWAYS the best part of any blog!

1) Mom and me inside our cabin on the Westerdam.
2) Mom and me in the Crow's Nest on the top deck; still in Ft. Lauderdale.
3) Westerdam from Half Moon Cay; beautiful ship!
4) Wonderful water!
5) Square in Cartegena, Columbia.

m

Could that really be California???

Monday, May 5, 2008

Hola!

Well, we have just weighed anchor and started our journey to our last port of call, San Diego! And a CAR!! And HOME!!! So … from yesterday.

Our day (Sunday, May 4) began bright and early with our cooking class with Mark and Bruce, making mezze. All of the recipes came from their Ultimate Cookbook, which we plan on getting when we get home. Divided up the class of 12 into four groups, with each group making one or two mezze for a combined meal at the end. Robert volunteered for the snapper cakes team, and Mom and I worked on tabbouleh salad and grilled peppers. Interesting, as we needed to get the peppers out quickly to make way for the apricot tarte…didn’t get them nearly as black as I would have liked, and definitely a dearth of knives and wooden spoons…had to make do, though, and there was a lot of sharing going on! At any rate, everything came out well, even with substitutions and a lot of people stepping over each other. R had a good time with the snapper cakes (should technically been cod cakes, but apparently no cod available on the ship!) Lots of fun.

Right after the class came another cooking demonstration. This time, Mark and the Hotel Manager took on Bruce and the ship’s captain and “secret” ingredients. The ingredients they both had to work with turned out to be sambal sauce, potatoes and Skippy peanut butter! Mark decided on an African soup; Bruce and the captain made a pork stir-fry. Lots of fun as well – both captain and hotel manager were pretty proficient in the kitchen; dishes came out well, but Bruce and the captain won this time. [The captain always wins! – R]

From our cooking morning, we went to lunch in the dining room. It’s amazing how many activities they have going on to keep people busy! Jason, our goofy cruise director, was even giving Cha Cha lessons in the afternoon! And, in the afternoon, an amazing thing happened – we went out on the balcony, and it was actually COOL – and not humid! WOW! What a change from the Mexican mainland! AZ, here we come!!

As it was our last “formal” night (and we were NOT dressing up) we opted for room service again. Absolutely FABULOUS! We all started with chicken satay with both a peanut sauce and a spicy onion chutney; excellent! Mom ordered Osso Buco for her main course; R and I both had Asian spareribs over rice. Whew! We’re going to have to walk home from San Diego, just to lose some of these calories! Ended up the evening in the Crow’s Nest; nice place for a final glass of wine before bed!

Had to set the clocks back an hour; it’s getting late later and stays darker later…we’re now only one hour off of Tucson! Yea!! Up around 6, and down for breakfast about 6:30 a.m. Water fairly rough this morning, and the spray is everywhere – even when we stand on the verandah; also very cool, which is WONDERFUL! We pulled into the harbor later than expected – 8-ish rather than the 7 a.m. that had been predicted, but suppose that could have been because of the rough water. I had no idea what to expect – Hualtuco or Acapulco or something in between?! Well, turns out it was more Acapulco-like than Hualtuco. If it had ever been a nice smaller port, it certainly hasn’t been for quite a few years now! HUGE condos and hotels EVERYWHERE, for MILES down the beach. And, this was a tender port, which also took a while to get organized.

(This gave us time to go over our itemized bills … whew, this cabin definitely made an impact on the wine cellar, for sure!)

We went down around 10 a.m. to get “tender tickets” to go ashore, and whew – a HUGE crowd, everybody milling around. We were actually scheduled for tender 12, and they were calling 6 … hmmm…we went up on the promenade deck for fresh air and to relax – and of course, managed to miss #12! Oh well! Finally managed to get to port – and really, wished we hadn’t!! R likened the harbor to a border town like Tijuana – and that is NOT a compliment! We were literally hassled at LEAST 50 or 60 times for any and everything you could think of! Think the adults were hawking taxi rides, and silver jewelry [Sample: Silver necklace, señora, only $1!] and rides on glass bottom boats; older kids were hawking whistles; little kids were hawking chewing gum … a family event! At any rate, we thought it was awful – we couldn’t go – quite literally – five feet without being approached. Walked all around the harbor and into some shops, but decided very quickly that we’d had enough! So – no adventure here! Sorry!!

Did make it back to the ship unscathed, and just in time for lunch! R and Mom headed to the dining room. I headed to the Lido Deck for the Taco bar by the pool for yet another fajita-type lunch. Greatly enjoyed lounging in a chaise on the promenade deck for a few hours in the afternoon. Nice and cool; good breeze and a good book! Have to admit that I’m getting a little antsy about getting home – and R won’t let me pack until tomorrow!!

Oh well!!

Dinner coming soon, but I think I’m just about “fooded” out, so R and Mom may be heading to the dining room alone…if I don’t eat for several more days, think that will be just fine! Not sure what the plans are for tomorrow, other that get organized and packed, but am sure that they’ll come up with something! For my part, I think this will be my last post until we get home on Wednesday night, at which time I will be downloading photos, posting the comments (thanks, Hil & Katy!) and generally putting things in order!!

So – until them! Much love!
m

Only one more port to go ...

Thursday, May 01, 2008

May Day! A big holiday here! Who knew! (For a moment, I thought we were back in France! Holidays galore! In fact, remember that we were in Sarlat last May 1 – and EVERYTHING was closed! Where were you??)

So, where have we been and what have we been up to since last I wrote, you ask? First of all, true confessions: I do not do “nothing” well … in fact, very jealous that R has Caltech work to attend to, and I have nothing to do except read, eat and relax! And I don’t do it well, that’s for sure!

We stopped in Puntarenas, Costa Rica on Tuesday. Mom had a 5½ hour tour – bus, train, boat and bus yet again – through a mangrove swamp and who knows where else. She enjoyed it very much, although arrived back here exhausted. Some friends from dinner a night or two prior “adopted” her to make sure she didn’t get in to trouble. She saw monkeys and even a little tiny crocodile! We had a much more leisurely day. As I detest being herded like cattle, with little stickers on my shirt, we have forsaken all tours – figure that, whatever we do, we’ll do on our own! (Very convenient in the Mediterranean, as we were able to rent cars in several locations, or get cabs. MUCH better than being herded onto a bus, let me assure you!) This time, we opted for walking through town and around. Puntarenas VERY small and located on an inlet; water on both sides. Lovely outdoor market, though, which we wandered through. Costa Rica looks really lovely; people very nice. It was, however, VERY hot and humid, and it wasn’t long before we began to fade and then headed back to the ship. I again hit the pool – this time had it ALL to myself! And R kept me company along with his gins and tonic. (Can’t seem to get him into the pool; don’t know why, as very refreshing! [Likewise, can’t seem to get Margaret into G&Ts; don’t know why, even more refreshing! RJB]) Very, very lazy day thereafter; long nap, and fortunately, Champions League semi-final match, Manchester United/Barcelona (where would I be without ESPN?). Dinner Tuesday night seems SO far away, not a chance of remembering what we had! I will have to do better, I can see that! Ship sailed around 5 p.m., heading up the coast towards Mexico.

Wednesday was another day “at sea.” Hmmm…there’s a lot of truth in those two little words…Hot and humid outside; cooking demonstration with Mark and Bruce in the morning; more lectures et al. in the afternoon. This time, the demonstration was two different types of lasagna – one using chicken, raisins and pine nuts, and the other using spinach and a béchamel-type sauce. Got to taste both, and they were great. More recipes to bring home! Also have decided to get their newest cookbook; “The Ultimate Cookbook”; 900 recipes with lots of variations. Will also get a copy for R’s mother-in-law, so we can have the guys write in it!

More eating, reading and napping … how exciting, right?! As last night was a formal night, and R did not bring a jacket (my suggestion to leave it at home, not his) we opted for room service – and, like all the food on the ship to date, it was GREAT! There is a regular room-service menu, but it turns out that you can order anything on the dining room menu as well. So, for starters, I had a small chicken/chipotle wrap, followed by an excellent salad of butter lettuce with tomatoes, mozzarella and red onions. My main was prime rib with baked potato – even served it rare, so I was happy! R had crab bisque and Mom had a cranberry soup (talk about pink…) for starters, and they both followed it up with a plate of penne pasta with marinara sauce. So lazy that we didn’t even make it down to listen to the chamber group downstairs; what will we DO with all this sleep??

This morning – May 1 – we arrived in Porto Chiapas, Mexico. Lovely new port – obviously fairly new construction, just for cruise ships; were greeted by steel band and lots of hoop-la! How fun! We wandered off the ship and through the terminal and looked for transportation. Lots of tour buses (again!) but we were able to find a cab that would take us into Tapachula and the Izapa Archaeological Zone. Lovely, lovely drive to Izapa – and we had the place to ourselves! Izapa is the most famous Mayan archaeological spot on this part of the coast, founded 1500 B.C.; formerly very large development! Fun to walk around and, as I say, had the place to ourselves. From there, we headed to Tapachula. Had intended to do some walking there, but – the holiday! And there was a parade going on in the main part of town, so didn’t spend too much time there. We did see, however, a Domino’s Pizza parlor, and – as we were heading back to the ship – a Sam’s Club! UNREAL! Alberto, our driver, told us that they also have a Home Depot! The U.S. has a LOT to answer for…We were able to stop at a bank with an ATM, though, so now are much better equipped for the real world now that we have pesos! One interesting thing – most of the houses here, even the two-story ones, are roofed with thatch. There is a little bit of tin as well, but mostly all we saw was thatch. (Except for industrial buildings.) This goes a long way towards explaining why, when hurricanes happen here, that so many people are left homeless; I doubt if these roofs would stand up to much. Even the port’s visitors center and restaurant were thatched. Interesting…

Got back to the ship in time for a good lunch … a bit embarrassed to tell you all I ate – started with a spinach and artichoke dip (but no chips to dip with!), followed by a crab salad on avocado, followed (yes…) by a great Cobb salad! Would like to say I’m not having dinner tonight, but tend to think that I probably will!

At any rate, back to the room then for naps for all – and fortunately, more football, as two games on from Europe – two UEFA cup matches on, and seeing Fiorentino play in Florence brings back wonderful memories of being there several years ago to see them play Udinese! VERY hot outside, and from our room, we have a great view of the town of Porto Chiapas – think that everyone in town must be in the water, as see lots of bodies bobbing around, but nobody on the beach! Also have a great view of pelicans flying by – great way to spend the afternoon!

R has now decided that he needs to look at our accounts and pay some bills – wait until they get a look at the BAR bill…so will close now! Will definitely have some neat pictures once we’re in a position to get them loaded!

So take care all –
Tomorrow we’re off to Huatulco and yet another adventure on land!
Much love,
m

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Hola! As I keep forgetting, that is the traditional Mexican greeting – thanks, Katy!

Need to talk about Huatulco first, which we did yesterday. We pulled in around 8 a.m., right at the port of Huatulco. Turns out there are nine different bays that make up the area. Some of the bays are totally deserted and are part of a Mexican National Park. Other bays are very built up and populated. After getting Mom ready for her excursion – a catamaran voyage on five of the bays – we headed off on our own. Of course ran the gauntlet of vendors – vending stuff, tours, taxis, etc. Walked around the little port village – very attractive place, and decided on an hour’s tour of the area with a cab driver. Very nice young man; had spent 2½ years in Monterey, CA as a construction worker and then a waiter, so his English was excellent. We went from one bay to another. Coastline very much resembled the Big Sur area, only without the highway clinging to the side of the hill. Just lovely! From there we headed to the bays on the other side of town. These were chock full of 5-star hotels, as well as a golf course. My favorite was called Quinta Real; lovely white domes, beautiful views. Seem to be quite a few Canadians and Americans in town; called the “new and cleaner” Acapulco! We’ll see. Finally drove into town, La Crucecita for a look around. Lovely old church, very reminiscent of the Tucson mission; rustic painting, lots of white stucco. From there, we headed back to the port and the ship. I’m really not much of a shopper any more; very disappointing, as there is lots of jewelry and pretty things to look at!

Arrived back to the ship VERY hot and sweaty!! Whew! WARM day! R headed directly for the G’s and T; I was fine with Coca Cola; altogether too bright for me to start drinking! Had lunch poolside. They set up a really good taco bar each day, with great guacamole. I made a beef fajita with lots of “stuffing” and had that with chips. Only problem is that it is quite messy – but that’s what napkins are for! We had just about finished when Mom reappeared. She hadn’t really enjoyed her excursion – wind was up and the catamaran bounced about quite a bit. Also, drinks were included, but she’s really not a beer kind of gal! However, she got back safely – even though there was quite a long walk to/from the catamaran and ship.

Nice long naps in the afternoon for all; have to rest up for dinner! Decided on the dining room (only one more formal night to go; probably tomorrow night) and headed down about 6-ish. Had a lovely table for four by the window. For the first time since we started the cruise, I couldn’t find a main entrée that I really wanted! Several fresh fish entrées and other good things … just nothing that I felt like having! Fortunately, they always have grilled chicken breasts and sirloin steaks available for times like that. So, R and I both started with a wonderful salad of orzo and lentils with chopped veggies and a cumin dressing. From there, we both got the sirloin steak – came with garlic mashed potatoes (my favorite!) and veggies. Mom had fresh pineapple drizzled with a maple syrup reduction for starters, and followed that up with roast loin of pork. Looked good, and she said it was! R had an apple/cranberry crumble for dessert, Mom had lemon sorbet, and I had the “usual” – vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce! YUM!

Listened to the string quartet for an hour or so afterwards; end of a lovely day!

Sailed right on schedule for Acapulco, and pulled in around 7 this morning. Have never been here before, but a VERY big city; impressive entry into the harbor; lots of high rises and activity all around. We docked right at the pier in Old Acapulco and, after making sure Mom got the correct sticker for her excursion, R and I headed out again. Wow, talk about lots of persistent folks trying to get your attention on the way out! Whew! Managed to escape unscathed and headed right across the street, to the Fort San Diego, and their historical museum. Lovely walk up the walls; beautiful view of the ship! Entered the fort and went through the museum. Very nice presentation (also fairly well air conditioned!) on the founding of Acapulco, the Manila Galleons (ships that went back and forth between Acapulco and the Philippines) as well as exhibits on life in the fort, pirates and ancient peoples of Mexico. From there we headed back down the hill and into the hubbub that is this very large Mexican town! R found us a taxi (old VW bug with NO a/c!) to take us through town to what was listed on the Holland American map as the museum of archeology. Talk about TRAFFIC – just amazing! Drove along the waterfront – interesting areas, from Papagallo Park to the luxury shops, and everything in between! Were dropped off where we’d pointed on the map, but guess what?! No more museum! (I will be writing to Holland America to get it removed from the map…) Sounded like it may have been incorporated into the museum at the Fort.

So…as our next stop, we took another cab (from which I thought I’d die from carbon monoxide poisoning!) to El Mirador Hotel at La Quebrada to see the cliff divers. (Hadn’t really planned on it, but figured while we were here, might as well!) Had lunch at the hotel – a set menu – drink, choice of cheeseburger, club sandwich or chicken tacos, with some sort of pancakes with honey on them for dessert. (We skipped those…) Chicken tacos were very good! And, we got a front row seat for the cliff divers. When you’re on the hotel balcony, looking down on the rocks, it doesn’t seem like THAT far down to the water – and then you see someone dive off! Whew! That really IS a long way down! Saw the show, then a presentation of Mexican dancing from several of the various provinces.

From there, we caught a cab back to the ship. Mom had just gotten back, so we joined her for lunch. She enjoyed her excursion, but again, it was very hot outside, and I think that getting into and out of the van was a bit wearing. She and R both crashed when we got back to the room. So … now Mom is up and on the verandah with a pear from the fruit bowl; R is still sleeping away, and I am blogging so I won’t forget things! (It’s amazing how things just run together with all these endless days!)

We should be off again in another hour, and then tomorrow is a day at sea. We’ve got two activities planned – a hands-on cooking class with Mark and Bruce in the morning, as well as a premium wine tasting in the afternoon … oh well! It’s tough, but somebody’s got to do it!!

Take care all, and I’ll write again when we’ve finished our last port of call, Cabo San Lucas and are steaming toward San Diego!!

Much love,
m