The Zuiderdam stayed here in Callao only half a day, mostly due to the fact several overland tours will be arriving back from Manta and from here also. In addition, there were four short tours that went off early and should return before the all aboard time of 12:30pm.
This morning we were second in line at the Pinnacle Grill door. Go figure….there was not a rush on the tables today. We did get "our" table at the window and enjoyed watching the activity on the pier. There were the tour groups, the shuttle bus to Miraflores, and the last minute shoppers. A group of officers were greeting the excursion groups and directing them to their buses. One of the officers was the cruise director Kimberly who spotted us and waved. Henk was there too, and he waved, then they all waved to all of us window-watchers.
Speaking of shopping, we finally went down to the dock to check out the nine tents with the multitudes of treasures that were being offered. From what we saw, all of it was made in Peru – nice for a change. Peru is famous for their llama wool that is used for the most beautiful sweaters, vests, and ponchos. Blankets and wool neck scarves were available as well as were many little trinkets typically sold in these markets. Items made from leather were embossed wallets and belts. Silver jewelry with precious stones were the most expensive souvenirs, but much better-priced compared to the pieces we saw in Manta. We knew that when we were in Ecuador. Some of the costume jewelry was made from multi shades of yarn as were the keyrings and pill holders. Very nice t-shirts were piled high and priced from $10 and up. Yesterday we did see some wall-hanging llama carpets, but today they were gone. Sold. Lucky for us, we purchased one over 20 years ago and it still looks just as good as the day we bought it. The only difference is that the price had doubled.
A reversible turquoise and white knit poncho, a silver pendant with matching earrings, and a leather wallet were the treasures we found. This market will probably be the best deals we will see on this entire trip.
Most of the buses arrived back on time, but the overland guests had a special greeting from the top officers along with trays of sparkling wine and mimosas no less. We had the perfect spot to watch the action right from our veranda. Some passengers that were not on these excursions sort of wandered into the fray and helped themselves to the wine. That's pretty nervy, but nothing was said to save embarrassment we guess.
Captain Frisco came on with his sail away talk, and then the excursion team made a sweep through the stalls rousting the last of the shoppers hoping to get good deals. The ship pulled away from the pier with the locals holding a huge banner saying "Thanks for stopping in Lima, Peru". Or something to that effect. We never saw so many birds, mostly gulls, as we slowly made our way out of the sheltered harbor. We now have four days at sea as we sail towards Easter Island, 2043 nautical miles from Lima. That suits us just fine.
Our Lido lunch was at 2:30pm where we saw some schools of dolphins surface-feeding. They only skimmed the surface and you had to watch closely. They were there one second, then gone the next. Bird sightings continued for hours after we left the harbor. They included herring gulls, black cormorants, vultures, and a few Peruvian boobies. And we have to add that the salads were good and the sandwiches have improved immensely.
It took the rest of the afternoon to work on photos, which was just as well. Once we left the land, the temperature dropped and there was a slight wind chill that drove us inside. Captain Frisco said we can expect pleasant weather with calm seas as we head west. We sure hope so…..
We ordered our Caesar salads with pepitas, which was on another starter salad. Instead we got grilled cheese, but our waiter insisted it was pepitas. Guess that is not something that is eaten in Indonesia. We simply smiled and said nothing to save an uncomfortable moment. He did say that he asked one of the cooks and that was what he told him. The word pepitas was Spanish for grilled cheese. Really?
Our mains were one rigatoni and chicken entrée, and one plate of short ribs and mashed potatoes with hidden garlic. Both good. One dessert of an apple tart was also pleasant and no sugar added to boot.
The entertainer was a new one – Andy Buenger, an instrumentalist with the power of music.
Bill & Mary Ann
