Well, we were up at 5am this fine morning, and watched the slow sail into the scenic harbor of San Diego. The closer we got, we began seeing sea lions, most of them laying on the buoys. They did not budge one inch, even with the armed Coast Guard boats zooming by them. That always impresses us when we arrive at a US port. The Coast Guard is very serious about security, and keep all the small pleasure boats well away from the ship.
Oceana's Regatta was already docked ahead of us, and was undergoing clearance. We watched as their guests began trickling off a few at a time. And although we were docked by 8am, the ship was not cleared until 8:35am. Our gangway was opened by 9am, as well as the crew gangway. Then we saw one couple being escorted off of the crew gangway with their luggage in tow by a gowned and masked medical person. We knew it was Covid related, since we had the same type of escort back in January, but in Ft. Lauderdale. And while we were on our veranda, we saw more folks in the deck four rooms that had been vacant. Every one of them was sneezing and coughing, and although we cannot prove it, we also suspect Covid. More than 2/3rd 's of the guests will be sailing on to Canada, so these quarantined guests will probably stay in these rooms until then.
Our call for the customs and borders inspection was 9:30am in the Stuyvesant Room, where several agents were sitting at desks checking passports. They scanned them and took a picture of them on a cell phone. They we had a red sticker applied to our room keycard, and handed a pink slip declaring we had been through inspections. This was supposed to be handed off when we went through the ship's security, however, no one wanted them. The sticker was enough.
Not wanting to get off too soon, we hung out in our room until 10am. Then the call came for the last of the guests to see the inspectors. That's when we decided to leave. We had hoped that we had gotten a call from the Event Coordinator, Teresa, who had phoned the day before promising to personally escort us off of the ship. Not that we really needed it, but it was a promise. Well, that never happened, unlike the send-off we got from Jonah on the N. Statendam. Major difference with the protocol, and perhaps, the training.
Once we were in the terminal building, it was really easy finding our three bags, as most of the guests had been there and gone. In fact, the HAL rep said please…take them all, as she laughed. Just joking of course. Pulling them outside we found the taxi line. But now, it was about 10:20am. We were making good progress, and it sure would have been nice if our flight had not been changed to 4pm. Now we were going to have quite a long wait before we flew home.
The airport was busy for a Tuesday morning. We arrived there before 11am, and asked if it was too early to check in our three bags. Locating a supervisor, they told us to go ahead and check them in, and they would get them going as soon as the time would allow. Our handheld scale had worked well, since each piece was under 50 pounds.
From there, we went back outside for fresh air to take a walk and sit in the sun somewhere. By the way, we did leave our masks on, and most of the airport employees wore them. But not all. One out of four people had masks on. The social distancing was still in force as well as washing hands and using sanitizer. That drill is burned into our brains now and forever.
The weather could not have been nicer….warm but not too hot. We sat outside the end terminal people watching. Interesting what you end up seeing. At times, more than you want to know, especially more than you want to see. Moving back towards the United area, we sat long enough to waste some time until about 2pm. Then it was time to go through security. The earlier group had gone through, and the traffic was light here. One of us read a sign saying that if you were 75 plus, you did not have to remove your shoes. That applied even if you did not get the TSA pre-approved OK on your ticket. Neither of us got it. So when it came time to go through the xray portal, Bill did not take his shoes off. No problem. Since I was "close" to 75, figured I might get away with the same thing. Well, no, that did not happen. When asked why I left the shoes on, I said it was my knee surgery that made it difficult to do. No lie here, that still is a hard chore. So after passing through the more serious xray, I had to sit in a chair and have my shoes swiped with a chemical, followed with a general pat down. At no time did the guard listen when I told her I had a new knee that set off the signal. Finally she was satisfied, and said…have a good day. Yes, and you too, as I walked away. The final thoughts on this was that I do not look like I am 75 yet. Ha-ha.
Finding our terminal, we sat more or less until it was time to board. Disability folks were called to board first, and we were among those who were slow in walking due to the knee. This flight was sold out, and they were asking for volunteers to give up their seats for a future flight. No takers, we began loading around 3:45pm. Trying to stay awake, we think we left almost on time. There was just enough time for the stewardesses to serve a beverage before we were landing in San Francisco. Uneventful is the best flight you can have.
Gathering our luggage, our driver was right on time to pick us up. Even though we left the airport at 6pm, the traffic was not horrible. Usually our flight gets in around 3pm, and it is much worse. This time we got home by 7:30pm. And it sure felt good. We will have our work cut out for us….never a dull moment, but we do enjoy it. During the time we were gone, a very large tree came down near the barn, and the weeds have grown by leaps and bounds. The hardest thing was figuring out what was for dinner, which turned out to be something very simple. Followed by a couple of pillow chocolates, no less.
We shall return with a summary soon. So stay tuned……
Bill & Mary Ann
Thursday, April 28, 2022
Report #130 Tuesday - April 26, 2022 Flying home from San Diego................A warm and sunny day - 78 degrees
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Report # 129 Day at Sea enroute to San Diego, California Monday - April 25, 2022 Very cool & 65 degrees
The Pinnacle Grill was full of people this morning at breakfast time. The diners must have been lined up at the door before 8am, probably due to the time change last night. We had a mimosa and a pontsetiia to help fortify ourselves for packing later. "Later" came right after we went back to our room. At least we had already sent two pieces of luggage home from Ft. Lauderdale. It shipped from Florida on April 6th (via Fed Ex), and arrived to our home in California by April 13th. It wasn't cheap, but worth it since we had paid for overweight bags (65 pounds each). We had a good friend who injured his rotator cuff while schlepping bags on his way back from a cruise. Eventually, it required surgery. We never forgot his story, and keep it in mind when doing the same thing.
So, we did have to buy another duffel bag while in Ft. Lauderdale. Good thing we did not wait until we were on the ship to buy one, as they don't sell them here. On the grand voyages, they do carry them, because the passengers tend to buy a lot more stuff. And there are the extra ship's gifts to consider.
For some reason, one of us always thinks it will only take a short time to double bag the toiletries. Wrong…..it took all morning. We had squeezed in as much as we could in the shipped bags, but we still had extra stuff left. The clothes were easier. After the job was almost done, all three suitcases were close to the 50 pound mark or a little less. Hope our handheld scale is correct, as the ship was moving up and down quite a bit.
It was a good time to "cash out" at the front desk, as well as getting a copy of our shipboard account. Think we may have mentioned that they do not automatically print your account summary and send it to your room anymore. They expect you to download it to your cell phone. Not us…we don't own one. So while she was doing that, I asked about how many folks would be leaving the ship in San Diego. She said about 350. More will join the ship, then it will sail north to Victoria. From there, it will start the Alaska season.
As well as getting our yellow one ship tags, we had a letter with instructions for tomorrow. Specifically, we will need to see the US Customs and Border Protection inspectors in the Stuyvesant Room on the ship at 9am. We will need to bring our keycards and passports, but no luggage. Guess this will take the place of the facial recognition technology we had in Ft. Lauderdale. Once passed, we will receive an immigration card needed to disembark.
During his noon talk, the Captain said that conditions would remain about the same the rest of the way to San Diego. We will arrive very early, pick up a pilot, then be alongside by 8am. All aboard for those who are continuing on will be at 9:30pm. Why so late, no one seemed to know.
It was time for a lunch break in the Lido. We had small salads, because we made reservations in the Pinnacle Grill tonight. Sitting near us, was a couple who continuously coughed. We highly suspect that more people are sick, but will not report it. We went for a walk on the promenade deck and just about froze. It was the coolest on our side of the ship – starboard. No sun at all.
Back inside, we strolled through the Shops expecting to see a lot of shoppers, but there were only a few. It was a surprise for us to see tables full of bargains for Alaska things. Of course, the vendors are smart selling the Alaskan sweaters, knit scarves and hats, and sweatshirts. People were buying those for sure.
We got the final Journeys booklet with the sticker of this 19 day Panama Canal Cruise. We forgot to mention that the TV reception has been terrible ever since we left the Canal. Even worse as we travel the coast of Mexico. Cannot count the times we phoned and asked if it was happening ship wide, or was it just our TV. Never did get an answer on that question. The internet has been spotty…..coming and going, as well as losing the connection. That's not exactly what you need when trying to confirm airplane flights and the ride home. Eventually it did get accomplished.
It was time to crack open the bottle of sparkling wine we got almost 3 weeks ago. It has been chilling in the refrigerator for days now. Too bad it is too cold on the veranda to enjoy it out there. We toasted the end of another fun cruise, as we slowly sipped the drink for an hour.
Stashing the last of our clothes in the suitcase, they will be ready to put outside the room after dinner. Speaking of dinner, we did go to the Pinnacle Grill for our usual meal of wedge salads with the candied bacon on the side, warm bread, the 7 ounce filet mignons with tempura onion rings, and a shared order of French fries. Absolutely no room for dessert, we were happy campers.
Passing through the Billboard Onboard, we were glad to see pianist, Hyperion Knight, performing for a packed room. Even extra folding chairs had been set up into the hallway for the folks to sit. Now this is what the passengers like. Judging from his performance, he will get the thumbs up. We have had the pleasure of listening to his concerts on many world cruises. Glad to see that he is still doing it. Very talented fellow.
Well, the bags are out in the hall, and we are ready to turn in early for a change. Breakfast at 6:30am will come all too soon.
Stay tuned………….we will be back with final thoughts as soon as the dust settles. Sure has been fun sharing our adventure with you all.
Bill & Mary Ann
NO Pictures
Monday, April 25, 2022
Report #128 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 7am-3:30pm Sunday April 24, 2022 Sun With Haze And Much Cooler 75 Degrees
The N. Amsterdam must have arrived to the Banderas Bay in Cabo San Lucas in the darkness. Only one of us was up that early. However, we could hear the anchors being dropped, which is the first time they have done this since we boarded. And, it is the first port that we will have to use tenders to go ashore. For some unknown reason, we were anchored the furthest away than we have ever been.
Yesterday, we had a phone call from the Event Coordinator, Teresa, who offered to personally escort us to the tender platform if we wished to go over early. Very nice of her to ask, we usually wait until the thundering herd of passengers are gone from the ship. No need to be first, since not much is opened that early.
On our way to the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast, we noticed that the mid ship elevators were manned. Tender tickets were being distributed in the BB King Blues Club for those who did not have tours. Four and five star Mariners, as well as suite folks did not need tickets. Those that did have the tickets, handed them to a staff member who let them in the elevator that went down to deck A. It was very controlled and there did not seem to be a problem with the procedure. Of course, this was not Easter Island, where things went south in a hurry due to the tendering being cut off early. People had lined up at 4am to get those tickets. Thought there was going to be a revolution that year on the world cruise.
Anyway, there were two cruise ships already anchored when we arrived. They were way closer to the marina than we were. One was the Carnival Miracle, which did not look that big….but it was the closer we looked. The other ship was small. It was the Star Breeze, a Windstar vessel.
On a side note, after getting some smaller bills at the front desk, we walked deck one where the rooms are located. Out on the floor were several discarded paper and Styrofoam plates and cups, as well as plastic forks and knives. Hmmm, that tells us that these folks are quarantined. And to add to the clues, later on when we ordered room service, the operator asked if we were quarantined. Heavens no, we said. Apologizing, he said he had to ask that question. Now we wonder how many people are locked up? And why, except that Covid is on the rise. Unfortunately, we do not know anyone well enough to get an answer to this question.
Tours today were a catamaran ride for 5 hours, or several combinations of seeing Los Arcos for 2 ½ hours. Snorkeling at Chileno Bay for 4 hours was an option, or a beach resort with lunch for 5 hours. A tour to Todos Santos included a stop at Hotel California (made famous by the song) and lunch for 5 ½ hours. Last, was horseback riding for 4 hours. Prices went from $55 to $130. It is possible some of these excursions had been cancelled, according to an announcement yesterday.
The call for open tenders came around 9:30am. No one would need tickets anymore. And that is when we left to join the line of folks waiting for the next boat. There was a short wait, then we loaded on a local tender, much the same size as ours. The seas were rougher than they looked, making boarding a bit more challenging. It was at least a 20 minute ride. With three ships in port, the landing pier was very crowded. On the way out, we picked up a map and a flyer for Diamonds International. Oh good, a chance to collect a different charm.
The most aggressive tour vendors in all of the Mexican ports, has to be here. There were so many people entering here, that it was easy to escape them. By the way, most people that we saw were not wearing masks. Some of the locals were, but not as much as in previous ports. If we did go into a shop, we had to use sanitizer, which is fine with us.
Searching the marina for sea lions, we saw none today. And there were very few pelicans also. So we headed up the streets to Cabo Wabo to check out their t-shirts. The city T shirt has not changed since we were here last. Their restaurant was opened, but it was too early for lunch. So we headed back downhill to where the old Hard Rock Café used to be. All that was left of the old building were the door handles that looked like guitars. To our surprise, we looked across the street to find a brand new HRC. This was built in the three years we have not been here. There was a problem, however. Not one large shirt existed anywhere in the shop. They were mostly small and 3 x size. Oh well. From here we walked across the road to the Puerto Paraiso Mall. This has to be the center of all high end shopping, and is connected to the Luxury Mall now….even higher-end. Starting at one end, we ended up leaving this mall by the marina. This is where we found a nice place for lunch several years ago. Finding Baja Brewery was easy, but it was locked down….closed forever. Disappointed, we headed back to the ship. Dodging vendors all the way back, we looked for Diamonds International . Nowhere to be seen, it was at the bottom of Guerrero Street, but not on the marina side. Somehow we had bypassed that one store. Oh well, that will give one of us something to look for next time we visit.
Back at the docking area, we found it crowded with guests returning already. All aboard was at 2:30pm, and no one wanted to be late. This time the boat we got was one of ours. Riding in it, reminded us of how lucky we have been by not visiting any Caribbean islands that needed tendering. Except for Half Moon Cay, where there is no choice but to tender. And during the time we were ashore, another ship arrived…..the Navigator of the Seas (RCI) and anchored in the bay. Just what they need…..more people. The ride back was uneventful.
Once back in the room, we decided to order lunch from room service. It did take over 40 minutes, but obviously worth the wait. We ordered one Caesar chicken salad, and one cobb salad. Then we split a club sandwich. It was just right, and tasted really good. Except for the Covid lock-up, this is the only time we had room service. Glad we did.
The N. Amsterdam left Banderos Bay after 3pm, while the other three ships remained. Once the ship got out far enough to make that turn, it got downright chilly on the veranda. We expected that, but most folks do not. Especially those that are at the Seaview Pool, enjoying the last of the warm Mexican sun. We have seen belongings and towels go flying overboard almost instantly when the winds picked up. Watching the pounding surf climb up a cliff, we realized that the mighty Pacific Ocean is not as peaceful as you might expect. As the evening progressed, the sailing became a bit rougher with the ship rolling quite a bit. We expect this to remain the same as we head towards San Diego now.
Great time to stay in the room and work on photos and reports. Dinner time arrived, and we went to the dining room for their special culinary menu. We had soup, salads, and crab cakes. The main was prime rib for both of us. Bill always orders an outside cut, but medium rare. So far, he has gotten the meat served exactly as he described. We added a baked potato and skipped the veggie stew. Desserts were one raspberry tart and a serving of ice cream.
The clocks went back one hour, which is finally back to Pacific time now.
Bill & Mary Ann
Report #127 Pichilingue, Mexico For La Paz Saturday April 23, 2022 Sunny And Cooler 75 Degrees
After sailing 430 nautical miles at a speed of 11.8 knots from Puerto Vallarta, we arrived to the port of Pichilingue, Mexico, located in the state of Baja California Sur. The actual destination for today was La Paz, about 10 miles away from here. The good news was that a complimentary shuttle was offered to La Paz for about a 30 minute ride. Or you could take another free shuttle to nearby Tecolote Beach. All the buses operated from 8am to 4pm.
On our way to breakfast, we always stop at the middle elevators where the screen shows the weather. Today it read 57 degrees. Was that a mistake, or should it be 75 degrees? Guess not, as it was that cold. It would heat up nicely later in the day.
We left the ship about 9:30am for the 30 minute ride, which may have been shorter because there were many speed bumps along the way. If we had been considering staying in Pichilingue, there would have been no place to go. Nothing to do. The closest thing was a towering Cemex factory, which was quite noisy all day. There were over a dozen souvenir tents set up outside the terminal building, and three Pacifico beer tents. Later in the day, there was a mariachi band.
There were three shore excursions offered here. Highlights of the town with a lunch was 5 hours, while a trip to see a wild animal rehabilitation and aviary for 2 ½ hours. Last but not least, there was a highlight excursion with a stop at a pottery factory for 4 hours. Prices went from $75 to $100.
This is our very first time to visit La Paz, which is the capital city of the state of Baja California Sur. Hernan Cortes arrived in 1535, and named the area Bahia de la Santa Cruz. A year later, Sebastian Vizcaino renamed it La Paz. Judging by what we saw at the pier area, we sure did not expect to find the exploding seaside resort that exists here. The ride to town took us through dry sandy hills full of mature cacti…….a real desert. These cacti looked like saguaro cacti, but technically are cardon cacti. Had they been saguaro, they would be worth $100 a foot to buy for your garden at home.
After a few miles, we began to see the coastline of the La Paz bay. It was lined with small marinas, then resorts, timeshares, and some larger hotels. We spotted a few new golf courses, and so many restaurants, cafes, and bars, we could not count them. We could see a very long stretch of a seaside walkway or malecon, much like what we saw in Puerto Vallarta. The tide was out, but there were few beaches that looked usable. In fact, no one was in the water swimming or even sun-bathing. We did see a kayaking group getting ready to launch.
On the bus, we did have a narrator who pointed out the best places to eat in town and sites to see. We were dropped off at the Tourist Information Center across from a garden and gazebo called Kiosko del Malecon. The square surrounding this gazebo was being staged for something, we suspected was happening tonight. Asking a nearby vendor, she said it was the Festival of the Whale Shark, and the celebration would start at 5pm. That's when we are scheduled to leave. Figures.
We walked the entire length of the malecon dotted with bronze statues along the shoreline. Sure looked like Puerto Vallarta. The difference is that these monuments have been stripped of their bronze titles. Good thing we had gotten maps of the area, which described everything we were seeing. We might add that being today was Saturday, many locals with their youngsters in tow were out and about.
Across the street from the malecon were dozens of very authentic Mexican restaurants, except for one huge Burger King. One semi-outdoor café was filled with guests on an HAL tour……probably the one that included a lunch. We saw no Senor Frog's here, and no "spring breakers" were here. They usually go to the beaches and bars of Cabo San Lucas.
Having seen the coastline, we headed uphill on 5 de Mayo Street, and to the historical part of the city. The La Paz Cathedral is the centerpiece, and was about to have a wedding begin. Some clueless cruise ship passengers had mixed with the waiting wedding party outside the church doors. They should know better, since this is a big event in two people's life. These cruise people sure did not need to be in their personal photos.
We watched for a while from the main square across from the church, then continued on. Hoping to catch a glimpse of the bride, it is tradition for them to be a bit late for the ceremony. Walking down the side street was so steep, there were stairs in the sidewalks. It was far easier to go in the street instead, watching for oncoming traffic.
Back at the bus terminal, we were about to enter the parking lot, when we were directed to go through the front door of the building. This put us at the end of a very long line of folks waiting for the shuttle back to the ship. We were lined up against a wall, where there was a little shade. And it was only 12pm. We were surprised there were so many going back. Eventually there were two buses, and we were back to the pier before 1pm after waiting for 20 minutes in the hot parking lot.
On the way back through the tents, one of us found a matching silver bracelet for the opal set we bought in Mazatlan.
Sitting on our veranda with cold sodas, had its pluses. Until the sun began creeping up on the veranda, we did have a nice breeze blowing. Our room faced the terminal and the tents where we could watch the activity below. Then one of us spotted an osprey, that flew from the factory to some poles with obvious nests on top. The bird had something in its talons, and the best we could see, it was a fish. Sure is fun watching these birds of prey.
Even better, as we cleared the harbor, we saw a whale blowing for a nano second. It skimmed the surface, then went deeper, but not diving. It could have been a humpback or a gray whale. We will not know what type it was, since it never came back.
The ship left around 6pm, and we sailed out of the harbor on our way to Cabo San Lucas. Dinner for us was in the dining room where we had the pork chops, the first time this has been on the menu. A very tasty starter was the halibut quesadilla, and chicken noodle soup for one of us. Small desserts finished the meal nicely.
We finally made a stop in one of the Shops, and bought some jewelry, using some of the "have to spend" credit. Always fun.
Bill & Mary Ann
Saturday, April 23, 2022
Report # 126 Day at Sea Friday - April 22, 2022 Partly cloudy & 72 degrees
It sure was a laid back day with slightly cooler temperatures as we cross the Sea of Cortez. During his noontime talk, the Captain said to keep a watch out for whales and other sea creatures. He might be referring to the giant squid or whale sharks that live in these waters, but chances of seeing either of them is slim. Regardless, we did give it a try during the afternoon hours to no avail.
Most of our day was used catching up with yesterday's report and photos. After the long hike, one of us was not up to writing after dinner, and only squeezed out one sentence. It could wait for today. Now that we are heading west, the sun never did hit our veranda. Surprising how that keeps the temperature down. At one point, we had to wear sweatshirts.
Since the gala menu wasn't enticing, we made reservations in the Pinnacle Grill tonight. Most times, doing this last minute, doesn't work. But with less than 900 people onboard, there were plenty of openings especially at 8pm.
We went to lunch in the Lido, starting with salads. One of us went outside to order a pizza, then by the time we finished the salads, the pizza would be ready. Waiting for the buzzer to go off (never did), our pizza arrived, delivered personally by the pizza chef. She remembered us from the N. Statendam, and just wanted to say hi to both of us. What service, right? It seems that 2:30pm is the best time to go for lunch, since the crowd is gone.
Watching a movie kept us busy until dinner time, where we went to the Pinnacle Grill of course. Ordering the same items we always do, it all came on time and was very good. We shared a baked Alaska.
On the way back, we checked out the shops to see what we can buy to use up some more shipboard credit. It's a hard job, but somebody has to do it.
With this being the final gala evening, we had two Delft tiles for the Eurodam and N. Amsterdam ships, pillow chocolates, and for the first time……a towel animal (sea lion). Come to think about it, we never were given the choice of nightly towel creatures every day. We would have said no thanks anyway.
Tomorrow's port will be a new one for us……Pichilingue, Mexico for the port of La Paz. Should be fun.
Bill & Mary Ann
NO Pictures
Report # 125 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 7am-5pm Thursday - April 21, 2022 Sunny & 80 degrees
The ship arrived very early to the port of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. By the time we headed off for breakfast at 8am, we were already docked. Looking out the window on the port side, we could see the part of the harbor where other ships dock. Today there was the vessel, Hurtigruten Expeditions of the Roald Amundsen group. And other than a small cruise ship anchored offshore (not in use) by the name of Vidanta Elegant of Vidanta Cruises, there were no other cruise ships here.
For some reason, it had been decided not to change the clocks to local time. We just had to remember that in town, the time was one hour ahead. The only difference it might make is that lunch time might be over by the time we arrived to Old Town. And naturally, if we were not careful, we could miss the ship. All aboard was 4:30pm…..no exceptions.
There were a whole lot of tours offered today. Many were water-related like the catamaran sail and snorkel for 7 hours. Other water sports were swimming with either dolphins or sea lions for 3 hours, while a lunch with a city tour was 5 hours. Out of town treks went to the Sierra Madres with rappelling, a mule ride, and zip line for 6 hours. Really? And there was a horseback riding tour for 4 ½ hours, or an easy drive to Old Town with tequila for 5 hours. The prices ranged from $65 to $150. Many of these same tours were being sold independently in the cruise terminal.
Speaking of the cruise terminal, nothing looked at all familiar to us. A new building was blocking the view of the gardens we usually see. We figured that the last time we were here was in May of 2019, and this new shopping complex was just in the beginning of the construction. It is called Puerto Magico.
We left the ship around 10am with strict instructions regarding wearing of our masks. They would be required going off and on the ship, as well as being worn outside and inside all venues in the city. In other words, don't take them off. Obviously, the virus is still active here, as most all the locals we saw were wearing masks. It did take us a while to be funneled through this modern mall with high end shops, but eventually we did find the exit. We had bypassed the little park with parrots and souvenir kiosks, which is vacant now. At the far end, there still is a small flea market, which is accessible by turning at the corner gas station.
The weather today was pleasant early on, with mostly sunny skies, a breeze, and temps in the high 70's. It was not extremely humid, but it did heat up later on. Today would be the ultimate test of the new knee. The estimated walk to Old Town was 3 ½ miles, but going beyond to the Rio Cuale and the River Café, would add an additional ½ mile. Total miles walked one way was 4 miles. The saving grace was that it was all flat ground.
Three years has made a big difference in the local upgrades and developments. Back in the old days (not so long ago), there were no good sidewalks from the pier to town. Most of it was torn up concrete with stretches of sandy trails. Cobblestones as well. Today, we found about all of the sidewalks have been repaired and widened with added trees and even a separate bike lane. And many benches to sit, which really helped on the way back. The impossible hard to walk cobblestones had been floated with concrete with a much smoother surface.
We passed the familiar hotels and restaurants, noticing that many more new ones had popped up. Traffic was as busy as ever, even though today was a Thursday. This is where we came across the usual souvenir stores and the many Senor Frog's Restaurants and shops. Must have been five in total. Near to Old Town, the road was blocked for traffic and walking became easier along the malecon, or seaside walkway. A crowd was forming near the tall pole where the four Indians climb to the top and hang upside down and spin as they lower themselves to the ground. A fifth person stays on top and plays a flute. This is a tradition here, as well as in other neighboring countries, and has a story, which we do not know. Really neat to watch, locals passed around the $ bucket after the performance.
Another favorite photo op has to be the bronze statues that are placed along this malecon….some are bizarre to say the least. The most famous of these statues has to be the seahorse, that was lost during a massive hurricane here. Eventually, it had been replaced, but when the original was found under the water in the Banderos Bay, it was resurrected. Now they have two.
Near the main square and the Cathedral, were extra- large wooden rocking horses for the kids to ride. Vendors were selling everything from iced drinks to popcorn, and fresh fruit. And the always stands of jewelry, silver or not, or beaded, are popular souvenirs here. Our destination was lunch at the River Café located on the Isla Cuale Island in the center of the Rio Cuale. Hopefully it was opened.
Getting there, we found a new exit off of the bridge that spans the green river. Yes, they were opened and we got seats right over the river. The patio gazebo in the center was closed. It looked like it had been damaged. But it was a great spot to see the many iguanas that were always here.
They used to scare the heck out of our favorite port lecturer, Barbara Haenni, who always dined here when we visited Puerto Vallarta. Sadly, she is no longer with us, but her memory will always be in our minds.
Our lunch was really good, starting with Pacifico beers. They come in the new sized cans these days, but are priced right…..about $2.50 USD. The first thing you are served here is a gravy boat of fresh chopped salsa with a bowl of thick tortilla chips. Absolutely one of our favorite appetizers. We added one order of cheese nachos, also good. Ending the meal, we had a shared serving of a rich vanilla ice cream drizzled with a stream of chocolate sauce. A roaming mariachi player moved around the many tables as we dined, which is common in the more traditional Mexican eateries. It was so pleasant sitting under the ceiling fan, we hated to move. We asked the waiter (owner) where the iguanas were. He said that during the last hurricane, they were washed out to sea. There had been a lot of damage at the time, taking out the bridge as well. We bet in time, the iguanas will be back in their manmade fern garden below the patio. Time to go, it was already 2pm, and we had a long walk ahead of us.
It took us about 2 ½ hours to make it back to the ship by 4:15pm. All aboard was 4:30pm, so we did not have the time to stop at Fiesta Americana Hotel this time. It is fairly close to the pier, but it is always nice to sit and sip ice cold sodas by their pool. One last stop at the Puerto Magico and Diamonds International, where one more charm was collected. The vendor asked what I thought the charm was, and I guessed it right…..the seahorse. Totally guessing, he said I may have cheated, but no, I learned the seahorse was famous here after it was missing at sea.
We had plenty of ice cold sodas when we got back to the room. Planting ourselves on our lounges, we enjoyed the sail out of the harbor, while one of us proceeded to work on pictures. As for me? I stayed planted on that lounge until it got chilly.
Dinner was in the dining room with the usual starters and one lasagna, and one green chicken – not really verde, but an added splash of guacamole on the side. Both were good.
Tomorrow will be a day at sea……thank goodness.
Bill & Mary Ann
Friday, April 22, 2022
Report #124 Mazatlan, Mexico 9am-5pm Wednesday April 20, 2022 Sunny And Hot 85 Degrees
The first time we visited Mazatlan was while on a 7 day Sitmar cruise back in the 70's. There was hardly anything there that resembles what we see today. It was more a fishing village than anything else. Tourism was a long ways off at that time.
The N. Amsterdam arrived early, and we were able to watch the entrance into the harbor while we dined in the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast. Even though we have been here a few times over the years, it still did not jog our memories. Compared to the Mexican ports we just visited, this is a much larger commercial facility.
The ship was cleared by 9:15am, and we watched the tour groups file off. As they left the gangway, a food and drug-sniffing dog was used to check each passenger. For safety reasons, we were required to take an open-air trolley between the ship and the cruise terminal. And it said as much on the front of the When & Where newsletter today. This is the first time the request to carry your ship card, a photo ID, and the Covid vaccination card was not printed on the first page. Hopefully a sign that things are getting better. We still had to wear masks leaving and re-joining the ship, as well as in the shops onshore. We simply left ours on.
We left the ship around 10am, and found the temperature to be a tolerable 78 degrees. It was going to be a mostly sunny day, but eventually hot in the sun. Humidity was not bad.
Following the blue line in the sidewalks, we began our trek towards Old Town. Walking through the terminal after the shuttle ride was brief. In fact, one of us almost did not get out of the shuttle as part of the hem of a blouse was hooked on the metal part of the seat. Now what is the likelihood that we would get the shuttle that had this flaw? And that one of us would sit in that seat? I said I can't get up, I thought quietly, but the lady in front turned around and offered her hands to pull me up. Had to explain I was stuck, and would rip the blouse. Working the fabric backwards, it got loose and I was out of there in a flash. Lucky me…..
The door at the end of the terminal dumped us right in the middle of a taxi war to get your business. Must have said no thanks a hundred times. They were not too pushy. We looked for the blue line, and found it started outside the terminal. Part of it was a painted line, but most of it was like a series of rubber strips leading us through a residential neighborhood. Actually, these homes were well-maintained and more than likely under surveillance. There were three passengers walking well ahead of us, so we were not alone. Never at any time did we feel nervous about our surroundings. Several years ago, Mazatlan had some unfortunate violence aimed at tourists, and for this reason, this port was dropped from all itineraries for several years. We were glad to see it back.
Walking on a tree-lined street, we came across a small Catholic Church, Maria Del Mar. Around there, we took a right turn, and followed this street until we reached a stop light. Right across the highway, the historic route began, starting with the Angela Peralta Theater. There happened to be a ship's tour group there as we walked by. That's where we were approached by an English-speaking lady, who could have been mistaken for one of the tourists. She pointed out the nearby sights we should not miss, then went into a talk about Cielito Lindo, the high end jewelry store in this area. Handing us a flyer with a 15% off discount, she went on to the next person she spotted. Passing the Machado Square, we headed straight for the Cathedral Basilica of Mazatlan. Entering a huge square, we saw Republic Square first where a truck load of military police were roaming around the area, armed with rifles no less. There would be no "smash and grab" robberies here for sure. The Basilica was the main point of this entire block and worthwhile seeing the interior. We took many photos discreetly.
If we had gone another block up the street, we would have found the Pino Suarez Market, where, we were told this morning, you buy your ingredients in the market downstairs, then go on the upper level, and prepare your own dishes. It is most popular with the crew, and we heard that today many of them went there to cook.
Following the jewelry vendor's directions, we located Calle Angel Flores, where a row of colorful houses are located. It was near here, that we came across a nice couple from the ship, who showed us a city map, which we failed to see at the terminal. The lady said her husband had picked up an extra one, and offered to give it to us. Yes, we would love it. She added that she had no idea why he picked it up, so it was meant to be to help us out.
We came out at the Pacific Ocean near the Little Deer statue and many nice-looking restaurants and hotels. Down below the road was Olas Altas Beach to the left, and Olivera Tent Sea Pool below. Many statues lined the roadway such as Dolphin Woman, Jose Angel and Salvador Lizarrugo statues, and the Mazatlan Woman. In the same area was the Monument to the Diver, who we did see dive headfirst from the top to a tiny pool of water below. Crazy. Across the road in the granite wall, was a red-painted gate that was named the Devil's Cave or La Cueva del Diablo. Actually there is nothing there but the facade, but it a good photo op.
Goddess of the Seas was another monument with a very large one by the name of Life's Continuity with two statues of a woman and a man with a series of dolphins over a fountain. It was quite impressive. From here, the road started to go downhill towards the Sister Cities Park. However, knowing we had to hike back uphill was enough to turn us around and head back. Many vendors were in the area of the high diver, and one fellow with a case of silver items caught our eye. Checking it out, he wanted over $100 for a complete set of an opal hummingbird pendant, a bracelet and matching earrings. Way too much, although the silver was 925, but opals? Not so sure about that. He dropped his price every five seconds until he arrived at $50. Not sure I needed a bracelet, he would not bargain for the three piece set. Telling him we would think about it, we walked further down the hill. It took maybe five minutes, when he came running after us with the pieces in a bag. The price ended up at $25. Everyone was happy.
From here, we back-tracked, utilizing a few benches on the way back. At Plaza Machado, some folks asked us for directions to the Blue Line, since they had taxied from the ship to the Cathedral. Eventually, they followed us back through the local streets which were basically empty by now.
Looking through the terminal shops for a few minutes, we went outside and took the next shuttle back. By 1:30pm, we were enjoying ice cold sodas on our veranda. And ended up with some snacks instead of a Lido lunch. Since we had made reservations for the Tamarind tonight, we wanted to be good and hungry.
The ship left around 5pm after the last of the tour folks came back late. Once we were through the entrance to the harbor, we turned south heading towards the next port of Puerto Vallarta. This kept the blazing sun in our room until it set before dinner time. Many boobys appeared as well as pelicans, diving for flying fish and other sea delicacies.
Dinner in the Tamarind was excellent tonight. There were very few diners left, so we had extra attention from the staff. Starters were spring rolls and pot stickers. Followed by ramen soup and Thai salad. One of us had the wasabi-crusted tenderloin, and the other had the Mongolian lamb. Both were mouth-watering tasty and tender. Really full, we decided to try the mango posset, but sharing just one. It was not too sweet and just right. With all of the walking we had done today, we felt we deserved a treat.
Tomorrow will be another hiking day in Puerto Vallarta, hoping it will not be too hot.
Bill & Mary Ann
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
Report #123 Manzanillo, Mexico 8am-4pm April 19, 2022 Cloudy And Hot 80 Degrees
It was noticeably cooler and less humid as the ship arrived to the port of Manzanillo, Mexico early this morning. Of course, as the day progressed, it did warm up nicely. The entire coastline has been shrouded with a sea haze ever since we began sailing from Puerto Chiapas, maybe even sooner than that. Today was no exception. From the looks of the hillsides, we think the mist of this haze helps the native brush, as it does not look as if it has rained here in quite a while. In fact, we think this is the end of the dry season, and the rain will come in June. According to the TV screen, the temps were in the low 70's at 9am.
Leaving the room for breakfast, we found a photo from yesterday's Mariner Event in our mail slot. It was the largest size available, and of course, it was complimentary. We waited until 10am, when all of the tour groups went off. Shore excursions today were a drive to cities Colima and Comala for 6 ¾ hours. Looking at a map of the state, these towns are located further north, and a long ride back & forth. There was a salt-fruit-clay bricks tour to see how it was collected or made for 5 ¼ hours. A Manzanillo shop and beach stop was 6 ½ hours, while an open-air ride and beach excursion was 4 ½ hours. They ranged from $50 to $90. Not bad, but a lot of bus riding for sure.
We walked the town from one end to the other, and with the tour groups gone, we were about the only cruise ship people in the crowd. The malecon or main walking street is quite spacious. It included many patios with seating, a fountain that operates with music, a place to watch the dozens of fishing boats, and monuments of all kinds. At one end is an avenue dedicated to the signs of the Zodiac with modern art sculptures. The centerpiece has to be the gigantic figure of a blue sailfish. Actually, Manzanillo is the sailfish capital of not only Mexico, but in the world.
The naval facilities were in this section of the malecon, and when we began walking in the area, we were asked to leave ….nicely. Had it been roped off or fenced, we never would have walked there. Our destination was the large church we could see towering over the downtown. Going out the gated road, we strolled over to the Cathedral. In order to access the upper level, there was a very long flight of stairs. Only one of us was willing to do that. Too many stairs are not my friend these days. Going up….not so bad. But going down….not good. Many photos were taken, and that would be just fine with me.
Locating what looked to be the main street, we walked past numerous small shops, bars, a hotel, restaurants, and food stalls. It was very busy with locals this morning. All of the vendors were masked, but not all of the people. Once again, we are not taking any chances and stayed masked most of the time. Every business required a mask however. One thing they have a lot of here is shoe stores. And just the type one of us was searching for. The only problem is that almost no one wears a size 10, and highest the sizes was 9, of course. I have much better luck in India, or at home.
By now, the skies were clearing up, and the sun was getting stronger. The breeze in town was much less, so we headed back towards the malecon, and eventually back to the ship. As we entered the fenced entrance, our temperatures were taken and we had to sanitize our hands. Why going back in, we don't know, except there were some souvenir tables set up there. One of the vendors asked us where the people from the ship were. Our guess was that none of the tours were back yet. Guess her sales were really slow. We noticed that some of the offerings were definitely Guatemalan, not Mexican.
Little did we know it, but the best part of the day was yet to come. Having gotten involved with down loading pictures, we stayed in our room having snacks for lunch. We popped in and out of the veranda to watch the harbor traffic, since we were facing the water being on the starboard side of the ship. Now, if anyone would have told us we would see a whale today, we might have thought they were crazy. But see a whale? We sure did, and right off of our veranda no less.
A naval vessel had just passed our room, which caught our eye. So we went out to get a photo, and there was a large splash across from us near the bulkhead. It had to be something big, then suddenly, there was the whale breaching. Not a fully grown one, we suspect it was a young humpback. Well, it put on a show for all of us on this side for an hour. Then it stopped and appeared to be resting….floating like a log. Occasionally it blew its spout gently, like it was sleeping. Very odd to see just one, we wondered if it had lost its mother and the rest of the pod.
A few local boats, including military, came close to take photos, which woke it up every time. The whale stayed all afternoon, until our side thrusters were activated, stirring up the water. The whale strayed out beyond the bulkhead, and turned into the large bay. We never saw it again, but we did see some turtles as we sailed out of the huge harbor.
The ship left after 4pm, and we did watch for more whales, but saw none. The Captain had mentioned that it is not uncommon to see humpbacks as well as other varieties on this coast. We shall keep an eye out for them all the way to San Diego now.
Dinner was in the dining room with one bowl of chicken noodle (spaghetti) soup, a Caesar salad, and one entrée of cordon bleu and one fettucine with Bolognese sauce and shredded beef rib meat. It was delicious. And we shared as well. The head chef made another visit to the tables, and we thanked him for the different dished tonight. Finally, dessert was one rocky road and a neopolitan dish of ice cream.
Tomorrow's port will be Mazatlan, another stop we have not made for years. And this evening the clocks went back one hour. We really like that.
Bill & Mary Ann
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Report #122 Day At Sea Enroute To Manzanillo, Mexico Monday April 18, 2022 My Birthday
First and foremost……Happy Birthday Bill! And what a better way to spend a birthday than on a ship?
Got to breakfast at 8:30am to find the restaurant full of guests already. Now that we have a week left, it sees that everyone is making an effort to do it all while they can. We lost our window table, but got a good one on the end of a four top. Guess by doing that, we displaced someone else.
The Mariner Recognition Event was held in the Gallery Bar at 11am for the top Mariners onboard. This is the medallion awards, where the guests are honored for their days sailed. We would guess that there were 30 people invited at the most. Arriving 5 minutes before the event, we had a chance to speak with the Captain and General Hotel Manager for a few minutes. We had met Captain Jeroen back last September when we did a 7 day Alaska voyage. At that time, cruising was in its test mode after a long time of no sailing. The Captain mentioned that he felt the Zuiderdam was being used for the 2023 world voyage, because there was such a big demand for veranda rooms. Makes sense. Then we asked about skipping the port of Corinto, Nicaragua a few days ago. He said it was their government that was refusing all cruise ships entry into the port due to Covid. Also made sense. Then a few more guests arrived in line, and we moved into the room. Beverages were served as we joined two nice ladies from Victoria, Canada.
We expected the same type of awards ceremony as we attended on the N. Statendam, but it did not happen that way. As the only President's Club members onboard, we were introduced by name first, but no days sailed mentioned, which was fine with us. We had our photo taken with the officers, and took our seats. From there on, the medal awardees were invited to pose with the Captain and Hotel Manager, but no mention of names or days achieved. In other words, it was a non-event for them, which was too bad. The guests had received their medals in their rooms, and asked to wear them to the gathering. We even saw platinum medals, which is 700 days sailed. That should have at least earned a recognition by name. Oh well, we know this would not have happened on Jonah's watch.
A surprise to us, we had been recognized by a lady who looked familiar to us. She came over after the gathering and reminded us of meeting on previous world cruises. She knew all the old timers we know who still cruise. She said she will be on the next one in January, same as us. That will make Barb happy since we recall they were Crow's Nest buddies on the Amsterdam. While we were chatting, two more couples came by to talk. They wanted to know how many days it took to be in the President's Club, which we informed them it was 1400 pure sea days. Eleanor may have had 1100 days, and she felt it was do-able for her. The others didn't have near that much.
During the afternoon, we had numerous sightings of turtles, birds, dolphins, and even a school of sailfish. They mostly stayed under the water, but when one jumped, there was no mistaking what it was. Of course, that kept us on watch for a lot of the afternoon before and after lunch. The Lido was the place for salads and pizza, of course. It certainly was not crowded in there at 2:30pm. The waiter we see every time we dine there, had brought us two medium plates for our pizza that was yet to come. Another waiter, who was busy cleaning tables, must have taken our plates while we ate salad. Neither of us noticed, and thought we were losing our minds. Nope, the crew are just extra good at doing their job. Our first waiter brought us new ones, which we guarded.
While downloading photos, one of us took the time to study the TV grid. Finally discovered that the port talks given on the ship were recorded and put on the room TV's. Duh….only took over 100 days to figure that out. Wonder what else can be found at the touch of the TV remote??? By the way, the TV seems to be working much better, and we suspect their equipment had been tweaked.
During the afternoon, a tray arrived from room service with one frosted chocolate cupcake for the birthday guy. It came with a card from the Captain. The laundry that was turned in this morning, also arrived….same day service. It has been so nice having this perk.
We also got a letter describing disembarkation day, although it is a week away. We will be in no big rush to get off, since our 1:30pm flight was changed to 4pm. We had asked Teresa if she knew of anything that was delaying the ship's departure that day, and she said no, nothing had been changed. It was business as usual at the San Diego pier terminal.
Dinner had some good choices tonight with some Mexican touches. Carne asadas with rice and beans was our entrees. Starters were chicken noodle soup, salad, and phyllo purses filled with spinach and cheese and ricotta cheese and sun dried tomatoes. All good. We were not going to order dessert, but suddenly, several waiters arrived with the same chocolate fudge cake we had last night. Of course they sang the special song they love to sing, and wished Bill a wonderful birthday. Very nice of them to remember, and a great way to end the day.
Tomorrow's port will be Manzanillo, a stop we have only made once. Be nice to go back to see what we remember.
Bill & Mary Ann
Monday, April 18, 2022
Report #121 Huatulco, Mexico Easter Sunday April 17, 2022 8am-5pm Sunny, Hot And Humid 85 Degrees
Usually the ship approaches the bay of Huatulco around 9am or later. Today we arrived before 7am. This has always been a nice sail into the bay with the bow opened for viewing. We have seen numerous dolphins, birds, and even turtles on the approach. Today we were lucky to see some pods of lazy dolphins before we docked.
By the way, Happy Easter to all! It is going to be a hot and humid one for us today. We started the morning with Easter mimosas in the Pinnacle Grill. There were perhaps eight other diners in there, since at 10:30am, an Easter brunch was planned, with the charge of $25, or $35 with unlimited mimosas. Those who will do "unlimited" will probably spend the afternoon with a long nap. Anyway, when the tray of tempting pastries arrived, we had to laugh because there were little candy-coated chocolate eggs on them. Our waiter brought us each three more of the eggs, which was nice.
Talking to Mercedes, we asked about possibly using our complimentary dinner vouches for lunch in the Pinnacle Grill. She checked on it for us, and came back saying it was not allowed. The normal cost for lunch is $15, but a dinner costs $39. The manager said that was in the favor of the company, then said she would make an exception for us, and accept the free voucher. On the Amsterdam, we always had lunch for the price of one voucher. Things have changed, haven't they? We thanked her, and admitted that when we eat a good breakfast, we seldom have lunch until after 2pm……long after the PG restaurant is closed.
While we had the manager here, we inquired about our ability to look at the daily dinner menu on the room TV. Recently, it has not been posted until late in the day. She immediately went to her desk, and pulled out the menu for this evening. Bringing it to us, we decided it was a good evening to go here instead. With that, she made our reservations, keeping this same table for us. How's that for service?
Back in our room, the florist, Joseph, presented us with a new stunning bouquet of flowers. Now we will be able to enjoy them until the end of the trip. All we need now are the 17 diet sodas, and the PC perk will be completed.
Tours today included many water-related activities such as a catamaran to five bays with swimming breaks for 2 ½ hours, deep sea fishing for 4 hours, or a bird watch hike for 3 hours in the hot sun. Lastly, there was a foodie tour at the nearby town for 3 ½ hours. Prices went from $60 to $190.
We went off of the ship by 10:30pm while watching several double-decker catamarans leaving the marina filled with locals. The guides were speaking Spanish, so we knew they were not HAL tours. We had hoped there would be a deep sea fishing contest happening, but once we rounded the corner of the marina, we saw nothing. After all, it is Easter Sunday, and the time for families to spend the day having fun.
We checked out the central park where a band of young musicians were playing for the crowd. Very upbeat, it made the littlest ones of the families dance in place. In the meantime, a pair of pretty birds flew overhead, ones we have never spotted before. They resembled a large quail with long tail feathers. We will have to "google" them when we get back onboard.
Next to the park was their marketplace full of souvenirs, much of which is beach-related for the little kids. Going through the stalls, we exited the opposite end. Wearing masks made it difficult to breathe in the humid shops, so we left without buying anything. From here we continued towards the beach.
Food is a big deal here. The port area has to have the largest concentration of outdoor eateries than most of the places we have visited. Their menus lean heavily towards the seafood items, but chicken and beef dishes are available too. The most sold drinks are Margaritas, mojitos, and beer. Lots of beer. The best restaurant in our opinion is Vel Mar, a tiered restaurant off of the beach. Where else can you enjoy Mexican cuisine while dogs, cats, and even chickens walk under the chairs and the tables looking for scraps? On past visits, we ordered a platter of assorted wood grilled meats and chicken. One serving was enough to feed an army. Too early for lunch, the vendors tried to seat us at a premium table, even though we were just looking at the menu. On the walk here, we must have been approached by a dozen people trying to seat us in their cafes. There were so many families out and about today, we would hesitate going into a crowded restaurant. No social distancing here, and few locals were wearing masks.
By now, we were melting from the heat, and decided to go back. Our veranda was in the shade with a nice breeze, the best place to be for the afternoon. It was fun watching the banana boats being pulled by speed boats. They could fit up to ten people, mostly grown men. We never saw so many speed boats, jet skis, water bikes, and kayaks as we saw today. Water taxis brought folks around the starboard side of the ship, getting rather close at times. Doing computer work, we looked up those birds we saw and learned they were white-throated magpie jays, a dry forest native bird. They can live from 15 to 25 years, and be tame in captivity if given a large aviary in which to fly. Funny with all of the times we have been here, we never saw these birds before.
We had a light lunch in the room, then the ship left the port by 5pm tooting the horn as we passed another bay with a huge resort in the center. Once we were 15 minutes out to sea, we began to see dolphins, but this time they were not lazy, they jumped and cavorted around within the pods. Always nice to see. Then we spotted what appeared to be a large group of sting rays right under the surface. The ship was moving at a faster clip now, and we passed the rays rather quickly. Hard to film, they never surfaced. The hunt for turtles turned up with none.
The final photo of the day was the setting sun, a most unusual one in the sea mist. An unexpected sighting of more dolphins surprised us this far out off of the coast. Good way to end the day. Oh wait, a better way was a gala dinner in the Pinnacle Grill at 8pm. It certainly was not crowded, since most guests choose to dine earlier these days. More room for us and a handful of officers as well. Mercedes came by to see how our day went. Her Easter brunch went off well, and she hinted that there was a surprise for Bill before we left. Of course, we sort of knew where she was going with that, and we were correct. The waiters brought a birthday cake to our table, even though it is not until tomorrow. Knowing we were not ordering dessert, they also brought a lid with 2 sets of silver wear. We thanked them, and called it a night. Another nice day.
We will have a day at sea tomorrow, a well-earned one, we might add.
Bill & Mary Ann
Sunday, April 17, 2022
Report #120 Puerto Chiapas, Mexico 8am-5pm Saturday April 16, 2022 Sunny, Hot And Humid 85 Degrees
The port of call for today was Puerto Chiapas, our first stop in Mexico. We arrived before 8am, and we were cleared by 8:30am. No doubt about it, the weather was going to be another hot and humid day. There were a lot of clouds, but not as bad as yesterday. There was a chance that we would see blue skies.
We had the best seats in the Pinnacle Grill at breakfast…..right at the window above the gangway. Many officers lined up on the spacious pier, while the excursion groups filed off towards their waiting buses. Today, the tour folks were exiting from the forward gangway.
A local dance group arrived to put on a performance. They were dressed in traditional Mexican costumes, which consisted of long pants or skirts, long sleeve shirts, a blanket sarape over their shoulders, and wearing strange-looking straw hats. Considering the temperature was already in the 80's, they must have been melting dressed as they were. When the dancing began, it must have been unbearable, but you would never know it. They continued dancing with the help of a band for at least one hour. Now the funny thing is that we could not hear the sound of the music, as we were inside the ship. We can only assume that the dance moves matched the "Mexican Hat Dance". Standing way behind this group, were a half dozen of our crew members, mimicking their dance, trying to keep up with the beat. Interesting what you can see from our vantage point.
We don't know how many folks there were on tour, but we suppose that Valerie, the Cruise & Travel director, had done a good job explaining that there is very little to do and see in this port. There was a drive to a coffee plantation for 7 hours, a trip to ruins & nearby Tapachula for 4 ½ hours, and ruins with a chocolate factory for 4 ½ hours. Or you could see Mayan stone carvings with a stop at the chocolate factory for 4 hrs. The prices ranged from $80 to $200 per person. There used to be a mangrove boat ride with a stop at a banana packing factory, but that was not listed. Nor were they listed for our last two ports.
So we left the ship around noon, having completed computer work. From our veranda, we faced the opposite shore of the harbor. What a treat we had watching the bird show which included pelicans, frigates, vultures and hundreds of gulls. Not only that, a beach across the way was filling up with locals, who were already in the water by 8am. Most of them did not wear swimsuits, but shorts and t-shirts…including the young girls and boys.
Once we left the gangway, there was a desk set up where the local authorities took our health forms. Then we were free to explore the area. Just as we entered the huge palapa, another folkloric show was about to begin in the central pit. This was a different group, and they were accompanied by a marimba player on the xylophone. The ladies danced first, then were joined by the men. Most all of the onlookers were locals here for the day we assumed.
This space was surrounded by many shops, mostly boutique-type. There were souvenirs, ceramics, clothing, and most of all……jade and amber jewelry. In the one and only air-conditioned store, we found a beaded three piece jewelry set in blues and purples, different from yesterday's choices. About four of the shops were closed.
Walking out the back of the palapa, we came across the taxi and bus stop. There was a shuttle running to nearby Tapachula for a 30 minute ride each way. Last time we did this, it was $5 each way. Today, it was probably more, but we could not see the price on their sign. Going a bit further there was a portal that led to the main highway. From here on out, it was desert. Hot and dry as can be.
Following the well-landscaped walkway, we enjoyed the shade of the many palms and indigenous trees. One of these trees happened to be the cashew. Several years ago, while on the mangrove tour, the guide stopped to show us the fruit of this tree. It resembled a smooth-skinned orange fruit, but had a seed growing on the bottom of it. That seed turned out to be a cashew, which is not a true nut at all. The fruit was used to ferment into a liquor, while the seeds or cashews were leached then roasted. If they were eaten raw, they can be toxic. We have bought fresh cashews while in Brazil, and found they tasted much different than the roasted and salted ones we love.
As we approached the smaller palapa, we expected to see many folks under the overhang drinking beer and eating nachos. Well, there was no one there, and the place looked completely closed. Now we wonder if it was due to today being a holiday, or did they not survive the Covid war? There was no one round that spoke English, so we could not ask. The pool was still there, and filled. However the water looked murky, and no one was in it. The lounges were still scattered on the lawn, and there were people from the ship in them. Don't really know why, other than it was someplace different. If they were waiting for bar service, they would have a very long wait.
Since there was nothing more to do here, we headed back to the air-conditioned ship. On the way, we spotted a group of locals touring the pier area with a guide. Or they were there to see the ship up close and personal.
Lunch was a light one with snacks in our room with lots of diet soda. Even though we were out and about for over an hour, we were hot and thirsty. We worked on photos, as enjoyed the view of families having fun, as well as the bird show……all from the veranda. When the sun began creeping up on our veranda, we had to head back inside.
The Captain came on at 4:30pm with his late afternoon talk, and said tomorrow's weather will be much the same as todays. The next port will be Huatulco, a fairly short distance away. The ship left the port around 5pm, and this time the Captain blew his horn several times. Seems the locals on the beach and pier were urging him on to blow it. They loved it. As we got out of the breakwater, we could see the strong waves crashing the seawall along the coast line. Bet there is a dangerous riptide here, and you will see no one in these waters, or even on the beaches.
Our TV is still having problems with freeze-frame. Since no one else has complained, it must be our TV. Or the satellite connection is not tweaked correctly. By the time they figure it out, we will be on our way home.
We discovered that the online menu was posted on the Navigator site, but not on the room TV. Checking it, we found that it was spaghetti and meatballs and prime rib night. And that's what we ordered, along with starters of araccini meatballs, salads, and entrees. Absolutely no room for dessert.
Bill And Mary Ann
Saturday, April 16, 2022
Report #119 Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala 8am-6pm Friday April 15, 2022 Overcast With Some Sun 81 Degrees
The N. Amsterdam arrived early to the port of Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala , and the first thing we noticed was that the old floating pier had been fixed. Good thing, because we really did not want to ride in those small crammed buses from the loading pier to the old pier complex. The ship was cleared after 8am, and from the Pinnacle Grill, we watched as the "sticky" people (tour guests with numbered stickers) fled off the gangway. We heard there were over 360 passengers on those tours today. They were given a send-off by a group of 10 officers and front desk staffers. By the way, there were only three excursions offered. One was a transfer to colonial Antigua, with the day on your own. Longer tours were a ride to a coffee plantation, and another a ride to see the Mayan ruins. These tours may have included a stop at Antigua on the way back. Prices ranged from $70 to $130. We did an HAL coffee plantation excursion several years ago, but due to traffic, by the time we hit Antigua, most everything was closed. We made it back to the ship by the skin of our teeth, although they did say the ship would not leave without us. That's not always the case.
There was a crew drill at 9:30am, which lasted an hour. We left the ship around 10:30am, walking into warm and muggy weather with a nice breeze. Here are a few tidbits of info about this country. The official name is Republic of Guatemala. Bordering countries are Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Belize. The Pacific Ocean borders the south coast, while the Caribbean Sea is near the Belize border.
It is a land of 33 volcanoes, three of which are active. The area is about 190 square kilometers with a population of 15,073,300 citizens (2013). The capital is Guatemala City and the currency is the Quetzel, same as their national bird. Guatemala is also called the Land of Eternal Spring, since the average temperature is 72 degrees year round. Hotter along the coast at 77 degrees, it is cooler in the mountains at 65 degrees. The language is Spanish with Mayan touches, and the religion is Christianity. Finally the name Guatemala means place of many trees.
OK, we entered the palapa, which is called the welcome lobby. At the side desk, we got some excellent maps and gifts of woven friendship bracelets and a pouch of worry dolls. The story with the dolls is that you tell each tiny doll your troubles, put them under your pillow, then your worries are gone by morning. Nice concept if it really works. Worth a try, right?
Once again, it's Easter Week as well as Good Friday, so this complex was busy today. The place was full of families from town that were going out to lunch at the restaurant. We walked around the souvenir tents, and did notice that many of them were missing. Some of the vendors were really aggressive. They do not take your "we are just looking right now" as an answer. We have to be careful with what we buy now, because of the weight of the suitcases. No wooden giraffes or horses will be in our possession today. One of us was looking for a tiny leather pill purse, small enough for the little pocket in the jeans. Only one lady had a variety of sizes including the one I wanted. Needing a new water bottle holder, we made a deal for the two items. $10. That was the extent of our shopping today. There was a really attractive multi-colored jade and silver choker that caught our eye, but the price was just too high. Of course the value of silver has gone up, so that's why the price hike. Or, it could be that as a group, we are a trapped audience. Decided I could live without it.
From here we made our way to the Pez Vela Restaurant, which was already getting full of customers…..mostly locals. And it was only 11:30am. In this humid heat, beer drinking starts early. Usually we do eat here, but not today….just too crowded for our comfort. By the way, we had to wear masks here, and most of the locals were masked as well. Obviously, the virus is not gone yet.
There are iguanas on the 60 slip marina side of this complex, so we went to see them. All we spotted were small ones, who were expert at hiding. There is a parking lot at this end, and many folks were arriving for lunch. They ended up scaring whatever was around. Actually, we have seen more of these iguanas on this trip than any other time. Having seen it all, we headed back to the pier, and back on the air conditioned ship. By now, it was around 12:30pm.
Our veranda had shade and a breeze….good place to cool down with sodas. Lunch in the Lido followed with a salad and a shared pizza. They had left more stations opened for the crowd of guests coming back from the tours. Even if they had eaten lunch on their tours, they still hit the Lido. Several more waiters recognized us from the Amsterdam, and they stopped to chat. They can't seem to do enough, which is greatly appreciated. When the timer went off for the pizza, a waiter insisted on getting it for us.
The ship left the pier around 6pm, with no toots of the horn. In fact, we have not heard any toots recently. Wonder if there are rules regarding that practice? Before dinner, we called the front desk to ask why our room TV was acting strange. Like cutting in and out or freeze-framing. The gal said she would summon our room steward to check it out, not mentioning if this was a shipwide problem. So Ronny knocked on the door, and we explained the problem. He came in and watched for a few minutes, and of course, nothing unusual happened. Figures. Did it fix itself? The TV has been acting up since we left the Panama Canal, and we assumed it was a satellite thing. He promised to report it.
Dinner was not what we expected as a rotation that repeats itself. Many items are different from what we had on the N. Statendam. Tonight they offered leg of lamb, and that sounded good to us. It was served on a bed of mashed potatoes, with what we thought was snow peas and carrots. The carrots were in a mash of sweet potatoes and garbanzo beans seasoned with a lot of ginger. Not really our cup of tea, we did leave most of it. Saved a little room for desserts of a pear strudel and apple crisp. Ice cream on the side. By the time we left the dining room at 9:10pm, the dining room was almost empty of customers.
The clocks went ahead an hour tonight, so tomorrow will be here quicker. The port of call for tomorrow will be Puerto Chiapas, Mexico.
Bill & Mary Ann
Friday, April 15, 2022
Report #118 Day At Sea Enroute To Puerto Quetzal Thursday April 14, 2022 Partly Cloudy With Some Sun 80 Degrees
We should have been in Corinto, Nicaragua this morning. But it had been cancelled. Why, we still do not know, since no explanation was given. We did receive the port charges back on our account, and they added up to $6. If there is any port town that is untouched by tourism, it has to be Corinto, a sleepy village on the Nicaraguan coastline. We think this port is the only access to shipping traffic for the country. Visiting here is a step back in time.
The low lying areas near here are mostly used for growing crops and raising livestock. It is the mountain regions that attract the tourists. Excursions include visits to the volcanoes and coffee plantations with a stop in colonial Antigua. We have done these tours more than once , but usually choose to stay in town now . We will miss the many vendors that set up their portable tables with souvenirs much like what we see in Puntarenas. Only much better prices. Over the years, we have bought a few wooden salad bowl sets and wooden carving boards.
Oh well, it has been reported that there may be problems with the actual pier, or that there is political unrest making it unsafe for cruise passengers. Covid could also contribute to the closure. Whatever the reason, HAL knows what is best for everyone.
So it is a day at sea for relaxing, and that's exactly what we did beginning with breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill. We got to chatting with Mercedes, the manager. She was on the N. Statendam when we were back in December. Only then, she was working in the Tamarind Restaurant until January 2nd, when she switched ships. She still remembered us, although she looked familiar to us, wearing the mask makes an ID difficult. It never fails to impress us how the crew members remember the guests. Anyway, she told us that the kitchen on deck two was having work done, and the staff had to get everything from the kitchen on deck three. Even the dining room breakfast was being served on deck three. Maybe this is the reason that the daily dinner menu was not changed on the TV today. It did not happen until 6pm, well after the dining room opened.
We spent some time in the room working on the computer, and taking more photos of brown and masked boobys. If it were not for the veranda, we would never had gotten the shots we did. We stopped for lunch in the Lido with salads and sandwiches. Around 3pm, we had a knock on the door and had a delivery of a plate of petit fours, a gift from the Executive Chef. What a nice gesture.
Today we got a letter that had health declaration forms for entering Puerto Chiapas, Mexico. We needed to fill them out, answering some simple health questions, and giving them the name of the vaccine we received. Once we get cleared in Puerto Chiapas, we will hand over this certificate upon exiting the ship.
Dinner was in the dining room with last minute choices to make. We had appetizers of crab and corn fritters and the tomato mozzarrella cheese plate. Black bean soup and salad nicoise was next, followed by a beef roulade and the everyday chicken. The chicken won out over the beef dish because the beef had different seasoning that could not be identified. One scoop of butter pecan ice cream ended the meal.
Tomorrow we will be in Guatemala. Wonder if their pier has been fixed?
Bill & Mary Ann
Thursday, April 14, 2022
Report #117 Puntarenas, Costa Rico Wednesday April 13, 2022 6am To 6pm Cloudy And Very Hot 85 -90 Degrees
The N. Amsterdam arrived to the bay of Puntarenas, Costa Rica, around 5:30am. It was earlier than the usual time, due to the tide and currents, according to the Captain's talk yesterday. In addition, he added that the ship would need to leave the port after 4:30pm, also due to the tides. And if any of the guests came late, they would miss the ship, and need to pick it up in Guatemala. And even though the When & Where paper stated the all aboard time was 4:30pm, Valerie announced that it was now 5:30pm. Not sure everyone heard that, but at least many will not be late. It's the bus trips that they had to worry about, as they are always late.
Breaking down some money into smaller bills at the front desk, we discovered that 500 people were on tours today. That will mean fewer folks in town. And we were also the only ship in port today. Although it was not mentioned in today's newsletter, we had to wear masks getting off and on the ship, as well as wear them through the gate at the end of the pier. It was not requested that we bring our Covid vaccination cards with us, but it was suggested we bring them just in case. We always do, and we always wear the masks.
We went off of the ship by 10:30pm, and walked the long, hot pier. Walking at a fast speed towards us, there was a couple of folks, one of which had forgotten her mask. She was told by the local authorities that she had to mask up, or would not be allowed onshore. To save her time, they did sell masks for $5 each. However, they refused to pay that, and headed back to the ship for their own mask. We have to add that the weather was hot and humid already at this time of the morning. Locals were on the beach and in the water already. Lots of kids were in the mix, and that's when we remembered it was Easter Week and the kids were out of school. Today we went straight across the street after picking up a local map. This took us into the main shopping district of the spit.
Remembering a very nice shoe store up the street, we went there to check it out. All of their shoes are made in Brazil, and made well. But there was one problem, they did not carry my size at all. The highest number they carried was size 8, but I wear a 10. No luck there. Turning left, we followed the main street to Victoria Park. Then we found the Cathedral of Puntarenas and went inside for a bit. It was cooler, since a breeze had picked up. Thank goodness.
Two blocks up the street from the church was the Lita Perez Stadium, surrounded by dozens of cafes and cantinas. We think when there are soccer games, this area is very busy. Today it was very quiet, because the locals do not go out in the heat of the day. Heading towards the beach, we continued towards the end of the spit, where the nicer hotels and restaurants are located. There is a really nice hotel there by the name of Las Brisas, where we have enjoyed lunch a few times. We would come back here after we explored the end of the peninsula.
There are a few narrow walking piers where you can walk out and catch the breeze, or go fishing perhaps. There is a place to sit, and cool down with the sea breeze. When we went to the third pier, we saw two young cats popping in and out of the boulders there. Obviously feral, they must keep the rodent population down. Then we walked past the lighthouse and a public swimming pool, which was full of local kids and their parents today. This whole entire beachfront was filled with locals cooking chicken skewers, and making Spanish-style food. Sure smelled good. The moms and grand moms did the cooking while the dads took the little kids swimming in the surf.
The Barrio el Carmen district is located here, and seems to be the hot spot of the peninsula for bars and cafes. It is close the Ferry Terminal also. From here we circled back to the beach and ended up at Las Brisas once again. Even though it was much more crowded than the last time we were here, we were in dire need of something cold to drink, so we went inside their patio restaurant. We were seated at a small table for two right behind some potted palms. The breeze was blowing really strong now, although it did feel good. So we ordered two bottles of Corona beer, while still looking at their menu. We have to mention that the menus were rather large, and plastic covered. When the beers arrived, the breeze took hold of my menu and slammed it into the bottle of beer. It happened so quickly, we had a hard time stopping the spilled beer from cascading off of the table and into my lap, down my leg, and into my shoe. A nearby diner (local fellow), came over with a handful of napkins to stop the flood. Oh how embarrassing was that??? Our waitress came over and helped clean the table, then had to mop the floor, as it was tile. The breeze never did let up, and we worried that the catsup and mayo bottles might fall over as well. And we had not even ordered yet. Anyway, we did get one plate of chicken nachos, with cheese, beans, and chimichurri. We deducted that chimichurri was salsa. And really good. So after 5 beers and one huge pile of nachos, the bill came to $33, or the equivalent of thousands of colones, the Costa Rica money.
From there we headed back along the beachfront sidewalk. It is lined with a tree-studded park where locals can rent a tented table and chairs for the day. Food vendors are set up along the road side, cooking all sorts of Spanish food. One specialty is called the Churchill, which looked like a smoothie with real fruit on the top. Bet they are really sweet. Most of the beach-goers up at this end were local families with kids. We did not see one HAL passenger up this way, maybe because it was one very long walk in the heat.
Heading back, we stayed on the main street, then went to look to the souvenir tents under the trees. Guess what? Most all of the souvenir stalls had been removed. There wasn't one to be found. Seems that the restaurants have taken over their spots. It is possible that these vendors moved to the street side and out of sight. Maybe Covid sent them elsewhere. Too bad as we wanted to look for the wooden trivets we use at home. None to be found, we went back to the pier.
Both of us showed our cards, then the guard asked me to open my bag, which I did. Then the next guard scanned me with a wand, and asked about my knee. Satisfied I answered correctly, he said you are good to go. Back on the ship, we had to put our bags through xray, and I had to be wanded. The knee again. Speaking of knees, I am approaching the tenth month mark, and seem to be doing OK. At least I am able to walk quite a distance, as long as we take breaks along the way. The beer didn't hurt either.
Getting back on the air-conditioned ship was nice. Back in our room, it was even better. We stayed there working on photos and relaxing on the veranda. Around 4pm, a seven member local band and dancers put on a show near the gangway. They played and danced for an hour, even though the bus tours did not get back until much later, they still performed.
The ship finally left in the dark around 6pm, much later than the Captain had stated yesterday. Guess the tides were not going out that fast as he thought.
Tomorrow will be a day at sea, instead of going to Corinto, Nicaragua. Not a big loss, we did get a $3 per person refund for port charges. Wow. Still do not know why that port was cancelled.
Dinner was back in the dining room with starters of spring rolls and salads. Both of us had the wiener schnitzel and it was good as always. One scoop of coffee ice cream and a small chocolate éclair finished the meal. We had another chef visit us, so we inquired about some items missing on this cruise. Such as the sweet and sour pork. He said you can get that in the Lido at lunch every day. We did not know that. However, if we wished, it can be pre-ordered through our waiter. Anything we wanted, he would be happy to do. He added that the dinner menu was being adjusted now, since we are eventually heading for Alaska. He said they were able to buy mahi mahi and blue marlin in port today, and it would show up on the menu even tonight. It did. Now we are wondering if that is why the daily dining room dinner menu has not been posted early in the morning, since they are "cleaning" out their stores? In fact, the menu was not changed until before dinner last night. We use that site on the TV to decide where we will dine for the evening. Like yesterday, nothing appealed to us for dinner, and we went to the Tamarind.
Passing through the Billboard Onboard, we found many guests singing along with the duel piano player and singers. They had the crowd singing along with them, reminding us of the old TV show, Sing Along With Mitch. Remember that one? This venue seems much more popular than the BB King's Blues with this particular crowd.
Bill & Mary Ann
PS Checked into the disembarkation coming up in San Diego, and found out there have been no changes. Teresa will do more research and let us know if there are any changes with docking times.