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
Friday, April 15, 2022
Report #118 Day At Sea Enroute To Puerto Quetzal Thursday April 14, 2022 Partly Cloudy With Some Sun 80 Degrees
