Now that the Volendam is sailing along the coast of Mexico, it is not too soon to list a few facts about the country. The capital of Mexico is Mexico City and the population is about 123 million Spanish-speaking people. It is a country of steamy jungles, smoking volcanoes, snow-capped mountains, cactus-filled deserts and coastal beaches. It has an ancient history of pre-Hispanic civilizations that include the Mayans, Aztecs, Palenque, Teotihuacan and many pyramids dedicated to their beliefs.
Mexico is also home to 1100 bird species, 500 mammals, 1200 amphibians and reptiles, 5000 crustaceans, and 2000 varieties of butterflies. Indigenous plants number over 25,000.
What are their favorite foods? Enchiladas are a lightly-fried tortilla filled with beef, chicken, or cheese served with a chili sauce. Quesadillas are a tortilla folded in half filled with cheese. Tacos are cooked meat, fish, or even eggs with salsa, onion, and cilantro. Tamales are made with masa (cornmeal) mixed with lard and stuffed with stewed meats, fish, or veggies, then steamed in corn husks or banana leaves. All of these dishes go well with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. We love each and every one of these dishes and cook them quite often at home. Well, maybe not the tamales as they are easier to buy frozen.
Tequila is considered the champagne of Mexico. And there is nothing better than a margherita in a chilled glass with a salted rim on a hot day.
Today was day one at sea on our way to Manzanillo. Sadly, we passed the Baja Peninsula most of the day, and we wished one of the Mexican stops would have been to Cabo San Lucas. It has been some time since we were there last, and the same goes for Puerto Vallarta. Perhaps there are reasons we are not aware of, or there are too many ships there, so we skipped both. Politically speaking, these favorite vacation spots have had some unrest and violence, but that is nothing new.
Today was one of catching up with our day in San Diego. It sure was a nice one with lots of walking. The photos tell the story and is worth the time to document everything. We also took the time to pay a visit to one of the future cruse consultants in regards to some back-to-back voyages we hoped to put together for the fall of 2027. He seemed to run into some problems in getting us the same room for the entire time. That’s how many people are booking so far in advance these days. We feel it is always a good idea to put down some deposits while onboard to take advantage of any extra incentives they are offering.
Captain Frank came on right after noon and confirmed what we saw by looking outside that the skies were overcast and dreary. It was not that cold with the temperature at 64 degrees and 77% humidity. The winds were 14.8 mph and the ship’s speed was 20 knots. The Captain did mention that the sea temps were climbing slightly as we sail south, and there is always a chance that the ship’s temperature will be warmer than we are used to. So far, we have not noticed that but we did notice two private air conditioning technicians getting coffee on deck five. Now we wonder what they are doing here. He added that there is a long sea swell keeping the ship in a rolling motion. We were sailing within 21 nautical miles of Baja California with many small islands and rocks along the way. He said it was a hot spot for fishing and salt production. It is also known for its deep-sea sport fishing.
Before we knew it, dinner time arrived. Skipping lunch, we were ready for some of the Mexican items on the menu such as the beef empanadas, a bean soup, and a regular Caesar salad. Mains were fettucine with a Bolognese sauce and a pollo (chicken) fajitas with rice and cheese. A special dessert showed up on the menu which was cinnamon rice pudding with raisins. The other dessert was sliced watermelon.
Vocalist Charity Lockhart was the entertainer this evening with a show titled “Legacy: History’s Golden Vocal Moments”. A Vegas-level spectacle was promised this evening.
One more sea day, and we will be in Manzanillo.
Bill & Mary Ann
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