Crossing the Drake Passage

We are on our way to Antarctica, crossing the Drake passage. Sumner came down with an annoying cold that slowed him down for a few days, so this is a chance to catch up on our reporting. For sure, the cold wasn't a result of being on this ship, where all the railings are washed constantly, and everyone squirts Purell on their hands at every public doorway. No, the cold probably came from exposure to some guests on the excursion bus rides, who obviously had bad colds but didn't want to miss out on seeing things. By the way, the need to be careful about not spreading germs has a comic aspect: comedians include funny observations about the ship's mil-spec sanitation efforts in their routines, to everyone's amusement.

Punta Arenas was our last stop in Chile. It's been almost exactly 500 years since Magellan discovered the passage through Tierra deal Fuego that bears his name. We are going west to east, following the prevailing winds and charts. Magellan went the other, more challenging, way, with no charts. In the town square is a statue of Magellan, with smaller statues representing the natives he found here, now extinct. The foot of one the sculpted natives shines in the sun, rubbed by passing visitors for good luck.

We visit Punta Arenas's "Pioneer Cemetery," which is actually the burial place for everyone from this remote city. There are magnificent mausoleums and gardens, which announce the waves of immigrants who have come here and made their money in the area. Initial settlers were attracted by the offer of free land. The Braun-Menendez family is proudly represented, and later we visit the family's elaborate mansion, now a museum near the city's main square. They owned large sheep ranches and also supplied the steamships that came through the area until the Panama Canal diverted much of the traffic. The cemetery also includes the grave of the last Onas, one of the tribes now extinct from the area. The grave has a statue of a native, its hand also shining from being touched for good luck. The wall around the gravesite has plaques attesting to the prayers to this native that have been favorably answered. There is a coin box as well, and candles--a shrine.

We also visit a ranch for a snack, with the usual empanadas and Pisco sours. Then we see a demonstration of sheep shearing, and visit one family's small museum before returning to the ship.

The next day we cruise the Beagle Sound on the way to the city of Ushuaia, Argentina. This gives Sumner a chance to nurse his cold, as we cruise through Glacier Alley, stopping at large glaciers along the way. We cruise as far south as Cape Horn, at the very end of the continent, and the captain manages to send our passports ashore so they can be stamped at the lighthouse. Then we double-back to Usuaia.

 In Ushuaia, we have a catamaran tour that allows us to visit the island homes of cormorants (several kinds), and islands covered with South American Sea Lions. The boat allows us to come close to the islands and take great pictures. We leave in the evening for Antarctica. About an hour after we depart, however, the Norwegian captain announces on the public address system that we will be returning to the city because a passenger has serious health issues. This is not a cruise you would want to take without a good health and travel insurance policy!

Yesterday and today, we passengers have gone back to school to learn about this important area. The ship has brought on board a team of naturalists, historians, and explorers who provide illustrated lectures and background for the trip. Today we learned about the ecology of the area. At lunch today, we sit with one of the speakers, who tells about eating whale and seal blubber--not something we'd want to do unless desperate, as some Antarctic explorers have been. He also explains why commercial harvesting of krill is a bad thing for the ecosystem. Krill is the mainstay food for marine life here, but it's being taken for human profit: it's rumored to be healthier for humans than regular fish oil. We are now in the Southern Ocean, halfway across the Drake Passage, which is known for storms and heavy seas. We are lucky--though the waves are high and the ship is heaving a bit, things could be much, much worse. Tomorrow we are told the seas will be calm as we cruise alongside Antarctica, hoping to see whales, seals, albatrosses and penguins.

Nearing the End of the World

Nearing the end of the World

We have traveled 5816 Nautical miles since we left Fort Lauderdale. Tomorrow we will be in Punta Arenas, the last port in Chile. Two days later we'll be in Ushuaia, Argentina--considered the southern-most city in the world, or "the city at the end of the world." From there we will travel past Cape Horn and on toward Antarctica.

To understand how far we have traveled, and will travel, consider the following. Using latitude, we started in Fort Lauderdale, 26 degrees North. We will be traveling to a latitude 64 degrees South. Ninety degrees of latitude is 1/4 of the way around the circumference of the earth. By the time we return, we will have traveled half-way around the circumference. Even now, we are as far East as Greenland--two time zones east of Baltimore time.

At dinner last night, from other guests, we learn of the adventures this ship had a few years back. Traveling near Cape Horn, the ship was struck by two mammoth rogue waves which caused all the china and liquor to be destroyed. Until Holland America could fly in replacements (into Ushuaia) meals were served on paper plates. Some passengers were so spooked by the event that they refused to reboard the ship in Ushuaia, where the ship retreated after the waves hit, and rented a car to drive back to the U.S. Apparently they soon realized the error of their ways, so they reboarded the ship in Argentina. (It's a long drive to the U.S. from there!) We were assured that since that wave incident, our ship has been equipped with improved stabilizers. BTW, last night's special South American menu included, as the entree, a dish featuring....Tongue. It had been slow-cooked for five hours, and was served with a delicious sauce. Sumner, a much braver soul when it comes to trying unusual foods, received extra slices from Alice. She managed two bites and found it to be marginally better than beef liver. Luckily the menu also included beef empanadas, a little corn-based cheese-topped casserole, shrimp, and a delicious rendition of butternut squash soup that was long on beans and short on chunks of squash. We are gaining ideas for menus to make for family and friends when we return. Be warned!

We saw a large glacier this morning--this being one of the few areas in the world that has glaciers. Some of the islands in the Fjords still have snow on them, though it's the middle of the Summer down here. We learned during our tour of the town of Coyhaique that climate change and global warming are having a big impact even in this very remote area of the world. There is much less rain in recent years, and while they used to get 3 meters of snow a year in the Coyhaique region, for the last few years it has not snowed at all there. They are believers in global warming down here. (We hope those up North are dealing well with all the snow! We are eagerly reading the New York Times news reports about the storm.)

Today, in addition to learning the importance of latitude in geography and time, we enjoyed an illustrated talk about the ancient peoples of the Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) region of Patagonia. There were once four tribes; now they are all gone, with the last full-blooded Yahgan survivor dying in 2002. Quite a story--more on this later, once we visit the city of Punta Arenas and town of Usuaia and gather more details. For now, suffice it to say that Darwin was strongly influenced in his theory of evolution by the three surviving kidnapped Yahgans he encountered on board the "Beagle 2" voyage as they were being returned to their habitat. They spent two years in England, traveling there on "Beagle 1," being taught English, manners and religion so they could serve as contacts and guides for future European explorers.

We are stunned by the incredible scenery in this surprisingly extensive southernmost part of the world. Our glacier-studded mountain-lined route through the Strait of Magellan has been a very smooth cruise, unlike the times when the ship has had to go into the ocean between sheltered passages. We are steeling for almost a week of cruising in heavy seas in the Drake Passage, to and from sightings of Antarctica--weather permitting. We are told that very soon the tree line will disappear.....

From Vocanoes to Fjords

Volcanoes to Fjords in Chile

Our next port stop is Puerto Montt, Chile. As we make our long way to the Osorno Volcano, we have a brief stop to view lush flora and a spectacular whitewater river in a national park. Chile has over 150 volcanoes, perhaps 65 or which are active. From the national park, we can see Osorno looming in the distance. We pass enormous fresh water lakes. Although the day appears overcast at ground level, once we drive up toward the summit of the volcano we are above the low-lying clouds, and it is gloriously sunny. To further enjoy the scene, Sumner urges taking a long and rather scary-looking ski-lift ride to have a look into a red caldera, newly formed at the side of the volcano.  Alice gamely goes along, at first white-knuckled, and we glide over the volcanic slope. It is eerily and peacefully silent. We marvel at how little protection we seem to have from the ground a hundred feet below--just one thin pipe to clasp; no seat belts. Yet we are not afraid--there is no time for fear when there is such a spectacular view that encompasses not only Osorno, but three other nearby volcanoes. We then trudge through deep volcanic sand and climb a steep hill and look down on the caldera. (We will save a thousand words of description by promising pictures later, when we can download faster.)

From the volcano, we make our way back in our motor coach down the steep switchbacked road to Puerto Varas, the city of roses, located on the freshwater Lake Llanquihue. The town has a European resort feel, perhaps because many Germans settled this area prior to World War I. At the nearby Patagonia Hotel, strikingly modern and built on a monumental scale, we are greeted with yet another Pisco Sour, wine, beer, water (even Coke!), empanadas, and fresh salmon (perched on a vegetable flan), with a blueberry flan for dessert. Only Norway exports more salmon than Chile, and this area is a principal source of the fish, much of it farm-raised. After lunch, we explore the lovely lake-side town before returning to the ship. As usual in South America so far, we observe many "independent" dogs, who seem quite at home without leashes or hovering owners.

The following day we are deep into Patagonia at Puerto Chacabuco. This is a frontier area. We drive through the rugged mountainous terrain, stopping at the Rio Simpson Regional Museum of Natural Resources, and walk down to the river canyon and valley. We visit a waterfall and finally the city of Coyhaique, the capital of the region. Alice explores the few shops that are open (it's Sunday), but there are no mineral shops, only stores selling jewelry and woolens. We do find excellent chocolate ice cream treats, which hold us over until the "snack" stop. Alice proposes a wager with Sumner that this stop will not have Pisco sours. She loses. We enjoy wonderful Chilean cheeses, empanadas, brochettes of meats, and sweets, along with the usual wine and those omnipresent Pisco sours. "Snack" does not begin to describe the array; we made a lunch of it. The last two ports have required transportation by tender (life boats) to the port. We arrive too late at the Chacabuco port to enjoy the free wiFi at the terminal. The ship provides hot chocolate while we wait for the tenders. Temperature is now in the 50s, as we work our way south.

Today is January 25, and we are sailing through the Chilean Fjords ("fjords" are formed by glaciers flowing into the sea, while "sounds" are formed by rivers flowing into the sea). Last night the seas were quite rough on the not-too-Pacific Ocean. Now, in the afternoon, we are cruising one of the Strait of Magellan (Drake found the same channel by kidnapping a Portuguese sailor to learn about Magellan's discovery). Both Magellan and Drake had to face mutinies as they went south along the Atlantic side of Patagonia. Apparently there was a Catholic-held belief that Hell was located at the South Pole (although no maps were available), and some seamen rebelled at the idea of going there. Two lectures this morning covered the explorations of Tierra del Fuego, considered "the end of the occupied world," as well as information on glaciers and their creation of fjords. The more we learn about this wildly beautiful region, the more we want to learn. A feeling of anticipation is building among us passengers about seeing and even setting foot on Antarctica; this will occur in just a few days.

Tonight will a 5 course dinner with paired wines, exploring Chilean cuisine. Alice is not looking forward to the main dish: tongue! We are assuming it will be beef tongue, but who knows? At least it will not be seal blubber mush, which sustained the Shackleton crew during its long Antarctic travails a century ago.

From Pisco to Art

From Pisco to Art

Our first stop in Chile is Coquimbo, a seaside port. They are still recovering from damage caused by a tidal wave emanating from an earthquake off the coast. The beach is smaller now, and the first floor of many buildings by the beach show the damage from a powerful flood of seawater. Coquimbo started as a place for ships to dock outside the small city of La Serena, but it has grown into a tourist destination itself, a magnet for vacationers and retirees with cabana areas and high-rise apartments overlooking magical ocean views. We had a chance to walk the extensive gray-sand beach and watch surfers in wetsuits navigate substantial waves. (The water is, pardon the pun, chilly in Chile, owing to the Humboldt current.) Our guide said Coquimbo is where the nightlife happens, while nearby La Serena, also a retiree haven, is more staid. We notice exercise machines set up along beach sidewalks, in hopes the citizenry will increase their exercise. Our guide doesn't think Chileans' burgeoning girth will reduce: "They love empanadas too much," she says.

We passed through La Serena on our way to the Elqui valley - a narrow but fertile strip of land in the heart of a plateau surrounded by barren cactus-studded hills. A large dam has been built there to support the region's agriculture, but the water is noticeably low, the effect of global warming and this year's "el nino effect." (Though this trip is taking place at the start of the rainy season, we've only had fair skies on land so far--great for us tourists, but not good for the agricultural of the countries we've visited so far.) Our destination is the Capel distillery, which brews Pisco, Chile's national drink (Peru's too, come to think of it), a distilled alcohol derived from a blend of grapes, usually diluted to 90 proof. Chileans, we were told, annually consume six bottles per capita of this potent beverage. Chips of American or French Oak are added to the alcohol to give it a color and aroma. The "best" Pisco is aged for 1-2 years. It is also sold pre-mixed as "Pisco sour" (28 proof). We discover that the distillery had WiFi at the visitor center, so we are able to download emails and read a few messages. Sumner especially appreciates messages from his sister and niece, with happy birthday wishes and some news from home. We have time to send only brief replies before the tour continues.

We have a large lunch--plate-sized heavy-crusted empanadas meagerly filled with ground beef, hard-boiled egg and onion, and 12-ounce slabs of steak with rice and vegetables. Of course, Pisco sours are on offer! For a change, one can order Coke or orange soda, but we are leery of the ice. Sumner has his own Pisco sour and Alice's as well. This leads to a restful nap on the bus as we return to La Serena. We visit the city's archaeological museum, where there is a large Moai brought from Easter Island (a possession of Chile, oddly enough, though it is very far away). There is some mystery to the island's large statues, and questions as to why they face inward on the island.

The next day we are in Valparaiso, nicknamed "Valpo" by the locals. We have a small tour group which will visit 3 artists' studios/homes and have drinks and appetizers at the end of the tour. The artists are delightful, our guide doing most of the translation. (Here we really miss the ability to post pictures with the descriptions.) The first artist is a painter of human figures and portraits. He is obviously influenced by Gaughin and Soutine. The second artist is a sculptor using found objects and recycling them into art. The third artist (Loro Coiron) works in graphics, using linoleum blocks rather than woodblocks. He captures the city life of Valparaiso. The city is alive with art, and most of the walls on the hillsides are covered with colorful graphics, some political, some not. In general, these are far superior to the usual graffiti. At the end of the trip, our group ascends a funicular to Conception Hill, one of the city's many hills overlooking the harbor. Our guide says it's the most desirable residential area. The colorful houses, many with facades of corrugated metal, show British and French colonial influences. We have a lovely extended appetizer time (Pisco sours again!) on the broad patio of a restaurant with beautiful views, and become better acquainted with those in our group. We are delighted with the variety of fellow travelers we're meeting--from Norway, Austria, England, Germany, Australia, Japan, Canada, Sweden, etc. Much of the chat is about travels taken or future travels, which is a common bond. (We've strayed a bit into the topic of politics, and are pleased to say Donald Trump is not well regarded by anyone we've met so far; in fact, those from other countries are expressing concern that Trump could be elected.) The diversity of nationalities, Sumner thinks, may explain why the Prinsendam cuisine is so savory and spicy, compared to what is served on ships serving primarily at Anglo passengers. Vive la difference!

In the course of all this, we learn that Alice and Sumner are tied for second place in the last duplicate game. And this is after Alice has had one lesson. She's a quick learner.

Tonight is the Black and White Ball on the ship. They call it a "Gala" evening, rather than "formal." Sumner will wear his Tux and Alice is ready to tango (well, cha cha, anyway) with a flounced black gown.

On the way to Chile

On the way to Chile

After returning from Machu Picchu we had one more day in Peru. On the second night  in Cusco, sleep-deprived Alice forgot that the 4-star hotel didn't offer potable water and used the local tap water to brush her teeth. Sumner caught himself in time to dilute the tap water with bottled water, but he still had some adverse effects. Several people in our 28-person group were made sick from the water; two could not make the trek to Machu Picchu, two others could not make the walking tour of the place, and another person had to be transported directly to the ship on the last day, skipping the Lima tour. It looks as though we'll need to turn to Cipro to attack the little buggers. We were tired enough from our exertions that we decided to give up the trip scheduled for my birthday (January 17), and instead enjoyed a restful day in General San Martin, Peru. The coastal terrain could have passed for Saudi Arabia. After that, we had two days at sea... Time to do laundry and get even more rest. Our fellow Machu Picchu adventurers laid low too; only now are we seeing each other out and about on the ship. Yesterday was an ideal cruise day--bright blue skies and sunny with gently rolling waves, capped off by a glorious and very quick sunset. Today has been overcast, but we've passed the time enjoyably with two and a half hours of duplicate bridge followed by the end of an excellent tango demonstration.

This welcome hiatus gave Sumner enough time to finish "At the Mercy of Nature," a book by Carl N. McDaniel (gift from Betty). It's the story of the Shackleton attempt to explore Antarctica and is an excellent adventure story. McDaniel uses the Shackleton experience as a metaphor for the planet's precarious environmental situation, compounded by increasing global warming: highly recommended. Alice has started the book and says it makes her feel cold--a harbinger for what is to come on this trip. The temperature is already in the 60s during the day, as we work our way south.

We celebrated Sumner's birthday in the main dining room last night, in the company of four jovial Canadians and serenaded by a loud, boisterous set of Indonesian waiters with drums.

Sumner discovered that Alice (with only a 7-day Holland America cruise before this one) was promoted to the rank of 3 star mariner. He was only a 2 star, even with the earlier Alaska cruise. It took several days before Sumner's pin and 3 star status was awarded. A very humbling experience to be outranked by a newbie to cruising. At least now we are even.

Tomorrow we will be in Coquimbo, Chile, with a tour of natural attractions scheduled. The start time is merciful: 8:45 instead of the earlier start times we've endured, the most grueling so far being the 3:00 a.m. wake-up on the second night in Cusco.

Seeing Machu Picchu

January 12- Preparations
Tomorrow we leave for the trip to Machu Picchu. Breakfast will be served from 4:30 AM to 5:00 AM with the group leaving at 5. We pack, decide what to take. Assemble our walking sticks, practice using them, and disassemble them for packing. We have dinner with the ship's Rabbi and non-denominational Protestant Minister, and their wives. The Rabbi promises a spiritual experience in Machu Picchu.. The evening show is an energetic musician and his dancing wife. He plays the Xylosynth - half xylophone and half synthesizer. He played Canon in D, pieces from Carmen, and some rock themes by bands I didn't know. Tomorrow the big adventure.

At 5 AM we get our passports back, along with boarding passes for the two flights that will take us to Cusco. We have been taking altitude medication. Cusco is over 11,000 feet high. We change planes in Lima, and arrive in Cusco around 12:30 PM. We have been awake for over 8 hours. We check-in at the Palacio Del Inka Luxury Hotel. We have a fancy lunch, then off to tour Cusco. After lunch we tour Sacsayhuaman, an Inca site honoring the sun god (which looked liked like a fortress to the Spanish), with walls built of stones weighing over 40 tons. After walking through a portion of the site, we visited an alpaca weaving store (ostensively to learn the difference between different weaves and animals, but really to get us to buy things), and finally visited the Plaza des Armes (main city square in Cusco). With two churches, a convent, and a KFC (discreetly identified), plus a fountain with a statue of Pachacutec, arguably the most important Inca chief. After a short time at the hotel, we go to dinner and a show in a nearby restaurant. Sumner has a chance to try seviche, and is told that in Peru, it should be fresh, and must be eaten within two hours of preparation. To bed at the hotel by 10:30 PM - awake for 18 hours.

Sleeping is difficult. The room is 78 degrees. Alice sets the temperature, hoping to cool the room, and there is a setting indicating there is air conditioning in this luxury hotel. It doesn't work, however. During the night the temperature doesn't change. Alice calls the desk and complains. A man arrives and opens the window. Now we have heat, exhaust fumes, and street noise. Ah well, it's 4:30 AM, time for breakfast and then bus and train connections to get to Machu Picchu.

January 15 - The Visit
Since it is the rainy season, the train station in Cusco is not open, and we must drive 1 1/2 hours to the next available train station. We will be descending from over 13,000 feet to over 8,000 feet. We will be taking the Hiram Bingham train ("Indiana Bingham," who "discovered" the place, was the model for Indiana Jones) with first class food and service--once we reach the train station. Unfortunately, we were slowed by a rest stop and much traffic on two-lane roads, and we missed our train. We enjoyed incredible views of the Andes, though. Our bus (we have three small buses, because large buses couldn't handle the roads) races down the mountains and arrives at the next station just ahead of the train. We learn later that our guide bribed the station manager to have the train stopped so we could board. We have an excellent lunch on the train, including filet mignon and wine, and arrive at Aguas Calientes - a hot springs at the foot of the mountains. From there we board buses for the half-hour ride up to Machu Picchu. The ascent reminds Sumner of the ride up from the Fjord in Montenegro. From the window seat, you can't see the side of the road, and it's a long way down. We arrive at the site at around 1:30 PM. At the end of our tour of the site, we will have tea just outside the entrance gate at a lovely hotel before we board the buses at 5 PM to return to the train station for the trip to Cusco and our hotel.

We divide the group in three, so that our guide has less than 10 folks to guide through the citadel of Machu Picchu. One of the 7 wonders of the world, the site is awesome. There has been considerable archeological work and speculation about the site, the culture, and the science of the incas. As described by our guide, the society had a communist, utopian cast with roots going back to Asia and Egypt. In 2 1/2 hours we covered much of the site, at least on the available cliff. Our walking sticks were invaluable. Our pictures will have to follow when we have enough bandwidth. We started down, tired but happy, at 5 PM. Caught the train just before 6 PM. On the train we had Pisco Sours in the club car, listening to the four-piece band; ate a 4 course dinner with wine in the dining car; and shared stories of our adventures. The bus ride from the train station to the hotel was exciting and long. It was a little before 11 PM when we arrived back at our hotel. We still needed to pack for the 3:30 AM wake-up call and early departure to the Cusco airport. Back in Lima, we had a tour of the city, mercifully short, and arrived back at the ship by 1:00 PM. Dear reader, you will understand why we did not report to you yesterday. Much more to report, but that will have to wait.

The first 8 days - On line at last

WiFi is much less available in South American Ports. As a result, Sumner decided to purchase the (outrageous) Internet subscription on the ship, to allow us to share some of our experiences. This is catch-up time. We are already on the West coast of South America, on our way to our first port in Peru--Salaverry. We won't see much of this port as we have a flight to Lima and then another to Cusco to get ready for our trip to Machu Picchu day after tomorrow. We must leave the ship at 5:30 AM. We managed to pack our walking sticks, recommended by Nancy, in our carry on luggage. We were able to assemble and disassemble them, with some practice, and we practiced using them by walking around the ship.

January 4 we joined the ship - and were in our stateroom by early afternoon. The next 4 days were at sea. Meals are wonderful, and portions have been mercifully sized to keep us only a little out of trim in 67 days. Lectures every morning are followed by duplicate bridge on sea days. Alice is gradually remembering her high school days when she played bridge and is surprised at all the variants in bidding. Evenings, after dinner includes dancing, shows, and movies. So far we have seen "The Martian" and "Mister Holmes," and recommend both. We also managed to watch the Redskins lose their first playoff game, and saw the first half of the Alabama - Clemson game. We have good access to the New York Times, so we feel somewhat connected to the World.

Interesting factoid: in South America there are no illegitimate children. Children conceived out of wedlock are called "natural children."

 We had our first "formal night" on our way to Costa Rica. Since we have no assigned meal time, we eat when we please. This means different meal partners every night as well. January 6th we had dinner with Claudia Manchester, the sister of singer Melissa Manchester, who was the guest performer that evening. We enjoyed her act so much that we watched both her shows. Melissa Manchester is a great performer, and the show included clips of her performing with other greats like Stevie Wonder on harmonica  - as she is promoting her new album.

Friday January 8 we finally reached land. A few leafy islands preceded landing at Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. Up at 5:45 for in-room breakfast before setting out for the "Rain Forest Canopy & Zip-Line Adventure." Alice insisted that we were NOT afraid!! That changed as we were fitted to our harnesses and handed the heavy metal grappling devices that attached us to the lines, and looked down to the forest floor a couple of hundred feet below. This is not for the faint of heart!

By 10:00 we'd completed 11 zip line trajectories onto 12 platforms--much better than 12 zip lines onto 11 platforms. Each time we came up to a platform we were moving at around 30 or 40 miles an hour, and it seemed impossible that we wouldn't smack into the big trees supporting the platforms, but just at the right moment a guide would apply a brake on the momentum and we were saved. By the time we were done we really were fearless, but the initial prospect was daunting. Wildlife report: Saw only one alleged sloth, a tiny red poison frog (size of small fingernail) and a small bright yellow poisonous snake coiled up under boards on a platform (what was he doing so high up in the treetops?)--plus mucho botanica. Platforms could use repairs and improved maintenance, but even a broken railing didn't alarm us too much because we were well secured. We probably won't need to repeat this experience. We learned the Costa Rican all-purpose expression: "pura vida," which is used as a greeting or general comment on the good life.

Our excellent tour guide, Adrian, told about Costa Rica's "going green." He said about 97% of their power is from sources other than fossil fuels, mostly hydropower. Taxes are high to help fund these and other environmental and social initiatives. Adrian said workers have 9% of their salaries withheld for their retirement and in addition their employers must contribute 23% of their salaries. Costa Rica has no army and (among other criminal justice issues) can't defend against the drug traffickers who have to traverse the country to get to points north. Their jails and prisons are crammed with drug offenders--about 50%, Adrian thought. All along the road to and from the zip line site we saw very modest housing and haphazard commercial entities. Most houses, no matter how impoverished-looking, have iron grates on porches and high fences, as the crime rate is high. Many homes sport satellite dishes on their roofs. The big industries include (in San Jose area in the mountains) computer tech work (Intel microchips, etc.), plus tourism, bananas, coffee, and overland truck shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts (cheaper than using the Panama Canal). Highway across the country is only two lanes, and subject to earthquakes. Train lines were closed down after a massive earthquake some years ago.

January 9 we woke early to experience movement through the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal locks. Ship personnel did a fine job of narrating the process, relating the history of this mammoth project, and offering engineering details. Basic principle: Gravity. Peering through a 20x scope, thanks to fellow passenger Susie, we saw a great blue heron (called "gray" by Brits--and in fact it is gray, maybe bluish gray but not blue). The locks are so narrow that there may be only a foot or two of water on either side as ships are guided through, attached by cables to double-tracked electric-powered two-way engines called "mules." Once through the initial three "steps," we entered a freshwater lake (sourced by copious rainwater, as this region is a rainforest). Canal celebrated its centennial in 1914. Learned there is NOT a different level between the east and west oceans; the locks are needed to step ships up and down over challenging terrain. We saw the adjacent new canal being built for larger ships, parallel to the the current canal. Given the shortage of water, they may have to delay the opening, currently scheduled for April.

Our captain reported it cost $169,000 for our ship to pass through the canal--about $200 per passenger.

In late afternoon we passed into the Pacific. A 92-year-old woman sat by us and said she'd been through the canal many times since 1979 and deplored that so much of the west side had been denuded of vegetation. She sad some tops of the hills had been cut off, too. Alice had noticed the hills didn't look natural but had thought they might have been made of spoil dredged from the channel. The woman told us she'd taken round the world cruises every year for decades, along with other cruises; she spends most of her time on cruise ships because it's safe for a woman alone, she can dare to wear her good jewelry, and she can have a nightlife.

The skyline of Panama City is filled with tall white modern skyscrapers--a striking contrast to the rustic canal route. Sumner says it looks like Dubai.

Sunday January 10,  we had room service breakfast to speed debarcation for our tour of Old Panama. Excellent guide Julian, a Brit expat living in Panama City, led our tour bus on a fascinating walk around an area reminiscent of New Orleans' French Quarter--understandable because both reflect Caribbean colonial Spanish culture. The area we saw, on the waterfront (but low tide revealed mostly mud flats), is being rebuilt after a long period of neglect. Parts are very old, originating in 1600s. Few dogs, but there are colonies of feral cats that keep down the rodent population. Catholics had long and strong influence, we learned, but Jewish and Muslim settlers successfully lobbied for a secular state. Economics gleanings: the canal is an independent nonprofit that turns over excess revenues to support the country's social programs. Basic universal healthcare costs about 9.5% of salary monthly (about $35 a month), and supplemental insurance costs about $29/month more. The guide said you need the latter if you require rush care of serious health problems. This means the poor will have to wait for such care, possibly too long. Public housing doesn't exactly exist; squatters are allowed to take over derelict apartments and are expected to maintain and improve them on their own, and groups of squatters are expected to maintain the complexes. From the look of things, this isn't working, but the guide said the government does not help because it wants the people to be dissatisfied enough to better themselves.

Public school is only 5 hours a day, not enough....but university tuition is free. The first year of university is actually basic preparation for studying at college level. No one age 18 or under is allowed to work, to encourage school attendance.

By January 12 we were in Ecuador. Tuna is the primary industry of our port, Manta. The coastal area is desert. Capo trees all around look like African baobab trees. They are fat-trunked like water heaters. Many were leafless because it's winter here now, but those that were still leafy resembled broccoli crowns. The trees store huge amounts of water to help them survive in dry season, which can last 7 months. Ecuador has its own oil resources, but that causes destruction of rain forests. Guide says it's believed 65% of forests already gone. The economy relies on: Oil #1 (government subsidized); agriculture #2 (esp bananas; also palm oil, rice, corn....). Tuna #3, shrimp farming #4 (main export client is China), #5 is roses in the highlands. Sunrise 6:15 a.m. & sunset 6:15 p.m. all year 'round--ideal for growing. Tourism #6 expected to become more important. #7 is money being sent home by those who've emigrated. Ecuador uses the US dollar for its currency which has helped stabilize the economy but makes tourism more expensive in Ecuador than in other South American countries.

Ecuador has 12 years of mandatory education, but the quality of instruction is mixed depending on regulation. About 5 years ago it was discovered that many "teachers" lacked credentials and got their jobs through friends and nepotism.

Our adventure this day included a long boat ride into an ocean estuary, where we passed along Isla Corzazon (Heart Island), a nature preserve where we could observe beautiful birds (herons, kites, ibises) in their natural habitat. Our group filled two rather primitive boats that had seen better days. We continued from the island to the town of Bahai (which means Bay in Spanish) and toured an archaeology museum showcasing the earliest people of Ecuador, well before the Incas and Spaniards. The trip ended with a delicious vegetarian lunch at the waterfront "Saiananda" spa, where (for those of you who want a real get-away) you can have an air-conditioned room and three vegetarian meals for $90 a day. Not much to see or do around the place, though!


To be continued.....

Alice sees Florida for the first time

The Fort Lauderdale airport is huge & ungainly. We had to walk at least a half mile to get to the shuttle pick-up spot for our hotel (Fairfield Inn & Suites), dragging about 150 pounds of luggage behind us. Quite a workout in the heat and humidity!

Later we walked along a six-lane highway to Cielito Lindo Cuban-Mexican restaurant, one of three eateries within a mile of the inn. Very noisy, with additional booming noise from planes taking off on parallel runway. Sumner had a margarita and a platter of enchilada, taco & chili relleno (huge portion, ***) and Alice had a Cuban dish of savory ground beef "Picollo Criolo" (****). Noticed in the dark on the way back that the Marriott entrance was lined with tall palm trees whose trunks appeared to be encased with concrete. Looked this up and found that there is indeed a "fake palm" industry, and these palms look very realistic and have way less maintenance cost and are less likely to be damaged in storms. The following morning we investigated and found that the Fairfield palms were real, but looked fake. Where the trunk touched the ground, one of these trees had damage at the back and we could see that inside the tree are a system of sucker-like strands instead of wood.

Mystery solved: "In botany, 'tree' is a technical term which does not include palms. Instead, palms --that don't have wood-- are categorized into the "manicot" class of flowering plants (along with orchids, tulips, onions, sugarcane, bamboo, wheat, and crabgrass). " http://www.answers.com/Q/Is_a_palm_tree_really

(Breaks Alice's reportorial heart to know that soon she won't be able to check facts like this because there won't be internet access on the ship.)

Fairfield Suites: surrounded by six lane highway on from and another highway at back, adjacent to airport runway. Ideal for the hearing impaired; others should bring earplugs. Nicely arranged room, comfortable king bed, four teeny tiny pillows. Bath good size. Sofa in anteroom not good for sitting. Two TVs but no privacy for sleeping or watching diff shows. No Kleenex in BR area. Super noisy HVAC that boomed and rumbled. Did not notice this much because of booming and rumbling from jets taking off and landing. One-person coffee machine for four-person room; only one packet of caffeinated "dark" roast that had no flavor.

Breakfast: Sui generis white carb array with a few healthy options. Scrambled eggs made from powder. Butter so cold it could not be spread. Saw one woman eat an entire pat on a corner of toast.

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