Having been on the Pearl before we had a pretty good idea of how to get around the ship. What didn’t have any idea about was how much nicer an upscale suite would be. Large enough to have two separate air conditioning thermostats. And an espresso machine. And a butler to bring hors d'oeuvre every afternoon. And a private tour of the bridge. And a get together with the captain and officers. And more. Nice.
So after leaving Seattle our first stop was Cabo San Lucas. Popular place for Americans. Lots of Americans. We did the usual walk around that tourists do, looking in shops and avoiding purchases. Neither of us really enjoyed the stop.
Next up was Puerto Vallarta. Once the ship is in dock what’s the first thing we from our balcony? Walmart. So, we went and bought a couple of things that were promptly stolen right there in Walmart at the checkout counter. Hello Mexico. Not to worry though, the store replaced the items and we headed out for a walk. No other purchases and we were back to the ship in time to continue onward.
Our next stop was Acapulco. It was here we took our first chance at hiring a driver and guide. Turned out to be a good experience and a great way to get around to see stuff like the cliff divers. Barb broke down and bought a bracelet while I had a beer or two. Nice day, but we really expected more.
The last port in Mexico was Huatulco and it was by far the best. Not a regular stop for most cruise ships, we were only there because the ship skipped stopping in San Francisco. A ten-minute cab ride took us into the town and what a difference. Just townspeople going about their regular business. Not at all a tourist trap like everywhere else. With a new pier where ships can dock instead of having to tender in, this will become a regular stop and Huatulco will change. Lunch was on the beach and then it was off to the Panama Canal.
Woke up early on morning to see a lot of ships anchored waiting their turn in the canal. Cruise ships book a year in advance. That way the get an early start on what takes the better part of daylight. It was recommended by a friend that I read The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough and I’m glad I did. It should be required reading for anyone going through the canal.
After entering the canal under the Bridge of the Americas the first two locks are the Miraflores Locks, followed shortly by the third lock the Pedro Miguel Lock. Then it’s a long trip down the Gaillard Cut to Gatun Lake. Exiting the canal is through the three Gatun Locks. A good portion of the canal is the lake, which is 85 feet about sea level. The six locks raise ships from sea level and lower ships to sea level at the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This day trip through the canal was well worth the price of admission for the cruise.
Once through the canal our next stop was Cartagena, Columbia. This was the first time we had taken a tour with a large group and we were to see the two faces of Cartagena. First up was a drive through the not so tourist part of town heading up to an old Monastery. Our guide was quick to explain the area we were going through was a slum, where the residents had no electricity, water or sewer. Nice. Just the part of town I wanted to see. The Monastery was worth seeing, but the drive back down through the slum was not worth seeing.
The other face of Cartagena was in the Walled City and from what we saw the wall was effective. Very nice town. Lots of old and lots of new. A couple of ladies caught my eye. I really like the one of the on the balcony.
The one with the fruit wanted coin of the realm for a photo, so I waited till she turned around. Bad Bob. Next, we headed to the Netherlands Antilles, with Oranjestad, Aruba the first stop. Nice town, but it rained. And rained hard. Hard enough that we had to hang out drinking the local beer. I did manage to buy a Swiss Army knife in blue, rather than the usual red.
Our last port was Willemstad, Curaçao. This may have been the second-best port After Huatulco. Buildings painted every color of the rainbow and a really great farmers market down by the water. We wandered around a lot.
Sad, but now we have to head back. We will rent a car in Miami and drive to Jacksonville for a few days, then fly back to Portland.
