Fuerte Amandor ( or Panama City by any other name)

Fuerte Amador is a tender port. What does that mean you ask? It means they transfer you from the ship to the shore in a much smaller boat because there is no pier large enough to dock the ship. The smaller boat was fun, but we had absolutely no idea that Fuerte Amador was hotter than the 3rd ring of hell. Trust me! It really was hotter than hell.

We wandered around the port for awhile before connecting with our excursion group. Duty free is always fun. Sonja and I did an aerial tram ride through the rain forest. It was lots of fun. The vegetation was amazing but, sadly for us, we did not see any birds or monkeys. Oh well. We did, however, see termite nests. Like all nests, they were actually quite fascinating. We also met up again with Gina and Claudio, our Italian friends from San Francisco. We shared our tram with them. Deanna, our tour guide, was quite informative and gave us lots of info about the rain forest while we travelled up through the rain forest jungle. Sonja started to sing the Guns and Roses song about the jungle. Well, Deanna was very impressed. Turns out, G and R is a major deal in Panama. Next thing we knew, we were surrounded by tour guides who also reveled in G and R. Who knew?





Sonja swinging from a monkey vine - seriously!

We also got to see cashew nuts growing on trees. Did you know that the fruit of the cashew tree is edible but the actually nut (what we eat) is not. Cashews are actually highly toxic until they are roasted. I had a couple of raw ones in my pocket but I couldn’t bring them home. Too bad.

As an aside, I have discovered how to add the pictures in so you may want to go back through the earlier posts for some pics.

Panama Canal - Going Through the Canal

The Locks
The Ship Ahead of Us
Locomotive

Well, today was the day. We went through the three sets of locks that make up the Panama Canal. It was an interesting experience. Imagine if you can, the Rideau Canal on steroids. Sonja went up to the deck early in the morning; I decided to stay closer to home and sit on the balcony. We entered the canal at 6 a.m. and were in the Pacific about 5 p.m. I didn’t realize that it was an all-day process. The distance (or lack of) between the ship and the side of the canal was amazing. We are so close to the concrete that I swear we left a layer of paint on the side of the concrete. They have little locomotives on the side of the canal that helps take the ship through. They attach wires to the big ship and assist in the process.
Did you know that in takes 52 million gallons of water to move one ship through the canal? I didn’t until today. One of the reasons they are building some new locks is to cut down on that amount of water. Apparently the water they use now is “lost”, the Panama Canal Authority wants to be able to change this. They are well on their way.
Tomorrow should prove to be another interesting day – a tram ride in the Panama Rain Forest – really looking forward to that.

Who wants to be a dirty girl?

Cartagena – what an interesting city. The architecture has a Spanish look to it. I have now achieved one more thing on my bucket list ( I want to visit all seven continents – now I have three out of the way) We also met some nice Brits. Turns out – they were from a town very near Skipton which is were my mother was from. Yet another example of how this is a very small world. We also met Gina and Claudio, some very nice people from San Francisco. They gave us some tips on what to do in San Francisco while we were there.

Our tour guide, Roosevelt, took us on a brief tour of the city before taking our group to the mud volcano. Mud volcano you say? Yes, and it was pretty much just like the link I posted earlier. Our initial viewing was a little disappointing. I expected to see mud oozing up and over the sides of the volcano just like a lava flow. Well, not exactly. The mud does bubble a little but not like a lava flow at all.

We climbed up a steep staircase to the top and jumped into a giant mud puddle. (Sonja said it was the first time she ever paid to play in the mud!) ( I can't believe I am posting a pic of me in a swimsuit!!) It was weird. You can’t swim in it. The mud is so thick that it literally suspends you in it. There is no bottom that you can feel. It is hard to maneuver your way around it in. While you are lying in the mud, some guy comes and gives you a massage with mud. The massage was nice but only made we want a real one. This guy also makes sure that you are covered in mud – literally covered in mud. I wish I could post a picture for you. So here is the funny part. I am trying to climb out of the mud. The bottom half of my swimsuit is so full of mud that it keeps falling off as I am trying to climb. So I have one hand on the ladder and one hand on the swimsuit. Well, gravity being what is it – yes, I mooned the entire pool of mud people. Granted, it didn’t make much of a sight – all you could see was mud. My “Demi Moore” moment if you will. Sonja had already made her way to the lake to wash off. Locals will take you down to the lake and wash off the mud. They will also take your swimsuit off! So there you are naked in a freshwater lake while the locals wash out your suit while you wash your wobbly bits. Wow!! A mud bath and a peep show all in one excursion! Would I recommend it? Absolutely – it was a chance of a lifetime. Would I do it again? No – but only because there are other things to explore. All in all, I liked being a dirty girl!

Aruba -- (Anybody for the Beach Boys)

Aruba is a pretty little island – only 30,000 people live on it. I think they make the majority of the income from tourists so Sonja and I left the boat to hopefully boost it somewhat - Me more so than Sonja (when have I ever turned down on opportunity to spend money). This is the view from our balcony.

We wandered around for a couple of hours and then headed back to the ship. I bought myself some new charms for my Pandora.
Of course, we had our traditional drink and backgammon match as we pulled out of port. It was a good morning. For those of you who are wondering why this blog is slowly being updated, Internet on the boat is very, very expensive. About .75 a minute and very, very slow.

Three for the Cost of One!

Ok so sue me! Apologies to our ardent fans but we have been quite busy! Doing what you ask? Absolutely nothing, nada, zip, zilch, zero, SFA or whatever else you want to call it. Also, Internet access is not quite as reliable as one would hope.
I have already read four books and Sonja is on her second. It is so nice just to sit and soak up the sun. We go from our balcony to the restaurant to the bar to the pool deck to the bar to our balcony to call Joaquin the cabin steward for ice to we can stay on our balcony before going to the restaurant to the bar to the pool deck. Ahh lovely monotony. It is so nice having your bed turned down at night and a chocolate on our pillow. I am saving mine, If you would like one, please comment and I will be sure to save one for you as well.
The weather is perfect - warm to hot but there is always a breeze on the balcony. Sunscreen is a must for me or I will end up like a well-prepared lobster. I hope you can keep a secret – Sonja and I have been moving a mattress outside on the deck so one of us can sleep under the stars. I am sure Princess would not approve; however, what they don’t know won’t hurt them! It is perfectly safe – the balcony is practically all enclosed so there is no way one can go anywhere. At least that way my snoring doesn’t keep Sonja awake. Apparently I can outdo a fleet (Yes, a fleet) of drunken sailors after a three-day binge! No, that is reality not an exaggeration!
Sonja and I are both amazed at how vast the ocean really truly is. Funny how a couple of inches on a map is nothing when compared to how much water is totally out there. We land in Aruba tomorrow. This will be our first time seeing land in over nearly 70 hours. We are both looking forward to getting off the ship and having a look around Aruba. Will let you know about our adventure there tomorrow. Hope everybody is well at home. Remind to me tell you all about the dolphin race Sonja and I had at Discovery Cove. I quite forgot to do that.

Discovery Cove -- OMG!~

I don't think I have the words to adequately describe today's adventure at Discovery Cove. We had the Trainer for a Day package and it was awesome - truly awesome! We had the opportunity to visit with beautiful birds in the aviary, swim with stingrays, and do excellent things with dolphins. I wish I could post pictures but blogspot seems to have the icon hidden and I can't undisappear it! If you ever get the opportunity to go, go! I can't recommend it any higher!
There is actually a dolphin behind Sonja pushing her through the water.
Christine riding on a dolphin
Because I booked a trainer for a day package for each of us, Sonja and I got to have a dolphin race. Here is proof!

Space Shuttles and Thunderstorms

Another perfect Florida day(except for the thunderstorms). The Kennedy Space Center was great. We had a bus tour around the entire site and saw pretty much everything related to space travel for the past 41 years. Some of it was impressive but the drive in that car (did I mention the car) was the most amazing thing. Two girls, one an expert driver and the other an expert passenger, had a great time with the wind whipping through our hair exploring uncharted territory. We even discovered a Target in the heart of downtown Titusville to pick up the last minute stuff we need for the cruise.


Tomorrow is Discovery Cove Day – the whole day at a water-based animal resort including a swim with dolphins. Tomorrow we will share our adventures there.