January 23, 2025

Cruising the Caribbean on Eurodam

1st Port of Call, Puerto Plata

It is about time I shared my experience of our recent cruise with Holland America Line ship Eurodam. It was a great trip, and we can’t wait to be back on a cruise with them again.
The occasion was our son, Ashfaq’s, 60th celebration. All of us were asked to join if possible. Ashfaq’s whole family, Tazeen and Marium- our daughter and granddaughter, decided to also join the cruise. This was our sixth time cruising, but the best in pleasure and comfort. Although it was only one week’s vacation including flying time to the cruise and back home, the idea for the host family was to have a short cruise because it was their first with a young family and work time constraints played into it too. The other most important factor of consideration was to have warm weather to escape our East Coast freezing weather. So, the ideal choice became a Caribbean Cruise with its tropical ambiance and all-inclusive affair.
Since the cruise was only five days long, there were only two ports of call. We did Southwest from Boston to Washington connecting to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We joined the ship in Fort Lauderdale- more about it in another blog post. We were picked up by a shuttle to be brought to the ship for boarding. We were early considering the ship was to sail to the Dominican Republic at around 6 pm. I was excited that Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, was the first port of call. My main interest was an opportunity to practice my Spanish, though that never materialized.
Our ship sailed on time, and after sailing all night, reached its first stop in Puerto Plata, DR, docked, and allowed passengers to disembark temporarily. All cruises when they stop at ports of call, offer their passengers a selection of excursions on every port. We reviewed our options in Puerto Plata. Our son and his family, and our daughter and granddaughter, decided on a beach excursion. I decided to do something different and signed up for a walking tour in downtown Puerto Plata. My husband decided to stay on the ship. There were 32 people in our excursion group including the guide and the driver. Even so, at the beginning, I was somewhat lonely and apprehensive. As we got off the bus, everyone started to walk huddled and talking. A couple of ladies were walking a little ahead of me and realized that I was walking alone. These two mother and daughter team approached me and introduced themselves. We clicked instantly and felt like we’d known each other for years. That was the beginning of my great day with Candace and Rianna in Puerto Plata from start to finish of the excursion. We boarded the bus and along the way our guide gave us the information about sights, history and culture of Donimican Republic in general, and Puerto Plata in particular.
Our first stop was Independence Square. This small Square in Puerto Plata has lot to offer to tourists and is a stone’s throw from the Cathedral of San Felipe. It is the heart of the city with Victorian-style architecture. Independence Square is a place for tourists to experience the country’s traditions and culture. It showcases aspects of their traditional carnival masks by having people dressed in traditional attires and masks that tell the history and folklore of the country.
We walked around while our guide provided us with a lot of information about the carnival, traditional masks, dancing, and local musical instruments while a band played their traditional music, and pretty girls danced in colorful flowing dresses. We stopped at a coconut water cart, and the guide offered everyone a coconut with a straw to enjoy a refreshing drink of coconut water. After that they offered to cut the coconuts for us to eat soft jelly-like coconut flesh. I have to say that It was a great treat.

Our informative walk with our guide led us to Paseo Dona Blanca. Dona Blanca aka Bianca Franceschini was a poineer in the development of tourism industry in Puerto Plata in the 18th Century. Paseo Dona Blanca, is a fascinating concept, created in Puerto Plata, as a victorian style alley with all its walls, flooring and all the decorative items painted in shocking hot pink; It is used as an attractive backdrop for tourist photography, weddings, birthdays and other photo shoots.The manifestation of the Dominicans’ dedication to their culture, and history is throughout downtown. We, as cruise passengers, had limited access to sight seeing because of time constraints, but we saw people dressed in carnival costumes, dancing girls with pretty flowing outfit and lots of carnival masks displayed for us to see.

Next our walking tour took us to the Umbrella street. This pedestrain-only street offers a chance to experience Purto Plata’s lively atmosphere where vibrant umbrella hang from the top creating a pleasurable and enchanting ambiance.

Then we were headed to Gregorio Luperon museum. Luperon became the president of the provincial Government in San Filipe de Puerto Plata, and after a successful cue became 20th president of the Dominican Republic. the Luperon Museum in Puerto Plata displays period items. The statue of General Luperon infront of the Fort San Felipe is significant. An impressive equestrian statue of Luperon with a sword is located in the grounds of Fort Felipe with sweeping ocean views emphasize his strong leadership role .

Christopher Colombus discovered San Felipe of Pueto Plata on his first voyage on January 12th 1493. He called it Monte de plata because he saw a silver lined cloud at the top. It was used to protect the city from foreign invaders. There is a museum inside the fort.

Last but not least was the lunch stop at a restaurnt. unfortunately, I dont remember the name. A deliciouis buffet of local cuisine. A typical caribbean spread of delicious rice and beans, meatz with Caribbean flavors, medley of vegetables boiled to perfection, side salads of potatoes, beets, and lettuce hit the spot. I shared the table with Candace, and Rianna and savored every bite.

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Cruises / Mediterranean Cruise

September 28, 2024

Panoramic Slopes of Mt. Etna

We were on a one week cruise on Holland America Cruiseline’s ship, Oosterdam . It was a great trip ranging from great food, service, and a variety of amenities and fun activities throughout the week.

Our Mediterranean cruise on Oosterdm, Holland America Cruiseline ended about 2 weeks ago. I am still relishing the serenity that vacation brings to me from daily business of work, domestic duties of cleaning and cooking. I am thinking hard about how to extend that feeling of calm and reduction of to-do list of responsibility. To be honest even when I was enjoying the cruise, the idea of writing this blog was a cloud that kept threatening and overshadowing my idle bliss. Through out I continued to gather ideas for the blog and genuinly feel that I have come back with life and food lessons, and recipes to record and practice this fall.

On our first day, we had breakfast at the beautiful Pinnacle Grill where we had special access as we stayed in Neptune Suits . Sitting at the table and looking out of the window at the great Etna volcano as a backdrop, hugged by clouds which fell around it like a shroud. I knew, we would be in its close vicinity that very afternoon looking at that audacious natural phenomenon.

While a cruise ship is in port, excrusions are offered for additional fees. On our first day, we booked a half-day tour, which was one of several offered, of Panoramic Slopes of Mount Etna – as I mentiond before_ was organised by the cruise ship. Leaving the Port of Messina for our excursion, we were headed towards the lovely village of Zafferana, driving south of the freeway through fertile paradise of green vineyards and golden citrus groves. The excursion was designed as a walk to see the lava flow of 1991-92 which nearly destroyed the town of Zafferana.

Etna produced its most voluminous and longest -lasting flank eruption since about 300 year between 14 December 1991 and 30 March 1993. Much of the sourthern part of Valle del Bove was filled with a thick compound lava field. The eruption, though not particularly vigorous in terms of explosivity and eruptive rates, became the most publicized eruptive event at Etna so far, mostly due the successful diversion of lava flows that threatened the town of Zafferana Etnea. The lessons from the 1991-1992 eruption should, however, not imply that man is now capable of controlling the volcano.

Lava overran a series of barriers including the bridges built as strategies to mitigate the destruction of the nearby towns. With determination and continued effort, the flow of lava was stopped before it reached Zafferana. Although for a lot of us it was a challenging walk, but it was an excellent way of showcasing the region and deepening our understanding and appreciation of breathtaking surroundings of Mount Etna. As you walk out of the lava’s carpeted area, there is a beautiful statue of Madonna of Zafferana, according to local belief, protects everyone from Etna’s wrath.

Our excursion was exclusively for the Panoramic Slopes of Mt. Etna. Mount Etna, which is the highest active volcano in Europe in the city of Catania on the island of Sicily. Apparently, 500,000 years ago it was a small volcano, and since has been growing with each eruption. Now it covers an area of 459 sq. mi with a basal circumference of 87 miles. It has displayed a variety of eruption styles ranging from the peak, from the flanks, and the bottom with sometimes voluminous lava flows. Interestingly, 25% of Sicily’s population lives on Etna’s slopes and it is the main source of income for the island from both agriculture due to rich volcanic soil, and also from tourism.

Mount Etna’s activity can cause thousands of people to flee their homes, cause destruction of towns and villages, serious health issues and more. And yet, people still live there and are willingly subjected to the volcano’s whims.

There is a general belief that the benefits of living near Mount Etna outweigh risks. A proximilty to the sea and mountains, a nice climate, fertile soil, cheap building material, and a vibrant tourism industry are some of the highly considered favorable benefits of living around Mount Etna.

Our second stop was highlighting the luxurious location of Antiche Botti Restaurant, for refreshment for a hugry bus load of people, located in a valley surrounded by soaring mountains. Since the approach to the restuarant was diffecult, and some of the passengers were unable to navigate their way to the restuarant (tucked into the valley, enveloped in nature’s display of sublime) were provided with a special car service from and back to the bus after the Italian dessert affair. Their cannoli and mascarpone Tiramisu were literally inhaled by everyone. Both of these decadent treats were tangy, and both crispy and creamy at the same time and an absolute treat for all the dessert lovers. The noise of enthusiastic friendly chatter confirmed that there is definitely a double delight in talking about good food while you are eating with friends.

Tiramisu, Antiche Botti, Sicily (photo credit, Restaurant)

One of the best tours I have been on, and a lot of credit goes to Cenzia, our amazing tour guide, for her organized and articulated presentation of both historical facts and natural beauty of the whole area.

On the way back Cinzia’s skill set provided an insight into everyday life of scilians when she shared her personal experiences and anecdotes essentially to connect with us. The tour ended with her singing popular Italian songs and everyone joined in a beautiful chorus. I didn’t know the songs but I joined in singing giving birth to a gibrish version, but nobody knew that I had no clue about what they were singing. A great trip ended with happy and satisfied guests. Thank you Cinzia.

Internet image ↩︎

At Sea, June 26, 2019 / Cruises / Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam

July 30, 2019

A T S E A, June 26, 2019

The departure from Aarhus was on time. Our next day on the itinerary was listed as “at sea.” A sea day is spent on board while the ship is sailing to the next destination without a port stop for one or more days. On this cruise, our first sea day lasted for around 30 hours before the next port of call. Our ship had to cover a long distance between Aarhus, Denmark, to Tallinn, Estonia, the next destination. As we were settling down to our regular daily activities, the cruise director’s intercom announcement informed us that we would be passing the Great Belt Bridge and asked us to be on the lookout. Since we had the verandah deck, we went there with our cameras. We could see the beautiful track of waves the ship was leaving behind as it sliced through the water. And the way in the distance was this beautiful Great Belt Bridge. Great Belt Bridge is a connection between Danish Islands, Zealand, and Funen.

The Great Belt Bridge between Danish Islands of Zealand and Funen,

The number of sea days on a cruise depends on the type of cruise. Our cruise had two long stretches on the Baltic sea, which meant two sea days. Although events like cooking demonstrations, Digital workshops, poolside fun, and much much more is offered as part of the everyday schedule on a cruise, on sea days, they ramp up the schedule by offering Shore Excursion Talks about the upcoming destinations, added workshops, movies, extra food venues, afternoon High Tea, and Happy Hour and the list goes on to keep the passengers entertained. The stores on a ship are in one area more like an onboard “mall” open all day to give everyone a chance to shop to their heart’s content for anything from T-shirts to high-end jewelry and anything in between. The time on sea days offered an advantage to all those who wanted to just curl up on a deck chair to read, nap by the pool, spend the day in a spa or fitness center, or do anything they really desired.

As we all know, every advantage comes with a disadvantage. In this case, everyone aboard meant the demand for everything was high, such as deckchairs, prime spots on the observation deck, a popular venue with the best view from the ship. Appointments at hair salons and spas were scarce and came without a discount even for those who booked early. They were in even bigger demand on the day because all the ladies wanted to be prim and proper and look their best for the Gala night, which has always been a sea day affair on Dam ships. Crowded food venues could also be a problem. None of the above was a problem for us. We are good at adapting to unusual situations except when it comes to no wifi, which was the case as long as you were at sea with no land in sight. In any case, we had to grin and bear for the lack of choices.

Gala nights are organized on sea days to give people a chance to dress up. I enjoyed Gala nights, for they were an elegant highlight of the voyage. Everyone was dressed in finest attires and were offered the most sumptuous dishes ship’s gourmet chefs can devise. Special menus included Prime rib, Duck a l’orange, Lobsters, and other delicacies. Sumptuous fares were offered every night in the dining room, but they went a step beyond the normal nights by offering tantalizing appetizers and exotic desserts on formal nights. An added bonus to our great sea days was the Baltic sea’s tender, loving waves lulling us all to a good night’s sleep for arrival in Tallinn, Estonia, for yet another day of exploration and excitement.

Click here for Tallin

Cruises / Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam / To Aarhus, Denmark

July 30, 2019

To Aarhus, Denmark

After everyone was on board and settled, safety drills were carried out; we sailed from Copenhagen at 5:00 pm to our first port of call, Aarhus, located on the east coast of Jutland Peninsula, the second-largest city in Denmark. After cruising all night, we arrived at Aarhus at 7;00am on Tuesday, June 25, 2019. Many Ship-Sponsored Shore Excursions were in the offing, along with the option for Independent Shore Excursions. For more details and to book, passengers were advised to visit the Shore Excursion Deck, Deck 10, or they could use the complimentary ‘Navigator’ site on their mobile devices. Daily cruise planner, “When and Where,” delivered to the Staterooms every night, had a detailed schedule of the activities planned on board for all the passengers.

I was up early and went to the verandah to watch the ship navigate into the port of Aarhus. We didn’t plan any excursions in Aarhus; therefore, we chose to take it easy, getting ready for breakfast. A broad range of dining venues was available on the ship ranging from a casual bite by the poolside, a relaxed atmosphere of the Lido on Deck 9, or a formal affair in the classic main dining room on Deck 2. We decided on the dining room. I ordered Kongee, Chinese rice porridge, followed by my second typical breakfast of English Muffins, butter, and jam with coffee. Jaffer also enjoyed his sumptuous breakfast. We had as much fresh coffee as we wanted, with our breakfast giving us a great start.

After breakfast, we went down to the gangway to exit the ship and explore Aarhus independently. Almost across from where our ship docked was Dokk1 or Dokken (as the locals called it), a building with the best library and culture center in Aarhus. We only saw it from outside. There wasn’t enough time to do everything.

Our cruise ship docked close to the city center, and the main attractions were within walking distance. It was a beautiful day for walking. Found Nordea Bank to change dollars for Danish krone. It took a lot of walking before we found the Bank giving us a chance to go around the city.

When we got back, the area where the ship was docked had a lot of activity with lots of different stalls selling local produce and souvenirs. We were introduced to traditional Danish bread, which was delicious and seemed like a cross between Pumpernickel and 7 seeds and grain bread. I loved it so much that it became my go-to bread while on the cruise.

While we were walking around the harbor area, we found an interesting sculpture group titled “the Coffee Board.” It was not a guided tour which meant there was no guide to tell us the history and significance of the sight right there on the spot. But casually talking to people, we discovered that it was a memorial to honor the dockworkers of Aarhus. The idea of creating a sculpture occurred to a former dock worker, Palle Joergensen (image below shows him with his lunch box with traditional bread and cheese, and a bottle of beer, while he was peeling an apple), with the help of his co-workers put the idea into motion. Workers’ enthusiasm about the idea attracted the attention of the dock workers’ union.

The Workers’ Union got involved and developed it further by putting all the energy into finding funds for its creation. Their enormous effort resulted in one of Denmark’s Art Foundation, “the Sallings Foundation’s,” decision to be the sole donor of 405,000 euros needed to complete the project. The sculptor Galschiot was commissioned for the project. Galschiot, a sculptor of unquestionable repute, created a sculpture group depicting dock workers’ typical working environment giving everyone an insight into the hardship they endured for centuries. A worthy tribute to their years of hard work of hauling goods and loading ships.

As we were walking back, someone pointed out the Royal Yacht docked right across from our ship. The queen of Denmark, Margrethe 11, was in residence at her summer palace in Aarhus.

The local people I talked to were very open and friendly and gave us a great deal of information which checked out for its veracity. We were happy with the experience and went back to the ship on time for All Aboard, 2:00pm. Our next port of call was Tallinn, Estonia, where we were not due until 7:00am on Thursday, 27th June, after being at sea all day and night of Wednesday, 26th June 2019.

Copenhagen, Denmark / Cruises / Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam

July 30, 2019

Cruising to Jewels of the Baltic on Zuiderdam

Here we are again on our way to a 12-Day cruise of Jewels of the Baltic on Holland America’s Cruise line. Our itinerary, below, was to Northern European destinations on cruise Ship, Zuiderdam out of Copenhagen.

We flew from Boston on June 23, 2019, arriving in Copenhagen on Monday, June 24, 2019. On arrival at the airport, we were met by a representative of Holland America Line at the luggage claim area for transfer to the cruise terminal. Our flight came in early and boarding was not to start until after 11:30am, therefore; they planned a short sightseeing tour of Copenhagen before boarding the ship.

The bus brought us to the Townhall square in Copenhagen where our tour started with a guide who joined us there. Having a tour guide was the only way to understand the significance of what you were to see. As we walked to our first stop we saw a bicycle stand for people to rent bicycles. Apparently, a normal practice for tourists, who are young and able to rent a bicycle to see the city of Copenhagen. Apparently, Copenhagen is a best-case scenario for bicycles. Bicycles are a well-integrated part of the transportation fabric. They have separate bicycle lanes for people to feel safe. The flat terrain of the city makes it bicycle-friendly, which in turn makes it environment and health-friendly. Also a cheap and hassle-free way of getting around town.

“One other added advantage, according to the guide, was that one car park space could be converted into a stand with 8 to 12 bicycle racks, providing a lot more parking spaces with ease of parking for cyclists.

Copenhagen is full of statues and sculptures. Because of the time constraint, a limited number of sights were on the agenda. At first, we went to the most famous bronze statue of Little Mermaid by Edvard Eriksen. This beautiful statue is displayed on a rock on the Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen and was inspired by the Fairy Tale written by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who gave up everything to be united with a handsome prince on land. Here’s is the upshot for those who never heard of Hans Christian Andersen. This must-read classic is available, I am sure, in every library, and can also be downloaded free on Ibook.

After that we saw only three more statues, making the tour short, entertaining, but lacking on detailed information. Efter Badet statue by Carl Aasleff below was explained as a man drying himself after his bath.

The statue of Europa was the next one. Europa was the mother of King Minos of Crete, and the continent of Europe was named after her. In Greek mythology, Europa was a beautiful Phoenician princess. When Zeus, the king of Gods, saw her, he turned himself into a stunning white bull. Europa was mesmerized with the attractive white bull and climbed aboard only to be whisked away across the seas to Crete by Zeus in the guise of the bull where she became his consort and then the mother of King Minos.

The Peace Statue Angel of Langelinie below is a large winged female figure. Officially Seafarers Monument was dedicated to the Danish navy Seamen who lost their lives at WWI. It was not clear how it ended up being called “The Peace Statue Angel of Langelinie”, the guide said.

Peace Statue Angel, Langelinie, Copenhagen, Denmark

After sightseeing, we went to the cruise terminal for the boarding process which had similarities to air travel but was not quite as stressful. Upon entering the terminal, everyone’s luggage was checked which would eventually be delivered to the Staterooms. Passengers were urged to carry hand- luggage with important documents, medications, and other items of immediate need. After dropping off the luggage, everyone went through security checks like in any airport by showing cruise documents, such as passports, or driver’s licenses, and placing the carry-ons in an x-ray machine to be scanned. But unlike the airport, only the 3-ounce liquid rule was not enforced. Plus no one was asked to remove shoes and belts and were spared a pat-down. After security, the check-in process was straightforward and quick. You were given a credit- card style room key that was linked to the onboard spending account. Very efficient cruise line staff members were on hand to facilitate the process.

After the boarding was completed, our ship was to sail at 5:00pm for Aarhus, Denmark, our first port of call and was scheduled to arrive at 7:00am on Tuesday, June 25, 2019.

Aarhus:

Cruises / Travel Blog

December 23, 2018

Panama Canal Cruise

We cruised the Caribbean on the Royal Caribbean International Flagship, The Brilliance of the seas from April 8 – 20,2004. After flying from Boston to Miami, we got on board the ship in the afternoon of April 8. This was the second cruise that we have ever been on, and with very high expectation and excitement because of our great experience on board of Veendam, one of the cruise ships with Holland America, to Alaska.

These ships are floating resorts offering great accommodation, restaurants, casinos, outdoor area with swimming pools, Jacuzzis, spas, night clubs and duty free shopping. To add to that there are food courts, lounges, cafes, and bars where food, drinks, and tea and coffee stations are open 24 hours.

The fun and Pampering starts as soon as you get on board. Luggage is brought to your state room in record time. State rooms are very spacious with huge storage area and cupboard space. Decent size bathrooms are well equipped with the necessities, and are cleaned twice a day.

As soon as you get on board, and before you sail safety drill is carried out in a very orderly fashion. We sailed from Miami and cruised for two days and pristine, and most of all serene Caribbean lulled us, at least me into safety and great meditative mood thanking God for every little favor he offers. There was a reception and a show to welcome the passengers aboard on the first night.

Our first stop where we anchored was Grand Cayman Island which is one of the three Islands. Grand Cayman’s capital is George Town, . Its sister Islands are Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman which are separated from the Grand Cayman by 90 miles of sea and lie to the northeast of it. Grand Cayman itself is 500 miles directly south of Miami.

Cayman Island

Caymans have a very interesting history. Christopher Columbus touched two mounds of earth, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, when freak winds pushed his ship where he spotted multitudes of turtles and named the islands, as”las Tortugas”. But later they were renamed Cayman Islands after Caiman, the Taino word for alligators.

Variety of people such as, pirates, refugees, shipwrecked, and more landed and settled on the islands. There are several myths about the buried treasures from pirate activities. Also there are stories of wrecked ships around the reef. There has been conclusive evidence of a wreck of ten ships, which were part of a convoy sailing to US. and Britain that wrecked on the reef.

Tourism and banking became the mainstay of the economy making Cayman Islands offshore banking center. Another most important aspect of its fame is its coral grounds which are finest in the Caribbean making it the most prosperous and most expensive country for its size. When a cruise liner makes a short stop it is impossible for people to see how prosperous the country is. But for them reality check comes when they start shopping and find out the cost and also the exchange rate. The fact that it is a British colony reflects the exchange rate because the pound is more expensive than the US dollar. It is also evident that it is a crown colony with both police uniforms and red pillar boxes of telephone booths.

Our next port of call was Oranjestad, Aruba. Caribbean Islands at one time or another were colonized by the Europeans: England, Portugal, Holland, Spain, and France. There were wars over the possession of these Islands. Aruba is a prime example of mixed influences of several different colonizer and indigenous people. Aruba’s language is called Papiamento (an Afro-Portuguese Creole language) which developed, and has been in use since 16th century, as a unique combination of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, African, and Indian words. This language is spoken only on the Dutch “ABC” Islands: Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao.

Alonzo de Ojeda claimed the island for Spanish crown in 1499 but did not colonize thinking it a “useless Island” which meant that they did not have a motive to kill off the local Indian tribe, Arawak. Today many of the Arubans are of Arawakan descent.

In 1634 Dutch took over Aruba. Gold was not discovered until 1824, and then was mined until 1913. 3 million tons were extracted before its depletion. At that point island’s economy appeared grim. Later Aloe plant became the major industry and Aruba was major producer of Aloe, making it a major industry. Now Aruba depends on tourism. Its bustling economy with modern, colorful shopping malls and jewelry stores are the attraction for those who come to enjoy the sun and aqua blue waters of Aruba beaches. Six months of the year tourist from all over the world come to the island. A large number come on cruise liner looking for fun in the sun. Tourist spend a lot, and Arubans do what they can to entertain them.

As people disembark d from the cruise liner, they are faced with placards of tour operations giving a wide variety of choices of sightseeing. it was a beautiful day in Aruba. Downtown Aruba was quite close to the port area. We picked up one of a dozen tours offered to us by local tour organizers. After a little waiting and hassle we got a scenic drive tour which took us to the Rock Garden, Natural Bridge, and Gold Mill Ruins. It was informative. On our way we saw a lot of huge Cactuses which grow everywhere in Aruba. They even use cactuses to make fences around the houses to keep animals out.

Cactuses

Our next port of call was Panama Canal. We had two days at sea. Now was the time for the sea to show its volatility and character as it became very rough due to high winds. Since Panama Canal was the highlight of the cruise, we looked forward to getting there. The ship’s entertainment schedule was packed with activities keeping us busy. We arrived at Panama Canal at 6:45 am on Thursday, April 15th, 04. It was a very clear day and all the passengers gathered on the upper deck to watch the entrance to the locks. It was fascinating

Gatun Lake, panama Canal

Panama canal was built to find a short cut between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It was built across the country which had to cross a very hilly part. The Gatun lake, a man-made lake, sits halfway between eastern and western parts to connect the lake to the two ocean on either side. Canal architecture involves locks. To get to Gatun lake from the Atlantic Ocean three locks have to be crossed. The length of Panama canal is 51 miles. We entered the canal from the Atlantic side into Gatun Lake. A series of three locks raise the ship 26 meters to the lake. Since the lake itself sits at the highest point, ships have to be lowered in order to get to Pacific Ocean through the two locks on the other side. . Our cruise ship entered the Gatun Lake and, after a short stop, turned around to go back to the Atlantic Ocean for our returned journey to Costa Rica and back to Miami.

We were back on the ship and sailed at 8pm and were headed to our next port of call which was Puerto Limón, Costa Rica. After all nights cruising we arrived at the port excited to get to our scheduled Braulio Carillo National Park tour. When we disembarked, we realized that it was not just overcast but also rainy and cold. We had to return to the ship to get our warm clothes.

Buses were ready to take us to the area from where we were to be taken to the Aerial Tramway to go up to the canopy and be at eye level to the top of the trees. We were given a nice buffet lunch which was included in the price of $126/- and was a surprise. But the other surprise was that the drizzle turned to torrent which meant we had to buy rain capes if we wanted to go for our Rain Forest Canopy Aerial Tramway tour. While the tourist had to fork out extra amount for protection from rain, their gift shop did a brisk business by selling capes to 90% of the people taking the tour.

After lunch, anxious and excited we all lined up to go on the tour. They started loading the trams with a condition that only five passenger and a guide can go up in each one of them. It meant that some people had to break away from their family members or friends, for instance, in one of the trams a couple was told to sit separately to balance the weight because they were both on the heavy side. But, as usual, some people came forward to solve the problem and all went smoothly.

Aerial Tram Rainforest Tour, Puerto Límon

We went up gliding over the treetops in Aerial Tramway which provides bird’s eye view of the lush tropical Braulio Carillo National park but there was not even a bird to be seen. Although it was a bleak rainy day with very limited visibility, we saw occasional orchids, and there were some red flower like leaves which the guide called “hot lips” ( Apparently, these red leaves looked like flowers before their full growth- an intriguing highlight ).

Coming back down there were some birds, and the guide pointed out a sloth that looked like a big bird’s nest. Despite the bad weather it was exciting to see something which was once in a life time chance. the whole national park tour took 8 hours. After a long day we were back on the ship and ready to sail back to Miami as the cruise summary map shows.

Cruise Summary

Ancorage, Alaska / Cruises / Travel Blog

October 31, 2018

Anchorage, Alaska

We flew into Fairbanks, Alaska, and from there, we went to Denali and Anchorage. Arriving at the hotel in the evening, we felt exhaustedA and went to bed. After sleeping for several hours, I woke up and looked out of the window and was shocked to see that at midnight it was broad daylight because, in Anchorage, a day lasts 19.5 hours. A woman was fishing in Ship Creek behind the hotel. Apparently, from spring to fall, 24 million gallons of water come through Ship Creek. It is a pristine Creek in which salmon spawn. We got a terrific opportunity to watch salmon run while fishermen attempted to hook them.

Five species of salmon inhabit Alaska waters. Chinook (also known as King); coho (silver); humpback (pink);

sockeye (red); and chum (dog) are the varieties that are commercially harvested. Salmon is hatched in freshwater rivers. They live one to two years in freshwater before going to the ocean. They live in the ocean for 3-5 years and return to their natal river for spawning. They change color as they grow older. After spawning, they die.

To see Alaska Photos click here.