So excited to be cruising again. Our last cruise was this month in 2019. I was not even sure that this cruise would sail when we booked. We have booked others only to see them cancelled so I was trying not to get my hopes up.
We did all the paperwork and the only thing left yesterday was the COVID test. For vaccinated guests, we were allowed to do a rapid antigen test. The problem is that there are no places around here that will do them for a low cost if you are not experiencing symptoms. I decided that we would try the online method with Emed.com which is approved by many cruise lines.
Luckily, I ordered the tests about a month ago. I learned recently, they have sold out and people are on a wait list. I watched a YouTube video on the process but I decided to use one of my tests and did a practice video call last week. Chuck watched the process and it went well.
The tests must be done no earlier than two days prior to embarkation. I logged in and did my test and got my Negative result on my app and in email. Chuck logged in on my laptop and did his test. Waited for his information. And waited for his information. Nothing – no notice on his app and no email. I looked at my app and email again and there was another notice. I got his Negative test results but WITH MY NAME ON IT.
Can we never have a trip without some sort of SNAFU? I called the only number I could find and was on hold for 45 minutes. When I finally did get someone, they transferred me to another number. Hair pulling time. The gentleman who finally answered said it could be fixed but it could take up to 15 hours or more as they would have to go back through the video.
I asked him if Chuck could just take another test. He said yes but to ensure that my info doesn’t show up again, I should clear my browser history so that my app information would be deleted. Okay. I got everything removed and Chuck went through the whole testing process again. I held my breath just staring at his email – Success! He got his negative results on his app and an email. The cruise is suddenly back on!
Had a restless pre-travel night like always. Got up with the alarm at 5:30. Pumpkin came in for his breakfast at 6:30 and knew something was up when I would not let him back outside. He went from door to door demanding to be let out but I ignored him. He gave up and went under the couch to sulk. I know he prefers to be outside but it is safer for him to stay indoors when we are gone. His sitter will come and take care of him.
We left at 8:15. Atlanta traffic was terrible as usual but at least we got to use the HOV lane so that helped speed things up at Spaghetti Junction. Stopped at our favorite Waffle House in Forsyth for a late breakfast. Stopped for gas at exit 2 right before you enter Florida. They are doing some roadwork so it was not as easy to get on and off that exit as it used to be. I am sure it will be fine once they are finished.
We cut across to Jacksonville on I-10 and then down I-295 and I-95 toward Cocoa Beach. Traffic was really heavy on those interstates. We finally arrived at the La Quinta at 5:45. Just the same as I remember from all the other times we have stayed here. Our park and cruise package gave us 8 free days of parking here so we only had to pay for 6 extra days. Not a bad deal considering how expensive it is to park at the port.
We went to the hotel bar and got drinks to have by the pool. Then we went back to the bar to order wings and tacos for dinner. Met two other couples that are also cruising on the Magic tomorrow. This is a popular hotel for cruisers as they offer a very good shuttle to the port as well as free parking. We were the only ones planning a back-to-back cruise.
After dinner, back to the room to get organized for tomorrow. Breakfast starts at 7:00 and we are on the 9:30 shuttle. Weather calls for partly sunny and in the 80’s. Hoping tomorrow goes off without a hitch.
Sunday, November 11, 2018 – Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
I got up at 5:30 to be dressed in case the room service steward was right on time at 6:00. Glad I was because he was 10 minutes early. We were scheduled to be in the main stage area for the only tour we took this trip – Wildlife Rescue Center & La Ceiba Private Reserve. It was to be a long tour – 7 hours but it did include lunch.
I went outside to gauge the weather. Partly cloudy and very humid. What a surprise (sarcasm). We were docked alongside a very large Celebrity ship. I was never sure of its name but it dwarfed our ship.
At 7:40 we joined the line of people getting into the main stage as there were several different tours leaving at 7:45. We got our stickers and waited for our number to be called. There were only about 12 people on our tour so we found our guide and were directed into a large van. There was a tour that was called right before us that involved a train ride and about 100 people got up to join that one.
Once we were on the pier, we located our guide and the van driver. The guide’s name was Roy. He was very informative as he talked about his country on our 50 minute ride to the Rescue Center. The van was air conditioned but we were packed in there. Narrow seats – big Americans – do not mix well. His native language is Spanish but he spoke English well. He said the children are taught both English and Spanish at home and in the schools.
What I learned – Costa Rica means “Rich Coast.” The first Spanish explorers thought that Costa Rica was full of gems and gold since they saw natives with jewelry so that is why they gave it that name. However, they found no gold or jewels after settling. But our guide still considered his country rich. Costa Rica is home to a variety of plants and animals. While the country has only about 0.03% of the world’s landmass, it contains 5% of the world’s biodiversity. Around 25% of the country’s land area is in protected national parks and protected areas, the largest percentage of protected areas in the world.
He talked about coffee, bananas, and cacao as big exports. He showed us a banana plant and a cacao pod. However, as suspected, tourism, and more specifically eco-tourism, is the biggest money-maker for Costa Rica. Birders are especially interested in coming to Costa Rica because over 840 species of birds have been identified here.
The climate is considered tropical. Since we were on the Caribbean side of the country, we had higher humidity than the Pacific side. The temperature was in the 80’s so we could have been in Georgia in the summer. Again, I was glad for the cooling cloths and the bug spray. Costa Rica’s seasons are defined by how much rain falls during a particular period. The year can be split into two periods, the dry season (December to April) and the rainy season (May to November). He told us that this rainy season had been particularly rainy and we should be happy to see the sunshine today.
We passed by a couple of beaches and the waves were high. He talked about how popular surfing is and there are several international tournaments held in Costa Rica. Since it was Sunday, there were a lot of people on the beaches, enjoying the nice day.
As we left Puerto Limon and when we passed through a couple of small towns along the way, I noticed several piles of trash/garbage on the sides of the road. Someone commented on it and he said they would be picked up the next week. I guess they just don’t use garbage cans.
The roads were narrow and at times only cars going in one direction at a time could go over the small bridges. At one point on the road, we had to swerve to miss electrical lines that were down as well as a big tourist bus which was over too far in the road. I was glad to get to the preserve.
The Rescue Center guide was from Spain and she had lived in Costa Rica for several years and loves working with the animals. They try and rehabilitate injured, sick, or abandoned animals so that they can go back to the jungle. If they can’t go back to the wild, they can live out their life at the Center.
We got to see sloths (they get injured from power lines a lot), crocodiles, monkeys, an anteater, ocelots, and a margay. Since this facility was a rehab facility, they don’t let tourists handle the animals. It is a good thing they don’t as I wanted to put a baby sloth in my backpack and bring it home.
From the rescue center, we took a short ride over to the preserve. There is only a small portion of the preserve open to tourists to hike. The rest is left natural and that is where the workers start introducing the animals back to the jungle. We took a short hike so she could tell us about some of the plants. At the end of the hike, we were offered a ginger/mango drink and some pineapple on a skewer. I liked it. Chuck didn’t like the drink. We did see some howler monkeys way at the top of some of the trees, making noise as howler monkeys do. Also saw one of their largest butterflies – a Morpho. It is a bright blue. I could not get a picture but I got a video of it flitting around.
On the drive back, we stopped at an open-air restaurant for lunch. They prepared a traditional Costa Rican lunch of black beans and rice cooked in coconut water, chicken, and fried plantains. We had lemonade or water to drink. Everyone enjoyed the lunch and the nice breeze supplied by the fans.
All aboard was 3:30 and we got back right before 3:00. Gave some of the people time to shop in the gift shops at the port area. Of course, some people had spent money at the gift shop at the rehab facility. Since Chuck had brought me Christmas ornaments from his previous Costa Rica trip with Michael, I didn’t need anything so we headed on back to the ship. We were met at the ship by stewards who were handing out cool washcloths and cups of lemonade. HAL had done this nice touch at Aruba and Curacao also.
It was 3:30 and the Captain had not yet made the announcement about getting underway soon. I went out to the deck and saw 3 large busses pulling in and people piling out of them. They were met by some of the ship personnel, I think to make sure the people kept walking to the ship and didn’t veer off to the souvenir shop. If they wanted to shop, I know they were ticked getting back late. The Captain has to keep a good schedule. We were able to leave a little after 4:00.
After we got cleaned up for the evening, we stopped by the Gallery Bar. As we were sitting there, the cruise director, Sabina, stopped by to ask us how our trip was going and was there anything we needed? The cruise director is very busy from morning to late at night. She and her team do everything from daily announcements, hosting special events (I saw a couple doing a vow renewal), hosting daily Q/A sessions between ship personnel/performers and guests, emceeing the main stage productions, etc. I thought it was nice that she stopped by to chat. We told her we were having a great time. I know she must hold her breath every time she asks guests how they are doing because I know some will do non-stop complaining (I have heard them).
We had dinner with 2 other couples. One couple was from Canada and we see them out on the dance floor at the BB King quite a bit. They are good dancers. The other couple was from Florida. We enjoyed the conversations. The whole table ordered the oysters Rockefeller for the appetizer. I had the eggplant parmesan for the main course. I usually love eggplant parmesan but this one was kind of tough to chew. Chuck enjoyed his steak.
We went to see the late show of the mainstage performance. Tonight was a magician by the name of James Cielen. He was very good. Unfortunately, I was very sleepy and kept nodding off periodically. Thank goodness I didn’t snore.
We called it a night. The next two days are sea days before our arrival in Ft. Lauderdale. We set our clocks Forward one hour tonight. I am all messed up. Glad I don’t have to set an alarm. Tonight’s towel animal is a dinosaur I think.
Today is the day that is the purpose for this whole trip – traversing the Panama Canal. We have received enough paperwork regarding the canal – a FAQ sheet, a color brochure, and an encouragement to watch the hour movie: A Man, A Plan, A Canal. There have also been several informational sessions about the Canal during the past few days. If you don’t know what to do today or anything about the canal, it is your own fault.
What I learned – The first firm effort to build an all-water route through the Panama began with the French in 1880 but financial problems and tropical diseases ruined the initiative. When Panama consolidated its independence in 1903 it agreed with the United States on the construction of the Canal and that the US would help build, operate, and maintain it until December 31, 1999.
The Canal was opened in 1914 and in 2010, the bulk carrier Fortune Plum became ship number one million to pass through the Canal. In 1994, the Canal was named one of the seven wonders of the modern world by the American Society of Civil Engineers. In 1999, as agreed, Panama took on the administration and operation of the Canal. In 2007, construction on the new, larger locks began with the inauguration of the new locks held in 2016.
There are 2 lanes for the ships to pass from either Atlantic to Pacific or Pacific to Atlantic. The system of locks raises the vessels to the level of Gatun Lake, approximately 80 feet above the sea, to allow the crossing by the Central Mountain Range, and then lower the vessels to sea level on the other side of the Isthmus of Panama. The water that is used to raise and lower the ships in each set of locks comes from Gatun Lake by gravity and is poured into the locks through a system of main culverts which extend below the chambers of the locks from the sidewalls and center wall.
We set our clocks back an hour before we went to bed so even though I set the alarm for 5:30, I got that extra hour. I was up and dressed with camera and binoculars by 6:00. It was a cloudy day and I could see that it had rained heavily some time during the night. They did call for rain today so I put on my swimsuit with coverup so if it started raining, I was ready. Chuck was looking forward to seeing the Canal but did not feel he needed to be out on the bow as early as me.
All services were starting at 6:00 today instead of the usual 6:30 so I stopped to get my Latte. The Crow’s Nest was already filled with people. I did not want to see the canal from the inside so I got my Latte, went first to the sea view pool area to watch the sunrise over Panama, and then I went back to the front and joined the people in line to go out on the bow. There were several ships around us waiting for their turn to line up to head for the Canal.
I did not get a spot at the very front of the bow but I did get a good spot near it. I thought of it as a Black Friday shopping experience, get there early and stake a claim or snooze and lose. The ship also opened up the crew doors to the 5th, 6th, and 7th floors for people to stand. The crew was serving coffee and their Panama rolls – soft puff pastry with cream inside.
The narrator came on the speaker at about 6:45 as we were entering passing the breakwater and heading for the new expansion bridge (newly constructed and not yet named) and the Gatun Locks. Since this trip was a partial transit, we would only be going through the Gatun Locks, anchor a while in Gatun Lake, and then back out the same locks.
We watched as the ship in front of us entered the locks and it raised up to get it ready to go to the middle set of locks. Once it entered the middle set and the gates closed behind it, it was time for us to enter the locks. While we waited, I watched a couple of gators swimming around paying no heed to the large ship.
Each ship is charged to use the locks. Our narrator said that our ship was charged $300,000 for this trip. Every cruise has port fees added on to the cruise price. Makes sense why these port fees were some of the more expensive that we have paid ($380 pp). The passengers get to pick up part of the costs of this crossing.
When our turn came, the guiding lines were brought out to the ship from the locks by two men in a rowboat. A rowboat, seriously? The narrator explained that they had tried several other ways to get the ropes over but they proved either dangerous or too costly so rowboat it is. The lines were attached to vehicles on either side of the locks that looked like train engines that ran on a track. The narrator called them “mules.” They pulled the ship along through the canal. We watched as we slowly rose with the water level.
It was also interesting to watch other ships coming from the other direction. As we took pictures of them, the crew from those ships (mostly cargo ships) were taking pictures of us.
Once we made it through both sets of locks (Chuck did make it outside before we finished), we anchored in the Lake and they started calling for people who were on tours to start making their way to the tender area. They would be using most of the ship tenders to get people to shore. Guess they figured the rest of us could swim to shore if the ship started to go down in the Lake. (If you could get past the gators).
It was now 10:00 and the Lido would be open for another 30 minutes and the Panama roll was gone. I got some juice and cereal.
We could see the entrance to the new locks from where we anchored. I watched some larger tankers get towed into the new locks. Several other ships were anchored near us. One by one they made their way to either the old locks or the new locks.
At 1:00 it was our turn to go back through the locks. It had started raining hard so I went to the Crow’s Nest to see if I could find a chair. With so many people having left on excursions, I found a nice lounger in the front. It was interesting to see the process from higher up (10th floor vs the 4th floor of the morning). I watched until 3:00.
The shops on the ship were having a sale on Panama Canal souvenirs. I was able to find a keychain that I can repurpose into an ornament. The tag said “it has been handcrafted especially for you by friendly hands inside the Panama Canal Rain Forest.” I was also told there was no free WIFI at the port so there is no reason to get off the ship when we port at Colon which is good because it is still raining.
We didn’t dock at Colon until 5:00. There were several tours that were already back so there were a lot of people getting back on the ship. There were some people getting off to explore. The all aboard time is still 7:30.
With so many people off the ship, the main dining room seemed almost empty. We had our first table for 2 of this cruise. Service is always fast when there are just 2 people. I had the apple/cucumber salad and the vegetarian pasta. Chuck had the gumbo soup and beef brisket.
We finished so early that we went to the 8:00 show of Planet Earth II in Concert instead of the 10:00 show. This show is a movie produced by the BBC and the score is performed by a live band on the ship. I have seen these performances on other ships and have enjoyed them. From the preview show, I thought this one was going to be one set in frozen areas (Antarctica, Artic, etc.); however, it was one that we had seen before on the Alaska cruise. It was still good.
We went to BB King but we didn’t stay long since we have an early excursion in Costa Rica tomorrow. They had a note in our mailbox that said due to the number of early excursions tomorrow, please be aware that room service would be very busy and that the Lido and main dining room would open early for breakfast for everyone’s convenience. We put out the room service menu anyway (yes, we are those people). We asked for delivery between 6:00 – 6:30. We’ll still be OK if it is later.
I also got the disembarkation paperwork turned in. I chose the early time since we will start driving on the day we disembark although I know we will not get all the way home.
The towel animal tonight is an elephant. Wait, wasn’t that the same animal as last night? Guess they didn’t think we would remember.
We are to set the clock back another hour tonight. Weird.
The port time today is 8:00 – 4:00. By the time I got up at 7:00 and went outside, we had already docked. It was cloudier today than the previous days on the cruise. Still very humid. I like the buildings in Curacao as they are all painted in bright colors. Locals say that it was the 19th-Century Governor-General Albert Kikkert who is responsible for the colors. They say he suffered from migraines that he thought were caused by the harsh reflection of the sun on the white buildings so he decreed that they could be painted any color other than white. They chose the bright Caribbean colors of blue, green, yellow, and reds. The architecture has earned a designation as a UNESCO Heritage Site.
They allowed people to start getting off of the ship at 7:45.
After finishing our coffee, we ate breakfast in the Lido this morning. It wasn’t as crowded as I expected. It was also raining pretty hard so we were debating about whether to get off or not. Once we finished breakfast the sun was back out, we got our backpack together, got a bottle of water and left the ship around 9:30. Stopped at the visitor center and got a map. Again, we ran the gamut of vendors. We walked along the paved trail by the ocean. It was considered the historical trail and every now and then there would be a sign describing some aspect of Curacao. They were very informative.
Curacao is the “C” in the ABC islands. It is named for the Portuguese word “heart” when it was discovered in 1499. Curacao is 38 miles long and is about 7-8 miles at its widest points. Like Aruba, Curacao has a multi-cultural population, speaking Dutch, Papiamentu, English, and Spanish. The currency is the Florin, like Aruba. The cuisine is a mix of Caribbean, Dutch and Latin American flavors. Traditional dishes include kadushi (cactus soup) and Keshi Yena (baked gouda cheese stuffed with meat, raisins and olives). We tried neither of them.
An important role was played by Curacao during WWII. It was a vital conduit for Allied oil from Venezuela, and there was a large oil refinery here (as well as one on Aruba), which became a target of German U-boats and bombers. At various times during the war, 43 to 100 percent of the oil required by Allied forces came from the refinery on Curacao.
Many people associate Curacao with the liqueur of the same name. It is flavored with the dried peel of the Lahara citrus fruit which is grown on the island. It is orange-flavored, with varying degrees of bitterness, and when it is made, it is colorless but many times it is colored blue or orange before bottling. The Blue Hawaiian and the Blue Margarita are popular drinks made with Curacao. I’m not really a fan.
The trail we took led to the Rif Fort which has been incorporated into the Renaissance resort and casino mall area on the Otrobanda side (residential side) of Willemstad. People could still walk up the steps and walk on top of what remains of the fort which gave us a nice view of the entire area. It started raining again but very briefly and not very hard. Actually helped to cool us though we did bring our cooling cloths again.
We then kept walking to the pedestrian Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge, the only wooden pontoon bridge in the world. Sixteen pontoons float as the bridge swings open. She is nicknamed “The Swinging Old Lady.” From the ship, earlier that morning, I saw it swing open to allow some boats to come into the harbor area. However, while we were over there, no boats wanted to pass so the bridge remained intact. You could also take the free ferry from one side to the other.
We walked over to the other side of Willemstad – the Punda side (commercial area). We entered the Governor’s Palace courtyard and looked at Fort Amsterdam. Looked a lot like the Rif Fort. Both forts guarded the entrance of the harbor with large cannons so it must have been well protected in its day. Chuck asked the security guard at the entrance to the Palace if she thought the Prime Minister would see us since we had made a special trip. She took us seriously and told him no. Didn’t crack a smile. Probably gets that joke a hundred times a day. Stupid tourists.
Had my picture taken by a Chichi sculpture. The word chichi means ‘big sister’ in Papiamentu, the eldest daughter of the family, who binds the family in a caring and loving way together. Chichi is represented in Caribbean artwork as a sensual well-rounded figure, representing the responsible, dynamic and vibrant older sister. I thought it was an appropriate option for my picture.
It seemed to be getting hotter by the second so we decided to head back to the ship. I did find some free WIFI outside near the Pizza Hut so I was able to check emails and Facebook while sitting in the shade. Got the all good message from our cat sitter but since she responded on Sunday and today is Thursday, I just have to hope all is still good.
We did a brief walk through of the casino. Saw slot machines that I recognized but they appeared to payout in Florins. We didn’t play.
Once we were back on the ship, we changed into bathing suits and cover-ups. Ate a light lunch at the Lido. Was the least crowded of this entire trip. Found a table easily. After eating, spent some time in the hot tub and in the sea view pool. For a long time, we were the only ones in the pool which is always nice but then more people starting returning back to the ship and the pool was a popular option.
After spending some time in the sun, drying off and reading, came back to the nice cool room and took a nap. Wasn’t long before we heard the announcement that we would be setting sail.
Tonight was our Pinnacle Grill reservation for dinner so we planned to dress up for dinner. Chuck got finished dressing first so he went to the casino while I finished up.
Our reservations were at 7:00 and we were seated promptly even though the restaurant was very crowded. Again, the service and the food was outstanding as it has been on previous HAL cruises. I had the shrimp cocktail and the king crab legs while Chuck had the crab cakes and the cedar-plank halibut. We split a cheese plate for dessert. I had some of the coffee which is always good but very strong. I had a hard time sleeping this night.
We went to the BB King show and then went to the main stage show – Island Magic. It was a quartet of people from Trinidad who played the steel drums. I was expecting a reggae and calypso show but they played show tunes and classical musical on the steel drums. Very entertaining. We listened to several tunes from Andrew Lloyd Webber including the one from Phantom of the Opera. Also played Ave Maria.
Tomorrow is a sea day so after the show we went back to BB King and ended up a very late night. Tonight’s towel animal is a stingray.
Time in port today is 1:00 – 11:00 so there was no rush to get up and out. I still woke up at 7:00 and we were both ready for coffee. From the looks of this morning, it was going to be a beautiful day. We had no excursion planned as we have taken both the island tour and done some snorkeling before.
Aruba, part of the ABC islands, is located just off the coast of South America and is 19.6 miles in length and 6 miles across at its widest point. Aruba is a former Dutch colony though it is now its own country. However, Aruba is still part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is considered outside of the hurricane belt. The average temperature is 82 degrees. Aruba’s slogan is “One Happy Island.”
Languages spoken are Papiamento, Dutch, English, and Spanish. The origin of Papiamento is still a bit of a mystery. However, Arubans say that it was developed from Portuguese-African pidgin which was used as the language for communication between slaves and slave traders.
Though the US dollar is widely accepted, the currency is the Aruban Florin which is worth about 0.56 US Dollars.
Aruba has a national park – Arikok National Park which houses the natural pool and the Fontein Cave which are famous for the decorative brownish-red Arawak pictographs etched by the Amerindians. There are over 20 miles of hiking trails. It is home to a rare species of the burrowing owl. It lives in burrows in the ground hidden by cacti. It is one of Aruba’s national symbols and appears on postage stamps. There are numerous Divi Divi trees all over the island and they all lean the same way because of the winds.
Decided to eat in the main dining room this morning. I like eating there when I have no need to be anywhere specific. But the service can be slow, so I avoid it when I am in a hurry. We were seated at a table for eight. There was a couple from North Carolina and two couples from Florida (one originally from West Virginia, the other I don’t remember). I finished my breakfast before the others because I ordered fruit and oatmeal and they brought them both out as starters. I don’t know who could eat a big bowl of oatmeal and then eat more, but oatmeal is not considered the main meal. I chatted with people and read the flyer on upcoming cruises while they finished. Chuck had the western omelet. He ordered turkey sausage to go with it but they forgot to bring it.
After breakfast, we went to the gym. We were supposed to be going every day but this is the first day we have made it. It is small but well-equipped – bicycles, steppers, treadmills, free weights, weight machines, etc. There was a yoga class being conducted in the corner. Chuck got on the bike while I went to the treadmill. Since the gym is at the very front of the ship, I could feel the motion. I don’t normally have to hang on to the handrails of a treadmill but I did this one. As I was finishing the treadmill, Chuck was finishing with the rowing machine. He didn’t like it as much as he does the one at the rehab place.
We decided to finish our walk outside so we headed for the promenade deck and walked six laps around the ship which was 2 miles. Very breezy. Did feel good to get in some real exercise.
The location director was going to start her narration into Aruba around 11:45 so we got showers and I went out on Deck 10 to watch us sail in. I could have gone to the bow but I knew it would be crowded. As I was watching the sail in, the pilot boat was beside us and there were 3 dolphins swimming just right in front of it. One veered off but the other 2 were staying just in front. The little boat was gaining on them and I got so caught up in telling them to swim faster or veer off that I forgot to get a picture. The boat finally went over the top of them. I have to hope that they had dived down or veered off as I didn’t seem them again in all the froth made by the boat.
They made the announcement exactly at 1:00 that people could get off. We were eating lunch by the Lido pool of grilled chicken sandwiches from the Dive In Burger spot on deck. We finished, got the backpack, and some water and walked off about 2:00.
Of course there were a lot of vendors on the street offering rides to the beaches or tours of the island. I looked for the free trolley but didn’t see one. We walked along the main road toward Fort Zoutman/William III Tower which now serves as the Historical Museum of Aruba. It is one of the oldest building on the island. We passed a number of high-end shops, casinos, and craft markets as well as sculptures. The fort/museum was small (at its heyday It only housed 25 people) but we enjoyed listening to the docent and looking at the artifacts. We climbed 4 flights to get to the top of the bell tower. And it was a climb as there were no regular steps, just ladders. But the view was great.
Walked back along a different street toward the ship and looked at the different artwork that had been built. Even turned some solar panels into a work of art. Before leaving home, I ordered from Amazon two “cooling cloths.” You are supposed to wet them with cold water, wring them out, and then “snap” them. The snap activates the cloth into getting cold. When the coolness starts to wear off, you snap them again and they are cold again. I specifically bought them for our tour in Costa Rica but we decided to try them in Aruba. I thought it worked pretty well. We had them wrapped around our neck and snapped them a couple of times during our walk to help stay cool because it was sweltering. It had to be higher than the average 82 degrees.
Once we got back, we needed another shower. Got cleaned up for the evening. It was casual night so we both just wore jeans. Went to the Crow’s Nest and talked to some people about their tours that day in Aruba. At dinner, we sat with one of the couples we had had dinner with on a previous night. They were from Florida and we really enjoyed their company. I had the carne asada – thin slices of steak on top of black beans and rice, with a side of guacamole and salsa. Chuck had the regular NY strip steak. I had ice cream for dessert. Chuck skipped dessert.
Since we would be in port until 11:00 tonight, there was not a lot happening on the ship. BB King band had the night off and there was no main stage production. They were going to show Mama Mia 2 on the big screen but neither Chuck nor I cared to see it. All the shops and the casino were closed. We did watch the one hour presentation on the history of the Panama Canal. There was a DJ playing some dance music in the lounge so we hung out there for a while.
Decided to call it a night about 11:00 and came on back to the room. Laundry was there, ready to be put away. Towel animal, I assume, was a flying fish. Tomorrow is Curacao. Again, no specific plans for the day.
Woke up at 6:00 and walked out to Deck 10 for the first look at a beautiful sunrise. Sun was peaking out behind the clouds and turning them a gorgeous peach and pink. The sky was shades of purple and blue. Not sure my picture can really do it justice.
Today is our tender port at Half Moon Cay, the private island owned by Carnival Corporation. It was first bought by Holland America in 1996 for $6 million dollars. When Carnival Corporation bought Holland America, they also bought the rights to the island. Carnival ships use the island too but only if a HAL ship is not using it. It has one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. The only other beach that I can think of that rivals it is 7 Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. The sand is like fine sugar and the beach is well maintained. The water is that beautiful turquoise color.
The island’s true name is Little San Salvador Island and it is one of 700 islands that make up the archipelago of the Bahamas. It is located approximately 100 miles southeast of Nassau and it covers 2,400 acres. Only 50 acres has been developed as Carnival wants to keep the habitat intact as it is a significant nesting area for waterfowl. They only employ a few full-time residents to watch over the buildings and take care of the horses. Everyone else who works there comes by boat every day. Would be an interesting commute.
We have done a couple of excursions here – parasailing and taken a catamaran out to some coral for snorkeling. We decided for today that we would just snorkel off the beach in the designated snorkeling area.
I went for a latte at the coffee bar at 6:30 but Chuck was still asleep. He woke up when room service delivered our breakfast at 7:30. They have a limited breakfast menu but others say you can write-in request items but we have not tried it. I had Special K and some fruit. Chuck had the omelet. Some more coffee and we were ready to go.
We got on the tender and it left about 9:15. Short ride to the island and we found two nice loungers in the shade. The water was calm but chilly. Took some getting used to. We swam out towards the rope and where we assumed the coral was. There was both artificial areas for the fish and some coral. Unfortunately, the coral was dead. Too much exposure to humans. The water was fairly shallow in a lot of places and the sun was out the whole time so visibility was very good and we were able to see quite a few small fish and occasionally a larger one.
Most of the fish were not scared of humans and didn’t really swim away. However, there were some fish that I called Waldo because they darted in and out of the rocks to stay hidden. They occasionally popped up in my pictures. Weird looking fish. Reddish but their eyes seemed to be ringed with big black circles.
We snorkeled for about an hour and then sat on the loungers to dry off. Just as we were exiting the water, one of the ship’s photographers stopped us for a picture. I can’t wait to see it. Chuck was squinting into the sun and I could feel my hair sticking straight up for the salt water. I know we will not be buying this picture. We sat next to a couple from Arkansas who we soon found out were also on the 10th deck but on the opposite hallway. Coincidental. We watched some of the resident chickens walking under the lounge chairs looking for dropped crumbs. They really love to hang out at the pavilion at lunch.
We have eaten the Bar B Que lunch on the island before but decided to go back to the ship for lunch this time. We had had enough snorkeling for the day. We got on the next available tender but it didn’t get far until it turned around and came back to the island. I thought maybe someone on the island had a medical emergency.
One of their motors had frozen up and they thought it best for us to get off the tender and on to another one just in case this one completely conked out before reaching the ship. We gathered up our bags and trooped over to the other tender. We watched as one of the workers put on a dive mask and prepared to take a look at the motors. Would not want that job. We were back on the ship about 12:30.
Left our swimsuits on and went up to the Lido buffet. One side of the Lido is still shut down. I thought it might be because many of the servers as well as the passengers were over at the island. However there was a sign that said maintenance in progress and I heard someone talking about a leak. I meant to check at dinner time to see if both sides were open but I forgot.
We enjoyed sitting in the hot tub for a while. After getting dried off, decided to go ahead and get cleaned up for the rest of the afternoon/evening. I wanted to go to one of the Microsoft workshops on organizing photos with Windows 10 and it started at 5:00.
We were ready by 4:00 so played a little blackjack (my no luck streak continues) and then Chuck switched to three card prime (a variation of three card poker) and I went to the workshop. After it was over, I decided to implement what I had learned.
I went to the room and retrieved my laptop and the two cameras. Went to the Crows Nest for a Tai Chi Latte and worked on importing my photos to the laptop and editing them. I ended up deleting several of the underwater photos that just did not turn out well.
Chuck came to get me about 7:00 and we went to the main dining room for dinner. Sat at a large table of 10. I don’t mind that size table but you just have to realize you are not going to be able to hold a conversation with the ones at the other end. There were 2 couples from Kansas traveling together and 2 couples from Florida (not traveling together). I thought one of the Florida couples seemed familiar like we may have been on a previous cruise with them but who knows?
I had the mango, cucumber, and goat cheese salad and the sole. Chuck had the crab cakes and the halibut. We skipped dessert. The dinner was very good.
We got out in time to catch the first set of the BB King band. We only danced to one song. The previous night at the 10:45 set, they played a lot of danceable music. This set, it was a lot of blues and jazz songs. However, the crowd watching was a very enthusiastic audience. After the set was over, we went to the main stage to watch the comedian. He had some funny moments but overall was so-so.
I decided to call it a night but Chuck stayed for some more 3 card poker. When I got to the room I found that the laundry was back (yay) but there was also a notice that we would be moving the clocks forward an hour (boo) tonight. Glad tomorrow is a sea day. It will also be the first of two Gala nights. Tonight’s towel animal is a stingray.
The weather forecast calls for sunny skies in the morning but the possibility of rain in the afternoon (typical Caribbean). The captain announced that at approximately 6:00 tomorrow morning we would be near the coastline of Cuba. I am probably going to miss that view.
