Tag: HAL

Disembarkations

So all good things must come to an end which brings us to disembarkation.

Feb cruise – A few days before disembarkation, we received our paperwork that gave us the options to disembark. Part of that paperwork was a form to complete for Luggage Direct, if you wanted. HAL partners with Luggage Direct from Fort Lauderdale.

I thought it would be nice to try. We could put our two large suitcases in the hall and not have to deal with them until we reached our destination.

The paperwork does say that HAL has no control over whether or not TSA approves your application to use the service. When we got the paperwork back, Chuck’s letter said “Congratulations! Your request to use Luggage Direct has been approved and enclosed are the special tags to complete and place on your luggage. My letter said “We regret to inform you that your application to use Luggage Direct has been denied. Enclosed are your regular luggage tags.” WTH?

Even though the letter said Guest Services could not help us with the rejection, we went down there anyway. I just wanted to know if we would still be able to leave at the same time or would Chuck’s number be called before mine. They said we could leave together. I just needed to claim my luggage at the port baggage claim; his would be automatically forwarded to the airport.

Since we both have TSA precheck, I just could not understand why I got rejected. The only thing I can think of is that the form asked for first and last name, but my passport has my first name, maiden name and last name. If I ever try it again, I will include both on the first name line.

When our disembarkation time came, we found my luggage and took a taxi to the airport. We used the outside airline porters to check my bag. There were several ships in port today, but CLEAR and TSA precheck got us in a shorter security line. We heard a commotion behind us and there was a family of 5 (two adults, 2 small children, and a baby) frantically trying to get to the front of the line before their plane left. Everyone was kind and let them go on. At the security point, the father told the mother – “take the children and go on through, head for the gate – I will handle the luggage”. He was sweating and wrestling the backpacks, baby carrier, and carry-ons. I hoped they made it.

Our flight was mid-afternoon, so we had time for a sandwich before boarding. The flight was uneventful. However, we were delayed on the tarmac upon arriving, so we ended up being late. We got to the baggage claim and all of our bags came off the belt quickly except …. you guessed it … the one we sent by Luggage Direct. Chuck was not happy as he was certain his bag never made it to the plane. The conveyor belt stopped and the light was blinking. People were wandering around the conveyor belt so I knew that all the bags hadn’t been off-loaded but we didn’t know what the problem was. Suddenly we heard gears grinding and the belt started again. Chuck’s bag was the second one to come out. Whew!

We hurried out to the regional transportation area which keeps moving locations because of all the airport construction going on. You just have to follow the signs and hope for the best. Just as we arrived at the area, our shuttle pulled up. Thank goodness we didn’t miss it.

Lots of traffic back to our destination but I dozed. I could feel myself coming down with the cold that Chuck had picked up a couple of days ago, so I was happy I was not the one fighting the traffic. It was dark by the time we arrived home, and Pumpkin yowled at us on and off all night. I was glad I did not have to go to work the next day (or the day after).

Welcome to Vancouver

April cruise – The last time we flew out of Vancouver, we had to take a red-eye flight very late that evening. The day did not go well. Red-eye flights were all that was offered this time too. I vowed to do something different.

This time, I signed us up for the HAL bus transfer to the Seattle airport. We received our special luggage tags, and our group was the second one called. We found our luggage with no problem. However, there was nobody who could tell us where the line for the transfer bus was. We got – “Just wait – Mary will be here.” Really? All the workers who were standing around and only one person knows what is supposed to happen? Finally, Mary showed up and directed everyone to the correct line. You definitely wanted to be in the correct line because there were lots of buses going in different directions.

We had to stand in line for a long time before finally getting on the bus. Chuck’s back was killing him from all the standing. It was a relief finally to sit down. The bus was very comfortable. We had a short tour of Vancouver before we got to the highway.

We had to stop at the border and go through Customs. It was also a bathroom stop. I should have purchased some snacks as my Lido breakfast had already worn off.

According to the instructions, our driver would only drop-off at the airport. I didn’t have a problem with that because I booked us the Hilton airport hotel right across the street. However, the driver offered to take those of us who were going to airport hotels directly to each hotel once he dropped off the people needing to go straight to the airport. Okay, worked for us. And, more tips for him.

However, there were 3 women who were frantically trying to get him to drive them to the Seattle port because they were going to embark on another cruise that day. He said he could not do that as it was too far from the airport. They were going to have to get off at the airport and find transportation to the port.

What were they thinking? If I had wanted to do a cruise on the same day as disembarkation at a different port, I would have arranged for private transportation. I wonder if they made it because we didn’t get to the airport until 2:00 and they had to be onboard by 3:00. Dumb.

I don’t know how the driver planned the route to each hotel but even though our hotel was right across the street, we were the second to the last drop-off. Our room was ready and it was very nice. We ordered sandwiches from Subway for dinner and had an early night.

We had a very early flight the next morning, so we were on the very first hotel shuttle to the airport. So early, that the outside baggage check was not open. Uh oh. I am embarrassed to say that I have never used the self-service baggage check-in. I tried and couldn’t get it to read our boarding passes on my phone.

We asked for help from the only person who looked official and he said we’d have to go try customer service. I just went back to the kiosks and played the old lady card – got a 30-something year old to show me that I had to brighten my phone to max so the scanner could read it. Got the tags and took our bags to the check-in.

We looked for the CLEAR-TSA precheck line and a nice young man with a CLEAR jacket said to follow him. We walked and walked and took an escalator down and went through the security line. I thought we would be close to our gate. Nope. We had to take another escalator up and walk and walk down another passage way. By the time we got to our gate, I realized that a plain TSA-precheck line was just across from it. Damn. At least we got our steps in.

The plane was already there and the boarding went smoothly. Chuck slept most of the way home. I watched some TV. We got to our destination early, the baggage off-loaded quickly, so we got to our pick-up place early (which had moved locations again). Since we were so early, I had hoped we could get on an earlier shuttle than the one I had booked, but the driver only had one open seat. Bummer. I went back into the airport and bought us a sandwich and drinks to have as we waited for our scheduled ride.

Our shuttle arrived on time and the trip went smoothly. Pumpkin, as always, yowled at us at the top of his lungs and then ran outside. Even though it was getting dark, I was still on West Coast time and wasn’t sleepy. Ended up finally falling asleep on the couch at some point. Not sure what time it was when I roused up and went to bed. Took me a few days to get back on Eastern time.

Final Thoughts –

Despite some bumps in the road, we made good friends, had a lot of laughs, saw some great sites, and ate very good food. I would do both trips again. But, if we ever repeat the Panama Canal trip, I think I would only go as far as San Diego. The change in weather from San Diego to Vancouver was not great and the sea days were rough.

For now, it’s home sweet home. Thank you for following along.

“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

Cruise Food

Warning: If you are not interested in photos of food, you may want to skip this blog post.

We ate a lot of food on both cruise ships. There were some differences in restaurants available. The Eurodam (Feb cruise) did not have the Grand Dutch Cafe, NY Pizza and Deli, or the Sel de Mer.

We didn’t attend any of the upcharge special events like the Sea Food Boil, Morimoto by Sea, or the Cellar Master dinners. We also never ate at Nami Sushi which is a separate area of the Tamarind.

We did eat in the main dining room, buffet, Dive-In Burger, Grand Dutch Cafe, NY Pizza and Deli, Pinnacle Grill (upcharge – steakhouse); Canaletto (upcharge-Italian); Tamarind (upcharge-Asian); and Sel de Mer (upcharge-Mediterranean). We also attended the free Cake-Me-Away event and the free Mariner brunch.

We enjoyed every meal on both ships but personally I liked the buffet on the Koningsdam (Apr cruise) better than the Eurodam buffet. The layout was easier to navigate, more choices of food, and I thought the food tasted better overall.

I didn’t get photos of every meal because sometimes I just forgot and started chomping away before I even realized it. I’ll try to do better on our next cruise.

Below are photos of the food I remembered to take.

Breakfasts:

Lunches:

Dinner Appetizers:

Main Courses:

Desserts:

As I said, we ate a lot of food on these cruises. I don’t regret one bite. 😊🚢

Next Up: Disembarkations

San Francisco, California

So, after a cold, misty, and windy day at sea yesterday (with a scary air evacuation by helicopter last night of one guest), we expected a cold and foggy San Francisco today.

We were pleasantly surprised when we woke up to find that the day would be sunny with a high of 67. This is our last port before our disembarkation in Vancouver.

I’m really not sure why we didn’t get off the ship today. Even though we talked about doing some things, I guess we were just not “feeling it.”

The last time we were here we enjoyed walking around Fisherman’s Wharf and watching the sea lions. We have also been to Muir Woods and Sausalito.

On previous trips as a teenager and later as an adult attending conferences here, I have enjoyed the Cable cars, Chinatown, the Japanese Tea Gardens, Lombard Street, and walking the Golden Gate Bridge. I recommend doing them all.

We spent the day on the balcony watching the seals (maybe sea lions) swimming in the harbor. We took some photos as we passed under the Golden Gate Bridge continuing on to the North.

Next Up: Food

San Diego, California

So today was a disembarkation day for a number of guests. We were sad to have to say good-bye to some of the friends we made this trip. There are still some who, like us, are traveling on to Vancouver.

The people who are embarking today are either doing a 5-day quick get-away and will disembark in Vancouver or they plan to stay on and also do the first sailing to Alaska by the Koningsdam.

Everyone had to meet with Customs in the World Stage today. We all got a letter that told us when to go. In-transit guests would be last. I guess some in-transit guests were too anxious to get off the ship and explore because the Cruise Director kept announcing for in-transit guests to get out of the line.

Once the Cruise Director announced that it was our turn, we joined the line. The line was long, but it moved quickly. We had to show up with our passport and our ship card. Once we were approved by Customs, we had a green sticker applied to our ship card and could leave the ship if we wanted.

We did not. We went to the NY Deli for sandwiches and spent a quiet afternoon people-watching. Why didn’t we get into the pool? Even though it was a beautiful day in San Diego, the weather had turned considerably cooler. The new people were coming in with hoodies, leggings and sweatshirts. I began to believe I had planned poorly, wardrobe-wise, for the next few days.

If you do go to San Diego, I highly recommend the Zoo, the Gaslight District, Old Town, and Coronado Island to visit. Be sure to leave a whole day just for the Zoo.

Today was King’s Day in the Netherlands. It is their national holiday celebrating the reigning Dutch Monarch’s birthday today. The ship would be celebrating tonight with their Orange Party.

I have never seen the Orange Party held on embarkation day, but the embarkation just happened to fall on his birthday so … Party On! I guess many of the embarking passengers had already gotten notified of this happening as they came on board sporting all manner of orange attire and some looked like they had started partying the night before.

I had a feeling that the vibe for these next five days was going to be very different than the last 17 days.

Next Up – San Francisco, California

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Our HAL tour today was not until 11:00 so we slept late and had a very late breakfast in the Lido. I missed the sail-in to Puerto Vallarta and was greeted by a familiar sign when I did go out on the balcony.

I was really looking forward to today’s HAL tour: All-Inclusive Sea Lion Encounter in the Water

ABOUT THE EXCURSION: Sea lions are lovable rascals — comical, mischievous, playful and very friendly. They are also fast, agile and adorable, and their inclination to engage in play and include humans in the game makes this sea lion encounter so exhilarating.

A trainer will brief you on sea lion physiology and behavior before you enter the water and have an opportunity to play, pet, shake a flipper, and possibly receive a big fishy kiss. You are sure to cherish this encounter for years to come.

See photos of your experience and enjoy lunch and a beverage at the sea lion facility before returning to the ship.

Notes: Maximum group size of eight people in any one session. Do not wear sunscreen or jewelry as these can injure the sea lions’ skin. Wear your swimsuit under your clothing; bring a towel and a hat. To avoid sunburn, bring light, long clothing suitable for use as a cover-up. Cameras are not allowed in the pools. Photo service images are available for purchase. Pregnant women or guests with back, neck or heart conditions are not allowed to participate. Waiver must be signed and medical conditions disclosed. Minimum height 4 feet. Minimum age is 5 years. Children must be accompanied by a participating adult in the water.

Vallarta Adventures was the vendor who was handling this tour today. We walked as a group to an area to board a large catamaran. I thought it was a very large group that was going to do the sea lion encounter. Then I found out that some of the people on the catamaran were doing a dolphin encounter.

We were heading to Nueve Vallarta. The guide said that we could have gone by bus, but it would have taken over an hour. It took less than 30 minutes to get there by boat.

Once we were at the dock, we were divided into sea lion encounter and dolphin encounter and boarded smaller boats that sailed us directly to the Vallarta Adventures compound. Then, the the two groups were directed to the appropriate venue in the compound.

We had time for a bathroom break and then we were given a safety briefing before being allowed to enter the sea lion enclosure. They reiterated that we could have no jewelry, no glasses, no perfume, no hats, and no hair ties or rubber bands. One girl who had her hair in elaborate braids was kind of upset about the hair ties, but she took them out. We all had to stand under showers to ensure that we rinsed off all sunscreen.

Our group of 10 was divided into two groups of five. One trainer stayed with us and the other trainer took a group to the opposite side of the very large pool. The two sea lions who had been swimming in the pool jumped out of the pool when we got in.

Our sea lion was Kaila who was 12 years old. She had been born in captivity and was expected to live until she was twenty or so. The trainer talked about how to tell the difference between a sea lion and a seal. He also talked proudly about their Center holding the Humane Conservation certification with the American Humane organization and how he was also part of their Rescue Team who assists in freeing marine wildlife entangled in ropes or debris.

We all formed an arc in the pool, and Kaila was allowed into the pool. She floated by all of us and allowed us to stroke her back. Then the trainer allowed her to swim around and she kept swimming up next to Chuck and bumping him. She didn’t really like me getting close to him and would put her flipper out to keep me away.

We were all allowed individual sessions with Kaila as the photographer snapped away.

Once our session ended, we showered again and got our stuff back. We had an hour to look at the photos/videos taken and to eat lunch at the buffet.

I went to the photos and there were so many I got overwhelmed and couldn’t pick just a few. I ended up signing up for the whole photo and video package which would be close to $200. The lady next to me bought that package along with a photo book and some souvenir things like a photo paperweight – it was close to $500.

You don’t get the photos right away. You get a receipt and they take your email. You are told you will get an email in 24 – 48 hours with a link to the photos and videos to download. I don’t know what happens when you order the photo book or the souvenirs.

I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t get the link but I figured the company has been in business for quite a while and wouldn’t jeopardize its reputation by not sending the link.

The buffet lunch was excellent. I had ribs, chicken nuggets, chips with cheese and guacamole, fruit, and cheesecake. There was fruit punch to drink.

Soon the guide rounded us up and we reversed the order – small boat to the dock in Nueve Vallarta and then the large catamaran back to the ship.

We were back well before the 5:30 all aboard time. We got cleaned up for the evening and decided on a late pizza dinner. It was a fun day. And, I got the link to my photos that evening.

Next Up: San Diego, California

Manzanillo, Mexico

So, Chuck’s back had been hurting for a couple of days. When we reviewed our upcoming HAL tour for Manzanillo, we decided we needed to cancel it for him. If you are going to cancel a HAL tour and you want your money back, you must do it 72 hours prior to the docking time at that particular port. You can go to either Guest Services desk (open 24 hours) or you can go to the Shore Excursions desk which has limited hours each day (check the app or the printed program for hours).

The money goes back on your onboard account as refundable onboard credit. Refundable onboard credit means that if you don’t use it to cover purchases or miscellaneous charges, you will be able to get it refunded to the card you used to set up your account. If you have non-refundable onboard credit (usually issued to you as an incentive for booking – such as early booking bonus, AARP membership, HAL casino, etc), you either use it or lose it. We always find a way to use it. 😊

If you are going on a tour that you booked with a company independently, please check their rules carefully prior to booking. Some are very generous with their cancellation policy and some are very limited.

Chuck was leery about me going alone on this tour. I promised him that I wouldn’t wander away from the group. I do have a habit of hanging back from a tour group to take photos but promised I wouldn’t do it today. I also promised that if there were a lot of buses at the same location, I would be sure of which bus was mine.

With those promises in mind, I headed to the World Stage to meet up for my 10:30 tour.

The HAL tour: Plantation Mangrove Tunnel & Birds

ABOUT THE EXCURSION: Travel south by coach through lush tropical landscapes for 40 minutes. Your destination is Palo Verde Lagoon.

Your guide discusses the flora and fauna of this ecosystem before you hop into a 12-seater boat for a ride through the mangroves. With a bird identification card, watch for the resident and migratory birds of Palo Verde. You’ll pass nesting areas and a dark mangrove tunnel that is home to countless creatures. Have your camera ready for great photo opportunities.

At El Paraíso Beach, step ashore to cool off and reset at a restaurant right on the black-sand beach. A non-alcoholic beverage and a light snack are included with a magnificent ocean view and a pleasant breeze.

Back on the coach, continue your journey to Armeria — one of Mexico’s lemon-growing capitals. Stroll through the small central plaza, visit the Catholic church, and peek inside City Hall.

If you have a chance to try the local artisan ice cream (at your own expense), it is delicious.

Notes: Minimum age is 10 years. Not advisable for guests with a heart or back condition. Tour requires walking. Terrain includes even and uneven surfaces, inclines, gravel, grass, and steps. Life jackets are provided and must be worn.

We boarded the bus at 10:30 but we didn’t actually leave the parking lot until 11:00. Not sure what the holdup was as everyone who was on the tour had been checked-in by our guide.

Because of all the road construction, it was a longer trip to the lagoon than 40 minutes. The bus was comfortable and the air conditioning adequate. It was hard to hear the guide as the sound system wasn’t very good. He kept trying to adjust it but never had much success. I wouldn’t call the landscape lush but we did pass acres and acres of coconut trees.

After a bathroom break at the visitor center, we trooped down to the dock on the rocky path to don our life vests (which smelled musty). When I saw our boat, I knew Chuck had made the right decision not to participate. His back would have really given him trouble.

The little boat seated twelve and, yes, you are seeing rugs covering the hard bench. I ended up on the last row on the outside. I felt bad for the woman seated in the middle of our row. I told her to let me know if she needed me to shift around so she could take some photos of any birds on shore.

The guide handed out a bird guide and then started up the outboard motor. It sputtered to life and made quite a bit of noise. Therefore, when we did get close to birds, you had to be quick for a photo because they took off to get away from the noise. I got a lot of photos of bird butts. 😒

Some of us had to duck as we entered the mangrove area
Snail Kite
Frigate
Wood storks and Egret
Limpkin

We were out on the lagoon for an hour. You know what doesn’t run from a noisy outboard motor? Bugs and more bugs. I was happy that I had put on sunscreen and bug spray. Other people were really slapping themselves.

I assumed from the tour description that we would be docking at a restaurant from the little boat for our snack. Nope. We got back on the bus and drove to a restaurant near the beach. It was an open-air venue, and I was surprised and happy that they served a full lunch and one drink – a beer or non-alcohol drinks – included. The lunch was very good, and I sat with some passengers from Missouri.

There were several vendors on the sidewalks who wanted us to purchase trinkets, and some did while others walked toward the beach for the view. I just stayed around the restaurant and took photos of flowers. (No, I wasn’t hanging back from the crowd. The guide and others were there too.)

We then went to a farm which I didn’t see on the tour description at all. They served lots of fresh fruit and juice. We wandered around and looked at the lime bushes and coconut trees. I noticed they didn’t have any nets attached to the coconut trees, so I did not go directly under any of them. I did hear some thumps from the grove that I have to assume were coconuts falling down.

Even the farm rooster only wanted to show me his butt

The last stop was a little town that the guide promised very good ice cream at one of the shops. Yay! However, when I got to the shop -what nobody told me, and nothing was mentioned in the tour description – was that the shop only accepted local currency. I didn’t have any. If I had known, I could have gotten some at Guest Services. They also didn’t accept credit cards. No ice cream for me or for most of the other guests. Only 3 or 4 people came with any local currency, and they thoroughly enjoyed their ice cream. 🙁

On our way back to the ship, the traffic was slow and the road construction was tedious. All aboard was 5:30 pm. We pulled into the lot at 5:25. Another bus was right behind us. We set sail promptly at 6:00.

Chuck had a wonderful day at the pool.

Up Next: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Puerto Chiapas, Mexico

I have never seen the vaping warning on any previous cruise that had Mexico on its itinerary, so I assumed that this was a new rule. The ship was taking it seriously as the Cruise Director made several announcements about it.

Puerto Chiapas is a very small port, and I heard that it was a newer port just trying to get started. Our day in port was an early one and a short one. We had no tour scheduled today and the day was very hot so we just decided to stay onboard.

The port had two large buildings – one was to have some shops and the other was a restaurant with a pool open for guests. I spent the morning walking around the ship taking photos. The port itself looked very well maintained.

Pool in the background – no guests yet

I also got distracted by the birds and iguanas that were all around the port.

Not sure what these birds were but they flew in a large group for quite a while

You guessed it. We spent the remainder of the day at the pool.

Next Up: Manzanillo, Mexico

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

For this port, I hadn’t seen any HAL tour that I particularly wanted to take. I also watched the Travel Director’s informational talk about this port and realized that I didn’t see anything I wanted to do independently either.

We just decided to go to the port village and visit the iguana habitat that I had seen mentioned in her port talk. We were once again docked in an industrial port with no pedestrian traffic allowed so we were forced to take a shuttle ride to the port village. The NCL ship got the best dock. They could walk right into and out of the village from their ship.

One of the shuttles
Big Map Painted on Floor of the Port Entrance

The area was very crowded with passengers from two ships browsing all the shops (all seemed to carry the same merchandise), hanging out at the restaurant/bar, or persuing the “jade museum” (a little bit of information – a lot of sales pressure).

I kept looking for the iguana habitat sign and couldn’t find it. I finally asked a shopkeeper, and he pointed in the direction to go. I got to the area, but it was roped off. I looked all around and didn’t see one iguana. If there was a habit at one time, it wasn’t there that day. I think they were clearing it for more shops. Letting people see free iguanas vs. more shops with stuff to sell = no more iguanas.

So what did we do? Chuck bought a t-shirt and I bought a Christmas ornament and we went back to the ship. We had lunch and then attended the matinee performance of “Sing” by the HAL World Stage singers. They were excellent.

Next Up – Puerto Chiapas, Mexico

Acajutla, El Salvador

We docked at 8:00 in an industrial port that prohibited any pedestrian traffic. However, if you were traveling independently, they did provide two different shuttles that would either take you to a resort for a beach day or to a town for shopping, etc. Since we had a HAL tour today, we didn’t have a need for either of the shuttles. We did have a need for packing our rain jackets as the forecast said 100% chance of rain – oh, yay!

We had another room service breakfast delivered at 6:30 this morning. We made our way to the World Stage at 8:15 only to be greeted by a long line of people waiting to get into the room. Apparently, the buses for the 8:00 tours hadn’t arrived and people, like us, who had 8:30 tours had to wait.

After about 20 minutes, we were finally in the World Stage room and had gotten our tour stickers. We waited another 30 minutes for our tour to be called. I knew that El Salvador just recently became a HAL port stop but so far I did not have a good feeling. The feeling didn’t get any better when we went outside to the buses and found it very difficult to find ours. Several buses were going to the same place and we just got herded onto one of them. Oh well, I hoped I was going to see what I signed up for but who knew?

Our HAL tour today: Mayan El Salvador: Joya de Ceren & San Andres

ABOUT THE EXCURSION: Discover the fascinating Mayan civilization with a visit to the Joya de Cerén archaeological site — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. Dubbed the Pompeii of America, Joya de Cerén is a pre-Columbian Maya farming village preserved remarkably intact under layers of volcanic. The village was buried by a volcanic eruption around AD 600.

Next, explore the archaeological site of San Andrés — an important ceremonial and political center with several structures remaining that were used by Mayan governors. Check out the remains of an Indigo Mill buried by the eruption of El Playon in 1658 before you head back to the port.

Notes: Wear comfortable walking shoes. Shade is limited; to avoid sunburn, wear light, long clothing suitable for use as a cover-up. Bring a hat and sunglasses; wear biodegradable sunscreen. Bring bottled water.

I thought I was having deja vu when the guide was counting heads in preparation for leaving and one of the guests said – “our friends aren’t here yet.” Not again – it better not be that same husband and wife. I was glad he told them we can only give them 5 more minutes as the port authority says we have to leave the lot so more buses can come. She got on her cell and told him that they were in sight of the bus. They did make it, but they were breathless.

The guide’s English was wonderful, and he spoke at a pace that I could understand. The bus was comfortable, but the air conditioning was straining. Again, I was glad for our cooling cloths.

He gave us a lot of information about El Salvador, the Mayans, and the archeological sites we were going to see. He was very proud that El Salvador grew the best coffee anywhere because of all the rich volcanic soil. (Wait, didn’t we hear that Costa Rica had the best coffee anywhere?)

We had a chance for a bathroom break before our guide started our tour of the outside ruins. Not as elaborate as others I’ve seen but interesting.

Once we finished, we had time to purchase refreshments. We got a coconut. The water was so good. It was very hot and humid outside.

Then it was a short drive to the archeological site. We started in the museum to see the items that were salvaged from the ash.

Next, we went to the dig site. It is an ongoing project. I thought it was intriguing that they have not yet found any human remains but they have found animal remains. The guide said there were several theories but the most popular one was that the villagers must have realized that the volcano was going to erupt and fled in a panic leaving everything including the animals.

It took a long time to walk around the entire site. The guide would stop periodically to tell us about what we were seeing. It was very interesting.

The guide got very animated when a bird landed on a wire in the building. He said it was a Turquoise-browed motmot – the national bird of El Salvador. It was pretty small and far away so my camera didn’t do it justice, but you can see some blue on its brow.

I did catch a bird in flight as we were walking back to the bus area. I think it was another great white egret.

On the ride back to the pier, he told some personal stories of growing up in El Salvador. He said the violence that has been associated with El Salvador was true – gangs, corrupt police, ineffective military.

One time, his school bus was stopped by a gang. They came on the bus. Nobody made eye contact. The gang was looking for anyone who might have gang colors or symbols of a rival gang. They zeroed in on his friend and made him strip completely naked. His friend had no colors or symbols, so they didn’t beat him up or worse, but they took all his clothes. They also grabbed our guide’s new hat and shoes but didn’t make him strip.

He said when a new government was finally brought in, they gave the military more power and were able to weed out the corrupt police and break up the gangs. He was very proud that El Salvador has become a tourist location now.

He also gave us a snack that he said was very popular. We enjoyed it.

All the buses arrived on time and ship sailed away promptly at 8:00 that night. (BTW – it never rained)

Up Next: Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica

Today we had a tour and had to be at the World Stage at 9:00 a.m. We ordered room service breakfast to be delivered at 8:00 and it arrived on time. Holland America still provides a hot breakfast delivered at no charge although the choices have been reduced. As I have heard some cruise lines charge for any room service, I am grateful that HAL still provides this service.

We have taken several tours in Costa Rica before including one similar to this but did not include a butterfly garden. This one seemed like it would be at a relaxing pace.

Our tour today is titled: Jungle Crocodile Safari & Butterfly Garden

ABOUT THE EXCURSION: This eco-adventure is ideal for those who prize nature in its most pristine state, uninhibited by anything but its own biodiversity.

Enjoy a leisurely panoramic drive along scenic coastal and country roads, past quaint towns and villages. You’re headed to the Jungle Crocodile Safari dock on the Tarcoles River, famous for its mangrove forest and home to one of the largest populations of American crocodiles. More than 50 bird species live here, including the endangered scarlet macaw, and are also protected in the neighboring estuary.

Board a riverboat; then, sit back as your expert guide leads you on a fantastic journey to see the astonishing variety of wildlife.

Your tour concludes at El Jardín, where you’ll explore a butterfly garden and enjoy a refreshing tasting experience featuring tropical fruits, natural drinks, and Costa Rican coffee. There’s also time to shop for locally made souvenirs before heading back to the pier with lasting impressions of Costa Rica’s rural heritage. This is ideal for nature lovers looking for a relaxed and enriching experience.

Notes: Wildlife sightings are likely but are not guaranteed. Boats are covered and with open-air seating, offering shade and unobstructed views. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Shade is limited; to avoid sunburn, wear light, long clothing suitable for use as a cover-up. Bring a hat and sunglasses; wear biodegradable/reef-safe sunscreen. Bring bottled water.

We boarded a tour bus. It was comfortable and the air conditioning was working, thank goodness. It was another hot and humid day.

The guide’s English was pretty good and the sound system worked well but he spoke so rapidly that we missed some of the words. But he was very knowledgeable and happily answered any questions. One question was about butterflies. He said that Costa Rica is home to over 1500 butterfly species, so I was really looking forward to going to the butterfly garden.

Our bus did not follow the exact schedule as printed above. There were a lot of tours that included floating on the Tarcoles River, so I assume they were trying not to overload the area.

Our first stop was El Jardin. We were greeted by servers with plates full of sliced fruit and cups of fruit juice. You could also go to another area and have small cups of Costa Rican coffee. The tour guide said that Costa Rica produces the best coffee anywhere because of the soil produced by the many volcanoes.

This was a good place for a bathroom break and to buy souvenirs. I already had souvenirs from Costa Rica on previous trips so I didn’t purchase anything, but many people did.

We were then allowed to go to the “butterfly garden.” Now, I have been to several butterfly gardens, and they were large with meandering paths and many species of butterflies to view. This one was not like that.

The path was one circular stone walkway from the entrance to the exit. You could walk the whole way in a few minutes if you wanted. If you wanted to linger, you just had to be sure you weren’t standing in the way of others. You also needed to constantly watch where you stepped so not to crush a butterfly. They seemed to love landing on the stone path.

Maybe there were other butterflies that I didn’t see but the only ones I encountered were the Blue Morphos, which is considered the most famous of the Costa Rica butterflies. They were everywhere. I took many photos but not many came out very well. I loved how the brown outer wing camouflaged their brilliant blue inner wing.

Coming in for a landing
Caught in flight – see shadow on ground
Feeding on mangos – blue peeking thru

So I was disappointed in the venue but I loved what butterflies were there.

It was time to load the bus and leave for the river. The guide counted heads and we were missing someone. A husband spoke up and said it was his wife. The guide went back inside to look for her. We waited. We waited. After about 10 or 15 minutes, he comes back with her as she is sipping her coffee with not a care in the world. I assume she ignored the glare from the rest of us or really just didn’t care.

It was a short ride to the Jungle River Ride area. There were several buses there as well as some private tours. We had time for a quick bathroom break before boarding our boat. He said we could shop here afterwards if we wanted. The boat had a cover which was nice but the seats were very hard. I was glad there was a breeze but I had brought our cooling towels that get cold when you snap them. They felt good around our necks.

We pushed off from the pier and the guide was starting his spiel when he suddenly stopped and said we were missing 2 people. Yep, you guessed it – the same husband and wife. We all just said – leave them. We all had the same instructions and the rest of us made it. Nope. He went back and they came strolling down the pier – she with her shopping bags. Some people booed. They got on and the only seats left were the ones in the back next to the smelly motor. Served them right. Rude people.

The guide gave out a bird identification brochure which was helpful. We saw birds, crocodiles, monkeys, lizards, and iguanas. It was a nice river ride.

Same type of tour boat as ours
Tiger Heron
Great White Egret
Kite
Roseate Spoonbill
White Ibis
Black-necked Stilt
Whimbrels
Anhinga
Yes, that dark blob in the middle is a monkey
Loved this little guy – looks like he is frowning at us – “Get off my River”
He is so well camouflaged

After the tour and a bathroom break and/or shopping, we headed back to the ship. The heavy traffic, exasperated by a bad wreck, and all the road construction was terrible. I knew we weren’t going to make it by all-aboard time. I wasn’t concerned since this tour was a HAL tour and they guarantee the ship will wait or they will pay to get us to the next port. We were 30 minutes late, but we weren’t the last bus to arrive. The last 3 buses didn’t arrive until 6:00. We were supposed to have left at 5:00. We set sail at 6:30. The sky was pretty.

Next Up – Acajutla, El Salvador