MARC'S MEMOS
11-7-16
Nothing very exciting happened this past summer in my little corner of the world. However, later I did do something that I have wanted to do for quite some time now. I took a cruise through the PANAMA CANAL.
The trip started in Los Angeles, CA, and headed south to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I have been there several times, but have always found something different and interesting to do there on each visit. This time we made our way to a tequila factory which was fun and very tasty! Then the ship made a stop in Huatulco, Mexico. I was very impressed with this beautiful city on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The beach there was clean and amazing. It was my first time there and I hope to return some day.
Our cruise continued on to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. We took an excursion to Lake Nicaragua. Looking out on the lake, you could see two volcanoes in the distance which made for some great pictures
There were some days at sea in between some of the ports , so we were not on land every day.
Our next port was in Puentarenas, Costa Rica. We took a short bus ride to a river there and boarded a boat for a two hour adventure. We got to see crocodiles and many native birds that were there along the banks. We even caught a glimpse of a very colorful (more orange than the normal green you might see) iguana. Very relaxing and worth seeing.
Then we set sail to our most educational and sensational achievement of the twentieth century, the PANAMA CANAL. It is unbelievable to imagine this was once land covered by trees and mountains. It was an impossible dream by France and ultimately the United States to make it into a passage for ships to navigate from the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) side to the Pacific Ocean fifty miles away.
Since opening in 1914, over one million ships from all over the world have transited the Canal. The historic millionth mark was reached on September 4, 2010.
After about six hours, we finished making our way through a series of locks that raised and lowered our ship. It is truly an engineering marvel that I think is worth learning about. It was a great experience!
Our next destination was Cartagena, Colombia, South America. We took a harbor cruise and saw a real mix of the old city and a new modern one. Our excursion also included a climb up to San Felipe De Barajas Castle that is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It was hot and humid, but worth every step up to the top. A great view of the city was to await us.
Leaving Cartagena, we sailed on to the island of Aruba. It was time for the beach. Some tropical drinks helped make it a wonderful day out in the sun.
As the calendar began ticking off the days left, it was time to leave for the port of Fort Lauderdale. After arriving in Fort Lauderdale, we still had time before our flight home so we took a ride on an airboat at Holiday Gardens in the Everglades. It was a rush. Two 500 Cadillac engines providing 700 horsepower is really impressive. It was a great way to end our 15-day getaway.
AS ALWAYS, TAKE CARE! MARC
Nothing very exciting happened this past summer in my little corner of the world. However, later I did do something that I have wanted to do for quite some time now. I took a cruise through the PANAMA CANAL.
The trip started in Los Angeles, CA, and headed south to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I have been there several times, but have always found something different and interesting to do there on each visit. This time we made our way to a tequila factory which was fun and very tasty! Then the ship made a stop in Huatulco, Mexico. I was very impressed with this beautiful city on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The beach there was clean and amazing. It was my first time there and I hope to return some day.
Our cruise continued on to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. We took an excursion to Lake Nicaragua. Looking out on the lake, you could see two volcanoes in the distance which made for some great pictures
There were some days at sea in between some of the ports , so we were not on land every day.
Our next port was in Puentarenas, Costa Rica. We took a short bus ride to a river there and boarded a boat for a two hour adventure. We got to see crocodiles and many native birds that were there along the banks. We even caught a glimpse of a very colorful (more orange than the normal green you might see) iguana. Very relaxing and worth seeing.
Then we set sail to our most educational and sensational achievement of the twentieth century, the PANAMA CANAL. It is unbelievable to imagine this was once land covered by trees and mountains. It was an impossible dream by France and ultimately the United States to make it into a passage for ships to navigate from the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) side to the Pacific Ocean fifty miles away.
Since opening in 1914, over one million ships from all over the world have transited the Canal. The historic millionth mark was reached on September 4, 2010.
After about six hours, we finished making our way through a series of locks that raised and lowered our ship. It is truly an engineering marvel that I think is worth learning about. It was a great experience!
Our next destination was Cartagena, Colombia, South America. We took a harbor cruise and saw a real mix of the old city and a new modern one. Our excursion also included a climb up to San Felipe De Barajas Castle that is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It was hot and humid, but worth every step up to the top. A great view of the city was to await us.
Leaving Cartagena, we sailed on to the island of Aruba. It was time for the beach. Some tropical drinks helped make it a wonderful day out in the sun.
As the calendar began ticking off the days left, it was time to leave for the port of Fort Lauderdale. After arriving in Fort Lauderdale, we still had time before our flight home so we took a ride on an airboat at Holiday Gardens in the Everglades. It was a rush. Two 500 Cadillac engines providing 700 horsepower is really impressive. It was a great way to end our 15-day getaway.
AS ALWAYS, TAKE CARE! MARC
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