Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Our one day in beautiful Costa Rica and our excursion turned out to be pretty much of a bust. Costa Rica is such a beautiful country and I was looking forward to a short hike in the rain forest and seeing tropical birds, flowers, plants and such. We’ve stayed at the La Pas Waterfall’s Peace Lodge in the past (such a wonderful place!) so I had envisioned something similar.

welcoming Oceania to Costa Rica

beach near port (bus window shot)

We were mentally prepared for a possible 1 hour 20 minute bus ride to Jaco where we planned to ride an aerial tram ride through the rain forest, then have lunch followed by an hour's walk in the rain forest. We each took a book to read on the bus to make the trip shorter. We were off to a good start on Hwy 34 when our bus joined a long line of cars waiting to cross the Crocodile Bridge which runs across the Tarcoles River. One side of the entire bridge was completely blocked off due to construction – ugh! Unfortunately, this highway is heavily trafficked and police were only allowing a limited number of cars and buses from one direction to cross the bridge at a time. The result: cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles backed up for miles – just SITTING.

The Crocodile Bridge with the huge crocodiles below is a well-known tourist attraction, so much so that souvenir stores and restaurants have built up around it and there are even bathrooms right at the bridge. Pedestrian walkways run on both sides along the entire length of the bridge. 

Our excursion might have been an “ok” experience under normal circumstances. However, with an ongoing bridge situation, Oceania’s Destination Services should have anticipated problems and scratched that offering. The result was that a 1 hour 20 minute drive turned into 2+ hours going and over 3.5 hours on return! To say we were all tired of being in the bus would be an understatement. It’s more accurate to say we were all exhausted! 

Suffice it to say that 5.5+ hours on a bus to ride an aerial tram through the rain forest was a disappointment. We saw one toucan at a distance (I wasn't fast enough to catch a photo), a few hummingbirds and an occasional butterfly – not exactly what I would call exciting. The ride itself was kind of peaceful though, with a nice breeze at times while suspended high in the canopy and serenaded by a choir of cicadas. 

 

view from our aerial tram

Following our tram ride, we were served a traditional Costa Rica meal (black beans, white rice cooked in coconut water, chicken and vegetables) after which some of us walked for maybe a half hour with our guide while she pointed out different plants used for cooking or medicine. We also spent a few minutes inside a butterfly house which was uncomfortably warm inside. I so wanted to get a photo of the beautiful iridescent morpho butterfly. I did see a few of those but one would never light long enough for me to snap a picture. Here's one from a different trip to Costa Rica.

 

adult blue morpho lives 2-3 weeks

butterfly house

dead owl butterfly

 

 

different varieties feeding on banana

lobster claws

cocoa pod

1 plant = 1 pineapple per year

heliconia

Shortly after 3 p.m. we all boarded the bus for the l-o-n-g ride back to the port. We finally made it back around 6:30 p.m. We cancelled our specialty dining reservation (which was at 6:30), showered, ate a quick dinner in the Terrace Café and called it a day.

 

 

Manta, Ecuador

We docked in Manta just as the sun was rising. Manta is a major commercial center and the second major port of Ecuador. Manta’s main industries are fishing and tuna canning and processing. 

early morning photo from our balcony - many fishing boats in port

Manta Cruise Port

This is our second time to visit here. When we were here in 2023, our room was on the opposite side of the ship and I got some really nice photos of tuna unloading right from our balcony. Since tuna is such a vital industry here, I’ll post a photo I took from that visit.

 

tuna boats unloading tuna into trucks (from our balcony, 2023)

We decided to get off the ship for a few hours this morning before it began to get hot. The complimentary shuttle dropped us off at the port entrance where vendors had various items for sale, including the authentic Panama hats. I say "authentic" because some are now coming from China but without nearly the quality. The classic Ecuadorian Panama hats are made by hand in nearby Montecristi. Some from the ship took tours to visit there.

Panama hats are very expensive, but it’s easy to see why when you understand what is involved in making them. Here's another photo from our last trip of a lady weaving a Panama hat out of fiber made from the boiled and dried leaves of the toquilla palm. The tightness and uniformity of the weave determine the quality of the hat. Every step is done by hand and it can take months to make one hat.

skillful fingers weaving tiny fibers

We had planned to go to a market called Mercado Artisanal but were navigating with our phone and actually ended up going to a different large market. It was definitely not a tourist attraction but obviously where the locals shop for food. Oh well, it was probably much more authentic anyway.

 

plantains for sale

The central building was surrounded by blocks of smaller shops, some not much more than holes in the wall. Vendors sell not only food but just about anything one could possibly need. I walk along with my cell phone in hand and snap photos of anything I find interesting or colorful.

legumes and rice by weight

area around the market

colorful produce

cheese & eggs

 

get your beef here

From there we walked to a very huge and modern mall where we cooled off while I enjoyed a Thai bubble tea. A few stores were names that we recognized, but the majority we did not. After walking around a bit, we headed back to the ship which was only about 15 minutes away. We skipped the beach because it was beginning to get hot. When we arrived back at the ship, Ronnie’s watch showed that we had walked about 3 miles.

 

dress shop in Mall del Pacifico

We've done it again....

We've crossed the line....again. Crossing the equator is somewhat of a party day on the ship. The best known line-crossing ceremony is the "Order of the Shellback" that commemorates a sailor's first crossing of the equator. Originally the tradition was created by seasoned sailors as a test of new shipmates to ensure they were capable of handling long, arduous times at sea. 

 

Neptune, his "wife" and entourage

Folks who have already crossed the equator are called shellbacks or Sons of Neptune. Folks who have never crossed the equator before are considered polywogs (or slimy polywogs) or just wogs. Ronnie and I became shellbacks back in 2023 with our first crossing. The other part of the requirement for turning polywog to shellback is kissing a fish. So every time we cross the equator, there is a kiss-fishing ceremony on the deck. The requirement nowadays for polywogs to become shellbacks is to have ice water poured over one's head followed by kissing a fish. The ceremony used to be much worse in earlier days (think really rough 'hazing' or boot camp) but thankfully those have been prohibited in recent years. 

 

The above certificate is cherished as proof of initiation so it does not need to be endured again. I'm sure I've been called names before, but I admit that I prefer shellback to polywog! And for sure I'm done with kissing fish!

Here we go...

So it's Day 49 and we're at sea today. We're headed to Ecuador, then Costa Rica and after that Mexico. Then we are back in the U.S. This is an opportunity to purchase anything we need for the rest of our journey and it almost feels like home in that we were able to order a few things from Amazon and have them delivered to the port. Supposedly they will be delivered directly to our room after our arrival. 

Ronnie also figured out a way to get rid of some of the wine and champagne we're accumulating. He posted on the Facebook ATW group that he will trade for Dr. Peppers and Extra Toasty Cheez-its. He had a taker and he'll be collecting those in San Diego as well.👍

 

 

 

We're enjoying our cruise and so far it's been a nice mix of vacation and relaxation. We were off to somewhat of a slow start in meeting our shipmates because of the 3 weeks at the beginning that we were without our clothes. Sitting with other passengers over dinner is the best way to get to know other people, so we are behind on that. We also lost a little time due to both of us being sick (Ronnie one week, me the next). But we're slowly getting to meet other passengers and that will continue as time goes on.

Many new (120 day) passengers will join us in San Diego for the remainder of the voyage. We have already seen many come and go as the various segments have ended. 

Oceania employees are always super nice and ready to meet any need we might possibly have. Jose (one of our room stewards) enjoys listening to Ronnie's Spanish readings and speaks to him in Spanish as he is able to understand it. Prashant (butler) brings me diet cokes for my room "stash" because we both know they won't be available at some point. The young men and women who work in the restaurants and cafes are always so courteous and anxious to help. In short, we are quite spoiled!

Today has been a lazy sea day. The ocean is calm and we barely feel any movement in the ship. This morning we both worked on this week's Bible study and Ronnie later exercised while I napped (ha). We've also attended 2 lectures - one by Dr. James Kus on the excavation of royal tombs in northern Peru and another by Mike Reiss, writer of the Simpsons TV show. Ronnie also participated in team trivia.

Tonight we'll have dinner with a new couple in the Red Ginger specialty restaurant. All of our upcoming specialty dinners are booked for sharing tables, which means we'll always be seated with people we've not previously met. We do know one couple from New Braunfels who just returned from Machu Picchu, and hope to hear all about it soon. 

A lazy sea day makes for a boring post... Please let us hear from you!

Ceviche & Reed Boats - Salaverry, Peru

We docked in Salaverry early this morning and took off a little before noon for the ocean side town Huanchaco, located about 45 minutes from the port. The drive gave us ample opportunity to get a feel for what the coastal part of northern Peru looks like. As we rode, our guide talked to us about the crops they grow and pointed out fields of sugar cane, tomatoes, asparagus and blueberries. I’m not sure if it’s from rainfall or irrigation, but I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post that Lima has not had rain in 5 years! Lima does have areas of green of course, but they are irrigated from rivers and I suspect this area is much the same.

 

can you see the gulls floating in the water?

We also saw tons of trash all along the roads and walkways – it was truly disgusting. I thought Indonesia was the worst as far as trash everywhere, but I believe that Peru has Indonesia beat. Trust me, I could have taken much, much worse photos than these. They apparently have not figured out a way to deal with this and I suspect they have become somewhat blind to it. 

 

trash is EVERYWHERE!

We arrived in Huanchaco in time for lunch at a waterfront restaurant called Big Ben. We watched as a master chef demonstrated how to prepare Peru’s iconic cured fish, ceviche. Although its precise origin is disputed, this dish has deep roots in this region. According to the chef, fresh sea bass makes the best ceviche, although sole or tuna can be used as well. To the chopped fish he added lime juice, diced red onions, habanero peppers, cilantro, seaweed, celery water and salt. He explained the purpose of each ingredient as he added it to the dish. In the early days, the raw fish was cured in maize juice but today it is cured with lime juice.

 

fresh sea bass

various peppers and limes

The dish is usually served with cold sweet potatoes and cob corn. The cob corn looks and tastes very different from the corn we eat in the U.S. It’s hard to describe the texture; it's not at all similar to our fresh corn or hominy either. Actually, it doesn’t have much flavor at all to me. After he finished making the ceviche, he mixed up the alcoholic drink Pisco Sour, again explaining each ingredient he used. 

 

cobb corn, ceviche and sweet potatoes

 

Following his cooking demonstration, we moved to a different area where we were served a lunch of – you guessed it – ceviche and Pisco Sours. So I did a first – I tried both. I don’t care for alcohol so that didn’t appeal to me at all. However, I would have enjoyed it if he would have left out the alcohol, egg white and bitter whatever. ha! The ceviche tasted o.k. but it was hard for me to get past the idea of it being uncooked. I know, I know, the lime juice “cooks” it but it still had the texture of raw fish. But I tried it, which is more than I can say for Ronnie. After lunch, each guest was given a chef’s certificate and a reed boat souvenir to remember our visit by.

 

guests having lunch at Big Ben's restaurant

Afterwards, we moved down the beach a short distance to see a local fisherman show off his skills piloting a reed “caballito” or surf fishing boat. These boats are constructed and used by local fishermen to fish in the early morning hours. The reed boats are only good for 3-4 years before they have to be replaced. They are dried each day by standing them on end in the sand. Souvenir stands line the sidewalk between the street and the rocky beach. I was disappointed that my pictures weren’t better. For more info on the reed boats see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caballito_de_totora

 

families relax on a very rocky beach

paddle is made of split bamboo

 

fisherman straddles boat on knees

reed boats and nets drying after the morning's catch

 

As one can see from the photos, the beaches here are extremely rocky. It's hard to understand how sitting and lying on them could be that relaxing but this is what they are used to. Perhaps the biggest draw to these Peruvian beaches is the surfing. The waves are huge and perfect for that sport. There are many surf shops where boards are sold and surfing lessons can be purchased. 

I snapped a few bus window photos as we drove through the town on our way back to the ship. Most of the houses are built straight up - 2, 3 or possibly 4 floors for multi-generational living. Almost all are made of red brick. I suspect the bricks are not fired, as many of the older ones are badly deteriorated. Very few houses are finished, so most have rebar sticking out of the top floor. Our guide explained that if they finish their house, the taxes automatically double. Thus, the unfinished houses.

 

We were greeted all day with literally thousands of sea birds floating in the ocean water and standing and flying around the dock. I snapped a few more as we walked from the bus back to the ship. 

 

so many sea birds!

fishing boats resting in bay

The sun was setting as we pulled away from the dock. Goodnight and goodbye, Peru.