On the way to Costa Rica

 


Friday, January 8:

Yesterday and today are our first sea days. This is a time to really begin to relax, gather our thoughts about what we want to do over the next week or so, and enjoy re-acquainting ourselves with more of the crew and passengers. 

Yesterday, I attended the first of a series of lectures by Jaime Castillo, the Peruvian Minister of Culture who reviewed past civilizations and some of the major archeological locations in Peru. Peru is a country of many wonders: arid desert; rain forest; mountain ranges. All of these within sight of each other and all of them holding stories and treasures for the curious. 

We had been to the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth several years ago. We had also been to Machu Picchu. This time we will be exploring the Chan Chan ruins in Salaverry, and two tours in Lima. Stay tuned for more on that. 

First, however, we have a stop in Manta, Ecuador. Last time we were there we bought “Panama” hats. Panama hats in Ecuador? Yes, if you remember, when President Teddy Roosevelt went to Panama to visit the progress on the Panama Canal, he was greeted by dignitaries and visitors from several Central and South American countries., Among these were folks from Ecuador bringing samples of their wares – including their hand-woven hats. Upon his return to the USA, when asked about the hat, he replied that he had received it in Panama; thus, the Panama hat!! 

I have a new point-and-shoot camera that is much smarter than I, so I went to a beginner’s photography class to learn how to use it. It will be a steep learning curve, I fear. 

The afternoon finished up with the inevitable Trivia Team Challenge. We formed a team with several other couples with whom we have become friendly. At the end of the round, we wound up in the middle of the pack. Oh well, nowhere to go but up…or down… 

Yesterday was also the first formal evening. That began with the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party. The party was simply an opportunity for the Captain to introduce himself and the members of the ships senior staff and officers. For us the highlight of the evening was having dinner with our friends Ross and Lorna Pennie, whom we had met on last year’s cruise.

It was Ross’s birthday and we were flattered that they asked us to join them to celebrate. Ross is a retired infectious diseases specialist turned mystery author. He has published a series of books featuring a doctor/sleuth battling rather odd diseases. Sounds different, but he has a way of making this offbeat single dad hero real along with getting you really interested in some more exotic medical issues.

Ross also spends a lot of time on deck indulging in his other “hobby”: making costume jewelry from metal rings. Here are a couple of pix to give you an idea of what he does: 

 

Tomorrow it’s Puerto Limon, Costa Rica and zip-lining!

Stay tuned…