Lima, Peru: Where driving (and being driven) is not for the faint of heart…

We have just had two days in Lima. Lima is Peru’s capital city and is a marvel of Spanish Colonial architecture, beautiful gardens, great beaches, fantastic food, and almost unbelieveable squalor, all dwelling aside one another. Lima is a metropolitan area of over 10 million people. There is no exact figure since Lima has grown by leaps and bounds since the 1980s when a lot of people came in from the contry to escape the Communist insurgents (the Maoist Shining Path and one other whose name escapes me).



Prior to the migration, Lima had a population of about one million. Lima, particularly, and Peru, in general, are interesting for a number of reasons. The entire country is about 30 million (so 1/3 of them are in Lima alone) and the religion, like most of South America, is predominantly Roman Catholic. In addition to Catholicism they also practice a modern form of Shamanism. Thus,there are thriving businesses selling amulets, icons, tokens, folk medicines, and services to appease what many believe to be “natural forces” that govern parts of their lives.

One other part of Liman’s lives that must be discussed is their driving. As noted in my title, driving is not something one takes for granted in Lima. In fact, you are best off not driving at all. Leave the driving to others. Unfortunately, public transportation is, at best, spotty – no underground, weird bus lines and schedules, and taxis that require negotiation each time you get in. This last issue is true even if you are going to ot from the same place twice in a row the fare can be very different depending on your negotiating skills.



We were, fortunately, on buses for all of our forays into the city. Buses are big, but that really does not count for much in a society that seems to see driving as a game of pure oneupmanship. One of our guides, when queried about the chaotic street scenes in traffic said that the traffic signs and signals were not only not obeyed nor thought of as, in some places we have visited, merely suggestions, but are more decoration alone. To sit in a bus and watch as mini-cars, three-wheeled scooters, smaller buses, vans, pickup trucks, and even pedestrians cut you off, make left turns from the right lane, and vice versa, only solidifies one’s desire to leave the driving to others.

Yet amid all this apparent chaos there seems to be a ballet-like reasoning to the vehicular and pedestrian movements. We saw only one slight crash – really a minor drivable fender bender- in the two days we were there and no peds getting bowled over. It is really rather thrilling to watch as cross traffic begins to move on their green light or traffic cop signal while the other direction traffic is still moving at roadway speeds. At one point I actually saw five lanes of traffic on a three-lane road. 
One of our first visits was to a local market, the Suquillo Market in central Lima. Huge can’t describe it. It is a rabbit warren of stalls, aisles, entrances, and bustle. We saw, and tasted, fruits and vegetables that are unique to Peru and some that, although known and grown in the US, seemed to taste fresher and more alive than what we are used to.



One of the several market entrances on the left and a typical produce stand on the right.



The produce stand on the left was intriguing due to the many peppers on display and the Peruvian corn, of which there is a closeup on the right. Those corn kernels are each about the size of a dime and about three dimes thick.



On the left are only a sample of the dozens of different types of bananas available in Peru. On the right are fresh scallops – literally hours from the sea – to be served Peruvian style: with the coral (roe) still attached.



A meat stall on the left and the chicken lady on the right.



If you look carefully at the picture on the left, you can count nine different types of potatos hanging in bags. On the right is the space under the same stall’s counter with another five types of potatos. There are several thousand different types of Peruvian potatos!



The purple corn on the left is a natural product – not dyed or otherwise treated. It is too tough and fibery to be eaten, so it is boiled and the liquid is drained off, mixed with sugar syrup and a little lime juice and sold as a non-carbonated “soda pop” treat. On the right is a plan of the first floor of the market. As you can see, it takes up an entire city block - on two floors!

We then retired to a local restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean, El Seniorio de Sulco Cocina Puruana. It turns out that this is one of Lima’s most popular restaurants. Before lunch we were witness to a cooking demonstration, complete with recipes, for the luncheon we were about to enjoy.

We learned how to make authentic Peruvian Ceviche with just five ingredients. That was followed by historically important and authentic Causa Pollo. Causa is a dish commemorating Peru’s fight for freedom from the Spanish Empire. It consists of well-seasoned mashed potatoes, avocado, and chicken salad layered in  a bright, flavorful patty (really much better tasting than I can describe it). Causa can also be made with seafood salad, beef salad, or anything one can imagine; after all, what doesn’t go with avocado and mashed potatoes??

The main course was Lomo Saltado. Lomo Saltado is a stir-fried dish made in a wok. It consists of the best grade of beef tenderloin, red onions, tomatos, and a sauce made primarily of light and dark soy sauce. If you have never had Peruvian food, you are in for a real treat.

Fortunately, we have been eating these delicacies ever since the first Peruvian restaurant popped up in Naples several years ago. Believe it on not, a lot of Peruvian food has had an Asian influence and the marriage is a good one!



Ceviche! Served with a slice of yam boiled in orange soda (yes, orange soda, not orange juice) and a few boiled Peruvian corn kernels. Yum!



Causa Pollo. The yellow layers are the seasoned mashed yellow Peruvian potatos. The green layer is sliced avocado. The white layer is a simple white meat chicken salad. Seafood salad, meat salad, tuna salad, etc. can be substituted for the chicken salad.



Lomo Saltado. Flash wok-fried a la minute, that is, to order – never on a steam table or large batch. Peruvian food is probably the world’s next “great food discovery.”



I had to include a Pisco Sour. This is an authentic one. If it doesn’t have the egg white froth, then it is only a pale imitation of a real one.

The actual luncheon meal was superb – and big! We started with Peru’s “national” drink, the Pisco Sour. Pisco is a liquor-like concoction that can run up to 45% alcohol. Fortunately, this one was a little lighter – just 42%. The Pisco liquor is mixed with lime juice, bitters, and egg white. It is actually frothed rather than mixed and the resulting liquid refreshment goes down much too easily. After the obligatory toast, we were served a very lovely plate of the ceviche and the Causa. One serving of each at either end of a long narrow plate. This was followed by the Lomo Saltado. A hefty portion served with yellow french fries (the yellow Peruvian potato tastes a lot like a Yukon Gold, but has more “body” and makes a super french fry) and a scoop of steamed white rice. Hmmm….beef mixed with vegetables along with two starches. Well, a potato IS a vegetable…

We were not expecting anything more. Beside that, we were really stuffed from the three-course lunch, but out came dessert! The dessert was the richest, creamiest, gooiest pudding we have ever tasted. It is called Suspiro de Limena. It had a dollop of vermouth-spiked merengue atop and after about three small spoonsful, I was done (OK, Ok, ok…four or five really small spoonsful…). The best way I can describe it is as the richest Delche de Leche syrup that has been thickened to the point of almost not pouring – think caramel that really sticks to the roof of your mouth.

OK, enough of food. We also took a City Tour that hit the highlights of the city center and the Miraflores district. Miraflores is the relatively wealthy section of Lima that fronts a lot of beach property. To start we visited the Monasterio de San Francisco (St. Francis Monastery) that has been in active use since 1546. Today, there are only a handful of monks still carrying on centuries-old traditions.

We then made a short visit to the Lima Cathedral, the resting place of the body (really just the bones) of the Conquistador Francisco Pizarro.


Pizarro's tomb in the Lima cathedral. Strange that one of the conquistador’s has acheived hero status for his subsequent work in assisting in the revolution against Spain.

The highlight of the tour was a visit to the oldest continuously-occupied home in the western hemisphere: the Aliagra House. It has been owned by and occupied by members of the Aliagra family since it was granted to them by Pissarro in 1535. The original Sr. Aliagra was one of the few in Pizarro's landing party who could read and write – since Pizarro could do neither. As a payment for his service and counsel, Pizarro gave Aliagra the land on which to build the house and the funds to defray the expense of building. The home is magnificent even by today’s standards.



Two views of ther home’s interior: the entry hall on the left; the family dining room on the right.



The family’s private chapel on the left and the ficus tree growing in the interior courtyard on the right. Since Peru only gets about 5-10 millimeters of rain a year, there are no screens, few windows, open-air courtyards, and little, if any, air conditioning.

Our final stop of the day was at El Parque de Amor (Love Park). This area along the beachfront overlook in Miraflores was built in the late eighties in the style of Gaudi’s Park Guell in Barcelona. The statues of the lovers is meant to suggest that love conquors all and we just need to love one another. Simplistic, but every Valentine’s Day there is a kissing conterst held in the park. There are prizes for several categories including: best kiss; longest kiss; cutest kiss; most stylish kiss. I never thought about getting style points for kissing. Oh dear, what have I been missing???



This giant statues of the lovers and the ceramic mosiac wall running along the rear of the park were meant to invoke the Park Guell in Barcelona designed by the great Spanish Architect Antoni Gaudi. The artist that designed this installation was a great fan of Gaudi’s and felt the love as you can see.
Gaudi, by the way, is (was, he has been dead since the 1920s) the architect of the Sagrada Familia Catedral (Sacred Family Cathedral) in Barcelona along with many of Barcelona’s greatest architectural delights. In case you haven’t guessed, we are great fans of Gaudi and visit some of his work every time we get to Barcelona.

P.S.: One of our fellow passengers took our picture kissing at the park, but we can't remember who it was. If we can get a copy of it, I will amend this post.

We now have five days at sea before our next stop: Rapa Nui. Rapa Nui is a little speck in the middle of the Pacific that is home to one of the most spectacuular archeological finds of the past century: the Moai. You may know Rapa Nui by its westernized name: Easter Island.

Stay tuned…

The Chimu: the most amazing civilization you never heard of!

          

Today we docked in Salaverry, Peru. Salaverry is not the worst place to be docked –we are still waiting to see who wins that race… Salaverry is the port for Trujillo, Peru. Trujillo is the center of what was once a vast pre-Hispanic empire.



Trujillo was the location of the center of several ancient civilizations that pre-dated western explorers by many centuries. The Chimu and the Moche were the most outstanding of these, but didn’t last long after the Inca found them. Of course, then there were the Spanish, but they are really Johnny-come-latelys.

Our day began with a ride from the port to near the center of Trujillo and the home of the Huaca “Dragon” Temple. The temple is a 1100-year old temple from the Chimu empire. All of the old temples and cities were built of adobe. This temple was used mainly for religious purposes: read human and animal sacrifice. We were only there for about a half-hour as the guide told us stories of ancient rituals. 



This is the entrance to the Huaca Temple. One way in, no way out for those “fortunate” enough to be chosen… Note the raised paneling on the walls. Thati s original (over 1100 year old). The smooth wall portions are the restorations. This site is not a UNESCO World Heritage site because too much of the work, unlike Chan Chan which we will see below, is restoration and not original.


This is a view of the interior of the Huaca Temple. The ramp structure to the left edge of the picture is the ascent to the sacrificial altar. The wall section where we are all gathered is covered in depictions of the gods, animals, and events that governed the lives of the Chimu people.




 Here is a close-up of one of the wall panels. It depicts the dragons in the middle with a rainbow arcing over them. Directly below the dragons is vthe spade-shaped knife that was used in the sacrificial rituals. It is shown sitting in the ritual bowl that would catch the blood of the sacrificee. 

We then re-boarded the buses for the trip out to the Chan Chan ruins. The Chan Chan ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage site and are an active archeological dig. The site is an entire city that is being restored. The ruins represent the largest clay city in pre-Hispanic America. The entire site dates back to about 1100 AD. It covers almost two square miles and was home to about 30,000 inhabitants. Because of its location near the shore, they both fished and raised crops: corn; vegetables; fruits. 


To remain a UNESCO site, they cannot restore over 30% of what is dug. That is, at least 70% of what you see on a visit must be original. Think about how that must affect their restoration of adobe.

Adobe is nothing more than water, sand, clay, and small stones – all native materials. The modern archeologists do have one interesting trick: they slit the leaves of the Aloe Vera plant and a sticky goo comes out. The leavers are immersed in water and weighted to hasten the “goo process.” The “sticky water is then used as a binding material on the tops of the walls and restored facades to prevent further deterioration. Apparently, that is good enough for the UNESCO folks since they have been using that technique for years. 


We are standing in front of one of the main gathering areas for the Chimu rituals. These rituals were a constant in the lives of the Chimu and most of the city was built around their needs.

In the pictures, the distances and wall heights are deceptive. The outer walls were about 33-35 feet high and the inner walls were about 9-11 feet high. They were also earthquake-prone. Therefore, they left a number of the adobe brick layers in the walls without any sand mortar so the layers of brick could slide if jiggled by a quake. They also made the walls trapezoidal in cross-section and added low terraces inside and out to further protect the walls. The terraces are those low, flat “steps” to the left and right of our group as we walked along the pathway. Clever for a society that had no computers, no heavy equipment, and no seismography equipment...

 

Yours truly outfitted for the trek to his next big adventure – finding some shade, food, and adult beverage (not necessarily in that order…).

We then proceeded back to the pier and off we went on our next adventure: lunch! 

We are now underway to Lima where we have an overnight stop and two days to explore. Three years ago we passed through Lima on our way to Machu Picchu and really didn’t get to see any of it.

This time we will be doing some local tours. 

Stay tuned…

Manta, Ecuador: birthplace of the “Panama” hat!

First an apology. I got a little too cute with my palindromic skills yesterday and gave you an incomplete palindrome. It should have read  “A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!” I left out those two little words -  a canal -  and ruined the whole thing. Thanks to my dear friend Diane who was the first to point that out to me – but nowhere near the last…

OK. Now let’s talk about Manta, Ecuador. Manta is a mid-sized city in Manabí Province, Ecuador. It is the second most populous city in the province, the fifth most populous in the country (population currently is about 217,500). Manta has existed since Pre-Colombian times. It was a trading post for the local indigenous population, the Mantas.

Ecuador actually has three major exports: oil; bananas; and, roses. Manta actually has the distinction of being the tuna capital of the world.

They tell us that more tuna is processed through here than anywhere else in the world. Actually, all you have to do is sniff once or twice and you’ll be convinced. This is not the fabulously expensive tuna that the Japanese pay thousands of dollars per fish for, but is Bonito and Albacore – the long skinny ones that are sliced up and slid into those little round cans…seriously, they are the smaller tuna than the yellwfin or bluefin, and, no, they don’t come can-ready, but look like any other fish.
here are a few pictures of the tuna fleet:

This is but a portion of the tuna fleet. They go out in these huge factory ships and catch the fish with large seine nets, haul aboard, and flash freeze, then come home several weeks later to unload and go out again.


You can see just how large these tuna trawlers are from the size of the men, vehicles, and cranes.

The fish are transferred from the ship’s hold into insulated trailers for transport to the processing and canning factory several miles inland from the docks. 

As for the “Panama” hats, the real story is that when then-President Teddy Roosevelt came to Panama to see how “his” canal project was going, he received several delegations from a few of the nearby countries. He was the first President to visit a country outside the US. One of those delegations was from Ecuador. Naturally, they brought along some trade trinkets and local crafts, among which were a couple of the locally-woven grass hats. Naturally, Teddy wore one on the job and continued to do so upon his return to the states. When asked where he acquired such a beautiful piece of finery, he responded  “In Panama!”, and thus was born the “Panama” hat.

There was one woman in the crafts market demonstrating how these hats are handmade. She bends over a gizmo that sort of looks like a piano stool and hand weaves the hat. Every few minutes she has to stand to catch her breath and stretch. The large stone between her chest and the top of the hat holds the weaving in place when she takes a break. These women have been doing this for centuries and they learn as children. This woman looked to be about 25 or 30…just kidding, she was actually in her late fifties. Depending on the tightness and intricacy of the weave, one hat can take from two days to two months to make. They range in price from about $35 to over $200.


 Since we had been to Manta several years ago on our South America/Antarctica/Amazon trip, we didn’t sign up for any of the day tours on the ship. Instead, we accompanied the Silversea corporate chef, who was aboard for the first two legs of the trip, to the local market. The market was a two-story affair with the meat and fish stalls on the first floor and the produce, spices, and eating areas on the second. We spent about an hour touring and buying fruits and vegetables for later in the day. Chef would not tell us what he was planning to add to the menu, but assured us that it would be tasty.

Here are some pictures from the food market:

This is a typical meat stall. There is no refrigeration and no protection from flying things. In addition, the vendors tend to paw the product to show how fresh it is… We were told that people shop every day for that evening’s meal and anything that is not sold is wasted.


A fishmonger with his daily stock of tuna. When he is sold out, he is through for the day.

Two chicken vendors. The meat stalls are along one wall. The chicken is along another and the fish is in its own area. 

Our Lady of the Chichrones. She was actually quite delightful, but because she had some dental issues, this about all she would smile. The hanging strips are pigskin. The counter has feet, ears, and snouts…ummmm…

A young man with a huge papaya. We were struck, as we have often been, with the size and quality of the fruits and vegetables in this and most other foreign markets. For some reason ,we just don’t seem to be able to get that fresh quality in the US.

This lady kept up a constant patter, or chant. She was one of the more popular vendors in the market.

After our market tour, we stopped at the main plaza and strolled through the handicraft market. In both the food market and the handicraft market we were struck by the people: open; friendly; not pushy. Bonnie found a new Panama hat and I found absolutely nothing that I could not live without.


After the handicrafts, it was the shuttle back to the ship for lunch, catching up on this blog, a nap, drinks (some things must be tolerated), and dinner.

Coincidentally, we were moored at a dock directly beside one of our other favorite ships: the Holland America ms Prinsendam. We had, for years, thought that the Prinsendam was the epitome of cruising. It is still a very nice ship, but the Silver Whisper makes it pale by comparison:

Ship:                     ms Prinsendam            ms Silver Whisper         Ratios: Whisper to Prinsendam
Gross Tonnage:         38,848                           8,258                      Whisper about 3/4 the Prinsendam
Number of decks:      9                                    10                           N/A
Passengers:               793                                382                         About half as many passengers
Crew:                       443                                295                         1.79 pass./crew for Prinsendam; 1.29 pass./crew for Whisper

The two ships are almost the same size in terms of gross tonnage, but the Whisper carries about half as many passengers.

Tomorrow we have a sea day and then several days in Lima, Peru.

Stay tuned…

“A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!”–The longest palindrome I know…

Sunday, January 10:

If you read the title of this entry backwards, it says the same thing – a palindrome!

Today we transit the Panama Canal. We have been through the canal about five or six times, but every time we go through, I marvel at this masterpiece of (relatively) modern engineering, just as others marvel over the Pyramids or the Grand Canyon. Yes, we have visited those as well, but one gets a very different feeling when transiting the Panama Canal.

For starters, at over 100 years old the canal operates today exactly as it did the day it was opened: gravity feeds the hydraulic lock system; ships move under their own power – the “mules” are used only as guides; the dredging has never stopped.

The Canal runs from the northeast corner of the Panama Canal Zone to the southwest corner. Oh, you thought it ran from east to west or vice versa…no. no, no. Here’s a map:


As early as 1524 King Carlos V of Spain first began to try for a cross-Panama canal. It was not until the late nineteenth century after the French had built the Suez Canal (stay tuned for our transit of that “other wonder” in a few months) that Ferdinand de Lesseps, the chief executive of the Suez was sent to Panama to try to duplicate that feat. It didn’t take long for the French to realize they were sinking waaaay too much money, material, and mostly men into a morass from which they might never recover. They gratefully succumbed to then-President Teddy Roosevelt’s offer to take over the digging of the canal.

By the time the United States stepped in, around 1904, a sea-level canal had been long abandoned and the Americans realized that they would need a locking canal. The final product produced the largest man-made lake in the world (at that time), the longest lockable canal in the world (at that time), along with a number of other superlatives.

Here are a few other facts about the Canal:

• The locks raise and lower all shipping traffic about 85’ above sea level.
• Tens of thousands of laborers from all over the world engaged in the construction.
• Over 26,000 died during the construction; most from disease.
• The road running parallel with the canal on the west side is called “Bonnie’s Great-Grandfather’s Road” in honor of Bonnie’s great-grandfather who was one of the engineers working on the project and who was responsible for building that road.
• The Chagres River feeding the canal zone was dammed with the then-biggest earth-fill dam in history: over a mile long and over half a mile wide at its base.
• It takes from 8-10 hours to transit the canal.
• Each canal lock is 1000’ long by 110’ wide; thus specifying the maximum size of all shipping for over half a century and giving birth to the Panamax ship design.
• Over 1 billion gallons of water a day are used in raising and lowering the over 14,000 ships transiting the canal annually. That’s about 52 million gallons used by each lock each day.
• The highest toll ever paid was by the container ship Maersk Dellys in 2006: $249,165.00. The lowest was by Richard Halliburton in 1928: $0.36. The Maersk Dellys was a container ship. Richard Haliburton as a famous long-distance swimmer of the time – he swam through and was locked up and down just like any other transit. By the way: all tolls must be paid in cash at the time of transit!

Here is what the profile of the canal looks like:

 

Here are a few pictures with captions explaining what we see and pass through as we transit the canal.

Here is the approach to the first lock at the Gatun Locks entrance on the north side of the canal (the “Atlantic” or Caribbean side). The large ship getting ready to exit the third step is the ms Amsterdam. Note the rowboats at the near end of the lock center wall.

Here comes the rowboat, as it has since the canal opened in 1914, to get the line that will attach to the electric mules.

These are some of the electric mules. They do not pull or tow, but only guide and assist in steadying the ships. All ships must transit under their own power.

Another shot as we begin to enter the first step of the three-step lock that will raise us about 85’ to Lake Gatun. Over to the right of the picture you can see some “white water.” That is the discharge from the second step that is released after the ship in front of us is in the third step. The riveted steel lock doors are set so precisely that they could be swung, if necessary, by hand! Fortunately, that has not been necessary.

The mule ready to attach to the ship’s capstans. Notice the cables hanging off the side of the mule waiting to be pulled aboard the foredeck.

Here we are getting ready to move into the first step of the Gatun Lock. The first step will move us up about 10 meters (~33’). The second step will move us another 10 meters and the third step will move us the final distance for a total of about 85’. The ms Amsterdam is seen getting ready to exit the third step into Lake Gatun.

This is a Panamax ship coming into the parallel Gatun Lock beside us. Each lock can handle two ships at once in each step of the lock. Notice that the hull is comparatively slim compared to the containers stacked on the superstructure. There is about 18”-24” on each side of the freighter between the hull and the lock walls. It takes a lot of skill to navigate these locks. You can also see that there are two mules near the bow and one astern.  

This is one of the dredges that works around the clock to maintain the shipping channel in the canal. Because of the unstable nature of much of the native soils, there is a need to constantly dredge the channel to assure adequate clearance for the hulls of the large freighters and tankers.

This is “Gold Hill” on the west side of the Culebra Cut. Because the French were having so much trouble financing the project (before the USA stepped in), they told stories of rumored “hills of gold” to interest investors. To date has been exactly zero gold found anywhere along the canal’s route.

This is another shot of Gold Hill and opposite it is Contractor’s Hill, named in honor of the many contractor’s who worked on the project and lost so many workers. Before the final grading as shown in the photo, Gold Hill was about 50’ higher and Contractor’s Hill was about 40’ higher. They originally thought they could bring down both hills to canal level, but never realized that these “hills” represented the continental divide and they would have had to be taken down several hundred feet more.

Tomorrow is a sea day and then on to Manta, Ecuador.

Stay tuned…

The zipsters do it again!

Saturday, January 9:

Today we are in Puerto Limon (PL), Costa Rica. We had visited PL about three years ago on our South America trip and we had then tried zip-lining. What a hoot it was then. When we discovered that we could go back and do it again, we signed right up!

Just to orient you, here is a map of Costa Rica with PL circled. Brisas de la Jungla (Jungle Breezes) Zip line Center and Nature Reserve was inland about a 30-minute drive from the pier. In most other places, it would have been about 10 minutes, but this is Costa Rica. They have great schools and hospitals, but really terrible roads.



They have eleven zips ranging from about 350’ long to over 1500’ long and from treetop height to several hundred feet above the treetops. Exhilarating and just a teeny bit scary.



As we were being fitted for the harnesses that coupled us to the zip lines, Bonnie said” Do you think this makes be look like I have a big rear end?” Naturally, I answered”………..”

The harness attaches to two places on the zip pulley apparatus and there are double lines for safety redundancy – small comfort if you are hanging  by a buckle several hundred feet above terra firma.

After we were all harnessed up and before we went to the first zip, we had a safety briefing. Guess who was the lucky one chosen to be demonstrated upon:



The whole set of zips was just as much a thrill as the first time we did it three years ago.

Our local guide was a young man named Jonathan who was a typical lively “Tico” or native Costa Rican.



After a fun-filled (and slightly exhausting) morning, we headed back to the ship. We were docked beside the Holland America ms Amsterdam. The Amsterdam is also on a world cruise and we will be shadowing each other for a few weeks until our respective paths take us to different places in the world. She is a much larger ship (about 1200 passengers) and cannot get into some of the ports that we can.



Once we were back aboard the Silver Whisper we immediately went for lunch and a rejuvenating nap.

Tomorrow we transit the Panama Canal.

Stay tuned...

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…

The adventure begins!

Monday, January 4: 

We are now ensconced in a lovely room at the Mandarin Oriental (MO) in Miami. This evening we have a welcome cocktail/dinner party. We have already seen and re-acquainted with several of our cruise buddies from last year’s cruise that are also doing this year’s. We now know that there are 195 people doing the entire world circuit. Last year we had 158 and thought that was a lot for a ship that only carries about 380 when full. 

We remember when the MO was built back in the late 80s. Its avant garde (for the time) architecture, high room costs, and international cachet caused quite a stir. She is still an elegant lady, but very Miami (think a slightly garish color palette) and beginning to show a little wear. 

As I look out our window at the Miami skyline, I am amazed at how the city has changed since we first came to Florida almost 37 years ago. The high-rise dwellings and signature commercial buildings just seem to go on and on and on. Here is the view from our room looking west just at dusk:



The road in the middle of the picture is the causeway from Brickell Key to the mainland. It becomes SW 8th St (Calle Ocho) on the land side.

Just for kicks, here is the same view after dark:



Cocktails and dinner were very interesting. We managed to re-acquaint ourselves with at least a dozen people who we had met on last year’s world cruise. It was a major homecoming. We purposely sat at a table with some people that we did not know from last year and that were new to us and to Silversea. One couple was from Phoenix, one from Switzerland, one from Rumania, and one was a couple we knew from last year. Great table and very interesting conversation. After a very interesting dinner and conversation, we crashed and look forward to tomorrow.

Tuesday, January 5: 

Our first day aboard the Silver Whisper. The day dawned gray, cloudy, and drizzly. Not a good omen – except for the fact that we are about to begin a four-month odyssey that will take us to many places we have never been. By the time we boarded the bus to get to Port Everglades and made the roughly 40-minute trip, the skies had cleared somewhat, but the weather was still chilly and very windy.

At the terminal, the boarding procedure was so smooth, we almost didn’t even realize we had walked into the terminal, stopped at the check-in counter for a few minutes, and then – Shazam! – we were aboard. We dropped our carry-ons in the suite and went to lunch.

Entering the Terraza Restaurant and recognizing – and being recognized by – several of the wait staff was like a homecoming. We felt as if we had just been on shore for a while and were returning to our “mothership” after an extended shore stay.

The rest of the day was spent renewing acquaintances – passengers and crew – and unpacking. After last year’s trip, we vowed to pack much lighter since we knew that the laundry service aboard ship was very good and very quick. Yeah! Right! We still managed to over pack and it was exhausting putting everything away. Lifeboat drill at 5:00 followed by a short show in the lounge to introduce the major staff and on-board entertainers. Then a shower, dress, and to the bar!

Dinner was simple and now we are back in the room ready for an early evening. 

Tomorrow it is a stop in Key Weird…er, umm… I mean Key West. We will probably just stroll and make it a quasi-sea day since we have no real desire to once again see the Hemingway House, the Aquarium and Butterfly Sanctuary, or Mallory Square. Having lived in Florida for so long and having spent so many wasted (in more ways than one) weekends in the Keys during our scuba diving days, we want to rest up for the next big thing: Zip-lining in Costa Rica. 

Wednesday, January 6:

Yep! Key West was a yawner…woke up to dreary skies, a drizzle, and blowy winds. We were docked at the Naval Air Station pier because the Celebrity Constellation was docked at Mallory Square. Compared to our modest ship of about 300 passengers, it was a behemoth of almost 3000 – but oddly enough from a slight distance when, looking at them side by side, we were not all that much smaller it seemed. The difference must be in the space per passenger ratio…

The ship provided a shuttle into town and we made the obligatory CVS stop. It seems that almost everyone who makes a Key West stop manages to remember something that they need that only a CVS could have. In our case it was lip gloss – for Bonnie, not me!

A short walk along Duval Street reminded us why we don’t return to Key West much since our days of scuba diving ended. Back to the ship for lunch, a nap, adding to this blog, setting up a new trivia team, and getting ready for dinner with another couple of cruise friends. You may not think that the trivia thing is important, but for some reason, it has become a big deal to try to find out just how much totally useless information you carry around in your head that might one-day win you big – Silversea Dollars redeemable for valuable prizes: pens, 4 GB thumb drives; little stuffed teddy bears; Tee-shirts!

We are now on our way to Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. Two fun-filled sea days and then we get to go zip-lining again!

Stay tuned…