Thursday, March 8, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
2012-3-3 Turtle Rescue in Manzanillo
Today was the last shore excursion and it was a good one. Manzanillo is basically a busy port area but the pier has been improved so that it’s an attractive place to visit also. Our guide, Marco, said that they only get a cruise ship here once a month. This is art in the pier area. I think it's a sword fish.
He explained that the average income is low but so are the prices. Mexico has mandatory education through high school and free medical care. It’s not necessary to earn a great deal of money to live well here.
Marco had a bad case of “That used not to be there”. He told us about how things were in the old days compared to how they are now. Believe me, things are better now.
We had a comedian on board who built a whole routine on his grandfather who rambled on about how things were in the old days. He didn’t mention Grandpa Simpson and Shelbyville but his routine was much the same. I have to guard against that myself. I can walk down memory lane at almost any time.
This whole region was wiped out more than once by earthquakes and a tsunami. We visited a salt warehouse where sea salt was stored. We passed by miles of coconut
plantations on our way to see the turtles.
Our final destination was the El-Tortugorio Eco-Center in Cuyutlan. There are four kinds of turtles who lay their eggs here. We saw the Black Turtle, the Green Turtle and a reddish one. The Leatherback turtle also lays eggs here but the adult turtles are huge. They can weigh half a ton. It’s impossible to support them in this center as they eat jellyfish. Thank heavens something eats jellyfish. They’re nasty.
We were supposed to release a baby turtle back into the ocean. At least that was the description of the tour when I signed up a year ago. Now, they have made a decision to let school children release the turtles at night.
That decision makes perfect sense as the birds are not waiting to gulp down the babies at night. The turtles have to be released within a week of their births or they won’t survive in the ocean. The survival rate is only one or two in a hundred.
They tag the turtles so they know that they return to the same beach where they were released after they reach maturity at about eleven years of age. They will beach within a hundred meters of their release spot and lay eggs. People from the rescue center rush out and pick up the eggs before the predators can get them. They lay their eggs during certain phases of the moon.
Humans used to hunt the turtles for food. I’m ashamed to admit that I made Green Turtle soup many decades ago. I saw the can of turtle meat in the supermarket and thought it might be good. It was vile.
There is a myth that turtles mate for many hours at a time. Of course, that has led to a thriving market in turtle eggs, meat and body parts. The fine for picking up eggs or turtles is 25,000 pesos which is a large sum in this area. People still risk it though. The turtle center wants to educate children so that’s another motivation behind letting them do the release.
The tour was even more enjoyable because my seat mate was talkative. Her husband is writing a book tentatively titled Economics in the 21st Century. It turned out that we all agreed about the economy.
There is also an author on board who wrote a book about the DNA of Jesus. I never ran into him in person.
As my new friend and I chatted about economics, we naturally segued into politics and California. She grew up near Disneyland in Orange County, CA and up in the San Francisco Bay Area. We both love Obama in spite of living in a place where everyone else thinks he is the Anti-Christ.
She is a black woman and said that the Ku Klux Klan was still active in Orange County when she moved there in 1960. I never heard of anything like that in the bay area during my growing up years. My brother had a black friend and he certainly was the target of hatred but nothing organized.
Bill is still suffering from his virus so he stayed on the ship. We went to see a Neil Diamond imitator tonight and it was pleasant to sing along to the old songs.
We have only two more days on the best retirement village on the high seas. I have to start cooking again, doggone it. I’m not keen on my own cooking. No more buffet. No more chocolates on our pillows. No more nightly live entertainment. No more maid service. No more dolphins leaping past our window. I feel a depression coming on.
The only good thing about going home is that I will never have to listen to Fox News again.
Unfortunately, Bill has decided he likes the token Democrat on “The Five”. I may have to disconnect the cable.
Marco is a farmer but he likes to guide tours when the opportunity arises. He studied both agriculture and languages in college. It is obvious that Marco is proud of his home.
He explained that the average income is low but so are the prices. Mexico has mandatory education through high school and free medical care. It’s not necessary to earn a great deal of money to live well here.
Marco had a bad case of “That used not to be there”. He told us about how things were in the old days compared to how they are now. Believe me, things are better now.
We had a comedian on board who built a whole routine on his grandfather who rambled on about how things were in the old days. He didn’t mention Grandpa Simpson and Shelbyville but his routine was much the same. I have to guard against that myself. I can walk down memory lane at almost any time.
This whole region was wiped out more than once by earthquakes and a tsunami. We visited a salt warehouse where sea salt was stored. We passed by miles of coconut
plantations on our way to see the turtles.
Our final destination was the El-Tortugorio Eco-Center in Cuyutlan. There are four kinds of turtles who lay their eggs here. We saw the Black Turtle, the Green Turtle and a reddish one. The Leatherback turtle also lays eggs here but the adult turtles are huge. They can weigh half a ton. It’s impossible to support them in this center as they eat jellyfish. Thank heavens something eats jellyfish. They’re nasty.
We were supposed to release a baby turtle back into the ocean. At least that was the description of the tour when I signed up a year ago. Now, they have made a decision to let school children release the turtles at night.
That decision makes perfect sense as the birds are not waiting to gulp down the babies at night. The turtles have to be released within a week of their births or they won’t survive in the ocean. The survival rate is only one or two in a hundred.
They tag the turtles so they know that they return to the same beach where they were released after they reach maturity at about eleven years of age. They will beach within a hundred meters of their release spot and lay eggs. People from the rescue center rush out and pick up the eggs before the predators can get them. They lay their eggs during certain phases of the moon.
Humans used to hunt the turtles for food. I’m ashamed to admit that I made Green Turtle soup many decades ago. I saw the can of turtle meat in the supermarket and thought it might be good. It was vile.
There is a myth that turtles mate for many hours at a time. Of course, that has led to a thriving market in turtle eggs, meat and body parts. The fine for picking up eggs or turtles is 25,000 pesos which is a large sum in this area. People still risk it though. The turtle center wants to educate children so that’s another motivation behind letting them do the release.
The tour was even more enjoyable because my seat mate was talkative. Her husband is writing a book tentatively titled Economics in the 21st Century. It turned out that we all agreed about the economy.
There is also an author on board who wrote a book about the DNA of Jesus. I never ran into him in person.
As my new friend and I chatted about economics, we naturally segued into politics and California. She grew up near Disneyland in Orange County, CA and up in the San Francisco Bay Area. We both love Obama in spite of living in a place where everyone else thinks he is the Anti-Christ.
She is a black woman and said that the Ku Klux Klan was still active in Orange County when she moved there in 1960. I never heard of anything like that in the bay area during my growing up years. My brother had a black friend and he certainly was the target of hatred but nothing organized.
Bill is still suffering from his virus so he stayed on the ship. We went to see a Neil Diamond imitator tonight and it was pleasant to sing along to the old songs.
We have only two more days on the best retirement village on the high seas. I have to start cooking again, doggone it. I’m not keen on my own cooking. No more buffet. No more chocolates on our pillows. No more nightly live entertainment. No more maid service. No more dolphins leaping past our window. I feel a depression coming on.
The only good thing about going home is that I will never have to listen to Fox News again.
Unfortunately, Bill has decided he likes the token Democrat on “The Five”. I may have to disconnect the cable.
I took several pictures of the Eco-Center. I will post them here.
This is where we ate lunch.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
2012-2-28 Bird Watching in Huatulco, Mexico
I went on a wonderful bird watching tour this morning.
The passengers were warned to wear long sleeves and long pants and insecticide. None of that turned out to be needed. Not a bug in sight. We did need our hats.
I had visions of walking through a swamp or a jungle but we walked alongside a golf course. The site was only 10 minutes from the ship and surrounded by condos and upscale hotels.
The golf course was ringed with trees that attract birds. We saw a variety of species but only a few of each. Some of the birds we saw were endemic, meaning they are only found in this area.
When I saw the Citreoline through the viewer, I was so excited. I exclaimed, “Oh!” and stepped away quickly so others could have a look. Unfortunately, I kicked the stand with my foot and knocked it out of alignment. The bird flew away just as
the guide got the scope was repositioned.
We saw a couple of examples of the Doubleday Hummingbird, another endemic bird.
We saw a Baltimore Oriole which was on migration. The other migrating birds were the Yellow Warbler, the Orchard Oriole, the Hooded Oriole, the Solitary Sandpiper and the Northern Shoveler.
Two of the most colorful birds were the Orange Fronted Parakeet and the White Fronted Parakeet. They are residents in the area. The other resident birds that we saw were the Magnificent Frigatebird, the Snowy Egret, the Grey Hawk, the Cinnamon Hummingbird, the Great Kiskadee, the White-Throated Magpie-Jay, the Rufous-naped Wren, the White Lored Gnatcatcher, and the Great-Tailed Grackle. There were lots of Grackles and they are something of a nuisance.
Our guide was alfonsogabriel@hotmail.com. He
goes by Fonzie or Pancho. He said his mother calls him Panchito. He works for www.avesdemexico.com.
He is a great
We also walked a short way near a viaduct. I got a few fuzzy pictures of birds. I was hot and exhausted and took a two hour nap when I got home which is unusual for me.
The passengers were warned to wear long sleeves and long pants and insecticide. None of that turned out to be needed. Not a bug in sight. We did need our hats.
I had visions of walking through a swamp or a jungle but we walked alongside a golf course. The site was only 10 minutes from the ship and surrounded by condos and upscale hotels.
The golf course was ringed with trees that attract birds. We saw a variety of species but only a few of each. Some of the birds we saw were endemic, meaning they are only found in this area.
We saw a Golden Cheeked Woodpecker--causing one of the gals to be ecstatic.
Here is a better picture of it from tomsap dot com.
I don't remember what this one with the top flare is called.
I don't remember what this one with the top flare is called.
The most spectacular was the Citreoline Trogon. I have never before seen a Trogon to my knowledge. Here is a photo from ebird.
The guide was a real birder. He could recognize birds by song and also make the song and call the birds to us. He carried a telescope on a stand. When he saw a bird that was holding still, he set up the view and we just stepped up to take a look.
When I saw the Citreoline through the viewer, I was so excited. I exclaimed, “Oh!” and stepped away quickly so others could have a look. Unfortunately, I kicked the stand with my foot and knocked it out of alignment. The bird flew away just as
the guide got the scope was repositioned.
I don't recognize this bird, either.
We saw a couple of examples of the Doubleday Hummingbird, another endemic bird.
The West Mexican Chachalaca is endemic and it’s a big bird. Here is a picture from ebird.
It reminds me of a grouse or turkey.
The last endemic bird was the Yellow-Winged Cacique which is like an Oriole. This picture is from Wikipedia.
We saw a Baltimore Oriole which was on migration. The other migrating birds were the Yellow Warbler, the Orchard Oriole, the Hooded Oriole, the Solitary Sandpiper and the Northern Shoveler.
Two of the most colorful birds were the Orange Fronted Parakeet and the White Fronted Parakeet. They are residents in the area. The other resident birds that we saw were the Magnificent Frigatebird, the Snowy Egret, the Grey Hawk, the Cinnamon Hummingbird, the Great Kiskadee, the White-Throated Magpie-Jay, the Rufous-naped Wren, the White Lored Gnatcatcher, and the Great-Tailed Grackle. There were lots of Grackles and they are something of a nuisance.
Our guide was alfonsogabriel@hotmail.com. He
goes by Fonzie or Pancho. He said his mother calls him Panchito. He works for www.avesdemexico.com.
He is a great
guy and gave us a wonderful, if warm, three hours around the golf course.
We also walked a short way near a viaduct. I got a few fuzzy pictures of birds. I was hot and exhausted and took a two hour nap when I got home which is unusual for me.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
2112-2-26 Puerto Chiapas, Mexico
We are docking in Puerto Chiapas in about an hour. I didn’t sign up for any tours here. This is supposed to be an area with great biological diversity but we are taking the day off.
Yesterday was a sea day. We attended the last of the last of the cooking contests. It was billed as the Culinary Mystery Box Finale. It was really fun. The beverage staff paired off against two of the culinary managers. The beverage staff usually wins.
The culinary managers are both from Holland. They are fond of saying, “If it ain’t Dutch, it ain’t much”.
The culinary managers pulled out all the stops to influence the contest. They gave the judges the same beautiful little cakes as last time. This time they added T-shirts and ball caps. The beverage managers fought back with wine and a serenade by one of the entertainment staff. Wouldn’t you know it? I volunteered
for the only contest that had no bribery.
The culinary managers pulled a really dirty trick and put some spicy hot ingredients on the beverage team’s lamb chops. Everyone saw them do it. It’s on tape, too. Unfortunately, one of the judges marked them down severely because the lamb
chops were too spicy. So, they lost. Life is unfair sometimes.
I went to the last book club meeting for The Lacuna. The book is set in Mexico in the 1930’s and the United States in the 1940’s. The political situation then had some parallels with today. People were very fearful in the 1940’s. It was the
beginning of the Cold War between the U.S.S.R. and the United States. The McCarthy hearings were on a witch hunt for communists. It’s interesting to hear the perspective of people from other countries. The novel is rated 4.3 out of 5 on Amazon.
Yesterday was a sea day. We attended the last of the last of the cooking contests. It was billed as the Culinary Mystery Box Finale. It was really fun. The beverage staff paired off against two of the culinary managers. The beverage staff usually wins.
The culinary managers are both from Holland. They are fond of saying, “If it ain’t Dutch, it ain’t much”.
The culinary managers pulled out all the stops to influence the contest. They gave the judges the same beautiful little cakes as last time. This time they added T-shirts and ball caps. The beverage managers fought back with wine and a serenade by one of the entertainment staff. Wouldn’t you know it? I volunteered
The culinary managers pulled a really dirty trick and put some spicy hot ingredients on the beverage team’s lamb chops. Everyone saw them do it. It’s on tape, too. Unfortunately, one of the judges marked them down severely because the lamb
chops were too spicy. So, they lost. Life is unfair sometimes.
I went to the last book club meeting for The Lacuna. The book is set in Mexico in the 1930’s and the United States in the 1940’s. The political situation then had some parallels with today. People were very fearful in the 1940’s. It was the
beginning of the Cold War between the U.S.S.R. and the United States. The McCarthy hearings were on a witch hunt for communists. It’s interesting to hear the perspective of people from other countries. The novel is rated 4.3 out of 5 on Amazon.
I asked the librarian if the staff includes both Sunni and Shiite Muslims. She doesn’t know. I also asked if the ship planned to broadcast the Oscars. She said they will.
Just as we were breaking up the meeting, someone spotted dolphins off the starboard side. I had my camera and I got some pictures but the dolphins were pretty far away
by then.
After book club, I went to Dutch High Tea with three other ladies. One was a recent widow and the other two were widowed many years ago. We talked about the pros and
cons of remarrying. One of the women said that older men are looking for “a nurse with a purse”. I have never heard that expression and found it very colorful.
At the same time, one of the women said that she would only remarry if the prospective groom had at least ten million dollars! So, everyone is concerned with finances. The recent widow said that she really misses having a partner and is
lonely. She’s afraid that she is too vulnerable to date. It’s a wonder anyone ever remarries.
Just as we were breaking up the meeting, someone spotted dolphins off the starboard side. I had my camera and I got some pictures but the dolphins were pretty far away
by then.
After book club, I went to Dutch High Tea with three other ladies. One was a recent widow and the other two were widowed many years ago. We talked about the pros and
cons of remarrying. One of the women said that older men are looking for “a nurse with a purse”. I have never heard that expression and found it very colorful.
At the same time, one of the women said that she would only remarry if the prospective groom had at least ten million dollars! So, everyone is concerned with finances. The recent widow said that she really misses having a partner and is
lonely. She’s afraid that she is too vulnerable to date. It’s a wonder anyone ever remarries.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
2012-2-25 Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica
We had another notice on our door this morning that the Norovirus is back. The rule is "if four cabins or more are affected, then we go on lockdown". We have to wait two days after everyone gets over it before they lift the restrictions.
I went ashore yesterday without Bill. He is still not feeling well. The reverend and his wife were on my shore excursion as well as Rick and Linda from Cruise Critic. I had a chance to talk to Carolyn, the reverend’s wife about their arrangements on board the ship.
They pay a per diem instead of a cabin fee. He can go on shore excursions free but she has to pay. They choose three excursions for each port and HAL decides which one they take.
I took the train and boat combination today. It was called “Tropical Train Ride and Exotic Mangrove Cruise” (5 hours). The train was old or maybe antique. It had openings instead of windows but it was fine. The area we covered was only mildly interesting, though. The mangrove cruise was much better. We saw some birds, monkeys and crocodiles but not a lot of anything.
From the movie, “The Big Year”, I learned that you see many more birds in the cold regions of the world but fewer species. In the tropics, there is a great variety of birds but few samples of each so they are harder to see.
The same is true of trees, bushes, etc. There is amazing variety in the tropics. Our guide was really good or we would not have seen anything. He stopped the boat and let it drift so we could sneak up on the birds and animals. We saw two small crocodiles
and some howler monkeys in addition to birds. The picture I took wasn't good so I added one from Wikipedia.
The great success of the tour today was that we saw many Scarlet Macaws.
We saw two separate pairs of lovers. Our guide said they live to be about 75 years old and they mate for life—just like us! He also said he wished he had mated for life, but that’s another story.
Our guide showed us many interesting fruits and vegetables. He brought samples on the bus. He cut them open and passed them around for us to inspect and smell. The most interesting of these was the cashew. He stopped the bus and our driver got out and climbed a cashew tree. Each fruit has only one nut, which explains why they are so expensive.
As a side note, we have not had much in the way of variety in fruits and vegetables on this cruise. I am used to more variety even from our local Sam’s Club. I don’t know if it’s a cost issue or if the produce is unavailable. We have had papaya
Bill and I were in Costa Rica (Rich Coast) fifteen years ago and took a much better tour. It was a river rafting tour with lunch. There was no lunch on this tour. Because of the tendering situation, we left quite late. So, it was three o’clock before we got back to the ship.
When I returned, Bill still wasn’t feeling good but he had done the laundry! What a guy! We were told that there is a great internet station at the dock but it was closed. Also, I wanted to buy a little wooden oxcart for a Christmas ornament but couldn’t find one.
I was happy to see the little gal who scoops the ice cream getting off the ship when I got back on. She scoops ice cream for11 hours a day, every day.
I went ashore yesterday without Bill. He is still not feeling well. The reverend and his wife were on my shore excursion as well as Rick and Linda from Cruise Critic. I had a chance to talk to Carolyn, the reverend’s wife about their arrangements on board the ship.
They feel lucky that they were able to take this cruise. It was
offered to them and 400 other Protestant ministers via email just three weeks before sailing. Somehow, they were chosen.
offered to them and 400 other Protestant ministers via email just three weeks before sailing. Somehow, they were chosen.
They pay a per diem instead of a cabin fee. He can go on shore excursions free but she has to pay. They choose three excursions for each port and HAL decides which one they take.
They must wait while everyone else boards the transportation, then they get on. They must sit in the back of the bus or boat, literally. I asked Carolyn if it’s a bargain and she said it is. She wants to go on another one soon.
I took the train and boat combination today. It was called “Tropical Train Ride and Exotic Mangrove Cruise” (5 hours). The train was old or maybe antique. It had openings instead of windows but it was fine. The area we covered was only mildly interesting, though. The mangrove cruise was much better. We saw some birds, monkeys and crocodiles but not a lot of anything.
From the movie, “The Big Year”, I learned that you see many more birds in the cold regions of the world but fewer species. In the tropics, there is a great variety of birds but few samples of each so they are harder to see.
I could have taken either the Aerial Tram or the Sky Walk. I think those would have been better choices as the action is mostly high up in the trees. The trees are many stories high. Of course, I picked an easy tour for Bill. He would have enjoyed it. The tender wasn’t bad, either.
The great success of the tour today was that we saw many Scarlet Macaws.
The bottom picture is from The Spruce Pets dot com.
We saw two separate pairs of lovers. Our guide said they live to be about 75 years old and they mate for life—just like us! He also said he wished he had mated for life, but that’s another story.
Our guide showed us many interesting fruits and vegetables. He brought samples on the bus. He cut them open and passed them around for us to inspect and smell. The most interesting of these was the cashew. He stopped the bus and our driver got out and climbed a cashew tree. Each fruit has only one nut, which explains why they are so expensive.
Cashew on tree from Barakafm. org.
As a side note, we have not had much in the way of variety in fruits and vegetables on this cruise. I am used to more variety even from our local Sam’s Club. I don’t know if it’s a cost issue or if the produce is unavailable. We have had papaya
a few times, but not very much and it goes fast.
Bill and I were in Costa Rica (Rich Coast) fifteen years ago and took a much better tour. It was a river rafting tour with lunch. There was no lunch on this tour. Because of the tendering situation, we left quite late. So, it was three o’clock before we got back to the ship.
When I returned, Bill still wasn’t feeling good but he had done the laundry! What a guy! We were told that there is a great internet station at the dock but it was closed. Also, I wanted to buy a little wooden oxcart for a Christmas ornament but couldn’t find one.
I was happy to see the little gal who scoops the ice cream getting off the ship when I got back on. She scoops ice cream for11 hours a day, every day.
Friday, February 24, 2012
2012-2-23--Rotterdam IV Ship Review and Cabin 1943
I was asked to post a little about the ship.
The date today is Feb 23, 2012. We are having a fantastic time on our 60 day cruise to the South Pacific and Inca Empires. We boarded the Rotterdam IV on Jan 4. I think it’s time to review the ship for people who are getting on later this year. If you want to respond, you can post on my blog, “Bill and Sherri’s
The date today is Feb 23, 2012. We are having a fantastic time on our 60 day cruise to the South Pacific and Inca Empires. We boarded the Rotterdam IV on Jan 4. I think it’s time to review the ship for people who are getting on later this year. If you want to respond, you can post on my blog, “Bill and Sherri’s
Excellent Adventures”.
I looked for reviews of Cabin 1943 but couldn't find anything. It has some special features like an extra large door opening. This is essential if your scooter, wheelchair or walker is wider than about 23 inches. There is no bathtub so you can roll right into the bathroom.
The shower area has a pull down bench. In combination with a handheld shower head, it works great. Because we have a walk-in shower, there are grates in the floor where the water sloshes around. We close the door at night to cut down on the
I love the location at the back of the ship.
We had a problem with our TV and the crew came right away and replaced the cable connector. Every request we have made has been promptly and professionally filled.
Also, I want to mention the plumbing problems on Deck 1. The people in the cabins in the low 1800’s said they have had trouble flushing their toilet since they got on the ship. It has now settled into a regular routine. They try to flush. It doesn’t work. They call the plumbers. I know this is true because I have seen the plumbers working there.
They are 17 elevators on the ship. The passengers use 12 of the elevators and the rest are for the crew. There are constant problems with the elevators. A few are out of service all the time.
I looked for reviews of Cabin 1943 but couldn't find anything. It has some special features like an extra large door opening. This is essential if your scooter, wheelchair or walker is wider than about 23 inches. There is no bathtub so you can roll right into the bathroom.
The shower area has a pull down bench. In combination with a handheld shower head, it works great. Because we have a walk-in shower, there are grates in the floor where the water sloshes around. We close the door at night to cut down on the
noise and the humidity. I am pretty sure nothing can be done about that.
I love the location at the back of the ship.
There is no traffic back and forth in front of our door. There is no cabin across from us, only one to the side. We never hear them. They say they don’t hear us. We can zip up to the library and above that, the Lido café, very quickly.
I love the configuration. We have plenty of room which cannot be said of most cabins. We have a nice window.
We have five (count them!) floor to ceiling cabinets and three drawers in our desk. The TV is small but it’s fine. We have a sofa, an end table and a queen size bed which is very comfortable. The handicapped access bathroom is a delight and so is the wide door to the hallway.
Now for the not so great qualities; we are the first to know if the anchor is going up or down. We are right next to the engines so if the thrusters are in use, we hear them. The room was totally comfortable for a month but then we went through a period of a few days where our room too hot. The bathroom was especially warm. The crew took our complaints very seriously and checked twice a day until it was corrected.
I love the configuration. We have plenty of room which cannot be said of most cabins. We have a nice window.
We have five (count them!) floor to ceiling cabinets and three drawers in our desk. The TV is small but it’s fine. We have a sofa, an end table and a queen size bed which is very comfortable. The handicapped access bathroom is a delight and so is the wide door to the hallway.
Now for the not so great qualities; we are the first to know if the anchor is going up or down. We are right next to the engines so if the thrusters are in use, we hear them. The room was totally comfortable for a month but then we went through a period of a few days where our room too hot. The bathroom was especially warm. The crew took our complaints very seriously and checked twice a day until it was corrected.
We had a problem with our TV and the crew came right away and replaced the cable connector. Every request we have made has been promptly and professionally filled.
Also, I want to mention the plumbing problems on Deck 1. The people in the cabins in the low 1800’s said they have had trouble flushing their toilet since they got on the ship. It has now settled into a regular routine. They try to flush. It doesn’t work. They call the plumbers. I know this is true because I have seen the plumbers working there.
They are 17 elevators on the ship. The passengers use 12 of the elevators and the rest are for the crew. There are constant problems with the elevators. A few are out of service all the time.
It’s only an inconvenience for us but must be a major
nuisance for the engineers and repairmen who work on the ship.
Other than those few things, I love being on the ship. The living is easy,
nuisance for the engineers and repairmen who work on the ship.
Other than those few things, I love being on the ship. The living is easy,
as the song goes.
2012-2-24 Entertainment
We had a busy day. I went swimming at 7 this morning. Bill is feeling better but still taking it easy. He did every activity today except for swimming.
We received a notice that we will have to tender into port in Costa Rica. This is a disappointment as Bill has decided not to take the tender any more. I turned in his tour ticket but I kept mine. I will describe my adventure tomorrow.
At 10:00 this morning, I attended a talk about tomorrow’s port. At 11:00, we went to the Culinary Mystery Box activity. It was held in the Wajang Theater. Today, two
teams competed using a box of mystery ingredients. The assignment was to cook a
dinner in 30 minutes using only those ingredients with the addition of some
stock items. In each box, there is always one odd ingredient that the teams must
incorporate.
We saw the last competition so we knew the drill. I volunteered to be a judge. Last time, one team was from the beverage staff and the other from the bakery. They both used bribery. The beverage team served wine to everyone in the room. That’s not important to us, but the other team brought specialty cakes for the judges. I
really wanted to be bribed.
Well, no bribes this time. We actually had to judge the teams on their merits. There
were two people on each team. One team had a chef from the Canalleto and the
other had a chef from the Pinnacle Grill, which are specialty restaurants.
We had to judge on taste, creativity, teamwork, presentation and use of ingredients. The ingredients were lobster, vegetables, coffee, pineapple and starfruit. One team
had to include popcorn and the other had to use Goldfish.
It was great fun to be a judge. Team one was definitely the better team. It turns out that the Canaletto chef won the whole competition last time. I think he will win
this time too. The man can cook.
I’m not a big fan of lobster. To me, it just tastes like butter. This time, he cooked it
with thyme and oregano. There might have been some wine. He made a rice dish
that was underdone and not hot enough, so I marked them down for that. They
cooked the pineapple and star fruit together and then crumbled the Goldfish
over the top. I was surprised at how good that tasted. They used the pineapple
leaves to decorate the plate. It looked wonderful.
Team two overcooked the lobster and it lacked flavor. But, they did something with the vegetables that was tasty. They popped the corn and sprinkled it over the whole
dish which didn’t work well. They decorated the plate with the star fruit. It
wasn’t nearly as appetizing but the partner from the front office was a very
funny guy. He was so jovial that I gave them ten extra points for the
entertainment value.
I gave team one 95 points and team two 85 points. That is just about what the other judges awarded them, also.
We had good seats in the theater that we took turns going to lunch and then watched the daily movie. It was the latest version of “The Three Musketeers”. It was pretty silly. It combined the usual story with elements of “The Wild, Wild West” and
“Hidden Tiger, Crouching Dragon”. The art direction was phenomenal. I hope it
got an award for that.
The love interests were so young that I had to check to see if the young man had a
prominent Adam’s apple or a beard. I wasn’t sure he had passed through puberty
yet.
At 3:00, we went to hear the NASA lecturer. He gave us an assignment during his first lecture yesterday. He told us to go out on deck and walk toward the stern and
then toward the bow. We were supposed to look at the ocean askance (at a 15
degree angle) and record what we observed. The top ten written answers will
receive a free DVD. I entered the contest and will tell you tomorrow if my
answer was correct.
The lecturer is Larry Kuznetz. He helped to design space suits. The lecture today was called, “The International Space Station and Benefits from Space”. He took questions and we discovered that some people on the ship don't believe that anyone ever landed on the moon. He went through the ways that can be checked. And, he said, we did it 17 times. That's a lot harder to fake than doing it once. We also bounce signals off equipment we left on the moon.
At 4:00, we met with our Cruise Critic friends to share the wine we received from the Captain. There are only ten in the group so one bottle was fine as we don’t
drink. Ted was the one who did the planning for our shore excursions. I took a
leaf from Susan and Erwin and we pooled our money to give Ted and his wife a
dinner in the Pinnacle Grill.
We had a great dinner and there is entertainment tonight. Nadia Zaitsev is playing the piano. She sounds good but Bill says he wants to pack it in for tonight.
We received a notice that we will have to tender into port in Costa Rica. This is a disappointment as Bill has decided not to take the tender any more. I turned in his tour ticket but I kept mine. I will describe my adventure tomorrow.
At 10:00 this morning, I attended a talk about tomorrow’s port. At 11:00, we went to the Culinary Mystery Box activity. It was held in the Wajang Theater. Today, two
teams competed using a box of mystery ingredients. The assignment was to cook a
dinner in 30 minutes using only those ingredients with the addition of some
stock items. In each box, there is always one odd ingredient that the teams must
incorporate.
We saw the last competition so we knew the drill. I volunteered to be a judge. Last time, one team was from the beverage staff and the other from the bakery. They both used bribery. The beverage team served wine to everyone in the room. That’s not important to us, but the other team brought specialty cakes for the judges. I
really wanted to be bribed.
Well, no bribes this time. We actually had to judge the teams on their merits. There
were two people on each team. One team had a chef from the Canalleto and the
other had a chef from the Pinnacle Grill, which are specialty restaurants.
We had to judge on taste, creativity, teamwork, presentation and use of ingredients. The ingredients were lobster, vegetables, coffee, pineapple and starfruit. One team
had to include popcorn and the other had to use Goldfish.
It was great fun to be a judge. Team one was definitely the better team. It turns out that the Canaletto chef won the whole competition last time. I think he will win
this time too. The man can cook.
I’m not a big fan of lobster. To me, it just tastes like butter. This time, he cooked it
with thyme and oregano. There might have been some wine. He made a rice dish
that was underdone and not hot enough, so I marked them down for that. They
cooked the pineapple and star fruit together and then crumbled the Goldfish
over the top. I was surprised at how good that tasted. They used the pineapple
leaves to decorate the plate. It looked wonderful.
Team two overcooked the lobster and it lacked flavor. But, they did something with the vegetables that was tasty. They popped the corn and sprinkled it over the whole
dish which didn’t work well. They decorated the plate with the star fruit. It
wasn’t nearly as appetizing but the partner from the front office was a very
funny guy. He was so jovial that I gave them ten extra points for the
entertainment value.
I gave team one 95 points and team two 85 points. That is just about what the other judges awarded them, also.
We had good seats in the theater that we took turns going to lunch and then watched the daily movie. It was the latest version of “The Three Musketeers”. It was pretty silly. It combined the usual story with elements of “The Wild, Wild West” and
“Hidden Tiger, Crouching Dragon”. The art direction was phenomenal. I hope it
got an award for that.
The love interests were so young that I had to check to see if the young man had a
prominent Adam’s apple or a beard. I wasn’t sure he had passed through puberty
yet.
At 3:00, we went to hear the NASA lecturer. He gave us an assignment during his first lecture yesterday. He told us to go out on deck and walk toward the stern and
then toward the bow. We were supposed to look at the ocean askance (at a 15
degree angle) and record what we observed. The top ten written answers will
receive a free DVD. I entered the contest and will tell you tomorrow if my
answer was correct.
The lecturer is Larry Kuznetz. He helped to design space suits. The lecture today was called, “The International Space Station and Benefits from Space”. He took questions and we discovered that some people on the ship don't believe that anyone ever landed on the moon. He went through the ways that can be checked. And, he said, we did it 17 times. That's a lot harder to fake than doing it once. We also bounce signals off equipment we left on the moon.
Here is his picture from a book he wrote in 2011.
At 4:00, we met with our Cruise Critic friends to share the wine we received from the Captain. There are only ten in the group so one bottle was fine as we don’t
drink. Ted was the one who did the planning for our shore excursions. I took a
leaf from Susan and Erwin and we pooled our money to give Ted and his wife a
dinner in the Pinnacle Grill.
We had a great dinner and there is entertainment tonight. Nadia Zaitsev is playing the piano. She sounds good but Bill says he wants to pack it in for tonight.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
2012-2-23 Manta, Ecuador
I am still scratching the “No,No” bug bites I got in Nuku Hiva. They are amazingly long lasting. Just one more strike against that place. On a happy note, we are back to serving ourselves in the Lido buffet.
I forgot to mention yesterday that we saw the Crystal Palace while we were walking along the Malecon in Guayaquil. It was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the same man who designed the Eiffel Tower. It doesn’t look like a palace. It resembles a well designed train station. I took this from the city website.
Travel is broadening and not only in the physical sense. We are learning so much on this trip. The brief exposure to other cultures is entertaining and enlightening.
Bill stumbled and tripped this morning in our cabin and hurt his back. He didn’t feel like venturing out to discover Manta so I went with a lady I met at the pool. There isn’t much to see except statues of tuna. This statue was near the exit from the port.
I forgot to mention yesterday that we saw the Crystal Palace while we were walking along the Malecon in Guayaquil. It was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the same man who designed the Eiffel Tower. It doesn’t look like a palace. It resembles a well designed train station. I took this from the city website.
Travel is broadening and not only in the physical sense. We are learning so much on this trip. The brief exposure to other cultures is entertaining and enlightening.
Bill stumbled and tripped this morning in our cabin and hurt his back. He didn’t feel like venturing out to discover Manta so I went with a lady I met at the pool. There isn’t much to see except statues of tuna. This statue was near the exit from the port.
There was a small flea market and it was well attended in spite of a light drizzle. Elizabeth bought a Panama hat for $20 at the first stall we came to. As we walked along, she discovered the same hat for $10 and felt cheated. We forget that we can barter here. I spent a few dollars on Christmas ornaments.
When I came back, I realized that the real show is right outside our window. They are loading up crates of large tuna mere feet from our ship. I went out on the promenade deck and took some pictures.
The HalCats did a great job last night even with a substitute drummer. The original drummer is sick. I hope that doesn’t bode ill for the return of the Gomboo. There are some severely talented musicians on this boat.
The entertainer last night played multiple odd instruments. Kuba (from Poland) was billed as a Multi Instrumentalist and Vibraphone Virtuoso. Both descriptions were true.
His most fascinating instrument was the one he played without touching it. It was two poles, one vertical and one horizontal that formed an electromagnetic field. The movement of his right hand controlled the pitch and his left hand controlled the volume.
It’s not a new instrument because we have all heard it in spooky movies including the original version of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” made in 1951. Bill knows the dates of all science fiction movies so I don’t have to look it up.
The vibraphone is also a remarkable instrument that can sound like a flute, an organ, a steel guitar, and more. I think I have seen a vibraphone before but I have never seen anyone play a thumb piano from Africa. It looks like he is playing with a small handheld electronic game but it is actually a small square board with strings on it.
He told us the proper names for these instruments but I don’t remember.
When I came back, I realized that the real show is right outside our window. They are loading up crates of large tuna mere feet from our ship. I went out on the promenade deck and took some pictures.
The HalCats did a great job last night even with a substitute drummer. The original drummer is sick. I hope that doesn’t bode ill for the return of the Gomboo. There are some severely talented musicians on this boat.
The entertainer last night played multiple odd instruments. Kuba (from Poland) was billed as a Multi Instrumentalist and Vibraphone Virtuoso. Both descriptions were true.
His most fascinating instrument was the one he played without touching it. It was two poles, one vertical and one horizontal that formed an electromagnetic field. The movement of his right hand controlled the pitch and his left hand controlled the volume.
It’s not a new instrument because we have all heard it in spooky movies including the original version of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” made in 1951. Bill knows the dates of all science fiction movies so I don’t have to look it up.
The vibraphone is also a remarkable instrument that can sound like a flute, an organ, a steel guitar, and more. I think I have seen a vibraphone before but I have never seen anyone play a thumb piano from Africa. It looks like he is playing with a small handheld electronic game but it is actually a small square board with strings on it.
He told us the proper names for these instruments but I don’t remember.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
2012-2-12 Guayaquil, Ecuador
We just returned from a city bus tour guided by an unmarried young woman who teaches fourth grade in Guayaquil. School is out today because it is Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras). The city is just about empty.
Guayaquil is at the mouth of a river. We sailed in here over night and now we are sailing out. It will take 4 hours to reach the ocean. Ecuador is right at the bulge of South America. We are half a degree south of the equator.
The local Catholics (almost everyone) celebrate Carnivale with water. They go to the beach if they can. If they can’t, they try to stay wet all day.
They used to have the traditional parades and parties but there were riots and many tragedies. The new celebration looks sweet and peaceful. The residents of Guayaquil are known for being both liberal in their politics and extroverted in their personalities.
The current president of Ecuador is a leftist and our guide doesn’t like him. In fact, she says she hates him but that it is dangerous to talk that way in public. She said people spy on each other so it’s not exactly Canada.
Ecuador had runaway inflation in the 1990’s. The situation was somewhat similar to Greece’s situation today. To get the economy back on track, they adopted the U.S. dollar as their currency and public workers accepted a huge cut in salary. The income Ecuador receives from the oil business is dedicated to pay down the national debt.
Our guide said the economic upheaval was very painful. She pointed to a row of buildings that used to be banks. They all failed and the court cases are ongoing to recover some of the losses. She said her salary went from $600 a month to $200. Her salary has risen to $400 a month over the last twelve years but it is totally inadequate. Not only that but public employees often have to take to the streets and protest just to get paid. That’s why she does other jobs.
She’s a great guide. She said we were her children for the day. She cheerfully repeated herself several times and guided us like a mother hen.
We first went to see two beautiful homes called The Chocolate Houses. They were owned by the families who made their fortunes here in chocolate. Most of the chocolate candy in the U.S. is grown in Ecuador. She mentioned a few, including M & M’s.
The big export now is oil. They export oil to the United States as well as bananas, tuna, tilapia and other food products. They used to grow huge shrimp here (4 shrimp to a pound) but the shrimp got a parasite and it has taken years to recover the business.
They also export minerals, including uranium to Iran. That is controversial but it is ongoing.
The city government has done a spectacular public works projects on the waterfront. Again, I wish I could post some pictures. We walked about a mile along the waterfront taking pictures. The area is called Malecon 2000 because that is the year it was dedicated.
One of the attractions is the clock tower. It was erected after an especially bad bout of Yellow Fever in the late 1800’s.
There is a beautiful botanical garden but our guide said it is full of mosquitoes. This is the rainy season and they have an outbreak of dengue fever. That is one of the
tropical diseases for which there is no vaccine. So, discretion is the better part of valor. I just about took a bath in insect repellant but it turned out to be unnecessary. I never saw an insect.
The centerpiece of the Malecon area is the Anthropology Museum. It is new, modern and air conditioned! I took mucho pictures because it was allowed. Bill enjoyed the museum, too.
Human sacrifices but didn’t happen here. Ecuador’s macabre addition to human history is shrunken heads. In the Andes area, they killed their enemies, sometimes with poisoned darts. Then, they shrunk their heads and posted the heads on top of fence posts as a warning not to trespass or annoy them in any way. Today, they only shrink animal heads for the tourists.
We saw some indigenous people in the park. They are camera shy but I got a few pictures from a distance. They wear black wool clothes that are very distinctive. This was appropriate clothing where they originated in the mountains but it looks uncomfortable on a hot day like today.
We drove by the Cerro Santa Ana District which is the old colonial core of the city. The barrio or shanty town is a section of homes that has been redeveloped. The city fixed up the homes and installed 444 steps as there are no roads in this
section.
The owners who had their homes repaired owed nothing if they agreed to get a job or start a business. They also had to agree to follow many rules, such as not hanging out their laundry in public view. Each home has a picture in front of it showing what it looked like before restoration.
Now, it’s a charming, productive area. The houses next to the street and the stairs contain restaurants, little shops and art galleries.
There is an island on the other side of the river that was once inhabited by pirates. The pirates captured local women and held them for ransom. No one paid the ransom and the women were soon pregnant. Then, they all became one large family. Our guide found this very amusing.
We also stopped at the Seminario Parque which is dominated by a huge statue of Simon Bolivar, as well as a statue of wild boars fighting. There are supposed to be parrots in the trees but I only saw pigeons. However, there are many three foot long iguanas. Since school was out, children were playing with them and feeding them.
We are on our way to Manta, Ecuador but I don’t think we will go into town. We would have to take a shuttle and then just walk around by ourselves. There were no easy ship tours for this port. Ecuador is a dangerous place for tourists. I will have to hear what people say when they come back to the ship.
Guayaquil is at the mouth of a river. We sailed in here over night and now we are sailing out. It will take 4 hours to reach the ocean. Ecuador is right at the bulge of South America. We are half a degree south of the equator.
The local Catholics (almost everyone) celebrate Carnivale with water. They go to the beach if they can. If they can’t, they try to stay wet all day.
They play with water pistols and throw water balloons at each other. They fill baby pools with water and play in them. I took pictures of several of the pools set up on the sidewalks outside the poorer homes.
They used to have the traditional parades and parties but there were riots and many tragedies. The new celebration looks sweet and peaceful. The residents of Guayaquil are known for being both liberal in their politics and extroverted in their personalities.
The current president of Ecuador is a leftist and our guide doesn’t like him. In fact, she says she hates him but that it is dangerous to talk that way in public. She said people spy on each other so it’s not exactly Canada.
Ecuador had runaway inflation in the 1990’s. The situation was somewhat similar to Greece’s situation today. To get the economy back on track, they adopted the U.S. dollar as their currency and public workers accepted a huge cut in salary. The income Ecuador receives from the oil business is dedicated to pay down the national debt.
Our guide said the economic upheaval was very painful. She pointed to a row of buildings that used to be banks. They all failed and the court cases are ongoing to recover some of the losses. She said her salary went from $600 a month to $200. Her salary has risen to $400 a month over the last twelve years but it is totally inadequate. Not only that but public employees often have to take to the streets and protest just to get paid. That’s why she does other jobs.
She’s a great guide. She said we were her children for the day. She cheerfully repeated herself several times and guided us like a mother hen.
We first went to see two beautiful homes called The Chocolate Houses. They were owned by the families who made their fortunes here in chocolate. Most of the chocolate candy in the U.S. is grown in Ecuador. She mentioned a few, including M & M’s.
The big export now is oil. They export oil to the United States as well as bananas, tuna, tilapia and other food products. They used to grow huge shrimp here (4 shrimp to a pound) but the shrimp got a parasite and it has taken years to recover the business.
They also export minerals, including uranium to Iran. That is controversial but it is ongoing.
The city government has done a spectacular public works projects on the waterfront. Again, I wish I could post some pictures. We walked about a mile along the waterfront taking pictures. The area is called Malecon 2000 because that is the year it was dedicated.
One of the attractions is the clock tower. It was erected after an especially bad bout of Yellow Fever in the late 1800’s.
There is a beautiful botanical garden but our guide said it is full of mosquitoes. This is the rainy season and they have an outbreak of dengue fever. That is one of the
tropical diseases for which there is no vaccine. So, discretion is the better part of valor. I just about took a bath in insect repellant but it turned out to be unnecessary. I never saw an insect.
The centerpiece of the Malecon area is the Anthropology Museum. It is new, modern and air conditioned! I took mucho pictures because it was allowed. Bill enjoyed the museum, too.
Human sacrifices but didn’t happen here. Ecuador’s macabre addition to human history is shrunken heads. In the Andes area, they killed their enemies, sometimes with poisoned darts. Then, they shrunk their heads and posted the heads on top of fence posts as a warning not to trespass or annoy them in any way. Today, they only shrink animal heads for the tourists.
We saw some indigenous people in the park. They are camera shy but I got a few pictures from a distance. They wear black wool clothes that are very distinctive. This was appropriate clothing where they originated in the mountains but it looks uncomfortable on a hot day like today.
We drove by the Cerro Santa Ana District which is the old colonial core of the city. The barrio or shanty town is a section of homes that has been redeveloped. The city fixed up the homes and installed 444 steps as there are no roads in this
section.
The owners who had their homes repaired owed nothing if they agreed to get a job or start a business. They also had to agree to follow many rules, such as not hanging out their laundry in public view. Each home has a picture in front of it showing what it looked like before restoration.
Now, it’s a charming, productive area. The houses next to the street and the stairs contain restaurants, little shops and art galleries.
There is an island on the other side of the river that was once inhabited by pirates. The pirates captured local women and held them for ransom. No one paid the ransom and the women were soon pregnant. Then, they all became one large family. Our guide found this very amusing.
We also stopped at the Seminario Parque which is dominated by a huge statue of Simon Bolivar, as well as a statue of wild boars fighting. There are supposed to be parrots in the trees but I only saw pigeons. However, there are many three foot long iguanas. Since school was out, children were playing with them and feeding them.
We are on our way to Manta, Ecuador but I don’t think we will go into town. We would have to take a shuttle and then just walk around by ourselves. There were no easy ship tours for this port. Ecuador is a dangerous place for tourists. I will have to hear what people say when they come back to the ship.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
2012-2-12 Cruise Humor
Today, I have a guest blogger! Bill wants to share some of the jokes and stories we have heard.
1. I have enough money to last the rest the rest of my life-- unless I buy something.
2. I've been reading about Zen-Buddhism. The state of Nirvana is where no thoughts are going through my brain. When that happened before, I thought I was having a senior moment. Turns out, now, that I am a Zen Master.
3. I don’t take drugs. For me, the morning after pill is Ibuprofen.
4. "Yippee Aye Oh Ki Yay! Roaming cross the ocean eating sixteen meals a day!"
5. I went to a German-Chinese restaurant for dinner. An hour later, I was hungry for
power.
6. Barack Obama once gave a speech in Germany and 200,000 Germans came. They were shouting so loud that France surrendered just in case.
7. The second day of a diet is always easier than the first day. By then, you are already off the diet.
8. I have flabby thighs. Fortunately, my stomach covers them.
9. If you know what will happen in the future, you have ESP. If you know what will happen in sports, you have ESPN.
10. Why is it that when a man talks sex to a woman, it’s sexual harassment? But when a woman talks sex to a man, its $6.95 for the first minute.
Brett Cave, the piano player at one of the ShowTime Entertainment segments, introduced a song by telling us that his bride-to-be recognized that he lived for his music.
Well, she loved him enough to go through with the wedding. He told us that it was his favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite song of all time.
1. I have enough money to last the rest the rest of my life-- unless I buy something.
2. I've been reading about Zen-Buddhism. The state of Nirvana is where no thoughts are going through my brain. When that happened before, I thought I was having a senior moment. Turns out, now, that I am a Zen Master.
3. I don’t take drugs. For me, the morning after pill is Ibuprofen.
4. "Yippee Aye Oh Ki Yay! Roaming cross the ocean eating sixteen meals a day!"
5. I went to a German-Chinese restaurant for dinner. An hour later, I was hungry for
power.
6. Barack Obama once gave a speech in Germany and 200,000 Germans came. They were shouting so loud that France surrendered just in case.
7. The second day of a diet is always easier than the first day. By then, you are already off the diet.
8. I have flabby thighs. Fortunately, my stomach covers them.
9. If you know what will happen in the future, you have ESP. If you know what will happen in sports, you have ESPN.
10. Why is it that when a man talks sex to a woman, it’s sexual harassment? But when a woman talks sex to a man, its $6.95 for the first minute.
Brett Cave, the piano player at one of the ShowTime Entertainment segments, introduced a song by telling us that his bride-to-be recognized that he lived for his music.
She allowed him to choose the wedding music. He chose the Captain and Tennille’s song, “Love Will Keep Us Together”, for her walk down the aisle. When the music started playing, he looked at the entrance only to see his blushing bride shaking her head and shouting, “No! No! No! I’m not going to walk to that music.”
Well, she loved him enough to go through with the wedding. He told us that it was his favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite song of all time.
Later, when he started playing an Elton John song, he told us that that one was his favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite song of all time. By the time he played his first Beatles song and told us that one was his favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite song of all time, the audience was laughing and joining in on the “favorite” parts.
Monday, February 20, 2012
2012-2-20 Lima, Day 2
We found out today that those on the ship who took off for Machu Picchu didn’t make it there. Our cruise ship was late getting into port because of the fog and the plane left without them. Some took later planes but they also needed to take a train. The train stopped running because of bad weather in the mountains. Reportedly, a road washed out.
The same thing happened two or three years ago, also in February. This is a bad time of year to visit Machu Picchu because it’s the rainy season.
First, you have to fly to Cusco and take a day to get used to the altitude which sickens some people. Then, you take a train, then a bus. Our guide said she returned exhausted after a four day trip and she’s young. She also said that Cusco is an
The same thing happened two or three years ago, also in February. This is a bad time of year to visit Machu Picchu because it’s the rainy season.
First, you have to fly to Cusco and take a day to get used to the altitude which sickens some people. Then, you take a train, then a bus. Our guide said she returned exhausted after a four day trip and she’s young. She also said that Cusco is an
interesting destination on its own.
I forgot to mention the guinea pig I saw yesterday at the convent. There is a painting of The Last Supper that has a Peruvian twist. Right in the center of the picture, on a silver platter, is a cooked guinea pig. They are a favored dish in Peru. The guide asked us why we thought that a guinea pig was on the platter. None of us knew the answer. The guide said that in the minds of Peruvians, an important dinner would always include a guinea pig.
I forgot to mention the guinea pig I saw yesterday at the convent. There is a painting of The Last Supper that has a Peruvian twist. Right in the center of the picture, on a silver platter, is a cooked guinea pig. They are a favored dish in Peru. The guide asked us why we thought that a guinea pig was on the platter. None of us knew the answer. The guide said that in the minds of Peruvians, an important dinner would always include a guinea pig.
There are other interesting additions, including a woman, albeit she is off to the side. The guide surmised that she was in the painting because someone had to serve dinner.
We had a great day. We started off earlier which was nice. Yesterday we didn’t get going until noon. We went to Pachacamac Sanctuary first. We traveled south out of the city on surface roads. We got on the Expressway but it was not very impressive.
Traffic was terrible. But as long as I was not driving, it didn’t bother me at all. Traffic at home is much scarier because it’s fast. Here, you can hardly move. We didn’t go above forty miles an hour on the whole trip, even outside the city. We spent most of the trip trying to wedge ourselves into some tiny opening in the flow of traffic. It took 90 minutes to travel 20 miles south of the port. I doubt if anyone could get up the speed to ram us.
The archeological site we visited today was a precursor to the Incas. We saw a section of the famous Inca road. Unfortunately, much of the area was covered with squatters who built houses and shacks on it before the government decided to protect it.
We saw armed guards at all the important historical sites. In the city center yesterday there were rows of Policia in full riot gear.
In 1945, a medical doctor started the excavation of this site with his own money because no one else was interested. It has proceeded in fits and starts since then.
Like the other sites, it is a work in progress. The most restored site was the Women’s House. Visitors are no longer allowed inside because of vandalism. It resembles a two story apartment building with a square in the center. Women lived here while waiting to be honored with either marriage to a nobleman or a sacrificial death. It was probably much of the same in some cases.
A big part of their life involved bathing. There are three levels of water on the site. One is for the women’s hygiene, one for drinking water and one for ceremonies.
Our guide said they began by sacrificing animals. Over time, they sacrificed their enemies, then moved on to women. If a woman didn’t want to go along with this program, her whole village was expelled from the community.
(On a side note, we would have never made it up there without the help of several people. Bill and I were struggling along with his walker. I was trying to help him up the hill. An able bodied man came over and pulled his walker from the front and someone else took his other arm and we got him up the hill.)
There are beautiful views of the ocean from the Temple of the Sun. I wonder how many sites in Central and South America are called the Temple of the Sun or Moon? We have seen three already.
We had a great day. We started off earlier which was nice. Yesterday we didn’t get going until noon. We went to Pachacamac Sanctuary first. We traveled south out of the city on surface roads. We got on the Expressway but it was not very impressive.
Traffic was terrible. But as long as I was not driving, it didn’t bother me at all. Traffic at home is much scarier because it’s fast. Here, you can hardly move. We didn’t go above forty miles an hour on the whole trip, even outside the city. We spent most of the trip trying to wedge ourselves into some tiny opening in the flow of traffic. It took 90 minutes to travel 20 miles south of the port. I doubt if anyone could get up the speed to ram us.
The archeological site we visited today was a precursor to the Incas. We saw a section of the famous Inca road. Unfortunately, much of the area was covered with squatters who built houses and shacks on it before the government decided to protect it.
We saw armed guards at all the important historical sites. In the city center yesterday there were rows of Policia in full riot gear.
In 1945, a medical doctor started the excavation of this site with his own money because no one else was interested. It has proceeded in fits and starts since then.
Like the other sites, it is a work in progress. The most restored site was the Women’s House. Visitors are no longer allowed inside because of vandalism. It resembles a two story apartment building with a square in the center. Women lived here while waiting to be honored with either marriage to a nobleman or a sacrificial death. It was probably much of the same in some cases.
A big part of their life involved bathing. There are three levels of water on the site. One is for the women’s hygiene, one for drinking water and one for ceremonies.
Our guide said they began by sacrificing animals. Over time, they sacrificed their enemies, then moved on to women. If a woman didn’t want to go along with this program, her whole village was expelled from the community.
The Temple of the Moon or Huaca de la Luna in Peru was part of the Moche capital. It was also a murder factory. Several centuries ago, the people built a temple to the sun and the moon. The priests told them they had to massacre 100 people a day or the sun would not rise the next day. At first they captured enemies and sacrificed them. After a while they ran out of enemies and were reduced to murdering women and children. They were afraid to stop because, you know, the sun might not come up. Then they started killing a few more people each day to assure a good crop yield. Fear is never ending.
This is a tile created by an artist of "The Decapitor"--the symbol that is everywhere in the Temple of the Moon. He represents the parade of death that occurred here every day.
(On a side note, we would have never made it up there without the help of several people. Bill and I were struggling along with his walker. I was trying to help him up the hill. An able bodied man came over and pulled his walker from the front and someone else took his other arm and we got him up the hill.)
Unlike their bloody neighbors to the north, butchery was not involved in their sacrificial ceremonies. Instead, the victims were given an overdose of drugs such as mescaline and allowed to die peacefully. This preserved their good looks. Then, their bodies were opened up and stuffed with cotton. Their skin was rubbed with ointments for mummification. I don’t know what they did with the mummies. Some were buried around the Temple of the Sun.
There are beautiful views of the ocean from the Temple of the Sun. I wonder how many sites in Central and South America are called the Temple of the Sun or Moon? We have seen three already.
On the way there, we saw a chicken farm with a nice view of the beach. The local Chinese call it the Chicken Resort, according to our guide.
On the way back, we started looking for lunch. Our guide took us to a very nice restaurant but we didn’t stay. It was $23 a person which seemed high to us. We decided to eat when we got back to the ship. The exchange rate is about three to one. So, the lunch would have cost the equivalent of $90. Pretty steep, even for rich gringos. I assume that she was promised a kickback for delivering us to the
their establishment.
Our last stop was the Indian Market in Mira Flores. It was filled with Peruvian arts and crafts and the prices were great. The problem is that we can’t carry much home in our suitcases. So, we bought a few toys for the kids and a Christmas tree ornament. I tried some Peruvian chocolate but didn’t think much of it. It was milk chocolate with and I like dark.
On the way back, we started looking for lunch. Our guide took us to a very nice restaurant but we didn’t stay. It was $23 a person which seemed high to us. We decided to eat when we got back to the ship. The exchange rate is about three to one. So, the lunch would have cost the equivalent of $90. Pretty steep, even for rich gringos. I assume that she was promised a kickback for delivering us to the
their establishment.
Our last stop was the Indian Market in Mira Flores. It was filled with Peruvian arts and crafts and the prices were great. The problem is that we can’t carry much home in our suitcases. So, we bought a few toys for the kids and a Christmas tree ornament. I tried some Peruvian chocolate but didn’t think much of it. It was milk chocolate with and I like dark.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)