Far Eastern Cruise

So this year we are stepping outside of our comfort zone and are heading to Singapour' Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. First stop is a flight to Singapour via Abudhabi and then a cruise before a short flight to Cambodia and a 3 day tour of  Amkor Wat.

Home

Thankfully the flights on the homeward journey went like clockwork and in no time at all we were out of the airport at Glasgow and in to the fresh autumn air of a Scottish morning. Hard to think that only a few hours before we had been in the heat and humidity of Florida - sometimes the world seems like a very small place - but we've added seeing quite a bit more of it to our memories.

Until the next time.........

Fort Lauderdale/Miami

Well, last day and we had one more excursion to do before we headed to the airport and our flight home. After breakfast we boarded our coach for our guided tour of downtown Fort Lauderdale. Obviously nothing very old but it was interesting to see the trading post/bank which had been one of the first proper buildings in the town and hear a bit of the history of the town.  As we drove along the road parallel with the beach, our guide pointed out the beautiful ornate faux Victorian street lamps and then asked us if we knew why they were covered with black bags. Turned out that the beach is a turtle nesting site so in order not to confuse the newly hatched turtles (who use the moon to navigate their way to the sea), the lamps are covered up during the season.  Drivers are also asked to use dipped headlights.

As we drove along, we kept getting glimpses of the many waterways which make up a lot of the town - and the beautiful houses and boats which line these canals. The next part of our trip was on a sightseeing boat which would take us along some of these canals for a closer look at how the other half live.  And what houses!! Every building style imaginable and a lot with the boat to go with the house.  We sailed out as far as the docks and then turned and came back in along the main waterway with an on-going commentary about who owned which house and which boat. Not being American, a lot of the names meant nothing to us, but it was fun to hear all the comments.

Back at the boat dock we re-boarded our bus and headed for Miami and the airport. After nearly a month of travelling we were headed home.  We'd travelled across the Atlantic, gaped at the excess that is Las Vegas, gone down the entire west coast of the US from Alaska to California, swam in the Pacific, transited the Panama Canal, sailed across the Caribbean and ended up in Florida.  We'd driven 4 x 4s in Alaska, canoed in Alaska and Mexico, been on board the aircraft carrier from where the order to start the first Gulf War had been given, driven dune buggies in the Mexican heat and seen how coffee is produced in Costa Rica. We'd gone from the glitz and bustle of Vegas to the vast, quiet emptiness of Alaska. From frosty mornings to the heat and humidity of Central America. Seen turtles, flying fish, porpoises, pelicans and even a small whale. Drunk coffee in Seattle and Corona beer in Mexico. Walked in the rain in British Columbia and luxuriated in the after dark heat of the tropics. And now it was over and time to go back to Scotland.

Catagena

Cartagena in Colombia was the final port of call on our trip but we had already decided that there was nothing that we really wanted to see or do ashore so we would just spend the day on board ship. The ship docked in the container port so there was plenty to watch as the non-stop process of loading and unloading the container ships went on around us. Because of where we were docked, we couldn't see much of the old city apart from the fort/castle which was on a slight hill in the distance. What we could see looked fairly prosperous and there was a lot of high rise built all along one "arm" of the port which looked beautiful later on as darkness fell and the lights went on and we sailed away.

At sea
So, last 2 days at sea before we reach Fort Lauderdale on Sunday.. With everyone being on board, loungers were at a premium but we found a couple on the boat deck and read and dozed - and visited the buffet a couple of times. Dinner was the final formal night and the one where they have all the relevant departmental heads, chefs, maitre'd etc come out and be introduced to the diners.  On Celebrity they also have a Baked Alaska Parade where the lights are dimmed and all the waiters parade out with baked alaskas held high. Auld Lang Syne was sung (after a fashion) and then, after the stage show, it was time to head up to the Constellation Lounge for the Gala Dessert Buffet - just in case you still needed a little something to keep your appetite at bay till breakfast! There were big ice sculptures and plates and plates of "patisserie" laid out on beautifully lit tables. We resisted and went for a walk round the deck instead - a very windy walk it must be said, but still warm and humid.
Last day
Managed to get out of bed at a reasonable time today as we wanted to go and see the Crew Talent Show in the theatre.  It was actually quite good and everyone had a good laugh. Then the Cruise Director brought a small selection of every branch of the crew up on stage for the "farewell wave" - lots of cheering and clapping and a few words from the Captain.

Following this we watched a cookery competition between two of the chefs and 2 passengers,with a lot of witty banter and some audience questions, and then we went back to our stateroom and packed the majority of our stuff.  The rest of the day will be spent trying to finish the library books so that we can return them before we dock tomorrow, a bit of eating (of course) and just general relaxing.  The weather is overcast but warm which suits us just fine.
Casual dress for dinner tonight, final photos and exchanges of e-mail adresses, luggage outside the stateroom door by 11pm and it will almost all be over.  However we still have a shore excursion tomorrow before our flight so there's  a few more hours of vacation to squeeze out of the trip!

Panama Canal

we woke up this morning at the southernmost point on our trip - the entrance to the Panama Canal.  In a few hours time we would have crossed Central America from the Pacific to the Caribbean via a channel which is almost 100 years old.

We had picked up the pilot and the narrator at 5.30am but we weren't on deck until about 7am just as we  reached the first set of locks - the Milifiore Locks. The perimeter of the decks were lined with passengers all hoping to get the best spot from which to watch our transit. Even the indoor spaces which had a view out were utilised but we found a spot on the port side which would do for the moment - we knew the numbers would thin out as the call of breakfast became too strong to resist!

The canal, our narrator informed us, was inaugurated in August 1914 and this month they would see the millionth vessel pass through.  An average of 38 vessels pass through daily - heading one way in the morning and the other direction in the afternoon. Each set of locks is actually two locks side by side and there is a lot of construction work going on at the moment  making a third set which will be able  to accomodate larger and larger ships.  They hope to have that open by the centenary in 2014 and at the moment they are ahead of schedule.

With inches to spare both lenghtways and widthways, our ship entered the first lock of 1000ft by 100ft wide and the huge gates closed behind us.  We were hitched up to the "mules" (little electric trains which keep the ship dead centre in the lock and help guide her in and out). They're called mules because originally it was actual mules who did  this job.  Because of the size of our ship, we needed 8 mules to help us through - 4 at each side. The locks  fill (or empty) in only 8 minutes thats 3 million litre of water so we were soon in to the second one.  And then we were out in to the canal itself which looks more like a river as it meanders along rather than being straight sided as we had imagined.  Like most canals, it was planned so that it would link up existing lakes or rivers with man-made portions. With Panama being such a rainy country, there is no danger of there never being enough water to keep the canal functioning.

By this time, the crowd had thinned out considerably so we were able to get 2 loungers on the boat deck and watch the scenery as we continued our progress. Dense forest stretches out in all directions with a few buildings here and there for the canal authority.  We saw a couple of alligators but hardly any birds or butterflies unlike all the other areas we've been to.

The canal suddenly widens out as it reaches Gatun Lake which was created by flooding the area so there are "islands" which are really the tops of hills which poke out above the surface. This is where some ships have to anchor to wait their turn to transit, or in our case, to allow the tenders to be lowered to transport people ashore who were taking an excursion. We would collect them later in the day as we exited the canal at Colon (pronounced cologne).

The final set of locks are the Gatun Locks and this is a set of 3 so we took the opportunity to have some lunch as we transited through the first 2 of these and then went back outside as we negotitated the third one, and that was us out in to the Caribbean.  There were lots of ships her waiting their turn - everything from huge bulk carriers to the original "banana"  boats, proper freighters like you would see in a movie. Unfortunately the sky wasn't very Caribbean so the sea still looked grey/brown - not the sparkling turquoise of the brochures!

All in all, from picking up the pilot to arriving in the Carribean had been about 10 hours.Sunrise to sunset. We docked at Colon and a few people went ashore but primarily this stop was to collect the passengers who had been on shore excursions.

Once they were all back on board, we set sail again for our last port of call  - Cartagena in Columbia.  After that, its 2 sea days and then we'll be at Fort Lauderdale and it will all be over.

Costa Rica

After another day at sea sailing ever more southwards, we arrived early morning in Costa Rica next to our sister ship again.  After a quick breakfast our tour bus picked us up right on the dock and off we went on our excursion to see a coffee plantation.

October is part of the rainy season so  it was overcast most of the day but still warm and humid.  The coach wound its way through villages and countryside all the while climbing in to the mountains.  Unfortunately due to recent rain, part of the road had been washed away and a temporary Bailley bridge had been put in place but it was only allowing one way traffic so one direction went for 20 minutes and then the other for 20 minutes. An hour and a half later, we finally got out of the jam and not long after we were at the plantation.  

We were given samples of coffee to try - dark roast, medium roast, light roast - all very strong as they were issued black, and then we set off on the tour.  Our guide explained how the coffee bushes are raised from seed, planted out and pruned every 3 years.  The coffee harvest begins at the end of October and all the "cherries" are picked by hand.  Machines can't do it because there may be ripe and unripe on the same bush. About 600 pickers are employed during the harvest.

We saw how the cofee cherries are processed to get rid of the outer husk and then dried.  Some are exported at this point as they keep better.  We then moved on to see how the roasting process works and it is at this point that the difference is made - dark roast (27 mins), medium roast (25 mins) and light roast (23 mins).  The coffee is then bagged and sold.

After a quick vist to the gift shop, we returned to the bus and continued on for our lunch stop and a bit more shopping time, before returning to the ship - on a different road thankfully from the one we had taken before.  This was actually a bonus because it allowed us to see more of this small country.

A country which seems very new to tourism and is totally un-comercialised - although we were told that over on its other coast, the Caribbean side, its very different. A country where very poor people live right next to obviously much more wealthy neighbours.  A country which seems relatively unorganised with people living in little more than shacks in some areas and yet which generates 80% of its energy from hydro-electric with more from solar panels and wind generators. Even the countryside was confusing - at the same time being utterly familiar with rolling hills and deciduous trees and the next minute looking totally exotic as palms and bananas took over! Even the people were conflicting.  Unlike Mexico where the majority of the population look Mexican with dark eyes, dark skin and black hair, Costa Ricans have no such immediately identifying features because they have mixed with many other races.  As we drove through  the towns we saw people who were dark skinned, light skinned, blonde, dark, tall, short - all variations.

We set sail just after 7pm but being so near to the equator, it had been dark since about 5.30pm so there wasn't much to see after we had left the pier.  Strange to think that the next time we set foot on dry land will be the end of the cruise at Fort Lauderdale in a few days time. We've still to pass through the Panama Canal and after that our last port of call is Cartagena in Columbia but we haven't arranged an excursion for there so until we dock in Florida we're at sea really.  

Huetalco

Another early start for our excursion here - it was only just getting light as we headed up for breakfast.  This area of Mexico started to be developed by the government in 1983 specifically as a holiday resort so again we weren't sure what to expect but it was lovely.  No high rise developement has preserved the look of the coastline and the port itself is built around a lovely little harbour.
Our sister ship, Celebrity Milleneum, was already docked as we pulled in so suddenly there was a potential 4,000 people ready to hit the road.  We met up with our small group of 13 who were all going kayaking down the Codolita river.
Our "bus" transport looked like an old San Francisco tram - all wood and stained glass but i think it only had 2 gears and struggled a bit on the hills.  However we made it safely to the river and our starting point.  Being the rainy season, the river was a bit higher than depicted in the picture of this particular excursion on the website, but off we set and once on the river it wasn't as bad as it had looked at first site.
We did get soaked though, just as well we had our swimsuits on underneath.  We exited the river just before it entered the ocean - soggy but in one piece. We then had a short scramble though the jungle before we walked back to the road through a new archaelogical park whch isn't open to the general public until December.
Back on the "bus" we headed for a small beach where we could have a beer and watch the waves or have a swim. 
Getting out of our wet clothes was a priority once we had been dropped back at the ship but we headed out again for a quick stroll around the pretty harbour area to take some photos.  "Milleneum" left before us and there were cries of "See you in a couple of days" from one ship across to the other as they pulled out - we had been berthed alongside each other with just the width of the jetty in between. We were slightly delayed in leaving because of another "nearly missed the boat" couple but they were dropped off by a a security truck at the last minute, again to cheers and clapping from those on deck.

Another formal dinner and then the show which was the Celebrity singers and dancers in a disco themed 70s show - really good.  A midnight stroll round the deck in the warm night air and that was goodby to Mexico.
Overnight and tomorrow we sail down past Guatemala, Equador and Honduras before our next port of call - Costa Rica where we're going on an excursion to a coffee plantation.