95.  Panama Canal

Aboard another Carnival ship, we cruised to Panama, then north to Costa Rica, and Belize.  In Panama, we took the shore tour, transferring to a smaller ferry to transit the Panama Canal.  Did you know that ships travel 48 miles west to east to go from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean?

Most of the time is going up and down – 3 lifts up to Lake Gatun, a single flight down at Pedro Miguel, and a two-step flight down at Miraflores on the Pacific side.  Twenty-six million gallons of water have to flow by gravity into the chambers to lift a ship.

We saw a ship loaded with Hondas from Japan going the opposite direction in the parallel lock.  It was going very slow because there was only 2 ft of clearance on the sides.  An expansion project to accommodate larger ships began in 2007, and opened for commercial use in 2016.

Ahead of us, sharing the chamber, was a small sailboat, perhaps 32-35’ in length.  I imagined they were on a round-the-world cruise like I dreamed of when I was young.

Once on the Pacific side, at Miraflores, we transferred to buses for the ride back to the Caribbean side, and our ship.

There was a short cruise to Costa Rica, then on to Belize.  At both stops, we did not take shore tours.  At Belize we rode the tender ashore and sat on the dock to get a closer look at the colorful storefronts prepared to attract tourists.

A year later, we had our last cruise, going to Montego Bay at Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and Cozumel.   Well, we hope it will not be our last cruise; only a pause to get ready for another.  Cruises are too much fun!  Betty enjoys not having to cook or do laundry, and I enjoy eating.  Maybe we can justify going on another cruise so I can gain weight!

Next week is Halloween, so for a change of pace, I’m planning a surprise!

94. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Our 3rd, and last shore tour on our Mexican Riviera cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean “Visions of the Sea,” was at Puerto Vallarta, a still picturesque fishing village.  Tourism began in 1964 after Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton made the movie, “Night of the Iguana,” there, and bought homes.

When the young woman who was our tour guide got on the bus, she announced, in Spanish, “This tour is conducted in Spanish.  Is that a problem?”  A man behind me replied, “Es un problema grande!”  (That’s a big problem!)  Then the gal said, “Well, then I guess I will try doing it in English.” (In perfect english.)  There was laughter and a sigh of relief!

Puerto Vallarta had a grand promenade along the wide beach, with bronze statues punctuating the view along the walk.  The last statue was of a boy on a seahorse, a landmark signature point of the city.  Across the cobblestone street, two-story restaurants and gift shops with balconies, presented a picturesque glimpse of days gone by.

Betty went with the group for a walking tour to the local cathedral.  When they got off the bus, Betty stopped to take pictures of traditionally dressed dancers performing on the beach walk.

Because I did not leave the bus with the group, I was treated to a private ride around back streets and over the river to “Gringo Gulch,” where affluent Americans, including Liz Taylor & Richard Burton, had purchased homes.

After the town tour, the bus took us down the coast to a lookout point above Banderas Bay for a photo stop.  The foliage and vistas were reminiscent of Hawaii.  It was another fun day on our cruise.

Then back to the ship for good times at sea as we went back to San Diego.

93.  Mazatlan Mexico Ole’

South of Cabo San Lucas on the west coast of Mexico, we went ashore for a bus tour at Mazatlan.  Mazatlan is a large resort community, which became of note when the mountains rising behind were the inspiration for the movie, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” which became a classic Humphrey Bogart movie.

Mazatlan is a famous place for sport fishermen, boasting year around fishing for marlin and sailfish.

First we visited the 19th century Imaculada Concepcion Cathedral.  The cathedral is the main religious building in the city of Mazatlan, and is located in the historical center.

Construction of the cathedral began in 1856, by order of the then bishop Pedro Loza.  Construction was interrupted, and a parish priest Miguel Lacarra took over and concluded the cathedral in 1899.  The church had amazing architecture with a facade of carved volcanic rock, and a breath taking interior sanctuary.

Our last stop was a folklore show at an outdoor theater.  We saw the famous Mexican Hat Dance, and songs and dances from ancient and colonial Mexico. The performers were dressed in their colorful traditional costumes.

The high point of the show, (no pun intended) was the Papantlan Flyers, a ceremony passed down for generations. Five men who were the “flyers” climbed a very tall pole.  Four of them tied ropes to their waist and ankles, and then descended upside down swinging in widening circles as the ropes unwound from the pole.  The older man played a flute and danced on the small platform at the top of the pole.  It was an impressive and daring ceremony from ancient Mexican traditions.