Ancient & Natural Wonders of Central America
23rd January to 8th February 2017
Guatemala to Panama aboard the MS Serenissima
Monday, 23rd January 2017 – Antigua, Guatemala
Here we were in the land of Maya, mountains and markets. Exploring the colonial city of Antigua this morning was extraordinary. This is Guatamala’s showpiece, a place of rare beauty, major historical significance and vibrant culture. Nestled in a valley between the Agua, Acatenango and Fego volcancoes, the city was founded in 1541. Antigua then grew in importance over the next 200 years or so, peaking in the mid-eighteenth century, before being largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1773. The town was slowly rebuilt, retaining much of its traditional character. In 1944 it was declared a national monument and in 1979 a World Heritage Site. As we wandered the streets we viewed impressive churches, glorious in their gilded Baroque finery. Meandered along streetscapes of pastel facades under terracotta roofs. We saw many old eccelesiastical and civic strutures beautifully renovated whilst others had retained their tumbledown charm. Following a delicious lunch, our coaches brought us to our home for the next 16 days – MS Serenissima, posed at the dock in Puerto Quetsal waiting to welcome us aboard. A refreshing glass of champagne washed away any traces of travel weariness and warm welcoming smiles and tasty snacks were gratefully received as everyone checked in to their nicely appointed cabins and began exploring the various spaces and corners around our sea-going home, a fifty-year veteran of the seas. We later met in the Andrea Lounge for the Safety Drill, managed by Chief Officer Boris Curepic, following this an introduction to the ship and the staff by Expedition Leader Emma. After a welcome dinner in the hotel dining room most of us collapsed gratefully into bed.
Tuesday, 24th January 2017 – Puerto Chiapas, Mexico
Today we arrive in Chiapas, home to the Zapatistas and in Puerto Chiapas, the southernmost port of Mexico. We had choices this morning – Bananas or Mangroves. Those of us on the Mangrove Cruise had the option of going at 0730 or 0945. It was just a 15 minute drive past the large coffee factory (the original owners were from Germany) and the naval base. Driving through Chiapas we learnt that the word was for the land of chia, a super food seed, which is very popular at the moment. Chiapas is a popular weekend and holiday destination for the locals. The stunning beaches and cooler temperatures make it an ideal place to bring the family and relax. The area is famous for bananas, mangoes and amber. Indeed the locals believe that by wearing amber on the right side of your body it will protect you. We were here to explore Laguna de Pozuelos by local boat. The first sighting, just off the jetty was the nocturnal Potoo, resting high in the mangroves. We primarily cruised through the red mangroves but occasionally saw both the white and black mangrove. The extensive mangrove system, some 168 hectares is managed and protected by 35 families. About 100 birds use the mangroves as well as numerous mammals and reptiles including crocodiles and alligators. Along the cruise we saw the American Pygmy Kingfisher, Great Egret, Neo-tropic Cormorant, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron. Of course my favourite was in the water, the Four-Eyed Fish, each of its two eyes has 2 pupils (hence the name), so its vision was excellent. It was an interesting and relaxing cruise.
On the Banana Co-op tour we ended up seeing how the humble banana gets from the field to our fruit bowl. It is always an eye-opener to get a glimpse into someone else’s working life, and today at the Banana Co-op was no exception. What is impressive is the care that is taken to make sure the fruit is in perfect condition. Each hand of bananas is carefully cut from the stem, with the larger ones at the top for export and the smaller ones for the local market. Then there is the gentle washing process to eliminate the waxy deposit that can ooze from the cut. We saw a constant ‘handle with care’ approach by each worker involved even when putting stickers on every third banana. Packing is a skill that needs to be seen to be appreciated as each full box needs to be the same weight with the fruit carefully arranged so it can’t be damaged in transit. Overall we learnt it was quite an operation for something as simple as a banana. However, I would have to say that the local school children with their entertaining display of traditional dances was one of my favourite parts of the tour for me. Both the boys and girls performed with great confidence and grace in lovingly made costumes. Their enjoyment was infectious. We ended a great morning with the local Church ladies cooking us their special tamales, served on banana leaves, delicious. Vamanos – ‘let’s go’ in Spanish. A quick lunch back on board the Serenissima and we were off again. We started our cultural tour with an informative visit to the Tapachula Planetarium where we heard all about Mayan calendars and the Mayan understanding of astronomy. But without a doubt it was the Mayan dancers who were the highlight here. A fabulous and energetic display of ritual dances. I just loved the vibrant traditional costumes and the warrior chief’s headdress was phenomenal.
This followed a short stop in the bustling town of Tapachula where we were guided around the town square. All too soon we were off again, to the main part of the tour, Izapa, the Mayan city. This ancient city was inhabited between 1250 BC and AD 1200. It became the most important regional city of the Soconusco region and was one of the first Mesoamerican societies with a strong social stratification. We heard from our local guide that the proximity of the ancient city to coastal and mountain resources, as well as the communication routes to the interior and along the coast, allowed Izapa to participate in long-distance trading networks connecting different Mesoamerican areas. Thus the city constantly expanded following an organised pattern and at one point covered up to 127 hectares. As we wandered around the site we learnt that the site contained ten large plazas with many pyramids and temples. It was story of the ritual sacrifices of pulling out a still beating heart and feeding the bodies to eagerly awaiting crocodiles which captured our imagination or was it morbid fascination? Certainly the ballpark arena was enlightening – the winners were killed? But then the losers became slaves. So it was a no-win situation, and yes the pun was intended. Again we boarded our buses again for the trip back to Puerto Chiapas and returned to our ship. We watched a lovely sunset from our buses as we headed home and as we were dropped off at our ship the last orange glow faded to black. We had time for a shower and a drink, accompanied by piano music from Oksana in the lounge, before dinner in the Venice Restaurant.
Wednesday 25th January – Acajutla, El Salvador
This morning Emma gave a short briefing on the next two days activities and decisions had to be made by us as which option we would like – Turtle & Mangrove Tour, Alegria Tour or Peace Tour. By mid-morning we were alongside the dock in Acajutla, El Salvador. At the dock there were young men and women in traditional costume, dancing for us to lively Latin music, it was an enthusiastic welcome. An early lunch for us today as we were off at 1300 for a tour of the colonial towns and some handicraft markets. It was all about the Flower’s Route this afternoon and some shopping of course. We travelled today high in the volcanic mountains, along the Flower’s Route, named for the magnificent scenery with flowers growing along this winding mountain road. We drove through Sonsonate, the fourth largest city in El Salvador. We saw the rustic wood carts, a simple system for moving logs of wood from the mountains to the towns below by using a bit of rubber and your foot to break – a little like the Flintstones. We passed the town of Salcoatitan, which means snake and in this small town we stopped briefly to see the Saba tree, also known as the tree of life and signifcant in Mayan culture.
I really loved our first colonial town, Concepción de Ataco or more commonly just Ataco. A vibrant and colourful town full of exuberant murals smothered over adobe walls and homes. We saw that the locals were committed to keeping the colonial charms intact and certainly some of the pastel-coloured walls with narrow cobblestone streets bordered by old buildings enhanced the charm. With the lovely cool temperatures it was a pleasure to meander the streets of Ataco. On the way by mini-bus to our next colonial town we heard about the gift we were all given as we walked off the gangway - a painted copinal seed necklace. A unique gift from the Salvadorians to us. The history behind this gift is quite inspiring. Fernanod Llort was studying to become a priest in Spain when he realised that his heart just was not in it. Thus, he returned to his home country of El Salvador (this was in 1974) and avoiding his parents wrath he decided to go to La Palma. It was off the beaten track and he wanted to leave his old life behind. But as he came from a wealthy family, the locals were a little wary of him. To become trusted and part of the community, Fernando started to teach the locals how to paint. He then saw that the Copinol seed when chopped in half, had a beautiful wooden surface. Thus, the people of La Palma began to paint scenes from their culture in bright colours on the seeds and it soon became a tradition in the region and a special gift for us.
The artisan village of NahuiIzalco was gorgeous. The ancient Hahual communtiy of Izalco has famed religious wood carvings paradein in both Catholic and indigenous rites. This town is all about wicker and tule (a type of reed plant) handicrafts with many workshops lining the main street. We saw that the local artisans crafted some fine basketry and furniture. We heard all about the dreadful masscre of the local Mayans from our visit to the local museum. A quick visit to the Cathedral before heading to a local shop for some a tasting of delicious chocolate. What a tranformation, we all dressed up for this evening’s Captain’s Welcome Cocktails. Everyone ready for a celebratory drink to toast to such a festive occasion and an official welcome from the Captain and crew to you on board the MS Serenissima. A most successful and enjoyable day, continued on after dark with the formal Captain’s dinner in the Restaurant.
Thursday, 26th January 2017 – Acatjutla, El Salvador
A full day tour for all of us today – Mayan Route Tour. After an hour and a half ride our first stop took us back to the time of the ancient Mayan civilization. We drove through the Valley of Sucio, once used as an agricultural area of the Mayans. We passed the Maqui Lishuat tree, with is the national tree of El Salvador which has a beautiful pink flower and only blooms once a year for three weeks. Maqui means five and Lishuat means leaf in the Mayan language. We visited Joya de Cerén, “the Pompeii of the Americas”. Around the 7th century A.D. an eruption of ash and steam, from Laguna Caldera Volcano, forced the Mayan residents to flee their village. In just a few days the village had completely disappeared under volcanic ash. It remained deeply buried for 1,400 years, until it was discovered by accident in 1976 when a bull dozer was clearing the land for agricultural purpose and hit one of the buildings. Joya de Cerén is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the only archaeological site that preserves an ancient Mayan commoner community. There are 18 structure in total in the area, of which 8 are still underground waiting to be excavated, but funding is short for archaeological work in El Salvador. This community was a short distance from the local Mayan ceremonial centre, San Andrés, which we were visiting next. Both sites are connect by Suchio Rio or Dirty River, called this as the ash in the soil turns the water a dark colour.
At Joya de Cerén, we first visited the site museum, with our guide providing commentary, to see some of the artefacts unearthed from the site and learn about how their community was structured and how they led their lives. After gaining a basic understanding of the community we visited the actual archaeological site to view some of the community structures that had been uncovered as our guide explained the significance and use of each structure. As we wandered the site, we saw that Joya de Cerén showed how the average Mayan lived their daily lives. I was amazed to see a small dish showing finger prints smeared in the remains of an interrupted meal – it was a little surreal. Our next stop was at a nearby Mayan political and ceremonial centre, San Andrés. It is believed that up to 12,000 people used this Mayan centre and the city once dominated the Valle de Zapotitán and possibly the neighbouring Valle de las Hamacas where San Salvador is now situated. After a visit to the site museum our guides led us to the partially excavated site that revealed the elevated temple mount (“The Acropolis”) which included the courtyard and royal chambers. The gentle falling ash (from burning sugar cane) from the skies above added to the ambience as we walked among the ruins.
Now we headed a short distance to the second most important city in El Salvador, Santa Ana. Here we stopped at the city centre for a guided tour of the ornate old Opera House, Teatro Nacional de Santa Ana, built 106 years ago, just after the turn of the century, with money from the coffee barons. It seats 700 people and was inaugurated in 1910 and up until 1932 it was the golden era for this splendid theatre. Sadly it was given to a local operator who then turned it into a movie theatre and allowed the building to go into disrepair. In 1987 renovations began to bring it to its former glory and is now 99% complete. This beautiful building is still in use for concerts and theatrical performances today. I was particularly intrigued by the widow’s box. It seems the locals did not want to face the sadness of losing a loved one and the widows had to be hidden from sight and had a special seating box. From the Opera House second floor we had splendid panoramic views of the city and it provided us a great photo opportunity for pictures of the grandiose Catedral de Santa Ana. Our guides told us that this imposing, white-washed Catholic cathedral is the only gothic architecture cathedral in Latin America. It was the combination of the cathedral and the theatre in town square which made this a beautiful experience.
After a busy morning of touring we were ready for lunch! Our lunch stop was at what our guides told us was the best restaurant in the city of Santa Ana, La Pampa. We sat inside of this stylish restaurant and were served a choice of grilled fish, grilled chicken or grilled marinated steak. The full meal with appetizer and dessert, and local Nicaraguan coffee, was delicious! One final stop on our Mayan tour of El Salavdor – Tazumal. Located just outside of the town of Chalchuapa, this towering archaeological site is the most impressive Mesoamerican ruin in the country. Our guide walked us around the vast fourteen-stepped ceremonial pyramid, influenced by the style of Teotihucán in Mexico. Though with site possesses its own enigmatic beauty it is a small site compared to others in Central America. The site was occupied for more than 750 years and the Mayans abandoned the city around the end of the ninth century, during the collapse of the Classic Maya culture. We heard from our guide that then the Pipils moved in and occupied the site, building a pyramid dating back to 900-1200AD but abandoned it in 1200AD.
Friday, 27th January 2017 – La Union, El Salvador
We were docked in the newish deep sea port of La Union, a bay on the edge of Golfo de Fonesca. The heat was somewhat stifling even at 8am in the morning but soon we off on air-conditioned coaches for either the Turtle & Mangrove Tour or the Alegría Tour. Today half of us were off on the Alegría Tour. As we came down the gangway we noticed many photographers on the wharf and even some television crew. A scenic mini bus ride took us past beautiful mountains. It was a long drive through Tecapa mountain range and past Chaparrastique Volcano near San Miguel and then on to the town of Santiago de Maria and just outside the town was the Oromontique Coffee Mill. Again we had lots of photographers following us around the plantation, it must certainly been an event for the local community to have us here in El Salvador, I felt a little famous with the paparazzi following me around.
The tour around the coffee factory began a little disorganised but then this we were the first tour group to ever visit their factory. It soon all swung in to operation and coffee specialist, Rodriguez guided us expertly around the factory. We saw the machine that removes the outer layer (pulp) and cleans the mucus off the coffee bean. The drying of the coffee beans – both manual method, which involved laying out in the sun and constantly turning over every 90 minutes for 12 days. And the more cost effective machine method, which takes only 48 hours and is powered by steam. What was interesting was the money the coffee pickers receive is minimal - $1.25 for 25 pounds of coffee beans, indeed a really good coffee bean picker could pick 200 pound a day and thus earn $12.50 a day. The processing then continued with the dried coffee bean being sorted into grades, packed into 150 pound bags and then manually stacked. All in all the take home message was that to produce the very popular coffee bean involved intensive labour and a lot of time – so I will savour every cup of coffee in the future I can assure you. Of course before we left the factory we had the chance to sample a cup of their local coffee and even compare gourmet and regular coffee.
Our journey continued to the town of Alegría which means happiness and is just beginning to enjoy a renaissance with tourists. It is the highest town in El Salvador at 1240m. We were in a lofty location and noticed that the streets with near spotless. Quite picturesque with the windowsills overflowing with rose bushes, sunflowers and orchids, it certainly gave our time here a fairy tale feel. Down some steep roads to our restaurant stop in Parque de Ecologica Cartegena. The food was a little dry but certainly edible but the view more than made up for it. Set high in the mountains we overlooked Usulutan Valley and the Rio Lempa. Plenty of garden to explore before we enjoyed delicious local cake and coffee roasted on site. Just a short drive along a cobblestone road and past a funeral procession to La Laguna de Alegría. Driving slowing on the cobblestone road, we were steadily rising to the peak of this volcano. At the top we had a wander around the La Laguna de Alegría, a crater lake of an extinct volcano (Volcan Tecapa). The crater is spring fed and certainly the smell was a little overpowering, the green sulphurous gases just seemed to add to the experience here. A few of us in an attempt to look younger smeared the sulphur clay on our faces and hoped for a miracle.
Saturday, 28th January 2017 – La Union, El Salvador
We had stayed along the wharf at La Union last night and this morning we were off again for a full day tour. Half of us departed for the Turtle and Mangrove tour. Again a long drive but scenic as we drove quite close to San Miguel Volcano, the most active in El Salvador with the most recent eruption in 2013. Our driver, Oscar gave us two opportunities to photograph this impressive, at 1800m in height, volcano. Our guide Benjamin told us some of the history of the volcano eruptions and even expedition team member, Brian, our geologist, got on the microphone and spoke about the type of volcano we were seeing. We soon left the main highway and travelled along a dirt road and had many sighting of bird species including Scissortail flycatcher, white-breasted swallows, roadside hawks and of course as usual the black vulture. Our first stop was the San Jose Real de La Carrere cocoa plantation. Elena, who was the marketing manager for the company guided around the massive plantation which incorporated 175 acres of cacao, 175 acres of sugar cane and 175 acres of plantain, in fact it is the largest cocoa plantation in Central America. We began in the nursery where Eduardo (the nursery boy) showed us how to correctly plant a cacao seed. We learnt that it then takes three years to produce a plant and 5 years before it bears fruit. There was also the fascinating process of grafting. A cacao tree can live up to 100 years and will slowly produce less and less fruit, thus by grafting a new tree it will become viable again. The grafting process also occurs to ensure the continuation of quality. Eduardo told us that he can personally graft to 500 new trees a day and to up to 200 grafted to the old trees.
We continued on to see the cacao pods on the tree and then to see the washing, fermentation and drying process of the seeds. Along the way we sample the fruit of the cacao along with the seed and of course a delicious, if not a little too sweet, hot chocolate. Lastly before we left the plantation, we learnt that is takes just 20 days from cutting the pod from the tree to when the cacao seed is ready for export and 85% of the cacao seeds from San Jose Real de La Carrere cocoa plantation goes direct to Belgium. It was now time for lunch and short drive to Puerto Barilla, lunch was delicious at El Conacaste Restaurant. Most of us opted for the fish followed by local delicacies of green mango and ginger cake. Here we were in the unspoilt Bahla de Jiquilisco Biosphere Reserve. We were met at the jetty by the staff of the Iniciativa Carey Del Pacífico Oriental (ICAPO) or Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative. We boarded with the staff of ICAPO onto local boats and cruised down Bahla de Jiquilisco, considered to be the largest coastal estuary, consisting of mostly undeveloped mangrove lined series and inlet canals. After 30 minutes of cruising we stopped near Isla San Dionisio and Isla Rancho Viejo which 150 families live on. In the distance we could see the building on Punta La Pirraya where 300 families lived, including our local guide, Ovidio. The locals’ primary industry is fishing and also use the mangroves for collecting shellfish such as snails and mussels.
But we were here for the turtles, just off Punta San Juan, we saw some locals in a boat throwing out the net to capture the turtles for tagging. Then with spectacular agility, one of the locals leapt into the water to capture the turtle caught in the net. Two locals taking it in turns managed to capture two Green sea turtles, both female, one young maybe 25 to 30 years and one older 50 -70 years. We all landed on Punta San Juan and the staff brought the turtles ashore individually and then went about measuring and weighing the turtle and we were even asked to assist with the data collecting. A few us we quite pleased to have the opportunity to be involved in such a worthwhile project. For most of us it was the first time we had been so close to a live turtle and we even had a photo opportunity with the larger female green sea turtle. As all of this was going on, we learnt that the Green sea turtle on the pacific side of Central America was now called the Black sea turtle (Chelonia mydas subspecies agassazzi), the difference being a darker carapace (shell).
What I did love about ICAPO organisation was that they were strenuously working toward the conservation turtles in the Bahla de Jiquilisco. Turtle eggs is a popular food for the locals and are sold at the local markets however, ICAPO pay the locals $2.50 for every 14 turtles eggs the locals give them, which they then put in a nursery and manage the hatching process. The locals do prefer this as it is guaranteed income, rather than spending time at the market. In the seven years they have been doing this, they have seen a significant increase in juveniles in the estuary. The tagging system allows them to then manage and gather data on the local population. It was good to see so many guest giving donations to such a brilliant organisation. Back to port in time to see the most spectacular farewell by the El Salvadorians. There was vibrant colour, enthusiastic dancing and pulsating music. So many performers were there to bid their farewells, smiling faces and absolutely stunning costumes.
Sunday, 29th January 2017 – Corinto, Nicaragua
Today we awoke to find ourselves approaching yet another new country – Nicaragua. The country of Nicaragua has just about all you could ask for in a tropical paradise. Two long coastlines of peaced out surf camps, hippie enclaves and remote fishing villages and then there is all the nature to explore with volcanoes and lagoons and of course the cultural colonial cities of Leon and Granada. It is the colonial city of Leon that we were discovering and delving into today. Leon is a city of awe-inspiring churches, fabulous art collections, stunning streetscapes and cosmopolitan eateries. This is what the colonial city of León offered us today. The MS Serenissima was tied securely to the dock there was only a light breeze as we boarded our motor coaches for our Colonial Leon, Art and History excursion.
From the ship we rode through many agricultural fields. Many fields were growing sugar cane and peanuts, both big export crops for Nicaragua. The country is blessed with two major lakes – Managua and Nicaragua – which supply water for the country’s agricultural productivity. After a ride of a little over an hour we arrived at the city of Leon. This city of 300,000 is the most important city in Nicaragua, after the capital city of Managua. Our guide told us that Leon was originally the capital of Nicaragua for over 200 years before Managua became the capital in 1851. The old city of Leon was destroyed by a tremendous earthquake in 1609. The city was rebuilt and, today, still retains its old architecture and streets from its colonial days. First on our agenda was a visit to the town square with its most treasured building, the Metropolitan Cathedral. This beautiful and imposing cathedral is the largest in Central America and the third largest in the Americas. Due to its size and prominence the Pope bestowed upon this cathedral the designation of basilica.
This cathedral was one of our stops during our city tour. Officially known as Basilica de la Asunción, and is the cathedral’s fourth incarnation. The 1610 original was replaced in 1624 with wood-and-adobe structure which pirate William Dampier burned to the ground in 1685. Another adobe was built in its place before work on the Baroque-style masterpiece began in 1747 and took 100 years to complete. Our guide gave us a tour inside the cathedral and pointed out various religious icons scattered throughout the building. He also showed us tomb of Ruben Dario, the father of Modern Spanish Literature, in an honoured location near the altar. We all had the opportunity to climb to the roof of the cathedral for great views of the city and volcanoes in the distance. The roof had recently been whitewashed so we had to remove our shoes to walk on the roof. As we walked across the roof we noticed its white domed spires were beautifully contrasted against the blue sky and puffy white clouds.
We had half an hour to explore this quaint city by ourselves, with many of us enjoying a refreshing drink at a local café. We continued our walking tour and headed to the Ortiz Guardian Art Gallery. This is considered one of the best private art galleries in Latin America. This art gallery did not look very impressive from the outside, but once we got inside we were mesmerised by the many courtyards that it comprised. Each courtyard had a different architectural and horticultural style and sometimes displayed some unique work of art. Surrounding each courtyard were individual art galleries. I would say it is was one of finest contemporary art museums in all of Central America. The art on display was nicely counterbalanced by each courtyard since it encouraged a moment for pause and reflection. My favourite piece here was the Sin título by Emilio Falero, Cuba 1947. The quirkiness of using a faded Picasso background with colourful if not unusual images of people as the focus of the painting.
Just a short walk from the Ortiz Guardian Art Gallery was Ruben Dario’s Museum. The birthplace and home of Ruben Dario. His old one-story colonial home was now a museum and showcased the life and achievements of this famous son of Nicaragua. Examples of Ruben Dario’s published poems and novels were on display along with memorabilia from his life. A restful journey by coach back to the ship and a soporific afternoon on the ship with many of taking the advantage of a free afternoon just to lie in the sun on the deck or catch up on zzz’s in our rooms.
Monday, 30th January 2017 – San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
This morning we are still in Nicaragua, the largest nation in Central America and travelled last night to San Juan Del Sur. The port of San Juan del Sur is located on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua at the southern tip of the country. The fifteen thousand people of the small fishing town are outnumbered by a factor of three by the population of Ridley turtles that annually return to the nearly turtle refuge to lay their eggs. The port provides services to both passengers and cargo, as well as a fishing fleet, sheltered within a small natural bay backed by mountain ranges. The natural harbour was discovered by Spanish pilot Andres Nino in 1522 and was christened San Juan del Sur due to its location on the Pacific Ocean, known to the Spanish as Mar del Sur; another important port, San Juan del North, occupies the Atlantic coast. In 1846, Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt connected the two ports, the San Juan River, and Lake Nicaragua, to provide a rapid and safe Transit Route for Gold Rush travellers.
Today began with completely overcast skies and the wind was blowing 30 knots, the clouds dispersed over the morning but the wind did not. We held out until 8am, hoping the winds would ease to allow Zodiac operation and thus make the tour of Lake Nicaragua. Alas, things did not go to plan. After a hearty breakfast Emma had scheduled a varied assortment of activities for us to enjoy. In the morning Guest Speaker, Sir Michael Burton introduced us to the Mayan ruins and Mayan culture. After a tasty lunch we were at our leisure and quite a few of us joined expedition team member, Jane Thompson, for an informal watercolour class. We were able to express our creative side with some fun artwork. Also during the day, for those of us who signed up, we were treated to Engine Room visits to see the inner workings below decks and meet some of the crew responsible for our safe and comfortable passage. A snorkel briefing was given in the Andrea Lounge in the late afternoon and following this all the staff were on hand to measure up (your feet) and give out the snorkel gear in the Harold Jarl Lounge. Although we did not give up hope in going ashore in San Juan Del Sur, the winds never abated. In the end, today was a relaxing day at sea as we made our way slowly to Costa Rica. White-capped waves topped the following swell and we gently rolled along under cloud-speckled skies and bright sun. So resting, reading and topping up the tan were the order of the day. After our briefing by Emma on tomorrow’s excursion to Monteverde, we enjoyed a marvellous dinner paired with excellent wines.
Tuesday, 31st January 2017 – Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica
In the early morning our ship edged up to the dock at Puerto Caldera and today we would disembark our ship via the gangway. And it was another bright and sunny day greeted us as we boarded our modern, air-conditioned motor coaches for our respective excursions. Today we had to make a choice (actually, we signed up a couple days ago) between one of two possible excursions. The first tour to leave was to the Monteverde (Green Mountain) Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. The story behind the reserve is quite interesting with the Quakers arriving in 1951, emigrating from the US to avoid being drafted to fight in the Korean War and in order to protect the vital watershed, the Quaker Community established the private reserve that is now Monteverde. Our journey via coach took us to distant mountain peaks that appeared to be perpetually shrouded in clouds. We drove eastward off the peninsula, and joined the Pan-American Highway for a while, before branching off on a well paved road up a series of small volcanic mountain ranges clothed with forest and clearings where small farmers grow crops and raise Brahma cattle. Soon, though, the paving ended and was replaced by a dusty dirt road, which slowed our speed considerably.
Our guides told us the hotel and business owners in the Cloud Forest region prefer the lack of paving as the slower journey encourages more visitors to stay for at least two nights instead of just one. Where gaps in the vegetation permitted, we had wonderful views down over the fields and forests, the town of Puntarenas, and the Gulf of Nicoya. Our guides told us that a trade route runs up the gulf and the Tempisque River into the highlands, funnelling goods in both directions, probably for thousands of years. So after a two and a half hour drive we reached the entrance to the cloud forest we drove through the mountain top community of Monteverde. We discovered that this small community was a mecca for eco-tourism with many eco-lodges, bed & breakfasts, inns, hotels, restaurants and outdoor adventure companies located here.
Our main activity planned for today was a visit to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. And we certainly knew we were in the clouds with a light rain welcoming us to the forest which added to the ambience of our walk. As we walked round the Sendero El Camino trail in the forest, our guide explained how the forest’s location high above the Pacific Ocean receives a steady supply of clouds, and the moisture they contain sustains and supports this ecosystem. We walked approximately three kilometres along the dewy trails through mysteriously veiled forest, stopping frequently to observe wildlife. Our guide explained the reserve contains more than three thousand species of plants, 700 species of butterfly, 130 species of mammals and 448 species of birds. Among the species of birds spotted were solitaries, postman hummingbirds, which are said to gain their name from their habit of visiting more than 1500 flowers in the same order every day, trogons, honey creepers, tanagers, vireos and surely the prize of the day – a male and a female quetzal in glorious technicolour. We also saw quite a number of mushrooms and other fungi. Back at the trailhead, we took time to visit the Hummingbird Centre, located on a tree-covered rise just a few steps from the park entrance, where several different species were feeding, joined occasionally by a bananaquit. There were dozens of hummingbirds flitting about among the hummingbird feeders and tree branches with all us tourists milling around. We delightedly snapped away with our cameras try to catch a winning photo of the birds on the fly, sitting on a branch or drinking from the hummingbird feeders.
After the excellent tour, we re-boarded the buses and made our way partly down the mountain from our highest elevation of 1322 m, to the El Establo restaurant for lunch of rice and beans, chicken and fish, salads, tea, coffee and juices. For those of us going on the San José City Tour from Puerto Caldera our motor coaches headed east to San José, the capital of Costa Rica, where approximately one third of the country’s population of 5 million live. The city was founded in 1737 from the expansion of lucrative tobacco plantations in the fertile valley of Aserri and today is a lively blend of old and new. The first stop of the tour was in Sarchi where we used the restrooms, examined the oxcart painting and woodworking facility. At this time we learned about Costa Rica’s famous ox-cart painting tradition. We then had some fresh fruit and did a spot of shopping before getting back on the bus for a quick photo stop at the giant oxcart which we heard was the world’s biggest ox cart. Then drove on to Gracia where we did a loop around the metal church Nuestra Senora de la Merced for photos.
We had lunch at the Swiss Travel's special event restaurant, Hacienda de Valle del Sol, a beautiful facility in the country suburb north of San Jose. Then on to San Jose where we disembarked at the finest building in San Jose, if not all Costa Rica, the National Theatre. We had a quick look inside the main entrance and our guide brought history to life as we climbed the marble staircases and gazed up at the famous fresco, a tribute to Costa Rica’s heritage as a coffee growing country, and marvelled at the grandeur of the foyer decorated in gold and Venetian plate mirrors. We walked down the block to the Gold Museum, an underground, modern and well equipped museum where we had a good hour to explore. It featured more than 2000 brilliant pre-Columbian artefacts made by the indigenous peoples from the south –western part of the country. One of the highlights for me was the tiny half-man and half bird figures. We even had the chance to pick up a little something at the gift shop. Back in the bus for the several-block ride to the venerable, bullet-ridden National Museum which is opposite the splendid looking new Jade Museum. Again we had an hour to explore, including the butterfly exhibit at the entrance. All too soon it was time to re-board the bus and head back to Puerto Caldera and the ship.
Wednesday, 1st February 2017– Curu National Wildlife Refuge & Isla Tortuga, Costa Rica
Here we were in the south of Nicoya Peninsula, near Tambor and at anchor off the Curu National Wildlife Refuge. Although small, the park encompasses five habitats and offers sanctuary to a surprisingly large and diverse number of plants and animals. This morning we split up into four groups, leaving the ship at specified times between seven thirty and ten a.m. for a guided walk through the Curu Wildlife Refuge, part of the Tempisque Conservation Area. The Refuge forms a small part of a 12 square kilometre private ranch, two thirds of which are forest and the remainder set aside for cattle range and fruit growing.
Curu is Costa Rica’s first private National Wildlife Reserve and an example of a successful sustainable development programme. The hacienda includes low levels of cattle grazing and produces tropical fruits, but tourism and school group visitation are the main focus today. The Refuge is managed sustainably to produce a profit and local employment, while at the same time protecting its threatened and endangered forest habitats such as mangroves, tropical moist and dry forests, and coral reefs. We landed by Zodiac on a sheltered beach, met our guides, and set off walking in our groups along about 3 km of well-maintained dirt road and paths. We saw quite a variety of wildlife including racoons, coati, agouti, deer, bats, iguanas, howler and capuchin monkeys, and birds such as kingfishers, herons, wrens, macaws, hummingbirds, and trogons, among many others. Unfortunately, swimming was not possible off the landing beach, as crocodiles have recently been sighted. We returned to the ship for lunch.
After lunch, we found that we had relocated a few miles and were now at anchor off Isla Tortuga (Turtle Island). We operated a Zodiac shuttle service throughout the afternoon to allow access to a beautiful beach where we swam and relaxed on the beach in an idyllic setting of white sand and turquoise waters. We also had the opportunity for a snorkel from one of platforms near a rocky pinnacle, this afternoon quite a few of us snorkelled to our hearts’ content. The last Zodiac brought the stragglers back to the ship by early evening. We later reconvened in the lounge for a recap, and Emma provided a briefing on our plans for landing at Puerto Quepos, Costa Rica, tomorrow.
Thursday, 2nd February 2017 – Puerto Quepos, Costa Rica
We were all a little bleary eyed this morning, mostly due to having to get out of bed so early – breakfast at 5:30am! This cloudless morning we were anchored outside of the harbour at Puerto Quepos which was once an important banana-shipping port and is now something of a residential town and business centre for Manuel Antonio – our destination this morning. We disembarked our Zodiacs for a dry landing at the dock and then a comfortable 30-minute bus ride brought us to the entrance of the entrance of Manuel Antonio National Park. We exited our buses and were split into small groups each with their own guide.
Manuel Antonio National Park was established in 1972 due to public protest against foreign landowners who planned a tourist development here that prohibited local access to the beach. Indeed, the park encompasses three long strands of magnificent white sandy beaches fringed by jungle. Manuel Antonio National Park was named after a well-known resident of the area and it is considered to be the jewel of the Costa Rica’s National Parks and is the most visited by both Costa Ricans and foreign visitors. Its boundaries preserve 1,983 hectares of fragile, tropical, coastal rainforest ecosystem with diverse flora and fauna. In addition to over one thousand different species of flora there is an abundance of wildlife including a variety of birds and monkeys. We arrived at the entrance to the park and easily passed through security after random bag checks. We made our way into the park with our local guides. The main trail through the park was wide, but our guides warned us to not wander from the trail because of the venomous snakes that live in the rainforest...no one wandered from the trail!
The wide trail was bordered by the rainforest that provided some shade for us but regardless of the shade the heat and humidity were stifling. Just slowly walking along the relatively level trail caused us to get drenched in sweat. Our exertions were rewarded by the wildlife sightings our guides pointed out for us to see along our walk, including lizards, birds (Lesser Nighthawk, and Fiery-billed Aracari (toucan), bats, monkeys (White-Faced Capuchin) and sloths (Three-toed Sloth). After about an hour and a half our guides brought to Manuel Antonio Beach. Near the top of a large tree that hung over us a large Three-toed Sloth was lazing in the branches high above us. As we surveyed the beach in front of us we could see why locals had protested being denied access to this beach. This beautiful white sand, crescent-shaped beach was shaded by overhanging palms and sea grape trees and, on each end, rocky promontories jutted out into the sea. We were given a brief time to enjoy the beach. At the appointed time we gathered with our guides who led us along a narrow, boardwalk through rainforest. This was welcome because the boardwalk was completely enclosed by the rainforest and the shelter of the rainforest canopy prevented the sun from beating down on us. We met up with the buses back on the main road of Manuel Antonio and before we boarded our motor coaches our guides had set up tables under some shade trees where they were serving ice-cold water, iced tea, biscuits and sliced watermelon. After our refreshment we were returned to the pier where Zodiacs were waiting to return us to our ship for lunch. After lunch we had the opportunity to visit the town, to enjoy the beach, do some sightseeing or sneak off for a delicious Gelato at the local marina as Emma had arranged for Zodiac shuttles and mini-bus shuttles to operate all afternoon.
Friday, 3rd February 2017 – Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica
Once again, the weather was beautiful, with small puffy white clouds along the horizon but otherwise clear, blue and fine. This morning we were anchored on the northern coast of the Osa Peninsula, in Drake Bay. Named after Sir Francis Drake, the first English navigator to sail around the world and reputedly landed here in 1579. This bay is believed to be a port used by Sir Francis Drake in the 16th century and the location of one of the British pirate's fabled hidden treasures. The local boats transferred us to Marenco Beach in Corcovado National Park. It was definitely a wet landing as we headed up the beach to shady area with seats changed our footwear. Corcovado National Park (Parque Nacional Corcovado) is Central America’s largest low land Pacific rainforest, it is comprised of an enormous 103,290 acres (41,800 ha) of tropical rainforest. The largest of Costa Rica's parks, it encompasses about a third of the Osa Peninsula and embraces an unbelievable amount of its biodiversity. Corcovado National Park has thirteen distinct habitats and each are characterised by unique assemblages of plants, animals and topography. Declared a protected area in 1975 to prevent the harvest of precious resources. It is believed to be one of the very few locations in Costa Rica that harbour the endangered squirrel monkey.
The Corcovado National Park has been referred to as “the most biologically intense place on Earth” by National Geographic. With one visit to this lush tropical paradise we understood why. It has become one of the top eco-tourism destinations of the planet, not to mention Costa Rica. It is home to a plethora of wildlife and exotic fauna that are unique to the Osa Peninsula, for it used to be an island thus species had started to evolve separately until it re-joined the mainland. This breathtaking national park is the last great original tract of moist tropical forest in the Pacific Central America. The humid rainforest is home to Costa Rica’s largest population of Scarlet macaws which we all had a great view of as we headed off in small groups for an interpretive walk along the beach with our local guide. This 45 minute walk ended up at Caletas Lodge near Caletas Beach (Caletas means many coves). Some of us relaxed at the lodge whilst most of us continued on for another 1 ½ hours through the forest past the swing bridge and into the heart of the forest. Here we saw milk trees or cow trees (named after the drinkable white latex they exude) and rubber trees, many fig trees and vines. Corcovado is home to a large population of animals including many endangered species; various types of monkeys, jaguars, ocelots, tapirs, and anteaters to name just a few, a plethora of birds, amphibians like the Red-Eyed Tree Frog, and of course many reptiles and insects. It was a hot and humid hike, on a rough trail but such an amazing experience.
Following a hearty Mexican themed lunch, the expedition team headed off to explore the local beaches looking for a landing site. But the swell we experienced this morning on the beaches of Marenco and Caletas was still causing havoc. So further exploration of Drake Bay was necessary. Here at Bahía Drake (Drake Bay) there are miles and miles of beautiful coastline with rocky crags and sandy coves that extend from Agujitas, where the village of Bahía Drake is located southward toward the boundary of Corcovado National Park about 12 miles to the south. Along this stretch of beach are located some of the most remote and spectacular ecolodges in Costa Rica. Thus it was decided to head off for an afternoon Zodiac cruise across Drake Bay and into a local river. Emma organised use of the jetty of Aquila de Osa Inn, the operators of Aquila de Osa Inn also allowed us to wander around their beautiful and colourful garden and allowed us to drink a beer or two at their bar.
We had to wait until high tide to get into the river so Zodiac operations began at 3pm. Quite a few of us took up the opportunity to go ashore, some of us unfortunately went in for an unscheduled swim in Drake Bay directly from the Zodiac but it all ended well. As we enjoyed the afternoon so much, we extended our time here and thus we moved the scheduled afternoon presentation to late afternoon and Dr. Peter Harlow gave a presentation on Fascinating Reptiles of Central America which most guests attended in the Andrea Lounge at 5.45pm.
Saturday, 4th February 2017- Gulfo Dulce, Costa Rica
During the night we sailed deep into the inner reaches of Gulfo Dulce, (Sweet Gulf). We awoke to see the rainforest covering the surrounding hills and reaching down to the water’s edge. A magnificent natural harbour, sculpted with picturesque beaches and rocky headlands. Following an early breakfast we anchored and started our Zodiac excursion to shore. We had a wet landing onto a beach just in front of a lovely little botanical garden named, Casa Orquideas (Orchid House). We were greeted on the beach by the owner of the private gardens, Trudy, and our local guides who would introduce us to the magnificent flora and fauna of the gardens. The owner and operator of this lush little hideaway was Ron, who with his wife, Trudy, immigrated here from the U.S. many years ago and created the gardens at their home as a source of income. The actual gardens comprise about 2.5 hectares and the rainforest land they own is about 20 hectares. Their property abuts a National Park so nothing will be built near them so it will always remain a wild, natural place.
Remote and accessible only by boat these gardens feature tropical plants both indigenous and introduced to Costa Rica, and, as the name suggests – many species of magnificent, delicate orchids. In many cases, the garden represent the last stronghold of plants, endemic to the South Pacific. It is an imposing, impressive, and wild place. Off we went in small groups through the winding trails of the gardens, our guide identified and described the various species of plants here. We saw, and sometimes tasted many plants, including cacao (where chocolate comes from), papaya, pineapple, ginger, black pepper, nutmeg, vanilla, and chilli peppers. Rainforest trees towered over us festooned with various epiphytes. Colourful flowers in a rainbow of colours peeked out at us on every turn, especially an amazing variety of exquisite orchids. In addition to the wonderful exotic tropical plants our guides also pointed out tropical animals in amongst the plants. The birds we spotted included toucans, macaws, green parrots, wood creepers, and more. We even saw a mammal sleeping inside a palm frond…a species of tropical bat with a face only a mother bat could love!
Our guided tour of the gardens ended at a shelter where there was water, iced tea, pineapple, and watermelon for our refreshment. After our break we were free to roam the gardens on our own or enjoy a dip in the deep waters of Gulfo Dulce before we returned to the ship for lunch. Following cool drinks and a restorative lunch the afternoon was at our leisure. During lunch the ship had repositioned to the eastern shore of Golfo Dulce, near the port of Golfito. In 1938, the United Fruit Company realised Golfito’s potential, and built a major shipping port here. By 1955 more than 90% of bananas shipped from Costa Rica departed on banana boats from Golfito. Boatloads of crewmen and 15,000 Guanacasteco immigrants came to work the plantations and turned Golfito into a boomtown of brothels, smugglers, and drunks. Following crippling strikes and labour conflicts, Untied Fruit abandoned its Golfito operations in 1985 and economic depression set in. Now we a population of 30,000 it is making a slow come back based on tourism and fishing. It is also the base for the country’s Coast Guard Academy. Emma once again scouted for a landing place and offered a wet landing near a bar and beach – what more could we asked for this afternoon. Conrad did offer an interpretive walking/birding tour up one of the nearby hills which a handful of guest joined him on. After an afternoon of fun and sun at the beach we returned to our ship in time for Afternoon Tea.
Sunday, 5th February 2017 – Coiba Island, Panama
What a wonderful introduction to Panama’s immense beauty. This morning we found ourselves among a number of islands between Panama and Costa Rica. This was going to be an expedition morning as we wanted to go snorkeling and swimming off the powdery white sand beach and into the crystal clear waters at Isla Coiba (Coiba Island). Isla Coiba is the largest island in Central America, situated off the Panamanian province of Veragus. The island separated from continental Panama between 12-18 thousand years ago when sea levels rose at the end of the last great glacial period and is a veritable lost world of pristine ecosystems and unique fauna. The island is thus home to many endemic subspecies including the Coiba Island Howler Monkey. Coiba Island was also home to the Coiba Cacaque Indians until 1562, when they were conquered by the Spanish and forced into slavery. In 1919, a penal colony was built on the island, and soon became a feared place with a reputation for brutal conditions and extreme torture.
The beach was several hundred meters long with bath-warm water lapping on the shore. Just behind a line of coconut palms was a rainforest forming a dense, seemingly impenetrable wall of verdant jungle. A serene little beach with a few Ranger cabins at the back, and we mostly had the place to ourselves – not even a ghost of a prisoner to be seen. We arrived on the beach via a wet landing on the wide sandy beach. Conrad and Peter guided a group of about 20 keen birdwatchers at 7.30am to try to increase the bird list. Brian then led a group of 8 guests who wanted – and got – a bit of a leg stretch, climbing a steep path through the forest to a lookout point at 152 m above sea level. A strenuous hike but some of the roughest parts of the path had sets of wooden staircases and handrails. After both hikes, swimming and frolicking in the water was necessary and there was plenty of time for a snorkel and swim. Most guests found the snorkel around the old pier revealed large schools of fish. So by mid-morning is was all about swimming and relaxing on a beautiful, deserted beach and it also had a chairs, covered patio, even restroom facilities! At Coiba Island we found astounding natural beauty, above and below the waterline.
We were all back on board the MS Serenissima in time for a scrumptious lunch. Whilst we enjoyed the chef’s delicacies, the anchor was heaved and we set off again. The afternoon was at sea and we enjoyed lectures by Conrad on neotropical birds and Sir Michael Burton on the engineering marvel of the Panama Canal. Following this it was time to dress up for the evening since it was the Farewell Gala Night starting with the Farewell Cocktail Party followed by the Captain’s Farewell Dinner. After which many of us headed to the bar to chat about our fantastic experiences of the day at the beautiful Coiba Island.
Monday, 6th February 2017 – Panama City, Panama
It was an absolutely fascinating day! When we woke this morning we were amazed by the Panama City skyline. The view was a little hazy, in 2011 the Panamanian Government initiated a program to reduce car exhaust emissions by requiring all drivers not to drive their car into the city one day of the working week, and the system works on the last number of the license plate. I think they need to re-think it and make it two days of the working week. Regardless of the haze, from our anchorage we could see that Panama City has a beautiful skyline with modern, high-rise buildings along the sea. One of the largest and most impressive of the buildings (we learned later) was a hotel and casino built by Donald Trump. A slight delay this morning as officials had to rubberstamp our entry into Panama (I am still not too sure why it took 7 officials to do this) but finally we were allowed to disembark the ship. We disembarked via Zodiacs to Fuerte Amador Marina on Flamenco Island. The marina was filled with mostly large, enormously expensive, motor yachts. The marina matched the opulence of the yachts docked here with high-end shops and restaurants appropriate for the owners of these vessels.
Two options were offered to us today, either the ‘Land Divided; World United Tour’ or the’ Shaping of Panama Tour’. First tour to depart were off on the ‘Land Divided; World United Tour’ or locks tour as it was a full day tour. About half of us decided to see the locks of Panama. We headed off on our tour by bus the new post-panamax locks, Cocoli Locks. The expansion of the canal was considered to be one the biggest transportation projects in the world at a cost of around 5.3 billion US dollars and they are betting on the growing international shipping needs to cover the cost. The biggest challenge the Panama Canal faces is luring the enormous post-Panamax vessels, which currently depend on either the US Transcontinental Railroad or the Suez Canal. Only time will tell if they will succeed in making money. At the locks, we had the opportunity to watch a video of the building of the new locks, which gave us a great overview of just how much of construction took place. We then wandered down to the locks to the viewing station and saw a massive container ship transiting the locks.
We then continued by bus to Miraflores Locks, en-route we enjoyed an appetising packed lunch on the bus. So our last stop was the Miraflores Locks Interpretation Centre. Here we were able to see the locks in action from the viewing deck, with ships heading in both directions, visit the interpretive and interactive displays, and view a video presentation on the construction and use of the canal and its locks. Again we met our bus which returned us to Fuerte Amador Marina where our Zodiacs were waiting and had us back onboard the ship by afternoon tea-time. The rest of us decided to join the ’Shaping of Panama Tour’. We then boarded our minibus for a tour of Panama City and as we drove along the 2km palm tree lined causeway which connects the island to the mainland, we had sweeping views of the city. We had the opportunity to wander around Casco Viejo (Colonial Panama), declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2003. We learnt from our guide that following the destruction of the old city, the Spanish moved their city 8 kilometres southwest to a rocky peninsula on the foot of Cerro Ancon. The new location was easier to defend, as the reefs prevented ships from approaching the city except at high tide. It continued to exist as the main town but in 1904, when the construction of the Panama Canal began, the city boundaries moved further east and the cities elite abandoned Casco Viejo and the neighbourhood rapidly deteriorated.
And today as we explored the narrow streets we noticed it was half crumbling and half high end. However the newly restored architecture gave us a sense of how magnificent the area must have looked in past years. We drove through the city and headed to the old city, founded in 1519 but burnt to the ground in 1671 by Captain Henry Morgan. Back to the main plaza where we met our minibus where we drove through the new city to see the old city. We visited the Museo de Sitio Panama Viejo, where the highlights included an impressive scale model of Panama Viejo prior to 1671 as well as a few surviving colonial artefacts. We continued our exploration of the old city with a look at the ruins and the cathedral. We were back on the ship in time for lunch (a late lunch at 2pm) and we were highly satisfied with our day’s experience. Later, in expectation of our transit through the Panama Canal we heard our Captain would heave anchor at about 6.30am when the local pilot came aboard. Noble Caledonia had paid extra for a daytime transit to allow us to enjoy the views in daylight. Although to the Panamanians “daytime” means any time from sun up to sunset. For us the beginning of our transit through the Miraflores Locks and into the canal would be about 8.30am. After a substantial and marvellous dinner we retired, eagerly anticipating tomorrow’s voyage through the Panama Canal.
Tuesday, 7th February 2017 – Panama Canal, Panama
We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and already had on-board our Panama Canal pilot (required for all ships) who takes control of the ship from the captain and stays in control until the ship comes out of the canal on the other side. We also had a Panama Canal narrator on-board with us and Pat would be with us for our complete transit. From the bridge Pat gave us commentary about the history, construction, and workings of the canal, in addition to an update about new expanded locks that had recently been completed for ships too large for the present locks. Even though we could watch our passage from the comfort of our cabins on our TVs, most of us went out on the forward Observation Deck to observe this first-hand since for most of us this was our first time through the canal. Also the cool morning air was quite pleasant as well.
Pat informed us, that the Panama Canal connects the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) on the east to the Pacific Ocean on the west but surprisingly the canal does not traverse east and west, but north and south! The Panama Canal consists of three locks, each with two identical locks side-by-side. One set on the north and two sets on the south. For over 100 years these locks have allowed ships to bypass the long and dangerous route from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans around Cape Horn and shortening the distance by about 14,400 kilometres (9,000 miles). Today there are many ships too wide to pass through the Panama Canal locks so new wider locks had to be constructed to handle those ‘Post-Panamax ships’, while still using the existing locks to handle all other Panamax ships. By 08:30am we were into the first of the locks at Miraflores, and were greeted by an audience of enthusiastic visitors to the Locks’ interpretation centre and escorted on the other locks by a massive cruise ship. Once through the three Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks, separated by the Miraflores Lake, and under the magnificent Millennium Bridge, we took our place in a line of ships and proceeded on towards Gatun Lake through the Gaillard Cut. Our narrator told us that the Millennium Bridge was built to be opened on the 100 year anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal, 2014. Unfortunately, construction delays pushed back the official opening until this year, but it is named in honour of the Panama Canal 100th year of operation.
The Gaillard Cut was the most challenging and costly excavation project of the whole canal, as this is part of the Continental Divide of Panama. The builders of the canal were plagued by constant landslides that continued even after the canal was opened. As we approached the Gaillard Cut we could see the stair-stepped terraces that the builders had to dig into the sides of the ridge to prevent the landslides into the canal. We passed the entrance to the Chagres River, which drains Alajuelo Lake and provides much of the water required to operate the locks, and entered Gatun Lake. The lake is an artificial widening of the original small lake at the height of land; islands visible around us are the remnants of small hill tops. During lunch we slowly transited Gatun Lake. With the sun high in the sky the temperature and humidity has risen to stifling levels and most of us watch our progress from the air-conditioned comfort inside our ship. Also on-board, in our cabins, a Panama Canal documentary was playing continuously throughout the day so we can learn even more about this engineering marvel we are travelling through. As we approached the north end of the lake we joined a fleet of other ships and waited for our turn to descend the Gatun Locks.
By the time we reached the northern locks it was late in the afternoon and we entered the Gatun Locks at 4:00pm. We watched again the procedures taken to prevent any mishaps of ships bumping into the canal gates or each other. Each ship is tied onto four small electric locomotives, two on one side, front and back, and two on the other. These locomotives keep the heavy wire hausers taut as they slowly move along with us keeping us centred through the locks. The lines are passed from the lock walls to the ship by two men in a tiny cockleshell rowing boat. The Gatun Locks, in three stages, lowered us to sea level on the Caribbean Sea (Atlantic Ocean) from a height of 26 metres (85 feet) above sea level from Gatun Lake. Slowly progressing through the Gatun Locks we were amazed that such an extensive and massive structure as the Panama Canal, over 100 years old, built with early 20th century technology and materials, was still operating without a problem today! When we finally exited the last lock and sailed out into the Atlantic Ocean the sun was low in the sky. Our pilot and narrator Patricia and the linesmen took their leave and we set off for tomorrow’s disembarkation port of Colon. All too soon it was time for our final dinner in the Venice Restaurant. As usual our chefs and wait staff served us a marvellous meal and gave us a pleasant memory of our dining experiences on-board MS Serenissima. Before retiring for the night we returned to the Andrea Lounge for the World Premiere of the Ancient & Natural Wonders of Central America Slideshow, presented by Conrad Weston and the rest of Expedition Team. This was photo presentation of the photographic highlights of our trip. We not only enjoyed the show, we enjoyed even more the fact the team was giving this show to us on a flash drive that we could take home and show our friends.
Wednesday, 8th February 2017 –Colon, Panama
Our final morning on board MS Serenissima and our Ancient & Natural Wonders of Central America voyage had explored six countries in 17 days!
As we said our “good-byes” we would, we hoped, sooner or later, come across each other in some exotic place, out on the water, once again to enjoy a journey of peoples, places & wildlife, learn & see some new things in this beautiful world of ours and certainly share a good laugh or two along the way.
End of Voyage
For further inspiration, view slideshow of images taken during the voyage