Secret World of Two Oceans
5th to 20th January 2016
Guatemala City to Costa Rica abaord the MS Serenissima
Tuesday, 5th January 2016 - Arrival in Guatemala City, Guatemala
Most of us arrived in Guatemala via flights from Heathrow to Madrid, happy to be on the ground again. We were met at the airport by guides, who smoothly led the way to the waiting coaches for a short ride into Guatemala City and our hotel, the excellent Clarion Suites, for the night. The ladies at Reception and a posse of porters quickly and smoothly arranged for room keys and transfer of luggage from the coaches to our rooms, assisted by staff who had arrived earlier. An hour or two later we met again, refreshed, for a pleasant dinner in the hotel dining room, after which most of us collapsed thankfully in bed. Those who chose to go for a stroll found a lively, colourful neighbourhood around them in this, the largest city in Guatemala.
Wednesday, 6th January 2016 - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, Embarkation
This morning we had an early and delicious buffet breakfast at the Clarion Suites, identified our luggage, and set off by coach to join the ship at Puerto Quetzal, on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. En route, our guides told us about life in Guatemala as we headed for Antigua, the first of our colonial city tours. We disembarked and followed our guides through narrow, busy streets, past churches and church ruins, and into the Jade Factory and Museum, where we were treated to a history of the discovery and many uses of this hard, brilliantly coloured stone, so important to the Maya. We had lunch at the Casa Santo Domingo Hotel and had time to stroll around the peaceful, shaded grounds and courtyard of this upscale hotel which once used to be a convent. From Antigua, we set off once again in our coaches to Puerto Quetzal, where we found our ship sitting prettily at a clean and tidy dock. We were welcomed on board by the Purser and her assistants, given our keys, and escorted to our cabins, our new homes for the next two weeks. We had time to unpack and explore the ship, a fifty-year veteran of the seas, before meeting in the Andrea Lounge for briefings and the Safety Drill by Expedition Leader Neil, and introductions to the Captain, some of his crew, and the rest of the expedition staff. After our first dinner on board, we retired happily and with a wonderful sense of expectation at the beginning of our exploration of the Secret World of Two Oceans.
Thursday, 7th January, 2016 – Acajutla, El Salvador
After a beautiful sunrise we arrived during breakfast at the pier in Acajutla, El Salvador. A troupe of young men and women in Spanish costume whirled and danced on the dock for us to lively Latin music. Acajutla has a prominent place in El Salvador history in 1524, when Spanish Conquistador Pedro de Alvaredo battled massed indigenous peoples and conquered all of present-day El Salvador. The country became independent in 1838 and coffee became the most important cash-crop, being shipped out of the port of Acajutla. In 1932, during a Salvadorean peasant uprising, two Canadian destroyers were called in to protect British consulate staff, British nationals in the country, and their assets. As soon as the gangway was in place we boarded two motor coaches for a full day tour of El Salvador. As we drove, we were always aware of a range of volcanoes off to the east, lava and ash from which, over many millions of years, have provided this country with rich agricultural soil. We passed fields planted with sugar cane, plantains, bananas, coffee and corn. The latent power of the volcanoes is today being harnessed to provide the country with geothermal energy which, together with solar power, wind power and the burning of sugar cane leaves in biomass operations is replacing oil as the major power source for El Salvador and the other Central American countries.
After an hour and a half ride, our first stop took us back to the time of the Classic Mayan civilization as we visited Joya de Cerén, the Pompeii of the Americas. In the 7th century A.D., ash and steam erupting through a stream from a nearby 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 lucky accident in 1976. Joya de Cerén, a short distance from the local Mayan ceremonial centre at San Andrés, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and is the only archaeological site that preserves an ancient Mayan farming community and allows us to interpret their way of life. We first visited the museum, with our guides providing commentary, to see some of the artefacts unearthed from the site and learn how the community was structured and how the residents led their lives. After gaining a basic understanding of the community we visited the archaeological site to view some of the buildings that had been excavated, as our guides explained the significance and use of each.
Our next stop was at the nearby Mayan political and ceremonial centre, San Andrés. After a visit to the site museum to view some of the artefacts excavated from San Andrés, our guides led us to the site partially excavated in the early 1940s and again in the 1990s that revealed the elevated Classic-Postclassic period temple mound (“The Acropolis”), which included a plaza and royal chambers. After walking through the site we continued on 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 with money from the coffee barons who wanted a suitable venue to attract operatic stars and well-known musicians from around the world. This beautiful building is still in use for concerts and theatrical performances. From the Opera House second floor we had splendid panoramic views of the city, providing a great 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.
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 a stylish room and were served our choice of grilled fish, chicken or marinated steak. The full meal with appetizer and dessert and local Nicaraguan coffee, was delicious. Fully fortified we returned to our buses, ready to explore our next destination. We headed up through the volcanic mountains, along the Flowers Route, named for the magnificent scenery with shrubs and trees in bloom along this winding mountain road. We stopped at the old colonial-style mountain town Concepción de Ataco. This quaint village has narrow cobblestone streets bordered by one-story adobe shops, restaurants and residences, many painted with vivid and informative scenes. We were given time to explore the village and do some shopping. We also discovered that it is not just the picturesque nature and friendly feeling in the town that draws visitors - it must also be the cool temperatures we found here, too. Our first day of touring at an end, we boarded our buses again for the trip back down the mountain and returned to our ship. We watched a lovely sunset as our buses wound their way down the mountain, 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 Edwin in the lounge, before dinner in the Venice Restaurant.
Friday, 8th January 2016 – Corinto, Nicaragua
Today we awoke to find ourselves approaching yet another new country - Nicaragua. After breakfast, Colin, our Zodiac Master, gathered us all together in the Andrea Lounge for our mandatory Zodiac briefing, which was followed by Neil’s introduction to our forthcoming visits to Corinto and San Juan del Sur. Jane then presented The Tree of Life: Art and Belief in Ancient Central America, which provided us with an introduction to the peoples of the region, especially the Maya whose archaeological remains we had toured yesterday. After an early buffet lunch, we boarded our motor coaches for our Colonial Leon, Art and History excursion. Outside of town, we drove through many agricultural fields planted with 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 colonisation, the country’s principal crop was cotton, which has been grown here for thousands of years. Without crop rotation, and with the eventual application of DDT to control insects, the soil became depleted and Nicaragua banned the growing of cotton and switched to multi-crop rotation and the ploughing-in of plant waste. Nicaragua is rapidly increasing its efforts to become one hundred percent dependent on natural energy sources for its domestic, agricultural and industrial power needs and expects to meet this goal within five years.
After about an hour we arrived at the city of Leon, the most important city in Nicaragua after the capital city of Managua, with a population of 300,000. Our guide told us that Leon was originally the capital of Nicaragua for over 200 years before Managua took the title in 1851. The old city of Leon was destroyed by a tremendous earthquake in 1609 and rebuilt, today retaining its architectural style as seen in street after street of single storey homes with clay tile roofs, modelled on colonial structures. In the town square is its most treasured building - the Metropolitan Cathedral. This beautiful and imposing church is the largest in Central America and the third largest in the Americas, and took 123 years to build. Due to its size and prominence the Pope bestowed upon this cathedral the designation of basilica. Our guide gave us a tour inside the cathedral and pointed out various religious icons scattered throughout the building. He also showed us the 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. From this vantage point, we enjoyed the juxtaposition of the white domed spires against the blue sky and puffy white clouds.
Just a short walk from the cathedral, we visited the birthplace and home of Ruben Dario. The old one-story colonial home is now a museum and showcases the life and achievements of this famous son of Guatemala, with his books displayed in a series of glass-fronted cases.In between Ruben Dario’s house and the cathedral we stopped at the Ortiz Gurdian Art Gallery. This is considered one of the best private art galleries in Latin America, enhanced by the many courtyards around which the art is displayed. Each courtyard had a different architectural and horticultural style. After our fascinating look at Colonial Leon through its architecture, art and history, we returned to our ship about 6 p.m., ready for a cup of tea or a drink from the bar. We then had time to change into our best outfits to join Captain Etien Bonačić and some of his staff, and Neil and his team for the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party. We departed from the port of Corinto at 8 p.m. en route to San Juan del Sur. After dinner, in honour of what would have been Elvis Presley’s 82nd birthday, Neil presented a Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia Quiz, the first of his repertoire of musical and mid-taxing quizzes.
Saturday, 9th January 2016 – San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
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 town are outnumbered by a factor of three by the population of turtles that annually return to the nearby 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 Norte, 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. After breakfast, we disembarked by Zodiac for our tour of the historic city of Granada and a boat tour of a group of islets in Lake Nicaragua. Our bus tour took us through a landscape of agricultural fields, whose principal crops were sugarcane, bananas, cacao and coconuts.
Our first stop was at the city of Granada, founded in 1524, and thus claiming the status of oldest European settlement in the Americas. This, and the efforts made to retain the colonial flavour of the city, contributed to its successful application to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its picturesque location on the shores of Lake Nicaragua and in the shadow of the Mombacho volcano must have influenced the site selection by the founding fathers. Today, the city is a mosaic of colonial churches and government offices, narrow streets, and Spanish-style homes with beautiful indoor patios, tiled roofs, and colonial colours. We began our tour with a visit to the convent of San Francisco, which today houses a collection of pre-Columbian sculptures. From here we spent some time in the shaded main plaza, viewing La Merced church, and then headed for lunch at Hotel Dario. Fed and rested, we proceeded on to Lake Nicaragua, where we boarded a flotilla of small canopied boats for a short crossing to a group of islets that were formed in the lake during an eruption of the Mombacho volcano. The shallow waters are studded with isolated lava rocks, which kept our boatmen busy raising and lowering their outboards. We spotted a variety of bird life, including ospreys, vultures, herons, egrets, woodpeckers, cormorants and hummingbirds, as well as a few turtles basking on lily pads. On our return to the ship, Conrad presented an insightful talk on Why Costa Rica is Costa Rica, describing his perspective on the country’s history and ways of life. Just before dinner, Neil provided us with a briefing on our plans for tomorrow’s excursion to Playas del Coco.
Sunday, 10th January 2016 – Playas del Coco, Costa Rica
This morning we disembarked by Zodiac for a short ride in to a sandy beach, where we were met by our fleet of buses. Playas del Coco in Guanacaste Province is one of the oldest beach communities in the province and fastest growing tourism area in Costa Rica. It is affectionately known as El Coco by locals and Coco Beach by North Americans and Europeans. The town is located 22 km from the city of Liberia.
Our coaches took us on a 1.5 hour tour though rich agricultural fields of sugar cane, hay, corn, bananas, and cantelopes, which grow to maturity in 55 days or so under their protective irrigated plastic strip covers. Natural vegetation ranged from tropical dry forest along the coast to rainforest as we approached the Juanacasta Volcanic Range, extending up to and over the Continental Divide. Other agricultural fields contained cattle and goats. Our guide informed us that the modern sugar cane mechanical harvesters each replaced the hand labour of two hundred and fifty workers. Today, over two hundred thousand Nicaraguans still come to Costa Rica every year to help with the harvest. Sugar cane is grown for 5-7 years, then replaced for a year or two by other crops to help replenish the soil before reverting to cane. We stopped in the little town of Filadelfia, where we visited a sugar cane processing plant. Our charming and enthusiastic local guide showed us how in the old days, oxen were used to turn the trapiche, a set of steel teeth through which cane was inserted by hand – resulting in frequent injuries. The cane juice was funnelled into a series of tubs, under which fires burned, using dried cane leaves, to boil the juice down into syrup. Near the trapiche was a large bull ring, which we were told is no longer in use. We were then treated to a demonstration on the making of corn tortillas, at which some of us tried our hand, while the rest of us sampled the delicious product, along with cakes and juice and superb Costa Rican coffee to the strains of folk music endemic to this area. Our antics were closely watched by several gigantic iguanas, not in the least perturbed by our presence. A few howler monkeys also made their presence known from a nearby stand of trees.
Our busy day then continued with a short bus ride to the Tempisque River where we boarded small tour boats for a fascinating nature excursion through the Palo Verde National Park. With the eagle eyes of our guides, we were able to spot dozens of crocodiles, lying in the shade or cruising at nostril depth in the river, iguanas, howler monkeys, white-faced capuchin monkeys, herons, egrets, sandpipers, kiskadees, social spiders and many more sightings in the trees, mangroves and the air, and on banks. As we left the river, we stopped beside a flooded field and watched a few dozen egrets, herons, ibises, stilts, whistling ducks, and a beautiful roseate spoonbill coming and going. The river and its adjacent marshes form an important ecosystem depended upon by many migratory birds travelling from North and South America. By now, around midday, we were ready for lunch and returned to the Haciendo El Viejo, where the trapiche was located and enjoyed a homemade lunch featuring Costa Rican dishes including the ubiquitous rice and beans. We arrived back at the ship in mid-late afternoon, allowing time for anyone who wished to explore El Coco before our evening departure. At 5 p.m., Neil conducted a short Sunday Service with hymns for anyone who wished to attend, and at half-past six we all met again for a Recap and Briefing in the lounge before dinner.
Monday, 11th January 2016 – Curu Wildlife Reserve and Isla Tortuga, Costa Rica
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 is located on the southern Nicoya Peninsula, near Tambor, and 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, which was preceded by a Snorkel Briefing by Lea and distribution of fins, masks and snorkels by the expedition team.
After lunch, we found that we had relocated a few miles and were now at anchor off the island of Tortuga. We operated a Zodiac shuttle service throughout the afternoon to allow access to a beautiful beach where we swam and snorkelled to our hearts’ content. The last Zodiac brought the stragglers back to the ship by five p.m. An hour or so later we reconvened in the lounge for a Recap, and Neil provided a Briefing on our plans for landing at Puntarenas, Costa Rica, tomorrow.
Tuesday, 12th January 2016 – Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Puntarenas was first known as Villa Bruselas in colonial times, and was discovered by Hernan Ponce de Leon in 1519. Despite the use of the Gulf of Nicoya as an entryway to Costa Rica’s interior, the port of Puntarenas was not developed until the mid-19th century when coffee production in the highlands reached exportable volumes. Originally, the coffee was brought to port in oxcarts via mountain trails. In 1879, a stretch of railway was built to connect Puntarenas with the trailhead at the town of Esparza. Eventually, the railway was extended all the way to San Jose and service was inaugurated in 1911. The Pacific port’s activities grew with the railway to become a major part of the region’s economy throughout the twentieth century. Sport fishing from Puntarenas today also boosts the economy.
Our main activity planned for today was a visit to the Monteverde Cloud Forest, a nature reserve developed in the nineteen fifties by Quaker immigrants opposed to the military draft in the United States, and because Costa Rica had just abolished its army at the same time. The Quakers saw the need for conservation of this unique environment and encouraged the Costa Rica government to create a large protected area. They also bought large tracts of their own land to protect it for posterity, and other tracts to farm and ranch on. We boarded three large buses which took us along the peninsula on which Puntarenas – Punta meaning point and Rena sand – is built, with a sheltered lagoon in behind. 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.
The reserve contains more than three thousand species of animals and plants. As we walked round a trail loop in the forest, our guides 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 in almost as many hours, stopping frequently to observe wildlife. Among the species of birds spotted were solitaries, postman hummingbirds, which are said to gain their name from their habit of visiting more than 1.5 thousand 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. The only non-bird seen was a small green anole, perched quietly on a leaf a metre or so off the trail, and we also saw quite a number of mushrooms and other fungi. Back at the trailhead, we took a few minutes to visit the Hummingbird Centre, where several different species were feeding, joined occasionally by a banana quit. 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, beef and fish, salads, carrot soup, tea, coffee and juices. Our guides kept their eyes open on the way down and we spotted several troupes of howler monkeys high in trees above the road.
We arrived back at the ship at about five p.m., just in time for afternoon tea, then joined Neil and the team for a Recap and Briefing before dinner; the chefs had prepared a wonderful barbecue on the back deck, complete with salads, soup, breads and desserts. Not finished yet, Neil had arranged for some local musicians and dancers to come on board and give us a show on the foredeck. A narrator interpreted the various performances, and we were encouraged to join the dancers. The fo’c’s’le bar was open and stayed open after the performers left, with great music and special drink offers on tap. Our impressario Neil pulled out all the stops tonight!
Wednesday, 13th January 2016 – Puerto Quepos, Costa Rica
Puerto Quepos is the gateway to the Manuel Antonio National Park, and was home to the native Quepos people of the region. In 1563, Spanish Catholic conquistadores, led by Juan Vasquez de Coronado, settled the area and founded the settlement of San Bernadino de Quepo, subjugating the local Quepos people. Manuel Antonio is the crown jewel of Costa Rica’s National Parks, and the most highly visited. Its fragile rainforest ecosystem shelters abundant wildlife including monkeys and a wide variety of tropical birds. A series of well-maintained trails and boardwalks winds around the park, with little elevation gain, and down to a beautiful white sand swimming beach. The park protects 683 hectares of rainforest and over one thousand species of flora. Our luck was in again today, and our guides, armed with spotting scopes, found both two- and three-toed sloths for us, and well as more howler monkeys, green anoles, bats, a nighthawk, a potoo, leaf-cutter ants and a green parrot snake posing elegantly beside the trail. Conrad later informed us that it was a non-poisonous species, to the great relief of those of us who brought our hands, lenses and eyes within a foot or two for that essential close up shot. We returned to where the buses were parked and found a refreshing snack of pineapple and watermelon slices and juice laid out for us. A few went for a quick swim or paddle in the surf off the nearby beach before re-boarding the buses for the thirty-minute ride back to the Zodiacs and a quick ferry out to the ship for lunch. Thanks to some investigation by Neil, we learned that there were several attractions at the Marina Pez Vela along the quay from where our Zodiacs tied up, and after lunch many went to sample the delicious ice cream, gelato and sorbet, and free wi-fi. On our return to the ship, our Guest Speaker Dr. Peter Harlow gave a presentation on Monkeys of the New World, three of which we have seen so far, a nicely illustrated and annotated talk in which he explained how the monkeys reached the New World and the differences to Old World species.
At our Recap and Briefing, Callum showed a short series of images of Central American Ball Courts, used for a team game which goes back at least three thousand years. Lea tried to encourage us to see the best side of that fearsome animal, the crocodile, many of which we saw in the Palo Verde National Park. Conrad showed us some photos taken that day of the birds seen in the Manuel Antonio National Park. Neil finished up with a briefing on tomorrow’s plans for Golfo Dulce, our last day in Costa Rica. After dinner, Neil once again entertained us, this time with his “not yet” World Famous Music Quiz.
Thursday, 14th January 2016 - Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
Today we sailed deep into the inner reaches of Gulfo Dulce, (Sweet Gulf) Costa Rica, with the rainforest covering the surrounding hills and reaching down to the water’s edge. Following an early breakfast we anchored and started our Zodiac excursion to shore. We did a wet landing on a beach just in front of a lovely little botanical garden named Casa Orguideas (Orchid House). Greeting us was the owner and operator of this lush little hideaway, Ron who, with his wife Trudy, immigrated here from the U.S. 36 years ago and created the gardens at their home as a source of income and local employment. 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 and 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. At eight a.m., Conrad brought 16 of us ashore for a bird walk through the forest and gardens, finding 34 new bird species during the two-hour walk, as well as many previously sighted. At nine a.m., Costa Rican naturalists greeted the rest of us and took small groups through the winding trails of the gardens, identifying and describing the various species of plants. Here we saw, and sometimes tasted, 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, including toucans, macaws, green parrots and wood creepers. 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 before we returned to the ship for lunch.
Following cool drinks and a restorative lunch the afternoon was at our leisure. Many of us returned to the landing to further explore the gardens or enjoy a swim off the gravel beach in the gloriously warm and clear water. During the Recap and Briefing, Conrad identified some of the birds and plant species we have seen in the last day or two, Callum talked about the enigmatic stone spheres found in large numbers here in Golfo Dulce and around Costa Rica, and rarely elsewhere around the world, and Neil described our plans for tomorrow’s visit to the former penal colony at Isla Coiba. Because we were leaving Costa Rica waters today, we had to stop at the port of Golfito and board local officials to clear customs and immigration. It was dark by the time the officials came aboard, during a terrific downpour; they finished their business quickly and disappeared into the gloom towards the fog-shrouded street lights of the town, as we headed back out of the gulf.
Friday, 15th January 2016, Isla Coiba, Panama
Today we were in our fifth country of this tour – Panama. 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. The island is thus home to many endemic subspecies including the Coiba Island Howler Monkey. Coiba 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, becoming a feared place with a reputation for brutal conditions and extreme torture.
However, our landing after breakfast was at a serene little beach with a few Ranger cabins in behind, and we had the place to ourselves – not even a ghost of a prisoner to be seen. After an early breakfast, Conrad took a group of about thirty keeners at 7 a.m. to try to increase the bird list. Jane and Callum an hour later at a more sensible time were accompanied by almost twenty 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. We were relieved to see that the roughest parts of the path are now being improved by sets of wooden staircases and handrails. We paused at the lookout for the obligatory photos, and then all returned to the beach. Here we were joined by the later-risers from the ship, for a wonderful swim and snorkel opportunities off the beach and around an old pier. Zodiacs were stationed to monitor the snorkelers and others ran shuttles to and from the ship until twelve thirty, when the last of us returned for lunch. Shortly afterwards, the Serenissima departed for our anchorage in Panama City and our excursion tomorrow.
During the afternoon, three sets of Engine Room tours were available, and fully subscribed, and many comments were heard about the clean, quiet, efficient-looking engines, which are the original equipment. This was followed by an excellent talk by Pierre on The Panama Canal: A Continent Divided, Two Oceans United, describing the history of construction, completed in August, 1914. Peter was up next with his second talk, this one on Fascinating Mammals of Central America”, explaining how and when these species arrived here and how they adapted to the various environments. At six o’clock, just in time, Neil invited us out to the aft decks to watch the sun set into the Pacific Ocean and celebrate the event with a complimentary glass of bubbly. From here we joined the Expedition Team for a Recap, with Jane giving us a history of the Embera Indians that we will visit tomorrow and discussing their choice of an independent way of life today on a series of river tributaries, and Conrad showing a video he had made today of some of the fish species seen around our Isla Coiba landing. Neil came on once more after dinner with his amusing illustrated selfie talk on It Shouldn’t Happen to a Cruise Director”.
Saturday, 16th January 2016– Panama City, Panama, to Embera Village
We arrived at our anchorage off Panama City early this morning, with the white office towers of downtown shining brilliantly in the rising sun. While we awaited the Panama Customs and Immigration officials – who had kindly given us an exemption to land prior to clearance at Isla Coiba yesterday – we had breakfast and were then given permission to board our waiting shuttle boat while the officials finished their scrutiny. Once complete, they joined us on the Calypso King for a fast crossing to La Playita Marina where we boarded our buses for a unique opportunity: a chance to visit a village of Embera Indians on a tributary of the Chagres River, far into the interior of Panama. Our bus guides prepared us for the visit, as Jane had done so expansively at Recap last night, and the cultural feast that awaited us. When we arrived at the Chagres National Park, we left the coaches and boarded – probably clambered into is more appropriate – a fleet of traditional dugout canoes made by gouging out the interior of split trees, powered by large outboards. Earlier versions, dating back over thousands of years, developed and maintained supply lifelines between the coast and settlements far upriver in the interior, and between settlements, and are still the principal mode of transportation.
On arrival at the village, the Embera chief welcomed us, with the aid of an interpreter, and we were treated to a series of dances and performances in the large open-sided meeting area. The women of the village prepared fried tilapia and plantain, wrapped in banana leaves, and graciously offered this light lunch to us. After the formal presentations, we were free to wander about the village, some of us in the company of the charming and friendly children, and interacted with the village residents. The houses are all open-walled structures built on a platform a few metres above the ground, accessed by a notched log. Back at the meeting area, many of the residents – men and women alike – presented hand crafted and brilliantly painted wares for purchase, made of local woods, reeds, and pigments, satisfying for many of us the difficult choice of souvenirs and gifts for the folks back home. We returned to the coaches the same way, waving goodbye from our dugouts to our lovely Embera hosts, and stopped off at the Miraflores Locks Interpretation Centre en route to the marina, a special add-on treat organized by Neil. 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. This was an inspired addition to the Noble Caledonia programme, as it happened that the canal authorities bumped us today from our six a.m. slot for entering the Miraflores Lock, to the awful time of two-thirty a.m. This is apparently a regular occurrence, highly frustrating especially for cruise ships, and no doubt encouraged by ship-owners with loads of gold in their pockets. Back on the ship before six p.m., highly satisfied with our day’s experience, we enjoyed our Cocktail Hour before Neil’s briefing on the transit of the Canal tomorrow, and dinner.
Sunday, 17th January 2016 – Panama Canal, Panama
At the hour of 4 a.m., well before sunrise but later than we had been promised yesterday, Neil softly announced the arrival of our ship’s Panama Canal pilot and the start of our transit through the Panama Canal. 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 many this was our first time through the canal. Also, the cool morning air was quite pleasant. On board we had a 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 with us for our complete transit. From the bridge, starting at 6 a.m., she gave us commentary about the history, construction, and workings of the canal, in addition to an update about new expanded locks that are currently being completed for ships too large for the present locks.
Even though the Panama Canal connects the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea), surprisingly the canal does not traverse west to east, but north and south, due to the configuration of the country of Panama. For over 100 years the system of 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 are being constructed to handle those Post-Panamax ships, while still using the existing locks to handle all other Panamax ships.
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. As we approached the north end of the lake we joined a fleet of other ships, dropped anchor, and waited three hours for our turn to descend the Gatun Locks. Meanwhile, Peter gave us a talk on the turtles and tortoises of the region and Conrad discussed some of the plants we have seen to date. By the time we reached the northern locks it was late in the afternoon. The delay at Gatun Lake had worked to our advantage! The scorching temperatures diminished and a light breeze arrived. We all gathered outside on the forward decks to observe our passage.
As we approached the first set of the three Gatun Locks, we found that since we are a small ship we would be still be sharing the lock with the same large and empty container ship that had slipped in right in front of us at the Miraflores Locks, neatly blocking our view forward. 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, the largest artificial lake in the world and a key part of the Panama Canal system. 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 had set. Our pilot and narrator and the linesmen took their leave and we set off for tomorrow’s destination, Bocas del Toro, still in Panama.At six p.m., we met in the lounge for another set of recaps, with Callum discussing the dugout canoes we used yesterday to reach the Embera village, in the context of the long lineage of similar prehistoric boats, Conrad told us his story of trekking through miles of jungle to catch a sighting of the rare Harpy Eagle, and Jane prepared us for tomorrow’s penultimate shopping opportunity by describing the history and current use of the Mola, a highly decorated fabric panel originally inset in women’s dress, now more commonly collected as art pieces. Dinner followed, as we sailed west along the Isthmus towards Bocas del Toro.
Monday, 18th January 2016 - Bocas del Toro, Panama
The Captain had us on station on time at 7 to pick up our pilot this morning, but it seems the pilot did not want to go to work today as he radioed the ship to say the channel between the islands was closed! So we took the long way round to our anchorage and lost two hours off the day. Once again, the weather was beautiful, with small puffy white clouds along the horizon but otherwise clear, blue and fine. We began our operations at about ten a.m., when several canopied launches came alongside and took us all off the ship for a tour of some of the nearby islands. In different orders, we visited a small group of Ngöbe Indians at Sandubidi and toured the relatively new community built after this group moved to the island from the mainland. Several charming children led us around, delighting in our cameras and binoculars and funny clothes and ways of talking.
Next we had some great encounters with dolphins in Dolphin Bay, before taking a short nature walk of Solarte Island, seeing a variety of tiny frogs, a lizard, a small mother sloth with baby, some howler monkeys, and a few old dugout canoes, still in use. The houses at the landing and at the Ngöbe village were of course made of wood; evidence of wood cutting was abundant during our nature walk, much of it a deep red cedar-like timber with a beautifully straight grain. As most of the boats returned to the ship, a group of 26 plus staff drove out to a wide, shallow channel for a last snorkelling opportunity, seeing a variety of fish in the soft and hard corals. We swam happily for about an hour and returned to the ship at two-thirty, just in time for the last of the lunch and then jumped in the Zodiacs for a five-minute run ashore to explore Bocas del Toro. We found the town crowded with tourists, surfers and sailors, so we mixed right in and went about our business shopping for Jane’s Molas, enjoying a coffee or cold beer on a harbour view terrace, and sending off our postcards. We were all back on board the ship by six and changed for Captain Etienne’s Farewell Cocktail and Dinner. To conclude the Farewell Gala Night, Neil put on one more show in the lounge after dinner – half an hour of “Music, Melodies and Merriment.
Tuesday, 19th January 2016– Puerto Limon & Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica
After an early history as a haven for pirates up until the mid-19th century, Puerto Limon became one of the major shipping ports in Costa Rica, with coffee and bananas being the main export. We disembarked this morning at 8 and joined our coaches for a short drive to a private dock at Moin on one of the numerous canals that criss-cross the interior adjacent to the Caribbean coast. Here we boarded three big covered launches for a drive along one of these waterways, seeing a rich variety of birds, animals and plants. Among the wildlife were two- and three-toed sloths, osprey, snowy egrets, mangrove swallows, blue, green- backed, tri-coloured and night herons, vivid Jesus Christ lizards, kiskadees, green iguanas, an oropendulas colony, green emerald basilisk, grackles, squirrel cuckoos, howler monkeys, an exquisite poison dart frog, and a jacana. Not a bad haul for a two hour ride, thanks to our sharp-eyed guides and boat drivers. We stopped for a snack of iced tea and pineapple chunks at the dock, then drove to a nearby Del Monte banana plantation and packing factory, where we were told about both ends of the business, producing one hundred million forty-pound boxes for export each year. We returned to the ship at one o’clock for a lovely lunch featuring fresh sushi, then began the dreaded tasks of packing and bill-paying. Staff collected, cleaned, counted and stored all the snorkel equipment, in readiness for the next group of passengers who will join the ship tomorrow. This evening, we joined Pierre and the rest of the Expedition Team for a showing of Pierre’s Secret World of Two Oceans Slideshow, featuring a selection of shots of wildlife, scenery, historic sites, local people and, of course, ourselves. Neil entertained us on the piano as we enjoyed our last evening cocktails, then dinner completed the day.
Wednesday, 2Oth January 2016 – Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, Disembarkation
Our final morning on board MS Serenissima. We finished our packing, placed our luggage outside our doors to be taken off the ship, enjoyed a final breakfast on board, and said our good byes to crew and staff. We boarded our final coaches and set off to the airport at San Jose, for out homeward flights.
End of Voyage
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