North , South and Central America on the Nieuw Amsterdam photo travelogue. Easter 2022 .

[scubacruiserx2]

4 hours ago, albingirl said:

Love this travel blog.  Thank you.  Speaking of bag envy, one of your postings a while back, I always get bag envy.  Is there a cure?  Doubt it, according to my husband.  This a a great review!

 

Thanks . My bag envy itch was scratched in Mexico and the price was right . I'll show it a little later in the review , Ok ?

[scubacruiserx2]

At the end of the walk there is a bump in the road that some people may not pass by but spend part of the day here at the Park Cartagena .

 

 

We were in a hurry to meet our guide Rafael on the other side of the park so we hustled thru and would stop at the park on the way back if we had time . We hope to continue mañana .

🙂 😉

 

Edited May 9, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[albingirl]

3 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

Thanks . My bag envy itch was scratched in Mexico and the price was right . I'll show it a little later in the review , Ok ?

Oh good.  You bet.

[scubacruiserx2]

After meeting Rafael we headed to the highest point in the city at almost  500' , The Convent de la Popa .

 

 

It was Palm Sunday and there were a number of people walking up and down the hill carrying Palm plants .They were going to the monastery to have their palms blessed and return them to the place where they were to be planted . The view was spectacular and we could see the Nieuw Amsterdam .

 

 

We passed by the Mass where the Palms were being blessed .

 

 

We then entered the courtyard ( cloisters ) where Rafael could talk .

 

 

 

 

He told us the story about how the convent was founded .

 

The chronicle says that while Friar Alonso de la Cruz Paredes in the convent of the Candelaria of Ráquira (a town of the Colombian Andean area), the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and ordered him to build a church on the hill closest to Cartagena, in order to return the Christian faith to this land, in which the legend says, inhabited an evil spirit, in the form of a goat, to which the mulattoes worshiped under the direction of the native Luis Andrea, who ended his days in a cell of the Inquisition.^[1]

The friar fulfilled his mission and threw the animal from the top of the hill. Since then the Cartagena people call to the precipice, the Salto del Cabrón, in allusion to the goat.

Wikipedia

 

 

He did mention that the worshippers of the goat had gold ornaments that were precious not because of it's worth as a precious metal but more for it's intended religious purpose .

 

[scubacruiserx2]

This plate was about 7 ' tall

 

 

 

 

A final view from above 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We were not prepared for the persistence and aggression of some of the street vendors . This video may help to become aware .

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We had a few vendors in the parking lot at the monastery but at the next stop it was very busy both inside and out .

 

 

We agreed to meet in about 30 minutes time and ducked inside to cool off and get a breather from the busy outdoors and heat and get a look at these fish .

 

 

When we stepped outside we saw this Police car

 

 

And in the distance I could see a ramp leading to one of the walls that surround the city

 

 

 

[MoneyGuy]

On 5/9/2022 at 6:57 AM, scubacruiserx2 said:

Some of the follow up songs .

 

Big girls don't cry

 

 

 

Working my back to you 

 

 

 

You're just too good to be true 

 

 

The Four Seasons tribute group was my favourite of all of the entertainers; thank you for posting the videos. 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Our next stop became very busy with tour buses from the cruise ship . It was Castillo San Felipe de Barajas .

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo_San_Felipe_de_Barajas

 

 After the buses left we were mobbed by people with animals and people for photos , selling cigars , T- shirts , Panama Hats made in Ecuador , jewelry and food . 

 

 

Next stop was an outside photo of the Teatro Heredia

 

 

Followed by a walk along 5th street with it's Colonial balconies .

 

 

 

A scene in a Will Smith movie Gemini Man was shot near here . Many of the doors have animals on them to describe the social or job status of the resident. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

26 minutes ago, MoneyGuy said:

 

 

We also liked them and here are a couple of other songs in a part1/part 2 format 

 

Stay

 

 

 

 

 

And Walk like a Man

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

The next stop was  at the Church and Plaza San Pedro Claver

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[MisterMatthew]

What an outstanding blog.. thank you for posting.  The view from the convent looks amazing! 

 

That cruise itinerary is impressive.  I'm jealous -- it has some of my most favorite international cities!!

 

---Matthew

[scubacruiserx2]

We were near the Cathedral de Santa Catalina de Alejandria near a ship's tour

 

 

And went in after the other tour came out

 

 

Just across on the ground was the Portal de las Reinas which showed many of the Miss Columbias including Ariadna Gutierrez in the lower right photo . She was mistakenly crowned Miss Universe in 2015 on live TV by Steve Harvey .

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

18 minutes ago, MisterMatthew said:

What an outstanding blog.. thank you for posting.  The view from the convent looks amazing! 

 

That cruise itinerary is impressive.  I'm jealous -- it has some of my most favorite international cities!!

 

---Matthew

 

Thank you sir . There was really a lot to see in 1 day in Cartagena and a lot of cruise to go .

🙂😊

[ellbelle]

9 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

We were not prepared for the persistence and aggression of some of the street vendors . This video may help to become aware .

 

 

 

Persistent they are! We were on a Segway tour in the walled city  and had stopped by a pretty square where I had eyed something at a table and this man selling it wouldn’t leave me alone after telling him “no” many times. We all got on our Segways and tootled away and this guy literally ran behind us holding the item all the way to the next stop where our guide finally told him to go away. 

Edited May 10, 2022 by ellbelle

[scubacruiserx2]

Nearby Rafael showed us some statues of workers engaged in work and we took a well earned fresh Papaya and Watermelon Break before returning to the ship . It was Hot ! 🌡️

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

1 hour ago, ellbelle said:

Persistent they are! We were on a Segway tour in the walled city  and had stopped by a pretty square where I had eyed something at a table and this man selling it wouldn’t leave me alone after telling him “no” many times. We all got on our Segways and tootled away and this guy literally ran behind us holding the item all the way to the next stop where our guide finally told him to go away. 

 

🥇 for persistence

[scubacruiserx2]

We were running a little late to the ship and had a last look at the Panama hats before we set sail for Panama .

 

 

A quick walk thru and a few shutter snaps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The walk back

 

 

Lunch line

 

 

 

And time for a siesta

 

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

The flowers came in while we were gone and we ordered room service for a late lunch before a quick nap .

 

 

 

 

 

Columbia in the rear view mirror 

 

 

 

Unlike the Catholic service we had no worship leader but a full group of people and hymnals for acapella hymns for Palm Sunday before dinner . Part way into the service a man came into the back of the service and quickly left and returned with a guitar . He said that he used to be a music leader in his church and launched into a rousing song . I didn't recognize him until he sang but it was Robert Neary the man who had portrayed Neil Diamond .

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

We were up before dawn and went up to get a big view of the day 

 

 

Walking the length of the ship I saw that most of the lounge chairs had people or paraphernalia on them before 0600 .

 

 

Having entered the breakwater the sea was very calm

 

 

Passing under the Atlantic Bridge

 

 

 

 

Nearing the Gatun Locks

 

 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

At breakfast in the Pinnacle before entering the gate .

 

 

In this video clip we have been raised up a level and are moving past the wall of the lock and then past the gate itself . It seemed so close that we could  almost reach out and touch it.

 

 

 

After breakfast we went toward the promenade deck to go outside

 

 

 

 

We started to watch a mule work but while looking at all the tension on the cable attached to the ship - we deemed it unsafe if the cable were to snap and moved to another place .

 

 

The Gatun Locks with the gates open and shut 

 

 

 

 

A large Costco container ship going the other way

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

A mule hard at work towing us

 

 

After the gates closed this yellow handrail would pop up

 

 

A black lighthouse

 

 

Going the other way

 

 

 

Empty bow

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We decided to go up to the Retreat for lunch and to view the Canal

 

 

 

 

The deck above the retreat was never crowded

 

 

The Retreat cabanas overlooking the pool

 

 

 

 

Dive Inn for lunch

 

 

This floating crane named Titan was a war prize after the Second World War and nicknamed Herman the German .

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_the_German_(crane_vessel)

Edited May 12, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

We had to make a small turn at the crane and sailed under the Centennial Bridge

 

 

You can see some of the terraces in the hills here where explosives and machines dug the canal

 

 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[echoshipmate]

Thanks for taking us back in time.  We did this very cruise, with a few port variations, on NA but from Seattle to Ft Lauderdale last October and are doing it again this October from San Diego to FLL. The first time we had the family cabana on the other side from yours, but this upcoming cruise we are in "your family cabana". What a treat that is to have such a terrific setting to view the world going by, not to mention the service from our attendants, Christian and Norvick, both great guys. You are bringing back wonderful memories of our trip down the coast, through the canal, into the Caribbean, the Bahamas. Your descriptions and pictures are adding to my excitement to be doing it again this October. Thanks for the refresher course, thanks for sharing the adventure.

Doug