Fire and Ice : A photo travelogue from Alaska thru the canal to the Caribbean and beyond

[scubacruiserx2]

Friday October 14 found us pulling in to the pretty port town of Huatulco at Dawn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

 

 

Not too many people on the beach yet but the boats were in 

 

 

We met Thomas and drove to the Faro and a scenic overlook of the Pacific

 

 

 

On these rocks Thomas spotted a Black Iguana which was white in color

 

 

The Nieuw Amsterdam

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We next went up above the city to look at a possible wedding destination

 

 

 

 

 

Same photo using a flash

 

 

Video clip of the overview :

 

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

The next stop was at Playa La Bocana for lunch and a nice conversation

 

 

 

Notice the dirt floor . The first time that we went to South America our driver stopped for breakfast on the was to the port and they were watering and raking the dirt floor . Another cruiser riding with us became very concerned and refused to eat the empanadas .

 

 

 

 

 

Some artwork at the men's room

 

 

 

As a surfer I naturally watched the waves and noticed that they were closing out which means that they break all at once making for a very short ride . A surfer did go out and had a very hard time getting out past the breaking waves and chose to come back in .

 

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

Edited December 20, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

A return to the port

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Sunset , a sail away and a dinner cruise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Thomas was a very good guide in all respects . A couple of outtakes from Huatulco 

 

 

Birds nest

 

 

At lunch

 

 

 

View from the port

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Saturday October 15th we were in Puerto Quetzal , Guatemala and we were informed by the Captain that the President was going to be in town in Antigua and that we should expect to see extra security . The last time that we were here was on Good Friday and the Catholic Church had a large processional of people carrying statues from the church on a large platform on their shoulders 

 

 

 

But first was breakfast

 

 

We had deconstructed our Eggs Benedict to show how the meat was now cut in half . But we had ordered a side of back bacon which we used to reconstruct and return our EB back to their former glory .

 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

We arrived at the port at about 10:00 and were there until 19:30 . Oh did we forget to mention the sunrise ?

 

 

 

Note the large piles of coal  and the skinny , bouncy bridge that leads from the catwalk to the shore

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We met our guide and driver and set out for Antigua about an hour and 40 minutes away .

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

 

We did request a bathroom break which was at a gas station with a bathroom . We had to get the keys and it had a metal door and bars inside - like a jail cell  When I came out to the van I noticed that a man with an assault weapon was standing nearby . When I asked the guide if that was security for the President and he explained that the gas stations like this one ( without a convencience store ) were owned by the cartel who used them to exchange money . The elevation of Antigua is 5000' . We first went to the San Francisco Church where mass was being celebrated so we waited outside .

 

 

 

We bought a snack of homemade Plantain strips as it was near lunch .

 

[scubacruiserx2]

There was a garden outside that we went to . On the way we saw this cross with the implements for the torture and death of Jesus behind a locked gate . The dice represent the way the soldiers gambled for Jesus clothes .

 

 

 

Hernando Pedro

 

 

 

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_de_San_José_de_Betancur

[scubacruiserx2]

Inside the church

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a copy of the return of the Prodigal Son

 

 

The original Rembrandt which is perhaps his greatest and /or most famous painting , hangs in the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg , Russia . We have seen it several times and stood in front of it by ourselves for an extended time - always in awe of the painting and the story of God's love and patience for us to return to Him .

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_the_Prodigal_Son_(Rembrandt)

Edited December 22, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Our next stop was at a plain looking entrance to the place where the president was staying . Fidencio ( our guide ) pointed out several of the security guards which do not resemble our Secret Service in suits , but resemble plain clothes men instead . The place was the El Convento Boutique Hotel .

 

https://www.elconventoantigua.com/the-hotel/el-convento

 

 

 

 

Jailbreak

 

 

 

 

The men's room or perhaps , a doggie comfort station

 

 

 

 

And 2 of the iconic views here the Arco de Santa Catalina

 

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

 

 

And the Volcan Aqua

 

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

 

 

We would recommend Tennis shoes or comfortable walking shoes with the angled and sometimes slick cobblestones .

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We were ready for lunch and we requested a locals only type of place and they knew a good place 

 

 

The set up reminded me of the cafeteria culture that was popular when I was a kid like Morrisons or Piccadillys . 

 

We saw the food by the door and picked a couple of meats and a couple of veggies , found a table and the food was brought to you .

 

 

 

 

 

For dessert we split a fried plantain stuffed with a black bean like center

 

 

One thing that we had hoped to see is a Resplendent Quetzal which is the National bird with a long tail . The Quetzal is also the name of the currency .

 

 

They are getting harder to find and the best that we could do was a photo of a photo .

 

 

Fidencio and the driver did a fine job and we would highly recommend them 

 

 

When we were on the way back we experienced quite a thunderstorm and at the sound of the first lighting bolt , the driver said that the Volcano was erupting , Yikes ! 😱

Edited December 24, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[Sea42]

I love the look of the restaurant, was the food good?

[0106]

Thank you for your report.  How do you find your guides?

Edited December 24, 2022 by 0106

[scubacruiserx2]

59 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

I love the look of the restaurant, was the food good?

 

We liked it as a nice break from the ship's food and it was pretty reasonable in terms of price .

[scubacruiserx2]

1 hour ago, 0106 said:

Thank you for your report.  How do you find your guides?

 

You're welcome . We go by word of mouth from others on CC , our TA or a Google search . The most reliable is Tours by Locals . You do pay a kind of finders fee to TBL the first time around . But once you have used them we contact them directly like Eric in San Francisco . We hope to go to Hawaii in the Spring for our anniversary so we plan on stopping there coming and going and he will take us to Big Sur , Wine country and Yosemite before and/or after Hawaii .

Edited December 24, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Back at the ship there's a place to eat nearby

 

 

Only saw one blue-eyed Jaguar

 

 

And a dead puffer fish floating by the bouncy bridge leading to the ship

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

It was shrimp night at the Canaletto

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

A very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate the birth of Jesus . 🎂

 

Sunday October 16th a day at sea sailing toward Costa Rica at breakfast

 

 

 

 

After breakfast we attended the Interdenominational service with a great group of people who agreed to meet together on the days at sea for a Bible study . And , of course lunch wasn't far away over the horizon at the Retreat .

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Dinner was delivery so that we could go to see Paolo Schianchi the guitar player

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We were really looking forward to Costa Rica perhaps the most biodiverse country that we would visit . But there was rain on the horizon and forecast as we made port at Puerto Caldera .

 

 

 

We would be using our guide from our previous visit Kiki who was excellent in all respects . But instead of going South to the Rainforest at sea level we would be going North to the Monteverde Cloud forest at nearly a mile high - like Antigua . The pier is very long and narrow and the buses couldn't turn around so they had to back to the ship one at a time or drive forward on to the pier and then back off of the pier . Additionally there was another ship , the Ocean Victory , with many people carrying their luggage .

 

 

We had to ask people to move who were waiting to get on the busses so that we could meet our guide at the end of the pier .

 

 

 

We wished that we could dress like the locals so we could blend in .

 

 

The local beach

 

 

Edited December 25, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

We met Kiki and Carlos our driver at the end of the pier and began the trip North . We did ask if the rain in the mountains would be a problem and they didn't think so . About an hour into the 2 hour ride Carlos spotted a Toucan so we stopped . My autofocus on the camera wouldn't work well with all the branches but we could see that it is a Keel -billed Toucan .

 

 

Also Carlos saw a Laughing Falcon on a bare tree

 

 

Farmland stop

 

 

This is the first time that we were able to get some decent photos of hummingbirds

 

 

 

 

 

 

[oakridger]

Merry Christmas you two!  (I'm not using your names because I don't know if you prefer to keep them private).

I just love the pictures and can't wait to hear what happened latter in Costa Rica.  We know about the tour group that got left behind, but I know that didn't happen to you!

 

~Nancy