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

[Sea42]

Monteverde is our favorite place in Costa Rica! The birding is fantastic there. We were lucky enough to see a Quetzel on our first visit.

[scubacruiserx2]

5 hours ago, oakridger said:

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

 

 

 

Thank you Nancy and all the best to you . We really don't mind going by Pat and Joe ( As long as you remember who's who ) . 

🙂😄

Edited December 26, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

36 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

Monteverde is our favorite place in Costa Rica! The birding is fantastic there. We were lucky enough to see a Quetzel on our first visit.

 

We certainly did enjoy it also . No live Quetzel sightings yet , but how lucky that you got to see one the first time around ! We did stop at another park with a couple of different sightings .

[scubacruiserx2]

Before we left the hummingbird place we stopped to wash up at a funny disco type hand cleaner . They had some nice paintings but they were pricey so we asked if we could shop around later .

 

 

 

We stopped at another park /hike

 

 

We were not the only ones there and I was chasing butterflies near the planted garden

 

 

 

A kinda ragged Blue Morpho

 

 

 

Halloween colored berries

 

 

Funny seed pods

 

 

Pat and Kiki we sitting still on a trail so I quietly approached .

There were 3 turkey sized Brown Guan sunning themselves

 

 

Out of the bushes popped an Agouti that weighed about 10 pounds  A little later we saw one chasing another .

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Our original time in Costa Rica was from 0800 - 1800 but it had been changed from 0800 - 2000 . Lunch was included and was very good .

 

 

 

We did stop at a store and the prices were a little high but we got a wildlife guide and a unique locally made bag 

 

 

We did catch some rain in the mountains and there was extra traffic at rush hour going the other way .We did have to stop as they cleared some debris from the road several times .

 

 

 

 

It was dark when we got back to the port and we had to wear raincoats and saw lighting and heard thunder as we walked the long bridge . A bus load pulled up at the same time and we walked in ahead of them as the rain stopped .

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[alibabacruisers]

I just found your trip report and I want to thank you so much!  Your pictures and comments are truly amazing!  You sure have a fascinating history with growing up wanting to be a pilot and then being a corpsman in the Navy and then Fire Department and a scuba diver!  Thank you for your service.

 

Thank you for sharing your trip!

[scubacruiserx2]

14 minutes ago, alibabacruisers said:

I just found your trip report and I want to thank you so much!  Your pictures and comments are truly amazing!  You sure have a fascinating history with growing up wanting to be a pilot and then being a corpsman in the Navy and then Fire Department and a scuba diver!  Thank you for your service.

 

Thank you for sharing your trip!

 

Thank you very much from so far away . We would love to make it to Oz and New Zealand one day ! Please stay tuned . 😊

[scubacruiserx2]

Because of the weather the ship almost felt empty . We did a quick change to make dinner at the Pinnacle . We were surprised to see some of the ladies from the Tamarind having dinner together and they told us that they had closed the Tamarind for the evening  ! It would not be the biggest surprize of the evening though .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Captain's announcement that we would have to sail and leave people behind ! 😱

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

A changeover day for more tropical flowers

 

 

The guys at the Retreat promised us a surprize on our day at sea

 

 

 

 

The ad for the shore excursion folks that were left behind . We did pray for them in our at sea Bible study group .

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We forgot to show you how the morning began .

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Wednesday October 19 - Transiting the Panama Canal

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

 

Ships waiting their turn outside of Panama City

 

 

 

The Bio Museum

 

 

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

 

Sailing under the Bridge of the Americas

 

 

 

 

And what we saw

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Breakfast in the Canal

 

 

With what else ? Panama Rolls which tasted suspiciously like apricots on the inside .

 

 

 

Busy in the canal

 

 

 

The clanging of the mules sounds like the trolley in San Francisco which made me crave some Rice A Roni

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

 Approaching the Culebra Cut and the Centennial Bridge

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We're not sure why the Pinnacle was open for lunch but we did enjoy it 

 

 

 

 

 

We did see this RORO on the lake

 

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Near the Gatun Locks

 

 

 

 

The Black Lighthouse

 

 

 

A mule climbing the hill

 

 

 

 

Mud under the Atlantic Bridge

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

A couple of outtakes from the Canal

 

 

 

 

After exiting the canal as we headed out we stopped near the breakwater and reversed course and backed into the Hotel where we had a ringside seat to watch the Disco bus and the return of the zipline and adventure group who had been left in Costa Rica

 

 

 

 

 

 

A clean sweep of the balcony

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We watched as most of the folks boarded but won't show photos to respect their privacy . They did return to applause and we had ordered dinner in the room which they said would be 45 minutes . It took almost twice as long . Because we are in the aft where the food is prepared it should have been much less . We were in a little hurry since we wanted to watch the group Unity and they were all the way in the front of the ship .

 

Here's: the intro and the first song

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Thursday October 20th was another day at sea and we ate early to make a follow up appointment with the doctor . While we were waiting the 4 guys from unity were getting a Covid test so we were able to chat a little  They did say that their next show would be a tribute to Billy Joel . The next stop was with our small Bible group and 2 of the ladies were ones who had been left behind in Costa Rica . They said that had to walk about 2 miles in the dark , rain and mud that tried to pull the shoes off of their feet . From there they we bussed to a nice hotel , showered and ate and given new clothes to replace their muddy ones . Quite an adventure indeed !

 The weather had cleared a bit and we had a special Winemasters Dinner so we wanted to have lunch at the Retreat . We had wanted to try their milkshake so we just split a burger .

 

 

 

And they had a new fries container , eh .

 

 

We were not sure if it was half full or half empty

 

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

As we tied up it was next to the Scientology ship Tradewinds which makes it's home here 

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

 

 

And so we were off to meet our guide Esther and headed out for a quick day

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We did a quick ride downtown before a stop at the beach

 

 

 

 

 

I think that this was a Divi Divi tree . Most of the people who live or stay awhile bring their own chairs instead of renting

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

We have been to Aruba a number of times before but this was the first time that we went to the Butterfly Farm . A tour was beginning so we listened a bit 

 

 

 

There weren't too many people shooting photos so we started a short walk to try to catch the butterflies still before people started moving around much .

 

 

 

 

Brunch on the Lido

 

 

 

 

The butterflies were contained by a screen room like we have over our pool to keep out biting bugs and debris from out of the pool

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Our next stop was De Olde Molen

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

 

 

Followed by a walk on the MooMba Beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

The next stop was Boca Catalina , the snorkeling beach . This is where your snorkeling tour will probably end up but you can swim right off of the beach 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

California Lighthouse

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Our next stop was down to Arashi Beach ( watch out for thorns )

 

 

 

 

Followed by a ride up to Alto Vista Chapel