SOUTHERN DELIGHTS Nov/Dec 06

[Anteeta]

Hi cruisers,

 

We're very excited because we've just booked the 28 day trip from Southampton visisting Ft lauderdale, New Orleans, Cozumel, Limon, Cristobal, Curacao, Grenada and Barbados.

 

Does anyone have any idea of 'things to do ' in Costa Rica and Panama. please? We believe that neither ports of call are ideal for beach trips. What other options have been available as excursions on previous trips.

 

Many thanks,

 

Anteeta

[travel-to-go]

Anteeta,

Costa Rica is all about eco-tourism. There are Banana Plantations, a volcano (whihc is usually masked in clouds) a sloth sanctuary, river trips, white water rafting, All with pretty reliable views (and sounds) of howler monkees, iguanas, and various parrots.

In Panama, you should see the locks one way or another, there is an Indian village, but you can see the villagers perform (bare breasted women with incredible body paint and BRIGHT skirts and men with loin cloths, all with hand made instruments, They are all very short of stature with the most inredibly beautiful long raven hair. They perform right in the pavillion outside the ship. Don't be fooled by the first batch of stores near the entrance- There is an entire huge area beyond that. Again, anything to do with nature is marvelous. We didn't need it, but bring your mosquito repellant, It had been very dry before our trip, so the mosquitos were dormant. But they can be brutal. If you can afford it, I think the train (a restored rail car) in Panama would be marvelous. By the time we decided to go for it and spend the money, it was sold out. It was the FIRST EXCURSION TO SELL OUT! so book early. and the bookings close THREE DAYS before the stop usually! Watch the sidebars in your daily programme! Not like other ships that close the day before!

By the way, don't be afraid about the stairs to the observation platform at the canal. I am handicapped and I made it. They are broad stairs with a low rise. Easy to climb for someone impaired. (Wheelchair would be a different thing, but there is a wheelchair viewing area also)

 

Karie,

who loved both countries.

BTW, learn a bit about the countries and their history, geography and political system before you go, and while there. You appreciate it much more, and kind of feel more comfortable when you get there with a little familiariity and it means a lot to the people that you have taken the time to care about and appreciate their beautiful land. Did you know that Costa Rica did away with its army in 1950 something? I forget the exact date. they have a very stable government, less poverty than most surrounding nations, are very popular with ex-pat American retirees and take pains to cherish and protect their ecology.

[Anteeta]

Anteeta,

Costa Rica is all about eco-tourism. There are Banana Plantations, a volcano (whihc is usually masked in clouds) a sloth sanctuary, river trips, white water rafting, All with pretty reliable views (and sounds) of howler monkees, iguanas, and various parrots.

In Panama, you should see the locks one way or another, there is an Indian village, but you can see the villagers perform (bare breasted women with incredible body paint and BRIGHT skirts and men with loin cloths, all with hand made instruments, They are all very short of stature with the most inredibly beautiful long raven hair. They perform right in the pavillion outside the ship. Don't be fooled by the first batch of stores near the entrance- There is an entire huge area beyond that. Again, anything to do with nature is marvelous. We didn't need it, but bring your mosquito repellant, It had been very dry before our trip, so the mosquitos were dormant. But they can be brutal. If you can afford it, I think the train (a restored rail car) in Panama would be marvelous. By the time we decided to go for it and spend the money, it was sold out. It was the FIRST EXCURSION TO SELL OUT! so book early. and the bookings close THREE DAYS before the stop usually! Watch the sidebars in your daily programme! Not like other ships that close the day before!

By the way, don't be afraid about the stairs to the observation platform at the canal. I am handicapped and I made it. They are broad stairs with a low rise. Easy to climb for someone impaired. (Wheelchair would be a different thing, but there is a wheelchair viewing area also)

 

Karie,

who loved both countries.

BTW, learn a bit about the countries and their history, geography and political system before you go, and while there. You appreciate it much more, and kind of feel more comfortable when you get there with a little familiariity and it means a lot to the people that you have taken the time to care about and appreciate their beautiful land. Did you know that Costa Rica did away with its army in 1950 something? I forget the exact date. they have a very stable government, less poverty than most surrounding nations, are very popular with ex-pat American retirees and take pains to cherish and protect their ecology.

 

Thank you so much for such an informed and helpful reply. This gives us something to think about so that we can make the best choice when the time comes.

 

And I agree so much with your comments to Karie. As soon as we booked I whizzed off to the public library and came back with 8 tourist guides covering most of the destinations. We love to try and understand at least a bit about the different cultures. I understand that cruising tourists can be seen as a little predatory; they sometimes descend like locusts and rush off with armfuls of tacky souvenirs. Or worse, they stay on board and spend nothing at the port of call.

 

I try to find out the local speciality, be it wood carvings, cloth, pottery etc and then find somewhere a little off the beaten track that sells such things.

 

And as for Costa Rica I was surprised to find that the army was disbanded. And neither did I know that there's free education for all and healthcare to rival the States and many western nations. Given the proximity to Nicaragua and other less stable Central American countries, I must confess that I'd made some assumptions about Costa Rica which are unfounded.

 

Thanks again for the advice.

[Anteeta]

Anteeta,

Costa Rica is all about eco-tourism. There are Banana Plantations, a volcano (whihc is usually masked in clouds) a sloth sanctuary, river trips, white water rafting, All with pretty reliable views (and sounds) of howler monkees, iguanas, and various parrots.

In Panama, you should see the locks one way or another, there is an Indian village, but you can see the villagers perform (bare breasted women with incredible body paint and BRIGHT skirts and men with loin cloths, all with hand made instruments, They are all very short of stature with the most inredibly beautiful long raven hair. They perform right in the pavillion outside the ship. Don't be fooled by the first batch of stores near the entrance- There is an entire huge area beyond that. Again, anything to do with nature is marvelous. We didn't need it, but bring your mosquito repellant, It had been very dry before our trip, so the mosquitos were dormant. But they can be brutal. If you can afford it, I think the train (a restored rail car) in Panama would be marvelous. By the time we decided to go for it and spend the money, it was sold out. It was the FIRST EXCURSION TO SELL OUT! so book early. and the bookings close THREE DAYS before the stop usually! Watch the sidebars in your daily programme! Not like other ships that close the day before!

By the way, don't be afraid about the stairs to the observation platform at the canal. I am handicapped and I made it. They are broad stairs with a low rise. Easy to climb for someone impaired. (Wheelchair would be a different thing, but there is a wheelchair viewing area also)

 

Karie,

who loved both countries.

BTW, learn a bit about the countries and their history, geography and political system before you go, and while there. You appreciate it much more, and kind of feel more comfortable when you get there with a little familiariity and it means a lot to the people that you have taken the time to care about and appreciate their beautiful land. Did you know that Costa Rica did away with its army in 1950 something? I forget the exact date. they have a very stable government, less poverty than most surrounding nations, are very popular with ex-pat American retirees and take pains to cherish and protect their ecology.

 

Thanks very much for your informed and helpful response. We'll be able to make the best choice when the time comes wioth info like this to think about.

 

And I agree with your reply to Karie. We raced off to the library and returned with 8 tourist guides covering most of the ports of call. I think it really adds to the trip if we can understand at least al ittle of the culture. We`also try to buy real local souvenirs from each stop. The coconut shell hand carved bird feeder hangs from a beech tree in the back garden and still reminds us of a wonderful day on the beach in Nevis nearly 3 years ago.

 

And I was surprised about the Costa Rican army. I also learned from the guide books that that Costa Rican healthcare is comparable to that in the States or many other western nations. Assumptions I made on the basis that Costa Rica is adjacent to Nicaragua and othe less stable countries are completely unfounded.

 

Thanks again.

[travel-to-go]

Not only is Costa Rica's health care quite good, there is also a "tourism-based" economy in certain medical procedures. I've read some in-depth articles lately about it. Seems people will book a complete package to go down for extensive dental work they could not afford in the states, or even plastic surgery. You are housed usually in a hacienda or guest house especially set up with owners and staff who are there to meet your post-surgical needs. Folks have gone down there to check up on this, and for the most part found the medical care to be equal to that in the US, the knowledge and certification to be good, cleanliness and care are excellent. US dentists like to complain, but what if there are complications? Well, what if there are complications here? There are no guarantees in life, and yes, things can go wrong, but most experts have gone there and found everthing to be up to snuff. We Americans like to assume everyone else is behind us. Not so! In fact, not that many Americans know the state of the Cuban medical system. (Remember Castro offered to send us Doctors all ready to hit the ground working in the aftermath of Katrina, which we hautily turned down- rsking people's lives over politial grandstanding) I'm not trying to defend Castro's excesses, by any stretch of the imagination, but he has done some things right. And many "people's revolutions" happen for a reason- the inadequacies of the previous regimes. Equal access to education and medical care are two things that Castro opened up to the common people that they did not previously have access to at all. Their system for treating AIDs patients is excellent. I've read good articles on that too. I'm not sure if it could be done here, but they have effectively contained the spread by having resort-like areas removed from the general public. people with HIV or AIDs voluntarily go to these places knowing they have agreed not to leave, because they get their medical care taken care of, generally have better living arrangements and food and they agree to stay, so as not to spread the contagion. Different, but it is working for them. There is no (as far as I know) force or coercion, other than offering people things that make t attractive to them. They have a marvelous social life, too. It sure beats Haiti's response where it is a true scourge.

 

Well, sorry to go off on a tangent, but yes, Costa Rica has an excellent medical system.

 

Karie,

who loves to read a lot and learn about other cultures