Taking a look back at 2019

“To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward.” ~                                                              Margaret Fairless Barber, The Roadmender

Ponta Delgada City Gates – Azores

As I sit here, I realize that it has been quite a while since my fingers gently tap danced across a keyboard.   But, as I sit at my computer fondly remembering the past year I thought I would put words to paper and share some wonderful highlights of our passage through 2019.  All my highlights for last year involve wonderful travel to many different places and, best of all, spending time with family and friends that I hold most dear.

In order to highlight the past year properly, I first needed to set my mind adrift back to the spring of 2018. That spring, Randy, me and our friends, Doug and Sue decided to ‘make a run’ to reach pinnacle status in Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ Crown and Anchor Society.  We sat one warm afternoon in Sue and Doug’s cabin, and with calendars in hand, calculated how many cruises we would have to achieve to reach the magic number of 700 points.

Majesty of the seas on our journey to Cuba

And then, it began.  Each time we arrived on another ship we would make our way down to the Next Cruise office to see where we would cruise next.  I must admit, it was all very exciting.

Traveled with new and old friends on the Symphony of the seas. (from left) Jim, Jo Anne, me, Doug, Charmaine, Dick, Sandra, John and Sue. Wonderful, wonderful cruise.

The remainder of 2018 found us traveling on various Royal ships including the Oasis, Majesty, Brilliance, Rhapsody and Symphony of the seas. We traveled to the Caribbean, Cuba, Naples, Croatia, Greek Isles, Ireland, Iceland, and Canada, lovely cruise along the New England coastline and a transatlantic that took us to the Azores.  I must admit that there were times when I felt as though I was caught up in a perpetual whirlwind.

Enjoying a delicious meal in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with friends, Bob, Lucille, Charmaine and Dick.

2019 started with a bucket list cruise through the Panama Canal that was just amazing.  We cruise first from Miami to San Diego and then turned around and made our way back to Miami.  The cruise was a wonderful one with stops in Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico.  Making this trip even more special was traveling with friends and neighbors, Bob and Lucille and a lovely couple we met on the Symphony, Dick and Charmaine.

From left-Mickey, Randy, Vilma, Mary and Jim

On our turnaround day in San Diego, we were able to connect with long-time friends Jim, Vilma and Mickey.  They picked us up at the pier and whisked away for a wonderful lunch at the Garage.  It is always good to reconnect with friends that live so far away.

We finally reached our goal May 2019.  When we made our plans, we decided to choose the Harmony of the seas   to be recognized as Pinnacle.  We also decided to stay on the ship the first week to receive our recognition, the second week to see what being Pinnacle was all about and the third week to just enjoy our new status.  Wonderful!

We were presented with a certificate, bottle of Champagne, wonderfully delicious chocolate cake, a block with an etched image of the Harmony of the seas. Lovely!

By the time we boarded the Harmony of the seas on May 5, 2019 we were all very excited knowing that this was the culmination of endless planning, packing, unpacking and doing endless loads of laundry.  But, oh my, what a wonderful feeling it was to walk up to stand with Captain Johnny and members of his staff to receive recognition for our efforts.  While receiving the recognition from the ship what made this wonderful highlight was sharing it with our wonderful friends, Doug and Sue.  The journey with these two lovely people is a memory I will forever keep in my heart.

Fiona, Roger, Lauren, me and Randy all celebrating Lauren’s graduation.

We only had two weeks before heading off for our next adventure.  June found us making a trip to Seattle to attend our granddaughter Lauren’s high school graduation.  It was so nice to see how much she had grown and how excited she was to be attending college in the fall.  We were doubly excited about this visit because our granddaughter Fiona would be home from college for summer break.  This was truly a wonderful visit that ended with a home cooked meal with the family.  We left for the airport hoping it would not be so long before seeing them again.

We normally stay home during the summer months but not this year.  Doug and Sue had invited us up to Lake George , New York to stay with them for a week.  Doug and Sue were originally from this area and travel up each year to spend time with their children and grandchildren.  Randy and I had been to Lake George many times attending the annual Americade motorcycle rally visiting the town, traveling the winding roads and cruising on the lake.

 

 

On the way north we stopped in Virginia to spend the 4th of July holiday with the family and got to participate in a long-held tradition in our family; we attended the Fairfax City July 4th parade.  It was a really hot day!  We were lucky to find a patch of grass just above the street where we got a bird’s eye view of the parade.  Wonderful!

 

Decisions, decisions. Trying to decide what flavor to choose at Martha’s Dandee Creme.

This time, however, Doug and Sue wanted to show us ‘their’ Lake George.    We walked around the village, drove around the lake seeing where they lived with their family, ate at some of their favorite restaurants and enjoyed several visits to Martha’s for soft serve ice cream.  An especially fun memory was the time spent with Doug and Sue on the lake on their fun inboard-outboard bowrider. 

Ship with the blue hull is the Victory I

We were excited once again when August arrived.  The year before, Doug, Sue, Randy and I made plans to take a cruise of the Great Lakes.  Up to this point, we had only cruised on ships that carried over 2,000+ passengers.  On this trip we would be cruising on a much smaller ship with under 200 passengers.

(From left) Mickey, Jim, Vilma, Randy, Doug, Sue, me and Betty.

We started our trip with two-night stop in Chicago.  A wonderful highlight of this trip was learning that our friends, Vilma, Jim, Mickey and Betty would be joining us for dinner the night of our arrival.  The eight of us all cruised together several years ago and had not all been together since.  Vilma and Jim were on a road trip from California, Mickey lives in Chicago and her sister Betty drove over from Indiana.  What a wonderful evening of hugs, kisses, constant chatter and laughter.  “What a wonderful way to start our journey on the lakes,” I thought to myself as I slowly looked at the smiling faces of my friends.

Chicago skyline as we left port to explore the Great Lakes.

Lunch at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Lovely, lovely, lovely!

The Great Lakes cruise was just amazing.  We boarded the Victory I in Chicago and spent the next two weeks stopping in ports on both the American and Canadian side of the lakes.  Ports included Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. Marie, Manitoulin Island, Canada, Detroit, Michigan, Cleveland, Ohio, Port Colborne (Niagara Falls) and Toronto.

Walking down the pier to visit Costa Maya, Mexico

The fall found us back on cruise ships visiting the Caribbean and a transatlantic cruise with three stops in the Canary Islands.  We cruise in the Caribbean quite a bit and never get tired of it.  I love looking out at the beautiful, translucent turquoise waters, hearing the lively beat of the music and the delicious flavors of the food.

We visited a black-ash vineyard on the island of Lanzarote.

Visited a lush rain forest on the island of La Palma.

 

The Canary Islands were fascinating.  What I found so fascinating about these islands was just how different they all were.  One reminded me of a moonscape, the second seemed rich with farmland and the third, reminded us of Hawaii. The biggest highlight of this any many other transatlantic we have taken is the amount of time spent at sea.  Randy and I both love to sit on the balcony looking out at the sea that changes colors from deep, deep navy blue to the most brilliant royal blue.  Amazing, just amazing!

 

We had been spending so much time on cruise ships for the past couple of years that we missed opportunities to spend Thanksgiving at our timeshare in Bonita Springs, Florida.  In yet another frenetic move, we disembarked from the Canary Islands cruise, picked up Doug and Sue’s car from the airport and drove down to Bonita for the week.  This turned out to be a wonderful decision.

 

Caribbean Breeze! Delicious!

We quite literally did nothing except a little Christmas shopping, rest and laze around the pool.  Thanksgiving day was just beautiful.  The sky was clear and a beautiful shade of blue and the air warm.  We had planned on ordering a turkey sandwich from a local store or the pool bar but instead decided to dine on chicken tacos and a tropical drink.  Perfect menu for a perfect Thanksgiving day!

Official lighting of the Rhapsody of the seas Christmas tree.

 

 

Thanksgiving over, we made our way back to the port and re-boarded the Rhapsody of the seas for a week-long cruise to the Western Caribbean.  We all opted to just kick back and enjoy the ship.  This cruise was wonderful and put us all in a Christmas frame of mind as we watched the ship being decorated for the holiday.

Kristine, Madalyn, Kevin G (a friend of the family), Kevin, Randy, Jennifer and Derek. Jennifer, Madalyn and Kristine prepared a wonderful Christmas feast.

It was a good choice we made to just relax on our last cruise as we only had a couple of weeks to prepare for our journey north to spend the Christmas holiday with the family. It is always wonderful to spend time with Jennifer, Kevin, Madalyn, Derek, Kristine and Brian.  Of course, I cannot forget the grandpets, Monte, Link, Elle and Miss Paige.  We enjoyed very much visiting both families, enjoying their Christmas trees and festivities.

We celebrated New Year’s eve at home watching the ball drop in Times Square on the television.  We sat and watched the ball slowly descending looked at each other and said, “It was a very good year indeed!”

Looking back is a wonderful thing but now it is a new year and we are looking forward to filling our memories with time spent with family and friends and see more of this beautiful world we live in.

Over the coming months I will share some of these wonderful trips.  I wish all who stop by to read my blog a healthy, happy and safe New Year!

Enjoy a beyond delicious meal in Wonderland aboard the Harmony of the seas with friends. (from left) Mary, Rudi, Randy, Doug, Frank, Steve, Luanne and Sue.

Enjoy,

Mary

Strolling down the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Sculpture along the Malecon called ‘Nostalgia’ by Ramiz Barquet

Our day started like so many days cruising along the Pacific coastline, hazy.  As we slowly made our way into port, the captain announced that our day in Puerto Vallarta would be cloudy with temperatures in a pleasant mid-80’s range.

We were in Puerto Vallarta just a few days ago and had a lovely day walking around and enjoying a sunny day but we were missing two of our friends.  Lucille was under the weather so she and Bob remained on the ship.  Today, however, everyone was feeling tip-top so we were off to catch a taxi and head downtown.

Puerto Vallarta is a wonderful city to visit.  There are so many things to do and see.  The only question is what to do and what to see?  There are opportunities to go snorkeling, sailing on the beautiful blue waters of the bay or just finding a patch of sand and soaking up the atmosphere of this lovely city.

Notwithstanding all of these fun options, in the end we decided to just take a lazy stroll downtown and along the Malecon (boardwalk) and see what we could see and stop along the way for a bite of lunch.

So, first things first, up to the lounge for a quick breakfast then back down to get ready to meet our friends at the elevator.  A quick walk off the pier and we were able to catch a van to take us downtown.

 

We had the best time walking down a street filled with little shops, restaurants, bars, cafés, interesting artwork, and Our Lady of Guadalupe church.  Every so often we would pop into a shop searching out interesting items that we could take home as souvenirs.

The most interesting artwork that caught my eye brought to mind the Day of the Dead celebration that is celebrated in Mexico each year between October 30 and November 2.  According to what I have read, “Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life and death.  While the holiday originated in Mexico, it is celebrated all over Latin America with colorful skulls and skeletons”. Colorful skulls and skeletons could be seen in tee shirts, boots, bottles and so much more.  Very interesting!

At one point we looked up and, just above the trees, we could see the Papantla Flyers (Bird-men) performing their death defying feat as they swung from a 50′ pole upside down.  I have seen this done in several Caribbean ports over the years and am still amazed. 

 

On this warm, overcast day the streets were teeming with visitors.  We walked along for a while admiring the beautiful flowers and trees in bloom then slowly moved over to the Malecon and walked along the sea wall.

 

Nature as Mother by Adrian Reynoso

The Subtle Rock Eater (2006) by Jonás Guitérrez

 

 

The Malecon is a, “pathway that follows along the edge of the sea”.  There is so much to see on the boardwalk.  As we walked along, we stopped periodically to take in the many sculptures that adorn this area.  We also saw several sand sculptures on our walk.

We stopped for a moment alongside the sea wall and watched as a very patient man was stacking various sized beach rocks atop one another.  I can only imagine how much patience this took.   Watching him work brought back memories of our visit to Bryce Canyon in Utah and the beautiful natural rock formations called hoodoos.  Natural or man made both were beautiful.

The Roundabout of the sea (1996) by Alejandro Colunga

We continued our walk and came upon a circle of sculptures called, “The Roundabout of the sea” by Alejandro Colunga.  We walked around the circle of eight very tall sculptures enjoying the fanciful and exaggerated human forms on display.  One had the head of an octopus, one had an elongated nose and one had the smallest head with a diver’s mask and a very large body.  Very strange, very funny! You can see from the spaces where the patina has been worn off that many visitors have had fun sitting in and taking their pictures with these interesting chairs. There are eight chairs in all.

By now, we were getting a little hungry and decided to stop for lunch.  We enjoyed the Oasis Bay restaurant a few days ago and decided to return.  We were sorry to see that the host from last week was not on duty today.  He was a funny and kind man.  We mentioned that we would be returning and so he gave each of us coupons to use when we returned.

The reception this visit was a little different.  The host was all business and our assigned server was a little testy.  When we presented him with our coupons he said we could not use them all.  We all sighed and used only one per couple.

The good news is that food was as delicious as we remembered.  And, of course, the beer was nice and cold.

Lunch finished, we walked back to the taxi stand and returned to the ship.  By the time we returned we had just enough time to prepare for the evening and meet our friends in the cocktail lounge. 

It was St. Patrick’s Day and the ship and passengers were all decked out in colors befitting the holiday.  Just before we left on this cruise I managed to purchase a shirt just for the occasion and yes, “The Leprechaun made me do it!”

What a lovely day.  The next two day we will be at sea as we make our way to Guatemala.

The Friendship Fountain (Dancing Dolphins 1989) by James ‘Bud’ Bottoms and Octavio Gonzalez

Enjoy,

Mary

Off our our eastern bound cruise through the Panama Canal

Pelican Rock – rock formation at El Arco (The Arch)

When last I wrote, we had arrived at the end of our western bound cruise through the Panama Canal on Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the seas arriving in San Diego, California.

During our short visit to San Diego, we spent a lovely afternoon having lunch and catching up with our friends, Jim, Vilma and Mickey before returning to the ship.  We will be staying on board to make the eastern bound cruise through the canal and back to Miami, Florida.

The very good news about making this return voyage is that Dick, Charmaine, Bob and Lucille will also be cruising eastward.

Our first full day on the cruise was a relaxing one.  Up early for a quick breakfast and then off to join the others for our first day of participating in round one of Progressive Trivia.  Dick and Charmaine played this game last cruise and asked us if we would like to form a team this cruise.  We all agreed.

The Schooner Bar

The ‘Cruisin for a Bruisin’ team was ready as the activities staff leader, Daisy, called this noisy group to order.  She announced that there would be 20 questions broken down into four categories.  Our first day covered questions on history.  YIKES! I thought as my brain quickly turned to mush.

By the time the game was over, everyone on our team had contributed and we actually had a pretty good start.

The beautiful Jewel of the seas Centrum!

 

Randy and I spent the rest of the day walking and taking pictures of this and that.  We stopped in the Casino, the Schooner Bar, the Pit Stop, Vintages, Giovanni’s Table and the Centrum; all places we spend happy times in.

“Sweet” by American artist, Kim Koga

And then there is the art around the ship.  Every once in a while a piece of art catches my eye.  Today is was a piece by American artist; Kim Koga called “Sweet”.  I was fascinated at why I would be drawn to an art piece of jarred pickles.  And then, I read the accompanying plaque.  It read:

“My grandparents immigrated from Japan to America and had a ranch in Northern California where they raised plums, apricots and an assortment of vegetables.  My grandmother continued to can pickles and plums even after their ranch was sold.  While my existence has been more urban, I am still inspired by her rural lifestyle.”

The answer: I love anything that has to do with family and family memories.

We spent the evening with our friends at cocktails, had a wonderful dinner with Bob, Lucille and our new table mates, sisters Janine and Sandy.

 

 

We retired to get a good night’s sleep for tomorrow we return to Cabo San Lucas.

What a fun day!  Today we docked, once again, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and like last week, we will be here overnight.

The air was cool but the sun was high in the sky promising a wonderful day on shore.  Charmaine had mentioned looking into hiring a small glass-bottom boat to take us on a tour of the bay and perhaps over the El Arco (The Arch).

We all agreed that sounded great so off we went.  We were only on shore a short bit when we were approached by many people offering deals for a boat ride over the to The Arch.  After a bit of negotiations, we boarded a small boat and made our way into the bay.

We were in a very small boat and the water was very choppy offering us quite a fun ride around the bay.  At one point the captain stopped the boat so we could look through the glass and see the colorful fish swimming around below.  The glass was a very cloudy but we could still see many small yellow and blue fish swimming by.

Atop this rock formation lies a very sleepy sea lion. Close by are little ones.

Then we were off to the arch.  Along the way the captain pointed out some interesting rock formations as well as one with a sea lion sleeping on the top.  It was hard to distinguish the rock from the sea lion as they were both very dark gray. We watched for a while and realized that she was not alone.  There were two smaller sea lions close by.  It was fun to watch this small family as we motored by.

Look to the far left and see a rock formation that is called, Scooby Doo. Very funny!

 

With all the bobbing up and down action of the boat it was an interesting task to capture good pictures but we all persevered.

 

On our return to the marina, there was a small tour boat ahead of us.  We were delighted to see a sea lion following the boat into the harbor.  We watched in amazement as the sea lion hurled itself onto the swim platform.  As we got a little closer we realized that the members of the tour were feeding small fish to the sea lion.  Amazing, just amazing!

 

Once back on shore, we proceeded back to the wonderful restaurant we had found on our visit last week.  The service and food at the Baja Cantina was just as wonderful as we remembered.

 

We returned to the ship and prepared for a nice evening with our friends.  Randy was not feeling very well and stayed behind.  To our surprise; Randy came into the room and joined our little group.  After dinner  we  retired  for  a good  night’s  sleep.  Tomorrow  is  another  day.

Today we will  only be Cabo San Lucas for the morning.  The started out with a hazy sky.  Randy was not feeling well this morning so we decided to remain on board and ordered a continental breakfast from room service.

We spent the morning sitting on our balcony watching the tenders going to and from the marina and the crazy tourist speeding around on their jet skis at ridiculously high speeds.  We were also captivated watching several sea lions bobbing about in the calm waters just off the ship.

Last sight of the arch as we slowly cruise out into the Pacific.

Delicious treat delivered to our cabin this afternoon.

 

We met our friends for cocktails and learned that Dick and Charmaine had gone onto shore and spent a few hours walking around the port stopping here and there before returning to the ship.

During the evening hours the ship will slowly cruise towards our next port-of-call, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Enjoy,

Mary

Turnaround day in San Diego, California

From left-Mickey, Randy, Vilma, Mary and Jim

The day between Cabo San Lucas and San Diego was spent a sea.  Today is the last day of our western bound cruise through the Panama Canal.  Today is what I call turnaround day.  We will be staying on the ship for the return cruise eastward bound through the Panama Canal and ending in Miami, Florida.

Like so many last full days on a ship there is always a flurry of activity.  Last minute deals to be had in the shops, choosing all those wonderful photos taken during the trip, spending those last precious moments in the sun, hoping to hit a jackpot in the casino, packing and enjoying the farewell show in the theater.

We did some of those things and participated in a consecutive cruisers meeting to find out how our morning would go with getting new key cards, being escorted to customs and whether there would be a luncheon when we returned to the ship.  All questions answered, we returned to the cabin to relax.

It seemed as though morning came quickly although how could it be as time passes the same each day.  We noticed a chill in the air as we stepped out onto the balcony and watched as the shipped pulled into port.

We were very excited today because we would be meeting our wonderful friends, Jim and Vilma for a short visit while the ship is in port.  We have known Jim and Vilma for over twenty years.

San Diego is a wonderful city to visit, there are so many things to do and see.  My first visit to San Diego was in 1995 when Randy brought me out here to visit the city he grew up in and visit with his parents.  We had a great time.

I bundled up for the trip ashore; Randy decided to brave the air and went ashore in shorts and a tee shirt.  Before too long, Randy realized that he had made an error in judgement at his choice of wardrobe.  Jim and Vilma were to meet us at the port.  We walked up and down a bit in an effort to stay warm while we waited.

While we waited, we watched as many people stopped and took selfies with the ship in the background.  Very funny!

A fun and exciting experience for me was watching as several seals swam around near the ship.  I was surprised as I heard them ‘bark’.  I was not sure I had ever heard a seal bark before.  To me it was amazing.

Here we are in 2016 with Mickey, Jim, Vilma, Doug, Sue and Betty on a wonderful trip to the Baltics and Norway on the Serenade of the seas. Wonderful memories!

When Jim and Vilma finally arrived and I became even more excited to see that our friend Mickey was also in the car.  Mickey is a long-time friend of Vilma’s who I had the pleasure of meeting long ago while living in Virginia.  Jim, Vilma, Mickey and Mickey’s sister Betty cruised with us several years ago and we had a grand time.

 

We had limited time so we made the decision to go to one of our favorite restaurants for lunch and catch up. We went to the Gas Lamp Quarter of San Diego to a restaurant called The Shout House & Garage Kitchen + Bar. I love the Garage. Great food!

Our first visit to the Gas Lamp Quarter with Jim and Vilma August 2017. Great then, great now!

Once our food and drink choices were made we spent the morning catching up on each other’s lives. Not all news was good news. Vilma continues to struggle with her health issues and worries about her daughter-in-law, Jim looked very tired. It was good to hear that Mickey would be spending a few weeks with Vilma and Jim. I asked Mickey about her sweet sister Betty and was glad to hear that she is doing well.

 

All too soon it was time to make our way back to the ship. We were on our way back to our cabin when we were beckoned by our cabin attendant, Romeo. He was in the process of cleaning the Royal Suite and asked if we would like to take a peek. “Absolutely”, we replied. What a cabin!!!!

Oh my, the cabin was beautiful!  Large rooms, a grand piano in the living area, a bar, two bathrooms, and one bathroom had a stand-alone tub as well as a walk-in shower, a custom walk-in closet, huge balcony.  The cabin was just beautiful!

The afternoon seemed to fly by and suddenly it was time to meet Dick, Charmaine, Bob and Lucille for cocktails.  Once again our evening and the start of our next cruise was off to a great start.

This trip we were seated at a table for six.  We met our new table mates, Sandy and Jeanine.  After talking for a while I thought to myself, “I think this is going to be a very nice cruise indeed!”

After dinner we returned to the Safari Lounge with Bob and Lucille for a nightcap.  It had been a long but very nice day.

Tomorrow we start our journey eastward back through the Panama Canal.

Enjoy,

Mary

Enjoying a second day in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

So many things today made it a perfect day in Cabo San Lucas.

Let’s start with yet another spectacular sunrise.  I was up by 6 am and sitting out on the balcony eagerly awaiting the sun coming up over the horizon.  When it did, streaks of gold and red lit  up the morning sky.  It was beautiful, just beautiful!

I am not sure how long I stayed out on the balcony but I took a great deal of pictures.  I finally went inside and prepared for the day.

The second reason it was a perfect day was the fact that our friend Lucille was finally feeling better and would be joining us on shore.  We planned to go ashore early so we could stop and have breakfast and take another walkabout the marina and beyond.

Dick, Charmaine, Bob, Lucille, Randy and I tendered over to the port and started our walk around the marina.  Lucille was interested in finding the Diamonds International store so she could pick up a free charm for her granddaughter.

We have been collecting these little charms in every port.  We stopped here and there looking and souvenirs and talking about what we would do when we return on the eastern bound cruise.  We were particularly interested in finding out some information about taking a boat ride out to the Arch.

 

Our continued perfect day was had when we stopped at the Eco Bar & Grill for breakfast.  Like the restaurant we ate lunch in yesterday, this was an open-air restaurant alongside the marina.   The staff was very friendly and eager to have us enjoy our visit to their restaurant.

Staying with traditional Mexican fare, I ordered the Eggs Racheros with two fried eggs served with hash browns and beans and a glass of fresh orange juice.  I was fascinated as I watched the bar tender freshly squeezing the oranges and delighted when I tasted the juice.  The orange juice was cold, refreshing and delicious.  Breakfast here was a very nice experience indeed.

Has anyone read the Where’s Waldo books?  They are beautifully illustrated books showing people in many different activities.  The object of the book is to find Waldo in this crowd of people.  I read several of these books to my grandchildren.

Well, Charmaine has her own version of this funny puzzle.  Whenever they are traveling, Charmaine waits until Dick has walked ahead and is in a crowd and takes a picture creating a “Where’s Dick” moment.  Periodically, like today, I would notice that Dick was walking way ahead of us and knew that Charmaine would be focusing in on Dick.  I looked over at Lucille and said, “Let’s create a crowd”.  It was fun interjecting ourselves into this “Where’s Dick” memory.

The ship was leaving early today so we returned to the ship and spent the rest of the day reading and relaxing on the balcony.

A real treat and another reason to celebrate a perfect day came when the ship left port and started its cruise out of the bay.

As the ship slowly made its way out of the bay and into the Pacific, we passed the Cabo’s iconic Arch, El Arco.  Little by little as we cruised along this natural rock formation started to reveal itself.  We remained on the balcony until we could no longer see the arch as we rounded the end of the cliffs.

 

To top off our perfect day, we all went to Chops Grille for dinner.  Chops is a  restaurant with a lovely ambiance, great service and delicious food.  From the first time I cruised on a Royal ship I have enjoyed eating at Chops.

While the steakhouse offers a variety of food that includes seafood, and poultry, I always order their 8oz. Angus petite filet mignon.  Tonight was no different.  I ordered their wonderful Wedge salad, petite filet mignon, asparagus and baked potato.  The entire meal was deliciously wonderful!

 

I did not want anything heavy for dessert so just ordered a scoop of coffee ice cream with just a little chocolate sauce; they brought me three scoops.  Yes, I ate it all.

It had been such a perfect day that I decided to end it with just the perfect drink so I ordered an Irish coffee.  It too was delicious.

It had been a wonderful day but it was time to end our perfect day and settle down for a good night’s sleep.  Tomorrow we continue our cruise to our next port of call, San Diego, California.

Enjoy,

Mary

Wonderful and tasty day in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

It is going to be another beautiful day!

It is going to be another beautiful day today.  The day started overcast with temperatures in the mid-seventies. The prediction for the rest of the day called for the sun to pop out from behind the clouds as the day moved along.  Just the perfect conditions to take a walk around our newest port-of-call,  Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

View of the shoreline as we approached Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas is a resort city located at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula.  According to Wikipedia, “The population of the city was 81,111 inhabitants…Cabo has been rated as one of Mexico’s top 5 tourist destinations: it is known for its beaches, scuba diving locations, balnearios (spas), the sea arch El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, and marine life”.

Staying with our original plan, we decided to take the tender over to the shore and walk around and see what there was to see and stop at a local restaurant for lunch.

As the tender made its way towards shore, we could see the famous El Arco (Arch).  I kept my focus on this iconic landmark all the way to shore hoping to see the arch.  Unfortunately, I did not.

A photo of El Arco (The Arch) taken in 1978)

The day we were in Cabo in 1978 there was a storm brewing off shore creating a turbulent sea.

 

From the moment we stepped on shore I could not believe my eyes.  I was in Cabo in 1978 and what I was seeing was so different.  When I visited last it was a fishing village that was just beginning its journey to becoming a major resort destination.  I remember running around the beach trying to catch a picture of an elusive sand crab. I was never successful.

Lovely lady waiting outside the Tequila Lighthouse. Very cool!

Of course, we came across an all too familiar sight at many vacation ports; Senor Frogs.  I loved the frog peering from atop the building.  Too funny!

We spent the next couple of hours walking around the marina and into town stopping here and there in several shops looking at souvenirs and jewelry.

We made our first turn around the marina and came across a very colorful surf board sculpture, spotted a black cat hidden in the weeds, a lovely cactus garden, and a very funny bar with a hanging cow swinging from the rafters.  All sights creating funny conversations and smiles.

 

So many funny and interesting sights around this beautiful marina.

At one point we walked further into town and got a little turned around.  We finally got our bearings looking towards the water and found our way back to the marina.  On this little trek, Charmaine and I had to frequently look behind to make sure that Randy and Dick could be seen.  They too stopped in a few shops looking for tee shirts and beer.  Too funny!

 

 

While walking along the marina we passed the Tequila Lighthouse Tower.  The courtyard was quite lovely.  We walked into the store and were amazed at the variety of gifts and souvenirs filling the store.  Evidently, you can also take a tour to see how tequila is made.

 

By now we were getting a little hungry and decided to settle on a restaurant.  Dick and Randy had found one earlier so off we went.  We were greeted with smiles and handshakes as we walked into the Baja Cantina.  The Cantina was an open-air restaurant along the marina.  We were shown to a table up front so we could have a nice view of the marina.

Everyone there was so friendly.  As soon as we learned that the guacamole and salsa were made to order at the table, we knew we had come to the right place.

 

We ordered the guacamole and salsa and watched as it was made all the while waiting with great anticipation of satisfying our palates with bites of deliciousness.  A basket of chips and pico de gallo was also delivered to our table.  Oh, and let us not forget bottles of cold, refreshing Pacifico  and Modelo beer.   I must say, the roasted tomato salsa was beyond delicious!

 

I ordered beef steak tacos with guacamole, Mexican salsa and rice.  Randy ordered the Las Enchilada stuffed with chicken, covered in tomato sauce and melted cheese. The enchiladas were served with refried beans, rice and guacamole.  Everything was just delicious.

We had such a great time but now it was time to return to the ship.  We made our way back to the port and caught the next tender back to the ship.

We had a nice view of the Jewel and the Arch as we cruised back to the ship.

The sun setting on a wonderful day.

Once again, we had just enough time after returning to our cabin to prepare for the evening’s activities.  Cocktails and dinner were wonderful.

Tomorrow we will still be here in Cabo for part of the day.

Enjoy,

Mary

Enjoying a wonderful day in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

What a fun day!

I slept in this morning so by the time I walked out onto the balcony the sun was up and we had cruised into the bay.  Today we are visiting Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  Puerto Vallarta is touted as one of the ‘liveliest’ resort destinations in Mexico.

Puerto Vallarta with a population of 203,342 is located on the Pacific coast in the Mexican state of Jalisco, within the Banderas Bay.

Randy and I watched as we pulled up alongside the dock.  I had to laugh as the first things I saw were a pirate ship tied up at the dock and a Walmart in the background.  Too funny!

Dick and Charmaine have been here before and suggested that we take a stroll and enjoy the sights and sounds along the Boardwalk. Unfortunately, Lucille continues to be under the weather so will not be joining us today.  We will miss Lucille and Bob.

We ate a quick breakfast and met Dick and Charmaine and made our way down to the pier.  We made arrangements to take a cab to the Malecon and were on our way.

Triton and Mermaid by Calos Espino (1990).

The Malecon is a 12-block, mile-long boardwalk that stretches the length of downtown Vallarta from the Cuale River at the south end to the Hotel Rosita in the north.  As we walked along we saw many beautiful and interesting monuments, many cafes, bars, restaurants and shops.

The Boy on the Seahorse sculpture by Rafael Zamarripa Castañeda.

The cab dropped us off at the boardwalk and what did we see?  We saw one of those colorful signs spelling out the name of the city.  It was very hard to get close to there were so many tourists all vying for their turn to have their picture taken in front of it.

Eventually, we were able to get our picture taken at the portion displaying the cities iconic symbol, The Boy on the Seahorse sculpture by Rafael Zamarripa Castañeda.

We were so fortunate that there was a gentle breeze to keep us cool as we walked along.  I must tell you that what I saw as I walked along was beautiful.  The water of the bay was a beautiful light blue.  As I looked out at the bay I could see the modern portion of the city to one side of the bay and beaches on the other.

The Friendship Fountain or Dancing Dolphins by James “Bud” Bottoms anf Octavio González Gutiérrez (1987).

Vallarta Dancers by Jim Demetro (2006).

 

I must say that everywhere I looked was a sight to be enjoyed.  We walked along stopping here and there to admire a piece of sculpture, watch as a man was balancing a number rocks on the beach, all while sharing stories with each other of past visits to this beautiful city.

 

Sculpture of St. Pascual – Patron of cooks.

Los Arco (The Arches)

I remember visiting Puerto Vallarta in 1978 while cruising the Mexican coastline on the Sun Princess and seeing the Los Arcos (The Arches) amphitheater.    It was a very different place back then.  (As you can see, I did not have the best camera equipment back then.)

This new pier was designed by architect Jose de Jesus Torres Vega, winner of the Biannual Architecture Prize.

The day was so pleasant we extended our walk down to the pier at Muertos Beach.  This beautiful structure reminded me of a sail boat mast.  I loved it and wanted to see it up close and personal.

 

As we walked along we made note of a number of restaurants so we could make a decision about where to have lunch.

The Pier was beautiful!  I loved it!  We walked all around the pier admiring, not only the structure, but looking out at the beautiful blue waters of the bay, long stretches of beach filled with happy beachgoers and the many hotels and condos along the beach.

 

 

We lingered for quite a while but now it was time for lunch and a cold drink.  We started our walk back with Dick and Randy in the lead as they had made a decision of which restaurant to have lunch.  We settled down in the Oasis Bay Restaurante Bar.

From the moment we sat down, we were having fun.  The host was very friendly and kept us entertained as we waited for our orders.  Of course, the first order of business was a cold beer.  We were happy when learned that they had SOL beer.  SOL is definitely one of our favorites.

We enjoyed very tasty Pico de gallo along with our beer prior to ordering a delicious lunch.  I ordered a plate of beef steak tacos.  I was surprised when along with my tacos there was an order of bone marrow on my plate.  I found this to be very interesting.

We finished our lunch and started our walk back to the boardwalk.  Before hailing a taxi, we walked over to the Church of our Lady of Guadalupe.  I remember visiting a church with a beautiful, giant crown during my visit in 1978.  During that visit the church was undergoing a major renovation.  I remember seeing a number of women busily mending a number of red drapes that were stretched out down the center aisle of the church and there was scaffolding everywhere.

Photo taken in 1978.

We stepped inside and it brought back very nice memories of my first visit to this holy place.

We managed to catch a taxi and started our journey back to the ship.  I could not help but think about how different the city looks now.  When I was here all those years ago the streets were not so crowded.

We spent the afternoon relaxing in the cabin until it was time to prepare for cocktails and dinner.  Dinner was delicious this evening.  Our wonderful server brought dishes of cheeses, fruit and dark bread as an appetizer as we waited for our entrees.

I ordered one of my very favorite meals this evening; the jerk chicken with rice and black beans.  The meal was delicious.

It had been a lovely, lovely day but it was time to relax a bit before settling down for the evening.  Tomorrow we arrive in Cabo San Luca, Mexico.

Enjoy,

Mary

After a stormy day at sea we delighted in a beautiful day in Manzanillo, Mexico

I woke up at 4am to the constant rocking and rolling of the ship and howling winds.  By 6am it became very apparent we were experiencing a storm. I finally got up and pulled the balcony door open in hopes of catching the sunrise. I was rewarded for my efforts as a beautiful, perfectly round ball of fire rose over the horizon casting hues of gold and red across the sky.

I love sea days.  We have been on a number of cruises over the years that are port intensive with stops every day and tours every day.  By the end of the cruise I felt as though I needed a vacation to recover from the cruise.  Very funny!

So, to have a day in between ports is wonderful giving us a chance to just relax or engage in one of the many fun events around the ship.

‘Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’ trivia group.

Today is a ‘hang out’ day.  Our only plan was to meet Dick and Charmaine in the Schooner Bar during the Progressive Trivia.  Dick and Charmaine were a part of a team that started this round of trivia on the first sea day of this voyage.  They had asked if we would like to join them on the return trip and invited us to see how it is done.  That sounded good to us so off we went.

Evidently, each progressive trivia quiz has a different theme.  Today’s theme was general knowledge.  Randy and I grabbed an answer sheet and sat down.  Oh my, the trivia was very hard indeed.  We did fairly well but at the end of the quiz we could understand the benefit of being part of a team.  We told Dick and Charmaine that we would be happy to form a team with them.  They also asked Bob and Lucille to join the team.

Rolling waves and heavy winds marked our day at sea.

The rest of our day was spent quietly walking around the ship and relaxing in the cabin until it was time to prepare for the evening.  Evening had become one of our favorite times of the day as we would connect with our friends and spend time sharing good times.

After a fun cocktail and dinner time, we retreated to our cabin to get a good night’s sleep.  Tomorrow we arrive at our next port of call, Manzanillo, Mexico.

 

 

When it came time to turn out the lights, the ship was gently moving to the rolling waves that, in my opinion, are always conducive to a great night’s sleep.  I slept so well that I did not wake up until 8am.  For me, that is sleeping in.

Once up, we prepared to go up to the concierge lounge for a quick breakfast before joining our friends to take a walk around this small town to see what we could see, find a post cards, a post office and stop at a local restaurant for lunch.

 

I was out on the balcony as we passed the breakwater and watched as slowly made our way to the dock. In the distance I could see a very large blue sculpture that looked like a giant sail fish.  I knew I would have to explore and find this giant blue fish.

Unfortunately, Lucille was a bit under the weather today so it would only be me, Randy, Dick and Charmaine going ashore.  The waterfront area was quiet lovely.

On the waterfront was a very large park.  There was a large fountain with dancing waters, a large, colorful sign spelling out the name of the town, the giant blue sailfish sculpture I had seen from the ship and a line of shops and restaurants facing the waterfront.

First things first, we stopped to have our photo taken at the Manzanillo sign.  We continued our walk to see this beautiful blue sailfish in the middle of the park. 

I did a little research and found a website that talked about the statuary and topiaries on the waterfront of Manzanillo.  The post described the sailfish sculpture as, “A 30 meter tall, 25 meter wide monument called the Monumento al Pez Vela.  It is a giant blue sailfish statue that refers to the most important sport in Manzanillo, that of fishing. Manzanillo is called the world capital of sailfish sport fishing and hosts many fishing tournaments year round.

The statue itself was created by a premier Mexican sculptor Sebastian. Sebastian is a member of the World Arts Council Forum based in Geneva, and has gained worldwide fame designing sculptures using complex geometric shapes”.

From the park we walked across the street to find a place to enjoy a tasty lunch and cold local beer.  We had been given a map of the town and walked several city streets on our quest.  We were not successful in finding a post office so we continued on our walk to find a restaurant.  This small town was very busy with tourists filling every city street, store and restaurant.

We stopped at one restaurant that looked quite inviting, however, it was very hot and humid and the restaurant did not have air conditioning.  The group decided to continue on to find another restaurant closer to the waterfront.

We finally stopped at an open-air restaurant called, Chantilly.  It was very busy but we managed to find a table outside.  There was a gentleman sitting at the end of the long table.  The waiter asked if he would mind if we sat down.  He did not object so we settled in.

The elderly gentleman found Randy interesting and engaged him in conversation in Spanish.  Ever the gentleman, Randy ended up conversing in a form of Spanglish that, in his opinion, did not go very well.  Randy learned that he was a boat captain who had retired after sustaining an injury so his son took over.  Randy might have felt that his conversation did not go well but from my perspective the two seemed to be having quite a good time.

The restaurant was very crowded and very loud with everyone  talking, laughing and just having a good time.  With all that going on and the fact that the waiter did not speak English, we resorted to pointing to our food choices on the menu. I ordered the chicken enchilada meal and it was delicious!

It took quite a while to get our food and then they only brought out part of our order.  Charmaine did not get her food but encouraged us to eat while our food was hot.  We ordered a local beer called, Victoria.  It was good, cold and refreshing.

Sated, we started our return to the ship.  We stopped to walk through an artisan tent that was set up just outside the entrance to the port.  I must say, the quality of the items on display was very nice.  Here too were several statues of what I thought were Chihuahua dogs.

 

 

 

 

I learned, however, that they are actually Colima dogs. Colima dogs (hairless dog) are relative to the Mexican Chihuahua dog.  Seeing these statues brought to mind the painted ponies of Ocala, Florida.  Each one was distinct in its coloring and markings.  The Colima dogs were know throughout history to have a variety of purposes.  The multi-purpose dogs were used for food, guardian of the dead, healer and watch dogs.

 

We returned to the ship with just enough time to prepare for the evening.  It had been a very nice day indeed.

Tomorrow we dock in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Enjoy,

Mary

After a lovely day at sea we finally arrive at Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

I woke early and stepped out onto the balcony and witnessed a beautiful ball of fire rising slowly above the far horizon. There was a warm, gentle breeze crossing the balcony. As time passed it became obvious we would be enjoying another beautiful day at sea.

Today we are slowly cruising along at as we make our way to our next port-of-call, Quetzal, Guatemala.

Our plan for the day consisted of attending a lecture about our next port, having lunch with an officer and spending time with our friends.

But, first things first, Randy and I prepared for the day and made our way up to the concierge lounge for a light breakfast.  The continental breakfast on display at the concierge lounge always looks so inviting.  Today I decided a portion of fruit, a pastry and coffee would be just perfect.

Antigua a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

By the time we finished our breakfast, it was time to head to the theater and listen to lecturers John and Diane Stockham offer us insight to the people and culture of the country of Guatemala.

John and Diane’s lecture entitled, “Guatemala: The Land of Volcanoes and Colorful Woven Textiles,” was very interesting.  We learned that with a population of 16 million people, Guatemala is the most populated country in Central America.

The national bird, the guetzal.

The talk covered Guatemala’s Mayan history, the colonial capital of Antigua and other points of interest and the countries national bird, the quetzal.  We learned that the quetzal was declared the national bird in 1871 and lends its name to the country’s currency and appears on the country’s flag.

The one thing that piqued my interest during the talk was learning that there would be a fashion show of Guatemalan textiles while we are in port. Diane said that even today the traditional ‘backstrap loom’ is used for weaving these beautiful fabrics.

Once the lecture was over, we headed back to the cabin to prepare for our lunch with an officer.  This event is one of the many wonderful opportunities for Crown & Anchor members who have risen to diamond plus and above status.

Surf & Turf served with truffle mash and creamy peppercorn sauce.

Randy and I look forward to this event each time we cruise.  It has given us an opportunity to meet a variety of officers and staff members who are so integral to the smooth working of the ships.  Today we had lunch with the deck seven supervisor of housekeeping.  Coleen,  was a joy.  She was very friendly and engaged everyone at the table sharing her life story and how she came to choose a career with Royal Caribbean.

Raspberry Chocolate Ganache Tart-semisweet praline filling, raspberries.

The menu for this event is always very tasty. It was not very hard for me to choose.  I ordered a Caesar salad, the Surf & Turf and the Raspberry Chocolate Ganache Tart.  Everything was delicious!

Beef Wellington – YUMMY!

The rest of our day was spent relaxing on the balcony, having cocktails with our friends, enjoying a delicious dinner of beef Wellington for dinner.  Today was definitely a very tasty day.

 

After a wonderful night’s sleep, we arrived at Puerto Quetzal.  The day started as so many have since coming to the Pacific, hazy skies and a beautiful sunrise.

 

We learned that we would be docking at a commercial port because some damage had been done to our original destination.  Not to worry though, bus transportation to the other port had been arranged.  After a quick breakfast we met Bob, Lucille, Dick and Charmaine and off we went.

The buses that had been arranged were called ‘chicken buses’.  I thought that was very funny indeed.  I believe they were old school buses.  The ride over to the port took about 15 minutes.  When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised at the appearance of the port area.

Left-Dick and Charmaine. Right-Bob and Lucille

Randy and Mary

We walked through a lovely open-air building with musicians playing music on a set of marimbas and funny cut-out pictures of a Mayan prince and princess.

We continued our walk and saw many artisan tents with vibrantly colored items on display.  The colors were quite striking.

 

We were interested in finding the amphitheater to see if the fashion show had started.  It had.  Charmaine and I stopped and watched as lovely and handsome local men and women modeled a variety of traditional clothing. 

Each model that came to the stage was adorned in clothing that represented a different part of the country.  They were all very colorful and beautiful.

At the end of the fashion show each couple went in different directions looking for that perfect something to take home.

Restaurante Pez Vela

We eventually met again and proceeded to walk to a restaurant that Randy had discovered as he was walking around.

The Pez Vella was just perfect.  It was a very hot day.  The restaurant was open-air and had a lovely patio at the marina.

We all decided to order a cold beer and spend some time talking about all the wonderful things we had seen around this very nice port area.  As always we ordered a local beer.  Here the local beer was Gallo.  The beer was very cold, light and refreshing.

 

We had decided that we would not eat any lunch this visit but to our surprise the waiter brought over plates of cheese nachos for us to enjoy.  This was very nice indeed.

We sat for quite a while enjoying our repast, talking and laughing and just having a great time.  After seeing some of the dishes being served to other patrons, we decided to order lunch on our return visit.

We had a great time but it was hot so we decided to return to the ship.  We sat in small seats and had no air conditioning, but the windows were open and the ride was fun.

Tomorrow we are at sea as we make our way to our next port-of-call, Manzanillo, Mexico.

Enjoy,

Mary

A very nice visit in Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Today we arrived at our third port-of-call, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The sun was up early this morning and I was out on the balcony capturing the sun rising into the misty sky.  I do so love sunrises and sunsets.

As I mentioned earlier, as a group we decided to just get off and walk around this small fishing village and stop at a local restaurant for a bit of lunch and, of course, a cold local brew.

 

As we were walking down the pier we spotted a few people already enjoying a morning swim.  I was surprised to see that the color of the sand was brown.

At the end of the pier was a line of tents filled with a variety of souvenirs.  Everyone in the group was looking for something different.  I was looking for a magnet for Kristine. I stopped at one tent admiring these very small handmade, wooden magnets. The woman who owned the tent told me that her eight-year-old son had made the little ones and she made the larger ones. I told her that I was just looking for now but would be back and continued on.

As we approached the end of the line of tents we saw a beautiful sign spelling out the name of the village and stopped for a picture. The sign was very colorful.  We asked a tourist if they would take our picture and we returned the favor.

We continued our walk down the next street looking for a place to have lunch and a cold beer. All the restaurants along the shore only served soft drinks, water and juices so we continued until we finally found a restaurant that also served cold beer.

 

 

We stopped at a restaurant called Restaurant Imperial.  What a good choice! We thought it was funny as we looked over the menu.  The choice on one line read, Rice and Chicken on the next line the choice read Chicken with Rice.   I thought this was very funny! The food was delicious as were the bottles of cold Imperial beer.

I ordered the Chicken with Rice with beans and it was delicious.  Everyone seemed to really enjoy their choices.  While we were enjoying our lunch, our dining room server, Averell, walked into the restaurant and stopped by our table.  He was there with a few other members of the crew to enjoy a little time away from the ship and enjoy a good lunch too.

After our wonderful lunch, we  returned to the market along the shore.  I picked up a small magnet for Kristine. The woman who owned the table was excited that I returned and exclaimed, “ I told God that if you returned I would give the money to my son”.   I thought that was so sweet. I thanked her and returned to our friends and we made our way back to the ship.

Randy and I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the cabin until it was time to prepare for cocktails and dinner.

Bob, Lucille, Dick, Charmaine, Randy and I all met again at cocktail time and talked about our day. We talked about Puntarenas and decided we would arrange a tour our return trip.

While we were enjoying dinner, I looked out the window and saw that the sun was setting between two mountain peaks.  I grabbed my camera and went up to the Promenade deck and took a few pictures.  As I said, earlier, “I do so love sunrises and sunsets”.

I was a very nice day indeed.

Enjoy,

Mary