Coast to Coast by sea-Panama Canal cruise Feb 2013- TR Complete 3/14/13 - Page 5 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Aruba Day 3
This will not be the most exciting day on the cruise. I had been to Aruba before, so I have done the sightseeing ‘tour’. On top of that we are in Aruba from 7am to noon on a Sunday. It is a fairly religious island, and even most of the restaurants don’t open until after noon :eeks: The basic choice, other than the ‘tour’ is go to one of the resort hotels and ‘rent’ a deck chair with meal.
The ship arrived as dawn was breaking
We were actually one of 3 ships there at that early hour on Sunday
Aruba is picturesque.
The terminal building. Nice, air conditioned, seat for those awaiting tours, and small souvenir stands.
This is the location of the luxury stores
To top things off, Carnivale was going on. The red/white barriers were left over from the night before, and would go up just before noon for the last celebration (just as we leave, of course.) With the hung over people from the night before and Sunday morning, the merchants chose to sleep in. Despite 3 ships full of people wanting to shop, most did not open until 9:30 or so.
So I went in to the closed town about 8:30 and nothing was open yet. I stopped in the terminal building (one of the nicer ones in the Caribbean cruise ports) and bought a t shirt, and a delft Christmas tree ornament for my sister in law (the said it was true delft –since as a Dutch territory they would be arrested if they sold a Chinese knock off )
Returning on board, I hit the sundeck for hot tub and body roasting.
Here is the tiny channel the ship leaves through, and photos of a NCL ship waiting for our space to be free.
HURRY UP AND MOVE.
Lunch was roast turkey, steamed vegetables and salad
Watched a port lecture on Cartagena then
Attended a seminar on Emeralds (as I was planning on buying one in Colombia). Then watched the afternoon MUTS-Mamma Mia. Had not seen it before and loved it!
Dinner was a lemon grass thai soup, Macaroni-cheese-bacon appetizer sized pasta, Rock Fish in spicy tomato sauce (day 4 of cruise and I have had more fish than on any prior cruise , with a hash of potatoes and carrots, a warm brownie sundae
Available TV movies were: Crazy, Stupid Love; Promtheus; I Don’t Know How She Does It; Sense and Sensibility; Big Miracle; Frankenweenie
Evenings’ entertainment choices were A mentalist in the theater,
MUTS TODAY (after Mama Mia) were Paul McCartney: Good Evening New York City; Take That Live at Wembley Stadium; Pink:Funhouse
Hope Springs was shown in the Universe Lounge, followed by Billy Joel:Live at Shea Stadium and Steve Wonder :Live at last.
I chose to ‘donate’ a few dollars to the casino’s one armed bandits—no desire for either the mentalist or deck party.
Cartagena Colombia Day 4
We started entering Cartagena about 0800
Approach
Small villages on the way in
The ‘new’ city from afar
The statute of the Virgin Mary in the harbor
I booked the Highlights of Cartagena, Fortress and Las Bovedas tour $50 in advance
We climbed the Castillo de San Felipe (most other tours viewed it from the base as it was a good climb to the top)
Start of climb
Front of fort
Colombian flag at top of fort
Fire away!
The guard tower on top
After climbing back down, bought a bottle of water $1 (the cruise ship wanted $2 for one ½ the size). In all ports the prebottled water was safe.
Got my photo taken with a local (tip given) before boarding the bus.
First headed to ‘new’ town where I bought an emerald necklace with sterling silver chain from Mr Emerald (Lee Miles). Had read a lot about him and is honorable business practices in advance of the cruise. 15 Carat rough emerald, mounted in silver and chain $153 (all cruise discounts plus an extra 5% off for cash.) Store is him, his wife, and son does the bookwork
.
Then to the Palacio de la Inquisicion (palace of the inquisition) where many devices of the inquisition and punishments were shown.
Guillotin
Neck ‘restraint’ notice the point under the throat
Then to the Cathedral of San Pedro Claver
Trip finished with Las Bovedas, as series of shopping stalls in what used to be the dungeons of a prison.
All aboard was 2:30 and we sailed promptly before 3:00 on our way to the Panama Canal.
Went to a Panama Canal Preview lecture.
Dinner tonight was Albondigas soup, Salad, Veal prepared like Wienerschnitzel, and Banana Pie.
The afternoon MUTS were Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Billy Joel Live at Shea Stadium; James Brown-Live in Berlin; Barry Manilow-Music and Passion’
The evening MUTS was Robot and Frank. Instead I attended the second concert of Sonia Selbie in the Universe Lounge.
TV Movies today were The Artist, The Expendibles, Leap Year, The Bridges of Madison County; Ice Age-Continental Drift and the Pirates!Band of Misfits.
Most people retired early as were scheduled to approach the Panama Canal at 05:30
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Great TR so far Don!! I've stayed at that ES in Ft Lauderdale before a few times... glad your camera found its way back to you. Can't wait to read about your passage through the canal.
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Panama Canal Transit
I will primarily show pictures as we entered from the Atlantic (North to South) as I was on deck for them. For the Pacific locks I was lazy and watched from inside the buffet at the front of the ship, but was shooting the pictures through the windows (hence a blue haze)
We began our approach as the sunrise was approaching.
Breakwater area
Dawn
New construction
Approaching the locks
Our greeting committee- Salt Water crocodile
Most photos will be of the ship ‘next’ to us (always one step ahead of us) as the fit in the canal is so tight, it is hard to get photos of your ship.
Through the Gatun Locks
Gatun Lake ahead
Gatun lake dam..holds in all the water the canal uses
Chagres River
Transiting Gatun Lake
Current ‘residence’ of Manuel Noriega—Panama’s prison Tin roofs are hot in the sun
Chagres river
Bridge over canal.
Added as only other bridges over canal are
1) Causeway bridges over Gatun locks
2) Bridge of Americas (Pacific end-connecting North and South America , which got too much traffic as Panama Grew)
Pedro Miguel Locks
Miraflores Locks
Bridge of the Americas
Weird looking future museum—no one is sure but may be for art.
Panama City
Very few activities for the morning and afternoon as the transit was scheduled for 0530 to 1630. (Though we did finish an hour early)
Theater show was a Classical concert featuring the Ab Libiotum trio.
The Universe Lounge held 70’s Trivia and “That 70’s Night”
Moonrise Kingdom was on MUTS
TV onboard movies today were Gone, The Odd Live of Timothy Green, An Affair to Remember, Just Go with It, Alvin and the Chipmunks-Chipwrecked, Wreck-it Ralph.
Dinner was a salad of pears, pineapple and chili; a regular salad, Chicken breasts with French fries and green beans, and ‘burned’ rhubarb and apple tart.
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I stopped in the terminal building (one of the nicer ones in the Caribbean cruise ports) and bought a t shirt, and a delft Christmas tree ornament for my sister in law (the said it was true delft –since as a Dutch territory they would be arrested if they sold a Chinese knock off )
, with a hash of potatoes and carrots, a warm brownie sundae
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