Day 22 - At Sea

Day 22 – Friday 31^st January 2014 – At Sea

Waking up this morning we are a quarter of the way around the world with a longitude of just over 90 degrees west.  The sea looks just as blue out of the gym windows, as we pass along the coast of Guatemala.  From the sauna windows, I see the first turtles, as they try to negotiate and swim through the wash of the ship while we are doing twenty knots.

The dance lesson is the quickstep and certainly find this one to be the easiest for me and my dancing partner, still manage to kick each but not as many times.

Yacht Club

The choir practice which is held in the Yacht Club was really good and turned out to be a lot of fun, we even discussed the dress code for our big day.

After the practice went to the deck above at 14.00, it was warm and sultry, up here on deck 11 you have a breeze coming through the top deck, generated by the ship’s speed.  Most importantly, this is the games deck, and there were not very many people around.  I took advantage of the empty bowling green and began practicing, thoroughly enjoying playing the game once more.  Another chap joined in, and we started to get a little edge to the game.  While in the next vacant lane a Chinese lady took up position and began bouncing the balls down the carpet.  We had to abandon our game and give some advice on how this English game should be played.  So beginneth the first lesson, it was very amusing but slowly we got some normality to the game. 

Still not many about, so we moved onto the croquet, for someone who had never played the game, there are instructions on how to play and how to score.  There are only four hops on the playing area, but we got the hang of it and gathered an audience, who did not realise, we did not know what we doing. Not wanting to cause any more embarrassment moved onto the chess board which is on the same deck but in the open. 

The pieces about 60 cm (2 feet) high, here beginneth the second lesson.  Out in the sunshine, who cares about the etiquette of the game as you struggle to hold up the pieces and explain how they are supposed to move.  A little too much, to take in, for the first time, but a whole lot of fun.

Each day the ship’s whistles (hooters) three in total are blown individually, when we are sea to signify noon and shortly afterwards the Captain makes an announcement, telling us how the ship is progressing and what is likely to happen in the near future.  Today was a little more interesting, he informed the ship normally would call into Acapulco in Mexico where we would be passing during the night.  Mexico has big problems at present with the drug gangs, a lot of shooting going on between them and as Cunard did not want any of its passengers caught up in the crossfire, it was decided to give it a miss, a shame but that’s the state of the game.

Another formal evening, with an invitation to the Captain’s cocktail party for the world cruisers, to meet his senior officers.  Thoroughly enjoyed, champagnes’ with the Engineers (makes a pleasant change).  This time engaged with the Environmental Officer, never met one of these before.  Jerry turned out be an Engineer, ex- submariner from the Royal Navy.  A very interesting chat about the rules and regulations for the US coastguard, the waste disposal, exhaust emissions and how to keep the Yanks happy, basically, if the paperwork is not right, you do not get a berth.

Dinner was a meal of fish cakes/fillet steak/lemon cheesecake.  Today is also Chinese New Year, the year of the horse and I was very surprised there were no Chinese dishes on the menu.  Informed later on, the reason being there are no Chinese chefs on board.

The theatre was a show by an American, Jennifer Fair, a wonderful singer, a full range from opera to pop.  It seemed at times the orchestra could not quite keep up with her but it was a wonderful show.

Finished off in the Golden Lion with the trivia quiz, and we lost our crown, as we only came fourth this time.

For those in the sweep for guess Colin’s weight, the end of the month update, Colin is plus two pounds, while I am the same weight.  I am in the gym while Colin is still in bed, so far, he is winning.

Day 21 - At Sea

Day 21 – Thursday 30^th January 2014 – At Sea

Gym

Up early, in fact, in the Gym for 07.15 and this shows the facilities which are available.  A full line of torture machines facing forward looking out over the bows on Deck 9.  The navigation bridge is the next deck below.

Although the gym is unsupervised there are two personnel trainers who are most helpful.  At 09.00 there is a cycle training session for half an hour and they go through hell.  The South African trainer who takes it, I told him he must be a sadist, as he puts these people through hell.  He says, he cannot understand how people on holiday pay to be put through the torture, but as yet, he has never had a complaint.

Gym

I usually spend 60 to 90 minutes in the gym doing a circuit on most of the machines.  They have a television built into them, so you can catch up with the news and the ship’s position, course and speed.  If I remember to take my ear phones, as at the moment, I only read the subtitles.

Sauna

After the gym, it is into the sauna and this is absolutely great.  It is situated in the locker and shower room; just behind the gym.  As you can see, one side has full length windows, and as you sweat away, it is wonderful gazing onto the sea and today from there, I watched flying fishes.

Shower Room View

After about 20 minutes in the sauna, it is into the shower.  This is the view when you step out of the shower and dry yourself off.  The place is never overcrowded, and I find this the ideal way to start off the day.

From here I wander down to the Lido for a light breakfast with lemon tea.

Today’s lecture was given by Bill Miller entitled ‘Flying the Red Ensign, Great British Liners’.With many photographs of these wonderful ships, he gave a very talk and very much appreciated by the theatre audience.

The dance lesson was the Rhumba; I am getting confused with these Latin dances, as to which way I should be wiggling.

The choir is now really starting to get it together, and more members are joining.

Managed to get some bronzy in the afternoon and even started to read one the books I have brought with me.  The sun set was a little special this evening, and I was out with the camera.

Cocktail today was Aperol and a very strange one, not recommended and went back to the GT’s.

Dinner consisted of cauliflower soup/haddock/cheese and biscuits, then off to the theatre to see Mark Donoghue who could sing, played fiddle, guitar, harmonica, piano, a great show.

Finished off in the Golden Lion; entered the trivia wipe out quiz, and we won it.  How’s that then, to finish off the day.

Day 20 - Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Day 20 – Wednesday 29^th January 2014 – Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Alongside

When we awake at 07.00 we are alongside our berth in Puntarenas, Costa Rica on its Pacific side.

We have breakfast in the Lido before assembling in the theatre at 08.15, as we are going on an organised tour.  As advised, covered with sun block, mosquito repellent and wearing a hat and boarded the bus waiting at the bottom of the gangway.  We were introduced to our guide, Jose, along with his driver.  When the bus was fully load, off we went and into the town just like the other town on the Atlantic side, Limon.  It was just as dirty and not very well looked after.

Jose on the train

Our first stop to board a train, this narrow gauge railway on which sat a two carriage train with an engine and a goods vehicle at the rear.  Jose warned us not stick hands, arms or heads out the windows, nor fiddle with windows which were liable to take your fingers off.  After the safety brief, we were on our way, rocking and rolling along in this noisy environment looking out to the mountains to the east as were passed by melon fields in the flat areas near to the rivers.  We went through a very black, narrow tunnel and no one dared to put any of their extremities out of the windows.  Emerging into the bright light passing through forest, shacks built near to the  railway, as we travelled further the fields became more organised into farms and the buildings more substantial and looking like homes. We all managed to survive the train journey but were not saddened to leave after the half our journey. 

Mangrove

Back onto the familiar waiting bus and on our way again to the mangrove forest.  Jose did promise us all a free massage and the penny dropped, when we left the maintained tarmac road and started rolling and shaking along the dirt tracks.

The suspension may have been good on this new bus, but we were shook to pieces as we drove up a hill and down the other side before reaching a beach and eventually pulled into our stop.

 

his welcoming building next to the river offered us cooling drinks and delicious fruit and pineapple.  After a half an hour welcome break and taking some shade before boarding the boat for our river cruise.  We had to be very careful where you stood as the breeze had picked up,

River Boat

and you could hear the coconuts dropping around you, the only sound being as they thudded into the mud of the mangrove forest.

The river boat was more to my liking as you passed along, anything of interest, the boat would stop, and Jose would explain what we were looking at.  First up was the crocodile lying on the bank having a kip, while far away racoons and monkeys sprawled out on the trees having their siesta.  The smell of the mangrove and river was heavy in the air as we passed through this dense forest.  A beautifully coloured butterfly came almost into the boat, as it followed us about.  While Jose got really excited, when we came across a couple of macaws having it off in the trees, the noise and the colour were amazing.

Speeding

It was time to head back, and the driver really gunned the boat, full throttle, roaring engines with a big wash behind smacking over the banks and disturbing everything. This is not what I call being eco-friendly.   As we began slowing down, we hit something in the water and drove over it, I was mighty glad we were not going at full speed.

Back on the bus for our massage on the way to the ship and I was pleased to arrive back into the port after our six hour tour.  We were dropped off at the ship but headed straight back into town and were confronted on the beach by a line of ice cream parlours , not quite what we were looking for.  Turned right and a little further on found this honky-tonk bar, music blasting, locals on the drink supping beer out of ice cold bottles.  My, did we enjoy them, but we had to move on and try and find an internet connection.  This little place helped, but the signal was intermittent, so we returned to the ship for tea and sandwiches in the Lido.

From the Lido’s windows we watched the ship leave Puntarenas with the sun going down across the bay.

Our evening cocktail was coconut Mojito, a Malibu concoction.

Dinner was tuna salad, but not like you have at home.  The tuna was raw and not for me, but the beef and caramelised pear were excellent.

 

After dinner, it was a stroll round the deck and off to bed, it had been a long, unusual day, much was enjoyable but I am not sad leaving Costa Rica.

 

Day 19 - At Sea

Day 19 – Tuesday 28^th January 2014 – At Sea

This morning’s session in the gym and the sauna was great. I move aft along deck 9 to the Lido and take my lemon tea sitting at the window, gazing out onto the Pacific Ocean.

The sun is bright and powerful glistening off the smooth flat astonishingly blue sea.  This is how it should be, as this is why this ocean was called Pacific, named by the earlier explorers as they sailed across the peaceful ocean.

The dance lesson today was the jive, all those memories, but now I am being shown how to do it properly, certainly enjoy getting into the swing of things.

This is followed by the choir practice, we are all going along very nicely, with praise starting to come in from all sides, and informed our live concert will take place in five days, but no one is panicking.

Back on deck 9, I am in an area where you can practice your golf swing.  In this heavily netted area, I whack away at the balls, they do not go very far, as they smack into a canvas awning about 5 metres (15 feet) away.  Your swing is a bit restricted as you either get tangled up the netting or clatter into the stanchions with your club.  It is ideal to practice your chipping, so I concentrated on that one.

Up on the next deck at the forward end, I am practicing bowling, there are two greens stretching the breadth of the ship where you can play carpet bowls.  This is great, as you have a fine view over the front of the ship and can make the excuse of the ship’s roll, as you a complete hash of it, a lot of fun.

It is informal dress tonight, and today’s cocktail is Mud Slide, a concoction of Vodka, Baileys and Kahula and very nice.

For dinner, tucked into prawns/rigotelli/bread and butter pudding, very good to see this on the menu.

The theatre was a little strange with an act by American Olympic Gymnast, who showed amazing feats of strength, while another American, Great Kaplan, a poor man’s Tommy Cooper, who would go down well at a children’s party but not on a cruise ship.

Ended the night in the Midships Bar, first time we had visited this one, for our cocktail night cap.  Off to bed early, as another port arrival in the morning.

Day 18 - Panama Canal - 2nd part

Day 18 – Monday 27^th January 2014 – Panama Canal – 2^nd part

Canal Expansion

Presently the Panama Canal is going through an expansion, to be available to take the larger container ships and cruise liners.

The channel in the lake is being dredged and the sides are being widened with extra lights being installed.  The waters are brown due to all of the excavation work.  During the passage across the lake, we did not see any fishing boats or anglers, maybe the discoloured water is having another effect.

Improving Canal Banks

The size of this expansion is massive.  New locks are being built at either end with dimensions of 427 metres (1400 feet) long, 55 metres (180 feet) wide with a depth of 18.3 metres (60 feet) depth. The present locks can take ships carrying a maximum of 4,500 containers. When the expansion programme is complete, the new locks will be able to take ships carrying 12,000 containers and larger cruise ships.

Culebra Cut

Apart from the locks, the other amazing sight to be seen is the transit through the Culebra Cut, this is where the original builders cut through the mountain and terraced the sides.  This part of the canal took its toll in human suffering, as thousands were lost dying mainly from diseases like yellow fever and malaria.  The terracing is supported by large rock bolts driven into the sides.

A new bridge has been built crossing the Canal just beyond the Cut and is called the Millennium Bridge.

San Pedro Lock

After passing under the bridge, we entered the Pedro Miguel Lock.  This is a single lock and as previously, the mules were attached to assist in our passage through the lock.  This time we were going down and dropping 10 meters (31 feet), and then you proceed into a small lake.
 

Miraflores Locks

After crossing the lake you commencing entering the last set of locks called the Miraflores Locks.  These are double locks and take you 16 metres (54 feet) down to sea level on the Pacific side.  The tides on the Atlantic side have a rise and fall of 18 feet and on the Pacific side a rise and fall of 14 feet.  All the way through the canal passage, we were given a running commentary from the bridge, and it was most informative.

Leaving Miraflores Locks

For the transit we used three different pilots and one communications chap to deal with the traffic control.

This is the view of the Miraflores locks after passing through and at the Pacific sea level.

New Locks

While taking photographs during this part of the passage, I was talking with John Laverick, the lecturer on the Panama Canal.  He has been following this expansion of the Canal for the past five years and he was fascinating to talk with and I really get some inside information into what is really going on here.

The new locks being built at the Pacific side are a colossus operation plus dredging a six kilometres access channel.  The tower cranes, the constant movement of earth moving equipment is all there to be seen.  The opening of the new sections was first envisaged to be in line with the centenary year 2014, but it is not going to happen.

Pan American Bridge

The next imposing structure is the Pan American Bridge on which runs the Pan American Highway which links both continents stretching from Canada to South America.  Shortly after the bridge we dropped off the pilot at 18.00.

Panama City

With a back drop, off to our left, the modern skyline of Panama City.

The transit from the Atlantic pilot to Pacific pilot had been twelve hours and we had travelled 50 miles across the isthmus.  We had been raised and lowered 85 feet and Cunard had to pay $350.000 (£220,000) or the pleasure.  All of the passengers thought it was worth every penny and we were given a certificate to confirm we had traversed the Panama Canal.

After a good wash and brush up we were sat in the Golden Lion at 19.00, knocking back our pints of Speckled Hen. I had been a hot day spent on the open deck.  When we had our fill we went up the Lido for dinner, where you serve yourself from the various dishes and tonight it was tapas night.  We enjoyed the meal, but the house wine was not up to past standards in the Britannia Restaurant.

 

The ship was very quiet, in fact, dead by 22.00 with nobody about. 

I went on deck 9 to say farewell to Panama, gazing up at the night sky on this warm night, looking up at the star constellations as seen from their different aspect, as seen from 10 degrees north of the equator, which is 2,500 miles south from where I live, at 55 degrees north.

A perfect end to a perfect day.  Thank you Panama, for the experience and the re-living of old memories.

Day 18 - Panama Canal - 1st part

Day 18 – Monday 27^th January 2014 – Panama Canal – 1^st part

Day 18 - Monday 27th January 2014 - Panama Canal - 1st part

Awake at 07.00 and up on Deck 6 at 07.30.  The forward access to decks 5,6,7 and 9 have been opened up.

1st Chamber Gatun Locks

The ship had picked up the pilot at 06.00 at the Colon entrance and made its way up past the port of Cristobal and into the approach at the Gatun Locks, by the time we had made it up on deck at 07.30.

The ship slowly inches forward under her own power towards the first chamber of this set of locks.  Each chamber is 304.8 metres (1000 feet) long 33.5 metres (110 feet) wide and 12.8 metres (42 feet) deep.

Very near to the entrance wires are sent across to the ship on either side, forward and aft.  Attached a to the motorised work horses, affectionately called mules.  These take the strain of keeping the ship in the centre of the lock.  Within the lock, Queen Elizabeth has 0.6 metres (2 feet) space on either side and 5 metres (15 feet) space forward and aft of the lock gates. 

NYK Remus

A similar sized ship on the right, the Japanese container ship NYK Remus, and we just fit in the lock chamber.

On this occasion, the ships are going through the locks one way.  With both side being used to take ships upwards.  When I last made a transit of the Panama Canal, it was forty one years ago. The method used then was one side used for up, while the other allows ships to move down.  Informed, this now adopted one way system saves water.

2nd Chamber Gatun Locks

The filling of the locks is done through a series of culverts which diverts water into the centre of the chamber from the bottom, using valves and thus gravity, to raise the ship, there is no pumping involved, what so ever.

3rd Chamber, Gatun Locks

This shows the ship in the top, 3^rd chamber with another ship on the other side at the bottom entering the 1^st chamber.

Control Building

This shows the control building for the Gatun Locks where they operate the valves to fill and empty the chambers and of course open and close the gates.

 

Mule

The mules which were attached at the entrance to the 1^st chamber stay with you all the way through the lock system and climb each section up ramps driven on a gear wheel to enable them to climb or use as a brake on the way down.

The three chambers have raised our ship of 95.000 tonnes, 26 metres (85 feet) above sea level in ninety minutes, an amazing feat of engineering, when you consider, this year the Canal celebrates its 100th year since opening.

Gatun Lake

On leaving the lock we passed into the Gatun Lake, where to the right can be the seen the original dam which was built to use the Chagres River to form this lake, where its fresh water is used to operate the locks.  Every day it rains very heavily in Panama and this is what keeps the lake full of water.  Incorporated into the dam is a hydro-electric plant, to supply all of the power to operate the lock systems.

Just inside the lake are ships at anchor of all different shapes and sizes waiting their turn to use the locks.

Crossing Gatun Lake

We now commence our passage across the Gatun Lake staying inside the marked buoyed channel which follows the course of the original Chagres Rivers.  All of the small islands passing by, you have to remember were once the tops of the hills. 

The temperature outside is 25 degrees and above with everyone enjoying every minute of it.

Day 17 - Limon, Costa Rica

Day 17 – Sunday 26^th January 2014 – Limon, Coast Rica

Day 17 - Sunday 26th January 2014 - Limon, Costa Rica

Awake at 07.30 and were alongside in Limon, Costa Rica with another cruise liner in port called Celebrity Equinox with 4,000 passengers on board.

An early breakfast, in the Britannia Restaurant, of fruit & fibre/poached eggs/toast.  We were ashore by 10.00 with a temperature in its mid-twenties. On leaving the jetty, you had to pass through a shed, in which there were numerous stalls packed in, selling all sorts of trinkets.

It is early Sunday morning and with a street map, set off for the centre of town.  You are hit by the decay of it all.  A lot of the buildings are not well maintained and shabby.  The ones with any reasonable look to them are surrounded by high grid fencing topped with razor wire.  The roads and pavements are in a state of disrepair while there is not a decent motor vehicle.  There are a few still sleeping off last night’s excesses on the street corners.

Main Street

From our map, the cathedral was the centre of town, we circled a coupled of streets surrounding it, looking for an internet café.  Eventually, tracked back to a café, we had spotted earlier and entered for a welcome iced tea.  They had access to the web but it ran very slowly, so we left after our refreshing tea.

Wandering down to the main street, on which there were two sets of traffic lights, we came to the sea wall.  Found the Park Hotel which had internet access for $2 per half hour.  We gratefully accepted and commenced reaching out to friends via the web.  In the air conditioned bar/restaurant, keeping cool drinking the local Imperial beer, we spent the next four hours and a lot was achieved.

Park

Walking back to the ship, we came across this park which to us was the best part of the town.  The locals were taking advantage of the day off with the family and the kids were dressed in their finery, it made a welcome change to our first impressions of this little town.

We were back on board for 16.00 and went up to the Lido on Deck 9 for tea and sandwiches and a lie on one of the inviting sun loungers.  At 18.00 we sailed and cleaned up for an informal night.

At 19.00 we were sat in the Garden Lounge on Deck 9 to listen to Dixieland Jazz given by the Royal Court Orchestra.  Before they started, I had a word with banjo player who informed me, he tuned his 5 string banjo using only four strings as a guitar and played it as a guitar, new style to me.  The music was great as we sipped on our Limon Twist cocktails, crunching on crisps and nuts.

Dinner consisted of clam chowder/risotto/warm apple which was grand. 

I was Australia Day with various activities going on, but we gave it is miss, as we retired early for an early start tomorrow and the arrival at the Panama Canal.