South America the Pacific and Beyond

PONTA DELGADA AZORES Date: 10th April

Weather: Cloud and some light rain at first, cleared away to give a sunny day 16c

Position: Latitude 37 deg. 44.3 min. N Longitude 25 deg. 39.8 min. W

The Azores, or the Western Islands are a Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic ,consisting of nine islands which are in three groups. These three groups are all on different tectonic plates, which meet at that particular point in the Atlantic. They are all of volcanic origin, with the last eruption of Capelinhos in 1957.

The Azores have a temperate climate, due to the Gulf stream, with an annual mean temperature of 18 degrees Celsius , in winter the lowest would be 11c and a high in summer of 26c, these weather conditions being temperate means practically anything will grow and flourish. Our island for the day, Sao Miguel is known as The Green Island, with land commanding a high price because it can produce three or four crops every year. One of its important products is the dairy industry, where cattle can graze in the open all year round, but also beef on the hoof, which is exported to Madeira and Portugal. Another big industry here, is the Pineapple with several producers.

Sao Miguel is the largest and most important island of the whole group, with more than half the total population, which is 260,000. It is 35 miles long and 9 miles wide, with Ponta Delgada as the capital.

Our first view of the island, was of mountains and hills covered in mist and cloud, but the town of Ponta Delgada fully visible, the place itself was quite large, we were expecting something a lot smaller. Our berth was inside a guarding breakwater, shaped like the letter “ T “with the upright of the T connected to a promenade and Lido, first impressions were, the place looks very nice. We also learnt later, that housed on this berth were many shops and cafés ,and also a terminal building. In the waters around the berth was an open swimming area one side, and a yacht marina the other.

The plans we had for the day were to just explore the place itself and see what it had to show us, so it was a late breakfast, then out onto the top deck to get our bearings. By this time the sun was beginning to show, but not enough to convince us not to wear a rain jacket ashore as we`d had some light rain earlier. For me also it was the first time for a while, that I was out of my shorts.

So now ashore we strolled along the promenade, and it was at this time that the sun decided to come out, leaving a clear blue sky. It seems that a lot of the Portuguese cities use a black and white natural stone to make their pavements, and sometimes roads, and this place was the same, for as we walked around it seemed that each road or street had its own design. But in general there were very few buildings with any colour, you may say how boring when the dominant colours are black and white, but actually they looked very nice. The streets we walked were tidy, and some of the smaller side streets with tiny iron balconies looked very quaint.

After a while you got the feeling that it was a place which was out of season, not that it would be a great tourist destination anyway, because of its remoteness, being in the middle of the Atlantic. After walking for a while and following our map, we came upon a sunlight square, where the café culture was in full swing, so we decided to stop and watch the world go by. By now it was jumpers off, and a cold drink the order of the day, but the most exciting find was custard tarts, we`ve had them in Lisbon before, so they must be a Portuguese treat. They are not huge, may be the size of a christmas mince pie, and these were still warm, Very yummy! ( we learnt later that evening that all of our friends had done the same thing, and had some pies). While in the square we did notice that there was a tourist horse and carriage, also an open top bus went by earlier, so there must be a demand for these things. Now fully rested we consulted the map and picked our route, during our walkabout we were in and out of quite a few shops, and I would say that things are very reasonable, in fact some things are cheap, compared to some places we`ve been in the world.

Having done quite a big loop of the town, we made our way back to the ship for a late lunch, while we were in the town we could see that most places have WI FI, and you must admire our crew, because no matter where you are in the world, they just seem to know where you can get connected to the outside world.

Sitting on our balcony in the afternoon sun, we had a great view of the whole town and its promenade, and now the early morning cloud had gone we could see the distant hills and mountains clearly. These hills are all covered with fields, with hedgerows very similar to the UK, and herds of cattle, all very rural. We did hear from some friends on board, who did a trip to another part of the island, that the majority of the roadside hedges are kept very neat and tidy, and lined with Hydrangea and camellias.

So for us this last sail away was quite a sad occasion, this being our last port of call, the next port, will be our home port of Southampton. So I hope all those of you who have followed us on our travel blogs, have enjoyed what we have experienced in the flesh. For us it has been a great journey, even now when we go back and look at some of our early photos, the memories come flooding back. While on the subject of photos, I believe they have been missing from my blog since Huatulco. I don`t know if I can fix it before I return home, but just keep looking and I`ll try to make my blogs complete.

So it`s goodbye from Colin & Angie

BARBADOS Date: 4th April

Weather: Bright and sunny, a few white clouds, 27c

Position: Latitude 13 deg. 6.1 min. N Longitude 59 deg. 37.7 min. W

Barbados is the most Easterly of the West Indies, out of the chain of Leeward and Windward islands. The island stands in splendid isolation, with the Atlantic Ocean on its east coast and the clear and calm waters of the Caribbean Sea on the south and west coast. Measuring 21 miles by 14 miles at its widest point, it`s only slightly larger than the Isle of Wight. The climate is a holiday makers dream , tropical but tempered by the sea breezes from the north-east, the temperature hardly varies from 24 – 27c (75 – 80F)and the humidity is pleasantly low.

From its founding in 1627 to its independence in 1966, the island was a British colony, and unlike the rest of its Caribbean neighbours , was never taken by force.

For our stop in Barbados we did not do a tour from the ship, so with Mike and Sue, a couple of friends on the ship, we decided to get a taxi and take in one of the many beach resorts. We met on board, after not too early a start, went onto the quayside and into the terminal building where we gathered some information, maps etc. from the local tourist information desk. Then to the taxi rank, in some ways it`s quite orderly but other ways the drivers are very competitive for your business. As always we agreed a price before we left the rank, the taxi in-fact was a small mini bus, quite new and with air conditioning. We had some information before arriving here, that we should go to the Colony Club, but our driver questioned whether we would get in because it`s high season for the hotels. But, these people fly by the seat of their pants, and he knew a manager at a 5 star hotel and could get us what we were looking for, very near to where we were originally going, so we agreed and off we went.

For those of you who know Barbados, most of all the swimming beaches are either on the South or West coast. So heading north from Barbados we followed the west coast road, and we passed a lot of gated estates of the rich and famous, who either holiday or own properties here, another famous place we passed was Sandy Lane. This west coast is not where the local people live now, but we passed a row of their cottages which were all painted in bright and pastel colours, and have been converted into fancy tourist gift shops, but they still look good. We then went through a place called Holetown, and driving through this place it was certainly aimed at the wealthy tourist, with store names such Gucci, Louis Vuitton and the like. We then arrived at our destination, The Fairmount Royal Pavilion, which had a guard and security barrier, and because of our known arrival we were let through OK, down a short driveway to the hotels beach front complex. All beaches in Barbados are public and no hotel owns any sand only the furniture which is put onto them. For us this set up was great, we had a raised patio type area above the beach with tables and chairs with parasols, changing facilities, toilets, showers a bar, and you could order food which came from the hotel itself. On the beach we had the use of sun loungers with parasols and the water was only feet away, what more could we ask for. So a time was arranged with our taxi driver to pick us up, and as is customary here, no fare is taken until they have completed the job, so it reassures you that you will get back OK.

You are taken aback with what you are seeing, the colour of the water which is SO blue and clear it`s unbelievable, and miles of golden sand. Before we took to the water, we decided to have a soft drink and soak up the atmosphere of this whole scene. While we sat at the table a lady dressed in a uniform came and talked to us, she was a beach ranger who patrolled these beaches, to make sure no damage was done to the environment. We had a great laugh, her name was Veronica, and she had been doing her job for 34 years, she would put a smile on anyones face.

So time to get changed and sample the delights of this tropical sea, Mike and myself were the first in, but Angie and Sue were not far behind, it was great, and everyone really enjoyed their swim. There`s no problem like back at home with water temperature, you can stay in as long as you like. The girls were out first and thoroughly enjoyed it, they went to sit in the shade, as the sun was really hot by this time, and we followed later.

All sorts of water sports are available, speedboats towing inflatable settees, jet ski hire, and there was a Bobcat catamaran which I think was for hotel patrons only. Well this was the life!! a really enjoyable time, golden sands warm seas, you just have to keep diving in and out. So with time going by and some lunch to fit in, we made a move, had a shower and got changed. We had just ordered our lunch, when a lot of hotel guests had the same thought, also Veronica had re-joined us, so while waiting for our food we had a beer while the girls had soft drinks. But still a great time was being had by all, all the tables we were on were under parasols, with a big tree nearby, which also gave a nice lot of shade, it was also home to some local birds. The food we had was good , either chicken and chips or burger and chips. So a leisurely lunch was had with some friendly banter with Veronica, and a good time was had by all. Our taxi driver duly arrived, and the idea was that we had enough time for a quick look around Bridgetown before returning to the ship, but as we all know a day in the sun and on the beach seems to take away your energy, plus the temperature was still high and we felt too tired to go walking in the sun, so decided to give Bridgetown a miss. When back at the terminal building, we paid our taxi driver, then we decided to have a look at the shops there in the terminal and then go back aboard. While in the terminal, a lot of the crew, and passengers were all on their I-Pads and the like, making use of the free WI-FI which was available in the building. We found a seat, had a great ice-cream and watched the world go by, walking down the quayside there was a steel band playing, which all added to the local atmosphere.

So back to the cool of our cabin, we just chilled out, and we both said how much we had enjoyed our day. Now late afternoon, just looking from our balcony, it wasn`t long before the captain was making her announcement before leaving the port. As we made our departure the sun was just setting , and our course was to sail up the west coast and around the top of the island, so in the fading light we were able to see the beach where we had spent a glorious day. Thank you Barbados!!

Now with 5 days at sea we head for our last port of call Ponta Delgada, in the Azores.

CURACAO Date: 2nd April

Weather: Bright and sunny all day, hot and windy 35c

Position: Latitude 12 deg. 6.6 min. N Longitude 68 deg. 56.0 W

Willemstad

With a land area just over 175 square miles, Curacao was the largest of the “ Dutch Islands” the Netherlands Antilles, made up of a series of 4 other islands, St Martin ( Saint Maarten) St. Eustasius, Saba and Bonaire. On the 10th October 2010 the Netherland Antilles were dissolved, and Curacao became an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with St. Martin . The less-populated islands of St. Eustasius and Saba have been given city status within the Netherlands.

The weather in Curacao is almost always delightful with an average temperature of 27 degrees Celsius. It is delicately cooled by the trade winds, and has an average rainfall of only 22 inches annually. Best of all, the island lies outside the hurricane belt. Curacao prosperity derives from the fact it has some of the largest oil refineries in the western hemisphere. Its second largest industry is tourism and two other Curacaoan industries are listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the Antillean Paint Factory and the Mining Company of Curacao.

Our berth for the day was in their capital city of Willemstad, it is a city which was cut into two by a waterway ,about 100 yards in width, and leads straight into the surrounding Caribbean sea. The two districts of the city are served by two bridges , one for road traffic, which is very high to allow shipping to go under it, which is slightly away from the main city. And the other, a pontoon type bridge for pedestrians, connecting the main heart of the city on both sides, which is hinged at one end, and swings open to allow all boats large and small, to pass through many times a day.

We had no tour booked for the day, as when we attended the port talk about Curacao, the city of Willemstad looked a very nice place to walk about, so we decided to explore it on our own. After having our breakfast we looked out from the top deck , and what we saw was a beautiful looking place. Being a place with close connection to the Netherlands, some, not all of the buildings, have a very Dutch look about them, but what also strikes you is the amount of colour that is everywhere. Every building is of a different colour and very pleasing to the eye, some are pastel shades, and others very strong colours, and the majority of the roofs were of terracotta tiles.

Stepping ashore mid-morning we were hit by the heat, as the ship was sheltering us from any breeze. As with most stops, the minute you step out of the dock area, there are plenty of choices for independent tours, with taxi drivers offering island tours, also colourful open-sided buses doing the same. We crossed-over the pedestrian bridge and we could see some of these colourful buildings in more detail. We hadn`t gone but a few yards, when we stopped for an iced-tea with our friends from the ship, who came off earlier. Some of these pavement cafés have atomized water spraying the air to try and keep the temperature down, ( it`s very very fine and you don`t get wet).

Making our way along the waterfront, we passed a fine twin masted yacht , we then turned the corner and we were faced with a very colourful scene, local fishing boats selling freshly caught fish from the boat side. Then moving further along we came to a fresh fruit and veg. market, each stall with a different colour canopy, there seemed a lot of them, but all must be making a living. We were now crisscrossing the streets of the town, going into shops just to have a cool down from their air conditioning. The design of the buildings, mostly Dutch, were always pleasing, with squares with cafés, this whole place had a good feel about it. Finding ourselves now on the sea wall, you could feel the strength of the wind, which was a good stiff breeze. So following our map, we could see that we had almost completed a loop of this side of the city, and back to where we had started. We wanted to explore the other side as well. but before we took on that task, some more refreshment was needed, so it was more iced-tea, and while we were there our friends also returned, so it was more chilling out.

Our café being right beside the dividing waterway, we could time our crossing of the foot bridge, because while we were sitting there it had opened and closed many times. Fully refreshed we made our way to the other side, and this again was a busy place, for after our arrival that morning, another cruise ship from the Royal Caribbean line was berthed near where we were going to explore, with their passengers all along the quayside. We then came into an area called Riffort, which was originally a fort, but now a modern shopping complex with all your top high street brands available, still it keeps us holiday makers happy!

So with being out in the heat for a few hours, we decided to make our way back to the ship and a very late lunch, after which it was down to the cabin and a cool off. I did venture onto the balcony, which was in the shade and watch the world go by late in the afternoon.

As you can imagine, having a big cruise ship right in the middle of a city, when it sets sail everything stops, and this evening was no exception. Because of the strong winds which were still blowing, we needed two tugs to assist us when we left, again adding to the spectacle, with the evening sunshine and hundreds of people on the shoreline, some in the very cafés which we earlier visited, all waving us goodbye. With the ships horn saying goodbye to Curacao with three loud blasts, it made for a great sail-away. We had to reverse out into the Caribbean Sea, then make a turn and head for our next port of Barbados.

PANAMA CANAL Date: 31st March.

Weather: Some sunshine, but mostly cloudy, hot and humid 30c

Position: Latitude 08 deg. 54.2 min. N Longitude 79 deg. 32.0 min. W

This was the second time we`ve transited the canal, but this time we were doing it in the opposite direction, from the Pacific to the Caribbean. I think when you mention the name Panama Canal, people understand what this piece of engineering does, and how important this route is to the world. It is now approaching its centenary as it was completed in 1914, built by the Americans under contract, who duly ran it until the 31st December 1999. Since that time is has been run by a department of the Panamanian government.

The general layout of the whole system is the two coasts on either side, obviously at sea level, a central lake and waterway which is 85 feet above sea level. At either end there is a system of three locks, which raise the ships to the lake level at one end, and lower it to sea level again at the other. The route through the canal is 49 miles long, the locks on the Pacific side are called “ The Miraflores and Pedro Miguel” and the Caribbean side ones are “ The Gatun” locks. The central lake is the Gatun lake, but there is also a waterway which was cut through the rock formation to form a channel, this is called “The Culebra Cut”. This whole region is covered with tropical rainforest so there is no shortage of water, and a river called the” Chagres “ keeps the whole central lake topped up so the lock system does not run out of water.

We started our transit at about 8 o`clock, though we arrived at the entrance 2 hours before that. We picked up the first of many pilots for the day at just after 6 o`clock, and as daylight was just breaking, we could make out the outline of Panama City through the early morning mist, even at this early time the temperature was 25c with very high humidity. We soon passed under the first of two bridges , the “ Americas Bridge” which carries the Pan American Highway, which runs from Alaska down into South America, and we have come across it a few times on our cruise already.

Not wishing to miss anything on such a day, when there was so much going, on we ordered breakfast in our cabin, and this duly arrived at 7.15 am. On such a transit through the canal, you are sorted out into a convoy, ours that day was north bound. The first lock system, The Miraflores, has two lanes,( as do all of them ) you are either in the right hand one or the left hand one. The ship in front of us that day was another cruise liner called the “ Island Princess” , and she was directed to the left hand lane, so we had to use the right hand one. For us on our balcony this was a bit of a disappointment, because you get the full excitement when you can see another ship being worked on, this is what the canal is all about, dock gates opening and closing, water coming in and out of the locks, ships being raised or lowered, it`s great to see. When your ship goes into a lock you are totally under the control of the canal staff, linesmen come aboard our ship and operate all the cables, which are used to transport you through a lock. The ship is towed through the lock by what are known as “mules”, these are very powerful cog driven electric trains, in our case four of these mules each side, they have the capability of climbing the steep rises between the lock levels. So as not to miss a thing, we made a visit to one of the top decks to see ourselves and the other cruise ship raised two levels.

Between the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel there was a small lake, and for some unknown reason when we got to the next lock we were in the left hand lane and the Island Princess in the right, so it was back down to the cabin to get a great view of what was going on from our balcony. For this lock we only go up one level , and were now 85 feet above sea level. We then sailed towards the Culebra Cut, with another pilot, the previous one had got off. While we were in the central lake and the Cut, we were under the ships own power, with tugs in attendance but not necessarily doing anything, they would help in windy conditions if necessary . There are also speed restrictions for us, as the ships wash could damage the canals banks. A second bridge comes into view, the Centenary Bridge, it`s a fine suspension bridge, what it connects to I`m not sure. We soon passed under it and wound our way through the red and green buoys, which keep us in the correct channel. During this section we passed several hills, which were blasted and stepped during the canals construction, it must have been a mammoth undertaking. The canal is always in need of maintenance, to keep the channel clear, and we passed several different kinds of dredger. Just as we reached the exit of the Culebra Cut, we came across a big maintenance port where all sorts of different craft can be seen, and are used to keep the canal in good working order.

We noticed a change to the landscape, now there were little islands and inlets, then bigger expanses of water , we have now moved into the Gatun Lake, this whole area was covered with tropical forest, with at times some of the trees not very far from the ships side. Our expectation of seeing forest wildlife was high, but sadly there was very little to see, quite a lot of birds, and since talking to fellow passengers some crocodiles were seen. While in the wider part of the lake we were able to speed up, also at this time and position, us being the last of the northern bound convoy, ships making the transit in the other direction were able to pass. During this quiet period, we took the opertunity to go to the upper restaurant and have some lunch, as you can still get a view of the outside. After some time the commentary which had been going on through the canal, announced we were approaching the last series of locks, the Gatun Locks. So it was back down to the cabin and our balcony, to see us make our way through the lock system, again all great stuff, plenty of action, ships being lowered in the locks, mules keeping us in position, one minute we were 30 feet above the lock, the next, level with it.

Our final lock finished, we now faced the Caribbean sea , but before we finish there are two things to mention , my final photo on my blog shows the new route into the canal system, which is going to be for larger ships. At the moment ships such as our`s are built to go through the Panama Canal and are called Panamex design, but the new canal will be able to cater for the larger container ships, and they are huge! This new lock system is due to be in operation in 2014. The second thing I wanted to say was that during our transit of the canal, four crew members did a sponsored bike ride of the 49 miles, from coast to coast, they did it for the MacMillan cancer care charity in the UK. We don`t know much detail yet about the ride its self, only that we know they completed the ride because we saw them waving at the ship at the Gatun Locks. But we know they did not manage to get back onto the ship, because we believe there was some immigration problems ashore in Panama, and they, and 3 photographers who were ashore filming the ships transit, will re-join the ship in Barbados. We have heard since, they are living it up in the Radisson hotel Panama City!! The sponsorship raised on board for the charity is well over £5,000

So now onward to our next port of Curacao.

HUATULCO MEXICO Date: 28th March

Weather: Bright and sunny all day, with a light breeze 32c

Position: Latitude 15 deg. 45.1 N Longitude 96 7.7 W

When researching for our world trip we had great difficulty in trying to find Huatulco ( Pronounced Wha-tul-co ), on any map, but now having been there and armed with some local knowledge, perhaps we could help you out. Following the success of Cancun in the Caribbean, the Mexican Government looked for an equivalent resort on the Pacific coast, the result was Huatulco. The resort is located at the foothills of Southern Sierra Madre Mountains in the state of Oaxaca. It is 513 kilometres south, down the Mexican coast from Acapulco.

Huatulco is presently made up of five main built up areas: Santa Cruz, La Crucecita, Chahue, Conejos and Tangolunda. The resort is based around 9 separate bays and miles of stunning beaches, some of these beaches can only be reached by boat. Originally just a fishing village, of Santa Cruz, it is difficult to imagine how an 89,000 ton cruise liner came to a place such as this, for we were not at anchor but moored alongside a brand new jetty , which could take two vessels. This jetty is set in the middle of what feels like a narrow bay, and when we were tied up the bow of our ship must have been no more than 50 yards from a beautiful sandy beach, with crystal clear waters.

Looking out form our balcony ,across to a headland, there were several buildings, some of which looked like small holiday flats. But this headland was also covered in small trees, these trees have all lost their leaves, being their dry season, but it also makes the land look brown in colour and baron. Even at 8 o`clock in the morning children were on small beaches which were along the water`s edge, and there was plenty of activity with small boats coming and going, to and from the harbour. As we found out during the day, these boats take people out on boating trips and also deliver and collect them from the isolated beaches . Other types of craft which use the harbour are the sport fishing boats , I think Marlin are in these waters around the resort. ( I did see a Marlin which was hung up on the quayside as a photo opportunity)

For our time ashore, we had a tour “ Land & Sea” and we met on the quayside , prior to going ashore we were warned that the temperatures could be as hot as 36 deg, Celsius, so sun hats and sun cream were the order of the day. The first part of our trip was to be the sea part, so we were taken as a group to our boat, which was a two tier catamaran which could carry about 60 people. We took the lower deck which was open on the sides, so we had a good view but also the shade form the sun, and it soon became apparent when we were moving that we had a nice breeze as well. As we sailed out of the harbour past our ship, beyond the headland there was plenty of bird life, especially Pelicans. On we went in and out of secluded coves and bays with great sandy beaches . Some of these beaches have facilities such as umbrellas, changing rooms and a bar etc. but others are just sand. We then moved onto a resort called Tangolunda, this is where most of the hotel complexes are, and looking from the water they look very nice to. Talking about buildings, there are height restrictions on what they can build, because they want to protect the environment and not allow the high rise developments for the resort. Looking from the sea, all of the land which we could see was a brown colour, with the leafless trees, but our guide did assure us that after their rainy season of June, July and August all this would change back into lush green forest, but along with the rain comes the humidity. Apparently October and November are the best months to visit.

I must say that this catamaran trip was proving to be most enjoyable, quite a way into it we were given little pots of fresh fruit, mango, pineapple etc. and plenty of bottled water if required, and in amongst the commentary we had Mexican music playing. We then sailed past the entrance to the harbour and went in the other direction, where again there were a lot of secluded coves, where yachts and boats have moored for the day. Another thing pointed out to us was a blow hole which was in the rock formation, but unfortunately the sea conditions were not right so it was not on view for us. We then sailed back to harbour where some of our fellow cruise passengers were waiting, having done the” Land “ part of the trip first.

We then boarded the waiting coaches,( which thankfully were air conditioned), and drove out of Santa Cruz. The infrastructure is good around the resort, but we were told that it was not so good in other parts of Oaxaca, where many of the roads are still tracks, on the other hand there was an international airport only a few miles away. We were now heading for the town of La Crucecita, a busy little place where we were taken to a store where we were given a tasting of some of their local products things such as the alternative to Tequila. The best ways to drink it is, with limes and salt for example, other things on offer were cooked grasshoppers!!. Some people were ready to try everything , but not us. We then moved onto a local church, where the ceiling and walls were painted very ornately.

With time running out now, we made a final photo stop at a high vantage point, which overlooked our ship on the jetty, this viewing point also gives you a chance to see the distant mountains, these mountains are the southern end of the American Rockies and are quite high. So it was back to our starting point which was the harbour, and the end of our tour. Out of the two parts of our trip, I think the both of us enjoyed the “ Sea section” best of all, some of our friends had visited this port about 4 years ago, and said that the resort had not changed much in that time. For us I don`t think it would work as a holiday as we would not be able to stand the high temperatures .

Making our way back to the ship, we walked very close to the beach just in front of it, and it was absolutely packed ( well not like Bournemouth in the summer ) but still very busy. I think the local schools were on holiday, so that could explain all the people. Sat on our balcony during the afternoon, the number of people enjoying the water was enormous, such things as jet skis, speed boats towing the inflatable bananas, pleasure boat trips, everyone seemed to be on the water.

During our stop here, we were aware of the armed security which patrols such holiday resorts as this, we`ve had the repercussions of the security problem in Mexico, by having the port of Acapulco taken off our Itinerary. During the afternoon a couple of police helicopters circled our boat.

So we said goodbye to Huatulco and now move on to our transit of the Panama Canal.

PS. Some more wildlife, have seen a few green turtles and on our sail down the Coast of Costa Rica, I saw a Marlin jump clear of the water , a first for me !!