Viking Cruise 2019

DECEMBER 31, 2019 CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN Happy New Year one and all! This morning Karen and I had our second cooking class. There was a guest chef flown in from Mexico City for this special day and, of course, we prepared a Mexican four course meal which included bacon wrapped lobster and a dessert which..... well, just take a look at our preparation .... does it seem a bit too spicy to you? : After dinner at Chef's Table where the guest chef created a Mexican taco dinner, we went to the Pool Deck to see Viking's New Year's Eve celebration on the Pool Deck. Karen made  the big screen. The champagne flowed freely. Our Palm Springs friends Dave and Sonia sent us this song recently and it seemed so appropriate for this special evening that... well, here it is... it takes a few seconds to load: https://mail.google.com/mail/ u/0?ui=2&ik=392c955eef&attid= 0.1.1&permmsgid=msg-f: 1654355516328210279&th=...

DECEMBER 30, 2019 CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO Arrival. Sunrise.  Have you been to Cabo recently? Well, we hadn't been for about a decade. Sourprise! The population has exploded. Not only in Cabo San Lucas proper, but all the way to San Jose del Cabo 20 miles eastwards along the south coast where we toured. And the building of hotels and resorts continues unabated. Impressive but wearying. San Jose, a clean and pleasant place, has become a favoured resting spot for Holywood celebrities and the ultra rich. I took no pictures as I saw nothing exciting. https://www.loscabosguide.com/san-jose-del-cabo/ To add a little spice to matters today, Viking Sun was joined at anchor in the bay (there is no pier) by Royal Princess, Carnival Panorama and the Oosterdam. It was a people zoo on the streets - over 10,000 tourists let loose in a confined area. Usually Viking Sun is the only ship in town when we stop. Oh well!  Departure. Sunset. ...

DECEMBER 29, 2019 ANOTHER SEA DAY Time to think, time to write. Just a thought. One fact that has impressed me throughout this journey around South and Central America is the amount of "local" goods and souvenirs on offer by the vendors. There are literally mountains of goods for sale by each and every one of them. The total value of all the goods in their combined inventories must be astronomical.  Let's take the facts as we know them and try to make a few logical deductions. Firstly,  these vendors are not wealthy  merchants; they are struggling to get by. So how can they afford the inventories that support their businesses. Let's see. Since they can't possibly produce the quantity of things they are selling, and since most products from vendor to vendor are pretty much identical, they must come from the same source. That's easy - China! Even the "Peruvian alpaca" shawls, the "Chilean" flutes, the "A...

DECEMBER 28, 2019 AT SEA There was a special lunch today for the world- and half-world cruisers ( about a hundred and fifty passengers) . A Viking buffet feast.  By the time we reach Los Angeles there will be only 55 of us left who started in London and will also finish in London. Another 850 or so will join the ship for the Pacific Ocean crossing.  At some time in their lives all dogs cross the " Rainbow Bridge " says composer Kerry Muzzey.  I'm sorry, but this is a sad song. Beautiful, yes, but sad. It's okay to shed a tear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTbRPsEkZQk&t=139s

DECEMBER 27, 2019 CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN Today and the next two are sea days, so life has become less hectic - time to contemplate.  We have left South and Central America behind. Typically, a traveler will come away with general impressions of such an intense tour, personal views or feelings that might not be shared by others. So be it. I report what we saw and my take on it. What I saw over and over again suggested there is an underlying sense of unease among the populations. Everywhere we went, security measures were apparent - almost all homes and businesses had barred doors and barred windows, small retail stores had metal shutters, larger retailers had visible security personnel, most commercial businesses had guards at their doorways, stainless steel razor-wire was universally evident - a staple of life, it seemed. Too, there is a propensity by expansive properties to hide their domains by erecting high, surrounding walls (often covered by razor-wire). Love of c...

DECEMBER 26, 2019 PUERTO QUETZAL, GUATEMALA Viking Sun docked at Puerto Quetzel but our actual destination was Antigua, a town of 50,000 about two hours by bus from the ship. At one end of Antigua is Water Volcano and at the other end of town is Acatenago a rare twin volcano side by side. Unluckily for Antigua, it sits where two tectonic plates meet with the result that volcanic eruptions and especially earthquakes occur more often than just about anywhere else.   Turns out there were plenty of tourists in Antigua that day. Central Plaza was overrun. There were marketplaces burgeoning with stalls full of similar goods. And every vendor trying to get your attention as you walked wearily past in a daze.  Have you heard of the butterfly effect? You know, the one where a butterfly flapping its wings in Japan can begin a compounding process that eventually results in a hurricane in the Caribbean. Well, that thought ran through my ...

DECEMBER 25, 2019 CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN Our true Christmas story: When she was eight years old, our granddaughter Kendra was affable, even gregarious. She certainly was not shy - she would sing and/or dance unbidden at any gathering of her own or her parents’ friends. Did I tell you that she has a clear and very loud voice that could fill a stadium - perhaps destiny would take her to the theatrical stage. And Kendra was not shy with strangers despite her parents’ cautions; she especially liked to chat with older folks at banks. But this is not a story about old folks or banks (that's another story altogether), this takes place on a sidewalk in downtown Victoria . One evening, after exiting the National Geographic IMAX theatre we all strolled down the block towards our parked car. Part way there, we came upon a couple of policemen; one officer was standing and talking into his shoulder while the other was kneeling on the back of a prone and handcuffed suspect. As we...

DECEMBER 24, 2019 PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA (fishing village, far from everywhere) Today's excursion was a long one - 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM - to the Starbucks Hacienda Coffee Farm. Half that time was on the bussssssss. Josue (Joshua) was the Starbucks representative who taught us about the growing, fertilizing, propagation, picking and roasting processes. Now we know. We met a coffee picker who wasn't particularly adept at his trade (the berries should be red). After the coffee bean has been extricated from the berry, then husked and dried, the final step is to roast the bean, but not too hard, about 8 minutes. So, our group swirled, smelled and drank this newly minted espresso, per instructions by our Starbucks expert, as though it were a revered 1985 Chateauneuf du Pape, and then we gleefully agreed to its provenance. Frankly, IMO one's taste in coffee is ...

DECEMBER 23, 2019 CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN This morning's view from the balcony: The Maersk Line ship is passing us. How mortifying! While there are many dining spots to choose from on the Viking Sun, Karen and I mostly frequent the World Cafe. It is organized thusly: Bean-ground espresso, latte, cappuccino, juices, teas, sugars, milk, hot and cold water. Sliced ham, salmon, salamis, cheeses, condiments, yogurts, whole and cut fruits, mueslis, congee. Miso soup, sushi and sashimi are available at every dinner.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner menus change daily and always offer an incredible variety of choices. The food is prepared within sight and delivered immediately so it is hot. And you can eat all you want. Breads, toast, pastries, cereals, nuts, fruits, jams, honey, nutella, ice creams and sorbets.  Not only does the World Cafe offer convenience and variety, but meals ...

DECEMBER 22, 2019 PANAMA CITY, PANAMA Whaaaat? Is it that late? Christmas only 3 days away? Tempus sure does fugit. Our excursion today consisted of a small open boat ride on the Lake Gatun section of the Panama Canal. We headed to the jungle area where we saw three types of monkeys (howlers, tamarins and white-faced capuchins), an iguana, and a variety of birds and butterflies - but no sloths, jaguars or capybaras. Howler monkey - noisy and aggressive. Geoffrey's Tamarin Monkey - active, not shy. White-face Capuchin Monkey - hitchhiker, can be fed by hand. Green Iguana Of course, if you are traveling on the Panama Canal, you can expect traffic: So, that's where windmills come from. Music? No problem. New age? Sure, how about award winner " Christoforo's Dream " by David Lanz? https://www.youtube...