1/28/17 Saturday
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Up for danishes and coffee in Lakeside. Cool again, but clear and cloudless. Chatted for a bit, then made the final plan of the day.
We re-packed what we had taken out, then brought all the suitcases inside to apply boarding tags to them.
Glenn suggested that we put all the luggage in their car, then we could run down ahead of them to turn in our rental car. Then they could pick us up without our having to haul luggage around. It worked great.
Glenn then drove the little way to Anthony's Fish Grotto on the waterfront. We got in by being a little early, but the hordes were at the door as we left. One reason for that is that Rotterdam had berthed at the next pier. Probably more than that, the place is closing 1/31/17, so this is the last Saturday it will exist. It will be torn down for a total waterfront re-building. Sort of sad, it's been here a long time.
We walked out into the parking lot to Glenn's car and got our luggage. We walked to the adjacent pier and said our thanks and goodbyes. Then we hauled the luggage to the drop-off and boarded.
Our cabin was ready when we got to it. The cabin steward was there, so we asked for the bed to be re-arranged to suit us. Then we toured the ship & returned to the cabin. The luggage had arrived but the bed wasn't reoriented. But it was time for lifeboat drill, which seemed to take hours. At the completion of the drill, the ship hooted and backed away from the pier. D bought a HA light sweat-shirt for the cool outside decks and we went to watch the landmarks as we left San Diego.
We saw all the major downtown buildings then Harbor Island, then a bit of MCRD and NTC and what was the Sonar School when I attended a six-month course on electronics and transistor theory (new then). Then we passed Shelter Island and reminded ourselves of where our first home was. We saw the big former NELC building where we met in mid -1969, and then the submarine base. After that came the Point Loma lighthouse and the ocean.
We stepped inside and unpacked. Just as we were finishing, the steward came in to re-orient the beds, so we left for a dinner in the Lido. Neither of us was very hungry, so we ate lightly and returned to the cabin. Now we're waiting for 2100, when a raffle is to be drawn that we entered by virtue of buying something in a shop. We'll go for that, and then settle in to read & rest.
Later - D didn't win anything at the raffle.
This picture is of Rotterdam VI, the flagship of Holland America. It was commissioned in 1997, so it's getting on in years. But she's well-kept and still lovely.
1/29/17 Sunday .. a cruising day
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The clocks were set ahead an hour in the night (Mountain time) so we woke late by the clock. But we slept well, assisted by the ship's gentle rolls and vibration. It's 63* and sunny.
D went off to church. I did three laps of the outside deck, a little under a mile. Then we took breakfast in the Lido. An island appeared off the port side, so we looked at it and took a few pictures. D did a lap around the ship, which didn't seem to hurt her trick knee.
Off to the culinary arts center for the cooking demonstration of the day. The chef of the Pinnacle Grill (top-end dining) did the cooking while Cary fed questions to him. She also did a commentary on the room, and other dining options.
Pinnacle Grill's Chef Ronald Bausch (Netherlands) prepared 1) Dungeness Crab Cakes with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, 2) Veal & Sage Polpettina (meatballs), and 3) Le Cirque Creme Brulee. As in the past, we picked up the recipe cards for later top-binding into a flip-over book.
Back in our cabin, we decided upon an excursion in Puerto Vallarta. We headed for the Excursions office only to find it closed. So we went to lunch in the Lido (main dining room not open).
Fusili with meat sauce augmented with onion, black olive, and mushrooms made a filling dish for me. Dolores got into some chicken thing and had desserts. We had the first bottle of wine from our "package". We didn't finish it, so we took the remainder to our cabin.
The Captain made the noon announcement saying we're traveling close to the Mexican coast with 609 miles to Puerto Vallarta. The Cruise Director gave her spiel on activities of the day.
Then back to the cabin to rest & read. We got up later to purchase the excursion mentioned above and then to attend Sip & Savor.
Sip & Savor provides a food sample with a glass of wine complementary to the food, and a talk by the sommelier about why this wine goes well with this food. Price $4. Best bargain on the ship. Today it was a small tomato caprice and Chef Rudi chardonnay. The chardonnay was much more fruity and light than most chardonnays.
We walked around for a while, then went to the Crow's Nest over the bridge. D had her favorite - a Stinger - while I had my favorite - a Gibson. After talking and looking at the upcoming sunset we went down to eat. After that we returned to the cabin to find it all made up for the evening, including a towel creature in the form of a Ray.
We did some computer work and games and had a night-cap. Then we pulled out the books and relaxed. D was asleep in minutes.
1/30/17, Monday, another cruising day.
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Got up and found a problem - the toilet isn't flushing. Conversing with the cabin steward, the problem is wide-spread, all up and down our passageway. Persons are working it.
Breakfast in the Lido. Some fog outside, possibly caused by the warm and cold currents converging here off Cabo San Lucas, Baja Mexico. Temperature is 66*f early in the day, so it will be warmer this afternoon than yesterday.
We selected our events for the day from the "Daily Navigator" - the paper that shows all the day's happenings. I headed off to do self-laundry on the items we've been wearing since leaving home. The laundry room (one of several) has four sets of commercial washer/dryers and room for folding. The washer took our stuff and thrashed it mightily. Then a rinse cycle started and the imbalance of the load made the machine walk out the door, or nearly. It stopped soon and thrashed again then finished with a rinse cycle that would shame a jet engine. The dryer did well - in 45 minutes everything was dry.
While I was laundering, D went to the Culinary class. Today's instruction was on the subject of stuffed peppers, including Chili Rellanos.
During the laundry period, the Captain announced that a medical patient would be transferred in the bay at Cabo San Lucas about 1100, after which we'd resume our transit to Puerto Vallarta arriving there at the normal time.
Rotterdam went to the bay of Cabo San Lucas and met a small tender. It pulled up to the side where such transfers are done, and with some fuss took the person aboard. Then we buttoned up and headed south. At some point in here, the toilet started working again; just in time for me.
D & I tried the main dining room for lunch. Well managed, and good food. I had a Reuben, which I hadn't had in years. A couple from Indiana near Chicago joined us, so we chatted with them. All in all, very nice.
I'm still missing the SIM I bought for my iPhone so I'd have cheaper service in Mexico, etc. Can't find it anywhere. Of course, when I no longer need it, it will surface.
We did the 1500 presentation on the next three ports. History, money, attractions, where we dock, etc. So now we know a little more.
We loafed briefly then joined the Sip & Savor event. Today's savory was the Veal & Sage Polpettina as demonstrated yesterday in the Culinary class. The complimenting red was a Spanish Rioja. They worked together well.
1/31/17 Monday Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
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Up at 0630 to get going. I noticed they'd managed to tie up the ship without me. Still dark at 0715, but lots of activity on the pier - buses ready, mariachi band playing, groups gathering for early departure, and so forth. We noticed the Walmart across the boulevard - this is where all the crew congregates to do their wifi-internet at this stop.
Then we loaded up on the bug spray to ward off mosquitos and down to the pier. We joined our group on the pier and soon boarded a bus to show us around. We did a slow trip down to the old town, then a little beyond that. We turned back and stopped where we could walk a block to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The Cathedral is small by today's standards but interesting. Lots of unique religious decorations and a very nice altar arrangement. The tower top is a replica of the tiara worn by the Queen of Spain (back then). It's visible from any part of old town.
We walked from there to the Malecon (boardwalk) which runs for many blocks along the waterfront. There are many statues by local artists to show the good parts of PV. One of them is the small amphitheater at the Arches (picture above left). Another is the boy on a seahorse, below. Some are whimsical, some show local life.
The bus look us back through town to a bar/restaurant called Cochimas (sp?). They had a soft drink or small margarita free for us, but wanted to sell food and drink. I had a Negro Modelo but D didn't want anything. The best thing about the place was that i got on internet and received a ton of e-mail I'd missed on board.
The bus took us back to the ship. We'd heard the best place for internet was across the street at Walmart. I went to our cabin and got the MacBookPro and D's iPad. On my way to the gangway, I found I didn't have my key-card. So I went to the desk and got a replacement. I went out and found D and we went to Walmart across an eight-lane boulevard with no pedestrian crossing periods. We survived. Barely.
Walmart's internet is slow. It is intended to confuse you and frustrate you until you go away. It succeeded. We gave up and went away, back across the hazard zone, to the ship.
Back at the ship, I found my replacement key-card let me aboard but wouldn't work at the cabin. D let us in. I tried my original card which should have been superseded, but it worked in the cabin slot. I turned in the replacement card at the front office with my story. So I went off to have a drink. The original card would not work in the cash-machine at the bar. After the drink I went to the front desk and asked for a replacement that would work everywhere. So far, so good.
We went on deck to witness getting underway. At 1445, the appointed time, eight names were read off over the loudspeaker asking them to call immediately. Missing passengers. Soon a family of four came running and boarded. A few minutes later a couple ran toward us and boarded. Still missing two. We waited 15 more minutes but no-one showed up, so we got underway.
We attended the Sip & Savor. The savory was a tiny bruschetta and the wine a Seven Daughters white blend - 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Semillion. Quite nice. We fell into conversation with a Barbara, recently retired psychologist from Dayton, Ohio. Chatted about all sorts of things. She wanted to know about Florida condos for a couple of months in the winter - we advised Panama City Beach.
Then to dinner. We were given a table for two, right aft. Excellent view of the wake. The food was very good. After coffee we wandered back to our cabin and settled in for the night.
Tomorrow is a cruising day, then we stop at Santa Cruz Huatulco.
Link to Google Map of the Cathedral area, which opens in a new window.
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Cruising the Mexican Pacific coast.
We're getting farther south as can be seen on the status panel and felt on deck where the air temperature is 79*f this morning.
The ship is currently 40km off the coast but we'll see the coast again when we pass by Acapulco later this morning. At 1030 we can just barely see in the haze to the north-northeast the condos and tall hotels of some town.
D went off to a cooking class doing Super Bowl Appetizers. The ship will be doing several things for the Super Bowl, including having it on the large screen in the theatre. They want to sell me a VIP location in the theatre featuring unlimited drinks and appetizers for $45 or something like that. Since the Packers have dropped out, I don't care who wins so that's money saved and time which can be spent elsewhere.
I went off to talk with someone about the satellite internet service. I want to be able to upload changes to this web site, but I'm not sure file transfers are enabled. I'll probably just have to sign up for the lowest cost program to find out and when it runs out select another. So I signed up and tested file upload - no dice. I guess updating this web site will have to wait until I find full internet ashore.
We passed an automobile-carrier ship this morning. Big, boxy, thing like the ill-fated El Faro, which sailed from Jacksonville straight into a hurricane. It reported losing propulsion power; later it sank with all hands. The recorders have been recovered (amazing) but the on-bridge conversations have not been disclosed - probably due to a lawsuit on behalf of the victim's families.
The Captain's noon announcement said we'd be passing Acapulco this afternoon at a distance of six miles, so we should see that. Took a few pictures but even the 12x lens would only reduce the apparent distance to a half-mile.
I picked out a Ken Follett novel (World Without End) at the library. I'll have to work at it to finish it before Fort Lauderdale - 1260+ pages. The previous book in this trilogy, The Pillars of the Earth, was quite good.
Sip & Savor had a chicken tiki and a Columbian dry Riesling paired. The chicken had a bit of a bite to it and the wine cooled it. Fell into talking with Barbara again and chatted about cruises and smart kids and diets and more.
Not ready to eat yet, we loafed in the cabin for a while, then went to dinner in the dining room. Good food, good service. Then our server made a little origami frog that jumped and gave it to Dolores. She named it Fred and acted as though it were the best gift she'd ever received. The staff was happy with that.
Then we waddled back to the cabin and rested.
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This little port has a bunch of condos that overlook the nice beaches. Population 23,000 and 3,000 visitor rooms. Plans call for 27,000 rooms by 2030, so come quick if you want to see a small friendly town.
Wikipedia Link Harbor Webcam Link
The ship was docked when we got going. This place is tan. Looks like it hasn't had rain in weeks. Cactus and coconut palms. Must be the dry season. But very clean, nice parks, friendly people. We could do a week here.
We had signed up for a sea-and-land tour; a bus tour of the area followed by a catamaran tour of all the nearby bays. The bus tour took us to a high spot where we could take a picture of MS Rotterdam. Then on through the other parts of the area including Las Crucesitas, where we stopped to see the church. Nice small church, decorated in primary colors with the walls terminating about seven feet up to encourage the breeze. Nice murals - see pictures. After that, back to the harbor to board the catamaran.
The cat was crowded but they managed to serve margaritas or tequila-coke or Corona to everyone. The crowd prevented my taking good pictures, so I climbed to the tiny bridge and took pictures from there. There was some non-native steering under direction of the capitan so we had a conversation about that. El Capitan had a two-liter bottle of Corona delivered to the bridge, then another, so the six of us were well supplied.
We turned around after seeing several beautiful beaches, each with no more than six people and one with two. This place is undiscovered to many but has international flights from the US, Canada, and Manchester.
We hopped off and hoofed it to the ship since we were past boarding time (no problem, of course, since we were on an HA tour). I hopped in the shower to rid myself of the Deet, during which the ship hooted and backed out.
I loaded the days pictures into the Mac and convened a meeting of one at the Crow's Nest bar while D went to the cooking class. We met back at the cabin and did our books until the Sip&Savor event came along.
S&S included a mushroom stuffed with all sorts of good things and the wine was a Toscano from Italy (of course) that did well with it. We chatted again with Barbara but then dashed off to dinner in the dining room.
We shared a table with a couple from Rochester NY who were quite genial, but the lady was a little under the weather because the ship was rolling a couple of degrees. That's nothing to me, but she felt it. They (Dennis & Sherry) were quite interesting and shared many things with what we've done.
Then down to our cabin to relax and rest.
This concludes our Mexican statements…. now for some Central America.
