Portobelo- The Pirates Paradise

Today is kind of a sad day. We woke up with the realization that our trip is almost over. It is true the halfway point has already passed, but spending yesterday in the city and surrounded by the normal hectic activity of everyday life really made it clear.

The past week has been a great getaway and spending it with people like the Embera and in locations such as the Darien Jungle, Manuel Antonio, Corcovado and Coiba National Parks and Golfo Dulce has been an experience that is difficult to see coming to an end. Enough of that though.

Today we are visiting Portobelo where we will get to explore the ruins of stone forts that once served to slow invading pirates as well as take zodiac tours of the Mangroves in the area. But first we eat breakfast and join everyone on the Sun Deck to listen to guest speakers Mr. and Mrs. McGehee relate the history of Portobelo.

The McGehees have lived in Portobelo for more then 30 years and have studied the local history which they presented to us this morning followed by a question and answer period. Sitting on the Sun Deck listening to the history while looking out at the bay and ruins of old forts surrounded by jungle was pretty interesting for me. It doesn't take much imagination before you begin hearing canons and seeing ships in such surroundings.

After learning a bit of history we took a zodiac to shore for another dry landing at the McGehee home and on to a tour of the town. Dani and I, like others broke off on our own and quickly came across the first of several small souvenir stands. This particular stand though, attracted us not because of the selection, but rather the monkey perched on a small platform inside.

This friendly little monkey climbed all over us and went from person to person looking for treats and attention. I have seen monkeys plenty of times in the past, including having the monkeys in the Manuel Antonio National Park an arms length away, but this was the first time I have ever touched or held one and we spent quite some time here before moving on.

Next we came across another souvenir stand where we bought a few items. From the things we had been looking at, this town was up there with the Embera as far as pricing was concerned. The selection was different, but the pricing was not overly inflated like it would have been had we spent time in the cities rather then out of the way places such as this.

The ruins of the old fort are worth the trip, and if we had come on a land tour rather then a cruise, I would have thought the drive worth the time and effort. Like most ruins, it was mostly crumbling walls, but there is still more then enough to give you an idea of how things looked hundreds of years ago. That, along with many rusted canons still sitting as if ready to fend off invading pirates was plenty to keep me happy today.

A couple of things that may interest some of you- Cheap beer and inexpensive model ships. When Dani and I returned to the dock to catch a zodiac back to the ship we saw several people enjoying a beer and found they had purchased them at a grocery up the hill from the church. Pricing, if I remember correctly was between 35 and 75 cents a can depending on what you bought.

We did take a quick run up the hill to get some, but went to the wrong store and bought something else instead. We were too worried about holding up the last zodiac so did not continue on to the correct store.

When we got back to the dock again, the very same beer drinking guest was sporting a couple of hand made ships he had found in a shop. He collects them and said the prices were very good for the quality. I do not know model ships but they were nice looking. So if you are in to these things, make sure to keep an eye out in your walk around the town. You may just get lucky.

We went back to the ship for lunch and then went down to catch a zodiac tour of the Mangroves. This is something I had been looking forward to and was not disappointed. Like much of the sights on this cruise, I had only seen these things on tv so far so getting an up close look was something I was eager to do.

During our tour of the mangroves we saw several kinds of birds, including 3 of the 6 types of Kingfisher in the area. We also saw a small version of a crocodile and some cows in addition to the great scenery.

After our mangrove tour we returned to the ship for the usual social hour, daily recap and some evening dance. Believe it or not, even I danced a bit. That makes 3 times in 20 years, 2 of which were on this cruise.

That pretty much wraps up the day, and here are some more pictures for you. In the mean time, it's off to bed to rest up for tomorrow. We are visiting the San Blas Islands and doing a little more snorkeling so see you then.

Photos taken with Canon Powershot A570is

Corcovado National Park

Today's the big day. Today we will get to climb a bunch of stairs to a height of about 300 feet and fling ourselves off a teeny tiny platform suspended by nothing more then a few branches and out over the floor of the rain forest held up by 6 strands of yarn braided together and sealed with wax. At least that's how it happened in my dreams last night. I can't wait.

But first downstairs for some breakfast and some coffee. I want to be well fed and wide awake when I plunge to my death.

Actually, I am really looking forward to this and am a bit disappointed we are on the second group of the day that gets to do it. On the bright side, we didn't have to get up earlier then normal like the first group and the guides running the tour will have woken up sufficiently by then that we should be much safer then them too. The early bird may get the worm, but that's only if they aren't so groggy they smack into a tree on the way down to find it.

Before we get to fly through the tree tops though, we will be taking a walk in the Corcovado National Park looking for more wildlife and enjoying the beautiful scenery that is the rain forest. After our morning walk, it will be time to wander a bit on our own, or relax and read a book in the shade before lunch on the beach.

This first picture is to show you how thick the forest is. As you can see, if you aren't on the cleared path then getting around wouldn't be so easy. This is also the only day on the whole cruise Dani and I wore shoes and socks. They were recommended for safely walking the trails.







The second picture gives you an idea of the uneaven ground in areas and the reason for the shoes in the first place. It also gives me a chance to show off my wife. Just don't tell her or she may take the picture off the page.












Our goal was to find a bunch of birds on this walk but we didn't have any luck. Lucky for me I am not a huge bird fan so the plants and trees were worth it to me and much more interesting anyway. Besides, when we got on shore this morning we saw some parrots flying over head which was enough to keep me happy. We would find throughout the day that those who chose to walk along the beach ran across 20 or 30 parrots playing in the trees though, so if we had really wanted we could have seen them for ourselves.

When we returned to our picnic area and a relaxing read in the shade we were interrupted by a couple of monkeys looking for a handout. It was pretty entertaining watching them try to beat each other to some bananas but try and catch them in the act with my camera? Good luck, my reflexes just weren't good enough. Guess I should have paid more attention to the instructions, but I'm a guy. What did you expect?














After the commotion with the monkeys died down, something more my speed came along. Now this guy made it easy on me and sat still long enough I could get a clear shot. In fact he pretty much sat in the same spot for a good half hour while everyone took turns snapping picture after picture. When we all finished, the naturalist put him on his hat and walked around proudly displaying his new friend.

We decided to walk around a bit and found a bunch of baby frogs in a little pond formed by a creek leading to the beach. There were literally thousands of these little guys jumping around or just sitting on leaves in the water.










Continuing on to the beach, we walked along the rocks to see what kind of critters there were and found an interesting selection of typical sea creatures, but since I am pasty white I hurried back to the shade after a quick once over. I did get this picture of some snails though.
I'm pretty easily entertained.

While waiting for lunch, I sat down and read a bit while soaking up the shade. Dani, for whatever reason felt the need to sit in the sun and took some more pictures. Here is one with the local kids playing in the water while the crew ferried people back and forth to the boat. One thing I forgot to mention is that one of the crew has family here and he was able to visit his kids while we were in the area. I thought that was nice and really appreciate the fact that in most places we went, not only were we away from the crowds, but the local people were able to benefit from jobs on the ship. A small thing maybe, but I like that.

Just before we ate Dani got this picture of some wild dogs that were chasing each other around in a vicious fight to the death. Again, I will let the photographic evidence speak for itself.









Next thing I know, it was time for lunch. Sometime while I wasn't looking, the crew set up a complete buffet lunch to include tablecloth covered picnic tables and regular, non disposable dishes. Now my background is restaurants and when I started in hotels we did a lot of off premise catering. It was a lot of work and I enjoyed it, but I have to tell you, if we had been transporting everything from a ship to shore in a zodiac without a dock... well it's safe to say I'd have taken some sick days. They are to be commended for the work they did keeping us comfortable in all conditions.

After lunch it was finally time. We were about to get our chance on the zip lines. But first to get there. Our group loaded up in the zodiac and took a 10 minute or so ride to another location where we met a young lady in a small pick up truck with wood rails and a couple of long benches in the back. If you go and haven't taken any Dramamine up to this point, you may want to reconsider. This ride qualifies as one of the best 15 minute roller coaster rides of all time. Seriously.

One more tip. If you can't get the one seat in the cab of the truck, jump in back quick, move to the front and hold on tight. You are in for the ride of your life. The next thing you need to do is take in the view around you. If you don't survive the drive to the zip line tour base camp you can at least take comfort in the fact your final day was in such a beautiful location.

You will understand why I didn't get any pictures of the drive in.

So here we are at last. We have arrived safely at the zip line camp and after having our fingers pried off of the truck rails we are free to look around, freshen up and sign our waivers. For some reason, after ensuring us all how safe this is, they are hesitant to let us gear up without first absolving themselves of all responsibility. If I wasn't ready and eager before, well now all my fears have melted away.

Actually, while a touch nervous, I am not really worried and am still eager to get started. After all, we survived the drive so what was there to be afraid of?

Dani took this picture of me getting strapped into the harness and unfortunately that was the only clear picture we got. I was too worried I would drop the camera so it stayed on a strap around my neck. That's probably a good thing because looking at my forehead, the camera needed a good lens cleaning.

I also want to set the record straight. In fairness to the zip line crew and to make sure I don't scare anyone off, these guys were very professional and safety conscious. At no time was I ever afraid and even Dani, who due to her lack of height, is afraid of it felt safe. These guys get you all strapped in and you are secured by safety lines at all times. If they release your line from the main cables, they first hook you up to their line and only release you from them after you are secured again.

Also, if you think you are too old, think again. One of our group that came along is a bit advanced in years and had second thoughts. She had decided to stay at the base camp and wait for us until a couple others who had done this before convinced her to give it a try. Let me just say that after the first try, she had a huge smile on her face every time I turned and looked back as she was coming in. When we finished for the day, she was ready to go again.

Now there were about 11 cables we crossed ranging from about 20 to 100 feet high and up to 400 meters long. My only complaint was that they weren't long enough. I wanted to really look around at the surrounding canopy, but if I didn't want to smack into the tree at the other end of the cable, I had to pay attention. The views were amazing though and we were all very glad we did it.

One tip though. If you do not have a lot of upper body strength, make sure you get the extra harness that will give you some additional support. One of our crew found out after a few crossings that it was pretty tiring and after they set him up with this he was able to enjoy himself much more.

Oh yeah, one more thing. If any of you guys at the Corcovado Zip Line read this, please install a swimming pool to land in on that final wire. That would make a great day perfect.

The next couple pictures are from the ride back to the beach (the first pic is the single smoothest section of the drive) and the zodiac ride back to the ship. Then it was another relaxing social hour, daily recap and rundown of the next days events and finally dinner.

Tomorrow we go to Golfo Dulce (The Sweet Gulf) and the Casa Orquideas Botanical Gardens.

Until then.




Photos taken with Canon Powershot A570is

Manuel Antonio National Park

Our first real day aboard the Pacific Explorer started with a good breakfast and plenty coffee in the dining room on the first floor. After catching up on some much needed sleep the night before and getting some caffeine, we were ready to meet the day.

The night before, we met the staff and they let us know what was in store for us this morning so needless to say, we were pretty excited. This was to be our first of many wet landings and the idea of splashing ashore and exploring the rain forests of Costa Rica had my sense of adventure peaked. I was ready to meet the dangers of the wilderness head on. Especially since it was clear the professionalism of the safety conscious crew and naturalists meant I had nothing to fear. Phew!

One thing to point out is that before any of us gets to shore, the crew has already been there and back setting up a drink station and some chairs and towels so you can dry your feet if you want. Even though they have drinks, make sure you bring the bottles of water from your room and keep track of them for the whole ten days. The idea is to reuse the bottles to prevent needless waste and I thank them for that. Just refill on board or at the drink stations as needed and carry them along on the walks.

Once we were ashore, our groups naturalist gathered us up and talked about the history of the area, the plants and wildlife as well as the way the land we were on was formed. It had used to be an island but I won't spoil the rest for you.


Before we had even walked 100 yards we had already seen several kinds of wildlife, some of which are pictured below so as you can imagine, we were all pretty eager to see what lay ahead.

The first thing we saw was a set of tracks that were obviously from some large man eating cat and it was going to be up to the fearless naturalist to keep us safe. As you can see by the picture below, danger lay around every bend.










And shortly after that we ran across a dragon



Now I have to warn you, my wife and I differ a bit in our opinions regarding exactly what some of these things were so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves and you can decide what you think. Either way, we both agree the day was worth the wait.

The next thing we saw was a sloth, and during our day we actually saw several. Both the 2 and 3 toed variety. This picture was taken by placing our camera against the lens of the naturalists telescope. Thank goodness for that handy device because although I could see them with my eyes, I couldn't get a clear shot with our camera.









This next picture is one of many cool looking plants and flowers we saw, but I really liked this one because it grew up so high and is another picture taken through the telescope that came out pretty well.

We found out later in the evening that not every group sees the same things and that we were in fact one of the lucky ones. The reason is that what we saw next, others on the cruise wouldn't see for another day or so. Up to this point we had been wandering through the rain forest and up a hill. The next area we went was deeper in and as we went around a bend suddenly all around us were monkeys. They were pretty entertaining as they jumped all over and it was pretty amazing how close they were. Now granted, this is a well traveled tourist location and beach for the locals, but these little guys were close enough to touch at times. Very cool.

Another kind of monkey we saw were howler monkeys, but I didn't get a good picture of them. They were lounging high up above us in the trees content to keep their distance and toss down the occasional half eaten fruit.

Here is a picture of Danielle and I in front of some bamboo that was pretty impressive. You can't see it all, in fact you only see a small part of it, but the picture gives you an idea.



Pretty much from the moment we stepped on shore to the time we were back on the boat we saw a large variety of birds, almost all of which I was unable to capture with our camera. There was one exception though, and it is this mother and baby here. The bird was referred to as a stick bird because as you can see it blends in with the branches. In fact, the only way I could see it or get the picture was by looking through the naturalists telescope. He then took this picture through the telescope like the sloth and flower above. At this point I was pretty close to being convinced these birds weren't really there and the telescope was really a high tech digital viewfinder, but how to explain seeing the sloth with my own eyes?



This wraps up the pictures from the day and what we did next was go back on board the boat for lunch then back on shore for an afternoon swim. I am not much of a swimmer but the water was more like a bath and I couldn't resist. While we were swimming, those who chose to do the canopy walk did their thing. This was one of only 2 things that cost extra on the cruise (about $85/person) and we decided to skip it.

Then it was back on board for social hour, the evening wrap up and a quick run down of the next days events. The great thing about this is all the things you learn about the area and the question and answer time. If I haven't made it clear, the naturalists know an awful lot about the area and can answer most questions in a clear and entertaining way.

Right after this we all headed to dinner and then back to the sun deck for more relaxing in the evening. I will leave you tonight with a couple of pictures of the sunset before heading off to bed. Tomorrow we head to the Corcovado National Park for a walk, picnic lunch on the beach and an afternoon of zip lining. I sure hope I can sleep.

Until then.



Photos taken with Canon Powershot A570is