NOW TO VIEW MY JANUARY POSTS YOU WILL HAVE TO CLICK ON "JANUARY" SO THOSE POSTS WILL BE DISPLAYED.
TO VIEW PREVIOUS POSTINGS USE THE "BLOG ARCHIVE" UNDER OUR PHOTO ON THE RIGHT. THEN CLICK ON THE DAY OR DAYS YOU MISSED. ALSO CLICKING ON THE PHOTOS WILL ENLARGE THEM. I RECOMMEND THAT.
Our position today is docked in Colon, Panama, the entrance to the Panama Canal on the Caribbean side. Mostly sunny and 85 degrees.
LAST NIGHT:
We enjoyed a lovely dinner in Compass Rose with Mary Ann & Jimbo Todd from Tulsa and Marcia Rector from Toronto. Lots of laughs throughout the evening. Jimbo is a very funny man. Both the Todd's and Marcia are "Diamond" status with well over 1000 nights of Regent cruising and approaching "Commodore" (over 2000 nights). We are hoping to be "Diamond" on next year's world cruise.
We selected the pan fried Smithfield pork medallions topped with asparagus and melted fontina cheese.
Grilled polenta and with Madeira red wine sauce. We asked they not overcook it but they did.
My dessert was this kahlua coffee souffle
Photos from the production cast singers performing their Broadway in Concert show. At times it sounded like the female singers were screaming. We still enjoyed the show however.
PHOTOS TAKEN YESTERDAY IN LIMON, COSTA RICA
As I promised here are my photos taken yesterday on my 4 hour "Caribbean Train, Eco Cruise, & Countryside" excursion. The tour guide was outstanding as he covered everything about the Limon province of Costa Rica and also the country of Costa Rica. Only part I did not care for was the hour train ride through the jungle/rainforest. There was not much to see other than an hours worth of jungle on a VERY rough train ride. You may want to click on the photos to enlarge them, especially the ones of animals.
Huge chair
Exiting pier on tour bus
Park just outside pier
Fruit stand
Once again, due to the high water table, people are buried above ground in vaults.
Another fruit truck
River from inland running into the ocean.
Chiquita and Dole export bananas, pineapples, and other fruits and vegetables. Bananas is the major crop grown here in the Limon area.
We drove past miles and miles of bananas plants. They put blue bags on the blooms and leave them on until the fruit is harvested. This to protect the fruit from crop dusting, insects, and the sun.
Workers in the plantations make from $600 to $700 per month.
Boarding the train for an hour ride through the jungle/rainforest. Our tour just used one of the train's cars.
VERY rough ride on this train. Not fun.
There were some small shanty homes every so often. No electricity or running water for them.
They grow green and yellow coconuts. Ivan said the milk is better from the green ones but coconut meat and oil is better from the yellow ones.
Our tour guide, Ivan. I tried some of this local beer. Not the whole bottle though!
Eco tour river boat.
Blue Heron
Three toed sloth
Howler monkey
Howler monkey hanging by its tail
TODAY:
COLON BACKGROUND INFO:
Colon is a
city and seaport on the Caribbean Sea near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama
Canal. With the population of its metropolitan
area of 241,000, it is the capital of Panama’s Colon Province. The city was founded in 1850 by the United
States as the Atlantic terminal for the Panama Railroad which was under construction
back then to meet the demand during the California gold rush to provide a quicker
route to California. Much of the city
was destroyed by fires in 1885, 1915, and 1940.
Panama City is just 50 miles away at the other end of the canal.
The docks
here were built by the US in the former Canal Zone (which President Jimmy
Carter gave back to Panama in 1977 by signing the Panama Canal Treaty promising
to turn over control of the Canal by 2000. BIG mistake Jimmy!!) at Cristobal which is basically a suburb of
Colon now. It was made a free-trade zone
in 1953 and is now one of the world’s largest duty free ports. Many live in poverty here and crime is
rampant.
Photos from deck 12 of the port area of Colon. Terminal is where white roof is.
It appears the they are building a new mall at the cruise pier.
Cargo and container docks across bay from us.
Inside the cruise terminal is this large duty free shopping area.
They are selling these Panama hats for $15 so I know they are knock offs probably from China. A true Panama hat should sell for $200 to $400. Panama hats actually originated in Ecuador NOT Panama.
I decided to walk back to city this afternoon since all the crew were doing it. I finally found a shopping center probably about half mile away. It was a very hot walk. Found a pharmacy with Nasonex but they wanted $47 which is over half the price in the US but I want to spend less. Have found it for $25 in some other countries.
I was back on board by 2:30 this afternoon. Looking at stock market and thankfully gained back the last couple of days what was lost beginning of the week. Watching latest news on tv about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I hear we have 10 crew from the Ukraine. I know the orchestra members are all Ukrainian and one Prime 7 waitress. She was crying yesterday. So sad! Glad to see some Russian citizens in Moscow protesting Putin's invasion.
We will be sailing from here at 6pm for our next port of call, Cartagena, Columbia. Our scheduled arrival time there is noon tomorrow.
Planning on cocktails in the Horizon Lounge with our favorite bartenders Peter and Elvis this evening. Dinner for just the two of us in Compass Rose to follow. I have a special order request for some fried chicken thighs tonight.
The headliner entertainer tonight is Andy Hackbarth. Apparently he is a vocialist, instrumentalist, and comedian. His bio says he is an acclaimed classical guitarist. Sounds to be a good show so we will be there.
AGAIN, GOD BLESS AND BE WITH ALL UKRAINIANS!!
My dessert was this kahlua coffee souffle
