And, Guatemala, Too

Hello All, we arrived in Cabo to warm, warm weather. It has been hot (in the 90's) and humid everywhere. In Cabo we tendered ashore and then went on a ride on an America's Cup boat. That was fun, although we didn't win any races; the New Zealand crew was young and entertaining, and Jim got to crank the big winches, the whole purpose of the excursion. Of course, all the regular places were in Cabo, like Hard Rock Cafe, and other famous drinking holes. We went right back to the boat after our boat ride because the heat was terrible and we had a long wait to get on the tenders from the boat. Two of our lifeboat tenders broke down and we had to borrow some from the Zyndam while they were anchored in the harbor. We also saw the Sapphire Princess in the beautiful bay.


Acapulco is huge and overcrowded, but we had a tour to see the chapel and big cross on the top of the hill overlooking the harbor, the fort and its museum of antiquities, and the cliff divers. The divers were amazing! The next day we went to Huatulco, Mexico which was very hot, too, (95 degrees with about 90% humidity!)but we went on a tour into the countryside where we met the locals and they showed us weaving, cooking and all about cactus. We ate a variety of cactus food and tortillas made in a traditional kitchen by the 70 yr old grandma. She was very tiny and a whiz at making tortillas! The people of the state of Oaxaca are gentle and generous. It was a good day. Guatemala was a short stop in Puerto Quetzal where we opted out of a long tour and stayed on ship except for a short visit shoreside to do some shopping in the dock side stalls. They had too much so I only bought a few things for souvenirs. It was overwhelming! Everywhere we go, they have many, many stalls with more trinkets, jewelry and stuff to buy. Today we are in Corinto, Nicaraugua for a very short visit; we leave at 3:30 for a day at sea tomorrow before we enter the canal. Each city is run down compared to American standards and the weather which causes decay. The heat and humidity damage things quickly; the local residents are always polite and smile, although there is always the presence of soldiers with guns, barbed wire areas, bars on windows and even glass on top of walls to prevent people climbing over. We have had reassurances we will be safe on the tours provided by the cruise line, but no guarantees if we go ashore alone.
It is hard to keep track of the days. The food is still interesting, but I am cutting back to ordinary breakfasts instead of Eggs Benedict and Waffles every morning. Believe it or not, oatmeal sounds good!! Jim hasn't slowed down and loves all the pastries. We'll be on diets for the rest of our lives! Everynight when return to our cabin, we have a new towel animal to entertain us. It is such luxury to have all our needs taken care of. We sleep good with the rocking of the boat, and we are meeting interesting people. Our traveling companions, Mike and Janice Connell, are great, keeping us laughing as we tour around. I like this well enough that I am thinking about the next cruise already, but we miss our friends and family. Love to all, Jim and Virginia