Costa Rica!

Costa Rica was our last big stop on the cruise. This stop was an adventure for us. We were going zip lining! We had booked another excursion in Costa Rica and we met up with the group that morning after we docked. Our first stop was a fruit stand on the side of the road. All of the fresh, naturally grown fruits were delicious. We had bananas, pineapple, and papaya and those were just some of the selections. It was a tasty breakfast!

After the fruit stand, we headed up the mountain. It was time to zip line! The butterflies in my stomach awakened as we started up the hill. It probably didn't help that the road up this mountain was all of 10 feet wide and our bus was probably 8. We crossed over the river and got to the beginning point where we geared up for the trip.

So after gearing up we took the tractor further up the mountain. Also scary. By that time, I am petrified. Let me clarify: this is not just one quick slide down the mountain; no, it's a series of 9 lines that wind down this mountain. The longest being over 1600 feet across and the tallest being over 300 feet high. The first line, I truly thought someone was going to have to push me off the platform. Justin might have enjoyed that job! It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time. I'm glad I got to experience this, and the views were amazing. We zipped down the mountain, over the river, and through the trees. I was never so glad to have my feet on steady ground again!

Next, it was on to the Dole banana plantation. We got a chance to see how the bananas are grown and cleaned. The amount of bananas that go through this place was amazing. It was really interesting to see how everything worked and where those bananas we buy here come from.

The next stop was just a quick 5 minute photo-op on the side of the road. There were about three boys that were holding a sloth. Now, we had been seeing these creatures hanging out in the trees for days and it was exciting to be able to touch and hold one. I think he's cute!

After that we headed out to the Tortuguero Canal for a trip into the rain forest. We saw a few monkeys, a couple more sloths, a lizard, an iguana, and a ton of birds. It was a really interesting eco-tour and I'm glad Costa Rica has made an effort to preserve the natural habitat for these animals. When done with the tour of the canal, we headed to a local restaurant on the beach for a traditional Costa Rica lunch. We had a stewed chicken dish, with rice and black beans, and some sauteed plantains. Delicious! Finally, it was almost time to head back to the ship, but we had one last stop to make. Our guide took us to the highest point in the city where we had a great view of the city and the ship in the background. Costa Rica was a great stop! We had a thrilling, educational, and cultural peek into this beautiful country!

Panama!

The next stop on our cruise put us in Panama in Central America. I had booked a tour with an independent agency before the cruise. We met up with our group early that morning and headed out to discover what treasures this country had in store for us! First, we headed to the rainforest to seek out some monkeys and other creatures. On the way we stopped at an old US Army living quarters for the troops that ran the Panama Canal. Each house had a view of the beach.

After we left there we headed deep into the rainforest where we saw sloths and howler monkeys. I'm proud to say that Justin actually spotted the first monkey of the excursion!

Next, we stopped at San Lorenzo, an old fort, that was built during the late 16th century. It was located where the Chagres meets the Gulf of Mexico. This stop was probably one of my favorites of the tour. It was so amazing to be able to walk through this old abandoned fort. Nothing was roped off, nothing off limits. You could go anywhere and touch anything. It might have just been an old pile of concrete to some, but I could clearly see these people defending their home and firing these cannons that have stood the test of time. It was awesome to think about the history that had happened in this place. And the location was beautiful as well, one side looks toward the shimmering Gulf and the other faces the mighty river. It was just wonderful!

Finally, we headed to the big attraction for this country, the Panama Canal. What an engineering feat! My sister (the engineer) would love it! It was a unique experience to see this marvel at work. Ships are built to exacting measurements to be able maximize their cargo while still fitting through the Canal. They literally leave inches on either side of the ship. The Canal is actually a series of canals throughout the country that take a ship about 8 hours to pass through. We enjoyed being about to see this man-made wonder.

Panama was more than we ever expected and we were glad to have visited, if only for a short time!

Cartagena, Columbia!

Cartagena, Columbia was amazing! What a beautiful city! It really felt like a quaint European city. The Old City had a feel reminiscent of New Orleans and the French Quarter. Wonderful porches, lots of hanging flowers, and big tall doors gave it such a graceful ambiance. The more metropolitan, newer part of the city was full of high rises like you would expect with a city that has a population of 1.2 million.

Before our stop, I had some preconceived notions of Cartagena. Of course, when people think of Columbia they automatically think drugs, and I'm sure this is justified, but we felt completely safe there. The other image that comes to my romantic soul's mind is the movie Romancing the Stone. I did discover that most of the movie wasn't actually filmed in Columbia but I was so excited to visit the city that inspired it. And my own Michael Douglas, Justin, even wore his white linen pants for me!

We docked in Cartagena at 11am, so it was exciting to be up and to be able to watch the land get closer. We even had a police helicopter circle the ship a few times. Once we were off the ship we caught a cab and heading to the Old City. It's great to be able to say that we've officially been to South America! The entire Old City is surrounded by a fortified wall that at one time shielded the city from attacks from invaders at sea. After we got done exploring there, we headed downtown to visit a few emerald stores. Our favorite was Mr. Emerald; it's owned by a guy that is originally from Texas who moved to Cartagena and now gives tours and sells emeralds. We were in town the same day as the President of Columbia, so the security was extra tight that day. Next, we headed to the fortress, El Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. The castle was built in the 17th century, but actually took over 200 years to complete. It was a massive structure that is said to be one of the best and strongest fortresses that Spain ever built in a colony.

Cartagena was a place that truly blew me away with it's beauty, elegance, and history! I can't wait to go back and spend longer in South America!

Aruba!

Aruba was our first stop on our Southern Caribbean Cruise. The beaches here were gorgeous and the water was so beautiful! The island is more like a desert rather than a tropical rain forest. It was a really relaxing stop for us. We just shopped around a little that morning, (Aruba has jewelry stores in abundance) and then hopped on the public bus and headed to the beach!

Justin had a great time playing in the water! The Caribbean is so wonderful because the water is almost always at a comfortable temp. We had been going to the Pacific Ocean in San Diego quite a bit and that water is frigid year round!

Aruba was a perfect beginning to our Caribbean Cruise! Cartagena's up next!

General Update!

Well, it's been a while! We have had a busy few months, but we are all settled in now and I have got lots to update about! We ditched the Tampa idea since it wasn't quite our perfect city fit and ended up north of Dallas in Plano, Texas. We got our apartment all set up and are now job hunting. Wish us luck!!