Holland America Eurodam Cruise, January 4 – January 15, 2020
11-Day Panama Canal Sunfarer
Saturday, January 4, 2020. I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to board Holland America’s Eurodam.
Sunday, January 5, 2020. Half Moon Cay Island, Bahamas. I enjoyed the beautiful turquoise water and white sandy beaches. The island is owned by Holland America.
Once back on the ship, I attended a lecture called “Deep Blue Sea” about turtles, messages in bottles, and a treasure hunter. In the evening, I enjoyed the wonderful songs and music of B.B. King.
Monday, January 6, 2020. At sea. I attended lunch for singles and solo travelers and met Linda, a retired prosecutor, Mary from Minnesota who had adopted Korean children, a doctor from Belgium and her sister, and Warren, a PBX technician from Toronto.
Tuesday, January 7, 2020. Oranjestsad, Aruba. I learned that locals speak Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, and English.
The blue horses caught my eye and a plaque said “Paardenbaai (Horse Bay).” The stallion Ambrosio is depicted in the first photo. The bay was ideal for bringing horses to the island and a brisk horse trading business took place for three centuries. The blue color of the horses represents the Caribbean Ocean. The horses were pushed off the ships by seamen and forced to swim to shore toward a strategically placed lead horse. The art project of eight horses in the downtown area celebrating this part of Aruban history was started in 2015 and completed in 2019.
Wednesday, January 8, 2020. Willemstad, Curaçao. The story is that nineteenth century Governor-General Albert Kikkert suffered from migraine headaches which he attributed to the sun’s reflection on the white buildings of Willemstad. He issued a decree that all buildings were to be painted anything but white. We were greeted by colorful pastels as we entered the port.
After crossing the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge that was originally built in 1888 and periodically renovated, I came across a locks of love mesh sculpture by Carlos Blaaker now covered with symbolic padlocks.
Thursday, January 9, 2020. At sea.
Friday, January 10, 2020. Cartagena, Colombia. The port city was founded in 1533. The discovery of gold and emeralds soon made the city vulnerable to attacks by pirates, and the king ordered a thick wall erected to protect inhabitants and the streets made narrow and crooked. A five-minute walk from the pier took me to a small village obviously created for tourists. There was an aviary, a shop, and several restaurants. I was able to purchase an hour’s worth of Wi-Fi for $3 and caught up on emails and sent a few messages.
On the ship, I attended a lecture on the Panama Canal, a Microsoft class on OneNote, and a documentary about the Panama Canal.
Saturday, January 11, 2020. Panama Canal. President Theodore Roosevelt, civil engineer John Frank Stevens, and chief sanitation officer William C. Gorgas were instrumental in making the Panama Canal a reality in 1914. The canal represents American expertise in project management and engineering. An expansion project improving the capacity of the Panama Canal was started in 2007 and completed in June 2016.
The formidable obstacles that awaited workers, such as malaria, yellow fever, landslides, and a high mortality rate, made the history of the canal all the more amazing. John Stevens realized the importance of infrastructure and constructed housing, hospitals, and sanitation systems for the safety and comfort of the workers. Colonel William C. Gorgas was in charge of sanitation and understood the connection between the prevalent diseases and mosquitoes. Malaria was all but eradicated in a few years after implementation of his ideas such as fumigation, installation of netting, and drainage of standing water. After the resignation of Stevens in 1907, George Washington Goethals, a military engineer, was hired to oversee the completion of the Panama Canal.
I learned that Panama Geisha coffee is selling for $800 per pound!
My stateroom was on the main deck and while going through the canal, my room was about two feet from the walls of the canal. I watched the locks open on the stateroom TV with a view from the bridge.
Sunday, January 12, 2020. Puerto Limón, Costa Rica (cancelled). I had signed up for a pontoon ride through the Tortuguero Canals in the rainforest but was disappointed when the captain informed us that it was too dangerous to disembark. He mentioned a 16-foot swell, mooring lines that would be stressed, and an unstable gangway. The seas were rough that day and many passengers and crew members were sick.
Monday, January 13, 2020. At sea.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020. At sea.
Wednesday, January 15, 2020. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I signed up for an excursion to the Everglades since my flight didn’t depart until 4 p.m. We went to the Sawgrass Recreation Center, boarded airboats and were treated to a ride through the Everglades. Our guide informed us of conservation efforts and restoration plans. He also told us about the Burmese pythons, probably brought in as pets but released into the Everglades when they became too big. At full maturity, they can weigh 200 pounds and grow to 23 feet in length. Because pythons have no natural predators, they are multiplying rapidly and are causing problems for the native ecosystem.
We saw different types of birds and female and male alligators. I held a baby alligator in the reptile exhibit and tasted alligator tail tacos at a permanent food truck located at the center. The alligator tail bites were lightly grilled and tasted like chicken.
We also stopped at a Seminole nature park and walked at leisure on the paths before heading to the airport.
Home. I am glad that I didn’t have knee problems during the cruise, US currency was accepted in all ports, and I visited places I would otherwise not have seen. A screw from the hinge of my glasses had fallen out, and a woman from Guest Services was kind enough to tape it for me. An employee of the optical department at Costco repaired it for me after I returned home.
I learned so much from the lectures and the sightseeing experiences and met some incredible people. I listened to a lecture about Caribbean rum and the Bacardi family and their famous rum. I found a recipe for chocolate rum balls, so I am enjoying them as I reflect on my trip. It’s good to be home!
Sally Yamada, 1/27/2020