Costa Maya

Saturday, March 30th
M/S Marina
Americas Connection
Day 13
Costa Maya, Mexico
Arriving: 8:00 AM
Departing: 6:00 PM
Partly Cloudy - 84 Degrees

Costa Maya is the cruise gateway to ancient Mayan Mexico.

"The ruins at Chacchoben date back to 200 BC.  It was a place of pilgrimage known as “The Place of Red Corn.”  The site had been engulfed by dense jungle for centuries, and wasn’t rediscovered until the 1940s. More than 50 years passed before excavation was begun."

This is an active and important archeological site.  The jungle has been beaten back, but you can still imagine that Land Before Time look.

"Temple 24, also known as the Temple of the Offering, is the primary, excavated, and most recognizable pyramid at the Chacchoben Mayan ruins in Mexico. Located in Plaza B, this Early Classic (200-600 CE) structure stands approximately 36 feet tall, featuring five tiers, a restored base, and an unexcavated top, with stairways on all four sides."

"Temple I (The Sun Temple) is the tallest and most prominent structure at the Chacchoben Mayan ruins, rising approximately 42 feet above the jungle canopy. It is situated atop the Gran Basamento, a massive artificial platform that served as the regional ceremonial and ritual heart of the city."

"The Temple of the Vessels dates to approximately 700 CE. Situated on the sacred Gran Basamento (Great Base) plateau, this temple functioned as a repository for ceremonial goods, vessels, and offerings utilized in rituals at the nearby Temple 1."

After looking back through history exploring Mayan Ruins, we looked back from the ship at present day Costa Maya.

Next Stop:  Miami

Harvest Caye

Friday, March 29th
M/S Marina
Americas Connection
Day 12
Harvest Caye, Belize
Arriving: 8:00 AM
Departing: 5:00 PM
Sunny - 83 Degrees

Harvest Caye is a little bit of Norway in Belize. Norwegian Cruse Line bought the island in 2013 to create a private getaway for their guests, in Belize, but not of Belize.  Oceania is a member of the Norwegian family, so we get to enjoy this oasis of family fun, 75 acres including a 15,000 square foot pool, a sandy beach, a salt-water lagoon, a zipline, and a wildlife center.

We booked a ride on the Black Swan Electric Boat Cruise for a water tour, and then took a walk through the village and major attractions.  It is neither authentically Norwegian nor Belizean, but Harvest Caye is clean, safe, and fun.

 

Next Stop:  Costa Maya, Mexico

Roatan

Thursday, March 28th
M/S Marina
Americas Connection
Day 11
Roatan, Honduras
Arriving: 8:00 AM
Departing: 6:00 PM
Mostly Sunny - 77 Degrees

It's a beautiful day in Roatan today, so we are taking the Ultimate Resort Getaway to the Pristine Bay Resort.

"Luxuriate at a private oceanfront resort, enjoying bountiful amenities that include infinity-edge swimming pools, a wide private beach and a relaxed tropical ambiance. The exclusive Pristine Bay Resort sprawls over 400 lush tropical acres so there is plenty to occupy your time. The ocean views from the elevated pool are wonderfully panoramic and stretch as far as you can see. You will also have plenty of options to dine on your own. You might enjoy a meal poolside, at the beach club or in the restaurant with a Mediterranean-inspired menu. Seafood is a specialty as the coral reef surrounding Roatan is teeming with fish."

While the pools and the views were infinite, the service was non-existent. The resort was clean and pristine, lush and lovely, and utterly deserted. So, for better, and for worse, we had the place to ourselves. Peaceful, tranquil, but somewhat unfulfilling.

Next Stop:  Harvest Caye, Belize

    

Santo Tomas

Wednesday, March 27th
M/S Marina
Americas Connection
Day 10
Santo Tomas, Guatemala
Arriving: 9:00 AM
Departing: 7:00 PM
Chance of Rain - 84 Degrees

Puerto Santo Tomas de Castilla is the largest industrial port in Atlantic Guatemala.  What it lacks in charm, it makes up for in containerized shipping

In search of charm by land and lake, a drive through the Motagua Valley delivered us to Lake Izabal and the Rio Dulce National Park, a protected area and one of the most important ecological reserves in the country.  From a dock much more colorful than the pier, we boarded speed boats and set out on the lake.  It was the perfect setting for deep thoughts and a graceful pose while appreciating the view.

The 17th-century Castillo de San Felipe, dedicated to King Felipe II of Spain, stands sentinel at the entrance to Lake Izabal to protect the Rio Dulce from invading pirates pillaging shipments to and from Spain and Cuba.

In 1686, a pirate assault burned the fort to the ground, and subsequent treaties between Spain and England made peace of the piracy.  It was repurposed as a prison, and eventually abandoned and left in ruins.   Architect Francisco Ferrus led the restoration of the castle based on the original plans in 1955.  It still retains two cannons dating back to the 1790s, and a pair of 400-year-old towers.

And, finally, three for the birds, and a stop for refreshments.

Next Stop:  Roatan, Honduras

Puerto Limon

Monday, March 25th
M/S Marina
Americas Connection
Day 8
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
Arriving: 8:00 AM
Departing: 5:00 PM
Partly Cloudy - 83 Degrees

"Enjoy a day of discovery in the Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure Park, the wondrous mountain reserve that National Geographic Traveler called “The Cream of the Cream of the Rainforest."  With enchanting views of the Talamanca Mountain Range, experience firsthand the wonders of the Costa Rican rainforest.  This 200-acre reserve is in the heart of one of the earth's most biodiverse locations. The area is home to 400 bird species, 585 butterfly species, 808 types of beetles, over 100 mammal species, 80 types of reptiles, and is one of the most frog-diverse habitats on the planet."

Here are a couple of our favorite little guys.

The aerial tram took us from the treetops to the forest floor...

...and the boardwalk below.

Lush to say the least.

Next Stop:  Santo Tomas, Guatemala

Panama Canal

Sunday, March 24th
M/S Marina
Americas Connection
Day 6
Transiting the Panama Canal

This is our third trip through the Panama Canal, and it's just as cool every time.  An engineering marvel and feat of construction determination, almost without parallel.  The first time was in the year 2000, back in the analog days.  The second was in 2014, just a partial transit, In-N-Out, on the Seafarer Sunfarer cruise.  Here is the link to our EXHAUSTIVE recounting of that epic journey:  Panama Canal 2014.

The abridged version will suffice for this trip, the description, not the experience.  We didn't miss a minute, recording 1,847 pictures.  Up before dawn, the ship's funnel glowing in the growing light, the pilot boat approaching.

Passing under The Bridge of the Americas marks the beginning of The Path Between the Seas.  Panama City, in the East as we travel North from Pacific to Atlantic, hovers in the morning smog.

Entering the Miraflores Locks, two steps to raise the ship from sea level and the Pacific Ocean to Miraflores Lake.

The Pedro Miguel locks lift the ship from Miraflores Lake to Gatun Lake in a single step, with the Centennial Bridge crossing the Culebra Cut beyond.

And, finally, the Gatun Locks lower the ship from Gatun Lake back down to sea level, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Ocean in three steps.  In this view, looking back toward the lake.

Sailing under the new Atlantic Bridge, nearly complete, is the end of the Northbound transit.  These tower cranes really are tower cranes.  See what I did there?

Next Stop:  Puerto Limon, Costa Rica