Cruise – HurricaneMaine

Caño Negro from La Fortuna

The next morning I woke up early to go on an excursion to the Caño Negro Reserve. It is in the north of Costa Rica along the Nicaragua border. It is the 3td most important wetland in the world. It is one of the first refuges to have managed a delicate balance between ecotourism and management of resources and is an area of extreme biological importance.

It took about 90 minutes to arrive and I was glad to see that it was not a paved road to get there. We boarded a boat to vote areas along the river.

Caiman. Did you know that when their mouth is open, they are actually making vitamin D?

Snake bird that drives to catch prey in the water

Emerald basilisk also known as the Jesus Christ lizard as it walks (runs) on water.

After the boat ride, we had a lovely meal of casado

We then had a tiny explanation of cacao and coffee and also how they extract the juice from sugar cane. We smoked raw cacao beans and then ground into a powder and mixed to make chocolate. They also shared moonshine made from sugar cane juice. To chase the shot, you suck on the sugar cane and bite the juice from it. We also sampled coffee.

Causa, a Peruvian dish made from potatoes

I went to the hot springs again after the tour and one more time before leaving La Fortuna.

Ketchikan, Alaska and Victoria, British Columbia and back to Seattle.

Ketchikan is known for its salmon fishing and native Indian population. It is surrounded by the Tongass National Forest.

Victoria, British Columbia was different as the architecture looked quite British. It was a good opportunity to get off the ship and walk around for about an hour.

The next morning we docked back in Seattle. Plans for the day are to leave the ship, get a rental car, and visit the space needle.

Skagway and Glacier Bay National Park

Skagway is one of the first mining towns in Alaska and still looks like it did in 1898. It is at the top of the inner passage inside Alaska. Lots of stores selling gems and a few other things to do and see.

White Pass Scenic Railway

The railway goes through the Tongans National Forest. The views were really pretty and we entered just briefly into British Columbia.

Good thing girls with two legs could use the bathroom also.

George Buchanan had a campaign to bring young people to skagway. On to Alaska with Buchanan was carved into the rocks below the customs house.

This older caboose on the edge of the forest can be rented for overnight stays.

We made our way from Skagway and by the next morning we were in Glacier Bay National Park. It was incredible. Park rangers provided commentary over the loudspeakers on outside decks and on the TV’s in the room. Since we upgraded to a better balcony, we didn’t need to leave the room. Being near the glacier dropped the temperature quite a bit. We headed to the Marjorie glacier. This is at the northern part of the Park. At a distance it does not look big but it is 350 feet tall and extends 100 feet below the water surface. Here is a video of a piece of the glacier falling off, called calving: https://youtu.be/5LhBpAcVma8 https://youtu.be/5LhBpAcVma8

Seagulls taking a break on a piece of glacier ice.

Sea otters floating in the water. It is hard to get a clear picture as we were moving in opposite directions from each other.

Juneau, Alaska and whale watching

The first port of call was Juneau. Lots of jewelry, gemstones, and totem poles! It is one of the largest state capitals by land size but has a small population. The only way to get to Juneau is by air or sea and artists to be a popular cruise port!

We had booked a tour to go whale watching. It was fabulous. They served Alaskan seafood and had a naturalist on board helping to look for whales and offer commentary. We actually saw both a mother and baby humpback breach (jump out of the water) and do acrobatics in the water.

A video of a mama and baby rolling and waving their fins: https://youtu.be/2LNL9oT6M80 https://youtu.be/2LNL9oT6M80

Bucket list: Alaska cruising

Pretty much all of my travels are bucket list but going to Alaska on a cruise is definitely one of them. My SIL Sunni and I had been planning this trip for 6 months.

The long awaited vacation had arrived! We flew into Seattle and her friend Kathi picked us up at the airport. She has a beautiful property on the water and was so good to meet her even for a brief visit.

The next morning we headed to Pier 99 to board the Royal Princess. After a little snafu with paperwork, we finally boarded the ship. On the top deck we enjoyed some merriment.

I had never been on a cruise before. I would start the morning with a cup of coffee (I really need to break that habit) and a small bite for breakfast (I rarely have smoked salmon…) Then a dip in the pool for about 5 minutes… Yes, the temperature is just below 60 degrees F. But it was great on my knee and I followed it up with a hot tub session.

I listened to various music or watched games throughout the day when not in port. Of course the Love Boat series was featured as a TV channel. Walking on the Sun deck was also beautiful. The best parts? Spending time with Sunni and eating fabulous food. We met some wonderful people who we danced with most nights and met up for drinks.

We danced often with Wendy and Tasy from Hawaii

I had posted that I left on the cruise when Darcie from AISG (my last school) mentioned her mom was on a cruise that left the same day. Turns out we were on the same ship and we got to meet! Debbie was so much fun to talk to.

It was also fun to dress up for the formal nights. The pictures are so fun!

On the cruise we stopped in several Alaska ports and one in British Columbia. One of our days at sea was inside the Glacier National Park which was one of the highlights of the cruise.