Trips

Last Day at Sea

2009-01-06T23:06:00.001-08:00

Today we can tell that we are getting closer to home. It is much colder outside on the ship. Been a fun cruise overall but we both can't wait to get off this constantly moving vessel. Just a relaxing day of taking naps, resting and taking walks. Did get some nice views of Baja California in the distance. We even saw a school of Dolphins following the ship and a couple of other cruise ships passed us by on their way to Mexico.

Leaving Mexico

2009-01-05T22:58:00.000-08:00

Well we are back on the ship for two full days at sea. The ship today was much rougher than we experienced heading down to Mexico. It was a pretty yucky day out. It was cold, windy, and cloudy, we even ran into some rain. I did get a good shot of the sun rising over the ocean.

Port of Manzanillo

2009-01-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

We arrived at the industrial port of Manzanillo at about 0700hrs… our ship actually arrived at about 0400hrs, but it had to sit outside the port until it was allowed to dock. Our tour bus was about 10 minutes late, which kind of angered me since I had to get up at 0500hrs to be ready to tour! Everyone knows I am NOT a morning person. We finally made our way out of the port and headed to the city of Colima. There, we saw some ancient ruins that date back to preHispanic times. From there, we could see two volcanoes. One, Volcan del Fuego, is still active and was smoking while we were there. The last time it erupted was in 2002 and is estimated to erupt about every seven years… it’s due!
Our next stop was the small town of Comala. There, we had lunch at one of the driver’s favorite restaurants. The Mexican food we eat back home is different from the way the native Mexicans eat. They basically eat everything from pork, guacamole, ceviche, etc. in a little homemade tortilla. It was all very good, though. Bruce and I just tended to eat more than we normally would have back home. After lunch, we did some souvenir shopping. We all got in the van and headed back to downtown Manzanillo.
Downtown Manzanillo was like the other towns we had just visited. There is so much poverty that many places didn’t even have running toilets! Good thing I’ve been primitive camping before. The people we hired for our tours are proud of their country, with all of its faults and did everything they could to show that Mexico has good points.
By 1630hrs, we were back on the ship and ready to head back to San Diego. As the ship sailed out of port, Bruce smoked a cigar on the Sun Deck and watched the locals lined up on the jetties to wave and shout goodbye. All of the people I spoke to were nice and helpful. I never felt threatened by anyone. Bruce wants me to tell you that if you want to see some additional pictures, just click on the link to the left labeled "Our Trip Photos"

Two more full days of sea to just relax.

Hello Zihuatanejo / Ixatapa Mexico

2009-01-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

Our second port of call was the sleepy fishing village of Zihuatanejo Mexico. This stop was an adventure as the port is too small to accommodate the ship so we had to leave the boat via tender. Sorta neat getting to feel the full effects of the oceans force during the short ride to shore.
We did not take a tour to Ixatapa we just stayed around the little port village of Zihuatanejo. This village reminded me a little bit of Cabo San Lucas. We walked around doing a little shopping in all the little stores. I bought a few local cigars from one of the local stores for 29 pesos can’t wait to try them out later.
We eventually located my brothers on the beach as they were there to do some wave runners just mess around on the beach. I decided it was time to explore the town. I did find the fruit and vegetable market and lots of roasted Pollo hanging from the shop windows for sell. It was nice and warm so I started looking for some cheap beer and Coca Cola light. I did find Coca Cola light for 6 pesos and a nice Mexican beer that I had never tried call “Victoria” for 12 pesos. I would have liked to hang out in this town a lot longer with a 13.65 peso to a dollar exchange rate but alas we would have to head back to the ship and my beer would now cost me 5.75 USD.
We did have an enjoyable lunch on the beach of Mexican tortilla soup and some fish tacos.
Looking forward to our next stop Manzanillo.

Acapulco Mexico

2009-01-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

Today, we arrived in Acapulco. It’s a beautiful city and boasts a population of 1.3 million! We were on a motor tour, which was the best way to sight see. They have the same type of traffic that Italy had- no traffic control lights and everyone drives however they want. Again, they have a method to their driving madness.
Our first stop was to a turtle preserve. Bruce freed some baby turtles back into the ocean with hopes and prayers, from me, that they would survive and age. Our tour guide said that only 1 in 100 babies released into the ocean don’t survive. Horrible odds indeed. After that, we went to an open-air non-denominational chapel that has an awesome view of the city. Lastly, we saw the Acapulco cliff divers do their stunts at night. It’s a family run business that started in the 1930’s. There has never been a fatality, just some broken legs and arms. Thankfully, the divers we saw were safe.
Bruce and I returned to the ship exhausted but glad we got to experience some of Acapulco. So, we poured us some wine and watched to video and pictures that were taken. I hope you like the ones we chose for you.
Tomorrow we land in Zihuatanejo. I’ll write more when we return to the ship. Happy sailing!

Happy New Years

2009-01-01T21:31:00.000-08:00

It was a nice relaxing day at sea on New Years Day. I didn’t even see any of the New Years Day bowl games or parades. Our day was filled with trivia games and a spot of afternoon tea in one of the lounges. Melinda enjoyed all the little pastries. After a couple of days on the boat I am starting to get me sea legs.
We finished the day by watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean from our balcony enjoying a glass of vino.
Today was big trouble in the dinning room as it was Lobster night. I couldn’t contain myself and I order both lobster and prime rib for dinner and was completely stuff and miserable the rest of the evening. I will have to remember not to do that again.
As we head to bed this evening, we are both looking forward to visiting Acapulco our first port of call.

New Years Eve on the Pacific

2009-01-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

Last night, New Year’s Eve, was fun. There were a lot of people dancing, drinking, kissing and hugging, drinking, and lots of merriment. Did I mention drinking? We got some good portrait pictures to share when we return home.
Today, is our second day at sea. I didn’t realize how long it takes to get to the southern part of Mexico. The sea air is warm and there are no clouds in sight. Anyway, that’s it for now. Will fill you in on how our Acapulco excursions go when we get back to the ship. Hasta luego!

Out in the Pacific Ocean

2008-12-31T14:45:00.000-08:00

Well we left San Diego in the fog yesterday. We could not even see the port and when we backed out. It has been interesting getting use to all the constant motion but I haven't felt bad. Just sorta feels like I am constantly on a smooth airplane ride. This morning when we got up I peeked out the balcony doors and saw nothing but sunshine and blue smooth water. I went out on the balcony and saw a small shark near the surface. I also saw a couple of whales in the distance too bad I didn't have a camera with me. I thought I would post a couple of pictures. Tonight is the big New Years Eve party so hopefully we get some good photos to share

Overnight Stay in San Diego...

2008-12-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

We came to San Diego a day early. Bruce wanted to be sure to catch the ship on time. Last night we rode the Metro into the Gas Lamp Quarter to have dinner. It's a neat area with lots of shops, restaurants, and night life. I would like to return on a Friday or Saturday night to experience the night life, in full. After dinner, we walked around the quarter to check out the sights.

Now, we're waiting for our shuttle down to the port and soon we'll be on our way!

Off to Mexico!!!!

2008-12-28T23:47:00.000-08:00

We're off to San Diego to catch the Carnival Spirit for our eight day cruise to Mexico.