Three important pieces of news

1.      TSH is 70 today – thanks to all who sent cards and greetings. The butler produced a card and a number of balloons. Regular readers who do not know him will be surprised that he has reached such a distinguished age. Diva, of course, is much younger. In the restaurant, a special desert of crepes suzettes was served as requested by the birthday boy.

2.      TSH bought some new reading glasses from a pharmacy in Manta.

3.      TSH and Diva crossed the equator at 4am on 23^rd January. Their first real time in the Southern hemisphere – the last time, on the Amazon, was really just following the line of the equator itself.

Diva was disappointed that the excursion was rearranged to substitute a local culture museum for the promised archaeology museum. The latter was damaged in last year’s earthquake and has not yet been repaired.

Panama hats are made in Ecuador. During the hat-making demonstration, the guide explained that it takes 3 or 4 months to make a hat of the best quality. Diva was unsure that this was a good thing. It did not seem very viable as an industry. And it isn’t – young people are not interested in the work anymore.

In the centre of Manta, between the market and the childrens’ playground, was a small patch of garden, where there were iguanas in the trees and on the ground. Quite a shock in a busy place!

Tuna is a big industry in Manta and many boats were unloading their catch.

On the subsequent sea day, Silversea held a ‘lunch under the lifeboats’ event for those doing the whole circle voyage.  This was a literal description of where the food was served – in the normally quiet place where TSH and Diva do morning Tai Chi. It was so windy that the waiter announced that the garnish ‘had blown away’. A good lunch and good company in spite of that.

Birthday balloons

Dressed for dinner

At dinner

 Crepes

Tuna and iguana

Panama hats

Heading for the equator

The Panama day was rounded off nicely with a last minute booking for La Terrazza – the first on this voyage. Diva had her usual 9 starters (all tiny).

The butler and the butler manager part-rescued the reading situation by lending TSH some reading glasses from the staff store. He still needs to buy some soon but there is a plan for that.

Early morning Tai Chi on the lifeboat deck, which seems to be the only outside space which doesn’t form part of a thoroughfare or a public area such as the pool.

The first highlight of the day at sea was the sight of a school of dolphins swimming alongside the Silver Spirit, leaping in and out of the water.

The second highlight was another lecture from a Professor of Archaeology. One of the best speakers ever experienced on a Silversea ship. Diva wants to visit all the Peruvian sites and museums he is describing but it will be possible to visit only one.

Excellent sweet and sour pork for lunch made a change from TSH and Diva’s usual choice of lots of salad with fish or cheese.

Diva and TSH have been presented with small holdalls with the Silversea Circle Voyage logo.

Not many other cruise ships spotted so far. Only Celebrity Summit and Crystal Serenity.

This photoblog hopefully gives some impression of the spectacle which is the Panama Canal.

Continental divide

Early morning

Flight of pelicans

Going In

Leaving Panama

The lake

Ocean to ocean

At 5:50 in the morning, when TSH and Diva switched on to look at the ship’s webcam, they expected to see the usual darkness ahead. Instead, there was an exciting cluster of extremely bright lights. By the time they were washed, dressed, shaved and made up, dawn was arriving and they were on deck to see Silver Spirit enter the first lock of the Panama canal.

A series of locks raised the ship up to the level of the middle section, after which the ship sailed through the extensive artificial lake whose water is used to operate the locks. Millions of gallons of this water enters the oceans every day. The lake has many small islands and is very picturesque. There is no sign of human habitation or of local boats because the land around the canal is private property.

After the lake comes a (relatively) narrow cutting over which is a modern bridge which links North and South America. Towards the Pacific there is an older one – Bridge of the Americas. The area is wooded and has more and more rolling hills as the approach to the Pacific is made.

A train runs parallel to the canal and one (with 52 wagons) was spotted and photographed. At each set of locks, a visitor centre provides an opportunity for hundreds of local people to watch the fun.

New locks are under construction to provide wider and deeper access for ever larger ships. They also recirculate water so that there is less waste. Some of these are in operation and it was weird to see a large ship nearby apparently crossing the fields at the side of the older Canal.

Silversea joined in the party throughout the day by producing a range of breakfast nibbles, hot and cold drinks and compulsory rum punch. There was commentary over the intercom at all the significant points.

It was after 15:00 before Silver Spirit left the last lock, passed Panama City and entered the open water of the Pacific Ocean. There had been flights of pelicans and frigate birds throughout the day, with the occasional glimpse of flying fish.

Cost of Silver Spirit’s transit: $175, 000.

In the Jungle

Approaching Puerto Limon in Costa Rica, parts of a rainbow, tops of mountains and a number of birds (including frigate birds) could be seen amidst the clouds. Fortunately the weather cleared and most of the rest of the day was a pleasant high 20s degrees C, with no great humidity.

The guide described Costa Rica as a paradise on earth, but admitted that the area we drove through, which did not seem to fit his description, was one of the poorest. He claimed that the country has the highest literacy rate on earth and had been judged one of the most desirable places to live. Health care is free, taxes are low on essentials and extremely high on luxuries (up to 100%). Interestingly, a computer and access to broadband is regarded as a necessity. The country has wide bio-diversity in plants, insects and animals. It does have many earthquakes – most are unnoticeable.

Costa Rica does not have an army but it has an agreement with countries including USA, Canada, UK and France to defend it. In return, it sends money, food and expertise to war zones such as Iraq.

The intrepid explorers faced many dangers on the safari, including lots of bright butterflies, enormous ants, vampire bats and a sloth sitting in a tree (possibly a parent and a juvenile). Hunting packs of macaws soared above the group of travellers. Mosquitos in this area potentially carry Dengue and Zika viruses (neither has a vaccination or a cure). Fortunately, the poisonous snakes and frogs were kept safely in cages.  The highlight was seeing monkeys jump from tree to tree high above. One of them hurled a branch at the tourist gondola (like a cable car).

Having returned safely to the Silver Spirit, TSH and Diva had a late salad lunch to put them on until dinner.

Latest chapter of accidents: Diva’s bottle of water leaked in her handbag and TSH lost his reading glasses. The handbag is dry but the glasses are an issue and replacements will be sought in Manta, the next port.

Can anybody smell DEET?

Silver Spirit

It is like the other Silver ships but it is also different. The same excellent food and service. Still generous supplies of Bulgari toiletries. Everything is slightly bigger and the distances to walk are slightly longer. More tables and chairs round the pool and a bigger buffet area in La Terrazza.

The suite is pretty much the same. Only one wash-basin and a smaller shower area but a bigger bath. There is no longer an additional lower level hanging rail in the walk-in wardrobe which is more convenient for longer items but reduces the amount of hanging space by a lot – not great for such a long voyage.

The Observation Lounge at the top at the front seems to have been changed into an evenings-only bar. So the best spot on the ship for looking out in all directions and being able to be easily indoors or outdoors has been made unavailable.

Reception are not great. On check-in, they took Diva’s and TSH’s passports and asked for the Brazil visas. They did not have them. It turns out that US citizens (and other nationalities) need them but EU citizens do not. TSH found this out from the internet but there was another conversation with reception where they seemed to have no appreciation that there were people on board other than from North America. (Extra note: will Brits need Brazil visas after Brexit?)

TSH and Diva skipped the Captain’s welcome and went to dinner with an Australian couple who are also doing the full circle. Rumour has it that 99 people are doing the full voyage, including a number who have done it up to 10 times before.

Still holding the line on few or no desserts but sticky toffee pudding is not in the column marked 'resistable'.

Stats: Silver Spirit has 540 guests, Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper 382 each. Silver Wind has 296. 

Key West

Key West

This port surpassed expectations. It has a pleasant shopping area, an attractive church and an appealing harbour walk. Nothing challenging, just a straight-forward seaside resort with many brown pelicans in the water and perching on the plentiful luxury yachts. TSH and Diva were able to take reasonable exercise walking round all of this. There was live entertainment in several bars and cannabis was on sale in shops. TSH and Diva neither partook nor inhaled (nor sucked – there were lollipops). Hens wandered everywhere - not sure why.

An amusing episode took place in the Post Office. A customer wanted to ‘post’ a suitcase. A pretty large one with wheels (and an interesting pop art design). Unwrapped. So it all came down to what type of tape and label they attached to it with varying levels of cost. The customer wanted advice but the assistant said it all came down to ‘customer choice’. The deadlock went on for ages and the queue got longer but most people were watching and wanting to know what happened. The customer was so clueless and the assistant was so politely unhelpful. TSH and Diva left before it was resolved but wondered if such an unpackaged item would even be accepted by the Royal Mail.

There was a small panic on return to the Silver Spirit. TSH and Diva had failed to read the instruction to take photo id and the Cruise Director had forgotten to include the instruction in her morning broadcast. The guard at the port was very polite about it and said he would sort something out but just in time Diva remembered that she carried a photocopy of the passports and this was accepted. Apparently many guests were in the same position and the Cruise Director later apologised.

TSH managed to fall asleep on the sofa in the suite whilst holding a glass of red wine. All over the sofa and Diva’s dress. No lasting damage.

A better pic of the Ft Lauderdale suite

Pelican

Looking after Pence’s rooms

One of the perks of the vice-presidential suite at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott is that a flight of pelicans appear as soon as the curtains are opened in the morning. Followed by other pelicans and black vultures at regular intervals.

Oh, did I not mention that when TSH and Diva arrived, the hotel was over-booked, people were being ‘walked’ to other hotels and that they were given the last available ‘room’? The receptionist said normally $2000 per night. This upgrade is the stuff of dreams. Massive living area with sofas and chaise longue. En suite bathroom (with toilet in a separate bit which is as big as many UK en-suite bathrooms) and separate toilet next to the utility room off the kitchen. Two very large flat screen TVs. Six double sets of doors onto four balconies on two sides of the hotel. View of the sea (as if they won’t see enough sea over the next two months) and of the cruise terminal. Enough towels to cater for a small spa. The pics below do not really do it justice.

TSH and Diva have now entered full holiday mode and are already forgetting the rigours of the 24-hour journey. Diva dozed off before take-off, woke when serious taxiing started and for one glorious moment thought she was landing in Florida.

Note: Is that upbeat enough for bird lady?

Food notes: Just hot drinks at Manchester, Pret sandwiches at Heathrow, over-spicy but otherwise superior curry and inedible (except they were both very hungry) bread on the BA flight. Pleasant late afternoon snack of sandwiches and mediocre scone before landing. Diva tipped whole glass of water over herself but dry air in the plane dried out clothes before arrival. TSH had removed contact lenses, thought the chilli on top of the curry was a green bean, and ate it. Not wise.

                                                                   Living area 

                                                                   TSH at the VP desk.