Vaca Recap Part 2

Christmas Day found us in Panama. We had booked a shopping excursion - but truth be told, there was very little shopping. First stop - Gatun Locks. We were lucky enough to be there when a ship was going through one set of locks. If you don't have locks where you live - you should find a way to see how they work. It's amazing. Essentially there is a series of gates creating different chambers where the water level is controlled. At the Gatun Locks there are 3 different chambers which change the water level (I think I remember the guide saying) 85 feet overall. What happens is that the water level is changed between two different chambers, once the water level is the same in both, the gates are opened and the boat (moving under it's own power) moves from one chamber to the next, the gates close and the water level in the current chamber is then brought up to match the level in the next. Amazing! The problem we found with excursions - is that you are on somebody else's schedule. So, while the guide took us to these amazing old ruins of Historic Panama we had no time to walk around and explore.

We next drove through Modern Panama. Amazing! All the huge high rises, new buildings being built all the time. The skyline was phenomenal. Our next stop really was for some shopping. We stopped in this amazing section of town. Their were views of Modern Panama. I know I'm going to get this wrong and either Cidell or Natalie can correct me, but there are 3 sections of Panama. One was called Modern, one Historic and one Colonial. Shopping was to be had in Colonial Panama. The buildings were incredible. We bought a few trinkety things from the street vendors, but nothing

major.

The last photo op on the way back to the boat was this beautiful damn. The tour bus pulled off the road and JB shot the photo out the window (we weren't even allowed to get out of the bus - thankfully we were seated on the correct side of the bus to get photos!) We had 2 sea days before docking in Fort Lauderdale. It's amazing how after spending 7 days on a boat the world was still swaying when we got off!

Monday found us in Key West. It takes forever to get there. But it was beautiful. There are Roosters everywhere - just roaming the streets. On the left is a photo of ruins at the Key West Naval Base. I think they are just beautiful to look at - again, I wish we could have got inside and walked around, but apparently it's still an active Navy Base. Next, JB thought it would be funny if I knit in at the Southernmost beach. I had just started his Eagles socks (Dec. 29) so you can't see much knitting, but I was.

Occasionally he takes photos of neat trees and branches too. I have no idea what kind of tree this is, but it's pretty amazing looking up at it. Sometimes you have to change your perspective. I believe we saw everything there was to see in Key West. We ate at Blue Heaven (fabulous food, reasonable prices - go if you have a chance), we walked to the Southernmost point, through residential areas, in most of the shops on Duvall Street. We had dinner and watched the sunset at a marina. This lovely little bird decided that he would like to entertain us while the sun was setting. He made a lovely front to the sunset and was quite entertaining while we were waiting.

Tomorrow - Alligators! Friends! and what I learned on vacation.

Vaca Recap Part 1

So, I know this is what you all have been waiting for. Let me just say, as much as I love going on vacation - I love coming home more :) There's just something so comforting about getting back into your routine. Anyway - vacation started out a little rough thanks to Mother Nature. We got an extended layover in the Las Vegas airport and finally got to our hotel in Fort Lauderdale around 2:00 a.m. A few hours later we got up, check out the beaches and then headed to the port. We were all processed through and on the boat by 2:00. Photos are the boat on the right and the sunset over Florida on the left. We never managed to get up early enough to see a sunrise.

Once boarding the boat we had to figure out where everything was. We were on level 7, at the back of the boat and everything else was on 9 and above (all the outdoor decks) or on 5 - the casino and shopping. Most things were at the front of the boat. We never used an elevator once!

After our first "Fun Day at Sea," we docked in Cozumel, Mexico. We had booked a clear canoe/snorkeling excursion. The canoe was interesting (I saw a starfish) and I don't snorkel. JB said it wasn't as good as Hawaii.

After being returned to the boat shopping - we took off on foot to check out a little bit of Cozumel. We saw horse buggies - this guy was wearing a straw hat - too funny! On our way back, JB thought the fountain made a good photo op. Yes, I did wear skirts most of the time on vacation.

Turn around is fair play - so I made him have a photo with this donkey! A Sunset over Mexico. We had another very relaxing sea day before arriving in Costa Rica on Wednesday the 24th. Never having cruised before, we didn't really know what to expect with the excursions and had booked them in all the ports. In Costa Rica we signed up for a 4.5 hour bike tour through a village. Well, first we loaded into a bus and drove for 2 hours to get the bikes. Then we got to bike.

We saw three different varieties of toucans and 2 different breeds of monkeys. It was pretty amazing to just be riding along the road, hear a bird and see such amazing birds. Or look around and see an entire family of monkeys laying in a tree. After riding along the street we headed down the beach and got rained on! Anyway - proof that we actually do vacation together. The ocean was washing in around this rock and it was beautiful. The next photo is taken from a cliff. It was a very slippery climb to get up there, but the view was well worth it.

After carefully climbing back down, we pushed our bikes back through the sand, then road them back to the starting point. Where they provided a snack of fresh fruit and juice. JB tried mango and enjoyed it! This is amazing because he hasn't eaten mango in 14 years since my sister gave him one that wasn't quite ripe.

After boarding the boat, we went up on deck to capture the sunset. There were no chairs out, so I just sat down on the deck and pulled out my knitting.

While on the boat, we saw several movies (there is an outdoor movie screen and 2 free movies daily in your cabin); we saw several musical shows and a few comedians. We had plenty of time to lounge around soaking in the sun reading or knitting.

Tomorrow - Panama and Florida.

Lofty Goals

What does 2009 have in store for me? Lots of things, some will be good others will be difficult. For example, in this troubled economy I will most likely be looking for a new job. Working more hours for less money. If I'm lucky I'll be able to find a job quickly. JB needs to have major surgery to fix a torn tendon in his shoulder. He's hesitant to have surgery due to a 6 month recovery time. There are lots of considerations with that decision - the least of which should be financial - but we all know it's top on his list of things to consider when scheduling his surgery. In the crafting world: :: Sewing :: *use the fabrics I have. Regardless of the quality. It truly doesn't matter if I spent $30 a yard for something. If I use it it will be wearable to some degree. It may not be perfect, but I can just about guarantee better than ready to wear. If it's $30/yard sitting in a cupboard not being used it's money wasted. *sew for the body I have now. Maybe not my most favorite fabrics, but definitely what I have. I will still continue to workout and drop the extra pounds, but I need to be dressed and look professional while I'm doing it. *sew more. Enjoy the process. Take my time. :: Knitting :: *finish up two lace projects hanging around. *fix Big Brown and get it into the closet *find a better pattern and get Chocolate Raspberry made *Be aware of gauge issues. Relax and enjoy the process :: Photos :: *learn the photo editing software. I have photoshop, the software that came with the Canon and PicNic all available. Edit the photos to make them better. *organize the photos on the computer and copy them all (might have to give the laptop back). (Photo above is palm trees in Costa Rica taken by JB on 12/24/08)