Christmas 2008 - In the Panama Canal travel blog

Think its best sea days are over

Joe boarding the Eco Cruise Boat

Another boat on the Tortuguero Canals

A Sloth Hangs from a Tree Limb

Upside-down View of the World

A Blue Heron

From my Perch near the Sky

An Iguana in the Tree

It was hard to spot this Monkey

Some of the resident Waterfowl

And another really pretty bird

Bats Taking a Nap on the Tree Bark

Another Monkey

I Couldn't See What Joe was capturing Here..........

So, he highlighted the Iguana for Me; that's good camouflage!

The Banana Train

A Motel along the Canal

Don't think I'd want to take a ride in this Boat.

The Locals Paddle along the Canals

The Train Tracks through the Jungle

Man with Machete, Human Lawnmower

Ferrocious Waves Crashing Ashore

A dreary view of a ship at Sea

You can see the raindrops on the lens

Not a Very Inviting Beach

Fisherman Returns with his meager Catch

Back to the Banana Train

The Blue bags over the banana bunches protect and stimulate growth

Demo at the Banana Plantation

Washing the Bananas

Inspecting the Bunches


Our on-board Travel Guide, Richard, barely stopped short of guaranteeing rain for our canal transit; but, luckily, we had a nice beautiful dry day. Panama gets a lot of rainfall but we are out of the worst of the rainy season now. However, as we docked in Puerto Limon, the rain found us. This was typical tropical rain; one minute a downpour and the next minute dry. All of this rain produces stifling humidity and it felt like a Turkish sauna once we stepped ashore. The camera lens fogged instantly and we had to let it stabilize before we even thought of taking any pictures.

Our adventure today was an Eco tour so we all gathered for our bus ride to the first segment of the tour. We were treated to the sounds of Caribbean Calypso and fresh fruit, ice cold water, juices, and even beer, at the put-in point for our boat trip on the Tortuguero Canals. We sure didn’t need anything else to eat but the cold water was in high demand. The rain continued to sprinkle on and off as we boarded the boat. The jungle canals are known as Costa Rica’s “Amazon” because of the surrounding rain forest. The guide and boat driver were experts on spotting the birds, sloths, monkeys, bats and other residents of the canals. We found it difficult to see them, even as they were pointed out to us, because they are so well camouflaged they blend perfectly with their environment….keys to survival, I guess. We could relate to the sloths; the guide told us they hang from the trees exposing their stomachs to the sun so the heat could stimulate digestion…..one lady said it was kind of like what cruise passengers do….eat big meals and then stretch out on a chaise lounge with our stomachs exposed to the sun………hmm! The canals run for about 80 miles across Costa Rica in a roughly parallel path to the ocean; we barely hit the highlights during our allotted time there.

The next segment took us on a ride in an open-air refurbished train. These trains were once the backbone of the banana industry; now they merely serve as a tourist trap. The open air concept meant when the windows were open, the air-conditioning was on. This made for a steamy ride through a green wall of dense jungle. We all agreed we could have skipped this little ride. We did have a chance to get out at the ocean; however, the area was very muddy from the recent rains and pretty trashy. It was a non-swimming beach too due to the high waves, steep drop-offs, and riptides.

At the end of the train ride, we boarded a bus for a tour of the del Monte Banana Plantation. The moment we stepped from the bus, the heavens opened up and the rain came down in buckets. We had seen banana plantations before in Hawaii and Mexico, so we opted for a few fast pictures and high tailed it back to the bus to keep ourselves and our cameras dry.

Back on board ship, we had a late lunch and a relaxing afternoon. We set sail at 4 p.m. bound for Ft. Lauderdale with two days at sea. We need the rest. I brought two books and I’m only halfway through the first one; maybe I’ll get some reading in the next two days.

Dinner was wonderful and we sat with a great couple from Ft. Myers; we even exchanged phone numbers and a promise to get together later in Florida. The late show featured George Solomon. He did a combination of singing, dancing, and comedy….with a generous sprinkling of audience participation to produce lots of hilarity, quick wit, and great fun for everyone.

We enjoyed Costa Rica but a brief port stop doesn’t begin to do justice to this fascinating country. Our time constraint confined us to the Caribbean side; but, Costa Rica has much more to offer in the way of natural wonders, mountains, volcanoes, jungles, and white sandy beaches for the sun worshippers and snorkelers. Our guide, who was very informative, told us the nation has no army (some people refer to it as the Switzerland of Pan-America), teachers outnumber policemen, and literacy is at over 90%, primary-school education is compulsory….as is voting….. The President gets a 4-year term and can’t be immediately re-elected. Technology is the leading economic pillar and the country promotes access to the internet for everyone at an affordable price. One would need much more time to experience all this tiny country has to offer.

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