Summer Breeze: TAKING A BOAT to the BOAT . . . LEG 3

ON SEPT 23, 2013, WE DEPARTED LOS ANGELES HEADING SOUTH ON OUR THIRD AND FINAL 15-DAY LEG OF OUR THIRTY-DAY CRUISE. UPCOMING WERE FOUR STOPS IN MEXICO, A STOP IN COSTA RICA, PASSAGE THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL, AND STOPS IN COLUMBIA AND JAMAICA BEFORE ARRIVING IN MIAMI TO GET LITTLE "SUMMER BREEZE" READY FOR THE WINTER.

CABO SAN LUCAS, SEPT 26

"MOOOO"

PUERTO VALLARTA, SEPT 27
NOT ACTUALLY BEING A REAL FAN OF MEXICO, I FINALLY HAVE A FAVORITE TOWN IN MEXICO.

OK, THIS IS NOT THE REASON I LIKE PUERTO VALLARTA, BUT IT IS THE REASON THAT THE NCL CREWMEMBERS LIKE IT. WALLY WORLD IS EVERYWHERE.

ART LOVING FRIGATE

"ART"

"NOT ART"

"I'M SORRY, YOU WANT ME TO WHAT ?!?"
"OH, MUY BIEN! $5US FOR ONE ROPE, $8US FOR BOTH OF THEM."

HUATULCO, MEXICO, SEPT 29

Huatulco is really a rather struggling little village with minimal offerings to a cruise ship, but it was much nicer walking around without the extreme "hawking" of vendors that are constantly in your face in the larger cities. Judging from the half-finished resort projects, they're having a tough time with the bad tourist reputation in Mexico right now, but it was nice sitting in a beachside tiki and sipping a cheap Modelo.

It's a long way to our cabin in the bottom of the ship; however, we got to compare our cabin to other higher ones with windows and there's no way we would swap rooms with them; ours was twice as big and we got to stay in it for the whole 30 days.

Departing a port while having dinner each evening was relaxing. We enjoyed the "NCL Freestyle" dining, also . . .casual dress and you don't have to sit with other people if you don't want to.

EXERCISING . . ."IS THIS THE WAY TO THE NEXT BUFFET ???"

PUERTO CHIAPAS, MEXICO, SEPT 30

I'M THINKING THAT THIS IS PROBABLY THE LAST TIME SHE'LL ASK HIM TO TAKE HER FISHING WITH HIM.

THESE TWO TIKI HUTS ARE ABOUT ALL THAT CHIAPAS HAS TO OFFER AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE DRUG VIOLENCE IN THIS AREA. TOUGH TIMES FOR THE NATIVES HERE.

PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA, OCTOBER 2

STILL ACTIVE "ARENAL VOLCANO"

WE TOOK THIS BUS INTO THE INTERIOR OF COSTA RICA VISITING PALMERES COUNTY, DOKA COFFEE ESTATE, & LA GARITA BOTANICAL GARDENS. I WISH OUR TRAIN HAD BUSES THIS NICE TO DRIVE TO SILVERTON.

THIS ISN'T A PARK. COSTA RICANS ARE REALLY INTO LANDSCAPING . . .THIS IS JUST SOMEONE'S YARD. I THINK THEY MAY HAVE MORE FREE TIME THAN WE AMERICANS DO. NICE.

WE "SKIPPED" THIS!

OUR GARDEN GUIDE WAS LOOKING BACK OVER HIS SHOULDER TO SEE IF THIS SPIDER IN THE UPPER LEFT-HAND CORNER OF THE PIC WAS GETTING ANYONE.

CHASKA'S BOLIVIAN GENES ARE ALIVE & WELL IN CENTRAL AMERICA, TOO. (WE WOULD HAVE BROUGHT HIM BACK IF WE COULD HAVE, BROOKE.)

ANOTHER GORGEOUS SUNSET DEPARTURE

PANAMA CANAL from PANAMA CITY to COLON, OCT 4

SHIPS AWAITING THEIR TURN TO TRANSIT TO THE CARIBBEAN.

A LITTLE SQUALL HITS BEAUTIFUL PANAMA CITY.

THE "TRUMP TOWER" STICKS ITS HEAD UP INTO THE CLOUDS.

"MUSEO de la BIODIVERSIDAD"

SMALL CRUISERS AWAITING THEIR TURN, TOO.

VIEW OF NEW LOCK CONSTRUCTION NOW UNDERWAY. TODAY'S SHIPS ARE GETTING TOO LARGE TO FIT IN THE OLD LOCKS.

AT 8:30am WE ENTERED OUR FIRST SET OF LOCKS "MIRAFLORES" WITH 3 SHIPS IN FRONT OF US AND ONE OLD US NAVY VESSEL, HEADED FOR SALVAGE IN HOUSTON, UNDERTOW BEHIND US.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THESE TWO GUYS IN THE LITTLE ROWBOAT HANDLE THE PAINTERS/LINES FROM THE SHIPS . . . THEY TRIED TO FIGURE OUT A BETTER, SAFER WAY TO DO THIS, BUT NO LUCK. THEY DEFINITELY DON'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY.

INTERESTING . . .BIG SHIPS DON'T USE THEIR OWN POWER TO MOVE THROUGH THE LOCKS, THEY'RE PULLED BY SIX LOCOMOTIVES. THIS COST MUST ADD UP QUICKLY, BECAUSE THE TRANSIT FEE FOR OUR NCL "SUN" COST US $200,000.

2ND SET OF LOCKS "PEDRO MIGUEL" TO ENTER THE LAKE LEVEL.

THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHY THEY'RE HAVING TO BUILD BIGGER LOCKS; LOOK AT THIS TIGHT FIT!

CREWMEN DELIVERING THE OLD NAVY SHIP.

CRUISERS TEAM UP WITH EACH OTHER FOR THE TRANSIT.

WE'RE PRETTY SURE THAT WE WOULDN'T WANT TO BE LOCKED-THRU WITH A BUNCH OF THESE HUGE SALTWATER CROCS.

STILL TRYING TO WASH THE DELTA MUD OFF OF HIS ANCHOR HOURS LATER.

GATUN LOCKS AT COLON, HEADING INTO THE CARIBBEAN

I TRIED TO GET IN TOUCH ONLINE WITH THE OWNERS OF THE CAT "VASA EXPLORER" IN ORDER TO SEND THEM THESE PICS OF THEM WHILE THEY WERE IN THE LOCK. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A CHARTER COMPANY SAILBOAT AND THEY WOULDN'T COOPERATE. TOO BAD.

NEW GATES FOR THE NEW LOCKS.

AWAITING SHIPS AT COLON ON THE CARIBBEAN SIDE.

AAAHH . . . WELL, SCRATCH THAT ONE OFF OF THE BUCKET LIST . . . WHAT A GREAT DAY!!!

CARTEGENA, COLUMBIA, OCT 5

We opted to see Cartegena by way of a "Hop-On, Hop-Off" double-decker bus that loops throughout the old city and the new. This gave us personal time to wander through the Old Historic City on our own and to ride throughout the whole city on top of the bus to get a feel for it. It's a very interesting, history-filled port city.

This concrete sidewalk was amazing; it fools-your-eye even while you're standing on it.

. . . and then we're off to eat, again!

OCHOS RIOS, JAMAICA, OCT 7

. . .AND FINALLY, HERE COME SOME SLEEPY-HEADS JUST AS WE DOCK.

KINDA WEIRD DOCKING AT A BAUXITE LOADING PIER.

HERE'S WHAT OUR DOCKAGE LOOKED LIKE FROM ABOVE, LATER.

WE DECIDED NOT TO DO AN EXCURSION, SO WE SET OUT ON OUR OWN JUST HIKING UPHILL. WE MET "TOMMY" A HALF HOUR LATER; HE ADOPTED US AS OUR PERSONAL "ILLEGAL UNLICENSED" TOUR GUIDE OF HIS LITTLE TOWN. WE HIKED ALL MORNING FOR MILES . . . JUST DRIPPING HOT.

TOMMY HAS SPENT HIS WHOLE LIFE IN JAMAICA; HE KNEW ALL THE PLANT MATERIALS AND THEIR LOCAL USES.

THIS IS MICK JAGGER'S PROPERTY AND GUARD SHACK ON THE RIGHT.

MICK'S VIEW DOWN ONTO OCHOS RIOS.

LOCAL'S LAUNDRY STREAM; TOMMY TOOK US RIGHT THROUGH PEOPLE'S YARDS, TOO.

THE NEXT DAY WE SPENT AT SEA, AND THIS IS THE CLOSEST VIEW WE GOT BYPASSING CUBA.

WHILE AT SEA, WE DID SPLURGE FOR A "BEHIND THE SCENES" TOUR OF THE SHIP ITSELF. THE GALLEY WITH ITS MILES OF STAINLESS STEEL WAS ESPECIALLY INTERESTING.