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Everything posted by scubacruiserx2
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We met Kiki and Carlos our driver at the end of the pier and began the trip North . We did ask if the rain in the mountains would be a problem and they didn't think so . About an hour into the 2 hour ride Carlos spotted a Toucan so we stopped . My autofocus on the camera wouldn't work well with all the branches but we could see that it is a Keel -billed Toucan . Also Carlos saw a Laughing Falcon on a bare tree Farmland stop This is the first time that we were able to get some decent photos of hummingbirds
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We were really looking forward to Costa Rica perhaps the most biodiverse country that we would visit . But there was rain on the horizon and forecast as we made port at Puerto Caldera . We would be using our guide from our previous visit Kiki who was excellent in all respects . But instead of going South to the Rainforest at sea level we would be going North to the Monteverde Cloud forest at nearly a mile high - like Antigua . The pier is very long and narrow and the buses couldn't turn around so they had to back to the ship one at a time or drive forward on to the pier and then back off of the pier . Additionally there was another ship , the Ocean Victory , with many people carrying their luggage . We had to ask people to move who were waiting to get on the busses so that we could meet our guide at the end of the pier . We wished that we could dress like the locals so we could blend in . The local beach
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A very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate the birth of Jesus . 🎂 Sunday October 16th a day at sea sailing toward Costa Rica at breakfast After breakfast we attended the Interdenominational service with a great group of people who agreed to meet together on the days at sea for a Bible study . And , of course lunch wasn't far away over the horizon at the Retreat .
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You're welcome . We go by word of mouth from others on CC , our TA or a Google search . The most reliable is Tours by Locals . You do pay a kind of finders fee to TBL the first time around . But once you have used them we contact them directly like Eric in San Francisco . We hope to go to Hawaii in the Spring for our anniversary so we plan on stopping there coming and going and he will take us to Big Sur , Wine country and Yosemite before and/or after Hawaii .
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We were ready for lunch and we requested a locals only type of place and they knew a good place The set up reminded me of the cafeteria culture that was popular when I was a kid like Morrisons or Piccadillys . We saw the food by the door and picked a couple of meats and a couple of veggies , found a table and the food was brought to you . For dessert we split a fried plantain stuffed with a black bean like center One thing that we had hoped to see is a Resplendent Quetzal which is the National bird with a long tail . The Quetzal is also the name of the currency . They are getting harder to find and the best that we could do was a photo of a photo . Fidencio and the driver did a fine job and we would highly recommend them When we were on the way back we experienced quite a thunderstorm and at the sound of the first lighting bolt , the driver said that the Volcano was erupting , Yikes ! 😱
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Our next stop was at a plain looking entrance to the place where the president was staying . Fidencio ( our guide ) pointed out several of the security guards which do not resemble our Secret Service in suits , but resemble plain clothes men instead . The place was the El Convento Boutique Hotel . https://www.elconventoantigua.com/the-hotel/el-convento Jailbreak The men's room or perhaps , a doggie comfort station And 2 of the iconic views here the Arco de Santa Catalina https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arco_de_Santa_Catalina And the Volcan Aqua https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcán_de_Agua We would recommend Tennis shoes or comfortable walking shoes with the angled and sometimes slick cobblestones .
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Inside the church There was a copy of the return of the Prodigal Son The original Rembrandt which is perhaps his greatest and /or most famous painting , hangs in the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg , Russia . We have seen it several times and stood in front of it by ourselves for an extended time - always in awe of the painting and the story of God's love and patience for us to return to Him . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_the_Prodigal_Son_(Rembrandt)
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We met our guide and driver and set out for Antigua about an hour and 40 minutes away . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigua_Guatemala We did request a bathroom break which was at a gas station with a bathroom . We had to get the keys and it had a metal door and bars inside - like a jail cell When I came out to the van I noticed that a man with an assault weapon was standing nearby . When I asked the guide if that was security for the President and he explained that the gas stations like this one ( without a convencience store ) were owned by the cartel who used them to exchange money . The elevation of Antigua is 5000' . We first went to the San Francisco Church where mass was being celebrated so we waited outside . We bought a snack of homemade Plantain strips as it was near lunch .
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Saturday October 15th we were in Puerto Quetzal , Guatemala and we were informed by the Captain that the President was going to be in town in Antigua and that we should expect to see extra security . The last time that we were here was on Good Friday and the Catholic Church had a large processional of people carrying statues from the church on a large platform on their shoulders But first was breakfast We had deconstructed our Eggs Benedict to show how the meat was now cut in half . But we had ordered a side of back bacon which we used to reconstruct and return our EB back to their former glory .
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The next stop was at Playa La Bocana for lunch and a nice conversation Notice the dirt floor . The first time that we went to South America our driver stopped for breakfast on the was to the port and they were watering and raking the dirt floor . Another cruiser riding with us became very concerned and refused to eat the empanadas . Some artwork at the men's room As a surfer I naturally watched the waves and noticed that they were closing out which means that they break all at once making for a very short ride . A surfer did go out and had a very hard time getting out past the breaking waves and chose to come back in . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huatulco