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cemetery ruined warehouse on the dock approach Aida Luna and Ruby

BUS WINDOW PICS ON THE WAY BACK TO LIMON camera pics not phone, same distorting window tints roadside art Girl's school more

Sloth in tree waiting for the bus to show

Oops-looks like I left some photos behind at the Sanctuary... Gift shop on upper level-worth a look for all things sloth more...

Back on the Ruby I hit the International Cafe for a coffee and a slab of cake. That's a hefty slab of Black Forest Gateau-$4.99 a slice but free to Princess Plus guests. Very nice!

So Carol saw her sloths and can comment on that experience. We saw at least one in the boat ride video, high above us in a tree. I hope you saw it too. The boat was super uncomfortable. The sides were very shallow which meant the narrow seat was very low and there was no back support whatever. I was holding a camcorder in one hand and a heavy camera in the other.My back ached. At the end of the 45 minute ride I was happy to get out of the boat. I was hoping for a comfy air-conditioned bus seat but the bus hadn't returned yet. We shopped in the upstairs gift shop using a Visa card, buying a fridge magnet and a bag of 1820 Costa Rican coffee which unlike the Jamaican dirt had a coffee flavor but still a poor man's Illy. We were offered free bottles of chilled water, courtesy of the Sanctuary, while we waited for the bus to show. After 40 minutes waiting Rogelio announced that the bus would be here in 20 minutes. One hour late. Better late than never they say. Once on board the bus and moving Rogelio announced that even though we are running an hour late we have to stop at a gift shop on the way back to Limon. I stood up so he could see me and protested loudly from the back of the bus where I live (without a crackly microphone but I'll have one on my next Princess excursion.) I waved so he could see as well as hear me but he ignored me. Half an hour later we pulled off the road into a dirt parking lot for the forced shopping. Rogelio made an endearing announcement. "We do this for the money. You have to get a stamp when you get off-that's how we get paid" Five of us didn't get off, instead staying on the bus for the 30 minutes. The other 41 people disappeared into some palm trees across a narrow wooden bridge. Think "Field of Dreams". Each came back bearing a sticker that said "39". No doubt a profitable stop for the guide and driver. The only tour guide/driver team I didn't tip once we left the bus in Limon, arriving an hour later than planned and being disrespectful to snoozing passengers. I would visit the Excursion Desk next day to complain and I slammed Princess like a rag doll on our Post Cruise survey. That was the 2nd (of 3) excursions this week where we were hijacked to go shopping so the guide and driver could get their beaks wet.

We do like the way ship's get into Christmas with the decorations, Gingerbread houses with model trains and the Santa visit and the giving of presents from a Dollar Store in Ft Lauderdale I imagine. We don't mind the kids on board as that's why Santa is there. Stanley just looks lost. We've already booked next Christmas on HAL's Rotterdam (in service July 2021) in a huge aft suite. Christmas Day to be spent in Aruba which we both like. 9 days of newness and our 4th cruise line. December 20 to 29. I will drop a link here next January. Norris

Our guide on the loud and of course somewhat distorted microphone was called Rogelio (Roger). He had an alarming habit of shouting "Wake up" to anyone who fell asleep during his rambling narration. So rude! "Wake up! I'm talking!" It's 8.15 when we set off. On a bus. Sun beating down. People nod off. Roger is going "blah blah blah" into a crackly microphone. He's not speaking at the United Nations. He's just an ass. The miles come and go... Finally we slow down When we get off Roger amends some of the things he told us on the bus. The bit about there being 46 of us and we'd have to be split into 2 groups of 23 with two guides? Well scrub that as the other planned guide is taking another tour group. This would mean all 46 of us would have to cram into a space really meant for 23. This is why upon entering a 23 person sized room we were shoulder to shoulder trying to see some immobile creatures taking a nap in their cages. For 10 minutes there was no movement until 1 person taking phone photos stepped back and the rest of us were able to reshuffle. I couldn't work a big camera so switched to video that requires a thumb which I could move freely. The poor sloths in this first room are all permanent residents as they are injured and unable to fend for themselves in the wild. Some blind, one missing a limb after a dog attack in nature. They can live to 35 years. They can't handle trees so well any longer. Falling from trees is an issue. They come down to the ground once a week to use the toilet and that's when they are most vulnerable. Not something we can all empathize with from experience. Lovely docile animals dealt a raw hand. I avoided the 2nd room. The first was informative for sure as the young guy who talked about the animals was a mine of information and obvious love for the critters. carol can speak to it. I sat outside in the shade. It was quiet. Another thing Roger had told us on exiting the bus was bring all your stuff with you as the bus is leaving to go get another tour group (presumably doubling their revenue?) I'll show you the video I took of the sloths and the little river ride we did after the sloths when I return.

Now these photos are flawed, I'll grant you. The bus windows cast some startling hues but the windows don't open so it's these smudges or nothing. I hope they give some of the flavor of the trip. There's less trash than I have grown used to but I can say from my observations that a man who has a business selling razor wire can make a fine living here. I thought La Paz held the Guinness book of records entry for "Most barbed wire sold". Beware burglars is the gist. park furniture kids playground coffee shop near the docks Now out of town more...

This is our motor coach, complete with restroom, that will take us to the Sloth Sanctuary and eventually back. It will be about an hour away, down the coast. Don't be surprised if I take iPhone pics out of the window... The band is singing away on the pier. Nice voice! 7FBFED63-3874-4CA2-9C2E-02BE305A9212.mov

Hi, thanks for asking. I can only speak for myself and I am much improved thanks to Paxlovid being prescribed. Only my cough remains but it is much less than the constant previously. It is 12 days since the cough materialized. It is too cold to go out here in Chicago so our social whirl hasn't been impacted too much. Norris

LIMON, COSTA RICA (3 PICS PANORAMA) A band has set up in a little shelter to greet passengers as they come ashore. Nice! Our balcony faces the town Time to get to the muster at 7.40

Before going anywhere today I owe you the Patters from Christmas Day and today Plans for the next couple of days, as the clock ticks down, include dinners in the Crown Grill and Sabatini's...

We are on our way from Colon to Limon, Costa Rica. Carol has a Room Service breakfast timed for 6.30 a.m. I'll hit the buffet for my usual corned beef hash, baked beans and bacon. We are going to visit a sloth sanctuary this morning. She has described it as hot and delicious. Booked for 6.30 it arrived at 6.45. She speaks very highly of the Ruby Room Service. My buffet breakfast was also delicious but lukewarm due to cold plastic plates. We have to meet up in the Princess Theater at 7.40 for our excursion. Norris

I'd say they are standard as we certainly did nothing special to get them. We'll be crossing the Arctic Circle next year so will probably get certificates for that. Neither of us will be taking an ice bath, that's for sure! Thanks for reading along. Norris

CHRISTMAS WISHES That's tonight's show Song and dance A very good singer from Toronto on the Ruby Team The twin violinists play in rooms around the ship. Stanley doesn't do much. He's sort of like the guy who has passed out at a party and no one remembers how he got here or whom he is with. As always, good singers, dancers and band. Everybody puts their heart and soul into the show. From the theater we take the Promenade deck crowd-free shortcut to Club Fusion where we see a very funny comedian called Rodney Johnson. Our faces hurt from laughing. Don't miss him if his name pops up on a poster. A surprise when we return to our suite... Panama Canal Certificates, an invite to the Captain's Cocktail party, tomorrow's Patter and the clocks are going back an hour tonight. And a Polar Bear towel animal.

A very festive but poorly focused greeting at Da Vinci my butternut squash soup Carol's seafood salad I looked forward to lobster thermidor. Small lobster. Kevin offered to bring me more but I declined. That tells you something. another small salad for Carol Carol's entree-ham, veg and mashed potato underneath. Culinary excellence ? My English Christmas "pudding" was tasty enough but not what it said on the menu, which was the case with some dishes. It was a tiny piece of dry fruit cake with some luke-warm custard. The Exec Chef (an Indian) would do best to steer away from claiming regionality for his dishes as he's often off the mark geographically somewhat.

My dad was a cargo ship's Captain so I have been witness to docks and ships and cranes coming alive as darkness falls since I was 6 years old and sailed with my dad to ports like Liverpool and Preston in England. So I get excited when the sun goes down and the lights come on. I reach for the camera. One last look to the marina and the little park The supermarket roof. It just rained the way tropical places rain-a deluge for just 5 minutes. This is where you can get get off and have a drink, a snack and do some shopping. Pretty impressive from deck 16 of the Ruby. Lots of families were on the quay admiring the ship all lit up. and we sail away

Colon at sunset All those excursions return to Colon to rejoin the ship. The ship waits for 3 hours or so and anyone who wants can get off and look around. That's what I should have done. I would definitely have taken photos of the ship lit up at night. Next time-yes we will be back through the canal at some point. Maybe a Los Angeles to Ft Lauderdale trip. There are no ship excursions to be taken there. Just walk off get a beer or a snack or a walk to the huge shopping mall at our feet. It's a ship nerd's heaven!

Thank you for reading along. Glad you enjoy the photos. It was worth getting up early for! Definitely one of my best days on a cruise ship. Next Christmas Day we'll be in Aruba on the HAL Rotterdam. Norris

I shot some video of the canal process some of which might seem like a paint-drying video but we were surprised how fast each lock was filled or emptied. I'd say 40 minutes or so in each lock. Once we are free of the locks the Captain heads for the Atlantic Bridge, pedal to the metal and leans on the horn while passing under it. He said this was his 50th time in the canal and he was pumped!

Colon

Freight train, freight train, going so fast

We're going back through the canal We left the lake behind The tug draws us in The ship will be secured to some of the yellow bollards once in position The sheltered bow on deck 8- a superb Grand Class feature I went back to our balcony to get a shot of the tug at the stern