hollisandbeyond2015: December 2015

Caribbean Cruise - Day 11

We docked at Fort Lauderdale the morning of December 21. Since our flight home was not until the afternoon, we took an excursion offered by Holland America to the Sawgrass Park in the Everglades. There we road on an airboat through a treeless swamp to look for alligators. We found some - one in particular took a real liking to Wally and came very close to the side of the boat where he was sitting. After the boat ride, we visited an animal rescue centre where we saw giant turtles, more alligators (including a cute little one which I got to hold), snakes, and other types of animals people had unwisely chosen as pets. Some time later our bus dropped us off at the airport and we were on our way home.

On the airboat

An airboat ahead of us

An inquisitive alligator

Alligator checking out our boat

One of several giant turtles

My new friend!

A rescued cougar

A lemur

Caribbean Cruise - Days 9 & 10

Our last two days of the cruise were "AT SEA" days as we sailed from Costa Rica back to Fort Lauderdale. We had some strong winds coming from the northeast, so, at times passengers were instructed to stay off the promenades on the starboard side of the ship. There were lots of things to do on board, so we did not mind the time at sea. There was a second formal night in the dining room. We took in more entertainment in the main theatre, did a little dancing in the blues bar, took in a game show, listened to a classical music concert by a pianist and violinist duo, explored still more areas of the ship we had not discovered previously. The ship has everything from a movie lounge to swimming pools, a casino, a gym, a children's centre, a beauty spa, and there are opportunities to learn everything from dance steps to playing steel drums to flower arranging. The following are a few shots taken on our final days at sea.

Every evening when we returned to our stateroom, we found a different towel creature on our bed.

Or just hanging around.

Wally checking for flying fish

Central stairway

Second Gala Night

Yum - Steak and lobster tail!

Entertainers

Hallway near theatre

Ballroom dancing on stage

Caribbean Cruise - Day 8 (Part 2)

Today was Karen's 30th birthday. Craig and Karen had gone ziplining while we were off on our exploration of the rainforest, but we got together for the birthday dinner. As it happened, the cruise's fanciest restaurant was transforming itself into Le Cirque Restaurant for one evening during our 10 day cruise, and it coincided with Karen's birthday. ( Le Cirque is a famous New York City restaurant.) so the four of us dined in style to mark her special day, then went out to an evening concert of blues music in the Vista Lounge.

Before dinner in the Ocean Bar where someone had given Karen a bottle of champagne.

A window table on the ocean

A champagne toast

A little something from the chef - foie gras on rhubarb jelly

Lobster salad for first course

Pea soup OR

Chilled melon soup

Sea bass for Karen

Chateaubriand for Craig

Rack of Lamb for Wally and Carol

Table for four

After dessert, Karen gets a special cake

Cake, to go

A gift from Le Cirque placed in each of our staterooms

Singer with BB King Blues Band - soloist for tonight's entertainment

Caribbean Cruise - Day 8 (Part 1)

Early this morning we arrived in Port Limon, Costa Rica. The mountains provided beautiful contours to the land as we disembarked for the day. Wally and I had signed up for a full day's excursion which included the Tortuguero Canals and the Veragua Rainforest. After a snack of fresh fruit, we cruised the Tortuguera canals on a covered river boat surrounded by lush foliage. We saw egrets, blue herons, tiny bats, a two-toed sloth and numerous monkeys. We then drove into the hills to the Veragua Rainforest Reserve. A naturalist guided us through the interpretive centre with its displays of reptiles, frogs, and butterflies before riding in an aerial tram through the forest into the valley below. We walked to the El Puma waterfall, then rode up the tram back to the research station where we had a typical Costa Rican lunch.