Once named “The Friendliest City in the World” is a pretty bold statement for Puerto Vallarta, but it’s actually quite nice and seems to handle its notoriety in a rather genuine way, notwithstanding a “Senor Frog’s” cliche franchise bar on nearly every corner and numerous sidewalk touts selling wares and timeshares. More casually referred to…
Continue reading →What else do you do in a city known as “The Sailfish Capital of the World” but hire a sport fishing boat and crew for the day just to see if it’s true? Known for its excellent sport fishing, Manzanillo, Mexico lies along two crescent shaped bays separated by the scenic outcrop of Santiago Peninsula….
Continue reading →As we approached the coast of Nicaragua in the early, pale dawn, what appeared to be wafting clouds above the peak of the volcano that dominated the horizon was actually smoke puffing from the crater. With the recent news of a volcanic eruption off the coast of New Zealand that tragically caused fatalities to cruise…
Continue reading →Plainly translated from Spanish, Pura Vida means “simple life” or “pure life”, but in Costa Rica it is more than just a saying, it is a way of life. Costa Ricans use the term to say hello, to say goodbye, to exchange convivial greetings, and as a general, universal feel-good reply to most everything. It…
Continue reading →Stretching 50 miles from Colon on the Atlantic side to Panama City on the Pacific, the Panama Canal, built over a hundred years ago, is still an engineering marvel and one of the most significant waterways on earth. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade….
Continue reading →Instead of the usual stories-high stacks of shipping containers, swarthy longshoremen, cheap souvenir stands, and duty free shops, the port of Cartagena adds a very special welcome for its arriving visitors. The path to enter or exit the port will lead you through a natural paradise…a port oasis. Officially known as Aviaro Nacional Baru de…
Continue reading →I wrote about Cartagena in 2015 (see my post “Colombia’s Hidden Secret”) and now, on my third visit to this beautiful city, I am still captivated. Forget what you might think still exists about gangs and drug lords of the past. Cartagena de Indias, as the city was known in the colonial era, has been…
Continue reading →I love living in the bow of the ship. It has its drawbacks for sure. Every seasoned cruiser will advise against choosing a cabin in the bow, arguing that low and center is preferable for optimal stability. And to prove that theory, our first four days of this journey were spent relentlessly rocking and rolling…
Continue reading →The third most photographed home in America, after the White House and Graceland, Villa Casa Casuarina regularly attracts a throng of tourists and curiosity seekers at its address on Ocean Drive in the swank and wealthy neighborhood of South Beach, Miami. Perhaps due to its opulent Mediterranean revival architecture that stands out among the Art…
Continue reading →You’ve heard of the affliction called “homesickness”, impassively defined as “a longing for one’s home during a period of absence from it.” Well, I’m feeling that now, but for another kind of home…my sea home. Knowing that we have spent much time on the cruise ship Insignia, our friend and Oceania butler, Priyan, sent a…
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