21 Day sail on Holland America’s Eurodam from Seattle, WA to Fort Lauderdale, FL in October 2022. The first port we arrived at is Puerta Vallarta in the Mexican state of Jalisco. After four days at sea, I was anxious to get off the ship, so I went horseback riding on a beautiful Andalusian horse. Of course, no tour is complete without a visit to the tequila factory where we had tasting of deliciously smooth tequila.
Huatulco (wah TOOL koh). One of the southernmost states in Mexico, bordering Guatemala. Pop. 40,000. Located at the base of the Sierra Madres. This 36 year old city is the next up and coming tourist destination. Small, quaint, developing… Nine bays which reminds me of Cinque Terre, IT, mostly a getaway with beaches and sunny weather for the east coast folks. Went white water rafting on the Copalito river in the rains. It’s a pretty place to visit.
Entering the Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala harbor, we see two volcanoes. The active one is on the left, dormant one on the right. Mostly agricultural economy, coffee, bananas. Fertile soil comes from the active volcano. Visited Iximche, site of ancient Mayan ruins 7000′ above sea level.
Then next we sail on to Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, 10 degrees north of the equator. Known for it’s tourism (the season starts in September), technology (they make chips), bananas (Chiquita) and coffee (Arabica beans). Sandwiched between Pacific and Caribbean Oceans.
And finally, we get to the Panama Canal. The ship that climbed a mountain. 85’ up and 85’ down. The history behind the building of the canal, the country that tried (France) and the country that succeeded (USA). The lives lost (37,000) and the men with vision to make it work. Amazing achievement and an engineering marvel.
The 16 day cruise from San Diego to Ft Lauderdale with stops to Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Aruba via the Panama Canal. It’s over now and here are some parting shots. Holland America was wonderful, providing relaxing entertainment, games and the popular Orange Night.
###
