The Senior Scene

And the story continues.
We have made it through the Panama Canal and now are on the Pacific side headed north. Puntarenas, Costa Rica is the first stop on this side. Many of our group took a train, boat and bus tour to see the most available sites. They were in the water with crocodiles, along the shore with a bus and into the jungle on a train which has been in service for more than 50 years..The weather was as tropical as the scenery.
Huatulco (pronounced WAH-tool-co) seems to be the newest port in Mexico located on the Oaxacan coastline. It is an absolutely beautiful small town with a population of around 25,000. They have worked hard to transform this area into a tourist destination with shoreside shops and restaurants around Tangolunda Bay. We had fresh seafood for lunch and then went exploring. From the top of the hills we had a perfect view of the Norwegian Sun waiting for our return. We stopped to look at a couple of new resort hotels, drove through a small residential district and made note of the modern improvements to this area. Definitely a place to return to.
Much bad news has come out of the Acapulco area in recent years with cartel battles, hurricanes and general unrest. According to the locals, the media in search of stories has blown a lot of this out of proportion. We certainly did not see any unrest as we were driven around the in private vans.
We went up the hills into a private residential area (Bill Gates has his home there) to the chapel built to memorialize two young men who died too soon. Their family wanted to do something special and indeed it is. You can enjoy spectacular views of Acapulco Bay from a very calm and peaceful vantage point. Tour buses are not allowed here, but we had gained special permission for the visit.
The highlight, of course, was a show by the renowned Acapulco cliff divers. This was scheduled specifically to fit our time frame. For more than 80 years, men have been diving off the cliff at La Quebrada into 12 ft. of water. With ultimate patience, they wait for just the right wave to give them the depth they need and then sail through the air into it.
Another special advantage of our tour was a stop at the home of the famous painter, Diego Rivera. Prior to his death, he did a mural on his outside fence line. This is something that most tourist do not see because you must drive through small streets but it is a beautiful work of art and should not be missed
We were very pleased with the itinerary for this cruise, as it allowed for “sea days” between many of the ports of call.
We took full advantage of them to enjoy a private birthday celebration with our own Jean McCarron providing entertainment with a comedy performance and being invited to perform in the main showroom for an afternoon talent show;
had a shipboard interview by the Cruise Director with Audrey Stacy who was the oldest passenger on the ship and will be celebrating her 100th birthday this summer; and played games, enjoyed the pool, or just relaxed.
Cabo San Lucas is very much a resort town with many shops, fishing boats, and touristy things to do. It is easy to walk through the area looking into shop and always finding a place to sit for a bite to eat or a cool drink. We headed down the beach to The Office, which literally sits in the sand. A wonderful lunch and a margarita gave a nice finality to our last stop in Mexico.
This column is running a little long so I won’t go on about our stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco Victoria and finally Vancouver. It was a fantastic 19 days with a wonderful group.
Check out your calendar and make some plans to join us on our adventures. Our Leavenworth excursion has been moved to August and still has room. The Lavender Festival is also in August. Israel in October, A Southern Holiday in December, and South Africa in March. We are also making plans for a Hawaii cruise in April and Alaska in the Spring.
Make reservations and ask questions at 253-927-8207 or e-mail me at linda.finch@gmail.com

I am currently on board the Norwegian Sun, cruising from Tampa to Vancouver. I thought this would be my last trip through the Panama Canal, but it is definitely not. We were still in the original canal, and so I want to do another cruise once they open the new canal. You will just have to wait and find out when tht will be.
But I get ahead of myself. You want to hear about the whole thing.
Our group of 23 flew to Tampa, Fla. for an overnight before boarding the ship. We cruised for three days before finally hitting land at Cartagena, Columbia. Oh, how things have changed since I was there last. The city, as happens, has grown and expanded, but the old is still there and very interesting. The fort of San Felipe de Barajas, built in the 17th century, still has a commanding presence. It is the largest and most important work of Spanish military engineering in South America. The old town with cobblestone streets and alleys that make you think of New Orleans is a mecca for shopping. The seawall protects the city from water dangers and provides an area for pleasure on the beach. I think everyone found trinkets to bring back, and most picked up local coffee beans.
The next day was what we had come for. Everyone was up very early in the morning to see all the ships lined up waiting for their turn to enter the canal. As dawn breaks, you see for miles ships waiting with their lights on, being patient while the cruise ships move on past and into this marvel of man.
The Panama Canal is approximately 80 kilometers long between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. There are 3 locks in the series, each named for the townsite where they were built (Gatun on the Atlantic side and Pedro Miguel and Miraflores on the Pacific side). They raise the ships up 26 meters to the level of Gatun Lake and then back down on the other side. The canal is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Some 14,000 vessels transit every year. The workforce numbers in excess of 9,000 employees.
The day was perfect weatherwise, so everyone could be out on the decks to watch the “mules” pull the ship into the locks and then watch the doors close, etc. – a much larger version of our own Ballard Locks. It took a full 12 hours from the time we picked up the pilots (there is one for the first half and another for the second) until we went under the Bridge of Americas and were out into the Pacific. An absolutely amazing day, and one I do look forward to doing that one last time when the new canal is open and the larger ships will be going through. As you may be aware, we will see an impact of this with our own ports as the truly large ships will no longer need to drop off in our ports with trucks and trains taking product across the U.S. Time will tell what happens to the Port of Tacoma.
We had many at-sea days between ports, which is always nice. It gives you time to unwind a bit, explore the ship and participate in all the fun games, trivia and shows that are on board. And of course, there is always the never-ending food. We are all trying very hard to not eat everything in sight, but it is not an easy task.
We are very well taken care of and have been adopted by several of the crew. They have learned our likes and dislikes, call us by name and recognize us as they move around the ship. There is music everywhere, from quiet time to rock and roll. Shows every night and time as a group to play a few games of our own.
This is just the beginning of the story. You will need to wait another month before hearing about the rest of the trip. We visited Costa Rica and several ports in Mexico before heading up the California coast.
Future trips include a two-night stay in Leavenworth in June, and don’t forget Israel in October. We are hoping to have a great group for that. Reservations need to be made now, but you can take out insurance that will let you cancel for any reason at any time and get money back. Call me at 253-927-8207 or e-mail me at linda.finch@gmail.com

As promised I will give you an overview of my trip to Dubai, the second-largest of the seven emirates which make up the United Arab Emirates.
This city is only 43 years old in its present state, even though the Bedouins would tell you it is over 3,000 years old. The city itself covers only 35 square kilometers, but the urban area extends to over 3,800 square kilometers. The population is 2.1 million and said to double by the year 2020. Three-quarters are male; only 5 percent are locals.
What an amazing place. We seem to have walked continuously for the week we were there. We even went up 124 floors, as far as you can go, on the elevator at Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. It took all of 61 seconds to travel that far. And the view lets you see it all, out across The Palms (manmade islands), over the city to the desert and to the outer limits where nothing else seems to exist.
We walked the Ibn Battuta Mall with sections depicting China, India, Persia, Egypt and Iran; the Mall of the Emirates with the Ski Dubai indoor ski slopes; the Dubai Mall with a three-story indoor aquarium, a water wall, 1,200 shops and 160 food outlets, as well as a spacious manmade lake with a fountain that dances to opera. We walked the grocery stores and parked in underground parking where they come around with portable car-washing machines. Imagine having your car washed while you buy groceries.
We drove to Abu Dhabi in order to tour the Grand Mosque where we had to put on an abaya, the long black dress and head covering worn by muslem women. Beautiful white marble with inlaid flowers and elaborate designs, chandeliers with crystal and gold trim, columns and arches throughout. No penny-pinching here.
There just isn’t enough space here to tell it all but everything was amazing. It is why we travel the world. Now we are off on the Panama Canal trip which I will you about next time.
Join us in the future for a short trip to Leavenworth or in October a more exotic trip to Israel. How about Christmas in the Carolinas or South Africa? Contact Linda Finch at 253-927-8207 or linda.finch@gmail.com

In March we took a trek across the border to Fraser Downs and the Harness Races. The track is always beautiful and with the weather the way it has been even the ride up and back was great. It is always fun to decide who might be the winner even if you don’t actually place a bet. The buffet they serve is heaped with wonderful foods. What better way to spend an afternoon?
Now we have April and the tulips to enjoy. We are off to La Conner to see what the early spring has given us. The fields are always so full of brilliant color and the shops of this quaint little river town are exciting to explore. More on that next time.
During that time frame, I will also have been in Dubai and will perhaps have a story or two to share with you. And then, of course, there is the Panama trip from the middle of April to the beginning of June. We have a wonderful group put together to share these adventures.
Why not think about joining us later on as we go to Israel in October (I am definitely going) and South Africa in March. If you want something closer, then there is a holiday adventure to the south at Christmastime. Need to be closer to home? Then how about Leavenworth in June or the Lavender Festival in August.
For reservations and further information, contact Linda Finch at 253-927-8207 or linda.finch@gmail.com