Holland America   (Statendam)  Cruise   Fort Lauderdale, Panama Canal, Lima 15 days

Fort Lauderdale

Passenger Joan.JPG
Passenger Joan

Passenger Maynard.JPG
Passenger Maynard

8 Ships leaving.JPG
8 Ships leaving today

Lauderdale beach.JPG
Lauderdale beach

Turks Caicos
Most "civilized" Caribbean Island we have visited. English official language, clean streets, mostly modern low rise buildings, friendly people and 700 miles of deserted sand beaches. Caribbean well kept secret    

Tropical sea colors.JPG
Tropical sea colors

Jimmy Buffet's Really!!!.JPG
Jimmy Buffet's Really!!!!

Yup, A real Jimmy's.JPG
Yup, A real Jimmy's

Conk sell graveyard.JPG
Conch sell graveyard

Shells gather's paradise.JPG
Shells gather's paradise

Santa Marta, Columbia
80% of USA imported flowers come from Columbia. Unbearably hot and humid. How they can do any physical work like unloading coffee sacks is unimaginable. No drugs lords or coffee pickers riding donkeys  came to visit   

Sweltering hot - beaches wekk used.JPG
Sweltering hot - beaches well used

Welcome dancers.JPG
Welcome dancers

Drader Bagpal NOT.JPG
Drader Bagpal NOT

Testing for coffee or drugs.JPG
Testing for coffee or drugs

No cruise terminal here.JPG
No cruise terminal here

San Blas Islands Panama
San Blas Islands are a group of hundreds of small island jus offshore of Panama self ruled by the mainland educated multi- lingual very very short aboriginals. Society is matriarchal even to the extent that mothers pick husbands for their daughters. They sell their handicrafts especially intricate molas which are bright colored reverse cut fabric squares.  When Joan gestured to take an elderly woman's picture for the customary dollar and thanked her with "Gracias" the woman answered "No problem" 

Aboriginal Islands Captial.JPG
Aboriginal Islands Capital

Gratus for Picture -No Problem.JPG
Gracias for Picture -No Problem

Want my picture One Dollar.JPG
Want my picture? "One Dolla"

Let me check my cell phone.JPG
Let me check my cell phone

Real dug out canoes.JPG
Real dug out canoes

Residentual street lights.JPG
Residential street lights

IMG_0148.JPG
Not posh but they seem happy

Ship's tourist's eying wares.JPG
Ship's tourist's eying wares

Main Shopping street.JPG
Main Shopping street

Your boat seems biggert than mine.JPG
Your boat seems bigger than mine


Panama Canal
What can you say. 500 lives lost per mile from heat and disease during construction. 50 million gallons of gravity fed fresh water needed for each large ship transit. Fee for our cruise ship transit was $205,000  Very well organized. Two Panamanian pilots of bow and one at stern of each ship.  Largest ships to transits were two WWII battleships with only one foot clearance either side. Most custom sized freighters have two feet clearance, we had four feet. Not even a close to scratching the paint on the raw concrete walls. 

Early morning start.JPG
Early morning start

Tugs & three onboard pilots guide ships.JPG
Tugs & three onboard pilots guide ships

We had 4 feet each side each lift 28 feet.JPG
We had 4 feet each side each lift 28 feet

Spare mules.JPG
Spare mules

Control Center.JPG
Control Center

Do Not Swim with the Alligators.JPG
Do Not Swim with the Alligators

Mule keeps ship paint unmarked.JPG
Mule keeps ship paint unmarked

Not much spare room.JPG
Not much spare room

2 feet clearance each side  NO PROBLEM.JPG
2 feet clearance each side NO PROBLEM

Passing ships bewteen locks.JPG
Passing ships between locks

Train service over ismas.JPG
Train service over isthmus

Tugs everywhere.JPG
Tugs everywhere

Continental divide.JPG
Continental divide

Does not look like 4 feet clearance to me.JPG
Does not look like 4 feet clearance to me

Last of three locks down to Pacific.JPG
Last of three locks down to Pacific

Wow they all came to see us.JPG
Wow they all came to see us

Largest ships moves containers overland by train.JPG
Largest ships moves containers overland by train

Ships waiting transit.JPG
Ships waiting transit

Time for us to refuel  Glad it it thier credit card.JPG
Time for us to refuel Glad it it their credit card

Worried passenger.JPG
Worried passenger

Panama City
 Panama City reflects cultures of French, Spanish, Americans aboriginals and slaves that dominated city since 1500's. Modern part is home to thousands of Americans and Canadian retirees because of low costs and excellent health care. Guide told us that you could pay the outlandish sum of $350,000 or perhaps as much as $500,000 on a top floor ultra modern condo. This is partially because construction tradesmen are amongst the highest paid in the country at approximately $5.00 per hours. Minimum wage is $1.35. Food and other costs reflect these low wage expectations

Ultra modern highrises dominate second largest free port next to Hong Kong.JPG
Ultra modern high-rises dominate second largest free port next to Hong Kong

Exquisite colonel building.JPG
Exquisite colonel building

to horrible slums.JPG
to horrible slums

even statues take siesta.JPG
even statues take siesta

Police leaves  bicycle unlocked.JPG
Police leaves bicycle unlocked

Colorfull signs.JPG
Colorful store signs

Bright woven baskets.JPG
Bright woven baskets

Intricate sewn mulas .JPG
Intricate sewn molas

Very short San Blas natives sell wares.JPG
Very short San Blas natives sell wares

Manta Ecuador

Tuna boat with helicopter.JPG
Tuna boat with helicopter

Tuna fleet at anchor.JPG
Tuna fleet at anchor

Ammonia fire overcomes crew.JPG
Ammonia fire overcomes crew

Dozen taken to hospital, some on trucks.JPG
Dozen taken to hospital,
 some on truck decks

Looked like one didn't make it.JPG
Looked like one didn't make it.

Salaverry Peru

Dessert joins sea here.JPG
Dessert joins sea here

Colorful Square.JPG
Colorful Square

Church.JPG
Church

Student Parade.JPG
Student Parade

Police wiith dog.JPG
Police with dog

Does Barry live here.JPG
Does Barry live here

Very tall Peru clowns.JPG
Very tall Peru clowns

Maybe room for more.JPG
Maybe room for more

Our police escort leads us thru slums.JPG
Police escort thru slums

Pressing sugar cane for drink.JPG
Pressing sugar cane to drink

 

Machu Picchu Peru and Galapagos Islands 14 Days