Photo Trip Report – Panama Canal Cruise plus 3 days in DLR

[AmyBiff]

I'm still plugging away at uploading and resizing photos if you aren't bored of reliving the cruise yet...

NEVER! Looking forward to the rest of your TR!

 

[lilpooh108]

I'm on page 7 of your TR and love it!

Felt compelled to comment regarding the photo of the CMs who were behaving inappropriately. The shows are my favorite part of cruising and I would have been sad to have to witnessed the castmembers acting like jerks throughout the cruise. Also, we were on the Wonder last year for Alaska and just got off the Magic this year for the Med. I noticed in general, that when we were on the Wonder the CMs tended to complain alot. Maybe it was just the CMs we met (our dining team especially), but there seemed to be an undercurrent of negativity. We LOVE the Wonder, it's our favorite ship (for food and service), but the complaining turned us off. On the Magic, the officers seemed very strict and less warm, but none of the CMs we met complained about anything. Maybe there is a work culture that differentiates the CMs on the 2 ships. Just a thought.

Great pics BTW. Oh, and we love Jimmy. He's so friendly!!

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

I'm on page 7 of your TR and love it!

Felt compelled to comment regarding the photo of the CMs who were behaving inappropriately. The shows are my favorite part of cruising and I would have been sad to have to witnessed the castmembers acting like jerks throughout the cruise. Also, we were on the Wonder last year for Alaska and just got off the Magic this year for the Med. I noticed in general, that when we were on the Wonder the CMs tended to complain alot. Maybe it was just the CMs we met (our dining team especially), but there seemed to be an undercurrent of negativity. We LOVE the Wonder, it's our favorite ship (for food and service), but the complaining turned us off. On the Magic, the officers seemed very strict and less warm, but none of the CMs we met complained about anything. Maybe there is a work culture that differentiates the CMs on the 2 ships. Just a thought.

Great pics BTW. Oh, and we love Jimmy. He's so friendly!!

That's interesting. I agree, we loved Jimmy and Capt. Fabian, but the crew did seem lax - like they were on vacation too. We thought maybe it was because it was a repositioning cruise and that maybe that's how they all are- we thought well per-day this is a less expensive cruise than the 7 day ones we have did the last two years so maybe that's the difference.

Thanks for commenting and for reading!

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

All four of us debarked the same time even though DSis was not going on our tour of the city.

This sign says Cartagena - really.


Mom had hired a driver while on board the cruise to take us around Cartagena by car. DSis wanted to take a photo of the license and driver and then was going to relax on the ship until she got word of our kidnapping or until we returned.



So off the three of us go with our driver... I've completely forgotten his name...

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

After driving through a few narrow streets in town we head up the mountain. It's hairpin turns and a narrow road, but incredible views on the way up - at least every other turn depending on which side of the car you are seated.


The road way was littered with trash but anywhere that there is not a house or the remnants of a recently destroyed house (due to frequent mudslides), the forest has taken over and you feel like you are going up a remote mountain road to a monastery.

And you are going to a monastery after all - La Popa Monastery.



We got to the busy tourist destination before any of the buses arrived and had the place entirely to ourselves.




double hibiscus

the view from the monastery













our driver was also a tour guide who told us about his country and the places we visited


it was okay to take photos in the sanctuary and they had a small lock box for donations/offerings









it is also a bit of a museum

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

single double hybiscus

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Let's go sight seeing shall we...




something fishy about that bus stop...

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

We parked the car and walked around the old part of the city



Our driver, who I'm now thinking was named George or Jorge, led us through the beautiful streets and pointed out the nice boutique hotels for our next visit.














This shop looked great but I didn't get to go inside. Probably for the best.



There were people walking the streets selling items and high-end clothing shops and old buildings and tourists and business people on their way to work, and this clown... standing between the mime and my mom

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

and back in the car...




That out door café/kitchen/open fire smelled awesome.




Not sure why this photo comes up twice, but I will say there were a lot of military and police presence and I felt very safe in Cartagena. But I was with a driver so I should. Jorge, I'm going with the name Jorge, told us that everyone must serve in the military or the police for a year and everyone must learn English starting at age 6.

 

[ShellB8585]

Loving this TR! i have always fancied doing the Panama Canal and your TR as put it into a "must do" rather than "maybe one day" category. Can't wait to see the rest

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Loving this TR! i have always fancied doing the Panama Canal and your TR as put it into a "must do" rather than "maybe one day" category. Can't wait to see the rest

Thanks! I hope you do get to do a PC cruise someday soon!

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

We stopped in to the gold museum and Jorge continued to play the roll of tour guide. There were several private tours going on in the small galleries- definitely a place to stop while in the old city.




makes you think twice when you see a big tree



The museum was off of this square that reminded me of Savannah.




This is a sundial on a building















Love the fruit sellers on the street corners - Jorge said that the government was trying to encourage people to eat more fruit for breakfast. Better than Brazil's "I'm happy being a prostitute" campaign (google it if you don't believe me).




These are all created with a computer printer and are worth about a $1 each. Panhandlers and street vendors will tell you that they made these "original watercolors" but they are just worthless posters made with an ink jet printer.
what a croc!

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

She's selling lotto tickets


Seems there's a Columbus Circle everywhere!





Jorge took us to a section that was like an outdoor farmer's market, but only with baked goods. Cookies lined up in jars like specimens in a mad scientist's laboratory. A hungry mad scientist.





Outside the art museum. I would have liked to visit but was out voted.

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

cool coffee car outside of the wall












Columbia flag and Cartagena flag










We went inside to get a t-shirt for someone that collects Hard Rock Café shirts but they were sold out - it was just after Season in Cartagena. The weather was cloudy and rainy and all the other cruise ships had stopped coming for the season.






Heading to the bus stop?








look at this tree!


driving back to the ship, Jorge pointed out the old and new buildings

 

[lilpooh108]

Did you like Columbia? I enjoyed going through your pictures. I can't decide if it's somewhere that I'd like to visit. What was the highlight for you?

 

[Goldeelox9]

I was sad when I got to the end. What a great trip report!

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Did you like Columbia? I enjoyed going through your pictures. I can't decide if it's somewhere that I'd like to visit. What was the highlight for you?

I was only there for a few hours but what I saw I enjoyed seeing and I was glad to have experienced it, even for just a few hours. I think the highlight was just seeing the architecture and getting a feel for the history. I thought it was more interesting than the Mexican ports and perhaps even safer.

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

I was sad when I got to the end. What a great trip report!

You don't have to be sad! It's not the end! It's only day five of the 14 day cruise and it's not even lunch time on day five! Plenty more to come!

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

DSis got off the boat with us at Cartagena but didn't want to go on our driving tour.


Instead she walked around the harbor




Looks a little unsettling...


Then she found some pink flamingos and took photos of them






She took a lot of photos of them


She got to the end of the dock/harbor area and turned back


Looks like she then took some photos on the ship











Looks like she snacked


and took a picture of her view


When I got back I saw these Columbian soldiers onboard taking photos of each other all around the 9th deck. Was cute to see them so excited about the ship.


I met DSis in our stateroom - she was asleep in bed. So I jumped on the bed and scared her awake like a big sister should. And got her to go with me to get some lunch on the 9th deck.


These chicken fingers are addictive and the best chicken fingers anywhere. I can only eat chicken fingers on DCL and I find myself eating them as often as I can! Honestly. whoohoo for chicken fingers. Jimmy announced at the end of the cruise how many chicken fingers were consumed on our cruise. I think I had something to do with the high consumption rate.

 

[aan1701]

I have to totality agree with you. Those Chicken Strips are amazing.

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