16-04-25 Wednesday

Philip and I catch an Uber up to Fort Lauderdale Airport to pick up a hire car for the next couple of days. We don’t really have many plans but Philip wants to get some truck parts he can’t get at home and we did a bit of touristing, made some purchases to fill our cases and then back to our unit by mid afternoon. Then for a walk down to the beach and along the waterfront. A pleasant dinner sitting on our 10th floor deck watching the lights in the buildings along the waterfront.

17-04-25

Wednesday we are off in good time this morning heading south down through Miami and the Art Deco Area of the city. It’s a lovely drive and the traffic is not too bad. About an hour to reach this area but once there a very nice drive looking at the old Art Deco Buildings. From there we drive around past the Miami Cruise port where the cruise ships seems to be docked along the Highway. We stop at Coconut Grove Bayside Marina for a wander and a drink. The boats here are huge and expensive and some for sale. The boat storage racks are crammed with boats stacked 5 levels high. The money spent here on boats is unbelievable.

After drooling over the boats we head over to Key Biscayne, across a bridge and causeway to a lovely beach area and the “village” of Key Biscayne. This would be the most expensive village we have been to. Huge homes, beautiful gardens, shopping streets and flash restaurants. Again some of the homes here are well in the multiple tens of millions of dollars. After a drive around the “village” we head back north and find a Bahama Breeze restaurant for a late lunch then back to our unit to prepare dinner for the rest of the family when they arrive later this evening.

16-04-25

Mark – Amanda, the kids and myself left early to head towards Key West, the southern most point of the US Mainland. We had a good start with reasonable traffic and made it south of Miami before we stopped at the Famous Robert Is Here fruit stand, which started out as a small cucumber stand many years ago and grew from there, having a wide range of exotic fruit we had never heard of before, like Mamet Sapote which had the texture of a heavy cheese cake, takes 25 years for the tree to fruit and 18 months for the fruit to ripen. Red Chirimoya which tasted like raspberries and a very soft texture, we also tried Tropical Caimito which had a melon flavour with it. There were many other fruits all grown by Robert himself, he helped us and answered lots of questions and explained about all of the different fruits, they also had local grown sugar cane, mangoes, oranges etc and made smoothies with a myriad of flavors. Continuing south we stopped at a few scenic spots over bridges, spotting the large 100cm+ Tarpon, Sharks, Stingrays and other fish in the water. The crystal clear blue water, many mangrove islands and fancy boats made for a beautiful drive. We arrived to Key west mid afternoon, had a drive around and as expected it was very busy, lots of tourists and the beaches were very full especially by Tassie standards. After checking into our motel we went for some fresh Mexican for dinner then drove into Duval street to have a look a the centre of Key West at night. It’s a lively downtown area, lots of tourists, brightly lit shops, bars, clubs, cigar shops and eateries. Everyone selling the famous and best Key Lime Pie. The next morning we went for another walk around Key west, visited a beach where Amanda and Kaley went for a swim, enjoying warm ocean water one last time. We then started the long drive back to Miami. Approximately 300km, but this took us approximately 7 hours thanks to the traffic and roadworks laying 800mm diameter pipe under the road. Definitely somewhere we would love to visit again with more time.

18-04-25

Departure day

Unfortunately our time has come to pack our bags and head for home. Mark and Amanda and the girls leave us around 9am to head to the airport for a 1pm flight to Los Angeles then on to Melbourne. Everyone is a bit sad to say goodbye but Kaley tells me she will see us soon at home.

We have a full day around here today before our flight at 10.40pm to Santiago where we have an 18 hour layover before our flight to Sydney, Melbourne and finally Devonport arriving on Monday 21st.

We fill the day in by heading back to Haulover Inlet to watch some more boats head in and out of the canal. It’s not as calm today and makes watching more fun. It’s quite breezy on the beach and there is quite a swell but it hasn’t stopped the beach goers from having some fun in the sun. From here we head back down to the Miami Art Deco area for a walk along the foreshore and a late lunch. Crowds of people are enjoying the pleasant afternoon and there are thousands along the beach. Late afternoon we head to the airport early but ready for our flights home.

12-04-25

Saturday we are off again in good time, heading north to Crystal River where we have a tour booked. Crystal River is a quaint little town with an excellent coffee shop, which Philip, Mark and Amanda are very happy about. We arrive at our tour office, head inside and get geared up with wet suits, watch a safety instructional video and board the bus down to the pier where we are greeted by Captain Ron for our trip out to see the manatees. We are at the end of the Manatee season so there are not many around but we are assured we will see some. Sure enough as we cruise the 200 metres across the bay we spot several swimming ahead of us. There are heaps of boats all trying to find a spot to anchor and offload passengers into the water to swim with the manatees. Captain Ron decides that we will head to Crystal river and the Springs first so across the bay and into a small Inlet. The kids slip into the water to view a small spring before we move further up the inlet to Three Sisters Springs. Here we all don our snorkels and masks and slip into the warm water and follow Aubrey our guide into the gorgeous area of the springs. The water is crystal clear, fish and crabs are spotted and then the three springs, where warm water bubbles up through the sand. It is a beautiful area and although we are not the only ones there it’s a great experience.

(P:-Time for some technical info, a must have to know. The water, true to its name “Crystal Springs” was as clear as! A couple of questions asked and it was interesting to know the water in the lower aquifer flows some 1100 miles, (1770 klm) from the Ozark mountains.)

Back on the boat and we cruise past some lovely homes along the canal before heading back to see the Manatees. As we slip into the water behind Aubrey, we follow a female manatee who we are able to get up close to, touch and even nibbled on a Kaley leg. A great experience. Aubrey was taking pictures through out the time we were on the tour and got some great pics. (P:- A quick visit to favourite new friend in town (the Barista Lady) who even remembered what I ordered earlier in the morning, a delicious coffee and it’s “on the road again”). All in all a good half day and experience then it’s “on the road again”.

Sunday

(P:- Mark and I generously offered and dropped the Girls at a very nice shopping centre in Sarasota- we figured they needed some retail therapy. To fill in our time while they shopped we “happened” to find a Drag Race Meeting near by at the Bradenton Motor Sport Complex. With a mixture of V8 and other lesser sized engines, petrol fumes and burning rubber we had a wonderful few hours of USA Motorsport. We were amazed by the family classes of racing where children from age 5 and up were dragging down the track in controlled, scaled down versions of the drag cars. A great day for us ( apart from funding the shopping)!

Our stop tonight is in Naples. This was a very nice spot and if we were multimillionaires we would fit right in. Alas, all we could do was wander along the boat docks and drive down millionaires row dreaming about how the rich and famous live. Beautiful homes and gardens, a shopping area that looked extremely expensive, Gucci, Balenciaga, Prada etc. no shorts and t shirts walking down the street everyone was beautifully dressed. We decided not to stop here for dinner but found a lovely spot away from the expensive area. One home we walked past was for sale for $8 million plus and other just down the street had sold for $54 million. Just pocket money really.

(P:- Judith is lacking a few facts here again! Naples has one of the highest accumulation of residence that are Multi Million / Billion aires. Some 9000 (9%) of the population of the city. Have never seen so many Valet Park restaurants, Snobby shops everywhere and when the real estate agent is SOUTHERBIES it says something. Not sure my old shorts, Tee Shirt and sandals were classed as suitable dining ( or beach) attire! To avoid mortgaging our house to fund dinner we drove out of Snob town to a local diner in a more normal suburb. I almost forgot to mention the impressive line up of business private jets at the airport! The mega yachts in the beautiful harbour were worth spending an hour or so looking at too! Snobtown Naples was indeed a beautiful part of the city).

Monday 14-04-25

We are on the move again after packing the car, this time heading towards Miami. Todays trip will take us through the Everglades so our first stop is an Air Boat ride at Captain Mitch’s Airboats. The sign is about as old as Captain Duane, the guy who takes us on the tour. He’s lived in the area all his life, 67 years and knows the area backwards, which is very useful as it would be easy to get lost among all the mangroves. As we leave the dock we spot several alligators resting along the shoreline. Then we are off heading through the mangroves winding through tunnels and narrow gaps between the trees. It’s the end of the dry season so water levels are low but there are heaps of birds about and the area is lovely. Captain Duane shows us an alligator nest and remains of an egg and points out various interesting features along the way. A very enjoyable hour has passed.

(P:- More critical info omitted! The Airboat wasn’t just an Airboat! It was fitted with a V8 Chev engine driving a large Propeller mounted high up at the rear of the vessel to move it along as the water in the swamps wasn’t deep enough for an in water propulsion system. The symphony of the rumble of the V8 and the roar of high speed air was as enjoyable as the very good Everglades Mangrove tour – well it was to me anyways). We head back into Everglades City where we find a spot for lunch. Triad Food Market and Cafe. A very rustic cafe on the side of a canal but the food was great.

Heading further south we reach the Loop Road which takes us off the interstate and further into the mangroves. Amanda has done some research and found that this is a great spot for spotting alligators and turtles and bird life. She wasn’t wrong, it was not long before we spotted our first alligator and then many more along the creek beside the road. One stop we could see several snakes, alligators, turtles and lots of birds. Our travel time lengthened as we made many stops to observe the wildlife but it was a great drive. We finally arrived into the city late afternoon and located our accomodation. We are on the 10th floor and have an awesome view of the high rises along the beachfront. We’re just a block from the beach and it will be our first stop tomorrow morning.

9th – 12th April

After cramming all our luggage into the car we turned our noses towards Tampa. With a couple of stops along the way, we rolled into our Air BnB just before 4pm. From the outside it looked a little unkempt but inside was lovely and we soon had ourselves organised and a meal on the table for dinner. Everyone is keen for our day at Busch Gardens tomorrow.

We are on the move early Thursday and off to Busch Gardens ready for opening at 10am. Our accommodation is only a few miles away which is really convenient. For those that don’t know Busch Gardens is a family oriented theme park, with rides and animal experiences. Amanda has the day all planned out to make sure we get all the rides done. First two are closed so that throws all planning into chaos and we head straight for Montu. Best get the big ones done first up. I’m not sure what to expect but bravely board the ride along with the others. 2 minutes of twists, turns, speedy corners and screaming we are back at the start and I have conquered the ride. I won’t do it again but I’m still alive. The next ride is not so bad, thankfully. The kids and Mark and Amanda tackle most of the rides throughout the day. Several rides more than once. We all ride the Congo River Rapids and by the end of the ride we are all saturated, luckily it’s pretty warm and over the next hour we dry off. Then it’s the Stanley Falls Flume where once again we get wet. Not quite as wet as the previous ride. By 3.30 Philip and I head back to the car to wait for the others to have their last rides. Montu another 3 times and Cobras Curse another twice. Closing time is 5 pm and we are all finally back at the car ready for the short trip home, tired but exhilarated by the fun day.

Friday morning the olds, Philip and I, are heading off for a drive to Clearwater, while the rest of the family head to Adventure Island Water Park. We drop them at the gate just before opening at 10am and we head off for a leisurely drive to look around the area. A stop at a lovely gourmet market in Dunedin and then out to the coastal areas around Clearwater and south. This area was hit by a hurricane in October 24 and there are still some signs of the destruction about.

We stop for lunch at a little diner just off the beach, then a walk down onto the beach to dip our toes into the water. Miles of beach in both directions with umbrellas, sun chairs, bronzed and not so bronzed bodies and miles of low rise accommodation buildings in every design imaginable hugging the foreshore. We finally turn for home about 3 and are back at the waterpark to pick up a very tired and sunburnt family who have had an awesome day riding the water slides, wave pool and lazy river.

Kaley: yesterday I went to a roller coaster park. First I went on a ride called Montu it was so fun. It had seven loops and it was super fun and crazy. After that we went on a ride that was called cobras curse. the cars on the roller coaster were able to spin around while it was still moving. Another ride we did was Congo river rapids were you get on a raft and go down a rapid that was very bumpy and we got very wet.

Emily: On our first day in Tampa bay, we went to a theme park called Busch Gardens. We went on pretty much all the roller coasters there, and it was amazing! One of my favourite coasters was called Montu, it had seven loops and its one of the rides where you are hanging instead of sitting in a cart. It was awesome and by the end of the day, we had been on it four times! My least favourite ride was a tower one called Falcons fury. You sat in rows of chair and it lifted you up abut 100m above the ground and then tilted you down towards the ground. At this point you were pretty much only relying on the harness to keep you in the seat, then they dropped you down towards the ground really fast, right towards the end the seats tilted back out so they were normal again. Overall it was an amazing day. The next day, we went to a water park called Adventure Island, we were the first people through the gates and the park was pretty much empty. We went on pretty much all of the water slides but my favourite one was called the Colossal curl. It was a four person ride and it had a steep drop and then a high runout point, it was awesome. I went on all the attractions except the fast slide called vanish point where you stand in a chamber and the floor disappears from underneath you. Overall it was a great couple of days.

5th to 8-04-25

We were all a bit sad to disembark on Saturday 5th but keen to start our next land based adventure. We trundle our luggage off the ship, clear customs and climb aboard the shuttle to the airport where we pick up our hire car. (P:- NOT just a hire car, the largest, made in America, SUV we could hire – we didn’t opt for a mini van as it would be unAustralian to be in the USA and be UnAmerican vehicle drivers. Unfortunately it was a Ford as a Chev was our preference.) After some strategic packing we climb in and start heading towards Orlando. Barely 30 minutes later we find a Costco Warehouse so we stop for some retail therapy. We are all a bit keen to have a spend and luckily find some goodies to purchase, some of it groceries for the next few days. (P:- the Author conveniently, I believe, omitted to mention the clothing purchases that slipped into the oversized trolley, they had nothing to do with the groceries we actually needed to survive!)

As we head north we meander through some agricultural land and past some lakes, stopping by a lake for some finger food lunch. (Chicken wings and Pork ribs). We arrive at the Grove Resort and Waterpark in Orlando just after 4pm and join the line for reception. We finally hit the reception desk around 5pm only to find our room isn’t ready for another hour. Kaley asks “can we use the water park while we wait” and luckily we got a big yes, so off we go to the water and the girls are into the pools and water slides. Our room is finally ready around 6.30. I stay with the girls at the pool while the others park and unload the bags, sort the bedrooms and unpack the groceries. Around 7 the girls and I walk around the perimeter path to meet Mark who shows us up to our room. Then it’s showers, dinner and bed.

Over the next couple of days it some retail therapy for the girls, visiting the Florida Mall and various other malls and enjoying the waterpark and cocktails at our accommodation.

Philip and Mark enjoyed “Fun in the Sun”, an air show in Lakeland for a day.

M – Whilst it was unfortunately the last day of the show and the vast majority of the private planes had departed the camping area, there was still plenty to see. Lots of new prop and jets to look at, the air show started in the early afternoon and had a range of stunt displays. Mustang War Birds, F35 Fighter Jets, F16’s, F18 surveillance jets, plus small stunt planes kept us entertained until late in the afternoon when the Blue Angels put on a 30 minute display. The sounds were deafening with full afterburner low passes, high speed turns and rolls etc. it was hot but a very enjoyable day.

(P:-My type of day, fits perfectly with my age old moto :- “If it doesn’t have an engine in it you shouldn’t be doing it” and “Horsepower = Happiness”! The vibrations, sounds and precision flying made a great day for this guy).

Our last night in Orlando we head into Kia Stadium to watch Orlando Magic verse Atlanta Hawks in the NBA. What a great night. The junior Dobsons (2 generations) dressed themselves in appropriate gear ready to support the home team. We head to our designated car park and through security, check out the concession stands before finding our seats in the nosebleed (high altitude) section of the stadium. We have great seats and although high above the court we have great visibility. It’s a great game and close till the end. 112 to 119 with Orlando taking the win.

The stadium holds 18500 and was about 80% full. (P:-not really into sports without engines but it is great to experience High end sports and how they run! One of the players there tonight is on a salary of over 12 million USDollars a year! )

03-04-24

We are all off ashore today doing different things. Amanda is off first, heading for a Scuba dive, followed by Philip and myself on a Flavours of the Cayman tour and then Mark and the girls off to see some Dolphins.

Our tour started an off pretty poorly with us boarding a bus, driving 500 metres and then disembarking at the local craft markets, all locally made crafts. (Some not so local and some very tacky). (P:- pretty much made in China with some stickers of origin removed). Next stop was the Rum Cake factory where they were not baking today so no cake viewing instead we watched a two minute video on a small tv screen. Then to taste some cake and rum (P:- correction a Micro taste of cake and the rum pretty much tasted like industrial alcohol!) which was ok. The shop was full of Chinese made souvenirs. I think we are getting fussy. From here the tour did improve with our next stop being a small family owned rum distillery where we tasted several different rums, it still only 9.30 am. Then a short tour through the factory. Back on the bus and we head away from the city area to a very local area for an early lunch at the Country and Western pub/diner. Pretty basic place but very popular with the locals. A choice of salad or fish tea soup for appetisers, curry chicken or braised steak for main and sweet fried plantain for dessert. Amazingly it all tasted pretty good even if the plating up was a bit slapdash. Guessing our service in the main dining room on the ship is spoiling us. After lunch we do some more touring around the island and back to the port where we wander around the shopping area before returning on the tender to the Oosterdam. (P:- these Caribbean islands survive on tourism so become a tourist trap with dodgy souvenirs, diamond and jewellery shops and high prices. Not my favorite places to visit.)

Kaley.

We started the day off tendering ashore. Then we got on a bus to go to a turtle sanctuary where we got to pat turtles. It was so fun and exciting touching the turtles, big and little after about an hour we went to a dolphin discovery centre and swam with two dolphins called captain and Sally. Fun fact about dolphins is they shed their skin every two hours. I have always wanted to go swimming with dolphins and now I have had a chance to. I came away definitely wanting to do it again.

Emily :-

Cayman island turtle and dolphin encounter:

On one of our last days of our cruise, we stopped at the Cayman Islands. Dad, Kaley and I went in a tour that took us to a turtle sanctuary where we  got to see lots of big turtles, we even got to pat some of the baby ones! It was super cute and I really enjoyed it. Our next stop was just over the road, so when we were done at the turtle sanctuary, we headed on over. Dad Kaley and I had our bathers on so we were ready to go. After a short briefing, we got into the water on a submerged platform. We all stood in a line and one by one, we stepped forward and the dolphin came past and gave us a kiss, held its fins out and danced with us and then came up out of the water and put its nose on our hand! In our group we had two dolphins: Captain and Sally. I had an awesome day. At the end we bought all of the professional photos and a special t-shirt each. We then headed back into the town, did a bit of shopping and then got back on the tender that would take us back to the ship.

Amanda took the rare opportunity to disappear and do two dives just off the shore of Georgetown. We had a small group of 4 from our ship along with 4 from the other two cruise ships docked that day. Our dive leader Mitch from Jamaica told us that everything would be Arrrrrright man as we headed to La Mesa our first site. With some very rusty dive skills and the usual inability to sink, we got underway. Lots of fish life and hard corals with beautiful bright yellow sponges. With a short surface and a fresh tank we descended for a wreck n reef dive called Oro Verde. It was amazing to swim along with so many fish and a small turtle. Also appreciated was not needing the usual long wetsuit booties and beanie. A quick trip back to shore left time for a spot of Caymans shopping (what a shame) and connecting up with Mark & girls.

Some facts about our cruise

Groceries consumed

Eggs 53000

Pasta 800 pounds. (363 Kilo)

Chickens 16000 pounds. (7257 kilo)

Beef 17200 pounds. (7711 kilo)

Fish 10000 pounds (4535 kilo)

Milk 3832 gallons

Prune Juice 50 gallons (14505 litres)

Toilet rolls 5332

When loading the ship

90 pallets of fruit and vegetables

1 ton flour

Carrots 75 pound per day (35 kilo)

Onions 100 pound per day (45 kilo)

Coffee 40 pound per day (19 kilo)

Our last night dining in the main dining room we got to say our farewells to Mark and Widodo who have served us for the entire trip. They have become friends over that time and we will all miss them as we disembark for the final time on the morning of the 5th.

We also say goodbye to Aris and Mudi our room stewards and Lukman and Dwi, Mark and Amanda’s stewards, who have kept our room tidy and entertained the girls with towel animals on their bed each night.

There have been a few tears shed by both the girls and maybe some adults as we finish this leg of our journey. It’s been such a wonderful time, with so many new experiences but new adventures await.

31-03-25

It’s divide and conquer today with Mark and Philip off on a Canal Experience while the girls are off to visit the Embera Native Village.

After boarding the bus we head to the Chargres National Park where we board wobbly dugout canoes, 10 to a boat for a motor up the river to the village. (A few were not too steady as they boarded the canoes causing them to wobbly unsteadily). As we disembark we are greeted by the local male villagers playing music one of them playing a turtle shell drum and the women welcoming us. They all look very colourful with bright skirts, beaded tops and flowers in their hair. We were ushered through the village round houses to a large open walled domed area where we are seated around the outside and were then greeted by the chief of the village and told about their traditions. One of the village ladies talked about the weaving techniques and the fibres that they used, showing lovely examples of their work.

Then we are treated to lunch served in a folded banana leaf. Lunch was fried plantain chips and tilapia (fish), then fresh watermelon, pineapple and pawpaw which was all juicy and sweet. After lunch we moved to another covered area where each family displayed their wares. Mainly beaded bracelet, necklaces, earrings and lovely handwoven baskets/bowls and face masks. We each made a small purchase as the proceeds all stay within the village.

Back to the main undercover area and we are treated to some dances by the women. One very cute toddler wanted to join her mum with the dancing and ran around among all the women. She was very cute and look to be thoroughly enjoying herself. After this the men and women did a dance and then the audience was able to take part. A cute little girl came and chose Kaley to dance then Amanda and Em had a go as well while ma was photographer and bag minder.

After the dancing had finished we all headed back to the dugouts for our ride back to the National Park launch area and our bus ride back to the ship. Luckily the day wasn’t as hot as expected, but the air conditioned bus was a nice thought. Unfortunately the aircon didn’t work too well and the bus was hot and stuffy. Back at the ship it was cold showers and swims before a later dinner in the Lido. Another great day.

We all had a giggle at some of the words our guide said ie:-

bracklets for bracelets,

Neckles for Necklaces,

Re-tie-red for retired,

Admittedly he spoke way better English than we spoke Spanish.

M- Today the Boys went separate ways from the Ladies, Dad and I went on The Canal Experience tour. We boarded a small ferry boat to the north of the Pedro Miguel Locks and transited through this lock plus the 2 Miraflores Locks, what an awesome experience, we entered the lock in front a large RoRo ship London Highway… made us feel very small looking up at the bow of this ship. As we transited the locks our guide provided a very in depth overview of the history, operation and management of the canal system. It takes approx 20 minutes for each of the canal chambers to fill or empty. All naturally controlled by fresh water from the Gatun lakes. 250,000,000 litres of water are discharged to the Pacific Ocean for each ship that transits the canal. There were other container and bulk carrier ships transiting the canal beside us and the new locks also which made for a very busy afternoon of boys sightseeing. Once through the locks we passed the Panama Ports (one Chinese owned, one Panama owned) some of the larger container ships that can’t pass through the canal unload cargo here to be loaded onto smaller ships. The largest (Neo-Panamax) ships can carry approximately 17,000 20’ container equivalent units and cost approximately 1.3 million USD for each transit. After the port we travelled under the Bridge of the Americas, around the Oosterdam and back to our drop off point just beside the ship.

01-04-25

Cruising the Panama Canal.

(P:-As I am walking the deck at 05.30 (my morning excercise – quiet that hour of day not many early risers on these ships) the Oosterdam casts its lines and quietly begins its journey to the waiting assembly area to begin our journey through this important shipping passage. The Panama Canal was opened in 1914 and still uses the same locks and original huge steel riveted lock doors! Up to 30 vessels a day pass through the canal with the Panamax class of ship being the maximum size that can travel through. The Oosterdam is classed in this size and has less than 1metre clearance on each side. It’s up 3 locks on the Pacific side, lifting around 18metres each then a scenic cruise through the man made Lake Gatun before going down through the 3 locks to allow us to be at sea level again to enter the Atlantic Ocean and continue our journey. Today was our second canal day for Mark and I yesterday from water level and today from the heights of the Oosterdam. The Captain authorised every possible deck be opened so all could have great views. A canal expert gave us a running commentary through the day. Fascinating would be an understatement as we watch the mechanics, historic but still efficient design, ships from Panamax down to 12m yachts transiting from the Atlantic to the Pacific so they can make adventurous Ocean crossings even to Australia and NZ. For some of the journey we had great views of the larger vessels using the “new Panama Canal” which was opened in 2016. The day sailed by quickly and was a great and interesting experience ( second time for me). As we walk to dinner we view the line up of ships and boats in a queue for the east to west crossing. The Captain told us this morning that the fee for the Oosterdam to transit the canal was around USD$400,000! Close to $700,000 Australian Dollars! Whilst different the Panama is equally as interesting as Machu Picchu- very fortunate Judith and I could visit both these iconic places in one trip).

23-03-25

Peru’s Galapagos

After two sea days we are all ready to disembark and see some interesting sights. We are headed into Paracas and as we leave the port area we are all amazed at the desert here that comes right down to the sea. They have no rain here and it shows. Not a single blade of grass, weed, flower or tinge of green. Everything is red/ brown and yellow sand. Paracas is a town of around 2000 inhabitants and is a resort town for places like Lima. Not my style of resort.

We unload from our bus and head towards the quay where we board another boat, a much smaller one, that will take us out to the islands offshore. The Ballestas Islands are a group of small islands known for their many caves and arches. They are a shelter to more than 1500 species of marine birds and a large colony of sea lions.

On the way out to the islands we see a large geoglyph on the northern face of the Paracas Peninsula, El Candelabro, which serves as a beacon to sailors. Its large enough to be seen 19 kilometres out to sea. The indentations are a metre deep and are around 180 metres tall and preserved in the petrified sand.

(P:- Paracas is literally as dry as chips the coastal rainfall even up to the Lima area is 6mm rain per year, it is part of the Atacama Desert that runs a good section of the coast of Chile and into Peru. The area is so dry the wealthy, back in the day, buried their dead here in the sand. Buried in a fetal position wrapped in cloth, the more cloth the wealthier the person.

Emily:- Once we got out to the islands, we started seeing lots of small birds, pelican’s and even some small Humboldt penguins. Because the penguins were so small and pale coloured, they blended into the island which was coved in bird poo, making them hard to get a picture of. Just around the corner we passed a little island with about 50 sea lions all piled on the rough sand and rocks. There were lots of baby sea lions that were playing around, getting swept into the water, then climbing back onto the beach. On one of the big rocks, there were three sea lions laying there in the sun, until a big wave came up and swept one of the bigger ones off into the water. Our tour guide was really good and was very informative. I really enjoyed our tour of the Ballestas Islands.

After returning to the ship it’s time for a swim. Then we dress for dinner. Tonight’s treat is Morimoto By The Sea. This is a pop up restaurant that only happens once per cruise. All six of us are booked to enjoy this experience. Both the girls enjoyed the experience of fine dining and had very nice meals. Kaley ordered her steak and when asked how she would like it, replied “medium rare thankyou”. How many 9 year olds know how they like a steak? The waiters loved giving the girls a special experience. Emily loved her Sushi plate and prawns 3 ways. And the desserts were to die for.

24-03-25 Monday

Philip and I have an early start this morning. We are disembarking at 7.30 for Market to Table, A Taste of Peruvian Cuisine. Our first stop once we leave this massive port area is the fish and fruit and vegetable market. Unusually this is right behind an Outlet Shopping area. Firstly we stop at the Seafood market. This is amazing. The fish is fresh caught and displayed beautifully. Vanessa, our guide, tells us about the different fish and where it comes from and the stall holders are happy to show us their produce. Everything from Octopus to sea urchin, Bonita (tuna), to squid, ready prepared marinara mix and ceviche. It all looks amazing. (P:- evidently we have to leave the internals in the chickens complete with partially formed eggs to show freshness and which one is the prime bird to buy. The Octopus marinara mix and other seafood looked delicious and was so well presented. Not to mention an old favourite of mine corned ox tongue. Mr Cuy the Guinea pig looked much more appealing dressed up on my dinner plate the other evening than naked in the butchers shop!)

Next stop is the fruit section. This is so colourful and displayed beautifully. There are many fruits that we don’t know but as we moved past stalls Vanessa gets samples for us to try. Some are very tasty. The avocados are huge as are the mangos, and watermelons. The baby bananas are sweet and smooth.

From here to the vegetable section. Again the displays are beautiful. Dozens of different potato varieties are available. Philip had to check out the onions, which were all hand cut. The black corn looked interesting.

Then the poultry, meat and pork sections. All had great displays. Vanessa made some purchases as we moved around the market and later these were used by our Master Chef, Riccardo, who made us 3 traditional Peruvian dishes to sample. Then we moved inside and had a meal of these 3 dishes. They were all delicious and we finished off with Picaroni, a Peruvian donut made from Sweet Potato Flour, deep fried and served with a sugar cane and fig leaf syrup. Again delicious. We were all full after the 3 main dishes but there weren’t many Picaroni left on the plates. To finish off our day we stopped at a Peruvian/Italian restaurant (think large beer hall) where we tasted traditional roasted ham sandwiches and Pisco Sours. An alcoholic cocktail of Peruvian origin. Pisco is a brandy which has sour citrus juice added and sweetener and is topped with egg white and Bitters. We have been enjoying this cocktail since we boarded the ship. A nice way to finish this part of the day. Mid afternoon we head back to the ship and we only have a couple of hours before we are off on our next tour this evening.

This next tour sees us all boarding the bus for a night tour of Lima and the magic fountains. After a panoramic drive through downtown Lima and its chaotic traffic. We arrive at the water park to wander around the magic fountains. The fountains have a light and sound show projected onto the water depicting some of Limas history. Some pretty impressive illuminations. Then a wander around and through several other fountains before boarding the bus back to the ship.

Kaley:- The cruise has been very busy and very fun. We’ve had lots of swims and lots of mocktails. I have enjoyed getting dressed up for dinner, the food is great so far I have not had any food that hasn’t been good. I have made some friends their names are charlotte and Abby. we enjoy both in the pool and out of the pool. Charlotte is 6 and abbey is 9.

19-03-25

This morning we are off to San Antonio to board the Oosterdam for our cruise up the West coast of Chile, Peru and points north and east. We have some excited kids with us, all looking forward to what the next couple of weeks will hold. We are through check in and onboard quickly, then some lunch, sorting of cabins and finally the girls can have a swim. Some exploring of the ship before dinner and finally a thermal spa for Philip and I before bed.

(P:- the Author must have been excited to have some of the family with us! She has omitted to mention anything about the 90 minute drive to the the Embarkation Port. I was pleased to leave the 8-9,000,000 people and their city of Santiago. Not a city person and a couple a days in any city is enough for me. The drive once we left the “burbs” was thru a large flat river valley where agricultural activities were prominent. Vineyards, vegetables (including Onions being harvested, lucerne for fodder, silage being made). Although just a drive by always good to see the rural techniques and activities. One thing of note both here and in Peru is the massive numbers of Blue Gum Eucalyptus trees -they are everywhere and evidently we were told quite a weed and huge fire hazard. Now we have seen a few sights it’s back to the Family and cruise).

20-03-25 Thursday

We are off on a private tour of Coquimbo and La Serena today with our guide Veronica. Visiting the old Fort Amador Area, the fish market, monumental lighthouse and the Cross of the Third Millenium. (P:- the fish were much fresher here compared to Santiago as we are in a fishing port there was lots of interesting “takeaway” dishes of raw fresh seafood that looked delicious but with the obvious lack of refrigeration to be seen and a few insects having a free feed I deemed it wise to look and not sample, didn’t really want a bonus Belly ache!).

Coquimbo is a port city located in northern Chile and adjoins the larger city of La Serena.

The Cross of the Third Millenium commemorates 2000 years of Christianity. It’s 93 metres high and is the tallest in South America (P:- and ugly).

The responsibility of being a Pa

(P:- Tough job being a “responsible” Pa! Miss Emily and Miss Kaley are attracted to the swimming pool like a chunk of steel to a magnet! It clearly says on the pool sign that “Minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult as no Life saver on duty”. Somehow all the adults in our family disappeared and Pa was left in charge- go figure – 2 young ladies who swim like a fish who are supervised by a “Responsible” Pa who can’t swim and frequently nods off to sleep! I guess that works?)

16-03-25 Sunday

Finally we get to have a morning we don’t have to be up at 5 am, so sleep-in time. That doesn’t happen though and we are both awake early ready for a days exploring. (P:- We’ve been too busy for jet lag to kick in but I think it’s snuck up on us now!)

Breakfast and then off for a walk down to the plaza before our tour this afternoon. There is some celebration happening in the plaza, with many groups of people dressed in brightly coloured traditional clothes dancing and enjoying themselves. It makes quite the spectacle with music and colour swirling around the square.

We are picked up at 1pm for our city tour and are off to our first stop. A Cathedral on the main square. Very typical of cathedrals in this part of the world, lavish, gaudy, and over the top. Gold and silver everywhere with multiple statues and carvings dominating the inside.

(P:- Not my favourite tourist occupation viewing too many Cathedrals! One or two a trip is enough. This one was up there for “overdone tackiness” lots of local interpretation in the murals and art work that distracted from what I understood the story of Christ to be. The local person/s who funded the artwork had their portrait incorporated into the mural or artwork! ( nothing like an extra person at the last supper! ) It about did my head in when the large mural of the last supper was of them eating Guinea Pig! (A local delicacy). Not to our taste at all. (P:- Judith means the artwork not to out taste, eating Guinea Pig has yet to be tried). No pictures were allowed inside. Then onto another church where there are Incan Ruins still preserved inside, with the Spanish buildings built over the top. Again the Incan stone work is meticulous. No mortar or fixing is used between these stones and they are fitted to precision. From the outside the original stonework for an Incan temple can be seen with the Spanish influence above.

Next stop is the market where we walk through with our guide and get to taste some of the local fruits of the area, some local bread and see samples of the dehydrated potatoes, potato varieties, cheeses, vegetable and botanicals (herbal medicines), plus all the usual tourist paraphernalia. This was much more fun than the Cathedrals.

(P:-I do enjoy local markets where traditional trading is done, great to walk through, great to see the local produce, people and their dress styles. I found the meat section and then the secondary cut meat section where cows noses (complete with skin and hair) legs and feet, offal, wind pipes and to top it off a couple of ladies cleaning the cows stomachs to make tripe. I was busy taking a few photos to share (see below), I look around and Judith had bolted well ahead of me and looked quite pale! Evidently the smell wasn’t good, (I guess my zero sense of smell must have some advantages).

Next stop we are heading out of the city centre to Saqsawaman Park. This is a huge open park area with many more Incan Ruins. Our guide gives us some history of the area which was a ceremonial/ritual precinct. The remaining walls here used massive stones for some of the construction with the largest stone weighing in at 100 tonnes and many around the 70-80 tonnes. Again the stonework is meticulous with each stone fitting precisely into or onto the next. The preparation of each stone was so precise and fitted so exactly.

From here we visited a Lama and Alpaca farm to feed the animals and find some bargains in the adjoining store that sold some lovely garments. (P:- It wasn’t me who “invested” in a new baby Alpaca wool garment but there is some in Judith’s possession!)

Back to our Accommodation for a rest before walking down to the plaza to find somewhere for dinner. Found the restaurant our guide had suggested, “Mr. Cuy” and liked the look of the menu so found a seat and perused the menu some more. Philip has been keen to try Cuy (Guinea Pig) since we arrived so he asked the waiter for his recommendation and decided to go with his choice. Baked Cuy. Not for me although I did try some. (P:- When asked what it tasted like the waiter said duck. When the little beast arrived it was almost off putting as it was sitting up on the plate dressed in a colourful cap and cape showing his fine set of teeth. Once the photos were taken, off went the clothing and it was cut up ready to nervously try. The outcome- Duck like texture, mild but delicious taste and yes I would definitely have some Cuy again. That’s 2 protein firsts in a week, Alpaca and Guinea Pig! What’s next?)