Cruising up the Mexican coast to San Diego

Southern Mexico is famous for mangoes and chocolate, which surely must spell 'Heaven' in anyone's language. Our first stopover on Mexican soil  was Puerto Chiapas, where we took a shuttle through to Tapachula. Bad move!! We arrived on the day they paid homage to the dead (their version of Halloween), so we encountered a seething mass of people offering favourite foods (and tequila) to their ancestors.

Interestingly Southern Mexico is busy coping with immigrants wishing to escape Honduras and El Salvador. And America is busy coping with immigrants fleeing Mexico.

Iconic Mexican destinations such as Acapulco are now out of favour with cruise ship companies. Rampant drug trafficking is threatening the safety of visitors, so we were lucky to experience the cute little beach paradise of Cabo San Lucas on the southern tip of Baja Peninsula. Cabo was badly hit by a hurricane a couple of years ago and has undergone a serious rebuild. From the sea it looked like a sprawling legoland with its myriad of timeshares and condos lining the waterfront.

Certainly is a pretty little party town built around fishing, scuba diving and tourism. Seemed really laid back. At 34 degrees C if you didn't want to buy anything, no one was going to give up their shade to chase you..

San  Diego greeted us with the weirdest sea fog which lasted most of the morning.  We have been chilling for the last three days in an AirBnB close to the beach at the north of the city. Not bothering with a sightseeing frenzy at this stage, but have enjoyed the old town, Coronado, USS Midway and Balboa Park.

Time to pack our bags now. May be a good time to leave the States rather than get caught up in the outfall from their election results.

Costa Rica to Guatemala

After emerging from the Panama Canal we had another day at sea before our next port of call at Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica. There we opted to get off the beaten track and head for the rainforest and the croc-laden Tarcoles River. Costa Rica's economy paid dearly when they cleared the rainforest for a failed beef industry. Imported grasses wouldn't grow and even now some cattle appeared to be in self-destruction mode. A small herd was grazing on the riverbank and close to a 70 year old grand-daddy, 5m crocodile. He opened one eye in delight that his hamburger dinner had arrived!!

Can't believe the depth of green in the rainforest. We skimmed the treetops in a sky train, so quiet we could hear the bird calls. In our efforts to find a macaw we found a toucan instead.

We left Costa Rica saddened by the struggling existence of the people and the lack of care for the environment. Nicaragua painted an even more desperate picture. Many of the houses in the port of Corinto were in a sorry state. The children were starting early in a career of begging. All a matter of survival.

Here is a shot of contrasts......

The streets were clogged with bicycles and 'doubling' remains a national art. There appeared to be an unspoken contest of how many can fit on a bike. We saw three but rumour has it the record is six!

How come the women seem to brave the heat and dust selling their produce, while the men relax in the shade chatting, smoking or sleeping??

On to Guatemala and we were keen to see a coffee estate, the city of Antigua, and jade carving. On the way to all these sites one of Guatamala's volcanoes erupted and provided quite a spectacle. Antigua became our favourite spot, not just for its architecture and  cobbled streets, but also for the colour in their textiles and housing.

Again there were signs that it wasn't the safest environment.....

Guatamala not only suffers from street crime, but corruption by government officials is well-known. Our interpreter called them 'gangs with ties'. Sadly again, many people live below the breadline.

Next stop,....Mexico, on the way to San Diego.

Through the Panama

By the time we reached Florida (interstate from Memphis) we hit 'travel overload', so decided to bunk down for an extra night at Fort Lauderdale instead of adding more miles by revisiting our favourite Key West. As it turned out our spare day saw us dodging regular tropical downpours, so it was a  good decision to keep out of the traffic chaos. Instead we lingered around the Fort Lauderdale coastline. This area is so low-lying that a combination of king tides and wind put parking lots, fixed piers and coastal walkways under water. Apparently coastal erosion is a problem, requiring regular imports of sand to prevent beaches disappearing!

Fort Lauderdale was where we jumped on the ship 'Veendam' for our cruise through the Panama Canal. It was refreshing to set sail and open our balcony door to the Caribbean Sea. Cruising for us is a means of seeing iconic areas of the world rather than getting caught up in the onboard trappings. While others dressed to kill and made polite conversation over gala dinners, we had poolside meals and sat in the spa on the rear deck watching the sky light up with distant electrical storms. We liked the cruising philosophy though!!

 Our first stop ashore was Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. Holland America actually owns the island therefore controls all onshore facilities. It was a beautiful little patch of paradise. We claimed a couple of deck chairs under a casuarina tree and relaxed and swam for most of the day. The  alternative was to rent a beachfront cabana for $300-$600. They were cute, but couldn't see the value in splashing out for a solid roof and an armchair.

After the Bahamas we cut through the gap between Cuba and Haiti on the way to Cartagena in Columbia. Generally the seas were so calm it felt like the ship was at dock. Cartagena is reputed to be a hot destination, both in temperature and crime. The heat definitely crawled all over us (understandable seeing Columbia straddles the equator and the wet season was still lingering). On the crime front a large police presence would have made any dodgy opportunist think twice. The old city was our focal point. Just loved the colourful buildings and were entertained by the tactics used by street hawkers to etch their living.

Without a doubt, going through the Panama Canal was the highlight of the cruise. I nudged Doug out of bed at silly o'clock even though we weren't due to reach the entrance at Cristobal until sunrise. There were about 20 ships waiting in the bay, but cruise ships seemed to have priority over cargo. To think that amazing maritime shortcut started with one man and a plan back in 1912. It is hard to imagine empty dining rooms on a cruise ship, but almost everyone was on deck to watch the 'mules' guide us through the first three locks.

Usually it is stinking hot through the captured environment of the Panama, but we had a cloud cover that prevented us from receiving a baking. Waiters were always on hand providing chilled facecloths and we were constantly reminded to slap on the deet to guard against Zeka. Thick lush jungle bordered the lock system and Gatus Lake. Unfortunately lots of shipping delays meant we saw only the lights of  Balboa on our way out into the Pacific Ocean.

A dream fulfilled!

Travelling across five states in five days

Our last port of call on the Mississippi Cruise was Memphis. Unfortunately many people painted a bad picture about Memphis being the most violent city in USA. It is true some of the outskirt neighbourhoods are struggling, but there are wiffs of restored pride and the downtown area is quite exciting. For many no trip to Memphis is complete without visiting Graceland.

This is definitely a pilgrimage to Elvis and does a good job of depicting the man behind the fame. To think he bought this pad and 14 acres for around $100 grand. Not sure about his taste in home decoration though. OK if you like yellow vinyl walls, green shagpile carpet and draped brocade ceilings.

Quite a bizzare step back to the 70's. We were captivated by the whole experience as we were walked through his music and movie memorabilia, his collection of gold and platinum records and stage dress. Outside the house is a beautifully manicured meditation garden,....a powerful place including the last resting spot for 'the king'.

We explored some key attractions of downtown Memphis, including Beale Street which has a permanent throb of Blues music; and the spot where Martin Luther King met his fate from the barrel of his assassin's rifle. But one of the most intriguing and frivolous sights was the famous Peabody Duck March. Don't ask!!! This tradition dates back to 1930 where five ducks are kept in the penthouse of the Peabody Hotel. Every morning they are escorted down the elevator and waddle across a red carpet in the lobby where they decamp for the day in a stylish marble fountain.

Every afternoon the process is reversed, - all under the supervision of the duck master?? Sadly this pageant attracts thousands of visitors twice a day throughout the year, but at least it puts the hotel on the map!

After leaving the Mississippi cruise we hired a rental car and headed for Nashville. Accommodation was at a premium because Nashville was hosting many festivals and concerts including big ticket performances like Adele. The digs we ended up with were rumpy to say the least! We soon learnt that Nashville never sleeps. The downtown area is one large entertainment area based around country music. Not only was music blaring from the scores of honky-tonk bars, but fun spilled out on the streets, onto rooftops and along the riverbank. It is obviously a mecca for bachelorette parties. Hopefully a few of the brides-to-be will sober up before their big day.

Must say we enjoyed the creative spirit of the city's enjoyment, especially this self-propelled bar,....literally pedal while you partake!

If only we were still young and crazy enough to party until daybreak. Instead we went for a romantic riverside walk and called it a day around ten.

The next couple of days were nothing but an endurance test navigating the Interstates, leaving Tennessee, then crossing through North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia to Florida. Speeds around 120kph were normal and lane swapping was a necessary activity. After several hours of boring tarmac, we diverted our journey through the Smoky Mountain National Park, part of the southern Appalachian Mountains. In so doing we swapped this.....

for this........

As we came closer to the east coast we saw signs of the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, - debris and fallen trees, but only a patch on the carnage experienced by the people of North Carolina. Our first stopover in Florida was Orlando for the opportunity to be kids again......

And yes, among other things we got wet doing this.....

Now we are chilling on the beach at Fort Lauderdale until we are due to leave the shore and head through the Panama Canal. Not sure about the internet connection while at sea, so it will be a lottery where the next blog comes from.

Note to all hurricanes: Stay away!!

Up the big creek without a paddle

On reflection, we were sad to leave New Orleans. It had a special magnetism. To really fit into the culture each day should start at midday. Not only that, each day must start with a Bloody Mary; sometime during the day you need to eat shrimp-and-grits, po-boy and beignet; walk around the streets holding a beer or a coffee; act like every day is mardi gras; wear cheap iridescent beads; believe in voodoo rituals; and party until almost daybreak!! Also,........ rhythm must be in the DNA. These boys created a fantastic beat out of upturned paint buckets!

So right now we are chugging up the Mississippi in a 'paddlesteamer' with a fake paddle and no steam. This big floating barge was only launched this year and is super-comfortable. Only 185 passengers on board. All very low key as far as cruises go but we are being thoroughly looked after. Doug and I are possibly amongst the youngest (and thinnest!!) on board so there is no competition for the gym equipment.

The Mississippi is a pretty confusing waterway full of crazy bends. Now we know why they call it 'the artery of USA'. The huge amount of shipping makes it one of the busiest commercial waterways in the world. These powerful little towboats exert their pistons pushing up to forty barges of cargo (mainly grain in this area). Apparently they take the load of over 70 artic, trucks.

The entertainment on board is also very low key,....usually around jazz and Southern comedy. These girls sang the old favourite Andrews Sisters songs. They were brilliant and gave many of the old vets on board heart flutters!!

I guess we could sum up this trip as reliving the Southern history of grandeur and ruin,........grandeur in the form of the wealth of the cotton plantation owners, and ruin from the Civil War days. Here is an example of one of the many stunning plantation mansions.

And here are the slave's quarters. This plantation once had around 230 slaves. This room possibly squeezed about ten of them in!

One of our favourite side trips was to Atchafalaya Swamp to see how the local people (cajuns) eke a living in their stilt houses, either by fishing or hunting alligator. This little fella showed an interest in us!

A great trip to watch the wildlife, particularly a bald eagle do a fly by after raiding some sort of food source. Like many waterways the Asian carp are a nuisance. We got more than we bargained for by having two big 'mothers' jump into the boat. One landed on a lady's lap!! Now this was no herring, - it must have weighed around 5kg. The boat owner was quick to grab it for 'gater bait.

So, before we left the 'real' South on our way to Memphis we were fortunate to meet with the Governor of Louisiana in person!

Y'all come back now!!