Cruising on the Sapphire Princess to South America During the Holidays

Cruising to Central and South America in December on the Sapphire Princess

Dec. 2-22, 20022

My adult children were really busy with their lives this last Christmas, so my partner and I decided to explore an area we had never been before by cruiseboat.  Now cruising is very expensive, but if you wait till the end of the year, there are often bargains, and we found a 14-day cruise going to Baja Peninsula, Costa Rica, Peru, and Chile on the Sapphire Princess.  This ship is one of the premier ships of the fleet for gourmet food and especially chocolate desserts.  The staff was outstanding and the activities were so much fun. We started in Los Angeles and ended in Santiago, Chile.  

I have been on cruises before, but this one was special.  It was a holiday cruise and my 65th birthday was on the ship.  

(Dec. 2) -we travelled to Los Angeles Airport and took a taxi to to the port.  Boarding the ship was fun.  It felt like there was a party going on.  We immediately went to explore the ship and find our cabin.  This time we had a balcony, because at the last minute, they let us "bid" for the empty balconies.  I won one for $200.  Getting to know the ship takes time.  There are many nooks and crannies to explore. 

(Dec. 3) at Sea-we found out the ship's jewelry shop onboard was giving away free charms each day to commemorate the cruise...so we ended up collecting the little Princess Boat charm and 11 more after that.  It made a really fun necklace.  

(Dec. 4) Cabo San Lucas, Mexico- we took a snorkeling tour that was a bit rocky on the water and slightly disappointing as the corals were not very healthy and they boat fed bread to the fish.  We did see a nice island of seals though as we were going to to snorkel.   

(Dec. 5-8) at Sea-going across the Date Line-celebration occurs on the top deck when you pass the dateline from North to South America.  King Neptune must be appeased and all must "kiss the fish," who encounter his wrath.  We had our first formal dinner night.  Oh my, we dressed up nice, and the food was delightful.  

(Dec. 9) Puntarenas, Costa Rica-we took the Jungle Crocodile River Cruise and saw so many new birds.  I would like to come back here again and stay for a while.

(Dec. 10-12) at Sea

(Dec.13-15)-Lima Peru -was definitely in political unrest, so we spent the day on a tour of Lovers Park and shopping for baby alpaca wool near the shore, without venturing into the historic part of Peru.    We then walked to the "Indian Market" to buy some gifts for the kids.  

The next evening, we went to the National Light Show at the downtown city park.  Interestingly, we never made it to the historic part of downtown, because of all the rioting that was going on.  The light show was spectacular.

We took a tour to go see some petroglyphs today and then had lunch at a local vineyard and they served Pisco, which is the local favorite "brandy."  Very strong, but served with a lime juice that cuts the alcohol.  

(Dec. 15-17) at Sea-gold and white night at dinner.

We missed out on seeing penguins on day 16 because the political unrest had become so volatile, the Captain of the ship made a decision not to dock again in Peru.  The waters are now becoming a bit rocky as we are moving to the bottom of the southern continent where two oceans come together.  Though we are not going to the Antarctica-we are starting to experience the beginning of the "Drake Shake" that occurs when the ship goes through the Drake Passage.  They did have some great food for dinner that night.  So glad I don't get seasick, though this night I did actually feel the wave action a bit and took some Dramamine that put me right to sleep that night.  

(Dec.18) La Serena Coquimbo, Chile-we went to visit the Archeological Museum there and learned about the pre-historic to modern-day inhabitants of Chile.  

(Dec. 19-22) Santiago, Chile-we disembarked, took a local bus to the city bus depot, and got a taxi to our hotel in downtown Santiago.  I really loved this part of the trip.  We were able to spend some time in Chile's capital and I was able to use a little of the Spanish I have been learning.  Our hotel was delightful.  We were situated right next to the City Park that rises above the city and you can look out everywhere.  The hotel restaurant served breakfast and tea indoors, but the rooftop at night was magical.  I was one of my favorite moments in Santiago; a cheese board and a beautiful wine, followed by empanadas.  

We went to several museums, but the most interesting one had historic and modern-day weaving.  I could not get enough of the weavings.  They were so beautiful.  The modern ones were lit with colorful lights than enhanced their shapes.  

We hiked all the way across town to Pablo Neruda's residence, which ended up being closed, but the walk was so interesting...by this time, my knee, which was due to be replaced as soon as we got home, was really starting to bother me.  I don't know why we are so stubborn about taking taxis, but both my partner and I like walking and seeing portions of the city that would zip by in a taxi.  We saw so many murals (both political and artistic) as we walked. Finally, we gave in near the city zoo and sat down and had some delicious meat and cheese empanadas.  

Day 21-we spent a nice morning at the hotel and then got the fastest taxi I have ever been in to the airport. The driver did not seem fazed by the fact that my partner and I were white-knuckle all the way to the airport.  We both agreed that the next time we come to this part of the world, we are going to see Penguins and make it to Antarctica.  We were so close.  The next part of the journey for the Sapphire Princess was Antarctica, but we had to get home, as I was going in for a new knee.  

Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) and the Sea of Cortez, Mexico

Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) Mexico

Years ago I read John Steinbeck's The Log From the Sea of Cortez and always dreamed of visiting that part of Mexico,  As a wildlife biologist, the flora and fauna of that area have always had a certain lure for me.  The Sea of Cortez is now only 4 hours by car from me.  How lucky for me that I was invited by my Tucson biking buddy Molly to go down in September to visit the eastern edge of the Sea of Cortez.  Her father's house is in a little community just south of the town of Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco).  So I loaded my bathing suit, binoculars and sun hat, and got in the car with 3 dogs and trekked down to Rocky Point.  The trip down was without incident in the typical Arizona desert, but I will mention that a nice stop to make about 3 hours in is the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.  I have been there several times, and love their Visitor's Center.  The dogs needed a break and water, so I did a little Christmas shopping. 

To get to Rocky Point, you must enter Mexico from Lukeville, Arizona port of entry (with passport).  Molly recommended we go early and on an off-time for the weekend.  I think we crossed about 2 p.m. with no wait. Did I mention this was going to be Labor Day Weekend, so you had to be pretty strategic about the entry.  After crossing, we slowly careened our way through the little border town at 25 mph as this is the place where you will get a ticket for speeding.  It took about 75 more minutes before we arrived at Rocky Point. I have heard several interesting stories about the road between the border and this town.  Let's suffice to say, have a full tank before you cross the border and keep going until you get to Rocky Point. 

We spent a week in this town and the surrounding area.  It was hot and muggy in September, but the ocean is also warm.  During the week, we visited a variety of restaurants that served a diversity of food.  The first restaurant that we went to was La Negrita where Molly ordered shrimp in a giant glass with lots of salsa (Mexican shrimp cocktail) and I had enchiladas... so good.  We also visited Wrecked at the Reef (right next to the ocean), Pan e Vino (spectacular seafood pizza), and El Capitan (beautiful sunset and nice after-dinner cocktails).

For a special treat we drove about 15 miles south of town to the Santo Coyote Restaurant, which was in the tall Encantame Towers.  That place has a special ambiance, and is very romantic at night. 

We stayed in a house that was right next to the ocean, and for shell collectors this was paradise.  There is an abundance and diversity of shells, big and small along the shorelines make beach-combing a real adventure in this area.

     

The highlight of the week for me was the trip we took to Bird Island (Isla San Jorge).  This hot spot of diversity can be reached by a one-hour ride boat ride that cost us 89$/person.  We booked right down on the dock with a "wandering salesman" who directed us to where were needed to pay.  This small set of islands, covered in bird guano was with thick with Seals, Sea lions, and so many seabirds.  The seabirds included Brown pelicans,  Blue-footed boobies, and Frigate birds.  I snorkeled close to the island, but the water was a little too murky to see corals as a storm that had passed through.  I knew I was a little too close to the island, because the seals were swimming under me, so I backed off to admire the birds.

One other place of interest we visited was the Cedo Research Complex, which is doing marine research in the Gulf of California (also called the Sea of Cortez). There was little interpretation there, but they have a large whale carcass that is interesting to view and a shop that had some pretty cool shirts and dresses that support the research. 

I spent time with Molly's neighbors and walked the neighborhood.  It was fun to see the little burrowing owls that inhabit areas in between the neighbors houses.  This community really is right between a wetland and the ocean.  The neighbors were warm and inviting.  I could understand why Molly's family likes to go down to their house to escape Arizona every once in a while.  After a week, we headed back to Tucson.  I will come back here...there is so much to explore...but maybe in a cooler part of the year.