After leaving the ship this morning, we went to the Conrad to have brunch with Flo and Joe, who we met on our Mediterranean cruise just over a year ago. The hotel is beautiful.
Now we head back to realty as they disembark on a 10-day cruise aboard the ship we just left.
I’m uploading this last pic of trip as we have a preflight gin and tonic.
We had a little soirée in our suite for about 20 new friends we made on board.
George manned the bar and had a few things brought up from the kitchen.
Cecelia on the left and her sister Margie (unseen) are retired arms traders.
At the piano: Jim, an attorney who lives in Highland Park, IL with his wife Royce.
We arrived in Cozumel this morning and took the ferry to Playa del Carmen where we met up with our driver and our guide.
Towering public art in PdC.
We drove about an hour to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. Sergio spent a lot of time with us on the history and the symbolism in the architecture.
Beautiful beach at the site.
On Grand Cayman today. Here’s a shot of the tender boat from our balcony.
And a shot of the ship on our way to shore.
About a month ago, we had found a great antique store while researching the island. We loved everything they had.
The owner, Lori, is from the UK and has very similar taste to Joe M. They hit it off right away.
Our haul.
It’s a beautiful island.
With pristine waters.
We started off the day in the spa. No pics. After, we were invited for a late morning bridge tour. Donna is a pediatrician from Tulsa and her husband Robert is a restaurateur. Kevin, on the far left, is from London.
The helipad view from the bridge.
After the tour, we were invited to have lunch with the captain and senior officers.
Lisa is from London. We had her and her husband Kevin back to our cabin for drinks along with Donna, Robert, and another couple.
The restaurant was closed during our lunch, but the interior is beautiful.
The clock tower entrance to the walled city.
Botero sculpture.
Door knockers throughout the city.
We had a beautiful drive around the new part of the city and ended at the bird sanctuary.
Most were difficult to photograph other than the parrots.
This guy was just lounging around the sanctuary.
Arriving into Cartagena this morning.
Spent the day in the old city.
The old town is beautifully restored and vibrant. Great shops, galleries and restaurants.
Our driver for the day was Clemente, who grew up in Colon where we arrived. He’s a great guy and an fantastic guide.
We made our way to the Las Cruces trail used by conquistadors, pirates and gold seekers before roads in Panama.
We spent the day visiting driving between the coasts learning about the culture and foreign influences. The Chinese have been in Panama for 150 years.
The new Frank Gehry designed Bio Museum.
The modern city.
We stopped at one of the locks in the Panama Canal. Clemente walked us through the history museum and explained the U.S involvement in the project. There were no large ships passing through at the time.
Joe and Joe 