Costa Rica & The Big Ditch

December 22-26, 2017

Costa Rica is divided in two parts. Not on a map it isn’t, but on a cruise it is. You cross the Gulf of Mexico from Jamaica and you land in Puerto Limón, Costa Rica. Next you sail to Colón, Panama. Then you transit the Panama Canal for an entire day. On Christmas you cruise the Pacific Ocean for an entire day. Then you arrive back in Costa Rica, at the port of Puntarenas. If you look at a map, this all makes perfect sense, because Costa Rica is part of the Central American isthmus, which is cut in half by the Big Ditch. I’ve grouped both halves of Costa Rica together.

I received 4 ‘diplomas’ this trip: Panama Canal, Crossing the Equator, Suez Canal and making it all the way Around the World. Luckily, next time I cross the Equator I won't have to sip that vile Aquavit the Norwegians love, since I am no longer a Pollywog, I am a shellback!

Oxcart wheel from a Costa Rican hacienda. I thought hacienda meant house, but it means farm: this one produced macadamia nuts and sugar cane

Costa Rican dancing girls in the little town of Esparza, founded by the Spanish in 1574... she is so gorgeous, but soooo serious!​

​In case you wish to visit, I tried to get you more information on the Hotel Macarena. But when I googled it, the only hotel of that name that popped up is a 5-star family resort. I could be wrong, but I don’t think this is that place. You all know by now that I love taking what David always called ‘road shots.’ Sometimes the journey there was the best part of the trip! That was the case in Egypt as well...

Colón, Panama... I would see this ecclesiastical juxtaposition often on the trip — the original cathedral with a newer building nestled alongside. In this case, it appears the cathedral has lost its roof and the white building is the much more modest replacement

In the city’s waterfront market... this is a form of appliqué called mola,used in quilts...​

​...and in clothing, including these fabulous stockings

It took around 10 hours to transit the Panama Canal. Here we are entering one of its two large lakes (I think this was Lago Gatún) #

The original posts:

https://wordwrite.wixsite.com/passepartout/single-post/2017/12/22/%E2%80%98Yes-we-have-lots-and-lots-of-bananas%E2%80%99

https://wordwrite.wixsite.com/passepartout/single-post/2017/12/23/Prelude-to-the-Panama-Canal

https://wordwrite.wixsite.com/passepartout/single-post/2017/12/24/%E2%80%98You-always-know-your-neighbor-you-always-know-your-pal%E2%80%99

https://wordwrite.wixsite.com/passepartout/single-post/2017/12/25/Ho-Ho-Ho-and-a-Bottle-of-Vicks%C2%AE

https://wordwrite.wixsite.com/passepartout/single-post/2017/12/26/Brown-Boobies

https://wordwrite.wixsite.com/passepartout/single-post/2017/12/26/%E2%80%98Pura-Vida%E2%80%99