New Southern Seas

by Mary Jo

I like having four seasons, I like when the snow lies on the ground 'deep and crisp and even,' and I don't mind sunny days with sub-freezing temperatures. Nonetheless, a mid- winter break to a warmer place is always welcome, and often that means a Caribbean cruise.

This year's cruise started in Panama, followed the Central American coast north, and visited Cozumel and Key West before ending in Ft. Lauderdale. We chose it because the itinerary included places we'd never been before.

We started with a couple of days in Panama City. Located on the Pacific coast at one end of the canal, it's a glistening metropolis with lots of skyscrapers and condos with spectacular sea views.  (A fun fact: the Pacific end of the canal is actually farther east than the Atlantic end.)

What makes Panama particularly interesting is its long and complicated history with the US, which encouraged the province to break away from Colombia and become independent, after which the US said, "How about you let us build a canal that will connect the Atlantic and Pacific and save ships from having to sail clear around South America to get from one ocean to the other?"

People had been wanting to build a canal across the isthmus since the sixteenth century. (Yes, really--Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, 1534.) But it wasn't until the dawn of the twentieth century that engineering science advanced enough to make a canal possible. (These days, the civil engineers association considers the Panama Canal to be one of the seven engineering wonders of the world.)

The canal succeeded and became one of the world's most important crossing places, and it was recently expanded to accept more and larger ships. It's hugely important to Panama, a source of wealth and aggravation. We'd sailed through it once not long after Panama took over running the canal, and it was fascinating.

This time we hired a driver who showed us the land side working area of the canal, and that was fascinating, too. A reminder of the fact that vast amounts of the world's goods still travel by sea.

As a side note, I'm told that my maternal grandmother, her sisters, and her mother were carried across the isthmus in sedan chairs before the canal was built. The family's furniture was sent around Cape Horn to California and the father traveled west by land. I wish I knew more about this!

At any rate, we picked up our ship at Colon on the Gulf Coast and headed north. The Silversea Wind is part of a small ship fleet owned by an Italian family, which meant that the food was excellent, lots of pasta dishes were served, and it was easier to get your wine glass refilled than your water glass. <G>

We visited Trujillo, in Honduras, which is the first place Christopher Columbus landed in Central America. There was a cute, stubby wooden statue of him gazing out to sea. At one time the world's largest exporter of bananas, the city is now a quiet place working to develop more tourism.

Particular fun was Roatan, a resort island that's part of Honduras and a mecca for divers, among others. We had a fun island tour which included a visit to an iguana farm. Slow, herbivore, and incredibly ancient looking, iguanas demonstrate the dangers of spending too much time in the sun. <G>

 

We were looking forward to stopping in Santo Tomas, Guatemala, but when we woke up it looked like the ship had taken a hard right turn and ended up in Glasgow in a heavy winter rain. We looked out our balcony at the rain, rolled over and went back to sleep. <G>

A particularly fun visit was in Key West, well know as a party spot with a terrific climate and laid back inhabitants. It's called the Conch Republic dating back to 1982, when the US Border patrol erected a roadblock and check point across US 1, the main access to Key West.  (Needless to say US 1, which begins in Maine, ends in Key West.  There is a sign that says, "US 1 End."  It's frequently stolen.)

Searches for drugs and illegal immigrants made a huge hit to the tourist trade, so the city decided if they were going to be treated like a foreign country, they should become one.

So they declared themselves to be the Conch Republic, declared war on the United States, surrendered one minute later, and asked for a billion dollars in reparations. <G> As our guide cheerfully told us, it's the first war to be won by humor without firing a shot. The barricade came down very soon thereafter.

Key West has an amazingly laid back atmosphere, and lots of stories.  For example, there are sleek chickens and roosters everywhere because a long ago law designed to stop cockfights made it to illegal to kill chickens within the city limits. As the guide said, "Why did the chicken cross the road?  Because he knew nothing would happen to him.  If a car hits a chicken, the driver is subject to a $500 fine." <G>

I could say lots more, but I'll spare you. This journey was another wonderful reminder of the richness of history and cultures in and around the Caribbean Sea--and how much fun it is to explore it!

Mary Jo in explorer mode in Roatan

 

 

 

Comments

[Keira Soleore]

Mary Jo, I love that photograph of yours: very much the intrepid explorer. This is what Amelia Peabody would've looked like.

[Anne Gracie]

Keira, I think Amelia might have worn a pith helmet, but I agree, MJP looks very explorerish -- or is that exploreresque? *g*

Lovely blog, Mary Jo. As for this: "So they declared themselves to be the Conch Republic, declared war on the United States, surrendered one minute later, and asked for a billion dollars in reparations. "
I immediately thought of that old B&W movie "The Mouse That Roared", where Peter Sellers played half the main roles. Delightful comedy about a tiny European principality doing exactly that -- declaring war on the USA in order to get reparation money. *g*

[MaryJoPutney]

Keira, Anne is right--I'm seriously lacking a pith helmet. The Mayhem Consultant has one. *G*

[MaryJoPutney]

Anne, I've also wondered if the Conch Republic guys were thinking of THE MOUSE THAT ROARED. I don't think I ever saw the moving, but the book was great fun!

[Teresa Broderick]

Sounds like a fabulous holiday!!

[Sue McCormick]

I always enjoy your travels.

I knew that the isthmus slanted, but I didn't know that the slant was that great. (It's like Canada being south of the U. S. around Detroit — and I think at least one other place). Geography confuses me.

And I adore the Conch Nation story. I had forgotten 'The Mouse That Roared'; I'll have to re-read it. Thank you. Ann.

[MaryJoPutney]

Sue, that canal slant to the northwest is a definite surprise! I got a kick out of the Conch Nation story, too. Key West has stories running in its blood, I think!

[Anne Gracie]

Mary Jo, I didn't know it was a book. The movie is a hoot. Peter Sellers plays most of the important roles -- the Grand Duchess, The Prime Minister, the leader of the invading army — you name it.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Yes, the book is by Leonard Wibberley: https://www.amazon.com/Mouse-That-Roared-Boxed-Books-ebook/dp/B01IE406IO/

I didn't know there were more books in the Grand Fenwick series--I might have to buy the boxed set!

[Kareni]

What a fun post, Mary Jo! (If you need someone to carry your pith helmet on your next trip, give me a call.)

[MaryJoPutney]

Kareni, pith helmets are light--but water bottles can get heavy. Maybe we can work something out. *G*

[Lori Dykes]

Wow, you had an amazing journey!! Thank you for taking us along!