Traveling Tolins 2

We departed Puerto Limon at 6 PM yesterday and arrived Col ón, Panama at 8:30 AM today, completing Leg 4 of our cruise.   Colón  ( Spanish pronunciation:  [koˈlon] ) is a  Panamanian  city and  sea port  beside the  Caribbean Sea , lying near the  Atlantic   entrance to the  Panama Canal . It is the capital of Panama's  Colón Province  and has traditionally been known as Panama's  second city . Originally, it was located entirely on  Manzanillo Island , surrounded by  Limon Bay ,  Manzanillo Bay ,  and the  Folks River .  However  since the disestablishment of the  Panama Canal Zone , the city's limits have been redefined to include  Fort Gulick , a former  U.S. Army  base, as well the former Canal Zone towns of  Cristobal ,  Margarita ,  and  Coco Solo . The city was founded by Americans in 1850 as the Atlantic terminal of the  Panama Railroad , then under construction to meet the gold rush demand for a fast route to  California .  For a number of years ea

We are in the midst of our third travel leg (see second brown with numeral "3"), beginning at Ocho Rios, Jamaica and cruising to Pueblo Limon, Costa Rica.  We will arrive Friday morning, December 22.  Our first leg began at Miami, Florida December 15 at 6 PM.  We arrived at Cienfuegos, Cuba after daylight Sunday morning, December 17,  Our second leg began at dusk, Tuesday, December 19.  We arrived at Ocho Rios before daylight, Wednesday, December 20. Today has been quite windy with swells running ten-feet high (or low, not sure which comes first) resulting in quite a bit of rolling.  But we have had a leisurely day on board, even getting some laundry done at their self-serve launderette.  We attended a college briefing on "Explorers - The Age of Discovery" presented by the resident historian.  She discussed 15th-18th period global exploration that began with Columbus and Vasco da Gama.  And we just returned to our state room from a 45-minute briefing on P

Explore a lush network of natural waterways and man- made canals in one of Costa Rica’s unique coastal environments.  Tortuguero National Park, stretching 14 miles along the shore, was created to preserve the nesting site of the green turtle. Today, its maze of watery passageways connects lagoons, deltas and even small villages. The park’s many eco-zones support a diverse array of wildlife, from manatee to howler monkeys, making it one of Costa Rica’s most rewarding nature experiences. You will drive with your guide to our dock. A canal boat takes you into the heart of it all, as the park is inaccessible by car. As you cruise, silent drifting along wide canals often affords up close wildlife viewing as all manner of birds, such as toucans and jacamars, dot the shoreside trees. As you traverse narrower canals overgrown with jungle, keep your eyes and ears open for white-faced monkeys.   White Egrett Blue Heron                            

Steeped in African, Spanish, and British traditions, Jamaica boasts a lively culture all its own. From its mountainside coffee plantations to scenic tumbling waterfalls, the island is draped in lush beauty and ringed by white-sand beaches. The photo above is of a larger tree surrounded by a smaller tree that is chocking the "host" tree.  It won't be long until the chocking tree kills the host tree. We are docked at Ocho Rios (eight rivers).  From our dock it was less than a mile bus ride to Mystic Mountain Rain Forest where we enjoyed beautiful vegetation and a river.  Mystic Mountain is also where we had thrills on a bob sled ride and a five-segment zip line! On Our "ski-lift" ride to the top of Mystic Mountain we had great views of our and one more cruise ship in the Ocho Rios harbor.  Our ship, the VikingSun, is on the right.  Our first adventure of the day was riding a bob sled down Mystic Mountain.  We had the option of ri