Leaving Beautiful Callao and Lima

Wednesday January 16, 2013
Hola! Well it has been 4 days and very busy. While at sea there are Spanish lessons which are fun and Annette is doing a wonderful job teaching all of the attendees (about 50 of us) very basic language so we can ask and get information. Three days ago we were in Ecuador and I did a driving trip around Manta and up to Monticristi. Panama hats are not made in Panama but in Ecuador and the history of how they became known as Panama hats stems from the building of the Panama Canal. Teddy Roosevelt got a hat when visiting the canal during its building and when asked where he got his hat he said "Panama" thus the Panama Hat. The region we saw was both modern and old. Interesting was that Ecuador uses US dollars. They have no currency of their own. So it is quite easy to shop. I took no money so shopping was out but today in Callao I plan to head for the free complimentary bus to the big modern mall if I can not find what I would like from a vendor on the pier. Taking this cruise has certainly opened my eyes to the South American continent.
Holland America has all these amazing venues both on and off the ship. Last night we attended a special dinner, Le Cirque, held twice or three times during our cruise. This dinner is based on the New York restaurant and it's tastey features. Special wines and delicasies made the dinner exceptional. Along with the food came the view. We sat next to a window and watched the small dolphins play and jump along the side of the ship.
The ship has a wonderful library where internet, books and puzzles can be gotten. We have seen passengers spend time putting together a 2500 piece jigsaw puzzle, and the next day it is fully completed.
Arnie and Elly are building their list of birds as they cruise. With their scope they have spotted all kinds of birds and taking wildlfe tours allows them to see new and different birds than what might be seen on land in North America. They have kept me apprised of the additions to their list. On January 13 they wrote about a strenuous walk in the Ecuadorian jungle where they found Esmeralda`s Woodstar, a colorful hummingbird endemic to the area. Their life list increased by nine birds with thanks to the knowledgeable guide. On January 15 they wrote about the Humbolt Current which brings much edible items for birds from the south. In fact the ship sailed south over the continental plate which all these pelagic birds dive to get food. Arnie wrote that Albatrosses, Shearwaters, Pelicans and Petrels, joined the whales and dolphins. It certainly shows the effect that the Humbolt Current has on the sea creatures and those that rely on them.
One night I attempted to participate in the Kareoke evening but due to the rocking ship and my balance problem it was not one of my most successful evenings, but it was fun and that is what is important. Evenings onboard abound with various activities: dance to a group combo, see a show at the Showroom at Sea, or head to the front desk and get a DVD and have a quiet time in your stateroom, or take in a movie at the Wang Jang Theater. Pools and hot tubs stay open into the evening weather permitting. I certainly have found many things to do as we sail the coast.
We arrived in Callao, Peru this morning and so I will add some more about the city when I return.
JANUARY 17
Now here we are in Peru and yes I definitely did some shopping. Alpaca wool is wonderful and very soft so a warm shawl is needed as we head south. I saw a lady who had aquired an alpaca teddy and it was so soft and hugable.
On Wednesday, last night, I took in the night life of Lima and Callao. A bus took us through the two towns which are joined together similar to many cities in North America. Callao has a population of about 1,000,000 whereas Lima has 9,000,000. Commute traffic starts about 7 pm and finishes around nine and I am assuming it is because many store close in the heat of the day from noon to three about so stores are open later into the evening. The squares of Lima are huge round abouts where 5 to 7 streets all converge with 5 to 7 stop lights. Walking across the square is much faster than driving around it. Many of these squares have a park like center but around the outer edge sits some old buildings, government offices and churches. I was impressed at how much French archetecture has affected Lima but I suppose that the era of Napolean traveled world wide. Many buildings have intricate balconies and Lima is a world UNESCO site as the buildings are so old yet are still used. Our tour took us to the Magic Fountains of Lima which is a huge park with water that goes high and low and moves around. One section you can walk through, the water making a tunnel. We saw a digital light display playing off a sheet of water and it was put to music. It was quite popular as families and many visitors enjoyed the performance.
Today was an early rise day as I looked forward to a wildlfe adventure. There were about 25 of us that wanted to see sealions and penguins and no one was left disappointed. Unlike seals sealions can climb up rocks. They sit up there and make a whole bunch of noise. A number of the passengers actually adorned themselves with wet suits and swam with the sealions. I added a few birds to my life list and one was a Peruvian Boobie which looks similar to a seagull but is smaller. I saw a Red-footed Boobie and a number of different types of Pelicans. The wind and the sea blowing in my face and hair was also part of the Pacific adventure as we went to San Lorenzo island and a couple of others. Having an exposure to Callao and Lima is certainly an eye-opening experience. I just want to add that the tour guides and all of the locals that I met were very solicitous to our needs.
We leave this beautiful city this evening at 5 p.m. and we head to General San Martin which is an island under the government of Peru..................Just a note to NOLA...... everyone is fine though they were under the weather for awhile last week.