The Panama Canal

Every transit to Pacific Ocean from Atlantic Ocean and vice versa was made possible by the Panama Canal which is approximately 37 miles long. This waterway was cut through one of the narrowest saddles of the isthmus that joins North and South America. 

The canal uses a system of locks. The locks function as water lifts; they raise ships from sea level to the level of Gatun Lake (26m above sea level); ships then sail the channel through the Continental Divide. 

Each set of locks bear the name of the town site where it was built: Gatun (Atlantic side), and Pedro Miguel and Mira Flores (Pacific side). The water used to raise and lower vessels in each set of locks comes from Gatun lake by gravity; it comes through a system of main culverts that extend under the lock chambers from the sidewalls 

and the center wall. The narrowest portion of the canal is Culebra Cut, which extends from the north end of Pedro Miguel Locks to the south edge of 

Gatun Lake at Gamboa. This segment, approximately 

6.2miles long, is carved through the rock and shale of the Continental Divide.

Ships from all parts of the world transit daily through the Panama Canal. Some 13 to 14 thousand vessels use the canal every year-5% of the world commercial transportation- at USD346,000. We enter Gatun Locks (3 locks)at 6:30AM to 8:15AM, Pedro Miguel (single lock) at 1:55Pm-2:55PM and Miraflores (double lock) locks at 3:20PM-4:30PM. At approximately 5PM, we finished our transit by sailing under the Bridge of Americas.

The canal has a workforce of approximately 9,000 employees and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing transit service to vessels of all nation without discrimination. 

California First: Reunion of Joys in the City of Los Angeles

 November 20, 2010 is not only the day I will see my cousin but also marks my 1st month in the United States. A celebration that is really worth looking forward to. 

For weeks, I have been counting the days. As eager as I was to see dear cousin Joy, I was up as early as 5AM. As soon as we were allowed to go out, I left cabin 4312. Taking snapshots of port 91-92 kept me busy while I wait for my lovely cousin. And, there she was riding a  silver BMW (5BKT230) with her husband, Homer Dao, taking care of the wheels.  After a nice long hug and exchanges of cheers, we were headed to explore the city.  

Thanks to the guys who invented freeways, even though, Port San Pedro is far from our destination for the day, we were able to get there in less than an hour. Our 1st stop, Universal Studios. Weather was not on our side today but it didn’t hinder us from pursuing our plans. Yup, we had our Universal Studio City Walk under the rain and with a very cold winter breeze. Luckily, Joy was a girl scout and brought me some clothing to keep me warm. The photographs taken were proofs that the rain was not a hindrance for us. It  was noon when we left the park but we grab some fries and American burgers before we left.

The next part of the day was the most wonderful part. We had an amazing race in Hollywood. In less than an hour, we went, explored  and posed in the different tourist spots in Hollywood. Homer was amazingly patient and talented in capturing kodak moments. We were not able to grab a formal lunch in a Thai restaurant down Hollywood boulevard but our stomach did not mind. It was a race against the clock after the kodak fun. However, Homer was still able to show the streets of Beverly Hills on our way back to San Pedro. 

It was a nerve wrecking last 15 minutes, why wouldn’t it? I will just have to fly to Cabo San Lucas to catch my ship if I wont get back in time. On top of that, I don’t have my passport with me. But, God always provide a way.

Waves to the EASTERN CARIBBEAN

Voyage 13101025 is when for the 1st time we encountered storm while at sea. More than 12 feet waves rocked us on our way to Barbados. Drizzles and big waves painted Star's visit to the Eastern Caribbean. Six stops comprised the weeklong journey.

SAMANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Dominican Republic is the Caribbean of 40 years ago with its lush tropical vegetation and the beauty of Cavo Levantado. Its lush tropical vegetations and rogue coastlines were its main pride. 

TORTOLA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLAND  British Virgin Island was the 2nd stop for voyage 13101024. British influence is clearly seen in its paved cobblestone pathways and right-hand driven cars  

ST JOHN, ANTIGUA. Holiday and history mixed well in the home of Nelson Dockyard- 1st Gregorian Naval Harbor.   Jen and I were joined by Marlene of IT in finding St John’s Cathedral and in feasting over Chinese foods in a nearby local restaurant. 

ROSEAU, DOMINICA. Drizzle greeted us in Dominica and it stayed all day. The tours were wet and slippery which translates to many accidents that were attended by the medical center. Luckily, minor injuries were only sustained and not enough to ruin the cruise 

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS.  The way to Barbados was filled with 12-ft high waves which made the ship dance and sway all night. The Statue of Lord Nelson, St Michael Cathedral and St Patricks Church were good motivation for a long walk. 

BASETERRE, ST KITTS St Kitts beauty was a mixture of French and British influence.

Huatulco Once

Nhuari (Indian) word  which means “place where people worship the cross” is the root word of Huatulco

Until the area was tagged for development in the 1980’s, this stretch of coast 300 miles (480 km) southeast of Acapulco was cut off from the interior of Mexico by steep mountains. As a result, the original settlers of several indigenous Indian tribes, including the Zapotecs, Mixtecs, and Aztecs, traded goods by sea, traveling between the bays in small boats.

Legend has it that a white, bearded man brought a cross to Santa Cruz many years before the Spanish conquest. The story goes that he converted the Indians to Christianity and then disappeared. When the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, they established a trading post, and for a time it was more important than Acapulco. British pirates attacked in the late 1500s, and Thomas Cavendish burned the port. The cross, however, remained undamaged by ax or fire. Numerous miracles have since been attributed to the relic.

After Mexican Independence, Huatulco was largely ignored. Until the 1980s, only about 1,000 farmers and fishermen resided in the small village of Santa Cruz, Huatulco. The only visitors were die-hard surfers who wandered over from Puerto Escondido. Spurred by the success of Cancun, however, government officials recognized great potential for tourism in Huatulco’s nine pristine bays. A road linking the cost to the interior was built in 1984. Water, sewage, electric and phone lines were also installed. The influx of construction workers and service employees swelled the local population to about 8,000.

Located in the state of Oaxaca, the port is at the very southern tip of the Mexican Rivera and covers a 22-mile stretch of coastline carved into nine beautiful bays. The Sierra Madre Mountain provide a backdrop to 30 crescent shaped beaches. Because  of the hilly terrain, many of these are only available by boat. The first year 60,000 tourists came to visit, primarily locals and those staying at Club Med. The goal is to build 20,000 hotel rooms by 2018. The bays of Huatulco are main attractions and the catalyst for tourism. The closest attraction to the pier is the marine at Santa Cruz where several splendid shops have opened. Also, the town square in the village of La Crucesita is worth visiting.

During my 1st visit to Huatulco, I had 60 pieces of shrimp in thick butter sauce, pinacolada, and fajitas with Jennifer Santiago . I almost attended mass that day. However, the mass was celebrated in Latin which I can’t really comprehend. No habla espanyol :(

Huatulco days were Nov 25 and Dec13 in 2010 and in 2011, Jan 6 and  24.

Roatan, Honduras

Leisure walk and Seafood fiesta described my 1 day stay in Roatan. Only once have we visited Honduras and with Nurse Jen, I explored Roatan. We ate in a local seaside restaurant for 15USD. This place reminds you of a far flung rural area in the Philippines. Coxen Hole, capital of Roatan, is the largest city and capital of the Bay Islands. Roatan is 35miles and an average of 3 miles wide and lies 40miles off the north coast of Honduras. Currency is called Lempira with English and Spanish as language. Poverty is evident in its streets and architecture. Nevertheless, its rural charm and beautiful beaches are reasons to include Honduras in your weekend itinerary.

The Way to BAHAMAS

             

Enchanting Bahamas is my 1st stop which is not a Norwegian Star regular route, (Voyage 13101021) Jillian Michaels, a health guru rented the ship for a 4-day wellness cruise that will have the participants of the reality show “The Big Loser” onboard. For the 1st time, Norwegian Star is going to Bahamas’ two known ports - Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau. Also, 1st time in history that the galley will prepare only “healthy food”. No ice creams, no desserts, no fatty salty foods for the journey. Diet that we definitely did not look forward to. 

Great Stirrup Cay A privately owned beach by NCL was the 1st stop for the wellness cruise. Coco Cay is a white sand beach accessible only by tendering. Jetski, Parasailing and scuba diving were the favorite activities in the island. As for the medical staff, sitting inside the improvise medical center was our activity in Coco Cay. Don’t forget your sunscreen as it is really hot in Coco Cay.

Nassau This is my favorite stop. Of course, there is nothing more precious than the time we spent with our friends. In Nassau, I was able to catch up with my long time friend, Dr. Noriel, who is also the one who convinced me to try the sea-based life. This is the only time our ships will be side-by-side in a port and we did not let it pass. A quick tour of Norwegian Sky’s medical center was done by Noriel and Dianne. Sky has a bigger medical center than Star. We had only a couple of hours to spend with each other as their ship is leaving at 4PM. Since Noriel is on-call, it was I who went to their ship. He also showed me the big balikbayan box he is filling up for his little boy. Surely, Earl will be very happy.

Dallas

Still 1,119 miles away from my destination, about 2 days of road trip or more than 2 hours of plane ride, but have to stay for a while in Dallas, Texas.  In the 3rd leg of my trip on my way to my home away from home. 

2 hours and 55 minutes after I left Los Angeles via American Airlines, I reached Dallas, Texas. Dallas is the 3rd largest city in Texas and the 9th largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area is the largest metropolitan area in the South and 4th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Dallas is a young city with effigies of modern architecture rising like glass trees out of the downtown area.

In history, the city will always be remembered for  the incident that happened in November 22, 1963 when President J F Kennedy was assassinated in downtown Dallas. Today, it is known as a mecca for dining, shopping, arts, entertainment and large scale developments. 

My 1st stop during my Dallas stay, of course, where else but Starbucks. Enjoyed a Java Chip Frappe to energized me since it is almost midnight when I arrived. Took advantage of the wifi and got in touch with my family and friends. Aso, I sent an e-mail to my would-be partner in the medical department to tell him I have arrived safely in the United States.

Java chip did a good job in keeping me awake. I roam around and kept myself busy. Walked and walked, smelled some fresh breeze, enjoyed the sights, ate some M and M and bought some souvenirs. I was so tempted to buy a Starbucks City mug. However, there is no more room in my luggage and come to think of it, I have to take care of the mug for months just to give it to my sister-in-law who collects Starbucks city mugs. Thinking that I'll be staying in a cruise ship made me think of big waves and the possibility of  the mug getting broken. So, after weighing the pros and cons, I did not.

More than 5 hours in Dallas seemed very long since I was very eager to reach Miami. Well, I have been travelling for almost 24 hours and I am so looking forward to press my back on a very comfy bed. Sleeping during flights is still different from sleeping soundly in a bed. When boarding time arrived, i was curious why people were gathering around a certain group of people with their camera phones snapping pictures. And then, I discovered that the reason was our flight to Miami includes Bonalzo Mike Dogg Jr. better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, an American rapper, record producer, actor and entertainer.

The Norwegian Experience Anticipation

Ship on cruise

NORWEGIAN STAR

• Passenger Capacity: 2,348 (double occupancy)
• Gross Register Tonnage: 91,740
• Overall Length: 965 feet
• Max Beam: 105 feet
• Draft: 27 feet
• Engines: Diesel Electric
• Cruise Speed: 25 knots
• Crew: 1,065

At 9AM of Sept. 28, 2010, I received a call informing me that instead of Norwegian Sky, I'll be joining Norwegian Star before eventually joining Norwegian Dawn. On the same day, I was informed that I am to leave homeland on Oct 7, 2010.

I have grown to love Norwegian Sky, reading reviews about it and learning facts about the said ship. Well, as they say, nothing is certain until it is done. 

Now, Norwegian Star will be my 1st home away from home. And just like Sky, I will start liking the ship. The places where Norwegian Star will take me are numerous to list. The journey will start upon embarkation on October 8, 2010.

Based on the published itinerary, Norwegian Star will be in LA, where I will join it, on the 8th of October from 8AM-4PM. From LA port it will sail to Cabo, San Lucas, Mexico. From San Lucas the ship will go to the following destinations:

Oct. 10, 2010 (10AM-6PM) - Cabo, San Lucas, Mexico

Oct. 12, 2010 (8AM-5PM) - Acapulco, Mexico

Oct. 13, 2010 (8AM-4PM) - Huatulco, Mexico

Oct. 15, 2010 (8AM-5PM) - Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Oct. 17, 2010                 - Panama Canal

Oct. 18, 2010 (10AM-7PM)- Cartagena, Colombia

Oct. 21, 2010 (8AM-1PM) - Miami, Florida

From Miami, my course is uncertain still since Norwegian Star will be on dry dock from Oct 22 to Nov 3, 2010. 

Norwegian Star Cruise Map Oct 8 - 22, 2010

*San Francisco will be my 1st port instead of LA; hence, I will be off to US on the 5th. And, the countdown begins.