This is the last day of our trip. We toured Castillo de San Cristobal, then walked by La Fortaleza (the governor's palace). Along the way we stopped in several shops. Then we made our way down to Paseo de la Princesa - a beautiful promenade ending at the waterfront and a large beautiful fountain. We ate lunch at a Caribbean restaurant across from our hotel. I especially enjoyed the layered plantain casserole and the spicy beans and rice.

During the afternoon we relaxed. First we spent time by the pool on the roof of the hotel. But when a noisy family arrived, I beat a hasty retreat. I did some reading in our room and we both took a nap.

Our evening was a special final treat. After the sun had set, we walked through the streets of Old San Juan which are brightly lit by colored lights. All the plazas too are lit with colorful displays. In Puerto Rico, the celebration of the visit by the three kings is especially important. So most lighting displays emphasize that theme. We enjoyed regional cuisine at a fabulous 4 star hotel called El Convento. One of their restaurants is called Café Bohemia. Gene and I thought the cevichia was especially yummy. A nightcap back at the hotel ended the day. In just the last two days Gene and I have concluded we love Puerto Rico. We will be back!

We have returned to the United States. During the early morning hours the Regal Princess tied up at the Pan-American pier. Gene is sad that our cruise is over. But I prefer to think of it as continuing for two more days here in Puerto Rico. We had  breakfast for the second time in the dining room. Sadly, we have had no Eggs Benedict for the entire cruise - and today was no exception.

Currently it's 8:30am and we are ensconsed in the Stage Door Lounge waiting for our turn to debark. The wait will probably be about an hour. Then we must clear customs and immigration. Hopefully our transfer to the Sheraton will be quick and comfortable.

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We are in the Sheraton now, though I'm not impresssed with our room because it looks out on a central air shaft. We spent several hours walking around the narrow blue cobble streets of Old San Juan. Though not impressed with our hotel, I'm very impressed with this very beautiful city. Sadly we will only see the old section on this trip. I definetely want to return. We toured one of the old forts as well - El Morro. It's a spectacular setting and an interesting hostory. Tonight we will eat in the hotel restaurant, a Latin steak house. Then tomorrow we explore Old San Juan some more.

We awoke early today. I showered quickly then went to the bow deck which is usually restricted to crew only. But for the Panama passage, the captain usually opens the bow to regular passengers. Once there, I enjoyed the view.

First we saw the sky scraper filled skyline of Panama City as the Regal Princess was gliding beneath the Bridge of the Americas which carries the Pan-America Highway into South America. Then I actually got to see a phenomenon I have heard about - I watched the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean. The rest of the day was occupied with the long slow transition through the canal. It was really quite spectacular.

I had time for a short nap while we cruised through Gatun Lake. The last third of our canal cruise from west to east was dampened by heavy tropical rain. There was thunder, lightning, and rainfall so heavy it was hard to see. Of course it was also about 85 degrees. Wow! That was a new experience.

Unfortunately, our passage took much longer than expected. At first, we thought we'd be two hours late into the port of Colon - so Gene and I decided the port was more important than having dinner in the dining room - so we skipped dinner. But ultimately we were three hours late and the captain literally gave passengers only 30 minutes in the port. We decided to skip Colon and just relax in our stateroom instead. As a special nite: Today marks the furthest south Gene and I have been in our lives. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and we are spending another day at sea. Dinner will be formal and midnight mass will be offered.

The day has been a long one and, unlike yesterday, very active. We were off the ship at 9am and onto the bus (well air conditioned this time). The drive into San Jose was about two hours along the narrow, winding, and heavily used Pan-American Highway. I noticed right away that the housing stock is quite a bit nicer than in Guatemala. But still, Costa Rica is not the US. One must use a different standard here.

In San Jose we toured the Museum of Gold that is owned by the Bank of Costa Rica. It is full of gold, copper, and bronze figures from as early as 900 BC. Soon we made a second stop at the Museum of National History. It in housed across the street from the congressional building in the former headquarters of the armed forces.

Costa Rica abolished the national army in 1949, and there hasn't been an army since. This Central American country is unique in that it has had a stable democratically elected government since 1949. Even before then, they had relative stability. During times of dictatorship, the leaders tended to be benign.

At the time of Costa Rican independence in 1838, the country chose a different political path from its neighbors. Currently, Costa Rica has a somewhat socialist economy in that utilities like electricity, phone, water, and transportation are all owned and run by government corporations. Alcohol production as well is overseen by the government. And, all medical care and education are provided universally - the only country in Central America to do so. Our guide, Omar, expressed well that Costa Ricans are very proud of their peaceful, safe, and stable country. Their re-elected president won the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating and end to decades of civil war in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala.

It seems to me there are signs of a growing regional identity movement rising to counteract decades of US hegemony. Millions of American dollars are now flowing into Costa Rica in the form of commercial, residential and industrial investment. A hundred thousand Americans live in CR either as dual citizens or as retires. The national middle class is growing too. Highrise condos and beautiful gated communities are constantly being built in the suburbs. But the heart of the city remains somewhat impoverished.

CR is unique in the region but it has problems too. The economy is experiencing double digit inflation because growth is so rapid. Wages and interest rates are rising. Families must have two incomes to stay ahead or just even. And, Costa Ricans are not as willing to take basic hard labor jobs as in the past, so there has been an influx of more than 100,000 illegal immigrants - mostly from Nicaragua and Guatemala. So, in many ways, our tour was about the political history and current status of Costa Rica, not just its archeological past.

The day started to wind down after we had lunch at a local resort and conference center. Then, as we made our way back to the ship, we stopped briefly in Sarchi. It's a town well known as a center of the arts focused on painting and woodworking. You may know about Costa Rican painted ox carts. Sarchi is the center of that folk art tradition.

Our return to the Regal Princess was exactly on time at 6:30pm. We relaxed over a cocktail and then tucked into a simple dinner in the buffet. Following that we watched a comedian named Dick Gold. Now we have retired for a good night's rest. Tomorrow is another sea day, so I plan on sleeping in. The cruise is half over and all is well.

It's 11:30 pm and I'm in bed after a long day. It had its high points as well as low. But overall, it was a terrific new adventure.

The day started at a reasonable time. The ship didn't tie up in Puerto Quetzal until 10am. But soon after we lined up outside the show lounge to receive our excursion sticker and then board our bus. That was the low part of the day. The air conditioning on the bus was barely functional. Four an hour and a half we sweated on an 80 degree bus. We crossed the flat coastal plain on a very nice four lane highway headed north toward the conical peaks of seven local volcanoes. We were part of a caravan of three large busses along with a police escort vehicle armed with machine guns. Apparently highway banditry against vehicles leaving the port is a problem. I suspect some trucks have been highjacked and their loads stolen to be sold on the black market. During the drive we were surrounded by sugar cane plantations and industrial processing plants.

When we reached the foothills we exited onto a winding two lane road through shade grown coffee terraces. The police dropped away. Clouds obscured the mountain tops and the weather cooled as the busses trudged up the steep grade. It was not long until we pulled into the cobbled streets of the old Spanish colonial city of Antigua.

Once we arrived, the direction of the day definitely improved. First we stopped at a jade factory where we enjoyed a brief lecture from an archeologist about jade and its relationship with ancient Maya culture. Of course, there was a shopping opportunity as well and I'm wearing the result - a small jade pendant with my Maya astrological sign imbedded in silver. Gene and I are both Iq' - the hummingbird.

After the factory we enjoyed a fantastic buffet lunch at the five star Hotel San Marcos Resort. The hotel incorporates the standing and fallen sections of a 300 year old monastery. A museum dedicated to art of the Maya, as well as colonial history, is included on the grounds. They had a fantastic exhibit where Mayan pieces were juxtaposed with modern glass art to show continuing themes and forms of art through the ages.

Following the resort and museum, we wandered through the substantial ruins of a convent - one of the last large buildings constructed in Antigua before it was decimated by an earthquake in 1773 And the capital subsequently moved to Guatemala City. The convent was quite fascinating, but apparently we stayed too long. When we arrived at our next destination, the former home of the King's emissary from Spain, it had closed five minutes earlier. So we continued on to the roofless old cathedral in the heart of town.

The heart of Antigua, including the new and old cathedrals, central plaza, municipal palace, the bishop's palace, and the military governor's headquarters, is very beautiful. It's also overflowing with tourists and poor Maya street vendors. Locals seemed to sit back on the benches in the cool evening air and watch with bemusement as we touristos were repeatedly assaulted by every age and type of poor peddler. But for me, it was easy to move on. Poverty and aggressive vendors are part of the culture. One should accept it or not come here at all.

The day ended at the local mercado. One section is dedicated to small stalls occupied by artisans selling textiles, carvings, ceramics, clothing, leather, and paintings. Of course, the place was replete with American, Canadian, and Mexican vacationers. Next door was the much larger main market. This was the locale where touristos were a small minority. Every type of merchandise was available from specialty family run stalls: vegetables and fruit merchants, butchers, bread bakers and other foodstuffs. Also available were shoes, clothing, housewears, electronics, toiletries, and more.

By six o'clock we climbed onto our bus for the return to the Regal Princess. The sun had set, the horns of evening traffic were insistent, and the local crowds were out in full force at the end of a work day. The trip back down the mountains to Puert Quetzal was rapid.

Once back on the ship, we met a new friend for drinks and a dinner of pizza and salad. Then we switched our main dining room arrangements. A 45 minute juggling and comedy act ended the day. And here I am ready for a good night's sleep.

Tomorrow the entire day will be at sea so there's no reason to awaken early. I lie here ready to doze off in my comfy bed with smooth soft sheets and remind myself that I am very happy and lucky. I'm lucky to have been born in a wealthy country with a stable government (thankfully Guatemala 's government is stable now too, elected democratically, and quite popular if our guide is to be believed). But I'm also extremely happy that I have the time, energy, and resources to see and experience the culture, language, food, art, history and terrain of numerous countries and peoples all around the world - even if only for a brief time. Overheated busses, poor dining companions, and canceled tour sites are NOTHING! I refuse to be a nay sayer or complainer like too many I have met on this or other cruises. Life is too short. If you hear me doing any significant complaining it will probably be about some negative old whiner that doesn't know how good his or her life is. Life is good if you follow Captain Picard's command and, "Make it so."

The ship was very quiet last night. Though everyone was aboard, the ship seemed empty. I think many folks flew into Acapulco on the same day and were tired - retiring early rather than partaking of the evening activities. When we attended the Welcome Aboard show, only 25% of the theatre was occupied. But those of us present did our best to cheer on the dancers and singers. This morning we arrived in Hualtulco at 9am. Its a relatively new resort area planned by the Mexican government. There is a new cruise ship pier, so getting on and off the ship is very easy. Because I still suffer from the remnants of a cold, we took things easy. We strolled about the tourist village exploring a couple jewelry stores, a pretty open-air church, the central plaza, and a shaded flea market. Then we returned to the ship to relax for the afternoon. Both Gene and I spent time by the pool. But I remained in the shade. It's just too hot and humid for me to lie out in the sun for very long. Perhaps as my coughing continues to diminish, I will feel more willing to bake in the sun. Currently it's 4:30 CST and the Regal Princess is once again back at sea heading toward Guatemala. Gene just finished his first line dancing class in the stage door lounge. I, afraid dancing would foster a coughing fit, watched a movie about the building of the Panama Canal instead. As each day passes, I cough less often. I have to be completely well by Dec. 25 or I won't be able to scuba dive in Aruba. I'm doing everything I can to avoid such a huge loss. The diving In Aruba is supposed to be spectacular! We have more relaxed events planned for this evening. At 5:30 we are attending our first Friends of Dorothy gay social group sponsored by the cruise staff. Do you know what "Friends of Dorothy" means? I'll let you know later. Tonight is our first formal wear evening - including the Captain's Welcome Cocktail Reception just prior to our 8pm dinner. This is the night when we meet our fellow dining companions for the first time. The evening's entertainment is not so exciting for us. Piano Man is the big musical review scheduled in the show lounge. But we've already seen that show three times on three different ships. I think I may go to the movie theatre instead. Tomorrow we arrive in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. Then we ride a bus into the old capital city - Antigua. It was partly destroyed by an earthquake in the 18th century. The capital was moved to the new Guatemala City. The resulting abandonment and poverty of Antigua actually ensured the preservation of the remaining colonial architecture amisat the rubble. I'm looking forward to our day long exploration of Antigua and it's Mayan and colonial history and culture.

We were up by 7:30 today. Breakfast was in one of the hotel restaurants. I ate off the yummy Mexican buffet. Gene ordered Eggs Benedictine. Soon after we passed our luggage to the Princess transfer folks. We decided to take the bus tour. The temp here is about 88 and the humidity is 70%. My thinking was an air conditioned bus would be nice since I'm trying to recover from a cold. Within no time, we had met two other gay couples while waiting for our bus tour in the hotel lobby - real nice folks from San Diego and San Francisco. There appears to be a large contingent of gay cruisers on this boat - more than on our past cruises. Later we met another couple in line for embarkation. The bus tour was four hours long and I found it to be just okay. It was mostly a drive around the expensive resort and condo neighborhoods, then through old town to some stores in the cliff diving area. We walked around a silver shop where I bought a medallion necklace. Then we received a free beer while we watched the cliff divers. Now we are relaxing in our stateroom having a drink and some snacks. Tonight our plans include eating at the buffet, going through the traditional muster drill, as well as the Welcome Aboard Show in the big show lounge. The ship departs Acapulco at 8pm.

I went to bed at 9pm last night, hoping to get 6 hours of sleep before waking at 3am in order to catch our 6am flight to DFW and our ultimate destination of Acapulco. Unfortunately, I have a miserable head cold, and my coughing and congestion woke me at midnight. I never truly slept again. SeaTac was a mess. Many folks are still trying to escape the city after the big wind storm. Even though we were in the First Class line, check-in still took quite a while. The same held true for the security screening. We arrived at gate A6 just before boarding commenced. The flight left half an hour late, but we made up about half that delay in the air. As we took off, we could see large swaths of suburbs were still without electricity. Now it is 1:20pm CST and we have left Dallas. As I write this we are over Austin. In about two hours we will land in Acapulco where the temperature should reach 85 today. Princess Cruises is supposed to shuttle us to the Hyatt. I think I'll try and find a Farmacia where I can get some of that great Mexican over the counter cough syrup with codeine. That should guarantee a good night's rest. - - - - - - - - - - It's 9:30 CST and I'm finally in bed. I feel horrible. After checking in at the hotel, Gene and I walked down the street to the 24 hour Farmacia in Walmart. Unfortunately, they weren't able to help me with anything more than an average decongestant. So we ordered room service for dinner because I'm just too tired to even go down to the restaurant. Tomorrow we relax around the pool in the morning or take a city bus tour. We'll decide in the morning. Then we embark the Regal Princess in the afternoon.