After leaving the Panama Canal our next port of call was Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Puntarenas sits on a long, narrow peninsula in the Gulf of Nicoya. As the country's most important fishing port, Puntarenas is the perfect place to enjoy fresh seafood. Although the village looks very small from the water front there are over 100,000 inhabitants.
After two wonderful days at sea and watching the dolphin at play and seeing the turtles at play along side the ship, our next port of call was Huatulco, Mexico.
Pre-Columbian Mexico probably was a mix of native peoples either traveling through or living briefly in Huatulco, the Zapotecs most likely among them, In the early 16th Century, after Hernan Cortes conquered the region for Spain, Huatulco became a favorite stop for Spanish merchants and colonists, supporting growth along the Pacific Coast.
We found this a small sleep town with a lovely beach and many sidewalk cafes.
Acapulco was our next port of call.
When Spanish conquistador Gil Gonzales Avila arrived in 1512, he recognized the potential of this excellent harbor. For the next 250 years, the Spanish colonial empire tapped the wealth of Asia with great fleets of galleons that crisscrossed the Pacific. From Acapulco, ships sailed to Asia to exchange Mexican silver for spices, silk, ivory,precious stones,pearls, and other fine wares. Upon their return, the cargo was unloaded in Acapulco and carried overland to the gulf port of Veracruz, for eventual shipping to Europe. However as new trade routes around Africa's Cape of Good Hope opened at the end of the century, the importance of Acapulco began to decline. Acapulco remained outside the mainstream of Mexican development until after WWII when American tourists sought out new destinations to explore. Soon after, Acapulco staked its claim as the international playground for Hollywood's elite, and the rich and famous from around the globe.
Two more days at sea and we arrived at our final port of call, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. On the shore of a desert near the misty border of two seas lies a tiny, rustic, and remote fishing village that is rapidly becoming one of Mexico's hottest resort destinations. Located at the southernmost tip of the 100 mile long Baja California peninsula, Cabo San Lucas is blessed with a coastline that's ideal for kayaking, snorkeling and whale-watching, Cabo features dramatic desert terrain scenery, breathtaking seascapes and rugged coastline, marked by unusual rock formations.
One final day at sea and we were on to San Diego. Our last day at sea was rather rocky and cool after the hot and humid weather we had experienced along the way. The seas during the night were rocking and rolling but then what do you expect on the high seas???
We arrived in San Diego in the morning and finally were allowed to disembark. As we had half a day we took a tour of the city before heading to the airport for our all night flight back to Florida.
When we landed in Orlando, I was tired but what a wonderful trip it had been We had eaten too much good food and drunk too much great wine!!!! We had a fantastic time!! I would recommend this trip everyone it is really something to experience.
We are home and in three weeks time we will be on the road once again in the RV heading to more great places to see in our great country. Stay tuned for more from the road, until then,
Love to all,
Candy and Johnny
