Bastrop, Texas

It is officially summer but then again everyday sort of feels like summer.  I do not have many summer travel plans since now I can travel any time . . . it is so much cheaper to fly other times of year!  Of course, I am a bit bored sitting at home so I have decided to start off with a local-ish trip to one of my favorite Texas hotels but first a bit of a detour to check out a couple Texas State Parks in the area.  First up is Buescher State Park.  It is late May and already so hot so am I bit crazy to do some hiking?  Yes, yes I am!  I have to remind myself state parks are not as . . . I am not sure what word to use here . . . grand as national parks.  Don't get me wrong there are some awesome state parks around the U.S.   I spent about two hours wandering around Buescher State park checking off blocks by exploring the Big Tree Retreat trail, Winding Woodlands trail, and the CCC Crossover trail.

 

Don't be fooled by the overcast and shade from the trails . . . it is hot, but I am being smart about being in the heat!  I loaded up in the car and back tracked to another state park near by, Bastrop State Park.  Up until 2015 there was an active golf course on site.  In September 2011, the park suffered a major wildfire that wiped out about 96% of the park.  It was devasting!  So to the trails I go . . . it is still early enough that the sun is manageable but not for long!  I visit a few of the key areas such as the Wildflowers Historic Starter House, Refectory Historic Site, Pine Warbler Trail to see the Bracken Ferns.  It is a bit late for Texas wildflowers but there were a few patches hanging on.

And it was too hot to be hiking so it was time to just drive around the scenic park loop road.  I wanted to see if I could get a good view from the scenic over look where I could see the regrowth from the 2011 wild fires.

 

 

I called it a day as I was hot, thirsty and starving.  Is it even a Texas road trip if you don’t stop at Buc-ee’s.  The air conditioning was so welcoming and the smell of  yummy food was overwhelming, but I grabbed my food and headed outside to eat . . . there is no seating inside! 

Oh and let's not forget the frozen Dr. Pepper that was basically stuck to my hand!  It was so cold and refreshing.  And you know what makes you suddenly perk up?  Seeing the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort sign and knowing the next two nights will be so nice!

I can’t wait to enjoy the resort for a couple days!  Since it’s mid-week I was pretty sure I would get an upgrade; I did. This is the first time I got an upgrade to a Lone Star Suite. Who pays these insane rates?

 

I will be honest I sure can’t afford to pay that rate. The only reason I am here right now is because I had a free category one through seven free night about to expire and then used points for the second night so my stay is absolutely zero dollars . . . other than what I spent on food which isn't cheap.  By the way, the lobby smells so good!  I headed to Maude’s for a snack and zero proof Salted Rosemary Paloma. I’ve never been here when it was so dead granted it is a Tuesday but there are only two other people out. It’s crazy and sooo nice too.

Cant wait to explore and relax tomorrow too!

Panama Canal cruise review

After 4799 nm I am back in America.  It was a great trip, and I visited three new countries too!

Highs:

·       Panama Canal passage
·       Guatemala
 
Lows:
·       room noise; the coughing next door was awful!
·       needed more sea day activities
·       long bus rides to get to excursions

Day 15: sea day

Not much to say about today . . . the end is near so I am packing!

Today’s Food Highlight:  fresh bread and fancy butter . . . it is a total weakness!

Day 14: sea day

Another day of just hanging out . . . the weather has turned much cooler and so windy that many of the upper decks are closed off.  I think I only left my room to eat and get fresh air.

Today’s Food Favorite:  Desert Pear Margarita . . . the only one I had all 14 days

Day 13: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

I wanted something easy today so I picked the Vallarta's Top Highlights & Shopping tour. I knew it would be a large group that would be herded through Puerto Vallarta, and I was okay with that . . . usually I would not pick any tour that mentions the word shopping as I find that a waste of my time . . . I mean then I am paying for time to shop which cost me money too.  I have found that when you get off a cruise ship in Mexico it is usually in an area with shops and today was no different but when I looked up . . .

. . . I loved the umbrellas!  I thought our tour guide gave good and easy to understand information.

Fact about Puerto Vallarta’s economy:

• 60%  tourism
• 10%  agriculture
• 10%  fishing
• 10%  construction
• 10%  mining of minerals

And we are off the bus!  I am ready to explore the heart of Puerto Vallarta, the Malecón. It is a popular pedestrian-only area stretching 12 blocks and just about every tour bus stopped here. The beach area was a bit rocky.

But there were many statues and colorful displays too . . . it was a bit difficult to snap a photo without someone posing in front but you just had to be fast. 

Season 36 of The Amazing Race, one of my favorite shows, started in Puerto Vallarta.  In the season’s first Detour they had a choice of Pick ‘Em Up or Pin ‘Em Down.  In Pick ‘Em Up the teams had to transport a pair of rocking horses down a steep hill to find a specific sculpture in the Malecón in order to get their next clue . . .

 

The horses were huge, and I am sure heavy!  I thought this was one of the best views of the Los Arcos Amphitheater (the Aquiles Serdan Theater) and where The Amazing Race had part of the season 36 episode.

It was then on to the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Church of Our Lady Guadalupe).  The church is 103 years old and took 60 years to finish the outside.

I thought this statue was fun.  I had no idea who is he was but something about his glasses caught my eye.  This is Father Rafael Parra Castillo.   

So, who is he?  I have read many different things about him and not exactly sure to be honest what the write here. 

And then it happened we stopped at a jewelry store with opals and had 25 minutes to shop! It never fails they lead you to their stores and it was okay as there was no pressure to buy just nice people and cold air conditioning.

The last stop of the tour was at an outdoor market to shop.  I browsed around and listened to the constant begging to come shop my lady and you want to buy your husband something.  I politely said no thanks, laughed, and continued to walk.  We were dropped off at the ship, but I wasn’t ready to get back on the ship so stopped at a little restaurant for a snack . . .

. . . and bought a few small items that I overpaid for but wasn’t in the mood to bargain more than a little.  I thought the price was fair and always feel terrible trying to save a few bucks when I know those few bucks will do so much for that family.  Can you say sucker?  It was back to the ship and honestly, I enjoyed the excursion . . . could I have done it on my own by using a taxi?  Yes, but I had to make zero effort and that is a win for me.

Day 12: sea day

I treated myself to a special lunch today called, Taste of Royal.  It is a sampling of favorite menu items at Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants (extra fee).  I have never had a meal at any of the specialty restaurants so I was looking forward to seeing if the food was really that good.  It was a four-course meal; it was very good!  The entire meal was excellent, but hands down the best course was the Fried Cheesecake!  Just amazing! 

After the meal I had to go lay down for a bit!  I don't eat this much in one setting but it was worth it!  After a bit of rest, I headed out to one of my favorite places to just enjoy the sunshine and gusty wind.

Day 11: sea day

It has been a hot hazy kind of day.

Today’s Food Highlight:  fruit tart . . . how I started my day . . . every morning!

  

Day 10: Antigua, Guatemala

We arrived in Port Quetzal, Guatemala, but there isn’t much there!  The closest touristy town is Antigua which is about 2 hours by bus!  While I did book an excursion with the cruise ship, it is called Antigua On You Own.  I am super thrilled that once we arrive in Antigua then we will have time to do whatever we want.  Of course, it sounds great but it was a long process to get to the On Your Own part.

• 830am get off cruise ship
• 9am load bus at Port Quetzal for 2 hour trip
• 11am arrive outside Antigua; transfer from big bus to small bus
• 1145am On Our Own starts
• 3pm meet at designated pick-up point
• 345pm take small bus to big bus
• 415pm big bus departs for ship
• 528pm arrive at Port Quetzal
• 530pm cruise ship All Aboard time

So, this is exactly why you take a cruise shore excursion because they wait on you.  Of the 6 buses on this tour, we were bus 2 so there were 4 buses that arrived after the All Aboard time . . . anyway so how was my day?  It was fabulous except we spent more time traveling and waiting than actually in Antigua, Guatemala.  BUT this town really surprised me and it was exactly what I needed today. 

The cruise excursion was basically transportation.  However, we did have an excellent guide to give us a “tour” on the drive.  It was a very scenic drive through the Guatemalan country side with super lush landscapes, villages, and of course road construction.  It was long . . . like very long but at least it was very beautiful and the bus was air conditioned.  One thing that I did not think about was we would be going from 0 elevation to around 5,500 elevation so we were reminded to take it slow and drink plenty of water.  Some interesting facts about Guatemala:

• 3 technetronic plates
• Guatemala is in The Ring of Fire
• 3 active volcanos
• 1976 there was an 8.0 earthquake
• 22,000 people died
• 5th highest producer of sugar cane
• Antigua has 25 churches in 1 sq mile

It is very hazy due to burning of sugar cane and the volcano is smoking!

Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage city.  The cobblestone streets, colonial architecture, brightly colored buildings, beautiful churches; it was just a great city to wander around and hopefully not get lost.  I will say the cobblestone streets were rough and did have to mind my step and pay attention because they were a bit dangerous and uneven at times.  Thankfully the city seemed compact.  The bus tour guide told us his city was basically a 10 block by 10 block area.  I had planned ahead and had a list of places to visit so once we were turned on our own; I was off in the opposite direction of the other people. 

My first stop was the Iglesia de San Francisco el Grande (San Francisco Church).  It is a significant landmark and pilgrimage site, particularly for its association with Santo Hermano Pedro.  He was the first canonized saint of Central America and is buried here. The church complex, included ruins, a museum, and the Monastery of San Francisco.  It was worth the $5 to walk around and explore; no one else was there. 

 

With my handy dandy map, I headed to Central Park for a short break because it was super hot.  

I did not stay long because the vendors were everywhere!  Did a walk by the Cathedral.

I saw a kid selling nuts so figured some protein would be good.  I don’t speak Spanish . . . I really, really need to learn.  I basically pulled out two $1 bills and said I want $2 worth of nuts.  He just looked at me but then gave me a bag of cashews and macadamia nuts.  Of course, I felt bad that I might have not given him enough money, but he didn't ask for more.  

A big tourist attraction is the Arch of Santa Catalina.  I think most people take photos from the other side but if you look back the view is better with Volcán de Agua (Agua Volcano) in the center.  You have to always turn around and look behind you!  It is funny that depending on where you stand and the angle of the photo the volcano looks vastly different in size. 

 

Then I just wandered around a bit before making my way to Iglesia de la Merced (La Merced Church).  Either is was closed at that time or there was some secret entrance that wasn’t the obvious door in the front so I just enjoyed from the outside.  Honestly, I have never heard of a church being closed, but I did notice signs at some saying tourist/visitors were not allowed during mass. 

I had seen what was on my list and then just wandered and backtracked and relaxed.  I picked up a mango paleta (popsicle) from a vendor and it was good on this hot humid day!  I sat off to the side at Central Park hoping to not attract any vendors which did last for a bit.  It was nearing time to return to our meeting point to begin the journey back to the ship.  While I had a plan for my day, I should have had a better plan with more places to visit.  The city was more compact that I expected and if I had known of other places I probably could have seen more.  I was happy with what I did see and do but next time will over prepare.  I never felt unsafe walking around by myself. 

Our return meeting point was a jade jewelry workshop, so typical of a cruise ship.  I walked around and watched them working diligently on their projects.

As you read earlier, it was a lot of less then organized people waiting for a small bus to go to the big bus.  There was a lot of wasted time just standing around but sometimes that happens, I guess.  We arrived back to the port two minutes before the all aboard time but I wasn’t worried.  Back on board and off to eat!

Day 9: sea day

Another day of hanging out.  I spent a lot of time on the helideck watching the boobies soar and try to catch fish.  It was very windy but sunny.

Today’s Food Highlight:  Roast Beef Sandwich; in the room and in the Solarium; always yummy!