Week 18 - Oregon City and Cruise to Mexico -April 27-May 7, 2023

Waiting at the airport.

Mt Lassen

Mt Shasta

Motel in Long Beach

We took a walk along the beach which was a short way from the motel.

Long wait to get on the ship.  I think we look like refugees....we were clean, however.

Saturday and Sunday - at sea

Whitney joined in a game of Tensies with some friendly strangers.

Our favorite table in our favorite section of the Windjammer!

Sunday - a day in Cabo San Lucas - we had to take a tender to get from the ship to the city pier.  It was kind of fun.....but time consuming. 

We wandered around a bit - dodging street vendors and men holding signs for boat rental.

 

Finally realized that if we wanted to get to a beach, we had to find a boat taxi to take us to ......this lovely beach which was quite crowded.

We had to walk a way to find "our" spot....which was perfect.  Slight breeze.  Coarse sand which massaged one's feet while walking.

Warren is watching Holland, lower left, and his phone, right hand.

Copeland wore himself out in the water.  Dad just wore himself out.  Both had to rest.

Then it was time to call our water taxi, and load up.

And head back to the ship for....dinner!!!!

Monday - Mazatlán!  When we got off the boat, we (along with the other 3,000 passengers) had to take shuttle carts to get us out of the humongous container shipyard.  Once through all the containers and through a big tented area with all kinds of souvenir's, we emerged in to the city streets...where we bartered for a taxi that would take all six of us anywhere we wanted to go for three hours for - - I think, $90.  Off we went to see the picturesque bay.

Right over there...

Here is an old and unused seaside salt water swimming pool....lots of sand in it.

We dropped off at the city's fancy cathedral and walked around.  Busy streets.  Busy outdoor markets.  Reminded us of many places we've visited.

Upon leaving I kicked the kneeling bench with my shin and left sorely bruised - a lasting souvenir.

We got dropped off at a coffee shop to look for a geocache,  But, contrary to the description of the cache, the employees of the coffee shop where the cache was hidden were neither helpful or knowledgeable.  But we did find this store in this cluster of shops....

where...we bought this!  Such flavorish joy!

Our driver told us about a famous local person.....who we'd never heard of.....Pedro Infante Cruz who was born right here in Mazatlán in 1917.  You should google him.  Very handsome and a good singer.  He died in a plane crash - he was the pilot.

I can't download the photo because Warren's phone has HEIC photos which the bolg doesn't accept.  groan..............

Our taxi deposited us back to where we could board the ship.  Warren and Dad managed to examine a lot of plants

I found a bathroom that was quite nice.

Dad and Warren found a few necessities

Then back through the containers and using the shuttle..

...we were back on the ship for dinner!

Wednesday - Puerto Vallarta

This time we could actually walk off the ship.....

and through a building to get to the street where we rented a taxi for three hours.  The driver took us to a botanical garden that was about an hour's drive away.  It was a great drive.  We went through the downtown, along roads through resortish/fancy places. through areas where it seemed the people lived outside and their yards were not neat and tidy.  We were in the hills - along curvy bumpy roads.  

The traffic was busy, and all the drivers were amazingly polite - merging nicely, giving way, forming lanes in the roadway where there were no markings.  Very civilized driving - unlike Thailand or Kazakhstan.

I was skeptical about our destination botanical garden - we've been to many.  But it turned out to be nice.

There were nice healthy plants, labeled, and a good variety.  I really liked this succulent draping over the pot's edges.

I selected a few bits of the plants (for scientific purposes only) to make a birthday present for Bev.

Returning to the ship we bumped into Ryan White and his wife Aspen.   They married in October but waited until now to take their honeymoon trip.

Back on the ship for two days at sea - Thursday and Friday

Every evening on board there was a show - we went to them all.

--Ice Skating Performance -nice

Presentation by a group of men who sang the song made famous by Franki Valli and The Four Seasons.....did you know "the Four Seasons" was the name of a bowling alley where they first performed.....they were really good; I knew all the songs.

--Big Band performance...meh

--The Showgirls ...meh, meh

--Comedian - this guy was actually funny and we all were laughing

--Bingo game at Ocean Adventure for kids.

Photos of the ocean on my last walk around Deck 4 (three laps make a mile)

West (port) side of boat

East side (starboard)

Our Last Supper -  yep, same table as most dinners.

Dad packing on last morning.

And we're done.  On Thursday I knew I was getting a head cold.  I suffered when we landed in both San Jose and Portland.  I felt my ear canals were going to burst.  Oh well - such are the cons of traveling.

We're glad we went.  And, we're glad we came home.