We
started the day with a 45 minute walk before returning to our cabin to get
ready for our shore excursion. We
ordered room service for breakfast (omelets and fruit for both of us).
Caldera
is the port area for Puntarenas, a city of about 100,000.
Our
shore excursion today was to the Pura Vida Gardens and Waterfall.
Pura Vida is a term for Costa Ricans that essentially means good health, good day, everything is going well. It's a positive affirmation of life. Everyone wants Pura Vida. (Bob thought of the phrase - Don't Worry, Be Happy).
Our guide Ursula was very knowledgeable and
shared so many facts about the flora and fauna of Costa Rico. After a brief stop at the Tarcoles River to
see if we could see any crocodiles sunbathing (they were all in the river), we
arrived at the Gardens.
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Crocs!!! (and not the shoes) |
The Gardens are at an elevation of about 3000 feet
above sea level. The sweeping views of
the ocean, the jungle and the waterfall were magnificent. The gardens are in a natural setting and
thousands of native and imported flowers have been added. There are walkways that wander over the
grounds.
On one of the trails, we could see part of the largest waterfall in Costa Rica.
In addition to seeing
interesting flowers/plants there were many butterflies and birds. Costa Rica has 137 species of snakes, 22 of
which are poisonous. Luckily we did not
see any snakes on our walk (we were careful to watch out for the jumping viper, just in case).
It was an incredibly lush rain forest (Bob was thinking of "jungle" and the old Tarzan movies that he watched as a kid).
One set of steps that we climbed up almost killed us off. Amazing views, but wow was it hot!! Eventually we made it back for a Costa
Rican lunch out on the patio. It was
great to sit down and relax after our 90 minute walk in the Gardens (the cold beer was quite welcome).
Our
guide explained to us that it is the rainy season, and every afternoon the dark
clouds appear and it rains. Not more
than 5 minutes after we re-boarded the ship, it was pouring rain. Back on the
ship, we relaxed – relaxed enough that we both had a short nap. Guess we were tired out from our shore
excursion and the heat.
Pre-dinner
drinks were in the Cove. This is the
site of the Great Butterfly Caper. I
mentioned that in the Gardens we visited there were many butterflies and
birds. The gangway entrance was Deck 5
adjacent to the Cove. All of sudden, a
LARGE butterfly (probably 8 to 10 inches in wingspan) flew in through the entrance. It was so large we first wondered
if it was a bird or a bat, but it quickly became apparent by the way it was
flying that it was a butterfly. This
caused quite a stir as it flew through the bar with passengers ducking, the
atrium by the fountain, the desk area.
Many Crystal employees were trying unsuccessfully to catch it. Finally, a very tall passenger was able to
pluck it out of one of the light fixtures in the Cove. The Security Officer carried it to the door
and released it outdoors. Happy Ending
to the story!
We
had dinner in The Waterside. Julie enjoyed: King
Crab, Lump and Dungeness Crabmeat with Avocado Mousse
Vegetable
Salad Nicoise with Fava Beans, Artichokes, Tomato, Onions, Haricot Verts,
Olives and Sweet Peppers
And,
for her entrée – a real departure with the Vegan entrée offering: Vegan Sausage & Broccoli Ravioli with
Parsley-Walnut Pesto. It was a hit!
Bob
had: Crisp
Pork Spring Roll with Pineapple Mango Chutney
Parsnip
Soup with Chives and Sour Cream
Black
Angus Beef Tenderloin with Chimmi Churri Sauce, Eggplant-Corn Chorizo Confit,
Crisp Chorizo
For dessert, Julie had the Bailey's Irish Cream Torte and Bob had a selection of cheeses.
After
dinner the Crystal Showband performed Dixieland and New Orleans Jazz
music. This show is back by popular
demand from the passengers.
We
were in port until 10:00 pm, and therefore local performers were brought
onboard to perform for us. The locals Costa
Rican Show was performed at 9:15 pm in the Galaxy. It featured local music, dance and
costumes. They did a nice job. We always find it interesting to get a peek
into the local culture through these types of shows.
Tonight
we have to move the clocks forward again…..
We are reminded why we much prefer to travel west where you gain hours
instead of losing them J
Today
we walked 15,495 steps, 7.4 miles.
On our 2019 Canal cruise we overnight here, it is the port that we disembark the ship at. Our plan is to spend 3 days at one of the resorts and then head home. Would you recommend the SE you booked? We will have plenty of time to Zip Line on our own.
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