At precisely 8:30 am we vacated our cabin. The cabin stewardess was patiently waiting with her nose to our door to fumigate, desand, and debug our suite for the next guests, and we waited just as patiently in the Observation Lounge for our transfer from Puerto Caldera to San Jose where we will be put up in the Camino Real Intercontinental Hotel for our 10 am flight tomorrow to Dallas.
At precisely 9:45 am the expedition staff leave their gazebo to load our luggage which had been sitting in the 90 degree F (-14 C, I believe) heat on the door. (The staff needed to be in the shade to be able to wave to each and every guests as they disembarked the ship in small groups from 8 am on). The luggage was warm to the touch, and the Godiva chocolates--15 days worth of evenings, you know--and we boarded a bus for a 2 1/2 hour "1 1/4 hour" drive over the coastal mountains to the outskirts of San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. A tour guide for the transfer bus who was briefed by the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce, extolled the virtues of Socialism and Democracy. He told us that there was 4.7% unemployment, free first 2 hours of cell phones, free 200 KW-HR of electricity, and maybe he said 2 free brothel visits each month for all citizens, but I had become distracted by the wonderful inland scenery. The guide lost steam after a while and retired to the LOCKED drivers cab where he apparently continued his narrative to the driver only since we made lots of apparently wrong turns and endless circles past beautiful homes behind chain link fences with barbed wire on the top. No doubt the first 100 feet of which is supplied free each month by the government.
We arrived at the very imposing Intercontinental, checked out the gigantic shopping mall across the street, and then settled in for a couple of Imperial cervazas and a typically Costa Rican meal of sushi, teryaki, and tempora at one of the hotel's restaurants.
Wednesday, 7 October 2009 - Boulder, CO
Flights home went on time (except for American Airlines posting a one hour delay for about one hour and then rescinding it and leaving Dallas on schedule).
Super but exhausting cruise with my trying to do both Silversea and expedition activities (i.e., eating fine meals, drinking fine booze, and then having to ride Zodiacs and get muddy). Oh well, someone has to do it. Looking forward to Sydney to Hong Kong via Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam in January. Stay tuned.
MB 9 Oct 09
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