I chose a ship and travel of 18 days to reach Santiago based on itinerary and the opportunity to visit a few countries. Our first stop was Cabo San Lucas in Baja California. Heat and humidity became new companions and would stay with us throughout Central America. Living in the dry southwestern US, it takes time to acclimate to the 80 percent plus humidity. This was my first visit to Baja California and Central America.
Our first Central American port was Puerto Chiapas Mexico. We visited Tuxtla Chico known as Chocolate City due to its long history (Olmec, Mayan and Aztec to name a few) of cultivating the cacao bean. We watched a demonstration of how it is prepared and tasted roasted cacao beans that were delicious. I have loved bitter chocolate since I was a child stealing Baker’s unsweetened cooking squares from the refrigerator. Having dark chocolate for the first time in 1991 in Paris sent me to the dark side and a refusal of milk chocolate thereafter. Thank goodness the world is now in agreement!
Our second Central American port was Corinto in Nicaragua. We visited León and Museo de Arte Fundación Ortiz-Guardián with paintings by Rubens, Picasso, Chagall along with Diego Rivera and many more latin american artists. There was no air conditioning and works of art that were part of a private collection are displayed in different rooms and terraces in a building that was originally a home. No photos were allowed but I wonder how the heat and humidity are impacting these paintings. As an American, knowing our history here, I was curious but Nicaragua is working on education, infrastructure and tourism. The León Cathedral is one of the largest in Central America and took over 100 years to build with construction starting in 1747.
Our third port was Costa Rica and a first for me, ziplining through the rainforest. I’m hooked, pun intended! Amazing views and in a challenge to increase speed, I overshot the landing platform twice but had a great time. The afternoon rain held off until the very end and only a couple zips in the drizzle before the downpour started. But we were safely under cover of a large tent having a great Costa Rican lunch. We left Puerto Caldera after dark with a wonderful lightning show. I tried to catch it with my camera but was not quick enough!
It was often that the locals spoke long sentences in Spanish to me and I could see the disappointment when I could not return the exchange. I need to study and have been asking for help to learn. As a child, I was not aware of my Latin roots. Partly because I did not know my father, where it came from and I am a mix of so many nationalities that I can often blend in almost anywhere. I am looking forward to South America where I will spend the next few weeks and hopefully improve my Spanish!
