Day Forty-nine - New York

 

Our time in New York City began at One Vanderbilt on the 93rd floor known as The Summit.  From there we could view the city in all directions.  The day was sunny, clear and warm with unlimited visibility. 

The Summit was more than just a viewing platform, it was an "interactive, multilevel experience of art, sky and exploration."  The three levels of viewing featured glass floors and mirrored walls which created an out of body sensation.  (Could this feel like heaven? or hell?)

In front of Grand Central Station we looked up to view the Chrysler Building.  It is an art deco skyscraper completed in 1930 and is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel frame.  The building's exterior features artistic shapes that resemble hood ornaments, wheels and fenders.

The pedestrian plaza at Rockefeller Center was still decorated with Easter lilies in full bloom.  The iconic Rockefeller Christmas Tree is placed annually at the end of this plaza.

Across the street from Rockefeller Center is St. Patrick's Cathedral.  Completed in 1868, it is constructed of white marble and has numerous stained glass windows.  The spires rise 329 feet above 5th Avenue.

Leaving Middle Manhattan we continued south and visited One World Trade Center.  This magnificent structure replaces the Twin Towers destroyed on 9/11. At 1,776' in height, it is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.  Nearby is the 9/11 memorial and museum.

The Occulus is NYC's transportation hub where 12 subway lines converge. The structure’s white metal-clad steel ribs reach up and out in a monumental move symbolic of a hand releasing a dove.  The Occulus is an important part of the World Trade Center's rebirth.

At 7 PM our ship departs New York and passes the Statue of Liberty just as the sun is about to set.

Day Forty-seven - Norfolk VA

 

It's sunrise as the Octantis enters Chesapeake Bay.  The gantry cranes lining the shoreline look like (robotic) giraffes watching our ship.  Norfolk is a major port and the home base of the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet.

While in Norfolk we visited nearby Colonial Williamsburg. It's a living history museum consisting of several hundred restored or recreated buildings from the 17th century. Williamsburg was the capital of the British Colony of Virginia. The Capital Building, first built in 1705, housed the Virginia General Assembly, the Council of State and the House of Burgesses. 

The House of Burgesses was the elected element of the Virginia Assembly.  Though it was intended to represent the people, its membership was actually appointed by the King of England or his representative.  There was little representation!

Strolling down the street we entered the millinery shop.  Costumed people shared with us how the early colonists lived and worked. Every item of clothing was literally "hand crafted".

Wigs were an important status symbol of  upper class  gentlemen and ladies. Williamsburg had 7 wig makers serving their needs.  Each hairpiece was hand made, one strand at a time.  A quality wig required about 150 hours to complete.

The apothecary was the one-stop shop for all of your medical needs.  In addition to providing concoction's to remedy common ailments, they were the place to go for teeth extractions, amputations, and baby deliveries.  During the era, a Doctor only worked in a laboratory doing research.

The Peyton Randolph House is one of the oldest structures in town, portions of which date to about 1715.  It was the home of founding father Peyton Randolph (1721–1775), the first and third President of the Continental Congress.  During the Civil war it was used as a hospital for both Union and Confederate soldiers.

Departing Williamsburg, we passed Victory Monument in Yorktown.  It was here on October 19, 1781, that Earl Cornwallis, Commander of British Forces, surrendered to American and French troops.  His surrender followed a 19-day siege and ended the American Revolutionary War.

Back in Norfolk, our Octantis was docked next to the USS Wisconsin, a battleship completed in 1944.  Now a museum ship, she saw action in WWII, the Korean Conflict and Operation Desert Storm.  She was decommissioned in 1991.

During sail out, we passed the Naval Ship Yard and notice two aircraft carriers in port.  At any one time, about half of the Navy's Atlantic Fleet is docked here.

Day Forty-five - Charleston, SC

 

It was sunrise as the Octantis entered Charleston Harbor.  Centered on an island at the harbor's entrance was Fort Sumpter, the location where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.  In fact, today is the anniversary of of that battle: April 12, 1861 at 4:30 AM.  The Union Army surrendered the fort 34 hours later to the Confederates. 

Once again we find ourself boarding a small boat to search for wildlife, this time Dolphins of the low country.

Our captain guided the flat bottom boat through the inlets, creeks and marsh flats around Charleston.  This "low country" was once filled with rice paddies and today is home to about 300 resident Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.  

We are at low tide and oysters are in abundance on every sandbar.  Residents are permitted to harvest two bushel a day, and many do.  They nudge their boat up to a sandbar and in a few minutes have their day's limit.

The marsh flats are are rich with marine life which attract pelicans and other sea birds.

Our boat captain stopped and provided a biology lesson on smooth cordgrass.  The plant has a "salt gland" at its base which allows it to tolerate the brackish water of the tidal basin.  When the stem is broken, its interior smells like a fresh cucumber.

Finally we locate a bottlenose dolphin "logging" on the surface.  In fact, it is a female with her calf.  She is apparently logging as she feeds the offspring.  Remember, dolphins are mammals, they breath air, their offspring are born (not hatched) and a calf nurses until they are able to survive on fish.

Back aboard the Octantis, we enjoy a spectacular view of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. It is a cable-stayed bridge over the Cooper River in South Carolina, connecting downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant. The bridge has a main span of 1,546 feet, the third longest among cable-stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere.

Day Forty-three - Fort Lauderdale, FL

 

The Octantis docked in Fort Lauderdale, disembarked 320 passengers and prepared to received an equal number of newcomers later in the day.  The 44 "long haulers" also had to disembark to clear U.S. immigration and allow the crew to clean and prepare for the new arrivals.  While off the ship we journeyed to the Everglades, boarded an airboat and went on a swamp safari.

After clearing the dock area, the captain opened the throttle on twin Chevrolet 454 engines.  We skimmed across the shallow swamp at speeds of 40 MPH or more. 

Even at full speed Jan was able to keep her hat on.  (Notice the passengers behind her.)  Thankfully the boat service provided us with ear plugs to soften the intense engine noise.

Brody, our boat captain, pointed out wild life as we moved through the swamp. He was a master at spotting critters hiding in the tall sawgrass.

Suddenly, an allegator appeared in the marsh.  Well camouflaged, it was motionless as our boat approached.  This critter would top out at about eight feet in length.

Returning to the dock we toured the private allegator farm.  Several of the large reptiles were basking in the sun.  These reptiles were easily twelve feet in size.

Nearby, six baby allegators also bathed in the sun.  These reptiles were about two-months old and measured eight inches in length.

Next to the pond was a Jesus Christ lizard.  The name originates from its ability to "walk on water".  The shape of its rear feet allows it to run upright on two legs scampering across the top of water.  Google this if you wish to see it in action.

The J.C. lizard was undoubtably eyeing this dragon fly hoping for a tasty lunch.

Day Forty-one - Cozumel Mexico

After a day at sea, we arrived at Cozumel, Mexico and found the Disney Fantasy docked next to us.  Our 700', 370 passenger ship was dwarfed by the 1,100', 4000 passenger Disney ship.  The narrow dock between the ships was busy all day with baby strollers competing for space with seniors toting canes and walkers!

 Cozumel is an island whose only business is tourism.  In short, we found it a "tourist trap".

Our coach tour stopped for a traditional Mayan Dance Show at El Barriecito.  After a "refreshing" popsicle (I expected tequila, but it was only frozen fruit juice), we viewed a performance of dance and drums presented by Mayan descendants. 

Then we stopped to view the Monument of Two Cultures erected to commemorate the 2 survivors of the Spanish crew who were ship wrecked off the Yucatan Peninsula in 1511.

Our final stop was the town square which to our surprise didn't have a Catholic church.  Instead it was lined with tourist shops on all 4 sides.  The sign on one establishment said it all, "Our prices are lower than Walmarts!"

The clock tower in the square was unique.  (Notice the numeral 4 on the clock face.)

Day Thirty-eight - Panama Canal

 

Panama Canal passage day is here!  At 7:45AM we arrived at the first of the two Miraflores Locks.  Passage through the entire 50-mile canal will take about eight hours.  There are three locks on the Pacific side which will lift us 85' into Gatun Lake.  We will cross the lake and descent 85' using three locks into the Atlantic Ocean.

Early risers were on the bow of the ship ready to view the locks.  Meanwhile, Viking's bakers were serving fresh donuts topped with assorted frostings for our enjoyment. Yummy!  Unfortunately, the hot sun soon melted the frosting creating a gooey mess. (Clean-up on aisle 9!)

Electric mules attached cables to the bow and stern of the ship to guide the vessel safely into and out of the locks.

The lead mule driver indicated his enjoyment of towing our ship by giving us a thumbs up!

Near the Gaillard Cut, the Centennial Bridge crosses the canal.  This 6-lane bridge was finished and dedicated on the 90th anniversary of the 1st cargo ship passing through the canal (August 15, 1914) 

Boats and ships of every size transit the canal.  They pay a fee based on the length and displacement of their vessel.  A large container ship can pay more than one million dollars to make the trip.  The smallest fee ever charged was 35 cents when a man swam the entire length of the canal.

As we enter the Gatun locks to begin our descent into the Atlantic, another ship, the Clearocean Mesquite, is in the adjacent lock heading in the other direction. A few of their crew members jealously watch (wishing they could join us on the Octantis). 

Exiting the canal, a brown booby guides above as if to say "goodbye". 

Day Thirty-six - Panama City

 

After a day at sea, we docked in Panama City. Tomorrow our ship will transit the Panama Canal.  During the day we boarded a small boat and cruised the southern part of the canal in search of Central American wildlife. 

Our small boat mingled with other canal traffic.  This was one of the larger container ships capable of navigating the locks.  Lack of rain has reduced the water available to operate the canal limiting ship traffic to 24 vessels per day.

Basking in the sun along the shoreline, we spotted a 6' American crocodile. The most noticeable differences between the crocodile and alligator are their color and the shape of their head.  Crocodiles are brown and allegators are black; and the snout of a crocodile is pointed whereas an Alligator's is rounded.   

Some distance away we spotted two turkey vultures, one mature and the other a juvenile.  These birds ride thermals in the sky and use their keen sense of smell to find fresh carcasses. They are a consummate scavenger, cleaning up the countryside one bite of their sharply hooked bill at a time, and never mussing a feather on their bald heads.

High in an overhead tree were howler monkeys. The monkeys are native to South and Central American forests. They are famous for their loud howls, 

which can be heard up to three miles away through dense rain forest.

Hanging on a tree trunk was a roost of trachops bats. These fruit eating mammals are about the size of the first knuckle of your thumb.

Iguanas are spotted frequently.  They are herbivores found in the warmer climates of Mexico, Central and South America.  Though they can reach 6' in length, this juvenile was less than 2' long. 

Our find of the day was a three-toed sloth. They are tree dwellers with a body adapted to hang by their limbs. Large, curved claws and muscles specifically adapted for strength and stamina help sloths to keep a strong grip on tree branches. They live high in the canopy but descend once a week to defecate on the forest floor.