We're geocachers and brought our GPS with us on the Panama Canal cruise hoping to make some finds while on vacation.
For more information on geocaching, check the website www.geocaching.com
The first thing I had to do was check the ports of call on our Island Princess itinerary through the Panama Canal. Once I knew the ports my next stop was www.wikipedia.com where I typed in the name of the city or country and the port. Wikipedia shows the GPS coordinates of the port and from there I typed the coordinates in at www.geocaching.com and searched for nearby caches.
Then I had to do a little more research because I didn't know how close some of the caches were to the port. Was it within walking distance or would I have to take a bus, hire a taxi, etc. Keep in mind that many of these ports are in the sub-tropics or close to the equator and its hot and often humid and long walks might not be an ideal solution for many.
A good place to do some research is on the forum boards at the Cruise Critic website. www.cruisecritic.com Ask questions and people who have travelled to that location may know the answer.
The ports of call on the Island Princess are not going to be the same as other cruises but this will give you some idea what to find in the ports I visited.
Our first port of call was Aruba. I found the GPS coordinates on Wikipedia and then searched the Geocaching website for caches near the port. There's not any. There are caches a few miles from the port, namely Palm Beach and Eagle Beach that caught my eye, but how to get there? I then looked on the discussion boards of Cruise Critic under Aruba. I discovered the Number 10 bus departs from a terminal near the port and goes to those beaches. For more information on our adventures of geocaching in Aruba, see my blog here.
One of our fellow passengers on the Island Princess who is a more avid geocacher than us did a virtual cache that was within walking distance from the cruise ship terminal. That had something to do with a webcam and coordinating with someone in Ontario. I'd read that one and it seemed a little more complicated for us than what we want to do.
Our next stop was Cartagena. Again I checked Wikipedia and Geocaching and learned there is a cache hidden within the confines of the port area. However I also noticed there was an earth cache at the mud bath volcano in Totumo. Perfect seeing as how I'd already booked a shore excursion here. Kerry and our new geocaching friend did try to find that cache hidden in the port but gave up after half an hour. It had a level 5 difficulty - the hardest rating.
Traversing through the Panama Canal is a virtual cache that you can check out on Geocaching. This one and at Totumo are take photos, answer questions type of caches.
In Fuerte Amador (Panama City) there is supposedly a cache hidden in the port, a short walk from getting off the tender. Both us and our friend tried to find it but it wasn't there. Muggled! However, we did get a find during a private shore excursion we'd booked with My Friend Mario. They parked the bus about 500 feet away from where the cache was hidden and Mario accompanied us to find it.
In Costa Rica we docked at Puntarenas. There aren't any caches hidden here or within 20 miles so Costa Rica was a bust for us.
We had 3 ports of call in Mexico: Huatulco, Acapulco, and Cabo San Lucas. Seeing as how we'd booked a private shore excursion in Acapulco, I only printed out caches in Huatulco and Cabo San Lucas prior to leaving. There is one hidden in the bay where the cruise ship docks, however it was missing when we searched for it. There is another one hidden on a nearby street but I forgot to print that one or bring it with us on the cruise so luck in this town. In Cabo San Lucas there are a couple hidden within walking distance of the marina where the tenders dock and we found them both.
Good luck and happy geocaching!
Showing posts with label Mexico. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mexico. Show all posts
Monday, September 13, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas was the Island Princess's last port of call in Mexico.
This is a tender port. All passengers are shuttled to an from the marina by one of the Island Princess tenders/lifeboats and there also were a couple of private tenders from the Cabo San Lucas marina that were hired for the day to handle the huge passenger load. For more information on the Island Princess tenders and procedures, see my post about tendering in Fuerte Amador, Panama.
At the marina in Cabo San Lucas there will be many private boat operators who are very eager to take you to the arches or the beach for $10. As the morning wore on the price dropped and the lowest we were quoted was $7 each, but unfortunately it wasn't much interest to us. There are a lot of restaurants around the marina offering specials on drinks and nachos.
We had planned to go geocaching in Cabo San Lucas and there is a cache hidden inside this restaurant.
We ran into the other geocachers from the Island Princess at this cache and together we made our way to the next cache, so we had 2 successful finds here.
I believe this was the skeletal structure of a whale, perhaps a humpback.
There are lots of places to shop near the Cabo San Lucas marina.
There are lots of water activities available. Scuba diving, snorkelling, swimming, sea-doo, banana boat, parasailing, etc.
The famous Cabo San Lucas arch with a tourist boat in front.
This is a tender port. All passengers are shuttled to an from the marina by one of the Island Princess tenders/lifeboats and there also were a couple of private tenders from the Cabo San Lucas marina that were hired for the day to handle the huge passenger load. For more information on the Island Princess tenders and procedures, see my post about tendering in Fuerte Amador, Panama.
At the marina in Cabo San Lucas there will be many private boat operators who are very eager to take you to the arches or the beach for $10. As the morning wore on the price dropped and the lowest we were quoted was $7 each, but unfortunately it wasn't much interest to us. There are a lot of restaurants around the marina offering specials on drinks and nachos.
We had planned to go geocaching in Cabo San Lucas and there is a cache hidden inside this restaurant.
We ran into the other geocachers from the Island Princess at this cache and together we made our way to the next cache, so we had 2 successful finds here.
I believe this was the skeletal structure of a whale, perhaps a humpback.
There are lots of places to shop near the Cabo San Lucas marina.
There are lots of water activities available. Scuba diving, snorkelling, swimming, sea-doo, banana boat, parasailing, etc.
The famous Cabo San Lucas arch with a tourist boat in front.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Port of call: Acapulco, Mexico
May 10 2010 Acapulco
A misty morning in Acapulco but still very warm. As the day progressed the sun dissolved the mist and it became very hot.
We’d booked a tour with Acapulco Rosie. Her van was full and we were on the second van with her associate who also spoke perfect English, probably due to the years he spent living in California. Rosie’s van was slightly behind us for most of the tour and for some of the stops she and her group also arrived before we left. Ten of us on a 14 passenger van was very comfortable and a five hour tour for $35 was extremely reasonably priced. We departed the cruise port at 9:30 am.
Here's a photo of some of the beautiful homes on the hillside that enjoy incredible views of Acapulco Bay.
The first stop of the day was high on the mountain overlooking Acapulco – the Chapel of Peace. This section of land was owned by a wealthy family whose 2 sons were killed in a plane crash. The parents erected an enormous white cross and built a chapel there to their memory. The parent’s remains are interred there as are other people who have purchased a final resting place at the chapel. The daughter sold off the surrounding land where fabulous houses are owned by wealthy occupants and she still owns a house nearby.
Kerry with Acapulco Rosie at the Chapel of Peace overlooking Acapulco Bay. I highly recommend her tour. Contact Rosie through her web page http://www.acapulcorosiestours.com
The next stop was at the Princess Hotel which is on the south side of Acapulco, a different bay than the famous one associated with most photos of Acapulco. A lovely hotel, expensive at $200/night. The swimming pool was closed and we walked down to the beach to see a sign warning that it wasn’t safe to swim in the ocean due to the currents. No pool or ocean to swim in makes $200/night not worth it in my opinion. It was nice to have a bathroom break at this resort, though.
Beautiful beach set up with cabanas and loungers. That's a turtle sculpture in the foreground.
Beautiful beach, but don't swim in the ocean.
On a driving tour around Acapulco. In the old part of town we saw a mural by Diego Rivera.
On to the Casablanca Hotel which was built in the 1930’s. The hotel has seen better days. Its fallen into a state of disrepair. We wandered inside and up to the roof and patio areas to take photos. Take care not to lean on the railings here!
The view of the boats in Acapulco Bay from a rooftop patio at the Casablanca Hotel. 
Another view of the Island Princess waiting at the dock.
Then it was on to the La Quebrada Cliff Divers. We saw 6 divers in about 30 minutes. No visit to Acapulco is complete without seeing them. By now the sun was quite high in the sky and we were getting hot. Fortunately Rosie supplies a cooler with water and sodas that we drank throughout the day.
Our last stop was the Flamingos Hotel, made famous in the 50’s by Hollywood stars Johhny Weismuller, John Wayne, Red Skelton, Fred McMurray, etc. A lovely hotel on the north side of the Acapulco Bay with lovely ocean views but no city views from here. The hotel looks like it has recently undergone renovations and was fairly nice as a hotel that is over 50 years old can look. We went into a couple of the rooms and they were large and airy. No air conditioning but they had fans. They also had mosquito netting for over the beds. Apparently the restaurant serves very nice meals here, but we didn’t want to have lunch here, preferring to return to the cruise ship on time to catch Mexican entertainers that were performing in the theatre that afternoon. There’s a nice swimming pool and on the far side is the round house portion of the hotel where Johnny Weismuller lived out his life. I didn’t find out what the round house rates are, but the hotel rooms we saw are $100/night. Not bad for the history and ambiance surrounding this hotel, but I don’t know that I’d want to spend too long in Acapulco without air conditioning. 
Due to the sun and heat we were all happy to return to the cruise ship by 2:30. A wonderful tour that I highly recommend doing when in Acapulco. The price may vary depending on how many people are in your group, but it includes the admission to the cliff divers and sodas and waters.
A misty morning in Acapulco but still very warm. As the day progressed the sun dissolved the mist and it became very hot.
We’d booked a tour with Acapulco Rosie. Her van was full and we were on the second van with her associate who also spoke perfect English, probably due to the years he spent living in California. Rosie’s van was slightly behind us for most of the tour and for some of the stops she and her group also arrived before we left. Ten of us on a 14 passenger van was very comfortable and a five hour tour for $35 was extremely reasonably priced. We departed the cruise port at 9:30 am.Here's a photo of some of the beautiful homes on the hillside that enjoy incredible views of Acapulco Bay.
The first stop of the day was high on the mountain overlooking Acapulco – the Chapel of Peace. This section of land was owned by a wealthy family whose 2 sons were killed in a plane crash. The parents erected an enormous white cross and built a chapel there to their memory. The parent’s remains are interred there as are other people who have purchased a final resting place at the chapel. The daughter sold off the surrounding land where fabulous houses are owned by wealthy occupants and she still owns a house nearby.
Kerry with Acapulco Rosie at the Chapel of Peace overlooking Acapulco Bay. I highly recommend her tour. Contact Rosie through her web page http://www.acapulcorosiestours.com
Best view in town! Its still hazy over Acapulco but if you look closely at the waterfront, kind of center left at the white thing that's a little larger than everything else, that's the Island Princess.
The next stop was at the Princess Hotel which is on the south side of Acapulco, a different bay than the famous one associated with most photos of Acapulco. A lovely hotel, expensive at $200/night. The swimming pool was closed and we walked down to the beach to see a sign warning that it wasn’t safe to swim in the ocean due to the currents. No pool or ocean to swim in makes $200/night not worth it in my opinion. It was nice to have a bathroom break at this resort, though.Beautiful beach set up with cabanas and loungers. That's a turtle sculpture in the foreground.
Beautiful beach, but don't swim in the ocean.
On a driving tour around Acapulco. In the old part of town we saw a mural by Diego Rivera.
On to the Casablanca Hotel which was built in the 1930’s. The hotel has seen better days. Its fallen into a state of disrepair. We wandered inside and up to the roof and patio areas to take photos. Take care not to lean on the railings here!
The view of the boats in Acapulco Bay from a rooftop patio at the Casablanca Hotel. 
Another view of the Island Princess waiting at the dock.
Then it was on to the La Quebrada Cliff Divers. We saw 6 divers in about 30 minutes. No visit to Acapulco is complete without seeing them. By now the sun was quite high in the sky and we were getting hot. Fortunately Rosie supplies a cooler with water and sodas that we drank throughout the day.
Our last stop was the Flamingos Hotel, made famous in the 50’s by Hollywood stars Johhny Weismuller, John Wayne, Red Skelton, Fred McMurray, etc. A lovely hotel on the north side of the Acapulco Bay with lovely ocean views but no city views from here. The hotel looks like it has recently undergone renovations and was fairly nice as a hotel that is over 50 years old can look. We went into a couple of the rooms and they were large and airy. No air conditioning but they had fans. They also had mosquito netting for over the beds. Apparently the restaurant serves very nice meals here, but we didn’t want to have lunch here, preferring to return to the cruise ship on time to catch Mexican entertainers that were performing in the theatre that afternoon. There’s a nice swimming pool and on the far side is the round house portion of the hotel where Johnny Weismuller lived out his life. I didn’t find out what the round house rates are, but the hotel rooms we saw are $100/night. Not bad for the history and ambiance surrounding this hotel, but I don’t know that I’d want to spend too long in Acapulco without air conditioning. 
Due to the sun and heat we were all happy to return to the cruise ship by 2:30. A wonderful tour that I highly recommend doing when in Acapulco. The price may vary depending on how many people are in your group, but it includes the admission to the cliff divers and sodas and waters.Friday, June 25, 2010
Huatulco, Mexico
Port of call on May 9, 2010 - Huatulco, Mexico
In the late 1990's the Mexican government decided to create another beach resort town to turn into another Acapulco. They chose a fishing village in the south, Huatulco and started construction in 2000. After the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001 and tourism dropping, construction came to a halt in Huatulco and there are a lot of abandoned buildings on the cliffs.
Huatulco is an interesting port in that you don't have to venture too far from the ship to do just about everything you want to do. The cruise ship pulls up to the dock and from there you can walk down the pier to the beach for a swim, enjoy a meal or drink at a beachside cafe, or go shopping. The stores are just on the other side of the beachside restaurants.
For anyone interested in geocaching, there is a cache hidden along this beach, a short walk from the ship. Beware if you are elderly or not sure footed. There are lots of rocks to clamber over and to reach the cache you have to be part billy goat and scramble about 10 feet up the side of the bank. No easy feat where there is literally no vegetation to grab on to and dirt is scrabbling away under your shoes. 
One of those rare ports where you can swim not too far away from where the ship is docked or ride a banana boat.
Just a word to anyone cruising with Princess and hoping to stop in Hualtulco - this town has since dropped off the itinerary. Could be a number of reasons. Mostly all there is to do here is swim, eat, drink, shop in the 5 or 6 hours its docked here. There are no tourist attractions to visit. The shops are high priced, even with negotiating with the vendors. We wanted to buy a hammock chair and the best price I could get was $50. In Cabo I bought a nicer hammock chair for $25. Save your money and do your shopping in another Mexican port. Better selection and better prices everywhere else. Sad for this struggling little town, especially since we were the last ship of the season stopping here. Losing Princess Cruises is going to be a big blow to the local economy.
In the late 1990's the Mexican government decided to create another beach resort town to turn into another Acapulco. They chose a fishing village in the south, Huatulco and started construction in 2000. After the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001 and tourism dropping, construction came to a halt in Huatulco and there are a lot of abandoned buildings on the cliffs.
Huatulco is an interesting port in that you don't have to venture too far from the ship to do just about everything you want to do. The cruise ship pulls up to the dock and from there you can walk down the pier to the beach for a swim, enjoy a meal or drink at a beachside cafe, or go shopping. The stores are just on the other side of the beachside restaurants.
For anyone interested in geocaching, there is a cache hidden along this beach, a short walk from the ship. Beware if you are elderly or not sure footed. There are lots of rocks to clamber over and to reach the cache you have to be part billy goat and scramble about 10 feet up the side of the bank. No easy feat where there is literally no vegetation to grab on to and dirt is scrabbling away under your shoes. 
One of those rare ports where you can swim not too far away from where the ship is docked or ride a banana boat.
Just a word to anyone cruising with Princess and hoping to stop in Hualtulco - this town has since dropped off the itinerary. Could be a number of reasons. Mostly all there is to do here is swim, eat, drink, shop in the 5 or 6 hours its docked here. There are no tourist attractions to visit. The shops are high priced, even with negotiating with the vendors. We wanted to buy a hammock chair and the best price I could get was $50. In Cabo I bought a nicer hammock chair for $25. Save your money and do your shopping in another Mexican port. Better selection and better prices everywhere else. Sad for this struggling little town, especially since we were the last ship of the season stopping here. Losing Princess Cruises is going to be a big blow to the local economy.
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