Decks 5 and 6

I had intended to complete my walkthrough of the Explorer  in this post, but discovered so much art work on Deck 5 that I decided to leave Deck 4 until next time.

Deck 6 will not detain us long, for it’s mostly suites.  The photographic theme along here is fashion-related and there are some lovely images along the way.

I didn’t do well with the reflections this time, so forgive the suite numbers appearing here and there from the doors on the opposite side of the corridor.

I liked the fact that the images are not all of female fashion, for there are some stylish gentlemen pictured too!

Though there is an entrance to parts of the Spa on this level as well, I’ll leave that until later.  For now, let’s go down just one level and explore Deck 5. 

As soon as I step out of the stairwell, I notice the art.  Much was written about the art collection on board and indeed, I’ve referred to it already in earlier posts.  I felt I wanted to take particular note of it, especially on this deck where the larger pieces are placed.

Many pieces have opposing partners on the other side of the ship, so this first piece is echoed by a similar one right opposite.

And one has the Ladies WC sign to the right and the other has the Gents to the left.  (I didn’t include the washrooms on my walkabout, feeling that perhaps that would be a detail best left for first hand experience)

So, let’s walk into the reception area, where this large piece hangs on one side, and yes, on the other side is this one

I’m sorry, I’m unable to attribute any of these works, though I understand a booklet of details is in production.  Good  idea!

This large work hangs outside the Business Center, where four computers are available for guests to use.  It replaces the larger computer rooms on the other ships, since I guess most people travel with their own tablets these days – and if not, there are ipads available for the use of guests too.

Another large piece hangs on the wall nearby,

close to the Cruise Consultant’s office.  Gudrun is available most of the time to discuss future plans and answer queries.  We have an appointment with her this afternoon

Next door to Gudrun’s office is Restaurant Reservations, where you can book a table at any of the three speciality restaurants.  Or if it’s too much trouble to see the young lady in person, you can always just ring her up from your suite!  The portrait is of Princess Charlene of Monaco, Explorer’s Godmother.  I find it rather haunting and slightly unsettling, though understand the context as a reference to her background as a swimmer.

The reception area is a large, spacious and very comfortable part of the ship.  It’s here where it’s hardest to imagine one is on a ship at all.

Large comfortable sofas make this area inviting, though we’ve never even thought about sitting here!  From here, the whole length of the ship can be seen, another way of increasing the feeling of space.

There are some statement pieces of art hanging on the wall here as well.

If I turn around and look back towards the staircase I used just now, I can see the amazing chandelier which hangs in the atrium.  It’s beautiful and much admired.

Turning back to continue towards the stern of the ship, there’s a pair of intriguing paintings hanging on the wall by the coffee shop.

I’m not sure what I make of either of them, though there’s a spirit and a sense of fun apparent, which I find lacking in other works around here.

The coffee shop itself is comfortable and rather nicely furnished.

Considerably smarter than any Starbucks you could imagine and a warm and friendly place for a quick help yourself breakfast or mid morning snack.

Good barista-made coffee too.

Right opposite the coffee shop is the Meridian Lounge, one of the bars.

We haven’t found this to be somewhere we want to linger for some reason, preferring the lighter, airier Observation Lounge upstairs.

There’s a long bar here too, though needless to say, at this time of the day, it’s closed!

Stepping outside the Meridian Lounge, then, is where a collection of the largest and in my opinion, most challenging pieces of art are hung.  In order, from the coffee shop, they are arranged along the right hand wall walking towards the stern, first the one above, then in order

A closer look at this one reveals a small detail, easily overlooked.  My Hero has the eagle eye and spotted it, though

“Sin ti”.   Without you.  Hmm.  OK.

I understand, my poor photography does not do them justice, but hopefully, you can get a flavour of how it is.

Across the way is a somewhat amusing and more colourful painting

and on the wall opposite, this one is hung

Now, I don’t have the knowledge to understand the juxtaposition and would love to learn a little of the thinking behind the choices.  I hope the new art brochure will cover that as well as simply documenting the details of the works themselves.

In the midst of this gallery area is the table with the jigsaw!

Just beyond, moving on into the lift and staircase area is a collection of three blue and white images.  Smaller and fresher in feel than the large works we’ve just passed, they are a little more accessible, I think!

I’m afraid that in haste, I cut the top off the third one, but I include it because it give a better impression of the texture.

No artwork to distract in this important corner, but something of interest to those who sail on cruise ships, I think.  On this ship, the lifeboats are accessed directly from Deck 5 – step out of that door and up a couple of steps right into the lifeboat, or rather, hopefully not!

They are the first lifeboats/tenders I’ve seen with curtains (I think?)

Progressing to the aft now, there’s the entrance to the Spa.  It’s a long, cool and airy walkway with the beauty salon to the left and the reception straight ahead.  Very beautiful!

These two large works of art hang here, in similar vein to other abstracts nearby.  I feel their rather aggressive tone strikes a different note from the otherwise calming atmosphere of the spa entrance.  But maybe they offer a contrast – leave your worries and all pressure here and go on into the peace and tranquil haven beyond?  Or are they simply paintings of shower fittings?

On the opposite corner to the aft of the ship to the Spa is the Asian restaurant, Pacific Rim.  The entrance is dominated by the largest work of art on the ship, this huge “prayer wheel”.

Full of small details, I could spend a while turning the wheels and reading the words and patterns which are there.  Each one is individual and absolutely fascinating.  Unfortunately, when I’m here, it’s usually when I’m hungry and eager to dive into a plate of something delicious!

I love the grand entrance and the design and decor here.

Returning to where I began, I pass the “other” staircase; the aft one we have not used, as our suite is at the front of the ship.  It’s another area where I feel the design has not taken into account the practicalities, for the space is tight and the staircase narrow.  Waiting for a lift here means standing in the way of people coming up and down the stairs and I would imagine it’s the source of irritation for some.   In typical Regent fashion, maintenance is continual and ongoing – the attention paid to the smallest detail is so very impressive.

Whilst in reception, I didn’t note the General Manager’s office on the opposite side to the business centre.  The door always open, this is command central as far as the “hotel” aspect of the ship is concerned, at least.

A well chosen and appropriate poster is hung here,

and the light fittings too, give a touch of glamour to the entrance.

This is balcony level and until now, I hadn’t realised that the seating is on high stools here.  Interesting!

The light and sound controls are up here and we’ve noticed the state of the art technical facilities used during the shows on board and during the presentations and lectures too.

With a glimpse of the chandelier, the mosaic on the back wall of the auditorium, there’s the staircase down to the main theatre level and deck 4, which I’m going to leave for another day!

Had enough art yet?  I know I didn’t spot every picture hanging there but perhaps, for today, the answer from me was “I think so”.

Party time

Returning home from our adventure, we found our suite lit by candlelight, with canapes and drinks on ice.  Suren had been busy – how sad we were that we’d returned too late to appreciate it!

Because last night was the deck party.  After a quick shower and change, we headed down to the pool deck where the usual furniture had been cleared away and the deck set out for dining.  When we arrived, the fantastic Natures Rhythm trio were in full swing, playing foot tapping music by the Beach Boys and the Four Seasons amongst others.  Just our style!

I was too busy having fun (and eating sushi) to take photographs, but I did manage one of the whole crew who had worked this magic for us.  It’s a huge amount of work and involves a good deal of cooperation.  It was good to have a chance to show our appreciation!

The immense buffet cleared away, it was time for the showband to begin and the dancing to start.  A few ABBA tunes and the floor was full.

Around 10.30, we’d slipped away from Puntarenas without noticing and on this warm evening, just few people remained, savouring the last moments of what had been a fun evening.

This morning, no-one would have guessed that any of that happened at all.

Pura Vida Costa Rica

Another day, another new country for our collection.   We’d heard a little about Costa Rica from Harry Chittick, our on board lecturer, who spoke of a country with no military, where education is key and the envy of many Nicaraguans.

As we sailed into port this morning, I looked at those clouds and knew that if I spent any considerable time at sea, then I’d need to study meteorology.  I mean, look at that sky!

Actually, I was distracted, for some people had seen dolphins early this morning and looking out over the rail, I hoped to see some too.  Instead, I saw these largeish birds, of crow size, swooping down over the smaller, flying fishes and occasionally, scoring a catch.

Not really what I would choose to observe at this time of the day!

Around lunchtime, we watched as the Captain brought the ship into port.  There was  a narrow pier for us to aim for and slowly, s-l-o-w-l-y we inched towards it.

Hey, as the onshore gang watched and took selfies of themselves, we noted the JCB on the pier and said “Hurrah” for British engineering (and Daylesford, of course )

Nearly there….

Whilst we inched towards our berth, there was fun being had on the beach.  Small boys and water, eh?

We decided it was time to go and collect our tickets in the theatre and sitting there, marvelled at the theatre designer who thought it would be a wizard wheeze to place that chair and table behind the pillar.  What?  (Not as if there isn’t room to move it a couple of feet to the left, is there?)

Anyway, we were in group #1 and by the time we left, the gazebo was all set up and ready, with pot plants and chairs in place too.  Nice one, Regent!

I felt quite sorry that we were already on the coach when we passed these lively chaps, playing some local tunes to greet us.

And the charming young woman with some local produce could only smile and wave as we drove past.  I always enjoy the local welcome parties and felt sorry that on this occasion, their efforts couldn’t be fully appreciated.

We were soon out on the road and it was immediately apparent that Costa Rica is rather more prosperous than Nicaragua.

There were more private cars around, the homes looked more solid and the general feeling was one of greater prosperity.

Soon we were out into the country, heading into the lush, green interior.

We were heading for the high country, to the cloud forest, in fact.

And when my Hero said he’d just spotted a monkey in the trees, of course, I couldn’t stop looking for another one!

But the road was becoming more precarious and I’m sure the driver needed someone like me to keep an eye on it too.

Soon, we really were in the clouds and there might even have been a splash of rain on the windows.  So much for setting out covered in sunblock, with a hat and other hot weather precautions.   Did we bring an umbrella?  Of course not!

Now, this tour was titled “A Walk in the Clouds” and we knew that it would include walking on high suspension bridges.  In fact, it was accompanied with a caution and labelled unsuitable for those afraid of heights.  Like my Hero.  The description also included details of bird life…which my friends will know, would send me running.  So, the pair of us had agreed to be brave, to stick it out together and if we ended up as a pair of nervous wrecks somewhere along the way, we’d support one another to get through it.

You can see who had to face their demons first.

Having crossed the bridge, we encountered this jolly group of workmen, maintaining the very bridge we’d just steeled ourselves to cross.  Ha ha, very funny….but thank you for making it safe for us!!

My fear of birds extends to large butterflies in enclosed spaces too, so it was my turn to be brave.  Thankfully, there were not too many in the butterfly house and those which were there were mostly taking a siesta.

The markings were so very beautiful, it was impossible not to admire them.

When I was directed towards one just emerging from the pupa, I just had to take a closer look.

Hard to believe that they all come from this, a butterfly egg, isn’t it?  (At this point, our guide had to painstakingly refresh a few memories of the life cycle of a butterfly, making specific reference to the caterpillar stage.  No, that enormous butterfly doesn’t come directly from that tiny egg!)

I chased one of these blue butterflies around for a while before catching a picture.  It’s actually the same one as in earlier pictures, with the brown “eye” underneath, but the irridescent blue is magnificent, isn’t it?

But we’d come to walk through the clouds, hadn’t we?  To look out for monkeys and sloths and snakes and….well, anything else that chose to make an appearance.  Our guide, Miguel, walked slowly and quietly, just in case…

Is there a monkey in here?  An exotic bird perhaps?

No.

There’s a colourful flower!

But no monkey.

There’s another bridge to cross.  Ooooer.

Maybe there’s a monkey or a bird to see over there?  (What do you think?)

There’s a beautiful leaf, enormous, too.  (Did we come to see leaves?)

There’s a hole and a web where a spider has been.  Is the spider still there?

No!

(thank goodness for that)

Another bridge to cross.  I’m beginning to feel like one of us is having to face way more demons than the other…and it’s not me feeling scared right now!

Actually, the bridges weren’t too bad (depending on who you ask) and on the wobbliest of all, Miguel stood in the middle to stabilise it a bit for us.  Good man.

(I’m sure we wouldn’t have noticed the wobble had a monkey turned up)

Miguel pointed out the bromeliads, where frogs lay eggs and baby frogs hatch at a particular time of the year (not now).

There were some interesting roots too.

But you get the picture?  You’ve been here with us before, haven’t you?  Walked through the rainforest/cloudforest/nature reserve and not seen a thing?

(even if that’s an awfully nice moss)

So it’s hardly surprising to walk over the last bridge having seen nothing but each other.  Oh, and a few lovely trees and plants. 

Bridge #1.  We had done the trail backwards and were back at the start.

Where it was my time to be brave in the Hummingbird garden.

Strangely, these little things hardly counted as birds.  They showed no interest in us and merely fluttered around the sugar syrup in the feeders.

I could focus on getting a decent photograph of one.

But it wasn’t easy, and I kept trying!

Because, it was the blue and green one I really wanted to capture – only with my camera of course!

Suddenly, there was a whoosh and I looked up to see a very large hummingbird swooping through the trees.  Was it a monkey at last?!

Sadly not, it was someone ziplining through the canopy. 

We retreated to the small cafe for a plate of local fruits and a glass of juice.  We’d survived the ordeal of suspension bridges and flying things but sadly had seen not one single bit of wildlife.

Boo.

But you know, somehow it didn’t matter.  We’d spent an afternoon out in the Costa Rican cloudforest.  We’d had fun and faced down our fears.  We were smiling and had enjoyed an afternoon with friends.

So this is what we might have seen?

Never mind. 

We’ll just have to come again, won’t we?

Monday in Nicaragua

Another new country for us! 

Three new and interesting countries in as many days, it’s interesting to see similarities and contrasts between them.

Our first glimpse of land was a little rocky outcrop at the entrance to the harbour. 

Our parking space for the day was in the container port, alongside the Los Angeles, which was loading as we ate breakfast on deck.

We always admire the precision and speed with which these containers are moved around.  Whilst I muse on what might be inside them, my Hero is looking at those workers, sitting on the framework, swinging about high above the ground.

Though it looks like he’s wearing a harness and helmet, it doesn’t look like the kind of job either of us would care for.

Anyway, welcome to Nicaragua!

Our first impressions are that it’s a good deal poorer than Guatemala.  In the area around the port, there are few private cars and the main means of transport is pedal-powered.

It’s flat and there’s a watery landscape in this part of the country.

Soon, however, we are on the open road and driving through an increasingly hilly countryside.  Occasionally, I put my camera above my head and take a photograph of the road in front of us.  Quite what we were doing on the wrong side of the road at this point, I have no idea!  But these, Japanese funded highways are well maintained and in somewhat of a contrast to the rest of the infrastructure, which is pretty simple and more in keeping with the way of life here.

We slowed down at one point to allow a few cows to cross the road.  It felt a little like home!

For a couple of hours, we drove along such roads, passing mostly commercial vehicles and small agricultural carts.

And the view?  Volcanoes!  Some active, some dormant. 

Our first stop was Old Leon, the original capital city, abandoned in the 16th century because of the volcanic activity nearby.  Though in a similar situation to Pompeii, here the inhabitants took action before there was a major disaster and rebuilt the city some miles away.

First curiosity: what’s that fruit hanging from the tree up there?

One was retrieved for our inspection.  It’s a gourd, has an incredibly hard shell and is used to make bowls and cups and of course, to make maracas.

We began by the map of the ruins.  Though this is a UNESCO World Heritage site, the funding covers only maintenance and not development and as a result, the interpretation of the site was poor.

Though we walked through the remains  like this, it took a while to register that the main structures are 3m below us.  The layout and what the city might have looked like was not well explained and even though many details of the original city are held in museums and university archives, nothing was available for us to see.

The only excavation which had taken place was in one of the churches, where a couple of bodies had been found.  I think they were of greater significance than I credit here, but by this time I was losing the plot.

It was a good job that our next stop was to look over Lake Managua at the Momotombo Volcano where there was a cool breeze and a fine view.

I almost missed the smaller, ?Momotombito? volcano, there in the distance, so closely was I watching some activity on the largest and closest one…

Hmm.

Time to return, I think.

It was a 30km drive to the new city of Leon, along similarly well maintained roads, overtaking the local traffic from time to time.

The city’s entrance is guarded by a terrace of stone figures.

Here too, were the low-rise streets of a colonial city painted in colourful designs but looking rather less prosperous than Antigua Guatemala yesterday.

The city centre was a busy place though and crossing the road a little perilous!

We had lunch in a former convent, now a pretty hotel with the most beautiful gardens.

Some aspects of the convent had been preserved and this gave a cool, peaceful atmosphere.

Walking off our lunch, we strolled through the bustling streets, watching this young woman deftly peel what looked like green mangoes using a huge knife.

The marketplace around the Zocalo was selling mostly fruit snacks and drinks, though business was slow.  The cellphone shops and stalls seemed to be faring rather better, with a brisk trade going on in most.  I was keeping my eye open for a bottle of Kola Shaler to try but it appears that the big boys have succeeded in overshadowing the local brew.

The local souvenirs were pretty much like local souvenirs the world over, though the subject of the “art works” were of questionable taste!  Anyone fancy a picture of a woman in the loo on their wall?  Strange…

I apologise for the poor picture of the Cathedral, which stands on one side of the square and is most easily the grandest, most attractive building in town.  Freshly painted, it shone in the sunshine and the simple interior was a cool haven of peace amidst the noise and bustle outside.

I’m sorry, I didn’t catch the significance of the huge figure in the Square.

It was far more interesting to watch three small boys bang a drum, tumble and clamour for attention!

For one small boy, it was all too much.  A siesta under his mother’s market stall was needed.

No, we really didn’t need any souvenirs, but it’s always fun to see what’s on offer, isn’t it?

Driving back, later in the afternoon, we passed a funeral.  It seemed discourteous to take photographs, but I thought the crowd following the cortege gave a good impression of the people we encountered today.  Far from prosperous, there’s nevertheless an optimism here bound with a real sense of traditional values.  It had been an interesting visit although we’d hardly scratched the surface.

We made it back to the ship just in time for another lifeboat drill! 

Impressions of Guatemala

 

Our first time in the country, so a few minutes after stepping ashore, my Hero and I looked at one another and went “Ker-ching”!!  We love to visit new places, to see new countries and to experience different parts of the world.  How fortunate we are to be able to do so.

Even before we stepped ashore, we were excited.  We’d spotted a couple of volcanoes from our balcony this morning and recalled what we had learned about Guatemala in the last few days (not to mention what we knew already, from friends who’d been here)

Our impressions were formed from a single day, so are really not worthy of deep discussion or great consideration and are really quite shallow.  But here goes.

Our immediate impression as we drove from the port, through the flat, coastal plain was of a lush, verdant landscape.  What I thought was corn turned out to be sugar cane – and oh boy, was there a lot of it!

So when I mistakenly said “it’s like driving through Iowa”, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Thankfully, we had the benefit of a great guide, Hugo, who gave us lots of information and a bag of worry dolls. Thank you, Hugo.  Nothing to worry about now!

Our driver, Nixon, slowed down as we passed the roadside market place, which was a fantastic place to buy fruit.  Not much else, mind you!

The highway was well maintained and a little quicker than the country road we’d been travelling on, and soon, our ears popped as we started to make the ascent to our destination.

Soon, the sugarcane fields were overtaken by woodier, more shrubby plants and Hugo pointed out the coffee bushes.

There was also the looming presence of a volcano, named Agua as a result of a lake in its crater.

Actually, it dominated the landscape rather more than we expected.

Whilst over my other shoulder, there was “Fuego”, the opposite volcano which was venting steam and dust – the lower of the two peaks above, shrouded in mist and ash.

Drawing our attention away from seismic activity, Hugo pointed out the plant growth on the overhead cables.  It seems like anything will grow anywhere here and in spite of all cables being cleared of vegetation in the last few months, it’s already reappearing.

Our first stop was Azotea, a coffee plantation with a great introduction to coffee production and Guatemala generally.

Yes, of course we saw the beans ready for harvest (almost complete at this time of the year)

We saw the “parchment beans” drying in the sun, having had the outer husk removed already.  Some were drying on concrete, others on red terracotta tile, especially for the Japanese market.  Though we asked what difference it makes, we failed to get an acceptable answer!

Here too were the inferior quality beans, drying in the sun too – given to the workers, we were told.

Having been dried, there’s still another layer to be removed before they can be sent for roasting.  This is a far from speedy process!

Yes, of course we bought some!

Next door was a small textile museum, demonstrating the features which distinguish the clothing design of one village from another.  The principal “set” was a wedding scene.

Needless to say, the one which interested me most was the backstrap weaver.

Next door focused on musical instruments of the Maya.  I rather liked the figures made from corn husks – but then I seldom focus on what I’m supposed to be looking at!

I mean, who can look at maracas and drums when there’s a skeleton party and a cute armadillo above your head?

OK, onwards, into Angtigua Guatemala, the old capital and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Hugo told us we’d know when we arrived by the cobblestones.

Oh yes.

I recognised the streets from friends’ photographs.

It’s an attractive city with some distinctive buildings.

Quite a lot of traffic too.

First things first: Lunch.

Very good!

Then….to the Zocalo.

I love these places.  The people!

Come on!!

Of course we don’t want a football or a bag of candy floss, but oh, my, just look at that!

Oh yes, look at that too!  The central fountain was pointed out to us by Hugo with a wry amusement!

We looked at the cathedral and admired the saints.

then we walked to the market and admired something else

So cute!

As we walked through the streets to our final destination, I couldn’t help but notice and admire some small features of the doors and heavy gates along the way.

I’d have bought a live orchid plant if I could, wouldn’t you?

But we were headed for the jade factory.  Did you know jade comes from here?  No, we ddin’t either.

We didn’t want to buy so spent the time people watching and admiring these dangly plants hanging from the ceiling.

Oh, and  generally avoiding the crush of sellers at the gateway to the place with the exception of this young woman and her baby, Astrid, sleeping in spite of the commotion but opening one eye to look at the strange British woman who stroked her hair and said “Hola, Astrid”…  so sweet!

Looking at the sunset as we arrived back this evening, I wondered what we’ll remember of our short time in Guatemala?  After such a rich day of colourful experiences, I need time to assimilate them, for sure, probably over a cup of coffee.

I think Astrid will feature in my memories too.