24 NOV 22 Puerto Limón, Costa Rica

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our cruise in November 2022. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.

The Viking Daily newsletter showed today's weather forecast as "Thunderstorms 79° F" and "Sunrise: 5:30 AM."

Don woke at 5:20 am (MT was already up) and got up at 6:30. Today was Thanksgiving Day.

MT Thursday, ‎November ‎24, ‎2022, ‏‎5:38 AM - Screenshot showing MT and Don kayaking on St. Kitts, British West Indies on another Viking cruise a year ago today. (Our shore excursion scheduled for today also involved kayaking.)

MT ‏‎6:01 AM - near Puerto Limón: view from our balcony of Uvita Island (telephoto 96 mm).

Uvita Island (Spanish: Isla Uvita, meaning “little grape island”) is a small island in the Caribbean offshore of the port of Puerto Limón, Costa Rica. Christopher Columbus anchored his ships on the island for repairs during his final voyage to America in 1502 and gave the island the name La Huerta (Spanish for “the orchard”). The Cariari Indians called it Quiribri. In 1986, Cost Rica’s National Commission of Nomenclature approved the restoration of the name Isla Quiribri. Although that is now the official name, it is seldom used. The names Isla Uvita or La Uvita are now most common. The island is currently uninhabited.
 

MT Uvita Island (By Roger - https://www.flickr.com/photos/24736216@N07/3179046122/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39910124).

 

MT ‏‎6:03 AM - near Puerto Limón: view from our balcony of Uvita Island and small "Pilots" boat coming to escort our ship into the port (mild telephoto 37 mm).

‏‎6:12 AM - Puerto Limón: view from our balcony of small boats near a dock (not ours) and the town.

‏‎6:12 AM - Puerto Limón: view from our balcony of a dock (not ours) and the town (telephoto 93 mm).

‏‎6:28 AM - Puerto Limón: view from our balcony of  a dock (not ours) and the town, from where we docked.

At 7:00, we got room service breakfast and ate on our balcony.

The Viking Star had been scheduled to arrive in Puerto Limón, Costa Rica at 8:00 am.

The Viking Daily newsletter described Puerto Limón, Costa Rica as follows:
“Situated on Costa Rica’s lush Caribbean coast, Puerto Limón is the gateway to one of the world’s most biodiverse and magnificent countries. In 1502, during his fourth voyage, Christopher Columbus landed on the nearby island of Isla Uvita. Puerto Limón boasts a diversity of its own. Italian, Jamaican and Chinese residents descended from immigrants who came here to lay the railroad to San José in the late 19th century. Coffee exports from the highlands, and the later arrival of the United Fruit Company, helped to bolster the local economy. Today, a rich Afro-Caribbean heritage is prevalent, with many speaking a creole form of English, Limonese Creole.

 

Limón, commonly known as Puerto Limón (Port Lemon in English), is a district, the capital city, and main hub of Limón province, as well as the Limón canton of Costa Rica. It is the seventh largest city in Costa Rica, with a population of over 94,000. It is home to the Afro-Caribbean community. Part of the community traces its roots to Italian, Jamaican, and Chinese laborers who worked on a late-nineteenth-century railroad project that connected San José to Puerto Limón. Until 1948, the Costa Rican government did not recognize Afro-Caribbean people as citizens and restricted their movement outside the Limón province. This community became firmly established in the region, which influenced decisions not to move even after it was legally permitted. Nowadays, however, there is a significant outflow of Limón natives who move to the country’s Central Valley in search of better employment and education. The Afro-Caribbean community speaks Spanish and Limonese Creole, a creole of English.
Puerto Limón has three port terminals.
 
Costa Rica (Spanish for “rich coast”), officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders on Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. It also has a maritime border with Ecuador to the south. The country has a population of around five million. An estimated 333,980 live in the capital and largest city, San José.
Costa Rica was inhabited by indigenous peoples before coming under Spanish rule in the 16th century. The Spanish name “la costa rica” was in some accounts first applied by Christopher Columbus, who sailed to the eastern shores of Costa Rica in 1502 and reported vast quantities of gold jewelry worn by natives. However, the lack of resources such as gold and silver soon made Costa Rica into a poor, isolated, and sparsely inhabited region. In 1719, a Spanish governor described it as “the poorest and most miserable Spanish colony in all America.” It remained a peripheral colony of the Spanish Empire until independence as part of the First Mexican Empire in 1821, followed by membership in the Federal Republic of Central America in 1823, from which it formally declared independence in 1847. Following the brief Costa Rican Civil War in 1948, it permanently abolished its army in 1949, becoming one of only a few sovereign nations without a standing army.

 

At 8:40, we went to the pier to meet our guide Enrique and driver Jorge for the (optional) shore excursion "River Kayaking & Nature Walk" with the Viking Star 10" tour group on bus 10.

The My Viking Journey web site describes the shore excursion River Kayaking & Nature Walk (optional $109 Per Person) as follows:
Day 9 – Puerto Limón, Costa Rica
Thursday, November 24
9:45 AM
6.5 Hours
Punta Uva, Scenic Lookout and Puerto Viejo
Explore Costa Rica’s natural beauty by kayak and on foot, and visit the vibrant fishing village of Puerto Viejo. Transfer to Punta Uva, a small fishing village along the southern Caribbean coast known for its striking white-sand and palm tree-studded beaches. Receive your kayak and paddle, as well as a short safety briefing, then follow your guide from the beach upriver through the rainforest. Keep watch for wildlife as you gain insight into this fascinating ecosystem. After, enjoy a snack before hiking up to a lookout with sweeping views over the verdant landscape and the sea. Then, travel to the charming fishing village of Puerto Viejo, where you can immerse yourself in its distinctly laidback, Caribbean vibe. Enjoy free time to browse the local shops or stroll along the beach, before transferring back to your ship. Please note: maximum weight to participate is 235 lbs per person.
Demanding - Physically challenging activities, including extensive walks, hiking, riding, water sports, and high altitude activities. Activities by foot may contain difficult, unpaved surfaces and/or multiple stairs and steep inclines.

 

At 8:50, we started the bus trip for the kayaking part of our excursion.

‏‎9:00 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus windshield of road that took us through forest, jungle, and banana plantations.

‏‎9:09 AM - near Puerto Limón: first waiver form (in German, for "Kajakahrt und Spaziergang in der Natur") they gave us on the bus (we later got the English version).

‏‎9:15 AM - near Puerto Limón: banana trees through bus windshield with sign for "Viking Star 10" bus on inside of windshield (telephoto 130 mm).

‏‎9:27 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window when bus stopped to show us howler monkeys in a tree; at first, Don thought is was the taller tree with red flowers at the top.

Howler monkeys (genus Alouatta) are the most widespread primate genus in the Neotropics and are among the largest of the platyrrhines (New World monkeys). They 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. Fifteen species are recognized.
The species Mantled howler (Alouatta palliata) is found in Costa Rica, along with Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. It takes its “mantled” name from the long guard hairs on its side. It gets the name “howler” from the calls made by males, particularly at dawn and dusk but also in response to disturbances. These loud roars are likely an energy saving device, allowing the monkeys to locate each other without moving around or risking physical confrontations.
 

Mantled howler monkey calling, in Tortuguero, Costa Rica (By Arturo de Frias Marques - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34821519).

 

 

‏‎9:28 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window possibly showing howler monkeys (one in red circle) in a lower tree (telephoto 130  mm).

‏‎9:29 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of palm tree with smaller (banana) tree in lower left foreground (telephoto 130 mm).

MT ‏‎9:30 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of tree behind palm tree with howler monkey, at fork in branch at top center (telephoto 133 mm).

MT ‏‎9:30 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of tree behind palm tree with howler monkey, with tail clearly visible, at fork in branch on tree at top center (telephoto 110 mm and cropped).

MT ‏‎9:31 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of tree behind palm tree with howler monkey, at fork in branch at right center with tail hanging down, and possibly another (or a three-toed sloth?) nestled in fork at bottom center (telephoto 133 mm).

‏‎9:29 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of palm tree with three smaller (banana) trees in foreground.

‏‎9:30 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of palm tree with possible howler monkey (dark in center) (telephoto 130 mm).

‏‎9:31 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of banana tree, overgrown (telephoto 130 mm).

‏‎9:33 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of banana plantation.

‏‎9:34 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of banana trees in plantation (telephoto 130 mm).

MT ‏‎9:36 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of banana trees in plantation, with forest behind it (telephoto 104 mm).

MT ‏‎9:36 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of banana trees in plantation, with forest behind it (telephoto 104 mm).

The bus driver got out and brought us a banana flower for us to look at.

‎9:35 AM - near Puerto Limón: man across aisle holding banana flower.

‏‎9:36 AM - near Puerto Limón: Don holding banana flower while taking photo.

Banana flowers (aka banana blossoms) are blossoms from a banana tree. Sometimes, they are also called “banana hearts.” These reddish-purple, teardrop-shaped leaves can weigh up to a pound. They are completely edible and can be found fresh at roadside stands and farmers markets, wherever bananas are grown. They are commonly used in salads and soups. If left on the tree, they would blossom into bananas. They grow in groups of flowers, called hands.
The above-ground parts of a banana plant grow to form a structure called a “corm.” Plants normally grow tall and fairly sturdy with a treelike appearance, but what appears to be a trunk is actually a “false stem” or pseudostem. When a banana plant is mature, the corm stops producing new leaves and begins to form a flower spike, also known as the “banana heart.” A stem develops that grows inside the pseudostem, carrying the immature flower spike until it eventually emerges at the top. The banana fruits develop from the banana heart, in a large hanging cluster made up of tiers (called “hands”).

 

MT ‏‎9:38 AM - near Puerto Limón: MT holding banana flower on her lap while taking photo.

‏‎9:35 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of "Chiquita" truck at plant in banana plantation.

MT ‏‎9:39 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of "Chiquita" truck with "Controlled Atmosphere" at plant in banana plantation (telephoto 133 mm).

Then the bus stopped for us to see a three-toed sloth in a tree.

10:02 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of sloth in tree (telephoto 130 mm).

The three-toed or three-fingered sloths are arboreal neotropical mammals. They are the only members of the genus Bradypus and the family Bradypodidae. There are four living species. The brown-throated three-toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) species is native to Central America and much of north and central South America, from Honduras through Colombia [including Costa Rica], Venezuela, Ecuador, eastern Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil.
 

Brown-throated three-toed sloth in tree (By Stefan Laube (Tauchgurke) - Own work (Stefan Laube)Originally uploaded at de.wikipedia.org: 2004-10-02 02:26 by Tauchgurke (658235 Byte) (Dreizehenfaultier (Bradypus infuscatus), Gatunsee, Republik Panama), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61433).

 
Famously slow-moving (hence the name “sloth”), a sloth travels at an average speed of 0.24 km/h (0.15 mph). Three-toed sloths are about the size of a small dog or a large cat, with head and body having a combined length around 45 cm (18 in). Unlike two-toed sloths, they also have short tails of 6-7 cm (2-3 in), and they have three clawed toes on each limb. All sloths have three digits on their hind limbs; the difference is found in the number of digits on the forelimbs; thus, they are sometimes referred to as three-fingered sloths.

 

Brown-throated three-toed sloth crossing a road in Costa Rica (By Ian D. Keating - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ian-arlett/26121756518/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83568725).

 

 

10:02 AM - near Puerto Limón: view through bus window of sloth in tree (telephoto 130 mm).

10:07 AM - near Puerto Limón: view across aisle and through bus window of beach.

10:07 AM - near Puerto Limón: view across aisle and through bus window of beach with black sand (telephoto 130 mm).

Then our bus stopped at the beach with black sand, which is known as Playa Negra.

MT 10:17 AM - Playa Negra: Don on beach pointing to black sand.

In Costa Rica, there are both black sand and white sand beaches throughout the country.
Playa Negra (meaning “Black Beach”), right off the highway north of the small town of Puerto Viejo, is a black sand beach on the Caribbean. Since this beach is considered “not as pretty” as others, such as the white sand beach of Punta Uva, there aren’t as many people here. Because it is so long (more than 10 km), you can walk for kilometers on it without seeing another person. It is about a 1.5 km walk on the beach to the town of Puerto Viejo.
The sand on a beach is material that includes eroded pieces of rock. The dark sand is derived from eroded volcanic material, like lava, basalt rocks, and other materials crushed and eroded over time. Lighter colored rocks, as in areas with coral, will lend to the beach having light sand. Black sand can be difficult to walk on barefoot, since it absorbs more heat. White sand beaches in Costa Rica have a softer, silkier feeling than their black sand counterparts and are great for laying out, since the sand doesn’t absorb as much heat.

 

MT 10:18 AM - Playa Negra: MT on beach with black sand.

MT 10:18 AM - Playa Negra: MT on beach with black sand.

MT 10:19 AM - Playa Negra: MT and Don on beach with black sand.

MT 10:21 AM - Playa Negra: MT and Don on beach with black sand.

Shortly after 10 am, the bus arrived at Punta Uva beach for kayaking (first), with no photos (to avoid getting camera and iPhone wet).

Playa Punta Uva (meaning Grape Point Beach) is a beach located near the village of Puerto Viejo on the southern tip of the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, in the province of Limón, just north of the Panamanian border. This is a white sand beach surrounded by lovely coconut palm, manzanilla, and Indian Almond trees (with many sloths in the branches). While still off the beaten path, Punto Uva is one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful beaches with its golden-white sand, aquamarine waters, and lush green jungle. The name Punta Uva is due to the well-known sea grape tree that grows along the beachside.
The beach is near the village of Punta Uva, which is 8.5 km (5 mi) south of Puerto Viejo. It is just over a 1-hour drive from Limón.

 

Then, around noon, we started the nature hike with our guide.

MT 12:02 PM - Punta Uva: MT and Don and sign for "Sloth Point - Punta Uva, CR' with three-toed sloths (mild telephoto 37 mm).

One of the entrances to the beach is called “Sloth Point” because of the large number of three-toed sloths found here.

12:05 PM - Punta Uva: sloth in tree?

12:06 PM - Punta Uva: ants carrying small green leaves down tree trunk (hardly visible).

12:07 PM - Punta Uva: closer view of ants carrying small green leaves down right side of tree trunk (apparently of Indian Almond tree; see text box below).

MT 12:09 PM - Punta Uva: ants carrying small green leaves down tree trunk (mild telephoto 39 mm).

MT 12:10 PM - Punta Uva: ants carrying small green leaves down tree trunk (mild telephoto 39 mm).

MT 12:10 PM - Punta Uva: MT pointing to ants carrying small green leaves down tree trunk (mild telephoto 39 mm).

12:07 PM - Punta Uva: ants carrying small green leaves toward a hole (telephoto 130 mm).

12:09 PM - Punta Uva: ants carrying small green leaves toward and into a hole (telephoto 130 mm).

12:10 PM - Punta Uva: another sloth in tree, clearly visible this time (telephoto 93 mm).

MT 12:13 PM - Punta Uva: that sloth in tree (telephoto 82 mm).

12:10 PM - Punta Uva: Indian almond tree with red fruits.

Indian Almond tree with fruits in various stages of ripeness (By Judgefloro - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46226003).

 
The Indian Almond (Terminalia catappa) tree, also known as country almond, Malabar almond, sea almond, tropical almond, beach almond, or false kamani, is a large tropical tree. The fruit is broad, green at first, then yellow, and finally red when ripe, containing a single seed. The fruit is edible, tasting slightly acidic. The seeds, when ripe, are edible raw or cooked and are the source of its “almond” common names, but they are small and difficult to extract.
 

Fruits of Indian Almond tree (By YVSREDDY - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19120007).

 

Trunk of Indian Almond tree (By Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia - Almendro (Terminalia catappa), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74379798).

 

12:19 PM - Punta Uva: Indian almond tree with red fruits (telephoto 130 mm).

12:19 PM - Punta Uva: Indian almond tree with red fruits, at left, and three-toed sloth, just right of center (telephoto 130 mm).

12:26 PM - Punta Uva: balsa tree and the sea.

12:30 PM - Punta Uva: balsa tree with golden-white beach and sea.

MT 12:33 PM - Punta Uva: our guide holding almond by base of large ficus tree.

Strangler Fig (ficus costaricana) trees, also known as the Giant Ficus, are found in Costa Rica. They typically grow in dark forests where the competition for light is intense. The seedlings, usually spread by birds, start in crevices of other trees, and the roots grow down around the host tree and into the ground. The ficus eventually kills the original support tree, creating a hollow center.
 

Strangler fig tree (By John Tann from Sydney, Australia at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strangler_fig_%285731429030%29.jpg).

 

12:30 PM - Punta Uva: our guide holding almond by base of large ficus tree, with trunk of Indian almond tree in right foreground.

12:31 PM - Punta Uva: almond (in shell) on the ground.

12:34 PM - Punta Uva: grave of José Hansel, who asked to be buried there, by the nature hike path; the stone says "José Hansel - + [died] 18. Agosto 1964."

12:35 PM - Punta Uva: sign by grave of José Hansel, in Spanish, translates as:

"Mister José Hansel and his family were among the first settlers of Punta Uva, who dedicated themselves to subsistence agriculture and the planting of coconuts. They named the place Grape Point (Punta Uva) due to the abundance of the grape tree (Coccoloba uvifera).

"Mister José Hansel and several of his relatives were buried in the highest part of 'Red Cliff' or Loma de Punta Uva [Small Hill of Punta Uva]. This gives the site a special historical significance. Currently only the grave of Mister Hansel, who died in 1964, is visible.”

Part of the inscription on the tombstone is at the top right." (telephoto 109 mm).

12:36 PM - Punta Uva: Don (in foreground) and part of our group on nature walk trail.

12:38 PM - Punta Uva: our guide showing us the Dragon Blood plant, which he said is used for decoration but lasts only about five days.

12:41 PM - Punta Uva: our guide showing us another kind of ant that gathers dead leaves and takes them down a hole to serve as fertilizer for their garden.

12:44 PM - Punta Uva: another large ficus tree.

12:46 PM - Punta Uva: plant with flowers that looked like the Flying Bird we had seen at the Carambola Botanical Gardens in Honduras.

12:48 PM - Punta Uva: the last of our tour group coming down small, steep steps with a rope to hang onto (we had gone up this way, too).

12:44 PM - Punta Uva: another sloth in a tree (where?).

12:54 PM - Punta Uva: that sloth in a tree; here you can see the three "fingers" with claws on his forelimb (telephoto 130 mm).

Although Viking's description of this excursion said we would "enjoy a snack before hiking up to a lookout," we got the snack after the nature hike.

1:09 PM - Punta Uva: kayaks at left and part of our group (including MT, near trash bag) gathered at the blue tent for our snack.

Our snack consisted of chips and salsa, pineapple, watermelon on thin cookies with a chocolate chunk and cream.

1:12 PM - Punta Uva: green Noni fruit supposed to be good for arthritis, heart, etc, when ripe and dried (telephoto 109 mm).

The Morinda citrifolia is a fruit-bearing tree of the coffee family. Native to Southeast Asia and Australasia, the species is now cultivated throughout the tropics. Among some 100 names for the fruit across different regions are the more common English names of great morinda, Indian mulberry, noni, beach mulberry, vomit fruit, awl tree, and cheese fruit. The fresh fruit’s strong, vomit-like odor and bitter taste has made it a famine food (readily available to nourish people in times of hunger and starvation) in most regions, but it remains a staple food among some cultures, and it has been used in traditional medicine, although there is no confirmed evidence of clinical efficacy for any intended use.

 

1:12 PM - Punta Uva: green Noni fruit (telephoto 109 mm).

MT 1:15 PM - Punta Uva: MT holding a green Noni fruit.

MT 1:15 PM - Punta Uva: beach with kayaks.

Shortly after that, we began our return bus trip to Puerto Limón, despite the Viking description of this excursion, which said we would "travel to the charming fishing village of Puerto Viejo," which was near to Punta Uva.

2:20 PM - on the road to Puerto Limón: glimpse, from bus window, of beach and sea through trees.

2:20 PM - on the road to Puerto Limón: better view, from bus window, with glimpse of tan-sand beach and sea through trees.

Around 2:30, we stopped at a roadside store for restrooms (free coffee if you bought souvenirs). 

MT 2:35 PM - store on the road to Puerto Limón: bananas for sale (telephoto 77 mm).

They also had beef patties or patties with fruit for $2; we split a beef patty.

2:35 PM - store on the road to Puerto Limón: beef patties (left) and fruit patties (right) for $2.

2:35 PM - store on the road to Puerto Limón: beef patties on plate.

2:35 PM - store on the road to Puerto Limón: fruit patties on plate.

2:35 PM - store on the road to Puerto Limón: MT holding our beef patty before we split it.

MT 2:41 PM - store on the road to Puerto Limón: Don with tall native.

MT 2:43 PM - store on the road to Puerto Limón: MT and banner (or beach towel?) with three-toed sloth.

As we neared Puerto Limón, we could see three cruise ships including the (smaller) Viking Star, anchored at a dock.

2:47 PM - near Puerto Limón: ships at dock.

2:40 PM - near Puerto Limón: three cruise ships at dock; Viking Star is the smaller one (telephoto 93 mm).

At the cruise ship port, MT took a photo of a calypso  band and gave them a $20 tip.

MT 3:11 PM - Puerto Limón:  calypso band at cruise ship terminal; their CDs for sale said "SHANTY AND  [H]IS CALYPSO."

A Google search for “Shanty and Is Calypso” found a YouTube video titled “Shanty y su calypso” with text about “Shanty and his Calypso band from Cieneguita, Puerto Limón.” Reinaldo (or Reynaldo) Kenton (born 1938), also known as “Shanty,” plays the guitar and the banjo, which he says is the characteristic instrument of Calypso music. Cieneguita is a small suburb located just southeast of the cruise ship port in Puerto Limón.

 

We got back on the Viking Star at 3:15. The writing on Don's room key card had got partly smeared/disappeared; so we got a new one at the Explorers Deck (Deck 1). MT smelled cigarette smoke in our stateroom and complained. 

Then we both showered and filled out our menu requests for The Restaurant on November 25. The day before, we had started taking photos of our menus so we could tell what we were eating.

MT 3:35 PM - Viking Star: MT's menu with choices circled and her note to see the other side of the menu for the shrimp cocktail starter.

3:36 PM - Viking Star: Don's menu with same choices circled and showing "*More options on the back" at bottom right.

The Viking Daily newsletter said for all passengers to be back on board by 4 pm, as the Viking Star prepared to set sail for our next stop in Colón, Panama (194 nautical miles).

At 6 pm, we went to the World Café (Deck 7) for the "Thanksgiving Buffet," which the Viking Daily newsletter described as "Featuring all the Thanksgiving staples like turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie." We were able to select a traditional Thanksgiving meal, except that Don decided to forego the pumpkin pie because it usually includes ginger, to which he is allergic. 

MT asked to share a table, and we joined couples from Seattle and Massachusetts. The latter told us that our optional shore excursion for the next day included dugout canoes. (No, not water again.)

After dinner, we watched the Port Talk for Colón, Panama on TV in our stateroom.

In our stateroom was a reminder: "Before retiring tonight, please adjust the time on your watches and clocks 1 HOUR AHEAD," which we did.