Leg 1: Fort Lauderdale to South America

A beautiful afternoon in Port of Everglades provides for a festive celebration on Zuiderdam’s aft deck, complete with champagne, appetizers and dancing opportunities. And hugs amongst many returning passengers, like us, who seem to have adopted the Holland America Lines “Grand World Voyage” as their winter home. From January through mid-May, it’s perfect timing for a snowbirds escape that will visit 49 ports in 32 countries and 6 continents over 124 days. A traveler’s dream, for which we are grateful and blessed to be aboard.

Departing Fort Lauderdale after sunset, Zuiderdam begins her first passage of 671 nautical miles heading south and west, skirting the coastline of Cuba on her way to The Caymans.   Our itinerary begins with a day at sea, allowing everyone to unpack, settle in and reunite. 

Captain Friso announces that the strong offshore winds of the last 36 hours have calmed down enough to allow our entrance into George Town, Grand Cayman.

Grand Cayman is the largest of its 3 islands, and the vibrant capital city of George Town is home to 41,000 people, 106 nationalities, 500 banks, 800 insurance companies and no tax of any kind.

Cayman’s British influence is felt immediately ashore, with its prim buildings, tidy streets and driving is done on the left.  Many fellow passengers flock to the beaches and crystal-clear water here, but we opted to check out the local culture and lay of the land.

We hopped on a local public bus (a van, really) for a 20-mile loop that would route us past the high-end resorts of 7-Mile Beach, then turn inland through local neighborhoods and eventually back into the bustle of George Town’s downtown.   The round trip for both of us cost $12; a steal considering everything else is quite costly here.  Lunch for two ahi tuna egg rolls and two drinks was $44.00.  Tuna, conch and lobster are the fresh catches here.  Other popular menu items were bull foot soup and goat stew, as well as their world-famous Rum Cake offered at every turn.

George Town was a charming and scenic first stop indeed!

Another 653 miles almost due south, the warm tropical rain finds us as we pull into Puerto Limon.  We previously visited this small coastal town on the Atlantic side of Costa Rica in 2023.   Perhaps it was today’s rain, but mostly because of a sore leg muscle, I opted to remain aboard while Tom went ashore with our friends, Jo and Deb. Their brief and soggy stroll was rewarded with a sloth sighting in the trees of Parque Vargas. My reward was an hour in the hot tub and a leg that felt much better.

Leaving Puerto Limon, Zuiderdam continues her southern heading, traveling 260 nautical miles overnight to Cristobal, and the entrance of the Panama Canal. We arrive at daybreak, and I quickly snap this sunrise photo from our veranda.

No matter how many times you may have transited the Panama Canal, it is a fascinating experience! Watching the intricate process of the locks filling and emptying, and seeing massive ships navigate through the narrow passages, never ceases to amaze us.

The lush tropical scenery of the surrounding areas and the vast expanse of Gatun Lake provide a breathtaking backdrop to this engineering marvel.

Each journey through the canal offers new sights and moments of awe and is truly a memorable highlight of any voyage. Here’s a timelapse video of the last set of locks:

Goodbye Atlantic Ocean! We exit the canal on the Pacific side and set a southerly course for Manta, Ecuador, crossing the equator enroute.

With 1,452 miles of coastline flowing with the Humboldt Current, it’s no wonder that Ecuador and her Galapagos Islands are rich with marine life.  Zuiderdam finds her place alongside a pier in Manta, Ecuador’s largest seaport and tuna capital.  Other top exports include bananas, cocoa and flowers.   

Tom and I step ashore without any other plans than to walk around town and its coastal promenade.  While taking photos, we began chatting with an ex-pat living in Manta, and we ask about what we shouldn’t miss.  She recommends the quaint town of Montecristi, only 11.5 miles away.  She accepts our invitation to join us and was wonderfully adept at negotiating our $8 taxi fare.

Montecristi is renowned for its high-quality, handcrafted Panama hats. The name “Panama Hat” is a bit of a misnomer, as they have always been made in Ecuador.  But they became known as such in 1906, when photos of President Roosevelt were published in the press, while he was overseeing the Panama Canal construction.

After shopping for hats and placemats, our new friend recommended her favorite place for lunch, Trattoria de Gabriele, and we enjoyed a delicious meal and great conversation.  

As much as we enjoy traveling, it’s the people we meet along the way that enrich the places we explore!  (Thanks Kay, for showing us your wonderful “backyard”!)

Zuiderdam eases into the vast, 116-acre Peruvian seaport of Callao, the gateway to Lima and surrounding cities.  

To give you a sense of just how large this port is, it is a 20-minute shuttle bus ride from our ship to the exit gates through canyons of containers awaiting to be loaded. 

And because the gritty, impoverished town of Callao that lies beyond the gates is unsafe for travelers, we board a complimentary coach bus to the neighboring city of Miraflores.  It is only 10 miles away, but the commute takes about 75 minutes due to traffic.  Our guide shares that Peruvian drivers are worse than those in Brazil, Thailand and India, a distinction we witnessed to be true!  Fearless and sometimes reckless, they barge into spaces with gusto, unfazed by car horns blaring liberally.  

Miraflores is a contemporary city whose dramatic cliffs plunge into the sea below.  Coastal condominium complexes, modern buildings, ample greenspaces and even a posh downtown tennis club (with clay courts) is home to about 100,000 people.  

But it is also rich in history, and we view the site of Huaca Pucllana, a great adobe and clay pyramid built between 450 and 650 A.D. designed with staggered platforms.

The India Market spans several blocks, made up of hundreds of vendor booths stuffed with Peruvian handicrafts. 

In Kennedy Park, we found flocks of noisy green parrots nibbling on tree berries, as well as the cats who live here and are well provided for by the locals.

Whenever you’re in a new city and unsure of where to eat, it’s always a safe bet to go with a place that has the longest line of locals. To our surprise, this popular place served chicken salad sandwiches with a Peruvian twist. Afterwards, we found a more relaxed ambiance to digest with their national drink, a Pisco Sour.

We were entertained by the numerous paragliders that soared along the scenic coastline before returning to our ship. Tomorrow, five of us will explore Lima.

The next day, our merry band of friends are met by our Tour Guide, Cesar, and his fearless driver, Julio, for an 8-hour excursion that will include various daytime sights, dinner and a fountain light show. 

We begin at the highest point of the city, the “Morro Solar” located in Chorrillos district, for an outstanding view.  Cesar’s illustrated a history and geography lesson in the dusty earth.

Our next stop was the artistic district of Barranco, with countless murals.   As well as the “Bridge of Signs” where you make a wish and hold your breath until you reach the other side.  

A quick visit to the Republica del Pisco, which was followed by a very lively and hilarious conversation (yes, Pisco Sours will do that!) in our touring van before arriving in the Surquillo district. 

Local markets are always a feast for the senses.  Your ears tune into the native tongues barking their wares, your eyes dart from mounds of produce to featherless chicken carcasses hanging from their feet, and your nose picks up scents of fresh fish mingling with spices.  And today, our taste buds were treated to a wide variety of local fruits and vegetables.   

As if to whet our appetite, our dinner was hosted right in our tour guides 9^th floor suite, complete with private chef.  It turns out they conduct cooking classes here and have two complete on-site kitchens.  While enjoying our generous appetizer of fresh sea bass ceviche, we watched as the chef prepared and flambéed our stir-fried beef and veggie dinner.  Delicious and entertaining!

From dinner, we drove to The Magic Water Circuit, one of the most popular main nighttime attractions in Lima.  

It holds the Guinness record for the largest fountain complex in the world, displaying 13 different fountains illuminated at night.  

Many continuously change color, but the main feature of the evening,  is a colorful laser light show synchronized with classical and Peruvian music, relating historical scenes.

Our 2.5 day visit in Peru has given us an appreciation for their deep history and culture, flavorful cuisine, friendly locals and beautiful coastal views.  At midday, Zuiderdam releases her dock lines as we say, Hasta luego, Peru! Thanks for your hospitality!

Captain Friso and the Zuiderdam crew now set a new course for Easter Island, a 4-day voyage to one of the most remote islands on the planet.   Stay tuned….