Puntarenas, Costa Rico
After our Canal transit we spent another day at sea. Pleasant day, no weather to speak of, hot. A seaday consists of finding things to do that you may want to do. Always one can play bingo, gamble in the form of blackjack, craps, video dog racing and the ever present, slot machines. On weather permitting days, the three pools provide entertainment as  does the Green lightning. This green lighting begins when you climb the steps to just below the smokestack top, the highest point on the ship, then step into the pod, an inclined coffin shaped structure and lean back against the wall. Then the operaator closes a clear plastic cover and you wait. Finally, within seconds, a female voice begins a count down. At "Zero" the bottom of the coffin drops out and you fall 10-12 feet to the curving green tube which extends over the edge of the ship. This fall and subsequent tube ridec omes via the benefit of a cascade of water greasing the tube. Zoom, round you go and suddenly, maybe 10 seconds later, you exit the ride in a splash of water up your nostrils. Salt water clears out sinuses swell. Pretty much i never opened my eyes on the three times a took the plunge. However, i do have video that i will post. Next door to the Green Lighting" , a more tame and docile water slide exists. So tame in fact at the top of the ride just after you start down you stop! It takes some effort to get your butt sliding again. I did the slide once for show then back to the Green Lighting.
So if you don't like any of the above then you nap or read a book or write a blog. Well, i guess you can talk with people but... more about that later.
We arrived in Puntarenos and docked. Docking provides such a nice benefit that we want to dock all the time. One has the flexibility when one returns to the ship to get off and on at one's leisure. When you anchor in the harbor and must depend on the tender, that becomes a hassle.
So, we had many options for our 8 hour stop in Puntarenos. All involved crocodiles, macaws, monkeys and shopping. The odd train ride and hanggliding opportunity exsted as well. Deb and I chose to take a boat ride to see alligators and other local wildlife, see monkeys and shop. The boat ride consisted of a long, (30 feet?) boat sitting 4 abreast and driving you downriver with the other 5 boat companies and their boats. I guess the local animal population has gotten used to the traffic since most stayed put as we glided by. Our guide for this trip must guide many bird watching groups. His knowledge of the birds seemed encyclopedic.  We had two groups on our boat. He led the other group. I don't say that oru guide didn't do a great job but his knowledge of birds did not compare. After the boat ride we lunched. Compeltely forgetabe lunch but great company. Back on the bus, we stopped by some macaws on the side of the road. We stopped on the side of the road to see the macaws in the trees. On the road again, we needed to cross a bridge to get to the shopping center. Our guide cautioned us about crossing traffic and then said we should exit the bus on this side of the bridge, walk to the center where all the other people had bunched up and look down. The center pier and pier footing had 7 of the laregest  'crocs, not the shoe the animal, i have ever seen. One, obviously in the best sun and sand resting position, must have eached twenty feet... HUGE. All around this island basking area drifted , upwardss of 20, crocodiles of various but, most definitly, smaller sizes. Rank ahs it's privilege! After crossing the busy road, twice, without loss of life or limb we proceeded to a half bour of shopping in the "best priced store in all of Costa Rica where you can see the local artisans actually make the art objects". I had nothing to compare with and trusted his judgement.
After the pruchasing frenzy, we boarded the buses for the finally journey home. A collective gasp went up because we didn't get to see the aforeentioned monkeys. Not to worry, on the way back we will stop and see if they will come in for us. Wild monkeys, after all, come when they feel up to it. An offering of banana and watermelon got the desired results. 30 small white faced monkeys come in to feast. They grabbed food from hand, shooulder, top of head as well as glasses, hats and anything loose.When we ran out of consumables, their interest in us waned and back on the bus, boatward bound we rode.
Our guide expounded, at length, on the virtues of his country. I commend him this advertidement for his country but he should limit the speech to twice then find other things to talk about. I know Costa Rica offers more.
We begin the "Hard times " now. Three seadays in a row!