2019 World Cruise - Day 10

Saturday 01.12.19 - Port #2: Puerto Quepos, Costa Rica

Details from the Princess Cruise Lines:

Day 8 - 12, January 2019 Dress Code: Smart Casual 27 °C / 81 °F Partly Cloudy Gangways are Located on Gangway Forward Arrival: 7:00 AM All Aboard: 6:30 PM Puerto Quepos Located on Costa Rica's central Pacific coast, Puerto Quepos is a small town that lies in the embrace of a dense tropical rain forest. Named for the fierce Quepoa Indians who once inhabited the region, Puerto Quepos was officially put on the map by famed explorer Juan Ponce de León in 1519, just two years before his death. By the late 19th century, Spanish colonists had established enough banana plantations in the area to support their growing economy. When you step ashore at Puerto Quepos, you'll be transported to a tropical paradise with an endless array of outdoor adventures lying in wait nearby. Not only does the town provide ample opportunities for sport fishing, but its close proximity to awe-inspiring Manuel Antonio National Park makes it a sought-after destination for travelers around the world. Although it is one of Costa Rica's smallest parks, Manuel Antonio boasts incredible biodiversity. In addition to the breathtaking rain forest, the park features mangrove swamps, pristine beaches and coral reefs, each habitat taking visitors closer to the fascinating native wildlife, from mysterious sloths and squirrel monkeys to sea turtles and colorful toucans.

Today was a tender port. We ordered breakfast from room service. Let me tell you, this was a disappointment. We requested a 6:30am delivery, but it arrived at 6:47am. This left us little time to eat, which I guess is OK, since the food was cold! I had ordered a sandwich, it arrived with a sliver of bacon. It's as if they were mad at us. Shelly’s croissant also arrived cold. Great way to start the morning.

While we waited on that dismal meal, I was able to take a few photos of the crew lowering the life boats that would be used to ferry us back & forth to the pier.

 

My friend & table mate Steve also got some nice shots, even featuring our ship's captain, Andrea Spinardi.

At 7am, we met in the Cabaret Lounge on deck 5 for our excursion of the Rain Forest Aerial Tram, Tarcoles River & Lunch, with tour guide Roy & his driver Freddie.

 Awarded the "5 Leafs" distinction under the certification for tourism sustainability, Pacific Tropical Forest Aerial Tram introduces guests to an unforgettable outdoor experience. Begin with a scenic one-hour motor coach drive. Upon arrival in this lush wonderland, board the tram for a one-hour gondola ride. Your personalized tour with only eight passengers allows you to relax and soak in the surroundings in an intimate setting with the company of a bilingual naturalist guide. Pause for lunch, then journey next to the gorgeous Tarcoles River on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Teeming with scarlet macaws, Jesus Christ lizards (they can run across water!) and over 120 species of birds, the river is most famous for its crocodiles. Board a custom-built, flat-bottom river boat, then set off on an unforgettable cruise. Your naturalist guide will point out the animals, birds, plant species and, yes, crocodiles, that you encounter. Return to port on a relaxed drive.

The first stop was the river cruise. Roy stayed with us and guided us along this one hour ride pointing out various birds, a couple of iguanas, a few crocodiles & lots of plants. Throughout the day, I took over 250 photos. 

The second stop was for lunch. A very forgettable meal, that was served cafeteria style and about as good as Golden Corral. I'm glad it was included & not an extra. It consisted of a cold pasta salad with optional corn and mushrooms added.  Followed by flavorless chicken, beef strips, white rice, black beans, steamed vegetables, & 3 different sauces (mushroom, asparagus, or tomato). They did have a salsa verde that was good with a mild heat, I drizzled this over everything.  For drinks you had a choice of fruit punch or water.  They did have a cafe stand where you could buy sodas, beer, or bottled water, plus snacks and ice cream.

Our third & final stop was the aerial tram. Our new guide was also named Roy. He has been doing this since 1989 & is currently studying to become a professor. He taught us all about the flora in the rain forest, flowers, trees, and we saw an iguana, black snake, and several zip liners.

Afterwards, we headed back to the pier & stumbled upon Gelateria Amorosi. I had a medium mint Oreo & Shelly had a small limon. A delicious treat on such a hot day. 

Once we returned to the ship, we dropped our bags in the room before going upstairs for pizza. Meh. Crust wasn’t as crispy as I like & the pepperoni had too much sauce on it. 

After we ate, I took a few pics of the view off the back deck.

On the way back to the room to take a nap, we passed by this interesting carving near the ship's pool. 

We woke up & met our new friends for dinner.

I started with the Singapore Street-Style Beef Satay. While this was a tasty app, I wish it was actually spicy as described in the menu. 

Singapore Street-Style Beef Satay
spicy peanut dipping sauce with sliced cucumber to cool your palate

I also had a cup of bisque. It was a rich thick broth that I really enjoyed. It would be better with more than just one shrimp. 

Shrimp Bisque with Sweet Potatoes
cognac, cream, scallions and tomato

For my entree I had a nice thick cut, bone in pork chop, that was cooked perfectly. 

Pan-Fried Pork Chop with Fig Demi-Glace
served with French ratatouille and oven roasted potatoes

I enhanced the great taste with a little Bravado Spice Co's jalapeno & green apple hot sauce.

Pan-Fried Pork Chop with Fig Demi-Glace
served with French ratatouille and oven roasted potatoes

Shelly started her meal with some fruit. "These thin slices of pineapples with a dollop of mascarpone made this is a sweet treat."

Pineapple with Honey-Roasted Pistachios
and a dollop of sweet date flavored mascarpone

Shelly wasn't really impressed with her plate of the Singapore Street-Style Beef Satay. "The peanut sauce was a bit thin and lacked any spice. The beef was thin and tender, tasty alone."

Singapore Street-Style Beef Satay
spicy peanut dipping sauce with sliced cucumber to cool your palate

For her entree, she chose the Jerk Chicken. "This was a quarter of the chicken, bone in, served with beans and rice.  The chicken was cooked well but far from jerk seasoning. I doubt I would order again. I asked for extra scotch bonnets, but received extra bell peppers."

Home-Style Cuisine: Island-Spiced Jerk Chicken with Rice & Red Beans
marinated in rum, molasses, lime juice, thyme and scotch bonnet peppers

We hurried to order desserts so that we could get to the evening show.

I had the warm chocolate fudge cookie. This was an awesome dessert. A a warm thick cookie,  covered in chocolate sauce then topped with vanilla ice cream. Writing this now, makes me want another serving. 

Warm Chocolate Fudge Cookie
vanilla bean ice cream, fudge topping

Shelly had a boring Key Lime pie. She said it was only okay, but far from the best and lacked tartness.

Traditional Florida Key Lime Pie
whipping cream

We then dashed off to attend the Production Show: Motor City. This was another wonderful performance by the singers & dancers. They made an announcement asking for no photos or filming of the show. 

We then retired to our cabin, ready for two more thrilling days at sea before arriving at our next port of Huatulco, Mexico.