Connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and slicing through the heart of a continent, the canal eliminates the need to cross the treacherous waters of South America and Cape Horn.

Above, our cruise ship (the blue deck) enters the Gatun Lock from the Atlantic side. Through a series of three locks, a vessel is raised 85 feet above sea level to the canal’s elevated channel. 

As we entered the first lock, a car carrier was in the third lock ahead of us, and another vessel sailing towards the Atlantic was in the centre lock. All six locks operate independently of each other!

Me, pictured, as we enter the middle lock. Behind the black lighthouse you’ll see a covered viewing gallery where visitors can sit and watch ships pass through the locks.

More on this amazing journey tomorrow as we travelled eight miles to the next lock!

Pictured above with Mike and I is a Palenquera, an iconic symbol of the city of Cartagena, representing Afro-Colombian history and cultural heritage and for their ability to balance large bowls of fruit on their heads! We’re standing in front of the San Felipe de Barajas Fort.

Above is a photo of Bocagrande, known for its high-rise apartments and beachfront views, backed by palm-lined promenades, an eclectic dining scene, high-end international fashion and a happening night-life!

And finally to the bohemian area of Getsemani, admiring once more the colourful houses, watching a local baseball game taking place in the street (which are closed to traffic on Sundays), and where Airbnbs are a popular option for visitors (the lady in the pink swimsuit is standing is one such rental in the city)!

Cartagena was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. The city’s strategic location, on a secluded bay facing the Caribbean Sea, meant that it was an essential stop from Europe to the West Indies during the time of commercial and naval exploration. 

By the sea is the walled Old Town founded in the 16th century which we explored today with squares, cobblestone streets and lots of churches!

A street in the walled Old Town of Cartagena.

Despite its 16th century roots, Cartagena today is a modern and glorious explosion of colour. Fuchsia pink bougainvillea tumbles down from painted balconies, while well-preserved colonial buildings painted in vibrant colours line the streets.

Glorious white-washed buildings with painted balconies and doors!

The buildings are no longer family homes or businesses but are a series of high-end retail boutiques, restaurants, hotels and night-life venues.

A metal statue depicting domino players by Colombian artist Edgardo Carmona.

The sea is quite rough today and our ship is rocking and rolling and everyone is walking around like a drunken sailor!

The picture above shows our progress to date. We’ll be in Cartagena, Colombia tomorrow. Yippee!

To finish my brief tour of the ship, up on deck 8 is the Arts Cafe, pictured above. Here you can get light snacks from 6.30 a.m. to 11 p.m. It is a buzzy place used as a meeting point and offers a selection of sandwiches at lunchtime and a cream tea in the afternoon. It also displays some interesting artwork that I believe you can buy. 

On the same deck, there is a boutique, pictured above, if you are in need of some retail therapy and are not adverse to giving your credit card a serious work out!

And finally, on deck 9 there is the Connoisseur’s Corner where Mike hangs out in the afternoon smoking a cigar!

This morning, while enjoying chilling out in the Observatory lounge on Deck 11, pictured above, we passed Cuba, pictured below.

The ship has a well-equipped gym with a range of cardiovascular machines, a weight room and a pilates/stretching room, plus classes or private work-out sessions with a trainer depending on your needs. Below, far right, is my beloved rowing machine and the view I have while working out!

In the same area of the ship, there is also a Beauty Spa with a hair salon and offering a variety of treatments such as facials, massages and body wraps.

Sauna and steam rooms are a real treat after working out and this ship also has a thalassotherapy pool filled with warm seawater. This pool, pictured below, is intended to improve circulation and help with joint pain, among other therapeutic effects, due to the body’s absorption of trace minerals found in seawater. I have yet to explore this option and will give you the low-down in the coming days!

The Silver Moon is one of Silversea’s newest class of ships spanning eight decks with a passenger count of 596 and a crew of 411, and where we are set to enjoy a serious level of luxury! 

As an all inclusive cruise, we have a choice of eight restaurants plus a 24-hour room-service option; unlimited drinks both non-alcoholic and alcoholic; a daytime programme including lectures, cooking classes and Team Trivia, etc. and a pretty good wi-fi service that meets my browsing and blogging needs.

Above, the Veranda Lounge, located on deck 5, where our suite is also sited, with a rather splendid bar offering a full drinks and coffee service.

En-route to boarding our ship, we stopped to have dinner with Mike’s cousin, the Lovely Lorraine, pictured below with Mike.

And, and her husband, Gorgeous George who is celebrating his Birthday today.

Happy Birthday George x

Hi My Lovelies,

Mike and I are heading out on our latest adventure and we’d love for you to join us on our travels!

Starting in Fort Lauderdale on the west coast of Florida, we will be boarding the Silversea cruise ship, the Silver Moon, for an 18-day luxury excursion to: Cartagena in Colombia; spending a day traveling through the Panama Canal (agent Krywanio and his trusted bag carrier are on a secret mission for you know who!); stopping in Puntarenas in Costa Rica; exploring Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala; roaming around Puerto Vallarta & Cabo San Lucas in Mexico; and finally, disembarking in Los Angeles, California.

We are super excited to explore the Silver Moon, one of the newest ships in the Silversea fleet, which has additional restaurants and a whole new programme called S.A.L.T. – Sea and Land Taste – a unique culinary programme that focuses on the sourcing and preparation of local ingredients from the regions your cruise visits.

I look forward to having you onboard and will start blogging on April 2nd! See you then!

Amanda x

To all our friends in the US, a very Happy ThanksGiving Day to you. Enjoy. Give thanks and know that we wish you and your families all the very best.

This is my final blog on this trip and what better way to say farewell to Sydney than to climb its iconic bridge!

Sadly, half-way through the climb, a storm came through and we hastily descended to get out of the thunder and lightning! End of story!

We head to the airport this morning for the long flight home. The light at the end of the tunnel is to see the fur babies and start administering much needed TLC!

Thanks for being with us on this amazing trip and I look forward to having you aboard again, somewhere in the future!

Today, Mike and I enjoyed a wonderful tour of the Sydney Opera House and it was spectacular!

Notice how the wood around the stage and floor seating is a different colour from the walls and ceiling? The dark wood is an acoustic aid ensuring that the music is reflected off the walls. Also see how directly behind the stage the wood has a swirl effect to it? This too is deliberate to enhance the acoustics.

Opera and dance performances, including ballet, take place in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, so named in 2012 as a tribute to the celebrated Australian operatic soprano. The theatre seats around 1500 people.

There are also three theaters of different sizes and configurations for stage plays, film screenings and smaller musical performances.

You cannot imagine how long I have wanted to visit Sydney, Australia, and here we are, finally, on our last leg of this wonderful trip!

Several days ago, our cruise ship sailed into Sydney’s harbour and the captain suggested getting up early to enjoy seeing the city from the water. And that’s exactly what I did and it was a glorious experience seeing this very pretty city, marked by it’s two, iconic architectural structures of The Opera House and The Sydney Bridge.