Week 2 Costa Rica to Cabo San Lucas

 Here we are at the end of week 2. This week saw us having a total of 5 sea days. We began the week in Costa Rica and ended at Cabo San Lucas with lots of water in between. In Costa Rica we took a trip to an animal sanctuary, Nutura Sanctuary. This was really interesting except for the ants biting me. I believe I provided lunch for the entire hive as they must have loved my insect repellent. We saw at least 8 sloths, 5 jaguars, several emus, numerous macaws and parrots, cute toucans, tapirs, and even an ocelot. I was not able to get good pictures (or sightings) of the smaller monkeys. They explained how they rescue these animals and give them medical attention but, more often than not, the animals probably will remain in the sanctuary.

Chestnut billed toucan

                                                                                Emu

                                                                                 Sloth

Tapir

Jaguar

                      

                                                                           Macaw

Ocelot

Leaf cutter ants

Sea Days are quite busy. There are lectures on history, geography, photography, birds, and wildlife. These are associated with the region we are visiting so Aztec, Mayan, Spanish conquests, paddling across the oceans, and several other topics. I went to an excellent lecture this morning on the Bayeux Tapestry. I also go to the craft sessions where we knit, crochet, embroider, needlepoint, or what project you have brought with you. In the evenings there are musical performances, some by the onboard singers and others talent that boards the ship for 4 to 5 days. They have been pretty good so far. 

We usually go to the sit-down restaurant for evening meals and use the World Cafe for breakfast and lunch. The Cafe is cafeteria style. We have not dined in the specialty restaurants yet. We are tasting wines from different countries and I like a Malbec from Argentina. The staff on board is terrific. We have come across a number of them we met on previous cruises. Viking has a high rate of repeat personnel as they have one of the best pay and perks for employees. 

Wine Steward with my favorite Malbec

We arrived in Cabo San Lucas on Saturday. What a gorgeous day with temps in the low 70s and a mild breeze. Since we have been here on 2 previous visits we used this time to pick up items we failed to bring with us. Jeff forgot his computer mouse and also needed a sun hat. We went ashore with our friends Kathleen and Michael who did the same. We found a restaurant for lunch that was away from the marina area so it was quiet and less crowded. Wonderful meals and service. We walked just over 5 miles with plenty of rests for Jeff. We then headed back to the ship for a refreshing mojito and dinner. Jeff and I skipped the evening entertainment as he was really tired and I was not too energetic.