Spinning without a purpose

I’ve been busy traveling, I have not however, been busy keeping the blog updated. It’s interesting how important the site was last year when spinning around the world had purpose and how now it all seems so unnecessary.

The sites and destinations have been no less spectacular than 2023. An 18 night voyage from LA to Tokyo, thru Alaska in Sept/Oct. I just wrapped up a 16 night sailing thru the Panama Canal that had me in Seattle and New Orleans, along with Costa Rica, Panama and then Cartagena, Colombia.

Cartagena became an important destination. Country # 40 and day filled with love and laughter (and extremely hot and humid) with new shipboard friends, now lifelong friends: Robyn, Shawn and Jimmy.

Cartagena is a special place, located along the northern shore of the Colombian Coast. It reminded me a lot of San Juan, PR (one of my all-time favorite destinations) and this, also became a location that I’ll be returning to much sooner than I ever thought I would care to.

The historic walled city is visually stunning and my camera became my trusted travel buddy once again. I had to dust him off…the travel, photography…even life itself has been a bit uninspired as of late. Cartagena pumped some caffeine back into my blood and seemed to awaken the passion all over. Right time. Right place. Right space to re-fall in love with my life.

Taking a few steps back, Costa Rica (Puntareas) was also a new country. Costa Rica was lovely, and my day touring a sloth sanctuary (really an animal sanctuary) was very memorable. Our guide taught us so much about the creatures and the close and personal tour was a highlight of the day.

The first stop, Cabo, is always a favorite and this time was enhanced by Michael, another new friend for life that I met on the 18 night LA to Tokyo journey. He and his husband have a house in Cabo and he took me to some of his favorite hangouts and introduced me to the locals. It was a perfect way to remix a common cruise ship stop and always and forever thankful for your hospitality!

The Canal crossing itself was so much more informative than I anticipated. We traversed the original locks, and our ship had 11 inches to spare on each side of the vessel. The slow and methodical journey up 3 locks from the pacific side, into Gatineau Lake, and then down the 85’ in an additional 3 locks into the Atlantic took about 10 hours in total.

The weather in the morning was perfect, albeit hot, while an afternoon downpour of epic proportions didn’t damped the mood during the afternoon lake transit.

While on that trip, I got a bit of FOMO, which isn’t my usual style, but ended up booking a 7 night Atlantis (gay cruise) that left on Sat, Oct 26th out of San Diego.

That meant the quickest turn of my life. I arrived in New Orleans on the morning of Oct 25th. A quick coffee date with Elise and Doug, friends from Antarctica and then off to the airport for a quick repack, 4 hours of sleep and a 6a flight to San Diego to get on the Holland America Koningsdam for a 7 night Mexican Riveria cruise with Atlantis.

The gay cruise has been fun. Wonderful company and conversation. I finally got to meet Greg, fellow 7 continent in a single year (also 2023) traveler whom I met in a Facebook travel group a few months ago.

We’ve spent a lot of time at the piano bar listening to new friend and trivia pursuit partner Will, and watching many of the shows and comedians onboard. Atlantis does an excellent job bringing in top quality talent to supplement ship entertainment and it’s been a chill and memorable week.

I think I will finally be headed home to Colorado for a few weeks on Saturday. Until then, I am going to soak in the sun and avoid as much media and election news as I can.

Cole from Colorado.

In a MexiCole state of mind.