thefouramigosblog

Valentine’s Day – no run of the mill restaurant for us.  Bruce and I and his friend Scott had a marvelous breakfast/brunch at Las Farolas.  I had banana pancakes, Bruce had an omelet and Scott had a Chapin breakfast.

After our delicious meal, we walked around the luscious grounds of the hotel. As with everything in Antigua, this garden is behind locked doors.

There were beautiful and exotic flowers everywhere.

The day was unusually cool and the air moist.  We were anticipating rain but decided to walk to the park.  It was a quiet day in the park, possibly due to the weather.  Not much happening there so we visited Wilma and her sister Elda, and watched as they worked.

 

For dinner, we walked to Como Como, a restaurant we heard was one of the best in Antigua.  Across the street were some ruins and they looked impressive in the night light.

The inside of the restaurant was lovely and we sat out in the courtyard.  We had dinner with Scott, Martha and Ted.

I had a pasta dish with shrimp and squid; and Bruce had chicken cordon blue.  It was all delicious.

Today we met up with Patty and Chris and went to the market.  Our first stop was to visit Samuel, a local artist.  I bought two little paintings for my kitchen.

It was alive with activity and the veggies looked amazing.

When we walked through the meat section, I seriously thought about becoming a vegetarian.

We had had a great lunch at a rooftop restaurant that specializes in crepes.  We had a chicken, mozzarella, pesto crepe that we split and then a strawberry crepe for dessert.

It was a delightful place for us to hang out with friends.  The view of Fuego was great.

I always marvel over the textures and colors of buildings, whole or in disrepair.

This evening we had dinner at Martha and Ted’s place.  She made a delicious dinner with a side Guatemalan dish.  I brought a carrot cake from San Martin.

What a terrific way to end our day!

We had a busy couple of days.  Yesterday we had our friends, Patty and Chris, over for coffee.  After sitting around a few hours, we decided to go out walking.  We went to the market looking at all the beautiful items.  I had a piece I needed ends finished and this lovely woman, Nelly, finished it for me.

Her son, Isaac, was a great salesman.  I found quite a few great finds there.

After what seemed like hours in the market it was time to chow down.  We went to this cute little restaurant, Chez Christophe.

We had a delicious meal.  I had spatzle with mushroom and bacon.  Bruce had tuna carpaccio and Patty and Chris had a salad and pizza.

After dinner we headed home and called it a day.

Today our first stop was the park.  We ran into Ruth and made a purchase of a beautiful runner.

We had lunch at Cafe Contessa with Bruce’s friend Scott and his brother-in-law, Ted. They make a delicious tomato quiche.  After lunch we went to the bodegona which is a large supermarket.  We needed to get a few things there including bug spray to kill the little ants in our apartment.  The bodegona is always a zoo and The aisles very narrow.  I escaped with my mental health in tact though  I needed a cup of coffee to get through the afternoon.  We just happened to be passing Guate Java one of our regular coffee cafes from last year.

This evening we went to a costume party at Caoba Farms.  Actually it turned out to be a costume party for kids but Ted still dressed up.

I am clocking quite a few steps walking around Antigua.

Darren is an avid fisherman and as part of their trip to Guatemala, I booked a day fishing trip through Buena Vista Sportfishing.  Our driver picked us up at 5am sharp for our one hour drive to the coast.  On arrival the dawn was just breaking.

The driver asked if we wanted breakfast but the truth was we really were ready to fish.  Our boat the Legendary had two crewmen, Omar and Manolo and the captain, Tito.  Manolo took our pictures before we headed out.

It was a beautiful morning and the ride out of the canal to the open ocean was amazing.  There were a lot of beautiful homes along the way.

It was amazing out in the open ocean with the volcanoes in the background.

We weren’t 10 minutes out before the first sailfish hit.  Darren, the expert of the bunch, was up first.  He pulled the sailfish in quicker then we expected.  Our Captain did an awesome job, maneuvering the boat to aid in reeling in the fish.

We were ecstatic.  Adrenaline was pumping and we were all ready and waiting for the next hit.  Bruce was up next and his fish was fighting.  I was worried more about his shoulder than the fish.  But shoulder forgotten he nailed a big one.

In the midst of Bruce’s catching his quarry, another fish was on the hook.  Tracy was up and she fought and brought in a dorado.  For those who don’t know what that is, it’s called dolphin fish in the Atlantic and Mahi Mahi in Hawaii.  It was a keeper.

Next fish was mine.  It started out great, I had a sailfish on the hook. But just a few minutes into it, something happened and I had a searing pain go through my head and had a full blown migraine.

The pain was too intense so I turned the rod over to Darren.  Then Tracy finished bringing him.

I was down for the count but it was still fun watching the fishing madness on the boat.  By 8:30 we had six fish.  Two dorado and four sailfish.  It was going to be a great day.

Manolo and Omar cut up the fish and made delicious fish sandwiches.  We were eating Tracy’s catch. Later he made ceviche.

After lunch the excitement continued.  More dorado and more sailfish.

 

We had moved way above the double digits.  None of us had ever been part of such a catch.  This was not a relaxing boat ride, catching a few fish.  It was hard work and some fatigue was setting in with intermittent adrenaline.

By 4:00 pm we had scored 18 sailfish and 6 dorado.  It’s was a very successful day.

Wow what a day!!

Monday night our friends, Tracy and Darren, arrived from the US.  It was late and they had a long journey traveling, so we went to bed early.  We have a lot to see during their short visit.

We awoke yesterday morning to cloudy skies which is quite rare this time of year.  Generally the weather is sunny and between 75 and 80 degrees during February and March.  We had breakfast at Cafe Escolonia which is a nursery but also has an outdoor cafe.  Tracy and I had crepes with fruit, yogurt and granola and Bruce and Darren had a typical Guatemalan breakfast.

After breakfast we headed to the park where Tracy and Darren bought a beautiful table runner from Ruth.

We had coffee with friends and then we walked around the city admiring the ruins, and checking out restaurants and many stores.  We stopped at Nim Pot – sort of a KMart of local textiles and odds and ends.

We stopped by the park and checked out the cathedral, where I photographed Volcan de Agua.

Our six mile walk took us to La Merced, a beautiful renovated church.  It looks like it is a wedding cake.

For dinner we ate at one of our favorite restaurants, Mamas.  It’s a Mediterranean style restaurant.  Bruce and Darren had Mahi Mahi  and Tracy and I had chicken kabobs.  We also had a delicious appetizer.

Up early today for a fun and relaxing day at Santa Teresita Spa.  We began this adventure by first going through a thermal circuit which is supposed to help circulation.  The first pool was over 100 degrees but felt very nice.  As part of the process we had to completely submerge.  That was great until we had to go in the 75 degree pool.  This one felt more like 50 degrees.

After that 10 minutes in 98 degrees and 10 minutes in 88 degrees.

Then we had to start all over.  Most was wonderful with the exception of the frigid pool.  I’m not sure if it improves circulation but I definitely felt relaxed afterwards. As part of the spa package we were given warm, cozy robes.  Instead of Laing in the sun, we walked about the spa and climbed to the highest level.  Great views of Pacaya Volcano which provides the waters to the spa.

After a nice lunch we all enjoyed a 75 minute massages.  What a way to spend a day.

For dinner we ate at Las Farolas, just down the street from our apartment.  Tracy had pasta, Darren and I had a combination of Guatemalan food and Bruce had the Guatemalan lasagna.  All served with fresh baked bread.

To bed early tonight, we have to be up at 4am to go fishing!

Last night we ate at Las Farolos.  Bruce had pepian and I had a Guatemalan lasagna.  It was a great place and dinner was only $19.

We woke early this morning and headed to Caoba Farms, where we had breakfast and bought some vegetables and farm eggs.

We ran into a few friends and then took a walk around the farm.

At Caoba Farms they also have a few farm animals.

We spent the day walking the streets and taking in the sights.  Bruce had a cigar in the park, an event I photograph on every trip.

There was this darling little girl in the park.  She was so intrigued by the quetzals we gave her.

We ate a great meal at DeVines.  We had pasta with pesto and chicken and hibiscus tea.  Our meal was under $20.

After dinner we strolled back to the park.  It was alive with music and protestors, families and sellers.

It was another wonderful day in Antigua!

We finally returned to Sydney after 11 days cruising around New Zealand.  The Sydney Opera House was outside my balcony when I woke this morning.

What an amazing place.  Linda and Stan are staying with us one night before they fly home.  Bruce and I have another five days.  Our Airbnb is quite cute.  It blends the old with the new.

Since it was early when we disembarked from the ship, we decided to go out for a little breakfast.

We decided to take the train over to Bondi Junction to get cherry strudel.  Unfortunately, the strudel they had was not good so we disappointingly settled for something else.

We returned to Newtown and walked around getting familiar with the new neighborhood.

We stopped at a pub for steak dinner.  We’ve found the places don’t look great but the food is good and cheap.  By the time I took this picture I had already finished most of the salad and half the steak.

After dinner we we returned to the apartment.  We played cards and just chatted.  At 7:45 am we saw Linda and Stan off.  We sure are going to miss them!

 

Today we anchored in the Bay of Islands in Northern New Zealand.  This was a beautiful area although we did not get to see the blue green waters because the sky was cloudy and gray.  But even so, it had the majestic feel that so many bays have where the mountains come nearly to the water’s edge.

We didn’t know what we were going to do today and Linda and Stan were thinking of staying on the ship.  While Bruce and I were pondering what to do, several pods of dolphins began swimming around the ship.  The next thing we saw were the tour boats coming out by our ship to see the dolphins.

We took the tender to land and a free shuttle bus took us to Paihia.  We walked around, went to a craft show and ate some ice cream.

 

There were several things we thought about doing but nothing seemed to work out. We decided to head back to the ship.  Lazy us went in the hot tub and pool and later played cards with Linda and Stan.  That was eventful enough for us.

I think the dolphin siting this morning was the highlight of this stop.  However, the sky started to clear a bit when we set sail.

Today was a sea day so we didn’t do much.  We did have formal night tonight and I had two lobster tails.  Yummy!

I woke up with a migraine this morning and when I looked out my balcony window at the port, I decided to sleep in a bit more.  Auckland has to be one of the ugliest ports so far.

Once I was up though, I was committed to give Auckland a try.  We didn’t book anything, so the four of us figured we would do what we usually do. Walk around aimlessly and see what pops up in front of us.

I did have a brilliant idea to find the best bakery in Auckland.  We stopped by one place, recommended by a security guard at the terminal, but there was no seating.  So more wandering until we found Dunkin’ Donuts.  Now I love Dunkin’ Donuts but that wasn’t what I had in mind.

Next door was an entryway with escalators up one level.  Of course we followed.  Walking past a sushi joint, a massage parlor and some other undefinable establishment, we ended up on a back street.  We crossed the street, entered another alley and there was Gloria Jeans Coffee.

I had a cappuccino, Bruce and Stan had smoothies, Linda had a long black and we ordered two raspberry/rhubarb tarts.  Yummy.

After our little indulgence we were ready for more exploring.  There was a wall exhibit dedicated to suffragettes.  I believe  the women of New Zealand were the first women worldwide who gained the right to vote in 1893.

Further on we entered Albert Park.  Guess who Albert was?  There was a big statue of Victoria in the park.

Next we went to the Clocktower at the University of Auckland. It was an interesting old building with mosaic floors.

Linda and I love to look at old churches.  We found St. Paul’s. Unfortunately it was all locked up.  One of the stained glass windows was a knight.

We walked past the sky walk and apparently you can jump from this sort of like bungy jumping.  We didn’t see anyone jumping today.

After our walk, we headed back to the ship where we spent the afternoon in the pool, hot tub, and sleeping on the loungers.

We played cards, had dinner and now off to bed.  One more port in New Zealand!

Today I was looking forward to seeing a friend I made during a Transatlantic crossing two years ago.  So often we meet people and promise to keep in touch but never do.  Now with Facebook it is so much easier to maintain some form of communication.  So we coordinate a time and place and I made sure I could find the place.

But first we woke up to a very strange port.  It actually looked like a lumber mill.  Poles and poles of wood by the acre.

We caught a shuttle to Dunedin from the Port which was about a 20 minute drive.  When we arrived in Dunedin we had about an hour before we were to meet up with Dale.  Of course, we went to a local coffee shop.  And walked around the area.

The center of town is an octagon shape.  We met Dale in front of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.  The first place she took us to was the world’s steepest street.

Dale took us to a lovely old cemetery that overlooked the ocean.  There was a tree that was perhaps 500 years old at the entry.

As part of our tour she took us to the botanical gardens.  The rhododendrons were in bloom and they were twice the size of any I’ve seen back home.

Dale took us to the campus of Otago University.  This is where she went to school.  It was interesting to see the old and the new architecture.

Our last stop before lunch was the old railroad station.  It is still used for train tours. The main lobby has beautiful mosaic tiling and stained glass windows.  It also houses an art gallery.

We had a wonderful lunch at a Thai restaurant and spent a bit of time chatting.  It was great to see Dale and I hope our paths cross again in the future.

As we walked back to the Octagon we saw a bit of street art.

Before we returned to the ship by shuttle we visited two churches.  St. Paul’s Cathedral was located on the Octagon. Some young man was playing the organ while we were in the church.

The second church we visited was the First Church of Otago.  A fragrant rose garden adorned the outside of the building.

From our balcony, we were serenaded by bagpipers as we set sail.

At dinner tonight our waiter Manuel showed us a balancing trick.

Another wonderful day!

I wasn’t expecting much when the itinerary said we would cruise through Milford, Doubtful, and Dusky Sounds but there would be no landfalls today.  So what I woke up to this morning was majestic mountains rising from the blue green waters of the sea.

 

The sun was just shining through as I stepped out on my balcony this morning.  I was overwhelmed with the beauty before me.

We were entering Milford Sound, where the Maori, the native people of New Zealand, believed had been carved by a godly mason.

At every pass was a breathtaking mountain view or waterfall.

The peaks of the mountains were covered in snow.

As the sunlight began to reflect on the water it turned from deep blue to turquoise.

Later in the morning we entered Thompson Sound and followed it through to Doubtful Sound.

Our last Sound was Dusky Sound where we caught a few seals lounging in the sun.

What a magnificent day!