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February 15th
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We didn't get much snow this year but it's still nice to leave it behind :-)
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Our biggest of two total snow falls in 2025 (none in 2026 so far)
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Well we're on our way. First night out at the Fog & Sudds in Richmond
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Holiday started but one of us is still working! Note Accent Inn gives a duck
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We have announced the 2027 cruise destination! A Bucket List Trip for many and a trip we have never come close to doing in the past!
March 2nd to 17th, 2027 ... Japan's Cultural & Natural Wonders! 3 days of pre-cruise Tokyo Tour PLUS an 11 day Japan Spring
Flowers Cruise on the Sapphire Princess!
Download the
2027 cruise info here.
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February 16th
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At the airport in Vancouver and we got a couple flights of Okanagan wine!
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On the plane to LA we got a great seat with no one in front of us!
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LA with friends Bob & Brenda Daub from High River (were at Green Lake)
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Over night and we are in Lima Peru! Kathy with the guide on our bus
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February 17th
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Santo Domingo Convent in Lima. This tile wall is dated 1606
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This is the Library in the same building ... SO old !!
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Kathy got her first dog fix ... all though it wasn't very friendly
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One of the staff involved in restoring the building and tile work
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February 17th & 18th
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The Colonial mansion Casa Aliaga in the same family for 17 generations
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Casa Sulca a llama alpaca farm that preserves Andean textile methods
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Types of local camelides. Llamas & Alpacas the only 2 domesticated
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A selfie at a view point where our bus stopped on the way to Cusco
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February 18th
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enlarge & see the mountainside terraces used for growing crops
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Hacienda Sarapampa, a large corn farm, tour and lunch stop in Cusco
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Puppy fix! Kathy loving this stop!
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The two main tractor dealers here are John Deere and Massey Ferguson
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February 18th
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Super tall corn here and the cobs are super big too!
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A 4 course lunch ... mostly everything was produced on site
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Cuy! So Cute but the Guinea Pigs are raised as a favouite entre
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The corn kernels are huge and exported. A lot to Trader Joes
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February 18th & 19th
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Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel dinner M & K, J & K, Bob & Brenda
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Mark had to try the cute little Cuy (Guinea Pig)! It was good !
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Waiting here for the train to Machu Picchu
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One of the oldest roads in this area still in good shape
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February 19th
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Standing in front of our train heaading for Machu Picchu
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Kathy, Steen and Annette all had a different beer
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We had a whole train car to ourselves. That's Larry and Pat Selin on the left
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Machu Picchu village where we took the bus up the mountain
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February 19th
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As described a truly awesome and incredible place
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Totally hard to figure how they built these way back then
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Our guide Martin took this for us up near the top
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The hike up was short segments with a talk on a landing in between
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February 19th
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In town was terraced for growing crop like their hillsides
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Kathy and Mark's bus group as we headed down into the town site
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Mountains & valleys how & why did they originally find & build this place
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A good view of the original "farm land" made on the terraces
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February 19th
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Sun burned German guys - cute enough Kathy offered
sunscreen
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Back on the train we had a well done fashion show by the servers
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Mark was trying to get a photo and got snagged to dance
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Kathy bought one of the modelled alpaca Poncho/shawl/sweaters
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February 19th & 20th
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Hard to show the cob size but this is about a 16 or 18 inch pot
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Another tour in Cusco. This is one of the oldest churches in South America
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Kathy with Martin on our last day with him - a super guide!!
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Karen photo bombing Mark's wine photo at lunch just before we left Cusco
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February 20th & 21st
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JW Lima Hotel, beautiful! Jill check out the bathtub!
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On our morning walk Kathy stops for a photo with Paddington Bear
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Kathy and I went for a walk out past the breakwater / wharf in this photo
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Then Kathy got her dog fix! This girl was from Korea but living here now
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February 21st & 22nd
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Aboard the Oceania Vista ... nice roomie cabin and big bathroom
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Never had a cruise ship shower that two people can turn around in
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Kathy with Karen and Jim for our first dinner in the Grand Dining Room
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UNT Museum in Salaverry. This artifact is a skull with preserved hair
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February 23rd & 24th
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(right) were forced to take off their clothes, the (left) then be-headed them
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Back at the ship Mark stands under the bow and points out the ship's name
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That night in the dining room we ran into Clive & Pat a couple we knew from Watch Lake years ago
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In Manta Ecuador all the boats here show that one of their main industries is fishing
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February 24th
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These boats are tuna netters. Check out the helicopter on the back of this one
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Three boats in stages of being built ... right alongside the highway
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The Oceania Vista in the back with a palm tree alongside the highway
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Manta Ecuador city center statue of a typical girl hat weaving
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February 24th
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our guide explaining that the highland people here are short
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Then he explains hat making starting with palm leaves shredded then dried
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Three stages, crown, body, brim. Note how they hold them in place
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a small tight weave is better, and therefore a more expensive hat
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February 24th
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Then we saw a family business de-meating and shredding Agave leaves
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When dried the fibers / strands are like course horse hair
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Then they are combed and pulled on these metal spikes to make them softer and smaller
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The fibers are then spun into a string or cord to be weaved
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February 24th
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140 threads wide are turned onto a large drum that feeds the weaving machine
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the threads on the large drum are about 300 meters long
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This is the hand and foot power weaving machine with a sack started on the right
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Sacks are sold for potatoes & coffee beans & the fibers are also made into bags, rope, etc
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February 24th
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Our next stop was a family making ivory buttons & jewellry from "Tagua" vegetable ivory
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These are the seeds from a palm tree being dried for 6 months then shucked
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They are sliced on a saw or turned on a lathe for different shapes
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cut, carved, sanded, and polished into a beautiful ivory looking item
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February 24th
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Like this turtle that still needs to be sanded and polished
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Then our last stop was this archaeological museum depicting life around 10,000 BC
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They moved their trading items up and down the coast by raft like this
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The loom here (on the left) looks much the same as they use today
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February 25th
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A little time for some sun and fresh air
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Some beautiful weather to enjoy!!
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One problem here ... no one gave Mark a glass of wine
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Bob and Brenda entertaining the whole group at an evening get-to-gether
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February 26th
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A 7:00 am before breakfast swim when we have the pool to ourselves
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Free wifi ... ok! The ship wifi restricts us but this restaurant was great
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and so was this Imperial Beer (10:30 AM breakfast beer)
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Mark got both our's and Hugh's web sites up to date!
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February 26th, 27th & 28th
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Not the same as Jill's but Kathy did get a lemon drop martini before Jacques
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J & K went to this winery last year in Peru so we had to try it - super good
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We four went to Toscana, specialty restaurant and it was great
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6:00 AM approaching the port for a day in El Salvador
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February 28th
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The music and dancers on the dock welcomed us to El Salvador
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The shops were packed as were the streets and sidewalks of Sonsonate city
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Just like Andres with LG TVs, washers, dryers, but add cars & bikes
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The vendors seemed to just set up shop where ever
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February 28th
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We saw quite a few of these trucks packing freight and people
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In the food court these tiny little kitchens made up full meals
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and the stores sold everything from a single candy bar to bulk
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even a butcher shop! Kathy wasn't in a hurry to buy anything here
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February 28th & March 1st
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Our Sommelier at dinner told us about a Shiraz from Australia
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Here we go trying to herd 43 people into a photo pose!
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and we did it ... maybe one of the best group photos ever
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We talked the girl at the massage room into taking the photo for us
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March 1st
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we then hit the special brunch the ship put on
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One of the biggest and best buffets we've ever seen
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They even cooked the pasta right there while you waited
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Then we got an interview with Ron Lockrem for Hugh
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March 1st & 2nd
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The waiter making Kathy's Caesar Salad (almost as good as Jill's)
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The four of us at Polo Grill for great steak and seafood
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The waiter last night said we were going to Applecoca
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Another amazing sunrise as we dock at Acapulco at 7:00 am
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March 2nd
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Jim bought these through the taxi window while we were stopped in traffic
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They are Mexican mini bananas and were soooo good !
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We spotted this guy, one of the few cats we've seen.
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Ricardo the cab driver joined the six of us at Hotel Mirador
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March 2nd
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We had a couple of great cold cervezas
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Real Mexican chips, guacamale and nachos! Not sure what the look is about
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A perfect viewing spot to see the Acapulco cliff divers!
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Click this picture to see the short video clip
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March 4th
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Mark got in a few laps between breakfast & meeting J & K
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Jill ... I think this is what happens in our kitchen when you're there
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One of 3 different musician duos that swung by our bar seats in Cabo
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One of MANY private yachts in Cabo San Lucas which has grown immensely
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