South American Tour: Buenaventura, Columbia (1965)

Sunday, January 3rd, 1965 Enroute to Buenaventura

Sea moderately rough but not enough to cause the ship to roll. Quite warm and humid. It took about 24 hours to make the run into the Bay of Buenaventura, 348 miles from Panama. We entered and dropped anchor about 7 PM. A tug came out finally to escort us across the bay, and the ten miles to Buenaventura on the Island of Valle de Cauca. This is the port for all Western Columbia and little else. Population 50,000, 350 inches of rain annually - it rains every day. Our Captain refused to go because the tide was going out and the chance of running aground was too good. So the Pilot left.

Monday, January 4th, 1965 Bueaventura, Columbia

Guide books are not optimistic about this town. They do not say very much which can be interpreted that there was little in favor to be said. Frantz, Shief Steward told the passengers not to wear wrist watches or jewelry, not to take camera and not to carry money or wallets in back pockets. The ship was in dock when we arose. After breakfast, 9 of the passengers went ashore. The town is right close after the docks with the Hotel Estacion close. The population is at least 95% black or mulatto. We picked up a young mestizo (Spanish-Indian) who could speak understandable English and who offered to be our guide. He was employed in the local office of the Grace Line.We covered quite a bit of the City. Our guide always pointed out the areas which he said was not safe for tourists to go on foot and of these there were many.

One of our group had a portion of a colored picture postcard sticking out of her pocket and a passerbyer thinking it was money pointed out to her it was dangerous to expose money in that manner. On the whole it was a disreputable place. There was not a decent clean restaurant in the city so we returned to ship for lunch. We were to sail at six so we hired cars for three hours. Eduardo, our guide arranged for the cars at $200 per car per hour and he rode with us and the Finnertys. The driver had very limited English vocabulary. Now we drove thru some of the areas we couldn't walk in. It was pretty bad. Soon Finnerty was taking pictures from the front seat when a native made a grab for his camera. He missed. Eduardo told us not to wear watches on our wrist which were next to the window side of the car. Anyway it was something different, real different.

Then we rode out on the road to Cali which is about 100 miles southeast of Buenaventura. This is on the only paved road leaving town. Did I say paved? Well it was paved once. Now it is full of chuck holes and in many places the surface is completely gone for long stretches here the natives actually have some pride in the "paved" road while one steers a zigzagging course while dodging the holes and picking the way expertly across rough sections where the surface seem to have departed long ago. The road after we left the suburbs took off thru the jungle. It wasn't wild or fearful. It was clean. Real clean, peaceful, beautiful and luxuriant. Grasses, ferns, flowers, trees. The day was cloudy, humid, but not too warm no dry Earth to be seen, foliage everywhere. We drove off the main road to look at an African Palm Tree plantation of 80,000 trees. It produces the point where the fronds take off nuts encased in a porcupine-skin like pouch. The end result is an oil used in lacquers. We also looked in the plant where the nuts are processed. It was a Holiday so we didn't get to see the operation. Back in town at five, learned sailing time postponed to 8:30 PM. Then the tide conditions didn't suit the Capt. so departure will be 2:30 AM. don't imagine either of us will be around. One more comment before we leave le grande Buenaventura! There is a medium size ship moving slowly up and down the ship channel all day long. at first we thought it was a patrol craft. Then we learned it was scooping up the mud from the channel. It had two scoopers on each side and a tremendous tank a midships for the ooze. The water is drained off and dumped to the harbor. An a certain point a barge meets the ship and the mud is pumped into it while the scooper keeps the job going. It would appear that sufficient water depth is quite a problem for ships. The Porsanger needs a minimum of 27 feet the entrance to the harbor has only 25 feet at low tide but high tide gives it an additional 13 feet. Average annual rainfall is 350 inches.

Tuesday, January 5th, 1965 Buenaventura, Columbia 

Awoke at seven the ship was still at the dock. A night the steward appeared and more loading took place. The real lowdown is we sail at 3 PM and we did. I worked on my log all morning and most of PM. Capt. called passengers to lounge after dinner to ascertain each was "Shellbacks" (had had their initiations for crossing the equator) and who were "Pollywags" (no previous experience). Even tho Millie and I had sailed around the world last year we didn't cross the equator. The closest we came was 6 degrees north latitude at Singapore. Only two others besides ourselves, Hazel Lewis and Margaret Ruhock took certificates from King Neptune.

The next hour was spent informing us of all the horrible and wild things that were going to happen to us tomorrow when we "crossed the line." Then we were excluded from the room while plans were drawn. Millie and Hazel decided to get up a show by the pollywags,

South American Tour: Balboa, Panama (1964-1965)

Monday, December 28, 1964 Enroute to Balboa

We were on our way to Balboa Canal Zone at 5:30 am, so I am told. Millie and I slept until 10. Lazy day, smooth sea. Saw lots of fish, porpoise, sail fish, tarpon. I swam in ship's pool this PM. The water from the sea was a delightful 75 degrees. We are in sight of land most of the time.

Tuesday, December 29, 1964 Enroute to Balboa

Slept late. Awoek with headache and upset stomach. Millie not feeling too good. Later we felt we had picked up a bug in the salad we ate for lunch at the Hilton in Acapulco. We have and will continue to refraing from drinking water or milk when off ship. Also to leave fresh vegetables and fruits alone. I thought perhaps the Hilton could control their products but apparently not. I slept most of the afternoon and ate little dinner.

Wednesday, December 30, 1964 Enroute to Balboa

Decided to get up for breakfast instead of sleeping. On our previous trip we had access to pantry and we could prepare toast and coffee. On this ship the pantry is locked. So we will probably get up in the future. We both feel ill and to make matters worse we had run into a gale making the sea rough. However, it did not pitch or rock as much as the Flying fish. We went back to bed after breakfast. Got up for a big lunch and went back to bed. Got up and dressed for cocktail and enjoyed a good dinner. The wind went down with the sun and the sea became smooth again. Everyone went on deck it was most delightful. Due in Balboa, Canal Zone Friday noon. Played Bingo in the lounge until ten, then had a gab-fest for the late go-to-bedders.

Thursday, December 31, 1964 Enroute to Balboa

Weather balmy, sea smooth, saw land on port side. Every once in a while. Captain gave cocktail party at 5 PM in lounge. Dinner at six. After dinner had more drinks in lounge Bea Finnerty was doing a solo dance in stocking feet on slippery tile floor when she slipped and fell on shoulder and a gash over right eye. Frantz, the Chief Steward patched her up. Then we slipped away to the officers mess to celebrate New Years Eve.

Friday, January 1, 1965 Balboa, Panama

Miraflores Locks

We opened the new day and the new year with parking the ship at 6 am out in the Bay of Panama - expecting to be there all day. However, a pilot came out and the ship was docked. We took taxi with Finnerty's, five other passengers another taxi. All of us were going to visit some noted park. On the way we saw a sign inviting visitors to see the Miraflores Locks on the Pacific side of Canal so we left the other five. On the side of the locks there is an observatory which overlooks the locks which is glass enclosed and covered, with a bilingual guide to talk about the operation and answer questions. We watched ships going in each direction thru the two locks at that point. We returned to Balboa Railroad station to take the train for the 48 mile ride across the continental seaside (271 Elv) and Isthmus to Cólon and Cristóbal. We walked about 12 blocks thru Cólon to Sea. Washington Hotel for lunch and discovered we were too late and too early for dinner. Took Taci back to yacht Club in Cristóbal where we had an excellent broiled lobster meal - $200 panama is the only country which does not have any paper money of its own. If they did it would be called Balboa, but they use Us paper money instead. Pretty smart as then no fluctuation. We took a taxi ride around the two towns and then back to RR station for return to Balboa at 6:30 (from coast to coast and return in an afternoon)

Train to Colon

Saturday, January 2, 1965 Balboa, Panama

Balboa

Posted time for sailing was 12 noon, so we hustled away by taxi for Panama City in Republic of Panama which is about 3 miles from Balboa. There are many excellent shops, drug stores/farmacias, and a number of camera stores. We made the rounds and taxied back to ship. It was still unloading. We had lunch and sailing time postponed to 2:30 PM. I walked about 1/2 mile to Balboa Post Office to mail film for processing. Al-tho the canal zone was in U.S. territory, U.S. Stamps are no good for postage, it must be Canal Zone Stamps - probably printed in Wash DC. When I returned found sailing time had been set back again. Millie and Finnerty's had gone into Panama City looking for me on the way but I had wandered off the beaten track to take some pictures. In late afternoon, we visited the United Fruit boat tethered on other side of our dock. The passengers were quite unhappy. They had inspected our ship in the morning and had seen passenger accommodations. They had no air conditioning, cabins were cramped, windows were port holes, and they were told while we were there that they would have to leave the ship to go to hotel and wait for another ship which would take them to Baltimore and pay their own expense from there. Originally they expected to return to New Orleans. We sailed at 6:15 pm. It was a beautiful balmy evening.

South America Tour: Acapulco (1964-1965)

Friday, December 25 1964 Christmas Day.

Acapulco was approached at 7 am. Another bonus stop. We entered a lovely harbor and maneuvered for an anchor position. There is only one dock in Acapulco for large ships and one was already at the wharf and a Japanese ship was next in line. Anchor was dropped at 8. All passengers decided to wait until after lunch before going ashore a water taxi called for us at 130 PM. It was one of their many holidays and they were out in force. We decided to take some bus rides to get our bearings. We took one going south that went thru the residential section some of which were very depressing. Then we took a bus back and went north of the center of town and finally another to get back. Bus fares are fixed first class 50 centavos - 4 cents US and second class 30 centavos.

The town starts right at the water front and runs for miles along this half moon bay. It has 264 hotels and 12 miles of sandy beaches backed by Coco Palms, truly a south sea island picture. Sea & air temperature 75 degrees

Saturday, December 26 1964 (Acapulco, Mexico)

Cliff Dive

Still anchored in Bay. We went ashore by water taxi. Town was still full of Mexicans on a Mexican Holiday - Many from Mexico City. A cruise ship came in with 1400 passengers to add to the jam. It is amazing to see the number of people from places other than local Guerrero Province. Families from all over Mexico as well as California, Texas and other U.S. states. We roamed the town until our feet and legs would no longer operate. We walked over the mountain to Hotel Merador to see the high dive off the cliff and then walked back to town. Prices here are not cheap some stores like Kodak film is tremendously expensive. However, the sun is cheap and there is plenty of it.

Sunday, December 27 1964 (Acapulco, Mexico) 

When we awoke our ship had moved into the dock. After breakfast we went ashore with the Fennerty's, Tom and Bea. Some shopping and then a taxi to the Acapulco Hilton. Sat around the enormous pool which also encompasses one of their dinning rooms. Met a man from Georgia and talked to young fellows from Kansas via California. They were beach comber type said they stayed at the "Smelton". - $15 week for 3 and enjoyed the facilities of the Hilton only ate there when invited. The Hilton is a wonderful place, immaculate gardens lush with foliage, flowers, birds even deer. We had drinks, lunch, then taxied back to another dock where we took a steamer for two hour excursion around Acapulco Bay.  

South American Tour 1964-1965 (Manzanillo, Mexico)

Wednesday, December 23 1964 (Enroute to Manazanillo)

The train was derailed and the cotton did not arrive for someone forgot to tell the Captain that's Mexico. We sailed for Manzanillo 318 n. miles away at 6 AM. At noon we had gone 74 miles leaving 244 to go. Time was advanced one hour as we went on Central standard time. The sea was still smooth a school of sharks was observed converting in the glassy sea and twice we saw large birds standing on the surface. When the binoculars were put on then we could see there were large turtles floating on the survace. In the evening all the passengers gathered in the lounge and sang christmas songs. Two of them would sing solos and dutes. Bridge topped off the day.

Thursday, December 24 1964 (Manazanillo)

The Porsanger docked in the harbor at Manazanillo at 5:30 AM. I got up at seven. Millie stayed in bed. Her legs bothered her and her ankles were swollen. All other passengers went ashore to see the town which began at the wharf. Many of the people live on the sides of the steep hills which rise from the level streets of the town. I bought some picture postcards, one peso each eight cents (strictly a tourist commodity) and a 2 oz bottle of ink, Sheaffer Skrip, azul-negro, $4.75(pesos) 389.

We were back at 10:45. Cargo was still being loaded and continued so for two hours. Ship left dock at 1:30 PM for acapulco. Sea calm, temp 79.

At 5 PM the passengers joined the officers and crew on deck to celebrate their regular Christmas Eve Party. Cocktails for all and everyone shook hands with a "Merry Christmas" wish to all of the others. With each wish there is a "Skaal" and as there were about 42 people present it became very sticky. Presents were passed out to the ships personnel some from home and at least three from societies in Norway and one in Seattle which sent Xmas gifts to sailors all over the world. The officers joined us for dinner and afterwards we sang Christmas songs in English and in Norwegian. The party lasted until 1 PM.