Costa Rico and Panama - Great Vacations

Costa Rico and Panama are wonderful vacation destinations. About two years ago my husband, Steve, and I decided it was time to take a cruise to visit these countries. Our chose cruise was a 8 day cruise to Costa Rico and Panama, which also had a stop in Costa Mesa, Mexico.

My husband had a stroke about ten months before the cruise. We thought getting away would be therapeutic for him and me. He walked with a cane due to weakness on his left side and poor balance. The nice thing about a cruise is, you get into your room, hang up your clothes and then are waited on, plus you participate in whatever you chose. He was able to enjoy many things but was still able to get the extra rest that he seemed to require.

The first stop was Costa Mesa and we thought we would try snorkeling. We got on the boat, listened to the instructions and we were dismal failures. The tide was strong and my husband just couldn't handle it. I tried to help him and kept getting water in my mouth. We are through with snorkeling for this lifetime.

The next stop was Costa Rico and we loved it. We went to the rain forest and rode in little cars that went high about the trees. It was spectacular. We saw a white face monkey, some beautiful birds, some bats and gorgeous foliage. When we left there we took a boat on the Tortugas Canal which was also beautiful. It was a long day and Steve was exhausted.

The ship docked in Colon, Panama, right by the Panama Canal and there were numerous ships waiting to go through the canal. I woke up with the sun and went on one of the higher decks with my cup of coffee and just watched the sun rise, plus all the activity. I took a lot of pictures. We had to cancel the Panama plans and just took a simple tour due to roads that were blocked by a worker protest. Much of the day I was on my own on the ship while my husband rested.

I met some wonderful people. I had some free time while Steve was resting so I played Trivia Pursuit and listened to music. I took a deck chair on the port side and read my book. I sat with a couple at lunch one day when it was crowed. They were from some Eastern European country but spoke English. The husband was reading to his wife while she crocheted. It was so sweet. I told her she had better hang on to him because he was such a thoughtful man and she smiled while saying that was her plan. I met so many people from around the world and it was so very interesting to talk to people whose lives were a bit different from my own.

I spent a couple of hours talking to an delightful elderly woman whose husband was in their room because he was sick. We became friends with a group of Canadians on the first day and met with them every morning. I took a lot of pictures with my new Nikon Coolpix camera which is small enough for a shirt pocket or purse. I was very much at peace and never bored.

This is one of the most peaceful vacations and enjoyable vacations we have ever taken, with wonderful memories and pictures to share.

Taking a cruise is a wonderful thing to do for many reasons. I love the fact that your suitcase are delivered to your room, you hang up your clothes and you are all set for the duration of the cruise. This is a lot simpler that lugging suitcases in and out of motels or hotels.

Also, you have several places to choose where you want to eat. If you like buffets,they usually have at least two set up, plus a sandwich and pizza stand. If you want to be served you go to the dining room as they serve meals 2 times a day. The other nice thing is you have a huge variety of entertainment options from live shows, small lounge areas with different types of music including kareoke, a gambling area with a variety of choices, bingo, several different types of games, a gym with a large amount of equipment, a walking track, swimming pools with a slide and jacuzzis, sunbathing and the list goes on.

Costa Rico and Panama were wonderful places to visit. When you stop at various ports there are always numerous choices of things to see and places to visit. It's hard to find something not to like. Happy sailing!

The copyright to this article is owned by Pamela Oglesby. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.