Day 8 (cruise day 7) - The journey out of Huatulco was the first time we encountered some heavy seas; until now it had been smooth sailing. As we sailed out of Huatulco the captain informed everyone that we would be sailing across a bay that notoriously had high winds and choppy seas, predicting gusts of wind up to 60 km/hr. In Winnipeg and on both Canadian coasts this is usually regarded as a stiff breeze.
However, on the open waters with no shelter it is a bit more exciting. The captain said to expect the weather conditions to go from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. As I was walking across the upper deck from the bow near my stateroom to the stern for dinner, the wind had already come up and the crews were clearing the deck of passengers. And they were storing everything or lashing it down as even deckchairs were starting to move on their own. Within 1/2 hour or so the waves had become pretty dramatic with waves at about 10 ft. My dinner seating on Deck #3 was just above the waterline with a prime view.
The Eclipse is a sizable vessel but one could really feel the rolling action. Someone on Facebook asked what the mood of the people was. For myself and a few other hearty passengers it did not prevent us from chowing down on dinner and having a merry time. A second group was not so merry electing to stay in their staterooms and not come to the main dining halls...only one of four people showed up at the table next me 🤢 Then there was group #3 who were pretty sick and, well, did not make it back to their cabins before...you know 🤮 And the 4th group were largely annoyed not being able to walk a straight line even before their first drink. For the record, I think I had the best night's sleep in about three years.
Next day was Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, that was not much to write home about at the immediate shore - it was an artisan cruise ship dock in the midst of a large working industrial port. The Polynesian-like enclosure was pretty much all kiosks selling memorabilia and there was an open bar and grill. But sailing along the coast was spectacular with many volcanic peaks on the horizon. The real attraction at Puerto Quetzal was a booked exursion to La Antigua, the previous capital city that was severely damaged in the late 1700s by a devastating earthquake. The city had also been previously damaged by mud flows from volcanic eruptions. I did not have time in my schedule to take this excursion but many people enjoyed the restored colonial buildings. So...I shall simply have to come back with someone and share the experience.
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