Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala....

We finally made it to Puerto Quetzal! We were not allowed to stop on our two previous attempts.  Located on Guatemala's Pacific coast, Puerto Quetzal serves as a gateway to the inland attractions of this Central American country. I was up very early this morning for our arrival in Guatemala. The sky as so hazy that you couldn’t see the volcanoes that loom over the countryside.  The Zuiderdam is the first ship to arrive in Puerto Quetzal since the pandemic started, about two years ago. Cathy and I went ashore to take some photos and do some shopping. We were greeted by a band and local news reporter filming our entrance to the cruise terminal…I was the first passenger to visit the port in two years. I would love to see the footage that goes on the news!  After spending a couple of hours on shore, helping to support the economy, we stopped at the Restuarante Marina for a cold drink but more so to help the economy.  We eventually returned to the Retreat. We really loved visiting those markets again, everywhere we went they asked where our friend Leslie was… She holds the record for shopping there…   Due to the high gale force Tehuano winds last evening, the cabanas sustained significant damage and are being repaired today. It was quite the storm…  Happy I was on deck 1!  Another day with a heat index of 100 degrees…a beautiful day!