I'M IN LOVE WITH (BLOG)

Dueling Christmas Parades

Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 Panama City, Panama Sunrise over civilization I’m sitting on the 13 th floor of the Waldorf Astoria in Panama City. (My room number is 1313, which any product of the 60s knows is the Munster’s address—1313 Mockingbird Lane.) From my window high over the city, I’ve been watching the staging of the Christmas Parade, which is snarling traffic for miles…but I don’t care, since I’m inside, air conditioned, and very happy! We walked around to look at some

Pru Warren

Dec 14, 20255 min read

Today in Expedition Land

Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 The Darien Gap Second-growth rainforest. Where it is definitely not snowing. Word is, it’s kinda snowing in Northern Virginia. Isn’t that satisfying? If I’m going to fly for five hours south to the very top of South America, then I don’t want idyllic weather behind me. I want raging storms and snarling traffic and all the things one would WANT to leave behind. Here in the Darien, the day has been overcast and quite pleasantly cool. Without the sun

Pru Warren

Dec 13, 20256 min read

The Village I Didn't Go To

Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 Darien Gap Looks like Alaska or something, right? It's Panama. The air was cool and rainy. A LOVELY day to stay on the ship; a lovely view to admire from a distance! A great deal happened today. I took part in NONE of it. And I remain absolutely thrilled about that! We arrived along the shoreline of the Darien Gap by sunrise. You ask—and why wouldn’t you?—what is the Darien Gap? WELL. I’ll tell you! You thought you could drive from far northern Alask

Pru Warren

Dec 12, 20254 min read

The Island We Didn't Get To

Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025 Southern end of the Pearl Islands A fully deserted island. Except some wild dogs. And possibly a monster. And very likely a witch. I have hit “the wall”—I’m tired and emotionally worn out. Part of it is the perpetual “no thank you” I’m offering in the face of (a) sugar, (b) salt, (c) beef, and (d) pork—which is about 80% of what’s available on a cruise line. Part of it is the otosclerosis of my middle ear which means I have to say “huh?” all the time

Pru Warren

Dec 11, 20254 min read

Nights in Hell, Days in Paradise

Wednesday, Dec. 10 2025 The Pearl Islands Who knows what evils lurk behind the "crew only" signs?! Mah-hah-hah-hah! It’s a snappy blog title, right? In fact, none of this has been hell—but the photo I took of the Quest doing the Pacific side locks at night has such a hellish appeal that I was unable to resist. The channel into the locks is illuminated with excellent lights; there’s a tall green light rod that the pilot aims the bow at until he gets some magic signal and s

Pru Warren

Dec 10, 20258 min read

Welcome to the Land Where Screen Savers Come From

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 Gatun Lake Ferny palms (or palmy ferns) in the rain This morning I saw a crocodile heading for the ship. It was highly sneaky. Just drifting closer and closer. Everyone else thought it was a log, but I was not fooled. Not even when it came close enough to be eyed… Definitely menacing Well. Maybe it was a log. Twig suggested that it might be a rare and endangered Panamanian plank, which was at least a kind effort on her part. Today I have not se

Pru Warren

Dec 9, 20256 min read

Sisters on the High Seas

Monday, Dec. 8, 2025 Gatun Lake, the Nat Geo Quest Twig's rule: Everyone looks better with sunglasses on. Our father was an aeronautical engineer by training. I was raised to value the nerdness of the engineering world…and yet it’s just possible that I’ve not given engineering all the credit it is due… …this realization brought to you by the fact that this entire ship was just lifted 85 feet into the air and deposited in a huge inland sea of a manmade lake. I’ve just been

Pru Warren

Dec 8, 20257 min read

Full Moon in the Tropics

Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025 Aboard the Orion, en route to Portobelo Lexie took this photo of the full moon behind clouds. It annoys her that it looks so much like daylight, but I think this photo is excellent. All mine were too blurry since the camera said "stay still for two seconds," which only works if you aren't on a ship bounding over the waves... The “expedition” we’re on is the only Lindblad cruise that takes place entirely in Panama, so I’m not going to say that we’re goin

Pru Warren

Dec 7, 20256 min read

Tropical Morning

Sunday, Dec. 7 2025 Panama City From the overpass over Balboa Avenue to get to the excellent harbor walking trail. This place is BEAUTIFULLY tended! I have always suffered from the “I don’t sleep well the first night” in a new place—but the curse has been broken! I hit that hotel bed last night and stumbled down, down, down in to the deepest sleep. This was my world record of sleep since I got this iWatch (which rates my sleep like the Russian judge). Oh em gee, I woke up lik

Pru Warren

Dec 7, 20254 min read

The Three Weird Sisters Go to Panama

Saturday, December 6, 2025 I write from the Copa airline flying me to Panama. My sister Twig is by my side. Across the aisle is my sister Lexie and her husband Scott. These are three of my favorite people in the world… …and now we have an immediate digression. Thirty-eight words in and already I’m distracted. That’s what happens when the Uber is coming at 5:15 in the morning so of course I woke up at 1:15 in the morning and lay there thinking about how horrible it was to be a

Pru Warren

Dec 6, 20257 min read