and so it begins.....RTW16

Maybe you found our day which was lost back then, Sunday 11 October? If so, would like it back please – need all the days I can get at my age.

LOL, how very Emma Chisit of you!

I wonder how many Americans are in on that very British joke?

LOL, how very Emma Chisit of you!

I wonder how many Americans are in on that very British joke?

Some work it out because Google is your friend in helping to explain mysterious matters. (Assume you mean my screen name).

And for those who don't, it's Strine.

emma...no worries, i looked up emma chisit long ago! We actually have some folks in the south that use "chizit" to end the query!

i looked for your lost day and darn if i didn't lose one of my own....what IS it about that place? hugs to you and D.

Monday, May 23, Day 141 Apia, Samoa

Just sailing in around noon, I could tell that the weather was going to be predictable--clear and sunny, then rain, then clearing--in other words we were in a tropical climate!

We were greeted at the dock by amazing dancers and singers. As we tie up, we have been welcomed by so many people on our Around the World Adventure. Most do not possess great wealth and their countries are often described as "third world" but the gift of their singing and dancing is priceless to us.

We opted for a shorex entitled "Aleipata District and BBQ Beach Lunch" as a way to see as much of Samoa as we could. We know that there were taxis available but some research warned that there weren't many available and that one did not always get the tour promised so ship's tour it was!

Our bus (of 3 on this tour) was modern, air conditioned, very well maintained and our guide was the "boss lady" as Luke from Destination Services told me. (don't be put off by the number of buses in a tour; the guides are very good about not having all of the buses arrive at the same place at the same time)

Our guide quickly told us her name was "Shadow" as in "Me and My Shadow" and she wanted to show us her lovely island and would be with us every step of the way.

We took a beautiful drive along the coast to Falefa Falls which I would describe as more a cataract, or water that tumbled down a series of rocky places in a river, than a falls but it was lovely nonetheless.

Back on the bus and our coastal drive continued to another photo stop to Sopoaga Falls, a gorgeous waterfall that fell hundreds of feet surrounded by green hills, green trees, green green everywhere. That tropical rain....it works!!

While at Sopoaga Falls, we visited a small botanical gardens and it rained on us....not hard, but those of us with umbrellas and, in our case- ponchos, were happy we had remembered to bring them. The tour company did have a few umbrellas on board for the tourists so that was thoughtful...and useful.

While there we had the opportunity to sample coconut cream and to feed the chickens the inside scrapings of the coconut which evidently imparts a nice flavor when the chickens are served as dinner.

From there we drove to Tafatafa Beach for a BBQ lunch. We came into a very large cleared area with huts on small pilings or stilts with thatched roofs on the beach. We didn't need ladders to get in, but the short-legged people did have a large step up to gain entrance to some of them! We dropped our "stuff" in whichever hut we chose.

In a larger roofed area the buffet tables were set with several salads offered, a great variety of fresh fruit, breads, and sausages and chicken from a bbq grill as well as local beer and lemon water.

The lemon water had been bottled water which Shadow told us made it perfectly safe to drink, into which juice from local lemons had been squeezed. It was very refreshing and neat to drink something that was safe AND local. So often on this cruise we have to be extremely discerning in what we eat and drink.

Since I'm not a beer drinker I can't vouch for the local beer but since the bottles were drained and more purchased it seemed to be appreciated!

The day wasn't sunny, but it didn't rain on us either so I'm sure the men and women who prepared our lunch and tables were glad we hadn't gotten rained-out. I don't think the shelters would have held all of us!

We had the time and opportunity to go for a swim since the lunch was served by the sandy beach. Several of us went swimming and there were facilities to both shower and change our clothes. A few went snorkeling and reported that while the water was a little murky there were some fish and coral to see.

The water was warm and without current so it was a very safe place for anyone to take a dip. How fun to say that I went swimming in Samoa!! I used the outdoor shower which was constructed of black lava rock with red hibicus blossoms lurking overhead....gorgeous setting for hosing off!!

Our tour was supposed to end with lunch and the drive back to the ship but because we decided not to spend the fully allotted amount of time snorkeling, swimming, and eating we had time to do some extra things.

Bless Shadow for putting the following last minute things into the itinerary!

As we were heading back on the coastal road, she asked our driver to "see if the gates up ahead are still open" and when he said "hey, they are" she asked him to turn in and we went up a gorgeous drive lined with mandevilla, ixora, hibicus and a variety of palm trees. (If you live in South Florida, you will recognize much of the flora in Samoa)

At the end of the road was a beautiful 2 story house with verandas which was Robert Louis Stevenson's home and now a museum. They were just closing but we got to have a drive-by; what a fabulous place to live!

We drove by the Aggie Grey Homestead and then a little later past Aggie Grey's Resort which is now owned by Sheraton. One of the shorex offered is the opportunity to take advantage of this resort's facilities for 3+ hours including lunch.

Shadow said she absolutely had to take us to one of her favorite places in all of Samoa, the Mulivai Cathedral, the Immaculate Conception of Mary Church.

You will be able to see this church in the sail-in since it is very close to the harbor and is painted white and blue. When the morning sun hits it, the colors are stunning. Shadow said she has been told it is a wonderful combination of European architecture with Samoan influence.

Inside the church there are paintings showing the Stations of the Cross but there all resemblance to a European Catholic church ends. The walls are white and around the windows, arches, and doors there are Samoa designs painted on them as trim in henna, terracotta, and sepia colors.

But the ceiling.....oh, man...the ceiling. First the ceilings are at least 50'-60' feet high and are covered in carved Ifilele wood, a local hardwood. Everyone just walked around looking at the ceiling; those who carved the wood weren't just carpenters, but were artists and showed a true measure of devotion.

I love beautiful carpentry in a church devoted to The Carpenter. How fitting.

Towards the altar area, in the ceiling, was a light-filled dome with hand-painted religious scenes but if you look closely you will see palm trees and evidence of Samoa life!

From there we went to the Central Market which was closing for the day. Seeing us coming, many of the sheets were whisked away from displays and they made quick preparations for our arrival.

Seeing the amount of bags that were carried back onto the bus, the vendors are probably thrilled that they made us feel so welcome past their closing time!

It never really rained hard, but then again, the sun never really shone for long periods of time. When you come to this part of the world, remember to go to the Dollar Store before you leave home and buy ponchos or cheap umbrellas so that you are always prepared. (buy more than one because you just know you're going to lose one.)

One of the women on the bus was complaining that she was hot and there was too much rain and I grinned and told her that she had just described "the tropics." I don't think I insulted her, but she didn't particularly enjoy my answer either...pinched lips!!

You know....if you want air conditioning, and to be dry, and to eat food you like....stay on board or stay home, otherwise, hush up and enjoy your blessings....you're healthy enough to travel to lovely Samoa!

Monday, May 23, Day 142 Pago Pago, American Somoa (pronounced "pango")

A beautiful dawn this morning and my advice is to be on top during the sail in to Pago Pago. The town lies in a lovely harbor and as you sail in there are arms of land that jut into the ocean with the water either crashing against rocks or gently touching the sand....all dependent on the tides of your arrival time.

We had decided on a shorex called "Eastside and Downtown" just so we would have the ability to see some of the island without driving it.

We knew that there were small buses on the island for hire, but my research notes said they were not necessarily great at keeping to a schedule....they have "island time" here as well!

I personally love "island time" but not when my time is limited and I want to see stuff and be back on board for sail-away so shorex it was.

Many of the passengers opted to just walk around the small town and do a little shopping but some of us did opt for shorex that matched our interests.

We climbed on board one of my favorite buses to date. Imagine something that your favorite itinerant '60s rock group would use, or a vehicle that the Muppets would drive and you have an idea of this bus!

There are many on the island and are decorated to reflect the interests of the owner. One had God as his navigator, another had a screaming American eagle on the side, but most were brightly colored small wooden buses with wooden pew seats and center aisle.

The ceilings and walls were wooden, the windows were cased in more wood and ran up and down a wooden track ...they were pretty awesome.

We didn't need signs in the windows indicating our bus number, although they were there. Everyone knew if they were on the orange and green bus, the blue bus, or the yellow, blue, and red bus!!

It was cool to see the buses going down the street and the passengers seated at the windows with elbows hanging out, wind in their hair, just enjoying the trip. Half of the fun of this shorex was just riding around in the bus, windows down-- obviously a different kind of air conditioning!

There were windows that could be pulled up but about 5 minutes into the ride you just knew you didn't need no stinkin' windows!

Our guide was Vernon, a very, very, very large man who seemed to be comfortable with his weight. He told us that we didn't need any seat belts, and indeed there were none, because in case of an accident we would all just bounce off him.

He said he came from a family of fishermen where everybody had a job....his was "the float."

Our first stop was one we could have walked to from the ship; it was to the Marine Sanctuary.

I expected to see an aquarium type building housing the indigenous marine life but instead it was more of an educational building, primarily for teaching the next generations about keeping the ocean healthy for the sake of the human population.

It is a project from NOAA and features an enormous giant ball in the center of one of the teaching rooms and the ball can be manipulated by computer so that it can spin on its axis resembling Earth or can have certain spots selected to show features there. I want one for my dining room chandelier! (of course it would dwarf the room...but would be cool!)

A Sanctuary educator highlighted American Samoa and showed us what the NOAA pictures had captured of this area. One of the most heartbreaking, and yet most instructive set of pictures I've ever seen showed the effects of climate change on the marine population of American Samoa.

In 2014 NOAA photographers took pictures of the underwater life just off the runway in Pago Pago and it was absolutely breathtaking in all its colors. Pictures from 2015 were then shown of the exact same place and the fish life was hugely diminished and the coral was mostly white and the sponges were gone.

Then he showed pictures from 2016, same spot, and there was nothing but brown and broken coral and nothing else.

There have been no chemical spills, no earthquakes, no tsunamis--nothing has occurred here for the 2+ years that would explain the changes seen except climate change.

Everywhere we've gone on this cruise, the locals have told us of huge changes in their world in the past 5 years, especially the people who live on islands or coastal areas. The seas are speaking to us and we still have people not listening.

In both Apia, Samoa and Pago Pago, American Samoa the family is the foundation of life and the center of that family are the elders.

They are served first at all meals, their counsel is sought when decisions must be made and when they die, they are often buried in the front or side yards so that their final resting place is part of every day life.

Both Shadow, at Apia, and Vernon told us that not always is the eldest the village chief, but the man, and it is usually a man, although women have great power within the community, that can make the best decisions for the whole family who is chosen as chief.

In the center of every family area is a large roofed open-air pavilion where the family meets. The houses are then built around the pavilion. When a young man and woman marry they will go to live in his family village unless there are reasons not to.

If, for instance the young woman is needed in her village to care for parents or she has skills that are needed in her village, then the two village chiefs and others will meet to discuss the situation in a pavilion and then will agree that the groom should go to live with her family.

Both guides say that it is very democratic, and all business is discussed literally in the open air. If a village chief seems to be taking the side of his immediate family and is not considering the extended family, then he could be replaced.

This belief in family and village elders and chiefs is written into their form of government.

American Samoa is part of the United States of America, the US flag flies here, they have a zip code, but they are not represented in the US Congress. They fall under the jurisdiction of the US Secretary of the Interior.

On the island they have a bicameral legislature, the Fono, with the lower House of Representatives being voted on by the citizens of American Samoa but the upper house Senators are chosen by the village chiefs.

They have a democratically chosen Governor and the US President is Head of State but they don't vote for the President. They have a Supreme Court that is second only to the US Supreme Court.

On the way out of town we visited Sadie's Inn made famous by "Rain," a story written by Somerset Maugham. Some of the bus guides say Sadie was a fictional character, but most say she was based on a real person who lived there.

We stopped for another gorgeous photo stop along the coast on our way to Avaio Beach, better known as 2 Dollar Beach, which evidently now costs twice that to enter and is locally popular.

Unfortunately, the heavens opened just as we arrived and many were drenched without going for a swim! Ponchos to the rescue for us! Actually it is more for the protection of the cameras than for us.

We all crowded into the hut where the bar was doing a brisk business and stayed there enjoying the local young people having a spirited game of soccer/kickball/volleyball and lots of falling into the water! Let's just say there was a ball, young people, and water and everyone had a great time!

The rain stopped, we emerged, took lots of pictures of a beautiful beach and headed back to our orange and green bus.

We then stopped briefly for a photo opp at Camel Rock and the sun obligingly came out and lit it up so that many of us were able to get a classic black rock, green trees, blue ocean, and sparkling, crashing surf picture.

As we came around the corner of the coastal road we could see the Insignia and Vernon said that he would like to say "good bye" and so he sang a very poignant Samoan song of farewell....jeez...surely I wasn't the only one with tears in her eyes.

Imagine a wooden bus, windows down, tropical humid air pouring in, crashing surf, sun shining and a man with a lovely voice singing good bye to us....man....it just doesn't get any better.

Monday, May 23, Day 141 Apia, Samoa

One of the women on the bus was complaining that she was hot and there was too much rain and I grinned and told her that she had just described "the tropics." I don't think I insulted her, but she didn't particularly enjoy my answer either...pinched lips!!

I wonder what this person would have thought about our experience in Apia.

A few years ago we were trapped there by a powerful cyclone, missing our outbound flight.

We were literally boarded up inside Aggie Grey's with strong winds howling and rain pounding the boarded up windows and the building day and night nonstop for over 48 hours. It was scary and exciting at the same time.

It's Mother Nature - nothing one can do about it but wait for the sun to come out again, which it eventually did.

Paul-

I've been through enough Atlantic hurricanes that I never want to repeat the experience again, let alone while on vacation! Hurricane Andrew was the worse.

cbb....loved you post about Samoa...we did a similar tour in one of those great little buses but it was run by a family..Dad and one daughter ticket sellers, Mom and second daughter guide and singers on bus with Mom's brother the driver. It was a wonderful tour...the island is one of our favorite Pacific islands mostly because of the fun we had on that tour with the family.

Just wanted to thank you again for your posts. They have brought back many wonderful memories from our segment across the Pacific on Queen Elizabeth's 2015 world cruise. It was a part of the four month around the world trip combining two world cruise segments, a TA and three land segments.

We had originally thought to do this cruise last year, but that wasn't meant to be! So I went to Plan B, since we wanted to do an around the world trip in 2015 for our 50th anniversary.

Now, thanks to you and your DH's wonderful posts, blog and pictures, I have been able to do the trip after all through your eyes!

Reading your recent posts, it occurs to me that I never properly thanked you, after the fact, for your recommendation of REI shirts to deal with the heat and humidity of Southeast Asia (and the Egyptian Desert). I realized how much I am in your debt when, looking through photos, I started thinking, "I know I took showers every day - why I am I wearing the same clothes in every picture?!"

Thanks again.

we have the good fortune of joining your ship in papeete on saturday morning, and have a few questions for anyone who might be interested in answering.

we sailed with oceania in 2010 on its amazon cruise (miami to miami) and thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. we seem to remember a "happy hour" time starting in late afternoon (5pm?) and lasting an hour, in which you could get 2 drinks for the price of one. we may be mis-remembering which cruise line offered this, but do think that it was oceania.

do they still offer this in any of the bars? also, we're trying to get an idea of drink costs on board. for example, what would a glass of red wine cost; how about a long island ice tea? if anyone has a photo of the bar menu with prices, we'd really like to see that.

very much looking forward to joining the ship in two days!

Happy Hour- 2 for 1 drinks- is from 5pm-7pm in Martinis (5th floor) and Horizons (10th) and from 10pm-11pm in Horizons.

depending upon brand selection during HHours the reds run between $8.50ish to $10.50ish + gratituties.

If i can remember I'll get a photo of the offerings on the drinks menu and post it. That is...if i can remember to do so and that is not a guarantee since i seem to be currently suffering from tropical brain.

Not only can't i remember anything, it doesn't seem to bother me that i can't!

Check this thread for definitive information:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2359883

I don't believe prices change from ship to ship, but then I've never done a real comparison.

Mura

Hunding--

glad you liked the shirts--aren't they great? Mr. Wonderful had a blue one on yesterday, white today....we are currently in the tropics and he thinks they are the best.

If we didn't have "free laundry" he would take them into the shower with him.

You're right...it does appear when you review photos that you've never changed shirts!!! c

cbb

thanks so much for the quick response. hope to run into you on board after papeete. maybe during happy hour?

bruce and pat

Mura

Thanks for a very informative link to drink prices. Gives us a good idea of what's available.

tropical brain.

 

Not only can't i remember anything, it doesn't seem to bother me that i can't!

Time to book a Polynesian vacation to continue the bliss!

Thursday, May 25, 2016 Day 145

This morning we arrived in Raiatea, French Polynesia around 10 am and docked at Uturoa Pier. The town of Uturoa is at the end of the gangway!

The population is about 9000 and 65% work for the government which is heavily subsidized by France. Many people work more than one job since Uturoa is a very expensive place to live because so many things have to be shipped in.

Most people try to grow much of their own food, including a wide variety of fruits and yams and taro which is a root vegetable that is cooked to make a starchy food.

The Faaroa River is a navigable river and provides several kinds of fish and scrimp to add to the diet. One of the favorite things to do in Raiatea is to go kayaking on the river and several of the passengers chose a shorex to be able to kayak the Faaroa and knew that Oceania would make sure the river guide was reputable and highly experienced.

The kayak shorex people loved their experience and said it was very gentle paddling and they didn't have to work too hard which is excellent news since they are on vacation....and are probably getting soft!!

We departed the ship shortly after it was cleared by French Polynesian officials. You must do a face to face inspection with their Customs and Immigration upon arrival UNLESS you are not departing the ship in Papeete. We RTW just walked off the ship.

We had been given "transit passenger" card to show as we left the ship this morning so were among the very first ones off the ship.

There is a very new Mediterranean style building, the Gare Maritime, at the pier that houses the tourism office, public restrooms and a wide variety of shops and restaurants. This was also built with money from France.

We walked along the waterfront's small promenade until we reached a traffic circle with roads leading out of town so we headed back into town. There is a Champions market in town so snacks can be purchased.

Of special interest to some of the passengers were the oh-so-French bin of baguettes and citron tartlets...or small lemon meringue tarts. (yeah, you Bruce!)

We window shopped and then began walking back towards the ship. Next to the Gare Maritime are 8-10 small buildings with thatch roofs that hold crafts and souvenirs and are called fares des mamas or mama's houses.

We chose the excursion that would take us on a tour of part of the island by jeep. We liked the tour and were glad we were able to get away from the very small town and see what makes French Polynesia so beautiful.

There were 8 of us in the jeep plus driver/guide and I must admit that either we passengers need to come in smaller sizes or the tourism officials need to rethink the size of the jeep because I was definitely squeezed.

Again, I recognized many of the tropical flowers since they grow in south Florida. We stopped at a small vanilla plantation and learned how long it takes to get a bean to market and why vanilla beans are so expensive; everything must be done by hand, including the pollination since the bees needed don't thrive in the tropics.

We were off road for about half of the 3 hour tour so we saw dense jungles and dormant volcanic mountains.

We also visited Raiatea's most famous place, the Marae Taputapuatea, which was the sacred site for worship and perhaps human sacrifices. From this Marae the ancient ones set off to explore other islands which now form the famous Polynesian Triangle of Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand.

We then were offered small pieces of bananas still in their skins, rambutans, which are dark red prickly fruit with a sweet interior surrounding a nut. Also offered were pieces of other fruits all laid out on large banana leafs....really gorgeous presentation!

We then drove back on paved roads to the ship. I enjoyed seeing Raiatea's interior but do have a complaint. The roof of the jeep was too low so that it made seeing anything from the back quite difficult. Since we were all squeezed in, there was no room to really move around to try and see below the canvas top.

Perhaps I would have enjoyed the views better if we could have used America Samoa's very cool old buses. Of course, we couldn't have gone off paved roads but the jungles are everywhere so we would have still been able to appreciate them by seeing them better than we did today.

Raiatea is beautiful, especially the colors of the water and the profusion of flowers. What a lovely place to live.

Friday, May 27, 2016 Day 146

Today we dropped anchor off Bora Bora, French Polynesia a little past 8 am. We had breakfast on the veranda of Terrace and marveled at the spectacular scenery presented as the ship gently pivoted.

The day promised to be absolutely gorgeous, and it lived up to its promise as the day progressed.

We caught one of the earlier tenders into the Vaitape pier but because the trip to shore was only 5 minutes and the seas were calm, we went quickly to "open" tender, which meant no tender tickets from the Lounge!

We walked around little Vaitape and aside from some shops there wasn't really anything to see, although I did manage to buy some black pearl earrings! No great churches, or parks, or famous buildings or architecture, but... did I mention.....the sea.

If you have never been to this part of the world it is hard to describe the beauty of the sea. The colors are stunning and truly are a distraction. Twice this morning as I was trying to get ready I found myself just watching the water!

We returned to the ship, changed clothes, gathered up snorkel gear and had an early lunch at Waves and then tendered back to the pier.

There we climbed aboard a catamaran as part of a shorex chosen because we knew that O would have checked out the safety of the ship--ours was less than 6 months old. Some of the other ships we saw looked a little elderly!

The Bora Bora Lagoon is absolutely stunning. Off in the distance we could see the surf crashing on the coral reefs that surround the lagoon and you can enjoy it by diving, sailing, snorkeling, piloting jet boats, or just basking on one of the beautiful beaches.

Probably the most famous of the beaches is the stunning Matira Beach with white sand, palms swaying, and gorgeous clear water. You may have to share the beach with the ship's crew, but they seem willing to do so.

We anchored off Matira Beach in a beautiful spot and snorkeled for a while, but several of us asked if we could spend most of the time just sailing instead of snorkeling and he was happy to oblige. It wasn't that the snorkeling was bad, it was just that sailing was that great!

The seas were so clear we could see the very large sting rays just off to the side of the ship. There was a lovely wind that filled the sails and most of us stationed ourselves at the very front of the catamaran and just lolled around or took pictures.

The excursion lasted about 3 hours and was wonderful. The skies were beautiful, there were big puffy white clouds over Mount Otemanu which was very very green, and of course the ocean was a variety of blues and greens.

We were offered fresh fruit, and later some salty snacks as well as rum punches AFTER we were finished snorkeling for the day.

The young female attendant got some of the passengers up and dancing and we sailed by the Insignia with our music going and the ladies and 1 man dancing.

Several from the ship came to their verandas to see us, and the Captain came from the Bridge and waved!

Of the 14 on the catamaran 8 of us were RTW and it was fun being with them. Another couple who are "segmenters" asked us how long we had known each other and was surprised to find out we hadn't known each other before the beginning of the cruise in January... we have grown that close in 146 days.

Upon our return, I went to trivia for the last game of this segment and we tied for first! Sukey's group won first place for the whole segment and won a coveted plastic waving Buddha from Ray Carr's box of "stuff" purchased in some market in China, but we came in second so we were proud. Our team is composed of RTW passengers so we'll be seeing our group again in a couple of days.

We ended the day on the veranda toasting the end to a perfect day! (and tomorrow we welcome back Captain Flokos!!!)

Saturday, May 28, 2016 Day 147

I threw open the drapes this morning at 7am and was rewarded with bountiful sun, green hills, blue water, and .....boats. We had docked at Papeete, Tahiti.

Tahiti, French Polynesia is composed of 118 islands across a very large part of the Pacific Ocean and is considered an overseas country of France. Papeete is the capital of the island called Tahiti.

This was the end of one segment and the beginning of another so we had told Edmund, our room attendant, that we could make our own bed this morning and turn it down this evening so it was one less room for him to deal with.

That said.....I HAD TO MAKE OUR BED!! I'm exhausted!! Wow.....returning home is going to be tough!

Several of the RTW who had never been to Tahiti before opted for "Tahiti's Natural Treasures" and Mr. Wonderful thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to the gorgeous island. This is a tour that circumnavigates the entire island and we had 24 on board a very nice a/c bus with plush seats.

We stopped at the famous Papara Surf black sand beach and it was absolutely stunning. I don't know if the tide was out or if the beach is naturally that wide but it was beautiful.

This beach is protected by a coral reef which means the beach waters are fairly calm, but in the distance you can see pounding surf and lovely spray.

We spent between 20-30 minutes here and we just walked around awestruck. If you looked over your shoulder you could see beautiful mountains covered with a wide variety of green plants and trees with big puffy white clouds drifting overhead...wow!

We re-boarded and continued traveling from west to south to east. We passed steep coastlines, pounding surf, people's houses that often had ropes tying down the roof.

Our guide told us that when El Nino visits they get very high winds and too much rain so that there is damage to homes and businesses by rising water and wind damage to the houses.

In an attempt to keep the roofs on their homes, they will use ropes in addition to the extra nails and bolts. We've also seen large rocks and concrete blocks on roofs as well.

We arrived at the Gauguin Restaurant for refreshments and to take more stunning pictures or perhaps I should have written, 'take pictures of more stunning places.'

At the restaurant, which has been owned by the same couple for more than 40 years, there are aquatic pens to show tourists as well as local families who bring their children for a visit, what some of the local fish look like.

The owners have built a boardwalk leading out into the water with the pens on either side so walking out and seeing the clearness of the water was great!

At the restaurant we had a choice of fruit drinks, colas, or local beer as well as large chunks of banana bread. The physical setting is gorgeous and no wonder Gauguin loved the area so much.

Unfortunately, the Gauguin museum nearby is no longer open. Our guide said it has been closed "for renovation" for several years now and he personally has no hope that it will ever reopen.

After that we walked through the Spring Garden of Vaipahi which is a sweet little garden filled with tropical flowers such as hibiscus, lotus, ixora, birds of paradise, red and pink ginger and red torch flower.

We were treated to a surprise visit to Venus Point which is a lovely large black sand beach and park. Many locals were there with their children and young people were riding bikes, hanging out, and generally having a great time.

Venus Point is well worth a trip and two of our friends went to this beach for $40. round trip by taxi. They made arrangements to get picked up at a certain time and really liked the driver. If we come again, this is definitely something we'd do.

At Venus Point there were many vendors set up to sell their products. I found a great little tropical print outfit for the munchkin but could find no one who was in charge of the booth. Everyone kind of shrugged when I asked, so someone lost a sale.

We returned to the ship and rather than board, we decided to walk the streets near the ship. The sky looked, temporarily as it turned out, to threaten rain so we wanted to be close to "home."

Even though we are here until midnight all of the street vendors were closing at 4:00. Making money doesn't seem to be something high on their priority list!

It is a shame because this is the first night for over 300 passengers and they have been anticipating this trip for a long time. The bars and cafes appear to be closing as well as most of the shops.

As I look at the Blvd Pomare, the street that runs along Papeete Harbor and where many of the shops are located, there are very few lights on in those shops. Tomorrow is Mother's Day in Tahiti so maybe everyone is hurrying to her house to celebrate with her.

It is very expensive to live here and our guide says their current economic health is poor. He believes too many bad decisions have been made by both France and the local politicians which affects tourism.

Fewer people and cruise ships are coming to Tahiti which is a shame since her people are very friendly and the island is gorgeous. I sincerely hope the people of Tahiti vote for people who will help them make wise decisions for their future.

Visit Tahiti.....it is so stunningly beautiful.

Saturday, May 28, 2016 Day 147

 

Fewer people and cruise ships are coming to Tahiti which is a shame since her people are very friendly and the island is gorgeous. I sincerely hope the people of Tahiti vote for people who will help them make wise decisions for their future.

 

Visit Tahiti.....it is so stunningly beautiful.

When we went on our Oceania South Pacific tour in 2014, many people said not to bother with Papeete or Tahiti because there was nothing of interest and the town was a dump. They suggested spending the day at a hotel. We rented a car and got a map of the circle tour and spent a wonderful day something like the day described above. It is a lovely island away from the docks. We got lost a few times finding the beginning of the circle tour and saw many nice neighborhoods. This was a Saturday and when we were at the bank getting money, someone told us that things close pretty early so locals can head to the beach. The Paul Gauguin museum was closed then too but the gardens around it are very nice. Do not fail to go to the smaller island either. We got back too late to find a restaurant but had very good fresh sandwiches (the kind you can get at any kiosk in Paris) in the airport. We saw some members of our trivia group who just rented a taxi for a few hours to circumnavigate the island-it was reasonable as was our car. There are many options available on the day at the docks. The people who paid a lot to sit at a recommended hotel had a nice rainy day by the pool and an old movie. See the island!

tvmovielover: AMEN!!

Tahiti is a lovely island.

Sunday, May 29, 2016 Day 148

Today was a tender ride into the dock at Huahine, French Polynesia. It was another stunning island and I can well understand why anyone visiting from a French ship in the good ol' days would be reluctant to return home!

Again, having never been here before, we took a ship's tour of the island which lasted 2.5 hours and was what I would describe as a "highlights tour." We stepped into an a/c van and the 16 of us took off with a driver and a guide.

We visited Maeva, a historical ceremonial site in which various areas were outlined with black rock. The locals had rebuilt the marae, what I would describe as a "longhouse" so that we tourists could see what they had looked like back in ancient times as well as use it for locals' events today.

There were some historical photographs as well as some artifacts so this visit was definitely cool for me!

What I was particularly struck by was the use of woven coconut fibers. Every square inch of the floor was covered in these woven fibers, which are soft and gentle on the feet, but the ceiling was absolutely beautiful.

The Marae had very high ceilings open to the roof with cross supports. The ceilings were also covered with woven fibers and the whole effect was of cooler temperatures and airy spaces. Smart people those ancient ones!

We also visited Faie village, a place where kids were feeding blue-eyed eels. The eels are sacred and believed to be a gift from the gods.

They were definitely blue eyed and it was remarkable that every time one of them spotted a blond female tourist, they smiled! Don't believe me, check out our blog! (either that or it saw the big camera around my neck and was posing!)

We stopped at a place where we were shown vanilla beans growing and learned that everything to harvest them must be done by hand, including pollination, since the bees needed to do this job do not thrive in the tropics.

We learned about ancient fish traps and saw beautiful and lush mountains and valleys. We stopped at a lovely place high in the mountains called "the Belvedere" which was indeed beautiful for our last stop. Of course, everyone took the opportunity to take selfies....with the Insignia waayyy in the background!

We returned to the ship, quickly changed into swimsuits and cover-ups that we had laid out the previous evening, grabbed our beach stuff and returned to the tender again.

This time we were going on a ship's excursion called a "moto pic nic" which was terrific! We boarded a boat from the tender pier for a 30 minute ride to a beach where we would have a picnic.

Upon arrival, we waded a very short distance from the boat's ladder to the shore....a sandy beach. There were little tables and chairs with big beach umbrellas over them sitting in the water.

Yes, you would be sitting in the water up to your waist having lunch! (well, I guess "up to your waist" depends upon how tall you are, but you get the idea!)

Mr. Wonderful decided that was too much motion around him (have I mentioned he gets motion sick easily) so we ate on dry land at picnic tables.

The buffet included a scrimp cabbage salad, cooked chicken and mushroom, beef stew, rice and a coconut banana dessert and fresh fruit. Always careful about what we eat, the chicken and beef stew with rice was delicious!

Ladies danced for us (including a little girl of 3), and others played instruments so we had music for lunch. One of the musicians told us that he owned the area where we were and I told him he had an excellent office location to conduct business!

We had spent some time snorkeling or bobbing in the water prior to lunch, but immediately after lunch I walked about 400 yards (his GPS recorded 350 meters) to the other side of the motu (island) to be rewarded by a stunning beach, swaying palm trees, protected lagoon and drop dead gorgeous water just right for snorkeling.

Mr. Wonderful was right behind me and secured a shady spot at one of the picnic tables and I went out into the water. The fish were shy and didn't like the paparazzi descending on them but the sponges and corals were beautiful.

The sun was just right to be able to see clearly into the water but it also lit up the sea life perfectly and everyone had a great time walking/snorkeling through this aquatic garden!

All too soon it was time to leave so we helped clean up our lunch area, the trash was taken with us in large plastic bags, and back on the boat for another ride back to the pier.

The musicians came with us so you can imagine it was pretty magical as we went over amazingly clear aqua water with lush green all around and Polynesian music gently filling the air.

Another gorgeous day in a stunning part of the world.

How lucky I am....

Monday, May 30, 2016 US Memorial Day Day 149

(To those who have paid the ultimate debt for my country, thank you)

This morning we arrived at Rangiroa, Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia right on time at 8 am.

A personal note here: we were delighted to see Captain Flokos last night in Terrace and he came to our table of RTW people. We spontaneously burst into applause. "Our" Captain was back and life is good. Vacation with D did him a world of good and he was now ready to deal with us again...all the way to Miami!!

(D, come back on board and join us....we miss you!)

I took one look at the current when I opened the curtains and decided that perhaps I would not be snorkeling today since it looked too strong for me. Others did get off ship and go drift diving and snorkeling and the ones I've talked to today said it was a beautiful underwater experience.

They were in a protected lagoon but I saw others were taken to the Aquarium Garden for a glass bottom boat experience or to dive/snorkel and I counted 7 boats in one small area which might have made for some crowding.

Other people found Josephine's which was a house/inn on the water, turn right behind the vendors, and for the price of a pot of coffee/tea were able to sit on the deck and feed the fish baguettes. They reported that their experience seeing fish had to rival the divers.

We tendered over in one of the first boats so it wasn't very hot yet and I shopped the vendors, buying nothing since I found the prices high. I've been told by several guides that because it is considered part of France, then it must have French wages at ~13Euros an hour.

Of course, the groceries are very expensive, except for what they can grow, so living in French Polynesia is costly, despite living in paradise.

We decided to just walk so we left the little vendor area and headed sort of north until we reached the beach on the other side of the island and continued walking along beach road for a while. We turned around before reaching the airport and retraced our steps.

I was looking for a place to snorkel and loll on a beach but there was way too much coral, both in the water and on the beach. There was no sand, just broken coral which is very hard on bare feet and I had not brought steel-toed boots with me to protect my feet so I gave up on that idea.

We found it difficult to get around in Rangiroa. There were few taxis or buses, but there were bikes for rent and some of the crew were able to do that.

Some passengers wanted to get to some of the hotels and inquire about day passes to use their beaches but didn't know how to get there since they had no reservations.

We returned to the vendor area and I purchased a bottle of the locally produced white wine "Vin de Tahiti," Ile de Rangiroa.

A friend told me not to get my hopes raised but after drinking it (or not) perhaps I'll just keep the bottle as a souvenir. I'm told that it is the only place in the world where the grapes are brought in from harvest by boat!

Finding nothing else of interest to buy and no place to snorkel or swim we returned to the ship for lunch and good conversations with the other RTW people. We often find ourselves in Terrace at the same time and we catch up with each other.

We are like a small village of 200--we watch out for each other, take care of each other, and just enjoy being with each other.

It is all good today...in beautiful Rangiroa.

I am looking forward to Nuku Hiva!