LIVE from the Sapphire - 33 days from Seattle to Sydney

[julia]

Pia,

Sounds like you had a wonderful day. Was this one of the ports that was new to you? What are tchotchkes? Unique to Samoa?

 

So cute Mississauga... (smiling to myself and just MUST reply! :):p Tchotchkes (in my humble interpretation, and I could be wrong) is the universal word for any stuff/junk/souvenirs/whatever, that are found in every port around the world.

 

Some people's homes are filled with them. Mine is not one of them. :o

[Kiwi Kruzer]

OK...Tchotchkes

 

Know what they are now....

but...

 

How do you pronounce it?:eek:

[RickEk]

OK...Tchotchkes

 

Know what they are now....

but...

 

How do you pronounce it?:eek:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tchotchke

 

They say it's pronounced as "Chach-Kah"

[atlasali]

Pia,

We were on your cruise last year, we arrived 9 days after the Tsunami.

How did you find the port Pago Pago? Have the homes and businesses been rebuilt? DH wants to know--are they still running the FEMA generators? Do we understand that the Starkist "Charlie Tuna" plant has not reopened? If so, they must really value a cruise ship's arrival.

 

We went on the tour of the island with Tisa, and ended at her "Barefoot Bar". What a beautiful island, and what a delightful place to spend an afternoon.

 

I had a chuckle about the "tchotchkes". In our area pronounced as, "chach keys".

[BayCalif-Ariz R Us]

This was the Tisa’s Barefoot Bar tour. We toured the island for almost 1 ½ hours with many photo stops at the breathtaking water/mountain scenes. quote]

 

Pia - what a great description of Tisa's Barefoot Bar tour! Would you say it would be a good one to do for people who don't walk or stand for extended periods? I'm not sure if there are still openings for our group but I will try and sign up and hope to hear from you that it's a great thing for the "less fleet of foot" to do:D. Thanks Didi

[ssbeagle]

Most places in Tahiti will take either credit cards or American dollars. You can buy some francs before you go over but it isn't necessary.

 

If you do , don't buy too many francs as you will have difficulty changing them back , and end up being stuck with them.

 

If you have any left over, it's a good excuse to go back again and spend them! :D

[Woobstr112G]

Just back a little while ago from what was a wonderful day in Pago Pago. We were on a private tour booked by one of our roll call members Evana ( screen name banana van). BTW, her screen name is one word, but Microsoft Works insists on separating it. Anyway, we met at the white piano on deck 5, left the ship at 8:15 and were on our buses before 8:30. Our group had 3 buses; each bus held 24 people, though ours only had 16. Interesting bus; all wood inside including the top (ceiling). This was the Tisa’s Barefoot Bar tour. We toured the island for almost 1 ½ hours with many photo stops at the breathtaking water/mountain scenes. Everything here is lush. Very green, since they get about 200 inches of rainfall annually. We arrived at Tisa’s, a large waterfront bar, where you could just sit and do nothing or swim or snorkel. We did nothing, though I did go on to the beach and get my ankles wet. Our lunch was included and we had a delicious chicken breast (barbecued lightly with what I think was a combination of a lime/orange topping), rice and cole slaw. Drinks were extra. We tried the Samoan

Beer; Vailima. $4 for the small bottle; $7 for the large. Even if you don’t drink beer this one is different and if/when you get to this place I suggest you try it. Interestingly, they have coconut shells under each table burning some sort of incense to keep the flies away. We saw none and there was hardly any scent at all.

 

 

During our ride around the island we passed many fale (homes); some small and shabby and others huge and elaborate. The Samoan way of life is the extended family who all live together and literally stay together even after death. There are no public cemeteries for Samoans and the graves of loved ones are lined up just outside their house. Some are plain; some elaborately done.

 

 

I think I’ve just about covered our 5 ½ hours ashore. At dock side there is a huge amount of shopping; everything is right there. All the tchotchkes you want and then some.

 

 

We just looked quickly and Mike even managed to buy a polo during his allotted 5 minutes. We will be back here next month with a whole day to just meander about. Oh…..the Volendam is here too. Never noticed it this morning, but I think it got here just after we did. We have the better spot.

 

 

Bye for now.

 

Pia;

 

Great description of your tour. Thanks for posting.....:):):)

 

Bob

[gppcruiser]

Just back a little while ago from what was a wonderful day in Pago Pago. We were on a private tour booked by one of our roll call members Evana ( screen name banana van). BTW, her screen name is one word, but Microsoft Works insists on separating it. Anyway, we met at the white piano on deck 5, left the ship at 8:15 and were on our buses before 8:30. Our group had 3 buses; each bus held 24 people, though ours only had 16. Interesting bus; all wood inside including the top (ceiling). This was the Tisa’s Barefoot Bar tour. We toured the island for almost 1 ½ hours with many photo stops at the breathtaking water/mountain scenes. Everything here is lush. Very green, since they get about 200 inches of rainfall annually. We arrived at Tisa’s, a large waterfront bar, where you could just sit and do nothing or swim or snorkel. We did nothing, though I did go on to the beach and get my ankles wet. Our lunch was included and we had a delicious chicken breast (barbecued lightly with what I think was a combination of a lime/orange topping), rice and cole slaw. Drinks were extra. We tried the Samoan

Beer; Vailima. $4 for the small bottle; $7 for the large. Even if you don’t drink beer this one is different and if/when you get to this place I suggest you try it. Interestingly, they have coconut shells under each table burning some sort of incense to keep the flies away. We saw none and there was hardly any scent at all.

 

 

During our ride around the island we passed many fale (homes); some small and shabby and others huge and elaborate. The Samoan way of life is the extended family who all live together and literally stay together even after death. There are no public cemeteries for Samoans and the graves of loved ones are lined up just outside their house. Some are plain; some elaborately done.

 

 

I think I’ve just about covered our 5 ½ hours ashore. At dock side there is a huge amount of shopping; everything is right there. All the tchotchkes you want and then some.

 

 

We just looked quickly and Mike even managed to buy a polo during his allotted 5 minutes. We will be back here next month with a whole day to just meander about. Oh…..the Volendam is here too. Never noticed it this morning, but I think it got here just after we did. We have the better spot.

 

 

Bye for now.

 

Pia,

Thank you so much for your skillful prose and daily blog. We have so enjoyed reading about your journey and look forward to meeting you on the return cruise from Sydney. Hoping you enjoy the rest of your cruise to Sydney.

All the Best,

[Pia1913]

A few gym answers:

1. There are 9 ellipticals

2. There are 2, 3, 5, 8, and 10 lb. weights along with the heavier ones.

Other answers:

1. Yes, you can just sit at Tisa's. No walking.

2. Tuna plant: one open, the other not yet'

　

It’s morning again and this time I’m coming to you from Western Samoa and it’s capital, Apia. We didn’t travel far last night, since Apia is only 80 miles from Pago Pago. Western Samoa is independent and therefore, though English is spoken, is not part of the U.S.

We lost an hour last night, so the hour we gained before Pago Pago we had to give back immediately. I like the other way much better. Something I forgot to mention yesterday is that for the first time in my life I rode in a vehicle driven by a man wearing a skirt. Yep……….they wear long shorts and a sarong on top of it. I’m assuming the men here do too, so if it’s otherwise I’ll mention it later.

Just like in American Samoa the families live “commune” style in their Fale, but here they have a distinct head of the family (Aiga) called a Matai.

Just a note about the suite, elite and platinum lounge offerings. As of last night the drink prices were lowered to $2.99. Up until now they had been $5.00.

 

We are leaving shortly for our full day private tour. This one is supposed to be in an air conditioned 15 passenger van for our group of eight. Sounds good to me. See you later.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

[Pia1913]

WOW! What a day in paradise. Yesterday was good; today was better. American Samoa and Western Samoa are quite different, inasmuch as the houses here are nicer, larger and the whole island is cleaner with more flowers.

Our group of eight was picked up shortly before 8:30 by Efeso, the guide/owner/driver of Polynesian Xplorer. This tour was arranged by Jane (CC name Maui Globe Trotters) and included a full tour with lunch and beverages and other surprise snackies. Our vehicle, a very comfortable late model Toyota van; deliciously air conditioned.

Our guide, who also happens to be a matai, told us about Samoan living and showed us the various fales, some that were absolutely gorgeous. We had numerous photo ops including one at a visit to Sinalei Resort a very upscale expensive hotel. We took our photos, walked around and used their facilities.

We went to Sopoaga Falls, where we walked through a Samoan garden, saw a magnificent waterfall and the various plants and their uses were explained. Then we had a surprise. There was a pig roasting in the pit together with taro. Even though we have attended a luau in the past, we never saw the up close and personal repast we were served. The pig was sliced right in front of us as was the taro root and we had this freshest of food immediately. Yum. I have never before today tasted taro and was pleasantly surprised that I tried it and liked it. They also showed us how to make coconut cream. When the regular tour buses started to arrive, we left.

We then headed south and drove through the 2009 tsunami affected villages before arriving to Taufua Beach where we had lunch on the deck of a restaurant overlooking the Pacific. Lunch was fish and chips; fresh caught yellowfin tuna, with cole slaw and soft drinks. All included in our tour. We spent about two hours there where we spent some time on the beach and a few in our group went swimming and snorkeling. Yes, I again went into the water. Not far, but I did go in.:) Return to the ship was at 4:00 PM where we had some time to look at the souvenir stalls right in front of the embarkation point.

I’ve just jumped out of shower and wanted to put this all down before I forgot anything.

On board tonight is something called String Fever in the theater and movies in Explorer’s. Invictus at 7:00 and Green Zone at 9:45. This was an exhausting day and we’ll probably just be having a light dinner and relaxing in our cabin. We turn our clocks back again tonight and during the night will pass the international date line. Tomorrow will be Sunday for you, but we don’t get a Sunday. Tomorrow for us will be Monday, the 11th. I haven’t done the math, but I think we will be something like 17 hours ahead of EST. Maybe. You figure it out and let me know. :D

 

See you on Monday. Mine, anyway.;)

[Toto2Kansas]

Thanks for the report Pia. I have to agree, Taro is absolutely wonderful. We tried it while in Samoa last time, even though I didn't really want to, and I found it so good I had seconds. What a great treat it was.

 

Sounds like you had a lovely day. Have a great evening! :)

[mississauga]

I haven’t done the math, but I think we will be something like 17 hours ahead of EST. Maybe. You figure it out and let me know. :D

 

If we are to figure it out, please post the time when you send your next post. LOL:). It feels more like we are cruising right along with you when we "know" the "real" time. Does that make sense? lol:D:eek::rolleyes:

 

 

You do usually advise the approx. ( before breakfast or going ashore etc ) time you are posting but this time we need the exact hour so we can figure out how many hrs you are ahead of us.

[julia]

Pia:

 

Thanks for sharing your day with us! :) We (on the Syd-LA segment) will not have the pleasure of experiencing Western Samoa as it's not on the itinerary. :(

 

To answer the "time zone" question posted... it is really very simple. If you have a computer running Windows, simply point to the "clock" at the bottom right of the screen (on the taskbar). Double click to open. Click on the "time zone" tab and drop down the many choices. You will see that Samoa is -11:00 hours from GMT (here in Nevada we are -8:00 hrs GMT) :)

[Linnie V.]

Thank you so much Pia for your wonderful accounts. And David thanks to you for your periodic picture postings. I feel like I'm taking a cruise already.;)

[regnig]

Pia so many thanks as I am ever so enjoying "my cruise" along with you. Your day yesterday sounded like heaven, thanks for taking us along.

 

Barb

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes another fantastic day!

[CanadacruiseRN]

Thanks Pia,

 

Your posts are taking me back to our trip of a lifetime to these amazing Pacific ports. We had a wonderful day in Pago Pago...even bought some tchotchkes! Our tour guide was a young college student who was so eloquent and passionate about her country. If you get the chance you can visit their government building on the main street.

 

The clothing is beautiful and the men in skirts look very handsome. I bought a Puletasi (women's outfit of matching colourful top and a wrap skirt) and my husband got a Lava Lava, the men's skirt. He has yet to wear it!!!

 

Thank-you for taking the time from your busy day to keep us entertained.

 

Laurel

[treesah]

Now, Pia, it's too bad you missed a very special day: 10-10-10! I'm gliding along with you. Thanks.

[Pia1913]

Good Morning. It’s Monday. I think. That’s what the Patter says, so I guess we’ll have to believe it. It’s really strange being on a ship and a day. I can understand it when I’ve been flying for a zillion hours, but this is different. I went to bed on Saturday night, slept 8 hours and woke up on Monday morning. To the best of my ability, I believe we are now 17 hours ahead of EST. Mary, it's 8:15 AM

Busy, busy day on board today. All kinds of trivia in the AM and our 2nd CC meet and greet in Skywalker’s at 11:15. Also in the morning is another oceanography lecture and a Fiji port talk. So much to do and not enough hours to do it in. Need to squeeze in lunch? There’s a pub lunch today too. This one is the newer presentation of breaded prawns, chicken curry, steak & kidney pie or scotch egg & salad.

At 12:30 there’s a lecture and video presentation of an indepth view of life in Fiji. 2:00 PM features the movie Avatar in the theater and also a lecture on John Paul Jones in Explorer’s. Late afternoon there’s a vodka tasting and raffle. Out of sheer curiosity, I may check that out as well.

Tonight’s entertainment is comic Tony Tillman, along with String Fever. We’d like to see Tony so I guess will find out what String Fever is all about. Explorer’s has a classical concert. We pass on that. Also a late night movie “Valentines Day” in Explorer’s at 10 PM.

Tonight again, we turn our clocks back an hour. Now I’m really confused.

See you later.

[mississauga]

Pia, you are absolutely correct. Right now you are 17 hours ahead of EST. LOL Guess you'll just have to keep us up to date on your time as it keeps changing. Funny how it worked out that you went to sleep, woke up and it was morning. It would have been weird and hard to adjust if you woke up and it was night time again.:eek:

 

The new offerings on the pub lunch sound delicious. Hope it is on the Ruby in December.

[Wormy53]

Thanks PIA for the trip with you! We are trying to decide between Hawaii/Tahiti or OZ/NZ for next year - wish we could take the time to do your trip! That would solve everything. :D

[HKM]

You're making us all jealous as usual, Pia - especially knowing you get to do it all again on the way back! We're off to join the Crown in Quebec next week after a stop to visit the grandkids enroute. We'll try to keep io with you as we travel.

[Linnie V.]

Simply go to: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Look at the city that Pia is in notice the time there and then compare it to your time wherever you are.

We noticed that Sydney is 19 hours ahead of Alaska time.

[Linnie V.]

Good Morning Pia!

As I write this it is Monday Oct 11th just after 9 a.m. You are on your way sailing smoothly to Suva, Fiji with partly cloudy skies showing on the webcam. You are about 16 hours ahead of us in Alaska which would be 12 hours ahead of EST. Can hardly wait to hear about Suva. Have a grand day!