Journey with Bill & Mary Ann on the 2016 fall Tales of the South Pacific - 53 days

[vino100]

Report #31 Dravuni Island, Fiji October 25, 2016 Tuesday Sunny & 82 degrees Part #1 Of 3 85 Pictures

 

Have you ever heard of the Kadavu Island group of Fiji? Well, up until last year, we sure never did. A very small, and we small, island is part of that group and is called Dravuni Island. From tip to tip, this bit of land is under 2 miles long, and we guess not more than a mile wide. The one volcanic peak on the island offers views to kill for. The center has a village of about 200 people, many of them young children. Their housing is a step above what we found on Fanning Island, however, it is far from luxurious. It seems things have improved since our visit last year, because it appeared most folks have the new heavy duty plastic water catchers, possibly holding near to 1000 gallons of water. There must be a story of their existence here, but we would have to research this when we get home. They have to be subsidized by the mainland, but rely on tourism……specifically serious divers. These islands are situated in the Great Astrolabe Reef, something similar to the Great Barrier Reef off the Australian coast. It’s just a guess on our end, but we think the rudimentary facilities on this island provide a landing spot for the serious scuba divers and snorkelers.

 

The only way to gain access to Dravuni is by tender boat. We figured it would be best to go over as early as possible, like 8am, to take advantage of the cooler morning weather, and also to beat the crowd. Last year, we visited on a Sunday and everything was shut down. No souvenirs being sold, no massages, or no motor boat rides around the island. Today we would have a chance to pick up some authentic Dravuni treasures before they were sold out.

 

Four of us lucky President Club members met with our leader, Christel, who joined us on the first boat over. We squeezed in with the shore equipment which included not only lemonade and water, but a whole bunch of emergency medical stuff. In addition to that, they were bringing needed donations to the natives. Many times the ship will supply medical supplies and non-perishable food stuff. We are certain that all of it was well received.

 

We were the first to step on the pontoon onshore. Seldom can we say that, but today it was worth it. The scenery of the deserted beach with that deep white sand was priceless. The island lives up to its reputation of having pristine beaches and fine weather. It is a veritable tropical paradise, although small, it was more than big enough to handle the passengers from our ship.

 

The first stop was at the one vendor table that had nice t-shirts. Sizes were limited, and we probably bought the only white and black one in the right size. One Fiji pareo found its way into my bag too. This was our final chance to get Fiji treasures, and what a better place to spend your money than here.

 

Many other things were being set up, but we would come back here later. Our destination was summiting the island’s highest peak, well, at least one of us would do that. The trail began beyond the shoreside houses. It led us past their pig pens that were about hidden in the jungle. They are kept far enough away from their homes, so the flies are not pesty. From here, the trail begins to get steeper. We figured if it had been raining, it would be difficult to get a good foothold in the mud. Did we mention there are absolutely no vehicles on this island? No cars, no motorbikes. Kind of nice for a change.

 

Once we reached the first hilltop, the view of the ship in the bay was stunning. Doesn’t get better than this, so due to the difficulty of the hike, this was the best spot for one of us to stay behind. With the killer view and a wonderful breeze blowing over the ridge, the wait was a delight. What most folks don’t keep in mind, is that it can be much harder going downhill than it was going up. Bill continued up to the top to get a lot of photos, while I had fun greeting the hikers that eventually started the climb. Didn’t realize how many people we have come to know on this trip, as well as some of the regulars that go on this trip every year.

 

An hour later, we were back down to the water. Here we found several massage tents set up with ladies offering a total body massage for $10 USD, or a neck and shoulder massage for $5 USD. We heard the treatments were for 30 minutes. We are sure that the spa girls from the ship did not know this service was going to be offered on the island. The Greenhouse Spa had advertised a 15 minute massage at $1 a minute on shore. That would have been a direct insult to these natives, since they need the money even more. We never saw it set up, so hopefully, they cancelled it.

 

Gene, the cruise director, had planned beach games onshore at 1pm, but he had no takers. We heard later that he gave all of the game equipment to the school kids, who must have been thrilled.

 

Other items being sold were a little bit of island jewelry, flowered shirts for men, and a spice cake. Since we had skipped breakfast, the cake looked good. But we decided to wait until we got back to the ship, and have lunch in the dining room.

 

A group of Fijian men were sitting cross-legged under a thatched roof, serenading everyone as they exited the tender boat. We could hear the little kids in their shared classroom also singing with the help of their teacher. What a welcome.

 

We continued past the long length of the sand beach to the opposite end of the island. Recalling that we had seen a small cemetery, we found it buried in the palms and shrubs. Some of the graves sites were fairly new, although there was no way to tell how old these natives were when they died. Now what we found mysterious, were the quilted blankets on the cement stones, with bowls and glasses set on the top. Asking about this last year, we learned that the relatives come to eat a meal on the grave tops. Sharing a meal with a family member, so to speak. We did not linger long.

 

Following the almost hidden path, we made our way to the far end of the island. The shoreline was very rocky, volcanic in nature. Giant pieces of clam shells were present in the volcanic rocks. A whole shell must have weighed 10 pounds. No, we did not take one. If we had continued around the end of the island, we would have found another stretch of beach. A few people had made it over the rocks to this beach. We heard that the snorkeling here was fabulous, but you had to be careful of the coral beds off the surf.

 

We decided to go back the way we came, because getting back all the way around the backside might not have been doable. If the opposite beach ended at the bottom of the mountain, then the only way back was up a steep cliff-like trail. No thanks.

 

We left to go back around 11am in hopes of being able to get lunch in the dining room. We were in luck…not only were they opened, but one of the entrees was spaghetti and meatballs. Yeah, we know that is everyday food, but they sure do a good job with it. One of us was happy with the mozzarella hamburger and French fries. Plenty of ice ea cooled us off, as did the cold desserts of ice cream and a strawberry tart.

 

The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to photo sorting. By 4:30pm, it was time to attend another sail away. It had been re-located today on the lower promenade deck. Found out this morning that due to the drift of the stack’s exhaust at the aft pool, they decided to change to the promenade deck. We took our chances and went to the aft deck anyway. And it was fine. No soot, but no music, or appetizers. Like we really needed more food…..

 

The Amsterdam left the island by 5pm. Within minutes, the island disappeared as we headed out for a much appreciated day at sea. Our next port will be in Tonga.

 

Dinner was interesting. We had short ribs and oriental duck with fried noodles. Very different, but very good. Ice cream and frozen yogurt ended the meal nicely.

 

The entertainer this evening was a lady who is quite familiar to us…..Annie Frances, who is an internationally acclaimed, multi-award winning vocalist from Australia. She has appeared on many of our cruises, and the folks loved her voice.

 

By the way, the clocks were forward one hour tonight. Really do not like that.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise . I especially loved reading about your day on this island. :D

[NMLady]

On your blog in your first set of Lautoka photos you asked if anyone knew what those green wrinkledy veggies were. They are bitter melon. We used them often when I was growing up. My Filipino foster-father used them in some of the vegetable dishes he cooked.

[WCB]

Report #32 Sailing Towards Nuku’alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga October 26, 2016 Wednesday Chance of clouds & 88 degrees 6 Pictures

 

Finally a day at sea…..most appreciated by the passengers. And it looked like it was going to be a most perfect one in terms of the weather. Gone is the sticky humidity, and there is actually a freshness in the breeze. And we are certainly not complaining. Hope it continues.

 

Our breakfast waiter said we missed our berries yesterday morning. That’s right, we did skip breakfast, which we seldom do. Our waiter Miduk had saved two bowls of mixed berries for us, which was really sweet. We need to let him know when we tender early, that we won’t be in the dining room for breakfast. We did make up for it this morning with three bowls of berries and strawberries.

 

Waking the promenade was pleasant, until the workers closed off half of the deck for continuing repairs. The ceiling has been removed so the rusty pipes can be replaced. Good timing, because the pipes have sprung a leak again, leaving a constant puddle on the teak decking. Not good. Anyway, we don’t like flip-flopping, so we went to the aft pool earlier than usual.

 

Good move, as it was wonderful back there. Not too hot with a constant breeze. To make things even nicer, Twinkle, our assistant beverage manager, sees to it we get a chilled glass of fruit-flavored water in a beer mug. She worries we will get dehydrated. Sweet….. We stayed back there, finishing another book, until 2pm.

 

In the meantime, talks went on in the Queens Lounge. The first one was about the upcoming tours in French Polynesia, and the second lecture continued on World War Two and the bombings in Japan that ended the war. A new activity involves the BBC Earth: What On Earth Gameshow. Guess one day we are just going to have to attend one of these to find out what it is about.

 

The recipe for cooking Tahitian prawns was the subject of the Culinary Arts demo. And if you were interested in desserts, you could learn to decorate cakes with Melodye. Finally, sip and savor is not creating the dishes, but eating them. It happens every sea day at 5pm. Today’s treat was apple and prosciutto rolls paired with wine by the glass ($4).

 

Five o’clock is a good time to take a long walk outside. If we timed it right, according to the newsletter, the sun would be going down shortly after 6pm. We spent more time chatting with our British buddies than walking. All of us agreed that yesterday’s stop at Dravuni Island was one of those special days. We were all waiting for the sunset, which did not happen until 6:58pm. It looked promising, so we went for the camera. By the time we came back out, the sun was swallowed up by dark clouds, cutting off all of the colors. Oh well, can’t win them all.

 

What was the winner tonight, was our meal in the Pinnacle Grill. We had the best steak so far by ordering the ribeye. Tender and savory, it was grilled just right for each of us. The almost baked Alaska was our choice for dessert, but without the meringue. That turned out to be just what we wanted…….squares of cherry Garcia ice cream with a little cake on it. Perfect way to end a nice day at sea.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in Tonga.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #33 Nuku' Alofa, Tongatapu , Tonga October 27, 2016 Thursday Mostly cloudy & 86 degrees Part #1 Of 3 85 Pictures

 

Today’s port of call was Nuku’alofa on the island of Tongatapu, Tonga. The country pf Tonga has a total of 176 islands with a recorded history over 3000 years. This monarchy, the last one in the South Pacific, has lasted 1000 years, and they are most proud of it.

 

Captain Cook was here in 1776. He has been everywhere, it seems. The missionaries followed afterwards, and Christianity became prevalent in these islands. Nuku’alofa is the capital and home to the Royal Family. It is also a most walkable city with beaches , snorkeling, sailing, and swimming, but mostly in the outskirts or at nearby islets.

 

The ship was docked by 8am at Vuna Wharf, originally built in 1928. A railway ends here and was used for loading copra and crops. Recently, this pier was re-built with the help of the Chinese government. We were greeted with a band and a group of natives singing a welcome to us.

 

Some of the tour group were already heading off to the waiting buses. There were five land tours priced from $60 to $100 and lasted from 2 ½ to 4 ½ hours. The other excursions were adventure or water tours from $140 to $380 and were longer in duration. The expensive one was a swim with the whales, although a warning came with the tour: the humpback migration is about over, so no sightings can be guaranteed. Not sure how they justify the price, since the lunch was a boxed one. Come to think of it, we checked our photos from last year, and we had pictures of dolphins and whales, sighted when we left the port. So we do hope the folks that booked that tour got to see some whales.

 

Choosing to stay in town, we enjoyed a nice breakfast in the dining room first, having our fill of berries. Our walk today would include lunch, so we did keep it light.

 

Leaving the ship by 10:30am, we picked up two maps from the information gals. These are so handy, since one had a walking map of the city, and the other had a complete map of the island and surrounding islets. All the facts were given for each major site.

 

As we exited the port gate, we took a left turn towards the Talamahu Market, where Tongan produce is sold, along with artistic arts and crafts. They had hand bags, fans, baskets, and wood carvings, along with traditional-type jewelry.

 

Going up the ramp to the second level, we found better jewelry and island clothing. Hundreds of colorful t-shirts were for sale along with sarongs and Sunday-go-to-church dresses. Lots of kids clothes too.

 

From there, we made our way to the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, their Catholic church built in 1980. A private school for little ones is on this property. They were out for recess, so the boys and some girls begged us to take their photos. Kids are so cute no matter where you go.

 

Across the road from the church, is the fenced-off Royal Tombs, dating back to 1893. It is reserved for Tongan Royalty.

 

Near to this cemetery is the Centennial Church or the Free Church of Tonga. It is the most striking structure because it is built of coral rock dating back to 1888. This church operates the high school nearby. It was not oen today, although we have seen the inside on past trips here.

 

Down the street, we took a right turn, and arrived at the Centenary Church originally built in 1885. It was called the Royal Church, because this is where the king and his family attend services on Sundays. A few years ago, we happened upon this church just as he and his family were being driven back to their home by the golf course. Today, there was a service in progress, and stopped long enough to hear the parishioners singing harmoniously. This particular church, built in 1952, is called the Free Wesleyan Church, and holds up to 2000 people.

 

Across the road is His Majesty’s Army Forces, which is part of the bases for 700 soldiers. There are three bases on Tongatapu. Across this road, is a tree that houses many fruit bats, or flying foxes as they call the here. Since it was fairly cool today and overcast, the bats were not too active. They were content just “hanging” around.

 

The Royal Palace was down the end of this road. This impressive building was brought over in pieces (pre-fabricated) in 1867 all the way from New Zealand. Although the king and his family do not live here, he does attend official functions here. A large fenced green field extends from the house to the seawall. It is called Pangal Lahl. It is used for royal events, feasts, kava ceremonies (yes, they have them here too), and parades.

 

On the corner where the road turns, we saw the British High Commissioner’s Residence. It is called the “White House” and is used for government functions. It has cannons in the front yard. There are two Royal graves there, the two wives of King George Tupou 1, buried in plots surrounded with casuarina trees.

 

A bit further up this seaside road is the Mala’o’aloa Cemetery, which is also for royal people. The graves are mounded up with sand filled with seashells. A huge handmade quilt is displayed in this site.

 

From here, our walk was simply a pleasure. First of all, it was fairly cool and comfortable. Usually we are dying of the heat, but with the overcast skies, it kept the heat down. We’re sure that the ladies that had waded out into the low tides of the reef off shore, were glad it was not extremely hot. They were collecting something in the sand under the shallow water. Think we remember that they were gathering a large worm, that is considered a delicacy here. One of the ladies actually showed us her bucket full of these the last time we were here.

 

We had hoped to see the “fishing” pigs, but they were absent today. Maybe later, if we are lucky……..

 

It was a long hike, but we found Little India, the restaurant where we had the best pizza last year. Boy that sounded good. Anyway, they were just opening, and we had the best seats in the house……outside at a table under a gazebo. We happened to be the first customers of the day.

 

Bad news…………upon asking for pizza, we were told that their pizza oven was broken, and they have not been able to locate the part to fix it. No pizza for us. Even though the main menu had mostly Indian cuisine, we did find a page of light lunches. This was funny. We each ordered a toasted ham and cheese sandwich, expecting one sandwich. Not sure that was enough, we added French fries. Well, when the food came, the sandwiches were double….two sandwiches each. And the fries? They came in a large bowl, heaped in a pile. Hot and salty, just the way we like them.We asked for the local beer, which was cold and tasty. This must be the typical Tongan portions……ample. Good thing we had a long walk back to burn off those calories. But who’s counting at this point? Not us…….

 

We sat for two hours before heading back towards town. By the time we passed by the grade school, the kids were getting out. Some had made their way to the water, but unlike last year, the boys were not in the water catching little fish and eating half of them raw. Yes, we really did witness this.

 

Also on the way back, we saw what we think was a wedding party driving towards one of the churches. The lead cars had handmade quilts on the roof, which we understand are the gifts that would be given to the newlyweds. The following cars had young folks that yelled and waved to us. It’s the younger crowd and little kids that are the most friendly here. Much different than the people in Fiji, who all said hello, or bula, bula.

 

And that’s when we spotted them………the fishing pigs. They were back, rooting in the wet sand with their snouts and feet, searching for those same worms the locals had been collecting. These hogs are not wild, but are kept behind the homes along the water’s edge. We both said, “Who let the pigs out? Oink, oink.” Fun to watch, they seemed to love being in the cool water, and could care less that we were so close. Today, there were four of them, all sows.

 

Time to get back to the ship, we slowly walked a different direction through town. Many more cruisers were exploring the town, since the early tours had gotten back by now. We passed by the Nuku’alofa Men’s Club, a private club for guys only where they can play snooker and drink beer. On main street, we took a picture of Rain Tree in the Raintree Square, dating back to WWII in 1941. A huge tree marks the spot, giving shade for many businesses here.

 

Government buildings such as thee Parliament and Supreme Courthouse may be the buildings under re-construction. A large sign indicated the money for this project was supplied by a Shanghai company.

 

Wanting to check out the souvenir tents, we strolled up and down the isles. The typical trinkets were for sale, but also many Tongan handicrafts. Nothing was inexpensive, so that tells us many ships come here.

 

We worked on photos until sail away. Yesterday, we had received a notice warning about the exhaust particles that would be emitted through the stacks one hour prior and one hour before leaving a port. The messy soot, which stains clothing, has become problematic, causing the staff to move the sail away party to the lower promenade deck. We have found that if you know the direction of the wind, it is still OK to stand at the aft railing on deck eight. At least it is not crowded back there anymore. All of the appetizers and drink specials are gone too. They go where the people go…..deck three.

 

Once again, there was no special sunset, or sightings of dolphins or whales. A little disappointing, since we did see some last year.

 

Dinnertime found only four of us at the table. Kind of nice to visit with our British couple…….one-on-one. We had chicken kiev, and it was delicious.

 

The entertainer this evening was a unique performer by the name of Pingxin Xu. He played the hammer dulcimer, a very different type of instrument. He “wowed” the audience for sure.

 

Tomorrow’s port is another one in Tonga……the island of Vava’u. Only it will be a short stay with all aboard at 2:30pm.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #34 Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga October 28, 2016 Friday Partly sunny & 84 degrees Part #1 Of 3 85 Pictures

 

Did you know that the Kingdom of Tonga is the very first country in the world to see the dawn of every new day? The reason, of course, is that it sits right on the dateline. That is a little tidbit of information we got when we were handed the Tonga Free Official Guide when we got off of the tender boat in Neiafu, Vava’u this morning. We were on the first boat there, along with a hand full of guests, most of whom were President’s Club members. It is fun to watch the set-up and the first landing, since nothing is ever 100% planned until we get to the pier. This is one place that the tides can affect where we off-load. Last year, getting off was OK. However, upon our return, the tide had gone out, and we almost had to sit on the cement pier to access the roof of the boat. Hope they have a better plan today.

 

There were seven tours offered here today, even though our stay was rather short. All aboard was at 2:30pm. Four of those excursions did a short land tour, then offered swimming for an hour or so. They ranged from 2 to 5 hours for $55 to $170. Snorkeling equipment was not available on these tours, so you had to bring your own. Later on, we heard reports from friends that did one of these tours. The land portion was fine, but there was no swimming due to the low tides. Some folks even abandoned the tour, and took a taxi back to the pier. Not happy campers.

 

The other three tours were adventure/water trips, 3 to 6 hours from $170 to $400. The most expensive was a fishing trip, catch and release. Wonder if they had any takers?

 

The island of Vava’u is much different than our stop yesterday. This island is raised and mountainous, made of coral. Whale-watching seems to be the number one attraction here, as many shops offer boat tours to see and swim with them. Snorkeling must be the next activity to see sea turtles, manta rays, tuna, marlin, mahi mahi, wahoo, and even whale sharks. Since all of the islands of Tonga spread out over 700,000 square kilometers, there is a lot of ocean to hunt these creatures.

 

As for us, we followed the same path we took last year. The craft market and produce building were busy already at 8am. Even chicken was turning over hot coals, putting out the most delicious aroma. These folks really like to eat. We walked through the market, looking at the whale bone carvings, most of which were very expensive. Some vendors were also selling pendants made from cow bone, and did advertise it as such. A three-piece peach color shell creation was a nice souvenir from here.

 

Making our way up the steep road, we kept to the sidewalks, which led to the church. That was about the highest point in town, and had a commanding view of the scenic bay below.

 

We passed the high school, and many country-type homes along the rambling road. Commonly seen were the pigs and some piglets running loose. Seems everyone has a few on their property. In between the houses, were a few resorts, some of which had fallen into ruins. From the looks of some of the buildings on this ridge, it is possible that strong storms pass over here often. Last year, we saw a huge tree that had crashed through a roof. The tree has since been cut, but the home was not repaired yet.

 

Continuing on, we passed some cows, goats, and more pigs. Eventually, we found our way to a lagoon that connected to the sea. We recall there was a beachfront with a place or two to sit in the shade. As soon as we turned the corner, we found a mom and her little boy sitting on a blanket. She appeared to be watching the rest of her family foraging in the low tide. The water was down so low, that you could walk to tiny islands nearby. It was a good place to rest up and drink some water.

 

Going further, we saw the vanilla plantation. It was there that we ran into a couple from Oregon (also from the ship) that used to live in Daly City, close to where we used to lived. Funny how you meet folks when you are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We told them how to find the plantation, and they were on their way.

 

That’s about as far as we cared to walk, so we headed back. If we planned it right, we should be back to the pier by 11am, and back in time for a dining room lunch. By then, the town was flooded with passengers. Even though this is the second largest city in Tonga, it is far smaller than Nuku’alofa.

 

Accessing the tender boat was tricky, having to step on a tire on the pier face, then into a big step into the boat. It took about 20 minutes to get back. A few fancy catamarans passed by us, as this bay is a haven for the boaters.

 

Lunch was nice and cool in the dining room. It certainly was not crowded. We ordered the tomato bisque soup and one turkey burger and one chicken pesto panini. We must have consumed five glasses of ice tea each. Strawberry ice cream and peach pie finished the meal.

 

We used the rest of the afternoon to work on reports and photos. Sail away was once again on the promenade deck, but we went to the back. We have been lucky to see Denise and Howard from Concord at every sail away. They share their exploits with us, always a pleasure for us to know about the tours they have done. We can all learn much from each other.

 

By 4pm, we were clear of the islands, and now headed east towards Niue. Tomorrow will be another Friday, since we will be crossing the International Dateline once again, thus we have two Fridays, both the 28th of October. Good news for the staff that has to change the days of the week carpets in the elevators. They got a day off from that job. The clocks will need to be turned back 24 hours tonight.

 

Dinnertime found six of us there. We got to hear about the Murder Mystery Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill from John and Annie who attended. They had us all laughing as they described the tiny servings of each course. They did admit that the wines flowed freely, and some folks had way too much to drink, and became disruptive during the play. We have never gone to one of these special dinners, mostly because we don’t drink wine. If we understand it right, there is one price of $85, whether you drink the wine or not.

 

Showtime was Australian Peter Cousens, a musician or singer. He has been on many of the cruises we have taken.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Many thanks to NMLady for letting us know what that peculiar vegetable was. Never would have guessed it was a bitter melon.

[WCB]

Report #35 Alofi, Niue October 28, 2016 Friday (again) Partly cloudy & 84 degrees 33 Pictures Too Rough To Land

 

Things don’t always go as planned on cruise ships. Today was one of those days. Our port of call, Alofi, Niue (pronounced new-way) was not to be. Perhaps the largest upraised coral atoll in the world, Niue is known as the “Rock of Polynesia”. It is not large, only about 100 square miles with 1690 people. When Captain Cook arrived here in 1774, he and his crew were not welcomed. He named the island “Savage Island” and the name stuck for over 100 years.

 

Missionaries arrived from 1846 to 1900, then eventually the island was taken over by Great Britain. Eventually, it was handed over to New Zealand in 1901. Although it became a sovereign nation in 1974, most of the residents are now citizens of New Zealand. They also use New Zealand money here.

 

It is popular for divers and sport fishermen. There are few beaches, if any, numerous caves, and rocky cliffs. Whale watching and swimming with dolphins is advertised, but with inaccessible beaches, this must all be done off of boats.

 

Back in 2004, Cyclone Heta caused massive damage to their infrastructure. Recovery has been slow. Having been here before, we recall that there were few things to do here. Perhaps a ride around the island, or a walk on the road. The map supplied for this town showed 9 restaurants or cafes, but we sure don’t remember seeing them.

 

The most interesting thing we saw was a huge land crab that a local man had tethered to a stick. He held him with sticks so the folks could take photos. Of course, he had a five gallon bucket asking $1.00 to take a picture.

 

Then there was a fishing competition being held, where the fellows were weighing their catches.

 

Our biggest memory was that of the tender boat. It was very hard to transfer to shore, and even worse upon the return. The swells turned dangerous on a dime. And that leads to what happened today.

 

The Amsterdam had arrived by 7:30am, and dropped four boats. The plan was to transport all of the supplies over to shore, then bring a contingent of 14 local officials back to the ship to get clearance. Bet they were planning on a full English breakfast.

 

We sat in chairs on deck A watching the platform being set up, and the supplies loaded. It seemed to be taking a long time, so when Henk and Christel said it did not look good, we sort of knew it was going to be cancelled. The HAL Club girl was manning the door on deck one, where the line had gone down the hallway with the high day passengers, as well as suite people. Some of them were putting pressure on the poor girl, insisting she let them down the stairs. So escape the abuse, she snuck down the stairs and joined us. In essence, she was hiding from the mob.

 

Anyway, by 8:15am, Gene announced that we were aborting the effort. Captain Eversen followed with a more detailed explanation, apologizing. No surprise to us, we still had a chance to make it to the dining room for breakfast. Always a silver lining in the black cloud.

 

It was too bad for the guests that have never been there before. It would have given them bragging rights to say they had been on the world’s highest coral atoll, and add another country to their list. Other than that, we can see no reason for our stop here. There were no tours offered, so there was no loss to the ship.

 

A new revised itinerary was printed and on our doors by 10am. It would be a very pleasant day at sea with a little scenic cruising as the Captain took us around the island before heading southeast.

 

We spent a good part of the day at the pool, reading and relaxing. Actually, it was rather nice after such a vigorous day yesterday. It wasn’t too hot, and the wind was blowing over the decks keeping it cool.

 

Lunch was room service salads and a shared sandwich. The service has been excellent at lunchtime, and the food always served with a smile.

 

We took the time to put deposits on two future back-to-back cruises next fall. One is in Alaska, and the next following one is round trip Hawaii. It will be on the Eurodam, which will be the first time sailing her for us. For the month of October, a sale on future cruises includes double the shipboard credit, and also a reduced deposit. We had hoped to do part of the repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Ft. Lauderdale, but according to the Jones Act, we cannot board in Vancouver and get off in San Francisco. Makes no sense to us since Vancouver is in Canada right? Will have to check into this with our travel agent when we get home.

 

We had certificates on our mail slot for crossing the International Dateline. We do have a few of these certificates already, but they do have a good explanation of why and where it exists. At least we got the day back we lost over a week ago. Funny to have two Fridays with the same date.

 

Peter Cousens had an early show at 7:30pm tonight. Not sure why. The regular show was the comedy and impressions of Jeff Burghart. He is also a regular on the world cruises.

 

All seven of us were at dinner this evening. We both ordered the parmesan coated pork loin with polenta and green beans. Sure was good. A rich mushroom gravy was served on the side….also good. Saved a little room for banana frozen yogurt and chocolate pudding that was really flourless chocolate cake. Go figure.

 

Taking our PM walk outside, we noticed that the ship has continued to pitch and roll as it had done all day. If this keeps up, we have our doubts that getting into Rarotonga will happen. It is two days away, so maybe the ocean will flatten out.

 

The clocks went ahead one hour tonight. Our waiters did not like that, since they said it cut into their crew party time, which must be tonight after dinner.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 36 Sailing Towards Avatiu, Rarotonga, Cook Islands October 29, 2016 Saturday Sunny & 88 degrees

 

Another day at sea was just what we needed to recharge our batteries. We laid low on the “lay lows” at the aft pool most of the day. The weather has remained pleasant, warm, but not too humid. A most delightful way to relax.

 

In the meantime, ship life continued with talks about the future ports of Rarotonga and Bora Bora. Then everything you wanted to know about Captain Cook was explained by Joesph Kess, the guest speaker.

 

A new line of jewelry has been brought onboard by New Zealand Wild Jewels. They featured designs made from paua shell (New Zealand abalone), mother of pearl, sterling silver, gemstones, and pearls. The artists revealed their collection today with a raffle included.

 

We were invited to the Captain’s Table in the Pinnacle Grill tonight, beginning with cocktails in the atrium at 6:30pm. Captain Fred and his fiancée, Brooke, have hosted these private dinners for 10 guests every gala evening. The only guest we knew was Dolly, a long time passenger and also President’s Club member. But we did recognize a lady that sunbathes near us every sea day. She and her husband were also from California.

 

We were served our choice of cocktails, and a tray of assorted canapes. Never totally sure what is in these canapes, we declined. Besides, the flaky bottoms would probably end up all over our gala clothes. We were not alone, as only one guest tried them….Dolly. After ½ hour, we were led down the staircase to the restaurant, then seated one by one at our pre-assigned seats.

 

We were sitting at opposite ends of the long table in the back room. Bill with Brooke and me with the Captain. As a result, we had different conversations, depending on whom we sat next to.

 

Anyway the menu was specially created by the head chef and the Pinnacle Grill chefs. They began with a bacon-wrapped scallops with a side of caviar. Of course, one of cannot eat the shellfish, and Tina, the manager, always remembers to serve a substitute. Tonight it was grilled halibut. Noticed the Captain also had the halibut.

 

Next was the tiniest salad ever with everything we like…..a cherry tomato, mozzarella, basil, green onion, and toasted parmesan on a bed of balsamic dressing. Asking the Captain about the lettuce shortage recently, he said that there was no shortage, but a problem with the supplies wilting prematurely.

 

It was soup time with roasted corn and butternut soup. That was among the best item of the dinner. Hot and tasty.

 

A green apple sorbet was the palate cleanser. Frozen sorbet was made to look like a slice of apple. Also good.

 

The entrée was a tender duxelle-crusted petit tenderloin. Small but filling. We also had a continuous service of little rolls through the meal. And of course, Cellar Master Jacques supplied the appropriate white and reds wines with every course.

 

Red velvet was the name of our dessert. So this is where the rest of the raspberries ended up…….in here for our tasty dessert. It was a plate of small dots of chocolate and dabs of berries and cake filled with berry-flavored whipped cream. A cup of coffee, and the evening was ended with a speech by the Captain. By then, it was nearing 10pm.

 

We did discuss the possibility that tomorrow’s port of Rarotonga may be skipped. With the current deep swells we are having, we kind of doubt that it will be a go. Did we mention that due to missing Niue, the Captain and Henk M treated us all to a glass of sparkling wine or a soft drink with our dessert last night in the dining room. All but two of us asked for sodas to go, and our wine steward gladly brought them to us. Nice gesture.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Walkabout 2]

Looking forward to following your South Pacific trip:)

[WCB]

Report # 37 Avatiu, Rarotonga, Cook Islands October 30, 2016 Sunday Sunny & 84 degrees Part # 1 of 3 87 Pictures

 

Rarotonga is another one of those dicey ports where the chances of getting onshore are about 50/50. The deep, long swells that prevented us from landing in Niue had stayed with us ever since. So we were really prepared to have today cancelled. However, we were pleasantly surprised when it was a go.

 

Rarotonga is an island with a dormant volcano in its center. It is one of the 15 islands that comprise the Cook Islands, which are spread out over an area the size of India. Wow…..

 

The Maoris from New Zealand landed here in the 6th century in double-hulled canoes called “wakas”. Modern times brought art in the form of carvings, weavings, and paintings.

 

Things to do here today would be limited, because it is a Sunday, a day of worship and rest. The only exceptions are three tours offered by the shore excursion staff. They are all 3 hours in duration, costing from $70 to $100. Most all of the island’s buses have narrow wooden seats, no a/c, and no PA system. One of these tours we took several years ago, but while on a different ship. It went to the Muri Lagoon and included a BBQ lunch and time to snorkel off a small island. It had rained the day before, and the snorkeling was a bust.

 

This is where we began to see black pearls advertised, mainly because Rarotonga and neighboring islands are the second largest producer of these precious pearls in the world. For quality pearls set in a designer creation, we are talking big bucks.

 

The population is 19,569, and the island itself has a total area of 92.6 miles. The island is 32 kilometers around, or a little over 20 miles. No doubt about it, there is a British feel about this island. English and Maori are spoken here. But it is the New Zealand dollar that is widely used. US dollars as well as Australian dollars were accepted as well in some places.

 

This is an island of old colonial and new churches, numerous graveyards, and plantations. And on Sunday, not much is opened for business, as we would find out later.

 

Once again, we decided to go over early on the first tender boat. Our same small group sat patiently as we watched the crew work to bring supplies over to shore. But first, we saw a man being rolled on a guerney, obviously being medically evacuated. Lucky for him, the swells had calmed down over night, and he was able to be transported first. After he was safely taken over, the local officials were brought back to the ship. We needed clearance from them, as usual. Don’t think they had started anything by the time we were summoned to exit the ship. Once again, we rode over with the supplies and the basic staff who would man the operations shore side.

 

We landed at the regular point at Avatiu, right next to the capital of Avarua. Taking a left turn, we came upon the information area with maps and info. One of the greeters asked if we had been there recently, and we said yes, several times over the last few years. She said she recognized one of us from previous trips. Maybe they say that to everyone, who knows?

 

As early as it was, most all of the souvenir tables were set up with island treasures. Three new silky pareos were added to the collection, since they were priced right. And yes, I do wear these at home all summer.

 

The Punanga Nui Market was completely empty of vendors. This is a fairly large outdoor produce market, which also serves as a fast-food like venue for the locals. Except, not today.

 

We continued walking from 8:30am to 11:30am, knowing we could reach Muri Lagoon, situated on the south-east end of the island. Taking in the sights along the way, we enjoyed the churches and their service that were taking place. Seems like a dozen denominations are on this island.

 

Water side homes lined the rocky and sometime inaccessible beaches. Many of the residents had pigs, goats, and one had a horse. Some had guard dogs that got us a bit nervous. We still remember Joe who got bit in Tonga a few years ago, and we did not want a rerun of that. We figured the reason these dogs barked was due to the fact that no one walks here. Everyone drives a car, truck, scooter, or bikes. Or they take the bus. During the week, two buses run around the island……one clockwise, and the other counter-clockwise. Although we are not certain what the local bus costs, there were two shuttles being used for the ship’s passengers that cost $10 per person each way, no matter where you were going. They were bursting at the seams every time they passed us.

 

We only stopped a few times, but the most important stop was at a small market where we bought an extra soda. We had brought water, but with such a long hike, we did not want to run out. They did take US dollars, but at an equal rate…one for one. The going rate for the New Zealand dollar was 1.40 to $1 USD.

 

We passed the major school area with their huge soccer field. There were very few kids out and about today. No school, but church day. Several times during our hike, locals as well as taxi drivers stopped and asked if we needed a ride. No matter which way we were headed, taxi drivers wanted $10USD for the ride. We declined since the reason we were walking was for the exercise. As long as we picked up the breeze from the shoreline, we were OK.

 

By the time we approached the Muri area, it was 11:30am. And knowing that few places would be open for lunch at Muri Lagoon, we knew there would be just enough time to make it back to the Tamarind House before they closed at 1:30pm. We could not afford to go slowly at this point, because there were no more choices for a lunch break.

 

This is when the locals began stopping their vehicles and advised us not to walk in the heat of the day. It is simply not done here. One nice lady said she was heading for Avarua, and the ride was free. Almost caved in, but once again, we said no thanks.

 

There was a point that we passed where locals can fill up water containers with filtered water for free. One vacationing New Zealander asked us where we were from, and how much did this cruise cost. He thought it was a great value for such a long trip. Then his ride came along, and he offered to bring us back to the ship. Cannot imagine this type of concern where we live, or folks being so thoughtful.

 

Arriving at the Tamarind House before 1:30pm, we found they were happy to invite us inside. After walking for 5 hours, a table out of the sun with a wonderful breeze was perfect. So were the Tui beers that were ice cold. Only the Sunday brunch menu was available, but it did have spaghetti with a small salad. We added a bowl of fries, and split the meal. More than ample. An hour flew by quickly, and we noticed the colonial-style restaurant had emptied out. Anyway, it was a much needed hour to relax. Time to head back.

 

Only the souvenir tables were opened on the way back. We calculated that our round trip hike was over 13 miles. We heard the last of the greeting “Kia Orana” – may you live long. Sounds like a plan to us.

 

Sure was nice to get back onboard with the air-conditioning. It wasn’t long before we went to the sail away, which was after 5pm. We all agreed that it was fortunate that we were able to tender into the best landing, because using the alternate approach was not the greatest idea on this year’s world cruise. Remember the hole ripped into the tender boat when it washed up and over the coral reef? Captain Fred verified that he would NEVER attempt that alternate boat landing…… ever.

 

Dinner for us was once again in the Pinnacle Grill with our host Tom M and another nice couple, Tim and Charlotte, also members of our travel group. We are always apprehensive about who we will be dining with, so it was a pleasure to spend time with this nice couple. Turned out, we had all been on the Volendam back in 2002 when we hit 55 foot seas near Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Something none of us ever forgot. The evening went by so fast, it was after 10pm by the time we left.

 

All of us were exhausted from our day in Rarotonga, and we are sure that we all missed the virtuoso pianist Van-Anh Nguyen, a very talented young lady we have seen on past cruises. We’re sure she will return for one performance.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #38 Sailing Towards Bora Bora October 31, 2016 Monday Rain & 82 degrees Sea Day

 

Actually, the daily newsletter stated that the forecast for today was sunny. Well, that was partly correct. There was a little sun early on, but by the time we got to the pool mid- morning, the back deck was flooded. We knew at some point in this trip, we would get some inclement weather. There is a good reason why these islands have been so lush and green. Rain, and lots of it. And we have been lucky enough to have missed most of the rains so far.

 

Waiting it out, eventually the ship sailed out from under the clouds, and it got warmer and dryer. It held off until 2pm, when it began to drizzle again. Experience tells us that when the drizzle starts, you have just enough time to gather your stuff and take cover. Not sure what happened to the light poles around the pool that the crew were in the process of painting.

 

While lounging outside by the pool, we had a pleasant surprise when Denise arrived with a Halloween treat……a bag full of Tootsie Roll candy. How sweet was that? Sure made our day.

 

Captain Fred came on at his normal time to give the forecast for tomorrow. He said to expect sun, clouds, wind, and some afternoon showers. Now that is diplomatic…..he covered it all, just in case. We have been in Bora Bora when it rained, and believe us, it is torrential.

 

Today happened to be Halloween, and the ship was decorated for the occasion. Especially the dining room. When we went to breakfast, we found the Ghoulies hanging from the ceilings, along with the spider webs, and horrendous-looking rubber masks.

 

Cooking demos included how to create layered pumpkin mousse. An Autumn pumpkin soufflé was taught at the Culinary Center in the afternoon.

 

Kainoa continued his talks on French Polynesia, and how to plan your day ashore there. In the afternoon, he continued with info on Rangiroa, Fakarava, and finally Nuku Hiva. That just about wraps it up for this trip.

 

After our room service lunch, we worked on photos and reports until it was time to take a walk. It was still raining, so the promenade deck was not crowded. The winds were blowing the rain all the way to the windows. What’s a little water? You needed to be careful walking on the wet teak decking, because it can be slippery. It was a good time to chat with friends. By 7pm, the daylight was gone before we knew it. No sunset tonight.

 

There was one show in the lounge this evening. It was a combo of two comedians….Kevin Jordan and Jeff Burghart. We heard that both levels of the show lounge were full. A movie, “Beetlejuice” was shown at 8 and 10pm. The highlight for Halloween was the Monster Mash in the Crows Nest at 9:30pm. Darlene and the HAL Cats were singing, and drink specials were offered. There was also a costume contest. We did notice a scattering of costumes in the dining room, but most of them were worn by our wait staff and wine stewards. Secretly, we think they love doing it.

 

Tomorrow’s port will be an over-nighter in Bora Bora, one of the most beautiful spots in the world, in our opinion.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #39 Vaitape, Bora Bora, French Polynesia November 1, 2016 Tuesday Partly sunny & 88 degrees Part 1 Of 2 86 Pictures

 

Have you ever been on an island that is estimated to be over 7 million years old? Well, that would be Bora Bora in French Polynesia, our port of call today. The island itself is 5 ½ miles long, and 2 ½ miles wide. What makes it unique is that this island is surrounded by a string of islets, called motus. There is only one navigable entrance at Te Ava Nui pass. A huge lagoon with water the color of turquoise to sapphire blue surrounds the island. Add to this scene are waving coconut palms and white sandy beaches, and you have the recipe of the tropical dream. It has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world.

 

Two volcanic peaks dominate the center of the island. The highest is Otemanu at 2385 feet, while Pahia is 2168 feet high. About 9000 friendly islanders live here, most of whom are in the guest industry. You can find some of the most elegant hotels and resorts here, some only accessible by boat.

 

The airport is located on one of the longer motus, and there is a ferry that will bring folks to the town of Vaitape for free. Much of the infrastructure was built during WWII by the US troops, who used this island as a fuel stop off. Some remnants from that time are still present such as the cannons and bunkers, now almost concealed in the jungle growth.

 

There were several tours offered here, but the most extravagant ones were an overnight stay in at the Pearl Resort either in a garden bungalow ($1100 per person) or over-the-water bungalow ($1300 per person). Wow.

 

Two land tours were a 4 wheel drive ride for 3 ½ hours and a 2 ½ hour drive around the island (20 miles). These were reasonably priced. For water and adventure tours, they ran from 1 ½ to 3 ½ hours and included a glass bottom boat, a motu and lagoon/beach trip, or a sting ray and shark swim. We have done all the above on past cruises. Also offered were one and two tank dives from $80 to $210. No lunches were included on any of these excursions.

 

You would have a cocktail on the sunset boat ride, a 1 ½ hour trip for $150 in the early evening.

 

By the way, there was another vessel in the bay with us…….the Wind Spirit, a most gorgeous sailing ship. We estimate there may be only 200 passengers onboard her.

 

We were in no particular hurry to get off at 8am. Good thing, because the officials were very slow to clear us. Then there was another medical evacuation, the fourth one so far on this trip. Luckily, he got priority. It wasn’t until closer to 9am before they began calling tender tickets. The tour groups would go off first.

 

By 10am, the line was short, so we went down with a small group, and went to shore. Hearing that it had rained all day yesterday, we were pleased to see sunshine today. Although, it was going to be quite warm and humid.

 

Right behind the arts and crafts center, we climbed into the back of an open-air truck with benches for a $5 per person ride to Matira Point, probably a 5 or 6 miles ride. Maybe more. There is the Intercontinental Resort situated at this point, where you can buy a day pass for 6500 Francs. That included use of the facilities, except the swimming pool. A lunch and beverage were provided as well. Since we were there to stroll the pristine beach, we passed on the pass.

 

Matira Beach is public, and has everything you need. Restrooms and changing areas are right on the beach, along with a big hut for shade. Taking off our shoes, we walked the beach and surf for over a mile, heading back towards Bloody Mary’s and lunch. The nice feature of this walk is that the water is shallow with very little surf. You can walk out from the shoreline, and still be only up to your waist in water.

 

There were a few things in the water besides some local’s families. In and among the rocks, were sting rays. They come into the shallows to fish. When the dive boats began to arrive, these rays automatically go to them. When the snorkelers get in the water off of the boats, they get to feed them squid. So they hone in to these boats like magnets.

 

Speaking of snorkeling, there was a notice in the shore excursion booklet saying that the use of fins is prohibited in French Polynesia, as they can cause damage to the delicate reefs. Aqua shoes are allowed, and they might provide snorkeling masks, but not all tours do. For that reason, many guests bring their own equipment.

 

It was hard leaving the water’s edge, but the beachfront ended at the ruins of an old resort, possibly Hotel Matira. We believe we heard that a massive hurricane leveled many properties several years ago, and this resort was one of them.

 

Walking the narrow road carefully, we made our way to Bloody Mary’s, a famous restaurant built in 1979. It is a distinct island icon with pretty good food, high prices, but a must to see. There are signs out front showing the famous people that have visited here over the years. Besides movie stars, even princes and kings have eaten here.

 

Going into the front door, you step right onto a sand floor. Tables are wooden with coconut stumps for chairs. Like we said….unique. Of course, their signature drink is the Bloody Mary, but we always go for the local beer….Hinano. Sure tasted good today. We split a chicken quesadilla with a bowl of skinny French fires. All was excellent. And another new style of their t-shirt was added to the collection.

 

We caught another shuttle right outside the restaurant, which took us back to town by 2pm. Didn’t need any trinkets in the arts and crafts, although one lady that rode in the first shuttle with us, said she was going back for a seashell necklace that was around $200. She asked us if we thought they would take $150, and we said yes, of course. But the trick is to offer $100, then bargain up to $150. Sometimes when you see something special, you have to get it. No two necklaces are alike in this part of the world, as they are all handmade by the locals, mostly elderly ladies. So if you love it, buy it.

 

Spending the rest of the afternoon with photo work, we were not surprised to look outside and see the rain coming down. Captain Fred had mentioned a 10% chance of rain, and this is very typical in the afternoon. Heavy, hard, and quick-moving. By the time we came outside after 5pm, the skies had cleared. On the horizon, we could see isolated clouds with rain pouring down hard.

 

At dinner tonight, we thought there would be only four of us. But John and Annie came a little late, but better late, than never. They had not been feeling well today, and had decided not to come to dinner, according to Sylvia, who ran into them earlier. Guess many folks were having trouble with the heat today. We agree, it can be stressful, especially if you don’t drink enough. Not only stressful, but dangerous as well.

 

One of us ordered the traditional Indonesian meal of ristfil (not spelled right), but similar to nasi goring. Rice, chicken, beef , and maybe some pork with veggies. And spicy. One of us had two soups (they are that good), and an entrée salad. Had to save room for desserts of chocolate cake with ice cream and pineapple crisp with ice cream. Annie says she loves our table, since all of us go into a “dessert” trance eating our sweets. Yep, we savor every bite, and thanks to smaller portions, it is not too sinful.

 

There was no live show tonight, but a movie, The Jungle Book. With all the water tours and shore excursions, we bet the Queens Lounge was almost empty at 10pm. We know we did not go.

 

Spending the night here, so we hope the weather holds for tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #40 Vaitape, Bora Bora, French Polynesia November 2, 2016 Wednesday Partly sunny & 86 degrees Part #1 Of 3 86 Pictures

 

Quite often, we stay in a port for two days. That is what we did here in Bora Bora. Given two full days, with all aboard time at 10:30pm tonight. It worked for us, as well as most of the crew, who got extra shore time between the two days. Sure it good for their morale, as we have spotted many more smiles than usual.

 

This morning we headed off the ship after 10am. A light breakfast in the dining room came first. The tender boat was not crowded at all today, since we think most folks took the tours yesterday, keeping today free for exploring the town on their own.

 

Our plan was about the same as yesterday….taking the shuttle to the Intercontinental Resort at Matira Point. But instead of going to the beach, we went to the road and turned right this time. Last year, we recalled friends telling us about a nice resort around the corner from Matira. They had snorkeled right off the narrow beach, and did not have to pay a day fee to use the resort’s facilities. This was at the Maitai Polynesia Resort. Checking out the menu, we discovered they served a variety of pizza. For sure, we would be back here for lunch.

 

The last time we took tours here, it was with our travel group. There was a stop at the Sofitel Bora Bora, so we decided to continue up the road until we found it. Sure enough, it was a mile further, so we walked in through the lobby, and to the back of the hotel. This is where the bar and open-air restaurants are located. Many over-the-water bungalows were within walking distance of the restaurant.

 

While we were exploring the pool area, which is to die for, the restaurant manager came and talked to us. Asking if we were from the big ship, she told us that yesterday, a large number of our crew came to spend the day on their beach and in their pools. She sort of rolled her eyes about their rowdy behavior. Funny, we had just run into the spa manager, Rene, who told us the crew were almost embarrassing, doing cannon balls in the pool, and kind of drinking too much. She also said that the day pass was around $50 USD, giving you a three course lunch meal, and the use of the pools and beach all day. With all the partying, she did not stay yesterday. Rene pointed out another resort across to a private island, which also belongs to the Sofitel. For a little extra money, they would take you by boat to the private island, and bring you back at your discretion. It was so quiet here today, she chose to stay at the main resort. Good move…….

 

It was nearing 1pm, so we headed back to the Maitai Polynesia Restaurant. We had our choice of any table, since it was not crowded. Naturally we ordered a Margherita pizza with slices of onions. Hinano beers were perfect, ice cold with a bold flavor. With a nice breeze coming off of the water, we couldn’t have been happier campers. Well maybe a little better, with a shared dessert of chocolate volcano cake with vanilla ice cream. Sounds good, right? It was.

 

Time to leave, we made our way back to the Intercontinental and the shuttle bus. While waiting, we noticed that a tent had been set up on Matira Beach with TV vans parked everywhere. That’s when we realized it was time for the annual International Outrigger Canoe Race. This is a competition that involves dozens of racing canoes with a 6 man paddling team. The race begins at Huahine, where the canoers row 44.5 km (28 miles) to Raiatea. The next day, they leave Raiatea and head for Tahaa, a 26 km (16 miles) trek. Then the longest run goes from Tahaa to Bora Bora, a 58.2 km (36 miles) trip. Wonder if we will see the racers tomorrow in Raiatea? Sure would be exciting, since we know exactly where they are set up out of Uturoa. That is where we usually walk.

 

The shuttle came within minutes, and we were back to the ship after a pleasant ride in the local school bus/turned shuttle. School’s out for vacation, so these buses are put to good use. Back in town, we walked through the shops, checking out the new t-shirts and side walk treasures. Lucked out on a new black pearl pendant, but not from the high end stores. Simply a small keepsake from Bora Bora…..a single black pearl on a carved piece of abalone shell.

 

We ran into our host, Tom, who told us that one man in our group had to be med-evacuated to Papeete last night. He was flown to a hospital there, since medical facilities are limited on this island. Good thing he had travel insurance that covered most all of the expenses, as it can be astronomical for last minute flights and medical care. Sure hope he will be OK. That makes a total of four medical debarks since we left Seattle, or at least the ones we heard about. Happens on every long trip, unfortunately.

 

On our way back in the tender boat, one elderly lady was obviously having a problem. Our security team had called ahead to the platform team that they would need extra help to get this ill lady back on the ship. Rumor had it that she was having problems due to diabetes. We thought the staff would off- load her first, but they waited until we all cleared the boat before the crew and the doctor came down to the boat. Hope she will be all right.

 

Picture sorting took up the rest of the afternoon, while we cooled off in our room. Here was a Polynesian BBQ at the Seaview Pool from 5:30 to 8pm. The staff sure went to a lot of work setting up cooking tents and servings stations at the aft of the teak decking. Lucky for everyone, it did not rain this afternoon. It did get cloudy, but the rain never happened. We watched from deck nine, taking photos, but never did get in the long lines to eat anything. We did see whole roasted pigs, an assortment of salads, and plenty of fresh tropical fruit. Small pineapples had been cored out, and a drink was added to the inside with a straw sticking out. Bet it was something with rum in it. Roger, the beverage manager, and his assistant Twinkle admitted that their sales have been really good so far.

 

We stayed outside until the sun went down, and actually were treated to a nice sunset. Making the scenery even more beautiful, was the Wind Spirit, which had set their sails to leave later on this evening. She was sitting pretty in the water with spotlights on those tall sails and strings of lights from the bow to the aft.

 

Six of us were at dinner, and we all shared the highlights of our day. Love hearing how much fun people had, as we all did different things. Both of us ordered the ginger pork….it was delicious, and just enough. Of course, we all had dessert, each of us trying something different. He winner for me was frozen strawberry yogurt. Yes, it does have sugar, but it is still on the healthy side.

 

Since the one show was at 9:30pm, our meal ended 5 minutes before showtime. Annie Frances, the Aussie singer, was belting out her songs with her powerful voice. So much so, that we could hear her on deck three when we came inside from our nightly stroll. She is really good.

 

We left the gorgeous waters of Bora Bora by 11pm, and we could watch the action from our window. Tomorrow, we will be docked in Raiatea, another unique island in paradise.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[oakridger]

I really am enjoying your blog and photos! I have been on one cruise from LA to Auckland through the South Pacific, and reading your adventures is giving me the motivation to go again! Thank you!

~Nancy (I live near Clayton)

[WCB]

Report #41 Uturoa, Raiatea, French Polynesia November 3, 2016 Thursday Partly sunny & 84 degrees Part #1 Of 3 85 Pictures

 

By the time we woke up this morning, we were pulling into the dock of Uturoa, Raiatea, the second largest of the French Polynesia Society Islands. You could describe it as having lush scenery and natural beauty, with green-carpeted mountains. Similar to Bora Bora, but different in many ways.

 

Considered the “sacred” island, it was settled over 1000 years ago. It’s ancient name means big springing waters. Captain Cook anchored near here in 1769, then followed a delicate colonization. Brutal wars for power began in the 1800's’between the local natives, lasting for more than 30 years.

 

Somewhere during the middle of this, missionaries arrived to a complicated scene. By the 1900’s the Pomare family reigned this entire area. Then the French came along, and more wars pursued until eventually, the French took over.

 

Raiatea is located 125 miles from Tahiti, has a total of 238 square miles, and houses a population of over 12,000 people. Their main exports include copra, vanilla, and pineapples. And flowers. Their tiare apetahi flowers are completely unique to this mountainous area. They cannot be grown anywhere else in the world.

 

The sister island to Raiatea is Tahaa, a smaller island with 5300 people. Typical tropical crops are also harvested here, but the industry that is growing by leaps and bounds is the black pearl farming.

 

While the highest point on Raiatea is Mt. Tefateaiti at 3,333 feet, neighboring island, Tahaa’s highest peak is Mt. Ohiri at 1,935 feet.

 

What do the tourists do here? Taking ship tours included 3 site-seeing excursions, all 3 ½ hours from $70 to $120. There were 8 water or adventure tours as well. They were 3 to 3 ½ hours from $90 to $140. That would include a pearl farm, a beach break, a vanilla plantation, a catamaran ride, or a kayak ride up the only navigable river in the Society Islands. Drift snorkeling through coral gardens off of Tahaa was also an option.

 

We stayed in and around Uturoa today. What had to be the highlight of the morning, was watching the outrigger canoes passing the ship in the dock on their annual International Outrigger Canoe Race. We did not realize that the race was just about the same date as last year. During breakfast in the dining room, we saw flotillas of boaters coming in groups, all surrounding the outrigger canoes. A helicopter was swooping overhead, getting shots for the live television here in Polynesia. We estimated there must have been 100 racing canoes with 6 rowers in each boat.

 

By the time we finished breakfast, they were gone. We are not sure if they were into the second leg of the race, going from here in Raiatea to Tahaa, a 16 mile leg. Hoping to find someone who spoke English to ask about the race, we never did connect with any of the locals. We will have that opportunity tomorrow while in Papeete. We recall that last year, the locals were crowded upstairs at the marketplace, watching the recorded race on TV, as it is a big deal here.

 

Taking the path we took last year, we strolled around the marina to the main road, where a long stretch of park lines the water’s edge. There is no usuable beachfront here.

 

Eventually we ended up at the area where the outrigger canoes were beached. When you see them up close, it is surprising how narrow and tight they are. Cannot imagine spending hours rowing in these, stuck in one position. Besides a wooden seat, the only thing there was room for was a liter bottle of water. Besides a huge tent and several trailers with food cooking, there was little boating activity here.

 

Inside the huge tent, were grandstands surrounding a center stage with big screen TV’s. The locals were in the process of dismantling the seating areas. Whatever went on here, was obviously done.

 

At the end of this area was a seawall where people were swimming. Public bathrooms were there along with fresh water showers. Other than finding a hotel with a pool, this is the only place we know where you can go swimming. There is a boat launch and also ladders to exit from the deep water.

 

The only thing missing today were the elderly ladies that sold their handmade treasures in this park. They sold seashell jewelry for a fraction of the cost at the marketplace in town.

 

There was not much more to see up this way, so we headed back to town. Our first stop was at the little Catholic church where we lit two candles, leaving some French francs we had collected. That always helps us think we will have a safe trip home. It has worked, since we have lit many church candles throughout our journeys.

 

Close to the church was the central marketplace. On the outside, a group was singing under a big tent. Several tables of island jewelry and clothing were for sale. In the market, on the lower level, was the produce and flower market. We went upstairs and checked out the seashell jewelry and carvings. There were fewer vendors than usual, and we noticed that the prices were steep. Perhaps that is why we saw few people buying things today.

 

The walk through town was quick, since it is very compact. We decided to continue walking up the other end of town to see if we could find their largest hotel, the Hawaiki Nui Hotel. Eventually, we did find it, but what we did not know was that it was closed permanently. The sign FERME was on the plywood that covered the main entrance. If we had picked up a newer local island booklet, we would have seen that was printed in there. Duh…..

 

We considered going further up the road, but stopped in our tracks when two dogs began barking furiously at us. Thinking they were behind a solid wire fence, we soon found out that they had access to the road from their driveway. When they came out snarling with their teeth showing, they both looked like Godzilla. OK, exit stage left. Obviously, no one walks these roads.

 

The long walk back to town sharpened our appetite. And we knew the exact place we wanted to go……Le Cubana, a café right across from the cruise ship. Among other things, they serve a decent pizza. Ordering large Hinano beers, eventully their version of the royal pizza arrived. The description said tomatoes, cheese, olives and euf. Not remembering what euf was, the pizza came with an almost-cooked egg on top. Could be that is Cuban-style. Actually, it was very good for a change. We added a profiterole dessert that we split. Ice cream-filled crispy pastry shells, covered with whipped cream and chocolate sauce finished our meal quite nicely.

 

We had a little time to check out the little souvenir huts before going back to the ship. Nothing really caught our eye this time.

 

Before we knew it, the time was close to 4pm. All aboard was 4:30pm today. The sail away had been moved to the lower promenade, as well as the bow. The Captain was going to take us on a scenic route on the way out of the two islands. We did this a few years ago as well. The ship had to navigate between the coral reefs, which came close to both sides of the vessel. We had to have an experienced pilot onboard.

 

There is only a 2 ½ mile lagoon between the two islands, so within minutes, we were sailing very close to the shoreline of Tahaa. Vacationers were on the banks waving as we went by. The sun was going down in the west, casting the shadow of the ship on the island’s shores. We exited a narrow channel just as the sun dipped on the horizon. Getting photos from the aft pool was the best place to be.

 

We are now headed towards the island of Tahiti, where we will dock tomorrow in Papeete.

 

There were two hours that we worked on photos of the day before it was time for dinner in the Pinnacle Grill at 8pm. The meal began with their best salad, Caesar salad, no anchovies. Followed by two delicious ribeye steaks cooked perfectly. This is the only place to enjoy steaks on this ship in our opinion. Dessert was once again Cherry Garcia ice cream without the meringue.

 

Took a walk on the lower promenade deck on our way to our room. A few more folks were out and about enjoying the cool breeze like us. Nice end to another great day in paradise.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #42 Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia November 4, 2016 Friday Partly sunny & 84 degrees Part #1 Of 4 85 Pictures

 

Tahiti happens to be the largest island of French Polynesia, and Papeete is the capital city. It is also the primary center of their government, commercial, industrial, and financial services. We have ramped it up beginning in Bora Bora, then more of a city, Uturoa, then a full-blown city, Papeete today.

 

The total area of Tahiti is 651 square miles with a population of 186,909 people. The highest peak is Orohena at 6790 feet. Agriculture includes the cultivation of coconuts, bananas, taro root, and breadfruit. It is an island of marinated raw fish and sweet fragrances of tiare flowers.

 

We have made several visits here, going back to the 1990’s, and we have seen many improvements in town. Today we noticed that the dock area has finally been completely renovated, a project that has taken several years. The waterfront across from the cruise ship dock has been replaced with cement walkways, replacing the rotting teak boardwalk. A separate path has been created to keep the cyclist away from the walkers. A landscaped park, Paofai Public Gardens, stretches from the cruise ship dock all the way to the public pool area, about a 2 mile hike. We would do this walk later in the day.

 

Other things to do here include an overnight excursion to Moorea, the sister island of Tahiti. To stay in an over-the-water bungalow, it would cost $1000 per person, or a garden bungalow at $800 apiece. Both hotel stays included a dinner and a breakfast.

 

Site-seeing tours ranged from 2 ½ hours to 7 hours, costing from $100 to $210. You could see the east or the west coast, or circle the island with a lunch. If water and adventure was up your alley, you could go on a 4 wheel drive trip, or take a catamaran to a snorkel site. If you are really serious, there was a one and two tank dive. These ran from 1 ¾ hours to 4 hours, at the price of $110 to $210. Since the ship was due to leave at 4am tomorrow morning, they offered a sunset cruise for 2 hours for $140. Turned out the romantic cruise was cancelled due to lack of interest or mechanical problems.

 

Leaving the ship by 10:30am, we made our way to the info center, where the local singers and dancers were performing. Several craft tables were set up under tents here. Many passengers were hovering over the tables, but we knew there would be lots more at the Marketplace.

 

Crossing the street could be daunting here. But it is not, since when you step into the crosswalk, the locals will all stop for you. We are talking about crossing a seven lane boulevard. There are no stop lights, so you have to depend on the driver’s courtesy.

 

On our way to the market, we always pass several fabric shops. Don’t know why this one shop on the corner ALWAYS has the perfect tropical print rayon in their window. Planning on not buying anything, I could not resist the new colors and pattern for a new blouse.

 

At the marketplace, we strolled the entire bottom level, then went upstairs to check out the t-shirts and jewelry. The market was jumping already with locals buying produce and fish for their daily meal. Everything is sold fresh here, including the pastries, which looked wonderful. To liven things up, a band was playing and a few Tahitian gals were making leis and head dresses. Down on this level, you can find straw baskets, fans, shell jewelry, and an array of cosmetics. Many bottles of monoi oil are sold here……supposedly a miracle ointment. Also big here are flowers. We would have some before the day ended.

 

Continuing on from the market, we strolled out the back door and went right to the old church, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Built in 1875, it is very Polynesian in design. A statue of Mary and Jesus is carved in mahogany and stands proud at the front entrance.

 

Past McDonalds, a most busy restaurant with the locals, we went to the French Polynesia Assembly and attached gardens. Following a meandering stream, we saw displays of all of the indigenous plants and trees of the area. Everything has a description along with a photo. Except much of it is in French, some of what we can read thanks to three years studying the language. The ponds here are full of fish, mostly tilapia. Some koi are mixed in along with at least three 4 foot long eels. They are strange, slinky creatures. At the far end of this garden is a pool with a stream filling it. It has been said that the queen took her daily baths here, with the help of several servants, no less.

 

We happened to find a display from the Australes happening at this complex. The Australes is one of the archipelagos of French Polynesia, very remote, and much less visited. The natives are famous for their straw weavings including mats, hats, and baskets. Among their display, we found some shell jewelry unique to their style. We purchased a necklace made with several types of unusual seashells and seeds. They were quite willing to bargain as well.

 

Continuing on to Bougainville Park across the street, we strolled through the trees and creek to the monument to Bougainville with the cannons from his ship. We made our way back past Vaima Centre, the first shopping mall in Papeete with chic boutiques. We kept going since we intended to pick up some flowers at the market before going back to the ship. Found a bouquet of sunflowers to brighten up our room…..a good deal here for $10. Also located a new Hinano t-shirt at a small shop we always go to.

 

Taking our purchases back home, we worked on photos until lunchtime at 2:30pm. Our favorite pizza restaurant is a mile walk away, so we headed to LaPizzeria, ordering a Margherita pie and two large Hinano beers. Saved a little room for a shared banana split. Going to have to walk many miles to burn off those calories, but it was sure good.

 

Going back, we followed the waterfront park, watching for tropical fish near the seawall. To our surprise, we found dozens of Moorish idols, tangs, huma-humas, and pufferfish in schools. Hey, this was way better than snorkeling.

 

Enjoyed another sunset from the aft deck this evening. Since the ship is not leaving until 4am, we figured we had time to go off once again and stroll through the food trucks in the square across from the ship. Last time we were here, it had poured, and our visit was short-lived. Tonight was much nicer as we checked out each venue. There was Chinese, Polynesian, Italian, and American cuisine. All cooked from the backs of trucks or trailers. Picnic benches and plastic chairs were set up in between the trucks and trailers. We have never eaten here, but enjoy seeing what is cooked. It sure is popular with the crew, who head over here after hours.

 

Dinnertime found six of us present. We sure have nice tablemates. It is always a pleasure sharing our experiences of our days on shore or on the ship. About the time we all got our entrees, Bill (from England) went to use the salt shaker on his meat. The lid came off and all of the salt covered his meal. Oh no…….a reminder that you always have to check those lids. Our waiter Slam, immediately replaced his dinner, apologizing for the accident. Been there….done that.

 

There was an early, and one-time show this evening in the Queens Lounge. It was a local group called Toahotu Tahiti, a new group we have not seen before. It appeared that this group is tied to Paki, the Polynesia On Location fellow. The dances were typical Tahitian, but not quite the same as the group we had on the grand world voyage. The lounge was packed with just about every guest onboard, so we think everyone enjoyed it anyway.

 

Tomorrow, we will float over to Moorea, our last island in this archipelago.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #43 Opunohu Bay, Moorea, French Polynesia November 5, 2016 Saturday Sunny & 88 degrees Part #1 Of 3 85 Pictures

 

We happened to be awake when the Amsterdam left the pier at Papeete at 5am. We had a very short distance to go……12 miles to the sister island of Moorea. It can be a 10 minute flight or a 30 minute ferry ride. Moorea is only 80 square miles of a luxuriant garden island, a sharp contrast to the hustle, bustle city life in Tahiti. The population is almost 18,000 people who are mostly involved in the business of tourism, copra plantations, and pineapple production. There is also a thriving juice factory on this island.

 

The main attraction is Cook’s Bay, named after Captain Cook in 1777 after his third journey here. This scenic bay was made famous from the filming of the iconic musical, South Pacific, where scenes of here were portrayed as Bali Hai. Equally as beautiful, is Opunohu Bay, next to Cook’s Bay, where we were supposed to have anchored originally. But as we know, the tender dock in Cook’s Bay has been under re-construction for several years now, making a landing there by tender boat impossible. Last time we anchored there was in 2009, while we were on Radisson’s Navigator. If our memory is right, there was not much there to see locally. You had to take a tour or a taxi anywhere you wanted to go. At least with a two day notice, those folks that pre-booked independent tours had a chance to contact their providers to make the needed changes.

 

The highest mountain on Moorea is Tohiea at 3657 feet. The views from the highest points are stunning, especially from Belvedere Point, where you can see both the Cook and Opunohu Bays.

 

There were three island tours, all 3 ½ hours, for $100 to $180. The other seven excursions were water or adventure tours. They ranged from 2 to 5 hours from $100 to $250. They included one and two tank dives, snorkeling, a motu beach and swim with rays, a catamaran ride, or dolphin watching or bottlenose dolphin encounter. Our tablemates Annie and John took the encounter, and really learned a lot about the dolphins they saw from a naturalist who lives on Moorea. Sometimes these tours are real winners. Hard to go wrong with anything to do with the water here. Snorkeling is spectacular as we remember. Yes, expensive, but probably the best you’ll ever experience.

 

We were here last January, and we knew exactly where we wanted to go. Lucky for us, we did tender to the best tender landing in the village of Papetoai. This entire area has been in the process of being re-modeled for several years now. Permanent open-air buildings now house several local vendors, who sell their handmade jewelry. Many sold black pearl creations as well. Not as pricey as the highend shops around the island, but still very nice. One long table was set up with various island fruit….free for the guests. By the way, the Wind Spirit was also anchored in the same bay today. Thanks to friend Richard, he sent the details on that sailboat. She holds well under 200 guests, so their impact on this island was little.

 

There is one native vendor we always seek out. She sits in the shade and makes the seashell jewelry on the spot. We have bought something from her the last four years. So when she spotted us today, she had a smile from ear-to-ear. Although she does not speak much English, we ended up purchasing another one of her creations. She found matching earrings for a few dollars more. We got the “pat of approval” after Bill took her photo. Unfortunately, we won’t be coming back here for a few years, so we do hope to see her again sometime in the future.

 

Once up at the road that circles the island, we found that a lot more work has been done there. The road had been widened by about 5 feet. Many of the trees had been removed to do this. When we got further up the road, we noticed that the pavement had been re-surfaced for over a mile. And just recently, since it still smelled like fresh oil. Black and sticky in the hot sun. Speaking of heat, it was promising to be a hot one today. The only savior was the strong breeze that cropped up occasionally.

 

The roadside fruit stands were still up, but the landscaped looked different. There is one spot where we normally walk through trees and weeds to access some stairs that go into the water at a rock wall. Under the shade of trees, it is a good place to cool down for a few minutes. We almost passed it up, since all of the mangrove-like trees were gone, and there were no more sticky weeds to navigate. Deciding to stop here on the way back, we continued on our journey.

 

It took us less than 1 ½ hours to get to the Intercontinental Moorea Resort and Spa. Their entrance is marked with tall palm trees and a huge sign. The driveway drops down to the facility build right on the water. Going through the open-air lobby, we made our way to their outdoor restaurant near the swimming pools.

 

It was just noontime, and lunch was being served. Perfect timing. There were many more vacationers here today, compared to January. Could be the weather is better now, as in January, you get more chances of rain….real tropical rain. We did bring one umbrella today, but not for the rain. We thought we may have needed it for protection from the sun. Never left the bag.

 

We ordered a chicken Caesar salad, that came with chunks of thick, smoked bacon and pesto-covered toast rounds. Delicious. We also shared a ground steak burger with a pile of skinny French fries. Also tasty. The meal always begins with a serving of three French bread rolls and butter (from France). Hinano beers made the meal complete.

 

Some more folks from the ship also began showing up. They had taken the free shuttle to the black pearl shop across the road, Albert’s, checked out the jewelry, then discreetly walked down the hill to here. Kainoa was also here with a couple of fellows from the ship. The cruise director Gene showed up with Jodie, his wife, for a quiet afternoon. Nice to see they were able to get off together and enjoy some free time off of the ship.

 

It was hard leaving here, but we had a long walk to get back. All aboard was 4:30pm, and we wanted to finish photos from yesterday. It really gets hard to keep up when you have one port after another. Reminds us of a 12 day trip we did to Europe, with ports every day except for one. You need a vacation when you get home. Go-go-go all the time is hard work.

 

We did make that stop at the water’s edge where the stairs are located. Just not as hidden as we like it, but a good spot to relax and cool off. We had brought lemonade and sodas, and by now, we had finished almost all of it.

 

Sipping even more ice cold lemonade at the tender pier was great, since it was provided by our crew. It can be a life saver. The waiting boat was filling up, so got on, and were soon joined by Howard and Denise, new friends from Concord. Passing the time chatting away, we noticed that it took a longer time before we got back onboard. Seemed there was another medical debark happening right as we got back to the ship. We learned at dinnertime, that the ill passenger was a man who was two rooms down the hall from Bill and Sylvia. Not sure what was ailing him, his wife told them that he was extremely sick. We thought we had been keeping track of all of the medical debarks, but we must have missed some. Annie said there was a total of 10 now.

 

Sail away was happening once again on the lower promenade deck, not the place we want to be. The same group seems to show up at the aft deck, where we get a total view of both sides of the ship as well as the back view. Soon after we left the bay behind, the Wind Spirit had lifted her sails, and was heading in a different direction away from us. The sun was going down rapidly, so we stayed until the last of the golden color was gone after 6pm. The wind had really gotten strong, and the seas rough as we turned northeasterly, heading for the Tuamotu Archipelago and the atoll of Rangiroa tomorrow. Hope we make it into the lagoon tomorrow, as sometimes they cannot get the ship in there.

 

The best part of dinner was dessert, one blueberry sundae and one blueberry crisp with ice cream. Yes, the berries are back for awhile with the new shipment we got yesterday in Tahiti. Sliced strawberries with blackberries and blueberries started our day off right this morning.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 44 Avatoru, Rangiroa, French Polynesia November 6, 2016 Sunday Sunny & 84 degrees Part # 1 of 3 85 Pictures

 

Our destination for today was in a different archipelago in French Polynesia – the Tuamotus. It consists of 76 islands and atolls and has a total area of 7720 square miles. There are 250 pearl farms, the number one industry, along with tourism and scuba diving.

 

The atoll we are visiting is among the largest in the world. Rangiroa is situated 219 miles northeast of Tahiti. Actually it can be compared to a string of pearls, the pearls being the coral motus that surround a massive lagoon in the middle. About 240 motus in Rangiroa are connected by 100 small channels that lead from the lagoon to the Pacific Ocean.

 

Avatoru is the main village, while the other village is Tiputa. They are separated by the Tiputa Pass, where ships enter the lagoon to drop anchor. Talk about turbulence. This pass is treacherous. However, this rush of water brings fish of all sizes into the lagoon. It is also where bottlenose dolphins like to hang out. Many small boats will take tourists out by this pass to watch for these dolphins.

 

The population is 2473, give or take a few. Many work in the tourism sector with two hotels and dozens of pensions, or vacation rentals. Many of the locals conduct dive expeditions in this massive lagoon known for its rich wildlife. This particular lagoon is known as a natural aquarium. Jacques Cousteau claimed Rangiroa as the richest lagoon in the world. Up to 300 sharks have been recorded at the wall at Tiputa Pass. Among the reef sharks are also hammerheads. You won’t catch us swimming near here. Other industries include black pearl farms, copra, and coconut products.

 

There is a real feel of isolation here. It is said that you must be part Robinson Crusoe to live here. Modern technology has brought solar energy for electricity and hot water. Although, we did see a huge generator plant by the airport today. Water is a precious commodity, as every means of collection are used. When the rains arrive, everyone has water storage. Last year when we were here, it did rain torrentially. Must fill those storage tanks to the brim.

 

Here is an interesting fact: Grapes are grown in the middle of a coconut tree plantation here. Who knew? Somewhere around 40 to 50,000 bottles of white and rose wines are produced here. It is called “Vin de Tahiti”. We would like to have priced it, but what few stores there were, they were all closed early. Remember, it was Sunday.

 

There were a few excursions today that included a visit to the pearl farm, 1 ½ hours for $25. The first time we visited here, we walked to the farm, and had the tour for free. Still, at that price, it was worth it…..the hike there was a really long one. There was a glass-bottom boat ride for 1 hour and $80. You could snorkel the wall for 1 hour at $90, or do a one tank dive for $130 – 1 ¾ hours.

 

We did none of the above. Taking the tender boat when they went to open boats (no tickets) happened by 10am. Funny thing, when they began calling the tickets, they began with number 20, and ended with 30. Crew members told us that too many people were keeping the tickets, thinking they could sneak in the line without waiting. So instead of handing out number 5, they went to #20.

 

It was already hot and humid, even at 10am. Good thing there was a breeze blowing, or else we would have gone back to the ship, like many people were already doing. We landed within minutes, and were off for a 2 hour walk towards the airport. Besides some souvenir tables, a café, and a little bit of swim area, there is very little here. Actually, this point is not really the village of Avatoru, which is located at least 8 miles down the opposite end of this motu.

 

Walking from the lagoon to the pass and the ocean, we came across the entrance, where many people were watching for the dolphins. Continuing on the coral-based road, we came upon the largest hotel here, the Kia Ora Resort and Spa. They have some over-the-water huts as well as bungalows on the lagoon side. We planned on stopping here on the way back, as too many ship people were headed there. More than likely, looking for free or cheap internet, and a better place to swim or have lunch.

 

The only other people that ventured this way were a few folks on bikes. Eventually the long road led us across cement bridges with the rushing waters running into the lagoon. It was necessary to stop and take photos along the way.

 

The airport is as simple as it can be, with little security of any at all. There was one flight today, and we actually saw the plane land. Once the folks are cleared, the airport closes for the day.

 

The motu narrowed at many points, where you could see the roaring ocean on the right, and the turquoise-blue waters of the lagoon on the other. There were stretches of abandoned properties, mixed with some concrete and metal-roofed homes. Most of these houses had dogs, who did come out to the road to check us out. There were no “Godzillas” today, thank goodness.

 

Finally, we came upon the Hotel Maitai Rangiroa Resort, set well back behind a narrow driveway, and buried in coconut and pine trees. It was marked with a small sign, and easily missed if we were not looking. It was created to blend with the environment. Situated right on the edge of the lagoon, we found the restaurant, which by now, at 12:30pm, was opened.

 

Seated at a table for two at the opened window, we ordered ice cold beers and ham and cheese paninis, complete with French fries, of course. We should have remembered that one entrees was sufficient for both of us, because the grilled sandwiches were at least a foot long. We were only able to finish half of the meal, taking the wrapped halves with us when we left by 1:30pm.

 

Heading back, we took advantage of every bit of shade and palm tree along the road. At this point, we actually prayed for clouds and rain, but it was not to be. The sun was at our back, and the breeze was around each turn, so the two hour hike was bearable. We did stop at the airport before the doors were shut, and bought the largest bottle of water they sold. We had brought plenty to drink, but our supply was getting low.

 

About halfway back, a local lady stopped her car, and offered us a ride. She did not speak one word of English, but we did appreciate the offer. Thanking her in French, we declined and stuck it out. At least we were not having a hard time like one elderly lady and her husband who had rented bikes to ride the road. Not as easy as it looks, the poor lady had trouble pedaling her bike with soft tires on the coral-pitted road. Unfortunately, we heard the bike tip over as she hit the pavement with sharp coral. With help from her husband, she was back up, and starting over. Nothing broken. Sometimes, you have to remember this is not the same as being at home.

 

Arriving back at the pier, we checked out the leftover souvenirs, but nothing really popped out as collectible. The best thing there was the crew member handing out chilled water and lemonade. The tender boat was ready to leave, and we joined it gladly. A few locals were kayaking in our wake, even though the ride was short, they were having fun.

 

The air-conditioning never felt so good…….everyone agreed, it had been a scorcher onshore. As always, we cooled off in our room, downloading hundreds of photos.

 

Sail away was close to 5pm, and we watched at the aft deck, sharing our escapade with Denise and Howard. She had snorkeled the wall, seeing some of those sharks too close, while Howard saw almost as much, while relaxing shoreside at the local café on the water. Sailing through the pass, we kept a lookout for the dolphins. We did see a few breaking the surface, but they were fast and disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

 

We were now headed for another atoll, the second largest in the Tuamotus, Fakarava. Tomorrow should be a repeat of today, only more laid back if we remember right.

 

Six of us were at dinner tonight, although not all of us had gone to shore. Prime rib was on the menu tonight, along with the fresh catch of the day. Both were good, tender and served hot.

 

The entertainers were a familiar group for us…..The Unexpected Boys, with the expected songs of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. All of us remembered the music well.

 

Wow, only two more ports left…..where did all that time go???

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[easyboy]

Time really flies fast with 2 more ports left. We didn't notice it when reading your review.

[WCB]

Report #45 Fakarava, Tuamotu, French Polynesia November 7, 2016 Monday Sunny & 84 degrees Part #1 Of 3 86 Pictures

 

Located 280 miles from Tahiti, Fakarava is the second largest atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago. It is over 37 miles long and 15.5 miles wide, and was once the capital, before the government moved to Rangiroa. A total of 800 residents live here, mostly in the northern part of the island at Rotoava.

 

If you had attempted to come here, let’s say, back in the 1600’s, you would have found the most dangerous archipelagos on earth. The Portuguese and the French found that out by losing 30 vessels on the coral reefs over the centuries. It took three hundred years to chart the 78 atolls, but considered them as having no economic value at that time.

 

French and British missionaries arrived, built churches, and encouraged the natives to plant coconut trees for the meat and the copra. In the 1850’s, the golden age of mother-of-pearl buttons became a thriving industry. There was a huge European demand, until eventually, plastic replaced them. What’s the biggest industry here today? Pearl farming….in the 1960’s, it took off like the gold rush in California, and has been going strong ever since.

 

Isolated from the rest of the world, rare forms of flora and fauna exist here. Especially in the lagoon waters. A hunting kingfisher, tuamotu palms, squills, and sea cicadas can be found here. For the divers among us, they can see grey and hammerhead sharks, manta rays, grouper, barracudas, turtles, and dolphins.

 

There are to passes into this lagoon. The one on the north shore is the largest in all of French Polynesia. It is called Ngaruae Pass and measures 2,624 feet from end to end. That is the one we came through this morning. The other opening is in the south and is called Tetamanu, equally great for the divers.

 

Fakarava has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve for its rich ecosystem since 2006. Unlike Rangiroa, this atoll offers a very long stretch of beachfront, although narrow, it makes accessing the lagoon water quite easy. The string of coconut palms and sea pines provide much needed shade along the way.

 

We were here only once, about three or four years ago, while on a similar cruise on the Statendam. It always helps to know the layout before you go ashore. Today we left the ship around 10am, well after the tender ticket line was over. It was going to be another sweltering day, even though there was somewhat of a breeze.

 

Lots of people went to shore, since there are only two ports left on this trip. This would be the last chance for people to swim in the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean before getting back to San Diego. The waters in Nuku Hiva are much colder with no real beaches.

 

Other things to do here included two tours. One was a 1 ½ hour snorkel swim at the Coral Garden area of the lagoon for $120. While the other choice was a one tank dive for 2 hours for $130. You have to be certified to do this type of tour.

 

Another way to get around was by renting bikes. We saw the sign at the pier landing….a two hour rental was $15. But you still have to remember to be careful and know your capabilities. While we were on our walk, a German couple we have gotten to know, passed by…..the fellow bandaged up from his wrist to his elbow. Apparently he fell yesterday while they were riding bikes in Rangiroa. He said that coral road was slippery, and he skidded on some palm leaves. Coral cuts can be nasty and painful, as he found out. They were being most careful today, and packing antiseptic and bandages just in case. Most all the locals drive scooters or small cars. And few walk.

 

There is an interesting small Catholic church on the main road by the name of Pariosse St. Jean de la Croix. Not the oldest church on the atoll, it is much more modern. On the southern part of the atoll, there is the first church that was built in 1874. It is constructed entirely of coral. Wish we could have seen it, but it takes 1 ½ hours to get there by boat. Behind the Catholic church is a cemetery that dated back to the missionary days.

 

Back to the road, we passed by some tables with souvenirs, mostly island jewelry. Some of the pieces were being made right before our eyes. We did pick up a set made with the tiniest seashells we have ever seen. There were a few small shops, a couple of food stores, artist studios, and the simplest of eateries. More like sandwich stands. What drives us nuts is when the ship’s information has hotels or restaurants listed that are no longer there, or open late for dinner, not lunch. They do need to update their exploration booklets.

 

There is one mini-resort that we went to the last time we were here. It is called the Pearl Havaiki Resort. The sign has since disappeared at the roadside, but we knew to follow the dirt path to the end of the dirt road. There is a snack shack on the property called Le Snack Requin, where you order your food at the window, then pick it up when it’s done. Sort of fast food isand-style, only much better. A covered sandy patio is where we sat, wishing for a breeze, while watching the lagoon’s activity. We had a shared cheeseburger and fries, along with Hinano beers.

 

This is the same place we ate the last time we were here. At the time, we watched three people eating their burgers at a table and chairs that were placed in the water….about waist deep. Another guest was standing on a small boat per nearby, tossing French fries in the water. He was attracting sharks, one of which began circling the table where the diners were eating. They never saw the shark, so we did not want to panic them, as we understand they are harmless to people. Glad it was them, and not us. Eventually, it swam away, and they were never aware of it. Yikes…….

 

We took our time walking back, running into our favorite tablemates, who were swimming in the cool waters along the beach. They had the right idea, taking advantage of the postcard-perfect white sands and shady palm trees. Living in Alabama and England, they don’t often get the chance to dip their toes into the mighty Pacific Ocean.

 

The landing pier had cleared out by the time we got there. Gone were the native greeters and the crowds of folks looking for the last chance to buy South Pacific jewelry. The choices will be limited when we reach the Marquesas in two days.

 

The tenderboat left right after we boarded, and thankfully so. It was so warm, and the breeze was almost gone by now, Getting back to the coolness of the ship sure sounded good. So did a cool, refreshing shower.

 

Since the drift of the ship’s stacks has been so nasty, the sail away celebrations have remained on the lower promenade deck. We could hear the music drift up to deck eight and nine as we made our way to the Seaview Pool. It appeared that the crew had recently begun deep cleaning up on deck nine aft, as the imitation teak decking looked much cleaner up here. Back down on the lower deck, that was not the case. We have never seen the decking so stained and spotty. Assuming that the decks would be power-cleaned at night, we were wrong in our thinking. After sunset, the deck fellows have been stacking all of the lounges, and covering them. Now we realize they are doing the extra work to keep them clean. By leaving the lounges out all night, they were getting covered with the staining soot. Wonder how many people have gotten their clothes ruined from sitting on those lounges? It is hard to see until it is too late.

 

Anyway, we stayed out back for almost two hours, watching the sail out of the lagoon. We did have the help of a pilot through this one. Expecting the rush of the water, we were almost disappointed since the bumpy ride did not happen. Smoother than the last sail out, it must have something to do with the tides and the depth of the channel.

 

We were rewarded once out to sea, when we spotted the dorsal fins of dozens of dolphins, feeding in our wake. Hundreds of birds gathering over the slower bottlenose dolphins as they barely broke the surface as they fed. Very few of the folks even saw them. This was one time you needed a good camera or even binoculars, since these dolphins did not follow the ship, but stayed far back.

 

Ten minutes before 6pm, the sun set on the horizon, giving us yet another South Seas thrill. We are going to miss sharing these special sunsets when we get home, since a big mountain blocks our view at home. We are located on the “morning” side of the mountain, so we get the good sunrises instead.

 

Everyone was present at dinner, tired from a long, warm and humid day, but never too tired for a good meal. We had the veal piccata with spaghetti with marinara sauce, always a favorite of ours. Not sure how many of us will be able to stay up for the show, String Fever, a duo couple who add humor to their musical talents.

 

Oh yes, tonight we begin the process of turning our clocks ahead as we head on an easterly direction. This time we put them ahead ½ hour, because the Marquesas are on that time difference. The good news: we have a much-needed day at sea tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 46 Sailing Towards Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia November 8, 2016 Tuesday Partly sunny & rain & 88 degrees

 

We all agreed at dinner last night that it is hard to believe our final port of call will be tomorrow. We have been quite lucky to have had smooth sailing and fair skies. Well except for this afternoon, when we encountered several rain showers. It really cooled the air off, so it was rather pleasant.

 

The South Seas theme continues with classes on tiare head dress creations, the history of the lei, and ukulele playing. If you already have mastered these projects, then a new guest speaker might appeal to the crowd. Terry Greenberg presented a lecture all about life onboard a tiny wooden sailing ship in the past. Our tablemate Bill learned about rum being added to the barrels of water that were brought on the ships. He said it kept the water fresh for longer, and was nicknamed grog. If you had a lot of rations of water, you might be a happy sailor.

 

Speaking of grog, we were invited to the third wine tasting session. It was complimentary for testing the Navigator wine package that is sold onboard. As most everyone knows, we don’t drink a whole lot of wine, so we missed this tasting once again. It still is nice to be invited.

 

We spent a few hours at the aft pool, where we watched six workers finally scrubbing the fake teak decking. They worked with the powerful scrubber for hours and only got part of deck cleaned. That is how badly it was stained over the last two months. We figured that since we will be heading back to San Diego at a healthy clip, there should be little problems with the built-up soot in the stacks.

 

The usual time we have lunch is right after 2pm. Guess we planned that right, because after we left the pool, it began to rain, and heavily at times. We ordered room service chicken Caesar salads and shared some sandwiches. The room service has been excellent this trip. We seldom had to wait beyond a half hour, and the orders have been complete for the most part.

 

Dinner tonight was “gala”, and we had a guest…..the 4th engineer. Gosh, these cadets are getting younger every time we meet one. He was a very nice fellow from England, but lived on the Scottish border. He was happy to be able to visit with Bill & Sylvia, who are from England, although we believe Bill is Scottish. Anyway he said he is onboard for four months at a time, then off for two months. He will do this routine for 5 years before he comes a full fledge officer. Since he will be on the Amsterdam until February, we will see him on the world cruise.

 

The entertainment this evening was a show with the singers and dancers called “Take a Bow”. This is a concert-style production with light opera. This group has been outstanding , and we do hope they will be on the ship in January.

 

Hope the rain goes away, and we get a nice day in Nuku Hiva.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[VacationCharlene]

iroa

 

Thank you so much for this VERY informative Blog Bill and Mary Ann! It is great to see all your pictures as well.

 

We will be going on the Maasdam March 24, 2017 for the 33 day Hawaii, Tahiti and Marquesas visiting foreign ports of:

 

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Raiatea, Society Islands

Bora-Bora 2 days

Papeete, Tahiti

Moorea, Society Islands

Rangiroa, French Polynesia

Nuka Hiva, Marquesas Islands

 

My questions to you is: Did you feel you NEEDED to purchase local monies for any of these places to have a beer or two or purchase a small trinket? If so, where were you OR was USD accepted everywhere?

 

Second question is: Now that you have been to all of these wonderful places what is your best suggestion or recommendation for these places. I know you have written a lot, and I have enjoyed it, but is there ONE THING that seemed necessary that you would want to pass on to a newbie to these locations?

 

Thanks again and anxious to hear your reply :-)

 

Respectfully, VacationingCharlene

[WCB]

Report #47 Taiohae, Nuku HIva, French Polynesia November 9, 2016 Wednesday Partly sunny & 86 degrees Part #1 Of 4 85 Pictures

 

We sailed into the Marquesas Archipelago today. It is a remote and isolated part of the world, where there are 12 islands, but only 6 of those being populated. Altogether, their population is around 9200.

 

Long known as the “Land of Men”, the Marquesan island we visited today was Nuku Hiva. With 127 square miles, it is the second largest island in French Polynesia (Tahiti is the largest). It has the administrative capital of the area at the village of Taiohae, where 2664 people live. Rather small, the village houses many archaeological remains including rock carvings and tikis, a fabulous church, and free-roaming horses.

 

Sailing into the Taiohae Bay, we were treated to the sight of sharp peaks and cliffs. Deep valleys lie behind these peaks and are said to have petroglyphs, sculptures, and mossy tikis. The highest basalt peak is Mount Tekao at 4016 feet. In town, most of the natives are tattooed, even the young ladies. Handicrafts such as wood carvings are sold near the tender landing. They use sandalwood, rosewood, and purplewood for these carvings.

 

Tapa cloth is sold here. It is made from the flattened bark of the mulberry, young breadfruit, or banyan trees. It is also traditionally a woman’s job.

 

In the nearby village of Taipivai, we learned that cannibal tribes lived there. When writer Herman Melville and his ship friend arrived here by jumping ship in the 1800’s, they hid out for two weeks watching the natives. Surviving their experience, he eventually wrote the book “Typee” describing what they witnessed here and the miracle that they survived.

 

There was one tour offered from the ship for 3 hours and $130. It took folks in private vans to Taipiva Valley and up high for views of the bay at the Amsterdam below. We know for a fact that you can hook up with a local for far less ($50 per person) and see the same thing. The local people do not speak much English, so the tours are mostly site-seeing, regardless of who you book with.

 

Resources here are wood, vanilla, copra, and tourism. Underwater exploration is different in the fact that the water here is much colder than our previous ports. There is little coral, but you can see large electra dolphins, leopard rays, manta and sting rays, and white-tip and hammerhead sharks.

 

As for us, we had breakfast before going over to avoid the crowds. By 9:30am, there were no more tickets required to go ashore. Not that we needed them, we prefer to wait for the open tendering. Several years ago while boating to shore, we were surrounded by sharks on the way over. Today we went to the pier where a crowd had gathered. What we first thought were kids jumping off the pier, were actually white-tip sharks being lured by a huge fish head on a rope by one of the locals. He got them to break the surface and dive for the shredded fish head. What a thrill to see these 5 foot long powerful sharks just feet away from us. They tugged so hard at the bait, we were afraid the fellow was going to be pulled into the water with them. But we knew the locals do this when a cruise ship comes in. Many guests were handing him dollar bills for the pictures they took.

Eventually, the sharks dove deep and disappeared for awhile.

 

The greeters were called “pahu” drummers. We listened as we headed for the craft tables nearby. Did manage to find a new t-shirt there, and another up the hill. The second one was of a concert that was to take place this coming weekend. Locals were in the process of putting up tents and the concert stage. This was located at the same place we had a luau many years ago. However, back then, it was December, and it got rained out. The locals had cooked a pig in the ground, made poisson cru (raw fish in coconut milk), and had every type of fruit known to the tropics. It was not wasted, as after we left, the entire village had a feast.

 

Many of the shell jewelry contained seeds that we had been cautioned about buying. They are called jequirity seeds, which are orange, red, or red with black on the tips. These have been recalled in many countries because they can have toxic side effects. Doing some research on these seeds, we found that they are toxic if eaten. Not planning on doing that.

 

Our walk brought us to the Monument of the Dead, built to recognize the death of the French colonial sailors in the 19th and 20th centuries. Across the road and up the hill apiece, we found the Notre Dame Cathedral, a very unique Catholic church built with colored stones from all six of the populated Marquesan islands. Inside, we found wood-carved statues, stations of the cross, and a massive pulpit, all in sandalwood. The only better thing was if this was a Sunday, and all the locals come dressed in white and sing gloriously.

 

The crowd thinned out as we walked to the far end of the bay, and started uphill to the Keikahanui Pearl Lodge, considered a jewel in the crown of the Marquesas. It was not too crowded by 1pm, and we got a nice table for two right under a fan and by the opened glass doors. What a view from up here.

 

We ordered a lunch of Italian paninis with crispy French fries. With the hot walk, we easily downed two Hinano beers each. Relaxing for an hour was priceless. However, when we went to pay our bill, several people were in line at the desk. Seems that they were having problems running credit cards. People were not happy when they had to try many times to get it to work. The difficulties were probably with the spotty internet, and not the cards. When our turn came, it only took twice to get the card to work. Think we remember the same thing happening last year. Of course, cash works just fine, but few people pay with it anymore. Truthfully, some of the customers admitted they did not have enough cash to cover their bills, so it is advisable to be sure you can cover either way. The saying “You’re not in Kansas anymore” applies here in much of the South Pacific.

 

The hike back took less time, with no stops. Although the Pearl Lodge was listed as being 1 ½ miles from the dock, we think it was further. Taking 1 ¼ hours to walk back, we know we can do 3 miles an hour. Even taking our time. By the way, you can get a ride back from the hotel’s shuttle service, which may have cost $2 or $3 a person. Most all of the guests that were there demanded a ride back from what we overheard. Some were staff from the ship, and had precious little time ashore.

 

Only a handful of passengers were on the island at this point, around 3pm. Sail away had been restored back to the aft deck 8, and for the final one, it was well-attended. We always look forward to seeing Denise and Howard, who can share their day with us. She had taken an independent tour with some Cruise Critic folks, and got to see the valleys and other bays on this island. As a joke, Gene, the cruise director, had announced earlier on that some people on an independent tour were missing. But when he began with the names of Mr. Hamburger, Mrs. Hot Dog, Ms. Delicioso, etc, we knew it was a joke, referring to the fact that cannibals were once on this island and may still be. Thankfully, Denise was not among the missing.

 

Trays of skewered spam and pineapple were served along with other appetizers. Actually, they were good. The drink of the day was a Melon Delight, a refreshing beverage served in a cored-out cantelope. Bet they were good….sweet, sticky, but good. There were some huge stray hornets floating around the deck, so we did not take a chance of getting stung.

 

The diehard group that stays for the sunset included the four of us. The sun went down by 5:48pm, and was quite nice. Some admitted to seeing a green flash, but we all doubted it. Maybe a small green dot, but it must have been our eyes playing tricks. Henk M, our hotel director and friend, worked his way among the passengers. We questioned him about the deck cleaning, which obviously had continued this afternoon back here. It was 2/3 done. Henk admitted that it took a straight solution of organically approved detergent to cut through the stains. Yes, that and a lot of elbow grease. Hopefully, during the 2018 retrofit, the same decking that has been installed on deck 9 will be put back here. Sure hope he is right.

 

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle at 8pm. We ordered the small filet mignon and an entrée of the lamb chops. Both were excellent. Once again, we had the almost baked Alaska without the meringue, leaving only the ice cream, which was perfect. The service was consistently perfect.

 

We have a notice that tomorrow, we needed to pick up our passports. So as long as we were already passing by the front desk, we asked if we could get them now. No problem……we had both passports without having to wait in line.

 

The entertainer this evening was a familiar name, Buzz Sutherland, a frequent guest on both the world cruise, as well as this one. He has been on TV and Las Vegas and does a funny comedy act.

 

Back at the room, we found two little gifts of commemorative Poppy Lapel Pins in honor of Veteran’s Day coming up on the 11th of the month. That’s a very nice touch we think for supporting armed services worldwide.

 

The clocks went ahead for another ½ hour, so now we only have one more hour to go for Pacific Standard Time.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 48 Crossing the Equator November 10, 2016 Thursday Sunny & 88 degrees

 

Although the Amsterdam did not literally cross the Equator until later in the evening, it was celebrated with the King Neptune Ceremony at 10am. With a long blast of the ship’s horn, most everyone was present to “all hail King Neptune”. It was held in the Lido Pool area, deck eight, with Gene, the cruise director as the MC.

 

Several crew members from different departments were the “pollywogs”, or first time crossers taken prisoners. The all-important big, ugly fish was on display, which had to be kissed by the prisoners. If they hesitated, or more so, if they were girls, they were pushed into the smelly salmon.

 

Next step was the “sliming” of each person with buckets of tinted whipped egg whites. The crew members seem to love doing this, getting the sticky mixture into their clothes and hair.

 

Then they are led in front of a panel of judges, which included the Captain and four of his top officers. The offenses were described, and the judges gave thumbs up or down. Thumbs up, they are saved from pool dunking. Thumbs down, they are immediately thrown into the pool. Now in our way of thinking, wearing that egg mess drying in your hair is worse than the dunking. So thumbs down is much better. At the end, everyone that gets slimed ends up in the pool. And at the end, the pollywogs were now “shellbacks”, and the crossing was sanctioned by King Neptune for a safe trip.

 

Silly, but fun, and the passengers love it. We squeezed in between onlookers on deck nine to take a few photos, then ducked out before it was over. We knew that when the ceremony was done, the middle pool would be closed for cleaning. That meant we had to get to the aft pool before we lost our usual spot. By the way, we both received the certificates of the official Crossing the Equator later in the day.

 

It was more crowded than we expected, but not bad. There was a strong breeze blowing across the deck, still depositing the soot from the stacks. Don’t know if there is going to be a solution or a fix for this. It sure has caused a lot of extra work for the deck crew, and more than likely ruined some clothing.

 

The lecture of the day was delivered by Sadie Urbanowicz. It dealt with writers of the Pacific, fiction and non-fiction. Kainoa did two talks….one on Under the Jarvis Moon, a documentary, and the other on the next port of call, San Diego.

 

An Indonesian tea was held in the dining room at 3pm. They served exotic teas of Indonesia and sweets, which our tablemates admitted were great.

 

When we got back to our room, we ordered lunch, then hunkered down to work on photos while watching news or a good movie, Quigley Down Under, on TV. The only problem was our TV had quit working. Nothing with the 220 plugs were working, so we knew the breaker had tripped somewhere in the hall cabinet. Calling the front desk to report it, we were told it may take up to 4 hours before it would be fixed. Four hours? What’s with that?

 

We gave it an hour, then made a trip to housekeeping to report it there. Within 5 minutes, a room steward arrived, and checked the connections, but could not fix the problem. We had to wait for the electrician. He finally showed up after 5:30pm, and said he just received the call 5 minutes before coming to our room. And as we deducted, the breaker had tripped, and he had it repaired in minutes. Now we are curious as to how many electricians are onboard, and have their numbers been cut back?

 

Dinner with our tablemates was pleasant as always. We discussed what we all did in Nuku HIva, and then asked if the four of them had seen the sharks. Unfortunately, they did not. They would have been impressed for sure. As it was pretty warm on the island, they did not explore it too deeply.

 

Tonight we both ordered alternate dinners of steak and chicken. The meals were fine, as were the appetizers of tortellini soup, shrimp cocktail, and a pasta with diced veggies. Desserts got mixed up between John and Bill, but each enjoyed the other’s chocolate pudding and pear upside down cake. Oh well, the waiters don’t always get things right, but we roll with it.

 

The show as a good one delivered by Bettine Clemen, a flautist we have seen many times over the years. She gets better every time we see her.

 

Six more days at sea, and we will be in San Diego. But who’s counting?

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Vacationing Charlene: We found on this particular trip that we did not need to exchange for local money. However, if you wanted to buy something in small shops in Fiji, for instance, they did not take US dollars. Credit cards were accepted everywhere….mostly Visa and Mastercard. In our travels, we find that you can either exchange money on the ship, or take the time to do it in a port. Some folks even order the money at their bank before they leave home. It may save you a few dollars in the exchange rate.

[bcnvcanada]

We are enjoying you Tales of the South Pacific . We thank you so much

for taking the time to post these wonderful adventures.

[wander]

You mentioned the poppy pins, several years ago on the Asia-Pacific HAL cruise we received very attractive, small poppy pins as bedtime gifts. I wore mine today (11/11), in fact I have worn it all week. I love it in commemoration of our Veterans AND happy cruising memories of my own.

 

Thank you for another wonderful opportunity to cruise through your wonderful reports.