Come sail with me on a virtual cruise on Majestic Princess to Fiji!

azbirdmom · July 30, 2020

I can't remember what we did for dinner but we did enjoy the Pearson and Harvey show. Were the chocolates from the casino by any chance? They look familiar.

ellie1145 · July 30, 2020

1 minute ago, azbirdmom said:

I can't remember what we did for dinner but we did enjoy the Pearson and Harvey show. Were the chocolates from the casino by any chance? They look familiar.

No, they were just an apology for not sorting out our balcony door sooner as it had been almost impossible to open for a few days. Just can’t remember if there were only 4 to start with, as that seems a bit paltry. 🤔

azbirdmom · July 30, 2020

16 minutes ago, ellie1145 said:

No, they were just an apology for not sorting out our balcony door sooner as it had been almost impossible to open for a few days. Just can’t remember if there were only 4 to start with, as that seems a bit paltry. 🤔

I think you ate two! They come in plates of six. You were probably so upset by someone using "your" pool that you forgot! 🙂

DUCHESSRN · July 31, 2020

10 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

So pleased to hear that you are enjoying our adventure. So sorry to hear about those cancelled cruises. It is so disappointing. I know we can hardly believe what has happened.

Interesting to note that you trained as a nurse in London. Those were the days, those beautiful uniforms and hats, and stern Sisters and Matrons who seemed to have a finger on the pulse. Which hospital did you train at?

Yes, we were in London. Our local hospitals are not operating so we had to travel there, to St Mary’s Paddington.

Guys Hospital I trained at Sisters and Matrons put the fear of God in us ..I did Midwife training at Kings ..my Brother and sister in Law did training at Charing Cross and have a practice in Winchester now .

All so far away from Reno Nevada ..who ever thought I would end up here!!!!

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

8 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

I think you ate two! They come in plates of six. You were probably so upset by someone using "your" pool that you forgot! 🙂

That must have been it, Azbirdmom!

Or maybe DH snaffled them, before I could take a photo....

We shall never know.......🙊

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

3 hours ago, DUCHESSRN said:

Guys Hospital I trained at Sisters and Matrons put the fear of God in us ..I did Midwife training at Kings ..my Brother and sister in Law did training at Charing Cross and have a practice in Winchester now .

All so far away from Reno Nevada ..who ever thought I would end up here!!!!

How amazing. Those Matrons were certainly to be feared, as well as the Sisters, and you could easily identify who was who by their uniforms. Those beautiful starched caps, some of them really intricate, made nurses look very special. Now they wear scrubs, mainly, they all look the same. I remember even as a patient being scared of Sister, and woe betide a visitor who dared to sit on a bed! Now there are just too many faceless administrators who have probably never picked up a bedpan in their lives.

My daughter was, until last year, a midwife at Chelsea and Westminster. Did you continue as a midwife in the USA, if you forgive me for asking?

You must have an interesting story to tell about how you came to be living in Reno Nevada. I have a romantic fantasy that you were swept off your feet by a tall, dark and handsome American who happened to be recovering from a terrible (but very recoverable) accident when you became his nurse, and the rest is history? 😄

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

Come into my Tardis....

As this is a virtual cruise I'm going to pop you all into my Tardis (google Dr Who) and take you back to a sunny day in Suva to show you a little of this port when it isn't pouring with rain.

As I explained previously, in January 2018 we visited Suva and it wasn't raining. However, we only walked around the town and went to the market, so I'm afraid that is all I can offer. But hopefully it will give you an idea of what it might be like.

We didn't get off the ship until after lunch, and by this time it was very hot. There was a shuttle bus waiting to take us into the city, so we jumped onboard. Big mistake! Little did we know that we could have walked into town quicker than on the shuttle.

Our bus driver and his very large gear stick. I have to say I have never seen one so large...🙈

We sat and waited, and waited, and a couple more people got on so we set off. Well, set off is probably a bit of a misnomer. We actually sat in traffic and crawled oh so slowly into the town. There was no air con and it was so hot we couldn't wait to get off.

The city was heaving, with cars, buses, lorries, bicycles and so many people. Eventually, we were dropped opposite a big department store, Tappo City, and made our way into it's air conditioned interior. What a relief!

It was a pretty old fashioned looking store, with lots of clothes even Julie Andrews would have rejected, but it was cool so we explored the different floors. There were some pretty interesting white goods for sale, but no hoovers.....

This brought back memories of our home in Florida, as we had a Corelle dinner service.

I'm afraid we only stayed long enough to cool down and then we walked across, in the blistering heat, to the market, which was just in front of the cruise terminal, and a couple of minutes walk from the ship. It proved to be much more interesting.

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

The Market in Suva, courtesy of my Tardis - Flowers Galore.

I love to photograph flowers so here are a few for you to enjoy.

Not sure what these were..

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

Vegetables of every shape and size...

Glorious colours

These pineapples look delicious.

Ginger, my favourite!

These are all made of ribbon and are very colourful. I wonder if they are used at funerals?

Around the edges of the market there are small cubicles where people are working, sewing garments.

The dock is busy, and in a pretty terrible state of disrepair.

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

Leaving Suva in the Sunshine.....courtesy of my Tardis

Oops!

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

Tomorrow certainly IS another day, and we have another beautiful island to explore when we drop anchor in Savusavu.

SavuSavu is a town located on the south coast of Vanua Levu, an island close to Suva, and which some people call the ‘hidden paradise of Fiji.’

It has become increasingly popular as a holiday home for Americans, Australians, New Zealander’s and Europeans. It’s not difficult to see why, as it is richly forested and verdant, and has much to offer in the way of snorkelling, as well as the spectacular Waisali Rainforest Reserve deep in the heart of lush Rainforest.

The temperature today is 79F (26C) and according to the Princess Patter, it is going to be overcast with light showers, which is not strictly true as you will see. We have had some stormy weather in the last couple of days and it seems to have hit Savusavu as well, although we are just experiencing the remnants of the storms.

We have travelled just 113 miles, at a very slow cruising speed of 10.0 knots. We dropped anchor at 07.29 and 8 shackles of cable were paid out (220m or 722 ft).

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

Rain, rain and more rain!

I peer through the curtains and stand out on our balcony and see that its pouring with rain. The mist is rolling down almost to the sea, and we can just make out the shapes of the islands as we approach SavuSavu.

I have been so looking forward to revisiting this beautiful and unspoilt part of Fiji, but the weather is against us today. There is feeling of deja vu, as last time we had a sunny morning but then the heavens opened by the afternoon.

Majestic Princess sails slowly into port and drops anchor before the tenders are lowered. It’s a beautiful port with a spectacular sail in, but this morning it’s shrouded in mist and low cloud.

We know that there had been some heavy rain before we arrived, and we realise that it could be wet, so we don’t hurry off the ship as we haven’t got a tour booked, and haven’t made our mind up what we will do. We had considered getting a taxi to a small local resort, Daku Resort, but after we land it is still so rainy that it just seems a waste of time.

So we make our way to Morning Trivia in the Vista Gaming Lounge, and meet one of our trivia teams who are also not going ashore yet. We do well, and sit and chat afterwards, before we go up to the buffet for a late breakfast, early lunch.

Edited July 31, 2020 by ellie1145

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

A Serendipitous Tour

It isn’t until after lunch that we feel ready to leave the ship, and today I have no need of my ‘OUT OF MY WAY, I’M ELITE!’ T-shirt, as we don’t need tender tickets because there is no queue.

The tender docks by a small jetty where there are a few souvenir shops and a bar. Outside it is busy with people milling about waiting to join ship’s tours. We bypass the crowds and walk to the right where we can see Majestic Princess in the distance through a curtain of rain.

There are huge puddles everywhere, and we decide to go back and see if we can pick up a driver to take us for a drive. We are approached by a gentleman who offers us a tour, but we can’t make our minds up. However, the weather is so bad that we decide to go back and accept his offer.

By this time he has secured two more couples for his tour and we join them and walk to his minivan which is quite comfortable.

DUCHESSRN · July 31, 2020

6 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

How amazing. Those Matrons were certainly to be feared, as well as the Sisters, and you could easily identify who was who by their uniforms. Those beautiful starched caps, some of them really intricate, made nurses look very special. Now they wear scrubs, mainly, they all look the same. I remember even as a patient being scared of Sister, and woe betide a visitor who dared to sit on a bed! Now there are just too many faceless administrators who have probably never picked up a bedpan in their lives.

My daughter was, until last year, a midwife at Chelsea and Westminster. Did you continue as a midwife in the USA, if you forgive me for asking?

You must have an interesting story to tell about how you came to be living in Reno Nevada. I have a romantic fantasy that you were swept off your feet by a tall, dark and handsome American who happened to be recovering from a terrible (but very recoverable) accident when you became his nurse, and the rest is history? 😄

Nothing so exciting ..I met and married a Doctor and he is now on Wife No 4 ...we moved for his work and yes I worked in Labor and Delivery but not as a Midwife as at the time 1980,s the whole process of childbirth here did not include me riding my bike around the district helping Mother,s have their babies at home.

My children and Grandchildren are here so I stayed and made this home .

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

23 minutes ago, DUCHESSRN said:

Nothing so exciting ..I met and married a Doctor and he is now on Wife No 4 ...we moved for his work and yes I worked in Labor and Delivery but not as a Midwife as at the time 1980,s the whole process of childbirth here did not include me riding my bike around the district helping Mother,s have their babies at home.

My children and Grandchildren are here so I stayed and made this home .

Thank you for sharing that. I can understand you wishing to stay near your children and grandchildren. Wow, 4 wives! That is going it some!

I believe that childbirth is very doctor led in the USA. We are lucky here in the UK to have so many highly trained and skilled midwives, I think. But each to their own.

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

We start our tour.

Our driver says he will drive us around for a couple of hours and we leave the route up to him.

There have been huge amounts of rain overnight and he drives up past the path which leads to his house and which is completely flooded.

He drives us to a small pearl factory nearby, as Savusavu is famous for its pearls. Apparently the nutrient rich waters of Savusavu Bay create pearls which are not just the famous black but a myriad of jewel toned hues, such as gold, peacock, copper, royal blue and chocolate. Unfortunately it is closed, so we continue through the town and up into the countryside, and by this time the rain has more or less stopped.

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

We set off again back through the town, and out into the countryside. It is very beautiful, even in this weather, with towering palm trees and thick foliage.

We pass some beautiful houses perched on the green and lush hillsides.

The island has obviously experienced a huge storm, and the roads are, in places, flooded.

We skirt the coast and the sea is dark and brooding. There is no sign of the beautiful beaches we saw last time we were here. But even with this weather it has an extraordinary beauty all of its own.

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

The island seems less poor than some we have visited. We pass several villages, then cross a bridge with a river in full flood.

Our driver takes us through a beautiful resort.

We have absolutely no idea where we will end up, but that's half the pleasure.

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

What a surprise!

Our driver chats to us as he drives, and says he is going to take us to a great viewpoint, which, coincidentally, belongs to a friend of his.

We leave the road and drive up a steep narrow track, which takes us higher and higher into the forest.

He’s right, it’s an amazing view and at the top he parks and tells us that his friend will be happy for us to look around.

There are rolling hillsides covered in rich green grass, and thick woods.

We can see right across to the sea, and if the weather had been better it would have been even more glorious.

We really don't know what to make of this but we see a low house ahead with a verandah which runs right round the building. The rain has stopped but it’s still very cloudy.

Edited July 31, 2020 by ellie1145

cnd crsr · July 31, 2020

Hi Ellie,

I am not sure why Mother Nature has not cooperated in making sure we have perfect weather in Fiji! Perhaps she is upset with not winning at trivia!

The department store from today was like stepping back into the 1950's! Kind of fun for a quick walk through, and the market was lovely, smelling all the flowers and fresh veggies. So glad we were able to take the taxi tour and see the lush countryside.

Gail

JF - retired RRT · July 31, 2020

7 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

The Market in Suva, courtesy of my Tardis - Flowers Galore.

Not sure what these were..

Mushrooms??

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

45 minutes ago, cnd crsr said:

Hi Ellie,

I am not sure why Mother Nature has not cooperated in making sure we have perfect weather in Fiji! Perhaps she is upset with not winning at trivia!

The department store from today was like stepping back into the 1950's! Kind of fun for a quick walk through, and the market was lovely, smelling all the flowers and fresh veggies. So glad we were able to take the taxi tour and see the lush countryside.

Gail

Maybe Mother Nature wants one of my collapsible, mini, Vortex vacuum cleaners to clean up all the rain! 🤣

Glad you enjoyed the market. It was incredible. So much fresh produce.

The taxi ride was such an unexpected pleasure and made the day worthwhile. Even a rainy day in Fiji is beautiful.

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

31 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Mushrooms??

Good thinking! They do look like some sort of fungi don’t they? You could well be right, unless someone has a better idea?

Edited July 31, 2020 by ellie1145

ellie1145 · July 31, 2020

An unexpectantly warm welcome.

We are introduced to an American gentleman and his wife who are very warm and welcoming, and insist we come inside their house.

And what a house it is, perched high up with the most amazing views across to the sea. What a fabulous place to live!

They explain that they bought the land whilst they still lived in the USA, and eventually built this house.

The husband is a carpenter and he made the beautiful wooden furniture on the verandah.

The men wander off chatting, whilst we ladies stand on the deck and take in the view.

There is a little plunge pool overlooking the hillside which is lush and green and very verdant.

The lady points out a plot of land opposite where she says they are building a small house to rent out. You can just see the blue patch in the upper right hand corner of the photo.

She tells us that they used to rent out the big house when they returned to the USA, but they had problems with guests not looking after their home, so they are in the process of building a separate facility which they can rent out instead.