From Glaciers to Palm Trees - Spend 71 days with Bill & Mary Ann on the Zuiderdam - 9-7-22 to 11-17-22

[WCB]

Report #51    Thursday October 27, 202l2   Nuku'Alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga  Cloudy With Rain  78 Degrees  Part #1 Of 5.......Text Only...Pictures In Parts 2,3,4,&5

 

If you hear the words “Malo e lele”, then you will know you are in the country of Tonga.  Located just west of the International Dateline, Tonga is the first Pacific nation to greet the new day.  Tonga is the only monarchy in the Pacific since 1875, and has never been conquered or run by a foreign power.  Tongatapu, where we are docked today, is a raised coral limestone island with a population of over 101,000 Polynesian residents. 

 

Their favorite foods are pork, chicken, lamb ribs, lobster, crabs, octopus, and fresh fish.  They also like raw fish that has been marinated in lemon and coconut cream, as well as sea cucumbers, and sea urchins.  Their produce includes yams, taro root, sweet potatoes, cassava, tapioca, plantains, breadfruit, bananas, mangoes, and pineapples.  Locally made beers are Maui, Tiki, Tangaloa, Pulotu, Hikule and Hina.   Special souvenirs are items made with tapa, a decorative bark cloth that is painted with traditional symbols and designs.  

 

When the Zuiderdam arrived by 7am, it was raining, and it sure looked as if the entire day would be a wet one.  But by the time we finished breakfast, the skies broke up, and the sun peeked out.  While the ship was docking, the local band, singers, and dancers put on a show pier side.  We watched from the promenade deck as they sang and entertained the folks piling off of the gangway.  We suspected this was the first of the tour groups heading for the buses, but they were not.  Turns out they were the ones headed for the souvenir stalls to buy the best of what they offered.  The last time we were here was on the 2020 GWV, and there were stalls lined up side-by-side all the way to the street.  Today there were half of the tents. 

 

Actually, it is somewhat of a surprise that the ships are stopping here again.  Not only did they weather the pandemic, but the islands were hit with a volcanic eruption and tsunami called Hunga Tonga Hunga Haapai (HTHH).  It caused a lot of damage to businesses and homes, and they have not fully recovered yet.  Much in their brochure is outdated, and they asked to please bear with them during this difficult time.  At least two popular resorts were destroyed on the west coast, as well as some of the smaller outlying islands such as Fafa Island and similar properties.  They were completely destroyed.   We have such fond memories of boating to Fafa Island  on a Sunday morning with friend Martha, who found a very large dead sea snake in the lagoon.  Now all that is left are the memories.  

 

Leaving the ship around 9:30am, we followed our own path through the town, starting with a visit to the craft and produce market called Maketi Talamahu.  This is one place that the locals sell their tapa cloth items like fans and purses, woven baskets, mats, and even jewelry.  They are fairly expensive, as a lot of labor goes into making the cloth.  Only about half of the area had vendors today.  Then on the other side, they sell a variety of veggies and fruit.  Only half of this area was occupied.  There is a ramp that takes you to the second level, but it is mostly t-shirts and shoes, with some costume jewelry.  We did not go up there today. 

 

Our next visit was to the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, built in 1980.  On the bottom level is the elementary school where kids were in class.  Up a flight of steps, the church is fairly modern and built like a tent.  The conical ceiling has stained glass windows letting in the natural light.  The altar, baptistry, pews and tables are carved from coconut wood.  And today they were setting up for a wedding that would probably start at noon.   There was an orchestra already there, as well as some of the family members.   Not wanting to disturb their occasion, we took some photos and quietly left.  As we were crossing the street, we could hear a stream of cars with blowing horns, which we assumed was the wedding party.  

 

Up the street we saw the large acreage where the Royal Tombs are located.  Considered sacred ground, the first king, George Tupou I was buried here in 1893. Several more kings were also buried here, all with the same bloodline.  Surrounding the sacred grounds are the Queen Salote Memorial Hall that can hold 2000 people.  Next to that is the 1200 student high school, which burned down in 2000, but was rebuilt by the Chinese government.  Then Queen Salote College is a girl’s school with 1000 students.  A comment added is that the girls are neatly dressed with their hair always plaited.

 

Directly across from the Royal Tombs is the oldest church, Centennial Church built in 1888 with coral blocks.  It really had some damage from the tsunami with every window broken.  It has been closed to the public for several years now, and does not appear to be in any process of restoration.  From here we made our way to the Centenary Church built in 1952, which has become the known as the Royal Church.  This is the church where the king and his family attend Sunday services, as we have seen on past visits.  By the way, there used to be several large trees that housed fruit bats or flying foxes as they call them here.  Those mature trees have been cut down, and the bats are gone.

 

Passing His Majesty’s Army Forces building, we came upon the Royal Palace (completed in 1882) and the official gates to the palace.  There was no flag up today, and that meant that the king was not here.   This palace is used for official functions and to house the Royal Archives and artworks.  From every angle, this palace is probably the most photographed building in Nuku’alofa.

 

This is where the long walkway begins on the seawall over-looking the lagoon.  It was high tide today, so there were few sea birds around.  New signs had been put up forbidding fishing here.  In the past, when the tide went out, people would come with buckets to gather sea worms and other crustaceans in the muddy puddles.  Now this is forbidden.  We have two theories on that.  One idea is that the waters are polluted.  The second thought is that in order for the corals and lagoon creatures to return after the tsunami, a significant amount of time will have to go by with the waters not disturbed.  We tend to think this is more the case.  

 

Some of the cemented walkway had been undermined from the storm, and is now just coral rocks.   The benches are still there, and we tested several of them.  We passed by the old colonial British High Commissioner’s residence, called the White House, along with the adjacent Mala e’aloa Cemetery for royal people only.  From there on, the Vuna Road is full of old and some remodeled bed and breakfast inns.  One of them is called the Seaview Lodge Deck & Restaurant.  This is the one spot we can always depend on being opened.  But passing it today, it looked closed up.  According to their website, they opened at noon for lunch.

 

We continued on passing many folks sitting in their cars and vans catching the breeze.  We had brought the umbrellas, but the rain miraculously stayed away all day.   If anything, we could use those umbrellas if the local stray dogs began to chase us.  That is one thing we learned is not to engage these dogs as they are out for whatever they can get foodwise.  The people that come to lunch here, will leave them some scraps, and the dogs know it.  The next big property was Little Italy, another hotel and restaurant, but we know for sure they open only for dinner.   We went past the middle school, a church, and several homes that were showing a lot of storm damage.  Some were being fixed, while others were beyond help.  We did pass a sign showing the tsunami route, but the entire island is really flat.  The thought of trying to escape injury must have been a nightmare. 

 

Near the end of the walkway, we saw what used to be Little India, another restaurant that we liked.  It also appeared to be closed or is a private home now.   The seawall walk ended and we took to the road until that ended as well.  Back-tracking, we looked forward to that stop in the Seaview Lodge, but it was not to be.   Like we said, their website showed them opened, but they were not.  Not a soul was around.  So if these websites are not updated, the info could be incorrect.  Oh well, there’s always the ship where everything is free….even the ice cold beers for us.

 

We got back around 1:30pm, and headed for the Ocean Bar.  Luckily they were opened and the coldest beers were Coors Light.  Having never tried that beer before, we found it pretty good…and as cold as Ray promised.  Back in our room, we found that our veranda had been hosed off as we were advised last night.  We ordered a salad and a Dive In burger to share.  It was great sitting outside and working on the report while one of us worked on photos. 

 

The afternoon evaporated and before we knew it, the sun was going down. Ian had announced something about a fire dance on the pier around 7:45pm.  So at 8pm, we went out the promenade door to find the show was about over.   Without any notice, they had started earlier.  Even our waiter was outside watching.

 

Dinner was good tonight with appetizers of small shrimp and a bowl of a favorite chicken noodle soup.  Caesar salads were tasty, and the tuna plate and roast beef with Yorkshire pudding were also good.  The sliced beef was so tender, almost did not need a knife.  Desserts were a scoop of chocolate ice cream and a slice of chocolate cake or torte as they call it.  There was no entertainment in the Mainstage, but a movie was shown….Six Days, Seven Nights.   Old, but still funny.

 

Tomorrow we plan to take a left turn out of the port, and explore that area.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[cunnorl]

We are a few days behind you on the Noordam. We will be there in a few days. 
Thank you for all the interesting information. We also will be there for 2 days. 

[The Other Tom]

3 hours ago, WCB said:

Next to that is the 1200 student high school, which burned down in 2000, but was rebuilt by the Chinese government

I've seen in other reports that the Chinese are helping with infrastructure (roads, schools, bridges)  in remote areas. 

[LewiLewi]

15 hours ago, The Other Tom said:

I've seen in other reports that the Chinese are helping with infrastructure (roads, schools, bridges)  in remote areas. 

They are involved with building infrastructure all over the world. We saw this in Namibia a few years ago. They did not hire local workers, but brought a Chinese work force with them.

[Sir PMP]

1 hour ago, LewiLewi said:

They are involved with building infrastructure all over the world. We saw this in Namibia a few years ago. They did not hire local workers, but brought a Chinese work force with them.

They own the ports of Valparaiso, Hamburg, Piraeus, not exactly remote.

[WCB]

Report #52      Friday October 28, 2022  Day #2  Nuku' Alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga  Rain And Wind All Day  75 Degrees  Part #1 Of 4......Text Only....Pictures In Parts 2,3,&4 

 

We woke up to showers this morning, and expected it to continue.  It did until after breakfast, then the rain stopped and we saw some blue skies with fluffy clouds.  OK….will we be lucky like yesterday ?   One thing different today was that the wind was blowing a gale.  Getting off of the ship at 9:45am, we almost blew away.  Usually that means the rain will return.  Doesn’t matter because we did bring those umbrellas.

 

This time when we reached the main road from the pier, we took a left turn.  First thing we passed was the Bus Station complete with a board showing all of the fares for students and adults.  There is no set timetable for buses since they do the same route and the destination is on the front of the bus .  There are no designated bus stops either, and the people simply wave down the bus and it will stop.  

 

In this same area is Fa’onelua Park that used to have a children’s playground.  If there was equipment for the young ones, we sure did not see it.  Perhaps it was washed away in the tsunami.  There are many picnic-type benches on this stretch of green lawn.  And another paved pathway follows along the coral rock seawall like we walked yesterday.  For some reason we had expected to see a more city-like town center, but it was not like that. On this stretch of town, we saw local businesses….some opened but many closed.  We could see evidence of the storm damage with the smaller buildings.  And a few were in the process of being restored.  

 

One building that looked intact was the Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, although it was written in the brochure that only the guests can dine in the hotel.  There was a banner on the outside showing a convention was in progress.    Further up the road we spotted a very nice sidewalk produce market covered with a tent.  This was much nicer than the marketplace yesterday, because it was light and bright, and in the fresh air.  Everything the locals would need for fruits and veggies was right here.  And every now and then, we passed small convenience shops.  Along this same stretch were some embassies too.

 

On the water side, we came across a small boat harbor, followed by the old pier at Queen Salote Wharf.  A container port was also located here.  Fishing boats were moored here as well as larger fishing vessels.  Along the roadside, we saw an open-air flea market, where locals were selling clothing and accessories under tents.  Didn’t appear they were expecting rain.

 

We could have turned around here, but curiosity killed the cat, and we continued on to see what else was up this road.  The Naval pier was here and a few restaurants that looked closed.  Across the road, we came upon a large church by the name of St. Mary’s Cathedral.  There was a group of locals cooking BBQ chicken and putting together what looked like lunches to go.  Later on, we watched as cars pulled over, and purchased the packaged food.  It is typical to see people buy food, then go park near the seawall and eat their lunch either in their cars or on the picnic benches.  

 

Another interesting spot was a section of water enclosed with a coral bulkhead and separated from the open ocean.  Things were set up for young kids as well as a food tent and restrooms.  Picnic tables and benches were everywhere.  There were no families today, but it is Friday and the kids are in school.  Perhaps this place is for the weekends, especially Sundays. 

 

We continued, but the town seemed to be behind us now.  Studying the map yesterday, we knew this road would eventually end near the big lagoon.  So we went a bit further and found some really nice estates which probably belonged to the ambassadors from the embassies.   We did see one gated driveway that led to the New Zealand estate.  And that is when the showers began lightly at first, then heavier.  We found a huge casuarina tree to block the driving wind and rain and with our umbrellas, we did not get too wet.  We also knew not to stand under those palm trees full of coconuts.  We might not survive being struck by one of those.

 

At least four different locals stopped and offered us rides back to the pier.  Two were moms with kids, one was a lady with a big van, and the last was the Fire & Rescue vehicle.  We thanked them, but said we would be OK walking.  Not one taxi pulled over to solicit a ride. 

 

Time to head back, we eventully dried out since the worst of the showers had ended, or so we thought.  Perhaps if one of the restaurants were opened by 12pm, we could duck inside for beers and lunch.  The Billfish was one place we saw in the brochure, and they did look open.  Except the place appeared empty and we did not check it out.  Further up the road another place looked interesting called the Waterfront Lodge & Restaurant.  Entering through a gate, we saw outdoor eating as well as the restaurant.  There was no greeter, so we checked out the menu. They did have typical lunch entrees but no draft beer.  And still no greeter, we decided to leave.  Struck out again. 

 

We got to the green park area when the rain began again.  This time it was not a mist, and it turned out to be a real heavy shower.  It took about five minutes to reach the gate on the pier where they take the facial recognition.  Bill’s would not register, so he had to dig out his room key.  The wind was blowing the rain sideways, so we were getting soaked despite the umbrellas.  Finally to the gangway, we were held up with very slow people boarding taking their sweet time.  Oh well we could not  have been any wetter at this point.

 

Back onboard, we headed for the Ocean Bar and had a beer and one daiquiri.  Sure tasted good.  So did the peanuts that Ray provided.  We dried off somewhat before heading back to the room.  The rain had continued for at least an hour, so we were lucky to have gotten back by 2pm.  We ordered room service, and stayed on the veranda and worked online.

 

Everyone onboard was required to visit their muster station on deck three this afternoon between 2:30 and 5pm.  For those of us that began our journey in Vancouver, it had been thirty days since we did our last muster.  We were required to repeat it, so they had everyone do it. These days it is easy to just have your room key scanned by the deck people.  Then we had to watch the safety video in our room to completion before the TV would advance to the main menu.  Even after 4:30om, Ian was still calling guests who had not complied with the drill.

 

All aboard was 4:30pm, and Captain Frank gave his daily talk then.  We have two days at sea now, and they will both be dated the same, as we will be crossing over the International Dateline once again.  Remember we lost one day?  Well, in the next two days, we will gain that day back.  Finally after 5pm, the ship left Tonga behind, but not the rain.  It will remain this way for a few days we were told.

 

Dinnertime had some special treats.  One was split pea and ham soup and crispy chicken tenders with a honey-mustard drizzle.  Could have made a meal of these two by themselves.  One of us ordered the steak with a side of steak fries, and the other had the fish entrée.  Both were good.  Dessert was a slice of carrot cake and a small side of vanilla ice cream.  Also good.

 

The ship has begun rocking and rolling, and will put us to sleep instantly….well at least one of us.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[Hobcat]

5 hours ago, LewiLewi said:

They are involved with building infrastructure all over the world. We saw this in Namibia a few years ago. They did not hire local workers, but brought a Chinese work force with them.

And when these poor countries can’t pay the Chinese back they take over. 

[WCB]

Report # 53      Saturday  The First October 29, 2022     Sea Day Enroute to Avatiu, Rarotonga    Heavily overcast and rain  78 degrees, windy, rough seas    Part #1 of 1.....0 Pictures 

 

We lingered over breakfast, as we usually do, giving our very efficient room steward, Putu, a chance to tidy up our room.  There has been some extra cleaning happening shipwide in regards to sanitizing all surfaces such as walls and railings.   The elevators have gotten thorough cleanings, and we appreciate it.  Captain Frank may have mentioned that our Covid count is low during his afternoon talk yesterday.  He never gives the numbers of Covid cases as some captains do on other HAL ships. 

 

We had a job to do this morning between 9 and 10am that involved passport collection for the upcoming French Polynesian ports.  In lieu of a face-to-face inspection with the local officials, it will be done on the ship behind the scenes.  Once again, desks were set up on every passenger deck, and we simply handed the passports over to the staff, and we were given a receipt.  The documents will be kept in a secure place until November 10^th when we leave French Polynesia.  Then we can retrieve them with our receipts.   On the Grand Voyages, our passports are always kept by the staff from the day we board, and only be given back when it is required by some countries.  A few of those are Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and maybe India.   If you are going on an overland excursion, either through HAL or independently, you must have your passports with you. 

 

The weather today remained overcast, cloudy, and rainy.  On the other hand, it was not too hot or humid.  Actually the sea temps are 82 degrees, while the air temperature was 78 degrees at the highest.  The seas acted up all night, and we have continued having deep swells with high winds.  If this continues, we rather doubt that tendering in Rarotonga will happen as planned.  In fact, during his noon talk, the Captain mentioned that the sea conditions would worsen as we get closer to the Cook Islands.  That’s not going to help.

 

Currently, we are sailing close the Niue, a tiny island that had originally been on this itinerary.  It had been removed a long time ago, since ships have trouble tendering their guests to shore.  And that’s on a good day.  We know because we have been there several times, and also missed it several times.  We recall the tendering to be dicey, if not downright dangerous.  Glad we are not going there, even though people like to claim it as another country under their belt.

 

We took our usual walk and found more folks out and about.  There were two lectures in the Mainstage…the first was a guest speaker by the name of Dr. Karen Woodman with the subject what is language.  Following her, was Kainoa speaking about the history of hula.  The end of his talk would be about 11:45am, and that’s when the promenade deck gets busy.  The folks can take a stroll before the dining room opens for lunch at noontime, then the crowd thins out. 

 

We always stop at the Ocean Bar for cool drinks, which was sodas with lemon.  Many of the chairs by the windows were taken with guests relaxing, sipping drinks, or playing cards.  It was something to do on a dreary rainy day.   Later in the day there was a movie in the Rolling Stones Lounge showing Charming the Hearts of Men.  With popcorn.  Three sessions of trivia kept the guests on their toes as well.

 

The Cellar Master Dinner was held in the Pinnacle Grill by reservation of course.  It is pricey, but if you like the wines, it is a special meal for sure.  Dinner for us was back in the dining room.  It did not seem crowded as usual, but that could be due to the rougher seas and the ship rolling.  We both had the crusted brie appetizer, a salad, and a bowl of cabbage soup.  Entrees were a barramundi fish plate, but with sides of red potato salad and sauteed zucchini.  One of us tried the pork piccata with spaghetti and a red sauce.  It was delicious, but enough for two of us.  Dessert was one chocolate panna cotta and one serving of orange sherbet.  Quite refreshing.

 

As we will cross the International Dateline going from the west to the east, we shall gain back the day we lost.  Therefore tomorrow will be Saturday October 29^th once again.  Funny huh?

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[cunnorl]

We passed your ship this AM on our way to Tonga. The Captain made the announcement and gave 3 horn toots. 
   We were not able to get into Rarotonga due to sea conditions. Hope you have better luck. 

[WCB]

Report # 54      Saturday  The Second October 29, 2022     Sea Day Enroute to Avatiu, Rarotonga    Heavily overcast and rain  78 degrees, windy, rough seas    Part #1 of 1.....0 Pictures 

 

Well, today seemed to be the carbon copy of yesterday with light showers, choppy seas, and deep swells.  The temperature has dropped to about 76 degrees at 8am.  While eating our breakfast, one of the sister ships to the Zuiderdam, the Noordam, passed us going the opposite way.   Having just come from Rarotonga, Cook Islands, she was heading towards Nuku’alofa, Tonga.  We’re trying to find out if the Noordam really made it into Rarotonga, and if they did, we may have a chance.

 

This morning we each received a certificate for crossing the International Dateline….the first one skipping Monday, October 17^th, then repeating Saturday, October 29^th.  They were signed by the Captain and Hotel Director, Henk.    They are not the first ones we have gotten, and hopefully, not the last. 

 

Taking our walk this morning was challenging as the winds had picked up and the rolling of the ship made walking difficult.  While having our sodas in the Ocean Bar, we listened to Captain Frank’s talk.  He said the winds were currently 37MPH, an 8 on the Beaufort scale.  As well as rain, we had 10 foot swells.  The chance of tendering tomorrow pretty much evaporated in our minds.  It would be iffy at best, although the Captain never put that in words.  He did, however, plant that idea with the guests and crew that it would depend on what the local officials recommend tomorrow. 

 

We took the time to catch up on the port talks given by Ian and Kainoa with both Rarotonga and Aitutaki.  We know Rarotonga well, since we have visited many times, but the other Cook Island, Aitutaki, we have never seen.  After reading The Happy Isles of Oceana written by Paul Theroux, it was one place we would like to visit.  It’s still two days away, so maybe…….

 

In the meantime, we have noticed fewer people walking outside and also far less at dinner in the dining room.  The rougher it got, the more cautious some people got, which is a good thing.   Dinner was good tonight with starters of lettuce wraps, a Caesar salad, and an arancini cheesy rice ball with a red sauce.  Cheese raviolis were one of the mains, and fish and chips with haddock was the other entrée.  It has been really nice having so many various entrees offered, instead of a seven day rotation, like what they served on the Alaska runs.   Desserts were one serving of butter pecan ice cream and another butterscotch panna cotta .  Last night it was chocolate, but made differently.  They are getting creative in the dessert department as well.

 

Then we had to turn the clocks ahead one hour.  Hate losing that hour of sleep, so will wrap this up.  You never know, it might be a busy day in port tomorrow, or not……

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Sir PMP]

1 hour ago, WCB said:

Report # 54      Saturday  The Second October 29, 2022     Sea Day Enroute to Avatiu, Rarotonga    Heavily overcast and rain  78 degrees, windy, rough seas    Part #1 of 1.....0 Pictures 

 

Well, today seemed to be the carbon copy of yesterday with light showers, choppy seas, and deep swells.  The temperature has dropped to about 76 degrees at 8am.  While eating our breakfast, one of the sister ships to the Zuiderdam, the Noordam, passed us going the opposite way.   Having just come from Rarotonga, Cook Islands, she was heading towards Nuku’alofa, Tonga.  We’re trying to find out if the Noordam really made it into Rarotonga, and if they did, we may have a chance.

 

This morning we each received a certificate for crossing the International Dateline….the first one skipping Monday, October 17^th, then repeating Saturday, October 29^th.  They were signed by the Captain and Hotel Director, Henk.    They are not the first ones we have gotten, and hopefully, not the last. 

 

Taking our walk this morning was challenging as the winds had picked up and the rolling of the ship made walking difficult.  While having our sodas in the Ocean Bar, we listened to Captain Frank’s talk.  He said the winds were currently 37MPH, an 8 on the Beaufort scale.  As well as rain, we had 10 foot swells.  The chance of tendering tomorrow pretty much evaporated in our minds.  It would be iffy at best, although the Captain never put that in words.  He did, however, plant that idea with the guests and crew that it would depend on what the local officials recommend tomorrow. 

 

We took the time to catch up on the port talks given by Ian and Kainoa with both Rarotonga and Aitutaki.  We know Rarotonga well, since we have visited many times, but the other Cook Island, Aitutaki, we have never seen.  After reading The Happy Isles of Oceana written by Paul Theroux, it was one place we would like to visit.  It’s still two days away, so maybe…….

 

In the meantime, we have noticed fewer people walking outside and also far less at dinner in the dining room.  The rougher it got, the more cautious some people got, which is a good thing.   Dinner was good tonight with starters of lettuce wraps, a Caesar salad, and an arancini cheesy rice ball with a red sauce.  Cheese raviolis were one of the mains, and fish and chips with haddock was the other entrée.  It has been really nice having so many various entrees offered, instead of a seven day rotation, like what they served on the Alaska runs.   Desserts were one serving of butter pecan ice cream and another butterscotch panna cotta .  Last night it was chocolate, but made differently.  They are getting creative in the dessert department as well.

 

Then we had to turn the clocks ahead one hour.  Hate losing that hour of sleep, so will wrap this up.  You never know, it might be a busy day in port tomorrow, or not……

 

Bill & Mary Ann

The Noordam didn't make it into Rarotonga.

[LouChamp]

Yes many dateline certificates as well. Our kids got their first before they were ten lol.  Do you have children? What do they say that your are always traveling if I may ask.

[farawaygal]

Giant favor please. Can you ask Ray if he and the chicken will be on for the Panama canal cruise which starts Nov. 17.  Thanks so much.

[WCB]

Report #55    Sunday October 30, 2022    Avatiu, Rarotonga, Cook Islands   Rain And Wind And Rough Seas   70 Degrees  7am-9am  Part #1 Of 2.....Text Only.....Pictures In Part 2

 

Today’s port should have been Rarotonga, Cook Islands.  But when we woke up early, we knew the conditions were not looking any better than yesterday.  Not one tender boat was put on the water as the waves and wind were significant.  We would learn a bit later that the wind was a seven on the Beaufort scale and the swells were 10 to 11 feet.  And it was raining.

 

Breakfast service began at 7:30am, although it appeared that many guests had slept in, at least in the Pinnacle Grill.  Sometime after 8am, Captain Frank came on the speakers and announced that this port had been cancelled.  No surprise there.  Since we had time to spare now,  he circled the island doing about 13 knots.  He also added that the ship would have to maintain a certain speed in order for the stabilizers to operate correctly.  He assured us that we would have a more comfortable ride.   The ship was still rolling with the swells, and we were getting wet from the constant drizzle as we watched from our veranda.  The island was really shrouded in the misty rain, and there was no sign of any island activity.  Of course, it is Sunday, and the biggest event everyone does there is go to church.  That is one aspect we will miss, since we always stop at their cathedral during our walk.  It has been more than twice that we had been invited to their gathering afterwards.  Very friendly people.

 

We spotted only one frigate bird as it flew past the aft of the ship.  Also flying by way too fast were what we thought could be tropic birds.  Upon closer inspection from their photographs, we decided they were gulls.   On past visits, we have seen some tropic birds here, always a pleasure to capture their flight.  Cruising around the island, we did get some snapshots of the shoreline and the harbor.  Too bad we could not tender today, but there is always tomorrow.  We hope…..

 

Taking our walk around the promenade deck at noontime,  we tried our best to hear The Captain’s talk, but due to the pounding of the waves against the hull of the ship and very poor speakers outside, we missed his whole message.  We did, however, receive a revised copy of today’s events now that we were captive on the ship.  The guest speaker did a talk at 11am on differing language between men and women.  And a movie, Amelia, was shown in the Mainstage at 2:30pm.  One of these days we might have to check out Coloring for Adults. 

 

We kept busy the rest of the afternoon, once again having a light lunch in our room.   Walking the promenade at 7pm was nice because very few people were outside in the blowing wind.  The Captain had advised everyone around 5pm that he would be turning the ship in a northerly direction around 7pm, and we needed to be careful walking inside the ship.  He expected to hit some good sized waves, which he did.  The motion continued through the night.

 

Dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill where we did our usual salads, and enjoyed one order of filet mignon, and one of the chicken jadori.  Both were very delicious, cooked perfectly, and served on the hottest plates ever.   And we thanked them for that.  Dessert was light with coconut ice cream and lemon sorbet.  All of us are keeping our fingers crossed that tomorrow will happen as planned.  Not very many of the crew have ever been to Aitutaki and are looking forward to seeing it.  So are we……

 

Bill & Mary Ann    

 

 

[julia]

Keeping fingers crossed for Aitutaki!! 🤞

[WCB]

Report # 56   Monday   October 31, 2022   Aitutaki, Cook Islands   Happy Halloween!   Cloudy With Rain And Sun  80 Degrees  Part #1 Of 6......Text Only....Pictures In Parts 2,3,4,5 & 6

 

Our port of call today was a new one for us, Aitutaki, Cook Islands.  And because we had to miss our visit to Rarotonga, we had our doubts about successfully tendering to this island.  However, the weather gods had cooperated and during breakfast, Captain Frank announced it was a “go” to the island today.  After taking into consideration the sea swells, winds, and the ability to hold the ship in a fixed position, he felt reasonably sure it could be done safely.   The only change he would make was to amend the all aboard time an hour earlier, due to the tides and possible problems loading the four tender boats.  

 

So with that, the guests had to gather their tender tickets like they did on every tender port.  We never want to be the first ones off of the ship, so we waited until after 9:30am before we headed off.  Spending some time on our veranda, we had the good luck of seeing a couple of tropic birds close -up as they flew around the aft of the ship.  Better yet, one of us got some great photos with the good camera.  The Captain came on the speakers before we left the room to let us know that due to the tides going out, it was necessary to reduce the number of passengers on each boat.  Instead of 70 people, they took on 60 guests.  We went down the center elevators to deck one, and showed our room cards.  The front desk girl motioned us to go down the stairs to deck A, where we were greeted by Shiv and eventually Henk who was monitoring the boat loading.  Safety comes first, and they take it very seriously.   We were about the last ones to board, but we were not stuffed in like sardines. 

 

The weather was the big surprise today.  It had rained earlier on, but eventually the clouds lifted and we actually got sun.  Hot sun at that.  Every now and then, it clouded up, and we did have a few showers, but they were brief.  With the heat, it actually felt good.  And the sun made all the difference in the world with the shades of blue and turquoise in the waters.  There are about 2000 residents living here, and most of the jobs are tourist-related.   

 

The ride was fairly short, but the boat driver had to navigate between a tight opening in the coral.  Not as tight as the landing in Rarotonga back in 2016, when the boat landed on top of the sharp coral rock.  But it sure reminded us of that incident.  Today we cleared the opening, but we definitely drug bottom as we headed towards the landing pier.  Perhaps the following tender will have fewer people.  Once tied up, getting to shore was easy. 

 

The first building we noticed was their church, which is reportedly the oldest one of all of the Cook Islands.   Aitutaki was the first of the Cook Islands to embrace Christianity in the early 1800’s.  It is said that the most beautiful singing will be heard from their churches every Sunday.  That is the case in most all of the South Pacific islands.

 

From this side of the island, southwest, we could only see the outer ring of the lagoon, which was beautiful when the sun finally peeked out.  There was a convenient info center with maps and brochures to help the folks figure out what to do and where to go.  Since we have never been here, these local maps are a god-send.  Especially when you do not own a cell phone.  There were more booklets with lots of info, but we decided to pick them up on the way back and not carry them all day.  Wrong again.  They were all gone a few hours later.

 

With umbrellas with us, we headed up the west coast where most all of the resorts and bungalows are located.  The info lady had suggested we walk to some of the resorts with restaurants a good hour up the road.  By the way, there were no HAL shore excursions here today.  But there were locals on the shore offering rides to beaches for swimming and snorkeling.   There were a few open bed trucks that took the folks to the resorts along the road. 

 

It was easy walking since most of the island is very flat.  Houses and huts line the roadsides, and we had to be careful walking since the traffic is opposite of what we know in the states.  This island reminded us of Rarotonga, only smaller in scale.  There are no big cities here, just a series of villages.  The shops are postage stamp-sized and there were a few gas stations.  We could not help but see the price of regular on the pump.  It was $3.49 NZD for one liter.  Ouch….that’s  $13.96 for an imperial gallon.  Diesel was worse at $3.99 a liter equaling $15.96 a gallon.  It’s no wonder that a lot of islanders drive motor scooters and small cars.  Of course, the NZD $1 equals $.58 USD. 

 

Homes here are basic, made with wood and concrete with metal roofs.  Their gardens are free-flowing as there are no fences.  Many have coconut palms and breadfruit trees.  Bananas grow wild as do bougainvillea, hibiscus, banyan and flame trees.  There are no dogs.  Like in zero.  They are not allowed on the island.  Cats must be OK, since we saw one.  Goats are all right to own.  We saw three white ones grazing the weeds around the homes.  Sure beats mowing them.  With the rain they get here, everything is green and lush.  In between the houses, you can access the sandy beach and swim anywhere on this coastline.  This is where many folks left the road, and went to find the perfect spot on the beach.

 

We kept walking, and soon came upon the Pacific Resort, which appeared to be a large complex.  Thinking a lot of guests might have headed there, we continued to the next largest property which was Tamanu Beach Resort.  Just as we approached the driveway, it began to rain.  Good timing.  Entering the lobby, we inquired about their restaurant and if it was opened to the public.  The answer was yes, and we could also take advantage of their beachfront and restrooms while there.  Sometimes, these resorts ask for a day pass fee, which could be from $20 to $80 we understand.  The most important question we had was do they take American Express?  The answer was yes, but they did not accept US dollars.  She showed us the way down towards the beach, and we found it.  Once again, we asked about using the American Express credit card, and the manager of the restaurant said yes.  A few years back, we had a problem when this very same thing happened to us in Rarotonga. The restaurant people did not accept the credit card or US cash.  If it was not for a very sharp local travel agent, who offered to pay for us, and let us reimburse her with dollars, we would have been up a creek.  Anyway, we ordered two Heinekens and a club sandwich with fries to share.  We spent an hour relaxing on their outdoor patio watching many HAL people swimming and snorkeling in the shallow reef.  Then the time came to pay the bill, and guess what?  No, they did not take the Am Ex.  It did not matter what we had been told, now they denied it.  But they did take US cash, and not at the going rate.  It was a one to one exchange.  Not fair in our minds, but still reasonable as their prices were not outrageous.  There will not be a next time, since we will do our homework prior to going. 

 

Instead of walking the road, we figured we could beach comb most of the way back.   That way we did get to see all of the properties with hotels and huts right on the beach.  The sand was packed, but full of sharp and broken coral.  Those that knew this wore aqua shoes or else they could not have snorkeled.  This was also a great place for bird-watching.   We saw noddies, cranes, white terns, and even a tropic bird near the tall trees.  One of these birds had snagged a small fish and dropped it.  When we came across it, the little thing was still alive.  So it got thrown back into the surf.  Saved it for another day we guess.  

 

We also passed some huge volcanic boulders strewn from the roadside all the way down to the lagoon.  There has to be a story to this, and we decided to look it up back on the ship.  Back to the landing pier, we got on the tender boat around 2:00pm.   The last tender would be at 3:30pm, and we did not want to come back that late.  If we had more time and energy, we would have explored the Blue Lagoon on the opposite side.  That is where the high-end resorts are with all of the water sports.  Maybe next time……

 

On the way back in the tender boat, we had a good conversation with world cruise travelers John and Diane.   When we asked where friends Ginni and Rich were, they said they had decided to go home, due to Ginni’s recent shoulder surgery and an injury to the other shoulder.  Not a surprise, but when you are hurting that badly, home is the best place to be.  They should be in better shape by the time the Grand World Voyage begins in January. 

 

We had a really nice surprise of a bag of Halloween candies in our mail slot.  Gee, we wonder who left that bag of goodies, as there was no note included?  Of course, the suspects had to be Denise and Howie, and that was confirmed when we looked over the railing outside to thank them for being so sweet….literally!

 

Spending the afternoon on our veranda, we soon discovered that the temperature had risen to a very hot 95 degrees.  Little did we know that the winds had been 35mph all day, as the Captain informed us during his pm talk.  He had a tough time holding the ship all day, and was also concerned about the difficulty loading the tender boats.  He also added that the Zuiderdam was the largest cruise ship ever to tender guests ashore to Aitutaki.  And we have never seen this port on any HAL itinerary.  But we do know the smaller luxury vessels come here such as Seabourn, Silverseas, Regent, and many expedition-type ships.   And appropriately, Captain Frank gave thanks to his crew who took such good care of the tendering guests.  They are well-trained as well as a thoughtful group.

 

There were a few, but not many guests wearing Halloween costumes at dinner tonight.  One lady wore a skeleton dress and a fancy mask, like Mardi Gras.  Another gal wore an 18 inch high witch’s hat, getting a big reaction from the waiters.   The entry to the dining room had been decorated for the occasion, but not everybody was “into it”.  There is one single elderly lady sitting near us who waved away every waiter and yelling “Get that Halloween “stuff” (not her real word) away from me’…..loudly for everyone around her to hear it.  Jaws dropped.  We have secretly named her Miss Sunshine.  There is a story there, and we suspect it is not a happy one.  Her companion at her table is always a computer tablet or a book, and there is no communications with the waiters or wine stewards.   Sad….

 

Anyway, ignoring it all, we had quesadilla starters  and Caesar salads, no anchovies thank you.  One of us had the crispy coated rockfish, reportedly excellent, and the other had a shredded beef tortilla with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.  A really good Mexican dinner for one of us.  Slices of spicy pumpkin pie finished the meal nicely.  At 9:30pm  there was a Halloween costume party in the Rolling Stone Lounge, but by then, the seas were really rolling making even walking hard let alone dancing. 

 

With all of the sun, water, walking, and exploring, we slept really good…or maybe it was the candy?  We have a welcomed day at sea tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

[WCB]

Report # 57    Day at Sea  Enroute To Bora, Bora   Tuesday November 1, 2022   Cloudy With Rain And Rough Seas  80 Degrees  Part #1 Of 1.......0 Pictures

 

This morning started promising with partly sunny skies, although we had lots of motion due to the deep swells and we suspect high winds.  By 10:30am, it was raining.  So much for the sun part.  It was the perfect time to work on yesterday’s photos and report. 

 

Our biggest job was turning in the laundry before breakfast.  It is no longer returned the same day, but the first thing the following morning.    It sure beats doing it ourselves.  And just about every batch returned has a hidden note from one of the laundry staff thanking us for sending it in.  Really?  We return the notes thanking them.

 

The port talk was given by Ian and Kainoa about Tahiti, Fakarava and Nuku Hiva.  These are all in the South Pacific but in different areas of Polynesia.  They even have different cultures.  And we are looking forward to visiting these various islands beginning tomorrow in Bora Bora, French Polynesia.

 

The Captain’s talk reaffirmed our estimate of the sea swells.   They were 10 feet or better and 35mph winds.  The temperature remained the same all day abuot 80 degrees.  Checking the weather report on the interactive TV revealed nothing about the upcoming ports.   No temperature or prediction of rain.  Judging by today’s mixed bag, we do expect to have some rain.    Years ago, one of our friends re-named Bora Bora Poura Poura since the rain came down in buckets.  The one good thing about Bora Bora is that the ship can actually enter the massive lagoon and be protected from the sea swells.

 

Except for a few walks around the promenade deck, we did not do much today.  The most frustrating job turned out to be trying to send emails.  Obviously, the signal was not the best, so sending and receiving became impossible.  Even the folks at the front desk were having problems.  It should get better the closer we get to the islands. 

 

Dinner was “dressy” this evening.  It appeared that most guests followed that suggestion and put on their best.   We were almost surprised to see so many people show up in the dining room, because the waves had gotten worse, making walking a straight line impossible.  We all looked like drunken sailors.  Anyway, we ordered the shrimp cocktail, a crab roll, tomato soup, and a small Caesar salad.    Mains were one fusilli pasta dish with veggies, and one yellow fin sole on a bed on couscous.   Served very hot, it was the tastiest fish so far.  And no bones.  Desserts were a chocolate brownie/mousse and one apple streusel slice with a side of vanilla ice cream.  It was a very nice “dressy” meal.

 

The show was a return of the singers and dancers with Chart Toppers,  hits from the greatest music groups.  With the movement of the ship, we doubt there will be a lot of dancing.

 

We had our two pillow chocolates like we always get, and another currency exchange rate pamphlet for Pacific Francs.  One Pacific franc is worth $.01 USD.  And the money was available on board as they have been in all of the foreign ports.  In addition, the port agent info is written on the back of the money scale.  This replaces the small cards we always got on the world cruise.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[LuvsACruise]

Hi Mary Ann and Bill! Thanks so much for 2 bits of information from your blog today. We have been concerned about Ginni and Rich as we knew they had left the cruise, so now we know we will see then  in 2 months! Also, I had been wondering if HAL would continue offering the foreign currency onboard and you just answered that question too.  Hope you all have good weather and make all the ports on your way back!  Kathy 

[WCB]

Report #58     Wednesday November 11, 2022  Vaitape, Bora, Bora     Heavy Rain In The Morning With Some Afternoon Showers 80 Degrees   Part #1 Of 4...Text Only....Pictures In Parts 2,3,&4

 

Today’s port of Bora Bora almost did not happen.  It was on the itinerary for months, then it was cancelled, much to the disappointment of everyone.  That changed after the cruise began in San Diego, when we found out it had been re-instated.  We do not know why, but no one cared at that point. 

 

There are five archipelagos of French Polynesia. One of them, the Society Islands, consists of the Windward and the Leeward Islands.  Bora Bora is one of the Leeward Islands, and one of the most beautiful.  There are 10,550 inhabitants that live on the 38 square kilometer island.  The circumference of the island is 32 kilometers. The tallest mountain peak is Mount Otemanu at 2400 feet.  Mount Pahia is close to that.  What sets this island apart from the others has to be the lagoon and reefs that surround the entire island.  It has been described as a tropical dream with shades of blue, turquoise and sapphire waters complete with coconut palms and sandy beaches.  But that is when the sun is out.  Today, not so much, because we had one heck of a rain storm before noon.  The main village we tender to is Vaitape. 

 

During our early breakfast, we noticed all of the Pinnacle Grill staff was very excited since many of them have never been here before.  We were told a group of them had a private plan for heading to Bloody Mary’s, Matira Beach, and a day pass at the Intercontinental Resort and Spa.  We had similar plans, but not with that hotel.

 

The tours offered today were Le Truck – a 2 ¼ hour drive around the island, and a glass bottom boat ride for 1 ½ hour.  A 4x4 ride inland was 3 ½ hours, but the shark and ray swim was 3 hrs.  A motu beach break with snacks was 3 hours.  The tours ranged from $70 to $170.   We have done them all except the 4x4 ride.  Some more than once.

 

At 9am, we were visiting with Denise and Howie from our veranda when a school, no a “university” of dolphins appeared right before our eyes.  We could all hear some odd noises like a dog barking, then we realized it was coming from the dolphins.  A few of the smaller tour boats were herding the various dolphin groups towards our way.  Some began jumping as they swam right below us.  What a treat to see this display, as well as get some great photos.  Eventually, they began to leave, then we saw no more.   We did not see them again, but consider ourselves lucky for the free show.

 

Having difficulty with the internet, we stayed onboard to hopefully complete sending the reports and photos from yesterday.  We had hoped that with many folks on tours and on shore, we would have more bandwidth.  Finally, we had success.  But it was a good thing we stalled going ashore.  By 10:20am, the sky opened up with torrential rain, the likes of which we have not seen since being in Luganville, Vanuatu back in 2014.  The heavy showers hung on until noontime, then let up.  Good time to go. 

 

It was an easy short ride to the pier, which by the way, was being shared by the tender boats from the Paul Gauguin that was also anchored in the lagoon.  It had started to sprinkle again, so we headed right for the shuttle bus that took the folks to Bloody Mary’s or Matira Beach for $5 each.  Well worth it.  It filled up instantly.  The bus stops at the parking lot at Matira Beach now, and does not drive down the street to the Intercontinental Resort anymore. 

 

From here, we continued walking up the road to see if there were any changes from the last time we were here in 2019.  The Sofitel Resort was completely closed down, and looked half destroyed.  The Royal Bora Bora Resort was open for business.  And the Maitai Resort was up and running.  They have several bungalows either on shore or built over the lagoon.  And this is where we went to lunch.  We figured that Bloody Mary’s would be over-crowded with two ships in port.  And one of us was not up to sitting on the unstable coconut tree stumps they use for chairs. 

 

The Maitai has an open-air patio for dining with clear panels that drop to keep the rain out.  We ordered two large Hinano draft beers, ice cold, along with a margherita pizza.  We even shared a plate of profiteroles for dessert.  Sure was good.  We did have company of a stray dog, who insisted on staring at us, begging for food.  He went from table to table, and we are certain someone feeds him.  

 

From here, we walked to Matira Beach, and discovered the old restrooms had been replaced with a modern facility with everything new inside.  Most all of the sunbathers and swimmers were crew from our ship, and they were having a marvelous time.  They deserve it.   We took off our shoes, and walked the surf, mostly because the tide was up.  The sands here are full of broken coral and we stopped about halfway to put the shoes back on.   And that’s when the rain began again, although it was a light drizzle. 

 

We arrived to Bloody Mary’s, the famous restaurant and bar from the 1970’s.  It was already 3pm, and they had closed the dining area at 2pm.  The only part open was the bar and those seats were all taken.  So we checked out their t-shirts, finding nothing new.  Time to catch the shuttle back, we went outside and waited for 10 minutes. While waiting, we spotted two large rats running alongside the road in the grass.  Now we wondered how do they keep these rats out of the restaurant when there are no doors?   Wish we had not seen that, but these islands are probably loaded with rodents.  They need more cats and fewer dogs.

 

The shuttle arrived and had room for 6 people, so we climbed onboard for the ride back.  Of course as soon as we got back to the pier area, it began to rain once again.   We gathered some brochures in the tourist office, then decided to walk the town a bit.  There were too many people waiting for the tender boat, and we were not in a huge hurry.

 

We went to the church with the stained glass window.  Took some photos, then headed towards the shops.  Most of the parking lots were under water from the rain, but it did not stop the ladies from looking at the Tahitian pearl collections.  They are gorgeous, but quite pricey.   What we were looking for was not jewelry or souvenirs, but bananas.  The little ones are the best eating, and we bought a bunch from a vendor in town.  Now all we need is some ice cream and nuts, and we can make banana splits.

 

At the pier, the security folks used the facial recognition tablet once again.  We did not have to show our cards until we got back on the ship.  The tendering here was easy on and easy off.  Being in a protected lagoon sure makes a difference.  Back in the room, we got the rest of the sand out of our shoes on the veranda, and began working on the computer until dinnertime.  Tonight it was in the Pinnace Grill, where we enjoyed every bite of our usual salads and filet mignon steaks.  The ½ baked potato, a spoonful of sauteed mushrooms, and the accompanying tempura onion rings made the meal complete.  Desserts of ice cream and one crème brulee topped it off nicely.  We noticed that there was a group of what appeared to be a family dining in the side room of the restaurant.   There were two kids, one a small baby, and a few ladies.  They must have been family of Kainoa’s since we spotted him at the head of the table.    Obviously they were visiting.  All aboard time was 10:30pm, and the ship left around 10:50 in the drizzling rain.  We hope to be back here on the 23 world cruise.  Maybe the sun will be out then.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

 

[canadianbear]

Thanks so much your report and info while at Bora Bora.  I’m taking notes since we had to cancel this cruise but hope in future  to do one.  By then the ship may not be allowed in Bora Bora but time will tell.  

[LouChamp]

Aloha. We love our frequent visits to Polynesia. Fortunately we have been lucky over the years with little rain.  Bloody Mary’s is definitely a fun place to be. Glad you also enjoyed it.  Mahalo!

[WCB]

Report #59    Thursday November 3, 2022   Uturoa, Raiatea, French Polynesia    Cloudy With Rain Showers  80 Degrees   Part #1 Of 4.......Text Only......Pictures In Parts  2,3,&4

 

The island of Raiatea is another one of the Leeward Islands and our port of call today.  The Zuiderdam docked in the town of Uturoa, the main village and administrative center of the Leeward Islands.  This 238 square km island has 12,250 residents, and a drive around the island would amount to 98 km.  The island is surrounded by motus or small islets with “fishy” lagoons.  There are towering mountains covered with vegetation as well as a navigable river, the only one in Polynesia by the name of Faaroa.  The highest point is Mt. Tefatoaiti at 3051 feet in elevation.

 

The largest ancient marae exists here, which is an outdoor temple used for ceremonial, funeral, and religious functions.  It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.  This island is a nautical base for yachties, and is connected closely to Tahaa, its sister island.  Smaller in size, this island shares a lagoon with Raiatea.  Tahaa is an island that grows vanilla and has many pearl farms.  There are coral gardens perfect for snorkeling, kayaking, and fishing. 

 

Tours today included the highlights for 3 ½ hours, or a visit to a vanilla farm and a motu picnic.  Kayaking their only river was an option, or a catamaran ride was offered for 3 ½ hours.  We have done the drift snorkel in Tahaa years ago, and it was fun.  The prices ranged from $90 to $150.  Today, it might not have been so great, due to the rain.

 

We left the ship at 11:30am when it was NOT raining.  Guess what?  Within 15 minutes, it began to drizzle and proceeded to get heavier.  We must have brought this with us from Bora Bora.   Oh well, we had our umbrellas and we did not mind getting a little wet.  There is a small marina right across from the dock and that is where most folks board their various boats for swimming and snorkeling.  We had seen this exodus of tour groups going off the ship while we ate breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill.  The weather could have been better, but at least the worst of the rain had held off until noon.  Without the sun, the color of the water and the tropical fish are usually a wash.  

 

Walking around the small marina, we followed the seawall and the grassy area alongside the road.  Huge puddles in the parking lot was evidence that it had rained here a lot recently.  And there was more to come.  We followed the road passing some wind surfers and a few snorkel boats near the reef.  We made it as far as a mobile pizza trailer and that is where we took shelter to get out of the driving wind and rain.  Even standing behind mature tree trunks helped.  Eventually the worst of the storm let up, and we just kept going.  Other locals were also walking, but without umbrellas.  They wear clothes that dry quickly and flip-flops for shoes.  Smart…..

 

As we were watching some fellows with their wind surfing equipment, friends Jack and Sandy came from across the road, dripping wet from hiking up to the tallest peak out of Uturoa.  We have to give them credit for being the best and happiest explorers on foot.

 

By the time we passed the big church, we figured we had better head back to town.  We still wanted to explore there too.  The first place we went to was the Catholic Church, St. Andre.  It is quite small, but had beautiful stained glass windows.  We were the only ones inside, and were surprised to see they still light real candles at the base of the statues.  From here we went to the marketplace, a two story complex with the produce market on the main level, and the souvenirs stalls on the second floor.   There was not much left to sell downstairs.  Going up the side stairs, we checked out the souvenirs, clothing, and jewelry on the top level.  Most everything was pretty expensive. 

 

Next on the agenda was lunch, if it wasn’t crowded.  There is one café where we know they serve good pizza and that is Raie’Gate, right on the end of the terminal building.  They do it differently now….more like a fast food place.   You place your order at the counter, pay for the food, then sit anywhere you wish.  Then a runner finds you, and serves your food and drinks.  Today we ordered a pepperoni pizza with two Hinano beers.  Once again, the American Express was not accepted, but they happily took US dollars.  Later, we added a dessert of chocolate lava cakes with whipped cream drizzled with raspberry sauce.  During the entire time we enjoyed lunch, the rain never let up.  The café was open-sided but we stayed dry.  With all of the times we have been here, we never saw the rain like this.  Only wish we could ship it home to California.

 

We climbed the steep but short gangway and were back on the ship before 3pm.   Drying off in our room, we spent the afternoon as we always do….computer work and writing with a little relaxing on the veranda in between jobs. 

 

The ropes were dropped after 5:30pm, and we looked forward to some scenic sailing in the Tahaa lagoon.  We read that the lagoon is 30 to 90 feet deep and ships are able to navigate between the lagoon and the island.  The only problem with that was the sun had gone down, and it was rapidly getting dark.  Denise and Howie had also come outside to watch, as we all like to do.  We enjoyed it despite it getting dark, and even got some good photos of Tahaa.  The ship took a very big turn to the left, and exited the reef at a wide opening. Too bad most folks were at dinner, since they missed the scenery.

 

Dinner had some good and new choices tonight.  We both tried the tostada appetizer, as it was filled with guacamole, sour cream, chopped tomatoes and onions, with beans on the bottom.  Sprinkled with cheddar cheese, we could have ordered a bunch of them and called it quits.  Salads followed then one of us had the mahi mahi, and the other a pasta dish with sliced roasted chicken breast.  Both were good.  We passed on the dessert since we did the chocolate cake at lunchtime. 

 

Checking the weather in both Moorea and Papeete, we were not happy to read that tons of rain is expected. And once we left the lagoon, the seas have begun getting a bit rough.  Hope we are able to tender tomorrow in Moorea, although it will be another wet day for walking.  We shall see……

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[WCB]

Report #60      Friday November 4, 2022    Bahia D' Opunohu, Moorea French Polynesia    8am-4:30pm  Cloudy Morning  & Heavy Rain In The Afternoon   Part #1 Of 5....Text Only ... Pictures In Parts 2,3,4,&5

 

Considered Tahiti’s little sister, Moorea is the true vacation spot in the Windward Islands, according to their brochure.   They have it all, except for traffic jams.  There are accessible beaches, jutting mountain peaks, and nautical activities galore. 

 

The road that circles the island is 37 miles, and there are over 17,000 residents.  The island is 134 square km and the highest point is Mt. Tohiea at 3621 feet in elevation.   This island is full of highend resorts – those with bungalows over the water.  However not all of them survived Covid.  Opunohu Bay is where we are situated this morning and although it is not as famous as Cook’s Bay, it is the bay that Captain Cook first anchored in 1777. 

 

The good news of the morning is that it’s not raining….yet.  On the other hand, there was little sun if any.  Most of the shore excursions here are water-related such as a lagoon cruise in both bays, or snorkeling the reef.  A ride around the island or a 4 wheel drive trek into the interior might have been better choices.  They ran from $60 to $150.   Also the selling of the Tahitian pearls is a major business here. 

 

We have taken the island drive tour several times, as well as snorkeled the coral reefs.  There is nothing like seeing the colorful tropical fish, then spot the sharks swimming under you….where your fins are dangling.  Then you find out the access to the boat is not easy, and getting away from those sharks seems to take an eternity.  Guess you can tell once was enough for one of us. 

 

Most of the tour groups went off by 10am, and we followed them.  When the open tenders were announced was the best time to go.  The tender ride over was short and smooth, as the drivers go slow.  Once off of the tender, we walked the pier to a welcome band as well as a pretty Moorean gal handing out tiare flowers to the ladies.   The pier looked as if there had some improvements done since we were here last.  For one thing, the souvenir building seemed to have expanded.  The very first vendor we came across happened to be a local elderly lady who we have purchased jewelry from for several years now.  Her face seemed to light up when she saw us, and she actually got up to greet us with Bonjour.  We understand a little French, and her English was not the best. But we still managed to communicate, especially when it came to buying one of her seashell creations.  No two were alike.  Of course we did find a nice pendant and some earrings to match.  She always gives us a deal when we add the earrings.   And the collection grows….But we will not find these types of necklaces and earrings anywhere but in these islands.  We know that she makes them because we always watch as she works on the pieces right at her table.   We left by saying maruru or thank you.  We hope to see her again someday.  And we were secretly happy that she survived the pandemic. 

 

Weaving our way through the crowd of guests searching for their tour groups, we walked up the road to the main drag.  While doing some research on Moorea before we left the ship, we discovered that the Intercontinental Resort had closed their doors.  That has always been our destination lunch spot  after the walk long to get there.  We did check this out online before we left the room, and it was confirmed they were no longer in business.  Oh well, it was still a pleasant walk, and since it was not raining, we did it anyway.

 

The village where we tender to is called Papetoai where there are a few homes, a small convenience store, a post office, a couple of snack shacks, and a lot of roaming dogs.  Walking a block or two, we passed by several local homes, roadside produce stands, and sleeping dogs.  In between the bungalows we could see the lagoon and the reef where the waves break.  This is the best spot for the snorkelers to see the fish, coral, sting rays, and even some various sharks.  The guides tell you the sharks are harmless, but there is always the first time for everything.  Going close to the lagoon, we actually spotted a single sting ray as it swam very near us.  That is something we have never seen here.

 

We did pass by a home where the owner happened to be sitting in a chair under several palm trees.  We did not see him when we took a photo of his flowering tree.  He insisted we pick a flower, which we said thanks, and did pick one yellow blossom, hoping it was not full of ants.  That is often the case with fallen plumeria blooms.  Anyway, we continued up the road, watching the locals cleaning up fallen tree debris.  They often dispose of it by burning the branches and leaves in a metal barrel.  It does smell good and might even keep the bugs away.  We have found this to be the practice in almost every island we have visited over the years. Others were selling the breadfruit, mangoes, pineapples, bananas and coconuts outside their homes.  Easy money for them since the fruit is plentiful.  There was work being done on some buildings as well. 

 

We finally reached the property of the Intercontinental Resort and found the road closed off with a gate on one side and corrugated metal sheets blocking the other driveway.  It was indeed out of business.  Too bad since it was such a beautiful property with waterside bungalows and large units on the hillside across the road.  All abandoned now.  The Dolphin Center that is situated next to the resort is still operating.  When a tour group arrived, someone came to open the locked gate.  It was then we asked the gatekeeper what happened to the resort.  He claimed it was the pandemic that shut it down back in March of 2020.  It is a miracle that everything did not fold, since these islands were off limits to most every country for quite a while after the virus was getting better. 

 

We did walk a bit further, but the road went downhill to some shops, so we headed back the way we came.  It had been a long walk, but we did stop along the way taking more photos.  What surprised us was how busy this road was for a Friday.  But when there is only one main road, it is understandable.  We got back to the pier by 1:30pm, just in time for a light rain to begin.  We could not help but notice there were a lot of people milling around the tender boat area.  A whole group of folks had on orange life jackets from the ship, so we assumed they had just gotten off of a tour.  Little did we know, they had just been transferred from a stranded-on-the-coral reef tender boat.  They had used a whale and dolphin tour longboat to take on the stranded guests and bring them back to the shore pier.  From there, this group boarded the ship’s tender back. 

 

Looking out at the reef, we could see the stranded boat with the two skiffs from the ship helping them to get loose.  Apparently it worked, because by the time we loaded on to the next boat, the tender was gone and the skiffs were speeding back to the ship.  Surely we will hear about this incident when we get back.  It sure brought back memories of the boat accident in Rarotonga back in 2016, except this one got resolved a lot easier we think. 

 

Did we mention the rain began in earnest by the time we got back to the ship.  Big rain, like we had in Bora Bora.  It only got worse when we got to the room, as we could not see the land from our veranda.  Ordering room service, we enjoyed excellent Cobb salads and a shared club sandwich.  It wasn’t exactly the resort lunch we expected today, but the price was right.  And the food was excellent as always.  The deluge did not let up much for the rest of the day. 

 

Since we were so close to Papeete, Tahiti, the ship left the bay at 6pm, and sailed slowly to Papeete, where we were docked by 7:30pm.  We did get a few photos even though it was dark.  So we will spend Friday night in Tahiti, and also Saturday night.  We will leave Sunday around 5pm. 

 

At dinner, Ian announced that the ship was cleared and we were free to go shore.  Not us…it was raining and it was dark with no where special to go.  We can wait until tomorrow.  So for dinner , we had doubles of crispy veggie egg rolls.  Once again, several of these might have made the entire meal.  One of us had the hake fish, and the other a beef fajita dish with rice and salsa, sour cream and guacamole.  Both were excellent and just enough for dinner.  No dessert again.

 

Now we pray that impending rainstorm goes away.  According to the Captain, it will not be the best two days here, but that’s what umbrellas are for right?

 

Bill & Mary Ann  

 

 

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Sad to learn about the Intercontinental. We normally stay in Bora Bora or Papeete when we spend a long weekend from Honolulu if we don’t got Maui. Try to stay with Hawaiian as we have top tier status since we travel back and forth from New York and then to Honolulu or the weekends in Maui.  ATN is a great airline also but we know many flight attendants on Hawaiian and they treat us like Ohana. Prefer Papeete so we don't have to connect. Love the over water bungalows. It truly is a paradise.  

[dchip]

From first hand experience, I can say that the transfer from the tender to the rescue longboat was handled calmly and efficiently by both HAL and the two gentlemen from the longboat. That being said, not something I would want to participate in again. 
Denise and Howie, too.