“the Big One”! World Cruise on Sojourn

[crickette]

Easter Island tip - if you get ashore, realize that returning to the ship via tenders may be hampered if the surge/swell picks up later in the day.  There is always a small folding umbrella in my shore excursion bag, and it came in very handy to shade us from the beating sun while waiting for our tenders to pick us up.

[galeforce9]

1 hour ago, marazul said:

I did.  It was really good and the setting was great.  On the water with a view of moais. In one of those "small world" moments we even met someone we had met in Nice some time before. 

 

We went a few years back before our first SB cruise on the Spirit, Valparaiso-BA, but around Cape Horn only.  Long before SB went to Antarctica.  We did some independent travel before and went to Easter Island for three days.  One of our most memorable trips.  

Snap!  First seabourn cruise was on spirit.  But some nine years before that we did two round the world trips.  This was our first proper stop ex uk.  Happy memories 

[SLSD]

I hear you made to Easter Island---so glad to hear that!!  I look forward to the photos!

[shark b8]

11 hours ago, SLSD said:

I hear you made to Easter Island---so glad to hear that!!  I look forward to the photos!

We did!  Saw a couple of the moai sites and enjoyed an u’mu style late lunch.  Tried to post a few pix last night but wifi is being pretty insubordinate again - after we depart today I’ll settle in and try again.

[cadburysmom]

1 hour ago, shark b8 said:

We did!  Saw a couple of the moai sites and enjoyed an u’mu style late lunch.  Tried to post a few pix last night but wifi is being pretty insubordinate again - after we depart today I’ll settle in and try again.

Glad to hear it and looking forward to photos...here's hoping for stronger wifi

[saminina]

Congrats on landing.   Quite a few years ago on a SS world cruise, I was able to step foot on Pitcairn.  That was a big deal to me and had no idea what a rare occurrence for passengers .   Next port was Easter Island which was impossible to land.   Having already accomplished my dream stop, it did not faze me like 99% of passengers.   Reaction ranged from disappointment to the Brits exercising their extreme whatever it is they do when thrown a curve ball.

Edited January 28, 2023 by saminina

[goaliedad30]

Here's a couple of the moai flanking the Sojourn!

[Flamin_June]

49 minutes ago, saminina said:

Reaction ranged from disappointment to the Brits exercising their extreme whatever it is they do when thrown a curve ball.

Stiff upper lip ?

Suave, circumlocutory politesse ?

Sang-froid ?

Aloof-disdain?

😉

Edited January 28, 2023 by Flamin_June

[fdnycruiser]

Sharkb8, glad you made it. Must be an amazing place, and definitely on my bucket list. Goalie dad, thanks for posting your pictures.

[shark b8]

Wifi is still awful - but will try to post a pic, then give it time to “take”, nap for a while. Post a pic, take a shower. Post a pic, go to dinner.  Etc.

 

 

[shark b8]

grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.   🤬

[shark b8]

[shark b8]

Intermittenet rain showers today, but mostly they were confined to the time we were on the minibus, between sites.   Here there was a nice rainbow, it disappeared quickly but managed to get a bit of it.
 

[shark b8]

Yesterday the u’mu lunch was accompanied by some local costumed folks…..”dinner and a show”.

 

[shark b8]

When I was a little kid approximately 100 years ago, I was fascinated with King Tut’s tomb, the pyramids, and Easter Island.  All these years later, I’ve always had a “school-book” image of Easter Island bouncing around in my head, and when we got to Rano Raraku, the “quarry” where the statues were carved, I triumphantly found the pic that matched my remembered image:

 

 

 

[shark b8]

[shark b8]

 

[shark b8]

(you can tell the file size has had to be reduced down to practically zero, so the size/detail suffers, but at least you get the idea)

[SLSD]

10 minutes ago, shark b8 said:

When I was a little kid approximately 100 years ago, I was fascinated with King Tut’s tomb, the pyramids, and Easter Island.  All these years later, I’ve always had a “school-book” image of Easter Island bouncing around in my head, and when we got to Rano Raraku, the “quarry” where the statues were carved, I triumphantly found the pic that matched my remembered image:

 

 

 

I was fascinated with exactly the same things.  Since reading Thor Heyerdahl's Kon Tiki when I was around twelve, I've wanted to go to Easter Island.  Your photos are wonderful!  Thank you for taking the time to post them with a bad wifi.  

[shark b8]

The actual quarry in the background - this is the area where there are countless moai in various states of completion, before the endeavor was seemingly abandoned.

 

[shark b8]

12 minutes ago, SLSD said:

…..Since reading Thor Heyerdahl's Kon Tiki when I was around twelve, I've wanted to go to Easter Island. 

Yes!  I was a big Disney kid, loved the adventure stuff, Kon Tiki for sure.  And I always wanted to live out Swiss Family Robinson….in a tree house.  Years later I realized that this was largely impractical.

Edited January 28, 2023 by shark b8

[shark b8]

Samimina, jealous of your Pitcairn stop.  It’s listed as our next “port” but I’m assuming we’ll just do a drive-by (sail-by?), there are no shore excursions listed.  Knowing the rarity of being able to land there, maybe they will just wait to make any decisions about it, and only announce if rare & positive circumstances allow.

Edited January 29, 2023 by shark b8

[shark b8]

My UK buddy sent me this, with all good wishes for Easter Island.

 

[highplanesdrifters]

Very jealous!

[Fletcher]

Pitcairn is very weather dependent, though when we did a similar trip our expedition team thought Easter Island was just as unreliable for landings.  However, even if the ocean is calm landing passengers from a biggish ship like the Sojourn might not be possible,  even though the islanders benefit financially. There is quite a souvenir market in place there, selling everything from t-shirts to honey to stamps to carvings.  I'm told that 200 passengers is about the limit for landing here.   Our ship had 100 pax and we also landed on Henderson and Ducie.  

Edited January 29, 2023 by Fletcher