tennisbeforewine

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Papeete, Tahiti

Could there be a more beautiful group of islands in the world than French Polynesia?  Having taken a cruise among the islands for our 40th anniversary (several years ago), we saw nothing but beauty from sunrise to sunset.  If it’s not the blue to turquoise water or the white, sandy beaches, it’s the plethora of colorful flowers and the green mountains on most islands.  If you’ve never been here, I’d strongly suggest you put it on your list.

We docked at about 7:00, but knowing that nothing would be open that early, we didn’t disembark until about 9:00, when our first stop was the pharmacy across the street.  I needed some of my anti-itch medicine and they don’t sell it at home, so whenever I’m in France or French Polynesia, I stock up.  Then we began our stroll, through the fairly new park area along the water.  There we saw a group of about a hundred people who were dressed in the same fabric:  shirts for the men and dresses for the women.  We assumed it was a dance group, but soon discovered otherwise.  After their photos were taken by a professional, they began to wander off.  I stopped two women and asked if they were a hula group.  They responded that they were a political group who were supporting a candidate for mayor; indeed, it was one of the women I was speaking to.  

From there we continued on until we took a one-block jog inland in search of one of our favorite stops:  Champion Supermarket (pronounced Sham-pee-yon since it’s French).  It is so much fun to shop in a French market.  They always have at least a hundred varieties of cheese (of the 365 that France is reputed to produce), excellent wines, and some of our favorite delicacies, like Pim’s cookies.  We did limit our shopping, however, and got out for under $50.00 US.  I think a French picnic on the balcony will be planned for tomorrow.  

Then it was time to head the other direction, checking out the stores that sold more black pearls than I knew existed.  We wandered through the Marche, the huge building which houses markets for everything from gorgeous tropical flower arrangements to fresh fish to more of those black pearls to souvenirs of all types.  We consider it a required stop at any call at Papeete because it is such a reflection of the people and the culture.

We continued on to find our postcard and then our stamp, so that was taken care of.  We had made arrangements to meet Rich and Ginni for lunch at Trois Brasseurs (Three Brewers), a favorite pub where they make all their own beer (which earned two thumbs up from Rich).  It was so hot that John and I drank Panaches, a drink called Radler in Germany and Shandy in England; it’s a half and half combination of beer and 7-Up.  I know it doesn’t sound great, but on a day when the temperature is near 90 and the rains began, it really is refreshing.  In fact, the name “Radler” in German means “Rider,” since it was originally developed to refresh long-distance bicyclists while limiting the amount of alcohol in their systems.  

Ginni was late because her pedicure lasted about two and a half hours (for $20.00), so I went around the corner to fetch her.  While there, I made an appointment for 3:00, but when I returned, the doors were locked and the owner told me through an opening that his nail lady had to go home.  Maybe I’ll find a place in Tonga!

By then it was almost 4:00, so I headed back to the ship to experience more frustration with the internet.   Getting to any website seems to take forever.  If you remember “dial-up,” this is worse.  In addition to that, it just keeps rejecting my photos.  I’m going to take my laptop ashore in port tomorrow, find a place with internet, and hopefully you’ll get a bunch of photos.  

Wednesday, February 19, 2020 (written on 2/20/20)

Adamstown, Pitcairn Island

Here we are, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where Fletcher Christian and his band of followers (of Mutiny on the Bounty fame) escaped Tahiti to begin a society that would end with bloodshed and only one remaining mutineer.  At 8:30 this morning, a longboat with about 35 residents of the island came to the ship to talk to the passengers and set up a market which one could only access with sharp elbows and flying dollar bills.  

Pitcairn Island is a beautiful green, rocky island which was chosen by Christian and company in 1789 because of its inaccessibility and the fact that it was not on any naval map.  In addition to Fletcher Christian and seven other mutineers, including Adams and Warren, as well as eight Tahitian men and twelve Tahitian women, they managed to find Pitcairn Island, but after they burned the Bounty, all did not go well.  Sixteen mutineers had stayed on Tahiti, two of whom were murdered.  The fourteen others were captured by the Royal Navy ship sent for that purpose and returned to England for a court martial.  Four died along the way, but the remaining ten were tried.  Four men were acquitted of mutiny, three were convicted and received a royal pardon, but the remaining three were found guilty and executed.  

In 1808 an American seal-hunting ship “re-discovered” Pitcairn, where they met a man named John Adams who identified himself as the last surviving member of the band of mutineers.  Apparently even though the mutineers thought they had found a paradise on earth, that was not the case.  Conflict between the Englishmen and the Tahitian men grew violent, claiming the lives of all the crew except four and including Christian, who died of a gunshot wound.  One of the remaining four, in a drunken stupor, fell off a cliff to his death.  Another was killed by two of his fellow mutineers, and one of the two remaining crew members died from natural causes.  This left only Adams, who lived into the 19th Century and, according to visitors, headed a calm and devout group of Tahitians and their children.  

The legacy of the Bounty mutineers is a current group of about fifty descendants of the original inhabitants.  They live on the only British colony in the Pacific, and the UK subsidizes much of their “cost of living,” including internet, telephone, and electricity.  The woman from their tourist office who spoke before they left indicated that half of the income of virtually everyone on the island is from an average of eighteen cruise ships who “call” during the year.  

After stalls were set up around the Lido, the Amsterdam “natives” were let loose and, for many people, good manners flew out the window.  There was hardly a sales table that did not have passengers three-deep in front of it, and one of our friends told us that even though he tried to get through to one of the tee-shirt tables, he was (sharply) elbowed by a lady who he said “had to be at least eighty.”  I wandered around the area for awhile, looking at the “loot” purchased by friends.  We had a choice of the aforementioned tee shirts as well as wooden carvings, jewelry, honey (purchases were limited to two jars), and postcards with Pitcairn Island stamps (which would be picked up by a supply ship in May).  Of the approximately 1200 passengers on board, I’d estimate that at least three-fourths of them joined the crowd around the Lido pool.  It was more crowded than the line for Easter Island tender tickets.  If you wanted a Pitcairn Island stamp in your passport, you just had to pay $10.00 for the privilege, and I believe many passengers did that.  (We didn’t).  

It’s always a good day when the Pitcairn Islanders come aboard, and the name tags on the tables are a virtual history lesson.  There were Steve and Olive Christian, along with several other members of the Christian family, many Warrens, Adams, and some others that I didn’t recognize.  What’s really interesting is to chat with some of them, because they know their genealogy and can tell you exactly who was in their family tree.  

We learned that very small ships can call and have a port day on the island, but the hills are so steep that access is difficult.  In addition, it’s possible to book a four-day, seven-day or fourteen-day stay on the island, during which you stay with a family.  I’d love to do that, but after I found out that the only access for such a stay is a $4,000 boat ride from Tahiti, I gave up on that idea.  

Our Port Lecturer, Glen, gave an interesting commentary as we approached the island in the morning, and when we asked him about it, he said that there are about 2,000 books about the mutiny, so I think when we get home I’ll make a trip to the library to find at least a couple.   

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

At Sea en route to Pitcairn Island

Last evening saw a return of a great group called “ABBAFab,” who sang and danced to the music of the famous Swedish group.  Of course none of them is actually Swedish, but at least one of the girl singers is English, while the other three are American.  It’s always fun to have entertainers who sing hits that everyone knows and sings along with, but it’s even more fun when they play songs that encourage the audience to get up and dance, and that’s what happened last night.  Toward the end, the group played and sang “Dancing Queen,” and a bunch of us just danced and danced, even though we didn’t join the conga line that Leon led around the Mainstage auditorium.  I danced with John as well as Hamish, our Cruise Director.  

It seemed that two evenings ago and then the next morning there was a bit of an “Easter Island hangover,” with passengers having spent nearly all day in the hot sun and hiked all over to see as many moai as possible and even to ascend the volcano above the quarry.  It was a late morning for many and I was even able to find an open treadmill in the gym. 

The other result of that particular port was that people just couldn’t stop talking about it.  We kept hearing, “Which moai did you see?” and “Did you get to the quarry?” and “How much mileage showed on your Fitbit?”  There were also virtually universal kudos for the captain and crew as to how well they handled the day’s challenges.  I mentioned yesterday that Henk, the Hotel Director (#2 on the ship) was on every departing tender, making sure that people were not knocked around when they boarded.  We found out later that he also had to turn some people away - those who pretended that they didn’t know not to bring walkers.  Every crew member did his or her part in making this port the highlight of the cruise so far for most passengers.

One part of the transpacific crossing that I had almost forgotten was the amazing number of time changes.  Now I love to turn the clock back and get an extra hour’s sleep as much as the next person, but when the clock turns back three times in three days, that’s when people start walking the decks at 3:00 in the morning because they just can’t sleep any longer.  For our friend Will, who normally gets up between 4:00 and 5:00 AM, I think he’s probably back to about 2:00 now.  For the most part, however, westbound cruises are quite wonderful, because turning the clock back approximately once every four days is really very nice.

Tomorrow is the day on which we welcome the Pitcairn Islanders, and most people are quite excited about it.  Those people who’ve done this before have been seen wearing the appropriate tee shirts.  I guess it’s always more fun to wear the tee shirt before the port to show that you’ve been there before -it’s just too cool.

No, the turtle is just a carved piece of volcanic rock, but John loves turtles, so I had to take his picture with one.  

Since I had such good luck uploading photos, I'm going to push my luck and try to include a few from Ushuaia.  The young lady is named High and she's a new crew member from Thailand (and crew member of the month!)  She had never seen snow, let alone glaciers and icebergs.

Sorry about the multiple photos.  I guess I was so excited about having four photos upload in five minutes that I hit the upload button too many times!

Sunday, February 16, 2020 (written on 2/17)

Easter Island (AKA Isla de Pascua)

What could possibly be better than a visit to Easter Island?  Swimming in the warm ocean on a white and sandy beach below seven moai atop the nearby hill.  It was just magical.  Since we’d been to Easter Island three times before (we are SO lucky!) and enjoyed a tour each time, we decided that this time we’d just go to the beach - and we did.  

Getting there, however, was a bit of a challenge.  Captain Jonathan announced the evening before that according to the port agent, conditions were “marginal.”  Now we’ve always had trouble with this particular port.  One year two tenders were smashed up, one of them our lifeboat, and there has always been a question of whether we’d land or not.  In fact, although we were able to get ashore last year, the captain had to stop tendering (except for returns) at about 12:30, so HAL afternoon tours and anyone with a high tender number didn’t get to go ashore, to the great unhappiness of many.  It seems that for most people this is one of the “must do” ports along the way on the WC, and yesterday everyone was happy to be able to tender in and out - as difficult as it was.  Since the tenders were banging against the ship on departure and return, it took four crew members to assure the safety of each passenger boarding.  In addition, Henk, the Hotel Manager, was inside the tender grabbing hold of each arrival to make sure they didn’t go flying.  It was like an “E” ride at Disneyland (if you’re old enough to remember those).  

Usually, one would consider “just going to the beach” in a place like Easter Island a sacrilege, but Anakena Beach isn’t just any beach.  In the time of the Rapa Nui people before Europeans arrived, this was the area restricted to the royal family; anyone else would face penalties that none of us would appreciate.  There is a line of seven Moai at the top of the hill, and you may have seen a photo of them backed by the pristine beach and turquoise water.  

The beauty of the place cannot be exaggerated; the fine white sand below the expanse of grass leads to water that must be about 85 degrees - incredibly swimmable.  We wandered down to the beach, placed our (ship’s) towels on the sand, and headed into the water.  While it wasn’t “body temperature warm” like Bora Bora, it was really just perfect for walking right in.  Since our nearby beach in Central California is about sixty degrees during the summer, we really appreciate water like this.

After enough time in the surf, we headed up past the sand and the grass to one of the little food shacks at the top of the hill for shrimp and cheese empanadas and frosty iced tea (since they didn’t sell beer).  Then, unfortunately, it was time to meet our taxi driver for the trip back to the tender port and a return to the ship - with the same challenges disembarking the tender at the ship that we’d had embarking it several hours earlier.  One of the things I don’t understand is that when the officer in charge says, “Please remain seated until called to disembark,” people jump up and then complain when the tender bangs against the ship and they go flying.  There really is a reason for most rules.

After a short nap it was time to get ready for dinner.  We had invited two members of the 

“Amsterdam Singers and Dancers” to join us for dinner in Canaletto.  Stephanie is a dancer and Claire is a singer, and we got to know each other fairly well during last year’s WC.  Steph is from the English island of Jersey, and Claire is Irish, and we just talked and laughed and spoke over each other for more than two hours while catching up and just having a good time.  The food was excellent too; Steph and Claire both had lasagne, John had clams and pasta, and I had three huge ravioli - delicious.  They skipped dessert for the excellent reason that they have to fit into their costumes for the entire cruise, but even after dinner we just kept on chatting and laughing.  

Now we have two lovely sea days - but actually five, if you count like I do.  We have today and tomorrow, and then we have a morning visit from Pitcairn islanders who come aboard to set up stalls to sell their wares and get into some really interesting conversations about their lives and their island.  We don’t go ashore, so to me that’s another sea day.  Then we have two more days before a day in wonderful 

Papeete, and that’s how I count to five.  

Saturday, February 15, 2020

At Sea en route to Easter Island - Day 4

Well, tomorrow morning “all hell will break loose,” as they say.  It’s Easter Island and it’s also the most coveted tender ticket and the “iffiest” port on our itinerary.  The sky and sea will be blue, the weather will be warm, but the often rough seas can make it a  challenge to get us all to shore.  We have been incredibly lucky to have been there three times out of three tries, but four would not be go amiss.  

What happens to begin the chaos is that tender tickets are handed out beginning at 7:00, which means that the queue begins at 5:00 or 5:30.  People argue about their line location, every chair is removed from the tables in the Lido so that passengers don’t have to sit for an hour and a half, and others resort to tricks.  Last year, an announcement was made that anyone with a mobility device would not be allowed to board the tender.  (It’s just too dangerous in this particular port)  The woman behind us in line had a walker, and when I asked her about it, she replied, “Oh, it’s only a chair for when I get tired.”  I guess that’s why she folded it and hid it when she was close to the front of the line.  When we boarded the tender, there she was with her walker, and she was insulted and angry when she was told she couldn’t take it aboard.  Oh, the fun of a world cruise.

Our friends Will and Nancy have never been to the island, but it’s very important to them that they do so.  Because of that, we gave them our best advice:  sign up for a ship tour, because they get the first tenders.  They’re rather overpriced, but if you really and truly want to get there, a morning tour is the best guarantee.  Last year some of the afternoon tours had to be cancelled, since the captain cancelled tenders at about 12:30 because of increasingly rough seas.  One year, two of the tenders (AKA lifeboats) were damaged by being knocked against the tender dock by the high waves.  

Last night was a Gala Night, as announced by the daily newsletter, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much red in my life.  John seriously dislikes having us look like we dressed alike but yesterday, even though I already had my red shirt on, he wore his red San Miguel Beer tee-shirt.  The Filipino members of the crew love it when he wears that shirt, since it’s the most popular beer in the Philippines.  My red evening gown, as promised, had yet another wearing and will now be re-packed, not to see the light of day until next year.  The female part of the crowd in the Crow’s Nest was attired primarily in red, and most of the men were wearing red bowties with their tuxedos.  It was a very festive crowd.  When we arrived in the dining room, all the waiters were attired in red sequined vests with red sequined bow ties.  They looked great.

After dinner, the Amsterdam Singers and Dancers performed, and then we headed up to the Crow’s Nest, where dance music was promised.  The place was jammed with both passengers and officers, and we found out later that the officers had been bribed with free wine if they’d show up.  In their elegant navy blue uniforms with brass buttons, they really look quite nice - and they lower the average age by several years.  We danced, visited with friends, and sat for awhile with our friends Bob and Judy Voorneveld before heading to “pillow island” at about 11:00.  It was a “turn your clocks back” night, though, so it was really only 10:00.  Love those nights!

The weather, as predicted, is turning into beautiful South Pacific weather, with blue skies and warm temperatures.  Because the seas are warming, John was able to see his first group of flying fish, which he loves watching for.  He’s now hoping for more.  

Our one leftover frustration, however, is the internet service, or our lack of service.  In his mid-day message yesterday, even the captain expressed frustration with it, since he wanted to announce some weather forecast information but was unable to because of the problems in that area.  Apparently even Seattle has become involved, since they really don’t want us floating around the ocean with little or no connection to the outside world.  It seems that my post yesterday went out in a small window of service, but a half hour later, it was gone, and that was what affected my inability to upload more photos.  Again, a First World problem and one I’ll gladly put up with to be on a world cruise.   

P. S.  I finally got to upload the additional 3 photos from yesterday.

Friday, February 14, 2020

Happy Valentine’s Day

At Sea en route to Easter Island - Day #3

Last evening was our first Sel de Mer (Salt of the Sea) dinner in the Pinnacle.  It’s a combination of a French restaurant and excellent seafood, and we really enjoy both.  Our friends Dee and Wells had invited us, and we found ourselves at a table for six with two new friends, Sue and Julie, both of whom live inland from Vancouver.  The dinner was delicious - all four courses of it!  The amuse bouche was a single scallop in an absolutely delicious sauce.  Dee, who is a scuba diver extraordinaire, spearfishes and brings home the result - but hates scallops, so she had one tomato with a tiny slice of mozzarella.

The first courses all sounded delicious, but I decided on a bit of foie gras, something I seldom eat outside of France.  John had a salade nicoise, another treat we usually save for France.  For a main course, I ordered the Dover sole, and the tableside presentation is a good part of the enjoyment.  The server first removes the skin and then removes the meat from the bone in four parts.  By the time it arrives on my plate, it’s been re-constructed into four delicious sole filets.  John’s main was steak frites, another French favorite.  It should be a fairly thin steak cooked somewhere between medium and rare with a lovely sauce and hot, crisp French fries.  They DID get the sauce and the fries right, but instead of the typical thin steak, it was a thick filet, but he said it was good anyway.

The dessert choices were tempting, but our all-time favorite French dessert is profiteroles, small cream puffs filled with either custard or ice cream and topped with marvelous warm, dark chocolate sauce.  They hit this one out of the park, and John and I shared one dessert.  Fortunately it had four beautiful little puffs, so we didn’t have to fight over an odd number.

We skipped coffee, because the show last night was an ABBA cover group, and we just love their music.  The satin outfits were something to see, and the songs brought back such memories.  Half the audience knew all the words and sang right along.  For the last song, dancing was encouraged, so we jumped up and danced right along.

* * *                                                                             

Today, the Polynesian Cultural Ambassadors are continuing their activities.  As we finished our breakfast on the Lido this morning, the Ori Tahiti class was beginning, with passengers learning the native drum dance of the Tahitian islands.  Once it was explained that it wasn’t the hips that were responsible for all that movement but the knees, everyone’s dancing improved remarkably.  

This afternoon the ukulele lessons continue, and Kainoa’s talk is the story of Captain Cook, the great navigator who died on the Big Island of Hawaii.  

Tonight is a Gala night, as is always the case on Valentine’s Day, and most people will be dressed in their fanciest red evening clothes.  I have an evening gown that I bought years ago that is worn only once a year, and only in those years during which we’re on a world cruise.  I’ll get it out, wear it, and then it won’t see the light of day until the next Valentine’s Day we’re on a WC.  The red sequin shoes that I used to wear with it bit the dust last year, so I’ll have to figure out which pair will replace them.  Such are the trials and tribulations at sea!

P. S.  Sorry about the dearth of photos.  The internet has been out half the day and really poor the second half.  I'll try for more tomorrow.  Since sunrise this morning was at 8:00, this is what it looked like at 7:10.  

Thursday, February 13, 2020

At Sea en route to Easter Island - Day 2 of 4

We sail happily along, with seas that remind us that we’re on a ship and at the mercy of Mother Nature.  Last night at dinner we had even more rocking and rolling, and poor Leslie was popping seasick pills to handle the situation.  I told her that I think she’s the only President’s Club member who still gets seasick.

As we do every time we cross the South Pacific, we boarded a group of young people in San Antonio who are referred to as “Polynesian Cultural Ambassadors,”.  They really are a pleasure to have on board, since they teach classes, have demonstrations, and give lectures in the Mainstage.  

Yesterday’s cultural class/activity was called “Hei Pupu, and it involved Tahitian sea shell necklace making.  Tables were set up next to the Lido pool and chairs at those tables were highly sought.  The class was at 9:00, but by 8:45 every place was taken and some people were dragging chairs from the breakfast tables to join in.  Everyone seemed to have a good time, and the shell necklaces that resulted were really quite pretty - far more than just a puka shell necklace from the ABC Store in Honolulu.  

Kainoa, who seems to be the leader of the group, gave a lecture in the afternoon called “My Polynesia,” and the auditorium was just about full.  The main lesson I learned from the lecture was that all Polynesians consider themselves one people, and that when traveling from one place to another, like a Tahitian traveling to Samoa, the people on that island will greet them with “Welcome Home.”  Kainoa’s topic today is called “Easter Island:  The Navel of the World.” 

In the afternoon in the Crow’s Nest, the first class in learning to play the Polynesian ukulele began.  The group looked to be having a lot of fun, and our friend Bill was right in the mix.  This morning he told us he’s going back today, so I guess it was a success.

Day #2 of ukulele will continue at 1:00 today.

This morning’s class was “Polynesian Fitness and Exercise,” and while I had already had my daily dose of exercise in the gym, this class was fun to watch, and my friend Toya said it was absolutely exhausting.  She added that she really didn’t understand how they moved their hips like that!

We’ll continue with events like this on every sea day across the Pacific, and if I remember correctly, the group will disembark in Auckland.  I’m sure we’ll all be sad to see them go.  

Tonight is the Sel de Mer dinner and our friends Wells and Dee Wescott invited us to join their table.  We were first introduced to this restaurant on the Koningsdam, where it’s one of several restaurants.  On our ship, however, it’s just a “pop-up” and will show up a couple of times during the cruise.  The same will happen with Tamarind, a pan-Asian restaurant which is also found on the newer, larger ships.  We really enjoyed those two establishments when we sailed on the Koningsdam, so we usually try to enjoy them here, too.

My favorite things about our South Pacific sailing are, of course, the sea days, but the weather is usually just about perfect, with blue skies, warm weather, and light breezes.  Right now the sun is attempting to break out from behind the clouds, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing it soon.  

Tuesday, February 12, 2020

San Antonio and Santiago, Chile

Although we’ve called at seaports near Santiago in the past, primarily Valparaiso, we’d never traveled inland to the capital and largest city in Chile.  Our nephew and his Chilean wife live there, working in produce exporting, but they were off to deal with their exports in Berlin this week, so we had no chance to see them.  We still wanted to see the city, though, so we investigated various ways to do so.  The easiest would have been to take the ship’s tour ($144), but it seemed there was too much just driving around without enough time to walk and enjoy.  Then we discovered the answer:  take the bus.  Now when I think about taking the bus, it doesn’t give me happy feelings, but this was a wonderful bus.  The price was also quite wonderful:  $7.00 each person each way.  It even left from the port, so we just bought our tickets, were assigned extremely comfortable seats, and headed to the big city.

We had decided it would be a good idea to book another walking tour through Tours by Locals, but was definitely isn’t a good idea is to try to book it at 11:00 the night before the tour.  They took the reservation, but told us they would get back to us when it was confirmed.  In the morning when I checked, I found that the guide we had asked for was booked and the company couldn’t find anyone else.  Being adventurous, the four of us (Rich, Ginni, John and I) decided that we’d just “wing it.”  

The biggest problem was, of course, that there was too much to see and not enough time to see it.  We took an Uber from the bus depot to the Plaza de Armas in the middle of the city, and just began walking from there.  We wandered past shops of all kinds, into the Santiago cathedral (leaving when it became obvious that they were in the middle of a mass), and then into the Mercado Central, a combination of fish market and 

small seafood restaurants in an grand old building alongside the Plaza del Armas.  By then it was just about lunchtime for us, so we kept walking and found a small family-run cafe which specialized in fish dishes.  Our choice was to share hake and chips, and it was really excellent.  Of course the local Austral lager helped it go down very nicely.  Instead of the usual ketchup, mustard, and mayo squeeze bottles, we did find ketchup, but it was in the green bottle, since the red bottle was saved for really, really hot sauce.  I tried mixing it with ketchup for both my fish and fries but, being the coward I am, I soon reverted to the friendly green bottle.  The yellow bottle was, indeed, mustard, but I didn’t think that it and fish and chips went together too well.

We knew to allow about 20 minutes for our return Uber to the bus station, so we only had enough time to walk across the Plaza to take a couple of photos of a beautiful church steeple.  That was our big mistake.  We took the pictures and then, during a street corner discussion about which corner to use for our Uber, a scruffy young man in his early 20’s materialized in front of me, grabbed my gold plumeria necklace from around my neck, and ran down the street.  No one was hurt, I don’t have a single mark on my neck, and I looked upon it as a message that I needed to go back to Hawaii later this year for a new one.

By the time we returned to the ship, I was hearing questions about the “adventure,” and how unlucky it was that two people in our immediate group had lost necklaces.  I guess I’ve now learned my lesson:  no jewelry in big cities.  I really am fairly blase about the whole thing, but I really did like that little flower.  

The Uber arrived, drove us back to the central bus station in record time while the young man driving us pointed out highlights along the way.  The station itself seems to be a bed of chaos, but it turned out to be quite organized chaos.  The man who sold us the return tickets had lived in Virginia for thirty years, so we had no problem with a language gap.  I know enough Spanish to order at a restaurant and find my way to the bathroom, and Ginni knows “flight attendant Spanish” - things like “put on your seat belt” and “would you prefer meat or pasta?” but for the most part during the day, there were a lot of hand and arm signs to communicate.  

Overall it was a great day.  We saw a big, beautiful city, ate some tasty local fish, walked a lot (3.6 miles), and only had one little mishap.  As John wrote on his Facebook post:  “The day was 99% great and only 1% bad.”  I agree wholeheartedly.

Now it’s four wonderful sea days to Easter Island, for some people the highlight of the cruise.  We’ve been fortunate enough to have visited a few times already, but it’s such an amazing place that another visit is always welcome.  The only concerns are the tendering weather in AND out; last year the captain had to call it a day at about noon, and a lot of people didn’t get to go ashore.  This year he’s quite optimistic, even telling us which of the three anchoring spots he’s planning to use.  Wish us luck!

P. S.  Thanks for the compliment, Lido Deck Main.

Saturday, February 8 and Sunday, February 9

At Sea (Gala) and Puerto Montt, Chile

It had been about ten days, but Saturday evening was time for another Gala evening with the theme “Paparazzi.”  Most passengers dressed for the cameras, and our table was no exception.  Officers seem to be a little scarce this cruise, so we didn’t have one, but it was fun nonetheless.  As we sometimes do, we went for a walk on Deck 3 (which should be called “The Promenade Deck” but only gets called “Lower Promenade) and saw that there was a beautiful full moon, surrounded by just a few puffy clouds.  We couldn’t miss that great photo op.  

Sunday morning found us off Puerto Montt, Chile, a beautiful town which, we read, had been completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1960.  The amazing part was that it had been completely rebuilt and looked like it had just been there all the time.  It sits at the foot of a great volcano, and the clouds above make it look like it’s about to erupt.  Hope not!  The first thing we noticed from the ship (beside the volcano) was a large mall, seemingly too big for such a comparatively small city.  The South American chain Ripley looked like it took up half the area of the mall, but it did get a lot of passengers (not this one) excited because of the possible shopping.

Since it was a tender port, John went to pick up our tickets (we were #9) and we then hung out and waited for our call.  The boat ride was only about 15 minutes, and we landed not too far from the center of town.  Our first “hike” was along the waterfront for about two miles.  There’s a lot of history located along the way, with statues of many of the people who were important in the city’s background.  My favorite is Bernardo O’Higgins whom I like only partly because of his role in freeing Chile from Spanish rule.  I like him even better because of his name - isn’t it wonderful?

When we arrived at the mall, we found our friends Allan and Sandra sitting on the steps, waiting for it to open at 11:00, a half-hour away.  Since we had some time, we wandered around the area, seeing the still ruined church on the main square and hearing the Sunday bells ringing from the extremely modern new church where services were being held.  

After a bit, we headed back to the mall and walked until we found our real goal:  a coffee shop for cappuccino and internet.  It’s not that we don’t have internet on the ship; it’s just that it is soooooo slow.  Fifteen minutes on standard internet in a coffee shop would take more than an hour on board.  I wish I had thought to bring my laptop to (quickly) upload more photos, but I guess I’ll have to depend on the usual ten minutes per photo here on board.  It’s worth it, though, when I see how large and clear they are.  

From the mall, which seemed to have every upscale store possible, we walked back the way we had come, since just beyond the tender dock was an open-air market which is touted as the largest in Chile.  It wasn’t at all what I expected.  I’m used to huge warehouse-type markets with stalls inside, but this one was a long string of little tiny shops selling everything from knitted ponchos to carved wooden souvenirs to “Puerto Montt” bottle openers.  I really admired a red shawl, but I decided I had no room to pack it.  While John continued down the row of shops, I stopped at a fruit stand to have them make me a fruit smoothie.  I was asked to choose two of the displayed fruits (raspberry and strawberry), they added a teaspoonful of sugar and a bit of water and then the blender took over.  It was absolutely delicious - and I did share.  

It was only when we crossed the street to walk back that I could appreciate the market buildings.  They were painted in a mix of pastel colors, and each one had its little market downstairs and what must have been a tiny apartment upstairs.  It made a lovely series of colors for about a mile.

It was finally time to board the tender back to the ship, where we arrived about 3:00.  I’m in the middle of editing a book for a friend, and I tried to do that, but my little eyes just didn’t want to stay open, so I lay down for about 20 minutes before the 4:00 interdenominational service.  By the time the service was over, it was time for sailaway and we were able to appreciate the beauty of the bay in which the town is located.  I never did get a nap, but I certainly slept well last night.  

Our guest for dinner last evening was Ben Sack, who used to be the “Artist on Board” with a two-fold job:  he taught drawing classes while working on his own art for display on the ship.  He’s not been on for a couple of cruises, but we’re hoping he’ll return next year.  This year he only boarded in Buenos Aires and is disembarking in San Antonio tomorrow.  Many of the people who took his drawing classes have made similar comments as: “I could never draw, but now that Ben has taught me how, it looks like I might have some talent.”  In fact, while I sit at the long marble table in the library, one of my table neighbors is Rich (a different Rich), who sits for a long time drawing from an art book.  He swears he owes it all to Ben.  Our connection to Ben goes back to Casablanca, where we were able to get to know each other at “Rick’s Place,” a restaurant that is a good make-believe replica of the one in the movie.

It’s lovely to have a sea day (two would be better) before we arrive in San Antonio, Chile, tomorrow.  Our (possible) plan is to take the $8.00 bus into Santiago, because although we’ve been to the ports nearest the capital city, we’ve never gone into the city itself.  Our nephew and his wife live there, but they’re off to Berlin for a week to deal with their produce export business.  It’s a beautiful, historical city, though, and we’d love to see it.  Our research has told us that taxis and even Uber cost about $150-$200 each way, but that $8.00 public bus wins in a landslide.  Can’t wait to see a brand new city - I just hope we get back before sailaway; it’s a long swim to Papeete!

Regarding Ernest Shackleton, I believe the best book on his adventures is Endurance, regarding the stranding and then rescue of his crew.  I'm putting it on my list after we get home.  The current Book Club selection, South Pole Station is making it difficult to stay awake while reading.  

Friday, February 7, 2020

Punta Arenas, Chile

Last evening at dinner, Will asked everyone at the table to describe Punta Arenas in one word.  Three of us came up with the same word:  clean.  Although the city has been the recent victim of large and violent demonstrations against the president of the country resulting in a great deal of graffiti, there is almost no trash to be seen.  Even the setting is beautiful, sitting on the Straits of Magellan and surrounded by mountains.  Additionally, the day couldn’t have been more perfect, with temperatures in the mid to high 50’s, with sunny skies, and small puffy clouds in the distance.  

PA, as it is known locally, is an incredibly historical town.  Before the Panama Canal was  built, the Straits of Magellan were a “shortcut” from the Atlantic to the Pacific and hence was a remarkably wealthy city.  The 19th Century buildings still stand and, although most are used as banks or similar businesses, they are, for the most part, unchanged and quite beautiful.  

My favorite story about the city is regarding Ernest Shackleton, the Antarctic explorer.  HIs ship, the Endurance, was caught in the glaciers near Elephant Island on the Antarctic Peninsula, being crushed and sinking.  The crew was able to use lifeboats to get to Elephant Island.  Shackleton escaped to mount a rescue expedition, but his crew was left behind.  When he arrived in Punta Arenas, he went first to the Anglican priest to request assistance.  The result was a series of paid lectures as well as contributions from the most affluent members of the community, allowing Shackleton to successfully rescue the members of his expedition.  People here remember him so well that there is a beautiful little pub named after him.

If you want to see penguins, this is a good starting point.  The last time we were here, the weather was so rainy, cold and windy that we figured a penguin rookery couldn’t be any worse, so seven of us found a taxi for the one-hour drive to see the cute little black and white waddlers.  There were thousands of them, and we really enjoyed watching them come out to eat and swim and then return to their burrows in the sand.  After we returned from that outing, we found a really nice restaurant for lunch, sat by the windows and watched people (and their inside-out umbrellas) being blown past.  

Yesterday we met Rich, Ginni, Greg and Heo in the main park to have lunch together.  We had intended to go to The Shakleton, but it wouldn’t open for another hour, so Greg and Heo suggested La Luna, which coincidentally was the same restaurant we had visited on our last trip.  It was crowded, primarily with locals, which we always consider a good sign.  The fish and chips and the crab dishes were delicious, and anytime it’s possible to have two lunches, two beers and a Pisco sour for under $40.00 at a well-regarded restaurant, it’s a good day. 

Since we had to walk off lunch, we walked down to the shoreline, stuck our hands in the (cold) water of the strait, took some photos of one of the many statues of Magellan, and finally found ourselves at a supermarket where we could buy some cookies and chips for our room stewards and dining room waiters.  By the time we took the shuttle back to the ship it was about 5:30 and we had walked over six miles - not including the two on this morning’s treadmill.  My hips were screaming at me to avoid any more walking.  

All aboard wasn’t until 7:30, with sailaway at 8:00, so the show was a movie, the one about the Chilean miners trapped in their mine for a very long time.  I guess I wasn’t the only tired person on board because it wasn’t very well attended.  Fortunately, we now have two sea days to recover - that and a great deal of ibuprofen and Tylenol.  

Friday, February 7, 2020

Punta Arenas, Chile

Last evening at dinner, Will asked everyone at the table to describe Punta Arenas in one word.  Three of us came up with the same word:  clean.  Although the city has been the recent victim of large and violent demonstrations against the president of the country resulting in a great deal of graffiti, there is almost no trash to be seen.  Even the setting is beautiful, sitting on the Straits of Magellan and surrounded by mountains.  Additionally, the day couldn’t have been more perfect, with temperatures in the mid to high 50’s, with sunny skies, and small puffy clouds in the distance.  

PA, as it is known locally, is an incredibly historical town.  Before the Panama Canal was  built, the Straits of Magellan were a “shortcut” from the Atlantic to the Pacific and hence was a remarkably wealthy city.  The 19th Century buildings still stand and, although most are used as banks or similar businesses, they are, for the most part, unchanged and quite beautiful.  

My favorite story about the city is regarding Ernest Shackleton, the Antarctic explorer.  HIs ship, the Endurance, was caught in the glaciers near Elephant Island on the Antarctic Peninsula, being crushed and sinking.  The crew was able to use lifeboats to get to Elephant Island.  Shackleton escaped to mount a rescue expedition, but his crew was left behind.  When he arrived in Punta Arenas, he went first to the Anglican priest to request assistance.  The result was a series of paid lectures as well as contributions from the most affluent members of the community, allowing Shackleton to successfully rescue the members of his expedition.  People here remember him so well that there is a beautiful little pub named after him.

If you want to see penguins, this is a good starting point.  The last time we were here, the weather was so rainy, cold and windy that we figured a penguin rookery couldn’t be any worse, so seven of us found a taxi for the one-hour drive to see the cute little black and white waddlers.  There were thousands of them, and we really enjoyed watching them come out to eat and swim and then return to their burrows in the sand.  After we returned from that outing, we found a really nice restaurant for lunch, sat by the windows and watched people (and their inside-out umbrellas) being blown past.  

Yesterday we met Rich, Ginni, Greg and Heo in the main park to have lunch together.  We had intended to go to The Shakleton, but it wouldn’t open for another hour, so Greg and Heo suggested La Luna, which coincidentally was the same restaurant we had visited on our last trip.  It was crowded, primarily with locals, which we always consider a good sign.  The fish and chips and the crab dishes were delicious, and anytime it’s possible to have two lunches, two beers and a Pisco sour for under $40.00 at a well-regarded restaurant, it’s a good day. 

Since we had to walk off lunch, we walked down to the shoreline, stuck our hands in the (cold) water of the strait, took some photos of one of the many statues of Magellan, and finally found ourselves at a supermarket where we could buy some cookies and chips for our room stewards and dining room waiters.  By the time we took the shuttle back to the ship it was about 5:30 and we had walked over six miles - not including the two on this morning’s treadmill.  My hips were screaming at me to avoid any more walking.  

All aboard wasn’t until 7:30, with sailaway at 8:00, so the show was a movie, the one about the Chilean miners trapped in their mine for a very long time.  I guess I wasn’t the only tired person on board because it wasn’t very well attended.  Fortunately, we now have two sea days to recover - that and a great deal of ibuprofen and Tylenol.  

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Ushuaia, Argentina

Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, sits at the foot of the snow-capped Andes and, as its proximity to Antarctica would indicate, is one of the coldest, too, with wind blowing off the sea and down from the mountains which surround the city.  For many years, the only access to Ushuaia was by air or by water, but now there is a highway which can take drivers all the way to Buenos Aires.

For a city which has grown to about 150,000, it is extremely well organized and laid out, with streets going up from the oceanfront and being criss-crossed by others.  Since the wind tends to blow from the mountains to the sea and vice-versa, the cross streets are nicely sheltered (as much as possible, anyway), and the street which is just one up from the shore is the main thoroughfare in town.  It has several restaurants, many of which specialize in king crab, chocolate shops galore, and a couple of pubs, one of which we remember fondly from a previous visit.

After ten days at sea, I think almost everyone was happy to set their feet on solid land, and even though we didn’t land and clear customs and immigration until 7:30 last evening, it was like a herd of people just headed out of the Crow’s Nest to find their way into town at the announcement.  We had decided to put off the inevitable until after dinner, so we waited until about 9:00 and joined them.  We noticed the amount of growth since our last visit and even the addition of a Hard Rock Cafe.  As we walked through town we ran into many of our familiar and favorite crew members, and the one thing they seemed to have in common was their direction: to the Hard Rock.  We decided to head into their shop called “The Rock,” to look for the popular tee shirts seen all over the world.  We had in mind to pick up a couple for our waiters and room stewards, but it seemed that almost all they had were small and extra-small sizes, so that idea went out the window. At least we were able to have a photo with Anam, one of our favorite dining room waiters.  After checking out the town, we walked back to the ship, looking forward to a more productive time in town today.  

This morning it was time to further explore and pick up a few souvenirs.  Since we’d been at sea so long, we were behind in our post cards to Jessica, and we were happy to see that the shops not only had cards with pictures of Ushuaia, but there were several of Antarctica, also.  We found two such, and after buying the most expensive post card stamps ever (at $4.00 each), we found a little chocolate/coffee shop in which to write them.  Of course we couldn’t just sit there, so two cappuccinos and a piece of chocolate-glazed almond cake later, we were ready to find a mailbox and send them on their way.  One of the things we enjoyed about the city was the colorful murals representing the history of Ushuaia, not to mention the ever present penguins.

John was happy to find a tee shirt to add to his “ports of the world” collection, and although we looked through many souvenir shops, that was the extent of our purchases.  Checking my IPhone exercise app, I found that by 11:30 we had walked over four miles, so since all-aboard was early, at 1:30, we headed back to the ship and enjoyed some Indian food for lunch.  

The guys had decided to play paddle tennis at 3:00, but since we sailed at 2:00 and the winds on the sea picked up, they only got in four games before they had to call it a day.  While John played, I napped, and now he’s following suit by getting one in himself.

While it was a short visit, we really did enjoy Ushuaia, but I realized that if this is what midsummer is like, I really don’t want to be here in the winter.  

P. S.  Some of the photos didn't upload; I'll try them later.  

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

At Sea en route to Ushuaia, Argentina

Actually, today is not only “en route” but “arriving,” since we’ll be docking in Ushuaia at 6:00 this evening and then staying until 2:30 tomorrow afternoon.  Our friends Ann and Cathy have been on the Volendam and are pretty much doing what we’re doing, but in reverse order.  They just left Ushuaia and said that it was sunny and “reasonably” warm.  Right now the clouds are moving in but we hope to have at least a bit of  sunshine when we get there.  

Today’s schedule is “scenic cruising” of Cape Horn.  I have learned that Cape Horn is actually an island, and we’ve been sailing around and between it and others.  At the end of the island there’s a lighthouse with an interesting story.  Each year, from November to November, a different lighthouse keeper comes to serve in this isolated and wind-swept area.  This particular keeper is here with his wife and three children, who are between the ages of 2 and 6.  I’m not sure I’d apply for that job.  

From here, we’ll proceed up the Beagle Channel (named for Charles Darwin’s ship) to arrive in Ushuaia early this evening.  The stark beauty of this area is attracting John’s camera like nobody’s business, and the narration we’re hearing from our travel guide helps us to understand where we are and what we’re seeing.  During today’s cruising, we’ve gone from Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific and then back to the Atlantic.  We’ve also gone from Argentinian waters to Chilean waters and back.  It’s enough to make a person’s head spin.  In fact, the village we’re passing on the way to Ushuaia is Chilean - something we can determine from the flag which is flying over it.  

The birdlife is incredible.  If you ever read “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” you might want to know exactly what an albatross looks like.  That’s no trouble today, since they fly here, there, and everywhere, gracefully floating along on the wind currents, using their 10-foot wingspan to hover above the water.  The shearwaters are also quite common, and the guano-covered areas of the islands show us that various types of birds are found here in abundance. 

We’re looking forward to a third visit to Ushuaia.  According to the port information, the population of the world’s southernmost city has increased 11-fold in the last several years to about 150,000.  It makes me wonder, except for the raw natural beauty of the place, why someone would choose to live, literally, at the end of the world.  I guess the virtually tax-free society and high wages, primarily in tourism and fishing, probably account for a lot of the growth.  

And now the city is within view, so it’s time to put together my going-ashore kit, a warm jacket, and get ready to disembark.  More later.  

Monday, February 3, 2020

At Sea en route to Ushuaia, Argentina

    via The Drake Passage

Oh no!  How could the 49ers lead for three quarters and then blow it in the fourth?  Especially when the winning touchdown was just the running back holding the football so that it “broke the plane.”  I guess I’ll just have to live with it.  

The celebration of Super Bowl is always a big deal on the ship, with an opportunity to pay $55.00 to sit in a “premier location,” have unlimited drinks, and instead of going to the food table, there are servers ready to bring you food.  We took a pass on that one; there’s no way I can drink $55.00 worth of liquor and still know up from down.  Actually, I limited myself to one Diet Coke and a couple glasses of water.  

The food was pretty good this year.  They had small lobster rolls to celebrate San Francisco (where lobster rolls are never seen - it should have been crab cakes), cute little deep fry baskets filled with either potato chips or corn chips, accompanied by salsa and guacamole, and my favorite:  little cream puff balls filled with custard and dipped in dark chocolate.  So good.  Since the kickoff was at 8:30, they began at 10:00 to circulate with such additional treats as wings (what’s a football game without them?), mini burritos, and pulled pork sliders.  By that time, however, I was soooo full that I ate none of them.  I guess that trip to the Lido for a light dinner earlier might have been a mistake.

The Mainstage (oh, how I dislike the change from The Queen’s Lounge) was decorated with all kinds of football-oriented paraphernalia, including blow-up goal posts, noisemakers, and tablecloths in green with 10-yard lines on them.  Before the game there was a trivia quiz and then a “can you toss a hula hoop around a bucket of beer” contest.  The challenge was that, even though you had three chances, you had to get two of them over the beer.  After about a half hour of people trying, a petite lady flipped her hula hoops right over that beer and won herself a bucket of beer.  It was fun to watch.  

Because of our wonderful Champagne dinner in Canaletto on Saturday night and knowing what the food situation would be for the Super Bowl, we just decided to skip the Sunday brunch, since we know that even though the three courses are made up of “small bites,” it’s still a lot of food.  Considering how much I ate Sunday night, I think that was a smart decision.  

We’ve now officially left Antarctica, but we did it with a bang.  About 5:00 yesterday afternoon we passed the largest iceberg we’d ever seen.  Even the captain called it a “monster.”  It was about a mile away, but because of its size, it looked even closer.  Our Antarctica expert told us it was about a half mile in length and a quarter mile wide, or the size of a city block.  Apparently it had just cracked and “calved” off one of the nearby glaciers, and we were suitably impressed.  And now, as we now head north, the temperature is becoming warmer, if you can consider going from 32 degrees to 39 a great improvement.  If I can get the photo of steam rising off the aft pool to upload, you’ll get an idea of the weather.  

We’re now crossing The Drake Passage between Antarctica and South America.  It’s famous for difficult crossings, and a couple of years ago it was so rough that I had to hold on to the nightstand to avoid falling out of bed.  Earlier that year, the Prinsendam came upon a rogue wave (remember The Poseidon Adventure?) during dinner, and everything went flying, including dishes, glassware, and several servers.  Fortunately it wasn’t as extreme as the one in the movie, but it was quite damaging to the ship, with broken windows and a few broken bones.  Fortunately, however, Captain Jonathan said that he’s never seen it be so calm.  Lucky us!

Tomorrow we have an almost normal sea day, but the difference is that we’ll do scenic cruising of Cape Horn before we arrive in Ushuaia at 7:00 in the evening.  Of course many passengers will want to get their feet onto dry land after ten days at sea and perhaps find a restaurant or pub for dinner.  The town has a thoroughly Argentinian restaurant which cooks beef on a vertical grill in the middle of the room, and across the street is quite a nice little pub where we’ve had the occasional lunch and a pint.  Even though I love them, I think even I’ve had enough sea days!

Sunday, February 2, 2020 - Happy Groundhog Day

The Antarctic Experience Day #4 (Sort Of)

Although we were to continue seeing Antarctic wonders today including three new bays, it was just not to be.  When I woke up and looked out the window, I could barely see the balcony, let alone the water beyond.  As I was getting ready for church, Captain Jonathan came on the horn and announced that, sadly, the heavy fog would prevent any more scenic cruising, so we are now just headed north.  We’re proceeding slowly because of the weather, but we’re certainly done with sightseeing.  

We really are only a little disappointed, however, since we’ve had such wonderful experiences for the last three days.  We saw mountains, glaciers, icebergs, whales, sea birds, penguins, and all sorts of amazing sights characteristic of this area.  We know how lucky we are to see it all, so three days out of four is enough of a treat.  In addition, we had the joyful experience of snow yesterday afternoon, and many of the crew members, who hail from tropical countries, had a wonderful time playing in it.  High, one of the new Thai crew members, had never seen snow (since there’s not much in Bangkok), so she has just been amazed by the scenic wonders of Antarctica, crowned by actual snow falling from the sky on her.  

Last evening we enjoyed the Antarctic Scenic Sailing Dinner in the Canaletto.  It was a Champagne dinner, and we were treated to unlimited Veuve Cliquot, one of my favorites.  There were four courses:  Malossol caviar, an antipasti spread, dover sole and scallops, and Baked Antarctica.  I don’t really like caviar, but Ginni suggested that we mix it with the other goodies that accompanied it (sour cream, onion, parsley and chopped egg) before spreading it on the toast points (AKA crostini), and it was really quite delicious.

Our second course was provided by some of the wonderful staff members who circulated with large platters of everything that belongs in antipasto.  There was coppa, prosciutto, salami, grilled asparagus, marinated tomatoes, parmigiana cheese, and olives.  We simply indicated what we wanted and what quantity, and our plates were filled.  

Next came the main course, a rolled filet of Dover sole accompanied by two scallops.  It was served atop “pomme puree” (pureed potatoes), peas, zucchini and carrots.  The presentation was beautiful and all of it was pretty tasty.

Dessert was almost as large as some of the icebergs we saw, and almost no one was able to finish it (good job, Greg).  Inside was a slab of neapolitan gelato, with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavors atop a slice of cake, and it was covered by incredibly fluffy meringue.  I did my best and managed to finish the gelato, but had to give up on the cake and the meringue.  

It really was a wonderful meal, and the views through the Canaletto’s large windows was amazing.  I’m a real Champagne fan, and although I think life is too short to drink bad Champagne, last night’s passed the test - and then some.  

At 8:30 this evening is the Super Bowl, as long as we can get transmission.  We never get the commercials (more’s the pity), but as long as we get the game and the 49ers win, I’ll be a happy camper.  I’m originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, so I’ve always been a fan of Bay Area teams.  This morning’s men’s final of the Australian Open had good coverage until the last set, but then it cut out, making us worried about transmission of the Super Bowl.  

Now we have the rest of today and two more  sea days until we arrive at Ushuaia at 7:00 PM a few days from now.  We know we’ll need our woolies there, because in addition to really cold weather, the wind blows right through.  It’s a fascinating city, though, and I’m looking forward to it.  

P. S.  The purple in the photos was from the lighting in Canaletto.  

So exciting!  It just began to snow and there was a whale in the background diving, with his tail in the air.  Just love all this beauty!

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Antarctic Experience Day #3

We continue along the Antarctic Peninsula today, coming up against the Antarctic mainland during much of the day.  The scenery continues to be amazing, and with the temperature at 0, we’re bundling up every time we go out.  I know that many of you think that zero is not so bad, but you have to remember that 40 degree days where we live are considered pretty darned cold!

We reached the southernmost point in our explorations and have now turned around to head north.  Today we’re going through Lemaire Channel, Errera Channel, and right now we’re entering Charlotte Bay.  The wildlife is amazing.  Right now there is a mama and baby humpback whale on the other side of the ship, but on our side we have a group of three who are busy spouting and diving.  We’ve also had some Minke whales, but the humpbacks are the great majority.  In addition, we’ve seen leopard seals, chinstrap and gentoo penguins, and today we saw a snow petrel, a bird that only lives in Antarctica.  Our lecturer said that we would be the envy of all our bird-watching friends for having seen that one.  

On our daily “When and Where,” we have a notice regarding internet connection in Antarctica, warning us that we have “intermittent connection from our satellite system.”  Boy, is that the truth.  The internet was down all morning, and then suddenly it reappeared for an hour before disappearing again.  I’m pretty sure that has something to do with my inability to upload all my photos, but hopefully by the day after tomorrow when we head back to South America, it will be back to normal.  

This evening we have an embarrassment of riches as far as social events are concerned.  At 6:30, Cruise and Travel Experts are hosting a cocktail party in the Explorers’ Lounge, but also at 6:30 is our Antarctic Scenic Sailing Dinner in the Canaletto. We plan to stop by the cocktail party for about 15 minutes and then head to the restaurant.   In common with Jacques, our Cellar Master, we love good Champagne, and this evening’s dinner is a combined effort between Jacques and Canaletto, which is providing a wonderful (we’ve seen the menu) four-course menu ending with Baked Antarctica (since we’re so far from Alaska, of course).  Canaletto is the perfect place for a scenic dinner, since it has half-length windows so we can watch the scenery and wildlife outside.  Will it be a problem getting dark?  I don’t think so, since sunset tonight is at 10:35 PM and it continues to look like dusk all night, with sunrise at 4:30 tomorrow. 

Captain Jonathan came over the PA system this morning and told us he had some bad news.  He said that because of the Corona Virus, the scientists at Palmer Station will not be able to go aboard any ships and no one will be able to visit the Station.  With a ship such as ours which has been at sea for a month, exposure would not be a problem.  Many of the small ships/boats are only at sea for a week to ten days, however, and they cannot guarantee lack of exposure.  Since they can’t let some in and not others, the Station has simply been quarantined.  We’re very disappointed, but understand completely that such a virus would wreak havoc on a scientific station.   

I’m sure the scientists are even more disappointed than we are, since our friend Rene, the Spa manager, told us that when they come aboard they take full advantage of spa treatments, including haircuts, massages, and similar services.  They also leave the ship with boxes of fresh food, the lack of which will be a disappointment for them.  

The icebergs continue to be all sizes, from ice cube to skyscraper buildings, but our talented ice captain has managed to take us around them.  Right now we’re surrounded by building size ‘bergs and we’re having a wonderful time watching them as the whales go by.  

P. S.. Any photos which look blurry are because of editing those taken at a distance.  I'm just thrilled that they actually uploaded!

I could only get two of the seven to upload.  The internet in Antarctica is really not cooperating.  In the second photo, John is facing our verandah windows and taking a photo in the reflection.  Kind of clever, I thought.

Friday, January 31, 2020

The Antarctic Experience - Day #2

I heard another passenger say to his wife, “I thought this would be just like our Alaska cruise, but it’s like Alaska on steroids!”  And that it is.  As I write, we are surrounded by an amazing array of mountains, glaciers, and icebergs.  In fact, right next to us (about 300 feet away) is an iceberg the size of a small apartment building - really!  As we ate breakfast this morning, we saw a small ship disembark passengers onto one of the glaciers, but I’m just not interested.  I love watching the stark natural beauty around us, but up close and personal is a bit more than I’m ready (or dressed) for.

Our scenic narration began at 7:00 this morning, just about the time we headed to the gym.  Actually one of the best views on the ship is from the treadmills in the gym, and the best thing about it is that it’s warm, and the more time I spend on the treadmill, the warmer it gets.  After our workout, we headed out to the forward viewing platform on Deck 6 and, not surprisingly, we were the only ones out there in shorts.  Fortunately we retained enough body heat to make us comfortable while we shot some photos, and I hope that my panoramic photo can be uploaded successfully.  

Speaking of photos, I mentioned that last night’s sunset was at about 9:30, but as I was readying myself for bed at about 10:45, I looked out the windows and noticed two things:  the solid fog bank we’d had all evening had lifted, and it was light enough to see mountains and glaciers in the distance.  I took a photo just so that I’d believe it in the morning, so if I include a photo which is quite mediocre, just realize that it was taken just before 11:00 at night.  

Last night’s show was pretty darned entertaining.  Peter Cutler is a singer who would like to be Frank Sinatra (or at least a member of the Rat Pack, for those of you who remember), and he has a voice to match.  He also tap dances well and has an easy way with the audience.  I had to leave five minutes early since I’d promised our granddaughter that we’d call (at 5:15 Pacific time).  When I returned to the cabin, I found out that the internet was down, not a surprise considering where we are.  I know that our means of communication, What’s App, needs internet to work, so we weren’t going to get through.  Maybe tonight we’ll have better luck.

Night before last we had a wonderful dinner, celebrating “The Heroic Age of Exploration”  and all those who explored Antarctica long before anyone knew much about it.  Some were successful and some did not survive the experience, but the bravery it took to go somewhere they knew nothing about and plunge into the extreme weather conditions is phenomenal.  The interesting thing about the dinner was that every item on the menu, from starters to mains to dessert had a short description explaining how it was related to the explorations.  For example, there was a main course called “White Eagle Hoosh and Biscuits Beef Stew.”  The description says that “Hoosh was a main staple on many Antarctic expeditions.”  It was a wonderful way to honor those who “risked life and limb and suffered now unimaginable hardships during the era that has become known as ‘The Heroic Age of Exploration’.” 

We’re now in Paradise Bay, with pairs of humpback whales swimming alongside and icebergs small and large on all sides.  One of the most interesting parts to me is that the sunlight (what there is of it) makes the underwater portion of the icebergs a visible turquoise, and it’s easy to see what is meant when we’re told that icebergs have much more mass under the water than the part which is visible.  Since we have an ice pilot, he knows how to navigate through these ‘bergs, large and small.  Some are small enough that it looks like someone threw ice cubes overboard after a cocktail party, but then there are those which are absolutely enormous, bigger than automobiles or even buildings.  

John is really using his IPhone 11’s camera to its max, since it takes wonderful photos.  However, I find that photos really never do justice to places like this, so I’ll try to include those photos which do a better job of it.  Now, back to the verandah to appreciate Mother Nature and the beginning of some snow.  

P. S.  I've got some excellent photos, but today the system has give me an "Upload Failed" on all seven of them.  I'll try to upload them later.  

Thursday, January 30, 2020

The Antarctic Experience Day #1

As much as I love a beach, a palm tree and a good mai tai, sailing through Antarctica is an experience that I’d recommend for everyone.  We’ve done this twice before, but it isn’t any less amazing the third time.  It’s almost otherworldly the way blue ice floes bob through the water and glaciers make their way down to the shore, calving (breaking apart) at the bottom.  From 8:00 this morning until about 10:30, we’ve had scenic narration of Admiralty Bay, from whence we’ve just exited.  The narrators pointed out birds, whales (at a distance), a few penguins, and all the natural wonders we could see.

This is summer, if we can believe it at 34 degrees, which results in major scientific work taking place. The fact that sunrise is at 4:28AM and sunset is at 9:45 makes it even easier for the scientists to be about their work.   In Admiralty Bay, there are stations representing twelve different countries, from Brazil (in a station just 12 days old) to Poland to Peru.  This area, since it’s a peninsula and therefore more temperate, is a very popular place.  The total number of stations throughout Antarctica is 77.  

We’ll now be traveling through mostly open water for awhile, and our ice pilot will guide us through and around icebergs, making sure that our name remains The Amsterdam and not The Titanic.  We’ll also be taking on a group of young scientists from Palmer Station who will arrive by Zodiac, stay for a couple of days and then depart the same way they arrived, equipped with boxes and boxes of fresh produce, a commodity more valuable than gold down here.  

At about 4:00 this afternoon we’ll enter an area of yet more glaciers, icebergs and, we are promised, chinstrap penguins.  Since the Crow’s Nest will be jammed with people watching for all these interesting sights, we’ll instead be going to Rich and Ginni’s suite, for cocktail hour, since their verandah is twice as large as ours.  

We just been delivered a card headed “Save Water in Antarctica.”  It points out that we have limited potable water in this area and must minimize creating waste water which is not permitted nor may be disposed of in this region.  Specifically, we are told that laundry won’t be returned until we leave the area (and I just sent some out this morning!), there will be no cleaning of outside decks, and that we are to minimize our use of water in sinks, showers, and toilets, skipping a shower or a flush whenever possible.  We’ll do our best to help.  

Even though this is a sightseeing day rather than a regular sea day, we still have sea day activities, so we’d better head up to Trivia, where there are bound to be a few questions about glaciers and penguins.  

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Day at Sea #4 en route to Antarctica

Well, we’re rocking and rolling in the South Atlantic and, according to the captain, currently the closest land to us is Elephant Island in Antarctica.  The temperature today is in the low to mid 40’s, but tomorrow it will be down to 34 and everyone has been reminded to get their woolies out.  The captain also explained that we’re in the middle of a “confused sea,” which means that swells are coming at us from three different directions, and we can really feel it,

Last evening we had a great show put on by “The Runaround Boys,” a British foursome who play guitar and drums and focus on music from the 50’s and 60’s.  When I talked to them the other evening after dinner, I told them that they had the perfect audience for their music, since we were all there and enjoying the music during those decades.  

They have far more energy than anyone deserves, and they had us alternately clapping along or singing along.  With “Ride, Sally, Ride,” I think the whole audience  was singing that refrain, not that it’s very challenging.  They’re going to put on a second show in a few days, and we’re really looking forward to it.

Today was pickup day for our new book, South Pole Station by Ashley Shelby.  It’s a fictionalized account of a young woman joining a research station on Antarctica and the adventures she encounters.  I’ve just begun reading it (I think I’ve finished two pages), but I’m looking forward to finding out about the research that takes place down here.

For SJSU Librarian, I have our complete Book Club list;

 here are the next choices:

Under the Wide and Starry Sky

Rich People Problems

Dark Star Safari

Olive Again

Along those same lines, we now have aboard an expedition team from the Palmer Station, and I think they will stay with us until Ushuaia, when they’ll fly back to their station.  They have set up a “base camp” in the Crow’s Nest, and this afternoon they’re putting on a demonstration of how to set up camp in temperatures down to - 50 or so.  I’ve checked my IPhone weather app and found out that the current average temperature in Antarctica is -15 degrees.  It’s quite a young group; I think they bring down the average age on board by about fifteen years.

Until we get to some really cool glaciers and ice floes, complete with adorable little penguins, the photos just aren’t there.  Sorry.