Follow Bill & Mary Ann on The Tales of the South Pacific - 47days - Fall 2015

[WCB]

Report # 23 Apia, Samoa October 23, 2015 Thursday Cloudy & 86 degrees

 

Today’s port of call was Apia, Samoa, on the island of Upola. It is one of the ten islands that comprise the part of Samoa that is on the eastern side of the dateline. Surrounded by coral reefs and turquoise lagoons, these islands are home to over 194,000 natives. The capital is Apia and is full of old colonial buildings as well as new architecture. One of the most famous residents was Robert Louis Stevenson, nicknamed the teller of tales. He spent the last five years of his life here, as depicted in a museum named after him.

 

The highest point in Upola is Mt. Vito at 1100 meters. There are waterfalls, rainforests, hiking trails, and even a lake to see in the verdant forests. However, getting there is a problem, since we have only a limited amount of time here. Best to stick to the water, which houses 900 species of fish.

 

We had a tour today, only because we had been gifted shipboard money to be used towards some shore excursions. It’s been awhile since we have gone on an organized HAL tour, but the memories came back quickly. You know……..the small buses with no leg room, waiting to go, waiting to leave, oh yes, and waiting for the restrooms. We encountered all three factors today, no worse or better than any other tour, just not being free to do what we want.

 

We did take lots of time choosing this tour, but you cannot read between the lines concerning the tour description. Nowhere did it say we had an hour and a half drive to get to the resort. And definitely, we never read there was an “ava” (kava) ceremony. We booked this excursion because it did not have that ceremony. Swimming? Yes, but in a pool or off of a beach? Who knows? OK, let’s start at the beginning.

 

At least we did not have to wait in the showlounge this morning. The shore excursion folks stickered us as we walked into the lounge. She said as long as we watched for our bus, we were free to go down on the dock, and roam around. There were several tented stalls set up with the usual treasures, but there was little time to look. What we did find was a table set up with tourist maps and island info. Perfect.

 

There were two small buses that held about 24 of us. Unlike the buses used yesterday in American Samoa, these newer ones had windows and air-conditioning. No leg room however. The last time we were here, we remember heading for the mountains for a lunch and fire dance. We saw little of the town, and the same was true today.

 

For almost two hours, we saw hundreds of churches, villages, fales (open-air huts), and miles of shoreline. Oh yes, and rain too. Sprinkles, nothing more. The first stop was at a roadside pond that had green turtles, caught by fishermen. They are kept here, fed daily, until they are large enough to survive on their own. As we approached the pond’s edge, these curious creatures came right up to all of us. Dependent on people, they were fed bread, bananas, and mangoes. Some of them were mighty large, and were very aggressive as they snapped at the food. There were some very large fish in this salt water pond too. Our guide, who was quite a character, said these turtles are released after a year.

 

We passed the International Airport, where Captain Fred, and Henk and Christel were waiting to fly to Seattle. Don’t envy that flight to Auckland, to San Francisco, and finally to Seattle.

 

We arrived as the rain stopped to Levasa Resort, a secluded oceanfront resort set on a private lagoon surrounded by coral reefs. As we all gathered in the lobby, we had a surprise welcome with the traditional ava ceremony. A group of Samoan fellows and gals, sitting on mats, sang a song, then proceeded to share the bowl of ava, which is a drink made from the root of the peppermint tree. It looks like muddy water and tastes about the same. However, it reportedly has magical powers to put one in a trance. “Drunk” is really the effect, since it seems to work the same as alcohol.

 

Not wanting to offend anyone, we deliberately stood in the back against the wall, so as not to be picked to share the beverage. It never works, because one of us was chosen to sip the concoction. Pretending to try it, simply putting it to your lips is sufficiently good enough to make them happy.

 

It became obvious that this was not just a swim and eat visit. First we had an explanation of how some of the traditional foods would be cooked in the “umu”, or the earth oven. Taro leaves were being stuffed with a creamy coconut mix, then wrapped with banana leaves. These were cooked in the oven, and are called palusami. A dense bread made from taro flour was also baked in this oven.

 

We were free to swim for maybe a ½ hour, and when we heard the conch shell blown, lunch was served. We had decided to walk in the surf of the beach, but the beach was only 20 x 12 feet wide. Really just a sandy spot to launch a plastic kayak. Maybe two people got wet, and a couple more in the pool, but lunch was served right on time.

 

Expecting a “light” lunch, we were served BBQ chicken, fish, salad, and taro bread in a foil-lined banana leaf dish. No drinks were provided, which the couple sharing our table thought was bad, since this tour cost almost $100 each. You could buy all the drinks you wanted. Ultimately, not wise with a long drive ahead of us with no pit stops. Not everyone thought about that.

 

After lunch, the native group put on a dance show, where they proceeded to pull in some of the guests. Once again, we faded into the backround…..successfully this time. We spent the rest of the time at the lagoon’s beach, watching schools of fish jumping in the surf. Our lunch mates had gone into the water here, and reported to us that the water felt slimy and the little fish were biting their feet. Our guide had mentioned that the water was so salty, it felt different on your skin……slimy.

 

By 1pm, it was time to say thanks and goodbye. Bus # 15 would not start, so a bunch of guys had to push it to turn over the engine. Glad it wasn’t our bus, but we did wait until they got going before we did. There was supposed to be an hour stop for shopping on the way back. But that got cut to 15 minutes.

 

This stop brought us to an open-air produce market and souvenier one-stop-shopping. We were given 10 minutes. Veggie and fruit markets are great places for photos. We did buy some little bananas……at least 20 in the bunch for $1.00. And another pair of coconut earrings.

 

The guide made a few more drive-by sight-seeing sweeps, before we got back to the ship by 3:30pm sharp. The folks in front of us complained all the way back, asking to be dropped off without the drive. The answer was No. We did see the sports stadium, many hotels, way too many government buildings, and the hospital, which was built by the Chinese. Finally, the best find of the day……the number one pizza place in town, Giordano’s. The bad news was that it opened at 3pm to 10pm. Too late for us.

 

We did learn a lot today about Samoan society through our guide. He was one of 12 children, and inherited the honor of being named “chief” of his family. He is one of 18,000 chiefs of the villages of Samoa. They play a large part of what happens in this country, actually working with government officials. The huts we have seen everywhere are actually called fales, and were originally where the natives lived, until more modern homes were built. Now these fales are where the families have special occasions, as well as family meetings.

 

Our guide was embarrassed about the rugby team that represented Samoa in the Rugby World Cup in England this year. Don’t think that worked out too well for them.

 

Finally, a random fact: an event occurs every year in late October or November after the full moon. The palolo sea worm rises to the ocean’s surface, where people scoop them up in large nets. Considered “Pacific caviar”, they treat it like a delicacy and a cultural symbol. Yeah, but they are worms………..

 

A little known fact is that due to the strict religion practices here, the suicide rate is among the highest in the world. Sad, but true, illegal drugs have become a problem here, despite the laws that send a person with possessing marijuana to prison for five years.

 

Back at the ship, we barely had time to download photos before the sail away was announced before 5pm. We now have a new captain, Arjen van der Loo, who gave the afternoon update. The Amsterdam sailed out of the harbor without a hitch.

 

Tonight was our first evening in the Pinnacle Grill at 8pm. Not crowded, we got the royal treatment with great service. We both ordered the filet mignon, and they were cooked perfectly. Since we had skipped breakfast, and did have a light lunch, we ate every morsel. Even topped the meal off with lemon brulee. Sweet.

 

The clocks went back one hour, so the time is almost midnight. Again, time to sign off.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 24 sailing Towards Suva, Fiji October 23, 2015 Friday Partly cloudy & 86 degrees

 

It sure was nice to have a day at sea, as well as an hour back on the clock last night. We have decided that the time changes, no matter which way they go, forward or back, is difficult to handle when you do this several times in a week. One thing for sure, when it comes time to “fall” back, we won’t have to, because we will already be there.

 

We continued talking about our informative tour yesterday, and felt that we missed a few interesting facts we learned from our guide. He was quite forthcoming about his life as a native Samoan. He even told us about his personal life, when a passenger asked if he was married, and how many kids did he have. He hesitated, then said he had four children with his first wife, got divorced, and remarried and has two more kids. His first marriage was to a Canadian, who eventually decided that she was not suited for the Samoan life. She took the kids to New Zealand, and never came back.

 

In the meantime, our guide had been named as chief of his entire family. Part of his responsibilities included taking care of his mother. His dad had died at the age of 47 from alcoholism. Since his mother would never leave the island, he was destined to remain here, even though he had 11 other brothers and sisters. Every one of them had moved to New Zealand, Australia, and the USA.

 

He remarried, had two more children, and his new wife is the main caretaker of the mother-in-law. He sees his other children once a year, when they come to Samoa to visit him and the family.

 

His role as chief has some benefits such as people giving him things. That might include food, clothes, and even money. He said someone gave him a cow, but he did not know what to do with it. He admitted that he could stuff his refrigerator to the gills, then what? Thinking beyond his needs, he said a huge BBQ would be a good idea. Sharing is a way of life here. He stated that all religions on the island teach people that. He added that if people give him money, he donates half of it back to the people in one way or another.

 

Our guide was big into tattoo history. He explained that tattoos told a story like what village you belong, what accomplishments you have acquired, or what your strengths are. For that reason, most men wait until they are older and experienced before beginning the tattoo process.

 

With that information said, he pulled up his lavalava (skirt) and his legs were solid tattoos from the knees up to his chest. Using shark teeth, the traditional tattooing was done over many days. Admitting it was extremely painful, he said it was the best thing he had ever done, giving him status as chief. The cost at the time was $500 Samoan dollars. He believes that to do the same size tattoo would be $2500 now. Here is a sobering thought………in order to keep the skin clean and promote healing, he went into the salty ocean several times a day. Can you imagine the stinging pain? He got our respect.

 

We forgot to mention the monumental graves in the front yards of the natives. Most people living here never move, but keep the property in the family. Hard to sell it with your relatives so nearby.

 

Before religion was brought to this country, cannibalism was accepted as part of their everyday life. It was a sacrifice to ensure health and happiness to all. But the ones chosen were children. The story goes that this was stopped when the villagers captured the King’s son, wrapped him in a mat, then presented him to the King to sacrifice. When he discovered it was HIS son, he was horrified, and declared sacrifices be stopped. Cannibalism was also a way to dispose of enemies. Gross, but true. It no longer exists. We should learn more about the subject when we get to Fiji.

 

It was a beautiful day as we sailed towards Fiji. Both lecturers are still onboard, and both gave their continuing talks on tales of the Seven Seas and South Seas islands. The Polynesian group taught bracelet-making, while the arts and crafts team kept the ladies busy in the Lido. The shops onboard were promoting their sales featuring South Seas pearls, Faberge eggs, art, photos, and future cruises. The casino seems to be rather busy on this cruise as well. Or maybe it is due to the fact that smoking is allowed in there if you are gambling.

 

Our biggest job of the day was turning in our passports for our arrival in Nuie, and French Polynesia. Local authorities will be checking them. Doesn’t sound like it will be a face-to-face check.

 

Tonight was the third “gala attire” evening. Except for a handful of people in the casino dressed in shorts and t-shirts, most everyone looked pretty sharp in formal attire. Dinner was good too, as was the company at table # 65.

 

Tomorrow, the first Fiji port…..Suva.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[regnig]

Bill & Mary Ann thank you so very much.... I am thoroughly enjoying "my cruise" :p and all of you postings.

[WCB]

Report # 25 Suva, Fiji October 24, 2015 Saturday Partly cloudy & 82 degrees Part # 1 75 Pictures

 

BULA………..that’s the word we heard over and over again today, which means “hello” in Fiji. Most everyone we passed in town, whether they were kids, adults, or groups of ladies, they all welcomed us. Of course, there were some vendors who began the conversation with bula, only to entice us to buy a tour from them.

 

But, we should start at the beginning. Our port of call today was Suva, Fiji, situated on the island of Vitu Levu, the largest of the 333 islands that comprise this country of 861,000 natives (2012 census). The total land mass is 7,063 square miles, but mre impressive, these islands are scattered over 199,948 square miles of Pacific Ocean.

 

The official language is English and Fijian, with some Hindi spoken. The dry season is from May through October, however, there is still rain and humidity, just not as much.

 

What do most folks eat here? Try fish cooked in coconut milk, pit-cooked feasts (lovo), Indian curries, and Chinese food. The traditional drink is kava, the same concoction that Samoans drink that numbs your lips and your mind.

 

The natives are known for their fire dance, where the men walk across glowing coals. We have seen this with our own eyes when we were here in 2005. These guys have leather for the soles of their feet.

 

In the 1800’s, European and Chinese traders came to Fiji for their sandalwood, hardwoods, marine life, and recently, gold. The British ruled from 1874 and imported Indian labor for the sugar cane harvest. In 1970, Fiji was declared a republic and gained independence.

 

Suva, the capital, is the main port and largest city in Fiji. They have a lot to offer such as scenic coastlines, rainforests, cane fields, beautiful beaches, mountains, and rivers. To our surprise, we found a vibrant, modern town, mixed with restaurants, parks, and shopping…..lots of it.

 

The main religions are Christianity, Hindu, and Islam. We did not see that many churches as in Samoa. Come to think of it, we saw none today.

 

Downtown Suva has many modern shopping malls, farmers markets, restaurants, and cultural activities. You can even go diving with sharks, if that’s your thing. Outside the reef are tiger, bull, lemon, black and white tip sharks.

 

We left the ship around 10am. Even though a breeze was blowing, it was still hot and humid, even at 10am. There were dozens of taxi drivers willing to negotiate tours to anywhere we wished to go for the day. They did not take no thanks for an answer too well. Dave, our tablemate, mentioned that the unemployment rate is 35%, so it was a no-brainer that they were hustling for business. Lots of passengers took them up on their offers. We had already decided to take our time and walk.

 

There was a free shuttle to town, but we’re certain it went somewhere for shopping. There has been no mention of complimentary shuttles in the daily newsletters, so we have to wait until the day of the port to find these things out. That’s one thing that drives us nuts, but some things never change. Since we already have a kava bowl and the cannibal fork, we did not need to shop today.

 

The best stop was at the marketplace, which housed multiple stalls of fresh veggies and fruit. This place was huge, colorful, and bustling with locals this morning. Just about every vendor greeted us with “bula”. BY accident, we found the ramp to the second level, where we discovered the spice market. Boy, we could have been in the middle of Mumbai with the aromas coming from the sacks of spices. Half of the upper level was dedicated to kava root selling too. It appears that massive amounts of these roots are shipped worldwide.

 

From there, we made our way to a modern mall called Tappoocity…..4 levels of shopping with a food court. With air-conditioning, this is where the locals hang out. We didn’t stay long, but we did see many cruise folks in there. A bit further up the road, we ran into a McDonalds, with twist. There were two security guards out front, manning the doors. In fact, on the way here, another guard warned us about pickpockets. Can never be too careful, especially with crowds.

 

We continued through a small park, then we walked all the way to Albert Park, which was under renovations. Thurston Gardens was across the street, so we could not resist going there. At least we found huge, mature trees and tons of shade. At the top of this botanical garden is the Fiji Museum, a pavilion, and a clock tower. Many HAL tourists were inside, on a tour.

 

We passed parliament, embassies, and the Presidential Palace, that had trees full of fruit bats. Following the ocean wall, we saw many locals walking in the mud flats created with the tide out. They were out there, fully dressed, collecting something. That’s when we had a lucky conversation with an Aussie fellow, also out for a walk, who thought we were from Sydney. Why? Because one of us was wearing a Hard Rock t-shirt from Sydney. Anyway, after explaining we were from California, the man said he was working for the Red Cross, doing research on the drought situation for the villagers who live in the mountains. Cannot imagine a drought here, but it’s true. He also let us know that the people in the mudflats were collecting mussels. He added that when the tide came in, these same folks fish with nets from the seawall. The best advice, was about lunch. He recommended the newly-opened Grand Pacific Hotel, which was where we were headed anyway.

 

Backtracking, we enjoyed seeing the families with kids out for a day in the parks and on the beach. It was Saturday, so everyone was out and about. We understand that this hotel we were heading for had been an icon for many years, but fell on hard times over the years. It was closed down, and eventually became a haven for itinerants. That is, until 5 years ago, when the place rose from the ground once again. Well, it was beautiful. The funny thing was that our timing was bad, since a bus load of HAL tourists had just been left off at the entrance, and were on their way inside. There would be a rush on the restrooms for sure.

 

We made our way through the breezy lobby to the back of the hotel. A beautiful swimming pool faced the ocean with a covered patio restaurant outside the lobby. There were facilities near the pool too. We sat at a table with a breeze, and ordered a pasta dish and a focaccia sandwich. The beer was ice cold and delicious. An hour, or more, flew by all too quickly.

 

On the way back, we ducked into the flower section of the marketplace, buying 5 bunches of tropical flowers for a mere $5 US. Now we hope they don’t have many ants. This market was just as busy as this morning.

 

Back at the ship, we worked on photos until we heard the Fijian police band playing right outside our window. This had not been announced this morning, so it must have been a surprise. We’ve seen this parade before while in Fiji. The group entertained the guests on the dock as well as hundreds of onlookers from the lower promenade deck.

 

Later on, after dinner, there was a local show called Oceania Dancers and Pasifika Voices. There was one performance at 9:30pm, and we are sure it was crowded. Our tablemates have also noticed that the local shows as well as the lecturers are not repeated on TV anymore. Don’t know if this has gone fleetwide yet.

 

Tomorrow we shall be in a different port for us….Dravuni Island. Supposedly, it is a tiny place, 2 miles long, with about 200 natives. That’s smaller than Fanning Island.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[lisakoivu]

Mary Ann, we are new to HAL and dream of the day when we will also be able to take long voyages. I really appreciate your posts.

[chefestelle]

Thanks for all these posts! I'm enjoying the journey with you as I dream of the day...

[WCB]

Report # 26 Dravuni Island, Fiji October 25, 2015 Sunday Part 1

 

Well, today was our last chance to hear the now familiar “bula” from friendly Fijian natives. Our final port of call for Fiji was a tiny island called Dravuni. It is part of the Kadavu Island group, located south of the big island of Vitu Levu, where we visited yesterday. The length of this island is 2 miles and has a village of about 160 people. Volcanic in origin, its pristine beaches rise to forested peaks. This was a new stop for us, so we were happy to get up early, skip breakfast, and go over to the island on the first tender boat.

 

The ship had dropped anchor within the massive coral reef, which is named the Great Astrolabe Reef. It was a short and sweet ride to shore, where we got off on a small pontoon boat dock. We were dropped off right in the center of the one and only village. Since it was Sunday, few people were out and about. The only amenities onshore were brought over by the beverage department. That included water, and later, lemonade. It surprised us that we did not find the locals selling any treasures. It was early, so we decided to look later. Later never happened, because according to Tom, the dining room manager, not one souvenier was allowed to be sold since it was a Sunday. However, the islanders did get big bucks for our stop there, which is good to know.

 

Our destination was climbing up to the tallest peak on the southern end of the 2 mile long piece of land. We passed by some of the concrete and metal-roofed houses. These homes are solid-built with concrete walls, painted with the brightest colors you can imagine. We saw no power, except perhaps with generators. There was not one motor vehicle or motorbike. Of course, there are no roads, just walking trails. Feeling like we were intruding on people’s privacy, we found the trail out of the village.

 

It wound through thick foliage with coconut trees on one side, and the white-sand beach on the other. We could hear some rustling in the brush, and came upon pig cages. Some were larger than others, but it was obvious that these animals were not pets. The trail narrowed down, and began to climb higher. Once we cleared the tallest of the palms, the views of the lagoon with our ship anchored in it were spectacular.

 

Only one of us opted to go to the top of the cliff and beyond to a second knoll. The trail was steep in parts, and risking a fall was not on the agenda today. Actually it was fun staying behind, because talking to everyone on the way up was informative. Seems that most of the climbers were the same folks we walk with on the ship everyday. This was a great way to connect.

 

The photos were worth the hike, since the entire length of the island could be seen from above, as well as the windward side with its empty shoreline. Making our way back down, we ended up strolling the entire length of beach, passing the rest of the village. We could hear singing coming from the tiny church, so we peeked inside to find small children singing religious songs. Come to think of it, we saw no kids over the age of eight or ten. The parents must send them off to school in the big cities, and we wonder if they here come back here to stay. Doubtful.

 

Finding a perfect spot on the beach, we swam for long enough to cool off. The coral sands were so loose, we sunk in the waterline. Getting in and out was not easy. Many folks had brought snorkel gear, but we don’t remember anyone saying they saw many fish or live coral. Perhaps, you had to go into deeper water.

 

After our swim, we continued following the footpath that led to a dead end…..the old cemetery. Oddly enough, the stone surrounded graves had tablecloths covering them, complete with bowls on top. Later on, we learned that the families will gather here and dine with their loved ones, right on the raised grave.

 

On the sides of the path, were tons of half-eaten fruit on the ground. We suspect that it was caused by rats, and not pigs, because the pigs would have consumed all of the fruit. There was so much fruit litter, that it was fermenting, giving off the aroma of sour wine grapes fermenting. The flying insects were thick here, although neither of us got bitten. One of us did remember to use the insect spray before the hike.

 

By noon, we were getting hungry, and a lunch in the dining room sounded like a good plan. We could always come back to the island later, because the last tender was at 4:30pm. There was already a line of folks ready to go back like us. While we waited for the boat to fill, we witnessed an elderly lady fall when she got off of the second boat across from us on the pontoon. You have to watch every step you take on these landings, and nothing else , until you reach land. At least she seemed to be OK when the crew lifted her up.

 

We had a nice, served lunch in the dining room, that is, until the complainers arrived. Nothing was right with their order, and they made it known quite loudly. This was so unfair to the waiter, that on our way out of the room, we put in our 2 cents worth with two head waiters that our waiter was not at fault. They seemed to consider the source, and thanked us for our input.

 

Although we thought about going back onshore, we decided against it. Sometimes, they decide not to tender anyone back over at a later time, so we stayed onboard. We heard later on that about four cruise ships stop at Dravuni every year. Must seem like an invasion when it occurs, but a windfall when they are allowed to sell treasures.

 

The sail away was held at the aft deck, although few people up showed up early. Due to the position of the ship, the stacks were blocking the breeze, and it was hot back there. All in all, it had been a most pleasant day……not too hot or humid, which was welcomed by all.

 

Even though our newsletter printed that the sunset was 7:23pm, it was really 6:10pm. We had changed the clocks back an hour a few days ago, by that escaped the printers. The real times, temperatures, etc. are on the ship information channel 40 on TV. So we hung around until the sun went down. Not a stunning sunset, or a green flash, but still nice.

 

We all had different stories at dinner tonight. All but one of our tablemates stayed in the village, visiting with the locals, while we tended to explore more. All had a great day, except for Bob, who came back with a red rash on both arms. He said it was caused by the sun or more than likely, the sunscreen he put on earlier in the day. Sometimes you cannot win.

 

The entertainment tonight was a person we have seen before, Dick Hardwick, a musical comedian. Comments on the Fijian show last night, were all in agreement………..none of them liked it. Expecting more of the dancing, it turned out to be more singing, and not necessarily Fijian music. Two of our tablemates could not even squeeze to the back of the lounge, so they left. Somehow we knew this, and did not bother to go tonight.

 

Looking forward to a lazy day at sea tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 27 Sailing Towards Nuku’alofa, Tonga October 26, 2015 Monday Partly cloudy & 84 degrees

 

Even though the daily newsletter said the temperature outside was going to be 84 degrees, it felt much cooler when we went for our morning walk. Not that we’re complaining, because with the temperature drop, the humidity has also dropped. Turned out, the high was a pleasant 78 degrees at the Captain’s talk at 12:45pm.

 

Now that we are heading southeast, the clocks had to be put ahead one hour last night. Most of us do not like that, especially the crew. Usually, this forward time change occurs at 2pm, where the clocks are put to 3pm. This may be up to the Captain to make this call, but we’re not sure.

 

A special fire drill took place this morning, while we were walking our AM miles. There was a pretend situation where a helicopter crashed on the bow, and there was a fire following. Many crew members came to deck three, then went up to the bow. Shortly after, we saw what looked like snowflakes flying by the deck. It was foam used in fire extinguishing. It got really thick, and landed on the decking, certainly making it slippery. It was also sticking to us, so we exited the deck. An hour later, the deck crew had to hose the teak decks off, leaving signs of “slippery” everywhere. We seem to be having more of these types of drills lately, which is probably a good thing.

 

Not too much exciting happened today, so we thought we’d jump ahead to tomorrow’s port of Tonga. We figured this will be our fourth visit here. We did not realize that Tonga has a total of 176 “friendly” islands. Our port of call is Nuku alofa, the capital, on the island of Tongatapu. The kingdom of Tonga consists of 277 square miles, and has a population of 119,009. The official language is English and Tongan. Tonga is the only monarchy in the South Pacific that was never officially colonized.

 

What’s there? You’ll find a few resorts, churches with lots of singing, beaches, rainforests, soaring cliffs, underwater caves, feasts and migrating humpbacks from June through November. What do they eat? Taro, sweet potatoes, suckling pig, lots of fish, chicken, and corned beef are the staples. It is no surprise that kava is their favorite drink.

 

What is there to see and do there? Well, we’ll let you know tomorrow after our visit. Many of the historical sights can be accessed on foot, so that’s our plan.

 

There has been a cooking show in the Wajang Theater (Culinary Arts Center) on sea days. Today the Show Chef, David, and Culinary Arts Center Host, Matthew, prepared tuna poisson cru and papaya chicken. On past cruises, this show was repeated on TV, but we have not been able to find it. Guess they quit televising these events.

 

What we have had, are the football games, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon today. They are broadcast in the Sports Bar as well as on channel 39 in our rooms. We happened to ride an elevator with a gentleman, who went to the Dive In and brought a tray full of seasoned fries and catsup back to his room. Like six orders. He said it was as close as he could get to chips and dips. Have to admit, they sure smelled good.

 

Waiting for us in our room, was our third delivery of President Club gifts………four 12 packs of soda. We have barely put a dent in our original bottles of liquor, but the sodas work much better for us. We ordered room service lunch salads and split a hamburger, while watching some of the Eagles and Panthers game.

 

The sunset was not too thrilling once again, but dinner was nice. Our group gets along fine, and it seems that we are the last ones to leave the room every night. Our waiter, Lucky, surprised us by telling all of us that his early seating folks have split up, and left the table. They were eight, then six, four, then none. Nobody liked each other apparently. Lucky seemed to feel maybe it was his fault, but we reassured him that his service along with Risoweta, his helper, has been excellent.

 

The entertainers this evening is a group we have seen and heard before……Ukebox. They are from Liverpool, and put on a show with dueling ukuleles, singing while they strummed. They are all young fellows, so that’s why they have all the energy. The crowd seemed to enjoy the show.

 

Tomorrow, we shall keep a lookout for the King of Tonga, that is, if he is home. If the flag is flying at his residence, then he is there.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[margieef]

Thanks Bill & Mary Ann for your wonderful Tales of the South Pacific!!!

[WCB]

Report # 28 Nuku’alofa, Tonga October 27, 2015 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 79 degrees Part # 1 75 pictures

 

As we said yesterday, this is not our first time in this part of the world. The capital of Tonga, Nuku’alofa, is situated on the island of Tongatapu, one of 176 islands. And one of the 40 that are populated. There are a total of over 70,000 in this city and surrounding villages. It is also the hub of a number of ferryboats that connect to the other larger groups of islands. They have the distinct privilege of saying that Tonga is the first country in the world to see the start of every day. Of course that is due to the fact it is the first country on the west side of the International Dateline. We have one more day in this time zone, before we go back over that line, thus gaining one full day.

 

The Amsterdam arrived to the Vuna Wharf well before 8am. Looked like it was going to be a very nice day…..not too hot. We went to breakfast, but kept it light. Many folks were off and running to go on ship tours early, so the dining room was not full. Actually, it never is full, so the service is always great.

 

By the time we got off, the small group of Tongan-dressed men and ladies were gone. Although they were not dancing, they did encourage folks to take photos posing with them. Right at the bridge that crosses over the water, there was an information tent, complete with maps, booklets, and directions for the town and the outer islands. That’s always nice, because the ship’s info can be limited or outdated. We were handed a walking map that included all of the spots we needed to see in town.

 

Not that we needed a map, since we were just here in January, we still followed the path to the Tulamahu Central Market. All the handicrafts can be found there, and a complete array of veggies and fruits. There was a series of tents on the pier, but we decided to look over those tables on our way back.

 

Across the street from the marketplace is the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua (1980). The last time we visited here, it was on a Sunday, and the churches were full of people, dressed nicely and singing church melodies. Nothing in the way of shops or restaurants were opened, because there is a law here that forbids it. Locals can even be fined if they open up for business. Church attendance is the big part of their day, as is spending quality family time…..mostly feasting.

 

We walked across the road towards the Royal Tombs (only viewed from a distance), past another older church, The Centennial Church built in 1888, and finally all of the schools surrounding the tombs. The King’s church is the Centenary Church that holds up to 2000 people. This is where we saw the King and his family as they left the services on our last trip. He rolled down his limo window, and waved to all who had waited hours to see him. We just happened to be strolling by, and darn near ran into his car.

 

Across this street is the gated station for His Majesty’s Army Forces. There are always guards stationed at the locked gates. We do remember that he was flanked by these guards in their cars as they escorted the King and his family to one of their many houses in Tonga.

 

We knew the King was not here today, because the flag was not flying at his Royal Palace. This impressive colonial-style mansion was shipped pre-fab from New Zealand in 1869. Although he does not live here, the mansion is used for ceremonial reason and houses many historical artifacts.

 

The British High Commissioner’s Residence is nearby. From there, the road leads along the north coast to the west coast, following a stretch of lagoon with a seawall of crushed coral. The tide was out as we began our hike. Curiously, there were dozens of adults wading in the mudflats, obviously looking for shellfish or whatever. The water level had dropped to knee-deep and extended all the way to a coral reef, separating the ocean from the lagoon.

 

Can you believe the last time we were here, there were pigs, very large pigs, in the water of this lagoon, eating sometimes under the water. We were told back then that they were clamming. Sure was a sight to see. But today, we only saw people fishing along with a few dozen cranes dining in the lagoon. Makes sense to us if people are digging for food, they don’t want to compete with their pigs. We would find out later what they were harvesting.

 

Here’s a really odd thing. Kids were on break at a primary school along this road. They were crossing the road, and walking into the lagoon waters. The boys were reaching into the water, coming up with small fish, and eating them….alive. Yikes. This was way weird, we thought. Can’t say we saw the girls doing that, but they were obviously looking for something in the water. What a way to spend recess. We would also ask about this on the way back.

 

It was getting close to noon, and despite the fact that we had encountered a brief shower, it was heating up. It was still too early for lunch at the Seaview Resort, where we went last time, so we kept walking to see what else we could discover. One of the recommended places in the HAL booklet was Little Italy, a pizza restaurant, among other Italian cuisine. We did stop there, but they do not serve lunch, only dinner from 5to 10pm. We are seldom here for dinner.

 

So we kept going and found a brand new place called Little India Restaurant. Figuring they only served Indian food, we asked about the pizza sign in front of the driveway. They said they did sell pizza, but only at dinnertime. Darn….. But the receptionist asked the cook, and he said he would make a pizza for us if we were willing to wait. Sounded like a great plan to us. It was worth the wait, because we enjoyed the ice cold Popao Beers, and eventually, the small? margherita pizza.

 

They do not know small here. It must have been 14 inches across, at least, cut into eight generous slices. We felt like the king and queen with the special treatment.

 

All aboard was 4:30pm, so we thought we better walk back. The waitress told us that the seawall stopped and the sidewalk was gone around the corner. No way did we want to walk on the road. We did run into two young men, dressed with white shirts and neckties, but wearing the traditional skirts instead of slacks. They sure reminded us of Mormons, and we found out later that they were. We asked them what the school boys were eating in the lagoon, and he said small fish that get trapped there. Guess it’s better than potato chips or Twinkies, just a bit strange to us. Forgot to mention that they were throwing half of the fish towards the rocks, where a pack of dogs were eating them.

 

Speaking of wild dogs, our friends Joe and Roxanne were riding their bikes here in January, and Joe got bit by a dog. Bad enough to need several stitches. So when we saw the packs running loose, we got a little nervous. Whistling at them was not a good idea. In fact, we spotted a little girl throwing rocks at them. She knew something……..

 

Halfway back, we stopped to ask a friendly local lady what she had been collecting in the lagoon. She indicated shellfish, but when we looked in her bucket, we saw extra-large sea worms, about the size of a large thumb and 4 inches long. Eeewww. They were crawling over each other. Maybe these are the same sea worms that are collected during the full moon of October in Hawaii. They are considered a delicacy there. As for us, we’ll stick to pizza. By the way, she added that they saw three whales right off of the coast this morning. If we get lucky, maybe we will see some on our way out.

 

By the time we were back to the King’s church, we could see the fruit bats hanging in one of the trees nearby. Since we knew they were there, we waited and watched as they began to move and fly around. These are large like the ones in Samoa. We do know some folks that went to the sanctuary on the other side of the island, but never saw any of these mammals. For some reason, they don’t mention that they are right here in town.

 

We got back onboard by 3pm, but not before picking up an island shell necklace. Most of the souveniers here are similar to those in Samoa, but cost more. Most of the guests have already bought the island clothing, t-shirts, and jewelry, but they were still trying hard to find more treasures here.

 

Sail away began at 4:30pm, and proceeded like always. Until, the ship’s horn sounded with five blasts, indicating something was wrong. Looking over the back railing, we could see a small catamaran that was right in the path of this huge ship. What were they thinking? Seems that this vessel was right in the middle of the shipping lane, and finally slowly motored out of the way. Believe us, if we rammed them, they would lose.

 

Somewhere around 6pm, it was getting chilly, and we decided to leave. A splash or two caught our eye, and we figured these were dolphins jumping, but way in the distance. Our new camera captured them jumping, but the best was to come……..a whale. Right under the dolphins, rose a humpback whale, blowing its spout high in the air. No mistaking that for anything else. Although we never saw the diving flukes, we followed the whale as it skimmed the surface of the water, then finally disappeared. We understand that the female whales come here to calf, spend some time with their young, then head back to Antarctica, pregnant with another baby. In 11 months, they will come back here to have their babies, and the cycle repeats itself.

 

We stayed to watch the sunset at 6:50pm, which was nice, but quick. Again, there were clouds on the horizon, and the sun disappeared behind them before going down. The moon was pretty, with the backround shade of pink from the opposite sunset.

 

Despite being tired, we did enjoy dinner. Everyone shared what they did today, and being that we all did something different, we got a great overview of what Nuku’alofa had to offer.

 

Tomorrow is a new port for us……Vav u, also part of the kingdom of Tonga. Long live the King……..

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[regnig]

Report # 28 Nuku’alofa, Tonga October 27, 2015 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 79 degrees Part # 1 75 pictures

.............................snip

Tomorrow is a new port for us……Vav u, also part of the kingdom of Tonga. Long live the King……..

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

And long live you finding pizza in the oddest places! ;):D

[WCB]

Report # 29 Neiafu, Vava’u, Tonga October 28, 2015 Wednesday (The First One) Partly cloudy & 78 degrees Part # 1 77 Pictures

 

Another new port for us, Neiafu, Tonga, is one of 61 islands in the Vava’u group. Neiafu is the capital and the second largest city in Tonga.

For some unknown reason, there was no information in the Explorer booklet for this port. Perhaps this stop was added after the books were printed. The little info we were able to gather, came from the booklet we received yesterday in Nuku’alofa. There were several shore excursions, as they never forget to offer those, if available.

 

In order to access this hidden town, the Amsterdam had to navigate between many coves, atolls, coral gardens, and lagoons. There are even sunken shipwrecks within these bays, so navigation must be tricky. This would also be a tendering port, with the ship not technically at anchor, but being held in place by the thrusters and azipods.

 

Since all aboard time was 2:30pm, we thought we better be on the first tender over to shore, which was before 8am. We skipped breakfast, although we could have ordered room service the evening before. We have never done that, but it is available every day. However, in our rush to leave, we left the wallets and camera batteries behind. Oops, we did it again……….. Oh well, we really did not intend to go out to lunch, or buy anything, even though we always keep a stash of small bills with our room card. At least we had that much.

 

Going over was easy, since the tide was up, and accessing the shore from the tender boat was straight across. What a different story on the way back 4 hours later. This town was much smaller than yesterday’s port. The terrain was totally different, since it was volcanic in origin, not a flat coral atoll.

 

From the pier area, we walked past our location guide, Kainoa, who should have had maps out. Guess we were too early, and they were not available yet. Continuing on, we found the usual souvenier tables and the veggie and fruit building. Checking out the woven baskets and bowls they were selling, we agreed that they are looking quite the same as what we saw in Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga yesterday. Could it be that the source of these handmade crafts is in another country, like handmade in China? Hate to be doubters, but we never did see anyone actually weaving these baskets.

 

We asked directions from a local veggie vendor how to get to town. She pointed up the road and take a right. The highest point of the island had an impressive church on it. There were a few scattered cafes and shops, although not much was opened yet. The weather was very pleasant and turned out to be a great day for a hike.

 

The tours here included a short island tour with a swim at a resort. Others went on a whale watching boat, while one went game fishing (catch and release) for a $400 fee. Guess it’s worth it to catch a marlin if you’re lucky. Originally, we had booked an excursion to a botanical garden with a beach swim afterwards. Don’t think we made a mistake, since we saw few beaches anywhere. The few resorts we did see along the road, were weather-beaten, seeing better days years ago. Perhaps, to access them, you needed to take a taxi.

 

The best part of the walk on the country road, were the views of the harbor and the many yachts that were moored there. Compared to Nuku’alofa, this place was low key and peaceful. We found ourselves walking past houses with pigs, cows, and lambs. There were a few schools along the way with primary and college kids dressed in uniforms. Since we were up high about the harbor, these kids could not play in the water like yesterday.

 

Having walked about 3 miles, we found ourselves in another village, crossing over a lagoon to a vanilla plantation. Think this was one of the stops for a tour. The whole time we hiked, many cars stopped, and asked if we needed a ride. Good way for the locals to make a few bucks. They told us that there were no facilities or beaches anywhere near walking distance. So with that, we turned around and walked back.

 

The whole time we walked, the only birds we saw were chickens and one kingfisher. Funny, just one. Many of the pigs looked feral, and would start to cross the road until they saw us. They bailed back down into the dense bush. We figured that few people walk this road. We do know that they like cigarettes, Foster beer, and soda because the litter was everywhere.

 

Despite the almost cool trade wind blowing, one of us got a bit sunburnt. Forgot the sun visor along with our other stuff. Back in town, we realized there was no suitable place for lunch, so we made the choice to go back to the ship and try to make it to lunch in the dining room.

 

Well, two bus trips must have been dropped off at 11:30am, and the line snaked around to the souvenier tents. From the looks of it, we were going to have a wait to get back. Didn’t anticipate this. A boat finally arrived from the ship, and we watched the people attempt to disembark. The tide had gone out so much, that everyone had to be pulled out by two crew members in order to get ashore. The drop must have been three feet lower than when we got here.

 

We got on the second boat, but not without some help. The ladies that could, were sitting down on a beach towel, then slipping down to the landing in the boat. Two fellows in the boat were catching them. We could not believe the number of handicapped people that came ashore, despite the warnings about possible difficulty. Guess they cannot be turned away, even if it is for their own safety. At dinner later, we were told that it took our tablemates 2 hours to get back on the ship. And by 12:30pm, another pier access was used, making it much easier for the folks to board the boat.

 

We did make it to the dining room before the 1pm closing. Our table was set and waiting. Boy, did that ice water taste good, as well as almost a gallon of iced tea. Very few guests were dining in there, so the service and the food was excellent. Things always taste better when you are hungry.

 

By 3:30pm, all of the boats were loaded, and we were enjoying yet another sail away party. On the lookout for whales or dolphins, we were served crispy chicken tenders in a mango sauce. And since we all seem to take the same spot on the back railing, we chatted with several guests standing near us. We heard some good stories about things that were happening onboard the ship. One of them was priceless. We’ve noticed a couple down on deck seven, that have taken over two teak lounges on the back deck. It is narrow, with only four chairs down there. This deck does not belong to those that have rooms on deck seven. Anyone can use them. However, this couple decided to tape their names on the lounges. What nerve. Big no-no. When some other passengers saw this day after day, they tore off the names, and replaced them with new name labels. And you can guess what they wrote…….# 1 and # 2 bleep-bleep on each lounge. Would have loved to see their faces when they came to take over those lounges. Just can’t make this stuff up……….

 

Anyway, there were no whale sightings, and a very unimpressive sunset. We joked at dinner that if we did not like today, we will have a chance to repeat the day again tomorrow. Yep, we cross that International Dateline again, which gives us one whole day back on the calendar. Tomorrow is Wednesday….again.

 

And due to the problems with the tendering today, the Captain and Hotel Director gave everyone a glass of champagne at dinnertime tonight as an apology. Originally planned to be served at dessert time, Nestor, our wine steward, served us during the entrée. That’s when Dave showed us a neat trick. He asked our assistant waiter for a tiny bowl of raisins. He then dropped one raisin in the champagne glass, and we watched it sink to the bottom. In a few seconds, the bubbles brought the raisin to the top, where it sat, then sank again. It kept this up for 10 minutes, bouncing up and down. Never saw this trick before, but it sure amused all of us.

 

The big discussion at dinner was……would we make it to Niue tomorrow or not? The Captain has already planted the seed of doubt at his talk at sail away. Due to deep swells and wind, we may have to miss the stop. He added that our safety is number one, and if the going is rough, we won’t do it. No big deal for us, since we were there in 2009. On this year’s world cruise, we missed Niue as well as Rarotonga. Dave said he would die if we missed it, as he belongs to the Century Club, and needs to add this new country on his list. Time will tell……….

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 30 Alofi, Niue October 28, 2015 Wednesday (The Second One) Partly cloudy & 82 degrees 76 Pictures

 

Alofi, Niue……….Captain James Cook discovered this coral atoll in 1774, but had an unfriendly welcome. He nicknamed the island “savage island” and the name stuck for 100 years. The descendants of the native islanders were from as far as Tonga and Samoa.

 

Missionaries arrived here in 1846, then the British took over briefly, followed by New Zealand in 1901. The people that live here now actually are New Zealand citizens. Niue (pronounced NEW WAY) became a sovereign state in 1974, retaining close ties to New Zealand. It is probably the world’s largest raised coral atoll.

 

There are few beaches, rocky cliffs, caves, hidden coves, and whale-watching. Besides swimming with dolphins, you can hike the rainforest, or stay in bungalows with views to kill.

 

In 2004, Cyclone Heta destroyed the infrastructure. We saw evidence of this storm with only the foundation left of a big hospital here.

 

In 2012, the population was a booming 1400. However, we were told today that about 1100 people live here. If most every passenger on the ship comes over to shore today, we will out-number the total population of this country.

 

In all honesty, we really thought we were going to miss this port, like we did on the world cruise this year. Quite often, the sea swells are too high to make a safe transfer in the tenderboats. On our first stop here in 2009, the tide had gone out, but the waves were so deep, we had to jump a long ways to access the boat. Pretty scary, since this is where many accidents happen. The captain had mentioned yesterday, that if the tendering situation was as bad as in Vava’u, then we may skip the next port in Niue. It would not surprise us.

 

Thinking positively, we made sure that all of our stuff was ready to go in the morning, like the wallets, hats, and drinks. If we are cleared early, we planned to go first.

 

And we were, cleared that is, and we did leave early. The line was already started when we lined up to go down to A deck. This time, the librarian, Letticia, counted a number of us that could go down, and sit in the chairs for a half hour. The local officials still had to board the ship to clear us. Hope they don’t decide to have breakfast too, as sometimes, they do.

 

It gave us the chance to visit with Marilyn and Harry, who have traveled on other cruises that we have. Sometimes, it takes years before people recognize each other, and finally meet. They are super nice, and very cruise-savvy. Nice to share info about the art of booking trips. You can never know enough.

 

The ride over was smooth as silk, and the landing was fine. No deep swells, or high winds…….yet. Did we mention that we were here back in 2009? Seems that not a thing has changed. It was early, and nothing seemed to be open.

 

The first stop was at the cemetery at the top of the hill where the Sir Robert’s Wharf is located. Many generations of local families were buried here. In fact, the roadside was dotted with graves as far as we walked (about 5 miles). Assuming that this is the same all around the island, we realize that besides the caves, there is no other suitable place for a cemetery.

 

The last time we were here, there was a Village Show Day, where the locals had a food and arts festival. Each village showcases their talents through creative handicrafts, food stalls, games, and competition. It was not happening today, however.

 

We did locate the information center, where they had maps and brochures with all the correct info we needed. We walked the road, but found most everything closed. We were looking for a lodge that was advertised in their booklet, but the scale was off, and it turned out to be too far away.

 

The walk was nice despite not finding the resort. There were a few spots in the dense brush, that you could access the seacliffs, climb down stairs, and eventully, a ladder to reach the caves and surf below. To our surprise, there was a couple from the ship who decided to try swimming down there. Not wise, because if anything happened, no one would see them, or be able to help.

 

Part of the fun walking, was running into people we see on the ship all the time. There is always a group that likes to do the same thing we do. Good time to share info on what to see and where to go. Locals were not quite as out-going as in Tonga or Samoa, but some ladies did slow down, and ask if we needed a ride. They must think we’re nuts walking, because obviously, people don’t walk much here.

 

As we approached their meeting hall, we found contestants that had participated in a fishing competition this morning. Some fellows were weighing some large wahoo they caught. They are a mean-looking fish with very sharp needle-like teeth.

 

We had spotted a place for pizza, but even when we walked back after 11am, it still was not opened. The best plan at this point was to go back to the ship, and hope the La Fontaine Dining Room was opened at noon for lunch.

 

The ride back was very easy, even with the tide out. No waves or wind. It took about 10 minutes to be back onboard. And it was open, and we did go. With not too many folks in there, we had a wonderful, relaxing lunch with lots of ice water and tea.

 

All aboard was 4:30pm, with a sail away party to follow. We noticed that the weather has changed from too hot and humid, to just right and less sticky. Hope that’s what we can expect in French Polynesia, where we are headed soon.

 

Dinner for us tonight was in the Pinnacle Grill with lamb chops and filet mignon…….simply delicious.

 

Two other things happened today. First, we crossed the dateline, and spent another Wednesday, the second one of the week. And this evening, we put the clocks ahead one hour. Golly, it’s 1am, and time to end this day.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 31 Sailing Towards Avatiu, Rarotonga October 29, 2015 Thursday Partly cloudy & 85 degrees

 

We could not have asked for a nicer day for a day at sea. Even though our newsletter said the temperature was 85 degrees, we bet it was more like 78 degrees. There has been a noticeable change in the breeze, which is fine with us. There’s a coolness to it that we have not had in recent weeks. The stickiness of the high humidity is also gone.

 

Life onboard the ship continued with the usual talks, classes, and sales. Diamonds, pearls, tanzanite, and opals were the prized gems that will be on sale soon. For the sports-minded folks, another football game was broadcast around 2:30pm. Tea time must have been Polynesian, because there were decorations outside La Fontaine Dining Room this morning. The only decorations on this trip, except for Canada Thanksgiving, have been for specialty teatime. However, with Halloween coming soon, we are sure they will do some decorations for that. Last year while on the Statendam, all of the waiters dressed in spooky costumes. They had a lot of fun doing it.

 

Spending a couple of hours at the aft pool was the best way to spend the afternoon. Even better, was sharing the chicken sandwich and salads we got through room service. The few times we have ordered in room, everything has come as ordered. And rather quickly too. Within fifteen minutes of receiving our tray of food, we get a call from the room service supervisor asking if everything was good. So far, the food and the service have been tops.

 

Since we have been pleased with our waiters and room stewards, we took the time to fill out the “Let Us Know” pamphlet complimenting all of the nice staff that has taken such good care of us to this point. We do know that a positive comment will be passed on to each person we named.

 

Between deck walks, we even squeezed in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie….one we have only seen bits and pieces of. Several new movies have been shown in the Wajang, but also show up the following day on TV. Funny thing we noticed last night while dining in the Pinnacle, was that many people coming from the 8pm show in the Queens Lounge will duck into the back door of the theater, and grab a few bags of popcorn to go. Can’t say that we haven’t done that on a few occasions.

 

The entertainer this evening was a singer by the name of Clarissa Spata. She performed music from opera, musical theater, jazz, and ballads. What a powerful voice she had as she belted out the songs. Two of our tablemates admitted to needing earplugs to attend the shows. Tonight, they needed them…..and so did we.

 

Tomorrow we will be in the Cook Islands, specifically, Rarotonga. That is, if the waves are not too high for the tenders to take us to shore. This is another port we missed on the world cruise, but then, we were arriving at a different time of year.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[bcnvcanada]

Hi we are enjoying you daily tales from the South Pacific. Thank you again

for taking us along.

[WCB]

Report # 32 Avatiu, Rarotonga, Cook Islands October 30, 2015 Friday Mostly sunny & 85 degrees Part # 1 79 Pictures

 

Kia Orana………or “hello”, may you live long! This was the greeting we received when going ashore to the town of Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Afraid that we were not going to be able to make it ashore today in the tenders, we were pleased to be led down the “secret” door, to an inside elevator, that led us down to deck A, where we waited on chairs with mostly President Club folks. Thanks to Olga from the front desk crew, who plucked us out of the small line to go ahead of the line without doing it in front of everyone. Loading into the first boat over was rather easy, since the swells were small. Now we hope to get back to the ship later on without problems. Paul, the officer who is taking over for Henk, the Hotel Director, said that this stop was the most “iffy” of all. We knew that because of the five times we have been here, we have only made it over three times.

 

We heard an amusing story this morning while waiting for the tenders to go. Apparently, some sneaky folks have been saving their tender tickets, the tickets marked 1 red or 2 blue, etc. All low number tickets. They have been attempting to cut the line with these tickets. So what did the staff do? Today they handed out the tickets starting with a higher number, like 37, and down from there. Those who were first, would be last. Love it……..

 

The weather gods were with us, as the sun was out and a breeze was blowing gently. The Cook Islands have a total population of about 19,569 people, who are citizens and passport holders of New Zealand. Their currency is also the New Zealand dollar, which today is about 1.35 to $1 US dollar. Avarua is the capital, and has a population of 10,000, although we understand that it has declined over the years. Rarotonga is the largest of the 15 islands that make up the Cook Islands. However, this group of islands are spread out over 2.2 square kilometers of Pacific Ocean………which is about the size of India. Impressive. The main languages are Maori and English, with the majority of the English-speaking folks having a definite Kiwi accent.

 

These islands have always been a refuge for runaways, hermits, “Robinson Crusoe” types. What you will find are nice restaurants, boutique shopping, produce markets and street stands, and resorts and hotels for the sun-seekers.

 

What’s their favorite food here? Try raw fish in coconut milk and stuffed breadfruit. Goat meat marinated in ginger and coconut milk is a delicacy, and bush beer, an orange-colored home brew is the favorite drink. Tropical fruits are abundant here such as citrus, banana, tapioca, papaya, and taro. The noni tree grows here, and is considered a miracle fruit. And what can you buy? Try black pearls, which happens to be an industry that is second in the world here. In tomorrow’s report, we’ll go into some detail concerning the special black gems.

 

We decided against an organized tour, because we wanted to take our time walking. Beside, many of the town sites were within walking distance. The locals had tables set up for tourist information, which was excellent. Brochures, maps, and booklets gave us everything we needed to know. We passed by the tables of souveniers, because most all of it looked like things we can get in Hong Kong, or definitely not made here. And the prices were way out of line. We’re not even sure if they took US dollars. And since we did not convert any money to NZ dollars, we didn’t even ask. If we went out to lunch, we intended to use our credit card. Running into tablemate, Dave later in the afternoon, we found out that he booked a last minute tour with a local lady. The only thing was that she wanted NZ dollars, forcing Dave to find the ATM, and get the money exchanged. Lucky for him, these machines were located near the pier landing.

 

We have to admit this was a neat and tidy town. This is the first of the lower South Pacific islands so far that have garbage cans, as well as recycle cans. It happened to be garbage day, and every home and restaurant had their cans out by the road. Up until today, Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji only have raised platforms where people leave their garbage bags. Guess with it up high off of the ground, the roaming dogs cannot get into it.

 

Following a map, we turned left, and walked the sidewalk with the town on one side, and the sapphire blue waters on the other. This island is about 21 miles around, but we knew we could not walk the whole thing. For the convenience of the tourists, car, motorbike, and scooter rentals were available right near the pier. You can even rent bikes, which we noticed many folks did. Another option was the local bus, one went clockwise, and the other, anti-clockwise. The map had a detailed schedule of stops and the times to catch the buses. It was suggested that you can wave to the driver, who will stop for you.

 

If you wanted a vigorous walk, you could hike across the top to see the views from the 2000 foot extinct volcano, then journey down to a waterfall. Dave reported that the waterfall was a trickle. The rainy season has not begun yet.

 

We saw the downtown area with all of the shops and eateries, St. Joseph Catholic Church, Foodland (big supermarket), the police station, and the post office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigrations. The courthouse and New Zealand High Commission were near the movie theater, the museum and library were next.

 

The best was the CICC (Cook Island Christian Church) and Cemetery. This old Protestant church was rebuilt three times, renovated as recent as 1995. This church seats 2000 people, and at least half of the islanders belong to it. The nice thing is that after a 2 hour Sunday morning service, a light lunch is set up on buffet tables for the congregation. The locals are very religious and Sunday is their day of worship and rest, just like in the other places we have visited.

 

We continued further until we were out of town, and passing homes, most with the tombs in the front yards. A group of ladies even greeted us as we passed by their outdoor picnic table. People on bikes, motor scooters, and even on buses waved to us. Although we are sure some of them came from the ship. No one walks here. We realized this when the yard dogs barked at us all the way past their property.

 

At the Tamarind Restaurant and Beach Resort, we made our way to the sandy, deserted beach. From what we read, all beaches are public, and access to it is open for all. Most of the sand was full of broken coral and rocks, so you had to be careful, especially if you chose to swim here. Aqua shoes are a must. The folks that were intent on swimming, snorkeling, or diving, probably made their way to Muri beach on the southeast side of the island. On a stop here back in 2007, we did a snorkel tour and a motu island picnic lunch. Unfortunately, we had arrived a day after a storm blew through, and the waters were murky…..no fish sightings at all. We are sure today will be much better for the guests that went there. Looking at the map, we noticed that there are several areas that are designated as dangerous swimming. Could be due to undertow, sharp coral beds, or sharks, who knows?

 

We watched the fishing boats taking some people out for deep sea fishing. They catch bonefish, wahoo, tuna, marlin, mahimahi, and sailfish. Just missed the humpback whales in the lagoons, since they have left for the 4000 mile trip back to Antarctica. We read that there are no wild animals here, but we do know locals go hunting for wild pigs. There are no snakes or poisonous insects. What we did see in a creek at the water’s edge was a 3 foot eel, swimming among some fish. We will see many more of these in Papeete, Tahiti. We saw few birds, mostly typical brown island birds. But we did see at least one beautiful tropicbird in flight with its two long tail feathers trailing behind it. There was only one, however.

 

The scenery we saw along the way may have included 100 native ferns, and 200 native flowering plants. Out in the turquoise waters of the coral reef, we might find 500 species of fish, 400 types of shellfish, turtles, and whales. There are 40 species of birds, they made themselves mostly unknown today.

 

By the time we got back to the landing pier, we had hiked for four hours. Lunch would be onboard the ship in the dining room. The ride back was as smooth as possible, until we hit some deep swells that rocked us up and down like a merry-go-round. Good thing the ship was nearby to the pier, as we know some folks that would get seasick immediately.

 

Spending an hour at the dining room, we enjoyed salads, soups, and sandwiches……..all made perfectly. When you’re hungry, it always tastes twice as good. And since many people were still onshore, we had the waiter almost to ourselves.

 

Sail away happened after 4:30pm, when the last of the tender boats were hauled up and secured. The island got smaller as we headed northeast towards our next port of Bora Bora in French Polynesia, another piece of heaven on earth. We will have a day at sea getting there, thank goodness.

 

Our tablemates shared their adventures of the day. Four of them took tours, while Dave went off with two friends, exploring the island. They had split opinions on the entertainer, Miss Spata, the vocalist, who sang last night. Some liked her, others did not so much, because of the loudness. Perhaps the problem is with the ship’s speakers and not the entertainer. Wearing earplugs should not be necessary.

 

Tonight, the singers and dancers performed a jazz, blues, and rock and roll routine. They sure are a talented group of kids…..a step above the usual groups we have seen on past cruises. We heard that the Piano Bar entertainer, Annika, has lost her voice, and now just plays the piano. That’s why when we passed by her show the last few evenings after dinner, she has had the audience singing….like Mitch Miller once again.

 

Well, it’s almost 1am and time to sign off. Don’t know where the time goes……..

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[OldCodger73]

The missing ships' crew were probably at a trial in Seattle where a man was awarded $21M after his head was caught in a sliding door in 2011 and he suffered brain trauma. Here's a link.

 

http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/seattle/2015/10/31/holland-america-cruise-door-injury/74928448/

Edited October 31, 2015 by OldCodger73

[WCB]

Report # 33 Sailing Towards Bora Bora October 31, 2015 Saturday Halloween Partly cloudy & 82 degrees 10 Pictures

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL!

 

Usually Halloween means “frost” on the pumpkins at home. Far from it here, in the South Pacific. We have been quite lucky to have had so many days in a row with such perfect weather. You can’t beat partly cloudy in the 80’s. During his afternoon talk, Captain Arjen mentioned that it is common to experience showers in Bora Bora later in the day. So don’t be surprised that our luck may not hold up tomorrow. It’s true. On past visits, we have had torrential downpours without warning while in Bora Bora. We called it Pora Pora, like in lots of rain. But in actuality, that was the original name of this island years ago. It really means first born.

 

Since we will be coming into the realm of black pearls, we can share a bit of info on the subject. In a nutshell, no actually an oyster shell, these pearls were created by the Japanese not all that long ago. It takes a specific type of oyster to create the color of these pearls. This is done by seeding the oysters with pieces of real shells, then letting the oyster do its work by coating them with the varieties of colors…..blue, green, black, or a combination of all three. After they are harvested, they are separated basically according to size and color. The best of the best go to the high end market, while the “culls” or inferior pearls show up in the street markets. They can range in price from $30 to $30,000. And unless you have a trained eye for quality, it’s best to buy from a reputable source.

 

We got a letter for disembarkation on November 16th, reminding us that this trip is coming to an end in a few weeks. Also, there was an invitation to the Mariner’s Society brunch on November 9th. Bet they will host at least three of these brunches, because of the large number of Mariners on this trip.

 

This morning, we were greeted with spooky decorations in the dining room entrance…a reminder that today was indeed Halloween. The theme followed throughout the day with activities including a cooking show on how to prepare a Halloween harvest, a mixology class, and another cooking demo on how to make cake pops. Have no idea what that is? Later in the day, there was a Halloween name that tune, a casino party, and the Monster Mash in the Crow’s Nest at 10pm. Special drinks were available to buy like a vampire martini, blood moon, black sun, or midnight pumpkin. Costumes were encouraged.

 

 

The seas were pretty smooth today, even though we are feeling some swells. Going at a speed of 14 knots, tends to make us feel the waves even more. Sure was nice to relax at the aft pool, reading books. We are still on the lookout for the humpback whales, but they may be gone by now. We would settle for some dolphins, or flying fish, or even a bird or two. All we saw today was one bird at sunset. That was it.

 

We had expected company for dinner, our host Tom M. Something must have been misunderstood, because he never showed up. Turned out, he went to the wrong table across the dining room. Oh well, the night was interesting as it was the fourth gala evening of the cruise. At least 95% of the folks dressed in formal clothes, but the other 5% wore costumes of all kinds. The most common were witches, pirates, and even Mickey Mouse outfits. Think they were on the wrong cruise line? As we finished dinner, a lady dressed like a pirate came and “terrorized” our table with her sword. Appeared she had a little too much wine tonight, but we all went along with her joke.

 

Last year, while on the Statendam, all of the waiters had dressed like accident victims, wrapped in toilet paper and bandages complete with fake blood and blackened eyes. Guess that was not allowed on this trip.

 

We have started to order some items from the vegetarian menu, because Dave orders most of his meals from it. These appetizers he gets look good, so some of us have ordered them too. We are sold on the crispy spring rolls. Tomorrow, we will try the quesadillas with guacamole and salsa. One entrée is a vegetarian jambalaya, which Dave ordered three nights in a row. Now we tease him every night, mainly because we like saying the word…..jambalaya, reminding us of a Seinfeld episode with Newman and his special cup of soup. The beef Wellington seemed to be the popular choice tonight.

 

Showtime in the Queens Lounge was early……at 7:15 and 9pm. Our tablemates went to the first show of Ukebox, and admitted that they are about “ukeleled” out. The show was good and energetic as ever. Bet they will be back on the world cruise.

 

The Amsterdam should be sailing into the scenic lagoon of Bora Bora very early tomorrow morning. Not sure we’ll make it up that early.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[ger_77]

and another cooking demo on how to make cake pops. Have no idea what that is? /

 

Cake pops are tiny cupcakes baked in round molds that look like a lollipop. (usually about the size of a ping pong ball) They are iced and a stick is inserted so you can eat them by hand. A little time consuming, but they are very popular at children's birthday parties and bridal / baby showers.

 

I'm loving your narrative.

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

[Randolphkay]

have loved reading your reviews especially since we will be boarding her on the 16th of this month. Have never been on this ship so have enjoyed learning about her before out cruise. Thank you. Will enjoy reading about the rest of your adventures

[WCB]

Report # 34 Vaitape, Bora Bora November 1, 2015 Sunday Partly cloudy & 84 degrees Part # 1 75 Pictures

 

Ahhh, French Polynesia, we are here at last. Another tropical paradise, our first stop in these islands was Bora Bora, one of the many islands in the archipelago of the Society Islands. Located a mere 170 miles from Papeete, Tahiti, Bora Bora (meaning first born) has a population of 8,880 natives.

 

This island and her surrounding reef and motus is believed to be 7 million years old. That’s older than dirt. The first settlers arrived here in the 9th century, after a long trip across the Pacific. What they found here was an island that rose straight from the sea to volcanic heights of 2400 feet. They discovered a lagoon that was three times larger than the land mass. And it was full of 700 species of fish. If they had a way to measure miles, they would have found the island was 32 km to go around it, full of inlets and bays. Eventually in 1888, the island was annexed to France.

 

During WW2, the US came here to create a fueling station and establish an air landing. There is still evidence of their efforts left on the island, that can be seen on the circle the island tour, or the 4 x 4 off the road drive. Anything that deals with the azure blue waters is a must. That could include snorkeling, diving, boating, swimming with rays and sharks, riding jet skis, canoeing, or catamaran sailing.

 

There is a lagoonarium with separate enclosed pools with sharks, rays, turtles, and parrotfish. Matira Beach is a favorite of ours. There are pearl farms where you can earn all about the cultivation and the buying of fine black pearls.

 

Then there are the hotels, where private bungalows are built over the lagoon. You actually have a glass floor in your room, where you can watch the fish day and night. These 5 star properties come with a hefty price, however. Some folks did take advantage of the shore excursion that spent a night at one of these places.

 

The ship will overnight here, so we were not in a huge hurry to go ashore. Besides, today is Sunday, and we are not too sure what will be opened. So we went to breakfast, then went to shore on the tender boat around 10am. Later on, we heard that the line to get tickets to debark, wrapped around the front desk to the Queens Lounge. And since some people were still trying to cheat with old tickets, they began with high numbers once again.

 

Once ashore, we found the sign-holder for the $5 shuttle to Matira Beach. It’s one of the finest beaches on the island, and they have changing/restrooms, and a public beach that is 2 km long. The sand is fine and white, although mixed with crushed coral in spots. As long as you are careful, you can stroll in the gentle surf for a long way. That’s exactly what we did.

 

But first, we checked out what the hotel offered at Matira Point. They had a deal where we could use their beachfront, get towels and lounges, and eat a 2 course lunch for a total of $70 US per person. Since we felt that we would have had to stay at this hotel for the better part of the day to justify the price, we nixed the idea. For us, we are not ones to sit on the sand, doing nothing. We prefer to keep on the move, so off we went down the beach, taking our sweet time on our way back towards Bloody Marys.

 

The temperature of the surf is the same as the air temps. And that’s probably why so many locals will go in the shallow lagoon, and stay in the water all day. A few of the tour boats wandered into the cove, stopped, and let the swimmers out in the water. We knew they had spotted a group of sting rays, and were feeding them. About the same time, one ray came right up to us as we stood in the surf. With the brilliant color of the bleached white sands, these creatures are quite visible. Beside smaller fish, we may have seen a couple of barracuda swim by rapidly.

 

We reached the end of the beach front, and continued where we could not go before today. There was always a rusted wire fence blocking the way to the tip, and now we know why. We had come across the remains of the first resort on the main island, The Bora Bora Lagoon Resort. The property buildings must have been severely damaged by a cyclone years ago, and never refurbished. This is the first time we could see it from the water side. That is, until a guard approached us to say that we could not get around the tip of this cove. It was too dangerous. Coming to the conclusion that a guard is posted here when a cruise ship is in the bay, we complied, and went back to the exit we always use.

 

It was a short, but scenic hike to Bloody Mary’s in the middle of the next cove. We happened to hit it just right, with only a few diners in there today. Normally, they are closed on Sunday, but stayed open for lunch only today. We wanted to order their chicken quesadillas, but were informed they no longer make them. So we had cheeseburgers, the best on this trip so far. Many passengers said they would not eat here, assuming it was too expensive. But they don’t know what they are missing, because it was no more expensive than our nicer restaurants at home in California. And the Hinano beers were most welcomed.

 

Time to go. There is a boardwalk pier that connects to a dock for small boats right across the road from the restaurant. It is always nice to walk out there, and sit on the convenient bench looking out over the lagoon. A beautiful catamaran was tied up here, obviously one belonging to a Bloody Mary’s customer. Smaller boats were there from the lagoon hotels, bringing the folks here for lunch. Many of their 5 star bungalow over the water hotels are located on the motus, and the only way to the island is by boat or ferry.

 

The shuttle arrived, where a number of us boarded, and rode back to Matira Beach. Some got off, while we all stayed on back to the pier landing in Vaitape. It’s well worth the price of $5 each for the 6 mile ride back.

 

Most of the shops had opened in town, at least until 4 or 5pm. We wandered in and out of some of the shops, not really needing anything. Things here are expensive, and we did not see too many shopping bags. It would not be too hard to part with big bucks to buy the black pearls set with diamonds. We saw one very nice necklace for l65,000 XPF ($1700 US). Some pieces went for over 1 million francs. These were displayed in a high end jewelry store, but there were more affordable pieces on the souvenier tables for $20.

 

Back at the pier’s artisan building, we looked over the tables of treasures. Been there, done that. The best deal here on this pier is the information center, where we were able to collect many well-done brochures on all of the French Polynesian Islands.

 

The ride back to the ship was short and sweet. The ship will overnight, and leave tomorrow at 11pm.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[regnig]

snip...."We saw one very nice necklace for l65,000 XPF ($1700 US)."

 

Awe Mary Ann, you could have gotten two, one for you and one for me! :D:D

[WCB]

Report # 35 Bora Bora, French Polynesia November 2, 2015 Monday Partly cloudy & 83 degrees Part # 1 73 Pictures

 

The day started out overcast and cloudy, and never got any better. We even had occasional drizzles throughout the day. Nothing to get one soaked, but enough to cool one off. Being that we are here at the end of the dry season, we think rain is due any time now. Heavy rain.

 

Glad we had done Matira Beach yesterday, we simply headed over to the island around 10am. The morning rush to get over to shore was over, and the tender boat ride was a breeze. People really behaved themselves, which is probably due to the fact that we get letters about tender boat conduct with each and every port that we don’t dock. The same message is printed on the money conversion cards we get at each anchor port. Guess it hasn’t helped the few folks we have seen with bandages, slings, and ace bandages due to falls getting off and on the boats.

 

Today we visited the Catholic Church to see their stained glass window behind the altar. It faces the side of the jutting mountain, making this church a memorable one. From there. We turned left to stop at some of the shops. One of the pareos had my name on it, although a bit different from the one we saw yesterday. Looks like the passengers have successfully about cleaned the shelves off in this particular shop. Makes sense, if you compare the island clothing to for instance, pearl buying, then the sarongs and t-shirts are a good deal.

 

Today must have been a holiday, because the kids were out of school. We passed what looked like school buildings, but they were closed. The kids were out and about riding bikes or skateboards, where they could. There are few side streets in town that are concrete. Most of them go to bed and breakfast pensions on the hillside.

 

A busy spot in town was the local supermarket, which we heard was raided yesterday. People that live here are big on snack food, and apparently, so are the passengers and crew members. Next door to the market was their variety store, where they sold many fabrics with tropical prints (made in China). Most of them were in the neighborhood of 1175 French Francs or about $12 US a meter. We know that in Tahiti, we can probably buy the same fabric at half the price. Of course, Holly, our tablemate who happens to be a travel agent, said it was a matter of how you looked at it. She said that anyone who is willing to pay over $1000 and up a night in one of the 5 star hotels, would not hesitate to pay more for anything else here in town. She has a good point.

 

The further we walked, the most industrial the place began to look. The Bora Yacht Club was in this area, and the necessary boat businesses were nearby. It’s a very small yacht harbor, but a few nice catamarans were moored there. Many residences were off the road too. You could have meager housing next to newly-built homes. Some places looked like the grapes of wrath, obviously old family homes, because there were graves in the front yards. Then up the road, there are nice single family residences.

 

We went as far as we could, until we ran into road paving and cement work being done. It must have been the day for burning, since many people were getting rid of palm tree and leaf litter. Since this stuff is green, is doesn’t burn, but it smolders, giving off tons of smoke that drifts around the island. Perhaps it keeps the bugs away from the houses.

 

After sitting on the end of the dock, enjoying a couple of sodas, we went back to the ship. By then, it had begun to drizzle heavy, and lunch onboard sounded like a good idea. We were back onboard after 2pm, and ordered a room service lunch. Watched a movie while downloading pictures.

 

There was a deck BBQ this evening starting at 5:30pm. So we went off with the camera to take some photos. To our surprise, it was not set up in the mid pool area, but on the aft deck around the pool. Tables and chairs had been set not only on the aft deck, but always on deck nine aft. Actually, this was a good idea, because the smoke from the BBQ could drift across the decks, and not be trapped under the sliding dome.

 

We spoke to Paul, the culinary manager, who had this idea of changing the venue. His reasoning was that with the view of the lagoon, and the warm breeze blowing outside, it would be a pleasant experience for the guests. What they did not count on was the drizzle, which did put a little damper on things. For a good hour, things stayed dry, but when the light rain did fall, many folks abandoned their tables to run inside the Lido. All they had to do was wait it out, because it did stop. The only factor we could see is that the wet decking could pose a falling hazard, given the fact that people drop food and drinks on it. Despite the rain, we think the affair was a success.

 

Dinner for us found everyone present at our table. Most everyone never even went to shore today. They felt one day here was quite enough. Perhaps if the sun had come out, it may have made for a better beach day. Seems like they took advantage of the chance to relax onboard instead.

 

There was one show at 9:30pm in the Queens Lounge. It was a repeat performance by Lou Gazzara from American Idol. He sang songs imitating the oldies, but goodies….Sinatra, Elvis, etc. The crowd really liked him, because he is young and has lots of talent, especially coming from a contestant TV show.

 

 

The ship left at 11pm, heading to the next port of Raiatea, about 80 nautical miles away.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 36 Uturoa, Raiatea November 3, 2015 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 82 degrees Part # 1 80 Pictures

 

Early this morning, before it was announced that we were cleared by authorities, Captain Van der Loo informed everyone that there had been a problem with lifting the anchor last night. Apparently, the wenches failed, and they could not lift it back onboard easily. He added that the crew worked on it until well after 3am to fix it. There must have been an added problem of the anchor chain banging against the hull in the bow, because the Captain apologized for the noise throughout the night. Lucky for us, we heard nothing. And lucky for all of us, it got fixed.

 

What the daily newsletter failed to mention was that for the most part of the day, it would sprinkle. Not a drenching rain down at the water’s edge, but more than likely, heavy high up in the mountain tops. For that reason, we were glad we did not take a tour today. Mostly overcast and gray, it would have not been good for snorkeling or taking to the hills for the panoramic views.

 

The island of Raiatea belongs to the Society Islands. It is 88 square miles with a population of 12,800 natives. It is located 125 miles from Tahiti. Our port of call was the city of Uturoa, the capital, and the second economic and administrative center after Tahiti. With its many motus, lagoons, mountains, and coral reefs, this island has been considered to be the oldest in the archipelago.

 

It is famous for having the biggest marae of Polynesia, called Taputapuatea. It also has the only navigable river, the Faaraa, in Polynesia. A popular place for the yachting folks, this island hosts the Hawaiki Nui Va’a, the famous international canoe race. It’s here that men as well as women race in teams between here and Bora Bora, 79 nautical miles away. Quite an accomplishment.

 

The highest peak on Raiatea is Mt. Tefateaiti at 3333 feet, covered in dense jungle-like forests. We are certain there would be incredible views from that high, if the weather was cooperating.

 

The history here was marked by wars between the native tribes. Captain James Cook arrived on these shores in 1769, followed by missionaries who imposed Christianity. At the very least, it stopped the wars.

 

A stone’s throw away from Raiatea is the sister island of Taha’a. Smaller than Raiatea, Taha’a is 34 square miles with a population of 5300 natives. There are 8 villages, a few hotels, guest houses, and limited facilities. Surrounded by turquoise lagoons, it is the nicest area in which to snorkel. This island is mainly used for pearl farms and vanilla plantations, as well as coconut groves and huge land crabs. Since there is no airport, all the supplies are brought by freighter.

 

Our plan for the day was a simple one. From past stops here, we followed the same path which took us through the marketplace across the street from the pier. The ship literally docks right in town. Anyway, at the market was a group of Polynesian musicians and dancers putting on quite a rousing show. The drums were calling us the closer we got.

 

Many tables of jewelry and wood carvings surrounded the musicians with vendors plying for everyone’s business. Colorful pareos blew in the breeze, and flowers were tied to every tent pole. What a nice welcome.

 

In the market building, the lower level had stands full of produce and flowers. Upstairs, we found island jewelry and black pearls. Any piece of jewelry set with the pearls was pricey…….more so than the first time we were here a few years ago. Glad we had already purchased some nice pieces of shell jewelry, we passed on any bargaining.

 

Our hike continued to the small yacht harbor to a strip of manicured park along the road. Concrete benches were placed under many coconut trees along the way. There were no beaches here at the water’s edge, but rock walls and coral-lined sand, not really accessible for swimming.

 

We spotted some outrigger canoes with teams of rowers passing by us. We sort of remembered they had a staging area nearby, so we continued to walk the waterline. Eventually we reached the point where these boats were stored, and practice was happening.

 

But the first thing we ran into was a tent with some ladies selling shell jewelry. Except their prices were really good, too good to pass up. Also in this area was a great place to swim, either from a wall with ladders in deep water, or accessing the water by the sandy boat ramps. You just had to watch out for the rowers. A handful of guests from the ship had found their way here, despite the fact it was never mentioned in any port talk that this facility was here. Close to the swimming area were restrooms, places for a picnic, and outdoor rinse showers. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

 

All aboard was at 4:30pm, and we still needed to make a stop for lunch. So we headed back, stopping in the Catholic Church, St. Andrew’s, across from the marketplace. Old-looking on the outside, the interior was fairly new. Stained glass behind the altar and side panels made the church reflect blue and purple on the floor and ceiling. Very stunning and cool, despite the drizzle and high humidity.

 

Lunch was at Le Cubana, a restaurant directly across from where the ship was docked. They serve a really good margherita pizza, thin crust and delicious tomato and cheese topping. It was excellent along with the Hinano beers to cool us off. We even shared some vanilla ice cream for dessert.

 

This part of the pier had small huts with more souveniers, where we located a pair of earrings to match the necklace and bracelet we purchased. Since it was getting close to sail away, the vendors were more than willing to sweeten the deal without even asking.

 

By 4:30pm, we went to deck nine to see how close we were to leaving. There was still a bus full of folks getting back from a late tour. At least half of them were using walkers or scooters, so they were slow in getting off the bus and back onboard, but proof that the ship would not leave without them. After all, it was an HAL tour.

 

We had a scenic, although slightly wet, sail away from Raiatea. The party had been moved to the Crow’s Nest, but the hardy folks stayed outside on the aft deck. The captain and the pilot took the ship between the coral beds and reef right towards Taha’a. Since it was a very narrow passage, we were going slowly. We got close enough to the smaller island that we could wave to the natives watching us on the shoreline.

 

By the time we exited the reef, we passed through the narrow opening and hit incredible currents. The sun had disappeared behind the clouds once again, giving us no sunset. We are now on our way to Tahiti. And we sure hope it doesn’t rain.

 

Dinner was great in the Pinnacle Grill. We ordered the grilled lamb chops, and they were delicious….tender, cooked medium like we ordered. You’ll never ever get lamb that tasty in the main dining room. We’ll have to do a lot of walking tomorrow to wear off some of the calories from dessert……..baked Alaska and raspberry cheesecake. Oh, so good.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the review....