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Live from the 2020 Grand World Voyage


Scrapnana
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15 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

It was billed as “A unique non-stop musical adventure ‘Around the World’ with pianist Naki Ataman.” 

He's wonderful! Never miss one of his shows. You were so fortunate to run into that woman who praised the show to the point you changed your plans. 

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February 16, 2020

 

Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile

 

We actually made it to Easter Island.  I had no idea until a couple of weeks ago that the waters are rough enough that many ships are not able to tender to the island.  Easter Island belongs to Chile even though it is about 2300 miles away.  Rapa Nui is one of the most isolated islands in the world with its nearest neighbors over 1000 miles away.  Rapa Nui is the Polynesian name for the island.  It is often referred to it as Easter Island because it was first seen by Europeans on Easter Sunday in 1722.  The population is only about 7750 people and the island is about 63 sq. miles.  Almost all of the island is part of a national park requiring an $80 (US) ticket.  It has been an UNESCO World Heritage Site for about 25 years. 

 

We started tendering after the ship was cleared starting with tours, President’s Club members, and suite guests.  The first of the tender tickets started to be called about 9:30 and open tendering began around 12:30.

 

I went to the Crow’s Nest around 10 and knitted with Bonnie until lunch time.  My meeting time for my tour was 1:15, so after lunch I worked on my Linus blanket until just before 1 pm when I went to the meeting point, The Mainstage. 

 

We were called just after 1:15 and taken down the crew stairs to A deck where the tender stairs are located.  It was rocky getting into the tender but as usual the crew did a great job getting us on safely. 

 

When we reached the shore there were tents with the islanders selling various souvenirs.  We had about twenty minutes to shop before we started the excursion. 

 

On the other side of the road from the tents was the first Moai (pronounced mow-eye).  Almost all face inland and were built between 1250 and 1500 AD.  None of them were standing by the mid-1800s.  Some have been restored and placed back on their ahus (stone platforms).  Although often called “heads”, they really represent the head and torso. There are 887 ones recorded.

 

Our first stop was at Tahai where we saw one of the Moai that had had his (the statues are all male) eyes restored (the way they all once were).  There was also one with a topknot (looks kind of like a hat) which represented a chieftain.  There were also five restored to their ahu.

 

We then traveled to Ahu A Kivi where there were seven Moai on an ahu.  This is the only site where they face towards the sea.  We had time to walk around before heading back to the only town on the island and a visit to an art gallery with some extremely unusual displays (I don’t believe anyone bought anything).  We were supposed to go to an Artisan’s Market but were told a few days ago that it was closing early today because of the festival going on.  We went by it twice and the door was open and the lights were on. 

 

I was back on the ship a little after 5 pm (I missed trivia).  I worked on my pictures and did a little work on my Linus blanket before dinner.  All four of us present.  There was a Rapa Nui themed dinner with a Moai statue on each table.

 

I skipped the acrobat show after dinner but took my Chilean form to Guest Services because I forgot it when I got back to the ship.

 

Sea day tomorrow.

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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15 hours ago, kazu said:

Kathi - Great idea on having Guest Services copy your Meet and Greet reminder for you!

 

Are they delivering them for you or are you doing it?  And, if you don’t mind me asking, was there a charge for the copying and/or delivering?  (I’m curious if it is different on a World Cruise).  Thanks 🙂 

I delivered them.  There was no charge for copying but I did have to pay something two years ago when I had more than 25 copies made (can't remember how much).

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5 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

I delivered them.  There was no charge for copying but I did have to pay something two years ago when I had more than 25 copies made (can't remember how much).

 

Thanks kindly, Kathi 🙂 

 

How wonderful that you got to Easter Island!  What a fabulous experience 😄 

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February 17, 2020

 

At Sea

 

To Sit and Stitch with Bonnie, all three Judys, and Sherita before trivia.  It was a dismal showing with only 4.5 out of 15 (the winners had 10).

 

1.What Frenchman wrote and published the first known printed version of “Little Red Riding Hood”?

2.What is a “heartsease”?

3.What is the fastest flying insect?

4.In what year was Spam introduced – 1942, 1937, or 1953?

5.In what part of the body would your find five metacarpals?

 

My Linus blanket is growing nicely and should be finished before Tahiti.  Lunch in the Lido before Arts & Crafts.  I was only able to stay long enough to hear the directions and get my materials before leaving to get ready for our Cruise Critic Cabin Crawl.  There was a great turnout with about 40 people participating.  We visited five different types of cabins. 

 

We did much better in afternoon trivia (17 out of 21) but the winners had 19.

1.Who was the witchdoctor on “Bewitched”?

2.What is IBM’s motto?

3.What beverage was first marketed as an “esteemed brain tonic”?

4.What Hollywood hit was marketed with the slogan. “65 million years in the making”?

5.The average male has 3000 of what?

 

I walked around outside and went up to the highest deck (Sky Deck, maybe?) and found the ship’s token which was one of the questions on the nautical trivia the other day.  It was a beautiful afternoon so I spent some time outside before getting ready for dinner.

 

Before I went to dinner I went by Guest Services and 1) turned in my form for French Polynesia saying I had not been to China in the last two weeks, 1) signed the check to have my passport stamped for Pitcairn Island, and 3) tell them that my water in the shower does not keep a constant temperature (10 seconds hot, 10 seconds cool).  Then to dinner after which I went to see the second performance of Abba Fab. 

 

We gain another hour tonight.

 

Another sea day tomorrow.

 

 

 

Morning trivia

1.Charles Perrault

2.flower

3.dragonfly

4.1937

5.hand

 

Afternoon trivia

1.Dr. Bombay

2.Think

3.Coca-Cola

4.Jurassic Park

5.whiskers

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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Another interesting fact about Rapa Nui is that the airport there was upgraded in 1987 for use as an emergency runway for polar orbiting space shuttles to be launched out of Vandenberg AFB in California by the USAF, which of course never happened due to, among other things, the Challenger accident.  It was lengthened and widened for that purpose but also allowed Rapa Nui to start accommodating jumbo and wide-body aircraft.

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23 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

February 17, 2020

 

 

 

At Sea

 

 

 

To Sit and Stitch with Bonnie, all three Judys, and Sherita before trivia.  It was a dismal showing with only 4.5 out of 15 (the winners had 10).

 

 

 

1.What Frenchman wrote and published the first known printed version of “Little Red Riding Hood”?

 

2.What is a “heartsease”?

 

3.What is the fastest flying insect?

 

4.In what year was Spam introduced – 1942, 1937, or 1953?

 

5.In what part of the body would your find five metacarpals?

 

 

 

My Linus blanket is growing nicely and should be finished before Tahiti.  Lunch in the Lido before Arts & Crafts.  I was only able to stay long enough to hear the directions and get my materials before leaving to get ready for our Cruise Critic Cabin Crawl.  There was a great turnout with about 40 people participating.  We visited five different types of cabins. 

 

 

 

We did much better in afternoon trivia (17 out of 21) but the winners had 19.

 

1.Who was the witchdoctor on “Bewitched”?

 

2.What is IBM’s motto?

 

3.What beverage was first marketed as an “esteemed brain tonic”?

 

4.What Hollywood hit was marketed with the slogan. “65 million years in the making”?

 

5.The average male has 3000 of what?

 

 

 

I walked around outside and went up to the highest deck (Sky Deck, maybe?) and found the ship’s token which was one of the questions on the nautical trivia the other day.  It was a beautiful afternoon so I spent some time outside before getting ready for dinner.

 

 

 

Before I went to dinner I went by Guest Services and 1) turned in my form for French Polynesia saying I had not been to China in the last two weeks, 1) signed the check to have my passport stamped for Pitcairn Island, and 3) tell them that my water in the shower does not keep a constant temperature (10 seconds hot, 10 seconds cool).  Then to dinner after which I went to see the second performance of Abba Fab. 

 

 

 

We gain another hour tonight.

 

 

 

Another sea day tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morning trivia

 

1.Charles Perrault

 

2.flower

 

3.dragonfly

 

4.1937

 

5.hand

 

 

 

Afternoon trivia

 

1.Dr. Bombay

 

2.Think

 

3.Coca-Cola

 

4.Jurassic Park

 

5.whiskers

 

 

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

 

Hi Kathi!

Sorry I had not been on the boards for a few days and just now got caught up on your journeys. Our little grand puppy has been sick for a couple of days and she is the love of our lives and it has been hard. Hoping she makes a full recovery.

so happy you made it to Easter Island! your pictures were just fabulous, really amazing. Your Cabin Crawl sounds fun! We have never been on one. On one of our cruises I think it might have been on NA there were several people on our floor doing a cabin crawl.

I look forward to more of your adventures 

Denise😊

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February 18, 2020

 

At Sea

 

I was planning on helping set up for the Project Linus display so I headed to the Explorer’s Lounge before 9:45.  The Coffee Chat between Hamish (the Cruise Director) and the Production Manager, Bruce Allen Scudder was in progress.  Bruce was a HAL cruise director for years but has just changed jobs although he has worked for HAL for over 25 years.

 

Once Coffee Chat was over, a number of us started taking the blankets out of boxes and placing them around the room.  I heard there was about 240 blankets already.  After looking at all the amazing blankets I went to the Crow’s Nest where out group met for a while.

 

We were all present for trivia.  We only had 7 out of 15.  The winners had 10.

1.Which country is associated with the Easter Rising?

2.What stands for “F” in the NATO phonetic alphabet?

3.In 1892, 15 year old Alonzo Clayton became the youngest winner of what sporting event?

4.Musophobia is the fear of what?

5.What is the national bird of Austria?

 

I did another row on my Linus blanket before lunch.  In Arts & Crafts we made a “Bounty” necklace to tie in with our visit from islanders from Pitcairn tomorrow.  Nancy did not have as many as she normally does so she gave us each a number.  When it came time to distribute the kits, Nancy started at one end and Cathy at the other.  We were in the middle and when Nancy came to our table she was short three kits.  She was very upset and offered us various things to compensate.  A few minutes later her missing kits were found on the floor so we each got one after all.

 

Bruce and Debbie joined our team for afternoon trivia.  We had 13 out of 17 but the winners had a perfect score.

1.Who invented the reflecting telescope?

2.What Greek told the world that everything was made from a combination of air, earth, water, and fire?

3.What pasta name means “little turnips” when translated into English?

4.Which Scandinavian country is Europe’s top oil producer?

5.Which Greek physician said veins carry air not blood?

 

I finished the last of Linus blanket #4 before getting ready for dinner.  I ate early with Sherita’s table.  I did not go to the show (it was a variety show with the acrobats and comedian).  At 8:30 we had music trivia.  I played with Suzi and Rich (Cruise Critic friends) and Alex (one of the dance instructors).

 

We gain another hour tonight. 

 

Morning trivia

1.Ireland

2.foxtrot

3.Kentucky Derby

4.mice

5.barn swallow

 

Afternoon trivia

1.Newton

2.Aristotle

3.ravioli

4.Norway

5.Hippocrates

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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5 hours ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

Hi Kathi!

Sorry I had not been on the boards for a few days and just now got caught up on your journeys. Our little grand puppy has been sick for a couple of days and she is the love of our lives and it has been hard. Hoping she makes a full recovery.

so happy you made it to Easter Island! your pictures were just fabulous, really amazing. Your Cabin Crawl sounds fun! We have never been on one. On one of our cruises I think it might have been on NA there were several people on our floor doing a cabin crawl.

I look forward to more of your adventures 

Denise😊

 

Hope your grand puppy gets better soon.🤞❤️

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8 hours ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

Hi Kathi!

Sorry I had not been on the boards for a few days and just now got caught up on your journeys. Our little grand puppy has been sick for a couple of days and she is the love of our lives and it has been hard. Hoping she makes a full recovery.

so happy you made it to Easter Island! your pictures were just fabulous, really amazing. Your Cabin Crawl sounds fun! We have never been on one. On one of our cruises I think it might have been on NA there were several people on our floor doing a cabin crawl.

I look forward to more of your adventures 

Denise😊


Hope your grand puppy makes a speedy & full recovery!

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