Ides and Grux do Polynesia, Oceania and the Orient

[Ides of March]

Greetings Fellow CCers

You are cordially invited to join your humble scribe and his first wife, the Grux as we again flee the great Canadian winter in an effort to divest assets before they evaporate in the stock market.

Grux has taken the second term off from Glebe high where she teaches math and I will again attempt to practice via email for three glorious and hopefully sun filled months only to return when the trout are rising to the fly.

I have decided to post on the HAL CC boards with some trepidation as only about one third of the total voyage will be on the Volendam sailing March 16th for 33 days from Auckland to Hong Kong. I do have a fear of being accused going off topic but I feel at home and have friends here (I hope) having posted from the Prinsendam during the 06 WV so I decided to risk it. In corresponding on another thread with Grumpy, who most would agree I’m sure is the “Dean” of the HAL boards, I mentioned my concern and he suggested I go ahead but try to reference HAL at least once in every post. I therefore commit to do so but don’t be surprised to see me refer to the HALitosis of travelers met or “HALlo from Milford Sound”. Maybe it will be fun playing “Wheres HAL?”.

We leave the 7th of February flying to Papeete Tahiti via LA and stay two nights before boarding the freighter Aranui 3 for a twelve night provisioning cruise of the Marquesas. This is probably the priciest freighter cruise going but having read rave reviews about it and devouring Melville’s Typee we are excited and expectant. It will be interesting to contrast this voyage where you eat, sleep, party and tour with the Marquesan crew, (maybe that should be eat, party and tour) with the cruising we are more familiar with.

We then fly to Queenstown NZ via Auckland and rent a Corolla for a week visiting Milford and Doubtful Sounds in Fiordland before joining friends, the extended Shea family in Dunedin for a second week. Its then off to Brisbane via Christchurch to spend a week with the McCauls, the Prez and VP of The Coffee Club whom we met on the 06 WV and did the Baltic cruise with the following summer (also on the Pdam). Bruce and Vicky visited us last summer and with other 06 alumni Howard and Ross (and briefly Celine and Don) spent a week pontoon boating on the Good Ship COFFEE CLUB the hundred mile historic Rideau Canal staying in beautiful waterside inns en route. The 06 group have remained very tight. (No pun intended).

Back to Auckland to board the Volendam which I hear is a beautiful ship to enjoy a fabulous itinerary. First stop Sydney for an overnight where I acquired tickets for The Magic Flutr at the Opera House.

We conclude with 3 days in HK and 4 in Beijing before returning home.

Grux will be posting at:

http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Gruxy/

So welcome aboard and I should start reporting in a few weeks and so,

Until that time….

Ides

[Betsy's Mom]

How wonderful to have something, other than snow, to look forward to.

B.

[2bout2c]

What a wonderful trip. Did you plan this on your own or did you have a TA help?

[English muffin]

Greetings Fellow CCers

You are cordially invited to join your humble scribe and his first wife, the Grux as we again flee the great Canadian winter in an effort to divest assets before they evaporate in the stock market.

Grux has taken the second term off from Glebe high where she teaches math and I will again attempt to practice via email for three glorious and hopefully sun filled months only to return when the trout are rising to the fly.

I have decided to post on the HAL CC boards with some trepidation as only about one third of the total voyage will be on the Volendam sailing March 16th for 33 days from Auckland to Hong Kong. I do have a fear of being accused going off topic but I feel at home and have friends here (I hope) having posted from the Prinsendam during the 06 WV so I decided to risk it. In corresponding on another thread with Grumpy, who most would agree I’m sure is the “Dean” of the HAL boards, I mentioned my concern and he suggested I go ahead but try to reference HAL at least once in every post. I therefore commit to do so but don’t be surprised to see me refer to the HALitosis of travelers met or “HALlo from Milford Sound”. Maybe it will be fun playing “Wheres HAL?”.

We leave the 7th of February flying to Papeete Tahiti via LA and stay two nights before boarding the freighter Aranui 3 for a twelve night provisioning cruise of the Marquesas. This is probably the priciest freighter cruise going but having read rave reviews about it and devouring Melville’s Typee we are excited and expectant. It will be interesting to contrast this voyage where you eat, sleep, party and tour with the Marquesan crew, (maybe that should be eat, party and tour) with the cruising we are more familiar with.

We then fly to Queenstown NZ via Auckland and rent a Corolla for a week visiting Milford and Doubtful Sounds in Fiordland before joining friends, the extended Shea family in Dunedin for a second week. Its then off to Brisbane via Christchurch to spend a week with the McCauls, the Prez and VP of The Coffee Club whom we met on the 06 WV and did the Baltic cruise with the following summer (also on the Pdam). Bruce and Vicky visited us last summer and with other 06 alumni Howard and Ross (and briefly Celine and Don) spent a week pontoon boating on the Good Ship COFFEE CLUB the hundred mile historic Rideau Canal staying in beautiful waterside inns en route. The 06 group have remained very tight. (No pun intended).

Back to Auckland to board the Volendam which I hear is a beautiful ship to enjoy a fabulous itinerary. First stop Sydney for an overnight where I acquired tickets for The Magic Flutr at the Opera House.

We conclude with 3 days in HK and 4 in Beijing before returning home.

Grux will be posting at:

http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Gruxy/

So welcome aboard and I should start reporting in a few weeks and so,

Until that time….

Ides

Hello Ides

This is where you get to!:)

[HALFans]

First stop Sydney for an overnight where I acquired tickets for The Magic Flutr at the Opera House.

 

You had me hooked at Mozart.

 

Eagerly awaiting your further posts!

[Ides of March]

Greetings all:

The internet in French Polynesia is impossible so I apologize for the delay in posting and so….

February 7th and 8th 2009- Getting to Tahiti and Papeete

Well, the day that seemed would never arrive finally did and having been dropped off at the airport early Saturday morning by our son Bernie, aka Pirate Scum on these boards, we endured a bumpy flight to Toronto followed by a more pleasant ride to LAX. Stayed in the Renaissance near the airport which was fine and laid over for one day due to too tight a flight connection to Tahiti. Took the shuttle to Manhattan Beach and watched the surfers and body borders while our bodies began to get used to the time difference from Ottawa.

We left LA at 4 p.m. for the 8 1/2 hour flight to Papeete on Air Tahiti Nui which surprisingly was only two thirds full even though an earlier flight that day had been canceled and consolidated. Lots of room to stretch out which was an unexpected bonus.

Arriving at the small non-air-conditioned airport at 11 p.m. local time, which was 4 a.m. back home, in stifling heat and humidity and waiting over an hour to clear customs did not create the greatest of first impressions. Second impressions weren't so hot either after we were charged 3000 French Polynesian francs (XPF) or $45 Canadian for the 2 km ride to our hotel, the Sheraton converted in January without notice to us to a Hilton s some confusion at drop-off..

The hotel was quite nice and we had a balcony on the bay just off the end of the airport runway. Huge surf was breaking on a reef 300 yards offshore under a full moon and we watched with our duty free libations in hand as the Air France and Nui fights that had just disgorged 700 or so pax roared off at 2am.

Up and at em early the next day taking “Le Truck” into town for a mere 100 XPF or $1.50 per person. This is a flag down bus with hard wooden bench seats used by the locals and so far as we could determine is by far the best deal in town. We were soon to learn that in French Polynesia is something costs only double what it would back home it's a steal.

Missed the ferry to Moorea by few minutes and decided that we would likely see enough islands on this trip so we opted to save the $80 and the hour wait and the two hours a return trip would cost the better to explore Papeete and enjoy the very inviting pool back at our hotel. I of course had forgotten all of the four hats I had intended to bring along and being unwilling to spend $60-$80 on a baseball cap or $80-$100 for the crude straw hats that were available, walked au naturelle all day. If a bald spot is truly a solar panel for the brain, I'm charged up for the next couple of years.

We went to a charming local market in the middle of town and following advice gleaned from travel sites on the Internet purchased enough food from vendor’s stalls to see us through the day. We did learn however that most merchants had a two-tiered pricing system, one for the locals and triple for the tourists. C’est la vie.

We walked back to the hotel stopping at the Black Pearl Museum run by a fellow named Wan who appears in all the glossy society mags strewn about his emporium (the Stern of Tahiti) but luckily Grux resisted the temptation and has decided to wait to buy this “must have” item on the atoll Rangiroa in the Tuamotu islands that the ship will stop at returning from the Marquesas.

Back to the hotel where we spent the afternoon swimming, reading, napping and treating the first-degree burns between my ears.

Checking out of the hotel another surprise awaited when we enjoyed the addition of four separate taxes which we were told were standard through Tahiti. Fellow travelers we have talked to on the freighter were charged between three and six separate taxes depending on the establishment. My advice to future travelers would be to spend as little time as possible in this town and if you have to stay over when transiting to the Aranui, Bora Bora or Moorea stay at the motel by the airport and use Le Truck as much as possible. Not a lot there that we could see.

February 10 The Aranui 3 The Freighter To Paradise

Arriving at the ship in the middle of a bustling cargo port with the taxi dodging transport trucks, and forklifts, the seasoned cruiser quickly realizes that cargo has the top billing and you are merely icing on the cake. You pull up to a conveyor belt where your bags are inspected to ensure they have a proper tag and are then unceremoniously heaved on the belt. You then walk up three decks on a narrow but sturdy boarding ramp/ladder suspended from the side of the ship on rounded aluminum steps that accommodate many angles of descent, to the reception area where you are given your keys and pointed to your room. A hibiscus to be worn over your ear is the only welcoming amenity other than the complete lack of red tape.

We descended on steep stairways with steps so narrow that you have to slant your feet sideways for full support to our cabin on B Deck. The corridors are gray linoleum and the walls are nondescript beige much like the crew quarters and lower decks pax traverse on cruise ships to board the tenders for wet landings. Everything is spotlessly clean and the ship having been built in 2000 to 2002 is anything but a rust bucket. It has very clean attractive lines for any ship but especially a freighter.

Our cabin was a pleasant surprise as it is intended for three people having a third fold down bunk (which we never use) giving us an extra 50% of space over the normal standard cabin. We have one large porthole which is about 3 feet above water level when moored and is frequently underwater when traveling in a beam sea. This causes the natural light in the room to dim appreciably when the porthole is submerged. Tricky for reading. Everyone on B Deck calls their cabin a washing machine so it has ceased to be funny.

There are two separate bunks in the room and we lie transverse the keel which I thought would be problematic but it hasn't proven to be. No TV or radio, no coffee maker, but a great shower, and the beds are hard. Great storage but we are in the larger 3 person cabin. There are suites similar if smaller than those on the Prinsendam with full baths, queen size beds, etc. Beds are hard there as well I’m told. They have TV’s but only get movies that endlessly repeat. Except for sporadic internet and cell phone availability there is absolutely no news of the outside world available which is nice. There is also a dormitory section accessed only via an outside deck which looks remarkably like a Pullman coach on a train we curtained berths and storage lockers for the inmates. A very inexpensive way to cruise if you don't mind around-the-clock crowds. We understand there is also a single large room with mattresses only use by the locals when transiting island to island but open to all comers as well. There you use your own sleeping that and he with the crew in their mess but as their predominant meal is some sort of fish stew, I'll take a pass on that experience. I was incorrect in my first post where I said we would be eating with the crew as our dining room is reserved for passengers only.

The Aranui is 385 feet long, about 54 feet wide, with the forward two thirds of the vessel dedicated to freight storage and handling. There are two permanently mounted cranes of 25 and 35 tonne capacities that are constantly in use when docked or anchored. The crane operators are incredibly skilled lifting huge cargo containers, forklifts, conveyor belts, automobiles, cement trucks, cases and cases of beer, and everything else necessary for the maintenance of life on the islands and dropping them in rolling seas onto barges which ferry them to the rough concrete docks where they are lifted off my huge mechanical shovels with chains dangling from their buckets. The barge drivers as well as those that pilot the whaleboats and drop- front landing craft, as I have only seen before in war movies, are by far the most skilled boat jockeys that I have ever seen. As the cruise progressed, more and more time was spent by the pax simply watching the loading and unloading process enjoying the intricate ballet being conducted with speed and precision by these Marquesans.

Getting back to the ship, the rear third is dedicated to passengers and generally has most of the amenities found on cruise ships but on a reduced scale and grandeur. There is a very pleasant lounge where lectures are conducted and has coffee and tea available 24/7, a lovely dining room, small but very deep pool, laundry facilities (5 euro/load), exercise room and large aft decks where you try to avoid the stack exhaust. An apt comparison would be that if they cruise ship is like a luxury hotel, the Aranui would be like a high-end bed-and-breakfast lacking some amenities but providing a more intimate experience by virtue of its size.

The pax are a diverse group being composed of about 55% French speakers, 40% English speakers and the balance Germans. There is an Elderhostel group of abot 16 who eat together and are somewhat standoffish so the party posse count is about 35. In the first few days there were some awkward moments in the dining room where open seating prevails, when many found themselves sitting with others they could not communicate with at all. The groups quickly polarized at least at meal time although with the Grux being fluently bilingual we seem to have our feet in both camps. (My french has improved noticeably to all, I am told, due to constant practice and the copious quantities of French wines provided at each lunch and dinner.)

Our French Polynesian hosts are in a word, French. (Who da thunk it!) This is definitely a primarily French cruise. Mila, a charming Marquesan lady who has become the den mother of the English pax and who gave the orientation lectures about the next day's activities and provided commentary in English at the various venues is generally competent in the language but is still well short of fluent. Her assistant Stephan, who is in training, tries hard and is well liked is otherwise incomprehensible. We have seen less and less of him as the cruise has progressed. The French program on the other hand is conducted by our cruise director Manaarii, who is a roguishly handsome devil with flashing eyes and a big smile, sings like an angel (You have to hear his Vie en Rose to believe it), dances with grace and power and is a virtuoso on every musical instrument he touches. He is also a stand-up comedian and has the French group as well as Mila in stitches at every orientation lecture although she has to sit and prompt him on content as that is not his strong point. Suffice it to say that the French are getting a bigger bang for their buck entertainment and information wise than are the pauvre anglais. Nobody cares about the Germans.

The food has been, in a word, outstanding. It is a fixed single choice menu for all, although special dietary needs are accommodated superbly. The fact that the ordering process has been done away with speeds everything up incredibly and the food is so good that when you finish one course you simply don't want to be kept waiting for the next. Generally I don't like salads but those served on board have been so diverse and delicious but they become my favorite part of each meal. Vinaigrette or cream dressings intermingle with seafoods on some locations or cheese melted into thin slices of French bread with bacon bits on others.

The first dish served at the first meal was Poisson Cru or raw tuna marinated in lime juice with small diced cucumbers and tomatoes. I was concerned that they had saved their best for first and everything would be downhill thereafter but this is proven not to be. The food is fresh and authentic Polynesian fare and not an emulation of the local cuisine. On three occasions we have eaten ashore at restaurants run by the locals which has being quite the experience of which I will say more later.

Before I get around to talking about the voyage itself, which I probably should do at some point, I would comment that we are extremely lucky that there are only 120 pax aboard this cruise notwithstanding that it can accommodate 180. Lots of space for all.

The fact that we have split off into smaller linguistic groups who tend to dine, tour and party together means that within a few days there was a bonding among the pax that took most (me) about a month to achieve on the 06 WV on the Pdam, Grux being the exception and knowing everyone within days on both cruises. Open dining , which I've never liked before, aids the process as you invariably meet new people at every meal and the fact that we all tour together under a single program with but a few optional extras being offered keeps the group tight. I learned early on in my career that to run a successful convention you should offer as much free booze is possible building the cost into the registration fee. The copious wine at meal time, particularly early on, created a party atmosphere and broke down inhibitions. We've all become more reasonable in our consumption as time progresses, as the midday hangovers enjoyed by many, detracted from the overall experience. We have made many new friends and have plans to keep in touch and do some travelling in future with some of them, especially Patty and Bruce from Chicago, a great couple we have spent a lot of enjoyable and quality time with. (they are on for the Rideau Canal with us next summer on the GS Coffee Club. Brannigans, Ohanas are you reading this?) Ok, Ok, the trip itself…..

To Be Continued….

Until that time…

Ides

[CoconutFish]

Thanks for this great report. We look forward to reading your witty prose for the duration of this trip.

What a clever way to improve one's French. Who knew?!

 

Could you tell us what the set-up is for breakfast and lunch: buffet?

 

Enjoy!

[Nancyquilts]

Ides - Thank you so much for bringing us along. :D I've missed your posts, as well as Grumpy's, tho' I hope he'll be posting next month. Nancy