LYTTLETON AND CHRISTCHURCH, NZ - January 29th

Arrived in the port of Lyttleton early Saturday morning.  It was a overcast but the temperature was perfect, around 68.  Although we did not have a tour planned, at the last minute the head Chef needed some supplies and we signed up to go along with him to the market.  The only market that was open was a small market with perhaps 50 vendors with the most gorgeous fruits, vegetables and fish.  We took a bus with about 10 other people who had signed up.

The market was nestled in a recess of a hill.  It was packed with families shopping.  There were musicians playing while we shopped and even though it started to rain no one seemed to mind.  There was everything from soup to nuts and we were offered tasty samples of most everything.
Everything is the market was organic.

THE CHEF WAS EXPLAINING THAT THESE PURPLE CARROTS ARE THE

NATURAL COLOR OF CARROTS BEFORE WE CHANGED THEM TO ORANGE.

Of course no trip would be complete without someone from the ship lending a helping hand.  Here 2 of the crew held wipes should our little hands get dirty from touching the veggies.

WE BOUGHT A COUPLE OF DELICIOUS BAGELS FOR OURSELVES

We spent about an hour with the chef as he made his purchases.  At one vendor he bought all the fish he had, and at another vendor all the cherry tomatoes he had.  Only one vendor refused to sell him all his beans because he needed them for his regular customers.  Had he been polite in his refusal it would have been one thing but he was quite rude to the chef.

We left the chef to go back to the ship and we wandered on our own.  We went into a small antique shop and there was a really unusual carving on the wall.  Here it is. The salesgirl called the owner and found out that it was from Papua, New Guinea.  This was later confirmed by another shop owner we stopped into.  She was from Papua herself.  The carving on it is spectacular of a crocodile and a mask.  Will fit perfectly in the house - the cost $45.  WHAT A BARGAIN!

We crossed the street to a pharmacy that was a post office as well.  We were going to try and ship it but they did not have a box big enough so we just lugged it with us all over Lyttleton and Christchurch.

We were hungry and stopped at a store to eat fish and chips.  It was delicious! It was served in paper and you had a choice of about 5 different kinds of fish she could use.  We chose sole.  I don't know what she used to make the batter but it was perfect!

By this time it was noon and we had to be back on board by 5pm so we hustled along the main road peeking into stores and Len taking photos.  We could hear the most beautiful violin music all over the main road.  We thought it was a record but as we walked along we came to this man playing an electric violin. He had the most brilliant blue eyes I have ever seen on anyone and he had the crowd mesmerized with his playing.  I bought a CD of his music.

To get to Christchurch we had to take the shuttle back to the ship and get on another shuttle.  Though we had time we were a little worried about the time it would take to bring the carving back on board so we just transferred to the other bus carrying the carving.  Lyttleton and Christchurch are 2 different cities. Lyttleton has about 6,000 people and Christchurch about 600,000.  We had to take a very long tunnel under the mountain to get into Christchurch.  This city too is spotless.  We came to a huge park where there were performers on Saturday. This is done often during the summer.  People were sitting on the ground watching a variety of acts.  One fellow created a painting during 2 Elvis songs - using only 3 different colors of paint.

We had no idea what he was painting until the 2nd song stopped and he rotated the canvas upside down

and it was the face of Elvis.  Fabulous!

PLAYING A GAME OF CHESS IN THE PARK

By this time it was getting late so we headed back to the ship via the shuttle.  The ship pulled out on time

and we lay down for a nap.  When we awoke around 8pm the ship was ROCKING AND ROLLING.

Not just a little, a lot! We were warned to stay off the open decks so we sat in the room, had a small bite to eat and I took a pill.  We went through the night with the ship rolling however the pill did it's work.

Tomorrow Port Chalmers.

AKAROA-January 28th

We arrived in Akaroa on Sunday the 29th.  We went by tender since it is a not a large island in NZ although equally very scenic like all the other islands we've been too.  There are only about 600 people living on the island year round  We had no tours scheduled and just got off the pier to look around.  We were in port only there for about 10 hours - that was long enough.  The town consisted of about 20 stores in total. 9 of them were restaurants, coffee houses and bars.  The town is used for summer vacationers from Auckland and Christchurch although I am not sure why. The only sport the town offered was a swim with the Dolphins.  There was only one lane of traffic only going through the center of town so I don't suppose that have too much traffic even when all the tourists are in town.

It took us about 1 hour to walk through town and there were not too many interesting things to see.  I believe it is more of a chance for the people who work aboard ship to stretch their legs more than anything else.

The Seabourn has a FREE "French Fete" that they invited passengers to attend.  It was to visit a winery and listen to some local music and a somewhat known NZ opera singer.  Well we don't drink wine and Len can't taste cheese and both of us are not into much opera so we turned back out ticket so that some other people could go.  About 200 passengers went.  It was mayhem in the Grand Salon while people lined up to get on board the tender boats to go ashore and we were glad we didn't attend.


The tender trip took about 25 minutes to get to the pier  The temp was perfect though and the sun was shining brightly. Len took just a few interesting photos. This was in front of a Thai restaurant and is carved out of 3 watermelons.

There was a huge palm tree that we stood under and a local took our picture.

The town was originaly founded by a Frenchman however he was 1 day late to claim it and an British captain claimed the island first.  The French, having travelled as far as they wanted settled here and so that is quite a bit of French influence in town 


As I said earlier, the town is so small there was not many things to photograph but Len did use the bathroom and shot an interesting picture inside, Here is a urinal and an enlarged picture of the "Aim" spot.

As I said before there was not much to see in Akaroa!
We are almost 9000 miles from home and still have a lot of water to sail in.  Skuttlebutt says we are in for rough weather!

IF IT'S WEDNESDAY, THIS MUST BE WELLINGTON - January 26th

Here I am dressed for our 4th formal night. (we missed one during the storm) Since we have been on the ship almost 1 month, there have been 5 formal nights. Thank goodness Suzanne and Samantha took me shopping, I would hate to have gone to dinner in my gray shorts! Len said I never looked nicer!

Wellington was fantastic.  I think we had never realized how beautiful a country New Zealand is.Their country, made up of many many islands is exquisite.  Hills that gently roll down to the ocean.  Sheer cliffs that drop 800 feet into the sea.  There are homes built into the side of the hills and it is not only picturesque outside the city but inside as well.  There is a pride the New Zealanders have that seems to glow on their faces.  Not a speck of rubbish on the roads.  Not a drop of graffiti anywhere.  (Just like home) 


When we arrived port on the dock was tons and tons and tons of logs waiting to be shipped mostly to Korea to be made into paper.  They farm the pine trees for shipment.  Most of these logs are 25 years old.

We took a cable car up to the hills above Wellington. There is a huge botanical garden that runs down the hill.  Takes about a half hour to walk down to the main street. Since we had gone on the tour earlier we were afraid we would not have time to walk around Wellington, so we took the cable car back down.Other people who did choose to walk said it was beautiful.

Even though some people smoke (not that many, since a PACKAGE of cigarettes cost from $10.00 to $20. (US) they encourage no smoking but the people that do smoke, don't throw their butts on the street.There are garbage cans every 200 - 300 feet in the city.  People are walking by, eating as they walk or sitting in coffee shops on the sidewalks and it is such a pleasure to see how much they care about this country by not dirtying it up. (Just like home)

We first took a tour of the countryside to visit another rancher who turned his home into a venue that does weddings, wine tastings (he grows grapes and bottles wine)  He was a fireman for 20 years and had an opportunity to buy the farm. He owns 200 acres on a hilltop with an outstanding view of the sea below.  Again the family went out of their way to show us everything.  He gave more detail in the herding of the sheep since he uses 2 different kinds of dogs and has 2000 sheep. There is a helicopter landing pad on the front lawn.


The dogs he uses are called Hunt Aways and the other is a Heading Dog. The sheep rustlers in early days only used the Heading Dogs because they are super quiet and never bark.  That way they  could rustle the sheep without being heard. This is the Heading Dog. They come from behind the sheep and push them forward.

This is the Hunt Away dog. He continuously barks CONTINUOUSLY and they were never used by the rustlers because they are so noisy.

They both knew exactly what to do.

As we drove back from the farm along the coast there were numerous wild goats.  The driver explained

that a number of years back someone decided to farm goats.  When he couldn't make a go of it he let them loose so now wild goats and escaped sheep run all over the hills.

There are no beggars on the streets of Wellington.  There were no police cars or sirens in the city that day.  After the tour we just walked around drinking in the sites.

There are signs everywhere for public toilets and here is a picture of one of the facilities. They even offer showers

We had a wonderful day in Wellington. Tomorrow we visit Christchurch.

OH WHAT A NIGHT! Sunday, January 23

We've been on the South Pacific Sea for 4 days and looking forward to arriving at Russell, Bay of Islands, NZ. A storm broke out late afternoon on Sunday and at first the ship just danced in the swells but within 2 hours it became really nasty. We are on the 6th floor and the sea was splashing our balcony.  I took a seasick pill around 5pm but by that time it was too late. The sea pounded the ship the entire evening.  We were supposed to have dinner with the Staff Captain but I called to cancel around 5:30.
It turned into a gale and by the time it had quieted down it was almost 5am.  We found out that the winds were clocked at  69 miles an hour and the sea had swells of 25 feet.  One man fell off a bar stool and dislocated a shoulder.  We were told the doctor's wife fell on the stairs.  Bottles flew off the shelves in the observation lounge and in one of the officers quarters a glass door shattered.  One of the employees had a canister explode and was burned.  I just clung to the mattress and stayed awake most of the night.

The next day dawned as shiny as a brand new penny as we pulled into Russell at 8am. Though it was extremely windy it was a beautiful day. Some brave tourists took an inflatable dinghy out. I've no idea where they were going but we never saw them again. Too many people for such a small boat.

 The climate in these seas are strange.  One minute the humidity is 85 and the next hour it is 65.  The other day I could not even sit out in the sun, the deck chairs were burning hot and a few hours later the wind came up and cooled everything down.  Today is gorgeous and thankfully the seas are calm.

Russell was the first port in the Bay of Islands to be inhabited by white people and we were given to understand the that people who arrived here were tough thugs about as close to pirates as you can get.
It's nickname was "The hell hole of the South Pacific." The city is small and in the whole Bay of Islands there are about 1.5 million people. I think they think the pirates are still around, look at the picture below.

Russell is a beautiful small city and sort of reminds me of Cape Cod with white picket fences and clapboard homes.  A resort town.  The harbor was filled with boats, from huge catamarans to yachts.  There was a real estate office (Century 21) that had homes from $750,000 to well over $3 million.
We had great fish and chips at a local restaurant right on the bay.  Many New Zealanders and Australians use this for a summer get away.
People were extremely friendly and the city was spotless.  I need to mention that the kids around town were all blond haired and blue eyed.  We saw one kid, a Maori in the whole of Russell, everyone else that walked by or worked in the shops were white.

Their currency is about 20% less than a US dollar.  We strolled around the city and had to be back on board by 5pm so it was a short trip.





Continued.........Monday-January 24th

We arrived at Aukland, our next port yesterday, Monday at 8am.  We had a tour scheduled and got off the ship at 9am.  The ship dock is right downtown and there were shops, eateries and coffee bars all over.  Aukland too is spotless clean, not a piece of litter on the the streets.  Our tour was a trip to a sheep farm about 1 hour north. We crossed their Bay Harbour bridge. After they built the bridge, they realized it did not have enough lanes, so they bid out the building of 2 additional lanes they attached to the bridge.  The bid was won by a Japanese company and they call the 2 lanes the NipponClipon.
Hills and small mountains cover New Zealand and it is absolutely beautiful. What I would imagine Ireland must look like.
The farm we went to was up on a hill and our bus pulled into an open area in front of their house.
Placidly grazing on the side lawn of the house were about 25 sheep.

The people who owned the house/farm welcomed us.  The door to their house was wide open and about 40 tourists (2 bus loads) strolled through their house.  The view from their kitchen, dining and living rooms looked out onto a valley.  It was spectacular.  They had a large area penned off in their back yard in which there were Fallow Deer walking about.  There was fresh corn in a bin and we were told we could feed the deer.  They sell the velvet off the antlers of the bucks to the Japanese.

About 15 minutes before we arrived, our bus driver called the farm house and I heard him tell the owner to "put the jug on." Of course once I got off the bus I asked the woman who owned the house what that meant and she told me it meant to heat the kettle of water for tea.
Their huge garage held tables and chairs and there was a table filled with a large assortment of cakes, sandwiches and cookies, all homemade with tea, coffee or lemonade.  We were made to feel extremely comfortable at the house.

The bus driver said that the price of wool is so low that farmers who own properties are subsidizing the cost of sheep and cattle ranching by opening their homes to tourists.

There are about 4 million people living in New Zealand and there are 65 million sheep. (Lamb chops anyone?)
After tea we had a demonstration of sheep herding and shearing and I took a small piece of wool from the sheep he sheared to show the kids. The idea being that the shearers need to take the wool off the sheep in one piece.

They had a demonstration of one of their dogs herding the sheep.  It is amazing that with hand signals and very little yells, the dog instinctively knows what to do. We spent about 1 hour at the farm and on the way back we stopped at a Gannet breeding colony.  There are about 1500 birds in this colony and it was interesting to watch them take off and land on the rocks and side of the steep hills.
Len took a picture of the beach close to the colony.  The weather was spectacular and in the low 70's.

We came back to town. Len bought a mug and a box of Kiwi chocolates and I bought a souvenir pin for my jacket. We came back to the ship and napped.
Today is a sail day as we head for Wellington, at the south end of New Zealand. We arrive tomorrow morning at 8am.  It's a formal night tonight and we are having dinner with some other people.

Boy I would love a bowl of my spaghetti tonight and piece of my chocolate cake! (Did I say this already!)

I GUESS I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM DOING

I thought I had posted the story and photos but Adam said he couldn't find them.  First, these are some photos of Len and his initiation into King Neptune's Court, a ceremony the ship does when you cross the equator.  I've spent the last hour going through files and couldn't find the story I wrote but at least here are some of the photos

THIS WAS SOME OF THE GOO THEY PLAN TO DOUSE THE POLLYWOGS WITH

THIS IS LEN COVERED IN GOO AND READY TO JUMP INTO THE POOL TO CLEAN OFF

AFTER THE INITIATION

I wrote a fantastic article about Moorea and island that we had stopped at before Bora Bora

That story too is missing but here are some photos of me swimming with Sting Rays and patting one

I will have to check more carefully to make sure the stories and photos upload

THERE IS A STING RAY BENEATH ME

VERY SOFT BUT FIBEROUS

SATURDAY - JANUARY 22nd - GETTING ANTSY!

Spent a quiet day today and I am getting a little antsy.  It was extremely hot, about 95, yet the water temperature has gotten lower, about 77 and it is quite humid. (so much for the hairdo) There are some people sitting and baking in the sun and a couple have turned from white skinned to very dark brown. Funny, the lips of these people remain lighter than their complexion. I think they should have a dermatologist give lectures on board!

We had a Galley Lunch today which was very nice.  They put out everything, from a whole roast pig to lobster claws.  We went into the galley before the hoard arrived and Len took photos. Here is a photo taken in the main dining room. There were 2 tables loaded with desserts.  In the center of each was a baked Alaska.   There were 2 different sugar sculptures at the end of the tables.  The galley of course was spotless clean and there must have been at least 10 stations with so much food.  The kitchen is huge and I understand that there are more than 62 persons working in the kitchen and 48 of them are chefs.  Their beef is 21 day aged Texas beef and for the most part the food is delicious.  I think because I am eating smaller portions, my sugar has been great and am taking less medication than I did at home.  I think Len and I are about done with eating  "great food" .  We skipped tea and goodies today. How many scones and clotted cream can one person eat?

We had the last lecture from the Maori chief today and he passed around his traditional weapons for us to hold.  The carvings on them were fantastic.  I finished the lion painting and I think Len and I will eat in our room tonight so I can give the painting to our waiter Calvin.  Here it is. Looks better in real life.

This is a picture of the little boat our stewardess made for us when we crossed the date line yesterday.

Can't wait to touch land again.  We hit New Zealand on Monday, just 2 days from now.

Thursday - January 20th - CLOWNS TO THE LEFT OF ME, JOKERS TO THE RIGHT - STUCK IN THE MIDDLE (so glad its with Len)

It is 5:00 am here and the sky is lightening up.  Sunrise is well before 6am. I am sitting on the balcony watching the sun rise.  The waters are just long low swells and the ship is running smooth.  The water is more than 15,000 feet deep!
Sailing this length of time on the ocean and not seeing land or ships is strange to say the least. Makes you realize we are smaller than grains of sand on a beach and how vast this planet really is.  It takes 17 hours on a plane from Sydney to Miami.

We have been at sea now going on our 3rd day without seeing land.   Last evening we crossed the International Date Line so virtually there is no Friday the 21st . There is a Rabbi and a Priest on board and the Rabbi had Friday night services on Thursday.  It is now Saturday the 22nd.  I really don't understand where the day goes but if someone on the ship had a birthday on the 21st, it went by unrecognized. A friend sent me a "ponderism" that said:

When told the reason for daylight savings time the old Indian said, "Only the government would believe that you can cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it onto the bottom, and have a longer blanket."

I think the same can be said about losing the 21st. The year down here does not have 364 days on their calendar.

Yesterday a guest chef demonstrated the preparation of a dish which requires ingredients and tools I've never even heard of. From a very famous Las Vegas Hotel it was amazing at how complicated his recipe was.
About 4-5 people got up and left and as he explained that you needed a syphon with 3 air cartridges to plate the fish mousse  on which rested a roll made out of lobster knuckles (yes that's right lobster knuckles, not the lobster tail because the knuckles are more flavorful.) that you had just finished poaching in plastic wrap.

I was thinking a Burger King may be good right about then.  I walked out before he finished spritzing the mousse on the presentation plate.

We have another lecture by the Maori Chief this morning. Here is his photo. He is really interesting and has told fantastic stories about the Maori nation,
He explained that the wide open eyes and sticking out of the tongue was an intimidation technique used to frighten the enemy.  In a short film he showed of one of the war dances done by a troupe of performers at a Maori competition they all appeared this way in parts of the film.  At the end of the performance they all jump up and down in unison.  Can you imagine 6000 Maoris with faces like that jumping in unison.  He said the ground shook. It must have put fear into the hearts of their enemies. By the way, the last cannibal died in 1938!

There are some very nice (and some not nice at all) aboard the ship. You would think that people of worth would dress fabulously well all the time but it ain't so.  I feel right at home in my gray shorts!

This morning the sun is shining and the humidity is down.  For the last 2 days it has been overcast and rainy.

There is a jewelry store on board the ship and while we were having tea and treats in the observation lounge he was having an informal chat with 6 people about rare gems and gold.  We sat across from them, listened and watched their faces.

It was kind of like watching a farmer trying to milk reluctant cows!  I thought the tea would spurt out of Len's nose because he laughed so hard as I made this comment.

I did a wash yesterday and there are strange people you meet in every nook and cranny of the ship.
While I was folding my clothes, this unsmiling gentleman has his clothes in the washing machine and I watched as he opened the door at least 12 times to see the progress of his wash. Impatient!  Now unless I am mistaken and he was deaf as a post, there was no need to see the clothes swishing in the washer you just had to listen!

There is something to do at all hours of the day and evening.  I had imagined being bored during sea days but between the lectures, demonstrations, the shows (of which there are at least 2 a day) there is something for everyone. While the ship is at sea I go down to the casino around 3pm to play blackjack.  I started with $100. and am still with the same $100 -

I tried the tap dancing class but it seems that my 2 left feet on a moving ship don't interact very well.  One class was enough.

 I had my hair done yesterday.  The Harpo Marx look is not all that stylish so I indulged myself.

Indulgence is the key word aboard the ship and the key reason why people sail.
I guess that people who can afford to be this indulged must be indulged in their homes daily-  just  different set decorations. Regardless of what you ask of the staff they make every effort to get it for you.  Most of the waiters, stewardesses and staff know us by our names and you are really made to feel special throughout the day. It took less than a week for staff to know our names. Not just us, but most everyone.

Yesterday was German day at the buffet for lunch. I swear you could hear Bavarian folk songs in the background.  There was not much for me to eat other than a salad and a small tuna sandwich.

We had dinner last evening with 2 very nice people who live in Puerto Viarta Mexico.  It was a wonderful evening and the restaurant is lovely.  First time we've eaten there.  It is a tiny restaurant with perhaps 15 tables.  The menu is set so you eat what's put in front of you.  The presentation was unique but the food sucked!
There were 7 courses and on each oblong plate of food (2 mouthfuls each) there were 3 to 5 items.  The the contents of the oblong plate is verbally described by the waiter from left to right and you are expected to taste every item.  These are not simple food items.  They are elegantly presented and a tremendous effort to blend exotic ingredients with one another.  With the exception of a tiny portion of veal most of Len's and my plate were left untouched.  Somehow dishes like vanilla cappuccino soup blended with Asian spices didn't seem appealing and we only nibbled most of the dishes. (and the other people with us ate about the same amount.)  The menu changes daily and we will try it again with different food.

Today is a galley brunch.  The kitchen is filled to the brim with every food imaginable and you get to walk through the galley and pick and choose what you would like to eat.  On the cruise to Alaska they did the same thing and it is amazing to see this presentation. Len is going to go down and take photos before it opens and I will post the pictures.

(I seem to be talking a lot about food don't I)

There is a lecture today at 2pm about New Zealand, I hope it is as interesting as the Maori's was.

Last night our stewardess put on our bed 2 certificates with our names on them acknowledging that we crossed the date line.  She made a little paper boat with our pictures cut out and placed on top of the certificates.  I'll put up a picture later.

I finished a watercolor painting a lion and I'll upload that too. There is a room service attendant from South Africa who saw me working on it and told me it reminded him of home.  I am going to give him the painting before we leave the ship.

We arrive in Russel, Bay of Islands NZ on the 24th.

MONDAY THE 17th - BORA BORA NOT BORING BORING

We arrived at Bora Bora on Monday at 8am.  The weather was splendid.  About 80 with a clear bright sky.  When you see all these islands from the sea they are all covered with clouds hanging in the mountains.  All the islands are beautiful, looking like they are rising in the mist.

The tender brought us over to the wharf and our tour, a ride in a 4 x 4 Jeep was what we had planned.
The Jeep held 6 people (bench style)  and I made sure that we sat up front right behind the driver.  This way we could hear what he had to say and still be able to hold on to the backs of the front seats when the ride got rough.  (I am so smart)

The driver was great and talked a lot about the island.  Whereas Papeete has about 200,000 people, Bora Bora has about 9,000.  Land mass is about equal so you know that the island is unspoiled.  The water around Bora Bora was exquisite, much like Moorea.  Blue lagoons and crystal clear water.

ONE OF THE HOTELS THAT DOT THE LANDSCAPE

There is no hospital on the island, they have to fly to Papeete and there are only 7 doctors on the island.
Typical island lifestyle, no one rushes.  There is one public school and middle school, no high school. The natives go to Papeete for high school and travel further still if they want college.

There are a number of hotels on the island. Price ranges at The 4 Seasons Hotel for one of the huts over the water is from $1000 per night to $10,000 per night.  Our guide told us that tourism has declined and now the $1000. price is down to $500. (a bargain.) Our guide went to the hotel for breakfast and had coffee, toast and jam and his bill was $125.  Prices are insane all over the island but regardless, the scenery is beautiful.

We got into the Jeep and heading along the coast highway.  The plan was to go into the interior a ways and climb up to the top of one of the mountains.  According to our driver, land owned by natives is never ever sold, it is passed on through the family. There are no cemeteries on the island so the dead are usually buried on this land and most of the time in the front yard. Families grow their own fruits and vegetables or trade them with one another and fish, being the main staple here are plentiful.

GRAVE RIGHT IN THE FRONT YARD

Well the driver is cruising down the highway and makes a sharp right and then all hell broke loose.  We climbed the mountain with on a dirt track NOT a road just a narrow path with 2 deep ruts in the track.  Anyone with kidney or back problems would not be able to take this ride.  We clung to the back of the driver's seat while he climbed through the forest over rocks, boulders and mud. The incline was at least 40 degrees up and down on some parts of the climb.  It was exciting. It took about 20 minutes to climb the hill.

At the top of the mountain there were 2 cannons from the 2nd World War. After the Japanese destroyed Pearl Harbor, US troops came to Bora Bora thinking the Japanese would invade.  The Americans opened a small opening in the reef that surrounds the island big enough for their ships, though from the top of the mountain it looks quite narrow.  The Americans brought electricity, water purification, roads, and milk for the babies all of which the natives were very happy to have.

The guns are still there. There is also the remains of a storage bunker where they kept ammunition.  Since the Japanese never invaded, the soldiers had a great time on the island and apparently left behind many babies.  Most of the soldiers never returned but told stories of the beauty of the island and that's how it became a famous vacation island.

We went down the mountain and travelled along the coast highway, another sharp right (they don't drive slowly) and up the side of another mountain.  There is a sign at the foot of the incline that says to only go with a guide.  You can get lost up here.  As a matter of fact a tourist a couple of years ago went hiking and they found him 3 days later with a broken leg.  They called out the army, the police to help in the search. The view from that vantage point was spectacular.

We stopped at an artists home on the way down where they paint the Pacheo (sarong) (the fabric that everyone wears.)  They are all beautifully hand painted.  Our driver and 2 other drivers go out and sat on the verandah singing us songs and offering fruit.

DELICIOUS FRUIT GROWN RIGHT HERE

We went back down the hill to visit a pearl farm.  It was great to see how the pearls are cultivated.
Len took fantastic pictures but I only put up the one below. The owner showed us how he opened the pearl and Len's fabulous photo of a pearl inside is visible.  I put my hand under the mussel and he dropped the pearl into my hand.

YOU CAN SEE THE PEARL INSIDE

It was outstanding to learn how they produce the pearls. We returned to the Jeep and made out way into town.  Walked around some of the shops then back on board the tender to the ship.

Arrived back at almost 4pm in time for tea and goodies.

Went back to our cabin, rested a while and then dressed for dinner.  It was a GREAT DAY.

CONTINUED.................

Yesterday,  we spent the day at sea heading to Rarotonga, one of the Cook islands.  We arrived today,

Wednesday the 19th at 8am but the Captain decided that the sea was too rough to take the tenders out.

(Can't have people smashed against the wharf can we!) so we bypassed the island and are heading to New Zealand.  I am sorry we missed the island.  We had a tour schedule with a Maori Medicine Man and it was cancelled.  Yesterday at sea we had a Maori man give a fantastic lecture on Maori culture and traditions.  He was covered in tattoos.  He was dressed in a native costume.  Scary looking.  He talked about the cannibalism that went on in the past.  Extremely interesting. He lectures again today.

Since today was a wash (I guess the people on the island are none to happy either) there are no plans

but to sit for the next 4 days until New Zealand.  I will finish the lion I am working on and take it easy.

We are sitting up on Deck 9, the sun is shining (we sit in the shade) watching people exercise and swim

in the pool.

PHOTOS ETC.

Made an error - currency in Papeete is the Pacific Franc and it is tied to the Euro.  They don't use French
francs.

GREETINGS AT THE WHARF IN PAPEETE

HALL'S TYPEWRITER WITH MANUSCRIPT or SET DECORATION

GREAT EH?

BLOW HOLE

SOME THINGS FISHY

SATURDAY EVENING - THE 15th - CAN'T SLEEP SO I'LL BLOG

It is almost 2am here - 5 hours difference from Miami where it is 7 am.  I am sitting on our balcony with the computer and watching guys racing up and down the main street on motorbikes with engines that sound like angry bees. (you can't hear them in the cabin.)   There is a dog in the distance and I can hear its small  cries for the last couple of hours.  There are hundreds of dogs roaming the island and unfortunately our guide this morning told us that although Tahitians love dogs, most can't afford to look after them well so they are let loose to multiply.  They have no animal control here and it costs $200 US to spay them.

Arrived in Papeete, Tahiti this morning at 8am.  The weather has been beautiful.  This island like all the others are cloaked in clouds at the highest peaks. (around 6000-7000 ft).  The clouds float on top and through the mountain peaks.

I was a little disappointed because I had expected the waters around the island to be so clear that you could see to the bottom.  It was a beautiful blue but not brochure turquoise.  There were large brown sections in the ocean and our guide explained that the runoff from the interior muddies the water and makes it impossible the coral to grow due to lack of salinity in the water.

We were taking a bus tour around the island at 9am and were the first people off the ship.  A lovely air conditioned bus picked us up at the dock and we spent the day touring the island.  Our guide was terrific and spoke perfect English.

We stopped at the home of James Norman Hall, writer of Mutiny on the Bounty. The house had lain in ruins until about 2 years ago when they decided to turn it into a museum and refurbished it replete with a manuscript page halfway typed and inserted in an old typewriter. It looked like a set decoration from a movie - a little too staged but none the less cute, however I sat outside while the other tourists roamed the house and the fragrance in the air was incredible. The flowers and plants are quite like Miami but far more profuse, and the air was filled it a heady scent of flowers and spice. I sat on a bench listening to the birds chatter inhaling the perfumed air.

Angry bees, angry bees.


We continued along the main road of the island which has about 200,000 people on it (the island silly, not the road.) There are some magnificent homes here and poor poor shelters (you can't call them  homes) that the majority live in.
Though they seem to be pleasant and fairly happy the disparity between rich and poor smacks you in the face.

Since it is owned by France the main language is French and the second language is Tahitian.  Each island in this group have their own unique language though the common language is French, They work on the French monetary system and the courts are run like France. The people's attitude is mixed - 50% like the French government and the other 50% would like to be separate. Tahiti was bought by the French from the ruling chief years ago for $60,000 US dollars which he promptly drank away.

The center of the island is magnificent. The mountains are covered in green and it's a rain forest in the interior.  We continued on our tour and went into the mountains to see a very tall waterfall.  We all got off the bus and walked about 10 minutes into the forest filled with palms, bamboo and huge trees covered in moss and lichen.  You could hear the waterfall well before we got to it.  I and a few other brave ones walked as close to it as we dared and the mist felt terrific. Didn't need to take that shower this morning when all of a sudden it started pouring cats and dogs.  Really really pouring hard.  Between the waterfall and the rain you couldn't hear yourself think!

Angry bees, angry bees.

We were so wet that there was no need to rush back to the bus and we didn't. Suddenly it stopped raining. Len took scads of pictures (will upload tomorrow night.)  We were told that the weather is like that all the time - rain in the interior and dry near the ocean.

Winter months are called the "season of plenty" the summer months the "season of famine" where nothing grows since it is too hot and dry.

We stopped at a blow hole where the ocean rushes in and make a terrific sound as the water pushes the air through the hole first.  Terrific.  Len of course went down really close and the guide kept at Len  telling him to get back - he didn't listen and took some great photos.

We stopped at one of the only small markets open on Saturday afternoon. Nothing to buy just typical souvenirs like shells, beads and such.  They close their markets and stores at noon on Saturday and don't open till Monday. During the week the everything closes for siesta at noon.

 We watched a group of fisherman with nets drag out hundreds of small fish (about 8" long) from the ocean and the group of about 15 men, women  and children sat on a tarpaulin on the ground stringing 15 fish on a bamboo shaft which they sell in the market for about $10. US.  The food market opens at around 3am when people come from all over the island come to sell their fruits and veggies. I wish we could have seen this but the ship (not allowed to call it a boat) leaves at 6am and I am afraid we could miss the boat if we go to the market.  You can get off the ship all day and night long until it is time to depart.  As a matter of fact I see a couple of people coming on board now.  (It's almost 3am)

We got back to the ship around 5pm and were scheduled to go to a restaurant in town and a Tahitian floor show but we were so tired we decided to stay aboard.  Had a bite to eat and I fell asleep for a couple of hours while Len put his photos on his computer. That's why I am up at now 3am!

Angry bees, angry bees and crying dog.

Although it is a nice place to visit, it is like the Bahamas with mountains.

Tomorrow we sail at 6am to Moorea, an island that should take us no more than one hour to get to (You can see it from here)
We have a snorkeling trip lined up.  I understand that the water around that island is brochure turquoise and I look forward to seeing it myself.

I guess I should try to get some sleep but that is not likely to happen.

IT'S FRIDAY THE 14th QUIET DAY - CRAZY NIGHT

It has been quite warm as we head further south to Papeete.  There is less of a breeze than earlier in the trip but I can still handle the heat.  I understand as we get to around Tasmania it will become cooler and I look forward to it.

We are scheduled to arrive in Papeete around 1pm tomorrow and are there until Sunday late afternoon.

Had  breakfast with Paulette Mitchell, guest chef on board. She disembarks tomorrow.  Seabourn plans on bringing in guest chefs throughout the cruise at various ports.  She was quite pleasant although I got the feeling that she felt a little rebuffed by the Seabourn staff. If she was cooking a dish that evening or preparing for a lecture, she was not allowed to go into the pantry or refrigerator to retrieve her ingredients, she had to be accompanied by a Sous Chef and they are always busy so she had some difficulties.  I won't mention this in the story but she seemed peeved.

I told her I really wanted to talk to long term cruisers and she promised to put me in touch with another cruiser through email.

Paulette has been a guest chef on various cruise lines for more than 15 years and was telling us stories about some of the "Wonderful and Charming" people she has met: like the guy who is now 90 years old and Seabourn would not allow him to come on the unaccompanied because he falls quite a bit. He refuses to be helped so he opted not to come on this cruise.
For formal nights he refused to wear a Tux but would come in costume to dinner dressed in whatever port he was close to,  Example near Egypt he came to dinner in a turban, cloak and pantaloons including curved toed shoes,  Near China he came dressed as a Mandarin with pigtail and embroidered jacket................and so on.
Paulette told us that a husband and wife came on board and the husband was in ill health.  He passed away during the cruise and rather than get off the ship the wife told the Captain that since she had paid for 2 she would call her sister and her sister could fly to the next port and join her for the rest of the cruise,
They kept the dead husband in a cooler until they came to a port where Seabourn helped the wife have him cremated.  She came home with his ashes, her sister and a wonderful cruise to remember.  No joke!

I would have loved to meet these people to write about, but I know we will meet many long term cruisers during the trip on our own.

2 people we had previously met asked us to meet them for dinner tonight.  Cabin 862 calling Cabin 646.
"Hello Helen and Len this is Michelle and Dick.  Would you like to meet us in the Observation Lounge for cocktails and then have dinner in the Colonnade?"

Len moaned and I sighed.  We had had a very light lunch sitting with 2 other people (whose names I've already forgotten) and then at 4 went to the Observation Lounge for tea.  Well tea consists of not only tea but pastries and sandwiches.  After Len eating 3 small pastries and I eating 3 small sandwiches we were not in the mood for dinner but no sooner had we gotten back to the room than the phone rang with the
cocktails & dinner request.

Well you can't be rude to people because word gets round quickly here so Len and I agreed to meet in about 2 hours.
No sooner had Len laid his head down that the phone rang.  Cabin 721 calling Cabin 646.
"Hello Helen - this is Suzy and Lance Erickson. Could you meet us tomorrow before we dock? We are having problems with our uploading photos and we could use your help."
So tomorrow we are having breakfast and computers in the restaurant to try to help.

Kinda like the blind leading the blind I think or it could turn out to be like a skit from the 3 Stooges. Will let you know.

Well the 4 of us went down to dinner (Michelle and Dick). On the way she says - Sylvia is joining us.
WHO IS SYLVIA?,  I wondered.

Well this was the scene out of Seinfeld.

 Do you remember the episode that Jerry goes with Kramer and his girlfriend to the restaurant and the girlfriend is a low talker.  You see lips moving but can't hear the words and Jerry got sucked into wearing the pirate shirt on the Leno show?
Well this was Sylvia.  A really, really low talker,
She must be older than dirt! She may weigh 80 lbs. but I could be wrong and she may be less.
There were more wrinkles on her face that in a stack of Phylo dough and she talked.  She talked and talked and I don't think i heard 10 words of what she was saying but Len and I nodded and smiled and smiled and nodded for about an hour.
I know she has travelled extensively on Seabourn.  The staff call her by her first name and there is a ritual to serving her.  A big glass of red wine, 2 rolls and 2 pats of butter.  The glass gets perpetually  refilled and it is my guess she had 4 glasses of wine with dinner (but who's counting)

I would love to talk to her about cruising but I'm afraid I wouldn't hear much of what she said unless I corner her in a bathroom where there is no other sounds.

After dinner Len and I went to Deck 9 (smoking area) and sat down.  A Canadian couple sat down at our table and we talked and smoked.   Let me tell you - Unless you have lived in Canada and been exposed to people who smoked Export A cigarettes for more than 25 years could never truly appreciate the sounds that came out of both their lungs. The coughing fits both of them had, I thought they were both going to spit out lung particles any minute,

Well we came down to our room and found the cutest facecloth made in the shape of a baby seal with 2 little black matches for eyes.  Will upload a photo tomorrow.

LAST EVENING AND OUR FIRST PORT OF CALL - JANUARY 13th

Last evening was wonderful. We had dinner at the Captain's table.  They do not put husband and wife side by side. This was the case with the other staff we've dined with as well and there are place cards where to sit at these tables.

 The Captain is a very gracious gentlemen.  He is also very diplomatic.  People do ask the most stupid questions and he answers them all in a serious tone.  "What is your favorite port" simpered a ditz at the table.  He replied, "Nuku Hiva" (that's the port were heading to last night.) "Seriously?" she replied.  His response "Any port we are about the enter my dear is my favorite port." (this way he is not offending the Brits, the Americans, the Brazilians, the Canadians and the Korean's who were at the table.  (I was sitting beside him and I leaned over to his and said softly to him "You're such a diplomat." He laughed.
I am sure he wishes he was elsewhere. Sitting and chatting with 12 people at the table cannot be his idea of much fun,

Food of course is incredible.  There is a dessert they have every evening at the Grill by the pool and often in the other restaurants as well.  Its called Pot au Chocolate.  There is probably not more than 6 teaspoonfuls in the little dish but it is pure heaven.  I will NOT leave the ship without the recipe.

They did not offer it last night in the main restaurant where we were eating and I asked the waiter if there was that dessert even though it was not on the menu.  He went upstairs to the pool and brought back 4 pots.
I didn't really want to be piggish about it so I only ate 2! (LOL)

We were up at 4am this morning - the ship was scheduled to dock at Nuku Hiva at 8am - the capital of the Marquesas Islands.  The sky was just lightening up and we went on the top deck to watch.
At first you only see a cluster of clouds on the horizon and slowly the shape of the mountains on the island just miraculously appear through the clouds.

It was a little gloomy,  the sun was trying to peek out and there was a very light drizzle.
By 6:30 am the 2 lunatics were exercising.  I get dizzy just from watching. I don't know why her hands are covered (see photo). I guess I'll get up some nerve to ask her. (if she will stand still long enough)

We went downstairs at 8am to board the first tender (little boat) since the ship is parked away from the pier.  For most of the destinations we will disembark from we will need to do so with a tender not at a wharf.

                         VIEW OF THE SHIP FROM THE OTHER SIE OF THE ISLAND


The island was quite small, rugged looking, very rocky and the people speak French but they certainly made all the tourists feel welcome.  We took a bus ride around the one street that the bus route took us.  There are many cars, trucks and Jeeps on the island although it did not look like there were very many roads.  No beggars and people seemed to be pleasant.  Polyneasian  looking.   (tried 3 times to get the spelling right)

                                                   FROM THE SHOW AT THE WHARF

There was a very small market at the wharf - mostly shells, beads and Tiki gods for sale.  They put on a little show for us and surprisingly it was entertaining.


The ship was in port only for 4 hours and after the show we got back on the tender.  One native told me it had not rained in 3 months and the island is very dry.  After the dance it started to pour rain. Maybe the dancing had something to do with it.

We are back on board - it is about 750 miles to Papeate  Tahiti and will arrive on Saturday for 2 days.
Len is watching TV in the room and I am up on Deck 9 in a corner - nice and quiet.
We will probably eat at the Grill by the pool or in our room.

Len has fabulous photos but can't upload large files. will make a book about the trip when we come home.