Roratonga, Cook Islands

We had planned to meet up with anyone who wanted to share a boat for snorkeling again but I woke with a migraine so told Mel to go ahead without me. The seas were very rough, so everyone decided to forget the boat and just go ashore. By 8:30 I was up and dressed and ready to go....the wonders of modern medicine! We were on the 2nd tender to go ashore, quite a bumpy ride. The small pier was protected by a breakwall, so landing was fine.

 

Once on shore, there were several small buses waiting. The ship had no planned excursions because of the island's small infrastructure, so everyone was on their own. We hopped on a bus. For $10 per person we got a tour all around the island. It ended up being about 1 1/2 hrs, so a great deal. We stopped at a beach and several other places along the way. They had had rain for 3 weeks before our arrival, everything was very green. The driver pointed out all the crops. Everything grows well there so no one was going hungry on that island. They export a number of their crops to New Zealand and Australia such as papaya. The driver pointed out several natural lagoons that would be good for snorkeling so when we were back at the pier, we found a taxi to take us to the beach.

 

We left our bags in front of a nice hotel. Used their chairs too. The beach was beautiful, with several small islands just off shore. The water was shallow so we could walk to the islands. A cute dog came up to us before we went into the water so I gave him a piece of bread. Once in the water, he followed us all the way to the island (he had to swim), around the island and back to shore. Very cute. He was rewarded with more bread and even some ham Mel had brought along for lunch. Probably the best meal he'd had in ages.

The water wasn't as clear as in Bora Bora, but there was a lot of coral as well as many colorful fish. What was amazing were all the sea cucumbers! They looked like giant turds all over the sea floor. We'd never seen them in the wild like that before. We have eaten them in Chinatown many times though. Mel picked one up just to see what it was like. It spurted water when brought out in the air. The sea side of the island was covered with large chunks of dead coral, quite beautiful in a way. There was a reef further out, but we didn't feel like we had time to go out any more. Our taxi was returning for us in 1 1/2 hrs, and was right on time.

 

We were dropped at one of the few stores that was open on a Sunday. Not the best day to be in port. We shopped there then walked the short distance back to the pier. A market was set up near there also, so we were able to shop. We headed back to the ship at about 2. The tender ride was quite fun, with very rough seas. Shortly after we were safely back on board, they announced the tender service was stopped for going ashore, they would only be bringing people back to the ship because of the roughness of the sea.

The Lido was closed by the time we'd showered and dressed so we ate at the grill. I had a hamburger which was great. We ended up eating in the Lido for dinner since we'd had such a late lunch. Kind of nice not having to wait for our table mates to eat their 3 or 4 starters before dinner. I skipped the show also, so had a nice, open evening. I got online pretty quickly while everyone was either at late dinner or at the show. Once that was over, it was impossible to get back online. The Internet Mgr explained that there is only a certain amount of bandwidth that everyone shares. If someone is uploading a lot of pics or something, they could be using the majority of the bandwidth, so others wouldn't be able to get online. Interesting but frustrating!

 

When loading the tenders, they encountered problems with one of the winches. The Capt announced that they were sending the tender back to the pier so they had a safe place to wait while it was fixed. We were supposed to leave Roratonga at 5 but sat in the harbor until almost 8 before we finally set sail for Alofi, Niue. (Has anyone heard of that place!!!???)

Bora Bora Day Two

We arranged with the boat the first day to come back for us at 9 for another 2 hours. This time one of our table mates, Frank, and a woman Mel picked up on the pier went with us, as well as the Canadian couple. Amanda had no plans for the day, no swimsuit, but was game to join us anyway.  Mel and I arrived on the pier early so I could go to the Post Office. Mel decided he should have a swim cap to protect his head from the sun so we walked to 2 different grocery stores and even the marine shop with no luck. We only had 15 minutes before we were to meet everyone, but the Post Office would be closed when we returned so I went there. You had to take a number and it was hot inside. I don't know what the islanders were doing at the counter but they weren't just buying stamps! It took a long time for my number to be called. Fortunately I was only a couple of minutes late.

We headed out to see the rays and sharks again first. That had been the most fun the day before. This time I had water shoes on (with Bora Bora embroidered on them!) ;rather than just socks, so was easier on the feet. After the rays, we had time to circle the island or go to a coral garden. We all opted for the latter. It was beautiful, with a lot of coral and fish. There was quite a current though, which pulled us away from the boat making it hard to get back to the boat. Frank actually told another boat that he needed help so the guide on that one threw him a ring then towed him back to our boat. Guess the current scared him.

At our request, our guide had arranged for us to be dropped at the Hilton for lunch and more swimming. We arrived at about 11. What a beautiful hotel! Hotel Bora Bora was the original hotel with "rooms" over the water. It became the norm in Bora Bora, so you seen them all around the island. Hotel Bora Bora was opened in 1961, then closed 3 years ago. The Hilton was designed in the same style, with the rooms out over the water. Each one has a deck and ladder so you can swim right from your room. They cost starting at $900 per night, not cheap. Our guide pointed out a pension where you can stay for about $120 per night per person, including 2 meals which is right on the beach. Nothing is included at the Hilton!

Lunch was delicious! I ordered Tuna Tartar in coconut milk along with a Mai Tai. Mel and I shared mahi-mahi on skewers with a coconut milk curry sauce. Very good. After eating we hit the beach. Turns out, the best snorkeling was right there between the rooms! There was a larger variety of both coral and fish. I saw a lot of clams, which were beautiful and interesting. They get imbedded in coral so only the "mouths" show, which are bright colors, teal, blue or green. I'd never seen such a thing before.

 

I took an outdoor shower by the pool to get rid of the salt and got dressed. I did some marathon shopping in the gift shop before returning to the pier via the hotel's water shuttle. It dropped us off at an expensive pearl shop. We did one last pass thru the market then headed to the ship. I think Bora Bora will be our favorite island for a long time. It'll take a lot to top it.

Bora Bora Day One

If you are ever thinking about visiting a S. Sea island, forget about Tahiti and head straight to Bora Bora! What a beautiful place. There is a main island surrounded by smaller motu's, or islands and a barrier reef. A break was made in the reef during the second World War, so ships can go into the lagoon to anchor. We were anchored in what used to be the center of a volcano, right next to the Paul Gaugin, a Princess ship that cruises Polynesia.

 

We were cleared to go ashore at about 8. I had tried to make arrangements for a boat to go snorkeling. I'd emailed before we hit Tahiti, but after that our internet was down so I didn't get the reply until the morning we arrived. I did reply that 6 of us would be on the dock at 8:30, but that was at 8, so wasn't at all sure we'd find a boat waiting. After a short tender ride we arrived at the pier. We asked around, finally finding the company I'd communicated with. He said he didn't get a confirmation from me, so couldn't take us until 10. That worked out great! We had time to shop the market before getting on the boat.

Once on the boat, we took off toward the reef. We were with a couple from Toronto, a woman from the San Francisco Bay Area and her friend from Germany. Our first stop was in deep water so the German woman, who had never snorkeled before, stayed on the boat. It was a bit rough, but the coral was beautiful. There were also many fish. Such clear water! Next stop was on the reef where rays come to be fed. They were a lot larger than the ones in the Grand Cayman and a LOT of them. We were also swimming with black tipped sharks about 4' long. They just cruised around, also looking for food from the boats. Turned out that our guide also spoke German, so was able to help Rosemary learn how to snorkel. He was a nice guy. She was so thrilled to be able to swim with the rays, it was really cute. The Canadian woman, Pat, wasn't too sure about the rays, especially when they bumped up against her. We were all snorkeling around within a short time. It was glorious! I usually wear socks when I wear fins to protect my feet. The boat didn't have fins, so I just wore socks to protect my feet from the coral. A yellow black and white fish fell in love with pink I guess. It would come up to my feet then dart around. It did this for at least 5 minutes. It was really cute.

 

After swimming with the rays, we went outside the reef to swim with more sharks in deep water. It was about 30' deep. We could see the reef going at a steep angle down until we couldn't see it anymore. The sharks were somewhat larger than the others had been and swimming more since the water was so deep. It was impressive. We'd hired the boat for 3 hours so we had time for one more stop. I wanted see one of the small islands so I said "Go to Motu". :) We went to a private island with one home on it. The guide knew the owners. They are currently getting a divorce so the island is for sale. It's only 3.5 million euros, about $4 million. Only problem is that every 6 years or so the island gets wiped out by hurricanes! The last one put it totally under water. It sure was beautiful.

 

Back in town, we walked around a bit. There is only 1 road that goes all the way around the island. There were several pearl shops, galleries and grocery stores. I found the post office but it closed at noon. We headed back to the ship at about 3:30 to get ready for the special meal on the Lido deck. Mel had been asking the executive chef when he would be serving roast pig, today was the day. It was actually very good. There was no show that night, so I wanted to go back ashore. I'd hoped to get there in time for the sunset, but that didn't happen.

 

On the tender there was a group of 6 who were headed somewhere. Once on shore they were going on a van...I asked if we could join them. They were headed to Bloody Mary's, named after the bar made famous in the musical South Pacific. We went in for a drink and bought a shot glass. It was a nice place with a counter to check your shoes...the floor is sand. We were back on the ship at about 9.

Papeete, Tahiti

We'd been at sea for a long time. It was nice to be coming into port again. Because Easter Island belongs to Chile, they keep it at the same time as the mainland. Because of this, there is a panhandle in the time zone line in that area. We ended up changing our clocks back an hour a day for five days! I love the 25 hour days, but when we get that many in a row, it kind of messes with your inner clock. I was waking up WAY too early this week. I was awake before 6 this morning and as a result, exhausted tonight. Hopefully I'll get a good night's sleep tonight and be back to normal.

The ship arrived in Papeete at about 7:00 this morning. We were ready to get off by 7:30, before they were allowing us off! I had arranged for a tour with a group from Cruise Critic. There were 12 of us. We got in the back of 2 trucks with benches along the sides and headed out. We had to go thru town first. Papeete is a fair size city with a lot of traffic. Not at all quaint or picturesque. Once out of town though, it was very green and pretty. We drove along the coast where we saw a lot of surfers. Our first stop was a gas station. Then we stopped at a bank! The guide wanted to be paid in South Sea Francs so wanted to change money before we took off. A bit odd, but it was fast, so no biggie.

 

After about 40 minutes we turned inland on a gravel road. We stopped every so often to look at the various fruit and flowers growing there. It started to pour, which was interesting. Not sure why we were all so surprised. I guess because it had been beautiful sunshine in town. In the mountains the clouds form and just let go. We were covered on top but the rain came in on the sides. Several of us were quite soaked.

The road followed a river, passing over a bridge and several dams. They have a number of hydroelectric plants, providing 40% of the island's electricity. There were waterfalls everywhere, it was very pretty and VERY green. We stopped on top of one dam. The guide took out some bread and threw pieces into the water. Eels came up out of the mud to eat it, BIG eels, about 4' long! It was amazing! We drove thru 2 downpours and past about 8 waterfalls before turning back to return to Papeete. Our last stop was by the river where there were some rapids. Below the rapids was a beautiful pool. The guide said the water was warm. WRONG! It was freezing! But we went in anyway. Only 4 in the group went in. The others really missed out.

 

Back in town we boarded the ship to change and have lunch. Within the hour, we were back on the pier. We headed to the market first. It covered about a city block and was very clean. They sold crafts as well as fruit, meat and fish. No smell, which is amazing for a market like that. We've smelled some really bad ones. On the second floor were all souvenir type shops, with an escalator going up! We looked all around those shops. There were a lot of wood carvings, pearls, jewelry made of mother of pearl. There were a lot of beautiful dresses, shirts, etc, made of colorful fabric. Most of the fabric was poly/cotton, so not of interest to me.

 

After the market, we headed to the Pearl Market.......a store with that name. They seemed to be doing quite a lot of business from people from the ship. We left there to go to another pearl store we'd heard about and ran into a fabric store. There they had 100% cotton fabrics in bright colors. I bought some of course. The store was owned by an elderly Chinese couple who had been born on Tahiti. Mel thought that was interesting. After that, we stopped at every pearl store on our way to the Pearl Museum (in another store). They had a nice display of royal crowns and other jewelry as well as a history of when pearls were discovered, etc. It was interesting. They gave us a ride back to town.........to their other store. We did buy a beautiful pendant with a peacock colored pearl. I'd never heard of that before, but it shines a teal-green and pink, really beautiful. We were back onboard by 4:30, with enough time to shower and get ready for our 5:30 dinner.

 

We were supposed to leave port at 5:30 but the captain announced that a local contractor was doing some work on the ship and hadn't finished yet so we set sail at about 7 instead. Tahiti was beautiful, but I'm really looking forward to Bora Bora.

 

Bounty Day at Pitcairn Island

I think most people have heard of the book/movie called "Mutiny on the Bounty". It takes place in the 1700's, the mutineers ended up on Pitcairn Island, a small island in the middle of no where. It's located 1400 miles from Easter Island, took us 2 days to get there! After dinner last night we had envelopes on our bed which contain Pitcairn postage stamps. The image is of the Rotterdam, the sister ship of the one we are on and the ship we went around the world on in 2009. In 2001 Pitcairn issued 4 stamps with cruise ships on them to honor the days those ship stopped in port. Nice gift!

 

There is no harbor or pier on Pitcairn Island so when cruise ships do stop by, the islanders come to them. They get about 8 a year. Apparently we were a happy surprise to them, they didn't know until a couple of weeks ago that we would be arriving. Strange since it was on the original itinerary when we signed up for this cruise over a year ago. Anyway, today is Bounty Day on the island. It is celebrating the anniversary of the day Fletcher Christian set fire to the Bounty ship after they had arrived there. The islanders usually make a mock Bounty and set it on fire, but didn't have time to do it this year. They were all preparing for our visit.

 

There were about 25 tables set up around the pool on the Lido deck. When the islanders came onboard at about 9:30, they set up their wares to sell. It was a feeding frenzy! They had honey, which is supposed to be the purest in the world, carvings, stamps, shirts, etc. The Postmaster was there selling stamps and collecting postcards from us. Every table including the post office totally sold out of stamps! They ended up just taking the postcards with an additional $1 and will put a stamp on them when they get home. Before the sale started I talked to one islander named Charlotte. She was probably in her 30's. Said she was born on the island and really enjoys her life there. I think she had 3 children with her. She said they grow bananas and pineapple to export to New Zealand, and just keep busy. There are currently only 43 people who live there, 10 of which are children.

 

When the sale started at 10, I sent Mel downstairs to get our passports stamped from the island. It was $10 each to have it done, well worth it for the souvenir! At 11, two of the islanders gave a presentation in the Queen's Lounge, showing pictures of some of their homes and gathering places. They seem to do everything as a community. When they get supplies, they are divided equally amongst the 9 families. Our ship gave them frozen food including beef and chicken, as well as bottled water, soda and beer. We also gave them fresh vegetables including potatoes and onions. They get a supply ship every 3 months only. They grow a lot of their own vegetables and fruit and catch a lot of fish. They were all eating ice cream while onboard, from the little ones to the seniors. I think they were really enjoying it. They were given ice cream from the ship also.

The islanders arrived to our ship aboard one of their long boats. It didn't look very large, but was carrying all the for sale items as well as about 35 people. In the picture you can see some wood covering the bottom of the boat, part of it is open. They put all the supplies under the wood, then the people sit along the sides and on top. It actually holds a LOT.

 

Someone asked about natural disasters in the area. They said when Chile had an earthquake, there was a resulting tsunami. They hauled all of their boats to high ground. All the water drained out of Bounty Bay. Not much of a bay really, just a curve in the rock. The iron keel (I think that's what it's called?) from the original Bounty sits on the bottom of the ocean in Bounty Bay. What a lot of interesting history in this place. It was a great day.

Easter Island

I must say, our Capt does an excellent job of keeping us safe. His second priority is getting us to the places we are supposed to go. It was a close call today on Easter Island, but we made it there and back safely. It was an AMAZING day.

 

I booked a HAL tour for Easter Island because it is a small place and I wanted to be sure we would see everything. We were in the Queen's Lounge waiting to board a tender at 8:30. At 8:45 the Capt gave an announcement that the swells were too high in the small boat harbor so we would be unable to go ashore. He was researching an alternate location and would get back to us. At about 9 he announced that we would be moving to the north shore of the island in hopes of tendering in there. We were sure keeping our fingers crossed!

 

It was nice cruising around the island. I think we saw a lot more of it than we would have other wise. We spotted a few Moai on shore, but they were pretty far away for pictures. Once in the spot selected, the Capt announced that we would be able to have tender service (YIPEE!!!!), but they had to construct a ramp and were going to use one tender as part of the pier. Mel and I were on the first tender to go ashore with passengers. The area was the largest beach on the island, w/only one other small one. Most of the island is volcanic rock. The water was crystal clear, would love to have had time to swim. We boarded a bus with 21 other people and off we went.

 

Unfortunately our guide was not very informative. She sat and talked to the driver the entire time. Our first stop was back in town, near where we would have tendered in if not for high waves. There were 5 Moai standing on their platform, magnificent. All the Moai were toppled at one time, so the ones that are standing now have been restored. There was a single one in the same location that had even had it's eyes restored, coral with obsidian pupils. They were very impressive. Of course there were vendors there, so we made a couple of purchases. Things were very expensive so we bought only items that are authentic from Easter Island. The beautiful shell carvings, etc, we have seen all over the world at much lower prices.

 

Our next stop was the Rana Raraku Quarry. It was from this volcano that all the Moai were carved. We had to walk about 1/4 mile up a hill to view the Moai and quarry. There were heads tilted every which way all over the hillside, fabulous. There were several Moai that had been carved on top, but were still imbedded in the rock. Very interesting. At one time people thought the Moai were just heads because of how they were buried. They are actually kneeling with their hands on their stomachs. From the quarry we could see 15 Moai standing next to the shore, off in the distance. That was our next stop.

 

At Tonga Riki, all the Moai were destroyed by a tsunami in 1960. The wave tossed them all over, up to 200 feet away from their original positions. The Japanese had one Moai on loan for about 10 years. When they returned it, in 1997, they paid for the reconstruction of these 15, including their platform. They were magnificent. All the Moai face the island to protect the ancestors from outside forces. There was a toppled one nearby which we were able to sit on for a pic. Not sure we were supposed to, but we did. There were many people working the sites to be sure people stayed off the platforms and away from the Moai. Guess they didn't care as much about that one.

 

The last stop was back at Anakena beach, where we started. There were 5 Moai standing there, as well as a fat one off by itself. Rather than go back to the tender, we went to the vendors, then grabbed a car to take us into town. I wanted to send some postcards and visit the market. We actually went to several markets before we found embroidered T shirts. Have to have a T shirt from Easter Island! The post office showed us their  post mark, 3 Moai in a row, very nice.

 

We heard that there was one site that hadn't been included on our tour so headed that way. It was quite a distance, on an opposite point. We didn't see any Moai, so were wondering why that site was so special. We did get to see Bird Island where men used to swim to collect a bird egg, then return to shore with it. The winner was given some land and had bragging rights for a year. After walking down and around a hill, we spotted a number of homes built of rocks. The "doors" were very small. There were about 10 of them, curved, facing the sea, right on the bluff. I asked a guide who was there their purpose. They were ancient houses, used for ceremonial purposes only. They would choose a governor during a festival held there every year. As we came around one of the houses we saw one of the 3 volcanic lakes on the island. It is almost entirely filled with reeds, making it appear rather shallow. I thought volcanic lakes were pretty much bottomless! Very different. On up another hill was one last rock house with natural rocks in front of it. Carved into those rocks were petroglyphs, very interesting. I'm glad we were able to see this last site before heading back to the ship.

 

Everyone we encountered commented on my Spanish. It made it a lot easier for the vendors, etc. Our driver was happy too, asking questions of me almost more than we did of him! He said his wife was very happy to see our ship by the beach today since she runs one of the little cafes there. Said she could watch the beautiful ship while doing dishes. I asked what she sells and was told empanada and fresh pineapple juice. I had read that empanadas were typical of Easter Island so of course wanted to try one. We've been on strict orders not to touch each other, wash our hands frequently, etc, because of some bug passengers brought back from Peru. Mel and another friend looked at me like I was nuts to eat the local food. Guess I'll see if I'm sorry tomorrow! Today, it was delicious. She made the empanada right there while we waited, fried in oil of course. Inside was fresh tuna, cheese and onion, yum. You have to try the local food once in a while.

 

After eating we headed back to the tender. I did get into the water up to my thighs. I was tempted to just jump in with my clothes on, but decided not to. I wiped my forehead when we were on the tender and the kleenex came off totally brown! We were filthy from all the dust being thrown up. It was heavenly to take a shower. I got in w/all my clothes on, including my sandals, to just wash the dust off everything. What a great day we had. We are so thankful to the Capt for making it possible. Hope we can say the same about the rest of the ports.

Day Three At Sea

We are currently bob, bob, bobbing along in the middle of the South Pacific. It is taking us 4 days to get to our next port, Easter Island! We are really looking forward to it. In the meantime, we are keeping busy on the ship, sort of. I don't know if it's the motion of the ocean or what, but we've both been sleeping a lot. After lunch it's time for a nap, even if I got up at 9:30. Mel's had a bad cold, so he's trying to get rid of it, but me, who knows.

 

Holland Am has done some cutbacks on this trip. In '09 there were guest speakers every day at 11 and 2. Now there is only one daily. Mel and I decided to not be tied to any other activities like HAL Chorale or dance class, so we have time to ourselves. We always go to the port talks, Mel goes to the lectures. The most recent were about Easter Island. The theater was packed. Everyone is interested in knowing as much about it as possible.

 

We had our third formal night so far and we've only been gone 2 wks. That's a lot of formal nights. One good thing about it though, is the gifts. While the gifts seem a bit less expensive this year, they have all been useful which is nice. The first was leather bound journals, like we received in '09, along with ID/credit card holders with the WC logo. Next gift was a "Wellness Kit". Smart. It has 3 zippered pockets filled with things we can use like sunscreen, hand sanitizer, band-aids and Imodium! Nice gift. Tonight we received tin boxes with the the HAL Grand Voyage itineraries on the top. Inside is a map, metal ruler and mechanical pencil so we can chart our course. I like the tin a lot, another clever gift. Wonder how many we'll get before we get off in Hong Kong?

 

Speaking of Imodium, apparently some of the passengers picked up a bug during the off ship excursions in S America. One of our table mates has been confined to her cabin for 24 hours. Because of this they are going to extreme methods of assuring that more people don't get sick. There are no salt or pepper shakers on the tables. We are served at the buffet rather than self serve. They even said the dance class would be line dancing, not rumba, so no one had to touch each other. The Dance Host services have been canceled for the time being. And no one is supposed to shake hands! It's nice they do this to protect the rest of us. In '09 our crew friend told us that if someone who was to be confined to their cabin was spotted in public areas, they would be locked in! It would be awful for 1/2 the ship to be sick. I'm happy to have never gotten Mel's cold. Let's hope he gets better and I continue to be healthy. It would be sad to miss any of the interesting ports we'll be going to.

Lima, Peru

What a HUGE city! There are 10 million people here, so guess it would be. But it was a frustrating port because it took a lot of time to get anywhere. There was a shuttle to the Indian Market in the Miraflores area of town. That took 45 minutes. We did some shopping there then grabbed a taxi to the Gold Museum. The driver was a young guy. After 45 minutes, he dropped us off at "a" museum. It was the museum of Peruvian Culture on the opposite side of town from the Gold Museum! We went thru it in about 20 minutes, not very large, then got another taxi to take us to the Gold Museum (another 45 minutes!).

The Gold Museum is in the basement of a building, with vault type doors on the entrance and exit. And what a lot of gold! Apparently the Inca's discovered that it was an easy metal to work with and didn't deteriorate. They used if for everything from bowls to lining their walls with it! There was one piece that looked alike a gold quilt, quite amazing. There were also gold outfits, bowls, figurines, just beautiful things. It wasn't until the Spaniards arrived and declared it valuable, that they stopped using it so freely. The main level of the building was an arms museum. More guns than I'd ever wished to see. Mel thought it was interesting.

From the Gold Museum, another taxi took us back to Miraflores to catch the shuttle back to the ship. It was stopping at the Marriott Hotel. Across the street from the hotel was what looked like a nice park. Once there, you discovered stairs down to a 3 level shopping mall, totally invisible from the street. We found a Peruvian restaurant and had ceviche and fried calamari for lunch. They don't make ceviche like that in the US, it was delicious.

We waited at the Marriott for over an hour for the bus to arrive, then it took us another hour to get to the port! We arrived just in time to go to see Social Network in the Queen's Lounge, the larger theater. Mel went to the Peruvian BBQ on deck.

Day 2 in Lima was another one of a lot of traffic and taxis. We tried to go on a boat ride in the harbor but were told they wouldn't be running until after noon because the president was going to arrive shortly. We returned to the Indian Market for a bit more shopping then returned to the harbor in time to see the president get off a small boat. Not every day you get to see the president of a country in person. The boat we wanted to go on was sold out so we returned to the pier. I swam in my fav pool at the stern of the ship. The water was really warm but the breeze was cold so hard to get out. I went back out on the pier for some last minute shopping, then returned to the ship. We set sail for Easter Island at 10 pm. We'll be at sea for 4 days before getting there. Really looking forward to that one!

At dinner tonight our tablemate said he'd met an interesting man on the shuttle. He gave me a brochure and I instantly said "Sydney Mobell!". He has a store in the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco and is a legend. He makes hour glass jewelry out of gold with cut diamond "sand". He was sitting at a table near us so we went to say hello. He's a very nice man and invited us to his office when we get back home. Nice to meet a legend.

***Many times I take pictures of things that would be nice to buy but just aren't practical. This trip we don't have unlimited free luggage, so we are very limited by size. This picture is off a beautifully framed piece, many typical Peruvian pots, with a carved inner frame. We did buy a much smaller one containing only 2 pots, but this one was a beauty.

Manta, Ecuador

Once again, I had tried to arrange for a tour in Manta before we boarded the ship with no reply. We just got off the ship and hoped for the best. We were at the gate of the port by about 8:15. We are in a commercial port, so had to take a shuttle to the gate. We were not allowed to walk. We asked about a taxi to take us to see the howler monkeys. They said it's about 1 1/2 hrs from Manta, fine. They charge $20/hour for touring, fine. Forty-five minutes later we were at Parque Pacoche, where they are trying to preserve the howler monkey population. The coast of Ecuador is a dry forest, but this small pocket was rain forest. We paid our $5 each and off we went into the jungle. Well, this trail was not flat for more than 10' at a time. It was up and down, up and down. The steps were mud with bamboo on the edge to hold them up and were all different heights and depths. Not an easy trail. After walking this for about 50 minutes, the guide did finally tell us that he hadn't seen monkeys in the area for about 10 days. Oh yea, :( We did get our exercise for the day!

We teased our driver, Alex, that the guide didn't get a tip because there were no monkeys. I think he took it to heart because he told me he was taking us to a zoo. Wasn't quite sure where that might be. Ended up being the National Park. He'd never been so I guess he doesn't realize that zoos would not be found there. Also, this park had a natural beach, and further along, an archeological site within the dry forest. No monkeys. We hadn't opted to go to the National Park because it was over 2 hours from Manta. Oh well. After that, Mel and I both had short naps in the car.

We stopped in the small town of Pila to look at the arts and crafts markets. It was mostly ceramics, painted a gaudy gold and black. We didn't buy anything. Further on was Monticristi, home of the Panama Hat. Turns out, workers from Ecuador who worked on the Panama Canal always wore those hats, so they became known as Panama Hats. Having lived in Panama, I know they also make them in Panama! We stopped at the cathedral and a small factory where they make hats (supposedly) and burlap type bags. By this time it was almost 2, so we were eager to get back to where we could at least see the ship! We had Alex drop us at a local arts and crafts market, then walked back to the port.

The markets we find all over the world have such beautiful things, at such inexpensive prices that we can't help but buy things. We are limiting ourselves somewhat though since we don't have unlimited luggage like in 09. This time we will be dragging anything we buy with us in Hong Kong, then on to Bangkok. Be both bought hats as well as a couple of trinkets. We just had an announcement from the Capt that everyone is onboard and we'll be setting sail as soon as we are cleared by the harbor master. On to Lima, Peru! We'll have one sea day before spending 2 days in port.

The picture is of a giant tuna! Manta is a big fishing port, lots of tuna.

Transit Thru the Canal

Our last trip, in '09, was our first time thru the Panama Canal so we were up before dawn to see everything. This time we slept in. There wasn't much on the schedule since there was so much to see off the ship, so we didn't do much at all. It was a nice lazy day with views. It rained off and on all day, so we would go out on the bow, then back inside when it started to pour. I was hoping to see one of my step sons at the Visitors Center by the last locks. The place was packed since it was a holiday in Panama. I searched all the faces thru our binoculars, with no luck. Sorry I wasn't able to see him. Hopefully we'll make a trip where we actually stop in Panama for at least a day, or even just a land trip to visit for a week.

Panama City is amazing to me. When I lived there about 30 years ago, there were maybe 2 or 3 high rise buildings. Now there are dozens, many under construction. They have one shaped like a sail like in Dubai and a spiral like in London (I think that's where I've seen a spiral shaped building?). Quite modern looking. It will be an interesting visit when we finally get there.

Today, Wed, was a sea day, on our way to Manta, Ecuador. We went to Tai Chi then to the port talk. These talks aren't like on cruises in the Caribbean where they tell you what store to go to in order to get the best deal. Barbara, the port speaker, tells about the history of the country, what to see and do once in port. She'll tell us what me might find in the markets and where some shopping is, but doesn't get a cut of that recommendation. We hope to get out of town to see some wildlife. Hopefully we'll find someone to take us.

This afternoon Bruce, the Cruise Director, interviewed Mitzi Gaynor. She was delightful, telling about her experiences w/Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, etc. She was on the same Ed Sullivan show as the Beatles way back then. She's still friends with Paul. We told her that we'd seen Marge Champion (live model for Snow White) at the Disney Family Museum. She said she's good friends with her also. Much more entertaining than her show. She did say that she's recently had knee replacement surgery which would account for her shuffling walk. She'd never been on a cruise ship before either so was a bit weary about the movement. Of course we barely feel it, it's so calm out here.

We're still feeling out our dinner table. One couple is leaving the ship to go to Manchu Picchu tomorrow so won't be dining w/us for 4 days. We're taking the other couple and moving to a table we sat at for a month in 09. The nice lady we called a wrong name for weeks is still a that table without many to keep her company. It's a table for 12!

I'll try to post pictures tomorrow after our day in Ecuador. Thanks for following along!

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

I had emailed several weeks ago about taking a tour of a Sloth Rescue Center at this port. They never replied. We assumed we could grab a cab or something once we were off the ship, and were right. They were lined up with about 10 different tours to choose from. For $30 each, the cab took us about 50 minutes south of the port, along the coastal highway. The Center was originally set up as a bed & breakfast. Someone brought the owners an injured sloth, and there it began. People just kept bring sloths to them so they started the rescue center. If a sloth can be rehabilitated, it will be returned to the wild. If not, it lives out it's life at the Center. They had about 6 adults and a dozen babies there. One of our guides was the grandson of the owners. He had grown up in the USA, visiting his grandparents in summers. As an adult he decided to stay in Costa Rica to study the sloths and help our his grandparents.

The tour started with a video about the animals. After that we took a ride in a canoe for about an hour. We saw 2 sloths in the wild, way up in the trees. Also saw many pretty birds and lots of tiny crabs in the mud along the shore. After the canoe ride, we went to see the sloths in their "zoo". I reached out my hand to one little guy, the only one that was awake, and he immediately came closer and grabbed my finger. Very cute. The babies were being kept in cat carriers or plastic tubs. One hissed at me. They had one that was very tiny. Most of the babies had lost their mothers. In the store, everything was sloth of course. Grand Cayman was rays, Puerto Limon, sloths.

On the way back to town, I asked the driver to stop so we could walk down to the beach. It was really nice. Would have been nice to swim. The sand was almost black. Once in town, the driver dropped us at the market set up on the pier. We made a couple of purchases then returned to the ship for lunch.

After lunch we returned to the town. There wasn't much to see. The church is a very modern, cement building. On one side was an old tower, most likely the only part to remain standing after their large earthquake in 1991. Our driver had pointed out all the old bridges on our ride. All of the bridges had fallen during that earthquake also. There was a concert on a different pier so all the towns people were headed that way. Very small town, with only a few of the shops open since it is Sunday. Not a great stop, but we did really enjoy seeing and learning about the sloths.

Grand Cayman

It's been an entire day since we were at Grand Cayman. Just too many things going on to get to posting. My computer has been acting up, giving me a lot of script errors, so I spent yesterday evening with the Microsoft guy onboard to see if he could help. Not much help at all. Hopefully it'll get over itself and work!

We were expected to arrive in Georgetown, Grand Cayman, at 8 a.m. I had booked an onshore excursion for snorkeling, meeting in town at 8:30 - 8:45. Well, I'd forgotten that it was a tender port, which takes more time to disembark. Also, they announced that the swells were too large to tender into Georgetown so we'd be gong to Spots Bay, about 3 miles south. We were waiting to board the tender by just after 7 a.m. We didn't get to go to the tender until after 8. I figured we would miss the tour. We got on the free shuttle into Georgetown. On the way, the guide on the bus called the tour company for us. They said we could go on the next tour, to meet them at 11:30. Guess that worked. In the meantime, Georgetown is a Free Port, so we shopped!

Grand Cayman is known for it's "Sting Ray City", so they sold ray items in every store. Both Lalique and Lladro made ray figurines, exclusive to the Caymans. There were ray ornaments, jewelry, you name it. We made a few purchases then went to meet our tour.

A nice young girl picked us up and drove us to the boat. We stopped for "paties", a typical Cayman food, pretty much like empanadas. They were delicious. Glad I had that to eat. I would have been really hungry by the time we got back to the ship. The boat was pretty old and run down, but ran, so fine. There were about 10 others with us. We were taken to Sting Ray City where about 7 boats were already anchored. Some were much larger than ours. There must have been 200 people out on that sand bar in the middle of the bay! I guess years ago fisherman used to clean their fish in that area, so the rays started coming to eat the waste. Then they started feeding them for tourists and they just never left. There were a lot swimming in about 3' deep water, most over 2' in diameter, a few smaller ones. Our guide caught one so we could hold it, kiss it and get a back rub, with pictures being taken of course for an extra cost. It was fun to be up that close to them. We moved from there to deeper water for snorkeling. It wasn't the best we've seen but there were many colorful fish, some brain coral, and some sea fans. The water is crystal clear and warm. We remembered to bring our swim shirts this trip, so our backs didn't get fired like they did on our last trip!

While on the boat one of my free replica coins fell out of my pocket and disappeared in a hole. I wanted to return to the store to get another one. When we got back to the dock, it was after 3. The last tender was to leave for the ship at 4. We still had to get from Georgetown to the tenders! I was sure we'd have time, so had the driver drop us off in Georgetown. We went back to the store, got 4 more coins, then did a fast walk to the shuttle to the pier. We were on the last shuttle, boarded the last tender, and were back onboard at about 4:45. Nice day.

Today was another day at sea. We did Tai Chi in the morning. We made friends with the instructors from Australia on our last World Cruise. I told Robert I would attend his class on 25 hour days, when we turn the clocks back and I get an extra hour of sleep. The class was good. I hope we'll be able to attend a few times. Nothing scheduled for the afternoon that we wanted to attend, but tonight was a formal night. We dressed for the Captain's reception before dinner. On the way, passing by the jewelry store we talked to the emerald rep whom we'd met 2 years ago when Mel bought me an emerald ring. I asked if I could model something, she asked what I wanted to wear. Of course I chose the $55,000 emerald necklace with $7500 matching earrings! Fun to go to dinner wearing that much jewelry. We had escargot, lobster and chocolate souffle for dinner. Yum! Of course Mel had THREE lobster tails. Nice.

The show was Mitzi Gaynor. The younguns out there will have to Google her, but most my age and up will remember her. She starred in South Pacific as well as other films and did many shows in Las Vegas. It was fun to see her in person but I think she should have retired a few years ago.

Tomorrow is Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. Not sure what we are going to do since the tour company I emailed never replied. I'm sure we'll find something interesting to do.

On Board and Settled In

We had breakfast this morning with our friends from the 2009 World Cruise. Very nice to see them again. Wish they were on our ship. At breakfast we also saw a lot of familiar faces. People go on these cruise year after year, amazing.
There was a Publix (grocery store) right behind our hotel so we walked over to buy last minute incidentals like bottled water. We also bought a case of soda, so it was quite heavy. As you can see in the picture, we just brought the shopping cart all the way to our room! Mel did return it to the store parking lot.
We arrived at the port before 11. We were greeted by the Capt who gave me a kiss. Nice to be remembered. Great Captain. Glad he's with us for this cruise again. We also saw several others that we knew. In 2009 we didn't know anyone but each other when we boarded. This feels much different. We were great ed warmly by a number of crew as well as fellow passengers. The Amsterdam is the sister ship to the Rotterdam so we even know our way around. Makes things a lot easier. Feels like home already.
Most of our luggage was in the room once we finished lunch, so we were able to unpack. I must say, it's MUCH easier unpacking 2 suitcases vs the 7 or 8 I had last time. Everything easily fits in the available drawers and cabinets. Much better. The ship was in dry dock just before this cruise, so all the carpets, furniture, etc is new. Very spiffy looking.
One lady who I did not want to see on the ship is here. She's the one who told me that I have ugly feet on the last trip. Hope she's not at our table for dinner tonight, that would be awful. Well, not really, we'd just ask to move. So far so good! Sail away is in an hour, and we'll be off. I'm happy to be in warmer weather already. My computer is saying it's 44 degrees back home. Brrrrrrrrrrrr..................

Smooth Sailing For Departure....I Thought?

Yesterday I did all the last selecting of items that go in the suitcases. I have everything packed except for shoes (how do I narrow it down to 4 pr when last time I took an entire suitcase with JUST shoes???) and toiletries. All I had to do today, our last full day before we fly off to Ft Lauderdale, is polish the nails, install the backup of Quickbooks onto my laptop and update the laptop with miscellaneous bookmarked websites I might find useful while we're away. I turned the laptop on and the internet went down....no access there or on my desktop. All of a sudden my TIVO rebooted also, 3 times! Just to add stress, there was something I wanted to bid on on eBay that was to close in less than an hour. Maybe I didn't need it after all...but thank goodness for cell phones! I had mine ready to bid just in case. :) After unplugging and replugging the wireless network everything came back and all was fine. Or was it? I tried installing the Quickbooks backup. I hadn't used Quickbooks on my laptop since 2009, so it needed to be updated. I updated and updated but kept getting error messages when trying to install the backup. DUH, I had to reboot the computer! FINALLY, after several hours and numerous attempts, success!!! Scary to be on the computer so much as still not know what I'm doing. LOL

Mel is washing the cars. Is that something that needs being done before one leaves for 2 months? He's also finally taking down Christmas from the front porch. I'm going to give up on computers and go finish the packing. It'll be interesting to see how much the suitcases weigh. I may have to do some purging if they're too heavy. Hmmm, how will I bring anything home if my luggage is already overweight. I'm sure I'll figure it out, I always have. We'll be picked up at 11 a.m. to head for the airport tomorrow. I'll probably post again once we're settled and on our way. Our first port is Grand Cayman on Fri. I'm looking forward to some warm sunshine and snorkeling.