Tahiti, Pago Pago

Papeete, Tahiti

February 16^th

After 5 days at sea we arrived in Tahiti. Bruce scheduled an early morning dive so he was off the ship at 8 am. Little did he know that he was going to do a ‘shark dive.’ Surprised him too. Not great whites by the way, just Black tip and other small sharks. The dive company that he went out with feed them so they are not at all interested in humans and no cages had to be involved. He said it was pretty cool though.  We did not have any excursions booked since we docked right in the downtown area. When Bruce got back to the ship we walked around town and did some shopping. Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia. It is a major shipping port, and it is pretty big with lots of people and traffic to go along with it. The primary language is French with most understanding some English. They have a huge market right off the dock where the locals shop for produce and tourists shop for almost anything. They are known for their vanilla and black pearls.  We walked around there for awhile and bought some things. It was pretty run down and there were a lot of beggars. I guess they are trying to clean up the downtown area and fix up the buildings. Just by looking off the top deck of the ship you can see down the beach where all of the resort areas are and they looked pretty nice. Moorea is just a 50 minute ferry ride across the ocean.  It seems like if visited here you would spend the major amount of your time in the resort areas which were all represented by most of the major hotel chains. It is the rainy season here, so it was hot, hot, hot. About 85 with 95% humidity and absolutely no breeze. After only a couple of hours out in the heat and even after constantly drinking water you are completely wrung out. It felt like you were in a sauna.  The thunder storms started in the early afternoon, so that was a good excuse to go back to the ship. We were not sailing until 10 pm but the rain would not let up and it poured.  On to Pago Pago.

Pago Pago,  American Samoa

February 19^th

After 2 warm wonderful days at sea we arrived in Pago, Pago. Which to be politically correct is pronounced ‘Pango Pango’.  We were able to dock right at the port and they had a nice shopping area set up with lots of stalls selling local crafts. We were only here for 5 hrs and since it was Sunday, we were afraid that everything would be shut down. The Samoan people have a very strong family culture and most everyone attends church on Sundays.  Walking around the small town we could hear singing and the church bells ringing. All of the women and girls were dressed up in their white dresses with flowers in their hair. Even the men and boys dress up in the traditional wrap skirt, which looks very comfortable and cool. It was lovely to watch.  After church they have barbecues and family gatherings.  According to their social laws, there is no swimming on Sundays. Only a few of the stores were open but I think that that was only because the ship was in port. They still have to make living, and 1200 people willing to spend lots of money is too good to pass up. The Island is beautiful, and the people are lovely. There are no major hotels on the Island, very few cars, and only about 4000 native residents in the town. It is part of the U.S. so everyone speaks English and the currency is the US dollar.  This beautiful Island reminds me of how Hawaii might have been about 50 yrs ago.  It does have a major airport and it is only a 5 hr flight from Hawaii. I think that Bruce and I will definitely think about coming back and spending some time here.  It was very peaceful, tropical, and the people were very proud of their heritage. The experience of this Island was awesome. And I am very grateful. Onto Sydney…..

Shipboard Meanderings……..Formal nights and so forth….

The biggest thing so far was going across the International Dateline…Yes, We lost Monday Feb. 20^th. It was the weirdest thing….first it was Sunday and then it was Tuesday. We lost Monday totally. And we are still going back an hour almost every night. Talk about time warp…Anyway… Welcome Fat Tuesday……and this ship had the most fantastic Mardi gras party. First of all, The President, and CEO came on board in Pago Pago. This was a huge thing. Everyone and everything was tip top and aboveboard. Then to celebrate Mardi gras, and Fat Tuesday….we had the most fantastic party, ever.  Maybe we were all ready for a party, after so many days at sea. I did not realize that the Pacific Ocean was so huge. They flew in wonderful jazz bands and people from New Orleans. 5 hrs of eating, dancing, drinking, and partying……this was tip top and memorable. I guess rum drinks do rule the seas. Everyone was moving a little slow the next day, was it really Tues. or Wed? No matter, changes in attitudes, changes in latitudes ….On another note, we have 18 formal nights on this world cruise. I have to make 5 cocktail dresses interchangeable. Yes, it’s do-able with fun accessories. I am not here to impress people.  I am just here to enjoy the moment, and without an attitude. Seriously, this is quite fun and challenging, and of course I love to take it out of ‘the box’ per say.   There are theme nights….Valentine’s Day, and various Balls to accommodate the itinerary…..The Blue and Ice Ball…Antarctica, Black and white Ball…and I am sure something for St. Paddys Day, Academy Awards, etc….anything to keep the masses happy. I could really care less about dressing up, but some people take this seriously. But it is kind of fun to play dress up on the sea days. On world cruises there are ‘pillow gifts’ that they give you on formal nights. Now, you could say that you have to pack them home but it is a nice touch. We have had nice tote bags, journals, first aid kits, etc. but tonight we received crystal votives from Tiffany and Co. I have never received a ‘blue box with a white ribbon’ Very good form. Looking forward to the next segment. We are halfway through. Maybe the best is yet to come, and we have had some amazing experiences. Sydney, The Great Barrier Reef, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Egypt, and India. They still seem unreal to me. I can’t wait……

Ushuaia and Punta Arenas

Feb. 1^st and 2^nd

 2 days at sea, and yes the Captain was right on the money. 20 ft seas and very stormy. But it was full bore ahead so we could steam out of this mess and get to Ushuaia and calmer waters as fast as we could. Bruce put a patch on so he was ok. I didn’t put anything on and I was ok. Just a teensy bit nauseous when the ship pitched so far forward you felt like you were on a roller coaster.  The rough seas were not the problem for me though…..Even after dousing myself with Purell, washing my hands umpteen times a day while belting out the Happy Birthday song twice. ( I did kick it up a little with the variation that includes monkeys and looking like them, and my favorite childhood ditty…the Comet/ Vomit song, which as it so happens,  sings  in just about the same amount of time. Maybe not very appropriate, but it gave me a giggle.) Yep, the Noro virus came to pay me a visit. They lift the code and then it comes back again. I was lucky though and had a mild version, even though it didn’t feel like it.  2 days pretty much confined to my room. Very sick though, I can see why it could be worse on a person who is fragile. At least Bruce hasn’t come down with it yet. It seems that in every port so far, the ship has been sending at least 3 people home because of sickness or falling and breaking bones due to the rough seas.  Back to South America………

Feb. 3^rd

Ushuaia, Argentina

Arguably the southernmost city in the world.  Some say that Puerto Williams, on the Chilean island of Navarino, is actually further south, but has far fewer inhabitants, and some consider it a town and not a city. We sailed to Ushuaia through the Beagle Channel. Calm seas at last. Weather is about 45 with overcast skies and very windy. Still too weak to do an excursion, so Bruce went without me. He toured through Tierra del Fuego National Park which covers a large part of lower Argentina and Chile. He described it like the Mt. Hood National Forest but with smaller trees, many lakes and glaciers, and lots of rabbits.  He also saw the southernmost gas station, store, and restaurant.  I am really sorry I missed all this…seriously…. oh well.  Very beautiful country from what I can see from my stateroom window.  Slowly on the mend. On to Punta Arenas.

Feb. 4^th and 5^th

Punta Arenas, Chile

Chile’s southernmost city.  Located on the Straits of Magellan, this area takes its name from this Portuguese explorer. With wool, petroleum, and the fishing industry, this is Chile’s most prosperous region.  Have to tender into this port and I was still not quite up to a rough tender ride into town and had to miss another excursion.  Bruce took a tour to the highest point outside of town…..’Hiking in the Andean club’ was the name of the tour. Now you know why I just couldn’t get up enough energy to manage this excursion. Basically they rode up to a ski lift and took that to the top of the mountain and walked down. It was windy, cold, and snowing. The trail was muddy and one elderly woman fell and broke her ankle. She didn’t realize it until she got back on the ship.  Ever being the Paramedic, Bruce helped her down. She was lucky it wasn’t a big break. She is in a foot brace and can stay on the ship. We were supposed to depart that afternoon, but we had our first change of plans due to bad weather. We have to stay docked in port overnight and leave the next afternoon. The Captain informed us that a huge storm was brewing off the south Pacific coast, and if we left on schedule, we would be sailing smack dab into 40-50 ft swells, and hurricane force winds. He didn’t use those words exactly, but used something like we would be in dire consequences if we sailed tonight.  So ‘Safe Harbor’ it is. The next morning I finally felt good enough to go into the city. It was cold and windy but it felt so good to get off the ship. I can officially say that I set foot in Chile. The city is very walkable, has a nice central square, and even a casino. It was Sunday so most of the shops were closed, but we did get some shopping done. Finally getting my stamina back. Made a phone call to Ryan and got through, tried to call Eric but it kept on getting dropped…sorry Eric.  Before we left port that afternoon, the Captain informed us that the next 3 days were going to be very rough and to clear your dresser tops and put away anything that might break. Here we go again. Set sail and realized that it was Super Bowl Sunday. The game was going to be shown on ship through a satellite feed at 9 pm. So, started watching and there was absolutely no commercials being shown. Now, what’s Super Bowl without commercials? That’s the best part. So to bed it was. This was going to be the last restful sleep for the next 3 nights. Sailed out the Strait of Magellan and into the Pacific Ocean.

Sea days…..

The next 3 days at sea were very grueling. 20-30 ft swells and sustained winds up to 65 mph. We had to keep sailing north to try and stay on the top edge of the storm, and always sailing into the wind to minimize the rocking. The Captain had to change course 3 times.  Bruce wore his seasick patch and I decided not to risk wearing one, or taking anything. I didn’t get sick at all or feel the least bit nauseous.  I can really claim that I am a sailor, or a stubborn old salt is more like it.  It did not bother me at all. Actually, after what I had just gone through, I didn’t want to put anything else in my system that might throw it out of whack again. They blocked off all of the outside access doors to the pool and decks, dishes were sliding off of tables, and people were falling like crazy.  Who knows what was crashing, creaking, and moaning. The ship was never silent.  Listening to the ship and storm noises late at night made me think of old sailor stories. I literally heard moaning, singing, talking, chanting. All sorts of different sounds. Now I understand how these yarns might have come about. It was terrific, and maybe a little fanciful. Or maybe I was just going a little stir crazy. After 3 days of not being able to go outside I was going nuts….I just wanted to feel fresh air on my face, just for a few minutes. At the end of the 3^rd day they opened up the decks and I was the first one out there. The forth day we woke up to sunny skies and calmer seas……on to Easter Island and a revised itinerary due to an extra day in Punta Arenas. We will not be sailing past Pitcairn Island or New Caledonia. These were not scheduled port stops anyway…just sail bys, so we were happy. We were afraid that we had lost Easter Island, and we still might if the seas are rough. Just like the Falklands, we have to tender in and if it’s rough it’s a no go.

Shipboard Meanderings…...

We have been at sea for a total of 35 days, and have sailed 10997 nautical miles. A nautical mile is equal to 1.15 statute miles. It will take us 19 days to cross the Pacific Ocean with only 3 port stops before we dock in Sydney on the 25^th of Feb. For me, this will be the true challenge of coping with sea days. So far we have kept pretty busy. As long as the weather is nice and I can go outside, there is no problem. They keep you pretty active on the ship, and they have a fairly good library.  Most everyone we talk to love sea days, but I am still hesitant.  I have no idea what is going on in the world. The TV channels are limited and the news we do get is not very current. Surfing the internet is not an option, unless you want to pay lots of money and then again it’s not very reliable. I am not complaining mind you, so far this trip has been amazing and I am so glad we decided to do this. It is like we are on a different planet on this planet, only with the median age being 72….heard that fact today. I guess after 30 some days I am feeling a teensy bit homesick.  I admire the staff and crew. They are very patient. As for me I bite my tongue and think of drinking rum punches in Tahiti. I try to stay positive.  Now I understand why they gave a daily portion of rum to the crew and passengers way back in the day.  The gossip and complaining are getting tiresome.  For example….there was a catfight in the laundry room the other day.  One woman took some clothes out of a dryer and certain that they were hers proceeded to fold and iron them. The rightful owner then came in and asked her why she was folding her clothes. Well the first woman said no, you’re wrong, these are my clothes and the fight ensued. I heard later that the first woman insisted on keeping a pair of pants. Hope they fit her. Now wouldn’t you think that you would know your own clothes?  Makes me leery of washing my undies and nighties and leaving them unattended.  The most exciting thing happened to Bruce and I the other day. We got stuck in the elevator for 10 minutes and had to call for help. Yes, that was the highlight of the week. I was not amused at the time and was thankful to get out. I have never been stuck in an elevator…ever… and I don’t really want to do so again. The elevators talk to you here. After hearing ‘6th floor, Veranda Deck’ like a broken record I was getting ready to go into panic mode. Bruce, being the firefighter that he is, calmly finished his ice cream cone, called the front office and told them of our predicament. What else have we got to do anyway…….The weather is getting warmer and we are headed to Easter island and the South pacific. New adventures await…just hope they are off ship.

Antarctica

January 30^th

Arrived at the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula. Woke up early this morning….the sun rises at 4 am.. to overcast and slightly foggy weather. Sailed past Elephant Island at 7 am which is part of the chain called the South Shetland Islands. From there we head into Hope Bay and see Esperanza Station, which is An Argentinean post. Turn around in Hope Bay and sail toward Deception Island which is one of the southern Shetland Islands. By Mid-morning the fog had lifted, but the weather is so cold and windy. 28 degrees with about 56 kt winds. Which made the wind chill about 0. Ventured out on deck to take pictures and we could barely stand upright because of the wind. The wind and cold were so dry we both had chapped cheeks and one of Bruce’s nostrils froze.  Needless to say we did not stay out there very long. I have never experienced cold like that before.  So, of course Bruce had to do the ‘Penguin Plunge’ at 10 am. It was held in the aft deck outdoor pool. It was not heated but the steam was rising from it like it was heated. They even threw in a few buckets of ice to make it authentic. About 25 participated and they all jumped in…..and they did not want to get out. It was much colder out than in. Too funny.  Spent most of the afternoon inside on the Lido deck taking pictures of penguins, birds, seals, and some whales. There are tons of Icebergs all around the ship and the only colors out there are black, gray, white, and the occasional blue from the ice and the sky. Very impressive, but we haven’t seen anything yet. Wait until tomorrow, the experienced fellow passengers are saying…….

January 31^st and Feb. 1^st.

They were right. I am speechless, and not only with the weather. We woke up to sunny skies, no wind and mill pond seas. Wait, isn’t that a line from Titanic….just a little too close for comfort. Those icebergs are way too close.  Today we are headed south into the Gerlache Strait, Anvers Island, and Paradise Bay. We sailed all day.  Bruce and I stayed outdoors almost the whole day. The temp. started out at 32 but eventually rose to 55. Unheard of, some people said. It is very hard to describe what we saw and experienced today. I was very humbled and in awe of the past explorers that came here.  They all indeed have a claim to fame. Antarctica is not made for human habitation. One glance at the terrain, the endless ice, the dry air, the cold, but most of all the isolation, it is virtually uninhabitable for humans. There is just this indescribable feeling of total desolation, except for the wildlife. This is their home and it shows. We were chaperoned by penguins, seals, and the occasional whale. But they were in the sea; they are the true owners of this area. It really did feel like we were on different planet.   Antarctica is much like Alaska but much more dramatic. Icebergs are everywhere, even close to the ship, and the mountains, and cliffs of ice are breathtaking.  We were supposed to go through the Wilhelm Archipelago but it was clogged with ice. So that night we anchored in Flandres Bay. The next morning scientists from the Palmer Station were to come on board and give a presentation. Which they did. Very informative….and yes Global Warming is a fact. Gentoo penguins have never been seen this far south. Ever.  There is a rumor that this is going to be the last year that any big ships are going to be allowed to go to Antarctica due to the sensitive environment. These ships do belch a lot of smoke into the air.  Smoking, by humans, was not allowed on any of the outdoor decks. No butts allowed overboard here, although I would like to like to bend that rule a bit. Butt only on a human level, and that is another story.   This was one of the most amazing experiences that I have ever had. We did not touch Antarctica physically, but spiritually and mentally, we were there, and in the moment. So I consider that we were there ‘once removed’.

ON ANOTHER NOTE…….We are on our way back to Argentina and Chile. We have had 20 hrs of daylight and the nighttime is twilight. A little disconcerting when it comes time for bed.  The next 2 days we will be at sea. The Captain informed us of very rough water ahead so it’s ‘batten down the hatches’ time. 20 ft. swells and 50 mph winds. Hello Cape Horn……so far I have not had any trouble with seasickness at all. I love the rocking, but this might change.  Bruce put on some patches tonight. The ship is preparing for the worst. Everything is being stowed, taped up, or put on the floor. The barf bags are out in force, and the seasick pills are being distributed.  Today, the 1^st of Feb.  is our 37^th wedding anniversary and it will be well remembered. Cheers!