Friday, February 28, 2020 - Day 56 - Nuku'alofa Tonga

I was so excited about going to Tonga.  Since internet seems reasonable I'm going to try to post the photos first and add stories later.  The short version is I got off the ship, hired a driver, went to a school then did an island tour.  Fingers crossed on the photos!

This was the view from my bed when I woke up this morning.  The window is wet because they wash the decks above every morning.

One of the small, creative flower arrangements near Guest Services.  They used yarn to cover a plain glass vase. 

On the dock they were ready for us - singers and dancers (which I missed) and decorations on the wharf.

I hired John, a local driver to show me his island.

First stop - a school.  This is principal Anna.  I gave her a small cash gift and got a hug and kiss in return.  Along with free run of the school to enjoy the annual Sports Day.

I didn't get to go in the classrooms but the staff room and rest of the school looked very much like the schools in Samoa.

Anna introduced me to the score keeper.  When kids cross the finish line, they're given a number for first, second or third.  The kids bring the number to the score keeper and she keeps track.  That was always my job in Faga.

Lots of kids, parents, teachers and music blasting.

The playground has paths made of crushed lava.  Some kids had shoes, some didn't.  

These guys wanted their picture taken.  They weren't interested in seeing it, just wanted me to take it.  Another boy helped me find the principal but was too shy to have his photo taken.

The kids yelled, cheered, raced and seemed to be having an excellent time.  The teacher clapped together two blocks of wood to start the race.  Clever.

In the parking lot, a "Chinese Store" was doing a brisk business selling snacks.

After time at the school we headed to the blow holes.  On the way, we passed this building.  John was amazed when I asked if it was a Mormon school.  They looked exactly the same in Samoa.

Lots of taro, manioc, breadfruit, papaya, and bananas and people tending their small fields.

The blow holes.  John said they weren't very good today because the sea was so calm.  Still beautiful and worth a visit. 

The cool part was that there were great waves and blow holes all the way up the coast. 

The owner of this house likes color.  I wonder what my HOA would say if I repainted my house like this.

We passed through several villages.  They each had a sign. 

This guys house was covered in signs.  He seems to have a lot of opinions.

We drove down this path to what I thought was a beach but was actually to see the monument in the next photo.  John was great but his English was basic and I don't speak Tongan.  Luckily, some Samoan and Tongan words are the same (talo, ulu, fale, atua, etc.)

A store in the main town.  As in Samoa, a lot of the stores are owned by Chinese.

An open air produce market near the wharf.

I was determined not to buy anything.  But then saw these - they are the "nose" of a marlin, carved.  So cool and unique.  I paid $25 for one.  When I brought it on board I was told I had to leave it in my cabin.  Security apparently knows I get annoyed easily and didn't want me carrying a 3 foot "sword".  

Some of the jewelry was cool but pricey and I was determined not to buy stuff I didn't really want.

People on the ship are sporting Tonga t-shirts today.

This guy was doing interesting drawings on tapa cloth.

The view from the ship.  The water in the port was so clear I could see fish from the wharf.

The day started with an amazing view from my bed.  This was the evening view as the sun set.  Notice how quiet the sea is.

February 22, 2020 - Day 50 - Papeete Tahiti and Catching up on the Pacific Crossing

I can't believe I've been cruising for fifty days.  It is so different than being on a short cruise.  It's more like moving to a new, small town, where you are treated like royalty and the town happens to move.

The days tend to blur together, especially when you have a stretch of sea days.  Conversations often include phrases like "Yesterday...or maybe it was the day before.  Or was it last week?  Anyway, sometime after Antarctica..."  I'm not complaining, mind you.  Part of the joy of this cruise is the absolute luxury of doing as I like, when I like.  While I tend to have a routine, I also just do whatever I want, in the moment.  Yes, I do that at home, too but feel more "obligated" at home.  When you're at sea, who's going to complain because you stayed up reading until 3 am and choose to have breakfast in bed at noon?

We've been incredibly lucky on this cruise.  We have had virtually no rough seas.  A few days with big swells but they tend to be rhythmic which makes it easier to stand.  I still only shave my legs on port days, though, since I hang on when I'm in the shower, even when the seas are smooth.

Most on board were very excited to arrive in Easter Island.  Because the large swells there tend to make it hard to tender, passengers are only able to disembark there about 50% of the time.  We were in luck.  But it wasn't easy.  Because of the conditions and since I've been there I opted not try it and am glad I didn't.  I've seen a few people on crutches after tender mishaps and the rumors are that two crew were injured helping passengers.

It was a great decision to stay on board.  The ship was almost deserted so it was like having a private yacht for the day, with excellent views.

After a few more wonderful days at sea, we stopped for a few hours at Pitcairn Island.  Pitcairn is a very small, rugged and beautiful island inhabited by descendants of the crew of the Bounty.  Because of the rough conditions, there is no chance of accessing the island but instead, the island people come on board to sell their crafts and honey.

I promised my cabin stewards that I would buy them souvenirs so braved the crowds to buy a couple of magnets.  The way passengers were behaving, you would have thought they were giving away keys to heaven.  So crowded with some shoving and angry words.  I very quickly went to the first table, bought the magnets and left.

After our quick stop in Pitcairn it was back to more sea days.  3?  4?  Can't remember but they were each wonderful.

Today, a Saturday if you believe the rug in the elevator, we're in Papeete, Tahiti.  I've been here before and didn't want a tour but thought I might get a taxi to ride around for a bit before finding a spot with WIFI.

That changed a bit when I was leaving the port and fell.  I'm fine, although I'm guessing I'll be a bit sore tomorrow with some bruises on my scrapped knees.  I fell because the cobblestones were uneven and I was busy gawking at the scenery.  The bigger cause, though, was because when I get off the ship now, I get vertigo.  I experienced this on two cruises last year but since we had rough seas then I was hoping it wouldn't be an issue.  If you've experienced "landsickness" and have a cure, please let me know!

Anyway, after the group of very kind (and good looking) Tahitian men helped me up and gave me a place to sit to collect myself for a minute, I just walked a few blocks into town and went into the first cafe I came across.  "Do you have WIFI and may I use it?"  "Yes, of course."  "May I buy something to drink?"  "Certainly!"  "Can you accept USD?"  "Of course!".  I got an orangina (why is that not a big thing in the USA?) and being encouraged to sit anywhere in the small, very casual cafe, I logged on to the very speedy internet.

Then I saw the food at the next table.  A whole fish.  Since I'm still "moving" even though I'm sitting in a chair on land, I opted to just stay here instead of paying for a mini-tour.  My lunch of fried fish and a French baguette was delicious.  Gotta love having the server bring a container of freshly caught reef fish over so I could choose which size I wanted.  And only $14 USD for the drink and food.  Eating the deep fried reef fish with my fingers made me feel like I was back in Samoa.  But the best part?  Even though I'm right in town, not a single passenger in sight!

Some of the other patrons of the cafe where I'm typing this.  They've now been replaced by ship's passengers.

Lunch at the Gauguin Cafe in Papeete. Very casual, no view but fans, very friendly and accommodating staff.  Highly recommended.

We're not in South America anymore!

Locals performing by the ship, with a HUGE yacht in the background.

The yacht was too big to get in one photo.

My dessert yesterday.  They called it an alfajores (which is a kind of cookie in Argentina).  It was actually a flourless chocolate cake with dulce de leche and delicious.

The seas in the South Pacific have been very calm.

Lunch yesterday was salmon, veggies and fried zucchini.  We've been at sea for 50 days and I've lost 10 pounds.  Hurray for me!

Breakfast was a crepe, bacon and sausage.  Usually it's just oatmeal but this was a sea day treat.

I like this artificial sweetner.

I had lunch at the Pinnacle Grill for the first time ever the other day.  I started with a salad, then a filet with bleu cheese, scalloped potatoes and asparagus.  Normally $15 USD, I get a 50% discount because of my 4 star Mariner status.  Worth it.  No sea view but only a couple of other patrons and wonderful service.

It rained for about 30 minutes one day.  

A chocolate brownie with coffee  ice cream and caramel corn at the Pinnacle lunch.

Salad at the Pinnacle. 

This is my dinner about 4 days a week.  Cheese and dried fruit with Saltines.

The shopping was more like being in a Rugby scrum when the people from Pitcairn came onboard.  I was happier being upstairs.

The rugged terrain of Pitcairn.

My view of Pitcairn at breakfast

Jamestown, Pitcairn Island.  The mail truck comes every two months.  Imagine 60 people living here, in 9 families.  I couldn't do it.

The dock in Pitcairn

Dinner appetizers in the Lido the other night.  Duck pate.  Is it just me or does the plating look "suggestive"?

Today we got one for Tonga. 

Typical desserts at the Lido, available at lunch and dinner.  Plus, the ice cream station is open all day and evening.  Did I mention I've lost 10 pounds.  I've been working on walking off the desserts.

I had the ship to myself during our stay in Easter Island.

A tender, making the long trip to Easter Island.  A lot of the crew were late getting back from their breaks because it took over an hour to get from the island to the ship.

Easter Island

If you look very closely, there are several Moais on shore between the two sail boats.

Noon in the Lido.  Normally, it is packed.

Tandoori chicken and lamb vindaloo with garlic noodles.

It took 5 hours to get everyone from the ship to the island.  Although passengers were asked not to line up in the halls, this is what happened.

Because I was too chicken to take the tender, I just took photos from the ship of Easter Island.

Thunderstorms were predicted in Easter Island but all we got was a rainbow.

I've been loving my Fitbit but the no breathe band started to rot my arm.  It's healed now and I'll try again, wearing it looser.

Wine bottle from Chile, rose was a Valentine's gift from Holland America.  It's still looking good.

Every lunch and dinner there is a fish option and that's what I've been eating most.

All over the ship, the crew wore festive/cheesy outfits and handed out a variety of chocolate treats.

I got See's Truffles from my travel agent and these truffles from HAL.

And I thought no one would remember me on Valentine's day.

Fresh fruit for breakfast!

We got to give input on the 2022 world cruise itinerary.  HAL needs a new CIO, though.  This is a typical example.  The instructions were incorrect and they hadn't loaded the survey.  It took them five days to figure it out.  On the bright side, I put down a deposit for the cruise (which is almost sold out).  Whether or not I'll go will depend on price and the eventual itinerary.

This is what it's like at sea.  The view from my cabin.  I never get tired of it.