Arrived home about 1 am this morning.

 We had the phone set for 5:45 and so the day began early.

I am happy to report that there were no hassles with immigration and security. We zipped through and were at LAX in lots of time to jump all of the hurdled.

We arrived in Calgary around three and we had some lunch and then sat around for the next 8 hours until it was time to make our connection It was a very long eight hours and I coughed almost constantly.

I was so glad to touch down in Abbotsford and have Dave there to greet us.

Home Sweet Home.

I managed to get to drug store for new cough meds. 

I had 3 naps today and I am very much looking forward to a good night sleep.

I have a couple of ideas and some pictures to share with you, so I hope to be able to do that in the next couple of days

Thanks to all who have been following on on this amazing trip.

Carolyn

Soon on the Way Home

 The CRUD has hung on for more than a week. I have spent most of the week in our cabin coughing and resting. I have been feeling very unwell. It will be good to get home.

Apparently we have to go through immigration on Saturday. How fast that goes will decide whether or not we will make it on time to catch our plane. Hopefully we will make it and we will be home 12:01am 0n May 11.

I do not expect to finally close the blog until I get home...Sorry about that but it is what it is.

Soon

Carolyn

May 5th and Cruise Crud!!

 I have not been blogging because I am fighting this cold. It seems to be breaking up and I got some sleep last night.

We are due to arrive in LA on May 10, we are half way across.

I expect to blog again soon. 

May First meant Moorea

 This was our last stop on this South Pacific cruise.

It is just across the island from Papeete. It is a beautiful small community that comes to mind when you think of a tropical island.

We have been here before and the only thing to see is the spot where the ship docks. It is a tender port and the day is perfect for that. The ocean is more like a lake than the ocean.

We are greeted by a small band and some singers and dancers.

Basically this is just a final stop for people to get black pearls , tee , magnets and other souvenirs. I forgot my camera but Ken remembered his, so these are his photos.

There were many many tables being manned by vendors and there were several people offering tours for snorkeling and island tours

We got in line and headed back to the ship. A short but beautiful visit.

Dinner was great as usual. I continue to be amazed at the weight the junior waiters can carry. Those plates are heavy.

We went to Showtime , it featured ventriloquist C J Finely. He was good but this cold has gotten me and I am ready to call it a night even though it was a beautiful evening to sit out on the balcony and enjoy the tropical breezes.

April 29th, not in port.

When I wrote last I told you that we would be in port today but I was wrong.

We arrive in French Polynesia tomorrow morning. Today and yesterday have been a bit bumpy, rough seas. But it was not bad enough to make anyone feel ill but bouncy enough to make us all look like a bunch of drunks.

The other news is that I seem to be getting my usual cruise ship crud. I have been very cautious about wearing my mask, washing my hands and using hand sanitizer but it appears as if that cold is well started. We have lots of cold medicine with us so I will just ride it out.

Papeete

Papeete is currently the capital of French Polynesia's largest and most widely known island, Tahiti.Throughout history Papeete has served as an impetus of economic and urban advancement for the rest of the island. Its superior coastal location has guaranteed a welcoming setting for waterfront shops, markets, restaurants and luxury ships.

For this day we have booked Circle Island Drive, and here is what they have said about our event.

A grand tour of Tahiti's most spectacular highlights begins when you board an air conditioned motor coach for a half day adventure with lively English-Speaking narration and a stop for a refreshing beverage. Travel to the top of Tahara's Hill for a panoramic view of Mataval Bay. Photograph Point Venus where Captain Cook set up an observatory and get wet at the Blowhole of  Arahoho, where a natural phenomenon forces pounding waves through a lava tube. Soak up the local color as you drive through a series of local villages, cross into the flower-laden village of Papeari, and pause for a beverage at a waterside restaurant with a magnificent view of Tahiti's peninsula. 

Next delight in the fragrant blooms at the lush gardens of Vaipahi, complete with a sparkling waterfall and explore Mara'a fern grotto Caves, originally visited by Captain Cook on his expedition in 1769.

Relax on the return to the ship

The shore excursion went as expected except for the timing. It was a half hour late in starting and finished about an hour and a half later. The day was perfect, not too hot and not too cold. It was a Goldilocks day. The bus was new and modern and comfortable with AC that worked. It had a back door but the steps were too deep for me so I had to use the front entrance and exit.

I am going post photos of the day and identify them as I post them.

Our first glimpse at this island;

In the process of getting tied up.

!!Ferrile  chickens 

Mara's Fern Grotto

Matavia Bay.

Refreshment stop

Venus Lighthouse!

By the time we returned to the ship it was after three and I had not eaten since 6:30 so it was low sugar time and I had to get something to eat. We sent for room service and had a short rest before dinner. The evening entertainment was a folkloric show which was amazing. Unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera along so I cannot show you any proof of my opinion.

Verna has also gotten this cold so I was able to give her a couple of cold tablets. In spite of the fact that it was a glorious evening and the ship was to stay in port until 3 AM I was beat and had to call it a night. 

Tomorrow we will be at our last port Moorea , then 8 sea days.

April 27th Again?

 This is the second of 3 sea days and I must say it has been a bit confusing.

Because of the date line we did not have an April 22nd and we are in the middle of 2 April 27th . Having 2 Sundays is a bit confusing at any time.

Yesterday we did very little we  slept, sunbathed, ate... it was formal night and the menu included Lobster and escargo so both Ken and I were pleased.

After dinner we planned to go to the show but service was slow and there were no seats available. The 5 of us decided to stop in at Club Fusion. We had our first cocktails of the cruise. Ken had a Ultimate Mai Tai and I had a Dark and Stormy.

The show tonight is a Tina  tribute and so we will leave without dessert if necessary to get a seat. 

Tomorrow is the last sea day before French Polynesia.

Can you see the duck???

We did see the tribute and it was grand.

Can you see the duck now? This one may never be found it is hidden so well. I will check back each day and let you know..

Pago Pago

Pago Pago Bay is one of the most dramatic harbors in the South Pacific, a region known for dramatic landscapes. Eons ago the massive seaward wall of a volcano collapsed and the sea poured in. Today , dramatic mountain peaks encircle the deep harbour.

The capital of American Samoa, Pago Pago is more village than city. The town is dominated by looming My Pioa, whose summit draws moisture bearing clouds , earning it the nickname "The Rainmaker" Indeed PagoPago draws more than its fair share of rain- the island of Tutuila is a vision of deep verdant green

Pronounced Pango Pango , this island paradise awaits exploration. 

Lautoka

,Lautoka, the second largest city of FIJI, is located in the west on the island of Viti Levu. It is nicknamed The Sugar City due to its expansive sugarcane plantations producing the island's most important crop. Its soft sand beaches are fringed with swaying palm and coconut trees reflected in the crystaline turquoise waters. A drive through city center allows glimpses of tree lined streets, colonial houses, colorful markets and a vibrant local culture.

First Look

There were no dancers this morning but they were playing local music and there were lots of vendors.

For this port we have decided to head to a resort and a beach. We will be visiting the Hilton Resort which is based on the 2.5km beach on Denarau Island . This will give us a chance to unwind and enjoy sun, sea and sand. This tour is inclusive of transfers, sun loungers,

umbrella  and towel.

The journey to the Hilton Resort will take approximately one hour each way. This will also include lunch and a beverage so we are all set. I am looking forward to a good day.

We made our way to the buses and discovered that it is the same company as yesterday. These bus drivers spent 4.5 hours to travel from Suva . We were pleased to see that the buses were not the 3 on a side but were the usual 2 and 2. We saw Tim but he would not be our guide today. The guides name was Jone, pronounced Johnie. He did a good job of pointing out the places of note. 

We arrived and did not get a real good view of the outside of the resort because of all of the trees. There was a bright, modern open air lobby, lovely grounds and pools and restaurants.

It is very modern and reminds me of a time share.

The location of our buffet was rather grand. It was open air with breezes and a wonderful view of the beach.

That orange looking thing is actually a lime comquot. Actually I don't know how it is spelled. 27 years ago I had to come up with a name for e-mail purposes. It was before the day of putting numbers with your address. After several unsuccessful efforts I thought of the word comquot and tried that. It was successful. I knew it was a fruit of some kind but I had never seen the word so I could not spell it. Today I saw a real comquot for the first time. The staff member told me what it was and told me to squeeze it and put the juice on my vegetables. So now I know what a comquot looks like but I still can't spell it correctly.

Our time at the resort ended around one and the trip back included more information on the area.

When we returned to the ship I considered doing some shopping with the vendors who were on the dock. However I decided that we really did not need anything so instead we went up to Swirls and got some raspberry ice cream. It was creamy and delicious. Each day they have a different special. Once it was eggnog flavour and I liked it also

Originally sale away was to be at 3:30 but they changed it to 4:30. We enjoyed the sights and sounds from our balcony , and got ready for dinner. As the ship moved away the people on the dock waved and shouted good bye as we left.

We have 3 sea days coming up until we get to French Polynesia.

Fiji....Suva, April 25th

 This is the first of 2 days in Fiji.This was our first view of the island. We will actually make 2 stops here , Suva is on the south side and then tomorrow we will move to the west side and the city of Lautoka.

I was surprised to see derelict rusting ships anchored in the harbour

Having been spoiled by Samoa we were expecting a welcome with singers and dancers. But that was not the case. We had a room service breakfast and went to the theatre to wait for time to board our bus.

Unlike Samoa the busses did not have wooden seats, they were bright and shinny and new. BUT the seats were not wooden but they were sooooooooooo crowded. The bus was the same width but instead of being 2 on each side there were 3 seats on the left and 2 on the right ,

. That made it very crowded and also made to aisle very narrow. I could not believe that some people were actually able to get to their seat.

The bus was staffed by 3 people, a drive , a tour guide and an assistant to the guide.

Our guides name was Tim and he told us all about the islands and their system of education and government and he pointed out things of interest during our hour long drive from the port to the village of  Naililili.

We were welcomed to the village and then taken to the sight of the long boats. There were serveral helpers here. We were all fitted with PFDs and helped into the boat. Four guests and an operator were seated in each boat.

Our journey would take us to the tiny island in the Rewa River, in the Rewa Delta.  We have come to see the magnificent cathedral that was built over one hundred years ago. It was built using sand and coral which was collected at the ocean and transported by canoe to the construction site. This required amazing dedication and hard work

When the structure was finally finished it was fitted with 25 beautiful stained glass windows with Fijian inscriptions, 2 bronze bells and a bronze clock, brought from France.

Unfortunately the cathedral is a victim of climate change. The islands floods! The Rewa River has flown through it on several occasions. Some of the beautiful stained glass windows have been either broken or destroyed, the clock no longer works, but the bronze bells cast in France still call the faithful to prayer. Mass is held every morning and on Easter Sunday over a thousand made their was to the cathedral for mass. 

Restoring it is a vain hope because of the flooding.

We boarded the long boats and headed back to the village, which was a five minute bus ride,  where we were given a grand welcome and we were each given a flower lei.

. 

It was about a 5 minute walk to the community center. Along the way we passed local homes, some of which were raised up on stilts to escape the flooding. Several of the walkways were also raised. The village is very poor and climate change caused flooding is not helping at all.

As we entered we were seated and welcomed . We were served a beverage of either water or soda and a cookie. The ceremony was performed using 2 passengers from the bus to represent the group. There was singing and dancing. It was joyous with men women and children taking part. After the formal ceremony we were invited to join in on the dancing. I joined in.

Soon it was time to say good bye and reboard our bus.On the way back the driver choose a different route and Tim continued to educate us on the islands and their customs and history. 

At dinner there was an item on the menu which included molasses so Ken and Gordon asked the waiters to bring them some. They proceeded to load it on a well buttered bun and enjoy it. Ken was a bit messy so a cover up was necessary.

We were ready to call it a day. Tomorrow we are in Lautoka which is on the west side of this island. Another early morning.