Can't Say Enough about Sydney, Australia!

Anticipating our arrival in Sydney was genuinely bittersweet for us.  Sydney is a world class city with a harbor which is strikingly beautiful and we had so thoroughly enjoyed it in 2009, we couldn’t wait to come back this year too.  Just how much do we like Sydney?  Barb commented, and I concur, that she wouldn’t do a cruise in that part of the world if Sydney wasn’t included on the itinerary.  The pleasure of seeing Sydney again was muted to some extent as we realized that, sadly, our friend Pam would be leaving us after 50 short days and so would our new tablemates and friends, Bill and Candy.  Our table in the evening would go from six to three unless someone new was assigned to us.

Our time in Sydney was to be limited to a mere two days including a late arrival on Saturday and an early departure at 4 PM on Sunday.  The sail in to Sydney is totally stunning in its drama.  Any of you who have seen the New Year’s fireworks at the Sydney Harbour Bridge and have seen pictures of the magnificent Sydney Opera House have some inkling as to what we would see in person. Nearly everyone was up and on deck by 7 AM on Saturday to view the arrival of the Amsterdam in Sydney.  The bow was opened so people could have a personal view of our arrival.  Travel Guide Barbara Haenni gave the commentary and announced that as we rounded one turn, we would have a spectacular view of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.  From our previous visit, we knew what to anticipate and cameras began to click to get images of these two Sydney icons in what must have been the first of literally thousands and maybe tens of thousands of pictures taken by crew as well as passengers during our visit. 

Unlike 2009, unfortunately we weren’t docked at the Circular Quay, located between the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.  It seems that that some other cruise line had the audacity to apply for the berth position in Circular Quay before Holland America’s World Cruise itinerary was set, so we had to dock at the nearby Darling Harbour instead.  Under ordinary circumstances, in most cities, this would have been an ideal location but not when compared with Circular Quay. 

As we had taken shore excursions in Sydney each of the three days on our last time there, we chose to plan our own time on this visit.  Saturday morning we arranged to meet an Aussie friend, Andrew Paull, whom we had met on our World War II venues trip in June 2010.  On that trip, we had met such interesting people with the common interest in World War II history, including two World War II vets as well as four young guys under the age of 20. It was our good fortune that Andrew travelled with us, so that when we knew we would be back in Sydney, we contacted him to see if it would be convenient to get together with him.  Our plan was to spend a few hours before he had to be at work by 3 PM Saturday afternoon.

As our impressive sail in was nearing the end we had to wait for a cargo ship to clear the Harbour Bridge before we could sail under it, causing a bit of a delay.  Our ship was tall enough that we had to sail directly below the center.  It was fun to watch how close to the underside of the bridge we were.  Once we were docked at Darling Harbour, Barb and I were ready to get off quickly so we could meet Andrew as soon as possible after our 9 AM proposed meeting time.  But we hadn’t counted on Australian customs officials taking an extraordinary amount of time to clear the ship.  They had brought on the dogs to check out the ship and we waited and waited before we were given permission to disembark.  Barb and I were literally the fourth and fifth people off the ship and because there was construction at the pier, we were going to need to walk quite a bit farther than anticipated to reach the meeting point Andrew had suggested.   But just as we were ready to leave the port terminal, there was Andrew to greet us!  For any of you from the World War II trip who know Andrew, it was great to see him again.  He was the same friendly person we all knew on our trip nearly two years ago!

As we walked, we reminisced about some of our common friends from the 2010 trip and he told us of some of his adventures after we parted and he continued his European exploration—everything from being unable to find a place to stay in Bruges, Belgium, and sick for a few days in London, to his difficulty in getting into the UK (ironic since his grandmother had been born there) because he had already been traveling a few weeks, he was unemployed at the time, and couldn’t produce papers proving where he was going after leaving the UK.  We walked along the busy shops and restaurants at Darling Harbour, visiting the small but beautiful Chinese Garden in Sydney, watching the set up of apparently a Greece in Australia celebration that was taking place this weekend, and even stopping briefly at the Hard Rock Café there so Barb could pick up her collectible souvenir there which proved she had visited that city and the café there.  After a stop for a lunch, Andrew took us on the monorail ride which whisks people quickly through the modern downtown Sydney.  After dropping us off at the ship, Andrew headed to work.  We appreciated his spending the time with us and giving us his perspective on his native Sydney.

Pam had gone with Bill and Candy by ferry to the Taronga Zoo from Circular Quay and we had agreed we would either meet her back at our stateroom at about 2:30 or over at Circular Quay at 3:30.  I had walked around the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens in 2009 and the three of us had planned to do the walk there on Saturday afternoon.  We also hoped to do a bit of shopping at the market in the historic Rocks area near Circular Quay.  But when Pam returned she admitted that she was too tired from her Zoo walk to set out again on another walk, and besides she still had some final packing to do before leaving for home on Sunday morning.  So Barb and I took the shuttle bus over to Circular Quay and decided to head for the Botanic Gardens instead of The Rocks since they were in opposite directions and we had both done substantial walking earlier.  Barb got a small taste of how genuinely gorgeous the gardens are.  The view of the nearly Opera House enhanced the beauty.  We couldn’t walk the extent to the gardens to see the flying foxes that have taken up residence there since both of us were somewhat weary after walking so much of this fantastic city.

That evening, Bill and Candy came up for a short visit and to say good-bye. It was difficult to say farewell to new friends but we hope to see each other again soon!  It reminded us of meeting Al and Carol on our 2008 Mediterranean cruise and Sally and Ange and Conrad and Carole on our UK/Norway cruise in 2010.  Interest in travel has created some great new cruise friends for us, and these are all people that we have already or will be sailing with again.  We had known none of these people before the respective cruise, but we knew we hit it off with them and they have remained excellent friends since.  We anticipate the same will be the case with Bill and Candy.  Establishing this friendship has been one of the highlights of our cruise so far.

Sunday morning we were up early, saying final goodbyes to Pam as she reluctantly boarded her shuttle bus to head for the Sydney airport and her grueling flight to Chicago via Los Angeles.  She left the ship about 8:15 AM on Sunday, flew a good 14 hours to LA and should have gotten home, if the flight was on time, at about 6:30 Sunday night, Chicago time.  That doesn’t sound like a fun flight¸ but she was thrilled with her 50 cruise and her visit to Antarctica as well as the elusive Falkland Islands and Easter Island.  Some friends of hers had expressed doubt as to whether she would like a cruise as long as 50 days, but she emphatically proved those concerns to be unfounded.!

After Pam left, we hopped the short shuttle ride to Circular Quay and boarded the ferry just as it was leaving for Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.  We had heard so much about it and since we spent Saturday morning with Andrew when Pam and Bill and Candy went, Barb and I wanted to see it.  It was a truly amazing zoo – one of the most impressive zoos, if not the most impressive zoo we have ever visited.  It’s hilly but one can take either the bus or cable car to the top entrance and work the way down the hill which is what we did.  When we arrived, we headed straight to the Australian animals section with a major purpose of seeing the rare indigenous duckbilled platypus which neither of us had ever seen.  As soon as we arrived at the dark indoor pool where it’s found, we saw it swimming around amidst the fish.  The wombat came outdoors and immediately scratched it butt up against the corner of the building.  The happy guy (assuming it was a guy since the previous action is more of a “guy thing”) found an uneaten ear of corn and happily munched on the delicious corn.  We could hear it smacking its lips on the sumptuous meal, so delicious that it had corn kernels all over its face!  The gorilla exhibit was outstanding with a human-like family of gorillas consisting of a male, a female caressing her baby in her arms and a very active adolescent gorilla.  When we arrived at the exhibit, there was one gorilla.  I snapped a picture.  Then two, and I snapped another, then a third came bounding out of the cave.  The young gorilla, smaller than the adults but definitely not a baby¸ walked upright on its hind legs everyplace it went.  They were fun to watch.  Likewise, the seal show was outstanding with seals responding perfectly to the prompts of their trainers.

After our enjoyable visit, we headed back to the ship for the all too quick departure from Sydney. We had a late lunch but were pleased to see our Australian friends, Ros and Gary, whom we had met on the Voyage of the Vikings.  They had just boarded in Sydney for the rest of the cruise so we enjoyed visiting with them.

 But at dinner, we missed our three tablemates, Pam as well as Candy and Bill.  Since    more got off in Sydney than got on, no one has yet been assigned to our table. 

Al had booked two tours, both of which Barb and I had taken in 2009 – the City Sights and Opera House which included visits to the well-known Bondi Beach and an inside tour of the famed Opera House.  His other tour was out to the Blue Mountains, a highly scenic area a couple hours drive beyond Sydney.  We had enjoyed both excursions when we did them in 2009 and were interested in hearing all about his experiences at dinner that evening. 

After two days at sea, we will revisit Cairns in Queensland in the more tropical northeast of Australia.  There is never enough time in Australia, a country that has quickly become one of our favorites in the world!

CT.t

American Samoa and at Sea in the South Pacific

When we last visited American Samoa in October of 2009, it was just three short weeks after a tsunami that devastated their small island.  Despite the destruction we saw all over their island, their indomitable spirit was evident:  the friendly citizens waved and greeted us with broad smiles as we toured their storm-ravaged towns.  We were anxious to see the progress that had been made since that time.

Because we were delayed in leaving Punta Arenas, our scheduled stop in Pago Pago was not only pushed from Saturday to Sunday, but it was also shortened by three hours. 

American Samoa is one of the US territories so we were thrilled to see the Stars and Stripes flying as we enjoyed our lovely sail in.  It is the only port on the entire cruise where the American dollar is the currency, and we welcomed the thought of not having to try and figure out the cost of items and “translate” it into dollars! 

Pago Pago (which is pronounced pongo pongo in the native Samoan language) has a population of about 4000 so when our ship of about 1800 people (guests and crew) arrives, it is quite an event for these people!  The ship towers over everything in the town.  Being a Sunday, where Sundays are still treated like Sundays, there was little activity beyond the harbor.  In fact, Pam’s shore excursion was cancelled because it involved a ceremony that couldn’t be performed on a Sunday.  About 90% of the people are active in churches, and the presence of churches all over the island is amazing!  Even the National Park, while open, does not have park rangers on duty.

Chuck and I opted not to do a tour since we’d been visited the island before. Pam selected a different tour after hers was canceled.  Al chose to head to McDonalds, where he could use the wi-fi. 

After a very brief go-around in a wi-fi spot near the ship, we returned the computer to our room and headed out to explore the town.  It was a very hot and steamy day.  In fact, when we sailed in, the moment we stepped out onto the verandah, our glasses and camera lenses immediately steamed up. 

Our first priority was to be able to find a mailbox where we could send our absentee ballots, which we were able to do within a few minutes of leaving the port.  Then we headed along the water in the direction of the national park.  I knew that I wouldn’t be walking all the way there – it was way too hot – but Chuck had considered doing it.  During our walk, we encountered many people, most of whom were from the ship.  There was one small grocery store (think a very, very small 7-11), and another small shop that were open, but that was about it.  I got as far as the famed Sadie Thompson House (where W. Somerset Maugham stayed and was inspired to write the short story Rain).  Then I headed back to get out of the heat and humidity.  As I returned, I heard some absolutely glorious singing coming from a church whose doors and windows were wide open.  I crossed the street and walked the short block to listen to the music, and a lady indicated that I was welcome to enter (despite my tourist garb).  I slipped into a pew at the back and noticed that there were several others from the ship enjoying the music, a few moments of peace, and an opportunity to get in from the heat.  After the hymn ended, the minister stood up and began his sermon in the Samoan language.  I understood exactly one word (“Amen”), but I sat quietly and enjoyed observing the people as they listened and fanned themselves in the heat of the day.  When the sermon ended, there was another opportunity to hear the exquisite music.  I finally left after a prayer (again understanding only the one word), having spent 45 minutes taking in the lovely setting and the peaceful atmosphere.  It was time well-spent, and I was very glad I stopped in. I would have loved to get a CD of the music, but regrettably they were sold out. 

As I browsed the handcraft booths that were set up near the ship, I heard an announcement coming from the ship saying that there was a “surprise” presentation scheduled for 11:00 AM (just ten minutes away) about life in American Samoa and about the National Park, given by one of the park rangers.  I rushed inside and managed to get there fairly quickly.  I met Al, who told me I’d only missed the first few minutes.  It was an enjoyable presentation and since I hadn’t done a shore excursion, I was glad to be reintroduced to the customs of Samoa in this way.  After the presentation, both Al and I went to get National Park stamps.  I have a National Park passport, but I forgot to bring it, so I’ll have to insert the stamp into the passport when I get home.  I got stamps for Pam and Chuck who were both still ashore.

Chuck walked much further than I had.  During his walk he came across a high school and was quite interested in exploring it.  He said that there was a large auditorium probably for all-school events and definitely for basketball since there were basketball nets and backboards (he wondered what teams they played on such a small island).  Along the side was a large longboat which said “Samoana Sharks” since the school was Samoana High School and the team mascot was “The Sharks”.  Above the walls that opened to the outside were paintings for various school aspects such as the National Honor Society, Music Club, English Department, etc. Since it was Sunday and no one was around, he took the liberty to walk through the open gate and notice that classrooms were laid out in a campus with buildings for each department: “Social Studies Building”, “Math Building”, “English Building”, and of course the dreaded “Administration Building.”  On one outdoor wall was painted, in neat calligraphy, the school goals and objectives (see picture included in Picasa album).  During his walk he also saw a pleasant beach near the port, the Governor’s Mansion on a small hill above the harbor, and too many buildings that still showed evidence of the tsunami damage.  He had taken pictures of the damage when it was current in 2009 and wished that there had been no sign of destruction when looking at the same areas on this cruise. While much had been rebuilt, some abandoned buildings still remained.

Our stay in Pago Pago was way too short.  We would have appreciated more time there, but we were glad that this port wasn’t eliminated.  As we sailed away, we had added a few passengers.  Each year Stein Kruse, the President and CEO of Holland America Line (and now also Seaborne Line,) joins the ship for a few days during the world cruise.  While onboard, there is emphasis on Mariner Appreciation.  (Mariner is the term used for those who have sailed with HAL before.)  That night we were invited to a cocktail party and dinner in the Pinnacle hosted by Stein Kruse, Captain Jonathan, and Hotel Manager Henk Mensink, as well as Sally Andrews (HAL) Vice President of Public Relations, Mariner Society Director Gerald Bernhoft .  Once again we were seated at a table with an officer, Bart Groeneveld, a young man from Holland who is the Culinary Operations Manager.  This time there were only four of us (Chuck, Pam, Al, and myself) in addition to the officer so it was much more intimate and easier to hear the conversation at the table. We all really enjoyed visiting with him, and he was a wealth of information about life on the ship in general and not just the culinary department. 

One interesting tidbit that Bart told us was that when the ship is at sea, they can make the decision as to when to set clocks ahead or back and which date will be either skipped or doubled as we cross the International Dateline.  Since we were scheduled to cross this landmark (maybe not the correct term for a line through the ocean) we were very interested in finding out which date would be chosen and why.  He explained that sometimes an entire date is skipped but sometimes they start the day on one date and finish the day on another date.  (This is to accommodate people who celebrate birthdays on either of the two days.  When we were on the Grand Voyage, we started the day on October 18 and ended it on October 19.)  This time they opted to skip Monday the 20^th because Tuesday was Mardi Gras.  We knew that they were doing big festivities for Mardi Gras, and I was pretty sure they wouldn’t want to change it to Lundi Gras!    

So, we went to bed on Sunday night the 19^th and woke up the next morning on Tuesday, the 21^st.  That day was designated Mariner Appreciation Day.  There were two big events in particular that honored mariners.  One was a presentation by Stein Kruse about the company itself.  We were especially interested in some of the new itineraries they’re considering as well as some of the policies.  For one, the question of smoking came up.  (This is always a hot topic – no pun intended – among cruisers.)  A new fleetwide policy went into effect for all cruises starting after January 15^th (we started January 6^th so we aren’t affected yet) that restricted smoking in staterooms.  He told us that in the future smoking will probably be completely eliminated because 93% of the customers do not smoke.  There was a rousing cheer at that comment.  While we appreciate the fact that some of our friends are smokers, and find it difficult to go without smoking for long periods of time, we also are far more aware of smoke on this ship as opposed to others.  We would be delighted if they made that change sooner rather than later.  Sorry, smokers!   Also during the presentation, the subject of the Costa disaster came up.  Once again the issue of safety on HAL ships was addressed.  They will never do anything that would jeopardize the safety of the passengers – they are always training in some way.  (The following day we were going down the midship stairs and came across several crew members who were decked out in firefighting equipment, complete with tanks and masks.  They were involved in a mock crew fire drill.  Holland America is to be commended for their high standard of safety for passengers!)  We found the presentation to be interesting and enlightening.

On the same evening Stein Kruse hosted a gala event on the Lido midships area.  We knew that the crew had been working for days to decorate this area of the Lido and on the morning of the 21^st, it was blocked off to all passengers while the final decorations were assembled and finishing touches put together.  At 4:30, Chuck, Al, Pam, and I all went upstairs to secure a place in line so we could get a seat.  The Lido area just isn’t big enough for all 1100 passengers to get seats, especially with a huge buffet spread around three sides and a French quarter building assembled right over the midship pool!  When the doors opened at 5:00, we each raced in to get a table, and we ended up getting three separate tables – far better than no table at all.  Chuck had secured a table for six, so Bill and Candy were able to join us.  We were not far from the stage where the Mardi Gras king and queen would preside over the Mardi Gras parade. 

It certainly was a festive event, and food and beverages abounded!  However, it was so crammed with people that we decided we’d sit and enjoy what we could until the regular dining room opened and we’d eat there.  Pam, Chuck, Bill, Candy, and I opted for dinner there while Al got a few things from the buffet and returned to his room. The volume of everything was so high that it was impossible to hear or think!  I found myself getting hoarse just trying to talk to Pam, who was seated next to me! 

After dinner, Chuck and I decided to return to the Lido and see what it was like at that point.  It was much less crowded and not nearly as noisy.  We were able to walk around and actually see what was going on, take pictures, and enjoy the festivities.  Another year, we decided, we will let the party begin without us and go up after it’s been going on for awhile so we can actually appreciate all the work that’s gone into the decorations and entertainment!  We both enjoyed a crepe, and Chuck found some other things of interest.  We got a kick out of watching the palm reader and the caricature artist.  The jazz band was still playing, and it was a very entertaining evening!

The party ended at 9:00, and for the next two hours, we could hear the crew pounding away as they disassembled all those decorations they had worked so hard to put together just a few short hours earlier!  Once again, they put forth amazing effort to keep us entertained!

During the next couple of days we were kept busy with all sorts of activities.  On the formal night before Sydney, we had invited Travel Guide Barbara Haenni to have dinner with us.  We had gotten to know her during our Voyage of the Vikings cruise last summer where she dined with us on four of the six formal nights.  This time she has been busy attending captains’ dinners, but she was free on the 23^rd, and we were delighted that she was able to join us.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time with her – she is such a wealth of knowledge and an absolute delight to talk to.  When we got back to our room, we were pleased to discover our third gift of the cruise – a Tiffany crystal votive bearing the Holland America logo. It was a lovely gift, one that we will be happy to display.

One of the passengers had asked Captain Jonathan if it would be possible to do scenic cruising near the Ball’s Pyramid, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the waters just east of Australia.  Originally he announced that it would not be possible, but on the last sea day before arriving in Sydney, he informed us that having studied the charts, we would be able to divert slightly in order to visit this amazing site.  Ball’s Pyramid is the remains of a shield volcano that formed about 7 million years ago.  It rises 1844 feet high and breaks the surface of the Pacific Ocean to form a pyramidal shaped island.  This natural phenomenon is part of a chain of islands called the Lord Howe Rise and is part of the submerged microcontinent of Zealandia..  As we went out on the bow to take in the view, we were surprised to find a bird sitting atop the ship’s mast.  Upon further study, we realized that this bird had red feet and a blue beak.  We have yet to determine the kind of bird, but someone seemed to think it was a red-footed booby.  It was a wonderful way to end our days at sea approaching Australia. Once again Captain Jonathan had bent over backwards to come through for us!   What an amazing captain! 

Having now crossed the International Dateline and gained another hour (the night of Mardi Gras), we anticipate gaining one more hour (which will put us 17 hours ahead of Chicago)  before our arrival at Sydney, where, sadly, not only Pam, but Bill and Candy will disembark and head home.  We will miss Pam sharing our room with us and keeping us straight.  Pam has been a wonderful companion, and we’re so glad to have had the opportunity to travel with her and get to know her even better!   We will also miss our delightful conversations with Bill and Candy, and we wish all three of them safe travels home! 

We would also like to take the opportunity to wish a happy birthday to our cousin Jeff, who will be celebrating a milestone birthday on the 27^th!  Happy Birthday, Jeff!  Hope you have a fantastic day and many more to come! 

BT

Tahiti: A Jewel of the South Pacific

As we continue sailing westward across the vast Pacific, we are into our most relaxed days of the cruise with few ports and many sea days:  5 sea days and then Easter Island, 4 days and then Tahiti, 2 days and then American Samoa, and finally 4 days and Australia.  This gives us a chance to back up and make a few reflections on some other issues on shipboard.  This is our least port intensive portion of the entire cruise.

We have a table for six at dinner which means there are two seats for another couple.  In Buenos Aires, the first couple disembarked and a wonderful couple, Bill and Candy Mellon from Newnan, Georgia, near Atlanta joined us.  As large as Atlanta is, our cousins, Bonnie and Ross are the only people we know from there.  We’ve enjoyed getting to know Bill and Candy and are sorry that they will be disembarking in Sydney along with Pam. We found that we have a lot of common opinions and have had some great discussions.

Not having commented on our excellent cabin stewards since very early in the cruise, this is a good time to inject developments there.  We had requested Sayuto (Say) who had been one of our stewards on the 2009 South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand Grand Voyage that we had met again on the summer 2011 Voyage of the Vikings.  He had been assigned to the Amsterdam for the World Cruise and we had been told we would have him, but instead we were assigned a new crew consisting of Evan and DJ.  We see Say fairly often but instead he has assignments elsewhere on the ship.  We’ve thoroughly enjoyed both the excellent service and the personal conversations with Evan and DJ.  Evan is a bit more reserved and is always totally accommodating and friendly.  DJ is a bit of a jokester and makes his friendly remarks with a twinkle in his eye.  They have learned that Pam taught English and one morning as they finished cleaning our room as we returned from breakfast, DJ asked Pam when he should use the word “had” and when he should say the phrase “have had”.  A rather sophisticated distinction in English word usage, don’t you think, for someone whose native language is not English?  We find that not only Evan and DJ have excellent knowledge of infrequently used words in the English language, but so do our dining stewards and other members of the crew.

Pam had told Evan and DJ about her husband’s surgery and we’ve been impressed that they thought to inquire several times as to how he’s doing!

We have mentioned our dining steward, Yohat, who was an assistant steward on our 2009 voyage.  It has been a great deal of fun connecting with him again, this time as our outstanding dining steward.  The 2009 dining steward, Herfan, is on board too but we had assumed that since he was just married in December, he wouldn’t be here for this voyage. Had we known, we would have requested either Herfan or Yohat and let HAL make the decision for us.  A few days ago, we had lunch in the Main Dining Room and asked to be seated in Herfan’s section.  He told us his good news that his wife is expecting a baby in September.  We already sense his excitement in telling us that news.

Having reported that our itinerary had been revised as a result of the big storm in the far South Pacific Ocean, it meant that something had to be omitted if we were to reach Sydney on time.  After careful thought and consultation with Seattle (home office for HAL), it was determined that we would have to miss most of the Chilean fjords (a disappointment as we have visited the Alaskan, Norwegian, and New Zealand ones) and wanted to be able to compare. We would also have to skip our brief stop in the island country of New Caledonia.  Our other ports would be delayed by a day each and the sail by of the intriguing island of Mutiny on the Bounty fame, would be left out as well.  We think of our New Lenox friends, Jim and Kathryn Pitcairn, and hoped to tell them about our observations for the island that bears their name.  Most residents of Pitcairn Island are descendants of the mutineer of the “Bounty”, Fletcher Christian and we are told that virtually all residents have one of three last names.  Island population is exceedingly small and dropping.  It has no substantial economy and depends on cruise ships stopping and residents rowing their longboats to the ship, boarding, and selling their trinkets and handicrafts to ship guests.  This is not to be for us as the Amsterdam sailed by on Tuesday evening about 9:30 PM about 40 miles from Pitcairn Island.

The ship made an effort to make Valentine’s Day a special day for those who had their significant other on board, complete with an afternoon musical presentation, tea, Formal Night with Valentine decorations, and a Hearts and Lovers Ball.  On the next day, Al, Pam, Barb, and I decided to attend the French Dinner in the Pinnacle Restaurant.  The day was undoubtedly selected as we arrived the next day, February 16, in Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia.

French Polynesia is made up of several island groups including the Marquesas, the Society Islands (of which Tahiti is a part), and the Austral Islands.  It has a population of about 250,000 people of which most live on Tahiti with the capital and largest city, Papeete.  They have been under French governmental authority although now French Polynesians elect their own government.  Some within French Polynesia like having the association with France, which just recently completed the construction of a large $450 million (US) hospital in Papeete, while others would prefer the direction of independence from France.  Barb liked the fact that signs are in French and people speak the language so it gave her an opportunity to use her French skills.  She had a short conversation with our tour bus operator in French and she was pleased she understood what he told her.  Our next French speaking port won’t be until Corsica near the end of the cruise.

Surprisingly, Papeete was the first place that we had visited more than once since leaving O’Hare Airport 46 days earlier, on New Year’s Day!  We had really enjoyed our French Polynesian ports on our 2009 South Pacific cruise. We were looking forward not just to putting our feet on land for only the second time since February 5, but also walk off the ship in a port rather than tendering. We also liked the feeling the summer warmth that we had left behind once in Antarctica and Patagonia.  We’ve been away long enough now that we tend to forget that Chicago has to contend with several more weeks of winter despite the fact that it looks, from our vantage point, that it is a less severe winter than the last several.  We’re glad for that - at least.our family and friends back home aren’t experiencing too harsh a winter.

Like Barb and me, Al has been to Tahiti once before too, so he opted not to do a shore excursion.  However since it’s Pam’s first time to experience any of the legendary South Pacific islands, we decided to do a shore excursion with her.  Having done some of the sights of the interior of Tahiti by four wheel drive on our previous visit in October 2009, we decided to do a tour called Tahiti’s Natural Treasures, a bus tour mostly around the perimeter of the island Tahiti Nui. (Tahiti looks like two islands joined together with one larger island, Tahiti Nui, and a smaller one, Tahiti Iti). For once we gambled right and picked the side of the bus which gave us the view of the sea on our side!  Tahiti, like the other islands of the South Pacific, was formed by volcanic activity millennia ago so in addition to the seascapes, there are mountains on the islands as well.  (It reminds me of the lady on our 2009 South Pacific cruise who whined about having to stop at so many ports in the South Pacific.  I’m guessing there are quite a few who have never been fortunate enough to visit the South Pacific islands that would find visiting these islands less than painful!  The lady complained that the islands are just like Florida.  I had been so tempted to tell her that I guess I had missed the Florida mountains which give the South Pacific islands much of their allure, along with beautiful beaches, seascapes, and pleasant temperatures!)

As we boarded the bus, we inquired as to which side was best for viewing and the guide gave the stock reply that both sides were excellent.  So Pam sat on one side and we sat on the other but as it turned out, Barb and I had the shore on the entire tour around the island (and we found out later that one of the other buses had gone the reverse route).  Pam commented that she was pleased with the magnificent mountain scenery.  As we sat on the bus ready to depart, it suddenly occurred to me that I had neglected to bring my camera bag which I carry on my belt!  Fortunately I had my ship card which scans me on and off the ship, my other picture ID as well as my camcorder and digital camera.  Too late to go back for it, and I figured Pam and Barb would be taking plenty of pictures if my camera batteries died!

Our guide Jeff was one of the best we have had.  His parents were born in Tahiti and the Cook Islands.  They sent him to New Zealand to study English and he speaks it with a New Zealand accent.  His primary job is in guest relations at the Papeete Radisson Hotel, and he serves as tour guide when the opportunity is present.  Our first stop was at a black sand beach, for which Tahiti is noted, where we had excellent views of one of our favorite South Pacific islands, Moorea, as well as mountains and one of Tahiti’s premier spots for surfing.  Jeff commented that the seas were rather calm so there were few surfers in the waters when we were there.  From there we visited the Vaipahi Gardens with it beautiful trees, flowers, waterfall, and lily pads.  A short distance from there, we made a stop at the Paul Gauguin Museum Restaurant for short snack break and another fine view of island scenery. 

Following the break, we made a short turn toward the interior of the island, past tropical trees and foliage that brushed the bus.  At the stop there, we took a brief walk through the dense trees and along a rushing stream to the largest of three impressive waterfalls.  The two smaller falls were farther inland and would have required much more hiking than the tour time allotted.  But the falls we saw were dramatic with the water plunging several hundred feet to the stream below. With the breezes, the spray gave us a cool shower as we came closer. It was a picturesque sight and well worth the short walk.  The walk, while shorter and with no wildlife, reminded me of our walk to the waterfalls on a shore excursion on Tasmania in 2009.  Our final stop for the day took is to the Arahoho Blowhole, similar to ones we have seen in Hawaii and more recently in Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor, Maine.

Barb and I concluded that while we had enjoyed our four wheel drive adventure to the interior of Tahiti in 2009, we had enjoyed this shore excursion even more and it gave is a greater appreciation of the beauty of Tahiti.  After returning to the ship, we had a quick lunch and then went back out immediately to check out the large Marché du Papeete (market) just a couple short blocks from the ship.  Prices in French Polynesia are notoriously high with something as simple as a refrigerator magnet costing about $12 US!  I considered a few items but came away with absolutely nothing, justifying my non-purchases by concluding that I had done some shopping there in 2009.  We had split up and wandered the market and some of the other shops in Papeete independently and went back to the ship when we chose.  Barb and Pam returned before the predicted rains hit.  I was starting to return when they came pouring down.  I figured I would wait under a pharmacy canopy until the tropical shower passed but realized that was not going to be any time soon, so when there was a slight letup, I raced closer and took refuge in the Tahiti Visitors’ Center (closer to the ship) and then made my mad dash from there back to the ship.  Fortunately it was a warm rain so no harm done.

Now it is on to American Samoa which we visited less than three weeks after their disastrous tsunami in September 2009.  It will be interesting to observe the changes since they were just in their initial cleanup mode when we visited last time.  In Pago Pago, the CEO of Holland America, Stein Kruse will board and will reside temporarily on our deck.  Our friends, Tony and Julie Kaculis whom we met on the 2009 cruise will enjoy knowing that Stein Kruse will be residing in “their” stateroom while he is on board.  It should be some fascinating days on board the Amsterdam!

CT

Mystical Easter Island

After our first few days at sea, we finally managed to escape the worst of the massive storm that provided us with a very interesting ride!  Although the seas are still somewhat rocky, it’s not nearly as bad as it has been, and we’re hoping that soon the Pacific will live up to its name.

As we continued to sail northwest from Punta Arenas, Chile, to Easter Island, the seas changed from a deep graphite gray to a rich sapphire blue.  Whitecaps and sea spray still provide a striking contrast to the rich color of the ocean.  On the first day that we dared venture out, Pam and I spotted a large bird soaring gracefully alongside the ship.  Grabbing my camera, I managed to get several decent continuous shots, and as the bird tilted and swooped, I was able to get both the upper and lower parts of his body and wings.  A subsequent trip to the library revealed what we’d anticipated:  the pictures matched up with the pictorial description of a wandering albatross.  The clincher was the declaration that the wandering albatross “follows ships”!  The next day as we did our laps around the deck (for the first time since the cold of Antarctica and the storms off the coast), we again caught sight of what we assume to be the same bird, soaring, swooping, and skimming the surface as it trailed a short distance behind us.  It brought to mind one of my favorite narrative poems, and I was very grateful that I’d taken the time to download it onto my Kindle.  So I’ve been enjoying reading Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.  We lost sight of the bird as we continued north, but we’re hoping that this good luck charm continues to follow us “from the land of ice and snow.”  On the last day before we arrived at Easter Island, Pam and I spotted about a dozen dolphins giving us quite a performance.  Fortunately Chuck was coming along, shortly after we stopped (he walks by himself as he does a faster pace), and we were able to point them out to him also.  These beautiful creatures seemed to leap and bound joyfully over the surface as they headed away from the ship.  Quite a spectacular show!    

We continue to find new and interesting things to do during our sea days.  The other night while Pam and the other table mates enjoyed Captain Bligh’s dinner (pirate theme), Al, Chuck, and I had dinner in the Pinnacle Grill with the captain and officers.  We were assigned to a table with the Second Engineer, a young man from the Netherlands who was very interesting to talk with.  He happened to mention that he’d dated and broken up with a cast dancer because it was too difficult to keep up a relationship as such (both at sea on different ships).  Later on in the evening, I made a comment about our Grand Voyage of 2009 and that we’d met a cast member from near Buffalo.  He replied, “She’s the one I dated.  I’ve been to Buffalo several times.”  It’s amazing that for as small a population as the Buffalo area has, we’ve met so many people who have connections!

One of our Good Morning Amsterdam guests during our sea days was Rudi Sodamin.  Those who travel on Holland America ships regularly recognize his name as the chef!  He is the corporate chef who creates the masterpiece dishes for the Holland America cruise line.  I was particularly drawn to one of his statements:  “Good chefs have a passion…”  It immediately called to mind our cousin Wayne, who absolutely loves to try new things and entertain the entire family at Christmas.  His enthusiasm is so much fun to witness, and he epitomizes Rudi’s words!

Guest at GMA the following day was Captain Jonathan.  While he was interviewed at GMA early in the cruise, that apparently wasn’t his “official” visit so we were very pleased to have the opportunity to hear him again.  We are truly fortunate to have such a warm and friendly – not to mention experienced – captain at the helm!  He has been with Holland America for 17 years, all in the capacity of captain; he’s sailed every ship in the fleet except the Volendam!  We have often said that the Amsterdam is our favorite ship because we know it so well and we like the size.  Capt. Jonathan told us today that he was extremely pleased with how well the Amsterdam performed during our encounter with the “monstrous” storm.  Apparently the Veendam, on its way south from Santiago, didn’t weather the storm so well because it was too small, and according to the captain, the larger ships would not have been as easy to maneuver.  It is very comforting to know this about the ship as well as being aware that such a skilled captain and crew are in charge!  We can’t say enough about Capt. Jonathan – he has our best interests at heart, and he has such a wonderful sense of humor.  (For example, he told the corporate offices as they were updating the itinerary that if he skipped Easter Island, he would likely be hanged from the yardarm!  So he refused allow that port to be omitted!  Good for him!  Many of us speculated that it would be the first to go!) 

We thought of our aunt and uncle, Ginny and Ben, who celebrated their 66th anniversary on the 10^th,  the day before we arrived in Easter Island, and wish them happiness for years to come!  We love you!!!

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as it is known officially, lies about 2300 miles west of South America and has the dubious distinction of being the island that is farthest away from any other land mass, including other islands.  It remained pretty isolated until Thor Heyerdahl made his voyages. It is quite apparent that the first inhabitants did not arrive there by accident as plants and animals that would be needed to settle a new land had been brought with them.  Rapa Nui is about 45 square miles and has a population of about 3000, many of which work for the military or government service. 

Most tourists come to Rapa Nui to see the moai, the mysterious statues that had been made by inhabitants, part of the Polynesian culture, hundreds of years ago.  Because the island was small and couldn’t support many people, the inhabitants believed that if they carved stone statues of their ancestors and placed them so that they faced inland, these ancestors would protect and provide for them.  Using basalt and obsidian chisels, they carved these statues out of a kind of volcanic rock called tuff.  Because it is a porous substance, they would wet it down to make it easier to carve. Some moai were small, and some were immense.  The largest weighs 82 tons! Moai are considered sacred, and nobody is allowed to touch them or stand on their bases, called atus.  A total of 887 have been unearthed, some of which are just heads, others of which are heads and torsos.  Some also have hats, which are made of a red stone called scoria.  Scientists believe that eyes were only placed in the moai during religious ceremonies. 

We arrived at Easter Island early on the 11^th and were anchored before the sun rose (which isn’t a big surprise since the sun rose at 7:58 AM)!  Unfortunately because of the swells, we had to anchor across the island from Hanga Roa, the largest town. We learned (though we aren’t sure how accurate this is), that Capt. Jonathan had been told that we wouldn’t be able to get ashore, but he circled the island to find a place we could use, and finally found somewhat acceptable location.  This meant that the ship’s crew had to build a makeshift dock for guests to disembark onto. The process took longer than expected because of the darkness, so we didn’t get going for our shore excursion, Ancient Cultures of Easter Island until an hour and a half late. Getting onto the tender wasn’t as much of a challenge as we’d expected, but getting onto the shore from the tender was another story!  We bobbed around in the water for ages while the tender ahead of us tried to anchor itself to a shoreside tender which had been fastened to a floating platform that served as our dock.  When it was finally our turn to be anchored, we watched as a ship’s officer and deck hand worked to pull the lines and tie them securely.  They really worked hard to secure the tender. 

So finally we were on our way.  Our first stop was high on a hill overlooking the island.  From there we could see both shores.  The island is six miles across at its widest point.  We were also interested in the long runway by the airport. It had been lengthened during the 1980s by NASA so that it could be used as an emergency landing for the space shuttle.  Fortunately (or unfortunately from the point of view of residents), the shuttle never needed to make an emergency landing here and thus, since they were only paid if the runway was utilized, the people of Easter Island never had the excitement, or profit, from an arriving American shuttle.

Then it was on to Orongo, a ceremonial village of what is called the birdman cult.  Because it was difficult for the small island to sustain too much human life, this group of people determined who was to be the leader each year in an unusual manner.  Each spring the various clans would select one young man who would swim to a nearby island (or motu) and await the laying of the first bird egg of the year.  Whichever man retrieved the first egg would swim back to the shore of Rapa Nui and climb the cliff at Orongo and present it to his clan chief.  This clan chief would be the leader for the next year and make all the decisions for all of the clans.  These decisions could sometimes be sacrificial in nature so certainly clans wanted their chief to be the leader! 

The village was located on the edge of a mile-wide caldera which appeared to be quite marshy at the bottom.  A few trees grew up the sides and villagers would venture down occasionally to gather fruit from these trees.  At the top of the caldera was a small area that was covered with thousands of petroglyphs    What a fascinating site! These sketches were carved by priests as part of rituals in the village, but because of weathering, they are now rather difficult to discern. 

No trip to Easter Island is complete without a visit to at least a few moai, and our excursion was no exception.  While we’d have liked to see more of them, we were glad to get to see seven of these fascinating carvings.  They were located along the coast, facing inward.  In one case there were five of varying sizes on one atu.  Another single moai had its eyes in place.  Since most of the eyes did not survive to present day, these eyes had to have been created later.  What an honor it was to see these magnificent and iconic statues!

As the tour ended, we poured off the bus and joined the long line to hop on a tender.  We knew it would take awhile, but what we weren’t aware of was that the floating platform that had been put in this morning had cracked and they needed to replace it.  We were in an area that had very little shade so it was hot standing!  We had been told that the dirt on Easter Island would be red, and by the time we’d stood in line for an hour, we were covered with red dust!  If it had been an ordeal to get ashore, it was even more of an ordeal to get back to the ship after a tour and a long wait in the sun!  We slowly worked our way forward, and just as we were getting ready to board the tender, the man in front of us started to reel.  We can’t figure out why it always seems to happen to people by us (something similar happened when we were tendering into Belem, Brazil), but the man eventually ended up sitting on the ground.  At least he didn’t pitch forward or back, but we assume that the heat had gotten to him!  We were very glad to see him get safely onto the tender several minutes later after having a chance to get his bearings!

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Easter Island – it is certainly a unique and fascinating destination.  The officers and crew worked very hard to ensure our safety as we went back and forth to the ship, and they are to be commended!  At dinner when Capt Jonathan made an announcement that all guests were back onboard and that the crew were finally storing the last tenders, applause went up from everyone in the dining room to show their appreciation for the monumental effort of all those involved in our safe transport.  We know that they were exhausted and will probably sleep very well tonight!  

We do think, though, that if and when we get back to Easter Island, we will think twice about getting off the ship unless the seas are very calm.  We will most likely figure, “Been there, done that!  We’ll enjoy the sights from the ship!”

The day ended with a reception in the petty officers’ deck area.  We went for a short time in order to be sociable, but we felt bad considering that we knew those young officers had to be worn out!   We couldn’t begin to imagine the rugged day they’d had, followed by an evening of interaction with the guests, so we cut out early. 

We now have four days at sea, during which time we wish Paul a very speedy recovery and a happy birthday!  Our next port, Tahiti in the Society Islands of French Polynesia, is four hours behind Chicago time.  Considering that for some unknown reason, Easter Island is on New York time, that means that we will have to gain five hours in the next four days!  Should be very interesting! 

BT

End of our South American Voyage: Chile

Upon sailing out of the southernmost city on the globe and heading through the Beagle Channel, we almost immediately entered Chilean waters.  Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego National Park are shared by Argentina and Chile although most of the park is in Chile.  As we sat at dinner, we marveled at the mountains, some still covered with snow.  Once I even left dinner to go out on deck to take a picture of a beautiful glacier as we sailed past.  Later in the evening, the seas became rather choppy and we wondered if this was the beginning of this monstrous storm the captain had described earlier.

By the time we got up on Saturday morning, we had already anchored in Punta Arenas, our only port on the Chilean mainland.  Punta Arenas is slightly to the north and west of Ushuaia but it’s at the bottom of this unusually shaped, 2700 mile long country.  It’s almost as long as the US is wide but at its widest point, Chile is only 271 miles and its average width is 112 miles.  Unfortunately for us, while we had anticipated docking in Punta Arenas, a schedule change precluded that and we were forced to drop anchor. 

Our shore excursion, Patagonian Experience: Otway Sound and Penguin Reserve had been pushed back a half hour since we were scheduled to arrive at Punta Arenas later than the original itinerary had suggested.  Both Al and Pam had also booked this tour but Al had later been told that this was a complimentary tour for booking through his agent, so he was on a separate bus and a few hours later than our tour.  (Barb and I will be receiving some complementary tours later in the cruise through our AAA booking.)  

As a side note, as we waited for our tour to be called, Pam introduced us to someone she had met, (another) Barb. She had been from Rochester, NY but now lives in Indiana.  We launched into a discussion of Western New York foods like chicken wings, Sahlen hot dogs, and especially “beef on weck”.  All of us said we had to have beef on weck multiple times whenever we made trips back to Western NY. The “new” Barb commented that her nephew is currently a minister in Lancaster.  We asked what denomination, but she didn’t seem to be sure.  So Barb asked if his name was LeBeau.  Our new acquaintance, Barb, said, “That’s my nephew!”  Small world! We then told her that although we’d never met him, we knew the name because he is serving the United Methodist Church in Lancaster, which is where our dad served back in the 1950s and early 60s.  That’s the church we grew up in!  We later commented that this was the third cruise in a row where we met someone with a connection to Lancaster!

We boarded our bus for the approximately 1½ hour drive to the Otway Sound. The first part of the journey was on paved roads but when we turned off, the rest of the drive was on gravel (though not nearly as rugged a drive as we had experienced in the Falklands).

Most of the drive was through barren land that was used for grazing.  We observed several estancias but didn’t see much in the way people or animals except for a few cattle, sheep, and several llamas and alpacas.  Our guide pointed out a condor circling overhead, as well as some upland geese which cooperated sufficiently for most who wanted to capture a picture or two.  She also pointed out a controversial coal mine near the penguin reserve.

By the time we arrived at the penguin reserve, we had driven through a blinding sun, heavy clouds, wind, rain, and rather cold temperatures.  As we got off our bus, it was the wind and clouds with some rain that predominated.  It was a hike out to the see the penguins but it was worth the walk.  Apparently we hadn’t tired of seeing penguins in the Falklands and Antarctica.  Here, we saw more of the burrowing Magellanic penguins, behaving as penguins do, marching around like little soldiers, standing and looking at each other, trying to gain attention of others by opening their beaks, looking skyward, and squawking (trumpeting) as loud as they could.  The sounds reverberate throughout this interesting little community.  We went to a platform that allowed viewing of the penguins at play and swimming in the water.  Even though we had seen so many penguins in the Falklands and Antarctica, we didn’t tire of watching the antics of these birds!  They rank right up there with kangaroos in terms of being fun to watch.  They sure took me back to childhood days reading Mr. Popper’s Penguins!!!!

Although some shore excursions were offered for our extra day in Punta
Arenas, we opted to use it as a free day. For one thing, the weather in Punta Arenas was questionable and changed rapidly.  We went from sunny to rainy to cloudy, back to sunny, rainy, windy, cloudy within minutes.  The two consistent factors were cold and wind, neither of which made for comfortable temperatures.  At breakfast we noticed an interesting phenomenon:  a double rainbow! Not only that, but the second rainbow, somewhat less vivid, was a mirror image of the main one with colors in reverse order.  The weather turned from sunny to rainy so fast in Punta Arenas that we saw more rainbows in two days than I think I have seen in the past year combined.

We decided to take the tender to port and maybe see what internet services were available near the ship.  There was a small information center combined with internet services and gift shop just outside the port where we found we could get WiFi for $1 US for as long as we wanted – a reasonable price for sure!  At first there were three of us there, but as the morning progressed and people from the ship heard about the price, more and more filtered in.  As a result, after having used the computer there for about two hours, we decided to relinquish our space for others.  We had planned to go back into the city again to see if there were shops open on Sunday, but some reported that there was little open, so we gave up and took the tender back.  Besides, the weather continued to change back and forth with the cold and wind continuing to be the constants.

The ship tries to recognize important dates in the US, and Super Bowl Sunday is no exception.  A big Super Bowl party was planned with a pregame “tailgate party” for the Queen’s Lounge, followed by the game on the large screen in the Lounge.  I have to admit neither Giants nor Patriots captivate my interest, so decided to relinquish my seat to fans who cared more about the result.  Had it been a Bills-Bears Super Bowl, that would have been another matter for sure!  Instead, we opted to go to the feature movie shown in the Wajang Theater.  They try to use themes as they plan, so today’s movie was The Express, the story of Syracuse University back, Ernie Davis, who became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.  Many that know me know that I am a Syracuse alumnus and that I graduated in the same class as Ernie Davis!  So Barb, Pam, and I watched it.  I always relive my SU days when I see that movie and its incredibly sad ending.  I had planned to tell Al about it but we actually didn’t see Al all day long!

Finally, late in the day, the captain came on to give us the revised itinerary.  We would leave Punta Arenas, Chile at 5 PM - one day late. We would pretty much skip the Chilean fjords, cut north and then west out into the open Pacific Ocean and head for Easter Island.  We were disappointed to miss the Chilean fjords, as we have traveled through the Alaskan, Norwegian, and New Zealand fjords, and wanted to compare them to Chile’s fjords at the far south of the country. We will arrive at Easter Island a day late, and push everything a day later than originally planned but would skip New Caledonia completely in order to arrive in Sydney as scheduled on February 25.

Monday was a quiet day on the ship.  I guess either everyone was recuperating from partying so hard with Super Bowl festivities(?!), or the pitching and the rolling of the ship. As we looked out at the gray, cloudy skies and the gray seas, the dreary day made us pretty sleepy.  All day we had been rocking and rolling as the waters below us churned.  So far, other than a couple of crashes of broken plates in the LaFontaine Dining Room and the Lido, we have heard of no casualties!  There was though an incident in the tender returning to the ship from Punta Arenas.  Apparently a lady sitting on one of the jump seats on the tender was thrown to the floor as a result of strong wave action.  If we hear the story correctly, she broke both her leg and her hip and had to be removed from the ship.  Another sad story of a wonderful cruise ended too soon.

We did learn recently that the average age on this ship is 68 years old.  I remember that on the South Pacific Grand Voyage we did in 2009, the age was 69.  However in general, I would say that people here seem more agile and physically fit than those on the other trip.  We have observed far fewer wheelchairs and scooters, canes and walkers, than on previous longer cruises.  We had heard that the longer the cruise, the older the clientele but apparently a trip of this length discourages many who are less mobile than those on some of the shorter Grand Voyages.  As one who enjoys a mix of ages and having been around young people virtually our entire lives, we do miss seeing more younger people.

Overnight Monday/Tuesday the high wave action continued although we are finally seeing some blue skies.  We’re hoping for calmer seas later today!

And finally, on a personal note, Pam’s husband, Paul, is scheduled for surgery at Rush Hospital in Chicago tomorrow, February 8.  It had been anticipated that he would be having surgery at some point while she was away.  Pam offered to stay home, but Paul, knowing how Pam had always had the dream of visiting Antarctica, told her not to miss this opportunity.  Barb and I want to extend our good wishes and prayers to both Pam and Paul for a good outcome and know that he is in good hands. They are fortunate that they have such good friends that will be with Paul during surgery and during his recovery.

We gained an hour last night, the first time since before the Falklands.  We are now two hours ahead of Chicago and one ahead of New York.

CT

Updated Itinerary as of Feb 5th

As of this afternoon we have a new schedule.  After being in contact with HAL corporate, Captain Jonathan has revised the schedule to avoid as much of the storm as possible  Very happily I was wrong and we will be going to Easter Island. But we'll be missing New Caledonia.

Here's the new itinerary:

   Easter Island pushed back one day.  (now Feb 11th)

   Papeete pushed back one day, stay till 10:00 PM  (now Feb 16th)

   Pago Pago pushed back one day, stay till 1:00 PM  (now Feb 19th)

   New Caledonia canceled. 

  Arrival in Sydney as planned.

Ushuaia, Argentina: The End of the World

After leaving Antarctica on the 1^st of February, we were told that we could expect to encounter very rough seas.  The captain had looked at the charts and the storm along the coast of South America was absolutely unavoidable.  So while he raced to get the ship as far on the way as possible before the storm hit, we began to pack things away and batten down the proverbial hatches.  Our room has never looked so picked up, with anything of concern stashed into drawers, suitcases, cabinets, or anywhere that would prevent it from crashing to the floor. 

Sleeping that night was interesting!  One might envision a baby’s cradle high up in a tree on a very windy day as we rolled from side to side and pitched up and down.  As we staggered toward the dining room in the morning (think fun house with those crazily slanted floors), I announced that I refused to take the stairs. Riding back up in the elevator with us after breakfast was an officer who said he told his “boys” never to take the stairs in weather like this, even if only going up or down one level.  I felt vindicated considering his ship experience! 

Because of the weather conditions and the notoriety of Cape Horn, we had to be satisfied to know that we are passing about 25 miles away as the planned scenic cruising isn’t possible.  Passengers received a certificate for having sailed in Cape Horn waters.  Cape Horn is not named (as I had originally thought) because the cape was shaped like a horn, but for the city of Hoorn in the Netherlands.  The certificate says, “…the waters around the Cape are particularly hazardous, owing to strong winds, large waves, strong currents and icebergs; these dangers have made it notorious as a sailor’s graveyard…”  I guess you could say we are having the privilege of experiencing the “best” (?) of Cape Horn first-hand!  This is truly a sailing adventure.  So we’re tucking in and enjoying it despite the rocky seas!  Besides, if you’re reading this, it means that these waters have not become our graveyard and that we’ve had the privilege of experiencing the Cape in its true form!   

Capt. Mercer kept everyone very well informed as we progressed through the rough waters.  Because of the precautions taken, the trip wasn’t nearly as bad as we’d expected, and as promised, the seas calmed and the winds died and we had smooth sailing after 4:00 PM when we entered the Beagle Channel south of Ushuaia.   The ship had gone the full speed ahead to get as much sea behind us as possible so that put us into Ushuaia earlier than we’d anticipated.

Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world.  Although a Chilean town claims to be farther south, the population is such that it can’t be considered a city, which means that Ushuaia, boasting a population of 50,000 inhabitants, can claim that title.  Everywhere we looked, we saw signs that claimed that Ushuaia was the “end of the world”. 

Ushuaia, the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego, is located in the well-known region of Patagonia which covers both Argentina and Chile.  The region gets its name from Magellan’s claim that the people who lived there had very big feet.  Because it is the closest city to the Antarctic Peninsula, Ushuaia is considered the “Gateway to Antarctica”.  Indeed, we saw evidence of ships that were most likely being readied for a trip to the white continent.  With its sub polar climate, the weather is quite variable in Ushuaia so we were very happy to have sunny weather for the vast majority of our day there!

Our shore excursion, Drive to Tierra del Fuego National Park, took us through Ushuaia to the nearby park.  The scenic drive afforded lovely views of the beginning (or ending, depending upon one’s perspective) of the Andes Mountain range.  We passed by the southernmost golf course in the world with a backdrop of U-shaped valleys carved by glaciers.  Those who chose to play a round received a certificate for golfing at the links of Ushuaia. 

Some of the wildlife in the national park was quite visible, while others may not have made physical appearances but had left evidence of their presence.  Although we saw no beavers (which are not indigenous so have no natural enemies), we passed areas where trees had been felled as if a forest fire had taken them down, but it was the beavers who had done the damage.  We passed lake after lake and river after river that contained beaver dams or lodges.  Also introduced to the Patagonian area were the rabbits which were so proliferate that it wasn’t uncommon to see four or five sitting on lawns or bounding across landscapes.  Many trees “boasted” huge holes in their trunks, the result of the native Great Patagonian (or Magellanic) Woodpecker, which can be as large as 18 inches.  These birds, unlike the beavers, are indigenous animals.  Black-necked swans dotted the lake, gracefully swimming in the shadows of snow-capped mountains.  Upland geese, which are monogamous and mourn with the death of their mate, could be spotted near the lakeshores, as well as a pintail duck that was sitting atop a beaver dam.  We even spotted a red fox that was more the size of a large coyote.  Overall, we were fascinated by the animals that we saw!

One of our stops was at the terminus of the Pan American Highway, which begins in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, some 17,848 kilometers north.  We made a few other stops in the park in areas that afforded us lovely views of lakes and mountains.  What an amazing place!

Back in Ushuaia, we finally welcomed the opportunity to do some shopping and enjoyed strolling around town before returning to the ship.

We were originally scheduled to set sail at 1:00, but this was postponed to 2:30 to allow the ship time to completely refuel.  As always, Capt Mercer came on just before sailing with an update.  We received some most unwelcome news:  In Capt. Mercer’s own words, there is a “monstrous” storm in the Pacific Ocean, and after contacting the home office in Seattle, they decided that it would be best to wait a day and change course in some way.  With reports of gale-force winds and 40-foot waves, we fully agreed that we wanted to miss it!  Even the crew was groaning at the thought of such wild seas; thus we will spend an extra day in Punta Arenas.  As a result, we know that we will miss a port in the South Pacific, though we don’t yet know which it will be.  (Our bet is that it will be Easter Island because that’s the iffiest port on our schedule after the Falklands, where we had the amazing fortune to be able to land, but of course this is just a guess.  I would be delighted to be proven wrong!) 

Veteran world travelers know that with an around-the-world cruise one can expect changes in itinerary and course.  Over the past few days, we’ve learned that we must go with the flow and anticipate that there will be delights as well as disappointments.  It’s all part of the adventure! 

As we sailed from Ushuaia we had the opportunity to hear a talk given by three of the scientists who had spent the Antarctic summer at Palmer Station.  It was fascinating to hear of their research during their time there; the camaraderie and mutual respect was very obvious.  As I listened, I couldn’t help but think in particular of a few of my colleagues who particularly enjoy aspects of science – Stephanie, Kim, Georgia and Megan.  The station studies many different fields of science, including geology, astronomy, and marine biology.  I could actually picture each of them jumping in and working hard with these scientists. 

BT