Return to Nuku Hiva

When this itinerary was originally published and purchased, we had a lot of places to see. Some would be returns to favorite places for us. The Hawaiian Islands with four stops would have been oh so nice, and cut way down on sea days. It would be five out of Los Angeles and then make a left turn to French Polynesia. Instead we cut slightly diagonally out of port to set sail for Nuku Hiva making it the start of the touring after so many sea days. And now we have gone full circle. Not sure why we are going there instead of its sister island Nuku Oo as planned. To replace time in Hawaii we were supposed to have added the Cook Islands but they disappeared and were replaced with extra time in Tahiti. Roatonga was in then out. I have lost track and will have to sit down to compare notes with my own self when I get home. That being said, it has been a very nice trip. Some amazing sights, some beautiful weather like today. At home in Georgia there is ice and snow and below freezing temperatures. Instead of driving to my usual routine places I am sailing on the largest ocean in the world of Earth. (Not sure what might be on other planets but I feel confident that we win!) The Pacific covers some 30% of the Earth's surface and at 65 million square miles in size is larger than all the land mass together. Our day in Nuku Hiva starts with breakfast on the back deck with a view of the barren to brown rocky windward slopes that are not very slopey. Jutting straight up beside us is a sharp cliff but perched atop it is a permanent canopy stucture with a white helicopter beside it. Later in the day we saw it leave and return. I don't know why or who uses it. We didn't notice it on our first visit. This is the island where Melville jumped ship - again- and says he spent four months held captive by cannibals. That he fell in love with a beautiful native girl and rescued her by carryiing her across the jungle while they were bleediing from arrow wounds. He swam back out to his ship when he escaped. Whatever happened, he was gone less than four weeks according to the ships log. The captain also took him back and said he wasn't worried. That he, the Captain, knew the island was filled with cannibals and his prodigal sailor would return. I am going to make a correction right here. As you know I am writing under different circumstances and it has been hard to do corrections and editing on a tablet. I mispoke. Michener was not an habitual mutineer. That was only Melville. Michener wrote stricktly from imagination and research. He never was even in the Spouth Pacific! He was a homebody. We did not book a tour here as the one we thought we would do was to be on an ATV over rough terrain. We felt we had seen enough of the small island the first time. Today we just went ashore to walk around. Carol and I set out but met Sue on the tender. So the three of us went ashore together. Carol walked up to the big tiki and lighthouse but since Sue didn't want to I kept her company and we walked along the shore. There was a monument to a shipwreck that we had not seen before. The white obelisk had a plaque that I could not get close enough to read and an anchor lay next to it on the ground. We stopped in a small grocery store because Sue was looking for something but didn't find it. They did have a lot of liquor though. Two walls of it tells me there is not much to do here in the evening. Then we met Nancy and Lou coming back and they said nothing up that way but more groceries. A lady offered a tour in her van but we didn't have enough money to pay for it and although she pointed out the ATM we decided to just stroll along. Now we met Carol coming our way and we all went to a building with four flags. This was the City Hall and the jail. There were 3 prisoners but they were out for the day. They only sleep there and have breakfast. Then go out to their jobs and come back after dinner. We found the library so Carol, Nancy, and I went in and were delighted with the size of the well organized space. The young lady in charge jumped up to greet us. She was obviously proud of her job and her place. There was a large children's section having books we easily recognized. Mickey and Donald were prominently displayed. The young man at the computer had on a headset. He was her younger brother. An older lady came in with a large oval loaf of fresh bread. I asked if that was her Mom. She said no. I asked if she was the boss and the young man pointed to his chest and with a big smile said he was the boss. Never missed a beat on his computer and never took off his headset! The bread was sliced and we were offered a piece. Who can resist warm freshly baked home made bread! Delicious. When we left we stopped to take pictures of the building. The young librarian came out and handed us chunks of doughnuts, also still warm. She said the name Judy means Deer. She must have just looked it up. We got this through her pantomine and struggle with the word! What a perfect interaction with local people. Remember they are the best souvenirs. As we walked back toward the ship Nancy and Lou decided to walk around awhile more. Sue went to the tender but Carol and I spent a few minutes in the crafts area. We didn't buy anything. The hand carving and beadwork was nice but I didn't need a sword or a necklace. Just then the tender arrived, so we were on the same one with Sue for the return to the ship. There was medical staff there and we later heard police also. No one ever had a real answwer as to why. Might have all been routine inspections. Because outsiders were let aboard the medicals were probably there for the testing. Carol had a shower and I went for a swim in the thermal pool. Even though the bubblers were not working the warm water was soothing. We had five o'clock Trivia titled Terrific,Specific, Pacific Trivia. It was in the theater and we really enjoyed it. Didn't do too badly. We knew things like the names of lots of islands, the deepest point, book titles and authors but I couldn't think of Sondheim's Pacific Overtures. Has anyone ever seen that? Between Trivia and dinner, while Carol changed, I went and saw Laura because we forgot to add the extension to the 29 night cruise we had booked at our 4:00 appointment. Yes, you need an actual appointment. And yes we needed to add the extension immediately as they sell out fast. We had talked with her on the first sea day after Moorea and she was holding cabin choices for us. Dates were different because of availability. A lot was already booked for the April 2023 sailing. But we settled on the better cabin on the earlier trip. It will be Barcelona to Istanbul and on to Cappadocia. I guess you could say that I have truly become a world traveler! We met everyone at the Chef's Table for the Sweet and Salty menu. The veal entree was very good but I just am not a fan of fancy food. After dinner it was time for Dan, my favorite of the four Viking Voices, to have his first ever solo performance on this stage. He is relatively new to cruising and had put the show together just before COVID and never had a chance to perform it. I enjoyed his tribute to Swing and Jazz. The stage in this theater doesn't have curtains and backdrops. It is all done with LED's. So backgrounds move, colors can change, designs morph into other patterns. I know the band is on the stage, dressed in black, but they seem to dissappear into these effects making them seem to be in 3 - D. I am so glad I have my new distance glasses so I can really enjoy the shows. After the show there is a little conversation, a little review of the day and plans for tomorrow, a little reading and a sound sleep in beds dressed in fresh linens every day.

Brief Respite

I am so out of travel practice! Not only did I overpack and pack badly, I was glad when 5 consecutive port days ended. My favorite cruises have only one or two days on land between sea days and this originally was scheduled that way. Due to changes made to gain us better weather we had two in Bora Bora, two in Tahiti, and one in Moorea with no chance to catch our breath. That was seven excursions lasting as much as four hours each. A lot of time on the water not counting this ship, of course. A lot of pre-scheduled speacialty dinners. Just a lot of a lot! BTW - Moorea is pronounced in the island way of saying each vowel as Mo-o-re-a. A leisurely breakfast out on the back deck with lots of conversation was greatly enjoyed. We didn't even go to the early presentation on Forests of the World. I had some time to catch up with you here. Time to swim where I met several people who are extending this cruise to sail through the Panama Canal and flying home from Ft. Lauderdale. The main pool had an open roof today and very hot tile and hot metal handrails. Maybe they could rethink the railings! Ouch! There was no escaping the idea of Carol and I discussing future cruises. We have already extended our Norway cruise and while onboard upgraded our cabin for that. As I mentioned, we browsed the offerings on TV where I found the Istanbul trip. Last night's Daily for today sent a complete list and we reviewed our possible choice. We made an appointment with Laura, the Cruise Consultant - that must be a great job - and met with her. She is holding cabins for us on two dates for that trip to the Iconic Shores of the Med. The date may depend on which category of cabin we decide on. And on which bank I can rob! Our big appointment of the day, other than Trivia, is to hear Dr. Sherry tell us the stories behind the disputes over the cultural treasures of the Ivory Chessmen and the Golden Adele. I had not known about either but will be looking for a small version of the Lewis Chess Set to give as gift to my grandson when I visit Scotland next year. The Golden Adele had a good outcome as far as returning to the private owner after Nazi confiscation. Apparently there is a movie about this. We had dinner one deck above us in the World Cafe with our friends. The more we get together the more we laugh. We are a little rowdy and just have a good time together. We did not go to hear the cellist play as the evening performance. Carol and I watched a movie I can not even telll you the title of, but it was strangely funny. But predictable. Susan Sarandon played a dead mother who left a video to teach her son lessons she hadn't bothered to teach him when he was alive. J.K. Simmons had a strange part in it as well. We started off our second sea day by Sailing the Seas with Herman Melville and Dr. Sherry Hutt. I had slept particularly late, 8:00, so only a quick breakfast before that. She is always so informative and I learned a lot. He was a serial mutineer and took his tales from his South Pacific adventures and expanded them greatly with fiction. Another author I thought I knew but have to read up on. We did pretty good at trivia today. Sometimes things are really out of left field. Again, playing more often would help. The four o'clock talk by Russell Lee was an excellent disection of the movie The Godfather. Everything from why Francis Ford Coppella was chosen to be the director and how Marlon Brando got the part to a critical analysis of specific scenes. What did Parmesan - Reggiano have to do with anything and why did actors have cue cards under their jackets? I wish I had a recording of that lecture! Dinner was at Manfredi's and delicious as always. Our friends seem to enjoy Chef's Table more but Carol and I really like the Italian restaurant on board. Our cruise director, Brian Rodriguez from, as he says, the small North Cuban town of Miami Beach, Florida had a solo show. He does not hesitate to admit he is only 5' 3 1/2" tall but he unpacks a tenor voice that would be the envy of many a professional stage performer. His show, Bel Canto, was a powerhouse showing of multi-genre music. The house was packed and the applause was surely what a performer dreams of. Straight to bed as tomorrow is another day with an early start ashore!

Moorea

We settled in Opunoha Bay about 1:00 a.m. after a brief sail from Papeete. The outline of the sentinel mountains of Mt. Roa and Mt. Rotui were visible against the starlit night sky when I woke and looked out our window during the night. This is the island that inspired the mythical Bali Hai and is seen even in the dreamy sequence in the movie South Pacific. James Michener was AWOL here as well. He was hired and rehired each time after his many mutinies. His is a very interesting life story. This water is also known as Cook's Bay and the view of the mountain from this angle is the sight you see for Bali Hai. In the morning we met at 8:10 to get our tender for the relatively long ride to the docking area. Because of the layout of the reef protection zone which is quite close to the land we headed out over the reef and back in at the 'river' entrances. We were going on the optional Moorea Panorama Tour and it did not dissappoint. (((The first stop was, of course, for a scenic view of the mountains. Only a few moments for pictures and fresh air. Then we went to a home where they demonstrated making beautiful patterns on cotton cloth to use for sarongs and pareos. Pareos are for the men. Modern ones have, as I think I noted before, a bit of sewing involved to create a cell phone pocket. These cloths were just yardage. The fabric is laid out on tin roofing which actually adds lines to the design. Fabric is rolled and twisted and then quickly dipped in various very watery paints of different pastel colors. It is then slapped down and clothespinned to the tin. Black plastic stencils are randomly slapped down on the now tie-dyed material and left in the sun for about 5 minutes. Yes, just five minutes of sun sets the design and sets the colors. When it was hung up to dry we moved on to see clever ways to wrap and use it. Some of the ladies with us and the men modeled the designs. It looks quite simple to do and quite nice. Pretty sure if I had bought one it would be in a drawer or as a tablecloth since I would never remember how to do it.))) ---This happened on Bora Bora!! We continued on to an overlook of the bay. While we took pictures of the mountains and the sailboats our fellow passengers on ATV's zipped past us. we later learned that it had been to muddy to do much off-roading and one vehicle ended up with a flat tire and those four friends waited for the repair truck before which then drove them the rest of the route. The truck later went back to fix the tire. We continued around the island not realizing that we were also gradually climbing. Then we came to the part of the road that made a turn across a field and began the serious climb up Moua Roa. Then the switchbacks began! We were in a very comfortable but very large bus provided by Hina Pearls. As we climbed higher and higher the turns became tighter and tighter. Several times our, luckily excellent, driver would turn, back up, turn, back up and finally wrestle his way around the tur just to do it again in a few hundred feet. The views of the were scary if you were brave enough to look down! We finally reached the top some 2,949 above our ship appearing so tiny in the bay below. The ocean views were framed by the lush landscape of the Vallee de Opunohu. Breathtaking is an understatement in so many ways! Back on the bus for the equally harrowing ride down. First we had to back out of the parking lot. Pretty sure that at one point the back of the bus, where we were seated, was hanging over the edge of the cliff! We noticed that in both directions the bus driver would give a little honk on the horn as he approached a turn. This was to let any cars or cyclists know that a big guy was coming and they better hang back. It worked and we safely descended, again with many jostling moves on the hairpins. Near the bottom of the mountain was a temple of the ancient religion. Like we had seen before, there was the raised stone platform but this was the largest I had seen. And tall from the ground. The chiefs ground level stone backrests were still in place facing the even more raised platform. Bright green moss covered most of the basalt boulders. Steven walked us around it and explained the various ceremonies that might take place. It was for the gods and also of the gods as both prayers were offered and judgements made. Carol and some others did not exit the bus as we were warned about the mosquitoes. Carol had had enough of that at the last marea we visited. The bus doors opened, we jumped off and then they closed. We did walk around a bit there and heard all about the many chickens and roosters. The roosters do not make good eating - too tough. Back on the bus I had a few moments of fun fear as a wasp had settled on the back window. Since I am allergic, I encouraged Sherry and Michael, yes our speakers were our escorts, to try and get it. When it finally flew to the back door we shouted and the driver quickly opened the door to let it live anither day! As we toured our young guide talked about government, the jobs people had, the importance of tourism. This was a big issue and as he pointed out closed hotels he practically beged us to send our friends back to him. And I would. It is a truly remarkably beautiful and quiet place. Maybe too quiet for me. If you do not want to stay in an overwater bungalow and swim everyday you will be hard pressed to find much else to do. Reading and hiking are options. And spending romantic moments with someone special. Steven pointed out the cinema. Now closed for 3 years. The side boards definitely showed open air between them. You sat on school house chairs under the tin roof. No air conditioning. He said that it was so stiffling that if someone farted the movie was over. Agriculture is second to tourism. There is no high school or college. Kids and most working adults get up at four in the morning to catch the five a.m. ferries to Tahiti. It takes about 45 minutes to arrive and then begin your day. They return on the five p.m. ones in the afternoon. Arriving about six and getting home at seven. So the education rate drops dramatically after grade school. Kids are needed for help with the agricultural jobs, the family farm so to speak, and can not be away all of the daylight hours. Since the government is trying to have slow, sustainable growth it is difficult for outsiders to purchase land. There is a five year wait after the proposal is made. Therefore businesses go elsewear. There are way more women on the island than men. You would think that this would be to Steven's advantage. But families are large. They all stay living close together still he does not know all of his cousins. His great grandparents had 12 children and they each married and had kids. His grandparents had nine. He has only four brothers and sisters. He is related to much of the island so he takes the boat to Papeete when he wants to go to a bar or a club. If he meets a girl he likes he first asks if she is related to this aunt or that uncle. "In Moorea they frown on you laying on the bed with your cousin." Steven found a girlfriend. She came on a cruise ship. He is very nice to her because it is too much work to find a new one! On the way back to the ship we stopped at Hina Pearls where the guide from the other bus directed the driver on backing into the narrow space between the building and the corregated metal fence. At one point he jokingly made a sign of the cross! The pearl company is a family buisness. The tours bring customers to the jeweler. They will even let you select pearls and have a setting made on the spot. We crossed the only main road to take more pictures of sand, sea, and coconut palms. By the way, beaches are dotted with these palm trees, which are not really trees, because coconuts fall into the water and float to other beaches and plant themselves. They will soon sprout from untreated fruit. Back at the port we hopped off the bus and dashed to the dock where there were included tours waiting to leave. The reservation system had not let us book the included tour because there wasn't enough time between our 3 1/2 hour (turned out to be 4) Panorama Drive and the Scenic Lagoon Boat Tour. We made it! Mina, the lead onshore excursion lady with whom we had chatted on previous days, found us a space. Never hurts to be friendly and interested in everything. The catamaran was covered with a roof providing afternoon shade. I took the third seat from the front because the first metal bench was in the sun. Unfortunately someone else got on board at the last moment and they took that last available in front of us. Them and their hats! I was glad when it blew off her head but I really did try to grab it. As it floated on the water we slowed, circled, and the guide fished it out with a hook. At least she couldn't put it back on and block the view. We wove around the reef, out and back through the openings in the coral and over to Cook's Bay. From here we could see the true height of the Shark's Tooth mountain we had climbed earlier in the day. Spectacular view of the real Bali Hai! We watched school kids practicing for the national sport of outrigger racing as part of the Phys Ed curriculum. On shore yellow-green patches of low growth turned out to be pineapple farms. The fruit is only for local consumption, the island has no exports. Most of the fruit is sent to the juice factory we had passed on the back side of the island. The backside is where whatever industry or utilities are located. This includes the five turbine diesel electricity plant. Three in regular use rotation and two for back up. The scenic boat ride also took us past the UC Berkeley Marine Biology facility where lucky - and smart - Masters and Graduate students study and research. We could see the lovely bungalows on the mountside nestled to have beautiful resort - style views. It was a nice tour and reaffirmed much of what we learned in the morning. The 1 1/2 hour boat tour ended and we briefly walked through the vendors area while we waited. There was a beautiful hand carved box but even though another boat won't be in port for a few weeks, unusual here, there was no bargainning. And I did not have that much cash with me. We caught the tender for the approximately ten minute ride back to the Orion. After washing up we had a late lunch poolside so that for dinner we just met friends late and had salad and, of course, dessert. The show this evening was titled Seas the Day and was a first time solo performance in the main theater for Matthew, the talented classical guitarist. He was very nervous as he usually only entertains in the smaller or at least less formal venues. He did so very well.

Tahiti in Two Days - Part Two

Good morning. After sleeping peacefully on the ship in the Tahiti Lagoon we arose early, dressed, breakfasted from Room Service (included) and set out early for our East Coast Tour. Having done the complete West Coast on our first visit we knew this would take us to the suburbs of Papeete and the islands less inhabited areas. Our guide was fun and very personable, as are they all. That must be one of the qualities that Viking seeks out went vetting which tour companies to partner with in all their locations. We passed through increasing small towns until we reached the farthermost destination, Te-ara-o-Tahiti. Here is the park that holds the lighthouse which during World War II the inhabitants needed to hide. They did this by painting coconut trees, palms, and nuts on the four facades of the building which stood in a coconut grove already. The Japanese then had no reference point to land either planes or ships in Tahiti. It is in this bay that "The Gospel Came to Tahiti" and the plaque at the Missionary Memorial declares the story of the landing where the first representatives of the Missionary Society of London arrived. Hence the name, Society Islands! On the surrounding wall are stones from each of the island groups. These are gathered in a rough map of the South Pacific to express a hope that as they are brought together here all the churches of these places will 'stand on one hope, one faith' and will 'be gathered together into the Kingdom' of Heaven one day. At the base of the red sail-like centerpiece names of all 28 original pioneers of faith are listed. Another list of names is mounted on another volcanic stone. These are the names of the ships company of the HMS Bounty. They arrived October 27, 1788. The irregular stone it decorated on all four sides with metal leaves and flowers of the Tiara shrub. Tiara is the Tahitian national flower and is a small gardenia native to here. There are also Breadfruit and Breadfruit tree leaves. This is what Captain Bligh was sent to bring back in huge quantities in his tiny ship. The men of the already overcrowded vessal were supposed to find, dig up, load, and transport a thousand of these back to the West Indies to plant and grow food for the many, many slaves of the sugar and rum industry. It would be cheap, filling, nourishing and save the West Indies Company a lot of money in the long run. We walked along the bay where surfers were enjoying the waves in the usually calm sea in its protective inlet. I happened to run into Barry Rock and his wife. You might remember that he is the botanist/geologist onboard. There was a huge tree that had fallen in the storm that prevented our earlier lagoon activites. While we were trying to identify it we chatted about the many blooming flowers but the overwhelming color of the island is green. Really, almost too much green. Buildings are small, mostly white except near the port where color is used, I believe, to identify them to travelers. Roofs are red metal. And then there is green. So many different identifiable outlines of trees are visible on the mountains as they rise above the sea. Leaves of every size and shape like the giant philodendron that I am standing by which had wound its way up the tree now laying dead across our path. So many plantings and and natural green. Not everything blooms so that actually splashes of Poincianna, or Hibiscus, or Plumbago are a relief to the eye and brain! Back on the bus we drove to the lookout over Venus Point. Here is the larger part of the Matavai Bay in which Captain Cook anchored in on April 12, 1769. From here the lighthouse is not visible as the Point blocks the view of the smaller protected inlet but it is all one bay. How strange that two iconic landings were in the same bay and less than 20 years apart. Apparently in the pre GPS days, very good maps were drawn! The English were serious about gaining profit from these distant lands that they later lost to the French. Across from us, on a narrow spit of land, we could see the distinctive roof of the King's Tomb. Here the last king of Tahiti, Pomare V lies in repose. But is it repose? The tomb was built for his mother who was the beloved 'King', Queen Pomare IV. She was buried here but her son, the not successful monarch who eventually lost the island to French domination, had his mother removed from the coral structure. She is buried in the family plot as he felt the tomb was meant to be for only a 'true king.' I woner if it is haunted! Back at the ship after the two hour tour we had a cold drink and a snack and set out on our walking tour, on our own. This time Carol and I were supposed to meet Adrienne to go to the Black Pearl Museum which she really wanted to visit. On the pier whe was waiting to tell us she was not going to go for our little excursion. Her tummy wasn't behaving and she didn't want to be too far from the comfort of her own bathroom. Would we please pick up some fresh vanilla for her. So we set off, well armed with frosty bottles of water in the 80 degree humidity. Our walk to town was only a couple of blocks. I took lots of pictures which you will have to wait to see. We first went to Foodies. It is the closest little grocer. I would have been happy to share a cab to Carrefour's, a Walmart type international food chain, but instead we stayed local. We had a list. Our morning sunshine girl is Gloria. Greeting us each day at breakfast her contagious good humor starts our day out right. Often we then see her at lunch or dinner in other locations. The food staff works endlessly. I had asked if there was anything we could bring her since crew is not allowed ashore due to Viking Ship COVID protocals. She had said no previously as did our stewards. I am sure that is the management decision and understandable. But when we had asked yesterday she asked if she could make a list. Being agreeable people, and already having asked at each stop, we said sure. So today we had her list of things she could not get onboard. I would think there was a ship store for the crew but I guess not. So we set out to find body wash, sanitary napkins, roll on deoderant, toothpaste etc.! I believe the list was also for friends. She asked for male body wash as well. We ended up buying 2 of everything that we could find and a variety of salty snacks. Since I had my Viking tote bag but Carol did not we also bought a grocery totebag. Back on board at lunch Gloria handed me a $100. She had said to spend up to $200 but I wasn't sure if that is what she actually meant, and besides, it was a lot to carry and heavy since there was also laundry detergent and other things that only came in big sizes. We had lunch just before GLoria finished her afternoon shift. We were to meet Gloria in the GYM area for the secret handoff. We could hardly hand her big sacks of personal items and foods while she was on duty. So she Facebook friended me and when she went off duty we texted we were on the way and she replied. We took the bags down the elevator to the first floor and she soon appeared through a crew doorway still wearing her uniform. She could only be in a guest area if in uniform so all the rules were not broken. I had put the receipts and five singles as change in one of the bags. Mission accomplished! We did the best we could. She texted she 'loved everything!' But our shopping day wasn't over. We had to go back to town in the other direction and back to the Marketplace. Most of the booths were covered for the day as it was after three. I think the women go home to meet the kids after school. We found glass jars of vanilla beans. The beans are about three dollars each as at five to a jar and buying two jars we spent $30 of Adrienne's money. We also went back to Foodies to get a few snacks for Sebastian and for Zak. Our cabin steward and assistant. Wha We tried to buy plaintain chips as we knew from our many brief hallways chats they were a favorite. We didn't find them so it was Staks and Oreos for them. A strange day in Tahiti! No time for a swim so we each showered and dressed for dinner at the Chef's Table where we would all meet at six. We watched the Port Talk at five on our TV. The menu tonight was Through the Ages. A Roman amuse bouche, then Greek and so on. Not my favorite place to eat but the company was good and the food was more to my liking than usual. No live show tonight so we browsed Viking itineraries on our room TV. Carol and I first lingered on our balcony and reveled in the sail away to the not distant Moorea. We laughed making jokes about how many donuts the Captain would have to do as Moorea was visable from where we were. It is in every lagoon photo taken in Papeete! We felt we could swim there!

Two Days in Tahiti - Part One

We have returned to Tahiti! Not originally on the schedule but due to the cancellation of Raietea and Rorotonga, not to be confused with Tonga, we have returned to Papeete. They had to take us some place to avoid the Mutiny on the Orion! we are happy to be back where we were so warmly welcomed as the first cruise ship in two years from the U.S.A.! Adrienne wanted to go to the Pearl Museum and maybe also buy some black pearls and stop to get vanilla. She mentioned it at breakfast and Carol and I said sure, we could all go thogether. There were no tours offered and we thought about hiring a driver but decided against it as we have a tour tomorrow that will complete our visit quite well. Then I said, let me check. We are after all in FRENCH Polynesia and it is SUNDAY! And sure enough, thanks to the free WIFI, we discovered that everything is closed in this Catholic country. The Pharmacie would open for a few hours at 2:00 p.m. So Adrienne decided not to go out at all and Carol and I left about 10. On the way to the gate of the pier, we met Sue. Who was heading out to find sunscreen as she lost hers at the pool. When we told her that no stores were open but at 2:00 she decided to walk with us. The very bustling city had a beautiful Sunday calm. It is obviously family time. A mother knealt with her child beside the seaside to watch the fishies swimming in a sort of aquarium glass set into the ocean. The little girls pink bike lay next to them. So many men were dragging coolers to the gates of the Marina. The women held them open and shut them tight before walking down the boardwalk to where their tall masted sailboat or catamaran was tied up. The boats came from all over- England, France, and Germany were well represented. A few were from the States. They all were beautiful yachts, perhaps rentals, or maybe private judging by the clientele. A middle aged couple was walking their black and white dog on the decorative pavement. Of course I asked in my best broken French if the dog was friendly and could be petted. The puppy was excited but sat upon command, which I understood and can pronounce but not spell. It was so nice to stroke his shiny head and shake hands good bye with him. Some of the pavement is stone that is set as tiles and every so often one had an impression of a sea animal in it. A shiny black stone pavement swirled along side and through the grey stone. A very interesting pattern making you think of the sea even though it is not a blue walkway. In some places there is a pinkish marble - like paving of large squares. Sue and I turned back at the first playground where preschoolers chased each other around the slide. There are three such set-asides in the park. Sue was struggling a little with the heat and more so the humidity. Carol continued on to nearly the end and went just past the pennisula lighthouse. Back on board there are never a lot of activities on port days. But this was such a nice blend of the two possibilities. We had dinner in the very fancy Chef's Table. It was a Journey Through Time Menu. The theme idea is key here. Representing Greece, the lamb loin was elegantly presented on a dollop of pureed yams. Delicious. Surprisingly the White Port was very good. And I am not a wine fan but it was smooth and unusual, especially for a Port. Lindsey Hamilton gave an excellent Broadway Review with a special tribute to Stephen Sondheim. Photos of him were on screen as she movingly performed Send in the Clowns. She flies out tomorrow to her next cruise ship, we will miss her. All in all a very nice chnage of pace today.

Bora Bora - By Land and Lagoon!

This morning we have a 7:50 a.m. Star Theater meeting time to catch our tender ashore so we hung out our Room Service breakfast order last night. We both pretty much like our preferred hot beverage, me tea and Carol coffee, first thing each day. Carol and I each ordered a selection of fresh melon which arrives as a pretty arrangement of thinly sliced honeydew, cantalope, and watermelon with a raspberry and a blueberry centered as though the whole thing was a flower on a very large white plate. Carol had a blueberry muffin and I had pain au chocolate as other sweet rolls are not offered this way. It was the perfect start to our day. Our first tour was a Glass Bottom Boat which held about 16 guests. The captain and guide were super nice, also in their blue guide Hawaiian shirts. Our guide To'oa had his ukelele so we knew what was coming. All of our guides have been lively and tell good stories. He was as well. We had booked this as a back up in case no snorkeling happened. Just so you know, Viking includes one tour in every port. In some places this is all we do and then wander around on our own. Or we make our way to something specific one of us really wants to see or do. Here and on some other trips we go with Viking offered tours. Over time we have learned that their tour price is very competative and sometimes even less that outside companies like Viator. As long as what the tour is showing us or taking us to we are happy to go with them. Makes life easy and now, with COVID restrictions across the world, they are extra safe! This boat had windows at the bottom that were thick plexiglass and really quite clean. The row of glass was different from when there is one big window, everyone had to sort of lean forward and hang over the top of the box. The fish were maybe not awake yet but we did float our lightweight wood-clad foam boat over the reef and saw many of the same things we had seen when snorkeling. But, of course, not with the same excitement. When we got near to where others were doing the shark and ray swim we edged closer and closer so that we too were seeing Lemon Sharks and Manta Rays. A difference between Manta and Sting Rays is that stingers are bottom feeders eating worms, clams, and shrimp from the reef and near by. They live about 15 years. Manta's eat plankton and krill and live to be 50! There is maybe a lesson there for us. During our float-about To'oa played You Are My Sunshine. People in other countries often choose this to sort of honor the Americans. I guess it is easy and surely has been in many movies which, by the way, is where many learn English or practice it. As another guide once said, he learned "in the school of Netflix." To'oa then began to play one of my favorite island songs, Over the Rainbow, as sung by the Hawaiian Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. He had a very similar sound and I really enjoyed hearing as we glided over the blue waters. When our nearly two hour tour was over we returned to the dock with enough time to have lunch, touch base with our friends who did not seem to enjoy their tour choices as much as we did. We then returned to the shore to do a Le Truck tour. Sounded a little goofy but turned out to be a lovely scenic ride around the island. Since it is so small, it was easy to stop at the best viewing places and even had time for an optional drink at Bloody Mary's! We opted out. But it was fun to see even though it is a direct steal from South Pacific since it wasn't established until 1979. The restaurant has a long pier since most transportation is by private boat. Inside, the polished rosewood log tables were set with bright red napkins at each place. A large Tiki was only partially visible until you went out back. It was not a serious one, of course. Everyone kept saying go to the restroom...so we did. The sink was a stone fountain. When you pulled the overhead chain, water flowed for washing up. In the men's room, I was told, the handle of the chain was a penis. Maybe that should have been reversed! After all, if you are going for drinking humor - go for it! We did learn on our tour that the children go to one of several church affiliated schools. Until only a few years ago the high school age kids had to go by boat to the distant Tahiti or one of the other islands. They stayed there Monday through Friday (some days I would have voted for that) but it is all government sponsored by France since it is, indeed, French Polynesia. We also learned that all medical care is also free and also government funded. The only hospital is on Tahiti. Each island does have a clinic for first aid, regular health care, and vaccinations as needed. About 75% of the islanders opted for the Covid vaccine, whereas in the more buisness conscious Tahiti itself, the number is 97%. Each of the smaller islands does have a government medical helicopter in cases of serious or emergency care. However, most births are given at home. Probably a good idea since putting a woman in labor on a helicoper for any length of time could be dangerous to her and the crew! We saw land crabs. The guide lured them out of their holes by tossing bright red hibiscus to them. The flowers were hanging from the wooded interior walls of our 'school bus.' It was wood inside and out but built on a truck bed. The windows were plastic that simply raised and lowered by pulling on them. To keep them closed during the rain shower we had, you pulled them up, pushed the bottom outwards to rest on a slat on the outside portion of the wood. You could easily see that the two brightly painted sides of the truck were nailed to cross pieces to look cohesive. I thhink it was all simply plywood! The weather was beautiful despite the fact that we are here mid rainy season. More sun than sprinkles for us. Our trip has not been hampered by the weather at all. Partly thanks to the fact that there are not many cruise ships sailing the South Seas and we were easily able to change landing dates. Thank you Captain! Dinner upstairs but in the AquaVite area of the cafe where you can dine AlFresco, and enjoy the sunset. We often have breakfast or lunch there. It was a very busy and really speacial stay here in Bora Bora. We finished the evening with a performance by Master Ventriloquist Don Baylor and Noseworthy! Carol was not a fan and left early but Helen and I found his jokes corny and slightly blue. He was amazing, I thought, with his ability to change his dummy's voice from his own and then also easily identify his female character's voice. Bringing Assistant Cruise Director Michael on stage boosted the laughter level as Michael played into the dummy role perfectly. Carol and I travel well together even though this is our first time sharing a cabin. Most times we are moving in the same route and share interests. We each also will go our own way when we want to do different things. We each try to give the other some space and private time and are happy to turn off the light at the same time in the evening after reading for awhile. If we don't match up we don't worry about it. May I end this post by inviting all of you to experience the South Pacific and especially Bora Bora as soon as you are able!

The Dream That is Bora Bora!

After an early dinner last night, to which our merry band did not appear, Carol went to the 8:00 movie. It was the 2021 release of The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Since I had seen it, probably on HBOMAX, I finished my tea. Well sort of. I spilled the whole fresh cup on myself including on my clean white cardigan! I headed back to the room and Sebastian our Steward said hi and asked how I was. I said I was mad at myself for spilling tea on my sweater. He took it right out of my hand and stopped his rounds to take it right down to the laundry to see if they could immediately treat and wash it! I was going to rinse it with cold water and put it out for laundry in the morning but this is much better. Really first class service from everyone on board. In the cabin I sorted my clothes for todays tour of the Bora Bora Lagoon and also got my things ready for the afternoon - fingers crossed - snokel excursion. I then went to the performance by the ship entertainers of Music from the Movies. They always do a wonderful job and put great energy into every dance step and every note they sing. Some passengers discount their talent but I like to support them. Tonight was Jean and Carlo along with the four Viking Vocalists and the Viking Band. There is so much music on this ship. It is the predominant form of entertainment. In fact, there is also a pianist, classical guitarist and a violin - cello duo. Quiet live music plays in every area of the ship most of the late afternoon and continues until midnight. This is not a party boat and will never be a "booze cruise!" Bora Bora was originally Poora Bora, which means clapping hands. When the English arrived to lay claim to it they misunderstood the natives and the island is now, probably forever, Bora Bora. The coral reef is about 45 miles around the island which has a surface rim of only aboyt 17 1/2 miles. There is only one break in the reef which is caused by a natual flow of a fresh water river. The fresh water did not allow the coral to grow. The lagoon is about a mile wide in most places or even more. As you can imagine, the protectedness of the nature of the reef makes for perfect surfing, swimming, and spear fishing conditions! There are no ship docks here so our included tour met in the Star Theater at 8:30 to tender ashore. If I have not mentioned before, on cruise shipe there are fixed, enclosed boats with glass windows and wide doors that are used most commonly as 'tenders', or transportation ashore for passengers and crew, when no docking is possible or allowed. In an emergency they are also used as life boats. But when you see my deck walk video you will also see white capsules that contain inflatable life boats - not rafts. Since the passing of the Titanic Laws in Britain, all ships carry enough boats to safely evacuate all passengers and crew plus extras in case of a mis-launch. The name 'tendeer' seems obvious since they tend to passenger and crew needs. Our first tour of four on the island was a small boat cruise around the island. We had a captain and a guide. Think of him as a Pacific Gondolier. Mike was wearing his guide blue 'Hawaian' shirt and armed with a ukelele. As we discovered this is pretty much the boat tour guide uniform! And a pleasant singing voice is apparently a required attribute. The prettily painted blue and white outrigger glided over the peaceful waters as we completely cicumnavigated the lagoon. Although we were focused on the rising extinct volcano before us, we often gazed at the white caps crashing on the reef on our other side. We saw the Palapas, over water bungalows, of the now closed Hotel Intercontinental and Sofital. COVID'S ugly hand reached even here in this idyllic paradise. For us it was good. Ours was the only ship in port, and at half capacity, which meant there were only 436 cruise tourists ashore. Also good because vendors were limited as their buisnesses also failed. And even fewer were available because Viking vetted tour vendors, even sellers of arts and crafts near our dock, for vaccination proof. As we passed the Conrad Hotel, I presume a Hilton, a few people could be seen sunning on the deck of their Palapas or swimming in the shaded waters. Many of these bungalows even had their only swimming pool on deck. A giant one is said to be where Kim Kardashian stays with her family at the bargain price of $6000 a night for four bedrooms and three baths! Over the sides of the boat you could easily see coral with small fishes darting among them. When we got close to the point where the shark and manta ray swimmers were we could easily spot them. Both the fish and the swimmers. The boaters know how to manipulate their crafts for the safest ride and to signal each other of their presence. The coral was not showing a great deal of color through the aquamarine, crystal clear water. Coral color is created by the creatures living in its branches. Coral bleaching is an interesting phenomenon which is not yet prevalent here fortuneately. But color is really best seen when beneath the water on a clear sunny day. Luckily that is exactly what we had this afternoon. Our 2:40 tour was for snorkeling. We were lucky we already had it booked when the storm stopped us from snorkeling in Tahiti. You may remember that the captain then swapped days of Bora Bora and the South Pacific cruising which saved us from the same fate upon arriving here. ALso, very luckily, we had booked this snorkeling as well, to hedge our bets, since everyone who was disappointed in Tahiti was now trying to snorkel here. They could have gone on their own if they had their own mask and snorkel, as we did, and could find a tour once on shore. There are always people at the pier who will take you on a tour or a taxi who will drive you somewhere. Since Bora Bora is part of Tahiti archipelego we are able to be on our own here. Some few couples booked overnight stays at the Conrad and are allowed to go and to return to the ship tomorrow. Our snorkeling cruise was the best ever!!! Eight of us boarded a beautiful speed boat to set out over the purple-blue waters toward the reef. We definitely chose the best of the three options offered. Of course we once again passed the Conrad but left it behind as we dropped anchor quite near the inner edge of the coral. Donning our gear we dropped into the 84 degree waters that were so calm they we almost still. Only gentle wavelets massaged our backs as we floated on our noodles and swam above the stunning brain coral. There were other kinds but that is honestly the only one I know. The scalloped ends of giant clams zigzagged black above their white mouths and blue shells. Angel fish, and the yellow ones with black eye-spots were everywhere. Striped fish of so many kinds darted about. Cleaner fish were busy in their upside down schools as they moved along the coral edges. Their pattern never varied. We were very careful not to swim down to or touch this natural buried treasure! The hour seemed to go so fast. We hated to get back aboard but the time had come to move on. Since it was a speed boat it had a straight down ladder to climb up which made reboarding easy. Carol and I returned to our space before the wheel where we could stretch out on the comfortable padded bench in the warm sun as we bounced over the Bora Bora Lagoon. To our surprise we stopped again and entered the waist deep sea to walk on the pure white sand created by the centuries of smashed coral. The water was so clear that you could count these grains of coral debris as you wriggled your toes in them. Another surprise. Steve and his partner brought out plastic cups of the rum punch, ever associated with island tours, especially on the water. And trays of fresh papaya, pommelo, pineapple, and guava. How can I be so fortunate as to be standing on the white sand, in waist a deep crystal lagoon in the South Pacific, eating and drinking tropical treats, in Bora Bora!! We were reluctant to go back to the ship but there was not much near the pier to do so after taking some pictures we went back and showered and got ready for dinner. Since we did not want to "get dressed" we ate upstairs again. Our friends were there and Igor, the bar waiter which also means iced tea, had a table ready for us. We were all excited to talk about our day and share our adventures. Carol and I, with the late snorkel time, actually had the best conditions. In the morning the water was a little rougher and not as clear. The opposite of what I had expected it to be. Those who already had the included tour had not had it for as long a time as us. Mike extended it a little since he had time before his next trip. The show this evening was the movie Midway which none of us were planning to see so we sat and talked and laughed and ate ice cream until we decided we needed to slepp to get ready for tomorrow!

South Pacific Scenic Cruising

Our first adjusted day of South Pacific Scenic Cruising was amazing! Before we left home I wasn't sure what that would be. Just floating around on open water? We have plenty of those days for sure. But this was inside the reef surrounding Taha'a and Raiatea. The backdrop for much of the slow tour was Mount Otemanu, the peak of the Bora Bora volcano. Our elegant cruise ship is small enough to do this. And our Captain is skilled enough to be successful. Of course, Maritime Law requires a certified pilot to be allowed control. If there is anything you don't want to do, especially as a cruiseline, it is to accidently either be grounded or to damage a coral reef! Here we saw Raiatea, an island that was on our original schedule but was dropped early on because of their fear of the virus. Roratonga was added and later dropped for the same reason. That was too bad because it is in the Cook Islands. It would be one more cool pin to place on my map. The views were amazing. I loved the church resting behind a blue and white fence on the island. It lay parallel to the seashore. There are not a lot of beaches but the many shades of green foliage meet the deep blue of the sea and the turquoise of the reefs. We stayed on our verandah or close to a window all day. The scenery was breathtaking despite the grey skies. I cannot even imagine it under sunny skies! I may have to return. I am afraid that because of laptop failure you will have to review the picture pages I will post once I am home in February. I wish they were here. Feel free to send me your travel laptop recommendations. Thanks. We did have lunch next to the restaurant window with our new friends, thanks to Hue and Byung introducing by Facebook Messenger. It was very nice to have such elegant service of such delicious food while seeing islands sail past us. We only sat in for one lecture today. Dr. Sherry playing You Be The Judge. These talks are concerning who should own the stolen artifacts from historically significant places. Today was the Parthenon Marbles and the Balangiga Bells. Should the British Museum own and identify them as the Elgin Marbles? Should the Smithsonian have the Bells? Sherry gave us the mental tools required to determine these things. Explained the details and a vote was held. The passengers here were pretty evenly divided on what the most desireable the outcome should be. The other talks of interest were Patrick Goodness aabout Cannibals and Micheal Fuller on Body Art. These we watched in our cabin so we could also keep an eye on the scenery and after we were away from the reefs. I feel like we are in the Viking University of General Knowledge about all things that make the world good and interesting! The trip is, luckily, not as expensive as a college semester! At dinner several people commented that we were not as rowdy as usual. Is that a complimnet of or did they miss that about us? When I got to the Star Theater for the evening show Dan had my sparkling water with lime and ice waiting. He is, of course my favorite staff singer! The performance tonight was Master Ventriloquist Don Bryan and Noseworthy. Carol only lasted about ten minutes before she had heard enough. Helen and I and most of the audience laughed alot and appreciated his talent, especially when he was working with both Noseworthy and Lady Annie and his own voice as well. I popped into Torshavn for a little music. Carol was reading back in our cabin. I took my book and performed my favorite bedtime routine. A good book, a cup of tea and a hot bath for about a half hour. Slept like a baby last night. Soundly all through the night and woke up ready to go today for more scenic cruising. Not as many islands to see or as many reefs but a beautiful calmday of beautiful views and filled with so many sea day activities. I am relaxed and ready for a busy day on Bora Bora tomorrow. Good night for now!

Touristing in Tahiti

Day two in Tahiti dawned bright but with the threat of rain. We had breakfast with Adrienne who was not planning to go ashore. Yesterday she had the included walking tour and in the evening the visit to the Hotel Continental for a dinner and Tahitian show. She talked a lot about the food butreally didn't say anything about the show. It must not have been very impressive. She did tip us off as to where the included tour went. Carol and I were just going to walk around on our own - tourists! We realized that we would probably cover all the main sites on our own. We set off with our Viking tote bags holding the necessary identification, vax card and a little money and a credit card, and rain gear. We did not take the Viking red umbrellas from our room. They are heavy golf-type umbrellas and also make handy walking sticks. Since our ship is not huge we are docked right where the town is. At the end of the pier a few women were offering tours. Our friends Nancy and Jim did hire a cab for a round the island drive and tols us that they really enjoyed it. If we can't get on the excursions we want upon our return we may consider this option. Especially if it is raining. Today Carol and I made our way to the Catholic Cathedral of Notre Dame. The yellow and red facade is simply constructed. Inside the stained glass can be seen to not be leaded but more painted or actually stained. The dark wood pews were well worn. Some of the kneelers were missing. Several apparently homeless men and women were sleeping, mostly in a sort of kneeling posture. One or two just leant against the wall with their bundles at their feet. Several people were indeed there to pray. It must have been a feast day I wasn't aware of because there was Exposition of the Holy Eucharist. In this case someone will be on their knees praying throughout the 24 hour period. Back outside we were surrounded by roosters! Not a usual thing at home but definitely I have seen this before on islands. Chickens are important because they are cheap, food first eggs and then as main courses. If you need chickens you need roosters. Here if you can catch a wandering chicken you can go ahead and eat it. No one owns them. We stopped in a little shop for directions. We were right by the church but couldn't see the steeple. We passed this shop again and confirmed directions to the store Reef. Our catamaran girl, Diane, said this is where we could by her friends sunscreen. I bought the last one they had. It was a natural color not the bright blue or pink she also makes. On our way to the Market we ran into Dr. Sherry who was looking for a grocery store to buy some things for the crew. Crew is 100% confined to the ship. Viking is taking no chances for a crew viral outbreak. In the harbor across from us is docked the Paul Gauguin. 30 crew members are infected and the ship is quarentined. We have not been told if any passengers are aboard. Sherry and her husband are just very outgoing and fun to talk to. She stopped us a couple of times on the ship to chat so maybe we are fun and outgoing too! At the Market, which is not as large as many of the European ones we have visited, we briefly toured the first flooor. Lots of vegetables but we were too late to see all the exotic fish and meats etc. Since everything is fresh and the fish especially are from the morning catch, those things are gone by noon for sure. There were lots of booths with purses, jewelry, souvenir type stuff. Every vendor was selling vanilla beans! There were little restaurant places and sandwich shops. Some people love the Market experience. I am not a fan usually. Maybe because the fish and fishy smell was gone it was better. The tempting thing at the entrance were the tables of tropical flowers and flower arrangements. I would have bought one for our cabin but we were going to be walking around town for awhie and carrying a tray of Bird of Paradise, Antherium, and greens would be awkward! But the price was more than right. $20 would get you a beautiful arrangement about the size of a typical coffee table! We took the escalator up and visited the several shops that had tee shirts, magnets souvenirs. Carol bought a beautiful fabric which she is going to frame for her freshly painted condo and some magnets for her neighbors. Viking guides, there with their walking tours kept thinking we were part of them and tipping us off on the right shops and best deals. I guess having our Viking tote bags on our arms didn't hurt. Back out in the fresh air we made our way back to the shop of the friendly lady and I bought a little pill box. Basically just to support her for being so kind and helpful. To know prices on things you drop the last two zeros. So the enameled pill box was marked 1200CFU. Hence $12. Not cheap but not outrageous and it will bring back a nice memory and Lord knows - I have pills! When the credit card notice showed up on my phone it was actually $11.27. We walked back the few blocks to the harbor and wandered through the seaside park. Very pretty buildings, nice paths, pretty views of the sailboats. There were Tikies and statues and boys on skateboards. A lovely to end our personal walking tour. As the rain began to sprinkle we reached the gated dock and let the people with the clip boards know to take us off the list for the ship walking tour which was about to start. We got onboard just as the skies opened! So glad we had been able to be independant. We planned to go back out but by the time we finished lunch the deal was sealed and rain was continuous the rest of the day. We didn't miss much as all aboards was just three hours later. We were in our cabin for the Port Talk at five o'clock. We decided to watch from our cabin and were glad we did as it did not happen. Our itinerary is changing1 Bora Bora will not be until after two days of scenic South Pacific Cruiseing. Luckily it is not cancelled but only postponed. Swapped out with the scenic cruising days. Bora Bora had bad weather and although it it is not far the sea will be disturbed as it was in Tahiti. The Captain and Cruise Director are desparate to get people into the iconic South Pacific lagoons for snorkeling and swimming. Fingers crossed it will happen! P.S. While in one of the shops we encountered a Fa'afafine, Tahitian third sex. It is custom here to often designate the youngest son to grow up as a woman. They are not considered transexual but a "third sex." They do not have any surgical adjustment made. Sometimes this may be a boy chosen by the family to serve in this role because of his effeminant demeanor. It is a place of honor in the family. Women are very important and the Mutu is valued extra because they do all the nurturing tasks: gardening, cooking, cleaning, childcare, and taking care of the elderly parents. They are respected as women but their masculine strength adds to their feminine capabilities. If they have relaitions with a man it is not considered homosexual for either party. Mr. Goodness included this idea in one of his talks. Ask your Uncle Google if you want more information than I can remember offhand.

Tahiti Nui

Today we are in Tahiti! Hazy skies greeted us at 5:30 this morning when the sun should have been smiling down on us. We have waited so long to be here. But everyone on board is smiling and cheerfully greeting each other because at long last we are here! And we have great news!! Tahiti is welcoming us to come ashore and roam around on our own! We can actually be tourists, not Bubble People! A quick breakfast was in order because at 8:30am Carol and I were going to take a catamaran tour of the lagoon. We were supposed to snorkel on the fantastic West Coast reef. That is what we booked and had so been looking forward to. Unfortunately this is the rainy season but to save the day, Viking added catamaran tours to accomodate the snorkelers and ATVers. Too muddy and dangerous because of the terrain. During the last couple of days, Tahiti has had more than a month’s worth of rain. Yes,in just 48 hours Papeete had so much rain that the lagoon bottom was so disturbed that the water was too opaque to see any fish. or even other snorkelers! Not a safe situation. The surface of the should-be-clear-blue-water had rafts of mountainside debris floating on the rough waves. Logs bumped up again the bouy markers and the floating lighthouse minatures bobbed helplessy. But the catamaran was sailing and we were going to be aboard. We went down to the pier - yea! Land! And passed under the red canopy to join group 16 and board the Ocean Queen. We had a good bench seat but did not lower ourselves onto the netting. I was sure I could get down on it but figured I would not be very graceful standing back up on a rocking boat. We were barely away from the Orion when the rain started and our side of the boat had to lower the plastic window since the wind was blowing from the West. Since Carol and I were at the front we could see forward as well as out the other side which happen to be facing the Western Shore. The mountain greeness rose lushly above the white houses along the shore. Brown and metal 'shacks' lay alongside of them. We came to the Hotel Intercontinental - a spectacular site. The rich brown roof line above the long, cream colored, verandahed facade makes it pop from the verdant landscape. Set well back from the sea it is fronted by a broad lawn. The boardwalks of the Palapa platforms reached out to us like welcoming arms. These overwater bungalows are highly sought after and many people planning this trip made reservations as the ship is docked overnight. Those plans had to be cancelled because passengers realized that they may not have the opportunity to leave "our bubble." We were so happily excited and relieved when we got word that we could just walk about. No one that I know tried to rebook. Probably because the weather was not good for the dream of snorkeling in the Tahitian Lagoon. Our boat sailed slowly along the shore. Music played, the view changed as other boats passed between us and the partner boat that we were following. More than once we stopped for a short while because planes were coming in for a landing at the very long airstrip that runs parrallel to the water. Some of the planes are not small as they can bring 300 passengers from LAX in 8 hours. Because this was a substitute tour it was expanded from the original catamaran cruise. We sailed out over the breaking waters of the reef to search for dolphins. They had been spotted playing in the waves earlier but decided, maybe because of the rain, to go home and we could find none to admire. On the return, the weather cleared a little and there were outrigger canoe racers practicing for an upcoming race. Our guide said that this is the National Sport of French Polynesia. Tahiti is, of course, that capita of the Archipelego. There are five island countries. Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, Raiatea, Rangiroa that are part of the Tahitian archipelago. There are six archipelagos making up French Polynesia. French Polynesia is part of Oceania and so the various lecturers bring a lot of understanding of this mythical world. There were also several young folks HydroFoil Kiteboarding! The first young man we spotted had a kite that looked like a Monarch Butterfly. He was so adept at weaving between and around the boats that it was stunning. Some had two handles to manipulate their 'flight' while others had one long handle. This must take not only dexterity to maintain balance but incredible strength to hold the kite away from your body and and weave travel patterns from the kite. Quite a few people were using sea kayaks. This now seemed to be the simplest of the individual means of sea surfing. Our crew of three included Diane. She moved here just 3 years ago from her home in the Basque territory of France. She came to help a childhood girlfriend who emigrated 6 years ago and had started a small company making natural sunscreen for faces. The boat crewing, however, is their primary income. She saiid to look for the store Reef if we can to buy it. Pretty expensive, though. Diane served us beautiful fresh Passion Fruit, Mango, Pineapple, Grapefruit, and Bananas. Also we had a variety of juices available. As the cruise progresses the fruit punch became rum punch. After all, what is a catamaran trip without it! Back at the ship we raced to our cabin to hang up our swimsuits and shower. We only had about an hour fifteen until our next tour. We grabbed a quick bite upstairs and joined our group at the end of the pier. This was a bus tour of the West Coast. So nice to be on a plain old cruise tour again. It has been more that two years since have had the priviledge to pay someone to tote us around! Our guide, Magrite, was originally from the Black Forest. She met a Tahitian years ago when he was on vacation in Germany. That is a funny concept to me. Traveling from a tropical islands to visit a cold European country. Seems counterintuitive. But they have been happy ever since and have three adult children. Magrite knew her tour guide stuff! She admitted that for two years Tahiti has really suffered from lack of their primary source of income --- tourists! Homelessness has increased and resources have dwindled. Although they are a part of France they are like the stepchildren of the homeland. They did not benefit from income support in the time of crisis. Ourbus ride on seemed so long to me. Probably because I as very tired having awakened about four this morning. Maybe because of the antidipation. And then three hours on the water after a lot of inactivity. Maybe because the bus windows were were streaked with sat and grime making the viewing on this grey day not very easy. We arrived at our first stop which was a reconstructed Maire (mo-ray), the sacred ground of ceremonies and public meetings. Only the priests and gods were allowed to stand on the holy ground. This sacred space was made of basalt stones and bouders and the elevated platform was sacred. A couple of recreated stone Tikis were in place. They are copies of ones more inland to be found in spaces too revered for ordinary people to be. It is taboo, or as spelled here tapu, to touch the oeiginal receptacles of the gods. To this day there is enough superstition on the island to probit it. Back on board the bus we learned about agriculture in Tahiti, mostly on the smaller part of the land. Tahiti Iti is connected to the 'mainland', Tahiti Nui, by an isthmus. Dairy farming is a good business and provides milk but little meat for the people. Fruit trees are predominantly the cash crop. Vegetables and flowers also are common crops. We now know that there are only a few miles of white sand beaches, these on the West Side, while most of the isand is ringed by black sand. Surfing is very popular but the sites on the opposite side or on Tahiti Iti are better and attract serious suring. The Billabong competition is often held here. In 2024 when France hosts the Olympics the surfing and the canoeing events will be held in Tahiti. Lucky competitors are these people! At the second stop we visited the small but unique Vaipahi Gardens. Boardwalks connect the pebbled walks through tropical species. A rushing waterfall was a highlight stop during our walk. Did you ever notice how long it takes some people to take photos. Although several are waiting to have pictures of a special place or thing? Some people relatively park in the prize position so that they must appear in everyone's pictures. Or, people like me, walk away. Carol and I circled back to have a chance to see the site while everyone made their way back to the bus. More education on the way to the third and final stop, the Caverns. Here a series of caves store fresh water in cool darkness. The caverns are deeply carved into the mountain. Fish swim in the shallow water but the caves fall away into fringed darkness at their depths. Swimming is allowed but no one was there when we arrived. A man decorates a bike most everyday and props it in front of the entrance. I wanted to take a picture of the cave with the bike to set it off and to demonstrate its size. I gave him a dollar and as I backed up to take the shot he stepped into it. I said no thanks but he not only insisted he be in the shot but that it be his back to show off his tatoos! He posed several ways showing his back, leg, and arms. The tatoos were not as inked as others we have seen but he was very proud of them. As we returned to the ship Magrite continued our educatiion answering questions about education - the same as in France. Saleries - McDonald's employee makes the equivalent of about $1,500 a month. Gas stations do not have prices advertised because the government sets the gas prices. You pull up, you "tell the man how much you want to spend. He puts it in the tank and you drive away." She only knows if prices are or down by how soon she has to return to the station! A quick drive through the city pointing out the Catholic and Protestant Church and the Black Pearl Museum just beyond them, where the Market is, how to navigate the streets and we were home. Thank heaven we were going against the traffic as there is only one road around the island. All traffic travels in the same direction at the same times of day. Instead of rush hour traffic moves at the pace of a crab. Next to the road is a narrow macadam strip just beyond some low shrubs. Many people were running along it in either direction. Turns out that the few valleys which might have feeder streets are all privately owned so no one can actually enter the interior of the island without permision. We had passed earlier in the day, and way out in the country, about an hour by bus, a valley which is the only way to cross the island. A very narrow road runs through it. If crossing on foot or bicycle you are o.k. By car you may have to pull as far over as you can if an oncoming vehicle approaches. No buses run there. Just as we got to the ship dock, sheets of rain glazed the windshield. We didn't bother with jackets or ponchos or even take an umbrella from the waiting staff. We just hovered under the protection of the dock 'wings' above benches where earlier in the day folks were waiting for their tours. When the red canopy that marks the gangway had no one fumbling for their seapasses we made a dash and were aboard relatively unscathed. A quick ckeanup, early dinner in the restaurant, skipping the movie of The Bounty with Mel Gibson and we were in our jammies after the first genuine Port Day in more than two whole yesrs! We settled in with a cocktail and watched a very funny, movie with Diane Keaton and Jeremy Irons. Love, Weddings and Other Disasters was released in 2020! Try and find it where you are and be prepared with your popcorn and adult beverages for a good evening! Our first day in Tahiti was followed by a very, very good night's sleep along side the dock!

Cruising On

Friday, after our exciting time ashore, we returned to the ship and dined on deck as we watched the lights that rimmed one edge of the tiny lagoon which held Taiohae fade into the horizon. We could clearly see the small space occupied by these pleasant people. No lights strayed up the mountainside or topped the mountain peak. More of just a big hill with a welcoming harbor. Carol and I opted to watch the movie under the stars, poolside. With our popcorn and Cokes we enjoyed Walk the Line. An oldie but goodie. Deck chairs and headphones make it perfect for everyone. Saturday was another sea day. It is more than a thousand miles from one island to the next. Not a surprise since all of the dry land on earth could fit into the perimeter of the Pacific ocean. It is 64 million square miles! 25,000 islands break its surface, more than half of all the world's current islands. We did not pass over the Mariana Trench which drops some 25,797 feet deep. Also we were not affected by the volcanic eruption off the coast on Tonga...lucky for us. We are far South of there. We had several good lectures in Viking University today. A new speaker, Dr. Sherry Hutt, discussed the French in French Polynesia. She is excellent. I hope our library has some of her Cruising Through History books. Dr. Goodson is always informative and funny but Mr. Greenberg was disappointing as well as dry and off topic. Going to learn about Going Native and hearing about American Indian and First Nations practices just didn't work. Also he had the worst Power Point I have seen in many years! He must have used Office 0.0!! DR. Duller on Polynesian Art and our favorite Patrick Goodson did not disappoint. I went to the Explorers Dome to watch the 3d story of Whales and Dolphins. It is very n ice but Daryl Hannah's voice can certainly make one sleepy in those recling chairs! Food theme was Greek. Before dinnerThe Explorers Society (past guest) celebrated our return to cruising with a champagne toast and musical entertainment. The show was a very good Musical Journey titled The Tops of the Pops. Carol especially enjoyed Motown! The day ended with us laughing about some of the people we met and the outfits the Future Cruise Consultant wears. Some of us go by her office everyday just to see the 1950's style of the day! Sunday we seemed to sleep late. Last night we turned our clocks back only a half hour. But I woke with the sunrise, wrote to you, and got dressed. When Carol got up we went to breakfast and to the 9:00 talk by Dr. Hutt. Today was about the life of Paul Gauguin. I was wishing Elva was here. She would have loved it! Dr. Hutt is so warm and friendly. Stopped to speak to several people on the way to the podium, sort of circulated through the room. Very informative and added lots of little bits of information I had not yet heard. We did pretty good at Trivia, had a nice lunch. I had only half of a cuban sandwich because they were so big. Sherry Hutt stopped to chat again. I spent some time on the deck writing. Our Port talk for tomorrow's arrival in Tahiti let us know what to expect. Dr. Goodson entertained with his tales of the personal lives of the islanders. We dined in the restaurant. No matter where we choose to eat the food is delicious and varied. Except for there always being two choices of pizza, we have not had the same offerings twice yet --- and except for breakfast! The lounge singers put on a a very good performance and we headed back to the cabin. Tomorrow we have two excursions. In fact each of the next four days we have two. Starting off with a bang at 9:00am tomorrow we will be snorkeling in Tahiti! I want to have everything sorted, and packed up ready to go. Also putting out laundry tonight so I will have plenty of clean clothes when we get back from our island visits.

Nuku Hiva

Friday morning we awoke to the sound of the anchor dropping! A glance out our window showed hills! Towering rocks! Greenery! Trees! I couldn't wait to step outside but, of course, first did my spit test and health survery. Then photo time! Sunny skies, white sailboats on blue water! After taking in the view from our balcony and breathing deeply of recognizable air - not sea air, but floral scented grassy smell - we settled on the Aquavite Terrace with fresh fruits and omelettes to await our turn to go on the restructured tour. As it was almost time for the first group to go ashore the announcements started. The first was that Port Clearance was not yet complete and we were awaiting word that we were 'free' to go ashore. I quote that because no one was 'free' to go ashore - there would be a "bubble." Carol and I often like to just reach the land and wander. We take a tour if there good things to see or do at a distance but are happy to be independent. We didn't make any arrangements of our own as I sometimes do beccause we were pretty sure that they would not be doable, and you know why. Next was that we were cleared and so we knew crew was going ashore to put everything in place. The welcome tent and banners. Making sure the locals were all verified and ready to roll. That Viking Entertainment and Shore Excursion Hosts were in place. There is surely a lot involved in making sure that all 450 guests would have a safe and enjoyable experience. Finally, we knew the next announcement woud call Group One to meet in the Star Theater. It did not. Silence overcame the breakfast chatter and we held our breath. There was another delay so .... all tours were pushed back a half an hour! A sigh of relief! It sounds like we were still going to be allowed to go ashore! Another announcement .... another nervous hush fell. Another half hour delay. I commented that if there was a final one saying we were not going Mr. Lee would have a whole new topic to lecture about. The Mutiny on the Orion!!! At last people were allowed to board the tenders (lifeboats) and begin to go ashore. We were in group 8, now leaving at 3:15. There were nine groups and 450 onboard. We knew at least one person not going. Our new friend Adrienne was nervous about the tenders. It will not be a great trip for her as the only place we can dock is Tahiti. So the math tells me about 50 people per group. Groups wer separated by time and space. We were greeted upon landing by men and ladies in native dress. Drummers drummed, conch shells sounded their deep horns. Ladies swayed in their cocopalm leaf skirts. The bright greens and reds and yellows were so fun to see after weeks onboard our Scandanavian decorated ship. The simply built wooden, brightly painted, building was the 'Yacht Club'! Going up a gentle hill we were directed to the parking lot across the street where the trucks waited. Viking always has an included tour - the basic island or city visit. We did not opt for the 4x4 tour thiinking it might be too rough over the mountainous lush terrain. But, as all things on this very safe cruise, everything changed. The tours were combined. So 4x4 people got refunds and were probably disappointed. For us it was a sort of upgrade as now we mostly rode rather than walked. Our vehicles? Pickup trucks! Sue took a front seat while Dean, Carol and I were in the crew cab of a very small Toyota. Some were in the bed of other trucks on seats with a hand hold! As rough as the streets were, a cobble and sand and grass mix, I was happy to not be doing that. Also the broiling sun was beating down on them - perhaps frying their brains! Our driver, Miranda, was a very pleasant, perhaps late middle-aged lady who used her basic English to say hello, tell us her name, and communicate that she had always lived in Nuku Hiva. Miranda had been to the other Marquesas over time but not outside her island group. We formed a convoy of 12 vehicles and drove around the edge of the bay. The buildings were homes and small buisnesses. Some of a stone and stucco blend and some of wood. All well kept and nicely deccorated. One white house had black shutters and what appeared to be a black wrought iron fence. That would be very expensive on this island that boasts no metal resources. It may have been cleverly carved and decorated wood. The island is known to have very skilled stone and wood workers. It took less than five minutes to reach the cathedral just as the previous group's vehicles were leaving. Totally a carefully separated rotation system. The church was stone and rock. Very much designed after the European model the Missionaries would have brought from home. But modified. What appeared to be the entrance was actually an open gate. The buiding itself was completely open with no doors able to be closed. Stone from each of the Marquesas island was used to build the walls. Some reused from other sites even bearing petroglyphs. The stone was identifiable by color as to from which island it came. The interior had dark wood pews carefully marked with masking tape to identify safe COVID seating. The statue of the Virgin Mary - the island is almost 100% Roman Catholic - the tall pulpit and the 14 Stations of the Cross are intricately carved rosewood which is kept carefully polished so that it gleams in the filtered sunlight. Our guide there, Thomas, was light-skinned as are most all Marquesans, but still heavily tatooed in the black ink of the island designs. The men and even some of the women begin tatooing at an early age and can eventually be completely covered in dark ink and light lines. Each part of the design depicts a certain characteristic trait they aspire to show, or a status of their family. Our next stop was a lagoonside open air field that serves as a town hall meeting place. Replicas of the original stone carved statues are seen here. Most of the originals are inaccessible to us as they are considerd sacred spaces. The stone carvings are reminders that the people of Rappa Nui, Easter Island, migrated from here. A local guide was a woman who was not tattooed but dressed in slightly shabby leggings similar to the tattoo sleeves we sometimes see at home. Her white tee shirt made her seem qite ordinary but her lusterous black hair was crowned with a floral wreath. She explained the history of the place, the statues, the simplicity of life on the island. Also the use of the nearby Kava. An open-sided hall traditionally a place where the women lived as a group. in the morning they would roll back the screens on the side and let the "priest" enter. Closee it again. Then open to let them leave after whatever mysteries took place. The procedure was repeated in the evening. A beautiful young lady performed the Bird Dance. Several of the poses were easily recognizable as a crane or seabird. Unfortunately the music had to be blue-toothed from the presenter's phone to the boombox speaker. Sort of took away from the genuine feel but was quite lovely anyway. This was a reminder that although life here is simple, it is not innocent. Internet is available and the new sarongs have cell phone pockets! We had just a few minutes to take in the Memorial wooden sticks of past ancestors and the enjoyment of seeing our ship from land! The Royal Poincianna trees gave off a sweet scent. The rocky beach did not seem inviting. Back in truck Number 23, 10 or 12 trucks in each convoy, we turned back toward the dock. Here were demonstrations of all the uses of coconut inclucing using the husk, Survivor style, to start a fire. This then went into a stone firepit similar to a Chimenea. Coconut slivered, chopped and squashed is cooked. Breadfruit is sqaushed to the consistency of mashed potatoes. This, then, is the first baby food! It also demonstrates the value of the breadfruit trees that captain Bligh was sent to retrieve. The next hut was focused on the palm leaves and the many uses of them. Shade, walls, and woven into crowns to support the flowers. Little girls were showing us purses and shopping baga, all supporting the eco friendly lives of the people. The men had a carving and drum station set up. Carving of tikis to 'hold the mana' of the gods, the 'spirit' of their natures, is important both culturally and economically. Mana only stays in the tiki for the day but leaves at night and has to be invited back. Kind of like the Elf on the Shelf! Fresh fruit was offered for us to place on bowl like palm leaves but I do not eat off the ship in places that are so kind to make the offering. I don't court the possibillity of an incident of any kind! In the largest hut was the gift shop and nearby an information station with post cards for a dollar each. I did not buy anything but did see a very reasonably priced carved wood 12 stringed guitar or maybe it was a ukelele. But how would I every safely get it home to Maddie T.?! We all made our way back to the tender and returned safely to the Mother Ship. So happy after eight days as sea to be on land, even if only for a couple of hours! Remembering how to walk without compensating for the roll of the decks made me think how the Little Mermaid must have felt. At the end of the well orchestrated tour we did have a little time to pretend to be real tourists. We did sail back 'home' with whomever got to the dock at the same time, so were not totally confined to the same group once the tour itself was over. But at the stops there was no wandering, no free exchange with locals other than those vetted by Viking. But oh so nice an afternoon!

Catching Up

For January 11, I gave you a calendar page of activities during a sea day. Since there is a similarity and regularity of sea days, pretty much across the board of cruise lines, I am going to give you a snapshot of the 12th and 13th! What is exceptioinal on Viking is the educational aspect. So many speakers with such a broad range of topics that we hate to miss any opportunities. Celebriity has great speakers but not the same type of in depth programming. Of course having a plethora of sea days, Viking was careful to curate appropriate subjects and dynamic presenters. So here we go on a whirlwind two days! On Wednesday a talk on the place these islands played in History. Keep in mind that they are closely connected to Hawaii,although a different archipelago but all Polynesian. They are also positioned off the coast of South America and on the way to Australia and even include New Zealand. We especially enjoy Patrick Goodson and his blending of ancient religions and myths and how they grew to be, and relate to, and parrallel, the Judeo - Christian norm in which I exist. They also have great similarities to the beliefs of Islam and in many cases the other major religions in one way or another. Fascinating coralations. Today Italian is the meal theme and the lasagna was delicious at lunch to fuel my afternoon beginning with our 12:15 trivia. Although we didn't think we knew anything about movies, we actually do. We won! No prizes ever except pride of place. The day's highlight was the Crossing of the Equator! The ceremony was by the main pool and very pared down from ones we have experienced in the past. (This was my fifth ship crossing.) Covid protocols are every tight, as I have said, and we are grateful. When it came time to 'kiss the fish' the poor little thing was wearing a mask!

The Aquavite toast was a killer. Ask Uncle Google about Norwegian Aquavite and you will know why. We were heading to learn more about the geology of the Marquesas and on the way met Helen having Tea Time so we stopped to chat, had tea with no sandwiches or desserts. Just as Helen left and we were finishing our cuppa, Dean came along and began her tea and chat. When she left we realized we were too late for our talk. We will watch it later in the room. Dean is especially interesting as she is so well traveled and has a remarkable memory of places and experiences. She was telling us that our Tahiti snorkel beach could be this one or that. It might be at the Sofitel Hotel, whose beach she likes, or The Intercontinental which has a rockier beach. She has been to the island several times! We did get to the 6:00 Russell Lee talk about Bruce Lee, to whom he bears a resemblance. If I asked you to name a martial arts person you would probably name him. Remarkably he made only 4 movies and died at the age of 32. His son, Brandon, followed in his footsteps and died at 36 from a filming accident in which he was shot. That has been refreshed in your memory as it was mentioned in several reports of the Alex Baldwin incident. After dinner we went to the main show which was the assitant cruise director's musical journey. Rosanna Yeo has a beautiful voice and likes singing 60's, 70's and 80's. Back in the cabin we had a drink and chatted for quite awhile. A lot of laughing in 6098 that night. New day - same routiine! Delicious, relaxiing breakfast, today on the Aquavite Terrace as it is warm and sunny south of the equator. We didn't want to miss Barry Rock two days in a row so went to learn more about the flora of the islands. Some of more horticulture background experience kicked in and it was nice to be in familiar territory. We wandered around stopping to visit more and more since we now have made many new friends. The main topic was, will we be able to actually go ashore tomorrow? The lunchtime trivia wass a killer Name That Tune type game in the theater. It was there because of the better sound system. Again rosanna had 60's, 70's, 80's music but you had to know the title, artist and year of the song. I did recognize Money Can't Buy You Love and Bridge Over Troubled Waters and those artists but that was it. We weren't our usual team and the two peole who joined Carol and I were good. Jill and her husband Jim were great. She knew almost everything except for the years, but even got one of those! Carol knew artists and I mostly just looked around and listened. Interestingly Jill and Jim had grown up in Decatur, practically in my neighborhood. All of us living off of Oak Grove but on opposite sides of LaVista! They both went to Briarcliff High School which we used to drive by every morning in the way to Pi Hi! (St. Pius X Cathoic Co-Educational High School of Atlanta Georgia! No wonder we called it Pi Hi!) Carol and I opted for a room service lunch on our wrap around verandah. We did not have a lot on our agenda yesterday and enjoyed some quiet time eating and watching the sparkling wake. Since everything is included you don't pay extra for room service or any of the dining. An overabundance of delicious hot food quickly was delivered. We watched the Port Talk - first of the trip - on our big screen living room TV. Then zipped up for the regular trivia which had been moved to a 5 o'clock time slot. Sadly for me, the same music genre was the topic! I did know the Queen of Disco and that Les Mis was based on a Victor Hugo novel! We had a leisurely Asian inspired dinner with our friends in the World Cafe, talked for awhile over Yuzu cheesecake and Cranberry Gelato! We went back to our stateroom and watch Monument Men. None of us was going to the Met Live video of Turandot! Viking may have sophisticated travelers - but we are not they!

Another Great Sea Day

January 11, 2021
Typical day at sea so you will know how busy we can be ---- doing nothing!

6:40 am --- I happened to see the sunrise as our bathroom picture window faces East.  The high temperature was expected to be 80 degrees and can't wait.

Breakfast in the World Cafe includes for me a lot of fresh fruit, a fruit topped sweet roll, a made to order ham & cheese omelette, and kiwi smoothie.  Always hot tea of one type or another!

9:30 am Guest Lecturer Barry Rock, a geologist and botanist, talkes about The Flora of French Polynesia.  He is a great speaker, especially since he does not take himsellf too seriously.  Yesterday was the geology of the islands.

I did not particpate in bridge lessons or the golf tournament.  I skipped a talk on the future of the EU.

11:00 We talked to the Future Cruise Consultant about availability of cabins on a Baltic trip we have already booked.  She can't  make any changes to a previous reservation but gave us good information on what was available.  Carol contacted our travel agent who then upgraded us to a suite.  The credit cards were charged and we may be doomed to always want to go first class!!

12:15 we finally won at Team Trivia!

We met new friends for lunch at the Pool Grill.  We were introduced electronically to Nancy and Lou by mutual friends from previous cruise.

4:00 pm Dr. Patrick Goodness began his series on The Gods of Polynesia.  Super lecturer because, again, I think he adds a lot of relatable humanity to a deep subject.

5:00 We met Nancy and Lou to get an idea of a Junior Penthouse Suite and they came to see our cabin for future bookings.

6:00 We enjoyed Munch Moments; while the string duo plays quiet music, famous paintings and beautiful photographs are displayed on an LED screen background of the main staircase.

6:30 We joined our new lady friends at the Chef's Table for an Asian style four course dinner with wine pairings.

We then all made our way to a second performance by Mark Donoghue which included a "loop station".  With this he plays and sings and his foot manipulate music which has just been played to act as the backing musicians.

Still at Sea

This is not the cruuise for anyone who soes not love Sea Days! The total trip time is 32 days and five of our ports have been cancelled including four in Hawaii and Rorotonga in the Cook Islands. Do I need to say that these are COVIDclosures - I think not. I have met someone who is on their first cruise ever, not just with Viking, but EVER! What a brave choice. No turning back or flying home from the first port option for her. She is on the trip for the same reason I think we all are - we want to go to the South Pacific without a horrendous flight lasting forever! For cruisers, we are glad to be afloat again!

Love my aft balcony ... just one of many container ships in the Port of los Angeles ... Carol waiting for me in our cabin. She arrived an hour earlier after having left Orlando an hour and a half earlier than me from Atlanta. Yea, I may have found a photo workaround so will randomly add some pictures but I apparently can't title them through this so it will be a list.