… to Sydney, Australia …

… home of the stunning Sydney Opera House (even more amazing in person) and the Harbor Bridge, built in 1932 and still the world’s widest bridge. We arrived on a glorious summer Saturday morning, under bright blue skies and a temperature in the high 80s.

   

Our dock was Darling Harbor rather than Circular Quay, so the ship ran a free shuttle bus to Pitt Street, close to the Quay and Sydney’s oldest neighborhood, the Rocks. We rode the shuttle to Pitt Street, then walked down Pitt Street toward the main shopping district, stopping at a gallery of aboriginal arts and crafts. Frank showed great promise, so we left the shop with a large package containing a well-wrapped didgeridoo. A short walk brought us to a lovely area of small and large shops, with lovely old block-long shopping arcades. 

   

We hurried back to the ship for a fast pizza lunch before an afternoon bus excursion. The tour headed past the Bridge and the Opera House for photos, then along the Royal Botanical Gardens, where we stopped to see a bench hewn out of the rocks for Mrs. McQuarie. She was the wife of a popular early Governor, and used to watch for ships coming from England bringing food to the colony, which regularly hovered on the brink of starvation.

   

We meandered through the tony neighborhoods of Paddington and Woolloomooloo, and saw the lovely old shade trees in Centennial Park, the largest park in the city. Next stop: Bondi Beach, crawling with people on a sunny Saturday. This gorgeous natural harbor with its white sand beach attracts families, body-builders, surfers – even tight-rope walkers! There was a skate-boarding competition in progress at one end of the beach. We stopped for an ice cream and photos. Warnings abound about sharks and precautions to take.

   

From Bondi and its shops and restaurants we drove to Watson Bay and its lighthouse, then had a quick stop at The Gap, a natural cleft in a high cliff that has become an infamous suicide spot in Sydney. We saw the Rocks again before returning to the ship.

   

Our second day in Sydney began with a shuttle bus ride to Pitt Street, but this time we walked toward Circular Quay and the Rocks. The city is a hotbed of markets on the weekend and we shopped among stalls selling opal and pearl jewelry, handmade clothing, natural cosmetics, teas, coins, even masks. We had a quick lunch at an Italian restaurant, washed down with local beer.

    

We climbed the gangplank just before the 3:00 mandatory all aboard.

Fun facts about Sydney and Australia: The convicts sent here were convicted of lesser crimes – horse-stealing, pick-pocketing, stealing food to eat, clothes to wear, etc. Homes in some neighborhoods have wrought iron balconies and decorations reminiscent of New Orleans; they were constructed with the iron brought as ballast in ships’ holds. Sydney derives much of its unique character from its many beautiful old sandstone buildings. Other distinguishing factors are its natural harbor, lovely beaches, lots of parks, and the mix of new skyscrapers with old historic buildings. The oldest section, The Rocks, was literally carved out of the rocks by convicts and you can see the grooves they made while cutting the rocks. Property in Sydney is too expensive for most people to buy or rent, with small houses in the nicest areas going for millions of dollars; most people live in the suburbs. A very active system of ferries, trains, subways, buses, and even a metrorail keep people moving. The Sydney Opera House was the only building to be named a UNESCO Heritage Site while the architect was still alive. Because of severe cost and time overruns the project was turned over to a new architect to finish and the original architect vowed to never see the completed building; he never did, but his son is now leading renovation efforts to restore the interior to his father’s original plans.

I have to include a few photos of the work of aboriginal artists. It is stunning!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this quick trip to Sydney!

… to Mardi Gras! …

… or rather, Mardi Gras came to us! The day started strangely. At midnight on Sunday night, we crossed the International Date Line, and it became Tuesday morning, on Fat Tuesday. Crew members had been telling us for weeks that something knock-your-socks-off special was being planned for Mardi Gras. We could see construction going on in the midship area, which was closed off. The view from above showed a snippet of what was coming: a paddlewheel boat float!

The CEO of Holland America, Stein Cruse (the perfect name!) is currently onboard until we get to Sydney; he gave a great presentation in the afternoon, and held a Q&A session afterward. Then it was time for Mardi Gras to begin!

The midship area reopened at 5 pm – we were greeted by a jazz band and several singers flown in from New Orleans, along with Big Easy street performers, a fortune teller, caricaturist, balloon artist, and others. The crew was dressed in Mardi Gras colors, and the entire area was draped and festooned in purple, green and gold. Unfortunately, the paddlewheel, which was engineered to be fully operational, began to lift the float off the pool, so it was immediately shut down.

   

The food was also imported from New Orleans – red beans and rice, dirty rice, shrimp several ways, jambalaya, ribs, chicken, crab, lobster, crepes made on the spot to order, King Cake – and Abita beer! Beads were tossed, doubloons were thrown, and the band was great! Best of all, the ship didn’t have to do a thing to simulate the heat and humidity of New Orleans – we were already there! Very authentic.

   

   

A Mardi Gras parade began at 6 pm, led by the King and Queen, who had been elected several days earlier. The CEO and his wife joined the King and Queen; Mrs. Cruse is from New Orleans, and felt right at home. Judy hobnobbed with the Captain who was clearly in the swing of things!

  

The party heated up – if that was possible! – and at 7 pm the crew had another surprise in store – a flash mob! The ship’s whistle blew and every crew member instantly froze in place, whatever they were doing. It took the audience a few seconds to realize what was happening, then everyone dove for their cameras!

   

One poor waiter was in the process of handing an ice cream cone to a passenger. The cruise consultant was talking to a couple, who thought she had had a heart attack! Everyone had been told to avoid pouring drinks around 7 pm … and yes, they had all practiced. Every one had a story to tell about what they were doing for that minute in frozen time!

We talked Frank into opening his shirt for a handful of doubloons! Hussy!

   

A great time was had by all!

… to Pago Pago, American Samoa …

… a small town of 4000 residents, home to the American governor of Samoa. W. Somerset Maugham stayed in Pago Pago during a measles epidemic, inspiring his short story “Rain.” The Samoan way or fa’asamoa pervades life on the island. Every family has a chief; each village is governed by 5 or 6 chiefs who set the rules for the community and must construct buildings called “guest houses” with floors and roofs, but only columns for walls. These structures are used for ceremonial purposes like weddings and birthdays, but guests cannot eat in them.

   

Families typically bury family members in tombs in front of their homes, although this practice is fading as church cemeteries become more commonplace.

Because we were there on a Sunday morning, almost all residents except the tour guides and bus drivers were at church; there are more than 60 churches on the island. They are beautifully painted, and represent various religions, including Catholic, Mormon, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist, Methodist and Episcopalian.

   

On Sundays, most men wear the traditional lavalava, basically a wrap-around cotton skirt for men – with handy pockets! Frank wore his lavalava to dinner and found it very comfortable – and cool! The island is a strict place – a bell is rung at 6 pm and everyone must go indoors for a half hour of prayers. If you’re walking through town at that time, you must sit down and wait for prayers to be over. You can’t walk while eating or drinking – you must be seated. And if you enter a Samoan home, you must be seated (on the floor), and either cross your legs or cover them with a mat. Clothing must also be modest, even when swimming. The bell is rung at 9 pm for curfew. So much for my image of a jolly, laid-back society! 

The island is surrounded by a sharp coral reef, which protects it from sharks, but poses its own hazards for swimmers. We didn’t get to swim because swimming and most other activities are prohibited on Sundays.

Samoa is steeped in legends and myths. One concerns a mother and daughter whose family wouldn’t feed them. They plunged into the sea and became the turtle and the shark. You can see them at one beach on the island but it was not accessible because it was Sunday. Another story concerns two relatives who wanted to get married. When they were driven from their home, they fled in a canoe which overturned and they became the flowerpot islands, below.

   

The island is known for its longboats, traditionally propelled by groups of burly Samoan men. Its tour buses are also distinctive.

   

Our tour bus took the only road around the island, which unfortunately only goes part-way, so we had to return by the same route. There are McDonald’s and Carl’s Jrs. in Samoa, but few other chain stores. As the bus pulled up to the pier, the skies opened and a torrential rain began. Because we were soaked, we continued on to the craft flea market by the ship, and found some lovely and inexpensive hand-crafted items. There were no Tahitian pearls to be found. Back on the ship the sun came out - and we sailed on!

… to Papeete, Tahiti!

Tahiti, island of dreams, Gauguin’s muse, beautiful native girls and Tahitian pearls! And Papeete, “Water from a Basket,” capital of French Polynesia. Herman Melville was imprisoned in Papeete in 1842; his adventure was the basis for his novel, Omoo.

We watched the ship dock in the harbor; we were up an hour earlier than we intended because our alarm clock wasn’t turned back an hour the night before… a good head start! Our excursion promised to take us to Tahiti’s Natural Wonders, of which there are many. Traveling the entire way around the island on the single two-lane road, we saw the Ara Ahoaho blowhole, where waves slamming against the shore send a powerful blast of groaning and grunting water through the rocks beside the road. Our second stop was three beautiful waterfalls close to the blowhole. A visit to a restaurant for a cold drink (Hinano local beer – delicious!) included a wander through the fish cages with dazzling parrot fish, sharks, and other local favorites.

   

Next was a stop at the Vaipahi Botanical Gardens where we saw another spectacular waterfall, and many of the island’s most gorgeous flowers. A special treat was a taste of lychee fruit – beautiful to look at and even better to eat! The trip ended with a short stop at one of Tahiti’s many black sand beaches, formed from eroding volcanic rock. As we left the beach, it began raining, a quick sample of the island’s rainy summer. There are only two seasons in Tahiti, wet summer and dry summer!

   

We re-boarded the ship for a fast lunch, then went ashore with our new friends, Lee and Troy, to explore – and look for Tahitian pearls and breadfruit (on Judy’s bucket list for years). We found both in the Marche de Papeete, a fabulous two-story market with souvenirs, fantastic parrotfish, fruits and vegetables, and upstairs – pearls!

   

First we bought a platter of cooked local fruit – bland yellow breadfruit and starchy gray taro root, purple sweet potatoes, gooey coconut bread, and some pinkish banana relative. It all went well with Hinano beer!

       

Then we headed to the pearl shop which promised loose pearls – true to their billboard, the store had bins of pearls of various prices, starting as low as 300 francs, or about $3 each. None were drilled, but the price included drilling. We patiently selected 42 pearls of various colors and qualities, then went across the street for drilling. It was amazing to see the bins of pearls spill out onto mats and to run your fingers through them! Here’s what we did with our pearls.

   

It began raining torrentially about that point, and after searching fruitlessly for a watch battery, we beat a hasty and soggy retreat back to the ship. It was a wonderful day of new sights and experiences which won’t soon be repeated.

… to sea…

… and spend time in a variety of relaxing ways. Days at sea are essential to fully enjoying a cruise. They are time to rest, but more important, they provide time to absorb the amazing things seen, and to store away memories of each place visited. Without days at sea, ports tend to run together in your mind, and become an indistinguishable jumble of impressions, tours, photos, and places.

Days at sea aren’t all spent resting … although we aren’t morning people and tend to get up later than many folks aboard. We usually have a late breakfast in the Lido, a self-serve cafeteria-style restaurant. You can get just about anything in the Lido, including Eggs Benedict, omelets, Belgian waffles, and muesli. Our big commitment after breakfast is Team Challenge Trivia at noon – very well attended, with serious teams formed before setting sail. We don’t usually do too well, but one memorable day we actually won! It was a shock to us and others, and made the usual winners check us out! After trivia, we need a quick lunch at the Lido before 1:00 water color classes for beginners, designed for success. Then we often swim, or more accurately float, in one of the ship’s two pools, the Sea View on the back deck, totally open to the elements, or the Lido pool, which can be covered with a movable glass roof. From swimming we sometimes go to the Thermal Suite, to soak in the mineral spa and nap on the heated ceramic lounges.

We’ve also met some wonderful folks on board who enjoy playing cards and have spent some enjoyable afternoons in games of Hands and Feet (a great card game!).

Our dinner is at 8:00, in the upper main dining room, at a lovely window table with four wonderful tablemates, a couple from Columbus, Ohio, who previously lived in Philadelphia, and a couple from Australia. They are all lively conversationalists, and we’re usually the last table to leave the dining room. There are many “theme nights” like the recent “Dutch Night,” with Dutch food and stylish hats for all the passengers.

Every evening the ship has a show; we’ve seen movies, comedians, singers, jugglers, a flautist, a pianist and dancers. On shorter cruises there’s usually one troupe of singers/dancers assigned to the ship to perform a few times a week, but on this long haul, we have already had two different “casts” and there will be several more. As on land, some acts are better than others! After the show, it’s time for bed.   

For the last few days we've turned the clock back an hour every night; there is always a note on our pillows, and the clock in our room is changed automatically, usually at 2:00 am. We’ve learned a bit about geography; the fact that Easter Island is in the same time zone as the East Coast was a shock to most of us on board, but a quick check of the globe in the library showed how far east of North America, South America is! The library surrounds a lovely coffee and snack bar, and is very heavily used at all hours. it’s truly outstanding (and co-sponsored by the New York Times)!

   
   

There are many other activities on board. Every morning at 9:30 the cruise director does a live TV show which you can attend in person or watch on your cabin TV. During sea days, there are lecturers on every imaginable topic, and a port consultant discusses each port before we get there. (We also get maps and information sheets on each port.) There are computer classes sponsored by Microsoft on photography, camera classes, arts and crafts (rather rudimentary, unfortunately), cooking classes, and cooking demonstrations almost every sea day. Here’s Judy in a “chocolate mousse three ways” (baked, frozen and regular) class, taught by Meg Galus, who has just won an award as one of the top new pastry chefs in the US. The other photo is a plate of strawberry jelly candy made in a second Meg Galus class; they were delicious!

   

There are also bridge classes, and bridge games for players at all levels, dance classes with professional (paid) dance partners, and two daily bingo games. The library is fantastic and lends books, DVDs, games, etc. For more active cruisers, there’s stretching, qui gong, yoga, tai chi, shuffleboard, ping pong, tennis, basketball and of course a well-stocked gym with personal trainers available. There’s also a full spa on board, with hairdressers, manicurists, masseuses, an acupuncturist, and teeth whitening services. 

Formal nights seem to roll around about every 5 days or so, far too many of them for us. But most folks on board seem to enjoy them immensely, and the tuxes and gowns do get quite a workout. Makes bringing them worthwhile. There are ever-present photographers and videographers to record the cruise, and shops which sell all kinds of things, from liquor and snack food, to clothing, to jewelry, to expensive collectibles like Faberge eggs.

At sea days truly have something for everyone!