Sister Karin

Have gotten word that my sister Karin is in very serious condition in the hospital in California and had to be intubated. Please pray for her and her husband Mike. So much appreciation to my niece Steph and her husband Marc who are providing much support to them.

Love to all---

Sydney, Australia

Sydney, Australia

During a few more sea days, we were faced with saying good-bye to some of our good friends who were getting off in Sydney, including three members of my Trivia Dream Team (so called because we won the Trivia contest again and again). Ronnie organized a special dinner for our team members and spouses, and we had a blast with them (including giving Dream Team certificates to the departing members). Of course, we also were quite sad to see them go as we had become a cohesive team and knew each other well. Other good friends including our rental car driver Nigel, his partner Carole, and another group we had enjoyed on Bora Bora and afterwards (Don and Maureen from Charleston, SC, and Mary and David from the UK), as well as Charles and Neville from Toronto and finally our Assistant Cruise Director, Handre, were also disembarking. As much as we knew we would get to know others, these were people we had bonded with and really could not be replaced.

We were actually up at 6 a.m. the day we arrived at Sydney because we heard the sail-in was not to be missed. Unfortunately it was still dark so we didn’t get the whole effect, but it was still impressive. We docked right downtown in an area called Circular Quay, right across from the Opera House. I am not a big fan of modern architecture, but this building is truly a masterpiece. I never got tired of looking at it, and it is different from every angle and vantage point. I also photographed it from every angle and vantage point so I have more photos of the Sydney Opera House than anything else on the trip so far (except, of course, the Ronnie and Don photos).

What can I say about Sydney except that we were ready to move here (if only it weren’t so far from the states!). And we weren’t the only ones. A number of our fellow passengers said the same thing. It has everything you can imagine. It is surrounded by water, with incredible beaches, a vibrant downtown, all the arts and entertainment you could ever need, a fascinating native Aborigine culture, many shopping districts and trendy harbor areas, excellent restaurants, great and efficient public transportation (including a ferry system that works like clockwork), an abundance of sports and professional teams, a warm climate, and I could go on and on. I guess we were lucky because it was sunny both days we were there, but we heard it does have quite a rainy season.

Our first morning we took the on-off bus again, where you sit on top of a double-decker. It was exciting to get an overview of the city from this high vantage point, but unfortunately our driver drove the bus hard and we were constantly swaying back and forth and starting and stopping sharply. This gave Ronnie a case of motion sickness, especially since she had gone without her patch for a while. She was feeling so bad she had to go back to the ship and lie down. If you know her, you know she did not want me hanging around when she wasn’t feeling well, so at her insistence I went back on the on-off bus and got off at the Opera House. I walked around and picked up our tickets for the opera that night (which we had booked on line) and scouted out restaurants for the evening.

I met Ronnie back near the ship in early afternoon and she was feeling well enough that we walked (yes, walked – no way she was getting back on that bus) a mile or so down George Street (main shopping corridor) to the Queen Victoria mall, which is housed in a stately Victorian style building. Then we walked across a pedestrian bridge (which obviously used to be a draw bridge) to Darling Harbor. Lots of attractions in the harbor. We walked back through an underground mall area and down George street to the ship, stopping at optical and electronics stores. Ronnie saw a couple of pairs of glasses she liked but did not buy anything. Back at the ship we changed for the opera and met several friends from the ship to walk to dinner and the opera. We walked by all the ferry terminals of Circular Quay (they form the base of the harbor with the ship on one side and the Opera House on the other). We passed some Aborigines playing the didgeridoo, the long carved log instrument that makes a low droning sound, and took some time to find a restaurant where all felt comfortable with the food and the price.

After supper we walked to the Opera House and found our seats right front and center. Could not be better. We could see the supertitles quite well also (even though the opera was sung in English). Just being there was amazing, and when the opera (Lady Macbeth) started we realized the harsh music of Shostakovich was going to be a challenge. The story line also was quite dark, with even on onstage rape scene. Ronnie and I whispered to each other that it seemed pretty awful, but it did improve with each act. It was not until we had digested the opera the next day that we realized how well done it was, and could appreciate the quality of the over all production, from the scenery to the singing.

The next day was Thursday and we were out early again to go to Paddy’s market, which was only open Thursday to Sunday. They had recently expanded it from weekends only, and it was all the Victoria Market in Auckland was not. It was huge (100+ stalls) and offered everything you can imagine at bargain basement prices. Since I was still dealing with the paltry amount of clothing I had brought, I bought a truly nice pocket polo shirt for $10 (about $7.50 US), a decent backpack for the same price, and a hat for $5 ($4 US). Oh, oh, we couldn’t pass up a couple of Australian boomerangs for $5 each (but really, they are made of light weight wood!). We spent a couple of hours at the market and then took the bus back to the George street mall.

We split up, and I high-tailed it back to the optical store where we had been the day before so I could surprise Ronnie with the glasses I knew she wanted. Well, not really high-tailed since I got on the wrong bus, apparently an express, and it just kept going. I kept pushing the button to get off, and finally about 8 blocks later it stopped. So I had quite a ways to walk back and I knew Ronnie would be waiting and did not want to be late. I was. It took me a while to find the optical store, and then had to take another bus to meet Ronnie. She was not a happy camper, and asked “What was so important you had to buy?” As much as she pushed I told I would show her later. We bought a sandwich and caught the ferry across the harbor to a section called Manley (the all day combined ferry/bus/train pass was only $17).

Manley was an unexpected treat, with a large pedestrian mall lined with shops and restaurants leading from the ferry to the beach. And the beach: wow! Large, wide and sections with large waves which the surfers loved. However, I dipped my toe in the water only to have it freeze on the spot! Seriously, it was much colder than the ocean in Florida in the middle of winter and this was the tail end of their summer. I went not further in the water, but we really enjoyed just sitting on the beach for a while. The ferry back to Circular Quay was part of the original reason for going to Manley, since we saw the view of the harbor that we missed on our early morning sail in. It was quite worth it. It was starting to sprinkle, so we went back to the ship to dump our stuff and eat.

However, it stopped raining and the sun came out so we decided to put off dinner and walk through the Rocks (the quaint neighborhood near the ship) to the Harbor Bridge. You can climb to the top of the bridge for a hefty price ($150 or so), but you can walk across it for nothing. We took the stairs up to the bridge deck and as we walked across the bridge we were amazed at how many people in business clothes were walking across going home from work. Great views of the harbor and Opera House from the bridge, and we thought we would take the train back since we had our all-day passes. But the neighborhood we came to was so picturesque that we walked around a bit.

Some one told us that a ferry for Circular Quay left from a dock a few blocks down by the harbor. So we walked down to the dock which was located in front of Luna Park, a brightly lit amusement park on the harbor. The rides were closed but we strolled through the park, laughed at the fun house mirrors, and watched people arriving for a Jewish wedding reception. After the ferry back, we were famished and had dinner back on the pool deck of the ship. Yes, I finally gave Ronnie her glasses (actually frames), and yes, she was surprised and yes said she would never wear them. Ok, finally she admitted she really did want them just did not want to spend the money. We were truly sad as we sailed out of Sidney, wishing we could spend many more days there. The days we did have there were magical. In case it wasn’t clear, we would go back in a heartbeat.

New Zealand part 2

March 31, 2009
New Zealand (continued)
Yes, again I have a bit of catching up to do. I won’t dwell too long on our trip to the Bay of Islands in New Zealand. It is a striking area because of all the lush small islands that surround the mainland. We anchored off the coast and there were actually two destinations to which the tenders could take us: the little town of Russell and the excursion to the Waitangi Treaty grounds. We did both.

Russell is called Kororaeka in the Maori tongue (meaning sweet penguin), and is an adorable seaside village. The village was mostly closed up early on the Sunday morning we arrived, so we walked around a bit, and found the local Anglican Church which had not yet opened for services. We were accompanied by Justin, one of the singers for the shows on the ship. We are fortunate to have some truly fine young people on for the entertainment, and we have gotten to know a number of them personally as friends. That would not happen on a two week cruise on a huge ship like the Crown Princess.

Yes, we even know who’s dating whom, we know how they got on the ship, where they rehearsed before they got on (Cocoa, Florida, less than ten miles from where we live), we know their voices and strengths and weaknesses, and we have seen their production shows three or four times over (they repeat them for every segment of the cruise). They have become like part of our extended family. The same holds true for the CD and ACD (Cruise Director and Assistant Cruise Director), the ship’s hostess, and our cabin stewardess. We have come to truly care about the crew and enjoy getting to know them.

After a nice walk around this tranquil town, we headed back to the ship via tender boat, and then back on the tender again to go to Waitangi. It was another beautiful sunny day as we made our way around the wide grassy grounds of the center, visiting the British Residency (now called the Treaty House), and the Maori meeting house called Te Whare Runanga with its impressive native carvings on its walls and roof. The present day Maori greeted us and put on an impressive display of their native dances and battle posturing. With their eyes wide so the whites show and their tongues pushed out and down to their chins they are indeed quite scary!

Auckland

March 23, 2009

After leaving Bora Bora it took 2 sea days for us to get to Roratanga, another South Sea Island. We woke up to the sound of our ship being punished by high waves hitting the ship. I mean these were loud noises, like someone pounding the side of the ship with large hammers or rams. We looked out to see rain and the island visible through the showers. There also was a tanker off the other side of the ship being bounced around by the waves. It did not surprise us, therefore, when the captain announced that the water was too rough for us to be able to go ashore on the tender boats. We set sail for Auckland, New Zealand, realizing that instead of 3 more sea days, we now had 4. Ronnie and I enjoy the sea days, but for those who are only on this segment, they naturally felt disappointed about missing another port.

Auckland was worth waiting for, however. The forecast had predicted rain and cool temperatures, but Ronnie told everyone that the weather would be fine. Which, of course, it was. It started out cool, but the sun came out and it ended up quite warm and beautiful by the end of the day. We were so excited as we left the ship, docked right at the downtown district. We decided to take the on-off bus which gives you a tour around the city, getting on and off at any of 14 stops. We went around the harbor, to several parks, the cathedral, the aquarium, the zoo, the rose garden, the shopping mall, the lookout on top of a hill (they call it a mountain), the museum, and then to a trendy boutique district called Parnell, the city center and the sky tower, and finally to the Victoria Market.

What surprised us the most was how familiar the city felt. With the highest boat ownership per capita, the abundant waterfront vistas, the lush foliage, the architecture, the distinctive neighborhoods (villages within the city), even the climate, again and again we were reminded of our former home, Seattle, Washington. The similarities were striking. Even the Anglican cathedral: they had built the altar area first hoping to complete the rest later, as they did St. Mark’s in Seattle, and then finished the nave section in a totally different architectural style. We arrived at Holy Trinity Cathedral before it actually opened, but a sexton showed us around a bit until “the welcomer” arrived. She let us into the charming St. Mary’s, the original pro-cathedral built in 1886, a wooden structure quite large itself. Originally it was across the street from the cathedral building, but in 1982 they moved the whole structure in once piece across the street to its present location next to the cathedral. Quite an impressive feat.

We walked to the Auckland Museum and then took the satellite bus to a number of the stops mentioned above. We came back to the museum, and peeked in. It is quite impressive and we would have spent time there except that it was such a beautiful day and we only had one day in Auckland. We choose instead to continue on the double-decker on-off bus to Parnell, and were totally captivated by the neighborhood, reminding us again of Madison Park in Seattle. We spent a couple of hours there, including having lunch at a cute restaurant with a pretty inside courtyard with lots of ivy and fountains. We had pizza, which was a treat since we had pizza only once before on the trip, and it was different but quite good (especially the crust!). We did see some impressive local crafts (oh, no!) including an incredible multi-colored glass sculpture of one of the local symbols (they call it infinity) for only $65 (about $40 US). How I would have loved to bring that back, but they did not ship and there was no way we were going to risk packing it or even carrying it with all its delicate glass tendrils. We did end up finding one glass kiwi bird which the shop owner was willing to ship to the US (for a price, of course). Oh yes, as long as we don’t have to carry it back!

Back on the bus we went to the city center, past the sky tower and decided to spend some time at the Victoria Market since it looked quite impressive in the literature. We figured a couple of hours should do it. I know another market, leading us right into temptation. Sure enough the first stall we come to in what looks like a parking garage, they have New Zealand t-shirts with maori designs for $10 (meaning about $5 US), and I did find one that just seemed to fit me. But it was down hill from there. The shops were selling mostly mass produced trinkets that did not interest us in the least, and the few New Zealand looking things we saw said “Made in China.” After passing a dozen or so shops, we came to what looked like the end of the market. “There has to be more,” we said to each other. Guess what. There wasn’t. We followed one staircase to a second level where there was one shop that I guess was going out of business because all the clothing was in piles on tables. The sign said exit only, but the guard (yes guard) let us in anyway. Nothing interesting there either. The market was a total bust.

So our two hour tour through the market took more like 20 minutes, and we decided to trudge up the hill to the downtown area. It had seemed quite a hike when we had seen it on the bus, but to take the bus there we would have had to gone all the way around the loop, so it was hardly worth it. It wasn’t bad, and there was an Austrian lady we met on the bus who kept turning up where ever we went. There she was again and we walked up the hill with her and it seemed like nothing.

We stopped and bought some sodas and gum (I was determined to try to use up our New Zealand $ to avoid the exchange again), and looked in a number of the stores in the downtown area. Queen Street was the center, and as opposed to many US cities where the downtown has been deserted, this was a bustling area on a late Saturday afternoon. I was surprised to find that electronics were quite inexpensive compared to the South American cities we had visited. Indeed one of the waiters on the ship told us that New Zealand was one of the cheapest places to buy electronics because they have no import tax. So he bought a new Macintosh laptop with all the bells and whistles. We worked our way back towards the ship (Queen Street dead ends at the waterfront) thinking we would eat on the ship and go back into town since the ship didn’t depart until 10 p.m.

Since we were walking by the ferries, we decided to check on the ferry to the little village of Devonport across the bay. We found it went every half hour and was only $10 NZ round trip, or a little over $5 US. We decided to go then rather than wait until after dinner, and it was a wise decision. The ride over and back was delightful, with wonderful evening views of the harbor. The town was so cute, reminding us of Bainbridge Island in the Puget Sound near Seattle. We took a quick walk around the town, where a few shops were still open, and even went to the local supermarket. I did buy some delicious NZ licorice to have after Easter (yes, of course I gave up sweets for Lent again).

Taking the ferry back after an hour there enabled us to be in time for dinner on the ship. While waiting for the ferry I sat next to two maori (natives of New Zealand) women who struck up a conversation with me. I think they were mother and daughter, and they told me a bit about their home town. It didn’t feel like a chance meeting, and I wish I had asked them more. Then riding across the harbor with the sun setting and the wind in our faces as we stood in the front of the boat was magical. To say we enjoyed it would be a definite understatement. We went back ashore one more time after dinner and saw a bit of the Auckland night life. One of the most interesting night clubs was one called -5°, where the whole place, including chairs, is made of ice. People put on parkas and boots to go in. We didn’t. Seeing them inside through the window was plenty for us (why do you think we live in Florida?).

Over all, a wonderful day in Auckland, and we highly recommend it! Next will be the Bay of Islands in New Zealand, followed by Sydney and Newcastle in Australia.

Lazy sea days

Sorry about the duplicate posts. I kept getting an error message.

Today we are at sea after being unable to stop yesterday at Roratonga. The waves were high and smashing against the ship, so we could not tender off. Today is beautiful and sunny. I will post a few more photos from previous stops.

Love to all

French Polynesia

March 13, 2009

Yes, I think we have found paradise. No, it is not the famed island of Tahiti, where we spent a whole day. Rather the lesser known islands of Moorea and Bora Bora are striking in its dramatic beauty. Yesterday on Tahiti we docked at the main town called Papeete, the main shopping area for these society islands. It was an easy walk into town and we decided to spend the morning in there and then go to the scenic parts of the island in the afternoon. The tourist information told us we could take a public bus close to the waterfall and some other pretty parts of the island.

So, we walked all over, and enjoyed a quite a few minutes in the two story market. I know what you are thinking, “What did they buy this time?” But no, believe it or not we were remarkably restrained (of course, it may have had something to do with the fact that the prices were quite high). Then we walked to the cathedral and the Wan Pearl Museum to learn about the history of the black pearl trade on the island. It was hot and humid, and the museum was more of a hike than we realized it would be. When we got there we realized the museum was really more of a way to promote the shop that is attached. The good thing is that it was air conditioned and provided a free shuttle back to the ship. The pearls were quite expensive, and my favorite item, a pearl necklace made of black pearls covering almost all colors of the rainbow, was way out of our range in price. Black pearls are a specialty of these islands and interestingly enough they are not usually black at all. Rather they come in many colors but mostly shades of gray and green.

In any case we took the shuttle back to the dock, but decided we weren’t quite ready to go back in the ship. We had been looking for the pearl market, and there was a lady at the dock with directions and a coupon for a free gift at the pearl market. Of course, off we went. It turned out that the pearl market was really a two level store. The upstairs was the real market with boxes and boxes of loose pearls. Every time they show you a pearl they must weigh the box it came from. We did see some pearls we liked; but then we had to pick out a chain and a clasp. So after all was said and done a one pearl necklace was going to be $100 to $150. Ronnie said, “We’ll think about it” which I know means there is no way we are paying that for that. So we took our free gifts and ran. Indeed in the market earlier I had seen a man selling necklaces with one black pearl for about $25. I knew the quality and size could not compare, but so …? We found the guy and ended up negotiating a price of about $12.50 for a necklace. Wait a minute, before you say anything, in the Goodheart craft stock pile a necklace really is small and light! At least that’s what we said to each other.

After we met some friends in the town we went back to the ship for lunch, thinking that we would go to one of the waterfalls after a short rest. The tourist information said there was a public bus that would take us there. After lunch we found a taxi driver on the dock and asked him the fare to the waterfalls. He said $40 and we thought “not so bad” until we find out it is $40 per person. Ronnie said, “We’ll think about it” and you now know what that means. We go back to tourist information to find out where to catch the public bus, only to find out that the buses stop at 3 p.m. Since it is now 2 p.m., she said that we certainly could get to the waterfall, but we might not get back. As much as we would like to have seen the waterfall, somehow spending the rest of our lives on Tahiti did not seem worth it! So thinking that the taxi drivers sitting around at the taxi stand in town might be less that those on the dock, we go and ask. Nope, $80. No negotiating or anything. $80. This time we are not even thinking about it, only wondering if these guys need to make money or not. I guess they would prefer to sit around doing nothing.

We walk around the rather non-descript town some more and I remember that the destination tour leader had told us how wonderful the vanilla is on the island. “Like no other vanilla you will ever have.” Ok, as Ronnie said, she sold me, because I do like vanilla! But really it is just a tiny little bottle and I may use it up before I even get off the ship. Rather precious tiny little bottle for $8, but hey, I am happy. That is until I realize the pearl necklace was only $4.50 more!

We finally head back to the ship more than a little frustrated about missing the waterfall. Even more frustrated later on when we find the bridge teachers coming back from their public bus ride to the waterfalls at 4:30 p.m. Guess the buses didn’t stop at 3 p.m.! And I guess you can’t always trust tourist information.

March 15, 2009

Actually, missing the waterfall on Tahiti was not a big deal, since, as I said, that island cannot compare to Moorea and Bora Bora. Moorea is larger and the least commercial and Bora Bora has the nicest beaches. On the tender going to the dock at Moorea we met another couple (Nigel and Carole from the UK) who were thinking of getting a taxi or renting a car. The taxi was going to be $40 a person again (where do they come up with that number?), so we looked into a rental car. Avis was going to be $80 for the car, which would have been only $40 a couple, but then Eurocar offered us one for $60. Another lady named Mary from the ship joined us (her husband was scuba diving), and so even with gas it turned out to be only $15 per person for the whole day.

We had a fun time with Nigel as our driver (and part time tour leader since he remembered a lot of what his tour leader had said the day before on Tahiti). At first I was concerned, because after all in the UK they drive on the other side of the road, but Nigel was quite proficient at driving on either side. We drove up a winding road to a place called the Belvedere lookout for a stunning view of the island, and were almost run off the road by some of the tour buses coming down (thanks to Nigel’s great driving we did not fall off any cliffs!).

We also saw some ruins of early settlements on the island and evidence that they had moais there as well (not the same as Easter Island but similar). We then found ourselves following a tour bus past banana plantations, seeing mangos and bread fruit trees, and stopping at a pineapple farm. They also have this fruit that smells like (yes, believe it) cheese. No one wanted to try it after smelling it. Back to the main road around the island and we stopped at a couple of small shops (no – didn’t buy anything but a couple of post cards). Nigel did buy a grapefruit, which he proceeded to try to peel like you would an orange, only to get it all over his shirt. He shared it with all of us and I have to say it was quite good: sweeter than the grapefruit we are used to in the US. We then tried to find what the rental car people had told us was the best beach on the island.

After a couple of false starts, we found it, and there was a whole group gathering for a big party at some picnic tables under a shelter on the beach. On the way to the beach we had a discussion about the ship’s daily bulletin where it says “Friends of Bill W. meet.” The others in the car wondered who was this Bill W., so I explained that it meant AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) since Bill W. was the founder. Nigel speaks fluent French because his wife is French (not Carole, but that’s another story), and he had got the idea in his mind that this gathering was an AA gathering since there were only soft drinks and no liquor being served. When we approached a fellow came over and Nigel promptly used his newly gained knowledge and said in perfect French that we were friends of Bill W. No, it didn’t work. Turns out it was not an AA meeting and the guy politely asked us to use a different part of the beach. Oh, well, guess you can’t fault Nigel for trying.

We did sit on the beach, and the sand was not that nice although the water was gorgeous with deep blues and greens and it was warm! Nigel and I went for a swim while the ladies sat on the beach and chatted. After a while we changed, went back to the car and continued our tour around the island. We went all the way around in less than an hour, and much to our dismay the only waterfall was closed because of a rock slide. Despite missing the gas station and having to go back a mile or two to find it, we still got back to the dock by 2 p.m. or so, quite happy with an enjoyable day in paradise.

The next day on Bora Bora was similar, although the weather was not quite as nice. There is some debate whether James Mitchener’s Bali Hi and the Rogers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific were based on Moorea or Bora Bora, but it doesn’t really matter as they are both so dramatic with high volcanic mountains overlooking beautiful blue sandy lagoons protected by barrier reefs. Believe it or not we met the same couple, Nigel and Carole, on the tender going to the dock. We decided we were fated to be together. This time, however, we ended up taking a free shuttle to a pearl shop near the main beach, and Ronnie again tried on a multi-colored black pearl necklace costing a mere $55,000. We thanked the merchants for their kindness and walked out toward the beach.

We stopped at a couple of shops on the way (no we were safe: prices high and nothing of much interest), and then came to a nice beach where Nigel and I again went for a swim. We actually could see some of the pretty coral in the clear water of the lagoon, including some pink coral that I pointed out to Nigel. He said, “You know, of course, never to touch the pink coral.” “Oh yes,” I replied, not knowing it at all, of course, and seconds away from trying to touch it. Actually, I did admit to him my ignorance and thanked him for his timely warning.

By this time Nigel and Carole had had enough and wanted to walk back to the pearl shop for the shuttle, but Ronnie and I wanted to keep going a little further to the Intercontinental Hotel, supposed to be the nicest on the island. We had missed it on Moorea where they had dolphins and other exotic fish, so we didn’t want to miss it here. It was quite something, with an even nicer beach which they seemed quite happy to share with quite a few of us from the ship. Indeed the dozen or so people from the ship were about the only people around at the resort. We found some more of our friends from the ship there, including Mary who had shared the rental the day before. We quite happily spent the rest of the afternoon there, including six of us having lunch in the restaurant (Ronnie and I had our first pizza since leaving the states) when a thundershower started.

After lunch I asked about renting a two person kyak, and for $10 it seemed like a very reasonable deal. Ronnie was not interested, but Lorraine, the wife of another man named Don, did want to go, so off we went. We went under the thatch roof bungalows on stilts that reached a hundred yards or so out in the lagoon, and then paddled all the way out to a private island. We got back to shore just in time before another rain shower. It passed quickly and several of us went swimming again. Finally we took a shuttle van back to the dock, sharing it with a dozen of the crew from the ship. It was only $5 a person, but I could see the driver smiling with his 15 passengers going about four miles at $5 a piece. Not a bad haul for fifteen minutes or so of his time.

Today was another Sunday sea day, and our Assistant Cruise Director, Handre, had told me that he would play the piano for the worship service. He is a composer, pianist, and singer, and one of the sweetest and most gentle people you can imagine. We had planned the hymns together, and this time I printed more bulletins thinking I would be safe at 30, but still ran out. My sermon topic was “Forgive us our trespasses,” (part of my series on the Lord’s Prayer) and with Handre playing the hymns so sensitivity, and then playing and singing a beautiful piece of his own composition, the service was quite moving. By the way, for those of you who like short services, we do the whole thing in half an hour. I was gratified by the positive comments and the increasing attendance at the service despite the early hour (okay, 9 a.m. isn’t that early, but actually on a sea day on the ship it is).

At dinner we hosted the singles table for the second time at the request of the ship’s hostess, Elsa. She is a delight, so genuinely upbeat and gracious all the time. Yes, we have come to love many of the staff and passengers, and also have come to understand while people come back over and over again. It is an extended family that makes you happy just to be on board. I haven’t said much about the food on the ship. I guess we have gotten so used to the extraordinary quality of the preparation and presentation of the food from chef Mike. I mean this stuff is incredible on the worst day. Of course there are six or seven courses offered each day, but we usually stick with three or four. One of the great things about the main restaurant is the reasonable size of the portions. The more exclusive restaurants (Prime 7, a steak and lobster house, and Signatures, a cordon blue operation) we have tried several times, but Prime 7’s portions are a little too large and Signatures a little too gourmet for our tastes. Then we sometimes eat at La Veranda, which usually has an international theme and a salad and desert bar. Lunch we usually do at the pool deck where the trio play and they often have special dishes. Today we especially enjoyed the crepes cooked to order right in front of us.

Good bless you all. What else can I say but “Bon Appétit,” the signature sign off of the captain?

World Cruise

March 10, 2009

Another time zone change last night. So I woke up at 4 a.m. this morning. After using the computer for a bit I finally got back to sleep for an hour or so. Then I went to the gym before breakfast again. And another sea day today, so I am preparing for the Sunday’s service and sermon.

First of all, why have I posted all the photos of the paper cut out doll with various people and in various places? I know some of you have heard of Flat Stanley because we participated in another Flat Stanley project for friends in Winston-Salem. In this case, our granddaughter’s kindergarten class in Seattle has started a Flat Stanley project so that the children can learn a bit about geography and other things. They send Flat Stanley all over and have his photo taken wherever he is. Then they use a map to show the kids where flat Stanley has been. We received him by email, so the photos are of Flat Stanley with our ship’s captain, on Easter Island with one of the statues, with some ladies from Santiago we met on the island, with the Moldavian dancers Igor and Natalia, with a band member playing the harp, with a police man in Valparaiso, with Scott in the ship’s theater control room, and with local residents dressed as pirates from both Pitcairin and Robinson Crusoe islands. We had fun with Stanley and explaining him to everyone was sometimes a challenge (especially when they didn’t speak English!).

A couple of days ago we had a 50^th anniversary and renewal of vows for some good friends on the ship, Arline and Irwin. The Captain presided, although I had supplied a copy of our Episcopal wedding vows for them to use in writing their own vows. Ronnie and I also wrote a poem of the occasion:

A Toast to Arline and Irwin

On the Occasion of the Renewal of their Vows

And 50^th Anniversary

From Don and Ronnie Goodheart

In a hamlet far far from here,

Lived a maiden; she was quite dear.

She was know by the name Arline,

And Irwin the jokester was her dream.

Arline was saucy and stylish;

Irwin had legs of Adonis.

So she cast well her magical web,

And in that hamlet they did wed.

Yes, Arline and Irwin – what a pair!

So well matched, it’s hardly fair.

After 50 years of marital bliss,

The love between them is hard to miss.

They enjoy life – it’s easy to see.

Together they were meant to be.

Around them you just feel at ease

You don’t have to dot all I’s and cross all T’s.

So now the moment let us seize,

To wish them well if you please.

For 50 more – who knows?

I wouldn’t put it past those pros.

Lift your glass for a hearty toast

Far from the hamlet and even the coast.

With lots of love and joyful sound

This special couple we now surround.

It was a fun evening, with about 25 or so participants, and a dinner following in the restaurant. The staff had baked a special wedding cake and the trio from the Philippines (who speak little English but sing Beatles and many other British and American pop/rock songs impeccably) came and serenaded the couple at our table. They took requests and even sang the Queen song Bohemian Rhapsody.

The next few days we are in the Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. We are looking forward to being back on shore and, of course, more great shopping opportunities!

Pacific Islands

March 8, 2009
Another Sunday, and what a difference from last week! I only printed 20 bulletins thinking I was being optimistic since last Sunday’s turnout had been so low. And I had failed in my attempt to move the worship hour to the evening because again so much is going on this evening. So I was surprised that as the 9:00 a.m. hour approached, more and more people kept filing into the service. I soon ran out of bulletins and started asking people to share. I ended up with around 30 people, my highest attendance to date.

Actually, a lot more people around the ship are getting to know me, and not just because we have been on the ship for six weeks or so. I attribute it to three things: Ronnie’s warm outgoing nature which just draws people in (believe me she has been a star on this cruise and has done so well in controlling her colorful language), my appearance as a contestant on the Mariner’s Got Talent show, and finally the class on meditation that I have been teaching on sea days. Since attendance at the sea day devotional was quite low, I talked to John and Handre (Cruise Director and Assistant Curise Director) about teaching a class on meditation. So I scheduled it for the days after Robinson Crusoe Island (we had three sea days in a row), and I started with 15 or so the first day, went to 20+ the second day, and then 30+ on the third. It appealed to people from a variety of traditions and it was simply through word of mouth that it grew. People have requested that I continue the class on sea days, and the Cruise Directors have agreed. Since I love to teach, I have found it gratifying.

At the last minute I decided to enter the Talent Show tryouts, partly because I heard they needed more contestants. Ok, Ronnie doesn’t think I’m funny, I know, but I entered in the comedy category anyway, since even I know I can’t sing. Because I signed up last I was the last one to try out, and I waited around for 2 hours. They had it set up like American Idol, with three judges (2 men and one woman) deciding whether you made it to the next level. Our Cruise Director John is a dead ringer for Simon Cowel, and we had to appear on stage in the main theater. The tryout went Ok, but what I did not realize was that they would televise all the tryouts in a continuous loop for 2 days on one of the ship’s channels. Even Ronnie said I looked relaxed and comfortable on stage. I had people coming up to me all the time saying they had seen me on TV and hoped I made it to the next round. I didn’t. They cut 7 of us and 6 went on to appear before the an all ship audience in the theater before dinner. We all then voted for the winner. Actually I thought the six best were chosen, and the winner was a lawyer who wrote a words about the ship to the tune of Those Were The Days. She had a good voice and a good stage presence.

March 9, 2009
Easter Island. Beautiful and mysterious. We took an early tender onto the island amid fairly rough seas. It was hard getting on the tender with the ship pitching up and down rather dramatically at times. One woman on a different tender injured her leg when it became sandwiched between the tender and the ship. She was taken off the ship permanently for medical treatment. It was a long walk into town from the dock (about 30 minutes) and on we seriously almost got run over by a heard of wild horses, which run loose all over the island. We walked around the village for the rest of the morning and found, you guessed it, a handicraft market. We really didn’t see much that interested us, but couldn’t resist a moai (the island’s monolithic statues that have made it famous) carved out of the volcanic rock of the island. Thanks to the help of a local who translated for us, we also were able to buy bread and turkey, chips and a large bottle of coke light in grocery store for lunch for a little less than $6. We took a taxi for $5 back to the pier (we met some people who paid $20 for the same ride into town), and ate our lunch while we waited for our excursion.

We had an excellent guide on our excursion, which took us to see several of the moais and the stone houses that the Easter Island natives had built. We then drove up the side of one of the volcanoes where we had a panoramic view of the whole island. Next stop was the rim of the volcano, where we could look down and see a huge crater lake covered with dense vegetation. It was dramatic, like nothing we had ever seen before. From there we went to a lookout where the natives used to start the birdman competition, a race involving climbing down steep cliffs, swimming to a close island to retrieve a bird’s egg, then swimming back and presenting it to his chief. That chief ruled the island for the next year.

We also saw some amazing petrogliphs carved in the rock. The theory is that the birdman cult followed the ancestral cult (the statues are supposed to be of ancestors who would watch over them). The one stop we regretted was not on our tour was the quarry where the moais were carved. There are over 400 at the quarry in various stages of completion. Being on the island is like a step back in time, and you can almost feel the presence of the natives who carved these huge moais. It is a bit eerie. They do have an airport with one huge runway accommodating 2 to 4 flights a week. A plane (767) actually landed while were there. You might think that is a large plane for a small place, but the airport can accommodate anything you can throw at because the runway is long and bisects the island. You can thank good old NASA for the long runway, as it is an emergency landing strip for the Space Shuttle.

Today we were anchored off of Pitcarin Island, where the mutineers from the HMS bounty settled and burned the Bounty (made famous in the books and movies entitled Mutiny on the Bounty). Because the dock is so small on the island, the islanders came on board instead of our going ashore. They seemed like happy and interesting people, with a total of 48 living on the island and an additional 12 temporary residents (doctor, teacher, etc.). They sold their crafts at stall on deck, gave a lecture on the island, and sand a few songs. Oh no! Beautiful carved wooden sea creatures (even a sting ray) for sale at bargain prices, and yes, a few small ones just seemed to make their way into our hands. Well, the lecture told us this was one of the islander’s main income, and they get less than one cruise ship per month. We had to help support the local economy! I know: we will be a walking craft store when we leave this ship.

The ocean is so blue and beautiful, with another incredible sunset this evening. Again, we have to pinch ourselves to be sure that we really are on this incredible voyage. For the past three days straight we have been crossing time zones and gaining an hour every night. You might think it would be great to gain an hour every night, but our bodies don’t know it, so I have been waking up at ridiculously early hours. I even went to the gym before breakfast this morning. Ronnie is now up to an hour and half in the gym every day. Although we know we gained some weight in the beginning, we both now have actually lost some weight from when we embarked.

Our love to all family and friends who read this. God is good. Thanks be to God!

Chilean Ports

March 1, 2009

Another Sunday at sea. I tried to talk the Assistant Cruise Director, a sweet young man from South Africa named Handre, into moving our worship service to the evening. The one evening service we had because it was a port day attendance was the best ever: more than 25. He said there was too much going on this evening with a whole new group of segment cruisers coming on board and the Captain’s reception. So I went from my highest attendance to my lowest: 8 people and that included Ronnie, the pianist and me! We now have some 440 people on board, more than the first segment, but a 100 less than the last one. I was saying to Ronnie that I put just as much work into a sermon for 8 people as I do for 800 (which we often had at St. Paul’s on a Sunday). Since my topic for today was “Thy Will Be Done,” that’s all I can say. I will just continue to pray and preach to the best of my ability, and leave the rest in God’s hands. On the other side of the coin our joint Ash Wednesday service with the Roman Catholics was quite a success with over 40 participants and a lot of positive feedback. And there is some hope that we can move the Sunday service permanently to the evening.

Enough of my work (and whining). Ronnie and I keep saying to each other that we can hardly believe we have this opportunity to see so many beautiful things and visit so many amazing places. The last two port stops again were far beyond our expectations. Puerto Montt in Chile is not an outstanding city in itself, but it has a marvelous large craft and fish market area, and it is the gateway to what is called the Lakes Region of Chile. We took the first tender ashore and spent the whole morning in the craft/fish market. We saw some truly splendid craft items at incredible prices, and probably would have bought a bunch if we did not have to be concerned about space and weight for our return. For example hand carved wooden cups for a couple of dollars, knitted hats for $2.50, hand crafted sail boats and schooners for $5-$10, beautiful wool sweaters and scarves for under $20. We could not resist purchasing a few small items, but had to pass up many that were too large or heavy.

We had lunch in a restaurant recommend by one of the craft merchants and the food was exceptional, starting with a bowl full of what looked like sofa pillas with some salsa and creamy sauce to eat with them. Talk about delicious! We could not resist and before we knew it we had eaten the whole basket of more than a dozen of these delicacies. Ronnie had an equally delicious soup and huge salad, and I had the local fish called Congrio. You would probably think I was exaggerating to say it was the best white fish I ever had, but it truly was. Neither one of us could finish our meals, but we certainly enjoyed them!

After lunch we decided to try walking to the downtown until we met some ship people returning from there. God must have been watching over us, because they basically said “Don’t bother,” so we decided to turn around and see about a taxi to see the nearby lake. However, it was a cloudy day and we were not sure we would be able to see much. Ronnie was at first reluctant, but because it was late in the day, I found a taxi driver who was willing to drive us to two of the quaint towns on the lake for $50 round trip. Earlier in the day we had been offered the same trip for $80-$150. Ronnie asked the port authority person if the taxi driver was ok, and when he nodded yes, she told him she would hold him responsible if we didn’t get back in one piece and on time before the ship departed. Later when we returned he seemed quite happy to see us, and we told him that our driver was indeed quite good.

After stopping by our driver’s house to pick up his cell phone (where we met his wife and granddaughter), we drove about 25 minutes on a good four lane toll road to Fruitillar, a town which grew out of a German settlement and still has a Germanic character. Ronnie really wanted to stop only at a town closer to the ship, but I somewhat (yes not somehow, but somewhat – I kept getting these looks which said if we don’t back to the ship in time you will be in deep you-know-what) convinced her that we had plenty of time. In the end we were both so glad we (I) decided to go there. By the time we arrived the clouds had cleared and it was bright and sunny. We were overwhelmed by the beauty of four snow capped volcanoes rising above this picturesque lake and sandy beach filled with Chilean tourists (it was the last weekend of summer before school resumed). With the addition of the Germanic looking architecture, the whole scene was truly breathtaking.

We stopped at a couple of spots for photos and a drink, then drove back to Puerto Varas, the larger town closer to the ship. Here one volcano was visible, but shrouded in clouds. The views were therefore not as dramatic, and the town showed all the signs of a larger tourist destination, including some large condominium complexes on the hills overlooking the lake. The driver treated us like royalty, stopping traffic so we could cross the street, waiting for us in no parking zones, and of course opening the car doors to escort us in and out of the taxi (it was a rather small Nissan, like a Stanza but with a different name). He drove back into Puerto Montt by a different road, which gave us an idea of the lush countryside and the thousands of tract houses in the suburbs. Aside from mobile homes, the houses are smaller than anything I have seen in the states, probably no more than 20 feet wide and just a few feet between them. Apparently they were built in an effort to get people out the squatter shacks, and the price is low (about $25,000 US) and the payments quite low as well.

The best part of the return trip was the view coming back into town, over a hill with a dramatic view of the harbor and our ship. We drove through the downtown and although it was not terribly exciting, it seemed better than we had been led to believe. We had no regrets in any case, and we got back to the ship a couple of hours before the departure time.
March 2, 2009

Yesterday I didn’t get to our visit to Valparaiso, which was a real highlight of Chile. We had debated taking an excursion to Santiago, but several people, including the ship’s lecturer (Terry Breen, a cultural anthropologist, who is an excellent speaker and has become a friend of ours) told us to spend the time in Valparaiso rather than driving the 3+ hour round trip to Santiago. The ship actually had a free shuttle to the nicer part of Valparaiso metro area, called Vena del Mar. So we took an early shuttle there, and were lucky to have a guide on our shuttle who took us on a mini-tour of the city on the way to the drop off point. Again, we were surprised by the beauty of this area, with wide tree-lined streets and exquisitely manicured gardens.

Believe it or not, the first thing we did was go to a shopping area (recommended by one of our shipmates) with hair salons (there were a bunch of them in this one enclosed atrium kind of area with a gradually rising ramp around the perimeter), and I got an excellent hair cut for 3,000 pesos, which is $5. Compare that to the $45 they charge on the ship! Then we found an eyeglass place where Ronnie was tempted to buy a pair of trendy white frames, but decided she really didn’t love them.

From there we walked down the main street (called Ave. de Libertad, or Freedom Avenue) across a bridge and right into, believe it or not, a huge market of local crafts. Yes, we should stay away from these things, but you never know what you might find! We have seen perhaps hundreds of sweaters in all the cities we have visited. Neither of us showed any interest, since, after all, we live in Florida and the occasions for sweaters are few and far between. But this time Ronnie decided to try one on. It looked good on her, but then the vendor (who knitted them) suggested another one. This one didn’t look good, it looked smashing on her (she wore it that night and received tones of compliments). The woman was more than sweet, and I think Ronnie would have bought almost anything from her, but the $17 hand knitted sweater was a real bargain.

We walked a little further and took a tour through a couple of museums, including one which had a special exhibit on the history of Easter Island. Since we are going there, we decided to pay the big $3 a person admission, and it was well worth it. Then we headed to the beach, with a stop on the way for lunch at a local deli (we decided to go for the one packed with locals, and it was the right choice). We had a delicious vegetable dish inside a thin breaded crust, which we split. Afterwards, we walked the boardwalk along the beach, lined with (can you guess it?) more craft (and beach item) merchants. Yes, I was the one who gave into temptation by buying an appealing $5 hat. I know, where are we going to put all this stuff? We then headed back to the main square where we picked up the shuttle back to the ship. On the shuttle we found that one of our English shipmates had been pickpocketed coming out of a shop. It was upsetting, of course, and they even chased after the guy, but he didn’t get much since our friend’s cash was in another pocket and the one credit card he did get he cancelled immediately. One of the locals helped him and they spent an hour or so in the police station . Honestly, we have never felt unsafe anywhere in South America, but we have been careful and avoided sketchy areas as well as dressing too touristy. This was just a reminder to be vigilant.

March 3, 2009

Just a quick note on today’s stop at Robinson Crusoe island. It rained most of the day and the sea was rough enough that they couldn’t tender us ashore. Not really a big loss, since there are only 700+ residents on the island, and there is not much to the town, although the terrain is quite striking. Yes, there really was a Scotsman named Alexander Selkirk who lived on the island alone for four years and four months until he was rescued. Daniel Defoe based his novel Robinson Crusoe on this man’s experience. Some of the residents did come on the ship to entertain us with music and even brought souvenirs. Thankfully nothing interested us except a couple of postcards, but the people dressed either as Alexander Selkirk or as pirates put on a cute show. And the lobster they served for lunch, caught by the fisherman on the island was about the best I have ever tasted.

We are now on rough seas for three days headed for Easter Island. Some people are on this segment just to see the island, so we are all holding positive thoughts about being able to get ashore when we arrive there. Our thoughts and prayers are with each of you who read this. We appreciate your love, prayers and support as well!