thefouramigosblog

Our 22 day Transpacific crossing ended with fond farewells to fellow travelers, our favorite waiters, Alroy and Yogesh, and our cabin attendant, Hospicia,  who dazzled us with her creative towel animals many nights.

We saw some great shows and had a lot of laughs with some of the off beat comedians.  One of our favorites was Strings Alive who had a fantastic fiddler.

Our departure morning I woke in the predawn hours as we were approaching the dock in Circular Quay.  As we approached, our balcony looked out at the Sydney Opera House.  It was incredibly beautiful with the reflections of the lights beaming on the water.

After I took these photos I went back to bed for another two hours.  When I awoke, the opera house was still right in front of my balcony.

 

It was time to leave our cabin which we had called home for over three weeks.  It was a very sad parting.

Now for a little information about arriving in Sydney.  We had read a lot about how customs searched luggage and if you didn’t report tobacco products or if you brought a weapon such as a diving knife,  they would confiscate it.  Bruce decided not to bring his diving knife with him because of that and Linda and Stan reported that they had a little over a carton of cigarettes.  We met with the border patrol on the boat two days prior to getting off the ship and I told them I had three cigars and Bruce said he had three.  The border patrol guy initialed our documents and that was it.  Linda and Stan had a “C” written on there documents.  When we got off the ship, we didn’t go through any detectors, we handed someone the documents and walked off.  They didn’t even look at our passports or stamp them.  It was the easiest process of any country we have gone into and we were told it was going to be difficult.  Unfortunately, Linda and Stan paid a lot of money they didn’t need to.  But now I want an Australia stamp on my passport!!

We found a nice cab driver who took us to our Airbnb.  We had to wait outside for a little bit until I could get in contact with the host.  It’s a lovely little place with a nice deck where we can sit and relax.

After we unpacked we went out for a walk to check out the neighborhood.  A block away we found a cute little coffe shop where we had smoothies and dessert.

For dinner we found a great little Thai restaurant.  We all had my favorite, Pad Thai. I am trying to eat less now that I am not on the ship.  So far I’m doing a little better.  At least no escargot every night.

We are staying in Bondi Junction, the burbs of Sydney.  Cool place.  Some of the buildings remind me of Brooklyn, some remind me of Charleston.  I guess you’d say it’s eclectic.  Love it!

Mystery Island willl remain a mystery to us.  Our anticipated arrival to Mystery Island was cancelled due an emergency evacuation of one of the passengers.  We were very disappointed since this was the one Island Bruce and I really wanted to visit and to snorkel around.  However, we both felt sympathy for the person who was ill and the people he was traveling with.  We did find out two days later that he was stabilized and doing well.

So we had to deal with another sea day. And what’s not to love about that!

We did have a nice time in Lifou where we were greeted by tribal singers and dancers after we disembarked the ship.  The captain of the explorer had come ashore and was honored a guest.  As we walked down the road we came across a thatched hut and were invited to look inside.  It was decorated with bright colors and had a fire pit in the center.

Along the same road was an old church.  Unfortunately it was not open to the public.

There were beautiful flowers along the way.

We hiked up a steep hill to another church.  This church was open.  It was a charming little church on top of a hill overlooking the Pacific.  A cool breeze blew through the sanctuary and made it an ideal place for quiet reflection.

The following day we made our last Pacific Island stop to Mare.  It was amazing.  We again were greeted with song by the islanders as we climbed off the tenders.

We had a bus ticket to take us to Yejele Beach which National Geographic named one of the top 5 beaches in the world.  It was a lovely beach with soft white sand, clear water and coral reefs.  Bruce and I had fun snorkeling although the water temp was only in the 70s.

Bruce was able to take some underwater photos with our new Nikon camera.

Driving back to catch the tender, the island’s beauty was everywhere.  It was a perfect South Pacific Island.

What a beautiful world we live in and how lucky I am to be a part of it!

 

Yesterday, Fiji left me feeling a little letdown by the aggressiveness of the people and the not overly impressive topography of the country.  So needless to say,  I wasn’t expecting much from our visit to Suva which was on the same island of Fiji, just the other side.  What I found was far more impressive and the people much warmer and welcoming.

We signed up for a tour put together by Cruise Critic and conducted by Moana Tours.   Our guide, Moses, was charming and very informative.

Our first stop on the Suva was the Presidential Palace and the changing of the guard.

We visited a local park.

Our next stop was a beautiful waterfall.  Unfortunately we didn’t have our bathing suits on so we didn’t take the plunge.

The highlight of the day was at Orchid Island which isn’t an island but was a cultural center and gardens.   The gardens were destroyed several tears ago when a Cat 5 hurricane came through the area.  The Fijians have been rebuilding the gardens and center and gave a wonderful performance.

There was a prayer lodge with carvings and an outside history museum reflecting Fijian culture.

We watched a performance of fireaters and walking on fire.

For the four amigos the adventure ended here.  We were ready to return to the ship for late afternoon coffee but several people stayed on to shop at the infamous “Jacks.”

Suva was a lovely place and I really would love to spend more time there but the ship was moving on –

It has been a crazy but fun filled three weeks traveling across the Pacific.  Unfortunately I wasn’t able to upload photos while on the ship so I’m sending the blog out now with highlights of the ship crossing.  We have seen lovely sunrises and sunsets.

On day 13 of our trip, we crossed the international dateline.  It was really strange because we went from Thursday to Saturday, virtually losing a day of our life.  Pretty weird.  There wasn’t any big “to do” on the ship unless I missed it.

On day 15 we finally made land again in Lautoka, Fiji.  We didn’t make any plans and thought we would hire a cab driver to take us to the thermal mud pools.  Our driver, Songe, was not the most personable character but when we got off the ship, it was like going through a gauntlet of aggressive sales people.  So we finally chose one just to stop being harassed.  Songe drove us around and showed us a few sites before taking us to the thermal mud pools.

The thermal mud pools are natural occurring and according to locals, US military utilized them during WWII.  We first coated ourselves in mud, then we stood in the sun to let it dry.  After the mud dried we went into the first thermal pool to get the majority of the mud off our bodies.

Our final bath was in a large swimming pool that was fed from the thermal spring.

The water temperature was warm but not scalding and none of us wanted to get out – it was like a warm tub.

Songe took us back to the ship and we enjoyed the scenery.  Unfortunately we didn’t get to see a beach today.

It was a fun day but overall I was not impressed with Fiji.

 

The internet hasn’t been cooperating so I haven sent out the blog for several days.  On Friday, we woke up to the breathtaking landscapes of Maui.  So much different then the island is Oahu, it has a rugged landscape and mountains with not a single high rise in sight.

After breakfast, Bruce and I made our way to the tender to go ashore.  Linda and Stan were feeling a little under the weather so they planned to head out a little later.  The port town was quaint.  It reminded us of any beach town in the US or Caribbean.  There was a Central Park where a huge banyan tree canopied the entire area.  It was quite amazing.  We went for a swim on a beach nearby.  The water was warm and it felt marvelous.

I would have loved to see more of Maui but we really had limited time.  The rainforest was over an hour away, too far with the time we had left.  We took the tender back to the ship and the seas were getting quite rough.  Unfortunately on the tender Bruce’s shoulder was reinjured.  He had X-rays taken yesterday and it looks broken again.

The sunset was lovely

 

I could barely sleep a wink last night in anticipation of arriving in Hawaii. I woke up before dawn because I had this brilliant idea that I would photograph the sun rising over Hawaii.  The only problem was, Hawaii was to our west and the sun was coming up in the east.  So no sunrise over Hawaii.  But it was great seeing land again and we watched the sun come up.

The Harbor was bustling with activity from large barges to small submarine type watercraft.  Linda was in Hawaii nearly 50 years ago and was amazed at all the changes.  From the pier, I was hard pressed to see this place as a tropical oasis.  It had more the grit of any mainland urban area with the exception of the aqua blue waters.

We ate breakfast in the dining room this morning which was far better for my waistline.  I ordered pancakes, which were about the size of a DVD and they only gave me two.  I also had a half a grapefruit and a tiny pastry.

I’m not much for the ship’s shore excursions.  I had booked tickets to tour the Arizona at the Pearl Harbor War Museum back in August and our scheduled time was at 2:30.  We had plenty of time to kill so we hopped the city bus and headed to Waikiki.

Waikiki was not exactly what I expected.  The water at the beach was beautiful but the avenue was lined with high rises and the streets were crowded with tourists.  I was glad I went to see it but it would not be my idea of a vacation spot.

After a brief walk on the sand, we stopped at a Kona coffee shop for coffee and cake. I had a pumpkin latte and a pumpkin scone.

We needed sustenance for our 1-1/2 hour bus ride to the Arizona tour.  Thank goodness we had plenty of time because that was a really long bus trip through some very colorful neighborhoods on the island.

My father was a WW II Navy veteran who served in the South Pacific.  I think that is why I always wanted to visit the Memorial dedicated to the men who died but also to the men who served.

We spent an hour or two wandering around the Pearl Harbor Visitor Centerprior to our tour of the Arizona.  The history of the attack on Pearl Harbor is detailed on plaques around the park as well as 24 minute film presented prior to boarding the launch to take us to the Arizona.

The USS Arizona Memorial is the resting place of 1,102 sailors and marines who died on December 7, 1941.  The Memorial was designed by Alfred Preis, an Austrian immigrant, who had been a detainee during WWII.  The structure has two peaks, connected by a sag in the midsection.

The Memorial was erected above the submerged USS Arizona, which you can see parts of from the side windows and an opening in its floor above the sunken decks.

This was a memorable experience and although it was 76 years ago, it was a time that should not be forgotten.

Our day ended with a soak in the hot tub, a delicious dinner and me writing this blog while everyone sleeps!

We have been cruising six days and the four of us finally started relaxing.  After the whirlwind trip in Washington State, we all needed some down time but there was always so much fun stuff to do.  Day six we finally chilled out.  We did our usual gym in the morning then headed up to the Windjammer for breakfast.  I’ve decided I need to eat a little healthier because my clothes are getting tight.

I can tell we are traveling south.  Everyday the temperature has risen by a few degrees even when the sun is hidden behind the clouds.  We’ve been enjoying the hot tubs but I heard the pools were quite chilly.

Traveling on a cruise ship is very interesting.  We’ve met people from all over the United States, Canadians, Australians, Japanese, Chinese and several Europeans.   I’m not much into karaoke but there are lots of karaoke contests as well as trivia contests going on around the ship.  Linda and I signed up for several seminars, all different names, but they were the same seminar.  Sort of like an infomercial on steroids.

Today Linda and I went to a stretch and release class.  That was actually very good with the exception that they tried to sell us something at the end.  If I have any objection about cruising, it’s the constant selling of services, goods or whatever.  I must turn down the punch card for alcoholic drinks at least three times a day.

Dinner tonight was excellent.  I keep meaning to take a picture of the escargot but my desire to eat it overrides my desire to photograph it.  Maybe tomorrow!

The ship is quite stunning with its glass, chrome and gold decor.  The workers are continually cleaning, shining and taking excellent care of the ship, while other employees work hard to please the guests.

Tomorrow we land in Honolulu.  We plan to go to the Pearl Harbor Museum and out to the Arizona.  It should be an interesting and informative day.

 

 

When you think of cruises you think food.  From the buffet to the main dining room to all the specialty dining venues if you choose to pay more, eating can become a full time habit.  So after three days of indulging in three meals a day, we decided to forego our midday meal.

We began the day with morning coffee delivered to our cabin and a banana for some energy.  Then we headed to the gym for a morning workout.  I put a little more energy into today’s workout, finally getting into the groove.  The gym is a lovely place on the bow of the boat.  It’s wonderful to workout and look out across the vast sea.

We had breakfast at the Windjammer where I had a fresh made omelet, English muffin and some fruit.  Our table was set against the backdrop of the dark blue ocean waters, where the sun filtered in through the panoramic windows.

In the early afternoon I took a nap.  I never usually take naps but I am learning how to take life a little easier.  Therefore a nap!  We met up with Linda and Stan for a 4:00 ice skating show that was really quite good.  The performers were all top quality skaters and someone told me that Royal Caribbean hires Olympic skaters.

Our dinner was excellent.  I had escargot again and a Thai shrimp dish.  It was delicious.  We ended the evening with a late night show.  It was a really funny comedian named Chris Bliss, who had us all laughing.  It’s been a fun day and I didn’t overindulge in food, worked out at the gym and had over 10,000 steps for the day.

Today was our third day on the ship and our second full day at sea.  The seas were noticeably calmer this morning as I and many others no longer needed to hold on to railings as the ship pitched and rolled.  In the dining room, faces were perkier and a little less green.

Linda, Stan, Bruce and I headed to the gym at 9 am.  It was packed full of sweaty middle to elderly aged individuals trying to turn back the hands of time.  We were still able to get in a fairly good workout although we took it relatively easy so we would be able to go to the gym tomorrow.

Sitting outside by the pool afterward, I could tell it was about 10 degrees warmer.  People were in short sleeved shirts and some were going in the outside jacuzzis.  I am looking forward to balmier weather when I can bring out my shorts and tank tops.

I went to my first art auction today.  Linda and Stan left early and Bruce would have, but he was humoring me.  I even bid on a painting and bought one.  Of course it was one of the real bargains.

Linda, Bruce and I had coffee with some friends in the late afternoon and explored other parts of the ship.  We found Dizzy’s Lounge named after Dizzy Gillespie, the famous jazz musician.

For dinner, I had escargot for an appetizer, crab cakes and a New York strip steak.  It was delicious.  Our waiters were fabulous.

After dinner we went to a late show with singing and dancing.  I loved it but I think Stan fell asleep.