The Marquesa's

Nuku Hiva March 28 --Our last port of call for this adventure provided an interesting panorama of terrain consisting of high peaks, valleys and spectacular contrasts. Ashore, we were greeted by native dancers who welcomed us and of course, friendly shop keepers who elicited our interest in their displayed wares.

Ken, Don and Linda took a two hour excursion over hill and dale for an over view of the island and the views of the bays below. The SURVIVOR television series filmed it's Marquesa series near Anaho, which is located on the other side of the island from our port of embarkation.

This island seemed a fitting memory to a trip that has provided a dramatic reminder of the versatility, beauty and culture of the South Pacific.

In the coming days, I plan to compose a summary of our trip with pictures and first hand observations of our adventure. Undoubtedly, it will be opinionated, somewhat self serving and maybe a little enlightened.

Rangiroa

March 26 - Rangiroa -- Supposedly. The 4th largest atoll in the world. Ken, Don and Linda enjoyed the morning ashore, while I watched from the deck and enjoyed my book. Not a lot to share as to beauty and unusual traits. There were no mountains, bit there was an airport, several churches and lots of dolphins. Ken, Don and Linda did a brief tour of the island and took the ferry to the other side of the island that wraps itself around the bay. I did not have the impression that I had missed anything of great importance.

Getting into the bay required a bit of skill by the Captain and his crew but once inside the bay, it was very comfortable tendering ashore. Our friend Bill says that after awhile, you begin to feel that "if you have seen one island, you've seen 'em all". We have loved the diversity, enjoyed the beauty and basked in the friendliness but an atoll is an atoll.

We have a day at sea before our last port of call on Tuesday and then, it is sea days until we arrive back inSan Diego.

Day 21 MOOREA

Moorea March 25. As most of our family and extended family know, Ken Is in heaven when he is on the sea. Thus, it will come as no surprise to most of you that our ingress and egress around these islands and into port has been carefully monitored and closely supervised by Ken in his self appointed position as "Captain at large". Thus, he has been available and on deck for our early morning port arrivals and, of course, provides me with his candid summation of what I can expect when I view the port of the day. Our arrival at Moorea received one of his most enthusiastic declarations for it's scenic beauty and charm. By now, I have become almost immune to the beauty of these islands which I am sure reflects a callous and lacking character. Please don't tell anyone.

Don and Linda booked a dolphin tour and though sightings were not promised, they enjoyed a wonderful day of viewing the dolphins and were not disappointed. They seemed to find their guide informative in his role of researcher and dedicated in his commitment to the study of dolphins and whales. He sounded a bit "full of himself" but I think they found him knowledgable.

Ken and I elected to do a jeep tour of the interior which included pineapple plantations, dirt roads, drive through streams, hills, valleys and awesome views of the beautiful bays below. Our destination was the Belvedere lookout which provided a wonderful view of the two lagoons that are unique to Moorea. As we made our way back down the mountain, we stopped at a a religious site for a brief encounter with the legends of the Polynesian culture. Back among civilization We stpped at a local establishment for a first hand view of the pollination of the vanilla bean and given a garden tour of the flowers and plants of the island. Moorea is a charming island of refreshing beauty, that seems to extend a friendly welcome to visitors to their island. Our guide, a young man in his 20's (I am guessing) was interesting and courteous worthy of the tips that he received from his "customer base".

Our next destination is another atoll, Rangiroa. I will give you an update on that stop tomorrow.

Another day another island

March 23 -- Papeete Tahiti. When we awakened this morning a bustling city greeted us with all of the sights and sounds of home. This is a busy port, a commercial center and the most populated of the islands that we have visited.

Breakfast completed, we disembarked the ship, arranged a two hour tour of the West side of the Island with a lady who billed herself as "home grown". She was delightful, knowledgable and effective in her presentation, spoke good English and gave us good background on life in Tahiti.

We visited a site overlooking the coast where several memorials dating back to the early days of Tahiti's discovery by explorers has been erected, then on to the blowhole and ended our scenic drive at an awesome waterfall. We returned to the ship and after lunch Ken and Don departed for the other marina via public transportation where they got to know the natives who assisted them in finding their way. In spite of a language barrier. Once at the marina, they visited the dock, talked with visiting cruisers and shared stories at the yacht club. Both Ken and Don returned to the ship satisfied with their adventures and their brief stint as visiting celebrities.

While the menfolk cavorted with the yachting crowd, Linda and I tried shopping t the marketplace but our efforts went largely uncommitted. Finally, we gave up, returned to the ship and enjoyed solace on the verandah.

The day was capped off with entertainment aboard ship by local dancers that was superb.

Our next stop is Moorea, a mere three hour sail from Papeete.

BORA BORA

Thursday, March 22 Bora Bora. A beautiful island but Michener might have been over zealous in his "most beautiful in the World" hype. Perhaps he had missed an island or two? Nevertheless, the island scene reflects a lifestyle that most of us have never experienced. It is one that we can envy if it appeals to us or if it is one incompatible with our drumbeat ignore. For some, these islands are beautiful, beckoning and mystical. For others, they are beautiful but lonely, sad and lacking interest or desirability. For sure, if one is a city person, this may not be your dream. Different strokes for different folks .

Don and Linda did a water tour of the island which included an off shore view of island highlights, snorkeling and an opportunity to get up close and personal with the resident sting rays which they enjoyed. Ken and I did a "round the island" tour that provided us with a first hand viewing and native commentary of the the lifestyle, beauty and commerce that provides the foundation to the residents' happiness, or lack thereof.

It has been our tendency to compare the island charm of the South Pacific to our experiences and observations in the Caribbean. Off hand, it seems to me that the natives here seem more self sufficient and, perhaps, more comfortable in their lifestyle. However, that is my observation and certainly not representative of any higher authority. A consensus seems to reflect a laid back lifestyle akin to lazy but that is not a personal observation.

Our next stop is Papeete Tahiti where Ken has already signaled his interest in visiting the marina where real sailors and cruisers frequent. Given a choice, there is no doubt that he would have loved to sail around the earth and share glimmers of his charm. Since he was deprived of that experience, he must be happy with sharing refreshments and hearing stories of the adventures of others. I'll give you a report when next I take to the web.

In the interim, know that we are enjoying the South Pacific and the casual lifestyle as we see it.

Fwd: Wednesday Raiatea French Polynesia

Begin forwarded message:

From: Ken Burns <knpburns@yahoo.com>
Date: March 22, 2012 12:53:42 PM PDT
To: Pats Gazette <epochref.patsgazette@blogger.com>
Subject: Wednesday Raiatea French Polynesia

Wednesday March21 Raiatea -- Society Islands -- French Polynesia
A little background from the onboard blurb.  Raiatea, the second largest island in French Polynesia, is located 120 miles northwest of Tahiti. Tahitians believe Raiatea to be the sacred birthplace of their gods and their religious and cultural beginnings.  

Don, Linda, Ken and I opted for a river tour up  the Faaroa River, the only navigable river in French Polynesia and a visit at Marae Taputaputea, said to be the best  preserved  and most sacred site of pre-missionary Polynesia.  

Our ship docked at Uturoa, a quaint little village that  reflected Polynesian friendliness and extended welcome to our ship and the inhabitants aboard.  The  Captain of our skiff was a handsome young man who looked to be in his mid to late 20s.  He expressed pride in phis adopted homeland.  He was born in Australia, lived in South Africa until he was 13 when he moved with his family to French Polynesia.  

Our departure from Raiatea as we Wound our way throughthe bay leading to our destination,the lagoon off Bora Bora was some of the most scenic and picturesque of my travel experience. These islands are awesome in their lush beauty that portrays a happy simple life in tune with nature and it's neighbors.

On to Bora Bora, the island that Michener deemed the World's most beautiful island.

Tuesday rom the sea

Yesterday (Monday March 19) was (Rarotonga) our Southernmost stop for this adventure. Access was via tender and the seas were rolly. After watching the loading process, I concluded that it was in my best interests to stay aboard and enjoy the island vicariously through the eyes of my fellow adventurers. From my sources I have concluded that the Island lifestyle is simple but comfortable, the average weekly pay is $350.00 per week and an average for a 60 year lease on a home $180,000. Apparently that purchase is a shared cost among family members and presumably, income is pooled to establish criteria for affordability.

My sources assure me that the island was lush in vegetation with lots of fruits, vegetables etc to support the dietary requirements of the population. Idyllic white sand beaches prevailed and of course, Ken would have liked to stay longer to experience the Island lifestyle.
Yet another Island beckons for the morrow and it is not a tender docking so perhaps I, too, will venture ashore to experience the sights, sounds and culture of these lovely South Pacific islands.

On a very sad note, we learned this week of the sudden death of our friend Bob Gersten. We met Bob and Marvis in 2000 in Amsterdam enroute to Barcelona for a cruise. We knew Bob as a good friend, devoted husband and loving father. We are at a loss for words to express our personal sense of loss. Our heart goes out to Marvis, Joe and Gila as they adapt to a life absent the love, guidance and principled goodness of a caring and loving husband and father. We, too,will miss our friend.

Fwd: Thursday March 16-19 at sea

>

> We were advised by those who should know (ships paper) that Wednesday March 15 would be a non event and to accomplish this we should just turn our clocks up an extra 24 hours. This we did and thus,we went to sleep March 14 and woke up March 16. All of this has something to do with crossing the International dateline but, I confess it is all above my pay grade.
>
> Our stop on Kauai was too short but a quick drive to Hannalei included a lunch stop at Bubbas amid sporadic rain drops. A stop at Walmart provided an opportunity for shopping for a contribution to the Fanning Island gifts from the ships crew and passengers. Fanning Island is our next stop which is supposed to be exceedingly poor. More about that after our visit.
>
> Our days at sea are occupied with reading, pool and/or jacuzzi, preview presentations of coming attractions and, guess what, eating and sleeping. The weather has been coolish, cloudy and somewhat lacking in smooth mobility but we are surviving under the watchful eyes of a dedicated crew.
>
> All is well and as long as we don't lose too many more days to the dateline good fairy, we will prevail.

Ken, Don and Linda enjoyed a stop at Fanning Island while I stayed aboard and basked in the warm sun. Fanning Island is (according to Ken) an atoll created from a deceased volcano overcome by coral and reduced to floral. That's my version of the creation of Fanning Island truth or fiction.

After a preview presentation of the Island's amenities it seemed pretty evident that all were in agreement that the local facilities would not meet my sometimes crises requirements. Ken even went so far as to suggest that there was no palm tree large enough to hide me in the event of a sudden bathroom urge.

Reports from all who went ashore were positive though the lifestyle sounded very simplistic. The primary bathroom facility was the lagoon and ship's guests were advised not to swim there. Natives were friendly and from all accounts, appreciative of the 3 or 4 stops of visiting ships each year. Guests from the ship made a Walmart stop for items to leave for the school children and the ship's arrival provided a school holiday for the kids.

Our next adventure of sorts was an emergency medical evacuation at Christmas Island. Of course, Ken and Don stayed up to watch the evacuation process. They were somewhat surprised to see the lady loaded onto an outrigger canoe and transported to shore sometime after midnight with only a flashlight as a navigational light. Needless to say, we all gave appropriate hail Mary's that it was not us.

Christmas Island apparently could accommodate air transport and Fanning Island could not. We were not apprised of the nature of the emergency but suffice to say, it seems reasonable to assume that it was a crises situation and one that everyone prefers not to encounter.

Saturday we celebrated our crossing of the equator with appropriate events officiated by King Neptune. There you have it. Life aboard ship in the South Pacific.

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Sunday Honolulu

Cloudy, warm with enough sunshine to pacify the aches and pains of aging.

Yesterday at Maui we drove to the
Southwestern town of Hana. I had been there before but my mind had simply chosen to forget the curves and twists that are most memorable. I am willing to acknowledge the scenic lush beauty of the landscape but it is a long drive that makes California's highway 1 seem like a Straight road. I have promised Ken that I have made my last trip to Hana! Now to remember my aversion to the road, the curves and the wash outs (the islands have endured an excess of rain recently) and stick to my guns!
Today Ken and I visited the Pearl Harbor Memorial for an emotional reminder of another period in our history. We had a fantastic tour dirctor who did a wonderful job of reminding us of the cultural history of Oahu and shared many memorablet tidbits of Island life.
Don and Linda spent the day in the vicinity of Waikiki and enjoyed their day free of the " old. Folks".
There you have it for our first week "on the high seas".

Saturday March 10, 2012 Lahaina,Maui

Our stopover in Hilo was too short but enjoyable. We rented a car for a drive to the volcano, had lunch in the outback and enjoyed the lush green island. Back aboard, dinner and entertainment completed our day. On to our next port which will be a tendering experience.

All is well as we continue to enjoy smooth seas, good food,outstanding entertainment and the pampering of a dedicated staff.

If it is Friday it must be Hilo

Our drive to San Diego was uneventful and boarding the ship smooth. Our evening was a combination of watching the ship glide safely down San DieGO Bay and open air dinner on deck.

Monday morning brought the reality of my need for an attitude adjustment as I confronted my usual first day of tummy melancholy and discomfort on the high seas. Sometimes known as sea sickness. By evening I had recovered sufficiently to rejoin the human race. It is good that I have a short memory span and tend to forget the minor inconveniences of sea sickness.

Tuesday was another day of high sea follies capped by our first formal evening and welcome aboard toast by the captain. Air refreshingly cool with longer sleeves not signature over dressed.

Wednesday morning brought a hint of warmer climes amid some warnings of possible bad weather as we approach our first stop on the big island. As the day progressed the weather appeared to be clearing, giving hope that landfall could be pleasant.

Thursday dawned in a mixture of blue skies, thunderheads and temperatures ascending. After four days at sea the anticipation of landfall incites enthusiasm as we near Hilo.

The four of us are doing well, enjoying the food aboard and basking in the comfort of attention and comfort.

If it is Friday it must be Hilo HI

Our drive to San Diego was uneventful and boarding the ship smooth. Our evening was a combination of watching the ship glide safely down San DieGO Bay and open air dinner on deck.

Monday morning brought the reality of my need for an attitude adjustment as I confronted my usual first day of tummy melancholy and discomfort on the high seas. Sometimes known as sea sickness. By evening I had recovered sufficiently to rejoin the human race. It is good that I have a short memory span and tend to forget the minor inconveniences of sea sickness.

Tuesday was another day of high sea follies capped by our first formal evening and welcome aboard toast by the captain. Air refreshingly cool with longer sleeves not signature over dressed.

Wednesday morning brought a hint of warmer climes amid some warnings of possible bad weather as we approach our first stop on the big island. As the day progressed the weather appeared to be clearing, giving hope that landfall could be pleasant.

Thursday dawned in a mixture of blue skies, thunderheads and temperatures ascending. After four days at sea the anticipation of landfall incites enthusiasm as we near Hilo.

The four of us are doing well, enjoying the food aboard and basking in the comfort of attention and comfort.

KEN, PAT, DON AND LINDA BURNS

30-DAY CIRCLE HAWAII, TAHITI AND MARQUESAS ISLANDS on ms Rotterdam

	Departure	Arrival
	San Diego, California, US on March 04, 2012	San Diego, California, US on April 03, 2012

Date		Port/City	Time
Mar 04		San Diego, California, US	5:00 PM		Ship Departs
Mar 05		At Sea
Mar 06		At Sea
Mar 07		At Sea
Mar 08		At Sea
Mar 09		Hilo, Hawaii, US	11:00 AM		Ship Arrives
			8:00 PM		Ship Departs
Mar 10		Lahaina, Hawaii, US	8:00 AM		Ship Arrives
			11:00 PM		Ship Departs
Mar 11		Honolulu, Hawaii, US	8:00 AM		Ship Arrives
			11:00 PM		Ship Departs
Mar 12		Nawiliwili Kauai, Hawaii, US	8:00 AM		Ship Arrives
			5:00 PM		Ship Departs
Mar 13		At Sea
Mar 14		Cross International Dateline
Mar 16		Fanning Island, Kiribati	8:00 AM		Ship Arrives
			5:00 PM		Ship Departs
Mar 17		At Sea
Mar 17		Crossing the Equator
Mar 17		Cross International Dateline
Mar 18		At Sea
Mar 19		Rarotonga, Cook Islands	8:00 AM		Ship Arrives
			5:00 PM		Ship Departs
Mar 20		At Sea
Mar 21		Raiatea, French Polynesia	8:00 AM		Ship Arrives
			5:00 PM		Ship Departs
Mar 22		Bora Bora, French Polynesia	8:00 AM		Ship Arrives
			5:00 PM		Ship Departs
Mar 23		Papeete, French Polynesia	8:00 AM		Ship Arrives
Mar 24		Papeete, French Polynesia	5:00 AM		Ship Departs
Mar 24		Moorea, French Polynesia	8:00 AM		Ship Arrives
			5:00 PM		Ship Departs
Mar 25		Rangiroa, French Polynesia	8:00 AM		Ship Arrives
			5:00 PM		Ship Departs
Mar 26		At Sea
Mar 27		Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia	8:00 AM		Ship Arrives
			5:00 PM		Ship Departs
Mar 28		At Sea
Mar 29		Crossing the Equator
Mar 30		At Sea
Mar 31		At Sea
Apr 01		At Sea
Apr 02		At Sea
Apr 03		San Diego, California, US	7:00 AM		Ship Arrives