SAILING THE SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN ON REGENT SEVEN SEAS VOYAGER
JANUARY 16, 2011 — HELLO FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Hello from cruise ship Regent Seven Seas Voyager. We are 835 miles S.W. of San Francisco. Hilo, Hawaii, is another 1200 miles, & 2 days ahead. This will be our first stop. Weather has begun to warm up, & was 64° F on deck this A.M. when I walked 14 laps (2 miles), to try to get back into shape.
Had an uneventful flight from Ottawa to Frisco, arriving on time. Met some cousins that I had not seen in quite some time. Over a sumptuous seafood dinner, had a great time reminiscing about old times.
The ship is providing great service & of course fabulous meals. It was surprising how many of the crew were recognized from previous trips, & we chatted about recent events since then. Have also met some very interesting people; Terry Waite (held prisoner in Lebanon), & Donna Scott, Head of the Canada Council.
Not much else to update, except I am finally beginning to recharge my batteries, & am feeling more rested than I have been for a long time.
JANUARY 21, 2011 — ALOHA FROM HAWAII
Arrived in Hilo, Hawaii on Jan 21st two hours early @ 7:00 A.M. Temperature today, 74° F. Typically, overcast with light trade winds. The town has not changed much since I was last here about 20 years ago. No new buildings were evident, & many shops along the waterfront were shuttered. The economy has been hard hit by the reduction in tourism, their main industry. What was unusual was the snow on Mounts Mauna Kea, & Mauna Loa (close to 14,000 feet), but snow was seen down to about the 4,000 foot level. The tour I took was called, Volcanoes National Park Odyssey. We drove around the 11 mile Crater Rim the circles Kilauea's summit caldera & craters. The Volcano is constantly active, but all we could see from the observation area were the large steam vents, as the lava was running to the Ocean through large lava tubes below the surface. The most interesting part of the tour was a walk through a rain forest path to & through the famous Thurston Lava Tube (unique to Hawaii). The Tube averaged about 7 - 8 feet in height & we were able to walk through it for about 200 yards. Of course it was formed by the molten lava when the volcano erupted about 12.8 million years ago to form the island. It was only discovered in 1913 & has fascinated visitors for decades. While some of the lava vents are visible today, we could not get close enough as there were warnings about the accumulation of sulfa gas, which is deadly if inhaled.
We sailed from Hilo at 7:00 P.M., in order for the ship to deviate to see a location where the lava was flowing into the Ocean. While we were able to see the red glow off in the distance, cloudy conditions hampered the viewing of the great amount of steam created by the 1,800 degree lava hitting the water.
We arrived in Honolulu yesterday morning to much warmer weather.(84° F). This is a much more vibrant city, with lots of “hustle & bustle”. Many new buildings are evident, & they even experience traffic jams. Since I had been here many times, I only took a 4 hour tour covering some highlights that I had not seen too often. Surprise, they hadn't changed! Nevertheless, I did enjoy the trip inside Diamond Head, the extinct Volcano towering over Waikiki Beach. From the inside you can see the bunkers at the top of the Rim, which were used as observation points during WW-II.Now it is a large park, & there are trails one can take to reach the top of the Rim. From Diamond Head, we travelled along the southern coast to Hanauma Bay. Our journey was slightly delayed when an elderly lady fell & hit her head on a small lava wall, enough of a cut to create concern. One of our guides called the lifeguards, who then arranged for the firemen, paramedics & ambulance to take her off to the Hospital. What was amazing about this was that the first response was in 3 minutes, with the fire & paramedics arriving in 5 minutes. For an isolated area it was truly impressive. Luckily, the lady was fully conscious, & only had to have her cuts treated, before being released back to the ship.
Next, we stopped at the isolated cove where they filmed the famous beach scene from “Here To Eternity” It hasn't changed one iota. Following this was Halona Point Blowhole, where seawater pushes through a volcanic vent & erupts into a large fountain. All along the coast are fantastic lookouts views where we stopped to take many pictures. Finally, after leaving the windward coast, we made a stop at the famous Mauna Loa Macadamia Factory, where I was able to sample some of the most delicious macadamia nuts that I have ever had. What was surprising was the great variety of flavours available. For me, the nicest was the Kona Coffee nut that just melted in your mouth.
The afternoon ended with a 2½ mile walk from the ship to the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Later, I took the bus back to the pier as the temp was in the mid 80’s. For anyone who has been here before, the 25 cent bus fare is now $2.50. You can still go around the Island for the one fare. Now they give you a transfer, which is good for 2 hours in any direction. So, people here learn to shop quickly.
Tonight we sail at 5:00 P.M. for Maui. I do not intend to take a tour, as the tour I was booked on, would have taken me to the Island of Lanai, one of Hawaii's most secluded Islands. Unfortunately, it was cancelled due to "operational" reasons. Instead, I will walk around the city of Lahaina, & perhaps take a beach stroll.
January 23, 2011 — MAUI & ON TO POLANYSIA
Lahaina, Maui. Spent the day walking around the town with Terry Waite, & did not go on any tours. The town of Lahaina is an old whaling town, & very much retains its character from the 1800's. There are lots of markets where local artists hawk their merchandise...paintings, wood carving & trinkets (many made in Japan/Indonesia). However, did manage to find a nice silk shirt that was not too loud. Unfortunately for Terry Waite, he couldn’t find a 5x shirt which he liked & would fit.
The weather continues to be perfect, with highs of about 80° F. We had a small change of schedule, passing by Christmas Island in favour of spending more time in Polanesia....which, actually is far more interesting.
The ship's crew continue to amaze with their great service, entertainment, & outstanding food. Thank goodness I am able to continue my lengthy walks every day on the outdoor track, & have managed to even loose a few pounds. The Captain is in constant communication with the passengers, letting us know when whales are sighted, news of interest, & current & future weather which fortunately has been excellent, along with relatively calm seas.
AT SEA, HEADING TO MOOREA, FRENCH POLANYSIA
Monday, January 24th
Since leaving Maui, the seas have been calm, with the sea temp about the same as the air temp –75-85 degrees. Tonight I received an invitation to sit at the Captain's table for dinner. How I get usually get invited is a complete mystery to me! Nevertheless, it was very enjoyable. I was the only person there who had not made at least three world trips on the Regent (usually 145 days, ending in England). I took the unusual step of proposing a toast to the Captain, not that it was a surprise to everyone, but it went over quite well, with a round of "clinking" glasses, & support from all in attendance at the table. I later made a copy for the Captain.
A TOAST TO CAPTIAN SCALA:
“May you have continued success; fair skies; following winds and, a crew that always follows directions no matter how softly you speak”
January 25th
Today we crossed the Equator. There was a lengthy ceremony of “Crossing the Line”. It is an initiation rite of many natives. It commemorates a sailor’s first crossing the Equator. Originally, the tradition was created as a test for seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates were capable of handling long, rough times at sea. Sailors who have already crossed the Equator are nicknamed “Shellbacks”, often referred to as Sons of Neptune; those who have not are nicknamed “Pollywogs”. After crossing the line, Pollywogs receive subpoenas to appear before King Neptune (performed by Terry Waite, all 6 foot 7 inches & well over 300 lbs.) & his Court, including his first assistant Davey Jones (the ships Cruise Director Jamie Logan), who acted as the “Prosecutor”, along with her Highness Amphritite. There were other dignitaries who were played by the highest ranking seamen who officiated at the ceremony. Once the ceremony was complete, a Pollywog received a certificate declaring their new status. Another rare status is the Golden shellback, a person who has crossed the equator at the 180th meridian, or as more commonly known as the International Date Line. This ceremony lasted over a couple of hours, with ship's band playing appropriate music & which I hopefully captured on my video camera. I might add that I have crossed this line about ten times, only a couple of times by sea, the rest by air & land (Africa).
January 26th
We are now about 680 miles from Moorea. It is “same old-same old” with the weather. I now have quite a dark tan, & am beginning to look like the native Polynesians. However, today is AUSTRALIA DAY, the official national day of Australia. It is celebrated annually on January 26, the day commemorating the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, the hoisting of the British flag there, & the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of New Holland. Australia Day is an official public holiday in every state & territory of Australia. Awards are announced, along with an address from the Prime Minister.
We have had only limited access to the internet, as the service in this part of the world does not generate much income from the overhead satellites, but there is suspicion that the ship’s server to the satellite gets overwhelmed by all the people trying to make a connection.
JANUARY 29, 2011 — UPDATE ON FRENCH POLANYSIA
Yesterday, at 7:00 A.M. we dropped anchor, & tendered onto Moorea. I took a bus tour around the triangular island, which is rather small at 38 miles. While it is beautiful, it looks like it is stuck in the 1800's. There is no city of any size, & the homes are largely open on all sides, due no doubt, to the constant temp around 80 degrees. The main industry here is tourism & pineapple. They have been hit very hard by the tremendous drop in tourists. This is another reason why it appears so run down. There is a coral reef surrounding the island, approximately ½ to ¾ of a mile from the shore. The crystal waters of the Lagoon have excellent snorkeling & diving. The most famous volcanic peak is Mouroa, better known as Michener’s “Bali Hai”. It would be fair to say that, if I was marooned there, it probably would only take a week or two for me to become “stir crazy”.
We set sail for Tahiti at 7:00 P.M., & docked in Papeete at 8:00 P.M. It is only about 12 miles across the Moon Bay. Tahiti is the largest of the 115 islands & atolls that comprise French Polynesia. Tahiti is really two islands in one. Tahiti-Nui, or "big Tahiti", is completely encircled by a road along its shore. At the southwest corner, is Tahiti-iti, or "little Tahiti", but this smaller island is only partially accessible by road. Our tour today took us around 'big Tahiti, It was a 4 hour tour of about 160 kilometers. Staring in the large port city of Papeete, we stopped at many interesting sites; from large waterfalls, beautiful gardens; surfing sites with huge waves, & even a loud, steam “blowhole”. This, as you can guess, was a much more interesting place to visit. Surprising, Papeete is not the largest city here; it is FAAA (pronounced F-Ah-Ah-Ah) with 28,000 residents (mostly upper class, & correspondingly, more expensive). After returning to the ship for lunch, I decided to go for a walk to the “market” in Papeete. They had everything there, from large King Mackerel, to Tuna, to all kinds of fruit, clothing, & trinkets for the tourists. However, it was much hotter in the afternoon, temp about 92° F, & very humid. I only went long enough to get some pictures, before returning to the ship to write this note.
Tomorrow, it is on to Bora Bora.
JANUARY 31, 2011 — BORA BORA, SOCIETY ISLANDS
We are now at sea, having sailed from Bora Bora, yesterday at 5:30 P.M. The day was spent with “Le Truck”, circling the 19 miles around the Island's only paved road, which was built by the Marines in World War II. With all the bumps, it probably has never been repaired since. Nevertheless, Bora Bra (originally named Pora Pora in the Tahitian language), was easily the most beautiful Island of all the Polynesian Islands. The waters within the Bay are a gorgeous, brilliant, light blue, which contrasts with the darker blue of the deeper waters. There are less than 9,000 residents, living mostly in simple houses with no windows or doors (not required). The major resorts have cottages built on stilts over the water, primarily on the ring of smaller atolls, surrounding the main island of Bora Bora An exception to this are two beautiful sea cottages built by Marlon Brando, right next door to Jack Nicholson’s.
As we continued on the bumpy road, you can still see the occasional rusty “pill box”, guarding the entrance through the coral reef. It was very interesting to see all the fruit growing wild around the Island. No one goes hungry here, even if they have no money. There are coconuts everywhere, along with a zillion types of fruit, such as bananas, papaya, melons, & of course bananas. If you get tired of this, fish are plentiful in the lagoon & easily caught. If someone has more food than they can eat, they pass it on to anyone who needs it, or they set up a roadside stand to sell or give away. In ths sense, it is a beach bum’s paradise.
The last stop on our tour, was “Bloody Mary’s Bar & Restaurant” Since it was Sunday, the pace was closed, but open for us to walk around to see the place where the Bloody Mary was invented. What is really unique, is the beach sand floor, & you can even check your shoes if you want to walk around in your bare feet. When open, you would be able to see many celebrities, but on this day you could only read from the very long list of movie stars & VIPs who have dined here. I photographed the list & is available after I return home.
One other interesting piece of trivia is that when someone dies, they do not have public cemeteries, so they are buried on their properties. However, should the survivors move, they are required to move the caskets with them. This also applies to any pets as well.
Anyone on the ship who was planning to celebrate their birthday on February 2, are in for a big surprise. That is the day we cross the International Date Line, so when we go to sleep on Feb 1, we wake up the next morning on February 3rd. Parties will be held on Feb 3, in lieu of Feb 2.
Of course, I will gain the 24 hours back when arriving home after 19 hours of flying on the same day as I leave Auckland, New Zealand
Next stop is Nuku’alofa, Tonga, on Feb. 4th. So far we continue to have had calm seas, light winds & no rain, despite that this time of the year is normally the rainy season in this part of the South Pacific.
FEBRUARY 04, 2011 — REPORT FROM TONGA
Nuku’alofa,(in the local language it means “place of Love”), Tonga, Friday @ 2:26 P.M. We are now 14 hours ahead of Ottawa time (EST).
Just returned from a tour of Tonga. Not too much to write about. We drove past the Royal Palace which was closed as the King was out of the country. We then drove to the Royal Tomb where Kings are buried on elevated platforms (so that they are neared to God). Next we stopped at Captain Cook’s Landing Place, & had some fresh fruit & drank from a freshly cut coconut. It was needed refreshment as the temperature hit 89° F., with well over 80 percent humidity. Felt like we were in a sauna. Our tour escort from the ship suggested in strong terms that we needed to head back to the ship, as no one could take the heat on the old bus whose version of air-conditioning was “open windows”. After French Polynesia, this place was pretty bland, & in need of much repair.
Took in a dinner & show a couple of nights ago at one on the specialty restaurants. The menu was “fixed” (no choice but a lot of variety of appetizers). Fortunately the only choice was the main entree–fish or beef. I had the fish, & it was delicious. Once stuffed, we went to an adjoining lounge & watched the “Rat Pack”. They were not too bad, but having seen the original with Frank, Sammy & Dean, it was a hard act to follow, although they did use some jokes from the original group.
Last night was the Captain’s reception for Regent titanium, platinum, & gold members There were 270 people in attendance ( everyone who had more than 75 days sailing with Regent. Terry Waite was the guest speaker, & provided more detail on his 5 year period of capture in Lebanon. Afterward, had dinner with an Ottawa couple, Norman & Carole, along wth the Cruise (Social) Director Jamie Logan & Dena, his Wife. It was a very nice evening.
Tomorrow night is the last formal. I had reservations at the specialty steak house, but when Terry Waite asked me to join him for dinner, I readily cancelled my reservation in order to enjoy his good company in the Compass Rose Restaurant (Main Dining Room).
Next stop is Bay of Islands, New Zealand, on Monday, Feb. 07, @ 8:00 A.M., We set sail @ 5:00 P.M., for my last stop, before heading home on Feb. 09. The ship will continue on the around the world cruise for another 120 days, with the possibility of a required deviation around Egypt, if necessary—at this point in time, who knows the future of the unrest there. The Suez Canal may be closed. & the ship will have to make a deviation.
FEBRUARY 06, 2011 — ABOUT 250 MILES TO BAY of ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
The end of my 25 day cruise is nearing the end. Tomorrow morning we land at the northern tip of New Zealand, called Bay of Islands. It is an historic country, as this is where the Maori’s fought & ate a number of Dutch explorers in the early 1800’s. After a morning tour, I will return to the ship to watch the Super Bowl. We lift anchor at 5:00 P.M. & arrive in Auckland early the next morning. Disembarkation is at 8:30 A.M., so between now & then I will no longer have access to e-mail. The weather continues to be fantastic, 75-80° F & fair seas. However, the Captain reported that it was 94° F in Auckland today. Hope it cools down a bit by Tuesday..
Just received a note from my daughter Alyse & granddaughter Kori, that they have arrived safely in Hong Kong for a four day stop before continuing on to Adelaide, Australia, where Kori will begin her 4 month semester in “Media” at the University of Adelaide as part of an exchange program with Ryerson University.
As this will be the last communication before I return home on Feb 10th, I would like to thank everyone who took time to drop me a note on the events going on in your neck of the woods. It is always nice to keep in touch with friends & relatives from "the other side of the world". I hope readers have enjoyed the “travelogue”, from my South Seas adventure.
KENNETH V. CHERNICK, OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA
kennethvchernick@aol.com