I thought I would start this post even though I don’t plan to publish it until after we visit Bora Bora.  I did a short walk about Papeete with Barbie, Joan and Pete.  It was hot and humid and since it is Sunday not much was open.   At the visitor center there were some venders and this band with a couple of Polynesian dancers. The highlight of the day was the folkloric show on the ship.  It was exceptional.  Sometimes the folkloric shows are mediocre but not this time.

Moorea is a new port for me.  I hope the weather will be a touch cooler and we can do a bus around the island or hire a taxi.

Moorea wasn’t any cooler at the pier but we took a tour of the island in an air conditioned bus.  There were five of us.  Fran, Nancy, Lynn, Joan and me. By the way, we each paid $40 and the same tour with HAL was $90.  I shot this photo of the island as we were coming into the bay.  Fran and Nancy are a couple of gals that I meet for happy hour up in the Crow’s nest. Lynn is the mother of Nancy who will be leaving in Aukland.  Her sister, Barbara, is boarding in Hong Kong for the rest of the cruise.  Fran is traveling with her mother and step father and will be on for the entire cruise. 

This island is one of the plushest and just beautiful and surprisingly it wasn’t that hot if you stayed in the shade.  However, as soon as we got back to the ship I ordered an ice cold beer to go with my lunch.  It was too hot to find a spot on the pier so the ship had to do.  I was so hot and thirsty that I believe an ordinary beer never tasted so good as that one.

Next to Bora Bora.  Fran and I walked around the little town area then took a taxi to the Southern part of the bay to Bloody Marys.  This place is a little like Senor Frog and some of the others like that.  I can’t remember the name of the one in Ensenada, Mexico.  Anyway we had a beer and took in the ambiance of the place.  The floor is sand which is  certainly quite unusual.  There were a few ant trails which we avoided..  It was too hot to sit at the bar but pleasant enough in the drinking area.

When we were leaving we spotted a van and asked if he had room for us which he assured us he did.  There is another character on the ship who I call the mad speed demon.  I will get a photo later and post it but I didn’t today as we had a run in with her.  She overheard the man say he had room and out loud she said he didn’t have enough room and they would be crowded.  I, of course, said that I really didn’t want to ride with them anyway and a taxi pulled up and it was our driver who had taken us to Bloody Marys.  We hopped in , she turned up the local artist on the radio and away we went back to the pier.

There are many people on skooters on the ship and most of them are very nice and considerate but some of them are not.  The worse one is the mad speed demon who with her mean look would just as soon mow you down.

I just moved back into my cabin and turned in my homeless shelter key.  It is good to be back home.  I was  only out of the cabin for two nights but there are a lot of inconveniences.  I  was dressing for the Mutiny on the Bounty formal and discovered the bra I had with me just was not going to work for my outfit.  Then with my bag over my shoulder I had to go to my cabin and get a different bra.  So I was back and forth getting what I needed including clothes.  It is a relief to be back home.  Another interpretation of Bag Lady.

The homeless shelter that I was in on the third deck was so small and the bed  was a king size which  takes up so much room.  I believe the  third deck cabin was at least 4 feet shorter and 2 feet less in width.  And, this is suppose to be a better cabin than my cabin.  It was refurbished and mine has not been refurbished yet.  Anyway, here is a photo of my cabin as it was being dried out.

The costumes for our pirate formal were quite elaborate.  This is Presty with two of my tablemates,  Susan and Elizabeth.

Our brilliant florist, Eddie and Calista, are still on board doing marvelous bouquets.  I went to a demonstration and these are the four bouquets they made at their presentation.

It was a shame that the Pitcairn Islanders could not board the ship. HAL decided to donate provisions to the Islanders since they were unable to make money selling their wares on the ship. 

Our next port is Papeete on Sunday.  There will be little to do since it is Sunday. But this is ok since I have been there before.  I am looking forward to Moorea and Bora Bora. 

So much to say and I don’t know where to begin.  So I think I will just start with Easter Island.  The captain did everything he could to get everyone to Easter Island by way of tenders.  The lines were very long and we decided to let the tours go and all of those who have never been there before.  So about l:00 we were ready to proceed when the captain announced no one else could go ashore.  The conditions had changed for the worse and he wanted to concentrate on everyone getting back on the ship.  Lots of disappointed passengers but as for me the captain made up my mind for me.  Fortunately about 650 people did get ashore before the captain shut things down.  Very slow because of conditions.

Peggy’s cabin flooded and she was displaced for a day or so but they did a marvelous job in righting the cabin so she is very happy.  However, little did I know that her condition was catchy.  I am now flooded out and I am typing this post in my temporary cabin.  Three cabins in a row were flooded with potable water (or so they say) and I won’t be able to move back until tomorrow.  My luggage that was stored under the bed was wet so they have sent it down for cleaning.  Other than that when the carpet is dry and furniture placed as before I will be returning.

The CSI party was last night and Tom and Deanne Bauman did get on ship from Easter Island via tender.  They saw the sea conditions and took one of the first tenders from shore to make sure they could get on the ship.  The party was fun as usual and it is incredible how many people one knows at these parties.

To answer your questions Don, I will tell Tom Mullen hello and Ellen B. is doing marvelous.  She seems very happy and is supporting a large engagement ring.  No date set as there are complications because of Nationalities.  I will try to locate your friends and say hello.

Tomorrow we were scheduled to have the long boat bring the residents of Pitcairn on board as usual but plans have changed.  About 60% of the residents have the hard flu (not just the noravirus).  The captain will not take a chance of that coming on board.  They will offload some supplies to go to Pitcairn  but that will be our only contact.

I am not going to download any photos as conditions are still iffy here in the middle of the Pacific.  I will download them later.

I started typing this post on Friday the day after the big St. Casey’s Day celebration.  Let me explain.  Casey Moran is usually only on for a segment and he is never here for St. Patrick’s Day.  It was then suggested that we needed a special day so that the Irish could be feted    Helen, a lady from Ireland also got special recognition.  I have known Casey since 2010 as we were seated together at the President’s table at the Westin Hotel during the CSI party.  That year Florida was freezing and sometime during the dinner Casey took off his jacket and placed it on my shoulders.  This photo is of Tom Mullen (one of our leaders) and Casey doing the Irish Jig. Casey is the shorter of the two. Great fun for all.

I mentioned that I would from time to time post some photos of local characters.  This man looks as if he is homeless.

I will not be able to post this  page until we have a better footprint.  At this time we have no internet connection.

A post or two ago I mentioned that the man named George was on this ship.  He was the one who I avoided  on the QE2.  Two nights ago I was headed toward my table and guess who was sitting there.  I turned around , found Presty and demanded a new table.  He, of course, knew nothing of the history and since we had room at our table  he had placed him there.  Apparently everyone who were seated with him had demanded to be moved, including one of the other ladies who also moved to my new table a couple of days before me.  I will keep you informed on this continuing drama.

The first day in Lima was a walkabout kind of day.  Very cool weather for Lima.  Tomorrow we will do the Indian Market on a tour.  I love the CSI tours because they are usually 9:00 or 10:00 unlike HAL’s tours that start at 7:00 or 8:00.  So tomorrow at 10:00 we head for the Indian Market.

One of the things I accomplished today was the purchase of a medication that I could not get through my insurance on a vacation over-ride.  I was two months short for the cruise.  I made sure I could get it in Hong Kong for about the same as it would cost me after insurance in the states.  I was able to save almost $60 by getting it in Peru.  Also, I don’t have to worry about getting it in the future.

Second day in Lima we did go to the Indian Market, a beautiful historical home and a very expensive shop that I walked out of quite speedily.  The Indian Market is always fun and  prices within reason.  Bought a couple of little items for easy packing.  This sofa sitting under the trees at the pricey shop was actually hollow and I am  not sure of the composition.  My friend Joan posed for the photo.

We had a Gaucho Barbecue last night up at the Lido deck.  The lamb chops right off the grill were fantastic.  I, of course, had to have  a Pisco Sour to go with the Barbecue dinner.  I then decide around 9:00 to make it an early night since I didn’t want to fight the crowds at a 9:30 show in the Queen’s Lounge.  So I was snuggling into bed with a book and someone knocks.  It was a supervisor in Housekeeping questioning if I was happy with the cabin.  I mentioned I was having a problem with water pressure and he said he would take care of it.  I fell asleep about 9:45 and at 10:05 I was awaken by the door opening and a man saying he was a plumber.  He spent 20 minutes fixing my problem while I remained half asleep in bed .  It was not exactly an emergency and I am still baffled by the timing.

Don, I asked around about Mildred and was told she is on board and before I finished this post I did see her.  She is also known as the Bird Lady.  In the past she would perform bird songs, trills and sounds at the passenger amateur show.

The first thing to greet us at the dock in General San Martin and probably the most photographed objects
was this port-o-potty with its door wide open.  A playful sea lion was also there to greet us but I didn’t have my camera handy as I was doing my mile plus around Deck 3.  General San Martin turned out to be a delightful village and I enjoyed a beer in an outdoor café.  I predict it will become the new Cabo San Lucas.  The resorts springing up all  over and the building is incredible.

From time to time I will be taking pictures of some of the ship characters.  We call this man the Monk for obvious reasons.  I have not seen him in any other garb but frankly  I may not recognize him if  he is wearing any other garb.

I thought I would get this post done now because I will be two days in Lima, Peru and I am sure I will have a lot to write.  I should even have photos.

Don, I have not seen Mildred this year and I recall her vividly.  I will ask around and see why she isn’t her.

The Black and  Silver Ball was a lot of fun.  A Captain makes a great deal of difference in the turnout of Officers and other Crew Members.  I have never seen such participation by the Officers in a ball.  I think I alone danced with six different guys and that has not been the case in the past.  It was great fun as everyone was in such a festive mood.

Yesterday I watched Seattle play miserably the first half and finally gave up as the fourth quarter started.  What happened?  When I heard the final score it was unbelievable based upon the poor performance in the first half.

I have been doing a lot of reading and when sea days start again I am going to get back into my gym routine.  I have been very lazy but I seem to just want to sit out on the deck..  Maybe I crave and need the sea air.


Grace, you do need to tell Mike about George’s presence on the ship.  I am sure he will remember my efforts to get him to stop stalking me.

I took the shuttle into Manta and did a walk about.  Not a great deal to see but many stalls were at the outdoor market area so I managed to pick up 3 scarves, a little box and a small Ecuadorian bag to carry from time to time when out and about.  I have been here before and had done the usual tourist  visits to a Panama hat factory, a vegetable ivory factory and took in all the highlights of both Quito and Manta.

When I returned all I wanted to do was sleep and then I got chills and achy so I ended up in bed and ate a bowl of soup for dinner in my room.  Obviously I had a fever and couldn’t get warm enough or sleep enough.  No nora virus, no cold and I have had my flu shot.  If I had to guess what went wrong I would say I got a touch of the hard flu but because I had the shot it only lasted one day.  I seem to feel fine today except my neck is tight so I am going to have a neck massage.  Probably from sleeping so much.

Fortunately, the weather was great as  we transverse the Panama Canal.  Little humidity and about 80 degrees.  I  walked 4 laps and did some reading outside but this is my 5th time through the canal so I wasn’t glued to the outside as I was my first and second time through.

A very quiet  day.  Trivia is no longer trivia.  I think Bruce (the cruise director) should call it “how can I stump every person in this room” game. 

Don, my cabin is on the port side.  I really don’t have a favorite because you never know which side will show the port or which side will be the noisiest.

This is a story for my friends from the QE2 but others will find it interesting.  I was walking toward the Fort Lauderdale airport carousel and I see a familiar face out of the corner of my eye.  The lady also caught my features out of the corner of her eye.  We turned toward each other and I yelled Leone? And she yelled Judi?  Yes, It was our “secret agent” from Australia.  We could not believe that we met each other like that.  It is a small world.  We had a nice chat albeit a short chat since we were headed to different  places.  She has not changed at all.

There is a man from the QE2 on board and I am hoping he does not recognize me.  Remember the New Jersey retired obnoxious attorney named George who followed me around for half of the cruise?   The one who was going to sue everyone?  Fortunately, every time I was with Mike (John Topping’s brother) and he was near  I would grab Mike’s arm  as if we were an item and finally George stopped following me.

Last night was the Captain’s  cocktail party which was a pretty standard occasion.  Champaign was served and then a crew member or officer joins your table.  Errol, the manager of the casino was our crew member and we, of course, were treated to free wine.  After dinner there was an excellent show.

 Instead of the usual Amsterdam dancers and singers they have hired a dance company and we will have two sets of dancers and singers during the cruise.  They were excellent.  True professionals and the vocalists were much better than the usual singers in this type of a performance.  I thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

I continue to see people I know and tonight I am having cocktails with Peggy in the Ocean Bar before dinner.  Last night I did have a couple of dances but I don’t seem to have the lung capacity for lively numbers but I will try again.  I will have to stick to the slow dances.

I was disappointed that we had a short time in Cartagena since the ship had to be lined up in the Panama Canal or we won’t get through.  That means that I wasn’t able to do my own walkabout in old town as I had planned.  You will recall I have been here before and took the usual tour.  So, I stayed at the port terminal and enjoyed all the birds.  It is mating season here and this male peacock was doing his best to entice the little female.

First Day at Sea

Hi everyone.  I am on board and my cabin is 2620.  At the last minute I received my new cabin from the upgrade fairy.  It is on the main deck midship.  I was very pleased with this development.

However, when there is a cabin change and you have marked your luggage with a different cabin number you do run into some temporary problems.  It was getting  late in the day and no luggage.  I finally walked down to the originally assigned cabin and three of my pieces of luggage were sitting by the door.  Two were the large pieces sent Fedex and one which I had with me at the hotel.  I grabbed that one and unpacked but still no luggage and no cabin boy so I could explain the situation.  I guess I must have looked bemused as a man started talking to me and I told him the situation and over my objections he went down to get the luggage.  I was afraid they would be too heavy.  No worry as he returned and said there were no pieces of luggage there. 

I finally got my luggage at 10:30 pm and worked until 1:30 am unpacking.  Of course, I ran out of hangers so the net morning I found my cabin steward and he brought me 40 more hangers and everything is in order at this time.

It has been a quiet day as everyone adjusts.  Fortunately there is another sea day tomorrow so we can further
unwind.  There are so many familiar faces and so much getting up to date on everyone’s lives.  I will go to cocktail hour tonight and start hearing more.   It is such a pleasure seeing so many old friends.  There are a few faces missing also but that happens at this stage of life.

Our first stop on Tuesday is Cartagena, Columbia and we will probably just take a taxi to old town.  I have been there a couple of times before. 

Stayed tuned as there will be lots more to come.  I have lots more already but I want to get at least this post to you.