Hello everyone!!! Hope all is well. Things here on the ship are going smoothly and we are continuing our journey through the South Pacific heading towards Australia and New Zealand. This last week has been amazing. We stopped at 3 different ports and crossed the International Date Line last night. Many things have happened so here it goes…Enjoy!!!
I believe I ended my last blog with our stop in Bora Bora. After leaving there we stopped at the small port of Raiatea, which was our last stop in French Polynesia. The day was cloudy and rainy. There is not too much to do and I had to stay on the ship for IPM. I was able to get off for a couple minutes to look around the immediate area outside the ship. Not much is there besides some small shopping malls and supermarkets. The one highlight I found was a small 2 level structure with the lower level resembling a farmers market. You could purchase fresh vegetables and fruits. The top level had local artists selling such wares as jewelry, clothing, and artwork. The one item down here which everyone sells is black pearls. They come in everything from earrings, necklaces, rings and you can also buy them in the loose form. They are priced everywhere from super cheap to super expensive. They are beautiful though. After about 20 minutes I headed back onto the ship after stopping and chatting with some guests. Now…let’s get to the fun stuff.
The next port we stopped at is in my top two favorite ports…next to Bora Bora. The name of the island is Rarotonga (Avarua), part of the Cook Islands, named after the famous Captain James Cook who first chartered the islands in 1770. The Cook Islands is a collection of 15 small islands spread across 768,800 sq. miles (2,000,000 sq km) that are located in between Figi and Tahiti and is about a 3 hour flight from New Zealand. Rarotonga is the capital of the islands and this is where the main government center sits. The island is under New Zealand and follows the British form of Government. I had never heard of this island and I fell in love with it as soon as we got here. Like I said the island is under New Zealand rule and everyone who resides here holds a New Zealand passport. This means a couple things. Unlike the French Polynesian islands (Bora Bora, Tahiti, Moorea, etc) this island is English speaking, a lot les
I believe I ended my last blog with our stop in Bora Bora. After leaving there we stopped at the small port of Raiatea, which was our last stop in French Polynesia. The day was cloudy and rainy. There is not too much to do and I had to stay on the ship for IPM. I was able to get off for a couple minutes to look around the immediate area outside the ship. Not much is there besides some small shopping malls and supermarkets. The one highlight I found was a small 2 level structure with the lower level resembling a farmers market. You could purchase fresh vegetables and fruits. The top level had local artists selling such wares as jewelry, clothing, and artwork. The one item down here which everyone sells is black pearls. They come in everything from earrings, necklaces, rings and you can also buy them in the loose form. They are priced everywhere from super cheap to super expensive. They are beautiful though. After about 20 minutes I headed back onto the ship after stopping and chatting with some guests. Now…let’s get to the fun stuff.
The next port we stopped at is in my top two favorite ports…next to Bora Bora. The name of the island is Rarotonga (Avarua), part of the Cook Islands, named after the famous Captain James Cook who first chartered the islands in 1770. The Cook Islands is a collection of 15 small islands spread across 768,800 sq. miles (2,000,000 sq km) that are located in between Figi and Tahiti and is about a 3 hour flight from New Zealand. Rarotonga is the capital of the islands and this is where the main government center sits. The island is under New Zealand and follows the British form of Government. I had never heard of this island and I fell in love with it as soon as we got here. Like I said the island is under New Zealand rule and everyone who resides here holds a New Zealand passport. This means a couple things. Unlike the French Polynesian islands (Bora Bora, Tahiti, Moorea, etc) this island is English speaking, a lot les
s expensive and super friendly. The island is full of activities, restaurants, resorts and beaches to play on. Our group rented a taxi and took a tour of the island which ended at Muri Beach, which is the location all the crew and passengers went too. The island is gorgeous. The island is made up of huge lush rainforest canopies and jagged mountains on the interior sliding down to the water, which is crystal clear. The immediate perimeter of the island all the way around has a shallow reef which allows awesome snorkeling and some Scuba diving. Around Muri beach there are a series of 4 smaller islands which are easily accessible by canoe, boat, swimming or simply walking across to them. The water was actually pretty chilly for this area of the world. Outside this area huge waves crash down onto the reefs. This day we spent lying in the sun. Matt (our main male singer) and I walked across to the small island of Oneroa, finding some interesting coral which is everywhere and taking some pretty cool pictures. I will have some of the pictures from this port up soon on Facebook so please take a look. My obsession with island dogs continued here as we had a couple of them come to play. The main one, “Leo,” as stated on his collar, decided he should stay with us and spent the whole afternoon sleeping next to our group and playing fetch. NOTE: I have decided to do an additional photo album on just the dogs of these islands because we come across at least one in every port. I look forward to returning to this island someday and if you can make it to this island, I recommend it. The other 14 islands near Rarotonga are easily accessible and should be visited when coming to Rarotonga. Each island has their unique feel and style. 
The next island we got to stop at was Pago Pago, American Samoa. As most of you know if you have been paying attention to the news lately, this island was recently rocked by a huge earthquake and following tsunami, which caused a lot of damage and many casualties. We were unsure if we were even going to stop at this port, but I’m glad we did. Not only did we not know exactly what we were going to do and see, we had no idea what was in store for us. American Samoa itself is the largest of five islands located just east of the Intl. Date Line sitting approximately 1,800 miles northeast of New Zealand. The islands all together stretch about 300 miles in length. There are two distinct parts of the island chain, America Samoa which is the only territory of the United States south of the equator and Samoa (previously called Western Samoa) to the West. Being a territory of the U.S. made this island simple to visit. They speak English as well as their native language, use U.S. currency, and have fast food restaurants such as McDonalds, KFC and Carl’s Jr. / Green Burrito. Actually, one of the biggest incentives being part of the U.S. is the aid they receive during a natural disaster such as the recent events. Upon arriving to the port a group of about 7 of us rented a local bus to ferry us around the island. Unbeknown to us at this time was the approaching fun we would have with our driver Joe, and his buddy, also named Joe. Now these two were awesome. The driver, Joe, looked just like you would think a true Samoan would look like...can you say “Big Boy?” Joe the assistant was not as big but sat in the back of the bus with us and offered facts about the island and pointed out landmarks. The first half of the day we had regular ship passengers on the bus with us so the both Joes could not get too crazy…of things to come. We started out the day driving to the other side of the island making stops at different places to take pictures. The island itself is gorgeous and made up of again, lush greens mountains and rainforest. One landmark is named “Rainmaker Mountain.” From the ground the mountain looks like a face looking up towards the sky. The one thing we all noticed about the people of the island is that they are super friendly. Joe, our driver, I shall call him “Big Joe” from now on, would honk as he passed different people along side the road and they would yell and wave back at us, each person having smiles on their faces. This was universal and it was so nice to see.
One main stop we made and the one that affected us was where the recent Tsunami hit. As you pull into this particular village all you see are structures that are destroyed, some with partial damage, and some with just the cement slab of the foundation. The area was pretty crowded with residents as they have no where to go. Most of these people lost everything and are still living off FEMA and private donations. Looking across the small river just past a truck embedded into a tree was a funeral going on in honor of a victim of the tsunami.
The area we were in was ground zero and to walk though it was quite eerie. Just three weeks ago on September 29th the village was intact, then the earthquake occurred and what the smaller Joe told us as he witnessed the tsunami himself, is the water all of sudden pulled all the way back into the ocean and then a series of 3 huge waves came tumbling towards land. The level of water rose approximately 7 feet and went though the area with nothing to stop it. Joe stated that between the earthquake and tsunami they had 15 minutes to get out. Most people were able to make it to higher ground, yet a lot didn’t believe something was going to happen, and then before they knew it, they were caught in the destructive path. Like I said before about the people being super friendly and in good spirits, no where it was more apparent then here. The villagers were still waving and saying hello, most everyone having a smile on there face and eager to tell their story. The attitude here is rebuilding and remembering those who were lost. Big Joe said they have nothing to do but move on and build back up. He said this while standing in front of his cousin’s house that was completely destroyed. All around the village you can see pink notices put up by FEMA stating that each structure is unsafe and should not be entered, as well as signs near the river and lagoons stating to enter the water at your own risk due to contaminated water. The small lagoon by the bridge had 7 bodies which were found in it. You can also see many white igloo looking structures scattered all over which are temporary shelters for the village. These were also provided my FEMA. I did not see any FEMA personnel at this particular location but there are still many people on the island helping with relief efforts. Our ship took part in an aid drive and collected money and items from passengers, which were then donated to the island. The ship also donated linens, towels and other items that are in need. While standing in the doorway of a partially destroyed house I couldn’t help but feel the impact this area had on you. Later that day I would be walking back onto the ship and eventually going home, but for these people they have this to look at everyday and remember the tragedy. Talk about a humbling experience.
As we left this village we then visited some other points on the island before heading back to the ship. This is where the day got a little more upbeat. After dropping off the passengers we basically had the bus to ourselves and both Joes were eager to have fun. After having lunch at McDonalds and having a “dance party,” on the bus, we headed to the other side of the island. Again we passed another area that had more damage caused by the tsunami. It was weird to see boats thrown onto the land like toys and sometimes making a final stop in parking spots that are reserved for cars. We then drove by where Sunkist Tuna cans their goods and stopped to take more pictures at a nearby beach. We went through a local neighborhood and stopped at Big Joe’s brother’s house…his name also being Joe. I think everyone has the name Joe…or their parents were lazy. From there we went back to the ship thus wrapping up a wonderful day in that will never be forgotten. Check Facebook for the pictures.
After leaving Samoa we sailed west and through the International Date Line. Because of this you all probably had a wonderful Sunday, but for us we had no Sunday. It never existed except for the first two hours. At 2am in the morning we went ahead 23 hours, thus making us almost a whole day ahead of you. For example, as I write this it is 3:30 pm on Monday afternoon, for you, it is 8:30p.m. on Sunday evening….weirrrrrrdddddddd. It will be like this till we cross back over the line on November 19th and then we will have two Thursdays.
Well friends, I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog and I will be back in a few days to let you know how our upcoming ports of Figi, Vanuatu and our first port of Australia, Cairns. Again, below is the link to my pictures on Facebook. Have a great week and write me when you can. Miss you all.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=127251&id=509162521&l=d94d55bcba (FOR PICTURES)
Danny
The next island we got to stop at was Pago Pago, American Samoa. As most of you know if you have been paying attention to the news lately, this island was recently rocked by a huge earthquake and following tsunami, which caused a lot of damage and many casualties. We were unsure if we were even going to stop at this port, but I’m glad we did. Not only did we not know exactly what we were going to do and see, we had no idea what was in store for us. American Samoa itself is the largest of five islands located just east of the Intl. Date Line sitting approximately 1,800 miles northeast of New Zealand. The islands all together stretch about 300 miles in length. There are two distinct parts of the island chain, America Samoa which is the only territory of the United States south of the equator and Samoa (previously called Western Samoa) to the West. Being a territory of the U.S. made this island simple to visit. They speak English as well as their native language, use U.S. currency, and have fast food restaurants such as McDonalds, KFC and Carl’s Jr. / Green Burrito. Actually, one of the biggest incentives being part of the U.S. is the aid they receive during a natural disaster such as the recent events. Upon arriving to the port a group of about 7 of us rented a local bus to ferry us around the island. Unbeknown to us at this time was the approaching fun we would have with our driver Joe, and his buddy, also named Joe. Now these two were awesome. The driver, Joe, looked just like you would think a true Samoan would look like...can you say “Big Boy?” Joe the assistant was not as big but sat in the back of the bus with us and offered facts about the island and pointed out landmarks. The first half of the day we had regular ship passengers on the bus with us so the both Joes could not get too crazy…of things to come. We started out the day driving to the other side of the island making stops at different places to take pictures. The island itself is gorgeous and made up of again, lush greens mountains and rainforest. One landmark is named “Rainmaker Mountain.” From the ground the mountain looks like a face looking up towards the sky. The one thing we all noticed about the people of the island is that they are super friendly. Joe, our driver, I shall call him “Big Joe” from now on, would honk as he passed different people along side the road and they would yell and wave back at us, each person having smiles on their faces. This was universal and it was so nice to see.
One main stop we made and the one that affected us was where the recent Tsunami hit. As you pull into this particular village all you see are structures that are destroyed, some with partial damage, and some with just the cement slab of the foundation. The area was pretty crowded with residents as they have no where to go. Most of these people lost everything and are still living off FEMA and private donations. Looking across the small river just past a truck embedded into a tree was a funeral going on in honor of a victim of the tsunami.
The area we were in was ground zero and to walk though it was quite eerie. Just three weeks ago on September 29th the village was intact, then the earthquake occurred and what the smaller Joe told us as he witnessed the tsunami himself, is the water all of sudden pulled all the way back into the ocean and then a series of 3 huge waves came tumbling towards land. The level of water rose approximately 7 feet and went though the area with nothing to stop it. Joe stated that between the earthquake and tsunami they had 15 minutes to get out. Most people were able to make it to higher ground, yet a lot didn’t believe something was going to happen, and then before they knew it, they were caught in the destructive path. Like I said before about the people being super friendly and in good spirits, no where it was more apparent then here. The villagers were still waving and saying hello, most everyone having a smile on there face and eager to tell their story. The attitude here is rebuilding and remembering those who were lost. Big Joe said they have nothing to do but move on and build back up. He said this while standing in front of his cousin’s house that was completely destroyed. All around the village you can see pink notices put up by FEMA stating that each structure is unsafe and should not be entered, as well as signs near the river and lagoons stating to enter the water at your own risk due to contaminated water. The small lagoon by the bridge had 7 bodies which were found in it. You can also see many white igloo looking structures scattered all over which are temporary shelters for the village. These were also provided my FEMA. I did not see any FEMA personnel at this particular location but there are still many people on the island helping with relief efforts. Our ship took part in an aid drive and collected money and items from passengers, which were then donated to the island. The ship also donated linens, towels and other items that are in need. While standing in the doorway of a partially destroyed house I couldn’t help but feel the impact this area had on you. Later that day I would be walking back onto the ship and eventually going home, but for these people they have this to look at everyday and remember the tragedy. Talk about a humbling experience.As we left this village we then visited some other points on the island before heading back to the ship. This is where the day got a little more upbeat. After dropping off the passengers we basically had the bus to ourselves and both Joes were eager to have fun. After having lunch at McDonalds and having a “dance party,” on the bus, we headed to the other side of the island. Again we passed another area that had more damage caused by the tsunami. It was weird to see boats thrown onto the land like toys and sometimes making a final stop in parking spots that are reserved for cars. We then drove by where Sunkist Tuna cans their goods and stopped to take more pictures at a nearby beach. We went through a local neighborhood and stopped at Big Joe’s brother’s house…his name also being Joe. I think everyone has the name Joe…or their parents were lazy. From there we went back to the ship thus wrapping up a wonderful day in that will never be forgotten. Check Facebook for the pictures.
After leaving Samoa we sailed west and through the International Date Line. Because of this you all probably had a wonderful Sunday, but for us we had no Sunday. It never existed except for the first two hours. At 2am in the morning we went ahead 23 hours, thus making us almost a whole day ahead of you. For example, as I write this it is 3:30 pm on Monday afternoon, for you, it is 8:30p.m. on Sunday evening….weirrrrrrdddddddd. It will be like this till we cross back over the line on November 19th and then we will have two Thursdays.
Well friends, I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog and I will be back in a few days to let you know how our upcoming ports of Figi, Vanuatu and our first port of Australia, Cairns. Again, below is the link to my pictures on Facebook. Have a great week and write me when you can. Miss you all.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=127251&id=509162521&l=d94d55bcba (FOR PICTURES)
Danny
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