Day 50 1st March 2011

Sidney and Aurora from Opera House

Sidney Harbour Bridge on the other side of Aurora

Eddy Avenue near Central Station, Sidney

We arrived in Sidney this morning. It is apparently the first day of autumn here but it is still very hot with occasional showers. Although, we managed to miss the rain. The ship had to be docked by 7am this morning since that is when the ferries start to run and it would be too dangerous for it to sail in.  Sunrise was 6.30am so the approach was largely in the dark. I did take a look at about 5.30am but all I could see was the city lights and I was not sure where the ship was. I then feel asleep to wake up as we were mooring. The circular quay were we have docked is probably the most scenic anchorage of any city. It is between the Sidney Bridge and the Opera House.

This morning we went on a hop-on hop-off bus tour. In our case it was most stay on but we did change to go on another bus to Bondi Beach through the suburbs. This way we did see a lot of the city with a guided commentary. Finally, we left the bus at the Central Station stop in

Eddy Avenue

. From there we walked up

George Street

through Chinatown and the centre of Sidney. It was rather like walking along

Oxford Street

in London with crowds of people. We sought a cup of coffee but the first place did not have a lift so we settled for Starbucks which at least we could get in.

In the afternoon we walked around circular quay to the Opera House which perhaps because we have seen so many pictures it did not impress us as much as we had expected. For one thing it is very difficult to get into if you are in a wheelchair with long flights of stairs everywhere. We did locate a lift but access was quite limited. The views from half way up were spectacular. I was more taken with the walk along the harbour front that leads to the Opera House. We found an impressive Chinese restaurant that offers a lot of Australian style Chinese food (e.g. kangaroo in black bean sauce etc) so we book a table for this evening. We can sit outside on the harbour side and watch the world go by. I managed to get a glass of Blue Lagoon, a local lager –not a bad brew.

              

Day 49 28th February 2011

We gained an hour last night so we are currently GMT +11. This makes working out when things are happening in the UK and elsewhere difficult. It is easy to get confused, for example as we went to bed last night the England Cricket team had just started their innings in the Cricket World Cup. It seems easier to work things out when we are behind the UK. The crew are in a state of shock that England managed to draw with India after they scoreD 338. It is an amazing result. At dinner last night the waiters kept popping out to get the Indian score since they batted first so we had a continuous stream of news about how well India were playing.

Leaving Brisbane last night was like one continuous light show. The lights of the suburbs of the city combined with the occasional ship going up river as we went down made a magic display. At one point we saw what seemed to be a large flock of birds circle the ship but they were very large bats. There were probably several hundred of them, jet black and silent. They were obviously after the insects that were flying over the water.

Last night we went to see Aubrey and Miller who are two Australian singers. They were quite good although I think not to everyone’s taste since they sang Waltzing Matilda as well as a range of other folk and country numbers. They used a variety of musical instruments including a didgeridoo and one made from lager bottle tops also guitars and banjos.  

This morning we are sailing south with the coast of Australia visible on the starboard side of the ship or opposite our balcony. It is on the horizon which means that it is at least twenty miles away.  It is a hot day about 30c with calm seas. Curiously, we have not seen another ship although running parallel with the land. You would have thought that it would be crowded.  Equally we have not seen any sign of any animal life in the air or water.

This afternoon we went to hear two talks one on the lyrics of American Pie and one about the production of the World at War neither lived up to our expectations. We are off to a drinks party tonight hosted by Gordon and Janet, our table companions.

Day 48 27th February 2011

Brsibane

View acroos the Brisbane River from our balcony

Cool Dude

We have reached the half-way point of the cruise and have arrived at our first port of call in Australia, Brisbane. We are docked at the cruise terminal on the Brisbane River. This is a wide muddy river that flooded the city in January although we saw no sign of the damage. The city has made a rapid recover and we were taken to places that where several feet under water six weeks ago. It is a large city of 2 million people but looks clean, pleasant and vibrant. From our balcony we face onto the river and can see the high-rise buildings of the city. Everyone was friendly and welcoming.

We went on a trip to a Koala sanctuary called Lone Pine. It had many animals apart from Koalas such as possums, duck billed platypus, kangaroos and Tasmanian devils. The koalas were the high point and there were many in different places mostly asleep since they sleep 18 hours a day. The platypus was in a special glass sided tank so you could see it catching prawns for its dinner and swimming around. It is a remarkable animal. In one large area, red kangaroos freely wander around and since they are fed by visitors they are easy to approach and touch. They were very laid back animals just keeping cool and waiting for someone to offer them some food which you can buy at the shop. It was very hot about 34c and you had to keep moving into the shade or bake.

As part of the trip we had a drive around the city and to a couple of viewing points. The guide and driver both kept up a non-stop flow of information about the place. It seems Australians have a very outdoor life style with everyone owning a caravan or trailer tent and a boat. They spend a lot of time out of doors and given the lovely day that we spent here that is no surprise. The city council are trying to encourage the use of bicycles and there are racks of them that you can hire all around the city centre. It looked a thriving place with wide streets with many square and trees everywhere.

We left at 6pm and sailed along the river passing under a bridge apparently we had 4 feet of clearance. About 10pm tonight we will leave the river and pass out into the bay. Night fell very quickly and revealed a landscape of street and building lighting.

Day 47 26th February 2011

We went to the Café Bordeaux music night, yesterday. It is a simple idea that you can have a meal while listening to live music. Last night it was a band called Caravan who seems able to provide music from across several decades in many different styles. They are very popular with the passengers since they can offer something for everyone. It was a sell out event with many ships officers eating with groups and getting up to dance. On the next table was the Deputy Captain and ship’s doctor while on the other side of the restaurant the Captain and Purser were sitting with another group. Chris wondered who was driving the ship. Many people got up to dance and it was a good night. We even shuffled about. The band did several encores finishing up with Bohemian Rhapsody.

The only negative is that the waiters who served us breakfast were also working on the music night. We asked a headwaiter did he ever sleep and he told us when he was at home. The staff are ‘only’ supposed to work a maximum of 10.5 hours a day but since this is broken up into shifts they never seem to get a long break. The headwaiter said he was not working between 11pm and 9am. The waiters have all chip in to buy an internet card so they can watch the India versus England, the World Cup cricket match so I suppose on Sunday they will get even less sleep.

We had to be checked through Australian immigration today. This was quite a straightforward process of queuing up to be seen by an officer who checked our passport pictures against us and then stamped them.  It was done on the ship to save time when we land in Brisbane tomorrow. We had to complete an entry and exit card which the ship will submit at the appropriate times for us. For several hundred passengers the trip ends tomorrow in Brisbane or two days later in Sidney. Other passengers then join the cruise to complete the final two legs of the voyage. We have met several couples who are leaving in Australia to visit family and friends or simply to have a holiday. Australia marks the end of the third stage of the trip.

We were up early this morning and even managed to have breakfast in the main restaurant. This is only the fourth time we have achieved this event. The restaurant stops serving at 9.30am and we never quite manage the time. The ship moved a good deal last night which may explain why we got up early. The weather had clamed down a bit by this morning but we have had some heavy rain showers.

Day 46 25th February 2011

View of Noumea

Chris on road train

Road Train

We arrived at Noumea in New Caledonia today. It is a French overseas territory and on first impression looks rather like the south of France. We have docked again in the container port. One of the side effects of this trip is that we are gaining an insight into the world container trade. We went on a tour of the city on a road train. This is a vehicle built to look like a steam engine that tows a series of carriages in which the passengers sit. There was a guide who in our case was a young American woman married to a Frenchman. The train had no space to carry a wheelchair so we had to leave it with the Aurora staff at the bottom of the gangway. It was a good trip and showed the place to be beautiful. Even the view over the nickel plant which is the key export failed to dissuade us that it would be a wonderful place to live. Every road seemed to be lined with coconut palms and round each corner was a view of the azure ocean. The water is very clam since the island is surrounded by a reef which keeps the waves, out to sea. Our guide claimed that the reef was the second largest in the world after the Australian barrier reef.

Apparently there are only two seasons, summer and winter with summer lasting nine mouths and winter three months. During the summer the daytime temperature is between 18 and 40c and even in winter the temperature rarely falls below 15c. Education and health care is the same as mainland France but the cost of living is very high. A house will cost you about £500,000 and because most things have to be imported commodities are two to tens times the price in the UK.

We saw the news from New Zealand about the effects of the earthquake in Lyttleton which is the port that serves Christchurch. This is where Aurora is supposed to call but it looked harder hit by the earthquake than Christchurch. We have not heard anything from P and O about what is going to happen but looking at the devastation it is obvious we should not go there.

We left harbour at 5pm and sailed out through the channel in the reef towards Australia.

Day 45 24th February 2011

The captain warned us last night that we would be experiencing rougher weather during the early hours and today. We were going to enter an area in which a tropical storm had passed a few days earlier and had left behind some bad weather. At 2am we could feel the ship moving. This has continued during the day with some rain showers and a good deal of spray. However, nothing exceptional just a contrast to the smooth rides we had been having for the last few weeks.

My daily walks around the deck passed 500 laps today and it was hard work with the high humidity and also the ships movement. 500 laps is the equivalent of about 156 miles. While I walk I look at the sea in hope of seeing a whale but so far only the occasional dolphin. Today we did see from the cabin a flock of birds feeding on what must be a shoal of fish. The interesting thing is that the nearest land was over 200 miles away. They were dark in colour but we could not identify them. We wondered where they came from or whether they were migrating.

This afternoon we went to hear Lembit Opik, the former Lib Dem MP talk about the last election and formation of the coalition. He was very clear and made a good impress on the audience. He tried hard to be open and honest and I was impressed that he took questions. I did not know that he was born in Northern Ireland and had worked in Newcastle upon Tyne for Proctor and Gamble as a HR and Training and Development Manager.

Life on board does not exclude you from the domestic duties of washing clothes. This is a competitive sport with many people seeking machines than there are washers available. I managed to get our clothes washed this morning but then could not find a drier so they are now hung around the bathroom. No everything is glamorous on a long cruise.

  

Day 44 23rd February 2011

At one minute past midnight we crossed the International Date Line and moved from GMT-11 to GMT+13 which meant that we went to 23rd February and missed out 22nd February. This is obviously a bit puzzling and confusing. We will cross the line again in about three weeks on our way back and then we will have two 12^th March. Thus, we balance up the changes in the long term. The ship published a spoof newspaper, “The Day That Never Was” to mark the missing day.  

The news is full of the earthquake in Christchurch which we are due to visit on 8^th March. It seems likely that we will now not go there. The Captain announced that P and O are considering the options and are seeking information from Christchurch before making a decision. It would seem wrong to me to go there. They have enough to do without 1800 tourists arriving to look around and perhaps get in the way.

Today, we are sailing towards Noumea in New Caledonia. On the way we are passing through the Fijian Islands. We saw several and they are all similar in shape being long with high cliffs and surf showing along the bottom to indicate a rocky coast. Although, they are high they seem to be flat on the top. A bit like Table Mountain which is in South Africa. It is a warm afternoon (i.e. about 30c) so we sat on the balcony and watched the islands go by.

Chris attended a talk on Aboriginal art and was so impressed she bought an original painting. We will need to get it framed when we get home. Tonight, we are giving the main restaurant a miss and going to a theme night up in the self-service area. It is a Tandoori night and we are going with our table companions Gordon and Janet.

Day 43 21st February 2011

Pago Pago Town

Pago Pago harbour

Aurora in Pago Pago

We spent today at Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango apparently because Missionaries had a broken ‘n’ on their typewriter) which is American Samoa and thus part of the USA. Immediately on the quayside the local people had set up a large market. Cruise ships are an important part of the local economy. None of the tours today used vehicles that could transport a wheelchair so we were unable to go on them. Instead we went for a walk in the local town. The island has a small area of flat land near the coast and then the ground rises very steeply. It is beautiful and green with houses built on stilts on the steep sides of the hills. One reason for the lush vegetation is the rain and we were greeted with a tropical shower which only lasted about 30 minutes but did deposit a lot of water.

The walk into town was easy with most pavements having dropped kerbs. We went into a local church which was being renovated and had lovely carved wooden ceiling. Unlike many places it had a ramp up to the main door. A little further away from the ship we found a small supermarket that was clearly for the local people. We bought two bottles of local beer, crisps and two ice creams. We were looking to buy local tuna but it was all imported from Vietnam. The person in front of us used food stamps to buy her groceries and that perhaps indicates that this is not a rich place. The prices were similar to the UK and considerably cheaper than Bora Bora. The local people are very polite and friendly. We sat on a wall and enjoy the scenery while eating the ice cream.

On the walk we had noticed a restaurant called the Sadie Thompson Inn with disabled access (the main way in was up a flight of stairs) and decide to have lunch there. It was typical American restaurant offers steak, burgers etc but also local fish. So we had wahoo and chips with local beer (i.e. Vailima). The wahoo was a firm white fish not unlike whiting. At first we were the only customers but some local people joined us.

After lunch we returned to the market and systematically looked at every stall and considered every object. The heat was intense and the temperature was around 30c with a degree of humidity. The stall holders were pleasant and relaxed. There was no hard sell here but rather the same courtesy that we had encountered everywhere else on our walk. Again prices were modest compared to the other islands. Everyone spoke American English except the small children who talked to us in Samoan.

Pago Pago is a lovely island with pleasant people and we enjoyed our simple stay. The ship left at about 4 pm and the trip out revealed more of this green and enjoyable island. I liked this island far more than Bora Bora. People lived and worked here while Bora Bora seemed like a hotel complex.   

Day 42 20th February 2011

We are still sailing towards Pago Pago. We will be arriving tomorrow morning. There are always various lectures and other talks when we are at sea. Chris went to hear the Ship’s purser being interviewed this afternoon and then attend a presentation on Gauguin. I went to do my daily 4 miles of walking around the deck. During the walk it began to rain. We occasionally get these showers which arrive quite suddenly with the breeze stiffening, visibility dropping quickly as the clouds close in on the ship. The rain then falls. It is normally a short event but it does rain hard. This afternoon’s shower only affected the starboard side of the ship and it was as if there were two climates with the sun shining brightly on the port side while rain poured down on the starboard side.  The whole incident was over in ten minutes with the sun returning. It is about 30c today and not humid.

We started to plan the visits to New Zealand but we were obviously too late since two of the trips we wanted to take are full and we have had to join a waiting list. Sometimes this works and they obtain extra capacity but sometimes it does not. However, we are content to do our own thing in a country where we speak the language. It did provoke us to look further ahead and book a tour on Apia which is an island on the way to Honolulu. This was good fortune since we discovered that the ship docks on a Sunday and almost everywhere is closed except for the trips.

The crew play cricket and have many different teams. They play on the forward deck which is cut off so passengers cannot go there because that is, where equipment and machinery for anchoring is stored. The rules for ship cricket are very different than the normal game since you don’t have to move to make runs. The game is based on a point’s scheme. If you hit the ball beyond set places you earn points, taking a catch is worth 3 points, blowing a wide gives 3 points away etc. The bowling of a

wide is often caused by the ships movement so many bowl underarm. Our waiter is a member of a team.

We got details of what we have to do to satisfy Australian immigration. This amounts to completing two forms and attending a face-to-face interview with the immigration officers who are sailing with us in order to do the job on the ship. We have to be interviewed next Saturday, 26^th February at 2pm. We were sent the forms today so I will need to complete them in the next day or so. It is a sad world in which we are not trusted to land in Australia for three days without this process. However, I know the same is true of overseas visitors to the UK. I suspect we will have similar procedures to enter New Zealand and the USA.

The ship’s shop stocks a small range of goods such as sweets, chocolate (e.g. Kit Kats), basic medicines and similar items. Curiously, it has run out of birthday cards and now the only place to get one is from the craft classes where they have been making them. This shows a bit of entrepreneurial spirit on behalf of the craft instructor.  

Day 41 19th February 2011

Today is a sea day. Many people have a quiet day reading or sun bathing. There is a sale of clothing and other items in the on-board shops. This is often the case when they take advantage of passengers having a lot of free time. We decided to go and listen to the port talk on Sidney. We will be spending two days there and have already decided to go on an all day trip on the second day to see the Blue Mountains. However, we are considering what to do on day one. After the talk I think we are likely to simply wander the city. The ships docks near the original centre in a district called the Rock. It is near the Opera House and the botanical gardens. There are apparently plenty of restaurants so that has our votes at the moment. However, we are considering a round the harbour trip in the evening that includes dinner.

Chris has gone to see a film called the Proposal while I am doing some work for a publisher in reviewing a proposal they have received for a new book. I am listening to the Mamas and Papas on my iPad. The quality of the sound is excellent given the small speakers in the iPad.  My attention is often distracted by sitting looking out over the ocean. It is a very calm day with a lot of cloud. It is warm and humid today. Tonight is formal in that it requires a dinner jacket to be worn in the restaurants. Dressing up is often fun but these formal nights are regular events every few days so do tend to become everyday. I think they should limit them so that they are special. However, other passengers think that standards have fallen so I may well be in a minority.

A large proportion of the crew is from India so they are very happy that India won the opening match in the cricket World Cup. There are a lot of smiling faces. I wonder if England could cope with chasing a score of 371 in 50 overs. I doubt it. India is the team to beat.

Day 40 18th February 2011

The captain’s announcement that we were at anchor in the Bora Bora lagoon woke us up this morning. When we looked out of the window it was to see a tropical island on all sides except for the mouth of the lagoon which leads to the ocean. There was a hotel built over the water. That is, each room is built on stilts with an individual staircase that allows the guests to have private access to the ocean. Jack, a friend we have made on the ship told us that in Indonesia the very poor live in this type of house while here the very rich stay in these hotels. The island was clearly volcanic and originally must have been enormous considering the crater it has left.  The sea was azure in colour and palm trees covered the shore. Along with the Aurora is another cruise ship from the Princess group.

It was a tender port in that we were going to be ferried ashore in the ships boats. However, before we could get into one the clouds came down to make it impossible to see the island. A tropical rain storm had arrived. The rain came down like being in a shower and lasted for about 45 minutes. We decided to wait for the rain to stop before boarding a tender for the short journey to shore. It is apparently the rainy season here. When we did try to join a tender we got to the embarkation point to be told that wheelchairs had to come a different way so we had to retrace our steps This was a pain and even though the alternative way was better it is an example of making disabled people take twice as long to carry out an action. They had forgotten to tell us about the route.

The small settlement is a scattering of shops, a bank and post office along a road parallel to the shore. It is a busy road with many vehicles and the rain made it very humid. There was little to buy except black pearls which are very expensive. I was disappointed with the town which was very commercial. We tried to locate a boat trip or taxi but the taxis seem to only shuttle people to the local beach and the boats seem to service the hotels or need to be hired to go diving. Anyway Chris thought the place was wonderful. On the way back we sat on the tender with Simon Young, the Deputy Mayor of Pit Cairn who is a charming man and an excellent representative for his community.

We sailed away at 5pm this afternoon. The view from the ship was spectacular with the different islands that make up Bora Bora coming in sight as we moved slowly through the channel in the reef. It is the first time we have seen a reef at close quarters. The green volcanic mountain that towers over the island is simply astonishing in size and scale, dwarfing everything else and in order to see it fully you need to be on a ship moving out to sea.  

Simon Young, Deputy Mayor of Pit Cairn

Bora Bora

We now have a weekend at sea before we reach the next island at Pago Pago in American Samoa on Monday. There are apparently a large number of restaurants on the island so perhaps we can sample local food assuming it is not gone over to American burger and fries.

Day 39 17th February 2011

Market

Chris at Tahiti

Fishermen at Tahiti

It is no surprise to us after spending a day on Tahiti that the crew of HMS Bounty did not want to go home and preferred to mutiny. It is truly a beautiful place. Nowadays it is very developed with busy roads. Around the harbour they have constructed a park that is flat and wonderful to walk along and admire the sea, trees and birds. There are lots of birds who come very close to you. One that is very common looks like a small grey pigeon. The local prices are quite high but perhaps not surprising since Tahiti attracts the rich and famous. We went to the local market which is very colourful with many flowers for sale as well as fruits and vegetables. There were also handicrafts but nothing special particularly when you notice that a lot of the polished wood is made in Indonesia. The Island rises rapidly from the coast with many of the mountains being covered in cloud. The main city Papeete where the ship docked is a bit of an urban sprawl but the hill sides are very green.

In the afternoon we went for a scenic trip around the island to see the museum in the former home of the author of Mutiny on the Bounty. This is a wonderful house with a pleasant garden and you can see why he chose to live there.  After the museum we went to see a waterfall, a blow hole and to the spot were the James Cooke observed the transit of Venus. The road followed the coast and the views were stunning. One of the sights were many young people surfing with short three foot boards on which they lie. There are a lot of waves and surf along the coast. The island is full of fruit trees. We saw breadfruit, coconuts, bananas, mango and pistachio nuts. There are also many flowers and the effect is to agree with the first French captain to land here that it was Paradise. This was not spoilt by the traffic trying to come back into the town at rush hour.

We sailed out of Tahiti at 6pm and headed towards Bora Bora the next stop, tomorrow. This island is supposed to be the most beautiful in the world.

Day 38 16th February 2011

Today, we had a very interesting talk by the Deputy Mayor and Local Magistrate of Pit Cairn. He had a huge audience of over 600 people (all that could fit into the theatre). He explained what life is like on the island. The total population is only 57 with 10 school age children. They have 10 hours of electricity a day from a generator but internet access through a satellite uplink which brings them CNN television. They have many communal activities and celebrations and work together on many activities but they rely on a supply ship which calls only four times a year. Apparently the postcards we left with them yesterday will not leave the island until 17^th March until the ships calls next. The island is a British Overseas Territory. They have a school with a teacher who stops for a year at a time to provide primary education but after that the children have to go to New Zealand but the impression was that many did not go. They also have a doctor on an annual contract. There main issues were a drought that was leaving them very short of water. They are totally dependent on rain water for drinking but even the few springs on the island have dried up. The second issue is simply a tiny and aging population. They would like people to immigrate to the island. The Deputy Mayor was very articulate and considering he must never of had to speak to 600 people in one room before he did very well.

After him we had the final talk from Tim Wonnacott who was excellent. He talked about his experience of producing Bargain Hunt and recent trends in the antique world. He has a nice delivery and a natural sense of fun. He is leaving the ship tomorrow when we arrive at Tahiti. This is our first port of call for nine days so many people are keen to walk on land again. Personally I like sailing and enjoy the relaxing environment on board ship. We have booked a half day trip around the island tomorrow afternoon.

Tonight we loose another hour so by tomorrow we will be GMT-10 or ten hours behind UK time. It is quite odd looking at UK sky news because the day is over before we wake up.

I was motivated by Julie’s comments on what are the high points of the trip so far. It is quite difficult to say precisely but we were both very impressed by Southern Chile which was a new world to us. The wildlife and scenery were wonderful. On the other hand I doubt you can get better entertainment than a tango show in Buenos Aires. Equally standing next to a Rock Hopper Penguin rockery on the Falklands takes some beating. Easter Island and Pit Cairn are amongst the remotest places on earth so we will probably never return so they are also rather special. I don’t think we have too many disappointments as yet but certainly Recife in Brazil is not a scenic city. It was more about realising how poor parts of Brazil are. The other administrative factor is that security at the South American ports was a pain and in my opinion not very effectively. We will have to wait and see what the South Sea Islands, Australia and New Zealand are like in this respect.

 

Day 37 15th February 2011

It is a hot, bright and clear day with temperatures in the 80s. It is now GMT-9 so we are 9 hours behind the UK. We went to the Valentine Dinner at Café Boudreaux last night. Chris got a paper rose made by one of the waiters and some balloons to tie to her power chair.  It was an excellent meal with outstanding service as you come to expect on the ship.

I was in the cybercafé at 7.30am this morning since there are continuing problems gaining access to the Internet. We apparently rely on satellites that move across the Pacific and since we are in a remote area few of them go across therefore we have intermittent and poor connections. Anyway it was fine for 30 minutes and then became very slow so I came away.

It is Chris’s birthday today and Edward and Peter both telephoned her. It was again wonderful to hear their voices. It also feels miraculous that you can be contacted on your mobile in the middle of the ocean. It makes no difference that I understand the technology that makes it work. It is still astonishing. After the calls we spent most of morning sitting on the balcony enjoying the warmth and reading. I did my daily march around the deck for 13 laps but the heat made it hard work to complete. This afternoon we went to two different talks:

1. An interview with Richard Digance

2. Tim Wonnacott spoke about selling Nelson and Napoleon memorabilia 

Both were interesting and Tim got a huge audience of over 600 people since every seat was taken.

Tonight we are going to listen to the singers from the ships own company sing Andrew Lloyd Webber songs and then have dinner. The waiters will again sing happy birthday to Chris and we will have cake and Champagne.

Day 36 14th February 2011

Adamstown Pit Cairn

Pit Cairn Islanders boat

View of Pit Cairn from Balcony

It is another warm day and probably more accurate to say hot. The high spot of the day was the visit to Pit Cairn Island. The ship arrived at about 3pm and a boat full of local people came out the ship to set up a small market for people to buy crafts and stamps. The problem was that 1900 passengers wanted to meet 45 stall holders in a small place out on deck in the full sun. It was a mad house. They had chosen a place with very limited access for wheelchairs. There is a single narrow passage with a high lip that Chris’s powered chair could not go over and I had to lift it. It weights 35 kilos plus Chris so not easy. On the deck the stalls where clustered together so that everyone was funnelled into a narrow space. It was a shambles. I am surprised no one fainted in the heat which was intense.

The captain presented the islanders with a plaque and they in turn gave him a model of HMS Bounty. There were also presentations from the Isle of Mann and Cockermouth. We could not hear what they said so not sure what their purpose was.

We managed to get some stamps and sent several cards etc which we hope will get posted. You had to give them to the stall holders to post for you so it was a bit informal.  The people seemed friendly and helpful so I am hopeful. It was difficult because of the scrum to see what the islanders were selling but I did see a lot of wood turning. The islanders would not start the market until all their people had a chance to set up and sell their wares.

From the ship the island is surprisingly green with palm trees. It is also quite rugged with high cliffs. The main settlement is Adamstown which is a scattering of perhaps twenty buildings with a path leading down the cliff to a landing place where a large building stands probably to store the local boats. It is a small island and looks to be now more than an hour’s walking from one end to the other. The islanders came out to Aurora in a large powered open boat. We saw them unload and there was a huge amount of goods.

Day 35 13th February 2011

Talking to Peter and Edward

We are now seven hours behind UK time and the continuing loss of an hour each night affects me in a similar way to jet lag. There is a feeling of disorientation that is quite mild but apparent. I wonder if it will be the same when we start to gain hours.

It has been a lovely day with calm seas and a temperature of about 80F. We have spent a large part of the day on the balcony reading and watching the sea. The water is still royal blue in colour. It is still empty of other ships and the only animal life has been an occasional flying fish skimming the tops of the waves. These are different from the ones we saw in the Atlantic in that they are solitary and skim the waves for very much longer distances – 50 yards is no exaggeration. The sky is not clear and there are many clouds. Last night we looked at the sky but the clouds obscured most of the stars but we could see Orion. It was almost overhead in a strange part of the sky to those, use to the Northern Hemisphere. The moon was bright and you could see its reflection in the ocean.

The sunshine and warmth have brought many people out on the promenade deck so as I walked around lots of people were using the sun lounges and chairs to sit or lie in the sun. The temperature made walking more tiring and a greater effort was needed to complete the customary 13 laps or 4 miles today.

We have a show tonight from the ships theatre company called “Blame it on the Boogie” which I am sure we have seen before on other cruises but they are an excellent troupe so worth seeing again. It is my birthday today so this morning I got a card signed from the Captain and this evening the waiters will sing Happy Birthday to me. There are balloons on the cabin door. Peter and Edward telephoned me and it was lovely to hear their voices after an interval of over a month.

Day 34 12th February 2011

Gordon and Janet

Easter Island Cliffs

Birdman Cult - Natives swam the mile to these rocks to collect a bird's egg and then returned to climb the cliff. The winner's clan ruled the island for the following year

We lost yet another hour last night so that ship’s time is GMT-6 or six hours behind the UK. We are due to loose another hour tonight so that tomorrow (13^th February) we will be at GMT-7. It makes live television programmes from Britain slightly odd. The live broadcast of the Manchester derby started at 6.45am this morning.

This morning we went to hear the port talk about Pago Pago which is a port in American Samoa. It is a small island with many local flowering plants so should be very colourful. However, none of the local tours are suitable for disabled people so our plan at the moment is to walk around and see the town. It is quite small and near to the ship’s moorings. The island is an American overseas territory.

There was also talk given by the ship’s second officer about the workings of the bridge. It was very interesting to know that the ship can be moved using a joy stick only about the size of a finger and that the wheel (they do have one) is only used occasionally. Each ship’s system seems to have at least one backup if not two. They can apparently see 24 miles form the bridge which since it is only one deck above our cabin suggests we can see about 20 miles from the balcony. From the promenade deck (7^th floor) you can only see about 8 miles.

The high spot of the day was sailing past Easter Island at 2pm today. The ship sailed about half mile from the land so we could see the famous statutes in places although many our inland so out of our view. It was a surprisingly rugged coastline with some very high cliffs but also trees that must have been planted in more recent times since when European came here the entire island had been deforested. The Aurora followed the shore for an hour before returning to its path. Gordon and Janet, who are our table companions at dinner each night came and joined us for our trip past the island since it was on the starboard side of the ship and we have a balcony on that side. Their balcony faces port.

The second officer told us we were following a great circle path similar to those flown by aircraft. It is the shortest path between two points on the Earth’s surface. Our next view of land is Pit Cairn Island in a couple of day’s time. This shows the size of the Pacific Ocean.

Day 33 11th February 2011

Pacific Ocean

We lost another hour last night so we are current at GMT – 5 or five hours behind the UK.

The calm seas disappeared overnight and this morning the ship is moving a good deal. This seems due to the wind rather than the waves but does make moving a round difficult. When you want to know about the weather or the ships position you turn on channel 1 on the cabin television. This gives you the details about speed, direction, location, wind strength and temperature. At the moment when you check the location it is clear that there is no land within hundreds of miles. Easter Island is 600 miles away and we should sail past it tomorrow afternoon. This is one of the most remote spots of earth. In addition to the distance from other land we are also sailing over one of the deepest parts of the Pacific. Apparently, the ocean is many miles deep at this point.

Last night was a Captain’s party. These are essentially short drinks parties which the Captain hosts to explain what will happen next during the voyage. They take place at the start of each stage of the trip. They are always on formal nights when people wear dinner jackets etc. The dinner on these nights is slightly better than on other nights mainly the choice is wider in that lobster and similar dishes are available. We have often attended these events but last night decided to play truant in that we had had enough of them for the moment. We went instead to Raffle’s for a pre-dinner drink. The bar was very quiet and pleasant with only a few customers.

Today we have largely been reading and having a quiet day. We meet another couple who are disabled and they are organising a trip to the Blue Mountains when we reach Sidney for wheelchair users. This would be in a specially adapted vehicle. We said we were interested and they are going to organise a meeting to discuss what we all want to do to see if we can reach agreement.

Day 32 10th February 2011

The sea is very calm today. It has changed colour again to a royal blue. It is amazing how many colours the ocean can take on. The temperature has risen (approx 70) and it is a bright warm day. There is clear visibility and we can see what appears to be a long way but probably is no more than 10 miles or so. The ocean has been empty of other vessels for most of the day but in the middle of the afternoon we did spot a small shape on the horizon which has gradually taken on the shape of a container ship.

We are continuing to travel west at about 22 knots so each day we are a further 500 miles or so into the Pacific. This morning we went to hear the port talk about Bora Bora which is said to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It has hotels for the rich and is an overseas dominion of France and thus part of the European Union in a similar way to the Falklands. It does not look as if there is a lot to do there except to admire the crystal clear waters and enjoy the ambiance of the island. It is a tender port with the Aurora anchoring in the lagoon and taking us ashore in boats. At the moment we just plan to walk around and perhaps enjoy a French meal.   

This afternoon we went to a talk by Tim Wonnacott, who hosts the Bargain Hunt programme on the TV. It just happens to be a programme we watch most days, mostly because I like it. He was excellent, talking about his time as an auctioneer with Sotheby’s. He had many stories that were fascinating and amusing. He attracted a very large audience so I had to stand at the back. The theatre holds about 600 people. He is due to do another two talks so something to look forward to and obvious arrival early for.

We went to lunch in the dinning room today for a change and received such excellent service that we completed the feedback form to explain that the waiter was outstanding. He noticed Chris’s problems without being asked and helped her. The standard of service is almost always good so it takes a lot to stand out.

Last night we went to see the ships theatre group of singers and dancers perform a tribute to Abba. We have seen the show a couple of times before on other ships but it was excellent. They are a talented group of young performers. Earlier in the day we had by chanced watched a bit of a rehearsal. Normally, they shut the doors.

I have changed my time for using the Internet since this ship is simply full of people with laptops. They seem mainly to use them in the mornings but many also logon at dinner time so I have now decided to go around midnight when often I am on my own and have all the bandwidth to myself. Otherwise the connection is far too slow when you are sharing with dozens of other users.

Day 31 9th February 2011

Last night we lost another hour so we are now GMT- 4 or four hours behind the UK. We are now sailing west into the Pacific on our way to Easter Island and Pit Cairn. The plan is to sail past both but some islanders will hopefully come on board at Pit Cairn to sell their handicrafts. The ship has more motion now that we are away from the coastal waters and you can hear the little creaks and bangs that go with moving side to side and up and down. It is quite slight but you tend to notice it when sitting quietly. I am not the best of sailors so keep the sea sickness pills in easy reach.

This morning Chris went to a talk on the Kings Mistresses but spotted several errors. In one case the speaker mistook Henry II for Henry I and mixed up the husbands of Mary, Queen of Scotland. She was not impressed. I was busy walking my four miles around the deck. The ships movement was apparent but it was a pleasant warm day for a stroll. However, as the day progressed so did the wind and the waves. Nothing exceptional, but enough to make you uneasy.

We began stage/sector 3 of our cruise yesterday and a new group of entertainers and speakers joined the ship. There is always a mixture of talks going on during the day with classical concerts, musicians, comedians, singers and the ship’s own company offering a choice of entertainment in the evenings. This is apart from the people who play bridge each day, learn to dance, take part in crafts or simply read a book.  Chris went to see the film Social Network which she judged Ok apart from the difficulty in understanding the speech of the actors which was too fast.

Day 30 8th February 2011

Chris's Sweet tonight

Easter Island Statue

We have spent a lovely day in and around Valparaiso. The Aurora is berthed next to half the Chilean navy with ten warships within 100 yards. They were mostly destroyers but also a couple of supply ships. The ship is berthed a long way from the port terminal. It took a ten minute bus ride to reach it which provides you with the scale of this port. It is very large and the bay is full of cargo ships. There is another liner, “The World”, this is the ship in which the super rich buy apartments and it then continuously travels around the world. No surprisingly it got a much better berth that we did. It was right next to the dock entrance so you could walk into the city. This morning was dull and grey but during the afternoon the sun appeared to bring warmth and light.

It is a busy city with the harbour on a small plain with many steep hills surrounding the bay. The town has numerous funicular railways up the hills and these have been given world heritage site status. In the city centre are fine building from the turn of the 20^th century that often surround wide squares. The original people were often very wealthy and built very large houses which are not mostly converted into government offices or for similar uses. We went on a tour of the city that also included a visit to Vina del Mar and a vineyard in the Casablanca valley.

Vina del Mar is a similar size city that also is situated on the bay. It is a holiday resort and was bright, cheerful and full life. We liked its look. The Chilean president has a holiday home in the city. We stopped to see an Easter Island statue outside of a museum. Easter Island is part of Chile. The ship will sail past Easter Island in about a week’s time.  The streets were full of horse drawn carriages for the holiday makers. The local economy is based on shipping, tourism and surprisingly universities with 80,000 students. Thousands of overseas students come here to learn Spanish.

Casablanca valley is the centre of the Chilean white wine industry. It has been founded over the last twenty years and the whole valley is covered in vines. It is a beautiful place. At the winery we were given a tour of the facilities and a chance to taste three wines that they grew. They were Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The two white wines were very good but the red was a little thin. They have many turbines that look like wind turbines to generate electricity but are actually used to stop frost damaging the grapes by creating air movement.

Back at the ship there was a Chilean folk dance group who performed the country dances and played the local music. It was similar to the music and dance we had seen at the rodeo.

We leave tonight to start our journey across the Pacific. 

Day 29 7th February 2011

We are sailing north towards Valparaiso along the coast of Chile. Valparaiso is our last stop in South America. It has a long history as a major port for sailing ships rounding Cape Horn but since the opening of the Panama Canal its importance has faded. We are going on a trip to a Chilean Winery tomorrow called Casablanca. Many people are going to travel to Santiago, the capital of Chile but it is a 10 hour trip so we decided not to go. It apparently takes up to 2 hours to drive there due to the congestion.

Today, it has been cool and misty and at the moment from our balcony we can only see a mile or so due to the haze. The ship has been very quiet today. We went to see a Michael Douglas film called Solitary Man. It could be the worst film I have ever seen. It would be flattering to say the characters were two dimensional. They called scarcely be called one dimensional.  I went to reception which is the place you go for everything from seeking postage stamps to making a complaint. I was only seeking to change pounds for dollars but it was busy due to people querying their accounts except that listening to the conversations it was clear that they were more confused by the layout of the form that any errors.

At the moment we are GMT minus 3 so we are three hours behind you but as we leave Chile and go west across the Pacific we will fall further behind you. I think we will eventually be 12 hours behind. There are some odd effects of the position International Date Line in that I understand we will miss 24^th February entirely while experiencing another day twice. Anyway I will try to explain once it happens.

Day 28 6th February 2011

Tender alongside the Aurora

Chilean Horsemen

Dancer failing to teach me to polka

We arrived in Puerto Montt during the night. It is an important port in Southern Chile. Unfortunately the Aurora is too large to dock in the port and must anchor in the bay that the port occupies. This means that you need to be tendered into the port using the ship boats. We were going on a trip to a Chilean horse ranch so we had to meet at 7.45am this morning and we were escorted to the boats. This involves Chris being taken in a lift to deck 3 and then wheeled to the floating pontoon alongside the ship. She then needed to be helped onto the boat which of course is moving up and down with the waves. It was not difficult to board the boat. The trip into the port was quite short but due to the wind it was bouncy. At the port we had to traverse a steep gangway but we were helped by the ship’s entertainment director. The coach to take us on our trip was waiting and we were the first passengers to arrive.

Although it is summer here it was cold with overcast skies but the guide told us that it would get better during the afternoon and she was proved correct. The area is dominated by two snow capped volcanoes that resemble Mount Fuji in Japan. They have both been active in recorded times. Our first stop was Puerto Vayas, a holiday town near a very large fresh water lake. It was Sunday so the town was quite quiet and we visited a local market where we bought a variety of woollen goods. Unlike Argentina the prices are reasonable. We though Argentina was expensive. There are 500 Chilean pesos to the dollar but everyone accepts dollars.

We left the town and travelled the short distance to the ranch. We were welcomed with singing, dancing and a band along with wine and hot food. They explain what we are going to see and we had the chance to see the horses and their riders. They have amazing control over their horses. They wear ponchos, leather chaps and enormous spurs. When they dismount they have difficulty walking. The ranch breeds horses and the owner explained how it works.

We were treated to a Chilean rodeo which is all about pairs of riders being able to control a bull while riding at a gallop. The ranch had a full sized rodeo ring and we were seated above it with excellent views of the action. Between events we were serenaded by the band and watched more folk dancing. They also provided more hot food such as crab cakes and kebab type meats along with the nation drink of pisco sours. The drink unlike many other national ones was very good and the food delicious. After the rodeo and the singing we had lunch which was barbequed beef (as much as you could eat) accompanied by Chilean wine. It was excellent.   It was a delightful day.

Tomorrow we have a day at sea cruising up the coast.