Join us, Bill and Mary Ann, on our 128 day epic journey around the world in 2009

[ANSalberg]

psst Anne - Mary Ann and Bill are on the Rotterdam. The Amsterdam is down somewhere around Cape Horn right now.;)

 

Valerie:D

 

BLUSH!!!!!!! Val - I KNOW that! But I thought the Van Zaanes were doing this cruise anyhow! BUT- maybe you're right and its NEXT year's fall itinerary they are skipping to again -do the World! [?] We're doing the fall "Grand" [Australia/NZ/Tasmania] and I had HOPED it would be them! [ ROTTEN FRIEND!] ;) just kidding!!!!!!!!!!!

[ANSalberg]

Val - Mary Ann wrote "Captain Olav" in her last missive! So I guess that answers my question!

[WCB]

Report # 30 February 1, 2009 Sunday Day at Sea # 6

 

At 6 am this morning, the temperature was already in the 80's. The humidity was 60%, although it felt like 100% when we took our early morning walk. The only way to describe the feeling is by saying that we "melt" without any breeze. It's going to be a mostly cloudy day, but we guarantee a scorcher!! Makes us realize how nice our weather is in California.

 

We spent most of the afternoon in the aft pool, just to try to stay cool. The water was soupy, we'd guess around 90 degrees. The heat was just so oppressive, we called it quits by 3 pm. Good time for lunch.

 

The happenings today included talks by Joe Kess about how the Pacific islands got populated. Michael Baume spoke about Australia's and America's relations with the Pacific.

 

The dance insrtuctors, Ron and Sharon, have taught the foxtrot, jive, swing, and the nightclub two step. The dance floors don't appear to be too crowded in the Ocean Bar or the Crow's Nest so far.

 

A strange phone call from the salon manager sent us on a hunt for an answer to a mystery. The manager wanted to give Bill a chance to change an appointment he made for a haircut in April. She said there had been an itinerary change, and we would be spending two full days in Richards Bay, South Africa, instead of just one day. Hmmm, that means that a port somewhere had been eliminated, but where? The shore excursion manager, Irene, did not know of any changes, but one girl at the front desk confirmed that we were staying two days in Richards Bay. She said check your cruise contract booklet, and it would be in there. No, that was not in there. Then we visited the front desk in person, and were told there have been no changes made at all. Well, time will tell. We just hope that Mombasa, Kenya is still on the list. There have been rumors floating around that the Rotterdam will have a military escort sailing into Mombasa. That would be great!

 

Our meals were delicious this evening. We ordered veal scallopini with fetticini, and pot roast with gartlic mashed potatoes and gravy. It just keeps getting better!

 

The clocks went back one more hour tonight, and we have one more sea day until we reach land! How good is that?

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[seafun]

Thanks again for your delicious reports. :)

I thought I felt your "Equator bump" the other day too, but perhaps it was just a minor earthquake here in Washington state.

And I got a kick out of spaghetti and meatballs for formal night. I know it would have been all over my formal wear! Since you didn't mention it, I assume you survived spot free, lol. :D

Envious of the warm weather.... Seafun

[bill/iris]

we have enjoyed reading your reports---we are on the segment Dubai-Cape town. the port Mamoudzou (Mayotte) has been removed--no reason given---Maputo is now 4/15 and Richards Bay 4/16&17 Hope this helps

[kryos]

It's true Rebecca!! Right after work, I log on, and see if there is an update. I fear I am hooked on someone else's cruise! God help me.

LOL ... count me as a member of the "addicted" club too. I was away for a training course for a week and had very little internet access. Boy, did I miss these postings, and am now happily catching up. I remember several times during the training classes (long and sometimes a bit boring) ... "God, I wonder what Bill and Maryanne were up to today?"

 

This thread is wonderful and I am so grateful to be enjoying it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Maryanne,

 

Sorry this is late ... I was away for a week ...

 

I hope you had a wonderful birthday, and may you have many more of just the same.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[WCB]

Report # 31 Frebruary 2, 2009 Monday Day at Sea # 7

 

Besides being Ground Hog Day, today will also be Super Bowl Day, featuring the Pittsburg Steelers vs. the Arizona Cardinals. Isn't it interesting that we can get ESPN for this game, when we haven't had any signal since we left Hawaii? Maybe it's a money thing?

The tailgate festivities began at 10 am in the Queens Lounge. They offered delicious snacks, activities, trivia, and a free football pool.

 

We have a good day for watching the game, also shown in our room, since it is dark, cloudy, with passing showers. By 2 pm, the rain began in earnest, lasting for the rest of the day. This is to be expected in this area, because we are in the rainy season.

 

The rain did not affect the Mongolian Cook Out in the Lido pool area. It is a popular lunch venue for the passengers. The retractable ceiling can be closed when the rain falls, like today. We never did develop an appetite for the wok cooking...looks pretty oily to us.

 

We happened to run into Henk Mensink, the hotel manager, this morning. Among other things, we asked him about the dessert showtime, a platter of the assorted sweet delicacies they offer each evening. This has not been done on this world cruise. He said that it has been discontinued fleetwide, claiming it gives the waiters more time to properly serve us. Too bad, we had more fun with the waiters presenting the desserts. There have been many desserts we would not have ordered had we seen them first. Maybe they can set up one display on each dining room level each night. We could see them on the way to our tables. Later on at dinnertime, Henk joined us all and wrote down our suggestion to do just that. We will let you know if it does happen.

 

The subject of the suggested dress code came up. Specifically, we noticed that there are only eight informal evenings on this whole trip. Henk said that in time, all of these informal nights will be gone. He surprised us when he told us that far more passengers are attending the Lido dinner on formal evenings. When that occurs, he said it forces the planners to create more casual nights in the dining room. Of course, the early dinner seating at 5:30 pm is full. So if you want to eat early, the Lido is an option.

 

We asked Henk about the cancellation of Tuvalu on the 09 itinerary. He claimed that it could never be an option, because the ship could not get into the area....it has too big of a draft for their shallow waters. It has been put on the itinerary a few years back, and again, had to be cancelled. Go figure....

 

Concerning the Golden Crossing of the Lines, Henk promised we would all get a certificate for the special event or non-event, before we reach Australia. Better late than never!

 

We had a disappointment late this afternoon....our tour in Luganville had been cancelled. We were supposed to go to a copra factory, and go swimming at a blue lagoon. However, due to torrential rain, the lagoon area was under water! We may pass on the other tours, since they sounded corny, in our opinion. Actually, if this rain keeps up through tomorrow, cancelling the tour may be a good thing.

 

We had cocktails as usual in the Crow's Nest before dinner. We have met a very nice couple, around our ages, from San Diego. Sandy and Frank lived in a rural area like us, and have animals and chickens like us. The other regulars are Leslie, Handler, Jeff, Corrine, and a nice couple from Texas. It's almost like the set of "Cheers"!!

 

At dinner tonight, we got the low-down on the entertainers, Lynn Rothrock and Ron DeWitt, who performed yesterday. The reviews were mixed. They said they were two talented people that should have done their show separately. As a duo, they did not mesh.

 

Tonight's show is a pop piano artist named Chio. Report to follow.

 

Well, tomorrow is finally LAND HO!! Vanuatu, here we come.....

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[henepup]

WCB, I look forward to your post!!! Thanks for taking us on your world cruise!!

Henepup

[DeepWaterMariner]

Your posts have sent me to my world map. I'm following along, enjoying every post.

[wander]

Hello Bill and Mary Ann,

 

Hello! Enjoyed several past cruises with you.

 

On 2007 WC we had a great table group and great sterard. Each dinner at the Dessert Tray showtime we would ohh and ahh at each showing, except the fruit/cheese platter which we would boo. We would then order various delights, but never the fruit/cheese. One night we previously agreed and in turn (and with straight face I might add - which was difficult) we each ordered the cheese and fruit platter. The first order stopped him, but he went on. With each order he became more and more confused until after the 5th person (8 person table) he realized the joke and said to us - "you are not all going to change your orders are you?" We did not and all 8 of us ate the fruit/cheese platters. They were good, but one was never ordered again. I must say the steward really did enjoy the joke. To him it just confirmed that we were a bit crazy.

[SDHALFAN]

Report # 31 Frebruary 2, 2009 Monday Day at Sea # 7

 

We asked Henk about the cancellation of Tuvalu on the 09 itinerary. He claimed that it could never be an option, because the ship could not get into the area....it has too big of a draft for their shallow waters. It has been put on the itinerary a few years back, and again, had to be cancelled. Go figure....

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Hi Mary Ann (and Bill):

 

Ed and I took the first segment of the Rotterdam VI's Innaugural World Voyage (Los Angeles to Auckland) way back in 1998 to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. We too were supposed to visit Funafuti, Tuvalu, and I was so excited because I didn't know anyone who had ever been there before.

 

Okay, interesting experience to say the least. We approached Tuvalu and anchored offshore. I could see from our cabin window that the Tuvaluan Navy (one ship, but very well maintained) had arrived to greet us. We sat at anchor for quite a while before the Captain (Captain Djyk, since retired from HAL) came on the intercom to announce that not only was the ship's draft too big for the shallow waters leading in to Funafuti but a typhoon a couple of years earlier had wiped out all the buoys leading into the harbor and the Tuvaluans had never got around to replacing them. They invited us to visit them but the Captain decided that his passengers and his ship would be better off just setting out to explore new ports of call.

 

So - we pulled up waved hello and then pulled out waving goodbye. Okay, been there (Tuvalu), done that - but not really:rolleyes:.

 

HAL had managed to find us a berth in Suva instead so we spent two days in Fiji instead of the one promised. I have since been to Suva maybe 4 times and loathe it but our original stop in Fiji was to be Lautoka and I do still love that port - what a difference from Suva.

 

I am still enjoying every moment of your voyage, vicariously. Continued fair winds and following seas.

 

Valerie:)

[Johnny B]

Hi Bill and Mary Ann,

Sounds like you're having a wonderful time. We are still really jealous, but we're already planning for next year. BTW, we asked Sharip, our waiter, NOT to bring out the dessert tray, but he told us it was required of the waiters. Sorry about that - hope we weren't responsible for them stopping the display.

 

Tomorrow (lost track because of the the dateline thing) is Barbie's birthday. Please tell her "Happy, Happy" from us. Ask her to tell you the story about our table celebrating John's birthday in absentia - while we were having dinner in the Pinnacle. It was pretty funny.

 

Have a wonderful cruise.

John and Diane

[sanibelsandals]

I echo the thoughts of many, without your daily blog I would go crazy all winter. Woke up to 6 inches of fresh snow this morning and thought about you lucky folks out there cruising the seas...it got me thru today. Been following your travels for a few years and love hearing about all the places you visit and what it's like to be on a 'long' voyage. Between you guys & Bronzeboy Jeff...I can't wait to get home from work & log on daily! Thank you so, so much for spending the money & time to share your adventures...someday I hope to a GWV on HAL too!

[7toEleven]

Oh my, I am having anxiety as I haven't had my daily report. Looking forward to the next posting!

[cccole]

Oh my, I am having anxiety as I haven't had my daily report. Looking forward to the next posting!

 

Me too!!! Can't wait to hear about Vanuatu!! Not hearing must mean they are having a great time. Cherie

[WCB]

Report # 32 February 3, 2009 Tuesday Luganville, Vanuatu

 

Originally, we were to have a stop in Funafuti, Tuvalu. However, that port was dropped months ago, and Luganville, Vanuatu was added. So here we are, sailing towards the island of Espiritu Santo at 7 am this morning. The city of Luganville is the second largest city in the Republic of Vanuatu. It is a transshipment port for copra and cacao, as well as a former World War Two military supply and support base. Also, the noted author of "The Tales of the South Pacific", James Michener, was stationed here during the war.

 

This island is renowned for their beaches and freshwater natural springs, called blue holes. Snorkelers and scuba divers come here to see the SS President Coolidge, a militarly refitted American President Lines luxury liner, which was struck by two landmines in 1942. It sunk in deep waters, and has become a sanctuary for marine life.

 

Tons of military equipment were dumped over the cliff at Million Dollar Pointes. The rusty jeep and tank parts line the shores for miles and miles, all relics from World War Two.

 

Anyway, the Rotterdam slipped into Luganville around 7 am. The Captain was able to dock instead of dropping anchor, which was a plus. The only problem we could see was RAIN-RAIN-RAIN!! Not just a light drizzle either......we mean torrential downpours. Thank goodness our tour was cancelled. The rest of the tours were still scheduled to happen. Bet we hear from some unhappy campers later today.

 

A few makeshift tents were set up on the old pier. A group of small children were singing bible songs, all huddled under a large umbrella. As we noticed later in the day, they stayed there singing all day, gathering a few dollars from the passerbys. We were told that all of the kids got the day off from school to watch the ship come in.

 

With no rush to leave the ship, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the dining room. There was a sudden explosion of the Indonesian birthday song for a mysterious person on the upper deck of the dining room. It turned out to be for the executive chef, Bernie Rius. Many officers and dining room chefs came out to join in the fun.

 

We left the ship around 10 am with our waterproof camera and our sturdy umbrellas. It was funny to see HAL's flimsy plastic-topped umbrellas blowing inside out and ripping apart. One fellow brought the metal frame back to the gangway and gave it to Barbara, the port lecturer. She laughed and said she would use it to try to get reception for CNN!!

 

Two local women, dressed (or not so dressed) in native costumes, danced by thumping wooden poles on the ground. It was quite the "Kodak moment"!!

 

Passing all of the vendor tables, we found the muddy, flooded trail that led to Main Street. This street was built wide enough to accommodate four military trucks to drive side by side during the war. It was lined with small markets, convenience shops (mostly Chinese owned), municipal buildings, and old quonset huts. At the furthest end of the street was a big open-air vegetable market, where the locals brought their produce to sell. We saw fresh fruits like bananas, mangoes, papayas, and pineapples. There were several root vegetables like taro, beets, and sweet yams. Under the long tables of local crafts, sat young moms with the tiny babies. At least they were dry and out of the way of the terribly muddy floors. They also had stacks of small mud crabs, tied in bundles for sale. Still very much alive, their pinchers were reaching for anyone who wandered too close to them.

 

By now, the driving rain was inescapable. Despite using our umbrellas, we were soaked to the bone. I had worn my waterproof Timberlines, but did not calculate the water running into my socks! No wonder all of the natives wear the old fashion flip-flops. Oh well, the rain was still warm, and kept us cool.

 

We darted in and out of the small shops, but could only find Australian Billabong or Jamacian Bob Marley T-shirts. We were told that these islands are frequented by New Zealanders and Aussies more than any other visitors.

 

There were a few souveniers we found at the pier stalls. The ladies were happy to bargain, since they knew we would not dally too long in the rain that was coming down like from firehoses! The backed up water on the pier was at least four inches deep, running like rivers over our feet.

 

We sloshed back to the ship by 2pm. At lunchtime in the Lido, we ran into friends that had a horrible tour to the beach and a blue hole lagoon. Their van had gotten stuck in the mud and the men had to push it out of the sinkhole. One person fell down an embankment at the lagoon unfortunately, bruised their ego more than got hurt, we heard. The swim at the beach was in the rain. Yes, that tour should have been cancelled too. We understand that the shore excursion staff has to rely on the opinion of the tour operators as to tours being cancelled.

 

There was a sailaway scheduled on the aft deck, but it never happened. We found out that it had been moved to the Crow's Nest instead. Might have helped if they announced the change. Maybe we missed it while sitting on our balcony. Once the ship had gotten out to sea , we started listing extremely. At least Captain Olav came on the loudspeakers warning us about the tilt, saying to hang on...it won't last for too long. The staff did lose some tableware during this period.

 

By the way, we were privy to the fact the Mamoudzou, Mayotte had been cancelled, but we were sworn to secrecy at the request of Henk Mensink, the hotel manager. The funny thing was that some of the well-informed Cruise Critic members already knew that information. We did not get the letter of explanation until tonight. It stated that the reason for cancelling was due to the local government/authorities not supporting the tourist/cruise industry at this time. For some reason, the tours in Mayotte were very expensive. Now they can try to sell more excursions in Richards Bay, also quite expensive!

 

We skipped the show tonight, no surprise there. The entertainer was Kelly Monteith, a comedian, we believe. Again, we got mixed opinions of his act, which reportedly was anti-women. They need to be careful here, since the majority of passengers are women!

 

Tomorrow.........Port Vila, Vanuatu!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 33 February 4, 2009 Wednesday Port Vila, Vanuatu

 

The Rotterdam sailed into Port Vila, on the island of Efate, around 6:30 am. The good thing was that it was not raining, like we expected, but overcast and humid. We can handle that.

 

Our tour today was an eight hour village adventure around the island. Now you can look at this two ways. Yes, it would be an adventure, as promised, or it could be, oh my gosh, what were we thinking when we booked this tour??? It turned out to be a bit of both.

 

This was our first visit to Vanuatu, so we knew the best way to see it was to take the all day tour. We should have remembered that "a non air-conditioned van" meant 11 people squished in a hot vehicle. Actually, we lucked out by having air-conditioning, as well as having our friend Martha join us for the tour.

 

What we did not plan on was the fact that we were not going anywhere. Now, this was a first for us passengers! A blockade had been formed at the gate by protesting taxi van drivers! Extremely unhappy with the number of organized tours the ship sponsered, these taxi drivers were very angry with the lack of passengers that needed rides. The stand-off lasted for over an hour, much to the dismay of the shore excursion staff. Finally, officials from the local Department of Ministries intervened to let us through the gate. In the end, we don't know what they gained, unless there was a payoff.

 

Our quiet driver, Richard, a proclaimed chief of his tribe, drove us past hotels, the cultural center, a national monument, the former French quarter, the parliament house, and the colorful fruit, veggie, and flower market. Hopefully, we will stop here on the way back.

 

We don't think Richard was a regular driver/guide, since he gave basic facts as we drove by views of the bays, beaches, and outer islands. Three different times, he stopped the van, and backed up with no explanation. It turned out that he was buying a papaya, a bunch of small bananas, and a bundle of those mud crabs. Obviously, he was shopping for himself and his family, we presumed. Hope these crabs don't take off running in the van, since he placed them in the back, right under our feet!!

 

As we worked our way out of town, we passed the Mele Cascade Waterfalls, a series of rock pools in the rainforest, tiered on a steep hillside. Surpisingly, the road changed from paved to a badly pot-holed gravel road. That was the part of the tour we described as what were we thinking!! Our driver would speed on the good sections, slam on the brakes, and steer around the muddy holes. He slowed for the rain-swelled streams that flooded our path, then sped up again. It was almost comical, if it wasn't such a backaching drive. He did apologize when he hit so hard we bounced to the ceiling. Who were we to question the chief???

 

Thanks to Martha for asking about the TV series "Survivor - Vanuatu" . Richard said it was close by and he actually took us there. The campsite was off of the road, hidden in a grove of trees, right on the beach. As isolated as the camera led us to believe it was, we found civilized bathrooms, showers ,and huts that lined the small private beachfront. Richard said that the crew filmed on the nearby island, using several different angles. That way it made it seem like a huge area, when it was not. The campsite is now rented to tourists. And we were the lucky ones to have stopped here, as the other drivers never mentioned it.

 

The bumpy road took us through deep jungles, dotted with small, rustic villages. Our driver said the entire center of the island was empty, except for the presence of cattle, horses, goats,and feral pigs. We did pass a group of hunters that were subduing a wild boar by hog-tying its hooves in order to take it to market. We are certain that the squealing hog was "dispatched" as soon as our van drove away.

 

It was so good to get out of the cramped van and stretch our legs at the next stop. The villagers had prepared tables of instant coffee or tea for us. A few of the local ladies had a display of crafts and jewelry for sale. As we sipped our drinks,, we chatted with Martha about what it would be like to live here like the islanders do. Life is so different here....basic, seemingly laid back, no apparent stress, just everyday survival. We were seeing modern day tribal life, with acting chiefs, customary rituals, and men and women living separately in long huts. Couldn't help wondering what they think when they look at all of us?

 

Continuing on, we stopped at a sign that read Epule River. Here we were given flower-decorated palm-woven wreaths, then we were carefully loaded into the double hand carved canoes. This took a while, since most of us were not as agile as others. It was a miracle that no one fell in the water or on the muddy banks. Traditional warriors paddled each canoe holding 18 very nervous passengers. Villagers, including some cute little kids, waved as we went by. We were met by a chief who was blowing the large conch shell as we approached. Once on shore, we were led to an area where a group of young natives, dressed in warfare costumes, went on a surprise attack! They proceeded to entertain us with tradional warfare dances, with a chance to take photos with them afterwards.

 

Then we loaded up in our vans and drove to a picnic-like hut, where we were served foot long french rolls with lettuce, carrots, pickles,beets, and some thin slices of meat that resembled ham. Sometimes, you just don't want to know what kind of meat it is! The drivers gave us oranges and candy bars, as well as ice cold bottled water. At this point, the rain had started, but not like yesterday's deluge.

 

The last stop turned out to be at Banana Bay, a small beach where a river meets the sea. We had the chance to take photos, and take a refreshing swim. It was still raining, so most of us just stretched our legs and took pictures. One gal went into the water to collect seashells. Hope there was nothing alive in them! She'll find out in a day or two....

 

The ride back into town was short from here. We were supposed to have shopping time in town, but the driver seemed to urge everyone to go back to the ship. Had it been really hot today, we would have at least gone to find Tusker Beer. We love trying the local beers, but not today. We missed seeing the veggie market, but snapped a few photos as we drove by.

 

We got back to the ship by 4pm, sooner than we thought we would. The vendors were already tearing their stalls apart. There were so many of these stalls, we think they had anticipated a much larger ship than the Rotterdam. The good thing was that most of them were quite willing to bargain at this point, so we picked up a few treasures, among them a carved coconut bird and a hand-crafted wooden warrior stick. Never know when you might need one of these!!

 

The ship sailed away around 6 pm in calm seas. However, it did not stay that way. The winds began blowing, the seas were rough, and the rain returned. From the last five minutes we saw of CNN weather tonight, we spotted a reported cyclone right where we are headed. Hope not!

 

Until tomorrow,

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

We have spent a couple of holidays in Port Vila, Vanuatu and even though you were taken around the island, there are some lovely resorts there especially Iriki which is on the small island close to the mainland.

 

There are also some fantastic restaurants in town as it was once ruled by both the French and the English together so you get that wonderful mixture of food. I bet you the baguettes were good!

 

Unfortunately, you were there in the wet season which is from November to the end of March. It is extremely hot and sticky at this time of the year. The best time to visit is in June.

 

Jennie

[kaseyoz]

The moderator on our P and O australia linked this fantastic posting for us aussies as a lot of us travel to Vanuatu.

 

I love your style of writing and all the extra information in it.

 

I cannot wait to read more as I may have missed this great piece of writing.

I hope you continue to enjoy your time downunder.

[Meg]

Mary Ann and Bill,

I truly felt like I was right there with you in Vanuata. Reading your posts have quickly become the highlight of our day! Your writing is just amazing - so descriptive! We love reading about your adventure - thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!

Meg

[WCB]

Report # 34 February 5, 2009 Thursday Day at Sea

 

Driving rain greeted us when we woke up this morning. According to CNN weather, Cyclone Ellie has hit the eastern coast of Australia, causing much flooding in the cities. We are sure that we are sailing on the outskirts of that storm, which has been causing the ship to rock and roll!

 

Well, obviously there will be no sun today. So it will be a good time to catch up on writing and emailing.

 

Life continues as usual on the ship. Michael Baume gave his lecture on enforced democracy in Australia, meaning if you don't vote, you are fined. Interesting concept. Joe Rosenthal spoke more about maps, while Barbara, the port lecturer, gave a talk about Sydney. She has been a big help to us regarding restaurant searches in different ports.

 

As this segment winds down ( it finishes in Sydney ), the staff is pushing casino games, Pinnacle Grill dinners, portraits, the Greenhouse Spa specials, The Merabella Luxury Boutique ( few can afford it ), and future cruise bookings. We even had a flyer promoting a HAL credit card through Visa or Master Card, which earns points for cruising within the Carnival fleet of ships. We can't escape those promotions, even while at sea!!

 

Today was dubbed "Flower Power Day", a new event for us on a world cruise. It's supposed to be a celebration of the late 60's and early 70's peace movement. Who knew that flower power began in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, before it spread to Great Britain, and the United States? We remember Woodstock and the music that came from there, although, we were not personally part of that movement.

 

The Crow's Nest was festively decorated with colorful hanging crepe paper ornaments and streamers.....so much so, that we had a hard time walking into the room. It did help draw the passengers up there. For a change, the dance floor was full.

 

The dining room was equally decked out. And the waiters were dressed with flowered headbands and beads, loving every minute of it as they flashed the peace sign to all. The guests were urged to wear flowered shirts, bell bottom pants ( if you still owned some ), and beads with head scarves and bands.

 

What a night for Barbie's birthday!! Martha, Tom, and Ellen, our travel hosts, joined us for dinner. They also graced us with champagne and wines. We ordered entrees of chicken cordon bleu, and starters of baba ganush, a hummus based hors d'oeuvre with toast. And that sparked the idea that we could play the "cork-forking" game after dinner. In case we forgot to explain this game, cork-forking involves placing a cork on the fork handle, and launching it with the tines. The object is to land it in the flowerbowl arrangement in the center of the table. We all got a turn, with Bill landing the first hit. We cheered him on with the baba ganush song we created last year. It sure turned a few heads in the dining room! But oh so much fun. All except for George......he called us all naughty teenagers!! That's the biggest compliment we've had so far!!

 

The waiters and wine stewards, especially our buddy Nestor, sang the special happy birthday song for Barbie, while she blew out the candles on her decorated cake. And it was gooood......a sponge cake filled with a fluffy strawberry frosting. Susie and Woody, we missed you guys!

 

Comments on the variety show tonight were mixed. We heard that the flute player, Tara Whittaker, was the best.

 

The seas continued to be rough as we headed south towards Noumea, New Caledonia.

 

Until then, good night!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Johnny B]

Bill and Mary Ann,

We're so enjoying following you guys, and the bit about Barbie's birthday just made us homesick for table 309. Bill Fox "invented" both cork-forking and "Baba Ganoush", and we hope he and Joan join next year.

 

Sorry about all the bad weather you're having; we're finally getting some rain back in California, and more is expected today and tomorrow. We really need it, as you folks near the Bay Area know.

 

Keep up the good work on the blog - we're following along every day.

John and Diane

[WCB]

Report # 35 February 6, 2009 Friday Noumea, New Caledonia

 

We sailed into the bay of Noumea, the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia, very early this morning. Among the residents are indigenous tribal groups (Kanaks), Nigerians, Papua New Guineans, Vanuatuans, and Frenchmen. The French took control in 1851, and established a penal colony here. Nickel and gold was mined in New Caledonia, and later on, it served as headquarters from the US military in the Pacific during World War Two.

 

What we found today was a cosmopolitan city with palm trees, beaches, and flower-filled parks. That fact that we visited here two years ago made it easy for us to find our way around town.

 

The weather was partly cloudy, with scattered light showers. But the humidity was thick, if that's a fitting description. We booked an afternoon tour, so we had the morning free to explore the nearby town. First, we got some Pacific francs, just in case they did not take US money. The last time we were here, some did, but more did not take our money.

 

We found the stores we where we shopped the last time, and bought a few trinkets. A t-shirt was a must to buy. The funny thing was that when you spent the francs or dollars, they gave you francs for change. It was a challenge to get rid of that change. Postcards are always the best bet.

 

On our way back to the ship, we walked through Coconut Square, a park surrounded by flame trees blooming flowers of hot orange. Fountains and statues filled the center of the park, as well as the local kids goofing off. According to our daily program, a third of the population of Noumea is under 15!

 

Everyone had been complaining about the high prices here, even in the large Walmart-like supermarket near the pier. We always like to check out the markets where we visit, especially the produce, meat, and fish displays. Of course, everything is imported to Noumea, and from what we saw, the locals demand quality. The meat prices were about double of what we pay at home.

 

On our way out, we spotted a table of fabric remnants that looked interesting. Since I sew many of my clothes, Bill knows my weakness for collecting material from out of the way places in the world. And right there was a 4 meter piece of red and gold silk brocade print...perfect for a Chinese jacket. It was marked 600 francs, so I assumed it was that much per meter. No, the salesgirl said $7 US!! I took it and ran to the register to pay immediately! That was the good news.

 

Now the bad news....... sometime in the excitement of the moment, I lost my ship's keycard and leather folder!! STUPID!! Dumping out my bag, I searched unsuccessfully at least three times. Oh well, my only hope was that someone would find it and turn it in. I did not care if the few dollars I had folded inside were gone. The cardinal rule on the ship is DON'T LOSE THAT CARD!!

 

As we approached the terminal building, the guard was talking to a local woman in French. She seemed to be looking at me. The guard walked me to the gangplank and kept me there, while Bill went up to inform them that I lost my card. Guess what? They had my card and the entire contents of my leather folder. Some nice person had found it and turned it in. How lucky was that? I know, I deserve 40 lashes with a wet noodle!! I will never do that again, I hope!

 

Our afternoon tour left the pier at 1 pm, with a full bus of 50 or so. Friends Frank and Sandy were there too. This tour would be a drive through the city, followed by a stop for wine and cheese. We had passed on lunch and were looking forward to the fine wines and cheeses of the area.

 

We drove first to the Le Meridien Resort, a few miles from the harbor. This 5 star hotel complex is built right on the Ansa Vata Beach. Our guide led us from the marbled lobby, downstairs to the pond-lined garden, and finally to the gorgeous swimming pool, within throwing distance of the beach. He spoke a bit about the local flora and fauna, while we watched some young fellows surfing on boogie boards pulled by huge kites.. We are sure that there is a name for this, but it sure looked like fun. We even ran into Barbie and Ellen, who had taxied here for the afternoon. It was like deja-vu, because we ran into them and the whole group in 2007. There was no doubt about it, there were far fewer vacationeers here today than in 2007. The fact that this is the rainy season here probably is a factor.

 

Far too soon, we had to leave and board the bus for the ride to Ouen Toro Lookout. The views up here were fantastic. There was a memorial to World War Two in the center, with panoramic vistas of the bays, beaches, lagoons, and coral reefs that surround the islands.

 

The next stop was the best........wine and cheese! We went to the Ramada Hotel, where we were seated in a restaurant that faced the swimming pool. We were served three French wines...one red, one dry white, and the last, sweet white. Now we are not exactly wine drinkers, but we're learning. The cheese trays included swiss, brie, bleu, and goat. We tried them all with the crunchy slices and chunks of French bread. We're sure that we just ate 10,000 calories!! But it was good.

 

On the way back to the pier, we passed the marina, the Baie des Citrons (clothing optional), high-end shops and restaurants, and local homes. Just as we came back, there were local dancers performing on the dock for the watching passengers. Later on tonight, a group will be entertaining us with a traditional Tahitian-type folkloric show.

 

When we went to dinner this evening, we had a nice surprise.....there was a display of desserts along with an opened dessert menu right where we walk in. See, they listened to our suggestion and we were impressed to see they followed through with it.

 

Dinner was special tonight, because they were serving 18 oz. ribeye steaks with BBQ sauce. How good is that? Glad we passed on lunch today ( the wine and cheese didn't count, right?). Four of us, including Barbie, ordered the monster steaks. We just know that Margaret and Keith may have wished they ordered them instead of the lean fish! We did save a smidgeon of space for the apple buckle cake with blueberry compote that we had spotted on the dessert platter. What a way to end the day!

 

By 11:45 pm, the Rotterdam set sail for Ile Des Pins, New Caledonia. Can't wait!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Aussie Gal]

As I mentioned in an earlier post far north Queensland is in the middle of a cyclone and they are receiving 8 inches of rain each day! The towns are flooded and they are running out of food.

 

As a contrast, down south, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide are experiencing bushfires and Melbourne today had the hottest day ever with a temp of 46.4 which is 117F. It is the hottest that any capital city in Australia has ever reached.

 

So those are the two contrasts that are happening at this moment in this wonderful country of ours. If only we had a pipeline from up north that would bring the water down south, as we are in the middle of a 12 year drought!

 

Jennie