Travel Journal 2019

Friday Fotos – looking back at cruising on the MS Noordam

April 9, 2021 By Terry 4 Comments

Cruising on the MS Noordam. Welcome to the top deck — A fun shot taken on the top deck of the MS Noordam looking aft.

We sailed in 2019, so this photo of cruising on the MS Noordam is now almost two years old. The ship was packed with plenty of travelers from around the world, but occasionally it was possible to get a photo with nobody else in sight. The glass panels just beyond the decking are for the pool area on the Lido Deck. Those panels slide open to create an entirely open space for the pool. I was on deck one morning when they opened them and it was quite impressive.

When we started planning our trip to New Zealand, I said I would go as long as I only had to fly one direction. As a result, we almost literally took a slow boat to America from down under. All in all, we were on the Noordam for thirty days, which included time sailing around New Zealand and then up to Honolulu. It certainly took a lot longer to make the trip home, but in my opinion, the return trip of cruising on the MS Noordam was well worth it. Learn more about the MS Noordam here.

Want to see more photos from our trip? Here’s a link where you can check out all the entries in our travel journal.

Friday Fotos – beauty everywhere at Easo, Lifou botanic gardens

February 5, 2021 By Terry Leave a Comment

Botanic Gardens on Easo, Lifou — Tropical flowers are everywhere in the botanic gardens on Lifou

When we began planning our trip to New Zealand, I laid down one rule—I would not fly both ways. The rule might seem kind of strange, but consider the two options—crammed in a jet for half a day or spend two weeks being pampered on a cruise. That’s how we wound up spending a month on the MS Noordam. One of our first stops on our return trip to the US from New Zealand was the port of Easo on Lifou Island in New Caledonia.

Like most South Pacific islands, Lifou Island was gorgeous. Lots of green, beautiful flowers, and friendly people. As you might expect, there’s not a lot to do on a small island, so rather than choosing some wild activity, we kept it slow with a trip to the botanic gardens. These gardens are a very popular spot with tourists (like us) who want to see what nature has to offer without traipsing all over the island.

As botanic gardens go, the one on Easo on Lifou Island is small, but it’s glorious in its beauty. I’ll have another shot from this part of our trip next week!

Learn more about Lifou Island and Easo here. Want to see more photos from our trip? Here’s a link where you can check out all the entries in our travel journal.

Travel Journal – May 8 – We (almost) did Diamond Head

May 8, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

In all the trips we’ve made to Hawai‘i, we’ve never hiked Diamond Head. With four days in Honolulu after our cruise, we decided to get adventurous and make the hike up Diamond Head. We’d heard stories about the climb and read up on what to expect. I would have liked to have done this hike earlier in the day, but we took the Hop on, Hop off bus to get here and were limited by their schedule and our own laziness (we missed the first run of the bus).

Diamond Head is a volcanic tuff cone with an elevation of 761 feet. For someone who is in good shape, this isn’t that much elevation but, as the saying goes, my biological clock is ticking and this hike was a stark reminder that I am not twenty, or even thirty or forty.

Our hike began at 200 feet elevation, which is where the trailhead is. We made it up past the first set of stairs, 74 in all, and through the 225 foot tunnel. When we came out the other end of the tunnel, we looked up to the right. Ninety-nine steep concrete steps seemed to stretch on to the sky. Those steps take you to the lowest level of the Fire Control Station. At this point, you might ask how many more levels are there? The answer is four. Which means there are more stairs—I think it’s another 136 altogether, more trails, more heat, and more sun.

When we turned around, we were hot, tired, and felt like our skin was baking. The line of people going up Diamond Head resembles a row of ants. Some of the people were in good enough shape to make it to the top. Others, like us, not so much. If you’re thinking of hiking Diamond Head, do a few things first. Prepare by climbing stairs—lots of them. Second, go early in the day. After ten, there are a lot of people who show up to make this climb. And third, have lots of patience. This is a long, slow climb and because of all the other people who are there and the narrow width of the trail, your pace may be determined by someone else, not you.

Want to follow along on our journey? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

Photos from our Diamond Head hike

Diamond Head trail begins on flat, dry land. — There's very little green at this level. This is a dry part of the island, so brown predominates.

Our goal, but will we make it? — From the beginning of the trail things don't look that bad.

Check out the ridge - it's a line of hikers — Between the full parking lot at the trailhead, the number of people milling around, and the line at the top, it's obvious the urge to conquer Diamond Head is huge.

The trail is wide enough for two people - almost from this point on

Over the canopy of tree tops — We've now climbed high enough to be over the canopy of the treetops. And honestly, it wasn't that hard getting to this point.

The view gets better — The higher you go, the better the views.

Line of Ants — We came around a switchback and saw this stream of visitors climbing to the next level. It reminded me of ants working.

View from a scenic lookout. — Just before you tackle the fist set of steps and a tunnel, there is a lookout.

Kathy takes a break at the lookout station

Looking down at that line of ants — The trail to the top is one swithback after another.

Our last scenic overlook — We reached the decision point - to continue on or stop? We chose to turn around and head down.

99 steps — This is just the first set of steps. After these,, there are at least two more sets. This is where the tough get going and the rest of us watch.

The wetlands of Diamond Head Crater — According to this sign (and the 3rd graders of Waikīkī) a webland forms in the crater of Diamond Head Crater in the rainy months.

The Diamond Head Lighthouse was one of our stops on the tour we took around Honolulu.

Travel Journal – May 4 – last day at sea

May 4, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

We’ve apparently survived the long journey from Sydney to Honolulu via cruise ship. Last night was our final gala night—and we missed it. There were lots of people dressed for the evening—for the men it was suits or sport coats and ties, and for the women it was cocktail or evening dresses. But, there are also many passengers who don’t participate in the gala evenings. Some respect the ‘rules’ and don their shorts and tees and skip the dining rooms where gala attire is required. Coming from Southern California where everything is laid-back all the time, I get that ‘dress up’ is not for everyone. However, I find it refreshing that there are still times when evening attire is the rule. I also find it sad that there are a significant number of passengers who seem to think the rules don’t apply to them. In our case, motion-sickness got the better of Kathy and we missed out on our last chance to play dress up.

Tomorrow, we dock in Honolulu, which is where this two-month journey began. It will be nice to be back on solid ground and not have the constant rolling of the ship. Of course, it may take a few days to adjust to the change in motion as well as to having to make our own bed, do our own dishes, and cook our own meals. Yikes! How will we cope?

Want to follow along on our journey? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

Photos from American Samoa and Pago Pago

Our pilot coming out to meet the MS Noordam

Some houses are built on the mountainside, but most are in flatter areas

The bustling center is along the waterfront

On the bus - check out the ceiling! — Check out the ceiling on this local bus. Also, the seats are all wooden bench seats and get very hard after a few hours!

Flower pot rock — Legend has it that these two rocks are two lovers who were turned to stone by an angered parent...doesn't that just figure?

Outside of our bus — Just in case you're wondering, those flowers stayed on throughout our tour!

Those ships are stuck. — The good news is these ships attract divers and snorklers at times.

The Healing Garden monument was dedicated after a devastating 2009 tsunami in hopes of restoring life, peace, and hope.

Peacock-shaped palm — This peacock-shaped palm is at the center where we were treated to some Fijiian food and entertainment.

Green hills are everywhere on American Samoa. — We docked in Pago Pago, which is the capital, and that's where our tour began.

Crystal clear waters and green mountains - paradise

Shipwrecks off the coast — These wrecks are now good for only one thing - attracting the curious!

Travel Journal – May 2 – Lautoka

May 2, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

Lautoka was a pleasant surprise—so lush and green and the people were very friendly. Our tour took us to a community center where we were greeted by a group of locals who sang and danced for us. As is the custom in this part of the world, our bus elected a chief, who spoke for us after the local chief welcomed us. This was also a kava ceremony, which is a local drink that’s supposed to have quite a kick. Since I wasn’t quite sure how kava is distilled (it’s probably gluten-free, but I’m not 100% certain), I passed. There were a number of others in our group who tried it.

The tour then went to a local village where we walked around, saw the local church, and had an unexpected surprise. Inside the church were some of the locals. Two of their little girls were practicing one of the songs we’d heard at the kava ceremony not more than an hour before. They had voices like angels and those of us who were in the church were enthralled by how beautifully they sang.

Want to follow along on our journey? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

Members of the local tribe singing for us

Singers in background while dancers perform — One of our activities involved visitng a community center, where we were treated to a display of traditional dancing and singing.

Some of the jewelry being sold at the pop-up market

Monument in village center — On the island of Lautoka, I was struck by the blending of old and new architectural styles.

Chief's house in center of village — The chief is always the highest person in the tribe, so his house sits higher than all others

Baby pineapple - so tempting to reach out and grab!

This pond in the shade was a welcome relief from the heat

Ample shade along the path, but it was hot!

The traditional greeting on Lautoka is Bula. — Bula means hello, goodbye, and many other things, much like aloha in Hawaii.

Wish I'd have had time to follow the stairs.

We were greeted by these two singers - more were waiting inside

The troupe assembles in front of the crowd

Travel Journal – May 1 – New Caledonia

May 1, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

We’re on our second of five sea days to Honolulu and the end of our cruise. Two days ago, we were in Pago Pago, American Samoa and took a tour that took us around the island in a local-style bus. The only air conditioning was from lowering the windows which, by the way, did not roll down but had to be lowered by repositioning the glass in a slot. The tour was another of those fast-paced five-minutes-here and five-minutes-there type of things. Given that it took us five minutes just to get everyone off the bus, is it any wonder we fell behind?

Kathy is still fighting motion-sickness, and I’m still recovering from the flu, which was followed by a bacterial infection in my lungs. Even with all that, we’ve enjoyed the cruise and are looking forward to the next few days. Today’s photos are from New Caledonia, which was almost a week ago. I’ll catch up with new islands tomorrow.

Want to follow along on our journey? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.