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 … [Read more...] about Travel Journal – May 4 – last day at sea
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Travel Journal – May 2 – Lautoka
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 … [Read more...] about Travel Journal – May 2 – Lautoka
Travel Journal – May 1 – New Caledonia
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 … [Read more...] about Travel Journal – May 1 – New Caledonia
Travel Journal – April 17 – Auckland War Memorial Museum
New Zealand’s Auckland War Memorial Museum blew us away today. This is another magnificent museum with world-class collections. We’d allocated today as the day to return to the museum so we’d have more time, and were we glad we made that decision. The Auckland War Memorial Museum has three floors of exhibits. On the ground floor there are exhibits about the Maori showing … [Read more...] about Travel Journal – April 17 – Auckland War Memorial Museum
Travel Journal – April 16 – Tauranga tour
We finished our shore excursion about an hour ago. This was another opportunity to learn more about the Maori culture. We were taken into a small marae, which is the gathering place for the Maori. After a traditional ceremony, they entertained us, and then we sang for them. At least there were lots of us so we sounded better!It’s fascinating to see the similarities and … [Read more...] about Travel Journal – April 16 – Tauranga tour