.....hi again finally.......bronchitis and influenza A hit the ship and laid us low....

If you want to post to our Journal, one needs a google account; sending e-mails to us works great.  

So I have a big post for you today (Dec 29th).....hope all of you are well!

Dec 24th,2014

Easter Island

§      Easter Island (Rapa Nui): We were 4 days at sea and arrived 0730 Dec 24^th, tenders delayed going ashore because of 6-8’ swell between ship and tenders and tenders and pier,  people still wanting to go ashore in wheelchairs & walkers & canes.

§      Main town is Hanga Roa, and beyond is National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Island is 117 sq.km. It was settled by Polynesians and had a tragic history.  Their glory was the quarrying and carving of the huge Moai from volcanic rock but the centuries were marred by environmental degradation, civil strife, and finally by the arrival of Europeans in 1722 with conflict, disease and slave ships.  The demise of Easter Island can be seen as a smaller version of the rapacious self-interest of inhabitants on planet Earth.  Island was stripped of trees,  rats ate palm nuts so no more grew, massive bird colonies were eaten, vegetation wouldn’t grow because they had no more bird guano for fertilization.  Most of the impetus was competition between tribes to keep building bigger and more impressive Moai to “out-do” other Chiefs.  Moai built between 1250-1500 AD. 887 Moai on island but most in bad condition; with 397 still not cut completely out of the quarry.  The biggest one called ‘El Gigante’ was unfinished and probably up to 270 tons.  Largest Moai erected weighs 86 tons, 10 metres high.  Only 1 Moai has legs – a kneeling Moai.  288 Moai were successfully transported to platforms around the island (called Ahu’s).  Ahu’s are incredibly engineered. Roads were constructed to move the Moai.  Debate still exists as to how they were moved:  legend says they walked, and scientists have repeated the maneuver with several sets of ropes to wobble the base back & forth (the front of the bases are semi-circle.  Others say that wooden tripods were used to drag the horizontal Moai over lines of logs.  However there are many toppled Moai along all the roads which indicates that they fell over. Only a few Moai still have red hats called Pau-Pau (pronounced poo-poo) made from red scoria rock. Eyes were white rock with black obsidian rock for the pupils. Hats and eyes were added after erection of the Moai, by building a ramp of rocks to climb to the head. Most Moai face inland to watch over the villages; only a few face the ocean.

§      4 of us hired a taxi (driver Goyman Gonzalez), and paid him $60 US each to tour 3 hours and visit Rana Raraku, Ahu Tongarika, Anakena Beach.  Rana Raraku is the giant quarry on the side of the volcanic mountain.  Unbelieveable!!!  One has to walk up a switch back lane cut out of the rock to see the Moai still lying in the mountain at different stages of construction.  The view shows many scattered Moai all around the dry de-vegetated land. Many Moai were toppled by warring tribes who pushed the statues over a rock to break their necks.

§      There are many horses on the island – all reddish brown with a centre white patch on their head.   Apparently are no pigs here.

§      Ahu Tongarika has the most impressive set of Moai:  16 all facing inland on a huge high Ahu platform, one still has a red hat, a few still have eyes.   A tidal wave from the SE had swept them over 100 yards inland but they were restored to the site.  A goose-bump feeling at that place.   WOW!

§      Anakena Beach:  the Moai stand high on a platform at the edge of the sandy beach, they are the only Moai facing the sea.  This is the north side of the island.  This is the only spectacular beach on the island.

§      Town of Hanga Roa is thriving and busy, and located in a more lush area.  Found some Escuador beer and a great drink called Pisco Sour.  We have seen a few shipmates who consumed too many of those…….heheh.

We Loved Easter Island!

Dec 29,2014

………….some miscellaneous stuff

·      The onboard ~?60 foot pool is saltwater, changed fresh daily, 5’5” deep, with 5’ wide side decks ringed by 18” high edges. The ship motion gets replicated in the waves / surf of the pool.  At one point I was surfed up onto the wide deck like a killer whale going after a seal.

·      Large pool deck seating area around the central pool on the 12^th floor + 13^th floor/veranda (called the 14^th)overlooks with more seating plus a rubberized track.  The 15^th floor (back ½ of the ship) has a circular walking track + shuffleboard + croquet + putting greens + golf swing tent + mini-golf + fitness centre.

·      There is every possible activity on board; no one should be bored but I met a woman who only lived for the bingo and Trivia sessions.

·      4 pm High Teas with a string quartet playing – lovely

·      favorite is breakfast room service every day – aaahhh coffee,etc while we watch the ocean or the TV channels showing views from the bow & stern, plus trip maps, weather, location, speed, conditions, and our cruise director Ray telling us all…….News channels are U.S. and what a bunch of strident crap…….is there really a Canada?

·      Many lectures:  eg.  Dr. J. Kess (Prof from U of Vic) has talked about South Pacific islands and history, culture, languages, and Pacific Battles in WWII.    Eg. A session explaining the Tahitian and South Sea pearls and their differences from others :  Tahitian are black or green or gold.  We have booked a visit to a pearl farm at Fanakarava Dec 31.

·      The time keeps going back an hour every few days as we gobble up the longitude meridians……yeah – extra sleep

·      You can see the curvature of the earth very distinctly being so far from horizons – wow

·      Special birds:   seeing frigate birds and masked boobies

·      Switched from original room 7024 Dec 23 to 8024 after fumes twice came through the floor air return ducting.  Fumes smelled like varnish, causing headache and dizziness.  Staff were very, very responsive.

·      Just concluded a ship wide “ship building competition”;  8 teams had the final sail today (Dec 29^th)  in the pool.  My team came 4^th. I got nailed as the team captain because I had to go for a pee.  Fantastic fun, and tremendous creativity among the groups. The team that won had a 90 year old team member who had gone to D-Day in WWII.  The rules primarily required that it had to carry cargo (6 full pop cans), float over 20 feet, and not be made of anything fastened to the ship……heheh

·      Crossed Mariana Trench on Dec 26^th – the deepest part of the planet ~7 miles, crescent shaped scar in the bottom.

·      Dec 27 wind & weather shift to N, 20 knots, disturbed skies – waterspouts?

·      Cold symptoms during Christmas Eve night, rapid worsening until Dec 26, into clinic p.m. Dec 27 with bronchitis & influenza A.  then quarantined in my room till today. After paying 3 times the cost of my deluxe Travel medical insurance I am better. Luckily I have it. The ship has a top-notch medical clinic, however it is U.S.A style of user pay. You should hear the coughing all around the ship.  Unfortunately poor Pat A is now not feeling well (Dec 29)