Peruvian Rainforest -- April 2015 -- Days 22 and 23

Day 22, April 24, 2015 … The ship is always moving to a new location whenever we are not on the skiffs. Last night we headed north down The Ucayali River toward Iquitos.  After breakfast Ricardo gave a teaching on the flora and fauna of the rainforest, the interrelationships of many plants and animals and the conservation efforts to protect them.  Then we boarded the skiffs for a five-minute ride to the river’s edge, where we put on rubber boots provided for us and spent the next two hours on a walk through the rain forest jungle!

Boa constrictor

Dennis was introduced to us as a guide, but in actuality, Ricardo did the guiding and Dennis managed to capture several wildlife creatures for us to view up close and personal … including a baby red-tailed boa constructor, a large poisonous bullet ant (later we saw a whole colony of them), termites (the blind smallest termite; locals burn their nests because the “turpentine” smell is a mosquito repellant!)  a small dry leaf toad, a yellow spotted turtle, a rather big pink-toed tarantula (which is not poisonous but is toxic), a tiny bright orange red-backed dart frog (which is poisonous!)  and a dragon lizard.

Of the 30,000 species of trees in this region, about 10,000 species are considered medicinal. It is

Walking palm tree

Sstrangler fig tree

interesting that they cannot determine the age of the trees as they do not have rings in the trunks because they never stop growing. Their roots are shallow because there is only about a 4-5-inch layer of topsoil on the forest’s floor and even the largest trees live for only 300 years or so..  The walking palm tree’s roots are a group of what looks like twigs coming out of the ground … .like a stick man with many legs … all coming together about 5-6 feet up to form the long trunk reaching for the sky. Another very interesting tree is the strangler fig, which begins on the top of a host tree, sends down roots and eventually strangles its host. We saw one that was estimated to be 200 years old … very impressive.  A couple other interesting plants were the monkey ladder vine, a rubber tree (rubber was a major export of the country in the past), palm trees and trees that produce the Brazil nut.

The two hours was like walking in a sauna, so everyone came out totally soaked; however, there were surprisingly few bugs and insects buzzing around.  The terrain was a bit rugged and the path narrow … but it is the rain forest after all!!  After a quick shower back aboard the ship, we had a cooking lesson on making cerviche and making the national drink, pisco sours!  Then, again, another delicious lunch of still more new tastes.

Squeezing sugar cane

This afternoon we visited the village of Amazonis, a community of 300 river inhabitants with whom Aqua works teaching them to earn their livelihood in an eco-friendly way.  We were first given a demonstration on how they squeeze the juices from the sugar cane. That juice is used not only as a sweetner but for making a dark rum as well. Women showed us the strips of the heart of

Fish dinner

palm used to weave baskets and the roots and leaves from the rain forest used to die the strips into different colors. Their baskets and napkin rings were very attractive. Several other women demonstrated some of their culinary dishes, mostly fish and bananas … I didn’t know there were so many different ways to cook with bananas!  Very interesting.

The children of the village greeted us and performed a few cute things … we are again reminded that kids are beautiful everywhere!!  We then had a chance to browse and purchase some of their crafts, after which we went for a short canoe ride alongside the main river in their native dugout canoes.  The skiffs then took us to the confluence of the Maranon, Ucayali rivers which form the Amazon River at that point. The three skiffs were tied together, we all toasted with a champagne

To the Peruvian rainforest!

cocktail to the three rivers, the rain forest and their protection for future generations. By time we got back to the ship we were again soaked from the rain, though not quite as bad as yesterday.

This evening we were all directed to the lounge upstairs on the riverboat where we had drinks, and then the grand finale  starting with the introduction of the entire staff of 24 after which a half dozen or so became the “Aqua Band” where we enjoyed local music and all danced and celebrated Suzanne’s birthday (one of the guests).  Our last dining experience consisted again of a 5-6 course gourmet meal of new tastes, wine, great conversation with fellow travelers, ending with a pisco sour, the national drink (very tasty!) in the upper lounge before retiring for the night.  It is hard to believe tomorrow is our last day … it has been thrilling, amazing, enlightening and phenomenal.  Come experience this if you can … it’s an experience of a lifetime!

Day 23, April 25, 2015 … Just when you think excursion is over, another revelation awaits you!  Through the night the ship cruised up the Amazon and docked this morning  along the bank at Iquitos.  Remember, it is only accessible by air or by the river, but it is quite a big bustling town.  But

Belen

one extremely unique and fascinating cultural lifestyle is that of the riverside squatter community of Belen. About 56,000 people live on the river in small shanties either on stilts or on floating slabs. During this time of high water, their only means of leaving their home is by boat.  The living quarters are organized along narrow waterways (streets). The government has the brought electricity to them; but I can’t tell you how many times we had to duck down to avoid hitting the electric lines as our skiff trolled down the water street!!  Seems like a disaster waiting to happen.

Many people were out on their little porches either washing clothes by hand in the river water or

Belen

preparing food (using river water as needed) for lunch. Someone brings groceries to them via boat, and they cook over wood fires.  Children were hanging out the windows (well … open spaces to provide light and ventilation, no glass) or simply hanging out where we caught a glimpse to wave at them. Some were even swimming … which seemed gross to me since their latrines dump directly down into the river water. It was also surprising and cute to see the beautiful, smaller children maneuvering their little canoes/boats down the water streets. Some people work in the city, some get paid to watch the boats of others, some fish, some gathered fruits, etc., to sell in the city.

We stopped at one place where two young mechanics were repairing a boat engine. That particular house had several squirrel monkeys as pets, and Bob got to hold them. It is really a symbiotic relationship because the monkeys climb all over the roofs and eat the spiders and other insects that plague them.  Even the gas station is floating … a unique sight of boats lining up to fill up their engines!! However, coming here during the low water season would provide quite a different sight, as then live on the river bank and move their boats out into the channel.  Even having just seen all this, I can’t imagine the lifestyle on water!  How they stay healthy, I don’t know; but they certainly are a friendly, gentle people. Amazing!

Street in Iquitos

We came back to the ship one last time, set our luggage outside our room doors to be taken to the airport, one last delicious lunch of fresh Peruvian food with new-found adventurous friends, and then we’re back on the skiffs, taken ashore, boarded on buses for a quick tour of Iquitos. We traveled
through the main square area and through the unique Belen market where many, many sidewalk vendors were selling their goods … a major source of income for those river dwellers.  I wish we would have been able to stroll the streets for some shopping!

Marcie feeding a manatee

Our next stop was the Institute for the Conservation of the Amazon Habitat. They rescue babies from the rainforest that would otherwise die, nurse them back to health and then acclimate them to their natural environment. At that point the animal is released back into rainforest. We were even able to feed some of the baby manatees, an endangered species that is quite vital to the rainforest because of the copious amount of vegetation they eat per day.

A couple hours of waiting at the Iquitos airport, a two-hour flight back to Lima, a transport to our most luxurious hotel in Miraflores (a very cosmopolitan area adjoining Lima), a delicious pisco sour and cerveza and we’re at the end of our rainforest adventure!!  My words don’t really adequately describe this experience … it is really something one needs to experience personally. It’s not something that was on my bucket list, but I am really, really glad we had this chance to meander through the rainforest!!!

Peruvian Rainforest -- April, 2015 -- Day 21

Day 21, April 23, 2015 … Oh my goodness … what a fantastic adventure this morning!  We boarded the skiffs at 6:30 a.m. and navigated up the Purinahua Canal, then some shortcuts through the trees and little waterways that have been created by chopping through the carpet of water hyacinths onto yet another river. On the way we stop to watch the red howler and squirrel monkeys eat the tree fruits and do their acrobats from limb to limb across the tree canopy. We also saw several black collared hawks, and at one point one was enticed to swoop down to grab the piranha our guide threw into the water.  Amazing to watch!

Rainforest giant lily pads

We saw the giant lily pads and a few of their beautiful purple flowers which  originally comes from India.  Blue and green and chestnut fronted macaws, a pygmy owl, festive parrots, donkey birds, kingfishers,  a black capped donacobius (mockingbird), jacana birds with their babies, an olive whip snake and a sloth were a few of today’s visual delight!

 However, the most fantastic find was a 13-foot long anaconda!  The guides and other crew spent some time coaxing it out of the water hyacinth carpet … and there it was, with all its glorious markings. Most of us had pictures taken with it around our shoulders … yes, even me!! It was all very exciting, even watching it return to its habitat.  Simply amazing.

Frightened Marcie and the Anaconda!

After a short while, all three skiffs were tied together as we gently floated on the canal … time for

Breakfast in the on the skiffs
in the rainforest!

breakfast!  Carlos, one of the kitchen staff and waiters, served us a delicious meal of fruit, juices, egg-salad or ham and cheese croissant sandwich, chocolate cupcakes, coffee … all served in the normal white dishware of the ship’s kitchen!  How many people get to enjoy breakfast hundreds of miles from civilization, away from the noises of people, cars, planes, etc., basking in the lovely rain forest serenaded by the choir of birds and other animals? Simply amazing.

The Ranger Station

The next stop was at the ranger station to use the bathroom.  So, this area is entirely, I mean entirely, under water at this time of the year.  The station is on stilts, just two open buildings with thatched roofs where the rangers live.  There are 13 ranger stations in the Reserve with about 51 rangers to patrol the large area, mostly for poachers.  These rangers are given a month’s supply of necessities at the beginning of the year but are not paid a regular wage. They are allowed to fish and to sell their fish in the cities, which is how they make their money.  Most work two months on, one month off.  The whole idea of conservation is still new to the locals, so the government and companies like Aqua are working hard with the natives to understand and to practice conservation to protect this valuable resource.

"Gallery forest"

On the way back to the boat we experienced heavy rain in this rain forest! So we were quite soaked by time we got back despite the rain ponchos.  At yet another most delicious lunch, everyone was all abuzz recalling the very exciting morning we all experienced!

At 3:30 this afternoon we once again boarded the skiffs for yet another venture down the black rivers and canals of the rain forest.  Because of its narrow vegetation and the tunnel created by the tall leafy trees, scientists call this a “gallery forest” .There are three naturalist guides on board, and they rotate being on one of the skiffs each trip.  All of them … Daniel, Ricardo, Roland,  plus the boat drivers, the medic and the wait staff … are all extremely knowledgeable about the birds and animals, the trees and plants, the entire ecosystem and the history of the area and of Peru.  We are not in the Reserve proper this afternoon, so we saw about half a dozen fishing boats plus a little village on the side of Carocurahuayre  Lake. This is the only green lake in this rain forest because of the algae. The locals sell the shrimp they get from the lake.

Red-and-green-Macaw

One incredible sight was that of 22 macaws sitting on and then flying from a tall tree … Holy Macaw!! (to quote a fellow guest on our skiff!).  While we saw many of the same birds and monkeys as before, we also added to the list the collared forest falcon, the blue headed parrot, the jacamar bird, the red throated caracara, a beautiful toucan, the white-eared jacamar and Muscovy ducks.  It is especially fun listening to the guides mimic the sounds of these birds or monkeys to coax them into better view, and often they respond to that call.  So fun.  We jetted

White-throated toucan

straight back from the lake, about a 45-minute ride twisting and turning along the creeks and canals enveloped by a multitude of trees and greenery, the wind blowing at my face … it’s like a twisty rollercoaster ride … exciting and refreshing!

Back aboard the Aqua, we enjoyed another outstanding 6-course meal with many new tastes and great conversations with our new acquaintances.  Another incredible day!

Peruvian Rainforest -- April 2015 -- Days 19 and 20

Day 19, April 21, 2015 … The ship docked in Calleo, an area just northwest of Lima. We’re up by 4:30 to get packed, eat breakfast and be off the ship by 5:30.  Our transfer to the airport got mixed up, so we didn’t get picked up until almost 7:30. But we arrived at the airport in plenty of time and by 12 o’clock we were in Iquitos, where we were met by the Aqua Expeditions touring guides.  They picked up our luggage and ushered us to waiting mini air-conditioned busses.  The temperature is very warm compared to Lima, as it averages in the high 70’s and 80’s every day.

Moto-kars
Iquitos, Peru

Iquitos is encircled by rivers and rainforest and is the largest isolated city with no roads connecting to the outside world.  My first impression was of the thousands of motor cycles and three-wheel motor-rickshaws called moto-kars jockeying for position on the streets.  The motor rickshaws are made in Iquitos, and because they are affordable, they outnumber any other vehicle types.  The streams of those covered rickshaws coming down the street simply fascinated me. Iqiutos is an older city, built by the rubber barrons of the 19th century, with the buildings built right next to each other, many with rusty galvanized steel roofs. Most buildings also had wrought-iron gates on the doors and windows, similar to what we saw in other South American countries, and the streets were filled with vendors, either store-front or just individuals selling fruit or some sort of food to eat.  It is a bustling town of about 620,000 people.

The river is important to the town as a food source and for tourism and for bringing in supplies and exporting their product. For lunch we were dropped off on a street, walked down the steps to a pier where a covered river taxi took us almost a mile across the river to a floating restaurant, which included a sun deck and an inclosed swimming pool.  Others we talked to who have been here for a week or so gave high praise to the food in Peru, and that was certainly proven correct at this very interesting, tasty lunch consisting of many items I’d never heard of before!

After lunch we taxied back across the river, back on the mini-vans for an almost two-hour ride

The Aqua

through the Peruvian country side to Nauta, a town of 25,000 along the river.  We were hustled onto another small boat, which took us to the Aqua, our home for the next 5 days.  It is a ship with 12 air-conditioned suites, all having large windows for a panoramic overlook the river and river’s edge as we navigate! The rooms are spacious and modern. There are only 15 people on this particular excursion – 2 couples from Wisconsin, a woman from Chicago, another couple from Oklahoma and several couples from Great Britain and Australia.  One brochure described this excursion as … “you are about to embark on an exciting adventure that even many of the most seasoned travelers have not done.”

 

Dinner was again delicious, but was of 5 or 6 courses of foods I was not familiar with.  Interesting!  Well … it’s off to bed a bit early since its been a long day and tomorrow starts at 6 a.m.!!  It’s going to be amazing meandering down the Amazon and its tributaries!

Day 20, April 22, 2015 … Up early, a delicious breakfast, and by 8 o’clock we (except Bob, who stayed back to rest, still fighting his cold) were all donned in our life vests and loaded onto skiffs for our first rain forest adventure.  And a fantastic adventure it was!

We are in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve between the Ucayali and Maranon Rivers, These two major rivers come together to form the Amazon River, but are also considered the Amazon proper.  The Reserve covers about 8,000 square miles, twice the size of Yellowstone National Park. There are two main “seasons” here … high water and low water.  High water occurs generally from October through April, flooding large areas of the rain forest and the animals must find shelter higher in the trees.  During this time 99 percent of the Reserve is under water; only 1 percent high ground!  We are fortunate to be here during high water, as the little 20-30-foot wide tributary we navigated today that meanders deep into the rain forest drops down to a mere trickle in the low season.  However, durng the low water season when the water drops down 15-35+ feet, large beaches are formed and local residents plant crops such as watermelon, peanuts, rice, beans, etc., along the river’s edge!

But the sightings today were so fun … martins, Toucans, Macaws, parrots, tanagers, white bellied

swallows, kingfishers, bats, many other birds I’d never heard of before, many different types of monkeys swinging through the treetops, a three-toed sloth, a beautiful two-foot lizard sunning itself in the tree, a tree rat, a gorgeous orange butterfly and a couple iridescent blue butterflies.  At the very end of the little river, the skiff was trudging through green water cover of water hyacinths, similar to water lilies, but a smaller plant. We were looking for anacondas that normally sun themselves on these carpets of green.  The snake is my least, least, least favorite of God’s creatures (and that’s putting it mildly!), but I thought my snake-loving grandsons would like a picture.  But that was not to be this morning!

After lunch and a little siesta, we were back out on a different river, The Dorado. The sightings started out with a delightful show by both grey and pink dolphins.  We spotted a group of common squirrel monkeys jumping through the tree tops, plus a couple brown capuchin monkeys and a red

howler monkey.  From the river we scooted through the woods, now mostly under water, except for the canopy, spotting many horned screamer birds skimming along the water, plus a black-collared hawk.  Once we crossed Oxbow Lake, the skiff was nudged into the woods where we stopped to fish for piranha … yes, piranha!  Several people caught a few red-bellied piranha which is part of the locals’ regular diet.  My goodness, they have big sharp teeth!  It was a lot of fun.

By now it was getting close to dusk and we’re on the lookout for caiman. There are no alligators or

crocodiles in South America, but the caiman is a similar but smaller version. We spotted one little spectacled caiman, but now it was time to simply watch and enjoy the gorgeous sunset on the river. We head back to the ship in the dark, but one of the guides leads the way with a large spotlight, quickly looking along the banks and trees for glimpses of eyes, nocturnal wildlife.  Hurray … a two-foot black caiman was spotted and caught! So we all had an opportunity to touch it and pose for pictures with it, of course!  So exciting!  We also spotted a kinkajou in a tree, a type of raccoon, and an ordinary opossum. 

Ricardo, Marcie and the black caiman

After another scrumptious dinner of many new tastes, Roland (one of the naturalists) taught us about half a dozen different kinds of fruits and nuts from this area and how they are used … fascinating.  It’s been an absolutely, positively amazing day.

South Pacific and Peru -- April 2015 -- Days 15, 16, 17 and 18

Day 15, April 17, 2015 … We’re cruising the South Pacific, heading northeast to Lima, Peru. There’s a strong headwind today, so it’s windy when outside; but the temperature is very comfortable. There was a mandatory lifeboat drill, after which I attended a cooking demonstration. The Italian and French chefs each prepared two dishes, bantering all the while.  It was interesting and informative … so now I suppose Bob is going to expect me to make Crepes Suzette and Crispy duck breast with orange sauce!!

Beer tasting, anyone?

Lunch, malts, a lecture on the adventures and discoveries of Captain Cook, beer tasting (by Bob), happy hour,  and enjoying the company of an extremely interesting gentleman born in France now living in California filled the afternoon. Bob and I had a romantic evening with dinner at the Red Ginger … shrimp spring rolls, duck and watermelon salad, seafood stir fry, sea bass, desserts, wine, tea and excellent service. A decadent culinary delight. And when else would we then chill out lying in bed drinking wine while watching two Hobbit movies!!! 

Day 16, April 18, 2015 … It is very windy out there today, with swells in the ocean up to eight feet. The temperature is cool, and the cloudy sky looks like it wants to rain.  Sometime during the night the ship crossed the Tropic of Capricorn, so we are again between that and the equator. We met Skip and Cheryl to do some photo shoots, but then we nixed it because of the weather and played Trivia Pursuit until lunch (we’re not any better at the game than we are at the ship’s afternoon trivia!!)

The afternoon was very relaxing with lunch, malts, the last lecture on Captain Cook’s adventures (can you see a pattern here???), a little time to read and happy hour. The other four went to a Moroccan cooking class, which they thoroughly enjoyed; then we all met for yet another scrumptious dinner at the Grand Dining Room.  And once again we enjoyed the entertainment of Ms. Carter and her violin. It has been another day of many laughs!!

Day 17, April 19, 2015 … 69F, Cloudy and 54 mile-per-hour winds out there this morning … yikes! But by the afternoon, though still cloudy, the wind died down considerably. The ship is all a buzz today as we near the end of our cruise … instructions on handling our luggage, times and places to disembark, pick up our passports (they’ve had them for safekeeping the entire trip) … plus talk of “where are you going” with others on board.  Some are spending a day or two in Lima, others off to Machu Pichu, and still others will remain aboard going through the Panama Canal and docking at several ports in Central America and along the US Eastern seaboard, disembarking in New York in early May! 

This morning we attended our last lecture, this time on the history of Lima and places to see.  Unfortunately our itinerary has no time for exploring Lima. After that I attended a demonstration on scarf tying … picked up many cute ideas!  After lunch we chilled out in our stateroom.  Bob’s fighting a little cold; and we learned that Skip has the flu, so we didn’t see them at all today.

The afternoon tea was a Gala event … four different ice sculptures; an eagle, swan and large castle made of chocolate; many different decadent sandwiches and desserts; chefs in their white aprons and tall hats greeting everyone; and, of course, the wonderful wait staff in their white jackets and gloves serving tea! Happy hour and another delicious dinner in the Grand Dining Room with Steve and Barb rounded out our day.  These are days of doing what you want, when you want, if you want and being waited on hand and foot … I’m going to miss it, but I’m also getting excited about the next leg of our adventure!

The Gala Afternoon Tea 

Aboard the Oceania Marina

Day 18, April 20, 2015 … Laundry!  The sun is out and it is quite pleasant. But we did receive very disappointing news … Skip and Cheryl have decided they need to fly home tomorrow, meaning they will miss out on our Amazon riverboat cruise.  It has been so wonderful traveling with them, and the next leg of our adventure will be very empty without them! 

Bob’s still not up to par, so while he naps, I’m packing all our things. One really nice thing about cruising is you unpack and simply live in your stateroom the entire time … unlike tours where you live out of the suitcase because you’re sleeping in a new place every night!   

Our last dinner on the ship … our last array of incredible appetizers and salads, our last lobster and jumbo shrimp entre, our last decadent dessert selection, our last good byes to great friends!  It’s been amazing … and now, with some trepidation, we go forward to yet another adventure.  I have no idea when there will be Internet service available again … but thanks for joining our meanding through the South Pacific ... and stay tuned as we continue our journey meandering through the Amazon River and Machu Pichu!

South Pacific and Peru -- April 2015 -- Days 13 and 14

Day 13, April 15, 2015 … Sun rise at 8:34. Easter Island, known locally as Rapa Nui.  A somewhat frustrating morning!  The ship anchored off the west shore, with tenders to start delivering guests to shore by 9 a.m.; but because of rough sw seas, she pulled up anchor and sailed to the north side of the island to tender into a more sheltered bay ... and one of the only two beaches on the island.  That meant everything started an hour late. But the waves proved to be challenging here also because people had to exit from the moving tender onto a moving platform before going ashore, which was proving to be very difficult for many, especially the elderly.  Finally they eased that issue a bit by permanently docking a tender at the landing point, so guests now exited from one tender onto another tender,then onto the  ramp and finally to shore.  All in all it was about 1 o’clock before we set foot on Easter Island!!  After an hour of negotiating and obtaining a vehicle for the six of us, we were finally on our way to explore the island!

Easter Island is about 64 square miles half way between Chili and Tahiti and is considered the world’s most isolated inhabited island. The original settlers were most likely Polynesian. It was discovered by a Dutch explorer on Easter Sunday in 1722 and was annexed by Chili in the late 19^th century.  Today the Chilean government requires most residents to live in the only town of Hanga Roa; the rest of the island designated National Park or archaeological sites.

Easter island was formed from three large volcanoes strategically located around the island, and one notices the many black volcanic rocks throughout the very green, hilly landscape and along the shores. All around the island we marveled at the large gorgeous blue ocean waves racing toward the shores, then crashing into the black rocky shoreline creating huge white sprays which then settled back down into the waters.  Totally mesmerizing. 

The rocky shores of Easter Island

Of course, Easter Island is best known for its moai, those large statues with heads 3/5 larger than the bodies, made from compressed volcanic ash, basalt, trachyte or red scoria rock. Some were placed on ceremonial platforms called ahu. Some moai have arms, hands and fingers; only one small one has legs. They can be as tall as 33 feet and weigh up to 82 tons. It is believed they were created to honor religious leaders who had died. Interestingly, the moai face interior toward what would have been villages to watch over them; and they are mostly located along the coasts.  An estimated 900 moai were carved between 1250 AD and 1500 AD, that practice ending when the victors in a civil war instituted a Bird Man cult, destroying many of the moai at that time. Today there are extensive archeological diggings taking place in ancient villages, to discover and restore moai and to uncover Bird Man stone carvings.

Moai
Easter Island

Tonanki
Easter Island

We drove around the island, stopping at several ahu and moai or to simply watch the waves slamming into the black rocks. The most magnificent collection of moai was Tonariki where 15 moai were lined up near the south shore, all facing inward, all very close together on a single ahu, with different sizes and different facial expressions.  Another awesome site was Rano Raraku, where almost 400 moai are scattered along the side of the volcano in various stages of construction (or destruction).  This is near the quarry where the moai were carved.   We could have spent a lot more time at this site walking and exploring the volcano itself, but time and energy dictated we continue onward!  . Another surprising site for us was the many, many horses all around the island, most of them right along side the road.

Rano Karaku
Easster Island

After driving into Hanga Roa, we stopped for a cervesa and some quick shopping, then headed back to the pier and back to the ship.  While the day was much shorter than originally planned, it was fascinating, interesting, surprising and impressive.  And all of us were in awe of the fact that “we are actually on Easter Island”!!!

Horses on Easter Island

Drinks in Hanga Roa
Easter Island

Day 14, April 16, 2015 … The ship remains anchored off the shores of Easter Island, but we did not go ashore today.  To shop in town would have required a substantial taxi fare, and it was too cloudy for swimming.  Skip and Cheryl went down to the tender to swim on the beach, but the waves were rolling so high, people had a challenging time getting on and off the tenders … they turned around and went up to the ship’s spa instead!  Actually, it was great entertainment all day watching the tenders struggling against the waves to manipulate themselves close to the ship for loading and unloading. You could hear people cheering as they actually made it aboard!  Perhaps we should have gone ashore just for that adventure alone!

People on Easter Island waiting for tenders to
return to the ship

Tenders manuevering for guests to leave and come back
to the ship

So it was a relaxing day reading in the lounge chairs on the pool deckose while sipping a tasty malt, lunch at the Waves Grill, trivia and a very dry Grey Goose vodka martinis (with 3 olives … I’m learning, Cheryl!!) happy hour, then a lovely dinner with Steve and Barb in the Grand Dining room. Skip and Cheryl had a romantic dining experience at the Red Ginger.  We attended the evening’s show, which was a performance by an entertaining young lady from Ireland, E. Sarah Carter,  who played the violin … so many hearty laughs and lively music.  She was very good … so much fun!  The ship has now set sail for Lima, Peru … four days of sailing without sight of land! The weather has been perfect … can it get any better?? !!

South Pacific and Peru -- April, 2015 -- Days 10, 11 and 12

Day 10, April 12, 2015 … I slept in a while and slowly got started with prayer and a delicious croissant brought to our room. The ship is anchored just off the island of Pitcairn.  This island has a long, infamous history of mutiny, romance, murder and hearty survival.  The sixth generations of those men who committed mutiny on the British ship, the Bounty, still live here.  It is a two-mile long, one-mile wide rugged island which is currently inhabited by 45 individuals … about 30 or so working adults and one seven-year-old child.  Other children are at school in New Zealand. Because of the difficulty in getting on the island, we were unable to leave the ship; however, the Pitcairns have three long boats that they bring to the ship. They set up shop in the upper lounge on the ship where we were able to purchase their wares.  I found many cute things … they make pure honey, soaps and creams; sell beautifully wood carved plates, bowls and sea animals; souvenir stamps are popular and are in various venues; plus t-shirts and hats, jewelry and head pieces, post cards and books. I was impressed at the quality and uniqueness of the crafts.

The coastline of Pitcairn

The longboat from Pitcairn

We also attended a presentation by a woman who was born on the island, lived in many states in the US, married an American, lived in Alaska for 37 years and returned to live on Pitcairn five years ago.  It was very interesting to hear of their generator providing electricity from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, their relatively modern medical clinic, their large school for the currently one student, their collection of rain for water (though there is a spring on the island as a backup), the supply ship that comes from New Zealand every three months, the 12 to 18 cruise ships that anchor off their shores every year which provides a major source of their income, the Internet and television stations available to them now and the fact that most adults wear several hats to “get the job done” to keep everything functioning on the island.  There are also many plants and animals that are only found here, some very close to extinction.  With such a small population and few children, the future of the island seems doomed unless others immigrate here. Even though we weren’t able to actually go onto the island, I do feel well acquainted with it, both its history and the lives of those who still live there.

We had lunch with Skip and Cheryl at the Grand Dining Room … it’s now more fun as the waiters are getting to know us by name! And, of course, the food continues to be so, so delicious.  About 2 o’clock the ship started sailing around the island, giving us a glimpse of its rugged terrain. It was fascinating watching the longboat as it approached the ship, tethered to it and the crafters boarded the boat with their remaining wares.  

By now it is time for martini tasting once again!  Bob joined Cheryl and me and Skip was the “official photographer!”  More great ideas for martini tasting parties!  Afterwards, we tried our luck again at Trivia … we’re doing better but still not good!!! 

Martini tasting aboard the Oceania Marina

We opted for dinner at the Terrace Café where they served all Indian cuisine. I found it generally tasty, though Bob is not a fan and was also frustrated with the buffet lines. But it’s always good spending time with good friends … life is good aboard the cruise ship!

Day 11, April 13, 2015 … We’re up early to do laundry. Then a quick breakfast and off to Dr. Smith’s lecture on Easter Island where we will be stopping for two days.  We enjoyed a malt while sitting in the lounge chairs on the pool deck, after which all of us had lunch again at the Grand Dining Room. After that I attended a short informative seminar about eye care put on by a member of the ship’s spa (oh vanities of vanities!). Team trivia again … we really did bad today! 

By now it’s Happy Hour, so we had a drink with Barb and Steve, then dinner at Jacques, another specialty restaurant serving French food … Oh my, I think this may be a favorite!  Delicious escargot with butter and garlic, excellent French onion soup, scrumptious lobster thermidor served on lobster shells. Several others had Dover Sole which the waiter deboned right at the table … Wow!

Escargot at Jacques
Oceania Marina

Lobster termidor
Oceania Marina

We roll ourselves into bed after turning our clocks ahead yet another hour. It was another day of a gorgeous sunrise and sunset, the waves of the deep blue sea, walking up and down many steps (our exercise rather than taking the elevator), talking with others from around the world and enjoying the company of good friends. Life is so good!

Day 12, April 14, 2015 … Because of the time changes, the sun didn’t rise until 8:05 this morning, making it very easy to stay in bed!  So after a lazy morning, we are at sea again today, (though I must say Bob has been really good about walking a mile or two every day up top of the ship … no, not me), we went to the ship’s sales pitch on why we should book another tour (or two or three!) with Oceania … some really are enticing. The Grand Dining Room had a special Brunch buffet today, which all of us went to; and then to another lecture by Dr. Smith on the life of Thor Heyerdahl, whose theories on the origins of the Polynesians were revolutionary.  Fascinating.

Dinner with Barb, Bob, Marcie, Cheryl, Skip and Steve

Afternoon tea was beautiful, as usual, and we did do quite well at trivia today though still not close to being winners!  This evening’s dinner was at the Polo Grill, checking out the last of the ship’s specialty restaurants. The atmosphere was opulent with the windows out the front of the boat, leather chairs, waiters who addressed us by name and, of course, delicious wine, appetizers, soups, salads, entrées and desserts. It’s been fun “getting dressed” for dinner and being treated as though we were someone of importance.  I’m getting spoiled!  We move our clocks ahead once more. Between that and late dinners, little time is left for night-time entertainment, at least for those of us who need sleep!  Lovely, lovely day. We are looking forward to Easter Island tomorrow.

South Pacific and Peru -- April, 2015 -- Days 7, 8 and 9

Day 7, April 9, 2015 … Oh my goodness!  Our ship anchored off the shore of the Island of Fakarava this morning.  We tendered to shore and were greeted with the most delightful iconic performance.  There were about 8 or 9 playing drums and singing plus another half dozen dancers – all dressed in colorful Polynesian dress  The dancers were donned with flowers in their hair, leis and grass skirts; the others too had flower headbands and brightly colored floral print shirts. What a wonderful, wonderful welcome!

Fakarava is an atoll similar to yesterday’s Island of Rangiroa … built of coral, no volcanic mountains, forming a ring surrounding a gorgeous lagoon.  It is also one of the newest stops for cruise ships, and it was obvious the islanders were intent on welcoming us.  Only about 850 people live on the island, but the environment is so pure it was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve to preserve rare species.  There were a few people selling their crafts, and we walked a bit to what we think was the area of town. Many different varieties of flowers were everywhere, as well as coconut palm trees just loaded with coconuts!  We visited a beautiful little Catholic Church … palms wrapped around the statues and columns of the building and leis of flowers around the crucifix, Madonna icon and other statutes.  We were told about a church built of coral on this island, but that was 28 miles away and there was no public transportation available.

Polynesian Dancers greeting us at Fakarava

There are, however, beaches all around this 37-mile long, 12-mile wide ring like island. As this is our last visit to a French Polynesian island, we needed to swim one more time in the very inviting turquoise lagoon. Again, the water is clear and there were patches of coral scattered along the sandy bottom. One coral had a large, I’m guessing 9-inch, clam on it, opening and closing its zig-zag shell. 

Cheryl, Marcie & Bob
Swimming in the lagoon

Amazing! Plus there were yellow and silver colored fish as well as black and white stripped ones swimming in and around the coral outgrowths.  It was a totally refreshing swim.  Walking back to the pier, we stopped for a drink at a local cafe, which had a colorfully painted dock … each board a different pastel color.  It was fun watching the birds fly around and then take a direct dive into the water. This was a perfect little island to complete our South Sea Island adventure, as it perfectly summed up the idyllic picture most have in their minds of what it is like here!

Marcie, Cheryl, Skip enjoying a drink at a cafe on the beach
Fakarava, French Polynesia

After returning to the ship, I napped a bit, then we played Trivia (our team really isn’t very good!!), had drinks during Happy Hour and stuffed ourselves once again with another absolutely delicious gourmet dinner.  The ship departed from Fakarava about 6 p.m. and will be cruising at sea now for two full days.  We also lose an hour tonight as we travel eastward through a time zone. While our travels are far from over, today we say good-bye to the French Polynesian Islands, their exquisite beauty, the casual elegance and the warm friendly inhabitants who have already marked a unique turning point in our adventure across the South Pacific!

Day 8, April 10, 2015 …” What does one do while on a cruise ship all day long?” you might ask.  The ship is cruising along at about 18 miles per hour.  The view from our balcony is a deep, deep blue ocean as far as the eye can see with gentle waves, puffy white clouds and an air temperature of about 81 degrees.  The ship rocks a little, but we get used to it quite easily. This morning was nice and relaxing … Coffee and croissants on the balcony, after which Bob walked a mile while I slept in!  There are many activities planned for us guests that we may choose to attend. We went to the lecture on Star Gazing at 10 a.m., which was interesting to hear about what to see in the southern hemisphere skies. Cheryl said she attended the lecture on the life and designs of EFFY, which she found interesting (and with very expensive jewelry pieces even at 65% off!). Before the Terrace Café opened for lunch we opted for a yummy malt. Of course, then we did have another delicious lunch with Skip and Cheryl.

The view from our Stateroom balcany

This afternoon we attended a lecture on the “real” story of Captain William Bligh, whose crew on the Bounty committed mutiny and whose descendants still live on Pitcairn Island. The lecturer kept us spell-bound with this story and left us hanging at the end to come back for more tomorrow. Afterwards, Cheryl, Barb and I attended a martini tasting … how delightfully fun.  Now I have some great entertaining ideas for future parties!!   

Our dinner this evening was at the Toscana, another specialty restaurant aboard ship that serves everything Italian.  Talk about a delicious culinary feast … the menu itself, in both Italian and English, took half an hour to read!  About 6 or 7 courses were available including antipastos, appetizers, soups, pastas, specialty pastas, main entrees plus, of course, wine and desserts!  We move our clocks ahead an hour. It was another delightful day aboard the Oceania Marina … how Blessed we are!!

Toscana restaurant aboard the Oceania Marina

Day 9, April 11, 2015 … No cooking. No washing dishes. No cleaning floors. No making beds. Even no doing laundry if you’re willing to pay for it (which I am not). We are waited on hand and foot … they seat you, place your napkin on your lap, pour your drinks, change silverware settings at every course. They even put the food on your plate In the buffet lines. Cruising is great!  After breakfast we simply had to find out the rest of the story of Captain Bligh. The lecturer, Dr. Paula Smith, said she’s been asked to write a Hollywood script with historical accuracy on Captain Bligh, and she sounded very excited to get the truth out there, commenting how inaccurately Hollywood has portrayed him in all their movies about the mutiny on the Bounty.  I don’t know why I’m so tired these days, but after a nap, I spent some time reading on our balcony … the view, the breeze and the temperature are perfect!

This afternoon we enjoyed the South American cocktail tasting with Barb and Steve ... so fun! And then we attended the afternoon tea where the tea waiter held a box of a dozen or so different teas for us to choose from, another waiter offered little sandwiches and other delicious goodies and yet another waiter came by with a cart of little desserts. Plus there was another table with delicious morsels of goodies and yet another side table with crepes covered in Grand Marnier sauce!  What a great experience … we’ll have to do this again!

Pool side on the Oceania Marina

We all returned to the very formal Grand Dining Room for dinner once again for, you guessed it, another gourmet dinner.   Skip and Cheryl related their wonderful cooking class on Red Ginger recipes, including the duck and watermelon salad Bob so enjoyed when we were at that restaurant. So with that recipe in hand, I don’t have an excuse for not making it at home, right?  After dinner we walked along the deck a little, stopping to view the stars. We turn our clocks ahead another hour this evening.  This has been another relaxing, enjoyable day at sea!

The grand staircase in the ship's reception area
Oceania Marina