Bula from Yasaw-i-Rara, Fiji!

Hello from paradise to all you folks suffering through the ice and snow! This is Super Bowl “Monday” here in Fiji, since Saturday didn't exist for us. We went straight from Friday to Sunday after we crossed the International Dateline.

Please forward my mail to Nanuya Island, where the 1980's film “Blue Lagoon” was filmed. It is absolutely turquoise- gem with crystal clear water, and just what I imagined a South Seas Paradise should look like. Please check out David's photos below. I know there a lot, but we are trying to send you a bit of sunshine!

Yasawa-i-Rara has a population of 600 lucky souls and has only one exclusive luxury hotel, Yasawa Island Resort, which is discretely hidden among the palms on a pristine white beach.

We took the tender over this morning and swam in the warm, clear ocean, then took a walk to gather some shells and talk to the local people who were selling handicrafts. Julien, if you are reading this, I bought you a turtle necklace. I know you love frogs, but they didn't have any.

The smiles were a wide as the colorful pareas they were selling. The local people were warm and welcoming, with no hard sells.

As I write this, the Super Bowl is playing in the Stardust Lounge, with a “concession stand” of typical stadium food.

Yesterday was a sea day, and again, too full of activities, so I had to prioritize. Lost at Sea scored a respectable 10 in Team Trivia. The highest score was 12. I skipped Art Class (and the Mozart Tea!) o attend the World Cruise Book Group. Joe Kita, who is a writer himself, and who teaches the Memoir Writing Class, led the discussion. The book was “Getting Stoned with the Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu” by J Maarten Troost. I like this author, and have read his other books: “Sex Lives of the Cannibals” about his life on Kiribati, and “Lost on Planet China.” He writes with humor and a good description of this part of the world. Currently, I am reading his latest book: “Headhunters on My Doorstep,” when he returns to the Marquesas, the Tuamotus, Tahiti, Kiribati and Samoa 10 years later. He writes a lot about drinking Kava (the getting stoned part.) Traditionally, Kava, made from the roots of a plant indigenous to this area, was made by having people chew the roots and then it was mixed with water. It has a mild narcotic effect, and “oils” conversation, but increases focus. It has historically been used in lifecycle ceremonies, but is now available in special bars, and in powdered form. J Maarten Troost explored the effects a bit too much having 4 or 5 “shells” at a time (coconut shells used as a vessel.) Apparently, it tastes a lot like dirt and twigs and is an acquired taste.

Yesterday, was the Crew Tug o' War competition! The various departments don costumes and compete against one another. It is a little unfortunate to see the Spa staff compete against the Engine Room, but it's all in good fun! The Dining Room staff and the Engine Room staff were the finalists, and although the guys from the engine room were strong and tried their best, ultimately, the Dining Room staff won the match! What muscles on these guys!! The Tug o' War was held at poolside, and it was hot, hot, hot! Cruise Director Rick Spath did a great play-by-play!

It was black tie optional last night, so the Doctor was in attendance at the table. He is quite interesting, originally from Sweden, he has worked all over the world, and now lives in Nice.

The show was “Curtain Call,” a cabaret performance.

I can't believe we have already been over two weeks at sea! The time passes so quickly, even without loosing a day.

We've been enjoying new friendships, but sad that Terry (Bodogbodog) and Kerry will be getting off in Sydney. Terry has been a wealth of guidance for our visit to Australia and Japan. He lives in Sydney, Australia and travels several times a year to Japan on business. We have decided to take his suggestion and skip Shimizu, Japan, in exchange for taking the bullet train to Kyoto. Unfortunately, Kyoto is not a stop on this cruise, but Crystal does offer a two day overland adventure to Kyoto at the outrageous cost of $2899 pp. We will take a taxi from the ship in Shimizu to the train station and take the 1 ½ hour trip to Kyoto. This will give us a chance to experience the Shinkensen, or bullet train, that goes 200 mph. We may get a glimpse of Mt Fuji from the train. Terry made suggestions of a temples, a garden and shrine to visit. With luck we will also get to see some traditionally dressed Geisha as they head to their workplace at dusk. We'll take the train back to Shimizu, and board Crystal Serenity before it sails at 9 pm. Wish us luck that we don't miss the ship! This way, we will still be able to enjoy our visit to Tokyo. (Previously, we were debating visiting Kyoto instead of Tokyo.) Terry is also responsible for our guide in Bali, and many thanks to Pat for sending a photo of Kaydek! The best news, is that Terry and Kerry may spend the day with us in Sydney and go to Manly Beach with us!

All for now—we're off to catch the last few minutes of the Super Bowl!

Talofa! Hello in Western Samoa!

Sorry that it has taken me so long to write this installment of our blog, but the time goes so quickly!

Today is Friday, January 5 on board the ship and Saturday, January 6 in Apia, Samoa. We crossed the International Dateline today, so Saturday does not exist for us.

When last I posted, we had gone ashore in Fanning Island and since that time, there have been a lot of activities on the ship.

After we showered and changed from the heat of Fanning Island, we met our Aussie friends, Terry and Kerry for drinks in The Cove and then went up to Tastes for dinner. Tastes is casual dining on the Lido Deck. It is open for lunch with multiple Asian specialties like Asian Chicken Salad, Pot Stickers, Stir-fry Noodles, plus other selections such as Caesar Salad with Shrimp, Ruben Sandwich, Burgers, etc. At night it is transformed into a romantic restaurant with the feel of an Italian or Spanish sidewalk cafe. The menu is eclectic offering inspired by Sapphire Restaurant in Laguna Beach, California.

The dishes are small servings meant for sharing, and this is what Terry, Kerry, David and I selected:

Duo of Mediterranean Dips: Muhammara, Spinach Hummus, and Za'Tar Lavosh

Ahi Tuna “Jar Jar:” Green Olives, Chives, Toast (similar to a tuna tartare)

Greek Octopus Salad with Basil-Oregano Vinaigrette

Singapore Chicken Curry Noodles with Cabbage, Crushed Peanuts and Cilantro

Gambas a la Plancha: Prawns in Paprika-Lemon Butter, Grilled Baguette

Lamb Kibbeh: Lamb Patties with Fattoush Salad, Eggplant Puree and Feta

Sapphire's Steamed Kobe Sliders with Havarti, Chili Aioli on a Brioche Bun

We passed on dessert despite the superlicious selection!

We finished off the evening with more conversation with Terry and Kerry and after dinner drinks in The Cove.

Wednesday, February 3 was a big day in competition in the World Cruise Games. I played Free Cell and came in near the bottom of the deck (bad pun intended!) But I did much better in Backgammon and saved the family honor with a Silver Medal! The award ceremonies will be later in the week for these games.

Because of my competition in Backgammon, and the need to proceed with multiple games for the playoff, I missed the Equator Crossing Ceremony in the Palm Court, but David went to grab a few photos. It is no longer performed around the pool, because it took so long to clean the pool afterwards. We did it in 2008 when we circumnavigated South America. At that time, King Neptune judged each Polliwog (one who has not crossed the Equator, yet) guilty of a sin. Punishment was kissing a very large, very dead fish and being covered with multi-colored frosting and being forced to jump in the pool. I'm certain the Captain was pleased with the change in venue, because frequently he gets tossed into the “deep.”

We met Gaylord and Gina for drinks before dinner in the Avenue Saloon. Afterwards, we went to dinner in the Main Dining Room. The food has been consistently excellent in all the dining venues—much to our dismay! We also seem to be breaking some kind of record with the number of cappuccinos and latte's we are consuming each day. We skipped the evening show and called it a relatively early night after finishing dinner around 10:15.

Yesterday, was another sea day with two great lectures: Samoa and Fiji Culture and History by Ken Rees and Religions of the Middle East by Lt. Col Francona. Both were worthwhile and interesting. Finally, I have an understanding of the difference between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Lt Col Francona was cautiously optimistic about the possibility of peace in the Middle East, but maybe not for a long time. Such a sad situation.

We met a new friend, Marietta, for lunch in the Main Dining Room. Marietta is from Switzerland. It is one of the best parts about the World Cruise to meet new friends from all over the world. So far we have met people from: Switzerland, Australia, the UK, Japan, China, Egypt, Germany, Denmark, Canada and Mexico.

After my rock carving class, David and I met Gaylord and Gina for our first lessons in Shuffleboard. It is harder than it looks and Gina and Gaylord were very patient with us.

Tonight is a special World Cruise Themed Evening—and from the décor all around the ship, it's Elvis Night! Tonight's show features West End star Simon Bowman in evening of Elvis hits.

I forgot, perhaps on purpose, to mention our lack of success in Trivia. We have the misfortune of having a couple as part of our team who are absolutely certain of the right answer---and absolutely wrong! They are aggressive in their answers and have caused us to lose many points. It becomes awkward, because you can't just ask someone to move along to another team. Consequently, when the scoring for this cluster of games was announced, Lost at Sea did the “Walk of Shame.”

More in a day or two!

February 2, 2016, anchored off the coast of Fanning Island, Nation of Kiribati.

I'm actually a day behind in my blog, but the days and evenings are so busy that there is little free time.

When last I wrote, we had attended the first shore side event for the full World Cruisers. I am still left with thoughts of the mammoth battleship, the USS Missouri, which we visited. It is sobering to think of the fight that the crew of this ship, and many others like her, carried out—and the loss of lives and injuries incurred. Thank you to all of those who served in a war with meaning.

Our days begin with the Pilates Class on the Reformer, or medieval torture rack as it is affectionately known. There is a righteousness about working up a sweat that makes one feel they are entitled to a healthy breakfast! Our instructor, Grace Wang, is adorable and very encouraging.

The series of lectures with a Mideast theme continues. I especially enjoyed Professor Louis Rene Beres' talk on espionage in the Middle East. He focused primarily on the Israeli Intelligence groups and talked about how Eichmann was discovered in South America. It brought back the memory of our dinner with Simon Wiesenthal. Our friend, Bob Cooper, produced the HBO movie of Wiesenthal's life. After the premiere, we, along with 3 other couples were invited by Bob and his wife, Nessa, to dinner with Simon Wiesenthal at the now defunct Chasen's in Beverly Hills. I felt as though I was touching history, and Simon Wiesenthal was hardly a James Bond type, he looked more like your Uncle Morty. He continued to live in Austria and said he did so to remind them of what they did. On a side note, he sent his food back three times!

Afternoons are busy with Odyssey Art at Sea. I am still working on my stone carving project—and that is hard work! It's like another hour in the gym as we rasp away the rough and hard stone. Some of the pieces are really creative and look very professionally done. Mine looks rather like a rock!

We are enjoying the couples at our table, and the Doctor has proven to be a genial host.

Last night was the Crystal Society Party, and guests were recognized for their 70^th, 80^th and 220^th cruise. Mama Lee, who lives on board, has achieved her 220^th cruise within only 7 years. My hero! Pauline Hoff, who has over 300 is also on board, but getting quite frail.

It is so interesting to watch the stylized dancing by guests, especially Japanese ladies, who are so graceful and who take the dance classes on board. Another interesting sight, both on and off the dance floors are the predatory single ladies who have a Dance Host within their sight and go after them with the speed and accuracy of a heat-seeking missile! There are quite a large number of single women on board, and Crystal does an excellent job of taking care of the solo travelers. We were under the assumption that there would also be female Dance Hosts on board. Apparently, they were discontinued on the World Cruise because the solo lady travelers were upset that a woman was taking up space of a potential male Dance Host!

We are enjoying our time with several new people and especially Terry and Kerri from Sydney.

We took the tender into Fanning Island this morning, and, unfortunately, it was rainy and overcast. The seas were quite rough and the crew on the tenders really earn their money as they help the guests, many elderly and infirm, off and on the tender with great gaps both horizontally and vertically. Thank you to them for their hard work!

This is our second time in Fanning Island, and there seem to be no changes or improvements since our visit in 2014. The residents are very friendly and have radiant smiles. We bought a few hand made crafts, mainly to help support the residents. It was a short visit to the island since the rain began in earnest. An amazing island with no electricity,no running water and seemingly happy people.

We're heading up to Lido for lunch. I will try and include some photos of the huge variety of food available on the Lido Deck between the Lido Cafe, Tastes and Trident (and Ben & Jerry's ice cream!)

All for now!