DAY 24---FAKARAVA, FRENCH POLYNESIA

                                 

We are anchored just off the Fakarava atoll today.  Internet is still iffy.  It is mostly sunny and a balmy 85 degrees here this afternoon.  I HAVE MADE TWO POSTINGS TODAY--DAYS 23 & 24!

Historical/Background Info:

        Fakarava is the second largest atoll in the west Tuamotu Archipelago in the French Polynesia and is 267 miles from Tahiti.  It is roughly rectangular and is 37 miles long and 13 miles wide.  Its population is 844 and largest village is Rotoava.  It has some of the most pristine and undisturbed coral reef ecosystems in the world.  In addition to tourism around diving, the economy is based on mother-of-pearl farming and copra (coconut oil).        We were here in 2014 on Mariner from Miami to Papeete, Tahiti.

LAST EVENING

I enjoyed this new appetizer.  It was a zucchini & sundried tomato frittata with a pecorino cream pesto.  It was delicious.  Then we both had a Ceasar salad.  We get the dressing on the side and I doctor it up by adding quite a bit of tabasco.  Of course I had my 5 anchovies.  Dara, our server, always laughs.

For our entrees we both enjoyed the pan seared veal liver with onions and baked potatoes.  I spared you by not putting a photo of it on the blog as know many of you would not care for liver.

I really enjoyed this apple croissant pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for my dessert.

TODAY

        The internet was almost non-existent again this morning until about 11am.  It is very frustrating.  Now Cus, our internet manager, is ill.  Not sure what his problem is but has not been available for a couple days.  Also not available was the ship's phone.  I could read part of an email from my sister saying to call her.  I couldn't so was worried something might be wrong with our 94 year old mother.  I finally got her on phone around 11am.  Mother is ok but she had eye surgery and a reaction to the phentanol they used to sedate her out.  She is ok now.

        We are not going ashore here today.  Tender ride to get ashore does not appeal to us.  Besides there is nothing to do here but swim, snorkel, or dive.  I don't go where fish are!

 Lunch in Compass Rose.  I started with these leek tarts with gruyere cheese.  Two were too much.  Next I had a spaghetti bolognese.

        Still no Dallas Morning News for 3rd day.  We will be raising anchor at 5pm and sailing to our next stop at Rangiroa where we will be dropping anchor again at 9am tomorrow.  Another tender port and I have a tour to a pearl farm.

        This evening we will be having cocktails and dinner with Eddie & Lyn Zito and another couple whom we do not know.  Eddie has requested the chef prepare crab stuffed lobster and some fried calamari for the six of us.

        Afterwards we do want to go see tonight's production cast show, "Blazing Boots".  This is one of our favorite shows.

DAY 23---LAST SEA DAY FOR PACIFIC OCEAN CROSSING

 

        Our position at noon on Sunday.  Mostly sunny day and 85 degrees later in the afternoon.  Still getting a great ride for the Pacific.  Unfortunately, there was no internet or phone all day.  Captain Avio said he was going to alter course for a couple hours in the afternoon so we could have internet for a while.  HE DID NOT DO IT.  Several of us were NOT  happy.  So this post is being published on Monday not Sunday.

        So for 10 days we have been crossing the Pacific Ocean, as you know.  The Pacific is the largest and deepest of the Earth's oceans.  It covers 64 million square miles representing 32% of the earth's surface.  That's larger than it's total land area.  The average depth of the Pacific is 13,000 feet (2 miles) but there is a area reaching 35,000 feet deep.  More than 25,000 islands rise above the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

        French Polynesia is made up of 118 islands and atolls, of which 75 are inhabited.  It stretches for 1200 miles in the South Pacific Ocean.  Total population of the Polynesia islands is approximately 279,000, 69% of these live on Tahiti.  French Polynesia is known world wide for its diving and we are going to visit two of the most popular:  Fakarava and Rangiroa.

LAST EVENING

        We went down to the theater for the "Top Tier" cocktail party a little after 6pm.  When we got there the theater was full so we left and headed to the Mariner Lounge.  Then at 6:45 we headed in Compass Rose as Jason had reserved this table for 8 for our safari group.

                        Rebecca had the veal piccata with polenta which was very good.

I tried this new dish , Guinness & steak pie.  The crust was as tough as cardboard and I needed a knife to cut through it so I sent it back and got the veal piccata also.

I tried the Mississippi mud pie.  Well, it was NOT Mississippi mud pie that they make in the States.  It was basically a flourless chocolate cake.  I talked to the pastry chef last night and told him I would bring him a recipe for it.  He said if I did he would make it for me.  Roshan is very nice.

I went to the show for about half of it.  This is our orchestra leader playing several instruments.  He was very talented.

TODAY (SUNDAY) 

        Joseph brought me this huge serving of caviar.  I told him to cut it back next tme but I did manage to eat all of it.  I followed it with the omelet pictured below.  For some reason I could not get it up here.

        I went down for the Sunday champagne & caviar breakfast in Compass Rose.  Rebecca had room service as usual.  After that we did out treadmill time and got cleaned up before the 11am start of the Eagles/49ers game.  We will watch today's games in our suite.  I ordered a tuna salad sandwich with chips for lunch from room service.

        Well, we are without internet and phone service again today.  The Captain said he would be altering course again this afternoon for a couple hours so hopefully we get internet back so I can publish this post.

        Usual plan for this evening with cocktails in Mariner Lounge followed by dinner in Compass Rose.  Setter Mari will be transformed into a "Pan Asian" dinner venue tonight and tomorrow night.  It was very popular when they did it previously.  We will not be doing it.  In the theater at 9:30 will be the magician, Levent's second and last night.  Did not go to his first show so not sure about tonight as magic is not our cup of tea.

        At noon our Captain said we would be anchored at Fakarava by 8am tomorrow.  There is nothing here and no ship's tours.  This is purely a beach stop.  I don't think we have been here before.  We are not water/beach people.  I know Rebecca will not go ashore.  Not sure if I will either.  Hopefully, our internet will be back all day tomorrow.     

                                       Western omelet with extra cheddar cheese.  YUMMY!

DAY 22---AT SEA ENROUTE TO POLYNESIA

                                     

Our position at noon today (Saturday).  It is cloudy and 80 degrees but still getting a nice ride.  We will have another day at sea tomorrow before arriving at Fakarava on Monday.

YESTERDAY EVENING, (FRIDAY)

                                        

One of our friends, Mary Pat Silberman, was celebrating her birthday tonight.  The staff did a good job decorating her table.  We were not invited but that's ok.

I loved this chicken & goose liver parfait  with fig-cranberry jam.  So I had two orders of it.

         We both enjoyed the miso glazed salmon as our entrees.  No desserts for me.

        After dinner we retired to the suite as they were showing a movie, "A Streetcar Named Desire", tonight in the theater so we headed back to our suite after dinner.  We are having to move our clocks back another hour tonight, 3rd night in a row, so as to be on Polynesia time in two days.  The crew loves it as they get an extra night's sleep.    

        When I got back to the suite I found the internet working great so stayed up and added all the remaining Easter Island photos with captions, below.  Still in bed by 10:30.

EASTER ISLAND PHOTOS TAKEN WEDNESDAY

OK, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO CLICK ON THESE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE AND ENJOY THEM MORE, JUST FORGET IT AND GO TO NEXT POST.  THESE ARE UNIQUE PHOTOS AND A ONCE IN A LIFT TIME EXPERIENCE.  DOUBT MOST OF YOU WILL NEVER VISIT EASTER ISLAND.  TAKE SOME TIME TO EXPERIENCE WHAT WE DID!  WE LOVED THIS EXPERIENCE!!

The United States paid to have these moai dug up and placed back on the platform at the national park.  Our guide said Chile did not fund any of the reclamation and restoration of the moai in the park.  I got the feeling that the Easter Island inhabitants did not care for Chile as Chile is not giving them any funds.

                                                                        Beach area

                                                      Very nice looking melons and fruits.

      We will be visiting this area at our next stop.  It is where all the moai were carved then moved.

Fifteen moai on the platform.  There was a big earthquake in Chile which caused a huge tsunami here and washed all the moai off the platforms and back quite a ways.  The Japanese paid to put them back.

This is showing a topknot.  Thinking is it was the long hair of moai as they never cut their hair.

                                             These are topknots never used.  They are huge.

                                                                    A foreign invader!

Next stop was where all the moai were carved from the volcanic ash then moved all around the island.

                  Many moai have not been restored and lie as they were left centuries ago.

             Erosion over the many years have covered many of them or at least partial covering.

                                    Most all moai are just from waist up with no legs.

Big mystery is how they were transported from here, where they were carved, all over the island as they weighed tons.

Here you can see where and how they were carved.  Last part was to finish cutting them and moving them.

                                              Moai all over the side of the extinct volcano.

                                                  Last stop was back near the port.

     Ramp the ancient people used to get their fishing boats down to the water centuries ago.

                                                                  This moai had eyes.

                                                 Maybe our Christmas card photo for 2023.

       Big line for the tender back to the ship.  We all go on the next tender so not a bad wait.

                                                                   Boarding the tender.

TODAY, (SATURDAY)

        Alarm went off at 7am as usual, headed down to Coffee Connection to get our coffees, then room service arrived at 8am.  The internet is still great this morning so I got some financial things done  online.  I could check on house temperatures this morning since wifi was back:  inside temp is 68 and garage temp is 53.  So that tells me all is well.

        Rebecca is going back down to doctor to get some more cough medicine.  She still has coughing fit in the middle of the night.  Going to take some time.  We will be doing treadmills this morning.  Luckily, not many using the treadmills so far so we have not had to wait to use them.

Lunch in La Veranda today.  I got these Buffalo chicken wings and fries at the pool grill however.

        This afternoon Rebecca is watching the streaming of her soaps from Paramont Plus.  After not getting the newspaper for past few day, we did get our Dallas Morning News again this morning.  I will read it then watch the taping of the lectures that were in the theater yesterday.  At lunch Alin, restaurant manager, stopped by to tell us tomorrow's NFL playoff games will be shown on big screen in the theater.  First game, Eagles vs 49ers, will start at 11am our time.

        At 6pm we have been invited to the theater for a Seven Seas Society "top-tier" cocktail party.  I assume it will be for Titaniums, Diamonds, and Commodores.

        I have organized a "pre-safari" dinner in Compass Rose for the 8 of us who will be going on a safari in South Africa that I organized through a travel agent in Cape Town.  The Phinda Rock Lodge I selected only has 6 suites and I have filled all six with our friends.  One suite will have Jane and Melissa in it.  They are flying down from Dallas to join us.  The other 5 suites have our cruise friends in them.  More about that as later at the safari is not until May 2nd.

                                                    Tonight's Compass Rose menu

        The show tonight is featuring the leader of the ship's orchestra, Alex Concharov.  Apparently he plays about 10 different instruments.