Location map and sunrise colour 6.15

When I woke up around 1 am, the moon was lighting up the clouds and the ocean.

And, there was another partial rainbow this morning, though it didn’t have a relection this time.

The pool was once again pleasantly heated, but there were several heavy showers of rain. Quite an experience exercising in the rain, LOL.

I had to go down to deck 5 after brunch and get some AA batteries. I had been going to pack a spare for the mouse, but forgot it. Anyway got them and then not knowing which way to go, as there are no windows down on the Promenade, asked a general question. Some bright spark said that was the back of the ship, so I went that way. Only to find when I got out of the elevator on deck 7 that it was actually the front! He obviously didn’t know his aft from his forward! Another long walk!

Didn’t see Carl for jigsaw as planned. Not sure what happened to him!

Once again I had a flooding shower just as I was going to dinner. When I got back there was a maintenance man out in the corridor with some machine making all sorts of noises! He took about 15-20 minutes to do whatever needed doing. The room attendant had already cleaned up the mess! Let’s see if this lasts!

Sorry, no sunset tonight, too many clouds!

Location map and sunrise colour 6.07

We have crossed the Equator and are now cruising through the northern hemisphere! The pool was heated this morning! Unlike the first few times I used the pool the sun wasn’t high enough to reach the pool itself. However, we have obviously travelled far enough for the sun to be higher at pool time as iit’s very bright and makes the water look e en clearer. A bit rocky today so had several splashes to the face as the water flowed back and forth.

We all received a certificate of our achievements this cruise.

Spent most of the day doing family tree, plus a few games and some reading.

I did have a laugh though when my phone sent me a message at lunchtime, letting me know I had left my luggage behind and where it was last seen. Quite obviously no idea that the Pacific is enormous, lol.

Bumped into Carl entering the dining room as I was leaving it. Jigsaw tomorrow out on the balcony, as long as it isn’t raining still. No sunset tonight at all, we are completely surrounded by grey clouds and rain!

Location map and sunrise colour 6.15

It was fascinating this morning watching the rain coming across the ocean, or us travelling into it! It actually sounded like hissing as it hit the salt water.

The pool was heated again this morning, but the rain had put most of the usual crowd off. I did get rained on a couple of times, but nothing very heavy. Then the usual, lol.

Carl popped down to grab a biro, but hopefully we can get some jigsaw done tomorrow. I did ask in the Library and apparently there are jigsaw’s in the conference room, so will have a look when we’ve finished this one.

I was quite ok with fogetting what tomorrow is, until there was a ship wide announcement about a dawn service at 5 am. That of course left me in tears, just as writing this is doing. Completely Hopeless!!!!

I’m also having Internet issues. I can’t switch between phone and laptop which I’ve been doing without any problems up to tonight, so the sunset photos are still on the phone! So here are morning rain photos instead.

Location map and westerly cloud colour 6.15

About half an hour after taking the sunrise colour I looked up from the book I was reading on my phone to see the beginnings of a rainbow. As it was low on the horizon it was quite a bit bigger than usual. It slowly grew but didn’t get into a full arc. But if you look to the right you can just see the wispy image of its reflection. A rainbow with the colours the other way around!

My cold has progressed to a cough! However, I still went up to the pool and even though not heated the water was quite pleasant. It did rain though, not surprising after seeing that rainbow!

After brunch, had to go up to the front of the ship again to collect my passport. At least the queue moved quite quickly and then back to my room. I think I nearly walked around the ship today!

Spent the rest of the day doing nothing much. Carl and I had decided no jigsaw today as he doesn’t need this cold too! I’ll see how I’m feeling tomorrow.

The sun was a bit high before I went to dinner, so had to get the after effect from the dining room. The sea has been smooth most of the day, just a bit of a swell for occasional rocking.

P.S. to yesterday. It was monkey day, but I hadn’t got the photo on to the computer before writing yesterday’s blog!

Location map and sunrise 5.55 (didn’t get all of it as the ship did a u-turn so it was facing out of the bay!)

Some inconsiderate person has passed on their cold to me. I’ve got a bit of a runny nose!!! When in Tahiti all one could hear was car and emergency vehicle sirens. All I could hear in Moorea were lots of feral roosters crowing. Panorama from balcony.

Anyway, we had a much earlier start than yesterday as we were having to use tenders again to get onto land. This time though they decided that the tender we were taking was going to be amidship, so we had to walk through the bowels of the ship (deck 1) where crew quarters and storage areas are to the gangway. I managed a photo over my shoulder out the back door of the tender!

Finally found the right bus, but I had to go all the way to the back to get a seat! The island’s name is pronounced Mo-or-rea. First stop was the Belvedere lookout. The road was narrow and very windy. The driver had to reverse a couple of times to get around a corner! Great views but we only had 10 minutes to look and it took me 5 to work out how to get out of the seat!!!

We made several more stops along the way but generally only for 2-5 minutes, so I stayed on the bus and opened a window! This is another ginger flower, completely different to yesterday’s! And a 150 year old banyan tree.

We did stop for 20 minutes at shops and restrooms, but I didn’t get out. Interesting how shopping gets a lot longer stay than sight seeing!!! Another panorama, Tahiti in the background.

The bus was supposed to be back at the port at noon, but we didn’t get back until 12.40. One of the ladies at the back was supposed to be starting another tour at 12.45. Here’s hoping she made it as she wouldn’t have been able to get her tour sticker from the ship beforehand!

So had a very late lunch and then rest and relaxation! Went up to dinner a bit later than usual and only had a small snack meal! Carl found me so we had a chat about our doings over the 2 days. Now for another 5 days of cruising to Hawaii.

Location map and sunrise over Tahiti, 6.12

Definitely tropical! 27 degrees and very humid. Everyone kept complaining about how hot it was, when it was really the humidity that was unpleasant!

Did a panorama from the balcony!

Had a coach tour of part of the island today. Of course the gangway was at the very end of the ship and had to walk the whole length of the pier, through the front part of the port and then up a flight of 20 steps to get into the port terminal! Found the bus on the other side!

The tour guide said that the collection of islands that form French Polynesia covers an area the size of Europe, but it only has 280,000 people. 90,000 of them work in the city of Papeete which is just outside the ship. So the roads were very busy indeed.

We first visited a waterfall, but I didn’t do the trek to get to the base. I wandered around and took pictures of the plants!! Banana, bamboo, moss & ginger!

We then stopped at Pointe Venus which is where Captain Cook recorded the transit of Venus across the sun in 1769. Also famous for its lighthouse. It had some very old sheoaks there!!

There was another lookout, but I stayed on the bus! Back through the port terminal, down those stairs, across the port front and up the pier. At least the gangway had been moved to the middle of the ship! Up for a late lunch and then back to rest and recuperate for tomorrow on Moorea.

As I couldn’t do the sunset, completely the wrong side of the ship, here’s some night shots of Papeete!

P.S. to yesterday. Forgot about this until after I’d closed down. There are 3-4 elevators on the stateroom decks with one entrance, which has a security sliding door. I got out on deck 7 only to find maintenance men were working on the security door so I wasn’t allowed through it. I had to catch an elevator up to deck 8, walk across the ship to the other bank of elevators, catch one down to deck 7, then walk back across the ship (past the semi-closed security door) to get back to my hall way!

Location map and sunrise 6.45

The pool was heated this morning. Apparently there had been complaints about it being cold yesterday. The complainers have no idea how cold it was the first two days!! It wasn’t too bad yesterday at all.

Bumped into Carl at brunch time. Neither of us had had a good night sleep wise. So ate and went our separate ways! Didn’t do much yet again, until Carl turned up for our afternoon session. We have started on Maria’s edge jigsaw, doing it properly this time!!!!! We sorted and made a start but we were both struggling with the sleepies, so finished early and both had a nap! Now no sleeping tonight, LOL.

Had a pleasant dinner and chat and then grabbed my fruit salad and headed back for the writing of this blog! Tahiti tomorrow, will be interesting to see if legs are wonky on non-moving land!

Location map and sunrise 7.20

Starting to get a bit scary this daily routine of pool exercising, lol. Anyway, pool wasn’t heated again, the breeze wasn’t quite as cold, and it didn’t rain!!! I had had a quick chat with a lady wearing a nice swimsuit coverup, and she said it was only $10 down in the shopping precinct. So after pool, shower & brunch I headed down to deck 5. Lots of pretty things, jewellery, watches, etc., all with pretty prices!!! I found the rack of clothes she had been talking about and found a coverup still available, so that’s my first cruising purchase this holiday!!!

Carl and I played Tantrix. It’s a colour match game I’ve had for many year’s, which can be played solo or with 2-4 players. It’s always in my holiday bag to take away. Played a proper game and then made up our own rules for another version. Carl then had a go at some of the single puzzles.

Once again we have a time change tonight! We get these little credit card sized notifications in our door lock! I’ve changed the computer, just need to do the watch & phone when I’ve finished here.

It’s our second Saturday in a row, having crossed the International Date Line. Now Perth is in tomorrow land, lol.

Only 3 problems with the pool this morning! The heater hadn’t been turned on so the water wasn’t anywhere near warm. It rained so got even more wet and the wind was cold, so it wasn’t pleasant standing around in it trying to dry off a bit! However the nice hot shower made up for it!

I’m still having smoked salmon for brunch! Very yummy. Did quite a bit of family tree, have now done 500 pages of the 1939 Register. Still a way to go though.

Carl was up most of the night, so he slept in very late, lol. But we did finish the jigsaw. It took us about 9 hours to do it. I’ve got a game we can play for a change and then we can do Maria’s edge puzzle.

The elevators all have the day of the week in the floor to help us keep track of the days. This is the only day the staff didn’t have to change the day, as it stayed the same!

It looks like it is Miss Piggy day today as well!

Location map and sunrise 6.15

Once again in the pool this morning. I’m sure this won’t last, having the pool open on time, lol. The room attendant did his thing whilst I was in the pool, much easier than later when I have wet bathers hanging in the shower! He’s been doing it after I’ve showered and having brunch!

Carl popped in after his lunch and we spent another couple of hours doing the jigsaw It’s coming along nicely!

Carl then went off to the gym and I did my usual nothing much, lol.

Managed a sunset tonight, I was too late for yesterday’s.

Not quite sure when we are actually crossing the International Date Line, but we are repeating today tomorrow!