Feb 24 - Tonga

Tuesday, February 24, 2015 - Day 21 - Tonga


TONGA - “BEEN THERE, DONE THAT AND BOUGHT A T-SHIRT!!”

We have been to many islands in the South Pacific and can truthfully say that we have not found one to which we would pay to make a return trip.  Add Tonga to that list.

Carolyn had agreed to participate in a privately organized tour.  One of her correspondents on Cruise Critic arranged it with Tony’s Tours.  We are to meet in the lobby on Deck 1 at 7:30AM.  So here is the first question of the day, why 7:30 when the ship does not dock until 8AM?  The answer: So we can be first off!  Tourists!!

So we get a room service breakfast and gather up some time before 8AM.  The ship docks on time and we are among the first people ashore where we are met by the traditional dancers, music, etc.  Also, as usual, vendor stalls are set up along the pier to the new wharf where we are docked.  By the way, the new wharf was a gift from The Peoples Republic of China along with numerous other buildings and facilities we see during the day.

Tony is waiting at the end of the pier and after some confusion about waiting for a separate third group we tell Tony we want to get started.  We are soon loaded into two very tired eight-passenger vans.  Tony drives one and a young Tongan man, Monet’, drives the other.  He is wearing the traditional woven mat wrap skirt and explains that a man (or woman) is not fully dressed without this apparel; sort of like a man in a suit without a tie.  With the windows open and Monet facing forward, it is very hard to hear his tour prattle and it has to be relayed from front to back in a three step process.

We have a drive-by look at the Royal Palace, near where the ship is docked, and of the royal tombs, just West of town.  Tonga is still a Kingdom with a King and royal family. We then drive for quite a long way (15 miles) and finally stop to see Ha’amonga Trilithon, an 800 year old gateway of two upright slabs of coral rock, 15 feet high, and a cross piece, slightly longer and morticed into the others; each weighing some 30-40 tons.  It is now believed that it was used to mark the Autumnal and Vernal Equinoxes.  Along the way here we got a passing view of the Terraced Tombs at Mu’s; Tonga’s answer to the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, Egypt.

We then stop at Captain James Cook’s landing place along with two bus loads of Japanese tourists off of a ship that pulled in after us.  There is nothing worse than flock of Japanese tourists!  They block all the good photo spots and must have there picture taken several times in front of anything that remotely looks interesting; including, in this case, the sign on the building containing the toilets.

In addition, we stop to see the blowholes on the coast near Houma (not Louisiana) and the site of the 1643 landing of the explorer, Abel Tasman.  The blow holes are blowing pretty well and some waterspouts can be as high as 50 feet on a really rough day.

There seem to be cemeteries everywhere and they are garishly decorated with colorful cloths that look like quilts, beer bottles stuck in the sand, things that look like Christmas decorations and anything else they can think of to make the grave standout.  Monet’ says this is traditionally done for the first year after a death and after five years it is legal to place an additional body in the grave.

During all this driving we are getting an agricultural tour of the island and its products, such as cassava, vanilla beans, taro, sweet potatoes and bananas.  Unfortunately, the bananas have contracted a blite that produces brown patches on the green bananas.  We are told it does not effect the edibility of the bananas but does prevent their export and thus has ruined that business and the banana plantations are going to seed.  In addition to plants, we see numerous pigs running wild and are told they know their way home and will come in the evening if called in the proper way by their owner.  They are a meat staple in the diet. There are hundreds of dogs roaming everywhere. We are told they are not pets, but are to guard the home and are roasted and eaten at a celebration once a year...yuck! We also see Flying Foxes (fruit bats) another yuck factor.

About 1:30PM, we finally arrive at Tony’s home for lunch.  Carolyn has told him from the beginning that we will not be staying for lunch and he agrees to take us back to the ship; a 20 minute drive.  He is not particularly amused as no one else wants to leave early, but he fulfills his agreement. It is a good call to go back as it is stiflingly hot and humid by now and they are serving hot food. This was also suppose to be a beach stop, but the beach is about 10 feet long and 3 feet deep in a tiny cove with a rocky shore line. To get to it one must climb down a washed out area about 150 feet from the patio area. There are no steps or prepared path down.

 We go onboard and grab a light lunch (another Panini and fries) down a coke and a bottle of ice water from room service and then go back onto the wharf area to look for a souvenir since we are reasonably certain that we will not be back to Tonga.  Dick buys his second T-Shirt of the trip, a record for him, and Carolyn buys some jewelry items made of shark’s teeth and south sea peals.  Just little collectibles.  Back on board, we wait for sail away at 4:30PM. They have to hunt for someone on deck 5 so we are away about 15 minutes late in a heavy rain shower.

We get cleaned up and Carolyn reads and that turns into a nap. Dick plays on the computer for a while then we go to the Lido and have two of the made to order pizzas and a salad for dinner. We are exhausted and barely manage to get in bed before falling asleep. Thank goodness for two seas days in a row!

Our impression of Tonga, along with most of the islands in the South Pacific is, if not actually negative, certainly not positive.  The climate is so hot and humid that it seems to sap any energy the people might have and just existing is an effort.  Tonga was trashier than Western Samoa and much worse that American Samoa.  We liked our day in American Samoa best...the people were very unaffected by the tourists and they were very eager to share their culture and the unique things about the island. They also have retained their culture better than the other two islands. But, you still have the problem of the climate, no economy to speak of and a general lack of opportunity in all these small island countries.  Tongans, more so than either of the Samoas, seems to have lost some of their cultural pride.  Lip service is paid to it but we did not see much evidence of it in practice.  Like the two Samoas, Tonga is 98% Christian.  Methodists comprise 31% and the other two large blocks are the Mormons and the Catholics. They make their presence known with churches on almost every corner and many schools.

Feb 23 - At Sea

Monday, February 23, 2015 - Day 20 - At Sea



Last night we ate supper for the second day in a row in the Lido.  Both nights we have gone about 8PM and the crowd has been sparse.  Last night they were cooking lamb chops to order and we both had two plus some side dishes, including stir fried quinoa and vegetables which was quite good; very much like couscous.

This morning broke cloudy with showers in the distance and no sun.  We slept in and Dick even passed on his mug of specialty coffee.  Breakfast was quite nice as we shared our table with an Aussie couple and a couple from near York in England.  The conversation was fun and informative.  This was followed by Dick’s morning trivia and the last of Denny Whitford’s nautical lectures, “Seafaring Lore and Legends.”

At noon, we are heading into a rainy area and soon it is coming down quite hard.  Dick had contacted the purser’s office about using the White Star Luggage Service to ship a suitcase home with clothes we are finding that we do not need.  He fills out the forms and returns them for processing.  The quote is $385 for a less than 50 pound bag delivered to the office of our attorney in Brenham.  That will reduce our load to two suitcases and two carry-on items plus we have a collapsed duffle bag that we can breakout if or needed.

We have discovered that room service makes a killer ham and cheese Panini so one order with French fries makes a nice lunch for the both of us. Then we go to see Kim Novak and James Stewart starring in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” voted Best Film Ever Made by the International Film Critics. It is introduced by Actress Kim Novak which is a nice touch. Neither of us had seen the movie and as Hitchcock always did it had an unexpected twist at the end.

We go to the dinning room for dinner and have rack of lamb with vegetables and rum raisin ice cream for dessert. Of course our waiters make a big fuss over us since we were among the missing for the last two nights.

Back in the room it is off to bed...we have another “hot” tour tomorrow in Tonga.

Feb. 22 - Apia, Samoa

Sunday, February 22, 2015 - Day 19 - Apia, Samoa

This is going to be a very confusing day as to the time and the date. We lost Saturday, February 21 when we crossed the International Dateline sometime during the night.  Not only that, Western Samoa is one hour behind American Samoa. But to add confusion to the mix, the ship will not adjust its clocks to Samoa time so when it is 6PM on land it will be 5PM on the ship and all onboard time will be calculated by ship time.  And, just for fun, we heard the cruise director saying it just backward this morning when talking to all the people leaving on organized tours! 

We step out on our balcony to watch and listen to the local serenade of welcome. That is nice but the air is smoky, it is 84o with no breeze and the humidity is oppressive! The smoke, we are told is coming from all the family, Sunday dinners being cooked in the traditional pit with heated stones and banana leaf covering.

Not having a planned tour, we head for breakfast at 8AM and are off the ship by 9AM and looking for an opportunity to see some of the island. We hook up with a local operator, sort of like we did yesterday in Pago Pago and wait until they find two Brits and two Canadians to join us. A price of $45pp is negotiated for the six of us. Getting started is something of a Chinese fire drill and the van has seen better days but there is something sort of like air conditioning and once they sort out who is going to drive and who is going to guide, we are off by 10AM. It is now an hour into first agreeing to take the tour and we have made it the length of the dock! We will have to remember during this tour that we are operating on SMT. More on this later! 

It is Sunday and mid-morning and we pass many people walking on the side of the road, most dressed in white. That is the traditional Sunday dress and services are normally at either 8AM or 9AM and last for about two hours so services are letting out. The churches are all open air and the people are dressed to the nines. Our guide says that the people are ringing wet when they get out of church. They then head home for a huge family gathering and heavy meals that have been cooking in the pits covered with hot stones and banana leaves. They gorge on the feast and then lay around and sleep and talk all afternoon in these open air gathering houses we see in front of many of the homes. Both the Samoas have a very family centric society...the land is pasted down through the generations and the family members are buried in the front yard in sometimes very elaborate tom

We are on the island of Upolu and we drive West along the coast road past numerous churches, schools, houses and businesses. This road is built up the whole way out to a pond area where there are large sea turtles and numerous large fish who come for the bread that our driver and guide stopped to buy on the way out. This is interesting, just not great, but the coastal scenery is beautiful and we get a great view of village family life on this Sunday. Soon we load up and head back the way we came.

Our next stop is “Vailima,” the home of Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Treasure Island and Kidnaped. He built the house and lived here for 4-5 years in the early 1890s. It was severely damaged in a cyclone and allowed to go to ruin but has now been restored along with the planting of a botanical garden. We pass on the $10 house tour (our guide said it isn’t too well done) and settle for walking around outside and listening to and watching the performance of a folkloric group performing for the paid ship’s tours. Always nice to tag along and get a freebie now and then.

 Leaving here, we head up South and plan to go over the mountain spine of the island and down to the shore on the South side of the island. About half way to the top of the climb, the van overheats and we pull to the side of the road and unload into a refreshing breeze. The guide, Matias, who is a German working on his PHD in Anthropology, heads for a house across the road to get water. He comes back with a liter bottle full; big help that is going to be!

They get the radiator cap off without burning themselves and pour water in only to have the overheated radiator spit it back out. This goes on until the liter of water is gone and then Matias heads out for more water. This time he comes back with a gallon jug full and they continue to pour as the radiator continues to spit. We passengers are standing under the shade of a tree on the far side of the road having a pleasant conversation and waving at the cars, trucks and vans that go by loaded with people, most in their Sunday best.

Suddenly, a truck comes back down the hill and pulls over. Out climbs a smallish man with a big grin. He has a jug of cold, filtered water and cups. We are all most grateful and it turns out he is a missionary who has lived on the island for the past nine years.  He is from the US. What a kind and generous act on his part! All the men get in the act on the radiator problem each with his own suggestion to help solve the problem. The head man has been called and is supposed to be on his way with a new van.

Finally, after getting another gallon of water from the house, they decide that we can proceed and we do, all of two miles or so before the van overheats again. We pull into a B’haia Temple and while we explore, our hosts call again for the replacement van that will be here is a maximum of ten minutes. 

 Mind you this is at least the third “just 10 minutes” since this all started!  We now really learn about SMT or “Samoan Maybe Time.”  Each time they call the man bringing the new van, we are told he will be here in a minute or two; that he is just down the hill.  Eventually, after Dick asks Matias to call for a taxi and after 45 minutes, the driver’s personal van shows up driven by his father-in-law.  We switch vans and drive another 15 minutes to a spectacular, waterfall overlook.

We then attempt to find an overview of the South Coast but fail to do so. We can see glimpses of the coast and the original plan was to go for a beach stop, but we are all hot, tired and getting hungry so vote to head back.  We turn around and head back to the ship making one final stop in front of the famous Aggie Grey Hotel. The hotel is in ruins and being rebuilt by the Sheraton group...we stop here to get a nice picture of the ship.

Our three hour tour has turned into the better part of four and a half hours.  We arrive back at the dock and have been told to pay whatever we think is fair, considering the problems.  We have agreed among ourselves on $35pp and once at the dock we pay up, plus a $5 tip each for the driver and guide and head for the cool of the ship with a fast stop at the little dock market for a pin for Jack.

A shower is definitely in order and we order sandwiches from room service. A trip to the ships laundry, working on the blog and reading round out the afternoon.

It is another early night with dinner in the Lido for us. The oppressive humidity is so draining we are glad for a quiet day at sea tomorrow before Tonga.

Feb 21 - International Dateline

Saturday, February 21, 2015 - Day 18 - Crossed the International Dateline

Hey, we was robbed. We went to bed last night about 9PM after dinner in the Lido of a very good spaghetti bolognaise, Caesar salad and a shared glass of Malbec. A good wine but not worth $13.75 a glass!

After a good nights sleep we wake up to find that it is not Saturday, February 21 but it is Sunday, February 22. We was robbed!!

Feb 20, Pago Pago, American Samoa

Thursday, February 20, 2015 - Day 17

Dick opens a reluctant eye about 7:30AM and peeks outside to find green hills close by and moving!  We are gliding into Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango) Harbor in American Samoa. The decks are wet and everything is a lush, dark green. It has obviously been raining and, in fact, a man on deck says it was pouring as we approached the island. The temperature is 82 with a predicted high of 84!

We are in no rush so we head for breakfast as the tours and the “I have to be first off” group crowd down the gangway. Before they are allowed off, however, two EMS ambulances pull up to the ship and two passengers are taken off and away. That must be a little spooky! We later learn the only air transportation off the island is Hawaiian Air and there are only two flights a week!!

After breakfast, we gather up our thermos style water bottles (praise the Lord for these), our cameras, money, cruise cards and passports and head ashore. Once we are through the secure area around the ship, Dick finds a lady selling an all day WiFi connection card for $10 and Carolyn finds Aloufa (Love) Tours. They are offering a two and a half hour drive out toward the East end of the island with two stops for $25pp. Sounds like a deal since the ship is charging $82pp for the same trip. It is usually better to not take a ships tour unless there is no alternative.  

It is a family run operation with Dad selling the tickets, one daughter escorting customers to the bus where Mama, two other daughters and the bus are waiting. The bus driver is Mama’s brother-in-law. The bus is a short, school bus style that has been reworked with wooden benches and open windows. It is very rudimentary but functional.  The mother was born in Hawaii but her family is from American Samoa. She is a teacher with a degree from the University of Hawaii and has lived in California. She is a handsome woman and fun to listen to as she tells of the local life and customs.  One that will strike most people is that families own their own homes and property and your family is buried in your front yard.  Yes, you do get a death certificate now but the deceased's family does the burial in the front yard of the family's house.

She and her daughters sing several Polynesian songs which we enjoy. We stop at Amouli Beach Fale for a look at the beach and surf as well as some refreshment. A fale is a beach hut.  Dick has a local beer ($5) that comes from Apia, our stop in Samoa tomorrow.  It is pretty good and goes down well. Dick does not usually buy T-Shirts but buys one here. It is nothing special but he says it called to him for only $12.

 After the beach stop we drive another mile or so to a tiny harbor where we check out the boats, turn around and head back to town. This harbor is the connection to the small island of Aunu’u where about 20 families live and commute to the main island for work and school including our guide’s grandparents. 

On the way back to town we pass Tica’s Barefoot Bar which was the only thing Carolyn had found to do, but the bus tour and stop at the Beach Fale has turned out to be a much better deal! 

We ask to be dropped at the local market which is within walking distance of the ship.  There we see fruits and vegetables for sale along with a gazillion colorful wraps, sarongs and such. The locals both men and women wear the colorful sarongs with shirts and tops as daily wear. School children wear white tops and long colored sarongs. (High school girls in red below) We walk back to the ship, stopping at a local church for a peek. These islands are very Christian and very religious with a church on almost every street corner.

We explore the wares of the stalls set up on the dock for the ship’s arrival and buy Jack a pin. Carolyn buys a sarong. Each cost $5.

Back to the ship, hot and sweaty but having enjoyed ourselves, Dick begins to figure out how to use the WiFi card he bought and Carolyn goes to the Lido for some pizza to tide us over until supper at 8:30PM; if we make it that long! It may be another Lido night since tonight’s menu doesn’t have much that appeals to us.

On a lark, Dick decides to check his phone service and places a call to our daughter, Dana.  She answers promptly and it sounds as clear as if we were calling from Brenham.

We spend the rest of the afternoon catching the blog up with the good internet and working on our pictures of the island.

Tomorrow Samoa with a German twist. It was a German possession until they lost it after the First World War to the British, but according the tour talk the German influence is still seen.
           

Feb 19 - At Sea

Thursday, February 19, 2015 - Day 16

For some reason Dick thought the clocks needed to be set back one hour last night so he did. This morning arriving at the Café for his usual coffee fix, the guys ask him why he is late....oops! He calls Carolyn and explains it is really 8AM and not 7AM so we are off to a late start again this morning. We share our breakfast table with a couple from Australia and one from England and linger talking until almost 10AM when we excuse ourselves for dick’s trivia and Carolyn’s lace making class.

We meet at 11 in the theater to listen to Joe Kess' talk on “How Do You Create a (National) Language in Rabaul. His language lectures have been very interesting...talking about how they are more alike than different. This is one of his slides...can you read it?

We both stayed to hear Phil Molloy’s talk on Satellites. Carolyn didn’t last long and Dick bailed a little later. The dining room lunch menu didn’t interest us today so we try the lite lunch in the Café Carinthia. We both had a little quiche tart with a tiny salad.  Not bad and the best of the menu but not someplace to try again for lunch.  Think we will try the Golden Lion for some pub food next.

The rest of the afternoon passes quickly. Dick messes with the computer and Carolyn goes to the movie..."The Song." It was surprisingly good. We have cocktails in the room and head to dinner. Last night Carolyn ordered Caesar salad and Fettuccine Alfredo for the both of us as the menu was Asian and nothing appealed. The salad dressing is loaded with garlic and the pasta is very tasty. We top it off with bowls of strawberry ice cream and head to the cabin. Port day tomorrow!