Monthly Archives: October 2012

  • Paradise Found!

    October 14, 2012

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    Fiji…it’s like a dream arriving at this famous South Pacific paradise! Brooke Shields made this place famous in “Blue Lagoon” and then Tom Hanks did it allover again in “Castaway”…

    The ship docked in the main town of Suva and I was anxious to see some of the Fijian beaches! I arranged a local driver and for $80, I had his services for the day.

    A 45 mile drive through local villages and we reached the start of the famous Coral Coast! Pacific Harbour is the start of these long sand beaches with amazing snorkeling along the coral laden shores! I wasn’t going to make it to Blue Lagoon this time as it was on the other side of the island near Nadi.

    I spent another near perfect day lazying on the sand at a Polynesian resort beachside! The Uprising Resort hosts visitors to a dreamy palm lined stretch of golden sand!

    The huge palm trees swayed in the ocean breeze and the trade-winds kept the temperature pleasant. Windsurfers also took advantage of the terrific conditions.

    All I can do is marvel at the raw beauty of paradise found! “Bula” or hello from Fiji!

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  • Skirting the Issue!

    October 14, 2012

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    Suva, Fiji…it’s Sunday and that means it’s church day for Fijians allover the island! Most of the town is shuttered and the locals spend the day traveling to and attending services.

    That means it’s Sunday’s best dress…men everywhere are wearing their skirts or “sulus” with their best shirts, jackets, and ties!

    Old & young all don this easy wrap and I think they look great and it makes sense for this hot tropical climate! I also love how men take the kids off mommy’s hand for the day! The site of men carrying their tiny child is so heartwarming…even lined up to watch a soccer game, the men are cradling their infant children!

    Police have their own version of a sulu! It may resemble a court jester, but it’s a major statement!

    So interesting to see this style statement in the South Pacific! I love unique style and I am loving this male fashion statement!20121014-150324.jpg

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  • Stargazing!

    October 13, 2012

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    At Sea in the South Pacific…tonight’s viewing wasn’t a Hollywood movie nor some big Broadway like musical…rather the galaxies above providing us with the most magical show!

    The captain allowed us the best viewing conditions for stargazing by turning off all the exterior lights of the ship as we sailed late in the night! The ship’s resident authority on astronomy then hosted us on the pitch black top deck to acquaint us with the stars and planets above. She explained how our vantage point in the South Pacific was ideal.

    The constellations were there laid out in front of us…she pointed out Aquarius, Scorpio, Sagittarius, and many others twinkling down on us! A few shooting stars fell and had everyone gasping with childlike excitement!

    It was as if we were in some high tech Planetarium…the dark sky appeared like a dome around us illuminated by a confetti of tiny lights! As I stood there looking up at this magnificent sight, I could feel a collective awe at the show we all were craning our necks to watch! I wish I could photograph this spectacular display…

    Once again, nature provides the best special effects that any show can dazzle us with! This is another one of those special moments that this trip will have me cherishing!

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  • A Day Lost!

    October 13, 2012

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    International Dateline, South Pacific…how can a day just vanish?

    After a picture perfect sail away under cotton candy clouds from Samoa, the m/s Volendam made its way further south into South Pacific waters on our way to our next Polynesian port of call, Fiji!

    The captain announced that at midnight we would be crossing the International Dateline and our clocks would advance forward exactly 24 hours…meaning Friday October 12, 2013 would not exist for us. We would go from Thursday directly to Saturday! This seems so weird!

    I have traveled to Asia many times via plane and have experienced the loss of a day, but this seemed so very different! It’s confusing trying to keep time compared to the rest of the world…presently we are suddenly 17 hours ahead of my home of New York City!

    We still have one more line to cross this voyage…the 180 degree longitude line which will transport us into the Eastern Hemisphere! That last right of passage will occur in 2 more days.

    The best part of traveling in this old school style of sea travel is jet lag is not a problem to contend with as we change time zones, dates, and hemispheres!

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  • Off the Beaten Path to Inspiration!

    October 12, 2012

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    Pago Pago, American Samoa…I met a Samoan artist today who paints tropically inspired geometric prints on tree bark similar to Mud Cloth.

    I loved the spirit of this elderly artist who has been creating her art for decades in this traditional Samoan technique!

    I thought these were chic and modern looking prints with gorgeous bronzed color that would be just as gorgeous hanging on the wall as it would make of-the-moment fashion!

    The world’s cultures are full of inspiration! Today I got a dose of some tropical chic, South Pacific style!

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  • Island Explorer!

    October 12, 2012

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    Pago Pago, American Samoa…we arrived this morning to the lush green island of Tutuila in the remote archipelago of the Samoan Islands! It’s great to be on land again, but this island that is seemingly off the map makes me feel like Giligan after being shipwrecked during that famous “three hour tour”…

    Not too many ships stop here, so the entire town seemed to show up for our arrival!

    I headed to Tisa’s Beach for a day on the sand. Nothing prepared me for the surreal beauty of this location; a barefoot bar hut built on a crescent of unspoiled beach! I truly feel like an explorer who just discovered a place all my own! Samoa means “sacred Earth” and this beach delivers that in spades..

    The water is bathtub warm filled with glorious fish and coral and the sands have wreaths of fauna that have washed ashore! I took some time for arts and crafts on the beach, spelling out the name of this sacred place in leaves, fauna, nuts, and flowers that I found on the sand…

    Back on Tisa’s, lunch is served! The Samoan people are so kind and extremely welcoming and they were anxious to share their Samoan delicacies prepared beneath coconut leaves and hot rocks. Tarot, coconut, and bananas cooked with turkey, lamb, and pork for hours until all is falling apart tender!

    Even though I may feel like a rare explorer, my days at sea have brought me to this island that many hearty travelers before me have visited and gone on to tell tales of for years…like James Michener who came here to write his 1946 classic “Tales of the South Pacific”.

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  • Rock the Boat!

    October 11, 2012

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    Somewhere in the South Pacific…today is the fifth consecutive sea day in our journey, as the m/s Volendam makes it way towards Samoa. It’s been beautiful for days, if not a bit too hot…but today was a different story!

    I woke up a few times throughout the night feeling the roll of the ship, but in a way that rocking just adds to the amazing amounts of deep sleep I have I had so far on board! When I finally awoke, I peered outside to gray skies above and rain drenching the open decks.

    This entire day has been spent lazily do nothing as the ship pitched and rolled. I had found my sea legs but at times standing upright and walking in a straight line seemed totally elusive! The captain has slowed down a bit to lessen the impact of the rough sea. Yet this is just a minor wave compared to what has been experienced by some of the more seasoned sailors that I have spoken to on board…the decks remain open and besides not being able to use the outdoor pool all is the same as usual besides a bit of unsteady passengers!
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  • Thoughts on Legacy!

    October 10, 2012

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    At Sea…during this long voyage, Holland America has tried to up the ante on entertainment; Lorna Luft and The Drifters have been headliners. These entertainers are not of my era and I was not particularly drawn to either of them.

    Surprisingly, I was struck by Lorna Luft’s personal insight. She is the daughter of Judy Garland and the sister to Liza Minnelli. She has written a best selling book, produced an Emmy award winning mini-series, and starred on Broadway. Yet it wasn’t her accolades that struck me, rather it was her candid conversation about “Legacy” and her difficulties in coming to terms with her own Legacy that has sorta hit me smack dab between the eyes!

    Legacy is a funny yet larger than life word, one I don’t use much in my own vocabulary. Ms. Luft discussed how she ran from being defined as the daughter of an American Icon and for years ignored the huge legacy that bestowed on her. Once she faced that daunting task, she needed to stop running and stake her own personal legacy, independent of the one of her birth! She said it’s not until people are in their 40’s that they begin to understand their parents and it’s then they really face their own issue of personal Legacy! Wow, how true!

    This trip in a way has been my own journey towards understanding my own Legacy! First by traveling to Poland to see where my father came from and then having serious “me-time” to come to terms with the reality of how far I have come…

    Now I look forward to where I am going; my passions, my talents, my observations, and my desires coming together to form the next step of my life. Getting away and wandering the world is getting me ready to start the course towards cementing MY OWN LEGACY!

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  • Crossing the Line!

    October 9, 2012

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    Crossing the Equator at Sea…early this morning we sailed right past the Equator’s line into the southern Hemisphere! Crossing this line is commemorated by an age old tradition known as the King Neptune Ceremony.

    This initiation rite originally celebrated by the Dutch Merchant Navy was meant to boost morale on long ocean voyages and mark a sailors first crossing of the Equator. Pollywogs are the sailors new to the equator crossing and Shellbacks are the experienced ones. This is not a silly cruise ship gimmick, but a sailing tradition performed by even the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, as well as passenger cruise ships!

    King Neptune presides over the festivities with pirates, mermaids, sea urchins, you name it! Historically these ships were all male vessels, so men were dressed up as women for the ceremony…nothing like a sailor in drag!

    The idea is to embarrass the virgin sailors and put them through some form of public torture…kissing a smelly fish, being locked up in a cage, abused and soiled with spoiled food, and being dunked in water or left to bake in the hot sun.

    Held under an extremely brutal equatorial sun on the open deck, it’s a lot of fun but also serious sea faring tradition for the normally superstitious officers and sailors! Luckily for me, I could participate as an onlooker escaping the messy torture…but I woulda gladly done a little drag for the cause if needed!

    The oceans hold many age old myths and centuries old tales…what fun being initiated into this special club of those who have “crossed the line”!

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