South Seas Log

Log of our trip to the South Pacific and of our cruise on the Star Flyer from Papeete, Tahiti through the Tuomotu atolls and Society Islands - Thursday, Oct 29, 2009

Wed Oct 14 - Home - After some frantic, last-minute packing we left home at about 8:00 pm and drove to the Jacksonville Plaza hotel at the airport where was stayed the night and left our car for the duration of our trip. We crashed as soon as we could.

Thu Oct 15- Papeete - We got up at 3:45am, hopped a shuttle to the Delta terminal for our 5:30am flight to Atlanta. In Atlanta we took a 7:35 Delta flight to LAX where we relaxed and ate lunch at the International terminal while waiting for our Tahiti Nui flight. At about 5:15pm (an hour late) we took off for Papeete.

The flight on an AirBus 300 was miserable because we were jammed in seats too small for a human being over the age of ten. My knees were jammed up so hard against the seat in front of me than my shins were bruised. I had to get up several times and walk in the aisle to keep legs from cramping. The screen on the back of the seat in front of me was less than a foot from my nose. My hips (and I am not large) barely fit between the armrests. In fact, I had to raise the armrest between Daphne and me to have any degree of comfort. Even then I had to remove the control from the armrest to be able to operate it. I had to get up and out of my seat to reach anything in my pants pockets. After a very long flight we arrived in Tahiti at 9:50pm, 8 hours after we left LA. Those were some of the longest, most uncomfortable hours I have ever spent in an airplane going back at least 60 years.

By the time we went through customs, boarded our bus, and arrived at the ship it was around 11pm. We were greeted with a fruit drink and shown to our cabin (326) on the clipper deck. At midnight we went up to the top deck to watch the setting of the sails with the haunting musical background) It was 1:30am before we got settled in our cabin and went to sleep.

Fri Oct 16 - Cook’s Bay, Moorea - I awoke at 5am and quietly began storing my clothes in our cabin. I then took a shower and got dressed. Daphne got up about 7:am. We both worked at unpacking and putting things away. At 8am we met Jane for breakfast and talked about what we were going to do. We decided to go ashore after lunch and just wander around for a while. The rest of the morning we finished stowing our clothes and putting the empty suitcases under the bed. Rain all morning.

After lunch Daphne and Jane took the tender (small power boat carried on the ship) went ashore and chose one of the many cars waiting to take people to a black pearl shop. What a beautiful lush island. When we return we must take a tour. I decided not to go as my swollen ankle was bothering me. I lay down on the bed and raised my ankle using our life preservers and a pillow. I started to read, but promptly fell asleep. Daphne wakened me when she returned. At five we attended a mandatory emergency drill, following the directions up to the main deck and to our assigned station 3 with our life jackets. We were then instructed in all the emergency procedures and shown our lifeboat. After the drill was over, we returned to our cabin and changed into dinner wear.

At dinner we sat at one of the big tables and met several new friends. Barbara and her sister, Bev, Peter and his wife ??? We exchange information about where we each were from and noted several locations where we lived nearby. After dinner Daphne and I both decided we were tired and soon headed to bed.

Sat Oct 17 - at sea - I awoke around 5am (us usual) gathered up my PC and book and went to the piano bar to work. I didn’t get very far as struck up a conversation with several people who sat nearby. It wasn’t long before they all joined me at my table. Rick and his wife are from Brookfield, IL and the other lady whose name I didn’t get was from St. Catherine, Ontario, Canada. Rick and I found common ground for discussion as he had rebuilt a number of European cars and I shared some auto racing stories.

I met Daphne for breakfast about 7:30am. Jane joined us about 8:15. After breakfast I went up on deck and checked out the weather. We were headed for a low island (Makatea, 61 inhabitants, shark infested water) quite some distance dead ahead. We were scheduled to pass by the island around 10am. At about 8:30 I picked up my laptop and headed for the piano bar. I stayed inside because it was raining and I could see the island out the port window of the bar. I worked on ACS until lunch time. Since today is a full day at sea, we spent much of the day in the piano bar while I continued working on ACS. In the afternoon we ended up taking a late nap before dinner. For dinner I had Wahoo which was mediocre at best. After dinner Jane and Daphne went to watch a fashion show while I retired to the room. I read for a while, but soon fell asleep. Daphne awakened me about 10pm when she returned.

Sun Oct 18 - Rangiroa - We arrived about 5:30am, getting up just as the ship passed through the narrow channel into the lagoon. Shortly after we anchored we had breakfast and prepared to go ashore to visit the largest pearl farm in Polynesia. At about ten we boarded the tender that took us ashore. It was a rough ride as the wind was from an unusual direction (south) and was quite strong. After getting off at the dock, we boarded a small bus for the trip to the farm. It was interesting riding along on the island edge of the atoll where you could usually see the lagoon on the left and the ocean on the right. After about twenty minutes we arrived at the pearl farm. After a lecture about pearl farming we viewed the removal of finished pearls from the oysters and the insertion of new blanks. We then visited the pearl store where Jane bought some pearls.
After the short trip back to the dock, we again boarded the tender for a very rough ride back to the Star Flyer. After lunch we learned that our scheduled glass bottom boat trip had been cancelled because of the rough seas. We retired to our cabin and took a nap. After a short nap, I went back up to the piano bar and began rereading my book, “Blue Shift.” It had been so long since I last read it it was almost like reading a new book.

We went up on deck and watched as the Star Flyer negotiated the narrow channel from the lagoon into the ocean and headed for our next port of call, Fakarava. We stayed on deck and watched the sunset until it was dark and Jupiter appeared directly overhead. We then went down for dinner where I enjoyed sea bass after a curried shrimp appetizer. Daphne and Jane went up to see the music quiz in the tropical bar. I planned to attend, but fell sound asleep and only awakened when Daphne returned to the room after the program.

Mon Oct 19 - Fakarava - I awoke at 5am (as usual) and went up on deck to watch the sunrise. The sky was mostly clear with a few puffy white clouds. After that I went to work on this log and on some other correspondence in the piano bar. Around seven, Daphne joined me. We headed to breakfast around seven thirty. Jane slept in and did not join us. After breakfast I went to the piano bar and resumed writing this log. At 10:00 we entered the channel to the Fakarava lagoon (the second largest atoll). We planned to go ashore to the beach after lunch.

Before we anchored we were given the opportunity to take photos of the Star Flyer from out in the lagoon. Many passengers boarded the two tenders, cameras at the ready, and were taken on a complete circle around the ship. I took about fifty photos from all angles so I would be certain to get at least a few good shots.

At around two we boarded the Zodiac boat for a special trip to the beach. For those who don’t know, the Zodiac is a small fiberglass boat with a large inflated exterior powered by a outboard motor. It is very sturdy, stable, and can carry from 6 to 12 passengers. It also comes in larger sizes. (We rode on a large Zodiac on our trip down the Colorado River at the west end of the Grand Canyon last May.) After being dropped of on the beach (literally) we found some plastic chairs and a spot to spread our towels. Jane donned her snorkeling gear and headed out from the beach. It wasn’t long before she was back reporting the water was quite clouded and the numerous coral heads made snorkeling a bit hazardous for those with tender skin. Daphne and I didn’t bring our snorkeling gear as we had planned to use it later on another excursion.
At about four we boarded the tender (the Zodiac was full of water so we had no choice but climb a ladder into the tender) to return to the ship to get cleaned up and dressed for the captain’s special cocktail party for repeat Star Clipper Line travelers. We found out later we should have stayed to watch some really fantastic native dancing on the beach. Fortunately we did get to view a number of photos another passenger took of the dancers.

At six-thirty we attended the Captain’s cocktail party on the aft deck. There we became acquainted with several new friends including two nurses from Tulsa, Oklahoma. After a short visit with Captain Yurii (the same captain we had on our trip two years ago in the Med) we headed down for dinner. We had flounder as the main course and it was very good. Daphne spent dinner time talking with Gustaf a young Swedish man who is part of the four-man sports team. Since we were both tired we headed for our room and were soon in dreamland. We missed the famous “frog race” in the Tropical Bar. Beautiful weather today.

Tue Oct 20 - Fakarava - I woke up a bit early (4:30am), dressed, and took my PC and several books up to the piano bar to work. We plan on sending this log along with what Daphne wants to add as an email to our family and friends. We may even include a few photos. We have decided not to go back to the beach but will stay on the ship as we set sails to leave at 2:00 this afternoon. We had a photo presentation on the Society islands at seven. After dinner we went back to our cabin and retired early.

Wed Oct 21 - A day at sea - I got up around five as usual and went to the piano bar to work on WLS. During the day we spent time on deck enjoying the relaxation of sailing and the sea. The evening was designated “Pirate” night and those who could were to dress as pirates. I dressed as a pirate incognito wearing my LTSC Commodore’s shirt and white slacks. Jane wore a feather mask with a black patch over one eye. We were each immediately eliminated from the funniest pirate competition. Young folks today just do not appreciate subtlety.

After the pirate competition they held crab races. I picked one of the winners, Lady in Red, but missed on the second place required to be a winner. However, I did pick the winner for the third race and won a free drink at the bar. As soon as the races were over, we retired.

Thu Oct 22 - Bora Bora - I got up at five and took WLS with me up to the piano bar to work on editing. As I was working, we entered the lagoon of Bora Bora, supposedly the most beautiful of all the Society Islands and maybe the entire world. It is a large atoll with a large volcanic island in the center of the lagoon. I took a number of photos.

After breakfast we took the tender into the little town of Vaitape. After wandering around for awhile we found a taxi that took us all around the island for $35 each. The trip took us to the public beach called Matira where we did not stop, a little store with local wares of many kinds (we bought a bottle of water), and finally a stop at Bloody Mary’s, a quite famous local bar. They were just opening up for the day so we didn’t buy anything. After the hour and three quarters taxi ride we boarded the tender as soon as the taxi dropped us off and headed back to the ship for lunch.
We had planned to go snorkeling at three, but Daphne’s hip was bothering her so we cancelled. I massaged her hip to relieve the pain. We then both took a nap, waking in time to get dressed for the Captain’s dinner. After the dinner (we both chose Châteaubriand over lobster tail) we went to the Tropical Bar and watched a talent show of both staff and passengers.

Fri Oct 23 - Ta Ha’a - I woke up at 3:00am, just as we were leaving Bora Bora. I got dressed, and went up on deck to look for the Southern Cross. First, the mountains of Bora Bora obscured the cross, but then as we moved out to sea it was clouds on the southern horizon that prevented my seeing it. No problem! The Magellenic Clouds showed clearly to the south by southeast, Orion was spectacular directly over head with its companion, Sirius. The Pleadies (seven sisters) also shown clearly. I recognized a few constellations north of Orion, but the entire sky south of Orion and Sirius was spectacular, but unfamiliar to this stargazer. At about four I headed back to the cabin and promptly went to sleep. I woke again at 5:30 and got up. Daphne also awoke early and decided to put some laundry together as I am writing this. We will go up to the piano bar as soon as she gets the laundry ready to watch our arrival at Ta ha’a. Today is the Beach Barbeque and Polynesian Show day on the private motu (little island) of Mahaea.

After breakfast we gathered our snorkeling gear and boarded the tender to Mahaea. It was a long wade from the tender to shore through knee deep water. We spread our towels out on the sand amid literally hundreds of crab holes in the sand. We decided to try snorkeling, me with fins and Daphne without. After a struggle to get my left fin on over my swollen foot. I finally managed and was soon struggling through knee deepwater that seemed to go on forever before finally dropping of to a depth where snorkeling was possible. I was so exhausted from forcing my progress on hands and knees in such shallow water, I couldn’t snorkel for long and finally turned toward shore struggling once more through the shallow water. Ai finally took off my fins, stood up, and walked in carefully dodging coral chunks and shells on the sandy bottom.

At this point we headed for the barbecue and had lunch. After lunch we watched a Polynesian show of dance and music, taking many photos and two videos. After the show was over we gathered up our things and waded out a good 150 yards through knee deep water to board the tender for the trip back to the ship. We went to our cabin, started reading and promptly fell sound asleep. We woke up just in time for dinner. I had vegetable stew as none of the meat entrees looked very appetizing to me.

After dinner Daphne and I played a couple of games of cribbage. She creamed me both games. It was after eleven when we finally went to sleep.

Sat Oct 24 - Opunohu Bay, Moorea - We both awoke about five as the Star Flyer was just slowing down to enter Opunohu Bay on the Island of Moorea. We went up on deck for about two hours to watch the ship enter the bay and finally anchor. After breakfast the three of us went in to the island on the tender. We hoped to rent a taxi and ride around the island as we had around Bora Bora. After many promises from one driver, we took a ride to a pearl shop about five miles from the dock. Unfortunately, the promised drive around the island never materialized. It did not surprise me as I didn’t believe anything the driver was telling us. After he returned us to the dock he promised a lady would soon be there with a taxi to take us around the island. “In five minutes” he promised. I didn’t believe a word he said and was not surprised when an hour later no one had appeared. Another man approached and promised the same trip for about twice what the first man had quoted. We headed back to the ship on the next tender, disappointed, but with $150 cash still in or pockets.

I am now spending a few minutes in our room adding to this log. Daphne headed up to the aft deck to relax on a lounge and read. I will soon head up to the piano bar to continue working on my book. We returned to the ship, had lunch, and then relaxed and read as the ship came in to dock in Papeete harbor on Tahiti. At this point the passengers not continuing began to disembark.

After dinner we watched a show of native dances in the Tropical bar. After the show we went to our cabin and watched the 1930's version of “Mutiny on The Bounty” with Charles Laughten, Clark Gable, and Franchot Tone.

Sun Oct 25 - Papeete, Tahiti - I got up around 5:30 and went to the piano bar to read. Around seven Daphne woke up and we left the ship to wander about in Papeete. Since it is Sunday, nothing is open so we headed for the market that is open from five ‘til eight. The number and variety of fish of all shapes, colors, and sizes was amazing. Though they didn’t seem to be on ice they smelled very fresh and clean. Amazingly there was no spoiled fish smell of any kind. The number, variety and colors of all the vegetables and fruit was also amazing. We wondered what the vendors did with their fish after eight when the market closed.

Around eight we left the market and walked to the tourist bureau to get some maps and other info. Daphne stopped at a stand selling local crafts next to the tourist bureau then we walked back to the ship for breakfast. During the day we went to the ship’s library and signed up for several excursions. The ship was taking on stores for the next trip so we had to dodge around the open elevator shaft to get to the dining room. You could see down through the shaft to the hold where trucks were unloading pallets of stores. The food except for fruit and vegetables all come from Europe. No wonder the fish is so dry.

Before dinner and during the orientation talk for the new passengers we went down the gangplank to the dock and took some photos of the ship and ourselves. During dinner the ship moved away from the dock and started toward Moorea, just 20 nautical miles away. At dinner we sat with a group of passengers from the first cruise. I had braised lamb shanks, one of my favorites and it was the best dinner I had on the entire cruise. After dinner we went to bed early and read for short while before going to sleep.

Mon Oct 26 - Cook’s Bay, Moorea - I awoke about 4:45, got up, and went to the piano bar to work on my PC and watch the sunrise. Around seven I went to the cabin and found Daphne dressed. We were one of the early birds at breakfast. Since our glass bottom boat excursion had been cancelled, we went up on the aft deck to read and relax. After lunch with Jane and a Swiss lady, Emma, we went to the piano bar and I started again on this log. Daphne headed to the room for a nap and I will soon follow.

Tues Oct 27 - Raiatea - I awoke early at about 4:30am and took my PC up to my usual haunt in the piano bar to work on reorganizing my ACS and WLS files. During breakfast we anchored off the coast of Raiatea. After breakfast we headed for the tender to take us on a jeep tour of the island. Our tour guide and driver, Maria, drove us off out of town and along the coast for several miles. Rain drizzled steadily for the first half hour of our trip and we got fairly well soaked. When we left the main highway and followed a seldom used dirt road, the rain stopped. (Hooray!) We stopped at a coconut plantation before continuing on the “almost” road which wound around through the hills and finally into the crater of the volcano. (It looked to me more like a caldera.) We crossed or forded either many streams, or a few streams many times.

Finally we stopped at a Vanilla plantation. The aroma of vanilla with a hint of licorice wafted out from the sorting shed and engulfed our jeep. After listening to an explanation of the three kinds of vanilla and watching the sorters and graders do their work, Daphne bought some vanilla. We then got back in the jeep to continue the tour. Out last stop was at a marae (temple) consisting of a wall of coral for the royalty and a floor of rocks for the commoners. We then had a snack of mango and banana and headed back to the tender for a ride to the ship. Tonight was the Captain’s cocktail party (wine and potato chips) on the aft deck for repeaters. Forty percent of the passengers on this week’s cruise are repeaters. We talked with a woman who has been traveling around the world by herself. She is from Munich and arrived her by way of Sidney and New Zealand. There is a group of 26 from Austria, most from Vienna, on board. Many Europeans on this trip and quite a few Canadians on for the 17 days. Dinner was unremarkable but good company and then we went back to the cabin to watch “African Queen”.

Wed Oct 28 - Ta ha’a - I got up around five thirty with the brilliant sun streaming in our porthole turning our cabin into a blaze of golden light. I went up to the piano bar and began reading the research I had collected on the Indians of Kosciusko County. I was joined by a couple from Vienna who spoke very little English. Daphne came by around seven fifteen and went to the library to check on our excursions. Today is Beach Barbeque Day with a “wet landing” which means a climb down the ladder into waist high water”. Jane’s leg started bleeding again so she remains in her cabin with her leg elevated. She is giving the nurse Aimee a workout on this trip.

About eleven we took the tender to the little Motu where we walked at least 100 yards through knee deep water to reach the shore. Once more we enjoyed a shore barbecue in an open pavilion. After the meal we were treated to local Polynesian music and dances. We then waded almost 200 yards to nearly waist deep water to board the tender and return to the ship. By the time we got there, it was again raining. We experienced light rain on and off for the rest of the day so we didn’t go on deck. After dinner we retire to our cabin and watched a movie on the DVD player. About nine we anchored in the lagoon of Bora Bora.

Thu Oct 29 - Bora Bora - I “slept in” this morning and got up about seven. After going to the piano bar I worked on my PC until Daphne came up and we went to breakfast. Now we are back in the piano bar updating this log and preparing to send another email to family and friends. We are also beginning to think about our return to the real world in a few days after 17 days in “Paradise.” We are hoping our new seats in the Tahiti Nui Air Bus 300 are more comfortable than those we had on the way out.

After lunch we once more took the tender to the village of Vaitape. We walked about in the town stopping in several shops and Daphne found and bought a pendant made of mother of pearl with a baroque black pearl mounted in the center. We then walked about a bit before returning to the ship on the tender. We decided to crash for awhile.

At seven we went to the Tropical Bar to learn the disembarkation procedures. After dinner (I had a mediocre Polynesian beef stew) we went to the Tropical Bar for the crab races. I won $20.00 which was precisely what I had wagered on these and the previous crab races last week. But it was definitely a lot of fun. After the crab races the pirate king and queen were chosen from about fourteen contestants.

We then went to bed and watched part of a really depressing medieval drama with Sean Connery, named “The Name of the Rose.” Even he couldn’t save this movie from its dark, uninspiring morbidity. I went to sleep and Daphne shut it off and did likewise.

Fri Oct 30 - Huahini - Woke up about six as did Daphne. We showered, got dressed, and went to breakfast early as we had an eight o’clock excursion to catch. Our guide for the excursion was Joell, a former American who moved to the islands 37 years ago and never looked back. He was a great guide for the four and a half hours we traveled around both islands. Daphne and I both decided thus was definitely the most beautiful of all the islands we have visited on this cruise. This may because it is the one least visited by tourists.

After returning and having lunch we both crashed and didn’t wake up ‘til after sailing so we missed the raising of the sails. We will not do that tomorrow as it will be our last sailing departure.

After dinner where we met a delightful couple with their eleven year old daughter from Salzburg, Austria. We then watched the second talent show with several new performers from the passengers and pretty much the same performances from crew members. When the show was finished we headed off to our cabin to watch the movie,”Der Englander” with Hugh Grant (whom I don’t particularly care for). We both decided it was too late to start a movie so we crashed.

Sat Oct 31 - Moorea - I was up by 5:45 and headed to the piano bar to write. Daphne showed up at about seven and we sat and talked ‘til it was time for breakfast. After breakfast we waited in the piano bar until about ten whem our room was finally cleaned up. We spent the next few hours folding clothes and packing them into or suitcases. After lunch we packed some more, then, about two, we took the tender into Moorea where I picked up a little present. There’s virtually nothing ashore at Opanamu Bay, a couple of buildings and a small church, no village of any kind. We took the next tender back to the ship and resumed our packing.
At four we went up on deck to watch our last departure and the raising of the sails to that haunting music from 1492. It was a real thrill to watch as the ship turned 180 degrees and departed the harbor for Papeete, about twenty nautical miles southeast. The weather was perfect and I took a number of photos.

After more packing, we went to dinner. We wore our matching Halloween shirts and dressed all in black for the occasion. For dinner I had three huge shrimps (probably prawns) and Daphne had lamb chops. After dinner we went to the Tropical Bar and watched the same beautiful Tahitian dances we had seen when we were leaving Moorea a week ago. After dinner we finished packing, placed our luggage outside our door and went to bed. Tomorrow would be a busy day.
Sun Nov 1 - Papeete - I got up about 5:20am, got dressed and went to the Piano bar where I worked completing this log. We checked out of our cabin, had breakfast, and left the ship to take the tour bus around the island. On the tour we stopped to visit the Tahiti museum, some botanical gardens, and then the Paul Gaugin museum. The last was at the far south of the island. After leaving the Gaugin museum, we rode for an hour around the east shore of the island to the Radisson Hotel, where we had a room until nine in the evening. We guessed our room to cost at least $500 per night and possibly much more. We left our room about nine and waited in the lobby for our bus to the airport. During the ensuing two hour wait we played cribbage with Jane.

Mon Nov 2 - Tahiti to LAX - After the bus ride to the airport we stood in line for more than two hours before we got to security. It was horrendous. My legs ached as did Daphne’s. Once we got on the airplane I rubbed Daphne’s leg to ease her pain. Fortunately the two rows of outside seats were spaced considerably farther apart and were thus far more comfortable than the inner row seats we had on the way out.

We arrived at LAX at about noon and took the hotel shuttle to the Hacienda Hotel. After wrestling our luggage up to the room we were given, we were terribly disappointed. It had no balcony as promised, nothing but a sealed window with a flat roof part way up the window. The room smelled horribly of disinfectant or cleaning fluid. I went down to the desk and requested another room. The girl at the desk did not know that we had to negotiate five steps with our luggage after getting off the elevator and still maintained the room had a balcony. Quite obviously she had never walked on that floor or seen that room and I told her so. We had a bellman pick up our luggage and take it to the new room. Though a long way from the lobby, it was a much nicer room and didn’t smell.

We both crashed and awoke about 5:30. We dressed and walked over to Kinko’s (now FedEx mail services), paid for our luggage to be checked to JAX, and printed out our boarding passes. Then we returned to the hotel for dinner in their restaurant. After dinner we packed up the things we took out for our overnight so we would be ready to go at four in the morning. We showered before going to bed so we would be ready in the morning.

Tues Nov 3 - LAX to home - .I took our two big bags down as soon as I was dressed. The shuttle was getting ready to leave so I gave the driver the two bags I had with me. When he said he would wait while I got Daphne and the rest of our luggage I headed for our room.

After we unloaded our bags and went through security we stopped at McDonalds for breakfast. Nothing on their menu looked appetizing to either of us so while Daphne went back to another little food place to find something better to eat, I got us some drinks and sat down at a booth in McDonalds. Soon Daphne came back with muffins that were pretty good.

We then boarded the plane and stored our carry-on luggage. We had aisle seats across from each other. Fortunately, the center seats next to each of us was empty giving us lots of room. After watching the movie, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” I took out my PC and began writing this entry in the log. We are about halfway from LAX to ATL.

It is now 8:30pm and we are home. We thought about stooping for dinner, but then decided we wanted more to be home. Once home I brought in the luggage and put the car away while Daphne fixed us some Trader Joe’s tomato and roasted red pepper soup. Daphne has already gone to bed and I will follow as soon as I finish this sentence.