Livin’ my best cruisin’ life

 We spent the afternoon at a resort on the coast. Here we were treated to a traditional Tonga dinner-roast pig, lamb, and vegetables cooked in the ground. Traditional dance rounded out our visit.

 Tonga is the smallest kingdom in the world. It’s home to about 100,000 people and unfortunately , it suffered a tsunami which destroyed two islands in the kingdom. I enjoyed a drive around the island, where I saw numerous blowholes. 

 I left the ship to do some shopping at the market in Raiatea. Unfortunately, the rain came down all day, ruining a lovely day of Chinese New Year celebrations.

Here are a few esrly morning pictures from Raiatea, the Society Islands, French Polynesia.

 More photos..,,

 I took the tender across to the island. It is very lush and beautiful!

 We left Tahiti this morning at 4:30 am and arrived in Moorea at 6:30. Here are our pictures from our morning arrival-it was quite overcast 

 A few more….,

 Just a few more pictures of Tahiti!

 We arrived in Papeete early this morning. Papeete is a modern city with upscale shopping, restaurants and resorts. We met up with our friends Nanchi and Steve and hired a guide to take us around the island. On the way we saw black and white sand beaches, waterfalls, gardens, blowholes, lighthouses, and beautiful vegetation everywhere. This must be paradise 

 

 Last night we had a “glamping” event on the pool deck. Camp chairs and campfires were present, along with canoes in the pool and camping snacks-mini hot dogs, smores, hot chocolate, sliders, and bacon maple donuts! 

 Nuka Hiva is a tender port. It’s a small island in the Marquesas, which are part of French Polynesia. Here sre some pictures from the island.

 We arrived here this morning at 6 am. A rainbow greeted us as we sailed in. Nice to see land after over a week with no sign of another ship or sea creature! It’s been raining on and off, but the sun, when it appears, is strong! 

 Our last day of the long Pacific Ocean sail. Tomorrow we will reach Nuka Hiva. The weather has been wonderful all the way. Every day like the one pictured-

 Through the Pacific, we are being entertained by singers and dancers from Hawaii.

 On Saturday, some of our fellow Village travelers got together for dinner in the Pinnacle Grill onboard. We had such a great time that we decided to make it a monthly event !

 Tonight we had a fantastic Polynesian show, including songs, hula, and even a chant to send us on our safe journey to Tahiti. Six more ocean days to go until we reach Nuka Hiva 

 Last stop before a long sea voyage-8 days across the Pacific to French Polynesia. I only hope the seas are calm and  I keep busy! I have lots to read and lots of trivia to play! Also I’m sure there will be parties and activities to keep is amused. Anyway, plan today is to go downtown and tour. In the meantime, here are some views of Panama City.

We transited the canal from the Caribbean to the Pacific. It’s a fascinating process and, even though we’ve done this before, there is always more to see and to learn. For example, did you know that it costs each cruise ship between $300,000 and $500,000 to go through the canal? It takes about nine hours to go through and ships rise about 85 feet going through the locks. One of my favorite parts is seeing the beautiful jungle beyond the canal