February 12th,13th Pago Pago, 14th, (15th IDL)

Monday, 12th February. We continued on our south westerly heading across the South Pacific Ocean passing over Nova Trough with averaging depths of 3500 metres. Also passing islands called the Phoenix Group of which Canton Island is the largest and most northern. This island is an atoll, made up of a low, narrow rim of land surrounding a large shallow lagoon. It got hotter and the humidity got higher so that we couldn’t bear to be on the balcony for long. Today Alan continued his interest in Walter Cunningham’s lectures whilst I posted my latest blog and answered emails. After lunch I went to the lecture by Chris Butler, the astronomer. It was strange because he did talk about the stars but through his personal paintings! Anyway, prior to this I met one of the technicians and asked him about some problems I was having with my lap top, so he had a look at it during the lecture and I hope he has sorted me out! We will see. I had a really good work out at the gym because I needed it! In the evening we had made reservations at the Chef’s Galley, on this occasion chef was cooking a four course Indian meal.

(There are also Italian, French and Pan Asian evenings.)There were about twenty guests in the galley; a purpose built dining area with cameras and screens where we all sit facing chef at his work station. This was a most informative and social evening for all who attended.
Tuesday, 13th February and we arrived in the American Samoa Island of Tutuila where we docked at the small village of Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango.)

We were greeted with sounds from their Samoan Band who were on the quayside, as were a number of stallholders awaiting our arrival in anticipation. It was a very hot day with high humidity, temperatures were in the 30+ degrees and we were mopping up perspiration as it dripped from our faces. Even the locals said it was hot and sat fanning them selves with fans made from dried banana leaves. We were very lucky because here they get frequent and very heavy tropical storms. The people were very nice and polite, some spoke American but many still chatted away in Samoan and didn’t understand us. We hadn’t booked a tour of the island and thought we could hop onto a bus, but after spotting the local transport, small colourful buses mostly filled to capacity, we decided to take a taxi part way around the perimeter of the island on the coast road. There are no roads across the island because it is what it is, a volcano. The coast road does not go all the way around, so if you want to get from a. to b. you go east or west and back the same way. It is a very lush green island and we saw many banana trees, mango trees and coconut trees, all bearing fruit, along the road side. It is amazing to see the amount of tropical plant life here and we can only assume that volcanic rock hosts many minerals to support so many varieties. At lunch time we found the ‘Don’t Drink the Water’ café, recommended by one of the shop assistants, and ordered their local dish of fish and chips, which was deep fried breaded swordfish and chips with salad and tartar sauce – delicious! Because of the heat their way of life is between slow and stop; no one hurries anywhere and only some shops have air conditioning; mainly the shopping mall; concrete structure with corrugated roof. There are two on the island and both contain only a supermarket that sells everything plus a sewing shop, jeweller, barber and café. We visited both! The houses are built in groups along the coast and on stilts if on the side of the volcano, there does not seem to be much wealth on this island except for the ‘Governor’s House’, which stands out on the hillside. After a bit more window shopping we decided to get a taxi back to the ship because the roads and paths were too uneven for me to push Alan, and he had walked quite some distance. There were plenty of sewing shops where the locals have their clothes made and they all still wear the traditional dress of blouse and matching sarong, or shirt and sarong for men. Few wear western fashion. Here are the taxi drivers waiting at the port.

Once back on board the ship we drank gallons of water to replenish ourselves and Alan sat on the balcony whilst I did the laundry – again! We saw a turtle swimming beneath our balcony; he must have been at least a metre in size and stayed around for quite some time because he was joined by a number of others. When the ship left port at 6.00pm we had a helicopter fly over and drop a handful of flowers on the ship, unfortunately, they missed our balcony so we didn’t catch any! Apparently, it is the Samoan’s traditional farewell, which we thought very nice. In the evening there were a lot of people wearing their purchase of traditional shirts and sarongs so I guess the stall holders had a very good day – I know the taxi drivers did because ours told us so!
Wednesday, 14th February was St Valentine’s Day. I went to a Spanish class in the morning and Alan went to his lecture. I missed the first three Spanish classes but I think I will catch the next three as it was very good. (I had to listen and learn because all the direct questions for us to answer were asked in Spanish.) I can’t promise to have a conversation with you Mark D. but I will try. The weather was still very humid and temperature about 27 degrees and the sea was like a mill pond. At lunch time we saw the Fiji Islands and Tonga in the distance. In the afternoon we went to see RADA’s performance of Noel Coward’s ‘Private Lives’ (a 50 minute version), which was excellent and we are looking forward to their next presentation. I had my usual work out at the gym and seem to be holding my own against the weighing scales!! The evening began with the Captains ‘World Cruiser’s’ cocktail party and our dinner followed. The hotel manager gave me (every lady) a red rose as we were escorted into the restaurant, I didn’t get one from Alan but he said the jewellery covered that!! We both had Hawaiian Wahoo, a white fish similar to swordfish and that was superb. Alan usually stayed with meat and the new name we have found for gigot, or lamb shank, is Osso bucco, but tonight was an exception. Our evening ended with the Grand St Valentine’s Ball, which was quite a lavish affair and most enjoyable, almost every lady chose to wear red, (and some men!) which was rather exciting to see. Tonight when we go to bed we will lose one day as we will cross the International Date Line, although it will be at 10.30am in the morning, we will in fact start our day as Friday, February 16th. I am posting my blog while Alan does his usual circuit of the ship.
Thursday 15th February. Crossing the International Date Line. It doesn't exist - one day lost.

February 10th, 11th X'ing Equator

Saturday, 10th February was a lazy day at sea so I decided to pamper myself! I began with two hours in the Canyon Ranch Spa, starting off with a reflexology foot bath followed by a tropical shower before an aromatherapy sauna – (in here I met a very nice Chinese man who told me all about Hong Kong.) Then it was a graceful plunge into the massage pool where I lay on the bubble bars until I almost fell asleep and floated off. I thought I should move around a bit so I launched myself across to the pool centre where the Jacuzzi burst into action around me and I felt obligated to exercise my leg stretches! I spotted two very strong water jets and positioned myself beneath one in the hope that it would batter about two inches off my hips, but in reality it didn’t. The tropical storm waterfall was most invigorating so I stay beneath that enjoying the shoulder massage as I slowly rotated. I met Alan after his continuing maritime lectures had finished and he marked up our wall map so that we knew where we were. After a short break following lunch I decided on an hour in the gym before returning to the spa. Another sauna and bubbling water experience followed before my 4.30pm appointment in the beauty parlour where I had booked a fifty minute body massage and moisturiser in preparation for the formal evening ahead. It was very relaxing, especially when I was cocooned in a plastic ‘body bag’ before being lowered into a bath of warm water where I floated weightlessly whilst my feet were gently massaged. Next was my hair appointment and I began to feel like the million dollars I had just spent! Alan was almost ready for the Captain’s Cocktail Party when I returned to our suite, so I hurried along (for the first time this day) and we made our 7.30pm appointment – just! The beautician told me to drink plenty of water after my treatment, but unfortunately there was only champagne flowing in abundance so I had to make do with that! We dined later that evening and after our caviar appetiser we both sampled the Hawaiian Moonfish, which really was excellent. (It is similar to tuna or swordfish, but it tastes much sweeter.) We wished we hadn’t had the dessert but if we hadn’t we wouldn’t have known how sumptuous it was. We had been drinking Wolf Blass, Yellow Label, a South Australian Cabernet Sauvignon most of the time, and yesterday when our sommelier informed us that it was the last bottle, we were most disappointed. Then in the evening he informed us that he had found 20 vintage bottles of this in the Captain’s cellar and had placed them to one side reserved for us, (phew - what a relief!) Feeling lucky I played roulette for half an hour, doubling my money this time – much to Alan’s delight as he looked on, so I cashed in and we made a hasty retreat to bed. The temperature during the day was around 26 degrees and the sea was calm and a beautiful blue as we headed south towards the equator again.
Sunday, 11th February. We awoke to grey skies and 90 degrees air humidity with temperatures around 25 degrees. The sea temperature was said to be 24 degrees on our report from the Bridge. Alan attended his lectures again; he will be so knowledgeable when he gets home, although he does sleep through parts of them! I was on whale and dolphin watch on the balcony – but must have dozed off! At 12.15pm we attended the ‘crossing the line’ ceremony with King Neptune and his entourage (we didn’t actually cross the equator until later in the evening) but as we didn’t get a good view last time we made sure of a front seat and I took some video. Twenty passengers volunteered to be ‘Pollywogs’ and get covered in food before kissing the fish and jumping into the pool. It was better organised this time and disabled passengers got to sit at the front instead of being trampled in the crush!
Here is the beautiful Moonfish that each ‘Pollywog’ had to kiss before jumping in the pool; its skin and fins glistened rainbow like colours in the sun. Lunch was good again and this time we both had grouper; the selection of fish on board is wonderful. About this time we sailed west of Line Islands, one of which is Kiribati, better known as Christmas Island, where the A Bomb was tested in the 50’s. While Alan went to the art auction I busied myself sorting out in the suite before going to the gym to crunch those calories whilst watching ‘Phantom of the Opera’ (I bought a head set to listen as I worked out.) I caught the sun whilst at the ceremony and have a rather bright coloured chest so I couldn’t wear a low cut top this evening! We ate early so that Alan could get out on deck around 9.00pm to catch the actual crossing of the equator – he did and the time was exactly 9.22pm. Meanwhile I waited in the Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar and treated myself to a glass of Rosé. Then we went to the theatre to watch the Cunard Dancers followed by an amazing pair of gymnasts, ‘Duality’, performing in slow motion. The final act was a flautist, Gary Arbuthnot, and he was terrific! Here we are in the theatre early, and as you can see all seats have tables. The bench seat rows are alternate between the swivel chairs that we prefer to use.
So our voyage in the Southern Hemisphere begins again and tomorrow night I will be up on deck 12 with the astronomer, Chris Butler, who joined us in San Francisco, to learn about the stars beneath the world, that we can’t see from the Northern Hemisphere. We put our watches back an hour this evening so from February 12th we will be 11 hours behind the UK. We are now over half way through our holiday and we don't want it to end!