Lautoka,Fiji Islands

Dinner with Cynthia and Mike Kenneally
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2.23.2007 Lautoka- Fiji Islands

While at sea yesterday Sallie and I both got our hair cut for the first time since leaving home. It seems that most normal cruises 2 people doing hair are enough but on this long cruise men are getting haircuts, too, and the girls are really busy. They do a good job but it’s cheaper in Potomac. Last night there was a barbecue on deck with music, dancing and and entertainment which wasn’t great. The ship was rocking and the poor juggler had his problems. The four of us ate with the younger couple, the Kenneallys from St. Louis and had a great time. Again we sat our clocks back an hour and we awoke this morning to a beautiful sunrise over the Fiji Islands as we came in to dock at Lautoka. The West’s decided to take a tour of Vieseisei Village and an orchid farm and we took a trip that included a ShotoverJet boat ride and a visit to the city of Nadi. Sallie maintains that I chose the tour without her agreeing and didn’t enjoy the boat ride as much as I did. The boats hold 12 passengers and are especially designed for shallow rivers by only drawing tow inches of water. The speed and maneuverability is outstanding We navigated narrow mangrove-lined channels of the Nadi River at high speeds making 360 degree turns that drenched us with water. Fortunately, we took towels and a change of shirts. The boat left from Port Denarau on Denarau Island-a new man made island resort that includes a golf course and 4 luxury resorts. Afterwards we stopped in Nadi where we had a very good lunch at an Indian restaurant. All the businesses in town are owned by Indians-originally imported here to work in the sugar cane fields.

Cynthis and Mike dancing
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Fiji numbers over 300 islands and was a British colony before gaining its independence.

Several months ago the military took over in a coup as they believed to be a corrupt one. Currently there is an interim government until next year’s elections. Our guide said that the violence during the takeover was grossly exaggerated by the foreign press and that the populace here is very satisfied. We saw very little evidence of the military. At 5PM we set sail for New Zealand. Now that we are headed south we are looking forward to some cooler weather. Last night during cocktails we saw the perhaps the prettiest sunset we have ever seen. My pictures don’t do it justice.

Barbecue poolside
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2.24.2007 In route to Bay of Islands, New Zealand

It’s been a very busy day. After breakfast, workout and shower we had another fine lecture by Tony Wilson, reading the papers and having bullion in the Panorama Lounge where competition between the ship’s 5 bartenders was taking place. They each made two cocktails for passengers to taste and score. I decided to quit judging after five. After lunch, bridge with Joanne and Donny then the four of us went to bingo followed by a fantastic lecture by Peter Hillary who followed his father in climbing Mt. Everest (twice) and going to both North and South Poles on trips sponsored by National Geographic. His presentation, slides and film clips were all excellent. I hope to have a chance to meet and visit with him. In the meantime, we hope all is well with family and friends. We miss you all.