Rainy Rangy. We had our worst weather day of the cruise today but before I get started talking about downpours and deep puddles, I wanted to point out that I've just added some tour information for Nuku Hiva to my post two days ago. I have no information at all on the quality of this tour or what the tour consisted of, but since information about Nuku Hiva is so hard to come by, I'm passing this on:
Nuku-Hiva Tours
Tel/fax: +689 40 920750
NukuHivaTours@gmail.com
Owner: Kevin Ellis (cell: +689 87 22 68 72)
Tour Guide: Phillip Beardmore
Also, just to give you some idea of how difficult Internet is in this part of the world, this is the quality of the Internet we were able to get on shore in Nuku Hiva...and we were thrilled with this!!! By comparison, our download speed at home is 60+ Mbps, more than 30 times as fast as at this restaurant, which itself was better than anything we've had on the ship. G was amused at the number of "hops" the signal was taking (22) to get to us on Nuku Hiva. It was originating in LA and probably getting to us via Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok, Paris and Des Moines. Ssssooooooo sssllllooooowwwww.
I opened my eyes this morning at 6am, and G had already vacated the cabin and there was wet laundry on the clothesline. He had been a busy (and quiet) boy! It was overcast but not yet raining, and we met up on Deck 11 forward, where port lecturer Douglas was holding court in his usual (approaching an island) manner. G and I remarked to each other, as we were standing up there, that it would be an entirely different, and far less rewarding experience to come into port without the background and knowledge Douglas was imparting.
I am not going to post photos I take on subsequent cruises if I've already posted earlier ones; Internet is too precious for repeats. So, Tiputa Pass appeared in front of us and dolphins (the same ones?) raced toward the bow of the ship to surf its wake. I was glad I mentioned to Douglas last night that I was going to sit on the terrace behind the buffet as we went through Tiputa Pass to watch the dolphins surf the ship's wake. He corrected me, telling me to be in the front because they surf the bow wake, the water displaced by the ship's bow cutting through the water, not the aft wake.
This little reef lies just beyond Tiputa Pass in Rangiroa's lagoon, and after navigating the pass, the Pacific Princess must immediately head to port to give a wide berth the gorgeous reef under the water. This is the area called The Aquarium, and was the location where we drift snorkeled last cruise.
I love this view of the curving ship's wake against a darkening sky as it made its way to its anchoring location to begin tender service.
The Catholic Church in the village of Tiputa on the non-tendering side of the Tiputa Pass.
Once we were anchored and tendering operations began (I watched today; three tenders are lowered, each holding 120 tender passengers, so you can see why we quickly go to open tender), we went to the Club Restaurant for our usual "huge fruit plate" breakfast, with cottage cheese and toast for me. We then went up to the buffet where Mr. Pizza, who is Mr. Omelet in the mornings, had specially saved pepperoni for a pepperoni and cheese omelet at G's request (we are so spoiled!). Pepperoni and cheese omelet? I wasn't convinced until I had one bite, and it is a winner. So breakfast #2 was taken on the terrace behind the buffet and it was while we were sitting there that the rain began in earnest and never really stopped.
Still, we took a tender over to the island with the intention of walking down to the public beach, about a 45 minute walk, but the rain chose that moment to really pick up. We hid out in the little bar/restaurant adjacent to the pier drinking Hinanos and waiting for the rain to stop, but it never did. Finally we decided to walk anyway- after all, it was a nice, warm rain- but we quickly learned that, on a coral island just 11.5 feet above sea level, rain does not soak into the ground. Instead it puddles, in ever-deepening and widening puddles, until walking becomes like wading In a shallow pond. We ultimately cried "uncle" and gave up, returning to the tender looking like two drowned rats. Fortunately, we'd were not alone. Even the pop up canopies covering the tender pier could not keep up, and the security crew members were standing under them holding umbrellas. One of Rangiroa's many dogs decided to camp out under the canopy, and luckily the security crew members were feeling hospitable, because the dog got more and more comfortable until he finally just plopped down next to one and shared his umbrella.
The torrent didn't stop the locals in their outrigger canoes from surfing in each tender's wake.
We returned to the ship cold and wet, and it was hard to imagine that, on our last visit here less than three weeks ago we were sweltering in the sun. Hot showers were the first thing on tap, and dressing for tonight's tropical island theme, which I had a strong feeling was not going to be taking place on the pool deck. It was port and Stilton night at the Elite Lounge, another favorite, especially on a cold, rainy day, so we swung in there before dinner in the Club Restaurant. There was no sunset and no view tonight (in fact, all was foggy outside the floor to ceiling windows), but the pre-dinner drinks and hor doerves are always enjoyable.
Dinners with Jose and Oleksandr are a highlight of every day. The service level is superb, I'm getting my food HOT, which makes for a happy me, and maitre d' Luigi has already informed us he's keeping us- and them- at the same table for two by a window for next cruise. Always something to look forward to.... Tonight was Italian night, which we had missed last cruise due to our meal at the Steakhouse, so it was nice to get my penne arrabiata fix, with limoncello sorbet for dessert.
We had already seen tonight's show (vocalist Claude-Eric) and didn't see ourselves staying up for the tropical night party, so we're settled into our cabin at 8:30pm. G's found a wonderful documentary on TV on the geological origins of the US's natural resources, which is right up his alley, and I will be quite happy tucked into Robert Louis Stevenson's In the South Seas. We have a late arrival into Raiatea tomorrow, for a reason I will go into in my next post (as I'm unsure whether we'll see anything different on our approach to that island, so it may be a short report on an unusual occurrence). I think everyone involved, and everyone on this ship, is hoping for a better weather day.