travelswithalice

March 21, 2019

South Pacific Cruise

After years of waging a private war against cruising, I’ve finally surrendered. Stuart and I are on an ocean cruise.

I know people who would consider it frivolous, hedonistic, maybe even immoral. Not quite decadent, but surely profligate.

I call it simply wonderful!

Labels: Cook Islands, Crystal Symphony, French Polynesia

posted by Alice Dimalanta Jones # March 21, 2019

March 14, 2019

Rarotonga

I like this. On the veranda, really just a small balcony off our stateroom, I sit blissfully reading my book. Off and on because the water distracts me. And the tenders going back and forth to the island, gingerly navigating through a narrow opening maybe about five lengths of the tenders themselves. The boats sway as they slip between the breakwaters against which the blue-green waves spatter into white foamy sprays.

I like being on my balcony watching life on the island. Containers stacked high in front of warehouses, cars and trucks and motorcycles, the craggy wooded mountains in back. They’re all beautiful. But I have no great desire to go there, to leave my comfortable perch. The rocking motion is soothing and the sea breeze is cooled by air conditioning streaming out from the open bedroom door.

I like it here.

Soon I’ll have to get ready to go to the 4pm lecture.

Going back across the International Dateline, we now lose the day we gained coming. It’s now Friday, tomorrow is Sunday.

Finally, a mystery!

The ship was due to sail at 5pm. It’s 5:41, we haven’t moved, and one of the tenders is still sitting on the shore.

At the lecture- a very interesting one on film making and the future of movies- the PA interrupted twice to page two passengers.

According to two officers on the bridge anxiously watching the shore, those two passengers plus a third one are missing...

posted by Alice Dimalanta Jones # March 14, 2019

March 13, 2019

Aitutaki & The Cook Islands

I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many shades of blue and green!

In beautiful weather like this, it’s hard to imagine bad tempers and mutineers causing bad things happening to people. Even if, like HMS Bounty’s Captain Bligh, they’re thought to be bad-tempered or cruel.

Labels: Mutiny on HMS Bounty

posted by Alice Dimalanta Jones # March 13, 2019

March 10, 2019

Bora Bora

It would seem churlish to say that all this sun and sea and tropical island thing is nothing new to me, having been born and raised in one of over 7,000 islands, 7,641 to be exact, several of which count as some of the planet’s most beautiful.

However, there is something to be said for breakfast on the veranda looking out on the shifting blue waters of the South Pacific.

We are anchored off Bora Bora. I watch a strip of shimmering neon-bright aquamarine guarding the entrance to the lagoon. Coral reefs encircle these sheltered waters like a jeweled necklace. It’s no wonder that Captain Cook was captivated all those 200 years ago.

Today is Crew Emergency Muster day on the ship. Like a pair of overgrown children, Stuart and I lean over the balcony railing to watch the action, marveling especially at the rainbow thrown up by the fire crew’s spray. It’s a far superior show than last night’s after dinner entertainment.

At lunch today, one of the waiters confidentially advised me that good coffee can only be had in The Bistro on Deck 6. I have now taught the ship’s baristas how to make my cortado.

After a brief trip to the island, Stuart has decided it’s really just like Cebu without the traffic. I’m opting out. I’m going back to my veranda and my book.

(The book is Arundhati Roy’s “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”.)

Labels: Crystal Symphony

posted by Alice Dimalanta Jones # March 10, 2019

March 08, 2019

Moorea

Breakfast on the veranda as we come up to the island.

It’s 7:25 am, we’ve just dropped anchor. Noisily. Then another, 4 minutes later.

On the veranda next door, a man’s voice, impatient, annoyed.

Oh, darling! Do what you want to do! Don’t ask me. Stop asking me!

Last night’s dinner was exceptional. Umi Uma by Nobu. Exquisite sashimi! We plan to cancel all other dinner reservations and change them all into Umi Uma.

Labels: Crystal Symphony

posted by Alice Dimalanta Jones # March 08, 2019