The crossing from Sydney to Vancouver.....Part 1

An ocean crossing in an honour for seafarers like me. Not everyone gets to experience this and I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to.  Our ship was due to reposition from Sydney, Australia to Vancouver, Canada over 30 days.  We were going to go to exotic ports of call none of us have seen before, we would cross the international date line, the equator and we would change time six times.  We were scheduled for two long cruises covering 9698 nautical miles. It was a wonderful, exciting and tiring experience.

Our first ports of call were Mare and Suva, both which we have called previously.  Mare has one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen (right up there with Half Moon Cay Bahamas); turquoise seas and white sands.  Suva as I mentioned before is a busy city and we spent the day at the market.

The highlight of my crossing and a dream that came true was our visit to Tahiti of French Polynesia. I worked late nights on sea days just so I could go out as much as possible in Pape'ete, Moorea and Bora Bora.  It was all worth it and I had to pinch myself it was all so surreal.  

Pape'ete was our first port of call. Out of the three islands it was the most city like.  The immigration protocols for French Polynesia are a bit strict so we spent a good couple of hours sorting that out with authorities before we could go out. I took a stroll on the open deck and it was beautiful and green and lush. When I see greenery my pupils dilate! I couldn't contain my excitement, I was so excited that I put makeup only on one eye hahahahaha.  

We booked an island tour that showcased the highlights of Pape'ete.  It was hotter then the sun and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour that took us to a botanical garden, water falls, gorgeous vistas, a Polynesian museum and a Polynesian home.  If you've read my previous posts then you know that I am quite spiritual. I was with one of my spiritual sisters and at one point we looked at one another and said almost at the same time 'Do you feel the ground vibrating?' it wasn't an earthquake. Certain places just have this energy that permeates through the earth or the people or just gives you that vibe. I can tell you that the strongest vibes I have felt were in Pape'ete, Machu Picchu and the Big Island in Hawai'i.

The home visit fascinated me as the owner took us through her garden and went over all the plants and flowers and how Tahitians use them in  their lives whether it's for medicine or beauty products.  Over the years with my own experiences I have learned to step away from western medicine and seek natural methods mostly through eastern medicine. However, I am fascinated by any naturopathic or natural and alternative methods. This was right up my alley, I learned more about this through out guide on the next island.

We wrapped up the evening by taking a stroll through the night market near the ship. Tahiti is known for black pearls but I didn't find any that called my name. There was a parking lot full of food trucks with local eats. We opted for some ahi tuna which was absolutely divine. 

The ground was vibrating

These tats though...

The view from the Tahitian home

Ahi Tuna like no other

The following day we tendered at Moorea. Tendering is when we take a small boat from the ship to the shore.  I tried to make the most of our time on the island and wanted to see as much as possible so I did my research online and booked a tour for the eight of us with Moorea VIP Tours . We were met by Yvette who welcomed us at the pier. She was personable, fun, kind, informative and she put up with our crazy arses. The eight of us loaded into her van and had the whole tour to ourselves which was such a unique experience as we could do things at our pace an we could ask all the questions that we wanted to. The tour was the whole day and we really got to see a good portion of the lush island.

Moorea is greener or more lush then the other islands.  There are no high rises nor highways and you are surrounded by vegetation.  We visited a black sand beach, plantations, the country side, temples and incredible vistas.  It was about 45C and we were sweating like phat kids chasing ice cream trucks but the raw beauty of the island made up for it.  Yvette gave us even more information how Tahitians use plants for medicine and beauty.  What I loved is when Yvette picked some Ylang Ylang from a nearby tree. She crushed it an gave it to us to smell and asked us if we recognized the scent and it we did; Chanel No. 5.  Ylang Ylang is the main ingredient in the classic perfume.  The scent followed us throughout the day.   Yvette chilled some Ylang Ylang infused cloths for us that we could use to cool down, it was such a nice and refreshing touch.

In the crazy heat we also stopped off at a roadside place for some ice cream and some local fruit tasting.  Maybe it was the heat or just a welcome change from the every day but the mango, avocado and ice cream tasted exquisite. On the way back to the ship we stopped at a juice store to do some tasting and of course we purchased some for ourselves for later. I also bought pineapple wine which actually sounds a lot better then it tasted but ya know, I can't let wine go to waste haha.

It was a full, magical and beautiful day.

The view outside of my cabin port hole

That's the biggest the roads get

Black sand beach

Ylang Ylang infused cloths

Ice Cream Break

now THIS is what serenity looks like....

Have you ever seen photos of those bungalow/huts in crystal clear turquoise waters in Bora Bora? 

For as long as I can remember this has been a dream of mine. Bora Bora always seemed so unattainable, luxurious and expensive. I have always imagined frolicking around one of these huts but didn't think it was possible.  

I called several hotels and tried to reserve a hut for us and I was facing all sorts of ridiculous prices and policies. It wasn't looking good. I kind of just settled for the fact that we were going to the Intercontinental Hotel on a day pass and we would drool over the bungalows from a distance.

The tender boat operation wasn't going so smooth so we were delated getting off the ship a good hour. Once we did get off the ship we couldn't find a taxi. Somehow in my broken French I fenagled one and then ten of us piled into the taxi practically sitting on top of one another.

Crammed and super excited in the taxi

We arrived at the hotel all giddy with excitement. Luckily they didn't give out our reserved day passes away. I decided to try my luck with the bungalow again. By some great forces of the universe they had one left! Not only did I get the one most distant from the shore but I scored half off!  We nearly ran to the bungalow and couldn't believe our eyes. It was everything we ever thought it would be. Gorgeous bungalow with a wooden interior, all necessary amenities, a coffee table with a glass floor, a patio and a platform straight into the ocean complete with a slide and stairs.  The water was so clear you could see to the coral and all the ocean life.  We couldn't contain our excitement. We ran around the bungalow taking in all the sites and taking photos from all angles.

My dream had come true! It happened, something that was so unattainable, so luxurious and expensive happened! I just could not believe it.

We were all in awe and in appreciate of what luck we had.  

Just LOOK at these photos!

Somewhere amongst these ports we went through the international date line.  Aside from the fact that we had to change time 6 times, we also had to relive April 7th. Yes you read that right, we re-lived April 7th.  On april 7th at 2am the clocks went back 23 hours. Let me tell you what a hot mess payroll was. Our computers and phones were already on Pacific time so to say that we were confused is an understatement.

When we crossed the equator we had an equator ceremony.  What I wasn't aware of was that people like me who have not crossed the equator by sea are called Pollywogs. And do you know what happens to Pollywogs? They have to go on trial with King Neptune. My ship bestie and I walked right into that trap as we admitted that we have never crossed the equator by sea.

We were summoned along with  the Deck and Engine officers and brought to the open deck like prisoners.  We were put on trial for our crimes and were made to kiss the massive, ugly and stinking fish.  Next the 'pirates' threw eggs, pasta and pasta sauce at us. Let me tell you; it smelled like vomit. It all happened so fast that I had no time to run although I did try. The officers got their heads shaved.  The experience was fun but I did actually start gagging in front of everyone. It smelled bad!  We then walked threw crew areas and hugged all the clean people in their whites.  I am now no longer a pollywog and now a trusty shellback!

Before the massacre

Kiss the fish

Listening to King Neptune' verdict

So it begins

I tried to run

It didn't work

On the lookout for more...

Run!!!!

To be continued.....

South Pacific: New Caledonia

Nothing made want to re-learn French faster then going to the French speaking islands of New Caledonia. My Spanish was NOT coming in handy here at all and well I kind of need to get around.

New Caledonia is somewhat culturally and geographically similar to Vanuatu.  We visited several islands including the water snake infested Isle of Pines, Lifou, Mare and the capital Noumea. 

Noumea was the only place where we had a hospital and an airport along our itinerary but the immigration laws made it tough for us to deal with restricted nationalities.  It was also the only place that had stores but I have to tell you that it was tough to buy anything. I remember that one day I was desperately searching for deodorant (not something I ever want to be left without again) and I paid a whopping $20 USD for it. As soon as I got back to Sydney I bought four deodorants!  New Caledonia operates in Pacific Francs which I then had to convert to Aussie dollars and then to US dollars for it to make any sense to me.  There was a supermarket there and I can tell you that the only thing that was reasonably affordable was the wine and cheese (my two favorite food groups).  Lets just say that wine and cheese nights became a regular thing for my friends and I. 

Casino supermarket's wine section :)

Wine and Cheese Tour

Innocently hiking not knowing it's
snake infested

Isle of Pines is full of....well you guessed it; Pines.  Apparently the dinosaurs didn't survive but the pines did. Oh and the island is also full of water snakes and later I learned also land snakes.  I am incredibly afraid of snakes to the point that it will cause a full out panic/anxiety attack.  I try not to let it stop me from doing things I love like hiking and swimming and so far not thinking about it has worked.  Thank you baby Jesus and adult Jesus that I have not seen a snake in the wild in years because I do NOT need to have a public meltdown.

My first week onboard I hiked the main hill on the island. I thought that after four days onboard I had mastered the jet lag induced by the 24 hour flight and the 16 hour time change but oh, I was wrong. Two-thirds of the way up I got very dizzy and nauseous and I let my friends continue without me as I sat on a rock to regain my sanity. Little did I know that the hill was crawling with snakes,  I only found out six months later when the Ship Physician said 'never hike that hill alone, it's full of venomous snakes'...lovely!  

For months I didn't go into the sea as I heard stories of sea snakes. One of my friends even told me one got caught in the propeller of one of our tender boats and became sushi real fast. About four months in we did a fun island tour and after hours int he heat, I finally jumped in the turquoise sea. Mind you I kept my eyes peeled all around me, the water was super clear so if anything came my way I would see it. Lucky me, no creature made any sudden appearances.

Most of these islands don't have much on them (except for Noumea). There was one restaurant with amazing (not so reasonably priced) food at a pristine location. It quickly became a crew favorite. The service sucked, wait you have to get service for it to actually suck.  You had to sit yourself, get your own cutlery and own menu, place the order at the bar and pay for it but they did eventually deliver the food at a snail's pace. Lucky for them it was the only restaurant near the port. Nevertheless the food was amazing and the view incredible which made up for the shitty service.

We stopped at Lifou only a few times but I did get a chance to explore. The island is known for a cave which hosts a small yet very deep lake.  There's also a church at the top of the hill which has an incredible vista of the port area.  There's also some gorgeous beaches and incredible flora and fauna. On our way to the church we saw a little makeshift drink stand and commented 'your dog looks like a little goat' to the owner and it turned out to be a....you guessed it,  a little cute goat. 

Mare is a gorgeous beach laden island. The population is less than 8 000 people and there isn't much on the island but the beach is breathtaking! I discovered the beach because another friend of mine was doing a world cruise and took a stunning beach photo and I just had to know where it was, turns out it was Mare. This island is the island that made me realize I have to revive my French.  We took a private taxi and I was trying to negotiate a pick up time with the driver in my broken French. Well, he never came back.  Was feeling a bit deflated with my French skills but when I told the port agent in Noumea that my French sucks he said "Your french doesn't suck, there are no taxis in Mare that's why he didn't come back". Oh. Haha.

Well I think the photos speak for themselves, New Caledonia is just amazing!