Three full uninterrupted days at sea returned us from Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides) to Auckland. The immediate concern was a storm, which the Captain attempted to sail around. He was partly successful, I guess, but the large swell sent the unsteady back to their beds and required emptying the swimming pool. Even as it was being refilled, the ship's motions created a miniature tsunami in the pool.
Keeping busy in a small floating city is not difficult. Some folks gambled (imagine: a smoke-free casino!), and some played other games including trivia and sports quizzes.
There were those who worked out ...
...and those who didn't.
There were active games and tournaments for the fit and fun such as ping pong and soccer in the pool.
Parents enjoyed the special places for kids of all ages.
Everyone ate at one of the three big dining rooms or smaller specialty places requiring extra cash (like the pizza place). Twice there was a barbecue on the stern deck.
So what did I do?
I bypassed the spa massages and just got my toenails painted by Jessica.
I toured a display of culinary fruit and vegetable carving and
attended a cooking demonstration by the head chef.
We all hoped he could cook better than he can spell!
I went to two wine tastings,
a demonstration of ice sculpting,
a performance by the bartenders in which they juggled the elements in making martinis,
and the champagne waterfall. An astounding number of champagne glasses are stacked into a tower. As champagne is poured into the top it cascades down into the lower glasses. I didn't stay to see how it all ended.
Are you noticing a trend here? Though I took this cruise to see Melanesia and learn about the culture, I ate well and sipped a bit of wine too.
Then it was time to farewell my good cabin stewards, Apul and Locen, both natives of India
Ever organized, P&O Cruise Lines had the many tour options all lined up by time and number.We appeared at the correct time and duly our number was called.
Some of the tourists found themselves carrying more than their fair share.
Not to miss out on a thing, I signed for three tours with the most important one first, an experience of the Melanesia's indigenous culture.Transported in minivans and welcomed on arrival by a call blown on a conch. It was photo-op!
The tourists, all Kiwi with one Anerican, followed our leader along a jungle path. Suddenly there was a lot of angry and fierce yelling. We were surrounded. Natives with spears threatened us from behind the palms.
The entry to the village is tapu (fobidden), indicated by an upright palm branch in the center of the path. Our guide negotiated with the "natives". He made the correct inquiry and responses and the blockade was removed. We were welcomed in.
Our guide led us from station to station all carved into the jungle and connected by narrow paths. At each he explained or demonstrated a different aspect of the culture. Though not a native English speaker, his speech was easily understood. At this station, he explained traditional way of trapping small animals and birds for food.
A spider is persuaded to create a web between two sticks creating a net which the Melanesians use for fishing, among other methods.
Holding a human skull, our guide did not shy away from his tribe's history of cannibalism. Overpopulation and war were among the pressures leading to eating human flesh. The last incident of cannibalism occurred in 1985, not in this tribe he assured us, but on a northern island. He also mentioned that leaping from the tops of the trees with jungle vines fastened around the ankles originated in the northern islands. Bungy jumping had its source in this country. Too bad the natives couldn't copyright the concept!
Not as fierce as its appearance, a coconut crab is on leash to amuse the tourists, to be freed later. For its confinement, it has all the coconut it can eat.
I asked what the experience of the tribe was during WW II. He did not have that experience himself but related his father's experience. "We were afraid, not of the soldiers, but of the airplanes. The Americans were on this island. The Japanese were in the Solomon Islands."
One of the women demonstrated food preparation. Tasks appear to be divided by gender: women are responsible for food preparation and creation of trinkets to sell to tourists. Men are the actors, dancers, singers, and hunters. Our guide implied the hunting still happens in traditional ways, assuring us that life was one happy non-stressful continuum in the bush.
He also noted that the tribe is financially supported by tourism and thanked us for visiting their tribal exhibit.
Even the children got into the act, dressed in unisex grass skirts.
The final station was a dance performance by the men, now out of the bush and not so fierce.
I was particularly impressed with the band, melodic and rhythmic, performed with enthusiasm. As evidence that not all of civilization's technology has migrated to the jungle, there were no CDs for sale. However, I imagined that someone might discover
this group, as Paul Simon did with the South African group, expose them to the western world, probably ruining the culture. Yes, they were that good, bottles and sticks notwithstanding. Note the guitars.
One tour done, two to go. Next was snorkeling in the rain. Who cared? We got quite wet either way. Reef Explorer took us out into the harbour where I bravely dropped off the edge of the boat, sank underwater, sputtered, got help with the mask and snorkel and took off. For about 30 minutes, I paddled around, head under water, to see fish more easily viewed in the tanks at Petsmart. But it wouldn't have been the same!
The third tour did not happen. Four fat women (really! including me) turned up to parasail behind a speedboat. Unfortunately a winch broke with the group just before us, who must have been fatter than we were.
There was more opportunity to be had in the many stalls along the road on the way back to the ship. I resisted. The usually assertive shop keepers were tucked back in their stalls out of the rain.
Our full day complete, we sailed out of the harbour headed toward Auckland. We will be three days at sea before arriving. Next, aboard the ship ....
Welcome to Lifou. This largest island of an archipelago known as the Loyalty (Loyaute) Islands, is called Drehu by its inhabitants. A large, flat coral atoll, these islands are administered out of Noumea and considered a dependency of New Caledonia. While Noumea wears a decidedly French facade, Lifou's 10,000 citizens are culturally Kanak (Melanesian) except for a French military presence. The islands were first discovered by Melanesian seafarers. (Thank goodness, someone got here before Captain Cook though he gets credit for naming New Caledonia!) Melanesia can be considered a cultural, geographical, or political entity. Just take a look at the Wikipedia site for a brief description and then check out the discussion on Wikipedia for all the arguing over the accuracy of the information. I choose at this time to think of it as geographical as all the islands I visited are located in the area described as Melanesia.
The ship weighed anchor (i.e. docked) at the tiny township of We (pronounced whey), along the beautiful bay, Baie de Chateaubriand. Again many passengers got no further than this outstanding Coral Sea beach to swim and snorkel. I plan to have a snorkeling experience, but here I opted to learn about the Kanak culture instead.
A small group piled into two well-used SUVs and were driven to a location prepared for a cultural display. The first thing we were shown was the Roman Catholic Church, one of two in this island. The other that we did not see is Protes'tant (second syllable accented).
Next the tour group was herded shoeless into a large hut, the tribal meeting hall. The doors are designed short so all who enter must bow respectfully. Tourists and ordinary clan members enter and exit through the right door. The left door and left portion of the hut are reserved for the clan chieftains, all of whom are men.
Note the unusual fence to the left: logs laid across a frame.
Leaving the tribal meeting place, I noticed two structures nearby, perhaps deliberately placed there. One was a contemporary appearing dwelling and next door a well maintained traditional thatched dwelling. These seemed anomalous as when we drove to this site from the wharf, most homes along the dirt road were shabby shacks of corrugated tin and occasionally a thatched round hut.
Coconuts with their tops lopped off provided tasty liquid refreshment. Coconut, in the form of copra, along with tourism, is a main industry on Lifou.
The women demonstrated how they made bougna (pronounced boonya); vegetables, fruits and meat wrapped in banana or other leaves, were placed over hot coals, covered with shovelfuls of earth and baked for several hours. In contemporary Lifou culture, bougna is reserved for celebratory occasions like weddings.
Here the women dish out some already prepared bougna for the tourists to sample (caution to the winds here, but to my knowledge no one became ill). Lacking seasoning, it is very plain fare.
I spent a few of my Central Pacific Francs here sampling some French do-nuts and a banana pastry laid out on tables in an open air market. I can say with authority that French culinary skill did not become an adopted aspect of this French colony. Other tourists spent their francs on the various handicrafts offered for sale, including products done by costumed basket weavers demonstrating their skill.
Our next port of call is Vili, Vanuatu. Until then ...
Three full uninterrupted days at sea returned us from Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides) to Auckland. The immediate concern was a storm, which the Captain attempted to sail around. He was partly successful, I guess, but the large swell sent the unsteady back to their beds and required emptying the swimming pool. Even as it was being refilled, the ship's motions created a miniature tsunami in the pool.
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