http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/CO Erin/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from CO Erin en-us Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:27:36 UTC Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:27:36 UTC Saturday March 22ndIn Naha Okinawa today so our first visit to Japan ever. Naha is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture. The city was founded in May 1921. It is on the southern part of the Okinawa Island the largest of the Ryukyu Islands. The city is developed around Shuri Castle the palace of the Ryukyu kingdom. During the battle of Okinawa in WWII Naha suffered extensive damage from http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Japan/blog-259212.html Friday March 21 2008We are at sea today and the calm came after a somewhat wild wave night. The ship was rocking and rolling through about 1100am. Luckily we are at the back of the ship and it is far less bumpy in the back. People in the front said they were literally being pulled up in their beds. This morning there was another of the Explorations Speaker Series with David Horner talking http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Japan/Okinawa/blog-258501.html Thursday March 20thToday we awoke to be able to see land not that impressive unless you have previously sailed for three days and not seen any land. And this was not just any land but Iwo Jima Yes we got to see this small but incredible island only 5 miles long and 2 and one half miles wide. Statistics from that battle show there were800 ships 74 days of bombing 36 days of handtohan http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Japan/blog-258218.html Monday March 17 2008We are in Guam today the largest island in Micronesia the southern most of the Mariana Islands. It was created from the peaks of two ancient volcanoes that sank into the sea and fused together millions of years ago. Guam is an island territory of the United States located 900 miles north of the equator in the Western Pacific. As part of the US we have to go through all t http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Northern-Mariana-Islands/Saipan/blog-257894.html Sunday March 16 2008Today is another sea day so it is filled with activities like eating going to the fitness center eating again playing BINGO and then eating again. You might have to roll everyone off the ship in Japan although many are staying on until Hong Kong and came on 14 days before us by touring Australia and the south island of New Zealand. I can handle 3 weeks on board by no http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Guam/blog-257129.html Saturday March 15 2008Today we arrived at Yap Island the Land of Stone Money at approximately 600 am only to find that the pilot boat this is a local persons that helps direct you through the harbor and to the dock. In this case they did not arrive at the ship until after 730 am. They work on Yap time which is apparently similar to Lake City Colorado time at your own slow pace. We w http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Micronesia/Yap/blog-256519.html Friday March 14 2008Today was another sea day so the activities calendar was filled to the brim. It is always a matter of pick and choose since there is really too much to choose let alone try to do everything. The day began like most by going to Mass exercise class and finally breakfast. I ate with some folks I met on Cruise Critic that has been really great meeting or getting to know p http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Micronesia/Yap/blog-256220.html Wednesday and Thursday March 1213 2008On these two days we were at sea travelling to Yap Island in the Federated States of Micronesia. On Wednesday night at about 1100pm we passed over the equator and if you havenrsquot had the opportunity to do that on a ship it is quite the ceremony. Of course the joke on the ship was to go out at night and watch for the bouys that designate where the eq http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Micronesia/Yap/blog-255741.html Tuesday March 11 2008 Today was our day to tour Rabaul Papua New Guinea on the island of New Britain. We had to wait to get into the port to dock because a cargo ship was late leaving so we were all out on the decks and noticed one of the volcanoes starting to put out a lot of steam. It was very interesting but also a little unnerving. Again we had been told to expect rough roads tour guid http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Papua-New-Guinea/East-New-Britain/Rabaul/blog-255276.html March 10 2008The day began with a fitness class and Mass and if that doesnrsquot prepare one for the day then I am not sure what else I can do to get ready. But the programs were about to start first was a program on ldquoMaking the Most of Rabaul.rdquo Our stop tomorrow is Rabaul Papua New Guinea. We have been told to expect very rustic tours meaning no luxury air conditioned buses http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Papua-New-Guinea/East-New-Britain/Rabaul/blog-254978.html Saturday March 8 2008Today was a sea day as we are still enroute to Guadacanal. The lecture series has been very interesting as they do a very good job of summarizing the conflicts in this area and some of the early history of the area. They covered the Battle of Savo Island which I had not really heard about but was one of the biggest defeats for the US Navy in history. If you watch the old http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Solomon-Islands/Guadalcanal/blog-254694.html Thursday March 06 2008Today we were in Noumea New Caledonia. We docked about 700am and it did take awhile for the ship to be cleared by immigration. We had not chosen a shore excursion as we had at one time thought about doing a scuba dive trip. When I got burned on my leg I knew I did not want to put it in salt water and it is a good thing we decided not to go because the weather was overc http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Caledonia/Noumea/blog-253866.html Wednesday March 5 2008Today is another sea day as we are about half way to Noumea. The calendar of events is packed. We began our day by attending the lecture on Noumea. Now know what to do and not do what to see and not see. After the Noumea lecture we had the next Explorations Speakers Series lecture. This time it was by a Colonel David Horner Australiarsquos military historian. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Caledonia/Noumea/blog-253208.html Tuesday 4 March 2008 Today was our first sea day and what a busy day People wonder what to do while the ship is at sea and the question really is what do you not put on your schedule. First on our schedule was to listen to one of the cruise consultant folks talk about the shore excursions for the rest of our trip. Some of the stops should be pretty interesting since Holland America has never http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/blog-252889.html Monday 3 March 2008Today was our day in the Northland Region of New Zealand Bay of Islands NZ. We anchored in the bay about 7am and I looked out as we were coming into the bay and all you could see were islands everywhere hence the name ldquoBay of Islands.rdquo It was beautiful looking at them all some with little towns on them and some just one giant rock stretching toward the sky. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/blog-252621.html Sunday March 02 2008Today was a pretty quiet day. We were in Tauranga NZ and all of the tours were to go to the same places or do the same thing we had done while in Auckland so we did not book and tours for here. The weather was rainy and windy so it was not a day for doing a lot of walking around. Some folks were having trouble even going down the gangway because of the wind and the flags http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-252032.html Saturday March 1 2008Today we board the MS Statendam and begin our WWII Historic Journey. Today is very rainy and windy so we are very lucky that for our 3 days in Auckland we spent travelling around the city the weather was just perfect. In fact some of us got a little sunburn from our day at Haumoana. Everyone must have been ready to get on the ship since our entire tour was down in the lo http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/blog-251695.html Friday 29 February ldquoCountryside and Gannet Colony Tour.rdquo The bus driver today was Jim he was very friendly and had just the right amount of information for us didnrsquot overload us with insignificant facts or opinions. We started by going to the west coast of Auckland to Kumeu and Huapai these are farming and wine growing areas. It was a beautiful ride to the coast. Jim to http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/North-Shore/blog-251240.html Thursday 28 February 2008Today was a full tour day starting at 815 am. There are only 14 people in our tour group so it is a very nice size plenty of room in the bus and everyone seems very nice. Our driver and guide today was Berndt a German who moved to NZ about 20 years ago. He was very nice and seemed to know the history of Auckland and all of NZ. We started by driving about an hour a http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Waitomo-Caves/blog-251099.html Wednesday February 27th. We arrived in Auckland NZ this morning at 600am New Zealand time after a 12hour flight from Los Angeles. The flight was on Qantas Airlines and was generally a smooth flight the entire way. Each seat had the individual TV screens so it allowed a great deal of selection of entertainment. We were fortunate and had a row of three seats for the two of us and that was g http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/blog-250492.html