The people of Guadalcanal are smaller in stature to the people of PNG. Beatle nut is still chewed in PNG and young men’s teeth are just stubs. Older men have none at all and many of the women and children chew. The UFO (unidentified floating object) was identified as a marine tracking device, perhaps tracking tuna or whales. The most seriously injured passenger from the scaffold collapse was a very, very heavy 48-year-old man who is on dialysis. He will be disembarked at Guam. His cabin is not handicapped equipped; the doorway is not wide enough for a wheel chair so he has to crawl to the door in order to get to his dialysis appointments. There are many Aussies and Kiwis on board. They are good-natured friendly people and I really enjoy talking to them. ... read more

The Blue Pacific. NOT! At least not until today. For the first days of the cruise, we had misty, cloudy and rainy weather and the water reflected the grey skies. The rains on Guadalcanal turned the sea brown with run off. Flotsam and jetsam fouled the water with large logs, palm fronds, plastic water bottles and aluminum cans. Those folks who chose to dive Iron Bottom Sound must have been disappointed. When we left the dock last night I counted twelve interisland vessels (think tramp steamers) waiting to dock. The vessels don’t look seaworthy but are essential to trade between the islands. They also provide ferry service between the islands although those folks who work on Guadalcanal and live on neighbor islands although there is also interisland air service to those who can afford it. Our ... read more

New Friends The ship is beginning to feel like a very small village. Faces are now familiar and I’m starting to pair the names and faces together. Yesterday at lunch I sat next to Len from …….. Bridgeport!. From the “can you bite off your nose to spite your face” notebook; Joy from Australia did not think she needed a visa for New Guinea, cost in Australia, $25. The government changed the rules and she was required to get one on board at a cost of $104. She took umbrage at this rip off and decided to leave the cruise at New Caledonia and fly home to Australia at a cost of over $1,000 and leaving her friend behind. Standing on principle is fine but I would have chosen a more important and less costly principle. ... read more

March 3, 2008 Woke up early, about 5:00 am, and looked out of the window to see angels flying alongside the ship. There were a flock of sea birds riding the bow wake and diving for fish. It was still dark outside but the ships lights illuminated the florescent wake and the birds were silhouetted on it. Quite magical!! Again the weather was much like Ireland, overcast with misty rain and intermittent showers. Today’s tour was long but very, very enjoyable. Our guide is a chief (really) and therefore was able to arrange for us participate in a Maori greeting at an active Marae. This building acts as a community center for the local Maori population. This is where wedding receptions and wakes are held, local as well as local political meetings and is where visitors ... read more

EMBARKATION DAY 3/1 The Link bus system circles Auckland for $1.60NZ. I got an early start and caught the bus a couple of blocks from the hotel. The route circles the city and I got a flavor of the neighborhoods and locals. First, there are these used bookshops all over town. It says something about a culture that cares so much about reading. Then there’s the art galleries and art schools, almost one on every corner, even the illustrious Texan School of Art has a branch here. Most folks thanked the driver when they got off. Very nice! Rode the circuit until I reached the Auckland Museum. An impressive building houses three major collections. Level three houses the war collection (the full name is the Auckland War Memorial Museum), armaments and artifacts from New Zealand’s wartime ... read more