Day 70 & 71 - Endless Oceans

Okay, so I'm getting my fill of sea days! I have a lot that I could do, but not much that I really WANT to do... so I've slept. A LOT. Jaco has been amazed at how much I sleep. And that's impressive, because he can sleep like no one I've ever met!

I'm not sure if it's the insane dreams I've been having that keep me coming back for more or the motion of the ocean, but something knocks me out! Regardless, I'm on vacation, so I'll just enjoy the sleep while I can.

Once I do get up & get rolling, I generally eat some 'breakfast', take my pills & prepare my supplements for the day. I've ventured to the back of the ship the past few days to enjoy the sunshine, eat a little fruit from the buffet & escape the world with my headphones on. Of course, it's Michael Buble that takes me away! Yesterday I wrote postcards & today I started a list of 125 Reasons Why I Love Jaco. Next up will be the New Year's Resolution List.

Much to my Mother's glee, I've finally delved into a book titled, 'Three Feet From Gold'. It's an inspirational book from a business perspective. It's taken me three attempts to get into it, but now it's enjoyable. So, between writing & reading, I'm enjoying the peace & quiet at the back of the ship.

I'll read or write for an hour or so, then head to the clinic to see Jaco & Tracey & Augustine. I'll generally wait for Jaco to finish up, then it's my turn to update the blog & or check emails. I apologize if I haven't replied yet! I'm thinking of you & can't wait to talk on a normal land line without the delays & chopped off words. I hope you'll understand my frustrations next time I tell you about my chat with Jaco!!! :o)

Anyhow, not too much else to report... Happy New Year & I'll try my best to fill you in on San Martin, Peru tomorrow night! Safe celebrations & here's to a fresh start, a great year & a smoother decade ahead...

Love & hugs,
Maria & Jaco
xxxx

What my afternoons look like!

Nothing but endless skies & ocean!

Good thing we're in port tomorrow, as I've run out of postcards!

Half the list!

Day 69 - Lazy Days At Sea

Buenos dias everyone! It’s time to start brushing up on my Espanol, as we are headed for Latin America! Wish me luck, I’ll need it!


Today was another LAZY day! A lovely sleep in, I read a little, typed up the blog posts, downloaded photos from yesterday, visited with Nino, the cabin steward & met a fellow named Doug in the buffet.


Doug is from San Diego & manages a few golf courses north of San Diego. This is his first trip since his wife passed away in March. He has been suffering with severe nerve pains. Since he’s come onboard, he has regained feeling in his hands & feet. He’s very excited about this! We shared a long talk about cancer, as his wife passed away with lung cancer, only 3 months after her diagnosis, aged 71. He is a lovely man with kind, brown eyes & a smile that lights up his entire face when he shows it. A kind heart, I hope to see him again before the cruise ends.


Nino & I visited about music & the Philippines. He told me he can buy a house for $30,000 USD, a new 4-door Toyota car for $5,000 & $20 buys you all your meals & snacks for the day. A tropical climate year round, it’s looking better & better by the second! Maybe if Australia doesn’t work out, the Philippines is next! Although, that would mean making money elsewhere & returning for holidays in the Philippines. Nino told me he used to make $8/DAY working at the Hyatt in Manila. Construction workers make $2.50/DAY! Per DAY people!!! That’s crazy! I knew they didn’t make much money, but really?!? Is that legal?? And to make matters worse, a MAC laptop is double the price over there than it is here! Criminal all the way around!!


I’ve started reading a book called “90 Minutes in Heaven” by Don Piper & Cecil Murphey. Jaco’s cupboards are filled with books & I’m a terrible reader. I was feeling like I should read at least one of these books before I leave the ship. I picked this one. To my shock, when I saw it was co-authored by Cecil Murphey, it sent chills down my spine. Cecil was my Grandfather’s name, whom I never met, & Murphy is my Grandmother’s maiden name. Not a very common name, by any means, I was taken aback!


The book is fascinating! I’m not finished it yet, I’m about half way through. The author is in a horrid car crash & pronounced dead at the scene. 90 minutes later he comes alive again. While he was dead, he went to heaven & he tells of his experience in heaven. It’s really an amazing & inspirational story. I haven’t finished it yet, but I would still recommend the first 100 pages! :o)

I forgot to mention - on Boxing Day we went for dinner again... I had more of my mini bread loaf, more of the whole wheat pasta & this time, alfredo sauce! Yummy! For dessert, they tried to make me some 'ice cream'... Agave nectar & coconut milk. It tasted pretty good, actually! As long as I didn't look at it too much! :o) They are doing their best to take care of me!


Anyhow, that’s about all I have to report for today… The next few days could be a little quiet on the blog front, but hold on after that! Isla Ballestas here I come! (I hope!)


Love & healing,
Maria & Jaco
xxxx

Sorry, no photos for today!

Day 68 - Rapa Nui - Easter Island

I awoke to the ship a rockin’ & a rollin’. Wowser! I haven’t felt the ship roll like that in awhile! I was lying in bed thinking to myself, ‘Oh no. We’re not going to get in! The water is too rough & we’re going to miss Easter Island!’ Luckily my thoughts were wrong!



I didn’t manage to get a tour, as they were sold out. I decided to head ashore myself & hire a taxi to take me to a few of the Moai, the giant statues so famously associated with Easter Island.



Feeling rather miserable again, I took my time getting ready & finally headed off the ship about 15 minutes after they announced open tenders (previously you needed a ticket & had to wait in line for a tender). I hopped onto the tender after one of the Italian officers tried hard to flirt with me, until the Security Officer pulled him aside & told him I was the wife of someone on board! Shame, poor fella. He’s the reason why Italians have the reputation they do. He was relentless with 2 of the female pursers on the tender. Most of the Italians on the ship are quite pleasant, but this fellow. Yeesh!



Anyhow, it was the slowest tender ride I’ve ever had. The swells were so big, if we would have went fast, our tender would have been drenched in sea water. The waves crashing on the shore were spectacular! The would roll into this giant white cap, the lip of the wave misting white before it turned into the frothing mad smash of white water crashing onto the big black, porous rocks lining the shore. It was spectacular & so were the surfers further down the shore.



To the right of the tender, the island showed a massive hill, sporadically covered in lush, green trees. The cliffs below the hill were layers of red rocks leading to the ocean below. To the left of the tender sat the town & further past that, more rolling hills, carpeted in green grass.



I found a taxi driver right away, as I only had about 2.5 hrs to see as much as I could. We agreed upon $100 for 2 hrs. A little steep, but I was anxious to get going. I later learned that this was VERY steep. I could have hired a car for the same price for 8 hours!!! Anyhow, I told them we had to stop at an ATM before we left, as I needed to pull out some cash for them. We stopped. My Interac card didn’t work. I had Jaco’s credit card, but no pin, so I couldn’t use it. The English speaking girlfriend of the driver decided we could go to her father’s hotel & swipe the credit card & then Daddy could give them the money later. Okay. Nope. Daddy takes me to the campground to try their machine. Nope. To the grocery store. Nope. To the car rental shop. Nope. The car rental shop finally told us that the machines were down all over the island. Great. I’ve got $20 – ½ an hour’s worth of sightseeing. I’ve just wasted an hour trying to get money. Argh!



We head back to Daddy’s place & they take me to a group of Moai close by. It starts raining. Whatever. I head down to the Moai. There are 2 single Moai & a group of 5 Moai. I photograph them all & by the time I am nearly finished, the sun pops back out. Thank you! I shoot a little more & then hike back up the hill to head back to the ship.



When they drop me off at the pier, I walked back a little ways & photographed another weathered Moai & then headed down to a little patch of sandy shore. I collected my sand & a few rocks & then headed back to the ship.



For those of you who don’t know, I’ve collected small bits of sand from all the beaches I’ve been to since I started my travels. One day, when Jaco & I have a house of our own, I’ll layer all the sand into a beautiful jar. I have sand from 6 continents & at present, I have no idea how many baggies of sand that equates! If you were at our wedding in Waterton, you would have experienced or were, perhaps, a part of the sand ceremony. Instead of flowers, I gave each bridesmaid (15) a jar of coloured sand. The groomsmen (4) got the same. We all poured our sand into a massive vase & it created a wonderful work of art. Much like a unity candle, the grains of sand represent moments in our lives before we met. Once the sand is poured together, it can never be separated again. I am anxious to do the same with the ‘Sands of the World’! :o)



I must add – The Daddy with the hotel, he speaks Rapa Nui, English, Spanish, French & Japanese. Impressive! His daughter speaks Rapa Nui, English, Spanish, & some French. She wants to learn German as well!



My experience of the village was very interesting. The people are an interesting mix of Polynesian, Chilean, & Japanese. The island has little to no crime, the vegetation is green year round & apparently the wind blows a lot in their winter. Daddy said the island can be seen in a day if you are a ‘typical’ tourist, but if you want to delve deeper, you can take 3-4 days & see much more. Supposedly 1200 years ago the Polynesians showed up in their double hulled canoes. For centuries that followed, an advanced society developed, but unfortunately, the land was unable to sustain the agricultural (food) demands the people placed upon it. Wars broke out & the people began to kill each other. Then they began to eat each other. Somewhere in there, they carved these giant statues or Moai out of the volcanic rock, that continue to fascinate 1000’s of people every year. I guess that makes me one of them! (The fascinated people, not a cannibal, just for the record!)



I am not sure if I’ll ever make it back to Easter Island. I would like to think so, as there is much (most) of the island that I didn’t see. Only time will tell I suppose!



Jaco didn’t make it ashore with me, as one of his 2 nurses was medically disembarked. This was quite a headache for him, as now his team is down to himself & the Senior Nurse. Heaven forbid something happens between now & the next landfall in 4 days time! He’s had a full plate of work these past few days, so hopefully it will slow down & he can catch his breath! He told me tonight, ‘Don’t ever marry a Doctor’. I replied, ‘Don’t you think it’s a little late for that?’. :o)



Have a wonderful night…

Maria & Jaco

xxxx

The waves crashing on the rocks

Like no where else on Earth.

Moai.

Ancient Moai.

2 Moai.

One Moai.

No more Moai. (Pretty blue water though, eh?)

Sailing away from Easter Island. And the Moai.

Me & My Moai.

Day 67 - Boxing Day - Boxing in on My Health

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya! I hope this finds you well & recuperating from your stuffed tummies of yesterday… Enjoy a turkey bun for me!



Today was fairly quiet. I find these sea days a bit boring. I keep saying I’ll get up early, but I never do. The rocking of the ship is too hypnotic & I can’t seem to get my butt outta bed much before 11 or 12 or 3. Yes, today I slept until 3. I can’t remember the last time I did that. It wasn’t even the kind of sleep where you wake up & realize you’ve been sleeping for far too long. I slept hard the whole way through. Now, before you freak out, remember, I’ve still got this cold. I must say I’m over having the cold, but the cold is still here.



I’ve had whopper headaches pretty much everyday & round about 1500 for the past 4 days (excluding today) I would start to get achy, feel feverish & the head would pound. I’m still coughing & my nose gets blown frequently. Nice, I know. Some nights I’ve been in bed by 2000! Now that’s rare for me!



Originally I was excited to have a cold, as I mentioned earlier, it’s my first one in about 4 years. That means my immune system is working, right? Well, I thought that was a good thing. Unfortunately since I’ve come onboard, my neck has grown considerably. That sucks. When I arrived I could put my ear to my shoulder, something I haven’t been able to do in a LONG time. I was excited! It was getting smaller!



But then something happened. Was it the dive? Some random chemical they use on the ship? The meat & dairy I’ve been eating? I called Dr. Castillo & he said it was most likely due to the cold. My body was using it’s defenses to fight off the cold, taking away some of the defenses it was using to fight off the cancer. Crap! NOT what I wanted to hear.



I have been stubborn & haven’t taken anything for my cold. I’ll just tough it out & let it run its course. Now I wished I would have taken something that first Moorea & nipped this baby in the bud! Hindsight 20/20. In anycase, I think the worst is over with.



I’m pretty worried about my neck. It sucks. It’s huge & now there are some bumps happening on the other side too. I’m beginning to forget what a normal neck looks & feels like. What did I look like before all this? I keep praying to God & asking him to take care of all ‘this’ for me. Next year, all I want for Christmas is to be Cancer Free. It’s time. I want to be done with this!



Which brings me to my next step. Dr. Castillo sent me home with a generic type of Chemo. Cyclophosphamide – if you want to google it. It’s a scary drug, but I’m on a low dose. At least, I thought I was. I was supposed to come home with 25 mg tablets, starting out with 3x/day. They didn’t have them, so I was sent home with 50 mg tablets, that are enteric coated. Have you ever tried to cut a ‘candy coated’ pill in half? Yeah, doesn’t work so hot. So, now, under Dr. Castillo’s command, I will take 50 mg 2x/day for one week, then 50 mg 1x/day for 2 weeks. I am so stinking scared to take these bloody pills, along with another month of Prednisone. I looked up the drug. It’s derived from Nitrogen Mustard (!). It’s a known carcinogen (!). It’s known to cause bladder cancer & breast cancer (!). It’s been used as an insect chemisterilant (!). It’s also been used to chemically shear sheep (!!!!!).



I am trying to calm my nerves by reassuring myself that I am still on a low(er) dose, I’m taking other supplements to strengthen my system & if it will shrink the tumors, then it’s worth it. Supposedly I won’t lose my hair, but these days, I am struggling to style it, so if I do, well, it will just mean it’s time to but some funky hats! :o) I’ll drink my body weight in water to flush the drug out & keep my bladder happy. As for my boobs, well, honestly, there isn’t a whole lot there for cancer to find a home!!! :o)



I haven’t started it yet, as I wanted to get rid of this cold. The drug (Genoxal) is an immuno-suppressant, meaning I would be more susceptible to colds & bugs floating around. The ship is full of bugs right now, so I’ll hold out a little longer. Say a prayer that the progression of these dang-blasted tumors comes to a screeching halt & they go right back to the condemned place they came from!!!



So that’s the skinny on the fat chick. :o) Still hovering at 150 lbs & I’ve noticed the Prednisone has brought with it a mild case of Hirsutism. What’s that you say? A woman’s worst nightmare. It’s an increase in facial & body hair. Yes, my hairline is descending to meet my eyebrows, my chin is getting a lot more whiskers & my cheeks are finding sideburns. I won’t continue with the rest of my body, but it’s not any better! Just when I thought becoming a porkchop was bad enough, I start to look like a piece of fruit that’s been in my Mother’s fridge for FAR too long. Handy. I always wanted to join the circus, but I thought I would have worked with the tigers or lions, not been the bearded lady. What’s a girl to do? Let’s hope it reverses itself when I’m done the meds. I have a sinking suspicion… Maybe I could replace Tiger Woods & become the new spokesperson for Gillette! Ha ha!



On that note… Have a wonderful evening & I’ll be back soon with news on Easter Island!!

Love,
Maria & Jaco
xxxxx

Self Portrait - note the smile for the camera

Jaco being stubborn & not smiling for the camera - what a ham!

A passenger sitting at a table nearby noticed me trying to take Jaco's photo came over & offered to take our photo. Look at his handsome smile now!!! :o)

Day 66 - Christmas Day

Merry Christmas! I hope your Christmas Day was filled with happiness, love & all the great things that come with the Christmas season!



Jaco & his Medical Team exchanged their gifts in the morning & to my surprise they even gave me a present! A wonderful Clinique travel pack – lucky me! Even luckier was my present from Jaco. He gave me a necklace & matching earrings – Tahitian pearls! The exact ones I had been eyeing up in the boutiques! What a surprise, as I was NOT expecting them! Did I mention I’m the luckiest girl I know?!? :o)



We had somewhat of a relaxing afternoon & in the evening, we went for dinner, just the two of us. It was fantastic! First, they had Christmas crackers or poppers on every place setting. I don’t think I’ve had Christmas poppers since I was about 6 or 7 at David & Elva’s in Saskatoon! We enjoyed them!



Next, was the meal. The Hoxsey diet has me avoiding the following 9 items:


1. Tomatoes

2. White flour

3. White sugar

4. Pork

5. Vinegar

6. Added salt

7. Carbonated beverages

8. Alcohol

9. Artificial sweeteners



Now, I’d been ashore in Papeete & picked up a few things from the health food store that I knew I would really enjoy if I could only find someone to prepare them for me. Enter the amazing chef’s & baker’s onboard!



First off, they brought me a beautiful mini-loaf of whole wheat bread! Yes, I get excited about bread! I savored every bite of my two slices. The rest I saved for tomorrow night!

Next up was my main course. They asked if I wanted some turkey, seeing as it was Christmas & all. I would have enjoyed some, but I couldn’t enjoy the stuffing (white flour), the cranberry chutney (white sugar), or the sweet potatoes (white sugar). So, instead, they made me a huge bowl of whole wheat spaghetti with homemade pesto sauce. OMGoodness! It was so delicious! Fresh basil, peanuts, walnuts, garlic, olive oil, add in a few thinly sliced baby potatoes, green beans & you’ve got one scrumptious dish! Even Jaco enjoyed the sauce. He smothered his steamed veggies in it & commented on how we should learn how to make the sauce!



Fortunately Andrea, the Head Waiter, who has been taking amazing care of me & keeps my Hoxsey list in his jacket pocket, strolled by to ask how we were enjoying the meal & Jaco asked him how to make it. We enjoyed the story of this traditional sauce originating from Genoa, Italy. The Italian Mamas would pick the newest, tiniest leaves of basil from the plant, the grinding of the nuts, and so on. Then it would be put into a special jar & needn’t be refrigerated. It will keep for up to 2 years! The sauce is always served room temperature. If you heat it, it becomes toxic. Bellissima! ;o)



So that was our 1st Christmas as Dr & Mrs – at sea! Stay tuned, here comes Boxing Day…



Christmas Wishes & Candy Kisses,

Maria & Jaco

xxxxx

"... And a partridge in a pear tree." - Well almost, our little tree & Jaco's stash of fruit.

The Medical Team - Augustine, Jaco, Tracey & Derek.

My beautiful Tahitian pearls from my wonderful Husband on our First Christmas as Dr. & Mrs. Lucky doesn't even describe it anymore!

Day 64 & 65 - Pitcairn Island & Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope this finds you nestled up with your loved ones around the fire, sipping a glass of full fat egg nog & nibbling on Turtles as children rattle & shake their presents, trying to guess what's underneath the pretty wrapping...

Meanwhile, back in reality, or a version of that... :o) We finally saw land again today! Unfortunately we didn't actually dock, but it was interesting none the less! Pitcairn Island has a population of about 50 people. Yup, 50. Five-oh. And you thought you knew your neighbors well! Ha! If you've ever heard the story of 'Mutiny on the Bounty', well, this is the island some of the shipwrecked stumbled upon. The rest is history!

We circumnavigated the island, while 34 islanders came onboard to sell postcards, t-shirts, carvings, jewelry & what have you. So, yes, your math is right. Over 1/2 the island exited to visit our ship! Supposedly they only have about 12 cruise ships per year that visit the island, so I guess this was a pretty big deal! They did a little grocery shopping as well - I think the ship did a little donating too. Apparently they have to order their groceries 3 months in advance, as the ship only comes around every so often! Can you imagine?? We are so spoiled in our modern day world!

Their phone numbers are 4 digits long if you're just calling around the island. But if you call Pitcairn from abroad, you'll need to dial New Zealand's country code first! Not that they are any where near NZ or anything like that!

It was neat to watch them load their little boat with potatoes, onions, strawberries, kiwi fruit, apples, grapes, pop, rum, beer, meat, & oranges. I would think they should all be millionaires by the time they retire. Where on earth would you spend your money?!? I suppose there is always Ebay... ;o) Everyone on the island has a job & is paid by the government. I heard them saying the Priest is also the generator mechanic & something else, I just can't remember what it was! So the next time you think your town is small & remote... think again! That said, I'm still not moving to Northern Canada for 2+ years!!! At least it's warm in Pitcairn! :o)

Well, it's finally Christmas Eve. I've wrapped the presents in the previous cruises' 'Princess Patter' - the daily planner & list of events around the ship. What? You didn't expect me to pay $10 for one roll of wrapping paper in Papeete, did you? Reduce, reuse, recycle! :o) They are playing Christmas music around the ship & most of the staff are wearing Santa hats. It's quite festive, really! Now, if I only had a mandarin orange & some Noel Nog... :o)

I wish you the merriest of Christmases & hope that you are spending them with the people who mean the most to you. May your year end on a very positive note & may 2010 bring with it all the love, laughter, happiness, success & wealth you deserve. Love & hugs,

Maria & Jaco
xxxx

Pitcairn Island - The weather was better than what the photo depicts! (But it's no Bora Bora!)

Merry Christmas to the Pitcairner's!

Fill 'er to the gills, Johnny!

Food below, half the island above!

The Medics Christmas card I whipped up for them! Go Team!

Day 62 & 63 - At Sea A Rolling We Will Go

Hi Everyone!

I hope this finds you well & beginning to get festive with family & friends & all the people who are important in your life! Things are going well at sea, well, relatively! I am still struggling to ditch this sinus cold & yesterday had me find a migraine! Joy! Anyhow, it's gone now & I am pleased to say today is much better than the past few days have been.

A relatively lazy day, I slept in, watched a bit of telly - Michael Buble was on Glenn Beck. Darn, he's so sexxy! :o) Even Jaco enjoys his music! I managed to edit a few photos & made a couple of pre-Christmas phone calls. It is sometimes difficult to get a line out on Christmas Day, as everyone on the ship is trying to call home too!

The ship is much smaller than the other ships I've been on, so you feel the motion much more. I quite enjoy the rocking feeling. Especially at night... You feel just like a baby, all tucked in under the covers & gently being swayed to sleep. For those of you turning green at the thought of it, relax! It's not that bad! You know, I find it interesting that when people first started flying, they used a lot of 'sick bags'. Nowadays, it's quite rare to find people who need them. People's belief systems have expanded to include flying as a 'safe' method of travel. I think it's the same for ships, not boats. But, they do say, EVERYONE gets seasick. It's just a matter of when & some people take a little longer. What can you do? (Well, plenty, but I'll leave it at that!)

Last night was formal night again. Jaco had to do the wave & I managed to sneak down just to catch the tail end of it. I was fighting with my hair, as I don't have my hair dryer 'approved' yet, so I can't use it. You have to have all your electrical appliances tested in order to reduce the risk of a fire onboard. Anyhow, my ponytail is getting a lot of use these days! :o) After the Captain's speech, we visited with the Captain & his wife. Quite an interesting story. They didn't actually meet onboard! Who would've thought?!? They met in Italy 30+ years ago when she was holidaying there. He pursued her, she thought the distance would never work. Looks like it has! They have children in Okotoks & although she visits Italy, they make their home in Saskatoon, SK!

We decided to go out for dinner again & we went with Tracey, the Senior Nurse & Bernardt, First Purser Food & Beverage. We enjoyed plenty of laughs & wonderful conversation. It was a great night!

Tomorrow is yet another sea day & then finally we will see land. Although we won't be stopping! It's only scenic cruising & then a few (4) days later we will finally be stopping in Easter Island. I am very, very, VERY excited to visit & see the massive statues that lie there.

I've attached a photo of Augustine & the Christmas tree he found for Jaco & I. He is such a sweetie! (Jaco, too!) :o) He found the tree & asked us if we would like a little tree for our cabin. I said of course! Augustine disappeared & later returned with decorations & everything! He carefully decorated the tree & since the base of the tree was broken, he stuffed it into a glass. He even went so far as to decorate the glass with wrapping paper to ensure it was 'complete'. What a Superstar! Thanks Augustine!

The rest of the photos are from my diving buddy, Greg Parker, the Pharmacist from California. I am really excited that he shared his photos with me! I didn't get any underwater ones, so this is fantastic! Enjoy them!

Much love & hugs to you!
Merry Christmas!
xxxx
Maria & Jaco

Augustine & the wonderful Christmas Tree he decorated. He wasn't finished at this point! He added tinsel & more decorations & of course, the 'skirt' for the base! Bless his heart!

These B&W fishies were super cute & tiny! The must've been about an inch or maybe 1.5"... Little!

Yours truly before I descended to the depths below!

Apres-dive! Success!

Even fish go to school! :o)

Look closely at the centre of the photo... Lemon Shark. 9-10'. It swam RIGHT past me! SCARY!!! BIG TEETH!!!

I love the little yellow fishies!

Note the purple coral & the colourful shades of the clams!

Check out the anenome in the mid-left of the photo. It's orange, if that helps! Whoop! They suck themselves in so fast!

More colourful clams!

Don't ask me of the names - some of them are a 6-banded something or other.

Pretty, pretty!

Stingray! Straight ahead!

Stingray & fishies... and some guy.

Wonderfully warm water & beautiful fish, stingray & sunshine. Perfection!

Friendly fish!

Day 61 - Bora Bora No More... ** sniff, sniff, weeping... **

Okay, to say I LOVE BORA BORA is an understatement. This place is so magical. The sea life, the ever changing colours of the water, the mountains, everything is wonderful. I just can't get enough. I will come back here one day!

This morning I had a tour taking me to see the stingrays & then snorkeling at the Coral Gardens. I must say, I forgot how freaked out I get by stingrays. I have snorkeled with them in Grand Cayman & I also did a scuba dive & fed them. Perhaps it was the crushing of my fingers in the grinding plates when my fingers got sucked up or perhaps it is the whole fear of being suddenly barbed by their tail when they realize I have no food for them... I don't know, but whatever it is, THEY FREAK ME OUT!

Werner, the Videographer, was also on the tour. I worked with Werner on my second contract on the Coral, way back in 2003. He's come back to ships only to enjoy the South Pacific. It's been great to catch up with him! He was kind enough to lend me his underwater camera, so again, I promise, some underwater photos are coming! I just need to get organized. Don't worry, I've got plenty of sea days coming up to do just that!

So, there I was, arms tucked in by my chest, standing up in the water, trying my best not to squeal like a girl (& mostly not succeeding). And to make matters a little more exciting, there were sharks. Yes, sharks. Okay, so they were only 4-5' Black tipped sharks, but they were still sharks. With a mouth full of teeth & freaky little eyes, swimming a little too close for comfort. At one point, a shark swam between myself & another lady. I was perhaps a foot & a half from this shark. Okay. A little too close for comfort. Time to call it a day. I gracefully made my exit & went back onto the boat. I'll wait there & rather snorkel with a few smaller & less intimidating fish! They are beautiful creatures & don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. However, when they swim that close & I turn around to see where he's going to next & then I see 3 of his buddies, THAT'S MY CUE!!!!

While I waited for the stingray portion of the tour to come to a close, I marveled at the reef surrounding Bora Bora. With the strong currents, it brought with it some fantastic waves. It was incredible to watch them smashing & crashing, rapidly racing around the barrier created by the coral reef. I could have sat there all day & watched the waves go by.

On a side note... once I'm back to fast internet speeds, I'll upload a video to YouTube... This lady rocks up on another boat to visit the Stingrays. She doesn't speak much english, but I understand her high-pitched squeals as she panics amongst the stingrays. It is quite entertaining... I feel her pain, but couldn't help but giggle, knowing exactly how she felt & realizing how silly I must have also looked! :o)

The Coral Gardens were amazing. We had a strong current today, apparently it arrived yesterday, and it made for some good swimming practice! The fish were amazing. I haven't learned all their names, but they were beautiful. I think my favourite were some tiny little black & white striped ones that hung closely to the coral. There were plenty of trigger fish & butterfly fish to be seen. I was also amazed at the clams. The colours of them were beautiful! I'm talking everything from browns to purples to turquoise to blues to pinks! It was incredible! I was tempted to touch, but don't worry, I didn't! Apparently they have quite the CLAMp! :o) I saw some anenomes & watched them for about 20 minutes. I would wave my fin in their direction & they would suck themselves into their little tube. I would watch for a few minutes & slowly they would emerge again. And I would wave my fin again & away our game would go.

It is such a fascinating world under the water. Some of the coral was even purple! I marveled at the sound of the coral as it crackled... It sounded as though I was swimming in a bowl of Rice Krispies. Next time you have breakfast & you're eating Rice Krispies, close your eyes & just listen. You'll be right there in Bora Bora with me, snorkeling amongst the coral. Just don't breathe in while your nose is in the bowl. I'm not there to save you! :o)

After our snorkeling time was (sadly) up, we climbed back onto the boat & made our way back to the pier. I returned to the ship & had a quick bite to eat before Jaco & I left for the beach. We hopped into a shuttle & made it to Matira Beach. Jaco swam out into the current & I dog paddled out a little bit, decided it was too much current & came back to shore. I laid on the beach, looking at little shells, awaiting Jaco's return. We marveled at the beauty of Bora Bora & how lucky we were to be there together. Life is good! A quick trip back to the pier, he left for the ship & I looked around the shops. Hmpf. $37 for a t-shirt is just not acceptable. I wanted to get him an extra little Christmas present, but that is just ridiculous! I guess he'll have to wait until Peru or something!

I came back on the 2nd last tender & sadly said 'Adieu' to my beloved Bora Bora. My time here has been short, but oh, so sweet. I can't wait to return to this wonderfully magical place.

Here's to the next chapter of the cruise... Next stop, Pitcairn Island & then Easter Island! In the meantime, Merry Christmas & I'll be in touch soon!

Love & hugs,
Maria & Jaco
xxxx

En Route to the Stingrays

Behold! A slimy, sucking, yet beautiful & graceful Stingray!

The Ever Spooky Shark!

Egad! There are plenty of them!

The next lot of Stingray seekers... already in the water!

Another Shark

A pair of 'rays!

Werner bidding his Stingrays Adieu until next season!

Pure Bliss

Even the waves can't wait to reach Bora Bora!

Our Guide - Typical Polynesian Mama! Her heart's as big as her pearl necklace!

Now that's accommodation!

The water is the same temperature as the air!

Matira Beach

Adieu my beloved Bora Bora!