Happy Birthday to me!
March 9, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F
Had a lovely birthday aboard ship!
Wound up with two cakes, though, because both Larry and our sweet tablemates, Thelma and Clive, requested cakes for me.
Two cakes mean two wishes, though, soRead more
Lombok Crafts Market
March 8, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 88 °F
Our tour took us to a crafts market where vendors sold locally made crafts.
A gamelan band played at the gate while two men engaged in a traditional “stick dance” that seemed more like some formRead more
Parade of Schoolkids
March 8, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F
Our tour bus got caught in a traffic jam, but it was caused by school kids, not cars!
Our guide wasn’t sure what the parade was all about, but he said it was “kinda like a wedding, but notRead more
Lombok Drive
March 8, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F
We enjoyed a scenic drive on Lombok Island. There wasn’t a lot of traffic, and it was mostly cars and scooters, but we also passed a few horse drawn carts along the way.
As our guide explained,Read more
Welcome to Lombok
March 8, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F
The locals rolled out the red carpet for us on Indonesia’s Lombok Island. Our ship was serenaded with gamelan music, drummers, and a traditional dancer.
Cultural Influence as Intense Dialogue
March 7, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F
We were greeted at the museum in Mataram with gamelan music, drinks, and yummy little snacks.
We enjoyed the museum, but it was a lot of info to take in. According to our guide, Indonesia is made upRead more
Lingsar Temple
March 7, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F
Pura Lingsar is a temple complex in Lombok Island’s village of Lingsar.
Lingsar means “clear revelation from God,” in the local Sasak tribe’s language. “Pura,” meanwhile, comes from aRead more
Fremantle Cemetery
March 3, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F
Considering that it’s “the most visited grave in Australia,” Bon Scott’s monument is surprisingly humble.
As AC/DC’s original singer, and despite lyrics proclaiming, “forget the hearse,Read more
Aborigine Welcome Dance
March 3, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F
A shuttle bus in Fremantle took us from the port to the heart of town. We arrived just in time to watch a local Aborigine group perform several dances.
As always, I thoroughly enjoyed theRead more
Fremantle Wandering
March 2, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 88 °F
We had a fun day in Fremantle. If we’d had more time, we could’ve popped up to Perth, as well, but we spent the day exploring “Freo” as locals call it, instead .
I enjoyed watching the pilotRead more
West Terrace Cemetery
February 28, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
Cemeteries often have monument shops nearby, but the one in Adelaide features an eye catching statue out front.
Like other burial grounds we’ve visited Down Under, we enjoyed birds and theirRead more
Adelaide Wandering
February 27, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 97 °F
In Adelaide, our ship was met by a band called “Ewe Calyptus.” Always nice when locals come out to greet us like that.
The cruise port is quite a way from Adelaide, so everyone needed to takeRead more
Melbourne Cemetery
February 26, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
Our friends had never visited Melbourne General Cemetery (MGL), but they accommodated my wishes by including it on our walk.
Well, we actually took the tram for part of the journey. Good thing theyRead more
Melbourne Friends
February 26, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
We met Carol and Steve on our world cruise last year, and they met up with us today at the port!
Our other Melbourne pals couldn’t make it, but we spent a fun filled day with Carol and Steve,Read more
Sydney Sail Away
February 24, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
Our tablemates, Clive and Thelma, invited us to watch the Sydney sailaway from their suite, and it was sweet, indeed.
As we pulled away from the dock, I had a great view of a tugboat at our bow, andRead more
Sydney Walkabout
February 24, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
Sydney’s port swarmed with people, but we had a good time exploring the area just the same.
Friendly volunteers handed out maps at the pier. The lady I spoke to told us how to enter the operaRead more
Cold Front Clouds
February 23, 2024, Tasman Sea ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F
The night before we reached Sydney, a big cold front blew through and cooled the city down from triple digits to a very pleasant seventy-something.
Our dining table is located at the ship’sRead more
Waverly Cemetery
February 23, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F
Sydney’s Waverly Cemetery is a beautiful burial ground overlooking the sea. Although filled with Victorian and Edwardian monuments, it’s an active cemetery, and still receives new burials.
IRead more
Glow Worm Caves
February 20, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
Our second stop in New Zealand took us to the gorgeous Bay of Islands. I was eager to see native Tui birds there, but locals explained that it was too hot. The birds were staying cool in the deepRead more
Weta Workshop
February 19, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F
While our cemetery jaunt bolstered my ongoing research, our stop at the Wets Workshop was pure fun.
We’re offers a behind the scenes glimpse at the filmmaking process, especially the specialRead more
Aukland Walk
February 18, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F
After a taxi to a historic cemetery. We hoofed it all over Auckland. Definitely got our steps in and got a little taste of the city along the way.
The “haere mai” sign brought back pleasantRead more
Tonga Food & Dance
February 15, 2024 in Tonga ⋅ 🌬 82 °F
We enjoyed a tasty Polynesian buffet on Tonga. I especially enjoyed the chance to try breadfruit prepared several different ways. The breadfruit chips were especially good.
After our meal, weRead more
The Friendly Islands
February 15, 2024 in Tonga ⋅ 🌬 82 °F
Captain Cook nicknamed Tonga, “the Friendly Islands,” and from our experience the moniker still holds true.
For instance, when a Tongan man saw me admiring a pretty white flower, he walked over,Read more
Touring the Kingdom of Tonga
February 14, 2024 in Tonga ⋅ 🌬 82 °F
Our tour of the Kingdom of Tonga included stops at some blowholes, a three-headed palm tree, the Tongan royal palace, and the Royal Tombs.
Of the four, the blowholes were the most impressive. BetweenRead more
Tahiti Flower Market
February 10, 2024 in French Polynesia ⋅ 🌧 81 °F
One of my favorite memories from our visit to Papeete in 2019, was visiting the fresh flower market. Not only did I enjoy the fresh fruit and flowers, but I liked seeing that it caters to locals asRead more
Welcome to Papeete
February 9, 2024 in French Polynesia ⋅ 🌧 77 °F
After missing three ports due to a Tropical Depression, we were all feeling a little tropical depression of our own as we wondered if we would ever make it ashore in the South Pacific.
At last weRead more











































































































































































































































































































































































TravelerHappy Birthday Tui - you deserve to be spoilt🎂🎂🎂🥳
TravelerThank you, Carol! I’m feeling very spoilt, indeed.
Two to TravelHappy birthday 🎂
TravelerThank you! It was a special day.
TravelerAwww, that is so sweet!! I’m so glad you had such a delightful birthday with special wishes from family and friends 💕