COLERIDGE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD—just like the ditty “I joined the Navy to see the world. And what did I see? I saw the sea!” Except for stops in Honolulu and Papeete and Pago Pago, we didn’t see another ship until we neared Auckland. Nothing but ocean and only the surface of that—the sea was 14,000 feet deep for most of the crossing.
Water Water Everywhere
Pacific Sunrise
Trish and Gary
We bumped into kindred spirits Gary and Trish at lunch one day, an Aussie couple a bit younger than us. They have backpacked all over the world beginning in the 80s—in fact they met while hitch-hiking in Africa! We teamed up in Tahiti and split the cost of an Avis rental car for a drive around the island. Trish’s organizational compulsion dwarfs even Connie’s and she directed us to all Papeete’s sights, many of which we remembered from our first cruise. Not only did we avoid the ship’s tour bus crowds, it cost the four of us the same as for one ship’s tour.
Gary, our designated driver
A day at the Beach
Hangin' Loose in Tahiti
Our first time on American Samoa we spent mostly at the national park, the most remote in the system. This time we negotiated a good deal with Wally for a scenic drive around the island. All went well until the final steep hill when the transmission bogged down. I suspected low fluid level so the four of us got out and pushed until the aged Nissan overcame inertia and chugged up the hill. We clambered back in and coasted back to the ship.
Welcome to Pago Pago, American Samoa
Wally
American Samoa
Trying to catch up to the car after push-starting it
Been there, Done that
The ship’s clock was set backwards every other day or so as we headed west and the farther south we went the weather got steadily warmer and more humid. The crew performed the traditional ceremony as we crossed the Equator on the 6th —our third time on a ship. And we jumped from “yesterday to tomorrow” as we crossed the International Date Line, missing October 15 entirely.
