Internet or no internet – will their attempts at creating hot spots onboard work? We were not going to spend any time waiting in line to hook up to a hot spot for a 10 minute session this morning. This is our final port of call and we do not want to waste a minute of it. And besides, the sun was out and it wasn't raining.
We left the ship at 9am joining the line on deck one to go downstairs to deck A and the tender boats. Boarding was easy because there were several fellows assisting everyone not only with walkers or wheelchairs, but everyone. The ride over was short, but as there is only one spot for the tenders, we did have to wait while bobbing up and down for a bit. There were concrete steps to negotiate, but there were helping hands here as well. Native drummer and singers greeted every tender boat full of guests.
Coming over earlier, we had hoped to see large fish cleaning and shark feeding. But the stainless-steel tables were clean and very dry. That was a sign there were no fishing boats here today, thus no sharks. Darn. This pier area has a few snack shacks and a souvenir shop, as well as picnic tables, where the passengers can go online. There were many people attempting to get internet, but we don't know how successful they were.
A short walk from here was the open-air shed that houses their veggie and fruit market. The produce displayed was the healthiest we have seen so far. The cabbage and lettuce was deep green, and the tomatoes and peppers a vibrant red. The fruit looked delicious. There were far fewer souvenir stands, although we did see some black pearls being sold. This would be the last chance for the ladies to buy them. We decided to check out the tables on our way back. Way too crowded, and few of the cruise passengers were wearing masks. They were not required, but suggested.
For starters, we have never seen the grassy areas so dry. Even the shoreline trees seemed to be stressed with fewer leaves. Perhaps there is a drought here. And just think, two days ago we were having rain showers like none other, and today, it is dry and arid. Go figure? We did not feel that there were a lot of guests here yet, and guessed that many might have stayed back for the free internet time. Or perhaps they decided not to come at all. It's not exactly the port where there are many things to do. There was a tour today, where locals took their own vehicles for a trip around the island with a few stops along the way. By the time we arrived, all of those vehicles were gone. We do know some savvy folks that pre-booked an independent tour online, and probably paid a lot less.
Walking the seawall, we spotted a hose pulled the length of the tree-lined grassy area. Obviously they are hand-watering this area. Normally these trees are full of white terns, but not today. We saw only a handful of those terns today. Our first stop was to go uphill and see the Catholic Cathedral of Notre Dame, also named Our Lady of the Marquesas Tahia. It was built many years ago using various hardwoods from the island. It is quite beautiful with heavy wooden doors, a unique carved pulpit, altar and baptistry. The vaulted wood-planked ceiling has cupola letting in light at the very center of the church. The exterior rockwork must have been recently restored since it looks like new. Sitting in the shade outside the church, we took in the serenity of the peaceful setting.
Back to the road, we slowly walked the shoreline noting that it was high tide. The population of the Marquesas is about 9350 people that are spread over six of the 12 islands here. They are located so far apart, that the locals have limited exchange with each other. That left the islands to keep their individual personalities, customs, and dialect.
Our final destination was hopefully lunch at the Nuku Hiva Pearl Resort, accessed by a steep hike up the road. A few years back, this property was closed and was in the process of being restored. It is now opened and it looks great. Although we were too early for lunch, we were welcomed to relax in the pool patio and enjoy much needed Hinano beers. About 40 minutes later, the dining area opened up for lunch where we took a table near the edge of their dining patio. Not knowing what to expect as far as a possible crowd up here, we were very happy to see only a few ship folks here. We overheard someone ask about wifi, but they were told it was for the resort guests only. That's a first.
We ordered a cheeseburger with fries, two cold Cokes, and eventually a chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream to share. We had it all - a nice table under the trees, an umbrella for shade, and a nice cool breeze. All this and a spectacular view of the bay below. We ended up staying for two wonderful hours.
The time came to leave by 2:30pm. Making our way back downhill, we continued our hike along the sandy beach this time. This is where the locals spend the weekends picnicking and swimming, or even riding their Marquesan horses. We did see two of them today.
The high schoolers were getting out of school by now, and it was nice to see some of them go down to the water, and go swimming. Back near the pier, we found all of the maps were gone, but the souvenirs were plentiful. We did buy one seed bracelet, paying $5 for it….a nice little memento.
There was a long line of guests waiting for the next tender boat. It was nice that the crew had regular, orange and lemon-flavored ice water to drink while we waited. One can easily get dehydrated in this tropical climate. We had consumed beers, sodas, and water, but were still thirsty. Bet we drank four more cups of water before boarding the boat. The line began moving quickly when the tender pulled alongside. These new boats are nice, but once those side doors are closed, it is like being in a claustrophobic steam room. It was made worse by mask-wearing, half of which were not.
Back onboard at 3:15pm, we went to the room and grabbed our devices to try for the wifi session at the Ocean Bar. It was still set up with hardly anyone there but the wifi guy. We were given a 15 minute session, which worked well, but slow. It was not enough time for emails to download, so we asked for another session and was given an additional 15 minutes. We had quickly typed a few messages to family and friends before we were cut off. At least our readers learned that we had not fallen off of the face of the earth. Although we did not have any time to read messages, we do want to thank those who cared enough to question what happened to us. Who knew the internet system would suffer a catastrophic failure? The Kindle could not be updated because it had been blocked. Disappointing. In time, we will be able to send more reports, but we doubt the photos will go through. They will be coming in due time, so please stay tuned.
A letter had been sent to everyone again explaining the current situation with a promise of some sort of refund. We are not expecting much, nor are we demanding it.
We watched the sail away from our veranda around 5:30pm, spotting some young natives rowing their racing canoes effortlessly. Nice to be young and so energetic. Guess it is a great past time for the older kids here. The mountainous island disappeared in the sea haze as the ship turned in a northeasterly direction. We shall have a total of 7 sea days to get back to San Diego on November 17th. Bet they are filled with activities about every day.
Now the fun part of the evening began at 6:30pm, when we were invited to a President's Club Inauguration Reception beginning in the Explorers Lounge. Naturally, the event was "dressy", the second one in two days. Most everyone looked great, even the staff and officers that hosted this event. Drinks of our choice were offered as well as fancy appetizers. Captain Frank gave a nice welcome speech, then "pinned" the new inductees. We visited with Chantal, the future cruise consultant, and the staff Captain, who we had never met, but he remembered us from previous world cruises.
Around 7:15pm, we all entered the Pinnacle Grill for a group dinner. The Captain and Chantal hosted the table for the four recent inductees, and the surrounding booths had two guests and an officer. We were seated with Henk, the hotel director, and Howard, who usually sits with us. The menu was set with starters of pan roasted scallops. I had a substitute Caesar salad, since I am allergic to shellfish. A seared halibut filet topped with caviar was next. A very tasty tenderloin of beef was next, then dessert followed with a creamsicle of orange sorbet with an egg white topping along with a trimmed marshmallow and two pinwheel cookies. The wines flowed of course, except for those like us that do not drink it. We were invited to order whatever we wished, but ice water was our choice. Seated across from the crowd in the side room, we had the best table. It was pretty noisy in there, and at one point, Henk placed a call to Maya, who was having such a good time. Her laughter was contagious and Henk was joking of course. The call sent her into fits of laughter, so we all joined her as well. The party ended by 10pm, where we thanked everyone for such a memorable evening. And so ends our final port day… it was doozy! And the events are not over yet……
Bill & Mary Ann
