Week 4 Hawaii and Sea Days

It is hard to believe that a month has gone by already. We had some beautiful sea days and a couple of rough sea days that really unbalanced Jeff but he made it through. We were in Hawaii on the 16th and 17th and then we set sail for another 5 days to reach French Polynesia. So that will be in Week 5’s blog. 

Hawaii was beautiful and the weather had sprinkles in the afternoon but no real rain to disrupt our excursions/activities. We were docked in Honolulu which allowed us to walk right to the center of the city. The area was very safe and we were near the medical offices associated with the University of Hawaii. Our first day we took the Scenic Oahu island tour. It was really nice as we were able to see and photograph many of the beaches and land formations on the island. We even had some “excitement” when we stopped at our lookout point. We get to the parking area and saw rescue vehicles and a helicopter. A person had ignored the do not go past this point signs and, with the high winds, somehow was injured. They were trying to get him off the mountain side. On the third helicopter attempt they were able to drop a fireman to prep the party for evacuation. Winds up the side of the mountain were 50-60 mph. When we returned to the ship we decided to walk to Iolani Palace and the iconic police office and Hawaiian king statue. These are often shown in Hawaii 5 O and Magnum PI. We were too late to tour the museum and see the quilt made by the last queen while she was under house arrest by the US government. 

Aloha Tower at night

Coastal Oahu

Coastal Oahu

Rescue Area

                                                        Start of “no trespass area” that the person entered

Police Station and Statue

Iolani Palace

The next day there were no excursions that we wanted to take so I decided to find a fabric shop with traditional fabrics. Of course I found one. Google said 1.4 miles and so we decided to walk. So we walked and walked and walked though Chinatown, not so safe areas, passed Costco, and after walking 2 miles we arrived. To say the least, we took a taxi back to the ship. Jeff could not have made it back. I did buy fabric for when I get home. 

                                                                Chinatown

                                                                My fabric

That afternoon we sailed away for Oahu for another set of sea days.

Diamond Head

                                                              Honolulu, Hawaii

There is so much to do on board the Neptune that we can’t do it all. As I said, there were several entertainers, an Explorer Society get together where our friends, Michael and Kathleen were awarded for being the passengers with the most Viking sails, twenty-five. We took the Behind the Scenes tour of the ship with the General Manager Ronald to see how they maintain the ship. We crossed the Equator yesterday evening and in the afternoon they held the “traditional” first time crossing ceremony. Instead of tossing you in the ocean the polywogs jump into the pool to become shellbacks. Fun watching crew members in uniform jumping in. They only saluted the fish this time as in the past they had to kiss the fish.

Kathleen and Michael

Bakers

Bakery fresh bread everyday

Sheets enter wet

Sheets come out folded

I don’t think there is enough alcohol on this ship !!!

Cruise Director taking the plunge- she is now a Shellback

And now to the Costco Apple Pie Challenge

And you all thought Costco’s Apple Pie was large!

Week 3 Lots of Sea and a quick stop in LA and Santa Barbara

 We left off last week with Cabo San Lucas and this week has seen 5 days at sea and a visit to LA area and then Santa Barbara. People ask what do you do on all those sea days. Well we do keep busy. There are at least 3 lectures each day, maybe a discussion table on a stated topic, craft group (learn to knit or crochet)  for 2 hours, painting classes, bridge classes/playing, mahjong classes/playing, tours of the ship, cooking classes, wine/liquor tastings, and in evening entertainment musical, instrumental, or movies. I know I probably missed a few things. Oh, forgot, there is the gym which we go to almost everyday for the treadmill. This week the ship was rocking a great deal so we missed 2 days. If someone says they get bored they are an oddity as we are often torn as we often have multiple events we are interested in at the same time. 

I will get to LA area first. We docked in San Pedro which is about 1 1/2 hours south of LA. We did not take any excursions as we were lucky enough to meet up with our grandson, Jake. He picked us up at the terminal and we drove to the iconic lighthouse in the area. It was beautiful there and we also toured the natural museum as well. They had a number of people whale watching and recording any movements as it is one of the locations between Cabo San Lucas and Alaska that counting whales takes place. The tour also included the history of whaling in the area. Our guide was really knowledgeable. We then went to see the Queen Mary which was docked in the area and walked around a beautiful park. By then we were all hungry so Jake selected a Mexican Restaurant that turned out to be very good. We also spent some time at CVS trying to get refills on a prescription but they did not have it filled before we had to return to the ship. They then told us we could have a CVS in Santa Barbara fill it as it was on file in the system. We did take a quick drive around to see the shoreline and Jake returned us to the Neptune. Here are some photos of the day.

Point Vincent’s Lighthouse

Jake and I at the lighthouse

Queen Mary docked in Long Beach

Long Beach Lighthouse

The next day we were in Santa Barbara where Dan and Gayla picked us up at the dock. We headed to the CVS where Dan had called to verify they had the prescription and luckily it was filled. We decided to visit the Mission of Santa Barbara as Jeff and I had never been there. The tour was very good and the mission is actually the third one built as the others were damaged by earthquake. The grounds were beautiful with the mountains in the background. After that we went to lunch at Ledo’s Mexican takeout. Gayla found it under Diners, Drive ins, and Dives. Guy Fieri has been there twice in 10 years. Excellent food.  We took a short drive through the downtown and then had to catch our tender back to the ship. When we got to the ship we had the funniest sight we have seen. A seal got into the docking area and they were able to get him off the ship but he kept trying to get back on. They would get him to move by throwing fish off to the side so that the tender boats could unload passengers. As soon as the boat moved away he was back.

                                                    Mission of Santa Barbara

                                                         Inside courtyard

                            Cemetary

           Inside of church

                    Side alcove

                    Side alcove

After getting the city’s approval this house was covered with art created by local artists

                                                            Our overly friendly sea lion

One of the best shows- Travis Cloer who has 

Sung on Jersey Boys broadway and in Vegas.

He has a Tony Award plus others. Absolutely fantastic

We are having a good time meeting new people and resting up for Honolulu, Hawaii on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Then another 5 days at sea before we make Tahiti.

Week 2 Costa Rica to Cabo San Lucas

 Here we are at the end of week 2. This week saw us having a total of 5 sea days. We began the week in Costa Rica and ended at Cabo San Lucas with lots of water in between. In Costa Rica we took a trip to an animal sanctuary, Nutura Sanctuary. This was really interesting except for the ants biting me. I believe I provided lunch for the entire hive as they must have loved my insect repellent. We saw at least 8 sloths, 5 jaguars, several emus, numerous macaws and parrots, cute toucans, tapirs, and even an ocelot. I was not able to get good pictures (or sightings) of the smaller monkeys. They explained how they rescue these animals and give them medical attention but, more often than not, the animals probably will remain in the sanctuary.

Chestnut billed toucan

                                                                                Emu

                                                                                 Sloth

Tapir

Jaguar

                      

                                                                           Macaw

Ocelot

Leaf cutter ants

Sea Days are quite busy. There are lectures on history, geography, photography, birds, and wildlife. These are associated with the region we are visiting so Aztec, Mayan, Spanish conquests, paddling across the oceans, and several other topics. I went to an excellent lecture this morning on the Bayeux Tapestry. I also go to the craft sessions where we knit, crochet, embroider, needlepoint, or what project you have brought with you. In the evenings there are musical performances, some by the onboard singers and others talent that boards the ship for 4 to 5 days. They have been pretty good so far. 

We usually go to the sit-down restaurant for evening meals and use the World Cafe for breakfast and lunch. The Cafe is cafeteria style. We have not dined in the specialty restaurants yet. We are tasting wines from different countries and I like a Malbec from Argentina. The staff on board is terrific. We have come across a number of them we met on previous cruises. Viking has a high rate of repeat personnel as they have one of the best pay and perks for employees. 

Wine Steward with my favorite Malbec

We arrived in Cabo San Lucas on Saturday. What a gorgeous day with temps in the low 70s and a mild breeze. Since we have been here on 2 previous visits we used this time to pick up items we failed to bring with us. Jeff forgot his computer mouse and also needed a sun hat. We went ashore with our friends Kathleen and Michael who did the same. We found a restaurant for lunch that was away from the marina area so it was quiet and less crowded. Wonderful meals and service. We walked just over 5 miles with plenty of rests for Jeff. We then headed back to the ship for a refreshing mojito and dinner. Jeff and I skipped the evening entertainment as he was really tired and I was not too energetic.