Little Lolly's Small Adventures: trip

Today's excursion transport - a bright yellow 'train'!

There was a yoga session for crew up in the gym this evening so Paul and I went. Due to the rocking motion of the ship our yoga instructor decided on floor-based session rather than any standing yoga movements. There was quite a bit of stretching involved and we soon realised how stiff we were. Practice, over time, will make us a bit more supple. Unfortunately I started to feel quite seasick during the session but managed to get through it before making a quick exit to the cabin. The horizontal effect of the bed was welcoming and my head could sort itself out. Needless to say I slept rather well - more so after taking meclizine hydrochloride tablet (anti-sea sick).

We arrived in Nouméa, at the container ship pier. The wind was gusty and the current strong. Unfortunately we didn't dock at the passenger pier but the container ship pier turned out to be the safest and best option in the windy conditions.

View from Ouen Toro

Cheese & wine tasting at Chateau Royale

Paul and I joined the captain for an early lunch and then I headed out on to the pier for the tour I was assigned to: 'Scenic Train with Cheese & Wine Tasting'. The bright yellow 'train' was designed as a fun way for tourists to get around and about rather than riding around in a bus. Leaving the pier we followed the road through town past Port Moselle Marina and the yacht club. We stopped at a small viewpoint on the edge of Baie des Citrons and Anse Vata Beach. The beach was busy despite the day being overcast and windy. We had another stop at Ouen Toro Lookout from where we had lovely views of the lagoon below us and we could also see cannons - relics of World War II. Our final stop was at Château Royal, a beautiful seaside resort, where we stopped to taste French wines and cheeses. After the initial wine tasting some of the guests wanted to taste the wines further - and polished off bottles of a red, rose and white wine. It was a hit and left the guests looking rather happy! There was a bit of time left over to explore the resort before we climbed back into the train and headed back to the ship. Frank, our guide, was very knowledgeable and friendly. He also had a great sense of humour and was a hit with the guests as a guide. A guide can make or break a tour and he made our visit enjoyable.

View of Chateau Royale's grounds from the lobby balcony

Back on board I sought Paul out. The kink in the anchor chain had been sorted. The anchor was lowered into the harbour floor with a few chain links so that there was no tension on the anchor. With no tension, the anchor rolled gently to one side on the bottom of the harbour floor and when it was finally lifted, the chain had straightened itself out. So, all is back to normal.

After dinner Paul and I went to the spa and lay on the hot stone beds for a while. It was a bit chilly in the spa area so we went to the steam room to defrost and then soaked in the spa pool for a bit.

The ship is now sailing towards Sydney, a 2 day voyage. Many guests will end their cruise in Sydney, a few are staying on for the circumnavigation of Australia.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Setting off

Port Moselle Marina

From the viewpoint on the edge of Baie des Citrons and Anse Vata Beach

Restaurant on stilts at the Baie des Citrons

Views from Ouen Toro

Horse racing is popular.l The race-course is beside the lake.

Château Royal

Our guide/driver, Paul, briefing us about today's activities

I was awake early this morning and tanked up on red bull to keep my eyes propped open. After breakfast and a quick kiss and goodbye to Paul, I was soon in the port terminal waiting for my assigned tour.

Like yesterday, the tour group was small with 11 guests. Our driver/guide (named Paul) soon had us on the road and heading across the island in a north westerly direction. Our first stop was at Byodo-In Temple within the Valley of the Temples. The temple is nestled at the base of the Koolau Mountain Range and is set in stunning surroundings. There is a crematorium and burial grounds within the Valley of the Temples, catering for anyone of any religion who wishes to be laid to rest in such a peaceful and beautiful setting. A family of cats met us at the bridge leading to the temple, one youngster coming over to me for a bit of a cuddle. In the temple's gardens there are a variety of birds including black swans; and in the ponds there are lots of koi fish. The temple itself is a half-sized replica of a 900-year-old Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. When I rang the Sacred Bell using a soft wooden log, the resonating sound went through me - I felt at peace.

Inside the temple is a huge wooden Lotus Buddha, covered in gold leaf and lacquer. Out of respect, we had to take off our footwear before entering the temple. There was something quite awesome about the Lotus Buddha. Most people who were visiting the temple looked at it in quiet thought/reflection. Others took photographs and moved around quietly so as not to disturb the peace.

Soon it was time to get back in the bus and we headed to the coastline, stopping to see 'Chinaman's Hat' which is an eroded sea stack. Continuing on, we stopped at Hukilau Beach which is one of the beaches where "50 First Dates" was filmed. We had time to take photographs and put our feet in the warm ocean water, feeling the sand beneath our feet and the gentle breeze in our hair. It was warm and just ... lovely.

Lunch - hot n spicy shrimps. Yum!

Our next stop was for lunch at Fumis Shrimp Shack. I had 'hot and spicy' shrimp, others had shrimp with coconut, or 'original' or sweet and sour. There was an alternative for guests who didn't like shrimps or are allergic to seafood. The shrimps were served with rice, a piece of pineapple and a bit of lettuce. It was yummy. We were also given something to drink and had a choice of 'shave ice' or ice lolly ("popsicle" as the Americans call it) afterwards. The mango ice lolly's were out of stock so I tried the rainbow shave ice. Basically it looked like finely ground up ice cubes with a dash of coloured flavouring poured over it. Mine had strawberry, pineapple and vanilla flavours. It was refreshing in the heat but not as 'spectacular' as I thought it would be. I was grateful to have it though! Sometimes shave ice is also made by shaving an ice block.

Sunset Beach

After lunch Paul took us to Sunset Beach, well known for its surfing competitions. The gradient towards the water was fairly steep in places and there were plenty of signs warning of strong currents. There are also coral formations under the water surface which can be dangerous for inexperienced surfers.

Our guide, Paul, was determined to let us see turtles. Fortunately this is the time of year to be able to see them, sometimes coming out of the water to rest or to lay eggs. On the way there was a bit of a crowd a small beach and Paul briefly stopped at the side of the road for us to see out of the bus windows - there was a turtle resting at the water's edge. Unfortunately we couldn't really stop long where we were at the side of the road. A few guests managed to get some photographs but I didn't.

Our next stop was at Ali'i Beach where there was a turtle swimming in the water. There were lots of people snorkelling around the turtle. We stood at the water's edge and watched as the turtle submerged and then now and then surfaced to take in some air. I felt sorry for the swimming turtle - the swimmers were almost crowding it out in their eagerness to see it. Green sea turtles and Hawksbill sea turtles are protected by law and people are warned not to touch them, harass them, pick them up, ride them, etc. There is a hefty $25,000 fine if caught. I decided not to take photographs - my finger on the camera trigger is not very fast. The memories of what I saw in those fleeting moments are more important to me. One of the guests was able to get a nice photograph of a surfacing turtle and I was happy for her.

Our final stop was at the Dole Plantation, a pineapple plantation. There they have the world's largest maze and one can also take a tour around the plantation. Unfortunately we only had a ½ hour stop so there was no time to take a tour. Most guests went to the shop and tried pineapple ice cream.

Our tour came to an end and Paul drove us back to the ship. I got a bit sunburnt when we visited the beaches but it didn't hurt - it was nice to get a bit of colour to the skin and feel the fresh warm air.

We have now set sail for Pago Pago, Tutuila, American Samoa. It will be 5 days before we see land again.