Fakarava to Easter Island

Here's how the Slide Show works:

  Click on the thumbnail pics that appear in a row above the enlarged pic (the
  first thumbnail). Click on each of the thumbnails and the enlarged version
  will appear below.

  After you've looked at the 4 thumbnails, click on the right arrow 4 times,
  bringing up 4 new thumbnails and then click on each of the thumbnails
and the enlarged version will appear below.

  Then click on the right arrow 4 times, bringing up 4 new thumbnails and click
on each of the thumbnails and the enlarged version will appear below.
  And so on........

.

We anchored at Fakarava mid-morning on April 23. We had met for breakfast as usual and decided to all get on a tender to this island and find a snorkel beach nearby. The island is 1/2 mile wide and 37 miles long and there is only one resort, White Sands, with maybe 20 rooms. There are also a couple of B&Bs. The island is a popular scuba diving spot, known for its exceptionally clear and warm waters. There were sailboats in the harbor with many foreign registrations. Since it is difficult for Cheri to walk long distances or on uneven surfaces we found beach very close to the port. White Sands Resort was running shuttles to their place, 28 miles away for $14/day but we didn't need to find a pool, bar or food as the ship was a few minutes away by tender. We were impressed with this island of 1200 people. Compared to Huahine, for instance, it was affluent and luxurious. It has just become a cruise ship stop and they have build some new public buildings but the homes have satellite dishes and some air conditioning and seem well cared for. We spent 1-2 hours on Fakarava, standing in the water and seeing some tiny fish and looking in the pearl shops on the way back to the port.

We met for drinks at Horizons and then ate together in Toscana. We had seen our old friends Bernardo (waiter) and Antonio (maitre-d') earlier and got a table in Bernardo's area so that we could joke with him and his new assistant, Lulu, who was on her first contract with Oceania. We had run into Bernardo at lunch one day in the Grand Dining Room and he was very emotional with us as he remembered that the first time we met him he was having some issues at home as his wife was sick and his mother had passed away, and we listened to him and offered an ear and a shoulder. He says he is our angel and we are his. So we had a fun dinner. Bernardo remembered that Daryl cannot eat 3 large courses and brought appetizer size pastas, etc.

Our next day was at sea and we had moved the clocks ahead one hour at night, so we got off to a slow start. Our big effort was to go to the Wine Bazaar at 1pm to buy 6 bottles for future dinners. They sell wines that they have to remove from the wine list because there is not enough left at a discount and then store them for you in the ship's wine cellar and you just pick one from your list when you get to a restaurant and they go get it for you. Since we are not drinking a whole bottle each night, they reseal it and hold it for a lunch or dinner the next day. That night we had dinner at Red Ginger again as we had been through the 4 restaurant cycle and Nazia took our photo to send to India.

April 25 was another scheduled day at sea, which meant more reading, drinks at Horizons and lobster and filet at Polo. We moved the clocks ahead another hour. Due to a passenger falling and breaking her hip, Captain Flokos has decided that we need to head full speed (20-22 knots) for Easter Island where there is an airport with regular flights to the mainland (Chile or Peru.) This means we will skip the stop at Pitcairn Island and spend an additional 11/2 days at sea, 3 1/2 instead of 2. There has been some grumbling as it makes the voyage a little rougher when the ship is at speed all the time.

April 26 was a day to do 2 loads of laundry and finish yet another book, up to 6 now for Daryl (3 on the Kindle and 3 in paperback, which were passed on.) We had drinks in our cabin and then headed off to Toscana where we had a relatively light meal. One of the nice things about knowing Bernardo is that he doesn't push us to eat more than we want, so 1/2 orders are a regular thing at our table. Bernardo's 3 year old son, "Third" is his name in Philippine, gets up in the middle of the night (2-3am Philippines time) and Skypes him every day. Skype has been a Godsend for many of our crew friends. Oh yes, another hour forward tonight!

April 27 at sea and we had another safety drill. The new law effective January 15, 2013 is that you must have two drills if the cruise is over 12 days. No Costa Concordias for us, thank you. So off we go with our life jackets to the Marina Lounge. That evening was the Oceania Club cocktail party for Elite cruisers with more than 5 cruises on Oceania. There were 300 of us, with one couple on their 37th in the 10 years of Oceania's existence. They need to get a life as that is pretty much one a quarter! The Hansons and the Donnas received their 10 cruise pins. We will get ours next Spring on the 2nd leg of our Australia-New Zealand cruise. You get discounts and cabin credit depending on what level you are, so there is some value beyond the pin. Rob and Daryl headed for Jacques for dinner, but with small appetites. Daryl had soup and some salmon. Rob had the escargot and the frog leg appetizers, a very rich and garlicky meal. And guess what....another hour forward for the clocks. Everyone is really confused about time by now.