Almost there. I chose to fly via Vancouver as not only was it the cheapest itinerary it saved me a 3+ hour drive in from LAX. Time wasn't an issue and it allowed me to have a quick visit with Mike & Penny who graciously drove all the way out to the airport to have … Continue reading Day 34: Vancouver, Canada

I just want to declare how wonderful my flight was from Sydney on China Air. For just a few hundred dollars more I flew Premium Economy and it had all the comfort & service of Business, just no lie flat beds. It made a 9 hour flight very doable. We arrived in Taipei at 4:40am … Continue reading Day 33: Taipei, Taiwan

I stayed in my room as long as possible to get maximum enjoyment of my luxurious accommodation. I had coffee in bed while watching British archeological programs, took a swim in my big tub, spent hours on the free WiFi. By 11:30am they were calling to see if I’d like to stay an extra night … Continue reading Day 32: Sydney

Another(!) crack of dawn morning today. Up about 4:45am, on deck not too long after as we’re heading into the Harbour of Sydney and I definitely wanted a view of that. We were just a bit too early for good light - the city still had its lights on as we approached, then it only … Continue reading Day 31: Sydney, Australia

Our last day on board is another sea day. It turned out to be one of the most quiet days, despite a fun matinee at 2pm - a cruise staff talent show. The Nepalese security staff were a particular hit with their traditional Gurkha dance. The weather turned in the afternoon to choppy seas and … Continue reading Day 30: At Sea

(Heading to Sydney!)I leave my curtains open all the time which is currently problematic as the dawn light woke me at 4:35am this morning. The advantage to this is that I could go online and the internet is only slow, not glacial like in the afternoon. I walked 5 laps (2 miles) after coffee, and … Continue reading Day 29: At Sea

We’re still in New Caledonia, today on the largest island of Lifou. Although grand in size it’s small in stature. As far as we can see there’s just a small rise leading up from the pier, mikes of flatness, and it’s this small hill that Aspen & I trekked up on our way to the … Continue reading Day 28: Lifou, New Caledonia

Up at 5am to watch our approach to our port in Noumea. I was slightly too late as we were just exiting the channel between some amazing uninhabited (?) islands. I’ll need to rise 4:30 am tomorrow to catch both sunrise & the islands! We had a tugboat standing by to help us ease into … Continue reading Day 27: Noumea, New Caledonia

10am marks the daily briefing from the captain re: our position, weather, tomorrow’s ETA. Particularly interesting today was that the ocean is warmer than the air (29° vs. 24°) and that we’re sailing in waters 20,300’ deep! We’ve been advised not to drop our car keys overboard, ha ha. Today’s a windy day with a … Continue reading Day 26: At Sea

Vanuatu - a little grouping of 83 islands that won its independence in 1980 was our destination today. I’ve another tour booked today: “Discover the Blue Lagoon, Cascades & Swim with Turtles”. I’ve lucked out with a fun driver & guide who took 12 of us from the cruise ship port in 15-seater van around … Continue reading Day 25: Vanuatu