Bondi Beach, Sydney - 15h00 29 August 2008
Back in Sydney three weeks on and feeling a bit on the chilly side as I sit writing this in a Cafe - the Cafe Bondi - enjoying the first rays of spring in Sydney. Saying that, I wish Brussels' springs were a bit more like this! I arrived here this lunchtime following the flight over from Nadi in Fiji and I am here to visit Nicola Fell, a good friend from old Brussels times. I am enjoying a quiet VB after lunch while she makes her way over here - early finish for freelancers in Sydney on a Friday I think!
Anyway, we made it back to Lautoka on Wednesday morning and having visited the town a little in the afternoon we had our final end of cruise party back on board - fancy dress, me as an original pirate, while others excelled in the art of fancy dress in all manner of styles from the ugly sisters to Princess Leia...! Thursday was disembarcation day and around lunchtime we shot off down to Nadi where a few of us were staying in hotels a bit closer to the airport. We caught up in the evening, managed to get practically kidnapped into another kava drinking session in a souvenir shop... escaping with only a 2 dollar contribution to the ceremony instead of holding one of the charming fertility wooden carvings!
Not quite sure what plans are for the next few days, various ideas mooted from whale watching near Brisbane to hiking. No doubt we will settle on a plan over a couple of VBs - and I hope I can keep going: 8pm kiptimes were becoming a scary norm on the Soren!
Some more photo uploading now me thinks.
Rob
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Navadra and castaways - 11h30 27 August 2008
Navadra and castaways - 11h30 27 August 2008
The last lunch on board Soren is nearly upon us as we head back towards Lutoka and the final port of call on this leg of their trip. As with all holidays, one is left wondering where the time went! On Monday night we sailed from Beqa to the island where - supposedly (disputed facts) - the Tom Hanks’ film Castaway was made.
I was on the 4-6 watch and saw a wonderful sunrise - my first, and it would appear only, on the Soren, off the starboard bow.
The colours take your breath away and I tried to catch the moment the sun popped up over the headlands on my camera’s movie film.
Disrupted sleep patterns on the Soren is certainly one thing I shall not miss. Our trip, however, was worth it, as the island of Navadra - Castaway location or not - was all you would expect of a cut-off pacific island: huge breakers crashing over the dangerous reefs out on the horizon, swirling currents and a deep swell in the bay, surrounded by a jutting headland - in the shape of a crouching animal - and a curved promontory, linked by a spit of a sandbank.
The last lunch on board Soren is nearly upon us as we head back towards Lutoka and the final port of call on this leg of their trip. As with all holidays, one is left wondering where the time went! On Monday night we sailed from Beqa to the island where - supposedly (disputed facts) - the Tom Hanks’ film Castaway was made.
I was on the 4-6 watch and saw a wonderful sunrise - my first, and it would appear only, on the Soren, off the starboard bow.
The colours take your breath away and I tried to catch the moment the sun popped up over the headlands on my camera’s movie film.
Disrupted sleep patterns on the Soren is certainly one thing I shall not miss. Our trip, however, was worth it, as the island of Navadra - Castaway location or not - was all you would expect of a cut-off pacific island: huge breakers crashing over the dangerous reefs out on the horizon, swirling currents and a deep swell in the bay, surrounded by a jutting headland - in the shape of a crouching animal - and a curved promontory, linked by a spit of a sandbank.
Watersports were again on the cards and I spent most of the afternoon on the windsurfer, avoiding the reefs and the worst of the swells! In fact, it was probably a bit too much windsurfing as I have felt shattered since.
We said our farewells to the island early doors this morning after a final spot of snorkelling and began our short hop across the bay to the main island town of Lautoka. The Captain is keen to get there mid-afternoon to ensure that all the clearing, customs and immigration work is completed in timely fashion, before our final ship party - fancy dress again!
And so the Soren blog is nearly complete. A great trip - tiring at times - but all in all a wonderful experience. I have been wondering to myself if I could have done a longer spell at sea, like one of the deep sea crossings from say Auckland to Easter Islands. Part of me screams ‘no, you fool’ as the experience of ocean going just for three days felt long at times, but then the adventurous part of me thinks what an experience that would be; what a challenge. And for me, the best memories from this trip have been the challenging times, notably the first couple of days in the force 5 storms, the memory of being on the helm trying to hold a course, looking down the boat at a steep angle as the bow crashed into yet another wave, and then back up again. Brilliant experience.
The final words in this entry should be reserved for the crew, starting with the professional crew. A very friendly, able and professional group, allowing people to participate to the extent they wanted to in the experience, while encouraging people along. Led by the Captain, Darren (a Mancunian), First Mate, Matt (a Scot), Second Mate Gareth (another Mancunian), the Engineer, Gavin (New Zealand), the cooks - in my view the linchpin of the boat - Ali (a Scot) and Carson (American) - Cath, the Purser, (Australian) Laura, the bosun (Canadian) and the four deckhands, Gemma & Dave (English), Mike (American) and Darren (a Scot). And ably supported by the voyage crew of whose number there included: Ken (English), Sheila (Scottish), Gerlinde (German), Paul (Swiss), Gernot (Austrian), Crystal (American), Chris (English), Jon (English), Judy & John (English), Lyn & Jay (American), Jimmy (English), Jane (Irish), Jane (New Zealand), Geoff (Irish), Maureen (English), David (New Zealand) and Vince (English).
So « bon voyage » and a fair wind to the Soren Larsen and her crew on the next stage of her trip back home towards New Zealand! Talking of home, there is talk that she might return to the UK next year to mark her 60th anniversary - I shall be on the lookout for any sightings of her in Belgium or Holland!
More on the Soren Larsen can be found at http://www.sorenlarsen.co.nz/
My next stop is Sydney on Friday where I’ll stay a few days with a friend there before heading home the middle of next week. No doubt a few land blogs will appear along the way
Rob
A small ship’s fire... - 21h00 25 August 2008
Beqa, Lalita & a small ship’s fire - 21h00 25 August 2008
Fire?? Fire? More of this later… We departed the island of Beqa - bizarrely still pronounced in a similar fashion to the Arsenal manager - this afternoon around tea time, having spent the last day and night there. We sailed from Levuka early doors on Sunday morning, which I must admit I missed as the excesses of halliards were bearing down on me, and spent most of the day at sea on route to our next destination.
Little of note happened until our little incident around midday. I happened to be taking a pre-lunch nap at the time, and awoke to the sound of the engineer being called in rather urgent tones! One is not on a ship too long before the one realises that an engineer being called urgently is generally a bad sign - especially on a wooden boat such as the Soren. So we all quickly assembled on the forward deck, ably marshalled by our professional crew. It turns out the fire was more smoke than flames, and essentially was a small fire in the exhaust stack, caused by a build up of oil which ignited. Our engines were left to cool down for a while and we carried on under sail alone, which by then was feasible as the wind had picked up.
We arrived late afternoon in Lalita, having safely navigated the rather narrow entrance through the reefs, and with the Captain’s and Cook’s formal protocol completed with the local village, we were able to enjoy our dinner in a stunning inlet in a - nearly deserted island - well apart from an exclusive resort round the corner, which we later discovered was closed.Today was a day spent with the locals initially. I went ashore early doors with some of the other crew to visit the village and meet the locals: the children really took to our group and soon we had an enthusiastic entourage giving us the royal guided tour!
Great fun. Later in the morning most of the village came over to the Soren for morning tea & coffee and the professional crew ended up carrying out welding repairs on two forks and an outboard engine!
Their generosity was rewarded with the gift of a crayfish from the elders for dinner this evening. The rest of the afternoon was spent on watersports, some swimming and one lone windsurfing enthusiast in me. It was good fun today as the wind was a good breeze.
Now I am looking forward to the last night watch I will do on board, I can’t quite believe how quickly it has gone.
Fire?? Fire? More of this later… We departed the island of Beqa - bizarrely still pronounced in a similar fashion to the Arsenal manager - this afternoon around tea time, having spent the last day and night there. We sailed from Levuka early doors on Sunday morning, which I must admit I missed as the excesses of halliards were bearing down on me, and spent most of the day at sea on route to our next destination.
Little of note happened until our little incident around midday. I happened to be taking a pre-lunch nap at the time, and awoke to the sound of the engineer being called in rather urgent tones! One is not on a ship too long before the one realises that an engineer being called urgently is generally a bad sign - especially on a wooden boat such as the Soren. So we all quickly assembled on the forward deck, ably marshalled by our professional crew. It turns out the fire was more smoke than flames, and essentially was a small fire in the exhaust stack, caused by a build up of oil which ignited. Our engines were left to cool down for a while and we carried on under sail alone, which by then was feasible as the wind had picked up.
We arrived late afternoon in Lalita, having safely navigated the rather narrow entrance through the reefs, and with the Captain’s and Cook’s formal protocol completed with the local village, we were able to enjoy our dinner in a stunning inlet in a - nearly deserted island - well apart from an exclusive resort round the corner, which we later discovered was closed.Today was a day spent with the locals initially. I went ashore early doors with some of the other crew to visit the village and meet the locals: the children really took to our group and soon we had an enthusiastic entourage giving us the royal guided tour!
Great fun. Later in the morning most of the village came over to the Soren for morning tea & coffee and the professional crew ended up carrying out welding repairs on two forks and an outboard engine!Their generosity was rewarded with the gift of a crayfish from the elders for dinner this evening. The rest of the afternoon was spent on watersports, some swimming and one lone windsurfing enthusiast in me. It was good fun today as the wind was a good breeze.
Now I am looking forward to the last night watch I will do on board, I can’t quite believe how quickly it has gone.
I’ll be on the 4-8 and since we are on engines alone, the crew have decided to split the watch in two sections, with me opting for the 4-6 and what I hope will be a splendid sunrise - the sunset this evening was the best we have seen at sea, and the stars are very clear now that the full moon has passed.
I even managed to identify the nebula next to the Southern Cross before dinner by the big black blob of space in the middle of the maze of stars.
Signing off now to get some shuteye before the call comes, coming more quickly than one hopes every time!
Rob
Levuka & Halliards’ birth - 23 August 2008
Levuka & Halliards’ birth - 23 August 2008
What the hell? No, no, no unexpected natural births of any kind, rather the slow and rather enjoyable evolution of the game of the billiards…
Fair enough, but « que faire » the crew of the good ship Soren in the interim?? As a fellow crew mate suggested, two routes opened wide in front of us: drink eat and drink, or drink eat and drink.
We opted for the latter, and quickly a small group set forth to revisit the Royal Hotel, scene of yesterday’s festivities. The bar waitress seemed genuinely happy (in the sense of more money, more hassle) to hear the Soren was delayed at port for a further 12 hours. Nonetheless, our group installed itself at the snooker table and quickly set about developing and refining the rules of billiards for groups of more than 2: suffice to say the blind leading the blind, but your blogger here sought to develop the rules below with the able and much accomplished assistance of Sheila, Vince, Paul, Dave and our American latecomer, Franklin (aren’t they always??).
A good night was had, of which no clear winner emerged, only the succinct and clear rules of the association sport which are recorded for posterity purposes below - and subjected to common approval, quite naturally:
Halliards: from Tallships to Billiards…
Article 1: General Principles
1. Each player (un)wisely commits himself to honest and gentlemanly conduct (in accordance with Anglo-Saxon accepted practice, implying subsequent flexibility in the rules’ interpretation);
2. Each player commits to be drinking the larger variety of Fijian beers only (or any consequent quantity of accepted volume, broadly 2 pints or relative spirit dosage).
3. The game is recommended for play on a full size snooker table.
Article 2: Rules of the Game
1. Each player takes a cue ball from the non-red colours. The cue-ball is specific to each player;
2. A red ball is placed on the black spot, acquiring the status of the target ball on the table;
3. Each player in turn cues off from the D with the objective of scoring points along the following principles (a player continues his turn until he scores no points):
a) Canon: a player scores 2 points if the cue ball strikes two separate balls following a shot, with the points increasing to equal the number of strikes (ie 3 points for 3 strikes etc)
b) A player potting the red receives 3 points. The red is respotted on the black spot.
c) A player potting any other ball apart from the red receives 2 points, and the potted ball goes dead for the rest of the player’s shots. At the end of player’s round, it is his responsibility to ensure the potted ball(s) are replaced on the black (or which ever spot of decreasing snooker ranking is available). The order of the respotting will follow the order of the initial potting.
d) In-off: a player potting his cue ball in-off a shot will receive two points and will be able to take a subsequent shot from the D with his cue ball. Points will be increased to 3 in the event of an in-off from the red, with the cue ball again respotted in the D.
e) A player missing any ball on the table will receive the penalty score of minus 4. The penalty is applicable at all times.
4. Winner: the winner is the first player to reach the sum total of 25 points.
Article 3: Supplementary Provisions
1. Timing allowances: a player taking more than 5 minutes to execute a shot shall forfeit that shot; a player taking more than 10 minutes to execute the next shot shall forfeit their position in the game with immediate effect.
2. The founding members submit « HASSLE » as the Halliards Association and Leagues as their associate body.
As of effect, the South Pacific, 24 August 2008.
Rob
What the hell? No, no, no unexpected natural births of any kind, rather the slow and rather enjoyable evolution of the game of the billiards…
But let’s start at the story’s beginnings: stranded as we were in Levuka, our stay was predictably extended mid-afternoon as the Captain informed the crew that passage to the south was still likely to be on the rough side tonight and that, as the forecast predicted, we were over the worst of it, it would be better to (motor) sail early tomorrow morning (like 6am early) to make the isle of Wenger (I’m hoping not like the manager….) by mid afternoon.
Fair enough, but « que faire » the crew of the good ship Soren in the interim?? As a fellow crew mate suggested, two routes opened wide in front of us: drink eat and drink, or drink eat and drink.
We opted for the latter, and quickly a small group set forth to revisit the Royal Hotel, scene of yesterday’s festivities. The bar waitress seemed genuinely happy (in the sense of more money, more hassle) to hear the Soren was delayed at port for a further 12 hours. Nonetheless, our group installed itself at the snooker table and quickly set about developing and refining the rules of billiards for groups of more than 2: suffice to say the blind leading the blind, but your blogger here sought to develop the rules below with the able and much accomplished assistance of Sheila, Vince, Paul, Dave and our American latecomer, Franklin (aren’t they always??).A good night was had, of which no clear winner emerged, only the succinct and clear rules of the association sport which are recorded for posterity purposes below - and subjected to common approval, quite naturally:
Halliards: from Tallships to Billiards…
Article 1: General Principles
1. Each player (un)wisely commits himself to honest and gentlemanly conduct (in accordance with Anglo-Saxon accepted practice, implying subsequent flexibility in the rules’ interpretation);
2. Each player commits to be drinking the larger variety of Fijian beers only (or any consequent quantity of accepted volume, broadly 2 pints or relative spirit dosage).
3. The game is recommended for play on a full size snooker table.
Article 2: Rules of the Game
1. Each player takes a cue ball from the non-red colours. The cue-ball is specific to each player;
2. A red ball is placed on the black spot, acquiring the status of the target ball on the table;
3. Each player in turn cues off from the D with the objective of scoring points along the following principles (a player continues his turn until he scores no points):
a) Canon: a player scores 2 points if the cue ball strikes two separate balls following a shot, with the points increasing to equal the number of strikes (ie 3 points for 3 strikes etc)
b) A player potting the red receives 3 points. The red is respotted on the black spot.
c) A player potting any other ball apart from the red receives 2 points, and the potted ball goes dead for the rest of the player’s shots. At the end of player’s round, it is his responsibility to ensure the potted ball(s) are replaced on the black (or which ever spot of decreasing snooker ranking is available). The order of the respotting will follow the order of the initial potting.
d) In-off: a player potting his cue ball in-off a shot will receive two points and will be able to take a subsequent shot from the D with his cue ball. Points will be increased to 3 in the event of an in-off from the red, with the cue ball again respotted in the D.
e) A player missing any ball on the table will receive the penalty score of minus 4. The penalty is applicable at all times.
4. Winner: the winner is the first player to reach the sum total of 25 points.
Article 3: Supplementary Provisions
1. Timing allowances: a player taking more than 5 minutes to execute a shot shall forfeit that shot; a player taking more than 10 minutes to execute the next shot shall forfeit their position in the game with immediate effect.
2. The founding members submit « HASSLE » as the Halliards Association and Leagues as their associate body.
As of effect, the South Pacific, 24 August 2008.
Rob
Friday, August 22, 2008
Lovoni, Ovalau Island - 22 August 2008
Lovoni, Ovalau Island - 22 August 2008
A second entry of the day, but we saw so much in relative comparison to a day at sea that I thought it worth recording. We made it over to the town of Lovoni, in the centre of the island, nestling snugly in the crater of the volcano which created Ovalau in the first place!
A second entry of the day, but we saw so much in relative comparison to a day at sea that I thought it worth recording. We made it over to the town of Lovoni, in the centre of the island, nestling snugly in the crater of the volcano which created Ovalau in the first place!
We were given a guided tour by a local chap, Epi, and his English wife, Joanna from Sunderland! Quite an incredible couple raising a family of four in a reasonably sized detached house on the outskirts of the town!
The tour began with lemon flavoured tea and a marvellous lunch, prepared at short notice by Epi’s 80 year old mother: it involved a lot of taro leaves - a South Pacific speciality - and other treats like fried aubergines with coconut milk.
They even made a non-fish option for myself and another member of the crew, not so taken with marine edibles. Saying that, I did try some of the fish dishes and they were pretty good.
Following the lovely lunch, Epi took us on a tour around the hills - read volcano crater - surrounding the village, where he guided us through various plants and their medicinal purposes, everything from cures for headaches, diarrhoea, eczema to more outlandish claims such as a cure for « slow » children, and perhaps more realistically, something to induce labour! All in all pretty impressive.
The part I found particularly interesting, though, was Epi’s descriptive narrative on how the island came to be populated in the first place. Essentially, his story was that two African families found their way to Fiji, fleeing a terrible plague on their home continent, travelling across the Atlantic and through the Pacific - some feat, even more so since it is not historically correct.
In any event, the larger Fijian island of Viti Levu was supposedly inhabited by two groups, one in the interior and one on the south coast. A chap with a fiery reputation and a tendency to find himself in trouble, was eventually expelled from the community and, legend has it, swam across to the neighbouring islands until he came upon one which was uninhabited - Ovalau. Setting up home here with his wife - a woman he had somewhat expropriated from one of the previous communities - there were eventually 16 grandchildren, around which the clans of the island developed, and which still exist today. Apparently, the clans and their lands spread out in star like design from Lovoni and the centre to the coast. A pretty impressive story.
A less impressive story perhaps, but no less important, is that of the arrival of European traders. The story goes that following somewhat initial difficult contacts with the locals (the islands were also known as the Cannibal Isles), some Norwegian whalers were told by the King of Tonga to present gifts to the local Fijians and say they knew the King. This worked and soon European trading centres for whaling were springing up, including Lovoni. The practice of exchanging gifts for concessions grew apace, with the local Chief on Ovalau developing a taste for whiskey which was ruthlessly exploited by the Europeans. All in all a very interesting tour.
On our return from the crater and the delights of Lovoni to Levuka, and the sweet smell of its industrial fish processing plant (!), we retired to the old colonial hotel, the Royal Hotel, for gin & tonic, Fijian beer and cava - and a round of billiards on a very old full size snooker table. As a beginner, I won 3-0, but this may have had more to do with my opponent’s consumption of G&Ts than any real skill on my part!
The weather is still not great, but it looks like we do depart tomorrow morning. The preferred option is to go south, but the prevailing winds and rough sea may not allow, in which case we will go north around the northerly coast of the main island, Viti Levu.
Levuka, 08h30 23 August 2008
The weather is still not great this morning but the Captain has decided that we will sail this afternoon to a place south of Viti Levu. This morning we have decided to scale Mission Hill, with its 189 steps (or so) - there is debate as to whether it is 189 or 199 - no doubt we will check.
Rob
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Levuka, Ovalau Island - 22 August 2008
Levuka, Ovalau Island - 22 August 2008
A very quick update typed out at the town's local internet cafe.
We finally arrived yesterday afternoon and by the time we cleared customs and immigration - a thorough process, especially on the biosecurity side - we headed into the town.
Weather is not great, a Pacific storm, losts of wind and rain - just like home sweet home, albeit a bit warmer!
Lewvuka is an odd little port, quite a trading centre from the mid 19th century, and initially populated by escaped convicts from Australia. The atmosphere lives on...! We found the old original colonial bar and sampled the local beers before having dinner in an odd little place.
Today we are shooting off on a tour of the island, to see the volcano crater. I say "see" but how much will be visible in the clouds is anyone's guess! Best dash now or I'll miss the ride.
Rob
East of Fiji, 11h30, 21 August 2008
East of Fiji, 11h30, 21 August 2008
Yesterday afternoon we spent most of the watch making « baggy winkles », the ship’s equivalent of crochet as some wag put it! These are the bushy things you see on a ship’s rigging which are there to stop the ropes chaffing the sails. We also caught another large fish off the stern of the boat, this time holding on to it long enough to get it aboard. A fish dinner was then enjoyed by most, except me being on burger rations.
We’re nearly there after three nights and two full days at sea, Fiji is in metaphorical sight! Well some of it is already in sight as we have been passing through some of the outlying islands since yesterday afternoon. The passage has been uneventful, with the routine and the discipline of the watches quickly reasserting themselves. The 12-4 has been a tough one to adapt to for me, primarily because of the disrupted sleep - you go to sleep at around 21h00 only to be awoken just before midnight for the watch, and although you can sleep through to midday, more often than not you are up and about having breakfast having been disturbed by other crew members!
But these are mere gripes: after all, it is incredible experience to be on the ship’s deck in the dead of a South Pacific night navigating the ship on its mainly lonely route. Saying that, we did encounter what appeared to be a rather large fishing vessel last night that we had to steer round - my responsibility on the helm that time too - and as we get closer to landfall there are more natural signs of life like birds flying overhead.
But these are mere gripes: after all, it is incredible experience to be on the ship’s deck in the dead of a South Pacific night navigating the ship on its mainly lonely route. Saying that, we did encounter what appeared to be a rather large fishing vessel last night that we had to steer round - my responsibility on the helm that time too - and as we get closer to landfall there are more natural signs of life like birds flying overhead. Yesterday afternoon we spent most of the watch making « baggy winkles », the ship’s equivalent of crochet as some wag put it! These are the bushy things you see on a ship’s rigging which are there to stop the ropes chaffing the sails. We also caught another large fish off the stern of the boat, this time holding on to it long enough to get it aboard. A fish dinner was then enjoyed by most, except me being on burger rations.Now we are looking forward to landfall in Fiji. I am not too sure what the plans are for the next couple of days as I have missed the last two Captain’s morning briefings, but I understand it involves lots of island cruising and relaxing - the perfect antidote after a trip across the deep, mostly blue ocean. And perhaps we will see some more whales too, after the incredible experience of Monday.
Rob
PS Sounds of Soren - the creaking cabins
Rob
PS Sounds of Soren - the creaking cabins
On route to Fiji, 20h00, 19 August 2008
Westward bound on route to Fiji, 20h00, 19 August 2008
A full 24 hours sailing later and we are making good progress towards to Fiji. So good in fact that our ETA has been brought forward to Thursday morning from Friday.
We have been under sail only - without motor assistance - since 10am this morning. In fact, it was the extinguishing of the motor which woke me from my slumbers after my first 12-4. It was a great experience, but you do really start feeling it post 3am!
No whales today and not another ship of any kind to report, big or small. We did cross through an extensive shoal of tuna fish around tea time, nearly catching two on the aft lines before they wriggled free from the attentions of the permanent crew. At least it spared this onlooker another experience of fish gutting on the main deck! Anyway, much tuna viewing of the live kind was to be had, especially from the forward watch - one of my favourite tasks, where you can stand astride the ship’s bow, pirate like, on the lookout for friend, foe or victim - presumably more the latter with the Soren’s tendency for pseudo aggressive behaviour towards passing marine vessels!
I spent the rest of the day sleeping and taking pictures and films of the ever changing sky and sea. Such a beautiful yet often foreboding environment; makes one realise how small one really is. Now post dinner and looking forward to the night watch, but with an eye on getting some kip before then. No bread making tonight, with that heavy responsibility passed on to another unfortunate victim!
Hopefully some more helmsman ship, following on from my first experience of taking the helm when under sail alone this afternoon. This is noticeably different from the motor environment, demanding more subtly in terms of handling and predicting the impact of the ship’s sails on the bow’s behaviour and counterbalancing accordingly. Nearly, but not quite, lost at sea!
Rob
A full 24 hours sailing later and we are making good progress towards to Fiji. So good in fact that our ETA has been brought forward to Thursday morning from Friday.
We have been under sail only - without motor assistance - since 10am this morning. In fact, it was the extinguishing of the motor which woke me from my slumbers after my first 12-4. It was a great experience, but you do really start feeling it post 3am!
As promised, I got stuck into enhancing my cooking skills on the bread making side. To be perfectly honest I’m not sure how enhanced that is, since the process was clearly marked out for cooking dummies. In theory, a failure free zone: ship’s bread, after all, is a paramount necessity!
I was not alone in my endeavour either, being ably guided by a fellow crew member with ample experience of the requisite skills.
Nonetheless we had one or two sticky moments, notably when we forgot to shut the forward window before getting the ready made mix out on the top and watching in horror as the South Pacific breeze began scattering the flour and yeast mix around the kitchen! Thankfully the mix still had enough juice to rise to the task.
And the number one benefit of making the bread is that you have the chance to eat freshly baked bread at 4am with lashings of butter and a good piping hot cup of tea, relaxed and happily tired after another watch. This afternoon was busier on the sailing front as we were doing a lot of work to trim the sails and extract every little last bit of juice we could out of them. At one stage we got up to the 7 knot speed - ship’s max speed is 12 I think - but for the most part we cruised along at 5 knots. Talking of knots, we had a session on knots and I proved to be one of the most challenging students I think the watch has ever had…clearly knots are not for me, something of a disability on a ship. Saying that, I did eventually make some progress. Of a kind.
No whales today and not another ship of any kind to report, big or small. We did cross through an extensive shoal of tuna fish around tea time, nearly catching two on the aft lines before they wriggled free from the attentions of the permanent crew. At least it spared this onlooker another experience of fish gutting on the main deck! Anyway, much tuna viewing of the live kind was to be had, especially from the forward watch - one of my favourite tasks, where you can stand astride the ship’s bow, pirate like, on the lookout for friend, foe or victim - presumably more the latter with the Soren’s tendency for pseudo aggressive behaviour towards passing marine vessels!I spent the rest of the day sleeping and taking pictures and films of the ever changing sky and sea. Such a beautiful yet often foreboding environment; makes one realise how small one really is. Now post dinner and looking forward to the night watch, but with an eye on getting some kip before then. No bread making tonight, with that heavy responsibility passed on to another unfortunate victim!
Hopefully some more helmsman ship, following on from my first experience of taking the helm when under sail alone this afternoon. This is noticeably different from the motor environment, demanding more subtly in terms of handling and predicting the impact of the ship’s sails on the bow’s behaviour and counterbalancing accordingly. Nearly, but not quite, lost at sea!
Rob
Tonga & Whales, 20h00, 18 August 2008
Tonga, Whales & Departure for Fiji, 20h00, 18 August 2008
We departed from our overnight anchorage at the crack of dawn this morning to make the short return trip to Nieafu in order to complete customs and immigration and make our preparations for the trip to Fiji: well the permanent crew made the preparations, while we were ushered ashore.
We departed amid a frenzy of paparazzi activity as a BBC World TV crew buzzed round the ship in a launch filming the departure of the elegant Soren Larsen - truly elegant this time round as the crew resisted the temptation to fire water bombs at them…it would appear limits were reached.
And then whales were seen.
At the time I must admit I was busy trying to hang my washing off the ship’s rigging, while squinting through the fierce Tongan afternoon sun trying to see the little black spots on the horizon,
but eventually we did slowly catch up with them and were rewarded with the most incredible sight of at least three, some say six, whales passing around the bow, sounding, twisting and turning as they came, before pulling off the same show down the port bow.
We departed from our overnight anchorage at the crack of dawn this morning to make the short return trip to Nieafu in order to complete customs and immigration and make our preparations for the trip to Fiji: well the permanent crew made the preparations, while we were ushered ashore.
We had hoped to see King George’s parade, but confusion abounded as at first it seemed to have been put back to Tuesday only later appearing to have been completed on Monday after all!
All we really know is that the King went off on a - presumably mammoth - cava drinking session at 10am. Good chap, he will be seeing stars by now! With or without the good King, we enjoyed a relaxing morning, taking cappuccino and a supplementary breakfast in a café, which proved so agreeable that we decided to spend our last remaining Tongan currency there on burgers and beer for lunch - conforming to type once more! In the interim, we visited the remaining parts of the town we had not seen, including the rather bizarre sight of pigs snuffling for food on the muddy beach of the « old historic port ». I don’t think this requires more elaboration.
We departed amid a frenzy of paparazzi activity as a BBC World TV crew buzzed round the ship in a launch filming the departure of the elegant Soren Larsen - truly elegant this time round as the crew resisted the temptation to fire water bombs at them…it would appear limits were reached.
And then whales were seen.
At the time I must admit I was busy trying to hang my washing off the ship’s rigging, while squinting through the fierce Tongan afternoon sun trying to see the little black spots on the horizon,
but eventually we did slowly catch up with them and were rewarded with the most incredible sight of at least three, some say six, whales passing around the bow, sounding, twisting and turning as they came, before pulling off the same show down the port bow.
It was an amazing sight, as they came past the port bow you could clearly see the size of them - arcing gracefully as they moved swiftly through the water.
I managed to get some good video of them which I’ll post online once I have a good connection, but even this good film doesn’t quite convey their size. Takes your breath away, quite literally.
Anything else now sounds fairly mundane and boring, but then again, how can it ever be so in the South Pacific? We are back at sea with a three and a half day voyage in prospect over to Fiji, more or less due West from Tonga: homeward bound! It feels good to be back at sea again, the pleasant rocking of the ship, the reassuring creaking of the oak bulkheads, and the crunching of the cabin interior bulkheads against the outer ones - often when the ship rolls it feels like it is going to give way… Actually I realised why it rolls so much when I was out swimming the other day as I saw it has an incredibly flat bottom - so it’s probably like one of those cross-channel bathtubs after all…but with a dash more class and elegance!
On that note I should sign off since our watches have been rotated and I am now on the 12-4 meaning my first one will be tonight in 4 hours time. Different watch and slightly different routine, I like the free time in the evening already, but we’ll see how I feel at 4am! Bread making duties await me at 01h30 so another gastronic skill to add to my bow. When will it cease I wonder??
Rob
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Tonga, Ano Beach, 17 August 2008
Tonga, Ano Beach, 17 August 2008
On Saturday morning we again had shore leave and by 9am the party was really starting to get going in the town - a day early - with very loud island music blaring out of one of the municipal buildings! All too reminiscent of the Apia bus driver!! I decided to check out a walk to the local Mount Talau, which despite its name, is only 400 metres high.
It does, however, boast fantastic views over the harbour and north east of the island. The walk over there was also fun as we passed a small military base, where the personnel were busy practising in a brass band for the King’s visit - one felt they needed more than a day’s more practice if truth be told!
In the afternoon we sailed round to Ano beach, enjoying the views of the magnificent coastline and small dreamlike islands passing by - the perfect cliché of the desert island, green foliage, sandy beaches and deep turquoise water lapping at the edges.
Pretty amazing stuff and to see it from a tallship makes it even more special. We arrived towards the end of the afternoon, just in time for the Tongan feast. It was quite some feast, with a range of local delicacies, roast pig, seafood and some things that were less identifiable!
The locals also tried to entice us with local produce, and then entertained us with a dancing show later on. It was ok, but I always find these things slightly contrived especially when you feel obliged to hand over your small change, which is then eagerly counted by the village matriarch after each dance!! After the festivities we came back to the boat and partook in a cava session, cava being a drink made from the root of a peppermint tree. It was quite an experience, making your mouth tingle almost like an anaesthetic. The way the effects of a major drinking session were described it sounded slightly reminiscent of absinthe, which of course I have never tried!
Today we are off to search for whales in the bay! I think we have just set off as the boat seems to have acquired a more remarked sway; I am currently below deck writing this!
Well, we saw two whales, but only fleetingly as they surfaced twice before returning to the depths, the tailfins arcing upwards as they dived. We were quite some distance from them, but it was still an impressive sight and a privilege to see them in real life. We hope to see more on the rest of the trip.
We sailed yesterday afternoon from Nieafu, the capital of Vavau to Pangai Motu island and Ano beach for yesterday evening’s feast - of which more later. Friday afternoon we had shore leave in Nieafu, spent initially in the internet café - everyone’s first stop - and then exploring the town. It was abuzz with the excitement and preparation of the new King’s visit, King George Tupou the Fifth. He was crowned in early August and is doing a tour of his Kingdom. In preparation of the festivities planned for Monday, the locals were putting out the bunting and seemingly sweeping clean every nook and cranny of the place! There is an interesting succession story in prospect, since George, at the age of 59, does not have any children. His brother, the next in line, was disowned for marrying below the required social level and the question is whether any of his three children might be in line for potential succession. In any event, George apparently has democratic reform on his agenda, so this might become less of an issue in the future.
There wasn’t a great deal to see in the town, so after a cursory visit we all congregated in the quayside bar - originally enough called the Mermaid bar - for afternoon beers and aperitifs. It was very much an expat place, with a sailing race being organised by the expat locals at 16h00 - presumably followed by a round of gin and tonic! I was wondering about the mix of stories which must have made up the bar; how had all these people somehow found themselves up in this idyllic island group?
In the evening a group of us went for dinner in a reasonable restaurant, with the supposed selling point of having a Swiss chef! One wonders what the attractions of fondu or raclette might have been in Tonga, but it turned out to be more on the local side.
There wasn’t a great deal to see in the town, so after a cursory visit we all congregated in the quayside bar - originally enough called the Mermaid bar - for afternoon beers and aperitifs. It was very much an expat place, with a sailing race being organised by the expat locals at 16h00 - presumably followed by a round of gin and tonic! I was wondering about the mix of stories which must have made up the bar; how had all these people somehow found themselves up in this idyllic island group?
In the evening a group of us went for dinner in a reasonable restaurant, with the supposed selling point of having a Swiss chef! One wonders what the attractions of fondu or raclette might have been in Tonga, but it turned out to be more on the local side.
On Saturday morning we again had shore leave and by 9am the party was really starting to get going in the town - a day early - with very loud island music blaring out of one of the municipal buildings! All too reminiscent of the Apia bus driver!! I decided to check out a walk to the local Mount Talau, which despite its name, is only 400 metres high.
It does, however, boast fantastic views over the harbour and north east of the island. The walk over there was also fun as we passed a small military base, where the personnel were busy practising in a brass band for the King’s visit - one felt they needed more than a day’s more practice if truth be told!
In the afternoon we sailed round to Ano beach, enjoying the views of the magnificent coastline and small dreamlike islands passing by - the perfect cliché of the desert island, green foliage, sandy beaches and deep turquoise water lapping at the edges.
Pretty amazing stuff and to see it from a tallship makes it even more special. We arrived towards the end of the afternoon, just in time for the Tongan feast. It was quite some feast, with a range of local delicacies, roast pig, seafood and some things that were less identifiable!The locals also tried to entice us with local produce, and then entertained us with a dancing show later on. It was ok, but I always find these things slightly contrived especially when you feel obliged to hand over your small change, which is then eagerly counted by the village matriarch after each dance!! After the festivities we came back to the boat and partook in a cava session, cava being a drink made from the root of a peppermint tree. It was quite an experience, making your mouth tingle almost like an anaesthetic. The way the effects of a major drinking session were described it sounded slightly reminiscent of absinthe, which of course I have never tried!Today we are off to search for whales in the bay! I think we have just set off as the boat seems to have acquired a more remarked sway; I am currently below deck writing this!
Well, we saw two whales, but only fleetingly as they surfaced twice before returning to the depths, the tailfins arcing upwards as they dived. We were quite some distance from them, but it was still an impressive sight and a privilege to see them in real life. We hope to see more on the rest of the trip.
Later in the afternoon we sailed to another anchorage, in the very picture cliché of a tropical island: rich foliage on the island, a shallow yet incredible white looking sandy beach and the richest, purest, deepest dark turquoise blue you could hope to see.
Stunning - words can’t describe it, certainly not mine…! In the afternoon we swam off the boat and I got the ship windsurfer out for a spin around the bay. It was good fun, even with the old equipment and the light wind - I’m hoping for a stronger breeze on another occasion! I was also attacked by the good pirate ship Soren Larsen, as the crew fired water baloons at me with their rather vicious looking catapult! All good stuff! We had earlier tried this out on an unsuspecting passing yacht, coming ostensibly to take photos of our graceful ship, only to be pelted with water baloons. Truly anglo-saxon behaviour, which left at least one German member of the voyage crew perplexed as to this unique greeting!
We’re now preparing for Sunday roast, well the Ali and Carsen the cooks are! It’s a special one too, as we’re marking the King’s visit with a ‘Right Royal’ fancy dressing night - Elvis has already made an appearance on deck and I have a rasta hat, dug out of the ship’s stores - a Rasta King? Tenuous, but hopefully it will do the trick!
Rob
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tonga, 12h30 15 August 2008
Tonga, 12h30 15 August 2008
We have arrived at Tonga this lunchtime, having just cleared customs and immigration.
At daybreak this morning, we were sailing along the coast and saw our first whales of the trip, two off the starboard bow - it was an amazing sight, and one we hope to see more of over the next few days as the islands of Tonga are apparently one of their main playgrounds!
We have arrived at Tonga this lunchtime, having just cleared customs and immigration.
At daybreak this morning, we were sailing along the coast and saw our first whales of the trip, two off the starboard bow - it was an amazing sight, and one we hope to see more of over the next few days as the islands of Tonga are apparently one of their main playgrounds!
We are in the northern island group of Vavau, at the port of Niefu. It is situated in quite a long and winding lagoon and I was lucky enough to be on helm as the skipper called out the ship's course - it was a great experience, all 20 degrees on the port side, back to midships, 20 degrees on the starboard side (presumably a bit of oversteer then!!). It was fantastic, a few smaller boats coming up alongside and waving to the crew, it felt very special. So I may not drive in Brussels, but I can say that I have steered a tallship into the port of Niefu in the island group of Vavau in Tonga!
The rest of the journey was fairly uneventful, late afternoon yesterday we had to go back to motor sailing as the wind had dropped again, but the evening watch was good fun as the sky was very clear and we were able to look for the stars again. It was also pretty special to stand on the bow looking out on forward watch, feeling all alone as the ship made steady progress towards Tonga.
Now we are at anchor in the harbour, preparing for lunch and then an afternoon in the town. We all have some logistics to do, like going to the bank and then internet café for me and this blog, before some local exploring. Tomorrow we plan to move around to another anchorage in the islands, to relax there and then enjoy a local feast in the evening - hopefully not a feast following too much local traditions if you get my drift!!
Rob
North East of Tonga, 13h30 14 August 2008
North East of Tonga - 100 miles as of 11h00.
Nope, I haven’t been idle forgetting to write a blog - we crossed the international date line last night thus losing a day as we crossed back West and moved sharply onto 14 August.
Life on the ship has settled down quickly into a routine, revolving around the two watches I am doing - I have just finished the morning watch this Thursday.
Nope, I haven’t been idle forgetting to write a blog - we crossed the international date line last night thus losing a day as we crossed back West and moved sharply onto 14 August.
Life on the ship has settled down quickly into a routine, revolving around the two watches I am doing - I have just finished the morning watch this Thursday.
Yesterday evening we set more sails as our course changed to head towards Tonga, heading more to the west after the southerly motor sailing over the previous day. The sea became calmer and the roll of the ship is noticeably better under sail than with the motor.
This meant that most of the greenies on board started feeling better too, meaning work on watch could be shared out more. Yesterday evening was a quiet watch, looking at the southern sky star constellation with the help of the ship’s guidebook.
The moon is heading towards a full moon making the nights incredibly bright, and reducing the amount of stars one can see: we did pick out the easy ones though, the Southern Cross and Scorpio. One step at a time. The ship looks magical at night with the sails set; it is very easy to imagine mariners from down the ages sailing off on adventures with undiscovered lands awaiting them over a distant horizon...
This morning was the first morning on board when a range of ship’s work could be undertaken by both the permanent and voyage crew: yesterday’s work was written off because of the choppy conditions.
The permanent crew attended to minor repairs while my watch set the t’gallant (the top sail on the square rig) upping our speed to around 5 knots. After a spell on lookout, perched on the bow like some kind of dodgy pirate, I volunteered to do the ship’s brass polishing, long work but all part of the experience. The final task was the ship’s bell, bringing with it the reward of being able to sound ship’s eight bells for the end of our watch at twelve noon - see what I mean about the pseudo pirate behaviour!!
Now I have the rest of the afternoon free until our next watch starts at 20h00. It’s amazing how quickly you fall into the routines on board, and the place really does seem to work like clockwork. I have been given the nickname of "Mr Sausage" by the Captain as he is convinced I ate all the leftovers from dinner last night, something I deny completely - my only disappointment is that I did not get them before whoever the nifty thief really was!
We should be arriving in Tonga tomorrow morning, in the northern island group of Vavau. The plan appears to be to spend the weekend there; including a local feast on Saturday - reassuringly not the same kind of local feast that welcomed Captain Cook and his crew…!
Rob
South of Samoa - 16h00, August 12 2008
South of Samoa - 150 miles as of 11h00
We set sail from Samoa yesterday afternoon heading for Tonga, which is about 350 miles south-east. Initially we were sailing with part of the main square rig, itself composed of four sails, the course, lower and middle topsall and t'gallant. Yesterday afternoon we were sailing with the topsalls, downwind on a southerly heading out of Samoa - look at how nautical I have become after a mere 24 hours!! Truth be told, I need to go and consult the ship's handbook for the names of the other sails we later unfurled - I use 'we' in the loosest possible sense as I was sleeping at the time...
We set sail from Samoa yesterday afternoon heading for Tonga, which is about 350 miles south-east. Initially we were sailing with part of the main square rig, itself composed of four sails, the course, lower and middle topsall and t'gallant. Yesterday afternoon we were sailing with the topsalls, downwind on a southerly heading out of Samoa - look at how nautical I have become after a mere 24 hours!! Truth be told, I need to go and consult the ship's handbook for the names of the other sails we later unfurled - I use 'we' in the loosest possible sense as I was sleeping at the time...
Ok, so now in possession of the handbook, I can confidently say that sails numbers 8, 9 and 14 were used, in other words (deep breath): fore topmast staysail, course sail and main staysail! Hurrah. However, we have been 'motor sailing' (a somewhat euphemistic term) because the East-by-South-East wind does not allow direct and easy passage to Tonga. Instead, we're heading as far south as possible, before unfurling the majority of the sails and cutting back westwards. This should happen on my next watch, around 21h00 this evening, involving lots of rope pulling no doubt!!
So, yes the watches - what a fantastic experience! The crew is divided into three watches, with mine being the 8-12, meaning a shift in the early morning and the other in the evening. My first was yesterday evening then, shortly after a beef stroganoff which proved to be a short-lived gastronomic experience for some, with the rapidly deteriorating seas: we hit a force 4-5 which, while not strong, was enough to send many heaving to the side-rail. I am pleased to say I have not succumbed so far, but I am sure it is only a question of time.
So, the watch - it was incredible, at night; but light with the moon, stars and occasional squalls bringing the odd shower! Duties are keeping watch, doing the safety rounds every hour and taking a go at the helm. This was fantastic; I got my first go towards the end of the watch and it was an amazing experience to be ‘sailing’ the ship, valiantly trying to keep the 160 degrees set by the Captain!! And trying not to make the course to windy given the green nature of many of the crew. After a while you get used to the way the ship responds to your changes at the helm and I was able to maintain a pretty decent course. It really felt quite magical, sailing along in the dark and seeing the boat crash up and down through the dark seas. Brilliant.
More of the same this morning, but this time with some more hourly safety checks, including the engine room where you try not to fall on the hot equipment while taking oil, fuel and air readings. You also have to confirm ship’s course, wind speed and general conditions for the ship’s log. I keep wanting to do my version of the shipping forecast from Radio 4 but this one appears to be the slimmed down version!
Now the time is 18h15: I have had to write this in stages as earlier on I got feeling a bit dodgy, but now I have the perfect position for blog updates, lying on my bunk, rocking back and forth in the force 5!
Dinner in an hour and then back on watch. A ship is an impressive example of routine and team working - essential elements when to a degree we are alone with the elements. The professional crew includes two fellow Mancunians, Darren, the Capitan and Gareth, the Second Mate. The Capitan is a Red and also leads my watch so my times at the helm have included much football talk ahead of the new season, which I note has already heralded another trophy at Old Trafford. All good stuff.
The voyage crew, i.e. the part I belong to, has some interesting characters, including one woman who is doing the whole six months voyage from New Zealand and an Irish woman working in the Perm Rep to the EU in Brussels - how strange to come all this way and meet someone working just down the street!
Wish me bon appetit and all success in holding on to it!
Rob
Apia, Samoa - Soren Larsen, 11h00 August 11 2008
Apia, Samoa - Soren Larsen, 11h00 August 11 2008
The first day on the Soren Larsen, having boarded yesterday evening at 17h00. The boat is very impressive, both from the shoreline but also aboard. The scale is quite incredible, as it doesn't feel too cramped even with 30 people on board - 12 professional crew and 20 or so fellow passengers. The nationalities are, as ever, mixed, both from the perspective of the crew and the other passengers. Yesterday evening we had dinner on deck being introduced to everyone. We are still at anchor in Apia harbour, and some of the crew slept under the stars on the deck last night, but I decided to check out the cabin experience: small and a bit cramped, but comfortable nonetheless.
The first day on the Soren Larsen, having boarded yesterday evening at 17h00. The boat is very impressive, both from the shoreline but also aboard. The scale is quite incredible, as it doesn't feel too cramped even with 30 people on board - 12 professional crew and 20 or so fellow passengers. The nationalities are, as ever, mixed, both from the perspective of the crew and the other passengers. Yesterday evening we had dinner on deck being introduced to everyone. We are still at anchor in Apia harbour, and some of the crew slept under the stars on the deck last night, but I decided to check out the cabin experience: small and a bit cramped, but comfortable nonetheless.
This morning we have had the whole range of safety briefings and the first of sail training, including climbing the rigging to the first vantage point - forgotten the name already! You have a harness, the main part of the climbing you do without being clipped in, hanging on to the rigging as you - slowly in my case - inch your way ever higher. I am not particularly good at heights, but I wanted to see how far I could go! The first part wasn't too bad, but to get to the first bridge you have to swing out around the platform, easing your way up the steps as you go, clinging onto the nearest mast for dear life! It was pretty nerve-wracking, but I managed it and was able to enjoy a few minutes on top taking in the horizon. The way down was tough too, as you have to swing out over the edge, dangling your leg looking for the first step which of course I missed, but a crew member was on hand to guide me back into place! A great experience once you get over the fear - though not sure I will be trying it at sea.
Off the coast of Apia, 14h00, August 11 2008
We have just set sail off the coast of Apia! Quite an experience to see the sails being unfurled by the crew, hanging and dangling from the masts and yardarms.
The original plan had been to go to another anchorage around the island, but in the end the winds conspired against us so we have set sail for Tonga, or the Friendly Islands.
Not quite sure how long it will take, after all one doesn't predict these kind of things on a sailing ship!
We have all been put in four watches, I'm in the 8-12 group meaning a watch in the morning and evening - so the first one later on this evening. You do the normal watch thing, patrol of the ship, steering, attending to the sails and that kind of thing. So it should be fun this evening on the first one!
I have just found out from the cook that I have been the subject of much debate prior to my arrival as the travel agent initially had me down as a female passenger, before correcting it to male - apparently they all wondered what was going! I was happy to put in a clarification.
So, on that bombshell, I guess I will enjoy the rest of the afternoon as we sail calmly along the coast of Samoa: the sea is blue, fresh trade wind and not too much of a roll - perfect conditions, if this novice sailor may so himself.
Rob
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Arrived in Samoa - 9 August 2008
Samoa - 14h00 9 August 2008
So here I am in Samoa! I finally arrived yesterday morning after the flight from Sydney via Auckland. On Friday afternoon I managed to catch up with Ben Wilson who I know from his time at Reuters and is now working at the University of Sydney. A very impressive campus, it oozed an Oxbridge atmosphere. Unfortunately it took me longer than expected to get there thanks to a forgetful Sydneysider bus driver omitting to tell me when we had arrived - on the flip side I saw much of Sydney’s suburbs! I also checked out the centre of town, seeing Hyde Park and visiting the Museum: they have a good exhibition on indigenous Australians, interesting to learn of the recent developments around the Australian PM’s apology to the aboriginals (I travelled in the Northern Territories in 1993 so it brought back memories!).
So here I am in Samoa! I finally arrived yesterday morning after the flight from Sydney via Auckland. On Friday afternoon I managed to catch up with Ben Wilson who I know from his time at Reuters and is now working at the University of Sydney. A very impressive campus, it oozed an Oxbridge atmosphere. Unfortunately it took me longer than expected to get there thanks to a forgetful Sydneysider bus driver omitting to tell me when we had arrived - on the flip side I saw much of Sydney’s suburbs! I also checked out the centre of town, seeing Hyde Park and visiting the Museum: they have a good exhibition on indigenous Australians, interesting to learn of the recent developments around the Australian PM’s apology to the aboriginals (I travelled in the Northern Territories in 1993 so it brought back memories!).
Later that day I took the flight from Sydney to Auckland and then on to Samoa; arriving here yesterday morning - my second Friday of the week - for sunrise and an interesting bus journey into town with a chap who said he was a village chief and was very proud of how clean and democratic the island is! One of the first things I saw upon arrival in Apia, the capital, was the Soren Larsen - at least I’m pretty sure it is - moored in the harbour. It must be the same ship, how many brigantine Tallships can there be anchored off the coast off Apia!!? I was feeling shattered yesterday after the flights, but I decided it was best to keep going in the day time so I took some time to visit the town, have a long lunch and seek out a beach: the latter being easier said than done, I get the impression most of the beaches - where there are beaches - by the town are not public! (the thing to do if you’re here for longer is to get one of the beach side « fales », but my time didn’t really permit). Saying that I did eventually find a spot, until jetlag finally got the better of me and I crashed back at the hotel.
This morning I got up at the crack of dawn to see if I could get a local bus to the other side of the island: People here are very friendly, often disarmingly so, and at the bus station I quickly got into conversation. First up was a missionary who told me about a series of recent bus accidents and advised me not to be shy in telling a driver to slow down!! Perfect… One thing about Samoa is how religious the place is, there are churches everywhere with the range of denominations present. The missionaries did - and apparently still are - doing an efficient job. After the advice from the missionary I got chatting to two locals who quickly found out the bus I intended to get wasn’t actually running at 7am (yes that early) so I had a rethink and decided to head out west and see if I could get a boat to another smaller island nearby. This turned out to be more complicated than I had imagined, mainly because there wasn’t a fixed schedule of boats and I was a bit dubious about being stranded on an island one day before the cruise… so I contended myself with a trip part way round the coast and back. Lovely landscape and you drive through all the villages with the traditional houses, and even more interesting to watch the people on the bus. The driver loved Caribbean music varieties and assaulted his public with the loudest bass I have heard outside a nightclub!!! Two hours or so later I was just about getting used to it! On the way back, it felt like most of the local village population got on, sardines in a tin, but we made it back, despite the missionary‘s warning!!
Now I have come back to Apia and taken a walk out on a peninsula to see the Mulinuu burial grounds as well as British and German memorials. So far, not much success but I have stopped in a bar for a drink and lunch, and while writing this I am looking out over the South Pacific, bathed in sun (yes, for a change - it’s been raining!) with a few dinghies passing by. Bliss - except lunch is taking some time and it’s only a salad!
Rob
Thursday, August 7, 2008
One day in Sydney - 8 August 2008
Sydney - 09h00 8 August 2008
It's fair to say I'm a bit knackered, having arrived here at 5am! But I am now down at the Quays having breakfast and enjoying the views out over the harbour, bridge and opera house to boot - well sort of; if you crane your neck around the corner! Flight on to Samoa is later this evening so I have some time to explore Sydney and hopefully catch up with a friend of mine for lunch.
It's fair to say I'm a bit knackered, having arrived here at 5am! But I am now down at the Quays having breakfast and enjoying the views out over the harbour, bridge and opera house to boot - well sort of; if you crane your neck around the corner! Flight on to Samoa is later this evening so I have some time to explore Sydney and hopefully catch up with a friend of mine for lunch.
Asides from that it's cold and wet, a typical late winters day I guess.
In fact the menu in front of me is all about winter specials and I am watching people walking by in coats and scarves...whereas I am sort of prepared for the South Pacific!! I'll stop here as this laptop looks like its about to run out of juice...
Rob
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