Month: March 2019

Thursday, February 28, 2019

It’s an all day/all night cruise from Tauranga to Wellington.

Where am I?

So, what’s been happening?

Well, it’s another day at sea so, what shall I tell you about?

Hmmmmmm.

OK! I know!

Starting just a few days after we set sail from Ft. Lauderdale a surprise showed up in my stateroom. At first, I though perhaps Ayu, my stateroom attendant, had left something behind accidentally. On closer inspection there was a card attached. The card said what I was looking at was a gift on behalf of the Captain of the ship.

Digging in a bit, here’s what it turned out to be:

Inside of the protective plastic wrapper was this very nice, and very new, messenger bag. It’s full of nice pockets and divided areas. Since I received it, I’ve been using it to carry around all of my digital equipment when I go ashore. It can easily hold my MacBook Pro, my iPad Pro, my iPhone X, my iPhone XS, chargers, USB adapters, my Kindle Oasis, and a host of other small stuff that I use less frequently. I also keep copies of my official documents (passport, driver’s license, visas, etc.) in it, just in case.

It’s a very cool gift and it came totally unexpectedly.

Then, a little more than a week later, another interesting looking gift appeared in my stateroom. I was very amused to receive this little distractifier. (I just made that word up.)

This gift is still in the wrapper. I have not taken it out. It is a miniature Jenga-style game. Can you make that out from the photo?

To me, the most amusing part about this gift is something you may have already considered as you read these words. Can you imagine trying to play Jenga on a ship that is rolling back and forth and sometimes even shuddering in seas with swells up to 8 meters? I mean, even when we’re not in the roughest of seas, if we’re moving the ship is pitching, even if it is only a little bit. There is no amount of pitching that would be acceptable while trying to stack little sticks of wood upon an increasingly unstable base!

Then, tonight, a new little white box shows up, with a card again stating that it is a gift courtesy of the Captain and crew. I open the box and there is something wrapped in a soft piece of tissue. It’s almost exactly the size and shape of a new iPhone. An iPhone? Really? OK, I can always find a use for another one.

However, on closer inspection it turns out to be a very nice power bank! It’s a 10,000 mAh power bank with two USB-A ports! This means I could charge two phones at the same time, or offer to share some power with an attractive lady in electron distress. (I hope I get a chance to do that!)

One very eye-catching feature of this power bank is that while it’s charging, the top of it glows and shows the Holland America “Grand World Voyage” logo, reminds me that it’s the 2019 voyage, and mentions the Amsterdam. The glowing logo slowly pulses from bright to dim and back to bright again. It’s just the gadgety kind of thing that I love. It’s not a new iPhone, but I’ll keep it just the same. It’s one more thing to keep cozy in my new messenger bag!

I also received a box full of small, party-sized dishes that also represent the Grand World Voyage. I’m not too sure when or where I’ll get a good chance to use them, but I’ll take them home with me anyway. Maybe they’ll get some use at an “I’M HOME!” party sometime in the future.

So, any more friends on the cruise?

I’d like for you to meet Reb. He is one of the most important and most influential people on the crew of this ship. Reb is a bartender!

Reb and I hit it off pretty early in the cruise. His regular position is as the bartender on the Lido deck, aft, also known as the Sea View Bar. So, he’s the guy that conducts the “Cigars and Cognac” evenings that occur 4-5 times a week.

Reb is, like me, a big fan of Game of Thrones. We’ve shared our favorite moments from the various seasons. This particular conversation started the night I was wearing my Greyjoy’s Hot Dog sweatshirt.

I always have fun hanging out at the Sea View Bar with Reb. Like I mentioned earlier, Reb is an important and influential man!

What is it?

Well, look who just made an appearance. My towel animal for the night. This will be the last one since we’ve completely run through Ayu’s repertoire. It’s pretty clear to me what it is. Too bad we’re ending this with such an easy one.

Still, here’s your chance to end on a high note.

What is it? Post in the “Reply” section of this post, or send me a little jingle with your guess.

Tomorrow I’ll wake up in Wellington. I don’t have real big plans for Wellington other than to conduct my own “brews cruise” through the town.

G’night!

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Today is a day dedicated to my inner nerd which, by the way, is exhibited through my outer nerd, as you all know well.

Where am I?

So, what’s been happening?

Today is a day I’ve been waiting for since before I ever sailed away. Today, I get to leave the dream world of sailing around the world and enter the dream world of Middle-earth. Today, I get to go to Hobbiton and see where all of those marvelous tiny adventurers with big hairy feet live.

But first, I need to get from Tauranga harbor, where our ship is neatly tied up, to Matamata where the film set for The Hobbit trilogy and The Lord of the Rings trilogy can be found, lovingly preserved and made available to all of us fans to visit and enjoy.

The bus picked us up at the dock and took us on a one hour drive over the coastal hills and into the valley that contains the little “town” of Matamata. I put “town” in quotes because this place is very rural. There might be 8,000 people living here, but it is mostly farm and range land, so most of those 8,000 people are very hard to see!

The name of the town amuses me because, in Spanish, Matamata would mean “Kill. Kill.”

In order to get to Matamata, our bus left the harbor in Tauranga and took us up into the mountains and through the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park. There is a narrow pass between two of the mountains and from the top we could look down into the broad valley where Matamata is located.

Now, Peter Jackson (the producer of the movies The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) came to New Zealand looking for a filming locale for the Shire. It needed to have a bit of an old-English countryside look to it, and one that would also remain close to the descriptions in the books. His location scouting crew started an aerial search and, after a while, they came across this bit of farmland owned by the Alexander family. On the land there were some small, rolling hills that looked almost as though Hobbits had already been excavating their shire. The land also had a small pond with an narrow arm to one side that could double as a river.

When approached by Jackson, the Alexanders admitted that they had never heard of the books and had no idea what Hobbits were. In the end, after appropriate negotiations, the set for the Lord of the Rings, (and later, The Hobbit trilogies) was secured.

Here is aerial view of Hobbiton as it stands today.

And here is another aerial view of The Shire, but from a much lower altitude.

And finally, here are a few of my own photos taken at ground level (of course) and placed here for your amusement.

Holly (pictured below) was the excellent guide for our group. She really new her stuff and delivered her narrative with so much energy as to make us start to believe we were actually in The Shire. Now, I’ve already been asked by a reader or two as to whether I saw any Hobbits. Holly told us very early in the tour that we should be on the lookout for Hobbits. She told us that when they see us entering the Shire they run away and hide since they see us as invaders. She also told us that if we’re lucky enough to actually see a hobbit that we should point that little scamp out to her immediately as she’s never seen one! <snicker>

We were also informed that everything we see in the shire is real. The hobbit holes are made with real and natural materials (so that they will last for decades and be around to thrill those of us who are fans for the stories.) The gardens are all growing real crops. The bushes and the trees are all genuine and not just Disney-like creations made for the set. Everything, that is, except one thing.

The old oak tree seen above Bag End is actually made of steel! It was constructed over Bilbo Baggins’ smial in order to be consistent with the book. The steel frame is covered with other materials so as to make the bark look real. There are also over two million silk leaves on the tree, each one hand sewn in order to make the appearance of the fake tree look as real as possible. But, that’s not all! Once the tree was constructed and properly placed above the Baggins smial, Peter Jackson decided that the leaves were too light of a shade of green. He had the team that constructed the tree climb up into it and hand paint each leaf a darker green. Clearly, he’s a perfectionist, but how would you like to work for that guy?

As we left the hobbit holes, we walked down a narrow path (well, a regular sized path for a hobbit) through trees and bushes until we rounded a corner. As we reached the clearing, there before us was this beautiful lake, the twin-arched bridge and The Green Dragon. The Green Dragon is the local pub for hobbits and humans alike!

Inside, we were treated to a fine brew (Good George’s Red Ale, in my case) and some treats to snack upon. I had a very tasty chocolate chip muffin with raspberries mixed in. Now, I’m not often excited by baked goods, but in this case it was easy to make an exception!

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After we enjoyed our break we had a quick stop at the gift shop (where I added to my growing collection of caps.)

Then, it was time to get back into our bus and return to the ship. What a wonderful day living among the hobbits. Though I didn’t see any of them, I left feeling like they were really there, hiding from all of us intruders. This was one of my favorite tours thus far on this trip to strange lands and strange cultures.

Once we returned to the ship there was still plenty of time left in the evening to explore town, so I took off to see what sights there were to see. I walked along the dock area and immersed myself in the wonderful views of the beach.

Continuing my exploration, I came across a very unusual “touring” vehicle. This V-8 powered trike is set up to accommodate two tourists and the driver. I love motorcycles, especially those that have been custom crafted. This one looked really exciting!

Somehow, I managed to find Rosie O’Grady’s Irish pub and I was forced to go inside. Nobody was actually pushing me in the front door, but there’s a strong pull of gravity about these places that I simply cannot escape. Good thing they had some great beer and fast wi-fi. The fish and chips they served was pretty good as well. I hung out for a couple of hours until the sun was starting to set and I had to get back to the ship.

I got back just in time to head to the Lido deck, aft, and watch the Amsterdam pull away from the dock and set sail for our next port of call: Wellington, New Zealand. There’s a day at sea before we get there so I’ll have a little time to soak up some sun and do some reading.

All in all, it was a great day and New Zealand is rapidly becoming one of my favorite places in the world.

Well, that’s all for now!

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Where am I?

What’s been happening?

Today was a busy day, so let’s get to it!

Up early (for me) and I’m ready to board the bus to see the sights of Aukland. My focus, today, is to find out more about the Māori, the first people of New Zealand.

I think my fascination with the Māori began around the same time that MTV began, around 1980. I remember watching one music video that featured some Māori people doing a Haka dance. I didn’t know they were Māori, and I didn’t know what a Haka dance was, but as I randomly put the pieces together over the years, I started to “figger it out.” And, since then, I’ve had a certain interest in the mysticism of the Haka. So, the tour I chose for today was intentionally focused on Māori culture.

The bus arrived at the dock and we all boarded. The warmth of our welcome started even before we left the ship as you can see from this photo I took while descending the gangway.

We were headed to the Auckland War Memorial Museum where, in addition to a large exhibit on New Zealand’s participation in World War II, there is a large exhibition dedicated to the Māori people and their culture. It was about a 30 minute drive from the docks to the museum and we got to see a little of the Auckland skyline on the way.

First of all, allow me to say that Auckland reminds me very much of San Diego, California. At least on the day I visited, the weather was nice but not hot. The city is very clean. It has a very active and “hip” downtown area near the docks, just like San Diego’s “embarcadero” area. As a native of San Diego, I felt very much at home in Auckland. Such a beautiful and inviting city!

And that big tower you see in the center of the photo above is very cool. It’s a lot like the Seattle Space Needle. It has a rotating restaurant near the top and it also has a thrill ride: you can go to the edge of the platform by the restaurant and bungee jump to the concrete below! Your jump is slightly controlled so that you always land on a receiving platform at the bottom of the tower, right on the sidewalk.

We were told that one elderly (yet spry) woman who was 92 years of age solicited sponsors on her cruise ship that would pay her if she were to jump off of the tower. She did jump off of the tower without incident, amazing everybody involved! She collected her pledge money and then donated it all to the local children’s cancer ward. There are still some very good people in this world!

We arrived at the War Memorial Museum and found out that it is a very popular place to visit for tourists, for the locals and the school children. Here’s what the lobby looked like when we arrived:

Because we were on a cruise ship tour, we were given special treatment. As soon as we were all checked in, we were greeted by an authentic Māori woman who would be our private tour guide through the Māori section of the museum. This section was not dedicated to war at all, but to culture. It featured art, life style, transportation, and history of the Māoris.

The place where our tour started was on the bottom floor which was filled with these huge Māori structures. The first one was a building that would be used as a central meeting place for a tribe. It would also be used as a place to punish malcontents, and host weddings and such.

We were told that the house took five years to carve and decorate, and was a wedding gift to a powerful member of a tribe. Sorry that I don’t have any interior photos.

An equally intricate and beautifully carved building was this food storage house.

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If you look closely, you’ll see a very small door at the bottom and center of the building. We were told that the door is made intentionally small so as to discourage raiders from stealing the tribe’s food. The door is too small for an adult warrior to enter. Sounds like a clever idea, but then, how do the people in the tribe get their own food into and out of the food house? As we were told, that is a job for the children of the tribe! So, I guess that if I’m a hungry invader and want what’s inside the food house, the first thing I must grab is a child! OK, that wasn’t too difficult.

We were also told that the food house would be placed on stilts and kept high above the ground to keep rodents and pests out of the food. That makes no sense to me since they built a door to let the kids in!

And, how do the kids get up and down from the storage house? I dunno. Too many questions, and not enough time. Or more accurately, why do I think of these questions after I’ve left the museum?

Leaving the structures we visited a room full of Māori arts. Here are some wonderful examples of gods and demons.

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One of the most impressive things I saw in this exhibit was a longboat that was created to carry 100 Māori warriors for long distances. It had room for them to sit, and even to sleep. This dugout canoe (built from a single log, mind you) was so huge there was no way I could get a photo of the entire craft. It was mind blowing! What I did capture, however, is an image of the decorative bow of the boat. That’s the best I could do.

After a little time being shown various pieces of Māori art, tools, and boats, were we taken upstairs to the top floor and into a small amphitheater. After the room filled, the lights dimmed and a cast of Māori came out to perform traditional songs and dances that had been handed down to them through many generations. The entire show was over 20 minutes long, so I won’t post it here. (If I did then I’d have nothing with which to bore you when I return home.) I will share with you about one and a half minutes of the Haka dance that they performed. I just love it!

It is important to remember that it is me that is so Māori focused and that Māori culture is not the primary reason for the museum that I was attending. It is the War Memorial Museum. Before leaving I did (rather quickly) walk through the war exhibits. I’m not enthused about wars, but walking through this part of the museum brought many thoughts to my mind. One thought was the bravery of the men who volunteered to go into battle to fight for what they believed was right. Another thought was that, perhaps, the glorification of that same heroism is what motivates other young men to step up become human fodder for the grist mill of war. And yet another is that everywhere in the world, men try to solve their problems by killing each other in a faustian attempt to be victorious. Personally, my thoughts run closer to those of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.

”In war, whichever side may call itself the victor, there are no winners, but all are losers.” 

Neville Chaimberlain

In my mind all of this praised heroism likely entices young men to try to become one of those honored heroes, which prepares us for war, which promotes war, which creates fallen heroes, which we remember and praise. The cycles feeds itself. You may have a different opinion, and I respect that, but this is my blog and a place to state my own mind.

Still, the memorial museum is a beautiful tribute. The last chamber I entered was one that remembers those killed in during the New Zealand wars between the British and the Māori. Quiet, understated, and moving, it’s a painful part of New Zealand’s history which the country seems to have learned from and is taking steps to unify their people and move on to a better future.

On the way back from the museum, we took a round-about route that circled Waitemata Harbor. We passed through a very nice residential neighborhood. Our bus driver told us that the houses we were looking at were in the 10-30 million dollar range. Those are New Zealand dollars, but that’s a lot of money anywhere. He also told us that the average price of a home in Auckland was in the neighborhood of NZ$1,000,000!

After returning to the Amsterdam, there was still time left in the afternoon to venture out on foot. The pier where we were docked (Queen’s Wharf) is located right down town, and I had been advised that there was a couple of good pubs in the area. So, I set out to find them.

I found this charming little spot called 16 Tun. I ordered up a flight of beers (locally pronounced “bee-ah”) and proceeded to enjoy the brews as I consumed even greater quantities of their wi-fi. The wi-fi about ship is just terrible (I think I may have mentioned that before) and uploading of the photos you’ve been enjoying, while downing a pint or two of bee-ah seems like a very enjoyable way to spend time. At least it does to me. And, as a result, you get this page you’re reading now!

Ultimately, I had to head back to the ship or else face the consequence of watching it sail off into the distance without me. So, back to the Sea View Bar (Lido deck, aft) to prepare for departure and sail-away.

I hung out on the open-air deck for another couple of hours until the sun began to set and the air began to chill, then it was time to head back to my stateroom for a little square of chocolate dessert. It has been a long, yet very pleasant, day. I want the night to be just as pleasant.

Am I lonely?

I have been asked if traveling around the world solo for 114 days makes me lonely. Let me address this.

Am I lonely? No. It is very hard to be lonely when I’m around 900+ passengers that I see every day. In fact, sometimes I just retire to my stateroom or some other remote and unused part of the ship in order to have a little “me” time. The amount of human interaction aboard the Amsterdam is amazing to me, and almost too much for me to handle, at times.

But through those interactions, I have met some fun people. For example, nearly every day at 5pm (ship’s time) I join a small group of people to compete in a trivia contest. Here are the “regulars” in that group.

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“A woman has no name” really does have a name, but she asked me not to publish it, so what can I do?

Mark also has a wife that joins us. She has forbidden me to even take a photo of her, so I’ll just leave it at that.

Our team has yet to win a tournament, but we’ve had many fun evenings trying. I don’t exactly “fit in” with these good people (they don’t drink and I drink like a fish) but we all look forward to getting together each “at sea” evening to share what we know and to talk about our touring experiences.

OK, enough. Tomorrow we’ll arrive in Tauronga where I have booked an excursion to Hobbiton. You know about that place, right?

What is it?

Ok, on my last post I asked you to identify this little guy:

Everybody who was willing to post their guess said it was a snail, and you were all correct! Nice job.