We are back on line.
Due to the remoteness of the ship fro the Satellite Footprint, we were
without Internet service for 36+ hours and we also have had limited television
available for viewing. Internet is slow though so we can't post photos but we will as soon as we can.
So we will post two days in one post.
We wanted to begin with Easter Island. We had a private tour that Keith
organized for the two of us as well as two friends. Tender service is the only way that guests could go between
the ship and the island. We got
ready that morning for our visit to Easter Island and me our two friends in an
area right near the stops that go to Deck 4 where the Tenders are launched.
Unfortunately there were three factors that contributed to a
delay in being able to begin tender service. First, the original location of the ship which was in an
area that would allow for a shorter tender ride and also was in an area where
the sea swells were not so great, turned out to be a problem due to the flight
path of the few planes that take off and land on the island so the ship needed
to be moved. Second, is that there
was a delay by immigration officials from Chile to clear the guests and they
also insisted that another set of immigration forms be filled out by the guests
and these forms were made available at the tender launch area on deck 4. Finally, due to the sea swells this
resulted in delays in both the start of tender service and getting guests on
board the ship.
While we waited patiently near the steps, Anne Marie started
to break out in sweats and felt weak.
While some of her symptoms have cleared she has encountered some new
ones. At one point, Keith
suggested that she stay on board the ship, which turned out to be a very wise
decision since it turned out to be very hot and humid on the Island. Keith waited with our two friends
but when it was our turn to walk out to the Tender one of our friends was
concerned about getting into the tender.
Keep in mind that one can never know what the sea swells might be on the
return and as noted by one of the officers who spoke on the speaker to everyone
about 45 minutes earlier he recommended that guests with walking or other
difficulties consider staying on board, noted the importance of being very
careful getting in and out of the tenders, and also noted that at anytime
tender service could be temporarily suspended. In fact, right before we left Easter Island last night,
Captain Giske mentioned that he came the closest ever in cancelling the stop at
Easter Island.
With Anne Marie on board the ship and one of two friends
deciding not to go over, Keith made the decision to stay on board as well and
our friend who did go was able to get on a tour with some other people.
Many of the guests did make it over to Easter Island. Some tours were cut back in terms of
their length because of the delays, while others could run the full
length. As the day progressed the
swells were not as rough as they were earlier and the swells on the island were
far less than what was originally predicted.
We normally take the view to not put off till tomorrow what
one can do today, but this is one of those few times where we did put something
off. We will include photos that friends sent to us from Easter Island.
The major mystery of the island related to the hundreds of
colossal stone moais (statues), which were made from volcanic stone and then
transported from the quarry to the coast and then placed on stone
platforms. The other question is
how the Polynesians from came to this tiny volcanic outpost, which is the most
remote inhabited island on earth.
While many speculate on all of this, there is not hard evidence to
explain the full answers to both of these items.
Ahu Toggariki is the largest stone platform on Easter
Island.
Rana Raraku Quarry is a volcanic crater and it was a quarry
for about 500 years supplying the stone, which about 95% of the island’s
sculptures were carved.
Rano Kau Crater is an extinct volcano and its youngest rocks
date back between 150,000 and 210,000 years.
D Ruins of Orongo are a stone village. It is believe to have been the
ceremonial center for the birdman cult.
Anne Marie is spending more time in our room and working on
Knitting Projects. Keith has been keeping busy on the ship
playing Paddle Tennis, leading a Spin Class with other guests and also attending
lectures. The most recent talk was
Ocean Views which is one from time to time on the World Cruise. It is moderated by Ken Rees and Ken
will ask a question, and the audience will select one of the three choices and
then the panelists will answer the question and then they will have the
audience vote again to see if any minds have been changed based on the
discussion. We vote using hand
held electronic devices. Senator
Bob Graham, Anthony Terry, Seephen Cold and Leo Thorsness comprised the panel.
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