Segment 3

In 1536, Juan de Saavedra named his new community Valparaíso (Valley of Paradise) in honor of his native Valparaíso de Cuenca in Seville. There is not much room between the high cliffs and the sea, but Valparaíso and Viña del Mar comprise Chile’s third largest metropolitan area after Santiago and Concepción. Until the Panama Canal opened in 1914, Valparaíso, affectionately known as "Valpo," was one of the busiest ports in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Chile’s National Parliament still meets in the city of about 150,000 people. Mining and food processing are major industries and it is still the country’s main shipping port. The city layout ensures you will get lost. Its enclosure of high hills is pretty, but the streets wind in labyrinthine fashion. There is no order, and even the best maps are often wrong. Even so, the wide bay is a perfect natural harbor, and Valpo is Chile’s most particular city. Its energetic pulse is alluring.

There are two distinct sections of the city. The modern coastal stretch that skirts the bay is fairly orderly and serves as the commercial center. But the other Valpo is much larger than the waterfront. It is older and almost entirely residential. The other city is actually a series of neighborhoods that cling delicately to the cerros, or hills, that rise abruptly just a few hundred yards from the shore. Each hill is like an individual city laced with beguiling twisted streets. There are 16 operating funicular railways, known as ascensors, scaling the steep hills to the various cliff side districts. Some are so inclined that they are more like elevators than funiculars. The rider is rewarded with a splendid view of the recumbent city below. But beauty always has a price. Valparaíso straddles a major fault zone. In the past century, strong earthquakes have hit the port. One completely destroyed it — the year was 1906.

The feel of the port emerges in its twisted streets next to the Mercado, underground taverns, bars, and sailor hangouts. And although Valpo is undeniably a sailor’s town, the port’s cultural life is every bit as vibrant. It is also a college town. The Arturo Prat Naval School, the Catholic University, several branches of the University of Chile, and the outstanding Technical University Federico Santa Maria make it a great seat of learning. The Fine Arts Museum is worth a visit, and the city has an excellent public library. Valpo’s writers have enriched Chilean literature since the very beginning of the republic.

A little more than two hours from the city, resting on an inland plain with the Andes glimmering in the distance, Santiago, the Chiléan capital, is the fifth largest city in South America. The city has a history of resilience that dates from its very beginning. The Mapuche destroyed it in 1541, just six months after Pedro de Valdivia founded it, but soon the Spanish were back, building it up again. Today, Santiago is one of the most modern cities on the continent. It is home to nearly five million inhabitants, representing more than a third of the Chilean population. The Andes form an impressive backdrop indeed, and the city is built on rolling and often steep foothills. The city center area is one of Latin America’s busiest. The streets seem to overflow as people rush about tending to shopping errands or businesses.

Santiago’s modern Metro ranks as one of the world’s finest subway systems. Three main lines connect most major sites and points of interest. The network, known as el Metro, is well organized, immaculately clean, and is one of the city’s showcases. The stations are decorated with beautiful and elaborate murals, and the transit authority even publishes and distributes (gratis) its own newspaper — so riders will not be bored! Santiago is also a hub for a region filled with attractive sites and activities. Only 45 miles away are some of the top South American ski resorts and the beautiful (though short) beaches of the Pacific are only an hour’s drive northwest. Just south of Santiago, the lovely vineyards of the Maipo Valley form one of the world’s richest wine regions.

Here is the list of Shore Excursions and prices for this segment: Page 1, Page 2

Here we go on the third segment of the World Cruise! It was wonderful to wake up and find all of the guests already gone. Disembarkation day with Crystal is quiet and well-organized, no continuous announcements or clamoring in the hallways. Guests do not have to leave their cabin until fifteen minutes before their scheduled departure, so there is no big rush or crowds in lounges.

We start this segment by breaking even on our credit, about $7,500 remaining. Today, we received another $300 from American Express, $200 from Auto Club, and two bouquets of flowers. Guess what’s missing? Our $600 Crystal Society credit for this segment. We’ll wait a day and see if it turns up, then we’ll complain to Lara again.

As usual, we went to the Lido for lunch at around noon and found it nearly empty, which was fine with us. Food was as usual with the Asian item being the best choice. A few returning crew members greeted us as though we were old friends. After lunch, we went outside to take some new port photos now that the weather has improved. It is much easier to see the crowded hillside neighborhoods, the city center, and the bay without all the clouds and fog. We didn’t even realize yesterday that Viña del Mar was visible so clearly from here. The bay is quite pretty with the sun shining. It still wasn’t hot, maybe 70 or so. Even so, we weren’t interested in going ashore since we saw it last year and it wasn’t special in any way.

We finally cornered Carmelo for a photo. He was the last Deck Steward from the last cruise we needed to photograph. Now we will have to start over with the new arrivals.

Embarkation was to begin at 2:00 PM, so we went to the Front Desk to talk to Billy before the big rush of complainers arrived. He gave us the official guest count for this cruise: 210 in transit, 173 new arrivals, for a total of 383 paying passengers. That is roughly the same or a bit less than the first segment. Just to remind you, there are 106 full World Cruise guests left.

We planted ourselves in the Crystal Cove with several other World Cruisers to watch the new arrivals. We waited, and waited, and waited. Keiko came over several times because she was bored waiting. Luis, the Land Programs Manager, came over. We see him in every embarkation port and he’s very nice. He said he’d see us next in Auckland. His whole life must be spent on airplanes.

Between 2:00 and 3:00 PM we saw only eight guests arrive and some of those were entertainers. Finally, at around 3:15 PM, two busloads arrived, but we doubt there were more than fifty total arrivals during that time. We were glad to see Corina back in the Crystal Cove. She is amusing to talk to and now that it will be less crowded we’ll probably be there more often. Mel came over to say that Barbara had lost her I.D., so they were going back to Viña del Mar to find the taxi driver. Eventually, they came back having found the driver where they left him, with I.D. in hand. That certainly was a miracle. They sat with us for a while before venturing off to the Bistro for a snack…or, as Mel calls it, the “Bristo.”

We decided to tell Rosemary that a new activity for next segment should be to set up bleachers in the lobby so the World Cruisers can watch the new arrivals. She could announce their name and how many cruises they have been on and we could all cheer or boo, as appropriate. We do plan to tell her that since we’re sure she’ll find it amusing. She already thinks we’re incorrigible.

Pat looked like he was about to fall asleep, but it turned out that he and Tom returned to the ship less than an hour after they went out. Tom said later that they ate at a gas station’s mini-mart. Well, Pat ate, Tom just sat there. We heard varying reports about the nightlife. All but one person said there was nothing to do at all and the food wasn’t that good. One person liked the crowded music festival in Viña del Mar, but most just thought it was too crowded. We didn’t realize until later that it was an international festival with people we have actually heard of, although somewhat has-been status like Ricky Martin and N’Sync.

Time for our ice cream snack, so we ventured up to the pool area to sit and look at the city view while we snacked. On the way we ran across Suzie in the landing. She will be our stewardess again for the remaining segments. She did say that if her husband leaves early, she will go before the end, but she isn’t sure about that yet. Our assistant stewardess is Emilie. It will be nice to have Suzie again because she tells us all of the gossip. Isabela never told us a thing. Suzie was surprised we knew Isabela was leaving because she hadn’t told any of her other guests who were shocked when Suzie showed up.

We’ve decided that the really old people only come out on embarkation day because there is no one around. We saw the oldest fossils we have ever seen wandering around on deck and we’re pretty sure they hadn’t just arrived. A couple of newly arrived Deck Stewards came over to greet us. It’s amazing they remember us from years ago.

Next stop was to drop off a birthday card for Domingo with Ronnie, his roommate, in the library. We couldn’t carry on too much because there was a guest there reading, so we dropped off the card, chatted briefly and headed for Jade Garden to make a reservation. They had chairs and beverages set up outside as though there would be some sort of rush, but nobody was there. We made a reservation for Medieval night again at Jade Garden. He told us we could probably just walk in any time without a reservation because, “We always have room for you two.” Not to mention that this cruise is dead.

We wandered by the Crystal Plaza and went down to scare Pat who was falling asleep listening to Tom play. Unfortunately, Tom finished just as we arrived and Pat stood up, so no luck with our plan. That’s when Tom told us about the gas station meal last night. He said that Ernst wrote him a note in German, so he had to have Josef Matt translate it for him. Among other things, it said, “I don’t understand you.” Tom didn’t get why he said that, but we sure do think he sent him mixed signals by hanging around with him every day. Who wouldn’t think there was something there? We do think it would be funny if he was waiting in Auckland when Tom leaves for the Harmony.

There was a boat drill at 5:30 PM for the newly embarked guests. World Cruise guests are exempt from these drills for the duration.

At sailing time, there was a delay, so we went out on the verandah to investigate. The gangway was caught on something on the edge of the dock, subsequently a forklift came to detach it. That made things even worse. When it was free of the obstacle, the lift pulled it up twisted. Suddenly, the whole mechanism snapped upright and left the gangway jammed to the side of the ship and stuck to the doorway on one end.

How many Norwegians does it take to stare at a broken lift? There were between four and six at any given time, plus the regular Filipino deck hands who raise it. Now and then an officer would run around with a walkie talkie looking officious. The Captain announced a ten-minute delay in departure, but they were still working on it at 6:30 PM with no apparent progress. About ten minutes later, after the dock workers brought huge straps and a bunch of guys to pull on it, they did manage to raise it to deck level. However, the platform that attaches to the hatch was badly bent, so it wouldn’t raise into the stowed position. Luckily, the next port uses the tenders, so no need for a gangway, but they’ll have to fix it before we reach Tahiti.

Here is a photo of some luxury condominiums visible as we sailed away. It looks as though they are falling over, but they are really terraced up the hillside. The shoreline was full of high-rise apartments, hotels and condominiums for as far as the eye could see.

Tonight’s dress code is Casual and back to a single seating from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. We decided to be prompt and arrive on time for the first night. We did stop to look at Suzie’s pictures of their new house, which is indeed “like a palace” by Hungarian standards. That is mostly because it is a Mediterranean style design with a western floorplan and a two-car attached garage. It looks quite a bit like our new Bonsall house only without all the land.

Appetizers
Sautéed Jumbo Prawns with Slow Roasted Vegetable Salad
Prosciutto with Apple and Watercress Salad
Forest Mushroom Terrine with Tomato Coulis
Tropical Fruit Cocktail with Grand Marnier

Soup and Salad
Alaskan Crab Soup with Brie Cheese
Beef Consommé with Truffle Célestine
Chilled Lingonberry Soup with Sour Cream
Traditional Caesar Salad
Sliced Tomatoes and Mozzarella Cheese

Main Fares
Broiled Filet of Fresh Chilean Mero Fillet
Roasted Rack of Wisconsin Veal
Roasted Marinated Chicken Breast
Grilled Black Angus Fillet Steak

Dessert
Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding Soufflé
French Style Lemon Cheesecake
Banana Semifreddo with Soft Berry Jell-O
Sugar-Free Coconut Snowball with Chocolate Sauce
Sugar-Free Chocolate Cream Puff
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Homemade Cookies

Food review: Boring. We both had a difficult time making a decision because we didn’t really want anything offered. What we had was satisfactory, but that’s about it. The dessert was outstanding, as usual, so the meal was redeemed.

Tonight was the debut of our new waiter, Bruno. We have never met him before tonight , but we have seen him around. He’s very friendly, but in a rather over the top way, but since it was the first night we will reserve judgment. However, he asked us if this was our first cruise and he made recommendations on what to order before we asked him. Two strikes. We have seen this menu 30 times, so we hardly need a recommendation. He did seem to catch on that we might not be novices when Ben, Maria, Augusto, and the waiter from a neighboring station, all stopped to talk to us at one point or another during dinner. He did seem to lighten up a bit at the end, so there is hope it will work out.

The Evening Entertainment is the welcome aboard show "Pirates to Pinafore". Bill intended to go, but missed it when we stayed to talk to Tom. Then we went up to the library where he said he was going to talk to Ronnie (he said we could go with him, we didn’t invite ourselves, FYI.) So, we went ahead and struck up a conversation with Ronnie. Tom didn’t show up for at least 30 minutes, so Ronnie decided we wouldn’t let him in when he got there. Of course, he did let him in, but it was amusing. We had a nice conversation with Ronnie and Tom until the library closed at 11:00 PM. At that point, Tom announced that he didn’t have anything to do, so we asked if he wanted to come to our room and bring Ronnie and we could talk more. So, that’s what we did until 12:45 AM. Tom did most of the talking with Ronnie interjecting things when he knew that Tom was hedging on some subject. We managed to force off some of our American Express gift truffles on Tom, so he’s probably still bouncing around his cabin.

We received the World Cruise yearbook tonight. This version is far superior to the fiasco last year. The photos were taken at the Gala Bon Voyage party and then sent to be professionally printed in color. The result is a nice compilation of photos that actually resemble the guests rather than their mug shot.

Back to normal, which means no guests and nothing much to report. It was a bit rough over night and into the day, but just enough to prevent them from filling the Seahorse Pool. It seems that they didn’t figure that out soon enough because the deck was soaked from the water sloshing out earlier. Otherwise, the weather is perfect, partly cloudy and about 70 degrees. In the sun it was very pleasant.

Our first stop was lunch in the Lido, as usual. We forgot to mention yesterday that Tommy Tune is on board with his group. We didn’t see him this afternoon, but his backup group, The Rhythm Kings, was in the Lido whining about being seasick to varying degrees. FYI, it isn’t nearly rough enough to be seasick. Rosario stopped to talk about a weird subject we couldn’t quite follow, but what else is new?

After lunch we wandered out to listen to the band by the pool for about twenty minutes where Joseph ran over to greet us. He returned from vacation yesterday. We then moved inside by the Neptune Pool for cookies. From there we wandered down to look at the boarding photos from yesterday, but found only about 30 of them. We know more people than that boarded, but they must have bypassed the photo stop. After a brief stop to tell Laszlo how nice we think their new house is, we went back up to the room for the rest of the afternoon.

Tonight’s dress code is Formal for the Captain’s Gala Reception. We skipped the free drinks and sat in the Crystal Cove until around 7:45 PM. We kept waiting for the rush to come down from the party, but it never did. However, when we arrived in the Dining Room, it was relatively busy. We have no clue how all those people got there. Elizabeth was in the middle of the lobby trying sell photos in front of the fountain, with no takers. She tried to recruit us as we walked by, but we weren’t feeling very photogenic. She offered to do another set of special photos anywhere on the ship that we choose, so we’ll have to think of a fun spot and let her know. We have two months to figure it out, so no rush.

Appetizers
Iced Malossol Caviar with Sour Cream, Chopped Egg, and Onions
Truffled Chicken Liver Parfait with Warm Brioche
Oysters Rockefeller
Exotic Fruit in a Pineapple Boat with Orange Curacao

Soup and Salad
Wild Forest Mushroom Soup “Cappuccino Style”
Clear Oxtail Soup with Wild Rice and Chester Sesame Sticks
Captain’s Salad

Pasta Special
Angel Hair Pasta with Goat Cheese, Broccoli and Toasted Pine Nuts

Main Fares
Broiled Fresh Maine Lobster
Broiled Fresh Turbot Fillet
Chateaubriand
Stuffed Marinated Backed Quail

Vegetarian Selection
Grilled Asparagus and Parsnips with Glazed Sweet Potato Soufflé

Dessert
”Délice au Café” White Chocolate Coffee Cake with Raspberry Sauce
Almond Lemon Tart with Whipped Cream and Forest Berries
Crunchy Vanilla Mousse with Fudge Sauce
Sugar-Free Yogurt Fruit Terrine
Sugar-Free Blueberry Turnover with Diet Ice Cream
Assortment of Fruit is Season
Chocolate Truffles and Petit Fours

Food review: The salad was again a disappointment. We can’t quite figure out why they haven’t been very good because the ingredients seem quite fresh. The sherbet course was very good. The beef was outstanding and much better than usual; however, everything on the plate with it was barely edible. This included a ghastly twice-baked potato so dry it was practically dust inside. Dessert was satisfactory.

Bruno continued his habit of making recommendations on the menu, so it appears that we will eventually have to say something. We hate having someone tell us what we should order. Besides, we have seen these menus 30 times. Of course, he is still going on the assumption that our Crystal experience started with the beginning of the World Cruise. He does seem to want to talk and find out more about us, so we’re confident everything will work out. At this point, Andrejus knows more about us than Bruno does, so maybe he’ll inform him before we get around to it.

We hadn’t appreciated how good Jerry’s service was until he left. Bruno’s service isn’t bad, just slower and more disorganized. For example, we run out of the proper silverware or it isn’t replaced until the food is delivered. Jerry always saw to it that everything was in place before the food came. Also, because we don’t order coffee after dinner, we never get the plate of cookies. That’s not a terrible loss, just an observation. Andrejus was talkative tonight now that he is out from under Jerry’s no-talking rule. Jerry has always prevented his assistant from talking to his guests, but Bruno said he doesn’t make any rules when Maria asked about talking to us. She knew that Jerry didn’t like it, so she asked if it bothered Bruno. It didn’t.

We received a bottle of wine in the Dining Room from Adair, so we’re keeping our supply flowing. Just an aside, we did not receive our Crystal Society credit today either. So, we’ll have to bring it up to Lara again.

The Evening Entertainment is the newest production show "Fascinatin’ Rhythm". When this show first debuted during last year’s World Cruise, we absolutely hated it. However, they have made a few changes and it is somewhat enjoyable now. It isn’t our favorite show, but it isn’t the worst by far. They had several substitute dancers because one of the regulars injured himself yesterday. No one would have noticed if it hadn’t been pointed out at the end. On the way out, Domingo thanked us for the birthday card we sent to him yesterday. He has always been very cheerful, but he was actually giggly tonight.

It’s one hour back on the clock tonight. There will be nine hours back before we reach Auckland in two weeks. Of course, that means we have to move forward at least that much on the way back to California.

Today’s weather is the same as yesterday…sunny with pleasant temperatures in the high 60’s to low 70’s. The sea is fairly calm with a swell now and then that is just large enough to remind us we are on a ship.

We woke up early, but still didn’t venture out until lunchtime. Today’s theme buffet is again the Asia Café around the Neptune Pool. There were almost no other guests there and less than one fourth of the tables were occupied. This is one of the better-executed buffets, but the food hasn’t been quite as good as in the past. Most of what we chose was average to slightly above average. There is a nice variety of grilled meat on skewers, stir fry, rice, spring rolls, won tons, and several other hot dished from various Asian countries.

Our table was outside by the Seahorse Pool where we could listen to the band. Some guests were lying in the sun, but the pool was empty due to the semi-rough weather. It had been filled early this morning because we heard the pumps running, but they must have figured out that the water would slosh out now and then with the occasional swells. It was very pleasant to be out in the clean air for a change. In the shade it was on the verge of being chilly.

We haven’t had a lunch menu for you during this cruise, but we received one in the room today, so here is what was served in the Crystal Dining Room:

Appetizers
Albacore Tune cocktail with Celery, Red Onions, and Russian Dressing
Shrimp Croquettes with Tartar Sauce
Stuffed Egg Filled with Vegetable Salad and Salmon Caviar
Chilled Tropical Fruit Cup with Orange Curacao

Soup and Salad
Thai Chicken Shrimp Soup with Galangal and Lemon Grass
Mushroom, Tomato, and Pasta Broth
Cold Cream of Lychee Nuts
Marinated Lentil Salad

Main Fares
Spicy Orange Chicken
Broiled Fresh Local Barracuda
Sandwich of the Day – Hot Roasted Turkey and Sliced Pastrami
Nasi Goreng

Vegetarian Selection
Cheese Ravioli with Fresh Basil
Fluffy Vegetable and Asparagus Omelet

Dessert
Cherry Custard Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream
Mozart Cake with Chocolate Sauce
Frozen Peppermint Soufflé
Sugar-Free Fruit Ratatouille with Diet Ice Cream

At 2:00 PM we picked up some cookies and went back to the room. Waldo intercepted us in the landing and whined about the woman who does nothing aside from sit in her room drinking and smoking. He used to go in a talk to her now and then, but he said she is so depressing he tries to avoid it now. She is threatening to go home because she has nothing to do, although she does have him wheel her to the Dining Room and the Casino every night. Of course, she hates all of her tablemates.

Skip ahead to dinner time. We did nothing except watch TV all afternoon in the room.

On the way to dinner, we ran into Waldo in the hallway who immediately began complaining about guests again. We can hardly blame him because some World Cruisers came by and asked him if the vent in the bathroom is always on or is there a way to turn it off (there isn’t). These people have been on 50 cruises and never noticed the vent is always on? This same couple switched rooms because the one they were in vibrated too much. The only reason the one they moved to doesn’t vibrate is that we aren’t going at the speed that causes it. When we hit a certain combination of speed and wind, the ship vibrates. It always has and always will. Again, did they not notice this on any of their past cruises? Guess they forgot. Waldo said the butlers have a meeting with the Captain at the beginning of each segment and the Captain said to him, “I just don’t know how you do it day after day.” This was after he told them that some of the World Cruise guests call him directly to complain about things. We can’t imagine calling the Captain directly for anything, let alone a minor complaint. God knows that just complaining about something to the Front Desk causes all hell to break loose. Why bother the Captain?

After we left Waldo and made our way to the elevator lobby, Peter, a butler buddy from last year, ran out to greet us. He is extremely nice, friendly and pleasant. He also tells us every bit of gossip there is, so of course, we love him. We found out that the jovial assistant waiter who always talks to us in the Lido is his brother. Peter says that guests always say they look alike, but we certainly don’t think so. Once we knew they were brothers we could see the resemblance, but they are far from being twins. They do have similar mannerisms and both are equally friendly though.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal. We stopped to chat with Rudolf in Captain’s Choice. He told us about what a hassle it is for the crew to enter the U.S. now. They are interrogated after their passports have been taken away from them. This is even with a letter from Crystal in hand. Last year when he went on vacation from the ship in L.A., they were forced to undergo drug tests complete with stripping down almost naked, having their hands swabbed with some unknown liquid, etc. We have no clue what the point of any of that would be. Who cares if someone entering the U.S. has used drugs? Very strange. Rudolf is very interesting to talk to as well as being so very British (although he’s from South Africa). We arrived at our table in the Dining Room at 8:00 PM. Remember that it is open seating now and we may arrive anytime between 7:00 and 9:00 PM.

Appetizers
Crab Cake on Marinated Tomato Salad with Basil Oil
Salad of Roasted Duck Breast with Artichokes and Green Beans
Grilled Forest Mushrooms
Fresh Tropical Fruit with Kiwi Wedges and Aged Sherry

Soup and Salad
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sunflower Seeds
Beef Broth with Vermicelli Pasta
Chilled Green Pea Soup with Mint
Garden Mixed Greens with Arugala, Tomatoes, and Parmesan Shavings
Pear, Endive, and Blue Cheese Salad with Pear Dressing

Pasta Special
Linguine with Lemon Oil, Fresh Lobster, Garlic, Plum Tomatoes and Basil

Main Fares
California Grilled Lamb Chops
Grilled Fresh Swordfish Steak
Fricassee di Pollo alla Cacciatore
Maple Glazed, Slow-Roasted Rack of Pork

Vegetarian Selection
Crispy Polenta on Root Vegetables with Grilled Mushrooms

Dessert
California Citrus Soufflé Cake with Vanilla Sauce and Pistachio Ice Cream
Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie a la Mode
Hazelnut Ice Parfait with Sour Cherries
Sugar-Free Mango Chocolate Tart
Sugar-Free Rhubarb Mousse with Fresh Strawberries
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season

Food review: The soup was outstanding, although we’re sure there was a stick of butter in each cup. The sunflower seeds were unnecessary though. Both entrees were very good, but the portions were enormous. Neither of us wanted to finish the meat because there was so much. The dessert was much improved by substituting sherbet for the ice cream. That is how it was served originally, but it sounded like such an odd combination nobody would order it. The pistachio ice cream is not a good choice, however.

Bruno was told that the chicken would be our favorite, so he didn’t recommend anything else. We rarely order the menu version of Chicken Cacciatore because of the bones, so we weren’t sure where he got that idea. At least it prevented him from telling us what to order and it gave us the chance to tell him we have been looking at the same menus for eight years. Maria came over to ask where the hell we had been to make us late (that’s exactly what she said, by the way.) We informed her that Rudolf had told Dave that he always, “Looks like you just did something bad.” She agreed, but doubted he was that bad. We informed her otherwise, but had to clarify that “bad” doesn’t include practical jokes and such, which was the conclusion she jumped to.

Augusto wants to make Chicken Cacciatore for us himself at tableside, so we told him we would let him know when there is a menu we don’t like. He has finally recovered from his cold. He looked terrible yesterday, but has made a quick recovery.

The Evening Entertainment is a Variety Showtime featuring dance team Curtis and Natalie plus Musical Variety Artist, Mark Donoghue. Honestly, we didn’t expect much from the variety artist, but he was quite talented and amusing enough to keep things moving. He played the violin, harmonica, electric guitar, electric fiddle, and sang. He was good at everything. The act did get tedious after a while, so we’re glad it wasn’t an hour show, although it sort of seemed like it sometimes. But, as mentioned, he wasn’t lacking in talent, so that’s a big plus over the usual offerings.

We received another World Cruise Gift with this card: “Welcome to World Voyage III, the beginning of our exploration of the romantic South Pacific. We’ll enjoy mythical Easter Island, Pitcairn Island and an extended stay in the paradise of Papeete and Huahine, as well as a maiden call at Raiatea, part of the Society Islands. Farther west, we’ll encounter the exotic port of Apia, Western Samoa. The final destination of our World Voyage concludes in Auckland, the jewel of New Zealand. We invite you to enjoy these custom baggage tags on all your future journeys. May they remind you of your favorite memories of this voyage.”

The tags are a useful gift, but we didn’t know the cruise ended in Auckland. What they meant to say was this “segment” of the World Cruise ends in Auckland. Oops.

The weather and relatively smooth sailing continued into the night. This is about the same as last year, except it was quite a bit warmer at this point. We can only hope that the heat will be more moderate this time around, but we’re not counting on it. We move another hour back on the clock tonight.

Today’s weather is the same as yesterday, maybe a few degrees warmer, and very pleasant outside. With the hour back last night we did wake up earlier than usual, but didn’t bother going anywhere until lunchtime when we went to the Lido.

There wasn’t much on the food line that we considered edible, but the carved chicken proved a good choice, plus the made-to-order pasta dish. After finishing our meal, we moved outside by the Seahorse Pool to listen to the band and enjoy the nice weather. We were surprised there was water in the pool because it would periodically slosh up on the stage in front of the band. Guests in the water seemed to enjoy the waves though.

It never ceases to amaze us that there always has to be one guest inconsiderate enough to move their lounge so it completely blocks the walkway. In today’s case, a woman put a lounge across the walkway directly outside of the doors onto the deck. Apparently, all of the guests tripping over her and walking sideways to squeeze past her didn’t have any impact at all.

At 3:00 PM we picked up some ice cream and moved to a different location outside where we stayed for another half hour before returning to the room for the rest of the afternoon. We received an invitation to a Special Frϋhschoppen tomorrow at 10:30 AM in Prego. Don’t ask, we don’t know either, and considering the time, we will probably never find out.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal. We started off with the intention of sitting in the Crystal Cove before dinner, but it was crowded with, as Ben put it later, “Old biddies,” having their picture taken with Tommy Tune. It is his birthday today, so he has been out and about more than usual. He does seem to be quite friendly. Rather than brave the crowd, which wouldn’t be considered any sort of crowd by anyone besides us, we went directly into the Dining Room, which was practically empty for the first half hour we were there.

Appetizers
Snow Crab Tower with Salmon and Malossol Caviar
Fresh Oven-Baked Lobster Strudel on Crayfish Sauce
Fresh Green Asparagus with Tomato-Herb Vinaigrette
Assorted Supreme of Fruit with Maraschino

Soup and Salad
Roman Soup with Pasta and Vegetables
Chicken Consommé with Butter Quenelles
Chilled Beet Root Soup with Sour Cream
Fresh Spinach Salad with Boiled Eggs, Mushrooms, and Bacon Bits Marinated in Mustard Dressing
Heart of Crisp Lettuce with Potato Slices and Anchovies

Pasta Special
Tortiglione Calabrese – Capers, Anchovies, Olives and Tomatoes

Main Fares
Broiled Fresh Chilean Salmon Fillet
Pink-Roasted Breast of Duck
Pan-Fried Veal Scaloppini
Grilled Black Angus Filet Steak with Green Peppercorn Sauce

Vegetarian Selection
Risotto Milanese with Grilled Tofu, Mushrooms, and Fresh Herbs

Dessert
White Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake with Vanilla Ice Cream
Vanilla-Strawberry Mille Feuille
”Bombe au Praline” – Frozen Praline Cake
Sugar-Free Citrus Mousse
Sugar-Free Baked Pear in Puff Pastry
Homemade Cookies
Freshly Frozen, Nonfat Peach Yogurt

Food review: The soup and dessert were the only parts of the meal that were very good, everything else was average. Neither of us really wanted to finish the meat. There wasn’t anything specific wrong with it, but we didn’t like the texture of it.

We emphasized again to Bruno that we have seen these menus 30 times before, so he didn’t recommend anything at first. However, he did tell us to order the cheesecake, which we already planned to do. To make sure he didn’t think he had sold it to us, Bill said, “Yes, that’s our usual choice.” The waiter at the next station, whom we don’t know, came over to chat again. We have no idea why, but he seems nice enough. Ben asked us who Tommy Tune is, so we explained that he is about as famous as a person can get on Broadway. Almost none of the staff has ever heard of him.

We were finished with dinner so early that we had over 45 minutes to kill before the show, so we stopped by to give Ronnie another tape we had finished. Waldo came in at one point to return two tapes for a guest who hasn’t been out of her bed for the last 25 days. Well, we assume she bathes and such, but the point is that she doesn’t leave her room.

Ronnie wasn’t aware of the damage to our gangway as we sailed out of Valparaíso, so he wanted to hear the whole story. We’re all wondering what they will do when we arrive in Papeete and have to use it. We almost missed the show because we were engrossed in Ronnie’s tale of the staff wanting him to dress up as Imelda Marcos to represent the Philippines in the Crystal Symphony Olympics coming up shortly. We thought it would be amusing if he made a long train out of shoes. He thought that was a great idea.

We learned tonight that the real reason Crystal Harmony couldn’t meet up with Crystal Symphony off Japan during the last World Cruise was because the Harmony had burned up an engine. They weren’t sure they could make it across from Hawaii to Japan for the repairs, particularly with two typhoons to contend with. Of course, the guests weren’t told any of this, but the talk amongst the crew was that they may break down at any moment. That was an exaggeration also because each ship has two extra engines. When the ship arrived in Japan they had to cut a huge hole in the side of the ship to install an entirely new engine at a cost of about $1.2 million.

The Evening Entertainment is a concert by Tony Award Nominated Vocalist Michel Bell. We have always missed him for one reason or another, but have always heard that he is outstanding. If fact, he was outstanding, but an hour was a bit too much. His Tony Award nomination was for “Showboat” where he sang “Old Man River.” Basically, everything he sang sounded like that song. We did enjoy his singing for the most part, but his banter was too phony and contrived. We’ll go see him again in one of the Variety Hours later in the cruise.

At the end of the show, the Cruise Director made Tommy Tune stand up so the audience could sing “Happy Birthday” to him, then led everyone down to the Crystal Cove for free champagne and a party. We didn’t attend. Tommy looked as though he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to go, but we’re sure he did.

The departure time from Easter Island has been delayed an hour until 5:00 PM, so now there are afternoon excursions available. Too bad the one we booked isn't one of them. We learned from Ronnie that a new Catholic priest and some lecturers are arriving there because they weren't able to make the ship in Valparaiso. That must be a really fun flight.

Again we were up earlier than usual, but we didn’t venture out until lunchtime. We weren’t in the mood for the World Cruise party at 10:30 AM. The weather is warmer today, but otherwise the same as yesterday.

Lunch in the Lido was as usual, interrupted by a peculiar, one-sided conversation with Rosario. He always says that he should wait until we are finished eating before talking, but he never does. We’re still choosing the daily Asian selection although they haven’t been quite as good as they were during previous segments.

After lunch we moved outside to listen to the band for an hour. The ship is moving at the same speed as the wind, so it became too warm now and then when the breeze completely stopped. There was no sloshing water to amuse us today. Well, the water was there, it just wasn’t sloshing. There were various and sundry technical types dragging out equipment for the Olympic Opening Ceremony tomorrow night. They started collecting the chairs way too early in our opinion. There were still people sitting at the tables when they began stacking them up. This was around 2:00 PM when the pool area was at its most popular. Here's a photo of last year's Opening Ceremony that was rained out.

By 2:00 PM it was too hot for us outside, so we went back to the room for the rest of the afternoon.

Tonight’s dress code is 50’s/Casual. We didn’t feel like going to dinner at 7:00 PM, so we went up to the Palm Court to wait until about 7:30 PM. When it is light outside, the view from up there is great, so it’s worthwhile to make the effort to sit for a few minutes before dinner.

Appetizers
Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with Creole Rémoulade Sauce
Polenta con Funghi
Barbecued Quail on Kernel Corn Tomato Salad
Iced Apple, Grape, and Pear Cup with Calvados Yogurt Topping

Soups and Salads
Midwest Baby Corn Bisque
Chicken Broth with Matzo Balls
Chilled Banana Coconut Soup
Medley of Selected Crunchy Field Greens with Eggplant Chips and Shredded Carrots
Tossed Iceberg Lettuce with Lorenzo Dressing on a Bed of Tomatoes

Salad Entrée
Grilled Herb Marinated Salmon Fillet on a Bed of Marinated Cucumbers

Main Fares
Roasted American Prime Rib of Black Angus Beef
Fresh Lemon Sole Fillets
Medallions of Canadian Venison

Dessert
Creole Sour Cream Cheesecake with Homemade Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream
Bittersweet Chocolate Chunk Pecan Pie a la Mode
Chocolate Fudge Brownie Sundae
Sugar-Free Jell-O with Fresh Fruits
Sugar-Free Lemon Yogurt Timbale
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Nonfat Cappuccino Yogurt

Food review: The soups had both gone downhill since the last segment. We’d rate both of them barely above average. The meatloaf was good, but the portion was HUGE and way too much for a meal with so many courses.

Bruno tried to sell us on the prime rib, which we know isn’t very good. We cut him off in the middle of his recommendations, so we’re hoping he’ll get a clue pretty soon. Augusto made the caramelized pineapple again, this time to perfection. Josef wanted him to add liqueur, raspberries, and a bunch of other fanciness. They just don’t get that sometimes simple is better. We will definitely try this at home when we have fresh fruit to use. Our thanks to Uruguay for the recipe.

The Evening Entertainment is the “Rock Around the Clock” production show, Name That Tune, and a 50’s Sock Hop. There is also a 50’s midnight buffet with popcorn, hot dogs and such. This is the only midnight buffet they still hold on this ship. We probably don’t have to mention that we didn’t attend any of them. Instead, we sat in the Crystal Cove with Mel and Barbara until they left for the show.

When Tom was finished playing he joined us for our usual chat about nothing in particular. He seems completely back to normal now, which is a big improvement over the last segment when he was sort of a downer. Every time we see him he always says he’s starving, so he was waiting for the 50’s buffet to open. In the meantime, he went to play piano with the Champagne Strings. We left during the latter part of the concert because we have to get up so early tomorrow for our tour. Tom tried to convince us to stay up and party all night instead. He was kidding, by the way.

The World Cruise Olympics start tomorrow, so here are some scans of the program we received to get you started: Front Cover, Olympic Village Map.

Even as scientists unlock the secrets of the human gene, the unfathomable mystery of Rapa Nui’s moai has yet to be solved. The eerie stone statues have gazed out to sea for centuries as if they were guarding the land beneath them. Perhaps the stones are so captivating because the island is far removed from the rest of the world, but maybe, in the unspoken language of shared human and cultural terms, the island is not so remote after all. Perhaps the enigmatic statues call out to that hidden part of our souls that sees a parallel between the isolated windswept island and 21st-century society. The manifestations may differ, but both societies seem to have striven for the same goal — divine communion.

People had already reached Easter Island by 300AD. The first inhabitants probably set out from the vicinity of the Marquesas Islands in a double-hulled canoe. Like the rest of the lands in the South Pacific, Rapa Nui is thought to have been uninhabited prior to this time. Why people left a safe homeland to venture into an unknown and unforgiving sea remains a mystery. Perhaps an invasion drove them from home, or maybe food supplies ran short. Natural disaster, such as a volcanic explosion or a devastating cyclone could also have spurred the move. According to legend, the first tribal leader was Hotu Matu‘a, who parceled out the new land to his sons.

Sometime in the 7th century, there was a population explosion on the island, and the small ancestral temples were expanded into huge complexes. Archaeologists believe the moai were erected as monuments to the deceased spirits of revered ancestors. Presumably, each massive stone was carved in the likeness of a venerated hero, though to the modern observer, all of them appear to reflect the same likeness. The moai were arranged on ahus (religious platforms) specifically designed for the purpose. By the time the society collapsed, there were more than 1,000 moai. Many of them are unexcavated.

The last of the statues date from the mid-14th century, when the society began to fall apart. The exact reason is not really known, but measurements taken from other parts of the world indicate that a mini Ice Age occurred during that time. Easter Island might have been severely affected by such a phenomenon. A likely theory takes this factor into account as the final straw that broke an environmentally careless society’s back. Big logs were needed to transport the moai, so the island was deforested. This resulted in soil erosion and crop production would have been affected. General global cooling resulted in less precipitation, and with no lumber, boats could not be built for fishing or migration. Starvation was inescapable. Whatever the cause, the community disintegrated into a series of ongoing civil wars. The dispute was still raging when European explorers landed on the island in the 18th century. The two local factions were the hanau eepe (literally "short ears") and the hanau momoko ("long ears"). Cannibalism was part of the war ritual — perhaps as much because of food shortages as for other reasons. Eventually the fighting stopped, but the effect on Rapa Nui society was indelible. The ahus were left to disintegrate, and local ritual became focused on an annual bird ceremony at the village of Orango. The new rite involved brave warriors who leapt over a cliff and raced across the sea to small offshore islets where native sooty terns bred. The objective was to retrieve the eggs, symbols of fertility.

There are claims that others had already visited, but the first confirmed European landing was 1722 when Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen and his fleet of three vessels arrived. It was Easter Sunday, so Roggeveen named the island for the holiday. Islanders were rather excited to see the huge ship. Even though there may have been one or two previous European visits, the sight must have been unusual at least. The excited villagers sailed out to greet the Dutch ships, and a party of 125 armed sailors went ashore. Unfortunately, as men with guns often do, some members of the landing party got nervous and opened fire. A few of the terrified Polynesians were killed. Crewman Fredrich Behrens later published an account of the adventure. In 1770, Felipe Gonzalez y Haedo led a contingent of settlers to the island and claimed it for the Spanish crown.

Captain James Cook sighted the island during his second voyage, but was not impressed. Cook did note the peculiar moai, but specifically mentioned that they had been toppled over. The felling of moai presumably had occurred during the civil wars as each faction attempted to insult and ridicule the other. Cook’s party did gather some valuable historical data, and a subsequent voyage, led by Frenchman La Pérouse, resulted in a map of Hanga Roa. During the 19th century, whaling ships became the most frequent visitors. Though trade routes were eventually established, the visits soon became dreaded events in which unruly sailors landed and literally began to pillage the island. They were in search of food. Women were sometimes kidnapped. One islander is known to have willingly sailed back to London with Captain Benjamin Page. The Rapa Nui was nicknamed "Henry Easter" (one can only imagine how things went for the poor fellow).

Unfortunately, during the same period, labor shortages in South America prompted unscrupulous traders to kidnap islanders throughout the Pacific. "Lucky" Rapa Nui was closest to the continent. The slavers sold their human captives as workers in Peru, but unaccustomed to European disease, many soon died from tuberculosis and smallpox. The Bishop of Tahiti raised an outcry over the abomination and the practice was abandoned. A few survivors ultimately returned to the island, unwittingly introducing foreign viruses, and a smallpox epidemic wiped out a large part of the population.

Missionaries also came to the island. Needless to say, Europeans were not much trusted by this time, and some of the missionaries were killed, even as others set about destroying the symbols of the island’s "pagan religion." The new arrivals needed building materials, so they carved up the remnants of ancient boats that had been inverted as beach shelters by the original Polynesian ancestors. No one will ever know what else was lost. Meanwhile, Jean Baptiste Onésime Dutrou-Bornier, a French ship captain with dreams of becoming the local king, coerced some of the priests to give him land for a sheep ranch. Afterward, he so intimidated them, they fled the island. Dutrou-Bornier couldn’t have been more delighted. He named himself king. By 1877, only 111 downcast Rapa Nui were left. They rose up and murdered Dutrou-Bornier. By the time Chile entered into a protection agreement with the local chief, Rapa Nui was already paradise lost.

Easter Island lies 2,500 miles across an unbroken stretch of the Pacific Ocean from the Chilean coast. It is another 1,100 miles to Pitcairn Island. Until Thor Heyerdahl made his remarkable voyages, the island was one of earth’s most isolated places, but since the 1950s, it has drawn attention from all around the globe. Though most of Heyerdahl’s theories have been discounted, his Kon Tiki voyage was an amazing feat, and he did prove that ocean crossings had been possible in the Stone Age. Of course, it is no longer necessary to cross the sea on a ship. Even Easter Island has an airport now, but it is still off the proverbial "beaten track." Flights between Tahiti and Chile sometimes stop over for a short time, and guests can take advantage of a quick mini-tour to some of the nearby moai on such layovers. The only other means of reaching the island is via ship. A few supply ships and passenger vessels call at Hanga Roa, but it is not exactly an everyday stop.

Easter Island is a Chilean province, and is known by several names. The official name is the Polynesian Rapa Nui, but the Spanish Isla de Pascua is also used. Nearly 3,000 people live on the island, but many of them are temporary residents, working in military or government service. The island was the spawn of ancient volcanoes, remnants of which can be found at each corner of the triangular island. All are now extinct, but there is no doubt that they were once extremely active, and there is an extensive series of unexplored lava caves and tubes.

With just 45 square miles, Rapa Nui is not a huge place. There are three central villages, but there are also many smaller communities. People usually greet each other with an inquiry as to the other person’s destination or point of origin. It is as rhetorical as "How are you?" An answer is expected, however, and it is not considered rude to ask. One of the most spectacular "points of origin" is the volcano Rano Kao, on the southwest corner of the island near the airport. Its steep slopes lead to a lake-filled crater, and the ruins of Orongo village cling to the cliffs on the ocean side. Rock carvings at the site depict the Bird Man (a man with a bird’s head), recalling the island’s very last cult.

The economic mainstay was sheep ranching until the 1980s when cattle and horses were introduced, but the tourist industry is always growing. Horses are used for transportation; not everyone has a car. The increasing number of visitors has spawned a secondary souvenir industry. As you might expect, miniature moai are ubiquitous, as are Rapa Nui T-shirts and beanie hats. There has also been a sporadic scientific research "industry." Islanders have learned to welcome researchers with open arms because scientists always leave something behind when they depart — usually very expensive, but bulky equipment.

The moai remain the central focus for visitors and scientists alike. How was it possible to carve hundreds of enormous statues from solid volcanic basalt? And after they were carved, how could people with no modern equipment have transferred them several miles from the quarry to the seacoast, and how did they stand them upright? Many theories have been proposed in answer to these questions. Some are fanciful, while others are based in what little physical evidence has been found on site. Some people even cling to the notion that mysterious priests, now a lost race, held magical sway over the elements and managed to use great power to move the stones. Others insist that extraterrestrial beings must have been responsible. When asked by the first missionaries, the islanders related their traditional legends. Special priests with magical powers commanded the figures to walk to the ahus where they would stand forever. Archaeologist Dr. William Mulloy proposed that the stones were probably dragged using the method of tilting that is now illustrated at the site. His theory has been accepted as the most likely possibility.

We were up at the crack of dawn, literally, to be ready for our tour departure. After our usual Continental breakfast for such occasions, we went down to the Starlite Club to await departure.

The Shore Excursions woman announced that everyone on one side of the room on Tour A should proceed to the tender. Since this was still fifteen minutes before our scheduled departure and we were on Tour B, we stayed put. She came back in a few minutes to say there was a delay because one of the tenders had broken down, so we were now short one. Eventually, she said that if anyone was there for Tour B or C, to go to the tender. At the tender landing, we met a couple who said they only knew to go to the tender because they had asked, the woman had never announced anything except Tour A. As it turned out, they were waiting for the four of us on shore.

Boarding the tender was a matter of waiting until just the right moment for the ship to sway in the right direction. The rocking was so drastic that water would come into the doorway on the downward slosh. So, the tender was either four feet above or below the threshold at any given moment. However, the crew knows how to handle such matters and we were boarded promptly.

The ride to shore was only about ten minutes. As last year, the arrival into the tiny port is sort of a drama because the boats must approach cautiously and bodysurf into the harbor. Calling it a harbor is an extreme exaggeration. There is just a small lava rock inlet with a concrete landing at one side. Here is last year's photo of the harbor.

Once ashore, we were hustled into a van with the couple we met on board and Kailiya, the stylist who cut Dave’s hair, who was our escort from the ship. She said the others were waiting for us at the first stop, the village of Ahu Vinapu. Easter Island isn’t what one expects. Rather than being dry and barren, it is an attractive tropical island with tidy houses along the roadside. There is only one paved road that leads to one of the beaches at the other side of the island, so we traveled mostly over rutted red dirt roads, as we did last year. The other members of the tour were waiting at the destination for us. There were only a total of eleven people on the tour, which is the reason we decided to tour here. Transportation is in a local resident’s own vehicle, so the groups are necessarily small. It was almost like a private tour and we particularly enjoyed the English couple who was delayed on board with us.

The village is the site of two large ruined platforms and their toppled Moai. The stonework of the walls here is the same as that of the Incas, so the belief is that there is some connection between the two. Of course, like everything else about Easter Island, it is hotly debated and nothing is certain. These stone Ahu have not been restored and show the state of all of the Moai when they were first discovered by European archeologists. We also viewed a statue buried to its shoulders by erosion over time.

The views around the village were spectacular, either rolling pasture land or stunning lava cliffs and beaches. One of the charms of visiting these sites is that there are no fences and barely even a trail to reach most of them. It is as though one simply stumbled upon them. As tourism grows, we’re sure these monuments will end up marred with graffiti and guarded behind fences. The guide pointed out where some Japanese tourists had carved their name into one of the fallen Moai. It had since been repaired and the culprits were caught. As it turned out, someone in the town could read Japanese, so they went out, read the name, and traced it back to the hotel register. The offenders were fined a hefty sum and sent packing. About one-third of the island is a Chilean National Park, with the rest being owned by either the government or the local people known as Rapa Nui. No one else is allowed to own land, so it is unlikely there will be much more development than there is now.

Currently, 3,000 people live on the island. At the height of the Moai building it is thought that over 15,000 people lived here. That was more than the island could sustain, which is what is thought to have led to the civil war and eventual downfall of the civilization.

Our guide, a student from London who was obviously not a native with his blond hair, led us through the bushes to view one of the temples that was untouched from it’s discovered state. On the way, we passed the only known two-headed Moai that was restored to an upright position by an archeologist in the 1930’s. It just looks like a pillar now, but upon close inspection the carved hands are visible near the bottom. The two heads have been eroded over time, which is a definite threat to all of the statues since they are carved out of soft volcanic stone.

Back on the road, we headed off to the next destination, Rano Rau, the island’s southernmost and second oldest volcano. We stopped briefly at an overlook to view the highest point on the island in the distance. That volcano is only about 1,500 feet high. The soil is very porous and erosion is a problem. That’s the reason most of the statues are found buried to their necks as the soil has piled up around them over the years. From this vantage point, we also had a stunning view of Crystal Symphony at anchor off of the small village, and a view of the sparsely settled valley below. The island is so narrow that the airport runway stretches from one shore to the other.

We arrived at the spectacular Rano Kau lookout to view the sight of the Bird-Man Cult. The crater contains a reed covered fresh-water lake that is believed to be about fifty feet deep. Most of the depth is filled with rotted reeds and sediment. An English archeologist recently drowned here, apparently due to the quick-sand-like grip of the reeds. The original residents used this lake for their drinking water and for washing clothes. At the lookout, there is a circle of stones marking one of the many ancient petroglyphs representing a Bird-Man.

The crater is a perfect circle with a large gap in the wall facing the ocean that looks as though a giant took a bite out of it. The left rim is the highest, while the right, equally high, but a bit more jagged, housed the Bird-Man Cult’s ceremonial village of Orongo. This was our next destination and just a short drive away along another dirt road.

Upon arrival, everyone, not including us, ran for the restrooms housed behind the small ranger station. In the meantime, we wandered around for some photos of the view. Our guide, James, told us we could start walking toward the end of the pathway and he would come along when everyone was finished. So, we started off down the barely marked pathway toward the edge of the crater and the village. Along the way, we veered toward the crater for a photo of the viewpoint across the crater and a close up of the gap in the crater wall.

The village of Orongo was only inhabited for three months of the year while they awaited the first egg. The traditional egg ceremony that was performed to choose the island’s religious head took place here. They have restored many of the stacked stone houses where the people lived during this ritual. The tiny doorways are just big enough for a small man to crawl inside. There was no furniture inside as these shelters were only used for sleeping, jammed in like sardines, according to the guide. Cooking and everything else was done outside. One section of the houses was left in its ruined state as an example of how these structures appeared when they were discovered. We also viewed a very detailed stone carving of a Bird-Man and a cooking pit.

We followed a pathway through the village toward the pinnacle at the end of the rim where the priests lived. Essentially, what this ceremony involved was finding the first egg laid on an islet far below and retrieving it. The candidates themselves didn’t do the task, rather they used men that had been trained since birth for the job. These men would have to run down the narrow rim of the crater wall, along the rocks below, swim out to the group of three islets far below, and stay there for months until someone found the first egg and brought it back. In the meantime, the villagers would wait above for the first call announcing that someone had found the egg.

In any case, the views from here were spectacular with the crater lake on one side, the jagged rim and the ocean on the other, and the three rocky islets far below in the pounding surf. At the very end of the rim is the stone residence where the priests lived. Around the entrance all of the rocks are carved with Bird-Man images so that no matter what direction the priests gazed, they would see the images. It is thought that perhaps these are the images of the winners of the competition and were added to each year.

The viewpoint atop the structure is limited to five guests at any one time to avoid collapse, enforced by a vigilant park ranger watching from the highest point. We were first to hear the information by the guide, so we took the extra time to wander around and look at the stone houses, the cooking pits, and examine the tiny doorways. In some of the houses there were multiple doors, but they lead to separate sections of the structure, like an apartment. There were small stone-lined pits in front of some of the houses that were used as drums when skins were stretched over the opening. Villagers would jump on them with one foot to create the sound.

Once everyone had their turn at viewing the pinnacle, we returned to the vans by walking a lower route through the village. The drive back to the port was uneventful.

We were tempted to rent one of the many horses available at the pier, but decided we had enough for today. We didn’t see any of the statues in their upright state today, so we climbed up on the small hill behind the port for a photo of the single standing Moai here and one of his less fortunate brethren laying nearby in the grass.

After climbing back down the hill, we browsed through the souvenirs, most of which were stone or wood replicas of the famous statues, complete with huge male appendages. We’re not sure the originals had such embellishments, but one never knows for sure. Since we didn’t really need anything, having been here last year, we just wandered around to see if there was anything we couldn’t live without.

We ran into Lara and Abigail. Abigail had purchased a long bowl in the shape of a canoe, which we thought was quite nice. Lara told us that she created a scandal at the last Crystal Society party by not wearing hose with her evening gown. We thought she was joking, but as it turned out, it was truly a scene with one old lady declaring it to be unsanitary and filing a complaint about her indecent appearance. We can’t even figure out how the woman could even notice such a thing because Lara always wears a f

tuesday, february 25^th -- Valparaíso, Chile – Depart 6:00 pm

wednesday, february 26^th – cruising the south pacific ocean

thursday, february 27^th – cruising the south pacific ocean

friday, february 28^th – cruising the south pacific ocean

saturday, march 1^st – cruising the south pacific ocean

sunday, march 2^nd – easter island, chile – 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Monday, march 3^rd – cruising the south pacific ocean

tuesday, march 4^th – cruising the south pacific ocean

wednesday, march 5^th – adamstown, pitcairn island – 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

thursday, march 6^th – cruising the south pacific ocean

friday, march 7^th – cruising the south pacific ocean

saturday, march 8^th – papeete, tahiti, french polynesia – 7:00 am – midnight

sunday, march 9^th – huahine, society islands – 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

monday, march 10^th – raiatea, french polynesia – 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

tuesday, march 11^th – cruising the south pacific ocean

wednesday, march 12^th – cruising the south pacific ocean

thursday, march 13^th – apia, samoa – 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

friday, march 14^th – crossing the international dateline

saturday, march 15^th – cruising the south pacific ocean

sunday, march 16^th – cruising the south pacific ocean

monday, march 17^th – cruising the south pacific ocean

tuesday, march 18^th – auckland, new zealand – arrive 7:00 am