Living (and LOVING) the Island Life!

Bula!  I am writing to you after spending five wonderful days in America Samoa and Fiji.  After our time in Hawaii, we had five days at sea which were fabulous.  The three of us now have a routine.  I continue to sun tan while Spencer and Dad attend astronomy lectures and eat as much as humanly possible.  At dinner, they usually order the same thing (which includes roughly 7 different courses each night).  “I’ll have what he’s having” has become the go-to line for each of them at dinner.  Our waiter doesn’t think it’s funny, but we laugh anyway.

One of the exciting things that happened during our 5 days at sea was...we crossed the equator!  The cruise ship prints an "equator crossing certificate" for everyone to commemorate the occasion.  However, you can imagine my dismay when I got back to the room to see the two certificates waiting for us...

If you can't read the printing, there is one certificate for Mr. Spencer James Cheyne and one certificate for "Mr. and Mrs. Keith Randal Odegard"...again I am constantly getting confused for Dad's wife and both he and Spencer just think it's HILARIOUS.

Moving on...

Pago, Pago, America Samoa

Our first stop was Pago, Pago (pronounced “Pango Pango”) in America Samoa.  We had waited five days to get off the ship and explore this beautiful island.  Much to my dismay, when I went up for breakfast (dressed in my bathing suit, sun hat, and cover up), I saw that it was POURING rain.  We were going to spend the day at the beach so this was a bit disappointing.  To add insult to injury, Dad was beside me saying, “This is fantastic!  PERFECT biking weather!”. (cue eye roll from me).

After waiting an hour, the rain seemed to lighten up and we got off the ship.  Dad went riding for a few hours and from what I heard, it was very enjoyable.  He had a bit of a fall and broke two spokes on his bike, but it’s all part of the adventure (at least that’s what I tell him).  Spencer and I planned on taking a taxi to one of the top tourist attractions: a beachfront bar named “Tisa’s”.  We were told the taxi should cost about $8 to get there.  When we got in the taxi (after having to ask a postal worker to call us a cab), the driver said it would be $24 USD/person.  NO THANKS.  We hopped out and decided to get on a little taxi bus instead that was offering a tour of the island.  It was $20/person for 3 hours and we thought that was a pretty good deal, so we joined a set of grandparents and their grandkids and off we went!  

After a short ride, the bus stopped at “Two Dollar Beach”.  It’s called “Two Dollar Beach” because it costs $5 USD per person.  Makes sense, right? Welcome to America Samoa.  Anyway, the rain had started to clear and we had the place to ourselves which was great!  Spencer did some snorkelling and I (you guessed it), sun tanned.  Yes, I will still try to get a tan while it’s basically still raining.  The tour guide said they would be back in 45 minutes to pick us up.  Perhaps you can tell where this story is going…they never came back.  And yes, we had already paid.  So there we were, stranded on the road with two elderly people and two children.  What to do.  First, I was hopeful.  I assured our other comrades that there was a perfectly reasonable excuse why they were 15 minutes…30 minutes…45 minutes late.  Then, a local Samoan woman said, “If you already paid them, I don’t think they are coming back.”  AWESOME.  If any of you followed my India blog, you know that I have been in similar situations to this before and I find them very frustrating.  Eventually, a local bus took pity on us and picked us up.  We told the driver our situation and amazingly, on the ride back, we saw our original tour bus driving the other way full of new passengers!  The bus driver (of the bus we were in) honked at them and made them pull over.  Then, Spencer (along with the grandmother who was mostly upset because she left her umbrellas on the bus and was NOT going to let them leave without getting them back), confronted the guide and demanded our money back.  Amazingly, they gave us half of our money back (which usually never happens) AND the grandmother got her umbrellas back so overall, it ended up ok. 

Next, we went to the Mcdonald’s to get internet but it was coincidentally not working…which of course they only told us after we had ordered food.  So, we went to another beachside bar where we were told they had wifi and after we had ordered, they said wifi cost extra ($3 for 30 min).  The only reason we were so focused on getting wifi was because I needed it for a work-related issue.  Anyway, after 30 min. of VERY SLOW internet, we sat back, drank some champagne and took in the view.  We had a few bumps in the road that day, but we were happy the weather cleared up and we got to see some beautiful landscapes!

Suva, Fiji

Due to a medical emergency, our ship got re-routed again.  This happens more often than you think with over a thousand seniors on a moving ship.  Instead of going to Savu Savu, we ended up going to Suva, Fiji.  I had been to Suva before and I knew there wasn’t much to see in the city, but that there were beautiful waterfalls you could swim in if you went far enough into the jungle.  Dad wasn’t feeling great and wanted to spend a day recovering after his big biking day, so Spencer and I went waterfall climbing and rope-swinging in the jungle for the day and it was AMAZING!  We had so much fun acting like kids again.  We had the whole place to ourselves (or so we thought) because we weren’t on a tour.  However, we may have been too confident that we were alone because, well..at the risk of sharing too much, we went skinny dipping in one of the waterfalls and after 2 minutes in the water, an elderly couple appeared OUT OF NOWHERE at the top of the falls, overlooking the pool beneath as Spencer and I tried to hide under water.  I’m not sure if the couple could actually see anything (you know old people and their eyesight), but needless to say, it was hilarious and embarrassing all at the same time. 

That night, it was Halloween and we chose to do another bar hop on the ship.  It was 50% off if we dressed up (which is why we did it a second time) so we had to come up with some last minute costumes!  I went as a cat (after Spencer worked some magic with my liquid eyeliner) and we used a bed sheet to make a toga for Spencer.  While we didn’t win “best dressed” because people went ALL OUT for the party, I DID win a bottle of champagne for being the youngest passenger at the bar hop.  In case you’re wondering, they also give out an award for the OLDEST bar hopper and they were 80 years old. The average age was about 70 (as we had expected).

The night was highly random and entertaining.  As expected, the name tags were there waiting for us and the names were even more random than last time.  Spencer was “Gandalf” for the night and I was “Agnes”.  Other names on the list included: Martha, Vera, Brad, and Doris Day.  Everyone was wearing the name tags and similar to last time, the name tag situation was never addressed in any way.  It was loads of fun and it was a great way to celebrate Halloween!

Our favourite bar hop host!

One of the "bars" was the freezer where they store food.  Again, so random but hilarious.

Mid-mod kitty cat, Agnes and greek god, Gandalf...

Dravuni, Fiji

Our most anticipated day in Fiji was Dravuni Island.  This is a TINY island that has not been commercialized at all.  The only people that can get to this island are cruise ship passengers who don’t come very often.  The locals that live there are very happy to have visitors but there is absolutely no infrastructure other than a small school for the local kids.  The island is only 12 miles long and the beaches are literally untouched.  We started off by doing a big hike up to the lookout point and it was just as beautiful as I had remembered (I visited the island as a crew member four years ago).  

One of the great views from the top!

After the hike, we went to the side of the island that was empty and we had the whole beach to ourselves.  If you can imagine a desktop computer screen saver of a tropical island, that IS Dravuni.  Spencer did some snorkelling on the other side of the island while Dad and I read and slept.  Another perfect day!

Our own little piece of paradise!

Living for the sun

Happy in the shade

Latouka, Fiji

Our final day in Fiji was a bit random, but still great!  We started by going to the famous mud baths and hot springs in Latouka.  The place was a bit run down and certainly a rustic experience but we enjoyed it.  First, we slathered mud all over our bodies and were supposed to wait about 15-20 minutes for it to dry.  While we waited, the staff wanted us to go look at souvenirs.  It’s a bit weird to go shopping while covered head to toe in mud.  

While waiting for the mud to dry, the woman leading us around insisted we pose for some more pictures.  She arranged us in various poses and these were the results:

Planning on framing this

My personal favourite

Anyway, after the mud had dried, we went into a warm pool and washed it all off.  It did feel amazing!  Next, we went to a warmer pool, then a cold pool, and then finally into a very hot pool.  It was a unique experience and I’m happy we did it!

The first pool

The last pool-all clean!

Next, we went to the botanical garden, “The Garden of the Sleeping Giant”.  The garden is most famously known for its orchids and they did not disappoint!  We spent an hour doing the jungle walk and seeing some amazing flora and fauna.  

Like father, like daughter

Fun moment of the walk was when a couple asked me to take their photo for them.  Obviously, I obliged and basically had them do a little mini photo shoot because the scenery was so beautiful.  They were so happy with my services, they wanted to take photos with ME.  Hilarious.  

#papparazzi

Overall, Fiji was FANTASTIC and I encourage anyone who wants to have an authentic island experience to get to Fiji!  (Hint: the best way is to see it on a cruise ship!  For real.)

Today, we are at sea and then we will be in New Caledonia tomorrow.  Dad and Spencer are still having a great time and are enjoying each other’s company.  The other day, I asked Spencer to do something with me and after obliging, he said “It’s ok, Keith, I’m taking one for the team” to which I responded, “Spencer, you and I are married.  We’re supposed to be the team!!!”

Other highlights of our time on board include dressing up for formal nights and Dad being pulled up on stage YET AGAIN during the main stage show (this time with a mentalist).  Dad figured out how he did the trick but acted impressed on stage anyway.  Spencer and I were also brought on stage during the show (surprise surprise, Dad didn't take any pictures of us) and now the three of us are recognized around the ship surprisingly often which of course, Dad loves.

Finally getting his moment in the spotlight!

Love any excuse to see Spencer in a suit and wear one of my gowns!

Fun fact: Dad bought this dress for me when we were travelling in Vietnam 6 years ago! Very happy to have an occasion to wear it again!

Anyway, lots of reasons to smile and laugh.  We are thankful for this opportunity to spend time together and share new experiences.  We hope wherever you are, you’re doing the same with the ones you love!

Until next time!

Annika