Cairns, Australia

Cairns, Australia is probably most known for the Great Barrier Reef. It was a great city to spend a day after the cruise.

I had a lot of fun exploring the South Pacific and learning the culture and about the significance of these islands in World War II.

Next stop Europe.

Ciao for now!

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Port Moresby is the capital of Papua New Guinea. Port Moresby is the largest city in the South Pacific.

I spent most of the day at the Parliament House and the National Museum. I also went to Burn’s Peak lookout and the stilt village. All in all it was a good visit in Port Moresby.

Ciao for now!

Samarai Island, PNG

Samarai island, part of Papua New Guinea, is a very small island. The island measures about 59 acres. Even though Samarai is a small island, it used to be an important trading post. In 1943 during World War II, the island was evacuated and many buildings were destroyed so that the Japanese did not benefit from taking the island.

I took a couple of hours to take a leisurely stroll around the island and couldn’t resist to dip my toes in the water.

Ciao for now!

Paul Gaugin and French Post-Impressionism Art from the Solomon Sea

While aboard the Paul Gaugin cruise line, there were several educational talks given by professionals. I love art and tried to attend every talk on the subject. I enjoyed listening and learning about French Post-Impressionism. The speakers did a great job discussing the history and events that influenced the change in art. They also talked about how the art itself differed in approach from Impressionism using examples of work by Paul Gaugin and Vincent Van Gogh compared with Monet.

Ciao for Now!

Kieta, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea

In Kieta, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, I did a tour of Arawa. Once the Bougainville Copper Limited mining township, Arawa was destroyed in the Bougainville Conflict.

First I saw, World War II artifacts such as a tank and the reminants of a plane and canon.

Our group visited Pakia Village where a traditional dance was performed.

I also visited a small market.

The drive throughout Bougainville was filled with lush greenery.

Ciao for now!

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

I learned a lot more about World War II in Guadalcanal. Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, was the turning point for World War II. This island was significant for both the Japanese and the American Allied Forces. I visited the U.S. Memorial, Bloody Ridge, Henderson Field, Memorial Garden and the Coastwatchers Memorial.

It was a great experience to hear the stories and walk where the soldiers fought. According to my guide, Guadalcanal has more war sites and relic than any other island in the Pacific. After seeing the sites on land, I was able to spend the rest of the day in the ocean off of Bonegi Beach. While snorkeling I was able to see more historical military relics and sunken battleships. I also enjoyed seeing a variety of species of marine life.

Ciao for now!

Vanuatu Day 2: Espiritu Santo

Espiritu Santo, another island in Vanuatu had a lot of World War II relics and a stunning blue lagoon.

The blue lagoon on the island was a brilliant blue. It was hard to believe that this was the natural coloring.

The World War II historical sites I visited were:

• Japanese gaol that held the surviving crew from two Japanese patrol boats that sunk in 1942.

• Eurt’s Memorial in honor of the US Army Captain who drowned while saving men from the sinking SS President Coolidge.

• Bomber 1 and 3 airfields, some of which was hard to see as the jungle has grown back.  

• Million Dollar Point, a funny name but comes from the fact that the US military dumped a lot of equipment into the ocean after the war.

Ciao for now!

Vanuatu Day 1: Port Vila

Port Vila, Vanuatu on the island of Efate was beautiful. It is the capital and largest city in Vanuatu. It is a mix of Melanesian, French, English and Chinese cultures which adds for a unique flair. We went to the top of Klemm’s Hill, 600 feet above sea level, and had a wonderful view of Mele Bay. Next we went to the Cascade Falls Trailhead. I did a short hike and saw a lot of beautiful scenery. The waterfalls and crystal-clear water looked picture perfect. I enjoyed walking through present day villages of the city to better understand what life is like for them. I received a lot of smiles and waves from the small children that were out playing.

Ciao for now!

Fiji/Samoa Birthday Celebrations

This was quite the birthday!

I started off my birthday in Pago Pago, Tutuila in American Samoa. I was pleasantly surprised when the flight crew announced my birthday once we passed the international date line and I received a round of applause from the other passengers. Lunch time was in Lautoka, Fiji going between swimming in the ocean and pool for a few hours before we set sail. I ended my birthday celebration in the South Pacific Ocean at a disco birthday party on the cruise ship that the entire ship was invited to attend. For the next few days, everyone still greeted me with “Happy Birthday!”

Ciao for now!

Maui - my favorite destination

Maui is a great way to the start the summer. Hawaii is my favorite place and Maui is my favorite island.

I really enjoy surfing in Maui, the waves were pretty good on the days that I was able to surf. After a fun and long morning of surfing, I always make sure to get Kimo’s Hula Pie. I can see why the sailors would swim to shore in Lahaina for this. Another fun water adventure was snorkeling. We went out on a catamaran to the Marine Preserve in Honolua Bay to do some snorkeling. The view of the fish and turtles was amazing. After snorkeling, I had a great time jumping off the catamaran with some of the other tourists.

During this trip to Maui, I tried a few new things. I really enjoyed the guided waterfall tour hikes on the east side of the island. My favorite part was swimming in the different pools along the hiking trail and climbing up the waterfall to jump down.  I also did an ATV ride up the West Maui Mountains. When our group arrived at the top we cut open a pineapple for a snack and then headed down a slide in to the reservoir. It was awesome! The ATV ride is a lot of fun but you definitely get dirty! I also went horseback riding in a different area of the West Maui Mountains, it is interesting to see the difference in the vegetation between the west and east side of the island.

No trip to Maui is complete without a luau and strolling through Lahaina Town.  The luau on our final night was a great way to start my birthday celebrations! Now I am off to my next island in the Pacific Ocean.

Ciao for now!

Summer 2014

School’s out for the summer!

This summer is going to be packed with adventure. My itinerary is packed with 10 weeks of travel to some amazing places.

Stay tuned…

Ciao for now!