But in the meantime……….. Q: What’s wrong with this picture? A: False.

More a commentary on the immensity of the Pacific Ocean rather than anything else. We’ll also experience a really long sail when we leave Indonesia and head across the Indian ocean to the Seychelles and the east coast of Africa.

Obvs things are a bit quiet here on the blog - we’re still sailing from Easter Island to Pitcairn, no ports to talk about so….

So now, I sense a Disturbance In The Force. There are rumblings of mutiny everywhere. Which is pretty ironic for a ship sailing toward Pitcairn Island. 😱

Last week the NFL playoff games were available to view on a “Special Events” channel in one’s suite. This morning, that offer was repeated for today’s games. But when I hurried back from lunch, I only got “not available” on that channel. It had also been advertised as being shown in one of the public rooms on a larger screen, when the TV option didn’t work, I wandered down to the public room:

Previously mentioned UK buddy sent me this, with Easter Island good wishes:

Ok, this is suddenly where my UK buddy Rob becomes interested.

When I was a little kid approximately 100 years ago, I was fascinated with King Tut’s tomb, the pyramids, and Easter Island. And I always had a “school-book” image of Easter Island in my head…..today at Rano Raraku, the “quarry” where the statues were carved, I happened to triumphantly find the picture that matched up with that remembered image:

We made it to Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, to be more au courant. We went to a couple of the moai sites and then had a late lunch, u’mu style. We’ll go back again this morning for a few more sites - I tried to post a few pix but wifi is being particularly uncooperative this morning….we depart this afternoon, so once we’re sailing again, I’ll settle in and try again.

Obviously there has been less to report over the last several days, as we’re (still!) at sea between Peru and Easter island. There’s been talk by the Captain about the difficulties of anchorage at Easter Island if there’s much surge, so we have our fingers crossed that tomorrow, we’ll be able to safely deploy the tenders, to allow us to go ashore. Easter Island was a *major* bucket list item and I’ll be exceedingly disappointed if we can’t make it work.

Everyone onboard got COVID-tested yesterday. They sent out notices with a specified time, we were in and out in 60 seconds. The medical team member said “don’t call us, we’ll call you”, and I’m happy to report that……that was that.

So, it’s nearly dinnertime on Tues the 24th - we’ve been sailing WSW from Lima for nearly 2½ days, and we’re not yet halfway to Easter Island. Really out in the middle of nowhere. (Just the way I like it)

Diane and Pete, our wonderful house-sitters, report that Butch and Sundance are doing really well. Just in case anyone was concerned. 😜

When the ship was docked in Manta, Ecuador (while we were doing our off-the-ship Galápagos adventure), the seas were a little angry. The Captain decided to vacate the ship’s berth and relocate out in the harbor - to prevent any further damage to the the ship, from scraping and bouncing off the dock.

On the last day of our off-the-ship Galápagos visit, we went to the Darwin Research Center, and learned more about the giant tortoises, and the conservation efforts on their behalf.

The hotel where we’re staying has a resident duck. At dinner, he swims in the pool and then makes the rounds to the nearby dinner tables, begging for bread. Which most people provide. And then another lap around the pool. After he’s full and ready to call it a night, his preening & toilette takes place, and then he heads off to slumber under a nearby shrub. Wake up, rinse, repeat. I think he’s got this wired.

Galápagos hawk (up top), we’re told he’s the apex predator of the air.

Too cute.

This one is older, but still nursing.

This little fella is only a couple of days old. And then, well…..The Circle of Life.

We’re in the Galápagos Islands…..but the day started out at 3:30 AM on the ship, and then involved multiple buses (including a 4-hour trip on the world’s bumpiest one), a 2-hour flight, multiple more buses and water taxis and customs/immigration nightmares and, well……it’s after 10:00p and I’m about to craszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Bio-diversity museum in Panama - I’m sure it brands me as an unsophisticated rube, but …….I don’t get it. Looks like something in the process of being torn down. Or the day after a hurricane. We loved Disney Hall (also Gehry) but only because the actual inside of the house was gorgeous and wonderful for music (second pic). When I talked with house-manager types at Disney Hall, they told me they constantly had to rescue people who got lost outside the hall or in the lobby areas - all those angular, non-90-degree hallways leading around angled corners and then being a dead-end. People couldn’t find their way back to their seats after intermission, without a search party.

The sandwich we got from the shore excursion folks won’t make anyone forget the Carnegie Deli….😬

The shave ice guy (actually shaving the ice!) was doing a thriving business

 

In & around Panamá City. The skyline sure looks different from 40 years ago.

 So….the Panama Canal.   2-3 years ago, Barbara said “I think it might be fun to go through the Panama Canal again some day”.  Got me to thinking and looking around, and here we are.  We did a transit back in 1982 on the Love Boa……er, the then-Pacific Princess.  The canal was a miracle of engineering and a wondrous travel day back then and it still is today.