Suva, Fiji

In Suva we found a bustlintg city.  We walked around town enjoying the park but were particularly taken by the size and scale of the market.  

Joanne

Apia, Samoa (Part 2)

Across from the Cultural Center sat a spectacular cathedral.  It was bright and welcoming.  Its windows were stunning.  Its ceiling and dome brought together the amazing architecture of the church with the traditions of the Samoan culture.  

We've seen many cathedral's throughout the world but the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception is truly a sight to behold.

Joanne

Apia, Samoa (Part 1)

In Apia we were greeted by music and dancers on the dock.  Our first stop was the Robert Louis Stevenson home/museum where we toured the home and grounds,  After that we bummed around town finding the local fishmarket with lots of varieties fish we had never seen before.  Later, we stumbled on the Cultural Center where we sampled native foods and learned of some of the Samoan traditions such as the making of kava bowls, the making of paper from bark and more.

Joanne  

Pago Pago, American Samoa

In Pago Pago we went on the National Park tour.  The bus picked us up at the pier and drove us passed the very strong smelling Charlie the Tuna fish factory.  Our first stop was at a tree which featured fruit bat.  From there, we traveled through the stunning mountainous terrain to a village inside the National Park where Dave learned how to open coconuts and sample the raw fruit.

Neither of us like coconut, but we quickly learned that we enjoy the rich flavored fresh raw fruit.

Joanne

Fanning Island, Kiribati

Fanning Island was our first stop outside of the USA.  The island is said to be sinking and that its residents will need to evacuate at some point in the future.  Dave and I look at it and figure eroding is a better term for the island as many of these islands were created by volcanic rock.

The island, however, is not about the land but about the people.  We disembarked the tenders and were greeted by adults and children singing.  At school the children were learning some basic English phrases as many of them ran up to us and asked 'What is your name?"  They waved and smiled and made our stay very enjoyable.

Joanne

Kona, Hawaii

In Kona we used the public bus to take us to Kahalu'u Beach Park (aka Turtle Beach).  It was more of a black rock beach vs. the sandy beaches we are used to.  Once in the water the name did not disappoint and we did see turtles.  At one point one of the turtles swam right next to me and despite my trying to keep a polite distance from him he showed no fear and kept swimming closer.  For a while we swam side by side of each other and I reached out and touched his shell.  

Joanne

Honolulu, Oahu (Part 4)

On our second day in Honolulu we discovered that weather in Hawaii was not always picture perfect.  We began our day with a climb to the top of the Diamond Head trail.  The overcast weather turned out to be a blessing as it kept the temps cooler for our walk.  At the top we were able to get contrasting views of the shoreline to one side and views of the city from another.  Following our walk we intended to drive along the coastline up to the northern shore.  We made it around the scenic southeastern end and were on a drive northward when the clouds opened and torrential rains fell.  The rains were so heavy that roads quickly flooded blocking the highway. With great reluctance we turned around and headed back to the city.

Joanne