R and R CruisinTogether

 Pitcairn Island is shown above.  This island is where, in 1790, the mutineers of the HMS Bounty took refuge and burned their ship while casting Captain Bligh and his loyalists out to sea in a small boat. There are currently forty inhabitants on the island.  They are casting about for young people to relocate to Pitcairn to revive their aging population.  Solar power is their source of energy.  We were unable to tender to the island so the captain brought several islanders aboard to speak about their environment and to set up a small market to sell their local wares. We're sloshing our way to French Polynesia and will make several island stops beginning Sunday. Song lyrics I have shared with you have all been about love between two people.  Letting You Go by Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires speaks to the love of a parent for their child.  This is for Marji and Justin.  Here are a few of the lines; The nurse helped us buckle the seat in the car And t...

  The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face sung by Roberta Flack became popular in 1972 and helped define our love in the very year when it was the first time ever I saw her face.  This song still resonates with us fifty-three years later.  RIP Roberta Flack.  Roberta's uncle, Harley Flack, lived in Zanesville and was an acquaintance of mine. Here are the lyrics.  Give it a listen. The first time ever I saw your face I thought the sun rose in your eyes And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave To the dark and the endless skies, my love To the dark and the endless skies And the first time ever I kissed your mouth I felt the earth move in my hand Like the trembling heart of a captive bird That was there at my command, my love That was there at my command, my love And the first time ever I lay with you I felt your heart so close to mine And I knew our joy would fill the earth And last 'til the end of time my love And it would last 'til the end of time The first...

 This photo is from the  Moai quarry.  The head is exposed while the remainder of this gigantic statue is underground.   At the time of these statues were carved with rocks around 1400, it is estimated there were between 3,000-9,000 inhabitants on this island.  The Rapa Nui completed approximately 900 of these effigies and moved them throughout the island as much as three miles .  The largest Moia is 33 feet tall and weighs 81.5 tons.  How did the Rapa Nui reallocate their human resources to accommodate such a monumental task when they needed nearly everyone to constantly work on providing food, shelter and clothing? Easter Island shows many different shades of green and crime is nearly non existent. French Polynesia is our next stop after a week at sea so my posts will not be as frequent.   “Maurice Nicoll says all history is a living today. We are not enjoying one spark of life in a huge, dead waste. We are, instead, existing at one po...

 Easter Island is mystical and magical.  The entire island is a Chilean National Park and a Unesco World Heritage Site.  It is one of the most remote places on earth.  It took us 4 days to reach Easter Island from Chile. These are the Moai monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island between the years 1400 and 1650.   These large statues are dotted throughout the island and researches are still unsure as to how they were transported.  The largest of the 900 statues is 32 feet high and weighs in excess of 80 tons. Easter Island is another beautiful location on our planet.  There is an aura when standing beneath these ancient effigies. Savage Garden sang; …   Maybe it's intuition But some things you just don't question Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant And there it goes I think I found my best friend I know that it might sound More than a little crazy but I believe …   I knew I loved you before I m...

 Greeting card shops are scarce in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean and Amazon doesn't deliver here so Ruth Ann made this one-of-a-kind birthday card for me.  Way better than any store bought card!  Many of you have asked where in the world we are going.  If you look closely, this is a map of our world cruise. Sky blue sky is the color above us today with clouds floating by that seem to be strands, bails and balls of cotton twisted, pulled and blown into whatever shapes we might conjure in our imagination.  Below us is a deep blue silky sea capable, along with the sky, of lulling us into tranquility with gentle ocean breezes at 72 degrees. Sunset blanketed us in love as we swayed to some of our favorite love songs on our balcony.  It is so very peaceful here at this moment on this night.  We are blessed more than we ever imagined to spend our lives together whether we are on a world cruise or in our backyard.  Celebrate love wherever you are!...

 Yesterday, we pulled away from the island named after the 18th century Daniel Defoe novel.  I attended a lecture on Chilean wines today.  Cabernet Sauvignon is the most popular wine of Chile though I really like their Sauvignon Blanc.  I discovered a fondness for Black Cabernet Sauvignon at the wine tasting in the Casablanca Valley and was intrigued by its dark color and smooth texture. We are in our first of four consecutive sea days before we arrive at Easter Island and it is smooth sailing so far.  When Two Feathers Fell From the Sky was also completed by Ruth Ann.  She has begun reading Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, which she read as a teenager.  My new read is The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. Gazing at the ocean has lessened while reading is gaining more of our attention.  Therefore, I might have nothing to report until Sunday after our first day on Easter Island. “It doesn’t matter where you are going. It matters who is beside ...

 Robinson Crusoe Island is 462 miles from Chile and inhabited by less than a thousand Chileans.  It is off the grid.  The surrounding waters are commercially fished for spiny lobster This is the main street of town.  We thought we might want to try the spiny lobster at a local restaurant. However, we changed our mind when we found the only restaurant in town (shown above) other than the burger joint.  The wind is fierce and the community is primitive.  It was a nice walk.  There is a beautiful national forest on the island.  It requires hiking across the mountain to gain entrance.  “Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination.” – Roy M. Goodman

 Casablanca Valley, which is home to one of the best vineyards producing Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Carmenere in Chile. I enjoyed a wine tasting and we both appreciated lunch and entertainment at Casa Vinamar. Drummers always attract me.  Should I try this type of drumming in Cincinnati with Frank, Tuck, Bob, Tim and Cheris?   Chile has much beauty enveloped by the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Andes Mountains in the east.  We will now sail away from the mainland toward two Chilean islands and on to the South Pacific Islands. Last night, Viviana Guzman played one of my all time favorite love songs by John Denver.  Viviana played on this song as a teenager in a John Denver television special. Annie's Song; You fill up my senses like a night in the forest, like the mountains in springtime, like a walk in the rain, like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean. You fill up my senses, come fill me again. Come let me love you, let me give my life...

 Viviana Guzman is a grammy nominated flautist who plays many different flutes from around the world.  We much enjoyed her second show onboard the Regent Mariner of the Seas.  I purchased her Songs for Whales at her previous performance a few days ago.  This is just the fourth evening performance we have attended.  We prefer to retire early and rise early in the morning so we have not attended most of the evening shows.     We're in the South Pacific Ocean.  The volume of the Pacific Ocean covers about 46% of the Earth's water surface and about one-third of its total surface area, making it larger than all the Earth's land area combined. Etta James sang; At last, my love has come along My lonely days are over And life is like a song Ooh yeah, yeah At last, the skies above are blue My heart was wrapped up in clover The night I looked at you I found a dream, that I could speak to A dream that I can call my own I found a thrill to rest my cheek ...

 Juan, our guide, took us to this hidden gem for lunch today.  Juan and I began the lunch with Pisco Sour which is a limoncello like drink made in Chile.  Juan and I connected not only with Pisco Sour but also with our life philosophies. Abalone and oysters served as an appetizer with conger stew and crab souffle for a main course.  Chilean Sauvignon Blanc was the perfect accompaniment for me.  When we travel, we most want to dine and converse with a local resident at a local restaurant serving authentic fare.  Today's luncheon hit all the highlights.  The eatery was a hideaway that no tourist would ever find. Chile and I believe all Latin American countries suffer from inequity in the distribution of wealth with a few wealthy people, many poor people and a very narrow middle class.  It seems our own middle class is shrinking more and more.  Did you know that one million seconds is 11.5 days and one billion seconds is 31.5 years?  One hu...

 Nalca, known as giant rhubarb but not related to rhubarb although it has the same culinary uses and tastes much like rhubarb.  It is huge.  We hiked through a Patagonia rainforest in the Andes Mountains this morning.  The birds were singing happy songs which made me think of our granddaughters, Grace and Caroline, who hike with us in our woods and enjoy the bird songs. Leaves of the tree are what we see.  The tree trunk grows parallel to the ground just beneath the surface. At the end of the hike, we were entertained by traditional Chilean dancers and feasted on lamb and potatoes which is common in Chile and called BBQ.  I was invited and enjoyed dancing with the lovely senorita.   We enjoyed lunch with an interesting couple.  I consider myself an underachiever.  However, I also consider myself a nurturer.  Therefore, I have done my best and found great joy in helping bring forth the best in others as a husband, father, teacher, ba...

Much blue ice is displayed in this glacier.  The most common theory is that the ice has compressed to the point where all the air has been removed and the entire spectrum of colors were captured within the ice except blue. Glaciers are receding all over the world.  This glacier used to cover all of the rock but as it recedes, it has been replaced by lichen shown above. We have just emerged from the Chilean Fjords and will see no more glaciers until we reach Alaska in a few months.  The fjords have been a fascinating labyrinth of small channels and large lagoons winding through the Andes Mountains rising from the Pacific Ocean in southern Chile.  We're glad the captain has a proper map.  Many an ancient mariner has lost their way and perished in these waters. My whole heart will be yours forever This is a beautiful start to a lifelong love letter  by Sara Bareilles

  Weather on the southern tip of South America changes frequently.  Clouds and rain make way for intermittent sunshine which results in a good many rainbows hanging out in the wild blue yonder. Sea days allow time for stretching and lifting in the fitness center.  The rain and wind has been steady today so our one hour walk was inside the ship up and down the stairs and into every public area on board.   Reflection also emanates on sea days.  When we met in 1972,  Ruth Ann (introduced to me by her nickname, Mabe) and I were both in college.  Mabe in nursing school in Zanesville and me in music school at OSU.  These days, the most current and mature way to ponder marriage is to first complete one's education, secure a position in one's field of study and be financially stable.  Then, one may fall in love, find a compatible partner and/or peruse the market for someone who will elevate or at least sustain one's socio-economic status.  ...

 Punta Arenas, Chile was our port-of-call today.  Patagonia was again our land destination as we visited a working sheep farm.  It took ninety minutes in a bus to reach the ranch of 700,000 acres.  The terrain along the way was flat, treeless and seemed like a barren wasteland except it was full of green grass and shrubs for the sheep, which is the largest industry in Chile.  We also saw many rheas which are a smaller relation to the ostrich.   Trees are quite different here and many are leaning in the direction the fierce and relentless wind has driven them.  Trees are planted in clusters to protect each other from the wind.  In the city, the clustered trees also help catch the wind blown branches to keep them from falling on pedestrians. 22,000 sheep inhabit this farm and each dog is responsible for 2,000 sheep.  This shepherd controlled his dog with a variety of whistle commands.  It was an entertaining display of skills and conn...

Whales were in abundance in Antarctica- thank God they weren't exterminated.  We didn't see any whales breach but saw many glide and dive.  It was exciting to see these gentle giants in their family pods that generally stay together their entire lives. Glaciers were gorgeous and gleaming in the sun as we passed them in the Beagle Channel.  The most dazzling glacier included a grand waterfall.  The on board Antarctic scientific team appreciated the beauty while also expressing alarm at the rate of melting.                                                   “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide

 From the bottom of the Earth north to the southernmost city on Earth, Ushuaia, Argentina,  Nestled between the Beagle Channel (where  the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet) and the Andes Mountains, this quaint city is a hub of outdoor adventure.  Winter sports dominate due to the cold climate. We spent most of our morning hiking in a Patagonia forest on the edge of the Andes Mountains which reminded us of our hiking friends, Kris and Tom.  In the valley where we hiked, most of the year it hosts cross country skiing, snowmobiles and dog sledding along with downhill skiing in the mountains. Local King Crab legs filled our plates for a late lunch to conclude our day in the city nicknamed "the end of the world" on the southernmost tip of South America. Diana Ross sang; Ain't no mountain high enough Ain't no valley low enough Ain't no river wild enough To keep me from you