Dravuni Island, Kadavu Province, Eastern Division, Fiji

Dravuni Island, Fiji is a classic south Pacific island paradise.  The island is small but offers enough land to get lost in while exploring the many hills and valleys.  It is truly amazing to see the island from the tallest point on the island.  The hike up the hill is not too strenuous.  Just take your time and you will be rewarded with these views.

Fiji is an island country in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,100 miles (2,000 km) northeast of  New Zealand's North Island. Its closest neighbors are Vanuatu to the west, France's New Caledonia to the southwest, Tonga to the east, the Samoas, and Tuvalu to the north.  The country comprises an archipelago of more than 332 islands, of which 110 are permanently inhabited. 

 The climate in Fiji is tropical marine and warm most of the year with minimal temperature extremes. The warm season is from November to April and the cooler season begins in May and lasts until October. Temperature in the cool season still averages 22 °C (72 °F).  Rainfall is variable, but the warmer season experiences heavier rainfall, especially inland. Winds are moderate, though cyclones occur about once a year.

Back down at sea level, you'll be walking through lush tropical forest.  Such as this.  I loved walking around this area as the sea breeze, warm temperatures and lush plants were all so full of life.

After hiking and exploring, it's time to relax on the beach or go for a swim in the warm ocean water.

If you ever get the chance to take a cruise in the South Pacific, make sure to include some of the smaller islands that Fiji has to offer.  You will truly feel like you are the only person on the island.  Enjoy.

Sailing From Southampton, UK to Spain Onboard the Crown Princess

I will be writing about my experiences working on board the Crown Princess cruise ship during the month of May, 2013.  The cruises were leaving from Southampton, England and going to Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Gibraltar and the Canary Islands.

I had a great time seeing all the sights in the old European cities and look forward to writing about my experiences there.

Working on A Cruise Ship in the Caribbean

GETTING TO THE SHIP IN FT. LAUDERDALE, FL

I was fortunate to spend part of this winter working on a cruise ship in the warm weather of several Caribbean islands. I was hired by Princess Cruise Lines to play drums with one of the party bands on board the Ruby Princess. I had many great experiences during this employment contract and enjoyed the itinerary very much.  Especially the people, the warm weather and the great beaches.

I left San Francisco airport very early on the morning of Saturday, October 28, 2012.  I had a non-stop flight to Miami International airport.  The flight passed quickly at just under 5 hours.  After dealing with some logistical issues with ground transportation and where I was going to sleep that night, I ended up at the Sheraton Suites Hotel in Plantation, FL.  Just east of Ft. Lauderdale and the cruise ship terminals at Port Everglades.

EMBARKATION DAY

I slept well in the comfortable bed of my nicely appointed suite.  After an early breakfast, all new crew members were to assemble near the hotel lobby and wait for the bus that would take us to the Ruby Princess which sat docked in Port Everglades.

Ruby Princess docked in Port Everglades, FL.

Ruby Princess taking on supplies at Port Everglades, FL.

Our home port was Port Everglades, FL with the ship leaving every Sunday afternoon around 4:00 pm EST.  The itinerary was Princess Cays, St. Martin, St. Thomas, Grand Turk. The weather was perfect, in the low to mid 80's most of the time. 

Ruby Princess Itinerary

SUNDAY - HOME PORT, PORT EVERGLADES, FL

	Sunday was turnaround day in Port Everglades, FL.  This was the day most crew members went into Ft. Lauderdale to go shopping.  I can't tell you how good it feels to be able to walk into a Publix and buy your favorite snacks, beer, wine or whatever it is that you can't buy on the ship or at any of the stores you find along the itinerary.  The same is true for all your personal needs like shampoo, soap, shave cream, envelopes, pens, etc.   It was also very nice to be grab some coffee or espresso at a Starbucks or go to a restaurant and get some different food from that you eat just about every day.  I had to be back on the ship in time for the Passenger Boat drill that started at 3:15.  After that, we set sail for our first stop on Monday, Princess Cays, Bahamas. Leaving Port Everglades, FL Ruby Princess pushing away from home port in Port Everglades, FL. MONDAY - PRINCESS CAYS, ELEUTHERA, BAHAMAS After a quick overnight voyage, we arrive at Princess Cays, which is a great place to eat, go swimming or walking along the beach.  The only bad part of this stop for a crew member like myself, is that you have to take a tender from the ship to the island.  Tenders are the small motorized lifeboats that the ship carries for emergencies.  They pull double duty as a passenger/crew conveyance at ports that have very shallow harbors or no docking facilities for large cruise ships.  Passengers get first priority on the tenders, so it can take a while to get to and from the island because of the long lines waiting for the next available tender.   I only went onto Princess Cays one time.  But what I found on my long walk were some beautiful places to go swimming and the ruins of an old church.  It was very peaceful walking along the paths and beaches of this island at the southern tip of Eleuthera, the Bahamas. On the beach at Princess Cays
	TUESDAY - DAY AT SEA
	Tuesday was a travel day or what we call a 'sea-day'.  Depending how long you have been working on the ship, sea-days can get a little boring.  There is no shore to go sightseeing on, so you are basically a prisoner on the ship.  Left to your own defenses to figure out how to occupy your free time.  I usually used sea-days for catching up on things like laundry, checking my email, working out, or reading.  Every so often, the band had to learn some new songs, so we would use sea-days as our rehearsal day as well.   WEDNESDAY - ST. MAARTEN / ST. MARTIN The Philipsburg bay in St. Maarten  Ah beautiful St. Maarten.  This was by far my favorite stop of the cruise.  So many things to do, so much to see.  The smallest island in the world ever to have been partitioned between two different nations, St. Martin/St. Maarten has been shared by the French and the Dutch in a spirit of neighborly cooperation and mutual friendship for almost 350 years.   Located midway through the chain of islands in the Caribbean, just as the Antilles begin to curve to the south, St. Martin is sunny and warm year-round, averaging 82 degrees Fahrenheit in summer and just 2 degrees cooler in winter. The island is buffeted by cooling trade winds that keep things temperate all year long. Average annual rainfall comes to about 45 inches, most of which occurs around late summer and early fall.  Cruise Ships docked in St. Maarten My routine in St. Martin was to go for a long walk, buy something cold to drink and then go swimming in the warm and salty ocean.  This was my favorite place to go swimming.  The water temperature was around 82 degrees and the white sand was soft under your feet.  I always tried to get leave the ship as early as I could, so as to spend as much time on land before returning to the ship to get ready for work. Along the beach in Philipsburg, St. Martin
	THURSDAY - ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS St. Thomas was another great stop along the way.  There was plenty to see and do in this U.S. possession.  Lots of places for shopping of course.  There's a huge diamond district in Charlotte Amalie.  If you aren't in the market for jewelry you can spend your time at one of the many fine restaurants in town like the Big Kahuna Rum Shack located directly across from the waters in Long Bay.  This is a great place to take a break from walking and enjoy a called drink or hearty food. My routing in St. Thomas was to take a long walk from the cruise ship in Crown Bay all the way to Charlotte Amalie.  There are plenty of grocery stores to restock your cabin with snacks and drinks.  There's plenty of great beaches too.  Depending on how far you want to travel, from the world famous Megan's Bay on the north side of the island, to the beach I went swimming at on Lindbergh Bay which is very close to the cruise ship, you will find excellent swimming on St. Thomas.
	Long Bay, St. Thomas V.I. I also enjoyed walking around the marina at Yacht Haven Grande and checking out all the huge yachts in the harbor.  Some of these yachts were really impressive. Yacht Haven Grande also offers lots of shopping at stores like Tommy Hilfiger, Bulgari and Diamonds International.  Since I am addicted to espresso and other forms of strong coffee, I was overjoyed when I was able to have a really good cappuccino at a coffee house called Bad Ass Coffee.  It's easy to find among the many stores at Yacht Haven Grande.  If you like coffee, go there, you won't be disappointed.  Private Yacht in St. Thomas
	Unfortunately, we left St. Thomas early so I had to be back on the ship by 3:00pm on Thursdays.  All in all, St. Thomas was a very enjoyable day and I always looked forward to stopping here.  If you've never been here, I'm sure you will be very happy once you make the decision to come.    FRIDAY - GRAND TURK, TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS Cruise ships docked in Grand Turk An any given day, this is what you will see at the cruise ship center in Grand Turk.  This is where you will find just about any water related activity you desire.  Great swimming, scuba diving, boating, para-sailing, etc.  Grand Turk is a step back in time. At just 6.5 miles long, this small strip of land amid the sea is a sparsely populated, tree-covered paradise.  Grand Turc Cruise Center Cockburn Town, the main settlement, is the capital of the country and is lined with buildings that date
	back to colonial times.  I spent my time in Grand Turk going on long walks on the beach, followed by a refreshing swim at Governor's Beach in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.  I also did some snorkeling here and found quite a wide variety of  small fish swimming close to shore.  There's a Margaritaville located in the Grand Turc Cruise Center offering all of your favorite tropical drinks and foods as well as a large fresh water swimming pool for those who don't like swimming in the ocean. Booby Rock Point, Grand Turk SATURDAY - DAY AT SEA On this cruise, Saturday was the last 'sea-day'.  Most of the passengers would use this day to take it easy and get some rest and relaxation after all the hectic days spent at the various port's of call.  As I said before, sea-days can get a little boring so you have to be creative in finding ways to fill your day besides eating every couple of hours.  I would try to get in some exercise by walking around the promenade deck and then ready to play music that evening.
	SUNDAY - FT. LAUDERDALE, FL If it's Sunday, we must be back at the Port Everglades cruise ship terminal.  Time for all passengers to leave the ship and return to their respective homes.  For those of us who were part of the ship's crew, this was the place to restock all your supplies at the many stores located nearby.  First stop for me, once I got off the ship, was Starbucks.  Because I was working during the holidays, I usually purchased a venti egg-nog latte and a regular coffee and spent part of my morning reading the paper or going online. Next stop was Publix for snacks, beer, wine, soda or whatever it was I needed to make my life onboard a little more like home.  This is very important when you work on a ship month after month.  You tend to get a little tired of the buffet style food they serve on board.  So it's great to have some of your favorite snacks handy. Sunday is a turnaround day, with new passengers boarding the ship for the next cruise.  This means we have to have a boat drill with the new passengers before we can sail.  That means I needed to be back on the ship by 2:45pm at the latest.  Boat drill was at 3:00 or 3:15.  After boat drill I was free until that evenings performance schedule began, usually around 7:00pm.  Rinse and repeat.  Week after week.

Ruby Princess docked at Grand Turk.

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Camping at William Kent Campground, Tahoe City, CA

Entrance to William Kent Campground

 William Kent Campground‎

1995 West Lake Boulevard

Sunnyside-Tahoe City, California 96145

(530) 583-3642

 
I just returned from a four day camping trip to north Lake Tahoe.  Fresh mountain air, clear blue skies, lush green forests and near-freezing overnight temperatures. Brrrrrrr!

I arrived at William Kent campground on Wednesday morning in early June.  It was good to be back at this campground, a place where I've been camping at since the mid 90's.  I always enjoy coming to this campground for a variety of reasons but the main one being it's directly acro ss the highway from Lake Tahoe.  The location of William Kent is great because it gives you access to many outdoor activities in just a matter of minutes from your campsite.  This campground is located on Hwy. 89 about 1.5 miles south of the "Y" intersection in Tahoe City. 

You can walk down to the lake and go for a swim or paddle around in your personal watercraft.  You can go biking on the bike path that passes directly in front of the campground entrance and runs parallel to Highway 89.  I like to ride into Tahoe City for groceries and a tasty espresso.  You can float down the Truckee River in your own raft or rent one and be picked up Alpine Meadows Road.  There are also a number of great restaurants available very close by.  Sunnyside is a five minute walk from the campground.

Near Sunnyside Resort at Lake Tahoe

Other reasons I like William Kent are the layout of the sites, they are large and offer privacy unlike many campgrounds where there is no vegetation between campsites.  Here the Ponderosa pines, birch trees and Douglas Fir trees grow tall and give you plenty of shade and privacy.  I love trees so I spend a lot of time just looking at them, noting their shapes, symmetry and height.  They are beautiful to look at.

Campground Loop

I was in campsite #70.  This site has everything I look for in a good campsite: lots of room for all your stuff, a relatively flat area for your tent, a good distance from neighbors with privacy, good combination of sun and shade, close to the restrooms-but not too close and close to a water source.  This site is nearly perfect in my opinion.  I love it.  This is the third time I have stayed in this particular site and it just keeps getting better.

Setting Up Camp

I unloaded my gear and set up my five-person tent.  I enjoy setting up my campsite while I breathe in the fresh mountain air and gaze at the beautiful sights all around me.  The process of setting up my tent and camp is very therapeutic for me and a lot of fun as well.  I enjoy the outdoors very much and draw energy from the environment all around me.  I have a very strong pioneer spirit inside of me so I feel very comfortable and connect very quickly to nature.

Camp Site #70 - William Kent Campground

  I find it very relaxing to set up my tent, the propane stove, the Coleman lantern, fill up my five-gallon water jug and set out my chairs to my liking.  I like to have my camp all set up before night fall, it's much easier to do when you have plenty of daylight.  Once my bed is made (I use a foam pad or air mattress and a sleeping bag), I am free to go for a bike ride or a long walk around the surrounding neighborhood.

Site #70 with Tent Setup

 Exploring the Surrounding Area

One of my favorite activities when I'm in Tahoe City is to walk around the different neighborhoods and check out the wide variety of custom homes in the area.  They can range in price from a quarter of a million dollars to five or ten million dollars.  Most of the architectural styles are based on a log cabin theme or a variation of the Craftsman style of architecture.  I'm a huge fan of log cabins.  I really like the houses that combing natural wood and stone into their construction.  The two house shown below are typical of what you will see when exploring this area.  I can spend hours and hours looking at the many different construction styles you will see around the lake.

I enjoy thinking about what it would be like to live here year round.  What it must be like to be home while the snow falls heavy outside and you sit inside your cabin next to a warm fire and then go outside the next day a walk through the deep snow.  During the winter months here, you are subject to the dictates of nature and you have to be prepared to deal with whatever she may throw at you.  Freezing rain or three or four feet of snow in a matter of days. 

Custom-built home in Tahoe City

On my second day during this trip, I spent the day riding my bike south to Homewood and north to Dollar Point on the bike path.  I also rode about seven miles on the bike path that follows the Truckee River.  If you have never had the opportunity to ride on this bike path, make it a priority on your next trip to North Lake Tahoe.  You won't be disappointed.  There is always something to see when you are bike riding the paths here.  Tall trees, Lake Tahoe, rafters floating down the Truckee River, large custom homes, snow-covered mountain peaks and lots of people having fun in the great outdoors.

I enjoyed this trip very much and it was good to get away from my usual routine.  I have a ritual I like to follow in the morning when I wake up.  After splashing cold water on my face, I fire up the gas stove and start heating up some water make coffee.  That first cup of coffee sitting at the picnic table tastes the best.  It probably tastes so good because of the combination of fresh mountain air and all the sights and sounds of nature all around me.  To me, the morning hours are my favorite and I cherish every passing minute while I gaze at my surroundings or just read a book and sip some black coffee.

This is the time that helps me recharge my batteries and I am thankful for the healing effect just being here has on my soul.  I don't know if other people are so deeply affected by nature as I am, but I am so grateful that I can experience such joy and happiness from being out in nature.  It has always been this way for me, even as a young boy, being outside and exploring nature has always made me very happy.  I guess I am lucky that way.

Truckee River

North Shore, Lake Tahoe

North Shore, Lake Tahoe

Douglas Fir in late afternoon sunlight

Getting ready for a camping trip to one of my favorite places in the world.  Lake Tahoe.

I will be camping at William Kent Campground the first week of June for three days.  I hope all the snow has melted by then.  Last year when I went at roughly the same time, the snow was gone, but the overnight temperatures dropped down into the mid 30's F.  The days were warm but you needed a warm jacket and a good sleeping bag when the sun went down.  I assume it will be the same again this year.  On the positive side, it is too cold for the mosquitos to come out, so they aren't a problem this time of year like they are later in the summer.  Come late June, be sure to bring your anti-insect repellant with you when you go camping in the high Sierra.

I will post a recap of the places I went to and the things I did, along with new pictures after I get back.

Papeete, Tahiti - capital of French Polynesia

I arrived in Papeete, Tahiti as an employee of Carnival Australia working on board the Pacific Sun cruise ship.
I was playing with one of the bands on the cruise ship and because I worked nights on the ship, my days were usually free to go ashore and do plenty of sightseeing.  When I walked out to the top outside deck and gazed upon the scene all around me, I was utterly and completely shocked by how beautiful it was.  Everywhere I looked I saw incredible views of  palm tree-covered mountains, large expanses of turquoise-blue ocean and lush vegetation.  

Papeete, Tahiti's "Boulevard Pomare", along the city's harbor front.

As a first-time visitor, I was very impressed by the juxtaposition of the city surrounded by some very tall mountains.  I was surprised to learn that some of the mountains on this island were over 7,000 ft in elevation.  Mont Orohena is the tallest mountain of French Polynesia with an elevation of 2,241 m (7,352 ft) and is located in central Tahiti.

The esplanade in Papeete, Tahiti.

It was fairly hot on the day I was there.  I easily broke a sweat just from standing out in the sun.  The climate on the Island of Tahiti and Papeete is considered tropical and can be divided into two basic seasons: the wet season and the dry season.

The wet season (Polynesian Summer), is between the months of November to April, receiving approximately 3/4ths of the annual rainfall of French Polynesia between these months. The humidity during this time can be quite heavy and muggy and cloud cover is common. Storms are frequent, brief, and unpredictable. (Average rainfall for Papeete is over 70 inches).  Temperatures will range from 27 - 30 degrees C (81-86 degrees F), with the hottest months being February and March. This "wet season" is considered the "off season" for tourism.

By contrast, the "dry season" - May through October, is the "on season" for tourism. This is the Polynesian winter. Temperatures generally range from between 24-28 degrees C (75-82 degrees F) , and rain is rare. Day to night temperature fluctuations are minimal.

View of Moorea from Papeete, Tahiti.

I was there in mid May and the town was busy with tourists as it was the beginning of the "on season".  Our cruise ship was docked adjacent to the Place Vaiete where there is a large open market and stage.  This proved convenient as later that night, I was able to listen to a live reggae music concert coming from the stage there.  Locals were listening, dancing and eating to the rhythmic tunes being played.  It was a beautiful warm night with a pleasant temperature around 80F with a calm breeze.  The locals look right at home outdoors and when you visit here you will know why.  The warm, moist air carries the sweet smell of all the plants and flowers on it and makes you feel so relaxed you just feel like laying down on the grass and taking in all the beauty that is all around you.    

Wood sculpture near Place Vaiete in Papeete.

Camping at William Kent Campground, North Lake Tahoe, CA

Lake Tahoe from the east shore.

It was a beautiful July morning when I pulled up to the campground registration office at William Kent campground.  I had made online reservations a couple of weeks earlier, so I knew I had a space reserved for the next five days.  I am always very excited when I first arrive at a campground because there are so many things to do and see.  I can't wait to set up my tent, stove, lantern and make my temporary home in the woods comfortable and organized for the duration of my stay. 

Campsite #63 at William Kent Camp

I have been coming here since the mid-1990's.  It is one of my favorite campgrounds at Lake Tahoe because of the many varied activities that are available here.  Such as swimming in the lake, going for a long bike ride along the amazing bike path that runs in some cases, mere feet from the lake.  There's also loads of hiking opportunities on nearby trails.  You can access the Pacific Crest Trail near here as well.  Don't forget to try floating down the Truckee river on a raft or some other personal flotation device.  There's also a grocery store, hardware store and lots of restaurants in nearby Tahoe City.  This is very convenient for picking up bags of ice, cold beer or a nice bottle of wine.  It's also nice in case you forget to bring all your camping supplies or just feel like eating out.

On this trip I did all of the activities listed above and then some.  Although, since it was very hot while I was there I went swimming at the lake at least twice a day.  The water feels really good when you first jump in. At the surface the water can warm up to 68F, but this vast body of water generally averages around 50F on the surface for most of the year. Further down, the water temperature remains pretty constant at 39F.  Too cold for some but I love it.  It's so refreshing.

I also enjoy biking along the bike path, after swimming this is probably my favorite thing to do when I go to Lake Tahoe.  I biked from the campground at Sunnyside for about 10 miles south to Tahoma.  The views are spectacular everywhere you look.  The water at Lake Tahoe is noted very being incredibly blue and clear.  The contrast between the blue water and the dark green of the pine, cedar and Douglas fir trees is stunning.
The bike path meanders and is very easy to negotiate for young and old bikers.  Breathing the clean, fresh mountain air feels good.   The surface elevation of the lake is about 6,225 ft.

Boats moored at Sunnyside, North Lake Tahoe

I enjoy walking from the campground out into the adjacent neighborhoods.  There is an astounding variety of architectural styles on display in the houses and cabins in this area.  Ranging from small, relatively inexpensive cabins to large, opulent and multi-million dollar homes.  As you can see from the picture on the right. 

Private home on Lake Tahoe.

I could walk around these tall tree neighborhoods for hours.  There's so many cool things to see.  How people set up there homes, stack their firewood for the cold winters, create outdoor spaces to enjoy the beautiful outdoors.  Chainsaw carvings of bears, eagles, raccoons and scenes of wildlife.  I usually catch a garage sale or two while I'm out walking.  This results in my finding an interesting piece of camping equipment that I can use on my trip.

North Lake Tahoe home.

North Lake Tahoe at dusk.

I could write for hours about all the things to see and do while you are here.  Obviously, I would live there for the whole summer and into fall if I could.  There are so many things that pull me to come here, like the quality of the sunlight, the beautiful landscapes, the recreation, the water, the forests, the wildlife, to name just a few things.

If you have never been to Lake Tahoe, California, please put it down on your list of places to come visit.  I guarantee you won't be disappointed.