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Random thoughts from the sea

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Honolulu for Kalikimaka Season

Posted on December 15, 2018December 15, 2018 by Jo Johnston

Day 76, Grand Asia 2018 Friday, Dec. 14, 2018, Honolulu: I love Hawaii. I could live here, although I might have trouble deciding on which island. It might not be Oahu, or at least not in Honolulu, which after all is a big city with what is described as some

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Grand Asia 2018, Holland America
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A Hint of Christmas on the Amsterdam

Posted on December 14, 2018December 14, 2018 by Jo Johnston

Day 75, Grand Asia 2018 Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018, At Sea: We are expecting the Amsterdam’s Christmas decorations to arrive on board in Honolulu tomorrow. But meanwhile, the pastry chefs have put their gingerbread village together around the base of the Atrium Clock. I expect we may see more decorations

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Grand Asia 2018, Holland America
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Proud to be American (Samoa)

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Jo Johnston

Day 70, Grand Asia 2018 Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, Pago Pago, American Samoa: If you are paying close attention, you might notice that yesterday was Day 69 and Saturday, Dec. 8. Today is Day 70 ad Saturday, Dec. 8. No, I did not make a mistake. We crossed the International

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Grand Asia 2018, Holland America
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A Swell Stop in Samoa

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Jo Johnston

Day 69, Grand Asia 2018 Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, Apia, Samoa: I hadn’t been to Apia, Samoa, before. I still haven’t been there, at least not on land. We docked early in the morning as usual. A group of Samoan dancers and musicians welcomed us with a special performance before

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Grand Asia 2018, Holland America
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It’s Market Day in Fiji’s Capital

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Jo Johnston

Day 67, Grand Asia 2018 Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018, Suva, Fiji: After the South Pacific beaches and resorts of our last few ports, we are back in a city. Suva is the capital of Fiji, and our berth is on an industrial pier where giant forklifts move containers all day

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Grand Asia 2018, Holland America
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Fiji Sponsors Today’s Lazy Day

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Jo Johnston

Day 66, Grand Asia 2018 Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, Port Denarau, Fiji: I kept wandering through the same dozen shops, looking for the Fijian hot sauce I had seen an hour or so earlier. Of course, I never found it. A friend and I tendered ashore to Port Denarau and

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Grand Asia 2018, Holland America
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A Perfect Beach Day on Mystery Island

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Jo Johnston

Day 64, Grand Asia 2018 Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, Mystery Island, Vanuatu: After feeling a bit of guilt over doing not much of anything yesterday at Easo, Lifou, I didn’t feel a bit of guilt today about my lack of ambition. Perhaps the most strenuous thing people did today was

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My Lazy Side Wins Out Today

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Jo Johnston

Day 63, Grand Asia 2018 Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, Easo, Lifou, New Caledonia: This is the kind of port that leaves me in a quandary. It’s a small island whose attractions are mainly swimming and snorkeling. The ship charges $60 each for some excursions around the island, which seems a

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Grand Asia 2018, Holland America
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A Taste of France in the South Pacific

Posted on December 3, 2018December 4, 2018 by Jo Johnston

Day 62, Grand Asia 2018 Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, Nouméa, New Caledonia: As we “turn the corner and head toward home,” as I wrote in my last blog post, we are in the South Pacific, mainly visiting relatively small islands in the South Pacific. Some are mainly beach stops, and

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Grand Asia 2018, Holland America
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Sometimes a Book is All You Need

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Jo Johnston

Day 61, Grand Asia 2018 Friday, Nov. 30, 2018, At Sea: “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”– Steven King This afternoon our book club met to discuss our third book, The Dry, by Jane Harper (a crime drama set during an Australian drought). Holland America provides dozens of copies of the

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Grand Asia 2018, Holland America
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