People Pictures

Padangbai, Bali, Indonesia

We have been to Bali on two previous cruises, and it is one of our favorite tropical islands. We had two full days and a special evening on the ship. We chose a ship's tour to Rama Candidasa Beach Resort and spent a very relaxing afternoon. Lot's of pool time and a great buffet lunch. Upon returning to the ship, we knew we had an early show to attend.

Our friend, Dr. Lloyd Tinkle turned 100 years young on Feb. 20. To celebrate this milestone, our cruise director, Jamie, had been working for weeks, putting together a special video and show for Lloyd. Mike and I were fortunate to be chosen to participate in the video. Wink Martindale, a special lecturer this segment, hosted a name that tune type of show. Lloyd is a piano player, and he plays every morning. He would tinkle a few notes and Wink asked several groups of people to name that tune. It was all very tongue and cheek. The video was played in the theater and songs were sung and Lloyd had a birthday worthy of a centenarian.

Today, Mike and I opted to go ashore on our own, to do a little pier shopping. The vendors are aggressive and bargaining is a must. After about an hour, we decided it was time to go back to the ship. Mike bought his usual shirt and some other stuff I know we have no room for.

Disclaimer: Sorry about the blurry pictures, but they were taken in the theater and the light was not optimum. Just wanted you to get the idea of what we were doing.

Komodo Island, Indonesia

After 4 days at sea and a port call in Darwin, Australia, where we learned that a 4 GB camera memory card doesn't work in older laptops, (so no pictures ) we arrived at Komodo Island, Indonesia. A scenic approach to the island, which is 22 miles long and 9 miles wide, was beautiful to watch. Komodo is the home of the fearsome Komodo Dragon, which is a member of the monitor lizard family. We took the tender ashore and were offered a one hour walking tour or a shorter walk to the vendors. Mike went on the longer walk and I opted for the vendors. I saw two dragons, and Mike saw several and learned all about the island. After purchasing the obligatory t-shirt and a dragon carving, it was back to the ship for lunch and a cool down. The humidity in Komodo is 98% and the temp is about the same. Truly a memorable day.

Cairns, Australia

Our day in Cairns started at 8:30, when we were met by our driver/guide, Robyne. Our private car, a Holden, was roomy and cool, as it was very warm and humid outside. We had been to Cairns two years ago, so we decided to visit some places out side of the city. We drove for several miles and went to Hartley's Crocodile Park. Lots of birds, koalas and of course crocs. We saw Tex, a 100 year old croc, larger than a stretch limo. He seemed content to lay in the water and have all his ladies come by and visit. A short boat ride to feed the crocs was quite interesting. They leap out of the water to get the fish.
We also visited the upscale community of Port Douglas. About 50 kilometers from city center it was a beautiful drive past lovely beaches. We visited the marina and shops. It was quite empty, so we felt we should contribute to the economy by buying a t-shirt for Mike. Real estate in Port Douglas is quite expensive and very beautiful. Like every city, the closer to the water, the more expensive the property.

Brisbane, Australia

Brisbane is the state capital of the Australian state of Queensland and is the largest city in that state. Our day consisted of a riverboat tour up the river and a drive up to Mt. Coot-tha for an overview of the entire city. We had some rain, but the day turned out to be quite nice. Mike inadvertantly left his camera on the bus, so we don't have many pictures of our day.
Our travel group, Cruise Specialists, had a cocktail party on Deck 5 aft for sail away. It was a beautiful sunset and a great sail away. Two more days at sea until we arrive in Cairns.

Pictures from Sydney