# Cruising to Fiji



## Warrigal (Apr 13, 2017)

In a week's time hubby and I will be embarking on the Golden Princess for a two week cruise to Noumea and Fiji. I will not be posting during that time so please don't worry about my temporary disappearance. Like General MacArthur, I will return.


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## HazyDavey (Apr 13, 2017)

That sounds like a really fun thing to do.

Hope you have a great time ..


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## Pappy (Apr 13, 2017)

:bonvoyage:Enjoy, Warri.


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## Warrigal (May 3, 2017)

I'm back. 
Well rested and now busy unpacking.
Catch up with you all  real soon.


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## Lara (May 3, 2017)

Can't wait to hear all about it Warrigal. Welcome back!


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## debbie in seattle (May 3, 2017)

Don't forget pictures!!!


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## Lon (May 3, 2017)

Bon Voyage Warri Have a great time. My KIWI wife and I sailed to Fiji out of Auckland in 2002


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## SeaBreeze (May 3, 2017)

Hi Warri, hope you and hubby had a great time!


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## jujube (May 3, 2017)

Welcome back!  I'm sure you had a great time.  We do want pictures.


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## Warrigal (May 3, 2017)

We had a relaxing time with several on shore excursions along the way.
I learned more about cannibalism that I really needed to know though.

Last night aboard was sad.
There was a ship wide announcement that they were searching the ship for a missing passenger.
He was travelling alone and apparently was lonely and depressed.
They only realised that he was missing when he failed to place his luggage outside his room and enquiries revealed that he had not been seen anywhere for a couple of days. This puzzles me somewhat because surely the cabin steward would have noticed that he was not sleeping in his room (?)


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## SeaBreeze (May 3, 2017)

Wow, I hope that fella didn't jump overboard and commit suicide.


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## Warrigal (May 3, 2017)

This is me at a Modern Village near Mystery Island, Vanuatu.
Draped over my right ear is an elongated leaf that is my 'passport' that shows that I have come in peace.



This was a lovely excursion where we were warmly received by the local Melanesian people who explained their methods of food preparation, cottage industries and pre-missionary customs. They were not pushy and we left a donation for the local school rather than buy anything that they had to offer for sale.


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## SeaBreeze (May 3, 2017)

You look great, nice photo!  Interesting about the leaf showing you've come in peace.


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## Buckeye (May 3, 2017)

Sounds like a great trip.  Welcome back.


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## Warrigal (May 3, 2017)

Child care, Island style.

Babies were once carried in baskets or strapped to the mother's body while she worked.




This is how the father carried the baby. If he needed to defend his family he would slip the basket off the heavy sharpened stick and use it to fight any attackers.


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## Warrigal (May 3, 2017)

Marriage customs - pre missionaries.

Once or twice a year the various tribes would come together for the purpose of acquiring wives for the warriors.

The eligible girls would be paraded wearing two plumes of feathers. If a warrior saw someone he wanted as a wife he would add a third plume to her headdress. If more than one man desired her, extra plumes would signal his intent and a fight to the death would be the result The winner won the maiden, who had no say in any of it. There would be some haggling over the bride price to seal the deal.



Later, if the husband died or was killed in battle, the wife would immediately be killed and any children would be raised by relatives in the village.


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## Warrigal (May 3, 2017)

The villagers were very keen to explain to us that they were now Christians and where we landed from a small boat the first buildings were a large Presbyterian church and the local school. There were many children on the island and also many scrawny dogs. The villagers seemed to support themselves by gardening and basket making but I suspect that a number of them worked on other islands as well.

These are some of the ladies we met and one of the preschool children.



The woman on the left spoke excellent English. She told me that she was a teacher but was not teaching right now because she had a young child.

This old woman spends every day weaving the baskets that the villagers use and sell. She never looked up and neither did she pause in her endeavour. 



We were given a small food parcel to taste. It consisted of shredded taro wrapped in a wild spinach leaf and cooked by steaming inside bamboo over a fire. There was a sauce made from coconut milk and it tasted rather sweet. I wouldn't have minded seconds.


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## Warrigal (May 3, 2017)

SeaBreeze said:


> Wow, I hope that fella didn't jump overboard and commit suicide.



I think that is exactly what happened but so far I haven't seen a report in the Sydney papers.


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## Warrigal (May 5, 2017)

The news has filtered out about the missing man although few details have been released.



> *Man missing for several days on cruise ship feared overboard in South Pacific*
> 
> Sat 6 May 2017, 8:59am
> 
> ...


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## Lara (May 6, 2017)

That is sad about the missing man but other than that it looks like you had a successful trip. It was fun to see your picture and the interesting leaf custom of peace and goodwill. Thank you for sharing all your pics. Interesting customs indeed.


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## OneEyedDiva (May 7, 2017)

Very nice photo of you. What a great trip. Glad you enjoyed. Too bad about that passenger.


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## daver66 (Jun 30, 2017)

sound looks awesome. i envy you , guys


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