Today was a restful day at sea on National Geographic Orion. After an active agenda since our embarkation, most guests took advantage of a day at sea to catch up on journaling, working on photographs, artistic projects, lectures, hot tubbing, and even napping.
Our open bridge policy allows everyone to see how our amazing officers and deck team navigate through the seas. Sea days are a great time to visit the bridge as well as to watch for wildlife. Today was also the day to choose our top images to submit for the slideshow, which will help us remember the highlights of our adventure.
A wandering albatross, a pelagic bird with one of the widest wingspans on the planet, was seen as we began recap. It continued to fly gracefully behind National Geographic Orion as we headed to our gourmet dinner and concluded our evening.
I like to remind people that there are very few big surprises left in life, but if you are out in nature, with an open mind and a lot of time, you never know what you will find.
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Today, National Geographic Orion docked at a pier in Luganville on the island of Espiritu Santo, which is a part of the island nation of Vanuatu. We were greeted at the pier by a group of warriors who performed a traditional dance. We then visited the South Pacific World War II Museum, which was small but mighty. There were artifacts brought up from the SS President Coolidge, which was sunk off the coast during World War II. Near the museum, we looked at some of the military detritus left by the Americans after the war. After a few photo stops, we went to Millionaire Beach where the American military skuttled machinery utilized in World War II rather than leave it to be utilized by other people or countries. It was interesting to walk along the shoreline and observe remnants of machines and other discarded objects. After a delicious lunch, we went back out to explore more. We were privileged to see ‘Water Music’ performed live in the ocean. The women of Banks Island invented this tradition. They have created ways to replicate a variety of sounds utilizing only the position of their hands as they strike and move through the water. I cannot explain the sounds the women created and what an amazing experience it is to see this performance live. The final adventure of the day was fun in one of the ‘blue holes.’ A lot of people swam in this freshwater oasis. Many used the big swing to jump into the hole, while others happily floated along. The day was not complete until we learned about kava and had the opportunity to imbibe this famous beverage.
On this day and early in our expedition, we were shown how quickly weather can change in the tropics. Simultaneously, we also learned that we are a group of travelers who know how to find a “silver lining. As we boarded Zodiacs, we could see it was about to rain and prepared for wet weather. We were not aware of how wet it was about to become! To our astonishment, the rain was so thick and heavy that we had to return to the ship under the great leadership of Expedition Leader Leah. We were all grateful that she made this decision and were very happy to board National Geographic Orion . We waited out the weather in the comfort offered aboard. There is no better ship on which to spend the day as we relocated, and we enjoyed a fabulous presentation from guest speaker Wade Davis on, “Light at the Edge of the World.” In the afternoon, Stephen Fisher gave a presentation on this region’s integral part in the war efforts. In the evening, we met visiting Grosvenor Teacher Fellows Cath and Kate. After a fabulous dinner, we enjoyed a presentation from Undersea Specialist Chris Cook on fish identification. What began as an exciting day was followed by a great day on board as we move farther into the Solomon Islands.
What a day! We had an incredible morning in the village of Utupua. The villagers put on a number of shows, starting with an overwhelming warrior welcome. Men and boys of all ages charged the Zodiacs with bows and arrows, loud hollers, and stern stances. We gathered on benches in the center of the village and got to experience a wide range of dances and performances, ceremonial and theatrical. All dances were elaborate in costume, in chant, and in charisma. We watched as a boy in a dugout canoe was covered in mud and then conjured up by a performer covered in brown clay. The villagers, children and adults, laughed as the boy slowly rose, one limb at a time, as if coming back to life. The laughter of the entire village was infectious. What a joyous and welcoming community. After all the dances were complete, we wandered through town. Groups of us befriended local people and enjoyed personal tours of the village, the cemetery, the church, and the schoolyard. At the end of the tour, we stumbled upon some women preparing a meal of breadfruit and greens cooked in coconut milk using hot stones. They generously shared with us, and we had a scrumptious snack. Sharing food together was a great way to connect with these wonderfully kind people. In the afternoon, we took Zodiacs to the edge of the reef for a lovely snorkel with beautiful corals and a plethora of fish. Some guests opted for tours in the glass-bottom Zodiac for a look underwater without getting wet. After our fun water activities, we came back to the ship for a fabulous cocktail hour on the top deck as we watched the sunset and the moonrise. What a beautiful place we are traveling in. The beautiful scenery complements the beautiful people.
