May 24, 2015, Sunday, Tauranga, NZ - NOT!

Our sailing to get to Tauranga was very bumpy.  They switched the entertainment to a movie rather than a performance.  So we saw the Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel again and caught more of it this time.  I love to see Jaipur and the dancing.  The streets were not as frenetic as in real life, however.  I hope there will be more sequels to this because it touches on our own lives and of others our age, on so many levels.

Our excursion was to be Highlights of Tauranga and Maori Culture.  There were only 3 to choose from, and the other two were 9 hours long and cost $300 or more.

We arrived in the harbor for Tauranga on a bright and sunny day after a night of jostling, rocking and rolling and strong winds.  We went for a late hearty breakfast because our tour started at 10:15am and was for 4 hours, not including lunch.  During breakfast the Captain announced that the port was closed due to high winds.  They would not let us dock.  So the Cruise Director scrambled to set up sea day activities and everyone changed from their long johns and winter clothes to ship clothes.  Terry Ward, our guest lecturer gave a talk about Cricket.  It was very interesting.  He gave the history of the game which basically is that England imported it to its colonies.  But the first international game was between the US and Canada!  David and I are now more confused as ever about the rules and play as much as we would like to understand it all since India is now a big player worldwide.

We set sail for Aukland, this time at half speed.  The seas are still lively but not as severe, allowing us to walk without holding on for dear life.

About the food.  We have both gained about 10 pounds.  At home no one is cooking for us.  So we tend to just grab something to keep us going like a piece of fruit or yoghurt.  Here it is hard to resist the delicious food.  With the service and quality of food and menu selections, we figure the value of the meals is about $150 per day per person.  White table cloths.  Beautiful charger plates.  Two waiters who change the silverware depending on what your next course is.  A black napkin if your dress is black, women are served first, the waiter debones the fish for you, the waiters know exactly how to describe each dish, the executive chef pops out to say hello a lot and every dish is beautifully presented as in the finest restaurants.  We can have a pork chop - but the most expensive pork chop in the world from Iberico Spain - lobster prepared three ways depending on which restaurant.  there are aquariums on board.  Kobe steak,  huge prawns or scallops.  The fish, whatever fresh catch of the day, is prepared perfectly.  We have a choice of salmon, halibut, swordfish, black cod, red snapper, tilapia, and other regional fish.

We had dinner with Tammy and Andy Heath, with Martha and Gene, and Anna and Sudan.  We left for Trivia and came back for dessert.  Tammy ran the trivia, and our team finally won.  we had to get all the answers correct, but we did it!

The entertainment was the troubadore/lecturer, Cricket enthusiast, Terry Shepard.  The theater was filled, the most I have seen.  His motto is:  Adventure before Dementia.  He sang a song about travel, that he'd seen the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall, "but the coca cola always tastes the same."