128 Days Around the World

February 28, 2020

Nuku’Alofa, Tonga

Once again, I have taken a very good tour of this island so I decided to walk around on my own. I had driven through the town six years ago but I wanted to see it on foot. I left the ship at 10 and picked up a walking map. Although I did not follow the entire route, I walked over three miles. And it was really hot! I stopped and looked at the stalls on my way back to the ship and was back in my cabin by 11:30.

After changing into my bathing suit, I had lunch in the Lido. I spent from 12:30 to 3:15 at the Sea View Pool. About half of that time was in the pool and the other half sunbathing.

Debby and her husband joined Diana and me for afternoon trivia. We had 11 out of 18 and the winners had 16.

1.Sazerac is now usually made with rye or bourbon. What was it originally made from?

2.What was the first movie Mel Gibson produced, directed, and starred in?

3.The Sealed Knot Society re-enacts what?

4.In the TV show Hogan’s Heroes what did Sgt. Schulz know?

5.The bomb plot of 1944 failed to assassinate whom?

While we were going over the trivia answers, we sailed away from Tonga. The Captain came over the speaker and made the announcement that we have all been expecting – a revised itinerary. A number of ports in Asia and one in Africa (due to civil unrest) were eliminated and a few added. The most controversial was the addition of a two-night, three-day stay in Mumbai, India. Most of the talk afterwards dealt with two things. The first was how unhappy everyone was that the crew would not have a chance to see their families with the cancellation of all Indonesian ports. The second was how would we get visas for India. The Indian visa has for many years been one of the most difficult and costly ones to get. We will see what HAL can do to expedite the process. (I actually have a valid visa for India – I bought a 10-year one in 2013. Unfortunately, it is in my old passport at home.)

There was a very unusual 6:30 pm general trivia. There were only three teams and one many playing by himself. We had 9 out of 17 and the winners had 10.

1.What war movie did Frank Sinatra direct?

2.What is the theme song of the Harlem Globetrotters?

3.What song did Dolly Parton write as a farewell to her partner Porter Waggoner?

4.What NBA star retired for the third time on May 14, 1996?

5.What singer had top 40 hits in every year between 1970 and 1998?

After dinner I went to the show which featured an impersonator. I did not stay for the entire show (and I was not the only one).

Sea day tomorrow.

Afternoon trivia

1.Sazerac cognac

2.Braveheart

3.the English Civil War

4.nothing

5.Hitler

6:30 trivia

1.None But the Brave

2.Sweet Georgia Brown

3.I Will Always Love You

4.Magic Johnson

5.Elton John