ZWT7 ~ Pacific Islands ~ Cruising the Pacific Challenge

[Annacia]

Annacia wrote:


Tahiti for Witchin Kitchen please.

For my cruise to Tahiti I'll make Shrimp and Scallop Chowder With Coconut Milk #202718 by Mikekey

[Chocolatl]

Chocolatl wrote:


I'll take Guam for Witchin Kitchen.

For my recipe I'll make Guamanian Island Potato Salad #458128.

[FloridaNative]

FOR THE HOT PINK LADIES…


Hiya

I would like to do the 'Cruisin the Pacific' Challenge and I would like to choose Polynesia as my island selection. Do I need to be more specific for the island?

OK - I will choose HAWAII

FN

[NorthwestGal]

Zaar World Tour #7 has given me the travel bug. Yes, I am definitely ready for a vacation. And it seems that only a luxurious cruise to a French Polynesian location will fit the bill. So my husband and I are setting off to virtually enjoy the many Polynesian delights that await us!

One of the ports of call will take us to the French Polynesian destination of Bora Bora. Considered the most beautiful of the Polynesian islands, and being the current top honeymoon destination in the world, we know we are in for many pleasant surprises. Our luxury cruise ship will stop for a one-night stay in a Bora Bora port near the village of Vaitape. An open-air bus will be awaiting us, to quickly whisk us away to our resort destination. And we will waste no time checking into our bungalow that rests in the soft blue lagoon, so we can get started on a full day of fun activities.



Our first stop will be the open-air cafe to enjoy an early lunch of sweet tropical fruits, fresh seafood prepared to perfection, and a plethora of fresh salads and tropical cocktails served in hand-carved coconut shells with colorful umbrella spears that held sweet pineapple garnishes. In particular, we will enjoy a wonderful libation called Tahitian Treat Cocktail [posted by Mikekey].


From there, we will return to the lagoon where we will enjoy a refreshing swim and a quick snorkeling lesson. Being surrounded by some of the most lush tropical foliage set against the ivory sand beach and gorgeous aqua water of varying shapes of deep blues will make it a special trip indeed. With the towering palm trees and lush tropical floral offerings, it truly is a sight to behold.



We'll then head off to private lagoon for a late afternoon dive to gather some of those coveted Tahitian black pearls that are second-to-none. The abundance is great, so we hope we'll be able to gather enough black pearls to have a local artisan string together for a stunning necklace to take home.

Tahitian black pearls


From there, we will enjoy a village excursion to the local market place to get a little shopping done. We will mingle with the local artisans to learn about the local crafts, and then return to the open-air bus with our arms full of bags that will hold our newly found treasures, such as hand-carved wooden bowls, flower leis, and gorgeous Tahitian gems.

After a full day of activities, our tour bus will then return us to our bungalow to freshen up for a relaxing dinner in the beachside café with the most majestic view of the lagoon.


I will busy myself with the task of sending postcards to all or my Mischief Maker friends including Susie D, telling everyong about the wonderful time we are having.

When it's evening we'll certainly be tired yet so full of awe, and we knew it will be another full day tomorrow, as we will be scheduled to return to port to set sail on our luxury ship for the next port of call. Until then, we will dine leisurely on the lanai, letting the warm breeze flow. And it will be true romantic bliss to watch the pastel splendor of the tranquil sunset that splashes across the sky, which we know can only be seen in such a tropical paradise as Bora Bora.

[magpie diner]

I'll play for my team, and I'll be visiting Kosrae, Micronesia.

[LifeIsGood]

My husband and I chose to go to Hawaii, Maui to be specific, for a Pacific Island get-away. We hadn't been back to Hawaii since our honeymoon many years ago. We were so excited to return to this tropical paradise. Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states (August 21, 1959), and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at 727.2 square miles (1883.5 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States.

Our cruise ship docked near Maui after dinner. We quickly went to bed after dinner because we knew we wouldn't have much sleep. Why you ask? Because a tour company was picking us up at 2:30 AM. Yes, you heard right. 2:30 AM! Why so early you ask? (I love how inquisitive you are.) Because we were off to take a van tour to the summit of Mt. Haleakala. We first stopped at the baseyard where we were fitted with bicycle gear; had complimentary coffee, juice, and muffins for our middle of the night snack. Then we were driven to the summit of Haleakala where certified tour guides provided us with a history of the mountain, its geology, and an explanation of rare plants and animals only found on Maui. Upon arrival at the summit we were escorted to the crater rim to view the most spectacular sunrise!!

After receiving a comprehensive safety briefing and an informative tour of the park, our tour proceeds to the 6700 foot level just outside the park boundary where we were expertly fitted to our bicycles and began our 28 mile ride down the slopes of Haleakala, including the famous series of switchbacks and upcountry Kula.

A breakfast stop was made part way through the ride. Following breakfast we finished our ride through the sugar cane and pineapple fields ... continuing on to the Pacific Ocean and ending at Paia beach park. WOW. The experience was truly one of a kind.

It felt like we had a full day of activity but it was only noon. Sooooo, we decided to rent a car and go to stroll the seaside streets of Lahaina, which is a historic whaling village and hotspot for local art.
We picked up some fresh fish sandwiches and some guava juice and had a picnic on one of the lovely beaches of Kaanapali.


Enough relaxing! We set off on the road to Hana! The drive itself is spectacular and we stopped many times to do short hikes among the waterfalls and take lots of photos. We even found a black sand beach on the way. When we saw a local restaurant, we stopped to pack up a picnic dinner for when we arrived in Hana.




Then we arrived at the 7 Sacred Pools in Hana. We had our picnic dinner by one of the pools. We love being outdoors and would rather be eating picnics amongst the beauty of nature than being in a fine dining restaurant. The 7 Pools are comprised of a number of freshwater pools, which many say number much more than seven, and rushing waterfalls, when conditions are good it's a great place to cool off with a lazy swim. The pools and all other freshwater is considered sacred by Hawaiians as freshwater is the connection to life.

It was getting late and we needed to check into our hotel for the evening. The Hotel Hana was the only way to go! I loved the open air feel of our rooms.


It's been more than a FULL day and my husband and I collapsed on the lounges on our lanai. We enjoyed Go Go Girl #413506 as we watched the sunset. The perfect end to the perfect day. We will have one more day on Maui before heading back to the cruise ship...hmmm what to do tomorrow?! I can't wait to write to my Golden Gourmet teammates to let them know about this tropical paradise!

[Just_Ducky!!]

I'd love to be the third member of my team to "Cruise the Pacific". For this leg of our Pacific Islands tour we'll be cruising on to the beautiful Mariana Islands.

[Chocolatl]

For my visit to a tropical paradise, I decided to bring my family to Guam. Guam is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands, and is an organized, unincorporated territory of the USA.

As we stepped off the plane we were greeted with a hearty "Hafa Adai!"--"hello" in Chamorro, one of the two official languages of Guam (the other is English). We had learned in advance that the best way to get around the island is to rent a car. We drove off to our lovely beachfront hotel in Turon, where we stopped briefly before setting out on a tour of the island.
There were many lovely beaches; one that I found particularly interesting was Umatic Bay, the site of Magellan's landing in 1521.



We returned to the Turon entertainment district to visit Underwater World, home to one of the largest tunnel aquariums in the world. Here we walked down a 300-foot transparent tunnel, observing ocean life above and around us--a scuba diving adventure without getting wet!
The aquarium has an excellent restaurant, but we chose instead to go next door and visit Sam Choy's Guam. This celebrity chef restaurant did not disappoint with food, ambiance or service.
My husband, a jazz enthusiast, was delighted to discover the Trades Jazz club on the second floor of the Bayview Plaza building.



We timed our visit to coincide with Liberation Day on July 12. On this day Guamanians celebrate the liberation of the island from Japanese occupation in 1944. We watched a joyful parade, then stopped by the War in the Pacific National Historical Park. This unique National Park is the only site in the American National Park System that honors the bravery and sacrifices of all those who participated in the Pacific Theater of World War II. This includes the United States, Japan, and the Allied nations; Australia, Canada, China, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the Soviet Union.

At the park, we began chatting with an elderly Chamorro man, who told us a little of the history of his people, who have inhabited the island for over 4000 years. Meanwhile, our son was making friends with his granddaughter, who invited us all to a beach party.
Guamanians love to party, and where there is a party, there is usually barbecue. We topped our delicious grilled chicken with spicy finadene sauce, sometimes called the Guamanian equivalent of ketchup. We lingered to watch a gorgeous tropical sunset before heading back to our hotel.



As wonderful as our whirlwind tour was, it could not even begin to scratch the surface of all there is to see and do on the beautiful island of Guam, where America's day begins.

*********************************
I have made and reviewed Guamanian Island Potato Salad #458128, a dish that would be great to bring to a barbecue or beach party.

[BakinBaby]

BakinBaby reportinin for the Shady Ladies (MER) Pom Twist #202547, from the Pacific Cookbook, posted by Brenda..
Bora Bora.....Ken and I chose to stay at the Pearl Beach Resort. The resort is located on the island Motu Tevairoa, 10 minutes by boat from the Bora Bora airport, 15 minutes from the main city of Bora Bora Vaitape We stayed in their over water bungalow. Our Bungalow overlooked the awe-inspiring Mount Otemanu.



The days and nights were filled with beautiful colors, music and light.

We were served breakfast from a canoe.
We had one fun night eating out at Bloody Marys, it’s a local burger, fish and chip dive. Our big night out was at La Villa Mahana . It offers the best in all of French Polynesia. Owner Damien Rinaldi Dovio, an accomplished young Corsican-born chef, started my friends and me with tuna tartare exotique, a luscious version of poisson cru with a sharp wasabi-accented sauce. My friends went on to mahimahi perfectly cooked with a subtle version of coconut curry sauce, while I opted for filet mignon with vanilla cream gnocchi. Both were outstanding. The walls of this Mediterranean-style villa are adorned with the works of noted French Polynesian artist


When we returned to our bungalow I prepared Pom Twist #202547 from the Pacific Cookbook posted by Brenda..

[lazyme]

Signing up for the island of Lanai, Hawaii, please.

[Random Rachel]

I decided to take a cruise to Easter Island!



We had a wonderful time on the cruise ship - the food was amazing! And the ocean was beautiful!



We learned lots of interesting things on our guided tour: Easter Island is renowned for its mysterious statues - the small island would not have received so much attention without them. Easter Island was annexed to Chile in 1888, so there is a strong Chilean influence in its cuisine.

In the past Easter Island has struggled to maintain its population due to feuding, a lack of natural resources, slave trade, cannibalism, and foreign disease. In the 1980's the US Space program lengthened the Island's runway in case of emergency shuttle landing. The longer runway has helped the Island's tourism expand.



I decided to make Just Ducky!!'s Tropical Smoothie 458356 and imagine that I was enjoying the refreshing smoothie in the cool breeze on the deck as our cruise ship was heading home, instead of here at home in sweltering, humid Louisiana

[awalde]

I'll take Tinian (Micronesia) for Witchin Kitchen.

For my recipe I'll post: Chicken Micronesia #455517 By Lavender Lynn

[evelyn/athens]

Yap, Micronesia

People
The FSM has a rich history dating back several thousand years. The islands were originally settled by ancient people sailing east from Asia and north from Polynesia. Later discovers and settlers included the Spanish, Germans, and Japanese and evidence of their former presence is found throughout the islands. Following the trusteeship under U.S. administration after W.W. II, the FSM is now independent and self-governing.

Most linguistic and archaeological evidence indicates that the islands were first discovered and settled between two and three thousand years ago. The first settlers are often described as Austronesian speakers possessing horticultural skills and highly sophisticated maritime knowledge. These first settlers are thought to have migrated eastward from Southeast Asia to Yap. From there, some migrated south to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia, and later to Kiribati and the Marshall Islands.

The people of the FSM are classified as Micronesians, although some inhabitants of Pohnpei State are of Polynesian origin. They are actually a heterogeneous mixture with different customs and traditions bound together by recent history and common aspiration.

The cultural diversity is typified by the existence of eight major indigenous languages, although English remains the official language of commerce. The cultural similarities are indicated by the importance of traditional extended family and clan systems found on each island.

Culture

The people of the FSM are culturally and linguistically Micronesian, with a small number of Polynesians living primarily on Nukuoro and Kapingamarangi atolls of Pohnpei State. The influence of European and Japanese contacts is also seen.

It can be said that each of the four States exhibits its own distinct culture and tradition, but there are also common cultural and economic bonds that are centuries old. For example, cultural similarities are evidenced in the importance of the traditional extended family and clan systems found on each island.

Although united as a country, the people are actually a heterogeneous mixture with different customs and traditions bound together by recent history and common aspirations. The cultural diversity is typified by the existence of eight major indigenous languages, and its peoples continue to maintain strong traditions, folklore and legends.

The four states of the FSM are separated by large expanses of water. Prior to Western contact, this isolation led to the development of unique traditions, customs and language on each of the islands.

English is the official language, and there are eight major indigenous languages of the Malayo-Polynesian linguistic family spoken in the FSM: Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian, Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Kosraean, Nukuoro, and Kapingamarangi.

The basic subsistence economy is based on cultivation of tree crops (primarily breadfruit, banana, coconut and citrus) and root crops (primarily taro and yam) supplemented by fishing. Small scale agriculture and various traditional fishing practices continue today.

Sharing, communal work, and the offering of tributes to the traditional leaders are fundamental to the subsistence economic system and the culture of the island societies of the FSM. The basic economic unit is the household, which consists primarily of extended families. Larger solitary social groups found on most of the FSM islands are matrilineal clans. Traditional political systems, such as the Nahmwarki Political System on Pohnpei and the Council of Pilung on Yap, continue to play an important role in the lives of the people of the FSM today.


While researching Yap, I prepared and enjoyed gailanng's Citrusade/Citrus-Ade - perfect on a hot, humid day in Athens, Greece.

photo by diner524

[awalde]

Genral informations
Tinian is one of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Federated States of Micronesia and is located just south of Saipan.
Tinian is the least populated of the three main Mariana Islands that constitute the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Federated States of Micronesia.

Climate & when to go
The rainy season is from July to October, when rainfall averages about 300mm a month; from December to May the monthly rainfall average is only around 100mm.
History
The island has a strong historical legacy remaining from the Pacific war of the 1940s: American B-29s flew from here to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. Tinian, for the most part, has escaped major development (although it does have an ostentatious casino) and its natural charms remain intact, like lovely beaches and rewarding hikes.

Getting there & away
Saipan's Francisco C Ada Saipan International Airport (664 3500) is the CNMI's main airport. From there there are at least 10 glight connections to taipan (freedom air).
Titian is around 3 to 5 hours flying time from Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong and the Philippines. By air, it is only 35 minutes away from the US territory of Guam
Culture and language
Most of the population of Tinian are of indigenous Chamorros descent or are the people of other islands in the Caroline Islands. There are also a minority of East Asians and European descent. On Tinian, the Chamorro people speak English and Japanese. Religious beliefs are a mixture of local traditions with Roman Catholic influences.
Languages spoken in the region are Philippine (Tagalog language), Chinese, Chamorro, English and mixed Pacific island languages.

MY STORY
Coming from Europe we arrived really exhausted to this island. This was a long way: We started in Zürich, but we had to change plane in Singapore, Manila and Saipan.
I saw an old picture of the island and I expected to find a nice bamboo hut to rent.

After looking around we realised that everthing changed. No Robinson live any more!
A lot big mordern building changed the face of this quite island, but we very luicky and we found a room im this hotel:


After a long sleep we were ready to start with our first day of scuba diving (HAVFA ADIVE).

The instructor spent hours and hours in explaing us theory and showing us videos! At the end we tried for the fist time… in the swimming pool only!
"Now bad", she said, "you try tomorrow in open water!" WOW!


Next day we really started diving!
Just to know: Tinian possesses a rare natural resource—crystal clear waters filled with a fascinating array of fish and marine life. Most Tinian dive sites are right up against the shoreline, 20–50 yards from the bluffs. The bottom slopes away very quickly to deep water. At least 18 excellent sites have been discovered and charted.

If you look closely you will see a wonderful new fish we saw, I think they call it a lion fish

You can see our dive instructor in the distance-- keeping a watch over his wandering herd

The color of the coral and the fish are quite brilliant... my camera just doesn't do it justice!

We saw an old historical relict…

After 4 days diving we decided to have a rest and asked the kitchen chef to show us how to prepare Chicken Micronesia#455517 By Lavender Lynn

This recipe will be the best souvenir of this vacation! Yummy!

[Annacia]

I have had a serious crush on Tahiti since childhood when there was a tv show set there, the name of which escapes me st he moment. To me it's one of the most beautiful places on Earth and I'm so happy to be cruising there not on a huge cruise ship but on board a clipper with my hubby.

After our wonderful voyage my eager anticipation evaporated as we were serenaded through passport control in Papeete by a cheery steel-drum band. Emerging from the small building, I was handed a pretty lei made with local flowers and pleasantly assaulted by a heady bouquet of floral scents carried on the warm dawn air. In the taxi to the hotel the local radio station played lilting songs about the beauty of Tahiti and Tahitian women. The streets were lined with a dense tapestry of oleander, hibiscus and frangipani, and overhung by gardenia trees and gently swaying palms. Inland, we saw later, verdant foothills rise to towering mountains, whose peaks are shrouded in swirling cloud.

It’s easy to appreciate why artists fell in love with Tahiti. The island’s natural palette is wildly extravagant, combining the reds, pinks, greens and oranges of the indigenous flowers with the white-and-black sand beaches and vivid turquoise and glittering sapphire of the sea.




We enjoyed visiting the Daily Market


Located in the heart of Papeete, just one block inland from the center of the waterfront, it's not hard to find.

Our stay at the Intercontinental Tahiti Resort was like a honeymoon. We had a bungalow on the water and dined in relaxing surroundings.





Where we enjoyed a most memorable chowder:
(Review and photo to follow)

At the hotel our sugar bowls and coffee pots were always infused with the intense aroma of vanilla, the perfect way to wake up in the morning. Of course our Tahitian punch also benefited from a vanilla bean steeped in the local artisan rum. How could we be in the vanilla capital of the world and not visit a vanilla farm? We went next to a vanilla plantation where thousands of plants were in bloom and being hand pollinated.



Vanilla is a vine orchid, and each flower must be hand pollinated to grow the precious vanilla pod. About eight months later the yellow-green pods are harvested. They are then heat-cured to develop the flavor, and their color changes to a deep brown-black. We bought a large bundle for our use and to give to our lucky friends.



Our final evening treated us to the most unforgettable sunset that we will ever see.