(1) The tender looked like it could seat at least more than 50 people.
(2) It looked safe and sturdy and could save us in case of emergency.
(3) It has a roof/is a closed space so we wouldn't worry dying of cold or too much heat.
(4) It is powered by a motor so we wouldn't need to row.
(5) Life jackets will be handed out at muster station when the inevitable happens.
You know, paranoid thoughts like that but it'll be good to know for later...
We finally witnessed how the tender really looks like inside when we arrived in Lifou, Loyalty Islands, the third port in our itinerary, yesterday. It was bigger and wider than I thought it would be -- 100+ people can fit. It's comfortable to sit inside. We were advised the night before that two tenders will be used to bring us to the island. The ship has to dock far from the port, where the water is not shallow. They also informed us that they will transport us by groups. They will make announcements from time to time to let us know when we could come down so we won't flock the exit door all at the same time.
As soon as the ship docked, we were greeted by this long stretch of white beach, leafy trees, and turquoise-colored water. It was beautiful!
We planned to walk around on our own on the island. However, it was immensely hot and humid that day so, we joined a short sightseeing tour so we can ride the van instead. I think we paid around $20 each for the tour? I had been wanting to learn French (and I did try to learn on my own but I didn't get far) and this would have been a perfect opportunity to use it since Lifou is a French colony.
We first visited a village meeting place (EDIT: I googled its name. It's called The Grand Hut of the Chief of Hnathalo). The hut is in a garden near/within the chief's house/property. Hence, permission is needed before you can enter the place. We also had to remove the shoes when we went inside the hut. It was cool and cozy inside, with mats and wide interior.
Our next stop was the beach (which I don't remember the name of. That's so bad). It was a nice spot to sit on and relax or to take a swim. However, it was too hot and it was around lunchtime so we just took photos and went straight back to the van.
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| With our tour guide |
By the time the tour finished, the sun settled down. Thank God! We were driven back to the port/tourist main hub. Since the sun has settled down, it was the perfect time to eat lunch outdoors (carinderia-style!). There were some food stalls there but there was only one that serves, at least in our own definition, a meal (Translation: rice and viand). While we were standing in line, we overheard from our other cruise buddies that their food was really good. We were starving so we were excited to eat. When it was our turn to order, to our surprise, the food looks like Filipino food! We ordered bami, which looked and tasted like Filipino pansit. It's made from vermicelli noodles with vegetables and soy sauce. We also ordered rice and chicken curry.
After lunch, we walked up the cliff to see the Notre Dame de Lourdes Chapel and the breathtaking view. On our way to the chapel, I noticed huts (I think that was their traditional house) and wood carvings of tribal art (very Legends of the Hidden Temple vibe).
The ascend was a workout but the view was super worth it, even if it was gloomy and the colours of the plants and the ocean weren't vibrant. There were butterflies everywhere as well.
It started to drizzle on our way down the cliff. Luckily, we were headed to Baie de Jinek to snorkel anyway, so, we didn't worry about getting wet. We paid $15 each to snorkel and as a donation to help maintain the area as well. We bought our own snorkel gear before the trip so we didn't have to rent. (I think it's cheaper to buy your own than to rent.) I didn't see much underneath really. It was gloomy and it was dark under the water so we couldn't appreciate the colours of the coral reefs. We probably snorkeled for 45 minutes, I guess, before we decided to walk back to the port/main hub and hit the beach.
The drizzle turned into rain as we were walking to Easo Beach, which was our last pit stop for that day. We headed to the covered area at the port first and waited for the rain to settle down a bit. Meanwhile, we checked out the markets and bought some souvenirs.
As soon as the rain started to settle down, we headed to Easo Beach. We found a spot to shelter our things from the rain and luckily, we kept and brought the black garbage bag that was given to us in Suva to protect our things from getting wet because we used it to further protect our things while we swam in the water...
And inarte on sand and rocks for photos, of course.
By 3:30 PM, we got out of the water, rode the tender back to the ship and bid goodbye to this very laidback island with really pleasant and welcoming people. Our tour guide earlier was lovely as well. She doesn't speak English that well though but she tried to communicate and explain things to us.
As soon as we got back to the ship, we headed to the dining area (What's new? Haha!) just in time before they close to have an afternoon snack. We opted to watch the show (Fast Forward, which was based on 80s music and movies) first before eating dinner since we weren't too hungry. Then, we watched another show performed by a Beatles tribute band (They performed songs from The Beatles, of course) before heading to bed. We are too Tita at night, I tell you. Haha!
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