July 31, 2025
CROSSING The PACIFIC OCEAN to JAPAN
Two significant things happened yesterday. As reported below, by Cruise hive ,we were the closest cruise ship to the epicenter of the earthquake and tsunami. We were fine and in fact felt & saw nothing, because we are in the depths of the Bering Sea.
Second, we crossed the International Date Line, IDL, so I am now in the future, of I believe, all my readers. Let me know if you want help with your daily WORDLE puzzles.I also have to admit figuring out what time it is in Philly, and coordinating my calls there has been a bit of a mind bend, between the daily hour changes here on the crossing with additional twist from day light savings. Below is a chart that helps make the math easier to understand.
We got up at 6:45am to get to National Park Forts Walk trail in the hope of seeing koalas . Prior walkers mark trails with tree branches pointing in the direction of their sighting and we were luck enough to see 3 markers in our first hour of hiking. It is so stinking hot and humid the success we had made it bearable. The koala population on the island started with 20 brought over in 1930, to escape fur hunters. Today, the island boast 800 to 1000, and they are so cute and drowsy. They need 20 hours of sleep a day! The early morning is when they are the most active.
Just off the coast of Townsville, Australia is a special little island (that used to be part of mainland, hundreds of thousands years ago). The island was formed by molten granite that was pushed to the earth's surface with volcanic force.Over time the volcanic overlay weathered away leaving an extraordinary landscape of rounded domes and boulders, many as big as a house and spectcularly perched. Over Seventy Percent of the center of the Island is a National Park. There is lots of wildlife here too - koalas, rock wallabies, snakes & birds.
This is my third time in CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA and I really enjoy how walkable, clean and charming it is. The waterfront esplanade and lagoon area is a nice walk day or night. We had 2 nights here in the waterfront Shangri La Marina Hotel while waiting for the Ship to arrive and then 2 additional days in Port.