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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Dec 23, 2006 07:00 PM Christmas Eve on Christmas Island
It was wonderful evening! Very, very hot!
Everybody in Tabakea was waiting for the mignight mass.
It took place in the huge, traditional maneapa - meeting place
without the walls.
There were a lot of folklore during the celebration - the bible, bread and the wine were coming in the procession of the locals in traditional costumes made of flowers and palm leaves. What a choir singing! And when at midnight I heared magnificent "Gloria" performed by this modest, barefoot people on the remote Pacific island I said to myself: I'll never forget this Chrismas Day on the Christmas Island...
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Dec 21, 2006 07:00 PM Merry Christmas from Christmas Island!
It will be my first Chistmas Day away from home...
But what a place, and what a lovely people around!
They are preparing for Christmas special song and dances, there will be competition between the four settlements
located on the atoll. I expect to have wonderful time.
Sorry - no christmas tree... It is very hot and humid here - not like in Europe...
Anyway - Merry and Joyful Christmas to all my Friends from Christmas Island on the Pacific!
Wojtek
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Dec 20, 2006 07:00 PM Poland in the middle of the Pacific!
Believe or not - one of the four settlements on the Christmas Island is named: POLAND. So this was my priority to see the place and to meet the people living there. The problem is that Poland lies far away from London, where I stay...
-It is on the other side of the lagoon - more then then 2,5 hours driving from London to Poland.
Yes, my friendly host - the priest took me there. I saw the tiny houses under the palms, the school and the St Stanislaus church, the copra sheed. I meet friendly people from Poland in the Pacific - the live from the copra. There is a lot of coconut palms around...
I took a lot of pictures - the people are not shy, but it is not easy to comunicate with them - only few people speak English.
I will see them again at Christmas Day...
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Dec 19, 2006 07:00 PM My dream came true
There are no lights on the runway of Christmas Island airport - daylight landings only! It was 6 am whem I saw for the first time this inusual place - remote island of Kiritimati - how the local call Chistmas Island. Palms, palms and the ocean around... One plane per week only...
We landed soon. There were only 8 passengers leaving 737, including locals.
On the tiny barrack of the terminal I saw "Welcome to Christmas Is" - yes, my dream come true! Here I am!
Formalities took me 4 minutes. Officers are smiling...
If front of the "terminal" just few barefoot people. -Mauri!
Do you have reservation? No I do not want to pay for the
room in the only expensive hotel "Capitan Cook".
One of the friendly guys took me by his junk car 17 km - to the main settlement of London - I found there inexpensive room without a/c or fan at the catholic parish. But it is airy and what a view of the lagoon!
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Dec 18, 2006 07:00 PM Hurrah!! I have my visa!
I was tired after all-night flight when we landed on Fiji. But I had very important task to solve: to get visa to the insular country of Kiribati. I tried to contact them since 3 months with bad luck. Now it is the important day. On 7.30 am I departed by bus from Nadi to the capital city - Suva. It took 5 hours to get there. I found Kiribati High Commission - 36 Mc Gregor Road. They apologized that they did not responsed my faxes and e-mails... I got my important visa in 40 minutes!!! I have my visa to the Chistmas Island!
Then I took again 5-hours bus ride to Nadi.
Before midnight deadly tired I boarded once-a-week flight to Christmas Island. Yes, my dream is coming true!
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Dec 17, 2006 07:00 PM How to loose one full day...
I lost this day - during the nigth we crossed international date line. When we landed on Fiji in was 6 am - but already on Tuesday, 19th December.
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Dec 16, 2006 07:00 PM Around Oahu Island...
Welcome back to Honolulu! It was 9.30 am when I was walking with my backpack on my back from the ship ashore. My onward flight was at midnight...
I have been to Honolulu already 3 times so I decided to go around the island of Oahu. There are Dole pineapple plantations to see on the way to the North Shore. The Horth Shore of Oahu is rarely visited, so you feel like in countryside. There are famous surf beaches with waves 3-4 m high - great views to see and to photograph...
Before midnight I boarded Air Pacific flight to Nadi - Fiji. Nice service and I got long-leg seat at emergency exit. I recommend Fiji Gold beer - served free. Long life Air Pacific! Seven hours flight ahead!
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Dec 15, 2006 07:00 PM Blue Hawai - Go Lahaina!
Today we are docking the full day on Maui Island. I took the bus to Lahaina - cozy township with plenty of historic monuments from 19th century. On the way to Lahaina public bus stops at the aquarium - they say it is very interesting, but the entry fee is so high (42 USD) that I decided not to go there - I saw a lot of color fish and corals snorkeling in the warm ocean... There are nice mountains to photograph on the way to Lahaina - take the seat on the right side of the bus! In the centre of Lahaina there is the famous multi-trunk banyan tree - giving the shade to 200 people - this is unusual... There is a lot of tropical flowers in blossom along the streets. I took a photos of all old buildings and the picturesque waterfront with the sailboats from all over the world. An then there were a time to go to the Ka'anapali Baach 3 miles north of Lahaina!
Tomorrow we will reach Honolulu and this will be the end of the backpacker's ride on the cruise ship!
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Dec 14, 2006 07:00 PM Hawai - windy Maui Island
This is my first time on Maui... In the morning we approached the port of Kahului - there were nice view of the green mountains, but the wind was so strong that the capitan decided not to enter the harbor. We were drifting additional hour in front of Kahului - I had wonderful view of the coast eating my breakfast.
On the ship you can eat as much as you want - no limits! So they eat! Can you imagine all this overweighted ladies and gentelmen from America still eating - many times a day? They paid, so now they eat...
Kahului is nothing special - no monuments, just shopping centers - they offer free transfer to the shops from the port which is surrounded by industrial zone.
Old town of Lahaina - on the other side of the island is the place to go. They offer expensive transfer from the ship there, but I'll tel you the secret: go with free bus to the shopping center and there is Maui Bus stop. This hourly bus will take you to Lahaina (one hour drive) for just 1 USD. The total cost of the excursion will be 2 USD - what a deal!
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Dec 13, 2006 07:00 PM Kona Coast - where cpt Cook was killed...
There is no pier in Kona - Big Hawai. We were tendering from the ship to the coast on the small boats...
Kona or Kailua is a nice town with a nice promenade along the cost i some historical places to visit on a walk including king Kamehameha retreat just close to the landing.
Well, I tried to use my usual trick - to go to the public library and to use there free internet. Yes I found it - bus they ask me to get a libryary card first for 10 USD - smart isn' it?
The other solution is internet cafe charging 2,30 USD per 15 minutes - still less then on the ship!
I took with other people a tour by taxi (27 USD pp) along the picturesque coast to the place where famous Capitan James Cook died. This is form one of those significant places like Ujiji or Stait of Magellan... Taxi took us to the nice bay and then - unpleasant surprise!
-Can you see the white obelisque on the other side of the bay? -This is the place where they killed Cpt Cook! - No, there is no road access to this place - you must use the kayak to go there! There were kayaks available, but sorry - the taxi will not wait... So I took only the picture of he monument from the distance...
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