Cruise Day 5 - Alotau

Day 5 - Up early for breakfast and to get ready for a day on Alotau.  There was much excitement - this was the first time a cruise ship had used this port.  While waiting for customs to clear us - we enjoyed the singing / dancing displays on the wharf and heard the opening speeches.

 

After we got clearance to disembark we went down on to the wharf to watch the dancing / singing.  We caught the Sing Sing shuttle to the Canoe & Kundu (Drum) Festival "The festival sees tribes from all around the  Milne Bay Province come together in Alotau (some after having travelled by canoe for up to three weeks to race for spoils and glory,m as well as to share their culture with visitors and each other.  The best way to get a snapshot of the varied cultures of Milne Bay...an opportunity to view the canoe races, cultural displays and musical offerings of the incredible event.?

 

There was so much to see / do / hear   We wandered around watching various tribes dance / sing.  We went down to the beach to look at all the canoes and walked out to the jetty to watch the races.  We seemed to be as much as a fascinations to the locals as they were to us - we were taking photos of everything and they were taking photos of us LOL The heat / humidity was awful - one lady fainted right next to us on the jetty :( We had a look around the various markets, then headed back to the ship. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we finished looking around we caught the shuttle bus back to the ship and had a very late lunch.  I went to a quilling class, before getting ready for dinner.  Pre-dinner cocktails and listening to a band, before heading off to the formal dining room.  After dinner we went to watch the "international Crew" show - amazing to see so many talented crew members!