Fish Kisses for King Neptune

If any of you dearies have crossed the Equator by ship, you know the tradition of  Pollywogs and Shellbacks... and sacrifices to King Neptune to enjoy continued safe travels upon his mighty realm.

Well, thanks to OSHA or the International Maritime Organization, or some other bureaucratic body, human sacrifice offerings to King Neptune are no longer allowed.  Not even by old-school tossing into the swimming pool. (Heaven knows I tried to get Laird tossed into the Seahorse Pool when he first sailed over the equator.....no dice).

Now Pollywogs get to kiss a fish in order to be ship shape with King Neptune, and become Shellbacks.  But the show does go on, and it is a hilarious production...

You know something special is about to happen when entertainers start showing up dressed like this...

King Neptune and his Mermaid Queen exchanging words with the Lord High Prosecutor.

King Neptune looks alarmingly familiar to me....

Tom Lowe offered his rendition of "Beyond the Sea" in usual ah-maaazing fashion...

Captain Vorland begging King Neptune's mercy for all the souls aboard his vessel.

Oh my, it's getting hot in here.

Chants of "Kiss the Fish  Kiss the Fish"

Sarah Combs pulled together a brunette version of Ariel for her "Under the Sea".

King Neptune's Mermaid Court are nothing if not stunners- each and every one.

Oh a penny for Cruise Director Rick's thoughts....

Crew should check all lighting- I think some chandelier parts might be missing.

All in all, life is once again fine aboard Crystal Serenity- the finest ship on the Seven Seas!

Pago Pago, American Samoa

Lesson One.  It's pronounced "Pango."

Lesson Two.  It's pronounced "SAM-o-ah."

And it's about as far out in the Pacific Ocean as one can get.

I gotta say, it was good to see land.  Even if it was cloaked in clouds and threatened rain.
I opted for a short tour of the East side of the island and a stop at Two Dollar Beach (which costs $5 to get in)....

And so, without further ado, a glimpse into Pago Pago (it's just fun to say, isn't it?)

Flower Pot Rock (I don't know, ask a Pagoan)

If you enjoy Chicken of the Sea or Starkist Tuna, you've dined on a product from Pago Pago.

I'm guessing I got the angle wrong on Camel Rock.

The buses, local and tour, are all open air-  based on Ford F-450 trucks.

The driver pointed this out to me- bonus points to him!  The concrete was a mooring for boats during WWII.  The tsunami of 2016 dislodged it and drove it up closer to shore.

The speed limit along the highway (yes, the shoreline road is a highway)  is 20 mph.

You know- some things just tickle me.  There's a story here....I wonder why this half of the car ended up next to the dumpster.  Lends new meaning to "Bulk Item Collection Day"...

Obligatory toes-in-the-water photo.

Ok, here's a fun fact for your next cocktail party or trivia night.  Samoans don't have cemeteries.  Samoans own the land where they reside, and by tradition, they bury their ancestors right out in the front yard.  Sometimes into the front porch.

Two Dollar Beach.  Five Dollar Beer.  Perfect when the day is 85f with 90% humidity.

My kinda highway.