June 20, 2024
Planten un Blomen - Hamburg's Botanical Gardens
After the soccer game, we took advantage of the late summer daylight hours here in Northern Germany. We strolled the gardens for an hour and then found seating in the grassy area, surrounding the lake, to await the nightly fountain show. Can you believe it is 10 pm when show started! Look how bright the skies are! At 10:30, as we made our way home, darkness finally comes. Sunrise starts at 4:50 a.m.! I wear an eye mask to bed each night. Crazy German Summer!
This is an usual day, it's our second December 15th! We crossed the international date line last night around midnight and therefore we get to live December 15th, twice in 2 different locations. Freaky Monday! We also lose our 18 hour time difference of being ahead of the east coast of the USA, and will now be behind them in time. Time zones drive me crazy on this trip - trying to coordinate with the folks at home and keeping a relevant calendar!
Today we went to see giant clams and turtles at a protected reef area on the southwest side of Upolu , very near where Return to Paradise is located. We would have done yesterday, but it is protected by a village and like almost everything in Samoa , closed on Sundays. Sunday is just for Church and Family in Samoa ! Our guide was Chief Tuti and he had his son driving one of the vans with 5 of us and his daughter in law driving the other with our 4. He was so animated and ran a first class operation. The SUV was comfy and roomy, he provided snorkel gear and towels, that they handed to you as you came out of the water. His information and insights were fascinating as were the local tales he shared with us. Would highly recommend him!
After Mass on Sunday, I traveled across the island with friends to enjoy the Return to Paradise Resort. The ride took about an hour and unfortunately, it was pouring rain the whole time. So our day pass vision of relaxing pool and beach side got replaced with day drinking yummy cocktails and playing phase 10 cards in a beach side palapa. They filmed a movie here in 1953 and this remains one of the nicest resorts on the islands of Samoa.