March 30, 2009 – at sea - Did not receive a “full” calendar for April!!!!!
Hazy and sunny.
Dubai information…
Evidence of human encampments in Dubai along the shores near the Strait of Hormuz date back more than 5,000 years. Each time there is new construction (which is frequently), more is found beneath the sands. A little more than 600 years after Christ lived in what is now Israel, Muhammed was born in Mecca, and Islam swept across the Arabian Peninsula. Vasco da Gama, the first European navigator to reach the Gulf, sailed into the Strait of Hormuz in 1498. In the 1800s, the coast was known as the “pirate coast”.
Established in 1971, there are seven Emirates (kingdoms) in this country, the United Arab Emirates. We hear of Abu Dhabi and Dubai more frequently than the other emirates: Sharjah, Ajma, Amm Al-Qaiwan, Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah. A treaty established a council of Sheikhs to retain control over their emirates and rule as a council.
The emirs (rulers) know their oil reserves are finite and have diversified; they expect the oil to run out in 20 years. Sheikh Al-Maktoum has built Dubai into a futuristic wonder. The world’s tallest building will soon stand in a city where power was a luxury just a few decades ago. The hotel, Burj Al Arab, was the impetus for future development. www.jumeirah.com
There are no rivers in Dubai, just the Dubai creek. Transportation on the water can be via an Abra or a Dhow; women sit in the front of the local buses. Windtowers were used to cool the homes; they are square towers with openings on each side and today are being designed into the new structures for architectural purposes only. Islam is the official religion and you hear the call to pray frequently via loudspeakers. Each community has its own mosque so there are many in the city. Jebel Ali has the largest manmade harbor and is home to their massive container port. Dubai airport is the 11th largest airport in the world with the most amazing shopping complex open at all hours. The areas of the city most visited by tourists are: Bur Dubai (historical area), Deira (gold and spice souks/markets) and Jumeirah (resorts and beach area). There is a fantastic Big Bus Tour offering commentary on two routes with hop on-hop off service, two walking tours and admission to the Dubai Museum.
Currency: Arab Emirates Dirham; approx. US$1 = 3.7 dirhams
Businesses are closed from 1:30-4. Electronics, gold and spices are the best buys.
Had a nice breakfast in the dining room with friends and talked about the world cruise. How did we feel about the length of it? FINE (105 days). Would we do it again? YES
There is a definite mind set for a world cruise. We had more passengers join yesterday in Dubai and those on the shorter segments see it as a vacation. For those on the full world cruise, it is a voyage; it is living each day as you would on land and then tossing in even more interesting days in a new city without having to board a plane and unpack all the time. It is hard to explain. You visit with friends (including many crew with whom you consider to be your very dear friends), meet for a meal and do regular household chores (except cooking and cleaning!).
The room steward, Jamie, delivered our April calendar. It really was a shock to see it filled out only until April 20!!!!!!!! Where we expect to be and our daily dress code are listed daily on the calendar. What a shock. And a surprise -- how could time have passed so quickly???
After April 20, it will not matter what I wear for dinner…no more “elegant casual, semi-formal or formal wear” required!!! Sadly, I will no longer hear the waves crashing against the side of the ship when on the balcony. (We do have the wonderful advantage of transferring to the Queen Mary 2 in Southampton for another 6 days of catering so we arrive home on April 26, completing the entire world cruise.)
Worked on the computer and photos and even took a nap! Black and White Ball and the production number was “On the West Side”. It was a fabulous dance and song version of West Side Story with rhythm and blues, jazz and cutting-edge choreography.
New speakers onboard and the topics today were: “Trojan War”; “Muscat, a new Old Country (in the country of Oman which we sail by and do not stop to visit); “Building a Modern Cruise Ship”.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Gene's birthday in DUBAI
Sunday, March 29, 2009 – DUBAI! Gene’s birthday
RAIN, RAIN and more RAIN. And this time, it really rained most of the day!!!
But at 75 degrees, it wasn’t too bad.
We docked right behind the QE2 and in front of the Holland America Rotterdam. We were the first off the ship and had a very nice taxi driver, Usman, who we hired for the day. We headed over the Burj Al Arab hotel, a 7-star hotel, for a special visit. You have to have a reservation to be allowed past the gates to enter the property and then you cross over a short curvy bridge to be dropped off in the circle in front of the hotel. Cold towels are handed to you as you enter and staff (most seem to be Chinese) are all around the lobby. The wall in front of you has cascading water and the left and right walls are aquariums. The boutiques are to the left. We took the escalator to the 1st floor and entered the main lobby area.
Above you is open space with the back of the rooms facing the lobby from 27 floors above. We had a wonderful breakfast in the 1st floor Sahn Eddar restaurant with a wonderful view of the beach and the city of Dubai and the interior of the hotel!
Breakfast - - On a round table, there was a beautiful 3-tiered tray with sugars, cinnamon, chocolate and vanilla beans, the tea strainer and other goodies. We were served mango mousse and yoghurt, muesli, fresh fruit and salmon and cream cheese on a bagel (the size of your thumb!) and a similar sized turkey sandwich on a bagel. Our hot entrée was a choice between tomato and egg and lobster or scrambled eggs with asparagus. Then we had a multitude of fresh pastries and a selection of eight teas and coffees. It was all beautifully presented and while we were eating the piano playing was drifting through the hotel lobby and in the cavernous space above us in the sail area…The pianist suddenly broke out in Happy Birthday and they presented Gene with a brownie with a single candle and sauces. Beautiful! They were very nice waiters and we had fun with them and enjoyed the meal. We could see two Cunard buses of passengers arrive for formal morning tea also.
The elevator doors are “Islamic-Art Deco” and the marble floors and pillars and plush carpets are beautiful. The shops are the most upscale you can imagine, like the Chopard bracelet I saw for a mere $47,000. We took the elevator to the 27th floor and had good views of the manmade palm island, where the Atlantis hotel now sits.
We drove to Palm Island and the newly opened Atlantis (it looks just like the one in the Bahamas). Toured the aquarium and water park and shops. We drove down one of the fronds of the palm (a side street) to see the private residences, each with a private beach and swimming pool.
We drove past the Jumeirah Mosque, down Beach Road, past huge huge homes on the beach owned by the citizens of Dubai (of which there are not many) and to the gold souk (market). We wandered and wandered and looked at clothing and jewelry and small items. We got lost, which is quite easy to do in the souk and were back to the ship by 4:45 and took several photos of the QEII (docked directly in front of us) and then boarded the Queen Victoria.
Dinner was at 6 and we had a white cake with white icing for Gene’s birthday and they sang to him. The Maitre’d and waiters said they have never had two birthdays at the same table on consecutive days and our room steward said the same – he has never had passengers with consecutive birthdays in a stateroom.
Great singing by an American tenor, Christopher Riggins.
RAIN, RAIN and more RAIN. And this time, it really rained most of the day!!!
But at 75 degrees, it wasn’t too bad.
We docked right behind the QE2 and in front of the Holland America Rotterdam. We were the first off the ship and had a very nice taxi driver, Usman, who we hired for the day. We headed over the Burj Al Arab hotel, a 7-star hotel, for a special visit. You have to have a reservation to be allowed past the gates to enter the property and then you cross over a short curvy bridge to be dropped off in the circle in front of the hotel. Cold towels are handed to you as you enter and staff (most seem to be Chinese) are all around the lobby. The wall in front of you has cascading water and the left and right walls are aquariums. The boutiques are to the left. We took the escalator to the 1st floor and entered the main lobby area.
Above you is open space with the back of the rooms facing the lobby from 27 floors above. We had a wonderful breakfast in the 1st floor Sahn Eddar restaurant with a wonderful view of the beach and the city of Dubai and the interior of the hotel!
Breakfast - - On a round table, there was a beautiful 3-tiered tray with sugars, cinnamon, chocolate and vanilla beans, the tea strainer and other goodies. We were served mango mousse and yoghurt, muesli, fresh fruit and salmon and cream cheese on a bagel (the size of your thumb!) and a similar sized turkey sandwich on a bagel. Our hot entrée was a choice between tomato and egg and lobster or scrambled eggs with asparagus. Then we had a multitude of fresh pastries and a selection of eight teas and coffees. It was all beautifully presented and while we were eating the piano playing was drifting through the hotel lobby and in the cavernous space above us in the sail area…The pianist suddenly broke out in Happy Birthday and they presented Gene with a brownie with a single candle and sauces. Beautiful! They were very nice waiters and we had fun with them and enjoyed the meal. We could see two Cunard buses of passengers arrive for formal morning tea also.
The elevator doors are “Islamic-Art Deco” and the marble floors and pillars and plush carpets are beautiful. The shops are the most upscale you can imagine, like the Chopard bracelet I saw for a mere $47,000. We took the elevator to the 27th floor and had good views of the manmade palm island, where the Atlantis hotel now sits.
We drove to Palm Island and the newly opened Atlantis (it looks just like the one in the Bahamas). Toured the aquarium and water park and shops. We drove down one of the fronds of the palm (a side street) to see the private residences, each with a private beach and swimming pool.
We drove past the Jumeirah Mosque, down Beach Road, past huge huge homes on the beach owned by the citizens of Dubai (of which there are not many) and to the gold souk (market). We wandered and wandered and looked at clothing and jewelry and small items. We got lost, which is quite easy to do in the souk and were back to the ship by 4:45 and took several photos of the QEII (docked directly in front of us) and then boarded the Queen Victoria.
Dinner was at 6 and we had a white cake with white icing for Gene’s birthday and they sang to him. The Maitre’d and waiters said they have never had two birthdays at the same table on consecutive days and our room steward said the same – he has never had passengers with consecutive birthdays in a stateroom.
Great singing by an American tenor, Christopher Riggins.
Luisa's 50th birthday -- sailing in the Arabian Sea
March 28, 2009 – Luisa’s 50th birthday - in the Arabian Sea
Pools are still closed due to virus.
“Happy Birthday” balloons appeared on our door!
Attended the lecture on Dubai.
Received a dozen of beautiful roses! They are gorgeous.
We had lunch in the Todd English specialty restaurant with Nancy, one from our group. She is so nice and we have fun with her. She has been with us on quite a few of our tours in the cities/islands.
After the very filling lunch, I went to see Macbeth in the theatre, put on by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
We had invited the Ensemble group, who are very much our friends, for formal tea in the Queens Room. We said no obligation and no gifts. It was such a nice time. We had a special section set aside in the room, the staff made me a huge carrot cake (yum!) and we all mingled and they did bring gifts...a bronze SHIVA sculpture from India, necklaces, chocolates, books, wine, ankle bracelet, key chain and very nice cards…
One couple even wrote a poem!!!
“When traveling the world
To catch the great scene
It’s more fun to travel
With Luisa and Gene.
They’ll take you to places
That you’d never glance
You’ll hear singing children
And watch lions that dance.
You’ll travel on boats
Through a city so worn
It was already old
When the US was born.
All questions are answered
Your problems are few
So thanks for the memories
And Happy Birthday to You.”
How nice! But I didn’t get much carrot cake and they took it away before we even noticed it was gone!!
Then we had about ½ hour to dress for dinner; it was a semi-formal night and there were two bottles of champagne waiting for us on the table and more chocolates.
I had approx. 15 waiters sing to me and they made me a marzipan cake! The icing was great. It was a very nice meal and we just finished with a magician and singer/pianist/violinist/fiddler so it was a nice evening.
Pools are still closed due to virus.
“Happy Birthday” balloons appeared on our door!
Attended the lecture on Dubai.
Received a dozen of beautiful roses! They are gorgeous.
We had lunch in the Todd English specialty restaurant with Nancy, one from our group. She is so nice and we have fun with her. She has been with us on quite a few of our tours in the cities/islands.
After the very filling lunch, I went to see Macbeth in the theatre, put on by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
We had invited the Ensemble group, who are very much our friends, for formal tea in the Queens Room. We said no obligation and no gifts. It was such a nice time. We had a special section set aside in the room, the staff made me a huge carrot cake (yum!) and we all mingled and they did bring gifts...a bronze SHIVA sculpture from India, necklaces, chocolates, books, wine, ankle bracelet, key chain and very nice cards…
One couple even wrote a poem!!!
“When traveling the world
To catch the great scene
It’s more fun to travel
With Luisa and Gene.
They’ll take you to places
That you’d never glance
You’ll hear singing children
And watch lions that dance.
You’ll travel on boats
Through a city so worn
It was already old
When the US was born.
All questions are answered
Your problems are few
So thanks for the memories
And Happy Birthday to You.”
How nice! But I didn’t get much carrot cake and they took it away before we even noticed it was gone!!
Then we had about ½ hour to dress for dinner; it was a semi-formal night and there were two bottles of champagne waiting for us on the table and more chocolates.
I had approx. 15 waiters sing to me and they made me a marzipan cake! The icing was great. It was a very nice meal and we just finished with a magician and singer/pianist/violinist/fiddler so it was a nice evening.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Code Red
Friday, March 27, 2009 – At Sea; CODE RED Norovirus
Wanted to swim and I went down to find the pool and whirlpool covered up so I wandered to the back pool and that one was also covered! Ten minutes later, the Captain came on the loud speaker to announce there has been a larger than normal outbreak of people with stomach problems and the ship is trying to control the norovirus. Therefore, the buffet had crowd control lines set up with additional staff to make your coffee/tea and to serve all foods, pools were closed, handrails, computers, countertops and even the library books were being constantly wiped down and sprayed. We saw several staterooms torn completely apart and all furniture and curtains were being sanitized. It is taken very seriously and they have unannounced inspections by public health from the USA and the UK.
I attended the informational meeting for the Country Fair, which is a fundraiser for the various charities supported by Cunard. Even onboard, there are opportunities to volunteer! Then to Arabic language class! It was very interesting and surprising simple. We should be able to communicate with the basics now….where, how, why and “my name is…” and other simple phrases. You put the basic words together like a cut and paste and should be understood – or at least that is what they told us. Then to a seminar on “Secrets to a Flatter Stomach” and “Social Life at the White House with Presidents Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43 and LBJ”. Lunch in the pub and ran around to finish errands and get answers…sat outside and read “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” for the “book of the segment club”. They have shown the movie several times onboard but I have seen it yet.
Dinner was formal for the Raj Ball! The Irish opera singer tonight was Sinead Blanchfield. Everyone was dressed in their sarees, turbans and Indian purchases. We even had a class today on how to wear and tie the saree!
My British friends: We had disturbing news that George needs a quadruple bypass and will not be operated on in Cochin, India. They are releasing him tomorrow from the hospital and they hope to fly home to the UK next week with an onboard doctor and oxygen. Needless to say, it has been quite stressful for them and their families and friends but thankfully they have travel insurance. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.
Wanted to swim and I went down to find the pool and whirlpool covered up so I wandered to the back pool and that one was also covered! Ten minutes later, the Captain came on the loud speaker to announce there has been a larger than normal outbreak of people with stomach problems and the ship is trying to control the norovirus. Therefore, the buffet had crowd control lines set up with additional staff to make your coffee/tea and to serve all foods, pools were closed, handrails, computers, countertops and even the library books were being constantly wiped down and sprayed. We saw several staterooms torn completely apart and all furniture and curtains were being sanitized. It is taken very seriously and they have unannounced inspections by public health from the USA and the UK.
I attended the informational meeting for the Country Fair, which is a fundraiser for the various charities supported by Cunard. Even onboard, there are opportunities to volunteer! Then to Arabic language class! It was very interesting and surprising simple. We should be able to communicate with the basics now….where, how, why and “my name is…” and other simple phrases. You put the basic words together like a cut and paste and should be understood – or at least that is what they told us. Then to a seminar on “Secrets to a Flatter Stomach” and “Social Life at the White House with Presidents Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43 and LBJ”. Lunch in the pub and ran around to finish errands and get answers…sat outside and read “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” for the “book of the segment club”. They have shown the movie several times onboard but I have seen it yet.
Dinner was formal for the Raj Ball! The Irish opera singer tonight was Sinead Blanchfield. Everyone was dressed in their sarees, turbans and Indian purchases. We even had a class today on how to wear and tie the saree!
My British friends: We had disturbing news that George needs a quadruple bypass and will not be operated on in Cochin, India. They are releasing him tomorrow from the hospital and they hope to fly home to the UK next week with an onboard doctor and oxygen. Needless to say, it has been quite stressful for them and their families and friends but thankfully they have travel insurance. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.
Mumbai India!
Thursday, March 26, 2009 – MUMBAI, India
92 degrees and humid and sunny on the Arabian Sea
“For the traveler, Mumbai is both disturbingly eye-opening and incredibly exciting.”
Mumbai is built on a series of seven islands. A reclamation project now links the archipelago into a peninsula. By the 16th century, Portuguese troops had established trading centers along the Arabian seacoast. They took Mumbai by force and gave the city its European name, Bom Baia, meaning good bay. Since 1996, the city’s official name is Mumbai. Mumbai held the world’s record for the largest cotton market in 1857, which ended when the U.S. Civil War ended. Gandhi National Park takes up 1/6 of the city and within the city limits. Forbes magazine listed the city as #7 in the world for billionaires. Trains carry six million people a day and there are separate compartments for men and women; 4.5 million people ride the bus daily; half of the population live in slums.
Mumbai is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the nation’s financial center. It is the most populous city in India with 13 million people and the 5th most populous metropolitan area in the world. Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian cinema. Bollywood, the Hindi film industry, is the largest film producer in the world. More than 1000 moves in 12 languages are shot annually (twice as many as Hollywood). Masala films are filled with symbolism, do not show blood or sex and always have a happy ending.
Gateway of India: This momentous monument was erected to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay. The Indo-Saracenic style gateway was built in 1924 and incorporates Hindu, Muslin and Buddhist architecture. It also ironically proved to be the departure point for the last British Troops in 1948 after India finally gained its independence in 1947.
Elephanta Caves on Elephanta Island: The island was Gharapuri (idol dwelling) before Portuguese colonists renamed it for the large stone elephant that was found at the landing stage. The elephant was later moved to Victoria Gardens. The caves were sculpted between the 5th and 8th centuries and its magnificent carvings are dedicated to Shiva, creator and destroyer.
The outside of the main cave has a columned veranda 30 feet wide and six feet deep, which is flanked by sculptured elephants. The entire temple, carved out of the basalt hillside has four entrances. The central recess in the hall contains the most outstanding sculpture, the unusual Mahesamurti, the Great Lord Shiva – an 18-foot triple image. Its three faces represent three aspects of Shiva; the creator, the preserver and the destroyer. Other sculptures near the doorways and on side panels show Shiva’s usefulness.
Foreigner Ticket Tax: As is common throughout India, admission to many of Mumbai’s museums and sites is often ten times higher for foreign tourists than it is for locals.
The best buy of the day! Men’s socks for $0.33 a pair!! Gene found them in a street vendor while our friend was inside buying a saree for $90. I bought some little purses and necklaces – all of which involve bargaining. You could very easily fill suitcase after suitcase of goodies! Silks, textiles, semi-precious and precious jewelry…Shop at the Central Cottage Industries Emporium near the Taj Mahal Hotel for fixed priced textiles, carvings and Indian handicrafts.
For $20, we hired an air conditioned taxi for 3.5 hours to take us where we wanted (air conditioned vehicles charge 25% more than a regular taxi). He was a very patient driver as the traffic was congested and slow moving which made us miss a few sights…but we had a great time. The un-air conditioned taxis have their meter outside the car (their steering wheel is on the right side of the car) and the meters and cars are so old you have to calculate the current fare by multiplying the meter rate by 14! The views out the window are fascinating. While on Marine Drive, we drove past Chowpatty Beach. An extremely wide beach, only a handful of fully clothed people were walking on the beach. We understand most people show up at sunset or nighttime to enjoy the area.
We continued driving on the city streets (for an hour in heavy traffic) headed to Mahalakshmi Dhobi Ghats – to see the oldest and biggest human powered washing machine! I know it sounds strange to us, but it is an incredible site. Each morning, for 136 years, washing from all over Mumbai is brought here to be thrown into soapy piles in 1026 open air troughs, soaked in concrete vats of caustic soda and thumped by the resident DHOBIS on the flogging stones inside the compound. The next day, after being hung out to dry in colorful rows, pressed with charcoal irons, folded in newspaper and bound with cotton thread, the bundles are returned to their owners.
Markets: Mangaldas for silk and cloth, Zaveri Bazaar for jewelry and Colaba Market for fruit and vegetables and jewelry
Sights: Prince of Wales Museum: The city’s finest Victorian building and principal museum was completed in 1911 and named for King George V.
Victoria train station (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) was built in the 1880s and is one of the most elegant imperial buildings in India. It was inspired by St. Pancreas station in London and is an extraordinary amalgam of domes, spires, Corinthian column and minarets. It looks like a palace!
Mani Bhavan: This was the residence of civil rights leader and peace activist, Mahatma Gandhi from 1917-34. The three-story Gujarati house/museum illustrates his simple life. There is a library and Ghandhi’s personal effects are reverently displayed. It was here that he formulated his philosophy of satyagraha (truth, non violence and self sacrifice) and launched the 1932 Civil Disobedience campaign that led to the end of British rule.
We did not get to Dharavi, the home of Asia’s largest slum. This is a “maze of dilapidated shacks and narrow, stinking alleyways home to more than a million people. An average of 15,000 share a single toilet, infectious diseases such as dysentery, malaria and hepatitis and there are no hospitals.” Yet it was recently described by the UK’s Observer magazine as “one of the most inspiring economic models in Asia” (which makes it even more intriguing to want to visit it when you read that comment on a slum…). “Hidden amid ramshackle huts and open sewers are an estimated 15,000 single-room factories, employing around a quarter of a million people and turning over a staggering US$1.4 BILLION annually! The majority of the small businesses are based on waste recycling. Residents of all ages scavenge materials and haul them back in huge bundles to be re-processed. Cans are smelted, soap scraps from hotels are reduced in huge vats, leather is re-worked, oil drums are restored and discarded plastic is re-shaped and re-molded. Wages are well above the national average and there are even a few banks and ATMs in the slum!” www.realitytoursandtravel.com
Lunchmen! The other sight we missed was seeing one of the 5,000 dabbawallahs! These men provide a service similar to our Meals on Wheels concept. Women make the hotel meal for their family member/office worker and place the various courses in stacked tin containers called dabbas or tiffin containers. These are handed over to the army of simply clothed men hurriedly shuffling flotillas of dabbas who travel by bicycle and train to relay the meal so it reaches the correct person. They handle approx. 200,000 meals a day, have a 99% rate of delivery to the correct person and return of the tin at the end of the day. International corporations have come to study their efficiency. By the time we returned to the city after the ride to the island, it was past lunch time and the meals had been delivered…
We visited the Taj Mahal Hotel after we passed through their two security points. There is also a high fence around the entrance.
We also had vendors outside the ship and we were onboard by 5:30. We enjoyed dinner in the specialty restaurant with friends and then to the magic show – Stephen Garcia. I was able to get assistance with my computer account and it is all fixed!!! I can now receive emails again! We set the clocks back a half-hour again.
92 degrees and humid and sunny on the Arabian Sea
“For the traveler, Mumbai is both disturbingly eye-opening and incredibly exciting.”
Mumbai is built on a series of seven islands. A reclamation project now links the archipelago into a peninsula. By the 16th century, Portuguese troops had established trading centers along the Arabian seacoast. They took Mumbai by force and gave the city its European name, Bom Baia, meaning good bay. Since 1996, the city’s official name is Mumbai. Mumbai held the world’s record for the largest cotton market in 1857, which ended when the U.S. Civil War ended. Gandhi National Park takes up 1/6 of the city and within the city limits. Forbes magazine listed the city as #7 in the world for billionaires. Trains carry six million people a day and there are separate compartments for men and women; 4.5 million people ride the bus daily; half of the population live in slums.
Mumbai is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the nation’s financial center. It is the most populous city in India with 13 million people and the 5th most populous metropolitan area in the world. Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian cinema. Bollywood, the Hindi film industry, is the largest film producer in the world. More than 1000 moves in 12 languages are shot annually (twice as many as Hollywood). Masala films are filled with symbolism, do not show blood or sex and always have a happy ending.
Gateway of India: This momentous monument was erected to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay. The Indo-Saracenic style gateway was built in 1924 and incorporates Hindu, Muslin and Buddhist architecture. It also ironically proved to be the departure point for the last British Troops in 1948 after India finally gained its independence in 1947.
Elephanta Caves on Elephanta Island: The island was Gharapuri (idol dwelling) before Portuguese colonists renamed it for the large stone elephant that was found at the landing stage. The elephant was later moved to Victoria Gardens. The caves were sculpted between the 5th and 8th centuries and its magnificent carvings are dedicated to Shiva, creator and destroyer.
The outside of the main cave has a columned veranda 30 feet wide and six feet deep, which is flanked by sculptured elephants. The entire temple, carved out of the basalt hillside has four entrances. The central recess in the hall contains the most outstanding sculpture, the unusual Mahesamurti, the Great Lord Shiva – an 18-foot triple image. Its three faces represent three aspects of Shiva; the creator, the preserver and the destroyer. Other sculptures near the doorways and on side panels show Shiva’s usefulness.
Foreigner Ticket Tax: As is common throughout India, admission to many of Mumbai’s museums and sites is often ten times higher for foreign tourists than it is for locals.
The best buy of the day! Men’s socks for $0.33 a pair!! Gene found them in a street vendor while our friend was inside buying a saree for $90. I bought some little purses and necklaces – all of which involve bargaining. You could very easily fill suitcase after suitcase of goodies! Silks, textiles, semi-precious and precious jewelry…Shop at the Central Cottage Industries Emporium near the Taj Mahal Hotel for fixed priced textiles, carvings and Indian handicrafts.
For $20, we hired an air conditioned taxi for 3.5 hours to take us where we wanted (air conditioned vehicles charge 25% more than a regular taxi). He was a very patient driver as the traffic was congested and slow moving which made us miss a few sights…but we had a great time. The un-air conditioned taxis have their meter outside the car (their steering wheel is on the right side of the car) and the meters and cars are so old you have to calculate the current fare by multiplying the meter rate by 14! The views out the window are fascinating. While on Marine Drive, we drove past Chowpatty Beach. An extremely wide beach, only a handful of fully clothed people were walking on the beach. We understand most people show up at sunset or nighttime to enjoy the area.
We continued driving on the city streets (for an hour in heavy traffic) headed to Mahalakshmi Dhobi Ghats – to see the oldest and biggest human powered washing machine! I know it sounds strange to us, but it is an incredible site. Each morning, for 136 years, washing from all over Mumbai is brought here to be thrown into soapy piles in 1026 open air troughs, soaked in concrete vats of caustic soda and thumped by the resident DHOBIS on the flogging stones inside the compound. The next day, after being hung out to dry in colorful rows, pressed with charcoal irons, folded in newspaper and bound with cotton thread, the bundles are returned to their owners.
Markets: Mangaldas for silk and cloth, Zaveri Bazaar for jewelry and Colaba Market for fruit and vegetables and jewelry
Sights: Prince of Wales Museum: The city’s finest Victorian building and principal museum was completed in 1911 and named for King George V.
Victoria train station (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) was built in the 1880s and is one of the most elegant imperial buildings in India. It was inspired by St. Pancreas station in London and is an extraordinary amalgam of domes, spires, Corinthian column and minarets. It looks like a palace!
Mani Bhavan: This was the residence of civil rights leader and peace activist, Mahatma Gandhi from 1917-34. The three-story Gujarati house/museum illustrates his simple life. There is a library and Ghandhi’s personal effects are reverently displayed. It was here that he formulated his philosophy of satyagraha (truth, non violence and self sacrifice) and launched the 1932 Civil Disobedience campaign that led to the end of British rule.
We did not get to Dharavi, the home of Asia’s largest slum. This is a “maze of dilapidated shacks and narrow, stinking alleyways home to more than a million people. An average of 15,000 share a single toilet, infectious diseases such as dysentery, malaria and hepatitis and there are no hospitals.” Yet it was recently described by the UK’s Observer magazine as “one of the most inspiring economic models in Asia” (which makes it even more intriguing to want to visit it when you read that comment on a slum…). “Hidden amid ramshackle huts and open sewers are an estimated 15,000 single-room factories, employing around a quarter of a million people and turning over a staggering US$1.4 BILLION annually! The majority of the small businesses are based on waste recycling. Residents of all ages scavenge materials and haul them back in huge bundles to be re-processed. Cans are smelted, soap scraps from hotels are reduced in huge vats, leather is re-worked, oil drums are restored and discarded plastic is re-shaped and re-molded. Wages are well above the national average and there are even a few banks and ATMs in the slum!” www.realitytoursandtravel.com
Lunchmen! The other sight we missed was seeing one of the 5,000 dabbawallahs! These men provide a service similar to our Meals on Wheels concept. Women make the hotel meal for their family member/office worker and place the various courses in stacked tin containers called dabbas or tiffin containers. These are handed over to the army of simply clothed men hurriedly shuffling flotillas of dabbas who travel by bicycle and train to relay the meal so it reaches the correct person. They handle approx. 200,000 meals a day, have a 99% rate of delivery to the correct person and return of the tin at the end of the day. International corporations have come to study their efficiency. By the time we returned to the city after the ride to the island, it was past lunch time and the meals had been delivered…
We visited the Taj Mahal Hotel after we passed through their two security points. There is also a high fence around the entrance.
We also had vendors outside the ship and we were onboard by 5:30. We enjoyed dinner in the specialty restaurant with friends and then to the magic show – Stephen Garcia. I was able to get assistance with my computer account and it is all fixed!!! I can now receive emails again! We set the clocks back a half-hour again.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
In the Arabian Sea
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 – In the Arabian Sea
Hot and humid after a hazy morning
Several meetings this morning and running around to get paperwork done. Computer work and lectures on the Carter White House and Mumbai destination talk. Room service for lunch so we could see the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”. Well, have you seen it? It is quite appropriate since we are in Mumbai tomorrow and we heard it won so many awards. But how many Americans can relate to something like that? I really wonder. And how many can understand the dialogue and understand the family situation and orphanages…I would probably not have gone to see it in the US but it is quite appropriate for this destination.
Had a haircut, sat and read about Mumbai, had a quick swim, and ate dinner with friends and Col. Bauer, the Social Aide in the White House and then to the show to see Glen Smith (musician) and Rondell Sheridan, comedian. We heard we had an Indian war ship circling us all day for protection. In one way you hope it is a rumor, but in another way, it is comforting news.
Lectures offered today: Mumbai, The Partition of India and Social Life in the Carter White House. Champagne Art Auction, Wine Tasting Seminar.
Hot and humid after a hazy morning
Several meetings this morning and running around to get paperwork done. Computer work and lectures on the Carter White House and Mumbai destination talk. Room service for lunch so we could see the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”. Well, have you seen it? It is quite appropriate since we are in Mumbai tomorrow and we heard it won so many awards. But how many Americans can relate to something like that? I really wonder. And how many can understand the dialogue and understand the family situation and orphanages…I would probably not have gone to see it in the US but it is quite appropriate for this destination.
Had a haircut, sat and read about Mumbai, had a quick swim, and ate dinner with friends and Col. Bauer, the Social Aide in the White House and then to the show to see Glen Smith (musician) and Rondell Sheridan, comedian. We heard we had an Indian war ship circling us all day for protection. In one way you hope it is a rumor, but in another way, it is comforting news.
Lectures offered today: Mumbai, The Partition of India and Social Life in the Carter White House. Champagne Art Auction, Wine Tasting Seminar.
Backwaters cruise in Cochin, India
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - COCHIN (or Kochi) India (in the southwest)
Hazy, in the 90s, humid and typically Indian weather! Set the clocks back an hour again.
When it is 11:45 AM here, it is now 2:15 AM in Delaware, the same day.
48 Indian Rupees = US$1
Buys: camel bone jewelry, bamboo, silk, Carpets, gold jewelry, antiques, and handicrafts
We are now in the state of Kerala and entered the harbors of Cochin via the very narrow Ernakulam Channel. After I had an early morning quick swim, we passed many Chinese fishing nets – bamboo poles with huge netting extended off them. Fascinating. These are a series of permanent cantilevered fishing nets operated with a system of pulley and weights. 14th century Chinese merchants probably first brought structures like these to India.
This is the oldest European settlement in India and is the commercial and industrial center. The land mass area resembles the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area with many keys, islands and canals all connected with low bridges. Kochi has a diverse, multicultural, and secular community consisting of Hindus, Christians, Muslins, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, all living in peaceful co-existence. People are also increasingly fashion-conscious, often deviating from the traditional Kerala wear to western clothing. Coconuts, rice, cashews and mango are cultivated in the tropical climate. Geography and natural harbors guaranteed the Kerala coast prominence on the route between Arabia and Southeast Asia. The spice trade dominated most of the long history – pepper (did you know Malabar is the best pepper??), cardamom, cinnamon, tumeric, ginger. There is even a “pepper exchange” in Cochin. Portugal was responsible for building up the port and had a trading station in 1703 and many old homes from the colonial period still line the winding streets. Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese merchant, died during his third visit to Kerala.
Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace) was built by 16th century Portuguese merchants as a gift to the Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi in exchange for exclusive trading rights. Inside is a collection of the Rajas’ clothing and accessories but the main attraction is the series of interior murals depicting parts of the Hindu epics Ramayan and Mahabharatha. When India acquired independence in 1947, Kerala was the first state (as Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution!). There are approx. 7,000 people per square kilometer.
We are in the port between 12-6:30 PM – not a long time! I spent most of the morning helping my English friend, Annette, sort out her luggage, passport, change money, get the medical papers she needed…so much to consider with a medical emergency. The medical staff are great onboard but she will be on her own. They hope she can stay in the hospital with George. The ambulance was waiting when we docked.
We took a ship-sponsored tour to the Backwaters in Alleppey. It was approx. 2 hours each way and I enjoy seeing the sights out the bus window. The bus was air conditioned and there is a glass panel between the driver and his assistant (for whatever reason the driver needs an assistant) and our guide. His English was not easily understood – they know the language but speak so quickly and we do not know the local sights so that makes it more difficult…but anyway, he talked the whole two hours! I enjoyed seeing the tuk-tuk (motorized 3-wheeled vehicles) and motorcycles and large trucks.
The trucks are named with beautiful headboards (almost like a bed) of carved and colorful wood. The shops are small and fascinating and hold everything you can imagine, the streets and fields are littered horribly yet they sweep the driveway in the gas station with a broom, the vendors sell from lean-to shacks along the road, they wave and stare at us just as we watch them, there are no lines on the roads for driving and not many traffic lights and there are various churches and temples lining the roads…
We arrived at Alleppey (also known as Venice of the East) and boarded a wooden two-level boat with a roof. We had plastic beach chairs to sit on, there are no windows and we were off!! The water is brown but not murky. Sections of it have green algae and grass covering it.
We are traveling past bamboo constructed houseboats that are gorgeous! I could overnight a few nights in them! Two levels with air conditioning, private bedrooms, staff for meals and driving the boat, lounge chairs for viewing the life around you and al fresco dining…(but there are mosquitoes to consider in the evening). Companies even hire them to conduct business meetings.
We pass kids who run alongside out boat begging for pens, women AND men doing the family washing by banging the clothes on the rocks, woman, men and children bathing (in full dress) and washing their hair, washing their teeth, preparing the meat, building a roof, playing cricket and we pass the local boat/bus that plies the route to carry people to and from their homes and the town. Many people have their own boat, a long canoe, tied to their small dock. The women were beautiful saris, the men were the white cloth wrapped around their hips, and bundled up between their legs. Everyone is bare-foot. You could pass this same route a minute later and see a whole new scene. It is so interesting. There is a cool breeze on the water and we are shaded from the hot sun.
After disembarking, we stop for a drink at a local hotel, stop to see the local cashew tree and nut (did you know the cashew fruit gives a terrible stain on clothing?) and to see the beautiful fronts of the Kerala truck. We are the last bus to arrive back to the ship at 6:45 PM (after our official time to be onboard) so we are very glad we have been a ship-sponsored excursion.
After a buffet dinner with friends we enjoyed Mark Donoghue playing guitar, fiddle, violin and piano. He is British, with an Irish last name, playing country western music on a luxury cruise ship in the Indian waters! Great concert. I enjoyed more singing and piano in the Commodore Club while working on the computer --- my Sinatra music.
Hazy, in the 90s, humid and typically Indian weather! Set the clocks back an hour again.
When it is 11:45 AM here, it is now 2:15 AM in Delaware, the same day.
48 Indian Rupees = US$1
Buys: camel bone jewelry, bamboo, silk, Carpets, gold jewelry, antiques, and handicrafts
We are now in the state of Kerala and entered the harbors of Cochin via the very narrow Ernakulam Channel. After I had an early morning quick swim, we passed many Chinese fishing nets – bamboo poles with huge netting extended off them. Fascinating. These are a series of permanent cantilevered fishing nets operated with a system of pulley and weights. 14th century Chinese merchants probably first brought structures like these to India.
This is the oldest European settlement in India and is the commercial and industrial center. The land mass area resembles the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area with many keys, islands and canals all connected with low bridges. Kochi has a diverse, multicultural, and secular community consisting of Hindus, Christians, Muslins, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, all living in peaceful co-existence. People are also increasingly fashion-conscious, often deviating from the traditional Kerala wear to western clothing. Coconuts, rice, cashews and mango are cultivated in the tropical climate. Geography and natural harbors guaranteed the Kerala coast prominence on the route between Arabia and Southeast Asia. The spice trade dominated most of the long history – pepper (did you know Malabar is the best pepper??), cardamom, cinnamon, tumeric, ginger. There is even a “pepper exchange” in Cochin. Portugal was responsible for building up the port and had a trading station in 1703 and many old homes from the colonial period still line the winding streets. Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese merchant, died during his third visit to Kerala.
Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace) was built by 16th century Portuguese merchants as a gift to the Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi in exchange for exclusive trading rights. Inside is a collection of the Rajas’ clothing and accessories but the main attraction is the series of interior murals depicting parts of the Hindu epics Ramayan and Mahabharatha. When India acquired independence in 1947, Kerala was the first state (as Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution!). There are approx. 7,000 people per square kilometer.
We are in the port between 12-6:30 PM – not a long time! I spent most of the morning helping my English friend, Annette, sort out her luggage, passport, change money, get the medical papers she needed…so much to consider with a medical emergency. The medical staff are great onboard but she will be on her own. They hope she can stay in the hospital with George. The ambulance was waiting when we docked.
We took a ship-sponsored tour to the Backwaters in Alleppey. It was approx. 2 hours each way and I enjoy seeing the sights out the bus window. The bus was air conditioned and there is a glass panel between the driver and his assistant (for whatever reason the driver needs an assistant) and our guide. His English was not easily understood – they know the language but speak so quickly and we do not know the local sights so that makes it more difficult…but anyway, he talked the whole two hours! I enjoyed seeing the tuk-tuk (motorized 3-wheeled vehicles) and motorcycles and large trucks.
The trucks are named with beautiful headboards (almost like a bed) of carved and colorful wood. The shops are small and fascinating and hold everything you can imagine, the streets and fields are littered horribly yet they sweep the driveway in the gas station with a broom, the vendors sell from lean-to shacks along the road, they wave and stare at us just as we watch them, there are no lines on the roads for driving and not many traffic lights and there are various churches and temples lining the roads…
We arrived at Alleppey (also known as Venice of the East) and boarded a wooden two-level boat with a roof. We had plastic beach chairs to sit on, there are no windows and we were off!! The water is brown but not murky. Sections of it have green algae and grass covering it.
We are traveling past bamboo constructed houseboats that are gorgeous! I could overnight a few nights in them! Two levels with air conditioning, private bedrooms, staff for meals and driving the boat, lounge chairs for viewing the life around you and al fresco dining…(but there are mosquitoes to consider in the evening). Companies even hire them to conduct business meetings.
We pass kids who run alongside out boat begging for pens, women AND men doing the family washing by banging the clothes on the rocks, woman, men and children bathing (in full dress) and washing their hair, washing their teeth, preparing the meat, building a roof, playing cricket and we pass the local boat/bus that plies the route to carry people to and from their homes and the town. Many people have their own boat, a long canoe, tied to their small dock. The women were beautiful saris, the men were the white cloth wrapped around their hips, and bundled up between their legs. Everyone is bare-foot. You could pass this same route a minute later and see a whole new scene. It is so interesting. There is a cool breeze on the water and we are shaded from the hot sun.
After disembarking, we stop for a drink at a local hotel, stop to see the local cashew tree and nut (did you know the cashew fruit gives a terrible stain on clothing?) and to see the beautiful fronts of the Kerala truck. We are the last bus to arrive back to the ship at 6:45 PM (after our official time to be onboard) so we are very glad we have been a ship-sponsored excursion.
After a buffet dinner with friends we enjoyed Mark Donoghue playing guitar, fiddle, violin and piano. He is British, with an Irish last name, playing country western music on a luxury cruise ship in the Indian waters! Great concert. I enjoyed more singing and piano in the Commodore Club while working on the computer --- my Sinatra music.
Bay of Bengal and sea day
Monday, March 23, 2009 – sea in the Bay of Bengal and south of Sri Lanka
Time change again – another hour back
Swam and it felt great. Sat in the sun and finished my book! After breakfast, attended two lectures – Cochin India, our next port of call – and Social Life in the White House during the Nixon Administration. Both were very interesting. We had a fun lunch with friends and there was a classical guitar recital by Carlos Bonell after that.
I met my English friend, Annette, in the hallway and she had terrible news. Her husband had a heart attack (they think even possibly two) last night. He was in the Medical Center, on the ship. And, the ship wants them to leave tomorrow in Cochin. They are devastated about it all. I believe it is a nightmare for all guests…having an attack and having to leave the ship…we hope he improves.
I had quite a few computer classes and country line dancing classes with her and we shared a nice dinner with them. Went to the fitness center, cleaned up the room and worked on my “photo labeling”. What a job! I have taken quite a few photos, as you can imagine, but without any order to them, they are an utter mess!!! They had a charity swimathon and five crew swam laps, raising over $1600!
Dinner ended with some political discussions so that was not as pleasant as we wished. The Royal Cunard Singers performed with the two orchestras to songs from the ‘60s. I worked on the computer up in the Commodore Club and it was great piano music. Nice to discover this room with the lively atmosphere conducive for my work!!!
Time change again – another hour back
Swam and it felt great. Sat in the sun and finished my book! After breakfast, attended two lectures – Cochin India, our next port of call – and Social Life in the White House during the Nixon Administration. Both were very interesting. We had a fun lunch with friends and there was a classical guitar recital by Carlos Bonell after that.
I met my English friend, Annette, in the hallway and she had terrible news. Her husband had a heart attack (they think even possibly two) last night. He was in the Medical Center, on the ship. And, the ship wants them to leave tomorrow in Cochin. They are devastated about it all. I believe it is a nightmare for all guests…having an attack and having to leave the ship…we hope he improves.
I had quite a few computer classes and country line dancing classes with her and we shared a nice dinner with them. Went to the fitness center, cleaned up the room and worked on my “photo labeling”. What a job! I have taken quite a few photos, as you can imagine, but without any order to them, they are an utter mess!!! They had a charity swimathon and five crew swam laps, raising over $1600!
Dinner ended with some political discussions so that was not as pleasant as we wished. The Royal Cunard Singers performed with the two orchestras to songs from the ‘60s. I worked on the computer up in the Commodore Club and it was great piano music. Nice to discover this room with the lively atmosphere conducive for my work!!!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Bay of Bengal
Sunday, March 22, 2009 – at sea in the Bay of Bengal, the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean – we turned the clocks back ½ hour!!
Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom
Slept late and had a nice breakfast in the buffet, Lido, at 11. Did some work, went to the church service and the lecture “Social Life in the Nixon White House” by Col. Stephen Bauer, and ate with friends who live in Sarasota, FL! …hopefully we can keep in touch with them when we are down there next time. He was a professional photographer and we saw the video he has created so far of the trip and it is amazing!!! He gave me some camera tips. Tried to sort out our tours for India (this week already!!) and did some research in the library. Spend a lot of time chatting to people as you walk the halls so sometimes it takes an hour to get across the ship!!! But it is fun. Went to the fitness center and had a nice pork dinner.
The entertainer was comedian Rondell Sheridan, from “Show Me the Money” and co-host of “Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus”. Even the Brits were laughing along tonight.
Formal night for the “Puttin’ on the Ritz Ball” and ‘60s night in the lounge.
Missed: Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts workshop, fruit and vegetable carving demo, digital camera seminar, fashion show, special jewelry lecture and show on Arabic calligraphy in art and architecture, lecture on “Camilla – Can she be Queen”….the list is endless!!
Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom
Slept late and had a nice breakfast in the buffet, Lido, at 11. Did some work, went to the church service and the lecture “Social Life in the Nixon White House” by Col. Stephen Bauer, and ate with friends who live in Sarasota, FL! …hopefully we can keep in touch with them when we are down there next time. He was a professional photographer and we saw the video he has created so far of the trip and it is amazing!!! He gave me some camera tips. Tried to sort out our tours for India (this week already!!) and did some research in the library. Spend a lot of time chatting to people as you walk the halls so sometimes it takes an hour to get across the ship!!! But it is fun. Went to the fitness center and had a nice pork dinner.
The entertainer was comedian Rondell Sheridan, from “Show Me the Money” and co-host of “Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus”. Even the Brits were laughing along tonight.
Formal night for the “Puttin’ on the Ritz Ball” and ‘60s night in the lounge.
Missed: Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts workshop, fruit and vegetable carving demo, digital camera seminar, fashion show, special jewelry lecture and show on Arabic calligraphy in art and architecture, lecture on “Camilla – Can she be Queen”….the list is endless!!
Phuket Thailand and private shore excursion
Saturday, March 21, 2009 – Aunt Ann and Matthew’s birthdays!
Phuket Thailand! In the Andaman Sea
RAIN, RAIN and RAIN!!!! Oh wow did it rain as we anchored. Everyone was on time to take the first tender at 8AM. And once we landed, we found out we had SEVEN BRIDGES to go over with two wheelchairs!!! J So it was step up one step, cross over the bridge, step down one step, go across the plank, step up one step and cross over the bridge….and repeat this. You can imagine the ship’s crew lifting two people while they are seated in their wheelchairs up and down…
But we made it! The guide and two helpers were there and we only had to wait for the bus due to intense traffic. The police monitor the buses on the busy road.
The nicest touch was being greeted with plastic rain capes!!!! SMART.
The name “Phuket” is derived from the Malay “Bukit” meaning hill, and hills dominate much of the island’s interior. The island is 30 x 13 miles and was developed as a tourist destination in the ‘70s and sleepy Patong (a beach area) grew into a popular resort. The central mountains and national parks are stunning. Coconut plantations, rubber groves and traditional village remain. Coral reefs just offshore support more than a hundred identified reef species and the Indian porpoise and long-nosed dolphin can be seen in the waters. The BAHT is the currency: US$1 = 34 baht. Thai silk, gems, nielloware and “copies” of designer goods are for sale.
Few people are unaware of the December 27, 2004 earthquake off the Sumatra coast and the deadly tsunami it spawned. Sections of Patong Beach were struck but the damage was limited to a small area.
At the Bann Chin Pracha house there was a large 6’x8’ personalized sign welcoming Ensemble Travelers. Very impressive and welcoming!
It was a very interesting house, from the Sino-Portuguese era. They gave us Chinese oranges, about the size of your thumb, but so sweet and good!! Shoes had to be removed to tour. There were a few movies filmed in the house and the owner of the house was there to greet us. They did the long and loud dragon dance for us and we enjoyed coffee/tea and cookies.
The rain was a bit of an issue here with the mud puddles on the path to the house, two people opted to stay on the bus and several did not care to remove their shoes as they were all muddy and wet and would be difficult to put back on. The umbrellas offered by the bus helpers were large and they were one color on the outer side but the under side had beautiful colors and designs. I like that better with the design in the inside as opposed to the outside.
We drove next to see the Sea Gypsy village, the indigenous people of the southern islands. They live in shacks by the sea and they have their own language. They danced for us and we had shopping time. Communication was limited on what the dance meant and any personal interaction. They fish in longtail boats.
Along the highway, we passed live monkeys and stopped to feed them some bananas. There were at least 20 of them.
Sun was gradually coming out now…
Cashew nut factory visit: Sri Bhurapa Orchid. It has been in operation since 1943 and they produce approx. 1000 tons a year of product. We all really enjoyed tasting the various flavors put on the nuts. One person was shelling them and the factory was not working but we could see the machinery behind the glass. Other items were also for sale – dried fruits and soaps…The cashew tree is a thick-leaf shrub with an average height of 18 feet. Fruit begins after four years during the months of February – April only. The fruit is red, orange or bright yellow when ripe. A nut hangs outside at the base of the fruit. After harvesting, the nut must be boiled for 30 minutes so a second shell becomes hard and can be removed manually using a special tool. They are then roasted in the oven for up to 14 hours in order to easily remove the thin layer attached to the nut.
The richly decorated Wat Chalong (Buddhist temple) was next and we explored on our own. Firecrackers were lit in the oven to welcome us. It is known especially for its golf-leaf covered statue of Luang Pho Chaem, the abbot of the monastery at the beginning of the 19th century when Chinese invaders came to Phuket from Malaysia in an attempt to seize the valuable tin mines. Luang Pho cared for the injured at great personal risk and was deemed a hero of the people. There were beautiful interiors with vibrant colors and archways and we also could see a large white Buddha on the top of the hill.
Lunch was in an air conditioned (very much appreciated!!) window-to-ceiling glass room and the restrooms were western and very modern and clean. They had printed menus for everyone. The menu was battered fried fresh waterweed with shrimps, fried fish with sweet chili and sour sauce, stir fried prawns with tamarind sauce, Chicken green curry, stir fried squid in black pepper sauce, spicy and sour seafood soup, stir fried mixed vegetables and steamed rice and fresh fruit.
“I felt as confused when it came to Thai cuisine, especially after reading the section in my phrase book on all the goodies available. Try phat phak bung fai daeng (morning glory vine in fried garlic and bean sauce), especially when the menu is in Thai script and your pronunciation is liable to bring you lightly grilled cockroach braised in a sauce of lizard’s eyeballs.” Mark Moxon, British writer
The group divided out for shopping or to return to the ship. We lost a wheelchair somewhere along the line and since I had signed for it for $500, we had a goal to find it!! We finally found it on the ship in a corner and were greatly relieved. Semi-formal for dinner, I listed to a few violin songs from Hanna Starosta and then I worked on the trip report and notes, even though I had a headache and wanted to collapse. Soon enough…
Called Aunt Ann and Matthew and off to bed…
They also had a tropical deck party.
Phuket Thailand! In the Andaman Sea
RAIN, RAIN and RAIN!!!! Oh wow did it rain as we anchored. Everyone was on time to take the first tender at 8AM. And once we landed, we found out we had SEVEN BRIDGES to go over with two wheelchairs!!! J So it was step up one step, cross over the bridge, step down one step, go across the plank, step up one step and cross over the bridge….and repeat this. You can imagine the ship’s crew lifting two people while they are seated in their wheelchairs up and down…
But we made it! The guide and two helpers were there and we only had to wait for the bus due to intense traffic. The police monitor the buses on the busy road.
The nicest touch was being greeted with plastic rain capes!!!! SMART.
The name “Phuket” is derived from the Malay “Bukit” meaning hill, and hills dominate much of the island’s interior. The island is 30 x 13 miles and was developed as a tourist destination in the ‘70s and sleepy Patong (a beach area) grew into a popular resort. The central mountains and national parks are stunning. Coconut plantations, rubber groves and traditional village remain. Coral reefs just offshore support more than a hundred identified reef species and the Indian porpoise and long-nosed dolphin can be seen in the waters. The BAHT is the currency: US$1 = 34 baht. Thai silk, gems, nielloware and “copies” of designer goods are for sale.
Few people are unaware of the December 27, 2004 earthquake off the Sumatra coast and the deadly tsunami it spawned. Sections of Patong Beach were struck but the damage was limited to a small area.
At the Bann Chin Pracha house there was a large 6’x8’ personalized sign welcoming Ensemble Travelers. Very impressive and welcoming!
It was a very interesting house, from the Sino-Portuguese era. They gave us Chinese oranges, about the size of your thumb, but so sweet and good!! Shoes had to be removed to tour. There were a few movies filmed in the house and the owner of the house was there to greet us. They did the long and loud dragon dance for us and we enjoyed coffee/tea and cookies.
The rain was a bit of an issue here with the mud puddles on the path to the house, two people opted to stay on the bus and several did not care to remove their shoes as they were all muddy and wet and would be difficult to put back on. The umbrellas offered by the bus helpers were large and they were one color on the outer side but the under side had beautiful colors and designs. I like that better with the design in the inside as opposed to the outside.
We drove next to see the Sea Gypsy village, the indigenous people of the southern islands. They live in shacks by the sea and they have their own language. They danced for us and we had shopping time. Communication was limited on what the dance meant and any personal interaction. They fish in longtail boats.
Along the highway, we passed live monkeys and stopped to feed them some bananas. There were at least 20 of them.
Sun was gradually coming out now…
Cashew nut factory visit: Sri Bhurapa Orchid. It has been in operation since 1943 and they produce approx. 1000 tons a year of product. We all really enjoyed tasting the various flavors put on the nuts. One person was shelling them and the factory was not working but we could see the machinery behind the glass. Other items were also for sale – dried fruits and soaps…The cashew tree is a thick-leaf shrub with an average height of 18 feet. Fruit begins after four years during the months of February – April only. The fruit is red, orange or bright yellow when ripe. A nut hangs outside at the base of the fruit. After harvesting, the nut must be boiled for 30 minutes so a second shell becomes hard and can be removed manually using a special tool. They are then roasted in the oven for up to 14 hours in order to easily remove the thin layer attached to the nut.
The richly decorated Wat Chalong (Buddhist temple) was next and we explored on our own. Firecrackers were lit in the oven to welcome us. It is known especially for its golf-leaf covered statue of Luang Pho Chaem, the abbot of the monastery at the beginning of the 19th century when Chinese invaders came to Phuket from Malaysia in an attempt to seize the valuable tin mines. Luang Pho cared for the injured at great personal risk and was deemed a hero of the people. There were beautiful interiors with vibrant colors and archways and we also could see a large white Buddha on the top of the hill.
Lunch was in an air conditioned (very much appreciated!!) window-to-ceiling glass room and the restrooms were western and very modern and clean. They had printed menus for everyone. The menu was battered fried fresh waterweed with shrimps, fried fish with sweet chili and sour sauce, stir fried prawns with tamarind sauce, Chicken green curry, stir fried squid in black pepper sauce, spicy and sour seafood soup, stir fried mixed vegetables and steamed rice and fresh fruit.
“I felt as confused when it came to Thai cuisine, especially after reading the section in my phrase book on all the goodies available. Try phat phak bung fai daeng (morning glory vine in fried garlic and bean sauce), especially when the menu is in Thai script and your pronunciation is liable to bring you lightly grilled cockroach braised in a sauce of lizard’s eyeballs.” Mark Moxon, British writer
The group divided out for shopping or to return to the ship. We lost a wheelchair somewhere along the line and since I had signed for it for $500, we had a goal to find it!! We finally found it on the ship in a corner and were greatly relieved. Semi-formal for dinner, I listed to a few violin songs from Hanna Starosta and then I worked on the trip report and notes, even though I had a headache and wanted to collapse. Soon enough…
Called Aunt Ann and Matthew and off to bed…
They also had a tropical deck party.
passing freighters...
Friday, March 20, 2009 – at sea – passing many freighters (I counted 78 at one point) and could see the coast of Malaysia
Computer class, work for tomorrow’s shore excursion arranging tender times and wheelchairs, paperwork and invitations, classical guitar concert by Carlos Bonnell, lectures on the Social Life at the White House by Col. Steven Bauer and “Queen Elizabeth”, the new Cunard ship, by President Carol Marlow. Formal night with the Black and White ball and we danced and enjoyed a Las Vegas singer, Glen Smith. Ran around re-delivering notes for an earlier tender time for our Saturday tour…long day.
Missed: Lectures on Phuket Thailand, our next port of call…
Computer class, work for tomorrow’s shore excursion arranging tender times and wheelchairs, paperwork and invitations, classical guitar concert by Carlos Bonnell, lectures on the Social Life at the White House by Col. Steven Bauer and “Queen Elizabeth”, the new Cunard ship, by President Carol Marlow. Formal night with the Black and White ball and we danced and enjoyed a Las Vegas singer, Glen Smith. Ran around re-delivering notes for an earlier tender time for our Saturday tour…long day.
Missed: Lectures on Phuket Thailand, our next port of call…
World Cruise Dinner in Singapore!!!!
Thursday, March 19, 2009 – SINGAPORE
We actually arrive to rain!!! When we opened the balcony curtains there were puddles of water all over. Can you believe this is the first day of “bad” weather for the entire trip? (But the day cleared up beautifully…)
HOT and HUMID = Singapore dollar; US$1 = 1.41 Singapore dollars
Known for great shopping
The ship had over 750 people disembark today and we picked up some more. Eight from my group left – sad…
Singapore is an island city-state 85 miles north of the equator and just south of the Malay peninsula. It is the smallest country in South-east Asia (population of 3,000,000) and the people are a blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Eurasian backgrounds. There are 14 major nationalities but most people belong to one of seven or eight Chinese groups. The name means Lion City, attributed to a 14th century Sumatran prince who spotted an auspicious beast identified as a lion. The “merlion” is a half-lion/half-fish and is the national symbol, representing the Lion city and its close ties to the sea.
Chinese, Hindu and Muslim mosques welcome curious observers to discover their culture. In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in the Sumatraran trading center and claimed it for British commerce. The harbor, strategic position and free port status fueled rapid growth. Raffles Hotel (in their Long Bar) is known as the birthplace of the drink the “Singapore Sling” and the hotel is regarded as an icon and must-see while visiting the city. Chinatown, Little India and Arab Street are lively sections of the city as well as Orchard Street, known for its shopping malls and hotels.
Singapore’s rules are tough, but clear. Jaywalkers are fined on the spot. Litter and you will pay (smokers beware) and drug peddlers earn a death sentence. The walls of the buildings are clean. Media is scanned at the state level for content and “inappropriate” websites are blocked. You can walk fearlessly in Singapore at any time, day or night, male or female.
We were headed to Sentosa Island (Pulau Blakang Mati), an outlying island which has become a major resort and recreation area (their answer to Disney) over the last decade after its previous life as a military base. The ship provided a shuttle bus to Orchard and Scott Streets (so we saw the Marriott where we stayed before) and then we took the subway to Harbourfront. After finally finding the correct ticket office, we were on the train to Sentosa – we could have taken the cable car or you can also self-drive. It was a quick 7 minute train ride which passed a lot of new construction condos and hotels. The area will be mass developed for accommodations but currently has some excellent museums, rides and beautiful sandy beaches.
We headed to Fort Siloso, a British military fortress built in the 1880s and Singapore’s only preserved coastal fort. For 2-1/2 years during WWII, Singapore succumbed to the Japanese and British POWs were stationed on this island (1942-45). We climbed through the tunnels used to shelter the officers and ammunition and watched several films detailing the fort’s history. The Surrender Chamber shows actual footage from WWII with wax figures depicting the surrender by the British in 1942 and then by the Japanese in 1945.
There were even snake charmers around – for $5 you could have your photo taken with a light green one without stripes or a fancy colored one with all kinds of patterns and colors. I opted to walk on the path as far away as possible from the snakes.
After boarding the free bus to take you to the next site, we entered Images of Singapore. What an incredible museum! High technology, wax figures, dioramas, computers…all have been used for the most creative exhibits! It was very interesting. We went through the Warehouse of the Four Winds to see how the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian forged a nation during turbulent times through the process of trade. In the Singapore Adventure you see the primitive fishing village days through to the growth of the island as a trading port and how they gained their independence after WWII. Singapore Celebrates showcases the special moments of the year, including the Lunar New Year, Christmas, Deepavali (Festival of Lights) and Hari Raya Puasa (celebrating the end of the Muslin fasting month). It gave an excellent history and cultural background of the country.
Our final ride was the Tiger Sky Tower which gave us a 360 degree bird’s eye view of Singapore. It was a beautifully clear afternoon and we could see the harbor (I counted over 78 ships in the harbor!) and beautiful skyline of the city.
It is 430 feet high – 50 storeys! We lifted 3.9 feet per second and twirled around so everyone had a wonderful view.
Other rides were Underwater World (aquarium) with Dive with the Sharks and Manatees (dugongs); Night Ocean Discovery; Dugong Cove, Singapore Wetlands; Dragon Trail Nature Walk; Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom; Orchid Garden, Enchanted Grove of Tembusu and Musical Fountain. You can also play golf!
We hurried back to the ship on the shuttle and dressed for our formal dinner for Full World Cruisers at the Shangri-La Hotel. There are approx. 700 of us and they had bus departures staggered and it worked out fine. There were Chinese acrobats on stilts and Indian henna painting on your hands, fire breathing performers and fragrant jasmine flowers for your wrist or hair and a Chinese peacock feather dance in the lobby. We had snacks and drinks and then they opened the ballroom with stunning flower arrangements on each table. White roses where in a ball in the middle of an arrangement of branches (with moss hanging down) and the entire bottom had white roses with orchids and lilies. It was so different and so pretty!
The menu and service were great and we had a performance by a Chinese opera singer who had recently won an Asian competition. She was wearing a colorful Chinese costume and we had a translation of the text on the screens. But I don’t think some of the attendees appreciated her singing…
Carol Marlow, the President of Cunard, gave a nice presentation on the new ship, the Queen Elizabeth, due out in Fall 2010. Captain Wright gave a farewell speech and the blessing before the dinner. Captain Ian McNaught takes over tonight until the end of the voyage.
There was a live orchestra playing throughout the evening and people danced during and after the meal. It was a very grand event. Everyone was dressed formally in gowns and tuxedos and jewels…
We actually arrive to rain!!! When we opened the balcony curtains there were puddles of water all over. Can you believe this is the first day of “bad” weather for the entire trip? (But the day cleared up beautifully…)
HOT and HUMID = Singapore dollar; US$1 = 1.41 Singapore dollars
Known for great shopping
The ship had over 750 people disembark today and we picked up some more. Eight from my group left – sad…
Singapore is an island city-state 85 miles north of the equator and just south of the Malay peninsula. It is the smallest country in South-east Asia (population of 3,000,000) and the people are a blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Eurasian backgrounds. There are 14 major nationalities but most people belong to one of seven or eight Chinese groups. The name means Lion City, attributed to a 14th century Sumatran prince who spotted an auspicious beast identified as a lion. The “merlion” is a half-lion/half-fish and is the national symbol, representing the Lion city and its close ties to the sea.
Chinese, Hindu and Muslim mosques welcome curious observers to discover their culture. In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in the Sumatraran trading center and claimed it for British commerce. The harbor, strategic position and free port status fueled rapid growth. Raffles Hotel (in their Long Bar) is known as the birthplace of the drink the “Singapore Sling” and the hotel is regarded as an icon and must-see while visiting the city. Chinatown, Little India and Arab Street are lively sections of the city as well as Orchard Street, known for its shopping malls and hotels.
Singapore’s rules are tough, but clear. Jaywalkers are fined on the spot. Litter and you will pay (smokers beware) and drug peddlers earn a death sentence. The walls of the buildings are clean. Media is scanned at the state level for content and “inappropriate” websites are blocked. You can walk fearlessly in Singapore at any time, day or night, male or female.
We were headed to Sentosa Island (Pulau Blakang Mati), an outlying island which has become a major resort and recreation area (their answer to Disney) over the last decade after its previous life as a military base. The ship provided a shuttle bus to Orchard and Scott Streets (so we saw the Marriott where we stayed before) and then we took the subway to Harbourfront. After finally finding the correct ticket office, we were on the train to Sentosa – we could have taken the cable car or you can also self-drive. It was a quick 7 minute train ride which passed a lot of new construction condos and hotels. The area will be mass developed for accommodations but currently has some excellent museums, rides and beautiful sandy beaches.
We headed to Fort Siloso, a British military fortress built in the 1880s and Singapore’s only preserved coastal fort. For 2-1/2 years during WWII, Singapore succumbed to the Japanese and British POWs were stationed on this island (1942-45). We climbed through the tunnels used to shelter the officers and ammunition and watched several films detailing the fort’s history. The Surrender Chamber shows actual footage from WWII with wax figures depicting the surrender by the British in 1942 and then by the Japanese in 1945.
There were even snake charmers around – for $5 you could have your photo taken with a light green one without stripes or a fancy colored one with all kinds of patterns and colors. I opted to walk on the path as far away as possible from the snakes.
After boarding the free bus to take you to the next site, we entered Images of Singapore. What an incredible museum! High technology, wax figures, dioramas, computers…all have been used for the most creative exhibits! It was very interesting. We went through the Warehouse of the Four Winds to see how the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian forged a nation during turbulent times through the process of trade. In the Singapore Adventure you see the primitive fishing village days through to the growth of the island as a trading port and how they gained their independence after WWII. Singapore Celebrates showcases the special moments of the year, including the Lunar New Year, Christmas, Deepavali (Festival of Lights) and Hari Raya Puasa (celebrating the end of the Muslin fasting month). It gave an excellent history and cultural background of the country.
Our final ride was the Tiger Sky Tower which gave us a 360 degree bird’s eye view of Singapore. It was a beautifully clear afternoon and we could see the harbor (I counted over 78 ships in the harbor!) and beautiful skyline of the city.
It is 430 feet high – 50 storeys! We lifted 3.9 feet per second and twirled around so everyone had a wonderful view.
Other rides were Underwater World (aquarium) with Dive with the Sharks and Manatees (dugongs); Night Ocean Discovery; Dugong Cove, Singapore Wetlands; Dragon Trail Nature Walk; Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom; Orchid Garden, Enchanted Grove of Tembusu and Musical Fountain. You can also play golf!
We hurried back to the ship on the shuttle and dressed for our formal dinner for Full World Cruisers at the Shangri-La Hotel. There are approx. 700 of us and they had bus departures staggered and it worked out fine. There were Chinese acrobats on stilts and Indian henna painting on your hands, fire breathing performers and fragrant jasmine flowers for your wrist or hair and a Chinese peacock feather dance in the lobby. We had snacks and drinks and then they opened the ballroom with stunning flower arrangements on each table. White roses where in a ball in the middle of an arrangement of branches (with moss hanging down) and the entire bottom had white roses with orchids and lilies. It was so different and so pretty!
The menu and service were great and we had a performance by a Chinese opera singer who had recently won an Asian competition. She was wearing a colorful Chinese costume and we had a translation of the text on the screens. But I don’t think some of the attendees appreciated her singing…
Carol Marlow, the President of Cunard, gave a nice presentation on the new ship, the Queen Elizabeth, due out in Fall 2010. Captain Wright gave a farewell speech and the blessing before the dinner. Captain Ian McNaught takes over tonight until the end of the voyage.
There was a live orchestra playing throughout the evening and people danced during and after the meal. It was a very grand event. Everyone was dressed formally in gowns and tuxedos and jewels…
Sea day in the South China Sea
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 – sea day in the South China sea, parallel to the coast of Malaysia (pity we don’t stop there!) – we are now 12 hours ahead of Delaware again
Wrote thank you letters, computer work, reviewed our onboard account bill from January 10th until today (!!!!!! – it is six pages long and we’re into the four digits now!!), attended another computer class on cameras and went to the book club review. I was glad I went to hear what the others thought about the book but I have not finished it yet! I am resolved to finish it soon.
We ordered room service and I took some time for myself. I sat out on the balcony and read and sat in the sun and ate my cheeseburger. Then I swam and sat out on the lounge chair and read and slept. It was absolutely perfect day with still waters, clear blue skies and low humidity and a hot sun. And it was quiet all around me. I swam laps again and dressed for dinner. Over 750 people leave the ship tomorrow so there is much activity onboard. Philip Hitchcock, from the UK, was the magician and he was excellent. He put himself in a huge yellow balloon and bounced around at the end (yes, he was inside the balloon!).
Wrote thank you letters, computer work, reviewed our onboard account bill from January 10th until today (!!!!!! – it is six pages long and we’re into the four digits now!!), attended another computer class on cameras and went to the book club review. I was glad I went to hear what the others thought about the book but I have not finished it yet! I am resolved to finish it soon.
We ordered room service and I took some time for myself. I sat out on the balcony and read and sat in the sun and ate my cheeseburger. Then I swam and sat out on the lounge chair and read and slept. It was absolutely perfect day with still waters, clear blue skies and low humidity and a hot sun. And it was quiet all around me. I swam laps again and dressed for dinner. Over 750 people leave the ship tomorrow so there is much activity onboard. Philip Hitchcock, from the UK, was the magician and he was excellent. He put himself in a huge yellow balloon and bounced around at the end (yes, he was inside the balloon!).
St. Patrick's Day at sea...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 – St. Patrick’s (Sea) Day leaving the Gulf of Thailand
Time change – this time we turned the clocks FORWARD an hour
Computer classes, letters, deliveries, arranging name tags and phone calls took most of the day. It was cloudy and misty most of the day with humid temperatures. Ate in the Golden Lion pub for lunch, did two loads of laundry, worked on my photos and downloading them from the camera (I am very much a novice at that) and went to the fitness center before our group cocktail party.
The cocktail parties are really a lot of fun. This time I assigned seating with name tags for the islands/destinations on this segment of the trip so they could meet new people. And we were fortunate that the Hotel Manager and Chief Engineer, two future cruise consultants and the hotel manager’s assistant showed up to mingle. It is a beautiful oval-shaped room with floor to ceiling windows and a very large multi-colored tear-drop chandelier, which faces the open deck and pool area. It has great atmosphere and people linger long after our designated hour to sit and chat. We missed our dinner hour (and it was lobster and chateaubriand tonight!!) but we went to the buffet and had freshly grilled sea bass and minute steaks and really enjoyed them. AND carrot cake with green marzipan on the top!! I love carrot cake and the marzipan just made it even better for me!!
It was the St. Patrick’s Day Ball so it is a formal night. People were in goofy green hats with blinkers and lights and boas…you can imagine there are quite a few Irish onboard! The show, “Hit Me with a Hot Note”, was a big production number with the new singers and dancers who just boarded in Hong Kong. They claimed they had been working until 4-5 AM some days since boarding to coordinate the lights and sound. It was a very good show with music from the ‘50s and ‘60s with great costumes. Had a late snack with friends in the buffet and worked and went to bed very late after delivering notes to the eight in our group who leave in Singapore.
St. Patrick was born around AD 385-7. When he was young, he was captured by sea raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped in his early 20s, made his way to the coast and found sailors who returned him to Britain. He became a priest and later a bishop. He returned to Ireland as one of the first Christian missionaries and began a life of extraordinary energy and leadership. He created monasteries and convents all over Ireland, preached and taught constantly and converting whole areas. Ireland was pagan at the time so this was no easy task. Perhaps the most famous example of his teaching is in the three-leafed clover known as a shamrock. Patrick used it to show how a trinity – father, son and holy spirit – could also be one, just as the three leaves were on one shamrock.
Time change – this time we turned the clocks FORWARD an hour
Computer classes, letters, deliveries, arranging name tags and phone calls took most of the day. It was cloudy and misty most of the day with humid temperatures. Ate in the Golden Lion pub for lunch, did two loads of laundry, worked on my photos and downloading them from the camera (I am very much a novice at that) and went to the fitness center before our group cocktail party.
The cocktail parties are really a lot of fun. This time I assigned seating with name tags for the islands/destinations on this segment of the trip so they could meet new people. And we were fortunate that the Hotel Manager and Chief Engineer, two future cruise consultants and the hotel manager’s assistant showed up to mingle. It is a beautiful oval-shaped room with floor to ceiling windows and a very large multi-colored tear-drop chandelier, which faces the open deck and pool area. It has great atmosphere and people linger long after our designated hour to sit and chat. We missed our dinner hour (and it was lobster and chateaubriand tonight!!) but we went to the buffet and had freshly grilled sea bass and minute steaks and really enjoyed them. AND carrot cake with green marzipan on the top!! I love carrot cake and the marzipan just made it even better for me!!
It was the St. Patrick’s Day Ball so it is a formal night. People were in goofy green hats with blinkers and lights and boas…you can imagine there are quite a few Irish onboard! The show, “Hit Me with a Hot Note”, was a big production number with the new singers and dancers who just boarded in Hong Kong. They claimed they had been working until 4-5 AM some days since boarding to coordinate the lights and sound. It was a very good show with music from the ‘50s and ‘60s with great costumes. Had a late snack with friends in the buffet and worked and went to bed very late after delivering notes to the eight in our group who leave in Singapore.
St. Patrick was born around AD 385-7. When he was young, he was captured by sea raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped in his early 20s, made his way to the coast and found sailors who returned him to Britain. He became a priest and later a bishop. He returned to Ireland as one of the first Christian missionaries and began a life of extraordinary energy and leadership. He created monasteries and convents all over Ireland, preached and taught constantly and converting whole areas. Ireland was pagan at the time so this was no easy task. Perhaps the most famous example of his teaching is in the three-leafed clover known as a shamrock. Patrick used it to show how a trinity – father, son and holy spirit – could also be one, just as the three leaves were on one shamrock.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Thailand - Pattaya and Laem Chabang
Monday, March 16, 2009 – Laem Chabang (for Bangkok and Pattaya) Thailand
Hot and sunny – 92 degrees
Since the drive to Bangkok is approx. 2 hours each way and we’ve been there several times, we opted for Pattaya, a beach resort about ½ hour away from the port. We arrived again at the commercial port and had a wonderful indoor area of vendors and masseuses!
Pattaya has three separate bays. Local tourism authorities are working to increase tourism with theme parks, golf courses and shopping plazas. For example: the Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens with the world’s largest orchid garden; Mini Siam, a replica of Thailand’s most precious monuments reconstructed to 1:25 scale; Underwater World with three different marine worlds; the Sanctuary of Truth with daily dolphin show and massage services in a temple-palace designed to evoke the great ancient Khmer sanctuaries of Angkor; Sraracha Tiger Zoo with 200 Bengal tigers and 100,000 crocodiles and the Bottle Art Museum.
We opted to go to the Siam Bayview Hotel in Pattaya and then headed out to Elephant Village. We had a private hour long ride on Banjit, a male elephant. We sat in the “basket” saddle and went through the water, through the forest, through the village, on the highway and through the fields. We had two large bunches of finger-size bananas with us and were constantly stopping to feed him. He also ate most of the underbrush along the way. At times, the trees were higher than we were and we were on top of the elephant!! We enjoyed the bumpy ride and had fresh fruits waiting of us upon our return. This was a good selection as we could feed the rinds to Banjit.
Three buses from the ship arrived for the show and everyone was able to ride the elephants bareback and see an historical ceremony with people in costume. Per day, elephants drink approx. 156 gallons of water and eat 400 pounds of food. They sleep for four hours and if they sleep longer, their organs may get squashed! They excrete approx. 10-16 pounds every hour!! When they flap their ears, they want to bath/need to be cooled off. They can swim 2 km an hour and can use their trunk as a snorkel. They can pull ½ their weight and can clear land and push logs. Asian/Indian male elephants have tusks. Their ear looks like a map of India! Their tusks must be cut every four years. In this particular camp, there are 3 boys and 30 girls. They have four teeth (two up and two down) and we saw one eat a whole coconut. He squished it in his mouth and then squirted the juice over his back! They can get pregnant between 14-40/50 years of age and their gestation period is 18-22 months. They are three feet high at birth and weigh approx. 150 pounds. If you double the circumference of their footprint, it tells you the height of the elephant. We learned a lot and it was fun.
On to the jewelry factory! No visit to Thailand is ever complete without a jewelry visit! Thailand has the magnificent gems. They have five types of sapphires – blue, pink, yellow, orange and green. They have two types of rubies. Their faceting and setting skills create beautiful pieces of art and the prices are excellent. Their handicrafts are based on silk and teak wood and jade, pearls and gems. Back to the ship’s vendors and it seemed the entire ship was buying there again!!
Dinner in the buffet as were too late for dinner and to the show, the Odessa String Quartet, and I worked on the cocktail party for tomorrow night. Very tired and I just want to get to bed.
Thailand is a true melting pot of people and cultures. 90% of the population is Buddhist and even Thai kings humbly don the monk’s robes at age 13. Disrespect for the royal family and religious figures, sites and objects will cause great offense. Women should never touch a monk and when handing a monk an offering, he will provide a cloth for you to lay the item upon, and he will collect it. The feet are the lowest part of the body so even pointing your feet at someone is offensive. Shoes should be removed when entering a temple or private home. The head is the highest part of the body and should never be touched. Avoid confrontation or shows of anger or frustration.
The language is derived from Mon, Khmer, Chinese, Pali, Sanskrit and English. It is a tonal language, with distinctions based on inflection – low, mid-high, rising or falling tone. The BAHT is the currency and is currently 35 baht for one US$1.
Bangkok has an estimated population of over 12M in a country of only 60M. Choked with traffic, polluted and corrupt, the city is also the financial capital of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
Historical Treasures:
- Grand Palace: built by King Rama I when the capital was moved from Thonburi to Bangkok in 1780.
- Jim Thompson’s House – a DELAWAREAN who served in Thailand and settled there. He revived their silk industry and mysteriously disappeared in 1967
- National Museum – was originally a palace and is now the largest museum in Southeast Asia
- (Wat means Temple.) Wat Po – Temple of the Reclining Buddha built in the 16th century and is the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in Bangkok. There are also these temples…the Emerald Buddha, the Golden Mount, the Marble Temple, the Temple of Dawn and the Golden Buddha.
Other must do’s in Bangkok: shopping at the night market or Weekend market or Thieves market, to a tailor, ride on a klong (canal) and the SkyTrain and in a tuk-tuk (three-wheeled vehicle), visit the Royal Barge Museum and Chinatown and the list goes on and on.
Thailand became a constitutional monarchy after a bloodless coup in 1932. The current king: His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the world’s longest reigning sovereign, who just celebrated 62+ years on the throne.
Hot and sunny – 92 degrees
Since the drive to Bangkok is approx. 2 hours each way and we’ve been there several times, we opted for Pattaya, a beach resort about ½ hour away from the port. We arrived again at the commercial port and had a wonderful indoor area of vendors and masseuses!
Pattaya has three separate bays. Local tourism authorities are working to increase tourism with theme parks, golf courses and shopping plazas. For example: the Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens with the world’s largest orchid garden; Mini Siam, a replica of Thailand’s most precious monuments reconstructed to 1:25 scale; Underwater World with three different marine worlds; the Sanctuary of Truth with daily dolphin show and massage services in a temple-palace designed to evoke the great ancient Khmer sanctuaries of Angkor; Sraracha Tiger Zoo with 200 Bengal tigers and 100,000 crocodiles and the Bottle Art Museum.
We opted to go to the Siam Bayview Hotel in Pattaya and then headed out to Elephant Village. We had a private hour long ride on Banjit, a male elephant. We sat in the “basket” saddle and went through the water, through the forest, through the village, on the highway and through the fields. We had two large bunches of finger-size bananas with us and were constantly stopping to feed him. He also ate most of the underbrush along the way. At times, the trees were higher than we were and we were on top of the elephant!! We enjoyed the bumpy ride and had fresh fruits waiting of us upon our return. This was a good selection as we could feed the rinds to Banjit.
Three buses from the ship arrived for the show and everyone was able to ride the elephants bareback and see an historical ceremony with people in costume. Per day, elephants drink approx. 156 gallons of water and eat 400 pounds of food. They sleep for four hours and if they sleep longer, their organs may get squashed! They excrete approx. 10-16 pounds every hour!! When they flap their ears, they want to bath/need to be cooled off. They can swim 2 km an hour and can use their trunk as a snorkel. They can pull ½ their weight and can clear land and push logs. Asian/Indian male elephants have tusks. Their ear looks like a map of India! Their tusks must be cut every four years. In this particular camp, there are 3 boys and 30 girls. They have four teeth (two up and two down) and we saw one eat a whole coconut. He squished it in his mouth and then squirted the juice over his back! They can get pregnant between 14-40/50 years of age and their gestation period is 18-22 months. They are three feet high at birth and weigh approx. 150 pounds. If you double the circumference of their footprint, it tells you the height of the elephant. We learned a lot and it was fun.
On to the jewelry factory! No visit to Thailand is ever complete without a jewelry visit! Thailand has the magnificent gems. They have five types of sapphires – blue, pink, yellow, orange and green. They have two types of rubies. Their faceting and setting skills create beautiful pieces of art and the prices are excellent. Their handicrafts are based on silk and teak wood and jade, pearls and gems. Back to the ship’s vendors and it seemed the entire ship was buying there again!!
Dinner in the buffet as were too late for dinner and to the show, the Odessa String Quartet, and I worked on the cocktail party for tomorrow night. Very tired and I just want to get to bed.
Thailand is a true melting pot of people and cultures. 90% of the population is Buddhist and even Thai kings humbly don the monk’s robes at age 13. Disrespect for the royal family and religious figures, sites and objects will cause great offense. Women should never touch a monk and when handing a monk an offering, he will provide a cloth for you to lay the item upon, and he will collect it. The feet are the lowest part of the body so even pointing your feet at someone is offensive. Shoes should be removed when entering a temple or private home. The head is the highest part of the body and should never be touched. Avoid confrontation or shows of anger or frustration.
The language is derived from Mon, Khmer, Chinese, Pali, Sanskrit and English. It is a tonal language, with distinctions based on inflection – low, mid-high, rising or falling tone. The BAHT is the currency and is currently 35 baht for one US$1.
Bangkok has an estimated population of over 12M in a country of only 60M. Choked with traffic, polluted and corrupt, the city is also the financial capital of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
Historical Treasures:
- Grand Palace: built by King Rama I when the capital was moved from Thonburi to Bangkok in 1780.
- Jim Thompson’s House – a DELAWAREAN who served in Thailand and settled there. He revived their silk industry and mysteriously disappeared in 1967
- National Museum – was originally a palace and is now the largest museum in Southeast Asia
- (Wat means Temple.) Wat Po – Temple of the Reclining Buddha built in the 16th century and is the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in Bangkok. There are also these temples…the Emerald Buddha, the Golden Mount, the Marble Temple, the Temple of Dawn and the Golden Buddha.
Other must do’s in Bangkok: shopping at the night market or Weekend market or Thieves market, to a tailor, ride on a klong (canal) and the SkyTrain and in a tuk-tuk (three-wheeled vehicle), visit the Royal Barge Museum and Chinatown and the list goes on and on.
Thailand became a constitutional monarchy after a bloodless coup in 1932. The current king: His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the world’s longest reigning sovereign, who just celebrated 62+ years on the throne.
Phu My port for Saigon and sea day
Sunday, March 15, 2009 – in the South China Sea headed to Bangkok
Sunny and hot
Slept late and read my book in bed! I think I am so far behind that I have missed the book club discussion but the book is fascinating East of the Sun by Julia Gregson.
Our friends stopped by and Gene went to computer class while I worked in the room.
I love the 12:00 ship’s whistle call! We have a daily report from the bridge and today they almost played a concert at sea with the whistles!
I had an afternoon computer class, worked on the cocktail party, exercised and dressed for a semi-formal night. Delivered invitations for the group and watched the past lectures on TV about astronomy, the Vietnamese economy and Vietnam during the war.
Saturday, March 14, 2009 – Phu My commercial port for the cities of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), CuChi Tunnels and Mekong Delta Cruise and Vung Tau (closest city to the port!)
92 degrees and humid and sunny
It is definitely a commercial port. As we neared the port, we were passing the Vietnamese fishermen and could see swamp lands with tall trees. Manufacturing plants for steel and concrete were nearby when we docked. In the dock area, they had even set up several vendors – including one with suitcases. That tells you the buying power in Vietnam!
Buses were lined up and passengers were pouring off the ship. This port is approx. 2 hours from anywhere of cultural interest so it was going to be a long day of touring. We have been to Ho Chi Minh, the tunnels and been on the Mekong when we traveled from Siem Reap Cambodia to Phnom Penh so we opted for the free shuttle to the closest town to the port – Vung Tau. It is actually only 30 miles from the port but with a speed limit of 30 miles an hour (crawling speed!) it took us over an hour to get there. There was plenty to see out of the bus windows, which is something I always enjoy. Motorcycles and mopeds are the popular mode of transportation for men and women. Helmets are only required on the larger roads but everyone wears a cloth face mask over their nose and mouth. Some even cover their neck and check area. And you see such a variety of items being transported! Two girls were holding a bicycle upside down on the moped. A family of four were on one motorcycle. One man was hauling two huge blocks of ice on the back – about 5 feet long, and 12 inches wide by 12 inches high! I assume he has to go faster than the speed limit or he loses his load in the heat!! Window-watching is a great activity in any country!
In Vung Tau, we quickly realized we were going to have major communication problems. Even at our meeting point, a large hotel, English was not easily understood. Pedicabs were abundant as we contemplated finding a tailor. On a previous visit, I had a typical Vietnamese outfit made for nearly nothing. Young women on motorbikes approached us to try to sell Vietnamese silk jackets and night gowns in various colors and sizes. Then there was a loud confrontation between two women fighting over our business and it made me very uncomfortable. We decided to take the pedicab to the tailor and the women followed us on their motorbikes!!! There was another scene at the tailor and I ended up upset and crying!! It was a mess. We tried to walk away and they kept following us and at that point I was certainly not interested in buying a thing from any one of them. Persistent little saleswomen!!! We stopped in a few shops and ended up sitting down and talking with a nice older gentleman who sold sodas. His English was good and he called a cab for us and told the driver our route.
We drove along the waterfront and passed many fishing boats – wooden junks painted various shades of blue, red and green. They are very colorful as they bob along on the waves. Our destination was to see the 100-foot high Madonna built by the American soldiers at the top of the hill, similar to the one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There were benches along the path engraved with the names and home cities/states of the donors – Havertown, PA and Philadelphia, PA are pretty close to home! We met a giggling group of teenagers and they now have our photos for their scrapbooks! The view of the sea was beautiful and the statue is modern.
Our next stop was the market and it turned out to be the fish and vegetable market. Women sit all day under the covered marketplace and sell and prepare their goods. We saw men and women peel the garlic and onions to be put into the large 50 pounds sacks. The fish were alive in the buckets – mussels, whelk, squid, octopi, “normal” looking fish (whatever is normal in these waters), conch, and many varieties I could not identify! Fresh meat is displayed for hours on their counters with flies swarming around. It looks to be of very good quality but I could not guess what type of meat it was. There was a small restaurant section with an electric burner for cooking and plastic stools under the wooden plank for the countertop. The “drug store” was a stall lined to the top with every imaginable item you could need – almost a combo kitchen and drug store.
We walked down the street looking for a hair dresser and an internet café. Gene would have his time on the computer and I would have mine for relaxation. And we found one!! One dollar for an hour on the internet and two dollars for my hour of beauty!! This time I had only a shampoo and a facial massage. The shampoo was done while I was sitting upright in the chair. She slowly poured shampoo on the top of my head and gently blended it into the hair. After a head massage, she led me to the table to lie down and finished washing my hair in the sink. I heard slicing behind me and found out she was cutting the cucumber to place on my face. I was completed covered except for my nose and it was so cool and lovely!! Since it is a hot sticky climate, it could not have felt better. The cool water running on my forehead and then the cold cucumber…I was definitely relaxed and loving every moment of it.
We walked down the street and found a drink called Wintermelon. I read it as watermelon so I thought it would be good. Well, wintermelon tastes like coffee and ginger combined. It was cold and interesting but I’m not sure I would repeat the drink again.
We took another cab to the “market” which turned out to be the new mall!!! What a shock. We wandered around and, of course, I found a pair of shoes to buy!! What fun --. little slip on beige sandals with a small heel – kind of like little ballerina shoes. I have a great memento from the day…
We had a terrible time with a taxi and getting back to the hotel. They were trying to charge us $10 for a $1.50 fare. And we fought it. We kept walking and left the taxis in the dust behind us. But they keep following us and tooting their horns so we finally accepted a ride when they came down to our price. It is really annoying when they try such tactics.
We made the last bus from the hotel back to the ship and the vendors were still there! What a surprise. They made so much money off this ship!!! People go absolutely NUTS about shopping anyway and when the prices are as low as they are here, it is insane. So we were out there in the dusk until the security officer came along and said they were raising the gangplanks SO GET ON THE SHIP NOW!! And off we trotted. We do follow officer’s orders rather well….
Everyone was exhausted. We had open seating for dinner so you could dress and eat when you pleased so that helped relax us a bit. Also had a deck BBQ to enjoy and a crew talent show, which was fabulous.
“He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know.” Lao-Tzu
Saigon has over 7,000,000 residents. The Chinese Funan Kingdom ruled the Mekong River Delta between 2nd and 7th centuries and then became part of the Khmer Chenla Kingdom. By 1200 AD, it was an important port in the Angkor Kingdom. Chinese armies invaded repeatedly until the 19th century. French influence grew in Vietnam and in 1961 France seized Saigon. The empire expanded to become French Indochine within two decades. Saigon flourished and in the 1960s, foreign contract workers, Western businessman, fashion designers and spies all showed up. Businesses collapsed in the wake of the 1975 armistice (it fell to advancing North Vietnamese forces) and more than a decade of austere isolationism. But the country has once again opened its doors. Cell phones and palm pilots are abundant in this busy city.
Saigon City Hall is the headquarters for the People’s Central Committee. The War Remnants Museum is housed (not accidentally) in the former US Information Service building – it was once called the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes. The Reunification Palace was where the first communist tanks arrived in Saigon on April 30, 1975. The building was once the symbol of the South Vietnamese government. The extensive Cu Chi Tunnels network, over 150 miles long, was central to the Viet Cong’s war on Saigon. The tunnels were well-supplied, several storeys deep and equipped with an ingenious system of trap doors, dead-ends, kitchens, weapons factories, field hospitals, storage areas and living quarters.
Sunny and hot
Slept late and read my book in bed! I think I am so far behind that I have missed the book club discussion but the book is fascinating East of the Sun by Julia Gregson.
Our friends stopped by and Gene went to computer class while I worked in the room.
I love the 12:00 ship’s whistle call! We have a daily report from the bridge and today they almost played a concert at sea with the whistles!
I had an afternoon computer class, worked on the cocktail party, exercised and dressed for a semi-formal night. Delivered invitations for the group and watched the past lectures on TV about astronomy, the Vietnamese economy and Vietnam during the war.
Saturday, March 14, 2009 – Phu My commercial port for the cities of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), CuChi Tunnels and Mekong Delta Cruise and Vung Tau (closest city to the port!)
92 degrees and humid and sunny
It is definitely a commercial port. As we neared the port, we were passing the Vietnamese fishermen and could see swamp lands with tall trees. Manufacturing plants for steel and concrete were nearby when we docked. In the dock area, they had even set up several vendors – including one with suitcases. That tells you the buying power in Vietnam!
Buses were lined up and passengers were pouring off the ship. This port is approx. 2 hours from anywhere of cultural interest so it was going to be a long day of touring. We have been to Ho Chi Minh, the tunnels and been on the Mekong when we traveled from Siem Reap Cambodia to Phnom Penh so we opted for the free shuttle to the closest town to the port – Vung Tau. It is actually only 30 miles from the port but with a speed limit of 30 miles an hour (crawling speed!) it took us over an hour to get there. There was plenty to see out of the bus windows, which is something I always enjoy. Motorcycles and mopeds are the popular mode of transportation for men and women. Helmets are only required on the larger roads but everyone wears a cloth face mask over their nose and mouth. Some even cover their neck and check area. And you see such a variety of items being transported! Two girls were holding a bicycle upside down on the moped. A family of four were on one motorcycle. One man was hauling two huge blocks of ice on the back – about 5 feet long, and 12 inches wide by 12 inches high! I assume he has to go faster than the speed limit or he loses his load in the heat!! Window-watching is a great activity in any country!
In Vung Tau, we quickly realized we were going to have major communication problems. Even at our meeting point, a large hotel, English was not easily understood. Pedicabs were abundant as we contemplated finding a tailor. On a previous visit, I had a typical Vietnamese outfit made for nearly nothing. Young women on motorbikes approached us to try to sell Vietnamese silk jackets and night gowns in various colors and sizes. Then there was a loud confrontation between two women fighting over our business and it made me very uncomfortable. We decided to take the pedicab to the tailor and the women followed us on their motorbikes!!! There was another scene at the tailor and I ended up upset and crying!! It was a mess. We tried to walk away and they kept following us and at that point I was certainly not interested in buying a thing from any one of them. Persistent little saleswomen!!! We stopped in a few shops and ended up sitting down and talking with a nice older gentleman who sold sodas. His English was good and he called a cab for us and told the driver our route.
We drove along the waterfront and passed many fishing boats – wooden junks painted various shades of blue, red and green. They are very colorful as they bob along on the waves. Our destination was to see the 100-foot high Madonna built by the American soldiers at the top of the hill, similar to the one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There were benches along the path engraved with the names and home cities/states of the donors – Havertown, PA and Philadelphia, PA are pretty close to home! We met a giggling group of teenagers and they now have our photos for their scrapbooks! The view of the sea was beautiful and the statue is modern.
Our next stop was the market and it turned out to be the fish and vegetable market. Women sit all day under the covered marketplace and sell and prepare their goods. We saw men and women peel the garlic and onions to be put into the large 50 pounds sacks. The fish were alive in the buckets – mussels, whelk, squid, octopi, “normal” looking fish (whatever is normal in these waters), conch, and many varieties I could not identify! Fresh meat is displayed for hours on their counters with flies swarming around. It looks to be of very good quality but I could not guess what type of meat it was. There was a small restaurant section with an electric burner for cooking and plastic stools under the wooden plank for the countertop. The “drug store” was a stall lined to the top with every imaginable item you could need – almost a combo kitchen and drug store.
We walked down the street looking for a hair dresser and an internet café. Gene would have his time on the computer and I would have mine for relaxation. And we found one!! One dollar for an hour on the internet and two dollars for my hour of beauty!! This time I had only a shampoo and a facial massage. The shampoo was done while I was sitting upright in the chair. She slowly poured shampoo on the top of my head and gently blended it into the hair. After a head massage, she led me to the table to lie down and finished washing my hair in the sink. I heard slicing behind me and found out she was cutting the cucumber to place on my face. I was completed covered except for my nose and it was so cool and lovely!! Since it is a hot sticky climate, it could not have felt better. The cool water running on my forehead and then the cold cucumber…I was definitely relaxed and loving every moment of it.
We walked down the street and found a drink called Wintermelon. I read it as watermelon so I thought it would be good. Well, wintermelon tastes like coffee and ginger combined. It was cold and interesting but I’m not sure I would repeat the drink again.
We took another cab to the “market” which turned out to be the new mall!!! What a shock. We wandered around and, of course, I found a pair of shoes to buy!! What fun --. little slip on beige sandals with a small heel – kind of like little ballerina shoes. I have a great memento from the day…
We had a terrible time with a taxi and getting back to the hotel. They were trying to charge us $10 for a $1.50 fare. And we fought it. We kept walking and left the taxis in the dust behind us. But they keep following us and tooting their horns so we finally accepted a ride when they came down to our price. It is really annoying when they try such tactics.
We made the last bus from the hotel back to the ship and the vendors were still there! What a surprise. They made so much money off this ship!!! People go absolutely NUTS about shopping anyway and when the prices are as low as they are here, it is insane. So we were out there in the dusk until the security officer came along and said they were raising the gangplanks SO GET ON THE SHIP NOW!! And off we trotted. We do follow officer’s orders rather well….
Everyone was exhausted. We had open seating for dinner so you could dress and eat when you pleased so that helped relax us a bit. Also had a deck BBQ to enjoy and a crew talent show, which was fabulous.
“He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know.” Lao-Tzu
Saigon has over 7,000,000 residents. The Chinese Funan Kingdom ruled the Mekong River Delta between 2nd and 7th centuries and then became part of the Khmer Chenla Kingdom. By 1200 AD, it was an important port in the Angkor Kingdom. Chinese armies invaded repeatedly until the 19th century. French influence grew in Vietnam and in 1961 France seized Saigon. The empire expanded to become French Indochine within two decades. Saigon flourished and in the 1960s, foreign contract workers, Western businessman, fashion designers and spies all showed up. Businesses collapsed in the wake of the 1975 armistice (it fell to advancing North Vietnamese forces) and more than a decade of austere isolationism. But the country has once again opened its doors. Cell phones and palm pilots are abundant in this busy city.
Saigon City Hall is the headquarters for the People’s Central Committee. The War Remnants Museum is housed (not accidentally) in the former US Information Service building – it was once called the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes. The Reunification Palace was where the first communist tanks arrived in Saigon on April 30, 1975. The building was once the symbol of the South Vietnamese government. The extensive Cu Chi Tunnels network, over 150 miles long, was central to the Viet Cong’s war on Saigon. The tunnels were well-supplied, several storeys deep and equipped with an ingenious system of trap doors, dead-ends, kitchens, weapons factories, field hospitals, storage areas and living quarters.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Nha Trang Vietnam!
Friday, March 13, 2009 – Mom’s birthday! Nha Trang Vietnam
We are now 13 hours ahead of Delaware. Beautiful full moon for Mom’s birthday! It is gorgeous as it reflects on the water when we step out onto the balcony…
Population of 200,000 but has a heavy local and international tourist influx – their Ocean City! There are approx. 10,000 trawlers in the province and they fish for abalone, lobster, prawns, cuttlefish, mackerel, pomfret, scallops, shrimps, snapper and tuna!
Salt production is also large employing over 4000 people.
Currency is the dong. Approx. 17,400 dong equal US$1. (Do the math to figure out how many dong for your home!)
What a beautiful arrival we had to the beach resort of Nha Trang with the high green mountains were in the distance! There were several rocky, arid islands (there are actually 20) as we approached the port. The temperature was warm already at 6:00 so we knew it would be summer day in Vietnam…meaning lots of humidity and bright sun.
We had to tender to the dock (which means going on a smaller boat (not that small as they seat about 100!) to be taken to shore) and were able to get onto the first tender! (They can only give out so many tickets for each tender so you have to wait for space if you are not up early!) We were lucky as we found out the late arrivals had a two hour delay with their tours as there were problems with the tenders. We took the free shuttle bus to the city market and hired a taxi for 3 hours for $35. And it was air conditioned. A must!
The beach road is meticulously landscaped with a park with modern sculptures and manicured trees. The trees had square flat tops! Like a man’s military haircut! It is a picturesque entranceway for visitors from the port. Along the route is the Pasteur Institute, which was founded in 1895, by Alexander Yersin, a Swiss geologist who is one of Vietnam’s greatest heroes. He was a student of Dr. Louis Pasteur and immigrated to Nga Trang in 1891. He founded the Vietnamese hillside resort of Dalat, isolated a plague-causing bacteria as an antidote for Bubonic Plague and brought quinine trees to Southeast Asia to fight malaria.
Our first stop was at the Long Son Pagoda where we were met by teenager girls speaking English! They were orphans living with the monks and selling paintings on silk to help their education. In their excellent English, they called the men in our group “Happy Buddha”. Try to find a photo of a Happy Buddha and you will understand. The women all got a tickle out of that comment…Anyway, the girls trailed us the entire time we visited the Pagoda. We bought one (did you doubt that?). This is a 1930s pagoda and you must take off your shoes to enter. Incense burns continually and bananas and chrysanthemums are offered at the altar. There is a tall white Buddha on the hillside behind it, which is the symbol of Nha Trang. There are great views of the city from the top and you are surrounded by more vendors selling paintings on silk, sunglasses, sodas and water, fans (they were needed!) and postcards in packs of 10 (but what you see from one pack is not necessarily what you get in the one you buy…). There was also a very large and long reclining Buddha, similar to one in Bangkok. He is resting on his arms and looks so peaceful.
We continued up the hill to the French Gothic Nga Trang Cathedral. Built in 1933 above the city center, it is one of the few remaining relics from the hated French colonial days. We enjoyed the medieval-looking stained glass windows.
Po Ngar Cham Towers are impressive temples towering over the River Cai and the city. Starting in the 8th century, the Cham people (an early Hindu empire in Central Vietnam) built this temple to honor Yang Ino Po Ngar, mother of the kingdom. There were originally ten structures and only four remain. Today you can enter three towers (after removing your shoes) as they are still in use by local Buddhists. The altars and incense add to the intrigue of the architecture along with the carved epitaphs of Cham kings, carved doors and the statue of the goddess Bharagati on her lotus throne, which was carved in 1050. You get a good view of river life from up above – houses on stilts and boats plying the river with their goods and transporting passengers. Fascinating!
We also stopped at the Thap Ba Hop Spring Center were one could have a mud bath and swim. It is an outdoor leisure complex where you can soak your bones in soothing pools of hot, mineral-rich mud.
Time on our own!! We ate on a park bench by the sea and wandered through the market place and had a great time!!! Prices are cheap. Really cheap. Pearls, crafts, laquerware, silk clothing…it was fun! AND we found the Bao Beauty Salon at 27A Le Loi, phone 0905 707 495. $13 for two shampoos, one facial massage, and two haircuts! In a very trendy and stylish salon! I melted into the chair as she gave me a head massage and then a facial massage. It was oh so difficult to get out of that chair…They did a great job and we had fun with them.
We took the pedicab (carriage seat in front of a bicycle) for a ride around town also.
The traffic is intriguing. There was only light in the entire time that we saw. There were a few roundabouts but otherwise, no stop signs either. People are driving on bicycles, motorbikes (with 2-3 people on them), taxis and cars and they all go at about the same rate of speed. No more than 30 mph. Horns blare all the time and people have enough time to avoid any type of collision. They make U-turns in the middle of the road just by turning. No reason to look – just turn. The others will slow down for you. It can be a big unnerving if you are seated in the pedicab and you see the traffic coming at you…!!!
The Vietnam of today is a fascinating country. The people are friendly and genuine. The prices are cheap. I really enjoyed the day. Two special moments – sad and touching: Sad: We passed an elderly woman who was quietly crying while sitting on the sidewalk on her haunches with two large empty baskets in front of her. At first we thought she was putting on an act. I went back to check on her and she was such a sad little figure. I tried to talk to her and she looked at me and patted her stomach and quietly wept. I gave her some dollars and she looked at it inquisitively and kept patting her stomach and crying…poor thing. Touching: I chased after a vendor (how often does that happen??) and was looking at another vendor and tripped/stubbed my arch (how to explain but it has been bothering me). I limped back to my bench by the sea and suddenly this little old lady (with modern purple glasses!) comes up to me with some cotton and wants to help me bandage my arch!! She was so concerned and wanted to help me. She kept at it, but I was fine. So then she pulled out her postcards she was trying to sell. :)
We took the last bus back to the tender dock and the last tender to the ship. It was just about sunset and was so pretty. There is an overhead gondola leading from the mainland OVER THE SEA to the VinPearl resort, where you can swim and snorkel and stay at the hotel. Our ship could not dock in town since we could not get underneath the cables.
Dinner was fun with everyone wearing their purchases from the day and Philippa Healey was the singer, who has sung on West End productions in London. It was the Buccaneer Ball also – people had on their eye patches, wore swords and costumes!
You know, you too can have this much fun! Consider joining me from April 20-26 from Southampton to NY on the Transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2. There are lots of discounted programs and if you want go earlier to tour the UK or Europe, we can arrange that also. This year is the year for great value in travel. Most everything you see online we can match or beat. And by booking with Preferred Travel, you are making this world a better place for the children of Niger. At no extra cost to travelers, a donation is made with every booking. For more information go to www.waterishope.org. Hope to see you in Southampton!! LGTravel@verizon.net or Chuz2Cruz@comcast.net
We are now 13 hours ahead of Delaware. Beautiful full moon for Mom’s birthday! It is gorgeous as it reflects on the water when we step out onto the balcony…
Population of 200,000 but has a heavy local and international tourist influx – their Ocean City! There are approx. 10,000 trawlers in the province and they fish for abalone, lobster, prawns, cuttlefish, mackerel, pomfret, scallops, shrimps, snapper and tuna!
Salt production is also large employing over 4000 people.
Currency is the dong. Approx. 17,400 dong equal US$1. (Do the math to figure out how many dong for your home!)
What a beautiful arrival we had to the beach resort of Nha Trang with the high green mountains were in the distance! There were several rocky, arid islands (there are actually 20) as we approached the port. The temperature was warm already at 6:00 so we knew it would be summer day in Vietnam…meaning lots of humidity and bright sun.
We had to tender to the dock (which means going on a smaller boat (not that small as they seat about 100!) to be taken to shore) and were able to get onto the first tender! (They can only give out so many tickets for each tender so you have to wait for space if you are not up early!) We were lucky as we found out the late arrivals had a two hour delay with their tours as there were problems with the tenders. We took the free shuttle bus to the city market and hired a taxi for 3 hours for $35. And it was air conditioned. A must!
The beach road is meticulously landscaped with a park with modern sculptures and manicured trees. The trees had square flat tops! Like a man’s military haircut! It is a picturesque entranceway for visitors from the port. Along the route is the Pasteur Institute, which was founded in 1895, by Alexander Yersin, a Swiss geologist who is one of Vietnam’s greatest heroes. He was a student of Dr. Louis Pasteur and immigrated to Nga Trang in 1891. He founded the Vietnamese hillside resort of Dalat, isolated a plague-causing bacteria as an antidote for Bubonic Plague and brought quinine trees to Southeast Asia to fight malaria.
Our first stop was at the Long Son Pagoda where we were met by teenager girls speaking English! They were orphans living with the monks and selling paintings on silk to help their education. In their excellent English, they called the men in our group “Happy Buddha”. Try to find a photo of a Happy Buddha and you will understand. The women all got a tickle out of that comment…Anyway, the girls trailed us the entire time we visited the Pagoda. We bought one (did you doubt that?). This is a 1930s pagoda and you must take off your shoes to enter. Incense burns continually and bananas and chrysanthemums are offered at the altar. There is a tall white Buddha on the hillside behind it, which is the symbol of Nha Trang. There are great views of the city from the top and you are surrounded by more vendors selling paintings on silk, sunglasses, sodas and water, fans (they were needed!) and postcards in packs of 10 (but what you see from one pack is not necessarily what you get in the one you buy…). There was also a very large and long reclining Buddha, similar to one in Bangkok. He is resting on his arms and looks so peaceful.
We continued up the hill to the French Gothic Nga Trang Cathedral. Built in 1933 above the city center, it is one of the few remaining relics from the hated French colonial days. We enjoyed the medieval-looking stained glass windows.
Po Ngar Cham Towers are impressive temples towering over the River Cai and the city. Starting in the 8th century, the Cham people (an early Hindu empire in Central Vietnam) built this temple to honor Yang Ino Po Ngar, mother of the kingdom. There were originally ten structures and only four remain. Today you can enter three towers (after removing your shoes) as they are still in use by local Buddhists. The altars and incense add to the intrigue of the architecture along with the carved epitaphs of Cham kings, carved doors and the statue of the goddess Bharagati on her lotus throne, which was carved in 1050. You get a good view of river life from up above – houses on stilts and boats plying the river with their goods and transporting passengers. Fascinating!
We also stopped at the Thap Ba Hop Spring Center were one could have a mud bath and swim. It is an outdoor leisure complex where you can soak your bones in soothing pools of hot, mineral-rich mud.
Time on our own!! We ate on a park bench by the sea and wandered through the market place and had a great time!!! Prices are cheap. Really cheap. Pearls, crafts, laquerware, silk clothing…it was fun! AND we found the Bao Beauty Salon at 27A Le Loi, phone 0905 707 495. $13 for two shampoos, one facial massage, and two haircuts! In a very trendy and stylish salon! I melted into the chair as she gave me a head massage and then a facial massage. It was oh so difficult to get out of that chair…They did a great job and we had fun with them.
We took the pedicab (carriage seat in front of a bicycle) for a ride around town also.
The traffic is intriguing. There was only light in the entire time that we saw. There were a few roundabouts but otherwise, no stop signs either. People are driving on bicycles, motorbikes (with 2-3 people on them), taxis and cars and they all go at about the same rate of speed. No more than 30 mph. Horns blare all the time and people have enough time to avoid any type of collision. They make U-turns in the middle of the road just by turning. No reason to look – just turn. The others will slow down for you. It can be a big unnerving if you are seated in the pedicab and you see the traffic coming at you…!!!
The Vietnam of today is a fascinating country. The people are friendly and genuine. The prices are cheap. I really enjoyed the day. Two special moments – sad and touching: Sad: We passed an elderly woman who was quietly crying while sitting on the sidewalk on her haunches with two large empty baskets in front of her. At first we thought she was putting on an act. I went back to check on her and she was such a sad little figure. I tried to talk to her and she looked at me and patted her stomach and quietly wept. I gave her some dollars and she looked at it inquisitively and kept patting her stomach and crying…poor thing. Touching: I chased after a vendor (how often does that happen??) and was looking at another vendor and tripped/stubbed my arch (how to explain but it has been bothering me). I limped back to my bench by the sea and suddenly this little old lady (with modern purple glasses!) comes up to me with some cotton and wants to help me bandage my arch!! She was so concerned and wanted to help me. She kept at it, but I was fine. So then she pulled out her postcards she was trying to sell. :)
We took the last bus back to the tender dock and the last tender to the ship. It was just about sunset and was so pretty. There is an overhead gondola leading from the mainland OVER THE SEA to the VinPearl resort, where you can swim and snorkel and stay at the hotel. Our ship could not dock in town since we could not get underneath the cables.
Dinner was fun with everyone wearing their purchases from the day and Philippa Healey was the singer, who has sung on West End productions in London. It was the Buccaneer Ball also – people had on their eye patches, wore swords and costumes!
You know, you too can have this much fun! Consider joining me from April 20-26 from Southampton to NY on the Transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2. There are lots of discounted programs and if you want go earlier to tour the UK or Europe, we can arrange that also. This year is the year for great value in travel. Most everything you see online we can match or beat. And by booking with Preferred Travel, you are making this world a better place for the children of Niger. At no extra cost to travelers, a donation is made with every booking. For more information go to www.waterishope.org. Hope to see you in Southampton!! LGTravel@verizon.net or Chuz2Cruz@comcast.net
Thursday, March 12, 2009
in the South China Sea
Thursday, March 12, 2009 – at sea in the South China Sea
Sunny and humid – back into summer weather in the Winter!
Slept late and sat out on the balcony and read all about our next two ports of call in Vietnam. There are birds flying by me!!!! They were GLIDING faster than we are sailing!!! It is very unusual to see birds at sea so we must be close enough to land, but it sure does not look it!
Met a client around lunch and then we had a nice quiet lunch in the dining room. More paperwork and housecleaning and by then it was time to dress for formal night. A friend celebrated her 50th and we joined in. We attended a Captain’s affair after dinner and met some other officers and enjoyed time with friends. Oh, what a life…
Sunny and humid – back into summer weather in the Winter!
Slept late and sat out on the balcony and read all about our next two ports of call in Vietnam. There are birds flying by me!!!! They were GLIDING faster than we are sailing!!! It is very unusual to see birds at sea so we must be close enough to land, but it sure does not look it!
Met a client around lunch and then we had a nice quiet lunch in the dining room. More paperwork and housecleaning and by then it was time to dress for formal night. A friend celebrated her 50th and we joined in. We attended a Captain’s affair after dinner and met some other officers and enjoyed time with friends. Oh, what a life…
My Danish exchange family in Hong Kong...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 – HONG KONG, China!
Misty and cloudy and warm and humid – 72 degrees
Up bright and early to see all the ships out in the sea waiting for their turn to pull into the harbor AND we wanted to be on the first bus to meet Elsebeth! We were at the Marco Polo Gateway at Ocean Terminal and then to the Star Ferry. Elsebeth is my Danish sister, from my year abroad with AFS in 1977-78. She and her family now live in Hong Kong on a 3-year teaching contract through the Hong Kong Baptist University. This is the same university we had stayed at previously visiting my OTHER AFS sister from Chile, whose partner was ALSO teaching at this university. Such a small world!!!
It was fantastic to see her!! We were not in Hong Kong today for sightseeing – just to hang out! We decided to come back to the ship and show her around since her time in the afternoon would be limited. We toured and ate and talked and ate and talked and ate! It is a beautiful ship and every time I see it through the eyes of someone who has never seen a cruise ship, it becomes even more magnificent. Class, style, colors, character, atmosphere…it is a lovely ship.
We took the bus downtown and then the subway and then the bus to Sha Tin, where they live. Their apartment is on the 8th floor with a great view of the high mountains. Most people probably don’t realize how tall the mountains are which surround the city. Hans Jorgen was working. Emil is 9 years old and he came home from school at 3. Jonas is 18 and Kristian is 14 and they came home at 3:30. Florence is their live-in housekeeper from the Philippines (very common here and not a luxury as in the USA and most other countries) and she made brownies for an afternoon snack. They changed their clothes and we backtracked to the ship.
The boys were amazed and awestruck. They all enjoy music and when we entered the theater, the musicians and entertainer were rehearsing for tonight’s show, which they really enjoyed. We toured the ship from top to bottom and ate in the buffet. Els had to teach a class so she and HJ were late arriving – 6:30! So we really only had about 15 minutes together to eat quickly and talk before they were off the boat again!!!
Jonas and Emil both said they wanted to be a stowaway!
But it was a wonderful time. Absolutely wonderful. It was so nice to catch up and hear the news and see how the boys have grown. Their English is fantastic, they are considerate and kind and mature and I was so proud of them!! They have grown into very nice young adults. And to see Els and HJ was the best. They have been married 23 years this May – hard to believe. We have shared very special moments in wonderful places around the globe! How fortunate we have been. Today in Hong Kong was definitely a day to remember. All too soon, it was time for them to leave the ship.
Gene and I ate in the restaurant by ourselves and enjoyed the meal and a wonderful table by the window. The port activity is amazing and this really has to be even larger than Shanghai and possibly one of the largest in the world. Containers are constantly being loaded and unloaded and ships are in every berth. The machinery they use is amazing and the trucks moving on winding paths throughout the port really give you the feel of hustle and bustle. Ryan Ahern was the pianist entertainer tonight.
We had a beautiful sail out with all the lights of Hong Kong ahead of us. Amazing skyscrapers and hotels and signs with moving ads and bright colors and fishing vessels…it was spectacular. I will always remember seeing the family and leaving with such beautiful sites around us.
Hong Kong, considered the buying and selling capital of the world was founded on the opium trade. Most people think only of Hong Kong Island but there are more than 266 islands in all. The northern border is the Guangdong Province and the south is the South China Sea. Hong Kong was a British dependency from the 1840s until July 1, 1997, when it passed to Chinese sovereignty (we were last here in February 1997!) as the Hong Kong special Administrative Region (SAR).
The British control of Hong Kong began in 1842, when China was forced to cede Hong Kong Island to Britain after the First Opium War. In 1984 Britain and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which stipulated that Hong Kong return to Chinese rule in 1997.
Hong Kong, literally meaning fragrant harbor, is derived from the area where fragrant wood products and incense were once traded. Victoria Harbour is one of the deepest natural maritime ports in the world. Hong Kong is frequently described as a city where East meets West, a meeting reflected in its economic infrastructure, education, legal system and street culture. On one street corner there may be traditional Chinese shops selling Chinese herbal medicine, Buddhist paraphernalia or bowls of synthetic shark fin soup. But around the next, one may find theatres showing the latest Hollywood blockbuster, a British-style pub, a Catholic Church or a McDonald’s.
The official languages are Chinese and English. British rule may have ended a decade ago but Western culture is deeply ingrained in Hong Kong and coexists seamlessly with traditional philosophy and practices of the Orient. The population is 6.3M which means a population density of 15,194 people per square mile!!
“To know yet to think that one does not know is best. Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty.” Lao-Tzu, 6th century BC
Misty and cloudy and warm and humid – 72 degrees
Up bright and early to see all the ships out in the sea waiting for their turn to pull into the harbor AND we wanted to be on the first bus to meet Elsebeth! We were at the Marco Polo Gateway at Ocean Terminal and then to the Star Ferry. Elsebeth is my Danish sister, from my year abroad with AFS in 1977-78. She and her family now live in Hong Kong on a 3-year teaching contract through the Hong Kong Baptist University. This is the same university we had stayed at previously visiting my OTHER AFS sister from Chile, whose partner was ALSO teaching at this university. Such a small world!!!
It was fantastic to see her!! We were not in Hong Kong today for sightseeing – just to hang out! We decided to come back to the ship and show her around since her time in the afternoon would be limited. We toured and ate and talked and ate and talked and ate! It is a beautiful ship and every time I see it through the eyes of someone who has never seen a cruise ship, it becomes even more magnificent. Class, style, colors, character, atmosphere…it is a lovely ship.
We took the bus downtown and then the subway and then the bus to Sha Tin, where they live. Their apartment is on the 8th floor with a great view of the high mountains. Most people probably don’t realize how tall the mountains are which surround the city. Hans Jorgen was working. Emil is 9 years old and he came home from school at 3. Jonas is 18 and Kristian is 14 and they came home at 3:30. Florence is their live-in housekeeper from the Philippines (very common here and not a luxury as in the USA and most other countries) and she made brownies for an afternoon snack. They changed their clothes and we backtracked to the ship.
The boys were amazed and awestruck. They all enjoy music and when we entered the theater, the musicians and entertainer were rehearsing for tonight’s show, which they really enjoyed. We toured the ship from top to bottom and ate in the buffet. Els had to teach a class so she and HJ were late arriving – 6:30! So we really only had about 15 minutes together to eat quickly and talk before they were off the boat again!!!
Jonas and Emil both said they wanted to be a stowaway!
But it was a wonderful time. Absolutely wonderful. It was so nice to catch up and hear the news and see how the boys have grown. Their English is fantastic, they are considerate and kind and mature and I was so proud of them!! They have grown into very nice young adults. And to see Els and HJ was the best. They have been married 23 years this May – hard to believe. We have shared very special moments in wonderful places around the globe! How fortunate we have been. Today in Hong Kong was definitely a day to remember. All too soon, it was time for them to leave the ship.
Gene and I ate in the restaurant by ourselves and enjoyed the meal and a wonderful table by the window. The port activity is amazing and this really has to be even larger than Shanghai and possibly one of the largest in the world. Containers are constantly being loaded and unloaded and ships are in every berth. The machinery they use is amazing and the trucks moving on winding paths throughout the port really give you the feel of hustle and bustle. Ryan Ahern was the pianist entertainer tonight.
We had a beautiful sail out with all the lights of Hong Kong ahead of us. Amazing skyscrapers and hotels and signs with moving ads and bright colors and fishing vessels…it was spectacular. I will always remember seeing the family and leaving with such beautiful sites around us.
Hong Kong, considered the buying and selling capital of the world was founded on the opium trade. Most people think only of Hong Kong Island but there are more than 266 islands in all. The northern border is the Guangdong Province and the south is the South China Sea. Hong Kong was a British dependency from the 1840s until July 1, 1997, when it passed to Chinese sovereignty (we were last here in February 1997!) as the Hong Kong special Administrative Region (SAR).
The British control of Hong Kong began in 1842, when China was forced to cede Hong Kong Island to Britain after the First Opium War. In 1984 Britain and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which stipulated that Hong Kong return to Chinese rule in 1997.
Hong Kong, literally meaning fragrant harbor, is derived from the area where fragrant wood products and incense were once traded. Victoria Harbour is one of the deepest natural maritime ports in the world. Hong Kong is frequently described as a city where East meets West, a meeting reflected in its economic infrastructure, education, legal system and street culture. On one street corner there may be traditional Chinese shops selling Chinese herbal medicine, Buddhist paraphernalia or bowls of synthetic shark fin soup. But around the next, one may find theatres showing the latest Hollywood blockbuster, a British-style pub, a Catholic Church or a McDonald’s.
The official languages are Chinese and English. British rule may have ended a decade ago but Western culture is deeply ingrained in Hong Kong and coexists seamlessly with traditional philosophy and practices of the Orient. The population is 6.3M which means a population density of 15,194 people per square mile!!
“To know yet to think that one does not know is best. Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty.” Lao-Tzu, 6th century BC
March 10 at sea
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 – at sea and it is getting warmer!!
Glorious sunshine and more humidity
I sit out on the balcony and type away! It is absolutely wonderful to gaze out at the sea and I am very surprised to NOT see fishing vessels. Maybe they are on the starboard side of the ship but I doubt it. Did I tell you this trivia?? The largest collection of sea snakes was found 100 miles off the coast of Malaysia. They found a bed of sea snakes 10 feet wide by 60 miles long!!
Most of the morning was consumed with work. We took a computer class, had a nice lunch with friends and then I went to the movies! Mama Mia was playing in the Royal Court Theatre and it was great! A real chick-flick and I left in an upbeat mood.
Dinner was very nice with our table there (usually at least one is missing as there are so many other options for dining). The entertainment was a great flautist, Jennifer Godfrey and the magician, Bob Bizendine. We met quite a few people after the show and ended up talking about our shopping experiences. Very nice night!
“Ships that pass at night are never as nice as nights that pass on a ship.”
Glorious sunshine and more humidity
I sit out on the balcony and type away! It is absolutely wonderful to gaze out at the sea and I am very surprised to NOT see fishing vessels. Maybe they are on the starboard side of the ship but I doubt it. Did I tell you this trivia?? The largest collection of sea snakes was found 100 miles off the coast of Malaysia. They found a bed of sea snakes 10 feet wide by 60 miles long!!
Most of the morning was consumed with work. We took a computer class, had a nice lunch with friends and then I went to the movies! Mama Mia was playing in the Royal Court Theatre and it was great! A real chick-flick and I left in an upbeat mood.
Dinner was very nice with our table there (usually at least one is missing as there are so many other options for dining). The entertainment was a great flautist, Jennifer Godfrey and the magician, Bob Bizendine. We met quite a few people after the show and ended up talking about our shopping experiences. Very nice night!
“Ships that pass at night are never as nice as nights that pass on a ship.”
Orient Ball / sea day
Monday, March 9, 2009 – in the China Sea
I went to see the doctor again and he charges less for a return visit! How exciting. He gave me different antibiotics and dry cough syrup for $96. But I am feeling much better and I can speak almost non-stop without having to cough!
Did a lot of paperwork and cleaned up the stateroom. Lunch with friends and found out she also went to Katharine Gibbs, his mother is in a nursing home on Walker Road in Dover and they lived in London for 7 years while he was working for Exxon!
I went shopping in the boutique area and received two raffle tickets for a large hamper they would give away later this afternoon. Read my book on the balcony (GLORIOUS!!) and went to the gym and rowed for 30 minutes. Alas, I did not win the hamper of Cunard goodies…
There were many fishing vessels and freights around us all day. And we passed many floating markers and were told these are the ends of the fishing nets and they can be up to 20 miles long!!!
Tonight is the Orient Ball. We attended the formal Captain’s reception in the Queens Room, and enjoyed dinner and an entertainment by the Royal Cunard Dancers and Singers. This was their last performance as they leave the ship in Hong Kong, having been onboard since September. The Queens Room was incredibly decorated. A beautiful gate greeted us and ice carvings and dragons in the air…they put a lot of time and money in to the decorations. They usually have a “group” dance for everyone to learn and then the onboard professional dance hosts perform. Tonight they danced the samba and the sexy costumes on the female dancer is enough to entice anyone to watch!
The orchestra takes over from there and dancing continues until….
I went to see the doctor again and he charges less for a return visit! How exciting. He gave me different antibiotics and dry cough syrup for $96. But I am feeling much better and I can speak almost non-stop without having to cough!
Did a lot of paperwork and cleaned up the stateroom. Lunch with friends and found out she also went to Katharine Gibbs, his mother is in a nursing home on Walker Road in Dover and they lived in London for 7 years while he was working for Exxon!
I went shopping in the boutique area and received two raffle tickets for a large hamper they would give away later this afternoon. Read my book on the balcony (GLORIOUS!!) and went to the gym and rowed for 30 minutes. Alas, I did not win the hamper of Cunard goodies…
There were many fishing vessels and freights around us all day. And we passed many floating markers and were told these are the ends of the fishing nets and they can be up to 20 miles long!!!
Tonight is the Orient Ball. We attended the formal Captain’s reception in the Queens Room, and enjoyed dinner and an entertainment by the Royal Cunard Dancers and Singers. This was their last performance as they leave the ship in Hong Kong, having been onboard since September. The Queens Room was incredibly decorated. A beautiful gate greeted us and ice carvings and dragons in the air…they put a lot of time and money in to the decorations. They usually have a “group” dance for everyone to learn and then the onboard professional dance hosts perform. Tonight they danced the samba and the sexy costumes on the female dancer is enough to entice anyone to watch!
The orchestra takes over from there and dancing continues until….
Shanghai China
Sunday, March 08, 2009 – SHANGHAI, CHINA!
Great weather of blue skies and mild temperatures – they have had weeks of rain and we are here in perfect weather!
Population of 16 million; Nicknames: Pearl of the Orientor Paris of China; heavily polluted air; City is fighting a never-ending battle with silt as their shoreline is extended 25 feet a year
Before disembarking, I was able to call home! It takes a good half hour to figure out the way to dial the number and I get frustrated with it. Is it GSM or Automatic or something else? I am not a techy and I find it very difficult to sort out but it worked! Good to hear from them and I was sorry I could not call others.
The harbor is magnificent! HUGE. Beyond huge. There are cranes for miles and miles and containers and containers and more containers. They are stacked six high and I could not even begin to guess how many across. And we heard later that most of them are empty, due to the economy. We arrived at 7AM and once again, were scanned for “high” body temperature prior to disembarking. They also did this in Korea and Japan. They aim a camera at you as you walk past and if your body temperature is at a certain level, you are not allowed off the ship.
Shanghai (City on the Sea), was merely a fishing village until 1842. After the first Opium War, the British named it a treaty port, opening the city to foreign involvement. The village soon turned into a city carved up into autonomous concessions administered concurrently by the British, French and Americans, all independent of Chinese law. Each colonial presence brought with it is particular culture, architecture and society. Although Shanghai had its own walled Chinese city, many native residents still chose to live in the foreign settlements. Thus began a mixing of cultures that shaped Shanghai’s openness to Western influence.
In its heyday, it was the place to be – it had the best art, the greatest architecture and dance halls, brothels, glitzy restaurants and international clubs that catered to the rich. But poverty ran alongside opulence and many of the lower-class Chinese provided the cheap labor that kept the city running. “Paris of the East” became known as a place of vice and indulgence. The communist party held its first meeting in 1921 and then the Japanese occupied the city. The party was over. By 1943, most foreigners had fled. The Communists declared victory in 1949 and established the People’s Republic of China.
The city remained the largest contributor of tax revenue to the central government and was the powder keg for the Cultural Revolution, serving as the base of operations for the infamous Gang of Four, led by Mao Zedong’s wife. In 1967, the Red Guards fervently carried out their destruction the “Four Olds” – old ways of idea, living, traditions and thought.
In 1972, President Nixon met with Premier Enlai to sign the Shanghai communiqué, which enabled the two countries to normalize relations and encourage China to open talks with the rest of the world. Today, this city has once again become one of China’s most open cities ideologically, socially, culturally and economically. It is a city of paradox and change.
The group was right on time (they are SOOO good!) and so were our two buses and guides. The owner was there plus two guides, two drivers and four helpers! For 37 people!!!! The buses were very nice with elevated back rows and we had 15 on one bus and 22 on mine. We docked in the Shanghai Haitong International Terminal and drove approx. two hours west of Shanghai to Tongli, reputed to be one of the most famous waterside townships in China. It’s history stretches back more than 1000 years. It is composed of seven islands created by the five surrounding lakes and 15 rivers that crisscross it. Forty-nine stone bridges of varying styles and periods connect them while along the river banks were are stone houses, also of varying styles that epitomize the city’s long history.
We passed many rice fields, high rise apartments, small lean-to homes and passed through several toll plazas – all of which were extremely busy and ornately constructed. The town does not have the room for vehicles on the cobblestoned streets so you park outside of town and take an electric golf cart (holding up to 14 people) in to the center of the city.
We walked over several of the old bridges to the Tuisi Gardens, which is actually a 4000 sq. ft. home owned by a military officer. Built from 1885-87 during the late Qing Dynasty, the garden has a unique layout with a collection of pavilions, terraces, porches, bridges, halls and houses surrounding a pond at its center, creating the impression of a waterside garden. The compact and natural layout during the four seasons contribute to its elegance. This small, secluded and tranquil Chinese classical garden was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2001. Two people lived in this beautiful home with an entrance parlor, large rooms, terraces, balconies and a very large pond with many fish and beautiful limestone scattered around the garden. It was a beautiful home to walk through so imagine living in such a peaceful setting…we listened to the Pipa, Yangchin and Chinese Flute and saw a gentleman do paper cutting. Such very small cuts and you get exquisite cuttings!!!
We were being filmed as we toured and I found it they are making a film for Tuisi Gardens and want to show that tourists DO visit and they would like more tourists. Some school girls approached several in our group and asked to have their picture taken with us. We found out later they consider it an privilege to have themselves in a photo with a foreigner – and some in our group are extremely tall or have white hair, so this was even more interesting to them.
We continued down the streets filled with shops for today’s goods and with some tourist items and entered several small, low boats in the canal. Local women rowed us through the canals and we passed the open-air restaurants with laundry hung out to dry, people washing their dishes in the canal and more locals gazing at us! We were quite an attraction. We passed a boat which looked like it had vultures resting on a stick. These birds (they are not vultures!) are trained to catch fish! They dive into the water, catch the fish, keep them in their bill and then regurgitate them. This saves the fisherman from doing the work!!
Today’s was Women’s Day so were there specials in several shops and fireworks were being fired around town. It was a Sunday afternoon and the streets and restaurants were packed with Chinese from Shanghai and other cities exploring just as we were.
Our Nanyuan South Garden teahouse was built in late Qing Dynastry. It is a traditional half-timbered structure with four side open shops with wood carvings of the Qing Dynasty. The house did not have western toilets so this opened the eyes of a few in the group. Most toilets are ground level with no place to sit. You squat and balance and try to finish quickly. Those thigh muscles get a good workout! The most difficult part is juggling where to hold the paper (which you supply yourself), your camera and your day bag! But you manage. And then you realize how grateful you are when you do come to a western toilet…
We had a lovely luncheon on the 2nd floor. They served on a lazy susan tray family style and everyone had a small bowl and chopsticks, a fork and two small tea cups. We had a formal tea ceremony where we tasted four teas (I like jasmine the best) and then the food was served. First were the cold courses: spicy roast beef, duck seasoned with soy sauce, bamboo shoots in sauce, candied lotus root. Hot courses were: fried beef with green pepper, spicy salt prawns, sweet and sour perch, fried whitebait with scrambled eggs, braised duck with special sauce, seasonal vegetable, diced chicken with peanuts, mixed bean cured with seasonal vegetable. Tomato and egg soup and tongli fried rice were included also. It was all delicious and everyone was game for trying it all. We ended with lychees and they were delicious (a small round brown fruit about the size of a bing cherry. You peel it and eat the sweet white pulp; there is a seed).
Finally some shopping time! They were anxious to get out there and several friendships were created as well as many bargains purchased. We were back on the trams to the buses and then headed into the city of Shanghai.
We stopped downtown Shanghai at Peoples Square – the magnificent theatre, museum and Silk Factory and Exhibition Hall are there, beside vendors hawking cheap Rolex watches!! You were lucky to get one before the police came along!
Beautiful silk paintings and clothing were in the government-run building. Craftsmen were there showing the strength of the silk and how much it can stretch and women were sewing double-sided silk paintings. Some were over $5000 US dollars!!! They were unbelievably beautiful and many resembled a photograph. The stitches were so fine and precise.
We were fortunate to have one bus return promptly to the ship and one bus remained for those wishing to shop a little longer. Onboard, they presented a Chinese acrobat show with the young children and teenagers juggling plates and bending their bodies in pretzel shapes – an incredible show!
Dinner was fun with everyone at the table, watched a great comedian from Kentucky, Bob Bizendine, completed our reports and went up to watch the sailout. The harbor was so pretty at night. All those cranes and ships had thousands of lights! And then you could see the many fishing vessels at sea, also lit up. It looked like we were on the main thoroughfare of a city street!
Main sights in Shanghai:
- Jinmao Tower – 88 floor art deco pagoda is among the five tallest buildings in the world and the tallest in China. The Grand Hyatt Shanghai takes up the 53-87 floors.
- Oriental Pearl Tower – Tallest tower in Asia (looks like a UFO structure). There is an observation deck in the three spheres.
- World’s first commercial “mag lev” (magnetic levitation) train which runs from the airport to downtown at 350 kilometers per hour. It take 8 minutes to travel 17 miles!
- Bund (waterfront boulevard) – Peace Hotel
- Pudong area – new development
- Yu Gardens
- Jade Buddha Temple
- Bird and Flower Market
- Peoples Square – social and cultural center
Great weather of blue skies and mild temperatures – they have had weeks of rain and we are here in perfect weather!
Population of 16 million; Nicknames: Pearl of the Orientor Paris of China; heavily polluted air; City is fighting a never-ending battle with silt as their shoreline is extended 25 feet a year
Before disembarking, I was able to call home! It takes a good half hour to figure out the way to dial the number and I get frustrated with it. Is it GSM or Automatic or something else? I am not a techy and I find it very difficult to sort out but it worked! Good to hear from them and I was sorry I could not call others.
The harbor is magnificent! HUGE. Beyond huge. There are cranes for miles and miles and containers and containers and more containers. They are stacked six high and I could not even begin to guess how many across. And we heard later that most of them are empty, due to the economy. We arrived at 7AM and once again, were scanned for “high” body temperature prior to disembarking. They also did this in Korea and Japan. They aim a camera at you as you walk past and if your body temperature is at a certain level, you are not allowed off the ship.
Shanghai (City on the Sea), was merely a fishing village until 1842. After the first Opium War, the British named it a treaty port, opening the city to foreign involvement. The village soon turned into a city carved up into autonomous concessions administered concurrently by the British, French and Americans, all independent of Chinese law. Each colonial presence brought with it is particular culture, architecture and society. Although Shanghai had its own walled Chinese city, many native residents still chose to live in the foreign settlements. Thus began a mixing of cultures that shaped Shanghai’s openness to Western influence.
In its heyday, it was the place to be – it had the best art, the greatest architecture and dance halls, brothels, glitzy restaurants and international clubs that catered to the rich. But poverty ran alongside opulence and many of the lower-class Chinese provided the cheap labor that kept the city running. “Paris of the East” became known as a place of vice and indulgence. The communist party held its first meeting in 1921 and then the Japanese occupied the city. The party was over. By 1943, most foreigners had fled. The Communists declared victory in 1949 and established the People’s Republic of China.
The city remained the largest contributor of tax revenue to the central government and was the powder keg for the Cultural Revolution, serving as the base of operations for the infamous Gang of Four, led by Mao Zedong’s wife. In 1967, the Red Guards fervently carried out their destruction the “Four Olds” – old ways of idea, living, traditions and thought.
In 1972, President Nixon met with Premier Enlai to sign the Shanghai communiqué, which enabled the two countries to normalize relations and encourage China to open talks with the rest of the world. Today, this city has once again become one of China’s most open cities ideologically, socially, culturally and economically. It is a city of paradox and change.
The group was right on time (they are SOOO good!) and so were our two buses and guides. The owner was there plus two guides, two drivers and four helpers! For 37 people!!!! The buses were very nice with elevated back rows and we had 15 on one bus and 22 on mine. We docked in the Shanghai Haitong International Terminal and drove approx. two hours west of Shanghai to Tongli, reputed to be one of the most famous waterside townships in China. It’s history stretches back more than 1000 years. It is composed of seven islands created by the five surrounding lakes and 15 rivers that crisscross it. Forty-nine stone bridges of varying styles and periods connect them while along the river banks were are stone houses, also of varying styles that epitomize the city’s long history.
We passed many rice fields, high rise apartments, small lean-to homes and passed through several toll plazas – all of which were extremely busy and ornately constructed. The town does not have the room for vehicles on the cobblestoned streets so you park outside of town and take an electric golf cart (holding up to 14 people) in to the center of the city.
We walked over several of the old bridges to the Tuisi Gardens, which is actually a 4000 sq. ft. home owned by a military officer. Built from 1885-87 during the late Qing Dynasty, the garden has a unique layout with a collection of pavilions, terraces, porches, bridges, halls and houses surrounding a pond at its center, creating the impression of a waterside garden. The compact and natural layout during the four seasons contribute to its elegance. This small, secluded and tranquil Chinese classical garden was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2001. Two people lived in this beautiful home with an entrance parlor, large rooms, terraces, balconies and a very large pond with many fish and beautiful limestone scattered around the garden. It was a beautiful home to walk through so imagine living in such a peaceful setting…we listened to the Pipa, Yangchin and Chinese Flute and saw a gentleman do paper cutting. Such very small cuts and you get exquisite cuttings!!!
We were being filmed as we toured and I found it they are making a film for Tuisi Gardens and want to show that tourists DO visit and they would like more tourists. Some school girls approached several in our group and asked to have their picture taken with us. We found out later they consider it an privilege to have themselves in a photo with a foreigner – and some in our group are extremely tall or have white hair, so this was even more interesting to them.
We continued down the streets filled with shops for today’s goods and with some tourist items and entered several small, low boats in the canal. Local women rowed us through the canals and we passed the open-air restaurants with laundry hung out to dry, people washing their dishes in the canal and more locals gazing at us! We were quite an attraction. We passed a boat which looked like it had vultures resting on a stick. These birds (they are not vultures!) are trained to catch fish! They dive into the water, catch the fish, keep them in their bill and then regurgitate them. This saves the fisherman from doing the work!!
Today’s was Women’s Day so were there specials in several shops and fireworks were being fired around town. It was a Sunday afternoon and the streets and restaurants were packed with Chinese from Shanghai and other cities exploring just as we were.
Our Nanyuan South Garden teahouse was built in late Qing Dynastry. It is a traditional half-timbered structure with four side open shops with wood carvings of the Qing Dynasty. The house did not have western toilets so this opened the eyes of a few in the group. Most toilets are ground level with no place to sit. You squat and balance and try to finish quickly. Those thigh muscles get a good workout! The most difficult part is juggling where to hold the paper (which you supply yourself), your camera and your day bag! But you manage. And then you realize how grateful you are when you do come to a western toilet…
We had a lovely luncheon on the 2nd floor. They served on a lazy susan tray family style and everyone had a small bowl and chopsticks, a fork and two small tea cups. We had a formal tea ceremony where we tasted four teas (I like jasmine the best) and then the food was served. First were the cold courses: spicy roast beef, duck seasoned with soy sauce, bamboo shoots in sauce, candied lotus root. Hot courses were: fried beef with green pepper, spicy salt prawns, sweet and sour perch, fried whitebait with scrambled eggs, braised duck with special sauce, seasonal vegetable, diced chicken with peanuts, mixed bean cured with seasonal vegetable. Tomato and egg soup and tongli fried rice were included also. It was all delicious and everyone was game for trying it all. We ended with lychees and they were delicious (a small round brown fruit about the size of a bing cherry. You peel it and eat the sweet white pulp; there is a seed).
Finally some shopping time! They were anxious to get out there and several friendships were created as well as many bargains purchased. We were back on the trams to the buses and then headed into the city of Shanghai.
We stopped downtown Shanghai at Peoples Square – the magnificent theatre, museum and Silk Factory and Exhibition Hall are there, beside vendors hawking cheap Rolex watches!! You were lucky to get one before the police came along!
Beautiful silk paintings and clothing were in the government-run building. Craftsmen were there showing the strength of the silk and how much it can stretch and women were sewing double-sided silk paintings. Some were over $5000 US dollars!!! They were unbelievably beautiful and many resembled a photograph. The stitches were so fine and precise.
We were fortunate to have one bus return promptly to the ship and one bus remained for those wishing to shop a little longer. Onboard, they presented a Chinese acrobat show with the young children and teenagers juggling plates and bending their bodies in pretzel shapes – an incredible show!
Dinner was fun with everyone at the table, watched a great comedian from Kentucky, Bob Bizendine, completed our reports and went up to watch the sailout. The harbor was so pretty at night. All those cranes and ships had thousands of lights! And then you could see the many fishing vessels at sea, also lit up. It looked like we were on the main thoroughfare of a city street!
Main sights in Shanghai:
- Jinmao Tower – 88 floor art deco pagoda is among the five tallest buildings in the world and the tallest in China. The Grand Hyatt Shanghai takes up the 53-87 floors.
- Oriental Pearl Tower – Tallest tower in Asia (looks like a UFO structure). There is an observation deck in the three spheres.
- World’s first commercial “mag lev” (magnetic levitation) train which runs from the airport to downtown at 350 kilometers per hour. It take 8 minutes to travel 17 miles!
- Bund (waterfront boulevard) – Peace Hotel
- Pudong area – new development
- Yu Gardens
- Jade Buddha Temple
- Bird and Flower Market
- Peoples Square – social and cultural center
Saturday, March 7, 2009
On the way to Shanghai...
Saturday, March 07, 2009 – in the China Sea
Sunny and cloudy – about 55 degrees
Hurried to a 9:15 appointment to see the various categories of staterooms and toured the Princess and Queen Grill areas. There are some great staterooms available in all categories which offer great value for the money…there are secret bargains on the ship!
Also, for our next port of call in Shanghai, China, we had to be “seen” by the Chinese immigration officers -- which took approx. 30 seconds. Again, what a cushy job. Imagine what they tell their colleagues when they return from home after being onboard for 2 nights!
At 10:30, we enjoyed a private tour of the bridge (with 15 lucky others). The ship is actually steered with a joy stick, which is approx. the length of your finger!!! A 90,000 ton ship being steered by this little toothpick!! On each side of the bridge, is an overhanging wing with a glass floor so they can look out as we dock. The ship has azipods so it very rarely uses tug boats to push it in to and out of the dock; travels at approx. 23 knots; they do not use paper charts and there were so many technical and electronic pieces of equipment up there I did not know where to start! It was very interesting and since we are in the China Sea, we saw many Chinese fishing vessels – the sampan style ships. We steer clear of them, we were told, as they cannot be bothered by us!
After lunch, I rested for a few hours. I am still not feeling 100%. My voice sounds terrible and I have a cough. Gene went to the movies and dinner. We worked on coordinating the paperwork for our group tour tomorrow in Shanghai.
The show tonight is a flautist, but it has been suggested I rest, which I shall!
Sunny and cloudy – about 55 degrees
Hurried to a 9:15 appointment to see the various categories of staterooms and toured the Princess and Queen Grill areas. There are some great staterooms available in all categories which offer great value for the money…there are secret bargains on the ship!
Also, for our next port of call in Shanghai, China, we had to be “seen” by the Chinese immigration officers -- which took approx. 30 seconds. Again, what a cushy job. Imagine what they tell their colleagues when they return from home after being onboard for 2 nights!
At 10:30, we enjoyed a private tour of the bridge (with 15 lucky others). The ship is actually steered with a joy stick, which is approx. the length of your finger!!! A 90,000 ton ship being steered by this little toothpick!! On each side of the bridge, is an overhanging wing with a glass floor so they can look out as we dock. The ship has azipods so it very rarely uses tug boats to push it in to and out of the dock; travels at approx. 23 knots; they do not use paper charts and there were so many technical and electronic pieces of equipment up there I did not know where to start! It was very interesting and since we are in the China Sea, we saw many Chinese fishing vessels – the sampan style ships. We steer clear of them, we were told, as they cannot be bothered by us!
After lunch, I rested for a few hours. I am still not feeling 100%. My voice sounds terrible and I have a cough. Gene went to the movies and dinner. We worked on coordinating the paperwork for our group tour tomorrow in Shanghai.
The show tonight is a flautist, but it has been suggested I rest, which I shall!
Busan, Korea
Friday, March 6, 2009 – BUSAN, Korea (also known as Pusan) “The city you want to visit and stay in again!”
50 degrees with a strong wind and sunshine!
1,510 won = US$1; Population 3.6 million in Busan and 46M in Korea
“If you should kick a stone in anger, you will only hurt your foot.” Korean proverb
To give you an idea of the size of the harbor, our first view was of 15 freighters waiting their turn to pull into the harbor. It is a very busy and large international port with the beautiful Gwangandaegyo Bridge. With clusters of apartment buildings over 30 floors high, Pusan seems to be a “tall” city spread out quite a distance between the sea and steep mountains. We found out later you can drive for two hours and still be within the city limits.
Upon disembarking at this maiden port call, we were all presented with an item which could be used as a bookmark, a letter opener or a hair decoration! The ATM mobile van and money exchanger were there and our first vendor! The free shuttle bus drove us the 25 minutes to the Phoenix Hotel (near PIFF street – the area of the international film festival) and we considered our options. I REALLY wanted to get up north to Gyeongju (the Ancient Silla burial mounds called museum without walls) but our options were dwindling minute by minute. The tourist info desk said it would take over 2+ hours each way with the express bus service, including an hour just to get to the bus stations via subway, IF we made no mistakes along the way. You know how that goes when you can’t even read the letters on a sign! So we asked the front desk clerk, An, at the Hotel and at first he thought it was too iffy if we could return on time. Then he made a call to his “friend” (Kim – of course! A common Korean name) and within 5 minutes he was outside the door and we were ready to go for $135 for the taxi.
JUST as we were hopping into the car, another bus load from the ship was unloading and there were five from our group. They asked where we were going, we told them, we saw we had room and in they climbed! Gene went back to Kim to visit An in the hotel lobby to re-negotiate the rate (but how much can you re-negotiate when they are already sitting in the car!!!??!!) and off we went for $30 pp -- two Australians, one English and four Americans. It was a great car! A large SUV made by KIA but with BMW tires!
Kim did not speak much English but we enjoyed the drive through the city with the many, many high apartment blocks and the golf practicing ranges. There are three levels for people to swing from and the entire area has a green net around it. The ball goes onto the green sloped “grass” and it rolls down on an angled pitch back to where you are standing.
The highways were two to three lanes and most of the signs were in Korean with a little English. We had thought about renting a car but thankfully we did not. We would have been lucky to find the highway out of town, let alone the sights when we arrived north of the city!
Our first stop was Bulguksa – a Buddhist monastery and temple is considered the crowning glory of Silla temple architecture and is on the Unesco World Cultural Heritage list. There are two national treasure bridges you cross over with 33 steps, representing the 33 stages of enlightment. Two more national treasures are the pagaodas that stand in the courtyard of the first set of buildings. The first, Dabotap, is of plain design, while the other, Seokgatap, is much more ornate and typical of the Baekje kingdom.
Then we headed into the town of Gyeongju and stopped at Tumuli first. Gyeongju became the capital of the Sill adynastry in 57 BC and remained so for nearly 1000 years. “The city’s population peaked at 1,000,000 but eventually fell victim to division from within and invasion from without.” (Something to ponder here…)
There were approx. 30 burial mounds which look like grass hillocks. They are in a secure area and you can even enter one! (They served the same purpose as Egyptian pyramids.) We entered Cheonmachong (Heavenly Horse Tomb) and saw a replica of the Gold Crown from Cheonmachong, which was found in 1973 in the wooden coffin on the head of the person. Like other Silla gold crowns, its outer round headband consists of three tree branch-like prongs on the front and there are four prongs branching out from there. It looked like deer antlers and was at least a foot tall. Other items were bracelets, jade ornaments, weapons, pottery and even ancient eggs. They showed the layers of the mound – grass, soil, large rocks and then the cavern with the lacquered wooden coffin and gold and other burial items they would need for their after life. 11,500 artifacts were excavated from this tomb! The name Cheonmachong comes from a painting of a white horse which is depicted on a birch bark saddle flap, also referred to as a mud-guard (for the horse!). They had a replica of this also. He was an unknown king from the empire, which lasted from 57BC-935AD, which had 57 kings.
These mounds are supposed to be of kings and court officials from the early Silla Kingdom. The largest burial mound is 240 feet x 360 feet and 66 feet high!!! Many houses were in this area until the discovery in 1973. Since 1984, many people have been re-located.
Near Tumuli, is the Far East’s oldest astrological observatory, Cheomseongdae. It was constructed between 632 and 646 and its apparently simple design conceals amazing sophistication: the 12 stones of its base symbolize the months of the year. From top to bottom there are 30 layers – one for each day of the month – and a total of 366 stones were used in the construction. We did not have time to stop at the Gyeongju National Museum but I can only imagine the “real” treasures as compared to the replicas.
Driving back to Busan, we made it in just over an hour and were able to explore for an hour in the city (Cunard offers free shuttle buses from each port in to the city center if the ship does not dock close to “anything”. We meandered over to the Jagalchi fish market, seeing the various octopi, lobster, crabs, tuna, sea cucumber, fish, eels, squids and who knows what else kind of fish in the buckets and fish tanks and spread out for purchase. The vendors sit on a low seat or bucket and have the fish on pallets (with ice) in front of them. They will fillet, clean and cut per your request!
It turned out to be a great day! We returned to the ship, “back to home”, as many passengers are now calling it, and dressed for dinner. How civilized. The Royal Cuanrd Singers and Dancers presented a country and western show and then Dave Lee, the English comedian, performed, whom most Americans could not understand and they left the theater! AND we received a very special private invitation from the
Captain for a private bridge tour tomorrow!!!! We have to be discreet as these invitations are extremely limited. Imagine attempting to get over 1900 passengers into the most important area of the ship!
“Cultural mores prevent most people from initiating contact with foreigners, but if you take the first step, the level of kindness and generosity extended your way can be surprising”. We certainly found this to be true.
50 degrees with a strong wind and sunshine!
1,510 won = US$1; Population 3.6 million in Busan and 46M in Korea
“If you should kick a stone in anger, you will only hurt your foot.” Korean proverb
To give you an idea of the size of the harbor, our first view was of 15 freighters waiting their turn to pull into the harbor. It is a very busy and large international port with the beautiful Gwangandaegyo Bridge. With clusters of apartment buildings over 30 floors high, Pusan seems to be a “tall” city spread out quite a distance between the sea and steep mountains. We found out later you can drive for two hours and still be within the city limits.
Upon disembarking at this maiden port call, we were all presented with an item which could be used as a bookmark, a letter opener or a hair decoration! The ATM mobile van and money exchanger were there and our first vendor! The free shuttle bus drove us the 25 minutes to the Phoenix Hotel (near PIFF street – the area of the international film festival) and we considered our options. I REALLY wanted to get up north to Gyeongju (the Ancient Silla burial mounds called museum without walls) but our options were dwindling minute by minute. The tourist info desk said it would take over 2+ hours each way with the express bus service, including an hour just to get to the bus stations via subway, IF we made no mistakes along the way. You know how that goes when you can’t even read the letters on a sign! So we asked the front desk clerk, An, at the Hotel and at first he thought it was too iffy if we could return on time. Then he made a call to his “friend” (Kim – of course! A common Korean name) and within 5 minutes he was outside the door and we were ready to go for $135 for the taxi.
JUST as we were hopping into the car, another bus load from the ship was unloading and there were five from our group. They asked where we were going, we told them, we saw we had room and in they climbed! Gene went back to Kim to visit An in the hotel lobby to re-negotiate the rate (but how much can you re-negotiate when they are already sitting in the car!!!??!!) and off we went for $30 pp -- two Australians, one English and four Americans. It was a great car! A large SUV made by KIA but with BMW tires!
Kim did not speak much English but we enjoyed the drive through the city with the many, many high apartment blocks and the golf practicing ranges. There are three levels for people to swing from and the entire area has a green net around it. The ball goes onto the green sloped “grass” and it rolls down on an angled pitch back to where you are standing.
The highways were two to three lanes and most of the signs were in Korean with a little English. We had thought about renting a car but thankfully we did not. We would have been lucky to find the highway out of town, let alone the sights when we arrived north of the city!
Our first stop was Bulguksa – a Buddhist monastery and temple is considered the crowning glory of Silla temple architecture and is on the Unesco World Cultural Heritage list. There are two national treasure bridges you cross over with 33 steps, representing the 33 stages of enlightment. Two more national treasures are the pagaodas that stand in the courtyard of the first set of buildings. The first, Dabotap, is of plain design, while the other, Seokgatap, is much more ornate and typical of the Baekje kingdom.
Then we headed into the town of Gyeongju and stopped at Tumuli first. Gyeongju became the capital of the Sill adynastry in 57 BC and remained so for nearly 1000 years. “The city’s population peaked at 1,000,000 but eventually fell victim to division from within and invasion from without.” (Something to ponder here…)
There were approx. 30 burial mounds which look like grass hillocks. They are in a secure area and you can even enter one! (They served the same purpose as Egyptian pyramids.) We entered Cheonmachong (Heavenly Horse Tomb) and saw a replica of the Gold Crown from Cheonmachong, which was found in 1973 in the wooden coffin on the head of the person. Like other Silla gold crowns, its outer round headband consists of three tree branch-like prongs on the front and there are four prongs branching out from there. It looked like deer antlers and was at least a foot tall. Other items were bracelets, jade ornaments, weapons, pottery and even ancient eggs. They showed the layers of the mound – grass, soil, large rocks and then the cavern with the lacquered wooden coffin and gold and other burial items they would need for their after life. 11,500 artifacts were excavated from this tomb! The name Cheonmachong comes from a painting of a white horse which is depicted on a birch bark saddle flap, also referred to as a mud-guard (for the horse!). They had a replica of this also. He was an unknown king from the empire, which lasted from 57BC-935AD, which had 57 kings.
These mounds are supposed to be of kings and court officials from the early Silla Kingdom. The largest burial mound is 240 feet x 360 feet and 66 feet high!!! Many houses were in this area until the discovery in 1973. Since 1984, many people have been re-located.
Near Tumuli, is the Far East’s oldest astrological observatory, Cheomseongdae. It was constructed between 632 and 646 and its apparently simple design conceals amazing sophistication: the 12 stones of its base symbolize the months of the year. From top to bottom there are 30 layers – one for each day of the month – and a total of 366 stones were used in the construction. We did not have time to stop at the Gyeongju National Museum but I can only imagine the “real” treasures as compared to the replicas.
Driving back to Busan, we made it in just over an hour and were able to explore for an hour in the city (Cunard offers free shuttle buses from each port in to the city center if the ship does not dock close to “anything”. We meandered over to the Jagalchi fish market, seeing the various octopi, lobster, crabs, tuna, sea cucumber, fish, eels, squids and who knows what else kind of fish in the buckets and fish tanks and spread out for purchase. The vendors sit on a low seat or bucket and have the fish on pallets (with ice) in front of them. They will fillet, clean and cut per your request!
It turned out to be a great day! We returned to the ship, “back to home”, as many passengers are now calling it, and dressed for dinner. How civilized. The Royal Cuanrd Singers and Dancers presented a country and western show and then Dave Lee, the English comedian, performed, whom most Americans could not understand and they left the theater! AND we received a very special private invitation from the
Captain for a private bridge tour tomorrow!!!! We have to be discreet as these invitations are extremely limited. Imagine attempting to get over 1900 passengers into the most important area of the ship!
“Cultural mores prevent most people from initiating contact with foreigners, but if you take the first step, the level of kindness and generosity extended your way can be surprising”. We certainly found this to be true.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
