Christmas celebrations, packing, organizing paper work, paying bills, packing, taking down the tree, packing...the cycle continues! We've been fortunate each year to enjoy an early escape from the onslaught of winter as we host but the departure dates seem to get closer and closer to New Year's Eve!! January 4 is JUST around the corner.
You would have thought this packing routine down perfectly on how much of what to pack but it is still a guessing game. Each itinerary, each ship and each cruise line vary greatly in their evening attire, entertainment and ports of call.
Today we were assigned our stateroom. #417 on Holland America's Prinsendam ship --two port hole windows, a large walk in closet, tub and shower, nice sitting area. We hope to not be in the room too much but it seems to be a large ocean view stateroom. Yeah!
Driving to Florida soon to spend a few days before embarkation. Know the warmer weather will be a treat.
Happy "last week of December" to all! 2012 is just around the corner -- work to make it the best year ever.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
South America, Here We Come!
On behalf of the Ensemble Travel Group, (of which Preferred Travel is a member), I've been asked to host a 68-day GRAND VOYAGE around South America on Holland America's PRINSENDAM ship.
The voyage sets sail from Fort Lauderdale January 4th and we head south into the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal, head down the west coast of South America, in the Chilean fjords, around the Horn, down to Antarctica, to the Faulklands, up the coast of Argentina and Brazil, head west up the Amazon, north in to the Caribbean and back to the good ol’ US port of Ft. Lauderdale on March 12th – just in time for my aunt’s 95th birthday!!
There are 33 guests in our group. We host a private cocktail party, a private shore excursion (Buenos Aires) and offer lots of personalized service! That's just a sample of what our clients can expect when booking a Preferred Travel hosted cruise.
Prinsendam itinerary:
Day Date Port Arrive Depart
0 04 Jan 2012 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
11:00 PM
1 05 Jan 2012 At Sea
2 06 Jan 2012 Georgetown, Cayman Islands TR
Noon 06:00 PM
3 07 Jan 2012 At Sea
4 08 Jan 2012 Bocas del Toro, Panama TR
08:00 AM 04:00 PM
5 09 Jan 2012 Enter Panama Canal Cristobal CO
5 09 Jan 2012 Cruising Panama Canal CO
5 09 Jan 2012 Exit Panama Canal Balboa CO
6 10 Jan 2012 At Sea
7 11 Jan 2012 Manta, Ecuador
05:00 AM 05:00 PM
8 12 Jan 2012 Guayaquil, Ecuador
08:00 AM 05:00 PM
9 13 Jan 2012 At Sea
10 14 Jan 2012 Salaverry (Trujillo), Peru
08:00 AM 05:00 PM
11 15 Jan 2012 Callao (Lima), Peru ON
10:00 AM
12 16 Jan 2012 Callao (Lima), Peru
11:00 PM
13 17 Jan 2012 General San Martin (Pisco), Peru
08:00 AM 05:00 PM
14 18 Jan 2012 At Sea
15 19 Jan 2012 Matarani, Peru
08:00 AM 05:00 PM
16 20 Jan 2012 At Sea
17 21 Jan 2012 Antofagasta, Chile
08:00 AM 05:00 PM
18 22 Jan 2012 At Sea
19 23 Jan 2012 Coquimbo (La Serena), Chile
08:00 AM 05:00 PM
20 24 Jan 2012 Valparaiso (Santiago), Chile
07:00 AM 05:00 PM
21 25 Jan 2012 At Sea
22 26 Jan 2012 Castro, Isla Chiloe, Chile TR
08:00 AM 05:00 PM
23 27 Jan 2012 Chilean Fjords CO
08:00 AM 08:00 AM
23 27 Jan 2012 Puerto Chacabuco, Chile TR
10:00 AM 06:00 PM
24 28 Jan 2012 Darwin Channel Chilean Fjords CO
25 29 Jan 2012 Amalia Glacier CO
26 30 Jan 2012 Strait of Magellan CO
05:00 AM 05:00 AM
26 30 Jan 2012 Punta Arenas, Chile
07:00 AM 08:00 PM
26 30 Jan 2012 Cockburn Channel CO
09:00 PM 09:00 PM
27 31 Jan 2012 Ushuaia, Argentina
01:00 PM 08:00 PM
28 01 Feb 2012 Cape Horn and Drake Passage CO
29 02 Feb 2012 Wilhelm Archipelago CO
30 03 Feb 2012 South Shetland Islands CO
31 04 Feb 2012 The Antarctic Sound CO
32 05 Feb 2012 At Sea
33 06 Feb 2012 Pt. Stanley, Falkland Islands TR
07:00 AM 03:00 PM
34 07 Feb 2012 At Sea
35 08 Feb 2012 At Sea
36 09 Feb 2012 Buenos Aires, Argentina ON
08:00 AM
37 10 Feb 2012 Buenos Aires, Argentina
08:00 PM
38 11 Feb 2012 Montevideo, Uruguay
08:00 AM 05:00 PM
39 12 Feb 2012 At Sea
40 13 Feb 2012 At Sea
41 14 Feb 2012 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ON VS
08:00 AM
42 15 Feb 2012 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil VS
06:00 PM
43 16 Feb 2012 Armacao dos Buzios, Brazil TR VS 08:00 AM 03:00 PM
44 17 Feb 2012 Vitoria, Brazil VS
08:00 AM 05:00 PM
45 18 Feb 2012 At Sea
46 19 Feb 2012 Salvador da Bahia, Brazil VS
08:00 AM 11:00 PM
47 20 Feb 2012 At Sea
48 21 Feb 2012 Recife, Brazil VS
08:00 AM 11:00 PM
49 22 Feb 2012 Cabedelo, Brazil VS
08:00 AM 06:00 PM
50 23 Feb 2012 At Sea
51 24 Feb 2012 Fortaleza, Brazil VS
08:00 AM 05:00 PM
52 25 Feb 2012 At Sea
53 26 Feb 2012 Belem, Brazil TR VS
10:00 AM 06:00 PM
54 27 Feb 2012 Cruising the Amazon River CO
54 27 Feb 2012 Crossing the Equator CO
55 28 Feb 2012 Santarem, Brazil
10:00 AM 06:00 PM
56 29 Feb 2012 Boca da Valeria, Brazil TR VS
08:00 AM 02:00 PM
57 01 Mar 2012 Manaus, Brazil ON VS
10:00 AM
58 02 Mar 2012 Manaus, Brazil VS
06:00 PM
59 03 Mar 2012 Parintins, Brazil TR VS
08:00 AM 02:00 PM
60 04 Mar 2012 Cruising the Amazon River CO
60 04 Mar 2012 Crossing the Equator CO
61 05 Mar 2012 At Sea
62 06 Mar 2012 Devil's Island, French Guiana TR VC 07:00 AM 03:00 PM
63 07 Mar 2012 At Sea
64 08 Mar 2012 Castries, St. Lucia
08:00 AM 03:00 PM
65 09 Mar 2012 Philipsburg (St. Maarten), AN
08:00 AM 05:00 PM
66 10 Mar 2012 At Sea
67 11 Mar 2012 At Sea
68 12 Mar 2012 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
07:00 AM
Monday, May 16, 2011
Still unpacking...
May 16, 2011 – It’s been harder to adjust to the real world after this voyage. I’m still unpacking…and in the midst of it all, I came across this poem placed at our dinner table on the last formal night.
“We’ve been together for so long, it’s so hard to say goodbye
Our dreams of travelling the world, fulfilled, our spirits high
We turn, now, to the hardest part, to say farewell to friends
So dear to us, like family now, saddened as this trip ends
So here’s to the great “Amsterdam”, we won’t forget its crew
Or Olav, Master of our ship, its officers, “true blue”
And most of all we’ll love our friends, although we must now part
You know, I know, that all of us are bonded in our heart.”
Time to reflect once again on how special a voyage it was.
I just looked up at a fire twinkling star and thought that a voyager whom I know, now many days’ sail from this coast, might possibly be looking up at the same star with me. – Henry David Thoreau
Monday, May 2, 2011
Last days at sea
Saturday, April 23 – at sea
Cocktail party and dinner in Canaletto AGAIN! Our third and final time this week and we had a nice meal with our regular dinner-mates. There was a “garage sale” onboard, by the pool! People unloaded their unwanted items and they had a cruise line sponsored walk for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer.
Wayne Newton performed! We went to both shows and enjoyed the Las Vegas style entertainment with banter between him and the audience and his musical talent on five instruments.
Sunday, April 24 – Easter Sunday at sea and last formal night!
Sunrise service breakfast, lunch and tea with friends before getting ready for the Black and Gold Ball. The Queens Lounge was beautifully decorated for dancing and a fun time.
Monday, April 25 – last day on the ship! At sea
At the cruise disembarkation talk we were told why we gained all the weight we had! The kitchen staff had prepared 6,000 meals a day!!! -- We had consumed 70,000 pounds of beef, 120, 000 pounds of seafood, 175,000 baked goods, 80,000 Danish, 12,000 bagels, 500,000 eggs, 50,000 pounds of potatoes and 4,000 pounds of ice cream!! OK, this was over 13 weeks and we were approx. 1400 people when you count the crew but that is a LOT of food!!
We also enjoyed an incredible video of the precious crew of the MS Amsterdam. Each department had each person walk past the camera and wave. We saw them all – housekeeping, laundry, flowers, front desk, engine room, bridge, explorations team, dining, beverages, casino, entertainment…And the words they played to the music on the video...oh wow.
I've got a roof over my head
I've got a warm place to sleep
Some nights I lie awake counting gifts
Instead of counting sheep
I've got a heart that can hold love
I've got a mind that can think
There may be times when I lose the light
And let my spirits sink
But I can't stay depressed
When I remember how I'm blessed
Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful
In a city of strangers
I've got a family of friends
No matter what rocks and brambles fill the way
I know that they will stay until the end
I feel a hand holding my hand
It's not a hand you can see
But on the road to the promised land
This hand will shepherd me
Through delight and despair
Holding tight and always there
Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful
It's not that I don't want a lot
Or hope for more, or dream of more
But giving thanks for what I've got
Makes me so much happier than keeping score
In a world that can bring pain
I will still take each chance
For I believe that whatever the terrain
Our feet can learn to dance
Whatever stone life may sling
We can moan or we can sing
Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful
Just one word for the rest of the day. Packing. What is the sense in packing earlier when you still need everything?? The day was spent trying to cram as much as we could into the suitcases we came with PLUS the two extra given to us during the cruise. We received lovely gifts from Holland America – rolling duffle bags, document holders, Tiffany bowl with the cruise itinerary, very pretty refrigerator magnet with the entire voyage on it, an over-the-shoulder tote bag, a LARGE stuffed koala bear, a puzzle with the picture by Stephen Card (renowned maritime artist) of the AMSTERDAM, fleece gloves/hat/scarf, luggage straps, business card holder….every formal night there was a lovely gift beside the nightly chocolates!
“Our final gift to you is compact thus easy to pack,
And fridge magnets are collector’s item often sought after en-route.
Depicting the original itinerary with its published turn-around ports in green, our cruise color, we trust that each glance on it at home will warmly remind you of this exceptional voyage we have travelled.
Remember that travel is not about the destination, yet far more so about the journey to get there. Until we meet again!
Captain Olav van der Waard, Hotel Manager Henk Mensink, Ship’s Staff and our Precious Crew”
Tuesday, April 26 – disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale
We left in a rush -- many goodbyes and hugs and tears. It was a beautiful sunny day in Ft. Lauderdale as we disembarked. While waiting for Gene to return with our FULL SIZE VAN (there were four of us PLUS luggage enough for a family of 24!!), we helped others get on the rental car shuttle or bus to the airport, loaded their cars and enjoyed the last final moments at the cruise terminal. We were not going to be rushing back to her tonight for a wonderful dinner nor would we find chocolate on our pillow…others were already lining up to board her for the passage through the Panama Canal. And then…we saw them painting over the front of the ship where it once read HOLLAND AMERICA GRAND WORLD VOYAGE 2011. It was over. The white paint was the final testament that the voyage was indeed over.
Cocktail party and dinner in Canaletto AGAIN! Our third and final time this week and we had a nice meal with our regular dinner-mates. There was a “garage sale” onboard, by the pool! People unloaded their unwanted items and they had a cruise line sponsored walk for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer.
Wayne Newton performed! We went to both shows and enjoyed the Las Vegas style entertainment with banter between him and the audience and his musical talent on five instruments.
Sunday, April 24 – Easter Sunday at sea and last formal night!
Sunrise service breakfast, lunch and tea with friends before getting ready for the Black and Gold Ball. The Queens Lounge was beautifully decorated for dancing and a fun time.
Monday, April 25 – last day on the ship! At sea
At the cruise disembarkation talk we were told why we gained all the weight we had! The kitchen staff had prepared 6,000 meals a day!!! -- We had consumed 70,000 pounds of beef, 120, 000 pounds of seafood, 175,000 baked goods, 80,000 Danish, 12,000 bagels, 500,000 eggs, 50,000 pounds of potatoes and 4,000 pounds of ice cream!! OK, this was over 13 weeks and we were approx. 1400 people when you count the crew but that is a LOT of food!!
We also enjoyed an incredible video of the precious crew of the MS Amsterdam. Each department had each person walk past the camera and wave. We saw them all – housekeeping, laundry, flowers, front desk, engine room, bridge, explorations team, dining, beverages, casino, entertainment…And the words they played to the music on the video...oh wow.
I've got a roof over my head
I've got a warm place to sleep
Some nights I lie awake counting gifts
Instead of counting sheep
I've got a heart that can hold love
I've got a mind that can think
There may be times when I lose the light
And let my spirits sink
But I can't stay depressed
When I remember how I'm blessed
Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful
In a city of strangers
I've got a family of friends
No matter what rocks and brambles fill the way
I know that they will stay until the end
I feel a hand holding my hand
It's not a hand you can see
But on the road to the promised land
This hand will shepherd me
Through delight and despair
Holding tight and always there
Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful
It's not that I don't want a lot
Or hope for more, or dream of more
But giving thanks for what I've got
Makes me so much happier than keeping score
In a world that can bring pain
I will still take each chance
For I believe that whatever the terrain
Our feet can learn to dance
Whatever stone life may sling
We can moan or we can sing
Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful
Just one word for the rest of the day. Packing. What is the sense in packing earlier when you still need everything?? The day was spent trying to cram as much as we could into the suitcases we came with PLUS the two extra given to us during the cruise. We received lovely gifts from Holland America – rolling duffle bags, document holders, Tiffany bowl with the cruise itinerary, very pretty refrigerator magnet with the entire voyage on it, an over-the-shoulder tote bag, a LARGE stuffed koala bear, a puzzle with the picture by Stephen Card (renowned maritime artist) of the AMSTERDAM, fleece gloves/hat/scarf, luggage straps, business card holder….every formal night there was a lovely gift beside the nightly chocolates!
“Our final gift to you is compact thus easy to pack,
And fridge magnets are collector’s item often sought after en-route.
Depicting the original itinerary with its published turn-around ports in green, our cruise color, we trust that each glance on it at home will warmly remind you of this exceptional voyage we have travelled.
Remember that travel is not about the destination, yet far more so about the journey to get there. Until we meet again!
Captain Olav van der Waard, Hotel Manager Henk Mensink, Ship’s Staff and our Precious Crew”
Tuesday, April 26 – disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale
We left in a rush -- many goodbyes and hugs and tears. It was a beautiful sunny day in Ft. Lauderdale as we disembarked. While waiting for Gene to return with our FULL SIZE VAN (there were four of us PLUS luggage enough for a family of 24!!), we helped others get on the rental car shuttle or bus to the airport, loaded their cars and enjoyed the last final moments at the cruise terminal. We were not going to be rushing back to her tonight for a wonderful dinner nor would we find chocolate on our pillow…others were already lining up to board her for the passage through the Panama Canal. And then…we saw them painting over the front of the ship where it once read HOLLAND AMERICA GRAND WORLD VOYAGE 2011. It was over. The white paint was the final testament that the voyage was indeed over.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
At sea...special birthday!
Friday, April 22 – my Dad’s special birthday! At sea
Walked on deck, lunch with friends, packed, signed up for garage sale table, Indonesian Tea in the dining room, lecture on biking from Australia to Tibet, Amsterdam singers and dancers performed “Ultimate Broadway”. Listened to last night of Diane’s port songs and they will be on her website and available for downloading.
Everyone is exchanging contact information and saying goodbye…It really is all about the people.
Walked on deck, lunch with friends, packed, signed up for garage sale table, Indonesian Tea in the dining room, lecture on biking from Australia to Tibet, Amsterdam singers and dancers performed “Ultimate Broadway”. Listened to last night of Diane’s port songs and they will be on her website and available for downloading.
Everyone is exchanging contact information and saying goodbye…It really is all about the people.
Madeira Portugal and days at sea
Monday, April 18 – at sea
Day of rest. HAL Chorale practice and we were informed that we perform on Wednesday! Read, cleaned up the room to get ready to pack and worked.
Phantom of the Opera singer, Dale Kristien – fabulous voice; she sang with Michael Crawford for five years(!!!) in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.
Tuesday, April 19 – our last port! Funchal Madeira Portugal
Madeira is an island belonging to Portugal – a 2+ hour flight from the mainland. Lovely steep cliffs, high green mountains, nice beaches and quaint villages and a comfortable size city for walking. Great port of call.
We were up early to see the most beautiful moon shining on the water on one side of the ship and on the other we had the sun rising over the mountains of Madeira. Gorgeous view. Blossomed in to a lovely morning with sunshine and 70 degrees, we hired a taxi for a tour of the western part of the island and the main city of Funchal. He was quite a character – every other word was “Momma” and “I tell you the truth” and he had the funniest characteristics, we could not tell if it was a show or if it was his true character. Anyway, he made the ride enjoyable and we had many smiles as we tried to hide our shaking bodies due to the laughter from his mannerisms!
We started out in the village of Monte, about 4 miles from Funchal, high in the hills. There was a beautiful small church at the top with a gorgeous golden baroque interior and the smell of “old age” and feeling of warmth. Charles I, of the Hapsburg Empire, is buried here. We then sat in the sled of wicker with two long runners on either side (two of us) and two men pushed and steered and pulled us down the streets of Monte for over 1.5 miles! It was quite fun but I was concerned about the gutters! There were about a foot deep on either side of the one way/one lane road but we never hit the edge – came close a few times but they know how to steer and judge the speed of the sleds. And then we came to an intersection; we were glad to see the cars had a STOP sign but what if they forgot to stop and we were whizzing past….?
Of course, they take your photo as you are zooming down and have it ready at the bottom – quite a good photo with our hair standing on end! And also big smiles!
We ventured to the 2nd highest sheer cliff in the world – to Cabo do Girao – and viewed the magnificent coastline. Many items for sale by Peruvians, which I have never understand – different continent and different language…
Next to the fishing village where Winston Churchill painted and saw the dried cod by the colorful fishing boats. There were hoards of German tourists (and others) and we heard that all the trips to Egypt had been canceled due to political unrest so Madeira was one of the destinations which won out when clients re-booked. Again there was a precious chapel with a wooden ceiling which had been painted over with the most beautiful scenes. We walked around Funchal, the largest city and through the supermarket, past the cafes and small shops and through the two story market with beautiful flowers and fresh fruits and souvenirs. Delicious Madeira wine was available for sample and sale.
Lovely port call and by the time we headed back to the ship, the clouds were rolling in over the mountains, which is typical in this region. We had special invites for the spa and spent a few hours there in the sauna and on the hot beds and Jacuzzi as we left our very last port of call. How sad.
Almost immediately we hit rough seas and people were jostling around and getting the green apples and crackers to settle their stomachs. Max Dolcelli was the comedian.
Wednesday, April 20 – at sea
Rock and rolling all night; quite rough; seas at about 16 feet. The bumps around the elevator shafts make you want to take the steps! By dinner time it had calmed down considerably, but many people were in their rooms for most of the day. Great guest speaker: Robert Lilwall. He will show us in four lectures about his three-year (!!) journey via bike from Siberia to London. He covered over 30,000 miles – “Cycling Home from Siberia” was published in 2011 in the USA. Haircut, guest talent show and HAL Chorale performed our medley of Rogers and Hammerstein. Suffice it to say our last rehearsals were just “OK” and nothing spectacular but when we got on stage and sang that medley, it was as if we were professionals. I was so touched that I cried and couldn’t even sing the last songs! It was an incredible sound coming from the Chorale and it was just like my band director from high school, Mr. Rehberg; everyone wanted to do their best for him and it showed. Bruce, the cruise director/director, was touched and he even had tears in his eyes.
Had a nice dinner in the Italian restaurant, Canaletto, with four others and then the Piano Bar, with Diane Fast playing her port songs. She has written words describing each port experience to songs. Tonight she sang 14 port songs and they are incredible. She returns to the ship by 3PM, writes the words for an hour and then performs them that night. Then the English singer, Kimika, performed, we were some friends and I worked. No internet connection as we are between the European and US internet connections. Weather is clearing up and the ship is sailing smoothly.
Thursday, April 21 – at sea
Attended the TV taping of “Good Morning Amsterdam” and I won a document holder! Mariner luncheon at 11:00 and we were given a Holland America tile. Walked, went to both shows of “The Scintas” brothers from Las Vegas – a real Las Vegas-style show with piano, impersonations, Dino, Frank, Elvis, Neil Diamond, Tom Jones, jokes…And the Piano bar pianist, Diane Fast, played her second night of port songs – fantastic! Packed one suitcase. Fed Ex is onboard to assist people in shipping and wrapping. The race is on.
The sea is beautiful. Expansive, blue, rolling. It is incredible to look out and see just water and more water. I love these days at sea.
Day of rest. HAL Chorale practice and we were informed that we perform on Wednesday! Read, cleaned up the room to get ready to pack and worked.
Phantom of the Opera singer, Dale Kristien – fabulous voice; she sang with Michael Crawford for five years(!!!) in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.
Tuesday, April 19 – our last port! Funchal Madeira Portugal
Madeira is an island belonging to Portugal – a 2+ hour flight from the mainland. Lovely steep cliffs, high green mountains, nice beaches and quaint villages and a comfortable size city for walking. Great port of call.
We were up early to see the most beautiful moon shining on the water on one side of the ship and on the other we had the sun rising over the mountains of Madeira. Gorgeous view. Blossomed in to a lovely morning with sunshine and 70 degrees, we hired a taxi for a tour of the western part of the island and the main city of Funchal. He was quite a character – every other word was “Momma” and “I tell you the truth” and he had the funniest characteristics, we could not tell if it was a show or if it was his true character. Anyway, he made the ride enjoyable and we had many smiles as we tried to hide our shaking bodies due to the laughter from his mannerisms!
We started out in the village of Monte, about 4 miles from Funchal, high in the hills. There was a beautiful small church at the top with a gorgeous golden baroque interior and the smell of “old age” and feeling of warmth. Charles I, of the Hapsburg Empire, is buried here. We then sat in the sled of wicker with two long runners on either side (two of us) and two men pushed and steered and pulled us down the streets of Monte for over 1.5 miles! It was quite fun but I was concerned about the gutters! There were about a foot deep on either side of the one way/one lane road but we never hit the edge – came close a few times but they know how to steer and judge the speed of the sleds. And then we came to an intersection; we were glad to see the cars had a STOP sign but what if they forgot to stop and we were whizzing past….?
Of course, they take your photo as you are zooming down and have it ready at the bottom – quite a good photo with our hair standing on end! And also big smiles!
We ventured to the 2nd highest sheer cliff in the world – to Cabo do Girao – and viewed the magnificent coastline. Many items for sale by Peruvians, which I have never understand – different continent and different language…
Next to the fishing village where Winston Churchill painted and saw the dried cod by the colorful fishing boats. There were hoards of German tourists (and others) and we heard that all the trips to Egypt had been canceled due to political unrest so Madeira was one of the destinations which won out when clients re-booked. Again there was a precious chapel with a wooden ceiling which had been painted over with the most beautiful scenes. We walked around Funchal, the largest city and through the supermarket, past the cafes and small shops and through the two story market with beautiful flowers and fresh fruits and souvenirs. Delicious Madeira wine was available for sample and sale.
Lovely port call and by the time we headed back to the ship, the clouds were rolling in over the mountains, which is typical in this region. We had special invites for the spa and spent a few hours there in the sauna and on the hot beds and Jacuzzi as we left our very last port of call. How sad.
Almost immediately we hit rough seas and people were jostling around and getting the green apples and crackers to settle their stomachs. Max Dolcelli was the comedian.
Wednesday, April 20 – at sea
Rock and rolling all night; quite rough; seas at about 16 feet. The bumps around the elevator shafts make you want to take the steps! By dinner time it had calmed down considerably, but many people were in their rooms for most of the day. Great guest speaker: Robert Lilwall. He will show us in four lectures about his three-year (!!) journey via bike from Siberia to London. He covered over 30,000 miles – “Cycling Home from Siberia” was published in 2011 in the USA. Haircut, guest talent show and HAL Chorale performed our medley of Rogers and Hammerstein. Suffice it to say our last rehearsals were just “OK” and nothing spectacular but when we got on stage and sang that medley, it was as if we were professionals. I was so touched that I cried and couldn’t even sing the last songs! It was an incredible sound coming from the Chorale and it was just like my band director from high school, Mr. Rehberg; everyone wanted to do their best for him and it showed. Bruce, the cruise director/director, was touched and he even had tears in his eyes.
Had a nice dinner in the Italian restaurant, Canaletto, with four others and then the Piano Bar, with Diane Fast playing her port songs. She has written words describing each port experience to songs. Tonight she sang 14 port songs and they are incredible. She returns to the ship by 3PM, writes the words for an hour and then performs them that night. Then the English singer, Kimika, performed, we were some friends and I worked. No internet connection as we are between the European and US internet connections. Weather is clearing up and the ship is sailing smoothly.
Thursday, April 21 – at sea
Attended the TV taping of “Good Morning Amsterdam” and I won a document holder! Mariner luncheon at 11:00 and we were given a Holland America tile. Walked, went to both shows of “The Scintas” brothers from Las Vegas – a real Las Vegas-style show with piano, impersonations, Dino, Frank, Elvis, Neil Diamond, Tom Jones, jokes…And the Piano bar pianist, Diane Fast, played her second night of port songs – fantastic! Packed one suitcase. Fed Ex is onboard to assist people in shipping and wrapping. The race is on.
The sea is beautiful. Expansive, blue, rolling. It is incredible to look out and see just water and more water. I love these days at sea.
Spain
Saturday, April 16 – Cartagena Spain
Good or bad, the newest Holland America ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam ship was in port with us so over 400 of us ventured over to visit her. She is a beauty with pool cabanas, a lovely Asian restaurant Tamarind and a Manhattan theme; 86000 tons and 2200 passengers (compared to our 1200 passengers and 58000 tons) BUT this meant less time in the beautiful city of Cartagena! It was a beautiful day with a warm sun and clear skies and we found out we were in an easily walk-able city. We found the Roman Theatre with a capacity for 6000 spectators with columns, the Punic Wall from 299 BC, the Decumano Calzada Romana which reflects the street life of a Roman city on the main road of Carthago Nova with the bustle of the shops and coming and going of people between the port and forum and the grocery store! They are always a good place to wander around to see the specialties of the region as reasonable prices. There was also a tourist boat for an hour’s tour of the castles and forts along the coast - -next time! Very clean city with a nice walking street and free WIFI at the City Hall. Hope to return there again also!
Cartagena is Spain’s principal naval base. There are five natural hills and it was from here that Hannibal set out in 218 BC with a mighty army and his elephants crossing the Pyrenees and the Alps before narrowly failing to destroy the Roman Republic. The Romans had their revenge in 209 BC when they captured Cartagena and ruled until the 2nd century AD. The area is rich in lead, iron, copper, zinc and sulfur and mining is a big industry here.
Entertainer Marty Brill, TV and motion picture comedy writer.
Sunday, April 17, Palm Sunday – Cadiz Spain
Lovely day – brisk wind with a hot sun. My kind of weather. Cadiz claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Western world. Julius Caesar first held public office here and Columbus set out from here on this second voyage, after which the city became the home base of the Spanish fleet. Most of its buildings were built in part with the gold and silver form the New World.
Met our friends Arnold, Astrid and Bob at the pier and spent a few hours chatting and eating on the back deck. Wonderfully relaxing time. We were together two years ago and they drove over 2+ hours to meet us.
After they left, we headed in to the lovely port town of Cadiz for the Palm Sunday procession from the Santo Domingo church. The streets were lined with masses of people and they were also standing in the small balconies above the narrow cobblestoned streets. From the side of the church, came many young altar boys in white gowns with a white hood with only their eyes showing. Each church has a different color for their gowns. Then walked rows of older boys swinging the incense. Then the large floats depicting Christ’s Passion – and I mean large. The scenes on the floats were elaborate and ornate. And they must have weighed a lot. I counted feet for 72 men UNDER one float. Imagine trying to all walk together with your head covered and the only set of eyes for all these men were from the men in the very front of the float. It was a slow mechanical sway of walk as they progressed down the cobblestoned streets. And then the band! Whew. The sound they made – powerful, powerful, powerful. It actually brought tears to my eyes. I thought of them as a highly talented high school marching band – a sound that touched your soul. There are 30 processionals scheduled for this Holy Week/Semana Santa – what an incredible time to visit Cadiz.
We ventured out to the 1st century BC Roman ruins, found a beautiful city wall with an overlook to the Atlantic Ocean that was spectacular and then walked the narrow streets down to the Cathedral. If our plan had been to wander that area, we were wrong. It was a huge throng of people waiting for another procession to finish or end there so we found some other less-traveled streets and headed to the Genoves Park. We enjoyed a homing pigeon hut, a waterfall with a high lookout over the sea and city, lovely flowers and benches to relax on and beautiful groomed trees. Wandering through various other squares, we found the ones with free WIFI and headed back to the ship to get the computers. Back at the square, we worked and phoned home. Luckily, it was not dark until after 9PM!
Dinner in the cabin and collapsed! Great day. “Aires de Cadiz” flamenco show.
Good or bad, the newest Holland America ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam ship was in port with us so over 400 of us ventured over to visit her. She is a beauty with pool cabanas, a lovely Asian restaurant Tamarind and a Manhattan theme; 86000 tons and 2200 passengers (compared to our 1200 passengers and 58000 tons) BUT this meant less time in the beautiful city of Cartagena! It was a beautiful day with a warm sun and clear skies and we found out we were in an easily walk-able city. We found the Roman Theatre with a capacity for 6000 spectators with columns, the Punic Wall from 299 BC, the Decumano Calzada Romana which reflects the street life of a Roman city on the main road of Carthago Nova with the bustle of the shops and coming and going of people between the port and forum and the grocery store! They are always a good place to wander around to see the specialties of the region as reasonable prices. There was also a tourist boat for an hour’s tour of the castles and forts along the coast - -next time! Very clean city with a nice walking street and free WIFI at the City Hall. Hope to return there again also!
Cartagena is Spain’s principal naval base. There are five natural hills and it was from here that Hannibal set out in 218 BC with a mighty army and his elephants crossing the Pyrenees and the Alps before narrowly failing to destroy the Roman Republic. The Romans had their revenge in 209 BC when they captured Cartagena and ruled until the 2nd century AD. The area is rich in lead, iron, copper, zinc and sulfur and mining is a big industry here.
Entertainer Marty Brill, TV and motion picture comedy writer.
Sunday, April 17, Palm Sunday – Cadiz Spain
Lovely day – brisk wind with a hot sun. My kind of weather. Cadiz claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Western world. Julius Caesar first held public office here and Columbus set out from here on this second voyage, after which the city became the home base of the Spanish fleet. Most of its buildings were built in part with the gold and silver form the New World.
Met our friends Arnold, Astrid and Bob at the pier and spent a few hours chatting and eating on the back deck. Wonderfully relaxing time. We were together two years ago and they drove over 2+ hours to meet us.
After they left, we headed in to the lovely port town of Cadiz for the Palm Sunday procession from the Santo Domingo church. The streets were lined with masses of people and they were also standing in the small balconies above the narrow cobblestoned streets. From the side of the church, came many young altar boys in white gowns with a white hood with only their eyes showing. Each church has a different color for their gowns. Then walked rows of older boys swinging the incense. Then the large floats depicting Christ’s Passion – and I mean large. The scenes on the floats were elaborate and ornate. And they must have weighed a lot. I counted feet for 72 men UNDER one float. Imagine trying to all walk together with your head covered and the only set of eyes for all these men were from the men in the very front of the float. It was a slow mechanical sway of walk as they progressed down the cobblestoned streets. And then the band! Whew. The sound they made – powerful, powerful, powerful. It actually brought tears to my eyes. I thought of them as a highly talented high school marching band – a sound that touched your soul. There are 30 processionals scheduled for this Holy Week/Semana Santa – what an incredible time to visit Cadiz.
We ventured out to the 1st century BC Roman ruins, found a beautiful city wall with an overlook to the Atlantic Ocean that was spectacular and then walked the narrow streets down to the Cathedral. If our plan had been to wander that area, we were wrong. It was a huge throng of people waiting for another procession to finish or end there so we found some other less-traveled streets and headed to the Genoves Park. We enjoyed a homing pigeon hut, a waterfall with a high lookout over the sea and city, lovely flowers and benches to relax on and beautiful groomed trees. Wandering through various other squares, we found the ones with free WIFI and headed back to the ship to get the computers. Back at the square, we worked and phoned home. Luckily, it was not dark until after 9PM!
Dinner in the cabin and collapsed! Great day. “Aires de Cadiz” flamenco show.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Italy
Thursday, April 14, 2011 – Port of Civitavecchia for Rome, Italy
We could not get up but we made it out to the train station by 9:30 for the 45 minute ride to Rome. 9 euros is a deal for a transportation ticket for the train, metro and all buses PLUS it was culture week so all the museums were FREE! Yeah! Off at Roma Ostiense for a change in rail station to the Roma Lido station and on to Ostia.
12PM tour of one of the only triangular castles in the world – through the pathways, looked out the artillery holes for cannons and guns and climbed the round tower.
Walked across the street to Ostia Antica, ruins founded in the 4th century BC. This site has been on my “list” for years and this is the trip to explore them. They were on the Tiber River and the town was designed to secure the river mouth against possible invasion. It became a flourishing commercial center. There were vivid mosaics in the Baths of Neptune and an ancient amphitheater seating 3500 spectators.
Civitavecchia is only 37 miles from Rome. We love Rome but were glad to spend some time outside of it today. Buses were late from tours and everyone said the streets were full of school groups; sometimes it is nice to venture in a different direction for a new perspective of the area.
Graham Jolley was the entertainer – a mind reader and he is fascinating and a great entertainer. We’ve seen him before and are still mystified at how he knows what he does from people in the audience. Finished my book! Enjoyed the adventure and the mere fact that I finished ONE book during these days onboard. How wonderful to know that you were physically and mentally able to traverse the path of Marco Polo for eight months on a camel and horse through Central Asia. Something to be proud of.
Friday, April 15, 2011 – Tax day! At sea in the Mediterranean
Sunny day at sea, time for a fun lunch with new friends from Hockessin, DE!, computer class on messaging, art I-pod tour around the ship, walked with a friend for an hour on the promenade, chorale practice.
It is nice to walk around and see all your friends and stop to chat – really, how easy can life be? People are beginning to realize the cruise will soon come to an end. Where has the time gone? Where they were once complaining (how could they be??) about a small issue, they are finally realizing how wonderfully we have been treated and how easy the days have been and how blessed we have been with safety issues and the weather and the wonderful sites we have visited. I guess no matter how good or hard you think you have it, there is always something to talk about.
Show was Jordan Bennett and Dale Kristien singing songs from Les Mis and Phantom, both shows they have starred in on Broadway. Powerful singers. Looked at the Faberge eggs and jewelry – I’ll take three please! They begin at $3K for the highly decorated and innovative eggs but a mere $800 for the golden egg necklace with a pearl inside. Worked and listened to music from my little corner of the world, the atrium level on Deck 3.
We could not get up but we made it out to the train station by 9:30 for the 45 minute ride to Rome. 9 euros is a deal for a transportation ticket for the train, metro and all buses PLUS it was culture week so all the museums were FREE! Yeah! Off at Roma Ostiense for a change in rail station to the Roma Lido station and on to Ostia.
12PM tour of one of the only triangular castles in the world – through the pathways, looked out the artillery holes for cannons and guns and climbed the round tower.
Walked across the street to Ostia Antica, ruins founded in the 4th century BC. This site has been on my “list” for years and this is the trip to explore them. They were on the Tiber River and the town was designed to secure the river mouth against possible invasion. It became a flourishing commercial center. There were vivid mosaics in the Baths of Neptune and an ancient amphitheater seating 3500 spectators.
Civitavecchia is only 37 miles from Rome. We love Rome but were glad to spend some time outside of it today. Buses were late from tours and everyone said the streets were full of school groups; sometimes it is nice to venture in a different direction for a new perspective of the area.
Graham Jolley was the entertainer – a mind reader and he is fascinating and a great entertainer. We’ve seen him before and are still mystified at how he knows what he does from people in the audience. Finished my book! Enjoyed the adventure and the mere fact that I finished ONE book during these days onboard. How wonderful to know that you were physically and mentally able to traverse the path of Marco Polo for eight months on a camel and horse through Central Asia. Something to be proud of.
Friday, April 15, 2011 – Tax day! At sea in the Mediterranean
Sunny day at sea, time for a fun lunch with new friends from Hockessin, DE!, computer class on messaging, art I-pod tour around the ship, walked with a friend for an hour on the promenade, chorale practice.
It is nice to walk around and see all your friends and stop to chat – really, how easy can life be? People are beginning to realize the cruise will soon come to an end. Where has the time gone? Where they were once complaining (how could they be??) about a small issue, they are finally realizing how wonderfully we have been treated and how easy the days have been and how blessed we have been with safety issues and the weather and the wonderful sites we have visited. I guess no matter how good or hard you think you have it, there is always something to talk about.
Show was Jordan Bennett and Dale Kristien singing songs from Les Mis and Phantom, both shows they have starred in on Broadway. Powerful singers. Looked at the Faberge eggs and jewelry – I’ll take three please! They begin at $3K for the highly decorated and innovative eggs but a mere $800 for the golden egg necklace with a pearl inside. Worked and listened to music from my little corner of the world, the atrium level on Deck 3.
Italy
Thursday, April 14, 2011 – Port of Civitavecchia for Rome, Italy
We could not get up but we made it out to the train station by 9:30 for the 45 minute ride to Rome. 9 euros is a deal for a transportation ticket for the train, metro and all buses PLUS it was culture week so all the museums were FREE! Yeah! Off at Roma Ostiense for a change in rail station to the Roma Lido station and on to Ostia.
12PM tour of one of the only triangular castles in the world – through the pathways, looked out the artillery holes for cannons and guns and climbed the round tower.
Walked across the street to Ostia Antica, ruins founded in the 4th century BC. This site has been on my “list” for years and this is the trip to explore them. They were on the Tiber River and the town was designed to secure the river mouth against possible invasion. It became a flourishing commercial center. There were vivid mosaics in the Baths of Neptune and an ancient amphitheater seating 3500 spectators.
Civitavecchia is only 37 miles from Rome. We love Rome but were glad to spend some time outside of it today. Buses were late from tours and everyone said the streets were full of school groups; sometimes it is nice to venture in a different direction for a new perspective of the area.
Graham Jolley was the entertainer – a mind reader and he is fascinating and a great entertainer. We’ve seen him before and are still mystified at how he knows what he does from people in the audience. Finished my book! Enjoyed the adventure and the mere fact that I finished ONE book during these days onboard. How wonderful to know that you were physically and mentally able to traverse the path of Marco Polo for eight months on a camel and horse through Central Asia. Something to be proud of.
Friday, April 15, 2011 – Tax day! At sea in the Mediterranean
Sunny day at sea, time for a fun lunch with new friends from Hockessin, DE!, computer class on messaging, art I-pod tour around the ship, walked with a friend for an hour on the promenade, chorale practice.
It is nice to walk around and see all your friends and stop to chat – really, how easy can life be? People are beginning to realize the cruise will soon come to an end. Where has the time gone? Where they were once complaining (how could they be??) about a small issue, they are finally realizing how wonderfully we have been treated and how easy the days have been and how blessed we have been with safety issues and the weather and the wonderful sites we have visited. I guess no matter how good or hard you think you have it, there is always something to talk about.
Show was Jordan Bennett and Dale Kristien singing songs from Les Mis and Phantom, both shows they have starred in on Broadway. Powerful singers. Looked at the Faberge eggs and jewelry – I’ll take three please! They begin at $3K for the highly decorated and innovative eggs but a mere $800 for the golden egg necklace with a pearl inside. Worked and listened to music from my little corner of the world, the atrium level on Deck 3.
We could not get up but we made it out to the train station by 9:30 for the 45 minute ride to Rome. 9 euros is a deal for a transportation ticket for the train, metro and all buses PLUS it was culture week so all the museums were FREE! Yeah! Off at Roma Ostiense for a change in rail station to the Roma Lido station and on to Ostia.
12PM tour of one of the only triangular castles in the world – through the pathways, looked out the artillery holes for cannons and guns and climbed the round tower.
Walked across the street to Ostia Antica, ruins founded in the 4th century BC. This site has been on my “list” for years and this is the trip to explore them. They were on the Tiber River and the town was designed to secure the river mouth against possible invasion. It became a flourishing commercial center. There were vivid mosaics in the Baths of Neptune and an ancient amphitheater seating 3500 spectators.
Civitavecchia is only 37 miles from Rome. We love Rome but were glad to spend some time outside of it today. Buses were late from tours and everyone said the streets were full of school groups; sometimes it is nice to venture in a different direction for a new perspective of the area.
Graham Jolley was the entertainer – a mind reader and he is fascinating and a great entertainer. We’ve seen him before and are still mystified at how he knows what he does from people in the audience. Finished my book! Enjoyed the adventure and the mere fact that I finished ONE book during these days onboard. How wonderful to know that you were physically and mentally able to traverse the path of Marco Polo for eight months on a camel and horse through Central Asia. Something to be proud of.
Friday, April 15, 2011 – Tax day! At sea in the Mediterranean
Sunny day at sea, time for a fun lunch with new friends from Hockessin, DE!, computer class on messaging, art I-pod tour around the ship, walked with a friend for an hour on the promenade, chorale practice.
It is nice to walk around and see all your friends and stop to chat – really, how easy can life be? People are beginning to realize the cruise will soon come to an end. Where has the time gone? Where they were once complaining (how could they be??) about a small issue, they are finally realizing how wonderfully we have been treated and how easy the days have been and how blessed we have been with safety issues and the weather and the wonderful sites we have visited. I guess no matter how good or hard you think you have it, there is always something to talk about.
Show was Jordan Bennett and Dale Kristien singing songs from Les Mis and Phantom, both shows they have starred in on Broadway. Powerful singers. Looked at the Faberge eggs and jewelry – I’ll take three please! They begin at $3K for the highly decorated and innovative eggs but a mere $800 for the golden egg necklace with a pearl inside. Worked and listened to music from my little corner of the world, the atrium level on Deck 3.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Naples, Italy
Tuesday, April 12 – Naples, Italy
Along the waterfront, we walked to the train station and took the Circumvesuviana train to Ercalano to visit the ruins of Herculaneum. These have been on my list of a long time and it was time for a visit! We were pleasantly surprised to find FREE ENTRY. We did rent the audio phones but they really are not needed as there is enough of a description on the homes. As you enter from the town, you cross a high bridge and below you is the town. About 5000 people lived here when it was destroyed in AD79. The town was buried under a tide of volcanic mud and this semi-liquid mass seeped into the crevices and niches of every building covering household objects and enveloping textiles and wood – SEALING IT ALL IN A COMPACT, AIRTIGHT TOMB. These are complete streets with curbing and complete houses with walls and mosaic floors and jugs for their “fast food” wine bars. Even some wooden objects remain from 79AD, when Vesuvius erupted. Some stairs and (actual) bread and shelving units of wood – can you imagine them surviving over 2000 years???
Casual excavation began in the 18th century b ut systematic digs were not initiated until the 1920s. These sites are better preserved than Pompeii. They even found 1,800 carbonized papyrus scrolls. It was a beautiful day to explore with a warm sun and slight breeze – in and out of buildings and photos and a picnic lunch.
Back on the train and to the ship to meet some Italian friends for dinner on the ship! It was their first visit to a large US ship so we toured and the enjoyed a nice meal. A great Italian lesson for me – we managed OK with my Spanish and Italian combo-language.
Along the waterfront, we walked to the train station and took the Circumvesuviana train to Ercalano to visit the ruins of Herculaneum. These have been on my list of a long time and it was time for a visit! We were pleasantly surprised to find FREE ENTRY. We did rent the audio phones but they really are not needed as there is enough of a description on the homes. As you enter from the town, you cross a high bridge and below you is the town. About 5000 people lived here when it was destroyed in AD79. The town was buried under a tide of volcanic mud and this semi-liquid mass seeped into the crevices and niches of every building covering household objects and enveloping textiles and wood – SEALING IT ALL IN A COMPACT, AIRTIGHT TOMB. These are complete streets with curbing and complete houses with walls and mosaic floors and jugs for their “fast food” wine bars. Even some wooden objects remain from 79AD, when Vesuvius erupted. Some stairs and (actual) bread and shelving units of wood – can you imagine them surviving over 2000 years???
Casual excavation began in the 18th century b ut systematic digs were not initiated until the 1920s. These sites are better preserved than Pompeii. They even found 1,800 carbonized papyrus scrolls. It was a beautiful day to explore with a warm sun and slight breeze – in and out of buildings and photos and a picnic lunch.
Back on the train and to the ship to meet some Italian friends for dinner on the ship! It was their first visit to a large US ship so we toured and the enjoyed a nice meal. A great Italian lesson for me – we managed OK with my Spanish and Italian combo-language.
Turkey and Greece and a very special dinner...
Friday, April 8 – Kusadasi, Turkey
I led a ship’s tour to the House of the Virgin Mary, where she spent her last days. The site has been officially declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church and was visited by Pope Paul VI in 1967. Then on to Ephesus, one of the most magnificient and best-preserved archaeological sites in the world. Ephesus is the Aegean’s best preserved ancient city; it was a busy port in the crossroads for traders in the era of the emerging Western World. We saw the Odeon Theatre, the Market Basilica, Curetes Street, Bath, Celsus Library, Marble Street and the Great Theatre with a seating capacity of 25,000 people. We toured the Terrace Houses where the actual mosaic floors have been uncovered; beautiful colors and designs! They are located opposite Hadrian’s Temple and show newly excavated sections where the wealthy and important people of Ephesus lived in homes finely decorated with mosaics and frescoes giving a true impression of the ancient lifestyle. We also visited the Basilica of St. John, which honors the holy man’s tomb. St. John is said to have come to Ephesus twice (between AD37 and 48 with the Virgin Mary and in AD95), where he wrote his gospel on Ayasuluk Hill. Emperor Justinian erected a magnificent church above his tomb, which was destroyed by earthquakes and material-scavengers. In its day it was considered a near-marvel and attracted thousands of medieval pilgrims.
We continued on to enjoy a wonderful lunch outside under tents on a perfect day before we had the infamous Turkish carpet demonstration. Rug information: wool on wool is made in geometric designs, wool on cotton is in floral designs, Hereke are the best carpets with 220-240 knots PER INCH. Mercerized cotton looks like silk.
After dinner, we went back out and wandered around the streets and tried to converse with a nice older fisherman who was heading out at 3AM for his daily fishing. Lovely night for strolling; the port area is very nice for the tourist; free WIFI at Starbucks and zillions of shops.
“I just looked up at a fire twinkling star and thought that a voyager whom I know, now many days’ sail from this coast, might possibly be looking up at the same star with me.” - Henry David Thoreau
Saturday, April 9 – Kusadasi, Turkey
We lost two from our group to the hospital and we hope all goes well; very sad.
A nice young man walked us to the local bus stop and we took the public bus to Selcuk (village past Ephesus) and enjoyed wandering around the Ephesus Museum where many of the finds from Ephesus are stored indoors. There were scales, jewelry, cosmetic boxes and the effigy of Priapus, the Phallic God, coins, grave goods and statuary. Another beautiful day and we took a taxi back to Ephesus and wandered around the less-visited ruins on the western side – where we believe the Church of Ephesus is located. Quieter area to roam and explore – through tall grass and weeds -- you feel like a real Indiana Jones!
Back to town, we shopped and wandered; enjoyed the company of a nice family who own a café. Sail-away came and it was a brilliant afternoon with the fort and harbor behind us.
Some guests tried a hamam (bath) with a sauna and scrubbing and skin peeling on a marble slab – www.adasarayturkishbath.com - transportation included for approx. $20 per person.
“What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.” - Nathaniel Hawthorne
Sunday, April 10 – Piraeus for Athens Greece
We took a taxi directly to the Archeological museum and enjoyed all the treasures from the Acropolis which were moved inside – amazing in size and details. Hopped on the little train that chugs around the Acropolis and were amazed at the tight spaces where it could maneuver. We were actually about a foot away from people dining and a mere 6 inches away from the flea market stands – A little too close for me no matter how I looked at it but a wonderful way to drive through the heart of the Plaka on a sunny Sunday afternoon when all the families and tourists were out enjoying the moment. Took bus #40 back to the port/ship. Beautiful sailaway in the sun.
Paul Adams, comedian, was the entertainer.
“For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks. The ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.” - Rainer Maria Rilke
Monday, April 11, 2011 – at sea – formal night and our Captain’s Grand Voyage Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill
We were very lucky to be hosted by the Hotel Manager, Henk Mensink, and able to sit with our theatre companions for a fun evening. Scrumptious and elaborate meal and we were given a beautiful gift of a sterling wine prop with Holland America logo. Salmon tartare, frappe of Tomatoes, truffled lobster fricassee en croute, petit filet mignon with baby vegetables, potato tart and rosemary shallot demi glace, ginger crème brulee, poached pear and frozen banana soufflé with Yalumba Wild Ferment Chardonnary from Australia and Woodbridge Twin Oak Cabernet Sauvignon from CA.
Fantastic concert by the Amsterdam Orchestra! They were each featured on their instrument in unique ways – drummer played with cereal boxes, the keyboardist played his narrated thesis on the life of a rabbit, the electric bass guitarist played the hit songs he grew up with…creativity plus wonderful talent! Craig Hill, Jeremy Seitzer, Lawrence Ravdin, Nathan Hance, Daniel Dainard and Irving Brown.
“Never let an adventure pass you by.” – Joan Lunden
I led a ship’s tour to the House of the Virgin Mary, where she spent her last days. The site has been officially declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church and was visited by Pope Paul VI in 1967. Then on to Ephesus, one of the most magnificient and best-preserved archaeological sites in the world. Ephesus is the Aegean’s best preserved ancient city; it was a busy port in the crossroads for traders in the era of the emerging Western World. We saw the Odeon Theatre, the Market Basilica, Curetes Street, Bath, Celsus Library, Marble Street and the Great Theatre with a seating capacity of 25,000 people. We toured the Terrace Houses where the actual mosaic floors have been uncovered; beautiful colors and designs! They are located opposite Hadrian’s Temple and show newly excavated sections where the wealthy and important people of Ephesus lived in homes finely decorated with mosaics and frescoes giving a true impression of the ancient lifestyle. We also visited the Basilica of St. John, which honors the holy man’s tomb. St. John is said to have come to Ephesus twice (between AD37 and 48 with the Virgin Mary and in AD95), where he wrote his gospel on Ayasuluk Hill. Emperor Justinian erected a magnificent church above his tomb, which was destroyed by earthquakes and material-scavengers. In its day it was considered a near-marvel and attracted thousands of medieval pilgrims.
We continued on to enjoy a wonderful lunch outside under tents on a perfect day before we had the infamous Turkish carpet demonstration. Rug information: wool on wool is made in geometric designs, wool on cotton is in floral designs, Hereke are the best carpets with 220-240 knots PER INCH. Mercerized cotton looks like silk.
After dinner, we went back out and wandered around the streets and tried to converse with a nice older fisherman who was heading out at 3AM for his daily fishing. Lovely night for strolling; the port area is very nice for the tourist; free WIFI at Starbucks and zillions of shops.
“I just looked up at a fire twinkling star and thought that a voyager whom I know, now many days’ sail from this coast, might possibly be looking up at the same star with me.” - Henry David Thoreau
Saturday, April 9 – Kusadasi, Turkey
We lost two from our group to the hospital and we hope all goes well; very sad.
A nice young man walked us to the local bus stop and we took the public bus to Selcuk (village past Ephesus) and enjoyed wandering around the Ephesus Museum where many of the finds from Ephesus are stored indoors. There were scales, jewelry, cosmetic boxes and the effigy of Priapus, the Phallic God, coins, grave goods and statuary. Another beautiful day and we took a taxi back to Ephesus and wandered around the less-visited ruins on the western side – where we believe the Church of Ephesus is located. Quieter area to roam and explore – through tall grass and weeds -- you feel like a real Indiana Jones!
Back to town, we shopped and wandered; enjoyed the company of a nice family who own a café. Sail-away came and it was a brilliant afternoon with the fort and harbor behind us.
Some guests tried a hamam (bath) with a sauna and scrubbing and skin peeling on a marble slab – www.adasarayturkishbath.com - transportation included for approx. $20 per person.
“What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.” - Nathaniel Hawthorne
Sunday, April 10 – Piraeus for Athens Greece
We took a taxi directly to the Archeological museum and enjoyed all the treasures from the Acropolis which were moved inside – amazing in size and details. Hopped on the little train that chugs around the Acropolis and were amazed at the tight spaces where it could maneuver. We were actually about a foot away from people dining and a mere 6 inches away from the flea market stands – A little too close for me no matter how I looked at it but a wonderful way to drive through the heart of the Plaka on a sunny Sunday afternoon when all the families and tourists were out enjoying the moment. Took bus #40 back to the port/ship. Beautiful sailaway in the sun.
Paul Adams, comedian, was the entertainer.
“For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks. The ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.” - Rainer Maria Rilke
Monday, April 11, 2011 – at sea – formal night and our Captain’s Grand Voyage Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill
We were very lucky to be hosted by the Hotel Manager, Henk Mensink, and able to sit with our theatre companions for a fun evening. Scrumptious and elaborate meal and we were given a beautiful gift of a sterling wine prop with Holland America logo. Salmon tartare, frappe of Tomatoes, truffled lobster fricassee en croute, petit filet mignon with baby vegetables, potato tart and rosemary shallot demi glace, ginger crème brulee, poached pear and frozen banana soufflé with Yalumba Wild Ferment Chardonnary from Australia and Woodbridge Twin Oak Cabernet Sauvignon from CA.
Fantastic concert by the Amsterdam Orchestra! They were each featured on their instrument in unique ways – drummer played with cereal boxes, the keyboardist played his narrated thesis on the life of a rabbit, the electric bass guitarist played the hit songs he grew up with…creativity plus wonderful talent! Craig Hill, Jeremy Seitzer, Lawrence Ravdin, Nathan Hance, Daniel Dainard and Irving Brown.
“Never let an adventure pass you by.” – Joan Lunden
Suez Canal, Israel
Monday, April 04, 2011 – at sea – at anchor near the Suez
10:00 AM tour of the workshop of the onboard florists. They do phenomenal work in a small area – approx. 8x10. They have the most incredible flower arrangements I have ever seen, incorporating horns from India, Vietnamese hats from Vietnam, specific colors relating to each port…the flowers are flown in from Amsterdam approx. every two weeks and some flowers are purchased in local ports. Eddy and Callista – great arrangers!
Our formal themed night – Arabian Nights! Here is the poem presented at dinner tonight with our free wine, since we had itinerary deviations.
“This segment’s unfolding out of one thousand and one
Like a story within a story, with a golden frame redone
With Middle-Eastern folk tales told around the candlelight
Where Ali Baba, Sinbad and Alladin’s stories reunite
No adventure could be less exciting or diverse
On this themed formal night prior to Suez’ traverse
Past days wonder of the world wait mystically for our return
When our traveler’s yearning will cease the moment of upturn
So dream into this wondrous nightly blue
And know the wine is free , from us to you!”
Unexpected Boys sang Broadway tunes as we sat anchored two miles south of the Suez Canal entrance. Paulette Mitchell is the guest chef – she has written 13 cookbooks and is on TV. Arabian Night ball – the costumes were amazing!
“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 – transit of the Suez Canal –
The idea of the canal was first thought of by Pharaoh Necho in the 6th century BC! Necho actually began the canal and 100,000 workers died during construction and the Pharaoh was ultimately forced to abandon his dream. There is evidence that a narrow channel was actually excavated in the 13th century BC even though exact details are lost. Work began in 1845 – 11 years for construction. Today, the canal is 118 miles long separating the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The canal allows two-way north-south water transport from Europe to Asia without circumnavigating Africa. The canal has no locks because there is no sea-level difference and no hills to climb. Approx. 25,000 ships pass through the canal each year, approx. 14% of world shipping. Giuseppe Verdi’s opera masterpiece, AIDA, was written to commemorate the opening of the Suez Canal. It was completed too late for the 1869 opening and premiered in 1871. Ships pay approx. $205,000 for the 8 hour transit in a convoy. 10 years to complete, northern terminus is Port Said, southern terminus is Port Tawfik. It is single-lane with passing places in Ballah By-Pass and the Great Bitter Lake. It is owned by the Suez Canal Authority o the Arab Republic of Egypt. Average workers per day: 30,000. Maximum ships per day: 80. 7,350 miles are saved by transiting the route instead of going around Africa.
Beautiful day to transit the canal – we are close enough to land on either side to enjoy the Army barracks, small towns, oil fields and rigs (prior to the transit), lookout posts, memorials to veterans…it is a very interesting day and one I highly recommend…you are as close to land as if you were on a river cruise.
Glad to be in the Mediterranean. Enough said.
I went to the Pinnacle Grill tonight for a murder-mystery dinner! We started off in the Hudson Room lounge meeting the “disenchanted” characters in the Disenchanted Kingdom – you know…Salmonella, Princess Apnea/The Narcoleptic Beauty, Samuel T. Pan – the brother of Peter Pan, Polly Dent, the Denture Fairy, the Little Merman (he looked GOOD in this emerald green mermaid legs!), Ambivalent, the Not-so-wicked sorceress, and Lou, the Magic Plumber. I was “Princess Goody Two Shoes”.
We had a speech during the excellent dinner by Graham Grimm, the third cousin, twice-removed, of the more famous Brothers Grimm. We were at the Annual Not-So-Famous Fairy Tale Convention Dinner, a celebration of all those who have lived in the shadows for all these years. We enjoyed an Antipasto platter with Turkey Flat Rose wine from Australia, potato and leek soup scented with truffle with a Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier form California, a shrimp and lobster salad on a bed of greens with tarragon dressing with a Columbia Crest Grand Estate Chardonnay from Washington, a medium seared petite filet mignon with asparagus, balsamic drizzled cherry tomatoes and slow fried new potatoes with a Columbia Crest Grand Estate Merlot from Washington and a chocolate, hazelnut and coffee cake with raspberry sauce with an Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc Late Harvest from Chile (my favorite!). A murder had been committed and as the characters circulated among the tables we needed to figure out the murderer. Nice evening but way too much wine for me!
“The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear.” – Jennings Bryan
Wednesday, April 6 –Ashdod, Israel for Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Haifa, Tel Aviv…close enough for several destinations
We had a 6AM passport control check face-to-face with customs. They were onboard.
Jerusalem is the very soul of the inhabited world. It was a beautiful day as we docked and we were slightly anxious about the port call so we had decided to disembark, see how we felt and then either get a taxi or remain on the ship. We had turned down offers to host a ship’s tour. We found a driver to take four of us to Jerusalem for the day but on the way in our new Mercedes there were internal computer messages stating something was wrong with the car. We stopped twice on the highway before they called for another car. We were on our way and Gethsemane, along with all the tour buses in town. We were there about 10 years ago so it was time to renew the memories. Home of the Last Supper (Coenaculum), Zion Gate, Church of the Holy Sepulchre (where Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Ethiopian and Coptic churches all believe that Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected), Wailing Wall, Dung Gate, Garden Tomb (through Damascus Gate – we took our driver there as he had never been there - where Christians believe that Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected)). Walked through the Cardo (marketplace) and the Via Dolorosa, the path along which Jesus walked while carrying his cross. It was a very nice day but we were glad to get back to the ship.
The Ashdod Academy of Dance were invited onboard; an all-female troupe ages 15-22 with energetic moves for modern and traditional Israeli dances. Wow! Everyone onboard was stunned by their professionalism and energy, costumes and choreography. We talked with them after the show and they travel frequently – LA, Brazil, China…they bring a new dimension to dance. We really enjoyed the day but were glad to pull out of the port.
“Plan for the future because that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life.” – Mark Twain
Thursday, April 7 – in the Aegean Sea!
Out of the Middle East. It seemed like a long-time coming.
Chorale rehearsal. Amsterdam singers and dancers in Las Vegas Nights.
“Cheerfulness is full of significance; it suggests good health, a clear conscience, and a soul at peace with human nature.” – Charles Kingsley
10:00 AM tour of the workshop of the onboard florists. They do phenomenal work in a small area – approx. 8x10. They have the most incredible flower arrangements I have ever seen, incorporating horns from India, Vietnamese hats from Vietnam, specific colors relating to each port…the flowers are flown in from Amsterdam approx. every two weeks and some flowers are purchased in local ports. Eddy and Callista – great arrangers!
Our formal themed night – Arabian Nights! Here is the poem presented at dinner tonight with our free wine, since we had itinerary deviations.
“This segment’s unfolding out of one thousand and one
Like a story within a story, with a golden frame redone
With Middle-Eastern folk tales told around the candlelight
Where Ali Baba, Sinbad and Alladin’s stories reunite
No adventure could be less exciting or diverse
On this themed formal night prior to Suez’ traverse
Past days wonder of the world wait mystically for our return
When our traveler’s yearning will cease the moment of upturn
So dream into this wondrous nightly blue
And know the wine is free , from us to you!”
Unexpected Boys sang Broadway tunes as we sat anchored two miles south of the Suez Canal entrance. Paulette Mitchell is the guest chef – she has written 13 cookbooks and is on TV. Arabian Night ball – the costumes were amazing!
“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 – transit of the Suez Canal –
The idea of the canal was first thought of by Pharaoh Necho in the 6th century BC! Necho actually began the canal and 100,000 workers died during construction and the Pharaoh was ultimately forced to abandon his dream. There is evidence that a narrow channel was actually excavated in the 13th century BC even though exact details are lost. Work began in 1845 – 11 years for construction. Today, the canal is 118 miles long separating the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The canal allows two-way north-south water transport from Europe to Asia without circumnavigating Africa. The canal has no locks because there is no sea-level difference and no hills to climb. Approx. 25,000 ships pass through the canal each year, approx. 14% of world shipping. Giuseppe Verdi’s opera masterpiece, AIDA, was written to commemorate the opening of the Suez Canal. It was completed too late for the 1869 opening and premiered in 1871. Ships pay approx. $205,000 for the 8 hour transit in a convoy. 10 years to complete, northern terminus is Port Said, southern terminus is Port Tawfik. It is single-lane with passing places in Ballah By-Pass and the Great Bitter Lake. It is owned by the Suez Canal Authority o the Arab Republic of Egypt. Average workers per day: 30,000. Maximum ships per day: 80. 7,350 miles are saved by transiting the route instead of going around Africa.
Beautiful day to transit the canal – we are close enough to land on either side to enjoy the Army barracks, small towns, oil fields and rigs (prior to the transit), lookout posts, memorials to veterans…it is a very interesting day and one I highly recommend…you are as close to land as if you were on a river cruise.
Glad to be in the Mediterranean. Enough said.
I went to the Pinnacle Grill tonight for a murder-mystery dinner! We started off in the Hudson Room lounge meeting the “disenchanted” characters in the Disenchanted Kingdom – you know…Salmonella, Princess Apnea/The Narcoleptic Beauty, Samuel T. Pan – the brother of Peter Pan, Polly Dent, the Denture Fairy, the Little Merman (he looked GOOD in this emerald green mermaid legs!), Ambivalent, the Not-so-wicked sorceress, and Lou, the Magic Plumber. I was “Princess Goody Two Shoes”.
We had a speech during the excellent dinner by Graham Grimm, the third cousin, twice-removed, of the more famous Brothers Grimm. We were at the Annual Not-So-Famous Fairy Tale Convention Dinner, a celebration of all those who have lived in the shadows for all these years. We enjoyed an Antipasto platter with Turkey Flat Rose wine from Australia, potato and leek soup scented with truffle with a Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier form California, a shrimp and lobster salad on a bed of greens with tarragon dressing with a Columbia Crest Grand Estate Chardonnay from Washington, a medium seared petite filet mignon with asparagus, balsamic drizzled cherry tomatoes and slow fried new potatoes with a Columbia Crest Grand Estate Merlot from Washington and a chocolate, hazelnut and coffee cake with raspberry sauce with an Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc Late Harvest from Chile (my favorite!). A murder had been committed and as the characters circulated among the tables we needed to figure out the murderer. Nice evening but way too much wine for me!
“The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear.” – Jennings Bryan
Wednesday, April 6 –Ashdod, Israel for Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Haifa, Tel Aviv…close enough for several destinations
We had a 6AM passport control check face-to-face with customs. They were onboard.
Jerusalem is the very soul of the inhabited world. It was a beautiful day as we docked and we were slightly anxious about the port call so we had decided to disembark, see how we felt and then either get a taxi or remain on the ship. We had turned down offers to host a ship’s tour. We found a driver to take four of us to Jerusalem for the day but on the way in our new Mercedes there were internal computer messages stating something was wrong with the car. We stopped twice on the highway before they called for another car. We were on our way and Gethsemane, along with all the tour buses in town. We were there about 10 years ago so it was time to renew the memories. Home of the Last Supper (Coenaculum), Zion Gate, Church of the Holy Sepulchre (where Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Ethiopian and Coptic churches all believe that Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected), Wailing Wall, Dung Gate, Garden Tomb (through Damascus Gate – we took our driver there as he had never been there - where Christians believe that Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected)). Walked through the Cardo (marketplace) and the Via Dolorosa, the path along which Jesus walked while carrying his cross. It was a very nice day but we were glad to get back to the ship.
The Ashdod Academy of Dance were invited onboard; an all-female troupe ages 15-22 with energetic moves for modern and traditional Israeli dances. Wow! Everyone onboard was stunned by their professionalism and energy, costumes and choreography. We talked with them after the show and they travel frequently – LA, Brazil, China…they bring a new dimension to dance. We really enjoyed the day but were glad to pull out of the port.
“Plan for the future because that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life.” – Mark Twain
Thursday, April 7 – in the Aegean Sea!
Out of the Middle East. It seemed like a long-time coming.
Chorale rehearsal. Amsterdam singers and dancers in Las Vegas Nights.
“Cheerfulness is full of significance; it suggests good health, a clear conscience, and a soul at peace with human nature.” – Charles Kingsley
Monday, April 11, 2011
Luxor Egypt and Aqaba/Petra Jordan
Friday, April 1, 2011 – in the Red Sea
Had breakfast with friends for her birthday. Talked to others, figured out tours for Safaga/Luxor/Karnak, Egypt tomorrow. Worked. Listened to lectures on Egypt and what to expect tomorrow and on Sunday in Aqaba, Jordan. Organized the last get-together for the Ensemble group! …How sad.
“The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway.” - Henry Boye.
Saturday, April 2, 2011 – Safaga, Egypt for Luxor and Karnak, Egypt
Egypt has a longer recorded history than any other nation on earth – more than 5000 years. The Red Sea has always been the marine gateway between Europe and Asia for trading tea, spices, gemstone and elephants! The ancient ports still thrive but now as some of the world’s best diving and fishing resorts. Port Safaga was established for delivering and transporting phosphate exports. Hurghada is up the coast about 25 miles and filled with lavish hotels and resort complexes along the shore.
After an early morning 6AM arrival to Egypt and after clearance by customs, we boarded buses for the drive across the desert. We drove off in a convoy and had to stop for at least four checkpoints across the Eastern Desert, part of the Sahara Desert. Safaga port is commercial and there were lines of immigrants with all their belongings. We heard they were Kuwaitis but who really knows…Small pickup trucks were piled high with mattresses, toys and all the worldly possessions one treasures. The road was two-lane and at the checkpoints there were at least a dozen soldiers sitting around, mostly drinking coffee. Some waved at us, some watched us, but none of them moved to do anything to speed our clearance. Now, granted, we were not the first bus in the convoy so perhaps they had all the paperwork up there and we were just “in line” but work ethics were missing, from what I could see.
The ride was through a rocky and sandy desert with high mountains on either side - beautiful day with clear skies and pleasant temperatures – not the humidity levels we have been experiencing in our other Asian ports. The mountains were rugged, brown and dry. As we neared Luxor, we came to more villages and rode alongside a very deep water channel—missing any water! There was a lot of litter and GOATS (eating the litter!) in the channel. After one more turn, we came into a connecting section of the channel and it was filled with water.
The village life around the water is always fascinating. Kids with water buffalo, donkeys being ridden by men of all ages, women in their black dress hauling their goods back to their home. The homes were small tents with woven fabrics for the roof and perhaps also for the front door. The land was worked for farming and paths were dirt. There were several bridges across the channel and where they could not afford a bridge, they had a small boat rigged up to a pulley. You hopped in to the boat, pulled yourself across the river and got out of the boat. If the boat was not on your side of the water, you tugged on the pulley to get the boat over to your side and then hopped in and pulled yourself across the channel. Ingenious and cheap – you get where you want to be.
Luxor – Mom and I were here in January 1983 on an archeological study tour. I was very curious to see the city and what I could remember from that past visit. Our first stop was at the Karnak Temple. There is now a visitor center and they have razed all the homes which fronted the temple and backed to the Nile. There is a complete walkway and view from the water to the temple.
Impressive columns, hieroglyphics covering all the walls…huge cavernous rooms. To the ancient Egyptians, Karnak was known as “The most perfect of places”. It is perhaps the largest temple complex ever built and it grew in stages over 1500 years. An enormous statue of Ramses II seems to welcome visitors but his arms forbiddingly cross his chest. We explored the Great Temple of Amun, Gate to Precinct of Montu, Sacred lake, Festival Temple of Amenhotep II, saw the Avenue of the Sphinxes which went all the way down to Luxor Temple, Temple of Opet… There is an evening sound and light show also. Very impressive and there are still colors on some walls and ceilings. Extremely tall columns highly decorated.
We drove along the Nile River to the Sonesta Hotel – passing at least six rows of river boats, at least five-eight deep. All EMPTY. These are usually plying the river with hordes of tourists. EMPTY. Since January 25. And it will take a long time for them to return. BUT due to this, we had the entire temple to ourselves!! We were the only group visiting and we felt safe. There were a few private individuals roaming around but other than that, we had the streets and hotel to ourselves. NOT as I remember it from years ago.
The Sonesta Hotel is on the Nile and as the group was herded to the buffet, I ran down to the waterfront desk. You can hire a felucca for a private sail for $12!! We booked it and were off for our 1/2hour sail on the Nile – Gene’s birthday present! It was lovely and I helped (a little) to row. We sailed over to the Valley of the Kings and saw the swamp area, the animals and kids playing at the water’s edge – just as I did remember it from 1983. Lovely.
We ate a quick buffet lunch, with no lines at this time, boarded the bus and were delivered to the Luxor Temple, right down the street. Luxor Temple stands aloof in the heart of the town with its grand colonnades and pylons. Dedicated to the Theban Triad of Amun-Min, Mut and Khonsu, it was the “harem of the south” where Amun’s consort Mut and their son Khonsu resided. Every spring a flotilla of barques escorted Amun’s effigy from Karnak Temple to this site for a conjugal reunion with Mut in an Optet/fertility festival noted for its public debauchery. The clarify of its reliefs is due to the temple having been half-buried by sand and silt and overlaid by Luxor itself. They recently found a boat ramp which led to the Nile! In 2006, a massive underground ring-drainage system was installed to deal with the rising groundwater that had been damaging the temple. The Avenue of the Sphinxes is grand as you glance down to Karnak Temple.
Had a nice drive back to the ship. I am fascinated by the scenes of everyday life from the bus windows. And the sun was setting and we had no reason to be concerned about missing the ship since we were on a ship’s excursion.
“We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.” – Anne Frank
Sunday, April 3, 2011 – Aqaba, Jordan for Petra
After another early morning arrival, we found a taxi driver to take us to Petra,(Galeb), along with some friends. The port has been enhanced with a new entrance/exit and new highway structure – but we soon found out why there were so many improvements! (always boils down to m o n e y)
Petra is an ancient city, about 2 hours away from the port of Aqaba. It was the center of an Arab kingdom in Hellenistic and Roman times. The valley is enclosed by sandstone cliffs veined with shades of red and purple varying to pale yellow, and for this reason Petra was called by the 19th-century English biblical scholar John W. Burgon a “rose-red city half as old as time”.
“It seems no work of man’s creative hand, By labour wrought as wavering fancy planned; but from the rock as if by magic grown, eternal, silent, beautiful, alone! Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine, where erst Athena held her rites divine; Not saintly-grey, like many a minster fane, that crowns the hill land consecrates the plain; But rose-red as if the blush of dawn, that first beheld them were not yet withdrawn; The hues of youth upon a brow of woe, which man deemed old two thousand years ago, match me such marvel save in Eastern clime, a rose-red city half as old as time.” - John William Burgon wrote this poem without ever having visited Petra
Under Nabataen rule, Petra prospered as a centre of the spice trade that involved such disparate realms as China, Egypt, Greece and India and the city’s population swelled. The city was unknown to the Western world until it was rediscovered by the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812. And it again became famous due to the Indiana Jones adventure film!
It is now one of the new “seven wonders of the world” and everyone enjoyed the day as they walked, or rode on the carriage or horse, down to the siq –the Treasury – the Al-Khazneh, of Indiana Jones fame. There was time to explore and climb in to the 7000 seat theatre, the Royal tombs, Urn Tomb, Palace Tomb of the Great temple. There is never enough time to see and do it all! The colors are magical and the pictures, even from amateur like me, can be stunning.
Gene and I opted to go out to another site, 15 minutes past Petra to “Little Petra” – Al-Barid. It is much smaller than Petra; so small that we were seven in there and Gene and I were two of them. We could hear the birds sing. We could wander at our own pace and explore alone in the tombs. The colors were just as deep and changing and the area smaller to cover. There was an immense Nabatean cistern that held approx. 1.2 million liters water/approx. 21 feet deep! It was said the camels drank from here as the merchants used them in their commute between Arabia and the Mediterranean.
We passed a Bedouin village and the camel was strung up to the light post. Our driver chased after two donkeys so Gene could ride one and finally a young boy rode by on one donkey, pulling another one. Galeb, our driver, spoke to him and Gene and I were both invited to ride the donkey – that’s been a long time since we’ve done that! I was only on a few seconds before I asked to be pulled off! That was enough. Had a lovely day and were dropped off at a local museum PLETH, which opened in November, Petra Life Exhibition For Traditional Heritage. www.pleth.org There were good exhibits on the traditional medicines based on herbs, an incense section, perfumes and aromatics, a local sweets section and traditional drinks and a documentary film on the Nabataean Life at Petra and lots of photos from the early 1900s of Petra. We met our friends and driver and went back to Aqaba to be dropped off in the city centre for a quick sunset stroll. We walked among the Ayla ruins, Gene rode a camel in the city streets outside of McDonald’s (what a scene!) and we enjoyed the sunset.
Jordan derives its name from the Arabic phrase “al urdun”, the ancient name for the Jordan River and surrounding territory. There is a fertile valley from the Mount Hermon to the Dead Sea. The Kingdom of Jordan, one of the smallest Middle Eastern nations, is made even smaller by the fact that the modest parcel is mostly desert. The Dead Sea is rich in minerals. Wadis, expansive valleys created during ancient torrential deluges, divide the terrain into four regions associated with an Old Testament kingdom: Kerak, Balqa, Ajlun and Ma’an.
“He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty.” - Anonymous
Had breakfast with friends for her birthday. Talked to others, figured out tours for Safaga/Luxor/Karnak, Egypt tomorrow. Worked. Listened to lectures on Egypt and what to expect tomorrow and on Sunday in Aqaba, Jordan. Organized the last get-together for the Ensemble group! …How sad.
“The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway.” - Henry Boye.
Saturday, April 2, 2011 – Safaga, Egypt for Luxor and Karnak, Egypt
Egypt has a longer recorded history than any other nation on earth – more than 5000 years. The Red Sea has always been the marine gateway between Europe and Asia for trading tea, spices, gemstone and elephants! The ancient ports still thrive but now as some of the world’s best diving and fishing resorts. Port Safaga was established for delivering and transporting phosphate exports. Hurghada is up the coast about 25 miles and filled with lavish hotels and resort complexes along the shore.
After an early morning 6AM arrival to Egypt and after clearance by customs, we boarded buses for the drive across the desert. We drove off in a convoy and had to stop for at least four checkpoints across the Eastern Desert, part of the Sahara Desert. Safaga port is commercial and there were lines of immigrants with all their belongings. We heard they were Kuwaitis but who really knows…Small pickup trucks were piled high with mattresses, toys and all the worldly possessions one treasures. The road was two-lane and at the checkpoints there were at least a dozen soldiers sitting around, mostly drinking coffee. Some waved at us, some watched us, but none of them moved to do anything to speed our clearance. Now, granted, we were not the first bus in the convoy so perhaps they had all the paperwork up there and we were just “in line” but work ethics were missing, from what I could see.
The ride was through a rocky and sandy desert with high mountains on either side - beautiful day with clear skies and pleasant temperatures – not the humidity levels we have been experiencing in our other Asian ports. The mountains were rugged, brown and dry. As we neared Luxor, we came to more villages and rode alongside a very deep water channel—missing any water! There was a lot of litter and GOATS (eating the litter!) in the channel. After one more turn, we came into a connecting section of the channel and it was filled with water.
The village life around the water is always fascinating. Kids with water buffalo, donkeys being ridden by men of all ages, women in their black dress hauling their goods back to their home. The homes were small tents with woven fabrics for the roof and perhaps also for the front door. The land was worked for farming and paths were dirt. There were several bridges across the channel and where they could not afford a bridge, they had a small boat rigged up to a pulley. You hopped in to the boat, pulled yourself across the river and got out of the boat. If the boat was not on your side of the water, you tugged on the pulley to get the boat over to your side and then hopped in and pulled yourself across the channel. Ingenious and cheap – you get where you want to be.
Luxor – Mom and I were here in January 1983 on an archeological study tour. I was very curious to see the city and what I could remember from that past visit. Our first stop was at the Karnak Temple. There is now a visitor center and they have razed all the homes which fronted the temple and backed to the Nile. There is a complete walkway and view from the water to the temple.
Impressive columns, hieroglyphics covering all the walls…huge cavernous rooms. To the ancient Egyptians, Karnak was known as “The most perfect of places”. It is perhaps the largest temple complex ever built and it grew in stages over 1500 years. An enormous statue of Ramses II seems to welcome visitors but his arms forbiddingly cross his chest. We explored the Great Temple of Amun, Gate to Precinct of Montu, Sacred lake, Festival Temple of Amenhotep II, saw the Avenue of the Sphinxes which went all the way down to Luxor Temple, Temple of Opet… There is an evening sound and light show also. Very impressive and there are still colors on some walls and ceilings. Extremely tall columns highly decorated.
We drove along the Nile River to the Sonesta Hotel – passing at least six rows of river boats, at least five-eight deep. All EMPTY. These are usually plying the river with hordes of tourists. EMPTY. Since January 25. And it will take a long time for them to return. BUT due to this, we had the entire temple to ourselves!! We were the only group visiting and we felt safe. There were a few private individuals roaming around but other than that, we had the streets and hotel to ourselves. NOT as I remember it from years ago.
The Sonesta Hotel is on the Nile and as the group was herded to the buffet, I ran down to the waterfront desk. You can hire a felucca for a private sail for $12!! We booked it and were off for our 1/2hour sail on the Nile – Gene’s birthday present! It was lovely and I helped (a little) to row. We sailed over to the Valley of the Kings and saw the swamp area, the animals and kids playing at the water’s edge – just as I did remember it from 1983. Lovely.
We ate a quick buffet lunch, with no lines at this time, boarded the bus and were delivered to the Luxor Temple, right down the street. Luxor Temple stands aloof in the heart of the town with its grand colonnades and pylons. Dedicated to the Theban Triad of Amun-Min, Mut and Khonsu, it was the “harem of the south” where Amun’s consort Mut and their son Khonsu resided. Every spring a flotilla of barques escorted Amun’s effigy from Karnak Temple to this site for a conjugal reunion with Mut in an Optet/fertility festival noted for its public debauchery. The clarify of its reliefs is due to the temple having been half-buried by sand and silt and overlaid by Luxor itself. They recently found a boat ramp which led to the Nile! In 2006, a massive underground ring-drainage system was installed to deal with the rising groundwater that had been damaging the temple. The Avenue of the Sphinxes is grand as you glance down to Karnak Temple.
Had a nice drive back to the ship. I am fascinated by the scenes of everyday life from the bus windows. And the sun was setting and we had no reason to be concerned about missing the ship since we were on a ship’s excursion.
“We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.” – Anne Frank
Sunday, April 3, 2011 – Aqaba, Jordan for Petra
After another early morning arrival, we found a taxi driver to take us to Petra,(Galeb), along with some friends. The port has been enhanced with a new entrance/exit and new highway structure – but we soon found out why there were so many improvements! (always boils down to m o n e y)
Petra is an ancient city, about 2 hours away from the port of Aqaba. It was the center of an Arab kingdom in Hellenistic and Roman times. The valley is enclosed by sandstone cliffs veined with shades of red and purple varying to pale yellow, and for this reason Petra was called by the 19th-century English biblical scholar John W. Burgon a “rose-red city half as old as time”.
“It seems no work of man’s creative hand, By labour wrought as wavering fancy planned; but from the rock as if by magic grown, eternal, silent, beautiful, alone! Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine, where erst Athena held her rites divine; Not saintly-grey, like many a minster fane, that crowns the hill land consecrates the plain; But rose-red as if the blush of dawn, that first beheld them were not yet withdrawn; The hues of youth upon a brow of woe, which man deemed old two thousand years ago, match me such marvel save in Eastern clime, a rose-red city half as old as time.” - John William Burgon wrote this poem without ever having visited Petra
Under Nabataen rule, Petra prospered as a centre of the spice trade that involved such disparate realms as China, Egypt, Greece and India and the city’s population swelled. The city was unknown to the Western world until it was rediscovered by the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812. And it again became famous due to the Indiana Jones adventure film!
It is now one of the new “seven wonders of the world” and everyone enjoyed the day as they walked, or rode on the carriage or horse, down to the siq –the Treasury – the Al-Khazneh, of Indiana Jones fame. There was time to explore and climb in to the 7000 seat theatre, the Royal tombs, Urn Tomb, Palace Tomb of the Great temple. There is never enough time to see and do it all! The colors are magical and the pictures, even from amateur like me, can be stunning.
Gene and I opted to go out to another site, 15 minutes past Petra to “Little Petra” – Al-Barid. It is much smaller than Petra; so small that we were seven in there and Gene and I were two of them. We could hear the birds sing. We could wander at our own pace and explore alone in the tombs. The colors were just as deep and changing and the area smaller to cover. There was an immense Nabatean cistern that held approx. 1.2 million liters water/approx. 21 feet deep! It was said the camels drank from here as the merchants used them in their commute between Arabia and the Mediterranean.
We passed a Bedouin village and the camel was strung up to the light post. Our driver chased after two donkeys so Gene could ride one and finally a young boy rode by on one donkey, pulling another one. Galeb, our driver, spoke to him and Gene and I were both invited to ride the donkey – that’s been a long time since we’ve done that! I was only on a few seconds before I asked to be pulled off! That was enough. Had a lovely day and were dropped off at a local museum PLETH, which opened in November, Petra Life Exhibition For Traditional Heritage. www.pleth.org There were good exhibits on the traditional medicines based on herbs, an incense section, perfumes and aromatics, a local sweets section and traditional drinks and a documentary film on the Nabataean Life at Petra and lots of photos from the early 1900s of Petra. We met our friends and driver and went back to Aqaba to be dropped off in the city centre for a quick sunset stroll. We walked among the Ayla ruins, Gene rode a camel in the city streets outside of McDonald’s (what a scene!) and we enjoyed the sunset.
Jordan derives its name from the Arabic phrase “al urdun”, the ancient name for the Jordan River and surrounding territory. There is a fertile valley from the Mount Hermon to the Dead Sea. The Kingdom of Jordan, one of the smallest Middle Eastern nations, is made even smaller by the fact that the modest parcel is mostly desert. The Dead Sea is rich in minerals. Wadis, expansive valleys created during ancient torrential deluges, divide the terrain into four regions associated with an Old Testament kingdom: Kerak, Balqa, Ajlun and Ma’an.
“He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty.” - Anonymous
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Muscat and Salalah, Oman and birthdays!
Sunday, March 27, 2011 – Muscat, Oman and Captain’s 50th birthday
Oman is the oldest Gulf State dating back 5000 years. It was one of the few sources for copper and we read it was shipped to Mesopotamia. Regional importance grew when Frankincense, derived from the native Boswellia tree, emerged as a popular religious instrument. The Portuguese traders established a fort at Hormusz in the 16th century, ruling for only 100 years.
We had an early morning arrival to Muscat, the capital of Oman. The port is actually in Muttrah and we were greeted by buses quick to whisk us off to the main gate. We found a nice taxi driver, Habib, who drove us for 8 hours out of town, past many roundabouts which are adorned with giant model sculptures. The sculptures have significance for that area – coffee pots, incense burners, fish, boats and books. The roundabout near the University has a “sculpture” of large books on it. A large fish is in the roundabout near the fish souk/market.
We continued out through the desert surrounded by the high, dry Western Al Hajar mountains. Our first stop was the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque – women must have their arms, legs and head completely covered in order to enter the mosque. Men and women must wash before entering the mosque and shoes must be removed. There is a women’s mosque where they can view the service on TVs, broadcast live from the main mosque, where only men can enter to pray. The doors, rugs, chandeliers and walls were magnificent in colors and fabrics.
An hour’s plus ride down the road, we came to the oasis town of Birkat Al Mauz, where we found the above-ground covered water cistern with the fresh mountain water running in to town. There is an extensive network of falaj channels irrigating its date gardens which extend out of town. There are over 40 different varieties of date palms in Nizwa.
We came to Nizwa, which was the capital of Oman in the 6th and 7th centuries and has a vast round tower of the fort beside the new bright cobalt-blue dome of the Sultan Qaboos Mosque. One of the oldest and largest forts in Oman, it was completed in 1668, to protect its strategic position at the crossroads of the caravan routes. There were various courtyards and outbuildings with prisons, storerooms, kitchens, washing areas, sleeping quarters, a mosque, a Koranic school, majlis (prayer) rooms, a judge’s room and living quarters for the wali.
We continued down the road to Manah, Oman’s most impressive ruined town. It was even the guide’s first time to visit the town! The mosque dates back to 1534 and there is continuous renovation of the old town. The walls were made of mud and the wooden beams supporting the floors above had collapsed. We had a pretty drive back to Muttrah with time to explore the souk, the market place. It is the oldest in Oman with a covered intricate labyrinth of stalls, curio shops and winding alleys. Indian merchants are predominant. The aromas from the spices, the incense and the perfume shops were overwhelming!
Men wear the dishdasha, an ankle-length robe. It is usually white for daytime wear and there are a variety of colors for evening and special occasions. The kuman is the small embroidered cap worn by Omani men. The embroidery comes in a variety of colors and floral or geometric designs to match the dishdasha. On formal occasions a musr, turban, is often worn. A khanjar, curved sheathed dagger, is worn, attached to a belt, is also worn on special occasions. The assa, stick, is another part of the Omani traditional costume, which was used in the past to control the camels. They wear leather sandals, or flip flops!, and a bisht, cloak, on formal occasions.
Women wear a black cover-all gown in public, an abaya. Under this, they may have a colorful traditional ankle-length dress. Headscarves are worn and in some areas, a burka, a face mask. Some (many) women wear western clothes, but cover up with the abaya outside the home. It is traditional for women to have their hands and feet painted with henna at times of celebration.
After visiting Oman and Dubai one day after another, I found Oman more interesting. The culture is real, the countryside has high mountains and there are natural sights. Dubai: 80% of the population are not natives, the malls are the main attraction (how much of anything does a person really need?), there is no visible “culture”, the streets are empty of people (you do not see movement in the streets or in homes), everything is over-the-top - - the marketing people of the world won – they certainly get their quota of visitors. It is worth a visit but you feel like it is a fairy tale. Try to find a native Emirati and you really have to search hard. Consider a week’s cruise departing from Dubai so you can judge for yourself.
Music and Mayhem of Davie Howes as our entertainer.
Monday, March 28 – Luisa’s birthday in the Arabian Sea
Tai-chi and took a nap. Gene had invited our group to formal tea at 3PM and they all showed up! We had our cakes (marcipan and white sugar) and they were devoured! I got ½ a slice of my own cake! And no marcipan flowers! Next time, I separate my piece BEFORE anyone tries a piece. This is the 2nd time I’ve ended up with ZIP of my special-order cake! But we enjoyed the time with the group and were honored they took the time to join us on our very last minute invitation. Dinner was nice and I had a chocolate cake to share with everyone at the table. The waiters sang to me in English and Indonesian. Nice night but I missed being with the family and friends. Amsterdam singers and dancers in “Dancin’ Fool”.
Tuesday, March 29 – Gene’s birthday in Salalah, Oman
Desert and very high mountains. We spent most of the morning in 1st gear going up and down steep mountain roads. That was BEFORE I returned to the ship with a couple who needed emergency attention by the ship’s doctor. The gentleman ended up with a broken nose, broken glasses, stitches on his arm and leg/shin and being pretty banged up. Another woman fell at the same spot but was able to carry on with the tour. And Gene had a woman fall at the same spot and break her wrist! So the ship’s medical had a total of six calls for assistance – quite a record we hear.
My tour was supposed to visit a frankincense tree, Job’s tomb (Biblical hero admired by Jews and Christians and Muslims worldwide) and a souk (market) and drive past the Sultan’s summer palace, Al Hosn Palace. I saw a tree. We drove 45 minutes along the coast line, to stop in the desert to see this tree. We learned how the bark is scraped and left for sap to ooze out. After approx. 10-15 days, the sap is taken and sold to be burned in churches. Then we arrived at Job’s tomb and all the accidents occurred and that was it (very uneven pavement near the restrooms). Never saw the tomb or the souk. Gene at least managed to get to the souk. There was a small duty-free shop in the port area so we wandered over there and bought some “wanted but not needed items” as we say and enjoyed it.
Education is free in Oman. Education is combined for males and females until they reach age 10 and then they attend separate classrooms. Camels eat the frankincense so they have fences around the trees. All the streets seemed empty of life; houses are closed up. If you hit a camel while driving, there is camel insurance. Cows do not have insurance and you have to pay the owner the cost of the cow. Free healthcare. Since 1970, they have built over 50 healthcare centers in Salalah alone; there was one prior to that date. The flight for medical care is provided at government cost, if you live too far away or need care from a hospital in a different region. Salalah is two hours from the Yemen border. They claim there are five checkpoints between Salalah and the border. Each family receives free land from the government to build their home. They pay to build the home – approx. cost is $160K for a one bedroom home. Most were one level concrete homes with a 2nd level that held only the water tank. Beginning salaries are approx. $600 month and the government will find you a job! Once you complete your “free” education, you go to the government center and they will try to match your qualifications to an open position. All I kept thinking was, “I’m paying for their ‘free’ education, healthcare and land with my gas purchases in the USA”.
You could pay approx. $300K for a racing camel and $15K for a milking camel (who knew you could milk a camel or who knows someone who drinks camel’s milk? Not me.). Camels have IDs on their ears and are all owned by individuals. The Sultan travels around the country for two months every year to meet with the residents to find out their grievances and see the progress taking place from last year’s visit.
Dinner was nice with some friends at our table, wine and birthday cake! More singing and the Kent Dancers performed. The front office crew put a lovely birthday sign with four balloons on our door. Two bottles of wine were delivered from the Beverage Department and bottle of champagne from the Guest Relations Supervisor. We’re spoiled!
Entertainment was the brother/sister Australian dance team The Kent Dancers. They were in Las Vegas at the Golden Nugget, on Dancing with the Stars and toured in the US for the Simply Ballroom.
Wednesday, March 30 – at sea in the Gulf of Aden; we are protected by NATO forces around us – heading for Bab-el Mandeb, lying between Yemen and Djibouti – entrance to the Red Sea
Tai-chi class and than a wonderful luncheon experience in the Pinnacle Grill. We were hosted this time by two from our group and had a nice lunch. Walked the decks, saw flying fish (they come up from under the ship and spray themselves at the surface – quite fascinating), worked, met with people, watched an English movie about the right of women to have equal pay in the UK in 1970, formal night and Unexpected Boys performed (Frankie Valli/Four Seasons tribute) – I went to both shows. Plus we had the gala dessert extravaganza at 9:30 and they had marcipan!
Today was CELEBRATION DAY to collectively celebrate the special moments in our lives with shipboard family and friends. Whether it is a birthday or anniversary, a shared moment of triumph or a personal victory, today is the day we can all raise a glass, salute one another and celebrate. (loved it!)
Thoughts that ramble around in your head when you see the security officers on the promenade deck in each corner of the ship, day and night, with their binoculars…We see several destroyers and helicopters around us; there have been no reports of piracy around us but who knows? We are inside this small blip of a vessel in the middle of this vast ocean. You feel like you are in your own little world, totally protected, but how wrong you could be – just open the door and take a glance out to the real world
And the size of the ocean – the size of the world. I think frequently of the vast size of these oceans. We’ve had days after days of seeing just “water on the horizon”. I love it. Some people need to see land-in-sight. But it is mind-boggling how many days you could sit outside and see nothing, nothing, nothing…just water, water, water. We have gone for days without seeing other ships!! And then you think about that there are so many creatures under the water. When you consider the size of our vessel compared to the size of the ocean(s), we are lucky we have seen even one dolphin or a few flying fish! Scanning the surface of the water seems so futile and so deceptive. We are s m a l l creatures on this very large planet.
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – the 14th Dalai Lama
March 31, 2011 – at sea –
We are through the Gulf of Aden and there are now less potential piracy issues. Lazy, quiet day – the one my brother dared me to try to enjoy. Piano lounge for playing and singing, Chorale practice, lunch with friends, watched movie “The King’s Speech” in our room, dinner and then the Captain announced ANOTHER itinerary change – our 3rd! We are back to a stop in Egypt! We were supposed to have three stops in Egypt – they cancelled all of them – now they are adding one back in. Safaga, Egypt – Saturday. It is a 3+ hour bus ride each way to Luxor/Karnak so it will be a long day and then the next day we have a 2+ hour ride each way from Aqaba Jordan to Petra. But all worth it! People are scurrying around trying to figure out which tour option for Safaga. Nice to have the library onboard. Internet was down while we were through the Gulf of Aden for security issues – that was interesting and I don’t remember that from last time.
We are given gifts on our formal nights. Luggage tags, diaries, maps of the world with plotting grids, rolling suitcases, ceramic tiles. They spend a lot of money to make the trip extra special. Variety entertainment show of Kuba, Davie Howes, John Ekin and the Kent Dancers. We are now only seven hours ahead of Delaware/NY time.
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, regarded by ancient Romans and Greeks as the most extraordinary structures in antiquity:
- Pyramids of Giza (Egypt) – they are the only one remaining nearly intact today
- Hanging Gardens of Babylon – 600 BC – series of planted terraces
- Statue of Zeus at Olympia (Greece) – was the central figure of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, were the Olympic games were held
- Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (Turkey) temple with 127 stone columns – one column remains today
- Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (Turkey) – marble tomb in memory of Mausolus
- Colossus of Rhodes (Greece) – bronze statue of the Greek sun god Helios to guard entrance to the harbor
- Pharos of Alexandria (Egypt) – ancient lighthouse
“The past is like a river flowing out of sight; the future is an ocean filled with opportunity and delight.” - Anna Hoxie
Oman is the oldest Gulf State dating back 5000 years. It was one of the few sources for copper and we read it was shipped to Mesopotamia. Regional importance grew when Frankincense, derived from the native Boswellia tree, emerged as a popular religious instrument. The Portuguese traders established a fort at Hormusz in the 16th century, ruling for only 100 years.
We had an early morning arrival to Muscat, the capital of Oman. The port is actually in Muttrah and we were greeted by buses quick to whisk us off to the main gate. We found a nice taxi driver, Habib, who drove us for 8 hours out of town, past many roundabouts which are adorned with giant model sculptures. The sculptures have significance for that area – coffee pots, incense burners, fish, boats and books. The roundabout near the University has a “sculpture” of large books on it. A large fish is in the roundabout near the fish souk/market.
We continued out through the desert surrounded by the high, dry Western Al Hajar mountains. Our first stop was the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque – women must have their arms, legs and head completely covered in order to enter the mosque. Men and women must wash before entering the mosque and shoes must be removed. There is a women’s mosque where they can view the service on TVs, broadcast live from the main mosque, where only men can enter to pray. The doors, rugs, chandeliers and walls were magnificent in colors and fabrics.
An hour’s plus ride down the road, we came to the oasis town of Birkat Al Mauz, where we found the above-ground covered water cistern with the fresh mountain water running in to town. There is an extensive network of falaj channels irrigating its date gardens which extend out of town. There are over 40 different varieties of date palms in Nizwa.
We came to Nizwa, which was the capital of Oman in the 6th and 7th centuries and has a vast round tower of the fort beside the new bright cobalt-blue dome of the Sultan Qaboos Mosque. One of the oldest and largest forts in Oman, it was completed in 1668, to protect its strategic position at the crossroads of the caravan routes. There were various courtyards and outbuildings with prisons, storerooms, kitchens, washing areas, sleeping quarters, a mosque, a Koranic school, majlis (prayer) rooms, a judge’s room and living quarters for the wali.
We continued down the road to Manah, Oman’s most impressive ruined town. It was even the guide’s first time to visit the town! The mosque dates back to 1534 and there is continuous renovation of the old town. The walls were made of mud and the wooden beams supporting the floors above had collapsed. We had a pretty drive back to Muttrah with time to explore the souk, the market place. It is the oldest in Oman with a covered intricate labyrinth of stalls, curio shops and winding alleys. Indian merchants are predominant. The aromas from the spices, the incense and the perfume shops were overwhelming!
Men wear the dishdasha, an ankle-length robe. It is usually white for daytime wear and there are a variety of colors for evening and special occasions. The kuman is the small embroidered cap worn by Omani men. The embroidery comes in a variety of colors and floral or geometric designs to match the dishdasha. On formal occasions a musr, turban, is often worn. A khanjar, curved sheathed dagger, is worn, attached to a belt, is also worn on special occasions. The assa, stick, is another part of the Omani traditional costume, which was used in the past to control the camels. They wear leather sandals, or flip flops!, and a bisht, cloak, on formal occasions.
Women wear a black cover-all gown in public, an abaya. Under this, they may have a colorful traditional ankle-length dress. Headscarves are worn and in some areas, a burka, a face mask. Some (many) women wear western clothes, but cover up with the abaya outside the home. It is traditional for women to have their hands and feet painted with henna at times of celebration.
After visiting Oman and Dubai one day after another, I found Oman more interesting. The culture is real, the countryside has high mountains and there are natural sights. Dubai: 80% of the population are not natives, the malls are the main attraction (how much of anything does a person really need?), there is no visible “culture”, the streets are empty of people (you do not see movement in the streets or in homes), everything is over-the-top - - the marketing people of the world won – they certainly get their quota of visitors. It is worth a visit but you feel like it is a fairy tale. Try to find a native Emirati and you really have to search hard. Consider a week’s cruise departing from Dubai so you can judge for yourself.
Music and Mayhem of Davie Howes as our entertainer.
Monday, March 28 – Luisa’s birthday in the Arabian Sea
Tai-chi and took a nap. Gene had invited our group to formal tea at 3PM and they all showed up! We had our cakes (marcipan and white sugar) and they were devoured! I got ½ a slice of my own cake! And no marcipan flowers! Next time, I separate my piece BEFORE anyone tries a piece. This is the 2nd time I’ve ended up with ZIP of my special-order cake! But we enjoyed the time with the group and were honored they took the time to join us on our very last minute invitation. Dinner was nice and I had a chocolate cake to share with everyone at the table. The waiters sang to me in English and Indonesian. Nice night but I missed being with the family and friends. Amsterdam singers and dancers in “Dancin’ Fool”.
Tuesday, March 29 – Gene’s birthday in Salalah, Oman
Desert and very high mountains. We spent most of the morning in 1st gear going up and down steep mountain roads. That was BEFORE I returned to the ship with a couple who needed emergency attention by the ship’s doctor. The gentleman ended up with a broken nose, broken glasses, stitches on his arm and leg/shin and being pretty banged up. Another woman fell at the same spot but was able to carry on with the tour. And Gene had a woman fall at the same spot and break her wrist! So the ship’s medical had a total of six calls for assistance – quite a record we hear.
My tour was supposed to visit a frankincense tree, Job’s tomb (Biblical hero admired by Jews and Christians and Muslims worldwide) and a souk (market) and drive past the Sultan’s summer palace, Al Hosn Palace. I saw a tree. We drove 45 minutes along the coast line, to stop in the desert to see this tree. We learned how the bark is scraped and left for sap to ooze out. After approx. 10-15 days, the sap is taken and sold to be burned in churches. Then we arrived at Job’s tomb and all the accidents occurred and that was it (very uneven pavement near the restrooms). Never saw the tomb or the souk. Gene at least managed to get to the souk. There was a small duty-free shop in the port area so we wandered over there and bought some “wanted but not needed items” as we say and enjoyed it.
Education is free in Oman. Education is combined for males and females until they reach age 10 and then they attend separate classrooms. Camels eat the frankincense so they have fences around the trees. All the streets seemed empty of life; houses are closed up. If you hit a camel while driving, there is camel insurance. Cows do not have insurance and you have to pay the owner the cost of the cow. Free healthcare. Since 1970, they have built over 50 healthcare centers in Salalah alone; there was one prior to that date. The flight for medical care is provided at government cost, if you live too far away or need care from a hospital in a different region. Salalah is two hours from the Yemen border. They claim there are five checkpoints between Salalah and the border. Each family receives free land from the government to build their home. They pay to build the home – approx. cost is $160K for a one bedroom home. Most were one level concrete homes with a 2nd level that held only the water tank. Beginning salaries are approx. $600 month and the government will find you a job! Once you complete your “free” education, you go to the government center and they will try to match your qualifications to an open position. All I kept thinking was, “I’m paying for their ‘free’ education, healthcare and land with my gas purchases in the USA”.
You could pay approx. $300K for a racing camel and $15K for a milking camel (who knew you could milk a camel or who knows someone who drinks camel’s milk? Not me.). Camels have IDs on their ears and are all owned by individuals. The Sultan travels around the country for two months every year to meet with the residents to find out their grievances and see the progress taking place from last year’s visit.
Dinner was nice with some friends at our table, wine and birthday cake! More singing and the Kent Dancers performed. The front office crew put a lovely birthday sign with four balloons on our door. Two bottles of wine were delivered from the Beverage Department and bottle of champagne from the Guest Relations Supervisor. We’re spoiled!
Entertainment was the brother/sister Australian dance team The Kent Dancers. They were in Las Vegas at the Golden Nugget, on Dancing with the Stars and toured in the US for the Simply Ballroom.
Wednesday, March 30 – at sea in the Gulf of Aden; we are protected by NATO forces around us – heading for Bab-el Mandeb, lying between Yemen and Djibouti – entrance to the Red Sea
Tai-chi class and than a wonderful luncheon experience in the Pinnacle Grill. We were hosted this time by two from our group and had a nice lunch. Walked the decks, saw flying fish (they come up from under the ship and spray themselves at the surface – quite fascinating), worked, met with people, watched an English movie about the right of women to have equal pay in the UK in 1970, formal night and Unexpected Boys performed (Frankie Valli/Four Seasons tribute) – I went to both shows. Plus we had the gala dessert extravaganza at 9:30 and they had marcipan!
Today was CELEBRATION DAY to collectively celebrate the special moments in our lives with shipboard family and friends. Whether it is a birthday or anniversary, a shared moment of triumph or a personal victory, today is the day we can all raise a glass, salute one another and celebrate. (loved it!)
Thoughts that ramble around in your head when you see the security officers on the promenade deck in each corner of the ship, day and night, with their binoculars…We see several destroyers and helicopters around us; there have been no reports of piracy around us but who knows? We are inside this small blip of a vessel in the middle of this vast ocean. You feel like you are in your own little world, totally protected, but how wrong you could be – just open the door and take a glance out to the real world
And the size of the ocean – the size of the world. I think frequently of the vast size of these oceans. We’ve had days after days of seeing just “water on the horizon”. I love it. Some people need to see land-in-sight. But it is mind-boggling how many days you could sit outside and see nothing, nothing, nothing…just water, water, water. We have gone for days without seeing other ships!! And then you think about that there are so many creatures under the water. When you consider the size of our vessel compared to the size of the ocean(s), we are lucky we have seen even one dolphin or a few flying fish! Scanning the surface of the water seems so futile and so deceptive. We are s m a l l creatures on this very large planet.
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – the 14th Dalai Lama
March 31, 2011 – at sea –
We are through the Gulf of Aden and there are now less potential piracy issues. Lazy, quiet day – the one my brother dared me to try to enjoy. Piano lounge for playing and singing, Chorale practice, lunch with friends, watched movie “The King’s Speech” in our room, dinner and then the Captain announced ANOTHER itinerary change – our 3rd! We are back to a stop in Egypt! We were supposed to have three stops in Egypt – they cancelled all of them – now they are adding one back in. Safaga, Egypt – Saturday. It is a 3+ hour bus ride each way to Luxor/Karnak so it will be a long day and then the next day we have a 2+ hour ride each way from Aqaba Jordan to Petra. But all worth it! People are scurrying around trying to figure out which tour option for Safaga. Nice to have the library onboard. Internet was down while we were through the Gulf of Aden for security issues – that was interesting and I don’t remember that from last time.
We are given gifts on our formal nights. Luggage tags, diaries, maps of the world with plotting grids, rolling suitcases, ceramic tiles. They spend a lot of money to make the trip extra special. Variety entertainment show of Kuba, Davie Howes, John Ekin and the Kent Dancers. We are now only seven hours ahead of Delaware/NY time.
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, regarded by ancient Romans and Greeks as the most extraordinary structures in antiquity:
- Pyramids of Giza (Egypt) – they are the only one remaining nearly intact today
- Hanging Gardens of Babylon – 600 BC – series of planted terraces
- Statue of Zeus at Olympia (Greece) – was the central figure of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, were the Olympic games were held
- Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (Turkey) temple with 127 stone columns – one column remains today
- Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (Turkey) – marble tomb in memory of Mausolus
- Colossus of Rhodes (Greece) – bronze statue of the Greek sun god Helios to guard entrance to the harbor
- Pharos of Alexandria (Egypt) – ancient lighthouse
“The past is like a river flowing out of sight; the future is an ocean filled with opportunity and delight.” - Anna Hoxie
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Dubai
Thursday, March 24 – Dubai for the Ensemble Experience and Big Bus
Dubai! The land that marketing built. This is our third visit and we are still amazed at what can be created with such vivid imaginations. The architecture is incredible; hours could be spent just glancing upwards at the tall structures and wondering about the shapes and colors and materials and learning the reasoning behind such creativity. Turban-style, glass tubes between buildings, incredible heights…the buildings have created a city like none other. Dubai is one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf. The government’s decision to diversify from a trade-based but oil-reliant economy to one that is service and tourism-oriented has made real estate more valuable, resulting in a property boom. It is unusual in that is population is comprised mainly of expatriates with the Emiratis constituting the minority.
The Ensemble Experience was held in the Bastakiya district – in the sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. We were welcomed in to the mosque for an explanation, allowed to ask any questions we wanted, wandered around the community and had a lunch of salads, hommous, hakhboos of fish and chicken and lugaimat (fried dough balls drizzled with date syrup).
We headed back in to the city on the Big Bus (they are also in Philadelphia!). www.bigbustours.com They offer an incredible service with included walking tours, two bus routes covering the highlights of the large city (one loop takes almost three hours), all with a running commentary. Our stop at the Wafi Mall was fascinating; it is an incredible Egyptian structure and we took the walking tour of the Khan Murjan Discovery Walk/underground souk (market) to the Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, Egyptian and Moroccan sections. It was incredible ornate with colorful doors and glass-stained windows BENEATH the regular mall! Beautiful shops; really should be advertised more.
We wound our way around the loop and took the 5:30 PM evening dhow cruise on the Dubai Creek. It ended up at the mouth the creek, near the sea, passing many more of the architectural wonders of the city as we sat on cushions on the floor at dusk. (included in the price of the 24 hour bus pass).
“I could not at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn, his back on life.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
Friday, March 25 - Dubai – “At the Top” and along the beach route
Friday is a holy day for Muslims so many museums and stores are closed. We were tired from working late but got up early enough to get the Big Bus for the other route they offer. We headed out on a nice sunny day enjoying the top deck of the Big Bus as it went along the beach road past the rich sheikhs’ homes and fancy hotels; past the Burj Al Arab 7* hotel, the water park at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, onto the Palm, past Atlantis hotel (you would think you were in the Bahamas!) and got off at the Emirates Mall to see the ski slope again. The malls are LARGE and LONG, full of every type of store you need or don’t need. The Arabic women were their black abaya (black cover-all gown worn in public) and you can see their western-style clothing underneath. The men wear all white – the dishdasha is their ankle-length white robe which never seems to get dirty! I loved riding the upper deck on the bus and we stopped next at the Dubai Mall, the home of the Burj Khalifa observation deck (tallest building in the world – www.atthetop.ae), the Olympic ice rink, gold souk, aquarium with glass panels at least three stories high and the dancing fountains (just like in front of the Bellagio in Las Vegas). So much to wander around and enjoy; we were lucky to see a dress rehearsal of the dancing fountains to music and they must be spectacular at night!
We hurried back to the Dubai Museum to take the walking tour through the spice souk, gold souk, rode the abra (water taxi across the Dubai Creek with no railings or seats – just a bench on each side of the “captain”), and past three Iranian mosques and through the textile souk. We ended up near the large dhows which have traveled thousands of miles with their manufactured goods which they are selling in Dubai’s “tax free” zone. As there is virtually no crime, they can leave large piles of refrigerators, rice, tires, baby formula, pocket books, etc., on the docks – covered only by a cloth – and their items are not stolen. When they are sold, they are removed and the old (and I mean OLD) dhows make their way back to the native country. Fascinating. Hard to imagine these very small old dhows sailing through rough waters heavily laden – we even saw one with trucks and cars! The waves must surely crash up onto the decks of the dhows and soak absolutely everything in sight.
We tried the new air-conditioned water taxi across the Dubai Creek (approx. 10 minute crossing) and it was fantastic – just costs a little more to go first class! Theatre-style seats, large floor-to-ceiling windows and no one else on but us made for a fun crossing! (RTA Water bus) We were back on the bus for a return to the ship, late dinner, show and working in the terminal – by practically everyone on our ship!! So the internet access was slow and limited so we decided to give it up, take a nap and return early in the morning – what we won’t do for free internet!!
Re-thinking our time in Dubai, I would spend more time in the textile and spice souk areas and at the Dubai Mall – but we enjoyed all we did. Two days are not nearly enough to see and do it all. Entertainer was KUBA, a wonderful multi-instrumentalist we have seen before.
Saturday, March 26 – left Dubai and in the Arabian Sea
We were up at 4:30 to get to the main terminal to get online with the free WIFI before the rest of the world woke up! The sun rose and were worked away…But we were never able to get online with Skype to make our million phone calls. We ventured across the parking lot to the Queen Elizabeth 2 and walked around her. She has been there for 2 years and four months and now there is steam coming from her funnel. We found out a crew of 42 are living onboard her and they are in the process of renovating her to become a floating hotel, probably to be docked near the Atlantis hotel. We were able to get onboard in to the lobby area with security. Found out the Captain has his car right in front of the ship, but under a car blanket – guess he does not get out much! The “Southhampton” has been whited out on the back of the ship and it now shows “Port Vila”, which I have to look up to find out where the ship is now registered! But she looked good - much better than she did two years ago.
We wandered over to a Dubai Navy destroyer and then to two nice yachts before finding the Pacific Princess had docked in front of us. We were onboard our ship by 9:15 for a 9:30 sail away. A beautiful, hot day sail away as we viewed a sand-covered Dubai – not nearly as clear as it had been the last two days.
We were now “at sea” and we collapsed for a nap. Waking up, we felt like the day was extra long – attended Chorale rehearsal and enjoyed dinner with new tablemates from CA and Michigan. We’ve been hearing about the other ships in the area and air strikes in Israel and there is some concern among passengers about our route. We’ll see what happens in the next few days; all decisions are made by Holland America’s Seattle office and their first interest is for our and the ship’s safe passage. Entertainment was MagiComedy cabaret of John Ekin.
Since Hong Kong, we have traveled 5162 nautical miles.
Dubai! The land that marketing built. This is our third visit and we are still amazed at what can be created with such vivid imaginations. The architecture is incredible; hours could be spent just glancing upwards at the tall structures and wondering about the shapes and colors and materials and learning the reasoning behind such creativity. Turban-style, glass tubes between buildings, incredible heights…the buildings have created a city like none other. Dubai is one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf. The government’s decision to diversify from a trade-based but oil-reliant economy to one that is service and tourism-oriented has made real estate more valuable, resulting in a property boom. It is unusual in that is population is comprised mainly of expatriates with the Emiratis constituting the minority.
The Ensemble Experience was held in the Bastakiya district – in the sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. We were welcomed in to the mosque for an explanation, allowed to ask any questions we wanted, wandered around the community and had a lunch of salads, hommous, hakhboos of fish and chicken and lugaimat (fried dough balls drizzled with date syrup).
We headed back in to the city on the Big Bus (they are also in Philadelphia!). www.bigbustours.com They offer an incredible service with included walking tours, two bus routes covering the highlights of the large city (one loop takes almost three hours), all with a running commentary. Our stop at the Wafi Mall was fascinating; it is an incredible Egyptian structure and we took the walking tour of the Khan Murjan Discovery Walk/underground souk (market) to the Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, Egyptian and Moroccan sections. It was incredible ornate with colorful doors and glass-stained windows BENEATH the regular mall! Beautiful shops; really should be advertised more.
We wound our way around the loop and took the 5:30 PM evening dhow cruise on the Dubai Creek. It ended up at the mouth the creek, near the sea, passing many more of the architectural wonders of the city as we sat on cushions on the floor at dusk. (included in the price of the 24 hour bus pass).
“I could not at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn, his back on life.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
Friday, March 25 - Dubai – “At the Top” and along the beach route
Friday is a holy day for Muslims so many museums and stores are closed. We were tired from working late but got up early enough to get the Big Bus for the other route they offer. We headed out on a nice sunny day enjoying the top deck of the Big Bus as it went along the beach road past the rich sheikhs’ homes and fancy hotels; past the Burj Al Arab 7* hotel, the water park at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, onto the Palm, past Atlantis hotel (you would think you were in the Bahamas!) and got off at the Emirates Mall to see the ski slope again. The malls are LARGE and LONG, full of every type of store you need or don’t need. The Arabic women were their black abaya (black cover-all gown worn in public) and you can see their western-style clothing underneath. The men wear all white – the dishdasha is their ankle-length white robe which never seems to get dirty! I loved riding the upper deck on the bus and we stopped next at the Dubai Mall, the home of the Burj Khalifa observation deck (tallest building in the world – www.atthetop.ae), the Olympic ice rink, gold souk, aquarium with glass panels at least three stories high and the dancing fountains (just like in front of the Bellagio in Las Vegas). So much to wander around and enjoy; we were lucky to see a dress rehearsal of the dancing fountains to music and they must be spectacular at night!
We hurried back to the Dubai Museum to take the walking tour through the spice souk, gold souk, rode the abra (water taxi across the Dubai Creek with no railings or seats – just a bench on each side of the “captain”), and past three Iranian mosques and through the textile souk. We ended up near the large dhows which have traveled thousands of miles with their manufactured goods which they are selling in Dubai’s “tax free” zone. As there is virtually no crime, they can leave large piles of refrigerators, rice, tires, baby formula, pocket books, etc., on the docks – covered only by a cloth – and their items are not stolen. When they are sold, they are removed and the old (and I mean OLD) dhows make their way back to the native country. Fascinating. Hard to imagine these very small old dhows sailing through rough waters heavily laden – we even saw one with trucks and cars! The waves must surely crash up onto the decks of the dhows and soak absolutely everything in sight.
We tried the new air-conditioned water taxi across the Dubai Creek (approx. 10 minute crossing) and it was fantastic – just costs a little more to go first class! Theatre-style seats, large floor-to-ceiling windows and no one else on but us made for a fun crossing! (RTA Water bus) We were back on the bus for a return to the ship, late dinner, show and working in the terminal – by practically everyone on our ship!! So the internet access was slow and limited so we decided to give it up, take a nap and return early in the morning – what we won’t do for free internet!!
Re-thinking our time in Dubai, I would spend more time in the textile and spice souk areas and at the Dubai Mall – but we enjoyed all we did. Two days are not nearly enough to see and do it all. Entertainer was KUBA, a wonderful multi-instrumentalist we have seen before.
Saturday, March 26 – left Dubai and in the Arabian Sea
We were up at 4:30 to get to the main terminal to get online with the free WIFI before the rest of the world woke up! The sun rose and were worked away…But we were never able to get online with Skype to make our million phone calls. We ventured across the parking lot to the Queen Elizabeth 2 and walked around her. She has been there for 2 years and four months and now there is steam coming from her funnel. We found out a crew of 42 are living onboard her and they are in the process of renovating her to become a floating hotel, probably to be docked near the Atlantis hotel. We were able to get onboard in to the lobby area with security. Found out the Captain has his car right in front of the ship, but under a car blanket – guess he does not get out much! The “Southhampton” has been whited out on the back of the ship and it now shows “Port Vila”, which I have to look up to find out where the ship is now registered! But she looked good - much better than she did two years ago.
We wandered over to a Dubai Navy destroyer and then to two nice yachts before finding the Pacific Princess had docked in front of us. We were onboard our ship by 9:15 for a 9:30 sail away. A beautiful, hot day sail away as we viewed a sand-covered Dubai – not nearly as clear as it had been the last two days.
We were now “at sea” and we collapsed for a nap. Waking up, we felt like the day was extra long – attended Chorale rehearsal and enjoyed dinner with new tablemates from CA and Michigan. We’ve been hearing about the other ships in the area and air strikes in Israel and there is some concern among passengers about our route. We’ll see what happens in the next few days; all decisions are made by Holland America’s Seattle office and their first interest is for our and the ship’s safe passage. Entertainment was MagiComedy cabaret of John Ekin.
Since Hong Kong, we have traveled 5162 nautical miles.
Mumbai on 2nd day and at sea
Monday, March 21 – Aunt Ann and Matthew’s special birthdays! Mumbai, India
Did not set the alarm, did not pre-order room service and thought it was raining outside! I think I was tired. But quickly moved in to action to meet Ali, our driver, outside for another day in Mumbai. What a difference a day makes…today was a work day. The streets were full of cars and pedestrians and motorcycles – all traveling their own route and miraculously making it to their final destination without interfering with each other. There is no need for a lane marking or a light in this city – just a ton of patience and a loud horn. We were able to “feel the pulse” of the city with our taxi windows open and horns blaring. It was utter chaos and I really enjoyed it. I felt like we were protected in our little vehicle as we weaved through the streets, horn tooting and maneuvering slowly to our next destination.
Our first stop was the Chor Bazaar – the Thieves Market in the Muslim community. We saw a half of a goat hauled on the back of a bicycle. The streets were festively decorated with overheard lights so it must be pretty at night. During the day, it is not a tourist destination; we saw on-the-street barbers, auto mechanics, kitchen and bathroom supply vendors, antique shops…not very interesting but a cultural eye-opener. Due to the chaos in the streets, the police were thankfully there to help us across the street to Ali, our driver. Next stop was the Zaveri Bazaar but we found out the shops don’t open until 11. We did find a nice clothing shop and shopped there. www.shubhamcollections.co.in
We hurried from there to the Victoria train station – I really wanted to see the Dabbawallahs deliver the hot meals! We found them but they are just normal people in a train station so you really have to look. Man #1 got off a train carrying a large tote bag filled with round silver lunch boxes. One bag was filled with many loaves of flat bread. Man #1 dropped his bundle near a post in the center of the train station and went back to get another bundle. In the meantime, Man #2 came up to Man #1’s first dropped bundle and took them across the floor of the railway station and dropped his bundle in the middle of the floor. Man #2 went back to get more of the bundles dropped by Man #1. Then Man #3 came up to pick up the bundles dropped by Man #2 and took them out to the taxi stand. Four women appeared and quickly filled three taxis with all the bundles and were off for delivering them to the men whose wives had packed these hot lunches for their husbands!! Fascinating route to have a hot lunch delivered at lunch time! I felt like we were spies as we rushed back and forth to figure out which person was meeting which other person and to find out the final “drop” place. There have been several efficiency studies done by major corporations on these dabbawallahs.
Found a pharmacy and nice department store – Asiatic – and we have fun there! Many different departments – you sign a receipt for what you want and then pay in one area downstairs and pick up your items at the next counter once you have paid. Great prices on pharmaceuticals and beautiful ready-made clothing. Jehangir Art Gallery, contemporary art gallery of Indian artists, was interesting with water colors and photography exhibits.
Ali did a wonderful job driving us from place to place – at our beck and call. He asked that we pay him prior to arriving to the port; after we left his vehicle we saw a person approach him and he paid him something so I assume he had to pay a portion to them since he was not an “authorized” driver for the port. I felt so comfortable this time in Mumbai. I enjoyed the fast pace of the city and the interesting sites. It is fascinating but still a place that I enjoy during the day for sightseeing but need to retreat at night to my comfort zone/foreign hotel/ship for the facilities with which I am comfortable. There are over 17 million people in Mumbai, making it the sixth largest metropolitan area in the world. There is a deep natural harbor and is the largest port in Western India. Also located here are the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies. The name was officially changed from Bombay to Mumbai in 1995. Comedy of David Deeble as the entertainer.
“A mind that has been stretched will never return to its original dimension.” -Albert Einstein
Tuesday, March 22 – at sea
We had a highlight performance of “La Traviata” by an Australian group, Opera Interludes. Formal night and we had the Bollywood Ball! Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Mumbai-based Hindi language film industry. It is only part of the Indian film industry and is one of the largest film producers in the world, with over 800 films a year. They are mostly musicals and are expected to contain catchy music in the form of song-and-dance numbers woven into the script with songs, dances, love triangles, comedy and daredeveil thrills all mixed up in a 3-hour long extravangaza with an intermission! We did not quite measure up to those standards but everyone wore their new saris and Indian attire. If you wanted to be part of the fashion parade, we had a running commentary of the outfit if you entered the theatre on the starboard side. We also had silly prizes awarded for silly talent – fun evening.
“Knowledge speaks but wisdom listens.” - Jimi Hendrix
Wednesday, March 23 – at sea through the Straits of Hormuz
Many tankers in the area trading with the oil rich states in this area. Watched movie “Rabbit Hole”. Amsterdam singers and dancers in AVALON.
“The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.” - Tom Clancy
Did not set the alarm, did not pre-order room service and thought it was raining outside! I think I was tired. But quickly moved in to action to meet Ali, our driver, outside for another day in Mumbai. What a difference a day makes…today was a work day. The streets were full of cars and pedestrians and motorcycles – all traveling their own route and miraculously making it to their final destination without interfering with each other. There is no need for a lane marking or a light in this city – just a ton of patience and a loud horn. We were able to “feel the pulse” of the city with our taxi windows open and horns blaring. It was utter chaos and I really enjoyed it. I felt like we were protected in our little vehicle as we weaved through the streets, horn tooting and maneuvering slowly to our next destination.
Our first stop was the Chor Bazaar – the Thieves Market in the Muslim community. We saw a half of a goat hauled on the back of a bicycle. The streets were festively decorated with overheard lights so it must be pretty at night. During the day, it is not a tourist destination; we saw on-the-street barbers, auto mechanics, kitchen and bathroom supply vendors, antique shops…not very interesting but a cultural eye-opener. Due to the chaos in the streets, the police were thankfully there to help us across the street to Ali, our driver. Next stop was the Zaveri Bazaar but we found out the shops don’t open until 11. We did find a nice clothing shop and shopped there. www.shubhamcollections.co.in
We hurried from there to the Victoria train station – I really wanted to see the Dabbawallahs deliver the hot meals! We found them but they are just normal people in a train station so you really have to look. Man #1 got off a train carrying a large tote bag filled with round silver lunch boxes. One bag was filled with many loaves of flat bread. Man #1 dropped his bundle near a post in the center of the train station and went back to get another bundle. In the meantime, Man #2 came up to Man #1’s first dropped bundle and took them across the floor of the railway station and dropped his bundle in the middle of the floor. Man #2 went back to get more of the bundles dropped by Man #1. Then Man #3 came up to pick up the bundles dropped by Man #2 and took them out to the taxi stand. Four women appeared and quickly filled three taxis with all the bundles and were off for delivering them to the men whose wives had packed these hot lunches for their husbands!! Fascinating route to have a hot lunch delivered at lunch time! I felt like we were spies as we rushed back and forth to figure out which person was meeting which other person and to find out the final “drop” place. There have been several efficiency studies done by major corporations on these dabbawallahs.
Found a pharmacy and nice department store – Asiatic – and we have fun there! Many different departments – you sign a receipt for what you want and then pay in one area downstairs and pick up your items at the next counter once you have paid. Great prices on pharmaceuticals and beautiful ready-made clothing. Jehangir Art Gallery, contemporary art gallery of Indian artists, was interesting with water colors and photography exhibits.
Ali did a wonderful job driving us from place to place – at our beck and call. He asked that we pay him prior to arriving to the port; after we left his vehicle we saw a person approach him and he paid him something so I assume he had to pay a portion to them since he was not an “authorized” driver for the port. I felt so comfortable this time in Mumbai. I enjoyed the fast pace of the city and the interesting sites. It is fascinating but still a place that I enjoy during the day for sightseeing but need to retreat at night to my comfort zone/foreign hotel/ship for the facilities with which I am comfortable. There are over 17 million people in Mumbai, making it the sixth largest metropolitan area in the world. There is a deep natural harbor and is the largest port in Western India. Also located here are the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies. The name was officially changed from Bombay to Mumbai in 1995. Comedy of David Deeble as the entertainer.
“A mind that has been stretched will never return to its original dimension.” -Albert Einstein
Tuesday, March 22 – at sea
We had a highlight performance of “La Traviata” by an Australian group, Opera Interludes. Formal night and we had the Bollywood Ball! Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Mumbai-based Hindi language film industry. It is only part of the Indian film industry and is one of the largest film producers in the world, with over 800 films a year. They are mostly musicals and are expected to contain catchy music in the form of song-and-dance numbers woven into the script with songs, dances, love triangles, comedy and daredeveil thrills all mixed up in a 3-hour long extravangaza with an intermission! We did not quite measure up to those standards but everyone wore their new saris and Indian attire. If you wanted to be part of the fashion parade, we had a running commentary of the outfit if you entered the theatre on the starboard side. We also had silly prizes awarded for silly talent – fun evening.
“Knowledge speaks but wisdom listens.” - Jimi Hendrix
Wednesday, March 23 – at sea through the Straits of Hormuz
Many tankers in the area trading with the oil rich states in this area. Watched movie “Rabbit Hole”. Amsterdam singers and dancers in AVALON.
“The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.” - Tom Clancy
Monday, March 28, 2011
Mumbai, India
Sunday, March 20 – Mumbai, India!
Getting up at 6AM to have a face-to-passport inspection is not the ideal way to begin a visit to a new city but a necessary one when arriving in Mumbai. Our number was finally called at 7:45 AM and we had our five-second visit with Immigration for the precious stamp. Everything in India must be stamped, and stamped again and then re-examined to be sure the stamp is in the exact location where needed and then double-checked against the other document to be sure all names and spellings match exactly; bureaucracy at its best.
India is only about 1/3 the size of Europe but its more than one billion people represent fully 1/6 of the world’s population. More major religions are practiced on a larger scale in India than in any other nation. Hinduism is the main faith, but there are also Zoroastrians, Muslims, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews and Christians.
It was a perfect day to be in Mumbai – breezy!!! --as it is always hot and humid. We left the ship and port area to negotiate a cab to the downtown location. Taxis were all around –air conditioned or non air conditioned. The further you walked down the row of cars, the lower the price. It would have taken about 30+ minutes by foot and would have been a very interesting walk but more tolerable to begin the day due to the heat and humidity by riding in a taxi. Went to the docks at Colaba, the Sassoon dock. Smelly, stinky, crowded, dead fish in the road and pathway, birds, fishermen working on their nets and only three women selling the fish – out on a long covered pier. So we were very late in our arrival from their early morning arrival to distribute the fish but it was interesting.
And as today was a festival day -- people were painted all different colors – from their hair to their clothing to the sidewalk. It was a “holi festival” and paint is typically thrown at you or sprayed on you. Not anywhere we wanted to be near….but people had purple and red and yellow faces and hair and shirts and pants.
We went to the posh Taj Mahal Hotel (built in 1903 and recently bombed in Nov 2008) and they now have armored cars at every corner of the hotel. Two security checks to pass through to enter the lobby (walk through the scanner, scan your item and a body search). Wonderful shops and a beautiful private pool are in the midst of utter chaos in the bustling city of Mumbai – only the walls of the hotel separate you. The Gateway of India is across the street, from where the ferries depart for Elephanta Island and its caves – we visited them two years ago. 45 minute ferry ride, 10 minute train ride and four men can carry you up the 135 steep steps to reach the caves, where you see the various Shivas and are surrounded by monkeys – an unique experience.
The Gateway is Mumbai’s signature landmark, an 85-foot stone archway hastily erected as a symbol of welcome to Queen Mary and King George V of England in 1911.
Sunday traffic was minimal and not at all the way I remembered from our last visit to Mumbai. We were zipping around all over the city after negotiating with our driver, Ali. Down Marine Drive (the curved waterfront boulevard with promenade) and past Chowpatty Beach we set off to the Jain Temple. In an upper class neighborhood of the city, the colors and intricate ceramic patterns on the exterior were just as ornate as the interior. After removing our shoes, we walked through the small two-story temple, surrounded by overpowering incense, and watched several young people pray at each of the small Buddhas in small shrines in several small rooms off to the sides of the courtyard. The Buddhas were made of a variety of materials -- dark material, light material and some were bathed in silverleaf.
It was fascinating; the Jains are strictly vegetarians; they arrive on foot, freshly bathed in swaths of unstitched off-white cloth to pay homage to the splendid idol of Adinath, an important Jain prophet. They show their respect by arriving clean and without shoes.
We continued on to the Kamala Nehru Park, where the children can play in the “Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” structure. There is a large children’s playground with a nice view of the city and beach below. As it was Sunday, the park was filled with kids and families and vendors; great ice cream and cold drink break while enjoying the flower gardens and people. Several young girls asked to have their photos taken with us. Walked through the Hanging Gardens where there were several topiaries of elephants and oxen.
We drove past the Towers of Silence, where Mumbai’s Parsi-followers (of the Zoroastrian faith) dispose of their dead. Pallbearers carry the corpse to the top of one of the towering cylindrical bastions where it is left to be devoured by crows and vultures. None of this is visible to the family or onlookers.
On to Mani Bhavan – an old-fashioned 3-story Gujarati house in a quiet neighborhood which was the home of Mahatma Gandhi from 1917-1934. Very nice dioramas tell the story of his life and his fight for Indian independence; replicas of the letters he wrote to Hitler and Roosevelt to end the war are on display as well as photos of his time in the UK and South Africa and his travels around India.
The Dhobi Ghats are large outdoor washrooms were clothes are pounded clean in enormous open-air laundries. As it was a Sunday and a “holi festival” only the vendors were there to greet us but we looked down from the Mahalakshmi train station at the vast laundry below. We enjoyed seeing them in action last time and are constantly amazed at how they can keep track of whose laundry belongs to whom.
Night drive on Marine Drive and all the party-goers were out celebrating. We try to take advantage of every overnight port visit; the city looks, acts and smells so differently at night. We felt safe with our driver and were really glad for his calm driving in this middle of all the chaos. We were on the internet for an hour also.
Indian dance performance onboard the ship and they were fantastic! Young and enthusiastic, you could tell they really enjoyed sharing their culture with foreigners.
Tired and fell in to bed, not even able to feel my extremities…
Getting up at 6AM to have a face-to-passport inspection is not the ideal way to begin a visit to a new city but a necessary one when arriving in Mumbai. Our number was finally called at 7:45 AM and we had our five-second visit with Immigration for the precious stamp. Everything in India must be stamped, and stamped again and then re-examined to be sure the stamp is in the exact location where needed and then double-checked against the other document to be sure all names and spellings match exactly; bureaucracy at its best.
India is only about 1/3 the size of Europe but its more than one billion people represent fully 1/6 of the world’s population. More major religions are practiced on a larger scale in India than in any other nation. Hinduism is the main faith, but there are also Zoroastrians, Muslims, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews and Christians.
It was a perfect day to be in Mumbai – breezy!!! --as it is always hot and humid. We left the ship and port area to negotiate a cab to the downtown location. Taxis were all around –air conditioned or non air conditioned. The further you walked down the row of cars, the lower the price. It would have taken about 30+ minutes by foot and would have been a very interesting walk but more tolerable to begin the day due to the heat and humidity by riding in a taxi. Went to the docks at Colaba, the Sassoon dock. Smelly, stinky, crowded, dead fish in the road and pathway, birds, fishermen working on their nets and only three women selling the fish – out on a long covered pier. So we were very late in our arrival from their early morning arrival to distribute the fish but it was interesting.
And as today was a festival day -- people were painted all different colors – from their hair to their clothing to the sidewalk. It was a “holi festival” and paint is typically thrown at you or sprayed on you. Not anywhere we wanted to be near….but people had purple and red and yellow faces and hair and shirts and pants.
We went to the posh Taj Mahal Hotel (built in 1903 and recently bombed in Nov 2008) and they now have armored cars at every corner of the hotel. Two security checks to pass through to enter the lobby (walk through the scanner, scan your item and a body search). Wonderful shops and a beautiful private pool are in the midst of utter chaos in the bustling city of Mumbai – only the walls of the hotel separate you. The Gateway of India is across the street, from where the ferries depart for Elephanta Island and its caves – we visited them two years ago. 45 minute ferry ride, 10 minute train ride and four men can carry you up the 135 steep steps to reach the caves, where you see the various Shivas and are surrounded by monkeys – an unique experience.
The Gateway is Mumbai’s signature landmark, an 85-foot stone archway hastily erected as a symbol of welcome to Queen Mary and King George V of England in 1911.
Sunday traffic was minimal and not at all the way I remembered from our last visit to Mumbai. We were zipping around all over the city after negotiating with our driver, Ali. Down Marine Drive (the curved waterfront boulevard with promenade) and past Chowpatty Beach we set off to the Jain Temple. In an upper class neighborhood of the city, the colors and intricate ceramic patterns on the exterior were just as ornate as the interior. After removing our shoes, we walked through the small two-story temple, surrounded by overpowering incense, and watched several young people pray at each of the small Buddhas in small shrines in several small rooms off to the sides of the courtyard. The Buddhas were made of a variety of materials -- dark material, light material and some were bathed in silverleaf.
It was fascinating; the Jains are strictly vegetarians; they arrive on foot, freshly bathed in swaths of unstitched off-white cloth to pay homage to the splendid idol of Adinath, an important Jain prophet. They show their respect by arriving clean and without shoes.
We continued on to the Kamala Nehru Park, where the children can play in the “Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” structure. There is a large children’s playground with a nice view of the city and beach below. As it was Sunday, the park was filled with kids and families and vendors; great ice cream and cold drink break while enjoying the flower gardens and people. Several young girls asked to have their photos taken with us. Walked through the Hanging Gardens where there were several topiaries of elephants and oxen.
We drove past the Towers of Silence, where Mumbai’s Parsi-followers (of the Zoroastrian faith) dispose of their dead. Pallbearers carry the corpse to the top of one of the towering cylindrical bastions where it is left to be devoured by crows and vultures. None of this is visible to the family or onlookers.
On to Mani Bhavan – an old-fashioned 3-story Gujarati house in a quiet neighborhood which was the home of Mahatma Gandhi from 1917-1934. Very nice dioramas tell the story of his life and his fight for Indian independence; replicas of the letters he wrote to Hitler and Roosevelt to end the war are on display as well as photos of his time in the UK and South Africa and his travels around India.
The Dhobi Ghats are large outdoor washrooms were clothes are pounded clean in enormous open-air laundries. As it was a Sunday and a “holi festival” only the vendors were there to greet us but we looked down from the Mahalakshmi train station at the vast laundry below. We enjoyed seeing them in action last time and are constantly amazed at how they can keep track of whose laundry belongs to whom.
Night drive on Marine Drive and all the party-goers were out celebrating. We try to take advantage of every overnight port visit; the city looks, acts and smells so differently at night. We felt safe with our driver and were really glad for his calm driving in this middle of all the chaos. We were on the internet for an hour also.
Indian dance performance onboard the ship and they were fantastic! Young and enthusiastic, you could tell they really enjoyed sharing their culture with foreigners.
Tired and fell in to bed, not even able to feel my extremities…
Cochin, India and sea days
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 – at sea
Another itinerary change! Am pretty sure there will be more revisions…but we now back to the original day for Aqaba, Jordan since there are too many ships in port on April 2. This will affect our transit of the Suez Canal so we’ll just have to wait and see as we get closer.
Could not get out of bed so decided to stay there and rest! Late lunch and then a haircut. Had dinner with friends and the band’s piano player, Raddie.
The Grand Voyage and Grand World Voyage are so different from a cruise. It is a voyage. It takes you to unique cultures in such an easy way. No flights. Meals are provided and easy to come by – buffet, restaurant, specialty restaurant, room service. All services are available – live music, fitness, computer, dentist and doctor, photography, laundry. You are hard-pressed to find a service where they cannot help you. And you get pillow animals each night. And chocolates. And make friends from around the world – passengers and crew. Have continuous entertainment – on TV, live in the theatres, cooking demonstrations. How can it get any easier? It is not a vacation. That may be hard for you to believe, but it is truly hard work to be a traveler. You have only so many hours to be out there to explore the new destination. The hours in port are never enough to do it all…to experience a new culture and make new friends. And to buy it all!
Thursday, St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2011 – at sea
Lunch with friends, meetings and work. 1st time cruisers met and expressed their thoughts on what they would have liked to know before they began the cruise. Enjoyed dinner with our table hosted by Joachim, a 4th Officer from the Netherlands. St. Patrick’s day festivities in the Crowe’s Nest with the orchestra and Far and Away movie and comedian, Kevin Devane.
Revised schedule again!
March 24, 25, 26 – Dubai! Departing at 10:00 AM on the 26th
March 27 – Muscat, Oman
March 28 – at sea
March 29 – Salalah, Oman
March 30, 31, April 1, 2 – at sea
April 3 – Aqaba, Jordan
April 4 – at sea
April 5 – transit Suez Canal
April 6 – Ashdod, Israel
April 7 – at sea
April 7 and 8 – Kusadasi, Turkey
Friday, March 18, 2011 – Kochi (Cochin), India
Kochi is both a city and former state in SW India on the Arabian Sea. The region has one of the highest population densities in India. Agriculture is the chief economic activity, there is a naval base and shipbuilding industry and is the primary training center of the Indian Navy.
Nice to have an arrival at 10AM so we had a nice sail-in past the Chinese fishing nets at a decent hour. The Chinese nets are huge triangular nets on long poles which are lowered from a platform in and out of the water by 4-5 men. We had a fun and hot day exploring Kochi. With another couple, we hired a cab for a tour of the area. I had my list of sites ready to explore and off we went with a nice older gentleman. We docked on Willingdon Island and headed over to Jew Town and the Fort Cochin district to explore the St. Francis Church, one of the earliest Indian churches to be built by Europeans. The church was a Catholic church until 1664, when it became a Dutch Reform church; it later became Anglican and is now part of the Church of South India. Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama was once buried here but his body was moved back to Portugal. The interior of the Santa Cruz Cathedral is colorfully painted with scenes and decorations that are gorgeous and gaudy. It dates back to the 16th century. From there we found a few nice shops and bargained hard for our treasures. The Pepper Exchange may not be on everyone’ list but it was on ours! And it was nothing! All the trading of pepper is now done on-line and they had nothing to show us in their offices. So I guess that interesting in itself – you just never know until you get there. The Dutch Palace was closed. The harbor front was lined with these precarious-looking bamboo and wood structures hovering like cranes over the waterfront. They are thought to have been introduced by Chinese traders in the 14th century. Fascinating way to catch fish without going out to sea.
The driver took us to his home, which he is renting. 2 rooms, near the temple with an outside kitchen. Four people live there for approx. $175 a month. He phoned his wife and daughter and was so proud for us to meet them. There was a holy festival in town and we went to the temple to see several elephants!!! HUGE, big old elephants strolling around the grounds. They were being washed down from top to their underside and the stood there and turned so the hose could reach them. They turned just as casually as if they were on a rotating pedestal knowing how far the water would reach. And the hose was aimed into their trunk and seemed to remain there forever. We thought we might be sprayed with all the water in their trunk but the excess water just spilled out of their mouth. They were not decorated; they were just there for the holy 11 day festival and we happened to be there on the next to the last day.
Amsterdam singers and dancers performed “H2Oh”.
“Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go and you learn at once how big and precious it is”. - Anonymous
Saturday, March 19 – at sea
Ensemble cocktail party – our last one! We now have an former U.S. Ambassador onboard, Howard K Walker.
“Be precise. Don’t repeat like a gramophone record. Words have a limited utility.” - Gautam Buddha
(love this quote)
Another itinerary change! Am pretty sure there will be more revisions…but we now back to the original day for Aqaba, Jordan since there are too many ships in port on April 2. This will affect our transit of the Suez Canal so we’ll just have to wait and see as we get closer.
Could not get out of bed so decided to stay there and rest! Late lunch and then a haircut. Had dinner with friends and the band’s piano player, Raddie.
The Grand Voyage and Grand World Voyage are so different from a cruise. It is a voyage. It takes you to unique cultures in such an easy way. No flights. Meals are provided and easy to come by – buffet, restaurant, specialty restaurant, room service. All services are available – live music, fitness, computer, dentist and doctor, photography, laundry. You are hard-pressed to find a service where they cannot help you. And you get pillow animals each night. And chocolates. And make friends from around the world – passengers and crew. Have continuous entertainment – on TV, live in the theatres, cooking demonstrations. How can it get any easier? It is not a vacation. That may be hard for you to believe, but it is truly hard work to be a traveler. You have only so many hours to be out there to explore the new destination. The hours in port are never enough to do it all…to experience a new culture and make new friends. And to buy it all!
Thursday, St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2011 – at sea
Lunch with friends, meetings and work. 1st time cruisers met and expressed their thoughts on what they would have liked to know before they began the cruise. Enjoyed dinner with our table hosted by Joachim, a 4th Officer from the Netherlands. St. Patrick’s day festivities in the Crowe’s Nest with the orchestra and Far and Away movie and comedian, Kevin Devane.
Revised schedule again!
March 24, 25, 26 – Dubai! Departing at 10:00 AM on the 26th
March 27 – Muscat, Oman
March 28 – at sea
March 29 – Salalah, Oman
March 30, 31, April 1, 2 – at sea
April 3 – Aqaba, Jordan
April 4 – at sea
April 5 – transit Suez Canal
April 6 – Ashdod, Israel
April 7 – at sea
April 7 and 8 – Kusadasi, Turkey
Friday, March 18, 2011 – Kochi (Cochin), India
Kochi is both a city and former state in SW India on the Arabian Sea. The region has one of the highest population densities in India. Agriculture is the chief economic activity, there is a naval base and shipbuilding industry and is the primary training center of the Indian Navy.
Nice to have an arrival at 10AM so we had a nice sail-in past the Chinese fishing nets at a decent hour. The Chinese nets are huge triangular nets on long poles which are lowered from a platform in and out of the water by 4-5 men. We had a fun and hot day exploring Kochi. With another couple, we hired a cab for a tour of the area. I had my list of sites ready to explore and off we went with a nice older gentleman. We docked on Willingdon Island and headed over to Jew Town and the Fort Cochin district to explore the St. Francis Church, one of the earliest Indian churches to be built by Europeans. The church was a Catholic church until 1664, when it became a Dutch Reform church; it later became Anglican and is now part of the Church of South India. Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama was once buried here but his body was moved back to Portugal. The interior of the Santa Cruz Cathedral is colorfully painted with scenes and decorations that are gorgeous and gaudy. It dates back to the 16th century. From there we found a few nice shops and bargained hard for our treasures. The Pepper Exchange may not be on everyone’ list but it was on ours! And it was nothing! All the trading of pepper is now done on-line and they had nothing to show us in their offices. So I guess that interesting in itself – you just never know until you get there. The Dutch Palace was closed. The harbor front was lined with these precarious-looking bamboo and wood structures hovering like cranes over the waterfront. They are thought to have been introduced by Chinese traders in the 14th century. Fascinating way to catch fish without going out to sea.
The driver took us to his home, which he is renting. 2 rooms, near the temple with an outside kitchen. Four people live there for approx. $175 a month. He phoned his wife and daughter and was so proud for us to meet them. There was a holy festival in town and we went to the temple to see several elephants!!! HUGE, big old elephants strolling around the grounds. They were being washed down from top to their underside and the stood there and turned so the hose could reach them. They turned just as casually as if they were on a rotating pedestal knowing how far the water would reach. And the hose was aimed into their trunk and seemed to remain there forever. We thought we might be sprayed with all the water in their trunk but the excess water just spilled out of their mouth. They were not decorated; they were just there for the holy 11 day festival and we happened to be there on the next to the last day.
Amsterdam singers and dancers performed “H2Oh”.
“Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go and you learn at once how big and precious it is”. - Anonymous
Saturday, March 19 – at sea
Ensemble cocktail party – our last one! We now have an former U.S. Ambassador onboard, Howard K Walker.
“Be precise. Don’t repeat like a gramophone record. Words have a limited utility.” - Gautam Buddha
(love this quote)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Singapore
Sunday, March 13, 2011 – Mom’s special birthday! – SINGAPORE and Ensemble Excursion
Docked at the Harbourfront mall (Talok Blanghah Road), which was extremely convenient EXCEPT we had to clear customs every single time we left or returned to the ship! You forget one thing – you have to clear customs and go down the pier and back on to the ship through our clearance to get your item and then reverse the procedure!
We had an early morning departure at 8:00 and it was drizzling but we went to the Merlion Park. The merlion is a figure with the head of a lion and the body of a fish/mermaid. It is the trademark of the country/city. We saw the original smaller size near Marina Bay and the larger size which now has a one-room hotel built around it – you can sleep there from 8:30PM-8:30AM for $125 a night! This is a promotion for a few months only – great idea! We continued on to the Malay Heritage Center to see the melting pot which created the country of Singapore – Malaysians, Chinese, Indonesians, Indians…
Jean, the guide, gave a great commentary on the country as we drove around. Cars on the roads – besides paying for the car, Singapore only allows so many of each type of car to be on the road so they are not inundated with traffic. So many luxury cars, so many medium class cars and so many economy cars – so you pay a car tax permit determined by the type of car you drive IF you are lucky enough to acquire the permit. We drove to government housing in the Bishan district and took the elevator to the 12th floor, to walk down one flight to the 11th floor apartment of William and Shirley. The elevator only stops on four floors so if your floor is not one of those, you either walk up or down from where it stops to get to your floor. The several apartment buildings are built of varying heights to allow for the flow of air around them and in to the apartments (smart!). They pay to go to school – any age, any type of education. She had snacks and tea sandwiches for us to enjoy and we asked all kinds of questions – excellent interaction.
Back in the city we went to the Chinatown Heritage Center. That was very interesting as each small room was set up as if the immigrant had just arrived to Singapore. It told their name and life history so you saw how their occupation determined their fate in their new land. Some time for shopping and returned to the ship. Quick lunch and off we ventured to Sentosa Island, a beach, casino, several hotels, monorail, theatres…Locals have to pay $100 to enter the casino! Great way to discourage gambling EXCEPT they did not seem to mind! The minimum bets were $25 - $50 a hand and there was no shortage of players at any table. It was a very busy place with great music and complimentary drinks (hot chocolate, water and coffee and tea). We took the monorail to the back of the park, where we had been two years before, and then found a Disney-type show was to take place at 9PM so while waiting for that we found out it was canceled that night! Two cranes are supposed to dance in the water and then turn into to doves…they said you can see it on u-tube. We walked around the waterfront and it was a nice night. Restaurants at the waterside, our beautiful ship all lit up in front of us, the lights of the mall and music streaming out of the various venues…a very nice area and walk. Ate a quick dinner and out to work on the computer – free internet!!
We were up until 2:30 on the computer in the Mall! It was great to get so much accomplished but how tired we will be tomorrow….
Monday, March 14, 2011 – Singapore
Yes, we were tired. We really forced ourselves to get up and headed out to a hawker’s market. There was once right across the street from the mall – supposedly one of the best 10,000 things to do before you die. It is an open-air market with all kinds of foods sold in small stalls. We checked out each stall but decided against the chicken feet soup for brunch. A bus connection took us near the Singapore Flyer, the largest ferris wheel in the world. Fantastic views of the city. We went up with an Australian couple and enjoyed the headphones describing the feng shui designs of this modern city and continuing development in the newly reclaimed area. Hurried back to the ship to be onboard by 1PM as customs takes an inordinate amount of time to process outgoing paperwork. Napped, ate and relaxing dinner.
Singapore is fascinating; modern, clean and safe.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 – sea day in the Straits
Rested, watched the movie “Secretariat” and really enjoyed it! Worked. Dinner with Jessika and Matt, our crew friends.
Docked at the Harbourfront mall (Talok Blanghah Road), which was extremely convenient EXCEPT we had to clear customs every single time we left or returned to the ship! You forget one thing – you have to clear customs and go down the pier and back on to the ship through our clearance to get your item and then reverse the procedure!
We had an early morning departure at 8:00 and it was drizzling but we went to the Merlion Park. The merlion is a figure with the head of a lion and the body of a fish/mermaid. It is the trademark of the country/city. We saw the original smaller size near Marina Bay and the larger size which now has a one-room hotel built around it – you can sleep there from 8:30PM-8:30AM for $125 a night! This is a promotion for a few months only – great idea! We continued on to the Malay Heritage Center to see the melting pot which created the country of Singapore – Malaysians, Chinese, Indonesians, Indians…
Jean, the guide, gave a great commentary on the country as we drove around. Cars on the roads – besides paying for the car, Singapore only allows so many of each type of car to be on the road so they are not inundated with traffic. So many luxury cars, so many medium class cars and so many economy cars – so you pay a car tax permit determined by the type of car you drive IF you are lucky enough to acquire the permit. We drove to government housing in the Bishan district and took the elevator to the 12th floor, to walk down one flight to the 11th floor apartment of William and Shirley. The elevator only stops on four floors so if your floor is not one of those, you either walk up or down from where it stops to get to your floor. The several apartment buildings are built of varying heights to allow for the flow of air around them and in to the apartments (smart!). They pay to go to school – any age, any type of education. She had snacks and tea sandwiches for us to enjoy and we asked all kinds of questions – excellent interaction.
Back in the city we went to the Chinatown Heritage Center. That was very interesting as each small room was set up as if the immigrant had just arrived to Singapore. It told their name and life history so you saw how their occupation determined their fate in their new land. Some time for shopping and returned to the ship. Quick lunch and off we ventured to Sentosa Island, a beach, casino, several hotels, monorail, theatres…Locals have to pay $100 to enter the casino! Great way to discourage gambling EXCEPT they did not seem to mind! The minimum bets were $25 - $50 a hand and there was no shortage of players at any table. It was a very busy place with great music and complimentary drinks (hot chocolate, water and coffee and tea). We took the monorail to the back of the park, where we had been two years before, and then found a Disney-type show was to take place at 9PM so while waiting for that we found out it was canceled that night! Two cranes are supposed to dance in the water and then turn into to doves…they said you can see it on u-tube. We walked around the waterfront and it was a nice night. Restaurants at the waterside, our beautiful ship all lit up in front of us, the lights of the mall and music streaming out of the various venues…a very nice area and walk. Ate a quick dinner and out to work on the computer – free internet!!
We were up until 2:30 on the computer in the Mall! It was great to get so much accomplished but how tired we will be tomorrow….
Monday, March 14, 2011 – Singapore
Yes, we were tired. We really forced ourselves to get up and headed out to a hawker’s market. There was once right across the street from the mall – supposedly one of the best 10,000 things to do before you die. It is an open-air market with all kinds of foods sold in small stalls. We checked out each stall but decided against the chicken feet soup for brunch. A bus connection took us near the Singapore Flyer, the largest ferris wheel in the world. Fantastic views of the city. We went up with an Australian couple and enjoyed the headphones describing the feng shui designs of this modern city and continuing development in the newly reclaimed area. Hurried back to the ship to be onboard by 1PM as customs takes an inordinate amount of time to process outgoing paperwork. Napped, ate and relaxing dinner.
Singapore is fascinating; modern, clean and safe.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 – sea day in the Straits
Rested, watched the movie “Secretariat” and really enjoyed it! Worked. Dinner with Jessika and Matt, our crew friends.
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