Dubai, March 24 & 25, 2011

I really never thought that I would ever be in Dubai ! ! ! But here I was for 2 days. 

It was so refreshing after leaving the squalor of India, to arrive here to this beautiful, clean, modern, exciting city.  Everything here is the “ greatest, the longest, the highest the newest” etc. etc.  Twenty-five years ago this was just a desert and now it is this big modern city.  I took a tour on each day and then the last evening I went to the Dubai Mall on a shopping expedition.  I haven’t gone crazy buying stuff so far, so I splurged and bought 2 lovely dresses which I’ll be able to wear for formal nights.   One is blue grey, three quarter length and beaded – straight cut and flared skirt.  The other is silk, long and taupe in colour with a soft draped over skirt which makes it look quite elegant.

Dubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf.  It is the most populous and second largest after Abu Dhabi.  The oil income only makes up 6% of Dubai’s wealth and they say that the oil will run out in about 6 years.  For this reason, the rulers decided to  diversify from a trade based economy to one that is service and tourism-oriented.  Construction on a large scale has turned Dubai into one of the fastest growing cities in the world.  The new buildings in the town centre are all very tall and of every imaginable shape and colour.  The tallest tower in the world is now located here.  Unfortunately,  I wasn’t able to get a picture showing this except from the bus window:

The building boom has come to a slow halt within the past few years, because of the economic conditions in the world.  In fact, Dubai was in dire straights financially and had to be  rescued by Abu Dhabi.  At one point,

Its population is comprised mainly of expatriates, who come mainly from Asia.  They do most of the work.  The United Emirate Nationals (Emiratis) constitute the minority.  They are the rich people.  They do not pay taxes and health care and education etc. are free.  The expatriates are not allowed to become citizens, no matter how long they are in the country, nor are their children born here considered citizens.  They are however. permitted to own property. 

As is the rule everywhere, the rich live in luxury and the workers are less comfortable.  From listening to the tour guide, I thought the workers would be well looked after, but this is not the case.  I had a conversation with the young lady who gave me a manicure.  She is from the Philippines.  I asked her how she liked living here and her reply wasn’t too positive.  When I inquired about her living conditions, she told me that she and 6 other people live in one room – 3 are males.  They only have room for their bed.  The rent is so high that this is the only way they can make ends meet.  So – the rich get richer by taking advantage of the less fortunate.  This young woman works in a shop in the Dubai Mall from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.  Not a very exciting life ! ! !

March 31, 2011 Somewhere in the Red Sea

We have been in Pirate country for the past few days and the captain and crew are taking every precaution to keep the ship and its passengers safe.  We are travelling at a high speed, even though that is more costly.  The other option would have been to travel around to the south of Africa and this would have added 2000 miles to the trip and a lot to the cost of fuel.  There are many ships from other countries travelling here, as well as warships to protect us.  I guess there is safety in numbers.  So far, so good.

The seas have been wonderfully calm and we rarely see any rain.  I can’t imagine anything more perfect.

Last evening we had our 14th formal night and this gave me the opportunity to wear my beautiful new gown. I received many compliments and I felt very elegant.

What a change over the past 24 hours – last evening I was dancing the light fantastic and tonight I am plagued with a sore throat,   sneezing and congestion in my chest.   After my bout with pneumonia last year, I thought it best to visit the doctor whose office  is just down the hall from me.  She gave me some  antibiotics.    No dancing for me tonight.  I had my supper sent to my room and I’m going to rest and recuperate.  I have a ten hour tour to visit “Petra, the Rose City” which is in Jordan, 2 days from now and I would hate to miss that.

Tuesday January 25, 2011

 

I THINK I DID NOT SEND THIS AT THE TIME, SO HERE IT IS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Woke up very early this morning, so I took the opportunity to go to one of the laundry rooms and do my first big load of washing – actually it was 2 loads.   Now I’m all set for another month I think.  There are several laundry rooms available and if one chooses the right time, it’s not busy.  Ironing boards and irons are also available there.  People  who have cruised over 200 days on  Holland America Line ships get their laundry and cleaning done for free.   Since many people on this ship are in that category they are the lucky ones.  I’ve met very few people who are on their first cruise.  It seems to be a life style with most of the people on the ship.

This afternoon, at the duty free store aboard ship, I bought a lovely black and silver top to wear on a formal night.

Am going to Mary and Jim’s stateroom for champagne before diner. 

Tomorrow I have the morning free to stroll through Papeete, Tahiti and in the afternoon I have a tour booked there.

Agra, Delhi & Mumbai March 20,2011

We were up before the crack of dawn, in order to return to the Taj Mahal when the sun rays first reach it in the morning, and what a beautiful sight it was ! !

Because we checked out of the hotel so early, the breakfast facilities we not yet open, so the hotel packed breakfast lunches for us to have on the train which we were supposed to catch at 8:30 a.m.  for our return to Delhi.

It is quite a walk from the place where the cars and busses must park  when you go to the Taj.  One either walks,  takes a rickshaw, an open air sightseeing vehicle or a three wheeler which here they call a motorized rickshaw.  We took the latter pictured below.

After spending about an hour bidding our adieus to the Taj Mahal, we returned to our vehicle only to be informed by our tour guide  that the train had been delayed by a couple of hours.   He was continually checking the train schedule using his hand held computer and every time he did, the delay became longer and longer.   We began to wonder if we would ever leave Agra today – and we had a plane to catch at 7:05 p.m. which would bring us to Mumbai (AKA Bombay) where the ship was docked.  Luckily the ship was not due to sail until the afternoon of the following day, so we had a time cushion.

Today was the Feast of the Holies ( the feast of colours) and everyone was out merry making – especially the young men and boys.  They had their faces painted in all kinds of colours, mainly red and apparently during this time young people buy toy water guns filled with coloured water and they have a lot of fun spraying each other, so their clothing gets pretty colourful.  We had been told to expect delays because of this feast – in fact we were taking the train back to Delhi instead of a car, because of all the people who would be out on the streets and blocking the traffic.. 

Our guide advised us against waiting for the train in the station, because of the lack of comfort and the beggars who would plaque us, so we returned to the hotel.  There are beautiful gardens there, so we opted to find a restful shady spot near a pond with a water fountain and there we enjoyed our breakfast packages.  Later I browsed in the hotel shops and bought a cotton blouse.  Finally our guide informed us that we could go to the station and at 12;30, four hours late we were on the train and on our way back to Delhi.

Our compartment on the train was a sleeper and it was air conditioned, thank goodness.  Not all the cars on the train were that comfortable.  Mary and I were sitting together and Jim was at the other end of the car.  When the person came around to check our tickets, he kicked a couple of men out of a sixer compartment and put us together.  Nice for us ! ! !   Not so nice for the 2 guys, although since they were travelling alone it shouldn’t have been difficult for them to get another good seat.  The train was not full.

When one travels by train, one doesn’t go through the nicer parts of town, so what we saw out of the window, was more garbage and squalor.  It is hard to imagine people living in the ram shackled huts we saw.   We saw a lot of cows and water buffalo too.

It was late afternoon when we finally arrived back in Delhi.  Our guide and driver were at the station waiting  for us.  First we went to have a late lunch and then our guide took us to various points of interest in New Delhi, (including the beautiful government buildings which are in a park-like setting), until it was time to drop us off at the airport. 

Our plane took off around 7:00 p.m. and we arrived in Mumbai shortly after 10.  We had to go to a government building to get a yellow card which allows us to return aboard the ship.  It’s a good thing we had a driver  because we would have had a difficult time finding it --  it was a non-descript little place in the middle of a labyrinth of back streets.

The next day, we had our 13th formal night and the theme was “Bollywood”  -- the Indian Hollywood.  Many ladies came dressed in saris and they looked gorgeous.  I didn’t splurge and purchase a sari because,  the beautiful ones are very expensive and where would I ever get to wear it again? I wore some harem pants I had purchased, a top I brought with me and a scarf to give it contrast.

 

The handsome young man in the picture with me is one of the jewellery salesmen from India.

Delhi & Agra Saturday, March 19, 2011

After an early plentiful buffet breakfast, our driver and guide took us on a tour of old Delhi.

India – Multitudes of people, wall to wall cars honking horns, beggars, garbage and stench everywhere except where the rich live.  Even in the large cities, there is garbage everywhere.  I didn’t see as many “holy cows” wandering around as I thought I would, but there were some.  Actually, there were more stray dogs than cows.

Our first stop was at a park where is found a monument honouring Mahatma Gandhi at the location where he was cremated.

Our next adventure was a ride in a rickshaw around the open market.  Unfortunately it was very early in the morning and most of the shops were still closed.  Some of the vendors were spreading their wares out on display on the ground.  It is difficult to show the real picture with a photograph.  The people are so desperate and poor.  I really felt awkward photographing this, so I don’t have any good pictures.

After this adventure, off we went to visit the largest mosque in Delhi.   In order to enter we had to remove our shoes and walk in stocking feet.  The women were given a robe to wear which covers them from neck to toe.  Since we had to cross a courtyard where there were a lot of pigeons, you can imagine what the bottom of our socks looked like when we left there.   However, what beautiful buildings these mosques are !  The carvings in the stone and marble is exquisite.   There are always a lot of people there chanting and praying.

Around 9:30 a.m. after driving to a few other points of interest our guide left us and the driver drove us to Agra.  What a drive that was!  It’s a good thing he is an excellent driver.   The roads are quite good and it is a 4 lane highway, but it’s wall to wall cars and any time there is a tiny space where they can pass the others, they honk their horn and go for it.  The drive took us about four and a half hours.  In Agra we met our new tour guide who took us to a  very nice Indian restaurant for lunch.  The food was typical Indian – spicy, plentiful and good.  We then went to the Red Fort, an ancient building which is huge and very ornate.  Some people consider it more imposing than the Taj Mahal. 

Here is the entrance way:

Here are some inside shots:

It is difficult to get a picture of something so huge.   Here we were walking through a double moat.  On the outside, there was a moat for water, then inside there was this moat type walkway between two thick walls.  The guide gave us a lot of details and a lot of dates and names of rulers who lived there, but after seeing and hearing so many details, I really don’t remember a lot about it, and you perhaps don’t want to hear it ! ! !   From the windows of this building, we got our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal.  And that is where we headed for when we left there.

The Taj Mahal – What can I say?  It was spectacular and well worth the trip.  As I was standing there looking at that beautiful building I thought to myself, “Imagine, two months ago this was just a dream, and now I’m actually here.”   Here is the picture to prove it:

Lovely hair do n’est pas?

The Taj Mahal was built by a ruler in memory of his much beloved wife who died giving birth to their 14th child.  It is made of white marble and is ornately carved and inlaid with precious jewels.  It is one of the seven wonders of the world as well as a World Heritage Site.

We stayed there almost until closing time and then were driven to our hotel where another delicious Indian buffet awaited us.  We retired early, because we were scheduled to get up before the crack of dawn to return to the Taj Mahal to see the first rays of the sun shine upon it.   More about that in my next blog report.

Kochi, India Friday, March 18, 2011

Kochi, formerly known as Cochin, is located in southwest India on the Arabian Sea.  It has the finest sea port south of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and is known for its ship building industry as well as its naval base which is the training centre for the Indian navy. The Portuguese, the first Europeans to come to India, built their settlement here  in 1502.  It was captured by the Dutch in 1613 and then by the British in 1795.  Now of course, India is an independent nation and the queen is no longer their sovereign leader.  India is the 7th largest country in the world and one of the most heavily populated.

Shortly after docking here, some local dancers and drummers appeared on the dock to entertain us.  This happens in almost every port when we dock.

As soon as we were cleared to go ashore, Mary and Jim and I were off on our tour which would eventually bring us to Agra where the Taj Mahal is located.  The agent with whom they booked had arranged for guides and drivers to accompany us everywhere we visited, so we didn’t have to worry about any of the many details such a trip involves. 

We were met on the dock by a guide with a car and driver.  Off we went for a tour of Kochi, which first of all, took us to the oldest church in the city.  It was built by the Portuguese and originally was a place of worship for the Catholics.   Now it is used by one of the Protestant religions.  Then we were off to the Ficherman’s  Village.   Here we saw first hand their method of fishing with huge nets which are raised and lowered using pulleys with rocks as weight.

Here we also got our taste of the street vendors who swarm you trying to entice you to see and buy their wares – everything from post cards to magnets,carvings, pottery etc.etc.   Our guide’s advice was, “If you don’t want to buy, look straight ahead, don’t make eye contact and don’t speak to them”  It works.

Then off we went to a Spice Market where we had the opportunity to shop for spices and hand woven cotton cloth.  The prices were super high, so no one spent any money there.

The next stop, for me was very moving – here we saw 6 large, beautiful elephants which are kept specifically to be used in the various celebrations.   It was so sad to see these huge, magnificent creatures with their four legs tethered so that they could not even take a step – and this is how they spend their lives.  Poor creatures ! ! ! !

A quick walk through one of the temple courtyards took us back to our taxi, which then drove us to the airport where we boarded our plane to go to Delhi.

We arrived in Delhi sometime between 8 and 9 p.m.  A driver and guide met us and delivered us to the Taj Palace Hotel, where we were informed that our rooms had been upgraded and believe me, they were FIRST class.  After a tasty Indian buffet meal, I allowed myself the luxury of my first bath since the trip began.  (Onboard ship, I only have a shower, although some people do have bathtubs in their cabins).  I then had a wonderful night’s sleep and got up early in great anticipation of the sights we would see the following day.

Singapore, March 13 & 14, 2011

Double “WOW”

What a beautiful, clean city – flower gardens all along the roadsides leading from the ship to the centre of the city -- interesting high rises – no litter, no graffiti.  There are severe fines for littering and chewing gum ! ! ! ! The penalty for having drugs is DEATH.  They are really serious here about their laws ! !  Needless to say, for the most part they are obeyed.  The crime rate is only about 1%.  More about that later.

My plan for Singapore had been to tag around with Mary and Jim, but they know the city having visited it before and they were heading for the bird sanctuary.  I joined my friend Shirley and planned to go and see the sights of the city using the hop on, hop off bus.  As we were going ashore we were joined by 2 other ladies, Claire and Carmen and Paul one of the dance hosts.  A lot of cab drivers were in the departure area trying to attract  customers.  We found one who had a van, who was willing to take us on a 2 hour tour for 100 Singapore dollars – approximately$80. U.S.  so off we went  The driver spoke perfect English and he was an excellent tour guide.  He took us to all the places that the “Highlights of Singapore” tour from the ship would have brought us (and we would have had to spend at least $50. U.S. each – so we really got a bargain.)  He stopped at all the places of interest so that we could get out and take pictures. 

First we stopped at the Merlion,the symbol of Singapore – “singa” means lion and “pore” means city.  The statue has a lion’s head but a mermaid’s body.  It was difficult to get a good picture because of all the people milling about and wanting their picture taken with the statue.

We made stops at China Town, Little India and the Arab Quarter,  to visit the mosque and temple and of course for the usual souvenir hunting.   We also stopped to take a picture of the largest ferris wheel in the world.  I had a really good picture of it, but I inadvertently deleted it.  Here is a picture of an interesting building:

The part of the building above the 3 towers is in the shape of a ship.  It houses a casino and has a huge infinity pool.  The three towers are not rectangular – they are concave- larger at the top and bottom.  This city is full of interesting   modern architecture. 

We drove by the Raffles Hotel, a huge, beautiful old structure where the drink “Singapore Sling” was invented.  We didn’t stop for one, but those who did, said it cost them close to $30.  for one drink.  I chose to try one at the bar aboard our ship for $7.50.   Not a bad drink ! ! ! !

Our guide has promised us a two hour tour, but he made it last about two and a half, so we gave him a nice tip.  We were back aboard ship in time for lunch.  Shirley and I went out to the  adjacent mall to do some shopping afterwards.   Any mall close to where the ships dock is bound to be expensive, so we didn’t splurge.  I had to have a refill done on my finger nails and that was the extent of my expenditures.

Some of the passengers went ashore to experience Singapore by night, but Shirley and I opted to stay aboard and dance the evening away instead. 

Now for a bit more about crime in this city.  Our cab driver had told us that the only crime prevalent here is the theft of credit cards.  One woman from the ship had a bad experience.  It was a woman who was using a walker.  She had her purse stolen.  It contained  money, her passport containing the visas she needs to enter certain countries and other identification as well as her credit cards.  I think she had the purse in a basket attached to the walker.  She must have been busy looking at something when it was taken and she  never noticed when it happened.  What a terrible experience ! ! !  The only bright side to this story is that she was not injured in the incident.

Now back to my own adventures:  I finally was able to find and purchase a pair of dancing shoes.  When I left home, I said that I was going to dance the soles off the pair I brought with me.  I was beginning to believe that this was going to come true.  One of the other ladies who loves to dance, found a department store in Chinatown which sells them and she gave us the address, so on day 2 of our stay here, three of us took a cab and went on a shopping expedition.  There were a lot of shoes to choose from, but I was only able to find one pair that I liked that fit well.   They only cost $40.  U.S. a pair.  At that price I would have purchased at least 2 pairs – they cost over $100. at home.   The department store was large and had good prices.  I was wishing that I had known about it the day before when I would have had time to brows and shop.  As it was, we were a bit  pressed for time.  The store only opened at 11 a.m. and we had to be back aboard ship at 1 p.m.

Needless to say, I danced the night away in my new shoes which are really comfortable.

Today is March 15th.  Tomorrow, all the Canadians aboard have been invited by the captain to attend an “O Canada Party” in the Crow’s Nest, Sports Deck 9,  between 7 and 8 p.m.   I suppose there will be hors d’oeuvres galore and the champagne will flow freely.   There are quite a few Canadians on board.  Five of us at our dinner table come from Ontario.  After the Captain’s party, the 5 of us and the 2 American women who eat with us will go to the Pinnacle Restaurant for dinner.  The Pinnacle is the most elegant place to eat aboard the ship.  It also costs extra to go there but we all decided that for once we should try it together.  One thing is for sure, it won’t be as noisy there as it is in the main dining room, because the Pinnacle only seats 60 people, while the regular dining room is huge and covers 2 levels.  If all the tables are filled, the noise level sometimes makes it difficult to hear people with a soft voice speak, and the 2 American ladies do not speak very loudly.

On March 17th, we will have our 12th Formal Dinner.  The theme for the evening is “St. Patrick’s Day”.  I plan to wear my sleeveless, empire style black dress with the green and zircon Fifth Avenue Jewellery I brought with me.

Here are a couple of pictures from other formal dinners taken by the ship photographer:

On Friday, March 18th we will arrive at Kochi, in India.  I will be going with Mary and Jim on a trip to the Taj Mahal.  We will leave the ship that morning, do some  sight seeing in Kochi, then fly to Delhi, where  we will spend the night at the Taj Palace Hotel.  On the 19th, after a sight seeing tour of Delhi, we will be driven to Agra where we will be staying at the  ITC Mughal Sheraton.  Our tour includes a visit to the Taj Mahal at sunset on the 19th and an early morning visit to the site at sunrise on the 20th.   That same day, we will return by plane and train to get aboard the ship late in the evening at Bombay, India.   Ill have a lot to tell you after my return.  Bye for now.

Re: Earthquake, Tsunami and Egypt

Thank God for our good fortune! !  We were not affected by the earthquake and Tsunami which devastated Japan recently.  We visited Saigon, Vietnam at that time and then we were sailing in the South China Sea on our way to Singapore.  The seas were rough, but the captain assured us that it was normal for this location and had nothing to do with the terrible weather conditions affecting other parts of the world.   When I think of the disaster in Christchurch, New Zealand which happened less than a week after we left there and now this terrible Tsunami, not all that far away, I consider myself under the protection of a very powerful guardian angel ! ! ! !   I hope and pray that this will continue for the remainder of the tour.

Regarding our potential trip to Egypt, as far as we know now, it has been cancelled.  The following is a quote from a letter which we received from the captain:

“Unfortunately, political uncertainty still exists in Egypt with the resulting security concerns.  Consequently the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Warning issued on February 18, 2011, remains in place.  That travel warning states:

The U. S. Department of State continues to warn U.S.  citizens to defer non-essential travel to Egypt.  Due to continuing uncertainties regarding the restructuring of Egyptian government institutions, the security situation remains unsolved.

We delayed final decisions on your cruise itinerary as we waited to see whether the Travel Warning would be withdrawn.  That has not happened.  As a consequence and as your safety is our primary concern, the scheduled calls in Egypt are being replaced with calls  in Salalah, Oman, as well as Ashdod and Haifa, Israel.  Our itinerary of port calls for the impacted dates is as follows:

March 26     Muscat

March 28     Salalah, Oman

April 2          Aqaba, Jordan

April 4         Transit Suez Canal

April 5         Ashdod, Israel

April 6         Haifa, Israel

If the Travel Warning is withdrawn or revised prior to the time we were scheduled to be in Egypt,we will try to reinstate the original itinerary if at all possible to do so.”

 

Although I am very disappointed that we will not be visiting Egypt, I prefer to be safe than sorry.

Saigon, Vietnam March 11,2011

Wow !!!!  I was a bit concerned when I realized that the tour I had booked to Saigon lasted nine hours, thinking it might get boring, but just the opposite was true.  This was definitely because we had the best tour guide we’ve had yet on the cruise.  He was a young man probably in his early 30’s.   Our tour was called  “The Best of Ho Chi Ming City”.   The drive to Saigon from Phu My where the ship was docked lasted over an hour and a half.    All the way there the guide gave us all types of interesting information about the history of the country and what we could expect to see that day.

As we drove along, the first buildings we saw along the road were very poor ram shackled huts occupied by small businesses. 

The closer we got to the city, the more prosperous everything looked.

Of course when we arrived at the city, it looked just like other modern, large cities, but very clean.  What really stood out though was the many, many bicycles and motor bikes there were -- more of them than cars actually.  There are few traffic light, so crossing a street was taking your life in your hands.  Someone at our dinner table said that the only way to cross was to start across, walk at a leisurely pace, and not to rush – that the bicycles would then weave their way around you.  Sounds good to me ! ! ! !

The first stop on the tour was at a lacquer factory, where workers make lacquered goods by hand.  One of the ladies was using a tiny saw to cut delicate patterns from a shell,  which would be used to decorate some of the  articles they make – she presented me with a tiny white bird which she had just cut – so delicate ! ! !

Some men were hand painting designs, some were applying the lacquer to finish the various objects, and

others were sitting at a large tub filled with water polishing the freshly lacquered articles

Of course after passing through the work area, we were led to the gift shop where many beautiful things were for sale.  I was very tempted to purchase something, but then I reminded myself that I’m in the process of getting rid of things, not collecting them.

Our next stop was the palace, where the president and vice president have their offices.  Beautifully decorated. 

Then we were off to a museum where one of the main attractions was a water puppet  show --  really cute.

Our tour included a delicious Vietnamese buffet lunch at one of the elegant hotels – delicious.

To complete the tour we were driven to the Notre Dame Cathedral.  It was built during the French occupation of the country in the same style as Notre Dame in Paris.  Unfortunately the church was locked, so we only were able to photograph it from the outside.

During the beginning of the trip back to the ship, our guide just let us rest, but after the half way point rest stop, he began to tell us about his personal life and family as well as the political situation in the country.   He even passed around a small picture album of  his family, including his wife, his twin sons, his wedding pictures and his home.  He was a very personable young man.

Back aboard ship, we could look forward to a beautiful after  dinner concert.  Eve Sherrat, an excellent female singer from Wales entertained us with her gorgeous voice.  She sang everything from Broadway songs to operatic numbers.  The amazing thing is that her voice is untrained and what a spectacular voice it was ! ! ! !

Hong Kong and Kowloon, March 7 & 8, 2011

This consists of a mainland and about 235 islands located on the South China Sea.   Kowloon is part of the main land and Hong Kong is an island.  They are separated by a small body of water called Victoria Harbour. and there are ferries that cross every few minutes.  It only takes a couple of minutes to get over.   Because of their small areas, they are  skyscraper cities – very beautiful and clean.  When the British colonized Hong Kong,  it was just a barren island with hardly a house on it.   It remained a British colony for 156 years ,  until it was returned to China in 1997. 

To keep it clean, very high fines are imposed – for example if one throws a cigarette butt on the pavement, there is a fine of  $1500. If one smokes in forbidden areas, the fine is $5,000.  I didn’t see any graffiti anywhere.  Besides the imposing high buildings one is amazed at the number of people on the streets.  One of my table companions made the following comment last evening, “ Doesn’t anyone work here?  At 2 in the afternoon, the sidewalks are crowded with pedestrians.”

People are very friendly and helpful.  If you are stopped on the sidewalk looking at your map, invariably someone will stop and offer assistance. 

I spent my 2 days here in the good company of Mary and Jim.  Jim knows his way around the city because before he retired he occasionally had to travel here on business, so we had no problems finding our way, wherever we wanted to go.  He and Mary had sight seeing on their agenda, and my agenda was to get a pair of eyeglasses made and if possible, find a shoe store that sold dancing shoes.  The latter proved impossible.  The ship dance instructors had given us a couple of addresses they found on the internet, but one of them was a dance studio that was not open and the other, we never found.  I had better luck with the eyeglasses.  An acquaintance of Mary’s had the address of a place she had used a couple of years ago.  We went there with the prescription my optometrist had given me and in 24 hours, I had my new glasses – cost for a new frame and lenses --$200.  Not too bad I say ! ! !  In the past, I’ve been wearing frameless glasses.  They are delicate and I’m hard on them, so I decided to be sensible and purchase a pair with half frames.  That and a couple of inexpensive tops I bought will be my souvenirs of Hong Kong.

Now to the sight seeing part of the sojourn in Hong Kong.  In the afternoon of March 7th, we took a ferry across from Kowloon to Hong Kong.  They we took a ride on the excellent subway system to get to the funicular which would take us up to the top of Victoria Peak – the highest point in the city and a great lookout point.  What a beautiful view it was ! ! !  Fortunately for us the weather was great and although a bit misty, we were still able to get some fairly good pictures.   Around 2 p.m. we went into one of the restaurants there to have a late lunch, and then we were off to the next adventure.

 

The point of interest that Mary most wanted to see, was Lantau Island with its Buddhist Monastery and the giant Buddha, both at the top of a high mountain.  After leaving Victoria Peak, we took a one hour ferry ride to Lantau, arriving there at 5 p.m. only to be told that the sight we wanted to visit closed at 5, so back home we went.  It was beginning to get cool by then, so we decided to call it a day.  At 8 p.m. every evening there is a laser light show coming from the buildings along  the shore line of Kowloon and Hong Kong and we decided to come aboard the ship to watch that.   In this laser show, coloured lights are flashing into the sky from various buildings across the water.  Also the buildings are all lit up in flashing , moving lights.  This is accompanied by music.  Unfortunately, the ship was too far away from the source for us to hear the music, so we had the lights but not the sound.   It was interesting to see, but according to other people who had seen it before, it wasn’t as spectacular as it used to be.   I guess everyone is cutting back on expenses.

On the morning of March 8th, I met Mary and Jim at 7:45 and off we went again to Lantau to see the Buddha.  We arrived on the island around 9 a.m.  The first bus up to the monastery was due at 10:00, so we decided to take a cab.  There was only one cab at the stop and he was hired by a group of local people who were waiting ahead of us.  Waiting in line for a taxi, ahead of us was a  woman who is originally from Sweden.   We got into a conversation with her and it was quite interesting.  She is married to an Australian, both of them are pilots, working and living here at present.   She had brought her car in for some repairs, had done a bit of grocery shopping and now with her little dog, was patiently waiting for a cab to get home.  She used her cell phone to call an acquaintance who was able to get a taxi to come.  All 3 of us and the dog were happy to be on our way.  We dropped her off half way to the monastery, which must have been at least a half hour drive—uphill all the way.  It was well worth it.  The Buddha statue is huge and it sits at the highest point of that area.  We had to climb over 200 steps to reach it.  At the top beneath the statue was a beautiful building which housed a museum that explained the history of Buddhism and also gave the history of what we were seeing.  Jim is very knowledgeable and he gave me an overview of the Buddhist way of life,  so all this meant a lot more to me than it would have otherwise.

The Temple was beautiful and filled with the most gorgeous flowers.

The ticket that we purchased to go up to the Buddha entitled us to tea, dim sum and a plateful of noodles fried with vegetables.  By then it was noon,  so that was our delicious lunch.  We next wandered around the  monastery grounds admiring the beautiful statues, gardens and flowers.  Of course we browsed the souvenir and gift shops.  By mid afternoon, we found our way to the cable car depot, climbed aboard and began a 5 mile air trip back to the city.  What a spectacular view it would have been from the cable car if it hadn’t been such a cloudy day.

After picking up my eyeglasses, Mary and Jim and I went separate ways.  I browsed some of the shops along the way and by dusk returned to the ship, tired but satisfied.  Hong Kong is a lovely city and I would happily return if the occasion presented itself.

That evening in the Crow’s Nest, there was a Mardi Gras party.  The place was beautifully decorated and those who brought masks and costumes wore them.  The music was lively and a lot of people showed up to dance.  A good time was had by all until midnight.

The day after we left Hong Kong we had our 11th Formal Evening.  I again wore the beautiful red dress which was purchased in Mexico  and got all kinds of compliments.  I really feel elegant in that dress.   Here I am with Howard,  the dance host who came aboard in Sydney.  He is just a little guy, but he sure dances well and he has a great personality.

I can’t resist sending a picture taken with my favourite dance host, Paul.  His dance steps are full of dips and twirls and it’s a lot of fun dancing with him

Life on board ship is so luxurious.  No shopping to do, no meals to prepare, no house cleaning to do.  All day on sea days, we do nothing but pamper ourselves and go to participate in the activities that we enjoy.  I wonder how it will feel to return to reality at the end of the cruise.  I’m certain that I will have withdrawal symptoms ! ! ! ! !

Manila, Philippines, March 5,2011

Yesterday and today we have been docked in Manila, the capital city and largest city in the Philippines.  We were here two days instead of one, because we were unable to get into the last port.  A lot of the crew come from the Philippines so they were very happy because their relatives came to be with them.   The Amsterdam captain was very generous in giving them time off and providing for their visiting loved ones.  A large tent was set up on the pier beside the ship.  It had table and chairs in it and was set up with white table cloths and chair coverings.  One would have thought that there was going to be a wedding.  This is where the relatives were met by the crew members.  Plenty of food and drinks were provided free of charge.  The crew was also able to obtain passes for their loved ones so that they were able to come aboard the ship for a visit and take tours.  A lot of them have wives and young children so you can imagine all the happy faces there were.

During our stay here, I had a tour offered by the company I am booked with, on the second day, but yesterday – the first day -- was a free day.  With Lynn, one of the ladies who is at my dinner table, I took the free shuttle bus  provided by the ship to the second largest  shopping centre.  It was huge ! ! !  I wouldn’t have wanted to go to the Asia Mall which is even larger.  We didn’t even get to see half of this one.    Our first task when we arrived, was to find a beauty shop so that we could pamper ourselves.  I had a pedicure, she had the works – pedicure, manicure and hair do.  By then it was noon hour and we joined Monique, an acquaintance from Ottawa,  for lunch at a  T G I F restaurant in the mall.  Afterward, we went browsing and purchased a few odds and ends.  I found a nice brown flared skirt which will match a couple of my tops.  Our last stop was the  Super Market where I got tooth paste, hair spray and a bottle of wine.   By then it was about 4:30 p.m. and we had had enough shopping.  The shuttle bus was there waiting,  so we returned to the ship, tired but happy.  A nice nap and a shower revived me for the evening activities.  Most of the ladies who dance must have been too tired to come out, because I was one of the few, so I got in a lot of dances.  My dance shoes are still holding out,  Hong Kong is supposed to be a good place to purchase them, so hopefully we can find a good place to shop.

This morning’s tour was called “Charms of Old Manila”.  We were three bus loads of people.   Unfortunately it was raining, but we made the best of it and stopped at all the  places of interest like Rizal Park and  the old walled city which was built during the Spanish Colonial period.   Our walking tour of Fort Santiago didn’t amount to much other than a brief walk through the park, seeing the Mardi Gras dancers perform and the obligatory stop at the washroom/gift shop.   Here are some of the dancers posing for the camera.

 

Then we were off to see the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, which has intricate stone carvings, stained glass mosaics and rosette windows.  We also went to the San Augustin Church – the oldest structure in the Philippines dating back to 1571.  This was followed by a visit to a 19th century mansion which is now a museum.  It is  furnished with furniture and furnishings from the 16th to the 19th century.   It is interesting to see how the rich people lived long ago.  To end the tour we were driven to Hotel Manila, a charming, old hotel where Eisenhower spent 6 years of his life in the penthouse suite, before the war.  Michael Jackson also spent some time there.  The lobby is huge and the entire place is very elegant with its high wood ceiling and beautiful, large crystal chandeliers.   We were treated to a snack and drinks there and shortly after 1 p.m. we returned to the ship.

There was a welcoming ceremony when the ship arrived here in Manila yesterday.  A band and some drum majorettes gave a lively performance on shore.  Today, there was a big farewell do.  This time there were 2 bands as well as the drum majorettes.   The sailors from the ship stood ashore in formation and the captain was there to bid adieu to those crew members who were leaving for a well deserved vacation.  There must have been some tearful farewells when the family members of the crew who stayed aboard took leave of their loved ones. 

At 4 p.m. this afternoon, some students and nuns from a local orphanage gave a performance on the stage of the Queen’s Lounge.  They performed songs and dances.  The children were really cute and they really put a lot of energy into their dancing.  It was quite enjoyable.  The captain and crew support this orphanage and the passengers were asked to be generous as well.   I haven’t heard yet exactly how much money was collected but it was quite a healthy sum.

It’s hard to believe that the  season of Lent begins on Wednesday.  I meant to mention to you a long time ago, that Alexander Brunett, the former Archbishop of Seattle,  who is newly retired is aboard the ship.  He is a very friendly, personable man – still not terribly old and his sermons are quite interesting.  He really gives us food for thought.   Quite frequently he talks about the saint of the day and he suggests how we can take an example from their lives.  Today, he suggested that instead of giving up something for lent, we should consider writing a 4 line psalm every day.  What a novel idea! ! !  Thank goodness he’s not an old fogy.  A lot of people attend mass daily and all have nothing but praise for him.

Now we are on the sea again, heading for Hong Kong.   More about that in the next instalment.