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Allow plenty of time for security. We flew a delta code share operated bt Alitalia. Arrived FCO 4 hours in advance and barely made it due to the cues at check in!

Just got off Voyager...towels were fine. Perhaps my home towels are low brow so anything thicker and softer is all good!

We have three Regent cruises under our belts and, after the first cruise, we purchased a "camping" French press coffee maker and brought along our own French roast. Yes, regular coffee on Regent is terrible. You can order specialty coffee or go to one of the DYI machines, but nothing beats a robust cup of coffee made in a French press. When we were in Cambodia, Sofitel served coffee each morning like this...it was a bit of heaven! Please, Regent, (if you read his) offer this option....pretty please?

We have been home since Monday night after a long flight to Atlanta from Dubai with a layover in Paris. We intended a long layover in order to go into Paris for a bit but opted out in order to have a much needed rest in the Air France lounge. This is in the new terminal (M) at CDG and it has all the amenities you would want including showers and free facials from Clairins. The time zipped by and, before we knew it, we were on the plane and on our way home.

To say this was a trip of a lifetime would be an understatement. We had a good mix of sea days to port days and I started to view the ship as our "cocoon" after a day in heat, humidity, and humanity. There was nothing better than to cross the gangplank and be enveloped in air-conditioning, float to our cabin, take a cool shower, wrap ourselves in terrycloth robes, and pop the champagne!

The ship is beautiful and the changes made in the last dry dock are an improvement – especially the Horizon Lounge and the Observation Lounge. I mentioned earlier that I did not particularly like the artwork, but that is totally subjective and I don’t count that against the ship. Some of the interior decoration choices are odd, but, again, this is subjective.

Passengers: Our fellow passengers were a congenial and a very international group. We had 667 on board, with 50% from the US, 14% from Northern Europe, 11% from the UK, 10% from Mexico and South America, 10% from Canada, and the rest from New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and South Africa and Zimbabwe. There were a good mix of ages represented and a couple of pre-adolescent-adolescent kids. Of the older set, many had mobility issues, but good attitudes, and, in general did not slow down the excursions as they paid attention to the difficulty levels. However, that being said, I’m not sure how some of them even got on and off the busses. SE Asia and India are definitely not handicapped accessible.

Management: Our captain was Gianmario Sanguineti, our General Manager was Franck Galzy, and our Cruise Director was Ray Solitare. They ran a tight ship and seemed to manage the cranky passengers with diplomacy. We did miss two tender ports (one due to an electrical panel malfunction in a pod) and the other due to 6-foot swells in Galle, Sri Lanka that made the tendering very dangerous. This port required a 20-30 minute ride to land, so, in hindsight, a good idea.

Food: Really good and I’m pleased that I ONLY gained 4 pounds (G. gained 10!). My least favorite venue was La Veranda. Staff seemed harried and disorganized and the food was pretty repetitive. We tried all the specialty restaurants once and didn’t really care to go back as the menu does not change. Room service for breakfast was great. There is nothing better than drinking coffee on the balcony bathed in balmy breezes!

We liked Compass Rose the best. There was good variety on every menu (at breakfast you could get Swedish pancakes with lingonberry sauce) and the service was outstanding at every meal. I especially liked the destination dishes and ordered this choice most of the time. On the galley tour, the Executive Chef, Kelly Cochcraine, told us that most of the menu is determined by the office in Miami. The provisions are all pre-ordered and shipped via container. The recipes as well as the presentation are tightly controlled. Now, being a die-hard foodie, this is like stealing the heart and soul from a chef. However, the Executive Chef, can deviate from the corporate menu with “Destination Dishes”. This is where he excelled and they were, without exception, some of the best food of the voyage. He also orchestrated themed pool deck buffets – also excellent – Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Middle Eastern.

Enrichment Lectures: We hit the jackpot with John Renninger and Philip Hurst. John retired recently from the UN as a political affairs advisor and Philip Hurst’s bio escapes me now…Both were experts on the regions we visited and we both learned about the historical underpinnings of the unrest and current political agenda of many of the countries we visited, in particular, Sri Lanka and India. All the lectures were very well attended (in contrast to the frothier activities on the ship) which speaks well of the intellectual acumen of Regent passengers.

Entertainment: All the programs seemed varied but we were generally too pooped by 9:45. We did attend the 007 tribute (it was a 6:00 pm!) and the Cirque d’Amour performance as well as Krew Kapers (some embarrassing performances in that one!). Trivia was well attended but not my cup of tea.

Excursions: Considering most of our ports were in 3rd world countries, I think that Regent did an outstanding job sourcing the busses and the guides. Most busses had about 30 passengers so there was room to move around. Am I sick of being herded? Yes – but this was the best way to see a lot of important sites in very exotic locales. The one mis-step was in Malaysia during the Thai New Year, Songrain, and one of our stops was at a Thai Temple with the reclining Buddha. Once en route, our guide said we would miss it because of the Thai New Year. If you are not aware, the Thai tradition is to “cleanse” with water, which, in reality, is a robust water fight. It sounded fun and authentic to most of us, but our guide was adamant that Regent said NO. I understand that they might not want to deal with wet, disgruntled passengers with ruined cameras, but we are adults! Let us know the risk, sign a waiver and let one of the 8 busses do the tour as scheduled!

Which brings me to another excursion suggestion. Frequently we had a number of busses doing the same thing. The tours were very rushed with 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there, photo hop on-hop off. I would have preferred to have some of the tours do less and have a theme, that is, package excursions based on interest rather than just difficulty level. For instance, tours for the history buffs, tours focused on art history, tours focused on nature and eco-tourism, tours that are interesting shopping opportunities (NOT the generic gift shop), tours focused adventure, and tours focused on food and eating. I think it would mean that the guides would focus more on a theme rather than the generic panorama of the region.

And my final pet peeve, we had moneychangers on board in only a few spots. I expected to see ATM’s all over the place – not so! We had brought enough cash, but that was serendipity. We were dealing with dollars rather than local currency in most of our ports. This made negotiating prices during our speed shopping very difficult. (I’m serious about the speed shopping. We had no time to wander through markets or find real artisans…only the generic gift shop that tour guides seem required to take us to.)

Please ask questions if there are anything else you would like to know. This was really a trip of a lifetime to areas that would be difficult for us to get to on our own. Would I do it again? In a heart beat…and we have a future cruise credit stashed away for the next exotic itinerary that strikes our fancy!

We arrived in Dubai at noon. The city is like a fantastic mirage rising from the sea. The architecture is very modern, almost space age. Like, Oman, the rewards of oil money are evident throughout the city. Beautiful parks, housing, freeways, and malls (one with an aquarium and one with an indoor ski slope!)

We opted for a "hop on, hop off" bus tour as we were sick of being herded and rushed from site to site. We went to the old part of the city to experience the souks (fabric, gold, and spices). Although it was well above 100 degrees! there was a pleasant breeze! and we discovered the real genius of the place: air conditioned bus stops! Just like a regular bus stop, it is completely enclosed and blissfully cool!

All in all, except for the souks, I found Dubai to be a bit soulless. It reminded me of Las Vegas-all glitz and glamour. Admittedly, we didn't have much time as we needed to get back to the ship, finish packing, have our last glass of champagne, and get to the airport.

When we return home, I'll post a more comprehensive review of the ship and hopefully resolve my photobucket issues. Bottom line, however, we had a really wonderful time on a wonderful ship.

Muscat, Oman

We woke up to a different world after two days at sea. Arid mountains meeting the blue Gulf of Oman. All the buildings are low, new, neat, and beige accented with the beautiful green of date palms and lawns (thanks to the desalinization project). Potable water is trucked in from the valleys in the interior of the country. Obviously a different economic climate than India....you could smell the oil in the air!

We decided to go on more of an adventure excursion. We took a boat about 2 miles off the coast to look for spinner dolphins. They put on quite a show! Pod after pod of about 60 dolphins, swimming, leaping in unison, and shooting up vertically and spinning.

We then went snorkeling in one of the secluded rock islands. Beautiful fish in blues and yellows and purples - all shapes and sizes.

We returned to the ship with the intention of visiting a souk, but it was closed for siesta from 1-4 and we had to be back on board at 3:30. Anyway, it was already beyond 100 degrees...dry heat in contrast to humid India. But, heat is heat and the decision is whether you prefer to be baked or boiled!

No pics in this post. #€^%#** photobucket!

Mumbai - part two, Elepahnta Cave and Mumbai nightlife

When we arrived in Mumbai, we decided to do an excursion in the morning, rest, then on Mumbai after dark.

We boarded a boat at the Gateway of India and traveled nine nautical miles across Mumbai Harbor to Gharapuri Island. The island has twin hills rising from the sea, with the caves located halfway up the higher of the two. (This meant climbing substantial stairs in sauna like humidity.... I stopped at the same point as the man with emphysema which reflects badly on my exercise program). Carved out of solid basalt rock, the caves represent Mount Kailash, the heavenly mountain residence of Lord Shiva. This cave complex is a collection of shrines, courtyards, grand halls and porticos, filled with exquisite stone sculptures and reliefs of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

The Portuguese renamed the island Elephanta after discovering a large stone elephant statue near the shore. At the entrance to the caves is the Trimurti, or the celebrated trinity of Elephanta: Lord Brahma, the Creator (holding a flute); Lord Vishnu, the preserver (holding a lotus); and Lord Shiva, the Destroyer (holding a cobra).

Unfortunately, many of the sculptures inside were damaged by the Portuguese who took potshots at the Hindu Gods with their rifles. The site was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987.

That evening we toured the city at night. The tour description was tantalizing: "This city ... transforms itself from a flourishing center of commerce and trade into a dazzling entertainment center when the sun sets and the lights come on..... (Well, not so much).....experience the Night market with its variety ranging from street food stalls to spice shops to silks and jewelry. Browsing through here offers the opportunity to meet local `Bombayites' known for their easy going and friendly nature....(20 minutes of speed walking, no stopping to browse or buy anything)....Next, it's a scenic drive past the impressive gothic style buildings of the High Court, the Art District of Kala Ghoda, Victoria Terminus, the Center of Science and the landmark Gateway of India at Apollo Blunder. Illuminated at night, each of these notable sights seems to take on a distinctive and perhaps more beguiling character than is seen during the day. (Nice photo ops) You will also travel down the Art Deco Marine Drive, referred to as the Queen's Necklace at night due to the vision it creates with the curved shape of the bay being accented by thousands of sparkling lights. (Yawn..although we did drive buy two major wedding receptions complete with fireworks - our guide said that typical weddings involve 1-2 thousand guests!)....”Stopping at the Regal Cinema Hall, Bombay's first Art Deco theater, you'll enjoy a short viewing of a typical Hindi film. (We must have been at the new Regal because it looked EXACTLY like the Regal Multiplex in Atlanta - I don't think Art Deco theaters had escalators).....Before returning to the pier, a final stop will be made at one of the city's trendy bars where you'll enjoy a nightcap before concluding what will surely be a memorable evening..."(no booze, it was before the Indian elections and booze is banned. The bar was in one of the Taj hotels - nice as hotel bars go but our crowd was definitely not feeling the the throbbing disco beat, not the juice with ice - verboten for tourists in India- and not the hor d'oeuvres - too spicy for the majority with delicate palates and guts).

Well at least I got to see Mumbai's version of a horse drawn carriage - covered with neon lights and sparkles-which made me love India all the more!

Sent from my iPad

My photobucket account has kicked the bucket...I've exceeded my gb allocation and, despite deleting pics, I can't get it back! So, I'll continue posting when I get home in two days with a new photobucket account. In the meantime, if you want the latest installments, I've been sending emails with pics to family and friends. We're friends now, right? So, my email is forgap at bellsouth dot net.

Hmmm...best laid plans....I deleted pictures from photobucket to make room for more photos. Dpi didn't consider that I would obviously delete the link....I'll try to remedy it.

Goa

Our third day in India and we're getting a bit weary of the long days rushing from site to site. Our impulse was to stay on the ship, but who knows when we'll return to india, so we soldier on.

Our chosen excursion was LONG - 6 1/2 hours! We took the scenic route along the coast to the Shantadurga Temple, one of the largest and most famous temples of Goa dedicated to the wife of Shiva as the `Goddess of Peace'.

The tale goes that she mediated in a quarrel between Shiva (her husband) & Vishnu and brought back peace in the Universe. The interior was gilded and filled with shrines and flowers and thick with insense. The devout were chanting and doing something with water in the inner sanctum which I couldn't quite make out and I was reluctant to be more intrusive than my presence already made me.

On the temple grounds we again met lovely people who wanted to pose with us for pictures as much as we wanted to photograph them. One woman in particular, visiting pwith her son and her parents, had just returned from study at Arizona State. The two year old son was born there and a US citizen, a fact made his mother and grandparents very happy!

From there we went on to another spice farm, home to more than 84 different species of bird, 100 varieties of orchids, and almost every spice imaginable. We were greeted with a shower of marigold petals and Goan dancers.

Our guide was a young woman who had us see, taste and smell beetle nuts, peppers, turmeric root, cinnamon, vanilla, and cashew trees. We then had a traditional Goanese lunch which was spicy and good. Our fellow passengers tend to be culinary light weights and fearful of food poisoning or worse. I stuck to cooked vegetarian dishes and beer with no ill effects.

At this point, we were in the absolute heat of the day when we returned to the town center to explore the Indian and Portuguese cultures in Old Goa. The first stop was the basilica of Bom Jesus, built of black laterite stone with marble and inlaid precious stones.

This church contains the tomb and mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier who spread Christianity in the Portuguese colonies.

The Se Cathedral, consecrated in 1640, was directly across the street although it was very hot and felt like we had to cross the Mohave desert to get to it! The interior was cooler...perhaps 90 degrees and 99% humidity. Some of the local dogs were inside taking siestas which made total sense to me. The whole structure was very imposing, austere, and very different from the Hindu temples of the area. I'm sure that it made an impression as the Portuguese missionaries pursued their quest for converts.

Sea day, so I'm catching up on my travelogue:

Mangalore is the principal port in the state of Karnataka with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats to the east. We had a fairly intense day as we immersed ourselves in the Jain sect of Hinduism in the town of Karkala - about an hour and a half from the port. Karkala is a pilgrimage center for the Jains and is famous for its monolithic stone statue of Lord Gomateshwara which dates back to 1432 AD and is over 42 feet tall, weighing in at an estimated 80 tons.

After walking up about 240 steps in 98 degree heat to reach the top, we were fairly wiped out. Thankfully, there was a breeze. We were greeted by a monk who, after a modest donation, blessed us with a third eye.

In a nutshell, the difference between Hinduism and Jainism amounts to the blessings granted by divinities versus self-actualization. In Hinduism, salvation can be gained through divine grace. In Jainism, salvation can be achieved only through self-effort.

Now, at this point, we are 2+ hours on a very old bus with questionable air-conditioning. To say we were swimming in sweat is a vast understatement. The air was stale, the AC was blowing dust and god knows what pollutants. (I thought a wee bit about carbon monoxide poisoning and Legionnaire's dIsease.). The seats were velour, soaked with, I'm sure, generations of tourist sweat. My third eye had run down my nose.

Our next stop was Soans Farm for a look at tropical fruits and spices. It was really a planned rest room break, but a pleasant respite from the clunker bus.

Our final stop was in the town of Moodbidri and its thousand pillar Jain temple - Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani Basadi. This is a granite temple built in 1430 A.D. and it is famous for its open pillared front hall that consists of a thousand elaborately carved pillars - no two alike.

In the center of the sanctum, is the very sacred eight foot tall bronze image of Lord Chandranatha Swami.

The bus ride back was another hour and a half careening down hills, laboring uphill, belching fumes, passing traffic in the most alarming fashion. The gods must have been smiling on us as we reached the ship safely after the obligatory souvenir shop visit dressed up as a bathroom break. At least the shop was air-conditioned. As you can imagine, my sticky index was off the charts!

Photobucket continues to be capricious so photos are limited and I'm a few days behind. As I said at the start, this is an occasional live blog!

Cochin, India

We arrived in Cochin on Saturday. Cochin is described as "India Lite" as it is not as crowded, chaotic, or poor as the rest of India. Even so, it was crowded, chaotic, and poor with children and adults employing the hard sell to get anyone to buy whatever they happen to be selling.

India, on first impression, is a land of stark contrasts. The colors are intense with a keen focus on adornment in clothing, in house paint, on trucks and tuk tuk's, and shrines. On the other hand, there is a complete lack of respect for the natural environment - litter is everywhere and vehicles spew pollution into the air already thick with humidity and dust. Houses and buildings are often in a state of construction or destruction. It's hard to tell with the amount of debris strewn around.

And, despite all this, the people are the most welcoming we have encountered. They wave and smile as we drive by. They have the most beautiful children I have ever seen and generously allow us to photograph them, and, they want to photograph us! In the state of Kerala, tourists are still not that common and we are a large part of the economy.

As a state, Kerala is one of the most prosperous in India with a higher literacy rate and life span than the rest of India. There once was a thriving Jewish community here but now there are only 7 people. The town is mostly Hindu, some Muslims and some Christians.

Unique to Cochin are the Chinese fishing nets that are used to scoop fish up from the bay. This is the only area of the world outside of china where these are used.

Thanks, Wes. Too bad I'm asleep too at those times. I also found that when we're in port photobucket seems to work. Enjoy Spain. We'll be on Oceania in September....BCN to Lisbon.

Wonderful pics, Wes! We've been following you on Facebook from halfway around the world

Uh, that's passengers.....:eek:

The sticky index in Sri Lanka was moderate....being in the mountains with a breeze was not bad - or I'm getting used to it! Walking around Columbo brought us right up to 10 - on a scale of 1-10.

Now, Cochin, India brought us to to a new variation of the sticky index - the post-stick index. This is when you walk around, drip with sweat, get on the bus, cool off, get off the bus, re stick, etc. it builds up a film of sweat on your skin like you're wearing latex. And, under these circumstances, Some fellow assengers STILL look calm and collected. I, on the other hand, look a mess....red faced, clothes sticking to me in unflattering ways, hair plastered to my skull!

Colombo, Sri Lanka

We are en route to Cochin, India. We spent the day yesterday at a tea plantation in the mountains outside of Columbo, Sri Lanka...two hours there with the most interesting guide so that the ride was not dreary at all. There were 11 of us on a small bus...I doubt that a big bus could have made it. Driving in Sri Lanka is an adventure...tuk tuks, motorbikes with three to the seat (including infants - no helmets of course), busses, cars, all vying to be first...barely a two lane road becomes a three lane road. It was best just not to look. Our guide was was an amateur naturalist, so I saw a lot of birds for my life list and he kept stopping for good photo ops. I now know more than I ever thought I would know about tea. The East India Company played a big role historically and since they had a big place in Salem, Ma. where my family has a home that belonged to a captain of a ship owned by the East India Company. Salem was a big player in the Far East trade. It is very interesting to see the length of their reach.

Some pictures

Picking tea leaves...only the bud and top two new leafs.

Tea served in the 19th century bungalow that belongs to the plantation manager.

The vista

Water buffalo

Rice paddy

Cattle egrets

Phuket

Phuket was decimated by a tsunami in 2004 although there is little evidence of it now. We took an all day tour to Phang Nga bay which is known for its karst rock formations. The bus ride each way was a little less than two hours with questionable air conditioning. There were rubber and pineapple plantations on each side of the road as well as tiger prawn and red snapper farms. Water looked pretty polluted so I'll continue to be wary of farm raised fish!

Once we reached Phang Nga bay, we boarded a boat and cruised through the rock formations for an hour and a half.

The fishing village is the only population allowed in Phang Nga bay which is now a national park. It is a Muslim village with a prominent mosque, wall to wall restaurants, and tourist shops.

Regent tours used to have their lunch there but the guide said a lot of people got sick so the lunch spot was changed to a hotel on shore. The fish were in cages off the decks and the sewage system seemed questionable so this was probably a good idea.

The sticky index was pretty high and I got a sunburn despite a hat and sunscreen. We were pretty wiped out on our ride back, slept the whole way I til we stopped at the obligatory gem factory. The bus almost mutinied, but it was fascinating to see the legions of Russian tourists dressed like tropical birds buying up the gaudiest jewelry I've ever seen!

For those interested, the destination lectures have been very stimulating. We have two experts on board that have managed to illuminate this region for me - politically and historically. Ironically, the lectures are much more well attended than the frothier events that are scheduled. Although, I did manage to get to the wine tasting - new world vs. old world whites.

The sea is like glass and we have seen lots of flying fish.

Penang

On Sunday we arrived in Penang, Malaysia in Georgetown - a UNESCO world heritage site because of its preservation of colonial architecture. It has many colonial buildings as well as preserved Malay "shop houses" - shops on the bottom, shuttered living quarters on top. The town was closed up tight because it was Sunday but we managed to get to some sites - in particular,the Khoo Kongsi clan ancestral house. Clan houses are for families of a particular lineage. It's an odd combination of club house and temple - very ornate and full of symbolism.

We also went to the Chew jetty. These are neighborhoods built on stilts and jut out into the bay. The government tried to get the inhabitants to move into more modern housing but there were massive protests as the settlements have existed for hundreds of years. Plus, because they are not theoretically on land, they don't have to pay taxes!

Weather continues to be very hot although we're acclimatizing to it a bit. I now have a "sticky index" from 1- 10 which measures just how uncomfortable we are. The ship, however, is wonderful and we are spending a lot of time on our balcony, cooled by the sea breezes.

I'm afraid that I'm behind on this blog. We have had two relaxing sea days and arrived in Galle, Sri Lanka this morning. This is a port where we anchor and take a tender to the port. Unfortunately the swells in the harbor were too severe today and the Captain decided to lift anchor and sail in to Columbo. We should arrive at 1:30. This is the second port that we've missed and we have some unhappy campers as a result. I'm afraid, though, that some people are in a perpetual state of outrage and disappointment. For the most part, our fellow passengers are congenial and interesting...others, not so much. Fortunately, the ship is big enough.

I thought I'd post some ship pictures today.

Our favorite part of the ship to relax after a hot, sticky day.

The beautiful horizon lounge and the panorama lounge

And, my least favorite painting on the ship!

I'll try to catch up on my port reports in the next days.

Batu caves

Monkeys

Petronus Tower

Sunrise

I'm having such difficulty uploading from photobucket! I think it's just too much for this internet system. I'll try from shore today if I'm able. We just haven't had much time in one place!

We were in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Port Klang is about an hour from the city. We docked at noon and our excursion left at one, returning after 7pm. We visited the Batu caves, the royal Selangor pewter factory, and a quick stop at the Petronius tower. The Batu caves are worth the visit despite the long drive to get there. 245 stairs up, monkeys and mangey dogs everywhere. This is a Hindu temple so it has colorful, strange, and evocative statues everywhere. (Photobucket where are you?). There were many Indians there in their finest saris and adornments which I found almost more fascinating than the caves themselves - already impressive as a natural wonder! Many men had shaved heads and a sandalwood paste covering their skulls. I asked our guide about the significance of this. He said the paste soothed the scalp and the aroma was evocative of religious ceremonies from their past so that it intensified the spiritual connection in the present. I think I'll have to look that one up!

The pewter factory was a real surprise. Very modern and air conditioned (although I'm becoming accustomed to being a sticky mess when I return to the ship!). We attended the "school of hard Knocks" where we made our own pewter bowls. This was great fun! The excursions have been very good so far. The busses are modern with good AC and good guides. We are usually about 32 to a bus. Since English is my husband's second language, he has difficulty understanding the guides whose english is sometimes very heavily accented. Even I sometimes only get about 85%!

We are in day 6 of our 21 days and getting into a nice routine. Our cabin is on deck 7 forward which is a very convenient location. I took some yoga and Pilates classes but the classes were too crowded and I'm a bit of a purist and found the guidance lacking. There were some first timers in these classes and they could easily get hurt without proper positioning and instruction.

Breakfasts are in the Veranda unless it's an early excursion day. Lunches there as well, as the pool area is too hot - although we have some true sun worshiping shipmates. There have been themed grills each day (Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese) which are great fun.

Dinner is usually in Compass Rose with one dinner at Sette Mari. Sette Mari was just too heavy in this heat so I think we'll stick to Compass Rose. The menu is varied and very good. I don't think my husband has ordered anything but lamb chops since we boarded! They come out perfectly "Rose" as requested which is quite the accomplishment for the kitchen.

We haven't managed to make it to any entertainment except an afternoon movie I walked out on (Anchorman 2). I blame it on lingering jet lag but I know that I'm at my best in the early morning and just run out of gas by 10pm!

Finally, can you believe it, we haven't had enough shopping opportunities on our excursions! Although we did buy mouthwash at the Petronius Tower mall Listerine Green Tea flavor for the Asian market!

Hmmm...hard to say..perhaps 10% in tux or quilts the rest in coat and tie......perhaps 10% without coat and tie. We're back to normal tonight's father a great meal in setti mare.

No photos today...photobucket is not cooperating again. Maybe later.

We arrived in Singapore this morning. I expected a modern city - I didn't expect a vibrant, clean, progressive city-state that seems to value it's citizens and it's environment more than any country I have ever visited. We took a tour around the city to see the top sites and our guide, Tom-Tom, was funny and enthusiastic and full of interesting tidbits. The per capita income is very high in Singapore and unemployment is only 1.5%. Singapore is a melange of religions and cultures and everyone respects those differences. I asked Tom-Tom if there were sanctions for hate speech and prejudicial behavior. She looked at me quizzically and said that children learn these values very early. Schools require uniforms to minimize class differences and school children visit religious sites and learn about other cultures as part of the curriculum.

Our tour took us all over the city and ended at the Raffles Hotel Long Bar for a Singapore Sling. We opted to take the tour bus back to the cruise terminal where there is a mall and restaurants. I was on a quest for black pepper crab after Tom-Tom was waxing rhapsodic about how "finger licking good" it was. She was absolutely correct. We asked at several restaurants before we found it at Tunglok Signatures restaurant. It was phenomenal! We were up to our elbows in sauce, made a mess of the table, looked like pigs at the trough, but happy, happy, happy!

The ship remains wonderful...still hate the artwork. Captains reception was last night. Somehow I did not get the memo that there were two formal optional nights. Ninety percent of the men wore tux or at least jackets. Women were all dolled up, too. We skulked around for a flash and decamped to the lounge have a drink before dinner.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia tomorrow.

Hooray! Got the IPAD app to work.....now to download picks from the camera!

This is the center high tower at Angkor Wat.

Sunset on the sea of Thailand