Circumnavigate The Globe in 123 days with Bill & Mary Ann - 2011 World Cruise

[alvee16140]

Hello Mary Ann and Bill; I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your daily reports. I am booked on the 2012 World Voyage so in addition to being entertaining, your reports also are very helpful since many of the ports will be repeated next year. Thanks Again.

[Aussie Gal]

Hi Mary Ann and Bill,

 

Another great report. I look forward to reading your report tomorrow on your visit to Ho Chi Minh city. We loved our 2 day visit back in 2008 and are repeating it next year in March. It is such a vibrant city though I hate the traffic and trying to cross the road is an adventure in itself! I believe you just walk and don't stop or look around while the motor bikes and traffic whizz around you.

 

Jennie

[Deb C.]

Am enjoying your posts as usual. Thanks for taking the time and effort to write them. I appreciate your writing style.

Sorry to hear about the change of itinerary and losing the great trip to Egypt. Hopefully Israel, etc. will be good replacements.

Have fun. Stay safe!! Deb C.

[bet410]

Bill and Mary Ann, I've been thoroughly enjoying your posts about life at sea and days in port. It makes me very anxious to embark on our World Cruise in 2012. Your writing makes me feel like I'm right there with you on the 2011 WC. I truly appreciate your efforts to write such marvelously descriptive entries!

[WCB]

Report # 67 March 11, 2011 Friday Phu My, Vietnam

 

Phu My, the port of call for today, was just a drop-off point for tours either to the seaside resort of Vung Tau or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). There is not much in Phu My except factories and dirt roads, so we chose to book a tour with our travel agency that once again took us into Ho Chi Minh. This vibrant city is located on the banks of the Saigon River, 37 miles from the South China Sea.

 

Leaving the ship at 7:30am, we had to sit on the bus, waiting for two ladies that were lost in the Queens Lounges, looking for our group. It is clearly printed on our tour tickets to meet in the Ocean Bar, but not everyone reads this essential bit of info. We must have been delayed 30 minutes, while Tom went in search of the wayward passengers. The other bus had to wait also. Since the all onboard time was 5:30pm, this would shorten our tour time.

 

The ride into the huge city took 2 hours, driving at a speed of 40 kms through miles of residential and business districts. While we took in the sites of the rice paddies and rubber plantations we passed, our guide gave us a few facts about Vietnam. To begin, there are 87 million people in the country of Vietnam. He compared the size of Vietnam to nearby Malaysia, which has the same size of square miles, but only has 27 million residents. Crowded here? You bet, incredibly crowded.

 

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly called Saigon, has a total of 10 million people and most of them, 5 million to be exact, ride on motor scooters. The rest ride in small cars, trucks, or buses. The most affordable scooters, locally built, although not the best, cost about $500. Those who can afford better ones, can pay as much as $15,000, Japanese made. We saw none of the better ones. The two and four lane highway was filled with these motor scooters, many of them loaded with three to four people. Some were packed with so much stuff, all you could see was the driver and 2 tires. We wondered how many accidents were involved with these scooters, when we were stopped dead in our tracks. There had just been an accident with a motor scooter, and the poor fellow was lying on the ground, surrounded with police. Hopefully, he was not injured too badly. Our driver sped past the scene rather too fast to find out.

 

In a two hour drive, we feel there should have been one reststop. Even though there are no suitable places for such a stop, one passenger needed to go anyway....obviously, desperately. The driver pulled over near a grove of trees, and the poor fellow went into the forest. Twenty minutes later, he needed to stop again. Only this time, two ladies joined him to what looked like a service station with no pleasant restroom. At least, that is what our guide said to discourage anyone else from getting off of the bus. This was not a clean reststop and the store owners do not like it. However, on the ride back to the ship, our driver made sure we had one stop at a cooperative restaurant.

 

Now we were really delayed. Our first stop was at the Independence Palace, formerly known as the Presidential Palace. Most every site has a former name, which changed when when the Vietnam War ended over 25 years ago. We literally ran from floor to floor, seeing reception and dining rooms, and the lavishly-decorated President's office. In the basement, we saw the American-made telecommunications equipment with strategic maps lining the walls. What we passed through quickly was the room dedicated to some of the atrocities of the Vietnam War, as seen through the eyes of the enemy at that time. Since we have toured the palace previously, we did not mind the quick visit.

 

It seemed like we were driving a long way to our next stop, but we were really just going in circles with the flow of traffic. These narrow streets were never meant to handle traffic like we saw today. We arrived at the History Museum, where we had a chance to see the collection of artifacts from the early cultures of Vietnam. It began with the bronze age Dong Son civilization, to Cham, Khmer, and the final Vietnam we see today. After seeing the museum and the shops that offered many handmade items, we were led to an outdoor water puppet show. This is an unique art form of entertainment once reserved only for kings and emperors. There was a pool of shallow water, which was surrounded with grandstands for the on-lookers. Behind a screen of cloth, there were 6 fellows who manned the puppets on long sticks. The short skit started with 2 dragons who spit water and flames of sparks at each other and us. Next came 2 sets of ducks with their ducklings, and a cat who tried to catch them. Hard to describe, it was amusing, but probably more so to young children. Or perhaps, it brought out the child in each of us. That's a good thing.

 

Several street merchants were waiting for our group as we left the museum with many treasures. Another red and black satin jacket was added to our collection for the mere price of $10. How about two pairs of designer glasses for $2? Yeah, sure, designer? We did buy a set, but really considered it a donation. They will be useful if our good ones break however.

 

Next, was lunch at a restaurant called Maxims Nam An, a short ride from the museum. It was located in the highend part of town, which included the most highend stores and opulent hotels you would find in any sophisticated city in the world. It was, to say the least, a sharp contrast from the rest of the outlying areas we had just seen. Despite the poverty we had witnessed elsewhere in the city, this area was crawling with customers.

 

The restaurant was a nice retreat. We were led through a darkly decorated hallway, opening up into a dimly-lit dining area with a center stage. This appeared to be more of a nightclub for late night revelers. Tables were set for our group of 46, with other tables left for the locals. Once we were served two drinks of our choice (soda, water, or beer), our meal was served course by course. Appetizers were rice crackers with a lotus root salad with minced shrimp and pork. Eggrolls followed with 2 small sauce bowls of sweet and hot soy and vinegar, we assume. A fish soup was placed in large bowls, one big bowl for every 4 guests. Then, steamed rice and garlic sprinkled spinach was added to the table. The entree was a plate of small bits of pork ribs cooked with a sweet and sour sauce. All of this went into our small bowl mixed together, if we wished. Dessert was a platter of fresh watermelon, mango, dragonfruit, and pineapples slices. All of this in one hour....enough time for all of us to be sufficiently filled.

 

Guess who was waiting for us when we exited the restaurant? The very same vendors that were at the museum were back again, showing us different items. This time they had "cowboy" wallets, real leather, that did not burn when they lit their lighters on it. Why in the world would they try to burn leather? Or for that matter, they try to burn sunglasses and pearls with the flame. That trick was lost to most of us that know we are buying fakes. We did pick up a few more lacquer items and postcards. Can't go wrong with postcards, 20 for $2.

 

Our next stop was at the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Post Office across the road. Once again, as in 2007, the cathedral was closed, so we had to be content with photographing the exterior, which was impressive. Briefly, a bride appeared with an entourage of camera guys taking her picture in front of the cathedral. She was whisked away as fast as she had appeared. We do remember a bridal couple having their portraits taken at the palace four years ago. They had them pose on the red carpeted stairway inside the palace, which was only permitted for kings and emperors in the old days. It is roped off for all tourists.

 

We crossed the busy road to see the inside of the post office. The architecture of this building was impressive, although our guide did not give us much information about the details. Inside the post office, the interior has a most interesting high ceiling, which may be French in origin. On either side of the front doors, are shops which are elevated up two flights of stairs. Most of the items being sold could be found outside, but for far less money.

 

Speaking of souveniers, here came the vendors again. Except this time, the girls had something we did want to buy. They sold blank cards with envelopes that have a piece of silk fabric painted on the front with different Asian designs. So we purchased 21 cards for $9........really a great deal.

 

One more stop was made at a lacquer factory, where we learned how these beautiful items were created. As we entered the building, a large signboard was there, explaining the several steps in producing these articles. What we did not realize was that many of the vases, plates, platters, and wall panels were inlaid with crushed egg shells as well as pieces mother-of-pearl. The intricate designs were being done by craftsmen, who sit for hours laying these infinitely small pieces of shells that came to life as figurines, flowers, or animals. Some artists add the painted designs, and others finished the products with many coats of clear lacquer paint. It is no wonder that these finer items cost a small fortune. In fact, it was difficult to figure out the pricing on these items, because one US dollar equaled 20,000 dong (Vietnamese money). Most articles were in the hundreds of thousands dong. A few passengers did buy some nice pieces, surely making the guide happy, since he gets a percentage of all sales from his bus.

 

When we finally got back on the bus, the same lady that was late coming to the coach this morning, had laid back her two seats in front of our seats, and refused to sit up. There was no way we could have gotten into our seats, because her head was literally in our seats. We asked her politely to sit up, and she outright refused, adding that we could sit in the back of the bus. We found that to be so rude, that we collected our stuff, and got as far away from her as we could. Actually, the five seats at the back were empty, so we had plenty of room. But we still bristled with her bad attitude.

 

What happened next, made our day. Tom, our excellent host, decided to join our bus on the way back. All of the seats were taken, except for ours that we had vacated. We had to laugh out loud when Tom told the rude lady to put her seat up so he could sit down. She didn't dare say NO to him! And that confirmed our feeling that what goes around, comes around. Thank you Tom!

 

We arrived back to the ship, but not without enjoying the ride back. By this time of day, the local motor scooter locals were on their way home, loaded down with the most unusual items. One fellow had plastic bags that carried lunch boxes that he had served during the noontime break. Another young guy had two crates balanced on his sides, full of ducks sticking their heads out of the top. Bet they thought they were going for a nice ride, but undoubtedly were on their way to a restaurant to be served for dinner. The best one we saw, was a guy with a bamboo pole that was probably 10 feet long. He carried it on his shoulder, while other fellow cyclists gave him plenty of room. Now that was an accident waiting to happen.

 

There were a few stalls set up on the pier with the usual souveniers for sale. Their prices were high and they were not willing to bargain much. So we didn't.

 

When we turned on the room TV, we were shocked to hear about the devastating 8.9 earthquake in Japan. It had just happened, so details were slow in coming. However, at that time, there were several warnings for possible tsunamis that could hit Hawaii, the west coast of the US, the Philippines, Indonesia, and where we were in the South China Sea. It could happen in a few short hours from now, so we hoped to hear some news from Captain Olaf. Just as we were thinking about an annoucement, the Captain came on the loudspeakers reassuring us that a tsunami was not expected in the area we were going to. We would be leaving as scheduled, and sailing towards Singapore as originally planned.

 

The sailaway party was just starting when we went to the aft pool deck. This is the first one they have had in weeks it seemed. The sun was setting as we traveled down the busy river on or way out to sea. We stayed until darkness fell, and did notice that the winds had picked up and the river current was causing the ship to roll and list quite a bit.

 

During dinner, it became apparent that the currents were getting even more rough. The ship was really being bounced about as we left the river and entered the South China Sea once again. If we didn't know better, we would have sworn that this was an after effect of the tsunami. Our imaginations were getting the better of us. We would be fine. Our thoughts and prayers were with the Japanese people who have endured a terrible tragedy. The news from there will only get worse, we were sure.

 

On a side note, the entertainer yesterday evening was a ventiroquist Ronn Lucas. We heard that his show was absolutely wonderful.

 

One day at sea, and we will be in Singapore, another favorite stop for us.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Aussie Gal]

Hi Mary Ann and Bill,

 

Your descriptions of the traffic was spot on and it brought back so many memories of our time in Vietnam. We are lucky enough to be returning there in September, this time to Hanoi and Halong Bay as well as Hui An so I must remember to watch the passing parade.

 

Enjoy your time in Singapore, it is a second home to us, I have lost count now how many times we have been there. It has certainly changed since our first visit back in 1978.

 

Jennie

[durangoscots]

Having had to use one of those "not so pleasant" restroom stops when our tour was delayed returning to the ship a few years ago, be very glad your bus did not stop. Those places are the stuff of nightmares!!!

 

Susan

[kazu]

so glad the two of you are ok. we were all wondering how you were making out. Thanks again for another great post - and I do agree - be grateful the bus driver did not stop. ;)

[Harry1954]

Glad you got to the puppet theater .. DW/I found that to be hilarious and we marveled at the dedication of the young folks who were swimming underwater to put on the show.

 

Give our best to all CCers left on board .. we miss you guys!

harry

[WCB]

Report # 68 March 12, 2011 Saturday Day at Sea

 

We planned on today being a relaxing one, especially after yesterday's long and hot tour. The weather remained mostly cloudy and overcast. The seas had smoothed out after a night of rocking and rolling. We'll never know if the earthquake-caused tsunami reached this area in the South China Sea or not. We had moved quickly out to sea after leaving the river in Vietnam. From previous voyages, we understand that a ship is better off away from piers if a massive wave is developing.

 

Early in the morning, we had received emails from friends that were getting ready to board the Prinsendam for her Grand Mediterranean Voyage. Their travel agents had called and informed them that their Egyptian ports had been cancelled. The new ports for them would be Dubrovnik, Croatia, and an extra day in Ashdod, Israel. Since their arrival date to Egypt was late in April, we knew for sure that our stops would also be cancelled very soon. And that's exactly what happened next.

 

The biggest news of the day was announced by Captain Olaf around noontime. A decision had finally been made to our planned ports in Egypt. Based on warnings from the US State Department, all US citizens are advised not to travel to Egypt. Since the Egyptian government institutions were restructuring, the security situation remained unresolved. Well, that's an understatement, especially from what we have been seeing on the news channels.

 

Since our safety is HAL's primary concern, the ports of Safaga (for Luxor), Sharm El Sheik, and Alexandria (for Cairo) were cancelled. Three new ports were added. First, we will stop in Salalah, Oman. Since we have toured there on three other cruises, we were not too thrilled with this port. Guess it's better than nothing. HAL really does not have to substitute ports, although we think they will go the distance to do their best.

 

The really unexpected ports will be Ashdod and Haifa in Israel. We also toured Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the Sea of Galliee extensively in 2007. However, we would like to see Tel Aviv, if possible. We will have to wait and see what tours will be available. And we are hoping that these new substitutes will be safe. Israel is also unpredictable too.

 

Since we had prepaid tours to Luxor and Alexandria well before the cruise began, the money was credited to our shipboard account. Even the port charges will be returned to us.If the new port taxes are higher, we will not be charged the difference. And to sweeten the deal, Henk, our hotel manager, will be providing complimentary wine for dinner on three select nights. We heard no complaints about that. In fact, no one we know minded the changes, since we were all apprehensive about going on any tours there.

 

At 2pm, the clocks were moved ahead by one hour. This would put us on the correct time for Singapore tomorrow. There was not much of an impact on the passengers, but we are certain that it did affect the staff, especially, the room stewards. We suspect that mid afternoon is naptime for them, so that would mean one hour less sleep. For the cooks, they would have one less hour to prepare dinner, and so on and so forth. Luckily, we have only done this once on this westbound trip, unlike the 2010 world cruise, when the clocks went ahead every few days because they were primarily heading eastbound.

 

Our big job for the day, was to collect our passports at the front desk, get some Singapore dollars, and get a shipboard account statement to check to make sure it is correct. It is easier to do it every few weeks instead of waiting for segment time. If there is a discrepancy, the lines can be long with people getting ready to disembark. We also took this opportunity to fill out a request for replacement for lost laundry items. We are missing two items of clothing now, and are nervous about what we send out. Filling out the laundry forms, we are making sure we put descriptions on most items of clothing we turn in. If we are missing something, we have to know the color, size, and brand of clothing so it can be found. This has never happened to us on previous cruises, so it's hard to figure out.

 

We were all back to the dinner table this evening, with the exception of Ellen, who had taken her group of 14 to Cambodia for 2 nights and 3 days touring Angkor Wat. They had left yesterday from the airport in Ho Chi Minh and would return tomorrow on our first day in Singapore. Our tablemates had mixed experiences at the Murder Mystery Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. The four ladies that had formed their own group had a wonderful time, while one couple, Sue and Laurie, shared a table with strangers. They did not have such a great time. Great info for us, if we ever decide to try it.

 

All of us were determined to get to bed early, since tomorrow would be a really busy day for us in the fabulous city of Singapore. Can't wait!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Padraic]

Thank you for the update on the situation on the Egyptian ports. My wife and I will be joining you folks on the Amsterdam on the 25th of this month. We had not yet heard anything from HAL but my wife was sure that we would not be visiting Egypt, I was still hopeful. I assume that the stop in Aqaba is still on although there has been demnstrations in Jordan. I certainly want to see Petra. Thanks for the wonderful posts as you travel.

[kazu]

Bill & Mary Ann - another great report. :) Not surprised about your ports changing, but it sounds like HAL is trying at least to make amends with the wine & port charges. Kind of nice.

 

I think your missing laundry will be found - I hope. Good luck

[bigdipper]

Bill and Mary Ann,

Since you are now going to Israel, I want to offer a recommendation for private tour opportunity per the link here. We spent 2 days with Dina, one from Haifa into Galilee and a second from Ashdod to Beersheba, Masada, etc.

In both instances the itinerary was completely specified by us. Dina comes across as professional, dedicated and competent. She is very well versed in Christian theology and sites. Ditto Jewish History. She can tell you when you cross borders between original 12 tribes it that happens to be your thing.

 

http://www.****************/tour-guide-dina-horn-2909.aspx

 

Ralph

[bigdipper]

Looks like CC isn't letting me copy/paste a URL. Just Google Dina Horn Israel tour guide. If that doesn't work and you are interested email me at ralphb@commspeed.net.

Ralph

[ellbelle]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

I want to thank you as well for taking the time to post. My favorite part of the day is opening my email to see if you have posted another report!

 

I had to laugh about your missing mexican food. I am from Modesto so mexican food is abundant, comparable to Starbucks/Taqueira where there's one on every corner. The first meal home after traveling is ALWAYS mexican.

 

If Ronn Lucas is still onboard and has another show hopefully you can make it. We have seen him in Las Vegas before and is excellent. We would pay to see him again.

[Georgiane]

Thanks for all your wonderful reports. I have to agree, whenever we leave the country the first stop (usually the day we get back) is to stop at our favorite little Mexican Restaurant. We are also from California - best Mexican Food!!!

 

Stay safe and keep up the great reports...

[WCB]

Report # 69 March 13, 2011 Sunday Singapore, Republic of Singapore Day 1

 

We arrived at the port of Singapore, an island country which is also the smallest country in Southeast Asia. Located on the tip of the Malay peninsula, modern day Singapore is the 22nd wealthiest country in the world. It is also the cleanest and safest city we have ever visited. Due to their excellent public transport system, nearly half of the population uses that system daily. Owning cars is a very expensive venture here, so few people can afford to drive one. It has kept the city's pollution levels quite low, well within the World Health Organization standards.

 

Since we have taken about every tour offered here, we decided to take their public transit called the MRT. It can be accessed right at the end of the Harbourfront Mall, where we disembark. This is not the easiest place to go ashore. Yesterday, we all had to collect our passports at the front desk to take with us when we went off of the ship in Singapore.

 

We had to walk a distance from the ship to the checkpoint. Singaporean officials scanned the passports, then we proceeded through the xray machine with our bags and cameras. Once past this point, we literally were in the Harbourfront Mall. From there, we followed the signs to the underground mass transit system.

 

We have done this on the last two world cruise. It was easy to buy an all-day MRT pass for $18 Singapore dollars each. You can ride the four different lines from one end the the city to the other all day, getting off and on at any stop we wished. At the end of our day journey, we surrendered the passes and received $10 back for each pass. We calculated we spent a total of $12.80 US to ride all day. Yes, the trains did get crowded by the late afternoon, but we managed it just fine.

 

Our first destination was to Little India, an area known for Indian spices, foods, and colorful clothing and jewelry. It was like stepping into the streets of Mumbai, only cleaner. It didn't take long to find four sari-length (5.25 meters) fabrics. With that much yardage (over 6 yards each), it will not be a problem creating a few formal dresses or blouses at home.

 

It had rained before we arrived to Little India, and it continued as we made our way back towards the MRT. Near the entrance was a large complex called Tekka Centre, where silver, brass, and exotic jewelry was sold. Next to this, was a complete food market with an attached food court. In the market, we saw many veggie and fruit booths, as well as chicken, fish, pork, and lamb butcheries. The strong scent of curry and other spices filled the air. It was also very, very crowded, we think, because it was Sunday and most families were out shopping and eating.

 

We got back on the train, but this time we took the line that would take us to south Marina Bay. Recently, we had watched a very detailed TV program about a new and most impressive state-of-the-art hotel being built on the Marina Bay. Hoping to find it, we followed the crowd when we exited the station. Lo and behold, there she was, three tall towers of hotel with a long and narrow park on the top. The Marina Bay Sands Shoppes, a massive 3 story mall filled with hundreds of stores, restaurants, an expo and convention center, theaters, and two stories of casinos was built across the street from the hotel.

 

Walking from the MRT to this area that faced the Marina Bay was a long 10 minute hike. Long, because the sun had come out and the heat and humidity were oppressive. We bet in time, the MRT will extend to here with an air-conditioned walkway to the mall and connecting hotel. There was a set of misters overhead through a series of newly-planted palm trees. However, it was so darn hot, that the mist never came down low enough to do any good.

 

Not really interested in highend shopping, we tried to find our way through the mall to the skywalk that connected to the hotel. Well, it was not so easy. One information gal said to go to the Casino on the second floor, using the up and down escalators. We did find the Casino on the second level, but failed to see the unmarked entrance to the skyway. There were two lanes set up to enter the Casino, where we were summoned by the waiting guard. Guess he thought we were interested in gambling. He asked to see our passports, then allowed us to enter this venue. The Casino was huge and very busy with hopeful gamblers. We realized this was not the way, so we exited pass the guards before we were tempted to try our luck. Being asked to see our passports was strange. But then, we remembered being told that if you won any money in a foreign casino, you needed a passport in order to collect your winnings.

 

Eventually we found an entrance, after leaving the mall, crossing the road, and walking to the far end of the hotel. The Sky Park on top was only accessible by a special elevator which cost 20. Singapore dollars to use to go up. In light of the many earthquakes happening in this part of the world, we did not feel the need to go up there at this time. Of course, it would be just as dangerous walking the streets down below as well. The three towers of the hotel could be seen from the inside. Actually, we thought the mall across the street was even nicer, but as hotels go, this one was most unique. The usual restaurants and shops flanked the hallways of the lobby. In total, we spent about two hours just walking these two venues, so it was time to continue onward.

 

Beyond the Marina Bay, was the 541 foot Singapore Flyer, the world's tallest observation wheel, 90 feet taller than the London Eye. Wish we had time to go for the "flight", but it was moving so slowly, that it would take too long today. We read that you could see from Marina Bay to the Singapore River, Raffles, Merlion Park, and Empress Place. Maybe we can try for the SkyPark and the Flyer on our next visit, God-willing.

 

Time to go, we headed back to the MRT, and went north to Orchard Road, where we knew we would find the Hard Rock Cafe. Even though it was geting on towards 3pm, it was crowded everywhere. Lucky for us, there was a booth available, and we ordered light Cokes and the haystack chicken salads. Don't know what was better.......the ice cold sodas, the salads, or just being able to sit down and relax for an hour. All of the above! It was also the place to buy a Hard Rock city T-shirt on the way out.

 

We headed south to the City Hall stop, then transferred up to the Bugis stop. We found ourselves near the Arab district where there are several mosques, spices, and handicrafts. And guess what.....more shopping. But the most crammed place we could have walked was called Bugis Street, a walkway that went into a market full of stalls and people. We felt like ants in a nest! Halfway into the mess, we wanted OUT, but there was no going back. We moved with the crowd until we exited the other end. How in the world the vendors control shoplifting, we will never know. Oh, maybe it is something that is punishable by prison here. In fact, possessing or selling illegal drugs is punishable by death, according to the signs everywhere you go. We think they mean it too. There are a lot of "don'ts" here, such as no gum, chewing tobacco, pistol or revolver-shaped cigarette lighters, illegal drugs, fireworks, or obscene articles.

 

Knowing we were close to the City Hall stop, we decided to walk to Raffles Hotel. It really wasn't as far as it looked on the ship's map, and we found it in about 20 minutes. The Raffles Hotel is one of the few buildings that dates back to 1819, and once inside the courtyard, you feel like you have stepped back in time. Built in the British colonial-type architecture, we have always enjoyed sitting at the outdoor courtyard bar, and sipping on ice cold beers. These drinks came at a dear price, however, like 21.50 Singapore dollars, which is $17.20 US. That was for one! They were Tiger beers and the larger size, one pint. And did they taste good.....you bet!

 

Figuring that we had time for one more stop, we headed for Clarke Quay on the Singapore River. Many shops, cafes, and bars line this part of the river. There was even an arts and crafts market set up there. From Friday through Sunday, this market sets up at 5pm, so we had accidently timed that right. All the venues were full of Sunday afternoon families enjoying the last hours of the weekend. One interesting thing we saw, was a swing ride that cranked up four young fellows, and proceeded to let them go in a high-diving swing motion. You could hear them from a mile away as they screamed like little kids. Nice to be young and crazy right?

 

The only place we missed was Chinatown on our way back to Harbourside and the ship. We had literally run out of steam, and it had gotten so late, we would have just enough time to go through the passport and bag check again, clean up, and go to dinner at 8pm. Since the MRT cards were only good for one day, we turned them in at the kiosk, and got 20 Singapore dollars back, just like promised. Easy.

 

Dinner was good, as usual, and Ellen had come back from her overland trip. Since we are staying overnight in Singapore, Sue and Laurie were out to dinner onshore. The six of us had a nice relaxed dinner, and all retired afterwards, we think. There was a good flic in the Queens Lounge tonight.....Black Swan. Ellen and Barb may have gone there to see it. As for us, it was all we could do to make it back to the room. Tired could not describe how we were feeling. We did take the time to walk the promenade deck, checking out the harbor traffic and lights coming from the city and Sentosa Island. The gondolas from the overhead cable car system were lit up like small satellites as they made their way back and forth literally over the ship.

 

Tomorrow would be a short day, because all onboard time will be 1pm for a sailaway planned at 3pm.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 70 March 14, 2011 Monday Singapore, Republic of Singapore Day 2

 

The day started out as good as any other, but would not end up that way. We really did not realize how far we had walked when we ventured out yesterday, but it took a toll on Bill's knee. We both did get a good night's rest, but the knee was still sensitive. For that reason, staying nearby and exploring the shopping centers at the pier was a better idea for today.

 

Taking our time at breakfast in the dining room this morning, we left the ship by 10am. Before we left, we always walk the promenade deck to check on the weather, if it was going to be hot or rainy. It looked like both, so dress light and take umbrellas. It always rains here in Singapore, since it lies almost on the Equator.

 

What a surprise it was to see that the Crystal Serenity had docked across from us in the harbor. She's a beautiful vessel, but not the one that was doing a world cruise, we thought. Another great surprise, was running right into super friends, Lynn and Buddy, who were indeed traveling on the Serenity, hosting a group from our travel agency. They were so happy to see so many cruise friends as they poured out into the hallway. Already, they were with Ellen, who was waiting for Barb to join them. Buddy was the dentist onboard the 2005 world cruise, where we first met him and his lovely wife, Lynn. They joined a few world cruises after he retired from the dentistry, and since this last year, they have gone to work being hosts. How lucky for them to land the Crystal ship. They had to admit they are probably spoiled forever after sailing with Crystal, but we are sure it is no replacement for the many dear friends they know on the Amsterdam. In a short time, they were surrounded with many people clammering to say hi. So we wished them well and promised to stay in touch via email as we always do.

 

Our time was really limited today, because the all aboard time was 1pm. The Singaporean officials needed two hours to process the passports, we were told by Captain Olaf. So we went off in search of some pain meds for Bill's sore knee. The pharmacy in Harbourfront was so small, all they carried was aspirin. They sent us off to the adjoining shopping mall called Vivo. We never knew that was attached to this mall, so it was a new place to stroll through.

 

This mall was really nice, but large. Asking directions worked well, since we located a much larger drug store downstairs. They did have Aleve, so we hoped that worked better. We managed to spend the rest of our Singapore money on a small Chinese windchime that was promised to bring luck. We needed some of that sooner than later.

 

There was enough time for us to find the entrance to the Singapore Cable Car in the nearby tower next to the shopping center. This ride from here would take you to Sentosa Island, which is a resort island featuring a sheltered beach a historical fort with World War Two memoribilia, and 2 golf courses and 2 hotels. The ticket office in the tower was selling day passes that included many of the attractions on the island. You needed a full day to take advantage of this gondola ride. We did do a tour here many years ago, but it may be fun to go back. Nightime over there is fun, because there is a laser light show and musical venues with bands.

 

The line was backed up at the passport check. Since there was another large ship in port, we were sharing the services with their passengers too. We did make it back to the ship on time, but had a mishap boarding. The gangplank suddenly dropped at a steep angle, and Bill's knee was injured even more. Actually, to the point he could not walk. The security fellows wanted to get a wheelchair for him, but he said no, and waited it out for a moment. Ina few minutes, he was able to hop over to a nearby couch situated near the entrance. An elderly lady was already sitting there, and knew from the way he was moving, that the knee hurt badly. It was surprising how many people we barely knew asked if he was OK. Knowing he was uncomfortable with the attention, she told Bill to just tell people we were waiting for friends. She was also sitting there before she could continue to move again. Her problem was sore legs, so she understood.

 

Out of the blue, Barbie appeared and sat there with us. Standing across from us, was the ship's lead nurse, who was waiting for a patient to come back from a hospital visit. She suggested that we get some ice on the knee, take the Aleve, and borrow a cane from the medical office. Judging from her quick response, we suppose that these injuries are quite common here. It doesn't matter what age you are, knees are tricky things, especially on a moving ship.

 

I went to the room to get an ace bandage I already had brought for my sprained ankle back in January. Wrapped tightly, it did help Bill make his way to the elevator and get back to the room. It is now 9pm, and he has iced it and kept it elevated. But by the looks of things, we will probably lay low for the next three days while we are at sea. Thank goodness for that.

 

Bruce, the CD, was still calling passengers to turn in their passports at 3pm. We could not leave until all had been checked by the authorities. I think the ship left around 3:30 or so, but we did miss the sailaway of course. It was raining anyway, so the party would have been moved to the promenade deck or the Crows Nest.

 

The afternoon slipped away as we caught up on reports and downloading pictures. Bill's knee was not much better, so we passed on going to the dining room for dinner, and ordered room service instead. the chef salads and cheeseburgers were the best.

 

And our clocks went back tonight, giving us back the hour we lost two days ago. Good, an extra hour of rest will do us both good.

 

Hope the windchime starts bringing us better luck from now on!! One of us needs it and quickly.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann & Bill,

 

What a wonderful post about Singapore. I followed your every move and could feel the heat as we know how hot and humid Singapore can be. I felt sorry for you when you were in the market area of Bugis Street as it is quite stifling and one feels overwhelmed with the crowds but I did enjoy your stop at Raffles as it is a great place to relax.

 

I gather from your description of the new Casino, that isn't really worthwhile going over there especially as there is quite a walk from the MRT. That is one area we haven't explored as yet. We will be there again next March, so we may get to visit the Marina Casino then.

 

Jennie

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

I have just read about the mishap with Bill's knee. I do hope that the next 3 days will help him to heal and you will be able to go ashore at your next port.

 

What bad luck. As you said it doesn't matter what age you are, these things do happen and at the most unsuspecting times.

 

Thinking of you Bill and hoping you will soon be back to normal.

 

Jennie

[ricki]

Crystal Serenity is in Singapore as part of the World Cruise. She is a beautiful ship, as is the Symphony. We have several friends on board currently, and in their emails they remarked on seeing the Amsterdam.

 

Hope Bill's knee is better!

 

Ricki

[Captain Canuck]

I have a torn acl..plus arthritis...what i find that really helps is a neoprene knee brace..it has velcro snaps so it fits most sizes...mostly gives some support and keeps the knee warm..works like an ace bandage only better...also take ibuprofin...reduces inflamation...

 

and although I do not normally drink a medicinal rum and coke works for the pain

 

hope your knee gets better

[Rivergirl77]

Mary Ann, am enjoying your blog immensely. Sorry to hear about Bill's knee, hope it gets better soon. You mentioned uploading photos. Have you got a place online where you are posting any pics?

 

Thanks once again

 

Robyn

[kazu]

oh dear Bill and Mary Ann :eek: I do hope Bill is better in very short order. Take care of yourself Bill (I'm sure Mary Ann is taking care of you) :)

[bet410]

Having experienced my own share of knee problems (including two replacements), I can definitely sympathize with Bill and hope that he's able to recover quickly! It's so hard when you're traveling and trying to get out and about. The sea days will really help I'm sure. Hope he gets through this quickly!