Enjoy the "Treasures of the World" with Bill & Mary Ann on the 2014 World Cruise

[judithbiggs]

Glenn and I are really enjoying your posts. We really miss it all. Glad you enjoyed BLT in the mall. Glenn and I loved going there each time we were in Hong Kong. Eddie is 90. Good friend of my parents when they took world cruises. Please tell him hi for us Can you tell us who the bridge directors are? Very curious if they have changed since the last time we were on.

 

Judy and Glenn

[shrimp56]

Thank you so much for the "family affair" in keeping us pictured and posted. I've just caught up after an 8 day Caribbean cruise on Celebrity. Their internet isn't any better.

[WCB]

Report # 67 Sailing Towards Singapore March 6, 2014 Thursday Partly cloudy, 80 degrees

 

Day two at sea after leaving Hong Kong found us sailing in smooth waters with temperatures and humidity soaring towards hot and sticky. It was to be expected as we are heading south towards the Equator once again. Time for lots of sunscreen once again. Good time as any for another Safety of Life at Sea, a fire drill for the crew only. It seems like these have been happening less and less, so it probably depends on our location as to their frequency. Speaking of safety, we have been wondering if the Amsterdam will get razorwire when we get into possibly dangerous waters. Just because we have not heard news of pirate attacks, it does not mean that it has not been occuring. We will have to be patient and wait to see.

 

The turbulent times of Thailand was the subject discussed by Mr. Foster at todays lecture. Our one and only stop in Thailand will be Phuket once again. We have not visited Bangkok for several years now, and we doubt we will anytime soon. The country has been having some major political problems followed with violence, so that has slowed the tourism industry for sure. And the South China Sea was the subject of the afternoon talk by Mr. Stoddart.

 

We are happy to try and find the talk that Barbara gave on the upcoming port of Singapore. Everytime, without fail, we turn on the TV, we happen to miss her talk. It alternates with the guest speakers lectures from the day before. Since we plan on taking the MRT, the underground transit system, we are planning our routes for both days we will be in Singapore. We hope to take in the Gardens by the Bay, which is located near the impressive Marina Bay Sand complex. That should take care of a whole day in itself. Another place we always make it a point to explore is the National Orchid Gardens within the Botanical Gardens.

 

The Red Lantern Dinner was held in the dining room this evening. It was formal, and everyone was encouraged to don their Chinese clothing that matched the waiters and the red lantern decorations. It is one of our favorite formals, along with the Asian-type menu for dnner. The crunchy spring rolls were tasty, as was the vegetarian noddle and veggie entree we shared. One of us had the lobster and steak entree, while the other, not trusting the Chinese fare may contain oyster or clam sauce, created an entree of caesar salad with a grilled chicken breast. Excellent.

 

The entertainment in the showlounge was a group of four young fellows called Metro. Their music embraced pop, doo-wop, rock, R&B, Broadway and jazz. Will report on it tomorrow.

 

During the late hours of the night, many fishing boats could be sighted from our window. They lit up the horizon as they use a bright light to fish in the dark.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[lagunaman]

Report # 67 Sailing Towards Singapore March 6, 2014 Thursday Partly cloudy, 80 degrees

 

Day two at sea after leaving Hong Kong found us sailing in smooth waters with temperatures and humidity soaring towards hot and sticky. It was to be expected as we are heading south towards the Equator once again. Time for lots of sunscreen once again. Good time as any for another Safety of Life at Sea, a fire drill for the crew only. It seems like these have been happening less and less, so it probably depends on our location as to their frequency. Speaking of safety, we have been wondering if the Amsterdam will get razorwire when we get into possibly dangerous waters. Just because we have not heard news of pirate attacks, it does not mean that it has not been occuring. We will have to be patient and wait to see.

 

The turbulent times of Thailand was the subject discussed by Mr. Foster at todays lecture. Our one and only stop in Thailand will be Phuket once again. We have not visited Bangkok for several years now, and we doubt we will anytime soon. The country has been having some major political problems followed with violence, so that has slowed the tourism industry for sure. And the South China Sea was the subject of the afternoon talk by Mr. Stoddart.

 

We are happy to try and find the talk that Barbara gave on the upcoming port of Singapore. Everytime, without fail, we turn on the TV, we happen to miss her talk. It alternates with the guest speakers lectures from the day before. Since we plan on taking the MRT, the underground transit system, we are planning our routes for both days we will be in Singapore. We hope to take in the Gardens by the Bay, which is located near the impressive Marina Bay Sand complex. That should take care of a whole day in itself. Another place we always make it a point to explore is the National Orchid Gardens within the Botanical Gardens.

 

The Red Lantern Dinner was held in the dining room this evening. It was formal, and everyone was encouraged to don their Chinese clothing that matched the waiters and the red lantern decorations. It is one of our favorite formals, along with the Asian-type menu for dnner. The crunchy spring rolls were tasty, as was the vegetarian noddle and veggie entree we shared. One of us had the lobster and steak entree, while the other, not trusting the Chinese fare may contain oyster or clam sauce, created an entree of caesar salad with a grilled chicken breast. Excellent.

 

The entertainment in the showlounge was a group of four young fellows called Metro. Their music embraced pop, doo-wop, rock, R&B, Broadway and jazz. Will report on it tomorrow.

 

During the late hours of the night, many fishing boats could be sighted from our window. They lit up the horizon as they use a bright light to fish in the dark.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

Just to assure you that there are absolutely no problems in Phuket and even Bangkok is fine to visit,protests now are much smaller and confined to an area in Lumpini Park,the media always exaggerates !

 

I recommended my area of Laguna-but possibly too far for you to visit with limited time, great option would be to go to Phang Na Bay/Pi Pi Island or just enjoy local beach areas closer to the port, like Karon and Kata--the Andaman Sea is always very warm

 

Also, an hour or so in commercial Patong can be OK, the Jungceylon centre is great for Thai souvenir shopping

 

If you have a chance-nice to say hello again-076 527594 ext:112

 

Whatever you decide,have a great day here next week (weather is very good and sunny) and continue to enjoy your wonderful cruise !

 

John

[bet410]

In addition to enjoying this blog, I've finally started reading your blog from the 2013 cruise. Since we were on the cruise, we didn't have a chance to read it.

 

Imagine my surprise when I found myself mentioned (not by name) in your Picton entry. I was the one who asked about the cork forking when we were on the Marlborough High Country shore excursion. I never did get up to your table to see it last year. Maybe next year as we'll be back on board for the 2015 cruise. I am curious!!! ;)

[WCB]

Report # 68 Sailing Towards Singapore March 7, 2014 Friday Partly cloudy, mostly sunny, 80 degrees

 

Not a surprise, it was hot and sticky today as we headed directly south and closer to that Equator line. What we have found surprising is the constant little bits of garbage we have been seeing floating by the ship day and night. We are miles away from the coastline of Vietnam, but this trash must be coming from rivers that dump into the ocean. And here on the ship, we are horrified when a cocktail napkin or daily newpaper flies overboard. The "green police" of the world should be here to see this trash. On one trip, we remember rafts of paper and plastic garbage floating by the ship. Totally unbelieveable. At that time, we may have been sailing in between islands of Indonesia, and the garbage rafts must have washed downstream from powerful rain storms that hit there. We wonder if this affects the abundance of fish we have been hoping to see? Small or large, we have seen little these days at sea.

 

We had to turn in the arrival and departure cards for Thailand this morning. While there, it was a good time to pick up our passports, which we will need to take with us when we leave the ship tomorrow in Singapore. It is one of the few cities in the world where you need to have proper ID with you at all times. A drivers license or a copy of your passport will not do. Even the newer passport cards will not be accepted, as some folks found out a few years ago. As long as one of us had to stand in a long line to do these things, it was a good time to buy some Singapore dollars as well. We could do this on shore, but why waste one minute of our time doing that?

 

After getting in some tanning time, actually going in the pool today, we went back to the room to watch a movie and have room service lunch for a change. Cool salads and club sandwiches hit the spot. The room service waiter called and said they had no potato chips and would have to substitute potato salad. Cannot believe there are no chips on the entire ship, since they restocked their stores while in Hong Kong. We hate to complain, but the room service is spotty. Remember the good old days when your tray came with a small vase of flowers? Well that only happened once. Good thing we saved the small salt and pepper shakers from our last room service, because those are seldom included either. Asking specifically for regular thousand island dressing, we ended up getting the diet stuff.....yuck. We will survive, and hope that sometime, they will get everything correct. Perhaps it is a problem with the language when ordering, who knows?

 

While eating, we watched a movie called Philomena with Judi Dench. It was excellent, and made up for the shortcomings of the lunch. Finally a movie that was not bloody violent or R-rated due to spicy potty language or nudity. It was based on a true story of a young single mother searching for her now adult son who had been sold as a child from an orphange in a convent. Sad story, but true.

 

We learned today that one of our room stewards is leaving tomorrow in Singapore. It will be the end of his 10 month contract. The team we have now has been so speedy cleaning our room daily, we surely will miss one of them. Hope the new guy is just as efficient and friendly. We are happy for him, since he is so excited about seeing his kids and wife very soon.

 

Guest speakers continued their series of talks today. Mr.Stoddart addressed the great city of Singapore's past and present. Melvin Foster spoke about legends and lore of seafaring sailors and the Seven Seas that they roamed. Celebrity chef Pranee whipped up an array of Thai dishes for the folks in the Culinary Arts Center. And Barbara H had a talk about things to do and see in Patong Bay in Phuket.

 

If we have not mentioned it yet, the bridge teachers, Karen and David, have given beginners and intermediate classes every sea day. And the Casino has had numerous activities daily such as Texas hold'em and slot tournaments. And of course, who could forget BINGO, which happens every sea day as well. Three cards are $15 and six cards are $25. Sometimes the drinks are buy one get one for $1 during the bingo game (select beverages only).

 

As far as the entertainment went last night in the showlounge, the four guy group Metro was rated as OK, but not exactly the type of singing group we usually expect on a world cruise. Perhaps they may have been more suitable for a Carnival cruise instead, according to our tablemates, since they would appeal to a much younger crowd. This was funny at the aft pool today. Three of the Metro fellows arrived to the aft pool for sunning and swimming. However, they made a huge mistake.....they came without footwear. Everyone knows that the teak decking has been replaced with the hottest plastic-type surface known to mankind. When the kids hit that floor, they ran like crazy to get to a chaise lounge. Bet they do not do that again. One day we are going to find a raw egg, and see if we can fry it on that decking.

 

This evening a musician by the name of Rustem Hayroudinoff should wow the crowd of guests. According to Maureen, the craft teacher who dined with us last night, said his show was one not to be missed. Again, we will let you all know tomorrow.

 

Looking forward to two marathon days in Singapore, or Singha Pura, the Lion City as it was once known.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[bcnvcanada]

Love your blog. Be use to have a couple of Tiger Beers, one our favourites.

[WJBWJB]

Hi All

 

The blog web page is now caught up to Report 68. Enjoy :)

 

Will try to back fill reports during this weekend.

 

Thanks for viewing!

 

http://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com/

[TiogaCruiser]

Maryann, Bill and WJBWJB

Thank you all for the wonderful reports, and now blog. Wow! I really appreciate and enjoy it.

 

Anyone: what is the "light show" referred to in Hong Kong? Is it just lit up buildings or more?

[bet410]

Maryann, Bill and WJBWJB

Thank you all for the wonderful reports, and now blog. Wow! I really appreciate and enjoy it.

 

Anyone: what is the "light show" referred to in Hong Kong? Is it just lit up buildings or more?

 

Here's some info on the nightly laser show in Hong Kong:

 

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/highlight-attractions/harbour-view/a-symphony-of-lights.jsp

 

It can be seen from the ship, but you can't hear the music from there.

[WCB]

Report # 69 Singapore March 8, 2014 Partly cloudy. 90 degrees, very humid

 

Singapore is hands down, one of the world's most affluent and vibrant cities. A city that we have had the pleasure of visiting many times on past cruises over the years. It has not been that many years since a British colonial administrator by the name of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived to Singapore to find it a tiny fishing village. He was responsible for the establishment of the East India Company, and Singapore becoming a major British trading post in Southeast Asia. World War II was not kind to the city, as it was under Japanese occupation for at least three years. By 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia, and became an independant republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. Who makes up the citizens of this country? Try Singaporeans, Chinese, Indians, Muslims, and international workers from all around the world.

 

We have taken every tour here, either from a cruise ship or while staying several days at hotels before joining a ship. The best way to see the majority of sites in the city is by the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)....much like BART that we have in the San Francisco Bay Area. Only bigger and way better, in our opinion. Since today was a Saturday, we knew the trains and malls would be full of the locals shopping and enjoying their city. So we headed out about 10am to buy our tickets for the MRT. As recent as last year, we have always been able to purchase a two day pass for $16. plus a $10. refundable fee. That's Singapore money, which is $1.25 to our $1.US. Now that extra $10. is not refundable, but entitled us to a ride on the FunVee bus and also a ride on a riverboat called the Bubble Jet Adventure. With their new map, we should be able to follow our routes easily on the five different lines of trains, connecting buses, and the new bus and boat rides.

 

Getting off of the ship is not an easy task, especially if you do not like walking. It is a long hike just to reach the immigrations checkpoint, where normally there is a back-up of folks trying to get through at the same time. By the time we left, however, there was no line, and we passed through within minutes. Passports were checked along with our stamped arrival cards. Then we were free to go.

 

The train begins here at HarbourFront, which happens to be connected to a huge mall. Everything is connected to huge malls in this city. So much so, that you can spend days underground and not cover all of it. More about that later. Our first stop was at Chinatown. Once you leave the train, you need to follow the signs to the exit you want. That could mean taking escalators up several levels before you reach daylight. It did help to take photos along the way, noting the signage. That way, we could always find our way back to the correct entrance. Anyway at Chinatown, we went in search of an old fashioned hand held calculator. We found some in a kiosk that sold pens, pencils, tablets, and lots of cute stuff for kids. They were only $3., so we bought two of them. We always carry one to keep track of our purchases and to help with the conversion amounts. We do have a printed card that the ship gives us with the pier info and port agent info on it. A sample of US dollars to the local currency is printed from $1. to $1000. But a quicker way to figure an exact amount is with the calculator.

 

Back to the MRT, we continued on to Little India, where we checked out the shops with fabrics. Not seeing anything that popped out as special, we bought nothing. There literally is so much to choose from, it is hard to narrow it down. And one of us has so much already to tackle in the sewing department, it was wise not at add to the already too large collection. Photos were the best thing to come away with here. Making it a point to walk through their food market, we got terrific pictures of the meat, fish, poultry, beef and sheep markets. Fresh produce was being sold by the ton today, because it was a Saturday, a big shopping day for the locals. You know what else is cool here is the architecture and colors of the buildings. Some local Indian artists were sketching the old ornate buildings from the sidewalks as we strolled by them. We did not leave empty-handed as we purchased a conservative? pair of inexpensive diamond earrings on the way back to the train.

 

One of the best spots to spend some significant time is at the Botanic Gardens. That involved continuing up the purple line, then transferring to the yellow line. Botanic Gardens was the stop, and once you exit the MRT, the gate is right there to enter the park for free, we might add. We were in for a bit of a shock when we saw the dry condition of the open fields of this huge park established in 1859. Usually green expanses of grass kept the park looking as tropical as you can imagine. Now it reminded us of the conditions we have in California.....brown and dry. Being so close to the Equator, Singapore has always been known to get copious amounts of rainfall. So they must also be in a drought situation. Even the lakes, such as Symphony Lake, was down over 10 or more feet, as we could see sandy banks where water should have been. Turtles and large fish were surfacing constantly, gulping air as the green waters were heating up. Speaking of heat, it was almost unbearable today. Despite some cloud cover, there was barely a breeze, and with the high humidity, 90 degrees felt like 190 degrees. The good news is that there are plenty of places to buy cold canned drinks from machines, and plenty of restrooms available everywhere you go. Bringing water from the ship was also essential. Surprisingly, there were few people in this park today. Our guess is that it was too darned hot outside.

 

The neatest place to walk through in this garden is the smaller National Orchid Garden. For a whopping dollar (the senior fare), we were treated to the biggest variety of tropical orchids that exist in the world. Their orchid breeding program began in 1928, when over 1000 species and 2000 hybrid crosses were eventually born, so to speak. At least this area of the park has been kept watered, since they cannot risk losing any of these priceless plants. We did notice that the frangipani trees were under stress. Leaves had fallen off, like they do when they go dormant, which usually does not occur here. The flowers were few and far in between also. The most welcomed highlight here is the Cool House. Exactly like it sounds, the Cool House is enclosed and cooled down with misty water, fountains, and waterfalls. The carnivirous plants are interesting, since they are capable of attracting and consuming insects. Special blooming orchids are draped over rocks and placed in trees. The rest of the vegetation is what one might find in higher elevations in the tropics. The bad thing is that it ends all too soon. Once out the double doors, you are back in the reality of heat and humidity. The next best place to cool down is their gift shop, where they sell the Risis orchid jewelry. Real orchids dipped in many layers of nickel and other metals preserve the flowers forever and make a wonderful keepsake from this garden. One of us already owns a set, that was purchased several years ago at a much better price than we see today. We would say perhaps half of the current price. Since we had spent a couple of hours here at the park, we knew it was time to start heading back to the train.

 

Best be heading for lunch, since it was nearing 3pm. A favorite place for us is the Hard Rock Cafe, located near the Orchard Road exit. That meant taking the red

line from the yellow line. That part was easy, but remembering the way out of the gigantic shopping mall was another thing. Last year, we put the directions in our report, so this year, it was easy to weave our way up and out. Not that hungry, we shared an appetizer of chicken tenders and ice cold beers. Remember we said that Singapore is the most expensive city in the world? Well, the bill came to over $55. Singapore dollars, because two taxes are added, making the prices double of what we pay at home. Normally we order the chicken haystack salads, but sadly, they were not on the menu. Nearby the HRC was an interesting Italian restaurant wth wood-fired pizza. Perhaps we can try that tomorrow.

 

We made one last stop at Clarke Quay on the Singapore River. Since it was Saturday and already after 5pm, the place was beginning to get crowded. It was happy hour at most all the cafes and bars facing the river. It was also a good time for us to enjoy some creamy ice cream. Walking across the bridge, we watched the many riverboats carrying tourists up and down the waterway. This is where we can catch the Bubble Jet Boat if we choose to do it tomorrow. Inquiring as to how that worked, the fellow in the kiosk told us he needed to see our MRT cards along with our passports. We are not too comfortable with that, since it is obvious we are tourists.

 

The MRT was getting very crowded now with the locals heading home or out for the evening. By the time we got back to HarbourFront, it was after 7pm. We had just enough time to clean upand head for dnner. Expecting to be alone at dinner, we were surprised to have Bill & Marianne show up wth guests. Two ladies were in tow and one of them was Pranee, the guest chef sailing with us. She was joined by her longtime girlfriend, both of them from Seattle. We had a most pleasant meal, sharing lots of info and stories with each other. Pranee talked a lot about Thai cooking of course, having grown up in Phuket. She also recommended many things to do while in Thailand next week. As for the dinner menu, we both ordered the prime rib, only to discover it was not as good as it should have been. It is a hit or miss deal with that entree. Tonight, the meat was tough and tasteless. Doubt we will order that meal again.

 

Around 9:30pm, we spotted fireworks going off near Sentosa Island. We got the hint when our super nice waiter mentioned that we could see it better from the promenade deck. Duh, if we all left, our waiters could get off the ship for some free time. Of course, we took the hint and headed off to bed.

 

Tomorrow will be another long day, although all aboard time is 4:30pm.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Great to hear from you John Z. We are planning a lazy day in Phuket.

[erewhon]

Thanks for your updates.

[WCB]

Report # 70 Singapore March 9, 2014 Day Two Partly cloudy, 91 degrees

 

You know what? We have never been to Singapore that it did not rain sometime during the day or evening. However, today looked like it was going to be a repeat of Saturday, weatherwise, with partly cloudy skies and temps in the low 90's. We are still talking about how dry the parks and green spaces were that we saw yesterday. This is an area of sudden thunder and lightening storms, that can drop unreal amounts of tropical showers in minutes. Guess that will not happen today.

 

Since it was Sunday, we wondered what the traffic on the MRT would be like. Yesterday, Saturday, had to be a major shopping day, just like we have at home. We left the ship around 10am with the plan of finding our way to the fairly new Gardens by the Bay, located right outside of the Bayfront MRT Station. It took a couple of transfers to get there, following directions all of the way. We cannot say enough about the efficiency and cleanliness of this entire transit system. This time of the morning, the foot traffic was really light on the trains we took, but that would not stay the same for the rest of the day.

 

We had a little bit of a walk after exiting the station to get into the entrance of this large complex, which by the way, has no charge to get into. We entered at the Meadow Bridge, and found our way to the information center with maps and all the info one needs to see the entire park contents. Knowing we would not have enough time to devote to touring the entire park and the two main conservatories, we used the time we had to stroll around all of the exhibits. God-willing, we will be coming back to Singapore next year, and we will have the time to see all of it in a full day. The standard rate for visitors that are not local residents is $28. Singapore. If you want to do the catwalk, or the OCBC skywalk, in the Supertree Grove, you need to pay $5. Singapore at the elevator. Actually, these structures are not real trees at all. They are manmade vertical plant displays made to resemble a tree. They are draped with lighting that comes alive at night with a light and sound show at both 7:45 and 8:45pm. We bet it is spectacular. Now the most fun part of this park is the Children's Garden with a splash pond that activates with motion sensors to operate streams of shooting water, giant orchid flowers that fill with water, then dump over, and metal wands that go in circles, spreading the spray in all directions. It was the first time in a long time, we were disappointed that we were not between the ages of 6 and 12 years old, so we could go play in the cool waters. The little ones were having a ball.

 

We counted at least 10 restaurants in this complex, but it was way too early for lunch. And we had one thing on our minds for lunch, and that was pizza, of course. But first, we wanted to find our way out of the park, and pass through the newest icon of Singapore, the strangely designed Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Yes, no matter how you look at it, we tend to see a three-pillared ironing board structure. The pillars are the hotel rooms, and the ironing board is the restaurant and infinity pool that sits across the top of the pillars. By taking the Dragonfly Bridge out of the Gardens by the Bay, we connected to the bridge that took us right through the upper portion of the hotel complex, and continued to the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. This is another truly fascinating mall with the most highend stores you can find in the world. One of the neatest stores is the Ferrari shop with a real car in the window. It is the best "guy" store in the entire place for sure, as they all like to take photos here. Another popular spot in this mall is the casino. The younger crowd probably like the theaters and ice rink, not really ice, but a synthetic surface. On the lowest level, is a canal with real gondolas in it. It is on this level that we connected with the MRT at Marina Bay to make our way to lunch.

 

Our choice of restaurants today was Modestos, close to the Hard Rock Cafe and the Orchard exit from the MRT. We ordered one 12 inch margherita pizza with two Tiger Draft 16 ounce beers. The price of the pizza was $20.50 Singapore, but the beers were $16. Singapore each. Needless to say, we each had one only. The grand total for a shared lunch was $62. which included a VAT tax and 10% service charge. Taking a wild guess, we suspect this will be the most expensive lunch of the trip. It was nice to sit under a ceiling fan on the covered outside patio, while watching the hustle and bustle of folks on Orchard Road. We understand this is the "hoity-toity" area of Singapore....the place to be seen.

 

All aboard time was 4:30pm, so we headed back on a very crowded train to Harbourfront, and the end of the line. Since we had $50 Singapore dollars and change left to spend, we went to the small grocery store where we found some more dips and sodas to buy. With the last $2., we bought a couple of little candy bars at Watsons Drug Store. Good to go, we boarded the ship, but not before leaving our passports with the staff member at the gangway.

 

The sailaway was scheduled from 4:30 to 6pm. We spent the entire time waiting to watch this sailaway at the aft railing on deck eight with friends Bill & Marianne. We waited and waited......nothing was happening. At one point, there were calls for certain people to check in with the front desk. Usually that means their cruise cards did not register when scanned at the kiosk when boarding. Or......it means some of these folks were not back on time. The Captain eventually came on the speakers saying that once the immigrations procedures were complete, we would be underway. OK, again we waited and waited. Nothing happened. Watching the dock hand waiting to drop the lines, we knew we were going nowhere since he was asleep while sitting against a cement pillar. We gave up at 6:45pm, and went to clean up for dinner. Somewhere around 7pm, we were underway, but got no photos of it. Truthfully, it had gotten so smoggy, the pictures would have been lousy at the best.

 

During dinner we found there had been a rumor going around that the sailaway was delayed, because a passenger had lost their passport, and was refused the continuation of the trip. Cannot say it was a fact, but things like that can occur. Another disturbing story was that the Pinnacle Grill Manager has left the ship, resigning his post due to an incident that forced him to leave. It had to be something very serious for him to back out like that in the middle of a grand voyage. Will keep you posted as to what happened. And here we thought the biggest problem on the ship right now, with the exception of the poor internet, was the TV reception, which has gone dark ever since we docked in Singapore. We have lost all of the news stations for two days now. For unknown reasons, it has been turned off.

 

Dinner was better this evening with yesterday's chewy prime rib becoming today's savory pot roast. The chefs have a way of creating the most delicious reduced gravy for the beef. Paired with mashed potatoes and crispy steamed veggies, it is one of our favorite entrees. The dessert of lemon tarts finished a nice meal.

 

And finally the clocks went back one hour this evening as we sail north towards Phuket, Thailand.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 71 Sailing Towards Phuket, Thailand March 10, 2014 Monday Partly cloudy, 86 degrees

 

It sure was great to look forward to a lazy day at sea today. At least the TV is working once again with all of the new channels re-appearing around 10am. This is the first we have been hearing about a possible Malaysian air crash, somewhere close to where we are or have been sailing. Understanding the vast areas at sea, we are not surprised that nothing has been located, and can only pray for another explanation. Time will tell....

 

We kept a low profile today, due to one of us having a repeat of the cold bug that has been going around and around the ship's population. Nothing serious, just annoying. Despite all of the sanitary cleaning, they can't seem to get these super bugs wiped out. Wouldn't it be great, if someone could develop a vaccination for the common cold? On the other hand, the companies that supply us the cold meds are making a mint, so why wipe out the bug?? It's big business.

 

It was the perfect time to catch up on two days worth of photo downloading and updating reports to go with the pictures. The job was accomplished while watching a really well done movie, The Emperor. Based on a true story, it kept our interest the entire time. So did the film, Captain Phillips, a movie about the pirates that took the captain hostage back in 2009. Whoever programmed the start times for the daily movies, made a mistake. We ended up missing the first 45 minutes because they said it began at 10:30pm last night. We are certain that this movie will be repeated some time in the near future, and we will be able to watch it from the start.

 

Three lecturers took the stage today, beginning with Mel Foster, who spoke about the islands, explorers, brigands, and travelers of the Indian Ocean. He is an excellent speaker, who has been a guest at our table on past trips. We never miss his talks, even if we have to watch them on TV. Brian Stoddart spoke about the French influence in the Indo-China and Cambodia areas. And Bruce Lasky spoke about making a difference by developing justice champions. Not quite sure what that was about.

 

At 7pm, we totally forgot about being invited to another cocktail party in the Explorers Lounge with our travel agency's hosts and guests. Our tablemates did ask where we were, so it was nice to be missed.

 

Barb and Maureen had heard the real story concerning the guest with the missing passport. It was not made up, as we first thought. Here is the scoop. One of the passengers came back to the ship in Singapore, passing through the customs and immigrations checkpoint with his passport. But this was way before the passports were being collected by the front desk personel before boarding the ship. So he did have it upon boarding, but forgot to surrender it before the ship left. His name was one of those called on the speakers while we were waiting to sail away. But he could not find his passport, so they had no choice but to take him off of the ship. Debarked, period. We understand that his wife remained onboard, while he will have to stay in Singapore, and apply for a replacement passport at the American Embassy. Hopefully that will be expedited, so he can fly to Phuket tomorrow. If not, the next stop will be in Sri Lanka or the Seychelles, several days from now. Marianne pointed out that if had an Indian visa to go overland to the Taj Mahal , he would be out of luck since those visas are permanently fixed in your passports. That is why they have to be treated like pure gold, especially when we are required to carry them with us at all times while in Singapore. The immediate question came to our inquiring minds as to if travel insurance, if he had purchased it, would cover his expenses for the accidental loss of his passport and trip interruption? And what about expenses of the hotel, food, and replacement costs of the passport? Not to mention, the last minute booking of a flight back to the ship?

 

The other situation concerning the Pinnacle Grill Manager, Sam, is still somewhat of a mystery. We will more than likely never know what caused his sudden departure, but the good news is that Tina has taken over his position. She appeared at breakfast in the dining room this morning, dressed in her new uniform denoting her promotion. Tina has been a permanent worker, as well as part-time manager, in this specialty restaurant, and all that know her, love her. Life goes on........

 

Stephen Clark was the entertainer last night, and according to Bill & Marianne, he was quite talented playing the flute. This evening's guest singer is Eve Sherratt, an international vocalist who has performed all over the world. Reading between the lines, that probably means she has been performing on a lot of cruise ships.

 

Tomorrow's port is Phuket, a place we have visited numerous times. Tendering to Patong Bay, we will be on our own exploring the nearby area.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[MMDown Under]

Singapore has recorded its driest February on record.

[WCB]

Report # 72 Phuket (Patong Bay), Thailand March 11, 2014 Tuesday Mostly sunny, 90 degrees

 

Today's port of call was Patong Bay, on the island of Phuket, Thailand. Originally, we were supposed to be docking on the other side of the island, but that was changed about a month or so ago to this side. We were at anchor, not docked. Actually, we found it better, since there were more things to do and see right here without taking a tour. However, those with mobility problems or those who needed scooters, would not be allowed to leave the ship. This ship does not have the capability to lower or lift the heavy scooters into the tenderboats. And once ashore, you had to navigate through deep sand to reach the sidewalk.

 

Thailand is a country of over 65 million very friendly people. They are mainly Buddhist and Muslim, as well as some Christians. Their major export in the past was tin, but now it is rice, corn,sugar cane, natural gas, and timber. Tourism has to be their number one business, judging by the huge amount of hotels, resorts, and condo rentals, restaurants and cafes. The island is full of white sand beaches, national parks, Buddhist temples, caves, and grottos, and elephants. Two nearby smaller islands are James Bond Island and Phi Phi Island. Both were made famous by movies that were filmed here over the years. It has been our pleasure to have taken tours to see all of these sights at least once, even twice, so today, we plan on staying right here in Patong Bay to see what is here.

 

Getting to shore was not going to work as easily today as it has been working. For some unknown reason, the powers-to-be decided to suspend priority tendering rights of the 4 & 5 star members, as well as the Pinnacle and Neptune suite guests. This meant that everyone was required to get tender tickets, and would have to join in with the exiting tour groups if they chose to get off of the ship before 10am. The only thing we could figure out was that since the tours were a bit more affordable here in Phuket, more folks bought them. And all of the groups went off between 8am and 9:30am. We were in no big hurry, so we went to the dining room for breakfast, and decided to leave around 10:30am. Tender tickets were not required by then.

 

We tendered to Patong Bay two years ago, but for some reason, everything looked different today. The pontoon looked different, and so did the beach and roadside. Obviously, we were on the opposite end of the bay, compared to two years ago. Turning left, we soon realized that most of the beach was gone, and there were no more shops or cafes. In fact, things looked a bit seedy, so we turned around and headed south.

 

So we walked and walked up and over the hills, following the beachfront road, and lo and behold, we came upon the area we remembered. The beaches down below were mostly rocky with limestone boulders and rocks in the surf. Not really the best place for swimming. Many swimmers were in the surf and laying in the shade under colorful umbrellas. From what we could see, the rental on the lounges with an umbrella ran about $3......a bargain. More interesting, were the numerous elevated mattresses used by the Thai masseuses for the mere price of about $10. for one hour massage. All other services, such as manicures, pedicures, hair extensions, hair braiding, and henna painting were done on the beachfront as well. Little privacy, but it did not seem to deter anyone.

 

Patong Bay is considered the hot nightlife spot on the island. Evidence of that were one bar and club after another as we continued our walk. Souvenier shops were too many to count, which is always a draw for tourists such as us. We wisely stayed across the street from these shops, knowing that we did not need any more souveniers from here. One pretty yellow top caught our eye, but we could not cross the ctreet, because there were metal fencing barriers preventing it. Was it worth it to walk two long blocks to go back? No. It was too hot.

 

Reaching a nicer area, we began reading menus of streetside restaurants....looking for the elusive best pizza. We found it at a place by the name of Sala Bua

Restaurant, part of the Impiana Hotel and Resort Complex. It was situated right on the beach with a driveway leading from the main road to the back. There we found ponds and Thai gardens with the open-sided restaurant facing the sea. It was not busy yet, because it was not noontime. We think that the tourist crowds are late-goers and lunch may be 2 or 3pm. We were not complaining, however, because we had the best service ever. Our kind waiter even moved two sets of umbrella stands to give us extra shade.

 

What did we order? You got it.......margherita pizza and two bottles of Singha beer, the local Thai beer. The price of the food and drinks was one third of what we paid in Singapore. And the pizza was way better, almost as good as the pizza we had in Sydney. As we were finishing up, a beachgoing vendor strolled by the rock wall that separated the patio from the public beach. A guard that had been sitting near this wall, stopped the fellow, who was carrying two wood-carved elephants to sell. Always intrigued with this type of souvenier, we motioned for the vendor to come over to us, and the guard relented. The price for one elephant was $100 US dollars. No way. His price went down, but not enough in our minds. We may have bought one of them for under $30, but the more we considered having to pack it back three or four miles, we decided against it. It weighed a ton. We never did see any more of these carvings near the pontoon back at the ship's landing, so that meant we really did not need another one.

 

Also while we were eating, we realized that the beach was "clothing optional". Yes, we did see some topless gals, and some men, all of whom should have been more covered up, in our humble opinion. And when there are young children all over the beach, the lack of clothing may not be appropriate.

 

Time to head back. All we walked back with were photos as we got back to the pontoon by 3pm. A couple of souvenier stands were being pilfered by our guests, looking for last minute deals. They were coming back with bags full of stuff. Prices are so reasonable in Thailand, it is hard to resist. We were happy to drink two cupfuls of ice cold ship water, handed to us by one of our kind waiters.

 

We stayed in our room, downloading photos, while watching a Stallone/Arnold S. movie about prison breakouts. It wasn't bad, as it kept our interest. The best part was cooling off with copious amounts of ice water.

 

The sailaway party was held at the aft deck at 5:30 to 6:30pm. At least today, we left on time. Another ship, the Star Cruises, Libra, was anchored in the same bay. We left her behind as we headed in a westerly direction into the Andaman Sea on our way towards Colombo, Sri Lanka, three days from now. Not too many people were at the sailaway, because it was the start of the first seating dining time. That gave us the perfect opportunity to discuss some points about the cruise with our cruise director, Gene, who came to chat with us. We pointed out that we have seen some positive changes with programming since he started his new position here. However, we also thought he may like to know the overall chatter among the seasoned world travelers regarding special group parties and repeated TV movies. Many of us feel that if special parties are given for some groups, they should be given to all groups, regardless of how big they happen to be. What is fair for one, should be fair for all. The inbalance of this rubs some of us the wrong way. Gene agreed. And added that is why they hosted the complimentary beer/wine/and champagne party when we left Manila. That was a success, so he indicated that there may be two more such parties before we get back to Ft. Lauderdale. Now everyone is included in these parties, but at least it is a step in the right direction. The other subject of repeated movies also drove Gene nuts, because he found that everytime he turned on his TV, he was coming into the same place on the same movie he saw at least four times in four weeks....just like us, the passengers. He gets it, and did explain why these movies are repeated weeks at a time. Bottom line is that it involves what they pay for in terms of purchased discs supplied by the folks in Seattle. The rights to broadcast these movies have to be bought. OK, we understand the process, but what they need to keep in mind is that we are not a two or three weeks cruise. We are the "grand poobah" of HAL's voyages, and they should realize that. Gene said he will definitely put in his 2-cents worth of suggestions to make that happen. Has HAL ever heard of interactive TV that is available on other cruise lines? Try 200 movies, documentaries, popular TV shows....all at the touch of a button to start and stop at your disposal, anytime of day or night. Speaking of DVD's, we finally got the movie we have been asking for since January.....The Hunger Games. Being on a wait list did nothing, since we had to ask for it at the front desk. Two months to get it? Come on......

 

Maureen, our most friendly arts and crafts teacher, joined us again for dinner. She has become a welcomed member of our family now, and we have invited her back anytime she chooses to come. We all shared ur experiences for the day in Phuket. It is always fun to hear how different our day spent here can be from each other. Some liked it, some did not. It all depended on what you did. Sometimes the organized tours are not always the best, as we heard directly from some folks today.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[POA1]

Bill, yours is some really outstanding reporting. I just wanted to say thanks so much for taking us all along with you.

[WCB]

Report # 73 March 12, 2014 Sailing Towards Colombo, Sri Lanka Wednesday Partly cloudy, 80 degrees, following wind

 

Nothing exciting happened today, although we wished we had seen some signs of sealife as we head into the Andaman Sea on our way towards Sri Lanka. At the risk of repeating ourselves, while sailing in this same area back in 2001, we were treated to a grand display of dozens of large spinner dolphins. At the time, we were at the aft pool, no surprise there, and enjoying another hot, sunny day sunbathing. Out of the blue, we heard loud splashing, like something was falling off of the ship. What a surprise we had, when we looked over the railing to see these dolphins putting on a show for us. We swear they were launching themselves so high out of the water just to check out the ship. Did we have a camera with us? Of course not, but it remains a fond memory. Every time we sail in these waters, we watch all day for a repeat performance. It has not happened yet, but you never know........maybe tomorrow, or the day after.

 

One of the guest speakers has been very popular with the guests that enjoy intellegent and well delivered lectures. The other speaker, well, not so much so, as he seems to be flying by the seat of his pants with his talks. It has been a sore spot for our buddy Margaret, who saw fit to write a detailed comment to the guest relations manager regarding the disappointing lectures by this one speaker. Another noticable difference in this world cruise is the increased promotion of things to buy such as photos, DVD's of the segments, jewelry, both costume and highend, salon packages, and casino specials. Today there was an advertisement for an upcoming silent auction for an education center in Namibia. Now that's OK, but selling cupcakes for $1.00 at the sneak preview of the items to be auctioned was really strange we think, and the first we have ever heard of doing this.

 

During the afternoon, we watched a movie about Thomas Jefferson in Paris. The story, which was portrayed as being true, involved Jefferson and his relationship with his daughters and also with one of his slaves. Many things happened that we sure never read in the history books. One of the other movies, was The Grandmaster, all about the man who trained Bruce Lee, the marshal arts master. The bad thing was that it was subtitled, and we hate that, trying to read tiny printing on our smallish TV's. It is no fun standing a foot away from the screen to read the lines for 2 hours and 10 minutes. So we didn't.

 

Dinnertime came quickly, and it was debatable whether we wanted to dress formal this evening. It seems that in these hotter climates, the air-conditioning has been fluctuating up and down in the public areas. Why is it that the hottest evenings are formal? By 8pm, there are no other options for dinner, only the dining room, the Canaletto, if there is space, or room service. So the tux went on and the formal dress, and we went to dinner, where it remained warm all evening, of course. There were six of us, since Barb was at the Captain's dinner in the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant. Even though we did not have a ship's guest or officer, we did get the wine, which everyone seemed to enjoy.

 

The entrees of chicken kiev were good, served with a tasty side of a warm potato and beet salad. Minestrone soup and a crisp salad started our meal well. The only one that was disappointed was Margaret, who had the toughest red snapper she has ever eaten. She just was having a bad day to the bitter end. Oh well, tomorrow is another day, and it can only get better.

 

The clocks went back this evening, but only 1/2 hour. It is not the norm, but there are some places in the world that are on the half hour time difference. Sri Lanka is one of them. Checking with last year's list where we kept track of time changes, we had put the clocks back 1 1/2 hours. So that means we still have another hour to get back in the next two days. Works for us.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 74 Sailing Towards Colombo, Sri Lanka March 13, 2014 Thursday Partly cloudy, 85 degrees

 

The day was progressing much the same as most sea days when the Captain gave his 12:45pm talk. Ten minutes after he wrapped up his talk with an explanation of the history of measuring a ship's speed by knots, when out of the blue, a fire alarm sounded throughout the ship. We suspected that it was not a drill, since those are always announced several minures prior to happening. No, this was real. Within seconds the fire and rescue team was summoned, while we looked for signs of smoke coming from the ship. We were at the aft pool at the time, and did realize that the engines had slowed, and we were not moving forward anymore. Something was definitely wrong. Before we had a chance to make educated (or not) guesses about the cause of the alarm, the Captain came on and said there had been a small fire in an engine room, and it had been brought under control. All was well, and we would soon be on our way. Whew, that was scary. The fleeting thought that we could have been disabled in the middle of this vast ocean and in this heat and humidity was not a good feeling.

 

The rest of the news for the day pales under comparison, but life continues as we figured out that for us, over half of the trip is behind us Don't know how the time has gone by so quickly. A reminder that we will be in the South Atlantic Ocean was evident when Barbara H. gave a talk on things to do and see while in the Seychelles and St. Helena. The following port, Ascension Island, was missed last year, because we could not get the tenderboats to shore. Sure hope that does not happen again.

 

The new passengers that boarded the ship in Hong Kong must have a lot of dirty clothes, since the laundry had to print a notice in the daily newsletter stating that the turnaround time will be increased from 48 hours to 72 hours. So far, our small batches have come back to us within one day. This sure is a nice perk, because you can waste a whole lot of time trying to get machines that are not being used, not to mention money too.

 

Recent entertainers have been Jeff Stevenson, a top-rated comdedian, and Stephan Clark, a flute player. We have had reports that both of them were pretty good. Tonight's entertainment began at 7:15pm, one show for all guests. Nightlife was the theme, with dances and songs from the 70's and 80's. We would have been unable to go to it, because we had a 6:30pm special dinner invitation to the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant hosted by our travel agency. Tom, Henk, and Lucia, our hosts, invited eight of us. They included Eddie and Lee, Ellen W., Fran, Julia & Don, and us. It was a fun dinner because we all know each other pretty well. Julia has the most days sailed than anyone we know.....over 3300 of them. Since she is almost 95, she sure has spent a lot of her days on the HAL ships.

 

We were seated in the back room at the largest table in the place. Since we do not drink wine, Henk offered to provide us with cocktails. Of course, we said OK. We both ordered the caesar salad, although, they are no longer mixed tableside. We each had a steak, which was tender and tasty, along with sides of mushrooms, and Idaho baked potatoes. Desserts were a different type of cheesecake, and a baked Alaska, without the flames. By the way, all of the items that used to be cooked with an open flame, have been eliminated from the menu. We never did order one of those entrees, but it was fun watching the waitresses torch the steak diane or the flaming brochettes of meat. Guess if there was an accident, the whole restaurant could have gone up in flames.

 

This was also another evening that we turned the clocks back another hour. We're always glad to do that.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[cruz chic]

Thx for the update.

[localady]

It's disappointing to hear that your Caesar salads are not being served table side. :( Others have reported that the decision to eliminate table side prep had been reversed on some of the ships, and table side Caesars were again being offered at the Pinnacle. It is truly disappointing to hear that this is not the case on the WC.

 

I do hope that the Amsterdam also reverses course on the foolish decision to do away with my favorite offering in the Pinnacle soon!

 

Continued safe travels.......

[WCB]

Report # 75 Sailing Towards Colombo, Sri Lanka March 14, 2014 Friday Partly cloudy, 80 degrees

 

Once again, the day began as any other normal sea day..............warm and sticky with a bit more of a breeze blowing across the decks. We were still on the lookout for those elusive dolphins we had hoped to see. But it was not to be on this trip we guess.

 

Two talks took place in the Queens Lounge, both dealing with history of the particular area we will be visiting tomorrow. One can never learn too much when you visit a country as diverse and complicated as Sri Lanka, for example. Armed with lots of information can enhance our visit tomorrow, as well as taking the practical hints that Barbara H. offers at her talks.

 

While reading our books at the aft deck, we had quite a surprise when we all heard a blast, like from a shotgun. How could that be? To make things even more interesting, the Captain and his wife happened to be taking advantage of the warm sun, and were lounging on the opposite side as we were. When we heard the blasts again, and again, we looked his way, and nothing happened. No reaction. Investigating by hanging over the aft railing, we soon spotted what appeared to be some of the crew members using pipe launchers, shooting something. But what??? The more we all looked, we soon discovered that they were launching potato bombs. You know, Idaho potatoes, used as projectiles. We have to admit that the noise it made could be intimidating, and if a potato hit someone, it could cause some damage. During all of this commotion, the Captain never stirred an inch, but later remarked as he was leaving, that the guys were having some fun, and the potatoes were food for the fish. It sure did give us something to talk and laugh about for sure.

 

Not laughable, was the letter we all got concerning the "piracy" subject. As we suspected, people are getting a little more than concerned about the waters we are traveling through. And with the recent showing of the film that depicted the story of the Maersk Alabama and the capturing of their captain, many questions have been asked as to how safe are we? The answer, according to the letter from Captain Jonathon, stated that the liklihood of us being harassed is extremely low. The Amsterdam is capable of high speeds and has a high freeboard (distance from the waterline to the deck). However, precautions will be there, as they have been on the world cruises ever since the incident in 2009, and perhaps prior to that.

 

It is good to know that our entire transit is being tracked by experts who can dispatch warships if necessary. We may not ever see them, but they are there. As well as close radar kept on the bridge, we have a security team that will be on 24 hour watch. The ship has four LRADS (Long Range Acoutstic Devices) ready for immediate use. Water hoses are ready for use from the lower decks, and we will soon see the razor wire attached to the lower promenade deck.

 

There is a drill unique to the unlikely attempted boarding of pirates. We may have a practice of this drill as we sail towards the Seychelles or the coast of Africa.

 

That gave us lots to talk about at dinner this evening. Well that is, in between eating the bone-in ribeye steaks they served this evening. That was a treat, although, we think this is the new meat that is grass-fed. Yes, it may be healthier, but it is lacking the flavor of corn-fed. Two of our tablesmates, Bill & Marianne, will be off to a 6 day tour of India, and they will be missed.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in Sri Lanka, and actually going on an organized tour, one that we have done twice in the last couple of years.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[erewhon]

Thank you for your interesting reports.

[WJBWJB]

Hi All

 

Quick update to let you know the blog is up to Report 74 now. Only about 10 more reports to back fill too!

 

Thanks for viewing!

 

http://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com/

[WCB]

Report # 76 Colombo, Sri Lanka March 15, 2014 Saturday Partly cloudy, 93 degrees

 

We woke up early, just as the Amsterdam was gliding slowly into the harbor of Colombo, Sri Lanka. On every previous visit here, there has always been a welcome performance from the local people. They were decked out in brightly-colored traditional costumes, with bells on their ankles, literally. Most times, there has been a decorated elephant, making the show almost surreal. So last night, we told our tablemates to be sure to be out on the deck with their cameras to film it. Well, guess what? There was nothing, no one in sight, zero. Guess the powers-to-be did not pay the locals to be here. Those special welcomes have always left us with long lasting memories of exotic places, like this one. Leaves us thinking that we are not so special anymore.

 

Missing our regular dining room breakfast, we met for our second tour of the trip with our travel agency. Since we had a total of $200. credit per person to use towards a shore excursion or two, this was one place we chose to book it. Truthfully, this will be the fourth time we took this tour, because it has elements that we always enjoy. It was titled Contrasts of Colombo with Refreshments.

 

In a nutshell, here is a little brief history about Sri Lanka, or Ceylon, as it was called up until 1948. It is a country of 20 million people of diverse cultures. People from ancient kingdoms lived on this island also called the teardrop of India and the pearl of the Indian Ocean. The country was colonized by the Dutch, Portuguese, and British, leaving their distinct architecture behind. Colombo, the capital, houses 700,000 natives, who are currently in the process of giving the old city buildings a "re-do" to preserve them.

 

Religion is not just a faith of choice here, it is their everyday life. Buddhism is number one, followed by Hindu, and Muslim. We saw few signs of Christianity, although there are some famous churches built here, probably from the Portuguese occupation. The heavy scent of burning incense is everywhere you go.

 

The cultivation of tea is the major employer as well as the number one export. We are sure you have heard of Ceylon tea. Cinnamon and cardamon follow closely behind. The number one sport surprisingly is volleyball. Cricket, a British favorite, is also huge here. One nice thing about this city is that there are dozens of parks for the locals to play these sports. Old massive trees line these parks and greens, giving the city a much nicer look to it. One type of these massive trees is the London Plane Tree, which happened to be blooming now. Everywhere we saw carpets of soft pink blossoms over the ground, you can be sure there were this type of sycamore tree close by.

 

Sri Lanka is a popular destination for the Europeans to vacation. Modern hotels are abundant on the Indian Ocean front, and they will soon be joined by a new Shangri-La and ITC Hotel chains. Westernized shopping and restaurants always follow these highrises. Some of these we saw were KFC, Pizza Hut, and even TGI Fridays. For the locals and tourists as well, their favorite foods are rice, coconut milk, curries of all kinds, pickles, and chutneys. Crab and vegetarian dishes are popular too.

 

OK, on with our tour. There were only nineteen of us, so we had a half full bus. Great for taking photos. Our first stop was at Independence Square, and open-air granite complex with surrounding statues and fountains. Our guide was talking with the VOX system to our group, but it was not working properly. Cutting in and out, along with the annoying sound of wind blowing, we all turned them off, and listened directly to the guide. By then, he had lost over half of the group, who went off to take photos. Oh well, we had heard the history already, so it was no loss to us.

 

It took about 20 minutes to reach the Colombo National Museum, a colonial building built in 1877. This famous building houses the anthropological, cultural, and scientific exhibits of the city and country. However, it had two strikes against it from the beginning. Our guide informed us that there were no photos allowed unless a permit was purchased. If we remember right, photos were not good anyway, because the lighting or lack of lighting was so poor, you could hardly read the displays anyway. Having gone through the museum pretty thoroughly already, we passed on the tour and stayed outside. That was when we discovered a new building on the grounds, near the old cafe and the bus parking lot. If we were lucky, it may even be air-conditioned. The name of this store was Laksala, and turned out to be a state-owned craft market with handmade items. Turned out, it recently opened last August, so it was new. We felt as if we walked into the local Cost Plus store in Concord, California, although the prices were not bad, but set, and not negotiable.

 

The best thing we found here was food, in the way of cookies. While we waited for the group, we purchased a very large almond white chocolate butter cookie, sharing it while sitting outside on a very nice patio. Groups of school kids were being led through the grounds, all in white uniforms. They were well-behaved and paid attention to their leader, who happened to be a Buddhist monk. In a short time, we were joined by members of our group, looking for a bathroom, of course. We gladly directed them to the new facility, which was way better than the old one.

 

Some other highlites we saw were the 100 year old clocktower, the British colonial buildings, including the Cargill complex, the Hindu Temple, and some of the embassies, as well as homes of the affluent. We figured out that we had been driving in circles to see these sites. We missed the Pettah Bazaar, which is the local shopping district of hundreds of small shops lining the streets. Being that today was Saturday, we suspect that the traffic would have been impossible to navigate. So it was avoided completely.

 

The next stop was most welcomed, but unexpected. Our refreshment stop has always been at the famous Galle Face Hotel, built in 1864, the oldest hotel east of the Suez Canal. Situated at the end of the Galle Face Green, a grassy promenade on the Indian Ocean, formerly a horse track and golf course, the hotel was wrapped in safety netting, because it was in the process of being re-modeled. In fact, the ballroom section looked as if it had been gutted completely. Guess we are not going there today. We did ask our guide if the hotel was still opened for business, and he said, yes. And when we asked if we were still going there, he also said, yes. It was obvious that he misunderstood our question, because we were pulling into the driveway of another hotel by the name of Kingsbury. Disappointed at first, we soon found that this hotel was equally as nice and elegant as the Galle Face.

 

We were led downstairs to a ballroom, where a buffet of light lunch was arranged for our group. Once seated, we were served a fruit punch drink, which we all agreed would have been fantastic if it had a shot of vodka or gin in it. A table was set with cold vegetarian finger sandwiches made with cucumbers and shredded carrots blended with cream cheese. They were really good, probably because we had deliberately missed breakfast this morning on the ship. Equally as good, were the butter cookies made with chocolate and vanilla, and a delicious spicy, but tasty fruitcake. Another table was set with a very proper Ceylon tea and coffee service. Wish we had more time to sip the excellent drinks, but we did want to explore the hotel to see what they had to offer. The lobby was striking with highly polished marble floors and sparkling crystal chandeliers hanging overhead in the vaulted ceilings. Turning right, we located the very civilized restrooms, then continued to see the darkwood bars with rich red armchairs and tables near the lobby. Huge vases on pedestals contained dozens of dark red rose buds.... creating a very classic and a top-notch atmosphere. Towards the backside of the lobby was the buffet, which led to both inside seating, and outside tables. They were getting ready for the noontime rush. Outside the glass doors was the infinity swimming pool, facing the Indian Ocean, but not actually on the beachside. Another cafe was built above the pool level, so the sunbathers did not have to go inside to dine and drink. Another beautiful spot, we could have spent some time here. The only disappointment by missing the Galle Face Hotel visit was that we did not have time to walk on the beach to dip our toes into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Of course, we did not have to deal with the beach vendors either.

 

The final stop was at the Gangaramaya Temple, a Buddhist complex with spiritual artifacts from all over the world. There were two strikes against going inside there. First, you had to remove your shoes and leave them outside unprotected. If you had not thought to bring an extra pair of socks, you may not have wanted to walk barefoot in there. Also, we remember not being able to put your shoes in a sack and pack them with you. And again, we are not sure photos were allowed. Our guide did say we would be allowed inside wearing shorts. But we opted to take a walk around Beira Lake, right across the street from the temple.

 

We had 1/2 hour to take a hike across the bridge that connected to a small island in the middle of the lake. People had rented swan peddle boats, giving the lake the look of Disneyland. Many young couples were hugging and kissing, as we strolled by looking at the stagnant green lake. There probably is a story to this lake and little island, but we do not know it. Surrounding the lake, are many snake charmers with sleepy cobras in their straw baskets. The guys poked them with sticks to make them come out, fan their hoods, strike, and look fearsome. Of course, they want money, but we don't like the practice or being so close to these snakes. No thanks. We took some photos of the Buddhist temple that is built in the pond, then headed back across the street to take photos of the temple from the outside. The young elephant was missing today. Thinking she had been removed, we found that was wrong, because there was a pile of elephant dung with some of her favorite sugar cane there. Some folks find her enclosure here to be confining and cruel. But it is obvious to us, that she does not live here, but is only on display for the tourists.

 

We were back to the ship by 2pm, and cooled off in our room by watching an entertaining movie, Nebraska. Room service salad and hamburgers were perfect with lots of ice water. Before we knew it, the time for sailaway came at 5:30pm. Missing were friends Bill & Marianne, who went on a six day overland tour to the Taj Mahal and other major sites in India. They always join us at sailaway, hoping to enjoy some hot appetizers. Today we had the offer of crispy pork egg rolls. You have to be quick, or you get nothing. By the time the lines were dropped, we were sailing out of the harbor in the dark. Our old, but favorite camera lens finally died for good, so the newer lens was added, and we were in business again. It got really windy as we left the harbor, sending everyone inside for the night.

 

There was little in the way of good choices for dinner tonight. So we ended up with Dutch pea soup along with grilled chicken caesar salads. Barb sent her entree of curried shrimp back, and ordered another bowl of soup in its place. Sometimes the meal sounds good, but is not always to your liking when you get it.

 

One negative story cropped up at dinner, well actually two. A woman passenger had reported that her ipad was stolen at one of the tiny shops on the pier. We had many warnings about watching your stuff in Colombo, but who would think the pier shops, gated from the outside city, could be unsafe? From what we were told, she refused to leave the store until her ipad was returned, obviously suspecting the store owner. She could have spent the entire day waiting, because it was long gone. Barb had an episode with the taxi driver, who wanted more money for the places they stopped. Even though you negotiate the price before leaving, if you deviate, you can expect to pay more. The driver threatened to call the police, so they had to give $5. more per person to avoid a scene. Glad we took a tour today.

 

We have sveral days at sea now as we head towards the Seychelles. And guess what? We have razor wire, but more about that in tomorrow's report.

 

Bill & Mary Ann