We took the tour bus as transportation into the town of Phuket. Then we got a minivan with Fred and Phyllis from North Carolina and the couple from Montreal, Gilles and Denise, and toured Phuket Island.
We stopped first at a cashew processing store, which was interesting. The cashew nut is a small seed attached to the bottom of a pod that resembles a green pepper. When the time is right, the seeds are harvested and a worker takes the cashew nut out of the shell, using a table-top press. After leaving the cashew processing store, we went to a large temple complex, where we stayed for an hour to take photos and look at the various buildings on the grounds. Bhuddist temples are very beautiful, gleaming in gold. We then drove to the "big Buddha" that is being constructed on the highest mountain on Phuket Island. It is a very impressive sight, and can be seen from far off. We then drove along the coast through the coastal resort towns. On the way back to the ship, we stopped at a jewelry store so our driver could get coupons for gas. It was a very interesting day.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Penang
We took the ship’s walking tour of a local food market and a flea market. The local food market was very busy as women were doing their daily food shopping. This type of market is strange to us, although it is similar to fish markets in seaside towns in America. Meats were being carved; fish were laid out and being cut up; live chickens were for sale, and were butchered on the spot. All of the fish and meats were laid out at room temperature; there was no ice and no refrigeration. Meat would have to be sold and cooked the same day before it spoiled. Fruits and vegetables were laid out in beautiful displays. Many other household products were also available.
The flea market was quite extensive and sold both items (mostly used items) and foods -- beautiful fruits and vegetables. It was similar to flea markets in the U.S. except that it also sold fruits and vegetables. It was not very interesting to us, and we returned to the bus to wait for the others.
The tour then stopped at the Penang museum with an interesting display of the history of Penang. Half of the building had been bombed by the Japanese during the war and not rebuilt. I am not very interested in museums, and I wandered around a bit, and then waited for the bus to reboard.
This was a morning tour only. After we returned to the ship, Rae took a nap and I went out again. After walking a short distance, I saw a young couple with a map and asked them where they got it. They said far from there, but they had another one in their backpack. As they searched for it, we talked about sites, and agreed that it would be nice to go to the big temple on the mountain (see name). A taxi came by and we asked him how much he would charge us to take us there. He said $10 American, and I said let’s go. On the way, he stopped for photos at the national mosque and then a Hindu temple. After the mountain temple, he took us to the sleeping Buddha temple and the temple across the street from it. We then stopped at a mosque for photos before returning to the ship.
The young couple were Alex and Catarina, from Chile. They were on a work-study program in Australia and in Penang on holiday. I took many photos of them, and they gave me their email addresses so I could send the photos to them later. It was a truly great day. I gave the taxi driver $40; he reminded me of the taxi driver in Istanbul, an older man just trying to earn a living.
The flea market was quite extensive and sold both items (mostly used items) and foods -- beautiful fruits and vegetables. It was similar to flea markets in the U.S. except that it also sold fruits and vegetables. It was not very interesting to us, and we returned to the bus to wait for the others.
The tour then stopped at the Penang museum with an interesting display of the history of Penang. Half of the building had been bombed by the Japanese during the war and not rebuilt. I am not very interested in museums, and I wandered around a bit, and then waited for the bus to reboard.
This was a morning tour only. After we returned to the ship, Rae took a nap and I went out again. After walking a short distance, I saw a young couple with a map and asked them where they got it. They said far from there, but they had another one in their backpack. As they searched for it, we talked about sites, and agreed that it would be nice to go to the big temple on the mountain (see name). A taxi came by and we asked him how much he would charge us to take us there. He said $10 American, and I said let’s go. On the way, he stopped for photos at the national mosque and then a Hindu temple. After the mountain temple, he took us to the sleeping Buddha temple and the temple across the street from it. We then stopped at a mosque for photos before returning to the ship.
The young couple were Alex and Catarina, from Chile. They were on a work-study program in Australia and in Penang on holiday. I took many photos of them, and they gave me their email addresses so I could send the photos to them later. It was a truly great day. I gave the taxi driver $40; he reminded me of the taxi driver in Istanbul, an older man just trying to earn a living.
Kuala Lumpur
We took the “Highlights” tour with the ship. Kuala Lumpur is over an hour’s drive inland from the port, and the tour was only four and a half hours -- 9 to 1:30 -- so there were only a few stops on the tour. It stopped first at the great blue mosque for photos. The Blue Mosque is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, and it is truly beautiful. The tour then stopped at the Malaysia National Museum, which had displays of the history of Malaysia. The tour stopped at the Victorian era railway station, with its elegant building and across the street to the national mosque. The tour then stopped at the Petronas Twin Towers, the third tallest buildings in the world, and the highest twin towers in the world.
Malaysia was not what I expected. I had expected Malaysia to be like Thailand -- quite poor and undeveloped -- but it was very different. Malaysia is much more prosperous economically than Thailand, and much more highly developed. The region between the port and Kuala Lumpur is the richest region of the country, and it was very highly developed with new high-rise apartment buildings and new expressways throughout the area. New cars were everywhere, and there were few motorbikes. Kuala Lumpur was similarly highly developed.
Malaysia is a mixed country with about 65 percent of the population being Muslim, 20 percent Buddhist, and about 10 percent Christian. However, it seemed that almost all of the women wore the hijab. This was a brief visit, and an interesting one.
Malaysia was not what I expected. I had expected Malaysia to be like Thailand -- quite poor and undeveloped -- but it was very different. Malaysia is much more prosperous economically than Thailand, and much more highly developed. The region between the port and Kuala Lumpur is the richest region of the country, and it was very highly developed with new high-rise apartment buildings and new expressways throughout the area. New cars were everywhere, and there were few motorbikes. Kuala Lumpur was similarly highly developed.
Malaysia is a mixed country with about 65 percent of the population being Muslim, 20 percent Buddhist, and about 10 percent Christian. However, it seemed that almost all of the women wore the hijab. This was a brief visit, and an interesting one.
Singapore
The heat and humidity in Singapore were stifling. In addition, we had tremendous downpours -- tropical downpours with incredible thunder. We loved Singapore. Singapore is very clean and modern, and at the same time, very interesting. The city is multiracial, and very interesting. When we arrived in Singapore, the airport was like a large shopping center, much like Union Station in DC, only larger. We arrived at midnight, so the stores were closed. However, there was a long line of people waiting to get into a restaurant at the airport. We saw an ATM and got cash, and then got a taxi to the hotel. The road was wide with large trees lining the street and hanging over the street. It was beautiful.
The hotel was very luxurious, and we was very pleased that we got a good rate and stayed there -- the Easter special. The shower in the bathroom was incredible -- like a flood of warm water. Each day the buffet breakfast that was included with the stay was extensive and delicious. Also each day, we had “tea” at 3:00 in the afternoon, which consisted of sandwiches, scones, dessert and coffee. All we could eat and drink. We ate only those two meals each day until the last day, when we had lunch at the food court on Orchard Road. In addition, the location of the hotel was really great, within walking distance of the riverfront café scene and Chinatown, and only a short taxi ride away from Little India and Orchard Road. I would return to the Fullerton, except that the view from the Mandarin Oriental was better.
On the first day, we rested and then went for a walk along the river. Later we went for a river boat ride along the Singapore River, with the skyscrapers of the downtown business district towering above the riverside restaurants that lined the south banks of the river.
Our second day, we took the hop on/hop off bus and saw the city. We got off the bus in the Muslim section and while Rae got a foot massage, I went for a walk and took photos of the mosque, where a Malay wedding was taking place. Unfortunately, the rain started, and I went back to the place to meet Rae, and I got a plastic bag for my camera. That was the day we did not take an umbrella; we did after that.
The third day, we took the hop on hop off bus again, and this time we got off in Little India and walked to the next bus stop. We bought a couple of items and took photos. Later, we got off again at Chinatown and walked through Chinatown. We stopped for lunch at a Thai place. We bought a couple of souvenirs.
The last day, we took a taxi to Orchard Road. We wanted to go to one or two of the shopping centers on Orchard Road, and we shopped a little and bought a blouse for Rae and a blue Addidas shirt for me. We walked along the underground walkway that was air conditioned, and went to a large "food court" with dozens of food outlets; we stopped at one place and picked out samples of many items, and it was wonderful. We went to Hard Rock to get a pin for Douglas, and then walked part of the way back, stopping to take some photos at a small Hindu temple.
Each day at the hotel, we had a wonderful breakfast buffet in the beautiful hotel restaurant along the river. It was a beautiful scene each morning. In the afternoon, we had high tea at 3:00, with lots of sandwiches and desserts. Rae had tea and I had cappuccino -- two of them! We did not need dinner. The last morning, we had our breakfast and then took a taxi to the ship.
The hotel was very luxurious, and we was very pleased that we got a good rate and stayed there -- the Easter special. The shower in the bathroom was incredible -- like a flood of warm water. Each day the buffet breakfast that was included with the stay was extensive and delicious. Also each day, we had “tea” at 3:00 in the afternoon, which consisted of sandwiches, scones, dessert and coffee. All we could eat and drink. We ate only those two meals each day until the last day, when we had lunch at the food court on Orchard Road. In addition, the location of the hotel was really great, within walking distance of the riverfront café scene and Chinatown, and only a short taxi ride away from Little India and Orchard Road. I would return to the Fullerton, except that the view from the Mandarin Oriental was better.
On the first day, we rested and then went for a walk along the river. Later we went for a river boat ride along the Singapore River, with the skyscrapers of the downtown business district towering above the riverside restaurants that lined the south banks of the river.
Our second day, we took the hop on/hop off bus and saw the city. We got off the bus in the Muslim section and while Rae got a foot massage, I went for a walk and took photos of the mosque, where a Malay wedding was taking place. Unfortunately, the rain started, and I went back to the place to meet Rae, and I got a plastic bag for my camera. That was the day we did not take an umbrella; we did after that.
The third day, we took the hop on hop off bus again, and this time we got off in Little India and walked to the next bus stop. We bought a couple of items and took photos. Later, we got off again at Chinatown and walked through Chinatown. We stopped for lunch at a Thai place. We bought a couple of souvenirs.
The last day, we took a taxi to Orchard Road. We wanted to go to one or two of the shopping centers on Orchard Road, and we shopped a little and bought a blouse for Rae and a blue Addidas shirt for me. We walked along the underground walkway that was air conditioned, and went to a large "food court" with dozens of food outlets; we stopped at one place and picked out samples of many items, and it was wonderful. We went to Hard Rock to get a pin for Douglas, and then walked part of the way back, stopping to take some photos at a small Hindu temple.
Each day at the hotel, we had a wonderful breakfast buffet in the beautiful hotel restaurant along the river. It was a beautiful scene each morning. In the afternoon, we had high tea at 3:00, with lots of sandwiches and desserts. Rae had tea and I had cappuccino -- two of them! We did not need dinner. The last morning, we had our breakfast and then took a taxi to the ship.
Flights from Washington to Singapore
After checking in at Dulles Airport, we boarded on time with no problems. The flight began smoothly, but after about three hours, we experienced turbulence. The captain tried to evade the turbulence by changing altitude first, and then air speed. He changed altitude from 39,000 feet down until finally flying at 26,000 feet, and he reduced air speed from about 600 miles per hour to about 400 mph. He never found a way to avoid the turbulence. When we finally arrived at Tokyo, we were unable to land because of high winds. At first, he was going to go to another airport, but then was permitted to land at Tokyo Narita International. The landing was very nerve wracking, but he made it. We all relieved to be safely on the ground.
The time in Tokyo was uneventful, and the flight on to Singapore was also uneventful. Finally, after the 14 hour flight to Tokyo and an additional 7 hour flight, we arrived in Singapore.
ANA is a very good airline. I would make several observations about the flights (both on ANA). First, the airline flight attendants were great. They constantly moved through the aisles looking for ways to be helpful, and about every half hour, they offered orange juice, apple juice, or green tea. They were very friendly, courteous, and helpful. They were also very thin and pretty and smiled constantly. Second, on any airline serving Americans, there is always a long line waiting to use the restrooms, and there is quite a lot of noise and movement by the passengers, particularly on long flights. However, on these flights (both long flights on ANA), almost all of the passengers were Asian, and the flights were extremely quiet. There was very little sound, and almost no movement by the passengers. In addition, almost none of the passengers used the restrooms. There was one restroom serving the economy section on the plane, and it was almost never in use. It seemed very odd. I really liked ANA, and I would fly it again. Oh yes, the food was distinctly Japanese, even for breakfast, with rice, noodles, fish, and soy sauce.
The time in Tokyo was uneventful, and the flight on to Singapore was also uneventful. Finally, after the 14 hour flight to Tokyo and an additional 7 hour flight, we arrived in Singapore.
ANA is a very good airline. I would make several observations about the flights (both on ANA). First, the airline flight attendants were great. They constantly moved through the aisles looking for ways to be helpful, and about every half hour, they offered orange juice, apple juice, or green tea. They were very friendly, courteous, and helpful. They were also very thin and pretty and smiled constantly. Second, on any airline serving Americans, there is always a long line waiting to use the restrooms, and there is quite a lot of noise and movement by the passengers, particularly on long flights. However, on these flights (both long flights on ANA), almost all of the passengers were Asian, and the flights were extremely quiet. There was very little sound, and almost no movement by the passengers. In addition, almost none of the passengers used the restrooms. There was one restroom serving the economy section on the plane, and it was almost never in use. It seemed very odd. I really liked ANA, and I would fly it again. Oh yes, the food was distinctly Japanese, even for breakfast, with rice, noodles, fish, and soy sauce.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Friday, January 08, 2010
Singapore to Dover, 63 Days
Princess Cruise Line
Ocean Princess
April 5, 2010 - June 7, 2010
Precruise hotel in Singapore -- The Fullerton, constructed in 1928 as the General Post Office and restored in 2001 as a luxury hotel. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday, January 07, 2010
Travel Ideas for the Future
Travel Ideas for the Future
Some initial thoughts on future travel destinations.
Like Tina Fey’s remark on 30 Rock, “I want to go to there.”
(Actually, the line seems to have come from Fey’s daughter, Alice.)
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
See as many of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as possible.
Africa
Tanzania/Kenya safari
Victoria Falls
Morocco again
Middle East
Egypt -- Nile River cruise
Petra
Turkey -- Istanbul again, and also other places
Syria
Dubai, UAE
Asia
Yangtze River Cruise
Guilin River Cruise
Xian – Terra Cotta Soldiers
Shanghai again (Circle trip -- Hong Kong, Guilin, Xian, Yangtze, Shanghai)
Beijing again
Return to several places in Asia -- Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore
India
Other places on a cruise
Australia, New Zealand and South Seas
Great Barrier Reef (not on a cruise, but stay several days)
Numerous places in Australia -- see World Heritage Sites
New Zealand on a cruise
Cruise the South Seas – Easter Island, Cook Islands, Tahiti, etc.
South America
Cruise around it, stopping in several places
Iguazu Falls (Between Argentina and Brazil)
Machu Picchu
Amazon River
Galapagos Islands
Central America
Return to several places, particularly Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica
Europe
Paris -- a month
Rome -- a month; also Northern and Central Italy
Car trip in Austria and Germany (Fly to Munich, then drive in a circle to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna, Bratislava, Prague, Dresden, Nuremberg, and then back to Munich. Also Berchtesgaden and Rothenburg, Germany. Take a month or more; see map.)
Another river cruise
Norway cruise
Copenhagen and Danish countryside. If driving add in a small part of Sweden.
Southern France, leisurely car trip
Spain/Portugal
Tour of the Balkan countries (Serbia, Romania, Montenegro. Slovenia, etc.)
Poland, Warsaw, unique countryside
Britain
London -- a month
Northern England, York and the Lake District
Scotland, Edinburgh and the countryside
England -- gardens, villages, churches, country houses
US and Canada
New York -- stay a week or more
Back to Hawaii
Some of the National Parks out West
Maine and the Canadian Atlantic Provinces, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island
Vancouver, Victoria Island
Banff, Lake Louise
Cruise up Alaskan coast, Aleutian Islands, Russia, Japan, China
Louisiana Mississippi ante-bellum houses
New England and Canada in the Fall again
Some initial thoughts on future travel destinations.
Like Tina Fey’s remark on 30 Rock, “I want to go to there.”
(Actually, the line seems to have come from Fey’s daughter, Alice.)
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
See as many of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as possible.
Africa
Tanzania/Kenya safari
Victoria Falls
Morocco again
Middle East
Egypt -- Nile River cruise
Petra
Turkey -- Istanbul again, and also other places
Syria
Dubai, UAE
Asia
Yangtze River Cruise
Guilin River Cruise
Xian – Terra Cotta Soldiers
Shanghai again (Circle trip -- Hong Kong, Guilin, Xian, Yangtze, Shanghai)
Beijing again
Return to several places in Asia -- Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore
India
Other places on a cruise
Australia, New Zealand and South Seas
Great Barrier Reef (not on a cruise, but stay several days)
Numerous places in Australia -- see World Heritage Sites
New Zealand on a cruise
Cruise the South Seas – Easter Island, Cook Islands, Tahiti, etc.
South America
Cruise around it, stopping in several places
Iguazu Falls (Between Argentina and Brazil)
Machu Picchu
Amazon River
Galapagos Islands
Central America
Return to several places, particularly Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica
Europe
Paris -- a month
Rome -- a month; also Northern and Central Italy
Car trip in Austria and Germany (Fly to Munich, then drive in a circle to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna, Bratislava, Prague, Dresden, Nuremberg, and then back to Munich. Also Berchtesgaden and Rothenburg, Germany. Take a month or more; see map.)
Another river cruise
Norway cruise
Copenhagen and Danish countryside. If driving add in a small part of Sweden.
Southern France, leisurely car trip
Spain/Portugal
Tour of the Balkan countries (Serbia, Romania, Montenegro. Slovenia, etc.)
Poland, Warsaw, unique countryside
Britain
London -- a month
Northern England, York and the Lake District
Scotland, Edinburgh and the countryside
England -- gardens, villages, churches, country houses
US and Canada
New York -- stay a week or more
Back to Hawaii
Some of the National Parks out West
Maine and the Canadian Atlantic Provinces, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island
Vancouver, Victoria Island
Banff, Lake Louise
Cruise up Alaskan coast, Aleutian Islands, Russia, Japan, China
Louisiana Mississippi ante-bellum houses
New England and Canada in the Fall again
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Bermuda Cruise
Bermuda Cruise
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
September 2, 2007
Bermuda
While best known for its shorts and golf courses, Bermuda has much more to offer. And on a cruise vacation, you have the opportunity to see it all. Explore the underwater world or stroll along the historic streets of St. George. Relax on a pink-sand beach or swim in the sparkling turquoise waters. From sailing to shopping to sunbathing, the only thing you'll want in Bermuda is more time.
Itinerary
Day ***** Port **** Depart/Arrive
02-Sep Baltimore, Maryland 5:00 PM
03-Sep Cruising
04-Sep Kings Wharf, Bermuda 10:00 AM Docked
05-Sep Kings Wharf, Bermuda 4:00 PM Docked
06-Sep Cruising
07-Sep Baltimore, Maryland 7:45 AM
*** All itineraries are subject to change without notice. Please confirm your itinerary on the Review page before purchasing your cruise.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Grand Princess - Galveston to Rome
April 17 - May 4
Click on image to enlarge. We board in Ft. Lauderdale, not Galveston.
Home -- May 4, Midnight.
Monday, December 12, 2005
The New House
Ta Da!! The new house is well underway!
Expected completion date -- December 23rd.
It will be a happy day!
Inside the front door, in the living room.
Cork, Ireland
Cork, Ireland is on the Southern coast of Ireland, and the harbor of Cobh (pronounced Cove) is one of the deepest harbors in the world. For some years, this port was the "jumping off" port for ships bound for America, but now, with more advanced ships, most ships leave from Southampton or Dover. Cobh has the distinction of being the last port for the Titanic, and the place where the Lusitania was sunk by U-boats during World War II.
The little port town of Cobh is beautiful, with its cathedral and its row of colored buildings.
Cork is the second largest city in Ireland, with a population of about 400,000 (of a total population in Ireland of about 4 million).
Cork was a busy town -- a very pretty downtown area of narrow shop-lined streets. (We have no photos of Cork.)
We were surprised to see palm trees in Cobh.
The bus ride was through countryside so green that it was truly the emerald isle. It was as beautiful as the photos show it.
The bus did not stop in Cork, but continued on to Blarney Castle.(BlarneyCastle) Although the weather was rainy, and a rain shower fell, we stood in line to walk up the narrow circular stairs to the top of Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone, where we were promised "eloquence", or "blarney" more accurately. It was cheesy but fun.
The Blarney Stone is located high at the top of the Blarney Castle (in the open space in the photo). We had to climb the stairs all the way to the top.
You have to lie on your back and kiss the Blarney Stone upside down. It can be reached in no other way. (We kissed the stone knowing that others had just kissed the stone ahead of us -- people with colds or flu or who knows what disease.)Later, we visited the souvenier shops of Blarney Woollen Mills, just outside the castle. Blarney Woollen Mills (BlarneyMills) has an interesting history. A man named Kelleher was very, very poor, and worked as a laborer. Somehow, he saved enough money to buy a small souvenier stand outside Blarney Castle. When the woollen mills went bankrupt and was put up for sale, he took out a life insurance policy on himself, his wife, and each of his seven children, and then borrowed all the money he could against those policies. He was able to buy a half interest in the mills. Later he was able to buy out his partner. He did not use the mills, but used the building to sell souveniers. He began to upgrade the souveniers that he sold to higher priced, higher profit items, and he began to make money. Later he also opened a hotel on the site. Now the shop sells very expensive goods along with some cheap souveniers. Blarney Woollen Mills is still owned and operated by the Kelleher family.
Back in the town of Cobh, we took a walk before the ship sailed at 5:00 p.m., beginning its crossing of the Atlantic.
The ship was docked directly in the little town of Cobh, and it was the largest structure in the town.
The pilot is let off, and we sail into the Atlantic, past the final lighthouse.
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