At Sea

There are 11 decks, with the passenger cabins ending on deck 8.  One of the ladies on Deck #3 said that her room has a porthole that has been boarded up to guard against the pirates.  As I mentioned we are now on very, very high alert as we have just transited the Strait of Hormuz and are now heading southeasterly through the Gulf of Oman.  The Gulf of Oman is a strait (and not an actual gulf) that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf.  It is generally included as a branch of the Persian Gulf, not as an arm of the Arabian Sea.  On the north coast is Pakistan and Iran.  On the south coast are Oman to the east, and the United Arab emirates for a short distance to the west.

The sun rises on our side of the ship (port) and this morning we were up at 6:00 to take pictures.  What an incredible sight!  

Dubai, U.A.E.

Sinbad the Sailor once called Dubai Creek home, but he’d have trouble recognizing it these days.  This largest natural harbor along the Emirates’ coast has blossomed into one of the most modern cities on earth.  As it now stands, it’s the perfect place to get a deeper peek into Arabian culture in a friendly and secure environment.  Dubai is one of seven autonomous emirates which formed the UAE federation in 1971, under British sponsorship.  Like some of its gulf neighbors, Dubai enjoys significant revenue from oil and natural gas, but trade continues to be the primary focus of local economic planners.  After all, oil deposits can become depleted in time, but trade seems almost eternal.  Unlike the other Emirates, Dubai has only one town but that one has a million people. Today the older quarter, Bur Dubai, is on the left bank of Dubai Creek, but the commercial center is Deira, on the right bank.,  Here you will find some of the oldest and most interesting markets (souks), as well as many of the glittering skyscrapers that house the muscle of modern commerce. 

The Old Covered Souk and the gold Souk still preserve their old character – most other ships look disappointingly modern.  When a man wants to divorce his wife he has only to say “I divorce you” three times.  She leaves with nothing but her jewelry, hence the gold souks. These stores house the most incredible pieces of gold you can imagine. 

Dubai boasts of having the biggest, the tallest, the widest, the most expensive, the most important everything. The world’s only  7-star luxury hotel, the Burj Al Arab is here, built on an artificial island and looks like the sail of a boat.  Our ship is offering a new tour, it’s lunch at the “Atmosphere Burj Khalifa.”  It’s almost at the very top of the world’s tallest building.  It includes 1 glass of wine (red or white) per guest and 1 bottle of mineral (still) water.  The low, low price for this dining experience is ONLY $392.00 per person (adult or child).  We did not sign up. 

In 2008 17% of the world’s construction cranes were in Dubai.  Now I understand they are having financial difficulties, the cranes are still here, but they are not operating.  

Six of us went to the gold souk & spice souk and took a water taxi to the other side of Dubai where we had a lovely lunch on the water.  Belts, breast plates, vests, skirts, anything you can imagine made out of gold.  The pieces are not chosen not for their beauty but for their weight.  An amazing sight! 

Another couple we met went to the Burj Al Arab Hotel for lunch.  They said it was spectacular and that that they were seated in the center of a circular room that was surrounded by a huge aquarium which made them feel as though they were under the sea.  The fish were very large and swimming all around them.  The stemware was very tall crystal and the china and flatware the very best.  They had 1 bottle of Spanish wine (they are from Barcelona) and he had Kobe beef while she had fish.  The bill was 700 Euros, which is over $1,100.  Needless to say we chose not to join them.  We did not get to the Burj Khalifa  and we could not get into the Burj Al Arab as they only allow entrance if a person is already on their list.  If you want to just go for coffee, they charge $100 per person to walk in the door and you must be dressed properly.

The winds were very strong and blew so much sand that by the afternoon we couldn’t see any of the buildings in the city. We now have 5 days at sea before reaching the Seychelles. The above is just one of the many store windows in the souk.

Muscat, Oman

Muscat is one of the fabled ports of the Near East, a legendary trading center connecting Europe and Asia. It has been a crucial seaport for at least 24 centuries with Links to India and beyond dating as early as the 6^th century BC. Conflict between Portugal, Persia and the Ottoman empire led to Muscat and Oman’s eventual liberation from foreign domination in the 18^th century.  Muscat and Oman have been ruled by the Al Said dynasty since the 18^th century.  In 1970, Qaboos bin Said ascended to the Sultanate, and began an ambitious program of revitalizing Muscat and Oman. Part of the revitalization process has seen the development of tourism. Visitors to Muscat will discover a fascinating amalgam of the ancient and the modern. The harbor is guarded by two 16^th century forts. Between them stands the modern Al Alam Palace.  The official residence of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the palace blends classical and contemporary Islamic architectures. Palaces and souks, museums and mosques – but beyond the city of Muscat lies the vast reaches of The Arabian Desert.  An hour’s drive leads the traveler into a region of stark mountains and hidden oases.  Ancient pre-Islamic forts stand guard over deserts springs nurturing groves of dates and bananas.  Muscat, in short, is a city out of the Arabian nights.  And if you should have any doubt, enjoy a cruise along the bay in a traditional Arab dhow as merchants, adventurers and dreamers have done for centuries.
Their population is about 3 ½ million, Capital: Muscat Government: Absolute Monarchy Currency: Omani Rial (OMR) .

We docked at about 7 am and took the shuttle to town at 8:30.  We only had about 4 hours here as the ship leaves for Dubai at 1:00 and we had to be on board by 12:30. There wasn’t much to see neither the palace nor the museum were very interesting.  We spent a couple of hours in the Souk (market) and found it to be another shopper’s paradise.  It was all inside and extremely hot.  We made it through the clothes, trinkets, purses, and silver and the gold .  It wasn’t too bad until another ship docked that carried 3,000 people.  They all came to the souk, it was maddening.  Now not only was it unbearably hot, but impossible to maneuver in a shop or just walking around. We had enough after 2 hours and took the shuttle back to the boat. 

We heard that pirates took another ship yesterday, an oil tanker, and it was only 65 miles from us.  We are on very high alert with crew standing watch through the night.  Tomorrow we will be Dubai then 5 days at sea.  We will be off the coast of Somalia for a while en route to our next stop which are the Seychelles.

Mumbai (Bombay) India

Bombay Harbor is seven miles wide at the base and tapers as it goes north.  It is an impressive sight.  The port of Mumbai, which shares with the port of Calcutta the distinction of being one of the two largest ports in the country, handles by far the major portion of the passenger traffic part of India’s import-export trade.  With a vast and growing industrial hinterland, Mumbai is ideally situated to be the “Gateway to India” for all sea traffic from the west.  The city really took off in the middle of the last century, the railway brought prosperity, textile mills were put into operation and solid Victorian buildings were erected to prove that this was an empire on which the sun never set.  Land was reclaimed, mud flats and swamps were rid (comparatively speaking) of disease and Mumbai was pointed in the direction of the international glamour city it has become, though the Western visitor to this seething mass of 12 million people might find several interventions between cleanliness and Godliness. The city was called Bombay for much of the last 400 years, but Mumbai has been used in local languages for equally long.  An Act of Parliament officially changed the name to Mumbai in 1997.

Both Davids, & Barbara wanted to shop all day – Gary and I didn’t.  The two of us hired a car for 4 hours ($25.00) and went to various places that we hadn’t seen before.  Our first stop was the Victoria Train Station, quite impressive from the outside and equally impressive inside. This is where the end of “Slum Dog Millionaire” was filmed.  It was teaming with people and was absolutely fabulous.  We then went to see the men doing laundry.  It is an amazing sight as you can see from the picture.  We saw two, the first from a bridge above and the second was street level where we walked down a long passageway. Got some great pictures.  Our next stop was the Royal Bombay Yacht Club which dates back to the mid 1800’s.  We were granted entry as Gary was Commodore of our yacht club and they honored the reciprocal. We stayed long enough to have a drink then went across the street to the Taj Mahal Hotel (where the terrorists struck in ’09) for lunch.  It is truly a magnificent hotel and they had just finished renovating it after the attack.
 

Across from the hotel is the Gateway of India, which is a huge archway that was built to commemorate the visit of King George V in 1911.  We have been to Gandhi’s house/museum before and also the Prince Albert Museum so we skipped both this time.  I stopped in a shop before heading back to the ship and made my second purchase of the trip.

Tomorrow is “India Night” where everyone wears the sari’s they bought and there’s a big party around the pool.  No,      I didn’t buy a sari.

 It was a full day and an interesting one, but totally exhausting.  We have 2 days at sea before reaching Oman and after that Dubai.

Cochin, India

Cochin is one of the three largest ports on the west coast of India handling over 5 million tons of cargo a year.  It is one of those rare places where the 20^th century and ancient civilization exist side by side with a past so rich that it has a valid claim as a museum city. 

History at Cochin is found in the most abundant quantities at Fort Cochin and in Mattancheri, southwest of the harbor.  The fort is believed to be the oldest European settlement in India, dating back to 1500.  Vasco de Gama visited Cochin, died here and was originally buried in the fort’s St. Francis Church, the oldest in India.

Fort Cochin may be old, but compared with Mattancheri, it’s an upstart.  Back in the 6^th century B.C., Kerala experienced its first immigration of Jews.  It was followed by a much bigger wave in the first century A.D. when Jews fled roman persecution in Jerusalem. There is Jewish synagogue built by Sephardic Jews in the mid 1500s and features hand-painted Cantonese floor tiles and exquisite copper plaques.  We were there in 2008 but unfortunately it was locked and we couldn’t get in, I’m hoping this time will be different, although we, again, arrive on Sunday (it is now run by the government).

 The population is about 400,000, their language is mostly Hindi or Bengali, their government is the Union Territory of India and the currency is the Indian Rupee.

A few of us hired 2 (small) cars for 4 hours, costing $15 per car, to take around Cochin.  We went to see the fishing nets, a snake charmer, the Jewish Synagogue and a museum, did some shopping and had lunch at a lovely hotel. At the Synagogue, which dates back to 1568, we saw the magnificent tile floor that had 12” square tiles from China with no two alike.  This is the oldest Jewish Synagogue in the British Commonwealth.  Apparently, there are only 3 Jewish families left in Cochin.  The snake charmer was absolutely amazing.  I heard that it’s now illegal in India so we were very lucky to find one.  Everyone on the ship was very envious. It was a very full day and we all had a great time.  Barbara bought some silk pants.  I bought a small marble elephant to match the one I bought the last time I was here.  A lot of people were buying Saris but I’m sure I would never wear it again and didn’t buy one. We had a full day and I got some good pictures – even took a movie of the snake charmer.  WOW! We have one day at sea, then Mumbai (Bombay).

Bay of Bengal

The Bay of Bengal is the largest bay in the world, forming the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean.  It resembles a triangle in shape and is bordered by Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal down to the state of Tamil Nadu, India, Sri Lanka to the West, Burma (Myanmar), the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands to the east.

The ship informed us that there will be a Full Passenger & Crew Piracy Drill on March 19^th.  In the case of an attack there are certain things we need to know regarding our defense.  Too bad it won't involve giving Gary & I a shotgun (we have both shot competition trap for several years).

We have three days at sea before reaching Cochin, India.

Port Blair, Andaman Islands

The Andaman and Nicobar Archipelagoes lie over 600 miles off the coast of India in the Bay of Bengal.  They are a group of 572 islands, islets and rocks that are big and small, inhabited and uninhabited.  Covered in dense forest, the island is home to innumerable exotic birds and animals as well as a profuse growth of ferns and orchids.

The first Europeans settled here in the 18^th century, but malaria and hostile natives put a prompt end to the colony established by Lt. Archibald Blair.  The British returned, however, in the 19^th century, and like Australia, the Andaman Islands became a penal colony.  The archipelago was the final destination for Indian political prisoners.

The islands were occupied by the Japanese during world War II.  Though, tragically, many islanders were killed because of their alleged ties to the British.  By necessity the Andamans became self-sufficient in the area of fool production and constructed more roads.  After the war, British rule was restored, but the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, along with the rest of India, gained independence on August 15, 1947.

Today a Union Territory of India, the Andaman Islands have long been popular with divers and surfers.  The archipelago boasts crystalline waters, extensive coral reefs and, at Little Andaman Island, some of the finest waves in the Indian Ocean.  Port Blair, the territorial capital, is a pleasant and easygoing town.

We arrived around 12 noon and took the shuttle to “town.”  Of all the places we have been, unfortunately this was the worst.  The rain was torrential and the garbage was everywhere.  A friend of mine once said “when you go to India, look up.”  Enough said.  We got off the bus in the middle of a river and made our way up the street a few blocks.  After only 30 minutes we decided to go back to the ship.  We made our way back to where the shuttle parked which was not an easy task.  The streets were flooded and there was only an occasional piece of sidewalk.  By the time we got on the bus we were soaked to the skin.  Barbara & David never even got off the bus.   We leaved at 7:00 tonight heading southwest through the Bay of Bengal. 

Malacca Strait

The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, 500 mile long stretch of water between Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia) and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.  From an economic and strategic perspective the Strait of Malacca is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world, equal or greater than the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal.  The strait is the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, linking major Asian economies such as India, China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.  Over 50,000 vessels pass through the strait per year, carrying about one-quarter of the world’s traded goods including oil, Chinese manufacturers and Indonesian coffee.  About a quarter of all oil shipments carried by sea pass through the strait, mainly from Persian Gulf suppliers to Asian markets such as China, Japan, and South Korea.  In 2006 an estimated 15 million barrels per day were transported through the strait.  Large oil tankers that exceed the maximum size will typically use the Lombok Strait instead.  At Phillips Channel near Singapore, the Strait of Malacca narrows to 1.5 nautical miles wide, creating one of the world’s most significant traffic chokepoints.  We are now on high alert and will be for the next 3 weeks as pirates have been in these waters.  Great!

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia, long known to the ancient mariners as “the land where the winds meet” has lured travelers since the dawn of time.  Seafaring Malays settled the seaboard and traded with the early Indian, Arab and Chinese traders who sailed to her shores with the monsoon winds in search of gold, spices and jungle exotica.  In her infant years she was a wretched town.  Of the 87 miner-prospectors who poled up to where the Klang and Gambok rivers meet, 70 died from fever and tiger attacks the first month.  They called the settlement Kuala Lumpur, “muddy estuary.”  It was an isolated outpost, surrounded by hostile jungle.  But the mines produced and the town grew.

Malaysia today is a land of great variety with varied landscapes and areas of jungle.  The Malay peninsula lies halfway between India and China.  It is surmised that the early traders met and bartered goods in the sheltered places along the straits of Malacca.  They brought their religion with them and their way of life thus Hinduism and Buddhism  have left cultural traces which have become absorbed into the Malay life.

We took the bus in from our dock which was a ride of 1 ½ hours and they dropped us in the downtown area. It was a costly ride as we were charged $39 pp by the ship.  We’ll never do that again!  Barbara & David and Gary & I spent the day together in the city.  The architecture here is awesome and they boast the tallest buildings (their twin towers) in the world, second only to the tower in Dubai. The bus was returning at 3:00 so we didn't have much time to go out of the city.  The currency is "ringgit" and it's 3 to $1.00 U.S., population is about 25 million and the government is a Constitutional Monarchy.  When we leave we will head northwesterly towards the Stratit of Malacca.

Update

The fellow that was air lifted off the ship a couple of weeks ago (Ron & Denise) returned to the ship in Singapore.  They joined us at dinner last night told us what had happened.  Apparently they said he had diverticulitis.  We were surprised that it would cause so much internal bleeding and along with the 4 transfusions he had on the ship, he had to have 3 more when he reached Perth.  He was very near death when he left the ship because he lost so much blood. When Denise left to meet him, she only took half of her things hoping to rejoin the ship.  As Singapore marks the half way point of the trip, they were able to come back – what a great place to recuperate.   

Singapore

Strategically poised at the tip of the Malayan peninsula, just over 1 degree north of the equator, Singapore is the dynamic trading crossroads of East and West.  Once a sleepy fishing village known as Temasek, the island got its name in the 14^th century when a visiting Srivijayan prince saw an animal he believed to be a lion and renamed the island Singa Pura, the Lion City. Destiny took a hand in 1819 when a British East India Company official, Sir Stamford Raffles, claimed Singapore as a regional base.  Its fine natural harbor and favorable location made it ideal as a trading post with a free trade policy that attracted merchants and migrants from Malayam Indonesia, China, India, the Middle East and Europe.  Today, Singapaore has been transformed into a cosmopolitan center for commerce and industry bustling with communications and transportation networks; immaculate streets and ultra-modern skyscrapers.  With a population of about 4.8 mmillion – of which is 77 percent Chinese, 14 percent Malays (indigenous/native), 8 percent Indians and 1 percent others, Singapore enjoys multi-racial harmony.  By the way, the Raffles hotel is where the “Singapore Sling” was invented.

We were docked far away from town and had to take a shuttle in.  It took us 45 minutes to reach the city.  From our drop-off place, the Hyatt Hotel, we walked to the subway station and took the train to Chinatown.  That was an experience in itself.  Throngs of people crowed the stations many levels.  It was easy to find our way around as everything is color-coded.   It cost us $2. Each with $1. being a deposit that would be returned at the end of our trip.  We spent the day walking around Chinatown and shopping.  We had lunch of chicken & pork fried rice along with some Peking duck & shrimp at a great  restaurant.  We just made it on to the last bus which left at 3:30.  People came on with 2 & 3 bags full of everything imaginable.  Do they have the stuff here!  Far, far too numerous to name, but think of every trinket or Oriental knick-knack you have ever seen then quadruple it.  Two & three camera stores on every block (although none with international warranties).  Another great day.  Tomorrow Kuala Lumpur.

Ko Samui, Thailand

Samui, (pronounced Sam-Moo-ee) is the biggest of a group of several dozen islands in the southern Gulf of Siam.  Some have called it the biggest coconut plantation in the world, and until the first backpackers began arriving in the 1970s, life on Samui revolved around the coconut and the income it generated.  The bungalow resorts which mushroomed on every attractive beach on the island quickly saw tourism become the island’s major income earner.  It takes only about one hour to drive completely around the island, if you don’t stop along the many beaches or take to some of the side tracks.

We hired a car & driver to show us the island.  They have elephant safari’s here and it is not unusual to see people riding though the jungle on an elephant. We went to see a waterfall where we walked to the bottom (quite a trek) over rocks and tree roots.  Afterwards, Gary went for a massage while I walked around the town. The car & driver cost us $40. For 4 hours.  This time we didn’t stop for lunch but had a sandwich when we got back to the ship. The waiter we have had since Ft. Lauderdale left the ship last night as he is from Thailand and his contract was up.  We had a small cake for him and sang “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.”   

We have 1 day at sea then arrive in Singapore.  Heard about the terrible tsunami in Japan.  We were very concerned as they mentioned Thailand as one of the places possibly affected, but apparently we were clear.

LaemChabang/Pattaya, Thailand

Thailand is a nation of smiling people, happy children, saffron-robed monks and, without doubt, the world’s most congested streets.  It is crisscrossed with canals and Bangkok’s moniker is the Venice of the East.  Rice barges, massive rafts of teak logs, ferry boats and river busses all glide along, presenting a kaleidoscope of changing colors.  It is a mecca for shoppers looking for the exotic, superlative silks, gemstones and intricately decorated objects. Sights are all around, at every turn; the vendors, the children, the food and flower stalls, the shops, the tuk-tuks and traffic.  In short, Thailand is everything you read and hear about and more.

After taking the shuttle into town (a 45 minute ride), we found an internet café to call home and answer a few e-mails.  We have been having problems accessing certain accounts due to the poor internet aboard ship.  Since they also blocked Skype, we have been unable to contact anyone for a while.  Afterwards  we went to have a great lunch of fried rice and cashew chicken.  Outside of the restaurant were 4 huge tanks of water filled with small, smelt like, fish.  People sit on a chair above the tank and put their feet in the tank.  The fish then eat off the dead skin.  It’s a good thing we saw it after lunch instead of before.  It was an amazing sight to see.  Can you make out the feet in the tank? Sad to see mega-malls here, Thailand has lost some of it’s charm.

 Thailand is also known for its great massages and inexpensive manicures & pedicures. I decided to have a manicure and pedicure while Gary had a leg/foot massage for 1 hour.  Actually the girl only filed and polished my nails, none of the instruments were sterilized and there was no way she was using a clipper on me. 

The streets are packed with open air shops filled with everything imaginable…it is a shopper’s paradise.  The ship stops here so they can take people on tour to Bangkok.  It’s a 2-2 ½ hour ride each way and they only stay 4 hours.

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Fabulous temples and cities like Angkor Wat were swallowed by jungle, and unknown to the outside world for centuries.  And the way there today begins at a small harbor which the locals claim in immune from typhoons flooding and earthquakes. The former seaside town of Kompong Som did not become the port of Sihanoukville until 1955.  When French Indochina broke up in 1954, Cambodia could no longer send it commerce down the Mekong, since the mouth of that river was now entirely inside Vietnam.  Prince Norodom Sihamouk opened a new commercial port here, named after himself, with the help of French engineers.  He also hoped to capitalize on the sunny weather (an average of 310 sunny days per year) since it usually rains only at night. Sihanoukville remains a pretty but small town where Buddhist temples are the main attractions.  The Independence Monument (1985) near the lower temple commemorates the end of the murderous regime of Pol Pot, who killed millions of his own people. Much of the city had to be rebuilt since that time, giving it a very modern look. Today, Buddhism is Cambodia’s principal religion and the capital is Phonom Penh.  The population is 14,000,000.

We hired a car, with a driver who spoke some English, to show us around.  We went to a Buddhist Temple where we spent time talking to one of the Monks and taking lots of pictures. In 2008 we hired a tuk tuk, which is a 4 passenger covered (with open sides)carriage with 2 bench seats pulled by a fellow on a small motorcycle. This time we went in style and drove around in an air conditioned SUV, really a luxury.  Since the last shuttle back to the ship was leaving at 3:00 we didn’t have much time.  We went to a beautiful hotel called the “Independent” and for $5. we were able to use their facilities.  They provided us with a changing room and towels and said we could use their private beach & pool.  The last time we were here we stayed on the beach, but this time we chose the pool.  Gary opened the bottle of wine we brought in our backpack and we went for a swim.  Afterwards, we had a great lunch of fried rice, prawns, chicken or fish in their main dining room.  The couple with us, David & Barbara, are originally from England but now live in Cypress most of the year.  They still have their home in England, but because of the weather, enjoy Cypress much more.  They are a lovely couple and we had a great day with them.

Lombok

The waters of the Lombok Strait separate the island of Lombok from its neighbor island of Bali.  Lombok resembles Bali as it appeared three decades ago before global travel brought an endless stream of visitors.  It possesses both great natural beauty and a sophisticated culture with a rich artistic tradition. The island’s scenery ranges from spectacular white sand beaches to terraced rice fields clinging to forested slopes. The southern lowlands are devoted to agriculture, including spice, coconut, coffee, vanilla and clove plantations. While Lombok appears a mirror image of Bali, significant differences exist.  For example, many species of birds found on Lombok are not found on Bali, just 20 miles across the strait.  A cultural divide separates the islands as well.  The native Sasak people make up 90 percent of the island’s population.  Unlike the Hindu Balinese, who ruled Lombok for two centuries, the native Sasak are primarily Muslim. The people of Lombok are renowned for sophisticated island crafts ranging from weaving and wood carving to ceramics along with hand-woven silk brocade incorporating metallic fabrics.

Gary and I found a driver who spoke English that would take us around Lombok the entire day.  He had an air conditioned crossover and it was great to get out of the heat.  We thought we might go to the Oberoy Hotel, but it was much too far (2 hours) to travel.  Some of the hotels  are absolutely gorgeous which is a sharp contrast to the living conditions here.  The people are very poor and the Lombok is very dirty with garbage everywhere.  However, wherever we went we were greeted with warmth and friendship.  We saw beautiful wood carvings, different fabrics being woven and decorative pottery being made.   Our driver even took us to his home.  We passed rice field after rice field and saw entire families whiz by on motor scooters.  On one bike there were 3 kids along with both parents – a baby in the mother’s  arms on the back, the father had one son in front of him and another child on the floor near his feet with his head crouched down low.  No helmets, thongs on their feet and all in shorts. 

We stopped for lunch at the Jakarta Hotel and had a wonderful lunch of Nasi Gori (sp) which is fried rice wrapped in a thin layer of scrambled egg along with 2 pieces of chicken satay, 1 fried prawn and something else they call a pickle that made my eyes tear and my nose run…hot, hot, hot. We were gone from 10:00 until 3:30 and, once again, had a great day.

By the way, the gal whose husband was evacuated left the ship today and flew to Bali where she will take a flight to Singapore, stay 2 days, then fly back to Perth.  That’s the only way she could get to her husband.  They still don’t know what is wrong with him. We have 3 days at sea before Cambodia & Thailand.  Been impossible to get on the internet as we are unable to get a signal.  If we are able to access it, it’s very, very, very slow and importing a picture has been hopeless.   

At Sea

We left Fremantle yesterday and have 3 days at sea until Lombok in Indonesia.  Originally we were to go to Bali, but it’s a holiday and everything will be closed, even the port.  This afternoon an announcement was made requesting blood donors with type A+.  I have A+ but didn’t have my donor card and they had no ability to test.  However, there were several people that answered the page and the doctor did get enough blood.  I have no idea what happened to the man that would require a transfusion, but later that afternoon they asked that the decks be clear of all passengers as a helicopter was coming to evacuate him.  While typing this, one of the crew came to our cabin and told us to evacuate the room by 7:15 this evening.  Since we have a balcony they had to take in all of the outside furniture from the port side of the ship and they also want everyone in the interior. The pick-up was to be over the pool and they had to take away every deck chair along with several of the tall lamps surrounding the upper deck. The captain just announced that the helicopter would arrive about 8:00 on the port side (our side) and that no cameras (flash) can be allowed.  Fortunately, my camera has a night setting and I won’t need to use my flash.  How sad to be fortunate enough to do a world cruise and have it end with a serious illness.

It’s the following day now and we had breakfast with the wife of the fellow evacuated last night.  She only knows that he had internal bleeding and took 4 pints of blood.  After the helicopter picked him up (she was not allowed to accompany him) and took him to the base, a light plane then transported him back to Perth.  They were lucky that this happened close to a major city in Australia instead of some third world country.  So far she has no idea what the problem is or if he will be able to come back to the ship or if she will need to take him back to the U.S.  I’ll keep you posted.

Fremantle/Perth

Fremantle was established in May 1829 when Captain Charles Howe Fremantle (after whom the settlement was named) formally took possession of the whole of the west coast of New Holland.  The captain did this in the name of His Britannic Majesty, and the Union jack was hoisted on the south head of the river.  The famous Fremantle Prison was built by convict labor from limestone rock quarried on site and it was used as a maximum security prison from 1855 until 1991.  The influence of the convicts on the architecture of Fremantle can never be overstated.  From 1850 until 1868 there was a huge building program in the settlement that has resulted in some of the city’s finest buildings.

The big turning point for Fremantle occurred in the 1980’s when it became one of the premier tourist destinations in Australia.  Recognition of the city’s historic heritage led to the preservation and development of the old buildings in the business district.  This process was greatly helped by the 1983 victory of Austrilia 11 in the America’s Cup competition.  This meant that the cup arrived in Australia and that the subsequent America’s Cup challenge was held off Fremantle’s coast.

The son of a friend of one of the gals on board, who lives in Perth, picked us up at the ship.  He drove us around the city and showed us all the beautiful sights.  The best stop was the Royal Perth Yacht Club.  For Gary it was like touching the Shroud of Turin as they had won the Americas Cup in the 80’s.  The club itself was just beautiful and the club historian showed us everything.  He asked us to stay for lunch, but since we only had until 4:30 and wanted to see the city, we declined.

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We leave Australia today for Indonesia.  Australia is a wonderful country, the people are just lovely and it’s absolutely immaculate.  You won’t find as much as a piece of paper on the street.  It’s also one of the most expensive places we will visit.  The minimum wage here is $21.00 per hour.  Maybelline Mascara, normally about $6. at home was $18. and my face cleanser, also $6. was $14. A small can of ordinary bug spray was $12.00.  A Land Rover is $75,000., a Pathfinder is $51,000 and a used Harley Davidson will run you $24,000. 

As we were leaving the port, hundreds of people came to the dock to see us off waving flags.  It was an awesome sight.  The passengers on the new Queen Elizabeth, who have been with us in the last 3 ports, also were on the decks and balconies waving flags as we went by.  What a send off!

Bunbury

The Port of Bunbury, just two hours drive south of Perth, is located on a spectacular peninsula surrounded by blue waters of the Indian Ocean, Koombana bay and the Leschenault Inlet.

With a current population of around 30,000, Bunbury is the third-largest urban area in Western Australia and is the major port and commercial center for the southwest region.  A vibrant town with a strong maritime atmosphere, Bunbury is now renowned for the wild but friendly dolphins that interact with people in Koombana Bay.  The 90 dolphins that live permanently in the calm waters of the bay have been coming in to the beach for decades.  Bunbury’s other features include Western Australia’s southern-most mangroves rare basaltic rock and nearby Tuart Forest.  A colorful “cappuccino strip” of sidewalk cafes and a variety of eating places has developed along the central business district’s Victoria Street.  These cafes and the many award-winning restaurants and historic pubs ensure the atmosphere hums from dawn to dusk.

We took the shuttle to a shopping area where we hired a car & driver and went around the town.  There really is not much to see or do here, but at least we saw a lot of Bunbury, went to the Yacht Club and stopped in a private club where our driver was a member to have a Coke.  We also went to a wildlife park where we saw Kangaroos, peacocks & emus and even had the baby kangaroos eating out of our hands.  It has been very cool from Auckland to Sydney, but today the temperature was about 90 and tomorrow in Perth it will be even hotter.