Monday, May 17, 2010
Did I leave you hanging?
Yes, we are back...I guess it has taken me so long to finish my journey's blog because I really didn't want it to end!!! Yet, all things must come to an end but when one door closes another opens. The ship's door closed, we walked down the gangway for the last time, said our goodbyes to the wonderful crew, and turned in our "don't leave room without it" card and planted our feet back in the USA. Now to relive the memories of the people, places and experiences....to try and share with all of our friends the similiarities and the differences of different countries and their people. I would do it again....Ken would do a segment but three months was a bit long for him.
Back in the USA we along with our now ten pieces of luggage finally found a town car that cost an arm and leg to transport us to the hotel where we met my son, Chris. We spent two days in NYC touring in the "big red hop on hop off" bus and left just in time. We left Saturday morning to drive to Maine and the bomb scare in Times Square was Sat. night. It seems our whole trip we just missed events like hurricanes, protests, strikes, etc. We sure were blessed the whole way, especially with the weather. The people were out in NYC as the day was a beauty which apparently they had not experienced in awhile.
We drove up to Maine and spent the week at a friend's beach house.... a very generous friend, Heidi and loved it. The Rill family (with five childen) met us there and the week was filled with touring the coast, playing on the beach and once again enjoying exceptional warm weather. We even had a graduation on the beach for the oldest Rill child, Brixton who graduated from eighth grade....he was home schooled and will be going into high school. Not too many students have a graduation on the beach...it was very touching as his dad spoke of his transition into becoming an adult.
Ken and I took the youngest girls to Bar Harbor for a day and Ken had more fun than all three of us put together. He really enjoyed singing, telling stories and of course shopping with the young ladies and they were a pleasure to be with.
Chris' graduation topped the trip off with his Baccalaureate on Friday eve and graduation on Sat. morning. I can not tell you how proud we all are of Chris and his determination and persistance in achieving his Master's in Divinty. Staying in school for seven straight years, after 12 years is amazing to me!!! He's not done yet, though, as he was awarded the top scholarship from his seminary to study in Edinburg, Scotland next year!! Road trip!!!
Ken, Chris and I visited friends of Chris to see their garden after graduation...wonderful place and had dinner with one of my good friends that I grew up with, MaryLou and her husband Keith.
And to end the trip of all trips, journeys of all journeys and adventures of all adventures Sunday morning we celebrated Mother's Day with a wonderful breakfast and gathering of our group where Tammie and I were the honored Mother's. I may add Tammie really deserves it...mother of five and home schools them all. Their whole family is a great team led by Tammie and her hsuband Dave. After saying goodbye to all, which wasn't too hard as Chris would be driving home and the Rills will be visiting us in June, we drove to the airport and flew home to Destin where Jenny picked us up. She had flowers waiting for me at the house and when Nick called to wish me a Happy Mother's Day my day was complete!!!
So the dots on our map are now all connected....we made the trip all the way around the world....it is so hard to believe. Ken and I keep asking each other....were we really gone? Were we really on the other side of the world? WOW!!! Has reality set in? Who knows? What I do know is I am a very fortunate person and so blessed that I was able to experience this trip. Now, back to pulling weeds in my garden, where I also am blessed. Maybe I'm not in another country, not living where I have 24 room service, not having my bed made everyday and food prepared for me, yet I am with my wonderful family and friends living in beautiful Destin where the beaches ARE the most beautiful beaches in the world and digging in the dirt. What more could a gal ask for?
Thanx for sharing this voyage with us...Amen!!!
janet and ken
Back in the USA we along with our now ten pieces of luggage finally found a town car that cost an arm and leg to transport us to the hotel where we met my son, Chris. We spent two days in NYC touring in the "big red hop on hop off" bus and left just in time. We left Saturday morning to drive to Maine and the bomb scare in Times Square was Sat. night. It seems our whole trip we just missed events like hurricanes, protests, strikes, etc. We sure were blessed the whole way, especially with the weather. The people were out in NYC as the day was a beauty which apparently they had not experienced in awhile.
We drove up to Maine and spent the week at a friend's beach house.... a very generous friend, Heidi and loved it. The Rill family (with five childen) met us there and the week was filled with touring the coast, playing on the beach and once again enjoying exceptional warm weather. We even had a graduation on the beach for the oldest Rill child, Brixton who graduated from eighth grade....he was home schooled and will be going into high school. Not too many students have a graduation on the beach...it was very touching as his dad spoke of his transition into becoming an adult.
Ken and I took the youngest girls to Bar Harbor for a day and Ken had more fun than all three of us put together. He really enjoyed singing, telling stories and of course shopping with the young ladies and they were a pleasure to be with.
Chris' graduation topped the trip off with his Baccalaureate on Friday eve and graduation on Sat. morning. I can not tell you how proud we all are of Chris and his determination and persistance in achieving his Master's in Divinty. Staying in school for seven straight years, after 12 years is amazing to me!!! He's not done yet, though, as he was awarded the top scholarship from his seminary to study in Edinburg, Scotland next year!! Road trip!!!
Ken, Chris and I visited friends of Chris to see their garden after graduation...wonderful place and had dinner with one of my good friends that I grew up with, MaryLou and her husband Keith.
And to end the trip of all trips, journeys of all journeys and adventures of all adventures Sunday morning we celebrated Mother's Day with a wonderful breakfast and gathering of our group where Tammie and I were the honored Mother's. I may add Tammie really deserves it...mother of five and home schools them all. Their whole family is a great team led by Tammie and her hsuband Dave. After saying goodbye to all, which wasn't too hard as Chris would be driving home and the Rills will be visiting us in June, we drove to the airport and flew home to Destin where Jenny picked us up. She had flowers waiting for me at the house and when Nick called to wish me a Happy Mother's Day my day was complete!!!
So the dots on our map are now all connected....we made the trip all the way around the world....it is so hard to believe. Ken and I keep asking each other....were we really gone? Were we really on the other side of the world? WOW!!! Has reality set in? Who knows? What I do know is I am a very fortunate person and so blessed that I was able to experience this trip. Now, back to pulling weeds in my garden, where I also am blessed. Maybe I'm not in another country, not living where I have 24 room service, not having my bed made everyday and food prepared for me, yet I am with my wonderful family and friends living in beautiful Destin where the beaches ARE the most beautiful beaches in the world and digging in the dirt. What more could a gal ask for?
Thanx for sharing this voyage with us...Amen!!!
janet and ken
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Rome Sweet Rome..almost home sweet home!!!
Bonjourno,
As I write this blog, I am sitting on my bed in the middle of almost packed luggage. We have been cruising on the Queen Mary for six days and will be greeting the Statue of Liberty early tomorrow morning. What an adventure this has been. I think I got behind on my blogs in the last few weeks so today before I get off the ship. my goal is to finish with our last tour...to Rome.
Ken and I took two different tours...he visited the highlights of Rome and I went to the Sistine Chapel. We did see some of the same landmarks though. Our dock was in Civitavecchia, which is two hours from Rome. The buses actually are pretty modern and with the tour guide's commentary on the city it makes the time go quickly. The first thing I noticed about Italy was the green...it was Spring and the rolling hills dotted with purple crepe myrtle trees was such a delightful view out our window. Along with our guide's wonderful Italian accent, I felt like this was the frosting on the fabulous cake we have been enjoying this journey!!
Our tour took us first to a very popular fountain called The Trivia Fountain. It is tradition to make a wish here while throwing a coin over your shoulder into the fountain. The fountain is surrounding by magnificent sculptures. On the way to the fountain we saw two women with a baby stroller...it was kinda weird because I saw one of the ladies using a cardboard to block the baby or something....the next thing, she grabbed into the pocket of one of the elder men's pocket...he knocked the cardboard and her down. We were warmed..beware of gypsies. It has been amazingly sad how people use children to help with their begging and crimes. Fortunately this was the only episode that we knew but after that I turned my backpack into a frontpack!!
Next we took a journey back to the days of the Gladiators with a visit to the incredible Coliseum. It is Rome's finest amphitheatre commissioned by Emperor Vespasian in 72AD. This immense sculpture once held up to 55,000 people. Subterranean passageways lead to holding chambers for competitors, animals and equipment and the 76 entrances to allow the access for the eager crowds.
From here we walked to the Vatican Museum which houses one of the most impressive collections in the world. The artwork is unbelievable...you hear about it all but until you are in front of it...you just can not believe it...I still can't!!! Michelangelo..what a guy!!!
Our last stop was the magnificent St. Peter's Basilica which took over 100 years to build. It sits on over 800 pillars and is adorned with 44 altars....that is a BIG church!!! It is by far the largest church in the world. We saw where the Pope stands to give his speeches and all that good stuff. They have Wed. morning service when he is in town...I guess he didn't know we were coming because he wasn't there.
The history of this city is ancient It is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city. It's history as a city spans over two and a half thousand years, as one of the founding cities of Western Civilization. It would take alot more time than we had to really see the sites yet I feel we got a very good feel of the history of the place.
So, the tours have ended...I just got back from a wine tasting, on our way to the "passenger" talent show. I was hoping Ken would play his digiredo but he said he is not prepared...possibly on a spaghetti Sunday he'll play for us. Afterwards we are going to the planetarium, dinner and our last show. When we wake up at 4:45 we are going up to the bow to see us go under the Barisono Bridge (3 meter clearance) and the Statue of Liberty as we arrive in our home sweet homeland.
I'll write once we get settled in Maine and finish the trip. Chris is picking us up in New York tomorrow where we'll stay a few days and then drive up through Boston to the Maclin's place which they so generously are letting us stay until Chris graduates. Our flight home will be on Mother's Day...how apropos....
Arriveiderci,
janet and Ken
As I write this blog, I am sitting on my bed in the middle of almost packed luggage. We have been cruising on the Queen Mary for six days and will be greeting the Statue of Liberty early tomorrow morning. What an adventure this has been. I think I got behind on my blogs in the last few weeks so today before I get off the ship. my goal is to finish with our last tour...to Rome.
Ken and I took two different tours...he visited the highlights of Rome and I went to the Sistine Chapel. We did see some of the same landmarks though. Our dock was in Civitavecchia, which is two hours from Rome. The buses actually are pretty modern and with the tour guide's commentary on the city it makes the time go quickly. The first thing I noticed about Italy was the green...it was Spring and the rolling hills dotted with purple crepe myrtle trees was such a delightful view out our window. Along with our guide's wonderful Italian accent, I felt like this was the frosting on the fabulous cake we have been enjoying this journey!!
Our tour took us first to a very popular fountain called The Trivia Fountain. It is tradition to make a wish here while throwing a coin over your shoulder into the fountain. The fountain is surrounding by magnificent sculptures. On the way to the fountain we saw two women with a baby stroller...it was kinda weird because I saw one of the ladies using a cardboard to block the baby or something....the next thing, she grabbed into the pocket of one of the elder men's pocket...he knocked the cardboard and her down. We were warmed..beware of gypsies. It has been amazingly sad how people use children to help with their begging and crimes. Fortunately this was the only episode that we knew but after that I turned my backpack into a frontpack!!
Next we took a journey back to the days of the Gladiators with a visit to the incredible Coliseum. It is Rome's finest amphitheatre commissioned by Emperor Vespasian in 72AD. This immense sculpture once held up to 55,000 people. Subterranean passageways lead to holding chambers for competitors, animals and equipment and the 76 entrances to allow the access for the eager crowds.
From here we walked to the Vatican Museum which houses one of the most impressive collections in the world. The artwork is unbelievable...you hear about it all but until you are in front of it...you just can not believe it...I still can't!!! Michelangelo..what a guy!!!
Our last stop was the magnificent St. Peter's Basilica which took over 100 years to build. It sits on over 800 pillars and is adorned with 44 altars....that is a BIG church!!! It is by far the largest church in the world. We saw where the Pope stands to give his speeches and all that good stuff. They have Wed. morning service when he is in town...I guess he didn't know we were coming because he wasn't there.
The history of this city is ancient It is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city. It's history as a city spans over two and a half thousand years, as one of the founding cities of Western Civilization. It would take alot more time than we had to really see the sites yet I feel we got a very good feel of the history of the place.
So, the tours have ended...I just got back from a wine tasting, on our way to the "passenger" talent show. I was hoping Ken would play his digiredo but he said he is not prepared...possibly on a spaghetti Sunday he'll play for us. Afterwards we are going to the planetarium, dinner and our last show. When we wake up at 4:45 we are going up to the bow to see us go under the Barisono Bridge (3 meter clearance) and the Statue of Liberty as we arrive in our home sweet homeland.
I'll write once we get settled in Maine and finish the trip. Chris is picking us up in New York tomorrow where we'll stay a few days and then drive up through Boston to the Maclin's place which they so generously are letting us stay until Chris graduates. Our flight home will be on Mother's Day...how apropos....
Arriveiderci,
janet and Ken
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Travel not only stirs the blood...It also gives strength to the spirit!!
Yasas from Greece,
As you can see from the photos, it was another "dress up" night on the Queen!!!! We are at a cocktail party that they invite certain people to...whether you are on the world voyage, traveled thousands of days or are in with one of the crew!!! Anyway, it's free champagne so I usually get there at the beginning and Ken joins up with me..ha-ha!!
The camel is representative of our great time in Egypt...we could've dressed the part...oh well...notice my Egyptian bracelet. By the way, that is what I've been collecting everywhere I go...bracelets. Needless to say I have a big collection of bracelets!!!
The next photo I titled "3 blondes with stripes"!!!
So we are onto Athens...what a great day and what was so special is we met up with Niki, my longtime friend who lives in Greece. We had to go to Plan B on our meeting as all the taxis and buses went on strike and the ship was docked about 30 minutes from town. We took a tour in the morning to the Acropolis and our initial plans were to meet up with Niki who was taking the metro and come back by taxi or shuttle bus. Since parking is so bad in the city Niki didn't want to drive. Well, parking is bad, but with 17,000 taxis and the buses off the road it was very easy driving and she ended up driving into town, we met at the museum and had a great lunch on the Platka. I must say I was a bit nervous if we hadn't caught up with her we would have had no way back to the ship..Not good!!! Boy, I was so glad to see her...my first girlfriend in 3 months...it was so emotional. Our tour to the Acropolis was another taste of ancient history. To look at the building, the sculptures and the designs just blows my mind...how did they do that??
I hated to say goodbye to Niki and was sad that her daughter, Katarina was unable to join us. She had unfortunately come down with something that morning and was home sick from school. Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. It is also known as the birthplace of democracy. Named after the goddess Athena, Athens is one of the oldest city in the world with a recorded history of at least 3,000 years. Today, the Greek capital is a bustling and cosmopolitan and metropolis with an urban population of 3.1 million people and a metro population of 3.7 million people. it was the host city for the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896 and in 2004 welcomed the Summer Olympics back home with great success.
All in all it ended up to be a great trip, especially with less traffic...it was almost as the Red Sea was opened and we were able to drive through...they even had one lane that only taxis were to drive in that we could drive in. It was the only Niki said she had driven in that lane...I guess there's a first for everything!!!
One more tour to Rome and we are done; too soon!!!
Looking forward to sharing all the other exciting adventures with y'all when we get home!!
janet and ken
As you can see from the photos, it was another "dress up" night on the Queen!!!! We are at a cocktail party that they invite certain people to...whether you are on the world voyage, traveled thousands of days or are in with one of the crew!!! Anyway, it's free champagne so I usually get there at the beginning and Ken joins up with me..ha-ha!!
The camel is representative of our great time in Egypt...we could've dressed the part...oh well...notice my Egyptian bracelet. By the way, that is what I've been collecting everywhere I go...bracelets. Needless to say I have a big collection of bracelets!!!
The next photo I titled "3 blondes with stripes"!!!
So we are onto Athens...what a great day and what was so special is we met up with Niki, my longtime friend who lives in Greece. We had to go to Plan B on our meeting as all the taxis and buses went on strike and the ship was docked about 30 minutes from town. We took a tour in the morning to the Acropolis and our initial plans were to meet up with Niki who was taking the metro and come back by taxi or shuttle bus. Since parking is so bad in the city Niki didn't want to drive. Well, parking is bad, but with 17,000 taxis and the buses off the road it was very easy driving and she ended up driving into town, we met at the museum and had a great lunch on the Platka. I must say I was a bit nervous if we hadn't caught up with her we would have had no way back to the ship..Not good!!! Boy, I was so glad to see her...my first girlfriend in 3 months...it was so emotional. Our tour to the Acropolis was another taste of ancient history. To look at the building, the sculptures and the designs just blows my mind...how did they do that??
I hated to say goodbye to Niki and was sad that her daughter, Katarina was unable to join us. She had unfortunately come down with something that morning and was home sick from school. Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. It is also known as the birthplace of democracy. Named after the goddess Athena, Athens is one of the oldest city in the world with a recorded history of at least 3,000 years. Today, the Greek capital is a bustling and cosmopolitan and metropolis with an urban population of 3.1 million people and a metro population of 3.7 million people. it was the host city for the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896 and in 2004 welcomed the Summer Olympics back home with great success.
All in all it ended up to be a great trip, especially with less traffic...it was almost as the Red Sea was opened and we were able to drive through...they even had one lane that only taxis were to drive in that we could drive in. It was the only Niki said she had driven in that lane...I guess there's a first for everything!!!
One more tour to Rome and we are done; too soon!!!
Looking forward to sharing all the other exciting adventures with y'all when we get home!!
janet and ken
Monday, April 26, 2010
What a day we had today!!!
Salaam alaykum as they say in Egypt,
What a day...we thought our tour started at 5 a.m. and found out when we got back to our room after dinner we actually had to be in the Queen's room at 3:45 a.m. I'm including Ken's script on his trip as we took separate trips....I'm so glad he did decide to go afterall...I think he is too. So, we take a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to the pyramids and they are all they say...mysterious, huge and beautiful. The amazing thing is you would think you'd travel quite away into the desert to see them, although they are right outside the town of Cairo. The first pyramid was built 2570 BC and took 200 years to build. It is just mindboggling to try to figure out how they moved 2,300.000 blocks of limestone weighing 2 1/2 tons each to put it all together. And all of that without computers, nails or cement!!
They were supposedly tombs for the pharaohs yet they have not found any mummies inside.
I walked all around one of the pyramids and took pics from every corner...I'm planning on comparing to see the difference!! There were so many people, children included looking to take your money...like the guy who wrapped a scarf around my head...I kept saying no money and he kept wrapping!! Then a security guard told me of a great pose for a pic and he took it...his bud said "you pay him?" You couldn't do anything without a handout!!! They would offer you a camel ride for $20 and once you got up they'd want another $30 to let you down. I did not fall for that one!!
And the little kids were so homely looking asking for money and bargaining with us...at one point I had a whole group of school age children approach me and their favorite question is "What is your name"...at first I thought they were asking for money and then realized they were on a school trip so I started clapping and they all joined in so there we were all singing and clapping...until their teacher pulled them away....probably saying in Greek..."that crazy American lady"! It just was so fun to interact with someone who didn't want money!!
We then visited the Sphinx which was amazing as it was carved out of a rock. On the way to our next stop we visited a mosque..yes, another one but it was pretty cool. We drove down a street in Cairo that had the first church, first synagogue, and first mosque.
Afterwards, we stepped aboard and experienced the colorful and fascinating sights of the magnificent Nile River on a floating restaurant. We took a gentle cruise as we had lunch and were entertained by "folkloric presentation and belly dancing". The belly dancers looked more like someone from Hooters!!
We have been so fortunate throughout this whole trip with the weather. I can't even remember when it last rained and it has been so warm during all of our tours. We sure have lucked out as it could make alot of the tours pretty nasty if it was cold or rainy.
And now Ken and his day...
4-13-10 Tuesday (anchored at the mouth of the Suez channel)
My original plans where to stay on the ship and observe the 100-mile Suez Channel transiting trip. However, the night before, I receive a call from the tour desk indicating there was still space open on a tour going to Cairo (Pyramids and the Sphinx). Even though the bus ride to Cairo was 2 hours long, anything had to be better than the infamous “camel ride”. So, at 2:30 in the morning I pulled my sorry butt out of bed dressed and was in the tour queue by 3:30AM.
Some 400 passengers took a number tenders (shuttle boats) to shore where we boarded our buses. .The Pymards of Giza are massive,,,, bigger than you can imagine. The Sphinx is also one of the 7 wonders of the world and make you ask, who, what, where and why??
The Cairo guide has his master degree in archeology and made the trip incredibly interesting. Aside from the history, the poverty (and traffic) in Cairo was overwhelming.
Kids working at 10 years old, bathing in filthy channel water and living in unbelievable conditions. Because of the usual traffic “grid lock” we and the other 10 Canard tour buses where very late leaving Cairo.
We where almost 3 hours from Port Said (the top of the Suez Cannel) the entrance to the Mediterranean. We where to depart Port Said at 7 pm (on a very tight schedule as dock space is at a premium because of the Suez ship scheduling). As a result, they gather all the late running Cunard tour buses at one spot on the outskirts of Cairo and under a special police escort took us across the county to the port to try meeting the departure time. Truck traffic on the Egyptian highways is very heavy. Even under a high speed police escort, traveling at 60 to 80 mph, this 10 Big Bus convoy was late arriving in Port Said. Most of the trucks we forced of the road gave up the “Egyptian hand salute”…We board Q.V. at 9PM (remember we have up since 2:30am) wiry.
Saal ma'is salaama,
janet and Ken
What a day...we thought our tour started at 5 a.m. and found out when we got back to our room after dinner we actually had to be in the Queen's room at 3:45 a.m. I'm including Ken's script on his trip as we took separate trips....I'm so glad he did decide to go afterall...I think he is too. So, we take a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to the pyramids and they are all they say...mysterious, huge and beautiful. The amazing thing is you would think you'd travel quite away into the desert to see them, although they are right outside the town of Cairo. The first pyramid was built 2570 BC and took 200 years to build. It is just mindboggling to try to figure out how they moved 2,300.000 blocks of limestone weighing 2 1/2 tons each to put it all together. And all of that without computers, nails or cement!!
They were supposedly tombs for the pharaohs yet they have not found any mummies inside.
I walked all around one of the pyramids and took pics from every corner...I'm planning on comparing to see the difference!! There were so many people, children included looking to take your money...like the guy who wrapped a scarf around my head...I kept saying no money and he kept wrapping!! Then a security guard told me of a great pose for a pic and he took it...his bud said "you pay him?" You couldn't do anything without a handout!!! They would offer you a camel ride for $20 and once you got up they'd want another $30 to let you down. I did not fall for that one!!
And the little kids were so homely looking asking for money and bargaining with us...at one point I had a whole group of school age children approach me and their favorite question is "What is your name"...at first I thought they were asking for money and then realized they were on a school trip so I started clapping and they all joined in so there we were all singing and clapping...until their teacher pulled them away....probably saying in Greek..."that crazy American lady"! It just was so fun to interact with someone who didn't want money!!
We then visited the Sphinx which was amazing as it was carved out of a rock. On the way to our next stop we visited a mosque..yes, another one but it was pretty cool. We drove down a street in Cairo that had the first church, first synagogue, and first mosque.
Afterwards, we stepped aboard and experienced the colorful and fascinating sights of the magnificent Nile River on a floating restaurant. We took a gentle cruise as we had lunch and were entertained by "folkloric presentation and belly dancing". The belly dancers looked more like someone from Hooters!!
We have been so fortunate throughout this whole trip with the weather. I can't even remember when it last rained and it has been so warm during all of our tours. We sure have lucked out as it could make alot of the tours pretty nasty if it was cold or rainy.
And now Ken and his day...
4-13-10 Tuesday (anchored at the mouth of the Suez channel)
My original plans where to stay on the ship and observe the 100-mile Suez Channel transiting trip. However, the night before, I receive a call from the tour desk indicating there was still space open on a tour going to Cairo (Pyramids and the Sphinx). Even though the bus ride to Cairo was 2 hours long, anything had to be better than the infamous “camel ride”. So, at 2:30 in the morning I pulled my sorry butt out of bed dressed and was in the tour queue by 3:30AM.
Some 400 passengers took a number tenders (shuttle boats) to shore where we boarded our buses. .The Pymards of Giza are massive,,,, bigger than you can imagine. The Sphinx is also one of the 7 wonders of the world and make you ask, who, what, where and why??
The Cairo guide has his master degree in archeology and made the trip incredibly interesting. Aside from the history, the poverty (and traffic) in Cairo was overwhelming.
Kids working at 10 years old, bathing in filthy channel water and living in unbelievable conditions. Because of the usual traffic “grid lock” we and the other 10 Canard tour buses where very late leaving Cairo.
We where almost 3 hours from Port Said (the top of the Suez Cannel) the entrance to the Mediterranean. We where to depart Port Said at 7 pm (on a very tight schedule as dock space is at a premium because of the Suez ship scheduling). As a result, they gather all the late running Cunard tour buses at one spot on the outskirts of Cairo and under a special police escort took us across the county to the port to try meeting the departure time. Truck traffic on the Egyptian highways is very heavy. Even under a high speed police escort, traveling at 60 to 80 mph, this 10 Big Bus convoy was late arriving in Port Said. Most of the trucks we forced of the road gave up the “Egyptian hand salute”…We board Q.V. at 9PM (remember we have up since 2:30am) wiry.
Saal ma'is salaama,
janet and Ken
If you actually look like your passport photo, you aren't well enough to travel!!!
Our next tour was Sharm El Sheik in Egypt. Ken's description was far better than anything I could write so I will leave the tales to one of the greatest storytellers I have ever met. Although, just for your information, I had a great time and loved it all...well. the bumpy 4x4 I could have done without!!! So here goes Ken and the Camel story......
Advertised as a European “water playground” for the rich and famous, was just an over-priced high-end beach resort catering mostly to Russians. THIS was the tour for the big “Camel and Jeep” (4 wheeler) tour. This tour-group departed the ship at 8AM and loaded us into 17 different Toyota four-runner SUV’s. (All 112 of us). The ride and desert scenery was great…. while we were on the blacktop highways. But, then things started going south!!! Our 60 mph (highway) ride continued even after we took a hard right into the desert. There was 6 of us (per SUV) all packed into the rear on very hard board seats. Bucket seats have not been introduced into this part of the world yet!!!!! This part of the desert is “hard packed” and (really) bumpy.. “head beating on the roof of the SUV bumpy…The sand being kicked up by the other SUV’s made visibility almost zero.. After 60 minutes of this, we arrived at the base camp where we where to initiate ( JR’s long awaited) “camel ride”. At the camel camp , where the local Arabs will help us “mount up” and ride (further) into the desert. My camel took an immediate dislike to me. (the feeling was mutual). Therefore, we watched each other carefully.. If you have ever ridden or have been in a camel saddle when the S.O.B. decides to stand up, you will understand the pure terror that overcome you (ME). One minute you are at ground level sitting is a saddle designed for a 4 year old, the next you are 10 feet in the air on the beast that has the boniest back you can ever imagine. I yelled over to JR, who was resting comfortably on a much fatter and more amiable camel, “that my body was not designed for this camel”.. she, in turned, answered…. that my camel was not designed to carry a “big Buddha” like me!!! After 30 minutes of my first and last camel ride, they finally called a halt to this torture (I almost fell off twice trying to find a more comfortable position and easing the shooting pains coming from by backside.)
Getting off a camel is far more dangerous than getting on. This nasty animal that I was on, who was even more pissed at me than I was at him. He was going to take huge bite out of my butt the minute I hit the ground.. so knowing this, I decided to do a “Tom Mix dismount” i.e. jumping off prior to the camel getting down on his knees (or what ever they call them). Side note… first, a camel saddle has NO stirrups… and a saddle horn on the front AND back of the saddle.
So. in showing my riding prowess, I tried my “flying dismount” I made a critical mistake and caught my foot on the rear saddle horn…. flying off the camel, in what some say, a spectacular dismount… Happily, I ended up on my feet and immediately gave the beast the finger and he tried to spit at me…… all’s well that ends well…but my butt is still sore….
Now, after all that I still had a ride back in the “butt buster SUV”…..And, we paid $165.00 a head for this stupidity………
Arriving back at the ship, I smelled worst than I looked…enough for today.
janet and Ken (the camel hater)
Advertised as a European “water playground” for the rich and famous, was just an over-priced high-end beach resort catering mostly to Russians. THIS was the tour for the big “Camel and Jeep” (4 wheeler) tour. This tour-group departed the ship at 8AM and loaded us into 17 different Toyota four-runner SUV’s. (All 112 of us). The ride and desert scenery was great…. while we were on the blacktop highways. But, then things started going south!!! Our 60 mph (highway) ride continued even after we took a hard right into the desert. There was 6 of us (per SUV) all packed into the rear on very hard board seats. Bucket seats have not been introduced into this part of the world yet!!!!! This part of the desert is “hard packed” and (really) bumpy.. “head beating on the roof of the SUV bumpy…The sand being kicked up by the other SUV’s made visibility almost zero.. After 60 minutes of this, we arrived at the base camp where we where to initiate ( JR’s long awaited) “camel ride”. At the camel camp , where the local Arabs will help us “mount up” and ride (further) into the desert. My camel took an immediate dislike to me. (the feeling was mutual). Therefore, we watched each other carefully.. If you have ever ridden or have been in a camel saddle when the S.O.B. decides to stand up, you will understand the pure terror that overcome you (ME). One minute you are at ground level sitting is a saddle designed for a 4 year old, the next you are 10 feet in the air on the beast that has the boniest back you can ever imagine. I yelled over to JR, who was resting comfortably on a much fatter and more amiable camel, “that my body was not designed for this camel”.. she, in turned, answered…. that my camel was not designed to carry a “big Buddha” like me!!! After 30 minutes of my first and last camel ride, they finally called a halt to this torture (I almost fell off twice trying to find a more comfortable position and easing the shooting pains coming from by backside.)
Getting off a camel is far more dangerous than getting on. This nasty animal that I was on, who was even more pissed at me than I was at him. He was going to take huge bite out of my butt the minute I hit the ground.. so knowing this, I decided to do a “Tom Mix dismount” i.e. jumping off prior to the camel getting down on his knees (or what ever they call them). Side note… first, a camel saddle has NO stirrups… and a saddle horn on the front AND back of the saddle.
So. in showing my riding prowess, I tried my “flying dismount” I made a critical mistake and caught my foot on the rear saddle horn…. flying off the camel, in what some say, a spectacular dismount… Happily, I ended up on my feet and immediately gave the beast the finger and he tried to spit at me…… all’s well that ends well…but my butt is still sore….
Now, after all that I still had a ride back in the “butt buster SUV”…..And, we paid $165.00 a head for this stupidity………
Arriving back at the ship, I smelled worst than I looked…enough for today.
janet and Ken (the camel hater)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Not I- not anyone else, can travel that road for you. You must travel it for yourself!
Salam,
It has been quite busy lately with three tours (pretty strenuous) in a row followed by Athens and Rome. We are now on the Queen Mary "floating" on back to the States...unwillingly, I may add. My goal is to update you on our last five excursions, a bit more fun from Queen Victoria and closing with our transatlantic crossing which we are on now.
So, we left you off at Dubai and Salalah...the desert. We then moved on to Jordon, but what was very interesting about this part of the cruise was the security. As we were entering the Somalia area we were under quite tight security, with the fear of pirates!! Can you believe that? The ship had installed barbed wire around the stern with high frequency sound machines to detract anyone climbing aboard???? We had to close our blinds everynight at dark and we even had a "pirate drill"...that's not what they called it, but it sounds good!!! When the commander came over the loudspeaker with his robust voice chanting " ATTENTION...ATTENTION....Take your positions for a security watch", we had to go out into the hallway and stand or sit until it was cleared. It really reminded me of elementary school with tornado drill although we did not have to kneel down with books over our heads. Well, we made it through the pirate territory, but I really had no fear as I had taken fencing and was prepared to take on any pirate...I was ready!!!! ON GUARD!!!
With that excitement over we visited Aqaba, Jordan which is Jordan's only seaport, located in the southernmost tip of Jordan in the Red Sea. Aqaba provides the gateway to the rose-red City of Petra and is one of the most spectacular attractions in the Middle East, abandoned and forgotten for centuries. For this tour we had to be on the bus at 5 am so it turned out to be a very long day with lots of walking and sightseeing, yet well worth it.
This was one of the most incredible pieces of handiwork I have ever seen. To see how they actually carved buildings out of rocks was awesome. The walk along the Siq was a wonderment every step of the way and then to see the "light" at the end of the tunnel was a God thing...it had to be a miracle how it was accomplished!!!
The mysteriously city of the Nabateans, Petra , is so securely concealed by the craggy encircling mountains that it was once "lost" for 1,000 years and is one of the seven wonders of the world. From this natural fortress, the Nabateans commanded the trade routes from Arabian and the East, until the Romans conquered them in 106 A.D. On arrival we walked to the entrance of the Siq- a very narrow, twisting pathway between towering sandstone and rainbow-colored cliffs. The narrow passage is an adventure in itself, for the towering walls create an artificial gloom until we suddenly emerged into the blinding light, and there before us is the Treasury, our first glimpse of the "Rose-Red City".
The Treasury is the most famous and outstanding of all the monuments; its pediment, rotunda and Corinthian pillars are all carved from the solid rock, and it is in the marvelous state of preservation. The site is surrounded by stunning mountains and as we approached Colonnade Street, we passed a series of fascinating tombs. It was said that Queen Noor made all the "homes" pink as the color of the rock was exquisite. I could go on and on about this place but words can not begin to describe it's uniqueness...hopefully, by the photos I send you will understand a little of this amazing wonder of the world but until experienced by the trek to and fro it will not seem real. The trip was way too short...it was a place one could have spent days exploring. In fact one of the Indiana Jones movie was filmed here...I can't wait to see the movie again so I can recognize the place.
Ken's take on the trip....
Aqaba Jordan. This is a small port in the country of Jordan. We boarded (900 of us) tour bus for the 2 hour ride to Petra Jordan This is a cliff city (over 5,000 years old). Build by the Romans as a major desert trading area. The walk into this mountain trading city was about 6 miles (one way) form the hotel (starting point) Desert temps. in the mid 90’s and dusty. There must have been 500 people plus our 900 walking into this city. With the walk-in, all down hill, (right, you have to walk back uphill the same 6 miles out) was an increasable walk into ancient history. The “walk-out” was and exercise in increased heart rate and hyperventilation !!! I did make it back to the hotel “starting point” for lunch and something cold. Saw many elderly having major breathing problems and saw even more using the horse driven carriages, camels and donkeys as transportation back to the starting point. (No motorized vehicles allowed) The 2 hours bus ride back to the ship through mostly desert was very quiet and peaceful we where all in awe at what we had just seen.
Just between you and me....it wasn't six miles, but seemed that long...it's the "Ken factor"!!! I thought I was going to have to call 911 for him but he was a trooper and made it all the way...I was even telling him let's stop and rest but he was on a mission....what a guy!!
Enjoy the pics...
janet and Ken
It has been quite busy lately with three tours (pretty strenuous) in a row followed by Athens and Rome. We are now on the Queen Mary "floating" on back to the States...unwillingly, I may add. My goal is to update you on our last five excursions, a bit more fun from Queen Victoria and closing with our transatlantic crossing which we are on now.
So, we left you off at Dubai and Salalah...the desert. We then moved on to Jordon, but what was very interesting about this part of the cruise was the security. As we were entering the Somalia area we were under quite tight security, with the fear of pirates!! Can you believe that? The ship had installed barbed wire around the stern with high frequency sound machines to detract anyone climbing aboard???? We had to close our blinds everynight at dark and we even had a "pirate drill"...that's not what they called it, but it sounds good!!! When the commander came over the loudspeaker with his robust voice chanting " ATTENTION...ATTENTION....Take your positions for a security watch", we had to go out into the hallway and stand or sit until it was cleared. It really reminded me of elementary school with tornado drill although we did not have to kneel down with books over our heads. Well, we made it through the pirate territory, but I really had no fear as I had taken fencing and was prepared to take on any pirate...I was ready!!!! ON GUARD!!!
With that excitement over we visited Aqaba, Jordan which is Jordan's only seaport, located in the southernmost tip of Jordan in the Red Sea. Aqaba provides the gateway to the rose-red City of Petra and is one of the most spectacular attractions in the Middle East, abandoned and forgotten for centuries. For this tour we had to be on the bus at 5 am so it turned out to be a very long day with lots of walking and sightseeing, yet well worth it.
This was one of the most incredible pieces of handiwork I have ever seen. To see how they actually carved buildings out of rocks was awesome. The walk along the Siq was a wonderment every step of the way and then to see the "light" at the end of the tunnel was a God thing...it had to be a miracle how it was accomplished!!!
The mysteriously city of the Nabateans, Petra , is so securely concealed by the craggy encircling mountains that it was once "lost" for 1,000 years and is one of the seven wonders of the world. From this natural fortress, the Nabateans commanded the trade routes from Arabian and the East, until the Romans conquered them in 106 A.D. On arrival we walked to the entrance of the Siq- a very narrow, twisting pathway between towering sandstone and rainbow-colored cliffs. The narrow passage is an adventure in itself, for the towering walls create an artificial gloom until we suddenly emerged into the blinding light, and there before us is the Treasury, our first glimpse of the "Rose-Red City".
The Treasury is the most famous and outstanding of all the monuments; its pediment, rotunda and Corinthian pillars are all carved from the solid rock, and it is in the marvelous state of preservation. The site is surrounded by stunning mountains and as we approached Colonnade Street, we passed a series of fascinating tombs. It was said that Queen Noor made all the "homes" pink as the color of the rock was exquisite. I could go on and on about this place but words can not begin to describe it's uniqueness...hopefully, by the photos I send you will understand a little of this amazing wonder of the world but until experienced by the trek to and fro it will not seem real. The trip was way too short...it was a place one could have spent days exploring. In fact one of the Indiana Jones movie was filmed here...I can't wait to see the movie again so I can recognize the place.
Ken's take on the trip....
Aqaba Jordan. This is a small port in the country of Jordan. We boarded (900 of us) tour bus for the 2 hour ride to Petra Jordan This is a cliff city (over 5,000 years old). Build by the Romans as a major desert trading area. The walk into this mountain trading city was about 6 miles (one way) form the hotel (starting point) Desert temps. in the mid 90’s and dusty. There must have been 500 people plus our 900 walking into this city. With the walk-in, all down hill, (right, you have to walk back uphill the same 6 miles out) was an increasable walk into ancient history. The “walk-out” was and exercise in increased heart rate and hyperventilation !!! I did make it back to the hotel “starting point” for lunch and something cold. Saw many elderly having major breathing problems and saw even more using the horse driven carriages, camels and donkeys as transportation back to the starting point. (No motorized vehicles allowed) The 2 hours bus ride back to the ship through mostly desert was very quiet and peaceful we where all in awe at what we had just seen.
Just between you and me....it wasn't six miles, but seemed that long...it's the "Ken factor"!!! I thought I was going to have to call 911 for him but he was a trooper and made it all the way...I was even telling him let's stop and rest but he was on a mission....what a guy!!
Enjoy the pics...
janet and Ken
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
"GRAND"
I'm including in this blog Ken's rendition on some of our travels..beware...it may seem that we visited entirely different continents!!! This is Oman!!! Followed by Dubai...
4-3-10 Saturday….. Muscat Oman ( docked)
As we set foot on land, we faced temperatures. about 103 but very low humidity. Muscat is a beautiful small city of about 200,000, set at the bottom of a large mountain range. Muscat and is the capital of Oman (where the Shake hangs out) and has brilliant white buildings which includes the Sultans resident and Country capital buildings. This is all set against a background of very tall range of ragged treeless, brown mountains. Our first stop was a local shopping “souk” (open air market) remember it’s 100+ degrees. I am wearing long pants to respect the local religious requirements and sweating my ass off…. We ran into some ship- friends who gave us their ticket for a tour of the Capitol grounds and Prince’s palace. Interesting place very clean and modern …. Returned to the ship at 4:00 for a 5:00 overnight sailing to Dubai.
Janet's thoughts in Dubai....Grand...that is the word for this place in so many ways. Firstly, I was so happy to be able to meet up with Joseph and his lovely wife Linda. They were so hospitable and it was good to finally see someone I knew from home and to think we were halfway around the world!!! We met them at a wonderful restaurant overseeing so much activity in front of the tallest building in the world!!! Ken pretty much described our trip was like I said "GRAND". Linda has a contract with a hospital and has been here for two years, it's a four year contract. They both seem to really enjoy the place and all it has to offer. One real nice thing about this part of the city was the fact that we weren't hounded by vendors trying to sell their wares...most everything had a set price so there was very little negotiating.
I really enjoyed the museum the following day...could not believe how big it was as from the outside it looked very small...kinda like the Indian Temple Museum in FWB!! I could've spent alot more time in there but Ken was waiting outside for me...he chose not to go?? There was a movie that showed Dubai and how it has grown and the future...they are planning a "hospital city", "sports city" a huge marina and a huge (of course) "Disney type area!!! With the economy everyone thinks that Dubai is sinking and in trouble but it sure doesn't appear so...there is so many cranes and lots of buildings going up and up and up!!! Once again, it was such a delight to visit with Joseph ( a real Destinite) and Linda...we had our photo taken and will be sending it to the Log...who knows if we'll make it into the paper...perhaps if it's a slow news day!!!
4-4-10 Easter Sunday…. Dubai UAE.
Attended onboard Easter Sunday service lead by a minister from Atlanta Ga. (I was able to help serve communion to the approx 200 attending this service). Departed the ship at 9 a.m. to take a bus to “one” of the major mall attractions in this city of 3 million.
Dubai is only 38 years old. So everything is new and modern and in a constant building stage. There is no limit to the wealth in this city. We are to meet JR’s friends at the Burg building (currently the tallest building in the world) the mall that is connected to this building is also the largest mall in the world (and I believe it is) with 7 floors of every high-end retail store, you can think of (in the world). Sounds like I am in Texas with everything being the biggest.
After lunch at the Burg building complex, the building itself was not open due to mechanical problems with the lifts ((elevators)). We drove out to the newly developed the“Palm Island” man-made city developments (which you can see from space). On the way to the Palm we stopped at the newly open Ski Dubai mall that has an actually indoor (real snow) ski slope. The ski area is a full 5000 foot indoor ski run (real snow made daily with a “base” about 14 in.) In the Ski area…. is a black diamond run plus an intermediate ski run and “bunny” run. Also, a special area for snow boarding. Unbelievable!
At the tip of the Palm Island is a new Atlantis Hotel, similar to the one in Nassau, where rooms rates average $600 a night (rack rate $800) We stopped for a drinks, tea, lemonade or a special fruit drink..limited amounts of alcohol..only served to those who have a special permit…JR and Joseph also participates in a special “pipe smoking” event (not hash or M-J, also like alcohol…. a very big no-no in this Arab country). They smoked some kind of strawberry vanilla “she-shee” tobacco combination. Did not seem to do anything to, or for, JR other than to make her face red and caused her to cough violently. ($100.00 up in smoke.. literally)..
JR and I took a cab back to the Burg area for a nighttime water light show. To get the best seat I talked JR into having dinner at a restaurant on the fifth story overlooking the Burg Lake where they hold the nightly show. JR not happy with the restaurant because it was a TGI Fridays….. (she prefers local fare opposed to good old fashion ribs (beef, not pork, remember the part of the world we are in) Water show (and dinner) great,,,,, very much like the Bellagio Las Vegas. All the people of Dubai are very attractive, men, woman and kids ..dark skin, beautiful eyes and most dress in dish-dacha (men long white gowns) and Hyabf and Abayas (woman gowns). Taxied back to the ship about 11:00 pm (pooped).
4-5-10 Monday Dubai (second day)
We set off for the old city of Dubai at 9 am. Old city is built on the Dubai River (salt-water river) where many local products are transported via small wooden boats. We took one of these boat “up river” to the old city shopping area and museum. Bought (negotiated) more stuff, we don’t need and have no room for, but had fun anyway. We are developing a pretty good “buying” routine…i.e. the poor little American girl shopper and the mean old BIG Buddha (me) has all the cash…when we start to barter for merchandise the poor little white girl drives the price down then Buddha come in for the kill (not sure who get killed)… Am still on the prowl for a good Canon Camera. So, just before we had our final afternoon rebounding, we stopped at the Dubai Carrefour (Dubai’s answer to Wal-mart) for supplies (Pepsi, nuts, etc.) and maybe a camera ( but no luck on the camera …price still to high).. Re-boarding at 4:00 for a sail- away party (there is always a sail away party, not sure if the reason. Maybe it’s to get the hell out of that port or a reason for the majority of the passengers old and new to get drunk… not sure. Anyway, we undocked at 5 p.m. to head southwest to Salalah Oman.. This leg of the trip will be under new, very tight security conditions, bob-wire is being strung on lower outdoor decks and a outside security detail have been brought on the ship for better protection. All cabin drapes are to be full pulled over windows at night and a special “pirate drill” will be held tomorrow.. O’boy!!! JR can finally use her “sword” fencing lessons.
4-7-10 Wed. (Shalala Jordan)
We have been sailing in a “black-out” condition i.e. all window drapes are to be pulled closed at sunset. ALL interior ship lights are off (except running lights)…This is a very eerie when you are on the upper decks, however you can see as million stars from any baloneys or open upper decks. The pirates scare continues, we have been sailing in a convoy (6 six ships I can see) and shadowed by a military ship. Today it is a Spanish frigate. Steaming at 23 k. Seas flat and we are still running with the wind so the ride is good.. Salalah is a dirty little town with little to offer except frankincense and Mir, Took a cab from the ship to town for a look-see, visited their beach, shopped at the souk (outdoor market) then back to the ship. They only gave us 5 hours in this port so Canard was not to keen on Salalah either. We have new dinner quest, two men from Alberta Canada. One is an Optometrist the other an I.T. expert, good conversationalist.
janet and ken
4-3-10 Saturday….. Muscat Oman ( docked)
As we set foot on land, we faced temperatures. about 103 but very low humidity. Muscat is a beautiful small city of about 200,000, set at the bottom of a large mountain range. Muscat and is the capital of Oman (where the Shake hangs out) and has brilliant white buildings which includes the Sultans resident and Country capital buildings. This is all set against a background of very tall range of ragged treeless, brown mountains. Our first stop was a local shopping “souk” (open air market) remember it’s 100+ degrees. I am wearing long pants to respect the local religious requirements and sweating my ass off…. We ran into some ship- friends who gave us their ticket for a tour of the Capitol grounds and Prince’s palace. Interesting place very clean and modern …. Returned to the ship at 4:00 for a 5:00 overnight sailing to Dubai.
Janet's thoughts in Dubai....Grand...that is the word for this place in so many ways. Firstly, I was so happy to be able to meet up with Joseph and his lovely wife Linda. They were so hospitable and it was good to finally see someone I knew from home and to think we were halfway around the world!!! We met them at a wonderful restaurant overseeing so much activity in front of the tallest building in the world!!! Ken pretty much described our trip was like I said "GRAND". Linda has a contract with a hospital and has been here for two years, it's a four year contract. They both seem to really enjoy the place and all it has to offer. One real nice thing about this part of the city was the fact that we weren't hounded by vendors trying to sell their wares...most everything had a set price so there was very little negotiating.
I really enjoyed the museum the following day...could not believe how big it was as from the outside it looked very small...kinda like the Indian Temple Museum in FWB!! I could've spent alot more time in there but Ken was waiting outside for me...he chose not to go?? There was a movie that showed Dubai and how it has grown and the future...they are planning a "hospital city", "sports city" a huge marina and a huge (of course) "Disney type area!!! With the economy everyone thinks that Dubai is sinking and in trouble but it sure doesn't appear so...there is so many cranes and lots of buildings going up and up and up!!! Once again, it was such a delight to visit with Joseph ( a real Destinite) and Linda...we had our photo taken and will be sending it to the Log...who knows if we'll make it into the paper...perhaps if it's a slow news day!!!
4-4-10 Easter Sunday…. Dubai UAE.
Attended onboard Easter Sunday service lead by a minister from Atlanta Ga. (I was able to help serve communion to the approx 200 attending this service). Departed the ship at 9 a.m. to take a bus to “one” of the major mall attractions in this city of 3 million.
Dubai is only 38 years old. So everything is new and modern and in a constant building stage. There is no limit to the wealth in this city. We are to meet JR’s friends at the Burg building (currently the tallest building in the world) the mall that is connected to this building is also the largest mall in the world (and I believe it is) with 7 floors of every high-end retail store, you can think of (in the world). Sounds like I am in Texas with everything being the biggest.
After lunch at the Burg building complex, the building itself was not open due to mechanical problems with the lifts ((elevators)). We drove out to the newly developed the“Palm Island” man-made city developments (which you can see from space). On the way to the Palm we stopped at the newly open Ski Dubai mall that has an actually indoor (real snow) ski slope. The ski area is a full 5000 foot indoor ski run (real snow made daily with a “base” about 14 in.) In the Ski area…. is a black diamond run plus an intermediate ski run and “bunny” run. Also, a special area for snow boarding. Unbelievable!
At the tip of the Palm Island is a new Atlantis Hotel, similar to the one in Nassau, where rooms rates average $600 a night (rack rate $800) We stopped for a drinks, tea, lemonade or a special fruit drink..limited amounts of alcohol..only served to those who have a special permit…JR and Joseph also participates in a special “pipe smoking” event (not hash or M-J, also like alcohol…. a very big no-no in this Arab country). They smoked some kind of strawberry vanilla “she-shee” tobacco combination. Did not seem to do anything to, or for, JR other than to make her face red and caused her to cough violently. ($100.00 up in smoke.. literally)..
JR and I took a cab back to the Burg area for a nighttime water light show. To get the best seat I talked JR into having dinner at a restaurant on the fifth story overlooking the Burg Lake where they hold the nightly show. JR not happy with the restaurant because it was a TGI Fridays….. (she prefers local fare opposed to good old fashion ribs (beef, not pork, remember the part of the world we are in) Water show (and dinner) great,,,,, very much like the Bellagio Las Vegas. All the people of Dubai are very attractive, men, woman and kids ..dark skin, beautiful eyes and most dress in dish-dacha (men long white gowns) and Hyabf and Abayas (woman gowns). Taxied back to the ship about 11:00 pm (pooped).
4-5-10 Monday Dubai (second day)
We set off for the old city of Dubai at 9 am. Old city is built on the Dubai River (salt-water river) where many local products are transported via small wooden boats. We took one of these boat “up river” to the old city shopping area and museum. Bought (negotiated) more stuff, we don’t need and have no room for, but had fun anyway. We are developing a pretty good “buying” routine…i.e. the poor little American girl shopper and the mean old BIG Buddha (me) has all the cash…when we start to barter for merchandise the poor little white girl drives the price down then Buddha come in for the kill (not sure who get killed)… Am still on the prowl for a good Canon Camera. So, just before we had our final afternoon rebounding, we stopped at the Dubai Carrefour (Dubai’s answer to Wal-mart) for supplies (Pepsi, nuts, etc.) and maybe a camera ( but no luck on the camera …price still to high).. Re-boarding at 4:00 for a sail- away party (there is always a sail away party, not sure if the reason. Maybe it’s to get the hell out of that port or a reason for the majority of the passengers old and new to get drunk… not sure. Anyway, we undocked at 5 p.m. to head southwest to Salalah Oman.. This leg of the trip will be under new, very tight security conditions, bob-wire is being strung on lower outdoor decks and a outside security detail have been brought on the ship for better protection. All cabin drapes are to be full pulled over windows at night and a special “pirate drill” will be held tomorrow.. O’boy!!! JR can finally use her “sword” fencing lessons.
4-7-10 Wed. (Shalala Jordan)
We have been sailing in a “black-out” condition i.e. all window drapes are to be pulled closed at sunset. ALL interior ship lights are off (except running lights)…This is a very eerie when you are on the upper decks, however you can see as million stars from any baloneys or open upper decks. The pirates scare continues, we have been sailing in a convoy (6 six ships I can see) and shadowed by a military ship. Today it is a Spanish frigate. Steaming at 23 k. Seas flat and we are still running with the wind so the ride is good.. Salalah is a dirty little town with little to offer except frankincense and Mir, Took a cab from the ship to town for a look-see, visited their beach, shopped at the souk (outdoor market) then back to the ship. They only gave us 5 hours in this port so Canard was not to keen on Salalah either. We have new dinner quest, two men from Alberta Canada. One is an Optometrist the other an I.T. expert, good conversationalist.
janet and ken
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Photos on their way!!!
Salemaleek from Oman and all I can say is "O man"..what a contrast to India....low-lying white buildings typify most of Muscat's urban landscape and as we cruised in all we saw were white pristine buildings...it was just another awesome sight. Ken says its like everyday is another movie. We open the balcony door and we are on another movie set...
Muscat is the capital and largest city in Muscat. Muscat (Arabic masquat: 'cliff") is a fitting name for the cliff-lined city. The region became important when Frankincense's (sap from the native Boswellia tree) was a popular religious instrument. The resin was believed to cure illness, and was as valuable as gold in the early Christian era. At the height of the trade, the commodity was exported as far away as Rome, but eventual decline in Frankincense trade slowed Omani development.
The bargaining in both Muscat and Salalah was very common. We were told to ask for about 1/4 of what the vendor asked. You could not walk through the street without the vendors, both men and women, including children were trying to hawk their wears. It was especially sad to see the children with their hands out. It was explained to us to just keep walking and no eye contact...not real easy.
We took a short tour in Muscat and saw the Sultan's Palace which was flanked by the Portuguese forts, Jalali and Mirani. Apparently, he does not live here but does have meetings in the palace...it is huge!! The men are allowed to have up to four wives...if the first can't produce than they can marry another. They believe it is better for a man to marry his mistress....less humiliating for their wife...really now!!!! They do have to be "fair" with all wives so if they have two, he spends three nights with each with the seventh night "off". I guess if he has four wives, he ends up getting three nights "off"!!!
Another city in Oman was Salalah which we visited after Dubai...I'll write about Dubai next.
Anyway, Salalah is the second largest city in Oman and I really don't know why we stopped there..it is known as the "perfume capital of Arabia". It is a popular tourism spot as it has "beautiful" beaches and the major attractions is scuba diving and bird watching. We went to the beach and I truly believe Destin has the most beautiful beaches in the world and so far I have seen quite a few. We have not seen sand as white as in Destin!!
We visited the souks...which means shops where they barter. I don't know how the woman can walk around in this heat with all the clothes...hyabs and abayas...on. We have had wonderful weather since we have left home...I think maybe only one or two days of rain!!
With that I am closing and saying a prayer that I have been very blessed this whole trip with a great companion who I am sure I have tried his patience but we are still talking and all is good!!!
Alekapalema,
janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
Muscat is the capital and largest city in Muscat. Muscat (Arabic masquat: 'cliff") is a fitting name for the cliff-lined city. The region became important when Frankincense's (sap from the native Boswellia tree) was a popular religious instrument. The resin was believed to cure illness, and was as valuable as gold in the early Christian era. At the height of the trade, the commodity was exported as far away as Rome, but eventual decline in Frankincense trade slowed Omani development.
The bargaining in both Muscat and Salalah was very common. We were told to ask for about 1/4 of what the vendor asked. You could not walk through the street without the vendors, both men and women, including children were trying to hawk their wears. It was especially sad to see the children with their hands out. It was explained to us to just keep walking and no eye contact...not real easy.
We took a short tour in Muscat and saw the Sultan's Palace which was flanked by the Portuguese forts, Jalali and Mirani. Apparently, he does not live here but does have meetings in the palace...it is huge!! The men are allowed to have up to four wives...if the first can't produce than they can marry another. They believe it is better for a man to marry his mistress....less humiliating for their wife...really now!!!! They do have to be "fair" with all wives so if they have two, he spends three nights with each with the seventh night "off". I guess if he has four wives, he ends up getting three nights "off"!!!
Another city in Oman was Salalah which we visited after Dubai...I'll write about Dubai next.
Anyway, Salalah is the second largest city in Oman and I really don't know why we stopped there..it is known as the "perfume capital of Arabia". It is a popular tourism spot as it has "beautiful" beaches and the major attractions is scuba diving and bird watching. We went to the beach and I truly believe Destin has the most beautiful beaches in the world and so far I have seen quite a few. We have not seen sand as white as in Destin!!
We visited the souks...which means shops where they barter. I don't know how the woman can walk around in this heat with all the clothes...hyabs and abayas...on. We have had wonderful weather since we have left home...I think maybe only one or two days of rain!!
With that I am closing and saying a prayer that I have been very blessed this whole trip with a great companion who I am sure I have tried his patience but we are still talking and all is good!!!
Alekapalema,
janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
Friday, April 16, 2010
Deserts are charming to those who know how to see them!!!
Hello to all,
Yes, we are still cruising...haven't been thrown overboard yet...but it's been so busy I haven't had time to keep up...four days at sea should give me time to tell you all about Muscat, Dubai, Salalah, Aqaba, Sharm el Sheik, Suez Canal, Port Said, Athens and Rome...wow..it sure sounds like alot when I list the places we have been in the last few weeks....hopefully, I'll be able to include a pic or two...be on the look out!!!
janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
Yes, we are still cruising...haven't been thrown overboard yet...but it's been so busy I haven't had time to keep up...four days at sea should give me time to tell you all about Muscat, Dubai, Salalah, Aqaba, Sharm el Sheik, Suez Canal, Port Said, Athens and Rome...wow..it sure sounds like alot when I list the places we have been in the last few weeks....hopefully, I'll be able to include a pic or two...be on the look out!!!
janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Around the world in 80 days...almost!!!
Namaskar from India,
The next two cities we visited were Cochin and Mumbai in India. I took a tour called "Local Life". It gave me an insight into the rural heartland near Cochin, where life has remained largely unchanged for centuries. It gave me a glimpse at the unhurried lifestyle of the locals, their simple homes and small workshops. In the village center I saw how the local people earned their livelihoods. I watched how the ladies used dried coconut husks to weave coir ropes, straw mats being woven out of wild pineapple leaves and watched the local potter create a range of pots and vases, depicting ethnic designs in clay. It was quite a surprise to see how many uses they derived from a coconut...six different liquids from the juice, rope from the husks and then bowls from the outer layer among other uses, including curry from the peel. They are such resourceful people which was so good to see. What was so sad to see was the poverty, the trash and the slums. If you have seen the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" you will see what I mean. They even showed the movie before our visit!!
Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. With an estimated population of thirteen million, it is the most populous city in India. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 transformed Bombay into one of the largest seaports on the Arabian Sea. It is built on a series of seven islands that form the city districts. A series of reclaimed projects linked the archipelago into a peninsula. India is only about 1/3 the size of Europe, yet its population is one billion people-fully 1/6 of the world's population. More religions are practiced on a larger scale in India than any other nation. Hinduism is the main faith, but there are also many others. Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian cinema with the oldest film broadcast here in the early 20th century . Bollywood produces more than 800 films a year, twice as many as Hollywood. It has an audience of 3.6 million
We toured many places including St. Thomas Cathedral where the have burial sites inside the church...as you walk around the church you are walking over the graves!!! There are many street vendors and once again where ever you go they are trying to sell to you. We went to the Gateway of India and a little girl kept wanting to put a flower bracelet on my wrist...I kept telling her "no money" yet she insisted...once she put it on, she would not let me out of her sight so of course I gave her money...before I knew it, I was being plagued by locals trying to sell to me. It was so sad...even a mother with a baby saying "food to feed the baby". Later I found out this was just a way to get to your heart!!! It works!! Ken even saw a little boy that he said could not have been more than 5 carrying his baby brother on his hip begging for money.
It's not unlikely to see a cow tied up in front of a temple with a basket of grass next to it. To go into the temple, you give money for the grass, the grass is fed to the cow, the cow is happy, the money goes to support the temple so everyone is happy!!
There are 14 McDonald's and they are the only one in the world that doesn't serve beef burgers...they use turkey, chicken or veggies.
The streets are full of vendors. If you stroke it, smoke it or eat it you find it at the markets!!! It's an assault on your senses and you either love it or hate it but you can't ignore it.
If you remember the Taj hotel was bombed in 2008 and it only took one year to rebuilt it. We were able to go in and it is a beautiful building with Rolls Royce, Mercedes and Porsche sitting in front. Our handbags had to go through a x-ray to enter the building.
I took a great tour with a brilliant guide. She gave us so much information and I'd love to share it all but I won't bore you any longer..here's the Reader's Digest of some of the interesting facts she shared with us. Cricket is their religion...the biggest sport. The dress here is very conservative , it should not show any curves so the men wear their shirts hanging out and the women are covered in their long dresses (saris) and many cover their faces also. They have many religious practices, like putting a pepper, lime and charcoal outside their businesses, cars, and homes for good luck and to keep evil spirits away. They replace these every Saturday. There is a group of 500 "business men" that deliver hot lunches from the men's homes to their work places on bikes. Then they go back, pick up the container and return it to the home. Four hundred thousand are delivered daily...yep 400,000 and they are known for their accuracy to the extent of being written up in the Guinness record Book!! Just an interesting factoid I will leave you with. This city, I must say was not as slummy as Cochin but that may because I was in a business area. It was a perfect way to get the feel for the architecture and heritage of this historic city.
Phir milenge,
janet and ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
The next two cities we visited were Cochin and Mumbai in India. I took a tour called "Local Life". It gave me an insight into the rural heartland near Cochin, where life has remained largely unchanged for centuries. It gave me a glimpse at the unhurried lifestyle of the locals, their simple homes and small workshops. In the village center I saw how the local people earned their livelihoods. I watched how the ladies used dried coconut husks to weave coir ropes, straw mats being woven out of wild pineapple leaves and watched the local potter create a range of pots and vases, depicting ethnic designs in clay. It was quite a surprise to see how many uses they derived from a coconut...six different liquids from the juice, rope from the husks and then bowls from the outer layer among other uses, including curry from the peel. They are such resourceful people which was so good to see. What was so sad to see was the poverty, the trash and the slums. If you have seen the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" you will see what I mean. They even showed the movie before our visit!!
Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. With an estimated population of thirteen million, it is the most populous city in India. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 transformed Bombay into one of the largest seaports on the Arabian Sea. It is built on a series of seven islands that form the city districts. A series of reclaimed projects linked the archipelago into a peninsula. India is only about 1/3 the size of Europe, yet its population is one billion people-fully 1/6 of the world's population. More religions are practiced on a larger scale in India than any other nation. Hinduism is the main faith, but there are also many others. Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian cinema with the oldest film broadcast here in the early 20th century . Bollywood produces more than 800 films a year, twice as many as Hollywood. It has an audience of 3.6 million
We toured many places including St. Thomas Cathedral where the have burial sites inside the church...as you walk around the church you are walking over the graves!!! There are many street vendors and once again where ever you go they are trying to sell to you. We went to the Gateway of India and a little girl kept wanting to put a flower bracelet on my wrist...I kept telling her "no money" yet she insisted...once she put it on, she would not let me out of her sight so of course I gave her money...before I knew it, I was being plagued by locals trying to sell to me. It was so sad...even a mother with a baby saying "food to feed the baby". Later I found out this was just a way to get to your heart!!! It works!! Ken even saw a little boy that he said could not have been more than 5 carrying his baby brother on his hip begging for money.
It's not unlikely to see a cow tied up in front of a temple with a basket of grass next to it. To go into the temple, you give money for the grass, the grass is fed to the cow, the cow is happy, the money goes to support the temple so everyone is happy!!
There are 14 McDonald's and they are the only one in the world that doesn't serve beef burgers...they use turkey, chicken or veggies.
The streets are full of vendors. If you stroke it, smoke it or eat it you find it at the markets!!! It's an assault on your senses and you either love it or hate it but you can't ignore it.
If you remember the Taj hotel was bombed in 2008 and it only took one year to rebuilt it. We were able to go in and it is a beautiful building with Rolls Royce, Mercedes and Porsche sitting in front. Our handbags had to go through a x-ray to enter the building.
I took a great tour with a brilliant guide. She gave us so much information and I'd love to share it all but I won't bore you any longer..here's the Reader's Digest of some of the interesting facts she shared with us. Cricket is their religion...the biggest sport. The dress here is very conservative , it should not show any curves so the men wear their shirts hanging out and the women are covered in their long dresses (saris) and many cover their faces also. They have many religious practices, like putting a pepper, lime and charcoal outside their businesses, cars, and homes for good luck and to keep evil spirits away. They replace these every Saturday. There is a group of 500 "business men" that deliver hot lunches from the men's homes to their work places on bikes. Then they go back, pick up the container and return it to the home. Four hundred thousand are delivered daily...yep 400,000 and they are known for their accuracy to the extent of being written up in the Guinness record Book!! Just an interesting factoid I will leave you with. This city, I must say was not as slummy as Cochin but that may because I was in a business area. It was a perfect way to get the feel for the architecture and heritage of this historic city.
Phir milenge,
janet and ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
Friday, April 2, 2010
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing!!!
Hello from Thailand,
If you have been reading the news, you know about the controversy going on in Bangkok between the "red shirts" and the "yellow shirts" and spilling their own blood over the capital stairs. Because of this we were concerned if the ship would risk us stopping. As it was we did stop yet they cancelled a couple of the tours and cautioned us on places to stay away from. We did not see anything that resembled any kind of conflict so all was safe and sound. Although, there was alot of rumor onboard beforehand just to give the whole stop more exciting!!!
Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and is sprawls along the contours of the Chao Phraya River-Thailand's lifeline. At one time, Bangkok was compared with Venice because of its network of klongs (canals). It was nicknamed "Venice of the East" at a time when mot transportation was by boat. Today most of them have been paved over to accommodate the growing metropolis. While many khlongs still exist with people living along them and markets often being operated along the banks, most are severely polluted.
Bangkok is a magnet for foreigners escaping turmoil in their homeland or simply for business. The city's wealth of cultural sites makes it one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. The population of Thailand is 65 million with 9.1 million in Bangkok. the yearly average income is $8,000. Buddhism is very important to the people as the religion came from India...92% are Buddhist.
Ken and I took separate tours...I to the gardens and beach and Ken to the Palace and shopping...go figure!!! The tropical gardens were amazing with all the beautiful plants and the sculptured gardens...they were meticulously planned and cared for so they kept their unique designs. Our tour also included a Thai show with dancing, elephants and kickboxing. Elephants are the symbol of the country and you can find their design on everything from jewelry to clothing. Yes, I had to buy a t-shirt!!! Elephants eat 18 hours per day...sound like us passengers!!! Also they are pregnant for 22 months!!!
The people drive on the left side of the road and apparently the reason for that is the king decided to import a car from England thence they drive on the left. The Thai New Year is April 13 and it is like our Christmas.
Ken had a different experience in the city and I will send his experience along when he sends it to me....
Meanwhile...that's the scoop!!!
janet
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
If you have been reading the news, you know about the controversy going on in Bangkok between the "red shirts" and the "yellow shirts" and spilling their own blood over the capital stairs. Because of this we were concerned if the ship would risk us stopping. As it was we did stop yet they cancelled a couple of the tours and cautioned us on places to stay away from. We did not see anything that resembled any kind of conflict so all was safe and sound. Although, there was alot of rumor onboard beforehand just to give the whole stop more exciting!!!
Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and is sprawls along the contours of the Chao Phraya River-Thailand's lifeline. At one time, Bangkok was compared with Venice because of its network of klongs (canals). It was nicknamed "Venice of the East" at a time when mot transportation was by boat. Today most of them have been paved over to accommodate the growing metropolis. While many khlongs still exist with people living along them and markets often being operated along the banks, most are severely polluted.
Bangkok is a magnet for foreigners escaping turmoil in their homeland or simply for business. The city's wealth of cultural sites makes it one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. The population of Thailand is 65 million with 9.1 million in Bangkok. the yearly average income is $8,000. Buddhism is very important to the people as the religion came from India...92% are Buddhist.
Ken and I took separate tours...I to the gardens and beach and Ken to the Palace and shopping...go figure!!! The tropical gardens were amazing with all the beautiful plants and the sculptured gardens...they were meticulously planned and cared for so they kept their unique designs. Our tour also included a Thai show with dancing, elephants and kickboxing. Elephants are the symbol of the country and you can find their design on everything from jewelry to clothing. Yes, I had to buy a t-shirt!!! Elephants eat 18 hours per day...sound like us passengers!!! Also they are pregnant for 22 months!!!
The people drive on the left side of the road and apparently the reason for that is the king decided to import a car from England thence they drive on the left. The Thai New Year is April 13 and it is like our Christmas.
Ken had a different experience in the city and I will send his experience along when he sends it to me....
Meanwhile...that's the scoop!!!
janet
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Cunard...there is no better way!!
Good morning from Viet Nam or as they say "xinchao",
Backtracking a few days...as you read we missed Halong Bay so we were ship bound for a few extra days. It was fine though...there is so much to do onboard that I have no problem keeping busy. For all of you who know my cooking abilities, you will appreciate this story...
They had a seminar/demonstration called "Can't Cook...Won't Cook". Well, it had my name all over it and so I went. The format was for the chefs to cook two entrees and asked for volunteers to come on stage and cook the same meal and their partners were to sample the meals. My partner, Ken did not attend the seminar, but I volunteered anyway. So, they picked me, another lady and a couple. When I stepped onstage I said "I can't cook" so the executive chef said...ok, you can be the taster and had me sit at the nicely set dining table on stage. they also treated us to champagne. So once the others cooked the meals, they put chef's hats over our heads so we couldn't see and fed us the food. When they asked us to describe the taste, the lady with me described how tender, spicy etc,etc. and all I could say .... it was good!! Regardless, of my ineptness on taste descriptions we all got a free lunch at the Todd English restaurant...it's the one place onboard you have to pay to eat!!! The demonstration, along with the blind feeding taped and televised all day on Sat. What a hoot....the fun never ends!!!
And on to our next port...
Boy oh boy...I've never seen such poverty...I think I'm glad that we did miss Halong Bay if it was anything like Ho Chi Minh City or better known as Saigon. I'm still trying to understand the "civil War" in Viet Nam. We call it the Viet Nam War yet the Vietnamese call it the American War. Why? Why were we there so long? What was accomplished? Does anyone really know? What were all those lives taken for? It is so sad.
During this civil war, residents suffered terribly. Businesses collapsed in the wake of the 1975 armistice and more than a decade of austere isolationism. As the 20th century drew to a close however, Vietnam has once again opened its doors. Everyone has a cell phone, and briefcases have given way to palm pilots. Modern "HMC" with more than 7,000,000 people is Vietnam's biggest city.
We docked at Phu My Port and rode two hours into the town of Saigon. Along the way were rice fields, and shacks lined the roads selling their wares. Also, we saw hammock cafes alongside the eateries. Since it is so hot here, at lunch time the workers take lunchtime to eat and relax in the hammock under the shade. I'd like to say it looked inviting, but it did not!! It looked like the slums and very dirty with trash everywhere. In the middle of each of these areas there was a very nice house in the background. Apparently, the homeowner owns all the businesses on the street. It was quite a contrast!! We found out there are no McDonald's because the government owns all the land. McDonald's, being in the real estate business and would have to own the land can not go into Saigon. Also, the beef is not up to their quality so they'd have to import it and that would be way too expensive.
Buddhism is the major religion with 85% Buddhist and only 8% Christians. They burn incense twice a day...and say their prayers four times a day. The people were very friendly although here, again, were peddling their negotiable wares everywhere. The currency is Vietnamese dong... 10,000 dongs equals one dollar. Ken exchanged around $40 dollars....unfortunately he didn't buy anything and has not been able to exchange his "dong" back into US currency so by the looks of the roll of cash, he appears to have a load of dough!!!
The craziest thing we experienced was the traffic, especially the motorcycles. You would have thought their was a Honda convention in town. There are more motorcycles than anywhere else, at 20 million. It is the scooter capital of the world!!!! What was so fascinating is how crazy they drive...no designated lanes...there are few accidents and if you walk across the street they just know to ride around you. It was quite a challenge to cross the street for tourists like us, and our tour guide said once you start...do not run. Well the first time we crossed, sure enough Ken ran!!! Thank goodness he made it without any tire tracks on him!!!
We visited the Post Office which has a huge picture of Ho Chi Mihn hanging prominently. Our tour took us by some of the other landmarks, such as Notre dame Cathedral, Opera House, and the Rex Hotel. Of course, we ended up at the Ben Thanh Market and more wheeling and dealing. We were glad to get back on the bus and go "home". I'm glad we went but have no desire to go back.
With that I will say...chaotambiet!
janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk
#4152
Backtracking a few days...as you read we missed Halong Bay so we were ship bound for a few extra days. It was fine though...there is so much to do onboard that I have no problem keeping busy. For all of you who know my cooking abilities, you will appreciate this story...
They had a seminar/demonstration called "Can't Cook...Won't Cook". Well, it had my name all over it and so I went. The format was for the chefs to cook two entrees and asked for volunteers to come on stage and cook the same meal and their partners were to sample the meals. My partner, Ken did not attend the seminar, but I volunteered anyway. So, they picked me, another lady and a couple. When I stepped onstage I said "I can't cook" so the executive chef said...ok, you can be the taster and had me sit at the nicely set dining table on stage. they also treated us to champagne. So once the others cooked the meals, they put chef's hats over our heads so we couldn't see and fed us the food. When they asked us to describe the taste, the lady with me described how tender, spicy etc,etc. and all I could say .... it was good!! Regardless, of my ineptness on taste descriptions we all got a free lunch at the Todd English restaurant...it's the one place onboard you have to pay to eat!!! The demonstration, along with the blind feeding taped and televised all day on Sat. What a hoot....the fun never ends!!!
And on to our next port...
Boy oh boy...I've never seen such poverty...I think I'm glad that we did miss Halong Bay if it was anything like Ho Chi Minh City or better known as Saigon. I'm still trying to understand the "civil War" in Viet Nam. We call it the Viet Nam War yet the Vietnamese call it the American War. Why? Why were we there so long? What was accomplished? Does anyone really know? What were all those lives taken for? It is so sad.
During this civil war, residents suffered terribly. Businesses collapsed in the wake of the 1975 armistice and more than a decade of austere isolationism. As the 20th century drew to a close however, Vietnam has once again opened its doors. Everyone has a cell phone, and briefcases have given way to palm pilots. Modern "HMC" with more than 7,000,000 people is Vietnam's biggest city.
We docked at Phu My Port and rode two hours into the town of Saigon. Along the way were rice fields, and shacks lined the roads selling their wares. Also, we saw hammock cafes alongside the eateries. Since it is so hot here, at lunch time the workers take lunchtime to eat and relax in the hammock under the shade. I'd like to say it looked inviting, but it did not!! It looked like the slums and very dirty with trash everywhere. In the middle of each of these areas there was a very nice house in the background. Apparently, the homeowner owns all the businesses on the street. It was quite a contrast!! We found out there are no McDonald's because the government owns all the land. McDonald's, being in the real estate business and would have to own the land can not go into Saigon. Also, the beef is not up to their quality so they'd have to import it and that would be way too expensive.
Buddhism is the major religion with 85% Buddhist and only 8% Christians. They burn incense twice a day...and say their prayers four times a day. The people were very friendly although here, again, were peddling their negotiable wares everywhere. The currency is Vietnamese dong... 10,000 dongs equals one dollar. Ken exchanged around $40 dollars....unfortunately he didn't buy anything and has not been able to exchange his "dong" back into US currency so by the looks of the roll of cash, he appears to have a load of dough!!!
The craziest thing we experienced was the traffic, especially the motorcycles. You would have thought their was a Honda convention in town. There are more motorcycles than anywhere else, at 20 million. It is the scooter capital of the world!!!! What was so fascinating is how crazy they drive...no designated lanes...there are few accidents and if you walk across the street they just know to ride around you. It was quite a challenge to cross the street for tourists like us, and our tour guide said once you start...do not run. Well the first time we crossed, sure enough Ken ran!!! Thank goodness he made it without any tire tracks on him!!!
We visited the Post Office which has a huge picture of Ho Chi Mihn hanging prominently. Our tour took us by some of the other landmarks, such as Notre dame Cathedral, Opera House, and the Rex Hotel. Of course, we ended up at the Ben Thanh Market and more wheeling and dealing. We were glad to get back on the bus and go "home". I'm glad we went but have no desire to go back.
With that I will say...chaotambiet!
janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk
#4152
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Shanghai
"It's where we go, and what we do when we get there, that tells us who we are" Joyce Carol Oates
"Paris of the East and Queen of the Orient" are among the sycophantic nicknames that have been bestowed upon Shanghai's thriving business center. Everything was once possible-for a price. Shang Hai means "up the river (from the sea). It is the largest city in China in terms of population and on of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with over 20 million people. The city is an emerging tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such as the Bund and Xintiandi, its modern and ever-expanding Pudong skyline including the Oriental Pearl Tower, and its new reputation as a cosmopolitan center of culture and design. Today Shanghai is the largest center of commerce and finance in mainland China, and has been described as the "showpiece" of the world's fastest growing economy.
We began our tour in Shanghai with a ride on the famous Maglev train. Maglev, short for "magnetic levitation" whisked us to the nearby airport using groundbreaking technology. Without the friction of wheels or rails, the innovative train reached 267 miles per hour, making it the fastest transportation on land. It was quite amazing...almost like a plane on the runway beginning to take off, yet surprisingly enough there were no seat belts and very little notice of motion. We next visited the Jinmao Hyatt Building, an impressive 88 story skyscraper and one of the tallest buildings in China.
Our tour guide explained to us that Shanghai is know for three key words: height, speed and change. Height...The city is famous for its skyscrapers with over 3.000 skyscrapers over seven stories tall. 25% of the world's cranes are in Shanghai. And of course Yo Ming the basketball player. Speed...It is the first city to open to foreign trade. 1990 was the year of the economic growth rate and they do $100 billion in import/export business. We were so shocked at all the containers we saw, both in Hong Kong and Shanghai, stacked seven high in rows and rows!! And the third key word is Change. The income is thirty times what it was 20 years ago. There is construction going on everywhere preparing for the World Expo which will be from May1-Nov. 31. Our guide told us if a taxi driver took a year off work, he would not know his way around when he returned to work.
The average age for men to get married is 30 years, because men are expected to have the four "c's" first...condominium, career, car and credit (or cash). Only 10 % have cars....the license plates themselves cost $6,000. All schools have basketball courts as it is the number one sport. Number eight is the lucky number.
The tours were very interesting, high and fast although what we will probably remember Shanghai as is "Rolex City". One can not walk down the street without offers to buy Rolex watches, Coach purses, and Mont Blanc pens...what a hoot!!! Ken had a blast but when he found out someone on the bus got a better deal on the watches, he was on a real mission at the next stop. I even got into the wheeling and dealing and must say it was fun. I think the whole bus left being some yuans!!!
We were to leave Shanghai that eve and onto to Halong Bay. Yet, for the first time in the Captain's 40 years at sea we were delayed by fog. Yep, after my big blog on no delays on cruises opposed to flying and we get delayed. We were not able to get out until a day later and in turn are missing our stop in Halong Bay. The passengers are getting a bit of Cabin fever because the weather hasn't been warm enough to be out on the deck but I was lucky. I won a free day at the spa so I spent my day in the baths and enjoyed the delay thoroughly. Our next stop is Hanoi and then onto Bangkok. With the turmoil going on in Bangkok I'm not sure what will happen but we do know the Cat. will not put anyone in harm's way.
Hope to hear from y'all...I'm missing everyone but not enough to come home yet!!!! I love getting messages sent to the cunard sight but to be sure I get the message copy it to my rappazinj@earthlink.net account as I do check that every few days.
Thanx,
janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
"Paris of the East and Queen of the Orient" are among the sycophantic nicknames that have been bestowed upon Shanghai's thriving business center. Everything was once possible-for a price. Shang Hai means "up the river (from the sea). It is the largest city in China in terms of population and on of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with over 20 million people. The city is an emerging tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such as the Bund and Xintiandi, its modern and ever-expanding Pudong skyline including the Oriental Pearl Tower, and its new reputation as a cosmopolitan center of culture and design. Today Shanghai is the largest center of commerce and finance in mainland China, and has been described as the "showpiece" of the world's fastest growing economy.
We began our tour in Shanghai with a ride on the famous Maglev train. Maglev, short for "magnetic levitation" whisked us to the nearby airport using groundbreaking technology. Without the friction of wheels or rails, the innovative train reached 267 miles per hour, making it the fastest transportation on land. It was quite amazing...almost like a plane on the runway beginning to take off, yet surprisingly enough there were no seat belts and very little notice of motion. We next visited the Jinmao Hyatt Building, an impressive 88 story skyscraper and one of the tallest buildings in China.
Our tour guide explained to us that Shanghai is know for three key words: height, speed and change. Height...The city is famous for its skyscrapers with over 3.000 skyscrapers over seven stories tall. 25% of the world's cranes are in Shanghai. And of course Yo Ming the basketball player. Speed...It is the first city to open to foreign trade. 1990 was the year of the economic growth rate and they do $100 billion in import/export business. We were so shocked at all the containers we saw, both in Hong Kong and Shanghai, stacked seven high in rows and rows!! And the third key word is Change. The income is thirty times what it was 20 years ago. There is construction going on everywhere preparing for the World Expo which will be from May1-Nov. 31. Our guide told us if a taxi driver took a year off work, he would not know his way around when he returned to work.
The average age for men to get married is 30 years, because men are expected to have the four "c's" first...condominium, career, car and credit (or cash). Only 10 % have cars....the license plates themselves cost $6,000. All schools have basketball courts as it is the number one sport. Number eight is the lucky number.
The tours were very interesting, high and fast although what we will probably remember Shanghai as is "Rolex City". One can not walk down the street without offers to buy Rolex watches, Coach purses, and Mont Blanc pens...what a hoot!!! Ken had a blast but when he found out someone on the bus got a better deal on the watches, he was on a real mission at the next stop. I even got into the wheeling and dealing and must say it was fun. I think the whole bus left being some yuans!!!
We were to leave Shanghai that eve and onto to Halong Bay. Yet, for the first time in the Captain's 40 years at sea we were delayed by fog. Yep, after my big blog on no delays on cruises opposed to flying and we get delayed. We were not able to get out until a day later and in turn are missing our stop in Halong Bay. The passengers are getting a bit of Cabin fever because the weather hasn't been warm enough to be out on the deck but I was lucky. I won a free day at the spa so I spent my day in the baths and enjoyed the delay thoroughly. Our next stop is Hanoi and then onto Bangkok. With the turmoil going on in Bangkok I'm not sure what will happen but we do know the Cat. will not put anyone in harm's way.
Hope to hear from y'all...I'm missing everyone but not enough to come home yet!!!! I love getting messages sent to the cunard sight but to be sure I get the message copy it to my rappazinj@earthlink.net account as I do check that every few days.
Thanx,
janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Jo Sun from Hong Kong
Nei hou Maa...hello how are you in Chinese Mandarin,
I think the more I learn the less I know. Hong Kong welcomed the Queen Victoria on March 10 with sunny weather and friendly people. Hong Kong has approx 30 days of clear weather so we were very fortunate with our timing. I learned so much about the city and will share with you some information about this interesting place.
Hong Kong primarily consists of Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories. In total, Hong Kong encompasses a collection of 262 islands in the South China Sea, of which Lantau is the largest. Hong Kong Island is the second largest island and the most populated. Hong Kong was a British dependency from the 1840s until July 1 1997, when it passed to Chinese sovereignty as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). It is frequently described as a city where East meets West, a meeting reflected in its economic infrastructure, education, legal system and street culture. On one street corner, there may be traditional Chinese shops selling Chinese herbal medicine, Buddhist paraphernalia or bowls of synthetic shark fin soup...I didn't try any!!! And then around the corner one may find theaters showing the latest Hollywood blockbuster. a British-style pub, a Catholic church or Mickey D's inviting passers-by to a Big Mac. I had the coffee!!
The population in Hong Kong is 7.1 million in the 1100 sq. KM area or 6250 folks/sq km!!! One mile equals 1.6 kilometers..do the math!!! They build up. Since we were there overnight we feel we really were able to see alot of the city in the two tours we took. The first day we visited a Buddhist temple that was built 100 years ago. Man Mo has a great canopy dominating the temple with huge hanging coils of incense..the aroma of incense was quite overpowering. They burn three sticks at a time...representing past, present, and future and heaven, earth and humanity. I was surprised how people were worshipping by offering up oranges, apples and candy as we walked around taking pictures....just like the tourist we were!!! The incense is donated by those making offerings to the Taoist gods of literature (Man) and war (Mo).
Our next stop was to the 1800 foot Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island which can be seen from the ship. We rode the tram (built in 1888) up to the summit. On the way up, at one point we were at a 30 degree angle and the buildings all looked like they were all leaning...weird feeling. We contrasted that view with a descending to sea level and visited the fishing village of Aberdeen. This renowned fishing village is home to hundreds of people who spend their entire life on the water. And I'm not talking about cruising, sailing and yachting...they are living on the water. We took a short sampan boat ride and the simplicity of the living and poverty level was unbelievable.
Of course, one can not visit Hong Kong without visiting the markets. Since we took two different tours we had the joy(??) of shopping at both Stanley Market and Temple Street night market. WOW!!! So many people packed shoulder to shoulder and Ken was in his glory negotiating with the sellers. That night after another ride up to Victoria Peak we had an traditional eight course Beijing duck dinner at the Peking Garden Restaurant. I tried food I've never had before and to be honest, I'm not sure what some of it was...nor do I want to know!! The spectacle of the night was the Symphony of Light Show which employs colored lights, lasers, holograms and searchlights synched to music to transform 33 buildings along Victoria Harbor. Hailed as the World's Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show by the Guinness World Records, the show commemorates the energy, spirituality and diversity that is Hong Kong.
The following day we explored on our own, Ken shopping for a new camera since he dropped his and it died, and I went to Kowloon Park. Since I knew I only had two hours I wanted to see it all...the fitness path, the Orient Garden, the water garden, bird aviary, swimming pool, sculpture garden, children's park, garden path, tree walk, color garden, the maze and the sculpture path. After hustling around I decided to take it out of fourth gear and put it in first, sit, relax and take it all in. As I was hurrying along I realized folks meditating and doing Tai Chi. It looked so inviting that I chose a bench to sit and rest by a gentleman that was in the middle of the exercise. The next thing I knew I was in the middle of gardens in the middle of Hong Kong being instructed by David Huun, a Tai Chi master. It could not get any better than that!! As I walked away I could feel the chi working and a relaxing sensation forever imbedded in my spirit.
That's how I want to remember Hong Kong!!!
janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
I think the more I learn the less I know. Hong Kong welcomed the Queen Victoria on March 10 with sunny weather and friendly people. Hong Kong has approx 30 days of clear weather so we were very fortunate with our timing. I learned so much about the city and will share with you some information about this interesting place.
Hong Kong primarily consists of Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories. In total, Hong Kong encompasses a collection of 262 islands in the South China Sea, of which Lantau is the largest. Hong Kong Island is the second largest island and the most populated. Hong Kong was a British dependency from the 1840s until July 1 1997, when it passed to Chinese sovereignty as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). It is frequently described as a city where East meets West, a meeting reflected in its economic infrastructure, education, legal system and street culture. On one street corner, there may be traditional Chinese shops selling Chinese herbal medicine, Buddhist paraphernalia or bowls of synthetic shark fin soup...I didn't try any!!! And then around the corner one may find theaters showing the latest Hollywood blockbuster. a British-style pub, a Catholic church or Mickey D's inviting passers-by to a Big Mac. I had the coffee!!
The population in Hong Kong is 7.1 million in the 1100 sq. KM area or 6250 folks/sq km!!! One mile equals 1.6 kilometers..do the math!!! They build up. Since we were there overnight we feel we really were able to see alot of the city in the two tours we took. The first day we visited a Buddhist temple that was built 100 years ago. Man Mo has a great canopy dominating the temple with huge hanging coils of incense..the aroma of incense was quite overpowering. They burn three sticks at a time...representing past, present, and future and heaven, earth and humanity. I was surprised how people were worshipping by offering up oranges, apples and candy as we walked around taking pictures....just like the tourist we were!!! The incense is donated by those making offerings to the Taoist gods of literature (Man) and war (Mo).
Our next stop was to the 1800 foot Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island which can be seen from the ship. We rode the tram (built in 1888) up to the summit. On the way up, at one point we were at a 30 degree angle and the buildings all looked like they were all leaning...weird feeling. We contrasted that view with a descending to sea level and visited the fishing village of Aberdeen. This renowned fishing village is home to hundreds of people who spend their entire life on the water. And I'm not talking about cruising, sailing and yachting...they are living on the water. We took a short sampan boat ride and the simplicity of the living and poverty level was unbelievable.
Of course, one can not visit Hong Kong without visiting the markets. Since we took two different tours we had the joy(??) of shopping at both Stanley Market and Temple Street night market. WOW!!! So many people packed shoulder to shoulder and Ken was in his glory negotiating with the sellers. That night after another ride up to Victoria Peak we had an traditional eight course Beijing duck dinner at the Peking Garden Restaurant. I tried food I've never had before and to be honest, I'm not sure what some of it was...nor do I want to know!! The spectacle of the night was the Symphony of Light Show which employs colored lights, lasers, holograms and searchlights synched to music to transform 33 buildings along Victoria Harbor. Hailed as the World's Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show by the Guinness World Records, the show commemorates the energy, spirituality and diversity that is Hong Kong.
The following day we explored on our own, Ken shopping for a new camera since he dropped his and it died, and I went to Kowloon Park. Since I knew I only had two hours I wanted to see it all...the fitness path, the Orient Garden, the water garden, bird aviary, swimming pool, sculpture garden, children's park, garden path, tree walk, color garden, the maze and the sculpture path. After hustling around I decided to take it out of fourth gear and put it in first, sit, relax and take it all in. As I was hurrying along I realized folks meditating and doing Tai Chi. It looked so inviting that I chose a bench to sit and rest by a gentleman that was in the middle of the exercise. The next thing I knew I was in the middle of gardens in the middle of Hong Kong being instructed by David Huun, a Tai Chi master. It could not get any better than that!! As I walked away I could feel the chi working and a relaxing sensation forever imbedded in my spirit.
That's how I want to remember Hong Kong!!!
janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
Friday, March 12, 2010
Kota Kinabula
Apa Khabar,
In Borneo's remote Sabah province, a state in Malaysia we found tropical rainforests filled with exotic plants, miles of sandy beaches and warm clear waters. The bustling town of Kota Kinabula, the capital of Sabah was filled with warm friendly people eager to greet us. What fun in this remote place....Kota means town and Kinabula means resting place of spirit.
We started the 92 degree day by going to the "Sunday market"....vendor after vendor selling their wares. It is a very poor city but they are survivors and family orientated. The streets were lined with all kinds of merchandise from carved coconuts to clothes, nuts to necklaces, and turnips to t-shirts....and yes...bargain for anything you would like!!!
In the afternoon we took a shore excursion on a shortride in a local bamboo thatched roof raft on a mangrove river and learned the art of batik painting. It was an unique way to become acquainted with the local life and explore the different aspects of Borneo. We threw out crab traps and caught a crab and a fish!!! Unfortunately, we did not have enough time there as there were hammocks to relax in, and the water of the Southern China Sea, although I think Ken felt we spent too much time. After batik painting, a quick rest in the hammock and checking out the water we had "Roti Canai", a Malaysian bread, similar to a pizza and Teh Tarek, literally translated to "pulled tea", a popular drink among the locals. On the way back we stopped at a pottery factory toured the facilities where we could purchase, of course, all kinds of pottery!!!
We learned that mangroves are very plentiful due to being surrounded by three different bodies of water. Mangrove trees saved lives during the tsunami due to their vast root system...similar to how the sea oats and their root system protect Destin from hurricanes. Thirty percent of the rainforest is gone so their are restrictions in cutting down trees in a reforestation program. It takes 27 trucks to take away one tree!!
The Borneo Rainforest houses two very unique animals that are endemic to the area, namely the Orang Utan and the Proboscis Monkey. The orang Utan is man's closest relative sharing up to 96.4% of the human genetic makeup. The Proboscis Monkey, known for their big pendulous nose and distinctive pot bellies are found only on this island, in the mangrove swamps.
The trip was great and I got alot of great...Kodak moment, award winning shots, but I loaded them all on my computer, deleted them from my camera and lost them in cyberspace...what a disappointment!!! Oh well, they are memories in my mind. Ken had some camera screw up also...he dropped his twice!!! The second fall didn't survive and he is out one less camera. Strange though, he really wanted to buy a new camera...could that have been a subliminal fall?
Two more glorious days at sea and then Hong Kong...I'll tell you about that fabulous city in the next blog...until then...as they say in KK...
Jumpalagi!!!
janet and Ken
p.s. Ken wanted me to add that we just missed the photo moment in Sydney where 5200 people disrobed for picture on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
In Borneo's remote Sabah province, a state in Malaysia we found tropical rainforests filled with exotic plants, miles of sandy beaches and warm clear waters. The bustling town of Kota Kinabula, the capital of Sabah was filled with warm friendly people eager to greet us. What fun in this remote place....Kota means town and Kinabula means resting place of spirit.
We started the 92 degree day by going to the "Sunday market"....vendor after vendor selling their wares. It is a very poor city but they are survivors and family orientated. The streets were lined with all kinds of merchandise from carved coconuts to clothes, nuts to necklaces, and turnips to t-shirts....and yes...bargain for anything you would like!!!
In the afternoon we took a shore excursion on a shortride in a local bamboo thatched roof raft on a mangrove river and learned the art of batik painting. It was an unique way to become acquainted with the local life and explore the different aspects of Borneo. We threw out crab traps and caught a crab and a fish!!! Unfortunately, we did not have enough time there as there were hammocks to relax in, and the water of the Southern China Sea, although I think Ken felt we spent too much time. After batik painting, a quick rest in the hammock and checking out the water we had "Roti Canai", a Malaysian bread, similar to a pizza and Teh Tarek, literally translated to "pulled tea", a popular drink among the locals. On the way back we stopped at a pottery factory toured the facilities where we could purchase, of course, all kinds of pottery!!!
We learned that mangroves are very plentiful due to being surrounded by three different bodies of water. Mangrove trees saved lives during the tsunami due to their vast root system...similar to how the sea oats and their root system protect Destin from hurricanes. Thirty percent of the rainforest is gone so their are restrictions in cutting down trees in a reforestation program. It takes 27 trucks to take away one tree!!
The Borneo Rainforest houses two very unique animals that are endemic to the area, namely the Orang Utan and the Proboscis Monkey. The orang Utan is man's closest relative sharing up to 96.4% of the human genetic makeup. The Proboscis Monkey, known for their big pendulous nose and distinctive pot bellies are found only on this island, in the mangrove swamps.
The trip was great and I got alot of great...Kodak moment, award winning shots, but I loaded them all on my computer, deleted them from my camera and lost them in cyberspace...what a disappointment!!! Oh well, they are memories in my mind. Ken had some camera screw up also...he dropped his twice!!! The second fall didn't survive and he is out one less camera. Strange though, he really wanted to buy a new camera...could that have been a subliminal fall?
Two more glorious days at sea and then Hong Kong...I'll tell you about that fabulous city in the next blog...until then...as they say in KK...
Jumpalagi!!!
janet and Ken
p.s. Ken wanted me to add that we just missed the photo moment in Sydney where 5200 people disrobed for picture on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Heading north!!!
Hello Cobbers,
We are now leaving the Southern Hemisphere and who knows when we will ever cross the equator again....it has been an amazing time and thankfully warm. And we are official shellbacks!!!
Exmouth was, as it is on the map...nothing to write home about...so I won't.
As we are leaving Australia, I would like to share with you short primer in Australian vs. American English...have fun with all the new sayings they use down here.
Welcome to "Oz" (Australia)!! Invited to a "shivoo" (rowdy party) with your new Sydneysider "cobbers" (friends)? Or thinking about the chance to "go bush" (leave the city) and head for a "station" (farm or ranch) in the "back o' bourke" (somewhere in the Outback) in the company of " 'roos: (kangaroos) and "mossies" (mosquitoes)? Either way, understanding colloquial "Strine"(that is, Australian) is not always a "snack" (easy task). Struth! (It's the god's truth).
Onto Kota Kinabula, but first four days at sea... and trying to take advantage of everything the ship has to offer...like room service for breakfast...I love it...Ken leaves and eats in the Lido and I do my Bible Study and have some quiet time. We usually attend a lecture afterwards and there have been some great talks...usually educating us on our next city. I usually take one or two dance classes each day...the gentlemen dance host this segment are much to be desired...I think they are learning along with everyone else. I'm still trying to get my five miles in a day and that hasn't been a problem...I love listening to my IPod as I walk the deck. It's a real kick to see all the O's and Q's described by one of the comediennes as the people sleeping and the shape of their mouths, some with their tongue hanging out (those are the Q's). I've thought of taking pics of people sleeping but thought that may be an invasion of privacy so I haven't..yet!!! Ken enjoys his time reading by the pool and occasionally taking a dip in the pool.
Our time at sea has given much time to think also, some heavy thoughts and some very inane useless info...so I came up with the following...yes, you probably can argue some of the points but just go with me and enjoy...it started out as my Top Ten Reasons to Cruise Rather Than Fly...although once I started I found more so more than likely I'll add by the time I am through.
So here goes:
My Top Ten Reasons to Cruise Rather than Fly:
1). You can leisurely board the ship within a four to six hour time frame opposed to arriving at the airport two to three hours before ETD. That is stands for ESTIMATED!!!
2). You may check as much luggage @ any weight vs. one carry on plus paying for the second and third piece of luggage and additional fee for excessive weight.
3). On a ship there is a selection from buffet dining to fine dining unlike a bag of peanuts on a plane!
4). You choose your cabin mate vs. sitting next to someone you do not know or care to know.
5). On a ship our entertainment is a variety of shows that include everything from professional musicians to Broadway shows instead of watching a 7" screen TV with "B" rated movies and sitcom reruns.
6). A choice of thousands of books is available for reading opposed to the airline company's "SKY" magazine.
7). Your luggage is delivered and picked up from your cabin vs. schlepping it to check in and waiting endlessly at baggage claim... hoping it's not lost.
8). The ship leaves on time (unless a crew member is missing...this happened in SF) vs. fabricated delays
9). You are able to sleep horizontally vs. vertically.
10). The only person who cares if you snore is your cabin mate opposed to alerting the entire plane plus... the only person you have to worry about your snoring is your cabin mate.
11). Your view encompasses 360 degrees vs. peering over your seat mate to view through a 12" smudged window usually with part of the wing in the way.
12).To stretch your legs you can walk around the deck (3x= 1 mile) vs. up and down the aisle running into little kids!!
Ken added this one...
13). You can easily find a place to hide from your cabin mate for extended periods of time. On a plane one must politely excuse themselves from their seat mate to go to the lavatory to escape ....until there is a long line of people banging outside the door for you to come out!!!
14). You have your own bathroom...need I say more???
Next blog...Kota Kinabula and "struth"!!!
Sailing in the deep blue...
janet and Ken
We are now leaving the Southern Hemisphere and who knows when we will ever cross the equator again....it has been an amazing time and thankfully warm. And we are official shellbacks!!!
Exmouth was, as it is on the map...nothing to write home about...so I won't.
As we are leaving Australia, I would like to share with you short primer in Australian vs. American English...have fun with all the new sayings they use down here.
Welcome to "Oz" (Australia)!! Invited to a "shivoo" (rowdy party) with your new Sydneysider "cobbers" (friends)? Or thinking about the chance to "go bush" (leave the city) and head for a "station" (farm or ranch) in the "back o' bourke" (somewhere in the Outback) in the company of " 'roos: (kangaroos) and "mossies" (mosquitoes)? Either way, understanding colloquial "Strine"(that is, Australian) is not always a "snack" (easy task). Struth! (It's the god's truth).
Onto Kota Kinabula, but first four days at sea... and trying to take advantage of everything the ship has to offer...like room service for breakfast...I love it...Ken leaves and eats in the Lido and I do my Bible Study and have some quiet time. We usually attend a lecture afterwards and there have been some great talks...usually educating us on our next city. I usually take one or two dance classes each day...the gentlemen dance host this segment are much to be desired...I think they are learning along with everyone else. I'm still trying to get my five miles in a day and that hasn't been a problem...I love listening to my IPod as I walk the deck. It's a real kick to see all the O's and Q's described by one of the comediennes as the people sleeping and the shape of their mouths, some with their tongue hanging out (those are the Q's). I've thought of taking pics of people sleeping but thought that may be an invasion of privacy so I haven't..yet!!! Ken enjoys his time reading by the pool and occasionally taking a dip in the pool.
Our time at sea has given much time to think also, some heavy thoughts and some very inane useless info...so I came up with the following...yes, you probably can argue some of the points but just go with me and enjoy...it started out as my Top Ten Reasons to Cruise Rather Than Fly...although once I started I found more so more than likely I'll add by the time I am through.
So here goes:
My Top Ten Reasons to Cruise Rather than Fly:
1). You can leisurely board the ship within a four to six hour time frame opposed to arriving at the airport two to three hours before ETD. That is stands for ESTIMATED!!!
2). You may check as much luggage @ any weight vs. one carry on plus paying for the second and third piece of luggage and additional fee for excessive weight.
3). On a ship there is a selection from buffet dining to fine dining unlike a bag of peanuts on a plane!
4). You choose your cabin mate vs. sitting next to someone you do not know or care to know.
5). On a ship our entertainment is a variety of shows that include everything from professional musicians to Broadway shows instead of watching a 7" screen TV with "B" rated movies and sitcom reruns.
6). A choice of thousands of books is available for reading opposed to the airline company's "SKY" magazine.
7). Your luggage is delivered and picked up from your cabin vs. schlepping it to check in and waiting endlessly at baggage claim... hoping it's not lost.
8). The ship leaves on time (unless a crew member is missing...this happened in SF) vs. fabricated delays
9). You are able to sleep horizontally vs. vertically.
10). The only person who cares if you snore is your cabin mate opposed to alerting the entire plane plus... the only person you have to worry about your snoring is your cabin mate.
11). Your view encompasses 360 degrees vs. peering over your seat mate to view through a 12" smudged window usually with part of the wing in the way.
12).To stretch your legs you can walk around the deck (3x= 1 mile) vs. up and down the aisle running into little kids!!
Ken added this one...
13). You can easily find a place to hide from your cabin mate for extended periods of time. On a plane one must politely excuse themselves from their seat mate to go to the lavatory to escape ....until there is a long line of people banging outside the door for you to come out!!!
14). You have your own bathroom...need I say more???
Next blog...Kota Kinabula and "struth"!!!
Sailing in the deep blue...
janet and Ken
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Good day mate,
We are still in Australia with our last stop in Exmouth tomorrow...don't even try looking it up an the map...it's so small it's not on there!!! I believe we are going there to gas up for four days at sea before we arrive at Kota Kinabalu. Our last three stops were nice but just didn't compare to the previous ones!!! Adelaide Is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, with a population of 1.1 million. Adelaide is most noted for its many festivals and sporting events, its food, wine and culture, its long beachfronts, and its large defense and manufacturing sectors. It continues to rank highly as a livable city, being in the Top 10 in The Economist's World's Most Livable Cities index. We were fortunate to visit while they were having the Adelaide Fringe. In our walk through the streets there were street entertainers on all the corners....jugglers, musicians, high unicyclist and dancers. I was approached by the local news station to be interviewed. He started asking me questions and as I was trying to answer, my "producer" was attempting to cue me in on what to say with hand and body signals!!! It was quite distracting as it is when you are on the phone and the person in the room is talking to you at the same time. Needless to say, I'm sure there was alot of editing but the piece they were writing was on being happy. I told them they picked the best person for the interview!!! They did ask my age and I stumbled a bit, only because my "producer" was egging me on!!! They gave the statistic that 74 was the happiest age by a survey of people!!! I told them I didn't think I could be any happier!!! Since we left before the evening news I don't know if it aired but I think I can say I am an international TV star...hahaha!!!
The next stop was Albany...another small town and I believe they coincided their arts and craft festival with the ship docking in town so they would have more customers. Indeed they did as we dropped a bundle....or should I say Shopper Ken dropped a bundle. He bought a Didgeridoo...a wind instrument that is covered with Aborigine art work....very cool and very large. Now, he has to learn how to play it which will take a lot of blowing and hot air...should be no problem for him. He also bought me a beautiful pearl necklace. The northwest part of Australia is known for their pearls and since Albany is a port city it's a great place to buy pearls.
Yesterday, I took a shore excursion with the goal of drinking wine and feeding kangaroos. Goal accomplished and it was a good wine tasting although we were on a bus for 3 1/2 hours and late for the ship. Luckily, the ship does wait for ship sponsored excursions. Known as the "friendly city" to its many international fans, Perth (and neighboring Fremantle) enjoys more sunny days than any other place in Australia, according to city leaders. We were told they have not had rain since Nov. 10th 2009 so it was very brown. I'm glad I didn't take the garden tour. Anyway, back to the tour...we went to Guildford, just east of Perth, which is the gateway to the fertile upper Swan Valley. One of the state's finest wine growing regions, it is a place of elegant vineyards and chateaux. We visited Sanford Wines where we were given a half hour for the wine tasting...clearly not long enough. They were having a big concert there that night...The Four Tops so the traffic was bad, which cut our time short!!! After the wine we drove to Caversham Park which offered us a complete bush experience!!! During our visit, we hand fed kangaroos and came face-to-face with koals, wombats and emus. I loved seeing the "joey" baby kangaroos. Did you know they are born the size of a peanut and then stay in their Mom's pouch for nine months. While we were there I was sure one was on its way out of the ouch...we could see it's legs!!! The tour guide said it would happen within the week. It was neat to see the animals, including Tasmanian devils and learned quite a bit of interesting info...just wish I could remember half of it!!!
Needless to say Ken was pacing aboard waiting on me, thinking we weren't going to make it back!! He had taken the train into Perth and had a lovely time along with some shopping, of course!!! We did make it back onboard and had one more sailaway party. I believe we had 550 new people come aboard. AT this point the ship is full of Aussies with only 150 Americans!!!
Ken has been playing producer quite faithfully and putting me in front of the camera which I really don't like but....it just isn't fun watch as I get fatter and fatter!!! As they say, we come aboard as passengers an go off as cargo!!!With that I must close, my room service breakfast just arrived..tsk tsk!!!
Love to all,
janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
We are still in Australia with our last stop in Exmouth tomorrow...don't even try looking it up an the map...it's so small it's not on there!!! I believe we are going there to gas up for four days at sea before we arrive at Kota Kinabalu. Our last three stops were nice but just didn't compare to the previous ones!!! Adelaide Is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, with a population of 1.1 million. Adelaide is most noted for its many festivals and sporting events, its food, wine and culture, its long beachfronts, and its large defense and manufacturing sectors. It continues to rank highly as a livable city, being in the Top 10 in The Economist's World's Most Livable Cities index. We were fortunate to visit while they were having the Adelaide Fringe. In our walk through the streets there were street entertainers on all the corners....jugglers, musicians, high unicyclist and dancers. I was approached by the local news station to be interviewed. He started asking me questions and as I was trying to answer, my "producer" was attempting to cue me in on what to say with hand and body signals!!! It was quite distracting as it is when you are on the phone and the person in the room is talking to you at the same time. Needless to say, I'm sure there was alot of editing but the piece they were writing was on being happy. I told them they picked the best person for the interview!!! They did ask my age and I stumbled a bit, only because my "producer" was egging me on!!! They gave the statistic that 74 was the happiest age by a survey of people!!! I told them I didn't think I could be any happier!!! Since we left before the evening news I don't know if it aired but I think I can say I am an international TV star...hahaha!!!
The next stop was Albany...another small town and I believe they coincided their arts and craft festival with the ship docking in town so they would have more customers. Indeed they did as we dropped a bundle....or should I say Shopper Ken dropped a bundle. He bought a Didgeridoo...a wind instrument that is covered with Aborigine art work....very cool and very large. Now, he has to learn how to play it which will take a lot of blowing and hot air...should be no problem for him. He also bought me a beautiful pearl necklace. The northwest part of Australia is known for their pearls and since Albany is a port city it's a great place to buy pearls.
Yesterday, I took a shore excursion with the goal of drinking wine and feeding kangaroos. Goal accomplished and it was a good wine tasting although we were on a bus for 3 1/2 hours and late for the ship. Luckily, the ship does wait for ship sponsored excursions. Known as the "friendly city" to its many international fans, Perth (and neighboring Fremantle) enjoys more sunny days than any other place in Australia, according to city leaders. We were told they have not had rain since Nov. 10th 2009 so it was very brown. I'm glad I didn't take the garden tour. Anyway, back to the tour...we went to Guildford, just east of Perth, which is the gateway to the fertile upper Swan Valley. One of the state's finest wine growing regions, it is a place of elegant vineyards and chateaux. We visited Sanford Wines where we were given a half hour for the wine tasting...clearly not long enough. They were having a big concert there that night...The Four Tops so the traffic was bad, which cut our time short!!! After the wine we drove to Caversham Park which offered us a complete bush experience!!! During our visit, we hand fed kangaroos and came face-to-face with koals, wombats and emus. I loved seeing the "joey" baby kangaroos. Did you know they are born the size of a peanut and then stay in their Mom's pouch for nine months. While we were there I was sure one was on its way out of the ouch...we could see it's legs!!! The tour guide said it would happen within the week. It was neat to see the animals, including Tasmanian devils and learned quite a bit of interesting info...just wish I could remember half of it!!!
Needless to say Ken was pacing aboard waiting on me, thinking we weren't going to make it back!! He had taken the train into Perth and had a lovely time along with some shopping, of course!!! We did make it back onboard and had one more sailaway party. I believe we had 550 new people come aboard. AT this point the ship is full of Aussies with only 150 Americans!!!
Ken has been playing producer quite faithfully and putting me in front of the camera which I really don't like but....it just isn't fun watch as I get fatter and fatter!!! As they say, we come aboard as passengers an go off as cargo!!!With that I must close, my room service breakfast just arrived..tsk tsk!!!
Love to all,
janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Melbourne Fairy Tale!!!
Good day mate,
What a great day we had today!!!! Everyday gets better than the last!! We toured Melbourne on our own today and had a great lunch at a place called TimeOut. As we sat outside we watched the USA play Canada in the Olympics in hockey on a big screen TV that was outside. That was cool but what was cooler is USA won..you knew that!! Melbourne is the home to some of the biggest sports events including:the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival (including the race that stops the nation, the Melbourne Cup), the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, the Australian Tennis Open and the AFL grand Final. Melbourne hosted the first Olympic Games in the Southern Hemisphere in 1956. Melbourne has twice shared top position in a survey by the Economics of the World's Most Livable Cities on the basis of its cultural attributes, climate, cost of living, and social conditions such as crime rates and health care, once in 2002 and again in 2004.
During lunch we also observed a group of college students with quirky sayings on their shirts...I decided to get closer to read the shirts and was asked to jump rope with them. Come to find out, it was actually an initiation and they would get points for each person they could get to jumprope...trying to be a kind American I agreed to help out. Next thing I knew the girls were taking off their bras, made a jumprope out of them tied together and I was jumping the "bra" rope. The first try I fell right on my butt...only because I still has my back pack on. I was not to be defeated in front of those college kids so I took my backpack off (no, I kept my bra on) and was able to jump a few more times and added some points to the contest!!! Unfortunately, Ken was back at the table paying the bill and missed all the fun!!!
After that joy, Ken went shopping and visited St.Paul's Cathedral and I went to the Royal Botanical Gardens,of course!!! Since it was a Monday, it wasn't very busy so it was peaceful and quite a nice walk. As I was wandering back to meet the bus I came across the Shrine of Remembrance. I had no idea what it was all about and little did I know how it would affect me...how emotional!!! It is a Melbourne landmark and the shrine is modeled after the Athens' Parthenon It is dedicated to the brave men and women who served and died in WW1. It was awe inspiring. The Gallery of medals displayed 4000 service medals, each one representing 100 Victorians (from the Australian state of Victoria) who have served in the war. There are glass cases with books opened to pages of their names inscribed in calligraphy. As I walked through the Crypt, I came across a regimental memorial, the "Father and Son" sculpture representing the two generations of Victorians who served in the World Wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45. The sanctuary which impressed me the most is the heart of the Shrine where thousands pay respect to service men and women each year. Unfortunately I was not there for the half hour Remembrance Ceremony, which incorporates a simulation of a gravestone for those Victorian service men and women buried overseas in unmarked graves. Made of marble, it is sunk below the floor where no hands may touch it and visitors must bow their heads to read the Biblical inscription: GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN. It took 144 pages of mathematics to figure out how the sun would shine at a certain hour...it was truly amazing and I came away feeling for all of our soldiers and what do we do for them in the USA???
Back to the ship for what turned out to be the most extravagant affair I have ever attended. We were invite by Peter Shanks, President and Managing Director of Cunard Line together with the Master and Senior Officers of Queen Victoria to the World Voyage Dinner at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. It was a black tie affair and what a event!!! We, along with 500 world cruise passengers were shuttled downtown Melbourne where we were by greeted by Mr. Shanks, Captain Wright (he remember having his picture taken with Burton the bear!!!) and the Australian Boys Choir. We felt like royalty as we walked along the red carpet and waved and shook hands with everyone!!! The room was covered with white tablecloths, white roses and beautiful table settings...more utensils than I ever have used, but I did remember from Emily Post...start from the outside and work in!!!! We had a fabulous dinner with the main course beef wellington..actually described as "Sliced Australian Fillet of Beef, Quenelle of Potato Puree, with Fresh French Green Beans, Trussed Tomato, Topped with Zucchini Ribbons, Parmesan Cheese and Shiraz Jus" I just thought I'd throw that in because I surely didn't understand half of it...but it was delicious especially with the red wine they served. We ended the dinner with a trio of desserts...I'll spare you with the description...it will only make you drool. That was followed with a champagne toast to the Captain who was going on "holiday". As the night ended we danced our way out of the gallery and back to our "cabin sweet cabin" and turned back into pumpkins! What a fairy tale!!!
I'll leave you at that for now...next stop Adelaide!!!
janet and ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
What a great day we had today!!!! Everyday gets better than the last!! We toured Melbourne on our own today and had a great lunch at a place called TimeOut. As we sat outside we watched the USA play Canada in the Olympics in hockey on a big screen TV that was outside. That was cool but what was cooler is USA won..you knew that!! Melbourne is the home to some of the biggest sports events including:the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival (including the race that stops the nation, the Melbourne Cup), the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, the Australian Tennis Open and the AFL grand Final. Melbourne hosted the first Olympic Games in the Southern Hemisphere in 1956. Melbourne has twice shared top position in a survey by the Economics of the World's Most Livable Cities on the basis of its cultural attributes, climate, cost of living, and social conditions such as crime rates and health care, once in 2002 and again in 2004.
During lunch we also observed a group of college students with quirky sayings on their shirts...I decided to get closer to read the shirts and was asked to jump rope with them. Come to find out, it was actually an initiation and they would get points for each person they could get to jumprope...trying to be a kind American I agreed to help out. Next thing I knew the girls were taking off their bras, made a jumprope out of them tied together and I was jumping the "bra" rope. The first try I fell right on my butt...only because I still has my back pack on. I was not to be defeated in front of those college kids so I took my backpack off (no, I kept my bra on) and was able to jump a few more times and added some points to the contest!!! Unfortunately, Ken was back at the table paying the bill and missed all the fun!!!
After that joy, Ken went shopping and visited St.Paul's Cathedral and I went to the Royal Botanical Gardens,of course!!! Since it was a Monday, it wasn't very busy so it was peaceful and quite a nice walk. As I was wandering back to meet the bus I came across the Shrine of Remembrance. I had no idea what it was all about and little did I know how it would affect me...how emotional!!! It is a Melbourne landmark and the shrine is modeled after the Athens' Parthenon It is dedicated to the brave men and women who served and died in WW1. It was awe inspiring. The Gallery of medals displayed 4000 service medals, each one representing 100 Victorians (from the Australian state of Victoria) who have served in the war. There are glass cases with books opened to pages of their names inscribed in calligraphy. As I walked through the Crypt, I came across a regimental memorial, the "Father and Son" sculpture representing the two generations of Victorians who served in the World Wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45. The sanctuary which impressed me the most is the heart of the Shrine where thousands pay respect to service men and women each year. Unfortunately I was not there for the half hour Remembrance Ceremony, which incorporates a simulation of a gravestone for those Victorian service men and women buried overseas in unmarked graves. Made of marble, it is sunk below the floor where no hands may touch it and visitors must bow their heads to read the Biblical inscription: GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN. It took 144 pages of mathematics to figure out how the sun would shine at a certain hour...it was truly amazing and I came away feeling for all of our soldiers and what do we do for them in the USA???
Back to the ship for what turned out to be the most extravagant affair I have ever attended. We were invite by Peter Shanks, President and Managing Director of Cunard Line together with the Master and Senior Officers of Queen Victoria to the World Voyage Dinner at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. It was a black tie affair and what a event!!! We, along with 500 world cruise passengers were shuttled downtown Melbourne where we were by greeted by Mr. Shanks, Captain Wright (he remember having his picture taken with Burton the bear!!!) and the Australian Boys Choir. We felt like royalty as we walked along the red carpet and waved and shook hands with everyone!!! The room was covered with white tablecloths, white roses and beautiful table settings...more utensils than I ever have used, but I did remember from Emily Post...start from the outside and work in!!!! We had a fabulous dinner with the main course beef wellington..actually described as "Sliced Australian Fillet of Beef, Quenelle of Potato Puree, with Fresh French Green Beans, Trussed Tomato, Topped with Zucchini Ribbons, Parmesan Cheese and Shiraz Jus" I just thought I'd throw that in because I surely didn't understand half of it...but it was delicious especially with the red wine they served. We ended the dinner with a trio of desserts...I'll spare you with the description...it will only make you drool. That was followed with a champagne toast to the Captain who was going on "holiday". As the night ended we danced our way out of the gallery and back to our "cabin sweet cabin" and turned back into pumpkins! What a fairy tale!!!
I'll leave you at that for now...next stop Adelaide!!!
janet and ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Australia... mate
Still sailing....and life is good!!! We had two days at sea before Australia...it works out great as it gives time to renew and re-energize although I have been keeping so busy aboard. This ship is amazing and having a grand ole' time at UoQV!!! Some of the latest classes have been Pearl 101, Opal 101, Contemporary Art, Architecture, backstage design, and for P.E. advanced country line dancing, and cha-cha!!! Did I tell you how talented the entertainment has been? We were able to take a backstage tour and unbelievable the teeny tiny room the singers and actors have to change into their gorgeous wardrobes. I'm finally finding my way around without looking at the ship's diagrams and I am using the steps...15 up a floor!! We are located portside aft...how do you like that lingo? We are right above the dining room and a few decks below the pool or lido deck. That deck also has the buffet food which is pretty good. I'm loving the pizza and found the macadamia nut cookies...ouch!!
Early Friday morning we sailed into Sydney Harbor,which is sometimes considered one of the most beautiful harbors in the world...I agree...the sight as the sun rose and the city lights still in the background was surely a Kodak moment. Sydney is known in Australia as the "Harbor City" and the harbor itself as well as structures on its shores such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge are globally recognized icons of the city. Sydney is a major domestic and international tourist destination, notable for its climate, famous beaches, culture, renowned landmarks and modern architecture. It is Australia's main financial centre and the skyscrapers of its financial district cluster around Circular Quay, making the city's skyline one of the most distinctive in the world. The ship docked right in the middle of the harbor and our view from our balcony was the Sydney Opera House. More about that later. We disembarked which was quite painless and then walked around the city a bit, looking for internet, convenience store and transportation options. For lunch we took a ferry over to Manly Island which is on the Tasman Sea...we had a great lunch as we watched the surfers. When we returned we took a tour of the Sydney Opera House. WOW!! What can I say? With its distinctive white "sails" and commanding harbor location, the Opera House is urban Australia's most recognized landmarks. The entertainment complex has a wide range of performances and activities including: dance, drama, film, opera, jazz, five restaurants, and six bars (to keep it lively).
How fortunate we were to be able to enjoy the opera "Tosca" by Puccini that evening. Luckily there were subtitles so we knew what was going on and from our seats they were easy to read..yes, we were pretty high up!!! What was too cool though...as we walked out and looked across the harbor to our "home" it was bathed in pink!!! The Queen V. had a private charity function for breast cancer and had the ship lit up with pink lights!! Another Kodak moment!!
Since we stayed in Sydney overnight we were able to take a trip around the city to see the sights. We boarded a open top hop on hop off bus that took us around this sprawling city. Almost one in four Australians (4,000,000 people) lives in the metropolis and the urban mass covers more than 4,000 square miles. After the tour I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art and I have new understanding of Aboriginal Art. One other landmark I would like to mention is the Harbour Bridge...we did NOT do this but you can walk across it or join a 3 hour expedition "Bridge Climb" (After Ken's experience on the Sky Tower in Auckland there was no way he'd do it...he cringed looking up at the people walking up there). It's an enormous engineering feat, and the 1932 structure is still the world's widest bridge!
This takes us to sailing away in the Tasman Sea and onward to five more Australian cities. We had quite a change of passengers as 1100 left and the same embarked. We have three new dinner mates, all from Australia so we have lots to learn. Did I say how beautiful the weather has been? Hopefully its warming up where you are...I am liking bypassing winter...as you know it's summer in Australia!!
My bad news, very briefly, last night one of my back teeth fell out. They do have an onboard dentist so I visited her and she put in a temporary until I get home. Yep, that was the $$$ I had allocated for a massage...not the dentist!!! Anyway, her office view is the ocean so that was nice...if anything about going to the dentist is nice...no offense to my wonderful dentist friends!!! They make our smiles!! Needless to say when I get back I'll have to have it replaced so if you ask what I brought you back from my trip, you'll understand my smile...that's it!!!
That's all for now...again, it's such a joy to have those e-mails left in our cabin...thank you kindly..the e-mail is qv@cunard.co.uk and put my name on the subject line.
"One's destination is never a place. but rather a new way of looking at things" Henry Miller
With joy,
Ken and janet
Early Friday morning we sailed into Sydney Harbor,which is sometimes considered one of the most beautiful harbors in the world...I agree...the sight as the sun rose and the city lights still in the background was surely a Kodak moment. Sydney is known in Australia as the "Harbor City" and the harbor itself as well as structures on its shores such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge are globally recognized icons of the city. Sydney is a major domestic and international tourist destination, notable for its climate, famous beaches, culture, renowned landmarks and modern architecture. It is Australia's main financial centre and the skyscrapers of its financial district cluster around Circular Quay, making the city's skyline one of the most distinctive in the world. The ship docked right in the middle of the harbor and our view from our balcony was the Sydney Opera House. More about that later. We disembarked which was quite painless and then walked around the city a bit, looking for internet, convenience store and transportation options. For lunch we took a ferry over to Manly Island which is on the Tasman Sea...we had a great lunch as we watched the surfers. When we returned we took a tour of the Sydney Opera House. WOW!! What can I say? With its distinctive white "sails" and commanding harbor location, the Opera House is urban Australia's most recognized landmarks. The entertainment complex has a wide range of performances and activities including: dance, drama, film, opera, jazz, five restaurants, and six bars (to keep it lively).
How fortunate we were to be able to enjoy the opera "Tosca" by Puccini that evening. Luckily there were subtitles so we knew what was going on and from our seats they were easy to read..yes, we were pretty high up!!! What was too cool though...as we walked out and looked across the harbor to our "home" it was bathed in pink!!! The Queen V. had a private charity function for breast cancer and had the ship lit up with pink lights!! Another Kodak moment!!
Since we stayed in Sydney overnight we were able to take a trip around the city to see the sights. We boarded a open top hop on hop off bus that took us around this sprawling city. Almost one in four Australians (4,000,000 people) lives in the metropolis and the urban mass covers more than 4,000 square miles. After the tour I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art and I have new understanding of Aboriginal Art. One other landmark I would like to mention is the Harbour Bridge...we did NOT do this but you can walk across it or join a 3 hour expedition "Bridge Climb" (After Ken's experience on the Sky Tower in Auckland there was no way he'd do it...he cringed looking up at the people walking up there). It's an enormous engineering feat, and the 1932 structure is still the world's widest bridge!
This takes us to sailing away in the Tasman Sea and onward to five more Australian cities. We had quite a change of passengers as 1100 left and the same embarked. We have three new dinner mates, all from Australia so we have lots to learn. Did I say how beautiful the weather has been? Hopefully its warming up where you are...I am liking bypassing winter...as you know it's summer in Australia!!
My bad news, very briefly, last night one of my back teeth fell out. They do have an onboard dentist so I visited her and she put in a temporary until I get home. Yep, that was the $$$ I had allocated for a massage...not the dentist!!! Anyway, her office view is the ocean so that was nice...if anything about going to the dentist is nice...no offense to my wonderful dentist friends!!! They make our smiles!! Needless to say when I get back I'll have to have it replaced so if you ask what I brought you back from my trip, you'll understand my smile...that's it!!!
That's all for now...again, it's such a joy to have those e-mails left in our cabin...thank you kindly..the e-mail is qv@cunard.co.uk and put my name on the subject line.
"One's destination is never a place. but rather a new way of looking at things" Henry Miller
With joy,
Ken and janet
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