Hong Kong

We spent Fri. & Sat. in Hong Kong; our boat is small enough that we were able to dock in the middle of the city's Victoria Harbor, right next to the clock tower & Star ferry docks on the Kowloon side of the city.  What an impressvie city - it reminded me of an Asian New York City. Lots of people, lots of bustle, and a zillion more skyscrapers than New York!  This is a place I would like to come back to and explore more.

Weather was warmer (75 - 80 degrees) and not humid.  However it was quite foggy and our views from Victoria Peak (which overlooks the city) were less  than spectacular.  We did a half-day bus trip around the city, which included a stop at a jewelry store for an hour (about 50 mins. too long for us; but the bathrooms were very clean!) and a short sampan ride. 

Fri. night we took a night tour on the top section of an open double-decker bus.  Because it was night and foggy, we didn't take any cameras with us.  The nightly laser show that Hong Kong  is noted for was disappointing because of the fog, but the drive through the brightly lit and bustling night streets was well worth it.  We were able to walk through a night market with its numerous stalls and the great odors of Chinese food wafting from the restaurants.

The next afternoon the fog had lifted and we had a great tour of the harbor of Hong Kong on a junk.  We saw another zillion skyscrapers and the world's largest container port (I thought it would be boring, but the amount of ships and containers on each ship was incredible!)

Bill getting all artistic with the world's longest suspension bridge.

St. Patrick's Day was not a big day in Hong Kong....but there was quite the celebration on board ship, complete with green beer.  Of course, after dinner Bill & I went to our stateroom and read, rather than take part in the party.  We are such an exciting nightlife couple!

Sun. and Mon. we have been at sea, following our rigorous schedule of eating, napping, reading, more eating, counted cross-stitching for me and computer gaming for Bill, followed by even more eating.  It may take us months to adjust to real life back in Atlanta!

Tues. we land in Shanghai, are there for 2 days, followed by a sea day and then our final stop in Beijing.  I may not blog anymore until our hotel in Beijing; internet minutes on the ship are not cheap and I'm about out of time with the package of minutes I bought when we first boarded the ship.  But never fear, faithful follower(s).....this blog may be delayed for a few days, but it's not ended!

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Yesterday found us docking in the port of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.  We are about a 3 hour bus ride from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and there was a tour there today which we decided not to take - 3 hours each way plus a few hours to see a few sights just seemed exhausting - even a few months ago when we decided which tours to take!
Incidentally, the weather changed when we got to Hue; it is now cooler (60 degrees) and when we reached the Gulf of Tonkin yesterday it turned cloudy.  Still we have been blessed with no rain when out and about.
We did a junk cruise of the Bay in the afternoon.  Words cannot begin to describe how beautiful this spot is; one writer describes it as a geographic work of art.  Bill did the climb up to Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave....I'll let his pictures of the Bay and Cave speak for themselves.

(frustrating technical difficulties prevented me from downloading more pictures of the Bay)

Last night we went to something uniquely Vietnamese, a water puppet show.  We weren't allowed to take pictures and I don't know how to download photos from Google Image yet, so I'll do my best to describe it in words.  During the performance, the puppeteers hide behind a long screen and stand chest deep in water.  They manipulate the wooden puppets around the water and overhead with bamboo rods and strings.  The puppets weigh from 2 to 10 pounds and are 12 to 40 inches high; it sometimes takes 2 people to manipulate 1 puppet.  There is traditional Vietnamese music in the background, while the puppets demonstrate short stories  about the rice farmers' lives and from Vietnamese mythology.

Today Bill & I were to take a tour into the countryside and visit  a Buddhist monastery and local village.  We both have colds and decided to skip the tour and be lazy on the ship.  The rest is definately helping me (Bill is napping as I write).  Tomorrow we have the day at sea as we sail towards Hong Kong.

Da Nang & Hue

We docked in Da Nang and we chose to take a long bus tour to the city of Hue (pronounce way), the former Imperial Capital of Vietnam.  It is considered one of the most significant historic and cultural centers of the country.

Along the way we passed many rice farms and impoverished villages.  (Parts of the cities in Vietnam look middle-class and even affluent; the countryside mostly looks poor.)

First stop was at the Citadel, the remains of the imperial palace and Forbidden Purple City, where the emperors female relatives, concubines and eunuchs lived.  Much of it was destroyed during fighting but some of the buildings are being restored.  It is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

Main gate, Imperial Palace

Thien Mu Pagoda

Most memorable for its 3 for $10 t-shirts.

Lunch was a buffet of Vietnamese dishes; fortunately, everything was labelled!  The most exotic dish was tortoise that Bill, the adventuresome eater, claims tasted like beef.  The hotel was happy to host us, greeting us with dragons and entertaining us with tradtional Vietnames music.

Next stop was the Tomb of Tu Duc, emperor for 35 years.  It was situated in a beautiful park-like setting and is considered by many the most elegant tomb in Vietnam.

Final stop before our long bus ride back to the port was a small shop where that sold incense and the conical hats seen everywhere in Vietnam, along with many other souvenirs (which we resisted purchasing!).

Incense arranged in attractive bundles.

Sagion - Mekong River Cruise

Sat. Bill & I took a tour that went out into the Vietnamese countryside; saw lots of rice farms with farmers working in them.  Our bus drove us to the delta port of My Tho; first we visited the 150 year old Vinh Trang Pagoda, then boarded a motorized boat.  Our cruise took us past fruit orchards, stilt houses, fish and shrimp farms, and all kinds of boats.

Love the neon halos on many of the Buddhas we've seen!

Mekong River

Our boat took us to Unicorn Island (Thoi Son) where we saw fruits growing in orchards, farms, coconut candy making, and sampled honey tea and locally grown fruits.

Now began the really exciting part of the trip: we entered small sampans (4 passengers, 2 rowers) and had a scenic and somewhat hair-raising (for me, at least) ride through narrow, palm tree-lined canals.

Lunch was at a local restaurant, and fortunately everything was easily rescognizable!  Fish and spring rolls.  I like Asian food, but I do like to know what I'm eating!

Elephant Ear fish.

Spring rolls.

After a trip to the "Happy Room", as the tour guides call the restrooms, we motored back to the bus and had a long bus ride (1 1/2 hours) back to the ship. 

Today, Sun., is another day at sea.  We do so enjoy these - very relaxing.  The sea was very rocky today, which fortunately has not affected Bill or me, but outside areas of the ship are closed and dining areas are underpopulated!

Tomorrow finds us at Da Nang port and we will be touring the city of Hue.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

I spent the morning on a city tour of Saigon, while Bill did a day-long excursion entitled "Good Morning, Vietnam", visiting places related to the war, including the Cu Chi tunnels.  Parts of Saigon were evocative of Paris, reflecting the years the French were in Vietnam.  Other parts were typically Asian.  And motor scooters were everywhere.

Our first stop was a lacquerware factory; we got to watch the items being made and visit the shop - beautiful items but I resisted the slight urge to buy.

Next stop was the Reunification Palace, where in 1975 the Southern forces officially surrendered to the Revolutionary forces.  It's now a museum, with its exhibits frozen in their pre-1975 state.

Notre Dame Cathedral; not up to Paris standards, but a nice place to pray.

Central Post Office, built by Gustave Eiffel.

Giac Liam Pagoda, built in 1744; the oldest pagoda in Saigon.  A religious haven where Taoism and Confucianism merge with Buddhism (not sure what that means....just lots of "isms" all mixed together!)   The elegant white statue is of Quan The Am Bo Tat, the Goddess of Mercy.

Ho Chi Minh statue in front of  City Hall.

Our last stop was in the Chinatown district, Cholon, at a local market.  I was very hot and worn out from the heat and humidity and chose to stay on the bus with my book.  It felt wonderful to get back to the ship with its fantastic air conditioning and delicious ice cream!

Tonight Bill and I are off to the Rex Hotel for a folklore show and tomorrow we are spending the day on a Mekong River cruise. 

Brunei & Malaysia

Tues. found us in Brunei.  I did a tour that saw several sights that reflect the opulence and extravagent world of Brunei's sultan, financed by immense oil wealth.  Welcome to rembrances of living in an Islamic country: no alcohol, repressed press, no visiting the inside of mosques and women with head coverings.  However, Brunei was cleaner than I remember the Middle East and lacked the smells of the bazaar that I like so much.

This is the Jame mosque, Brunei's largest; the domes are covered with 24 karat gold leaf and emblems on the gates have rubies and diamonds in them. 

Here is th Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque; it is surrounded by a man-made lagoon.

My tour also visited the Royal Regalia museum (no pictures allowed) filled with exhibits of luxurious items from the Sultan's lavish coronation and other important events in his life.

Then as a study in contrasts we went to the water village, where 30,000 people live on the water on houses built on stilts.  Some of the dwelling sights date back 1,300 years.  People first lived here to isolate themselves from the inland dwelling headhunters.  In addition to the boat ride around the village, we had tea and cookies in a typical home in the village.  We all look lovely seated there in over-stuffed furniture with our life vests from the boat on!

Bill spent the day on another tour; he went further inland away from civilization into the rain forest on a long boat on the Temburong River where he visited a native Iban tribal longhouse and saw a rather tepid traditional dance performance by these former headhunters.  They travelled further into the jungle and saw a beautiful waterfall.

Wed. we were docked in Kota Kinanalu on the island of Borneo in Malaysia.  Bill and I actually went on a tour together to the Monosapiad Cultural Village and its infamous House of Skulls.

Music and dancing of some of the various tribal groups.  We also saw rice wine being made, listened to drumming, saw stilt walking.  Bill practiced his hanging bridge walking, sling shot and blowpipe skills.  I watched and cheered him on!

 

This is the infamous House of Skulls.  There are over 40 trophy skulls, some of which are over 300 years old, standing as testament to the valor of the great warrior and Kadazan hero, Monosopiad.

The 6th & 7th generations of direct descendents of Monosopiad constructed the village on this historical site to remember their forefathers and to provide a glimpse into their ancient and rich culture.

And here I am on Thurs, March 8th with another day at sea.  We are currently crossing the South China Sea on our way to Saigon, Vietnam, or as it is known today, Ho Chi Minh City.

Singapore

Sat. March 3 found us in Singapore - Happy birthday to son Mike!Singapore's name comes from Sanskrit and means Lion City; the city is an interesting mix of Chinese, Malay, Hindu and British cultures.  In our 4 hour excursion we saw Buddhist and Hindu temples, a Moslem mosque and  Anglican and Catholic churches.

Skyline of Singapore - we were impressed with the modern & innovative architecture of the city.  Also, everything looked clean and neat; we saw none of the slums that were very apparent in Bangkok. (Yes, chewing gum is allowed in Singapore; it's good for the gums, so you buy it in pharmacies!).  Smoking is very much frowned upon; a pack of cigarettes costs $10.

This is the Merlion statue, the symbol of Singapore, with a lion's head and body of a fish resting on a crest of waves.

These photos are from a Buddhist temple in the Chinatown district of Singapore.  It was very different in style from the Thai Buddhist temples.  There was a service going on, with monks chanting and drumming and gonging.  Very interesting.

Our next stop on our tour was the Singapore Botanical Gardens, specifically the Orchid Gardens.  It was a beautiful spot, and very refreshing.

Sun. (today) and tomorrow we are at sea at the southern part of the South China Sea, heading to Brunei.