In a Heartbeat

Would I do it again? In a Heartbeat. All of our bags are packed and sitting outside the door. They are ready to be picked up by magic elves in the night. The next time we will see them will be in Ft Lauderdale where we pick them up and show them to Customs. I so hope we are not selected for inspection. I hear if you are selected every single thing comes out of your bag to be looked at by all.

What a trip we have had! Hard to believe four months are over. It really has gone by quickly. I don't think the impact of this trip will hit us until we get home. Regent just put on a "Farewell" show with clips from some of our ports. Everyone in the audience was quiet. Wow .... Did we do that? All that? Everyday has been an adventure. Everyday something new. We are SO spoiled by the service, the food, the care. As it happens, you just go with it. When it ends, you sit back in amazement. I went around the world! Pretty amazing. Something I would wish everyone would do at some point in their lives.

Favorite port? Favorite country? Favorite tour? I know I will be asked. Please don't be upset if I can't give an answer. I loved our sail in to Komodo Island and to Ho Chi Minh City. We loved our Safari in Africa at Singita Lebombo. I loved being within feet of 5 well fed and happy lions. Africa is a place I would love to go back to and explore. The beautiful waters in French Polynesia, the Caribbean, the Great Barrier Reef  kept me spellbound on the balcony. I loved swimming with the Sting Rays and being in the warm azure crystal clear waters.  I have never seen so many colors of water all blended together. I will remember the frightening scary swelling of the seas and the outrunning of a few storms. It was a real tear jerker coming home to the Philippines where every one on this ship had family and we all reunited then said Good-Bye. We have seen so many ways of living, of being. We have had some real surprises learning about cities. Singapore, Shanghai, South Africa, Myanmar, Bagan, Togo ... all amazing places to visit. It has been fun waking up and wondering where you are. If I didn''t know the day, well that's OK. I just needed to know if it is 11 AM it's Bullion time.  Just that bit of knowledge got me through most days.  Bittersweet time.

This blog has been hard keeping up and doing but I am happy I did it, for myself to look back on and for my friends and family who were interested in coming along. We have one more dinner on board. I am looking out my window watching the ripple of the waves dance by, taking me home,  North?  I believe?  :) 

The Internet gets shut off at midnight.

They throw me off around 9 AM .........


Hmmmmm ....

I guess that means it's over. ?   ...   Hey, easy there fella!

Well, yes, until next time.

Virgin Gorda & The Baths -Tortola

We love coming here .... every time seems like the first time and it never gets tiring.  The boulders long ago crashed here creating a beautiful beach/hiding place with caves/and a place to relax and enjoy nature at its finest. The waters are crystal  azures greens and blues.  You can see the tiny fish swim by your feet or take your snorkel gear and go to the bigger rocks and see the BIG fish swimming without a care.  Water temperature is walk in perfect. It takes about 30 minutes to climb through these gigantic boulders to find Devils Beach at the other side.  They serve  a drink here called Pain Killer ...not sure why but it is really good.  I took tons of pictures that probably only I will ever enjoy.  It is one of those places you just come, with camera, and feast your eyes on the raw beauty of nature and imagine you can be one with  nature...... It is/was my idea of heaven.  Definitely worth a family outing here.

Antigua Sunrise

I AM UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   So I thought I would share my sunrise with you ...... It should be there soon!

Capturing a Sliver of Barbados

We definitely have to put Barbados on our Family Reunion list. We were fortunate to be under artistic eye of Ronnie Carrington, one of Barbados most famous photographers. He took us all around and through this island. We passed miles of rugged boulders down along a jagged sea and beautiful sand beaches, green forests, and well maintained and terraced farmland, quaint villages and breath taking scenery in every direction. Though a photographer's eye, you see it all. Barbados is BEAUTIFUL. You capture the best of what the island has to offer through the lens of your camera. Having our own personal photographer along, all spots were pre picked for our enjoyment. We just had to get out of the bus, snap some photos, get back  on and listen to stories. (A grueling day! :) ) He showed us his award winning photographs while he told us about his family, the history of Barbados and all who have lived on this island before us as well as what is happening now. You feel a sense of pride here. Things are kept clean. Roads easily traveled. Education is taken seriously with the literacy rate being 97%, among the highest in the western hemisphere. People have more then one job.

At Sea on 112 , 2 or 3, 3&1, 119, 7, 4 , 4&2, 37

 

It seems my life is made up of numbers today. Maybe it has always been made of numbers. Today the numbers just laugh at me.  I have no control.  Today we have another sea day. I haven't been writing on sea days. I feel these are my day-off days when I can relax from the active port days. Here is where life is MINE. For the most part, I love the sea days. I have only went slightly stir crazy 2 or 3 times when the stretch of sea days got too long and our cabin too small. We have 4 sea days from the last port till the next. We have just completed almost 3 and have 1 left , then we dock in Barbados where we spend the day with a famous photographer and learn to take some great pictures.

And the WINNER is !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Drum Roll...the vote is in! Sounds of cheering .... Today we took a poll and asked World Cruisers in suite 1009 which tour of the WC was the worst tour of 2010...... the vote is in!


This is a pause to build excitement for the readers .... all 6 of you.....

Sorry Charlie

We were scheduled to dock in Benjul at 8AM but the powers that be said 10AM is better. West Africa, go figure. At 9:25 our Captain announced "Our Pilot was supposed to board 45 minutes ago (pause) “Well, (pause) we decided to get a little bit closer. I hope he will board in the next 5-10 minutes.” In our cabin we silently cheered our Captain for finally standing up to the people pushing us around these past few ports. ... :)

The World Will Be One

Ghana was our next stop up the Western coast of Africa. Ghana was a significant stop for me because my daughter-in-law (and soon-to-be a Mom) has volunteered her time and skills as a nurse in Ghana many times over the years to help care for those in desperate need of medical attention and surgery. In Ghana, medical care is a luxury most can not afford. People will line up for days to have the opportunity to see a Doctor and have needed surgery. The added bonus for them is to be under Trisha's warm, nurturing and experienced care.  It was important for me to feel what it is like to be here. She loves Ghana and the work she does here. It is a priveledge, she says. It was like coming home.

Exiting the ship, the first thing I noticed was the humidity. I felt drenched immediately. Staying dry or feeling cool was not in the cards today. It felt like I was sitting in the bleachers at Wrigley, in August, in the sun, 94 degrees, 98% humidity, and no breeze. Here we had  an air conditioned bus and clean windows. For joy! We are not in Togo anymore. Ghana is the largest city closest to the Equator. 25 million residents are feeling the humidity .... 25 million and me.

Togo

Togo is on the West coast of Africa. It boarders Ghana to the West and Benin to the East. It is about twice the size of Maryland, a tiny little guy. When I see it on a map it reminds me of a Lego block, long, rectangular, and thin. Togo is one of those places where, after my visit, I had no energy to write about it. It was too much, too heavy, and I could not put words to what I saw, felt, or learned. I just wanted to post the pictures and say "This tells it all". They do, and that would have worked. But now I am forcing myself to deal with words. The kids wanted me to blog .... so let's give it a try.

Almost Benin

We ALMOST made it to Cotonou, Benin today. Just when we signaled "Hi We are Here!", we learned another ship was settled comfortably in our berth. 'The ship is having engine problems.  It will be just a minute.', turned into a five hour wait. From 'The ship is heading out now' to 'The (offending) ship just dropped an engine' to 'We are awaiting a Pilot', to 'Pilot will be here soon!', to 'The boat is being towed from the berth.  We will dock within an hour.' .... When they ran out of excuses, a huge storm with winds of 50 knots enveloped us and dumped, and just dumped again,  a ton of rain. Maybe this port just wasn't meant to be. The next excuse was 'We can only dock if the winds are under 20 knots'. We bobbed and waited till the cows came home today. The storm was beautiful. Benin was so close, just unreachable for us.  At  1:30 PM the Captain finally picked up his toys and called it a day. What was nice to see was how the ship handled 500 anxious people with nothing to do. They set up some group games, started a BINGO game, arranged a 'pre-lunch-early-bird' show with a head singer and the band, extended breakfast, and started lunch early. Food seems to comfort the masses here. All tours were cancelled. The weather somewhat cleared but with unpaved roads touring may have been a nightmare. We turned our ship and headed North for our next adventure Lome, Togo. We missed seeing a village on stilts and some pretty big mosquitoes. But, tomorrow is another day, another adventure.

Happy Birthday M!

Flight to Sossusvlei & Swakopmund

 In Walvis Bay we treated ourselves to a two hour flight to the Sossusvlei Desert, one of the most scenic, dramatic nature reserves in Africa. I had read about the beauty of the sand dunes here and just had to see them for myself. The area is situated in the Namib-Naukluft Park and is one of the biggest parks in all of Africa. Some of the highest dunes in the world are here and, as you can imagine, they change constantly with the shifting winds. I should have read the tour highlights a little better.

Treasures in the Namib Desert

" 'The land God made in Anger' because of its stark surreal landscapes, untamed wilderness, and harsh environment. Be prepared for sand dunes that roar, rumble, and wander; shipwreck-littered, barren coastlines; some of the most desolate and spectacular scenery in the world; vast deserts; and many unique plants and animals." This was the description written about Walvis Bay, Nambia in our Passages. I could not write anything better or more descriptive then this. We were not ready, not aware, and had no knowledge of a place called Nambia before our arrival here. Having visited for an overnight, it is a place we will never forget. Nambia is famous for its diamonds , deserts (some of the highest dunes in the world) and shipwrecks around the desolate Skeleton Coast.

Cape Town

We arrived in Cape Town about an hour before the ship arrived. We found a great little restaurant with a water front table overlooking the port, ordered lunch and beer, (yes, we BOTH ordered a BEER!) and watched the ship sail in and dock. David turned his head for a quarter of a second and a pigeon took the opportunity to dive into David's plate and steal one of his shrimp. Fast little guy. After that we both just hovered a bit closer to our lunch.

Out in the WILD ...... Singita at Lebombo

The most anticipated portion of this cruise for me was our Safari in Kruger National Park.

"Singita" means place of miracles. If you are looking for pure luxury, in a world-class ecological environment where the lodge philosophy is ' to be one with nature, to learn, and to touch the earth lightly' here is where it is found.

No lions or tigers or bears....but we got Hippos Richards Bay

After three days at sea, we finally docked and were able to walk on land..  Africa! Heart of Zulu land!  We are so far from home it just blows me away.  We had huge storms in the last 20 hours or so.  Our glass and mirror-like ocean turned ugly with wind, white caps, waves and rain slicing the air sideways.

Reunion

Just as we were about to leave the Seychelles, we received a PA from Captain Dag telling us that we will be changing or ships course because of the high chatter and recent pirate activities in the area. With the monsoons over, pirates are active once again. These smart guys tried to capture a US Naval ship and were blown out of the water. As we were leaving the Seychelles, they boldly captured another tanker in Seychelles waters. These kinds of activities continue in these waterways and the pirates are getting bolder and attacking further from shore. The Captain was told in no uncertain terms that he would be crazy to continue to Mombassa or Zanzibar.

Wheels on the Bus....Mauritius

7 hours off the boat in Mauritius. One hour bus ride to a boat then 15 minutes to an island. Isle Aux Cerfs, a gorgeous island all taken up by a resort type facility. Clean sandy beaches, parasailing, scenic boat rides, scuba diving and snorkeling, with beach boys getting us fries and cokes….or chilled wine buckets, if we wished. Of course it was wonderful. Sybaritic! But it was the 1 hour bus ride that was the most interesting. It was a bus ride in which we looked at other buses. Sugar cane....and buses.

Seychelles

 

We have just completed another two sea days that just seem to top all others. Just when I say it can't get beter, it does. Why is that? How can that be? you might ask.... It is so hard to put in words. I am sitting here in the Seychelles, looking out my desk window while my windows are being washed thinking about the last 4 days on the ship

Male, Maldives

Three sea days after Penang, Malaysia, we have arrived in Male, Maldives, the capital of the country, and are just straddling the equator in the heart of the Indian Ocean. The island is flat and fully built with a diameter of 1 square mile. The average elevation of the Maldives is 4 feet 2 inches above sea level.  The highest point in the Maldives is 7 feet 7 inches above sea level.  120,000 people live on this island. 100 % are Islamic.  All other religions are banned, punishable. Everything is imported. I was amazed to see it, amazed to see the airport, and wondered how a tiny, flat sliver of land can exist in the middle of this vast ocean.

Surprise & Delight

David and I were reading/watching TV when Captain Dag made an all ship announcement. He only does this in the morning or in special circumstances so, of course, everyone on the ship listens. "Good Afternoon!" he said "It is such a lovely day today, the ocean is calm, and the sun is setting. I don't know when we will have a more beautiful day! I would like to invite everyone to come to deck 6, bow, for a Sundowner Party. We will have some music and drinks. I invite you all to come around 5:30 with the sun to set approximately 5:50. Hope to see you there." Captain Dag calls his trademark ideas "Surprise & Delights".

Bagan part 3....Just the Temples

Bagan, Myanmar (Burma) part 2

If asked which of the two places I enjoyed the most this week, Angkor Wat or Bagan, I would definately say Bagan.  Less famous, but the impact it left will never be forgotton.  With thousands of temples spread across the land, it just seems like a very long time ago, something very important was happening here. It is rather sandy and dusty where ever you go.  There is an eerie feeling in the air. The real beauty comes early in the morning at sunrise or later, at sunset where you watch the sun play with the color and shadows of these beauties.  If the weather cooperated and the wind calmed, we would have taken a balloon ride:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgDJyHn3BDY  Someday, come here. 

Our first stop while in Bagan was to Nyaung-Oo's bustling market.  As soon as we got out of the van, maybe even before, we were swamped with people wanting us to buy things from them.

Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) part 1

 

 We chose to sign up for back to back overland tours which are offered to all World Cruisers. This allows you to get off the ship, visit more intensly areas of interest, then get back on the ship at a port at a later date. This had us off the ship for a week. We flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap, Cambodia for 2 days; Siem Reap to Bangkok for 16 hours; Bangkok to Yangon, Myanmar for an overnight; Yangon to Bagan for an overnight; Bagan back to Yangon for an overnight; and finallyYangon to Kuala Lumpur to meet up with the ship. Packing/ hotels/ visas/ passports/ immigration/ airplanes/ vans/ buses/ tour guides/ tours/ hotels/ restaurants.

16 Hours

We arrived at the Bangkok Airport on Saturday around noon. We were taken straight to the Shangri'La Hotel to meet up with the rest of the ship guests for an overnight in this vibrant city. We knew ahead of time that mass demonstrations were expected during our time there. On the way to the hotel some streets were closed off and traffic was at a standstill. From what we witnessed, everything was peaceful. From our balcony we were able to watch a parade of protestors pass by honking their horns and waving flags. Many boaters also flew red flags in support. This lasted a few hours. David was worried when

Just One More Temple.....

From Ho Chi Minh City we flew to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Thankfully all arrangements were pre made so we zipped through immigration. It was rather exciting to set foot in Cambodia. We arrived at night and stayed at Grand Hotel d Angkor. Our buffet dinner was one of the best. The selection was amazing.  Our room was lovely. They had the most amazing pool I have ever seen. I took a swim before calling it a night.

Saigon...Ho Chi? a day in the city

Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon, has a population of about 8 million people and is the largest city in Vietnam. There are at least 4 million motorbikes on the road, and I am guessing it was doubled the day we were there!

Sunrise to Ho Chi Minh City

Captain Dag suggested we get up early this morning as the sail in to Ho Chi Minh City is something to see. We were up before dawn and perched ourselves on the balcony. We ordered breakfast in so we could relax and have breakfast on the balcony while the day was new and a warm that was welcoming rather then the awful hot we have had lately. As tired as we were, watching this sliver of pale pink sunshine start from a pinpoint to a full blown 'can't look at it' power ball of sunshine was a sight to experience. All sunsets and sunrises and yes, rainbows, amaze me with their power and beauty. I have about 100 photos of this sunrise. Can't bring myself to erase any of them...:) My camera needed two batteries. It was peaceful and quiet as we sailed in. The sky was pink and orange and blue. Boats sailed passed us sometimes quite near, sometimes a speck, just a black outline. We passed rice farms, islands, barges and busy fishermen. This was a definite highlight, so much natural beauty before sailing into a port. When we started to see (through the smog there appeared an outline of buildings) Ho Chi Minh City, it was like sailing from a "relaxed and beautiful pick me up I am So happy to be alive momen"'.....to the city shock of polluted water, garbage, smog, traffic and 8 million people. And the tour begins......

Good Morning! Nha Trang

How could I resist saying 'GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!' when I am here.... ? With all the fighting and protests in the 60's & 70's who would guess Vietnam would become a tourist haven? My first impression of Nha Trang was that it was a sweet sleepy touristy beach resort town. The beaches are lovely. This image came to a quick halt once the bus got moving and the motorcyles started zipping around us like we were standing still.  We stopped at our first destination, Long don Pagoda, under construcion again.  We side stepped the sand and dirt and made our way through throngs of people selling stuff.  My, my... did anyone mention it was hot and humid in this part of the world during this time of year? We are back in the oven once again with people selling fans and whistles. Here, they get to know you and ask you questions. My vendor knew Obama when I said Chicago. She was like glue and became my personal tour guide while at this stop. They ask you to leave your shoes when you enter the temple then charge a dollar to get them back. I felt bad and guilty not buying the postcards and the paintings and the fans and the whistles. I understand their dependence on this kind of sale but I also feel upset that they come at you with such a fierceness that it wears you out. I could not get back on the bus fast enough. Traffic here is crazy. Everyone has a pedibike, a motocycle, a car or a bike and they whiz past you at the speed of light. We saw some very interesting things being carried by motorcycle. We visited a market where the guide took us to her company's store. We also visited a silk embroidery shop. They were painting with silk threads. Everyone looked busy but I wondered if it was 'real' or for show. I have been burned before and was leery about the reality of this shop. The number of these paintings for sale was amazing. If I were doing this sort of thing, my work area would be messy. Here, the skeins were arranged nicely by the side, looking as if no thread was pulled.....so I wondered. Everywhere we drove, people were sitting at tables on the curb, talking, eating, and passing time. We did see a bride and groom and she was lovely. Not a lot to report here. Lots for sale, how much you want to pay...... but nothing caught our interest. Ho Chi Minh tomorrow!

The Faces of Halong Bay

This begins our third leg of the World Cruise. We have two segments left. Rumor is that ship numbers will be down with each segment. This is a long time for anyone to be on a ship and the economy is not helpful here. We just heard that some of the crew is being let go early, in Cape Town rather then let them finish with us in Ft Lauderdale. This has to be tough on the people whose contracts are not being adhered to. Don't know how Regent will be handling that part. Our numbers on the ship are about 480 passengers with a capacity of 700.

We have had some really great speakers so far, Cathy Rigby being one, Charles Duke, astronaut, another. Now we have Mort Dean, ABC news correspondent. He has given a talk about Vietnam back in the 70's that just makes you cry. We have 2-3 lectures a day. Bridge continues for me. David dropped out.... Crafts, reading, computer, trivia help pass the days. The cruise is going by so quickly for us.  Ports this cruise have been intense. In two days we get off the ship for a week to travel on land. We will visit Angkor Wat and The Temples of Myanmar both in a week.  Amazing. We are heading South which means the weather is rapidly warming up and bringing with it the good 'ol humidity. Oh, we did slightly tag that 'ol star ferry ship. We have a scar, but are safe to continue onward. We we not sure if the ferry was trying to out run us then panicked and did a u-turn under our bow or, we have also heard that some believe if you cross as close as possible under the bow of a ship and make it, it erases all evil spirits in your life. Pick one. The Captain did one hell of a manuver or two to graze him and not run him down.

One thing I find I am noticing more and more with my camera are the children....:),.... the families....    funny thing for me, right?  :)  So upon leaving Halong Bay, I thought the children and the families deserved a page of their own.  It can make you smile or make you cry.

Bay of Descending Dragons & Floating Villages

Today is Sunday.  When we woke up, we were docked along an industrial dock in Hong Gai,Vietnam.  Hong Gai is in the North East region of Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. Who would have ever guessed in a million years we would visit Vietnam ? Some on board have elected to take an 11 hour trip to Hanoi. We opted to spend time relaxing on a Junk boat in a bay which happens to be a UNESCO world heritage site.  Why travel anywhere else when a marvelous part of the world is right here? Halong Bay. It is currently nominated to be one of seven natural wonders of the world. This bay is famous for its 1,969 islands mostly made up of dolomite and limestone which were formed between 300 and 500 million years ago. These look like mountain peaks and rocks sprouting out all over the bay. The story is that many years ago a dragon plunged into the Gulf of Tonkin and created all the little islets by lashing his tail. You could spend days exploring the caves and grottos. We joined a group of people on a large Junk for about 4 hours slowly cruising this quiet bay watching life go by. The day was misty and a fog had settled in depriving us of its real beauty. But what we saw was eerie smooth water wrapped in clouds and mist with black rocks peaking up out of the waters. It was as if we were blindly following the black silhouettes of other Junks into the dense fog and off the ends of the earth. You could hear a pin drop for most of this trip. Three times, small merchant boats piled with colorful goods (or sparse goods) would pull aside and the children would try to climb into our windows to sell us pearls, bananas or apples. They always sent the youngest. We explored the bay, docked on one island to explore its caves,climbed thousands of steps into and out of this large lit up cave, and sailed some more in awe as we saw colorful floating villages along the way. These floating rafts have homes on them, homes with hammocks, gardens, animals, just like on land. It was so interesting to get a small glimpse of this unusual lifestyle.