Colorful Singapore – An Island, a City, a Republic

Vividly Colored Parrots on Sentosa Island, Singapore

Those who visit Singapore today would find it difficult to imagine that when Singapore gained its independence, it not only had few natural resources, but it was also politically unstable and economically underdeveloped. Despite being the smallest country in Southeast Asia, today Singapore is the 22^nd wealthiest country in the world with a foreign reserve of almost $120 billion USD! 

Its high standard of living is evident, and there are very stringent laws for citizens as well as visitors.  There are strict fines for littering, and gum is not allowed at all (a school teacher’s dream)!  Those caught trafficking drugs receive a death sentence.  Pollution that is so evident in other Asian countries is under control in Singapore.  For example, we heard that to help control pollution, driving is very limited.  It reminds me of the watering regulations during the summer where if you have an even numbered house you can water on even days, and if you have an odd numbered house you can water on odd days.  They do something similar here, but with car license plates.  Odd numbers can drive on odd days, and even numbers can drive on even days.  Since both Chuck and I have odd numbered license plates, we would be in trouble, I guess!  I can’t even begin to imagine the outcry that would bring in the US!  But apparently it works here! 

Located on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, it was the site of several ancient port cities and has been owned by several empires throughout its history.  Before being colonized by the United Kingdom in the 19^th Century, it was Malay fishing village.  During World War II, it was taken over by Japan, but later became part of a merger that established Malaysia before gaining its independence and taking off as a small but viable nation.     

As we sailed into Singapore the first day, we passed through the Malaccan Strait, one of the busiest waterways in the world.  Just 10 miles wide, bordered on one side by Singapore and on the other side by Indonesia, it is teeming with ships and boats of all sizes.  We were astounded at the sheer numbers of ships as well as very small one-man fishing boats that passed us by going in one direction or the other as we approached our destination.  There were times when we could count more than 20 vessels visible on our side of the ship, some of which passed so close that we could practically have shaken hands. 

Our arrival was scheduled for 2:00 PM, and we had a shore excursion that was scheduled to go out as soon as we docked.  We had had to rethink what we were taking because just as we sailed in, the skies opened up and some thunderstorms moved in.  We wanted to be absolutely sure that we had everything necessary for the afternoon because it takes awhile to clear security in Singapore.  Not only do we have to show passports every time we get off the ship, but we also have to pass through body scanners on our way out.  Coming back in, we have to show our passports at two checkpoints as well as scanners again.  The trek from ship to shore to ship is the longest we’ve ever experienced – more or less like walking to the farthest gate possible at O’Hare!  Ugh!  You do not want to forget something on the ship once you head out for the day in Singapore! 

Last year when we were there we did the Singapore Highlights tour that took us to the most popular visitor attractions (the Botanical Garden, the iconic Singapore Merlion, the Raffles Hotel, as well as various ethnic neighborhoods); we also did the Night Safari, which was a zoo where we could visit nocturnal animals after dark when they are most active. 

We had considered doing the Jurong Bird Park also, but opted to leave that shore excursion for this year since we knew we would be back again.  As the bus headed toward the park, our guide passed out maps that were well marked with the route she would be following on a guided walk.  We were given the option of going with her or doing it on our own.  We decided that we would venture out on our own because if we had to wait for 30 people to take pictures every time we stopped to look at the birds, we would end up missing some of the other things we wanted to see.  This proved to have good points and one bad point, the good far outweighing the bad.  (The only bad was that because we were doing our own thing, we spent the entire 2½ hours walking, and we didn’t sit down at all.  The others enjoyed a tram ride through the park and watched a bird show, both of which we could have done, but timings were wrong.) 

Our first stop was the Penguin Coast.  The first birds we saw sure didn’t look like penguins, and they were flying!  I commented to Chuck that they looked more like puffins than penguins.  When we finally located the plaque that described the birds, we discovered that they were … Atlantic puffins!  All those times I hoped to see puffins on the Atlantic, and I had to come to Singapore to see them!  They are cute little birds though!  We moved on from there to other species such as the King penguins as well as the Humboldt penguins we had seen two months ago in Peru.  (Well, they weren’t the exact same birds, but they were the same species!)

By the time we left the penguin house, the other people from our tour who were doing the park independently had wandered off and we didn’t see anyone from the ship again until we returned to the starting point.   Even though it was a Sunday, the park didn’t appear to be terribly busy so we were able to spend time enjoying the birds and waiting to catch that perfect photo.  They certainly did have some unusual and colorful birds.  It would be impossible to name all the various kinds of birds that we saw, but they definitely were fascinating!  The hornbills in particular were quite unique!  I’d never seen such strange-looking beaks!  Those poor guys don’t know they look weird, but they sure did! 

One of my favorite stops was what they called Lory Loft.  Americans don’t have anything that begins to compare to the vivid colors of the lorikeets that are prevalent in this area of the world!  Our Aussie friends John & Gerda commented that they have lorikeets in their backyard all the time.  Lucky them!  Our robins and goldfinches are colorful, but certainly not the vibrant color of these little birds.  Naturally I opted to pay for a small dish in order to feed them, and all of a sudden I found myself surrounded by lorikeets, up to four or five at a time perching on my hand, wrist, or shoulder waiting to grab some grub.  One was using my baby finger as a branch; it was holding on for dear life with one of its claws dug deep into the skin.  Ouch!  Singapore sits at 1° N Latitude, so needless to say, it is hot!  Combine that with the humidity left from the downpour we’d had earlier, and I looked like I was in a sauna!  Any pictures posted on Picasa of me with the lorikeets will show you just how hot I felt! Maybe I was just trying to match the brightly feathered birds that were perching on my shoulders and wrists?

In the section the described as Dinosaur Descendants, we enjoyed watching large birds such as ostriches, rheas, and cassowaries. We were particularly interested in seeing the cassowary up close.  Last year we saw one in Australia, but he didn’t cooperate; instead he hid in the bushes.  Here one of the cassowaries came right up by the fence, and we could see every detail! A large and distinct flightless bird related to the emu, a cassowary is adorned with a colorful head and a horny crest.  Apparently cassowaries can be rather mean, but these didn’t show that side!  They also have interesting feathers – it looks more like they’re covered in fur!

As we continued on our way through the park, we saw three species of flamingoes wading in nearby pools.  I couldn’t help but think of our cousin Jenny, who absolutely loves flamingoes!  When we visited her family a few years ago, I got a kick out of sleeping in her room:  it was a veritable flamingo explosion!  She would really have enjoyed seeing all these colorful birds.  There were flocks of very pale-colored greater and lesser flamingoes from Africa as well as bright coral-colored Caribbean flamingoes! 

By the time we had finished walking the park, I felt like I had spent 2½ hours fully-clothed in a steam bath!  I was soaked to the skin.  However, we had thoroughly enjoyed seeing all these unique and beautiful birds!

The second day in Singapore was wide open.  Last year we had considered going over to the island of Sentosa, a resort area and theme park which we could see from the ship, but we just didn’t have a chance to get there.  We decided we would see if we could walk around the island without having to purchase theme park tickets. We set out early in the day and found our way to the tram station, located in a shopping mall connected to the cruise port.  And yes, we could go over on the tram and stroll around without doing the theme parks.  The tram ride was very short fortunately because the tram car we were in had exactly two seats! 

We got off at the first stop and started wandering around.  The first thing I saw was a Chili’s.  Oh, that looked tempting – a nice flavor of home, especially having seen that night’s dinner menu, with absolutely nothing that appealed to me!  But we bypassed it (for the time being) and headed toward Hard Rock Café so I could pick up my shot glass. I had started collecting Hard Rock shot glasses back in 2000 because they are small and relatively inexpensive souvenirs of Hard Rocks in the cities I’ve visited.  So far this year, this is the first I’ve managed to purchase!  And Singapore has such a good deal!  You get two shot glasses for one!  (However, one shot glass costs twice as much as in other Hard Rocks!  Hmm…  Not such a great deal after all!  Talk about a marketing gimmick!  Same thing happened last year when I picked up a shot glass in Singapore – only place in the world that I had to buy two to get one.  So now I have four Singapore shot glasses – two that say Singapore and two that say Singapore Sentosa.) 

Since we had arrived on the island at about 10:00 and the Hard Rock (and other things) didn’t open till 11:00, we did a lot of walking around just enjoying looking at what they had to offer.  We saw the Universal Theme Park entrance, but we weren’t even tempted a little to go there.  (However, Chili’s was still calling me!) 

We did go to Chili’s – I think Chuck would have preferred to go back to the ship, but the thought of those chips was just too tempting for me.  So that’s exactly what we did.  Expensive, but that taste of home was just what I needed!   From there we headed up to the Merlion statue.  Last year we saw the “real” Merlion – the symbol of Singapore that sits in the harbor.  This merlion is larger than the original and sits atop a hill on the island of Sentosa.  We were surprised to see that this one didn’t shoot water until we saw people appear in the open mouth of the statue.  That was when we realized that people can actually enter it and climb to the top, presumably for an overlook point where they can see the park. 

After seeing the merlion, we decided it was time to head back.  Although it wasn’t quite as hot and humid as the first day, it was still pretty uncomfortable.  So we hopped on the tram, this time getting into a car with about a dozen seats.  I guess it was early enough in the day that people weren’t heading back to Singapore yet because we did get to sit for the ten minute ride back.  Since we had had to hunt for the tram, it was a challenge to wend our way back through the maze of two connected malls to the cruise port.  Fortunately everything was in English so we managed without too much difficulty. 

It felt good to relax for awhile before heading out into the mall one last time to get rid of those last Singapore dollars. I was glad to be back on the ship for good after having had to navigate the security so often as we came and went.  Had we had the difficulties in Singapore that we did in Nha Trang getting everything needed in the right place (requiring several trips to and from the ship within about a half hour), we would have spent the entire port time going through security!  However, I guess it’s a small price to pay for such strict laws in a country that is thriving in an area where many other countries struggle to raise their standard of living.  Singapore is a beautiful country! 

BT

P.S. After three days in a row of trips to the Medical Center, it looks like I’m starting to get things under control.  Two were minor issues (small rash and very bloodshot eye), and the third was trying to get relief from the constant coughing, which was irritating my throat, which caused me to cough more.  The vicious cycle needed to be broken, and with some stronger cough syrup, it seems to have done the trick.  Not totally over the cough, but it is much, much better.  And yes, I’m still having foot problems, but the doctor insists that it will take weeks for it to heal. So I have to be patient… Thanks to those of you who have asked.

Nha Trang, Vietnam: What a Difference 50 Years Make!

Vietnamese Folkloric Dance

One can only imagine how different Nha Trang was a half century ago.  John Kennedy was president and the Vietnam conflict was just beginning to capture major international headlines.  Those old enough to remember the war will remember the Buddhist monks who set themselves on fire to protest the regime of Ngo Dinh Diem who had been trained by the French before the French withdrew from Indochina in the 1950s.  Diem, a Catholic, in a strongly predominant Buddhist nation was accused of persecuting the Buddhists so a number of Buddhists¸ to call attention to the discrimination, set themselves on fire.  One of the leading monks to do so was from Nha Trang and last year in the same port, at a Buddhist pagoda, we saw a statue of the first monk to set himself on fire for his cause.

At that time, Nha Trang was in non-Communist South Vietnam and the conflict between the Buddhists and the South Vietnamese government was consuming more and more of President Kennedy’s time.  50 years ago, on November 1, 1963, Diem was overthrown and killed.  Three weeks later, Kennedy himself was assassinated.  By 1964, under Lyndon Johnson, the war was escalating rapidly and continued to take major American casualties until the ceasefire accord under President Nixon in January 1973.  Two years later, with Gerald Ford as president, the Americans were driven from the US Embassy in Saigon and the Communist takeover of Vietnam was complete.  As vivid as the memories are for those my age, it’s hard to believe that most Vietnamese today are too young to remember the war.

And today, Nha Trang, which was used as a place of R & R for American forces in Da Nang to the north¸ and other areas of South Vietnam, is a peaceful and attractive small city with a focus on resorts and cruise ship visits.  The only real evidence to the traveler of its really troubled past is the Vietnamese flag of a large yellow star centered on a solid red field which indicates that the Communists from Hanoi in the former North Vietnam are now in charge.  Those of our generation fought in the Vietnam War and we are reminded of those, like our cousin Dave Paben as well as many other friends, who spent time, not on a cruise ship, but fighting a war in this country. 

Since Barb and I had done a wonderful shore excursion here last year visiting the Long Son Pagoda with its large Buddha statue, the Cham Towers, originally a Buddhist site but now a Hindu one in this Buddhist country, and a fine embroidery showroom and handicraft center, we opted to do no shore excursion today.  That’s why I am writing this post since my Hong Kong one was quite long and the next one in Singapore will be long too.  With no shore excursion, this one will be brief so Barb will do the Singapore post.

Unlike last year, when skies were blue the entire day, our day in Nha Trang this year began mostly cloudy and with a definite threat of rain.  The vendors’ booths along the pier had lots of wares already on display and we felt sorry for those who were worried that the high winds would scatter the clothing and lightweight souvenirs all over.  We enjoyed a later than usual breakfast as we knew the shuttle to central Nha Trang wouldn’t leave until 9:30.  Likewise we had time to browse the vendors’ stalls before going into town with friends Bob and Nancy.  Then everything became the proverbial Chinese fire drill, with apologies to political correctness.  Getting the four of us on the pier ready to go at the same time proved daunting.  We finally gave up and mutually agreed to go independently of each other. 

The ride was uneventful but before we were off the bus, the street vendors were waving at us wanting us to ride in their taxi or motor scooter or to buy their post cards, etc.  We weren’t in the market for taxis and just wanted to walk around the area to see if we could find some stores or vendors that WE wanted.  No luck, but we were chased by drivers who thought that after saying no to previous motorcycle drivers and taxis, somehow we would pick them and go for a motorcycle ride.  Barb commented that she was ready to go back and expressed her great dislike for the hawking of wares and services.  We agreed that it was a definite difference in cultural behaviors.

After a quick lunch and browsing the stalls outside the ship again, I set out for a short walk away from the pier to see the area that we could see from the ship.  Once again, I ran the gauntlet of the taxi and motorcycle drivers who wanted to take me wherever.  We realize everyone needs to earn a living, but sometimes I really want to walk!!  I enjoyed walking around a nice resort visible from the ship before returning and attending a wonderful Vietnamese cultural show in the Queen’s Lounge before setting sail. We did escape any rain today and for the most part the skies cooperated and the extreme heat and humidity were blunted somewhat by a mild wind.

We had to admit that we were pleased that if we had one port in Vietnam this year, we were glad it was Nha Trang rather than Phu My which is the gateway to Saigon.  We visited both last year and the drive to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) had been a tedious two hours.  We were glad to see Saigon last year because of its significance in the Vietnam War, but we didn’t feel the need to see it two years in a row.  After our relaxing day in Nha Trang we were ready to set sail for Singapore for a two day visit.

CT

Hong Kong; City of Skyscrapers and Mountains

Laser show over the harbor in Hong Kong

Had the British naval officer who planted the flag at the harbor of Hong Kong back in 1841 and proclaimed that it was a “barren land with hardly a house upon it” been able to come back in 2013, he would have been unable to comprehend what has happened there, particularly in recent decades.  After the British established its legal control there in 1842 as a result of the Opium War with China, the city thrived and was the Asian jewel for Britain until it was turned over to China on July 1, 1997.  However it remains a Special Administrative Region for the People’s Republic of China with more freedoms that other parts of China have.

Hong Kong actually includes 235 separate islands as well as mainland attached to China but Hong Kong itself and Kowloon are the primary ones where most of the “action” is.  They face each other across a narrow inlet and the Star Ferry runs constant, quick and cheap service between the two.  We are docked on Kowloon right next to the Star Ferry and our stateroom looks directly across to the skyscrapers on Hong Kong.   Last year we faced the other direction and had no interesting view at all.  Here, we have the best view since we had three days with a view of Sydney Opera House at Circular Quay in 2009.  When it gets dark, the skyscrapers give a great view of the city skyline.

Hong Kong is only 422 square miles, but it’s a densely populated modern city.  Because of its population and relatively small land, the population expands up, not out.  Up means that the population goes up into hundreds of skyscrapers rather than out into many individual homes and small apartments.  Because we had done the basic Hong Kong shore excursion last year, we decided to do one of the HOHO (“hop on, hop off”) tours. We initially met friends, Bob and Nancy, and obtained our tickets for the bus that would take us to the well-known Stanley market on the far side of Hong Kong.  We were given vouchers for a round trip across from Kowloon to Hong Kong on the Star Ferry where we would get our bus to several of the venues we wanted to visit.  Although the skies were still very grey and looked foggy and suggested rain, the weather forecast was for sun and in the 70s. We trusted the forecast and sat on the open top part of the bus for better pictures.

The streets of Hong Kong wind around the hills and give spectacular views of the waterfront.  Nearly everywhere we looked, there were apartment skyscrapers.  We had heard last year that few people have dogs because space is so limited and it’s difficult to walk the dog or “put it out” up in the skyscrapers, so more people have birds.  Often men will walk their birds in their cages and let the birds socialize while the men do as well.  So instead of walking dogs, people will often walk their birds in Hong Kong.  Last year we visited the Bird Market where not only birds were sold, but also fancy cages, toys, bird food, and anything bird related. 

Our first destination was Stanley Market, a maze of stores with all kinds of clothing and souvenirs for sale off narrow pathways.  We had visited it on our shore excursion last year but time was limited and we were on a schedule.  Furthermore, last year, we visited it later in the day and it was extremely crowded.  This time, we arrived early in the day and had much better opportunity to browse.  Barb immediately found some clothing she liked, including an interesting shirt with some dog designs.  Since it was March 11 and her dog, Molly’s birthday (12 years old), the purchase could be justified in honor of Molly!  As we were looking for the bus stop to wait for the next “Big Bus” as the “Hop on, Hop off” buses are known, we were discussing it with another couple who stood there.  They were Aussies and when the man found out that we were on the Amsterdam, he asked if we were in Sydney in mid-February.  When we confirmed that we were, he indicated he had guided our ship out of Darling Harbour as we departed!  Small world!

When the bus arrived, we decided we would skip the sampan ride that was included in our ticket as we had done it last year.  Rather, since the weather had improved, we decided to take a tram to Victoria Peak where we could view the harbor and even catch a glimpse of our ship.  The weather had been so miserable when we were here in 2012 that we had seen little from Victoria Peak.  After our winding bus ride from Stanley Market and marveling at the architectural achievements of the high rise buildings as well as the ability to build roads around and through the hills, we got to the bottom of the tram where we secured out tickets.  With our amazing good fortune(!), as we approached the waiting area¸ we were joined by what seemed to be hundreds of little boys about the age of 9, all in white polo shirts from a Christian school on a field trip to the top.  Their teachers had them squeeze together so the adults could get seats.  I shared a bench seat with about four little boys, even accidentally poking the little kid next to me in the head once with my elbow!  One of the boys in the row ahead was wearing a “Route 66” baseball cap with route from Chicago to LA designated.   Naturally I had to take a picture of his cap¸ pretending I was trying to take a picture out the window.  At the top, we were able to get much better pictures than last year because of the heavy rain while we were there; the rain and fog made it nearly impossible to get good pictures last year.

Barb had hoped to make a stop and see a rare panda but when we found that it was in a Theme Park, we decided the cost of entering the theme park just to see the panda wasn’t worth it.  Additionally, Hong Kong is home to the longest escalator in the world and that itself makes it a tourist attraction.  We had hoped to stop, but the few stops we made plus the bus ride were making the time pass faster than anticipated.  So we went through Central Hong Kong where most major businesses are located.  Even there, the streets were steep, hilly, and winding.  Everywhere the skyscrapers and apartments were evident.  We finally got back to the Star Ferry terminal on Hong Kong for our quick ride back to Kowloon and our ship.  On this short ride, we were entertained by five Australian boys sitting in front of us.  Some were carrying backpacks which suggested they were Aussies if their accents didn’t already give it away.  They were likely about 17 or 18 and whether 9 or 17 years old, it’s interesting, as former teachers, to observe that kids are the same all over whether it be the US, Hong Kong, or Australia.   

Our good Australian friends Gerda and John had disembarked in the morning.  They had taken advantage of a good sale on the cruise from Sydney to Hong Kong which included air fare home.  After our friends, Pam from New Lenox, and Bill and Candy from near Atlanta had left in Sydney a year ago, John and Gerda had been assigned our table so we were thrilled to have them back even for a short time.

On our second day, we had elected to do the only shore excursion of our three days in Hong Kong, called Lantau by Skyrail.  We had considered doing it last year, but the skyrail was under renovation so since we were coming again this year, we decided postpone that excursion.  Our friend Al from near Phoenix did do it last year because he wouldn’t be back again in 2013.  He had commented the excursion would have been good but weather was so dismal, that he didn’t enjoy it as much as he might otherwise.  Weather was cloudy, cold, and rainy at that time.  We had no such issues when we did it and thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Lantau.

Lantau is one of Hong Kong’s large islands and is very mountainous with a small population within Hong Kong’s total of approximately 17 million people.  As we drove across two large suspension bridges to Lantau, we observed a combination of heavy industry with large containers ready for shipping not far from heavily forested mountains.  Most of the skyscrapers were constructed after 1998.  As we arrived at the Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail, we saw long, long lines but we passed them by in a separate line, saying that our tour had purchased group tickets that permitted it.  We saw some friends from the ship standing in the long line as they had come on their own.  We boarded the enclosed gondolas that held a maximum of eight people each for our 25 minute ascent.  From the low terminal at the start, we had two other terminals each on a different mountain before we reached the final terminal at Ngo Ping.  We could look out to the Hong Kong International Airport as well as other mountains and the trees and the Tung Chung Bay below. One could walk up but it is considered to be a long, four hour walk for the very physically fit, though I’m sure the scenery was fantastic.  Naturally the discussion ensued about what if there is a breakdown of equipment and how it must have been during construction but those kinds of conversations never work for me.  But happily we never had to deal with the issue of breakdowns.

At the top of Lantau, there is quite an organized little community with lots of modern tourist shops (at high prices) and places to grab a quick snack. Our guide rushed along as we tried to snap a few photos.  We were taken to the site of the Big Buddha, at 43 meters high, the largest sitting Buddha in the world; he was sitting in all his splendor 256 steps above where we were.  I decided to walk at least partway up but out time was so limited, I went about halfway to the top and came down.  I still got some good photos using the zoom before moving on.  I didn’t like to miss the monastery but again, time didn’t permit.  That was the bad thing about doing the ship tour.  There never seems to be enough time to do the things that are of significant interest.  I talked with the friends who did the trip on their own, and while they had a longer wait to get to the top, they were free to take as long as they needed, so there are advantages and disadvantages to tours versus independent travel.  So, after too short a time, down the cable car we came and traced our route back to the ship.

With time in the afternoon, we went off the ship directly to the largest mall in Hong Kong to see if we could get some free internet as we saw many, particularly crew, doing so.  Once again, as every time we had tried, there was no success.  I decided to continue out into the area close to the ship and walk down near the harbor.  As I walked, I was stopped by four schoolboys about 12 years old wanting to have me questions for a survey.  First question was my name.  When I said “Chuck”, the boy was puzzled by that very unusual foreign name, so he consulted in Chinese with his young colleagues. He came back and asked if I could please spell that.  Other questions included why I was in Hong Kong, where I had been while in Hong Kong, my age category (I fit quite nicely in the 46 and above category!), where I lived, and then he asked me if I felt the quality of air in Hong Kong was good, average, or poor, to which I told him “very poor” (on a day that the haze in the sky was a gray-yellow and took away the otherwise bright blue sky.  He seemed a bit surprised that I called it “very poor”.  Then he asked if I thought the quality of air in Hong Kong was much better, about the same, or worse than where I lived, to which I replied “much worse”.  Maybe some are realizing that air quality does pose a risk in Hong Kong.  While he interviewed, his friends snapped pictures of me.  I thought I was the one who was supposed to be taking pictures.  At the end, he asked if a girl who was with him could ask the questions, but I told them answering the questions for one survey was enough.  They thanked me and said good-bye.  That was far from the end of the story, as at least six other groups of children about the same age asked me as I walked along, if I would answer their questions. (Why would they pick on me?  Would you think I looked like a tourist with my white skin and carrying my camera?)  I told each group that I had already answered the questions and they all politely thanked me and some wished me a good trip.

At dinner new friends that were originally assigned to our table Leida and Herman from British Columbia came back. They boarded in Sydney and are on until Cape Town.  Their seating involved a mixup and after one night, they were sent to a table that needed a third and fourth person.  Their dinner partners had left in Hong Kong as had our friends, Gerda and John¸ so both they and we were without tablemates.  So we arranged to have them join us.  After dinner, we had invited Florida friends, Sally and Ange to join us in watching the nightly laser show of the Hong Kong waterfront skyscrapers.  They came up and joined us on our verandah for the brief but spectacular light show.  At 9:30 I went for the Hong Kong Culture show.  It was the same group as last year and every bit as outstanding, but Barb decided to stay in the stateroom and deal with her nagging respiratory issues.

Our third and final day in Hong Kong was more relaxed.  We purposely had no major plans, deciding instead to stay around the ship.  There is a huge mall connected to the cruise ship terminal and then right outside the mall are other upscale shops.  I had found a nice Chinese crafts store within a very short distance from the ship and I showed Barb where it was.  We spent some time browsing there, went back for a quick lunch, then I went out again, partly to explore a bit but also to use up my last Hong Kong dollars.

We did enjoy Hong Kong much more this year, primarily because we had no rain and temperatures were very pleasant (mid 70s) unlike last year with the cold rain and totally gray skies.  However, we were much more aware of the significant air pollution here.  This was the fifth morning (two last year and three this year) that the skies were overcast in the morning.  All three days, the sun came out but views were reduced because of the haze from pollution.  Wednesday, our third day, seemed to be the worst so the sunny skies were really white rather than blue.  We really enjoy the Asian countries we visit, but I’m not sure it will be wise for us to travel in Asia anymore unless a major effort is made to reduce the pollution.  It severely affects Barb’s respiratory issues; it happened last year and she had her cough until the end of June.  Now it has set in earlier and poses a major problem at night.  She says other than the cough, she feels fine but Hit does sap the energy.  After two busy days and a relaxed one, it was time to move on to our next port of call.

CT

Manila, The Philippines: A Uniquely Asian City with a Striking Spanish and American Influence

Statue of King Philip II in Manila

The Philippines continued to get an A+ rating for warm receptions.  As we arrived at the pier, there were dancers and bands awaiting us. While not nearly as numerous as those in Puerto Princesa, they certainly were very talented!  As we looked out at the performers, we could see two ships on the other side of the berth.  One was a military vessel (not sure what kind), and upon closer look, we realized that it was the American ship, the USS Blue Ridge.  What a wonderful sight, when we returned to port later in the day to see the Stars & Stripes adorning the ship!

The Philippines are comprised of over 7000 islands with a population of about 90 million, 40 million of which live in metropolitan Manila.  Magellan arrived in 1521 and claimed the land for Spain before being killed by natives.  The islands were named for King Philip II of Spain (best known in our history books as the king who sent the Spanish Armada to defeat the English and Queen Elizabeth in 1588). The Spanish influence is very evident in the country.  82% of the people in The Philippines are Roman Catholic, followed by Muslims and Protestants (the first to arrive were the Methodists, according to our guide).  

In 1898 before the Spanish American War, Theodore Roosevelt, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy, waited until the Secretary of the Navy was away from Washington and, without informing anyone else, told Admiral Dewey to arrive in Manila when war was declared on Spain in Cuba and to take over the island from the Spanish.  As a result, because everyone including President McKinley and the Spanish were caught off guard, the battle lasted only a few hours before the Spanish surrendered the territory to the United States.  The US influence, although only decades as opposed to centuries of Spanish rule, appeared to have the strongest effect.  The Filipino government is modeled after the US government, with a Federal Republic and a bicameral legislature.  English is the medium used to communicate on an official basis with the rest of the world.  The US retained possession of the Philippines until the American forces surrendered to the Japanese on Bataan Peninsula (near Manila) in April of 1942. (The Japanese first attacked the Philippines on December 8, 1941 in conjunction with its attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7.  This was actually the same day, with the Japanese troops crossing the International Dateline to get to Pearl Harbor.) The Philippines gained its independence on July 4, 1946.  Ties with the US continued throughout the 20^th Century; the US Embassy in Manila was the largest embassy in the world at 17,000 acres until the embassy in Iraq took over that distinction.  The American Military Cemetery in Manila is the largest administered by the American battle Monuments Commission with 17,097 graves, 36,086 unknowns, and 3740 missing in action.  Until 1991, the largest US Naval Base outside the US, Subic Bay, was used for R&R for the overseas military engaged in war.  Clark AFB, was the largest Air Force Base outside the US until its closure, also in 1991. 

At the mouth of Manila Harbor is Corregidor Island.  This was significant in World War II, being the last to fall to the Japanese.  14,000 troops, mostly Americans, fought bravely in the Battle of the Coral Sea until their surrender in May of 1942.  Corregidor was considered the “boundary” line for Australia.  The Japanese felt that they couldn’t infiltrate Australia without taking Corregidor first. 

Captain Jonathan continues to earn our admiration!  When several passengers expressed an interest in visiting Corregidor, he did everything he could to arrange this.  The original itinerary called for an arrival and departure at times when the once-daily ferry to and from Corregidor were impossible to schedule without missing the ship.  However, Capt. Jonathan called HAL headquarters in Seattle and managed to change the arrival time so that people could catch the ferry, and when the departure time could not be moved, he arranged for us to set sail but remain in the harbor so that those who went there could take a tender back to the ship.  Since there was an International Fireworks Competition set for that same evening, he wanted to make sure guests had the opportunity to watch the two teams competing.  So it all worked out quite nicely! 

Our shore excursion was to be one of the longer ones of the cruise, Best of Manila, Past and Present. We were pleased that our friends Sally & Ange were also doing that excursion so we managed to get seats right across the aisle from each other for our day-long trip. 

Our first stop was the very impressive American Military Cemetery.  Both Chuck and I felt that we just didn’t have enough time there!  We passed through the arches and walked along rows and rows of names of the missing in action listed on the walls.  As we came out of the first half and approached the chapel, we saw a wreath positioned there, with a ribbon indicating that it had been placed there by the USS Blue Ridge, the American vessel that was in port with us.  Not only that, but there were many sailors wandering around the arches that listed the Naval MIAs.  We spoke with a few, and when I had seen the ship in port, I’d had presence of mind to pick up a few of our DAR business cards thanking veterans for their service.  I wish I’d had enough to give to all of them, but I did manage to give a couple and thank them for their service. By that time we barely had time to walk across the road and visit the graves.  They reminded us of our visits to the American cemeteries in Normandy and Luxembourg in 2010 when we did our World War II venues tour.  Eleven sections of graves arranged in concentric circles around the memorial to the MIA, the rows and rows of white marble crosses couldn’t help but bring a tear to the eye for the ultimate sacrifice of so many young men! 

With reluctance, we boarded the bus again to head to our next stop, Rizal Park.  Named for the Filipino national hero José Rizal, this large park in the middle of the city bears a monument that holds the same significance for Filipinos as our Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Rizal is revered by his people in the same way that Gandhi is honored by the Indians.  His tomb is guarded eighteen hours a day by soldiers, standing guard for two hour shifts. The location is also the site of Filipino independence in 1946. 

As we drove through the Central Business District, we passed the world’s first five star hotel.  The tradition of giving hotels ranks of five stars comes from the time when General MacArthur was staying in the Philippines.  He stayed in this hotel, and since he was one of only a few five star generals (others being Eisenhower, Nimitz, Halsey, and King), the Filipinos claimed it was five star hotel.  So this hotel rating dates back to World War II.  Now of course we no longer have five star generals. That title was only given to generals who successfully commanded wide areas of battle during the war.  

We wondered why it was so urgent to arrive at our lunch location at the early hour of 11:00, but we quickly understood why!  We were to have lunch in the Presidential Compound, and it took awhile for our three buses to clear security.  (They were checking the drivers, not us!)  Once there, we were ushered into what had once been the private home of Don Alejandro Legarda.  His wife loved giving lavish dinners, and after their deaths, the tradition carried on.  We were seated at long tables in three separate rooms and served family style on antique plates, and the centerpieces were Murano birds purchased by the Legardas back in the 1920s when they visited Italy.  With seven courses, it took a long time for everyone to be served, and we really dined in style!  While some of the food didn’t really appeal (we passed on the Lapu-Lapu, a traditional Filipino fish), we certainly didn’t come away hungry!  After a quick tour of the house, we were back on the bus headed for our next stop with a two-fold purpose. 

We first visited Casa Manila, a 19^th Century home with elegant furnishings.  Unfortunately the guide whisked us in before we could pick up brochures about the place, promising that we would get them afterward.  When we got back on the bus, I forgot to ask for one.  So all I can say is that we wandered through the house and it had nice antique furnishings.

Across the street was UNESCO World Heritage Site San Agustin Church, the oldest structure in the Philippines.  Dating back to 1571, it had lovely statues and a very interesting crypt.  As we prepared to go into the sanctuary, we realized that we would not be able to enter – we could see a bride walking down the aisle!  We were rushed past, but not before being able to snap a few pictures.  Later we were allowed to enter the vestibule and stand quietly to take in the lovely sanctuary, but since the wedding was in progress, we went no further. 

The day ended with a tour of Fort Santiago, which served as the headquarters of the Spanish military as well as the American and Japanese when they took over.  Within the walls, we visited a dungeon where prisoners were kept and drowned as the tides came in.  We were also interested in various statues that appeared around the complex, including one of General MacArthur.

As we returned to the ship, the guide made reference to another statue of MacArthur, which used to appear in the harbor.  Chuck had referred to this statue when he taught.  It was a statue of MacArthur in the water, wading ashore as he had done at the time of the liberation of Manila and Corregidor in early 1945.  However when he had commented on it to other guests familiar with Manila, they were unaware of it.  He had asked the guide about it earlier and he had confirmed the statue but indicated that it has been moved to another location which was possibly the reason people were unaware of its existence in the original location.  Unfortunately we were just able to pass near the statue and didn’t actually see it.  Guess we will have to leave that for another visit, assuming that “We shall return.” 

As we arrived back at the ship, a marching band and baton twirlers were performing to a huge audience of passengers and crew family members.  We heard (though having been gone all day we didn’t see) that there were hundreds of Filipino family members on board the ship.  Unlike in Indonesia, where the crew members are spread throughout several islands, the majority of the Filipino crew comes from metropolitan Manila. So they were thrilled to have the opportunity to visit the ship and “see where daddy works”.  Apparently it was fun to watch the children having such a wonderful time!  When we saw the band, we couldn’t also help but wonder if there had been entertainment on the pier all day long!  The Filipinos certainly know how to make people feel welcome!  We felt very much at home in the Philippines with the use of English as the official language and the cultural heritage reflecting Spanish names and of course the predominance of Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism.

We set sail at the scheduled time of 6:00 and anchored in the harbor so we could view the fireworks display.  Had we been able to watch from the pier, we could have enjoyed the fireworks from our verandah; however, when we anchored, we discovered that we were on the wrong side of the ship.  So we had to renege on our invitation to our friends Sally & Ange, Bob & Nancy, and John & Gerda and find a place ourselves where we could watch the show.  We opted for the Sports Deck and arrived there at 7:15.  The Italians were to perform first, and they started a little late.  We were also far enough out in the harbor that the fireworks appeared more toward the horizon than high up in the sky.  However, we really enjoyed the display.  We had been told that the Dutch fireworks would start about 20 mninutes after the Italians finished.  20 minutes passed, then 30, then 40, and finally after a 50 minute wait the Dutch display began.  Of course we don’t know how they score the show, but it seemed like the Dutch had a lot of smoke and the display was even lower to the horizon than the Italians.  From the ship, it appeared that the Italians had won hands-down.  But as someone pointed out, the Dutch had a wonderful ground display that would not be visible on a ship anchored so far away.  So we really have no way of knowing who won!  As soon as the display was over, we headed out of the Manila Harbor and headed toward our next stop, Hong Kong, China.  Our only disappointment is that our arrival in Hong Kong means the departure of our tablemates, John & Gerda.  Having gotten to know them on the 2012 World Cruise and having looked forward so long to seeing them again, we were very sad to have to say good-bye after 24 wonderful days of enjoying each others’ company! 

Our first visit to the Philippines was wonderful!  We can’t say enough about the enthusiastic hospitality of the Filipinos, and we thoroughly enjoyed all that we did and saw!  The Filipino crew members just beamed.  After all, as it is for all of us, there’s no place like home! 

BT

P.S. We had hoped to get free Wi-Fi in Hong Kong as we had last year.  However, with "drastic" warning signs on my computer and the story of others being hacked in the Harbour City (HK) terminal, we decided we would be better off paying for the time on the ship!  Late posting for Manila - sorry about that! 

A Royal Welcome by Puerto Princesa, Philippines

Welcome to The City in a Forest!

Several weeks ago, we received a rather strong warning from the Shore Excursions department of the ship that we did not know what to expect on March 7 when we would arrive in Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island in the Philippines.  Like our last port in Makassar, Indonesia, this port was not accustomed to cruise ships, the infrastructure was questionable, and there was no assurance about vehicles other than there would be a seat!  We had scheduled a long nine hour excursion to a UNESCO World Heritage site which would include a two hour ride followed by two boats to an underground river that we would sail.  At home, this sounded like the perfect excursion and something totally different.  But the warning by the ship that it couldn’t make any promises encouraged first Barb and then me to decide it wasn’t worth the risk, no matter how beautiful this underground river might be.  So we canceled and booked a shorter, four hour excursion, called Puerto Princesa Highlights.

There were no high expectations when we arrived in Puerto Princesa so we were quite amazed to open our drapes at 6:30 to a glorious golden sunrise over the cathedral of this city of between 200,000 to 300,000 inhabitants. Then when I stepped out on the verandah I was even more pleasantly surprised to see hundreds of people on the dock to welcome us. A large television screen was set up to broadcast promotional activities for people to do as they left the ship.  There were several bands, dancers in bright colors and some in native dress, all sharing the “stage”, i.e. the pier, to entertain as we sailed in and docked.  It was quite a welcome; in fact we agreed that it was probably the most impressive welcome from any port on any cruise we have done, exceeding those we have done in some Scottish ports and the Tahitian and the Adelaide welcomes we had received on this voyage. It gave us an immediate favorable impression.  In fact as the day progressed we were fully aware that the local tourism board had done its work to make our day run exceptionally smoothly.

As we watched from our verandah, we were directly in line with the road running from the pier into town and saw a fleet of modern vans pulling up with large numbers designating the tour number and the van number.  Those doing the long excursion to the underground river were going to have air conditioned, comfortable vans.  I had the feeling that I probably could have done that one after all, but Barb still felt the right decision for her, given the continuing problem with her foot, was to do the shorter tour that we had elected.

We had suggested to our friends Bob and Nancy that we try to get on the same vehicle as there would be small numbers of people in the vans.  When we got to the Queen’s Lounge where we always sign in for shore excursions, I asked if we were all to be sent out together to find a van when we went or if we would be assigned a van before going ashore.  The latter being the case made it easier.  Other friends, Brenda and Paul, were in the Queen’s Lounge already and we asked them if they wished to join our little group giving us the full complement of six people for the van.

As we left the ship, we were quickly escorted to van #3 and met by our guide, Angel, and the driver.  As we drove out of the busy city, known as “The City in the Forest”, Angel gave us an overview of the island of Palawan. Palawan is one of about 1,700 islands in the Philippines and is a long north/south island west of the main islands.  With a population of 200,000 to 300,000 people, Puerto Princesa is the largest city and capital of the province of about 900,000 people.  She gave us an interesting admonition as we began our tour, an admonition no guide has ever made.  She informed us that the fines for littering are severe:  a fairly large fine for a first offense, a larger on for a second, and much larger one for a third plus a two month prison sentence.  The effort toward a much cleaner city and province is refreshing and hopefully some other Asian cities will follow that lead.  As a result of the strong Spanish influence before the Americans took the Philippines in the Spanish-American War, the predominant religion is Roman Catholic.  Because of their proximity to Indonesia and China, over the centuries, Filipinos became a mixture of Indonesian and Chinese people.  During the Spanish period, a penal colony was established in Palawan. 

The economy relies largely on seafood and agriculture, but the island has been cultivating its tourism in recent years, particularly after the prominence given to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, designated as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.  Despite this, few cruise ships include Palawan Island; there is a discrepancy in figures as one source indicated that this is the first cruise ship since last March to visit, another said it was the second this month already, and still another said there had been four or five that had or were scheduled to dock.  Regardless of what is correct, there had been some negative reports that led Holland America to extend the warnings to its passengers this year.  But if there were problems in the recent past, there was absolutely no evidence of this on our voyage this year.  Everything, to our knowledge, ran like clockwork.  Near perfection!

The many vans divided into groups of four vans of six tourists each and followed different schedules to the varied locations on our Puerto Princesa Highlights excursion.  This meant small groups of 24 at each location.  After driving into the countryside, our first stop was at the Iwahig Penal Colony about 15 miles out of Puerto Princesa city center.  It was absolutely fascinating as it is a prison without walls!  Instead of the typical cells with bars, it operates as a village and inmates wear shirts of different colors which designate the level of security they require.  Those who are likely to spend the rest of their lives there wear orange.  With orange shirts for sale, I couldn’t resist purchasing one but probably won’t want to wear it when we walk the streets of Manila on Saturday!  When we got out of the vans, we were escorted to a large tented area with plenty of chairs in order to watch the inmate band performance followed by a ritual dance with inmates painted literally head to toe, including hair, with one side in green and the other side in red.  See the example in the Picasa pictures.

From there we went to the Crocodile Farming Institute where we had a brief but fascinating tour of the environmental farm to save both the salt and fresh water crocs. We saw a variety of crocs of different ages and then in outdoor habitats, some of the large ones.  They certainly would have been more attractive if their parents had opted for braces for their sharp and potentially destructive teeth!  Barb enjoys nearly every opportunity to hold cuddly animals and this proved no exception.  With a small crocodile draped around her neck, she had her picture taken.

A short drive took us to a photo op at a private residence with a magnificent view of the city and the bay.  Back in town, we visited the Palawan Museum near the seat of provincial government where we first watched a very informative movie on the culture and life on Palawan Island.  We then wandered through tasteful displays in several rooms and could browse nice handicrafts at very reasonable prices in the ever present gift shop.  The difference here was that it was not overly commercialized and prices were so inexpensive.  The problem was that we didn’t have nearly the time we needed nor did we have enough US dollars to pay cash for many of the nice items for sale.

The next stop was at the Palawan Special Battalion World War II Memorial Museum.  The Philippines played a major role in tipping the balance of power between Japan and the Allies during that war and this small museum was dedicated to honor the memories of those lost in the war. Individual rooms were set aside for the Filipinos, Americans, and other players during World War II.  It reminded us of the great museums we visited during our World War II trip to Normandy and other venues in 2010.

With no opportunity to get bored, we quickly moved to our next venue, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral which is the predominant building on the city skyline from the sea.  Though the Spanish had established a congregation in Palawan, the cathedral itself was not constructed until 1961.  Just a few yards away across the street was the Plaza Cuartel, a beautiful memorial to Filipinos and Americans who were massacred in a tunnel by the Japanese during the worst days of World War II.  From there, we had a quick opportunity for some shopping before our return to the ship.  In a wonderful, nearly whirlwind tour we came away with a great appreciation for both this part of the Philippines as well as its friendly, warm and welcoming people.

After a quick lunch back on the ship, we went out to the several booths on the ship which offered a variety of local crafts.  The day wasn’t over though!  We had received the best welcome of any port on any cruise in the morning but before we sailed, more entertainment was provided on the pier.  Young children, probably upper elementary age, all with violins, serenaded those on the pier and on the outer decks.  Young women from a Catholic college sang as well, and finally some agile local acrobats put on a stunning display of prowess. 

Some people on the pier seemed reluctant to board as time drew near to pull up the gangway.  As the ship prepared to sail, ropes were withdrawn and we edged away from the pier. The ship blew frequent loud blasts from its horn as its way of saying “thank you” to this port and people who prepared such as lavish day for the guests on the Amsterdam.  Those on the pier and on the ship waved to each other as we sailed away to our next destination, Manila.  Most Filipino crew as well as most guests had never been to Palawan before, and as Cruise Director Bruce reported the next morning, the Filipinos were beaming with pride at the smashing hit their country had made with guests.  Clearly at Puerto Princesa, the early concerns expressed about the port were totally shattered by the wonderful day in the Philippines.

CT

Ujung Pandang (Makassar), Sulawesi, Indonesia - the Midpoint of our Cruise

Map of Sulawesi, Indonesia

Our second and last Indonesian port was the bustling town of Makassar on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, which we visited on the exact middle day of our 115-day cruise.  When we asked Indonesian crew members about the island, most confessed that this was their first visit to this island. It certainly has a unique shape with all of its peninsulas!  

Sulawesi is home to 8 million people, of which 1.8 million live in the port and capital city of Makassar.  Sulawesi has two seasons, dry and rainy, but they sometimes call one of the seasons the “durian” season.  Durian is a fruit that has a very potent and unpleasant odor, so much so that it is not allowed in some places. 

Sulawesi (originally known as Celebes) has been influenced by many different cultures.  It was settled by the Muslims in the 16^th Century, and two ethnicities dominated, the Makassarese and Buginese.  Of these, the Makassarese state of Gowa became the most powerful. In the early 17^th Century the Dutch arrived, taking over the island as a trading post and maintaining control of the island for centuries.  The Dutch are credited with doing much to improve living conditions on Celebes. The British occupied the island in the 1800s during the Napoleonic Wars. It was controlled by the Japanese during World War II.  In the 1950s clashes between the nearby Indonesians and the Dutch ultimately removed the Dutch from the area, and Sulawesi subsequently became a part of Indonesia. 

One of the main industries of the island is farming, and a few of the main crops are bananas and coconuts, as evidenced in our visit to the market.  The bananas are small and grow in spiral bunches – quite different from the bunches we see at home!  Because wood is scarce, many of the homes are built of metal, which naturally means that they are very hot in an already hot climate (5° S).

Our sail in was quite interesting: we found ourselves passing tiny islands (apparently many of the 13,665 islands that make up the country of Indonesia).  We couldn’t tell whether these were naturally formed or man-made.  In a few cases I assumed that they were the latter because they looked suspiciously like the breakwater that signaled the entrance to the harbor.  One was a long narrow strip with a few boats and a house. Another was a round island perhaps 50 meters across, again with a few boats and a house.  I can’t begin to imagine actually living on an island like that, having to go by boat to do absolutely everything!  In fact, I wasn’t sure if the islands we were seeing were inhabited or if they were just outposts where people went to fish.  No matter what their “use”, they certainly were fascinating!   

Our shore excursion, Bantimurung Waterfall and Makassar Sights, took us inland so we could see just how the people on the island live.  It was quite obvious that they do not experience tourists very often, as evidenced by their reaction as we traveled through Pasar Terong, or market.  Our guide told us that they envy people with white skin and very much want their skin to whiten as a “status symbol”.  As we maneuvered our way through the lively market, we saw a potpourri of items for sale – the ever-present bananas and coconuts as well as a wide variety of other fruits and vegetables of every size, shape, and color. Colorful live (and unsuspecting) chickens squawked as they sat on pallets, totally unaware that they were most likely going to be “tonight’s dinner” for some family.  Trays and trays of eggs were sitting out in the hot sun. Through the narrow and bustling street wove small cars, bicycle-powered cabs called becaks (some awaiting business, others containing one or two passengers being pedaled through the market), motor scooters, and small produce trucks, as well as people shopping for today’s dinner, children on their way to school, and tourists.  It was quite obvious that, had the vendors and shoppers known that there would be four buses of tourists descending upon their market, they would have brought cameras to take pictures of us because we were as much a novelty to them as they were to us.  The people were very friendly and eager to pose for pictures with their wares, and in some cases if they had cameras, we were their subjects also!  We found the entire market scene absolutely fascinating, but it is also hard to imagine this lifestyle.

Grateful for the coolness of the air-conditioned bus, we re-boarded for our hour-long trip into the countryside to Bulusaraung National Park, where we would visit Bantimurung Waterfall.  As we traveled inland, we were fascinated by what we saw passing by our window.  Metal-constructed houses with rusty corrugated roofs, which I’m sure made sounds within echo loudly, lined rivers.  These rivers still contain crocodiles so I’m sure that the people do not swim there voluntarily!  Small outrigger boats were anchored at the houses.   Unlike in Bali, homes were smaller and closer together.  Laundry was visible in front of, under, or behind the homes, and everyone seemed to have at least one cow. In fact, water buffalo are so important here that some homes and monuments were shaped like water buffalo horns, and people would price big-ticket items according to how many water buffalo it would take to purchase them.  In front of most homes were water trenches, meaning that they needed a small “bridge” across the trench to get from house to road.  These bridges were crudely-constructed planks that made very uneven walking.  It’s all in what people get used to, but I know that I would be carefully watching every step I took if I needed to cross any of these! 

The park is one of the island’s most well-known and visited natural areas.  The Bantimurung Waterfall gushes 50 feet over a rocky limestone cliff into a stream below.  Children and adventure-loving adults could opt to ride down the river below the falls in inner tubes, which I’m sure was a wonderful way for locals to be refreshed in such a hot and sticky environment. Chuck climbed what appeared to be a watch tower to get an overview of the falls and river.  Because the grating on the platform was too difficult to walk across, I took a pass, and Chuck commented that the climb up to the top and down again was somewhat challenging if more than one person was on the stairs at the same time.  I got my views from the bottom and was very happy with what I saw. 

The same park is home to thousands of butterflies so we took a walk over to the small butterfly museum where we could see a wide variety of butterflies on display.  The live ones were in a separate area, but as we started down that path, a lady came back and said that there were only a few there.  Chuck made the effort to go on, but I chose not to.  Better to avoid the walking on uneven surfaces and enjoy another day of travel!  

Soon we were on our way back to Makassar for a buffet lunch at a local hotel.  The food was very good, but it was much spicier than I’d expected, and I paid for it later!  I love the peanut sauce they use on various dishes, but the sauce they use on the ship is far less spicy than we had in the meal at the buffet!  All part of the travel experience! 

Our final stop was Fort Rotterdam.  Built in the 16^th Century, it was taken over by the Dutch in 1669.  It was used as a military fort until 1937, when they started using it for cultural purposes.  It now houses a museum and has theatrical performances.  Apparently there is also a school there.  After going through the museum, we went outside for an afternoon snack.  Sitting down on a low stone fence, a young man came up and asked if he could sit down.  We were somewhat skeptical at first, but we said it was fine.  He explained that he was a student at Fort Rotterdam, studying to become a member of the Merchant Marine and that he liked to practice his English whenever he had a chance.  He asked where we were from, and when we replied Chicago, he didn’t know where that was.  I was about to say that it was in Illinois when I realized that if he didn’t know Chicago, Illinois certainly wouldn’t be familiar to him!  So we told him that Chicago was the third largest city in the United States and was in the middle of the country, he was able to understand that.  We had a very pleasant and interesting chat with him until it was time to return to the bus.  He was interested in hearing about where we’d been, how long we would be in Sulawesi, where we were going next, etc.  We exchanged email addresses and told him that we would be sure to write to him when we got home and give him more opportunity to practice his English. A few of his friends came over and timidly joined in on the conversation. He explained that after finishing up his study, he would be at sea as a cadet for a year and then have six months more of study before getting out of school, at which point he hoped to get some kind of a job on a ship.  We really enjoyed talking to him and finding out what he had in store for himself!

In the meantime, the lady sitting next to us, a retired teacher from New York City, was approached by a few junior high students who asked if they could interview her.  She had a wonderful time answering their questions and asking them her own questions, for which she received giggling replies.  They wanted to take her picture, and she of course wanted theirs. 

Both her and our experiences were obviously just as thrilling for the local students as they were for us!  They just don’t have as much opportunity for close contact with people from so far away!

As we set sail from our last stop in Indonesia, I’m sure many of our ship’s stewards were sorry for such a short visit.  However, our next two ports in the Philippines mean that another large group of crew members will be visiting home.  So that level of excitement continues to build.

With two days at sea between Indonesia and the Philippines, we spent the first day celebrating the arrival and “travel dispensation” of King Neptune.  For some reason, he never holds “polliwogs” accountable for their first southbound crossing of the Equator, but he holds them accountable as we travel north across the Equator.  So on the first sea day, we had King Neptune’s Ceremony.  Fortunately none of the polliwog guests were put on trial for invading King Neptune’s realm; however, many of the newbie crew members were put on trial.  As in the past, the guests assembled around the Lido midship pool for the trial.  Crew members from several departments were brought forward for various infractions (like cabin stewards polishing the bald heads of passengers to sparkle up the ship or kitchen staff giving people raw fish, etc.)  These unfortunate souls were forced to “Kiss the fish”, and then were slathered with a doughy corn flake mixture before being allowed to survive or walk the plank.  Believe me, in this case, surviving is not a good thing. Those who walk the plank can jump in the pool and instantly remove the gooey mess.  Those who survive have to sit around in it until the ceremony is over!  It’s pretty much the same ceremony every year, but it’s always a good time! 

We certainly don’t lack for things to do between ports!  Despite King Neptune brewing up quite a storm while we crossed the Equator, we kept ourselves entertained and didn’t mind the rain on the ship, agreeing that we were very glad that it occurred there rather than in Sulawesi! 

BT

Exotic Bali, Indonesia

Our second Indonesian visit in as many years is bringing us to two new islands.  A year ago we had gone to Komodo Island, notable for venomous dragons that bear the name and to Lombok Island, one of the lesser Indonesian islands (to Americans, anyway).  But this year we are visiting two new islands, Bali and Sulawasi.

While Java is Indonesia’s most populous island and is home to the largest city, Jakarta, Bali is typically identified as Indonesia’s playground where tourism reigns supreme.  Indonesia is made up of over 13,000 islands of which less than half are inhabited.  It has the fourth largest population in the world, behind China, India, and the United States and ahead of Russia.  While Indonesia is predominately Muslim, Bali is the exception with about 85% of its population being Hindu.  Balinese Hindus though are somewhat different from the Indian Hindus with Bali’s Hindus dedicating most of their temples to one of three Hindu gods:  Brahma (Creator of the Universe), Vishnu (Preserver), or Shiva (Destroyer).  I might also add that most Indonesian Muslims are not like the stereotypical Muslims of the radical Middle East.  Indonesian Muslims are more tolerant of other religious beliefs and for the most part don’t participate in the violent protests that seem to denote Muslims in many Americans’ eyes. 

We would have to agree with the assessment that Indonesian Muslims are quite different from ones elsewhere.  Because Indonesia formerly was a colony of The Netherlands, Holland America Line employs many Indonesians as dining and stateroom stewards and maintenance staff, we have had the opportunity to get to know many Indonesians.  Several, like Yohat, Herfan, and Deris have been repeat dining stewards and we have had contact with them after meeting them on ships.  Although Muslim, they have wished us “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Easter.”  Their contact and their telling us about their families, homes, and traditions and we telling about theirs has given frequent travelers on Holland America a good feeling about Indonesia.  Working in the service industry, by the way, is considered a very honorable position for Indonesians. Holland America maintains a training school in Jakarta for those who will be on its various ships and they even have mockup replicas of staterooms, dining areas and other venues to provide realistic training for crew.  Those people who do and have worked on Holland America cruise ships are highly regarded at home.

Thus it was with growing, palpable excitement that we drew near to our first of two Indonesian ports, Benoa, Bali.  Several told us of plans to see family and friends that they hadn’t seen in months.  Our stateroom steward, Donny, told us of seeing his baby daughter, born about two months ago, for the first time!  His wife and daughter were coming from the island of Java for the all too brief reunion.  Crew has a job to do and whether we are in the middle of the ocean or “home” for them, guests have to be fed(!) and the ship can’t be abandoned for the day.  Many guests however left notes on their doors, telling stewards not to make up their rooms for the one special day for all too short crew reunions with family and friends.  Our young dining steward, Agus, told us it would be a bittersweet (not using that term) day. It is his first contract with Holland America but commented that the reunion would be so short that it difficult to say goodbye after a few short hours.

We had originally been scheduled to visit a port where tendering would be required, but a new dock able to accommodate a ship as large as ours was constructed and it was to be free the day we were in port.  Unfortunately for the crew anticipating family time, we were approximately an hour and a half late docking and clearing the ship for getting off the ship. The reason was not that we were late; in fact we were a bit early but a ferry at the dock left late and had to clear a channel before we could move through and take the location.

Barb and I had scheduled a long shore 7½ hour excursion, Bali Arts and Safari Park Adventure.  We weren’t quite sure how strenuous it would be, particularly since Barb was dealing with her chronic sinus issues.  Fortunately it was a delightful and rather easy introduction to the island of Bali.  Last year when we visited Lombok, I found it more like the stereotype Indonesia I had pictured in my mind, but Bali is very lush and green with many dense trees along the road and tall trees (making it difficult to take pictures) in the medians.  Even though it was a Saturday, we saw groups of schoolchildren along the streets, all wearing their school’s uniforms.  Our guide explained that Indonesian children go to school six days a week from about 7:30 to 12:30, including Saturday morning before the heat of the day becomes more intense.  However on Saturday, school is dismissed somewhat earlier.  Like most of Asia, streets are full of motorbikes and scooters.  Almost every home, there were ornate decorations and sculptures that had Hindu religious symbolism.  Although not our style of architectural decoration, they were very interesting to see.   Many homes were like compounds with several buildings within the compound and walls to the street for privacy.  This was because, as our guide Rapantara explained, multi generational families live together.  He and his brother are both married with children and they still live together with his parents.   Our first stop was a typical Balinese home.  Rapantara showed us the notice above the gate to the home indicating the number of males and females who resided there.  We were permitted to enter and to see the outside of the various buildings in the complex.  We saw where the food was prepared as well as the buildings where members of the family slept.  Three dogs laid on what we would consider to be a porch, two of them mostly sleeping but with an eye on the large number of guests, but one of the dogs barking loudly at our presence.  Many families have dogs, mostly used for protection.  Outside were typical children’s  toys and farther in back were a small garden and courtyard with colorful flowers, clothes hanging on the line along one side of the property, and on the other side rubbish was smoldering as recycling was not a part of their lives and there was no trash collection.  There were some trees on the property including palm trees with coconuts high in the branches and even a starfruit tree.

From that enlightening visit where we saw how Indonesians live their daily lives, we went on to the area around one of the communities on the island, Ubud, which is home to an artist colony of various craftspeople.  On the way, we saw places selling wooden crafts as well as large paintings.  We stopped at a place where paintings were for sale but few purchases, if any, were made because the paintings were so large, large enough that they surely wouldn’t fit in any luggage and the cost of shipping would have been prohibitive.  While many of the paintings wouldn’t be what most of us would want, there were some very attractive ones but much too large to be sent home.

This was followed by a stop at a wood craftsman’s shop where various kinds of wood carvings were sold.  Most were again very large but quite ornate and often depicted some of the Hindu gods as well as elephants which are revered by the Hindus.  There were small enough items here and quality was good enough that a number of purchases were made.  Interesting when I was on the island of Lombok last year, I visited a pottery shop and a lace making location. 

By now, particularly given our late start on the excursion because of the tardy arrival in Benoa, we were ready for some lunch.  We were scheduled to visit the award winning Bali Safari and Marine Park where we would have lunch in the modern Tsavo Lion Restaurant with its floor to ceiling windows looking out at the pair of Tsavo lions (made famous for eating about 100 railway workers on the Kenya-Uganda railway back in 1898). I am happy to report that the pair we saw was much more docile and they watched us eat rather than the other way around.

After lunch we visited the White Tiger display where the male mostly paced in front of the enclosed gallery just a few feet from guests separated of course by a strong protective glass window, and the female that rested on a raised, covered platform.  They were a beautiful sight to behold as these tigers are quite rare.  For the price of $7, a few people chose to be permitted to pet a baby tiger under the watchful eye of a zoo employee.  While there, it began to rain, gently at first, but that turned to a downpour.  It’s the rainy season in Indonesia so some rain was to be expected.  As the rain came pounding down harder and harder, we were to have stopped at the Komodo Dragon enclosure but that visit would have drenched everyone to the skin, so we went straight to the waiting tram ride. Fortunately three couples had umbrellas, so they lent the rest of us theirs and our poor guide, ran barefoot through the rain to bring umbrellas back to the rest of us in shifts.  Barb and I were glad to have seen the Komodo Dragons in their natural habitat on Komodo Island last year.  Once we had all managed to dodge through the rain to the tram station, we boarded the tram for a drive around the park to view mostly Indonesian, Asian, and African animals, including among others, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, hippos, elephants, and rhinos.  This was a much different group of animals from the more gentle Australian animals we had recently seen.

As we drove to the ship, the rain diminished and by the time we arrived at our last stop of the day at a Batik factory and sales shop, it had ended.  Batik is a particular way of designing and processing fabric and it’s used for everything from Indonesian style clothing to tablecloths to pillow shams.  Following a brief demonstration of the process, there was time to browse and purchase items of interest before heading to the ship.  (Two years ago, a dining steward had given both Barb and me Batik shirts as a “thank you” for requesting him to be our table steward on our Voyage of the Vikings trip.)    Colors are usually colorful and “busy” but traditional colors for clothing are blue, brown, and light yellow since they are considered to be life symbols.  Whenever I wear my Batik shirt, it evokes a positive response from the Indonesian crew on board.

After our return to the ship, our day was not over by a long shot.  Every year on the World Cruise, Holland America CEO, Stein Kruse, his wife and other high officials of the company board for a few days and travel with us.  Last year between American Samoa and Sydney, there was a festive Mardi Gras party on Shrove Tuesday and with a New Orleans theme. This year it was held on the evening of the day in Bali and it was called the Pasar Malam Indonesia, or Indonesian Night Market.  The Lido deck was transformed to a typical Indonesian rainforest with bamboo huts, a rice field, and many bamboo decorations.  It included an Indonesian band, an Angklung (typical Indonesian musical instrument) orchestra, a shadow puppet show, traditional dancers, demonstrations on wood carving and Batik making.  Local craftsmen were on board to sell some of their wares in the “Night Market”.  There were some authentic Becak-Becak or cycle taxis which folks could ride for a $5 donation to charity.  An Indonesian meal was available in one area of the Lido and proceeds were used to support the Indonesian charity.  In the Lido, a wide variety of Indonesian food was available.  It was a gala evening, enjoyed even by some of the crew family members that were onboard for the day.

… Our immersion in Asian culture has begun.

CT