Easter on Amsterdam I was not sure I would go to Easter Services on the Amsterdam. First of all it was at sunrise. My spiritual needs have largely met this trip by Rabbi Gan. I’m attending his daily lectures and … Continue reading Easter on MS Amsterdam
In Cape Town we lose probably the most popular passenger on the ship, Lily. Lily was 14 months old when we set sail from Ft. Lauderdale and very unsteady on her feet, especially on a moving deck. Now she runs … Continue reading Shipmates
French bureaucrats! Once in Serbia we were co-sponsoring a seminar on Internet regulation. Each speaker had a time limit. The French Bureaucrat stood up and said “I am a French Bureaucrat. I cannot possibly be bound by a time limit.” … Continue reading French Bureaucrats Can’t Ruin a Sunset
I’m not talking about loan sharks but shark sharks. Reunion, a French overseas department, had a growing tourist industry; it was becoming a surfer’s Mecca, until the sharks came. For years there were no shark attacks on the island. Everything … Continue reading Sharks Can Hurt the Economy.
I don’t particularly like visiting cemeteries and I don’t like pirates at all. This is a post about a Pirate’s grave in a cemetery on the French Island of Reunion. Go figure. First, cemeteries — I would rather remember my … Continue reading A Pirate’s Grave — Reunion
This is a continuation of “World’s Smallest Capital.” With pics of the beach. I even have a shot of the little blue fishes. I’m sitting on the back deck using the good 3G service to upload these posts. All aboard … Continue reading Beau Vallon Beach, Mahe, Seyschelles
It was because of the Seychelles that Public Broadcasting picked up some degree of protocol. In the beginning all called each other by our first names. NPR presidents were Frank or Doug, the CPB people were Clyde, Rick or Priscilla. … Continue reading World’s Smallest Capital City
Colombo makes a statement. When you sail in the first thing you see is a giant stupa raised on stilts telling any approaching mariner that this is a Buddhist country. But the skyline of Colombo has monuments to other religions. … Continue reading Colombo, Sri Lanka
At about 11 AM I wanted to pronounce Phuket with the “Ph” as in Philosophy and the accent on the first syllable. It has not been a good morning. Myron, one of the ship’s lecturers told us that if they … Continue reading How Do You Pronounce “Phuket?”
Now, tired and happy, we’re cruising the Malacca Straits, ships all around us are moving at 17 knots. The water is calm but full of all sorts of floating crap. I am sitting in a deck chair with my computer … Continue reading Singapore Miscellany
Hong Kong has Disneyland. Singapore IS Disneyland. Like Disneyland it’s clean, well ordered, and controlled. Disney employees have to follow a strict code of behavior. It’s like everyone in Singapore is a Disney employee and is expected to follow the … Continue reading Asia for Beginners — Singapore
About 23% of Singapore, almost a quarter of the country, is reclaimed land. I’ve always wondered about that term “reclaimed.” Since Earth is “the water planet” shouldn’t we just say claimed? Much of this land is used for industry or … Continue reading Merlion Found, Singapore’s “Reclaimed” Land.
I’ve written about how clean and well-ordered Singapore is. Little India is a bit of an exception. It is clean, especially compared with India, but the wet market has a wet floor, the houses and shop houses are more colorful … Continue reading Little India — Singapore
Har Par was a business man from Rangoon. He and his brother invented s salve called “Tiger Balm.” I use it myself. In the 1930s they moved to Singapore and were very successful. Har par built a mansion for … Continue reading The Courts of Hell with a Trigger Warning.
This is a continuation of the narration in the post “Good Morning Vietnam.” As I pondered what I was supposed to do in Saigon I looked up and saw it, the Rex Hotel, and I knew. The Rex is where … Continue reading Five O’Clock Follies
Last night at about 9:30 Suzi and I were having a nice chat about the Balkans with a Croatian woman who had just come on in Hong Kong. She was taking over as the leader of the “Road Scholar” group … Continue reading “Chewing the Fat,” a Persecuted Sect and an Unexpected Fire Drill
The last time we wrote the Peak Tram to the heights of Hong Kong there was not such an elaborate structure at the top terminus. Not, after you reach “the top” you go up still higher on a series of … Continue reading Dim Sum at the Top
A lot of crew members were sad to sail out of Manila after their family reunions, but Manila gave us a great send off. There was a brass band with twirlers and majorettes. They played while we lined the promenade … Continue reading Good-by Manila.
This page has some photos that just don’t fit anywhere else. The pics below are of our welcome. The next three I call “signs of faith.” Finally here are some miscellaneous shots. In Manila the pollution is bad enough that … Continue reading Manila Odds and Ends.
The Intramuros is the “old” walled city of Manila. I put the word “old” in quotes because much of this part of the city was flattened when the Americans retook Manila from the Japanese in 1945. Some modern historians have … Continue reading Rescued by a Buggy Whip — Intramuros Manila.
Gustave Eiffel had a major hand in the iconic landmarks in two world cities. He designed the support structure for the Statue of Liberty. He also designed a number of pre-fab iron buildings in Arica Chile including a church, customs … Continue reading Gustave Eiffel in Manila?
I wonder how my grandfather, who was a steward on White Star Line at the turn of the 20th century, would have reacted to relations between crew and passengers on this cruise. While he clearly liked some of the persons … Continue reading Three More Days, Two More Days, One more Day TODAY!!
The narrative for this page of pictures is on the earlier post, click here. That’s the only way you will understand the title of this post. In the event you don’t click above, the Puerto Princesa Underground River is a … Continue reading Sharon Stone and the Virgin Mary – The Puerto Princesa Underground River.
Suzi and I were getting ready to assemble for our tour on the island of Palawan when we heard drumming coming from outside. Casting long shadows is the early morning light a group of majorettes and baton twirlers were doing … Continue reading Palawan Puts on a Big Welcome.