Bangkok, Thailand

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Departing Phu My, Vietnam we circumnavigated the Indochina Peninsula  and headed through the Gulf of Thailand for Bangkok.  Early on the morning of Tuesday, March 10 about 5AM the ship approached the Bangkok Bar and boarded the local pilot.  Captain Stringer quickly advised us this is not a drinking bar stop! 

What an amazing sail navigating the Chao Phraya River and Harbor Channel, docking at Klong Toey Pier in Bangkok, population estimated at 14 million.  Klong Toey Pier is a new location for us as when previously cruising to Thailand we have docked at Laem Chabang, Thailand's largest port.

The hot season for Bangkok is from March to May with very humid weather and this day lived up to the reputation, feeling close to 100 degrees.  It was hard to feel energetic and move at a quick pace.

We spent a week in Bangkok last September prior to our land trip/river cruise to Myanmar.  It was a difficult decision on what to do this time.  Also, being the Prince's birthday, the city was full of "local tourist" and many of the sights were very busy.  For us, a ride on the Chao Phraya River in a water taxi and a long-tail boat with a visit to Wat Arun(Temple of the Dawn) was perfect.

All aboard at 4:30PM for departure at 5 and the return trip down the river to the Gulf of Thailand and our next port, Singapore, Singapore - and that's not a stutter!

Itinerary Change

Thursday, March 12, 2015

The daily at sea noon update delivered today by Captain Tim Stringer contained the following notification of a revision to our itinerary:

As you may be aware, there has been significant political unrest in Egypt in recent months and increased attacks against civilians and travelers in the country.  As the safety of our guests and crew is our highest priority, in an abundance of caution we have made the necessary decision to cancel our scheduled call to Safaga (Luxor/Karnak) on Friday, April 3, 2015.

Instead, Pacific Princess will now call to Valletta, Malta on Tuesday April 7 and Messina, Italy, on Wednesday, April 8.  To accommodate this change, our scenic cruising of the Suez Canal will be moved one day earlier to Saturday, April 4.

Phu My (Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon), Vietnam

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Phu My is the docking port for the largest city in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, formerly called Saigon.  With the improvement of the highway, it is still approximately an hour and 45 minutes travel time.  This area has a tropical climate, hot and humid.  The dry season is from November to April and you could definitely see the lack of rain.  Today the temperature was 96 or 97 degrees F and felt way over 100F and dripping......"Vui long dua toi tro ve la tei tau Princess" - please take me back to the ship!!!!!

Having visited this area several times and Ho Chi Minh City recently, we choose to travel to a local city, Ba Ria, in the Province of Vung Tau, a 45 minute bus ride.  It is a Sunday but the local market is jumping.  We saw ample offerings of com (boiled rice), Pho (noodle soup), banh khot  (coconut fritters), goi du du bo (papaya salad), and nuoc mam, Curt's favorite fish sauce! 

As we have always found, the local people are always happy and smiling.  We didn't sample the dried fish but did sample the dried bananas and found them to be quite tasty.  It was refreshing to spend time in a city where the main transportation is motor bike, no loud honking of horns and no cars.

Interesting tidbit - Until the end of the 19th century, Chinese script was universally used for all documentation in Vietnam.  Today, the Vietnamese language uses a script that includes 29 characters, most of which are identical to those used in English.  But definitely not the sounds - LOL.

It is 5PM and we are off to Bangkok!

Hong Kong, China

Wednesday, March 4, and Thursday, March 5,  2015

We sailed through the South China Sea for 3 days heading for Hong Kong.  The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan.  The area's importance largely results from one-third of the world's shipping transiting through its waters, and that it is believed to hold huge oil and gas reserves beneath its seabed.

Hong Kong is well known for its skyline of skyscrapers, deep natural harbor and population density around the world.  The city has developed into a major global trade hub and financial center and is regarded as a major world city.  It has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.  Hong Kong is the third most important financial center after New York and London.

Hong Kong currently has more skyscrapers than any other country.  It houses more than 8000 skyscrapers with more than 14 floors, which is almost double in comparison to that of New York.

Quaint double decker trams are still maneuvering around Hong Kong Island with over a quarter million passengers daily.  These trams offer an old-fashioned transportation tradition in a cosmopolitan center.  We took an interesting ride on a vintage tram around HK Island during the evening to see the brilliantly colored neon signs and traditional Chinese motif's and illuminations.

Following the tram ride was some fun retail therapy at the Temple Street Night Market followed by an 8-course Chinese traditional dinner.  Our day had already started with some shopping at the absolutely amazing stores and malls found on Nathan Road, Hong Kong's "Golden Mile" of shops.

Day 2 dawned just as dreary and rainy as day 1 had been.  On this day we were invited to see the sights of a local neighborhood located in Kowloon City.  Along with our friends, Paul and Sarah Su, Sergio and Noemi Peschard, we boarded local bus #1 for about 75 cents per person for our trip.  Paul and Sarah walked us through the neighborhood showing us homes, local stores, malls, the "wet" market, a temple, Kowloon Walled City Park (dating from the 15th century), and the best part, almost, a snack at a local bakery where everything comes out hot and fresh.

However, the absolute BEST was our delectable brunch assortment of dishes and variety of tea, all hosted by Paul and Sarah.  We ate until we could hardly walk.  Thank you Paul and Sarah!

Heading out to buy some tea in a local store, Curt stumbled on a 10 minute haircut (booth) located in a kiosk in the center of the mall.  After Curt, being the guinea pig and surviving, Sergio and Noemi also had their hair cut!  Shortly after, Curt and I boarded the bus back to the ship to prepare for departure and to say good bye to Hong Kong.

HK offers a vast variety of things to do such as riding the funicular to Victoria Peak, taking a Harbor Cruise, shopping Stanley Market, visiting Lantau Island and Po Lin Monastery, travel to Macau to maybe gamble, and best of all just shop and eat.

Departure is scheduled for 6PM, out of the Harbor, and south-west through the South China Sea for our next port of call, Phu My, Vietnam, the docking area for Ho Chi Minh ((Saigon).

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, Island of Borneo

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Sailing overnight, we made the quick trip to Kota Kinabalu arriving at 7AM.

Kota Kinabalu is part of Malaysia, located on the Island of Borneo, but the capital, Kuala Lumpur lies on another island many hundred miles away.

Located in the state of Sabah the area is rich in timber, oil and natural gas.  And, since it fortunately lies south of the typhoon belt, it is known as the "Land Below the Wind", and usually boasts a very pleasant climate.

In the past Borneo had a reputation for being "wild" with tales of headhunters and pirates, but in reality it is a beautiful, lush and tropical rain forest with soaring mountain peaks.  The Marine Turtle Conservancy Park is dedicated to the protection of endangered sea turtles.  Bird's Nest Soup, found in many Chinese restaurants, comes from nests taken from the Gomantong Caves  that shelter over a million swifts.

And we can't forget the Orangutan's!  The city of Sepilok has a sanctuary to take Orangs which have been orphaned in the wild, or were human pets, and prepare them to return to the forest.  They are very shy - and cute!

It's 5PM, lines have been lifted and we are setting sail for the "Fragrant Harbor", officially known as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.