At Sea

En route to Mumbai – up the west coast of India, past Mangalore and Mormugao (Goa).

Went to a lecture on Mumbai/Bombay – extremely interesting especially the politics with its concomitant thuggery, the rise of the Hindu extreme nationalist party, the Shiv Sena and its charismatic Hitler-loving leader, Bal Thackaray.

Other than that, another totally relaxing day by the pool or on my deck. We all had lunch at he Golden Lion Pub: fish and chips, steak and mushroom pie, bangers and mash…..all with mushy peas…and washed down with beer (Guinness for me).

Ross and I went to the Senior Officers cocktails party, which was great fun. Ran into “Knobby”, one of the engineers we’d met last time. He’s got his family on board – three children – and pleased as punch. Ran into his son later – couldn’t miss him, looks just like his dad and has the same hairdo with a blond streak down the back - and he is a real hoot.

After the party, dinner in the dining room with everyone and another early night. We’ve decided we’re all getting old. Can’t stay up for the late shows any more.

Cochin

Now known as Kochi, Cochin is a city in the Indian sate of Kerala. It is one of the principal seaports of the country and consists of several islands and peninsulas and a mainland section. It has a diverse community consisting of Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, all coexisting peacefully. Cochin once had a large Jewish community known as the Malabar Yehuden. Only a fragment of it remains. There is, however, in Jewtown, as the area is called, the Pardesi synagogue, which was built in the 16th century, but later destroyed during a skirmish with the Portuguese and then rebuilt in the 17th century when Holland assumed control. Cochin’s Jews are an enigma. There have been two Jewish colonies for centuries. The original group, the “black Jews” is thought o have arrived in the 6th century BC, though the earliest physical evidence of their presence is an inscription that dates to the 4h century AD. The “white Jews” came later and became partners with European traders in the 15th century. Unfortunately, the synagogue is closed today for Passover, so we shall only see the outside. It was built by the “white Jews” and features Cantonese tiles and antique Belgian chandeliers. The Torah is carefully preserved along with the original copper plate on which privileges were granted to the community by the Kerala Rajas.

The people of Kerala are Tamils and many emigrated to Sri Lanka (Celyon at the time) to work. When the majority Sinhalese tried to expel them, the Tamils refused and rebelled. The Tamil Tigers were born – the first suicide bomber. That war has just recently ended.

Portugal was responsible for building up the port…and there are beautiful old homes from the colonial period. They built the 16th century Mattancherry Palace, now a museum, as a gift to the Raja Veere Kerala Varma. Vasco da Gama commissioned St. Francis Church and was originally buried here. His body was returned to Portugal in 1538.

Today, Cochin is a thriving port and a producer of coconuts, rice, cashews and mango. The rivers flowing from the Western Ghats empty into Cochin’s alluvial plains yielding abundant crops.

I took a 5 hour tour of the oldest part of the city, taking in the Palace which is being renovated – much was hidden my plastic. One could, however, see lifestyle of the rajas – one item really caught my eye: an ivory and mother of pearl palanquin, which was pulled by 2 elephants. Many photos showed the dress worn by the women, which, for the upper castes, consisted only of a lower garment, which was wrapped around the waist. The top portion came much later in the 19th century. The building has beautiful dark wood coffered ceilings and some exquisite murals, painted in the 16th century, depicting scenes from the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahanharatha. Next, we visited Jewtown – the synagogue, the cemetery and all the tiny streets of colorful old houses, which are now shops, many with the Star of David or names like Shalom Tailoring. There are now only 5 Jewish families left – only 10 people in all. Not enough males for a minion. The remaining families conduct their own prayers as they have no rabbi.

Next stop – the Indo-Portuguese museum housed in a lovely complex that was once the bishop’s palace. Most of the artifacts are religious and date to the time when there were many Portuguese churches in the area.

The Chinese fishing nets, which I had also photographed from the ship as we arrived, are extraordinary. They are still used, although the fish a less plentiful nowadays. They are permanent installations at the edge of the water, consisting of an enormous net in a wooden frame. A system of levers, pulleys and counterweights (large stones) lowers the net into the water. The fish swim in and the net is raised. No boats, no lines, no putting out to sea. The fish come to you!!! Extraordinary!

Our last stop was St. Francis Church – the oldest church in the former British Empire. There is nothing left of Vasco da Gama’s original Fort Kochi, but the church he commissioned still stands – in name. The original wooden church was replaced by a stone structure after his death. Dutch settlers converted it to a Protestant church. Today it is Anglican. One can see da Gama’s burial site and just barely make out his name on the tombstone.

After refreshments at a lovely hotel, Bastion House, on the water, we took a boat ride around the islands and the harbour – it was extremely refreshing after riding in a non air-conditioned bus in 88% and 90% humidity. The fans on the bus were out of order and that didn’t help. When the bus was moving, there was a breeze from the open windows. Unfortunately, we spent a lot of time stuck in Indian traffic….it was sweltering. As for the busses, that’s just the way it is in Cochin.

When I got back, I had just enough time for lunch and then rushed down to the theatre to watch a performance of Kathakali, stylized (think Japanese Noh) classical Indian dance-drama and Mohiniattam, lovely Indian dancing. Ross went off on a different tour because he saw Cochin in ‘08 – I didn’t because I was off the ship at the time. The other four went off in a taxi.

We all met for drinks and decided to go to the Lido for dinner....we were all tired out. In fact Layne had already crashed and never appeared for dinner.

PHOTOS TOMORROW.

At Sea - March 27-29

March 27th

We are cruising on a millpond – across the Andaman Sea to the Bay of Bengal – always the smoothest part of this cruise. Just before noon, we passed Great Nicobar Island which is one of the Andaman Islands, administered by India. An inhospitable place due to suspicious natives and sea crocodiles!

Hot and humid still – not even much of a breeze by the pool. We lolled there nevertheless….but in the shade. Other than that and an occasional dip to cool off, the captain’s cocktail party and dinner, I did nothing else. I had seen the shows on previous voyages and I just wasn’t in the mood for any of the three (!!!!) lectures today. I just wanted to veg out!

March 28th

Another hot humid day spent by the pool. A bit more movement in the sea today, as we continue through the Bay of Bengal to the east of Sri Lanka.

We had our hamburgers and onion rings today at the pool bar – yum….and tonight we did the alternative dining which was Indian.

The movie of the day was “Slumdog Millionaire”, but I didn’t want to see it again. Yesterday’s was “The Hurt Locker” which I want to see…but 2pm is nap time!!! You can see how relaxed I am!

Here is a photo of the flowers from the Rynds, some from Ross and a photo of us at the Indian dinner. Left to right: moi, David, Karen, Ross, Jan (Ross’ sister) Layne.





Phyl – thanks for your comment. By the way, Ross has the most amazing cabin – it faces forward and he has a window seat from which to see the views from the bow. Now if only he could figure out a way to get the doors open to the deck which runs right across deck 6. They were open during the 2008 World Cruise and we used that deck many times, especially transiting the Suez Canal. But I suspect, there were complaints about the noise from the two cabins whose windows look out on the deck. But, you know Ross, he is determined. Stay tuned! Oh, and by the way, Layne and I are related!!! Well……..our grandparents were Woollams, which is a very rare name – originally from the Welsh border country. Small world!!!



March 29th

This morning we are just south of Sri Lanka. The Cunard ships used to stop at Colombo - in fact, a stop was on the original 2008 World Cruise itinerary – but the war with the Tamil Tigers put an end to that. During the day we shall head to the northwest across the Gulf of Mannar, follow the west cost of southern India to Cochin, our next port of call. The sea is very calm again. We saw a lot of flying fish. There was a whale sighting apparently, but not for us!

Lazy morning starting with breakfast with the gang. Decided against the pool – too hot and humid. Headed for a lecture on the Psychology of Persuasion. After 20 minutes, I was persuaded that the lecturer was really very boring and did not have his notes well organized. After lunch with Jan and Ross, I went to the matinee concert with David. Opera Interludes gave their last concert: highlights of Madame Butterfly in full costume. A pianist accompanied the singers. It was a very good performance; the pianist was really very good indeed.

This afternoon, I decided to go out on the balcony for tea and the minute I opened the door there they were - whales all over the place...a large pod frolicking.

We booked dinner at Todd English so that we could eat earlier and go to the early show, but we were having too much fun…..and the food was delicious. David and Karen caught the end of the show and the rest of us had coffee in the Café Carinthia, then watched the dancing at the Masquerade Ball.

Phuket, Thailand

We anchored in Patong Bay off the island of Phuket at about 9:30 and set off immediately for Phang Nga Bay with its amazing limestone islands.

Phuket is Thailand’s largest island of a group, located off the west coast of mainland Thailand on the Andaman Sea. Formerly a producer of tin and rubber, Phuket now derives its income from tourism. Most residents are descendants of Chinese, Malay, Thai, Indonesian and India immigrants who came to work in the tine mines in the 19th century. Farmers, fishermen and pearl cultivators also plied their trades. The developers arrived in the 1970s and transformed the island. Although coconut and rubber plantations remain, Phuket is now known for its pretty beaches and luxurious resorts. Once sleepy fishing villages have become thriving commercial areas with every kind of activity imaginable.

Most people are aware of the deadly tsunami of December 26th, 2004. Patong Beach suffered the most damage. Since tourism is so important, the damage was quickly repaired and by February 2005, most resorts were back in business. Today, little remains of the damage.

The majority of the population is Buddhist with about 30% Muslin, mainly descendants of the sea-dwelling people.

We disembarked from the tenders onto a lovely white sandy beach. Beyond he main road of Patong beckoned with stalls, restaurants, small shops, discos, hawkers….not a bit attractive (more later). We drove through the town of Patong which had absolutely nothing of any historical interest….and any remotely interesting building was obscured by electrical wires – this is modern Asia at its best!!!

Once out of the town, we passed through rubber plantations with local pineapples along the ground. Can’t say the scenery was that attractive.

Once at our destination (after a 2-hour ride – these are the killers!), everything changed. We went to a resort on a river and had a wonderful Thai lunch and then boarded our boats for our trip into Phang Nga Bay located between Phuket and the mainland. Phang Nga is a shallow bay with 42 islands, comprising shallow marine waters and intertidal forested wetlands, with at least 28 species of mangrove; seagrass beds and coral reefs are also present. The islands are limestone cliffs with caves, and collapsed cave systems that have been eroded over 10,000 years. Phang Nga Bay Marine National Park was declared a protected site of international ecological significance in 2002. The most famous of the many islands in the bay is the so-called James Bond Island, a needle formed limestone rock in the sea, which featured in the movie The Man with the Golden Gun.

The islands are stunningly beautiful – like so many in traditional Chinese or Vietnamese paintings (Halong Bay in Vietnam is very similar and is now a World Heritage site). I took way too many photos….I’ll try to choose the best for this post. Sea kayaking is very popular here and families go out for the day, the ladies with their parasols.

On our way back, we made a stop at Koh Panyee (Sea Gypsy Island), a remarkable village, the whole of it built out over water on stilts and with a giant rock monolith guarding its rear. It is a village of fisherman who also provide restaurants and trinket shops for tourists. A very interesting experience, rather like the stilt fishing village in Penang only with a more distinct pong. We beat a hasty retreat as Ross dubbed it Cholera Alley!!!! As soon as the tourists leave, the community closes up its restaurants and trinket shops and transforms itself from a tourist trap into a quiet community of fishermen.
Back on the bus with a stop for shopping, this time high end jewelry and silks…been there done that 2 years ago…..we headed straight for the refreshment room and left no money!!!

The light was fading fast as we approached Patong where the very last tender awaited us – we were the last to board. The entire town was transformed into a fairyland of lights that hid the earlier ugliness. The restaurants beckoned with colored furniture and linens. People were strolling, checking the menus. The change was quite impressive, as was the view from the boat……a glittering half moon along the beach, flanked by mountains.

Tired and sticky (104 degrees plus humidity), we skipped dinner. I had room service and was asleep by 9 pm.

Port Kelang/Kuala Lumpur

Decided once again not to go into Kuala Lumpur – a very long day with too many hours of road travel. Still very tired from travel and tomorrow we have a very long day in Phuket. Karen and David decided to go and went off in a taxi. Jan and Layne stayed on the ship. Julie suggested that we hop on the shuttle bus to Klang to a local mall. Why not? Well, it was just that – a mall- and one of the largest I have ever seen….puts our RI/Mass malls to shame. I thought that perhaps there would be some local flavor and souvenirs. Well, flanking the entrance were: Starbucks, Roy Rogers and McDonalds. Hah!

Well, we wandered around a bit and came on an unusual place where we noticed a fish tank with one poor tiny shark going round and round…then we saw another tank filled with tiny fish. A girl came over and invited us to put our hands in the tank. Why not? The fish immediately swarmed around the fingers and proceeded to groom them. It tickled! What a hoot! It was a fish foot therapy establishment. Ross and I booked a half an hour. Julie demurred. We took our shoes off, showered our feet, sat on the teak floor and leaned back against leather banquettes. We immersed our legs into the tanks and immediately burst out laughing – it tickled so much. I am not sure how much dead skin our little friends consumed, but it was very relaxing indeed.

The major focus of fish foot therapy is skin exfoliation. The concept is that you soak your feet in a warm pool teemed with tiny hungry ‘doctor fishes’. Doctor fishes are scientifically known as Garra rufa and are natives of Turkish towns, Sivas and Kangal. In 2006, the inch-long fish, sometimes called reddish log suckers, started turning up in hot springs in Japan and Croatia The fish were imported by China, South Korea, Belgium and the Netherlands. Next, inexpensive “fish foot therapy” was being offered in shopping malls and department stores in Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Now the fish spas are spreading throughout Soon Southeast Asia, although Kuala Lumpur seems to have the most. The warm temperature of the water ensures that nutrients do not survive. This means the ravenous doctor fishes eats away dead and scaly skins softened by the warm water, revealing soft, pink, smooth and healthy skin underneath. People with psoriasis and other skin disorders have for decades flocked to outdoor hot springs near Kangal, Turkey, where the minnow-like Garra rufa fish naturally breed and feed. The species of carp, which have no teeth, painlessly nibble away humans' dead skin. (Internet)
We’d had enough of the mall and went back to the ship for lunch and an afternoon of relaxation, followed by cocktails and another hilarious dinner (the phantom 7th and 8th persons never showed up – I don’t think they exist!). Early night in preparation for our long day tomorrow.

Singapore/Queen Victoria

Pretending in the Presidential Suite!!!!



Rudely awaked at 5:30 by Ross, who is a morning person, I grumpily got up and we had coffee on the verandah, listened to the first birds and watched the sky lighten. It was lovely. Breakfast in the Tiffin Room again where we were joined by Jan and Layne and a bit later by Karen and David, who had all been staying elsewhere.

Bye Raffles!



After our long breakfast, we headed for the ship –we were 4th in line for the bus from the cruise center to the enormous container port. It felt like coming home…Julie and Chris (captain) sent a vase of gorgeous flowers and a bottle of wine….welcoming us back. Everywhere, we bumped into familiar faces- both passengers and crew.

After upacking and settling in, we met up for cabin cavalcade, which consists of checking out each other’s cabins. We started in Karen and David’s where we toasted with wine and we ended at Ross’s. Then Ross and I went up to the captain’s cabin and had drinks with Julie while waiting for sailaway…which was delayed by Singapore immigration. Chris popped in and out to give us an update. It was so good to see them again. Then more pre-dinner drinks in the Commodore Club with what I am going to refer to from now as “the gang”. Then on to dinner which was hilarious….we have a table for eight, but two did not show up. They may not want to stay if they do…we are very bad indeed! But who knows, they could be “bad” too!

And then to bed…no show…just straight to bed, as we sailed off around the Straights of Malacca headed for Kuala Lumpur.

Singapore

The flight on the Airbus 380 was just wonderful. The seats are 50% wider, larger in every way from traditional Business Class seats. Bed is completely flat and I managed a few hours of sleep. Food – prawn curry especially – was excellent and the entertainment – over 990 channels - was very good.

Arrived in Singapore early and so Ross was right there at the plane to meet me. We turned around and there was the hotel meeter&greeter. We were through customs and out of the airport so fast. Our BMW limo awaited, complete with flags on the front….we were waving at everyone – Queen Mum style!!!! The drive into the city is lined with beautiful plantings…..ugliness is not allowed in Singapore! No chewing gum here!!!

Ah Raffles! We got there by 8:30, well ahead of the 2pm check-in time. No problem, we can have a room ready within the hour…so go and have breakfast in the Tiffin Room…on us! The Andre Malraux Suite would be available before the Kipling Suite…so we took that. By 10 am, we were ensconced in our suite, which consisted of a parlor and dining area on either side of the entry, a huge bedroom, enormous dressing room and equally enormous bathroom. It was beautiful. And on the common verandah overlooking the lush garden, wicker table and chairs, which we used for evening drinks and morning coffee. Our very own butler presented himself, bringing fruit and a vase of fragrant frangipani. He asked if there was anything he could do for us and Ross (ever curious) immediately asked if we could see the Presidential Suite…and so we got a tour…..beyond impressive,

We rested for a while and then went to our 3pm appointment with the resident historian who took us though the history of the hotel from its very humble beginnings right through the major renovations from 1989-1991. Then, we went up to the pool, had a swim and just lolled. After drinks on the verandah, we went off to dinner in the Grill. A wonderful meal: yellow fin tuna in cucumber jelly amuse-bouche, smoked salmon for Ross, duck liver with chestnuts and cabbage for me; then pot au feu for Ross and Dover sole for me. Le tout washed down with Tattinger. A wonderful meal! We had our coffee in the main lobby, where we were presented with scrumptious chocolates from an enormous box and, of all things, a dish containing a mound of pink cotton candy! Incongruous!

London - Heathrow

Arrived here at the Sofitel early this morning. Took a 4-hour nap and then went down to "Tea 5" where I met Jane Taylor Rahman and her brother Phil Taylor. Phil's wife, Sophie was called in to work - BBC - at the last minute and so could not join us. Jane's husband Faisel is currently in Boston and will meet up with Jonathan at some point. We had a wonderful drawn-out tea and just chatted away.

Back on the High Seas Again.....

Singapore to Southampton on the Queen Victoria, March 24th to April 22nd. Stay tuned.....