AT SEA, Monday, March 31

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! When I left the room, there were balloons on the door. I didn't exercise today (for the 1st time) and when I went to breakfast, Joyce had everyone sing to me. when we were finished eating, the captain came over to wish me a HB. Getting into the pool, Gary had everyone sing to me. No matter where I went, I couldn't get away from being 1 year older. Before dinner, we went to the piano bar & the fellow that plays had everyone sing to me. We went into the dining room & everyone came up to me to wish me HB. After dinner they brought me a huge cake. Half the dining room came over to sing & two of the waiters each sang a solo to me. I got a lovely bracelet from Joyce that she bought in Shanghai & Stella gave me a beautiful shawl that she bought in India. The people (French) at the table next to us (8 of them) sang HB to me in French and the people at another table near us gave me a card. Lionel wrote me the most wonderful poem. What a Birthday spent on the Red Sea. It will be a long time before I forget this one.

AT SEA, Sunday, March 30

We are sailing SW along the Yemeni coast. Later today we will enter the waters of the Gulf of Aden. The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula & Somalia in Africa.

Saw the most beautiful sunset last night. We have been very fortunate to be able to have this opportunity. Viewing the sun slowly sinking into the sea, this huge orange ball of fire, completely unobstructed, is a sight too magnificent to describe. Today we saw dolphins just as we walked out onto our balcony, and saw several more schools throughout the day. These are some of the things I will most remember about this trip.

AT SEA, Saturday, March 29

Today the Captain had a luncheon in one of the restaurants for the 40 most traveled passengers. We ate at the doctor's table and were given a picture to remember the event. It was a lovely afternoon. We are now traveling SW along the coast of Oman.

AT SEA, Friday, March 28

Heading to the Strait of Hormuz we will navigate outbound exiting the Persian Gulf. We will transit across the Gulf of Oman leaving behind the Iranian coast. We now have 6 days at sea before reaching Safaga in Egypt.

AT SEA, Friday, March 27

Heading to the Strait of Hormuz we will navigate outbound exiting the Persian Gulf. We will transit across the Gulf of Oman leaving behind the Iranian coast. We now have 6 days at sea before reaching Safaga in Egypt. There is about 1 more week of warm weather. After Egypt, it will turn much cooler.

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, Thursday, March 27

We exited the Strait of Hormuz and continued in the Arabian Gulf reaching Dubai at 7 AM. Dubai has the largest population, one million, and is the second largest emirate by area after Abu-Dhabi. Dubai is the world's fastest growing city and it is estimated that there are 90 billion dollars worth of projects being built. Approximately 16% of the world's large construction cranes reside in Dubai. It boasts the world's most expensive & beautiful hotel, the Burj Al Arab. The Burj Dubai Tower, upon completion this year, will be the world's tallest building. In the middle of the desert the world's largest theme park is being built, "Dubailand," to be completed in 2009. The world's biggest ski dome is at the Mall of the Emirates. They are in the process of building a monorail across the city. We left the ship around 9:00 and returned at 6:00 and never left a construction site. A 4 or 5 star hotel opens every week. The main reason for the construction boom is it's drive to diversify the economy as their government does not want to depend on it's oil reserves which are believed to become exhausted by 2010. They are also building the world's largest airport.

This weekend they are having one of the world's largest derby's and milliners, mostly from Australia, come to Dubai to display the most fabulous hats for the occasion.  There must have been 8 long tables filled with gorgeous hats.  Women come to this center bringing their derby dresses in order to match a hat.  I would have loved to buy one but the only time a hat is worn in the U.S is either for the Kentucky Derby or Easter.  Too bad!

We visited the Gold Souk, which is a series of jewelry stores featuring huge, ornate gold jewelry, skirts & tops, breast plates & trinkets. Alll in 18-24K gold. When a man wants to divorce his wife (or wives) he only has to say "I divorce you" three times. She leaves the marriage with only her jewelry. Thus, these large, heavy gold pieces of jewelry.
 

Most of the workers, taxi drivers, shop keepers, etc., are Pakistani. This is the first country we have been to where everyone is rich. In order to enter the Burj Al Arab Hotel, a person has to make a reservation and give them a credit card at the entrance along with paying $60 per person. The dress code is that men must wear long pants, a collared shirt & no athletic shoes. Women must be completely covered (no head scarf or gloves is OK) and not wearing athletic shoes. You are not allowed to speak to a woman and can only use your right hand. Needless to say we didn't go inside. We found Dubai to be very westernized and saw very few women completely covered. Dubai is a place that is striving to be "the world's biggest, best & generally #1 in everything (in case you haven't already gotten the message). Amazing city!

AT SEA, Wednesday, March 26

We are now only 1 day from Dubai still traveling the the Arabian Sea. Later we will be navigating in the Gulf of Oman between Iran & Oman. Shortly thereafter we will head about 329 degrees toward the Strait of Hormuz. This is a strategically important waterway between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. On the North coast is Iran & on the South coast is the United Arab Emirates. It is the only sea passage, just 21 miles wide, to the open ocean for large areas of the petroleum-exporting Persian Gulf States. Thirty percent of the world's oil supply passes through the strait.

Since the three of us have birthday's this month (Stella, Joyce & I) we are having a small celebration in the Sterling Steak House Restaurant this evening (just the 6 of us).

AT SEA, Tuesday, March 25

We are still transiting the Arabian Sea and will sail along the Indian & later the Pakistani coasts en route to the Persian Gulf & Dubai.

Today marks almost 11 weeks we have been at sea, we have only 4 to go. This is no longer a vacation but, after 2 1/2 months, has become a way of life. How difficult it will be to get back to reality.

AT SEA, Monday, March 24

We are now heading NW in the Arabian Sea towards Dubai and are 775 miles from our destination. This is the first of 3 days at sea. Weather today much better than India. The temperature is about 80 with very little humidity and a gentle breeze.

MUMBAI (BOMBAY), Sunday, March 23

GATEWAY TO INDIA

An act of Parliament officially changed the name from Bombay to Mumbai in 1997. It is ideally situated to be the "Gateway to India" for all sea traffic from the west. The harbor is 7 miles wide at the base and it is the commercial capital of India. The architecture is stunning but in desperate need of cleaning & repair. There are 20,000,000 people in the city with 8 different religions. Four are originally Indian & four brought in from outside the country. There are throngs of people everywhere. We were fortunate as we arrived on Easter Sunday & the traffic was lighter than usual. We started our day by going to the Mahatma Gandhi house which is now a small museum. Along the way we got a wonderful overview of the city. It was the color festival & many people were covered in powders of various shades. Cows (not unusual to see cows on the streets) & dogs also had red powder on them. The women all wear beautiful brightly colored Sari's and against their dark skin, are really lovely. I found the people to be very friendly. Unfortunately there is a lot of poverty here resulting in a lot of begging on the streets.

We went to another museum passing the magnificent Victoria train station. We then found the Bombay Yacht Club and spent about two hours inside talking to three members. One was French, one English & the other Indian. They even gave us a burgee. From there we went to see the "Gateway to India. This is an arch much like the Arch de Triumph in Paris. It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V in 1911. Across the street is the Taj Mahal Hotel where we stopped for lunch. Had a great lunch & went shopping afterwards. The side street near the hotel had a few hundred shops carrying tons of crafts of all kinds, pashminas, sari's, shirts, cigarettes, etc. The weather was really hot & humid as, I guess, India usually is. Had a great day & got back to the ship around 6:00. In the evening there was a great party on the pool deck, "India Night" and everyone came dressed in the Indian clothes they bought. The women wore gorgeous rainbow colored sari's and jewelry purchased that day or in Cochin.

AT SEA, Saturday, March 22

Now 200 miles from Mumbai (Bombay). Weather still hot & very humid with rain for the past 2 days.

COCHIN, INDIA Friday, March 21

Located on the Kerala coast, Cochin has been a major seaport & trading center since before the days of the Roman Empire. Cochin boasts a Portuguese church, a Dutch palace, an exquisite Synagogue (which closes on Friday's), Chinese-style fishing nets, English Tudor-style mansions and old warehouses still bursting with spices and coir. Cochin is also the southern gateway to greater India. We hired a car with another couple & drove around for 4 hours seeing the various sights. A friend told us before we left that when going to India "look up." The poverty is heartwrenching and the garbage everywhere. Cochin is not a place I would recommend to travelers, however I'm sure Bombay will be better.

ATA SEA, Thursday, March 20

We are now at the SE coast of Sri Lanka and later will round to the SW coast & continue NW across the Gulf of Mannar which separates India from Sri Lanka. Tomorrow we will be in Cochin, India

AT SEA, Tuesday, March 19

We are now heading across the Bay of Bengal towards Sri Lanka. Bengladesh is just north and Myanmar to northeast. Several large rivers including the Ganges flow into the Bay of Bengal. We have 1 more day at sea then we will be in India.

AT SEA, Monday, March 18

Early this morning we entered the Great Channel between the group of Nicobar Islands and Sumatra. When just south we will change course and head across the southern part of the Bay of Bengal. Sumatra is the 6th largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo & New Guinea are partially in Indonesia).

PHUKET, THAILAND, Monday, March 17

Phuket is one of the premier travel destinations in Southeast Asia. Travelers from around the world are drawn to it's stunning beaches, crystalline waters and dramatic limestone peaks. Its mountainous interior is densley forested with mahogany, rubber trees, tropical evergreen, royal palm, ficus and

bamboo. Located on Thailand's long, thin southern coast and bordering Malaysia, Phuket island boasts a rich cultural mix of Thai, Malay, Chinese & western influences. We hired an open-air taxi for 3 hours and drove all around the island. Although it was decimated by the Tsunami 3 years ago, we saw little evidence of the devistation. We then went to a beautiful hotel near the ship, had a great lunch and went swimming in the Andaman Sea. Friends were able to get $3 - $5 manicures & pedicures. We took the hotel shuttle back to the ship. It was our first time in Phuket. Our next stop is India.

AT SEA, Sunday, March 16

We are now heading north-westerly transiting the Malacca Strait between the Malaysian Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The strait is the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Over 50,000 vessels pass through the strait per year carrying about 1/4 of the world's traded goods. We are on our way to Phuket and will arrive in the morning.

SINGAPORE, Saturday, March 15

Raffles Hotel

Singapore lies at the tip of the Malayan Peninsula, just about 1 degree north of the equator. It's the dynamic trading crossroads of east & west. In the 14th century a visiting prince saw an animal he believed to be a lion and renamed it Singa Pura, the lion city. There is a huge statue of a lion at the port. In 1819 a British East India company official, Sir Stamford Raffles, claimed Singapora as a regional base. After 2 years in the Federation of Malaysia, in 1965 it became an independent republic. Singapore is a cosmopolitan center for commerce & industry bustling with superior communications & transportation, immaculate streets & ultra-modern skyscrapers. The population is about 4 1/2 million of which 76% Chinese, 15% Malay, 6 1/2% Indian & Pakistani & 2% others.

We started our day by taking a cab to Chinatown. A shoppers paradise as the prices were really great on cameras & most electronics. Also, any trinket you can imagine is there. From gorgeous reversible silk kimonos to fans, jewelry cases, purses, silk blouses & pants, jeweled hair clips etc., etc., etc. From there we went to a large 4 story building in Little India that has only electronics (Sim Lin Square). We priced cameras everywhere & got 10 different prices for the same camera. We didn't buy it. From there we went to the famous Raffles Hotel for lunch. Unfortunately, we were too late as they stop serving at 3:00. We walked around there for a short time as it is truly the most elegant facility. It's where the "Singapore Sling" was invented (between 1910 & 1915). Because of it's great history the Raffles has been declared a national monument. Afterwards we took a scenic ride on the cable car that goes across the city. It's a 30 minute ride and gives a wonderful view of the entire city. The station was very close to our boat and, as we ran out of time, we went back to the ship. Singapore is a great city and not to be missed when visiting Asia.

KO SAMUI, THAILAND, Thursday, March 13

Ko Samui is a large island also in the Gulf of Thailand. Its been called the largest coconut plantation in the world and was the major income producer until tourism surpassed it. Again, white sand beaches & beautiful resorts are the main attraction. However, the island has several interesting things to see. Gary & I hired a car for 2 hours and went to see a beautiful waterfall nestled in a cove surrounded by colorful trees, plants & flowers. It was quite a trek to the pool at the bottom but I got some great pictures. We also saw about 8 elephants that people were able to ride through the jungle.

 Our driver took us to a few more points of interest and then back to the ship. I'm amazed at the spectacular Hotels in some of these stops. Going through the towns, the people are so poor and the living conditions are really awful, I never expected to see such magnificent, opulant hotels.

 Tonight we are having dinner with the captain in the Steak House. He's a motorcycle enthusiast so he and Gary have a lot in common. He's from Italy and will be leaving the ship in Rome.

PATTAYA, THAILAND, Wednesday, March 12

We arrived at the port of Laem Chabang early in the morning. It's another resort town with lovely hotels and beautiful white sand beaches. This time we didn't go to the beach but stayed in the town. Among many other things, Thailand is known for it's wonderful, inexpensive massages. Gary got a full body massage and I got a foot massage. It cost about $15 for both of us for 1 hour. We had a great chicken fried rice lunch at the Marriott's pool bar which was really gorgeous. I bought Joyce & Stella each a birthday present as they both have birthdays this month.

We didn't go to Bangkok as it's a 2 1/2 hour drive each way. They said that a crane fell into the berth where we were scheduled to dock in Bangkok, so we had to dock far away. To spend 5 hours on a bus and only have 3 hours in Bangkok just wasn't worth it. We have been there before so decided not to do the trip.

SIHANOUKVILLE, CAMBODIA, Monday, March 10

The most interesting place to see in Cambodia is the city of Angkor Wat which was swallowed up by the Jungle & unknown to the outside world for centuries. It is the best example of Khmer architecture in existence. It's an overland trip that two of our friends took and they will rejoin the ship in Sihanoukville.

The beaches are the main attraction in Sihanoukville. Beautiful white sand beaches on the Gulf of Thailand waters. A lot of weekenders come here from Phnom Penh. Gary & I hired a Tuk Tuk (carriage with 2 bench seats & a canopy). They used to be driven by a fellow on a bicycle, but are now powered by a fellow riding a scooter. He took us around & showed us some of the finer resorts. The locals are very poor and the living conditions are really terrible. After our 2 hour tour ($15.), we decided to stop at one of the resorts, have lunch & go

for a swim on the beach. We went to the Independent Resort Hotel and had the most wonderful lunch of sauteed shrimp with sweet peppers, onions, garlic & rice in their elegant dining room. It was the best lunch we have had off the ship. We then changed into our suits & went down to their private beach. We had the entire beach to ourselves and sat under a thatched umbrella for 2 hours. The water was about 85 & just beautiful. Our driver, Mr. Sok, picked us up afterwords and took us back to town. We bought some wine in a local store and went back to the ship. He was a lovely man who helped to make our day the great experience it was. Cambodia was a great surprise.

AT SEA, Sunday, March 9

We are now en route to Cambodia and will arrive tomorrow. Have never been here.

HO CHI MINH (SAIGON), Saturday March 8

Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam, is often called Saigon although the name was officially changed in 1975 at the end of the war when North Vietnam defeated South Vietnam. There are two sections to the city, downtown (Saigon) and Chinatown (Cholon). It's location on the Mekong River Delta made the city an important trading center.

We took the shuttle into the city & hired a taxi to take us around. We were gone for 2 hours at a cost of $17. We had a 7 course lunch at the infamous Rex Hotel. The 6th course was something called "hot pot" which is a soup with vegetables & shellfish. To say it was spicy would be an understatement. I took one spoonful & my eyes started to water. By the 2nd & 3rd my nose started to run and Gary was perspiring profusely. They should rename it "death by fire soup." By the way, the Rex Hotel was the site of the U.S. Military's weekly updates on the progress of the war (the Friday Night Follies).

We went to Chinatown (Cholon) and went to the market that sells everything imaginable in bulk quantities. Merchants come there from villages outside the city to purchase goods to sell to the local residents. It was a maze of shops that sold goods at extremely cheap prices. A far contrast to what we've been experiencing. Tourists were buying silk dresses, kimonos, lacquer crafts with inlaid mother of pearl, purses, backpacks & suitcases, t-shirts (Polo), belts, anything you could want is there. I bought 2 t-shirts for $2 ea. to wear to exercise.

The last time we were here everyone rode bicycles, that was about 10 years ago. Today, they all ride scooters. There are hundreds of them on the streets at all times. Very interesting city and a contrast to Hong Kong.