Whispering sweet nothings.

[turtlemichael]

Day 70 Mar 17 At sea between HCM City and Singapore.

Today we did a bridge tour, something you generally can't do on a plane. To someone like me who is a technology ignoramus it was very interesting. It was explained to us how grey and black waste were dealt with, the fire and alarm systems on the vessels, how different sorts of fuel are used in different situations. how we deal with the risk of pirates (only in general terms for security reasons), fuel consumption issues etc. The captain also explained why the internet had been so bad recently. Apparently, Japan requires that only one internet satellite connection is operated while in their region. Unfortunately, when we left the region it would no got back on and took some time to fix. As well, China blocks access to some sites in the interests of national purity. It is working reasonably well now so we have our fingers crossed.


The flag box.

A connection with Melbourne

 

[love_the_life]

Day 70 Mar 17 At sea between HCM City and Singapore.

Today we did a bridge tour, something you generally can't do on a plane. To someone like me who is a technology ignoramus it was very interesting. It was explained to us how grey and black waste were dealt with, the fire and alarm systems on the vessels, how different sorts of fuel are used in different situations. how we deal with the risk of pirates (only in general terms for security reasons), fuel consumption issues etc. The captain also explained why the internet had been so bad recently. Apparently, Japan requires that only one internet satellite connection is operated while in their region. Unfortunately, when we left the region it would no got back on and took some time to fix. As well, China blocks access to some sites in the interests of national purity. It is working reasonably well now so we have our fingers crossed.

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The flag box.
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A connection with Melbourne

I really enjoy visiting the bridge. Small ships often have an open bridge policy, when appropriate, and the large ships have a behind the scenes tour (though these cost ).

 

[craven morehead]

And finally, a visit to Tenru-ji Zen Buddhist Temple for a vegetarian lunch and a bit of meditation. The gardens again were spectacular. The meditation session was meant to be an introduction. Theday ended with a ride on the Nozomi Shinkansen train from Kyoto to Tokyo.

These three days away from the ship were brilliantly organised and well done by Silversea.
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Love the Japanese gardens looked like a welcome break from the ship.

 

[turtlemichael]

Now it is time for segment 6, Singapore to Dar Es Saleem. We shouldn't be going there. We were scheduled to end this segment in Mombasa but a few weeks ago it was announced that the disembarkation/embarkation port had been changed to DES from Mombasa. The reason given was "security" and followed the terrorist incident in Nairobi la couple of months ago.

Not many passengers would have been leaving or joining in Mombasa but two of our friends are coming aboard. They received notice at the same time as we did and have had to undo and re-do their travel plans. Silversea has said they'd cover any additional expenses, which there will be with short notice cancellations, so that is good. My map is therefore a bit wrong. We are looking forward to this leg because of a) warmer weather and b) visiting four countries we have not visited before.

 

[turtlemichael]

Day 71 Mar 18 Singapore

Having been here quite a few times we were a bit perplexed as to how to fill in the day. We decided to escort new cruise friends, a couple who had not been here previously, to the Botanic Gardens especially as one of them was into orchids. In fine, hot weather, we headed off.

 

[turtlemichael]

After the gardens we got a taxi to the Buddha's Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown for a mooch around. It is a fairly new building but bright and bustling. Apparently there are quite a few of the Buddha's teeth around Asia. We had lunch a the vegetarian restaurant below the Temple which the taxi driver had recommended. It was "street" vegetarian food and very tasty. The place was full of office workers paying like us a SGD3.00 donation for a very filling meal.

 

[love_the_life]

Day 71 Mar 18 Singapore

Having been here quite a few times we were a bit perplexed as to how to fill in the day. We decided to escort new cruise friends, a couple who had not been here previously, to the Botanic Gardens especially as one of them was into orchids. In fine, hot weather, we headed off.

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I love the Botanic Gardens in Singapore - always something new to see there.

 

[turtlemichael]

Day 72 Mar 19 Port Klang, Malaysia

The main reason for a stop at Port Klang is that it is the port for Kuala Lumpur, about an hour away. Port Klang town is about 30 minutes from the port and has very few redeeming features apart from a huge shopping centre. Having no desire to traipse into KL, as we did last time we were here, I settled on a quick visit to the shopping centre for a haircut. Cost AUD5.50.

Day 76 Mar 23 Trincomalee, Sri Lanka

Trincomalee is on the north east side of Sri Lanka and is part of the Tamil area where Hindus, rather than Buddhists, are in the majority. The site has been occupied since ancient times and was controlled by the Dutch, the Portuguese ad the British at various times. They wanted its superb harbor said to be one of the best in the world. Its geography saved Trincomalee from the worst of the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 3hich cost so many lives along the Sri Lankan coast. The town suffered badly in the 30 year civil war which ended in 2009. The town itself is uninspiring but has some of the best beaches in Sri Lanka nearby.

The area around contains some of the best UNESCO world Heritage sites. The most notable one is the Sigiriya Rock Fortress around 100 kilometres inland. It dates from the 5th century and had a city built on top of it. According to some who went it was magnificent. Sadly, we decided that the 1200 plus steps to get to the top were a bit much in the 37F heat so we settled for a shorter local tour which took us to Konaswaram Temple inside the old Portuguese fort, Fort Frederick, the war cemetery and the ruins of the oldest Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, Velgam Vehera, which dated back 2300 years. The town was attacked in WW2, as was Colombo, by the Japanese because of its status as a British base with its fine harbour. There were many casualties here.

Coming in to the Harbour at Trincomalee.


Deers and crows aplenty at the Hindu Temple.

Good spot for a break.


The ruins at Velgam Vehera.


Monkeys dashing through.​

 

[Pushka]

That area was one of the main areas of the Tamil ‘terrorist’ hideouts.

 

[turtlemichael]

That area was one of the main areas of the Tamil ‘terrorist’ hideouts.

We were told that there area is slowly recovering though we passed several Buddhist temples being rebuilt after damage in the war.

 

[turtlemichael]

Day 78 Mar 25 Colombo

It was another very hot but a less humid day than the one in Trincomalee. I did my morning walk on the deck as we approached into the smog around the port. However, it wasn’t as bad as Port Klang in Malaysia or Ho Chi Minh City or Shanghai where you could taste it. As we’d never been here before we decided to do an orientation type tour rather than head off to tea plantations or an elephant park.

Initial impressions of the city were very good even allowing for the likelihood that we were seeing the best parts. It does seem very different from an Indian city. First, it is clean. Hardly any rubbish around on the streets and less than you’d see in Sydney or Melbourne. We didn’t see beggars; I know they exist, but we did see a few snake charmers. Second, the footpaths were walkable. The most notable thing about the city to this tourist was the huge number of colonial buildings mostly dating from the late Victorian period or the early years of last century. Many had been renovated and converted into something useful in the 21st century. All appeared in excellent condition unlike in many places with a colonial history. Other than that I’ve been checking when the next Australian Test series is here. Sadly, for me, it is not until mid-2022 and there is a lot of water to flow under the bridge before then.

Our tour was arranged through Abercrombie and Kent by the Virtuoso Travel group. Our agent in Australia is a member of the group so this tour came as part of the deal and no extra cost. A few others on board set off on tuk-tuks and had a good time too. As part of our tour we visited the Asokaramaya Temple with amazing frescos and Buddhist statuary. This must be seen to be believed and there would have been a shortage of Dulux paint in Colombo after it was completed. We did a tea tasting ang got a lecture on why Sri Lankan tea rates so highly. We also visited the National Museum which has impressive collection of items in a lovely building. Finally, we had a seafood lunch at the Kingsbury Hotel which was apparently once the Colombo Intercontinental. The meal, seafood, was okay but the presence of a very loud traditionally dressed Sri Lankan three piece band, playing such well-known Sri Lankan hits as Wooden Heart, It’s Now or Never and Marie, seemed a little incongruous.

My overall conclusion is that I want to go back and see a lot more of the country.


A banyan tree outside the National Museum.


17th century throne of the king of Sri Lanka

 

[turtlemichael]

We are struggling with the internet here and have been for days. Connectivity has been atrocious and goes up and down. It looks a bit better tonight so I'll have a shot at posting something from Colombo which is, to me, an unbelievable 5 days ago.

In the evening at the end of our stay in Colombo Silversea put on a special event back at the Kingsbury Hotel. This time it really was traditional Lankan music, dance and fire-eating probably with a bit of added non-traditional oomph. It was a spectacular performance which went for just over an hour thus avoiding too much cultural overload. The drumming particularly was very impressive.

 

[craven morehead]

Looks like another country on the must do list

 

[JohnM]

Looks like another country on the must do list

Well, it is for me in September. What are you waiting for?

 

[turtlemichael]

Day 80 Mar 27 Male, Maldives
We are off the coast of Africa and the Internet is vaguely working again. I'll try to post something. Here are some shots from our day anchored in Male, The Maldives. The capital, Male, is one of the most densely populated cities in the world and full of motor scooters. It is in total contrast to what people think of when they think of the Maldives. The snorkeling, on the other hand, was amongst the best we have seen anywhere. So many fish but not much living coral.

 

[turtlemichael]

Day 83 Mar 30 Praslin Island, Seychelles

In sharp contrast to the Maldives, or what we saw of them, is Praslin Island in the Seychelles. Male in the Maldives ranks up there with Mumbai in population density but Praslin has only 9,000 people. We travelled all over the island and it seems like the true tropical paradise. Living there may be different. But it is stunningly beautiful and a great place for an expensive “do very little” holiday.

Its main claim to fame, apart from its beaches, is that it is the home of the famed coco-de-mer, the palm with the largest seed of any plant in the world. They were so named because when they washed up on the shores of the Maldives and looked so different, people thought that they had been created in the sea. Although it has been grown in a couple of places it is endemic to a few hectares of forest on the island. I didn’t know really anything about it and, if anyone wants to know, it is worth googling as it is an interesting story. The forest was hot and hard work but worth the effort. We also saw some black parrots which also only live on Praslin and number less than 1000 in the wild here. They are found nowhere else. I got a photo but it is very blurred. The snails and geckos are also native to this island.

A swim at a resort on the west coast of the island was from a pristine white sand beach. Eat your heart out, Port Melbourne! It was fun though the Indian Ocean temperature was 33C.

ps The photos have posted in nothing like the order I attempted but hopefully the drift will be clear!

 

[Pushka]

Day 83 Mar 30 Praslin Island, Seychelles

In sharp contrast to the Maldives, or what we saw of them, is Praslin Island in the Seychelles. Male in the Maldives ranks up there with Mumbai in population density but Praslin has only 9,000 people. We travelled all over the island and it seems like the true tropical paradise. Living there may be different. But it is stunningly beautiful and a great place for an expensive “do very little” holiday.

Its main claim to fame, apart from its beaches, is that it is the home of the famed coco-de-mer, the palm with the largest seed of any plant in the world. They were so named because when they washed up on the shores of the Maldives and looked so different, people thought that they had been created in the sea. Although it has been grown in a couple of places it is endemic to a few hectares of forest on the island. I didn’t know really anything about it and, if anyone wants to know, it is worth googling as it is an interesting story. The forest was hot and hard work but worth the effort. We also saw some black parrots which also only live on Praslin and number less than 1000 in the wild here. They are found nowhere else. I got a photo but it is very blurred. The snails and geckos are also native to this island.

A swim at a resort on the west coast of the island was from a pristine white sand beach. Eat your heart out, Port Melbourne! It was fun though the Indian Ocean temperature was 33C.

ps The photos have posted in nothing like the order I attempted but hopefully the drift will be clear!

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The coconut would make a great sculpture.

 

[love_the_life]

The coconut would make a great sculpture.

Yes, but all I can think of is buttocks.

 

[turtlemichael]

Yes, but all I can think of is buttocks.

That is the nut from the female coco-de-mer which is fertilised by the pollen from the nearby male coco-de-mer. Be grateful I didn't post a picture of the male one!

 

[Pushka]

That is the nut from the female coco-de-mer which is fertilised by the pollen from the nearby male coco-de-mer. Be grateful I didn't post a picture of the male one!

Oh you know you want to. It’s interesting the form that both the male and female of this plant have.