We started out going through the streets from the pier to a flower, food market and temple.  The streets were pretty filthy and not a drop of cement for sidewalks any where.  It was a little shocking at first to see the filth and the poor living conditions but the people didn't seem to mind it at all.  As usual there was construction down through the streets which needed to be wrapped up in less than two months due to the rainy season coming.   I'd hate to see this place in the rainy season even without the construction.  The streets had cows sitting on the side of the roads and people would bring them grass and lentil tortillas to eat.

My number one stop on our private Mumbai tour was the slum area which we visited next.  Things were dirty but there seemed to be order in this messy looking area.  Nothing is thrown away; everything is recycled.  The people live in the top part of the buildings and work in the lower floors.   Most of the workers in this area were men but there were a few women.  Most of these people are immigrants and it was mainly the men who came looking for work while leaving their families behind.   To my surprise they had satellite dishes on the roofs too!  Good for them!

We took pictures from the above highway and saw dogs and kids down in the garbage pit which had an open sewer running through the middle.   Believe it or not you couldn't smell it but Candice said she could as she waited in the car (she didn't want to go down into the 'pit' with us).  

We climbed down into the area via a straight stairwell that was about twenty five feet down.  The alley street ran parallel to the sewer we saw from the top but was out of sight due to buildings being on both sides of the alleyway.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  As a matter of fact I found nothing revolting about it.  Yes it was dirty but the people were nice, mild mannered and hard working.  Funniest thing I saw was Oreo plastic wrap covering the ceiling of one business which is funny because I didn't even see Oreo's in the grocery store we visited.  As a matter of fact soda was the only thing we recognized besides some Kellogg cereals in different packaging.   

Our guide told us that some of the designer named goods are made right down here in these slums.  We saw some UK designer jeans being made, cardboard being salvaged, bars of soap being recycled and big steel drums with dents being pounded out, cleaned and repainted.  The people were all too happy for us to step inside and check out their operation.  They were very proud of their work.   We had to take our shoes off in order not to dirty the work area which made me think to myself that my shoes are probably cleaner than their workers feet, so go figure.  

Now we had partnered up with the people we met from Liverpool, Keith and Colette, and took a private tour.  We had and an air conditioned minivan with a woman who spoke excellent English as our guide and a driver who spoke very little.   We felt very safe everywhere we went since we had our guide right by our side.  Without her we wouldn't have been in any danger but I think we would have been hassled by the street vendors even more.  Nineteen million people living in the area and at times it felt like everyone of them was trying to sell us something. 

We next headed over to another part of the slum area and walked through the streets.  We went in the back alleys and saw the clay pots that they had made curing in the short, outdoor ovens.  Somewhat smokey and cramped but the people were fantastic.  Little kids who wanted their pictures taken and then they wanted to see themselves on the camera.  There are so many kids that the school works in shifts.  Older ones go in the morning and the little ones go in the afternoon.  

We headed over to the dobi ghat where they do all the laundry.  Only men work down in the laundry area.  Hotels, manufactures and the wealthier people send their garments and clothes for cleaning.  The trains ran above and along side the entire wash area.  They were filled with people who were hanging out the doors due to them being so crowded.  Our tour guide told us that people loose their lives by falling off all the time.  While we were here I decided to give out my bag of chocolate candy to the beggars and kids.  I had been saving my chocolates that they put on our pillow every night and I was also taking chocolate mints from the dining room so I was loaded with about 3 pounds of chocolate squares.

After getting out for pictures at the wash area, we all got back in the car and cracked the windows about two inches and we handed out the candy from the safety of the inside of the van.  I even had our driver handing it out after giving some to him for his kids.  Now these kids knew the word chocolate and all kinds of hands were reaching inside the car for a piece of it, even the adults.  It felt good to give them a little taste of the sweet life and I could have done this all day.  I took the bags and held them upside down to show them that there was no more.   Once the chocolate was gone one kid started asking for 10 rupees.  After we drove away there were more fingerprints all over the windows than you could imagine which the driver later wiped down at the next stop.  I can just imagine the scene after we left.  Cunard candy wrappers all over the streets!  Ha, ha.  Don't worry, somebody will come along and recycle the paper!

After this we headed over to the Taj Hotel, the one they shot up and started on fire a couple of years ago.  The Gate of India which was completed in 1911 was right across the street.  This was truly a wonderful area that I wished we had more time to just hang out in.  So many vendors coming up to us saying they would print out our picture of us at the gate immediately.  We tried to explain that we didn't need one but it was almost futile.  Lots of little boats in the harbor area and very picturesque.  I only wish we had walked across the street to see the inside of the hotel but the traffic was chaotic with horns honking, vendors trying to sell and lots of people around so instead of being able to think all you found yourself doing was trying to keep an eye on your car and your tour guide.  

Next we visited the gothic style building of the Victoria Train Station and went in to see the train platforms.  This building dates back to 1880's.  Most of these trains travel south of Mumbai with a few heading north.  It is so extensive that the train system is the largest employer in India.   Lots of beautiful Victorian and Gothic buildings in the city.  One sight we did not get over to was the hanging gardens but more interesting than that are the Dokhmas, which are the Towers of Silence, in which cadavers are hung on seven columns for vultures to devour in accord with Parsee tradition.  Parsee is a small religious sect in India and they believe this is the ultimate sacrifice.  It would have been a sight to see but apparently the public is not allowed to see these Towers of Silence which is probably a good thing!  

Our last stop was a shopping area in which textiles were sold amongst the many other items.  Believe it or not our driver dropped us off in the middle of the intersection since there was no place to park.  Now this intersection was an area where four roads converged at the top of the shopping area and everything from hand carts to buses to old taxi cabs from the 50's were trying to maneuver through.  Horn honking was a must for each driver.  It was chaotic but picture perfect so I had whipped the camera out for some wonderful movie taking and captured the sights and sounds of the city.  What an experience; the sun beating down on you, cats walking on the roof of the shops a couple floors up, horns honking non stop, people pushing carts with goods on them and non air conditioned old cabs crowding the streets.  It was almost a sensory over load.   You could actually feel the heartbeat of the city moving all around you.  There is no describing this place.  You really have to experience it yourself.  

One other thing we saw was the lunch box system.  Our guide told us that nobody eats anything cold.  They always eat hot food and nothing is dry; it's always cooked in sauce.  So meals are cooked at home, a delivery guy comes to pick up the lunch box and he takes it to the train station where he puts it on the train for the ride across town.  Once across town another carrier picks it up and delivers it to the person at the office.  Once eaten the container makes its way back to the house it came from.  It's hard to believe that people have full time jobs delivering meals they don't even make but hey, there are plenty of people to put to work over here, so I guess it works for them.      

India was magical for sure and a great adventure in and of itself!  Lots of lovely, resourceful people, lots of chaos and lots to experience with all five senses.   I really don't see myself coming back any time soon but if it was along the way to another destination I wouldn't mind visiting again.  The slums were an eye opener and a far cry from what I had envisioned; not sad or depressing but hopeful, optimistic, and promising.  Given half a chance I think these people could run rings around us.  I'm glad I got to experience it and I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

Sandy

Bombay Appendix from Candice:

I'm sure Sandy filled you all in on the pertinent information on Bombay, but here are a few little nuggets from me. 

Private tours are totally worth it, especially in a country like India. A little pricey, but considering we would have paid 2/3's of it for a Cunardian tour, we got a better deal. You're only there once (at least that is what I say now, things could change), better do it right. I think I would have been a complete mess without our tour guide. She was like my security blanket; people really didn't mess with us since she was there.

I was a little skeptical about visiting the slums, but they were nothing like I had imagined. The whole area was teeming with activity. It was a little shocking to see people pop-up out of dumpsters, but it was recycling in its purest form. This I can relate to. I recycle aluminum cans only because someone will give me money for them (not for any environmental reasons). This was what the slums circled around, an industry of recycling everything. We saw broken clocks being "cannibalized," the glass, the plastic, and the metal all headed off to different parts of the city. Everywhere you looked people were hauling around bags of accumulated items back to their homes. When they had enough for it to be economical to hire a push cart, they would take it to a recycling center. Sandy must have a little Indian in her.

Sandy almost got wounded by a cow outside a temple. We were taking pictures of them on the sidewalk; they were happy campers eating their grass that people feed them on their way to the temple. Sandy "Take my picture with him." Next you know, the cow is starting to ram its head into Sandy. She jumped out of the way before any real damage was inflicted. But Keith bought some grass to feed him; he was only too happy to take the grass. No photos though.

I loved all the architecture in the fort area, seemed bizarrely like Europe with palm trees. The Victoria Terminus train station was what I was really interested in seeing. It didn't disappoint. We had to cross a couple of very busy streets to get to the terminal; I felt like George Castanza in the Seinfeld episode with the frogger machine. There didn't seem to be a lot of ticket monitoring; everyone just seemed to be getting on the trains and hanging on anywhere they could. There weren't any doors or basically any windows on any of the trains. So no announcements of "Please stand clear of the door while they are shutting," assuming they even had an intercom system, highly unlikely. Outside the station there was a used book stall. This little operation had quite a few good books: Atlas Shrugged and New Moon are the two that stick out the most. Someone over in India has a good taste in reading material.

The Taj Hotel was a surreal sight, after watching the terrorist attacks on television a couple years back. The hotel was beautiful; there was very little damage left from the attacks. The only downside was that this area was where all the tourists go, therefore this is where all the hawkers go to sell their goods. 

crj

Housekeeping. Sorry there haven't been any pictures. Internet and time are hard to come by. We will post a lot of pictures when we get back to the states.

Part I from Candice:

Well, I think "Cochin" is Indian for rip-off. At least that is the way the day started off. Most of the time, money can be exchanged on the ship, no problems. The rate isn't that good, but there isn't a service charge. So it all evens out. This is all fine and good, until we hit those odd ports, like Cochin, where a local bank comes on board to exchange money. These people don't speak english and they don't tell you the exchange rate. You just hand them the money; they hit around on the calculator and give you some rupees. Thank goodness we only got $40 exchanged, because with the rate they gave us it was equivalent to only $30 dollars. Total gip. If I had a little forewarning, I wouldn't have done it. It is frustrating to try and calculate all of this in such little time.

Onward to our "tour" of the harbor. It was basically what our ship sailed past in the morning, except we were on a tiny little boat with benches that faced inward. Stupid. The real kicker was how slow we were going. This infuriated Sandy, which in turn got me all worked up. A lady next to us asked, "Too much togetherness?" "No, frustration. And we deal with it differently." But a positive spin on the "tour" is that we could have spent a lot more on a crappy tour.

The tuktuk was an experience. Sandy's story is below. Before you read it, allow me a defense. I was up for a trip to Fort Kochi, just not an extended excursion. I had a very small list of sights that I wanted to see. Maybe a little shopping. So after I saw St. Francis Church and bought a purse, I was ready to head back, but that was apparently not in the cards. This purse I bought looked good hanging up and was only six dollars. I did see that there was some dirt on it, due to the street vendors basically keeping their items out for so long. I thought "Okay, it is what it is." Plus, Sandy said it can be washed. I'm trying to make a decision, but my anxiety started rearing its head. It was a brash decision, but I bought the purse. Little by little, I realized that I didn't want it and that there were more defects. Great. Sandy said give it to somebody. "I am not giving this to anybody!" So this on top of the never-ending tour was getting frustrating.  Sandy was no help; she encouraged the prolonged tour and ignored my pleas of "Tell him we want to go back to the ship." I sound like negative nancy, but I did enjoy myself. My anxiety level tends to have a limit, probably half the size of Sandy's. 

Later while back on the ship, Sandy was recalling her Saigon rip-off. "I've come to accept my postcards." After a second, I followed with a laughing (slightly hysterical) reply of  "Acceptance is the first step." This set off an episode of laughing, the kind where you couldn't breath. It was a nice way to take the edge of the day off.  

Part II from Sandy:

Cochin, India was very exciting!  After taking a harbor tour with Cunard (our second official purchased tour) we took a tuk tuk ride all the way into Ft. Kochi and this was truly an adventure!  Never mind that the harbor tour seemed to be too laid back and slow going but when we got off the boat, we were given bad information.  We had requested that we be dropped off in Ft. Kochi while on the harbor cruise but the tide was too high and they told us private boats could not drop off at the piers.  So instead of boarding the bus for a two block drive back to the ship, we asked were we go to catch the ferry.  Next jetty down was what we were given.  

We got over to the next jetty via side roads only to find that this ferry went to some island starting with a 'V.'  Not a whole lot of English spoken either at this ticket office and we surely stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the locals.  I almost felt like an animal in a zoo with all the stares but on a lighter note as we boarded our bus there was an open barred window with some young mens faces peering through.  Once I saw them I waved and they were only too excited to be acknowledged.  Also while we were on our harbor cruise there were some young girls on the banks in their school uniforms and they got excited about their visitors too when we waved back at them.  Very friendly people and beautiful faces with big smiles!

Striking out on our own to find the real jetty for the Ft. Kochi ferry we went out towards the end of the peninsula and rounded the corner.  The all too familiar stares with all eyes upon us was a little unsettling but I never thought we were in any danger.  I think we were just an oddity.  We were approached by a tuk tuk driver who was awfully persistent and a little irritating.  He was young and eager to get our business but we thought we needed to take a ferry due to the time of the day and the distance we needed to go.  Once we got over to the other side of the peninsula we found the jetty but there was no ticket window or time schedule.  After an inquiry we found out this one was for port authority workers only.  

Luckily we spotted an information office and Candice went in to get some directions while I tried to hold off the tuk tuk driver that had followed us all the way down the street and an older man who wanted to take us across by his private boat.  Looking back it was quite comical but once we found out the ferry we needed didn't leave until 1:45 p.m. our tuk tuk driver was in business.  He told us it would take 30 minutes to drive over and it would cost us $2 US dollars.  At this point in time I was glad he was as persistent as he was. 

We loaded up in the open air tricycle cab with a motorcycle engine and three hard rubber tires (no air).  Very interesting and fun!  We felt every bump in the road and when we finally got to the bridge it was a real balancing act for him to stay just on one tire track side of the road.  We felt like we were truly doing the amazing race since our driver was going as fast as he could and we looked around and wondered where they would put the camera crew.

The ride was not for the faint of heart!  We hung on the bars on the side and secured our bags so they wouldn't fall out all the while taking movies with the camera.  Our young guy had no qualms about pulling out into on coming traffic to pass big trucks and buses.  We played chicken through an intersection with a big rig and believe it or not we won.  Brake pedals mashing to the floor followed by a couple of quick jumps towards the center, followed by a stall, then another small jump.  I could have leaned out and kissed the fender of the big rig we were so close.  But our cab driver finally took the big jump out and around all the while shouting some obscenity towards the other driver.  We experienced this more than once but this was the closest call.  Shortly after this we saw two accidents within 100 feet of each other.  A brand new car had run up under a bus and smashed the hood and another new car had been hit in the rear panel!  I just kept hanging on waiting for the impact as we wove our way through the streets that at times suddenly became three lanes with us in the middle.  

About 25 minutes into this ride we pulled up to this air conditioned store and our driver insisted that we get out and go in.  He knew we were looking for shopping but we specifically told him we wanted to be dropped off at St. Francis Church.  As usual, he was very persistent that we go in and shop and we realized he was going to get paid for us to walk in.  I told Candice that we'd humor him and go in, make one quick round and come back out, which we did.  We found our driver in the back parking lot getting paid and we climbed in the tuk tuk.  He looked happy as he crossed the lot towards the tuk tuk.  This happened several times during the trip but hey it was a way for him to make a little more money so I didn't really care too much.  Candice was another story.

What I did enjoy about our driver is he was actually a quasi-independent tour guide.  He showed us the Dutch Cemetery which dated back to 1729, the large washing area on the water banks, an elephant over the wall (they were charging you 15 rupees to walk into the courtyard), a 500 year old tree (questionable, but what the hey), the Chinese fishing nets, which we saw on our harbor cruise, the Dutch Palace which didn't look to palace-y and some other small sights.  He took us by a spice shop and some local street vendors, too.  

Candice was calling to go back home to the ship but this atmosphere was right up my alley.  Goats ran around the streets like dogs and cats and in packs.  It was too funny, weird and cute all at the same time.  Trash was thrown on the side of the roads and we saw a couple of people picking through it - one man's garbage is another man's treasure.  Thank God it didn't stink like garbage.  Some nicer hotels were sandwiched across the park area by the water front and we did see a few foreign tourist besides the Cunardians.  Our driver took us down some back alleys that were very interesting and quite empty.  Even though he didn't speak much English he knew all the pertinent words.  I hope he didn't hear or understand Candice complaining to get back to the ship.  I on the other hand was having fun and promised her that we would not be going in any more stores but I still wanted to see the sights he would show us.

Candice was determined that we were driving around in circles and got frustrated with me when I told her we were heading back to the ship but she wasn't convinced until we saw some familiar sights.  I told her that they were probably one way streets.  I don't think she bought it but It was nice to see what their everyday life looked like and it made me appreciate what we have back home.  No smelly foods cooking either.  As a matter of fact I smelled something good cooking and we figured it was due to the spices they were using.  Only a little fishy smell around the boats and fishing nets.  

Cochin is a large port town and most of the commerce is associated with cargo shipping so I'm sure this part of India is wealthier than most areas.   One island was tax free and there was access to the larger part of city by ferry for 2.5 rupees.  I'm thinking that's were I might live if I had to set up shop in Cochin!  In the area there are four or five islands with most of them connected by bridges.  The maps Cunard gave us lacked a total layout of all the islands which caused us to be confused for a little while.  All the islands were flat and everywhere you looked there was a fishing boat somewhere.  

This place is worthy of a visit, but I wouldn't consider an extended or even an overnight stay.  The day was memorable and I'll always remember our pushy little driver just trying to eek out a living.  We ended up paying him five dollars and I think the experience was well worth it!  Candice was relieved to get back to the ship and later at the evening show our cruise director said he saw people coming back on the ship, dropping to their knees and kissing the floor.  I didn't think it was that bad, but it got a good laugh. I can vouch that Candice didn't seem as bad as he described but she was close!  On the other hand, a spa worker for Cunard got in a tuk tuk accident .  It tipped over with him in it going down the road.  We heard he ended up in the ship's hospital per the Chief Purser at dinner that night.  Oops!

Sandy

We've been in five ports for the last seven days so we seem to be backed up in getting our post out.  We have posted all of our tales below in several postings and are now caught up.  Still no way to get pictures posted and the one day we were ready to post the ship's server was down for maintenance.  We hit two ports back to back then one day at sea and then three more ports for the next three days.  This vacation is getting a little tiring.  The old adage "I need a vacation from my vacation" is standing true.  You're out all day in the port, back on the ship to clean up, eat dinner, download pictures, study the next days port, pack your backpack, get to bed and then you're back at it again the next morning for another full day.  It's coming all so quickly it's hard for us to say what we did or where we saw something.  I thought it was just my memory getting to me but Candice is having a hard remember all this stuff too (Candice: I'm just having a hard time with what the currency rates were for a place).  That gives me a little comfort but not much!

We've been invited to eat with the Chief Purser and his junior assistant for Tuesday, the 30th.  We are still waiting for that next elusive Captain's cocktail party.

We are up to 11 golden tickets in trivia.  We weren't able to play while we were in port since we were out running around.  We just can't get enough of these!  They are suppose to get some new prizes for ticket redemption in Dubai.  

They postponed our pirate drill until after Dubai.  We understand that no one will be allowed on the 3rd and 10th decks since they will have the water cannon hoses laid out and everyone is to keep their curtains closed at night and most lights on the boat will be darkened with security on the outside decks.  Meanwhile I'm stocking up on food in the cabin just in case something goes down.  We suspect they'll tell us to lock ourselves in the bathroom if anything happens but either way I'll be ready!   

PS  Lucky cat is back to waving.  We'll see how he does!  Ha, ha.

Phuket was really a touristy island.  They seem to have recovered well from the 2004 tsunami in Patong and now have evacuation routes marked down on the waterfront and a small sign commemorating the event.  

We had to tender in from our ship and I saw a sign placed on our ship that said 'security warning - stay back 50 meters' for the first time.  Candice told me that they had been hanging that up in every port but it is usually on the other side of the ship where we can't see it.  Once on shore we stopped in a basement grocery store to stock up on some Cokes and Pringles for our beach excursion.  

Back out on the streets we found a Tuk Tuk which is an open air, covered truck, to take us about six miles up the road to Kata Beach.  On the way there was a section of roadway on a long hill but not too steep that had a bunch of temples placed on the side.  Most seemed to be broken down, tipped over and dilapidated.  They were mixed in with newer ones standing totally erect.  I couldn't figure out if they were memorials for people who had died in traffic accidents on the road or what.  It was something to see even if I didn't understand it.     

Once on the beach we rented more lounge chairs, a table and an umbrella for 200 Baht.  There were so many chairs they had to number them so you could find yours amongst the throng of them wrapped all the way around this 2 mile circular beach.  I couldn't figure out how they ran this system or who got the rights to operate these chair rentals but it was an operation and a half.  The heat was stifling to say the least.  Apparently it had just showered before we got over to the beach around 10 a.m. so the humidity was even higher than usual as the sun started barring down on us.  No sunbathing that day, just sitting under the shade of the umbrella trying to survive the heat.  We think it hit triple digits that day. 

As we sat there watching the waves roll in we tried to figure out if the weather was this way every day or if we just hit an usually hot day.  You could feel the heat surrounding you, not so much that you were hot because apparently the air around us was hotter than our bodies.  A lot of Europeans were vacationing here and I had a a nice conversation with an elder couple from Canada out in the water.  They had been in the area for 2.5 months and had 2 more weeks before flying back home.  They asked me about all the places we had visited and I told them what our favorite places were.  They asked me if I was worried about the pirates and the safety of the entire trip.  I told them I wouldn't let a few thugs thwart my vacation plans.  The lady said she really liked my attitude about that and was surprised I recommended some of the places like Vietnam since she had heard different stories.  I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder!

As I was coming back in from the water to the lounge chairs I was surprised to look up and see Candice had left our belongings unattended on the beach and was walking into the water.  I guess I had talked for quite a while and she was quite desperate to get some relief from the heat in the water.  She motioned for me to get up to our belongings and later told me that she was watching me the whole time and knew I was talking since my hands were waving around.  Bless her heart, even if I did look towards the beach I never would have spotted her amongst all those umbrellas.

There was an opportunity to have another foot massage on the beach but it was too hot to really enjoy it.  The only saving grace for the day was a nice breeze that blew too infrequently but when it did, it was great!  I found my myself trapesing down to the water every fifteen minutes.  We decided we'd start moving over to the next beach, Karon Beach back towards Patong, after the heat of the day passed.  So around 2:30 p.m. we packed up even though the heat hadn't subsided to any measurable degree.  We tried to pay attention as to how long the drive from Karon over to Kata was on the way there and decided we would try to walk it.

A few small hills and hot sidewalks later we stuck our heads in the first grocery store for a look around.  Air conditioning was good but nothing like the air conditioning in the 7-Elevens.  Everyone we have visited in our travels are quite the heat refuge, especially in the tropics.  I'll never look at another 7-Eleven pre-trip in states the same again.  Unfortunately their fountain drink machine was down so we settled on another bottle of Coke.

Walking through the shopping in this area, Candice found a dress to buy.  Starting price was 690 Baht and she passed it up but we got to the end of the stalls and had to turn around and go back to exit.  Upon strolling back by the price magically dropped to 250 Baht.  She bought it!   I felt sorry for these people having to hawk their wares just to make a living.  We prefer shopping with things priced.  We don't like having to ask for the price because it will tie you up for 15 minutes.  Everyone kept asking us where we were from, a conversation starter (and it's best not to start one-if you know what I mean), and once we didn't answer them they'd guess we were from Sweden.  Seems there is a direct flight from there to Phuket and Candice had the coloring.  I don't really look like I could be Swedish but our first room steward thought I was, so maybe I could pass for Swedish.

Trying to get a Tuk Tuk back to Patong proved to be a little challenging.  We preferred to split the fare with someone going that way and after walking to and fro just trying to find a driver I spotted an older couple that looked like they were also looking for a ride.  I shouted across the road and asked them if they wanted to share a Tuk Tuk.  They were French and didn't speak English but apparently they understood Tuk Tuk and agreed they would split the fare.  Three hundred Baht later we made it back to Patong.  Our first mission was to find a happy hour bar followed closely by a foot massage place.  

Seems we stumbled across the foot massage place first since the happy hour 2 for 1 bars were not as plentiful as they were on Kata Beach.  One hour of foot massaging for me and a pedicure for Candice with air conditioned air was right in line.  I actually stepped inside to see how air conditioned it was before we said 'yes."  They gave us a nice cold cup of sealed water to drink, unlike the Hong Kong massage where they gave me the medicinal hot water to drink.   I wasn't about to drink that water since it was hot much less whatever they put in it to take the edge off of the painful foot massage.  I made it through that one with some pain but it felt good at the same time.  I thought this one was going to be less painful since they were just serving ice water but she really worked the center of my feet good and I thought I was going to come up out of the chair a couple times.  I think my feet thanked me both times!  

A little more shopping along the street front where the tsunami rolled in and then to the bar for a drink.  One vendor had the actual video of the water coming on the beach at this particular spot.  It was pretty weird watching it and looking around seeing exactly where the water went.  At the hotel street bar we choose the 'My Dear' drink which tasted a lot like the Singapore Sling but was actually a little better.  It was a perfect way to spend the rest of the evening until our ship sailed at 7:30 p.m.  With what little Baht we had left to spend we revisited the basement store and bought two cans of Pringles then made our way back to the tender pier. (Candice: 110 Baht = two cans of 55 Baht. Perfect!)

We always thought we'd like to go to Phuket on vacation for a little longer stay but the weather proved us wrong.  One thing for sure is our hotel would have to be air conditioned to the hilt.  There is so much to do and see on this island and you would definitely want to rent a motor scooter to get around.  There are plenty of smaller islands to take boats out for snorkeling and beach visiting.  They have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  It seemed to be TOO touristy and packed with too many tourist too, especially around Patong but we'd give it another whirl in a heartbeat but maybe after researching a cooler month to visit, if there is such a thing!

Pulverizing heat in Phuket is a no go but Phuket in and of itself is a GO! 

Sandy   

Kaula Lampur was another port with an hour bus ride into the city.  These long trips into the cities are on our tab so we have to pay Cunard anywhere from $50 - $80 each depending on the city for the transportation but the 30 minute or less shuttles are taken care of by them.

The highways are modern, clean and wide with three and four lanes going each way at certain times.  Most of the roads are toll roads and motorcycles are not allowed.  They ride on the outside on a small pathway.  They had about 30 toll booths lined up all the way across the freeway.  As we approached the city our escort told us not to carry our bags on the outside shoulder due to people on motorcycles driving by and grabbing your bag off your shoulder and speeding away.  He also warned us about pick-pocketers.  After being in 'safe' Singapore the other day I didn't have my handy money holder in my backpack that goes around my neck so I had to be on heightened alert all day.

Our bus dropped us off at a monorail station and we made quick time to get purchase our tickets over to a subway stop and then buy tickets over to the Petronas Towers at the other end of town.  There is no cost to go up the Petronas Towers but they only hand out 1,700 tickets a day for the bridge visit.  We quickly made our way to the line that starts forming at 6 a.m. everyday with tickets being issued at 8 a.m.  Sad to say that there were only 14 tickets available before the 2:45 p.m. scheduled time to be back on the bus according to their TV monitor so this was a bust.  No way, no how were we going to be able to get up there without a ticket.  Too much security and not enough time.  We knew it was a long shot to get tickets for that day but we had to try.  You're only here once, right?  The only redeeming aspect was we didn't waste any time in line only to find out our time frame tickets were all snatched up.  Tours left every 15 minutes but we understand one person could ask for 60 tickets if they were a tour company hosting 60 visitors and we didn't even get into town until 9:50 a.m. then had to make our way across town.  So we did the second best thing; we took pictures from the outside and they had a Formula One car sponsored by Petronas displayed in the front of the building.   Petronas Towers was built with oil money and they also had a private hospital across town.  Seems we are running a little ahead of the Formula One circuit over here.  April 4th is race day.  We choose to skip the KL Tower located up the hill but did snap a couple of pictures.

There is a huge, modern mall in the basement of the Petronas Towers and we stumbled across another Aunt Annie's.  Time for a little taste of home.  These pretzels only cost the equivalent of .75 in US dollars.  Too bad that's not the price in the states!  After our mid morning snack we took the subway over to the central part of the city to see the world's tallest flagpole in Merdeka Square or Independence Square.  The Union Jack was lowered on August 31, 1957 and the Royal Selangor Club which only allowed the British in sits across the street from the Sultan Abdul Samad building which now houses government offices.

Once again the heat was on and the humidity was high.  By the time we walked down to the National Mosque, the KTM Building and the KL Railway Station built in 1910, we were melting.   The walk was nice with some shade but by the time we got over there I think every Cunard tour bus was there too.  We heard that you couldn't go in the Mosque unless you were a worshipper and that was okay with us.  

We made our way over to the Central Market that has been there since 1888 for some shopping.  On the walk over we were on some side street of the highway and every 25 feet there was a storm grate.  We came across one that was missing its cover and if we had been looking up and not paying attention it would have been a bad accident.  It was about 2.5' square and it would have been about a 15' drop to the bottom.  No safety regulations in this country; no tape, no barricades, no nothing, just a big hole in the middle of the sidewalk.  In the market we did a lot of browsing but only purchased a Coke for a cool down.  Thank God for Coke and its international sales!    

We walked over to Chinatown and strolled down the sales stalls complete with knockoffs of every namebrand you can think of.  They had a couple flower stalls located in here with some pretty flower arrangements but I'd hate to see what they would have looked like by the end of the day and the heat.  We then caught a subway over to the Sentral Station to visit a shopping area and the National Museum.  Seems they knocked down the shopping area and were busy building with a major construction job.  Getting over to the National Museum was quite tricky since we had to cross over some interstate roads but we finally made it over there.  Nice grounds and good air conditioning.  Very nice displays and pieces inside including items from shipwrecks around Malaysia.  They had money made of tin and in the shape of grasshoppers and elephants about four inches long and two inches high.  Too funny to imagine carrying a bunch of that around in the days.  And I thought Australia's money was cumbersome!  The Modern Malaysia gallery had a timeline on how they stamped out the communist movement in their country in the 1950's and some modes of transportation.  We had a very good visit and welcome rest from the heat.  

Finding our way over to the monorail station was a little more difficult than it should have been but that was the system we needed to be on to get back to our bus.  You'd think all you had to do was look up, find it and follow it but it is actually pretty low to the ground and hidden between the buildings.  Once back over in the vicinity of our bus stop we stopped for some more Cokes and spent the last of our Ringgits in a supermarket on Oreo's, a Twix and a can of Pringles.  There were no benches in the mall so we went downstairs where the little food restaurants were located and sat down in one just waiting for someone to come along and tell us we had to leave since we weren't eating their entrees but that never happened.  I had 60 ringgits, a little more than $20 USD, left from Kota Kinabalu and it lasted all day.  Not that we have bought a lot of stuff this entire trip, we are about shopped out.  I look around and think who is going to buy all this merchandise they have on the shelves.  We can't figure out if they just replenish as quick as they sell it or if they are not selling much.  Seems like everyone has the same merchandise to a large extent too.  Chinatown is ironically on Petaling St. but I think it was supposed to be called Peddling St.  I think the spelling was lost in translation.

KL is very cosmopolitan and inexpensive.  On the ride back to the container terminal in the suburbs there were numerous new and large housing condo/apartment complexes about 4 stories high set on large plots of land that were previously undeveloped complete with play grounds and small parks.  They looked very modern and livable out of all the housing we've seen lately.  Very American looking but with an art deco flare.  If you wanted to do some serious shopping here you could do some minor damage on your credit card and get some major purchases.  

Seems like everyone has left their mark on Malaysia's largest city.  The Chinese, the buddhist, the Hindus, the British, Islam; they're all there living in harmony.  Modern high rises, temples, mosques and colonial era buildings.  Malaysia is the only city in the world to have a million-year-old primary forest within the heart of the city.  I would have liked to have gotten out to the Batu Caves which are located 13 kilometers outside the city.  They are made of limestone, 400 meters long and 100 meters high with 272 steps to the top.  I think we could have made it there, up to the caves and back but I don't know how much else we would have been able to see.  Lots of stuff we didn't get to see as usual not enough time.  Wouldn't mind coming back if it crossed my path along the way to another place but probably not on its own.       

Sandy

Candice's Title "Clearly, you've never been to Singapore!"

Prior to getting into Singapore, we were given our passports and strict instructions on what not to do in order not to get arrested.  Jaywalkers to be fined on the spot.  No littering, smokers beware.  Drug peddling serves you up a death sentence.  Back in 1994 Michael Fay grabbed headline news when he received a judicial canning for violating the law but it seems that Singaporean law enforcement has eased somewhat since then.  A guy on the elevator told us that he had lived there for quite a while and most of the warnings were overblown but we made sure we didn't jaywalk even though we didn't really see any police presence. 

Nothing like a few tough laws to get a city looking clean and spiffy.  Singapore was VERY clean and orderly, and a far cry from the days of the pirate's rule.  I guess when you are your own island state you can pretty much control your borders and illegal immigration.  Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in 1819 and claimed it for the British.  He laid out a plan for the city giving the Chinese their Chinatown, the Arabs their own area and the Indians their Little India center.  The average yearly salary is equivalent to $35,000 USD.  Unlike other large cities you can walk fearlessly down the streets any time of the day.

Our 10 minute shuttle bus from the container terminal dropped us off at the Harbour Center and from there we caught the subway into the center of town for a look at the Fullerton Hotel which use to be the old post office.  It was a very fancy hotel with open air cafes and restaurants in the center on the bottom floor with all the rooms looking down the atrium.  I didn't get to check out the bathroom but I'm sure it would have been 'orange-eating' worthy by the looks of the Rolls Royce out front.  This hotel sat on the Singapore River with wonderful views of old time white bridges that still had the signs up saying no oxen or cattle can cross.  It looked very Disney-esque.  

Stepping into the Empress Palace Museum before moving on helped to relieve a little morning heat.  We walked over to the Old Supreme Court and on the backside of this building was the futuristic looking, flying saucer New Supreme Court Building.  We then strolled past St. Andrew's church but didn't go inside since it was closed.  Next was the old building of City Hall.  Very elegant and commanding over looking the Padang which is an open grassy area used for sports and special events.  

Making our way from the War Memorial and under the street tunnel, a young guy passing by us read my forehead.  He shouted over the tops of our dinner mates heads, Lee and Joe, pointed to me and told me that I was very lucky.  I asked him how he knew and he told me he was reading the lines on my forehead.  He told me that April was going to be very lucky for me and asked were I was from.  I just wish I was as confident as he was about my luck.  We'll see what happens!

Out to the waterfront we saw the Merlion, the city/state's recently adopted symbol.  There was water shooting out of his mouth and into Marina Bay.  Whenever we saw this on t-shirts or elsewhere in the city I pronounced it in a deep ZooLander movie fashion - Muuur Lion.   Across Marina Bay they were building a three tower building that was connected all the way across the top with a deck that over hung the buildings by about 100 feet.  On one side the buildings base swooped up with the back side of the building going straight up.  An architectural feat in and of itself.  Not quite done but almost there.  

From there we walked passed the Victoria Theatre which is used for concerts and special events over to the Singapore Flyer which is a large glass enclosed ferris wheel.  It just so happened that the flyer shut down for maintenance ten minutes before we got there and they said it would be down for at least one hour.  We took a break from the heat and Candice got a biscuit and a Coke at Popeye's.  I pulled out my some chocolate chip cookies from the ship for everyone to share and drank some water.  After that the flyer was still down and we decided we wouldn't want to get stuck on it and waste our time just looking down on the city.  

Once on the move again we walked up the road past some construction (ah, the sound of progress) and even the construction areas were well maintained and peculiarly clean.  Underneath their major intersections you will find new shopping centers and access to the subway.  What a great and COOL (literally) way to get from one side of the street to another.  It is really a whole city underground and we spotted a Godiva Chocolate store down there.  We marveled at the thought of being able to go shopping in the rain and not getting wet at all; right off the subway into the stores and back out again!

       

We then made our way over to Raffles Hotel, which was built in 1887 and is one of the last great 19th century hotels in the world, to experience the Singapore Sling at the Long Bar.  Funny, small peanuts to eat and throw the shells on the floor made for a perfect compliment and we took some pictures to remember the event.  It was a beautiful hotel that covered nearly an entire block.  The lobby was only open to the guests but the bar and the courtyard bars were open to anyone willing to pay $25 for the drink.  Candice and I split one and it was roughly $18 USD which Joe and Lee treated us to since we were giving them the royal tour of the city.  They were just shocked to see how much ground we covered that day and they still talk about it today.  They bought a tour off the ship in Ko Samui for a five star hotel and beach resort for $79 a person that included lunch but I think the hotel was built back in the 1950's and their beach had murky water.  Not too fancy and I know Lee was very disappointed but she did say they had a good pool.  We told them we just caught a mini bus over to a different beach and they DID drop us off at a 5-star luxury hotel with gorgeous water.  After that experience Lee didn't want to buy another trip so I offered to let them run with us in Singapore.  I think they feel like they got their money's worth with us.  We do seem to be cheap dates! (Candice: Candice and Sandy tour company to be starting soon. Book now for the best excursions!)

After Raffles we jumped back on the subway and went over to Little India for some shopping and to see Sri Veeramakalimman Temple but it was closed from noon to four, so only pictures of the outside.  From there another subway ride to Orchard Rd. which is the high-falutent area for shopping.  From there we walked out to the Botanical Gardens which were mostly tropical and very relaxing.  Made me want to make my yard into a tropical paradise with tropical plants, waterfalls and goldfish.

We split with Lee and Joe since they wanted to stay longer at the gardens and we headed back to the subway for the trip back to the Harbour Center via shopping at a mall on Orchard Rd.  We ran across an Apple Store and checked out email, Candice's Facebook and looked up a few websites all in about ten minutes.  This would have taken us at least 30 minutes on the ship. 

Back over to Harbour Center for more shopping and spending the last of our Singapore dollars before catching the bus.  We ended up buying a 28" suitcase for $21 USD.  It was an I-Polo brand - no knockoffs in this country, just made up names.  We tried this back in Vietnam since we saw some luggage for sale at the pier but by the time we made it back from the city it was all snatched up.  With this bag we can put both our garment bags inside this suitcase and have less bags to handle while traveling though London.  Right next to this store was a store selling t-shirts showing all the things you can not do in Singapore in a grid style with graphics and the words "Singapore, A City of NO."  I didn't buy one but I did snap a picture which I hope to post later.  At least the locals have a good sense of humor about the laws. 

Lying just 90 miles north of the equator Singapore was a delight to tour even in the heat.  There is plenty we did not get to see so we would definitely put this place down as a return visit.  It was my kind of city; clean, modern and well laid out.  Only drawback on their subway system was always having to get our $1 deposit refund from our last subway ride before buying a new fare.  We should have been able to recharge the card but something wasn't working and the machines did not give more than $4 in change which was another small hassle.  Even though the laws are rigid and the media is scanned at the state level with inappropriate websites blocked it was by far the most 'western friendly' city we have experienced.  Meaning you could identify food, stores, and tastes from home in a far, far away place all the while speaking English!  Singapore again for SURE!

Sandy

Candice and I declared Beach Day on Ko Samui.  This was the second port in a three-in-a-row port days so we decided we'd hang out at the beach and take it easy.

Story from Candice: Beach day had been decided. We're up early, in line for our tender ticket. Got to get off the ship bright and early. Mission completed: tender ticket one. Once on the dock, we are off in a sequestered area, roped off from all the taxi drivers. I tell mom to get an idea of what a taxi ride is going to cost, so we walk up to the rope. Taxi driver one flips his sheet over, one way to Chaweng $35 US, round trip $70 US. We look at each other with the expression of he is crazy. So we step back under the tent, away from the rope. Sandy and I discuss prices a little and get a game plan down while still in our "safe zone." The last thing I say to her before we exit is "I don't care what price they give us, just a straight trip to the beach. No tour. I don't want to get snookered into a tour." Waited for her confirmation, she agreed because we had had this conversation while on the ship too. But I said it one more time, "No tours! Just get me to the beach."

So we walk out and approach a guy, Sandy is haggling about prices. All the while, I'm looking around for someone to split the cost with us. I keep approaching people, asking what are you guys trying to do today? I think they thought I was a taxi/tour guide myself. I mean, I didn't look like anyone else getting off of the ship. They didn't really answer me, but then we found a German couple. He told Sandy this taxi/covered seats on the back of a truck will take us around the island for $10 a piece. "But I just want to go to the beach." Sandy asks driver, "Can you drop us off at the beach after a half-island tour?" I look at her, wondering if she was paying attention to our conversation we just had. The Germans and the driver tell us we have to wait for a bus load of people to leave though. 

I pulled Sandy aside, "What did we just talk about not five minutes ago? No tours. I refuse to get snookered into a tour. Plus we would still have to wait, and or pay for a taxi back from the beach once we were let off this tour." Logic won out so we continued to look, bumping into another set of Germans. A minibus taxi to Chaweng for $80 round trip. Sold! The first set of Germans actually joined us, coming to 9 Germans and us for $100 return trip. After haggling $10 a piece sounded pretty dang good.

Back to your regularly scheduled program:

So, after getting the 9 Germans and the two of us loaded up in the mini van we headed over to the north side of the island to Chaweng Beach.  I asked the driver if there was a hotel were we could rent their lounge chairs and use their pool.  He said he'd take us to a good one.  I was hoping it wasn't another Fiji deja' vu.  There for a while we were driving past 'Beer Town' and 2Much4U clubs on the back alleys of this small beach town with no beach in sight but much to my surprise we popped back up on a paved road and drove up a nice hilly drive to this 5-Star Resort called Centara.  This place was exuding swank and at first I didn't think they'd let us walk through their lobby and down to the beach but we did.  Our driver pointed and said the beach is 'that way.'  

We got out, walked across the lobby and check in desks, snapped a few pictures  and walked down some marble stairs and out to the terrace with the natural rock pool with a bar in the middle just beyond the eating area.  There were nice gardens and walkways out to the beach and everyone had yellow towels on the lounge chairs.  No way would our blue Cunard towels would pass mustard so once we walked out on the beach Candice and I continued walking down shopping for chair rentals.  

We ran across a shaded Thai massage place along the way and told them we'd be back.  We walked a little further and found two chairs and an umbrella for 100 Baht - SOLD!  After getting set up I grabbed 250 Baht and headed back to the massage tent for a Thai massage before I got all sandy and sweaty.  One hour of pure massage delight with a breeze blowing was well worth 200 Baht plus a tip.  They had four beds a breast and the bed next to mine was some old guy from Belgium who must have weighed 275 pounds.  It was funny to see a guy this size getting a massage but I guess he was there for some heavenly delight too.   As the girl got done with him I heard her tell him she would see him next year.  He must come to Ko Samui every year.   A Thai massage involves a lot of compression and contortions, not really muscle manipulation but it all felt good to me!  

By the time I got back to base camp Candice was ready to jump in the water.  Once out of the water we purchased a Coke for 30 Baht and pulled a bag of peanuts out  of our bags.  Fresh out of Pringles!   We spent the day hunkered down at our lounge chairs with frequent visits to the water and more Coke purchases.

Towards the end of the day we packed up shop and Candice got a foot massage while I waited.  She was laying down getting her foot massage and I took a couple of pictures of her and this young guy laying next to her getting a manicure and pedicure.  It was quite humorous!  These two girls were working feverishly on him and the nail fragments were flying right and left.  His hands and feet must have been a mess but he sure did look like he was enjoying the pampering!  So funny I had to sneak the camera out for funny photo.  

While I was waiting a man after my own heart came along with a bag full of aluminum.  He sat down under the shade tree and I noticed he didn't have any hands.  They were cut off at the wrist.  A guy from down the way came up to him and gave him some money which he took between his wrist.  He carefully opened up his pants with his wrist and somehow secured the money within his baggy pants.  I watched him press on the bag of garbage in front of him listening for the familiar rattle of aluminum but there were none in the bag.  I got my last 100 Baht out of my bag and walked over to him to give it to him.  He stretched out his wrists and even though I knew he didn't have hands I half expected to see a hand come out to take the money.  Then it dawned on me that I would have to place it between his wrist for him.  Once again he opened up his pants and secured the money within.  He was an old man and I would have loved to have chatted it up with him but I don't think he spoke any English.  It was a very memorial moment and it will stay with me for the rest of my life.  I really liked this guy's work ethic and survivor skills.  He was doing what he could to make money; very industrial and very humble.

We had to meet our Germans back at the resort at 3:15 p.m. for the drive back to the pier for the last tender at 4 p.m.  The area on the other side of the beach was what I would like to call 'early primitive party spots.'  it was rustic but apparently it held all the paraphernalia for a good nightlife time with some shopping mixed in.  We all pitched $10 in a piece for the $100 cab fare and a $10 tip for the driver.  One older German guy spearheaded the job of collecting the money and after everyone paying in he was short $10.  After quite a bit of German words were spoken another guy figured out he didn't pay for his wife the Germans all rolled with laughter.  They were really funny and they certainly spoke more English than we spoke German.  Germans are really fun people.  Put me in a 15 passenger van with them any day of the week and I'll be just fine even if I can't understand them.  

Later as we sailed out of Ko Samui the sun was setting and it was just gorgeous as we passed smaller islands for about an hour or so. The fishing boats were out and  in the dusk of the evening you could see the smaller ports in the distance lit up with a few of the surrounding city lights.  What a perfect ending for the perfect day!   Ko Samui would be an ideal place to vacation to get away from it all and possibly try out the 2Much4U place since you I don't think you could get enough of Ko Samui but I'd like to try!   

Sandy and Candice

Well, we took our first "real" tour with the ship. This was only because they decided that we weren't capable of taking care of ourselves in Bangkok while protesters were roaming around. We were signed up for "Bangkok On Your Own," but a day before we arrived in Bangkok we got a letter advising that this tour was canceled on account of the protests and that the other tours could be altered to avoid them. The next best option was "The Grand Palace and Shopping." 

The tour started out with a two-ish hour drive into the city. (Sometimes I really think I'm back on a track team with as much time as I'm spending riding a bus) But the "exciting" part of this ride happened in the first ten minutes. The tour guide comes over the microphone, "Yes, today we will be seeing the Grand Palace, Emerald Buddha Temple and then shopping in Pattaya." Sounds fine, but Pattaya was back at the ship, not Bangkok. A lot of people were using this tour just to get into the city due to the aforementioned cancelled tour. So after the word Pattaya, my head snaps to see if others heard what I heard. They looked confused too, but no one was saying anything. So shy, little Candice pipes up and yells halfway down the bus to tour guide, "Whoa, we are suppose to be shopping in downtown Bangkok." That's all it took to get the British started. We almost had another episode of mutiny. Tour descriptions were pulled out, while tour operation headquarters was called.

We had pulled the bus over on the shoulder while all this was going down. When everything seemed somewhat settled we still weren't moving, Sandy starts saying "Let's get going, figure this out on the way." Everyone joined in, bringing the tour guide back to the present. The bus started to roll out and the air conditioner above the seat next to us starts to leak on these British people I met standing in line. The wife was fusing over her husbands pants that were now wet with dirty water. He moves to the front. Not two seconds later, she is having her own shower of a/c rain. "Oh, bloody hell." Then it was our turn to get a little wet, but we didn't get it near as bad. It was priceless, what a way to start the day.

The day eventually turned around. The drive didn't seem that long, we were on very modern (the most American-like road system) interstate with at least four lanes the whole way. Had a "connivence" stop and encountered one of the worst bathrooms on our trip so far. (Best being a toss up between Exchange Square in Hong Kong and Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, fyi) It was not a western toilet and it didn't flush, had to use a bowl to pour water into the porcelain hole in the floor to flush (I use that word very loosely). A quick stop at 7Eleven (they are everywhere, more so than McDonalds), and we were on our way.

The Grand Palace was a sight to see. Think "The King and I." This is where it all really happened. It was a pretty big complex, a lot of different temples and buildings that were intricately decorated. A person could spend two days there and not see everything; we had a little over an hour.

We had to be completely covered (shoulders and ankles) for this little trip; okay except for the heat. I think Arkansas weather prepared us well for this. We had a woman go down towards the end of the tour, she was pretty dramatic about the whole thing. After Sandy poured some water on the back of her neck to cool her down, she comes up to me, "This isn't any worst than when I mow the lawn." Like these Cunardians mow their own lawn. 

After rounding up a bus load of tour #17s, we were off to shopping. Out two to three hours of shopping on our own turned into cram something else that is in the area into our tour. Luckily, right down the road was Jim Thompson's House, which is  a collection of six different traditional Thai houses from around the country. Jim, who reinvigorated the silk business in Thailand in the 50's, had these houses relocated to Bangkok and westernized them. He later went missing while on vacation, and his houses were turned into a museum. All of his belongs are still there, including some very old buddha statues and dishes dating back to the 7th century. It was actually his birthday, so they were celebrating. 

We did do a little bit of shopping. Nothing like knockoff Hurley shirts for six dollars. If we really liked shopping, we could be doing some serious damage. We almost needed a calculator while out to determine the exchange rate. In Thailand we had to divide by 33 to get one US dollar. The prices can throw you off, just due to instinct. I'm not paying 100, all the while it's really $3. Had an Auntie Anne's pretzel in the mall and DQ blizzard. I was really in need of some comfort food, and it was a little taste of home at just the right time. 

While waiting for the bus, we did see some protesters drive by in the back of two trucks shouting and clapping. I'm just glad we didn't see any blood being pour over walls in protest. I don't know if I could have handled that. 

With the little time that we had, we were really pleased with the day. The tour company was good, too, aside from a leaky a/c unit. They had water, cool towels, and bananas for us. Wasn't expecting all of that.

crj

We finally hit some land-ho on Thursday, March 18th!  We took a bus into Saigon from our port, Phu My.  It took us one and a half hours that included a bathroom break to drive in to Ho Chi Min, aka Saigon.  The bathroom break was a new experience for me.  A porcelain pit on the floor with water constantly running through it!  Note:  You must pick up your toilet paper outside the stall before you enter.  Thank God I had tissue on me!  You can be sure that I'll remember that rule and I suspect this stop will be an oasis compared to some of toilets we'll run across before this trip is up.  Candice decided she didn't need to go until she found a set of 'western style' toilets.  Oddly they were named "Nu Woman."  Ha, ha!

At this rest stop, which every bus stopped at, there was a group of people hawking their wares.  The security guard came over and kicked them outside the fence but one guy stayed in between the buses and was able to avoid the guard.  Once the guard was distracted with something else the people came back through the fence, scatter and starting hawking for more sales.  The whole bus was watching all this go down and we clapped for them once they made it back inside the fence!  It was great theater for a while until we had to pull back out on the road.

Once our tour bus rolled into Ho Chi Min City we were handed a nice, warm bottle of water (yuck) and a map of the city.  We were turned loose with instructions to meet the bus at 3:00 p.m. for departure and we got down to the brass tacks.  With the heat rising from the streets and the sun beating down, we set out to became millionaires by exchanging our money.  No passport needed in this country.  Ten US dollars rate $198,000 Dong.  Why with a $100,000 bill in my hand it was picture taking time!  Have you ever heard of the movie "A Fist Full of Dong?"  I think we were starring in it, ha, ha!

First stop was the War Remnants Museum.  It was chalk full of propaganda which I expected to take with a grain of salt but I think they went over the top when they showed that a guillotine was used in the prisoner camps.  I'm no war history buff but I don't think this 18th century device was used in modern warfare.  They had a static display outside in the courtyard and that was pretty neat to see the tanks, helicopters, and airplanes.  I did take objection to their recreated version of the prisoner camps which Candice opted out of viewing.  The entrance fee was less than $1 to get in and that was about all it was worth but on the other hand I did get a good lesson on how to produce propaganda; don't talk about your role in the war, only the enemies.  The Vietnam War was an historic event in our time and I felt we needed to visit it since we were in the heart of Saigon but Candice made me promise that I would keep my comments to myself.  So self control was the rule for the moment!

The US Embassy, something I really wanted to see, is no longer standing but the Presidential Palace that the Viet Cong overran with tanks and smashed the gates down in 1975 is still standing.  It has been renamed Reunification Hall.  They conduct meetings on the first floor on a daily basis but we were able to visit the other three floors which were the living quarters of the last president before Saigon fell.  Everything is the same as it was back in 70's and it was too weird to see all the old radios, desk and telephones in the basement.  There were also map rooms and reception halls for international and local guests on the second floor with a special room for receiving ambassadors.  The third floor had a gambling room with a bar and a billiard's table with the family's living quarters on this floor too.  Fact:  The gentleman that was president in 1975 now resides in California.   

Next stops included the Notre Dame Cathedral, which didn't open until 3 p.m., so we didn't get any inside pictures but plenty of the outside.  The bricks and the stain glass came over from France when it was built in 1877-1883.  The post office was a gem.  Nothing has changed in there since it went up except the picture of the current president.  You could make phone calls from there, exchange money and post some mail too.  Taking a step back in time allowed us some time for cooling off a bit.  Oh, no air conditioning but the fans worked rather well and it was time for a cold, $20,000 Coke!  Later in the day we found them across town for only $10,000 a piece.  I think this was the tourist trap price but who's bickering when it's 37 Celsius degrees outside and a little over a dollar in cost.  By this time our shorts were wet with sweat and starting to droop and drag, not to mention our backs were soaked from the lack of ventilation from our backpacks.  

Back tracking to the center of town we ran across the Opera House which was very classy looking but unfortunately the communist use it for some of their meetings.  I didn't think you were suppose to mix business with pleasure!?!  Along the streets we took pictures of the 'wire' situation hanging over our heads.  Thousands of wires bundled together and running the length of the streets converging to look like a manmade accident waiting to happen.  I think there were as many wires strung on the poles as there were motorbikes on the road.  I'd hate to be the person that has to trace a problem on those lines.  

Saying Vietnam is Motorcycle City is an understatement to say the least.  Racks and racks of motorcycles parked along the side of the streets, you'd think you were at a motorcycle factory.  Crossing the traffic was a game and we can safely report we won every time.  These motorcycles on the road don't stop for anybody!  You just have to be brave, commit and start walking across the street.  They just weave in and out of the people.  Mr. Magoo wouldn't be in any danger here!  The key is for you to not stop walking once you commit.  A blind person could cross the street easier in Vietnam than they could in the US.  I think Vietnam has a great Olympic dodge ball team in the making!

Honda was the first motorbike to be sold in the country and all makes are referred to as a 'Hon Da' no matter who manufactures them.  We saw someone transporting a washer on one and another one had a plasma TV still in the box going down the highway.  Not only were the 1000's of motorbikes on the street amazing but the wardrobe these people were wearing was a little dumbfounding.  It was equator hot and these people had on long pants, jackets and we even saw one wearing gloves.  I guess the heat WILL make you crazy!  Ha, ha.

Next stop was the shopping market and a market it was!  Stalls so close together you barely had any room to maneuver down the aisles much less with a backpack on your back.  What a hot operation this place was.  Vendors carrying trays full of soup and food running through the crowds and somehow all of it being delivered without a drop split.  Little plastic stools were pulled out and offered up for us to sit on while we browsed their goods leaving hardly any room for anyone to pass.  I felt like a little kid having tea while we were looking at the ceramic ware.  This was the only sitting for the day except for the bus ride and a small stop in the Rex Hotel at the end of the day.

As if we didn't get enough of the market and bargaining that took place inside, we found we had to contribute to the street vendors income too.  Candice actually partook in the ceremony this time.  With bags loaded and almost out of 'funny money' we headed for the Rex Hotel for some air conditioning and a peek in the lobby.  

This was a very nice hotel and was used by the war corespondents during the war.  While Candice was in the restroom, I started to peel an orange in my lap with a hand towel laid over my lap.  Since we hadn't eaten all day (no Pringles around - only a knock off version) I was pretty wiped out and hungry and I didn't want to sit on the bus for an hour and half with orange all over my hands.  Well Candice came out of the restroom and was not too pleased seeing me peeling this orange in the lobby.  She asked me what I was doing.  I told her I was about to eat an orange.  She wasn't having any of that but I was too drained to care what anyone thought.  I guess the heat not only makes you crazy it also makes you 'just not care.'   After Candice's exit I packed up my towel full of orange peel and headed to the restroom myself.  Let me tell you the bathrooms were nicer than the lobby so I washed my face, my hands and my orange and ate it in there all by my lonesome.  Candice came in about 5 minutes later yelling my full name and telling me we only had 5 minutes to get to the bus.  I offered her a slice of orange but she said NO.  I immediately thought, good, that's more for me!  Once we got on the bus I heard this guy tell his wife that he wasn't late and still had seven minutes.  I told him to tell that to this one pointing towards Candice.  She was just thankful I was on the bus at this point in time.

The ride back to the ship was great for observing everyday life in Vietnam.  Whole rows of storefronts lined the entire highway with breaks every so often almost all the way back to Phu My.  The people were very friendly, resourceful and ingenious.  They are hard workers and seem to be quite happy.  The country seems to be prospering and China now outsources some of its manufacturing to them.  I could hang with these people but they'd have to do something about all the dirt on the roads and sidewalks.  Thank God we visited on a sunny day because if it did rain it would be one big muddy mess.  The Saigon River had plants growing in it or washing down it and this made it look more like a large creek instead of a river.  Small temples were erected outside people's houses and things were quite colorful.  They seem to have a good sense of family especially when a family of four all rode on the motorcycle at a time.

Sorry to say there were no McDonald sightings at all in Saigon, only KFC, Coke and Oreo's. 

All in all It was a good day even if we did have to keep picking up our saggin' shorts all day all the while grinding out that new hit wonder 'Pants on the Ground.'     

Sandy