Phu My, the port for Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City) (2)

Monday, April 6

We arrived at Phu My about 5am, and our tour was departing at 6:45am, so it was an early start for us and we actually saw the sun rise! As we walked to our coach it was already very warm, but it was an air conditioned coach so we settled back for the 3 hour trip to the Cu Chi tunnels, about an hour north of Saigon. The network of tunnels was built by the Viet Cong in 1948 when the French ruled Vietnam, and as the French were not popular with the locals they used them to harass the French and then just disappear into the jungle. After the French left and the war started between the Communists in the north and the US backed government in the south, the tunnels were extended further and became the key difference in the outcome of the war as the US and it's allies couldn't cope with the guerrilla tactics of the VC in the jungle.

Today the tunnels are a tourist attraction run by the government, but it is very well done and gives you an appreciation of what our troops had to face, and why so many came home with mental problems. It must have been horrific, given the hot and humid conditions in the dry season, the torrential rain and mud in the wet season, and just not knowing who your enemy was or where he was. It also highlighted the ingenuity of the locals which more than countered the technological advantage the US had.

Plan of the tunnel site we visited

Our tour guide Ho was a scream, he had a great sense of humour and his English was very good, but he kept missing the "c" at the start of a word so you had to listen hard to work out what he was saying about rice rops, rocodiles, bomb raters and so on. He talked about life in Saigon both during and after the war, family traditions, culture, and just about everything else. He informed us that the population of Saigon is about 9 million people, and apparently there are 4 million motorbikes and scooters! Consequently it was raffertys rules on the roads but it flowed smoothly and we didn't see any accidents. Fortunately we had a very skilful driver who weaved his way through all the bikes to get us to and from our destination safely.

Motorbikes have their own lane on the new expressway!

At Cu Chi where there used to be bunkers a couple of metres underground they have exposed these and put thatched roofs over them, so you walk down a few steps and you can see what the kitchen, medical, eating and workshop bunkers were like. There were smaller tunnels leading from these, but you had to know where they went, and this knowledge was a closely guarded secret during the war so the US were never sure how extensive they were. The network of tunnels extended about 250km, and even went beneath the big US airbase nearby - the VC used to go and hide under the airbase while the nearby countryside was bombed, knowing they were safe under the air base!

Noelle at the entrance to a tunnel with typical jungle behind her

Examples of the different types of booby traps

We were guided along different paths through natural jungle, and saw the hidden entrances and exits, air vents, assorted spike traps, and given insights into how the VC won the hearts and minds of the local farmers who lived in the villages around the tunnel area. It must have been horrific for all concerned, but our guide Ho explained that the new VC stands for Viet Capitalists, so he's not sure who really won or lost!!

Emerging from one of the hidden holes

I managed to fit into one of the original hidden holes, while the 100 metre tunnel we crawled through had been widened for westerners - still it made you appreciate how bad it would have been spending days in these tunnels. As we were walking around the complex you could hear guns being fired, and this added to the scary atmosphere, but only a fraction of what it would have been really like. Before we left we were given a cup of tea and some cooked tapioca root to try - both were enjoyable, and apparently this was the staple diet of the VC during the war.

The reason for the gunfire was that there was a shooting range in the complex, and for extra $s you could fire a weapon of your choice. I couldn't resist, and coughed up my $15 to fire 10 bullets using an M30 machine gun. An instructor showed me what to do and I fired off a couple of rounds, then another couple and then a few more, and my 10 rounds were gone. I'm not into guns but it was a buzz, and I don't think I'll get another chance to have a go on a gun like this.

Firing the M30 machine gun

Included in our tour was a lunch, so we were driven to a local restaurant overlooking the Saigon River where we enjoyed a westernised Vietnamese meal - the restaurants in Box Hill and other parts of Melbourne serve better food but it was good to wash it down with a Saigon beer. It was then another 3 hours drive back to the ship and we arrived at 4pm, just 30 minutes before the ship was due to sail. We really enjoyed the day and rated it one of the best ship's tours we have done.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Sihanoukville, Cambodia (2)

Saturday, April 4
The port of Sihanoukville is the only major port for Cambodia, and is about 2 hours from Phonm Penh the capital, so we decided to stay around the local area and check it out. The ship had organised shuttle buses to take us to the central market in the town centre which was about 10 minutes away. Leaving the bus we were besieged with tuk-tuk drivers all wanting to take us on a tour around the city, and one in particular latched onto us and started following us around the market. Eventually he got the message we weren't going anywhere for a while so he left us alone.
The market was fascinating, full of all the stalls and businesses you would expect, and with some extra ones thrown in! The jewellery stalls had manufacturing jewellers next to them, and there were tailoring services near the clothes stalls. We also saw hairdressers cutting, washing and colouring hair, florists, incense and mini shrine sellers, as well as food sellers of all sorts of fresh, dried, smoked and cooked goods which were very colourful and smelly! The best were the roving purveyors of fine food, either balanced on trays on their heads or balanced in baskets carried on poles on their shoulders. We weren't sure how the meat and seafood didn't go off in the heat and humidity without refrigeration, so we decided not to try any.

Mobile donut seller

"Fresh" seafood

Mini shrines and incense for sale

After an hour or so in the market we wandered along a couple of the main streets, observing life in the city for the typical Cambodian, and we were very thankful we were born in Australia. Despite the poor conditions we observed, the people were clean, looked happy and were friendly, especially the children. Some school kids we saw (even though it was a Saturday) looked neat and clean in their uniforms with little blue bow ties.

Outside a primary school

It was then time to bargain with a tuk-tuk driver to see more of the town, and as we were doing this a couple of Aussie ladies from the ship asked if they could join us. We of course said yes, and after negotiating a rate to see the major highlights of beaches and temples we set off in his tuk-tuk. A tuk-tuk is a motorbike (old and small capacity) towing a "covered wagon" with 2 seats facing each other, with lots of open space so the visibility is very good. However, on some of the hills with 4 of us on board I think I could have run just as fast, but it was a fun way to see the sights.
There are some fabulous beaches around this part of the Cambodian coast, and they are obviously very popular with backpackers judging by the foreigners we saw walking around. Accommodation was advertised at US$4 a night for a bunk bed and food is very cheap too - even in a better hotel breakfast was only US$4. It was interesting how the US dollar is taken widely here, so you didn't even have to change money as long as you had the mighty US dollar.

At Ocheuteal beach

Noelle at Sokha beach

After a couple of stops at various beaches our driver took us up the hill to see the main temple called Wat Krom or Intra Ngean Pagoda which gave a great view over the ocean. Along the way we saw monkeys playing on the side of the road and swinging in the trees overhead. The baby ones clinging to their mums were very cute. At the temple we were hounded by a little boy who stayed with me while a little girl pestered Noelle. Just before we left we bought a key ring from each of them, which hopefully made their day.

Hey hey we're the monkeys ...

Noelle at Wat Krom

Next stop was Wat Leu or upper wat which overlooked the town from the top of the hill. We asked about the coloured streamers on mounds around the tombstones, and were told it was for Chinese New Year - not that it cheered up the people in the graves, however it did add to the mess lying around most of the city!

View of Sihanoukville from Wat Leu

Wat Leu

This Wat had a number of buildings on the complex, some of which housed monks, while another was an orphanage for kids whose parents had died from the HIV virus. The complex was very colourful, although a bit messy, and around the perimeter were some basic looking houses for the locals.

Noelle with our driver and tuk-tuk at Wat Leu

We asked our driver to drop us off at the first beach area where there were a lot of cafés advertising free wi-fi, so we enjoyed a couple of refreshing Angkor beers while we tried to communicate with the outside world. Unfortunately we couldn't update the blog, but hopefully we can catch up at the next stop after another day at sea. Our driver waited for us and returned us to the market where we caught the shuttle back to the ship. It was an interesting day, and there is a lot of development going on, so I'm sure Cambodia and it's beaches will increasingly become a more popular tourist destination in the future.

Posted with Blogsy

Laem Chabang - Day 2 (2)

Friday, April 3
We decided not to go ashore on any excursions today as we sail mid afternoon and Bangkok is 3 hours away in one direction and Pattaya 45 minutes in the other so a good portion of time would be spent driving and we really felt we had already seen all we wanted to in Pattaya yesterday. This decision made, we didn't need to set the alarm for this morning and so enjoyed a sleep-in followed by a leisurely breakfast. It was then time for the laundry - always an entertaining experience on a ship. This is where you really find out what is going on! Once our chores were done it was lunchtime. More eating!!!
There were a number of things to do on our Daily Activity Schedule but, as so often happens, several were at the same time. We elected to do High Tea - English Style and found ourselves at a table with some fascinating people - one of whom had spent many years as a Dutch diplomat and in the UN. He regaled us with lots of amazing stories and in what seemed no time at all, we were being told by our waiters that High Tea had finished. We were surprised to see how late it had got.
Al & I made our way to the Library so he could work on yesterday's blog and I could catch up on some reading. We sailed at 3.00pm and about an hour later the Captain announced that we were turning around and heading back to Laem Chabang where a water ambulance was waiting to pick up a very ill passenger from our ship - some excitement for us but a not so pleasant one for the passenger concerned.

Working hard in the Library

Three and a half hour's later and we are just turning around to start our journey to Sihanoukville, Cambodia where we will spend the day tomorrow. The Captain has assured us that this delay will not affect our arrival time.

Leaving Pattaya behind for the second time

Relaxing on the Promenade Deck

Tonight we received an invitation to attend a Champagne Reception before dinner, which was a very pleasant way to start the night. We dined in the restaurant, went to the show, listened to some songs from the 60's and 70's in the Piano Bar and then headed off to bed. What a life!

Posted with Blogsy

Laem Chabang, the port for Bangkok (2)

Thursday, April 2

We had arranged to meet our friend Rob Longley at 9am at the cruise terminal, but as we walked off there were only some market stalls, so we walked towards the big entry gates to wait for Rob. After 10 minutes we tried to contact Rob to tell him the name of the gates we were at, but we had trouble connecting via the Thai mobile system. Another 20 minutes went by, and following more mobile attempts, I walked back to the ship to see if someone could help me with the mobile situation. Who do I bump into but Rob, who was waiting for us by the market stalls! It was great to see him again. After picking up Noelle who was still waiting at the entry gates, we headed off in Rob's car for a day of touring around Pattaya and catching up on our recent news.

Our first stop involved getting to a good wi-fi spot so we could send the past few day's blogs and update emails, Instagram and Facebook - the joys of modern communications! Rob was able to answer all of our questions about living in Asia, including our favourite topic of the electrical wiring. Apparently when some power lines go dead, because they can't isolate the faulty one to repair it, they just add new ones, so you end up with a multitude of wires - some that work and some that don't.

Rob and tangled power lines in Pattaya

Rob drove us along the Pattaya beach front, and we couldn't believe the number of people parasailing at the one time in what looked like a small patch of water - it looked like there were 100's of them. He explained that people from Korea come here on package holidays and a parasail is part of the package! Next we were shown some of the places Rob has lived and worked around Pattaya, before he took us for a delicious lunch at Cocos restaurant.

Lunch at Cocos

After lunch we headed south out of Pattaya where we saw some of the less developed beaches as well as some of the countryside. The traffic wasn't as congested but the roads became narrower, and with the little scooters loaded with either people or goods going slowly, mangy looking dogs wandering onto the road and oncoming traffic ignoring double lines, it made for an interesting drive. Luckily Rob is used to all these variables so we were able to relax and continue to chatter away.

Fishing village south of Pattya

At Buddha mountain there was a little market where we tucked into a pre-cut pineapple on a skewer for afternoon tea. We were amused by a baby elephant decked out in a pink bonnet, as well as other elephants taking tourists for a ride. The mountain face with the big Buddha on it used to be a quarry and apparently the outline of the Buddha's face was marked out with a laser before the brass outline was attached to the mountain face - it certainly was effective!

Pineapple on a stick

Elephant farm

Big Buddha mountain

Next stop was Wat Yansangwararam, a complex of temples of differing architectural styles. There were lots of tourist coaches here and apart from trying not to breathe the diesel fumes you had to watch where the coaches were, so the next 2 photos involved a bit of risk! The garden setting was beautiful though, with manicured lawns everywhere.

It was another hot and humid day so Rob took us to his favourite beach bar at Bang Sawara and it truly was a beach bar, complete with kitchen in a disused boat. The beach and water were both very clean and it was a beautiful setting. The views of the Pattaya skyline in the distance reminded us of the skyline along the Gold Coast in Queensland - it has certainly changed since we were here last.

We headed back to Pattaya for a bit of shopping, then tour guide Rob took us to his surprise dinner location. We certainly were intrigued about the name, and didn't know what was in store. However it turned out to be a fascinating place, with lots of interesting comments dotted around a beautiful garden setting. The views were sensational and the food was delicious.

We didn't know what to expect when Rob pulled up and we saw the restaurant name, but Rob explained that Mr. Mechai was the man who introduced mass contraception to the Thai people, and it was his vision to make condoms as common as cabbages! They were certainly creative at this restaurant and used condoms to make all sorts of decorations around the place making for a very amusing night. I don't think anyone else on our cruise would have visited this place - you needed the benefit??? of local knowledge.

Creative condom couture

Rob found his way back to where our ship was berthed and we were highly impressed with his navigating as it was dark, the port wasn't well sign-posted and Rob didn't have a GPS. We were very thankful for the wonderful day we had spent with Rob and look forward to seeing him when he's next in Melbourne. Back on board we showered, then headed for the Thai cultural show where we saw some traditional dancing and martial arts accompanied by Thai musicians playing traditional instruments. It was a very good show even if we were exhausted, and a great end to a very special day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Koh Samui, Thailand

Tuesday, April 1

Today the ship anchored off the coast of Koh Samui because it is too large to dock and this means the dreaded "tender routine" - the bugbear of cruising. We decided not to rush as the tendering process always moves those on pre-booked ship's excursions first so, after a leisurely breakfast, we made our way to the mustering point, got our tender ticket and were told the wait would be about 45 minutes - ugh! Thankfully, local vessels were being used as well as our own tenders so the wait wasn't too long.

On a local "tender" vessel

As there was also a Princess cruise ship in port, Nathon was buzzing. It is a typical Asian port town full of clothing shops all selling the same shirts, pants, handbags, etc. and restaurants touting "free wifi" that turned out to be even slower than the ship's - something we thought to be impossible. One tailor shop tickled our fancy with the sample suit in the window - a more ill-fitting garment would be difficult to find. The town also sported more of the amazingly bad overhead wiring that we have seen in other Asian ports. How anyone can ever work out where each wire goes is beyond us - it all seems like a huge tangle with great rolls of wire wound up at the end and left hanging from the lampposts. We bemoan some of the stringent rules governing electrical installations in Australia, but how thankful we should be.

The welcome mat!

You too could be the proud owner of a suit made to measure!

Some of the overhead wiring

We spent an hour or so mooching around the town looking in shops and at a temple/shrine, etc. then ordered coffee in a restaurant so we could use their wifi, only to find the signal too weak. We moved to another bar and had a little more success there but the signal was not strong enough to post the blogs from the last couple of days. Technology is great but it can be very tiresome when you are travelling. As we had to be back on board by 2.30pm ready for sailing at 3.00pm, we decided to head back to queue for tenders at the dock.

A temple in Koh Samui

When we first arrived in Koh Samui the island was shrouded in mist and as we got off the tender, it started to pour but by the time we returned to the dock, the sun was out and it was really hot. The local vessels were certainly not air-conditioned and they also crammed more people in than we felt comfortable about (with visions of ferries overturning in our minds) so we were very glad to return to our nice cool ship safe and sound. We would both like to return to Koh Samui for a holiday but go to the other side of the island where all the lovely beaches, etc. are located. Today with the tender constraints there just wasn't the time to do it justice. We love the Thai people who are always so polite and welcoming so know we would like to see more of this place.

Tomorrow is our 33rd Wedding Anniversary so we have booked into the specialty restaurant on board - "The Pinnacle Grill" - for a celebratory dinner tonight. We have two days from tomorrow in Laem Chabang - the port for both Bangkok and Pattaya - so may not be back on board for dinner on our actual anniversary. We love The Pinnacle Grill and always do at least one dinner and lunch there per cruise. The food is excellent and, as the name implies, the emphasis is on grills. We also love their lobster bisque and they do the lightest soufflés so we almost don't need to read the menu! The service is always impeccable and they make us feel very special so who could ask for more!

Dinner in The Pinnacle Grill

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Day at Sea

Tuesday, March 31

Our first full day on board the MS Volendam was a nice relaxing day at sea. We woke after a great night's sleep with the slight movement of the ship gently rocking us into a deep sleep on a very, comfy mattress. After perusing the day's Activity Program, our day was planned out - loosely, anyway.

As we are visiting a number of different countries on this cruise there were the formalities of entry and exit cards, customs declarations and a visa to obtain, so we attended to the paperwork which Holland America (HA) delivered to us this morning and which had to be returned by tonight. We did this over a morning coffee in the Explorations Cafe which made the task a lot more pleasant and it was a good one to get out of the way early in the day!

All the paperwork completed and time to relax in the Explorations Cafe & Library

We decided to have lunch in the dining room and although we said we wouldn't have dessert, we were tempted to try the red cactus pear ice cream - what a great choice and we'll look for this flavour again when they have it on the menu.

After lunch we attended a talk on the next few ports/cities we are visiting, and followed this with another talk on the future cruises HA are scheduling over the next 12 months. There are quite a few that appeal so I'm sure we'll be booking another cruise from this cruise, which should make Stefan our travel agent happy!

Then it was time to soak up some sun around the pool before we had to start getting spruced up for the first formal night of this cruise. The modes of "formal" vary a lot these days, and HA isn't as strict as, say, the Cunard line, so we tend to take a middle of the road approach. It is fun getting spruced up, and with everyone in their finery we really do forget we're on a ship. The standard of meals is usually a bit higher on the formal nights as well.

So far the meals have impressed us, with lots of options for both entree and main course, making the choice of what to eat a difficult one. However, we know from past experience, some dishes are available every couple of days so there's no need to worry.

After dinner it was off to the show and then we finished the night with a stop at the piano bar. Tonight was also a bonus as we crossed into a new time zone and the clocks were wound back an hour! We'll enjoy it now because we know we'll have to give it up once we leave Bangkok and start heading east.

Tom, the piano man and guests enjoying his performance

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Singapore

Monday, March 30

Today the sun is shining in Singapore and the sadness of the last week seems to have been left behind for the Singaporean people. Everyone is going about their business as usual, the flags have been returned to the top of their masts and life is going on - and in a much better way than fifty years ago, largely due to the life of Lee Kuan Yew.

For us there is reason to feel sunny and bright too because we board the Volendam cruise ship today to begin our 28 night Far East China & Japan cruise.

After a breakfast of poppiahs (our new favourite Singaporean food) & a Singaporean coffee that was so sweet it required a drink of water to chase it down, we headed off for a short walk around our hotel. Because the sun was shining and everything was still moist from the torrential rain of yesterday, the humidity was very high so we didn't walk far. Our hotel was situated near the Philatelic Museum and, as Al has developed quite an interest in philately recently, he was keen to visit it. Sadly, (for him anyway!) it wasn't opening until 1.00pm and we were due on board by then. We walked past some interesting old buildings including the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and some beautiful gardens before making our way back to the hotel where we caught a taxi for the Ocean Cruise Terminal.

The Singapore Philatelic Museum

The interesting Chinese Chamber of Commerce Building

Seeing our "new home" is always exciting and MS Volendam didn't disappoint. It is one of Holland America's smaller ships and we really enjoy being on this size ship. The MS Rotterdam that we cruised on for 6 weeks last year is identical in size and layout so we felt at home as soon as we were on board.

MS Volendam

We enjoyed a "return Mariner's" lunch on a table with four other Aussies and two Americans then returned to our cabin to unpack and settle in. We then walked around the ship to familiarise ourselves then settled down to enjoy our kicked-back lifestyle for the next month. The Volendam sailed at 6pm and it was interesting to see Singapore's unbelievably varied skyline from the vantage point of the ship. As cruising is so much about the food, we then made our way to the dining room for a delicious dinner followed by the obligatory welcome show, a short time spent listening to the excellent piano player in the Piano Bar and then into bed for a delicious night's sleep being rocked by the very slight movement of the ship. We have a day at sea tomorrow and arrive in Koh Samui on Wednesday. What a blessed life!

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy