3/30/24 Cruise Day 111 Keelung, Taiwan

I awoke to find us approaching the pier in what used to be Taipei, renamed Keelung. New Taipei is about 40 miles inland from port. Not a couple to rush into a day, we bided our time until 10:00am, then went ashore.

We chose to take the Keelung Tower up to what looks like a temple, but is the Zhupu Alter, the permanent location for the celebration of Ghost Month. From there we walked to Zhongzheng Park with the largest statue of Guanyin in Southeast Asia. It was built by the Japanese and was later given to the city of Keelung.

A woman showed up with a dozen pink Joss paper bags, that were taken one at a time and placed in a standing furnace, as offerings to ancestors. We saw several others of these in the city near temples.

Heading out of the park two young women were having difficulty pushing an elderly lady in a wheelchair up the incline. Roger came to their rescue and took her to the top.

We went toward a Visitors Center, but only found a restaurant. Beyond was an open green space and a small handcraft store. Lots of beautiful carved wood and stone, all too big for us to bring home. I settled for a small, polished chrysanthemum stone sphere.

We went back to the tower/elevator, down to the city and the market area. The variety of unidentifiable food was mind boggling. It was quite warm and humid and time to go back home.

View from dock, permanent ghost festival building, Confucious, offerings to ancestors, Guanyin, pagoda, "Beware" sign & night

3/29/24 Cruise Day 110 Sea Day

I should have spent the day bringing these way overdue posts up to date, but that obviously didn’t happen. Best intentions, and all that.

At 6:00pm we joined nine other (one spouse wasn’t able to attend) members of our “core” group for Japanese food at Izumis. Our meals were excellent and the company enjoyable. We’ll do another specialty restaurant (probably) April 12th.

3/28/24 Cruise Day 109 Hong Kong, China

We eased into our day, even though Roger was up before the sun. An early morning and jet lag caught up with him as the day progressed.

There was a free shuttle to downtown and a shopping mall, with a wide variety of local food, we’d been told about. Off we went, through the most construction I’ve ever seen. High rises are going up everywhere there’s available land. When there isn’t, they tear down apartment buildings from the 1960s to make room for the next skyscraper.

Most units are less than 500 sq ft, regardless of the size of the family. Our guide from yesterday grew up with four brothers and her parents in a 400 sq ft rental. With 7.5 million people and such limited space every space is bought or rented.

Nothing really called to me while we wandered the shopping center. We had lunch on the 6th floor, then Roger went out to take pictures and go back to the ship. I stopped at a couple places, but my purchases were minimal. Then I headed back.

For the first time ever, our ship was given special permission by the Chinese government to cruise through Victoria Harbor, instead of going out the way we came in. Good PR.

At about 9:00pm, while we were sitting on Deck 11, the ship listed far to starboard. A couple hundred gallons of water, from the pool and hot tubs, poured out. Next we listed port, almost as much. Another right then left before the gyro balanced the ship again. A cargo ship was seen at an angle. We surmised (correctly per an announcement from the Captain) that the cargo ship had crossed our path too closely and evasive maneuvering was taken. The restaurants and bars lost some bottles, but nothing beyond that. Just a little excitement to keep up on our toes.

3/27/24 Cruise Day 108 - Hong Kong, China

… about 7:20pm (which became our) Wednesday night in Hong Kong.

I took a morning walking tour to make the day go faster. We went to a temple, the remnants of the English occupation, through a street dedicated to antiques (real and fake) and a market, then ended with a ferry across the harbor to climb on a bus back to the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.

Our cabin had been freshened and everything put away. Then the waiting really began.

Roger’s flight was an hour early and he’d gone through Customs in 15 minutes. I’d arranged a car, but they expected him about 8:20pm and it was only about 7:00pm. The company called him to say they were sending his ride. Wifi wasn’t very reliable and texts had to be sent as text messages on our iPhones, but he kept me up to speed on his ETA.

I met him outside when the van pulled up. Yay! <Hug> Smooch!! We took the mile walk back to the ship without any delay. There were some things he needed to be in China, but that could wait until the next day. He was tired after his long day, so he said hello to those people he knew and were on Deck 11, then it was bedtime.

So many cranes for new buildings, a small temple, another magnificent banyan tree, scaffolding made of bamboo, mural and nothing but apartment complexes (and a couple little boats)

3/26/24 Cruise Day 107 Sea Day

Roger started his flights about 10:00pm my time, my Tuesday - 7:00am his time, his Tuesday, but then he crosses the international dateline and should have arrived…

Our lifeguard group at morning briefing and the quiet Deck 3 laundry room (Miele machines)

3/25/24 Cruise Day 106 Subic Bay

Fellow passenger Karen and I went to Ocean Adventure, a sea life and animal sanctuary with performances across the island. All the captive working wildlife were sick, injured or abandoned. Every one of them seemed content and to love their handler/trainer. There was a bat with a 5’ wing span, a bearcat, boa constrictor, dolphins, sea lions and more.

It was a leisurely day, with scheduled shows and great weather. Plus we got to drive across the hills and see more of the area than we would have otherwise. Philippine Giant Fruit Bats were roosting in trees and flying during the day.

When we were done inside we went out to find our taxi driver, as his was a drop, wait and return fare. On the far side of the enormous parking lot was a sign. Our driver found us and asked if we wanted to see monkeys. They came to within 6’ of us, with another group fighting in a nearby tree.  

A cauldron of bats,  bearcat, mom hiding behind her fan so she wouldn't see the boa constrictor on stage, aquarium starfish, three dolphins, Don't Feed -> them, beautiful sunset and amazing moonrise (same night).

3/24/24 Cruise Day 105 - Manila, Philippines

I was on an early excursion to see city highlights. Our guide told us a lot of history about the country in general (Spanish colonialism for 333 years), Jose Rizal (hero) and specific locations we visited: San Agustin Cathedral (1607) and museum, Fort Santiago (1571), Plaza de Roma, Rizal Park and Monument and the "seven" buildings of Imelda Marcos.

Many families remain influenced by Spain and the Catholic church, naming all daughters Maria and all sons Miguel, differentiating them by their middle name(s). Our guide was Maria Stella.

Jose Rizal is believed to have more monuments, memorials and plaques dedicated to him around the world than any other person. He was executed (1896, age 35) for inciting the people to revolt against the Spanish government, even though he didn’t intend to inflame the peoples’ outrage with his writings nor did her participate in the uprising.

Fort Santiago was the first fortification built by the Spanish. At the time (1571) it was at the edge of the bay. After the Bataan Death March it was used to keep POWs until they died or were killed by their guards. During a successful rescue mission in 1945 the US captured the fort and destroyed the original gate entrance, which has been rebuilt out of a different kind of stone than its surrounding arch and wall.

Rizal Park is a large shaded green area in the middle of the city where local families come to relax. Next to it is the national monument to Rizal, which is guarded 24/7.

Our last sights were the “seven” buildings Imelda Marcos (now age 94) was told she could build on 333 hectares by her fortune teller (said our guide). I couldn’t find anything about a fortune teller being involved. The Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex is on 62 hectares (150 acres) and encompasses the National Theater, Folk Arts Theater, Convention Center, Manila Film Center, Plaza Hotel and Coconut Palace (6 major structures). Imelda's son, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr., has been the president of the Philippines since 2022. 

We stopped at the Mall of Asia, before going back to the ship.

The Mania skyline, San Agustin Church & Convent, our guide, [Maria] Stella with a model of the galleon that brought Miguel López de Legazpi from Mexico to colonize the area for Spain, an interior mausoleum (that takes reservations), Fort Santigo guard shack and reconstructed main gate, the guarded Rizal monument and Imelda Marcos' Coconut Palace.

3/21/24 - 3/23/24 Cruise Days 102 - 104 Sea Days

3/20/24 Cruise Day 101 - Benoa, Bali

Again, a country with a tourism-based economy. Here the main religion (90+%) is Hindu. Families remain together in small compounds with multi-generational houses. Shrines are erected to pay tribute to ancestors and often eclipse the homes.

My tour didn’t go by the terraced ones, but we saw lots of rice paddies (still planted and harvested by hand). We stopped at an everyone temple, with the biggest banyan tree I’ve ever seen, then a museum about the last royal family and their (rebuilt) palace behind a wall across the street (destroyed by the Dutch in 1908) and a batik shop with active artisans onsite. A sweet lady asked me if I wanted “Flower on hat?” She held my ball cap and hand painted a group of flowers on the side with “Bali – 2024” under it. No payment was requested, so I just handed her some (US) money. Inside the store I only found a couple things I couldn’t pass up.

A younger woman passenger had been having a minor medical issue the previous few days and I’d told her I’d get her medicine. Our tour guide talked to another small private tour organizer who happened to have an empty SUV (vs a bus) who volunteered to take me to a pharmacy. We had to stop at two, but meds were acquired and I was dropped off at the entry to the cruise terminal. Also, there was a young ship’s service crew member saying goodbye to his whole family of ten after only an hour and a-half together. It was pretty emotional.

3/19/24 Cruise Day 100 - Lombok, Indonesia

This is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, with a population of about 4,000,000. My tour drove through areas of extreme poverty, to a black sand beach and mosques (85% Muslim) no farther than two miles apart, amid a sea of scooters.

There’s a big push for more tourism and people seemed truly glad we were there. And, despite the conditions there was music and laughter coming from in and around these dwellings on our drive back to port after dark. 

3/15/24 - 3/19/24 Cruise Days 96-99

Bud went home in the afternoon on Thursday, the 14th in California! So happy getting around will be easier for him from now on. Whew! Moved ahead with getting Roger back on the ship.

For some time I’ve stayed in touch by email with my brother, Garry, in Kansas at least weekly. His wife, Sally, went into the hospital in Lawrence, KS for a hernia operation on August 29, 2023. Roger and I had been there the week before, (on our way back from Acadia) as we’d be gone for Garry’s 70th birthday in May. We went to dinner at their favorite steakhouse. Sally had some physical discomfort, but was otherwise healthy, alert and happy.

On the 16th of March I realized he hadn’t replied to my two most recent messages. Sally had now been in the hospital for over six months. I asked my sister, Darlene, to try calling him, to make sure he was okay. No answer by phone. Voicemail left. A welfare check by the police department was requested (message on their non-emergency line) and then we waited.

About an hour later Garry sent Darlene a two line email that Sally had passed away on March 4th and they’d had her service on the 14th. The welfare check was cancelled.

We have no real idea of what happened to Sally, except complications started at the time of the hernia surgery. There were times it looked like she’d get to go home, but that never happened. and her condition progressively deteriorated over the ensuing months. In the end it was her heart that gave out. My sympathies also go out to her daughter Mollie and son Micah.

We’re not thrilled with our brother’s reticence in telling us, but he’s really never been one to share or reach out without being encouraged. Our concern has now shifted to him, as he tends to withdraw from the world. A situation to be monitored.

A mixed day of especially good news and especially sad news.

Nothing else to report for these days.

3/14/24 Cruise Day 95 - Cairns, Australia

Located in northeast corner of Queensland, Cairns is best known for access to the Great Barrier Reef. I’d planned to do a fly over for pictures, but when I checked it online there were a lot of articles about the coral being bleached. Instead of all different colored colonial marine invertebrates, the coral is gray to white and those are dead. The water temperature has caused this dramatic change. I chose not to spend the outrageous amount being charged to go over a vast area of whitish gray. The water’s still clear blue-green though.

Photo credits: Terry Hughes for The Guardian

3/13/24 Cruise Day 94 - Airlie Beach, Australia

I was up at 1:00am here to get every update from Sierra Vista Hospital, where it was 6:00am, Tuesday, the 12th. At -17 hours, yesterday, time/day/date difference still isn’t easy. When Bud was in recovery the doctor told the family waiting that it went quite well, he’d stay admitted a couple days and then be released home (no rehab!). Such a relief to hear wonderful news. With that, I went back to bed.

We anchored beyond Shute Harbour close to 7:00am and tenders were used to shuttle us to shore and then back until 2:30pm. I was up by 8:00am, ready to float to the start of my tour.

There’s only one road into and out of Shute Harbor to anywhere and our guide says half-an-inch of rain puts it underwater. He also said Australians wouldn’t say, “Put another shrimp on the barbie,” as they call them prawns and barbecues.

It took about 30 minutes to get to Airlie Beach. The town size has exploded since COVID because of people leaving the big cities. It’s being developed as a tourist destination, with plans for a bayfront twelve story (prior limit was four) hotel complex.  

We went on to the Prosperpine Historical Museum that doesn’t look like it’s changed since the 1980s. It has a rather elderly, all volunteer staff, who also make and offer handmade items for sale. 

We drove past sugarcane, a major export for the region. I saw bingabing trees and thought ah ha, this is where they come from. It turns out they’re an invasive plant species in Australia too and came from the Philippines.

We headed back to Shute Harbour and waited for a tender that got us back onboard by 2:00pm 

*** HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIE ***

Small town museum, view of the marina, town sign and (Yes!) that's me as we moved out of the bay where we'd anchored.

3/12/24 Cruise Day 93 - Sea Day

My biggest calendar item was talk to Bud/my father-in-law. I called when it was 3:00pm, Monday, March 11, 2024, in California, the day before his surgery. He sounded good and was optimistically looking forward to the event build-up being over.

3/11/24 Cruise Day 92 - Brisbane, Australia

Another segment change. Today’s tour, starting at 9:30am, was in and around the city, which is about half the size, density and population of Sydney (and I think prettier). It has a nice mixture of old and new structures, with a casual, small-town feel. Many area residents use the extensive KittyCat and CityCat river boat system for transportation.

It started out sunny, then rained, then got windy, then foggy as we approached a hilltop scenic lookout and poured when it was time to reboard.

Pictures: Skyline, restored old house placed above another building/bar, the Grand Central Hotel next to Grand Central Station, a fun sticker on a car and a CityCat. 

3/10/24 Cruise Day 91 - Sea Day

At each segment change we loose and gain passengers. In Los Angeles we got Brian, who sat among our core group the first day and proceeded to make sure everyone knew he has a net worth of $9M, travels extensively and was going to marry the girl he’d spent time with at a concert in LA the previous Friday and Saturday. All of this was shared while I was still on Oahu. This was a very annoying young man. He toned down the last few days and came in third at the karaoke finals. The winner kind of looks like an older Kira from The Dark Crystal. Everyone sang okay. None are going on to America’s Got Talent.

Pictures: The Winner! the contestants (Brian far left) and passing cargo and cruise ship (Pacific Encounter)

3/9/24 Cruise Day 90 - Newcastle, Australia

We docked in Newcastle about 8:00am. I was on a 9:00am tour that went to Port Nelson. On the way I learned that Australia exports more coal than any other country. The storage and loading machinery is massive.

When we arrived at our destination I felt a sense of déjà vu. The community of Nelson reminds me of Bar Harbor, Maine. Quaint buildings, a small marina and lots of touristy stuff.

I wandered with others until it was time to go back. The weather was cooler than the other side if the peninsula. It was a pleasant half-day out. We left port before 6:00pm. Nobbys Head Lighthouse sits on a causeway connected island at the harbor entrance. A nice departure visual.

Pictures: The prettiest Norfolk Island Pine I've ever seen, harbor decor, coal loading yard and Nobbys Head Lighthouse

3/8/24 Cruise Day 89 - Sydney, Australia

We anchored in Sydney Harbour, as a Virgin cruise ship was at the only dock, before the channel. That means tenders (this time local water taxis) were run between the ship and the Dawes Point, under the Harbour Bridge. I'd signed up for a Hop On/Hop Off bus and we went ashore about 9:30am. The bus company wasn't as organized as you'd think. We got on the first one about 10am. I did the entire loop the first time. 

In bold letters across the top of the brochure/map was: The World's Largest Certified LEGO Store! It showed as two blocks over and I could walk through the park (past Yininmadyemi - Thou didst let fall). And it looks like it's in a tall, stand-alone building. I walked through Chinatown, Koreatown, Thaitown and Vietnamtown (in that order, but probably not what they're called). It was almost two miles and I refused to go in the Sydney Arcade (not mentioned), an upscale underground mall. 

Next was to find the port. Suggestion: always know the actual name of the cruise terminal before leaving the ship. You'd think searching for "cruise terminal, Sydney" would show just what you need. Of course not. This isn't the first time I couldn't find a port location because I didn't know its exact name. I knew it was across the water taxi wharf access to the opera house. That made the Museum of Contemporary Art my landmark.

After walking the 2.5 mile circuitous route I spotted the top of the opera house. As I walked along I wondered how many people in this city of 4.7 million notice what's around them.

Above: the Sydney skyline on approach to the harbor.

Below: Admiralty House at the point in Kirribilli and the first full view of the iconic Sydney Opera House (kind of light brown)

The Harbour Bridge, St Mary's Cathedral, a Big Bus and where I got off the Big Bus.

Cool old building, view from Darling Harbor, stork statues, building mural, a laundry business with a purple painted Godzilla holding a rocket, the Museum of Contemporary Art (my landmark), the Overseas Passenger Terminal, a slightly out of focus (but brilliant) lighted Opera House and the farewell view as we sailed away from Sydney.

3/7/24 Cruise Day 88

Sunrise on a sea day. 

3/6/24 Cruise Day 87 - Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand

This was a bay anchoring and then a tender to Russell. I thought I'd signed up for a tour that was going to show me all 144 islands (some are just big rocks) and started out early. There were parasailers (showing off to get passengers interested), a chilly breeze heading to port and high school girls paddling a double canoe heading out. 

The tour took us to some small bays with beautiful (often private) beaches. Most homes were built when residents could still buy all or part of an island, so the newer ones are from the early 1970s. One owner wasn't allowed to put in a dock, so they tunneled through the hill between the next house and added a door. Most open lands are owned by the government.

We docked about 9:45am at Otehei Bay, which boasts camping, cabins and a small restaurant. You'd think people hadn't eaten since the night before. While they ate, I wandered and saw a seashell strewn beach, newly shorn sheep, a very steep trail and a really cool tree. We headed back to Russell about 11am, but had the option of getting off in Paihia a mile or so away, which was my choice. Pleasant little touristy town. Funny (not completely PC) shuttle driver back to Russell.

The 2:30pm return tender line was long. Gangway up was at 3:30. A training schooner came out to say goodbye and then a final  look back from the balcony. Beyond were many similar looking, but different size, islands.

*** HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRANDEN ***

3/5/34 Cruise Day 86 - Aukland, New Zealand - "Kia Ora"/Hello

Having crossed the international dateline we are a day ahead of (most) everyone reading this. 

We docked early at Queen's Harbor in Aukland, but my excursion wasn't until 11:15am. I took care of some hand-washable laundry and ironing in the quiet, tiny, often overlooked laundry facility on Deck 3. The three self-serve laundries all have Miele front-load washers and non-vented dryers. It took me a while to learn how to set them so washing wasn't two and a-half hours and drying another three.

I headed to where I read we were to meet for the tour, but no one was there. Outside none of the crew knew where we were meeting. Outside the terminal building sat a lot of tour buses and I was the last one on the "Hobbiton - Movie Set" excursion.

Our guide told us a lot about the area and New Zealand in general on the two hour drive out past Hamilton, to Matamata in the province of Waikatu. The rolling hills and lake were discovered in a helicopter flyover location scout for the original Lord of the Rings: Fellowship [2001] of the Ring movie in 1998. It's on a 2,500 acre working sheep and cattle ranch, built for the first movie, removed, then rebuilt permanently to remain after the filming of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King [2003]. 

The further our bus went, the more it rained. Our box lunch was pretty good, but even after that we had to wait until 3:10 to board the actual tour bus. I'd accidentally taken Roger's waterproof windbreaker, which turned out to give me far more coverage than mine would have. Umbrellas were provided at the beginning of the walking tour. As if by magic we stepped into the Shire and the rain became a part of the adventure.

Sam[wise] Gamgee's home (below) Everything was made to Hobbit size (average adult height around 3.5 feet). The back door (with a little green lighted hobbit silhouette walking) opens to a view of the Green Dragon Inn (currently having the roofs rethatched).

A final look at a group of Hobbit homes. Across the path was a farewell scarecrow and one sheep.

And once again, we found ourselves back in the real world where we started our journey. Any part not covered by something rain "proof" was soaked (shoes, socks, lower pant legs). It was on the cool side, but not actually cold. The bus air conditioning was a bit chilly, but a lot of things that could be hung up were pretty dry when we got back to the ship, about 7:45pm.

The only part of Aukland I saw were the buildings along the harbor and the streets we took to get to the highway. My only other Aukland pictures are during our sailing away, in the dark.