Singapore

Forget injuries, never forget kindness. ~~ Confucius

Lore, Lengends, and Tales from the Seven Seas
(Third in a series by Melvyn Foster)
To help deal with the fears of the 7 seas, mariners held superstitutions, legends, and rituals, since 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water. In the 1500’s in Turkey, Pire Reis named the original 7 Seas: Med, Red, Arabian, Persian Gulf, South China, Bay of Bengal, and Atlantic. The modern term refers to the 7 oceans: N and S Atlantic, N and S Pacific, Arctic, Antarctic (Southern), and the Indian. Ship’s figureheads were to see the way forward and protect the ship. Ships are called “she” because at launching they are given as brides to the sea.

Singapore, Day One
$1SD = $0.79US
Sandy, Maren, and I took a taxi from the port to Chinatown, $9 SD. We shopped in the stalls of the market, chatted with some tourists from Thailand, visited the Buddhist Temple, and “looked” into the Hindu Temple because Sandy objected to leaving her new, expensive Fit Flops on the sidewalk outside…. and then went to lunch. Lunch was in a Chinese restaurant on Smith Street. They spoke little to no English… we have no Chinese…. but the lunch was excellent. We ordered sweet and sour prawns (the best I’ve ever eaten), chicken satay with peanut sauce, and fried rice with egg, and Tiger beer. Cost was $54 SD for 3.

Back in a taxi to Raffles Hotel, $6 SD. We visited the shoppes and soaked in the atmosphere. I bought another bag at Jim Thompson ($100US)… Sandy bought lots at Raffles, Jim Thompson, and British India stores. Running into shipmates and comparing purchases is icing on the cake! Back in a taxi to the port, $10 SD.

After a nap and quick dinner, Sandy and I went shopping at the big shopping centers adjoining the port. I have a new lipstick and liquid supplies (cokes, tonic water, sparkling water).

Singapore, Day Two
91 degrees and sunny

Sandy, Maren, and I took at taxi ($9SD) to the Gardens by the Bay. This is a botanical Disneyland! The Cloud Forest, a domed structure, was fantastic! “Explore the highlands amidst orchids, pitcher plants and ferns from the cool-moist tropical Montane region, complete with a 35 metre man-made mountain and waterfall. ” We transversed the walkways suspended in the dome, high above the floor. The Flower Dome contains thousand year old olive trees and unusual Baobob trees as well as massive displays of flowers.
A Tale of the Roses tells the story of the War of the Roses in displays along the Garden Trail. Cost of entry into the two attractions was $28SD. A twenty minute tram ride gave an overview of the Gardens by the Bay, $5SD. The Supertrees are dramatic vertical plant displays, ranging from 22-50 metres tall.

We had lunch at the IndoChine restaurant at the top of the tallest Supertree, 50 metres high. The cost to ride the elevator to the top was $10SD. My lunch cost $28.86SD and worth every penny! I had a green papaya salad and Tempura prawns. The view is spectacular. I actually walked up to the open air bar at the very top of the Supertree! This is an accomplishment since I am deathly afraid of heights.

Taxi back to port ($12SD) and a walk through the Harborfront Mall to McDonald’s for free wifi to check emails and back to the ship!
Spent the evening in a lounge chair on the deck watching us sail by the hundreds of ships making their way into Singapore.

GWV 2014 — At Sea Sailing towards Singapore

I am fevered with the sunset, I am fretful with the bay, for the wander thirst is on me and my soul is in Cathay. ~~ Richard Hovey

Siam to Thailand
(2nd in a series of lectures by Melvyn Foster)
The Ban Chiang culture in Thailand flourished in 4000 BC. In 200 BC Buddhism arrived. The Khymer Kingdom which combined Buddhism and Hinduism held the west of the land and called the people Siam. The Srivijaya Empire held the south. It was taken over by the Ayutthaya Empire from the 14th-18th Century. The city of Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese in 1767 who burned it to the ground. In 1770 the Thai-Chinese General Taksin pushed out the Burmese and started a dynasty and moved the capital to Thonburi, a suburb of Bangkok. Taksin was put in a silk bag and beaten to death by courtiers without spilling any blood… according to legend.

The Chakri Dynasty (1782 to today) was started with Thong Duang King Rami I. The present king is Rama 9. King Rama II had 51 children. However, he died without choosing an heir, so his brother who was a monk became King Rama IV (also known as King Mongkut). The king predicted a solar eclipse in 1868 and, after an expedition to see it, contracted malaria and died. He had sired 82 children and had 39 wives after he gave up being a monk.

After 400 years of absolute monarchy, in 1932 the Democratic Revolution brought the 1st Constitution.

Shipboard Life
Shopping in the ship’s stores! I have a new blouse, 3 new clutch purses (I couldn’t make up my mind so I bought all three styles), and a case of miniature flavored vodkas.

A deck chair on the lower promenade for the afternoon and a book is the height of luxury for me! I am reading The Finisher by David Baldacci. I wouldn’t recommend this fantasy but it does have me hooked to see what happens to the heroine.

Grand Voyages have music and ballroom dancing for the cocktail hour. Two of the dance hosts, Charles and Robert, are friends from previous cruises. I spent the hour before dinner, dancing… and am I rusty!

The dining room was decorated with red lanterns in an Oriental theme for the Red Lantern Dinner. Passengers were encouraged to wear their finest Oriental wardrobe for the evening. The dinner was exceptional… and the dinners are always good… I had lobster Szechan style and bananas flambé for dessert.

The evening show featured Metro, an accapella group from the USA whose harmonies have made them one of the leading vocal groups of Asia.

GWV 2014 — At Sea in the South China Sea

Singapore, the city of the “Lion” and its creator Sir Stamford Raffles
(the first in a series of lectures by Melvyn Foster)

Singapore is one of the three city-states left in the world, the other two are Vatican City and Monaco. It is 74% Chinese, 14% Malaysian, 10% Indian, and 3% European. It is the smallest country landwise in S.E. Asia but is growing in landmass by concentrated landfill between the surrounding islands. It is surrounded by lots of anchored vessels. The Strait of Malacca between Sumatra and Malaysia carries more than 25% of the world’s traded goods…. 70,000 ships per year.

Singa pura is Malay for lion city. Years ago a Sumatran prince landed there and saw a big cat which he was told was a lion, although it probably was a tiger. There haven’t been tigers in Singapore since 1880. In 1851, 300 people died from tiger attacks so the hunting of tigers was rampant. The only “tigers” found today are those on the label of Tiger beer. The symbol of the city is a Merlion, the head of a lion and the body of a fish.

In 1819 Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, employed by the East Indian Company, paid the Sultan of Johor to rent the city; five year later the British bought it. Raffles created a “scientific” city plan and a free port. Slavery and gambling were outlawed. Raffles died in England at the age of 45, three of his four children predeceased him, the fourth dying two months after him.

After WWI Britain built the “Gibraltar of the East.” December 8, 1941, Japan invaded northern Malaya and advanced to Singapore in 55 days. In February, 1942, Britain surrendered Singapore to the Japanese along with 130,000 troops. On September 12, 1945, Mountbatten accepted the surrender of the Japanese. In 1959 the first Prime Minister of the Crown Colony of Singapore is appointed. In 1963 Singapore joined the Federation of Malasia. In 1965 it became the independent Republic of Singapore.

Shipboard Life
The Welcome Aboard reception featured artistic culinary appetizers and flowing alcoholic beverages. Captain Jonathan Mercer was a delightful host, introducing the ship’s officers. All in all, a superb event.

The movie wasAn American in China, 2008, starring James Snyder. This is the worst acting ever! After 3 minutes, I wanted to leave. Sandy disagreed, saying we should give the film a chance and pointing out that we would have to climb over a row of people to exit. Ten minutes later we climbed over a row of people.

The pillow gift was a rolling carry on travel bag. Just like the one we received on the Grand South American voyage.

GWV 2014 — Hong Kong

Every traveler should walk…. not only for the exercise but also to see your surroundings.

Hong Kong has the most high rise buildings in the world and the cost of living is sky high. An apartment in the Opus high rise was listed for $60.6 million. Stand alone homes are even higher in price. A 6863 sq. ft. home in the Barker Road development on Victoria Peak sold for $94.9 million.

Monday, 60 degrees and foggy
Either the flight time of 16 hours or the time change or both caused me to feel dizzy and unstable. The buffet breakfast at the hotel cost $29 US! There were 25 passengers staying at the hotel. We were transported by bus to the Ocean Cruise Terminal where the Amsterdam was docked. We met Jeff and Joy at embarkation. Lunch in the Lido, luggage delivered, and nap! Then unpacking, dinner in the Lido, and bed.

Tuesday, 61 degrees and foggy
Sandy, Maren, and I shared a taxi to Stanley Market on Repulse Bay in Hong Kong Island. The cost was 170HK each way which amounts to $14.60US for each of us round trip. Stanley Market wasn’t nearly as exciting as the first time that I saw it in 1982.
We met Pam for lunch… it was a 2012 Grand South America Voyage reunion of sorts!

A mandatory passenger safety drill was held just prior to sailing. It was the most efficient drill I have ever attended!

An Asian Night Market sail away was held at the Lido Poolside. It was a time of hugs and kisses! Mary and Bill, Mary Ann and John, Jill and Joe, Joy and Jeff, and Ron all were there. It gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling to be with such great friends. Our dinner table was next to a window during the sail out of Hong Kong harbor…. superb! After dinner I attended the Single and Solo wine party in the Crow’s Nest. I met Barbara and Lesley who had been on the Veendam in 2008 on the Amazon voyage. I spent a delightful time with Lesley remembering. The show was Livewire, a couple on the guitar and violin who played Celtic music.

Pillow Gifts
” Moleskin’s Travel Journal and Your Boat Bag of Swag with compliments of Captain Jonathan Mercer” which was a travel bag filled with a travel kit, key card case, and travel journal.

GWV 2014 — Ponte Vedra to Hong Kong

Flying Tips
Never drink alcohol on planes. Do drink lots of water. Although I used to love tomato juice on flights, I now avoid it because of its high salt content. Take an aspirin on long flights. Planes are flying Petri dishes, and I usually catch something regardless of precautions.

the Journey
My sister Betsy picked me up at 9 am. We were at Jacksonville airport by 9:45….. No traffic! Check in was quick and easy…. No lines! Security was a breeze…. No taking off shoes or emptying bags of items. Arriving at Newark at 2:30. Gave me 1 hour to make the Hong Kong flight. Wheelchair assist at the Newark airport was a godsend. It was a long distance, different floors, and a bus ride from terminal A to C. And it enabled me to have priority boarding.

Our flight of 16 hours took us from Newark over Quebec City, Newfoundland, Greenland, Russia, and China. The distance is 8609 miles. I took a sleeping pill and dozed fitfully for 3 to 4 hours. I watched the movie captain Phillips and enjoyed the movie mentioning Salalah since I was wrapped in a pashmina purchased there last spring.

Sandy was seated a few rows from me. We agreed to meet when we deplaned. Hong Kong international airport is new, clean, and designed well. Immigration and customs were quick and easy. We were met by a prearranged HAL transport service and taken to the Grand Stanford Intercontinental Hotel where upon checking in we were met by Maren. Exhausted and as it was nearly 11 pm local time, a shower and bed was the agenda.