Bangkok 17th January 2011

Happy Birthday to me. No chance for a sleep in, as we are off on yet another excursion with an 8.15 start. We are visiting the Bridge over the River Kwai and it is a two hour trip out of Bangkok. It is a pretty full day and a lot of passengers have run out of steam and are taking the shorter excursions. We have a group of only 6 of us in a Mercedes Van which is great. We head 130km west to Kanchanaburi which is a mellow provincial town on the banks of the River Kwai. The area is known internationally for its infamous railway bridge built by allied POWs and Asian labourers during World War 2.Labelled the Death Railway, it costs thousands of lives. Ill equipped prisoners were forced by the Japanese in appalling conditions to complete over 400km of track linking Siam to Burma. On arriving there we went to The JEATH war museum which is an abbreviation for the 6 countries involved Japan, England, America, Australia.Thailand and Holland. The Japanese were the controllers of the railway project, Thailand signed a cooperation treaty with Japan, and the other 4 countries were the POWs involved on the actual construction. The Museum is supposed to be a realistic reconstruction of a prisoner of war hut and has photos and memorabilia of the time. It is very sobering as there was much hardship and atrocities committed. We then boarded a native speed boat which took us 10 minutes up the river, under the Kwai bridge and then to a nearby jetty so we could walk over the bridge. Apparently 2 trains a day go over it. They were making repairs while we were there.
Following this we went to the war cemetery. The Thai people maintain it in immaculate condition with manicured lawns and flower gardens. We found a lone NZ soldier and put a rose on his grave. It was very upsetting. We then went to a nearby museum which is better presented than the JEATH museum which was pretty basic. Following this it was to a smaller war cemetery and then to a Traditional Thai lunch in a resort Hotel. The end of the day was spent riding elephants which was great. We had quite a ride with a Mahout, and then Bill was allowed to take control. We went up and down a hill which was pretty scary as you are a long way off the ground. The elephant then went into the river. Bill whipped his shirt off in preparation for getting wet, but I pointed out that it was a different excursion with a group of 20 somethings in togs on the elephants backs giving them a bath with the Mahouts. We also saw the cutest baby elephants. It was then the long drive back to the ship. Our last night and packing. We saw a traditional Thai show on the ship followed by a Birthday Party for me at the specialist restaurant for 7. We had a Thai dinner and I got presents and a cake so a nice end to the day before we have to do packing. Off to Singapore tomorrow.

Ko Kood Thailand 16 January 2011

Our sea day ended in a bit of adventure on the high seas. One of the passengers had to be medevac’d off the ship with acute appendicitis, which necessitated an immediate course change to a small Vietnamese port. The patient was wheeled through the dining room from the hospital to a Tender. She was taken to land and helicoptered to Saigon for an emergency operation. We got to know Silvia and Robert well as they were on our trivia team. Our Captain has just received notification that the operation was a success and they are waiting for a flight to Bangkok. That is a great relief.
We wake today to a pristine paradise. The sea is calm, the weather is sunny. No smog, grime or pollution in sight. Our wonderful crew then prepares a treat and a half. Ko Kood is a resort island with clear water on a glistening white sandy beach, dotted with coconut palms. As you can see we were given the red carpet treatment. After a cooling swim we were treated to Caviar in the Surf, a Seabourn Tradition where you are served Caviar with champagne in the water. The only thing was they did not wear tuxedoes as shown in the promotional material. Our Captain who is a real sweetie arrived in his white rubber ducky and leapt in the water with us carrying the Seabourn Flag. Following this we had a wonderful barbecue on the beach with music playing. Bill and I then both had a relaxing 55 minute Thai massage each on the beach which was wonderful. Bill who is not usually fond of massage enjoyed the acupressure rather than the kneading movement of the Thai Style. Our day at Ko Kood came to an end too fast. We are now bound for Bangkok. Our ship is small enough to get right into the city centre which is fantastic.

Mekong Delta Saigon 14 January 2011

We begin our excursion at 7.30 in the morning and its back to the Mercedes Vans. This time with our same small group of people who joined us in our trip to Hanoi. We are one big happy family now and many of us don’t want to leave .We may have to stage a mutiny. The Mekong Delta excursion is the trip which everybody looks forward to. The Mekong is the World’s 12th longest river at about 4,350 km. Its source is the Tibetan Plateau, running through China’s Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. One of my books I read as a child talked about the Great Grey Greasy Limpopo River. This is pretty close to it. By the time it has been through the above countries then Vietnam it is the consistency of pea soup. Fish still survive and swim in it. Apparently researchers say that the Mekong houses more species of giant fish than any world river, and now I ask you why?
My dark humour aside, we are enjoying the experience as we leave the motorbikes and frenzied rush of Saigon to the countryside and miles of rice paddy fields. Vietnam only has two seasons, the wet and the dry season. The latter is about to begin. Our guide, as always is fun and informative. The two hour trip to the pier goes quickly as we hear about the culture. We board our Sampans to experience the sights and sounds of the Mekong River. However, a ‘comfort stop’ before boarding proves to be a challenge. Our guide affectionately calls it the Happy Room and happy it is not. The toilet facilities are very dodgy. Shall we say in this case it is better to be a boy? The Sampan ride was great where we rode the river, looked at Fish Farms, and went down narrow canals between fruit trees and the always prevalent water hyacinth. This looks very similar to the pot hyacinth but does not have the wonderful smell we are used to. It floats on the water and looks like it could choke everything if you let it. We visited a local factory that made popped rice and rice paper using the old methods. There was also plenty to sample. We purchased some Mekong Candy and Jasmine tea to share in NZ. We then visited a family home to see how they lived and explored their garden. I managed to have a kitty fix as the photos show. Carmen carries extra supplies of food to feed animals and children she meets along the way, so the cat had a decent snack. The cat was no longer interested in me. Cats have agendas the world over. We then cruised a village with floating markets. The Venice of Vietnam. Yeah right! Each boat sells a different type of produce which is displayed on a pole. We had fresh coconut water straight from the coconut which was so yummy. We have a few amusing photos to share. Our tour ended with a Vietnamese Lunch at a place that also hosts weddings and there was a big one this particular day. It was then back to the ship. Bill has added more photos to the Motorbike series. The best are displayed for your enjoyment. Tonight the ship hosted an enormous deck barbecue under the stars .Fantastic but overindulged food wise for the first time so were both feeling a little off. The ship’s restaurants food portions are just right so you feel you have had a meal but have not overeaten. The weather has now come right. We have just heard with sadness about the latest Pike River News that the bodies will never be recovered. We have also been kept up to date about the flooding at Brisbane and Toowoomba. We now sail toward Ko Kood in Thailand.

Saigon 13th January 2011

We have two full days in Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City. Today have a few planned purchases. Our “Soul of Saigon” tour does not go till the afternoon. We decided to pop into Saigon on the complimentary shuttle in the morning. Remember this time, our ship is small enough to moor in the city centre. No two hour bus trips to endure. We were only here 4 years ago and it’s amazing how the city has changed .Lots of new building. Saigon now has a population of 9 Million people making it Vietnam’s largest city. It is said that the population increases by 200,000 people per year. We explored a shop or two and revisited Ben Thang market. We then contributed to the local economy. In the afternoon our tour began. Our first visit was the Reunification Hall which was originally the home of the deposed President of South Vietnam. This was the one that the Communist tank busted through the main gate to take power back in ’75. The Americans left in 1973. It is now a museum. The photos show the presidents and vice presidents reception rooms, the Banquet Hall and the basement which was the seat of communications. There is also a replica of the tank that busted through the front gates. A lightning visit to view some French architecture, Notre Dame inspired cathedral & the adjacent Post office designed by the architect of the Eiffel Tower. Following this it was a visit to the History Museum which has antiquities from the Bronze Age to the modern age. We viewed a water puppet show where the lacquered wood puppets are controlled from poles underneath the water. This style of puppetry had its origins in the 12 Century and was originally performed in the rice paddies. This museum was a return visit for us with one big difference. We are now allowed to take photos. Following the show we boarded a fleet of cyclos and were transported to a lacquer factory where we again made a contribution to the local economy. We then dashed to China Town (there is one in every major city) and visited a local temple called the Lady Temple which is dedicated to a Cantonese psychic lady who is supposed to predict the weather and protect sailors. I think she has since moved on and now they say it is dedicated to the sea god. Reasonably creepy stuff and in another room, there is the money god. Apparently as the story goes the man who this fable was built around was a lazy good for nothing type who was a disappointment to his parents. As a result of his slovenly ways his mother died of shame. He then decided to get his act together. He studied hard and succeeded as a businessman. I guess the moral of the story is, don’t be lazy and be a disappointment to your mother. Don’t ask me how he became a money god. Apparently to succeed in your business you are supposed to donate money to the temple (the more the better) then when your business succeeds you gotta come back and donate some more. According to our neighbours in the suite next to us who are from Malaysia, they are even more efficient in Hong Kong as the money god can respond to emails, and they take Visa and MasterCard. Following this it was a revisit to Ben Thang Market, literally a walk through, hop back on the bus then back to the ship, where we had the most amazing dockside welcome back, with the band playing, & greeted with wet hand towels, & refreshingly cool juice. Tonight we were invited to join two more of the entertainment team Arvin and Ruth. A great evening.

Da Nang to Saigon Sea Day 12 January 2011

Quite a day today with a visit to the Bridge to see the workings of the ship. Very hi tech and computerized. Rough seas with 10-12 ft swells. The Jimmy Choos were left in the cupboard. We were 11 km off the coast. With those sorts of conditions all small boats should be in the harbor, except for this one fishing trawler that our Captain had to photograph. Buzz was allowed to drive (as long as he pushed no buttons) which he enjoyed.
A cooking demonstration followed the tour by our executive chef with tasting to follow. Then it was up to the Constellation lounge to defend our trivia title. Team ‘Kiwi Fruit’ with our honorary Kiwi team (1 Swiss, 1 Scottish and 2 American and ourselves as Captains) are still in the lead. We then lunched together to gloat our victory. I then departed to the spa for an hour of repairs and maintenance or should I say a hot stone massage while Bill learnt the intricacies of Backgammon over freshly brewed English breakfast tea. It was then to the third installation of our Enrichment lecture with Denise Heywood on Cambodia, her best lecture yet. We learnt about the rich cultural heritage and the genocide of half the population by Pol Pot. All the intellectuals and leaders were murdered. Wearing glasses was enough to get you killed. It was a tragedy. Many of the perpetrators are still to be brought to justice.
Tonight we went to the specialist restaurant called Restaurant 2 with Ray and Carmen from Miami. There is a different theme each night, bookings are essential as it is restricted to only 36 diners. Our theme was Indian Spice Market and presentation was in that fashion. A lovely evening followed by a Violin Duo called “String Idol”. Saigon tomorrow