Palm Sunday - resourcefulness at sea

We attend the Anglican interfaith service on Palm Sunday. Of course, it is not a communion service. No hymnals - but the words to the hymns are there, so we can sing at appropriate times. We offer prayers for all the folks at home. The service ends with “God Save the Queen.” We finish the service at 11:00 AM - it is just after midnight, the morning of Palm Sunday in the States. Father Harvey can still get a few hours of sleep before the early service in Silver Spring.

Last night the ship’s bulletin featured an “important notice: bunkering operation.” Apparently, on the 24th of March in Singapore, the ship took delivery of thousands of tons of contaminated heavy fuel oil. The fuel is unusable for the ship’s diesel electric motors, and until we reach Mumbai they will need to use the ship’s Gas Turbines. Since these powerful auxiliary motors are normally only used to supplement the ship’s power, the ship carries only a limited supply of fuel for these engines. Fortunately, due to their ecologically sound design, a variety of household and everyday items can be potential fuel sources. The most effective of these is lotic gas, produced by the burning of sun tan lotion. The ship has asked for help. A receptacle  has been placed on deck 1, in the grand lobby. The hope is that everyone will donate a squirt of suntan lotion. The ship calculates that if enough lotion is donated, they will be able to supplement the available fuel, and reach Mumbai on time.

Jean and I have made our contribution to the cause. God willing, and with support from the rest of the passengers, we’ll reach Mumbai tomorrow on time. We wish you all a blessed, and restful Palm Sunday on this April 1st.

A day in Cochin - March 31st

With an army of Indian immigration officers on board, the immigration inspection goes smoothly for the almost 2,000 passengers whose documents must be reviewed, and appearances checked against the passports. What do you call a thousand tourists going ashore? While you might think of them as a “plague” (like locusts), they should better be called “a blessing of tourists.” That must be the perspective of the shopkeepers and hawkers who crowd around the buses and busy streets. Hundreds of peddlars offer the same string of miniature elephants on a string, or cheap pens decorated with bright colors and mirrors. Photographs of “Jew town” (the old Jewish quarter) would make one believe that the city is inhabited by Americans and Europeans dressed for the tropics.

Crossing the Backwaters

Shopping in Jew Town

Bus Caused Traffic Jam

St. Francis Church

Tea on the Beach

Chinese Fishing Nets

The streets are narrow - filled with “Tuktuks” in the best of times. (Tuktuks, often called the Indian Volkswagen - are motorcycles built into a shell for carrying 2-3 passengers. They are also called the Indian Ferrari, since the drivers treat them as small race cars.) Add 50 buses to the same road, and soon traffic is snarled as buses get stuck making turns in impossibly small intersections, while the backed-up cars and Tuktuks all honk their horns at once. The heat and humidity are both in the 90s.


We bounce from the container port, where we are docked, to a variety of stops. We have a short boat ride on the “back waters”, which are actually the port area that our ship entered in the morning. Then we visit the old “Dutch Palace”, with a remarkable ivory palanquin. (A palanquin is a bed or box, used to carry nobility through the streets.)  There are also some striking wall paintings. Next we visit Jew town, which once housed Jewish traders, close to water, and the old port. We see St. Francis Church, built by the Portuguese in 1510. The grave of Vasco da Gama was originally here, but his body has since been moved to his native Portugal. We have refreshments by the sea at a small resort - the lawn crammed with plastic chairs to accommodate the many busloads of passengers who have 30 minutes for tea and cake.  There is a lovely breeze at the hotel, which is delightful and more effective than the half-hearted air conditioning on the bus.  From here we visit the Chinese fishing nets - gracefully cantilevered to snatch passing fish from the sea. Nearby the fish are sold and can be cooked right on the beach. We also visit a relatively new Portuguese museum, which showcases the artifacts (mostly religious) from the original Western settlement.

We return to the ship by 5:30 PM for a shower and then dinner. We do some dancing after dinner, we’ll pack tomorrow for our trip across India.

Piracy prevention and protection

While it is unlikely that the Queen Elizabeth could be captured by pirates, there is no complacency on board ship. A week ago, Sumner heard an announcement in the hallways at 2:30 AM, “team to the Galley.” Apparently, a small craft was detected, and a security team was sent to investigate. The back of the ship, on the promenade deck was cordoned off in the morning. There are sonic devices which can be deployed which create an uncomfortable feeling in the ear - to discourage approach to the ship.

As of midnight, last night, we are technically in waters where pirate activity is a threat. After sunset, the ship will go dark. We are to have our cabin windows draped, and use only the lights that are necessary. The windows in the restaurants and salons on the main decks will have curtains drawn. The promenade deck will be closed after sunset, and most external lights on the ship will be extinguished. We have a liaison officer on board from the Royal Navy, part of the taskforce defending shipping in this area. We have armed security officers as well, though I have not seen them yet. We have been promised a security briefing from these officers on board, but Jean and I will probably be on our way to Agra by then.

 We have already had a drill on board for the staff and passengers. On signal, passengers are to return to their cabins, close any drapes that are open, and then move chairs into the halls, where they are to stay until the all clear is sounded. The concern is that pirates might take random shots at the ship. Many of the cabins have balconies with glass doors, and large windows. Being hit by shattered glass (or the stray bullet), could ruin one’s evening.

It is now the morning of March 31st, and we arrived in Cochin, India, at 10:30 AM local time. The immigration inspection is underway.  It is being conducted by floor, so we are not due to queue up for our inspection for an hour and a half. After that, we hope to be on our way for a tour of the city.

The island of Penang - and more Malaysia

Penang Suspension Bridge

This morning we dock at Georgetown - on the island of Penang. We are docked right in the city - and we pass a modern looking statue which represents a betel nut (the source of the name of the island) as the bus leaves for our trip to the orangutan sanctuary. We drive though Georgetown’s Chinatown, along the shoreline, and on to the Penang bridge, 13.5 Kilometers long. This crosses to the mainland, and is considered to be the 5th longest suspension bridge in the world. The island claims the title as “Pearl of the Orient,” but several other cities claim the title as well.

Lake Theme Park

Man-made Lake at Buket Merah

Mother and Child Orangutans

Jean at the Orphanage

Young Orangutan

 After an hour’s drive we arrive at Bukit Merah - a water theme park that has a 7,000 acre man-made lake. We will take a boat to the orangutan sanctuary.  The Sanctuary is a research and rescue facility, attempting to understand the declining and endangered orangutans. The sanctuary takes in young orangutans that are abandoned, injured, or ill. They have a program which helps the young orangutans through their infancy and childhood - teaching them the skills they will need in the rainforests of Malaysia.

We are back at the ship by 2:00 PM, so this is a more relaxing day than most. We have a few ringgit left, so Jean goes back to the pier and purchases a lovely handbag for our last 15 ringgit (about $5). Tonight we sail for Puket, Thailand.

Well, we though we would be sailing to Thailand, but at 5:00 PM, the captain made an announcement that the next port in Thailand had been canceled. The Thai security authorities in Puket informed the ship that before anyone could go ashore they would need a face-to-face contact with all passengers and crew on the ship! It was estimated that the procedure would take 4-6 hours and completely disrupt the tours that were planned for that port. They had tried to bring pressure, even using the British Embassy but the Thai security held firm. Cunard then decided, and arranged, for one more port in Malaysia. This meant that tours had to be arranged, and scheduled; port guides printed; and a new course set for the ship. 

Rice Growing Museum

Water Buffalo

Machincang Mountain Views

Water Lilly Views

Village at the foot of Machincang Mountain

The following morning we were in Palau Langkawi - the major island among the 99 islands of the archipelago of which it is a part. (Actually there are 104 islands at low tide, and 99 islands at high tide.) We went ashore by tender. Our tour this morning consisted of a visit to a garden and museum concerning rice growing. Malaysia still imports more rice that it consumes. The museum documented different strains of rice, as well as growing and harvesting techniques. Then we walked out onto the banks between the rice paddies, and saw a water buffalo that was tethered by his nose (not a problem for him) and happily munching grass in the paddy. Our guide told us that they have pretty much mechanized planting of rice paddies and no longer use the water buffalo. But, they keep them, they have plenty of forage in the paddies after the rice is harvested and then they eat the grass, preparing the paddy for the next planting. There are also other water buffalo turned loose on the island. Following the museum, we drove to Machincang Mountain and a cable car ride to the top (2,323 feet). Although there was distant haze, the views were spectacular as one could see across the island, and many neighboring islands as well. The cable car ride was 1 ¼ miles long, and took 15 minutes to reach the top. 


We are closing in on our overland trip to the Taj Mahal. We will spend the next two days at sea, and then Sri Lanka followed by Cochin, India. The next port in India is where the overland adventure will begin.

Port Kelang - a day in Kuala Lumpur

National Heritage Museum

 We are off early in the morning - as soon as the ship is secure - to visit Kuala Lumpur. We have a one hour’s drive to reach the city. We are fortunate that it is Sunday, or it could take two hours to make the trip in traffic. Our first stop is the National Heritage Museum, which has four wings describing the early civilization, peoples of the area, the colonial period, and modern Malaysia. The exhibits are well done (and partially in English) but we have limited time to see them. We do get to visit the restrooms - which would normally cost money. Our guide has made arrangements for us, so we do not have to pay (the local currency is the Ringgit). Unfortunately, that means we should provide our own toilet paper and towels - which we don’t have. These are some of the adventures of visiting a foreign country.

Independence Square

Buildings on Independence Square

Jean Outside the Mosque

National Mosque

Our next stop is Independence Square, where Malaysia celebrated its independence in 1957. We have photo stops at the National Mosque (no time to visit). The Mosque can hold 8,000 worshippers - our guide insists it can hold 15,000. She may be right - if everyone is standing. We are shown the nearby railway station - with its exotic, Moorish style. We stop for a picture of the Petronas Towers - once the tallest building in the world, now the tallest twin towers in the world. We walk to a market for shopping. It seems no tour is complete without shopping time. We are given stickers that allow us to visit the rest rooms without cost - again no toilet paper or towels. Finally we go to lunch at a local hotel. The meal has a little bit of everything - and the restrooms are free and do have toilet paper and towels.

Shopping in Malaysia

Our last stop before returning to the ship is the KL Tower (a communications tower) which is the 6th highest in the world. Because it is on a hill, it actually looks down on the Petronas Towers. By now the views are hazy, but still spectacular. There is a 360 degree view of the city, with its many modern high-rise buildings.

Petronas Towers in the Haze

We are back at the port by 5:00 PM, and on the ship by 5:30 PM. We sail almost immediately for Penang, as we continue up the West Coast of Malaysia. From there, we plan to visit an orangutan sanctuary in the morning tomorrow.

Singapore - Citystate

We dock in the world’s largest container port. Containers here have an 8 hour turnaround time - the terminal operates 24 hours per day. The Queen Elizabeth is too large to dock closer to the city. Singapore is a city state, only about 135 square kilometers in size. You can cross from east to west, or north to south in a few hours. The first impression is one of an ordered, clean city with modern buildings. The city has an unemployment rate of about 3 percent. The slums which characterized the city in the 70s are gone - replaced with modern high rise public housing. Most people use public transportation. Depending on the car’s engine size, it can cost $70,000 to buy the right to purchase a car. The car itself is even more expensive.

We drive first to the national arboretum. All the orchids are in bloom - an incredible array. In the celebrity area of the orchid garden, are orchids named for important visitors - like Margaret Thatcher. We are visiting mid-morning, but the temperature and humidity are both around 90. The orchids are incredibly varied, and it is delightful to walk through the garden in the shade. The landscaping is ordered and immaculate.







Our tour is focused on the ethnic and cultural diversity of the community. Our next stop is little India, with the smells of incense and shops with fabric and handicrafts. There is a Hindu temple. Our next stop is the Muslim area, with the Masjid Sultan Mosque. We have a Chinese lunch (6 courses) at the Spring restaurant - and Sumner teaches his shipmates at the table to use chopsticks.

We then visit Chinatown. This area is a reminder of the way the Chinese lived when they came to the area in the early 1800s. There is a Chinese cultural center that serves as a museum. It recreates a “shop house” - a business place where people lived on the second and third floor. To make money, the owners of the shop often partitioned the upper floors into multiple rooms, charging residents for the use of each room . The rooms were small, cramped, and poorly lit. Our guide (48 year old Chinese woman) tells us that she was an orphan, raised in a Catholic orphanage, and adopted by a Chinese women - “her mother” who still lives with her in public housing. At one time they lived in a cubicle upstairs in a shop house. The landlord only allowed residents to have water for three hours per day - otherwise the room with the faucet was padlocked. They how live in high-rise public housing. The apartment is 1,000 square feet - three small bedrooms, a kitchen-eating area, and a bathroom.

She reminds us that Singapore has outlawed chewing gum. Chewing gum will be confiscated if it is found in your luggage when you enter the country. (She is friends with a security guard at the airport, who sometimes providers her with gum. Apparently the guards do not necessarily destroy the chewing gum when it is confiscated.)

She is known as the “cat lady” to her neighbors. More information is available upon request to friends and family who are readers of this blog.

We visit the Merlion - the half fish, half lion that is the symbol of Singapore. Its statue stands on the edge of the river. Within a year or two, a new cruise terminal will be constructed in downtown Singapore, and the Queen Elizabeth will be able to dock downtown - like Hong Kong.  Many people are here on this Saturday afternoon, and not all are tourists, we think.  Jean is watching Sumner take photos, and two lovely young Muslim women come up to Jean and ask if she could take a picture of her friend with Jean, who says, “of course.”  Then the other young women says - is a picture of me with you okay - their English is excellent.  As we are leaving the area to return to the bus, some other young women ask Jean if they might have their picture taken with her.  Jean was wearing sun glasses and her cowboy hat, so maybe they thought she was a movie star!  But no matter why, it was a delightful exchange of friendship.

Our last stop is Raffles. At one time, Raffles Hotel was on the edge of the water. Now it is more that ¼ of a mile from the harbor. Much of Singapore is built on reclaimed land. Sumner visits the “long bar” where a Singapore Sling can be had for $26 - not counting service charge and tax. He decides to save his money, and purchase a poster in the Raffles Hotel museum - a fanciful documentation of a bartender creating the drink.

We return to the ship just in time to have dinner. Many Russians have joined the ship in Singapore; 700 passengers have exited - mostly British. The authorities in Singapore have required those in transit to have their passports and special documentation cards in order to visit the city. They will not allow the ship to leave until all passports and documentation cards are accounted for. As a result we sail an hour late. Sumner has a Mai Tai in the top deck lounge to watch the sail-away (in place of the Singapore Sling)  - Jean has a Brandy. In the morning the ship will be in Port Kelang - the port that is the gateway to Kuala Lumpur - the capital of Malaysia. Another trip is scheduled for the morning.

Ko Samui - a tour of the island

We have breakfast brought to the room, just to get a little more sleep before our tour for the day. We need to be tendered ashore, a half-hour ride, as the harbor is not deep enough for the ship to come closer. The island is small and compact - about 35 square kilometers - a little bigger than Shelter Island. (Located at the end of Long Island, where we have our Summer cottage.)



Our first stop is the temple of the Golden Buddha. The Buddha is reached by climbing 75 steps. He is bright gold, with a variety of temple buildings around the base of the hill. Around the Buddha is a shelter with a number of bells and wonderful views of the seashore. We ring bells with large sticks as we walk around the Buddha - bringing luck to ourselves, and to our friends at home. Normally you would have to take off your shoes to climb to the Buddha, but by 10:00 AM the tiles are already too hot for bare feet.

 

The next stop is a visit to the temple of the God of Mercy.  This is a much larger temple complex. There is a large multi-armed goddess, and a large laughing Buddha. The temple combines Hindu and Buddhist art. Our guide takes us to an indoor Buddha, with elaborate wall paintings, and tries in 10 minutes to give us the highlights of the life of Buddha.

Our bus continues around the island, stopping at “Beverly Hills” - an open-air wooden bar/restaurant so that we can have a drink (water, coke, or sprite). The coke can is barely recognizable, with “Coke” in Thai script. The language has three times as many vowels as English, and many more consonants. Our guide models the variations in saying “ma”, and I cannot recognize the subtle differences in sound and tone. The Thai script and language is totally different from Cambodian.















 Our last stop on the tour is a coconut plantation, to hear about how monkeys were trained to harvest coconuts. We meet the monkey, who demonstrates his skill at scaling the tree, and twisting off the coconuts so that they fall to the ground (watch your head). We learn how to open a coconut, grate a coconut, and how to make cream and milk from the coconut. Finally, we taste coconut on our way back to the ship.

Tomorrow is a day at sea - where I hope to catch-up on the blog’s entries. After that, we will be in Singapore the following day. We have already learned that Singapore is a fine city - you can be fined for anything from spitting, littering, jaywalking, etc. After Singapore there will be three more ports before we have a few days at sea. We have received a packet of information for our overland trip to the Taj Mahal. That is still 10 days in the future. Tonight will be a cocktail party with the captain and his staff (for world cruise travelers) before dinner.