Melting in Madagascar

Day 84/ Nosy Be, Madagascar

Nosy Be lies just off the coast of Madagascar. Its name means "big island" in the local Malagasy language.
The Amsterdam anchored off shore in deep water. We were brought ashore in the ship's tenders,which also serve as our lifeboats. Our tour guides and vehicles met us at the pier. We bounced along in a non-air conditioned bus, stopping at a city market (note the display of plus-sized shrimp!)



and driving out into the country.



We were told that people resent having their pictures taken. That is understandable. So, I have no photos of the brightly dressed African ladies with babies on their backs and packages balanced on their heads, but these children didn't seem to mind the camera.


Local crafts include wood carving and elaborate cutwork embroidery. The thought of ironing this lovely tablecloth discouraged me from buying it.

Madagascar is home to Lemur monkeys and colorful chameleons, but here's my best attempt at wildlife photography. This fellow, seen from our bus, is a Zebu.


We made several stops, including one where we admired these
Ylang Ylang flowers. Their essence is distilled for use in very expensive perfumes.



When we finally were ready to return to the ship, several other returning tour groups arrived at the pier at almost the same time. We stood in the broiling sun for about 45 minutes. The blocks-long line inched forward as the tenders came and went. A few people collapsed. Finally our turn came. We staggered onto the tender, promising never again to complain about the sometimes icy air conditioning on The Amsterdam.







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Eight Hours in Paradise

Day 82 /Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles



Described as the world's smallest capital, Victoria thinks big, with a replica of London's Big Ben as the centerpiece of its downtown.


We explored the town on foot, visiting the market


and a Hindu temple.
Next we stopped at the Botanical Gardens, where Watson made friends with a 150 year old turtle.

We liked our Victoria visit in spite of the 90+ degree temperature and high humidity. People were friendly and polite. Drivers actually slowed down to let us cross the street. But the real fun began for me when we left the city and took off in our mini bus to see the countryside.


I understand why they maintain a botanical garden, but really, the whole island is a garden! Groves of Cinnamon trees, Hibiscus, a tea plantation, all punctuated by massive rock formations, some of which looked like smaller versions of Half Dome in Yosemite. After enjoying a cup of vanilla tea at the plantation, we wound our way through the mountains and back to sea level. We had a delicious buffet lunch at an outdoor, beachside restaurant. Some members of our group had brought swimsuits. After lunch, they hurried across the white sand beach for a dip in the gentle waves.
After a final stop at a craft village



We returned to The Amsterdam. As we sailed away, we enjoyed one final treat: a memorable sunset.



Happy Easter, everyone!

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Day 81/At Sea, Heading Toward The Seychelles

Greetings from Pirate Country!


This photo was taken from the promenade deck of The Amsterdam. The white loops below the railing are razor wire. The orange nozzle in the upper right hand corner? That is part of a water cannon assembly. We also have acoustic devices that can be aimed at unwelcome prospective visitors.

Lecturer Joe Daley gave an interesting talk this morning about modern day pirates. He is an entertaining storyteller. He told about some pirates who telephoned a German company to complain about the "citadel rooms" that the company manufactures for ships. These rooms cannot be broken into. They provide a safe area where crews can keep control of their ship and send out calls for assistance. The complaint: how is a hard-working pirate supposed to earn a living, with precautions like this in place?
Mr. Daley has a blog. The address is
cruisingwithjoe.blogspot.com
I intend to have a look at it. Maybe you would like to see it too.

We are excited to be getting close to the coast of Africa, with or without pirates. Tonight we will celebrate Watson's birthday. Tomorrow we be onshore in the Seychelles. Brace yourself for lots of pictures!

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Overdressed and Naked Elephants in Colombo, plus Cricket Madness

Day78/Colombo, Sri Lanka


Here's what I saw when I stepped off The Amsterdam on the way to our tour bus. A handsome, 40-year-old elephant named Monika! Never mind that the temperature was in the 90's and very humid. She was decked out in what looked like an elaborate, elephant-sized version of long winter underwear. I think this garment actually served as a gigantic wearable parasol, as well as providing a nice photo op for the tourists.

Our first tour stop was at a Buddhist temple. There, we found a sweet baby elephant, looking quite comfortable in the shade, wearing nothing but his birthday suit.


He and Watson became instant friends. Wish we could bring him home with us.



The temple itself was amazing.


The worshipers were patient with tourists swarming everywhere, but they must have felt relieved when we climbed back onto the buses to hurry to the next attraction.

We visited a museum, and we were on our way to another location when an unplanned feature overtook us. A college Cricket match was under way. Suddenly, we found ourselves in the middle of a parade of celebrating fans.


They were piled onto every sort of vehicle, including a cement mixer


And a gigantic backhoe. Their enthusiasm came close to what can be seen at a Cal-Stanford or Vikings-Packers game. Our guide was full of apologies as the driver tried to maneuver our bus through the massive traffic jam, but we assured him that we were enjoying every minute of the chaos.

Now, we have gone around Sri Lanka, the teardrop shaped island at the tip of India. Next stop: Africa


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Passing Through Phuket

Day 74/Phuket, Thailand



We have left Singapore and Malaysia in our wake. We sailed through the Malacca Strait, the most heavily trafficked waterway in the world, an area that is famous for its ongoing pirate activities.
Now, just outside The Amsterdam, we can see the outskirts of the resort town of Phuket shimmering in the heat.

We visited Phuket on last year's cruise, so we didn't sign up for a tour this time. Watson braved the 94 degree heat and humidity for a stroll into town. I retreated to our air-conditioned ship where I sat in comfort reading and catching up on this blog.

Merchants from town have set up shops on the pier right outside our ship. Most of them arrive on motorbikes. Their merchandise and display racks travel behind the motorbikes in big metal baskets with wheels. Their wares are mostly clothing and small gift items. Watson bought a much-needed belt. I managed to resist temptation and just admired all the pretty things. After all, will I really need a pair of pants decorated with elephants, when we get back home to Minnesota?



....paintings photographed at the Crafts Complex in Langkawi
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Fabric Overload

Day 74/Langkawi, Malaysia


We were impressed with Langkawi. Lots of civic pride here. Friendly, polite people. An organized effort to promote tourism for their region. We were taken to a crafts complex, a series of buildings where we saw samples of local products and demonstrations of how they are made. They specialize in fabrics decorated by the batik process. I couldn't stop taking pictures.








We also stopped at Underwater World, which features birds as well as underwater life. More photo opportunities. After some fumbling, I actually found the aquarium setting on my camera!






A delightful day. We think Langkawi will have a bright future as a tourist destination.


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Animals And Architecture

Day 72/Singapore


Singapore: clean, safe. Hot and steamy. Home of spectacular architecture. After arrival, we spent some time looking around the huge malls adjacent to the ship terminal. Then, back to the ship for a quick snack, and onto a bus which would be our transportation to a memorable evening. Our destination wasThe Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo. We rode along paved trails on an open-air tram, in almost total darkness. Low lighting illuminated the animals. They appeared to be roaming free, but were actually enclosed by moats or hidden electric fences. Flash photography was not allowed. The tram was moving and so were the animals, therefore, no pictures. If you want to Google "Singapore Night Safari" I'm sure you will find some photos and more information. Visiting the animals in that setting was a very special experience.
The next day, we boarded the local Hop On, Hop Off for a city tour. We sat on the top deck in the broiling sun until we were well done, then returned to The Amsterdam in time for the sailaway to the next destination.
If we are lucky enough to see Singapore again, we would like to ride the giant Ferris wheel


and we would definitely visit the Night Safari again.

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One-Stop Enhancement For Minds and Wardrobes

Day 69/Nha Trang, Viet Nam
Today we had a close-up look at some rice fields,



visited a kindergarten,


wanted to hug the adorable children.


Spent some time at an embroidery workshop.


The work was lovely and incredibly detailed.

We were happy to have our compact but ugly plastic raincoats with us. We didn't mind looking like we were wearing giant ziplock bags when the skies dumped buckets of rain on us. Cameras and other valuables stayed dry, and the showers didn't last for long.
Shopping opportunities were everywhere. Vendors on motorbikes formed a sort of motorcade with our bus, pursuing us from one stop to the next, in hope of selling men's knit shirts. Watson bought three "genuine" Ralph Lauren shirts for $10. Portable shops had been set up on the pier alongside The Amsterdam. For $15 I became the proud owner of a black silk jacket lined in bright red and trimmed with colored silk medallions. Yes, I will find some occasion for wearing it!

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Manila Malfunctions, Hong Kong Fun

Day 67/Hong Kong
The Amsterdam is docked in Kowloon at the Ocean Terminal, adjacent to a huge shopping mall and just steps from the Star Ferry, which runs back and forth to and from Hong Kong Island.


We spent the first day touring on the local Hop On, Hop Off. When we finally got back to our "neighborhood" it was dark outside, time for Hong Kong's famous sound and light show. We stood on the waterfront plaza with hundreds of other spectators, oohing and aahing as we listened to the music and watched the spectacle.


The next day, we visited the Hong Kong Museum. Especially. Interesting were the Andy Warhol exhibit and a display of Chinese art featuring animal pictures. (Lots of dragons!). We had lunch in the Museum's sculpture garden, then took a harbor tour, then hurried to the mall to use their free wi fi.



Watsons drug stores are everywhere in Hong Kong. No relation to the Watson who shares my cabin (and life.)


Good bye, Hong Kong.
Hope to see you again.

Sorry, no pictures from Manila. Watson went on a tour, but I stayed on the ship with my upset stomach. I need to just say no to all the goodies on the buffet.
There was plenty of activity on board, because many of our crew members are from the Philippines, and their families had come to visit them. What a happy occasion!

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Hospitality, Philippine Style

Day 61/Puerto Princesa, Philippines
We wonder if The Amsterdam is one of the first cruise ships to visit Puerto Princesa. The dock appears to be brand new. Finishing touches are still under way. We were given a royal welcome. Entire school classes turned out to greet us, sing for us, and decorate us with pretty necklaces.


A family paddled right up to the ship, to get a closer look at us.



We walked into town, saying "no thanks" to the many pedicab drivers who offered their services. We visited the town square and the Cathedral.


Inside, an invisible choir of birds serenaded us from the rafters.

We looked at the shops, but headed back to the ship as the heat and humidity closed in on us (and this was at 8:30 am!)



Not everyone minded the heat




Note: I tried but didn't succeed in making the blog pictures bigger. Can't complain. The program is working so well otherwise.
According to the news, the folks back home are digging out from yet another big snowstorm. We hope it isn't as bad as CNN makes it sound!


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Neptune protests

At Sea
The Bali party is over.



Up on the Lido Deck, a Crossing-the-Equator party is in progress. I don't think King Neptune is happy about it. There is a retractable roof over the pool area, which is a good thing because the skies are dark, thunder is booming, and rain is pouring down.

Indoors, people are munching on snacks, chatting, and reading. Three people are passing their time in the Casino. A few are browsing in the shops.
My current book is Road Fever by Tim Cahill, a true story about two guys who try to drive from the tip of South America to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. I'm reading in the balcony of the big auditorium called The Queen's Lounge. That puts me in the right place for the next attraction, a lecture by Hong Kong resident Aileen Bridgewater. She had a radio talk show in Hong Kong for twenty years. She has interviewed all sorts of people, from Bob Hope to the Dalai Lama, and she is a masterful storyteller.

This morning I spent some time browsing on Internet. Still can't get into my AOL account, but I was able to see how my blog looks online. Point of interest---- for another slant on this cruise, check this site:
www.hollandamericablog.com/tag/amsterdam.
This should take you to our captain's very well written blog, and you will also find some blog entries submitted by our fellow cruisers.
One thing that I learned by comparing my blog photos with the work of the other bloggers: Size Matters. Bigger pictures are much better, even though they take more time to load. So,if I can figure out how to alter the picture size, you will be seeing fewer but larger photos.



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Better and Better

Day 58/ Ujung Pandang,also known as Makassar, Indonesia

Another day, another tour! Our bus driver braved the local traffic




to take us to a produce market,







a harbor,



and other attractions. It was hot and humid. The city was grimy. People and vehicles were everywhere. But hospitality was everywhere, too, with welcoming smiles and greetings.

Interesting religion fact: Bali is 95% Hindu, while the rest of Indonesia is predominately Muslim. Religion isn't a problem, though. Our guide says, "You do your religion, I'll do mine."



Goodbye, Indonesia. Thanks for a very nice visit.


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The Party

Day 57/At Sea

Just about halfway through our journey, and it just keeps getting better. The crew worked around the clock to transform our Lido pool area into a Balinese night market. The pool was covered and turned into a village surrounded by rice fields. But why try to describe it in words, when you can see for yourself....


A batik art demonstration


A shadow puppet show



Music




Dance



An evening to remember.


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