HIGHLIGHTS TIMES FIVE

This morning I posted about our excursion in Kuala, Lumpur.  We visited there on March 3rd.  That was 15 days ago as today is March 18.  Yikes - I am WAY behind in my excursion posts.  There are several reasons for this.  There are a lot of activities on the ship and I want to attend as many as possible.  Lectures. port talks, shows, walking, crafts, classes, reading, special events and socializing with new friends keep me pretty busy!  Add blogging to that mix and my days are full!  Blogging has been difficult for me too, mainly because the internet has been so slow.  I feel like uploading photos is like watching paint dry….. so the process takes a long time……

A couple days ago, I met up with a fellow blogger on the ship who has just amazed me!  She gets a wonderful post out every single day and I’m not sure how she does it!  Of course she has a lot more experience than me - she has been blogging for over three years and has over 600 posts.  I have 35….. hmmmm……I decided that she is definitely one to go to for advice and I did.  We discussed the spotty internet and how long it takes for photo upload.  She gave me some great advice that I think will be a game changer for me!  She said that my problem wasn’t just the internet, but my picture files were too large for a quick upload.  She gave me the name of an app that combines photos into a manageable size for uploading.  She’s right - GAME CHANGER!  Thanks Rose!

Since March 3rd we have visited 5 places!  I would love to do a post about each one of them, but tomorrow will be our first day in Africa and I want to be caught up and start blogging about that experience.  So, today, I’m starting this post and will give a short highlight about the last five ports and a few photos of each.

ONE - GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA

“Capital of the Malaysian island of Penang, George Town has long been a crossroads.  Resting on the Strait of Malacca, it served as an important port on the prosperous trade routes between Madras and Canton.  Today, it is a glorious celebration of culture, one of Asias most colorful corners.  Malays, Indians and Chinese all share a past here, as a ride around town via a pedaled trishaw will show.  George Town’s unique cityscape features shops from colonial days, Buddhist and Taoist temples and kongsi, brightly painted clan houses that traditionally open their doors to all who share a surname.  The town’s rich literary past includes temporary residents such as Rudy Kipling, Somerset Maugham and Noel Coward.”

We did two tours during our two day stay in George Town:  

“A snapshot of George Town”(included)  and “Penang Hill & Temple” (optional)

During these tours we visited the main town.  Beautiful white buildings seemed to be the norm downtown, while small rustic shops and restaurants dotted the side streets.  We took a train up the mountain to Penang Hill to view the landscapes and see a beautiful temple.  We also travelled across town and on another train up a smaller incline to a second temple.  Both temples were stunning!  The town itself was really nice too!

Downtown George Town

Penang Hill and Temple

Buddha Temple with MANY Buddha statues

Old Town George Town

Doors in George Town that I found!

(Those that are new to my face book pages will soon discover that I am enamored with beautiful and interesting doors, especially if they have a #7 address because that is my home address.  I’m always on the lookout for them and I get excited when I find them!)

TWO - PHUKET, THAILAND

“Often called the “Pearl of the Andaman Sea,” the Thai island of Phuket offers more than picturesque beaches and sweeping vistas of sparkling azure water and emerald-green hills.  The island was long a major stop on trade routes between India and China, often mentioned in ship logs of European sailors.  Around 1545, one Portuguese explorer called the island Junk Ceylon, and the name stuck for decades.  Later, the French, Dutch and English competed for the island’s tin trade.  The French East India Company won, following which the French played a major role in local politics until they were expelled in 1688.  Today, old Sino-Portuguese shop-houses and monuments to Buddha dot the island.”

Our tour today was:  “Panoramic Phuket” (included)

Today we road in a coach out of the city into the countryside where we climbed many steps to the Brahma Elephant Shrine and temple overlooking a beautiful landscape view.  Elephant statues, big and small adorned the temple monuments and fountains.  It was a beautiful place!   

We climbed up many many steps to reach the temple.

Love all the elephants that are placed here.  Elephants are seen as symbols of strength, wisdom and good fortune, making them a beloved and revered part of Thai culture.

Don’t ride the elephants!!!  Oops!!!

Next stop - another temple.  Actually this seemed like a “Temple Compound” with each one exquisitely adorned and elephant statues are in places of prominence.

The ride through the city on the way back to the ship was interesting.  I found the cycle pulling the jet ski humorous.  All through the past cities that we visited and this one, we have been amazed at all the people that are carried on the motorcycles and scooters:  Parents with an infant in their arms, children riding between the handlebars and the driver, four adult men on one scooter and our favorite was a man, woman, two children and a goat!!  Seriously!

The electric wiring all through the city was total chaos!  I think our power company at home would even be confused!  Last photo shows a typical garden center in the city.

AND FINALLY - After our tour we stopped at a local bar for a couple cocktails and then Mark got his feet wet at the shore before getting back on the ship.  So long, Thailand!

THREE - COLOMBO, SRI LANKA

“Brimming with old-world British charms, Colombo is Sri Lanka’s largest cultural center, where modern skyscrapers rub elbows with historic architecture.  With its large harbor and strategic location along sea routes, Colombo quickly earned favor among ancient traders.  The island was first colonized by the Portuguese, who took control of the cinnamon trade.  The Dutch followed, then the English ruled as Ceylon until it became independent in 1972.  Still today, evidence of all three of its previous occupying nations is clear, from cuisine and language to architecture.  Within the city’s 19th-century fortress stands the Old Parliament, a neo-baroque treasure from the British colonial era, and the city’s streets were named for former British governors.”

We docked in Colombo around 8 am and were impressed at how beautiful it was!  Lots of lighthouses greeted us and as I’ve mentioned before I enjoy taking photos of lighthouses!  I counted at least 4 at this port!  Not sure why so many,  but I enjoyed seeing them all.

As usual we were greeted by dancing and music as we went down the gangplank to our awaiting coach.  

Today our excursion was a tour by Tuk Tuk which are little vehicles similar to golf carts.  It’s amazing how fast they can weave in and out of traffic!  We did two excursions while in Colombo:  “Colombo City by Tuk-Tuk” (optional) and “Snapshots of Colombo” (included).  Here is a collage of “snapshots” from our journey in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Dancers greeted us as we exited the ship.  Here is a shot of two women greeting us along with Cornelia, our cruise director.

Here we are with our Tuk Tuk driver and our Tuk Tuk for the day’s journey!

Snapshots from the Tuk Tuk!  Riding in the Tuk Tuk was so much fun!  Weaving in and out of traffic!  Wow!

I did a thing!

Views from our balcony.  We were amazed at the leaning building!  It is the Altair Tower and is the tallest residential building in Sri Lanka.

Back at the port we visited and purchased some things from the Sri Lanka vendors.  Elephant printed pants  and elephant shirts were the “trendy” items of the ship.  We indulged!  Both things we bought shrunk on their first laundering!  Oh well!  Back on the ship, we enjoyed the beautiful nighttime views as we left for our next port of call!

FOUR - MALE, MALDIVES

“Male, the capital of the Maldives, is the gateway to this low-lying archipelago scattered across the equator.  Remotely situated some 620 miles southwest of India and Sri Lanka and consisting of 26 atolls covering approximately 115 square miles, Asia’s smallest country is a tropical paradise full of white-sand beaches, swaying palm trees and tranquil lagoons teaming with birdlife.  Offshore, colorful reef fish, sea turtles and other marine life mingle among the vibrant gardens, making the Maldives a premier destination for curious divers and snorkelers.”

Today our excursion was called “Submarine Dive & Marine Life” (optional tour).  It was an afternoon tour and since we were only at this port for just the day, we decided to take advantage of our free morning and tour the town on our own before meeting our “Yellow Submarine”.  We took the tender to shore and walked around the town.  We found the streets to be very narrow with many older, small buildings close to each other on the narrow streets. Then there were several newer and taller buildings mixed in. There was quite a lot of traffic in such a small area - a few cars and lots of motorcycles!  

The majority of inhabitants in Male are Muslim and we passed by several mosques all having prayer service in the middle of the day because it was Ramadan.  We visited a park, walked around the President’s House and visited the fish and fruit markets.  All in all, we found Male to be a clean and inviting town.  Here are some photos of our walk.

 

I found some charming doors!

After a morning of exploring, we joined our fellow Viking passengers for our submarine excursion.  The submarine was indeed yellow and had plenty of space for about 30 people.  The dive lasted for about an hour.  We didn’t go out very far from shore but did go down about 100 feet and explored an area around a coral reef.  We were amazed at the variety and bright colors of the fish that we saw. I was, however, expecting larger and more fish.  I was disappointed in this excursion.  Anyway, here’s some photos that we took “Under The Sea”.  (I thought of flounder a lot during this dive!  Ha!)

Under the Sea

Under the Sea

Darling it’s better 

Down where it’s wetter

Take it from me

Up on shore they work all day

Out in the sun they slave away

While we devotin’

Full time to floatin’

Under the Sea

Where’s Waldo?

Back on the ship we dined on a fabulous tuna dinner!  Chef picked up the fish at the Fish Market in Male.  Fresh Fish - Yum!  It was a very enjoyable day!!

FIVE - VICTORIA, SEYCHELLES 

“Victoria, the capital and largest city of the Seychelles archipelago, sits on the island of Mahe in the western Indian Ocean.  Originally settled by French colonists and called L’Etablissement, it was renamed after Queen Victoria during the early 19th century when it became a British colony.  Exuding tropical charm, its landmarks include the Clock Tower, an iconic structure erected in 1903 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee.  The Sir Selwyn-Clarke Market, bustling with vibrant colors and flavors, showcases the island’s abundance of spices, fruits and fish.

Our excursion today was called “Scenic Island of Mahe” (included).  It was a combination coach and walking tour.  We visited the Botanic Gardens and fed the big tortoises, had a narrated walking tour of the downtown area and took a coach tide out of town to a resort on the beach where we could enjoy a cold beverage and have time to swim a little.  It was extremely hot and humid outside and even though the gardens and downtown area was really nice, it was unpleasant for me to do a walking tour.  The beach made up for it though!  We enjoyed getting our feet wet in the Indian Ocean!  Mark swam in the surf and I was happy just wading!

Seychelles is a very tiny island just off of Africa and it is considered to be part of Africa.  Victoria is the largest city on the island with a population of 26,450, making up roughly a quarter of the country’s total population of around 100,000 - small population!  I found it to be a charming city and the people who live there very friendly!  We enjoyed our visit even though it was HOT!  Here’s some photos showing our day:

Our Welcome to Seychelles!

The Botanical Garden was lovely and we especially enjoyed the tortoises.

Downtown Victoria was very charming.  Photos above show a Hindu Temple and two Catholic Churches, Saint Anne’s and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception.

Beach was beautiful!

We have enjoyed beautiful sunsets every night at all of these ports!  I had to share some photos!

NEXT STOP - AFRICA!