We went home for July and part of August, but then rejoined the ship for our first “expedition.”  About twice a year, the ship goes somewhere special to explore parts of the world rarely visited.  A team of area specialists and “ologists” (geologists, naturalists, anthropologists, archaeologists) come on to lead the expedition and give daily lectures.  Zodiac landing boats are used to take groups ashore for exploring, hikes, and photo walks with a professional National Geographic photographer. 

We’re not out-doorsy people other than beaches and turquoise water, but had heard such great things about these expeditions that we decided to try one.  We boarded in Reykjavik, Iceland and sailed up the east coast of Greenland into the Arctic Circle, going to almost 72 degrees latitude to a national park visited by fewer than 500 people per year. 

People say “Iceland should be named Greenland, and Greenland should be named Iceland.”  It’s true – the gulf stream warms Iceland, but bypasses Greenland, and the result is a huge land mass covered with a 100,000 years of snow and ice.  Some claim the Vikings, who originally explored the country, named it Greenland to try to get people to come.  We followed their trail from north to south on the east coast, and found no arable land – just beautiful fjords, mountains and glaciers.  We did stop and wander around a couple of small villages.  Their brightly painted houses make them look fake.  At Ittoqqorttoormiit (a serious Scrabble word), a supply ship only comes in August and October.  When it comes in August, after a 10 month gap, the whole town stops in celebration.  We didn’t think it appropriate to buy anything from their grocery store.

I must admit, we were fascinated to learn about the ice cap, glaciers, and icebergs – which combined make up an estimated 75% of the world’s fresh water.  Today they cover 10% of the world’s surface, 33% during the Ice Age.  As the snow falls, the weight causes the lower levels to compress.  30 feet of snow gets compressed to 2.5 inches of ice.  Air pockets get compressed and preserved.  As they melt, you can hear a snap,crackle, pop like Rice Krispies.  By taking core samples almost a mile deep in Greenland, scientists are able to learn about the air quality and temperatures 100,000 years ago (800,000 years ago in the Antarctic)!  An amazing 4 minute video about NASA’s research of the Greenland Icecap is worth a look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0VbPE0TOtQ . 

While in one of the fjords, the ship scheduled a “beach party” surprise after an afternoon of Zodiac cruising.  In addition to the Fabulous Fossils band (a group of residents not afraid to try), there was a special appearance by the dancing Fossilettes, led by Debra.
The weather was not always great, but when it was, the scenery was glorious.  

 I spent a lot of time on photography, as photographer Raul Touzon not only had photo workshops and walks, but also led a “competition” each day to make a travel book.   There are a lot of serious photographers on board, so it made me work much harder than I would have otherwise.  I discovered the amazing capability of software that can be used to create “stitched” panoramas, or highly detailed photos capable of very large prints.  There are free versions that I dabbled with that seem great (Windows has one).  But I so enjoyed the results that I bought Raul’s recommended Autopan Pro for about $120.  To test the limits of the program, it took and “stitched” or merged 320 photos (shooting 8 shots while panning left to right 4 times in vertical rows).  The processing by Autopan took a long time, but resulted in a 190 megapixel photo that I could blow up to 4’x7’ with excellent detail.  So cool.  As Raul says – very few people have ever been where we go, and even fewer take a panorama shot.  The files are too big for the blog, but I’m anxious to try having one professionally printed when I get home.

A few pictures I like (click to view):

P.S. The book just came out. 34 people submitted 6000 photos. The book is pretty big, but you can “flip” through it without buying it at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/5876925/f4ff0c6c316f079793bce41b9e2d6aa55be447fa  or download it to an iPad for free at: http://www.blurb.com/ebooks/p040a58ff31f85087d7ed I think only 3 of about 500 of them are mine, so I guess I have some work to do!

The trip was interesting, and a good place for photos – but after the first week in the Arctic (fabulous) we came further south and there were a lot of days of fog and rain, so it wasn’t our favorite. We’re going back home to family, sun, golf, and pool for the rest of September.

As for video, instead of suffering through another shaky iPhone video from me, I took some excerpts from a professional videographer who documented the expedition. These are from the first week when we had good weather. What is especially thrilling is the video from a drone they used for some of the shots. To be able to get great “helicopter” shots from such a remote region is pretty cool. Sadly, the drone had a battery fail and took a cold dive, but what it did capture is really cool.  Take a look:

 

With the apartment renovation and unpacking almost complete, we sailed into Venice in the rain but excited to see daughter Liz and her three wonderful girls.  The skies cleared and we had a glorious time showing them the most unique city in the world. They were quick to savour Parma ham, gelato, and other Italian delights.  Despite jet lag, they were troopers and livened up when we took them on a gondola ride (our first too, despite many visits).

We also got to see our good Italian friends Andrea and Anna.  After we sent Liz and girls on their way to Croatia, Montenegro and Greece in our new apartment, we headed back to Southern France with Ric and Loraine, dear friends from the States for some sun and fun.

While we’ve always loved our apartment location and layout, it hadn’t been renovated in 13 years – it was tired.  So just over one year ago, we reserved the Austrian contractor who has the best reputation for such work.  Little did we know we would need that entire year to do all of the detailed work required to gut and completely replace or renovate every surface, cabinet, fixture and appliance in 8 weeks while sailing across the Mediterranean. Everything had to be decided by December so cabinets and furniture could be built and shipped to Spain.  We had to rent or find rooms for 18 workers, all of the new cabinets, appliances, carpets, 2 tons of tile, and all of our belongings.  It was a logistical nightmare! But thanks to all the effort and planning and a top-notch contractor, we finished one day before Liz and her three girls came on. There’s a “before and after” video tour at the end of this post, but it’s 11 minutes long, so here are a couple of pictures to give you the idea (before on the left, after on the right):

We were trying to kill some time on shore as our apartment was being renovated, so after Milan, we went to Monte Carlo for the Formula 1 Grand Prix. We aren’t race people, but we do like to go to championships of any kind – so where better to see a Grand Prix race? A friend who owns an Indy car race team told us “Monte Carlo isn’t a race, it’s a social event.” We splurged and got a “discount” berth on a yacht parked in the harbor thanks to a last minute cancellation. We couldn’t have been better positioned. We stayed for three days of qualifying, different classes of races, and a surprising ending to the big race on Sunday – and lot of beautiful people and a lot of noise. One evening, the yacht next to us had a party, complete with live music on their top deck – like having a band on our patio! It was fun weekend, though I don’t think we’d do it twice.

From Monaco, we went back to the ship in Elba, Italy and then traveled down the east end of the Med with three stops in Corsica, a big island now a part of France. Ancient cities on cliffs and mountains climbing from the sea – some really beautiful country. Then we sailed to the Amalfi Coast of Italy. We climbed Mount Vesuvius which erupted in 79 AD (good exercise, but just a hole in the ground at the top). We also toured Herculaneum a sea port that was completely buried in ash and lava. Strange feeling, walking a 2000 year old village. Next, we had two stops in Sicily and went around the “heel” of Italy with a couple of ports before Venice. The weather was spectacular throughout and we enjoyed each, but our favorite was Bonafacio, Corsica with its ancient city on the cliffs over the Mediterranean.

But mostly we supervised the completion of our apartment, so I don’t have many pictures of note. The work done by our Austrian contractors was spectacular and they finished on time – just before Liz and three of the grandkids were to come on. I’m working on a video tour, and will post in a week or two.

We went home for most of April to visit family and tend to fun matters like doctors and taxes. Then we flew to Spain to check on our apartment on the ship, which was just at the beginning of the renovation we’d been planning for the last 12 months. The apartment was almost completely demolished – it’s hard to imagine it could be finished in just seven weeks when daughter Liz and her girls arrive!

We’d been to Barcelona a number of times before, but I guess I was always busy with work and never took the time to see the beauty of this “Paris on the Mediterranean.” Great food, beach, weather and vibe surrounded with wonderful architecture. We saw a number of works by Antoni Gaudi, a famous art-nouveau architect from Catalonia, Spain whose wild designs must have given builders fits.

When the ship moved to Sete and Marseille France, we arranged to use a neighbor’s apartment for a couple of days so we could entertain some dear aerospace friends Didier and Janine, Gordon and Margaret, and David and Anne. All but one of us had recently retired, so it was a fun reunion.

We wanted to stay in Europe to monitor the renovation. But thinking that looking over the shoulders of 17 men with hammers in close quarters was not a good idea, we headed to Milan for a week. Again, we’d been before, but always too busy to enjoy it properly. Coincidentally, the World Fair (Expo) was being held there, so we spent a day at this well-run event.

Having loved the novel “Pillars of the Earth” about the building of cathedrals in the middle ages, we were fascinated with Duomo di Milano, the third largest cathedral in Europe. It took almost 600 years to build – think about that!  I spent quite a bit of time and a few rolls of film trying to capture just the outside of it.

As you might expect, dining in Milan was a focal point for us (and by us, I mean Debra). We have tired of the haughty gourmet scene where a large plate, a tiny blob of food covered with a foam of foof and surrounded with swirls of tar go for $75. We found some great little neighborhood restaurants with third-generation owners. At one of our favorites, the waiter was an energetic, happy-go-lucky guy who reminded me of Robin Williams. On our second visit, we told him about our commitment to travel in retirement. He said (using his hands, of course): “Perfecto! There is birth, death, and the middle. You should enjoy the middle!”

After Kelley and Erik left, we sailed from South Africa up the west coast to Namibia. Years ago, daughter Liz told me I’d love Cape Town, South Africa and she was right. She also told me that the dunes of Namibia were a photographer’s dream, so we planned a trip into the Namib Desert.

We flew from Luderitz in a four passenger Cessna to the Desert Lodge of &Beyond Resorts in the Sossusvlei area. It was a tiny cluster of 10 rooms in the middle of nowhere. I had my doubts when I saw the lodge from the air, even more so when I saw the landing strip was just the desert, cleared of rocks. But the resort was beautiful and we had an amazing few days. Gemsbok (a beautiful antelope), mountain zebras, ostrich, and hyenas roamed freely in the area (as do cobras and scorpions).  The stars at night were blinding.

The first night we went up into the red-sand hills for a glorious sunset. I’m no geologist, but as I understand it, these dunes are rich in iron, which oxidizes (rusts) to form the red or orange look. Additionally, particles of another form of iron oxide called magnetite become charged from blowing through the air, and help hold most of the sand in place, keeping the interesting forms the winds produce.  It makes for great contrast against the blue sky.

 

Early the next morning we left the lodge for a hot air balloon ride at sunrise.  What a way to see the stunning topography!  When we landed, the chase crew had arranged a big champagne breakfast right at the landing site. This crew would be great to hire for a tailgate team!

 

 We also spent time with the young couple who ran the ballooning operation.  They saw a need for a school for the kids of the workers in this remote region.  They used their staff to build a cute little school, hired two European teachers, and are now working on raising funds for a little school bus.  We were very impressed and plan to help support them. http://little-bugs.org/

 

On the final day, we went to the famous dunes east of Sossusvlei – the tallest in the world – to watch the sun come up.  Here, prevailing winds from the ocean blow east and winds from the valley blow west. They converge at the peaks of the dunes, creating sharp lines that look like sand sculptures.  And at the end of the valley is a place called Deadvlei where an expanse of flat, stark-white salt and clay create a “floor” that is surrounded by 1200 foot red dunes. It was an oasis 1000 years ago before a river changed course.  The remains of dead trees were preserved by the dry air and appear “frozen in time.”  The resulting vista seems surreal and is the subject of many calendars and print advertisements.  

I had been looking forward to this part of the trip for weeks and cleared my camera memory sticks to make room.   I’m glad I did.  I’ve been trying to cull them down to a manageable number, but just can’t seem to get my favorites to below 200 images. It was hard to pick just 10 for this blog. Best viewed by clicking on one and scrolling through them.

 

This time two videos.  The first one is about 14 minutes (sorry) and includes ATV drive at sundown, hot air balloon ride, the red dunes, and finishes with a bit of the band the ship had to a desert dinner in Walvis Bay.  I liked them so much, I’ve added a second 7 minute video of their last song of the evening.  Elemotho Galelekwe is the his name. http://elemotho.com/

More of Elemotho:

 

 

We sailed into Durban, South Africa and welcomed daughter Kelley and boyfriend (later to become fiancé – stay tuned) Erik.We made them stay up for a nice ocean-front lunch and enjoyed an afternoon in the big waves. Durban sits on the east side of Africa, and thus sees the warm water of the Indian Ocean. It’s a surfer’s paradise, and while I was tempted to try, just getting out through the waves seemed as much a challenge as surfing. That is until we saw that most run out to the end of a pier and leap off the railing with the “NO JUMPING” sign posted.

After a long, brutal Connecticut winter, the warm water and waves kept Kelley and Erik entertained despite their 24 hour flight in coach. Sitting on the beach, Debra and I were again taken with what seems to be the South Africans’ general comfort with racial diversity and integration. It was just over 20 years ago that apartheid was abolished and  Nelson Mandela voted for the first time. Today blacks, whites, and “coloreds” cluster together for the best waves on the otherwise empty miles-long beach. I don’t remember seeing such a sight in the U.S. despite it being 150 years after our Civil War.

On day 2 in Durban, we planned to do the “The Big Swing,” a jump of 720 feet from the top of the new soccer stadium. The youtube videos looked frightening – it’s reportedly the world’s biggest swing. Kelley, Erik and I were excited. With Debra’s fear of heights, we had a volunteer photographer, so I saw it as a great blog opportunity.   Sadly (luckily?), when we got to the stadium, we found the jump was closed and we were only able to ride the tram to the top for a view. The swing was closed because they were setting up for a Michael Bouble concert – ouch! We’d gotten psyched all morning – it was a big letdown.

While sailing from Durban around the Cape of Good Hope to the Atlantic Ocean on the west, we introduced Kelley and Erik to our on-board version of cricket since the World Cup was underway. Both did well until Erik smashed a ball over the fence into the ocean incurring a minus-20-run penalty. Hitting “ground balls,” as you should to score, just isn’t in his nature.

After two days of sailing, we got up for a beautiful sunrise entry into Cape Town, South Africa – one of the most scenic cities in the world.

We sent Kelley and Erik off on a tour with the guide we used and loved last year and played golf at Pearl Valley, a beautiful Jack Nicklaus course that hosted the SA Open three times. The following day, we hosted another “foodie tour,” for which Debra has become noted. We sampled every local specialty, including roasted worms – actually caterpillars. The fact that Debra organizes these tours and I need blog material makes me the guinea pig for all such “delicacies.”   The locals loved that we all tried them – I didn’t so much.  If you have a queasy stomach, you might skip the video below.

On our last full day with the kids, we did a wine tour to Stark-Conde vineyard outside of Stellenbosch. I’m mostly a beer drinker, so I can’t speak intelligently for the wine, but the setting was spectacular. Mountains, though recently “ravaged” by a brush fire, were beautiful against the blue sky.

But the highlight of the week with Kelley and Erik was their last half-day. Erik, a trained jeweler, found a stone he thought perfect for Kelley. In his Ecuadorian tradition, he asked Debra permission to marry Kelley (as if she has any influence), then proposed to her on the top deck of the ship. Champagne was shared by all, and they went home a happy young couple. Congratulations you two, we love you both!

A comprehensive video of our first trip in 2014 is at the bottom of the blog, but this 7 minute version includes Durban, Kelley and Erik, and the worms:

 

From Mumbai, we started our trip southwest across the Indian Ocean.

I guess I didn’t realize that even going directly from Mumbai to Madagascar was over 3,000 miles. We stopped at some Indian islands in Lakshadweep, then the Maldives, then the Seychelles on the way. Along the way, I learned how flying-fish fly, what an atoll is, and the difference between a tortoise and a turtle.

 

Lakshadweep, India

First we headed south and stopped at three beautiful Indian islands in Lakshadweep. Turquoise water, beautiful white sand, coral reefs, and multi-colored fish were abundant on each. But no alcohol was allowed, and women had to be covered if they left the beach. Imagine how that went over with us!

Worse, I ruptured my eardrum while scuba diving at the first island. Then, I went snorkeling with Debra to ensure an inner-ear infection. Thanks to a great doctor on board, all is well – but I couldn’t get my ear wet for the rest of the crossing. Bummer.

On one Zodiak ride to the beach, we were followed by a number of flying fish who tracked alongside of us for about 100 yards. I couldn’t get a picture, but did discover that they don’t really “fly” with their fins – they flap their powerful rear fin at a pace that propels them into the air and glide with their side fins. As they glide back to the water, their rear fin “kicks” again, and they hopscotch across the surface as if they’re flying. Amazing!

Maldives

Another day of sailing south brought us to the Maldives. This is a country made up of over 1,100 islands over an area of 35,000 square miles. Most amazing, the HIGHEST point is 7’10” above sea level  – the average elevation is 4”11”, which is about the height of our living room floor at home.  Global warming is surely on their mind!

How did they survive the great tsunami of 2004?  Well, they didn’t entirely.  But these islands are atolls – underwater mountains that grew coral around them, then collapsed, leaving rings of coral surrounding giant beautiful lagoons of turquoise water. Beyond these rings, the depth drops dramatically, which buffered the islands from the build-up of a tsunami wave (and also prevented us from anchoring).

I wasn’t feeling well due to my ear, so we didn’t really do much in the Maldives. But we did go ashore for lunch at the new Cheval Blanc resort on Randheli. It is maybe the most luxurious (and expensive) resort we’ve ever seen. Watch for this brand of new extreme-lux hotels from Louis Vuitton if you want to spend some money!

 

 

 

 

Pirate Country

The Indian Ocean became notorious a number of years ago for its piracy. Most originated in Somalia, and focused on kidnapping for ransom.

As ships and governments started to avoid the East African coast, the pirates started extending their reach, using freighters as “mother ships” and sent swarms of smaller craft to attack.  Fortunately, to date in 2015 there have been no security “events” in the area.

But in the interest of safety, the ship brought on extra security personnel (think Rambo-types), deployed sandbags and decoy armed guards, and we used our blackout curtains at night as a precaution for the crossing. With expert marksmen and sniper rifles that have a range of 1,000 yards, we all felt safe. I did have my new GoPro camera ready to film a hijacking attempt for the blog – but sadly, I have nothing to show.

 

Seychelles

The trip from the Maldives to the Seychelles was a full 4 day voyage. We had a great speaker (ex-senior CIA official), played a lot of cricket (Debra scored 14 runs one day), and I played soccer with the much younger, faster, more talented crew. I did score 3 goals in 4 games, but also got a very large bruise on my shin that fascinated all. It didn’t make them go any easier on me though.

The Seychelles are a mere 115 islands and aren’t what I was expecting. I thought they’d be flat atolls and sandbars like we saw in the Maldives. Apparently the three we visited were of the 45 that are “granite” islands with much more topography than the coral islands I was envisioning.

The third one we visited, though, was Aldabra, an enormous atoll that is entirely a nature preserve. Only 20 researchers live on the island along with many rare species of birds and a large population of giant tortoises. Sea turtles live in the ocean, but lay their eggs in the beach. Tortoises live entirely on land. We saw both.

We’re not bird, animal, or fauna people, but we had a couple of National Geographic photographers on board giving lessons and tours, so I decided to be a bird man for a day. (I know most of you know that would be an ornithologist, but I wanted the grandkids to understand). Debra makes fun of the excitement in the video below – but I think I’ve got potential (yawn).   Maybe when I retire.

When we got to the tortoises, I decided it was time for a little fun (they’re more boring than birds), so I tried to get some unique video perspectives with my new GoPro camera. And when I heard that there were sharks in the water, I waded in to video them too – but it was a bit murky from the tidal shift.

A 7 minute video of the entire crossing including Madagascar.

 

From the Seychelles we sailed south to Madagascar, a large island country just east of Mozambique.  It is a popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts as 90% of its species are found nowhere else in the world.

But having done our ornithological duty in Aldabra, Debra wanted to tour the markets, and I wanted to photograph the beautiful colors and people.  What a fascinating community we found.

(Some video on the end of the Indian Ocean Post)

In February, we flew to Mumbai, India to rejoin the ship for the trip across the Indian Ocean. We came a couple of days early to see a bit of Mumbai and stayed at the Taj Palace Hotel. Some of you may remember that in November of 2008, a terrorist cell from Pakistan came into Mumbai on small “zodiac” boats and shocked this peaceful city. The worst of the attack was at the Taj Palace, which was built in 1903 by a successful Indian who had been refused entry at a “whites only” hotel. It is a unique place of beauty, with unparalleled service. The terrorists attacked multiple locations and cost over 160 lives. At the Taj, it lasted for 60 hours. The sacrifices the staff made to save the guests is a moving story. 11 Taj employees died shielding or helping all but 20 of the 1,200 guests escape the slaughter. Service to the point of heroism.  Harvard did a case study on the “values-based recruiting” model of the chain that is worth a read if you are in the service industry or hire people.  A summary article can be found at:  https://hbr.org/2011/12/the-ordinary-heroes-of-the-taj

The hotel was rebuilt over two years and other than a memorial, there are no signs of the devastation. I wish I had taken more pictures of the unique balconies inside, but I didn’t know much of the story until we left. If you go, make sure you stay in “the old section” of the hotel. It’s worth it. 

2008 Attack photo

We only had a couple of days in India, and rather than tour shrines and temples, we visited the Ghandi museum, (my hero for what he taught us about non-violent protest) and took a tour of two unique activities for which Mumbai is known. One is a 100-year-old outdoor clothes-washing process and the other is a lunch box delivery system that has been studied by business schools and logistics executives from around the world. 

World’s Largest Open Air Laundry

Begun by the British in colonial times, Dhobi Ghat holds over 800 concrete stalls that are used by thousands of men (washers) and women (ironers) to launder clothes for hospitals, hotels, and private residences. Piece by piece, laundry is scrubbed with a brush, then repeatedly beat against a stone and hung up to dry. Hot-coal irons are then used for pressing. The going price for a sheet is 4 cents. We had a good tour guide helping us through the city, but when we entered the laundry, a young man insisted he was the only authorized tour guide. We couldn’t really understand him, but at one point he took us into a filthy structure that was covered with soot and ash. He called it the sterilization room for hospitals. We were baffled. Only after we left did our professional guide explain that the was where they fired and stoked ovens to create sterilizing hot water when doing hospital work.

Lunch Box Delivery

Even more unique was a visit to a Dabbawallah (“one who carries a box”) lunch box transfer station. Begun in 1890 by an entrepreneur, this system now employs 5,000 people delivering 200,000 lunches per day. The average commute for a Mumbai worker is 2 hours – “thanks” they say, to a very good rail system. Office workers like to eat warm, home-cooked, meals – and don’t want to spend the money to eat at a stand or restaurant. So each morning around 10 AM, the homemaker prepares a lunch for the spouse. A Dabbawallah contracts with 30 or 40 families to pick up an insulated container with the day’s fresh meal, ride the train to the city (in the baggage car), then through a complicated system of hand-offs, get the box to the desk of the worker. Two hours later, the system works in reverse, delivering the lunch box back to the home.  The Dabbawallah are typically illiterate, and depend on a clever set of codes on the boxes used by all to designate the source and destination. The accuracy and on-time record for this process is reportedly at six sigma levels, and has become a popular study topic for companies like FedEx. Not to overplug Harvard, but they also did a case study on this if you want to read more.  https://hbr.org/2012/11/mumbais-models-of-service-excellence

I asked our guide why the worker didn’t just take a Spiderman lunchbox with them when they left the house, but didn’t get a real convincing answer. I thought it was a brilliant idea, but maybe it would destroy the local economy

As always, a little  4 minute video to give you a better feel for Mumbai:</strong>

From Myanmar, we took a break from Asia and headed home to see friends, family, and snow. We were routed through Doha, Qatar with a 20 hour layover.  Qatar Airlines provided transportation, a hotel, and meals, so it was a nice break to a long trip. Coincidentally, the World Handball Championship was in town so we went to have a look. It’s a game a lot like water polo on a basketball court with the ball thrown up to 80 mph. We enjoy seeing finals of any sport, so this was an unexpected treat for us. After Qatar, we headed to St. Barth’s, our favorite Caribbean spot to spend 10 days with good friends. The weather was spectacular as usual and we had the added bonus of seeing a day of windsurfing races from our villa pool. Having tanned up to the max, we were ready to head to the great white north for a week. While we are used to cold and snow in Connecticut, we were surprised to see the harbor completely frozen when we arrived home. After a few days of errands and doctor visits, we headed to Boston and back to Stamford to visit 5 of the 6 kids and most of the grandkids. Boston had 3 feet of snow on the ground – with more on the way. I imagine everyone’s tired of it, but I thought it was beautiful. I know it’s not fair to say while floating through the turquoise water of the Indian Ocean as I write this – but I do love the seasons of New England.  

From Thailand we sailed to the Mergui Archipelago, a series of 800 islands that until 1996 was closed to all outsiders.  A civilization of boat people called the Moken have survived without any of the modern conveniences for centuries, and until recently avoided any contact with visitors. We learned of their amazing history (including surviving the 2004 tsunami) from an author who spent seven years working to get close enough to them for interviews. Hard to believe life without Candy Crush or football. We didn’t bother them, but wandered through their beautiful islands, and had a barbeque on one of the nicest beaches I’ve ever seen. I also had a nice scuba day, though our dive master was disappointed we didn’t see any whale sharks – the biggest fish in the sea. Oh darn.

Next we went up the river to Yangon, Myanmar (named Rangoon, Burma by the British when they colonized it). The time zone is one of the few that is 30 minutes off the hour – a British-era decision to align tea time to the sun. Many say, when traveling to Myanmar, “set your watch back 30 minutes, and your clock back 30 years.”

As with many ancient civilizations, religion plays a central role. 85% of the population is Buddhist, and a culture of tithing provides the funding for the institution. The most famous pagoda in Yangon is Shwedagon, which lights the center of the city and is arguably the oldest in the world.

Unfortunately, it was being renovated to replace worn gold panels and covered with bamboo scaffolding while we were there. I say “unfortunately” because it is covered with 60 tons of gold and they’re replacing a lot of the panels that have worn away. A country with desperate poverty, and in need of major infrastructure investment, is still giving priority to religious symbols. 60 tons of gold = $2.5 Billion. I’m sorry, I just don’t get it. Guess I’ll come back as a toad in my next life.

As we do often, we wandered through the markets (food and otherwise), tried all the local specialties (close to Indian, but not spicy – too bad), and saw some traditional theatrical performances.  The country only had about 500,000 tourists per year until 2014 – mostly Chinese and Thai – so we were welcomed by all.  Most we talked to see how Thailand made gains by being close to the U.S. and are hopeful that two visits by Obama will lead to increased freedoms, civil rights, and reduced sanctions.  If you go, don’t read a tour book more than one year old – too much is changing.

In the last couple of centuries, Myanmar has had a confusing history. Years of traditional monarchic empires were replaced by British colonialism and civil wars, then Japanese occupation, then independence and democracy, then a military junta who moved to socialism for 25 disastrous years. The military leadership finally opened up their markets, but still suppressed human rights.  Over the next 30 years, peaceful protests were crushed time and time again, causing  international sanctions that made a bad situation much worse. Finally, a move towards democracy ensued thanks to pitiful government response to a devastating typhoon, global pressure and the influence of Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi (the daughter of the man who lead the country to independence after World War II).

I find the present confusing too. Foreign investment (from China, Thailand, and Japan) is pouring in – but it seems to be applied in a hodge-podge manner. There appears to be plan. Duties on cars were dropped a few years ago, and the 1940’s road systems are overwhelmed with traffic. Massive new high-rise apartments are springing up, and people in flip-flops are building sewer systems by hand.  The working class live across a river that is crossed using 1920 era ferries.  I’m afraid we’ll read of one sinking some day. The country espouses tolerance for their official 135 minorities, but persecutes the Rohingya people in western Myanmar, arguing they are “foreigners” from Benali. Aung San Suu Kyi, now in Parliament, is positioning to be the next president if there is really a free election, but seems to be campaigning for a break-up of the country (like the Soviet Union) to win the votes of the many minorities. I can’t imagine that would be good.  And, the military seems always  just in the background – not unlike the country’s famous puppeteers.

One of my favorite quotes from my father is “Everyone’s entitled to an opinion. But you should only express an informed opinion.” I worked hard to understand this country in transition. I’m still ill-informed, but I can’t even form an opinion – I come away totally confused. I cannot predict what will come of this resource-rich country with its hard-working, friendly people. I will be following it carefully in the coming years, hoping for the best.

A 5 minute video of markets, scuba, and a few other scenes:

 

 

From Cambodia, we traveled down the east coast of Southeast Asia to the port closest to Bangkok, Thailand.  The former Siam, it’s the only country in the region that was never colonized. We hadn’t been to Bangkok, and because it is inland a couple of hours, we decided to stay in the city for three nights. We did the usual tourist things – the boat tour up the river (disappointing), the flower market (30 roses for $1), the markets (fascinating), a couple of the famous temples (out of the 31,000 in Thailand) and the Grand Palace.

 

We’re always a little bothered to see impoverished people who have to support corrupt government excesses, opulent palaces for monarchies, and gaudy golden religious sites. However, the current King of Thailand has served for 68 years and chose not to live in the palace because it distanced him from the common people. He is highly regarded for his compassion  and fairness for all levels of Thai society. The palace, now only used for ceremonial events, is thus open for tours.  The oldest part it dates back to 1782, and while it has a bit of an eclectic mix of structures built over the centuries, they were all beautiful. 

In the evening we had a sunset drink and dinner on the top of one of the tallest hotels. The view was better than the food, but we were treated to a fireworks display over the city we weren’t expecting. I had read of a great little blues bar named Adhere so we went on a hunt. It was very difficult to find but well worth it. Some great music in a bar not much bigger than a one car garage (see video).

After Bangkok, we sailed down the east side of Thailand and Malaysia and had a couple of nice beach and golf days. But then, a sunny morning turned into a heavy rainstorm (with a rainbow that almost touched us.) The next two weeks were cloudy and/or rainy. We didn’t know it at the time, but this was the start of a devastating month of monsoons and rain that caused over 200,000 people to be evacuated in eastern Malaysia due to the floods.

We then stopped in Singapore and picked up a large number of family members for the Christmas/New Year holiday period. The ship was decked out nicely for the season. Of special note was the gingerbread village made overnight by a number of the crew. “Best tasting” in an on-board cookie contest was won by Debra (of course.) I did the “plating/food styling” but did not qualify (of course).

For the holidays we wandered up the west coast of Malaysia and Thailand, then came back to Singapore for New Year’s Day fireworks and to drop off families.

 

A one minute video of a great home-made gingerbread village.  Match this, Margaret!

Due to the success of the Korean food tour in October, Debra was pressed to organize another in Singapore. We visited one of the original 4 chefs (now 86 years old) who brought Chinese cooking to Singapore, made spring rolls (being taught by one of the most highly regarded such experts in the region), learned about traditional Malay desserts, had dinner with a hot new chef (ex-lawyer), and finished the evening at Glutton’s Bay – famous for hawker food. I think we ate (and drank) at seven stops – each unique and memorable.

Next we went up to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We’ve been there before, but I was always working, so it was nice to visit in a leisurely manner. We went to an authentic Malaysian dinner with local friends, Edmund and SuSan, whom we met while working. The next morning Edmund took us to the nearby Batu Caves – an amazing formation that would have been a dream location for Ansel Adams to photograph. It’s sure great to have a “guide” for dinner, to learn more about the culture, and to see the sights. Thanks Edmund!

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As usual, a choppy short video for your viewing pleasure.  Bangkok, Thailand:

 

Two days after returning to CT from our big family gathering in the Dominican Republic, we were off to Cambodia to rejoin the ship. But first, we spent a few days in it’s capital, Phnom Penh, to see the sights and get over jet lag. This was more like a trip back in time than the other Asian cities we’ve been to. This is due, for the most part, to the terrible set-backs of the Vietnam war, then a civil war, and finally 4 brutal years under the Khmer Rouge.

In 1975, the Khmer Rouge took Phnom Penh. Survivors remember thinking that would mean the end of the civil war and looked forward to peace. But Pol Pot, the Khmer leader, wanted an agrarian communist country and forced the 2 million people of Phnom Penh into the country to farm. It was a death march. Toul Sleng High School was converted into a detention center for the educated and any expressing opposition. There they were tortured until they confessed, and then they were slaughtered in what became known as the “killing fields.”  We toured the grounds of the high school, which is now called the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. It was primitive as museums go – but effective.  A very sobering site – an important memorial to the 20,000 who went through the gates to their eventual demise.

Despite the horrors of 40 years ago, the country is on the mend. The people of Phnom Penh seem resilient, hard-working, and friendly. On our first day, we walked through the market, and then sat down outside a very local eatery to take in the sites. Heavy traffic and almost no traffic lights made for quite a sight at the intersections. But somehow, traffic moved well – every 30 seconds or so, the cross traffic would edge through the intersection and their turn as if there were lights. It was fascinating.

But as novices, we couldn’t figure out how to safely cross the street.  It seemed everyone knew the system but we couldn’t break the code. After lunch, we reluctantly took a tuk-tuk, an open-air trailer pulled by a motorcycle. It was so cheap, practical, and fun, we did it throughout our stay in the city. While it seemed dangerous, it was safer than walking! (see video below)

We did not have time to travel to Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world and prime tourist destination of Cambodia.  Phnom Penh isn’t a “destination” city, but if you go to Angkor Wat, it’s worth a stop to get a fun feel for the people – and to learn how to spell the city.  I had to google it numerous times!

Though we were only in the country for 3 days, we really enjoyed the culture, the energy level and the spirit of the whole place.

A 4 minute video of local restaurant, tuk-tuk rides, and a show:

 

 

We left China and went back to the States for most of November to visit friends and family, watch our NY Giants and Notre Dame football teams fall apart, and do more shopping/planning for the major renovation we’re doing on our “mobile home” in the spring.

For Thanksgiving week, we took almost the whole family to Dominican Republic for their Christmas present. Our kids and their spouses/partners, grandkids, foster/step-kids total 29 and 26 of them made it (Erik, Mikey and Tom couldn’t make it). Debra somehow found a 13 bedroom villa on the beach that was perfect for us. Thank goodness we had a great cook and staff to handle the shopping, cooking, and cleaning!

It was a glorious week of swimming, surfing, games and sun. A great way to spend Thanksgiving.