Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Dubai Is An Odd Place.


It's black and white from Muscat to Dubai.  While the former is populated by friendly Omanis,  the  work force of Dubai is 99 percent foreigners, largely of Phillipino, Indonesian or Pakistani origin.   All very friendly and helpful, mind you, but you don't run into many resident nationals.   What I saw in a day was of coarse limited.   I was excited to see the QE2, docked in front of us at Port Rashid.   Cunard ran a free shuttle to a shopping mall (gleaming new),  which happened to be on Dubai's newly opened metro line.    I took it out past a row of skyscrapers and a ten lane highway to the world's tallest building,  Burj Tower, to see if I could get to the top.   The underground station at the mall is perhaps the most beautiful new one I've ever seen,  all bathed in serene blue.    The tower has it's own stop, and, of coarse, it's own shopping mall.  Dubai's malls are famously huge and over the top, this was no exception--the world's largest!.      It was a short walk across  a sandy landscape, there was no entry into it save down a ramp into the parking garage, then a long and winding stroll to the far side where the tickets are sold.    Dubai is in a terrible recession as you know, the shops are all high end and were notably empty, I thought.   But not the ticket counter for the At The Top Experience, as they call it.    They were selling tickets  at $40 for three days later, or for immediate entry, about $120.    I thought about a minute, said well I'm here, could have spent $270 for tea at the sail-shaped hotel on the Cunard tour, go for it!      The tower is now called Burj Khalifa, in a humiliating bit of bad timing it's opening coincided with a $15 billion bailout courtesy of neighboring Abu Dhabi's ruler Sultan Khalifa.   The only bit of the tower to open was the observation level, which is not At The Top, but rather floor 124 of 160.     It was January 27 the day I was there,  on Feb 9, the elevator "malfunctioned",  to the sound of an explosion, broken glass and smoke.   They had to lower a ladder into the shaft to evacuate the terrified passengers.  The tower is now indefinitely closed.  ,  So I'm really glad I did it!    The tower from the outside is really, really beautiful--like from Metropolis.    It resembles a bit Frank LLoyd Wright's design for a mile high skyscraper,  though it's just over half a mile at 2,717 feet.   Twice the height of the World Trade Center,  and much taller the rest of Dubai's skyline, which is now plagued with idled cranes.  The view was murked up by haze, what was really obvious was that the city is very unfinished and very sandy!    I wouldn't want to live there, imagine 110 degrees and a sand storm!   Yikes!   It was fun and at the same time creepy to be up there,  what really creeped me out though was the elevator.   It was tiny, they said it was the world's fastest, at 25 mph, was lined with glass, behind which LEDS flashed and videos played, touting the buildings real estate for sale, all to soft Arabian music.  It took a long minute!     After descending (without incident, thankfully)   I went back to the metro, where I talked to an American engineer who said that 95 percent of construction was stopped, that the interior of the tower is unfinished, and that it was depressing to be in Dubai at the moment.    Took the Metro to the old part of the city, which was a lot more interesting, really.   Dubai was founded on trade, and here, along Dubai Creek is where you'll see all kinds of old wooden boats, piled high with goods.        Strolled around a bit,  then back to home on QM2!

Entry to Dubai Metro

Burj Khalifa in the Morning Haze

Shop Till You Drop, Just Don't Drop From Here!

Ships Along Dubai Creek



On Pirate Watch In the Gulf of Aden, a Turkish Frigate in the Distance

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Saturday, February 20, 2010

Route of QM2 Through Mideast

From the Suez Canal into the Red Sea and then the Gulf of Aden, (pirate alley), stopping in Muscat, Oman, and in Dubai.  No pirates were sighted, but more about pirates later.

Muscat, Oman--Everyone Loved This Port


Our arrival at dawn was greeted by fire boats, giving us a nice salute.   It was great fun watching as the ship squeezed into the tiny harbor.  The old city is compact,  capped by a fort built by the Portuguese, and ringed by rugged mountains.   Muscat  has been important since Biblical times, as here is where grows the frankincense tree.  It's been a stop ever since between Europe and the Far East.   Of coarse now it's fabulously wealthy from the oil trade.   It's friendly, super clean (they mop the sidewalks!), has a great souq (marketplace), and it's ruler is Sultan Qaboos (say caboose).   I hear he's single!      That's odd..., in the mid east , land of many wives.   Just had a fun, easy day wandering around, taking photos and checking it all out.   I did buy frankincense from the two gentlemen in the photo.  Departure was really cool with the fire boats following us out to sea, whistles blasting.

Taking Baby For a Stroll at the Souq

The Frankincense Vendors

I Love a Fireboat, Evening Departure From Muscat

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Meanwhile, In The Cool, Grey City of Love, The City of Saint Francis

Otherwise known as San Francisco, the line is from poet George Sterling, and the city is indeed cool and grey this morning.  The same temperature as Hong Kong--60 degrees or so.   The flight was enjoyable,  I was seated in a row with a chatty man from India.  After a good dinner, I claimed an adjacent empty bank of three seats and fell asleep to tunes from India on Singapore Airlines excellent entertainment system.  An entire magazine describes its content-- hundreds of movies, music from all over the world, language lessons, city maps, games, you name it, it's probably there.    I think I managed some version of sleep for half the twelve hour flight.   As we flew a great circle route over the Aleutians there was only a few hours of daylight-- and the cabin shades were kept closed for that, it seems like the night has been two days long.   I"m always glad when the wheels touch down, because I have recurring airplane crash dreams!   My friend Mick picked me up at the airport.   I'm lucky I can spend a few days in his and his partner Chris' guest room.   We went out for a couple of drinks, after which I was happy to go to bed.    Slept great--I think I've cheated jet lag!  

Second Dinner Yesterday

Second Sunset Yesterday, From 35,000 Feet

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Greetings from Hong Kong International Airport!

This is one beautiful terminal building.    I arrived here early, via the fast train from Kowloon.   Checked the bags in town (Denver's train to the airport better have that feature or I'll complain).   I just finished an excellent tandoori chicken dinner,  with a three piece band playing in the background.    I'll tell you one thing,  they sure seem to do things right here in HK.    I'll have lots more to report in the coming days from San Francisco.      I still need to cover Muscat, Dubai, Cochin, Malaysia and Singapore, so keep checking in.    Time to board now,   I'm excited to fly on Singapore Airlines!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Wow, My Room at the YMCA Looks Just Like My Room on the Ship!


It really does.   No ocean view, instead a great view of Victoria Harbour and the Skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island.    The Salisbury YMCA is no ordinary Y, and Hong Kong is no ordinary city!   By the way, Gung Hai Fat Choi!   Happy New Year--it's the Year of the Tiger, and the celebration lasts three days.  Tonight the big parade makes it's way around the tip of Kowloon, where we're staying.  Tomorrow night fireworks.   I say we because my friend Arturo from Denver is here, and a fun couple from the ship.  They are also at the Y, and oddly , in the room next door.   I'm calling it the Queen Mary wing.    It's cool and foggy here this a.m.,    The tropics are in the past now.   In the hotel there is a lovely buffet restaurant (dinner last night), and this morning a swim in their olympic sized pool.    Who needs the QM2!    Hong Kong is a fantastic city,  I'll do another report with photos.   Will be here till Weds. 22:45., then on to SFO,   arrive there 18:55 same day.   Make up for all those 23 hour days!   I'm back in the land of free internet (Harbour City Mall, parked in front of KFC)  so I suppose I need to look at emails.   I just haven't wanted to.   I think that I really do function better in the floating world of travel!      More later...

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Good Morning Viet Nam!

Actually, that was yesterday.  Today we are at sea,  the South China Sea to be exact.   This is my last day on the water, for tomorrow we sail into the port, Hong Kong, that I won't sail out of.   I got that line from my friend Ron, the French Canadian from table number one.  It was inevitable that I would use the good morning Viet Nam line.    I can't believe how the time has flown by,  I'm really having a hard time thinking that the Mary will leave Hong Kong without me.  Downright upset!    But there's still time left to enjoy on board.   Tonight, I'm invited to a cocktail party given by the Senior Officers--the result of switching to one of their tables, then a formal dinner, and the Oriental Ball, in the Queens Room.   Eleven hundred people are getting off in Hong Kong, no doubt there will be lots photos and email exchanges, and yes, tearful goodbyes.   Bonds really do form.   We dock at noon tomorrow and the ship makes a rare overnight stay, so I get one final night onboard.  Glad for that!   I'm going back to the first table for dinner, to say farewells to everyone.   I've met up with the couple from Liverpool, and told them I'd had a chance to join an officer's table, and who wouldn't jump at that!   Went over well, thank goodness.    We'll have a fun dinner Friday night.    I miss the waiters, and everyone else.   All too soon I'll be missing!      Back to Viet Nam,   I LOVED Saigon.   What a great day we had!   I would return there in a heart beat.    At dawn yesterday we entered the Mekong Delta and proceeded slowly up the winding river itself.   It was quite a sight.  We docked at yet another container port (definite drawback of this ship--her size dictates that), and then a two hour ride midst thousands of scooters into Saigon.    Straight to the Rex  Hotel for lunch.   The Rex is a beautiful old hotel from the French colonial era.   Lunch was fantastic, all in courses, lovely presentation.  All smiles, people were very friendly, wanted to shake hands, talk--not just at the hotel but everywhere we went.   Certainly old animosities seem left behind.   Central Saigon was laid out by the French, there are wide boulevards and tree lined streets, plazas and a giant roundabout that my cousin Michele called the traffic gorilla.  My uncle was stationed there with Esso in the late 50's and early 60's, he and my aunt and my cousins lived  at 218b rue Pasteur. After lunch I hopped a taxi while the others shopped and went to see their old house.  It was great fun, found it no problem--Pasteur is one of the few streets to retain it's French name.   Took some photos and thought of the life that they lived here back then, hustled back to rejoin the group.   We stopped at the Post Office, which is a beautiful colonial building next to the red brick cathedral.  There are flower gardens all over the place, the city was extravagantly decorated for the upcoming New Year, which the Vietnamese call Tet--does that ring a bell?    The Tet Offensive was the defining moment of America's involvement in the Viet Nam war--ask Google.    I really loved the feel of Saigon, missing all the sort of glitzed-up malls, super highways, chain stores etc. that are all over the rest of Asia, yet having up and coming, well maintained, clean, vibrant look to it.  It's also not expensive.   Enjoy the photos!

In Front of the Rex Hotel

Lunch at the Rex, Note the Bird of Paradise Napkin Fold

The Traffic Gorilla, Saigon

See, I Found It!

Entry Courtyard, 218b Rue Pasteur



Monday, February 8, 2010

Last Evening , A Rather Dramatic Departure!





The all aboard yesterday (at Laem Chabang-- the port for Bangkok) was 6:30.  As has occurred quite a few times this trip , an announcement came from the purser, Mr. and Mrs. so and so, etc. (there were several yesterday) are requested to call the purser's office, urgently.   Well, this means they are not onboard, or possibly, the computer somehow didn't log them in on entry--not likely.   Well by the third announcement the list was down to two.   David somebody and (I include the the name here because it's so good) Mr. Francois Presley.  The funny thing was the purser kept pronouncing the final s, thus Francoise--feminine version.   Mr. Francoise Presley.  Well, by this time quite a crowd had gathered on the starboard deck,  looking down at the quite lonely dock.  One gangplank was still in place, tended by a small knot of men.  Another announcement,   then the Commodore's, signaling departure.   Yet another from the purser, this time with a sort of quiet, almost plaintive note to it.   Everyone at the railing knew this was it.  We had waited by now for a full hour and a half-- eight p.m.    I was standing with the couple from New York via North Carolina who I had become friends with,  right above the gangplank.   The chief purser emerged, walked down,  handed two passports to the ship's shore agent, and then back up the plank.  The crowd watched all this is near silence.  All kinds of thought roaming through your head--you can imagine.    They pulled the plank, let go the lines,  the ship eased back from the pier-- but wait!   We heard someone on the pier call out "they're here, they're here".  Talk about in the nick of time!   Next thing these two bozos are running across the concrete expanse, up to the dock edge, now with a good  eight foot gap.   You can only imagine their state of mind!   A minute watching them looking helplessly up at the ship, now easing back to the pier. The gangplank emerged, the agent gave them their passport,  the assembled crowd erupted in cheers and jeers and cat calls of all sort.  They managed to plonk the plank on the dock.  An officer greeted them with life jackets, put them on them, and escorted them aboard.   I'll bet they recieved a good lecture!   Do you suppose they keep a low profile?    Another something I'll remember, for sure!   The ship's whistle gave three extra long, mighty blasts,  to more applause and cheers,  and we were off into the night! 

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Mon Dieu, Four Ports, Four Days--That's a Lot!

Phuket, Thailand.  Georgetown, Malaysia.  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Singapore, yesterday.    All in steamy equatorial heat--Singapore is one degree north and is the furthest south I'll go.   Today, back at sea, heading north to Bangkok, tomorrow.  I'm sitting out on deck in one of those great teak deck chairs, a beautiful coolish breeze blowing, typing like a mad man!    I'm so far behind, I'll still be catching up when I get to San Francisco on the !7th.  But that's fine!    Just had three cups of coffee and a big plate of fresh fruit, so I'm good to go.   Three nights ago at dinner the gentleman (using the term loosely) from Liverpool made one remark too many.  Rather than lunge at him across the table to wring his neck, I calmly and very quietly finished the meal (what self control, Paul--some of you may know how I can get), and went the next day to the maitre d' and requested a new table.   I felt really bad doing that as I've become  close to the others at the table,  but this guy was really starting to color my experience, so to speak.   The maitre d' put me at a great table- two away from the Commodore's on the main level. It's also a table of eight, and it's a hosted table--meaning that on formal nights a ship's officer join us, in this case the Chief Engineer.  Besides the honor of his company, he buys the wine!   I've been there two nights now and everyone has been warm, welcoming, non controversial, even a bit bland.  Just what the doctor ordered!   The Britannia Dining Room seats over a thousand people, and is without a doubt one of the grandest rooms ever built in a passenger liner.  In the photo you can see the Commodore's table dead center under the Gobelin tapestry, depicting the Mary departing New York, with abstracted streamers and the Brooklyn Bridge.   The height of the room must be 40 feet.   The new table is on the left, partially obscured by the first pillar.  The view from it at night is spectacular.  Happy to be there.   I can hear everyone giving a sigh of relief for me!    By the way, I've been wanting to thank everyone who's reading the blog-- glad you're enjoying it.    I've certainly had fun writing it!   A week is left now til Hong Kong, I'll make the best of it!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Land Ahoy Matey, Phuket, Thailand Dead Ahead!

We'll be at anchor today in Patong Bay.   It's our first and only port where we'll tender ashore.  There's a beach lining the bay and a small town with, I'm sure, shopping opportunities.  I'm told there's also an "entertainment" street.   Hmmm.   Well I've finally finished reporting on Egypt,   There's Muscat, Dubai and now Cochin, India to tell about-- that should come faster, since there's fewer historical detains that I'll have to make up!    Since Dubai we've sailed the Persian Gulf, through the Strait of Hormuz, into the Gulf of Oman.  Then spent three days across the Arabian Sea, into the Indian Ocean, a very nice day at Cochin, then two days on the Bay of Bengal.   Last night we transited the Sombrero (!) Channel and into the Andaman Sea.   We are now at anchor--I went up on the forward deck and heard it drop.  there are two, each weigh 24 tonnes, but they only dropped the port one.  The tenders have been lowered--six of them, they're part of the lifeboat "fleet", of which there are 22, plus the inflatables  (which the crew would use).   By the way, there's al lady onboard who was on that ship (the Explorer) that sank in the Antarctic two years ago-- she spent 14 hours in an open lifeboat.   I loved talking to her about it.     Going ashore now, we'll see what Phuket has to offer!

Monday, February 1, 2010

The Temple of Karnak Does Not Disappoint!

Forget what I wrote about not wanting to spend much time in Egypt, just looking through the photos of the great temple temple complex called Karnak in Luxor (800 miles upriver from Cairo) makes me want to return.  The place is astonishing.  The center of pharaonic life for 1,400 years (from 1900 B.C), it's the largest such complex in the world. The Great Hypostyle Hall forms the spectacular center  It's hard to convey the scale in a photo, but it takes six adults to stretch their arms around each column's girth, of which there are 134, each either 50 or 69 feet tall.   A major wow!   Put Karnak on your list, maybe right at the top.  And go this time of year,  it would be no fun at 105 degrees, at 80 it's sublime.   I think probably the best way to do it would be on one of those weeklong Nile River cruises, as everything you want to see in Egypt is strung along the river.   It took us 3 hours to cross the mountainous desert (more checkpoints and AK47s) to get there.  You should have heard the moaning on the ship the next day--the utter exhaustion, the danger, have you recovered?,  blah, blah, blah.  I digress.    After a nice buffet lunch at a hotel on the east bank of the Nile we were treated to a sail across the river on a felucca, to the west bank and on to the Valley of the Kings.  Here's where the pharaohs from Egypt's most glorious period, the New KIngdom (1550  B.C. to 1069 B.C.), are buried.  The valley is rugged, arid, narrow, and rises up from the fertile, green flood plain of the Nile just across from Karnak.  The land of the living on one bank, the land of the dead on the other. The entry to each tomb descends into the underworld via a shaft of varying steepness.  I had no idea what to expect, in fact I guess I expected, well, caves.   Wrong!  Each one is different, all a series of rooms and corridors and niches and side rooms-- beautifully plastered and decorated with painting so fresh and colorful you can't believe it's all over 3,000 years old.   The mind bogles at the riches each must have contained, given the trove found at the relatively unimportant Pharaoh Tutankhamun.  By the way, Indiana Jones did not, as is commonly believed, discover  his tomb.   Rather, it was Howard Carter.   Entry into the valley gets you into three tombs (no photograph allowed),  I went down into that of Ramses VI, Ramses IX, and I forget the third.  Each was erie and wonderful. Coming back out into that rugged landscape was an odd feeling.  Loved every minute of it.

The Tallest Obelisk in Egypt

Erected by Queen Hatshepsut  (say hot cheap suit) in 1474 B.C., 100 feet tall, 323 tonnes,  it was carved from one block of the finest Aswan pink granite.  Still standing after all these years!

Yours Truly at the Base of the Obelisk