The Mighty Ducks Mighty Pond!

The Mighty Ducks First Shower of the Season

A Happy Duck In The Backyard Pond

Greetings From Snowy Denver!

True to the prediction, we got our eight inches of snow last night!    A pekinese makes its way across the front yard to it's master, out for a morning walk, in not too cold,  but definitely snowy Denver.

I Love LA (Randy Newman)

Or is it Hate California It's Cold and It's Damp (Rogers and Hart)?     Well some of both I guess.   LA has lots of great architecture, my brother and sister live in the region, the grass is green and the flowers are blooming, so it surely beats coming home to snowy Denver.   Which is exactly where I am, eight to ten inches predicted tonight.   I digress.   I disembarked the ship  (very much against my wishes, I want you to know)  now four weeks and three days ago.   I've spent the time roughly equally in Hong Kong, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Pasadena and Tustin, in Orange County.     The weather was indeed cool and damp, starting with Hong Kong, and lasting though Tustin, about a week ago it started to warm up.   I did  make it around the world in 80 days, arriving here Fri. 19 March at 8:00 pm on the California Zephyr (40 minutes late),  the same train I left on Dec. 30, from the same spot, Denver Union Station.   As I sit here typing, the classic Denver afternoon thunderstorm has developed, raining currently, will most likely turn to the promised  snow in a bit.   Back to the topic, which is LA architecture.   When I'm in LA I get around by trains and buses, with walks here and there.  The Gold Line light rail stops a mile from my sisters et al in Pasadena, goes into LA Union Station, where I can catch Amtrak down to my brothers.   There's lots of opportunities for photos  of  great buildings and interesting vistas along the way, so enjoy these:

I Love LA Union Station

The Magnificent Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Looms Over the Hollywood Freeway

Anorexic Mannequins on Rodeo Drive

Yesterday Morning, That Special California E Ticket Ride--an Earthquake!

Sleep at my sister Margaret's house in Pasadena was interrupted at 4:04 a.m. by a 4.4 earthquake.   Lots of rattling, no damage, it woke me right up!   A little nerve racking, I guess, but I have to admit I kind of liked it.   Of course there's lots of dif between 4.4 and 8.9, on the richter scale.    Flew up later in the morning to San Francisco, where tonight I'm spending one last night, before heading East tomorrow morning on train no. 6, the California Zephyr.  Met up with my cousin Michael and his daughter Marika for a really good dinner tonight.     I realized recently if I arrived home in Denver on Friday that I will have gone around the world in 80 days!   So there you have it, that's the deal.   I still need to blog more about the Queen Mary 2, and of my time in California, with photos of course, so stay tuned!   Pictured is Margaret and family's home is Pasadena.  Thanks to all of you who been reading the blog!   

Happy St. Patrick's Day From Emerald Green San Francisco!

One Day in Bangkok!

The tour I took in Bangkok was organized by two other passengers, Richard and Sandy,  who I had met through the Cruise Critic website.   Was a fun tour as were the others that I did with them,  we saw more and paid less than if I had done a Cunard tour.   First on the tour was the floating market, where we boarded long low power boats and saw this whole village built on stilts, with locals paddling around selling their wares, seemed like mostly food.   Lots of interesting architecture and flora, especially orchids.   I thought that Thai houses looked vaguely Swiss!     From there it was off to lunch featuring good Thai curries- mmm.    Then back on a boat down the river to the incredible Grand Palace, the home of the King of Thailand.    Interestingly Thailand is the only country in Asia that was not colonized by Western powers, and has a monarchy that dates from the year 1238.    The current King Rama IX has ruled since 1946, making him the longest reigning head of state in the world.    He and the royal family are to this day highly revered.    The Palace is open to the public, it's used for ceremonial occasions, the King doesn't live there, but everyone is required to dress modestly.   Even though we were told in advance not to wear shorts or short sleeves some did, and they were denied entry.  To bad for them, the place is crazy good!   It's an enormous walled compound of manicured lawns, beautiful flowers, glittering buildings, statues, temples, buddhist monks- we were all wowed!   Interestingly the monks would shake hands with the men, but not the women,  I think it has to do with their celibacy requirement.     The heat and humidity were fierce in Bangkok, we were all glad to get back into AC on the bus for the ride back to QM2.

Toyotas Lined Up at the Dock in Singapore

The Raffles Hotel is Where I Went in Singapore

We docked in Singapore at an enormous container port, from which Cunard ran a shuttle to (where else) a shopping mall.      I caught the subway there straight to the world famous Raffles Hotel, where the equally famous Singapore Sling was invented at its bar, the Long Bar, made famous by writer W. Somerset Maugham (among others).      The hotel has a rich and colorful history, dating from 1887, hosting such luminaries as Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward, Liz Taylor, Queen Elizabeth II, and more recently, Beyonce!   In 1902, the Singapore's last wild tiger was shot to death (and made extinct) under the pool table in the Long Bar, 1910 or so is when the sling was first concocted, Asians were first admitted as guests in the 1930s, the hotel was occupied by the Japanese during WW II.   Upon the liberation of Singapore, 300 Japanese soldiers committed suicide by hand grenades in the hotel, after which it was used as a prisoner of war camp.   It's now restored to its former glory, a full city block of colonial buildings, , tropical courtyards, polished marble and polished silver.     Read expensive, and in the Long Bar at least, some of the most unfriendly ((mean?) waitstaff ever.   Granted you get spoiled by the great service on the ship, but these guys in the bar were something else!    I won't bother with the details, but the beer was $18.   I witnessed a confrontation between two ladies from the ship and their waiter.    On the way back to the ship, one of them realized she'd left her sunglasses,  I said don't bother going back,  I was sure the waiter had smashed them to bits!

Kuala Lumpur Was Another Surprise of a City!

   I don't know what I expected, but it turned out that KL, Malaysia is a big, modern city built on a hilly green landscape.  It kind of reminded me of LA.   We started our tour though outside the city at Batu Caves, one of the more, shall we say, unusual spots I've ever been.   They are a huge natural limestone formation, 100 meters tall, into which Hindu Temples have been built.     Light filters in from openings above, and in addition to Hindu worshippers and us,  there were creepy little monkeys everywhere.   Quite atmospheric!      The week before we were there a festival had taken place with a million and a half participants.    The main feature of the event is that people are pierced here and there, with offerings some how attached and suspended between them.   Not to be missed, but miss it we did!    It was steamy hot,  occasional drips of water hit you, lots of chanting, recorded Hindu music, incense, and those creepy filthy monkeys everywhere-- I loved it.  I was glad there was someone with hand sanitizer on board the bus.   From there to the lobby of the Petronas Towers,  at the base of which there was of course a shopping mall, a cave of a whole different sort!    We spent the rest of the afternoon in Chinatown, for shopping, where I promptly found a sidewalk cafe and had a couple of ice cold Tiger beers.

Georgetown, Panang Island, Malaysia

Georgetown was a really fun port.  We docked right in town,  greeted by raucous drumming,and pretty Malay women at the end of the gangplank.   The city is named after England"s George III,  and was founded in the 1786 by the British East India Co.   It was recently named a UNESCO World Heritage site, in recognition of it's well preserved historic core.   It wasn't until the middle of the 20th century that it lost it's status as a British colony.   The population is a mix of Chinese, Indian, Malay and expats from the world over-- a diverse group, readily seen all over this compact city.   Along one street, Kapitan Keling, a Mosque, an Anglican Church and a Chinese Temple coexist in apparent harmony.   Enjoy the photos, as I did wandering about this surprise of a city.   Who knew it even existed! 

The Biggest Incense Ever, at the Chinese Temple, Georgetown

At the Mosque, Wash Your Feet Here!

Here's Where the British Worshipped

Making Leis at the Flower Market, Georgetown

Phuket, Thailand

Phuket is the beach resort that was destroyed by the infamous tsunami of three years ago.   It has been completely rebuilt, with prominent evacuation route signs posted.  Conveniently, hills are right next to town!   It is your typical island resort, full of backpackers, sun worshippers, street vendors, tuk-tuks, motor scooters, and prostitutes!   Loads of fun if that's what your after.   I should have found someone to head off around the island with-- there's a game reserve with elephants. and a giant Buddha, but I contented myself with a wander about town, then back to the ship for lunch (never say no to a free lunch).  I enjoyed the tender ride to shore and back so much I did it twice more!   We pulled anchor at 7 p.m. and it was off to our next port of Georgetown, Panang, Malaysia, which proved to be much more interesting.

The Route of QM2 From Cochin, India stopping at Phuket, Thailand; Penang and Port Kelang, Malysia

Cochin, India

After three full days at sea, spent doing I don't know what, but the days sped by, we arrived at dawn at Cochin, India.   We were to have originally docked in Mumbai, but according to Cunard we were unable to obtain  docking space there.    I don't buy it, my hunch is that there was concern about possible terror danger at Mumbai.   In any case, disappointment aside, I spent a really nice day in Cochin.   I had spent a year in New Delhi at the age of fifteen, so I had some idea what to expect.    Cochin is in the far south of India, therefor tropical, as would be the rest of our ports, save Hong Kong.   Cochin was colonized by the Portuguese in the early 1500s (Vasco da Gama died here), who were chased out by the Dutch in the 1600s, who were chased out by the British in the 1800's, who were chased out by the Indians in the 1900s.  The region grows spices and peppercorns, the trade of which was the reason for all the foreign interest.    The Jewish population gained control over that trade.    The quarter in which they lived is called Jew Town (!) and that's where the best shopping is today,  so that's where I went!     There's a Jewish Cemetery, a Synagog, a Catholic Basilica, a Dutch palace, a Portuguese fort, a Hindu temple and Chinese fishing nets, all within a kilometer of each other.  Fun, eh?   Rode around in Tuk- tuks, terribly polluting little three wheeled vehicles,  drank chai, took photos, bought a few things and made it back to the ship on time!    In port, directly aft of us was a French yacht, Le Ponant, which had been hijacked by Somali pirates in April, 2008.  A ransom  had been paid for its release, then French Commandos went after the hijackers, killing some of the them, and recovering some of the money.    Our departure from Cochin was gregarious , with thousands lining the shore, and the ships whistle blasting!  

A Tuk-tuk is the Way to Get Around in Cochin!

Lots of Crows in India

Le Ponant, This Yacht Had Been Captured by Pirates!