Debarkation & En Route Home

            Thursday, 15 Mar 2018 – We awoke to our alarm at 3:30 AM, and room service brought us breakfast at 3:45 AM.  Although we had asked for it to be delivered at 4:00 AM, Spiro had warned us that room service always delivers meals about 15 minutes early (and so we were dressed when it arrived!).

We left the ship at 5:00 AM, went through immigration, picked up our luggage, and took a taxi to the airport, arriving at 6:00 AM.  We checked our luggage, went through immigration, and were at our gate by 7:10 AM.  While waiting for our gate to open at 8:10 AM, we talked with Kathy, Jim, and Mike, all of whom had disembarked and were also on the same flights as us from Singapore to San Francisco, and then from San Francisco to Houston; there, we would part our ways.  They had left the ship an hour after us but had purchased a ship’s transfer, which was much more expensive than our taxi.  Although we sat at the airport for an extra hour, we hadn’t wanted to take any chances in missing our flight and were just grateful that we made it!

This was our first time on Singapore Airlines.  They had the same 15.5 pound limitation on carry-on bags as Emirate and China Airlines, which Emirate had strictly enforced, but lucky for us, China had not.  Because we had not wanted to take a chance, since we were allowed to check two bags each for free, we checked our carry-on bags.  Our coach seats were reasonably comfortable (in Jesse’s opinion) and he had an aisle seat; therefore, we had little problem in getting up for trips to the lavatory for necessities and stretching.  We were served three meals during the flight, and wine was offered with dinner, but it wasn’t offered again.  Jesse supposed we could have asked for more, but we didn’t.  Sally compare the meals on this flight with those served on the United Airlines flight from Shanghai to Chicago in September 2017; that time, the food was Chinese but not what we would have chosen in Chinese restaurants!  This time, though the food was a little better, the “eggs” served for breakfast seemed more like Jello.

The service could have been better on this flight.  The passengers on special diets received their meals at least one-half hour before other people; then there seemed to be no order of who would receive their meals next.  The passengers sitting on either side of us were almost finished with their meals before we received ours.  Once, Sally received her meal much earlier than Jesse.  (We sat in the middle section; Sally, being the middle passenger of the entire row, could be served from either aisle.)

One of Sally’s major complaints is that water was offered so rarely on our Singapore to San Francisco flight.  On previous flights, bottles of water were distributed generously by flight attendants to passengers who were awake during the long night.  On this flight, water could be requested; however, the result was a small plastic glass that was only two-thirds full – in other words, just a few swallows!  Sally usually fills one or two bottles with water from airport fountains before boarding a plane; however, in Singapore, during the last half-hour before the flight, passengers were kept in a secure room, with no water fountain (or restroom) available.  Sally was already thirsty by the time she boarded the plane in Singapore!

The flight was 14.5 hours.  Jesse watched the last season of the “Game of Thrones” series before finishing up with the movie “The Shape of Water.”  Sally watched “The Shape of Water” and “Darkest Hour.”  We slept very little.

In San Francisco, we went through immigration and picked up our checked luggage.  Then we rechecked our luggage for our domestic flights.  Since there was a charge for checked luggage, we decided that we would not check our carry-on bags this time; however, the clerk allowed us to check a third bag for free, so we only had to keep one carry-on bag.  (The result was that Sally did not have to pull a carry-on at this point; she carried only Jesse’s CPAP machine – which was good because she nearly needed to be carried herself after that long flight!)

Upon landing, we faced a discrepancy in gates.  Although our boarding passes identified Gate 74, the airport screen displayed gate 66.  We asked one of the airline clerks, but she didn’t know which was correct.  When we were almost to Gate 66, the airport screen changed its display to Gate 74 – and we walked again.  Anyway, when we arrived at the correct gate, it was check-in time.

Again, we had aisle seats on this 3.5 hour flight; however, we found them very cramped.  We were each given a tiny bag of pretzels and a choice of beverages.

By this time, Sally’s brain felt the effects of sleep deprivation, and of her body being wedged into a tiny space.  Her first flight was in 1958, when there seemed plenty of space, food, and drinks; air travel was actually enjoyable.  However, by 2018 the quality air travel has totally disintegrated – except for passengers who choose to pay very high prices for spacious accommodations!  Less and less is being offered for a coach ticket, as seats are being moved closer and closer.  How about some alternative, some competition, for airplanes?  Back in the 1940’s, 1950’s, and 1960’s, Sally rode on trains – the first time was in 1944, from Illinois to Georgia.  But, unlike other developed countries, our country has not been active in making train travel more accessible – so that most people choose to fly long distances even within the U.S.  ---  Scotty, please just “beam” us up!

By the time we arrived at the Houston airport, we were both exhausted, and we faced a long walk to Gate C11.  At one point, we used the restrooms, and then resumed our walk to our gate - but in the wrong direction.  After realizing our error and getting back to the restrooms where we had stopped, Sally remarked that she didn’t think she could make it to Gate C11.  Luckily, an “elder-cart” driver saw us struggling and gave us a ride to our gate!  While Sally sat at the gate, Jesse walked back to a Wendy’s and purchased our dinner.  After eating, we both felt considerably better.

For a little over an hour we sat at the gate before boarding our 1.5-hour flight to Memphis.  Again, we had aisle seats, but these were much roomier and comfortable than the seats on our previous flight – and even the lavatories were larger!  We were offered beverages.

At the Memphis airport, Verna and Earl were waiting for us.  We stayed in Memphis for two nights until we adequately recovered from our flights before the long drive home to Bettendorf.  We mostly slept during or stay in Memphis, but we did manage to have dinner one night with Verna and Earl, while watching a recording of “Get Out” on TV.  Altogether, this cruise was very enjoyable and memorable; we learned a lot of history and geography, and made many new friends!

Signing off from another GREAT cruise!

Singapore

            Wednesday, 14 Mar 2018 – Today was our last full day at sea.  As with Kuala Lumpur, we had visited Singapore previously.  In addition to spending two nights there prior to our Norwegian cruise last March, we had taken a “debark" tour of the city prior to our flight home after a Princess cruise in October 2013.

Therefore, instead of going ashore, we spent the day packing and saying goodbye to our new cruise friends, including some of the Oceania cruise staff.  As usual, we enjoyed breakfast and lunch, after which Rich and Helma stopped by our cabin so that we could download some of their photos to our laptop.

After dinner in the Terrace Café, we joined Spiro and Christina for dessert on the outside terrace, just a few yards from our dinner table.  There, we could see the city lights, and we watched the water/fireworks display that took place in the harbor.  Although we had avoided sitting outside previously in the heat and humidity, tonight it was very comfortable, thanks to a gentle breeze.  Therefore, we regretted not sitting there previously.

"Last Dance" in the Horizon Lounge

After placing our luggage in the corridor for pickup, we went up to the Horizon Lounge for the Farewell Dance Party.  Unfortunately, we were the only dancers there.  Spiro and Christina, who were also leaving the ship in Singapore, had told us earlier that they would be skipping the party.  However, Helma came up to take photos of us dancing and to wish us a “bon voyage.”  We also gave our farewell to ship’s orchestra; in return, they expressed appreciation for our regular dancing.

Although Sally was asleep by midnight, Jesse stayed up until 1:30 AM to finish a Michael Crichton book he was reading.  At home, Jesse hardly ever reads; however, this was his fourth book on this cruise.  He says that’s because the ship doesn’t have cable TV!  On the other hand, Sally read only three books; she spent much of her time writing most of the Blog, instead of merely editing it this time.  In this way, her 71 days seemed to go very fast.  Although Sally was ready to go home before the end of our 38-day cruise (our longest before this one), she lasted the entire 71 days with joy still in her heart!

Kuala Lumpur (Port Kelang)

             Tuesday, 13 Mar 2018 – We had visited Kuala Lumpur during our cruise last March.  Although we had considered taking a free shuttle to the mall after breakfast, Sally napped instead; then after lunch, it seemed not enough time left for a trip to the mall before the ship’s 5:00 PM departure time.  (The original itinerary had indicated a 7:00 PM departure.)

When we swam from 6:45 to 7:15, we were surprised by the fact that it was light the entire time.  Lately, when we swam this late, usually either the sun was setting or had already set, and we were mostly in the dark.  But tonight, it was still light when we emerged from the hot tub!

During dinner, we talked with Jack and Kathy, who are continuing on the world cruise.  There was no dancing scheduled for tonight.

At Sea (2 Days)

            Sunday, 11 March 2018 – We barely made it to breakfast in the Terrace Café before the 10:00 AM closing time. When we were almost done, Helma stopped by our table, and then later, Rich joined us.  We talked until 12:00 PM!  Later, we were back at the Terrace Café for lunch, of course just before their 2:00 PM closing time.

We had been discussing the possibility of making a deposit, while still cruising, for a future Oceania cruise.  The deposit is fully refundable if not used within a two-year period.  Also, they give you a $100.00 shipboard credit on your current cruise, plus a best price guarantee up until the day of sailing for the future cruise.  Anyway, we’ve enjoyed this cruise so much that we decided to make a deposit for a future Oceania cruise, which we plan to apply on a portion of the World Cruise that starts in January 2020.  Rich and Helma have booked 162 days of the Word Cruise and will be sailing round trip from San Francisco. That’s a little too long for us!

Jesse's Birthday Dinner with Rich & Helma

We swam for 30 minutes before meeting Rich and Helma in the Grand Dining Room at 7:00 PM for dinner, taking with us the bottle of champagne that we had won for dancing.  Since we would be leaving the ship prior to Jesse’s 17 March birthday, Helma had told the Maitre D that today was Jesse’s birthday, so the staff sang “Happy Birthday” to Jesse and gave us a birthday cake and ice cream to share!  As usual, after dinner in one of the dining rooms, we finished too late for dancing tonight.  Before retiring, we sat our clocks ahead another 30 minutes.

Jesse's Birthday Cake

Monday, 12 Mar 2018 – The ship’s original itinerary had included a stop at Penang, Malaysia for today.  However, since our departure from Yangon, Myanmar, had been delayed on 10 Mar 2018, there was not adequate time in our schedule to accommodate the stop at Penang.  So instead, we were awarded another relaxing at-sea day!  (So sad – not!)

Again, this morning we barely made it to the Terrace Café for breakfast; however, since Jesse woke Sally too late from her afternoon nap for us to make it there at all for lunch, we ate lunch outside at the Waves Grill.  There, we had salads, ice tea, and shared a milkshake for lunch.  This was our first milkshake on the ship.  It was made only with milk and ice cream, so it didn’t compare to the delicious milkshakes we enjoy at home!   (Sally liked it a lot.  She thought it tasted homemade.)

After dinner we danced again.  Christina and Spiro had one of the other passengers take a photo of the dancers.

Dancers (R to L):  Jesse, Sally, Spiro, Christina, Bob, Lois, Gloria, Lloyd, Marni, & Harry,

Rangoon, Burma (Yangon, Myanmar) (3 Days)

            Thursday, 8 March 2018 – We have now posted a map of South and Southeast Asia in the 1 March 2018 write-up of Malé, Maldives.  Myanmar is also shown on this map.  Most Americans (including us!) had no idea where some of these places are located.

Originally, our ship was scheduled to port in Yangon, Myanmar at 1:00 PM and we had booked an afternoon tour.  However, entrance and navigation of the Yangon River is subject to the tide schedule and maneuvering is only feasible in slack water.  For this reason, the Insignia delayed its arrival in Yangon until 6:00 PM.  For all practical purposes, this was another at-sea day for us, and our tour was rescheduled for Saturday morning.

We slept late, practically running to breakfast.  However, unlike yesterday, strawberries, large black raspberries, plus red raspberries were still available.  (Are we spoiled?  The answer is a resounding YES!)

Jesse continued nursing his neck/shoulders back to health after sleeping wrong (or lying in bed in a bad position to read his book).  Although swimming and sitting in the hot tub seem to relieve his pain for a while, he wears a neck cushion in the cabin.  He’s also been popping Ibuprofin.  Proof of his pain: it has even interfered with his sleep which, for him, is a rarity.  However, it hasn’t hurt his appetite!

We swam from 5:30 to 6:00 PM, which was perfect and almost no one else was using the pool.  Many people were either getting ready to go ashore, or watching from the upper deck as the ship was docking.  From our cabin, we could see at least six buses waiting on the pier.  After that, we ate dinner in the sparsely populated café.  And much later, we danced for a half hour before the show.  We were the only regular dancers present, but were joined by another couple, who appeared to be new to ballroom dancing.  They always waited for us to see which type of dance they should do for each song.

Christina and Spiro had booked an evening tour as well as an optional overnight tour, leaving at 3:15 AM Friday – somewhat like our Machu Picchu trip when we cruised on the western side of South America in 2014 and others have left the ship for other optional trips.  Although a comedian was going to be performing later, his audience was going to be extremely small!

Friday, 9 March 2018 – First, a little information on Myanmar.  Myanmar, sometimes still called by its former name of Burma, is bordered by India and Bangladesh to its west, Thailand and Laos to its east, and China to its north and northeast.  To its south lies the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.  Buddhism is the dominant religion in the country.  After three Anglo-Burmese wars in the 19th century, the British took over the administration of Myanmar.

Although Myanmar was granted independence in 1948 as a democratic nation, following a coup d‘état in 1962, it became a military dictatorship.  For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world’s longest running ongoing civil wars.  During this time, the United Nations and other organizations have reported consistent and systematic human right violations in the country.  According to the Internet, the income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world, as a large proportion of the economy is controlled by supporters of the former military government.  Very little of the nation’s wealth goes toward health (which is very poor).

Horse and Cart Ride

Today our 3.5-hour tour “Experience Local Life in Thanlyin” began at 8:00 AM with Romey as our guide.  After reaching the edge of the sleepy town of Thanlyin in our tour bus, we enjoyed a horse and cart ride for perhaps 15 minutes.  The cart had a front bench seat, and two rear bench seats on opposite sides of the cart.  At first, Jesse and I rode facing each other on the two rear seats, while the driver sat on the right side of the cart’s frame to balance the load; however, later he asked Jesse to move forward to the front seat to help with the balance; then the driver was able to sit on the other side of the front seat.  (This was obviously much more comfortable for him.)

When we climbed out of the cart, we each boarded a “trishaw.”  In this case, one man on a bicycle supplied the power while only one passenger sat in the side car immediately beside the cyclist.  The man who transported Sally always stood on his bicycle pedals while pumping, never sitting, and passed the driver in front of him, who was struggling with a heavier load (a portly man).   Eventually, Jesse’s driver helped push him up the hill with his vehicle.  (Although Jesse is rather “portly” also, his driver was much younger and more muscular.)

Trishaw Ride

This “trishaw” ride lasted perhaps 20 minutes before stopping at a local shopping market, where our tour group walked past the shopping stalls.  Some of the prices were very good.  (Romey had told us that Myanmar manufactures nothing; everything they sell is made in China.)  We also used toilets (for which there was a charge, but our excursion covered it).  Not unexpectedly, these were “floor” toilets.  Sally had hoped to take a photo for people who have never been to the countries that have them, but she forgot to take a camera with her.  (If you have never had to use one, just be grateful!)

Buddhist Bon Pyan Monastery

Next, our bus transported us to the Buddhist Bon Pyan Monastery, where we removed shoes and socks before entering.  According to information supplied to ship passengers, this monastery is “entirely constructed of teak wood and stands exactly as it did from the day it was built more than 100 years ago.”  As we walked on the worn floor boards where some small holes were evident, Jesse commented to Sally that the building needed a little maintenance.  From the outside, it could be seen that the monastery was built with seven “layers.”  Some of our group climbed up a narrow, curving stairway to the next level; however, the sloping ceiling about halfway up the staircase made it dangerous for taller people to climb up.  One woman bumped her head on the ceiling so hard that it brought tears to her eyes.

From the monastery, our group walked down a residential street, peering through front gates at the local people, who usually smiled.  This was an effort to interact with the community.  Several in our group were busily photographing the people, without asking them, which we thought seemed rude.  However, in general, the residents seemed very friendly.

Romey, who is in his early 40’s, told us that his country is currently having problems, and also has had them previously.  In fact, he left the country twice in bad times and went to Singapore, where he was able to find work.  He would like to go there again now, but wants to go alone so that he could save his earnings; otherwise, supporting a family in Singapore would use up all of the money he earned.  However, his wife will not agree to his going there alone.  They have two young children, aged 6 and 3.  On his phone, he showed his 6-year-old daughter speaking very good English (better English than his, he remarked).  When asked, Romey told us today that life expectancy in Myanmar is 65 for a woman and 60 for a man.  He mentioned that he may only have 17 years left!

According to Romey, the current trouble in his country is taking place at the borders where drugs are coming in.  If the drugs could be taken away from the dealers, most of the major problems would end; however, human rights activists are preventing this from happening.  At least, this was his opinion.

Romey also pointed out large, fenced-in lots, with no buildings on them.  People don’t save money in the bank because of high inflation, but land is a good investment, he told us.  In fact, he has purchased two acres of land at $4,000 per acre, and he pays someone to plant rice on it.  However, he said that a law stipulates that land belongs to the person who works it – which could mean that he could end up forfeiting ownership of his property to the ones he is paying to tend the rice!

Although the temperature and humidity were high today, when we were outdoors in the shade, it was not too uncomfortable.  The bus was very cool, but we weren’t on it very long.  All in all, we had a very enjoyable day.

As soon as we arrived back at the cabin, we changed to dry clothes and went to lunch.  Then, Sally slept all afternoon, to make up for not sleeping much the previous night.  Just as it was starting to get dark at 6:30 PM, we swam for a half hour before dinner.  Although we planned to dance at 8:45 PM, we discovered when we arrived at the Horizons Lounge that the band was not there; in fact, Bingo was being played there.  Apparently there was a change in schedule that we missed!

Saturday, 10 March 2018 – Today we had our second excursion in Myanmar and our last scheduled tour on our 71-day cruise.  At 8:50 AM, our bus left the pier for our 5-hour tour called “Taste of Yangon.” Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government relocated the capital to a city built for that purpose in central Myanmar.  With over 7 million people, Yangon is Myanmar’s largest city and its most important commercial center.

Although the name of the tour sounds like we would be served food, this was not the case.  We were going to visit a pagoda and a huge reclining Buddha statue.  Our bus was fourth in a line, all going to the same places and having a police escort (on a motorcycle) who stopped traffic when the buses turned left on a busy road, for example.

On Singuttara Hill

Our guide told us to call him “Kay” because his given name was difficult for us to say.  He spoke with a heavy accent (as had our guide the previous day), but his information was very interesting.  Kay had been a veterinarian with his own clinic from 1988 to 1998.  Besides serving health needs of animals, he also helped people with their medical problems.  (His grandfather and father also had been doctors.)  However, he was on the side of “the people,” not of the military, and in 1998 he was told to destroy his clinic or they would destroy it.  After that time, he changed careers and became a tour guide.  He might be in his 50’s.  We felt great sadness for all people who have to endure life in place where there is little hope for a better life and often fear that it could become worse.

First today, we visited the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda or Stupa Shwedagon.  The 2,500-year-old pagoda is located on the 190-foot Singuttara Hill.  For centuries, this glittering golden stupa has been highly venerated as a symbol of architectural perfection, and the appearance of Gautama Buddha in the present world.  Its spire soars a massive 326 feet into the air, and its dome is topped with more than 6,500 diamonds, rubies and other precious stones.  Singuttara Hill is also home of over 1000 Buddha images from various eras and many styles.

Tuesday's Fountain

After we arrived at the grounds and removed our shoes and socks, we walked into a large area of brilliance. Some structures were gold and bejeweled, and others were dazzling white.  When the bright white struck Sally’s eyes, her first thought was that she needed to put on her sunglasses – but her sunglasses were already on and the scene was stunning!  Although a short description of the ancient pagoda sounds as if this is one isolated structure, we received a map as we entered the grounds.  The map identifies and describes at least 20 structures, and there were other things to see as well.

Kay had told us that our feet would not be burned by hot pavement there because we would walk on white marble, which would absorb most of the heat.  This proved to be true.  He said that the reason shoes are removed is because visitors to the Buddha try to achieve mindfulness, which comes from all directions including from below, through the feet.  We needed to clear our minds.  Believers bring gifts to Buddha, especially water or flowers.  As we walked, we could see water fountains beside statues of Buddha, with labels such as “Saturday” by the fountain.  Kay said that, if you were born on Saturday, you should go to that fountain, use a cup by the water, and then pour water from the cup over the Buddha’s head or shoulders.  (Sally guessed that she might have been born on a Tuesday and poured water from that fountain onto a Buddha as others were doing, but it turns out that both she and Jesse were born on Thursdays.)  While walking around in that area, we talked to others in our tour group.  Sally found that one woman was very familiar with Monmouth and Galesburg, Illinois; she had almost attended Monmouth College, and her brother lives in Galesburg.  (“It’s a small world, after all!”)

On Singuttara Hill

At this pagoda, we also used a restroom.  Although Sally took the camera with her this time, this toilet was of the western type – so no interesting photo.

From here, our bus took us on to the Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda.  There, after again removing shoes and socks, we viewed the huge Reclining Buddha, housed beneath a large sheet metal roof.  The Buddha’s head reaches a height of about 2.5 stories, and he is positioned resting on his right side with toes together.  Three colors are used (besides white): blue, red, and yellow.  With the colors (such as a red mouth), our guide said that the Buddha’s face is almost like a woman’s, which is true.

Reclining Buddha

We hadn’t realized that there are several Reclining Buddha images in Asia, and Sally had thought that we had seen longest one in Thailand.  However, it turns out that the reclining Buddha in Thailand is only 46 meters long, and this one in Yangon, Myanmar is 66 meters (217 feet) long.  Still, the Yangon Buddha is not the biggest (or longest) in the world; the biggest (180 meters long) is in Mawlamyine, Myanmar – so big that it can be spotted from many miles away (apparently not being under a roof).

Yesterday and today, we frequently saw local women and a few men with white powder on their faces.  This is dried Thanaka cream, which has been used by Burmese for over 2,000 years, made by grinding the bark of a thanaka tree with a small amount of water.  Apart from cosmetic beauty, the cream also gives a cooling sensation and serves as a sunscreen.  It is believed to help remove acne and is an anti-fungal.

After seeing the reclining Buddha, we re-boarded our bus for our return to the ship, again fourth in a convoy of four buses.  Interestingly, riding motorcycles has been outlawed in the city of Yangon.  However, outside the city, they are everywhere.  At one point, a motorcycle driver (with his brother on the seat behind him) made a left turn onto our road, apparently intending to merge in front of our bus.  Despite our bus driver’s honking in warning, the motorcycle hit the side of our bus.  Then we stopped for 5 to 10 minutes, while our driver and then Kay left the bus to speak with the motorcycle driver.  When Jesse asked Kay about the problem, he replied that the motorcycle driver wanted money for damages; however, Kay had seen the accident and that the motorcycle driver was to blame.  There is no insurance in Myanmar, so the motorcycle driver will have to pay for repairs out of his own pocket.

Canute and Julie had been on a bus yesterday that hit a car.  Canute, who was sitting in the front of the bus where he could prop up his bad leg, was thrown into the stairwell, which was 2 or 3 steps below the level of the aisle.  Fortunately, he wasn’t badly hurt, just somewhat bruised.  If he had been seriously hurt, he would have been on his own for expenses because it wasn’t like being in the U.S. (or Canada, where he lives).

We arrived back at the pier soon after 1:30 PM, in time for lunch in the café, where we sat at a table with Kath and Gordon.  When we compared our experiences in Myanmar over the past two days, Gordon said that yesterday their guide was also a lawyer; he said that, although Myanmar has courts, the military can overrule any court decision if they desire so that courts are useless.

At 6:00 PM the Insignia left the Myanmar dock.  Soon after that, we were swimming for a half hour in the pool, finishing again in the dark.  Later, after dancing for a half hour, we set our clocks forward by one hour again before going to bed.

3 Days At Sea

          Monday, 5 March 2018 – In the afternoon, we watched (off and on) the Academy Awards celebration – and realized that we’ve seen only one of the movies mentioned!  (Too many cruises, not enough movies!)

Tonight, we swam in the dark from 6:45 to 7:15 PM.  As a result, we ate dinner so late that we went directly from the café in the Insignia Lounge for dancing.  A few of those continuing to cruise around the world have told us that they will miss watching us dance when we disembark at Singapore.  (Of course some of the best dancers from home could show us up, but they aren’t here!)  We set our clocks ahead again by one hour.  No wonder we’re always tired!

Tuesday, 6 March 2018 – At 6:30 this evening, Sally had already donned her swimsuit when friend Canute called and said they had secured a table for four in the Polo Grill.  This hadn’t been expected at such short notice.  Therefore, we quickly changed clothes and joined them for dinner.  Although we enjoyed our evening with them, we missed our exercise – both swimming and dancing for the day – because our 4-to-5 course dinner ended at 9:15 PM, too late for us to dance.

Wednesday, 7 March 2018 – Although we like berries on our morning oatmeal, they were out of strawberries by the time we reached fruit counter.   Again, we swam for a half hour, starting at 6:30 PM.  Sally had a fright when she thought she had lost one hearing aid; she had stuffed them into her bag when she realized she had worn them to the pool area, and then one fell from her bag.  However, the lost was found!

After dinner and then dancing for our usual half hour, we went back to our cabin and lounged around for an hour or so.  We had received an invitation to attend an anniversary celebration for two couples in the Horizons Lounge – and dancing was to start at 10:30 PM.  The two couples were Jalayne and Mike, and Donna and Tom.  However, when we arrived, the small floor was already full of couples dancing in the 1960’s style.  After a few songs, during which we stood pretty much in one spot, moving one foot and then the other, we joined Christine and Spiro at a table until they left.  Julie and Canute were sitting nearby.  When the crowd was obviously thinning out, we started to leave.  Then we saw Helma and Rich on the far side of the floor “dancing.”  After greeting them and then wishing them a good night, we left for our cabin.  It was then 11:30 PM.

Cochin, India

            Sunday, 4 March 2018 – This morning started as almost a repeat of yesterday:  We had to get landing cards (white this time, instead of yellow) in the Horizons Lounge before going to meet with our group in the Insignia Lounge.  As the previous day, the crew was trying to keep the process orderly by calling people by tour numbers for each process.  Our bus finally left the pier about 9:00 AM for our 4-hour “Highlights of Cochin” tour, with Kabeer as our guide.

Cochin (also known as Kochi) is a city in southwest India.  On 17th March 2017 we had been on the Norwegian Star when she docked in Cochin.  However, we disembarked very early that morning, before daylight, and soon boarded a plane at Cochin International Airport to begin our side trip to the Taj Mahal.

Cochin has been a port since 1341, when a flood carved out its harbor and opened it to Arab, Chinese, and European merchants.  The city is built on peninsulas and islands.  (The Insignia docked on a peninsula, across some water from the oldest part of the city.)  An important spice trading center from the 14th century onward, Cochin was occupied by the Portuguese in 1503, becoming the first of the European colonies in colonial India.  Later, the city was occupied by the Dutch and then the British, until India gained independence in 1947.  Although the term “Fort Kochi” is used, where a settlement with tiled colonial bungalows and diverse houses of worship came to exist, no actual “fort” exists.  The metropolitan population is 2.1 million.  Cochin is the home of the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy, with an attached air squadron.

In comparison with Mangalore, the Indian city we visited yesterday, Mangalore has only a metropolitan population of 623,841 (in 2011).  Cochin is about 260 miles south down the west coast of India from Mangalore.

As we headed out, Kabeer told us that Cochin is cleaner than most Indian cities (which we had also been told about Mangalore).  They are also starting to adhere to smoking restrictions in public areas.  Kabeer spoke of the “bungalow,” a word once commonly used in the U.S. for a small house; the term originated in this part of India, deriving from the Hindi word meaning “Bengali” and used for a house in the Bengal style.

Our first stop this morning was at the Indo-Portuguese Museum, which was largely a depository of relics from the 16th and 17th century from the Church of Our Lady of Hope (pieces of altar, etc.) and from the bishop’s house.  No photos were allowed inside the museum.  Between the bus and the museum were various trees; Kabeer pointed out a vine, which he said was a pepper plant, growing up the side of a tree.

Next, we stopped at St. Francis Church, originally built in 1503 by Portuguese friars, the oldest European church in India.  The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama died in Cochin in 1524 when he was on his third visit to India.  Although his body was originally buried in this church, after 14 years his remains were removed to Lisbon.  However, his sepulcher can still be seen here.  Because Sunday Mass was in session, we could not enter the church; nevertheless, we were allowed to take photos through the entrance.

The bus drove a short distance further to a fishing area, where there are Chinese fishing nets (fixed and cantilevered nets) used.  When the two of us found a bench in the shade where we could feel a slight breeze from the water, we sat, not too far from where we were supposed to meet in 25 minutes, and waited for others who were walking further.  By that time, it was 94 degrees and extremely humid.

Shopping Area in Mattancherry

After stopping at a handicraft department store (where one of the group purchased an expensive oriental rug), we entered the district of Mattancherry.  There we were given the opportunity to shop, visit a Dutch Palace, and/or visit a synagogue.  We chose the palace and synagogue.  The medieval-style Mattancherry Palace is a large but modest-looking building with sloping roofs.  The palace was built by the Portuguese in 1555 and given to the Raja of Kochi (Cochin).  The Dutch extended and renovated the palace in 1663, from which time it became known as the Dutch Palace.  The attraction of the palace rests on the large number of murals inside, executed in the best traditions of Hindu temple art.  As with the museum, no photos were allowed inside the palace.

The ancient neighborhood known as Jew Town where the synagogue is located was only a five minute walk from the palace.  Although the Jewish community has dwindled in numbers, the Paradesi Synagogue, built in 1568, has been beautifully preserved and is still in use.  “Paradesi” means literally “foreigners” in several Indian languages; the synagogue was built by Spanish-speaking Jews and attended by Jews who had been exiled from various countries.  The individual floor tiles were made in China, and no two of them are exactly alike.  We were required to take off our shoes before entering the synagogue and again, no pictures were allowed inside.

Although it was very hot today, we were not out in the sun as much as yesterday.  Still, when we arrived back on the Insignia about 1:00 PM, we felt relief in the coolness.  After lunch, we both napped.  Despite waiting until 6:25 PM to start our half hour of swimming, most of the time we shared the pool.

A Red Carpet Ball 2018 was to take place in the Insignia Lounge from 9:30 to 10:15 PM.  We had assumed lottery tickets would be given out for bottles of champagne and other prizes, as was done several days ago.  This time, however, bottles of champagne were awarded, first, to the best waltz dancers, for which we tied for first place with Lois and Bob.  Additional bottles were awarded for Oscar Trivia question winners, and the best swing dancers.  We still haven’t decided what we’ll do with our bottle of champagne!

Passengers were invited back to the Insignia Lounge at 6:00 AM for a “come as you are” Continental Breakfast at Oscars for a live telecast of the 90th Annual Academy Awards from Hollywood, CA.  Of course, we planned to sleep in and watch the re-broadcast at 1:00 PM!

Mangalore, India

            Saturday, 3 March 2018 – After standing in line to obtain stamps on our “yellow cards” by Indian representatives in the Horizons Lounge, we went to the Insignia Lounge to meet for our tour.  We continued to show those yellow landing cards (proof of our Indian visa) at least 3 more times this morning before boarding our tour bus.

At about 9:00 AM our bus left the pier for our 4-hour excursion “Highlights of Mangalore” with Archine as our guide.  Before even leaving the dock area, as we headed toward the cashew factory, a cow stood within a few feet of the bus.  Indian cities are usually very dirty; however, Mangalore is noticeably cleaner than most.  A busy and thriving city, it is home to new scientific industry and several universities.  The narrow streets are very busy, sometimes congested, with traffic; and we passed stores, several temples, and churches.

Upon arrival at the Achal cashew processing plant, Archine gave us a guided tour.  First, she showed us the fruit that contains a cashew nut kernel.  This fruit, which looks much like an apple, except a cashew nut kernel hangs, externally from the bottom.  Cashews are actually grown in Goa, India and are shipped to Mangalore for processing.  In the first process, the fruit is steam-cooked, which causes it to shrink.  We watched women shelling the cashew nuts, which still end up with a thin outer covering that is bitter and not easily digested.  Then that covering is removed by steam heat.  (No wonder that cashew nuts cost more than many nuts!)  Oil that surrounds the nut and also the shell itself are usable, so that no part of the cashew is wasted.  Mangalore is recognized as the birthplace of organized cashew nut processing.

Archine told us that women here (at least in Mangalore) usually work; therefore, they also usually limit the size of their families, many times now to one child.  At this cashew nut factory, the women earn a standard wage of $5/day and benefits; their young children receive care in one part of the factory.

On Gokarnath Temple Grounds

Cow Statue at Gokarnath Temple

Our next stop was at Gokarnath Temple, which was recently renovated and is considered an excellent example of the modern architecture created by the Billawa Community of Mangalore.  Before entering the large area, we removed our shoes (and endured the heat of the pavement on our feet whenever we were in the sun).  The ornate details and statues of elephants and horses almost provided more visual stimulation than our brains could absorb during the short time that we were there.  Meanwhile, besides the crowd of us tourists standing and gazing in awe, believers who wished to seek the blessing of the Lord Gokarnath were visiting in earnest.

Our third stop was at St. Aloysius chapel, which was built by Jesuit missionaries in 1880.  Its interior was painted by the Italian Jesuit Antonio Moscheni over a period of two years beginning in 1899.  Often compared to the Sistine Chapel in Rome, the unique beauty of the chapel lies in the series of intricate paintings that cover virtually every square inch of the interior ceiling and walls.  The Italian Jesuits played an important role in education, health and social welfare of the Mangalorean Catholic community, and built the St. Aloysius College in 1880 and many other educational institutions and churches.

Our final stop before returning to the pier was at the Belmont House, the private home of a Mangalorean family.  This house was built in the early 18th century as a stately residence of the Collector and Magistrate of the Canara District.  Later, the residence was purchased by the Peres family (successful coffee and rubber merchants with plantation estates).  Joan, now a widow, cares for the Belmont House; she greeted personally each of our group.  Before leaving, we were treated to cold drinks and cookies.

Although today our bus was air-conditioned, we were seated in it for relatively short times; most of the time, we were outdoors and, when listening to the guide, trying to stand in shade rather than the sun.  Because of the heat (in the 90’s) and humidity, again we felt uncomfortably close to heat stroke.  (Afterward, Jesse said if he had drunk 12 oz. of beer as he did a week ago, he might have come close to passing out again!)

As soon as we arrived in our cabin, we replaced our sweaty clothes with fresh ones and hurried to lunch – after which we napped.  Before our wonderful dinner, we swam for a half hour; and then we danced (as usual) for a half hour before the show.  This time, we stayed for about 20 minutes of the show, sitting very close to the back, in case we wanted to leave early.  Sure enough, we were tired and, although the rest of the audience seemed to be enjoying it, we decided to sneak out before the show was over.

At Sea

            Friday, 2 March 2018 – Neither of us slept well last night, with the result that we slept through breakfast this morning – but since we knew we’d be eating a big meal tonight, that was OK!  At 12:00 noon since we happened to walk into the Terrace Café at the same time as Helma and Rich, we sat with them, continuing to talk until after 2:15 PM.

Later, we swam for a half hour and then, as pre-arranged, met up with Christina and Spiro in the Polo Grill at 6:30 PM.  Although we’ve eaten in the Grand Dining Room six times and the Tuscana twice, this was our first time in the Polo Grill.  (These specialty restaurants cost extra on other cruise ships – so that we have never eaten in them on previous cruises.)  At least, we didn’t overeat in the Polo Grill, and we liked the food.  Nevertheless, dinner takes much longer at a sit-down dinner with many courses.  Tonight we finished at about 8:15 so were able to dance at 8:45, as we usually do.

Malé, Maldives

            Thursday, 1 March 2018 – The Maldives is a South Asian island country, located in the Indian Ocean, a tropical nation in the Indian Ocean composed of 26 ring-shaped atolls, which are made up of more than 1,000 coral islands.  Malé, the capital, has a fish market, restaurants, and shops, as well as a 17th-century mosque, often known as the Friday Mosque, made of carved white coral.

Map of South & Southeast Asia

Near the Friday Mosque

            Originally, we had signed up for a walking tour of Malé, which had been cancelled several days earlier for “operational” reasons.  However, we did what many others did (unless they were going to the beach or scuba diving): we took a tender ashore and walked around.  A friend (Julie) went with us because her husband (Canute) has an injured knee and was afraid he might injure it more boarding the tender.  Since the population is mostly Muslim, we wore clothes that covered knees and shoulders.  The weather was very, very hot and humid.  Because of the heavy traffic (much of it was motorcycles), it was sometimes difficult to walk on narrow sidewalks and to cross the busy streets.  Although we found only a few souvenir shops, prices were very expensive.  (A fellow passenger commented to us later that Maldives is a “playground for the rich.”)  Julie tried to bargain for lower prices, but nothing worked.  Again we were very happy to re-board a tender and then our air-conditioned Insignia!  (Sally took a little nap.)

            Since the pool was crowded with “talkers” because of calm water and hot sun, we waited until 6:15 PM to swim.  Still, we ended up sharing for most of our half-hour swim time, even though it was almost dark at the end.  At dinner, we joined Cliff and Angela (of the U.K.) at their table in the café.  One of the youngest passengers on the ship, Cliff sold his business and retired at the age of 50 before embarking on the World Cruise.  Having visited the Maldives previously, they had planned their day in advance; they visited another island, where they swam at a beach, ate lunch, enjoyed drinks, and (in Cliff’s case) became sunburned because he fell asleep in the sun.  Also, in our conversation they expressed unhappiness with their own government in some respects.  However, Angela was very surprised to hear that many women in the U.S. did not want a woman as President.

            Having started eating dinner somewhat late and then talking longer than usual, we were also a little late for our half hour of dancing.  Since the ship had resumed sailing, the sea added some extra steps to our dance routines.

            Tonight we set our clocks ahead by one-half hour.

3 Days at Sea

Rich's Birthday Party

            Monday, 26 Feb 2018 – By invitation, tonight we attended another cocktail party, where we danced, drank two rum punch drinks, and sat with Christine and Spiro after dancing had stopped.  Before 6:30 we left for the Tuscana Room, where we had been invited for Rich’s birthday party.  There, we ate and talked at a table for eight until 10:00 PM.  Except for Helma and Rich, the others were new to us: Brian & Barbara (of Boston), and Kathy & Ed (of Colorado).  Tonight we set clocks ahead one hour, now 11 hours later than home time.

Tuesday, 27 Feb 2018 – Nothing noteworthy happened today.  We ate, relaxed, swam, and danced.

Wednesday, 28 Feb 2018 – After barely making it to breakfast before the café closed, a mandatory safety drill was held immediately afterward (our fourth on this cruise).  Also, for the benefit of those who boarded at Cape Town, another “Crossing” ceremony was held to celebrate the crossing of the equator.  We have crossed it numerous times on this cruise, starting near South America.  (We didn’t attend this time.)  Also, we swam earlier today and then danced this evening.