Home 19 April

Brought my bags down early and nearly gave the doormen a heart attack, they rushed to grab them off me, apparently you don't carry your own bags.  Picked up early for airport so had to lug my bags around for an hour before I could book them in.  Airport not that big, but again shrines there as they were everywhere, even in the grounds of the hotel.

Chatted to people from the ship who were on same plane, they are from Morayfield.  Just over 2 hours to Singapore, then had to change terminals and then catch another skytrain to the gate.  Left on time, fed us, turned lights out and expected us to sleep, hard to do on a plane. 

In at 7 am and through customs really easily, rang Letitia and she was there within 5 minutes.  Very tired, but I have enjoyed it all and seen some amazing things.


Shrines all through the airport




My plane in Singapore



TIGERS APRIL 18

Up at 3.30 am.  Picked up at 5am in a Camry and drove through Bangkok and into countryside.  Picked up guide in Kanchanbriu then stopped at 7 to 11 to buy food for monks, only spent 70 baht on yoghurt drinks and cakes.  Then onto the Tiger Temple.  Had to put food on table and then wait for monks to come along and hand it to them, doing the Wai sign also had to take your shoes off.

Walked up to temple, so many steps and really high treads.  The baby tigers were chained all around and with your tiger guide you got a bottle to feed them.  You had to kneel down or sit crosslegged, a bit hard for me, but it was a great experience.  Their feet are huge and they are quite calm, except one we were told to stay away from, he is a biter.  The monks finished their chanting and came to breakfast, I had a small plate of very selected food - a bit wary of some of it.

Much preferred to pat/stroke the cubs rather than eat breakfast.  Then down the stairs to where a baby moon bear cub was in a cage, he was so cute he had just been brought in, he was playing on the rods they had set up, but kept trying to swing and kept falling down.  They then brought the tiger cubs down the stairs and we got to take their leads and lead them to their bath, or they led us.  They are very strong.  My guide kept taking photos and carrying my bag and hat.

At the washing area, we soaped them up and then fed them chicken, and then they were rinsed off.  On the way to the play area, we saw the big tigers being brought out and also two very young cubs, they were crying just like babies.

Then off to the play area, when the tiger guide was positioning me against the wall, she missed seeing two of the cubs behind me and they were playing and got caught between my legs, I thought I had been bitten and the skin broken, but they were playing with each other and I am only bruised.  She was really stressed when she saw what had happened and moved me to another area.  I didn't really like this part as I felt some of the people were a bit rough with the tiger cubs, but the cubs were like kittens chasing the toys, plastic bags on a stick with bottle tops in it, and jumping.

Then we left the cubs and moved to the big boys.  We helped walk them to the canyon and then each took turns at sitting down and having the tiger's head in our laps.  Amazing, I didn't feel frightened at all.  Worst part was getting down on the ground, my knees don't work as well as they should, but the Thai boys were great helping this poor old lady.

Then we went behind the shaky chain wire fence and the tigers went into the water.  They loved it and played around for ages with the keepers holding the sticks with plastic bags up and trying to get them to jump from the rock into the water.  Tiger Man - a Thai guy in only black shorts and with a fag hanging out of his mouth - went right in with them to get back one of the toys that one of the tigers had taken.  He then chased them up the cliff face, no fear.  They then took them back out and we were finished.  It was only 11 am but felt like it had been a full day.  Had lunch at local restaurant, very nice but me at a table on my own, pretty wierd.

Drove to bridge over River Kwai, it was very commercialised so just took photos and then left.  Also felt a bit uncomfortable with the two guys.

Back at hotel at 2.30 so decided to do something for the night and booked a dinner cruise for $55 Au.  It was fantastic.  Great food, saw all the temples by night, saw the bridge all lit up, great entertainment.  Worth the money. 



 

Monks collecting food



so hungry, nearly took the bottle out of my hands



Playtime after feeding



Sleep after feeding

    

Don't really know who's walking who, my guide carrying everything



Playing in the compound with the young tigers



the real babies



Walking the big ones



Did not think I could do this



Bridge over the river Kwai



Monuments by night

Dinner Ship

BANGKOK - APRIL 17

Ship arrived in at 4 am. I could get off at 8.15.  Pouring rain, really torrential, collected bags and just walked through no customs - nothing passport had been stamped on ship.

Bags got absolutely soaked right through, waiting for my driver.  They had tarps up but there were lots of puddles around.  One woman collapsed right beside me.  The porters were great and they got the medical staff from the ship for her.

Kept waiting and waiting for a driver with a sign with my name on it, like in China.  It was a bit chaotic.  Eventually I gave up and rang the company after trying their first number which didn't work and they told me there was a special desk to go to - I eventually found it hidden behind the Lost and Found sign and with the GTA travel sign on it.  I didn't even know I was looking for GTA.  Joined the line where one person was working at a table with a sheet of names, all wet and he was looking very flustered.  While I was in line (about 20 people) someone came looking for me and my car was ready.  thought I had missed my tour in Bangkok as it was now after 10, but "excellent" driver got me to hotel by 12.  Tour left at 12.30. 

Booked in and ready for tour at 12.30 - stress gone.  Hotel is lovely and I am on the 12th floor, but the area around it is a bit dodgy - I wouldn't want to go walking around here on my own.

Temples, temples, temples.  So many, so beautiful, so much fine detailing work.  Amazing.  Saw Golden Buddha, Reclining Buddha, and quite a few others.  Saw where King lives with guards on each corner with machine guns.  Traffic atrocious, lots of tuk tuks.  Not as hot as I thought but humidity was very high.


View from my hotel room



  




Reclining buddha, with toes of mother of pearl




Thais apparently love their King, posters of him everywhere



 



restoration work goes on all the time, re-doing the fine detail

 

If you look closely you can see the little one in front of the driver on the motorbike

 

Singapore

Before getting to Singapore, we were told that we would be in about 1.30 instead of 9 am as there was a problem with the port propulsion.  Then a call for blood donors for O+.  I went to bed as I was still not well and then an all call that there would be an emergency evacuation for a crew member who was ill.  The Singapore Air Force was coming in with a helicopter to evacuate her and cabins on Aloha and Baja in the centre of the ship had to be evacuated.  I missed being moved by 10 cabins.  People who saw the evacuation said it was really quick.  The helicopter came in and was gone in about 15 minutes.  We heard later that the crew member had an operation and is on the mend.

We ended up getting in at 9.30 and because we had to go through immigration there was a huge delay as shore tours got off first.  Sat in Explorers lounge for 2 1/2 hours waiting to get off.  Then shuttle wasn't there, so I caught a cab as I only wanted to go to Gardens on the Bay.  All the taxi wanted to do was take me to a shopping centre, will not charge you fare, take you shopping.  Had to almost scream at him on the 3rd time. No shopping.

It was raining so the skyrail thingy wasn't working but took the audio tram tour through the gardens.  Spectacular, such a big green space in the centre of the city.  Really good use of space.  The big towers are fantastic.  I didn't go into the big conservatories but they are supposed to be really good.  Walked back to MRT, used my card still works looked through shopping centre had something to eat and went to Chinatown.

It is my downfall, I love looking through there it is so fantastic.  Caught MRT back to Promenade where the Shuttle was, my card money ran out so I had to buy a single ticket, it is so easy to use their system.

Back on ship by 5 pm.  When we sailed out, the lights were just coming on and it was really lovely.  Better than Hong Kong I think.

Gardens by the Bay AND Marina Sands



Chinese garden in Gardens by the Bay



At the bottom of the Marina Sands shopping centre

Phu My for Ho Chi Minh City and Cu Chi tunnels

Long drive to Cu Chi tunnels.  Went through lots of villages and saw lots of motor cycles again.  Mum with baby asleep, four kids and dad on one bike, amazing.  Bikes with so much stuff on them.  Carrying ladders and all sorts of stuff.  lots of rubbish on the roadside, but then on the median strip they are making beautiful gardens and planting lots of plants.  Go figure.  I saw rice paddies and a cart pulled by two buffalo.  Missed photos because came up on them very quickly in the bus.

Tunnels were amazing out in the middle of the jungle.  Very small, highlight of my day was watching a large english lady get in and then couldn't get out.  Three men had to drag her out.

I went down the biggest ones but they are very steep so I left most of them alone.  Had a short film clip before we went and saw the tunnels.  Talked a lot about how the Americans destroyed the land, all the forest;/jungle there is new growth because it was napalmed.  Don't know how the Americans took this because it was very biased, but very true.

Bought a pair of sandals made out of tyres, this is what they used during the war.  Cost me $4.  Seemed OK when I bought them, but when I got home my feet slip out of them, so they will stay here, too heavy to bring home anyway.

Had lunch at a local restaurant, buffet style, used chopsticks sort of but made a decent effort with them.

Long day left at 7.15 and back at 5.15.  Very interesting though.


Family out for a ride




Again bikes and motorcycles can carry anything




Stairs down to tunnels are very steep




Very narrow entry, so sorry I didn't take a photo of the woman who got stuck




A tank destroyed in 1970




Making rice paper for rolls




Making retread shoes





Ho Chi Minh




Peak hour traffic on a roundabout - just go anywhere





My retread shoes, right one kept slipping off and they were very heavy, so left them behind



One of the traps set by Vietnamese for US soldiers

April 11 Nha Tran

Very hot and humid day.  Went on pedicab ride.  Amazing, I thought it would be a short drive around the town but it lasted nearly 2 hours, poor bugger riding the bike with me in it.  We saw lots of different things.  It was really interesting to see how they live, particularly in the fishing village.  Saw the Cham monument.

I realise that the Vietnamese have a death wish when they get on their motorbikes.  They just cut in front of other traffic and weave in and out and sometimes go the opposite way to the traffic if it is too bad and they want to get around the traffic.  Some scary moments as you are right there in front of them.
Went to markets when we got back, so cheap.  Cigarettes were $10 a carton.  Pity you can't bring them back in now.
I got lost coming back from market and had to ask lots of people to find my way back, a bit scary.  One street too far.
Back on ship I had a spa and swim as it was very hot and humid.  Nice town with nice beaches, but crazy traffic and very dirty, rubbish everywhere.

My pedicab ride



Not just in books, this is how it is still done




Electrician's speciality




You can carry anything on a bike