i30 Owners Club
GENERAL STUFF => CLUB MEETINGS & MEMBERS TRIPS => Topic started by: i30premy on September 16, 2019, 12:01:15
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Just got back off a trip to SIN, HKG & a cruise down coast of Vietnam on Voyager of the Seas back to SIN.
Initially an overnight stop in SIN where we visited the light show @ Gardens By The Bay & a stop off @ Lau Pa Sat hawker centre for dinner - Satay!!
(https://i.imgur.com/Ssz4jAp.jpg)
Got to Changi Airport early as we wanted to explore the new Jewel - the centre piece was the 40 mtr vortex waterfall & gardens. Only cost them 1.5billionSGD
(https://i.imgur.com/ocTOh30.jpg)
Landed in HKG for a 3 night stay on the Sat - we were lucky as all hell broke loose with protesters blocking airport access the following day.
Following day had a look around Kowloon, visited the "Goldfish" market, many stalls selling fish displayed in little plastic bags (Animal cruelity unknown in China)
(https://i.imgur.com/He1clcw.jpg)
Then onto Chi Lin Nunnery, masive complex of buildings & gardens in the middle of HK highrise apartments. The nunnery bldgs actually buildt without nails.
(https://i.imgur.com/GxnNQYS.jpg)
Visited the HK Monetary Centre on the 55th flr of a high rise office complex. Down below was a protest happening, school kids decided to take day off & join.
(https://i.imgur.com/CCd82Wg.jpg)
The centre has a small display of monetary history, This is an art instalation of hundreds of small perpex cubes fill with old schredded banknotes.
(https://i.imgur.com/pFzFssk.jpg)
Had the opportunity to design my own HK banknote.
(https://i.imgur.com/bkfOgmX.jpg)
Mosaic made from old coins put together by a team of 10 HK art students - Apparently 135,811 coins.
(https://i.imgur.com/GrlvJdY.jpg)
Trip on Star Ferry & a couple of locals photobombing behind. Actually on lower deck in 2nd class on this trip.
(https://i.imgur.com/M4cWKC8.jpg)
Every evening there is a light show on the buildings in the CBD. Maybe only worth visit if nothing better to do - meh...
(https://i.imgur.com/zIOjBnP.jpg)
Still have servo attendants there, pole put in front of car to stop driving off???
(https://i.imgur.com/27uOJ9W.jpg)
Departing HK & mate Kenny doing a "Titanic" pose.
(https://i.imgur.com/g3nzOvB.jpg)
Dinner with the group on the 1st night, but they all eat @ 5.30 session & not for a couple of us. 3 couples are also keen on getting dressed up for formal nights - we avoided these gigs.
(https://i.imgur.com/jTHrQ4q.jpg)
Had a ice rink on board & there were a few sessions for pax & a couple of ice shows by professionals.
(https://i.imgur.com/pQd3W4B.jpg)
Grand Promenade down centre of ship - windows on top 3 levels were cabins. Not sue I'd be keen as often they had musicians playing & maybe a bit on loud side.
(https://i.imgur.com/j7E4wZP.jpg)
On one of our shore excursions we were taken to a family house to view. Hmmm not sure about electrical safety here.....
(https://i.imgur.com/q5weCcW.jpg)
Who needs acroprops when you have bamboo tree trunks?
(https://i.imgur.com/bOisMDk.jpg)
Sunset from the bow on departure from one of the ports. (While most of group @ their 5.30pm dinner)
(https://i.imgur.com/QMFeZND.jpg)
I suppose this is one way of carrying a fridge on a scooter, also saw a flat screen TV on the back of another & many other weird thinsg.
(https://i.imgur.com/XkBkH7q.jpg)
One of the couples thought they'd better drop by for a social visit before their 5.30pm dinner - bugger eating @ that time, much more enjoyable watching the views & enjoying a glass or 2 of wine on port departure - we'll grab something to eat later.
(https://i.imgur.com/OkqTiGu.jpg)
One big hassle in most Vietnam ports is that the dock is over an hour from the main cities so after a long bus ride we need to go, this was at our 1st stop, a budist temple that we visited. guys were lined up, & girls in queue in back RH side to their squat stalls!!!
(https://i.imgur.com/7nb2T3E.jpg)
One of the bike parks, not sure how the owner of one blocked in would get it out if he wanted to leave early.
(https://i.imgur.com/MIBkxB8.jpg)
I'm still amazed how there aren't many fires with street wiring like this!!
(https://i.imgur.com/apHddpy.jpg)
Visited the Reunification Palace in HCMC, this was one of the rooms in the bunker below where the army had a command post.
(https://i.imgur.com/JIGYTwe.jpg)
We did join our friends again for dinner on the last night, it's custom that the waitstaff put on a bit of a floorshow which they are doing here.
(https://i.imgur.com/o3rNgEt.jpg)
Last day we docked @ 8am & as not flying out until 8pm, spent day touring SIN, called back to Gardens by the bay to visit the 2 plant domes, definately well worth it, quick trip up to 52nd floor of Marina Bay Sands hotel & a few other sites.
Early @ Changi so did more exploring of airport, finally found Butterfly Garden.
(https://i.imgur.com/3u5E6I1.jpg)
So our ship excursions in Vietnam were a bit offputting due to distance & time needed to get from ship/port to any major cities, so expect a 1.5 hour bus trip each way.
Ship runs on USD so a beer costs from $8USD PLUS 18% surcharge/gratituity/call it what you like. ($9.44USD/$13,74AUD)
Shore Excursions Ship $89-125USD vs Private $60USD - all tours had a visit to a temple so after a couple we were ABT (Another Bloody Temple!!)
Didn't see as much as I had planned as traveling in a group of 5 couples I had to be sociable & their views were we should do things together.
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Thanks for sharing Neville. Looks like an awesome trip! :mrgreen:
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Great photos, although there were a lot of OLD PEOPLE getting in the way :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :crazy1: :crazy1:
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Great pic's :goodjob2: the Singapore Hawker centre brings back memories, yummy Satay skewers :bbq1:
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Great selection of pics.