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!!
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
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)
Then onto Chi Lin Nunnery, masive complex of buildings & gardens in the middle of HK highrise apartments. The nunnery bldgs actually buildt without nails.
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.
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.
Had the opportunity to design my own HK banknote.
Mosaic made from old coins put together by a team of 10 HK art students - Apparently 135,811 coins.
Trip on Star Ferry & a couple of locals photobombing behind. Actually on lower deck in 2nd class on this trip.
Every evening there is a light show on the buildings in the CBD. Maybe only worth visit if nothing better to do - meh...
Still have servo attendants there, pole put in front of car to stop driving off???
Departing HK & mate Kenny doing a "Titanic" pose.
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.
Had a ice rink on board & there were a few sessions for pax & a couple of ice shows by professionals.
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.
On one of our shore excursions we were taken to a family house to view. Hmmm not sure about electrical safety here.....
Who needs acroprops when you have bamboo tree trunks?
Sunset from the bow on departure from one of the ports. (While most of group @ their 5.30pm dinner)
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.
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.
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!!!
One of the bike parks, not sure how the owner of one blocked in would get it out if he wanted to leave early.
I'm still amazed how there aren't many fires with street wiring like this!!
Visited the Reunification Palace in HCMC, this was one of the rooms in the bunker below where the army had a command post.
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.
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.
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.
