our cruise news PAGE 6

 MAY 15, 2023

DOCKED IN PENANG.     

FIRST STOP WAS AT THE PINANG PERANAKAN MANSION,BUILT 1895 AND SERVED AS THE RESIDENCE OF CHINESE TYCOON CHUNG KENG QUEE. IT CONTAINS THOUSANDS OF ARTIFACT, ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES. WE THEN WENT TO THE RECLINING BUDDHA TEMPLEE WITH AN ENORMOUS 50 FOOT GOLD PLATED RECLING BUDDHA SYMBOLIZING COMPLETE PEACE. ACROSS THE STREET WE VISITED AN OLD BURMESE BUDDHA TEMPLE. WE THEN DROVE TO THE KEK LOK SI TEMPLE, A SPRAWLING BUDDHIST COMPLEX. THE HIGHLIGHT IS ITS SEVEN STORY PAGODA. INSIDE IS A HUGE STATUE OF THE GODDESS OF MERCY.

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 MAY 16TH, 2023

DOCKED IN PORT KLANG.       

AN HOUR DRIVE TOOK AS TO THE AMAZING CITY OF KUALA LUMPUR. STARTED OUR TOUR AT THE ICONIC PETRONAS  TOWERS (NAMED AFTER THE OIL AND GAS COMPANY).  THE BUILDING IS TRULY AN ARCHITECTURAL WONDER. RODE UP TO THE 41ST FLOOR AND WALKED ON THE BRIDGE CONNECTING THE TWO TOWERS. THEN CONTINUED UP TO THE 86TH FLOOR WHERE WE HAD A GREAT VIEW OF THE CITY AND THE OTHER TOWER. THE BUILDING TOOK 6 YEARS TO BUILD AND WAS COMPLETED IN 1999 AT A COST OF $1.6 BILLION. DROVE AROUND THE CITY ADMIRING THE ECLECTIC ARCHITECTURE INCLUDING THE BEAUTIFUL COLONIAL STYLE MAIN TRAIN TERMINAL.HAD LUNCH IN A HUGE INDOOR MARKET. ON THE WAY BACK WE STOPPED AT THE INDEPENDENCE SQUARE COMMEMORATING THE 1957 INDEPENCE FROM BRITAIN.

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 MAY 17TH AND 18TH, 2023

DOCKED IN SINGAPORE.       

DOCKED IN SINGAPORE. DROVE TO THE UNIQUE MARINA BAY SANDS HOTEL, WITH THREE TOWERS CONNECTED ON THE 57TH FLOOR WITH THE LARGEST INFINITY POOL AND A COLLECTION OF RESTAURANTS AND BARS. HAD DRINKS AND TAPAS AT SPAGO. VISITED THEIR OBSERVATION DECK WITH VIEWS OF THE CITY AND THE MARINA BELOW. NEXT DAY WE TOOK TWO CABLE CARS THAT TOOK US TO NEARBY SENTOSA ISLAND. WE THEN TOOK THE SUBWAY TO THEIR CIVIC CENTER. THE TRAINS WERE VERY CLEAN AND AIR CONDITIONED. TO GET ON ALL YOUHAVE TO DO IS TAP YOUR CREDIT CARD AT THE TURNSTILE ENTRANCE AND THEN AGAIN AS YOU EXIT. THE ROUND TRIP COST 7 CENTS. WE WALKED BY CITY HALL AND VISITED AN IMPRESSIVE BUILDIG, FORMERLY THEIR SUPREME COURT, NOW HOUSING MANY ART GALLERIES AND RESTAURANTS.

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 MAY 21ST, 2023

DOCKED IN MAURA.     

TOOK A RIDE TO BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, THE CAPITAL OF BRUNEI. THE COUNTRY IS VERY CLEAN AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS IN TOP CONDITION, THANKS TO THE GREAT WEALTH FROM GAS AND OIL SUPPORTING A POPULATION OF ONLY 600,000. VISITED A BEAUTIFUL GOLD DOMED MOSQUE BY A LAKE AND TOOK PHOTOS OF THE OUTSIDE OF THE SULTAN PALACE, THEN HAD LUNCH AT THE GORGEOUS EMPERIAL HOTEL. THE SULTAN HAS A WEALTH OF AROUND $30 BILLION. WHILE NOT AS RICH AS SOME OF THE NEW BILLIONAIRES, HE CAN STILL MANAGE. HIS INSTANA NURUL IMAN PALACE IS THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD, WITH 1,700 ROOMS AND 257 BATHROOMS (I THINK HE SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE DISMAIL RATIO OF AROUND  1 BATHROOM TO 6 ROOMS). HE HAS A TOTAL OF 7,000 CARS, INCLUDING 600 ROLLS-ROYCES, 450 FERRARIS AND 380 BENTLEYS. IT IS CLAIMED THAT HE FLIES HIS BARBER, FIRST CLASS OFCOURSE, FROM LONDON AND PAYS HIM $20,000 PER HAIRCUT.AND HERE I THOUGHT PAYING MY BARBER $50 PER HAIRCUT WAS A LITTLE EXTRAVAGANT. THER ARE NO TAXES OF ANY KIND IN BRUNEI.   

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 MAY 25TH AND 26TH, 2023

DOCKED IN HA LONG BAY.     

  OUR FIRST STOP IN VIETNAM. PEOPLE ARE SMALL IN SIZE AND VERY FRIENDLY. THE TOWN IS GROWING RAPIDLY WITH MANY BULDINGS GOING UP, ESPECIAALLY BY THE COASTLINE.  THE BAY IS CHARACTERIZED BY SCATTERED 2000 ISLETS AROUND THE BAY WHICH MAKES IT VERY PICTURESQUE.THE NAME HA LONG MEANS DESCENDING DRAGON. IT IS BELIEVED THAT, IN THE OLD DAYS, A GIANT DRAGON DESCENDED ON THE BAY CAUSING ALL THE ISLETS TO SPROUT AROUND, WHICH THEN SERVED AS A PROTECTION FROM ENEMIES ATTACKING BY SEA. WE ALSO LEARNED THAT VIETNAMESE HOUSES ARE MOSTLY 3 STORIES SINCE TYPICALLY 3 GENERATIONS LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE. ALSO, THE SON HAS A DUTY TO TAKE CARE OF HIS AGING PARENTS MAKING IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE A SON IN THE FAMILY. IN THE EVENING THE SHIP TOOK US TO A BEATIFUL HUGE CAVE WHERE WE WERE SERVED A VIETNAMESE MEAL AND WATCHED A LOCAL SHOW.

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