SOUTH CHINA SEAS

THE FAR EAST :
TORRES STRAITS TO SINGAPORE - Posted MARCH 17, 2008 from the South China Sea
Leaving Australia, we sailed northwest through the islands of Indonesia, a nation which has the fourth highest population in the world (what are the top three and the fifth?). Then we headed north to Hong Kong and returned in a southwest direction, rounding Vietnam and Cambodia and up to Thailand. We are now headed southeast to Singapore.

March 6th found us at the port of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia—a former British colony on the northwest side of the island of Borneo. We saw Mt. Kinabalu standing above the clouds at sunrise as we sailed into the harbor. Over 13,400 feet, it is the tallest mountain in Borneo. We were pleasantly surprised to find things there more modern than we expected, but still having a distinct Malaysian flavor. It was only a few days before their national elections so there were campaign signs all along the streets. We took a boat to two different National Marine Park islands where we did some snorkeling, had some beach time, and a beautiful Malaysian feast on the beach. We then motored over to another island to hike through the rainforest. The weather was hot and humid, and the exotic Asian culture started to emerge with unusual wildlife, different religion, culture, and architecture.

On March 9th we sailed into Hong Kong harbor and embarked on a walking tour of the city. Our pre-arranged guide, Marco, escorted us from our port in Kawloon (tip of the Chinese mainland) via ferry to the island of Hong Kong (after coffee time at the very elegant Peninsula Hotel). On foot, we wove through a maze of fantastic skyscrapers, walkways, and subways in the downtown area. It was Sunday, the day that all of the private housekeepers and domestic help have off. Each Sunday, thousands and thousands of Indonesian women set up camp with their friends on shady sidewalks, building plazas and subway corridors. Each group of friends defines their space with blankets or cardboard boxes, and they sit around having the best time socializing, eating, playing games, doing manicures/pedicures, and enjoying their day off with friends. It was really a sight to behold.

Hong Kong is home to a booming economy and many clever innovations. One obvious example is the new skyscrapers which have an open-air floor every twenty or thirty stories so wind can flow through the building, making the structure more stable in typhoons. These floors look similar to the others, except that there is no glass in the windows. Building space is at a premium (over 15,000 people per square mile) so they are currently reclaiming land at the edge of the harbor to create more building space. We walked through some of the old town areas and small side streets, then proceeded up to Mt. Victoria and did a three-kilometer hike around the circumference at the top which provided great views of the city. Hong Kong passed back under Chinese sovereignty in 1997 but it still operates economically much as it did under British rule. China has a slogan “one country, two government systems” (actually there is a third, fourth and perhaps more with Tibet, Taiwan, etc., singing off a different government song sheet. We were joined by Marco’s charming wife, Alice for a truly fabulous Chinese lunch at Hunan Garden. In the late afternoon, we caught a local ferry to Lammi Island for a seafood dinner at the famous Rainbow Restaurant. There we picked out our fish for dinner (while the fish were obliviously swimming in their tanks). Fresher fish we have never had.

On March 11th we docked at an isolated container port in Chan May, Vietnam. Fortunately we got a driver who took us and the Bridges to DaNang and the traditional historic town of Hoi An, more than an hour away. Vietnam is still a third-world country; however it has experienced great economic progress in the past several years. It is now trying to establish some major (expensive) resorts in the China Beach and DaNang area. Our driver was smart, friendly, and great fun to be with. We are glad he encouraged us to go to Hoi An instead of Hue since we had a superior day compared to others on the ship. We walked the quaint side streets and enjoyed some of the best shopping bargains of the trip (silk products especially). The only reminder of the war was a few American helicopter hangers rusting away in silence along the road.

On March 13th we docked at a container port two hours outside of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). The only way to see anything was to take the ship’s bus ($79 person) into the city for a walking tour on your own. We saw the American Embassy, Rex Hotel, Notre Dame Cathedral (built in the French colonial period) and Reunification Center (former palace and grounds). We also went to the War Remnants museum which was, of course, created by the Hanoi government and very one-sided in its treatment of the war. Outdoor exhibits displayed old US tanks, planes and helicopters and indoor exhibits were mainly photographs showing terrible war atrocities perpetuated on the Vietamese by the US. In fact, the exhibit stated several times that the US goal was ethnic genocide to wipe out the Vietnamese culture and race. Amazingly, the Vietnamese on the street seem to like, not hate, Americans and were very friendly.


March 15th found us again at the major commercial container port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, two hours outside of Bangkok. There we were picked up by our friend Peter Fedderson whom we had not seen in 10 years. We met Peter in Scottsdale where he lived for three years, although most of his career with Continental Grain Company (after leaving his homeland in Germany) was spent in Bangkok. We had a delightful day catching up with Peter and his lovely, charming friend, Daraluk. We visited the beach resort of Pattaya, had lunch at Peter’s Yacht Club, and visited his beach house before returning to the ship.

March 16th was a beach, hiking and touring day in Ko Samui, Thailand—a small resort island on the east coast of the country. Here a local taxi driver took us around the island to see the Big Bhudda. We hiked white sand beaches and up to a high waterfall in the mountains. Marilyn also found some great shops selling perfect-for-Arizona sundresses at $8 apiece! After spending two days at Thai beach resorts, we could easily see how the huge Christmas Day tsunami disaster at Phuket on the west coast a few years ago was so devastating.

Well the bad news is the ship food continues to be excellent and the food police really come after you if you miss a meal. We are continuing to enjoy the balcony on our “private yacht”, but also miss all of our friends at home. Time is really going quickly now with only six weeks to go and lots of exciting and exotic ports coming up—Singapore tomorrow. Stay tuned!!

Largest Countries by Population
1. China 1,321,852,000
2. India 1,129,866,000
3. United States 301,140,000
4. Indonesia 234,694,000
5. Brazil 190,011,000