flossie009

Today, in Goa, we decided to have a lazy day on board the ship. It was good to see a number of crew had their families visit them on board Navigator. As well as the normal delicious dessert offerings for lunch in La Veranda there was also a tray of Indian confectionery

In the centre of the market was the bus station, which interchanged with the local tuk-tuks As we walked back to our bus we passed by many flower sellers, with the beautiful blooms sold in garlands

After the tranquility of our visit to the old house (an oasis in the middle of Mangalore), the market was a bustling cacophony with diverse sights & smells Wet fish Dried fish Fruit & veg Street food

The cook was very chatty

Thursday April 18th - Mangalore We had a noisy and colourful welcome on our arrival to the port of Mangalore. Our excursion took in a visit to an historic house, then on for a look around the local market. Arriving at the house we were met by the 85 year old mother and one of her sons. The property has been in their family for five generations. They supplied us with drinks & snacks as we toured the house & garden

It was then off on a boat ride to have a look at the Chinese fishing nets, famous in this area After our return another fisherman tried his luck with a hand thrown net. He only caught a few small shrimps We then adjourned for a delicious & leisurely curry lunch, with a lovely cooling breeze from the adjacent lake. Then it was back on the Tuk-Tuks to rejoin our bus back to the ship. A highly recommended included excursion if you are ever in Cochin.

Once on the island we were then shown various crafts, including the many uses of the coconut from cooking to rope making Pottery, on a potter’s wheel Spice grinding Weaving roof thatch panels Making coconut milk Cigar rolling After having coconuts prepared for us to have refreshing drink, this skilled tree climber went up to retrieve the alcoholic sap from the coconut flower bud which we were able to sample - very strong & sweet

Wednesday April 17th - Kochi (Cochin) As this was our first port of call in India we had to have a face-to-face with immigration officials in the terminal building. Some delays to the first excursions while the Indian officials and Regent purser’s department got themselves set up. Good information over the ship’s PA kept a smooth flow, avoiding congestion. Although it was another hot & humid day, we thoroughly enjoyed our tour (COK-004 Kumbalangi Island) After a half hour coach drive we transferred to a fleet of Tuk-Tuks for the final leg of the journey onto the island; a bumpy & sometimes nail- biting ride

Tomorrow, I will try to catch up on our last two ports of call ……… but here are a couple of things that caught our attention today in Mangalore. This sign on our bus was straight to the point This cat obviously found a bag of lentils on a market stall to be a shady & comfortable spot

Colombo has a huge cargo port, which is being expanded When we look at all these containers we always wonder what they contain and where they are coming from or going to

There were also some interesting ceremonial masks

Having visited the tea plantations in Sri Lanka on a previous visit, we opted to look at the city of Colombo with a shopping trip First to a gem store, then handicrafts and finally a seven storey shopping mall. The handicraft store was probably the most interesting, but this part of the world does have an obsession with one type of animal

Only on the newer ships; and a completely different menu to the evening service.

We are still blessed with a packed & varied programme of evening entertainment in the theatre on Navigator (one of the best auditoriums in the Regent fleet) Visiting entertainers on board now are: Zlwin Chew - Malaysian magician Nicola Ward - British singer Both have done one show with second performances to follow in the coming days. Last night the pre-dinner show was CD, Ray Solaire. A packed house and a standing ovation at the conclusion of his Les Miserables medley (c/w a puppet for his “duet” with the inn keeper’s wife) After dinner the ABBA Dance Party, originally scheduled for the Pool Deck, was brought inside to Galileo’s to avoid the forecast rain showers. Tonight is another show by the very talented Production Cast

You could be missing out on some interesting dinner companions