Travel The World with Bill & Mary Ann HAL's Grand World Voyage 2007

[Aussie Gal]

Bill and Mary,

 

The reason you lost your two half hours close together is that there is a time difference of one hour between Cairns and Darwin and the obviously the Captain decided to do it gently by just adjusting the 30 minutes each day.

 

Jennie

[vicreg]

What does "bump" mean?

[super_grover]

Sometimes users will reply to a thread just to "bump" or move it back to the front page of the topic board so that other users will be able to find it more easily.

 

This is often accomplished simply by writing "bump" as the post :)

[Cruising Illini]

Really hope this is kept in a very visible spot for everyone to enjoy. Thanks for taking so much time giving us the reports. We especially appreciate it because we were on the Amsterdam for the last cruise just before you left.

 

Hope you all had the pleasure of meeting Margaret Binnendyk(head of Mariner office) while she was on board -- she is a great person!!

[Opinions]

Sometimes users will reply to a thread just to "bump" or move it back to the front page of the topic board so that other users will be able to find it more easily.

 

This is often accomplished simply by writing "bump" as the post :)

 

The guidelines for these board say " Please do not manipulate postings on the boards by "Bumping" topics to the top of the forum."

[WCB]

Report # 35 2-26-07 Monday Bali, Indonesia

 

The smell of island cooking fires was the first thing we noticed as the Amsterdam sailed towards Padang Bay of Bali, Indonesia. Located just south of the Equator, Bali is home to the largest majority of Indonesia's Hindu population. Despite it's rather small size, 95 miles wide, and 69 miles north to south, their population is 2.7 million residents. The Balinese are famous for their art, dance, music, batik fabric, sculpture, and painting. And the scenery is spectacular with volcanoes (most still active), lush green rice terraces, copra, banana, mango, coconut, pineapple, and coffee plantations. We saw more temples and shrines than houses! We can see that their religion is tightly woven into every day life here. And it is obvious that we have entered into a far different area of the world since leaving Australia a few days ago.

 

The ship was anchored early this morning, leaving us a tenderboat ride of 15 to 30 minutes to reach the shore, depending on the waves and tides. The tour we booked today will take us to the Barong Dance and Mt. Batur. Even though we have been fortunate to have visited Bali three times in the past, we could see these sights over and over again, and learn new things on every excursion. And we were in for a pleasant surprise later in the day.

 

The tenderboat ride took only 10 minutes. When we arrived to the pier, we were given a royal welcome from the head of government, several Balinese dancers, and a bunch of policemen. We fought our way to the buses, with aggressive vendors chasing us. There will be time for this later, we are sure!

 

We were lucky to be bus # 1, and had the best guide, who spoke perfect English. Winding our way out of the pier area, we headed straight for the Barong Dance complex. This place was far better than the one we visited 9 nine years ago. It was a pleasant garden setting, tiered off the hillside, with several rows of seats under a tent. The one hour performance depicted the story of good versus evil, with colorfully-costumed characters including a lioncat, servant girls, a monkey, and the bad guy, a witch. The good guy won out in the end. A gamelon band consisting of gong, percussion, and drum instruments added an exotic tone to the show. When we exited the area, the vendors descended like out of nowhere. We did buy a few things...............more Harley motorcycles and puppets. The price was just too good!

 

Continuing on, we stopped at the town of Mas. Here we went to a carver's village and watched the workers hammering and cutting teak and ebony wood to create everything under the sun. There were animals, masks, gods, and dieties....from small to almost lifesize. Their prices were also extremely expensive. We did not see many people buying here.

 

At Ubud, we went to an artist's colony where painters were working on their creations while we watched. Strangely, they used their left hand for the palate, instead of a board. The paintings appeared to look more Hindu than anything else. Again, the prices were very high, and we saw just a few being bought. We did sneak a few photos though.

 

The drive up towards Kintamani revealed the beautiful rice paddies, fields of bananas, orchards of mangoes, and small villages of homes that looked more like temples than houses. Every home was surrounded with a rock, concrete, or brick wall, with an entrance of an ornamental arched gate. On either side of the gate were two shrines where people put their offerings of rice, flowers, and meat twice a day. Each room was a separate building with shrines all around their grounds.

 

At Kintamani, we had lunch at a restaurant with a view of Mt.Batur and Lake Batur in the crater. The last time this volcano erupted was in 1917, and we hope it is not due again for a long time, especially, not today! Lunch consisted of Balinese fare of multiple types of rice (their main staple), sauted vegetables, noodles and veggies, chewy chicken, pork sate, fish, and fruit. While tea and coffee were included, soft drinks, water, or beer were not free. We had the choice of ordered food or the buffet. Ordered food would have been nice, but none of us knew the names of the entrees! So, buffet it was, and it was very good. On the outside patio, we got some good photos of the mountain and lake before the expected fog and clouds obscured the view. We were quite lucky today, since the rain was staying away.

 

On our way back towards the water temple, we stopped for photos of a Temple Celebration Anniversary. Our guide said that this only happens twice a year, and we were fortunate to see it. A few miles down the narrow road, we saw the actual procession of hundreds of people heading towards the temple celebration. We stopped once again, took photos, and reboarded the bus.

 

At the 1000 year old Tira Empul Temple of Holy Springs, we ran into another special event called the Purification Ceremony. This was even bigger than the last one. This temple complex houses sacred springs of healing water. People were actually entering the ponds and standing under fountains of water. It was so warm and humid, we wished we could have joined them! All of us had to wear either a sash or a sarong, depending on how we were dressed. Most of the men had to wear the sarongs, which made the ladies giggle. While we were taking pictures of the several temples, another grand procession was on its way towards us. This time many colorfully dressed Balinese men and women paraded with their offerings, which were carried on their heads or packed on litters under tall silk umbrellas. What a sight! A group of holy priests were dressed completely in white, and led the group in prayer at each temple. We all respectfully watched from the rear.

 

Now on our way out of the temple grounds, we were directed towards a maze of souvenier stalls with the most aggressive hawkers we have seen. They would offer items for one dollar, then when they got your attention, it was not so. We did find a few treasures, but had a hard time escaping the vendors death grip on our arms. No kidding! The girls would hold onto your arm, while laying blouses, sarongs, or pants on you. Not interested, we handed the clothes back, and they would not take them. It was very, very hard to be polite in this situation. A simple "no thank you" did not work. We just pulled away and ran for the bus, along with everyone else in our group!

 

Back again at the pier by 6 pm, we were ready for the throng of hawkers again. They like to use cute little girls to sell the postcards and pencils, knowing it is hard to say no to them. We did get a lot for our dollars there. We were all so loaded down with bags of treasures, it took twice the amount of tenderboats to take us back to ther ship!!

 

Dinner was very enjoyable tonight since it was just three of us. The others had made dinner plans onshore. The ship left in the rain by 11 pm, ending our incredible day in Bali. We sure hope to visit here again someday.

 

Two more presents tonight.............small baby blue pins with the world cruise logo on them to add to our collection.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[super_grover]

The guidelines for these board say " Please do not manipulate postings on the boards by "Bumping" topics to the top of the forum."

 

I understand the "no bumping" rule, I was just explaining for someone who asked. Sorry, I should have mentioned that it was also against the rules.

 

Thankfully, Bill and Mary Ann are posting regularly and keeping this great thread visable for all to enjoy.

 

Thanks again!

[Grumpy1]

The Bali tour sounds like the same one we did on the 2005 world cruise, except that there were no special ceremonies at the water temple. It poured buckets of rain on us during that part of the tour, giving a completely different meaning to "water temple"!

 

The agressive vendors, we were told, are usually not the Balinese people, but are almost always the Javanese. The bombings that have happened in recent years on Bali have always been blamed on terrorists with ties to neighboring Java.

 

It would really be nice if you could stroll through the market areas and shop without being mobbed by the hawkers. They really do detract from an otherwise fantastic island visit.

[sandiego1]

You can Subscribe to the thread and it will always appear under Quick Links for you. Then you don't have to search for it on the main HAL pages.

 

Click on Thread Tools and you should see the Subscribe option.

[Aussie Gal]

Bill and Mary,

 

Thanks for the post on Bali. We love Bali, it is our favourite island and we have been there many times but since the bombings (two) in the past 4 years which have been aimed at Aussies and tourists, we have reluctantly not visited that beautiful place. Your description of your day, has brought back many memories. Perhaps one day we will return.

 

Jennie

[RuthC]

I very much enjoyed your report on Bali. It's an island I hope to visit one day.

Did any of the stewards you're familiar with have an opportunity to visit with relatives while there? There must have been some excitment in the crew!

Many times in recent years there's been a stop planned here, then it was cancelled for one reason or another. I'm glad this time it wasn't.

[GayleArc]

Ruth, Your post just reminded me of our room steward on the Amsterdam in Oct. I told him I wanted to bring him on the Noordam with me Jan. 6th. He said any other time, but he is due to see his family in Indonisia on Feb. 28th. I remember it distinctly because tomorrow is my brothers birthday. Gayle

[Johnny B]

We didn't subscribe, but we just bookmarked this thread so we can pull it up every evening when we get home from work. It's great to read about the places we'll be going in 2008. We're soooo excited!

[midgecruiser]

Love reading your thread. Had to hunt for it tonight so thought it was time to bump it up. Keep it coming. Wendy

[WCB]

Report # 36 2-27-07 Tuesday Day at Sea

 

Hurray! We have a restful day at sea, and we need it after touring Bali yesterday. In fact, we heard that many passengers who had booked the evening fire dance tour, decided against going. Many of them had 10 hour tours like us, and were totally exhausted. We took the kecak fire dance tour on the last world cruise, and we thought that once was enough. Good choice, because during the outdoor performance on the beach, it rained. Oh well..........

 

We had another time change back one hour last night, since we are heading westerly towards Semarang, Java. The distance is 419 nautical miles from Bali, so our average speed is only 13 knots. And the LRAD devices are ready on the promenade deck, along with two guards on a rotating 24 hour watch. Funny, that did not deter the few islanders sailing in their native boats right up to the ship's platform last night and begging for money.

 

The skies remain cloudy with occasional showers, with the winds at force 4. The seas are choppy, but not too rough. We spent a comfortable day at the pool, reading and comparing trip experiences with our pool buddies. They all enjoyed Bali immensely.

 

Exploration speakers Dick Cavett, Warren Salinger, and Chris Ranier continued their series today, while two guest chefs from Bali gave a culinary arts cooking demo in the Ocean Bar. They also prepared an Indonesian tea this afternoon.

 

We need to make a correction in regards to the "stealing" incident rumored to have occurred on the ship last week. Susana, the guest relations lady, said it never happened. However, we do know for a fact, that there is a kleptomaniac lady, who has lifted art supplies and paint brushes from the craft and watercolor classes. We are certain that the ship's cameras are pointed on her!

 

Tomorrow, Semarang, Java!

 

Bill and Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 37 2-28-07 Wednesday Semarang, Java Indonesia

 

The ship sailed into the industrial port of Semarang, Java, the fifth largest city of Indonesia. Differing immensely from Bali, Java's history is intermixed with Arabic, Buddhist, Hindu, Dutch, and even Communist influences. The abundant population today relies on factories, fishing, tourism, and agriculture for their means of living.

 

We joined our fellow CSIers on an all day tour to the famous Temple of Borobudur. Built around 800 AD, this temple was known to be the spiritual center of Buddism in Java. But mysteriously, this huge complex was buried under lush jungle growth for over 1000 years. It was re-discovered by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1814, and brought back to life as we see it today.

 

Our three buses convoyed through the narrow, crowded streets, preceded and followed by police cars (sirens blaring the whole trip). This allowed us the VIP status of running red lights and making all the cars, motorbikes, and trucks pull off to the sides. At times, the buses just plowed up the middle of the road, forcing the traffic aside. We were four across on a two lane road during most of the ride. Glad we sat in the back of the bus, since we had 56 miles of this!!

 

Shortly after leaving the pier area, we drove on levee roads where we saw large ponds of brackish water for raising monkfish, a favorite dish here. Continuing through the outskirts of the city, we drove past terraced rice paddies, and mountainsides of lychee, mahogany, sandalwood, and teak trees. Mixed in with the jungle growth, were nutmeg, clove, cocoa, and coffee trees. Mangoes, bananas, and coconuts along with smelly dirian fruit were being sold on small steetside stands. Clusters of lychee nuts were covered in woven bamboo baskets in the tall trees. Our guide said that the baskets protected the crop from rats and fruit bats.

 

Halfway on the ride to the temple, we stopped at the Eva Coffee Plantation for a rest stop and refreshments. Two little Javanese girls in native costumes were dancing while coffee and snacks were served. Many tables of souveniers were on display for all to buy. We ran into Gloria and Ken who were on the similar Holland tour. If there was bargaining to be done here, Gloria was the person to do it!!

 

After another hour of a wild bus ride, we arrived to the temple of Borobudur. We had been here in 1998, but this time, we entered the gates through a side entrance, avoiding the onslaught of vendors. Hey, that ruins our fun!! Hopefull, we will have time later on.

 

The structure of the Buddhist temple was built with 2 million stones of volcanic rock or andesite. The ten terraces of the temple were filled with walls of intricate carvings symbolizing the path to Nirvana. If our guide was intent on describing all of the reliefs, we would be there for a week! After explaining the first level, he cut us loose to explore on our own. Near the top level were bell-shaped stupas, each with a different buddha inside. The Great Stupa or Buddha was towering over all at the summit. To say that it was a difficult climb to the top, would be an understatement for most. The steps were very high going up, and seemed steeper descending them! Even with all the walking and stair climbing we do on the ship, we could feel the muscle strain. Well, OK, maybe one of us more than the other.

 

Rather bothersome, were several cameramen taking unexpected photos of everyone. And of course, on our way back to the buses, these framed pictures were for sale................cheap. We looked silly in our red and blue caps our guide had given us to wear. That way he could keep track of our group, but didn't look too attractive for pictures.

 

And once again, we were re-directed towards a smaller parking lot away from the vendors. Wanting to check out their treasures, we wandered over to the throng of hawkers. We picked up a neat bike/rickshaw made of brass. With policemen nearby watching us, the vendors thrust fans, postcards, puppets, pens, jewelry, and fabrics in our faces. Each one was trying to outdo the other with bargaining. What fun we had. We have to say that they were not as aggressive as the ones in Bali, but of course, the cops were right there.

 

Anyway, we boarded the buses once again, enjoying the air-conditioning all the way to the lunch place. We entered the grounds of the Losari Plantation Resort and Spa around 1 pm. A buffet lunch was served at their restaurant which overlooked the steep hillsides. Eight massive volcanoes, some very active, surrounded the entire setting. The panoramic views were stunning as we joined friends Karen and Darrel on the outside patio. A typical Javanese lunch of chicken sate, fish, cheese sticks, bread, fruit, and vegetable salads were served. The nasi goreng rice and noodles were delicious, and sodas and bottles of water were complimentary. Unfortunately, our time was too short here, eliminating our chance of touring the plantation. We did quickly stroll around the property and got many nice pictures anyway. Near the restaurant was a small hut with a lady serving a drink called jamu, a traditional Javanese herbal medicine. Not knowing what was in it, we politely passed on the offer.

 

Before joining our busses, several vendors were waiting on the road for us to buy their souveniers. Once again, we bargained for a wooden ship, batik bags, Javanese masks, and batik cards. Out of the blue, a giant crack of eardrum-shattering thunder erupted over our heads! The gods had spoken................it was time to leave!

 

We were no sooner down the road, when the expected rain storm came down in buckets. Perfect timing, though the wet streets made the trip back even more thrilling or terrifying! It will be a miracle if we get back in one piece!

 

Once back in Semarang, the guide took us for a ride through the older section of Semarang. We saw the government buildings, the old Dutch Quarter, the Military Museum, and the railway station. Our tour ended safely back at the pier by 4:30 pm. Many crew members had a family reunion during our brief visit today. We could see many of them at the port's gate saying goodbye. It was a special treat for the Indonesian crew to have stops in both Bali and Java, where most of them live.

 

The Amsterdam left a bit late at 5:30 pm, sailing north towards Hong Kong. And we are looking forward to three lazy days at sea!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[DFD1]

What a fascinating day you must have had! Great read! I felt like I was in the seat next to you all the way. Thanks so much.

[lynn8811]

Bill and Mary Ann -

 

I can't begin to tell you how much I am enjoying your reports. I will probably never be able to take a trip like this so I am living it through your wonderful writing! Looking forward to more reading.

 

Lynn

 

Doric (Bermuda)

Norway (Caribbean)

Brilliance of the Seas (2004 Mediterranean)

Summit (2005 Alaska)

Zenith (2006 Bermuda)

Upcoming: March 10th Noordam

[ldog]

I'm so looking forward to your report on Hong Kong.

 

thanks for taking the time to post every day.

[WCB]

Report # 38 3-01-07 Thursday Day at Sea

 

Today is the beginning of March, and it turned out to be the most inclement one of our trip so far. We now have three days to cover 1942 nautical miles to Hong Kong with the average speed of the ship at 21.5 knots. The seas are rough with 7.5 foot waves, and there is a prediction of heavy rains. With the westerly winds blowing at force 6, the rain arrived sooner than we thought.

 

Hoping for a break in the storm, we went to the aft pool and waited out the rain. The strong winds just whipped the sheets of water across the deck and lounge chairs. We had a problem though, since the side drains became plugged, and the water under our feet was about 2 inches deep where we were sitting under the overhang. Luckily, the cloudburst ended, and the sun peaked out for about an hour. Better than nothing we supposed. The entire horizon was surrounded with heavy black clouds, so we knew our time was going to be short.

 

It would have been nice to go to the Wajang Theater to watch a movie this afternoon, but the film being show was from 1948.........Abbott and Costello Meets Frankenstein! Guess we will have to check the DVDs in the library to see a more recent picture!!

 

The port lectures are now concentrating on Hong Kong. It is such a fascinating city, that it will take the next three days to skim the surface. We will be spending two and one half days there, so we hope the weather will cooperate with us. We attempted the afternoon walk a mile, but the winds were so strong, they were driving the rain right into all of us. And the temperature is much cooler at 78 degrees, even though the humidity is still 89%. Actually, we got so wet, that the humidity was 100% for all the avid walkers!

 

We crossed the Equator for the second time at 4 pm. It will also be the last crossing for this world cruise, we believe. There was no King Neptune Ceremony either. They usually do this only once a world cruise.

 

We're having a hard time with the laundry/dry clean package we pre-purchased for this trip. Instead of a one-day-turnaround, we are lucky to get our clothes back four days later. We have been told that so many passengers took the packages, that the laundry workers cannot keep up with the demand. Hmmm, maybe they should bring in a few more workers. Having paid a lot for this service, we think it could be run more efficiently.

 

Two more presents were given to all tonight................small blue Delft tiles with the picture of the bow of the Statendam ship on it. Would have been nicer if the Amsterdam's picture was on it, but that would make too much sense, right?

 

Report # 39 3-02-03 Friday Day at Sea

 

Last night we had to put our clocks forward one hour. How rude! It made us realize how much we have been appreciating the clocks being put back this whole trip. It was obvious early this morning, when very few people were walking the deck for the Dam Dollars. Oooops, overslept!

 

The weather looks a lot more promising, since the skies are more blue than cloudy. Of course, as luck would have it, the rain started just as we walked out on the aft deck. Most times, the ship is being steered away from these squalls, but if they are big enough, we have no choice but to go through them. And they usually don't last too long. Within 20 minutes, the decks were dry once again with the strong winds blowing from the east today. It appeared that the majority of sunbathers have been spending their time in the enclosed Lido pool area. As for us, we prefer the fresh air, even if we get a little wet. It helps keep us healthier, and knock on wood, it has worked so far!

 

Dick Cavett held a question and answer session in the Queen's Lounge this morning. We have encountered Mr. Cavett around the internet and library area often. However, he does not seem to want to mix with the passengers. A few of them tried, and we heard that he was abrupt with them. So he has gotten his way, because he walks alone now! The ship has been running some of his more well-known shows with celebrities from the past on our stateroom TVs. Most all of these stars have passed away, but they were much younger in his interviews from the 1980's. Oh well, the shows are entertaining even today.

 

The movie, Little Miss Sunshine, was shown in the Wajang Theater at 2:30 pm.and repeated three more times until 10:15 pm. One nice thing about the daily movie is that it is repeated on the stateroom TVs the next day. The only thing missing is the crispy popcorn!! Mmmm, we could sneak down to deck four and grab some!

 

We had more presents tonight..............2 Rosenthal coffee mugs with a Hong Kong design printed on them. These will go nicely with the New York mugs we got on the 2005 world cruise. Thanks!!

 

Report # 40 3-03-07 Saturday Day at Sea

 

The weather is finally looking better as we sail the South China Sea towards Hong Kong. The skies were finally clear enough to see the almost full moon, which glowed on the ocean's surface last night. It was worth the wait to see it!

 

Our fellow tablemates having been reporting to us that the entertainers have been pretty good. Marionette performers, Tony Urbano and Kevin Menegus thrilled the audience, while Derek Metzger, an Australian singer followed their act. A magician/comedian, Mel Mellers, delivered a unique quick witted one-of-a-kind show, according to Shirley. Shelly White played the piano, with scores from the movies and Liberace. Shirley said she received a standing ovation. Chris Michaels, a multi instrumental artist joined the magician and the pianist for a combined show last night. And we are pretty sure that Shirley will tell everyone that it was the best show ever, so far!!

 

This afternoon, the Great ms Amsterdam Egg Drop Contest was held at the Navigation Pool. Several groups have been working on creating casings and devices to help cushion a raw egg from breaking. These packages were dropped from the top of a ladder, the surviving ones from deck 9, then the remaining hit violently with a golf club. None survived!! However, the ones that made it to the third test, all won prizes. The Busby girls participated, and won a prize along with a few others, with their parents and aunt proudly taking pictures. What fun.

 

This evening, a formal night, those who have achieved the next level of awards, will be honored at the Mariners Party in the Queen's Lounge. Last summer, we were rewarded our silver medals and lapel pins for having cruised 300 plus days with Holland America Lines. Normally, we would be given the repeat medal to wear to the cocktail party, but on this trip, they did not do that. Unless we remembered to bring these with us, we have no medals to wear tonight. They did not even give us the small silver pin to wear. Not that we won't survive, but this is another cutback by the cruise line, in our eyes. Now if these medals would give us some perks as other cruise lines do, then people would be way happier!! We have 454 days to date with HAL, so on our next long cruise, we should get the GOLD!

 

Tomorrow..................Hong Kong, here we come!!!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[tomko2]

Wonderful diary. Eagerly await each installment. Thank you.

Kathy

[OldCodger73]

Thanks for posting your journal. Looking forward to your Hong Kong reports.

[ldog]

Am eagerly awaiting Hong Kong report. What a trip this is!! Thank you for taking the time and effort to post.

[scaaty]

Bill and Mary Ann,

Guess you're having a wonderful time in Hong Kong, I've missed not seeing any reports for a few days:eek: I can't wait to hear of your visit to Hong Kong.

 

Thank you for sharing your wonderful adventure with us all.:)

[WCB]

Report # 41 3-04-07 Sunday Hong Kong

 

We need to add a word or two about the Mariner Party last night. This has got to be the first one of these we attended that the drinks flowed freely. Usually, there is an offering of champagne, wine, or soda, but this evening, our order of cocktails arrived immediately, and were doubles to boot! Without asking, they continued to serve until the medal ceremony. Most everyone was very happy by then!!

 

We had a busy morning today. Prior to our arrival to Hong Kong this afternoon, we were all summoned to the Queen's Lounge to have our temperature taken and recorded by the medical staff onboard. We assume that if a fever is suspected, then that person would be denied debarking here. This practice started shortly after the SARS scare a few years ago.

 

We had our last chance at collecting Dam Dollars this morning, since the next segment begins tomorrow. At 10:30 am, we stood in line for another t-shirt. At least we learned that our extra dollars can be saved and used during the rest of the trip. Unless we attended every game and walk, we would never have enough for other prizes.

 

The weather today was overcast and foggy, but still warm and humid at 77 degrees. Around noontime, the ship's foghorns began blowing steadily until we arrived to the port of Hong Kong. We noticed that the ship and small boat traffic increased the closer we got. With such limited visibility, we sure hope we don't collide with a Chinese junk!

 

The sail into the fabulous harbor was not as scenic as we remembered, since the haze was so heavy. With a population of 7 million people and the huge concentration of industry in this city, we think a better description of the haze is smog. Our best bet is to hope for some wind to clear the sky. Many people have booked the tour to the top of Victoria Peak, and unfortunately will see nothing of the dramatic view.

 

Over the last three sea days, we have been educated on the intricate history of this area. But since our tours will not include that history, we won't get into the details other than current statistics. Hong Kong consists of 235 islands, and was a British dependency for 156 years. In 1997, Hong Kong was returned to China, although they have been able to keep their own identity. And it has to be one of the most prosperous cities in the world, when you see the forest of skyscrapers lining Victoria Harbor. They do have the distinction of having the most people living in the smallest total land area in the world. And we were soon to find out as we ventured off the ship!

 

To access the city from the ship is not an easy one. We had to wind our way through a massive modern shopping mall called Harbour City, where we followed the cruise ship symbols embedded in the mall's floor. That led us to the doors towards the Star Ferry complex. Our first stop was at a money exchange booth to change some leftover Aussie money for the Hong Kong dollars. That way we avoided paying the fees on both ends. We continued on towards Nathan Road, trying to dodge a number of Indian tailor offers. There must be one million tailor shops in this part of the city, and we know they do good work, since we had some clothing made two years ago.

 

The entire pier area was decorated in red hanging lanterns for the celebration of Chinese New Year, the year of the golden pig. We were lucky to see this, since we found out that Sunday was the last day of the special ceremonies. As we approached the famous Peninsula Hotel, a parade of marchers with a band and banners were on their way to the waterfront. Their group must have been one half mile long! They know how to party here!

 

We continued on to walk Nathan Road, where a gazillion stores line the streets and side alleys. Wanting to go to the Temple Street Night Market, we decided to find it in the daylight, before we attempted the walk later in the dark. However, after the half hour walk, we found that the vendors were already setting up their tents with their wares. This was perfect! We were able to bargain for all our purchases quite easily, because few tourists were there yet. The sellers gave us a good price just because we were their first sale of the day! Good luck for them and good deals for us!! No need to go back tonight either.

 

During dinner, we could see the harbor lights of the buildings and apartments. This is called a million dollar view, because it costs Hong Kong one million dollars to light it up each and every evening!

 

Bill & Mary Ann