Boxing Day 2013
After breakfast we caught the bus into Da Nang (our next Port call) and did the usual shopping followed at times by lots of Vendors Alan & June tagged along The shops were mainly for women & children and stores were packed with goods giving Annie a good chance to vent her bargaining skills We arrived back on board and after lunch went in the hot tub and a swim (very refreshing) the singers from last nights show (The Opera Boys) were in the pool and I had a good chat session with them ( one from Leeds and the other from Lancaster ) We went to the first show and it was very disappointing..so we left and headed for our cabin Iwas feeling very sick with a runny nose and told Annie to head off to the Crows Nest without me BUT followed a bit later.Night time wasn,t very good and I went thru a box of tissues
Xmas Day and a Merry One to one n all
Woke up around 9.30 am and off to see Father Christmas,s arrival in the Show Theatre .Egg Nog was freely handed around and to see the kids (didnt realize there were so many on board) looking very happy on his arrival getting a present from the great man himself was a joy to watch We sat next to a couple of Senior ladies from Adelaide and had a bit of a giggle with them.After the show we ambled off to the Lido and started chatting with the Juggler from last night shows.He and his partner were very entertaining IF you get the chance to see him in action John Nations is the name and will always give you the time of the day.Originally we went for a quick cuppa BUT the chat was very easy and pleasant and went for around 2 hours!
We all did a bit of balancing using various parts of our face and co;dinners enjoyed the impromptu show. Annie has now gone off to get information on our next land visit via a seminar (there are lots of different seminars going on daily and can be quite interesting) Time is passing so quickly on this trip and we have yet (hopefully) to meet more interesting people in coming days .Mid afternoon we went for tea on Xmas day and were treated to an amazing assortment of cakes.In the evening we were entertained by 2 English lads introduced as the Opera Boys and they were excellent from Bring him Home to the great Nessum Dorma Then after that show we once again attended the Piano Bar for another Xmas Sing Song.Later we got together with our ever growing group that has now reached 12! Because were were drinking quite a lot of alcohol Happy Hour was extended by half an hour and our Xmas Party finally finished at 1.30 am !! Fantastic night
Xmas Eve in Ha Long
The clocks were moved back by one hour and after breakfast we boarded the Tender for our first stop at Halong Bay for a quick look before our booked afternoon trip. Brian the Yorkie stopped by to apologise for being rude last night I quickly dismissed that simply because he was quite funny with his lovely partner Charlotte keeping him in check most of the evening The stay in Ha Long was short and sweet as there was not too much to see except taxi drivers and motor bike hirers.We settled for relaxing morning by the pool and were joined by Alan and June ,he promptly showed us a video of his wife in a very drunken state !! very funny BUT not for June. We boarded our Junk at 1.30 and headed for the Islands and what an awesome trip it was ! We were first taken into a very spectacular cave after climbing 100,s of steps yet again !It was HUGE and I have seen caves of the world but nothing like this one !!Next was a trip around part of the 1000 islands and it was breath taking !Dotted around the islands were fishing boats tied together to form villages, a sight to see.The junk we were on was used like a Dodgem Car when berthing . As we were travelling to the islands small boats came alongside trying to sell their fruit wares by knocking on the outside window holding very young children (who were very cute and methinks used to encourage passengers to buy !) Annie bought quite a few souvenirs,all at very knock down prices because she is very good at at bartering ! On return to the boat we had dinner and Annie had one of her famous naps then Xmas Eve !! First stop was the Piano Bar and a Christmas Carol sing song that was really good followed by a show where the perfomance by a juggler John Nations and he was great to watch Merry Xmas to all…Our group has now grown to 8 strong and we celebrated Xmas Eve in The Crows Nest and had another great boozy night that ended around 2 am !
At Sea today heading for our first Port
Up late 9.30 am had breakfast,sharing a table with a lovely lady Doctor from Vancouver.Again the conversation flowed especially after me asking for advice on my medical condition (Only kidding Jayne we spoke about all topics EXCEPT medical matters,which must have been a relief for Dr Pat) Today will be spent at Sea arriving at our destination tomorrow.Currently sat in the Sun Lounge by the Pool relaxing. Went to a Windows workshop on how to edit pictures via Photo Gallery..instructor at times regimented but good valuable tips taken on board.Lunch fruit and ice cream because I,m cutting down. Afternoon saw Annie sleep for 4 hours and we watched a movie from the Boats extensive library.After a “light” dinner we sat in the Piano Bar for a drink and watched the excellent pianist strutting his stuff.We met up with 2 other couples PLUS a reserve couple on the next table.The table was at one time FULL of wine and beer (not a drop wasted !) and we had such a great night a repeat is in order
Leaving Hong Kong on a High
Spoilt once again for breakfast but we managed,currently sat in the library in wonderful surrounding transfering Blog material from my Galaxy Tablet to my Laptop (Annie is catching up with clothes washing !) After lunch we had to do a passport inspection in order we can get Visa,s for up coming countries.We sat on the deck of the Crows Nest savouring the majestic views of the Hong Kong harbour and met up with passengers Martin and Hazel who remained our companions throughout the voyage before I decided to have a nap whilst Annie went to Tai Chi.Mandatory Life Saving Drill held at 5pm IF a person does NOT attend their cruise is instantly terminated . We attended how to use a digital camera seminar and showed basic use,short,but to the point information.After dinner we attended the live Hits of Broadway show that proved to be quite good..followed by a session in the Piano bar watch the excellent pianist strut his stuff. Free raffles held in the Casino but NO winner for us..The Crows nest was a good evening spent with fellow travellers Alan & June once again we were there for Happy Hour simply because the prices are so good.During the day I absolutely pigged out and in future I need to cut down .Good conversation was the order of the day and the music was from the 60,s.A rather large Australian chatted to use and he made very good use of the Happy Hour ! BUT he was very friendly (and probably lonely) apparently lives near my daughter in Ocean Reef
First Day on the The Vollendam
Early Breakfast then Taxi to the ship Volendam where embarkation proved to be very quick.Our cabin stewardYardi introduced himself and we familiarized ourselves with our cabin with a huge porthole (lovely) Luggage arrived THEN disaster no 2 !! SOMEONE had locked the case keys inside the case !! Maintenance were called but after an hour no one came,so after some extra effort on my behalf I forced one open that had the keys in with very minimal damage and all was OK once again SO we ventured out ona reccy of the boat and came across a FREE ice cream parlour ( Nooooo) I have told Annie this will be out meeting point should we lose each other and I have told her not to panic finding me !! The foodhall has a great mouth watering selection of foods and is a great alternative to the “posh” restaurant We walked for miles exploring this wonderful but old boat and we are happy with the whole set up. Dinner was in the Restaurant and we enjoyed the spiffy meal at a table shared with a couple from Manchester (my birth place) followed by a visit to the Cinema to watch PUSH Free popcorn is offered to patrons and we were the only couple in there !! Later we caught the dying few minutes of the live show introducing the entertainers which looks quite promising in the next few days at sea.We finished the night in the Crows Nest just in time for Happy Hour where 2 drinks can be bought for just $6.25 Annie had TWO bluish strangely names cocktails and still managed to stay on her feet !! Amazingly out of nowhere a lady who had seen me on Facebook called me by name and introduced herself and partner SO nice to meet you Noelene and Geoff..Hell I even had a dance with Annie (she was so surprised with this she felt NO effect from the alcohol) looks like a good trip coming up !! Almost forgot we also attended the 7.30 Xmas tree lighting up ceremony with afew carols thrown in,finally made bed around midnight
Bye Bye Beijing hello Hong Kong
After breakfast Lilly collected us to transport me n Annie to the Airport and after saying goodbye to a very nice young lady and going thru baggage drop and immigration (Strangely we have to use International passport to fly between Beijing & Hong Kong even tho both are in China) we actually caught a train to our departure gate because the airport is so big ) I must confess I am unnerved when having to fly on airlines I know nothing of and DRAGONAIR was no exception BUT all my fears were allayed and the trip was really good and fast.Beijing was a great place to stay and would have liked to stay longer
the Xmas light display was a delight to see,even had a live choir in the airport singing carols.We are now in the Novotel Hong Kong Branch and only there for one night BUT a very friendly Christmassy atmosphere made us feel valued consumers
After a short walk around the very busy densly populated extremely well lit surrounding area we fell into bed around 11pm
Beijing 19th December 2013
WOW ! a lie in till 8am !!breakfast as usual was good THEN it all began !!Annie could NOT find her passport (mine was OK) We turned the room upside down,suitcases inside out.We contacted the manager,who in turn assted Annie to fill a Police report and also arranged transport to the Australian Embassy !! Just as they were about to leave Annie discovered the passport in a “secret compartment” in her hand bag !! Red faces all around so Annies peace offering of chocolates did the trick of settling everyone down..The next few hours were spent hanging around the Hotel and the lovely Lilly arrived to take us to the Theatre to watch performing Acrobats and what a spectacular performance they gave ! My hands were sore from non stop clapping.Pole dancres of an extraordinary nature were mind blowing.Contortionist in very onorthodox juxtapositions and aTight rope walker that was very gravity defying A must see show for an awesome experience is a must for travellors.Unusually there was NO programmes or videos to be found on sale. Because internet is hard to come by in Asia (FB is banned in China) these blogs will be delayed
The Great Wall of China and more
Up at 6.30 and after another great breakfast our host for the day (Jung) collected us with around 10 more people and we headed towards The great Wall of China.It was very noticeable the thick coats of dust on cars as the headed away from Beijing (caused by pollution) First stop was the Tomb of the Ming Dynasty.SO many steps to negotiate to reach our goal 200 metres underground.My legs are still in shock from yesterdays mammoth walk about !! At the Tomb site money has been congregating over a period of time and had been thrown by members of the visiting public .Lunch was great supplied by use of a lazy Susan (revolving centre table servo) In our group were people from Chile,Belgium,Russia,Malaysia,Germany,England and Australia . Unlike the United Nations we made decisions on worldly issues that would make this planet a better place to live in ! Next…the highlight of the day The Great Wall of China and what a spectacle it was (for my Canadian friend Linda? almost as good as Niagra Falls) We arrived at the Wall via a very splendid open ski lift which offered magnificent views if the surrounding mountains.Once again we encountered STAIRS/STEPS how those poor soldier of yesteryear got around could only have been very stressful for them To actually stand on the Wall that was built to keep Mongolians out was a great thrill..The obligatory vendors wer out in Force and can be a nuisance HOWEVER Annie bought a picturesque folding photo knocked down from a starting price of 240 Yuan down to 87 Yuan a great buy.On the way back to the hotel we stopped at Jade factory and just watching the craftsmen at work was a great experience My daughter Jayne has recently moved into a new home so we have bought a Happy Family Happy Home artefact simple because we were so impressed with the whole set up We were conned into visiting a tea shop where tea leaves where on sale at exorbitant silly prices then a silk shop which was also boring and a waste of time (good for tour conductors tho who are obliged to keep us there for at least 30 mins!) We arrived home around 8pm and ventured into town finding a Supermarket where Annie bought a bottle of milk for our tea but turned out to be Yoghurt !! Tomorrow is supposed to be a rest days BUT tell that to Annie Pictures to follow (hard to put on here in Thailand)
Watch me play Didgeridoo
Geoffs Life After Work ! 