http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Gruxy/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Gruxy en-us Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:27:37 +0000 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:27:37 +0000 New Zealand and Australian Aboriginal and Modern Arts and CraftsThe arrival of the Maori people to New Zealand is deemed as somewhat of a mystery. It is estimated that the first Polynesians arrived over 1000 years ago. For 38 years students from tribes across New Zealand have converged on the New Zealand Maori Arts Crafts Institute NZMACI at Te Puia to learn traditions in danger of being lost http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/blog-371053.html Cruising the Tasman sea to AustraliaShip is comfortable bigger than our Prinsendam of the World Cruise 2006 and the Baltic summer of 2007 http://www.travelblog.org/Oceans-and-Seas/blog-359088.html .We spent the day with friends and on our own boating swimming snorkling and shopping the town we saw the Sunday morning market http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/blog-359103.html Hong Kong Beijing PekingTuesday April 21st 2009We are celebrating a successful transition and will soon enjoy room service of Dandan noodles rice and dim sum.We left HK this morning in a bright clear sunny day boarding a bus from our hotel and driving right to the airport easy. We had no tickets but with information from Travel China we boarded a 2 and hour flight on China Air lots o http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-359109.html Puerto PrincesaPuerto Princessa FilipinesTuesday April 14th 20093 days to go we have one destination left on this cruise before the end at Hong Kong.We had a lovely day of snorkeling and boating in Honda Bay of Palawan Island Palawan means land of beautiful safe harbor. We purchased the 7 hour island hopping tour. We travelled by van to a pier where we boarded an outrigger boat called a bakku http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/blog-359104.html .Manila PhilippinesThursday April 16th 2009Last port before Hong Kong and disembarkingLovely beautiful sunny day all day but H O T We started off by getting our meeting plans crossed I got off the boat at 730 as soon as the ship was cleared but the plan was to meet at StAgustin church at 830. Finally around 8 waiting in the sun with the dancers and the drummers there to welcome us everyb http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Manila/blog-359107.html We are off the ship after 33 glorious daysHong KongDay One Saturday April 18th 2009We disembarked at 9 this morning after a 515 to 7 am sail in to Victoria Harbour between Mainland Kowloon and Hong Kong Island the sky is grey. We grabbed a cab to our hotel no view the Regal Kowloon. We could not get into our room but were able to leave our 7 pieces of luggage with the concierge and off we w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-359108.html .Ho Chi Minh City was Saigon before 1975 still is downtownApril 10th 2009Breakfast never came to the room at 6 I had last nightrsquos cold room service coffee and fruit Holland America did not live up to its reputation for fine service I am very disappointed.We purchased the 10 hour Colonial Saigon Tour and boarded a bus at 8 am. The city is 70 miles or km away but with the horrendous traf http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-359102.html Stayied at the Mandarin Oriental Hotelsaw Megan W she is studiyng here for 4 monthsBangkok Thailand at port Laem ChabangApril 78 2009A HUGE DESTINATION Meganrsquos premier destination at this timeWe joined 8 other passengers Anita and Phil Ron and Jean Barbara and David Mark and Janet vanpooled into Bangkok a 2 hour ride longer with traffic and there is a lot of it in this city of m http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Bangkok/blog-359101.html .Kemaman MalaysiaSunday April 5th 2009We were docked at an industrial gas platform refinery and major port of this tiny area of Malaysia. The tour guide who was brought in from Kuala Lumpur for the day to provide services for the more than 1000 tourist coming to town had been there 2 years ago and she could not believe the difference OIL makes traffic cars parallel parking commerce booths http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-359099.html .Singapore symbol Merlion a lion with a fish tailSaturday April 4th 2009A clean organized town with no soul 90 miles north of the equator described as an Orwellianesque society jaywalkers are fined on the spot and media is scanned. It is one of 4 small city states with the Vatican Monaco and Lichtenstein.We were docked close to town and were able to ride the MRT into town for 1.20 each http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/blog-359098.html .Semarang IndonesiaThursday April 2nd 2009Many buses left the ship at 6 this morning in a convoy with police escort running through red lights to get to Borobudur a monumental temple complex the biggest in the southern hemisphere it was a 2 and hour drive each way with a one hour stop there and a lovely lunch provided near the temple. The travelers said ..rdquo interestinghelliprdquo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Java/Semarang/blog-359097.html .March 31st 2009 Bali Padang Bay A really backward island similar to those of east Africa. At sail in we could see a volcano north of the small island Mount Batur this describes the island as mountainous therefore lost of climbing and switchbacks.We were tendered to the town pier as the tide was at its lowest very slow disembarking those with tour tickets first. We waited for an hour and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Padangbai/blog-359096.html Went on a private tour to see the dragonsKomodo Island March 30th Komodo IslandWell we paid the ships excursion fee 99US ea and walked 1 hour in the tropical rain forest in sweltering heat 89 degree F to see 4 fenced in well fed dragons that barely moved they just lie there. Thatrsquos it folks People said we could not be so close to these islands and not do the Komodo Dragon visit so http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-359095.html A day at sea and Darwin AustraliaMarch 26th 2009A typical day at sea8 we wake up on dolphin deck 19 we walk around deck 3 3 times around is 1 mile Terry does 2 miles a day I walk 3 times around then I climb the stairs up to the gym on deck 8 to finish my time on the exercise bike. Today Terry walked 40 minutes because we participated in ldquoOn Deck for the Curerdquo930 we meet f http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Northern-Territory/Darwin/City-of-Darwin/blog-359094.html March 2324h 2009Whitsunday Islands and CairnsYesterday the weather was overcast blustery and generally awful. We chose not to go on for a 2 hr catamaran ride for an hour and a half dive over the Great Barrier Reef198.00 US pity everybody was seasick and most were afraid to get in the water because it was so rough Instead we tendered into Hamilton Island I rode the free shuttle around the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Cairns/blog-359093.html 1920 overnight at the Operasaw the Magic Flute my Christmas present from TerryWhat a treatMarch 19 20 Sydney Australia nice townWe arrived a little late Thursday morning as we lost an engine out of 5 not as bad as the Celerity Millennium who lost most of her engines except for one and then cancelled her next cruise. Passengers that had flown from all over the world to join her were not to b http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/blog-359090.html Happy Birthday Daniel thinking of youFlew back to NZ from Brisbane Waiting to catch our second cruise Toured Auckland and the North beaches http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/blog-359087.html March 14thBrisbaneWe are leaving tomorrow last night at Blaice and Fletcher's school feteoff to NZ for the good Ship Volendam http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Brisbane/blog-381634.html March 14th3rd entry for Brisbanelet the photos speak to you http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Brisbane/Toowong/blog-381552.html