http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/cindynbruce/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from cindynbruce en-us Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:54:18 +0000 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:54:18 +0000 Here we go again We've decided to take another long cruise. This time we'll go through the Panama Canalaround South America to Antartica then after Rio down the Amazon River to Manaus before returning to Ft. Lauderdale. We leave January 13th on the Prinsendam from Ft. Lauderdale. Because Wisconsin weather is rather unpredictable this time of year we're leaving Madison on Jan. 10 for Ft. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Wisconsin/Middleton/blog-461694.html SantoriniAh Santorini What a glorious place We anchored between two docks one with a road the other a path shared with donkeys or a cable car rising to Fira Town. Santorini the southernmost islands in the Cyclades group was once an active volcano until 1628BC when it blew apart resulting in four separate islands now linked by ferries and water taxis. Fira Town and Oia pronounced e http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/blog-265662.html Sochi and SevastopolWe sailed across the Black Sea toward Sochi Russia in cold foggy weather. The coastline was not within sight until we were very close. I had developed a cold and because of that I decided to stay aboard and Bruce went on the tour. This is the only place wersquove been where we had to be on a HAL tour or have obtained a separate visa before leaving the States in order t http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/blog-265043.html IstanbulIstanbul is so full of history that it is difficult to begin to try to describe the depth and beauty found here. It is a true melting pot of the world where Muslims Christians and Jews coexist in peace with each respecting the others existence in the same city. The city is divided by a river placing one side in Europe the other in Asia unlike any other large city in the world. Th http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/blog-264617.html Suez Canal the Pyramids and the SphinxTwo days before we entered the Suez Canal an American contracted ship fired a warning shot and killed an Egyptian. Security on the ship was noticeable especially on the promenade deck where many people gathered to watch the transit. We had no incidents and passed peacefully through the canal and on to Alexandria Egypt. The actual passage was more inter http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/blog-262272.html Safaga Our main purpose of docking in Safaga Egypt is to go to Luxor and visit the Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnac. We boarded our bus 4 of 16 at 645 for the four hour trip to Luxor. Because we were traveling in an escorted convoy we had to wait for all of the buses to be ready and as a result it was closer to eight before we got started. The police cars stopped traffic at bus http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Red-Sea/blog-260865.html Salalah OmanSultanate Oman is located northeast of Yemen and south of Saudi Arabia and U.A.E. Its shores are on the Arabian Sea and go north toward the Persian Gulf but end before the Straits of Hormuz at the U.A.E. border. Evidence shows settlement back 5000 years but until merchants began to sell frankincense it was a relatively isolated country. Frankincense was thought to have divine http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Oman/blog-258813.html MumbaiOur visit to Mumbai or Bombay as we know it was quite different from Chennai India. Bombay is a huge city with a beautiful harbor known as the Queenrsquos Necklace when lighted at night. What we saw was not the abject poverty of Chennai although sections of the city were indeed very poor but rather a contrast between the old and the new. The first stop was at a house now a museum http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Maharashtra/Mumbai/blog-258493.html Chennai IndiaOn March 12 2008 our first anticipated look at India became reality as we docked in Chennai the second largest city in India. Other than the Semester at Sea ship docked in back of us the ships were all freighters and there were lots of them. When we arrived we couldnrsquot tie up until two huge cranes were moved giving us space at one of the docks. Again we were in an indust http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Chennai/blog-255990.html SingaporeWhat a study in contrasts from Viet Nam to Singapore. The port where we docked is modern and clean. Ocean Terminal is connected to three huge malls much like Hong Kong. It seemed we walked for miles just to leave the terminal. Other passenger ships were tied up across from us and we could see ferries coming and going from an adjacent pier. As we looked out we saw cable cars crossin http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/blog-255029.html Saigon Ho Chi Minh CityI am so happy I could publish pictures of Saigon while we were in Singapore. Thanks to McDonaldrsquos wireless connection and a very nice young Chinese man who allowed us to use his password to get on the internet I published three entries there while consuming two diet cokes. Now I can write about what we saw and heard.This tour from the port to Saigon now named Ho http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-254359.html Text to follow. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-253900.html Da NangOur second stop in Viet Nam gave us a feel for the large cities and the traffic experience. We chose a tour to the former imperial capital of Hue a city about a two hour drive from the Tien Sa Port over the Troung Son Mountain Range which lines the border between Laos and Viet Nam. Unfortunately our guide who was very young was difficult to understand and he didnrsquot understand o http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/blog-253640.html Halong Bay Viet NamWhen we arrived in Halong Bay the first of three Viet Nam ports we were to visit the haze blurred the views of the huge limestone rocks jutting through the surface of the sea forming an almost surreal landscape. We glided slowly and quietly past literally hundreds of these tall rocks to our mooring spot in the shallow waters near the port. The tide was in and will need to b http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Halong-Bay/blog-253638.html Hong KongWe arrived in Hong Kong with mixed feelings. We were glad the rolling sea was over and we could walk on land but sad to say goodbye to Bruce and Brigid. Since we have been here before we didnrsquot take a day tour. Fortunately we docked at the best place in all of Hong Kong The Ocean Terminal in Kowloon which is right next to the Star Ferry Terminal and is part of this huge sho http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/Kowloon/blog-253226.html Manila PhilippinesOn Feb. 26 we arrived in Manila at a port just outside the city. Shuttle buses took us to the Mall of Asia the largest mall in all of Asia we were told. We hadnrsquot scheduled a tour here as most of them went out of the city so we took the shuttle. Traffic is horrible now that almost everyone has a car and the bus ride took over 45 minutes. This mall is indeed gigant http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Manila/Mall-of-Asia/blog-253222.html Brunei Part TwoWhile the men were climbing through the jungle we women took a nice leisurely tour of the cities. Our first stop was to view what is called water villages on stilts. Twenty eight small entities totaling almost 30000 people are built on stilts over the water. They have schools and other facilities there but most people commute by water taxi across the water to their cars and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Brunei/blog-251549.html Brunei part oneOur visit to Brunei was much more interesting than we both thought it would be. Bruce and Bruce Laing went on an ldquoadventurerdquo tour into the National Park or jungle while Brigid and I toured the city and went to ldquoHiTeardquo their words at the seven star Empire Hotel. I really can not describe the Brucesrsquo trip nearly as well as either of them as we la http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Brunei/blog-251189.html Padang Bai BaliSome people find themselves between a rock and a hard place but we find ourselves between Cyclone Nicholas off the coast of Australia a 7.6 strength earthquake off Sumatra and a missile to be shot from the pacific near Hawaii at a wayward satellite that may drop toxic fuel in some remote place. What is one to do Head for Brunei thatrsquos what. But first I think I have t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Brunei/blog-248468.html Fremantle and PerthWe arrived in Fremantle the port serving Perth. Fremantle won recognition in the 80rsquos when the Americarsquos Cup was held here. It is a busy port with huge cargo ships loading and unloading goods. Perth is the capitol of Western Australia and the fastest growing and most prosperous city in the country. There are huge iron ore and coal mines nearby producing lots of http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Fremantle/blog-247402.html