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Published: March 19th 2011
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Strike Up the Band
Welcome to Manila! We left Bali several hours behind schedule due to newly boarding passengers whose flights were delayed arriving. We were supposed to make a call in Sandakan, Malaysia. However, with the late departure and an adverse current, the ship could not make up the lost time. Because of the shallowness of the entry channel into the port it is mandatory for the ship to cross the bar at high tide and since we couldn’t make it in time the call was canceled and we set course directly for Manila. This area around Borneo is infested with pirates--nothing on the scale of the Gulf of Aden--but enough to be of concern to the shipping industry. Thus the high powered hoses were were set out around the ship and security guards were patrolling the outer decks day and night.
While we were sad to miss this interesting port, we were very happy for the crew because our stay in Manila was extended to two days. There are probably 200+ Filipino crew members on board and they were all looking forward to seeing friends and family and maybe even having a home cooked meal. Each day as we drew closer to the Philippines you
Maria
The best stewardess could feel the anticipation building around the ship. Our stewardess was positively humming (and singing) with excitement. Her son and father and aunts and uncles were all coming to the ship to visit. Upon arrival at the pier we were welcomed by a marching band, cheerleaders, baton twirlers, dancers and drummers. A market was set up on the quay and disembarking passengers were given shell leis. Many family members were waiting outside the gate anxious to get a glimpse of their hardworking kin.
We went to the Manila Hotel. This is one of the grande dames of the older Asian hotels and was the headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur during WWII. The hotel is undergoing a total renovation and she looks quite spiffy. There is tight security surrounding the hotel as it seems that these landmarks throughout the world have become targets for all sorts of radicals. Once inside all was peaceful as the resident pianist played some Gershwin tunes. After lunch we took a walk along some back streets and found a beauty salon where we each had a manicure and I had a pedicure—all for a total cost of $5. We thought they had made a mistake
on the bill but that was the actual cost. Our tip was bigger than the bill. They had a television on and that is where we saw the first pictures out of Japan of the tragedy that has enveloped that stricken country. The entire country of the Philippines was put on tsunami alert but as it turns out the waves around Manila were just a ripple as compared to the rest of the Pacific nations which were in the path of the tidal wave.
That evening we went to a cocktail party in the master suite hosted by friends, Sandra and Hank. The Platters were featured performers on this segment of the cruise and they came to the party. All of the original Platters are long gone but this group has captured their essence and are extremely popular on board. They had everyone dancing in the aisles at their shows.
The next day we went on an all day tour to Corregidor—called the Last Bastion. It was from this island that MacArthur uttered his famous quote, “I shall return” as he was escaping the approaching Japanese forces. We took a ferry from downtown Manila for the one hour
ride out to the island of Corregidor. After the usual safety announcement about life vests etc, a three minute prayer was shown on the monitors throughout the ferry. Given the sketchy record of some ferries, it was a bit unsettling to be praying for a safe journey. We toured around the island in open-air buses and visited the cavernous Malinta Tunnel which is where MacArthur directed the defense of the Rock. Many of the large guns are still there left by the fleeing Americans and Filipinos. There is a very informative museum and monuments and an eternal flame dedicated to the island defenders.
When we got back to the ship we were told that the ship’s departure was delayed because the Voyager could not be refueled as long as the port was on tsunami alert. When we finally left at 3am there wasn’t the usual touching farewell between the crew and their families. We quietly slipped out of port en route to Taiwan which had fortunately escaped the wrath of the Japanese tsunami.
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