Vietnam has been such an interesting country so far. When we plan our trips, we start out with a huge wish list of ideas and Vietnam had been no exception. Due to time constraints, our list had quickly whittled down to the most important must see/do activities, in what limited time we would have in each of our 4 ports. The hours are even more precious while on a cruise, because it may be difficult to reach inland cities and return to the ship in a timely manner.
While puppetry exists in many countries around the world, water puppetry is exclusively found in Vietnam. Experiencing the 1000 year old art was very high on our “bucket list” but there are only a six professional puppetry troops, which still perform the ancient art. We had found shows in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi which were 1 ½ and 2 hours away from our ports respectively. Imagine my excitement when I realized that there was an excursion being offered, while we were in port at Halong Bay and it was only ½ hour away! A single opportunity to catch this very unique art.
Water puppetry emerged in the 10th century, during the Le dynasty. Villagers in the Red River delta and other rice-growing regions of northern Vietnam, staged water puppet performances; to celebrate the end of the rice harvest, at religious festivals, or simply for entertainment. Today, the water puppet show is a small window into Vietnam’s culture, offering a glimpse into the traditional way of living. As we took our seats in the specialized theater, vocalists entered from the left, while instrumentalists came from the right. The puppeteers stood behind a screen. The stage was a 3 foot deep, man made pond, in front of the screen, representing the rice paddy field.
The stories portrayed reflect everyday moments of local people, including farming, fishing, and celebrating festivals. Value messages are conveyed through the wooden puppets about family, working together peacefully, honoring nature, and preserving traditional ways. All stories are told in Vietnamese but it is not difficult to figure out what the scene is about.
There are three ways to control the puppets. The smaller ones are attached to bamboo poles, rods, and strings which the artists tug at to move them around. The bigger puppets can weigh as much as 35 pounds each. With the larger puppets, the upper part of the puppets, or the body represents the character, while the base is attached to the underwater machines, The strings and machines are hidden by the water, which is why the water is usually a dark murky green. Complicated puppets like the dragon usually require a combination of both machines and manual techniques.
Our show was about 50 minutes long and included 8 short stories. By the time we came to the end of the performance, we felt that we had been fully immersed in Vietnamese folklore, music and language. This was a wonderful cultural experience.
Go on vacation and it is likely you will come home with some special keepsake. A great souvenir should transport you back over and over in time, to the memories made in a location. There is a great expression, “take only memories and leave only footprints”. This statement is perfect in its simplicity, when experiencing a natural area but visiting interesting locations and exploring unique cultures, warrant gathering items which help us to remember. Like many, we came home with treasures to add to our home. Some cost a lot, others cost nothing. Space, weight and budget may dictate what item or items are worthy of our making their way home in our suitcases, so let me tell you about a few of our favorite things to collect.
A sunset in Vietnam
There are so many keepsakes which cost little to nothing. It will come as no surprise that my number one souvenir will always be my pictures and my written words. My first suggestion for travelers is to take as many photos as possible, while allowing yourself to be fully immersed in your experience. There is a saying, “if you don’t have a picture of it, it never happened”. You can always delete photos which don’t turn out well, but you can not recreate those special moments, which show how you have spent your days and who you shared your time with. My official photo count for this 30+ day adventure is over 10,000 pictures! These days, cell phones make taking pictures easy. You will never regret reliving the memories through your photos and stories.
I will delete many of these images but a few hundred photos will become priceless treasures. These will be added to our digital photo frame at home (our number one treasure in our house), allowing us to relive our experiences over and over, initiating conversations, as we reminisce. Our 4 year old grandson especially enjoys the photos on the frame and often makes up his own stories about our pictures, while telling us he has “been there”. We love fueling his imagination and we hope to inspire his dreams of visiting these exotic locations for himself one day.
Sometimes it is not “what” we collect in our travels that we consider a souvenir, but the stories we gather along the way. Photos become a documentation of how you are spending your time but a photo rarely stands alone without an explanation. Alan and I are always playing the ABC game, so we are often looking for unique activities and adventures to experience. In the past, we have designed ABC adventures around using different modes of transportation, visiting cities and tasting various alcohol laden drinks along the abc trail. We even completed an airport art adventure, using the alphabet as our guide! Our photos often reflect the goofiness we get up to, as we try to document each letter under our selected theme. We are both trying to get better at selfies!
“Us” at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
If you think of a camera as a way to capture your story visually your creativity will naturally flow, I am the designated photographer for our family. I still don’t consider myself a great photographer but I am pretty good at documenting our lives. It wasn’t always this way. When I met Alan, he was the one exploring photography but once kids came, I became passionate about capturing them on film, scrapbooking and story telling, which meant I spent more time behind the lens than in front of it. Alan and I are always together, we are a team and most of our photos represent that but I also want my children and grandchildren to have photos of each of us as separate and unique individuals. If you are the photographer, remember to step out from behind the camera occasionally. You are part of the story too!
Exploring Chinese Gardens in Singapore
This brings me to my next souvenir freebie. A journal costs nothing to keep. A few sentences about the things you ate, the people you met, the weather and the experiences you had, will be great memory joggers as you revisit your moments. You can use the notes feature on your phone, an app or good old pen and paper. The most important thing is to write down some details. This is the only way I would ever remember that every student in Hong Kong is required to choose an English name for themselves. This tidbit certainly makes my writing more interesting but it also offers more depth to the photos we take.
Memorabilia is also something easy to acquire. While in Japan, I spent a few minutes learning to write my name in calligraphy. I may frame this work of art but if I don’t, I will always remember how fun it was to learn. On several of our Japanese excursions, we also learned the art of origami folding. We made Mount Fuji and a Samurai helmet. One of our tour guides also gifted us a tiny, folded, origami heron. These are small treasures which were also documented by photos but if I choose to keep the items, they can easily be added to scrapbooks or journals. Another favorite piece of memorabilia was an entry ticket to the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, Japan. It is beautifully written calligraphy which offers a wish for family safety and safe travels. This is worthy of space among my story telling. Currency can also be a form of memorabilia. While in Vietnam, we were millionaires as we carried 9 million Dong, the equivalent to a little less than $350!
Learning to write in JapaneseMy name in JapaneseSamurai origamiOur entrance ticket to the Golden Pavilion
Let’s explore some of our inexpensive keepsakes, these were all conscious purchases. My first rule for myself when collecting keepsakes is that a souvenir can’t take up space in a junk drawer, only to be donated to charity in a couple of years…you know the kinds of trinkets I mean. With so much mass produced “stuff”, we have to be selective about what to give space and weight to in our luggage.
The first is the simple postcard. I try to write as many as possible while on our adventures. Hand written notes to friends and family are quickly becoming a lost art. Getting up to 30 cards written and in the mail, when you only have a single day in a country, is an adventure in itself and content for a different blog post. The adventures which have been created around first finding a postcard, writing them, then getting stamps and finding a mail box are story worthy. I mailed a card from each city we visited to our 7 year old granddaughters, first grade class, so they could follow our adventures. The teacher turned these into a lesson by having each child draw a photo from their favorite location and tell us what they had learned. This by far became my favorite keepsake…like I said, it’s the stories which are the real meaning of keepsakes and I can only imagine how wonderful it will be for our granddaughters classmates to get these tiny works of art and their own stories back at their graduation. I also take time to write postcards to myself. Since I know the post person is sure to read it, I usually try to put something funny on the back, regarding our adventures. So far she has never commented but I like to imagine the joy she gets when she realizes I am really talking to her. When I get home, I attach my postcards to a ring which gives me a mini diary of the things we have done. The best thing about postcards is that many areas are restricted for photos but often there is a postcard from a professional and the pictures are always better than anything I could take. Besides, if I lose my pictures, these are great backups. Sometimes I will buy a postcard as mini pieces of art. Framed, these can be quite beautiful.
Postcards sent to myself.
Cruisers are notorious collectors of magnets. They are a small and inexpensive item, which generally decorate the cabin doors and sadly they are often stolen from said doors. We collect magnets in a different way. Instead of gathering magnets from each location, I have personal magnets made for each of our cruises. These tiny wooden ships represent the ship we sailed on, the dates and locations we traveled to. I keep them on the magnetic walls of our cabin when we sail and on display in our home when we are there. I never realized how much joy a tiny collection could bring. Every time I pass the ships, I am reminded how fortunate we have been to be able to travel and I am filled with gratitude at the opportunity.
Our custom made cruise magnets.
I have also always collected Christmas ornaments from the places we visit. Now that the kids have left home, our tree has become travel themed. This is another of those adventures worthy of its own story, especially in countries which don’t celebrate the Christian holiday. It has become quite the experience to find a meaningful and tiny item which can be repurposed as an ornament. Ornaments do not need to be typically Christmas themed to earn a spot on our tree! On this trip I repurposed a bookmark from Taiwan to become an ornament. I chose a Kokeshi doll which represents friendship or love from Japan and I also bought a tiny Daruma figure which is a Japanese good luck charm, to help us realize our dearest wish.
New Christmas ornaments
Cosmetics, toiletries, creams, lotions, soaps etc are other small items which can easily be tucked in a corner of luggage. Of course I had to pick up these tiny containers of Tiger Balm, while in Singapore.
Tiger Balm
This brings me to our next category of keepsakes which are slightly more expensive and bulky. The first is home decor. Alan and I are really not collectors of anything specific. We are also seriously trying to downsize, so Alan’s first question anytime I want to add something large is always, “where are you going to put it”? Our home decorhas always had a global influence but most of the pieces came through the now defunct Pier One store and have never really meant anything. Our current travel adventures are now taking us to the exotic places we have only dreamed of discovering, giving us opportunities to gather really unique and meaningful items, the kind we want to talk about.
On long trips, we must also pace our spending. On this journey, we would be visiting 7 countries and many interesting cities, each with their own cultural specialties. I had to decide if I wanted one really unique piece from Asia, or different items from each country. My first keepsake was acquired at the beginning of our journey, in Chinatown, located in Singapore. This was our first destination. My treasure was a beautiful vase,inside a vase. It is hand painted from the inside, using tiny brushes. It was expensive, heavy and was going to require hand carrying home. It was going to be awkward, as it was very fragile and could only be taken in hand luggage but it was something I just had to have. The artist is no longer alive, so these pieces are fairly difficult to find. I decided if this was the only piece I ended up bringing back, it would be a wonderful addition to our home. Fortunately I didn’t blow all of our souvenir budget!
Hand painted vase
Clothing can also be a wonderful souvenir . Our next destination was Thailand. I had already made up my mind that I was coming home with a pair of elephant pants, because I hadn’t brought any home the last time we were there and I had always regretted it. Elephant clothing is likely mass produced for tourists. Business was certainly brisk in the shop where I picked mine up. Any male or female trying to enter the Grand Palace in shorts, dresses above the knee etc, were required to purchase a pair… guaranteed sales! Colors and patterns are so varied, there is no limit to the combinations available. There were dresses, short sets and shirts with elephant prints, but by far the elephant pants, with their billowing legs and elasticated ankles are the hot commodity. It was humorous trying to find a pair of Asian sized pants, to fit a 6ft 6in man from our tour group. Stories are what keepsakes are all about and as I wear the breezy pants in our 90 degree days, I am instantly transported back to the joy I experienced in this wonderful country and the many friends we made while traveling and yes, we saw the elephants!
Elephant pants
By the time we hit Vietnam, I was reminding myself to look for smallish items, since we were already close to our weight limit. Jewelry tucks in nicely in almost any suitcase. At a specialized craft market, I found a pretty, hand crafted, pearl necklace to bring home.
Pearls
Lately we have also been looking for local art to bring home. Vietnam was a smorgasbord of opportunities. We opted for three art pieces from this country. Each item represents a craft style, unique to the areas we visited. Lacquerware is a real specialty in Ho Chi Minh city . As shells and paint are meticulously laid between seven layers of lacquer, it can take months to complete a single picture. We chose a small picture of two birds (we called them lovebirds) to commemorate our trip. Our second item came from the craft village in Na Trang. Sand art is not unique to Vietnam, but I have never seen two photos created at the same time, on opposite sides of an acrylic block! In Hoi An, I picked up a wooden carving of a dragon. The local artist sat among his carving tools in a tiny shop no bigger than a shed. He wrapped my purchase in a Vietnamese newspaper which could have been a collectible in itself. In Hong Kong I found two special gallery shops as the Stanley Market. The first was a tiny shop filled with beautiful stamps carved from stone. I chose a foo dog. These mythical lions represent power, prosperity and protection. Within a half hour, the stamp master had engraved my name and personal Chinese “chop” into the bottom of my stone. This treasure is an art piece in itself, but also a nod to my writing, as I begin to put my own “stamp” on things. From another quiet gallery, tucked way at the back of the Stanley market we found a shop selling unique pressed paper art and framed artifacts. This is how I ended up with an antique silver phoenix hair comb, encased in a shadowbox frame. With the single word, “happiness”. It seemed indicative of all which we experienced on this journey. The Chinese phoenix, or Fenghuang, set atop the haircomb, was often given to symbolize a happy marriage.
Artists at work
Our “lovebird” lacquer art.The artist making my sand art painting.Front side of the painting.Back side of the paintingHere’s the one I couldn’t afford. It is about 3 feet across!Wooden carving
Antique phoenix haircomb Chinese “chop” with my name
As we reached our final country of Japan, I was really beginning to worry about space and weight in our suitcases. We had now purchased several fragile items. What I had most hoped to represent with my keepsakes was the customs and culture of each country. When we sailed down the Yoshina River, through the Iya Valley, we saw these colorful, fish shaped windsocks being flown across the Oboke Gorge. Families fly them in a celebration held on May 5th, to represent family and wish for their children to grow up strong, brave and healthy, just like the determined carp, swimming upstream. These are called koinobori, or carp streamers. They have a permanent display at the gorge. I loved what they represent and knew that they would soon decorate my own dock, at home. These were the last items packed into our suitcase.
Koinobori streamers
Every room in my home is quietly telling the stories about our lives. Our stories have changed from our frugal beginnings as newlyweds, to parents, to grandparents and now to world traveling retirees. The items we collect are a reflection of us. Items don’t have to be branded, or expensive to earn a position in our home. They don’t have to be particularly significant to anyone but us. The word souvenir comes from the French verb “souvenir” which means to remember.
A journey, as defined by an AI search, is “the act of traveling from one place to another, typically implying a long, adventurous, or significant trip, rather than a short commute.” Today was the first of four cities we would explore in the country of Vietnam.
There are only five countries which are officially communist, Vietnam is one of them. Communism in its simplest explanation strives to eliminate the gap between rich and poor by sharing resources based on the principle: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”. We wondered if we would feel any difference based on a vast contrast of ideology between our two countries. This year, Vietnam is said to be strengthening its security and police forces. Our first observation was the visitor entrance stamp we were each given by the on board immigration official, as we departed the ship.
We had docked in the busy port city of Phu My, which is about one and a half hours away from Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. With more than 10 million people, Ho Chi Minh is the most populous city in Vietnam. Normally, I’m not a fan of city tours but due to America’s involvement with Vietnam, this one felt more obligatory to visit than others.
I was young in the late 1960’s and early1970’s, when the images of war were telecast all day on our black and white television. My only awareness of Vietnam before this trip was through the lens of the Vietnam War and how it relates to Americas history. To this day, the war is largely not discussed in the USA and therefore my knowledge of this country is still fairly limited. Saigon (now called Ho Chi Minh city) was the headquarters for U.S. military operations during the Vietnam war.
Although there are many historical tours offered, I was not necessarily on a mission to do an American history tour. Like all of the exploration we take, I wanted a bit of everything, some culture, some history and plenty of things to photograph. I expected the constant noise, smells and motorbikes normally associated with what I knew about Vietnam but I didn’t realize how touched I would be at the grit and endurance of the Vietnamese people. I spent the hour and a half bus journey with my nose pressed to the windows, watching as we passed through small villages. The streets were alive as sidewalks doubled as barbershops, scooter parking and cafes. I was struck by the number of people selling items from their bikes and motorbikes, many of which chased the bus from location to location, in a desperate attempt to make an additional sale or two. Capitalism seemed alive here and countered my understanding of communist countries. There are indeed rules in this communist country, but they seem very relaxed. The tour guide explained that they have a lot of freedom, except political. The ruling party tolerates no opposition, no free press and no real public dissent. Ultimately, the message is, don’t criticize the communist party and you will mostly be left alone.
The port city eventually gave way to rice paddy fields and a host of oil and rubber tree plantations. Crossing the Saigaon river, Ho Chi Minh city finally came into view. From afar it gleamed with modern buildings, it was another moment that conflicted with my preconceived notions. Formerly known as Saigon, the city was founded in 1698 and was once part of Cambodia. In 1862 it was colonized by the French. The Vietnam war was a long battle between the north and south. America held a military presence here for nearly 20 years. When the Vietnam War ended in 1975, the North Vietnamese claimed victory over the South. Saigon was a symbol of the reunification of the country and was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1976, to honor the late communist leader Ho Chi Minh. Many older Vietnamese people still call it Saigon.
Our tour today included only the briefest explanation of America’s involvement but what I found most interesting was the evolutionary and cultural journey we unknowingly took, as we traveled through a timeline of Vietnamese history. At the end of the day, it would take a long re-evaluation of my notes to realize what we had seen and done and how interconnected it had actually been. Unfortunately our tour guide didn’t really offer that connection and I would be left to my own research to piece together the value of what we had seen.
We were first taken to the National History Museum of Vietnam. During the French colonial rule, the beautiful building was originally built as a branch of the French School of the Far East. The architecture is a combination of Colonial French and Vietnamese. While not a fan of big cities, I am also not a huge fan of museums. They do serve the purpose of consolidating education into bite sized pieces. This museum covers from the prehistoric era to the August 1945 Revolution when the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was founded. This spring a new exhibit was introduced called “Spring-The Dawn of Victory”, covering the era from 1946 to present. Our time here was limited to just an hour, so as we began our cattle prod tour for the day, we only had time to explore a few exhibits and our guide did a poor job of educating us to the “why” we were seeing those areas. I did enjoy photographing some of the amazing artifacts on display.
Basically the museum represents two regions, the north and the south, divided into two cultural areas who didn’t agree on anything and were in a battle with each other for thousands of years. When Saigon was renamed, there was great hope that the two areas could become unified. The museum reflects the goals of the intentions and future of the country of Vietnam. Admittedly, it was a good place to start our tour. Armed with a brief overview of history and culture we could now set out to better appreciate the city.
By mid-morning, the outside temperature was beginning to warm up to the 90’s, with about 90% humidity. We were thankful that our next adventures were indoors. The destination was a mid- century, architectural masterpiece known as Reunification Hall, also called Independence Palace. This building is as significant as a tour of our own White House. On the outside, the structure offers sleek lines, open spaces, and a design symbolizing power and authority, which is fitting since it was originally built for the governor. It would eventually become the command center during the Vietnam War. Each floor reveals its own stories. The ground floor holds the elegance and grandeur expected to host and entertain dignitaries, the first floor was for private quarters, the second for receiving and entertaining delegations and the third for quiet contemplation and personal leisure. The real interest for most people lies in the secret bunkers, war rooms and communication center located in the basement.
After a Liberation Army of South Vietnam tank crashed through the gates on April 30, 1975, the building has also been associated with the official end of the war, more commonly known as the “fall of Saigon”. Today the palace is preserved as a convention hall for state events and a museum.
Sometimes while traveling, the smallest of moments creates the biggest of impacts. A group of students was waiting to tour the facility. They were actively trying to engage the Western looking tourists, They were so excited to meet an American and practice their English. I asked if I could take their photo. It was very touching as they blew kisses and formed hearts with their hands, sometimes communication is loudest in silence, a perfect example of the very barriers that travel breaks down. My heart was full as I engaged with these young ambassadors.
On our whirlwind visit, we had a couple additional photo opportunities and all of them involved great architecture, which is a passion of mine. Located in the center of the city, Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon was built in the late 19th century, the cathedral features twin bell towers reaching nearly 200 feet high. The red brick walls were imported from France as were the beautiful stained glass windows. Unfortunately the building was covered in scaffolding, minimizing the grandeur of this great structure and my ability to get great photos.
The French Colonial Post Office, built between 1886 and 1891 is located next door to the basilica. This was our next stop and a premier example of French Colonial architecture featuring a grand vaulted hall, patterned tiled floors and intricate iron supports designed to mirror European train stations. Everything about this space, from the original phone boxes to the massive circular counter, is interesting. This is a major tourist attraction, so people watching was just as fascinating as choosing a post card to send from this still operational post office. I could have spent significantly more time here, but we were limited by the 15 minute time frame we were given and I was on a mission to choose post cards and obtain stamps, so that I could get the cards written before leaving Vietnam. It turns out that the post office shorted the postage required for post cards and I had to chase additional stamps later in the week anyway! I will save the topic of mailing post cards, while on holiday, for a different post but let’s just say it is a labor of love when we are overseas! The area around the post office is also a wonderful open air market. For a brief moment, I wished I hadn’t been on a tour, so that I could just revel in the atmosphere of this extraordinary place.
By now, we had worked up quite the appetite. The great thing about being on a cruise sponsored excursion is that meals are often at high end hotels…the kind I can’t afford to stay at but which lunch is a special luxury. This particular lunch was at the 5 star, Windsor Plaza Hotel. There was an added bonus that Western style food was served alongside all the traditional Vietnamese options, which made my husband very happy! In the wonderfully air conditioned grandeur of this place, we were serenaded by traditional music played on Vietnamese instruments.
Our bellies once again full, we continued on our busy schedule. Our next stop was the Thien Hau Temple. Arriving as immigrants around the 17th century, a small population of Chinese, numbering between 750,000 to over 2 million, known as the Hoa people, settled in urban areas such as Ho Chi Minh. They brought with them their own rich heritage of traditions. Around 1760, the ornate temple was built to worship Thien Hau (Mazu), a Chinese deity. Thien Hau (Mazu) is the revered sea goddess. It’s said that her birth brought forth a sweet fragrance and radiant light. Gifted with magic, she flew over the ocean on a mat, to save those in danger. After passing away, she often appeared in red, gliding above the waves. She is one of the most widely worshiped deities among overseas Chinese, who journeyed across the sea to settle in new lands. The temple serves as a spiritual and cultural hub for the Hoa people, preserving their rich heritage and traditions for future generations.
Next it was time for a bit more culture as we toured the Dat Viet Lacquer Factory. Lacquerware is one of Vietnam’s biggest exports. This 800 year old traditional craft uses a natural resin from the son tree, to create a polished, durable and glossy item. Each piece takes months to create, as up to 30 layers of resin are often applied. The craftsman must wait days between each layer for the lacquer to dry. Beyond the sap, artisans will incorporate natural materials such as eggshell, mother of pearl, gold and/or silver leaf, to create intricate designs between each of the layers. Once the desired number of layers are reached, the piece is then given a final polish. Of course we were drawn in to purchase a piece (which I am sure is the intention of bringing us here) but seeing the process of this handiwork makes our souvenir that much more meaningful and we will forever reflect on what it takes to create such a treasure. For this keepsake we selected what we are calling “Love Birds” to commemorate our 43 years of marriage and to remind us of this extraordinary adventure.
For our final stop we were taken to Cho’ Ben Thanh Market, also known as Saigon Market. We had officially reached the heart of the city. The sprawling French inspired architecture of the building is imposing, standing in the center of several bustling streets. Over more than a century, the Ben Thanh Market has not only been a bustling trading place but also a historical witness associated with the ups and downs of Saigon. There are nearly 1,500 booths to explore and more than 6,000 small businesses are represented. The massive market is divided into four sections with souvenir shops and handicrafts grouped together. There is another section for fresh foods, seafood and street food stalls, while clothing and accessories are in another section. Dried goods and local specialties make up the final grouping of stalls. With over 10,000 people visiting each day, it was interesting but also completely overwhelming with the vendors hustling for business and wall to wall people. Except for the snakes and insects in bottles, most stalls were selling the same things. We lasted about 15 minutes before making our way back outside. We returned to the bus to wait for the remainder of the tour group to finish shopping. I had more fun watching a woman from the window of the bus. She had been dropped off on the back of a motorbike and unpacked a variety of stacked baskets, to create a full service farmers market right on the sidewalk. I imagined most of the produce had been grown at her home. I wondered what her story was. What would she share about her country? Perhaps she had already given me a glimpse through that window.
I spent the hour and a half of the return journey, reflecting on the timeline of history which we had covered. It had indeed been a cattle prod tour, the kind we generally try to avoid, but reminiscing upon our day we realized that we had, had a wonderful overview of history and immersion in culture. Overall, we were happy we had picked this “Best of” tour at the beginning of our Vietnam journey.
I honestly didn’t think that anything could be as impressive as the day we had experienced in Bangkok, but our second day, while docked in Leam Chebang, was equally as enjoyable. The ship had overnighted and we were scheduled to take a private tour to the nearby town of Pattaya. This town has a reputation for beaches and the bawdy, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect today. Most people come to Pattaya for the nightlife and we were due to depart at 4pm, so we would see none of that. With its close proximity to Leam Chebang, it is an easy location to get to, so we were off the ship by 8am. Unfortunately traffic was very congested and the 20 minute journey took about an hour and a half. With our already shortened day in port, we knew it would be a whirlwind of the three activities on the schedule for the day,
Suan Nongnooch Botanical Gardens
We would begin the day at Nong Nooch Botanical Gardens. Anyone who knows me, knows that flowers are my passion (right up there with photography). Combine these two things and it creates a time management problem as I while away the hours! Because we are on tour, I must stay on task.
The Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden (Suan Nong Nooch) is one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Thailand. It is one of the largest tropical gardens and the world’s largest botanical garden.
The Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden (Suan Nong Nooch) is one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Thailand. It is one of the largest tropical gardens and the world’s largest botanical garden.There are over 20,000 tropical trees, collected from 50 countries around the world. The most distinctive flower collection consists of more than 600 species of orchids.
The land which it occupies was originally bought for the cultivation of an orchard. The initial goal was to grow mangoes, coconuts, oranges and other Thai fruits there. After a trip abroad, the owner of the land, after whom the Nong Nooch Pattaya garden was named, decided to plant a tropical flower garden instead of an orchard.
Later, having realized how attractive this place could become for tourists, it was fully equipped for a variety of interests. The complex is huge, covering over 500 acres! Besides the massive Botanic Gardens, you can find a swimming pool, restaurants, a banquet hall and hotels. There is a zoo of sorts, an elephant arena and a performance hall. There is even a hall featuring a car collection! Each section has its own entrance fee and it is a reasonable day out for families, making the site a popular tourist destination.
The garden was opened to the public in 1980 and is now run by the founder’s son. Each areas is divided into specialized “gardens”. By my count there were at least 14. We were so limited on time, we hopped aboard a shuttle, to be able to see most of what the grounds offered, which meant I couldn’t get up close and personal with the plants. This was probably good since there are 8 of us in the group. It also meant views were limited based on the side of the shuttle you had chosen.
I don’t want to do this beautiful space any disservice by saying it is also an amusement park. There aren’t rides per say (except for the elephant rides) but there are themed areas such as the massive Dinosaur Garden.
Seeking respite from the 90+ degree heat, we moved to a massive, enclosed auditorium, which was blissfully air conditioned. Here, we would be treated to the most spectacular stage presentation of traditional Thai cultural performances. The 45 minute performance included traditional and more modern dances which rivaled Las Vegas. A little Thai martial art was also thrown in for our entertainment and then the elephants were brought in for a reenactment of what is called the elephant fight (the riders battle with long poles). The entire show had me spellbound.
We still weren’t done at Na Nooch. Next we were taken to a big arena to see the elephants perform. This is a circus-like environment where the elephants pose for pictures, can be fed, play basketball, soccer, bowl and paint. They are extremely well trained but I would have preferred time at the floating market, which we then had to cut from our schedule. My fellow passengers might have preferred if I hadn’t smelled like an elephant the rest of the day, after playing with them!
I was holding out hope that we could still have some time at our final destination, the Sanctuary of Truth, which would blow our socks off. I had researched this amazing place but we were only given 30 minutes at the location, which translated to about 15 by the time we actually got to the structure.
Sanctuary of Truth (UNESCO)
The Sanctuary of Truth is another of the most popular places to visit in Pattaya.
While many people refer to it as a temple, it is actually a privately owned museum. The distinctive 105-metre structure, built on the headland near Wongamat Beach, was visuaalized by a businessman to celebrate Thai craftsmanship and it certainly does!
The intricate structure is built completely out of wood. The pieces are held together using different techniques such as lap joints, dove tails, and large wooden pins. No nails have ever been used.
Each elaborate carving tells the stories of Thai mythology and philosophy. It’s a tribute to traditional craftsmanship and spiritual values. Talented craftsman work daily to repair the building and/or to add to the structure. Since it is a working construction zone, visitors are required to wear hard hats.
We didn’t have enough time to partake but beyond the temple, there are boat rides, cultural shows, and scenic viewpoints of the coastline.
On our last day in Thailand, we reflect on all we have experienced in this country and conclude the memories have been absolutely incredible!
The term heartland refers to an area which is “essential to the viability and survival of the whole. By concentrating resources and focusing on economic and political self- sufficiency, the area serves to become impervious to attack.”
For our 5th and 6th day we are docked in Leam Chebang overnight. It is nearly 2 hours from the major city of Bangkok. Some people have gone to Bangkok for the two days. The ship tour was mostly focused on food (not our thing), so we are on two, private, day tours instead and as a bonus we get to return to the ship to sleep and eat…no repacking! We have chosen to split our adventures between the cities of Bangkok and Pattaya, to try to experience as much variety as we can. (More on our Pattaya adventure soon). Our guide for the two days is called Pooh. She exudes happiness and it instantly sets the tone for the time our group of 8 people, will spend with her. From the moment we begin our drive to Bangkok she keeps us busy, trying different Thai snacks and pointing out interesting things to see along the way.
We watch in awe as the motorbikes navigate the busy roadways, weaving between busses, nearly disappearing under the wheels., riding knee to knee with other motorbikes and scooters. This is the most common form of transportation and there appear to be few rules of the road., except to read the expressions of the drivers and feel the rhythm of the traffic. There are no horns used in Thailand, it is considered offensive. Traffic is as automatic as a a heartbeat. Sometimes entire families ride on a single motorbike., We saw newborns strapped to their mothers, a child holding her dog, The industrial area seemed to stretch from the port all the way to Bangkok. We passed time by noting the differences between our home and Thailand. We marveled at the massive excess cables coiled on poles, meant to quickly restore electricity to the cities. Not one person asked “Are we there yet” on the two hour journey!
Bangkok is home to 10 million people, the undisputed heartland of Thailand, serving as its primary political, economic and cultural center and it was our destination for this day. The 12 hour experience was a complete sensory thrill and a photographer’s paradise. Everything in Thailand is colorful. As we approached, the city, gleamed with skyscrapers built alongside ancient temples. Everywhere I looked seemed to be either sparkling, white or gold. There are over 30,000 temples throughout Thailand so you never have to look far to find the next one! We would be visiting four locations today and I expected to fall in love with this country even more than I had in 2023.
Our first stop was the Royal Grand Palace. I am going to have to revisit each place on different posts for an in depth explanation of the significance, to do each area justice.
The Royal Grand Palace represents one of the most important places in all of Thailand. Construction began in 1782 under King Rama I. The palace would serve as the official residence of kings until 1925. During this period it was not only an administrative site but also the religious capital of Thailand. Rather than being a single structure, the Grand Palace is comprised of numerous buildings, halls and pavilions set around open lawns, gardens and courtyards.
As we strolled through the site we tried to picture it when it was home to thousands of guards, princesses and servants. There were so many people who called this home, that it was once referred to as a city within a city. Today, over eight million people a year visit to see this spectacular architectural wonder!
By the early 20th century, more palaces had been built around the country. Although the Kingdom had already started moving away from the Bangkok Palace, the end of the monarchy in 1932 was the last time the Royal Grand Palace was used as a home.
Our next stop was the Royal Temple , which is actually a chapel, within the Royal Grand Palace. It has all the features of a temple, except for living quarters for the monks. This sacred space holds the Emerald Buddha, which has been located here since 1784 but it is much older than that and traveled around the country for years, working miracles. When the Royal Grand Palace was built, King Rama I created a special temple to house it. With the reverence given to this Buddha I expected a massive figure. The green colored statue is only 26 inches tall but sits atop a 29.5 foot high pedestal! He is not emerald in color at all, but rather a deep green, likely carved from jade or jasper. He has 3 outfits, made of gold, which are changed seasonally by the current King, The Emerald Buddha is one of the few Buddha’s in the country which may not be photographed, except from the doorway of the temple. In the Thai culture, bowing is a customary way of showing respect. I had a very special experience as my tour guide showed me how to correctly bow and accept Buddha’s positive energy. The Thai people believe the figure brings prosperity to their nation. It was very moving to partake in a ritual so personal to the Thai people.
After a couple of hours, we made our way to Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho) to see the Reclining Buddha. It was very similar to the one we had seen in Phuket. The massive Buddha is housed inside one of the buildings as part of a whole temple complex. Wat Pho is actually the oldest temple complex in all of Bangkok. In fact, it was here before Bangkok itself! After the old capital was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767, King Rama I would expand the temple to add artifacts moved from Ayutthaya (the former capital).
In the early 19th century, Rama III would again expand the temple to help grow Thailand’s first university. The Reclining Buddha now lies in a building that was constructed around the same time.
The image of Buddha lying down is meant to represent his final moments on earth, when he enters the state of nirvana.
As we were immersing deeper into the cultural side of the city. the morning slipped slipped into afternoon . Next we stepped onto a long tail boat…another new mode of transportation to add to our ever-growing list of ways to travel. A long tailed boat is basically a canoe with a roof and powered by a common automotive engine. They are steered with a long paddle.
Canals (khlongs) were originally established to transport goods. These busy waterways are still used today. The first canals were dug in the late 18th century when Rattanakosin (now Bangkok) became the capital of Thailand. The canals were created by digging a wide trench, which linked to the Chao Phraya River. More canals followed and became important, not just for the defense purposes but also for irrigation, drainage, trade and transportation. By the 19th century, Bangkok had developed a big canal network with hundreds of kilometers of waterways. It is during this period that the canals became known as the Venice of the East.
During the 20th century, the city expanded but shifted its focus to building new roads, rather than canals. They are still used, they just hold less importance now that there are roadways.
The canal trip was a perfect juxtaposition to the busy city and temples. The water was filthy and life was happening all around us. Giant monitor lizards basked in the sun and egrets stood motionless waiting for a fish to happen by. Houses built on stilts were often seen crumbling alongside ornate properties built of teak. Along the canal, vendors hawked food and goods from passing boats and my camera simply couldn’t take it all in. Our tour guide passed out what appeared to be brightly colored Cheeto’s, which we fed to the thousands of catfish occupying the murky waters. The gaping mouths and thrashing bodies startled many of the guests., causing them to lean to one side of the longboat, which in turn shifted the balance. For so many reasons, this was not a waterway I wanted to be dumped into!
Our last stop for today would be in the Flower Market. It was super hot and half of our group chose to stay in the van, missing one of the most beautiful parts of the tour. We had arrived here at the end of the day, so the stalls were less full and the market was less busy. Still, the market was very impressive. As we watch a weathered garland maker ply her wares outside a five star hotel, I am once again struck at how past, present and future blend harmoniously, It is thought that the flower markets evolved from the fish industry. The flowers were brought in to cover the strong odors. Eventually the flowers came to become their own market, providing service to the temples and villagers alike, so now instead of fish, there are garlands on ice and it seems every color of flower on earth was represented. Many of the elaborate flower arrangements are created as alter pieces and sold to the wholesale market. As our guide walked us through the market, jasmine infused the air, creating a complete sensory experience to our day.
Our guide taught the 4 of us braving the heat, how to fold a lotus to reveal the flower. I purchased a small bouquet to bring back to our cabin. As is the Thai way, our guide was secretly purchasing jasmine garlands for all of us, a blessing of sorts and a special treat for the others in our group who had sat out the flower market.
It was nearly 7pm by the time we were back on board the ship. Bangkok had been a photographers playground with robed monks, tuk tuks, sparking temples, colorful boats and flower markets.
It had been a perfect day and I had a new bouquet of flowers to go in our room! I had even brought a collapsible vase specifically for this moment. The garland gift was hung on our wall and would grace our cabin for many days, the scents and beauty reminding us of the lovely Thai people we had met, beckoning us to return to the heartland for more.
CruiseTip:
You can bring fresh flowers on to the ship, you just can’t take any agricultural products off the ship.
“Good Morning World’, I think, as I stepped onto our balcony at 6am this morning. I have come out to watch the sun rise over the Gulf of Thailand, I am once again filled with gratitude at being in this place, at this moment, with the man I love. I am not a morning person but Pacific sunrises (and sunsets) are simply gorgeous and shouldn’t be missed.
Our first stop on the cruise was in Koh Samui, Thailand. While this large island might have been interesting to explore, we knew we needed nature following our five city days in Singapore. We have been at sea for the past two days, which has begun to relax us. Our ship is anchored off shore today, which means we need to take a “tender” to go ashore. Most of the time tenders are the lifeboats. Today we are on beautiful double decker, wooden boats. Of course I forgot to take a picture!
Tip:
One of our die hard, self imposed rules for tender ports, is to only take shore excursions offered by the ship. Sometimes it takes a while to get everyone transferred to shore, this can delay tours unexpectedly. We were once two hours late to a private tour, due to tender malfunctions. Having a ship sponsored tour, guarantees the ship will wait for our return, even if we get held up. The ship doesn’t wait for those passengers delayed on private tours.
One would think that Alan and I would be ready to set foot on land for a while, but oh no, we stepped off our cruise ship directly on to a high speed boat with 3 noisy outboard engines! For the next hour we would move rapidly toward our destination, which was Angthong Bay Marine Park. Thankfully I had done my research and brought earplugs for both of us. The windows were too high to watch out of and the boat was too fast to stand, so mostly we just watched people for an hour. We had chosen the back of the boat so we could take pictures as we passed interesting formations. I saw a few fish leaping out of the water and a beautiful junk boat but that was it until we arrived at the islands.
I never really understand the value of hair and makeup, when we are doing water activities. Old habits die hard and even though it made no sense, I went to the effort, Alan had started my day with a simple word as he proclaimed my efforts gorgeous. The light must be shining in his eyes again but I am grateful for his encouragement. We decided to make this our “G” word for the day. How many things could we find that were simply gorgeous?
By 10:30 am, I was over the side of the boat and under water, hair, makeup and aging body be damned! As I age, I am becoming more aware of the value of time and opportunities and worry less about societal rules of perfection. No one on this excursion would remember what I looked like by tomorrow but I would carry the memories of this day for a lifetime. Tiny treasures to tuck away in my memories. I am always in my most perfect element when I am looking for marine life, so I quickly focused on enjoying the experience. For the next 30 minutes I happily searched for the bright blue Parrotfish and other aquatic life which had the potential to live here but like many of the places overrun by tourism, the marine life was less than interesting. The coral reefs had little to offer as more than 100 people jumped into the water and the hopeful experience of seeing a sea turtle quickly faded. Still I find it impossible to find anything bad about any time spent in tropical waters. So I gave my gratitude for being here at all. I think I indeed whispered “Gorgeous” to the few colorful fish who did make their appearance. Alan prefers his feet on land, so he took a quick dip to cool off, then watched me from the boat. We had about 45 minutes at this location. This was the first time I needed a life jacket. Somewhere between last year and this, I have lost my strength. There was a current which was quickly tiring me out but it was another reminder to do this stuff while we are “younger”.
By noon we were back on board for another high speed trip, as we were transported to Ko Mae Ko Island. The 15 minute boat ride did little to let my aging body recover in preparation for short hike (1000 feet straight up) to see the islands main attraction, also known as Blue Lagoon. Beauty was everywhere as we made the 1000 foot hike , straight up, through the verdant green rainforest, to discover that Blue Lagoon was really emerald green, a result of the limestone leaching into the water. The hidden lagoon seemed like something from a picture book. Was I overusing the term gorgeous today? Perhaps, but it had seemed like the perfect word choice for all which we were experiencing and the breathtaking beauty of it all left few better words to describe it.
This is what we had come for. We chose this 7 hour excursion for these amazing views. From this elevated vantage, we could now see many of the 42 islands of the Angthong Bay Marine Park. I thought the day couldn’t get any better. Surely we had reached the pinnacle of this excursion. Just as my makeup and hair had been washed away to reveal my raw self, today we had pushed our bodies and peeled back the layers of endurance to find raw beauty in this natural unspoiled place. Unfortunately we also only had 30 minutes here before we had to be back on the speedboat. There had been enough time for an ice cream to help us cool down from the extreme heat and humidity.
Our physical efforts of the morning were rewarded with a more gentle ride to Phaluai Island for a Thai style lunch. Of course I had packed snacks for Alan and I because some things are best being just the way they are and food preference was something I had learned to quit fighting him on years ago! I also didn’t trust the hygiene of this remote place. Lunch looked very good but Alan and I chose to go for a long walk instead. We were able to see many flowers and fruits such as Mango, jack fruit and bananas growing naturally.
Soon our adventure came to an end. We were back on board our speedboat where we had another 30 minutes of taking in the amazing limestone formations before heading back to our ship. I was afraid we weren’t going to make it. There were problems with all 3 engines, which kept skipping and stalling the entire hour of the journey. Due to the current disruptions with Iran, there are major fuel shortages in this part of the world. We couldn’t tell if it was bad gas or a fuel line problem, or both. We eventually arrived back at the tender port in Koh Samui where we again boarded the wooden boat for another 20 minute ride back to the ship.
Back on board the Princess Coral, we finished our evening with dinner at the buffet as we took in another stunning sunset. The day had been flawless. I looked across at my amazing husband. We’ve been married for 43 years, it is not uncommon for us to think with one brain and speak with one voice. “Gorgeous” we proclaim at the same time. as we read each others minds We begin to laugh at our spontaneous message of gratitude for this place, this moment and this time in our lives. Sometimes one word is all it takes to set the tone for the entire day.
According to their mission statement “Princess Cruises is The Love Boat, the world’s most iconic cruise brand that delivers dream vacations to millions of guests every year in the most sought-after destinations, on the largest ships that offer elite service personalization and simplicity customary of small, yacht-class ships.”
On this voyage from Singapore to Tokyo, we will cover about 5000 nautical miles.
The Coral Princess took her maiden voyage in 2003, making it one of the oldest in the fleet, second only to the Island Princess, which we sailed on in both 2023 and 2025.. She was refurbished in 2019 and refreshed again in 2024 so she feels fairly current.. Coral Princess is small by cruise standards at just 965 feet long and 203 feet high. Her narrow width of just 122 feet (including the bridge wing) also makes her ideal for getting into unique locations such as the original locks of the Panama Canal. She weighs 91,627 tons and sits with a draft of 26 feet. With 1545 guest cabins (1,105 outside and 440 inside) there is room for about 2000 guests. This segment of the Pacific Circle Tour runs from Singapore to Tokyo and lasts for 25 days. It is one of 5 legs along the entire Pacific Circle Tour, The ship is a full cruise at 2000 passengers. That makes for a hungry group of people, which can choose about 12 locations to find food. There are 16 decks in all. Decks 15-7 host a variety of lounges/ bars and entertainment venues. There are specialized areas for quiet relaxation such as the Sanctuary, the Lotus spa, a stocked library and writing room. For more specialized entertainment, cruisers will find a full range of entertainers from stage productions to musicians, comedians and magic acts. There is never a reason for boredom with Movies and Concerts Under the Stars, a cigar/smoking lounge, a casino, a card room, shops, and a Fine Arts Gallery. When work still has to get done, there is an internet center and there are self-service laundry facilities on each cabin deck. For active minded people there is a Sports Deck complete with basketball courts, pickle ball, ping pong and a full service Fitness Center. Classes like Tai Chi, yoga and pilates are held in various lounges. To cool off, there are 4 pools. To warm up, there are 5 hot tubs. For the unexpected emergencies there is even a full medical facility. The ship carries a crew of 885 to make sure we all have the safest, most satisfying experience while on board.
The Piazza
Main Dining Room
The Casino
Library
Movies Under the Stars (by night) Concerts Under the Stars (by day)
A full walk around deck
My favorite place to hang out, The Lotus Pool
The Sanctuary
Internet Cafe
Self service laundry facilities
Cruising is the perfect vacation, unpack once and sail between countries. For this trip, I did the math. It would have cost us thousands more to fly between each of these countries and to book hotels and cars, not to mention the hours wasted in airports. With cruising there is no jetlag and someone else does the cooking and cleaning. It’s pure bliss.
Today, March 22, 2026 we will embark our cruise ship in Singapore by taking a taxi service from our hotel to the port. Once at the port, we will drop our bags off with the porters then get in line to check in. We always bring our carry on luggage with us. Luggage does occasionally get misplaced on the port and we want to have enough to get by for a couple of days if needed. Also, rooms are often not ready until later in the afternoon which means if we want to swim, or sit in the sun, we may need additional supplies.
We arrived at the port around 12:15 and we were through security and checked in within 30 minutes. Surprisingly, our room was ready immediately after boarding. We like to do a first look photo of our cabin because we know it will never look this way again once we set sail. Our luggage hadn’t arrived by 1 p.m.,so we stowed our carry-ons and completed our “muster” requirements. This is a pretty easy process these days, we simply have to watch a video then report to our lifesaving station to sign in.
Next we made our way to Good Spirits Lounge to listen to some live music and have our custom embarkation day drink, a “Dirty Banana”. This is our favorite cruise drink. We are planning to do a full ABC adventure of drinks while on board, so stay tuned for that update!
Cruising feels like it is synonymous with food. Following our drink, we headed to lunch at the buffet. About 700 people are joining the cruise at this port and most of the remaining 1300 passengers have disembarked for the full day stop in Singapore. As a result, the ship actually feels ghost like! Normally I say to avoid the buffet on embarkation day but the ship was so quiet we headed that way next.
There wasn’t much to do since we were still waiting for our bags, so we decided to disembark to mail some postcards, we had no idea this would result in 7 more miles of walking, bringing our Singapore total to over 35 miles in 5 days!
We were back on board by 5p.m. We found 2 of 4 pieces of our luggage had already arrived, the other 2 pieces had ended up in the “naughty room” so we had to go identify them and have them inspected. The item in question turned out to be nothing more than a jumbled set of cables, so the bag was released. By 6p.m. we finally began unpacking. We have this down to a science and are usually done within an hour, this time it took 2 hours because we started with the wrong cases. Alan is in charge of unpacking and setting up the main cabin, I am in charge of the entrance, closet and bathroom area. Our cases have been specifically packed into different “zones” so we can quickly move through the process. Alan gets entertainment, office/vanity, the food area and our bedsides, while I am in charge of setting up our communication zone, first aid/medical area, emergency items, the bathroom and unpacking of all the clothing. Having finally achieved “elite” status, meant we had a fully stocked mini bar upon arrival. Because this is part of the world cruise, we were also given some very nice swag including 2 umbrellas, a tote, bookmarks, luggage tags and a rubber duck
At around 6 p.m. we met our cabin steward, who is called Rupert, he is from India. He would soon become our morning smile and our evening relaxation guru. We asked, as we always do, for extra hangers, ice in the ice bucket and spare towels. We handed him a beginning tip, hoping to show our gratitude for all that these hard working crew members do. We had also brought a gift from Traverse City…cherries, chocolate covered cherries and cherry sours.
At 8 p.m we finally ate dinner. Tonight was Mongolian night at the buffet. It was amazing! Now we were free to explore the rest of the ship. The Coral Princess is the sister ship to the Island Princess, so it feels very familiar to us.
Our departure from Singapore wasn’t until 11pm. The evening entertainment was typical for most embarkation days, a comedian. They usually tell the same jokes about “too small shower stalls”, so we decided to skip the performance.
World Cruisers tend to be an older crowd. Passengers normally disappear to their cabins by 9p.m., tonight was no exception! At ll p.m.,there were only a handful of guests on the top deck to bid goodbye to the beautiful Singapore skyline. As we set sail towards Thailand, the lights of Singapore blinked behind us. I don’t know if, or when we will ever be here again but I am satisfied that we have seen most of what we wanted to see. The next two days are sea days so things will go at a slower pace.
We are often reluctant to repeat visits to the places we enjoy. We never want to tarnish the experiences we have already had. When we decided to spend extra time in Singapore, before the cruise set sail, we were determined to see new things, to have different adventures, so that those favorite experiences remain unique to the journey we are on..
This is what led to Day 2 of our Asia tour being a full exploration of Marina Bay Park. We hadn’t had time to see this amazing area of the city the last time we were here. This was a very active day for us and I would have preferred it to take place on day 3, due to our long travel days but much research had led me to discover that one of our “different” list experiences, that of riding a Sampan boat at the Marina Bay shopping area, took place only on Thursday, (March 19) of the time we would be in Singapore. So it was, that we had planned the entire day around a $10 boat trip!
The moment we began walking today, I knew it was going to be a challenge. Our feet were still recovering from yesterday, when we had walked 10.5 miles. My back, hips and knees were groaning too. It was a two Aleve type of day! Alan was only moderately impaired after having irritated a toenail yesterday. Our schedule called for another 6.5 miles of walking today. I was a little less enthusiastic to get moving this morning. We only made it to the Fullerton Hotel , which was just a short walk beyond the subway exit when we we spotted boats. Noting they covered a similar path to the one we wanted to walk, we chose to start the day this way, while letting the medicine kick in. . By 11a.m., the weather was already in the high 90’s and humidity was nearly the same. We had to wait for the 12:15 boat which meant we had some time to kill.
The boat docked outside the famous, Fullerton Hotel.Alan’s mom always says if you can’t afford to stay in a high end hotel, have dessert there, so we did! Rooms at this historic hotel start at $1,000 per night! The hotel sits nestled in the hug of skyscrapers among the developing city. The first Governor of the Straits Settlements gave his name to this monument. The current building dates from 1924, though it was built over a fort which once guarded the mouth of the river with a large gun, from 100 years earlier,
After our dessert and coffee, we hopped on the boat where we observed amazing architecture all around the waterfront. First up was The Cavenagh and Anderson Bridges dating from 1869 and 1910 respectively.
Ciity Tour
The massive Marina Bay Sands Casino towers over the bay. I have always called the structure at the top a boat, but it is more commonly referred to as a spaceship. There is a huge observation deck at the 54th floor and for a cost of $36-$48 you have the privilege of riding an elevator to look out over the bay. Be sure to make reservations in advance, this sells out quickly. There is also an infinity pool at the top but this is a luxury only available to hotel guests.
Next on our boat ride was The Esplanade. This is an arts complex and contains the Theaters on the Bay. The spiky design of the building has led locals to call it the ‘durian’ – a local fruit with a similar spiky skin. When riding on public transportation this fruit is banned to carry as it is nicknamed “the stinky fruit”. Another item on my “different” set of experiences was to actually try this fruit this time, which I will likely do tomorrow when we are in Chinatown.
The boat continued up the Singapore River to reveal the various “Quays”, full of colorful shop houses turned restaurants. At the end of our boat trip I had responded well to the pain meds and was now ready to walk the same path for a more up close and personal look at things. It was now sweltering outside. My hair has become a giant frizz-ball!. For a second day we had forgotten to carry water. My recommendations for a visit to Singapore;…fast drying clothing-,you’re either going to be drenched by sweat or the frequent showers, or both at the same time; bottles of water and sunscreen, oh and good shoes!
I wanted to see the Merlion up close. Surrounded by Instagrammers , it is very difficult to get a photo without people posing, pretending to catch the water flowing from his mouth.but patience and persistence usually pay off.
Next on our walking route was the Helix Bridge which connects the Singapore Flyer with Marina Bay Sands (MBS). The design of the bridge represents the double-helix structure of DNA. There are green and red letters on the floor (c&g, a&t), they represent the four bases that join together to form the helix of DNA.
We stopped for a soft drink then began by boarding the Sampan boat in the lowest level of the hotel/casino, which is also the mall area. Sampan boats are a flat-bottomed boat, traditional in China and Malaysia. The ride itself is meant to be similar to a Venetian Gondola. The ‘canal’ runs along one aisle of the mall. We were actually here for the incredible history of how Singapore recovers its water. The indoor waterfall/vortex was a delight to witness. It only runs every couple of hours. There was no education on the boat tour which ended up being a disappointing tourist trap.
The observation deck at the top of Marina Bay Sands was sold out, so that will wait for another opportunity. By 5p.m. we were simply spent for the day. We chose to skip the light show tonight. We enjoyed a nice meal along the waterfront and went to bed by 8pm. Jet lag is catching up to us!
Day 3 will see us revisit Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam, where we will take a much more immersive dive into the cultural part of this country.
Day 4 in Singapore will be all about exploring the Colonization of Singapore. We will view more amazing architecture as we walk along the waterfront in Clark Quay and finish the day off with a river cruise to see the light show at Marina Bay Sands.
Since we are on an ABC journey I can’t fit fit everything in this post, but don’t worry, you will soon be able to follow the links to learn more about how we explored each location in Singapore.
When we travel plan, we make copious lists. We write out the places we want to see, the things we want to do, what and where to eat, how to get there etc. Mostly it is me who is delving into every resource I can find…hence why these trips take a year to plan! However, it was the mister who located today’s adventure. Our goal was to cover gardens today. We would also be revisiting the Bay of Gardens later in the afternoon. It is a place everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. I will cover that part in a different post.
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Singapore is like every city: big, loud and filled with people. After our long journey, we needed a respite before delving into it all. Following a great “Western” style breakfast,outside on the patio at the hotel, we set off to find the sanctuary of green space known as “Chinese Gardens”. Alan had found this place like he does so many of our other special locations, simply by giving me a photo off the internet and a mission to track down what it was called and how to get to it. This is how we came to plan our first activity in Singapore.
We loaded the handy backpack we take on most of our adventures. Sunscreen check, umbrellas and raincoats (based on our last experience here) check, sunglasses and good walking shoes, check. As the temperature soared to about 95F by noon, we soon remembered we should also carry water. We won’t forget that again!
We had picked our hotel because it was close to the subway station.. The walk to the subway station is about 10 minutes from our hotel. Along the way we discovered a Chinese temple, the first of our unplanned detours for today.
Chinese Temple near our hotel
Getting to the Chinese Gardens would test our traveler’s skills. It was the first time we had used the Mass Rail Transport system (MRT), which is as easy as tapping a credit card at the entry and exit points of your desired destinations. There are about 5 rail lines but all are color coded and the trains run every 5 minutes. Everything is presented in English here, so it is pretty straight forward.
One station change and a short subway ride later, we got off at the Chinese Garden depot. We knew we were in the correct place because there was a giant, 7 story. cloud piercing pagoda across from the station. As planned, the Chinese Gardens were the perfect place to begin our day. With Singapore being situated just 85 miles from the equator, the morning weather was very comfortable 80 degrees but climbed quickly to about 95F! We will remember to bring our water bottles tomorrow.
Here was the quiet space we craved, a place we could wander, while enjoying the wildlife and nature. Best of all, the gardens and monuments were free to enter! We love free things since we only carry the equivalent of $50 per day in local currency, which is meant to cover all the small expenses such as transportation, tips, market purchases, coffee etc. We would later spend $12 on a cup of ice cream!
There was so much to see at the gardens, before we knew it, a couple hours had passed. We finished our time there with a $12 ice cream. The skies opened up as we made our way back to the MRT station. We were ready with our umbrellas.
We spent the remainder of our 10 hour day in the Gardens by the Bay, where we would explore the Cloud Forest, Floral Fantasy and end the evening by laying on our backs under the metal trees, to watch the famous Garden Rhapsody Light & Sound Show. We are surprisingly energetic for our first day in Singapore! We will see how our feet recover. I estimate we walked 10 miles today. One of us drew blood, the other had her socks meld to her toenails after melting my nail polish.
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