FINAL: Three Days In Singapore

Three Days in Singapore

Disembarking off the ship was sad and exciting at the same time. Sad to say good-bye to new acquaintances who we shared new experiences. It was exciting to be able to explore Singapore for three days. We had to have our bags packed and outside our cabin doors by 8:15PM. Since the day before was a sea day, we had plenty of time. I wanted to get more sun on the deck then got too much. Heck, I should have remembered that the sun rays at the Equator are strong.

We did not purchase Princess transfers to our Singapore hotel since they are way overpriced. Since we were on our own, we would be one of the last to leave the ship which was about 11AM so a great amount of time is just sitting around waiting though I will admit that I fell asleep in a chair.

Ocean Princess docked their ship in a commercial dock area not at the Singapore Cruise Terminal downtown. The good news was that Princess took us by bus to the cruise terminal to claim our luggage which meant less tugging around. Singapore Immigration was a breeze. The Cruise Terminal appears to be relatively new and part of it was a mall which we found out later that Singapore was the mall capital of the world. It did mean that we had to get our luggage to a taxi stand. As we arrived at the terminal, there was a huge downpour of rain which means Joe puts on his brakes about making any movement.

I had procured a taxi but Joe was still inside the terminal standing still. He wanted to wait till the rain eased. Singapore is full of well know brand names so Starbucks was right behind Joe. He wanted coffee and pastry which he got as I waited for him to give the okay to go. After about 30 minutes, we followed the signs that stated Taxi Stand and there were taxis letting people off. A guy in a van came over to us and told us that there was no way that a taxi would take the entire luggage we had and offered us his services. He told us he would charge us $50 Singapore Dollars which was outrageous but Joe was already to take his offer. I went back inside the terminal to find out the exchange rate which meant the guy was charging us about $40 US. Several Singaporeans saw my perplexed look and ask me how they could help. They agreed that the guy was a scam.

I walked back through the terminal and got to Joe and grabbed the luggage and told him we were going to get a ride to the hotel elsewhere. I knew the hotel was not very far from the cruise terminal since I had reviewed it on the maps I had. With a little help, we found the “real” taxi stand where there is someone supervising the flow of people and taxis. We walked up to the first taxi and he got out luggage in without an issue. The taxi ended up costing only $6 Singapore which is about $4.80 in US. I gave the driver $10 Singapore and I told him to keep the rest since I felt like we did really well. The driver insisted on giving me $4 (S) back in change to me and I got him finally to accept $2 (S). Yeah! Joe has little patience and will take the easiest way in front of him no matter what the cost which drives me insane.

The drive to the hotel made a good first impression with the streets and area litter free, good roads and helpful people. Our hotel, The Park Hotel, was located on Clarke Quay where a better location would be hard to find since it was in the middle of the action and transportation. I guess we got to the hotel about 1PM. I had booked a room called the Diamond Club Deluxe which meant some extra perks and a room on one of the top two floors. Instead of checking in on the first floor, we were escorted to the 10^th floor where the concierge and club were located. Sue helped us get checked in and let us know the privileges we would get such as free high speed internet service, daily newspaper, full breakfast buffet, open bar and appetizers from 5:30 PM to 7:30PM, 2 pieces of dry cleaning free a day and her personal service for tours etc..

Our room was on the 9^th floor. Although the room was small it was nicely decorated, very clean, a comfy bed, good size shower and a view of the city and part of Clarke Quay. We wanted to do the Hop On Hop Off Bus around the city so we could see where and what we wanted to do. The bus is also called HIPPO since it also includes water taxi and boat tour as well as four different bus routes. The red bus is a two decker sightseeing bus where part of the top is covered and the bottom has comfortable seating and air conditioning. We would find out from experience that the air condition area was a needed option for us. We purchased a two day pass which would be good the rest of the day Friday, all day Saturday and until 3PM on Sunday.

We got seats on the upper level so I could take pictures with my camera and boy did I take a bunch! The city was spectacular with modern, tall, sleek and innovative skyscrapers that took design as important not like all the glass and concrete boxes in the USA. The plant life was lush even in the city. I loved all the neighborhoods that had their own charisma such as Little India, Burgus Town (Arab) and Chinatown. I was totally fascinated with so much color and design. It was all clean and orderly and not a bunch of crappy cheap shops. Joe was not as interested as I was and had no desire to explore these areas later though I really wanted too. Orchard Road in Singapore is the 5^th Avenue of the city where every famous designer has their own shops. Each block a building would have its own mall inside. People had bags and bags of the expensive designer labels and thank goodness I have no need or desire to shop there. All I wanted was a Singapore t-shirt and magnet. We passed the elegant embassies along the route and the Singapore Botanical Gardens which was a place that I really wanted to see and somehow I would have to get Joe to agree to go there during our three days. About 5PM Joe had enough; he hopped off the bus and headed back to the hotel as I stayed on board to see more.

Some sights that were also a must see was the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. It is three skyscraper buildings connected together by a boat like structure that lay across the top of all three buildings. The boat had observation decks, restaurants and gardens. About 7PM (at dusk) the building had a nightly laser show. On the other side of the road is a convention center that sits on the bay which also has a 4-story fancy mall inside. Across the bridge is the Singapore Flyer which is the tallest Ferris type wheel in the world including the one in London which made it to the “must do” list since I knew it was something that Joe could handle and enjoy.

I got back to the hotel at 6:30 just as Joe was coming down the hall to head to the 10^th floor cocktail hour. He told me that Marg and John from South Dakota called and they were exhausted from the touring during the day and would skip dinner. John and Pat Pryke from Plymouth England would still meet us in our hotel lobby at 7:30PM. We had time for a drink and a few nibbles plus enjoy the view of the city towards the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Clarke Quay.

There was no time to take a needed shower till we would meet with the Prykes. Thankfully they were about 15 minutes late so it all worked out. We walked towards Clarke Quay which was now full of young sophisticates. We walked across one of the many well lit pedestrian bridges to Riverside Center. Joe was already antsy and wanted to eat in an air conditioned place. The first place was full so we ended up going to a Chinese Restaurant upstairs that was fair but it was air conditioned. When the first place was full, Joe wanted to get a taxi. I told him you had to know where you were going if you got a taxi. He did not care. He wanted to eat and get cooled so that is why we ate at the Chinese Restaurant where it was a challenge getting our food, plates and the rice we ordered. The dishes that Joe and I had were barely eaten and our portion of the bill came out to be $72 US, definitely not worth it but when Joe wants to eat, he becomes primal. The Prykes went back to their nearby hotel and we started to walk to ours. Strangely Joe wanted to get a taxi which was nuts since the hotel was close by and we would spend more time and extra footwork to find a cab plus the roads were packed since this area was an entertainment area. I just started walking and he followed me back. We crashed for the night and put the air conditioning down to very cool. We did not wake up till 11AM on Saturday.

We took the HIPPO to the Singapore Flyer and had expected a crowd since it was a holiday weekend. To our surprise the ticket room had no line and it was air conditioned which makes Joe and me happy. We took two escalators up to the entrance for the Flyer Experience. The colorful lit rooms had various displays of the building of the Flyer plus it was all inside and cool, keeping Joe happy. These rooms were created to entertain the guests that are caught up in long lines. Again to our surprise when we got to the entry into the windowed cable car, there was no wait. The cable car holds up to 20 people but there were only 6 of us, Joe and me and a young family of four with two well behaved kiddos. The cable car had sitting and windows on all sides and moved very slowly. I suppose one revolution takes about 30 minutes with incredible 360 degree views of the bay, river, and city. One sight that was cool was a soccer field that actually was on the river with the colorful stadium seats on mainland.

After the flyer we caught the HIPPO to get over to the Bay Marina Sands Hotel complex which was only one stop but I was trying to keep Joe happy and comfortable. It would have been faster to walk across the pretty stainless steel pedestrian bridge. The HIPPO dropped us off on the far side of the convention center and I prayed that we would make it across the street before another tropical downpour occurred since the skies were black. I told Joe that we were going to eat in the mall area and that made him happy so he did not groan about walking. On the other far end was where the celebrity restaurants and huge food court was. In the mall we passed by gondola in the mall canals, a huge casino, theaters and even a large ice skating rink. Again all the big designers had a place here in this prime shopping area. The design on the ceiling was breathtaking and looking out onto the bay and rivers were a must do.

We ate lunch at DB Bistro Moderne (Chef Daniel Bouchard’s location). Joe and I had the luxury at dining at his Times Square location before a Broadway show in NYC. I knew it was pricey but with the lousy meal the night before, I knew Joe needed a guaranteed great meal and he got one. We even ordered wine and Joe indulged in a marvelous chocolate dessert that he raved about. If you wish to know how much the bill was, email me and I will tell you since I am embarrassed that we spent so much for lunch. Joe was very happy and had no concerned about the tab.

Since he was in a good mood, we walked over the pedestrian bridge and passed the soccer stadium to the lovely double stainless steel dome called the Esplanade where we caught the Bumble Bee Water Taxi back over to Clarke Quay. We passed by the famous Merlion, dragon fountain which is the symbol for Singapore. We also passed by Boat Quay which is another entertainment area along the river where at night it is full of people where there are numerous outdoor cafes, dance clubs and bands playing at the outside bars.

We got back to the hotel about 6PM and put ourselves under the white down comforter. It was then I started to get severe chills. I could not get warm then the sweats hit soaking me and whatever was near or on me. It was nearly 10Pm when Joe wanted to eat though I was not in any mood to go out but he insisted. We walked all the way through Clarke Quay which was in full prime time action. The people were well dressed and behaved. It was interesting walking through the area at its full power. I kept waiting for Joe to pick a place he wanted to eat at but again he could not make a decision. Once again he wanted to get a taxi and head to Clarke Quay. I knew he had no idea what he was taking about since we were in Clarke Quay. Again it would have taken us way longer to find a taxi stand and get us back to our hotel that was only 2 blocks so I just started walking and hoped Joe would follow me. We got to Liam Mall where there was a McDonalds full of teens at nearly 11PM on a Saturday night. Joe got him meal. Afterwards we walked a very short distance to Park Hotel and called it a night.

On Sunday we hailed a taxi instead of boarding the HIPPO to get to the Hard Rock Café off of Orchard Road. We had lunch and I got my Singapore t-shirts and my magnet which achieved my modest goal. I was still sweating up a storm and my throat was getting closed up. Another taxi took us over to the Singapore Botanical Gardens which was free and gorgeous with so many different types of plant growth from Rain Forest, Orchid Gardens, Sun Gardens, so many water gardens that I lost count with some gigantic koi fish. There were pretty bronze statues around the park with my favorite being on Swan Lake with a huge flock of Swans flying. Skies were threatening once again so we started to walk towards the Visitor Center. Joe got way ahead of me when I came across a three way fork in the path. Which way did he go? I walked towards Orchard Rd, nope. I walked in the other direction, nope. I walked towards the last option and there he was waving towards me with the idea that I should know exactly where he was! The sky broke loose and we stayed under the foliage of vines but it was crowded and very suffocating. My clothes were drenched from my sweats and I found an area with less people with fans running overhead and suggested to Joe that we got over there. I found him a seat so we could wait the storm out. Joe thought he was at the Visitor Center that we had entered the Gardens at but this was a totally different area. I was lucky to locate him. After 30 minutes of waiting, I told Joe that it was time to leave that the taxi stand was covered and our hotel had a covered entry way so he would not get wet. So we went back, dried off and got some more rest. At 7:00pm we went up to the 10^th floor to have some drinks and appetizers that would be our dinner.

Our wakeup call was at 3:30AM since our plane was leaving from the Changi Airport at 6:10 AM. Check it went smoothly but they sure had so many layers of security that it was a bit overdone. I was told that the US Government required extra screening at the gate not Singapore. It was the only place in Singapore where we saw police.

The place left on time and flew 6.5 hours to Tokyo with an hour layover. Our flight from Japan to Atlanta was almost 13 hours and we actually left early from the gate. I slept part of the way but was quite miserable from the bug and could not wait till I got home, inside our home. What is weird is that we left Japan at 3:40 PM, April 9 and arrived in Atlanta at 3:20PM on April 9. Try to grasp that in your mind.

Customs and Immigration in Atlanta was awful and whoever planned this area should be fired. It took 2 hours before we would be done after slowly progressing through long meandering lines. We had to get a luggage, go through customs then recheck our luggage then go through another meandering line. When we dropped the luggage off, Joe headed right to the security line and cut in front of over a hundred people. TSA stopped me in trying to get him and Joe kept going and I had to go back onto the line which I did for while when another TSA agent told me to go over to another line which I waited then they proceeded to tell me that I was in the wrong line and that I needed to go back to the end of the line that I was removed from and meandering all over again. I was miserable and angry but finally got through it all.

It was 6:00 by the time I got up to baggage claim where Joe was sitting on the floor with our luggage and asked him if the lines were long??????? YIPES!

We got our rental car to get home with which we would have to bring back on Tuesday.

As soon as I got in the house, I laid down on the couch and fell asleep till about midnight then went upstairs. If I still was ill in the morning, I would call my internist.

I woke up about 5AM and came downstairs to keep from disturbing Joe. At 8AM I called my internist who told me to come in at 2:30. My fever started going back and forth from 100.5 to 101.7 and sweats continued. After making the appointment I went back to bed to rest till 11:30 then took a wonderful strong hot shower. We drove two cars since we would drop the rental car back at the airport then drive over to Emory Clinic. Since I knew Joe was hungry, I told him to just drop me off at the doctor’s office and go get something to eat.

The internist said I more than likely had a cold but ordered blood tests to see what is going on there which the results will not be back till Wednesday afternoon. I was diagnosed with an “unspecified Illness.” I got a prescription for cough medicine and an inhaler.

So that is it folks and the end of my blog.

Ko Samui, Thailand 04/04/12

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The Port-O-Call today was Ko Samui which was a huge escape from our experience at Pattaya. Ko Samui is the biggest of a group of several dozen islands off Southern Thailand in the very calm waters of the Gulf of Siam. The island is considered the biggest coconut plantation in the world. The first backpackers began arriving in the 1970’s and life slowly changed.

Plush bungalow resorts mushroomed on every attractive beach on the island since has sandy beaches, coral, calm waters, beautiful picture perfect coves and none of the rift raft of Pattaya or the disgusting smells. Tourism has become the island’s major income which will increase since the airport was built in 1988 which will soon turn international. I am sure the island is very attractive to people from Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and Japan.

Majority of the access to the island is from the sea with a large car ferry continuously running from the west coast of the island to Thailand’s southern east coast mainland. The major beaches on the island are Lamai and Chaweng and are located on the east coast of the island which are lined with bungalows and hotels which most are hidden from the thick foliage, allowing the natural beauty to remain intact.

It takes only one hour to drive around the island which has so many beaches to welcome you to the hot sun and tropical blue waters. You can go into the hilly inland but you need a 4 wheeled drive or a motorcycle. All the roads are two- lane and narrow with shops, restaurants near the road. There are inland waterfalls and fantastic sights on top of the steep hills looking down to the many scenic beaches with hidden coves and scrumptious beaches on the bays.

Our tour bus took about an hour to navigate the narrow slow moving steep roads to The Big Buddha which is a monumental landmark located on the north coast containing elements of Brahminism, Buddhism and animism in its design. There was a medium size bazaar surrounding the temple that offered souvenirs to be bargained. I purchased a colorful Ko Samui red t-shirt for $7 US. We were told before the tour that proper attire was required for visiting The Big Buddha Temple thus no shorts, tank tops, open toed shoes, flip flops or mini-skirts. One would be required to take off their shoes to enter the temple. It turned out no one was policing the grounds since there was a downpour that quickly turned puddles into small lakes and surrounded the bazaar shops. The shopkeepers were sweeping out the water to protect their goods and to welcome buyers to their shops. The native people were friendly and respectful of the guests.

Joe stayed in the air-conditioned bus since it was raining so hard plus he did not want to walk up the 75 steps to the 39 foot high Big Buddha. He just was not interested. As I stepped into the muddy puddles that were impossible to avoid, I noticed that the rain coming down the temple steps looked like a waterfall. I did not mind getting wet from the constant rain since it was more refreshing than the beating hot sun. My Australian Outback hat kept my head and glasses dry as I slowly climbed the steep smooth tile steps.

The Big Buddha was painted in gold and had the traditional four arms and was in a seated position. On the ground level there were two worship altars to pray and make offerings. I saw two Buddhist monks praying in deep concentration. At the very top of the stairs there was open covered areas to dry off and see the lovely blue waters in the bay below. On three sides on the top where it was covered there were large bells about 4 feet apart which people banged making a deep long dong. At two sides of the Buddha’s there were much smaller golden Buddhas in different poses.

During my slow careful descent on the tiled stairs, The Big Buddha must have pushed me. My feet came straight out beneath me as my purse and camera flew up into the air. My left elbow got scraped up as I landed with great force on the right side of my rear end. I looked as if I were a kid on a waterslide as I slid down about 10 steps on my rear end when another Princess tourist stopped me from going any further. Thankfully he was not pulled down from me. His wife and he gathered my belongings that spilled out and made sure I could proceed down the rest of the steps. If I was not soaked from the rain completely, the waterfall steps assured me that I was.

Our tour guide came rushing as I neared the bottom of the steps concerned about my accident. I was fine I told him but I was sure I would be bruised. He questioned me about filling out an accident report or getting first aide but I had to reassure him that I was ok. Joe was asleep in the bus and asked how I enjoyed the Buddha. He was so thankful that I was okay. My large cushioned rear end saved me from serious injury. My left elbow stung from the abrasion that did not stop until after I took a long hot shower back in our cabin on the ship.

Our next stop was about a 20 minute southern drive to Island Safari where we were entertained by two elephants (2 tons each) who bowed, sat up, stood on their heads, played basketball and soccer. The elephants also gave a gentle massage to a woman and a man. The man was also treated to a massage of his private parts by the elephants’ trunks. They also took tip money via their flexible trunks. They were well behaved trained young elephants about 2 years old.

The next stop we watched how monkeys were used to take down the coconuts from the tall coconut trees. The monkeys twisted the coconut’s stem till it dropped on the ground. Monkeys on Samui qualify as the native’s best friend even though the monkey would not agree since for centuries the people have used monkeys to do the hardest part of harvesting ripe nuts on the coconut plantations. The monkeys are greatly prized since they were easy to train and industrious. The guide told us that it takes about 6 months to train a monkey to do this hard work.

The monkey gave a funny show and was very cute looking. Joe and I got to hold the monkey which was very clean and light weight. When it was in a sitting position, it was about a foot high. My camera was water-logged and broken from my fall at the Buddha so I was not able to get photos of the elephant show and me with the monkey. My camera came back to life a little bit in time to get a couple great pictures with Joe and the monkey.

Our last stop at the tour stop was an elephant trek on a matured larger Asian elephant. Joe and I were seated in a Ferris wheel type chair with a very loose safety belt that was not safe at all. We were able to get a few photos of us on the elephant. The elephant trek was led by our Thai guide who has to keep our elephant from eating the bushes and trees on the trail up the hill. We were rolled from side to side as the elephant (4 tons in weight). It was a challenge to stay on the seat and we held onto to each other and the sidebars to keep from falling off. The plant life was colorful and thick. There were several other monkeys on the trail as well as some birds. The coconuts trees were heavy with coconuts. The trek was about 30 minutes and we enjoyed it. Our guide made us each a palm necklace and ring as the elephant walked on the trail which was a true feat. The elephants were also had a bunch of bristle type hair.

Upon leaving Island Safari we drove another 30 minutes to a gorgeous 4 star hotel on the coast. The lobby was very tall and opened with lovely fountains and an altar honoring Buddha. The rooms were in lovely individual villas with lush gardens and pretty pools with waterfalls. We walked down a curvy relatively steep path to the beach area which I gasped with its beauty with the islands and reefs off shore and the various colors of blue in the bay. Our traditional Thai lunch was very good and some dishes were quite spicy. I loved the fruity tasty cool drink they offered us upon entrance into the open dining area. Joe goes a fantastic table next to the beach. It was perfect. The Nora Hotel also had a lovely Polynesian trio playing beach songs that got us in a wonderful relaxed mood.

The drive to the ship seemed long and rather bouncy which made me a bit queasy for some reason. We were on the last tender to the ship at 3:45 PM which also took its time to get to the ship even though the seas were very calm. The tender felt like a steam bath thus getting back on the air conditioned ship was awesome.

The show on the ship that night was a wonderful performance by Bobby Wilson whose father was the famous Jackie Wilson, Lonely Teardrops! He did an upbeat performance of the songs Joe and I love. Joe clapped, sang and moved to the music.

It was a great fun day in a very lovely day on Ko Samui which I would recommend to people to visit.

April 5 was out last full sea day before our final destination arrival in Singapore which we are both very excited about. Our research shows it to be a modern, very clean, fun city. Singapore is located just over 1 degree north of the equator so I am sure that it will hot and sticky but at least there is plenty of air conditioned buildings there. Singapore became an independent country from Malaysia in 1965 and enjoys a multi-racial harmony. Mosques, temples and churches co-exist in a climate of complete freedom of worship; a rare tolerance and understanding that stems from the diverse origins of the Singaporean. We will be staying three nights at the Park Hotel at Clarke Quay which is a center of restaurants, shops, modern hotels surrounding the Quay. It also is only two blocks from Chinatown.

So off the ship we disembark tomorrow at 9:20AM. Our 20 night cruise on the Ocean Princess has ended but we have gained new friends, learned about other cultures and countries, and memories that Joe and I earned together. Thank you God, for such amazing gifts that You have blessed us.

Ciao!

PATTAYA (YUCK) APRIL 3, 2012

April 3, 2012

With our extra day in Laem Chabang we decided to take the free Princess shuttle to Pattaya about one hour east on the coastline from the port. Pattaya was a sleepy fishing village before the Vietnam War. During the war Pattaya became a destination for R&R for the servicemen serving in Vietnam. It has beautiful unspoiled beaches and friendly people.

Our tablemates agreed to meet a 9AM to take the bus to Pattaya together where we were dropped off at The Siam Bayview Hotel where the main entrance was the parallel road behind the Beach Road. It appeared to be a very nice place. It appeared that all the hotels entrances were on this parallel road with a small entrance on Beach Road since that is where all the shops are.

We got to Pattaya about 10:15AM and we found out the shops do not open until 11AM since it is really a nighttime action type place. We walked on Thap Phraya Road towards Mike Shopping Mall. The sights on this road had lots of massage places such as Golden Finger Massage, Happy Finger Massage, lots of open front bars. There were metered taxis as well as trucks with wooden seats in the bed on both sides. Traffic moved slowly. There were shops, restaurants, stalls, mechanic shops, car dealers, tire shops, fancy gem places from the main port road all the way to Pattaya. West of Pattaya there is plenty of resort hotels on the beach. There were some nice places but a heck of a lot of yucky tacky places. The air was hot, sticky, smoggy and very smelly in Pattaya. Surprisingly the people in the shops were not very friendly like in Bangkok. In fact they seem to be bothered by the tourists though this is a tourist destination. It will not be for long based on what we saw.

We walked down an alley way towards the beach where there were scores of Tattoo Parlors who had pictures showing their “art.” One would be better to take hard drugs than to have any of these needles touch you. YUCK! No thanks! The beach was full of activity with so many parasails in the sky to our left. There were numerous large floating restaurants off shore. The beach did not appear to be clean and I would not recommend going in that water since the sewer smells were pungent and the open sewer drains ran up and down both sides of the road with open grates. YUCK! There were a few times that Joe and I had to cross the road since the smells got way too strong for us.

As our group waited for Mike’s to open, a “friendly” American who used to live in Jacksonville, Florida many years ago sat next to Joe and me. He has lived in Pattaya for nine years. YUCK! Before that, he lived the Costa Rica for a period of years, I asked him, “What was he hiding from?” “What was he running away from?” He says he goes to the pool on top of Mike Shopping Mall every other day to swim in its non-chlorinated pool on the top of the six story mall. YUCK! He was not the cleanest guy around. He whispered to Joe that the women of Pattaya know how to treat a man. Wink, wink. I do not think an average or below average woman in the USA would want to “bed” him. YUCK! He said Thailand was cheap and he liked it. He gave me the creeps and goose bumps.

The mall opened at 11AM sharp with all kinds of “ripped off name brand goods.” There are “designer” purses, clothes, watches, jewelry, shoes and perfume. You could tell that they were made cheaply.

Marg Forseth from Aberdeen, South Dakota was looking at some T-shirts at a stall and found three that she was interested in buying. She had pulled them out of the high stacks of T-shirts and asked the woman how much they were. The woman yelled at Marg, saying NO! NO! NO! She was yelling at Marg and Marg had no idea what was going on. She again asked how much they were. The woman screamed in Thai with a very angry face on her and shooed her away. Marg went around the corner to her husband, John. The woman followed her around the corner still yelling at Marg. Marg saw two young male sale clerks across the aisle and she asked them whether this woman wanted to sell anything. They just smirked and pushed up their shoulders. Marg told them if that woman was her employee that she would fire her. I guess she did not like Marg going through the t-shirts since she had folded them up so neatly though Marg did fold the ones she examined back up. Weird! All five floors of stalls people did not smile or invite you into their stores. Joe and I left the group and ventured on our own towards the Walking Street.

It appeared Joe was getting overly hot and sweating profusely since it was very hot and sticky even in the shade. You take the heat along with the nasty smells and the unfriendly store people; we decided to find refuge in the Pattaya Marriott Hotel though we knew the prices would be high but clean and no ugly smells. No thank you to the local food stalls with open cooking for us.

The Marriott was beautiful and people courteous. The grounds were gorgeous and the pool area very inviting with numerous whirlpools that jutted in rectangles opened to the pool with pool bars, nice cushioned pool chairs and shade with exotic birds chirping and quacking in the trees. We had a nice ala carte lunch in a wonderfully air conditioned restaurant inside the Marriott. I imagine Japanese and Australians are the big customers in Pattaya. Of course the nasty older bad shaped men looking for a paid date in an hourly room. If a prostitute was invited to a person’s hotel room the guest would have to pay an extra fee and the prostitute had to be gone by 5AM. There were plenty of older men with their “young Thai nieces.” YUCK. Also there were seedy places down several roads adjacent to Beach Road for men looking for men. We saw some really crazy names that left no room for guessing what was happening here.

After the nice Marriott lunch we walked about a half mile to The Walking Street. During the day this area is tame with cars being able to drive down it but at 8PM, it is close and the action happens. You can imagine. There were some day Thai prostitutes on the sidewalks and bars but none were smiling or attractive like you would think. I guess they look better at night.

Our big Pattaya purchase was two cokes at McDonalds where we forgot to tell them “no ice.” The water and ice in Thailand is not recommended to tourists. One need to stick to bottled water, no doubt! I did purchase one T-Shirt that said “I loved Pattaya Thailand.” I should not have bought it since I did not like Pattaya at all, neither did Joe!

It was 1:00 when we started walking back to the Siam Bayview Hotel since the buses supposedly left on the hour. I wanted to be on the 2:00 bus back to the ship. Joe had to go number 2 really bad but there was no decent place I wanted him to go into. YUCK!

He held it as long as he could till I found an upscale mall with real name brand merchandise along with the prices. They had bathrooms and the mall was very clean so I felt comfortable as I could be with him doing his business there. Poor guy was there for 15 minutes. It was 1:40PM when we left for the bus on the back parallel business street. We walked at a brisk pace to make sure we would make the bus. With the heat and sweat Joe could not take any more and negotiated with the truck “taxi” to take us to the hotel Siam for 150 Bhats which is about 5 US Dollars, 300 Bhats equal one dollar by the way. I tried to tell Joe that we were almost at the pickup point when he yelled angrily at me to get in. The driver started to go and our hotel was only 20 feet away from the time we got in the “taxi.” There was an air conditioned clean bus waiting for us and the bus left at 2:15 PM for the ship. It took nearly an hour and a half to get back since the traffic was thick and the stop lights long if there was one.

Thankfully we arrived at the port where I did some last minute shopping since it was clean in the building with no smells. It was worth the little extra one had to pay for the same stuff downtown. Joe stopped by a massage store right next to the security gate where other passengers were indulging in some last minute comforts. It cost Joe $20 for one hour foot massage. There was no “funny” business going on here since one could see into the place.

I could not imagine having sex with one of the prostitutes in Pattaya where she would take you to a short stay rooming hotel. I would want to have sex standing up and not touching anything in the room. My mind ravels what it must look like. NUTS to me! To each his own, having sex here is a dangerous sport.

The next day we tender in Ko Samui. I pray that it is nothing like Pattaya. Skip Pattaya! The Vietnam R & R pretty beach town has been destroyed. So you Vietnam Vets who may remember pretty Pattaya, it is only a memory.

MONDAY, APRIL 2 : BEDAZZLED BY BANGKOK

April 2, 2012

Unfortunately the port for Ho chi Minh City was cancelled on April 1 cause of Typhoon Pakhar which was to have a direct hit on the city. It was a disappointment of course and Captain Justin Lawes handled the situation with professionalism and class. He ended up promising us two days in the Bangkok area thus we could get to see more of the famous city. It was not an April Fools’ joke.

On Monday, April 2 at 8AM we pulled into the busiest port that I have ever seen which Laem Chabang was. I dressed in an orange dress with short sleeves that was very light and airy since Bangkok was to be hot and sticky all day long. April is the start of their summer season. Joe wore khaki shorts and a t-shirt. Our shoes were closed toe since we were visiting temples and palaces. The dress code for these places is very strict and was policed by soldiers at the sites.

There were four large very comfortable air-conditioned buses to take us on our tour to Bangkok but it was a long two hour drive to downtown Bangkok. I sat by a large window so I could take photos during our trek. My first impression was the enormous port with thousand of containers stacked up five to six high over acres and acres. There were so many port areas for ships and many roads in the area that were filled with trucks of all sizes. The air was thick with haze which was heavy duty air pollution of the highest sort that I have ever been around. The roads were miles long in the port and were the size of a moderate size city with action happening 24 hours a day. All those cheap exports are headed out to the far corners of the earth particularly the USA. It was a very modern port with up to date technology. Our cruise terminal is a fly in the middle of the city of piers, terminals and roads. It was a modern facility and on the bottom floor there were some shops but we knew we would find cheaper goods in the city.

Along the way there were many different types of housing from metal side by side shacks with laundry hanging outside, to older apartment buildings, new condos, some single family homes, some villa types, and homes on stilts in the well used Bangkok canals. Out tour guide told us that the government has been trying to persuade the eyesore tin shacks to move to the nicer apartment homes with a monetary incentive but the people refused to move since they are with generations of family and friends as well as being dirt cheap. They are truly and eyesore so I can see why the government wants them gone to portray the country as modern rather than third world. As we got closer to the city of Bangkok with toll roads, the modern skyscrapers reached to the sky next to colorful temples everywhere. The smog was thick so seeing into the distance is not possible. The traffic in Bangkok is legendary with their lack of pollution control with millions of mopeds, tri-wheeled taxis, buses, trucks and all kinds of motors killing the air. The toll roads were 12 lanes across and bumper to bumper. Most of the cars were Toyotas and Hondas.

The bus driver did a fantastic job maneuvering through the traffic in the city where lanes are just a suggestion. It was not unusual to see 30 motorbikes at a traffic light. I was fascinated with all the different types of shops and people working very hard at sewing machines and creating shoes since you could see into the darken shops. The signs were bright and colorful with many in their native language and English. They drive on the left like the English but I have finally gotten use to it since it has been that way everywhere we have visited.

Our first stop was at Wat Trimitir, The Temple of The Golden Buddha (Sukhothai Traimut) which is a holy place and the largest golden Buddha in the world. The Buddha is almost 16 feet high and 12.5 feet wide with it weighing about 5 tons! It is 700 years old and is a valuable treasure of Thailand and Buddhism. At one time the Golden Buddha was covered with plaster to conceal it from the enemy that was invading Thailand. The Temple was deserted in 1931 when some workmen were removing the statue to a new temple in 1955 when a workman noticed the gold under the cracked plaster. It was made of pure gold. The Golden Buddha image blesses your visit and for you to have good luck and fulfill all your wishes.

Our next stop was the Grand Palace which needs a grander phrase to describe the acres of manicured grounds, temples, shrines, Buddhas, jeweled figures and temples that are astonishing to see such expensive adornment. The colors were vivid and detailed art works are gifts to the world. The Grand Palace surrounded by high walls with machine gun soldiers guarding the entrance gates for troublemakers as well as people who are improperly dressed. Joe had to put on some wild cotton pants to cover his legs. Women in shorts or Capri’s had to put saris around their waists. People who had open toed shoes were not permitted into the complex or shooed out.

The Grand Palace complex was established in 1782 and it consists of not only the royal residence which you cannot enter but also throne halls. There are also a number of government offices as well as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The complex covers 218,000 square meters and is surrounded by four walls, 1900 meters in length.

After King Rama I ascended to the throne in 1782, the palace was built after he decided he did not like the palace being on the other side of the river. It was his royal command that the Grand Palace be built.

We entered the Royal Monastery of the Emerald Buddha who is enshrined on a golden traditional Thai-style throne made of gilded-carve wood in the ordination hall of the royal monastery. The sacred image is clad in one of three seasonal costumes (summer, rainy season and winter). The costumes are changed three times a year in a ceremony presided over by His Majesty the King.

The Emerald Buddha is carved from a block of green jade and was first discovered in 1434. It was also covered with plaster but an Abbott notice that the plaster has flaked off on his nose revealing the green stone. The walls of the ordination hall are decorated with mural paintings that depict selected events of the Lord Buddha’s like including his birth, childhood, youth and the Great Renunciation. The murals are quite detailed and pretty with golden gild.

The Upper Terrace has a detailed miniature Angkor Wat. Around this area there are statues of elephants and mythical beings.

The Phra Maha Monthian Group consists of three green oriental pitched roofs. In the hall there is a throne which is surmounted by a nine tiered white canopy, flanked by two white seven tiered while umbrella. This is where the coronation of the King occurs.

The Dusit Group consists of the Throne Hall and Amphorn Pavilion which was built by King Rama I. He intended that it be used for his own lying-in-state ceremony.

There are many other temples and shrines, amazing golden temple tiers. One temple tier looked like an overdone decorated birthday cake. There were lots of pretty plants, bonsai trees, water gardens.

The Grand Palace was packed with thousands of visitors. Eventually we were overheated, drenched and thirsty since the heat of the sun bear down on us and the thick humid smoggy air. We were glad to leave the Grand Palace complex to walk over to the riverboat cruise on the Chao Phraya River. The dock was very similar to the ones in Venice. Once you are cruising on the motorboat with a cover, you see why the city is called the Venice of the East with all the canals with all kinds of different vessels with one even looking like a gondola. As we boarded our guided boat tour, we were all handed an iced wash cloth in a sealed plastic wrap. AHHHHHHHH!!!! It felt so great to wipe the sweat from your arms, legs, back, hair, and face as we started to move down the canals. The guide also gave us some cold bottled water which was needed by everyone to prevent dehydration. We all loved cruising in the river and looking from side to side at the various temples, shrines, hotels, pheasant homes on stilts. We also could see the new skyscrapers and condos that bring Bangkok to the modern age. New condos next to the water, 1500 sq feet, were selling for $135,000 US. What a view!

Our guide also took us down some of the smaller canals and we stopped in front of the Temple for the Fish. Our guides gave us chunks of bread to feed the huge wide mouth hungry catfish that numbered in the thousands since the water in front of the temple is off limits to fishing and the fish know it. I told a bunch of amazing pictures of the catfish in a feeding frenzy.

Our next stop was a buffet lunch at the Ramada Plaza on the river where a Thai lunch was prepared. Some items were very spicy. There was green curry and white curry, fish, chicken, lamb, beef, veggies, and beautiful desserts. As I walked to the front of the hotel to get on a bus to get us back to port, I saw a large purple swimming pool. Yipes!

There was a non-optional stop at a high pressured large jewelry store that perturbed me. The sales girls were pretty young, well dressed, Thai young ladies. They greeted you with a fresh cold drink and escorted you around the huge complex. We did not buy a thing.

We got back to the ship about 6:30pm and we were beat from the long day being in the heat and lots of walking but it was worth it.

We had to get ready for supper since it was a head waiter, George, last night before he flew home for two month to see his wife and two kids. He was such fun and was the best waiter Joe and I ever had on a cruise ship. He sure knew how to make us laugh and served us great all the time. Each couple gave him an added bonus as a good bye gift.

Our next day will be spent at the beach town of Pattaya on Tuesday. Pattaya used to be a quiet fishing village until the US servicemen from the Vietnam War came over to rest on the beach and now it is filled with resorts, massage parlors and places that are seedy. I will write about that another time.