Numbers to date

As we embark on  our final segment I thought I would update some of numbers to date and what we have left to complete this month.
3 continents reached. 2 to go.
18 countries visited 9 to go
10 new beers tested. Many more to go.
3 new airlines tried (China Air, Vietnam Air, Bangkok Air) 1 or 2 to go
44 days at sea 15 to go
22,393 nautical miles traveled. 9543 to go
2 times across the equator
14 different  currencies required but lots took US dollars. 6 to go
103 miles walked on the ship's outdoor track.
41,471.84 kilometers travelled 17,673 to go
5235 photos/video clips taken 
4735 photos stilled to be culled.
1 injured knee and two colds.  All done with that stuff now.
Number of times going through customs and  immigration. Too many  

Number of days regretting that we took this cruise 0

Phuket Thailand

Cel got up before the alarm at 6 as our tour time was 7:15.  Down early as we did not want to be on the last bus.  Our guide was quite good and told us that Phuket Island is now 90% owned by foreigners.  The population of Phuket town is 400,000.  We took an hour and a half drive to the Phang-nga Bay.  From there we boarded an open boat that took us first too Koh Panyi Island which is a traditional Muslim fishing village built on stilts.  We walked through the shops to the school where the soccer field is concrete, hard on the knees.  We then walked to the the back of the village.  Most of the homes are one room with a mattress on the middle of the floor.  Eating happens outside on the front porch.  We saw a couple of women with some gibbon monkeys and I am not sure of their purpose of having the monkeys.  We also saw some well fed cats, the advantage of living in a fishing village.  The houses are all crammed together with potted plants providing gardens and lots of singing birds in bamboo cages.  Beautiful birds.  A rather intimate living place with people just opening their doors as they are dressing.  We then returned to the boat to travel to James Bond Island so named after the movie "Man With The Golden Gun".  After the movie came out in 1974, about 5000 tourists a day travelled to the island.  It became such a popular destination for tourists that not only did they give it its unofficial new name of James Bond Island, they also built a shopping centre on the beach!  Thankfully we did not land but rather circled the island twice getting a great view of nail island, a pinnacle of limestone a short distance offshore from James Bond Shopping Centre.
The limestone islands and cliffs are truly spectacular, adorned with stalactites and stalagmites that you normally only see inside caves,    not on the exterior of islands.  The rock colours and formations were stunning.  The other interesting site was all the different types of boats on the water especailly the long tailed fishing and tour boats.  A big thing to do in the islands is to canoe or sea kayak.  There are numerous companies offering services.  We then went through a sea cave along with many canoeists and I was surprised to see no crashes given the number of vessels in the cave.   After our boat ride it was a Thai buffet lunch.  Gotta love Thai food and beer and then back to the ship after the obligatory shopping stop.  It would appear that the new hated tourist in this part of the world is the Russians which does not seem too surprising given our experience with toothpick man.  Next stop India.

Singapore

Singapore marks the beginning of the final segment of our cruise and that is sad.  I am starting this segment with an epic summer cold.  Lungs and nose are producing astonishing amounts of liquids but the Cel is convinced that this is my tactic to avoid the smells of India.  Despite my ill health I simply had to go ashore and see something of Singapore.  We arrived at 7 am but could not get off the ship until almost 8. A  quick breakfast and we were off.  Marcel was worried that with all the kleenex stuffed in my pockets that I would drop some leaving us open to a $1000 fine and $2000 and community service for a second offense.  So Cia  was very careful.
After getting cash from the ATM and buying a$20 tourist SMRT pass ($10 is refunded.)  The subways are immaculate, no food or drink allowed and chewing gum will cost you $100 fine as well.  Our first stop was the Botanic Gardens.  The gardens open from 5am to midnight.  The garden was begun in 1822 by Sir Stanford Raffles.  It closed in 1829 and was reopened 30 years later.  The current garden is 74 hectares and has components such as swan lake, the ginger garden, the cactus garden, the bonsai garden, an evolution garden that takes you back to pre dinosaur time.  The highlight is the tropical orchid collection.  It is stunning in diversity and layout and is said to be the largest in the world.  There are over 1000 species and 2000 hybrids in the garden, even one named after former Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien.  We spent most of the day walking the gardens in the 30 plus heat.  We had some iced lemon tea at the refreshment bar that was delicious.  
After the Botanic Garden we took the SMRT to the Singapore Flyer, a gigantic ferris wheel that can accommodate up to 784 people, with room for 27 in each capsule.  We lucked out and managed to have a capsule to ourselves.  It was wonderful to be able to walk around the compartment and see the city below from all vantage points.  Normally, the cost of renting a private capsule is $1000.  One complete rotation of the Flyer takes 30 minutes and you get a great view of the city, its unique buildings and the formula one track.  This is one city I would love to come back to as there was so much more to see that we just did not have time for as we had to be back on board by 4:30.   After setting sail for our next port of call, Phuket, the cumulus clouds that had been building all day produced a number of spectacular thunderstorms throughout the night and early morning.

Cruise tip: take the SMRT to get around in Singapore.  If you will disembark or embark a cruise in Singapore, plan to spend a few extra days here as there is so much to see.  The cruise ship terminal has great access to the city and the SMRT station is right next tot the terminal.

Princess sea term definition : Brass Monkey
In the days of sailing warships, the most common weapon was a cannon.  It was obviously useful to keep a supply of cannon balls next to the cannon, so to stop them from rolling All over the place they would be stacked pyramid fashion on a brass retainer about 1-2 inches high, known as a brass monkey.  In very cold weather, the brass retainer would contract more quickly than the cast iron cannon balls and eventually the cannon balls would actually fall off the monkey and so we arrive at the expression "cold enough to freeze the balls of a brass monkey."

Vietnam Cambodia and Thailand

These are countries that we never imagined visiting, and they are a striking contrast to what we have seen to date.  The first thing we noticed was the amount of debris and garbage scattered along the roadways.  The wiring systems are positively amazing.  Hundreds of wires span the distance between poles and large coils of excess wire and a rat's nest of connections adorn each pole.  The countries are also similar in terms of the level of poverty and smog, and heat, and humidity.
The other common and very remarkable feature of these countries is the amazing number of scooters and small motorcycles on the roads.  I lost count of how many families of four we saw riding one scooter.  In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon in the old days) they have 33 road fatalities a day.  Our bus swerved twice to avoid bodies strewn on the road from scooter accidents.
Each country is relying on tourism to grow, especially in Cambodia where, around Angkor Wat, in the last five years many new five star hotels have sprung up with full facilities, huge guest rooms and great buffet meals at a fraction of the cost of similar amenities in North America and Europe.  Just don't drink the water.  
The most fascinating aspect of Vietnam and Cambodia was listening to the history of each country, particularly the number of wars that have occurred throughout the past 100 years and the impact these conflicts have had on the countries.  Even Thailand has been warring with Cambodia as recently as last April but supposedly they are currently friends again.  The most developed country is Thailand and annually they have 10 million tourists that just come for one day alone, not including other tourists for longer durations.  In both Cambodia and Thailand we got a sense from our tour guides of high dissatisfaction with their governments.  All of the countries operate on bribes in one form or the other.   
The sites we saw were one of a kind like the laquer factory in Hanoi and the Temple of the Sun Goddess.  Angkor Wat is a spectacular set of ruins that goes on and on and on.  By the end of the day I was templed out but an interesting one was Ta Prhom temple where the trees growing around and on and even into the temple walls looked as it they were designed as part of the site.  Angkor Wat is a spectacular place where one can easily spend a few days but be sure to bring deet and lots of it. The highlight in Bangkok was the Royal Palace with many of the buildings covered in 24karat gold, which helps to explain why the king is worth 33 billion.  This overland trip has been stimulating and thought provoking with a view of the world that we never thought we would see.  Next stop Singapore. 

Cruise tip:  In Angkor Wat US dollars are the currency but just make sure that they are not torn or looking old or else they will return them to you and ask for replacements.

Princess sea definition: Limey (looking for verification from our British friends)
The reason British sailors are known as Limeys stems from the 18th and 19th century when the navies of the world were providing their crews with fresh citrus fruit rich in vitamin C to prevent scurvy.  Whilst most navies opted for lemons, the British opted for limes, because although they are lower in vitamin C , they were cheaper and more readily available from British Caribbean territories.  British ships subsequently became known as lime juicers and their crews Limeys.

Photos from China

Clearing snow from the wall

View of the Great Wall of China

Bird Market in Hong Kong

Descending the Wall

Tien'anmen Square

Forbidden City

Temple of Heaven

The Big Underpants in Beijing

Symphony of Lights

Goldfish Market

The Sacred Way

Hong Kong

After another delayed flight, customs, and an hour-long bus ride back to the ship we were on board by 4 pm.  On the ride home we drove past the location of the new Disney Resort, over the replica bridge of the Golden Gate Bridge and listened to our guide give us commentary on Hong Kong.  He went on for a bit about Apple, noting that their products are made in China where they pay workers minimum wage, a whopping $4an hour.
Our dinner table mates had arranged for us all to take a Hong Kong Harbour dinner  cruise during the symphony of lights.  Our table mates are comprised of two Americans, two Australians and two Brits, and they are all great fun.  We somehow always  manage to be the last to leave the restaurant every evening and the conversation and laughs are virtually continuous.  
We took the Metro to get to the north shore of Hong Kong island where we boarded the boat.  We were booked into the VIP room, a private room that let on to the private balcony that occupied the entire bow of the boat, which is where we watched the Symphony of Light show.  This is a must-see in Hong Kong and even though the smog was bad, the show was nevertheless spectacular.  After finishing dinner and drinks we took a taxi back to where the shuttle bus to the ship was waiting to take us back home.  Hong Kong is amazing at night with massive buildings lighting up the sky. Part of the city looks like a giant billboard with all the companies names lighting up the sky.
The next day we headed out to explore the city.  After taking the shuttle bus to the central district on Hong  Kong Island, we caught the Star Ferry to Kowloon.  Cia joined a tai chi class on the waterfront outside the museum of art.  After that we walked along the avenue of the stars where we saw the handprints for Jackie Chan and a statute of Bruce Lee and a bunch of other Chinese movie stars whose names we did not recognize.  Then we walked the entire length of Nathan Street, the 3-kilometer long main shopping street in Kowloon.  Their were plenty of Rolex shops, jewelry stores, high-end fashion stores and tailors. We walked by the goldfish market that had bags and bags of goldfish for sale, then by a regular street market, then the flower market which had the most amazing orchids and bonsai plants for sale and roses that were individually wrapped.  The final market we went to was the bird market where hundreds of singing birds were for sale in cages. The songs were beautiful but it did not seem right to see these creatures fluttering around in such small cages.  There were also pairs of love birds, parrots and numerous macaws for sale.
In the interests of saving time, we decided to take the subway back to the Star Ferry Terminal.  The subway system is amazingly clean and the stations are massive.  They have maps so you can figure your optimum way out of the stations.  We then took the ferry across again and made our way to the tram station to go up Victoria Peak, passing by the occupy Hong Kong movement that had pitched their camp in the sheltered, shady concourse beneath the HSBC bank.  The camp's unkempt slovenly appearance was in stark contrast to the gleaming steel and glass towers surrounding it.  
Even though it was smoggy, we decided to go up to the top of Victoria Peak just to enjoy the funicular train.  It was worth it.  At the top it was windy and cool but the smog was beginning to clear up somewhat so we paid the extra fee to go to the sky terrace.  While the building itself is very interesting to see from the outside, the fee to go to this terrace on its roof is not really worth it because the traditional, free public terrace outside the tram station building gives essentially the same view.  After stopping for a Starbucks beverage and free wi-fi we took the tram back down.  On our walk from the tram station back to the pier we encountered  a lovely urban park that was a beautiful oasis of rocks, trees and fountains midst the skyscrapers.  We also stopped at the apple store where they had just launched the new Apple iPad 3.  Looking around the glitzy, glamorous store, we were reminded how our guide Bill commented on the low salary of Apple factory workers.  We got back to the ship and enjoyed a lovely sail away party watching the skyline of Hong Kong slowly recede as we partook of a few glasses of cheap, but free, champagne.  A pleasant way to cap off a brief but very pleasant visit to this interesting, vibrant city.

Cruise tip:  plan your day and take the subway/bus/ferry system.  The cost is reasonable and English is spoken throughout.

Sea terms as provided by Princess:  Sucking the Monkey  
During the American War of Independence, British seamen  persuaded West Indian women, who came aboard the naval ships to sell coconuts, to empty the coconuts first and refill them with rum.  When the rum was then extracted using a straw, this was known as "sucking the monkey".  The resulting drunkenness supposedly remained a mystery to the ships' officers for many years.

Shanghai to Beijing

Nee-how (that's a phonetic spelling of how to say hello in Chinese (Mandarin)).   You must be sure to pronounce this greeting as two syllables, prolonging the second syllable somewhat.  If you slur the syllables together to say something like neow it means (apparently) that you want to pee.   
We arrived in Shanghai (population about 23 million) amid fog and pollution.  On the sea 46 miles outside of Shanghai you could already smell the smog.  Shanghai is called the Paris of Asia but the influences have been international and are reflected in the architecture of the French, British, Russian, and American concessions (districts).
We left Shanghai at noon to catch a 3 pm flight to Beijing.  Initially, we were told the flight was delayed until 3:30 due to "weather" (read smog).  We knew we were in for a longer delay when they began serving dinner on board before we left the tarmac. Finally at 5:40 we were off to "fog" bound, chilly Beijing.
The  next morning we awoke to a winter wonderland.  It was the first big snow of the winter in Beijing.  Just what two Canucks  wanted to see, especially after hearing about how winter bypassed Calgary this year.  We put on our many layers of clothing and began the tour, which started at The Sacred Way and the Ming Tombs.  The area was reminiscent in some ways of the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.  After a quick lunch with beer included, as it is considered a soda in China, we went to the Great Wall and began climbing and climbing and climbing up steep paths and uneven stone stairs.  It is magnificent and our guide kept telling us how rare it was to be seeing it in the snow.  One challenge was that the snow shovelers could not keep the steps clear so Cia can now say she slid down a section of the Great Wall of China (without crying).
Day two was spent seeing Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City.  Both entities are massive.  The square is immediately south of the Forbidden City.  Both sites are well worth visiting.  We saw the corner where the young student played chicken with a Chinese tank.  Our guide told us that no one knows what happened to that brave young man, but all are sure that at best he is still in prison and at worst that he was summarily executed.  Curiously, according to our guide, the rebellion of 1989 was an expression of the outrage of the public with political corruption.  Interestingly, the common catchphrase in today's China is "we work it out." Whatever is needed or desired can be worked out provided that the proper people are paid or bribed.
Perhaps the most interesting part of our visit to Beijing was learning more about life in China from our guide, Tom, who was born in 1960 and so witnessed the remarkable evolution of the country.  He was a young child during the cultural revolution and his parents, who were intellectuals, were sent to the country to work as labourers on farms, in order to be re-educated.  All books and music were removed from their house and Tom and his brother were left in the city for two years with visits to their parents only happening once a year for twenty days.  Many of his parents' friends committed suicide during this time period. The only book Tom was permitted to read was Mao's red book and children were to pray to the god Mao twice a day.  This is significantly different today where the only place we saw a major picture of Mao was in Tian'anmen Square.  Mao is now considered merely a historical figure. 
The management of the one child system is maintain by severe penalties.  If you have a second child and work for the government you will lose your job.  You can have a second child but the financial cost is high and your child cannot be registered.  But China is now realizing the long term impact of this decision as the country ages, and it will be interesting to see how they will address the problem.  Since parents are allowed only one child, the pressures placed on that child to succeed are immense and this has produced an extremely high suicide rate among youth.  Moreover, in China children are required to care for their parents as they age and if they do not they are taken to court and often sued.
Many of the rich Chinese will move their wives and children to places like Vancouver but the men run their businesses in China visiting the families once a year,  many of these men end up wanting to keep the wives in Canada as they enjoy their mistresses in China.  
Generally, China is expensive to its populace.  To get a car license in Beijing costs almost $10,000 US or58,300 Yuan.  When a child is to be married the dowry for the daughter is a car, for the son, a house/apartment.  Prices in Beijing for an apartment run from 1 to 6 million Yuan.  The salaries in  Beijing average between 6,000 and 20,000 per month.  In terms of smart phones Samsung has three times the market share to Apple in China.  All skyscrapers in Beijing were built in the last twenty years and the stadium known as the "Bird's Nest," built for the 2008 Olympics cost over 4 billion Yuan and has not been used since because it is too expensive to rent.  All media is controlled by the government in China and a 21st century landmark building to house the government Television Centre cost 4 billion Yuan to build.  Unfortunately, it is still not complete because some officials got too excited about the opening party and set off some fireworks which caused a massive fire. The locals now derisively call the building the "big underpants " due to its unique design and waste of money.   Needless to say those involved in the fireworks decision are now in jail. 
Next stop Hong Kong which is now an administrative district of China.  Apart from operating a military and foreign affairs, Hong Kong may keep its current administrative system in place until 50 years from 1997, when it must revert to all of mainland China's government rules and regulations. 

Cruise tip: when taking a taxi in China make sure that the driver turns on the meter before you start, if they do not, get out.