Greetings from Berlin, Germany. July 15, 2010.
Yesterday, we arrived in Berlin, after a hot, all-day train trip from Prague, Czech Republic. Today was pleasantly warm and we walked around Berlin to Brandenburg gate and other close sites. Tomorrow the 16th, we plan to take a guided tour of Berlin and then fly home Saturday the 17th.
In the past, we’ve had pleasant experiences with train travel throughout Western Europe. However, our Rail Europe experiences on this trip have been something to write home about—and we don’t mean that in a complimentary sense! I guess we’d advise caution to anyone considering train travel in mid-summer in Eastern Europe—this has been a real adventure in international travel for us.
We traveled all day Sunday by train from Passau, Germany, to Prague, after disembarking from our Viking ship. We had chosen trains and made First Class reservations from Passau to Nuremberg, Germany; and then to Prague. All went well getting to Nuremberg where we changed trains. The Nuremberg main station has 20 tracks, and our train was posted to leave on track 9. However, this is the former East Germany, and the Soviet-era infrastructure hasn’t quite caught up with the rest of Western Europe. There was no electronic posting of the train schedule and track assignments—it was only in printed form in a cabinet at the station.
So we went to track 9 where our train was posted on a small electronic sign over the track. Departure time came but there was no train. Then in a few minutes we saw the electronic sign over the track change to list a Munich train. Not a good sign. Being the sophisticated veteran international travelers that we are, we right away suspected that something was awry. :-) So we went back to the station and inquired at the service desk. Seems that they changed our train to track 20 at the last minute and announced it only in German (even though they had been making some other announcements in both German and English.) So----our train departed on track 20 without us.
This meant we had to take whatever trains were available, without the First Class reservations. We had to settle for a later regional train with two train changes en route. Thankfully we were able to find First Class seats on two of the three trains, but on one 2-hour leg in the Czech Republic, our train was the local chicken run. The train consisted of one single car with its own engine. It was probably built around 1918, and had the comfort level of a Bronx subway car—straight backs and hard bench seats, and no food or drink service on board.
The temperature outside was about 95F and higher inside the train. There was no AC on any of these 3 trains. We eventually arrived in Prague around 10:30 Sunday night, and after we checked into the hotel, Betty said, "I need a beer!" And those of you who know her well, know that she’s not a beer lover. :~) The good news is that we saw the last 3 minutes of the final World Cup game while enjoying that beer in the hotel bar!
Then the story gets better. From Prague to Berlin yesterday, we were expecting a smooth, comfortable trip with lunch and drinks on board in the dining car. We had First Class reservations for an InterCity train with no connections, scheduled to arrive Berlin in four hours. After settling into our seats we noticed that it was quite warm in the car and no air seemed to be coming from the A.C. system. The outside temp was climbing to near 90F again, and higher inside the car.
As we progressed through the countryside and everyone was complaining to the conductor about the heat, he informed us that the A.C. needs electrical power supplied by an overhead wire — and the Czech Republic doesn’t provide that. He said the A.C. would be OK when we crossed the border into Germany. And unlike the chicken-run train we had coming to Prague, the windows in this train did not open.
At the German border, we stopped for a while and engineers tried to repair the A.C. without success. By the time we reached Dresden, now three hours from Prague, we’re certain the temp in the train was over 100F. At this point, the conductor told his management that he didn’t want to continue with this train unless the A.C. could be restored. So they had everyone get off and wait on the track platform. The conductor made a long explanation on the loudspeaker in German, then in a one-sentence English translation, said "Ladies and Gentlemen, the air-conditioning is kaput."
After some delay, they decided to cancel this train and put us on another Berlin train that was delayed into Dresden, but due to arrive within an hour. This worked, the new train was cool inside, and we arrived in Berlin only 3.5 hours late!
We’ve posted the following 10 new photos since our last post on July 4:
Bratislava Castle, Bratislava, Slovakia
St. Stephens Cathedral, Vienna
Gardens at Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna
Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna
Original Budweiser Brewery at Budweis, Czech Republic
Europe’s largest pipe organ (17,794 pipes), in St. Stephens Cathedral, Passau, Germany
Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral on Vltava River, Prague, Czech Republic
Betty at the Charles Bridge Tower, Prague
Charles Bridge in Prague
Berlin’s Brandenberg Gate, site of Berlin Wall from 1961-1989.
Prague is beautiful. The famous Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle were both built beginning in the 14th century, and other sites in Old Town Prague give it a medieval look. We’re also quite impressed with Berlin and are enjoying our visit here.
Best wishes,
Bill & Betty
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Eastern European Odyssey--Bucharest to Budapest
Greetings from Budapest, Hungary. Monday, July 5, 2010.
Yesterday morning at 6:45, along with a half dozen friends that we’ve met on the tour, we had a brief worship service on the Sun Deck looking out on the Danube and this beautiful city. We’ve added the following new pictures with this post (latest photos appear at top):
Buda Castle Fortress and Matthias Church
Budapest—Hungarian Parliament Building
Budapest Chain Bridge, Parliament, and Viking ships
Budapest Chain Bridge and Parliament
Budapest Chain Bridge and Royal Palace
Hungarian Cowboy Rides 8 Horses
Betty Learns Hungarian Wife Training
Six-Ox Wagon Team in Hungary
Flooded Danube River in Serbia
Betty on Ceaucescu’s Palace Balcony (in Bucharest)
In our last post on June 27, we told you about the high water that had trapped our ship upstream in Serbia because the ship couldn’t pass under the bridge at Novi Sad (about 50 miles upstream from Belgrade.) They say this has been the highest flood in this region in over 50 years and CNN reported that it has caused the death of over 2000 people in eastern Romania. One of the pictures with this post shows an example of the flooding on the Danube in Serbia.
Viking kept us at the Hilton in Bucharest, Romania, until Wednesday June 30, when they flew us to Belgrade and took us by bus to Novi Sad, Serbia where we boarded the Viking Primadonna. During the time in Bucharest, they organized bus excursions to the Black Sea cities of Constanta and Mamaia on Monday, and to the Bulgarian cities of Russe and Veliko Tarnovo on Tuesday. However, because these tours involved many hours of bus riding, we opted to stay in Bucharest where we had tours of the Palace of Parliament (Nicolae Ceausescu’s massive palace and government HQ), and other sites of interest.
In Belgrade on Thursday we visited the Kalemegdan Park, a medieval fortress from the Byzantine era of the 12th to 18th centuries. Then on Friday, we arrived in Vukovar, Croatia, whose people were enemies of Serbia in the Balkan wars of 1991-1999--remember that? Today, they're both applying for membership in the European Union--a good thing for future peace. But they have to change some internal laws to move away from the socialist past and adopt a true market economy before EU will admit them.
In both these countries, the guides told us that the combined total tax rate for a person's earnings comes to 78%. That’s even worse that the People’s Republic of California!
Saturday, we docked at Kolacsa, Hungary, where we visited a local horse farm that is sort of an outdoor museum, showing examples of Hungarian farm life from days past. We were treated to a horse show where the local "cowboys" demonstrated their horsemanship skills, riding beautiful horses that were mixed Arabian and Hungarian breeds (see the photos).
Then early Sunday July 4, we docked in Budapest and had a tour of the city and the scenic spots. We're docked right upstream from the Chain Bridge, the center of the historic city, with stunning views of the Royal Castle and cathedrals across the river. The Danube runs up the middle of the city, which is composed of the former two cities of Buda on the west and Pest (pronounced Pescht) on the east.
It's a beautiful city--very old Europe with beautiful Baroque building architecture. And like the Austrians, Germans and Swiss, they keep the streets pristine clean in most parts of the city. Everything here in the city center looks Baroque because the Austrians controlled it in the 1700s and 1800s until WWI (part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire under the Habsburg monarchy). The Austrians rebuilt the cities here after the Mongols and Turks had destroyed almost everything in previous conquests and occupation.
Sunday night we had a "Budapest by Night" tour including a visit to the Royal Castle on top of Gellert Hill, across the river from our ship. Today, Monday, we are still in Budapest until afternoon when we sail for Bratislava, Slovakia, part of the former Yugoslavia.
We hope you’re enjoying your July 4 holiday weekend. At dinner last night, the Viking staff served us red, white and blue cake with sparkler candles, and we sang "America The Beautiful." Happy Birthday, America!
Best wishes,
Betty and Bill
Yesterday morning at 6:45, along with a half dozen friends that we’ve met on the tour, we had a brief worship service on the Sun Deck looking out on the Danube and this beautiful city. We’ve added the following new pictures with this post (latest photos appear at top):
Buda Castle Fortress and Matthias Church
Budapest—Hungarian Parliament Building
Budapest Chain Bridge, Parliament, and Viking ships
Budapest Chain Bridge and Parliament
Budapest Chain Bridge and Royal Palace
Hungarian Cowboy Rides 8 Horses
Betty Learns Hungarian Wife Training
Six-Ox Wagon Team in Hungary
Flooded Danube River in Serbia
Betty on Ceaucescu’s Palace Balcony (in Bucharest)
In our last post on June 27, we told you about the high water that had trapped our ship upstream in Serbia because the ship couldn’t pass under the bridge at Novi Sad (about 50 miles upstream from Belgrade.) They say this has been the highest flood in this region in over 50 years and CNN reported that it has caused the death of over 2000 people in eastern Romania. One of the pictures with this post shows an example of the flooding on the Danube in Serbia.
Viking kept us at the Hilton in Bucharest, Romania, until Wednesday June 30, when they flew us to Belgrade and took us by bus to Novi Sad, Serbia where we boarded the Viking Primadonna. During the time in Bucharest, they organized bus excursions to the Black Sea cities of Constanta and Mamaia on Monday, and to the Bulgarian cities of Russe and Veliko Tarnovo on Tuesday. However, because these tours involved many hours of bus riding, we opted to stay in Bucharest where we had tours of the Palace of Parliament (Nicolae Ceausescu’s massive palace and government HQ), and other sites of interest.
In Belgrade on Thursday we visited the Kalemegdan Park, a medieval fortress from the Byzantine era of the 12th to 18th centuries. Then on Friday, we arrived in Vukovar, Croatia, whose people were enemies of Serbia in the Balkan wars of 1991-1999--remember that? Today, they're both applying for membership in the European Union--a good thing for future peace. But they have to change some internal laws to move away from the socialist past and adopt a true market economy before EU will admit them.
In both these countries, the guides told us that the combined total tax rate for a person's earnings comes to 78%. That’s even worse that the People’s Republic of California!
Saturday, we docked at Kolacsa, Hungary, where we visited a local horse farm that is sort of an outdoor museum, showing examples of Hungarian farm life from days past. We were treated to a horse show where the local "cowboys" demonstrated their horsemanship skills, riding beautiful horses that were mixed Arabian and Hungarian breeds (see the photos).
Then early Sunday July 4, we docked in Budapest and had a tour of the city and the scenic spots. We're docked right upstream from the Chain Bridge, the center of the historic city, with stunning views of the Royal Castle and cathedrals across the river. The Danube runs up the middle of the city, which is composed of the former two cities of Buda on the west and Pest (pronounced Pescht) on the east.
It's a beautiful city--very old Europe with beautiful Baroque building architecture. And like the Austrians, Germans and Swiss, they keep the streets pristine clean in most parts of the city. Everything here in the city center looks Baroque because the Austrians controlled it in the 1700s and 1800s until WWI (part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire under the Habsburg monarchy). The Austrians rebuilt the cities here after the Mongols and Turks had destroyed almost everything in previous conquests and occupation.
Sunday night we had a "Budapest by Night" tour including a visit to the Royal Castle on top of Gellert Hill, across the river from our ship. Today, Monday, we are still in Budapest until afternoon when we sail for Bratislava, Slovakia, part of the former Yugoslavia.
We hope you’re enjoying your July 4 holiday weekend. At dinner last night, the Viking staff served us red, white and blue cake with sparkler candles, and we sang "America The Beautiful." Happy Birthday, America!
Best wishes,
Betty and Bill
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Eastern European Odyssey
Greetings from Bucharest, Romania. Sunday, June 27, 2010. We are enjoying our third day in Bucharest, preparing to join the two-week Viking River Cruise from the Black Sea up the Danube River to Passau, Germany. This trip began with a refresher on the lesson that we long ago learned—that God is in charge; we’re not. The adventure continues to unfold with surprises.
The trip began with weather and traffic delays on all three flights Wednesday -- from SFO to Chicago to London to Bucharest. Then on arrival in Bucharest, we learned that Betty’s luggage was left in Chicago. It was delivered to us at the hotel two days later. Betty learned to love that blouse and pair of slacks, as well as the t-shirt that I lent her for sleeping!
On Friday we booked a personal guide for a tour of the key interest points of Bucharest, including those in three of the pictures shown here--the Romanian Athenaeum, the Palace of Parliament, and the former Soviet Communist military occupation building.
The Athenaeum is the concert hall, home of Romania’s National Philharmonic, and is located just across the square from our hotel. Completed in 1888, it has become the iconic symbol of Bucharest.
The Palace of Parliament is the massive palace and communist government headquarters built by the notorious dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who along with his wife Alena, were executed in the 1989 revolution. At 3.8 million square feet and over 1100 rooms, the Palace is said to be the world’s second largest building, after the U.S. Pentagon.
The tall white obelisk in the third photo is a memorial to the 1300 protestors killed in the 1989 revolution, when Ceausescu was overthrown and his army began firing on the demonstrators in the square here.
Yesterday, Saturday, we took a 2-hour train ride north to the town of Sinaia, where we met Connie Fortunato, a family friend from home, who is in Romania conducting music training camps for orphaned children, as a part of her music mission ministry called Music Camps International. With Connie and an associate, we toured the famous Peles Castle, shown in the photo. Peles Castle, completed in 1883, was the summer home of Carol I, Romania’s first King.
For our next surprise, we learned on Friday that our ship, the Viking Primadonna that we were scheduled to board today in Oltenita, 90 miles south of here, is stuck up-river in Belgrade, Serbia because an unusually high water level is preventing the ship from passing under the Danube River bridge at Belgrade! So in response, Viking has set up operation here in our hotel, the Athenaeum Palace Hilton. We stay here until Wednesday morning, and Viking will take us on land excursions to the Black Sea towns of Constanta and Mamaia, Romania; and the Bulgarian cities of Russe and Sofia. Then Wednesday AM, we go fly to Belgrade to join the ship.
So---the adventure continues; stay tuned. And yes, Betty is healthy and showing no signs of her houseboats trip crisis from 10 days ago. We hope all is well with you also.
Bill and Betty
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Greetings from Bangkok, Thailand. November 24, 2008
While in Cochin, India on Nov. 12, we took a bus/boat trip to Allepey, a river delta town in what is called the Backwater area, about 50 miles inland on a freshwater lake with a network of canals that weave through marshes and flooded rice paddies. We took a 3-hour canal-boat tour of these canals that are lined with grass-thatched houseboats and coconut groves. It brings to mind the pictures and movies that we’ve all seen of the waterways in Vietnam.
We’ve posted the following new photos for your viewing pleasure:
Ladies in beautiful saris with baby, alongside Tuk Tuk taxi in Allepey
Backwater Houseboats in Allepey
Egret Supervises Star Clipper Crew leaving Cochin
Cape Comorin, southern tip of India
Similan Island, Thailand
Star Clipper in Phang Nga Bay
Cave Dwellers in Phang Nga Bay
Koh Panyi village, Thailand
James Bond Island, Phang Nga Bay, Thailand
Bangkok’s Chaopraya River from Sheraton hotel room
Sitting Buddha and monk in Bangkok’s Marble Temple
Leaving Cochin, we sailed southeast along the coast of India, past Cape Comorin, the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent. The cape is framed by a mountain range that rises above the town to elevations of over 6,000 feet, and is marked with a statue of Ghandi and a small temple (see the photo). Sailing on SE, we crossed the Gulf of Mannar, and on Nov. 14, passed close off the shore of southern Sri Lanka; then turned east to cross the Bay of Bengal to Similan Islands, Thailand. This was a six-day sail and we arrived in Similan Islands on Thursday, Nov. 20, a day earlier than originally planned because we bypassed Sri Lanka.
Similan Islands, Thailand.
The Similan Islands lie about 30 miles off the mainland of Thailand and are uninhabited except for officers of the Thai Department of Forestry, because Similan is a National Maritime Park, known for its pristine beaches and excellent snorkeling and diving. We anchored off the main Similan Island, Ko Si, and went ashore for the day to a lovely cove where we spent the day on the beach and doing water sports. We did some snorkeling, sailed one of Star Clipper’s little 14-ft. Laser boats in the bay, and went kayaking. Then back aboard Star Clipper at sunset, we sailed on for Thailand’s Patong Bay.
Patong Bay, Thailand.
On Friday, the 21st, we spent our extra day in a beautiful island group in Patong Bay, called Phang Nga National Park, that lies between Phuket and the mainland of Thailand. We sailed through the Ao Phang Nga national marine park, where massive limestone islands jut out of the ocean like huge sea animals. Some rise to as much as 1000 feet elevation and are covered in tropical trees and vegetation. Their limestone walls have caves and natural bridges, and the limestone walls are lined with stalactites and stalagmites like Kentucky’s caves!
Star Clipper anchored off Koo Hong in a group of small islands in the northern part of Phang Nga Bay, and we spent the afternoon taking a speedboat excursion through the islands and mangrove swamps. We visited “James Bond Island” where parts of the movie, “The Man with the Golden Gun” was filmed (see the photo). Although 95% of Thai people are Buddhist, we visited Koh Panyi, a small Muslim village built on stilts in the shallow waters of the swamp, where we had lunch. After a heart-thumping 45-minute, 30-40 mph speedboat ride back to Star Clipper, we sailed for Phuket.
Sadly, during this, our last night on Star Clipper, we had to anchor off Phuket and send one of the guests ashore to the hospital for emergency treatment. This man had been awaiting a kidney transplant and should not have made this trip. Thankfully we heard that he was stable in the hospital later in the day. Even more sadly, we had also witnessed a medical emergency while embarking in Athens that didn’t turn out OK. One of the guests had a massive stroke or heart attack right in front of us during embarkation, and was rushed to the hospital where he did not survive. Shockingly, we learned that he had experienced a milder attack on the plane to Athens, and did not go to the hospital when they arrived. It reminds us that we should value every moment that God gives us in this brief visit to planet Earth.
Early Saturday, we said farewell to friends on Star Clipper and flew to Bangkok, where we checked into the Royal Orchid Sheraton and relaxed. Sunday, we took a tour of Bangkok’s highlights with a personal guide, visited both the oldest and the newest Buddhist temples, and saw the Grand Palace grounds. However, the Grand Palace itself, home of the King, was closed for preparations for the king’s 81st birthday. Today we plan to take a riverboat tour of the city, and early tomorrow we’re off on Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong and home!
Love,
Betty and Bill
While in Cochin, India on Nov. 12, we took a bus/boat trip to Allepey, a river delta town in what is called the Backwater area, about 50 miles inland on a freshwater lake with a network of canals that weave through marshes and flooded rice paddies. We took a 3-hour canal-boat tour of these canals that are lined with grass-thatched houseboats and coconut groves. It brings to mind the pictures and movies that we’ve all seen of the waterways in Vietnam.
We’ve posted the following new photos for your viewing pleasure:
Ladies in beautiful saris with baby, alongside Tuk Tuk taxi in Allepey
Backwater Houseboats in Allepey
Egret Supervises Star Clipper Crew leaving Cochin
Cape Comorin, southern tip of India
Similan Island, Thailand
Star Clipper in Phang Nga Bay
Cave Dwellers in Phang Nga Bay
Koh Panyi village, Thailand
James Bond Island, Phang Nga Bay, Thailand
Bangkok’s Chaopraya River from Sheraton hotel room
Sitting Buddha and monk in Bangkok’s Marble Temple
Leaving Cochin, we sailed southeast along the coast of India, past Cape Comorin, the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent. The cape is framed by a mountain range that rises above the town to elevations of over 6,000 feet, and is marked with a statue of Ghandi and a small temple (see the photo). Sailing on SE, we crossed the Gulf of Mannar, and on Nov. 14, passed close off the shore of southern Sri Lanka; then turned east to cross the Bay of Bengal to Similan Islands, Thailand. This was a six-day sail and we arrived in Similan Islands on Thursday, Nov. 20, a day earlier than originally planned because we bypassed Sri Lanka.
Similan Islands, Thailand.
The Similan Islands lie about 30 miles off the mainland of Thailand and are uninhabited except for officers of the Thai Department of Forestry, because Similan is a National Maritime Park, known for its pristine beaches and excellent snorkeling and diving. We anchored off the main Similan Island, Ko Si, and went ashore for the day to a lovely cove where we spent the day on the beach and doing water sports. We did some snorkeling, sailed one of Star Clipper’s little 14-ft. Laser boats in the bay, and went kayaking. Then back aboard Star Clipper at sunset, we sailed on for Thailand’s Patong Bay.
Patong Bay, Thailand.
On Friday, the 21st, we spent our extra day in a beautiful island group in Patong Bay, called Phang Nga National Park, that lies between Phuket and the mainland of Thailand. We sailed through the Ao Phang Nga national marine park, where massive limestone islands jut out of the ocean like huge sea animals. Some rise to as much as 1000 feet elevation and are covered in tropical trees and vegetation. Their limestone walls have caves and natural bridges, and the limestone walls are lined with stalactites and stalagmites like Kentucky’s caves!
Star Clipper anchored off Koo Hong in a group of small islands in the northern part of Phang Nga Bay, and we spent the afternoon taking a speedboat excursion through the islands and mangrove swamps. We visited “James Bond Island” where parts of the movie, “The Man with the Golden Gun” was filmed (see the photo). Although 95% of Thai people are Buddhist, we visited Koh Panyi, a small Muslim village built on stilts in the shallow waters of the swamp, where we had lunch. After a heart-thumping 45-minute, 30-40 mph speedboat ride back to Star Clipper, we sailed for Phuket.
Sadly, during this, our last night on Star Clipper, we had to anchor off Phuket and send one of the guests ashore to the hospital for emergency treatment. This man had been awaiting a kidney transplant and should not have made this trip. Thankfully we heard that he was stable in the hospital later in the day. Even more sadly, we had also witnessed a medical emergency while embarking in Athens that didn’t turn out OK. One of the guests had a massive stroke or heart attack right in front of us during embarkation, and was rushed to the hospital where he did not survive. Shockingly, we learned that he had experienced a milder attack on the plane to Athens, and did not go to the hospital when they arrived. It reminds us that we should value every moment that God gives us in this brief visit to planet Earth.
Early Saturday, we said farewell to friends on Star Clipper and flew to Bangkok, where we checked into the Royal Orchid Sheraton and relaxed. Sunday, we took a tour of Bangkok’s highlights with a personal guide, visited both the oldest and the newest Buddhist temples, and saw the Grand Palace grounds. However, the Grand Palace itself, home of the King, was closed for preparations for the king’s 81st birthday. Today we plan to take a riverboat tour of the city, and early tomorrow we’re off on Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong and home!
Love,
Betty and Bill
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
November 11, 2008 Cochin, India
Greetings from Cochin, India. November 11, 2008
From Goa, we sailed south the last day and a half, about 25 miles off the SW coast of India, among dozens of fishing and shrimping vessels working this coastline. We arrived in Cochin late this morning and we’re taking the afternoon off from the ship’s organized shore excursions, to catch up on uploading our blog posts and photos, and to check email and phone messages. We’ve been surprised at how difficult it has been for us to get to an Internet shop ashore in the recent ports that we’ve visited, so this is our first communication with you since our first post sent October 20. The ship’s satellite Internet server has been out of service since we left Greece. Hopefully this will bring you up-to-date with our travel news.
We’re staying in Cochin overnight, and tomorrow morning, we’ll take a canal-boat tour of Cochin and its “Backwater” areas, which we’re told is a popular tour. After that, we depart tomorrow afternoon, but we have a change of itinerary.
We were scheduled to sail for Colombo, Sri Lanka. However, another security threat has reared its head, and we will bypass Sri Lanka. You may have seen the news about two bomb attacks in Sri Lanka about two weeks ago by the Tamal Tigers terrorist group. This is a radical group that seeks to overthrow the government of Sri Lanka and demands independence for one of the country’s islands. The U.S. State Department and the foreign ministries of Germany, Britain, and several other European countries have strongly advised the Star Clipper management that we should avoid entering Sri Lanka at this time. So, the management and Captain Jurgen yesterday made the decision to bypass Sri Lanka and sail on for the Similan Islands in Thailand. The Captain says we’ll spend this extra day in a beautiful island group called Patong Bay that lies between Phuket and the mainland of Thailand. Sounds good to us. :-))
We hope all’s well with you.
Love,
Betty and Bill
From Goa, we sailed south the last day and a half, about 25 miles off the SW coast of India, among dozens of fishing and shrimping vessels working this coastline. We arrived in Cochin late this morning and we’re taking the afternoon off from the ship’s organized shore excursions, to catch up on uploading our blog posts and photos, and to check email and phone messages. We’ve been surprised at how difficult it has been for us to get to an Internet shop ashore in the recent ports that we’ve visited, so this is our first communication with you since our first post sent October 20. The ship’s satellite Internet server has been out of service since we left Greece. Hopefully this will bring you up-to-date with our travel news.
We’re staying in Cochin overnight, and tomorrow morning, we’ll take a canal-boat tour of Cochin and its “Backwater” areas, which we’re told is a popular tour. After that, we depart tomorrow afternoon, but we have a change of itinerary.
We were scheduled to sail for Colombo, Sri Lanka. However, another security threat has reared its head, and we will bypass Sri Lanka. You may have seen the news about two bomb attacks in Sri Lanka about two weeks ago by the Tamal Tigers terrorist group. This is a radical group that seeks to overthrow the government of Sri Lanka and demands independence for one of the country’s islands. The U.S. State Department and the foreign ministries of Germany, Britain, and several other European countries have strongly advised the Star Clipper management that we should avoid entering Sri Lanka at this time. So, the management and Captain Jurgen yesterday made the decision to bypass Sri Lanka and sail on for the Similan Islands in Thailand. The Captain says we’ll spend this extra day in a beautiful island group called Patong Bay that lies between Phuket and the mainland of Thailand. Sounds good to us. :-))
We hope all’s well with you.
Love,
Betty and Bill
November 9, 2008 Goa, India
Greetings from Goa, India. November 9, 2008
After we were safely out of the Somalian piracy area and a day out to sea from Oman, the Captain treated us to a “Molotov Cocktail Party” on deck—see the photo. The crew had made Molotov cocktails for the pirates, but thankfully they had no occasion to use them.
Our weather thus far on the trip couldn’t have been more pleasant. We’ve been treated to blue skies, moderate winds, gentle waves, and shirt-sleeve temperatures every day, around 80-85F. During previous Indian Ocean crossings, Star Clipper has had rain and strong winds, which we may yet see before reaching Thailand, but for now, it’s great weather. Yesterday, one of the crew caught a beautiful 7-foot sailfish—see the photo.
Today we arrived in Goa and went ashore for a tour of a spice plantation, vegetable and fruit markets, the 16th-century Portuguese Bom Jesus Catholic Cathedral, and the 17th century Shri Mangesh Hindu Temple. Tomorrow, we’re at sea, arriving in Cochin about noon Tuesday, and will depart Wed. afternoon the 12th. We plan to take a canal-boat tour through this tropical river delta region and see the coconut harvesting areas.
More later from Cochin.
Love,
Betty and Bill
After we were safely out of the Somalian piracy area and a day out to sea from Oman, the Captain treated us to a “Molotov Cocktail Party” on deck—see the photo. The crew had made Molotov cocktails for the pirates, but thankfully they had no occasion to use them.
Our weather thus far on the trip couldn’t have been more pleasant. We’ve been treated to blue skies, moderate winds, gentle waves, and shirt-sleeve temperatures every day, around 80-85F. During previous Indian Ocean crossings, Star Clipper has had rain and strong winds, which we may yet see before reaching Thailand, but for now, it’s great weather. Yesterday, one of the crew caught a beautiful 7-foot sailfish—see the photo.
Today we arrived in Goa and went ashore for a tour of a spice plantation, vegetable and fruit markets, the 16th-century Portuguese Bom Jesus Catholic Cathedral, and the 17th century Shri Mangesh Hindu Temple. Tomorrow, we’re at sea, arriving in Cochin about noon Tuesday, and will depart Wed. afternoon the 12th. We plan to take a canal-boat tour through this tropical river delta region and see the coconut harvesting areas.
More later from Cochin.
Love,
Betty and Bill
November 3, Salalah, Oman
Greetings from Salalah, Oman. November 3, 2008
Leaving Safaga, Egypt on October 25, we cruised down the Gulf of Suez to its south entrance, at a narrow strait called Bab El Mandeb (Gate of Tears). Some say it is named for the fact that during slave-trading days, many ship-loads of slaves were loaded in the Gulf of Suez and taken through this strait from the NE African region that now is Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Others attribute its name to the fact that many ships were lost on the hidden rocks in this narrow passage before lighthouses were erected.
Passing through the strait at Bab El Mandeb, we turned east into the Gulf of Aden, running between the southern shore of Yemen and the northeastern shore of Somalia on the Horn of Africa. No voyage on a tall ship would be complete without a pirate’s tale—and we have ours!
You’ve probably heard about the epidemic of recent Somalian pirate attacks on ships passing through the Gulf of Aden and along the NE Horn of Africa. If you haven’t, you can go to the Web and look up “Somalian Pirates” or look up the article dated October 4 titled “The Million Dollar Pirates” in the British weekly magazine, “The Week.” The article says that more than 60 ships have been attacked in these waters this year, with multi-million $ ransom demands. Somalian pirates are still holding the Ukrainian freighter that was captured in early October, carrying 33 Russian tanks and tons of military munitions bound for Kenya. Apparently, both U.S. and Russian warships are standing by the ship, while negotiations continue, in efforts to get the ship and crew released.
The US Ambassador in Egypt sent a message to the American citizens on board Star Clipper, recommending that we disembark in Safaga and leave the voyage, unless a military escort could be arranged for Star Clipper.
A US-led coalition of NATO countries and others is now providing 13-14 warships to patrol this 600-mile corridor. Captain Jurgen initiated a set of “antipiracy measures” for Star Clipper’s passage through this Gulf of Aden, and arranged for a military escort. To “discourage” any unauthorized boarding of our ship, the crew strung razor wire and a high-voltage electrical wire around the ship on extended angle-iron arms, and draped netting over the side from extended booms that was intended to entangle the propellers of any boat that came alongside.
Most importantly, we’re immensely proud to say that a USN guided missile destroyer, the USS Mahan, was assigned to escort us! (See the photo posted here.) At noon Friday after we entered the Gulf of Aden, the Mahan met us, circled Star Flyer doing 30 knots speed (vs. our 10 knots), blasted a Meet-and Greet on the ship’s horn, and fell in behind us where it cruised for our 600-mile trip through the piracy patch. Believe me, for an old sea-farer, that was a beautiful site! I’d have to say that even the “peaceniks” on board (there are a few) were proud and grateful to be sailing under the watchful eye of this sleek gray lady.
Sunday when we left the Gulf of Aden, the USS Mahan came alongside for photos, and Captain Jurgen slowed down and raised all Star Clippers sails for their crew to get photos of our classic square-rigged clipper ship under sail. We’ve been mostly running under engine and partial sail, depending on wind strength and direction. Our crew put an inflatable boat over the side, went alongside the Mahan, and took gifts to their officers and crew. As we approached the coast of Oman late yesterday, the Mahan said goodbye and departed for other duties. We arrived safely in Salalah early Monday morning, Nov. 3.
Some guests took an optional excursion to the city and surrounding area to see frankincense production and the gift markets, but we stayed on board. We’ve both been afflicted with an intestinal bug the past few days that hit most of the ship’s guests and had low-grade fevers of up to 101.5F. However, we brought along a prescription of Cipro antibiotic and that has cleared it up, Inshallah!
Monday afternoon, we sailed east for Goa, India, a 5-day sail across the Indian Ocean. We expect to arrive in Goa November 9. Thankfully, we should have easier Internet and telephone access there, they say.
Love,
Betty and Bill
Leaving Safaga, Egypt on October 25, we cruised down the Gulf of Suez to its south entrance, at a narrow strait called Bab El Mandeb (Gate of Tears). Some say it is named for the fact that during slave-trading days, many ship-loads of slaves were loaded in the Gulf of Suez and taken through this strait from the NE African region that now is Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Others attribute its name to the fact that many ships were lost on the hidden rocks in this narrow passage before lighthouses were erected.
Passing through the strait at Bab El Mandeb, we turned east into the Gulf of Aden, running between the southern shore of Yemen and the northeastern shore of Somalia on the Horn of Africa. No voyage on a tall ship would be complete without a pirate’s tale—and we have ours!
You’ve probably heard about the epidemic of recent Somalian pirate attacks on ships passing through the Gulf of Aden and along the NE Horn of Africa. If you haven’t, you can go to the Web and look up “Somalian Pirates” or look up the article dated October 4 titled “The Million Dollar Pirates” in the British weekly magazine, “The Week.” The article says that more than 60 ships have been attacked in these waters this year, with multi-million $ ransom demands. Somalian pirates are still holding the Ukrainian freighter that was captured in early October, carrying 33 Russian tanks and tons of military munitions bound for Kenya. Apparently, both U.S. and Russian warships are standing by the ship, while negotiations continue, in efforts to get the ship and crew released.
The US Ambassador in Egypt sent a message to the American citizens on board Star Clipper, recommending that we disembark in Safaga and leave the voyage, unless a military escort could be arranged for Star Clipper.
A US-led coalition of NATO countries and others is now providing 13-14 warships to patrol this 600-mile corridor. Captain Jurgen initiated a set of “antipiracy measures” for Star Clipper’s passage through this Gulf of Aden, and arranged for a military escort. To “discourage” any unauthorized boarding of our ship, the crew strung razor wire and a high-voltage electrical wire around the ship on extended angle-iron arms, and draped netting over the side from extended booms that was intended to entangle the propellers of any boat that came alongside.
Most importantly, we’re immensely proud to say that a USN guided missile destroyer, the USS Mahan, was assigned to escort us! (See the photo posted here.) At noon Friday after we entered the Gulf of Aden, the Mahan met us, circled Star Flyer doing 30 knots speed (vs. our 10 knots), blasted a Meet-and Greet on the ship’s horn, and fell in behind us where it cruised for our 600-mile trip through the piracy patch. Believe me, for an old sea-farer, that was a beautiful site! I’d have to say that even the “peaceniks” on board (there are a few) were proud and grateful to be sailing under the watchful eye of this sleek gray lady.
Sunday when we left the Gulf of Aden, the USS Mahan came alongside for photos, and Captain Jurgen slowed down and raised all Star Clippers sails for their crew to get photos of our classic square-rigged clipper ship under sail. We’ve been mostly running under engine and partial sail, depending on wind strength and direction. Our crew put an inflatable boat over the side, went alongside the Mahan, and took gifts to their officers and crew. As we approached the coast of Oman late yesterday, the Mahan said goodbye and departed for other duties. We arrived safely in Salalah early Monday morning, Nov. 3.
Some guests took an optional excursion to the city and surrounding area to see frankincense production and the gift markets, but we stayed on board. We’ve both been afflicted with an intestinal bug the past few days that hit most of the ship’s guests and had low-grade fevers of up to 101.5F. However, we brought along a prescription of Cipro antibiotic and that has cleared it up, Inshallah!
Monday afternoon, we sailed east for Goa, India, a 5-day sail across the Indian Ocean. We expect to arrive in Goa November 9. Thankfully, we should have easier Internet and telephone access there, they say.
Love,
Betty and Bill
October 25, Safaga, Egypt
Saturday, October 25, 2008. Today we're docked at Safaga, Egypt on the western shore of the Red Sea. Safaga is nothing to write home about—it’s an industrial port, but it’s attraction is the fact that it is about a 2-hour drive east of Luxor on the Nile, probably Egypt’s second most significant historical site and a must-see for Egyptian visitors.
Note that we’ve posted five new photos here, showing:
Knights of St. John Crusader wall tower at Rhodes,
Betty with cannon balls at 15th century Crusader wall at Rhodes,
Bill at the helm of Star Clipper,
Sunset over Alexandria Harbor,
Mosque at Port Said, Egypt.
Today most of our fellow travelers took a bus excursion over to Luxor to visit the ancient site of the Karnak and Luxor temples, the largest and best preserved of the ancient Egyptian temples, from days of the Pharaohs (2700 BC to 100 BC). The city of Luxor was then called Thebes by the Greeks, and was the capitol of the Egyptian royalty for many centuries. We visited there last January on our Egypt tour with Lynne and Bruce Noel, and since we've already photographed every stone, we decided to decline this excursion and relax in Safaga.
Yesterday, we were at Sharm El Sheik at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula on the Red Sea. This is the resort city where many of the international Middle East peace meetings and negotiations are held, some of which have produced the peace agreements between Israel and Egypt and Jordon.
Some of our group took a 3-hour bus ride through the Sinai desert and mountains to Mt. Sinai and the St. Catherine's Monastery on the "Mountain of Moses" (where it is said that Moses received God's 10 commandments and other instructions for his people. Because of the long bus ride and expensive optional cost, we decided to also decline that excursion and enjoy a relaxed day in Sharm El Sheik. Thankfully, our group made much better speed than Moses and the Israelites did. :-)
Betty wants to tell you that she's learning to play bridge and I (Bill) am relearning--after an abstinence from bridge playing of over 20 years. She also instructed me to tell you about the semiformal Captain's champagne and lobster dinner that we enjoyed Thursday evening--a very nice event while sailing down the Gulf of Suez with 20-knot winds at our back. With these winds, Star Clipper ran under only sail, with engines off. Beatimous!
After departing Safaga this evening, we'll have our longest stretch at sea--eight days sailing down the Red Sea and then across the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea to Salalah, Oman. We'll be forced to relax a bit—should be good therapy. However, we’ll be incommunicado—the ship’s satellite telephone and Internet connection server failed a few days ago and we’re told that it will not be restored to service for the remainder of the trip to Thailand. The ship’s crew have communications for operation of the ship and any emergency communications, but this is not available to us, the guests. So---we can only send news when we get ashore and find Internet or telephone service, which isn’t always easy.
BBC World News by TV satellite keeps us informed of how fortunate we are to be missing the last weeks of the U.S. election campaign and the financial market news! We miss you and hope all's well with you.
Our next post will be 8 days from now from Salalah, Oman, if all goes well.
Love,
Betty and Bill
Note that we’ve posted five new photos here, showing:
Knights of St. John Crusader wall tower at Rhodes,
Betty with cannon balls at 15th century Crusader wall at Rhodes,
Bill at the helm of Star Clipper,
Sunset over Alexandria Harbor,
Mosque at Port Said, Egypt.
Today most of our fellow travelers took a bus excursion over to Luxor to visit the ancient site of the Karnak and Luxor temples, the largest and best preserved of the ancient Egyptian temples, from days of the Pharaohs (2700 BC to 100 BC). The city of Luxor was then called Thebes by the Greeks, and was the capitol of the Egyptian royalty for many centuries. We visited there last January on our Egypt tour with Lynne and Bruce Noel, and since we've already photographed every stone, we decided to decline this excursion and relax in Safaga.
Yesterday, we were at Sharm El Sheik at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula on the Red Sea. This is the resort city where many of the international Middle East peace meetings and negotiations are held, some of which have produced the peace agreements between Israel and Egypt and Jordon.
Some of our group took a 3-hour bus ride through the Sinai desert and mountains to Mt. Sinai and the St. Catherine's Monastery on the "Mountain of Moses" (where it is said that Moses received God's 10 commandments and other instructions for his people. Because of the long bus ride and expensive optional cost, we decided to also decline that excursion and enjoy a relaxed day in Sharm El Sheik. Thankfully, our group made much better speed than Moses and the Israelites did. :-)
Betty wants to tell you that she's learning to play bridge and I (Bill) am relearning--after an abstinence from bridge playing of over 20 years. She also instructed me to tell you about the semiformal Captain's champagne and lobster dinner that we enjoyed Thursday evening--a very nice event while sailing down the Gulf of Suez with 20-knot winds at our back. With these winds, Star Clipper ran under only sail, with engines off. Beatimous!
After departing Safaga this evening, we'll have our longest stretch at sea--eight days sailing down the Red Sea and then across the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea to Salalah, Oman. We'll be forced to relax a bit—should be good therapy. However, we’ll be incommunicado—the ship’s satellite telephone and Internet connection server failed a few days ago and we’re told that it will not be restored to service for the remainder of the trip to Thailand. The ship’s crew have communications for operation of the ship and any emergency communications, but this is not available to us, the guests. So---we can only send news when we get ashore and find Internet or telephone service, which isn’t always easy.
BBC World News by TV satellite keeps us informed of how fortunate we are to be missing the last weeks of the U.S. election campaign and the financial market news! We miss you and hope all's well with you.
Our next post will be 8 days from now from Salalah, Oman, if all goes well.
Love,
Betty and Bill
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