MAR. 31st -- INDIA BABY!!

FYI -- Temperature is:  95°F/35°C 😎😎

We are up at 7:30 this morning and watch the ship come into port.  As we were approaching the port, Barry & I saw 4 dolphins swimming beside the boat.

Approaching the port @ 7:30 AM

We are in Cochin, India.
We are going on an excursion this morning @ 9:30 and it is called "Highlights of Cochin" and it is 4-hours long.
We visited the Indo-Portuguese Museum.

Our tour guide is holding up peppercorns that he took from one of the trees.

Outside the museum

The grounds around the museum were beautiful

The museum is loaded with religious artifacts.

Then we went to St. Francis Church however, as it is Sunday and there is a service going on, we are not allowed inside.    We could take pictures at the door but only without the flash.
We carried on down the street and walked to the beach and watched the fisherman catch fish using Chinese Fishing Nets.  There were hawkers everywhere in this area.  Barry noticed that they only approach the white tourists and not the Indians at all.

St Francis Church...guy at the door to keep tourists out during Sunday service.

Chinese Fishing Nets...

We then had a bathroom break at a department store and about 30-minutes to shop.  It isn't like a department we are used to but a large 2-story building selling Indian statues, rugs, clothes and pashminas and jewelry.

Barry asked "Which ones are the flying-carpets?"

Cooling off in the A/C

SAGA, The Department Store

From there we stopped and got off the bus and walked by a Jewish cemetery.  Then we walked to a spice market and they also sold clothes and jewelry.

Spices sitting outside the shop

Inside the shop...OMG the smell inside here was absolutely marvellous 

From there we walked to the Jewish Synagog...some went in and others opted to wait outside.
When they came out and everyone was together again, we walked to an area called Jewtown.  It is one of the local markets and very big.

We did not make it to the Dutch Palace as the side trip to the synagogue took too long and we were all too hot to walk anymore.
We head back to the ship.  It was a pretty good tour.

Tonight we are having dinner @ Prime 7 with Rich & Carol.  We are meeting them in Stars Lounge at  6:00 and then will head up to Deck 10 for dinner.
Good day.
Tired.

We are in Mangalore tomorrow and our tour includes a temple visit....will have to dress accordingly...conservative attire, no shorts, no sleeveless tops, shoes off, etc.

MAR. 30th -- EN ROUTE TO INDIA, DAY 3

We are up at about 8:00 AM and are going to the Terry Bishop's Enrichment Lecture and it is "The India Trilogy, Part 3 -- The Jewel in the Crown? The British Raj...India from defeat to victory."
We both went for the final part of Terry's Trilogy.  It was good.

At 11:00 we head up to the Galileo Lounge and watched a Martini-making demonstration ... the bartender made first -- a Saketini or a Japanese Martini...an aperitif and it is a combination of sake, cointreau and white cranberry juice...shaken and put in 5-oz. martini glass.  A cherry goes in the bottom of the glass.  It looks like Japan.

The picture is a little grainy but I wanted to give you a visual.

Then she demonstrated a Brandy Alexander and a Grasshopper.
When she was done, we had a taste and, I gotta tell you, it's hard to beat a Brandy Alexander...tastes like a chocolate milkshake!!  John Lennon's favourite drink...the Brandy Alexander not the milkshake.

We had a light lunch and a quiet afternoon.

At 3:00 PM there was a jewelry fashion show, similar to the one Wendy and I were in.  The line of jewelry was called VOILA.  They showed fabulous earrings, rings and are particularly known for their watches.

I head back to the room at 4:00 PM and Barry is in high spirits and suggests we go to the Pool Bar for a beer.  So, off we go.  We bump into Mark & Sandi, John & Jackie and another woman who will remain nameless until I remember her name.  They are all "world-cruisers".  We watched a fabulous sunset, changed our clothes in shifts and then all headed to Compass Rose for dinner.
Spontaneous and a lot of fun.

We are in India tomorrow!!

MAR. 29th -- EN ROUTE TO INDIA, DAY 2

I got up at 6:30 this morning and with my eyelids at half-mast, I again go out to see if there is a beautiful sunrise.
Bingo!!

At 6:30 AM

Beautiful, right?

Barry joined me and we watched the sun rise and just enjoyed the warm morning air on our skin.

As it is another sea-day, we are both going to hear Terry Bishop talk.  His lecture this morning is "Part 2 of the India Trilogy -- The Indian Mutiny."  After that, at 11:15, there is a cooking demonstration preparing classic Italian dishes...we are definitely staying for this.

So, the Executive Chef demonstrated how to make fresh pasta then cut it into Tagliolini and also made Gnocchi.  It was very informative ... now I need to make some gnocchi.  Strangely, I have a craving for marinara sauce!

At 6:30 tonight, there is an "Indian Ocean Sundown Party"... the orchestra will be playing and the Navigator Production cast will be singing and, of course, there will be champagne.  This is on the Pool Decks, 10 & 11.  The sunsets in this area are supposed to be spectacular ... I'll try and get a good picture to go with my morning sunrise picture.

We met Richard & Lao Vent for cocktails in the Galileo Lounge. While we were in there, we watched the sky get cloudy and hazy...so, no sunset.
We carried on with the Vents to dinner in Compass Rose.  It was a lovely evening.

Back in our cabin, we turned on "Empire of the Sun" and started watching that.  It's a good movie.  Christian Bale when he was a kid!!

MAR. 28th -- EN ROUTE TO INDIA

It is a sea-day.
I got up at 6:00 this morning and went out to see if there was a sunrise.  All I got were some pink wispy clouds...no sunrise.  I went back to bed & slept until 8:00.

"I'll tell you how the sun rose...
a ribbon at a time"
by -- Emily Dickinson 







Barry is quite a bit better today and I'm just about there...95%.

So, as on previous sea-days, I am going to the Enrichment Lecture with Terry Bishop.  The title of the lecture is "The Original "Indian Take-Away!" -- The East Indian Company (John Company)".
So, it's all good and lasts about 45 minutes.

As we have 3 sea-days coming up, the Regent staff has planned all kinds of events to keep all of us from getting bored.  As if!!
Today, on Deck 10 - the Pool Deck, we are having a Country Fair.  A variety of game booths will be set up and available for play.  Guests will have 45 minutes to play as many different games and as often as they like.  All games are free and if you win, you will receive a raffle ticket.  These tickets are entered into a quick Prize Draw for some prizes at the end of the Country Fair.
Gotta check it out.

"Wet your Waiter"... water balloons.  I tried this several times.

This was at the start of the fun...a lot more people showed up

Perfect day for a Country Fair

"The horses are at the Starting Gate..."

There was also Ring Toss -- toss a hula-hoop over the staff member in the pool, a Knock Down the Bowling Pin thingie, some guessing games and lots of other games....country music was pumping through the PA system and, I think, everyone had a great time.

Barry's quiet afternoon paid off...he feels a lot better and we go to Stars Lounge and sit at the bar...talk to lots of people.  Then we go to Compass Rose for dinner.
A good day.

MAR.27th -- MYANMAR, DAY 3

FYI:  Temperature today:  94°F/34°C -- again😎😎
It is day 82 of our cruise

We do not have a tour today.  I think we pretty much saw all there was to see yesterday.  The question around the ship is "why are we here, in Myanmar, for 3 days?".
It's a good question.  I don't have an answer.

Barry's cold is about the same as yesterday and I am at about 90% (feeling not bad, just some sniffles).  So, we decide to have a pool day on Deck 10.  It's hot but maybe we can sweat the germs out of ourselves.
I do a little swimming and that's it.

At 6:00 PM we have a Top Tier event.  I love these.  It is a Cocktail Party and a Show...the show is called "Under the Sea".  Barry has medicated himself all day and thinks he is well enough to go and check it out.
The ice sculpture is a mermaid and the canapés all look fabulous.  It was a fun show.

Mermaid ice sculpture

We have dinner at Compass Rose and we talk about what we should do in Dubai, as we have not booked anything yet.
After dinner, back to our room and watch the movie "Siberia" with Keanu Reeves...not great, lousy ending.
Then to bed -- fully medicated.
We have a sea-day tomorrow.

MAR. 26th -- MYANMAR, DAY 2

FYI:  Temperature today -- 100°F/38°C 😎🌤

We are up at 6:30 this morning and Barry's cold is full blown.  My cold is still there but not so bad.  We have an excursion at 7:45 so we both pop a cold pill and get dressed for our tour.  We are going to a couple of temples so we have to dress accordingly.  Our shoulders and knees & ankles have to covered and shoes & socks have to come off before we go into the temple.
The name of our excursion is called "A Taste of Yangon".

Our drive into Yangon takes about 75-minutes over very bumpy roads. We pass the houses of the people of Yangon and I don't think I have ever seen such poverty.  They live in shacks with thatching for walls and it is very dirty.

Some of the housing...

The first stop is the Shwedagon Pagoda.  It is huge, gold and OMG gorgeous...all of the temples, shrines and buildings inside the pagoda are fabulous.  Right now the Shwedagon Pagoda was surrounded by scaffolding as it was being cleaned.  It have added a picture taken from a postcard to show how it actually looks.

Shwedagon Pagoda

Shwedagon Pagoda covered in scaffolding

Shoes & socks off!

Other buildings & statues inside the Pagoda

It is a Buddhist Temple and there were a lot of people praying.  Buddhists monks and regular people praying.

Our next stop was the "Giant Reclining Buddha of Yangon".  It is huge and beautiful...55 metres long or approximately 180 feet.

Half of the Giant Reclining Buddha

We then had a photo-stop at their government buildings, across from a beautiful park.

I loved this woman...carrying her shopping on her head

Then we head back to the port...it takes about 90-minutes to get back.

The cold pill has worn off and Barry is coughing a lot.  The doctor does not come back on-duty until 6:00 PM so Barry can't see him until then.  When he does see the doctor, he gives Barry antibiotics and some cold pills.  This should fix him up!
We have Room Service -- Chicken soup all around.

We watched the movie "Operation Finale".  This is the story of the capture of Adolph Eichmann...Ben Kingsley played Eichmann.  Very good.

MAR. 25th -- YANGON, MYANMAR

FYI -- 100°F/38°C😎

We arrived in Yangon, Myanmar this morning at 6:45.
It is pronounced mee-en-mar.

Myanmar was the richest country in Asia until 1962 when there was a coup and the military took over running the country and did a terrible job.  They were in control until 2010 (I think).  Now Myanmar is the poorest country in Asia.
We do not have an excursion today due to our colds...still laying low and resting.

Tomorrow we are going off the boat into Yangon.

Quiet day today...more to report tomorrow.

MAR. 24th -- EN ROUTE TO MYANMAR (BURMA)

Today is a sea-day and we both slept until 9:00 this morning.
We get up and quickly get dressed because we want to go to Terry Bishop's Enrichment Lecture today at 10:00 AM.  The talk is called "Myanmar...The Road to Mandalay.  The British in Burma and Beyond".
Barry bumps into Rich, they're both getting coffee before the lecture, and they decide we'd all have dinner together tonight.  We're meeting at 6:00 PM in Stars Lounge.

Carol & Rich Kraska from Florida

After Terry's lecture, we stay for the second talk.  It is being given by Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar and his topic is "Myanmar -- Heralding a New Dawn".  A lot of the same information as Terry's talk but still very good.

We have a quick lunch at La Veranda and have another quiet afternoon.  Barry is on the balcony again and I am in the Navigator Lounge.

We meet Rich & Carol at 6:00 PM in Stars Lounge and the head to Compass Rose for dinner.
Lovely evening.


NOTE:  I received some pictures today from Mike Hirschmann so I have added some pictures to March 19th's posting and March 20th's posting.  Enjoy!

MAR. 23rd -- PHUKET, THAILAND

OK, the first thing we have to clear up is the correct pronunciation of this island.
It is pronounced POOK-ET ...and it is Thailand's largest island with a population of 320,000 inhabitants.

FYI:  Temperature is:  88°F/31°C  😎 -- very humid
          We docked here at 8:00 AM and depart at 5:00 PM

Picture taken from the ship's bridge of our dock in Phuket

Barry & I are up this morning at 9:00 and I am feeling a lot better...my nose has stopped running.  We head down to Coffee Connection and I have my morning shot of caffeine.  We decide to go off the boat and check out the souvenir booths set up on the dock.

View of the island from Deck 11

Souvenir shops/tents set up on the dock

 We check everything out and Barry buys a t-shirt.

A close-up....

The souvenir t-shirt

We head back to the ship and our cabin & lunch.

After lunch, we have a very quiet afternoon.  Barry sits out on our balcony and watches the water and naps.  I head down to the Navigator Lounge for a cappuccino, classical music and my book.  I haven't cracked a book in about 2-weeks.  Lovely afternoon.

At 6:00 PM Barry & I head to the Galileo Lounge as the Seven Seas Orchestra is playing American Classics.  We have a glass of Chardonney and listen for about an hour.

We head to Compass Rose and have a light dinner and then back to our room.
We watch part of the movie "Black Panther"( we'll watch the rest tomorrow) and then we are off the bed.
The clocks are set back 30-minutes tonight.

MAR. 22nd -- PENANG, MALAYSIA

We docked in Penang, Malaysia at 9:00 AM and our tour today is "The Grand Tour of Penang" which is 7-hours long.
Now, last night, when we got back from Kuala Lumpur and our 7-hour tour, we decided that we would cancel our Penang tour and also our Phuket tour.  My cold is a head cold and I am sneezing and have a runny nose.  So, in fairness to the other passengers I really should not be passing my "cold germs" around.  We decide to lay-low and try and nip this cold in the bud.  Besides, we both need a rest.

We sleep in until 9:30 AM, go out for coffee and then spend the rest of the day in the cabin...Barry gets a massage and I work on my Blog in an effort to get caught up.
(Published up to March 21st today...WOO HOO!!)

At 6:00 PM we have "the Navigator's Shipwide Block Party"...at the sound of the ship's gong, we take a glass from our suite, step out into the corridor outside our door, are served wine & cheese and meet our new neighbours.
We meet all of the new passengers that just got on in Singapore.  In the suite beside us, we meet a couple and he owns the Canadian Tire in Orillia, Ontario and his son used to live in Elmira on the same street as Barry's daughter & son-in-law, Laurie & Bruce Shantz.  Wow...small world.

We go and have an early dinner at the Compass Rose.

Early evening...sit on the balcony and watched the sunset and the stars come out.

Sunsetting

Pink sky after the sunset

We watched a movie ... The Girl and the Spider's Web (very good)...and then to bed.
We set our clocks back 1-hour tonight.