Day 58, Saturday March 3, 2018 Puerto Princesa

Weather, 85F Isolated thunderstorms

It was very warm, but it wasn’t hot, but then it may have felt a lot hotter, had we not been in an AC, bus and mall. Yup, that was our day here, as I told you yesterday we didn’t want to see the caves, so  we took the free shuttle and walked around a three story mall. It is amassing how you have this modern mall, and across the stree, there are shacks people live in. And this is a beautiful island, but some how they need to learn how to handle there garbage, it is everywhere, in the ocean, on the streets, and piles all around where they live, it is sad. Then there is this big beautiful mall. With guards at the front doors and at each of the doors, of each of the store doors, and the big department store had so many people available to help you, and not really pushy, but there. It just dawned on me, I bet they work for almost nothing because they can work in clean, cool surroundings! 

So we walked around and did a bit of shopping, but mostly just observed. 

 

The garbage is piled high. And check out the electric grid!

If you didn’t have the nice air condition bus this is what you ride in. It is there version of the tut tut. Or there bus that travels all around, and if you get stuck in the front, you are stuck, as people cram, in from the back. 

 

So back to the ship we went, and up to the pool, and a hamburger for me, and a wrap for Ed 

Quote “I love the feeling of being ANONYMOUS in a city I’ve never been before.”  -Anonymous 

Day 55,56,57, February 28, March 1 & 2, 2018 AT SEA

Ok, OK, I know it has been three days Spence we left Benoa, Bali, but sea days don’t offer a lot of info, to put on a blog. I didn’t even have watercolor for two of the days as there we VIP people using our room, the Kings room.  I have heard it was a Dinner for the Presidents club people. In order to be a Presidents club member, you have to have sailed 1500 days on Holland American and you have to be invited!  We won’t be in that club. LOL

So what have we been doing? Well Ed still had tai chi, and he has been very good about attending, I will need to sneak in next time I can and get a photo of him. He-he. Any way, we have a new chef in the Test Kitchen, Jessie Roasa, we went to her demo, she is all of 25, self taught Philippine chef, that owns her own restaurant in Manila. So one day we learned to make a version of chicken adobo, which is almost a national dish, of the Philippines. Looks 

 an awful lot like Coco van to me but with a lot of vinegar and soy sauce. 

Then we went to see Barbara’s presentation on Puerto Princesa, our next port. Interesting little port, famous for one of the wonders of the natural world, The Underground River. Found in 1997. This is the only major tour here, we pass, neither Ed nor I want to do caves in water, with lots of bats!

So the next day was Gala night, and the theme is White Dinner, Ed and I were prepared for that one.  So no watercolor class again fo me so I rearranged clothes, putting away cold weather clothes and pulling out some of the hot weather clothes I had put away.  See, boaring. Then we went to see Barbara tell us about Manila. And we saw one on Hong Kong, not sure how that is going to work out.  As we are docking at Tie Tech, the old airport, and that is far away from everything, oh well we’ll see. 

Oh I forgot to tell you about crafts class, in these three days we have made a button note card, an Asian pendent, and a stone pendant, this is a great class, and I have learned a lot, about jewelry making, and lots of other little ideas too. 

And somewhere in this time I worked on my watercolor paintings, that I was behind on, and the third day we had a class again. 

So here is some of the paintings.  The spirit House was the last one. 

Now one thing that is happening is the precautions the ship is taking about pirates, here are some of the pictures Ed took of the water cannon. 

As I write this we are landing in Poerto Princesa and this is really humorous as the pilot boat is a canoe!

 You an see the pilot out on the ramp. And Ed tried to get him climbing up the ship, but the best he could do without falling overboard was the next one. 

 

So we are off to see the port. 

QUOTES: 

“TRAVEL in the younger sort, is a part of EDUCATION, in the elder, a part of EXPERIENCE.” - France Bacon

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.”  -Anais Nin 

“If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, and unforgiveness, selfishness and fears.”  - Cesare Pavese 

Day 54, Tuesday, February 27, 2018 day two in Benoa Indonesia

Today was the second day in Bali and we had no plans, it was hot already at 10 am, so this was a day to sleep in and then go to the market. So that’s just what we did. And we met some of the crew members family’s and saw many on board. This will happen again in the Philippines, it is so nice for them. 

So we went out to the market and did some haggling, bought a few things we didn’t know we needed, and came back to the ship for lunch and a beer, a shower and got ready for happy hour and sail away, up in the Crows Nest, that was fun and took off some of the tension of dinner,,,,,, long story, 

we have a new waiter too, that is unrelated. He seems to be very good, but is gettin the cold shoulder from some at the table. 

Tomorrow will be different as they have temporarily canceled watercolor class as they are using the room for something else. And there will be an anti-piracy drill tomorrow, not sure what that will be like. Hummmmmm

Quote  “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my LIST.”  - Susan Sontag

(Backup) Day 52 At Sea Sunday February 25, and Day 53 Monday February 26, Benoa, Indonesia (Bali)

I will start out with Sunday, the sea day as we had a rather special sea day. I started out deciding to skip watercolor class and just catch up with finishing some of the paintings that had gone unfinished due to trying to put to much into a day. And I did just that, so that was good. Then we both, went to Barbara’s talk on Bali, and I think that was productive as we both enjoyed the tour the next day more because of it.  Then Ed went to the test kitchen, to see Bella Jakubiak make Aussie lamb burgers with beetroot relish, while I painted. I was determined to finish before we had to go to the crafts and make a bonefish bracelet, and for the most part I did. 

Now we made reservations for the Sommelier Dinner that night featuring Chef Bella, which probably was not the smartest move, as it made it difficult to get up the next morning, to go on a tour, but I get ahead of myself. 

The Sommelier Dinner is held in the Pinnacle dinning room, that is the specialty dinning venue on the Amsterdam, you always pay an extra price to dine there and on this night it’s even more! LOL. It was very nice, we had 7 coarse’s  and 7 wine parrings, so now you get the picture, of why it was hard to get up in the morning. We’re haveing so much fun we’re killing ourselfs. 

This was the menus:

First Course, Big Easy Chenin Blanc, paired with Australian snapper, lemon myrtle, coconut, wild finger lime

Second course, Laroche Chablis premier cru, paired with beef consommé, oxtail, vegetable pearls

Third course, cloudy bay Sauvignon Blanc, paired with lobster medallion, poached in butter, Espuma of old Amsterdam, saltbush dust

Intermezzo, same wine as above, with lemon sorbet, dehydrated lemon, almond streusel

Fourth course, Meiomi Pinot Noir, paired with duo of veal cheeks & beef tongue, Tasmanian mountain pepper, chili broth, roasted eggplant, jasmine rice 

Fifth course, Errazuriz late harvest Sauvignon Blanc paired with vanilla panna cotta, Lilly Pilly berry compote, macadamia crumble 

Final course, Warre's Warrior Tawny Port, paired with artisan cheeses, dried fruits and nuts

I’m full all over again, but it was a Dinner we’ll remember, for a long time

So the next morning we got up, slowly, but had to make our meeting time and walk the gaunt let to the bus, beautiful Bali was HOT! We the good news was the bus had good AC and it was a smaller one, so off we went, to see Bali arts & Safari Park, 8 hours, first stop, the Batik factory where besides seeing beautiful Batik fabrics, two of the artists painted with wax on mine and Ed’s shirts, in just minutes, wow what ability. 

 

 

This is what she used to do my flower, and a man did Ed’s eagle, this fabric starts out white!

So then next stop was the wood carvers, 

We were not allowed to take any pictures inside, they did have beautiful work

Then it was on to the Safari Park, this was very similar to Disney, we also had lunch there, and it was good. 

I got a nice shot of a lion. 

Then it was on to Ubud the artist area, to see some very interesting paintings, we couldn’t take pictures there either, but I got a great idea for a painting, we’ll see if it works out. 

Then Lucky our guid took us to see a typical Balinese home, very interesting, not what I expected at all. 

 
The bed in the back is not for sleeping it is for sickness or dying, the above is for washing 

This little house in the family compound is for newlyweds, there are no windows, it just looks like windows, they stay there three days, and others bring them food and water.  It is also used for birthing, and then the mother and baby stay there for 42 days. Others shop for their needs during that time, and baby’s can not touch the ground for 42 days either. 

So when we returned, we did a bit of shopping on the pier and had a good shower, and made it to dinner, then attended the Balinese show, it was really different the costumes were spectacular and so was the dancing, but the music,,,,, not so much

  

Quote “To me Travel is more VALUABLE than any piece of bling money can buy.”  -Raquel Cepeda 

Quote “ EXPLORE * DREAM * DISCOVER “ - Mark Twain