LAST BLOG FROM ASIA

MARCH 23:  Our ship docked this morning at Tianjin Port.  We left immediately on a lengthy bus trip to see the Yellow Teeth section of the Great Wall.  It certainly was worth the trip.  We enjoyed walking and mostly climbing.  When I finally reached a target tower I was totally winded but very happy to see cold beer for sale.  However, it was being sold by an ancient woman, who I assume had to have carried the stuff there, probably without being winded at all.

For our last night on board we had reservations at 8:00 at the Polo Grill (our favorite eating spot).  Our bus got back at 8:10 but the Maître-D’ kindly let us switch to 8:30.  He found us a table for two (see advice on cruising below) and we enjoyed our crab cakes, lobster bisque and prime rib.   I was discussing with my favorite sommelier whether to order an expensive wine from Napa or a cheap wine from Mendoza when he said he would simply discount the more expensive wine for us; a final nice gesture from the incredible staff of the good ship Nautica.

MARCH 24:  We departed the Nautica for the last time taking a 3-hour bus ride to Beijing.  Beijing is a city of 20 million, with 5 million cars.  The traffic is constant gridlock.  In an attempt to control the increase in traffic, licenses to own a car are given by lottery.    Depending on one’s licence number car owners are not allowed to use their cars on one of the five days from Monday to Friday.

 Once we reached the center of Beijing we walked across Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City.  As we were on our way to the airport our guide speed marched us through (4 km from the South to the North Gate).  Somehow we found the buildings to be less luxurious than we expected.   Perhaps the Emperor was too busy with his 3000 concubines to worry about décor.   I have, however, sent a picture of Betty’s favorite spot in the City.

After leaving the city we stopped for one last mystery meal before facing the flight home.

ADVICE TO CRUISERS:  As we have now taken 5 cruises, I recommend this form of travel.  I do think, however, that we have learned a little bit about cruising.  Here are my 5 rules to follow:

1.        As you can only book through a travel agent, choose the right agent.  Do not rely on your local agent.  Only a couple of companies that specialize in cruises can get you discounts and onboard credits.

2.       Choose the cruise line that matches your demographics (travelling with young children, swinging singles, old farts).

3.       Choose a smaller ship.  Larger ships cannot reach the better piers, especially if the city is on a river.  Frequently large ships must dock an hour or two away from everything.

4.       Do not book shore excursions with your cruise line.  Cruise lines make their exorbitant profits on excursions and the casino.  Become familiar with websites such as cruisecritic.com, and use them to arrange private tours.

5.       At the evening meal always ask for a “sharing table.”  Your spouse becomes much more interesting after an evening with political idiots.

ROMANTIC CRUSING:   Some like to cruise because they find it romantic.  Therefore, let me thus leave you with this story:

The old man decided to take his wife on a cruise for their 50^th anniversary.   The first evening, as they sailed on the moonlit sea, they enjoyed a meal in the grand dining room.  Everything from caviar to crème brule, from cocktail to cabernet, was excellent.  After dinner they skipped the floor show and opted to go to the 10^th deck to have a nightcap and watch the lights from the shoreline.

Eventually they returned to their stateroom and retired.  The old man then placed his hand on his wife’s leg.  She responded by moving closer and putting her hand on his chest.  He then slid his hand up onto her hip.  She drew lines down his chest with her manicured nails.

At this point he removed his hand and rolled the other way.  “Why did you stop?” she uttered.

“I found the remote” were his final words.

SHANGHAI

MARCH 20/21:  For our two day stop our ship docked right in the center of Shanghai.  Shanghai is an absolutely stunning city.  World class cities fall into two types:  those that have classic architecture and height restrictions in the core (Paris, Madrid, Buenos Aires) and those that are vertical  (New York, Santiago de Chile).  Shanghai is in the latter category, but different in that the skyscrapers are not simply glass and steel rectangular blocks; rather each building has its own unique shape with either curves or angles other than 90 degrees.   Shanghai proves that not all modern architecture is tasteless.

Shanghai has a population of 23 million, yet (unlike Hong Kong) it does not feel crowded.  Perhaps the $8,000 licensing fee cuts down on the use of private cars.  The city is on two sides of the river, with the largest buildings on the newer side, all of which have been built since 1990.  At one time during the 90’s Shanghai was reputed to have more than 50 % of the world’s construction cranes.

There is little or no unemployment, and no signs of poverty.  Apparently if you lose your job and cannot find another, the government steps in and provides something (such as giving you a uniform and standing you at a busy intersection where you help old people and tourists across the street).

For our two days eight of us arranged for a guide and driver.  We saw the standard sights including the white jade Buddha, the Yu garden (400 year old formal garden in the center of the city), the old city, the French Concession, etc.  At the end of the first day we were returned to the ship around 5:00 p.m.  Betty and I left immediately so that we could stroll along “The Bund”.   “The Bund” is a pedestrian walkway that separates a long section of the river from an older group of buildings from colonial times.  After a late supper back on board we parked in the 10^th deck lounge and enjoyed the light show displayed by many of the huge buildings.

On the second day we had a little more time on “The Bund” prior to our afternoon cruise on the river.  At one point we were stopped by three young girls (tourists from southwest China) who asked us to take their picture.  They were very, very excited to hear that we were from Justin Beiber’s country. On each day we lunched at a local restaurant where the food was excellent.  I did recognize a duck course during one of the meals.  I have almost mastered the art of eating noodles with chopsticks.

After lunch on the first day we visited a tea shop for the traditional tea ceremony.  Even for a non-tea drinker like me this was a very entertaining hour, almost as good as a wine tasting.

One of our stops was at the International Financial Centre (locally called the bottle opener for the building’s resemblance of that appliance) where we visited the 100^th floor for a panoramic view of the city.  While at the top we used the facilities (which in Vietnam would be called the “happy room”).  While I enjoyed relieving myself while standing up to a glass wall, Betty experienced (not in the same happy room) sitting on a heated seat and having her choice of which part of her bottom she wished to have washed.  She declared that she wants one of those toilets at home.  One of the women in the group was so enthralled with the view from the John that she stood too quickly and apparently got a complete shower.   I guess you can’t take a Canadian anywhere.

Throughout this trip we have really enjoyed the various groups of people with whom we have taken shore excursions.  However, as I mentioned earlier, not everyone can be pleased.  The New York couple have been with us several times.  Eventually whenever we had a choice of when or where to go each group would wait to see how they voted, then everyone else selected the opposite.

We are getting better at bartering, although I’m not certain that I really needed the $ 4. “Rolex” that Betty’s bought me as a gift.  Perhaps it will keep time until we return to Canada in only a couple of days.

p.s.  The two pictures are of our ship; one taken from the 100th floor.

HONG KONG

MARCH 15:  We were ready for the relaxation of today’s “sea day”.  I attended three lectures (stayed awake in only one), and went to a wine sale to stock up on dinner wines for the rest of the cruise.  As repeat customers on the cruise line we were invited to the Captain’s cocktail party.  The Captain was a no show.  We were sailing through heavy fog in an area with many fishing boats so I guess it was a good thing that the Captain stayed on the bridge.

MISSING PASSENGERS:  The missing passengers caught up with the ship in Da Nang.  I now feel less sorry for them.  We were two days in Saigon and they left the ship the first day to stay overnight with friends.  As they had not informed the ship that they were leaving, the ship had no way to contact them to tell them of a change in the time of departure.

MARCH 16/17:  Two days in Hong Kong, a city with a great skyline, but a city farther down my suggested bucket list than other places we have recently visited.  Yesterday we teamed up with shipboard friends from Chicago and hired a local guide for a 6-hour walking tour.  The tour actually lasted 7.5 hours.  My feet may never speak to me again.  One of the highlights of the day was lunch when our guide took us to a restaurant unknown to tourists.  Before we ate our guide poured tea into a bowl and then proceeded to wash all of the dishes in the tea.  She explained that this was done in the local restaurants but not in high-end places.  The mystery meal was very tasty.

This morning we did more walking.  Later the cloud cover left and we decided to go to Victoria Peak (supposedly a must when visiting Hong Kong).  As our boat is docked in Kowloon we took the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island (free for seniors), then eventually found the right city bus to get to the Peak Tram.  Upon arrival there were about 2000 people lined up for tram tickets.  We stayed on the bus.  If anybody has pictures from Victoria Peak, please send them.

Today being Saturday, it was madness getting around the city.  There are so many people on the streets, that walking is difficult.  Everyone seems to be high-end shopping, although the markets (bird market, women’s market, goldfish market, flower market) are also very busy.  The most popular car seems to be Mercedes, although most are not as old as Betty’s.

PEEING IN ASIA:   I have often commented that whenever we go to Europe we are in a constant search for a place where Betty can pee.   However, in Asia the toilets have been plentiful , there is no charge, and they are cleaner than in Europe.

SHOPPING FRENZY

SHOPPING FRENZY

MARCH 12:  We docked in Da Nang, a city of 800,000.  However, we read that there was not a lot to see here so six of us decided to make our way to Hoi  An, a world heritage city about 45 minutes away.  We found a large van with a guide and a driver, who agreed to take us to Hoi An, wait, and then return us to the ship; all at a cost of $ 20 per person.

On route we visited China Beach (R & R for Americans during the war) which is a beautiful 30 km. stretch of white sand.  We passed by many large high-end resorts including one owned by Greg Norman.

We started our visit to Hoi An with a stop at a silk factory (complete with zillions of silk worms as well as many young women doing embroidery.)  Betty quickly found herself being measured for silk blouses.  On our own we wandered past many shops most of which were selling silk clothes.  At one Betty spotted a jacket that we liked but which, of course, didn’t fit.  “Two hours” was the promise to have the same jacket made to fit Betty.  While she was processing her credit card with one clerk another cut sections off bolts of cloth and literally threw them out the window to a waiting motorbike which quickly disappeared with the silk cloth grasped in the driver’s hand.  Perhaps he was heading to a sweat shop where 7-year olds worked 18 hours per day.  After a great lunch at a café on the banks of the river (beer, curried chicken, and shrimp all for $ 11) we stopped to buy a suitcase to take to the various shops where hand-made clothes were awaiting Betty.  With about 20 minutes to go before meeting our van Betty found silk cloth that she particularly liked.  The young clerk didn’t have it in the color Betty wanted but promised she could get it in 15 minutes.  She then left us holding down the store while she, dressed in heels and a long silk dress, disappeared on her motor bike, returning about 14 minutes later with the silk cloth.

MARCH 13/14:  After some moderately rough seas from Da Nang, we docked for 1.5 days at Ha Long.  This is the closest port to Hanoi, but a tour into Hanoi takes 11 hours, most of that spent on a bus.  Prior to the trip we hooked up with 10 others (internet) who wanted to take a junk cruise in Ha Long Bay instead of going to Hanoi.  Early in the cruise the 12 of us had lunch and elected 3 to negotiate to hire a junk. 

Our boat looked a little less picturesque than what is shown on postcards.  It had about a 15 degree list to port and I think the Vietnamese name translated as “advanced dry rot”.  However, our 6 hours on the bay were magnificent.  Ha Long Bay has 1969 limestone islands, some of which have huge caves, others having grottos.  Our group was very convivial and we enjoyed the spectacular scenery, the stops at a couple of the islands to explore the caves, the transfer to a tiny boat to explore the grottos, and even the lunch of mystery fish.  The bay is truly  one of the world’s wonders.

LEAVING VIETNAM:        We are about to sail away from Vietnam.  Betty insists that I tell you that you must put this incredibly charming country at the very top of your list of places to visit.  More than that, you should visit here soon as the country is developing so rapidly that it will be unrecognizable in another 10 years.   In praising Vietnam I should strive for a little balance; their wine is awful.h

Malaysia to Vietnam

MALAYSIA TO VIETNAM

MARCH 7:  Today was not a perfect day, but then perhaps not every day is perfect in Paradise.   I don’t mean that it was a really bad day; after all no one lost a wallet, no one missed the ship, no one slipped and broke an ankle, and no one was called a “slut” by Russ Limbaugh.  But it was a boring day. 

We docked in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia where we had a pre-arranged tour with 8 others to Mount Kinabalu, a UNESCO world heritage site.  This is the highest mountain in Southeast Asia, protected because of the many rare types of plant life.   The bus took two hours to reach the mountain and we then spent hours listening to our guide explain the plant life; mostly orchids.  He was incredibly enthusiastic about the rare orchids, almost none of which were in bloom.  Answers to questions about, politics or social life got quickly diverted to plant life of the region.  I think Botany and Boring are linked by more than alliteration.

Our tour included lunch in a Chinese restaurant where the natives were eating unusual looking, but perhaps tasty, items.  However, our group was served a selection that could have been ordered at the Moonlight Restaurant in Antigonish.

MARCH 9:  Today is the first of our five days in Vietnam.  We got up before dawn to enjoy the sail up the Saigon River to Ho Chi Ming.  Saigon is a section of Ho Chi Ming Province (not City; that is a bad translation from the French).   The central area of Saigon is quite lovely, but walking is difficult as the streets and sidewalks are covered by a plague of motorbikes (5.1 million registered in Saigon).  Many bikes have 3 or 4 riders and the bikes carry everything.  We saw a guy holding a small refrigerator as he weaved through traffic.  It is not uncommon to see a mother, father and two kids riding on one small motorbike.

We spent most of the day on a tour of the Mekong Delta (the huge agricultural area south of the city).  We drove through rice paddies with lots of peasants under coulee hats working in the almost 40 degree sun.  We took a boat ride on the Mekong River where we stopped for lunch at an outdoor restaurant that served us such delicacies as Elephant Ear Fish.  Before returning to the ship we went to a show at a water puppet theatre.  This was much better than I had expected.  

A quick shower and a glass of wine got us ready for a dinner through which I had trouble staying awake.

MARCH 10.  Again we got up early and our bus bullied its way through the morning motorbike traffic as we crossed Saigon on our way to the village of Cu Chi.  This was an area of heavy fighting during the Vietnam War (or American War as it is called here).  The Americans were unable to defeat the Viet Cong who fought from a huge network of tunnels.  Now there is a lovely jungle walk to see examples of deadly traps for the GI’s.  I turned down an offer to fire live rounds from an AK-47 but I did crawl on my hands and knees through one of the Viet Cong tunnels.

On our way back to the city the 10 of us voted to skip lunch in favor of extra site seeing.  I did, however, spent one U.S. dollar for an ice-cold beer from a street vendor.  Before visiting some interesting museums we spent an hour in a huge market where Betty left more money than would have been spent by one with better bargaining skills.

I recommend to anyone that Saigon is a must for your travel bucket list.

Earlier in this blog I joked about missing the ship.   Today one couple did just that.  We had been originally scheduled to sail at 6:00 p.m. but departure got moved to 4:00.  I doubt the couple were planning on seeking asylum; rather they perhaps simply didn`t attend to the notice of departure time change.  Since it was 98 degrees F. outside I expect they had nothing with them besides shorts and sandals.  We heard that (1) one of the pair was quite elderly, and (2) the ship officials left their passports with port authorities (whether or not they would know enough to check there is another matter).  If they were like me most of their cash and perhaps some or all of their credit cards would have been left behind in the safe in their stateroom.  As tomorrow is a sea day this unfortunate couple will have to find hotels for two nights as well as figuring out a way to travel to our next port of call which is Da Nang (a long distance from Saigon).

Singapore to Brunei

MARCH 3:  This morning we docked at the world’s largest container pier.   Our shuttle bus drove through the length of the pier on our way to Singapore.  I am certain that the Halifax pier would be less than one per cent the size of this one.

Singapore is a wealthy city-state where the average annual income is $ 62,000. ( $ 47,000 in the U.S.).  The city is spotlessly clean which is what one would expect from a country which has a $ 500 fine for eating anything on the subway, and where chewing gum is outlawed completely. 

We didn’t have a tour arranged for Singapore so we bought one-day passes to the subway.  The subway system will take one literally anywhere so we spent the day going from sight to sight.  It is very easy to navigate as all the signs are in English.  One of the most impressive spots was the Sky Park,  a huge structure in the shape of a ship that straddles the top of three 50+story hotel towers.  Going up is similar to going up the CN tower but with a much, much, more impressive view.  We talked to people on the ship who had been here 7 or 8 years ago and they said that they didn’t recognize anything about the city.

MARCH 4/5:  Two sea days coincided with both Betty and I having stomach upsets.  We are not certain why as we ate different things on March 3, but we did drink a bottle of wine that was slightly corked (I know, I know, shame on me).  Really we were only sick for one day but even that is an adventure.  Getting any kind of sickness on a cruise means that one will get immediately quarantined until the ship’s doctor decides you are no longer a threat to anyone.  Thus, one has to be careful to leave one’s room at least twice per day when the maids come so that you don’t get reported.  We were on a cruise once when a passenger got a mild bit of flu and both she and her husband were confined to their cabin for several days.

MARCH 6:  We docked at the Port in Maura, Brunei Darussalam (on the island of Borneo).  Brunei Darussalam is a tiny oil-rich Sultanate.  We had no advance plans but thought we would go into the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan and wander around.  However, the ship wanted $ 49 per person just for a return bus ride to the city which is only ½ hour away.  Instead we left the ship and found, or were found by, a young deckhand from a nearby tugboat who offered us a 5-hour tour for $ 100 Singapore dollars. 

First, he took us to the 100-year old Kampong Ayer, or Water Village, where 30,000 live in stilt supported houses on the river.  There we rented a high-speed water taxi and went several miles up the Brunei River where we found many Proboscis monkeys which live in the Mangroves.   After returning to the city center Betty donned a floor length black robe in order to enter the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque.  We then were briefly dropped at the gates of the Sultan’s Palace, the world’s largest making Buckingham seem definitely from the low rent district.  After several more stops including another Mosque and the Royal Regalia Museum we headed back to Maura stopping for a walk through the lobby of the Empire Hotel (where rooms range in price from $ 400 to $ 15,000)—definitely a step up from Motel 6.  I happily left my remaining Singapore dollars with our superb guide and boarded the ship in time for an afternoon swim.

DINING ON BOARD THE NAUTICA:  There are five restaurants on board but we usually opt for the Grand Dining room.  On entering we are always asked if we wish to be alone or would we like to join others.  Our option is for company and we sit at a table for 6 or 8 and enjoy a 3 to 5 course meal with decent wine.  As there are 131 Canadians on board sometimes we find ourselves with sedate conversations about travelling or grandchildren.  If our dinner companions are Americans the conversations tend toward politics.  Although there are both Democrats and Republicans here they seem to identify each other from a distance and avoid the same tables.  I remain shocked at the Republicans antipathy toward Obama.  Although lots of Canadians dislike Prime Minister Harper the depth of emotion is nothing like that many of our dinner companions have toward their President.  They seem in absolute despair at the thought of another 4 years.

Tonight, however, we have reservations at the Italian spot.

More from Thailand

TravelWhine – March 2

FEBRUARY 28/29:  After boarding our ship we had dinner with two other couples with whom we had a pre-arranged tour for the next day.  A four-course dinner and an excellent Malbec put me to an early sleep but also an early rise.   I decided at 5:00a.m. to spend  a little time on the walking/jogging track.  Now, you ask, who is up-and-about at 5:00 a.m.?  First there are a large number of crewmen busily scrubbing every railing, deckchair, and inch of deck with soap and water.  Then there are a surprising number of guests, albeit only old men, drinking coffee.

For our final day in Bangkok our tour took us first to the world’s largest wholesale flower market which was quite stunning.  However, we eventually walked through an equally large vegetable market and I must say that being in the midst of that many vegetables put me in near panic mode.  Next we toured the King’s Palace and a number of temples, seeing the Emerald Buddha and the Reclining Buddha.  This was followed up by a high speed long tail boat tour up-and down the canal system.  Houses of various qualities are built on stilts along the canals which are very busy with boats, young boys swimming, and some strange-looking lizards that are 5 or 6 feet long.

Perhaps the highlight of the above tour was Betty’s near faux pas while leaving one of the temples.  Not paying particular attention to where she was walking  nearly caused a collision with a monk.  From out of nowhere our 90 lb. female guide football tackled Betty so that a bump with the monk would not occur.  In Thailand there is no greater calamity than for a woman to touch a monk.  Perhaps if Bishop Lahey had had someone as protective as our tour guide things would have worked out better.  In any event we got back to the ship in time for a second delivery of stuff from the tailors and then to meet up at happy hour with a pre-arranged group of guests (from internet connections) for the beautiful sail down the River Chao Phraya.

MARCH 1:  Our ship anchored off Koh Sumui (Coconut Island) and we tendered with sixteen others for a tour arranged by Pierre somebody of Ottawa (internet connection).  We tendered ashore and were met on the pier by two 4 x 4 pickups.  Seven of us got in the back and two volunteers were strapped into seats bolted to roof of the pickup cab.  We drove that way some distance to an elephant farm where we elephant trekked through a bit of the jungle.  Then back to the pickups for a hair-raising drive part way up a mountain.  When we reached the end of the road we continued on foot to a beautiful 80 meter waterfall.  Then we took another quick trek to a Buddhist sculpture garden hidden in the jungle.

After lunch the group divided into swimmers (Betty) and snorkelers (Ron).  The swimmers were taken by boat to a white sand beach on an uninhabited island.  The snorkelers took a different boat to an off shore reef.  Of course there is no pleasing everyone and one couple (from New York, where else?) who  were in the swimmers group, refused to go to the uninhabited island because there were no lounge chairs on the beach.  They sulked all the way back to the ship.

We got back on board in time for another quick swim in the pool before dressing for dinner where we enjoyed eating with a group of Democrats whose views were quite different from our Republican dinner mates of the previous evening.  We pushed ourselves away from the table in time for a well-done production of Broadway excerpts in the concert hall.

MARCH 2:  Today will be spent on board as we sail Thailand Bay on our way to Singapore.  Our only scheduled event is to lunch with a group arranged by Chuck somebody.  We are going to discuss our plans to rent a junk for a day on Hue Long Bay in Vietnam.  Betty is going to take in a cooking class and I shall perhaps attend a lecture or two.

First Blog from Bangkok

TravelWhine – Feb. 28/12
Ontario to Bangkok: We left Nova Scotia on Feb. 16 heading to Ontario to see Alexander, our brand-new grandson, along with his “big brother” Nate. Car trips for us usually involve collecting things. I tend to collect speeding tickets and Betty tries to collect every pothole along the way. This time I had a rare strike out, but Betty hit a winner just outside Montreal. Three of the tires survived.
Life on Grove Avenue in Ottawa is definitely not dull; what with a new-born, a three-year old, a new addition on the back of the house that is only partially completed, and a construction crew in the basement jackhammering away in order to lower the floor by two feet. As it was February break last week at Carleton, Matt had a few days to work on his house. He and I managed to dig out the old cast iron sewer pipe and replace it with ABS. We also tiled two floors and one shower as well as worked on duplicating antique window casings. Unfortunately there is lots left to do, but Betty and I needed to get to Toronto to catch a plane.
In driving to Toronto to visit our other two grandsons we hit a major storm on the 401. At this point I had had the three remaining (see above) snow tires removed and four summer tires installed. We made it, nonetheless, without incident and had a nice but short visit with Sam and Thomas. Peter drove us to Pearson early Sunday morning (to catch our 1:30 a.m. flight to Hong Kong.) After a 15.5 hour sit in steerage we had a 3- hour layover before catching a three- hour flight to Bangkok.
First Day in Bangkok: After arriving somewhat exhausted we stood in line for a full hour at immigration before being admitted to Thailand. It was 1:00 p.m. Monday when we got to our hotel and we were told that the 32 degree temperature represented a cold day for Bangkok. Since we hadn’t really slept since Friday night we felt that we should try and stay out of bed until at least evening, in order to adjust to the 11-hour time difference. After a quick shower we decided to go shopping for a made-to-measure suit for Ron (the last time I bought a suit was before I retired from StFX). Those of you who have been watching my horizontal growth spurt know that none of my jacket buttons are ever buttoned.
Suit shopping in Bangkok is an experience as there are hundreds of places that do made-to-measure. The place that came highly recommended was happy to send a car to pick us up at the hotel. Once at the shop we were provided with cold beers while being shown samples of silk and cashmere fabrics. In my exhausted state I was unable to resist much of anything. I suppose one of suits can be something in which I can be buried, but what about the rest of the stuff? Perhaps dinner parties on Wedgewood Drive will become more formal affairs.
Bangkok, a city of canals and golden Buddhas, teems with 10 million people and after being driven back to our hotel we decided to try some touring in this very interesting place. For about $ 1.30 each we purchased all day passes to the Skye Train system. Mayor Ford of Toronto should be forced to visit Bangkok to see a workable public transportation system, but I digress. We rode to the Centro district where the streets were jammed with shoppers and people buying their suppers from the many sidewalk cookeries. Anyone with agoraphobia would be immediately reduced to a snivelling wreck. After a period of jostling we found ourselves on a side street and picked a restaurant that looked authentic. For $ 50 we had three very good courses and, to my surprise, an excellent bottle of shiraz/malbec from the lengthy wine list.
Another Skye Train ride took us to the famous Patphong district (known for selling brand name knock-offs). There are lots of things to see in this also crowded area, including many sex shops. It was interesting as whenever I wandered slightly ahead of Betty I would be accosted by a huckster trying to entice me into his den of inequity. As Betty caught up the huckster would politely apologize for hitting on someone clearly not in the market.
We left Patphong and took yet another Skye train back to the hotel in time for a scheduled a second fitting with “my” tailor. We were awakened by the desk phoning (at 11:00 p.m.) to tell us to come down and escort two tailors up the elevator. The partially completed jackets, pants, and shirts would perhaps not look so good on an Italian model, but they did mold to me as perfectly as the skin of a fresh pear and I must admit that my body does resemble that particular fruit. My complete order is to be delivered to the ship by 5:00 this afternoon. Just maybe I’ll dress for dinner.