EmmJays Travel Journal

November 2005

Hong Kong, China

We had a wonderful two days in Hong Kong. We left the terminal at about 9:30am and headed for the bus station outside the ferry terminal. There are two local buses that go to Stanley Markets and we wanted the one that took the scenic route. The buses are British Leyland double deckers, so on having purchased our tickets we climbed onto the bus and made our way to the seats at the very front on the top level. This was a route we had taken sometime before but we wanted to see it all over again. At Stanley Markets we browsed all the stalls looking for gifts for our loved ones. It was November and Christmas was fast approaching. We all bought 'stuff' and having satisfied ourselves that we had not missed anything, we were back on the bus headed for the ferry terminal again.

We bought lunch and enjoyed it by the waters edge. Caroline needed ballroom dancing shoes and she had been recommended a store in Hong Kong by one of the ships dance instructors. I located the store on a street map and decided on which bus we needed to take to get there. The store had some lovely shoes and Caroline eventually chose the pair she liked the best. We walked back toward the ferry terminal browsing along the way. We did get a few more bargains before getting on a bus to take us the rest of the way to the ferry terminal. It was now 5pm, so we returned to the ship and readied ourselves for the evening meal.

After dinner at about 9pm we were off to the night markets with a new friend we had made whilst on this trip. Of course we sat on the top level in the front seats for the ride. The markets were packed and we browsed and shopped until 11pm. We enjoyed a beer at a local street cafe then got the bus back to the ship. It was about 1am when we got back on board.

The following day we had decided on a trek to Lantau Island to see the Giant Buddha. At the ferry terminal I purchased four tickets, as one of the guys who sat at out table for the evening meal said he wanted to join us. The ferry took about 45 minutes to cross so we got a good look at the harbour. When we disembarked we had to get a local bus to the location of the Giant Buddha. The bus took about 25 minutes as it wound its way across the island. Over 200 steps straight up and we were all at the top of the structure and facing the Buddha. We explored the Temple and enjoyed the wonderful view before us. We bought lunch at a cafe on the island and I bought a bottle of wine to share with my friends.

It was late in the afternoon when we took the ferry back to Hong Kong. This time we were on the fast ferry (hydra-foil). It sat high up on the water like a praying mantis as it skimmed across the harbour. Our friend left us at the ferry terminal as we were off to find cashmere sweaters and knock off handbags. Margaret and Caroline bought several clutches which they were going to give as Christmas gifts. The cashmere sweaters were nowhere to be found. We browsed a lot and returned to the ship at about 8pm.

Singapore

We sailed the South China Sea for two days prior to reaching Singapore. Pat joined us today and as we made our way to Raffles as we decided that an open top-bus tour of the city might be fun. We spent time at Raffles on one of the verandas while Margaret made some phone calls home. We then walked to the City Bus Terminal and found that the bus tour that we were interested in had already left and that the next one was not until the late afternoon, so we ended up going to a butterfly sanctuary for the rest of the day. It was beautiful.

Perth, Australia

We crossed the Java Sea heading for Bali, Indonesia but on the way the Captain announced that we could not dock there due to a serious security alert. So having crossed the equator we were now headed for the Indian Ocean and Perth, Australia. This gave us five full days at sea to enjoy the ships activities.

Margaret was the ping pong maven but on this trip she ran into some major competition. Sandy, who was born in Thailand was very good and ended up taking Margaret's crown away from her. Margaret loved to play so we played everyday. She beat me 8 times out of 10. One day she was chatting up a couple young guys and talked them into playing doubles with us. We played them every day after that and it was so much fun. I even got to beat Sandy a few times because we had had so much practise.

Caroline won at golf chipping on several occasions. We played tennis and swam in the pool just about every day. Every afternoon we played volleyball or we would shoot basketballs. Caroline did not care for volleyball so she would head for the internet or library.

In Freemantle we got on a local bus to a small beach. We spent the day there even though we could not swim in the water. The Indian ocean only got to wash over our feet as we walked along the wet sand. Later that day we got the bus from the beach to a stop where we saw a restaurant. When we left the restaurant we could see the bus coming but we were on the other side of the road and nowhere near the bus stop. Caroline said that there was no way she could make the sprint required to catch the bus. Amazingly the bus driver had seen us and he looped around to pick us up. He said, 'Glad to see you ladies again'.

Adelaide, Australia

We had two days at sea, one in the Indian Ocean and the other, the Southern Ocean. We crossed the Great Australian Bight in relatively rough seas, arriving in Adelaide at about 8am. At the Shipping Terminal, Margaret bought an opal bracelet for her daughter and had not realized that she had left her visa card with the merchant. We had boarded a train that took us from the port to Adelaide itself.

We took a city ring bus and got off in front of a lovely pub where we had lunch and a beer. After lunch I had found a city bus that would take us to where we wanted to go next and luck had it, it was the right bus. We boarded a tram that took us for a 30 minute ride to Glenolg. We spent the some time there and that is when Margaret discovered her visa was gone. It was about 3:30pm when we boarded the tram back to the city. We boarded a city bus to get us to the train station and the train back to the Shipping Terminal. It was after 7pm when we found the merchant. She was packing up to go home for the day, so Margaret was relieved to have found her in time. She had the card in safe keeping.

Sydney, Australia

The ship ventured out into the Tasman Sea for the two day crossing to Sydney. It was a rough ride but the sail into the harbour was on calmer seas. We had only one day in Sydney and for me it was the most important day of the journey. Today I would see my family.

My brother, Neville picked us up at the Shipping Terminal early on the morning of November 19^th. He drove us via the coast to La Parouse. Having reached the house there were hugs all around. My brother, Raymond was there with my sister-in-law, Sabina as well as my sister-in-law Sheryl and my niece, Teagan. Teagan was very excited with the shuffle of adults and was not quite sure what to do with herself. Glenese, my most treasured girlfriend arrived later with her sister, Moira and their mum, Mrs Daly. We chatted most of the day and then celebrated my brothers 50^th birthday over a meal of Neville's favourite food, fish and chips. To Nev, fish and chips are a food group.

Late in the afternoon Glenese and family left and we had to consider the same. The ship was to leave at 10pm so we had to be on board by 8pm. Hugs all around once again and Nev drove us back to the ship. More hugs and he bid us farewell. We walked along the wharf for an hour or so, then boarded the ship.

Brisbane, Australia

We enjoyed another full day at sea, this time in the calmer Pacific Ocean before docking at Brisbane. We had a day in town just strolling around the city. Margaret needed to call home and was having a terrible time getting a connection. She missed Brisbane completely.

Noumea, New Caledonia

A day cruising the Coral Sea and we sailed into Noumea. In 1774 Captain Cook named the island New Caledonia because it reminded him of the Caledonia region of Scotland. The archipelago is one of the four richest territories on earth in terms of biodiversity, despite its relatively small surface area. We got a bus to a beach and enjoyed the serenity of its locale.

Suva, Fiji

It was very hot when we arrived. The craft markets were closed so we decided to look at the ones that were set up on the wharf. There were some beautiful wraps to be had as well as the usual tourist type junk. We took a local bus to a hotel to see what was happening there, and nothing was, so we bussed it back to the ship. With everything closed we decided to enjoy the ships amenities instead.

Samoa, Apia Upolu

The Pacific Ocean was calm once again and we had a beautiful sunny day to enjoy Samoa. We got into a school bus for a trip to the Piula Cave. Here we swam in cave waters by the sea. It was heaven. The drive from the pool took us to a restaurant overlooking a lagoon, where we had a delicious lunch of chicken and fruits. The drive around the island was magnificent. We passed small homes that were tucked away in the jungle type vegetation and bananas hung from squatty trees at every turn. American Samoa is not a wealthy island but it is certainly beautiful.

Christmas Island

We crossed the equator again as we headed north to Christmas Island. It took two days to reach the island so we spent the time on board involved with the myriad of sports events that we loved. The M&M pool got some good use as well. The captain could not get purchase with the anchor as the current was a force to be reckoned with, so the few passengers that had made it onshore via tenders that morning were the only ones to have set foot on Christmas Island that day. A full day at sea followed.

Honolulu, Hawaii

November had come to and end and so had our trek around the Pacific Rim. It was now December 1^stand we were in Hawaii. We got a local bus to Waikiki Beach and spent the entire there. We had 3 days at sea ahead of us before making port in San Diego, California. The final days at sea were filled with ships activities, farewells and some wonderful evenings with friends.