Sailing from Sihanoukville, Cambodia
to Leam Chabang (Port of Bangkok), Thailand
Another day of exceptional weather and touring, although one stop on today's tour took us to an authentic fishing village in Cambodia, where the exhibition of poverty for visiting tourists left me with very queasy feelings. But I will give more detail about that and the other parts of this one-day tour of Southern Cambodia, after I catch up with the last several ports the Volendam visited.
Saturday 24 January 2014
Day at Sea
Sailing from Da Nang to Nha Trang, Vietnam
Thankfully we are sailing a slow course, about 10-12 nautical miles per hour, down the coast of Vietnam, with light following winds and clear skies. The sea is smooth and the atmosphere restful. We could easily make today's leg in one overnight, but the slow pace and the day at sea are quite welcome. It also gives the captain a chance to run tests on the Volendam's new propellers (part of the $5 million refit this past December). Fortunately, he makes an announcement before we come to a standstill and then gradually speed up to over 20 knots, before settling back to our regular pace.
After French Toast and sausage in the Lido--I haven't been getting up early enough for the 8am breakfast in the dining room--I attend a free workshop on computer video editing, which is quite helpful. I do make it to the dining room for lunch, however, and enjoy a Scotch Delight Salad (greens, smoked salmon, sweet mustard dressing), very tender lamb souvlaki skewers, and three chocolate profiteroles. Days at sea don't demand much more than eating, so please bear with the details of the second formal dinner, which begins with the bottle of champagne Will has sent, and continues with jumbo shrmip cocktail with mustard-curry dip (a nice change from the usual red cocktail sauce), tournedos of beef with liver pate, Madeira sauce, and Parisian potatoes; ending with a warm Tarte Tatin with apples in puff pastry and vanilla ice cream on the side.
My only other activity for the day is meeting with the "future cruise consultants," a young couple who keep very busy. I have signed up for two more cruises in 2015 (very low refundable deposit when you book on board), but I'll keep the destinations quiet until this cruise is over.
Sunday 25 January 2014
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Nha Trang, like Da Nang, is a forward-looking city fully preparing to meet the needs of tourists. There is lots of contemporary infrastructure, and the independent traveler would feel quite comfortable making arrangements and seeing the sights. The town, also like Da Nang, is quite famous for its beautiful beaches, which I get to sample briefly at the end of my half-day tour. But the tour begins with an early drive from the port through the modern city, crossing a new suspension bridge over the harbor between the two sections of the city. In the older part of the city our first stop is at the Lon Son Buddhist Pagoda, which requires climbing 152 stone steps to reach a giant white statue of a standing Buddha (with a rest stop along the way to view a serene sleeping Buddha, also larger than life size).
Our guide, a charming young woman who grew up locally, takes us next to Cho Dam Market, the largest in the province, to sample the sights, sounds, and smells of everyday life. Crowds are jostling everywhere, but I never feel threatened or worry about thievery (unlike in the markets in some older European cities). It just happens (!) that our guide's mother runs a small shop in the market, selling betel leaves (for chewing or smoking) and other assorted candies and sweets that are very popular with the Vietnamese. Mother and daughter look very much alike. We also have some time to wander through the market on our own, although not enough time for real shopping. But there is an incredible array of foods and goods of all kinds--some familiar, some very strange.
Our next stop is a visit to the Po Nagar Cham Towers, built over 500 years ago. The Cham people are one of the indigenous tribes of Southeast Asia that have worked their way south from China over the centuries. The towers are made of snadstone and brick and used as Buddhist tmeples. There is much that is original construction, but also much restoration.
Our last stop is a large crafts house, with demonstrations of various local talents (weaving, embrodiery, lacquer work, etc), that are also for sale. Instead of listening to the sales pitch, I cross the street (literally taking my life in my hands; "close your eyes and don't stop" is the advice of our guides) to walk along the beatiful beach and stone boardwalk. This could very well be next year's Rio de Janeiro.
After lunch back on the Volendam, I venture off the ship and on the pier to look for inexpensive souvenirs at booths set up alongside the ship. I also venture outside the port security gates and take a short walk through this part of town--but there isn't much to see here and the center of the city is a long taxi ride away.
I'll end my report that dinner is very good but I won't spend time on the details (other than the highlight is chilled melon bisque).
It's been another day with lots of interesting experiences and not much rest for the weary, since tomorrow is NOT a sea day, but rather a full day in Saigon; I can't wait!
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