Monday, 18 March 2019

First of Two Sea Days, Sailing from Hong Kong to Shanghai

This morning I am on the Westerdam as we sail slowly for two days, from the southern-most port of China, to Shanghai, situated in west-central China.  The weather has approved over the past week, both on board and in the tourist areas on land.

On Saturday Peg and Carol treated me to dinner in the Canaletto Restaurant on board the Westerdam.  Obvious from its name, the Canaletto serves up Italian delights with a touch of post-modern flavors.  In the main Dining Room, portions seem to have returned to the former days of very large quantities (my Wienerschnitzel had its edges sliding over the sides of the platter.  Quality and variety have also been very good, with many dishes embellished with local foods from the areas we are visiting.  And even in the Lido Restaurant, where the masses gather to eat breakfast and lunch, there is always too much to choose.  And yes, I certainly enjoyed my surf and turf dinner, although I turned it into surf and surf, with two very large lobster tails.

On the second "Gala Night" hardly anyone wears formal or even especially dressy clothes.  At some point (probably after I get home), I will dedicate an entire blog entry to the Westerdam and its passengers and crew.  The ship has been beautifully up-dated, with added music venues, and bars.

I will break off here and take lunch in the main Dining Room.  After lunch, it will be a toss-up between blogging about the days that have passed since Taiwan, spent primarily in Manila and Hong Kong, and napping.  Let's see which idea prevails.

Friday, 15 March 2019

Hot and Harried in Manila

Well, napping won out for a while, but I am back with my day in Manila.  The sun has been out for the past few days, so I really shouldn’t complain, but Manila’s not just too, but very humid as well.  My intention is to explore just one small section of the city, Intramuros, founded and walled in by the Spanish as they used many parts of the island to support their trades in gold and silver.  The entryway to this self-contained walled area is a very short walk—although not a very pleasant one—from the port to walls.  It is delightful to cross over into the quiet of Intramuros from the busy port area, but the tourist, and locals too, must find the cacophonous terror of trunks honking their very load horns, motorbike thugs paying no attention to whoever may want to cross the street, and skinny locals driving one-bike palanques or horse-drawn carts.  I have learned to latch on to families with small children as they cross the street; that combination seems to supply some protection.  Once I make it through the city walls, I am delighted to be in a different world altogether.  Very few motorized vehicles are tolerated and the touts that lined the routes I just walked seem to have withdrawn.  Or maybe it's coffee break time and everyone is head to the nearby Starbuck's.

 Local Entertainers Pack Up Their Instruments After Providing a Musical Welcome
to Disembarking HAL Passengers

 Former President Aquino Glorified by Her Fellow Citizens

Scenes of Fort Santiago, Built by the Spanish

Visitors may enjoy the shady gardens, but are not allowed inside the fort since it is still used by the National Police.  I’m sure you have heard all the nasty stuff about the current President of the Philippines but locally not a word is whispered about President Duerte’s reign of terror.

The More Pleasant Aspects of Intramuros

Entry Gate in the City Wall

E

Restored Market, Now an Up-scale Antique and Souvenir Store

Antique Shop Sign

One Local Working Not Too Hard in the Heat of the Middle of the Day

Colorful Jitneys Are a Major Mode of Movement in Manila

Jitney Collecting Passengers

Jitneys Come in Many Sizes and Colors--This One Looks Fully Loaded

Two major Roman Catholic churches, the Cathedral (1571) and the San Augustin Church (1607),  are still in use by inhabitants in the local and surrounding areas.  

Cathedral Main Portal

Cathedral Interior

Carved Side Door of San Augustin

A Busy Street Market Ends My Visit to Old Manila

I had originally intended to work my way from Intramuros to Manila's Chinatown, the largest in Asia outside of Mainland China itself.  But nearly overcome with heat and exhaustion, I wend my way back to the ship through the busy streets of the port.  Even the coolness of a large iced latte (from that local Starbuck's) wasn't enough to keep me cold.  After lunch on the Westerdam, I head to my stateroom and spend the rest of the day relaxing on my veranda.

The sun is starting to set as we sail away from Manila, with a view of the modern side of the city in the glow of a beautiful sunset.