Robertson International Travel

TUESDAY, MARCH 31 ~ CRUISING HA LONG BAY, VIETNAM

HA LONG BAY, A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

  This morning as we cruised north along the coast of Vietnam, we experienced a drastic change in the weather with a drop in temperature of almost thirty degrees.  Yesterday in Chan May, we were at 92F degrees and today we were at 67 and dropping.  Tomorrow in Hon Gai, the forecast is 62F degrees.  When we arrived at Ha Long Bay, it was very overcast, but the misty overcast day did cast a mysterious and unique glow over Ha Long Bay, a subject of countless paintings and photographs of this wonderful UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

 

 

 

One of the great natural wonders of Asia, the natural beauty of Ha Long Bay or the "Bay of the Descending Dragon", is outstanding.  The local myths hold that when forefathers of the land were fighting foreign invaders from the north (China), the gods from heaven sent a family of dragons to help defend their land.  The dragons descended upon what is now Ha Long Bay and began spitting out jewels and jade, which turned ino island and islets upon hitting the sea.  The islands functioned as natural barriers against the invaders and the local people survided and vowed eternal honor to the dragon's mercy. 

At the end our our cruise of Halong Bay, we anchored at Hon Gai awaiting our adventures tomorrow.

JUDY AND BRIAN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening at once". 

MONDAY, MARCH 30 ~ CHAN MAY - DA NANG - HOI AN - HUE, VIETNAM

THE CRYSTAL SERENITY 2009 WORLD CRUISE EVENT - AN IMPERIAL EVENING IN HUE, VIETNAM AT THE HUE ROYAL PALACE.

Our whole day was spent in anticipation for our fabulous evening in Hue.  There are two special events during our world cruise specifically for full world cruisers and this year our first event was in Napier, New Zealand and the second will be this evening in Hue!   Our Crystal World Cruise just keeps getting better!

 

  But first, we decided to take the shuttle this morning into Chan May and to a beach resort for a nice lunch.  Many of our fellow passengers went to the resort to enjoy the beautiful beach, get a $10.00 message, and to just relax.  For the first time, we were starting to feel a slighly cooler breeze.  We will now be getting cooler as we cruise north to Hong Kong, China, Japan and......BRRRRRRRR - Alaska! 

Our evening started with a coach transfer of about an hour and a half.  Upon our arrival, we were greeted with mopeds to transfer us into the Royal Palace which, once darkness falls, is all alive with lights and for our special evening, was surrounded with ancient period men and women in Royal Dress.          We were greeted by our favorite lead singer aboard the CRYSTAL SERENITY, Eric Strong, and then caught our wonderful Cruise Director, Gary Hunter, all decked out in Royalty.   

      

 "Nha nhac" or the Hue Royal Palace music was recognized by UNESCO as a "Materpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003.  "Nha nhac" reached its zenith in the Hue's Royal Court under the Nguyen Dynasty frm 1802 to 1945.   Our evening was a reanactment of annual ceremonies, coronations, and official receptions. 

  The dinner served was very "Royal" indeed and, at the end of the evening, were greeted by John Stahl from Crystal Cruises who arranged the whole event.  Congratulations, John, on a wonderful recreation of ancient times for all full world cruisers.

JUDY AND BRIAN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....
"Just when you think you've graduated from the school of experience, someone thinks up a new course".   

 

SUNDAY, MARCH 29 ~ CRUISING THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

SUNDAY AT SEA - ALWAYS A WONDERFUL DAY WITH MORE LECTURES, SUNDAY BRUNCH, AND SPECIAL EVENING ENTERTAINMENT!

Our lecture this morning was predicted - another riveting story by Jay Wolff and this time Jay reverted to war stories.   His title, "The Hanoi Hilton", told the story of the brave U.S. servicemen who were in captivity for years including our candidate for the President of the United States, John McCain. His story in the Hanoi Hilton was repeated told during the campaign and one  to remember.    

On the lighter side, we adjourned the lecture to the Crystal Plaza where, once again, we enjoyed our Sunday Jazz Brunch!  We did everything possible to watch our waistlines and had to repeat our warcry, "Stay away from the bread"!  But the bread is so good on Crystal!

 

We had a real treat this evening when our Assistant Cruise Director, Cherise Silvestri, but on a One Woman Show - "Tea at Five".   She transported us to Old Saybrook, Connecticut in 1938 and get a glimpse into the "behind the scenes" life of Hollywood legend, Katherine Hepburn.  Cherise is a very talented actor with a long list of credits including her recent starring role in a documentary about Chicago Artists, "The Artsiders".   Her performance this evening was magnificent!  We will be treated to another performace by Cherise between Yokohama and Los Angeles.

JUDY AND BRIAN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....

"There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come". 

SATURDAY, MARCH 28 ~ HO CHI MINH CITY / SAIGON RIVER

THE REX HOTEL AND DOWNTOWN HO CHI MINH CITY

We decided to revisit downtown Ho Chi Minh City this morning and it hasn't changed from last year with the exception of much more construction and increased traffic - if that is possible!  With our busy schedules on previous visits, we decided our destination this morning would be the Rex Hotel, the quite famous hotel which started as a French garage.  Later converted to a hotel, this very centrally located icon was used by U.S. personnel during the Vietnam War and a popular gathering place.  We questioned their claim of being a Five Star hotel!  

Judy tried "Tiger" beer as we sat by the window and "people watched".   We walked around the block, took in the sights, and returned on the Shuttle to the Crystal Serenity and prepared for our sailing down the Saigon River.   

   

We got aboard and walked out on our veranda to watch the last minute shopping at the pier.  The bargains were flying as Puma, Nike, Adidas, and other "knock-offs" for polo shirts, hats, etc. were all below $5.00.  The scene was most entertaining! 

As we pulled away from the dock, we looked back at the big bridge under construction and hope that when we return, we will see its completion.

                                                                                                     JUDY AND BRIAN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....

"The road to success is always under construction".  

           

FRIDAY, MARCH 27 ~ HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

OUR VOYAGER CLUB SHORE EVENT AND AN EVENING AT THE FORMER HOME OF AMBASSADOR HENRY CABOT LODGE. 

We were very honored this evening to have our Voyager Club Event in Ho Chi Minh City at the former home of Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge, the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam in the 1960's.   The home is now owned by Trails of Indochina, our Virtuoso On-Site in Vietnam.

 

We arrived at the home and seated with cocktails in the courtyard for a delightful performance of six Vietnamese dances.   Their famous fan dance and other very artistic dances were very entertaining.  

Our Voyager Club members also watched an artist very meticulously working with his brush and no one realized that he was painting each Voyager Club Members name on a scroll, a gift given to each Member at the end of the evening. 

Our dinner was delicious as we listened to trio playing Vietnamese songs.  We were seated in two rooms and all gathered for another group picture.  

   

Our host, John Tue Nguyen, is the owner of Trails of Indochina and enjoyed meeting everyone of his guests.  John and his son visited with each Voyager Club member during the dinner.  His genuine hospitality was very heartwarming and very few realized that John is totally blind from a rare disease.   

JUDY AND BRIAN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....    

"A smile is contagious - be a carrier".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

THURSDAY, MARCH 26 ~ HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

  OUR ARRIVAL VIA THE SAIGON RIVER AND THE MEKONG AND OUR FIRST DAY IN HO CHI MINH CITY.

We had a fascinating cruise up the Saigon River this morning with a lecture by Jay Wolff all the way to Ho Chi Minh City.  The small boats lined up along the river are shrimp boats and they can be found all along the river.  Big tankers passed us on the port side and with our stateroom on the same side, waved to all passing ships on their way down the River to the open South China Sea.   

Jay gave us a short biography of Ho Chi Minh and his rise to power from living in New York and Boston, to London, to Paris, to China, and eventually to his beloved country, Vietnam.   Ho Chi Minh said of Vietnam in its early years before the French, before the Chinese, before the Japanese, and before the United States, "Those who wish to take Vietnam from its people will have to kill every Vietnamese to do so".  Those were very strong words and Ho Chi Minh died defending those words.  As he lies in his Mauseleom in Hanoi, he is resting assured his words have held to this day.   Jay gave a very deep and emotional tribute to all U.S. servicemen who lost their lives here.  

We finally arrived at Lotus Port, our dock for the next three days.  We are facing the dock on the port side and as we threw the ropes, you could see our tug and the huge bridge under construction on the starboard side. 

 

 

 

This is our third visit to Ho Chi Minh City so we will carefully select our activities to take advantage of these three days here - actually 1 full day and 2 half days.   

JUDY AND BRIAN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought". 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 ~ CRUISING THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

VIETNAM ON THE HORIZON AND SOME REFLECTIONS

Yesterday was the first call for Crystal in Cambodia and we very much appreciate Crystal's efforts to bring see new experiences and fresh ports of call.   Whether or not Sihanoukville was worth the visit is in the eyes of the beholder.  Travel has its ups and downs and, as travelers, we must see it all to appreciate the good things and do what we can to improve the bad things.   In our estimation, the main  feature of Cambodia is Angkor Wat, now a UNESCO Heritage Site.  Hopefully, Crystal can find better gateways to Angkor Wat than Sihanoukville.   

Our day at sea was spent primarily in preparation for our 3 day visit to Ho Chi Minh City. 

JUDY AND BRIAN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....

"A successful person is one who can build a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him".  

TUESDAY, MARCH 24 ~ SIHANOUKVILLE, CAMBODIA

CRYSTAL SERENITY'S MAIDEN CALL IN CAMBODIA AND GREAT NEWS ABOUT THE PROPULSION PODS - WE ARE 100% AND FULL STEAM AHEAD!

It was announced our arrival into Sihanoukville would not be until 12:00noon or a 4 hour delay due to the final testing of the repaired POD.   However, the POD was operating 100% so Captain Oklund decided to increase speed and we arrived at 9:30am.  At the last minute Crystal decided to offer a complimentary tour of Sihanoukville with many other full day tours cancelled.  Fortunately, this would be the last of the delays caused by the POD saga!  

We boarded our tour coach #13 which, after all we had been through, made us a little nervous!  At least we were welcomed with open arms and "WELCOME TO CAMBODIA" and off we went with Urara, our Japanese Crytal staff member in charge of arts and crafts, who acted as our Crystal escort today.  

 

 

 

To soon enough, with some sadness, we saw a lot of these open arms wanting money, especially the children.  It was obvious that Cambodia has a long way to go to recover from the devastation of the Pol Pot regime.  Our first stop was to their best market and if this was their best, we questioned the quality down the road.  Entire families were running the market from the elder generation to the children.  Bottled fish and other byproducts and live fish tanks were up and down the marketplace.

 

 

 

 

 

Our next stop was to Wat Krom, a pagota complex which had been restored in 1963 following the Pol Pot destruction including the massacure of thousands of men, women, and children.  

We did see some life starting to appear in these little communities including the smiles of children everywhere we went. 

Our last stop  was at Occheuteal Beach where Crystal had arranged for some light entertainment, drinks, and time for a walk on the beach.   

JUDY AND BRIAN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....

"As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.  To start, give a child a candle".      

MONDAY, MARCH 23 ~ LAEM CHABANG/BANGKOK, THAILAND

OUR SECOND DAY IN THE PORT OF LAEM CHABANG - GREAT SHOPPING IN THE TERMINAL AND A THAI MESSAGE!

It was Monday here, but Sunday back home so we decided to take it advantage of the "extra day", do some great bargain shopping in the terminal, and get a fabulous Thai foot and leg message!  We had a great day reflecting on our experience yesterday at "The Sanctuary of Truth" and welcomed back our Voyager Club members who ventured into Bangkok on Crystal Adventure Overnight program and returned exhausted! Good for them!  Everyone had very exciting stories and tales of their experiences in Bangkok !  

JUDY AND BRIAN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....

"Happiness is a direction, not a place"

SUNDAY, MARCH 22 ~ LAEM CHABANG/BANGKOK, THAILAND

PATTAYA AND THE AMAZING DISCOVERY OF "THE SANTUARY OF TRUTH"

Our arrival this morning in Laem Chabang, the gateway to Bangkok, was our third visit here in 3 years.  The drive into Bangkok is two hours depending upon traffic.  The heat is stiffling at 92 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 percent humidity.  We have visited Bangkok in the past and decided to explore locally which was very worthwhile. 

We were curious about the "Sanctuary of Truth" that we had read in literature, but no one seemed to know much about it.  There were no excursions from the ship to "The Sanctuary of Truth".  We hired a taxi in the terminal that advertised "Sightseeing" so we decided on booking it for 3 hours.  Within 5 minutes out of the terminal, we discovered that the driver could not speak English.  He spoke about 5 sentences to just get us out of the terminal, but that's where it ended!  He did understand we wanted to go to the Santuary of Truth and that was all we needed.  We arrived at the big impressive gates and transferred from the taxi to the horse and buggy to take us down to the "site".We still didn't know what we were going to see.  Still a mystery.  We then were lead down steep wooden stairs and, at the bottom, looked up at our destination, "The Santuary of Truth".  We couldn't believe it!  The outside was impressive, but the inside was magnificent!  We could not believe that this was such a secret!  It was an expensive entrance fee, the location was not easy to find, and the walking to the "Santuary" was moderate to difficult.  Regardless, this needs to be a part of the traveler's itinerary.   

The tour took an hour and a half.    The "Sanctuary" was started 20 years ago and there is still 5 to 10 years to go.  The height is 315 feet to give you an idea of the size.  A very eccentric billionaire, "Khun Lek", came up with the plan for the Sanctuary of Truth approximately 40 years ago and construction started 20 years ago.  The building is constructed entirely of wood around the ancient Thai ingenuity and every square inch is covered with carved sculptures representing the Ancient Vision of Earth, Ancient Knowledge, and Eastern Philosophy.  On our tour, we learned about the elements of the Santuary of Truth - Ancient Life, Human Responsibility, Basic Thought, Cycle of Living, Life's Relationship with the Universe, and the Common Goal of Life Toward Utopia.

There was so much to see and learn here, it is far too much to write here.  If you are interested in learning more, go to

www.sanctuaryoftruth.com.  It's all there and it's fascinating!

We were going to see more of the area today, but the heat got to us and we were saturated with knowledge.  Frankly, the experience was overwhelming and memorable, the essence of why we travel and explore to expand our understanding of the world.   

 

 

 

JUDY AND BRIAN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....
"Make your mark in the world as if there were no erasers".   

"Khun Lek" made his "mark" and did not live to see it's completion.