Mumbai (Bombay), India

I have never been interested in traveling to India. There, I said it, and at the time I said it I absolutely meant it. Mumbai is such a fascinating city though, and I've been forced to change my opinion! After passing through a million security checks to reach the cruise terminal, we boarded our bus for our tour to Elephanta Island. Along the way to the pier we passed many lovely colonial buildings whose beautiful architecture was only slightly diminished by the sooty coatings caused by the city's terrible air pollution. Out on the pier itself there is an ornate stone gate (The Gateway of India), built for the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in December 1911. To get there we walked across a wide, stone-paved square full of tourists, commuters, men selling postcards, and pitiful looking women carrying babies and begging for money. Our guide told us to ignore them because they were not begging for themselves but were working for criminals who would take most of the money away from them. She said that the babies probably weren't even their own but had been rented for the day from very poor families as props to win our sympathy. Our hour long boat ride out to Elephanta Island was most pleasant as the breeze off the water had a welcome cooling effect. Once we reached the Island we boarded a small brightly painted train for the 1 km journey to the base of the stairs leading up to the caves. We had been told we would have to climb up 120 stairs to reach the Elephanta Caves, but we really weren't prepared for the reality of the situation, having envisaged a set of evenly spaced stairs like those outside a church or a Chinese temple for example. In actual fact we climbed up the side of the mountain a few stone steps at a time with long, steep areas of stone-paved ramp in between each set of steps – so it was quite a climb and quite a distance to the top. All along both sides of the ramp the locals had set up colourful stalls from which they sold a wide range of handicrafts – stone and wooden carvings, lanterns, purses and embroidered bags, pictures, cloths, scarves, decorated mirrors, doorbells, clothing, etc. Of course they called out to us constantly trying to get us to buy, but our guide had told us to wait until the return journey, so we soldiered on through the extreme heat and humidity. The caves themselves were quite impressive, developed in the style of a temple with huge stone pillars at the entrance and throughout the interior and stone carvings of the Hindu God Shiva on the walls. The huge carvings were lovely but alas badly damaged as they had been used for target practice by the Portuguese in earlier times. We were counting on cooler temperatures inside the caves but it was not meant to be. It must have been at least 40 degrees up there! After our tour of the caves we were given an hour and a half to explore on our own and make our way down through the stalls. Mum bought three embroidered purses because every time she bought one she'd see one at another stall that she liked better! On our trek we certainly enjoyed the variety of animal life – colourful roosters, placid black cows, scrawny-looking mangy yellow dogs, a black and white goat sleeping on a bench, and monkeys in all shapes and sizes leaping around everywhere. I love monkeys, so it was a real treat! All in all we had an exhausting but interesting day in Mumbai. We both agree that we'd like to come back and explore more of the city at a future date.

Male, Maldives

Wednesday we arrived Male, Maldives and now you will get the lamest blog entry yet! We were supposed to go on a two hour walking tour of Male, but we decided not to go. Here are our excuses: We were both still feeling really sick from this darn cold. It was already +30 at 7:00 in the morning. We had watched the port talk, and there really didn't seem to be much of interest in Male unless you were going to be snorkeling, which was not offered as a tour option. And finally, you had to take the tender to get to shore, and it just seemed like an extra level of hassle for a tour we didn't want to go on anyway. Firmly in agreement, we decided to stay on board and do our laundry, which turned out to be a great choice! We had the laundry room almost to ourselves (trust me, this was a big deal!) and had three loads done in two hours – a record during our time on the ship. Once our buddies who did go on the walking tour returned to the ship they told us that we had made the right decision – they were basically herded from place to place with no information given to them by the guide, and it was so unbearably hot that everyone was completely miserable. We had a very good view of this extremely small island capital from our stateroom, and the water was just as beautiful from our vantage point as it would have been had we gone ashore. Sometimes you just need a day off, even in paradise!

Phuket, Thailand

Our day trip in Phuket was much like the tour we took in Vietnam. Basically, if you put the words “scenic cruise” into the tour description, we're there! We had an early start of it and were hustled past the vendors setting up shop on the pier for the 90 minute drive to Phang Nga. After a brief pit stop at the Phang Nga Bay Resort we boarded our open air boat for our cruise. The scenery was similar to that of Halong Bay – steep, forested mountains and islets, including one shaped like a poodle. Our destination: James Bond Island, famous for appearing in the movie The Man With the Golden Gun as the hideaway of Christopher Lee's character. Mum and I re-watched the movie the night before in anticipation, and it was such a thrill to actually go there! I remember being in awe of the scenery when I first saw the movie as a child, and it was even more breathtaking in person than it was on film. As we approached the island we passed rock formations with narrow openings into caves and there were many people in kayaks paddling along and having to lie down to enter the grottos hidden beneath the rocks. It looked like a lot of fun – maybe next time! We were fortunate to be able to pass through one of the larger caves, thus making up for my missed opportunity at the Hole in the Rock in New Zealand. A stop on James Bond Island wasn't part of our itinerary, but that's probably for the best – I wager that shopping at one of the tourist traps that are now a part of the island would have ruined some of the mystique! After we'd drifted around so that everyone had a chance to take pictures from multiple angles, we headed back to the floating village of Panyi. Its inhabitants are the descendents of the sea gypsies who used to be pirates in these waters. Now they depend mainly on tourism for their livelihood. We landed beside a wobbly pontoon dock and made our way through one of the pleasant, clean looking restaurants and into the market area. After a stop outside the local school we were set loose to explore and shop. Half an hour later we headed back to the pier where we lunched at the Phang Nga Bay Resort. We enjoyed a buffet of various Thai delicacies – fried vegetables, basmati rice, green curry fish balls, crab sausage, sweet and sour pork with cashews, and barbecued beef, plus exotic fruits for dessert. On the way back to the ship we had to make the obligatory stop at a high-end jewellery/souvenir shop so that “richy-riches” could be talked into buying another bauble for the “little woman”. Mum and I admired but did not buy – not our style. We prefer the street markets, so upon our return to the pier we explored the many stalls that had been set up near the ship and happily parted with some of our cash!

Singapore

I need a break from writing the blog, so mum will do the honours for Singapore! Here we go..... By the time we reached Singapore this wretched cold held us both in its death grip. But Singapore was not to be missed, so we girded our loins, threw caution to the wind and leapt into the fray (i.e. boarded our tour bus)! We soon abandoned modern Singapore with its tall, glass covered office towers and banks and innovatively-designed hotels and convention centres and entered a world that hasn't changed much architecturally for over a hundred years – old Chinatown. Our first stop was the Chinatown Heritage Centre. Housed in a skinny, three storey building erected in the late 1800s, it displays the life of the early Chinese migrants to Singapore. As we climbed narrow, uneven wooden staircases and wandered along the darkened hallways we were able to gaze into crowded, dingy living cubicles, cluttered workrooms and common kitchen areas. It was easy to imagine how difficult life must have been for the original Chinese settlers. This is one of the best small museums I've ever been in as it was easy to picture the early lifestyle rather than staring at a variety of artifacts enclosed in clean, well-lit display cases. Next, our guide Andrew, led us along twisting lane-ways lined with numerous small stalls and shops displaying all manner of exotic wares. Unfortunately time was of the essence and we had to keep moving, catching titillating glimpses of fascinating items but never being allowed to stop and shop. Our next stop of interest was a brightly decorated Hindu temple. Even the ceilings were painted with depictions of Hindu Gods. We moved through quietly in our sock feet so as not to disturb people involved in prayer and various rituals. As an extra bonus, Andrew then directed us to a huge Buddhist temple elaborately decorated in red and gold with large murals and hundreds of Buddha statues covering the walls. It was interesting to compare the temples of the two different religions. Leaving Chinatown behind we were driven to the Royal Selangor pewter factory. After a brief introduction to the making and decorating of pewter objects, we were led to a workroom, given an apron, a pewter disc and a variety of tools and taught how to make a simple pewter bowl which we could keep as a souvenir. I can imagine what it must have looked like – two dozen senior citizens (plus Berna) lined up at counters and energetically flailing away with wooden mallets! After completing our projects we were offered a cold drink and a chance to purchase beautiful (and pricey) items made by the experts. Not being in the financial bracket of some of our companions, Berna and I decided to satisfy ourselves with our own hand-made pewter creations. Our last stop of the tour was a dream come true for me, the Raffles Hotel which featured in movies and literature I was exposed to in my teens. Built in 1887 it epitomizes the colonial style of the late 19^th Century. As we strolled over white marble floors through gracefully arched hallways we gazed out at a series of enclosed courtyards full of palm trees, giant ferns, delicate fountains and wrought iron benches. Every corner of the building seemed to contain a light, airy veranda complete with comfortable looking wicker furniture. One could easily imagine the colonial Brits strolling through the gardens and enjoying afternoon tea on the terrace! Of course no visit to Raffles would be complete without sampling the drink for which the hotel is famous – the Singapore Sling! Up a wooden staircase, around a corner, and there we were in the Long Bar – all dark polished wood, glass cabinets and wicker furniture. Palm shaped fans flicked back and forth on the ceiling. Once we were settled at tables for four our drinks were served in tall elegant glasses. As the recipe states the drink is an “attractive hue of coral” and is garnished with “a slice of orange, strawberry and mint leaves”. I don't know how much liquor it contained but it certainly packed a punch! In the middle of each table was a wooden box full of peanuts. Traditionally you're supposed to eat the nuts and toss the shells on the floor, an act which I found very difficult after 35 years of trying to teach Inuvik kids not to litter! Upon our return to the cruise centre, Berna and I had just enough energy left to purchase a couple of suitcases, then it was off to our stateroom for a little lie-down! As we sailed out of port we were treated to a spectacular thunderstorm complete with both sheet and fork lightning and a torrential downpour. What an exciting way to end an excellent day!

Brunei

Monday we arrived at the port of Muara, Brunei. I was still feeling like death warmed over and had begun to infect mum and the thought of going on an 8 hour tour was not very appealing – I almost cancelled and stayed on board, but decided that I'm not likely to get to Brunei again, and I couldn't bear to miss it. It turned out to be one of our best tours so far! We made the short drive to Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city of Brunei and began our tour at the wet market, an open-air market beside a canal selling a wide variety of fresh fish, dried fish products, spices, fruits and vegetables. Our guide Stanley (named after his father's favourite toolbox!) enthusiastically described every spice and food item in great detail, including how to use each item in your day to day cooking. Needless to say, we were at the market for a very long time, inhaling the pungent smells which were a little hard to take that early in the morning. I confess I have had my fill of fish markets! There were a lot of cats roaming around the market area – Stanley told us that cats are highly regarded in Brunei and are far more popular than dogs. I was just happy to see some kitties because I miss mine very much! When Stanley was satisfied that we knew all there was to know about the market we re-boarded our bus and headed off to the Royal Regalia Museum which houses artifacts and paraphernalia of the Sultan of Brunei and his family – the Royal Chariot, solid gold crowns, royal sceptres, ceremonial weapons, diamond encrusted formal wear woven with gold threads, numerous photos of the royal family engaged in various activities and gifts presented from dignitaries around the world including a soapstone carving of a walrus given by Prime Minister Jean Chretien. We had to remove our shoes before entering the museum and were given lockers in which to store our cameras and personal effects. Attendants watched our every move – I guess a picture made it onto the internet a few years ago showing items that they do not wish to be photographed, and so security is a little tight. Stanley had a lot to say during our tour and by the time we got outside to put our shoes back on they were as hot as ovens! In retrospect we should have found some shade to put them in! Our next stop was at Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque which was completed in 1992 to celebrate the Sultan's 25^th Jubilee. It is a lovely, intricately decorated building topped with gold domes and surrounded by lush gardens and beautiful fountains. Unfortunately we were unable to go inside because they were just about to begin their noon prayers. We returned later in the day to try again but were told it was closed. After lunch at a local hotel we made our way to the river and boarded a ten person boat for a trip to the mangrove forest in search of proboscis monkeys. We took a wild ride down the river with our boatman twisting and turning, leaping over the wake left by other boats and dodging in and out around obstacles. The wind out on the water felt wonderful and we didn't mind being hit by the spray! Our monkey spotter did a marvellous job and we saw at least a dozen monkeys in several locations. It was very exciting to see them swinging from tree to tree in the wild instead of locked up behind bars in some city zoo. Needless to say I now have about 50 pictures of vegetation where I just know there is a monkey hiding, if only I could spot it! That'll be a project for another day! On our way back we stopped at Kampong Ayer, a village built on stilts over the water. The houses are joined by wooden walkways which are also connected to shops, markets, mosques and schools. A utilidor system of blue pipes brings water to the buildings in the village. We stopped at a large pink house where the family had laid out tea and coffee and an assortment of goodies for us to enjoy on their spacious front porch. Mum sampled a fried banana with cheese, which is considered a local delicacy. Once we rejoined our bus there was just enough time for a cruise past the Sultan's Palace where the Sultan's nephew almost caused an accident by cutting us off in his burgundy BMW – quite exciting! We then made the drive back to the pier and re-boarded our ship. I'm glad I didn't let this stupid cold prevent me from enjoying the wonders of Brunei!

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

My apologies for not updating the blog more recently – I've been suffering from a nasty cold since we left Vietnam and haven't felt up to doing much of anything. Still, I was determined not to miss out on any of our ports of call, so I sucked it up and soldiered on through the last few stops. I'm going to try to catch up quickly, so forgive my brevity! Last Sunday afternoon we arrived in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Another sunny and unforgivingly hot day! As we disembarked we were met by locals who placed a lovely beaded necklace around our necks – mum always thinks I get a nicer gift than she does! We opted to take the city tour, and our first stop was at the Sabah Foundation Building, a 30-story glass tower that is suspended from high-tensile steel rods surrounding the central core. Apparently there are only 3 other buildings like it in the world. After a brief photo stop, we continued on through the streets of Kota Kinabalu to the State Mosque which has a beautiful golden dome with real gold plate. Unfortunately we weren't properly attired to enter the mosque, so again it was really only a chance to take some pictures. We then drove to the Sabah Museum and Kampung Warisan Heritage Village where we were given a tour of the various longhouses and the skull hut. The people used to believe that hanging skulls above their rice stores protected them from evil spirits. Finally, we drove back to the waterfront and were given a chance to explore the Kota Kinabalu outdoor market where vendors were selling handicrafts, souvenirs and foodstuffs. The heat and the smell were quite overpowering and we were all glad to see the bus coming back for us! All in all it wasn't one of my favourite tours, but Kota Kinabalu is a pleasant enough city. The streets were immaculately groomed and the vegetation was beautiful. There were also a lot of very interesting buildings throughout the city, including a beautiful floating mosque. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it much more if I hadn't been feeling so crummy!

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Halong Bay in Vietnam is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen – I can only imagine how stunning it must look when the sun is shining down on the water. We did get lucky with the weather, however. As we were sitting on the back deck having breakfast it started to pour, and I'll admit we were a little bit nervous about what that meant for our junk cruise on the bay. The holiday gods smiled on us though, and by the time we caught the tender to shore the fog had lifted and the rain had stopped. Though we saw very little sunshine today, the cloud cover at least kept the temperature down and it made for a very pleasant day out on the water. Our junk was a two story wooden vessel varnished rather than painted garish colours as the Chinese junks were. Inside the lower level there were wooden tables with park-style benches on either side. Large windows gave everyone a great view of the passing scene. When we first boarded we noticed that two of the tables were laden with things to buy – pearl jewellery on one table and a variety of souvenirs such as fridge magnets, keychains, small cloth bags, tiny boxes and compacts with inlaid designs and white tiger balm on the other. As the journey progressed the sales ladies brought out more and more goods for us to purchase – embroidered pictures of Vietnamese scenes, beautiful silk kimonos in a variety of colours, cotton peasant shirts and souvenir t-shirts, and wallets in traditional designs. There was a real buying frenzy on board! We also had an opportunity to buy fresh fruit from local boat people who pulled up alongside our junk and sold their wares right through the open windows. After we crossed the open part of the bay where the ships are moored we entered a world of unbelievable beauty. Limestone rock formations of many different sizes and shapes eroded over time by the waters of the bay and topped with lovely green vegetation stick up out of the calm green waters. Minute by minute the vistas changed as the boat explored new channels. Many of the rocks have been given names describing their shape – the toad, the thumb or the cock and hen for example. We spied a formation that we named the skidoo, for obvious reasons! Eventually we sailed into a beautiful cove surrounded by towering rocks to find a floating village inhabited by fishermen and their families – a series of raft-like floats, each with a small neat brightly painted house built on it, a clothesline full of laundry hanging outside and a small fishing boat attached to one corner. The scene was idyllic! What a lovely spot in which to live out your days. The waters around the rock formations were quite busy. Tour boats, fishing vessels and private pleasure craft abounded. At the base of some rocks we noticed local people in cone-shaped hats harvesting mussels. Apparently some of the rocks are home to birds and monkeys, but try as we might we didn't see any! We thoroughly enjoyed out three hour cruise of Halong Bay – no wonder it has been named a World Heritage Site.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is such an amazing and beautiful city! I wish we'd had more time there – that's really the only problem with this trip – you get a taste of all these wonderful places, and it just leaves you wanting more! It's a shame that the weather didn't cooperate better too – we docked on the Kowloon side, and you almost couldn't see across the harbour, there was so much fog! It made everything feel kind of dreamlike and surreal. Our first stop on the tour was to have been at Victoria Peak so we could look down on the city, but in deference to the fog they juggled our itinerary for the day and our first stop was just a quick hop along the pier where we boarded a junk for a cruise of the harbour. Though we really couldn't see much through the fog, it was really nice to be out on the water, and I certainly got some interesting pictures of the city through the mist! We cruised for about an hour, enjoying the fresh air and watching the many interesting boats sailing around us. We then made our way on the beautiful twisting roads to Stanley Market where we were able to get some great deals and buy a lot of presents and souvenirs – that is if we can bring ourselves to part with anything that we bought! Our next stop took us back to the waterfront where we boarded a 10 person sampan (a small wooden boat with a curved bamboo roof) for a tour of the floating village of Aberdeen. Our boatman was a real character. With his clean-shaven head and long scraggily beard he looked like the villain from an Asian action movie! As we glided along among the houseboats, fishing boats, luxury yachts and floating fish market he yelled out the points of interest in a high-pitched, unintelligible voice, all the while puffing on his cigarette and swigging rice wine from a clear glass bottle. As we neared the end of our trip he abruptly asked, “You like tour?” When we all agreed that we'd enjoyed ourselves, he whipped out a plastic container, plunked it down on the floor in front of him and pointed into it saying, “Tip. Tip.” Most of us obliged! Eventually he dropped us off at a very large ornately decorated floating restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious lunch of Dim-Sum and Cantonese style dishes such as sweet and sour pork, deep fried squid, egg foo yung stuffed with crab, fried rice and two types of noodles, all washed down with numerous cups of green tea. Our next stop was a jewellery factory. We were ushered into a small room full of chairs where a tall, thin young man gave us the whirlwind explanation of how jewellery is made. We've never heard anyone talk that quickly – our heads were spinning by the time he'd finished! We were then herded down a long narrow hallway to a set of glass doors which led into the showrooms. After working us up into a state of eager anticipation, our young man threw open the doors with great ceremony, letting us loose in a huge room with counter after counter displaying gold and silver jewellery adorned with gemstones, pearls and jade. I found the most beautiful ruby ring that was shaped like a flower and I ALMOST gave in to temptation and purchased it. The shop assistants were very eager to make the sale, and by the time I managed to pull myself away they had already lowered the price by $350.00 and a promise to go lower. There is still so much trip left that I just couldn't justify the expense, but I'm a little regretful that I stayed strong! At last the air cleared and we were able to make the drive up Victoria Peak. As we drove up the narrow, winding mountain road traversing switchback after switchback, we left the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong behind and entered a world of lush tropical vegetation, steep mossy mountainsides, gentle breezes and peaceful vistas. Unfortunately we were not able to go all the way to the old colonial residential area at the top of Victoria Peak, but stopped at a small modern commercial area 500 feet further down the mountain. We took a pleasant stroll along a cobblestone walkway past artists and street vendors selling their wares, to a lookout point where we enjoyed a panoramic view of Hong Kong city and the harbour down below. After ample time for photo taking we boarded a 200 person funicular for the steep and exciting ride back down the mountain where we found our bus waiting to take us back to the ship. As we sailed out of Hong Kong Harbour the fog closed in again, obliterating the city from our view. A fitting end to a wonderful day!

Beijing, China

Our overnight visit to Beijing was easily one of the highlights of this whole trip. It didn't start out very promising though! We were told to meet in the Caberet Lounge at 7:45 am. When we got there, the place was packed. Nearly half the passengers opted to participate in the overnight excursion, so it was a bit of a madhouse! We settled in and waited......and waited, and waited and waited. Finally, after about an hour the ship was given permission to start offloading the passengers. We got settled onto our bus quickly enough, and then it was discovered that two people were missing. We sat there for another 15 minutes waiting for the two people to show up – in the meantime, all of the other buses departed. Finally we were given permission to leave without the missing two. The traffic driving away from the pier was terrible, and we crawled along for about 20 minutes. Just as it looked like we were finally going to be able to hit the open road, our guide received a call that our two missing passengers had just turned up, and that we would have to pull over and wait for them to catch up to us. I'm not exactly sure how you manage to sleep through the docking of the ship and the numerous shipboard announcements in preparation for going ashore, but obviously some people can! At this point we also discovered that some idiot who was only supposed to be on a day trip had somehow managed to board our bus, despite us having had our tickets checked three times. Frustration! Luckily all of the buses had been scheduled to stop at the same spot for a bathroom break so we were able to ditch the guy about an hour later. More bad news at the bathroom stop though – some poor old lady fell coming out of one of the stalls, and we later found out that she had broken her hip and had to be taken to hospital. I was really beginning to think our trip was cursed, but luckily this was the end of the mishaps (as far as I know!). The rest of the 3 hour drive to Beijing passed painlessly enough, and we were taken to a jade gallery for a quick tour and lunch. Lunch was a lot of fun as we were seated at round tables with a lazy susan in the middle and plied with various drinks and delicacies. We were then given time to tour the jade gallery and shop, which was full of many beautiful (and expensive!) pieces. Finally it was time to leave, and we headed for the Great Wall. One minute we're taking in the sights of Beijing, the next minute I could see the Wall perched high on the hillside in the distance. It was unbelievable! I can't even begin to describe how I felt – climbing the Great Wall is something everyone should do at least once, and it is something that I will remember forever. It's a tough climb though! The stairs are very steep and uneven, and the higher up I got the more I felt like I was going to trip – it got a little scary! The view was amazing though, and just to see the Wall stretching out in front of you, behind you, and all around you....it was truly something. After I climbed back down on wobbly legs we re-boarded the bus and we went to the Olympic Green. I personally have never found the Bird's Nest to be a particularly attractive building, but it was the highlight of the day for some of our fellow passengers, and it is definitely an interesting looking structure! There were so many people there too! There were literally dozens of buses in the parking lot when we arrived and people all over the area hawking their wares selling everything from postcards to multi-layered kites and Olympic souvenirs. We then headed to our hotel, which was very luxurious. The bathroom in our hotel room had windows all down one side so you could see in from where the bed was – very strange! Thankfully you could lower a shade over the windows. Friday morning we were up by 5:30 and on the road by 8:00. Breakfast at the hotel was interesting – they served both Chinese and Western cuisine, and we enjoyed observing the very different choices made by our group and the Chinese guests at the hotel! While everyone in our group was eating toast, yogurt and muffins, the other guests were eating dumplings, salad, soup and baked potatoes! Our first stop that morning was at Tiananmen Square. Even though it was only about 8:15 am when we got there, there were easily 1000 people already lined up to enter Chairman Mao's Mausoleum. The square was very busy, but our guide told us we were lucky to get there at such a quiet time! The wind was really strong and cold, and even mum and I were glad to have our jackets! We had a group photo taken in front of the gate separating Tiananmen Square from The Forbidden City, and then were set free to wander around the square for a few minutes. We then drove to another gate leading into The Forbidden City and were given a tour. It was amazing – like stepping back in time! Endless buildings and courtyards all intricately carved and brightly decorated. It was very busy as well, but there was so much space inside that it did not feel the least bit crowded. They are working on restoring all of the buildings in anticipation of the 600^th anniversary, and it really looks great. The Imperial Garden was very beautiful, full of decorative limestone rocks and old and very interesting looking trees – I bet it's even more lovely in the summer. We spent about 2 hours in The Forbidden City and then exited through the North Gate, crossing the moat – and just like that, we were back into the hustle and bustle of the traffic in Beijing. It's amazing that a place like that exists in the middle of a city of 14 million people! Next up we were taken to a nearby hotel for a lunch of roast peking duck, and it was sooooo good! Our final stop of the day was at The Temple of Heaven, which was constructed about the same time as The Forbidden City. The Temple is surrounded by a very large and lovely park that we were told is popular in the mornings for exercising and martial arts and as we passed through on our way to the Temple there were a lot of people around visiting, playing games and dancing. Our guide told us that it is an especially popular spot for the elderly to gather. The Temple itself is very impressive, the highlight being the circular building called the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests which was constructed using no nails. Finally it was time to depart, and we made the 3 hour drive back to Xingang and the ship. A truly wonderful two days away from the ship, and I know I keep saying this, but I definitely need to come back to Beijing and spend more time there!!! The people were warm and welcoming and everywhere we went there was a happy and relaxed feeling.

Our day in Pusan was very interesting, if quite short. We had another early morning arrival on Tuesday, complete with a beautiful sunrise. The weather was cool and overcast, so in other words, perfect! No dramatics involved with our arrival this time. Our bus was so pretty with lovely blue, gold and white seat covers, gold tassels, and rainbow coloured interior lights. Pusan was a little overwhelming at first sight – so many skyscrapers and apartment complexes everywhere. We've spent so much time in smaller cities and tropical locations that it felt odd to be in a real city again. Spring hasn't quite arrived in Pusan yet, so aside from a few magnolia trees and the odd cherry blossom there was a definite wintery feel all around. Our first stop was at Hae Dong Yong Gung Temple, and it was truly spectacular. After passing through a little market area we reached an avenue lined with statues representing the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Just beyond that was a lovely stone pagoda. Once we had passed the pagoda we went through a golden archway and walked down the first section of stairs, past a little Buddha statue and through a tunnel – and on the other side of the tunnel it was just like something out of a movie. Looking through the trees we could see the Temple in the distance, and just above it on top of the hill was a beautiful statue. It was so surreal, beautiful and peaceful – the only real sound was of the waves crashing onto the rocks below and the monks chanting in the distance. We made our way down the rest of the 108 steps and across a stone bridge to the Temple area. There were all kinds of statues around, including a large Golden Buddha next to the Temple. We climbed up a rocky staircase to the statue we had glimpsed from the other side and the view was incredible down over the entire area. The larger statue was surrounded by smaller figures perched on the rocks behind. After surviving the climb back down the very uneven staircase, we went inside the Temple – it was so colourful inside, and there were candles everywhere. I could have just stayed there all day, but eventually it was time to leave, so we climbed back up to the real world and rejoined the bus. Our next stop was at a viewpoint down on the waterfront where we could see the 4.5 mile long suspension bridge that we had crossed earlier. Lined up along sea wall there were dozens of fishermen trying their luck, despite the clearly posted “No Fishing” sign! I'm not sure that I would have wanted to eat anything caught that close to the many hotels in the area, but that's just me! Our final stop was at the International Market where we were set loose for about an hour to shop. It consisted of a maze of narrow streets lined with small shops selling everything from socks to souvenirs! Down the middle of one street there was a row of open air eateries where people could just pull up a plastic stool, point to the food they wanted and enjoy their lunch. I'll confess that my stomach wasn't quite up to the smell of fish at that hour of the day! We didn't have nearly enough time to see all of the interesting sights and explore the entire area, so I guess this is yet another place we will have to return to! Finally we were hustled back to the ship for an early afternoon departure – it's a shame we didn't have longer than five hours in Korea.