Day 88. March 31, 2016. Docked at Xiamen, China on the Opulence of the Orient

What a great day we had.  Little bit of history before I tell you about our amazing day in Xiamen.

Xiamen means a gate of China, located on the southeast coast of China.  The city has much to boast about; it is ranked among top ports in China and in the world and voted China's cleanest city.  With mild weather year round today (we had 75 degrees), beautiful natural scenery, fresh air, and a clean environment, Xiamen sets the mood to enjoy incredible sightseeing adventures filled with islands, tree lined beaches, mountains, temples and much much more.

Xiamen was one of the first cities to become a Special Economic Zone to encourage development and open mainland China to the outside world; since then it has flourished.  China is widely recognized as the homeland of tea.  We tried 3 types of tea today; a green tea latte, Blueberry tea and gooseberry tea.  All very good.

So today are day involved walking and shopping. Zhongshan Road, the city's most prosperous commercial are, offers a lot of shopping centers a a variety of small retail stores.  This was the best place to go it delivers a comfortable and pleasant shopping experience with stalls and shops all scattered along the road.  

So today we walk 6.5 miles.  But it was so easy because my eyes were always in the shops.  Our purchase today were tea, scarf, real pearl bracelet that were beautiful (That will be some Christmas present) a shell bracelet , and a nice silver bangle. Oh and a key chain.  I have been collecting key chains at every port and I am going to put them on our Christmas tree down south to remind us of our trip.....

There were so many neat things to buy but our suitcases are getting pretty full.  So it's the little things I can pick up that don't take much space.  

In 2 days it will be our half way point to this cruise.  90 days we will be in Shanghai.   Seems like a lifetime ok we were sailing from Miami.  So I am posting lots of great photos.

The food is amazing and yes we did try some interesting things

Sea day tomorrow and then we are in Shanghai for 2 days.
Thanks for coming along with us.....our bags are getting pretty full......

Cherish The Moments, Love Deeply, Dream Big

Day 87 March 30, 2016 SEA DAY En route to Xiamen China on the Opulence of the Orient

Well today was a much needed Sea day.  You have to recoup after 2 fast days in Hong Kong.....
So that we did.  This morning was breakfast then we had Another Mandatory Guest Lifeboat Drill.  7 short blast of the horn and 1 long one......After that we did our 2015 Taxes.  Got everything off our bank account (tax receipts)...Sent it to our Accountant by email then we went back to our room.  Glad that is over with.  It took almost all the morning and most of the afternoon to get it organized.  So now we want to hear from her and what we have left off.
I had a hour nap Bob played games on his Ipad.  Dinner was fantastic I had Mahi Mahi Bob had a pork Chop.  The show tonight was the Italian Mentalist and a Husband and Wife team Illusionists.  Both were very good.  Bob was involved tonight. 
Tomorrow we arrive in Xiamen China at 8:00 am and do a face to face check with Immigrations. 
So short and sweet tonight   Thanks for coming along this journey with us...
Leslee & Bob

Day 86 March 29, 2016 ~ Hong Kong, Hong Kong Day 2 on the Opulence of the Orient

So early to rise and up on the first shuttle in.  Then its to the waterfront to see the beautiful sights

Great place for Dinner

On the other side of Hong Kong

                            Hong Kong Harbour

Missed a great picture of a young boy carry this huge pig in

This was a beautiful peaceful Park that we just stumbled on.

Sea day tomorrow....

Thanks for sharing in our journeys ...Leslee & Bob

Day 85 March 28, 2016. Hong Kong, Day 1 Docked at Hong Kong new Cruise Terminal on the Opulence of the Orient

 

Wow we are here again.  Seems like just a year ago we were here. We have a 1 overnight here and we are going to make the most of it.  For shopping here we usually go to the Ladies Market and or the Night Market in Kowloon ( both are open at night)  you can find ANYTHING there.  You just have to be careful with people bumping into you.  There might have been a reason????  We only take our ship card and little money that Bob keeps in the front of his pants.  Here you Must bargin for prices.  Sometimes you can get up to 40% of the original asking price but tourist should be happy with 60% of the asking price.  We love the Bird Market and have only been there 1 other time.  It is on the Kowloon side.  (The difference between an Englishman and a Chinese is that Brits eat bird and walk their dog, Chinese eat dog and walk their bird)  This is the place to walk your Bird. Tonight there is a free sound and light show from the Kowloon side of the harbour around 8 pm.  But we won't be able to see it because we are docked at the brand new terminal and its way to far.  There are several foreign companies and foreigners in many of the office buildings.  One special building has large round windows like port holes.  The Chinese name everything in their special way, they called this building "The building with 1000 ass holes and they did not count the windows".

For those of you who have never been to Hong Kong, it's a city worth visiting. It is the place where China has touched Europe most frequently for the longest period of time. It is no longer the cheap place it once was and is now known more for its cosmopolitan nature than for the very Chinese underbelly that Westerners generally don't pay much attention to. Again, we will likely not be stopping at some of the "must see" spots (such as the Stanley Market, Repulse Bay, Victoria Peak in the morning to watch Tai Chi, etc.) as some require an investment in time that we are  unwilling to make during our short two day stop. (considering that we have been here a number of times before and seen these places already). 

Most of the toilets in Hong Kong are Western style (not the "wall of shame" found in many men's rooms in Asia or the hole in the deck paralleled by two foot pads sometimes found in lady's rooms. Hong Kong is not a shopping Mecca. It is more like an overload of every imaginable store (in multiple locations) that you have ever heard of in Europe, the US, Asia or wherever. It is store upon  store in floor after floor for mile upon mile. Whether it is Tiffany or Toys 'R Us, boutiques of the best China can offer, every electronic or optical gizmo known to man. 

Some information was taken from" Take the High Road".  A great full of information from Jeffery Goldberg.  You can order it on Amazon.

                

Hong Kong is well known for its skyline of skyscrapers, deep natural harbor and population density around the world.  The city has developed into a major global trade hub and financial center and is regarded as a major world city.  It has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.  Hong Kong is the third most important financial center after New York and London.

Hong Kong currently has more skyscrapers than any other country.  It houses more than 8000 skyscrapers with more than 14 floors, which is almost double in comparison to that of New York.

Quaint double decker trams are still maneuvering around Hong Kong Island with over a quarter million passengers daily.  These trams offer an old-fashioned transportation tradition in a cosmopolitan center.  So today we did the subway to the 10,000 Buddhas.  It was a hike up a very steep hill.  We didn't get off the ship till 1:20.  The weather was perfect as well.  We have a full day tomorrow as well.  All aboard time is 11:00 pm....I will be in bed by then.  Although if the weather is nice again tomorrow it might be a very pretty sail away.....all the lights.  

After we spent about 1.5 hours here we went to a big market.

Only thing we bought was a new plug in for my iPad.  2 for 3.00 what a bargin.  We took the subway back to the mall to catch our shuttle back to the cruise terminal.  

Day 2 tomorrow .......until then

Night night.      Leslee & Bob  Thanks for coming along

Cherish The Moments, Love Deeply, Dream Big

Day 84. March 27, 2016. SEA DAY HAPPY EASTER. En route to Hong Kong on the Opulence of the Orient

Well we were to have a port stop today to Sanya China but with the bad weather that starting happening again last night.  Large swells, and high winds.  The captain choose to cancel this port of call and carry on to Hong Kong.... So we will have 2 overnights in Hong Kong instead of only 1.  We are very happy campers because we love Hong Kong. There is so much to see, and do.  We also just found out that we are docking at the new cruise terminal.  Don't like that idea but oh well go with the flow.

Today we did Easter Sunday Service it was very nice and was at 8:30.  We then went to our golf game got more points.  Then we had a very nice Easter breakfast.

So until tomorrow in Hong Kong. Nighty night

Thanks for coming along.  Leslee & Bob

Cherish The Moments, Love Deeply, Dream Big

To sum up Vietnam on the Opulence of the Orient

There is still a lot of difference between the South and the North of Vietnam.  In the south we witness very friendly smiley faces, laughter, people that want to be in your picture with you.  On a whole very happy people.   In the North completely different. No smiles, loud noises in town, people not smiles on any faces.  Hard working people in the fields, very up to date in the stores.  We could really feel that our guide was miss lead in his history of what really happened in the Vietnamese war.  Here are more photos of our time spent in Vietnam.

All on a bike

Thanks for coming along with us...Leslee & Bob

Cherish The Moments, Love Deeply, Dream Big

Day 83 March 26, 2016 PART 2 of the SPECIAL EVENT in Hanoii Vietnam on the Opulence of the Orient

Well we were up by 6 am had a beautiful buffet breakfast and on our Bus by 7:45.  Our first stop was to go to the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh.  He died in 1969 and still lies in State.  Bob went into the mausoleum and I chose not too,  It was an hour of waiting time.  Everyone had  to Q the lines of security even if you do not go in. I cannot image someone that was embalmed for that length of time.

Waiting in line for an hour.  Getting restless...

Yes this large wide street is completely blocked off and no ones walks on it...

From here we went around the corner to the Palace and the grounds of where Ho Chi Minh lived. The grounds are very beautiful with lots of buildings and his cars are still parked in the garage.

After this we walked around back to where he lived and worked since 1954

They all love him in this country.  They all call him Uncle Ho

After this area we went to a Museum of Ethnology

Bob climbing the stairs to the Bahnar Cummunal house it is the symbol of skill, strength, and power of the men.  

After this guess what time to eat again.....Vietnamese food  yummy local food.  You know what they say "When in Rome do what the Romans do"  We are... thank you

Modern Hanoi has an increasing confident "Can do" attitude about everything and a buzz that is even beginning to rival Ho Chi Minh City.  There's more money about

now a days and wealthier Hanoian's are prepared to flaunt it in the ever more sophisticated restaurants, café's and designer boutiques that have exploded all over the city.

Our last stop of the day was to the famous "Hanoi Hilton".  This was a bit depressing.  We saw the actual gullitin and the Jail chambers. 

 

 Guess what yes the real Hotel Hilton built right next door

This man was so excited to get his pictures taken, That he wanted me in it with him.  So he put on a hat and a smile.  He giggled when we showed him the picture

So back to the ship where we were 2 hours late but yes this was a special event for the ATW passengers.  The cruise director was there to meet us when we got back to the tender.

Thanks for coming with us   Leslee & Bob