Today began like most days at sea, with breakfast in the dining room. We had just begun with yogurts and fruit, when company arrived. Susie and Woody appeared, and asked to join us, because today was Woody’s birthday. Nice that they wanted to start his special day with us, as we always have great visits. Our nice waiters did not seem to mind if we stayed until after 9:30am.
Asep, one of the friendliest head waiters, told us about the relationship between the Singaporeans and the Indonesians. He explained that the ferry landing next to the pier where we were docked is where commuters from nearby Indonesian islands arrive daily to work in the big city. They are able to earn excellent wages here, that allows them to buy and maintain nice homes in their native country. Something we never knew.
President’s Club deliveries were due. One we got yesterday…..sodas. Today was the flower arrangement delivery, with purple and white blooms. Quite pretty.
The sun was out, so that meant pool time for us. By the time we caught up on some computer work, and changed for the pool, we noticed it had gotten rather dark outside. Checking the camera on the bow, we saw why it was so dark…..rain, big time. Guess we were going through a shower. Knowing that these squalls could be fleeting, we waited it out, and eventually, it dried up. By the time we went to deck eight, the sun was back out, and the decks were steaming. For the remainder of the day, it never did rain again.
Several talks were scheduled in the Queen’s Lounge. First one of the day was Barbara H’s presentation of things to do and see in Phuket, Thailand. Speaking of Thailand, we got copies of our passport pages to pack with us while onshore. One good thing is that we are not required to pay for visas to enter this country.
Two new guests speakers have joined the ship. One is Kate Ross, who talked about the splendors of the Khmer Empire. The afternoon speaker was Barry Dreyer, who lectured on Thailand.
After a relaxing time at the back pool, we had a light lunch in the Lido. Then we needed to catch up on photos and yesterday’s report before we forgot what and how we went. It was necessary to remember navigating the MRT, and the different lines we took, as well as where we got our refunds. By documenting those details, we are able to remember what we did. Sometimes our memories fade, but the computer remembers forever.
Tonight there was a special Lido menu called Makansutra Dinner, featuring the cuisine you might find at the local Singapore food stalls. It was served as usual during 5:30 to 8pm.
Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill once again. The venue was the Tamarind Restaurant, their Asian-inspired menu, more or less. This is a nice change of venue for many of us, since this new restaurant is on most all of the new ships. Just not here. It did appear last year, when some of the chefs came for a few weeks to train the cooks with the different items. It was a big hit. So they are repeating it this year.
We ordered two appetizers each, a Thai beef salad, mixed satay platter, two tempura shrimp, and veggie spring rolls, sharing them between us. A dish with three bowls of spicy, hot sauces came with a tray of oyster crackers. Then we both had their wasabi-crusted filet steak and a stack of three tempura onion rings. It is served on a blackened cedar plank of wood, which infuses the meat with the cedar aroma. We often wondered if these boards are used over and over, but they said no. It was a one-time usage. For dessert, one of us had the chocolate mousse, and the other the chocolate-filled almond fortune cookie. Before leaving, we made sure that we had reservations for the last Tamarind evening in April.
Perhaps a clue that the cuisine is appreciated, is the fact that Captain Jonathon and his wife Karen, along with Hazel and Ann-Marie, were dining at the table next to us. The Mercers were also at the first Tamarind venue, and had told us they offered some suggestions to keep the items as authentic as they know it to be. Having gone to the Tamarind while on the Eurodam, we found the meal to be exactly the same…….very, very good.
For some reason, we had taken our time eating tonight, so the show had already begun by the time we finished. The group on the stage tonight was called Jukebox Rogues, four guys bringing the biggest and best tunes to the stage. Hearing them practice, we can say they were most loud, but put on a really lively performance.
Bill & Mary Ann
