Not too much to report today with one big exception. During breakfast we suddenly discovered dolphins swimming in the wake right outside our window in the Pinnacle Grill. Yelling "dolphins", many guests jumped up and turned on their cell phone cameras. Too bad they were too late to catch one of the jumping dolphins as they disappeared as fast as they appeared. And we did not have our camera with us. Of course, we watched until 9am, and never saw another one. Maybe later…..
We stayed on dolphin-watch in our room while working online. It has really heated up as we travel further south towards Vietnam. The high of the day had to exceed 80 degrees which we found out when going to the Seaview Pool. For the first time in weeks, some sunbathers were there on the lounges and even in the pool. Now most folks have to be careful not to burn, even us.
Our friend Greg came by and chatted for a while. It was good to catch up on each other's adventures for the last few days. We have usually gone in different directions in each port, so at the end of the day by sharing, we feel we have covered a lot more territory. Both Heo and Greg are "foodies" and readily enjoy trying local cuisine. Lucky for them, there are no allergies there. Hong Kong was one of the places to eat locally they said. The photos they shared told the story. Captain Friso came on the speakers after sounding the horn. He really likes laying on the ship's horn or whistle as it is called. Yesterday it was necessary while leaving the harbor in Hong Kong as there was so much boat and ship traffic with the danger of low fog.
Today that heavy fog was mostly gone. The skies were not totally clear, but overcast and cloudy. Later in the morning, it did warm up as the clouds broke up. We think the time has come we can pack our cold weather jackets in the suitcases under the bed. If we had stuck to the original itinerary, the jackets would have been needed for the Mediterranean.
Kimberly had another port talk on Ho Chi Minh City. The ship will dock at Phu My, which sounds good but is not. There is absolutely nothing there. No terminal, no town, no facilities…..nothing. There may be a few souvenir tables set up, but we have been there many times with nothing offered. There are tours from this port, which we have done more than three times to Saigon, and once to Vung Tau, a seaside resort. It will probably be like a sea day for us and many of our buddies.
The port tomorrow will be Da Nang, so we listened to Kimberly's entire talk on that stop only to find out we will be docked 30 minutes away from town by car. There was a possible bus that might take guests to town for a $10 round trip ticket. But that was not confirmed yet. Maybe they will tell us if that will happen when we arrive. Doing a little research, we learned that a big Celebrity ship will be in the port as well. The last time we were here, we went to Hue and Hoi An, but never saw any of Da Nang. Maybe this time we will.
Just by luck, we had another spotting of the dolphins in the afternoon. Once again, they appeared far off of the ship and unless you were looking for them, you would never spot them. This time the camera was ready and we did get some cool shots. In a couple of minutes, they were gone. The sea water is getting warmer as well, so we expect to see some flying fish once again.
And we still have some birds tagging along with us. That flock of swifts were seen flying at the back deck, as well as a larger bird. We could not identify that one. A bit more disturbing was the sighting of two military jets flying over us today. It makes us realize that we are not in "Kansas" anymore, a term said in the Wizard of Oz movie of the past.
If there was a sunset, we sure did not see it. The horizon appeared to be in a haze again. Dinner was OK…better than last night's lamb soup. Greg said he had ordered that same stew and it was awful. Not a stew, but boiled lamb with veggies. And his was cold. Tonight Hazel, our dining room assistant, said so many guests complained that the chef said he had to re-do his recipe. Actually, throwing it away and starting over would be a better idea.
We both ordered the chicken tenders for appetizers, a winner for sure. One of us had a salad and the other a bowl of pea soup, but not Dutch pea soup. It was missing the smoked sausage that makes it so good. Mains were chicken piccata with parsley mashed potatoes, carrots, broccoli and a mushroom gravy. And that was just fine. A sliced banana worked for a light dessert.
The entertainer this evening was a familiar name – Annie Gong. She has been a frequent performer and was back with her classic accordion. She simulates a virtual one-woman symphony orchestra…..a popular musician for the regular world cruise travelers.
Bill & Mary Ann
