3/24 Cochin, India

We did an interesting walking tour in Cochin that took us by St. Francis CSI Church, one of the oldest European churches in India, originally built in 1503. We were not able to go inside as it was Palm Sunday on the day we were there, but we did get to witness the worshipers as they were singing and entering their church for services. We then walked to the Mattancherry Palace Museum, built in 1555 and known for its exotic murals, and Fort Kochi Beach, best known for its Chinese fishing nets (shore-operated lift nets).

Our final stop was the beautiful Paradesi Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations, built in 1568, and the Jew Town and Old Spice Market. The synagogue was gorgeous with beautiful hand-painted blue willow patterned tiles on the floor, each painted slightly differently. In addition to an incredible variety of spices, the market had beautiful handmade crafts, and traditional Indian artifacts such as intricately designed metalwork, wooden carvings, and brass sculptures.

St. Francis CSI Church

Carving at the top of Mattancherry Palace Museum

Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi Beach

Paradesi Synagogue

3/18 Phuket, Thailand

It was very hot and humid in Phuket, so we didn't do much. Wonderful people, nice little town. We did have lunch at a wonderful Thai restaurant - Patong Thai Bistro. We then did a little shopping and back to the air-conditioned ship!

Rodney at Patong Thai Bistro

View from ship

YONA Floating Beach Club

3/15 Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Malaysia

Today we took a great city tour that included stops at the Railway Station, Masjid Negara (National Mosque of Malaysia), Merdeka Square, Muzium Negara, Tugu Peringatan Negara National Monument, and the highlight - Petronas Twin Towers.

Anyone who has seen Entrapment has seen the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. And if you haven't seen Entrapment, we highly recommend it (as old a movie as it may be 😉). The towers also appear in several other movies and various television series episodes. They truly are epic and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to see them up close!

A few tidbits we learned about the Petronas Twin Towers: They are an interlinked pair of 88-story supertall skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, standing at 451.9 m (1,483 ft) and built on the world's deepest foundations - 104 concrete piles, ranging from 60 to 114 m (197 to 374 ft) deep bored into the ground. From 1998 to 2004, they were officially designated as the tallest buildings in the world until they were surpassed by the completion of the Taipei 101 in Taiwan. The Malaysian government specified that the construction of the towers be completed in six years. To meet the deadline, two building consortiums were hired – one South Korean, and one Japanese – with each responsible for one of the two identical towers. The first to finish would win the right to build the skybridge that would link the towers. Tower 1, the west tower (left when facing the front of the buildings) was built by a Japanese company. Tower 2, the east tower (right when facing the front of the buildings) was built by a South Korean company. The South Korean company completed its tower first, thus receiving the contract to build the skybridge linking the two. It connects the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors and holds the record for the highest 2-story bridge in the world. The skybridge also functions as a crucial design feature facilitating movement between the two towers during high winds. The bridge is 170 m (558 ft) above the ground and 58.4 m (192 ft) long, weighing 750 tons. It took three days and two attempts to lift it to its present location due to wind. Truly a fascinating architectural marvel!

Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

Masjid Negara, National Mosque of Malaysia

Merdeka Square

Rodney at Muzium Negara

Tugu Peringatan Negara National Monument

Us at Petronas Twin Towers

3/12-13 Singapore, Singapore

Singapore! Ah, one of our favorite cities! This is the fourth time we've been to Singapore and we truly love this city. It is by far the cleanest city we have ever been to. Yes, they have many laws that you won't find in other countries and yes, they do enforce them. Among them are:

• Singing in public - this carries a penalty of more than three months in jail (I guess they've heard me sing! 😂)
• Connecting to another individual’s Wi-Fi (also called hacking) - The penalty is a fine of $10,000. It also carries jail time of three years in some cases.
• Walking naked in your house - This carries a hefty fine of $1,000. It may also lead to charges of pornography.
• Selling Gum - The penalty for this offense is $100,000 and two years in prison.
• Public Spitting - Breaking this law means paying a penalty of $1,000.
• Consuming alcohol or partying between 10:30 pm and 7 am. This carries fines of up to $2,000.

Those are just a few. There are many more. That said, it is a very clean city and the people are extremely happy. In fact, it is the only country we have been to where, when complimented on their city, they actually state, "You can thank our government!". In most countries, people do not like their government (no matter what it may be); people in Singapore love their government. And they are just the happiest people.

One of the other things we love about Singapore is its public transportation. The MRT (Mass Rail Transit) is so easy to maneuver and will literally take you anywhere in the city that you would want to go. And quickly! The locals are very courteous and helpful - if they even think you are having difficulty, someone shows up asking if they can help you! And the young people literally pop right up if there is nowhere to sit so that us old folks can sit - even if we don't need to, they insist. It is just so refreshing.

This time in Singapore, Sheryl was determined to get a Singapore Sling at Raffles Long Bar! Every other time, there has been an obstacle - one time we were sick, one time they were closed for remodeling, etc. THIS was the time! And it happened! You can drink a Singapore Sling anywhere, but to have one at Raffles Long Bar, the home of the Singapore Sling, is just a MUST when in Singapore! We've now checked that one off the bucket list!

The MRT Map, color coded and easy to read

Raffles Hotel

Raffles Long Bar

Raffles Long Bar

The Iconic Singapore Sling

Rodney, the beer drinker...

Sheryl enjoying the Iconic Singapore Sling! (and peanuts...)

3/10 Koh Samui (Nathon), Thailand

Today's tour was a trip to Chaweng Beach. And a beautiful beach it was. Given that we no longer lay in the sun, or swim in the ocean, we did the beach "our way" and enjoyed appetizers and cocktails from the local restaurant. Beautiful view, great food, and a relaxing, enjoyable time!

Sunrise over Thailand

Chaweng Beach

Floatie vendor at the beach

Rodney enjoying the beach

Sheryl enjoying the beach

3/5-8 Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam

What a wonderful time in Saigon! We were there for three nights, so had time to do a couple tours. The first day included a tour of the city, a stop at the Jade Emperor Pagoda, a Buddhist temple built in 1909 in honor of the supreme Taoist god (the Jade Emperor or King of Heaven, Ngoc Hoang), and a stop at the beautiful Central Post Office, notable for its perfect combination of neo-classical European architecture and Asian decorations.

The second day was our favorite! We took an incredibly fun pedal cab tour. To put it into perspective, the traffic in Saigon is horrendous! With a population of 9.3 million people in an area of 809 square miles, most people drive motorbikes. Approximately 7.3 million of them! Add to that the .8 million cars and you are literally taking your life into your hands when you pop into a pedal cab. Needless to say, it was an adventure - and a ton of fun! Even though the traffic lights appeared to be just a "suggestion" the pedal cab drivers were awesome, and people, for the most part, did yield to them. After the exciting pedal cab tour, we went to the local (huge!) Ben Thanh Market and then had a yummy, authentic, Vietnamese lunch at Hoa Tuc. Truly a wonderful day and a very exciting experience!

Buddha at Jade Emperor Pagoda

Jade Emperor Pagoda

Statue at Jade Emperor Pagoda

Central Post Office

One of the many features inside the Central Post Office

Rodney on Pedal Cab Tour

Sheryl on Pedal Cab Tour

Lunch menu at Hoa Tuc

Rodney at Hoa Tuc

3/2 Java (Semarang), Indonesia

Today's tour included a drive to the beautiful Gereja Blenduk, the oldest church in Central Java. Built in 1742, it is one of two domed churches in Indonesia with an octagonal floor plan. Now Gereja Blenduk is one of the landmarks of Old Semarang and is designated as a Natural Cultural Heritage site.

Our next stop was "Rainbow Village" (Kampung Pelangi), a former slum area of about 200 homes where the locals decided to paint their village in bright hues to attract more tourists and brighten their world. The colorful painting has brought new life and joy to the village.

Our final stop was Sam Poo Kong Temple, a unique Chinese Muslim temple shared by Buddhists and Muslims. The impressive temple was built for the Muslim Admiral Chen Ho of the Ming Dynasty, who led Chinese fleets throughout Asia and Java during the 15th century. It is the oldest temple in Semarang.

Gereja Blenduk Dome

Gereja Blenduk stained glass window

Gereja Blenduk pipe organ

Rainbow Village

Rainbow Village

Rainbow Village

Rodney at Sam Poo Kong Temple

Sam Poo Kong Temple

Statue of Admiral Cheng Ho at Sam Poo Kong Temple 

Sheryl at Sam Poo Kong Temple