mazza
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Posts posted by mazza
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This is an erratum post to correct an error in my very first post about how many ocean cruises Jenny had been on - I said one, but it's actually three - in addition to the South Pacific Cruise, she had been on one from Malacca to Singapore and one from Sydney to Melbourne to attend the Melbourne Cup racing carnival. Sorry Jenny!
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On 4/9/2019 at 9:39 AM, Silkroad said:
Thank you for posting more wonderful photos and descriptions. I love the photos of all of you amongst the canola blossoms😊 I hope you and Alan are feeling much better. I also hope your sister’s ankle strain healed quickly.
Thanks. That canola photo was a bit weird for us, but it was so obviously a 'thing' that the locals did that we had to do it too. Everyone is getting better, although I passed on my cold to Elizabeth and she's surprisingly not impressed.
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A quick post now and I'll catch up later today. We had what seems to be the usual chaos with Kobe Immigration - held on the ship for 2 hours before we accidently got off before our Immigration Group was called. Now this is a Japanese issue rather than Celebrity but it was seriously annoying. We were late for our tour and had a rushed afternoon instead of a more leisurely pace. And Nick, I've not forgotten your photos - I'll get them this afternoon when we are back on board - off today for a walking tour of Kobe.
But after the glorious weather yesterday, this is what greeted us this morning.
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6 hours ago, FLOTR said:
Can you tell me if the balcony dividers can be opened? Thanks so much!
Sadly no - we are in three cabins side by side on Deck 9 midship and the dividers are bolted to the railings.
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No problem - we leave early tomorrow for a tour but will aim to get some shots tomorrow night.
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1 hour ago, mazza said:
Thanks Nick00712. I can post some ship photos - anything in particular though?
I found some random shots I'd taken since we got on board. I'll take some more if I can get my brain to remember later today and tonight. Otherwise, let me know anything you are interested in, and I'll do my best to get them.
Looking towards Guest Relations from Deck 4
Same place, but looking upwards to Deck 5 and Cafe Al Bachio seating
View of Shanghai Cruise Port from our Deck 9 cabin, showing overhang. This rarely gets in the way of taking a photo - here I was trying to capture the smog haze in the distance.
Deck 9 corridor
Random piece of ship art that we liked
Not of the ship exactly, but at lunch today, it appeared the stock of plastic water bottles had been depleted as this is what I got when I ordered a bottle of water.
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51 minutes ago, Nick00712 said:
This is fantastic Mazza! A group of us are are going on a similar itinerary on Milli early next year! I love the depth you go into for each day!! The photos are amazing as well! Will you be posting some photos of around the ship!
Thanks Nick00712. I can post some ship photos - anything in particular though?
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I was up early again today - we needed to meet our tour guide at 8.40am, with the ship due to be cleared at 8am (it was around 7.30am in reality). We had breakfast in Blu on our own, Jenny and Alan were having tea and coffee and pastries in the Cafe and Elizabeth and Tom were still asleep. The fog has cleared so I got a sunrise photo and the weather was quite pleasant this morning. Sunny and it was actually warm on the balcony for the first time this cruise.
Sunrise at JeJu
One of the two pilot boats that arrived to guide the ship into the narrow harbour entrance
Eventually, we were all up and fed, and hanging over the balcony railings talking to each other to sort out what we were doing. We agreed to meet at 8.20am and get off the ship, even though as far as I know only Immigration Group 1 and 2 had been called - we were Group 10. While we were hanging out on the balcony, we realised how small the harbour entrance was and perhaps why there were two pilot boats this morning. I didn’t pay much attention to docking until I saw we were moving sideways to get to the pier.Getting off the ship was fine, then we hit the Immigration queue. They were letting batches of people into the Immigration area because there wasn’t much room for queuing and we didn’t have to wait all that long. Alan tells me that queue he’s in will always be the slowest and that proves to be the case this morning with the others getting throught the face check and passport stamp process very quickly, so they headed out to meet Mr Go, our guide for the day, from I Am Your Guide (Wonder Planet), a company that specialises in South Korean tours. It took us another five minutes to get out and we were very quickly walking to the van and on our way.I’d organised three stops: Seongeup Folk Village, Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) and the Mangjangul lava caves - the last two are UN World Heritage Listed. Go - our guide asked us to call him this (his surname) saying his first name was too hard to pronounce - suggested we first go to the prettiest part of the Island first where we could see cherrry blossoms, so we agreed. It was 50 minutes drive away and when we got there, the parking lot was packed, music was playing and runners were coming through a huge conola field to finish some sort of race. Their finish involved running around and dodging tourists who were spread out across the path staking positions in the midst of the canola to take photos. So we took one too. This was a little odd but the vivid yellow of the canola was impressive.
Husbands in the canola fields
Three sisters in the canola fields
On the way to the canola fields - a race was on, and these wind turbines dominated the landscape
Cherry BlossomsOn the way back to the van, AL bought some local snacks as he is prone to do, but we are eventually on our way to the Folk Village, but not before stopping for a final roadside photo opportunity of cherry blossom trees. We arrive at the Folk Village in about 10 minutes, a quick walk across the road avoiding people and buses and we were at the gates, where we learn about the history of stone statues that are a characteristic of JeJu - these are Dol Hareubangs, always in a pair, one representing a professor and one a soldier. There are 45 original Hareubangs left from around 600 years ago, and thousands of modern replicas.
Two Hareubangs at the entrance to the Folk Village
Group photo at the entrance to the villageThe village is interesting, especially since Go grew up in a nearby area living in the houses we are seeing here. We walk from one end to the other, stopping to see homes and hear more about life 600 years ago and today, and crossing paths with two Celebrity tour groups. One of the advantages of smaller groups here is that Go took us into a residential space, with access defined by the number of poles crossing the gate (3 means the owner is away for a few days, so we were okay. Two means two days, one pole means a couple of hours). Here we had a closer view of how people live in the village today.
Original house
Another original building
Bathroom area - the black pigs kept this area ‘clean’
Where some residents live today
Meeting house
Very big, old tree in the villageOur next stop is the Sunrise Peak, which is being followed by lunch. I had read about this tuff volcano crater and saw pictures of the path to the top, but in reality, it was clear that I wasn’t going to make it to the top. AC, of course, was off, hanging on to my phone so he could take some photos. AL went with him, Jenny and Tom walked the scenic path, and Elizabeth and I headed up the slope and steps that never stopped. There are resting points on the way where you can take in the view which is a good thing. We reckon we get about 1/3 of the way up before we turn around and return to regather with Go, who introduces us to his family who he’s talking to on FaceTime - that was fun - and Jenny and Tom. We head to the shops and to spend some of our Won currency that we have left, and AC and AL join us when they return. A group photo and then back to the van, where I realize I’ve left my coat and my shopping beside the statue we were photographed in front of, so I am off running to retrieve it - still there, all safe and sound. It was only a couple of minutes but my brain lapses continue to remind me I need to be more mindful. Here are a few photos Alan took on his climb to the top.
Group photo at the bottom on Sunshine Peak - my bag and coat are on the rightOff now to a local restaurant for Ginsing and Chicken soup, a popular local dish. It arrives in a sizzling individual bowl, with a whole chicken swimming in the soup liquid. It is not a first good impression I have to say. Go shows us how to push the chicken into the soup and to get the chicken meat separating from the bones, which you put in the bone dishes on the table. Now this is a twice slow cooked chicken soup, and includes the whole chicken. I found this description (http://www.passportchop.com/asia/south-korea/ginseng-chicken-soup-abalone-jeju-seogwipo-review/) of it (with photos) that will give you and idea. The men loved it and gulped it down, we women ate about half and were less impressed. It cost 12000 Won each which is about $USD10.Back on the road to our final stop - the lava caves. On the way, Go suggests we drive along the coast to see a scenic beach and we do that - the water here reminds me of the South Pacific, but I’m tired and sleep for most of this leg of the trip, so no photos. When we arrive, Go gives us some instructions about how to see the caves, including ‘be very careful, it’s wet and slippery’, which is certainly was! We have caves in Australia and we’ve walked on the lava fields in the Galapagos but I’ve seen nothing like this. Steps down and down, and immediately it becomes obvious we have to step carefully here. The lava is not untouched and so is not flat but shifting in nature from relatively flat to jagged rocks to undulating lava. The caves go from narrow to very wide and at the end is a 7+ meter lava column, where this lava has dripped from the ceiling over time.Of course AC and AL are off, and Elizabeth and I are next. Jenny and Tom bring up the rear. As we decide to keep going to the end of the cave, I fail to pay attention, kick a rock and trip, thankfully not falling thanks to putting my hands out on the rocks - ouch, that stung for a while, but no damage was done except to my pride. Jenny pulled me back to upright and we continue on. By this stage we are all together again including Go who has followed us in. Another group photo in front of the lava column and I am hanging on to Alan’s arm on the way back out to prevent any more tripping.
The roof of the cave
An example of the floor of the cave
Heading into the cav
Lava Column lit up so we could appreciate it fully - it was pretty impressive
Heading back to the entrance - thus was one of the brighter areas of the cave
More cherry blossoms in the car parkIt was cold in the cave - 9 degrees Celsius - but 21 degrees on the surface. We climb into the van for our trip back to the port, about 50 minutes, but I think we made it in 40 minutes. The weather had turned and light rained started as we got closer to the port. We drive through built up areas along the coast and the see the Millennium - and there’s that sigh when you see the ship. We use most of our remaining Won to give Go a tip - it was a great day, we saw local life, local nature and ate local food. It’s a unique little spot.Through Immigration again and then the long walk to the ship. I get some tea and cakes and Alan and I rest in the cabin until 5.30pm when I go down to the Rendezvous Lounge to meet everyone for a pre-dinner drinks; Alan joins us later. Off to Blu for another excellent dinner but I don’t have wine because the cold that AC kindly gave me is ramping up and I’m not feeling all that wonderful. Post dinner, AC and I retreat to the cabin and to bed pretty quickly; everyone else goes to the show which is Empower, another production show. Our last sea day tomorrow. 😞
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This event was a water pipe bursting and that happens. The 11 minute power failure we had was more annoying because I knew it had happened at least a couple of times before. More important for me was their response and as I said in my original post, the response by Millennium staff was quick and thorough. They may not have anticipated the exact event at the exact time it happened, but they were ready when it did. I’m not sure I’d damn Celebrity for a random event like a pipe bursting - my perspective anyway.
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Sea Day: Evening
Gym was a bit quieter yesterday afternoon and there was actually space for me to so my weights on a bench for once which good. I have been sitting on the bike doing my 30 minutes watching this never ending movement of men on the benches. I have been doing my weights on the mat until now which has worked okay in the interim.
Back to the cabin where I took a photo of the fog which started this afternoon and is now enveloping the ship. The captain was sounding the horn every so often - I think this is close to the thickest fog I've been in so there's nothing much to see in the photo!😄
Pre-dinner drinks then Blu for dinner which was as usually a great meal. I managed to take a photo of my stuffed chicken which didn't have much stuffing that I could see but it was delicious.
The show - Elysium - was a production, with the singers and dancers. This was the first show I've been too and the lead singer has some voice - I think she's been trained for opera.
I used to go to the shows all the time on our early cruises but don't go very much now for some reason I can't really pin down except that I get a bit bored I think. Last night I had a tickle in my throat and I was coughing a bit - the onset of the cold. Everyone else has loved most of the shows, and I'll get there feedback for a separate review of the entertainment.
Back to the cabin but then downstairs again to get some tea and a cake for Alan - he had pointed out to me earlier the ones he like, so I know which one to get - the ones I had been getting didn't meet his standards apparently! 😊 Tea, bad movie, sleep.
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7 hours ago, bunnyette said:
What a fantastic review...we did a land tour of China few years ago. This cruise sounds interesting. Hope your hubby recovers. Good thing you had a sea day to let him rest.
Thank you. The cruise so far has been great. The sea day has helped Alan, but not yet 100% and I suspect he's given the cold to me but I hope not!
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Sea Day
A sea day is always a good thing in my book. The ship's time moved forward an hour overnight, so it was an extra early rise this morning - I had an 8am massage and Alan had an 8am cycle class in the gym. Alan's cold was making him miserable and didn't want breakfast, so I went to Deck 10 myself to get some food. Then to my massage which was good but not the best I've had on the ship. I get massages regularly to deal with a combination of me clenching my jaw, a partial rotator cuff muscle tear a couple of years ago and arthritis in my neck - the massages help keep everything loose.
The seas are still churning a bit but nothing bad by my standards. We have lost the sunshine though and it's quite overcast.
Morning view with one of our frequent sailing companions.
I met everyone at Cafe al Bachio after the massage for an early morning tea. We wandered to the 'nothing over $10 sale' then - I lasted about 30 seconds in the shop which was full of crazy people, grabbing things and pushing. Next stop was the photo gallery to check new photos but I still need a better one of me and Alan tonight (Chic night) - I like being able to scan your card and see your photos without having to search for them on the walls - that saves time. Then we headed back to the cabins for a minute, as Jenny and Elizabeth had to be out of their cabins by 11am for their carpet to be replaced or dried further.
Alan and I went to the Cafe again, and I stood in line for take away and he looked for a table - he found one before I got served so we sat down - it's really busy of course, although one couple are taking up four seats playing some sort of dice game with no tea or coffee in sight. This annoys me and it's discourteous to everyone else who wants to sit and have a cup of tea. Yes, there's no games room but I noticed that the Rendezvous lounge had a table set up on a couple of seatings areas that could easily double as a games table. Anyway.
We headed back to the cabin, realised we didn't have our SeaPass cards, and immediately assumed we didn't get the cards back at the Cafe. Of course, we would never forget to pick them up from the table would we? We asked at the counter is they had our cards - no and someone came and looked at our table with us where someone else was already sitting, and he had found one card and the other was underneath a plate - who knows how it go there? We apologised and slunk off feeling just a bit stupid.
We stayed in our cabin to do some work, and then joined Jenny and Elizabeth in the OceanView Cafe for lunch. Tom and AL were in the casino testing their luck. Jenny, Elizabeth and AC went to a 1.30pm show with the Stevie Wonder singer and the magician/comedian from last night's performance but I had to finish my work and I'm now writing this post. The plan for the rest of the afternoon is gym, rest, pre-dinner drinks and dinner at Blu. The show tonight is Elysium:
In the land of Elysium, a fairy tale unfold between the forces of good and evil as the kingdom is threatened ... an original story that touches the heart.
I'm hoping that there's some aerial performances in it but we shall see. I'll do a quick update post at the end of the evening.
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5 minutes ago, yvrdave said:
Which cabins were affected or area of the ship please?
Only Deck 9. I thought Deck 8 was involved originally, but it wasn't. I only know of my two sisters' cabins being affected, although it looks at though there might have been maybe 6 or so cabins that needed new carpet. One couple had to be moved to a new deck (not Aqua Class). That's all I know.
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8 hours ago, flyingshoes said:
Enjoying your blog. We are joining Millennium in Tokyo April 27. We are in 9096. Hope the water/carpets will be sorted by then.
Duplicate post
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1 hour ago, SF said:
Sorry to hear about the flooding. Other posts have mentioned AC problems on Millennium too. Hope they get these issues fixed.
It's more cold than hot on the ship at the moment for some reason, although the ship was distinctly warmer when we return from our Bejing tour on the second day we were docked there. The cabins seem to be okay in terms of AC.
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1 hour ago, flyingshoes said:
Enjoying your blog. We are joining Millennium in Tokyo April 27. We are in 9096. Hope the water/carpets will be sorted by then.
Yes they will be - some were changed last night, and more affected cabins will be done today. Not all cabins were affected though - ours wasn’t.
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44 minutes ago, singinalot said:
I am just really enjoying your postings! post as many photos as you want, it's not an overload. 🙂
Oh don't give me permission to post photos - I take way too many!!😄 I'll post a link to my blog when I've got them all up there - the internet is a bit erratic on the ship in terms of speed, and uploading can take some time but at home, I can get them uploaded much quicker.
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Today was our final day docked in Tianjin. I had another good night's sleep, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not stay in bed beyond 6.50am. So up, shower, down to the Cafe to get tea for us and tiny pastries. While I'm in the lift balancing two hot teas and a packet of yummy things, I notice the sea is churning a bit, so it must be windy. I open the veranda door when I'm back in the cabin and step out and it is, it's chilly but not too bad, but not so good you can spend very long out here.
We had breakfast around 9am, but Naresh was cleaning our cabin when we returned so we went for a walk on Deck 11 or tried to. It is a very hazy day from the smog, and while the sun emerged at times it was windy and cold on the deck so we only did a few laps before going back to the cabin which was finished. AC went to the gym and I caught up with CCc posts, and then got a message from Jenny at 10.30am saying she was at Cafe al Bachio so I headed there. While we were here AL ran up to tell us that Deck 9 was flooded so we were off upstairs to see what was happening. There was water in the corridors and staff were already working on it. Towels at the doors, the cabin attendants had been into each cabin to get everything off the floor, and the big water vacuum machines were hard at work. Lots of officers, cabin attendants, and even the Captain was there to get it sorted. This went on all day and our cabin attendant worked all day but still managed to get our cabins sorted for the evening turn down service. Quite amazing. Here are two photos - these were taken not long after AL - who was in his cabin - heard running outside and put his head out to see what was going on, and then came down to get us. By the time we got back maybe 10 minutes later much of the surface water was gone and driers were comng out.
Jenny and Elizabeth's cabins had really wet carpet while we, next door, had none. The carpets in their cabins will be replaced tomorrow - as we returned from dinner tonight, they were already at work changing the carpets in other cabins and one couple had to be moved to a new cabin. We found out tonight that a water pipe burst and it must have been a big one given the amount of water in our corridor, and apparently Deck 8 was worse. It was impressive though how quickly the staff were there taking care of things, all very calm although I'm sure it was organised chaos to some degree.
Back to the day. After we saw what was going on on Deck 9, we retreated back to the Cafe, had more tea and coffee and pastries, and hung around there for a while. AC had been to the gym and went back to the cabin for a shower before meeting us on Deck 5. While we were there, AL went to Guest Relations to talk to someone about their cabin being so wet, and came back to tell Jenny to see Marina about the cabins tonight.
Eventually, we moved to the OceanView Cafe for lunch, and then went our own ways until we would meet at 5.30pm for drinks before our dinner at Qzine at 6.30pm. After catching up on my email, AC and I went to the gym and then met up with everyone in the Rendezvous Lounge at 5.30pm. The Qzine meal was good as usual - and for the first time I think, I didn't walk away feeling over-full. Qzine is on Deck 11 which you get to by the midship stairs or lifts. It's a pleasant area and the staff are attentive, although service got a little slower as the restaurant filled up.
Jenny, Elizabeth and I went to Guest Relations to talk with Marina but she was busy so we headed up to the cabin before they went to the show. Here we met one of the officers and Naresh, and he sorted out the time for carpet replacement but also rang Marina who came up to Deck 9 to see us. They both spent about 10 minutes with us, explaining and indicating that they were working on some form of compensation but right now they were pretty busy - understandable. Jenny and Elizabeth went to the show, I went to the Cafe to get some tea and I'm writing this post.
Alan came back from the show early - and he discovered a small wet patch on the carpet outside our bathroom door but everyone had finished for the night, so I'll let Naresh know tomorrow so it can get dried. I went and got more tea and a cake for Alan and keep writing this post. The seas are rougher tonight; Captain Alex told us in a very funny announcement today that there might be rough seas and he was right. It's the gentle and quick rocking from side to side so nothing too bad - yet. I'll post this and time for bed. Getting on post online on the day it is describing is, I think, a first for me!
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2 hours ago, Rina155 said:
You are amazingy, I feel as if I am right there along with you touring. I am enjoying this so very much. Thank you! I look forward to each of your posts. I
will wave as we wait at the port in Yokohama to get on, however you most likely will have already departed! 🙂
Thank you. It would be great if there was some magical way for CC people to recognise each other as we pass in cruise terminals! 🙂 You will enjoy the Millennium, especially the staff, who are all fantastic - they make the cruise a great experience.
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A reasonable night's sleep, shower, taking some photos from the hotel room, and then to breakfast. I put my bread into toast and went to get some fruit, came back to only one piece of toast. Thinking someone must have taken my toast, I put another one in but nothing came out. That’s weird I thought, maybe it’s stuck and I’ll push it out with another piece of bread - nope. So Elizabeth looked underneath and three slices of toast were stacked at the back. As we were doing that one of the managers asked us if we needed help and they took over. That was my excitement for breakfast!
Construction, construction everywhere - view from hotel room
Street view with the trees starting to bloom8am and we meet Lisa in the lobby and head off for Tiananmen Square. We got off the bus, went through a security check, walked a little way, reversed direction and then walked through a tunnel under the road to get to the Square. Lisa told us the history of the Square and the functions of each building - when we said we had been to see Mao’s embalmed body in 1984, she said she’s never been there, and you have to reserve tickets to go the mausoleum now.
China Railway Museum, now housing old locomotives - and a European style building
Zhengyangmen gatehouse at the south end of the Square
Great Hall of the People
Mao Tse Tung's Mausoleum - we went here to see Mao's embalmed body in 1984, but no return visit today. Look closely to see the security cameras on the light post. These were everywhere.
Entry to Forbidden City
While in the Square, Lisa offered us a photo package where a photographer would come with us for the day, but we declined that too. After a group photo, we were walking through another tunnel and then up next to the entrance to the Forbidden City.This is a place that just keeps on going and going and going. Every gate leads to another vista and another temple or building. I didn’t remember that from our 1984 visit so it was all new again. We didn't get to see the concubines' quarters this time, but passed the eunuchs' living area instead. Before we left, Lisa pointed us to the souvenir store, and we all decided to have a look. Almost immediately, Alan and I found some red plates and a vase that was just what we needed for our fireplace in the living room so made a purchase. Jenny brought some smaller red versions of jewelry boxes and Elizabeth had her name perfectly painted on the inside of a tiny glass bottle. I've only included a few photos here to avoid photo overload and I'll put more on my blog when I've got that sorted.
Rubbish collection Chinese style - on our way into the Forbidden City
Entering the Forbidden City
Ceremonial urns
Water storage jar - there were several of these in these courtyards. They were originally gold plated.
A single piece of marble was used to create this carving of dragons playing with pearls - 17 meters long, 3 metres wide and 1.7 meters thick, weighing about 250 tons. Apparently, if you touched this carving in the Ming and Qing dynasties, you could be executed.
Eunuch quarters - very plain and sparse. The yellow and green bricks are original and get their colour from glazing.
Garden view - really old trees here
AL was approach by these two boys with a cheery 'Hello' and Alan had a chat, teaching them a new bit of sign language.
Jade Wall, Forbidden City
There is a moat around the Forbidden City - this view shows the walls
Another moat view, with old Beijing houses on the leftOur final stop was the Temple of Heavenly Peace, where we’d also been in 1984, and which I remembered well. We entered the complex via another long corridor walk and then through the ticket gate. We had some free time here, so we checked out the temple - but like other places, we can’t go into the building now so the others didn’t get the image of looking up to its dome and marveling at this structure built without nails or cement. We also visited two other buildings that described the procedure for worshipping the heavens, and one about how the temple was constructed. There were four tours from the ship here at the same time, and I realized how glad I was that we were in small group with Lisa.One interesting thing was that because there is no charge to come here, a lot of seniors visit to meet friends, play cards and games and just catch up. The photo below shows them sitting on the left of the photo all along the wall.
Lisa giving us some information in the 'long corridor' to the Temple itself.
The Temple
A close up of the colours and construction
Group photo at the Temple
There looked like there were a lot of school groups here, playing a range of games and doing activities. This game where you had to keep the paper multicolour bird (on the ground in the foreground) in the air looked like fun.
Wind-up car in the parking lot!Lunch was at another local restaurant, more good food and tofu for the first time. We had a confusing conversation here about tipping - we don’t tip in Australia, and while the principle is fine, knowing exactly how much to tip is a challenge, especially when you have to convert from USD to CNY to AUD to know how much we were paying but finally agreed. Here we had the delight of a Japanese toilet with heated seat and a plentiful supply of toilet paper. We were heading back to the ship now - a three hour drive with a stop half way. We dropped Lisa at a subway station as she wasn’t doing the return trip to the ship with us, just the driver.Our drive back actually took around two hours; our driver was in a hurry to get us there so he could get back to Beijing by nightfall. And once out of Beijing, it was freeway all the way. On our rest stop, AL decided he wanted an ice cream but no one spoke English but with the help of the driver, who also didn't speak English, and sorting our Korean from Chinese coins, we eventually got the purchase done. I should mention that the driver kept us out of a couple of accidents these two days - the driving style here is based on playing chicken I think - do what you want to unless you can't. It was often frightening to watch but we were all safe and sound.
Typical of apartment buildings along the freeways and roads as we headed back to Tianjin
Back at the port - the Millennium is waiting for usAt the cruise terminal, but as we were on our way in, Jenny unfortunately tripped and fell, and sprained her ankle pretty badly; she couldn't put any weight on it for a little while but eventually made it back to the ship and on board. Jenny is the most resilient person I know and said she didn't need ice, but me, the queen on ankle sprains (my most recent one in Paris last year before the Azores/Canaries cruise when I missed a step) conspired with Elizabeth to get Naresh to get her some.While that's happening, I collect everyone's passports which we need to hand in for Tianjin port clearance when we depart tomorrow, and drop them off at Guest Relations.We went to the cafe then to get afternoon tea and Elizabeth suggested strapping since Jenny's ankle was now the size of a large egg, and luck was with us because the medical centre had just opened. There Jenny bought a ankle brace, put it on, and said it was immediately better. The sister there told her in no uncertain terms to ice it and rest it.Dinner was a very quiet Blu - Daniel told us they had about 6 tables the night before. Service was excellent 🙂 and there was time to chat with the hostess and the waiters like the old days. Lamb shanks was on the menu tonight and I had that for a change - it was delicious but the serving was WAY too big for me. All the food continues to be excellent. Jenny shows us her thumb just before we leave which has a huge black bruise on the underside - this is what must have hit the ground first when she fell. I take a couple of food photos here but forget what they are! I'll get food photos right by the end of the cruise.They look good.
Back in the cabin, I could see a ship's tour coming back on board. It was 8pm and I'm glad we got back in the afternoon. I decide not to go to the show - a Stevie Wonder Tribute - but everyone else does. I fail to get Day 1 Beijing uploaded to CC so give up and go to bed. We watch a movie when Alan returns and then another good nights sleep.-
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5 hours ago, Silkroad said:
This is wonderful! You make your journey come alive on the page, and your photos are lovely. Thank you🌺
Thank you for that - I was a bit wary about doing a live blog but I'm liking doing it a lot.
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There has been a flood on the Millennium in the corridors of Deck 9 where our cabins are. Not sure why yet but super impressed with the response. People everywhere dealing with it including senior officers and the Captain to check everyone was okay and to keep our cabins dry - which they did. Many water vacuums?? sucking the water off the carpet very quickly. One of our party has photos but can’t get them off his phone yet - will post when I can.
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We returned to the Millennium about about 4pm this afternoon after a two day, one night tour of Beijing organised through Tianjin Port Tours. I'll post reports on the two day separately but mastering photo uploads is making me a bit slow in getting these reports uploaded.Day 1 BeijingI woke early again and could see through the veranda door that we were in port but still sailing slowly. When I eventually got up we were docked at the Tianjin cruise port which is in a very stark looking landscape.
Tianjin Cruise Terminal SurroundsWe had been told verbally and in writing that we wouldn’t be allowed off the ship until 8.30am, so taking that advice seriously, we decided to have breakfast in Blu which opened at 7am. Elizabeth had headed up to the Cafe already but we caught up in Blu, and while we were there, an announcement was made that the ship was cleared - at 7.30am. Sigh. So off we went to get ready to disembark by 8am, our tour start time, when they announced that Chinese Immigration were ready for Immigration Group 2 - our group was Group 11 (this was advised to us the night before with the dailies). We kept going, checked with someone and they told us not to wait.Off the ship and into the immigration area, then a short wait in a short queue where there was a check of photo/me/visa and we were through. We headed to the door which was crowded by tour guides and taxi touts. We found our guide, Lisa, towards the back of the crowd and we walk to the van, pack our bags and we are off.It’s three hours, 37 minutes drive to Great Wall at Mutianyu, our first stop. The port area is stark, the roads are wide and pretty deserted. We pass a large power plant and cranes, so many cranes - there is construction going on everywhere here.
Power Station near TIanjin
Construction CranesWe had our rest stop, luckily with one Western toilet, but still a bit ‘rough’, and without toilet paper, which I came prepared for. We bought some more in the little convenience store which was enough for the duration. I’d actually order some rolls on Amazon before we left and one roll of that was more than enough for us for the two days.Not too long after our rest stop, the traffic strangely divided and went into two lanes that went in different direction. It was a driver security check at the border between Tianjin and Beijing. Once through the check, it was like horses being released from the starting gates, cars going everywhere. We found our place and continued on. And on. And on.We finally arrive, get dropped off at a parking lot at the base of the Wall, walk up a hill, and had lunch at the restaurant here. Great food at a table in mild sunshine with the Great Wall in the background.
We then walked further up the hill towards the cable car entrance. We While we could have walked up, Lisa didn’t recommend it, instead telling us it was better to get the cable car up to the top of the wall and then walk a section from there. The ticket cost was not included in the tour, so it was lucky I had enough cash. The lift is actually a ski lift with two attendants to ensure you get on properly. As we walked up a chair was coming around the corner and two Chinese voices yell at us “hurry up, hurry up, stand here. We did as we were told and then I fell into the chair, the top rails are put down which also bring up a footrest which we didn’t see, and then another yell as we were departing “feet up, feet up”. It was a gentle five minute ride to the top when two more attendants start with “feet off, feet off” then when I didn’t get off quickly enough “quickly, quickly” accompanied with a pull to get us out of the path of the next chair. We survived the trip and it was fun.
Walking to the Cable Car entrance - many people, from very young to very old here
View from the ski liftThen we were on the Wall with two options. Left was less strenuous, right more strenuous. Both had a multitude of steps and slopes to walk up and down. Alan went right while the rest of us went left. Tracing the Wall along the mountain slopes here gives some idea of its magnitude and how difficult it must have been to build over the three dynass that built and maintained it. As we reached the first guard station, a man was trying to sight his drone and bring it back to him but it appeared to be lost. He asked us to look too - AL and Tom could see it so they tracked it by sight until it disappeared. He and his partner decided to walk up further to see if they could find it and we kept walking. More stairs, more slopes, more views. Amazing.After about three guard towers, we decide it’s time to turn around and walk back down. Back at the first guard station, Tom looks over the wall, looks down, and sees the drone below him, lights still blinking. Then an old man, a worker there, used a rickety wooden ladder to get down to the ground to pick it up. He came back to us, and tried to give it to us. We shook our heads and tried to explain that it belonged to someone else who had walked further along the wall. We pointed in the direction and then tried to us sign language to describe the man and what he was wearing but the language barrier was too much. He really, really wanted us to take it but we kept saying no, and pointing further up the wall. We had to leave to make our meeting time with Lisa, so I don’t know if the drone and its owner were ever reunited. But that was some coincidence. Here are some Great Wall photos - as you can see it's very dry, very brown because of a drought.
Here we are at the Wall. As amazing a place to visit 35 years later.We brought some roasted peanuts on the way back to the bus - 20 yuan - and they were delicious, highly recommended. Then it was a longish drive through increasing traffic to get to the Summer Palace. The Palace is in a built up area, and not at all like I remembered. We hopped out of the bus, walked to the ticket booth for Lisa to get tickets - she asked for our passports here - then we walk to the ticket gates where we had to show our passports again, and were held up when Elizabeth tried to go through. An interchange in Chinese and Lisa was running back to the ticket office and came back with a ticket. She explained that the Summer Palace is free to anyone over 60 but Elizabeth hadn't reached that milestone yet, so she needed a ticket.This is the summer home of the emperors, and now open to the public. Around 20-30,000 people visit every single day. By this time it was about 3.30pm and it closed at 5pm, so after a map review and some information about its history, and a stop at the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity Hall, we did a brisk walking tour around Lake Kunming, which I do remember from 1984. We start our walk by winding our way on a path around a building that only has space for two people - this was slow and kind of ridiculous, with some people trying to push their way ahead in a space where that was impossible. No anger of any sort though; we just kept moving forward slowly and eventually arrived at the 'long corridor' which ran along one side of the lake. Lots and lots and lots of people here.We had some interesting insights into local life here, with a wide range of ages all mingling together comfortably. There are also lots more boats on the lake now, and smaller little craft as opposed to the bigger boats we sailed on the lake in 1984. And the woodwork and colours that were used here were quite stunning. Many of the tourist sites were repainted for the Beijing Olympic Games, so look quite vivid.Our final stop was the Marble Boat, built in 1755 to represent the stability of the Qing Dynasty. the wooden pavillon on top of the marble base was burned down in 1860 and rebuilt by Empress Dowager Cixi in 1890 using funds embezzled from the navy which took over control of the boat. I remember this boat from 1984 - it hasn't changed a bit.
Outside Hall of Benevolence and Longevity - the dragon represents the emperor and the peacock the empress. Usually the dragon has a ball in its claw representing power but its absence means the empress is all powerful.
Posing in front of some cherry blossoms - love the colour
Colourful construction in the 'long corridor'
Lake view
Temple view
Marble BoatWhile we were at the Palace, Lisa asked us if we wanted to do anything else because we would finish early tomorrow at 12.30pm - which I thought was odd since our itinerary indicated we would have a full day tour - but I mentioned the old area of Beijing and someone else mentioned the pandas at the zoo. She immediately suggested a special package for us that included a Peking Dinner, a Kung Fu Show, the Beijing Zoo and A Hutong tour of old houses - for $AUD200 each. We talked about this a bit but ultimately say no.We exited the Summer Palace and made our way through heavy traffic to our hotel - the Crowne Plaza Wangfujing in the centre of Beijing. On the way, Lisa tells us not to drink the water from the tap, cleaning our teeth with it is okay as long as we don't swallow the water. The hotel is 5 star, comfortable, lovely lobby, good beds, reasonable pillows, big room and bathroom but no shower. Our room looks over the high atrium down to the lobby. We tell Lisa we won't be taking up the additional package and after making sure we are checked in out, she says goodbye and departs. We put our luggage in our rooms, freshen up and regather in the hotel lounge.We have a drink and then make a booking at a restaurant that serves Peking Duck on the mezzanine floor - this turns out to be a business separate to the hotel but it was a good choice for dinner. There weren't many people here, and the front of house manager was a German expat who had been in Beijing for 10 years who looked after us very well. We had a wonderful dinner, and the Peking Duck was as tasty as we hoped.Elizabeth wants to take a walk so we head outside, spot a convenience store where we can check again for the floss we need but it's not there. In the next block we can see lighting, music and a lot of noise, so Tom decides he wants to take a look and everyone else joins him. Alan and I go back to our rooms, and I'm in bed and asleep without much effort.Apparently the lights were coming from a large brand shopping centre, and there was music and people dancing. There was a large police presence but apparently, everyone was having a great time. Lisa tells us the following day that this happens every night and that a lot of older people go to these gatherings because they are happy and enjoying life. That is a nice thought that I hope is true.-
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7 hours ago, singinalot said:
your photos are making me want to visit Asia (which wasn't previously on my list)
We are so close to Asia in Australia but we have really only started travelling in the region in the last few years. There’s a big difference between developing and more developed countries but wherever we have been so far has been fascinating.
Live Blog: Millennium 30 March 2019 - Shanghai to Tokyo
in Celebrity Cruises
Posted
Mt Fuji
We are getting close to Shimizu where we dock today. The seas were REALLY rough last night - we were warned by Captain Alex ahead of time. I got up about 4.30am and there was spray reaching our cabin on Deck 9. I don't think I've seen that before. It's pretty calm by the time I finally get out of bed at about 6.50am.
And then after a Blu breakfast, Captain Alex announces we can see Mt Fuji straight ahead. Much excitement! We went up to Deck 11 to get a better view - it is quite beautiful and we are lucky. The sun is out the sky is blue, and the cloud hasn't crossed the summit yet.
We were invited as Elite members to view Mt Fuji from the helipad but Alan has a work teleconference so I went. You enter through the Theatre on Deck 5 and here we saw queue jumping at its best - I know this is probably a cultural thing but any anyone would think they deserve to push in ahead of people who are already waiting defies any kind of logic. There were lots of people already on the helipad and everyone was generally pretty polite about swapping out places at the railing so we could all get good photogressivos. It was getting progressively crowded so after I'd taken 1001 photos of Mt Fuji 🙂 I took a couple of Shimizu and headed back downstairs.
I got a couple of teas and took them back to the stateroom, one for Alan to keep him going during the usual 2 hour teleconference and I am typing this. I cannot however, after 5 tries, post any photos so I'll post this text now, and the photos will come ASAP, along with the photos and post from yesterday in Kobe which was fabulous day, despite a cold and rainy morning.