SailorJill and I Sail on the Orient Express a.k.a. Millenium's Immersion Cruise

[SailorJack]

Another view of the east side of the river and the commercial side of the city.

 

 

 

This barge by the side of the river was loaded with fireworks that were being taken out to the float in the middle of the river.

 

 

 

 

This float was to be the scene of what we were told would be a spectacular fireworks display to celebrate the new year. The number 2017 would be covered with fireworks and would start the festivities.

 

[SailorJack]

This statue is the Soaring Dragon Fish statue and is located on the east side of the river. It is 75 feet tall, is made of stainless steel and weights over 60,000 pounds. It was designed as a lantern for the 2001 Kaohsiung Lantern festival. The statue - part dragon, part fish is meant to symbolize the City of Kaohsiung which is a city in transformation. At night the statue lights up and the dragon exhales smoke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of very high rise buildings in Kaohsiung. The building in the background with the spire is the Tuntex Sky Tower. It was completed in 1997 and at the time was the tallest building in Taiwan - at 85 stories and 1,250 feet. It lost the title to a building in Taipei in 2004. There is an observation deck on the 74th floor that is accessed by an elevator that travels up at a speed of over 30 feet per second!

 

 

 

 

We never did find out about this building, but the bridge is covered with different layers of light and we were told that at night it looked like a rainbow spanning the river. Just another reason we would have liked to overnight in Kaohsiung.

 

[SailorJack]

While most of the buildings we saw were new and well kept, there were some like this repair shop.

 

 

 

 

I am not quite sure what type of birds these are, but are probably song birds of some type. Many stores had cages of them out on the sidewalk. We were told that birds are a common pet in Taiwan and that some people even take them (in their cages) to the park for a "walk."

 

 

 

[silkismom]

In Hong Kong there used to be a "bird alley" with live crickets, worms etc for the birds, people (usually men) brought their birds to sing with other birds and discuss their care and other "important" things.

[SailorJack]

Lots of motorbikes in Taiwan and, just like in many other Asian countries, most people wear masks. We got a lot of strange looks from people as we took their picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We took these photos on the way back to the ship and we have a sea day coming up and then Manila in the Philippines.

[SailorJack]

In Hong Kong there used to be a "bird alley" with live crickets, worms etc for the birds, people (usually men) brought their birds to sing with other birds and discuss their care and other "important" things.

 

I have been to Hong Kong several times, but missed that particular area! Your comment about men bringing their birds to sing confirms what we were told in Taiwan - that people actually bring their birds to parks and have bird singing contests. Thanks for sharing.

 

Jack

[yukongold]

While most of the buildings we saw were new and well kept, there were some like this repair shop.

 

 

 

 

I am not quite sure what type of birds these are, but are probably song birds of some type. Many stores had cages of them out on the sidewalk. We were told that birds are a common pet in Taiwan and that some people even take them (in their cages) to the park for a "walk."

 

 

 

 

I think the birds in the top photo look like parrotlets and the ones in the bottom could be love birds. In either event, they are all cute.

[SailorJack]

Sailor Jack,

 

Would you happen to have a copy of the Dailies (I think that's what they call it) with a list of daily activities that you'd be able to post? We are going on the Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, south Korea and Shanghai itinerary next March. This would be our first Celebrity cruise so it would give us an idea of the different activities onboard. Are there line dancing classes, ballroom dance classes, poolside games, trivia games, theme parties at night, etc. with the cruise director and his staff? Also would you have a copy of the menu from the main dining room?

 

Thank you!

 

 

Have not forgotten you! We have (with help from Jaspero) figured out how to scan the dailies. I will start to scan them in today and post them.

 

Jack

[SailorJack]

Sea-to-Sea, here are some of the dailies. The hardest part of getting these was after the scanning. I apparently lack the software to scan directly to my computer so I had to find an SD card. Then it took an hour to find the SD slot in the printer! I It was well hidden. Then I find that I do not have an SD slot in my computer. So Jill has to put it in her computer and transfer to a memory stick so I can load it on my computer. Of course Alexis could have done this in 15 minutes, but I, as Jill has repeatedly reminded me, lack the computer gene necessary to deal with any technology developed after 1970. Anyway, thanks to you and Jaspero I now know how to scan documents! Here are the first four days of the cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FromSea2ShiningSea]

Jack,

 

Great job!

 

Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to search, scan and post the dailies. That was just so kind of you to do that. This now gives me an idea of what to expect with all the activities onboard during the day and night on an Asian cruise.

 

And I'm glad that this gave you an opportunity to learn a new techy task. :D

[SailorJack]

We have arrived in Manila Bay just as the sun rises.

 

 

 

Our first glimpse of Manila, the capitol city of the Philippines.

 

 

 

Looks like it is going to be a beautiful day and the pilot is coming out to take us in.

 

[SailorJack]

Apparently docking in Manila was going to be a little tricky as two tugs came out to push us in.

 

 

 

 

As we were heading in, the fishing fleet was heading out. They were small, one-man operations as opposed to the much larger vessels we saw in the Taiwan fishing fleet.

 

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

Jack,

 

Great job!

 

Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to search, scan and post the dailies. That was just so kind of you to do that. This now gives me an idea of what to expect with all the activities onboard during the day and night on an Asian cruise.

 

And I'm glad that this gave you an opportunity to learn a new techy task. :D

 

You are more than welcome. Now that I know how to do it I will post a few more.

[SailorJack]

We have lived in a number of cities and in each one someone was bound to tell us, "stick around for 5 minutes and the weather will change." Well the same is true for Manila. No sooner had the sun come up than a fog bank started to move in.

 

 

 

 

We were soon engulfed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then, just as quickly, it moved on and we could see where we were going to dock.

 

[SailorJack]

As we pulled into the dock area we were welcomed by a band of young girls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And dancers accompanied by another band.

 

 

[SailorJack]

I have no idea what these tall mannequins represented as there was no emcee for the event. They look like something you might see in a Marti Gras parade, but I am sure they have some symbolic role in Philippine culture.

 

The music and the dancing was most entertaining and we had two different bands and dancers upon our departure as well. It was the most entertainment we have ever experienced in a port of call. It made us wonder how many cruise ships called on Manila. We had looked at RCL, NCL Carnival and Princess before booking his cruise and could not find any sailings that called here. Manila was one of the primary reasons for booking this itinerary - along with Ha Long Bay. In any event, everyone seemed very glad to see us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

The port at Manila is just a few minutes walk from the Intramuros - the oldest and most historic part of the city. And as you step out of the port gate you realize you are not in Kansas anymore.

 

These buses bear no resemblance to the MARTA buses in Atlanta! These are Jeepneys and we were told that the minimum fare is 16 cents plus 2 cents per kilometer. A very inexpensive way to travel.

 

 

 

Of course there are cheaper ways to get around.

 

 

 

 

 

And if you don't have a pickup truck to haul produce you can always do it by motorcycle.

 

[DavyJoneses]

We have lived in a number of cities and in each one someone was bound to tell us, "stick around for 5 minutes and the weather will change." Well the same is true for Manila. No sooner had the sun come up than a fog bank started to move in.

 

 

 

 

We were soon engulfed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then, just as quickly, it moved on and we could see where we were going to dock.

 

 

The shots of the ship in fog is kind of eerie - almost ghostly. Did you have to do any touchup to get that effect?

[SailorJack]

The shots of the ship in fog is kind of eerie - almost ghostly. Did you have to do any touchup to get that effect?

 

I did some cropping but that was all. The fog moved in so fast that I almost missed the shot. You can see in the first photo that there is still some sun shining on the hull, but by the time I took the second shot the fog had completely blocked the sun. This was one of my favorite shots from Manila.

[SailorJack]

As soon as you leave the port area you cross Radial Rd 10 which is a major thoroughfare.

 

 

 

 

Immediately upon crossing the boulevard, one enterers a shaded promenade that provides nice shade for the short walk to the Intramuros - the oldest and most historic part of Manila.

 

 

 

 

Along the promenade were a great number of memorials, busts, and statutes - many of which surprised us!

 

This one is decidated to Jose Perez "a national hero of Cuba." The bust commemorates the "eternal bonds of friendship between Cubans and Philipinas." We didn't realize that the two countries were that close. Perhaps due to their Spanish heritage. If you look towards the upper right of the photo you can the outer wall of the Intramuros - that is how close it is to the port. The green on the lower left behind the bust is the golf course.

 

 

 

 

This one was dedicated to Jose de San Martin - "Liberator of Argentina." It seemed a little unusual that the first memorials one sees upon entering Manila are ones dedicated to heroes of other countries.

 

[SailorJack]

Of course, local dignitaries were also honored along the boulevard. These statues celebrate the life of Maria Corazon Aquino, the first female president of the Philippines and the first female president of any country in Asia, and her husband, Senator Benigno Aqino.

 

 

 

 

This statue is to Cardinal Jaime Sin, the 30th Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila, and a person who played a key role in the People Power Movement which resulted in Ferdinand Marcos fleeing the Philippines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This memorial honors Andres de Urdaneta and Miquel Lopez de Legazpi - two Spanish navigators who helped to open up the trade routes between the Philippines and Spain. It was Legazpi who founded the first Spanish settlement in the East Indies when we landed in Cebu in the Philippines in 1565.Urdaneta completed the second circumnavigation of the world in 1536 - after Ferdinand Magellan who did it in 1522.

 

Whether intentionally or not, the memorials along the boulevard provided both entertainment and education regarding some of the history of Manila as we made our way to Intramuros. It was a great start to our day in Manila!

 

[SailorJack]

After we passed the memorials the promenade paralleled the golf course for a while. The wall in the background is the wall that surrounded the old city now known as Intramuros.

 

 

 

 

 

We had an earlier photo of a motorcycle laden with bananas, but apparently you can also have your cooking oil delivered by bicycle.

 

 

 

 

 

And your fresh produce can arrive by push cart. One of the things that impressed us was the ingenuity of the people in Manila. Everyone made the best of what they had and while the photos are static and don't show the dynamics of what was going on, the whole area bustling and very fast moving.

 

 

[SailorJack]

We are inside Intramuros - which is Spanish for "within the walls." It is the oldest district of Manila and during Spanish rule it was considered to be the City of Manila. Intramuros suffered extensive damage during the battle when the allies recaptured it from the Japanese in WWII, but aside from some obvious reconstruction sites we saw, we saw little actual signs of that battle.

 

Our first stop inside Intramuros was at Plaza de Roma - a beautiful park where both tourist and residents roamed the gardens and sat on benches to take in the scenery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the imposing views from the Plaza was that of the Manila Cathedral. One has to hand it to Philippine persistence. As you can read from the sign, the Cathedral had to be rebuilt 8 times over a couple centuries due to earthquakes, fires, typhoons, and finally, the Battle of Manila in WWII.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the most recent version is certainly imposing. The day we were there, there were several groups of school children who where touring the Cathedral and learning about its history. You can see one of those school groups on the steps of the Cathedral.

 

 

 

 

 

Another shot of the Cathedral. The school group has moved on and the weather has cleared a bit so we left our sheltered alcove in the park headed inside.

 

[SailorJack]

Almost everything inside Intramuros is incredibly old. This is Iglesia de la Immaculada Comcepcion de Maria de San Agustin. Or, as it is more commonly known - San Agustin Church. It was named a National Historical Landmark by the Philippine government in 1976 and as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.

 

 

 

 

 

As with the Manila Cathedral, this is not the original structure as previous structures were destroyed by fire and earthquake. The current stone structure was started in 1586 and was completed in 1607. The inside of the church is simply stunning. Three dimensional carvings, seats with ivory inlays, a grand pipe organ, and 16 very large and very beautiful chandeliers brought over from France are but a few of the amazing features inside.

 

 

 

 

 

Amazingly, this structure was used by the Japanese as a concentration camp - where hundreds of people were interred. This was the only church in Intramuros to survive, relatively intact, the Battle of Manila in WWII.

 

The church was also used by the Spanish Governor of the Phillipines in 1898 to prepare the terms for the surrender of Manila to the United States following the Spanish-American War. The amount of history that occurred within this area was truly amazing.

 

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

This is one of the older streets in Intramuros. The cobblestone street was paved over, and small businesses line the street.

 

 

 

 

These buildings date back to the 1880's.

 

 

 

Some of the buildings remind one of New Orleans.