Almost Live from the Shadow: 22 Feb - 8 Mar, Singapore to Hong Kong

[Unibok]

There are so many more things (and food stalls) to explore, I will have to come back. Jeff and Elginjock, perhaps we will cross paths here some time.

 

This is the good news/bad news pic. Great news to be boarding Silver Shadow tomorrow (hopefully with plenty of potable water -- thanks for the update, Stumblefoot), less good news to be leaving Singapore. Tonight, I have a lot of packing and re-packing to do, selecting which of the useless items I've been carrying with me for nearly 2 months to just leave behind in order to make room for my new purchases. (Which, by the way, turned out very well, with the exception of one blouse that will be sent to my home.)

 

For dinner, I stayed close to Little India, once again frequenting the Tekka Center. This time, Jeff, I did have a mutton biriyani. So good!!! Thank you for the gentle guidance in that direction. As a beverage/dessert/chaser, I tried an "original ginger tea" (pictured). Delicious. I love how the fire of the ginger cuts through the creamy sweetness of the milk.

 

If packing goes well tonight, I'll have time for some final explorations in the morning -- thank you for the suggestions, Jeff. I spent a great deal of time in Sri Lanka's Botanical Gardens last month, so I might save that pleasure for my next trip here. The list of things I didn't do is far longer than the list of things I did, but I enjoyed the randomness of the experience, and the mellow pace.

 

Next stop, Silver Shadow at Harbourfront (hey, I've heard of that!).

 

 

[UKCruiseJeff]

58 minutes ago, Elginjock said:

Thank you Unionk loving your daily adventures. We have only previously had short visits to Singapore but just used a BA companion voucher to book a week in Singapore in January. We love the food and always go where the locals eat.  Last year we managed to find the famous Michelin star Soy chicken hawker stalI in China Town que 20 mins but delicious and so cheap.Will have the time to get a silk jacket made!! any recommendations please . Made a note of Uniboks tailor. Have a wonderful cruise.

 

 

Unless you are young, and extremely good at flying and are in BA First you might find that a week in Singapore will have you using much of the first half of the week in recovery mode.   13 to 14 hours in Capucine Class will have you in extremis to put it mildly. 

Edited February 21, 2019 by UKCruiseJeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

Unibok.

 

The great thing is that you are clearly aware that you have just scratched the surface and you have allowed yourself to be drawn in for potential future visits.  The key thing on your next trip is not to see it as a trip but simply decamping yourself to a new home.  I suggest you allow longer say 16 or 17 nights or so and get into a few rhythms.  For example taking yourself off to a few outlying complexes and sitting down over a beer or three.  You will find locals sitting down beside you and chatting to you and being inquisitive and you will learn about their rhythms of their life.  Also,  at the moment I detect you worked from research carried out before you arrived.  You had a list of places to visit and places to eat.  We all start there. Longer trips get's you ditching research and simply allowing yourself to get sucked into the randomness.  It turns out that the places you ate at were not probably the best places but the best places that visitors know about.  On your next more random visit what you might do is simply go to a hawker center and put your tissues on a seat to reserve your seat and table and simply join the longest queue without bothering about what the food is.  That queue signifies what the locals know is the best food.  Some of it will be odd stuff you might not have otherwise tried.  But it's only a couple of dollars and you may end up eating something you'd never thought of trying and enjoying it.  It's an adventure.

 

Anyway .... me done .... enjoy your cruise. 🙂

[Elginjock]

Thanks Jeff I know that 7 days is just a short trip long haul availability  on BA not great!! We are youngish early 60’s and sleep not too badly in club world.We try to keep going until 9pm first night and then get a good sleep up early ready to explore.Stopped over twice in Singapore and love it Botanical gardens on list.Need to revisit your earlier posts for useful information. We are staying at the Fullerton. We did Hong Kong to Singapore on Shadow 3rd Jan and had a wonderful cruise.

[UKCruiseJeff]

18 minutes ago, Elginjock said:

Thanks Jeff I know that 7 days is just a short trip long haul availability  on BA not great!! We are youngish early 60’s and sleep not too badly in club world.We try to keep going until 9pm first night and then get a good sleep up early ready to explore.Stopped over twice in Singapore and love it Botanical gardens on list.Need to revisit your earlier posts for useful information. We are staying at the Fullerton. We did Hong Kong to Singapore on Shadow 3rd Jan and had a wonderful cruise.

 

Hi,

 

You know your own body clock better than anyone else but fwiw, I think that for the majority of travellers from the UK that are remaining in Singapore and not going on to Sydney then they are probably better off trying to stay awake for as much of the flight as possible so that they are knackered on their first evening and night in Singapore.  Then go out and stay up for as long as possible and go to bed feeling very tired.  Then you should be refreshed earlier in your trip. 

 

Going to be at 9pm after sleeping on the flight for most ytavellers will have them up in the middle of the night and spending much more time recovering their body clock.

[Stumblefoot]

3 hours ago, Unibok said:

Great news to be boarding Silver Shadow tomorrow (hopefully with plenty of potable water -- thanks for the update, Stumblefoot), less good news to be leaving Singapore.

We arrived at 10:30p and the Shadow is awaiting your arrival tomorrow.  We’re not quite ready to turn her over to you just yet here @ nearly 1:00a as we enjoy our last night of festivities on board.  But, alas, I promise the crew will have her spic and span for your arrival after we depart around 10:00a. Do we really have to go?  It’s amazing how fast 2-weeks can fly by.

 

Finally, if you get a chance, find the fella below at La Dame.  There’s not a nicer gentleman with a more genuine soul than Abhay.  He will take great care of you.  And, if I may be so bold as to make a suggestion, be sure to treat yourself to the Dover sole and rack of lamb at La Dame during your 2-week voyage.  Yum, yum, yum!!!

[Stumblefoot]

Okay Unibok.  The Shadow is all yours.  Have a fantastic voyage!

 

if you happen to meet ZQTChas and Elaine, please give them our best as we did not see them this morning to say goodbye.

[Unibok]

4 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

Okay Unibok.  The Shadow is all yours.  Have a fantastic voyage!

 

if you happen to meet ZQTChas and Elaine, please give them our best as we did not see them this morning to say goodbye.

 

Will do, Stumbles! Glad you all had such a wonderful time. Wishing you a wonderful time in Singapore and easy travels home.

 

Alas, I woke to some urgent work business back in the US, so that took my attention all morning. I'm now happily onboard, with bags unpacked. The upgrade fairy called a few days ago, so I am in a lovely mid-ship veranda suite on the 6th deck. My butler from last winter's sailing on the Wind is now here on the Shadow, so it was nice to reconnect with him. He recognized me immediately -- how do they do that???

 

As I've mentioned, I've been in Asia since December having a variety of experiences, many of them in rural areas and villages. I love home cooked meals, and I adore Asian food of all kinds, but I had forgotten how much I also love simple and well-prepared continental food. For lunch in the MDR, I had the asparagus starter, a pasta duo (pesto and a red sauce), and the grilled salmon. Woah -- I was not expecting how happy my taste buds would be. A slice of baguette with good olive oil and balsamic was enough of a dessert, and I left the meal singing (not quite audibly).

 

The bubbly is flowing, Vlad is by the poolside playing guitar, and life is very good indeed.

 

Our CC Meet and Mingle will be tonight at 6:30, followed by a hosted Solo get together. After traveling on my own for so long, I am looking forward to sustained conversation with fellow travelers. Perhaps I will see some of you there!

 

 

 

 

[zqtchas]

Sorry I missed the m&m but we didn’t get notified. SS has a problem with shuffling m&m off to an obscure location. We are in 655.

[zqtchas]

Just checked with reception & I was included to receive an invite but it never arrived. Tried to have a do over but alas I don’t have that much sway!

[Unibok]

On 2/22/2019 at 8:53 PM, zqtchas said:

Sorry I missed the m&m but we didn’t get notified. SS has a problem with shuffling m&m off to an obscure location. We are in 655.

 

We had a small but mighty M&M -- three solos and a lovely couple. Eventually that morphed into a much larger solo gathering of all ladies and the international hostesses. We had a rollicking good time at dinner last night and tonight, perhaps the loudest table in the MDR. 

 

I'm right down the hall from you in 626. Would love to meet up -- perhaps in the Panorama at 6:30? I have Grill reservations tomorrow at 7, and am taking another solo with me. If not tomorrow, perhaps we will meet another day.

 

In other news, Kirk's trivia had 3 teams today, and for my first adventure in SS trivia, I joined the team that came in second (as the token U.S. citizen). Hoping to write a more thorough update when I catch my breath, but suffice it to say that this sailing has been just lovely so far -- from an easy embarkation to a warm welcome aboard, to incredible cuisine and just enough pampering.

 

I hope you both had a delightful sea day today, coasting along Malaysia. Enjoy Koh Samui tomorrow!

 

Cheers,

[Unibok]

Some notes on the voyage so far: 

 

The strangest and most stressful part of embarkation in Singapore is walking through a mall with your luggage to get to the baggage drop and check-in. After that, it's a breeze. I think I was the 3rd passenger on board, around 11:30. Clearly, the crew were still very much in turn-over mode, but reception was ready and trays of bubbly were on hand for us. The Restaurant opened at noon, and I was the only diner in the room for a good 45 minutes. It was lovely to watch the transformation over time, from one crew to the next, to spaces slowly filling with new passengers. I watched Moss say goodbye to the restaurant staff, and Kirk say hello in a sort of passing the cruise director torch.

 

From what I have seen so far, the Shadow is immaculately clean and well maintained. The jogging track looks brand new. Although she is an older ship, it seems to me that she is holding up well. The suite seems bigger than my suite on the Wind (is it?), and the pool seems smaller (is it?). The butler, a lovely man from Kenya, asked what he could bring me in the afternoons, so I asked for some fresh berries. Like clockwork, those berries are waiting for me to have a mid-afternoon snack, and another reason to dip into the champagne (pictured).

 

As you can see in the picture, we have had beautiful calm waters and clear blue skies. Yesterday's sea day had the perfect conditions for relaxation and rejuvenation. I was in the mood to get out there and interact, my more introverted nature apparently taking a vacation as well. So ... international hostess Carla is offering a series of lessons in basic Vietnamese, and a half-dozen of us joined her for that. I can now say exactly 1 thing (hello!), or about 5% of what she taught us. Oh dear. Later, I opted to become a cruise cliche by taking the line dance lessons with Kirk -- and it was actually quite fun while also getting a bit of exercise. There were four of us plus Kirk; perhaps it will increase at the next sea day? 

 

My one disappointment of the day was up in the spa. Exactly 120 days before sailing, I signed up for a morning pedicure. Knowing how grubby I would be after my other travels, I thought it would be a good way to clean up for formal night. When I arrived in my suite, there was a confirmation of the appointment. All good. All good, that is, until I showed up for the appointment, and they had no record of it. Hmmm. Looking into it, they said it had been cancelled (presumably by me?) early the previous day. Before I was even on the ship. Hmmmm, they could see that it was a computer glitch. Unfortunately, somebody else had already claimed that appointment slot, and was in there AT THAT VERY MOMENT enjoying my pedicure. There was nothing to do about it -- they were booked solid for the rest of the day. I expressed my disappointment as politely as possible (which I think was polite, but you never know), and moved on with my life. I've had perhaps 2 pedicures in my entire life, and could surely live ably for many more years without one. But still 😞

 

Here's where the staff rose to the challenge and truly impressed. They tried moving appointments around to create a space for me, and eventually they called my suite and asked if I could be there at 3:30. They felt badly, and they would make it work somehow. The talented technician Charlotte was thorough and delightful, and it really was a delicious experience. Then, not only did they make it possible to fit me in, they also made it right financially to apologize for the drama. At the end of the day, the spa staff and management won me over. As a bonus, my toes looked fabulous for formal night.

 

As I write this, the mystical shoreline of Thailand is starboard as we head toward Koh Samui. 

 

[Kamlee]

"As I write this, the mystical shoreline of Thailand is starboard ..."

 

If the shoreline of Thailand is starboard you are heading the wrong way!

[Stumblefoot]

So glad to hear the seas remain calm for you!  The sea days are truly glorious.  

 

Hope you’re able to get out and about to any of the wonderful beaches of Koh Samui.  We wrapped up a 3-week trip to China and Thailand in Koh Samui two summers ago and we could have easily stayed a week at the Four Seasons hotel to unwind.  Magical!

[Unibok]

6 hours ago, Kamlee said:

"As I write this, the mystical shoreline of Thailand is starboard ..."

 

If the shoreline of Thailand is starboard you are heading the wrong way!

 

That's hilarious -- you are right, of course. But there was land on both sides of us at the time I wrote it. The wonders of geography 🙂

[Unibok]

Koh Samui is a lovely island -- Thailand's 3rd largest, as we learned today. Instead of the usual SS tenders, we shuttled back and forth in Thai junks (pictured). Somehow, that made it a bit more fun.

 

Approximately 200 of us were on the morning excursions today, and it worked seamlessly. I was on the "Koh Samui Overview," which started out with a visit to an organic farm slash cultural center. We learned about all things coconut, and sample a rice noodle curry among other treats. I particularly loved these pastel tiffins (pictured) -- think your daily lunchbox.

 

I typically pride myself on knowing a lot of herbs and vegetables, but we were introduced to some new ones today (pictured). All were delicious in their own way, and I left with a renewed respect for the complex simplicity of Thai cuisine.

 

Later in the tour, we visited the Big Buddha (which was basically built a few decades ago as a tourist attraction), and another temple. Our tour guide was fantastic, and I think most of us really enjoyed the outing.

 

That said, there was some nervousness as we caught the 2:00 tender back to the ship: where would all of these people eat? Happily, La Terrazza stayed open until 3:00, easily accommodating the day trippers. Theoretically, it worked, but the staff seemed a little stressed about staying open so late when they needed to turn over the space for evening dinner service.

 

Other random facts I picked up today: about 2/3 of the passengers are first timers for Silversea. The other 3rd are Venetian members.

 

Lovely dinner with some new friends at the Hot Rocks/Grill tonight. I'll need to wake early tomorrow to pack my bag for an overnight in the interior of Cambodia: the capital, Phnom Penh. 

 

Fair winds to you all,

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

12 minutes ago, Unibok said:

Koh Samui is a lovely island -- Thailand's 3rd largest, as we learned today. Instead of the usual SS tenders, we shuttled back and forth in Thai junks (pictured). Somehow, that made it a bit more fun.

 

Appreciate these wonderfully colorful visuals and excellent details.  Sounds like great fun!!  Keep it coming.  Nice sharing, especially with the many pictures. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

SE Asia/Mekong River, Etc.!  Live/blog from early 2018, first adventure through SE Asia, stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, before exploring all over Vietnam and Cambodia, seven days sailing on the Mekong River. Now at 43,811 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

[Unibok]

Not many pictures today, I'm afraid, as we spent over 7 hours in a rather warm bus wending our way through Cambodian traffic. They did have a variety of snacks made from durian at our morning toilet stop, and I couldn't resist getting a picture. This one sounds particularly horrid.

 

Our little group of 10 did know ahead of time that it would be a long drive from Sihounikville (sp?) to Phnom Penh, but the day was further lengthened by not leaving the pier until 9:30 (SS, what were you thinking?), and then being caught in excruciating traffic nearly the entire long drive. Once we finally reached the city limits, it was an additional hour before we made it to our hotel. 

 

After a 3:00 pm western lunch of mushroom soup and green peppercorn chicken (which, although delicious, was disappointing as I had been yearning for Cambodian food), we braved the traffic again only to arrive at the National Museum after it had closed. Bummer. Next stop: Wat Phnom, which was in full swing as the sun was starting to set. There are 2 temples, side by side: a Chinese one, and a traditional Cambodian one. We were fascinated by these lions, who receive food (beef, bacon, fish, eggs) to keep their mouths busy to prevent them from talking. 

 

 

After the temple, it was just a short drive back to the Sokha Hotel, which is gorgeous. The rooms are enormous, and our group has a string of them that look out across the Mekong River at the Royal Palace, now illuminated for night. After all that time in the bus I had to get into the pool for some laps. It felt so good to move, and the pool is long enough to present a nice challenge.

 

Given my disappointment with the western-style lunch, I had asked if there might be some Cambodian food for dinner. Wow -- did they honor that request. The waiter brought out a tray with small bowls of rice and about 6 or 7 other dishes, all circling the most delicious seafood soup. The flavors were delicate and delicious, so fresh tasting: lemongrass, chilis, peanuts, cilantro. So good. Probably the best meal I've had on the cruise so far.

 

We have a big day tomorrow visiting the main attractions: the Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields. I think we are all glad to be doing this together as a group; we don't expect it to be an easy experience.

 

Wishing you all a good night,

[WesW]

Just catching up on your delightful thread Unibok thanks for taking us along.

 

Will be boarding the Shadow about two weeks after you disembark, enjoyed immensely your Singapore posts.

 

If you have time can you please let me know who the Captain, Hotel Director, CD and social hostess are, thanks in advance.

 

Continue enjoying your Shadow voyage, look forward to following along.

Edited February 25, 2019 by WesW

[RachelG]

Enjoying your posts.  I have not been to Thailand or Cambodia yet.  Very interesting, and I love your food descriptions.

[pf778c]

On 2/23/2019 at 6:42 PM, Unibok said:

As a bonus, my toes looked fabulous for formal night.

 

No picture of aforementioned fabulous toes???

 

Sounds wonderful!

[Unibok]

On 2/26/2019 at 4:17 AM, WesW said:

 

If you have time can you please let me know who the Captain, Hotel Director, CD and social hostess are, thanks in advance.

 

 

Hello, Wes,

 

Here is the staffing as of this sailing:

Captain is Michele Palmieri

Hotel Director is Martin Blanar

CD is Kirk

Social Hostesses are Rebekkah and Carla

 

We'll leave the Shadow in great shape for you!

[WesW]

Unibok, thanks so much. Can’t wait to board the Shadow again it has been 13 years since we were last on board.

[Unibok]

Running a few days behind with my commentary, so for story-telling purposes, we are still in Cambodia on Day 2 of the Phnom Penh overland excursion. Given that much of yesterday was spent in traffic, we had very modest goals for the day: visit the Royal Palace, S-21 (the Genocide Museum), Choeung Ek (the Killing Fields), and return to the ship on time ... perhaps in that order. 

 

But first, a note about the breakfast at the Sokha Hotel. They had many stations, including a miso soup station, a fried noodle station, and a noodle soup station (picture is on my phone, which I can't seem to connect to the ship's Wifi). I now believe that every breakfast buffet should have a noodle soup station. Nourishing, warm, fresh, easy, delicious -- just what I want in a bowl every morning. 

 

We started at the Genocide Museum, which had been a primary and high school before it was converted into an interrogation and torture station for the Khmer Rouge. Our guide had his own family's stories to share with us, and it was impossible not to leave quite moved by the experience. I won't be posting pictures of what we saw, with the exception of these two: one is our wonderful guide (Reth), talking to us in front of one of the many rows of victim's pictures; the other is a classroom that had been converted into single cells for prisoners, and we all were taken by the incongruity of the decorative floor tile with the roughshod prison construction. It seemed to remind us that the progression from school to prison could happen anywhere.

 

 

[Unibok]

After S-21, we visited the expansive Royal Palace -- journeying from one extreme to the other. Here, we were soothed by the graceful lines and colors of the Cambodian architecture, the garden-like setting, and its functioning temples. (All pictured here.)

 

When this peaceful respite from human atrocities concluded, we then visited Choeung Ek, which was only one of hundreds of killing fields in Cambodia. The ground undulates with mass graves, all of which were dug by the prisoners themselves before their deaths. We visited the 9-tiered shrine built of the bones, skulls, and clothing of the victims, all categorized, organized, and color coded by age and means of death (a shockingly large menu of options). 

 

With heavy hearts, we boarded our bus for the looooonnnngggg drive back to port. It was a quiet ride, giving us time and space to begin processing what we had just witnessed.

 

Back on ship, we were greeted warmly and pulled back into the comforting and comfortable life aboard Silver Shadow. I dined at La Terrazza with another solo, grateful for the taste of care in a perfect plate of pasta.