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Morris & Susan's Viking WC

januari - mei 2024
Set Sail for a 4 Month Viking Neptune 4 Month World Ocean Cruise Meer informatie
+8
  • 73Footprints
  • 16landen
  • 122dagen
  • 1,2kfoto’s
  • 14video’s
  • 38,2kmijl
  • 19,3knautische mijlen
  • 11,1kmijl
  • 745mijl
  • 555mijl
  • 124mijl
  • 5nautische mijlen
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  • Morris & Susan's Viking WC
    126
    Dag 42

    Playful Day at Sea

    19 februari, Coral Sea ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    Saw playful Dolphins today while we were at Sea.

    Susan learned about Aboriginal Art as she was trying "her hand" at dot painting.

    What better way to cap off the night than with a Gin Mixology Class!! Happy to report that they did a great job in decorating the class, and that we got an A. 👍Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Morris & Susan's Viking WC
    111
    Dag 43

    Brisbane

    20 februari, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    Short stop over in Brisbane, took in a Panoroma tour before heading to the Koala Sanctuary to see the adorable Koalas. Went on a walkabout to see the Kangaroos and Emus, too. They are so docile and will eat right out of your hands.

    Enjoyed seeing a few of the other local animals as well.
    Grey-headed Flying Fox Bats are
    vegetarian and play a vital role in our environment by spreading pollen and seeds.    Meer informatie

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  • Morris & Susan's Viking WC
    1
    Dag 46

    Cairns: Great Barrier Reef

    23 februari, Australië ⋅ 🌧 82 °F

    Amazing Day Snorkeling at The Great Barrier Reef.
    Water was about 80 degrees, but we wore stinger suits because of the stinging nettle in the water.
    The coral has bleached out since we were here 25 years ago, but it still has the beautiful blue, purple yellow and orange colors. However, pinks and reds have been diminishing.

    We had several Marine Biologists on board w us, and they currently have several coral nurseries that they use to replinish the coral in the hardest hit areas to preserve this natural wonder. Such a beautiful day at sea.    Meer informatie

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  • Morris & Susan's Viking WC
    Dag 48

    Thursday Island, Last stop in Australia

    25 februari, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    Where's Thursday Island, you may ask? Well, it's between Wednesday Island and Friday Island, of course. 😀. The Torres Strait Islands ( between Australia and Papua New Guinea) is an archipelago of at least 274 small islands, one of them being Thursday Island.

    The island was once home to a thriving pearl fishing industry. From the 19th century, divers came from Japan, Malaysia and India to harvest pearls.
    So it was thought that the area would be spared from bombing in World War II, due to it being the burial place of many Japanese pearl divers as well as current Japanese residents on the island. However, neighboring Horn Island was a strategic air base, and it was extensively bombed.

    On the tour, we saw a wonderful dance by the Torres Strait Islander's in their native costumes. The kids were all too happy to share their culture and how the instruments worked. Notice the intricate weaving of the palm fans

    Warupaw uu (The Echo of the Drums) was printed on the pathway to town.
    The drum has been used in sacred music performances for thousands of years by Torres Strait Islanders and is a quintessential symbol of their identity.
    "Warupaw UU" drum top is made of stretched snake skin. They add nubs for sound variation and heat it up to keep it tight prior to playing.

    Torres Straight flag's white design center is meant to resemble the official head dress wore by the Islander's elders. Green Hill Fort on Battery Point was built in 1892 to protect the island over growing concern of a potential Russian invasion as a result of the deterioration of the relations between the Russian Empire and the British Empire. It was shut down 30 years later, then reactivated during WWII as a lookout and communication station.

    Small Island with a lot of history.    Meer informatie

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  • Morris & Susan's Viking WC
    12
    Dag 52

    Komodo National Park, Rinca Island

    29 februari, Indonesië ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    Are dragons real? Seems like a simple question. One that made us think twice after a wonderful lecture before we docked.

    If you say they are real, then you probably enjoyed seeing them in Game of Thrones, The Hobbit, and the Harry Potter Series. BTW, the motto of Hogwart is Draco Dormies Nunquam Titillandus (Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon).

    If you say they are not real, then how do you explain various stories of dragons around the world (especially in China where they see dragons as good luck). What about several mentions of dragons in the Bible (i.e.-Nevi'im 27:1 or Ketuvim 74:12-14).

    As we sailed into Indonesia and the Komodo National Park, we are in search of the true dragons of our time. We are reminded that while today's Komodo Dragon's can be up to 10 feet long, their ancestors were 21+ feet in length and weigh over a ton. They can smell blood from miles away (so stay away if you are bleeding), and can kill and tear apart animals that are much larger, like a water buffalo.

    By contrast, we were amazed at how peaceful this area looks. The islands are like soft rolling mounds of lush green amid turquoise waters. The National Park spans 670 sq. miles, 26 small islands, and 3 larger islands Padar, Komodo, and Rinca.

    We met our park rangers on Rinca Island, and he stayed with us on the boardwalks over the Komodo Dragon area. Komodo Dragon's are the largest moniter lizard on land and can weigh up to 150+ lbs. He also said that the younger dragons can climb trees and boardwalks, so to watch our step.

    It got very hot close to noon, and we we were lucky to see the young ones as well as the older dragons in the wild. Amazing ancient creatures.

    Beautiful full moon as we sailed on to the islands of Bali and Java.    Meer informatie

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  • Morris & Susan's Viking WC
    Dag 53

    Bali Day 1

    1 maart, Indonesië ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    We found Bali to be a magnificent island within Indonesia - a country that has about 17,000 islands and has the 4th largest population in the world. However, Bali is 85% Hindu while the rest of Indonesia makes up the largest Muslim population in the world. The island's rich Hindu culture holds that gods live in all natural things - from mountains and streams to pebbles on the beach - lending the island a peaceful air.

    Karma is a central theme of Hinduism, and it plays a large role in Bali culture. As an example, when the open air shops that we saw along the roadside closed for the night, they just roped off the outside area instead of doors across the shop entrance, so everything is left out in the open. They said no one takes anything because it would be bad karma.

    Bali was also our first taste of the madness that Asia calls "traffic." Scooters everywhere weaving between cars. No sidewalks, or room to park a car. Just polite little beeps as they all pass each other in organized chaos. If someone needed to cross a street, no problem. Just raise your hand and walk, but don't back up, the drivers just go around you.

    Our hugh bus weaved through town for an hour in the rain without a thought of the traffic as we approached the Tegallalang Rice Terraces in Ubud.
    As we walked above the beautiful terraced rice fields and marveled at the engineering, you couldn't help but be struck by the cultural landscape that consisted of rice terraces and water temples. The temples are the focus of a cooperative water management system of springs, canals, and weirs known as "subak" that date back to the 8th century. We were fascinated to learn about rice: planting, growing, harvesting, and final processing. The rain didn't dampen our excitement as we toured, and we vowed never to take rice for granted again.

    Finished the day at the Puri Lukisan Museum and Temple in Uday. We then went for dinner at Cafe Lotus, which just happened to have a large water temple in its backyard.    Meer informatie

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  • Morris & Susan's Viking WC
    Dag 54

    Bali Day 2

    2 maart, Indonesië ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    Tour to Denpasar, capital of Bali, to visit the Central Local Market. Beautiful colors with all the peppers, fruits, and vegetables. Strolled through meat stalls (note no refrigeration!) as women shopped w large baskets on their heads. Local vendors cleaned produce, made flower offerings for holiday prayers, and made woven baskets.

    Then, we went to Maospahit Temple, which is known for its bare red brick architecture. Note that the builders did not use any mortar!! Pura Maospahit was built using a concept known as Panca Mandala, where the most sacred area is situated at the center of the complex instead of facing the direction of the mountain. In the spirit of the Bali Holiday, the Hindu priest was blessing all who visited that day.

    In the Evening we went to Bali's Bird Park for a lovely Dinner followed by a fascinating performance of the Kecak, a ritual dance that recounts an epic tale from the Hindu " Ramayana" and fire dance. What a night!!    Meer informatie

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  • Morris & Susan's Viking WC
    Dag 55

    Bali Day 3 GWK and Beach

    3 maart, Indonesië ⋅ 🌧 84 °F

    Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK), is a cultural park dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and home to the largest statues in SE Asia.

    The statue, which stands 400 feet tall, is a representation of the Hindu god Vishnu and his mount, the Garuda bird. It was completed in September 2018 and took 25 years to finish.

    Rising above it all, the grand and captivating statue was inspired by a famous story in Hindu mythology about the search for Amerta (the elixir of life). According to the myth, Garuda agreed to be ridden by Vishnu in return for the right to use the elixir to liberate his enslaved mother.

    We were lucky to be in Bali during the Bali Galungan Celebration, which marks the return of the deceased to visit their homeland. Current inhabitants have a responsibility to be hospitable through prayers and offerings. The most obvious sign of the celebration is the tall Penjor Bamboo poles decoarated with offerings along the road at the entrance to every home.

    Next stop - Uluwatu Seaside 11th Century Temple, Bali's most sacred, 230 feet above the ocean.
    The Uluwatu Temple is not just home to the gods. It's the physical home to hundreds of long-tailed macaque monkeys. They are famous for stealing things from visitors and then holding them to ransom. One lady on our cruise had her iPhone snatched, and a guy had his glasses taken off his head while he was wearing them. Luckily, the guides were able to retrieve both ... for a fee.

    On our way back, we saw a poster for the most expensive coffee in the world. Kopi Luwak is a coffee that consists of partially digested coffee cherries, which have been eaten and pooped out by Asian palm civets (think face of a raccoon, body of a cat). The cherries are fermented as they pass through a civet's intestines, then collected and processed. Yukkk. No, we did not try it, and the locals affectionately refer it it as CatPooChino. They say it's delicious.

    After a hot and humid day, we headed to Nusa Dua Beach. Home to beautiful roads, gardens, and 5 star hotels that were built to host the G20 summit in 2022. Headed to the beach and local resort for a swim.
    Big Thank you, as we sail on, to the Balinese people for sharing their culture, family life, and hospitality.    Meer informatie

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  • Morris & Susan's Viking WC
    Dag 57

    Semarang, Java, Indonesia

    5 maart, Indonesië ⋅ ☁️ 88 °F

    Arrived in Java at the Port of Semarang today. This island has long been a center of Hindu-Buddhist empires. It now has a Muslim presence that blends with the island to create a rich history and culture that you can feel. Java was once an important trade center for the Dutch East India Company in the 17th and 18th centuries.
    As we drove outside the city, we headed to Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument in the world dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries. Upon arriving, we were given special woven sandals so that our shoes did not wear down the stones. Then, the local guides led us through the monument, providing us with details/history of the site. Amazing to think it was buried under volcanic ash until it was discovered in 1815 and restored with the help of UNESCO in the 70s.

    It is hard to describe the over whelming feelings we had when we first saw it, let alone the amazement when we climbed and walked around the upper levels. Borobudur was built by hand, without any mortar, from local volcanic rock that was carried from the mountain 40 Km away, It has over 49 million stones that make up 9 stacked platforms (6 square, 3 circular) topped with a central dome. You walk up clockwise via stairs viewing 2, 672 reliefs, 504 Budda statues along the paths. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa for a total of 73.
    Upon descending, our guides hosted a lovely luncheon for us over looking the monument. We are glad to have the opportunity to visit such an incredible site.
    Finished the night off with an amazing Singer, Ben Mills, from Australia.    Meer informatie

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  • Morris & Susan's Viking WC
    Dag 60

    Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam Day 1

    8 maart, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 95 °F

    We always wanted to go to Vietnam, and now surrealistly, here we are. We are feeling a curious mix of emotions ranging from excitement to a bit of aprihension as our teenage years were all about the war and fall of Saigon. The city is now officially called Ho Chi Minh City, but many locals still call it Saigon.

    So the photos start with the building currently called Independence Palace. This is the building where the last USA helicopters flew from which marked the fall of Saigon at the end of the war when, on 4.30.1975, the North Vietnamese army tanks crashed through its gates. Many mixed emotions for me as a protester and in losing someone in the war (Rest in peace, Herman).

    Ho Chi Minh has now become a bustling, seamless blend of history and modern youthful energy, where pagodas and French colonial grandeur mingle with bustling old world alleyways and marketplaces along with modern skyscrapers.

    In addition to the Palace, our tour took us to Chua Phuoc Hai, Buddhist Temple. We then visited a Lacquerware factory employing people affected by the war's aftermath. Fascinating multistage process of utilizing eggshells, shells, and painting to create these pieces of art.

    This city has 15 million people and 10 million scooters swarming all around mixed w cars. Traffic lanes and lights only seem to be a suggestion as everyone tries to pass everyone else in this chaos. Then, all of a sudden, someone raises their hand, wanting to cross the road. As I put my hands over my eyes, anticipating the horns, the slamming of breaks, and imminent carnage, I see a woman's confidence in stride crossing the road and traffic just going around her. Our tour guide told us that this is normal here, and you either cross this way or don't get across. The main rule is don't stop and don't step back ... "Because that's how accidents happen." We now have a new normal.

    With this introduction, our fear of a strange place melted away, and we decided to get off the tour bus for dinner on our own. In the process, we bravely tried to cross the busy streets ourselves, and I am happy to report that we survived!

    We found a fun restaurant for dinner, discovered the local beer, and grabbed a Grab back to the ship.    Meer informatie

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