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D & P Viking Neptune WC 23
  • Paulette Welch

D & P Viking Neptune WC 23

We are embarking on a world cruise on the Viking Neptune, scheduled to start in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 23, 2023, and end in London, England on May 9, 2024, with loads of exciting stops, and new countries along the way. Read more
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  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler
    3

    Eden, Australia. Day 55

    February 15, 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    Eden and its surrounding villages lie along the scenic Sapphire Coast, some of Australia's best coastal districts. These sheltered waters are home to the award-winning oysters of the Sapphire Coast. We strolled through the streets of Pambula, and explored the the town lined with colonial-era buildings on the Main Street. At the Eden Killer Whale Museum, we learned about the story of Old Tom, Eden's most famous orca, and how he established a unique arrangement with human whalers. To alert them of the presence of baleen whales in the bay, he would breach and slap his tail at the mouth of the Towamba River. Old Tom's skeleton is now on display at the museum.
    Eden was an important port for Australia's powerful whaling industry for more than a century. The whalers who operated out of Eden had an advantage over their competitors. In a unique example of mutualism, a local pod of orcas, apocryphally led by Old Tom, would assist in the hunt by herding the whales into nearby bays for easy dispatching by the whalers, in exchange for an easy meal. Today, the town's focus is on whale conservation, but its intriguing whaling history is on display at the Eden Killer Whale Museum, including the skeleton of Old Tom.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Sydney - Day 57

    February 17, 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    Celebrated for its magnificent natural harbor, the world's largest, Sydney was founded as a penal colony in 1788.
    Since then, it has grown into the major cultural center of Australia, beloved for its all-embracing, free-spirited nature. The cultural jewel in its crown is the iconic Sydney Opera House, a UNESCO World Heritage Site nestled harborside like a gleaming white bird taking wing. Adjacent, the Royal Botanic Garden displays one of the world's most important horticultural collections across its 70 acres of flora-lined pathways. Nearby, The Rocks, a district named for the sandstone from which its original buildings were made, once hosted drunken sailors and ex convicts. Today, its history rich streets are alive with shops of every interest, cafes, markets, crafts and arts. We switched ports and are going to the Hunter Valley Winery today.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Sea Day - Day 58

    February 18, 2024, Great Barrier Reef ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

    The Great Barrier Reef & Its
    Insatiable Starfish
    Stretching for more than 1,400 miles along
    Australia's coast, the Great Barrier Reef is home to a staggering array of marine life. Contrary to popular belief, it is not one coral reef but as many as 2,900, all blanketed on the ocean floor among 600 tropical islands and 300 cays. One-third of the planet's colorful soft corals and about 360 species of vibrant hard coral thrive here, drawing all manner of rainbow-colored fish eager for a nibble.
    A multi-hued universe of untold beauty lives beneath these waters.
    One of the most common predators in the Great Barrier Reef patrols the ocean floor in silence: the crown-of-thorns starfish. It measures up to 14 inches and boasts up to 21 arms. These primordial-looking creatures prey on hard coral, sometimes to devastating effect. Once it is clinging to the coral, it suctions onto its prey and expels its stomach through its mouth to cover a surface area equal to its own diameter. The enzymes it releases allow it to liquefy the coral and take in its nutrients. One starfish can destroy 65 square feet of reef each year.
    To the forgiving eye, crown-of-thorns starfish may be pretty to look at-some of them sporting bright colors themselves meant to deflect predators. But the many spines on their bodies (from which they get their name) deliver a venomous toxins, which also make them dangerous to the marine life that might prey on them, and on curious humans.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler
    1

    Brisbane, Australia - Day 59

    February 19, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
    The capital of Queensland, Brisbane is situated on its namesake river and spreads over picturesque hills rising from Moreton Bay. One of the oldest cities in Australia, its first European settlers were the secondary offenders from the Sydney penal colony. Famously, it served as one of Douglas MacArthur's Pacific headquarters during World War II.
    Among its riverside skyscrapers, the city is host to some decidedly less dramatic architecture: the quaint Queenslander homes characterized by their terraces and raised living spaces. These picturesque houses are just a fraction of Brisbane's rich arts and design scene. Art galleries, museums and beloved musical venues make the city one of Australia's most vibrant and active cultural centers.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler
    Preview of Tomorrow.

    Coral Sea Day to Whitsunday Day 60

    February 21, 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    SAIL THE CORAL SEA
    With waters stretching far beyond the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef, the Coral Sea is far deeper but no less spectacular for its crystalline clarity. Many divers pass by the shallower and more famous reef for the countless treasures found here, donning scuba gear to descend into an undersea wilderness said to have a visibility of 160 feet.
    Fish are said to grow to enormous sizes in these mineral rich waters, and some shipwrecks host an astonishing variety of marine life. At sea level, waters lap at tranquil atolls, uninhabited except for the offshore coral growing on the rising seabed. This pristine body of water, a paradise for divers, is pure pleasure to sail.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Whitsunday Island Day 61

    February 22, 2024, Great Barrier Reef ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS (AIRLIE BEACH), AUSTRALIA
    The Whitsunday archipelago emerges from the Coral Sea amid the Great Barrier Reef and consists of 72 islands. Sid harbor was a timber transferring harbor and named for Sid a ships dog who was lived and given a honorable burial at sea, but the sailors put too big of a charge in the cannon and Sid was delivered to this island via the cannon. Thus, they called it Sid Island. The seafaring Ngaro people called this paradise home until 1870 and hunted these waters in bark canoes. Nature's colors are astonishing here: pure-white sands meet cerulean waters, swirling together at sandbars to merge into a palette of turquoise, cream and emerald-green hills.
    Even on a very cloudy day the glassy, invigorating and impossibly blue waters provide the ideal oasis for relaxing and idling away a few hours on the unusual silica sand beach. Whitehaven Beach is a seven-kilometre stretch of pure white silica sand located on Whitsunday Island in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. It is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in world. With its crystal-clear waters and stunning scenery, Whitehaven Beach is 5 hour excursion. Airlie Beach is the main hub for tourism in the Whitsunday Islands and offers a range of attractions from beach combing, shopping, exploring, snacking/dining, and just soaking in the vibes.. tourist island is called Hamilton Island. Tay Tay and her football boyfriend are here now enjoying this little piece of heaven.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Cairns - Great Barrier Reef - Day 62

    February 22, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    AUSTRALIA
    Queensland's seaside resort town, Cairns is the gateway to a rich array of natural beauty onshore and off.
    Catamarans and other ships take marine lovers to the Great Barrier Reef; stretching for 1,400 miles, it is the largest continuous coral reef system on Earth. Inland, the wet tropics have given rise to Daintree and Kuranda National Parks, vast rainforest systems of extraordinary biodiversity and a profusion of birdlife. For all its appeal to outdoor enthusiasts, Cairns's thriving culture is a pleasure to absorb from outdoor cafés or along the scenic waterfront promenade. The city's rich history lives on in its many heritage-listed buildings and memorials, many of them lining popular Abbott Street.
    We took a 3 decker Cat. For 1 1/2 hours to the barrier reef today and snorkeled in the beautiful, one of a kind, waters around this amazing continent in our stinger suites.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler
    Sunrise
    Sunset

    Sea Day to Thursday Island - Day 63

    February 24, 2024, Great Barrier Reef ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    Our new travel literary was announced today!
    What Is the Indian Ocean
    Dipole?
    There is no more dramatic illustration of the relationship between the world's oceans and its land masses than the weather patterns created by sea surface temperature. Residents of North America are familiar with the heavy precipitation and drought effects of the El Niño and La Niña phenomena in the Pacific Ocean. Similarly, the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) has a dramatic impact on both Indonesia and Australia.
    The IOD is an irregular cycle of warmer and colder sea-surface temperatures that periodically oscillates throughout this massive body of water.
    Scientists have observed that surface temperatures exhibit three phases. The neutral phase is the ocean's more balanced state, when thermometer readings are normal. An average and predictable rainfall coming off the ocean helps crops flourish and land is easily managed. The two other phases create extreme conditions that can be harmful. In the positive phase, warmer sea temperatures in the western region of the Indian Ocean create more rainfall in East Africa while cooler temperatures in the east may cause droughts in
    Australia and Southeast Asia. The negative phase creates opposite conditions-warm waters and more rainfall in the east and cooler waters with less rain in the west.
    Coral samples have allowed contemporary scientists to trace the occurrence of IODs all the way back to 1846. Historically, about four positive and four negative IOD events transpire over each 30-year period, each lasting about six months.
    However, positive IODs have become more frequent since 1980, inserting the Indian Ocean Dipole into the debates over climate change. We are going between the Indian and Pacific Ocean.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Thursday Island - Day 64

    February 25, 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    THURSDAY ISLAND, AUSTRALIA
    Thursday Island was once home to a thriving pearl fishing industry. From the late 19th century, divers came from Japan, Malaysia and India to harvest these precious stones. The diving has declined, but traces of Asia's diverse influences remain. The island's Green Hill Fort was built during the 1890s with growing concerns of a potential Russian invasion. The fort was shut down just 30 years later and reactivated during World War II as a wireless station. Many islanders, still to this day, abide by a no-footwear policy out of respect for the spirits of their ancestors. Aboriginal flag’s design consists of a colored rectangle divided in half horizontally. The top half of the flag is black to symbolise Aboriginal people. The colour green is for the land. The dharri or deri is a symbol for all Torres Strait Islanders. The black represents the people. The blue is for the sea. The five-pointed star represents the island groups. Used in navigation, the star is also an important symbol for the sea-faring Torres Strait Islander people. The color white of the star represents peace.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Sea Day to Komodo Nat. Pk. Day 65

    February 26, 2024, Philippine Sea ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    SAIL THE ARAFURA SEA
    Located north of Australia, the bed of the Arafura Sea holds a key to the earliest human migrations. Around 18,000 BC, during the Ice Age period known as the Last Glacial Maximum, sea levels were much lower and the floor of these waters, known as the Arafura Shelf, formed a dry land bridge linking Australia and New Guinea. Entire populations easily walked from continent to continent, exchanging language and customs. In centuries past, wooden sailboats from Indonesian Makassar sailed these waters in search of trepangs, or sea cucumbers. Today, the sea is believed to be named for inhabitants of the Moluccas, who called themselves haraforas, or "children of the mountains."Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    2nd Sea Day Komodo Island - Day 66

    February 27, 2024, Philippine Sea ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    Another time change tonight - 1 hour back. We listened to 3 lectures today. Rinca (Komodo National Park - very interesting presentation. The venom of the dragons is an anticoagulant, in addition to being very nasty bacteria that kills the prey… Betty got 2 out of two in the hole today!Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    3rd Day to Komodo Day 67

    February 28, 2024, Philippine Sea ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Weather: Partly cloudy with rain. 84° F / 29° C
    Sunrise: 5:36 AM Sunset: 6:10 PM
    SAIL THE TIMOR SEA
    It is thought that early inhabitants of Australia "island hopped" to the continent across the shallow waters of the Timor Sea. The body of water shares its name with the independent state of East Timor to its north. In the region's Malay language, the sea's name closely translates to "east" for its location in relation to Indonesia's Sunda Islands. In the late 1980s, skilled sportsmen and women raced 1,000 miles by junkung, or outrigger canoe, across the Timor from Bali, Indonesia to Darwin, Australia. Using vessels fashioned after traditional Balinese fishing boats, crews from nine nations started the journey individually and, famously, agreed to finish as one team to ensure the safe passage of all.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Komodo National Park - Day 68

    February 28, 2024, Selat Sumba ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    KOMODO NATIONAL PARK (RINCA), INDONESIA - Komodo National Park spans 670 sq miles, encompassing 26 small isles and the 3 larger islands of Padar, Komodo and Rinca. This is our 2nd island (Rinca) 2020 we visited the Lesser known than neighboring Komodo Island, Rinca is an ideal location to see the world-famous Komodo dragon. The largest lizard in the world, these breathtaking creatures can grow up to ten feet long and typically weigh about 150 pounds. Wild pigs and water buffalos also inhabit Rinca, as well as saltwater crocodiles. A visit to the mangrove forests of Loh Buaya Park provides visitors with the opportunity to view these reptiles up close.
    Please take me back to the ship - Tolong kembalikan aku ke kapal. (2 people on the Sky were taken off by stretcher - shades of 2020 / it is hot.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Bali, (Benoa) Indonesia - Day 69

    March 2, 2024, South China Sea ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

    BALI (BENOA), INDONESIA (means “come back” and “ceremony”).
    With a thriving arts scene, lush beauty and magnificent seaside vistas, Bali has long beckoned travelers in search of ultimate beauty. The island's rich Hindu culture has forever held that gods live in all natural things —from mountains to streams to pebbles on the beach—lending the island a peaceful air. Denpasar is the island's thriving capital.
    Founded as a market town (the name translates roughly into "north market"), it still today bustles with colorful stalls and vast emporiums selling bright sarongs and intricately patterned batik. Because this is Bali, the city has a serene side, too. Some of its many elegant and highly revered temples are carved from white coral harvested from the sea. There are 17,000 islands in Indonesia. There are 4 million people in Bali. Mostly Hindu in Bali. There are 3 mainTemples in each village and many temples in each of the houses. They celebrate full and dark moon every 25 days. They pray and give offerings for environment, plants, animals and for humans. And for the gods. 4 difference parts of the house. NE is the temple for the gods. West for children of the house and their children, Southern part is kitchen, Eastern part is for ceremonies. Grinding teeth ceremony. All Hindu are cremated. Burial is free for 2 years and then the bones are dug up and cremated. Great day. Bali is a busy place!    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Benoa Bali, Indonesia Day 70

    March 3, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We tried to get to some of the most of the famous sites in Bali and went shopping at the Wood Carving factory, Batik factory, Silver and Gold factory, Painting Gallery and we also went to a market for shopping. What a wonderful place to visit.
    Bali is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali.
    Tanah Lot temple was built to worship Bhatara Segara, or the sea God. To protect the temple, with his mighty power, he created a poisonous snake from his sash. The sea snake is believed to be living at the base of this rocky island, to guard the temple from evil intruders. The Ubud Monkey Forest is a nature reserve and Hindu temple complex in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. Its official name is the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (Balinese: Mandala Suci Wenara Wana), and its name as written on its welcome sign is the Padangtegal Mandala Wisata Wanara Wana Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. The village's residents view the Monkey Forest as an important spiritual, economic, educational, and conservation centre for the village and the wider region.
    The Te gala lang Rice Terraces are the most famous rice fields in Bali, and for good reason. The lush, green valley is stunning to look at especially just as the sun rises over the valley in the morning. Besides the rice fields, there are the famous Bali swing and Love Bali sign that make for good photo spots.The temple compound consists of a petirtaan or bathing structure, famous for its holy spring water, where Balinese Hindus go to for a ritual purification called Melukat.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Bali - Day 71

    March 4, 2024, South China Sea ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    BALI (BENOA), INDONESIA
    With its distinct flavors and traditions, Bali's food culture stands apart from that of the rest of Indonesia. Indigenous ingredients, recipes and techniques blend with influences from the island's Chinese and Indian heritages to create dishes found nowhere else. As most Balinese are Hindu, beef is rarely included at a typical family's table and intricate dishes are sometimes prepared as offerings to deities. For many, a daily ritual may involve shopping for ginger, turmeric and Kaffir lime in spice markets, or for fruits, vegetables and meats in the pasar pagi, or wet market.
    Traditional warung, tiny family-owned food stands essential to daily life, often specialize in a particular dish, such as babi guling (suckling pig) or bebek betutu (crispy duck). Seems Bali Hindu’s are not vegetarians.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler
    1

    Java Sea Day to Samarang Day 72

    March 5, 2024, South China Sea ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    SAIL THE JAVA SEA
    Traversed by merchant ships from the Dutch East India Company throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the waters of the Java Sea witnessed one of the most economically successful trade relationships in history. The cargo holds of Dutch ships carried countless crates of spices from these shores back to The Netherlands, bolstering a nation's wealth and contributing to the famed Dutch Golden Age. More recently, the Allied naval forces of World War II defended Java from a Japanese attack in these waters. Spread throughout the Java Sea and beyond, today's nation of Indonesia encompasses more than 17,000 islands, a vast archipelago of lush beauty.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Sea Day to Vietnam - Day 75

    March 6, 2024, South China Sea ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    SAIL THE SOUTH CHINA SEA
    Tucked between mainland China, Vietnam and the Philippines, the South China Sea is one of the world's most important waterways. One-third of commercial shipping passes through these waters. It's a tradition that stretches back untold centuries, to when dynastic emperors and the barbarians who opposed them sailed their ships here. Later, 16th-century Portuguese traders called it Mar da China, the China Sea. In Chinese literature, Nanhai, or the South Sea, is one of the storied four seas. In fable and lore, the waters serve as metaphor. Still today, the beauty of these waters and the enriching destinations to which they lead are noteworthy.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Semarang, Java, Indonesia Day 73

    March 6, 2024, South China Sea ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Long a center of Hindu-Buddhist empires and an important trade center of the Dutch East India Company in the 17th and 18th centuries, the island of laya is indonesia's repositery of history and culture. The bustling port of Semarang was founded by the Dutch and hints of the island's colenial past det the cityscape. Outside the city, Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument in the werd, strikes a dramatic pose against a backdrop of four volcanoes, A popular Dace of pilgrimage and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the massive pyramidal temple towers to a great height. The devout walk up a clock wise path to the pinnade, passing 2,672 reliefs and 504 Buddha statues along the way. We had a 7:15 am call for the 8 buses scheduled to go to the Borobudur Temple. We left the port with truly VIP treatment. We had police escort front and back. The locals were attentive to the parade and taking pictures of the spectacle.
    The Population of Indonesia is 270 million - they are 4th most populated country after India, China, America then Indonesia. Imam our knowledgeable local guide…. Java has the largest number of Muslims in the world. They became independent in 1945. There are 17,000 islands - all citizens must adhere to the 5 Principals. 1. A belief in god. 2. Commitment to Social justice 3. Equality for all people (no cast system) 4. Democracy 5. Unity of all people Jakarta is the Capital (north - soil is clay) They are moving the capital to Borneo. Tradition and Religion have mixed in Java, and have been incorporated into the daily life of the people. Sunni Muslims also do the ceremonies like the Bali Hindus. Their practice of Hinduism is different again from the Indian practices.
    Colors - Green, gold, silver mosques in the community are a community choice. 20 % of the government’s budget goes to education in Indonesia including trades and other needed careers. 204 million people voted in their election last year.

    Viking ‘s 8 busses with more than 200 passenger had a police escort front and back to get us through the traffic on Java to get to and from the temple. We were the first of 8 huge busses, so, the police sirens were blaring for the 1 1/2 hour trip each way. The concern was the short port stay in Semarang. Tge ship is scheduled for a 5:00 PM deadline to be on board. We could have stayed longer at the Sel Sar Borbudur for great shopping.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Sea Day to Vietnam - Day 76

    March 7, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Socialist Republic of Vietnam is an S-shaped country located in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China, Cambodia and Laos.
    Capital city is Hanoi and the Population is 98,721,275. It has
    An area of 331,210 sq km. The
    Major languages: are Vietnamese, and English. The
    Major religions are Atheism and Buddhism
    Humans have inhabited northern Vietnam for around 500,000 years. However, it was not until around 7000 BC that hunter-gatherers began to practise basic agriculture. The Dong Son culture, renowned for its bronze moko drums, emerged during the 3rd century BC. The Dong Son era also witnessed advances in rice cultivation and the emergence of the Red River Delta as a major agricultural centre. The Mekong River. (Nine Dragons ) runs through Vietnam and split into nine distributaries in Vietnam although now only seven still exist. The Mekong Delta is continually changing because of the forces of nature and of man. At 4,350km, it is the longest river in Southeast Asia, the 7th longest in Asia, and the 12th longest in the world. France colonized Vietnam from 1859 to 1883 France colonised Vietnam along with the surrounding region which became known as Indochina or French Indochina.
    Japan took control of Indochina during World War II. Following the end of the conflict, France tried to regain control. The First Indochina War or Anti-French Resistance War was fought between Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, (Uncle Ho who died in 1969 and his body is preserved and on display in Hanoi) and France until 1954. In 1954, Vietnam was partitioned into North and South Vietnam. A second conflict followed known as the Vietnam War, the American War or the Second Indochina War. The USA was heavily involved in support of the South Vietnam against communist N. Vietnam. By 1976, the USA had been defeated, North and South Vietnam were finally unified and the independent Socialist Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed. The largest city in Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh City. The city was called Saigon until 1976 when it was renamed in honour of the revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh. 16% of the world’s flora and fauna species can be found in Vietnam which is located in one of the world’s most biologically diverse areas – the Greater Mekong region.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Java Sea Day to Vietnam - Day 74

    March 7, 2024, South China Sea ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    The Dutch East India
    Company's Financial
    Revolution
    By the 1600s, the fleet of the Dutch East India Company, or the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC), had grown into the largest corporate entity in the world. Exactly how it became so massive highlights the most pivotal moment in the history of finance.
    In its earliest days, as the first ships of the VOC set off for Indonesia, each voyage was financed individually with the hope that investors would turn a profit from the sale of spices and other goods when the ships returned. But with piracy, shipwrecks and disease common, this economic model proved unsustainable. In its place, the VOC introduced a revolutionary financing strategy: public trading and the issuance of stocks and bonds.
    For the first time, speculators placed their money on an entity rather than on a single venture, allowing the scale of VOC expeditions to expand exponentially. Trading posts were established in
    Batavia (modern-day Jakarta), on Java, and in as far away as Japan. This was the birth of corporate globalization, and it gave rise to the financial markets that still exists today. Investment banking, investment funds, corporate shareholders, stock futures, and many other systems integral to today's finances were all created by the VOC. And all the trading action took place on the floor of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, also the first of its kind, established in 1602. By the mid-1700s-as the political and economic atmosphere shifted in Asia, as corporate corruption became viral, and as dividends exceeded profits- the. iC ‘s prosperity faltered. The company was nationalized in 1796.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Last Sea Day - 77 to Ho Chi Minh

    March 8, 2024, South China Sea ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
    Founded as a small fishing village, Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam population 100,000,000) is now Vietnam's largest city. Though it is still commonly called Saigon, locals are as likely to simplify the name of their home town to HCMC. It is a seamless blend of history and modern youthful energy, where pagodas and French colonial grandeur mingle seamlessly with bustling old-world marketplaces and modern skyscrapers, all against a constant buzz of motor scooters and trill of bicycl bells. From enduring, narrow alleyways to wide, boulevards, Ho Chi Minh City has identity all its own.
    16% of the world’s flora and fauna species can be found in Vietnam which is located in one of the world’s most biologically diverse areas – the Greater Mekong region.
    Vietnam’s flag has a red background with a large yellow star in the centre which reflects its communist history. The red signifies revolution and blood and the five-pointed star represents the five principal classes of the political front – peasants, workers, intellectuals and traders. and soldiers – that unite to build socialism.
    The Vietnam War killed 2-4 million people including at least 2 million Vietnamese civilians, over 1 million Vietnamese soldiers and 58,300 American soldiers.
    Vietnam is the second-largest coffee producer in the world after Brazil.
    Vietnam is the world’s 15th most populous country and Asia’s 8th most populous.
    Motorbikes are everywhere in Vietnam. More than 8 in 10 people own a motorbike in Vietnam with over 45 million registered motorbikes in Vietnam in 2016. The name Vietnam is actually two words. “Viet” – an ethnic group dating to a second century B.C. kingdom and “nam” means “south” – a reference to its location in relation to other Viet kingdoms.
    One of the most famous sites in Vietnam is the UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay includes over 1,600 islands and islets, most of which are uninhabited.
    Snake wine is drunk in Vietnam. It often involves the inhumane process of drowning live snakes in alcohol before being bottled.
    It’s possible for snakes to survive in the bottle for months. In 2013, a report surfaced of a Chinese woman who was bitten on the hand after a snake jumped out of a bottle of wine where it had been fermenting for three months.
    Vietnam is home to the UNESCO-listed Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park which has over 104km of natural caves and underground rivers.
    Vietnam has had over two decades of consistent growth, matching China as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and has joined the ranks of East Asian ‘tiger’ nations.
    The world’s largest cave is in Vietnam. Son Doong Cave measures a total of 38.5 million cubic meters. However, a 2019 expedition discovered the cave is connected to another cave, Thung Cave, via an underwater tunnel which will add a further 1.6 million cubic meters to its volume.
    Water puppetry is popular in Vietnam. The art dates back over 1,000 years to when farmers adapted conventional puppetry onto the water following a large flood and we went to a puppet theater. 
In Vietnam, crossing your fingers is thought to resemble female genitalia and making the gesture is regarded as taboo.
Vietnam is the world’s largest exporter of cashew nuts. As of 2018, Vietnam exports over 38% of the world’s cashews – a $2.93 billion industry.    Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Saigon - Day 78

    March 9, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 35 °C

    HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
    Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is a heady mix of French and Vietnamese cultures, where baguettes and croissants are sold alongside pho, or Vietnamese noodle soup, and motor scooters buzz past colonial-era architecture. The city's wide boulevards are reminiscent of Paris, lined with jewels such as the Opera House, fashioned after the Petit Palais, and the grand Central Post Office, designed by Gustave Eiffel. The enlightening exhibits at the National History Museum chronicle the nation's past. And the aromatic food stalls and colorful shops along Dong Khoi Street purvey tempting local specialties and all manner of Vietnamese wares, from conical hats to áo dài, the silk tunic worn by women. We took a cooking class today at a Vietnam Restaurant.Read more

  • Paulette WelchD & P Viking Neptune WC 23Traveler

    Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Day 80

    March 10, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
    A bustling metropolis in southern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City's streets and network of canals pulse with life, Dong Khoi Street is the main shopping center and heart of old colonial Saigon. The city's rich culture is evident everywhere, with stunning architecture boasting grand facades, such as the City Hall, the Opera House and the neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral. Vibrant markets feature as part of everyday life here; Bên Thành Market, one of Saigon's earliest surviving structures, offers all manner wares from handicrafts to tasty street food. We ate at two 3 fantastic restaurants. Love Viennese food!Read more

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