Subject: World cruise, part 2

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:23:41 -0600

Hello again...
After yesterday morning's " keystone cops" experience,
We spent most of the day in amtrak's lounge in Washington, D.C. Union
Station. Louise's sister and cousin came to the station to meet us for
Lunch.

We boarded the Capitol Limited for a timely 4:05 departure, and had a 
Smooth ride for an on-time arrival in Chicago at 8:45 this morning (Friday)
I think I checked my front pocket ( for my wallet ) about every 5 seconds
Sine getting it back yesterday!! We are now in the Chicago station 
Lounge, awaiting a 3 PM departure for a 2 day ride on the Southwest Chief
To LA Union station. If all stays on schedule, we should arrive Sunday
At 8:15 am ( pacific time).

I don't plan on sending any notes until after arrival in LA, .... Unless some
Other " event" happens. We will miss the Saturday football games, so
GO PATRIOTS!!!

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 17 Jan 2016 17:25:58 -0800

We arrived in LA on time Sunday morning, and went to our hotel.
We had built-in some extra days in case the trains got delayed by
Snow or something.... But luckily no delays, so we will stay in this
Hotel for 3 nights.... And the hotel has a free shuttle to the ship
For us on Wed morning.

Next update will probably be sent after we board on Wed.

Don

Sent from my iPad

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2016 08:49:29 -0800

Hello all,

We boarded ship on wed am, everything went smooth.
We met up with our table-mates, same folks we cruised with
Last year when we did South America.

This ship is very small compared to the other ships we've been on,
Almost reminds me of a small hotel lobby..... Ornate wood trim everywhere.
One nice thing is that you can walk from one end of the ship to the other
In about 3 minutes!!

Skies are cloudy and rainy since we left... Ocean has been full of
Rolling waves, making for a bit of a rocky ride.... Great for putting us
To sleep.

This morning at breakfast we met a young guy who lives in ellicott city,
Went to Mt Hebron high, and knew Becky and Jay..... His last name is Cassio.

Looks like MD is going to get slammed with snow! Hope you all stay safe.
We have 4 more days at sea until we get to Hawaii. Next report will
Probably come from Hawaii.

Regards,

Don & Weezy

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2016 16:27:27 -1000

Hello everybody,

Today is Tuesday 26 Jan.... We arrived in Honolulu Hawaii
At 8 am this morning. It was nice to see sunshine, as the 5 days
At sea from LA to here was almost all rain or very cloudy / foggy.
The seas were "rolling swells", but this small ship handled them
With no problems.

Our table mates lived in Hawaii for 20 years, and so we went with
Them in a rental car to cruise around the island. We tried to visit
Koli koli pass ( where the Pearl Harbor attack planes came in from the
Sea.... But many land slides took out the road, and it's been closed for
About the last 7 years.
We stopped for some Portuguese "donuts" called malasada... From
Famous Leonard's bakery.

We leave here tonight at 8 pm, and have another 5 days at sea before
Arriving at our next stop..... Which is American Samoa. My next update
Will be from there on Monday 01 Feb.

Don And Weezy

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2016 08:30:17 -1100

Hello everybody,

Today is wed 03 February ( where we are)... Tues 02 February
Where you guys are.... Because we just crossed the International
date line.    On Monday we stopped at Pago Pago in American Samoa.
Very nice island.... Very clean..... But most of he people are quite poor.
This is a US possession, and so the residents here are " US Nationals"
But not US citizens.  They pay income taxes and SS tax, but they can't
Vote for the US President

American Samoa has only 1 big employer... A tuna processing plant
Used to be 2 plants, but one moved to Figi a few years ago.
We tried to make a few calls while in Samoa, but couldn't get the
Phone to work.

Tomorrow ( Thursday), we will visit Tonga.

Ps... Very few mosquitos here, as they have lots of frogs.... So
Good news is they don't have a problem with the Zikavirus .

I'll send another report after we tour Tonga.

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2016 15:45:43 -1100

Hello everybody,

Today is Thursday, 04 February, and we just had a tour across
The island of Tonga. Tonga is actually a kingdom with a royal family.

First thing you notice is that they drive on the left.. Like in England.
Everything is very clean here. ( and chewing gum is illegal)
I noticed that most of the houses
Are built of cement or  blocks or bricks, rather than the rickety
Wood shacks we saw on American Samoa.

We toured the island, saw some ocean "blow holes", and some
Fruit bats. I found a print shop near the port, and so I was able to
Make some copies of some Mah Jongg cards... Since I forgot ours
At home. We play Mah Jongg almost every sea day
 ( in the morning) and bridge in the afternoon. The bridge games are ACBL
Sanctioned and so we are able to pick up a few master points along
The way.

My " world" phone didn't work in American Samoa, but seems to be
Working fine from here.

When we leave here... We will have 2 full days at sea, and then we
Arrive in Bays of Islands in New Zealand on Sunday 07 Feb.

Also, Princess announced that they were able to work out a deal
And we WILL get the Super Bowl broadcast.... I think it will be
Monday where we are for the broadcast ( right now we are 17 hours
Later than east coast time.)

Next set of notes will probably come after our tour in Bays of Islands New Zealand.

Ps. We met another couple from the Villages ( village of Mallory)
who are also on board for the Entire world cruise.

Hope all is well with everybody.

Regards,

Don and Louise

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2016 21:20:49 -1100

Hello all,

Today is Sunday 07 Feb, and we just finished our tour
Of " Bay of Islands" in New Zealand.  Louise went shopping
In town, while I went on a ships tour.... Visiting a rain forest and
Then a cave containing glow worms..... They are a tiny mosquito-like
Bug that clings to the tops of the cave, and glows.... Similar to a
Fire fly.... Somebody in the group remarked that we were being
"Mooned" by millions of worms. The tour was nice. I got back to the
Ship, and rested before going to dinner.

Tomorrow we stop in Aukland New Zealand.

I talked to my mom today, and found out that NH got 9 inches of
Snow, plus they are expecting another major storm next Tuesday.

Hope all is well with all of you.

I'll send out another note after visiting Aukland.

Regard

Don and Louise

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2016 17:07:53 +1300

Hello all,

Today is Monday 08 February ( still Sunday where you are). We spent today
In Auckland New Zealand. Took a tour, which included a famous aquarium, and
A trip to the top of the highest tower in the Southern Hemisphere. I got some
Neat photos looking thru the glass floor all the way down to the ground.

Louise wasn't too thrilled about going to the top of the tower, but soon
Forgot all about that when we found a nearby Dunkin Donuts ( which we
Walked to after the tour).

We returned to the ship in time to watch the last quarter of the Super Bowl.
We now have the next 3 days at sea, as we transit the Tasmin Sea
On our way to Sidney Australia. We arrive in Sidney on Friday 12 February.

Next message will be from there.

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2016 16:36:50 +1100

Today is Friday 12 Feb, and we spent the day in Sydney Australia.
I got up at 05:30 and went on deck so I could take some pictures
Of us cruising into Sydney harbor.... Going by the Opera house
And underneath the Sydney bridge.

We had a " city tour" reserved.... But we cancelled it. We were
Here for a week back in the 1990s, and so we decided to just
Walk to various shopping areas and browse around.

Our next port ( in 4 days) will be Cairns.... Most folks will be
Taking tours to the Great Barrier Reef. Since we did that too
When we were here last, we will skip the ships tours, and
Just browse the souvenir shops.

About 150 passengers got off here in Sydney... They were only
Doing this leg of the world cruise, and about the same number
Of new passengers got on.  We will be in port here till 10 pm,
And we have to do another "life boat drill" at 9 pm.

The entertainment has been quite good, and some interesting
Variations. Last night, we had a Korean lady playing an electric
Violin... Tremendous talent..... She opened the show with a few
Classical numbers, then did Hey Jude by the Beatles, then a
Trio of songs from Led Zepplin ( including stairway to heaven),
And then finished her performance with Bohemian Rhapsody / we
Are he champions by Queen!!!!!!  Like I said, a very interesting mix.

I talked to my mom today.... She is expecting 20 below (actual temp)
Over the next few days.

Hope all of you are doing well.....  Next report will be sent after
We finish in Cairns, Australia.

Don & Weezy

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 2016 13:53:02 +1100

Hello again,

Today is Sunday 14 February... We are at sea, still making
Our way north along the Australian coast.... On our way to
Cairns ( Great Barrier Reef area).  Although I wasn't going to send
Out another update till after Cairns, I figured I would send this out
For 3 reasons:

1:  if you heard of the cyclone in this area.... Not to worry, it
Is no where near us.... We have smooth sailing predicted.

2: I was looking at the atlas, and discovered that we are no longer
In the Tasman sea, but are now in the Coral Sea.  Any WW II buff
Will recall the many horrendous battles that took place around here....
Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Bougainville, the Solomon Islands, Saipan, are
All fairly close to here. I can't help but look out to the horizon, and
Wonder what is must have been like to see Kamakazi planes coming at you.

3: Wishing everybody a  Happy Valentine's Day.

Next note should be sent after we visit Cairns.

Don R.

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 14:46:55 +1000

Hi everybody,
Today is Tuesday 16 February, and we are docked in Cairns Australia
For the day. We got off the ship after breakfast, and walked to the
Downtown area... Picked up a few souvenirs, and got back to the ship
After about 3 hours. The temp was warm/comfortable in the morning,
But by 11-ish it was extremely hot. The shopping area reminded us
Of Ocean City.... Lots of restaurants and shops for t-shirts, etc.
Many passengers are on tours to the Great Barrier Reef.... But
We are skipping that because we snorkeled there about 20
Years ago.

We leave here this afternoon around 5pm, and will be at sea for
Another 3 days as we sail to Darwin Australia. We will continue
To approach the equator, and so I expect it will continue to get
Hotter and muggier ( it's the rainy season in many of the upcoming
Places).  Darwin will Be the last place (for a while) where English
Is the primary language. After Darwin, we will be going to
Malaysia, Brunei, and Hong Kong..... So not much English expected.

While on ship during the sea days, Louise has been playing Mag Jongg
In the morning, and then after lunch we both play in the ship's duplicate
Bridge game..... It's kinda neat because there is no cost to play, but
The game Is sanctioned by the American Contract Bridge League... And
We can earn master points. Several of the players are either just learning
Or are usually "party bridge" players... So we've been holding our own
Pretty good.... there are a few pairs who are life masters and so the
Ability of the field we are playing against is quite varied.

I plan on sending another update after we tour Darwin

Regards,

Don & Louise

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2016 19:32:59 +0930

Hi everybody,

Today is 20 Feb, and we just left Darwin Australia.  Today we took
A ship's tour to the Adelaide River, where we took a river boat ride
And saw the "jumping crocodiles".    They dangle some meat on a
Large hook, and the crocodiles literally jump several feet to
Grab the meat.    Then, we got dropped off downtown,
Where we shopped a bit and then did the 30 minute walk back to the
Ship. It was extremely HOT, but humidity wasn't too bad. Darwin was
Bombed by Japanese zeroes about 60 times during 1942-1943. Some
Evidence of the bombings still exist.

=46rom here, we have 4 full days at sea, before arriving in Brunei.
The sultan of Brunei has this opulent palace, and a golden chariot, etc.
We hope to see some of this at the Royal Regalia Museum.

Next notes will be sent after we visit Brunei ( in 5 days)

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2016 16:50:59 +0900

Hello all,

Today is 25 Feb. For the past 4 days we've been at sea,
Navigating our way thru several small straits by small
Islands belonging to Indonesia and Malaysia, and then we
Circled around the top end of the Island of Borneo. The
Island of Borneo contains the country ( Sultinate ) of Brunei
And about half of Malaysia. Today we visited Brunei.... Got
Some pictures of the golden chariot used at the coronation
Of the Sultan of Brunei.  He is estimated to be worth 15 Billion
US dollars. He has several custom built ferrari sports cars, to
Go along with his collection of over 120 Rolls Royces !!!!
The sultan provides fairly decent housing for 120 dollars a month,
Plus free schooling and nearly free medical care ( patient co-pay
Is 1 dollar per visit !!)..... So all this keeps the population happy.

The country is very clean, and smoking is NOT allowed anywhere
In public. They recently adopted Sharia Islamic law, and so the local
Women have to where scarfs and have their shoulders and arms
Covered down to their wrists.  This regulation doesn't seem to be
Enforced on tourists.

Tomorrow, we stop at Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. I believe Malaysia
Is also Islamic.... We'll be taking a ships tour of the city. I'll send out
Another note tomorrow after the tour.

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2016 13:39:46 +0800

Hello again, today is 26 Feb, and we are in Kota Kinabalu
In the part of Malaysia that is on the island of Borneo.
I took a city tour, which included a photo op at the outside
Of a mosque, a visit to a recreated village where all the houses ( huts )
We're made out of bamboo, and then a ride through town.
Around this part of the world, mosques are as prevalent as are
Churches throughout Europe!!! This place is mostly Muslim, although
It is about 35 percent Roman Catholic.... And these is NO Sharia
Law.... So women have a lot more freedoms here than in Brunei.
This is a major city, with the usual traffic, etc.  as in Australia and
Brunei, they all drive on the left.... Influence from the Brits I guess.

We leave here this afternoon at 5 pm, and then we have the next 2 days
At sea.... As we navigate across the South China Sea north on our way
To Hong Kong. We will sail past the Philippines / Manila / Luzon but we
Have no stops there.... We go straight to Hong Kong. We will arrive
In HK in the morning of 29 Feb, and the ship will stay in port all day AND
Overnight, and most of the next day.... Giving us nearly 2 full days to 
sightsee.
We have a city tour planned for the first day, and then we are doing a
"Hong Kong by night" tour which includes a 7 course Peking Duck meal
At some fancy restaurant. On the second day we plan on taking a taxi
With some friends to go see the Empress Hotel ( often times rated
Number 1 in the world in various hotel competitions). The electronic
Signs in HK is like Times Square in NY. We are looking forward to seeing that.

Next report will be after our tours in Hong Kong... Sometime on  01 March.

Bye for now,

Don and Weezy.

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2016 19:13:31 +0800

Hello all,

Today is Tuesday, 01 March... We spent yesterday and
Today in Hong Kong. We took a city tour and a "Hong Kong by night"
Tour yesterday, and today we walked around the city on our own.
Part of the night tour included an 8 course Peking Duck meal and
Then a 15 minute laser light show involving 33 buildings along
The waterfront. We were really lucky yesterday, as there was no
Fog or haze ( which is normal around here).

Correction: my last note mentioned the Empress hotel.... I got the
Name wrong.... The world renowned hotel that is here is the
peninsula hotel. We went to see it today and took a few pictures.

Note to all: some of you have requested a few pictures to be included
In these emails..... However the Internet connection is SO SLOW, I
Really can't send pictures..... Sorry.

Also, we really enjoy hearing your replies to these "notes" and also
the occasional updates you send us.... Even though we
May not reply directly to each one separately. ( we have limited
Internet minutes that we are trying to use sparingly... To read and
Send email as needed).

In about an hour, the ship will depart Hong Kong for the next major
18-day segment of this world cruise. This upcoming segment leaves
Hong Kong, crosses the South China Sea, stops in Vietnam (Ho Chi Min city),
and then on to Singapore, Sri Lanka, Mangalore (India), Oman, and
ends in the city Of Dubai in the Unites Arab Emirates.

Next update will be from Vietnam.

Don & Weezy

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2016 22:22:52 +0800

Hello again,

Today is Friday 04 March.... We spent today in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam
( formerly known as Saigon)

We had a ship sponsored tour.... Started at 0710 this morning, and we got
Back to the ship at 4 pm.... So it was a long day .... But very nice tour.  We
Visited a lacquer factory, where they make all sorts of items - jewelry boxes,
Wall hangings, vases, etc.... Inlaid with either mother of pearl or with eggshell
And then covered with polished lacquer. Then, we saw the old US embassy
( where the helicopters evacuated people on that last day of the war). We also
Did some souvenir shopping in some of the market places. Some of the other
Passengers took tours that went down the Mekong delta.

Most people travel on small scooters.... And there is virtually NO traffic
Control. Imagine your worst local intersections, now remove all stop
Signs and traffic lights.... And then tell everybody that they have the
Right of way..... And that's what traffic is like in Saigon today. Strangely,
There seems to be no ( few) accidents.  You hear a lot of horns blowing....
But here that is not a sign of anger... It's just a polite warning to those
Around you that you are coming and that you don't intend to stop!!
You see small scooters playing chicken with busses and tractor trailers,
Meanwhile pedestrians are weaving their way across the streets... But
It all seems to work ( the traffic circles in the villages don't even come
Close to he intersections here).

We have the next 2 days at sea, and then we arrive in Singapore.
My next note will be from there.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Don and Louise

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2016 10:11:38 +0800

Hi everybody,

Yesterday ( 07 March), we spent the day in Singapore. We decided
To cancel our ship-sponsored tour and instead do sightseeing on
Our own. We bought a day pass on the "hop on - hop off" bus, which
Is a double decker bus with the top level open to the air. There are
4 different routes and our pass allowed us to hop on/off any of them.
We visited the famous Singapore Orchid gardens, and then took a
Ride past the Raffle hotel ( home of the Singapore sling drink). We
Also rode through Chinatown and " little India" sections of town.

Singapore is extremely clean.... They call it a "fine" city....because
You get fined for smoking in public, drinking, j walking, and even
Chewing gum ( gum in not allowed anywhere). As a result, the city
Is very clean, very modern, and very expensive..... An office for
A business in one of the downtown sky scrapers costs approx
9,000 US dollars per month!! There are a few monuments dedicated
To the fall of Singapore ( April 1942) in which the Japanese massacred
Many of the locals. Singapore is practically on top of the equator, so
It was hot ( but bearable) and quite humid.

We left port at 6 pm.... And we now have the next 4 days at sea. We will
Be transiting the Straits ( between the Malay peninsula and the island of
Sumatra. Thailand will be to our east ( we aren't stopping there) as we head
Northwest into the Indian Ocean..... Our next port will be Colombo, Sri Lanka
... We get there on Saturday. My next note will be after our tour there.

---

From: Donald Rancourt <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 2016 21:22:57 +0800

Hi all,

Today is Saturday, 12 March. After sailing west for the last few days
( along the area where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean),
We arrived in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka ( an island country
To the south of India).  We took a taxi ( with another couple from the ship)
To a local market, stayed for about 1 hour, and then came back to the ship.
Much of the shopping at the market included cheap souvenirs, some
Local clothing, etc.  I bought a couple of colorful bow ties to add some
Color to my tux on formal nights ( yellow, green, blue ).

This place is very similar to your typical cities and countryside I
Expect to find in India ( which will be our next stop in a couple of days).
One of the most recognizable vehicles here is the Tuk-tuck.... Which
Is a motorized 3 wheel little vehicle often used as taxis.

After returning to the ship, we had a small Lunch up at the buffet, and then
We both slept most of the afternoon.... I am fighting a head-cold with
Watery eyes And a nagging cough. I started taking antibiotics that I
Borough with us, and expect I'll be able to kick this in a day or two.

We have tomorrow at sea, and then the next day we arrive in Mangalore
India.

We hope all of you are doing fine.... My next report will be after our
Visit to Mangalore on Monday.