Today was essentially a washout. It rained most of the day and our excursion to a nearby resort was cancelled. Too bad, since the beaches are supposed to be wonderful, and we were looking forward to it. Anyway, we were tendered very far from the town--about 25 minutes from shore, but we ventured into town. Not much to see. It was obviously a seaside town, and it reminded Gail of Montauk a bit. I actually was thinking of getting a massage--less than $8 for an hour--but there was a wait, and we decided instead to head back to the ship for lunch.

We arrive at Laem Chabang (port for Bangkok) very early tomorrow morning. We'll leave the ship some time after breakfast and head for the airport. We have an early afternoon flight to Siem Reap (for Angkor Wat). We'll be there for 3 nights. I don't know whether we'll have Internet access, so you may not hear from us again until our return to the States.

We're getting ready for dinner, having lost at Trivia to the Bittle team once again.

I'm really glad we were on Panda before this segment, because I think we would have been disappointed if we had only experienced this one. It didn't compare with fun, friends, and ports of Osaka-Hong Kong (though we know that the weather was a factor).

Some day I'll post an album of pictures, though I'm sure the ones you've seen from Masaki are great. The Internet is just too slow on the ship to even get a glimpse of them.

Gail and Eugene

Gadzooks - the washout is a disappointment indeed, Eugene and Gail.

I hope you really enjoy the trip to Siem Reap and the many temples of Angkor Wat. I still think about the wonderful experience we had during our visit.

Don't forget to visit the Angkor What? bar



in downtown Siem Reap. Siem Reap eating & drinking guide


Cheers, Anne

There was a complimentary event for Titanium, Platinum & Gold members that was a success in spite of the heavy rain. We were tendered to the dock and then taken by minivan to a gorgeous seaside resort (I don't remember the name) for lunch. The spread of food was enormous. We were handed a tropical drink and offered appetizers as we entered the covered open air dining room and seated at tables of 6. There was beer, soft drinks and ship"s wine. One station served chicken & port sates with peanut sauce and another had spring rolls & fish cakes. There was a soup station where fresh greens were dipped into the broth until tender and put into the soup bowl with fish balls, pork slices, noodles of your choice and a variety of spices and covered with the broth. The flavor was supurb. The main buffet table had a large variety of salads and cold selections on one side and hot items on the other side. There were steamed & fried rice, red & green curries, 2 types of fish, duck chicken & beef and several other selections. Several selections were quite spicy and everything was labeled so no surprises. The extensive desert table had beautifully carved fruits as well as typical Thai candy style deserts, similar to marzipan, that were shaped and colored like fruits & vegetables. A man & woman duo sang for our entertainment. the event was planned for 85 guests, but only about 35 showed up due to the rain and it was sad for those who missed. The food was excellent.
At trivia our team won for the 4th day in a row. Before dinner the PGT group put on their Beatles show and after dinner Barry Hopkins had his traditional Tribute to Frank Sinatra show in the Horizon Lounge and the dance floor was packed during his melodies. After that we went to the observation Loung to listed to piano music by Hal Frazer. Tomorrow we leave for an overnight visit to Bangkok, staying at the Shangri La.

I forgot to mention this the other day, but Barry Hopkins announced at the Captain's farewell party that at the end of the Grand Asia Cruise he's leaving the company, after 11 years, to pursue other interests. He'll be missed.

Hal Frazer has a contract to return to the Paul Gauguin.

No other gossip at the moment.
Jim

Thanks, Jim.

Did Hal say when he was going back to the PG? We got a nice surprise last year when he was on Voyager. And I bet that Barry is going to pursue some aspect of Photography since he has taken some classes in Santa Fe and I have seen some of his photography out in some of the Photo forums...

Oh gee, maybe he'll be on the PG next December! His brother over on CC was vague about how long he's be on Mariner, just said that he wouldn't see him until spring. I guess he could jump ship when Mariner reaches Papeete this December!

Thanks for all the reporting, the two of you. Sorry to hear about Barry and sorry to hear about the washout. The Platinum event was right up my alley! :)

Masaki

Jim - thanks for the reporting. I'm with Masaki - the platium event sounds great. Barry's a wonderful cruise director. We wish him well in his new endeavors. He will be missed.

Hal is terrific. Those on the PG are in for a real treat.

Have a wonderful stay in Bangkok! We'll see you very soon on ICE.

Cheers, Anne