We asked our tour operator, Dennis, if the tigers are sedated. He said absolutely not, and he would not take people there if they were. He seemed trustworthy so I choose to believe him :) They are very lethargic but I think between them being raised by humans, being very well-fed, and the hot climate makes them pretty sleepy in the afternoon.

Dena

Everything looking and sounding wonderful. Those tigers pictures are the best,

PHOTOS FROM SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA:


Angkor Wat Right Before Sunset.


Ngaire and a Police Officer That Liked Having His Photo Taken. He Was Very Proud of His Job and Smart Uniform.


Traditional Dancers With Their Beautiful Costumes.


Entrance to Angkor Thom.


Angkor Thom.


Ta Prohm, a Temple Dedicated to the King's Mother Where Her Ashes Were Placed.


Girl in a Boat in the Floating Village Outside Siem Reap.


One of the Houses in the Floating Village.

Young Girl in a Tub.

Great pictures as usual.

I remember that tree at Ta Prohm.

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Gail and Eugene (Thanks for help with picture, Karen)

Love the pictures.
The floating villages remind me of the ones we visited on Lake Titicaca in Peru. The funniest thing was the cat that had never lived on land. It fished from one of the floating islands through a hole in the woven reeds.

Dena, did you go with Bangkok Day Tours? we thought Denis was great. I think I will chose to believe that the Tigers were/are sleepy. Such a unique experience.
--------------------
Helen

Thailand

Whereas Mainland China has one foot in Communism and one foot in Capitalism, Hong Kong is Capitalism gone awry and is over the top glitzy/nouveau riche, Viet Nam is a third world country growing well but whose people live in dire conditions, Thailand is a fourth world country...elegant with old world charm by day and seedy and western by night. It is a country of anachronism. That being said, I was drawn by this idiosyncrasy .

It does not appear seedy or unsafe at the surface. It appears beautiful, peaceful and elegant. Charming in the way one pictures the orient, but modern where it should be modern: its hotels, businesses, roads.

Our first stop in Thailand was Ko Samui. At first blush, Ko Samui looks like any lush island retreat. Dotted with elegant hotels and modern hotels and spas, it affords a perfect vacation retreat. A European retreat, it began as a backpackers’ layover spot in the 70’s and it wasn’t until 1998 that it really grew to an international resort. Recently, it has been plagued by issues with the most recent one being a Swiss couple who were reported to have fled Koh Samui after telling local Embassy officials that they thad been threatened with a beating and rape if they failed to pay $2000. It seems to me to be a place that really doesn't know whether it wants to be a classy resort or a honky tonk village. It doesn't seem comfortable with what it has become--the animal shows, the tourist trade. But, that is my opinion after a mere few hours.

The cruise line, however, offered us various tours to not really see the highlights, but experience elephant riding and elephant tricks, monkey tricks, beach visits, an island overview or variations.

Animals and animal shows seem to be a large part of Ko Samui life and the people here have used monkeys to do the hardest part of the work climbing to the trees to "pick ripe nuts" on their coconut plantations. Until the advent of tourism, coconuts represented the main industry here, so these industrious little animals were greatly prized. We were given a show at the monkey theatre which allows the monkeys to display their dexterity, and not just at picking coconuts. We were also allowed to have our photos taken with the monkeys. Elephant rides were offered as were elephant shows where the elephants played harmonicas, gave massages, and played football. We were also given a Thai cooking demonstration. Now, the day began with gray skies that turned to rain, but this didn’t dampen the fun. And soon, the sun came out and we headed to a rubber plantation and to a beach. The water was warm and delightful, but only a handful of folks, including me, decided to take a swim as the time given was only 30 minutes. We only had about 4-5 hours on this island and many of the folks really seemed to enjoy the mindless day after Viet Nam. There was absolutely nothing of merit to buy in the way of souvenirs, so everyone kept their money in their pockets and prepared to sail to Bangkok. We all had to pack for our Mainland overnights.

Bangkok

Some folks opted for day trips to Bangkok, a two to three hour journey from the port; others opted for a one night stay at the Shangri-La and others opted for two nights. We opted for our own package with 6 other folks for a two day overnight.

The first thing we noticed was that Thailand looked a lot like a Western country. Its signs were in Thai and English. Its roads were Western style. Its buildings were modern. This wasn’t a backward country. As we neared Bangkok, we took note of its impressive skyline and traffic. Asia has a TERRIBLE traffic situation. It is far worse than anything I have ever seen in the US. Our agenda for the day were the key highlights...the Grand Palace, a river cruise and the Reclining Buddha. I had my own agenda -- some night time shopping.

Our first stop was the Grand Palace. Walking through the gates, the palace was a knock out. With many of its walls either covered in colored glass or porcelain, its facades sparkled in the sunshine. I have never seen a more beautiful palace. If there is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without, it's this dazzling, spectacular eighteenth century Grand Palace that was the home of the Thai kin and the Royal Court and administrative seat of the government for 150 years. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace around the turn of the twentieth century, but the palace complex is still used to mark all kinds of other ceremonial and auspicious happenings.

Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings including Temple of the Emerald Buddha, regarded as the most important Buddhist temple in Thailand, which contains the small, very famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. The robes on the Buddha, covered in white sapphires, emeralds and rubies, are changed with the seasons by HM The King of Thailand. The buddha itself is carved from a single block of jade. Nowadays it is used for important ceremonial occasions like coronations.

After our visit to the Grand Palace, we went to lunch and then followed this up with a delightful river cruise on the Chao Phraya River which cuts through the city. From this vantage point, we were able to see cafes, museums, shacks, five star hotels, fishermen’s huts, temples, fine homes and simple homes and warehouses, all which weave the tapestry of Bangkok’s everyday life.

Walking distance from the Grand Palace, we made one final stop at a temple to see the reclining buddha. I wondered what all the fuss was about and I walked into the temple to find a 150 foot long by 50 foot high reclining buddha. It is designed to illustrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana, with the feet and the eyes are engraved with intricate and extensive mother-of-pearl decoration. This temple is the birthplace of Thai massage.

Most of the group was hot and tired at this point, and looked forward to sitting in the air conditioned lounge with hors d’hoevres and drinks at the hotel. At this point, we inched through traffic to a point and I hopped out of the van with the guide, off on my shopping pursuits. We got on a local bus and she took me to my first request, the Jim Thompson outlet. Jim Thompson silks are supposedly some of the finest in the world and Jim Thompson opened up silk design here in Thailand. His goods are known to be quite costly, so I wanted to go to the outlet where they would be 40-60 percent off retail. The bus system was excellent is very cheap and we managed to finally get there despite the traffic. I was disappointed to find no clothes; only bolts of very expensive fabric, despite the discount. I picked up some cushion covers and decided it would be back to the hotel.

The guide suggested I really should consider having custom made clothes made here and offered to take me to a reliable store. I was somewhat skeptical. I hadn’t done any research. Intrigued, and too tired to object, I said okay. She led me to the street and called a tut tut, a motorized three wheeled vehicle and negotiated with the driver to take us to an address. Up and down some back alleys and I found myself being led into a store faced with bolts of cloth. A gentleman said "what can I make you?" Thinking quickly, having given it no thought, I said, “I guess some shirts and some slacks.” He then brought me over to the bolts of material for the shirts and explained the material and asked me to select what I liked, explaining base costs. Once I selected, he then asked me what style of collar, cuffs, buttons, etc. We then repeated this same process for the slacks. Then, we negotiated a price. I am sure I didn’t get as good a deal as I should, but it sounded all together too reasonable.

Also, I only had one more full day there. No problem, he said. They would measure me now, refit me at 9:30 tonight and the clothes would be ready in the morning. They quickly measured me and drove me back to the hotel, which took an interminable 35 minutes to go 1/2 mile. I was only gone 90 minutes, but Doug was pacing, sure I was lost in Bangkok somewhere. At 9:30pm a seamstress and and tailor showed up with a finished shirt and trouser and did an adjustment or two. The clothes were better quality and fit than I have ever purchased off the rack in the US. I dreamed all night of matching jackets for the slacks and asked the guide to call for me to arrange a fitting for jackets the next day. I negotiated prices with them on the phone and set up a 7pm measurement at their store. They promised the jackets would be ready before I left the following morning. All went as promised. Like little fairies who work through the day and night, I left with a bundle of new clothes I have no idea how I will ever find the room in my suitcase to pack. When I returned to the ship the next day, it appeared that many of the women had also discovered their own fairies and we all wore our new creations to dinner and conducted fashion shows in our cabins for one another.

Does high quality and 'ready in 24 hours' sounds a bit unrealistic? Not when you're in Bangkok. In fact, some of my friends had full suits made in 5 hours. After seeing the high quality produced by a number of different tailors, this is a must do shopping trip that should be ranked high on any visitors' must-do lists. Tailor-made clothing is an excellent choice. Many of these tailors are from Pakistan and appear to be famed for their swift sewing and competent craftsmanship. Although choosing a good tailor can be a daunting task in a city where tailor shops are ubiquitous (there are more tailor shops in Bangkok than coffee shops in Seattle), it appears that most hotels and guides can direct you to a good tailor.

Our second day in Bangkok was focused on much more than shopping for clothes, though it did start early with a shopping expedition of sorts. We went to the famed Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, a good hour plus away from Bangkok, so we had a 7am start to beat the throngs of tourists who normally visit. It is a very attractive place to see the old style and traditional way of selling and buying fruits, vegetables, etc., from small boats. We boarded small boats and took a leisurely ride through canals to view flat boats and shacks next to the pier piled high with fresh produce, souvenirs or goods, each jockeying for position and paddled by ladies ready to stop and bargain at a moment’s notice. It's colorful, noisy, touristy but great fun.

From there, we went to the famed location of the Bridge on the River Kwai made famous by the movie of the same name. Actually, the bridge was not over the River River Kwai. The largely fictitious film plot was based on the building in 1943 of one of the railway bridges over the Mae Klong river. However, Pierre Boulle, the author mistakenly called it the river Kwai. When the movie became famous, the Mae Klong river, in the location of the bridge, was renamed Kwai in the 1960‘s. The Burma-Siam railway, built by Commonwealth, Dutch and American prisoners of war, was a Japanese project driven by the need for improved communications to support the large Japanese army in Burma. During its construction, approximately 13,000 prisoners of war died and were buried along the railway. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 civilians also died in the course of the project. Our guide noted that controversy sometimes ensues when Japanese tourists come to visit the site.

After some picture taking, we had a fantastic lunch by the shores of the river before heading off to Tiger Temple. The temple received its first cub in 1999 when the villagers found it when the mother had been killed off by poachers. After that it evolved into a place where others seemed to drop off their tigers. There are now over 25 cubs born at the temple, with a mixture of adults and cubs. They are fed cooked chicken, beef and dry cat food. The meat is boiled to avoid giving the tigers a taste for blood. According to the temple website the dry cat food replaces nutrients, that are lost when the meat is cooked.

Originally they would roam around freely in this area but now, with the increase in visitors and the amount of tigers who sit in the canyon, they are chained for safety reasons. The staff closely guide visitors as they greet, sit with, and pet the cats. We were allowed to get up close and personal and spend as much time with the juveniles and pat them and take their pictures. We were carefully led to the adults, where we were allowed to touch and have quick photo taking opportunities. It was quite an afternoon.

From there, it was a long ride home to freshen up and enjoy our hotel’s services. That night, we ventured out into the Patpong area of Bangkok. One of the world's most (in)famous red-light districts, Patpong is where it all started. Its two parallel side-streets, owned by one family and leased out, are found between Silom and Surawongse Roads. These house neon-lit strip bars offering risque sex shows, purchasable pole-dancers and post-op ladyboys (transsexuals). For the serious flesh-seekers, Patpong has long since been usurped as the 'king of the scene'. However, its reputation means it's still a huge attraction, mainly for sightseers more interested in ogling at - rather than indulging in - the carnal delights on offer. Our guide advised us that the most beautiful girls are probably boys. We had am enlightening time walking around.

The “girls” are very young and have cards with girls picture. There are so many prostitutes, all rather nice looking.

I was told that Patpong Night Market the area's seedy edge has been softened considerably. I was surprised that at night the area teems with tourists shopping for Asian copies. This is where you find the phoney Rolexes, Gucci bags, etc. They are nearly identical to the real thing. It was certainly worth a peek.

Our final day in Bangkok was spent visiting Jim Thompson’s home, constructed of 6 traditional Thai homes. It is a design feat as no nails were ever used. Thompson was an American designer who first came over to Thailand to reorganize the Oriental Hotel. Thompson had developed a certain fondness for the country and its people, and foreseeing a promising future for the country, wanted to be a part of this process. He decided that upon leaving the service, he would return and take up residence in Thailand permanently. With a flair for design and color, and driven to reviving the craft, Thompson gained worldwide recognition for his success in rebuilding the industry, for generating international demand for Thai silk and for contributing to the growth of the silk industry. However, in 1967, Thompson disappeared while on holiday with friends in Cameron Highlands, a northern Malaysian resort. An extensive and extended search failed to reveal any clues about his disappearance. He went out for a walk in the jungle, never to return. Some say he was affiliated with the CIA; others say he was eaten by a tiger. No signs of his remains were ever found.

We then left Bangkok, saying our time was too short and vowing to return. We arrived on board, sad to leave Bangkok. I missed the $15 massages and we were too busy to enjoy the included high tea at the hotel each day or the pool by the river. There was too much to see and take in.

Most of the woman met and did a show and tell of our purchases, both off the rack and custom designed clothes. We all felt there just wasn’t enough time in this shopper’s paradise. Loads of folks showed off their silks, artworks, or knock off designer clothes, pocketbooks, jewelry or watches. It was like a fashion show in the Observation Lounge last night! We all enjoyed our dinner, a little heavier around the waist and a lot lighter around the wallet.

Today was a quiet day at sea. The weather started out well this morning but, by mid afternoon, the rains began. Folks are busy figuring out how to pack (as we are). We arrive in Singapore tomorrow, have a tour tomorrow afternoon, and have to be off the ship the following morning.

We’ll spend one day at the Intercontinental on November 1 and will leave mid day November 2. It’s hard to believe I have only one more city and 2 more days left of this wonderful vacation.

I’ll have to start planning for Egypt soon

CAPTAINS FAREWELL:


Peggy, Sheila, Polly, Arlene, Wendy, Meredith, Lenore, Susan, Ngaire, Pam, & Andi. Thats a Lot of Gorgeous Ladies.


Richard, Phil, Doug, Andi, Frank, Wendy, Lenore, & Susan.


Jerry, Sheila, Ngaire, Ken, Peggy, Gill, Arlene.


Arlene Inspecting Jerry's Boots.


Polly & Meredith Show Off Their Halloween Outfits. They are Smiling so Big Because They are Staying on for the Next Segment

Tomorrow we have to say goodbye to the Mariner and head home. This has been a great cruise, very active with lots of ports and not many sea days. We did manage to get 17 games of pooch in with some pretty fierce competition but in the end the overall big time winner was Jim. Most points, highest one game score and most wins.

Wonderful group of people and it always makes me happy to see old and new friends meeting and getting to know each other. We were originally debarking in Bangkok but so glad we changed our flights to stay on to Singapore. We would really have been sad to leave everyone early. Time away from the office causes me to leave early but then I always want to stay when the time comes to leave. This is a fascinating part of the world.

Many of the ladies bought custom Thai silk outfits. Going to Angkor Wat I did not have time for shopping but seeing all these gorgeous outfits made me want to come back and make shopping a priority. Who knows, with time spent Thai silk may rank up there with the Pearl Market in Beijing as a definite “must do” during my visits. I understand last night there was comparing of purchases in various cabins until around 2.00 am. A few slow movers this morning.

Overall we have had very good weather, no rough seas and just a little rain during our time in Vietnam for some of the Mekong River tours.

Being lazy today and staying onboard to pack and wrap some things up rather than going into Singapore. Tomorrow will be here very quickly.

Some great senior crew members on board this trip. Captain Felice Patruno is such a wonderful addition to the Regent Family. He is so personable and constantly around talking to the guests. He will be gathering a loyal following of fans. I am certainly looking forward to sailing with him again. Franck as always was the best F&B Manager, he always makes things work so well and for some of you who may remember August as the dining room manager he has now moved up to assistant F&B. Well deserved promotion. As always Jamie and Dana are a wonderful team as cruise director and assistant cruise director. Carlo is a new General Manager that is also very friendly and around assisting guests in some form on another whenever I see him. Katja, the tour desk manager handled the incredibly busy tour desk, a true professional always with a smile. Crew Capers had some new numbers that were really very good. I have been on the Voyager so much recently, I missed some of my favorite bar staff, Emily, Arlene, Elmo and Franscisco, but they cant be in two places at one time.

What a nice looking group of LCTers!!! Glad you had a wonderful cruise and the purchases sound exciting!!! Safe travels home - love that part of the world, too.

I can't believe our 52 cruising days are over. Since Alan and I have to report to the Constellation Theater at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow, we headed for an early dinner, missing all the fun in Compass Rose.

This has been a great cruise, albeit a very busy one. I could have used a few more sea days. Our time in Bangkok turned out to be the highlight. The Grand Palace is a sight to see.

We've enjoyed our time on the ship. Captain Felice is a joy to know as well as Carlo, the General Manager. The Tour Desk has been outstanding plus the Regent Singers have been the most accomplished entertainers that I have experienced on a ship.

Last night's formal night was the perfect ending to our cruise, especially when it was combined with Beatles pub night in Horizon Lounge. It was bumper to bumper on the dance floor.

Now it's time to go home and recuperate. As the Captain says, "Ciao, See you later."

sounds like it's been just perfect! I loved reading and seeing all the pictures, it brings back wonderful memories. Thanks for all the great seamail. Safe Travels home.

You were probably on Surawongse for the Jim Thompson outlet with only home fabrics - the main store (not outlet) is also on Surawongse near Rama IV. The outlet that has clothes and other silk items are on Sukumvit 93 - pretty far out from the "tourist" areas.

Donna where did 52 days go????? I was in shock reading that as seems like yesterday you were planning and packing - safe trip home -

Safe travels back for all of you. Sounds like the cruise was a wonderful one.

Donna, it really does seem like you just left home, where does the time go.

We're still here, but I'm missing everyone who left today. We had a great day in amazing Singapore. I love this place! Looking forward to seeing Java, Bali and Western Australia.

Peggy, I know you are missing the DRAGONeers, but hope you will post stories of your and Jerry's adventures for us to enjoy.

It's been a pleasure following along with you all. Peggy & Jerry, glad you are still on board to give us more!

I was late in reading this thread since work has been so busy. What a fantastic cruise you had. And the pictures are beautiful. Andi your descriptions are wonderful. Tom.

Here are a few of Grant's photos from Singapore, our final port. We had a great time and really enjoyed this itinerary and our travel companions. We are now at Angkor Wat for a few days and will post photos soon.


Merlion Statue


Bridge in historic district


Raffles Hotel


We had a nice afternoon in Singapore, until we got caught on Orchard Road in this downpour

We are home and I am mostly unpacked. This itinerary was the very best. The people were great, the Mariner was great, the weather was great. Cathay Pacific was great. I haven't one complaint except that it didn't go on and on and on...

Now, Doug and I are trying to figure out how to plan a land trip to go back and spend more time. It really is an interesting part of the world.

Back to work tomorrow morning. Ugh.

We had a very special time in Bangkok with the extra effort Dena put into designing a custom trip for our group of 8...Grant, Olivia, Richard, Peggy and Jerry and Doug and me. Thanks for including us. The Krung Thrup wing of the Shangri La in Bangkok was extra nice with a phenomenal breakfast, tea (which we unfortunately missed) and lovely evening hors d'hoevres and cocktails. The suites were perfectly lovely, complete with delivered drinks and butleresses. Dena and Grant were rewarded by being given the Presidential Suite, which must be as large as most people's homes. The only disappointment was that they didn't cook for us in their complete kitchen. They had a full dining room and library, in addition to the huge living room! It was unbelievable. I hope they will post pictures after they post their Ankgor Wat photos.

It was fun looking at silk and jewelry purchases with Meredith, Polly, Susan, Arlene, Sheila, Donna and Pam as well as checking at the phoney watch purchases amongst the men. Some of the men got some gorgeous custom clothes as well.

This trip included so many new introductions to LCTers we had never met. It was wonderful meeting all the new faces and getting to know others better.

I'd like to thank the LCTers who joined us and those of Ngaire's customers who aren't LCTers for making this a very special time. You are all wonderful and it is great to know you. A special thanks to Ngaire and Ken and the folks in Ngaire's office for being who they are and making things run so smoothly.

Safe travels and look forward to seeing many of you on future trips.

We are home. Lots of laundry and unpacking. We went with 2 large bags, 2 carry-on's and one carry-on packed in the big suitcase and we went home with 3 large bags and all 3 carry-on's filled.

The trip was fascinating and I echo what Andi said about meeting everyone and thanking Ken and Ngaire. The best part of the trip was the people we met.

Dena seems very talented at putting together interesting tours. She certainly did that for us in Nagasaki during PANDA.

I, too hope that we get to see pictures of the Presidential Suite. Sounds incredible.

-------------

Eugene

Andi, I'm glad you enjoyed the Bangkok touring. It was definitely a team effort between Olivia, Peggy and myself - we all contacted guides and considered the options for what to see.

Eugene, the suite was great for its size, but the decor is much nicer at the Hotel de la Paix. I've referred to the suite as "faux-European" mixed with some Asian pieces. A bit dated and overdone in my opinion. But the space was great! We thought about putting together a wine/snacks party but just didn't couldn't find the time during our short and busy visit.

Dena

Thanks Dena. I want to then thank Peggy and Olivia as well. Great job, ladies. It was a terrific agenda.

Thank you for all the reports

Great reports and pictures!

I am past the jet lag and have finally dug myself from a mountain of emails and paperwork.

This was a memorable trip with a fascinating itinerary.

The ship was very well maintained by a friendly and efficient crew. Captain Felice and Carlo were personable and charming.

It was a pleasure meeting so many new LCT friends and I look forward to many more adventures together.

Very special thanks to Ngaire and Ken.

Now looking forward to NILE

Susan

This will go together with some of Grant's pictures. I have loaded mine on Facebook.

Final Dragon Installment

Our last stop on our trip was Singapore. We were to cruise on Oct. 31 in the morning, arriving about noon in Singapore, overnight in Singapore, disembark on the 1st and stay at the Intercontinental Singapore. The car would pick up up at the dock at about 9am. Our flight was at 11:25am on Nov. 2. So we had 1 and 1/2 days to see the sights of Singapore. It was hard to believe this long awaited trip was drawing to a close. We arrived in Singapore with a half day for touring with our final Big Bus Regent Cruise tour. It was a beautiful, warm day and we arrived on a container pier, since our berth wasn't available until evening. Most of us were taking various tours that afternoon. We opted for one called "The way we live" instead of a tour of the sites or highlights of Singapore. I felt we could pick up the highlights tour the next day on our own. We got a late start that day, our ship arriving late and our tour had only 12 folks, which was good. I cringed a bit when the ship's resident clergy got on our bus, knowing his companion was a rather obnoxious and bossy woman who seemed to never be happy with anything (according to traveling colleagues of ours who had the pleasure of having her as a chaperone on one or two occasions as well as hearing her discuss her dissatisfaction with service levels on the ship). However, Doug and I breathed a sigh of relief when we heard she was on another bus. We were to see a temple, a public housing project and a visit to a home, their transportation system, and generally learn all about the everyday lives of Singoporeans on this tour and we did.

I didn't know what to expect with Singapore. It was both a country and a city. Everyone said it was very clean and modern. Some folks discussed the well maintained flowers everywhere. I knew chewing gum and spitting weren't allowed. But, so far, every Asian country had been quite different from one another. I expected Singapore to follow suit. At first glance I found its skyline was modern as were its highways. It had less traffic than the other Asian countries we visited and that was a relief. It was a hot, tropical climate like Hong Kong, Viet Nam and Thailand. Yes, there were nice flower arrangements everywhere. Azaleas.

Our guide was a young man and full of propaganda of how wonderful Singapore was. He told us that "You Americans think it is wrong to punish with a cane, but there are rules and there are consequences. if you are a good boy or girl, you will be comfortable; if not, you will be punished. That is what we learn. That is our way."

We decided to think for ourselves and try to understand a bit about rule abiding Singapore. What struck us first about Singapore, is that it was very English/American. All signs were in English, not in Chinese. In China and Hong Kong, we were surprised to find most signage in both English and Chinese. It was incredibly easy for one to get around. In fact, at the airports, announcements were first made in English. Vietnam signage was in its native language as was Thailand. However, there was a fair amount of English signage in Thailand. However, in Singapore, everything was just English. In fact, English is the official language of business and administration, with other languages spoken secondarily being Chinese, Malay and Tamil. Additionally, our guide told us a common language is Singlish. Singlish is an English-based mixture of languages used in Singapore. The vocabulary of Singlish consists of words originating from English, Malay, Hokkien, Toechew, Cantonese, Tamil, Bangali, Punjabi ad other European, Indic and Sinitic languages, which Singlish syntax resembles southern varieties of Chinese. To add flavor, elements of American and Australian slang have come from imported television series and films. Recently, because Mandarin is also taught to most Chinese students in school, Mandarin words have found their way into Singlish. Our guide told us the Singaporean government currently discourages the use of Singlish in favor of formal "official" English, as it believes in the need for Singaporeans to be able to effectively communicate with the other English users in the world and the government runs the "Speak Good English Movement" to emphasize the point.

He then went on to discuss their housing, which he called "public housing." It isn't what we here in the states consider public housing, which is government run and a form of welfare. In Singapore, public housing is property which is owned by a government authority with the aim of providing affordable housing. In Singapore, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) manages the planning of housing units. Most of the residential housing developments in Singapore are publicly governed and developed and 95% of residents are owners rather than tenants. How can such a large proportion own property? Apartments are affordable for the masses and their purchase is financially aided by a Central Provident Fund. This fund is a compulsory comprehensive social security savings plan which aims to provide working Singoporeans with a sense of security and confidence in their old age. The program was initiated in 1960, a year after domestic self-government was obtained from the British colonial office. To finance the massive national housing program, the government instituted the employees’ compulsory social security savings fund. Under the scheme, an employee is compelled by statute to save a certain percentage of his/her monthly income and the employer is required to contribute the same rate to the former’s savings. The CPF is thus a tax-exempt compulsory savings fund where ‘an individual’s total benefits are equal to his total contribution plus interest credited into his account’ (Lim and Associates, 1986:1). The rate of contribution for both an employee and respective employer steadily increased from 5% in 1955 to a high of 25% in 1984. The ceiling of contribution was raised from $S300 a month in 1971 to $S2500 today. The rate is allowed to fluctuate according to the general health of the economy, thereby acting as a wage regulating mechanism.

Since most Singaporeans reside in public housing, public housing in Singapore is not generally considered as a sign of poverty or a lower standard of living. These high rise apartment complexes are located in housing communities, which are self-contained with schools, supermarkets, malls, as well as sports and recreational facilities. There are a large variety of apartment types and layouts, new construction and older construction, generally classified into three-room, four-room, five-room and executive flats. There are restrictions to living in public housing. You must be married or over 35 years old. The buyer must be a Singaporean citizen. His family nucleus must also comprise of at least another permanent resident or citizen of Singapore. To purchase a 2-room flat, the buyer's gross monthly household income must not exceed S$2,000. To purchase a 3-room flat, the buyer's gross monthly household income must not exceed S$3,000. To purchase a 4-room or bigger flat, the buyer's gross monthly household income must not exceed S$8,000. If the buyer is buying a flat with his extended family, then his gross monthly household income must not be more than S$12,000. If you don't fit these criteria, you must purchase private condominiums or townhouse. (I didn't see any single homes in the city proper during my visit).

This ‘home ownership’ scheme was introduced in 1964, in which an ‘owner’ purchases a 99-year lease on a dwelling instead of owning it permanently. With the leasehold arrangement, the flat is separated from the land. Land is retained by the state in inalienable public ownership, leaving it free to compensate and resettle any lessee, if and when redevelopment is necessary. A large annual supply of housing has been sustained since then. After three decades, the HDB has completed more than half a million flats and a substantial volume of related facilities, such as commercial spaces, recreational facilities and light industrial estates, all within comprehensively planned new-towns. An individual may pay off his leasehold in full or continue to pay it over his lifetime. The leasehold can pass to family members. Often, family members do not wish to live in their parents' homes. Then an apartment is sold to another person and the younger individual is allowed to move into new construction in order to ensure that apartments are diversified in terms of age, religion and ethnicity, demographics which are monitored and maintained with apartment turnover to promote community diversity.

A three-room flat has two bedrooms in about 70 m2 (750 sq ft). A four-room flat has three bedrooms with about 90 m2 (970 sq ft) of space. A five-room is about 110 m2 (1,200 sq ft). Some have an extra room that is used as a study; others have a dining area. An executive apartment has three bedrooms and separate dining and living rooms. They are the largest apartments built by the Housing Board, with 150 m2 (1,600 sq ft) of space. We visited one such apartment. It was 130 m2, with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room, a dining room and a kitchen. It was large, but anything but luxurious. For one thing, to keep costs down, elevators only stop every other floor. Some of the units don't even have an external balcony, but inside balconies. These face an inside concrete courtyard (prettier than it sounds) and these balconies are to foster open communication of the residents with one another. I found them glum … it was like looking out on a parking garage. I noticed most folks used them to hang their clothes to dry. The unit we visited had an external balcony with lovely views of a large park like Central Park. The downside was we go off the elevator at the 12th floor and had to walk down to the 11th floor as the elevator skipped that floor. We were told that the unit came totally empty a few years ago and needed a full kitchen, all painting, and a new floor and sold for about $350,000 USD. Inside, it was starkly furnished…utilitarian at best. It had a lovely upright piano, a large flat screen TV, a computer, a dining room set, and some worn living room chairs. Their were no rugs, pictures on walls, or comfortable looking general seating areas. One room was set as the master, two were set up as the boy's rooms, and one was set up as the office. There was a small refrigerator and a washer in the kitchen. There were two bathrooms, each with a shower which was not separated from the room, but would flood the entire bathroom, with a drain in the middle of he floor. The floor was tiled throughout the apartment. There were no built in closets. Taxes on an apartment are negligible. There were no assigned parking spaces. You just had to find parking. I don't know whether this family just wasn't into decorating, but Singapore is quite an elegant and modern city and this was rather a sparse looking flat as far as decor, even though is was quite large. Our guide kept going on and on about their excellent standard of living, but the housing was anything other than uplifting and warm. Forced to contribute a portion of your wage and told you must use these funds to live from and use for your housing, it was an interesting economic solution for both housing, medical and senior citizen contribution.

We discussed medical care. A typical meniscus surgery costs S$30,000. Now, you will be seen immediately and be able to have surgery within the week. This will cost about S$3,000. You will not be able to choose your doctor and it is unlikely that an MRI will be taken. These costs are in line with the US, perhaps a bit less. This is much more when compared with Viet Nam where the surgery was under $1000 with insurance, but an individual has to wait on average 2 1/2 years to see a doctor.

Another major issue that came up on our tour (as on almost every tour in every country in Asia) was the issue with eligible men for woman. It appears that educated woman are looking for older, educated men and that there aren't enough of them in Singapore. It appears that Singoporean men are purchasing Vietnamese brides for S$10,000 through matchmaking agencies and are then made to visit a clinic in Singapore to get a certificate to verify their virginity before they can be sold. There seems to be a real issue with men importing wives from third world countries and women going after caucasian men, especially from the UK or Australia. There almost seems an antipathy between Singapore men and women.

Transportation in Singapore…We were introduced to the mass transit system, the Mass Rapid Transit or MRT, which is supposed to be the most convenient and quickest way of getting around the island. Stops are frequent and it will give passengers an idea of the lesser-known areas of Singapore. Undoubtedly popular, this service is as synonymous as the weather, to Singaporeans. Train operations start from 5.30 a.m and ends about midnight. Traveling on the MRT is cheap, with rides ranging from S$0.80 to a maximum of S$1.80. Every station is equipped with General Ticketing Machines (GTMs), a Passenger Service Centre, LED and plasma displays that show train service information and announcements. All stations are also equipped with restrooms , Some stations, especially the major ones, have additional amenities and services, such as retail shops and kiosks, supermarkets, convenience stores such as 7-Eleven. Heavy-duty escalators shuttle passengers up or down stations at a rate of 0.75 m/s, 50% faster than conventional escalators. Doug and I were each taught how to use the MRT and we continued to use the system the following day.

Physically, Singapore is very clean. However, we couldn't find a garbage can anywhere. If you have any trash, you just take it home with you. Doug and I had a brief "Oh, Gawd." When in the MRT, we noticed a sign that there was a fine of S$500 for any food or drink. We quickly hid our water bottles. We also learned that stiff fines are given for both littering and jaywalking. Homosexual acts between men, including kissing, are illegal in Singapore and penalties include imprisonment. There is no specific law against homosexual acts between women. However, any overt public displays of affection by persons of the same sex should be avoided. A wide range of offenses, including offenses against 'modesty' (such as men behaving inappropriately towards women, using inappropriate language or singing offensive sporting team songs), can result in corporal punishment (the rattan cane) and/or imprisonment. Other nuances about the Singapore laws: bungee jumping is illegal; the sale of gum is prohibited; oral sex is illegal unless it is used as a form of foreplay; pornography is illegal; as it is considered pornographic, you may not walk around your home nude; failure to flush a public toilet after use may result in very hefty fines; it is considered an offense to enter the country with cigarettes; cigarettes are illegal at all public places; it is illegal to come within 50 meters of a pedestrian crossing marker on any street; you are convicted of littering three times, you will have to clean the streets on Sundays with a bib on saying, “I am a litterer."

On the other hand, religious tolerance is valued in Singapore, the most followed religion is Buddhism with 42.5%. We paid a visit to the Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery. At first I thought, oh no, not another temple, but it was truly lovely. The Monastery, an architecture gem of the nineteenth century with a blend of architectural styles, impressive buddhas, and sculptured gardens, it is the oldest Buddhist monastery in Singapore.

The sunny, hot and humid day turned into a downpour of a storm though like I had never seen towards the end of the tour. The bus couldn't quite maneuver into the housing complex we visited, so we walked the block or two into the apartment complex. No big deal. However, as we left, the skies opened up and a thunder and lightening storm with a torrential downpour came upon us. The guide and bus driver worked for the longest time to bring the bus to us, wasting almost an hour to do so. No one really was bothered. However, it was almost 6…maybe a bit later…and we still hadn't seen everything. There was one more stop. Now, it was a miserable rain, so it was near impossible to see anything, traffic was horrendous (Singoporeans go to malls in the rain as their apartments are so small), and we were running late and hungry. One gentleman suggested we forego the final stop. The guide mentioned that if he did that he would get in trouble if anyone complained. We all agreed that if anyone wanted to go to this final stop, we all would go. One by one, the guide took our vote and shook our hands when we said "Back to the ship." When he got to one gentleman, the guy really wanted to go, and he hesitated, but sensing a mass mutiny, agreed to go with the majority. Tired and damp, we all arrived, the last bus back, at the ship about 7pm. We still had to finish packing, eat and say our good bye. We packed up what we could. We had lots of extra plastic and paper bags filled with our new purchases that just didn't fit into our luggage. We needed another suitcase.

The next day, we couldn't really find anyone to say good bye to and made our way out of the ship to find our luggage. I have blue and red luggage and we quickly located that and loaded it up on the carts. Then, the search for the black Tumi bag began. There were dozens and dozens of them. Here, we met some friends and said some good byes while climbing over luggage and reading tags searching for the illusive black bag. Finally, Doug located it hiding among a mass of look a-likes and we were off and there was our car, waiting for us. Within minutes, we were packed up and off for the hotel. We were met at the Intercontinental Singapore and taken up immediately to a guest room to check in. They apologized for not having our room immediately ready, but gave us a gift of chop sticks and placemats (I was sorry to have traipsed around Hong Kong to buy some, as these were really pretty!). This room was a standard guest room, of average size and they had fruit and water out for us. We were told we could go to the Club to have breakfast. We went on down and relaxed a bit, sampling some of the traditional breakfast items. Then, it was up to the room to freshen up and go to try to find a suitcase to hold all of our new purchases.

The concierge couldn't have been nicer. We did a bit of shopping and found a suitcase for $13!! We walked up to Little India and then over to the famous Orchard Street. Little India is an area full of East Indian shops and restaurants and Orchard Street is full of mall after mall after mall of high end stores…Gucci, Prada, Tiffany, etc. We stopped in one mall for lunch at an Indonesian restaurant. The food was unusual and delicious and spicy. The owners were very concerned about the level of spice for us Occidentals and kept coming over concerned to ensure it wasn't too spicy. In fact, we (our tour group) got this wherever we went. We had to make sure that they didn't "dumb down" the food for us to make it palatable for us Westerners. Then it would be bland and tasteless. It's better to get more rice! We then went over to the Flyer (Ferris Wheel) to see what it was about. The cab driver talked us out of going for a ride. He said that for the money, you don't really see that much. So, wandering around, we found the nail fish spa. I was looking for a manicure and we walked in to see folks with their feet in pools of water with fish adhered to their legs. Doug and I thought it was so strange looking, we asked a woman if we could take a picture of her. Then, we started to leave. The cost was S$10 for 10 minutes. I suggested that we try it. Doug said why not? So, off with the shoes and into the tanks our feet went. It's a strange sensation. I quite liked it. We got more than our 10 minutes worth. Afterwards, we both agreed our feet felt great.

After wandering around in our clean feet, we stopped back to the hotel for high tea and then went out for dinner at Newton Circus. Newton Circus is an outdoor area of stalls with picnic seating in the center. I am told that it is probably the busiest food outlet on the entire island. Circus is an appropriate name for this place, because as you walk by each stall, staff come out and try to hawk their food and tell you why their food is better than someone else's. Newton Circus works like this: you choose what you want to eat, which could be grilled prawn or chilli crab from stall 43, a stingray fillet with chilli sauce from 11, and a coconut juice from 70. Order accordingly, and give the chef at each stall the number of the table you're at . We were lucky, for a nominal up charge, the chef, got our beverages for us. Seemingly seconds later, the steaming plates are in front of you. When we got there about 6, there were a lot of tables … about half were full. When we left about one hour later, there wasn't a table to be had, except ours. The place was hopping. It is a jeans and T-shirt place, with reasonable prices. It was so much fun to have great food and not have to dress up. That night, we returned to the room, spread out in our new, large suite and repacked our luggage.

The second of November came too soon. We had a leisurely breakfast, called the bellman and loaded up the waiting limo with our 6 bags of luggage plus two carry ons each. With no traffic, we were at the airport in less than 30 minutes. Considered to be one of the world's finest, Changi International Airport, has a movie theater, small science museum, fitness center, medical clinic, supermarket and a multitude of duty-free shopping. However, as vast as this airport is, even with two hours, we barely had time for Doug to enjoy the Lounge and for me to have one last fish pedicure. Our Cathay Pacific flights…we had a switch in Hong Kong…went without a hitch. We arrived at JFK on time, our luggage complete and intact and we were out the door within 20 minutes of landing.

A wonderful 24 day vacation, over much, much too soon.

This is an extremely detailed, useful and well written report. Thank you so very much

WOW! I can't thank you all enough for your outstanding descriptions and photos. This is better than any travel book!

And to say this is timely for me is an understatement! Thanks to LCT, I discovered a wonderful source for booking award travel....and mid January, Jack and I are flying to Vietnam and Thailand for two weeks. More about that later...but for now, just sending you all a huge thank you and wishes for a safe journey home!

Bonnie

Thanks so much for all your reports - what detail! Loved them - sorry you had to leave. Lee