Welcome to Taiwan and Taipei City

Taiwan used to be called Formosa….Portuguese for "beautiful." It is a relatively small country, but it is packed with people (twenty-three million of them!). That makes it the most densely populated country behind Bangladesh. Taipei City is the capital. Three million people live in the city, and three million more live in the suburbs of Taipei.

Chiang Kai-shek was their first president, and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is an incredible monument to him. He died in 1975. Construction started in 1976, and it was finished in 1980. There are 89 steps to climb (one for each year of his life) to get to the main hall and the giant statue of him.

And then there’s the Martyr’s Shrine. This was built in 1969. It honors the fallen heroes of China’s wars. They change the guards every hour and that ceremony is really something to see. When it’s done, the guards stand like statues, rain or shine. We had lovely weather when we visited.




The Confucius Temple is also quite a sight. We all know of Confucius (the “see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil” guy)...

He’s considered to be the greatest teacher in the history of China. The original temple was built in 1875, but the Japanese tore it down when they occupied Taiwan after they defeated the Qing Dynasty in 1895. This one was built in 1927.

All in all it was a lovely day. Taipei is a busy city filled with nice people and lots of great restaurants. We had a nice lunch at one of them in the middle of a day filled with the sights and sounds of Taiwan. We left with the lights of the city off the harbour and set sail for Japan, our next stop on our marvelous journey on board the Silver Shadow.

Glittering Hong Kong by Night

Arriving back at the ship on Wednesday evening, we were exhausted and thought our Hong Kong experience had come to an end. But we then got a call from the Captain requesting that the two of us come to the bridge to “experience the sailing out of Hong Kong harbor.” We didn’t know what we had done to deserve this honor, but of course we immediately obliged. It was quite an experience.
When we first got to the bridge, there was still daylight and there were many preparations to be made before we sailed. There was an authority from Hong Kong there to assist us in getting out of the busy harbor (he is the guy with the coffee cup at right; the Captain is the guy in white). From the deck on the port side of the ship, we saw the ropes released and the Captain began navigating us backward away from the dock, which was quite a feat in itself.

When we finally fully backed out and were prepared to sail ahead, the Captain gave Joanna the task of “Saluting the Harbor” as we departed Hong Kong. This meant sounding the horns in three 4-count increments, separated by 2-count intervals. She took this job very seriously and pulled it off very well. We then stopped to take in the breathtaking scenery of Hong Kong’s glittering lights from the bridge as we left the Harbor. Again, we don’t know what we did to deserve this experience, but it is one that will not be forgotten.

(By the way, the Hong Kong guy jumped onto a tugboat once we got out of the harbor, so we have no hostages).

We arrive in Taiwan shortly.

Lantau Island and Monastary

On Wednesday, we set out to explore Lantau Island, which is part of Hong Kong and neighbors Hong Kong Island to the west. It was a very scenic drive and we took a brief stop at the Tsing Ma Lookout to view the Tsing Ma Bridge, the world’s longest suspension bridge, which connects Hong Kong Island to Lantau Island. It was quite a feat of engineering to see, and the observation area is well maintained with flowers and exhibits explaining various details of the construction. The amount of cable on the bridge is enough is circle the world three times! (The bridge was so long it could not fit within one photo).

We next visited Tai O, also known as the “Venice of the Orient”, and the only surviving fishing village in Hong Kong. It is renowned for the stilt houses built in the narrow Pearl River channel. These huts, the most distinctive characteristic of Tai O, are inhabited mostly by the Tanka people, descendants of the ancient Yueh tribe, Hong Kong’s first major settlers. The village’s fish farming industry has made it a major supplier of sea fish to Hong Kong. Again, we witnessed a way of life few of us could imagine…

Our drive continued on through the beautiful mountain scenery on Lantau Island to the Po Lin Monastery, the principal center of Buddhism in Hong Kong. The monastery houses the world’s tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha statue, the Tian Tan Buddha. This imposing statue weighs over 250 tons and is more than 100 feet high.







After a spectacular nine-course vegetarian lunch served at the Monastery, we took a four mile cable car trip back to Tung Chung, taking in the views of the mountainous terrain and the China Sea in the distance. Another fabulous day.

Highlights of Hong Kong

This is the longest time in which we haven’t updated the blog since we have been so busy trying to take in all of the sights and sounds of Hong Kong. What a place! We arrived early Tuesday morning and immediately set out on a tour of the city. We first took the tram up to the 1300-foot Victoria Peak and took in the spectacular views of Hong Kong and Kowloon, where our ship was docked. These photos show views of Hong Kong Island and neighboring Kowloon…

We next went to Aberdeen to board sampan boats to tour the floating settlements. We cruised along the city’s oldest harbor, and saw houseboats that have existed since the very first settlers of Hong Kong. Many of these are now abandoned, as many of the future generations have moved to the mainland following their children, and in several years this type of existence may no longer be. Nevertheless, it was an interesting lifestyle to witness, and realize how many things we take for granted that we should not.

We then went to the open-air Stanley Market, on the southernmost tip of Hong Kong Island, to walk around and see all of the small shops where Joanna just had to stop and spend some money. (Actually John didn’t do so badly, either).

We went back to the ship, and with much of the day still remaining, took a ferry from Kowloon where we were docked back to Hong Kong Island (the ferry being a treat in itself), and found a little area called Lan Kwai Fong where there are many local pubs and restaurants and had a late afternoon lunch. The area is very busy and has the feeling of traditional Hong Kong.

After going back to the ship again and resting/freshening up, eight of us headed out for a spectacular dinner at Aqua Tokyo, in a private room overlooking the harbor and the glittering Hong Kong lights. The views and the food were fabulous. The buildings along the harbor all do a synchronized laser light show every night at 8. It sure was a sight to see.

So this was Tuesday in Hong Kong…

Saigon and Life in the Mekong Delta

On Friday afternoon we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, still popularly referred to by its old name, “Saigon.” The official name change took place in 1976 following the country’s reunification. Located in the south of Vietnam on a giant bend of the Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh City is the country’s largest city, with a population of nearly seven million people and over one million motorbikes.

After taking in the bustling sights of Central Saigon in the afternoon, all guests of Silversea were treated to a memorable evening of traditional Vietnamese cuisine and lively local entertainment at the Hotel Majestic, one of Saigon’s historic hotels.

On Saturday, we set out to explore life in the Mekong Delta. The Mekong River originates in Tibet, and flows through several countries before its 120-mile course through Vietnam divides into nine river mouths, aptly called the “Nine Dragon Delta” by locals. Following a two-hour drive to Cai Be Village in the heart of the Mekong Delta area, we boarded a motorized longboat to explore the fascinating waterways. Numerous natural and manmade canals serving the local traffic criss-cross this active region.

The waterways teem with boats whose owners are farmers selling their wares ("floating markets"), and other boats with buyers making their purchases. We passed through local waterfront villages, where most homes and business structures were dilapidated, but the locals did not seem to be aware of their oppressive lifestyle. Adults were friendly, and children played and waved as we passed by. This is simply the way of life they have become accustomed to.

Our trip concluded with lunch at a local restaurant along the river, where the gardens and ambience were much out of context with the other sights of the day.

We arrive in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Another Day in Singapore

Yesterday was our second day in Singapore, and it was hard to pick what to do with limited time. We knew that the Singapore Zoo, acclaimed to be one of the world’s most spectacular zoos, was a must-see. So we spent several hours there in the morning and it was well worth it. It is a very large zoo and was designed largely with the help of the adventurous Australian Steve Irwin (the TV personality that died from the stingray barb), so it is primarily an “open-zoo” concept…rather than cages, natural barriers like streams, rock walls and vegetation separate animals from visitors. It was exceptionally well done but we won’t bore you with dozens of photos of animals. You have to be there to experience it.

Next, we took the cable cars from where our ship was docked on two scenic rides, on one side to Mount Faber, a scenic overlook with a great restaurant, and on the other side to Sentosa Island, a resort destination. Sentosa Island currently has several beach resorts and other attractions, and is undergoing huge development in the building of Universal Studios (photo below), several more hotels, and a casino. It will be an amazing place to visit once completed.

A visit to Singapore would not be complete without some shopping, as Singapore is known as a shopper’s paradise. The most famous shopping area is along Orchard Road, but the more colorful ethnic shops are found in the sectors of Little India, Arab Street and Chinatown. The latter we took in yesterday, and with limited time, we did some damage in the 1 million square foot HarbourFront complex before returning to the ship.

Another day now at sea en route to Vietnam.

Essences of Singapore

On Monday, we crossed the Equator at 3 pm en route to Singapore, where we arrived on Tuesday morning. It was HOT. (This is the second Equator crossing on our journey, the first being on March 17 en route to Christmas Island, Kirimati).

Singapore consists of 63 islands, about 272 square miles in total, including mainland Singapore. We docked on the mainland and got an early start to take in the sights. It takes only about 15 minutes to get anywhere on the island by taxi.

We began with a trishaw (bicycle-peddled vehicle) tour of the older sections of Singapore, including Chinatown and Little India. We stopped for visits at the Mariamman Temple, the country’s oldest Hindu temple (at right), and the Asian Civilisations Museum. Next, we took a riverboat tour on the Singapore River. Photos below here show the riverfront at Boat Quay, the skyline of the Downtown Core (business district), and the Fullerton Hotel with the country's mythically iconic "Merlion" (half lion, half fish) fountain in the forefront. We then had lunch at one of the many upscale riverfront restaurants where we disembarked the boat at Clarke Quay.

Singapore is remarkably clean and pleasant, designed with a lot of greenery to give it an open-air feel. There has been incredibly well-planned and massive urban development on the island in the last 10-15 years and it is very modern and trendy.












Our outing ended with a stop at the landmark Raffles Hotel to enjoy its trademark Singapore Sling at the famous Long Bar…


More to see in Singapore on Wednesday.