Brisbane and Sydney

BRISBANE:

Today, I tagged along with my good friends from the ship, "The Ringmasters"; these four Swedish singers are the current Barbershop World Champions. A group of Brisbanian(?) 'barbershoppers' met us at the ship and gave us a tour of the city.  The weather was perfect and it was great to learn about Brisbane from real locals, rather than a tour guide spurting out endless facts.

SYDNEY:

My first 24 hours in Sydney were pretty unforgettable.  The day began with my friends and I doing the famous “Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb.” This 3 hour experience over 8 lanes of car and train traffic on the bridge's maintenance grid culminated in an incredible view of Sydney Harbor, the Opera House and the Celebrity Solstice from 400 feet above sea level.  Afterwards, I sampled some local beer and ate my first kangaroo burger! (which was actually really good)  That night, my friends and I went to a famous jazz club to hear the CD release concert of a saxophonist who’d spent his last 10 years living in Singapore.  It was really cool to hear what experiences inspired his music.  Later that night, we ate meat pies in China Town and had beers in Darling Harbor.   I’m excited to continue exploring this city, since our ship will overnight here every 12-14 days through April.  

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  :-)

Downtown Brisbane from a riverside park.

The view of Brisbane from the highest lookout point (nice photo-bomb Jakob!)

A 'farewell' dinner at Silk (the ship's Asian-Fusion Restaurant) for some good friends.

We made it: The top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge!  Woo!

My first kangaroo burger (Sydney)

A CD release concert at a Jazz Club in Sydney

Bali, Indonesia and Darwin, Australia

Merry Christmas from Australia! I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season, where ever you may be in the world. :-)

BALI:

On this day, I visited Ubud, a town known as the artistic hub of the area: painting schools, stores selling thousands of handmade wood and stone carvings, etc.  The first thing that I noticed about Bali were the temples everywhere- literally on every block! The temple of a private residence we visited happened to be celebrating its “birthday” (every 210 days in Indonesia), which was a special treat. 

Next, were were entertained by the somewhat aggressive monkeys wandering freely among us at the Monkey Sanctuary.  Lunch was served at a 5-star hotel/spa built on a lush and sprawling compound overlooking the biggest river in the area.  It reminded me of the views while white water rafting in Costa Rica in 2009.

DARWIN:

Located in the Northern Territory, Darwin is near the national park where Steve Irwin (The Croc Hunter) taped his famous show.  My friends and I visited the Crocodylous Park in Darwin, home to thousands of crocodiles.  I got to feed raw chicken to the baby crocs from a fishing pole and also held one for a photo shoot (see pics below).  A very entertaining way to start my time in Australia! 

A monkey just hanging out on the trail in the Monkey Sanctuary (Bali)

This monkey made a mess of his coconut (Bali)

One of the temples I'd see on every block in Bali and Ubud.

The incredible view from the 5-star hotel I had lunch in (Ubud)

More incredible views of the river valley from the 5-star hotel (Ubud)

Look, Ma!  I caught a baby croc!  :-) (Darwin)

Holding a baby croc at the Crocodylous Park (Darwin)

Kuala Lumpur and Singapore

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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA:

I’ve wanted to visit the Petronas towers in Kuala Lumpur ever since I first saw them in the movie “Entrapment” back in High School.  At one time the tallest in the world, the towers are now only the second tallest in the city of Kuala Lumpur itself.  The Batu Caves were the highlight of the day:  Climbing the 500 steps into the colorful shrines in the limestone caves, passing dozens of monkeys hanging out within arms reach.  Seeing the factory floor of a major pewter company was intriguing as well. 

SINGAPORE:   Along with Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Venice, Cairo, Dubai and St. Petersburg, Singapore ranks among the coolest cities I’ve ever visited.  I began my first day by visiting a famous Hawker Center (read: food court) in Chinatown to begin sampling the plethora of dishes for which Singapore is famous.  On the subway, Rasmus and I met two local girls who decided to become our tour guides!  They took us through the National Orchid Gardens and then bought us some of their favorite dishes at the Newton Hawker Center while the area was slammed with torrential rain.

The evening began with playing a round of virtual golf at “1-Altitude”, the highest situated bar in the entire world while sampling our first “Singapore Sling.”  After meeting more friends in the trendy bar area of Clarke’s Quay, we headed to a club which ranked in the top ten in the world.  It certainly did not disappoint. 

Tomorrow I reach New Zealand!  Pictures from Bali and Australia coming soon!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Batu Caves (Kuala Lumpur)

Liquid pewter being poured to create handles (Kuala Lumpur)

The Petronas Towers (Kuala Lumpur)

an epic photo of the Singapore Skyline (with 4 "Brads")

Having some duck in Chinatown (Singapore)

A Buddhist ceremony in Chinatown (Singapore)

The national orchid gardens (Singapore)

Playing golf at "1-Altitude", the highest bar in the world (Singapore)

Drinks with friends at Clarke's Quay (Singapore)

The Singapore Skyline

Dubai, UAE, Oman and India

DUBAI (UAE):  The tallest building in the world (828 meters), the Middle East’s only indoor ski slope, a “7-star hotel”(Burj al Arab), enormous residential areas created by filling the ocean with sand (The Palm Jumeriah), a great night life and no crime – all in Dubai.  My 24 hour visit was a whirlwind of sightseeing: In addition to seeing the aforementioned sights, I also visited the traditional gold souks and met my buddy’s friend from Sweden; she works on Sheik Mohammed’s yacht as a babysitter/activity partner for his two daughters.  I watched the sunset from her 60^th floor apartment overlooking the water before heading out to experience the city’s nightlife.  All in all, a great day in Dubai.

MUSCAT, OMAN:  The first thing I noticed in Muscat was how immaculate it was- Every street was maintained with flowers and landscaping, trash was non existent, and roadways looked almost new.  Our taxi cab driver said it was all the oil money: they only pay .50 cents per liter here!  I spent the day swimming in the Arabic Sea and relaxing at a beach club / dive center.  Notice in the picture below how far out the tide is!  Other than the Dead Sea, it was easily the saltiest water I had ever swam in.

COCHIN, INDIA:

I was very lucky to get off the ship India.  I was one of less than 20 crew members out of over 1200 that were allowed off the ship in India, simply because I happened to have the proper paperwork: a “Seamen’s Book,” from my trip to Brazil in 2008.  I escorted a tour that stopped at the first Christian church in India (also burial place of Vasco da Gama), a history museum for this region, a spice market, and meandered along the water in a fishing village, where they use a intriguing system of counterweights to lift huge fishing nets from the water every few minutes (I’ll upload a video to youtube/facebook soon).  The other highlight was seeing a traditional Indian dance performance at a swanky 5 star hotel overlooking the water at sunset.  I enjoyed a local Kingfisher beer before returning to the ship.

Next post:  Kula Lumpur, Malaysia and Singapore!  Coming soon!

Happy Holiday's everyone! 

Burj al Arab (7 star hotel) (Dubai)

Burj Kalifa, 828 meters, tallest building, tallest observation deck

The Directory for the mall around the Burj Kalifa- over 800 stores!

The view from the observation deck of the Burj Kalifa - look how small the cars are!

Lavish jewelry at the Gold Souks (Dubai)

Dubai at Night

Touk-Touks to get around in India!

Fishing village in India

Being exposed to the less glossy side of India

Drinks and snacks at a 5 star hotel (Cochin, India)

Main performer from a traditional dance performance (India)

The perfectly manicured streets of Muscat, Oman.

Notice how far out the tide is (Arabic Sea) (Oman)

 

Cairo at night, The Red Sea and Jordan

CAIRO, EGYPT:

My 2-day “whirlwind” tour in Cairo was truly one of my greatest travel experiences; So rarely does a cruise ship overnight in a port, and as a crew member, I was extremely lucky to escort this exotic guest excursion. 

Day 1:  We began by visiting The Pyramids at Giza and the Mighty Sphinx. Although I’ve visited the Pyramids before, they never cease to induce a sense of awe. The afternoon was spent visiting the fallen colossal statue of King Ramses the 2^nd, the Alabaster Sphinx of King Amenophis the 2^nd and the 5,000 year old Step Pyramid of King Zoser.

The truly unforgettable evening began with the famous Sound and Light Show at The Pyramids at 7 PM, followed by a dinner cruise on the Nile (under a full moon) complete with a performance by a belly dancer and a “Whirling Dervish” performer.  We spent the night at a 5-star hotel in Cairo (a converted Royal Palace), where my friend Rasmus and I took in the nightlife at the hotel’s restaurant and hookah bar. 

Day 2: The highlight was our visit to the Egyptian Museum, and more specifically the King Tutankhamun collection and the Royal Mummies.  I’ve read about King Tut since I was a kid, and finally seeing his gold facemask and pure gold burial coffin was magical.  Worth noting is that this museum is located in Tahir Square, the center point of Egypt’s political protests and civilian unrest. 

SAFAGA, EGYPT (the Red Sea):

Another travel dream was realized at this port-  I finally scuba dived in the Red Sea! The Red Sea has more coral and fish species then almost anywhere else on the planet and the visibility is legendary. 

This was a perfect end to an amazing “4 day week-end” in Egypt.

AQABA, JORDAN (PETRA):

The Rose Red City of Petra in Jordan is without a doubt one of the 5 most amazing places I’ve ever visited.  The 3 hour drive was filled with stunning canyons and rock formations as can be seen below.  At the site,t the one-hour walk on a narrow path between 6-story high rock face under the scorching desert sun was an experience in and of itself; but nothing prepares you for the main attraction - The Treasury building.  We climbed up to 7 or 8 other structures as well, which only make up a small percentage of the city.  The pictures below don’t properly convey the sheer size and expanse of this ancient city built into the rocks.  Notice how small I am in the second picture of the Treasury Building!

Ok, new posts coming every day this week! 

Tomorrow: Dubai and Muscat, Oman!

Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog via this LINK.

The Pyramids at Giza

The Step Pyramid

The Whirling Dervish performance on the Nile Dinner Cruise

The famous "Sound and Light Show" at The Pyramids

The Treasury building at Petra

Notice how small I am in this photo!

The walk into Petra

The walk into Petra

Can you see the white church on the cliff? (Jordan)

More Buildings at Petra

Venice, Montenegro and Croatia

Hi everyone:  I would have written sooner, but this first cruise on the ship was busier than expected!

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When our ship left Barcelona two days ago, the Solstice had officially begun it's 6-week repositioning to Australia.  As we leave Europe, I'm thankful I was able to revisit two of my favorite cities (Venice and Dubrovnik) and also to see one new one: Kotor, Montenegro.   

Venice, Italy (overnight):  I first visited this mystical city 2 years ago, but only briefly.   This time, I was able to venture inside St. Mark's Basilica and go up the Campanile beside it in St. Mark's Square.  The Basilica's gilded byzantine mosaics covering the interior of the domes were impressive but I was most intrigued by the four gilded bronze horses above the main entrance.  The originals, which are more than 2,000 years old, are displayed inside.  Their detailing is incredible and they were originally displayed in the Hippodrome in Istanbul, Turkey, which I have also visited.  They are pictured below, along with a panoramic photo of the Grand Canal from observation deck of the 300 ft Campanile next to St. Marks.

That evening, I went for drinks with Rasmus, one of the barbershop singers on-board who is part of the 2012 world champion group, Ringmasters (seriously, check them out online).  In a series of small world experiences, he ran into some people from Stockholm, and I met two college guys from my hometown of Milwaukee who were studying in England and Madrid, respectively, and happened to be in Venice.  We also met a group of university students from Denmark studying architecture, which made for a really fun night at the pubs.

Kotor, Montenegro was much more visually stunning that I ever expected.  I spent the afternoon climbing up the mountainside to the Castle of St. John, perched 1000 ft above the walled city of Kotor.  The views were stunning and thankfully there was a guy selling bottled water at the top of the trail!  The “sail away” through the fjords of Kotor was equally impressive.  In reminded me of both the Chilean Fjords of South America (but smaller and without snow) and the fjords of Stockholm (but bigger).   My favorite pictures are below.

Finally, we visited Dubrovnik, Croatia, which is arguably the best-preserved walled city in the world.  If you ever visit, make sure to “walk the walls” which are about 5 km long and give you great views of both the harbor and the city.  I’d been there numerous times, but had yet to take the cable-car to the hilltop above the city.  The views of Dubrovnik and the neighboring town of Cavtat were fantastic.

Up next: our ship will be in Egypt for 4 days, and then visit Jordan (the home of Petra!) before spending 6 days at sea heading to Dubai.  Needless to say, I’m extremely excited for what will certainly be a memorable experience in these places. :-)

The view above Dubrovnik, Croatia

The view above Dubrovnik, Croatia

1000ft above Kotor, Montenegro

Kotor, Montenegro

Sail away- Kotor, Montenegro

Sail away- Kotor, Montenegro

The four gilded horses inside St. Marks Basilica

Panoramic view of the Grand Canal in Venice (from the top of the Campanile)