Billie Hyde

Exploring Koh Samui: Temples, Food, and Culture

Another island, another port, another excursion. After two sea days, which we were grateful to have so we could relax a little and stay cool, we headed out to explore the island. Our route took us completely around the island and gave us a sampling of the temples and shrines that dot the island.

Our guide was funny and irreverent, and explained the variety of cultures that live together on the island. There is a mixture of Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Malay, and Indian cultures that create a rich mixture of food, language, and customs. He explained that in his language the same word is used for “happy” (if it’s a verb) and “toilet” (if it’s a noun). His name means “Happy,” but he claims his mother named him that because she has a great sense of humor! At each stop he would point out the “happy place” so we would know where the toilets were.

Our first stop was at Plai Laem Temple. This stop actually had several religious sites at the same place. Our guide explained the significance of each area, and then allowed us time to explore on our own.

Right next to the temple above sits a statue dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy.

The area was a feast of sights and colors, and I couldn’t resist capturing all the details in my photos.

Next we were off to see The Big Buddha, a huge gold-plated statue that sits atop a high platform with steps leading up to it. What is the penchant for making everyone climb steps? I decided to view the Big Buddha from the bottom, given the heat and humidity. Have I mentioned that it’s very hot in Thailand?

Our next stop was the restaurant in a beautiful resort hotel on the coast: Nora Buri. Actually, on Koh Samui pretty much everything is on the coast! We had a buffet lunch that Polly approved of, and then took time to enjoy the view. Polly was more interested in the food.

One more stop before heading back to the ship. This was a memorial to Guan Yu, a general from nearly 2000 years ago who is revered as a God of War. He is respected for his integrity and loyalty, and apparently is known around the world in the Chinese community.

Along the way around the island our guide pointed out the Four Seasons Hotel where the third season of the “White Lotus” was filmed. He told us to look carefully through the trees and we could see the hotel…then he laughed as he said “Sorry, you can’t see it from the road!” He said they closed the hotel for several weeks during filming, and they laughed all the way to the bank.

When I grow up I think I want to be a scout for filming sites. Oh, wait, I’m already grown up…and retired. OK, so I want to do that in my next life. My luck I’ll come back as a frog. Or they would send me to scout a site for a remake of “The Thing” or “Mosquito Coast.”

I do have to share one more photo of the day. In keeping with the sense of humor of our guide, I want to share the decor in our bus. Equipped with huge speakers and decked out in red, it brought to mind a courtesy shuttle for a brothel. Maybe it would make a great filming site for my first effort.

Our final stop was at Chaweng Beach, where we were given time to walk along the beach or browse the many shops in the area. There was also a mall. By this point my friend Judy and I were shopped out and feeling the heat. We discovered a Starbucks, and while I prefer to sample local cuisines while traveling, an iced tea in an air conditioned store won us over.

Penang, Malaysia

Penang was the one port we decided to explore on our own. The ship docked right next to the island’s capital, George Town. Since it was just a short stroll into town we set off on our own. Our first challenge was to get past the dozens of taxi promoters offering to drive us around the area. Once we got out of the port area we thought we were safe, but we continued to run into hawkers for several blocks!

We found the town decorated with red everywhere in preparation for the coming celebration of the Chinese New Year. We just wandered wherever our fancy took us, which was fairly successful. We spent some time in the Little India area, wandered into a shop that made custom notebooks, and found a shop that sold fabrics, saris, and other clothing.

Pretty fancy entrance for a fabric store!

I promised to bring back Thai silk fabrics to my crafty friends at home, and really hit the jackpot here. They had silks and cottons in so many gorgeous colors I wanted to take them all home.

We ran across some of our fellow cruisers taking advantage of the local transportation option. After walking around in the extreme heat I was a little jealous, but not enough to climb aboard.

We finished our day with a walk around a park and along the waterfront. We also took a little time to view some of the buildings showing the influence of the colonial era.

I have to admit that there was much more to see in Penang, but the heat and humidity were beginning to make it hard to keep walking around. By the time we returned to the ship my friend and I were both ready for a cold drink and a shower!

Phuket, Thailand

We continued to sail North in the Malacca Strait to the island of Phuket. I’m going to admit my ignorance of the entire area: I didn’t know Phuket was an island. For that matter, I didn’t know Lankawi was an island either!

We again took a ship’s excursion by speedboat into Phang Nga Bay. This area contains the Ao Phang Ngo Marine National Park, with dozens of limestone islands filled with caves and rock formations.

If you look closely you’ll see a rope hanging down from one of the rocks on the underside of this island. Our guide explained that fishermen come out and use these ropes to catch fish.

The next destination was “James Bond Island,” which was used as a location for the “The Man with the Golden Gun.” I now know for sure that they didn’t really blow up the island in the end. Apparently the James Bond franchise is still popular, judging by the number of people flocking to this island. After shedding our shoes and jumping into the (shallow) water to walk to the shore, I stood there with my shoes in my hand and looked around the small beach surrounded by rocky cliffs, wondering what the attraction was. We were given nearly an hour to explore what looked to me like nothing more than a tiny beach. I saw a few people walking up some stairs in the rocks, and decided to find out where they led. First I had to get my shoes back on my damp feet, sand and all.

I gingerly started up the stairs, wondering where they went. A little higher, a little more, and around a corner was a view of the pinnacle rock that was so visible in the movie.

I continued along the stairway, and coming around a corner discovered we were not alone! The stairs led into a larger open area with another beach access for more boats. And as always, enterprising locals were taking advantage of the number of tourists coming to pay homage to 007.

Our next stop was Koh Panyee, a floating fishing village. This was advertised as an opportunity to meet the locals, see the village, and browse the shops. We were not impressed. The village is a confusing warren of buildings on pilings, and our guide warned us to stay close to him so we didn’t get lost. It became a march through narrow walkways with nearly every home having an assortment of wares that were clearly of the “Made in China” type. Stopping to purchase anything was nearly impossible, as our guide was on the move. We were hoping for local crafts and wares, but it was t-shirts and toys and keychains. The town was interesting, but has been converted into a tourist trap.

After returning to the island of Phuket, we were treated to lunch in a lovely Thai restaurant. The food was just what I had been looking forward to. Authentic Thai food! Yay! I was actually delighted to find that my favorite food truck in Alaska truly was Thai food on a level with the food in Thailand. The restaurant in Thailand was a lot fancier than the food truck, though. I spent some of our allotted time there wandering around the property taking photos of the beautiful facility.

Langkawi, Malaysia

Our second Malaysia port was Langkawi, where my friend and I took a ship’s excursion called the Geopark Day Cruise. I should note that I usually prefer to do my port visits on my own, but since I’ve never been to this area and don’t know the language or the challenges we might hit, we both preferred to take the ship tours for most of the ports. The last thing we wanted was to find ourselves unable to get back to the ship in time and stranded in the port.

Anyway, off we went on the Geopark Day Cruise. Now, with a title like that and the mention of dolphins and flying fish, we were expecting some commentary on the natural environment. Not so much. This was basically a booze cruise. It was fun, but certainly not what we expected. As soon as we left port the bar was open. On the way to the island where we were to have lunch, the crew put out a net behind the boat and allowed passengers to sit in the water and enjoy the view. I took one look and decided “NO.” I could just see myself struggling back up the net into the boat like a beached whale, needing the crew and passengers to drag me aboard. I just sipped my mango juice and enjoyed the view.

We stopped at a small island and were treated to a nice lunch at the edge of the jungle, with tables and chairs and wine. All the necessities of life. It put me in mind of the Jurassic Park movie where the family is having a fancy lunch on the beach and the young girl encounters some little dinosaurs. We saw no dinosaurs. But we DID see a bunch of wild boars! They smelled the barbecue and came around hoping for leftovers.

After lunch we were given time to enjoy the beach (having been advised beforehand to wear our swimsuits), and I went into the water with everyone else. I’d forgotten how much fun the ocean is to hang around in. I’d also forgotten how fast I burn, and how careful I should be about getting sunscreen everywhere. I did put on sunscreen, but I did it before I took off my shirt and ended up quite red on my shoulders.

My friend Judy and a couple of others we met on the tour were hanging around in the water, and they said they were getting a tingling feeling and wondered was it was. I felt nothing, but all three of them said they felt it. A little later the gentleman came over to us with a large leaf and something that looked like gel sitting in it. He had captured the creature; it turns out they were feeling the tentacles of a jellyfish. Apparently these aren’t terribly poisonous, but they did have enough of a sting to make my friends feel the tingling. Fortunately, it didn’t leave a mark!

Not many photos for the day, since this was mostly scenic cruising, and I didn’t want to take my phone ashore and get it wet. So you’ll have to settle for a quick shot of our cruise ship, barely visible between the islands.

Exploring Kuala Lumpur: A First-Time Cruise Experience

Discover the dynamic allure of Kuala Lumpur, where skyscrapers overshadow ancient temples. Experience the fervor of Thaipusam, and savor the artistry of Royal Selangor Pewter. Your journey just begins!

Our twelve day cruise on the Diamond Princess started with a flurry of activity. We hit three ports on the first three days! Since we did excursions in all three ports, I’ll do separate posts for each.

First up was Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This being my first foray to Southeast Asia, I had some expectations to overcome. Jungle, maybe rice paddies, exotic temples, monkeys? Kuala Lumpur disabused me of that idea immediately. Busy city, skyscrapers, and traffic! Somehow the Petronas Towers never lodged in my brain.

I took a tour that led me to a religious site, a modern factory with historical roots, and a museum, with a quick stop to see the Petronas towers.

We first headed to the Batu Caves, a limestone complex outside the city that is a major Hindu worship spot. It turned out that we were going there the day before the Thaipusam festival that takes place on the full moon of February. Worshipers make a pilgrimage to the caves, climbing 272 steps and usually carrying a pot on their head for offerings or a heavy, elaborate structure decorated with flowers and gold. I rethought my original idea of climbing the steps for two reasons: first, there were hundreds of pilgrims crowding the steps, and it would be nearly impossible to turn around if I found it to be too hard. Second, I realized the heat and humidity was going to be a big factor, both for this stop and the entire rest of the trip. After all, I live in Montana and work in Alaska in the summer. That day it was 88 degrees with 90% humidity.

I was relieved when we headed off to the Royal Selangor Pewter factory. It was air conditioned! I found the demonstration interesting-there were three women demonstrating different facets of the artistry that goes into their pewter products. And the products, everything from jewelry to dishes to elaborate art pieces, were beautiful. Yes, there was a gift shop. Of course. And yes, I succumbed.

We had a great lunch in a restaurant on the 54th floor of a skyscraper. I was determined to try something new at every opportunity, and here it was fruit. Check out the photo of Polly checking out the unfamiliar fruit. It turned out to be delicious, and I’m so glad a fellow traveler showed me how to eat it.

The last stop was the National Museum. By that time I was flagging from the heat, and only made it through half the museum before giving up and looking for a cool place to sit.

Singapore

Embark on a Singapore adventure with The Quincy Hotel as your gateway. Marvel at Little India’s bustling temples, lush Marina Bay gardens, and the Cloud Forest’s Jurassic Park wonders.

I arrived in Singapore at 2 am local time after 22 hours of travel. How wonderful it was to have a driver waiting to meet me and whisk me off to my hotel!

My reservation was at the Quincy Hotel, just a couple of blocks off the famous Orchard Road shopping street. I originally wanted to stay in the Marina Bay Area, but the prices were more than I wanted to pay. The Quincy was a good option, since there is a metro stop within walking distance. The Metro is so easy to use: just tap your card or your phone going in and out. Signage is good, and the staff was always willing to answer questions.

A big shout out to The Quincy. The staff was responsive, answering my email questions before arrival very promptly. They were friendly and accommodating, and the breakfast was exceptional. When we got ready to leave, I asked if I should use my Grab app (like Uber for Asia) or have them arrange a taxi. Not only did the desk manager arrange a taxi, he told me it was no cost to me!

My travel friend arrived in the evening of the first day. While waiting for her to arrive I decided to explore the Orchard Road shopping area. It really is a shoppers paradise, with dozens of designer stores and shopping malls, all interconnected.

Singapore is famous for its hawker malls, and Orchard Road is no exception. I ventured into the basement of Tangs, a long-established department store, and found several dozen hawker stands offering a wide variety of foods from different cultures. I chose a delicious noodle dish and a yummy drink made with lime and mint.

The next day we tried to fit in as much of Singapore as possible. First we took the metro to Little India and visited a temple that was quite busy, as the following day was a holy day. As we walked around the area we realized most of the shops were selling gold jewelry-a lot of it!-and clothing-mostly saris. We did browse one area of clothing shops but realized their idea of a large size is quite different from ours.

Then we again took the Metro to the Marina Bay area to visit the beautiful gardens that were created on reclaimed land. We visited the domed Cloud Forest, with the highest indoor waterfall in the world. They had a special exhibit that incorporated Jurassic Park creatures into the gardens, so you never knew when you might come across a dinosaur.

Then we went across to the Flower Gardens, which were all dressed up for the coming Chinese New Year-the year of the horse. Actually, signs of the coming new year celebration were everywhere-beautiful decorations and lanterns, and red clothing to bring good luck.

Singapore is such an interesting meld of cultures, and it makes for a fascinating city. British, Chinese, Indian, Malay, Japanese-they all contribute to the culture of Singapore.

After walking through the Supertree Forest, we headed to the Marina Bay Towers for our dinner reservation at Lavo, a lovely restaurant at the top of the hotel. The views were incredible, the food delicious, and the service great. I’m so glad my friend Judy had the foresight to make reservations well ahead of time. We had hoped to be able to see the evening light show from the towers, but our timing was off and we didn’t think they wanted us to camp at our table for another couple of hours. Note to self: next time look up the time of sunset.

The next day we had a few hours before boarding our cruise ship, so we again took the Metro down to the bay. We wanted to visit the Merlion, the fountain/statue that has come to symbolize Singapore, and then go to the Long Bar at the historic Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling. Unfortunately, we weren’t the only people with that idea, and there was a line at Raffles. We were told it would be at least a half hour before we could enter. After doing the math and realizing we had to return to our hotel for our luggage and get to the port before our ship sailed at 3 PM, we decided to save it for another time.

We did make the ship on time (the Diamond Princess) and we were off to our next adventure.

The Next Adventure Starts

After two weeks back in Montana (mostly-but that’s another story) I’m off again. I’m sitting in the Delta Sky Club in Salt Lake City waiting for my flight to Seoul, Korea, connecting to Singapore. This is my first trip to Asia and I’m looking forward to getting warm after minus temps in Montana.

I had to fly in to Salt Lake yesterday, since it’s impossible to connect with this flight on the same day. But it gave me the opportunity to have dinner with my son Josh’s fiancée DeeDee. We had a great time while Josh was home in bed preparing to go to work at midnight. We solved all the problems of the world over a glass of wine.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Step into Argentina’s heart with an estancia visit. Witness gaucho displays, savor epic barbecues, and embrace the vibrant culture that makes this destination truly special.

When I think of Argentina, I think of Gauchos. To my Montana friends, that would be “cowboys.” This visit to an estancia (“ranch” to you Montanans) outside of Buenos Aires did not disappoint.

As our Antarctica cruise came to an end, we disembarked the ship and boarded buses (there were four coaches total) that took us over an hour out of the city. The idea was to give us something to do until our flights left, since most flights were leaving late at night. This turned out to be a lot more fun than anticipated.

We were greeted at the estancia with empanadas and wine (or water) and treated to a taste of the entertainment to come. We then went to an area where the gauchos competed by trying to spear a suspended ring from their galloping horse. When they did succeed, they presented the ring to lady in the crowd, as many horsemen in the past did to honor a woman in the affections.

We were then given time to wander the grounds and look at the many animals there, including sheep, ducks, emus, and peacocks. We also went shopping in their gift shop, and I ended up with a hat and a poncho, which came in handy on the chilly plane home.

Lunch was your typical Argentine barbecue: food, wine, more food, more wine. There was beef, chicken, pork, and sausages, and they just kept coming until we finally had to say “No mas!”

At the end we were treated to a performance of traditional Argentine music and dance.

Friend Carol and I showed off our new purchases with the performers.

Winemaking in Montevideo, Uruguay

Sip, savor, and create at Uruguay’s Varela Zarranz Winery. Blend wines, enjoy a feast, and forge friendships.

Our last port before leaving the cruise was in Montevideo. As soon as I saw an excursion that would allow me to do some wine blending, I said “Oh, yeah!”

We were taken by van to the Varela Zarranz winery, run by the fourth generation of winemakers in the family. We first had a tour of the winery, ending up in a room in the warehouse with our winemaking supplies before us.

We were given three bottles of their fine wines: a Tannat, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Merlot. Our instructions were to taste the three varietals, and then create three blends with different amounts of each wine. Once we decided on a blend we liked, we were to pour that blend into a wine bottle with our own name on the label. Needless to say, everyone was very happy by the time we got to the “put it in the bottle” part.

After our winemaking effort, we were led to the dining venue. They served a traditional barbecue with, of course, much more wine.The meal was hearty and tasty. By this time our small group was very happy, some declaring lifelong friendship.

The pears poached in Tannat wine and cinnamon, served with ice cream, didn’t last long enough for me to take a photo. Ot maybe it had something to do with the wine consumed that lovely day.

Penguins in the Falkland Islands

A stop at the Falkland Islands brings you close to penguins and some breathtaking scenery. Bluff Cove Farm allows visitors to view penguins from up close.

After leaving Antarctica and braving the Drake Passage once again, we sailed for Stanley in the Falkland Islands. This place landed on my favorites list in 2017 when we arrived there as a stop on our South America cruise. Why a favorite? Wonderful people (and not too many of them), gorgeous vistas, and….wait for it…penguins!

Evidence of the English roots of the Falklands.

The area is replete with several types of penguins: Gentoo, Rockhopper, Magellanic, Macaroni, and the pretty King. The King is the second largest of the penguin species after the Emperor.

I took a tour to the Bluff Cove farm, which includes several nesting areas for Gentoo and King penguins, besides being a working sheep farm. The also have a lovely tea shop with homemade pastries and a gift shop (of course). I was sad to learn the owners decided it’s time to retire, and they are putting the farm up for sale. I just hope someone is able to purchase it and keep the farm available to visitors.