Oh fun Odyssey - where everyone knows your name

I know so many people here, who live on the ship called the Villa Vie Odyssey - and they all know my name as well. It is so cool!

We all want to belong somewhere. We like being sociable. One of my favorite pastimes is conversation. I so love having interesting people around to talk to. 

We've lived aboard the Odyssey for nearly 1 1/2 years now. I can walk down the hall, hear voices behind me and know who it is because I recognize their voice. 

One day I came up behind Kit and gave her a pat on her back. Without turning around and looking at me she said, "Hi Chris." We slowed down to chat a bit and Jim kept on walking.

  

Kit's husband, Randy, looked at Jim up ahead and admonished me "you’re lagging!"

John was also walking in the hall and, as he caught up with Jim, he said "I see you’ve lost your wife, you’ll have to make do with me."

This banter is just a tiny example of our daily lives, but I remember these few minutes in the hallway and how I felt so joyful to be amongst so many friends. 

Mealtimes

When we lived in a house, we would have friends over for dinner, or go to their house. This happened maybe once every month or 2. Here on the Odyssey we have the option of conversation around the table 3 times a day!! If you want to be sociable, you find a table for 4 or 6. If you'd rather be quiet, just sit at a table for 2. We've met new people and deepened friendships with others around these tables. We also have the option to specifically invite certain people to join us for dinner. Easily done, just send them a WhatsApp message.

Excursions

Then there are the sightseeing and activity days. Some activities, like the zip-lining in Fiji or scuba diving in Palau, were prearranged group events and anyone who wanted to go signed up beforehand. Others are serendipity, like here in Ha Long when we overheard a conversation about taking a boat tour and asked if we could come along, then 2 other Odysseans happened to be nearby when we were talking to a boat tour guide and they joined us as well. These shared experiences deepen friendships.

 

  

Activities

It's doing things together that really cements friendships. Like rehearsing plays, or line dancing, or singing in a chorus. In one play I had a love interest played by Tim. Jim knows not to be jealous when Tim and I grab each other in a hug any time we're nearby! And, same with Jim and his dance partner in another play. My line dancing group is a regular thing where we have so much fun. 

The Odyssey "Wave Dancers" 

I look thru all these faces and there's only 1 or 2 that I don't know their names 😊

We LOVE living here!

Hong Kong

 I was here with Mom in 1997 when Hong Kong was officially transferred to China. It was an investment tour by John Dessauer. My Mom subscribed to his newsletter and was intrigued by a notice of a tour to China's special economic zones. She asked if I wanted to go - SURE! Here is that newsletter:

It is confusing to me now about why Hong Kong is a separate 'country' from China. I thought that Hong Kong was China, but you need a separate visa to enter mainland China as opposed to Hong Kong. Huh? So, Hong Kong is a "Special Administrative Region" of China. Ok, whatever.

Sailing in to Hong Kong

What I remember most about visiting Hong Kong in 1997 were the tower cranes all over the place, building the high rises. There were plenty of skyscrapers then. Even more now. We only had 2 days here so we figured a Hop-On Hop-Off bus was the best use of our time. I enjoy the audio commentary provided on earbuds as you drive around. 

Day 1 we rode the bus all around Hong Kong Island

The ship was docked on the mainland side - otherwise known as Kowloon. Then the water in between is called Victoria harbor and Victoria Peak is on Hong Kong Island. I wrongly assumed that the biggest hills would be on the mainland side - nope - that's the island.

Victoria harbor is in between Kowloon and Hong Kong island. This harbor was very desirable - it's what British were looking for when Hong Kong was ceded to British in 1841

 

We took the green route on day 1 and the blue route on day 2.

Our Hong Kong welcome was the best!

And the dock was right at a mall. So easy to get off the ship, go shopping, or get to the ferry across to Hong Kong Island. 

Walking off the ship, then thru the mall, drops us off right near the ferry. 

After crossing the harbor and getting on the bus, we went directly to the tram that took us up Victoria peak and the most spectacular views.

It was great to see some more natural landscapes on the other side of the island. 

My notes on the audio commentary told us about:

• Kai tec airport in harbor- no more
• Taikoo shing - 12,000 apartments - 99 999? year lease
• Lots of reservoirs and water testing means Hong Kong has some of the best water in the world
• American club is fancy exclusive club in south side of Hong Kong island
• Beautiful Stanley was a prisoner of war camp in ww2
• Murray house used by Japanese in ww2 - thousands of execution
• Repulse bay is for billionaires
• Old royal golf club
• Hong Kong country club, not exclusive, all nationalities and races welcome, BUT you must pay millions
• Ocean park theme park is a major attraction
• Hong Kong police are well paid
• Ap lei chau one of densest populations in the world
• Cyberport, working to turn hong Kong into smart city
• Life expectancy high here due to strong public health care 
• Sun yat sen first president of china, studied in Hong Kong

The next day on the mainland (Kowloon), we took the Hop on bus again.

Here are my notes from the bus commentary

Kowloon

"Electrifying mix of old and new"

Streets named after what's dinner there, e.g. clothes washing street 

Langham place, mall. Upper floors designed like a corkscrew, just keep walking and you'll be going upstairs! No stairs or escalators needed. 

Kids work hard in school. It's very competitive from young age. 

Saw a Chinese gate - a china town in Hong Kong?! 😂😮

Afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton? 

High speed rail gets you from Kowloon to Shenzhen in 14 minutes

Train station is part of china as well as Hong Kong, you can go thru customs and immigration for both "countries" 

Harbor city terminal had an observation deck

Hong Kong has the highest concentration of shopping malls in the world

Dinner at an Irish Pub called Delaneys! Hey, we had Dim Sum at lunch, that was good enough.

Oh Internet, where art thou

I'll tell you where it isn't ... Internet from Starlink is not available for our cruise ship in the waters of southeast China. And, it hasn't been reliable anywhere in Vietnam. 

This lack of internet is annoying to some of us and devastating to others. There are people on the ship with real jobs. They are expected to show up, online, for 4-8 hours. These people fear for their jobs. 

Jim and I still have a business online. We normally spend 15-30 hours a week creating videos, writing articles, hosting zoom calls etc. We are not expected by anyone at any particular time. We won't be missed during a few days offline. Our only real worry is that someone has sent us an email and is wondering why we haven't responded.

We have a backup

Actually, we have 4 backups! Our primary source of internet is the ships WiFi, powered by Starlink. When we're off the ship, our phones have their own cellular connection. Even on the ship, when it is in port, we can use our cellular options: We have 3 phones and one separate hotspot.    

1. My Samsung phone with an Asia eSim from Saily
2. My iPhone with an account on US Mobile with international options
3. Jim's pixel phone with an eSim from Airalo
4. Any of these phones can share their data using the hotspot feature, but we also have a dedicated hotspot device by Solis/Simo.

The separate hotspot device is so handy. We can set it in the window where it will have the best connection to cell towers on land. And then we can connect all our devices to it - just like any other WiFi hotspot. It can handle up to 15 connections. It has a built in eSim and a global data plan. 

We paid $320 for the device including lifetime 1GB/mo international data. This means it works everywhere in the world we go, without doing anything. 1GB doesn't go far, but it's just good to know it's there. When we need to use it more, like here in Vietnam, we pay for 200GB/mo at $90.

On our computers, the Simo hotspot shows up just like all the other WiFi networks.

Vietnam - first sights

Adding a New Country to our Map - Vietnam #28 while on the Odyssey

That's right, we're in Vietnam. After leaving Singapore and 3 days at sea, our first stop was Nha Trang. We had plenty of work to do and no particular plans, but we were anchored there for 4 days so we had to get off once! We took the offer of a car and driver at the pier and saw the top sights. I learned that my Wise card cannot be used in ATMs in Vietnam 😡 The tourist sights we're interesting. I liked the beach the best. The waterfront had a district Fort Lauderdale feel to it.

   

The Golden bridge in Da Nang 

It should be called the handheld bridge. I've seen many photos of this otherworldly bridge and I really wanted to take my own. When we docked at Chan May I set to work figuring out how to get there. As it turns out, the bridge is not an isolated attraction. It is part of a multiple square mile resort and entertainment complex by Sun World - think 'Disney.' Introduction to Sun World Ba Na Hills https://sunworld.vn/vi/banahills/gioi-thieu

It was an hour drive from the port, then a half hour cable car ride up the hillside. We had perfect weather for it, partly cloudy. The cable car travels up so high that it actually was cool at the top. The high elevation (nearly 5,000 feet) creates a cool, temperate microclimate that sharply contrasts with the coastal heat of Da Nang below. Riding on the cable car, you feel the difference every few minutes, getting cooler as you go up and warmer, more humid, as you go down. 

The bridge did not disappoint. What a sight! 

Just as impressive was the view of the surrounding hills. Unspoiled green hills/mountains as far as the eye could see leading down to the ocean in the distance. 

Then, the amusement park with a French flavor because it was the French that first populated these hills. A building that felt like Versailles. A small pointed dome that evoked the Louvre. And lots of statues. Jim made a video of the day: (https://youtu.be/bEf3bhPntgc)

We went with 3 of our shipmates and had a great time. Even the car ride was fun. I gave a little lesson on Google maps. They wanted to understand the "North up" setting and concept as well as the directional blue "headlight". (see Geek's video 350)

Vietnam is surprising me! See our full photo album here. 

Sky Dining in Singapore

 

I've made lots of friends on board the Odyssey, one special woman - Lyn H. - and I have agreed to a weekly lunch date. Where I spend a lot of time in my cabin on my computer, Lynn is always out and about having fun with groups of people. She seems to always know about the special things to do in any port. So, when we got together for lunch on Sunday while at port in Singapore she told me about how you could actually have dinner while riding the cable cars. 

Well, alrighty then!

The Odyssey in Singapore with the Cable Car line passing overhead.

We've been watching the cable cars that go right over our ship from the main part of Singapore to the Sentosa Island and back. We definitely wanted to take a ride and the idea that we could have dinner too sounded great. Did she want to join us? No. She's having a different kind of special dinner at "Dining in the Dark." Where you are served by blind waiters and you eat in total darkness. She says it's supposed to heighten your sense of taste and smell as you eat. OK ... 🤔 

We mentioned the sky dining to our friends Russ and Kelly and they were up for it, so we made reservations for the next night. We had beautiful weather for it - hot, but clear and great views. You start with a cocktail at the open air lounge, then board the cable car which has been all set up with your dinner and wine. It takes one round trip to eat - about a half hour. Then you stay on the cable car for another round trip to enjoy the setting sun. When you get off the cable car you go to the open air restaurant for dessert. What a treat! Delicious food, wonderful company, and beautiful views.

Koh Chang, a delightful surprise

Spending 4 nights in Bangkok was tiring. Jim came down with a mild cold, and both of us were looking forward to getting back home (ship) and crashing. 2 sea days sounded good, and we had no plans for the next island. Several projects are in my plate, from tutorial videos, to submitting bills to our health insurance, to geek website updates. Just staying home, resting and working at our computers sounded good. 

The 2 sea days went by in a flash, then we anchored at Koh Chang. The ocean swells made tendering difficult, so it was postponed till late in the afternoon. Didn't bother us since we had no plans. We are anchored here for 4 days. We got some work done and relaxed for day 1 and 2. We decided that we would take a tender in to shore one day just to set foot on land and see what's near the dock. At dinner on day 2 Nuran mentioned that she had arranged for a car and driver for the next day and there was room for a couple more people. We could even ride in with her and she could drop us off at the place where she had a wonderful lunch the day before. Ahh! Sounds perfect, leave the ship on the 10:30 shuttle, go to lunch, and come back.

But, once we got there we decided to stay the day in Nurans truck. 

These open air trucks are the primary method of getting around on Koh Chang. They're called Songthaews. A songthaew literally means "two rows" in Thai, referring to the two long bench seats facing each other in the back of a modified pickup truck.

It was a private hire, so we could go wherever we wanted. The driver suggested a waterfall, a scenic overlook, an elephant preserve ... Wait! Elephants?! 

We're in. 

We were told this was the entrance to a private home.

At the first Elephant place, they were wandering around free. 

At the second, they were confined and chained. It was sad, but I did enjoy feeding them. So interesting how they use their trunks like a hand - complete with an opposable thumb!

Nuran had a dentist appointment at 3, so we didn't want to venture too far. We saw elephants at 2 different places, took a delightful walk in the woods towards the waterfall saw the scenic overlook then dropped her off at the dentist. 

The rest of us went to lunch at Porns. 😮🤣

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  Chris, Jim, Holly, Jim

At the end of the day, the monkeys came out to bid us farewell.

Bangkok

 The ship didn't actually go to Bangkok. It docked at a port called Laem Chabang, a 1-2 hour drive from Bangkok. Traffic in Bangkok is legendary. You drive an hour or so and get to the city, then it may take another full hour or even more to get to your hotel. Gridlock. The ship stayed there for 5 days! That gave us all plenty of time to go to Bangkok and stay in a hotel for a few nights. 

International Health Care 

We've been on the ship for over a year now. We considered flying back to Florida for medical checkups but, even though all the medical costs would be covered by insurance there, the flights and travel time would be quite expensive. We also changed our home location from Fort Lauderdale to Gainesville, so we would need to find new doctors. We hear that this takes many weeks or even months to accomplish these days in the good ole USA. So we investigated getting things done over here. 

There are several good options in this part of the world for health care, fast, high-quality, and inexpensive. Manila, VietNam, Thailand, and Singapore all came up in our research. On our first visit to Singapore, we signed up for screening packages. In one half-day, we got blood and urine tests, ultrasounds, bone density, mammogram, pap smear/HPV, xrays, and more. Reports with all the results were emailed to us a few days later. All that was fantastic, so efficient and professional. Everyone spoke english. All totaled we spent $2,500 which I do not consider inexpensive. So, we decided to continue with any follow up services in Bangkok. 

We heard from a friend on board how wonderful the hospital - Bumrungrad - is, so that's where we booked. The best part is that we could book telemedicine appointments. We did that and somewhere floating in the Gulf of Thailand, we talked to Dr. Vibhakorn. We told her we wanted to book colonoscopy and gastroscopy procedures when we got to Bangkok. After a conversation she said we didn't need those tests for several more years. OK. Jim has some prescriptions he wanted and she said that will be easily handled when we're in Bangkok. Also some vaccinations, and a dermatologist appointment for me. Once again, everything went smoothly and efficiently. We stayed at a hotel that was an easy 10 minute walk to the hospital. All doctors, labs, vaccinations, and pharmacy, was all under one roof. So convenient. 

Once again, it was more expensive than I had hoped. We spent about $5,000 there. The majority of that was for Maunjaro for Jim plus a 6 month supply of other meds. He needs to lose the weight that he's gained on the ship! The best part is that Dr. Vibakhorn will be our main doctor, available by telemedicine, wherever we are. She can also interface with the ship's doctor. 

Sightseeing in Bangkok

We really loved that our hotel was right beside one of the many canals in Bangkok. There were these long boats that acted as water taxis - getting you where you wanted to go in a fraction of the time required to go by road. Check out the video above - it is NOT speeded up. That is how fast these boats go. What a rush!

One evening we took a water taxi to old town and went up to a rooftop bar called The View. Great view, great food and drinks.

The next day, after a follow up appointment at the hospital for vaccines, we took the water taxi to the end of the canal, then a tuk-tuk to see some temples, then another long boat at the main river to explore the canals on the other side of the river. 

The food in our hotel was excellent. That's the canal right outside the window.

Our Odyssey Rotary club joined the Rotary Club of Bangkok South Luncheon

We visited several temples and buddhas. This one was the Lucky Buddha

The hand positions (mudras?) obviously have meanings. I love this one!

Our tuk-tuk (motorcycle taxi) and driver, Charlie. He would wait for us when we explored the temples

Next, we got on this 'longtail' boat for a ride on the river and across to the canals on the other side

Floating market - you could buy beer, soda, trinkets from her. There are times that there are dozens of them. For us, she was the only one.

Big Buddha

Wat Arun

On our last day in Bangkok, we took advantage of the blazing fast Internet in our hotel to do our YouTube show live. Time zone makes live streaming difficult because if we did the show at our comfortable tim of 2pm - that's 3am in Florida and no one would show up! So we did it at 8am our time (9pm Florida, 6pm Los Angeles) and we had about 50 people in our audience. We so enjoyed that.