Day 86 – Sailing to Cape Town: Recount of Beijing, China, Singapore and Thailand

Arrived at Beijing at 9:30 PM. March 6th. The next morning at 8 AM we started out for the Great Wall at Juyongguan . The Great Wall was fantastic. I did climb to the top of the wall – I think there were only 4 out of 31  who went all the way to the top.  I would have climbed further around the wall and made a circle to where we started, but we were pressed for time. Another Lazy Susan lunch and then a visit to the forbidden city and a walk on the east side of the boulevard adjacent to Tian’anmen square. We could not get to the square because there were political meeting going on near there and the square was off limits so there would be no demonstration. Then it was off to dinner for Peking Duck and after the Peking Opera.

		Beijing-Great Wall-Peking Opera VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The next day we were off to the Temple of Heaven and the park where the elderly/retired citizenry spend their time in outdoor activities. Another Lazy Susan lunch and off to the airport for a six hour flight to Singapore.

		Temple of Heaven VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

When we  arrived in Singapore at 9:30PM , our tour guide collected our passports. So when we got to immigration at the ship, were were told we needed our passports. We had to wait to collect them back  to get on board.

Next day I took a walk around the town. Took a ride on the Singapore Flyer- a big ferris wheel. Then checked out St Anthony’s Cathedral, and then stopped in at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel for an authentic Singapore Sling. Went to Chinatown, stopped and had a noodle lunch, then headed back to the ship. On the way, at the Port Terminal, I stopped at a German pub and had a St. Pauli on draught.

		Singapore VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Next Stop, Phuket, Thailand on March 11th. We, of course, were let off at Patong Bay, opposite the town.  The beach was ok, but I wanted to go to Phuket town and see where the Patong Bay. I hired a taxi for the ride to town and I was told the sailors were all provided provided transportation to where our ship docked. I decided to walk around the town. anyway I found a museum called the Trickeye Museum where I had a lot of fun getting into interactive photo displays. I then went to Tiger Kingdom where I was in a tiger cage with live (probably tranquilized) tigers.

		Phuket, Thailand VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I then went back to  Patong Bay and had a couple of local beers before heading  back to the ship.

I will have to stop here to post. Next Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Reunion and Durban, South Africa.