Toured the Sydney opera house today. We learned about the changes that had to be over come to create the design. To create the sails they had to all be done from a sphere shape. It took 16 years to complete and there were huge cost overruns.
DAY 1: Today is our first day on the Mekong river on AmaWaterways boat the AmaDara There are so many different kinds of boats. There are barges, houseboats and markets - a whole community living on the river.
Part of our group spent half the day touring the city of Saigon and the other half at an organic farm where we picked our own vegetables, saw how mushrooms are farmed and then prepared our traditional Vietnamese meal. After the trip back to the city we had traditional Vietnamese coffee (in the old CIA building) and a fabulous view of the scooters which are everywhere.
David Brams and I set this tour up separately from the Amawaterways tours so we could have a unique and intimate experience.
St Kitts is in great shape post hurricanes. Co.e visit, have a great time and help the locals with your tourist dollars. You can have a great tour of the island for just $25 with Michael of Big Banana Safari Tours. He's honest, entertaining and even includes rum punch with the tour. [email protected]
St. Thomas is open for business! The shops are open and the shoppers are out. While there is still evidence of storm damage things are getting back to normal. Money spent here helps the recovery.
We cruised on the Celebrity Equinox into San Juan Puerto Rico today not knowing what to expect after two hurricanes. We were surprised to see that San Juan is welcoming and ready for tourists. Many shops and restaurants are open. Have fun while helping Puerto Rico with your tourist dollars.
World Cruises and Travel group trip: We had an unplanned stop at a local farmers market..
World Cruises and Travel group trip: Some of us went to Jemaa el-Fna square which because of the hot climate, comes alive at night unlike the day. There are food vendors that bring in carts for food preparation, there are musicians and vendors. It is a very lively place!
From World Cruises and Travel group trip: There is a traditional dish in Morocco called pastilla. It is made with a thin dough similar filo stuffed with minced chicken and topped with cinnamon, powdered sugar and almonds. While it may sound like an odd combination I can assure you that it is delicious.
From World Cruises and Travel group trip: The detailed mosaic tiles are made from small pieces that are cut by hand.
From World Cruises and Travel group trip: Morocco is noted for their mint tea which is made from fresh mint leaves and sugar.
World Cruises and Travel group trip: Our first day in Morocco and we are in Casablanca. The city is the economic center so it isn't as pretty as some of the other places we will see. However, the food is great. The meal starts with delicious bread and dipping sauces - one sweet and one savory- and a dish of olives. Traditional tangines are stews cooked in a cone shaped tangine dish. Also, lots of shrimp and lamb cooked with a French influence. Yum!
Zhujiajiao China
Typical street in Zhujiajiao near Shanghai China. This "water City" is 1700 years old.
Steamed meat and rice.
Rice and/or meat was wrapped in bamboo leaves and then cooked. We has something similar for lunch and it was fabulous!
Lots of on board activities on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas including surfing on the FlowRider.
Harmony of the Seas has different areas called neighborhoods. This is the Boardwalk that has a water slide, a water show, a carousel shops and restaurants.