Australia: Darwin – Sydney 2025
Australia: Kimberley Coast 2025
July 22 – 31, 2025 Australia’s Iconic Kimberley onboard Le Soleal
Day 1 (22/7) Darwin Boarding at 4pm
As boarding would start at 4 pm, Kylie and I spent the day leisurely at the hotel. I continued with my writing. After getting onboard, we were ushered to stateroom 325. As a Grand Amiral member, I am entitled to seek an upgrade depending on room availability. I made a request and was pleased to move to stateroom 528 which has a better configuration and a balcony with better view. All passengers were greeted by Captain Antoine Paquet and Giuseppe, Cruise Director. We had a mandatory life boat drill before dinner. We were tired and had a nice sleep.
Day 2 (23/7) Sea Day
I joined aquagym at 8:30am. The pool of Le Soleal is small and not user-friendly as compared with those in Silver Wind. I attended two lectures namely “Pearling in the Kimberley” and “Introduction to the Kimberley”. We had a welcome gala cocktail by the pool. Captain Paquet introduced his senior officers while we watched sunset. We were honoured to be invited to have dinner with the Captain tonight. After dinner, we went to the theatre to watch a show “Beatle Mania”.
Day 3 (24/7) Jar Island Vansittart Bay
Jar Island is home to the ancient Gwion Gwion-style rock art galleries unique to the Kimberley region. Estimated to be over 17,000 years old, these paintings some of which are highly ornamented human figures, are considered the oldest known detailed representations of human figures in Australia. Our group (Blue Group) was the first group to depart at 7:40 am. We spent over an hour appreciating these paintings at two different locations. Once we were back on the boat, we watched a documentary “Riddle of the bradshaws”which examines the mystery and intrigue of the Bradshaw rock art paintings in the Kimberley region. I found this documentary informative and thought-provocative. At 2pm, we had zodiac cruising for an hour and saw a few species of birds including a shrike, two oystercatchers and two ospreys. We were kept busy and attended a lecture “Welcome to Crocodile Country”. This evening, the entertainers paid tribute to ABBA at the main lounge inviting guests to sing and dance. I was too tired and stayed only for five minutes.
Day 4 (25/7) Hunter River
Prince Frederick Harbour and the Hunter River are lined with ancient rainforest pockets, pristine mangroves and mosaic cliffs. The mangrove forests contain up to 18 different species supporting a rich and diverse fauna including the iconic saltwater crocodile.
We got up early in order to watch scenic navigation of this iconic coastline at sunrise. We had two zodiac cruises today: a 2-hour zodiac cruise along the Hunter River in the morning and an afternoon cruise in the Porosus Creek. During the morning cruise, we saw more wildlife including a Jaburi, an osprey, crabs, and several crocodiles. In between the two cruises, I attended a lecture on ‘Ecology of Mangroves” which enhances our knowledge about the importance of mangroves in the ecosystem. The sunset in Kimberley is iconic and the cruise director arranged a show “Goldenswing” and Sunset on Deck 6.
Day 5 (26/7) Talbot Bay Horizontal Fall
We had a coastal scenic navigation at sunrise. Talbot Bay is known for its large tidal range especially the Horizontal Falls which are a result of the extreme tides. Today we had spring tides i.e. higher high tides and lower low tides, as the new moon occurred around July 20. We had two hours of zodiac cruise in the Talbot Bay where we learned more about the amazing geology of the region.
The highlight was to watch water flowing towards the sea through the narrow channel at the end of the Talbot Bay. In order to better appreciate the forces of the tides, we returned to the same spot after 4:30pm for half an hour to watch the reverse tidal flow i.e. totally calm water flowing inland. As many as 56 passengers took a 20-minute scenic flight on a seaplane to see the Horizontal Falls. Unfortunately owing to the smoke coming from burning some found the viewing affected by the smoke.
Day 6 (27/7) Collier Bay Montgomery Reef
Collier Bay which landscape have been shaped by massive tidal movements is renowned for an unique phenomena occurring nowhere else in the world. Montgomery Reef is the world’s largest inshore reef system covering an estimated area of some 400 sq km. We had a zodiac cruise to watch turbulent “rivers” and mini waterfalls and were treated with a cocktail on a sandy island that would be under water during high tide!
Once back on the boat, I watched a documentary “Master of Poe Rava” who is associated with the development of cultured Black Pearl of Tahiti. In the afternoon, I joined a short walk in Freshwater Cove to see local fora and fauna (I decided not to take a 3.7km – walk to see rock art in this location). At the Officers’ Dinner tonight, Kylie and I joined the table hosted by Guiseppe, the Cruise Director who has spent 14 years in cruise business. He is funny and knowledgeable and does a great job.
Day 7 (28/7) Lacepede Islands
The Lacepede Islands, a group of four low-lying islands (West Island, Middle Island, Sandy Island and East Island) lying 120 km from Broome, are Western Australia’s most important breeding habitat for Green Turtles and recognised as an Important Bird Area with possibly the world’s largest breeding colony of Brown Boobies. Up to 20,000 Roseate Terns have also been recorded here. Other birds breeding here include Masked Boobies, Australian Pelicans, Lesser Frigatebirds, Eastern Reef Egrets, Silver Gulls, Crested Bridled and Lesser Crested Terns, Common Noddies, Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers.
In the morning, I attended a workshop on “Bird Identification” and watched a documentary “Penguin Baywatch Antarctica”. We all set off in zodiac after lunch cruising over two hours around the West and Middle Islands and in the calm water of the lagoon. I had the best bird watching of this expedition.
Once onboard, I attended another lecture “Sea Turtles Dinosaurs Fighting for a Future”. Before dinner, we had caviar in the main lounge while watching sunset! After dinner, we all went to the theatre to enjoy a talent show with seven performances including two by guests! The best three performance was by two Filipino staff, and Laura and Arron from the Expedition Team.
Day 8 (29/7) Careening Bay
As usual, I started the day by watching a Kimberley sunrise. I attended an interesting talk by Zac on “50 Shades of Nature”. Kylie and I along with a few passengers had the rare chance to watch the Captain and his officers sailing through a very shallow and not fully chartered channel around midday. The shallowest part was just 6-7 meters. The name Careening Bay was a result of a historic event: Lieutenant Philip Parker King sailing his ship HMC Mermaid was careened here during his third voyage of discovery in 1820. King surveyed the western coast to complete the map initiated by Flinders 20 years earlier. The Mermaid had been leaking badly and the shallow sandy bay where he could careen the boat to undertake repairs. After ten days’ work, the boat crew refloated the vessel. Here they left a carving on a boab tree which is estimated to be about 500 years old.
The Le Jacques Cartier a sister ship of Le Soleal, was already anchored in the bay when we arrived. Their captain came over in a zodiac to greet our boat. In return, Captain Paquet went over to meet its crew. After lunch, our group went ashore to see the boab tree with carved wording of HMC Mermaid 1820, a bower nest, and other fauna. I saw a bower nest for the first time in Indonesia. After Le Jacques Cartier departed, another ship arrived. We finished the day with a sunset zodiac cruise for an hour. When I sailed close to the other boat, I discovered it was Heritage Adventurer that I had sailed from Bali to Vanuatu! Tonight, we had a fun White Evening at 9:15 pm with music and dance and some guests stayed on dancing under the star till 11 pm. I was tired and returned to my room before 10 pm!
Day 9 (30/7) Swift Bay Bonaparte Archipelago
This archipelago is a stunningly rugged maze of islands stretching almost 150km along the remote Kimberley coast. Philip Parker King named “Swift’s bay” after Jonathon Swift (1667-1745) who wrote Gulliver’s travels. We had a wonderful zodiac cruise after breakfast when it was still nice and cool.
At noon, the blue group went ashore to view Wandjina and Gwion Gwion style rock art estimated to be about 4,000 years old. We could see wonderful and remarkable red/white figures, birds, crocodile, hands, turtles, etc in two galleries. Back on the boat, we had a lecture on rock art titled “the Oldest Science in the World: Place Based Knowledge”. Very appropriate! We then had a fun Runaway Fashion Show (showing the items of shorts, shirts, dress, bags, sunglasses etc. on sale in the boutique), Captain’s Farewell followed by a Gala Dinner with 6 course!
Day 10 (31/7) King George River
Today’s highlight was a 3-hour zodiac cruise on the King George river which is 112km in length. We had an early breakfast and set off at 7:30am travelling some 12 km upriver from its mouth to see the Twin Falls, Western Australia’s highest twin waterfalls at an elevation of 85m above sea level. The river is of high cultural significance to the Balanggarra people who regard the falls as the male and female Wunkurr (Rainbow Serpents).
We had a good start and soon spotted a short-eared rock wallaby. We spent over 15 minutes watching its movements! It was the first rock wallaby I encountered during this expedition. We were amazed by the spectacular sandstone cliffs, the beautiful hanging garden, the lust mangroves, and watched ripples on the river surface hoping to see a dugong or a shark or a crocodile. We did not see any of them. But we saw plenty of garfish (needlefish) jumping out of the water.
We all had a busy afternoon getting ready for disembarkation the following morning. Still the expedition team was keen to ensure we learned something about the history of exploration. I attended the lecture on the “European Explorers” getting to know the exploration by the Dutch, James Cook (1728-1779), Nicolas Baudin (1754-1803), Matthew Flinders (1774-1814), and Philip Parker King (1791-1856). The expedition team invited passengers to take part in a photo competition. I submitted a few photos and was taken by surprise when my photo taken at sunrise won the landscape category. Kylie and I had a casual dinner at deck 6 before finishing our packing. All passengers were advised to leave their luggage outside their door that night.
The journey came to an end when Le Soleal reached the pier in Darwin before sunrise on August 1. All passengers had to vacate their room before 8 am. As Kylie and I were not in a rush, we were the last batch of passengers to disembark at 9am. END of EXPEDITION!
Remarks
This was my second expedition with Ponant. The iconic Kimberley Coast has been on my radar screen for a long time. I was ready to take an expedition when planning my August trip to Sydney. Luckily Kylie, who happened to be touring in Australia in July, was able to join. I had a wonderful voyage enjoying nice warm weather, impressive rock art, history, natural scenery, landscape and wildlife. Interestingly, out of the 120 passengers on the boat, some 70 were solo travelers who had booked without single supplement! Most passengers we met are single ladies: they are mostly over 60s, friendly and outgoing. Guiseppe, the Crew Director, was instrumental in creating a joyful and amicable atmosphere on the boat and all had a great cruise expedition. I have spent over 360 days at sea on a dozen of ships so far. It was the first time I experienced such an intimate ambience on a boat. There are a few things worth mentioning.
First, I watched the Kimberley sunrise and sunset everyday. If possible, I took a photo of the setting sun with the cocktail of the day!
Second, time passed most quickly as we had daily programme with zodiac cruising/landing as well as lectures on the boat. The landscape and rock art are most impressive. It was the first time I saw topography/land formation like the Montogomery Reef and Horizontal Falls. King George River and the Twin Falls, and Lacepede Islands are outstanding sites.
Third, we were fortunate to have Captain Paquet and his crew, Guiseppe and the expedition team under the leadership of Dain. The talent show with four performances by the crew members from the bar, housekeeping, engineering department and restaurant was excellent.
Fourth, I am not a foodie and have to limit my intake of both food and alcohol for health reasons. But I enjoyed the food, especially the grill at lunch. I fully appreciate the hard work and smile of restaurant and bar staff. They made me feel at home.
The only thing I am not satisfied with is the toilet. As expected, the toilet system uses a vacuum system. Unfortunately, it made horrible and loud noises in my cabin while toilets in public areas were much quieter. I would wake up my cabin mate whenever I used it. As I was a solo traveler on Le Boreal during the NW Passage last year, the toilet noise was not an issue. I hope a solution can be found with improved technology.
Melaka & Darwin 2025
Background
I planned to go to Sydney in August to celebrate the birthday of Alan, my elder brother. By chance, I was able to add three side trips including a brief visit to Melaka, Malaysia on my way to Darwin, an expedition to the iconic Kimberley coast on Le Soleal (Darwin-Darwin), and a journey on The Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide.
July 14 – 17 Melaka (Malacca) Malaysia
My first visit to Malaysia was in the summer of 1978 when I travelled from Penang to Melaka (used to be called Malacca). Melaka, the oldest Malaysian city on the Strait of Malacca, is my favourite Malaysian city. Melaka has been an important port along the maritime silk road: the first official Chinese trade envoy arrived in 1403 followed by Ming Admiral Zheng He (1371-1433) who visited Melaka five times. It has been culturally diverse, influenced by a history of ethnic, cultural and religious intermixing. It is home to ethnic communities such as Chinese, Malays, Indians and Peranakan Chinese. The old town has prominent Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Catholic and Protestant religious buildings. Rulers from the Sultanate, Portuguese, Dutch and British have all left their marks on the urban landscape. Today, the historical core of the old town along both sides of the Melaka River and centred around St Paul’s Hill which reflects the historical significance of the 15th century Malacca Sultanate as well as the subsequent Portuguese and Dutch Colonial periods with numerous landmark buildings/structures is a UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
July 14. I was able to revisit it when I discovered the most direct way to reach Darwin from Hong Kong was via Kuala Lumpur (KL). Then my brother Lawrence and his family (Sally, my sister-in-law, their son and daughter-in-law, Leuk and Isabel) were also planning a visit to Malaysia from July 5 to 17. A friend from Taiwan also joined our family trip: we ended up having a party of six. Lawrence hired a local driver, met me on arrival and we proceeded to Melaka which is about 150km south of KL. Unfortunately, there was a bad traffic accident on the highway and we were stuck for over an hour. We did not reach Melaka till 6pm. We were very hungry and went to the Wild Coriander, one of the most popular restaurants known for its food and ambience. We sampled six local dishes and had a most delicious dinner. We walked along the river enjoying the night scene before going to an AirBnB outside the old town where we stayed for two nights.
July 15. We spent the morning exploring the Melaka Hill which has a cluster of attractions including the Church of St. Francis Xavier and A Famosa (fortress). There are several museums but we did not have time to visit. We walked along the Jonker Street and had the famous Hainan Chicken rice balls for lunch. In the afternoon, we joined a guided tour to visit the Christ Church, the Dutch Graveyard and the ruin of St. Francis Xavier Church. We left the guided tour and visited a Portuguese village and a beach instead. We ended up having dinner in a Portuguese restaurant by the seaside.
July 16. We drove outside the city and found many unfinished buildings. It was too hot and we decided to have brunch in The Baboon Houses, which is a beautifully restored traditional house. I shared spaghetti and a full English breakfast with Leuk and Isabel. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. Around 1 pm, Lawrence, Sally, Leuk and Isabel left for Johor Bahru to visit friends while I preferred to spend one more night in Melaka. I moved to a hotel by the river and had a wonderful time exploring the old town leisurely.
July 17. I slept for 12 hour in a windowless and quiet room. In the morning, I wandered aimlessly in the old town visiting the Chinese, Islamic and Hindu temples, and tombs, looking at street art and the different architectural styles. Melaka is a living museum. At 3 pm, Lawrence and Sally returned to pick me up and we headed to the airport (Leuk and Isabel went to Singapore). They would leave for Kunming around 9 pm while I would depart at 6 am the following day for Darwin. I stayed at a hotel next to the airport till 3:30 am after a sleepless night. The Air Asia flight departed on time and I had a 5-hour flight to Darwin.
Remarks
I like Melaka for its authenticity, history and multi-culture. It has expanded a lot since my first visit in 1978 and spoilt as a result of over-tourism and commercialization. Nonetheless, I am glad to see tourists have revitalized the town with many old gorgeous charming traditional houses restored. Some of them are boutique hotels/guesthouses and eateries: I visited a few old houses, sat down to enjoy the ambience, sipped local coffee and sampled local cuisine for two days. It was a wonderful experience indeed. Melaka is a place worth spending a couple of days for visitors to Malaysia.
July 18 – August 18 Australia
July 18-21 Darwin
I visited Darwin three times while studying at the Griffith University in 2000-2001. I took this opportunity to visit the Kakadu National Park, Alice Spring, Uluru and Bungle Bungle. As the expedition on Ponant to the Kimberley coast would begin in Darwin, I returned for the fourth time. However it did not bother me as there was always things to do. Kylie, my cabinmate had never been to this part of Australia. Luckily we found a reasonable package with four nights’ accommodation in Hilton Double Tree, two day trips and a dinner at a waterfront restaurant.
July 18. I arrived in Darwin around 12:30pm. Kylie who flied in from Melbourne arrived shortly after 1 pm. We shared a taxi to Hilton Double Tree with an elderly coupon who were on the same flight from Melbourne. We had a leisure afternoon walking to the waterfront for dinner before having an early night.
July 19. We had a day trip to Litchfield National Park known for its waterfalls and waterholes. It is about an hour’s drive from Darwin. We stopped to look at enormous cathedral and magnetic termite mounts and had a nice simple lunch. I swam twice: in the Florence Falls in the morning and the Wangi Falls in the afternoon.
July 20 (Sunday). I had a lazy day spending most of the time in the hotel room writing travel notes and sorting out photos. In the late afternoon, we took a taxi to Mindil Beach to visit the Sunday market and watch sunset. It was atmospheric with hundreds of people watching the red sun dropping below the horizon. People clapped their hands at the end of the show! We also had a lovely dinner with roast duck and rice and were surprised by the high standard of the roast!
July 21. We had a 12-hour day trip to the Kakadu National Park with an early start at 6:15am! It is a long drive to reach our first stop at Ubirr where we saw rock art estimated to be 20,000 years old. We followed a trail and walked for about an hour to see rock art at two different sites. I thought I had been to this site before. After a quick lunch, we headed to the Yellow Water for a two-hour cruise where we saw plenty of wildlife: crocodiles, Jabiru, Wandering Whistle Duck, Ibis, White-bellied Sea Eagles, Jacuna etc. Kylie took a scenic flight after the cruise as well. We indeed had an exhausting day and arrived in Darwin after 7:30 pm.
Cape Town to London 2025 Part 6- France & UK
May 22 – 29 Bordeaux France
Why Bordeaux Again?
During my first retreat in Plum Village last winter, I felt at home and wanted to return. When I learned about a hiking retreat from 23 to 30 May 2025, I immediately signed up as I would anyway be in Europe after a 40-day voyage. I know hiking might be too demanding given my hip problem. But it does not matter as it would be time for retreat!
May 22. I arrived in Bordeaux France after 9:30pm. As the last direct bus to Gare St Jean had gone and a taxi would cost about 80 euro, I decided to take my first tram ride in Bordeaux though it required a transfer by bus (2 euro). My hotel is close to the station. A sweet young lady on the bus told me to follow her: I ended up getting off two stops before the station. As I was still about 1.5km from the hotel, I went into a lux hotel and asked the receptionist to help me find a taxi. I did not want to wander around in the dark. After waiting for some 20 minutes to no avail, he got me an Uber instead. The nice driver made sure I got into the hotel as it was after midnight! I was moved by the good will and kindness of these three young French who all speak good English. An eventful journey with sweet memories.
May 23 – 29 Hiking Retreat at Plum Village
May 23. This was my second visit to Plum Village and everything went smoothly. I took a train to Ste Foy Le Grande around noon, had lunch near the station before taking a transfer with Mr Jardini. I arrived at the Lower Hamlet shortly after 2 pm and was greeted by many familiar faces: I felt at home. This time, I stayed in a neighbour’s house opposite the hamlet and shared a room with a Canadian young lady.
This first ever hiking-themed retreat was apparently very popular attracting some 120 participants including many were not followers of Plum Village. All participants had to join a family: I was with the Playful Frogs. The group had 20 participants coming from Australia, France, Germany, HK (Jessica, Kenny and I), the Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, UK and US. (I met three more persons from HK from another family later). Sr. Sang Nghiem was the Facilitator and Sr Tam Duc accompanied the group. At our first family dinner, we sat under the tree and introduced ourselves in beautiful warm late spring afternoon. The sun did not set till almost 9 pm.
During the entire retreat, we maintained a daily routine with a standard sitting at 6 am, a service meditation in the afternoon, and a sitting and slow walking meditation at 8pm. Light was off at 10pm and the golden silence lasted from 8pm to after 7 am the following morning. For the service meditation, our group were divided into two: one worked on the plants and the other in the vegetable farm. As I am not too mobile, I joined the vegetable group. We had a visit to the New Hamlet on Sunday (25/5) and a Lazy Day on Monday. Lower Hamlet received others on Thursday (29/5). As the special theme was hiking, five meditation hikes with different level of difficulty were arranged: each lasted from one to three hours.
May 24. Today we had our first hike. Led by Sr. Sang Nghiem, we set off with a packed breakfast at 7:30am. As it had been raining heavily, the paths were muddy. We had to cross a stream before reaching a field on a higher ground for breakfast. Sr. Hien Nghiem who walked in the front and a few group members had a magical moment when sighting a deer in the field. We crossed the field and walked along a road before taking another path through the field. As I walked very slowly, I decided to leave the group when we reached Rte Du Chateau (a paved road). I followed the road uphill, walked past Chateau Theobon and reached a small halmet Loubes-Bernac before taking D313 back to the Lower Hamlet. I was back in time for the family sharing at 11 am. I enjoyed my first meditation hike on my own.
May 25. We took a bus ride to the New Hamlet after breakfast. The ride through the green countryside in spring was a joy. We had a dharma talk on the mind and store consciousness, mental states and mind training, and the “four diligence”. They are four types of effort or energy that are essential for spiritual development (i.e. preventing unwholesome states from arising, abandoning unwholesome states that have already arisen, developing wholesome states that have already arisen, and maintaining and increasing wholesome states that have already arisen). This is all about actively cultivating positive mental states and eliminating negative ones.
After the talk, we had a meditation walk (longer than the one I had last December). There must be 150-200 people walking in silence. It was Pure Land with a blue sky, white cloud, green trees, wild flowers and fresh air …. Here I met a sister from Hong Kong and the other three persons from Hong Kong (a mom with her son and her friend). We left after lunch. On the way back, many got off at Loubes-Bernac and strolled through the field. I thought I had done a similar walk the day before and decided to skip. It was a mistake: I should have joined the group on this easy downhill walk through the field.
May 26: Lazy Day. I spent the morning walking through a vineyard nearby. We had our second hike at 4:30pm, walking for about 3km through a lovely woodland (a nature reserve) and passing by Son Ha (a hamlet for brothers) before walking uphill to reach Puyguilhem (7km from the Lower Halmet). We visited an old church on top of the hill with commanding views of the surrounding area. We sat on the grass and had dinner in silence. I visited Ben and Dorte (a lovely Dutch couple from the US) who stayed in a gorgeous AirBnB nearby. Dorte gave me a lift to Lower Hamlet while the rest of the group had a long walk back to the Lower Hamlet.
May 27. I joined the Playful Frogs walking only for a short distance before taking a shortcut through a forest back to the Lower Hamlet. I caught up with them again at 11am to walk to a most beautiful and hidden part by a stream where we had a “Touch the Earth” ceremony. It was a powerful and moving moment when I touched with earth with my head and whole body. This was the highlight of the day and a very special experience of the retreat.
May 28. When Playful Frogs departed for a long walk, I walked back to the spot where we had the “Touch the Earth” ceremony the day before. This time, I had the place by myself. I walked slowly ten times along the stream before sitting under a tree for a long time. Before lunch, I met up with the group and we had a circle sharing. Each shared his/her feelings and a few members were very emotional and in tears. In the afternoon we had a communication workshop. I then had my fourth as well as the last service meditation in the vegetable garden doing weed removal.
May 29. Today was my last day as I had to catch a 7-am flight to London on May 30. After breakfast, we quickly got the place ready to receive others from the New and Upper Hamlet. When they arrived, we had a wonderful Dharma talk by Sr. Hien Nghiem who gave a profound talk on perception and behaviour. At 11:30am, I had my last walking meditation through the beautiful and expansive daisy field before returning to the same spot by the stream where I visited twice.
After 3pm, we gathered at the main hall where a Transmission of Five Mindfulness Training Ceremony would take place. I had taken this ritual in Sravasti during the pilgrimage in India in February. But as I had to leave at 3:30pm, I could only stay for a short time before the commencement of the formal ceremony. I learned from a friend from Hong Kong who took the transmission that the whole ceremony was beautiful and very moving. In the evening, they had a wonderful farewell party and the Playful Frogs gave an excellent performance. For me, I spent a quiet evening in a hotel next to the airport. At 7am on 30 May, I was on my way to London.
May 30- June 1 London, UK
My brief visit to London was to visit a couple of friends. I landed at Gatwick and took a train to Ealing Broadway. I spent the whole day catching up with Emily and her son. On June 1, I took a bus to Oxford to visit my former boss Steuart who has mobility problem. I had lunch with his family in his lovely house by a canal in Oxford and had a sunset drink with Carrie and Mandy (Steuart’s daughters) whom I have not seen for half a century. Heathrow is only 20 minutes by train on the Elisabeth Line from Ealing Broadway. So I made my way to the airport after an excellent brunch with Emily. My plane departed after 5pm and I was back in HK around 1 pm on June 2.
Remarks (to add)
Cape Town to London 2025 Part 5- Portugal & Spain
May 14 day Evora & Monsaraz
Elaine and I travelled together in September 2017 from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. I tried to find places that we had not visited before. At the end, we booked a small group guided day tour to Evora and Monsaraz. Located about 130km from east of Lisbon, Evora has a history dating back more than five millennia. The Roman conquered the town in 57 BC and expanded it into a walled city. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo region. Owing to its well-preserved old town centre, and numerous monuments dating from various historical periods, Evora is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along with Liepaja, Lativa, Evora will be the European Capital of Culture in 2027.
Upon arrival in Evora, I wandered on my own into the St Francis Church which was built between the end of the 15th century and the early 16th century in mixed Gothetic-Manueline styles. It contains many chapels decorated Baroque style including the world famous Chapel of Bones which interior walls are fully covered and decorated with human skulls and bones – a reminder of impermanence. Completed by Franciscan friars in 1816, this chapel with an estimated 5,000 corpses were exhumed to decorate the walls. There are many memorable phrases and poems on mortality and impermanence which are similar to Buddhist thoughts. Then we walked through narrow alleys to the upper town square before reaching the Roman Temple next to the Pousada Convento de Evora (which was a convent before). We had an hour to wander around and I walked on my own to the Cathedral. But as I would not have enough time to visit it, I did not bother to pay for a brief visit. Anyway, I enjoyed strolling aimlessly in old towns. We drove for an hour (over 50 km) to reach our second destination.
I find Monsaraz perching on a small hilltop on the right margin of the Guadiana River in the Portuguese Alentejo region, near its border with Spain mesmerizing. It is a most picturesque, monumental and museum village with a magical ambience: made of lime and schist, this historic fortified village is one of the oldest in Portugal. It has always had strong military and religious influences and has been impeccably preserved. Elaine and I had a most delicious lunch with a fantastic view of the river border with Spain before walking along the main street. There are four big doors. The main one – Village Door is protected by two semi-cylindrical towers. I paid a small sum for a ticket to enter a 16th century church. As we had to join a wine tasting tour, I did not have time to visit the castle. Around 3 pm, we had to leave to return to Lisbon. I love this iconic village and would hope to return and stay overnight. Elaine and I were both tired and too full to have dinner. We packed and ready to leave Portugal the next day.
May 15 Lisbon, Portugal – Sevilla, Spain Travel Day
After breakfast, I bid farewell to Elaine who would be returning to Hong Kong via Madrid. I took a 7-hour bus ride to Seville via Faro: the journey was comfortable and cheap (26 euros). I arrived in the bus terminal at Plaza de Armas Sevilla around 6 pm and stayed in a pension within walking distance. After settling down, I went to Flamenco Andalusi at C. Arenal, Casco Antiguo and watched an excellent performance by a dancer accompanied by three musicians for a small audience of around 30 in an intimate setting. Her voice is coarse, emotional and sad. Though I did not know what she was singing, I felt enchanted by her body movements, facial expressions and singing. The performance lasted for an hour and I even took a photo with her. Then I had a most delicious main course of small portion and a nice glass of wine for just over 20 euro. It was incredibly cheap for the quality of the food and wine. I was tired and had a good sleep.
May 16 & 17 Merida
I left my suitcase in Seville and took a bus to Merida. The town was founded in 25 BC under the name Emerita Augusta, by order of Roman emperor Augustus to settle discharged soldiers and to guard a strategic pass and the Guadiana river bridge. It quickly became one of the most important cities in Roman Hispana. In the 4th century, it served as the capital of the Diocese of Hispana. In 713, it was conquered by the Umayyad Caliphate and remained under Arab control. It returned to Christian rule in 1230 when Alfonso IX of Leon defeated the Arab ruler. In 1983, Merida became the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura and the archaeological ensemble comprising 22 well-preserved remains ranging from public buildings to private architecture, religious buildings and engineering work, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
I spent two days in this lovely well-preserved Roman town of significant historical importance. I bought a day pass (16 euro) that provides entry to eight attractions. At the end I was too tired and only visited five namely Roman theatre (a capacity for 6,000) and Amphitheatre, Temple of Diana, Casa del Mitreo, and Alcazaba dating 835 CE (Arab Citadel – the oldest surviving Moorish fortress in Spain with an outstanding Moorish cistern). I walked around the small town and visited for free the National Museum of Roman Arts. Many attractions are free: the impressive 800m-long Roman bridge built in the 1st century BC over the Guadiana, the 15m-high Trajan’s Arch, Portico del Foro, Visigoth Museum, and Plaza de Espana. As I could not walk long distance these days, I took a tourist train with explanations and saw the San Lazaro Aqueduct and Milagros Aqueduct (stretching for almost 1000m) from a distance.
May 18 & 19 Caceres
The bus from Merida to Caceres took less than an hour. It is a World Heritage Site with well-preserved remains and buildings from its Prehistoric and medieval times, the Roman and Moorish occupation and the golden age of Jewish culture in Spain (till its expulsion from Spain in 1492). The bus terminal is far from the old city and I had to take a taxi (over 30 euro) to get to NH Collection Hotel Palacio de Oquendo dating back to the 16th century whichh is located near one of the entrances to the walled city.
On Sunday, I had a sumptuous lunch at Borona Bistro serving traditional Extremaduran cuisine. My visit to Caceres was one of the highlights of the whole journey. During my luxurious two nights’ stay in this monumental city, I strolled leisurely in the walled city climbing the city wall, soaking in the atmosphere at sunset, after dark and early in the morning by wandering aimlessly and looking up at the soaring towers of surrounding buildings and the intact city walls from the 16th century. There are some 25 cathedrals, churches, convents and monasteries; some 30 palaces and stately houses; four museums and nine castles.
What I enjoyed most was the ambience, a retreat feel inside the walled city with few tourists, and an eternal atmosphere created by solid and timeless stone architecture, narrow alleys and cobbled streets. I sat several times of the day in the Plaza Mayor with full views of the Bujaco tower and the Pulpitos tower and the Herb tower and the Town Hall, in the Plaza de Santa Maria and Plaza de San Mateo.
I wandered around the intimate Jewish quarters twice to look at the houses covering with flourishing flowers and green plants. I walked up the Bujaco tower and along the wall to the Pulpitos tower. I paid to visit the Santa Maria Cathedral and San Francisco Javier Church (18th century church with a baroque facade rising above the Plaza de San Jorge) and climbed their spiral staircases to reach the top to see the mesmerizing skyline with turrets, spires, gargoyles and storks’ nests. But I could not visit the Church of San Mateo (with the highest spot of the city at 458m), and the Museum of Caceres (which is closed on Mondays).
May 20 – 22 Seville
Seville, the capital and the largest city of Andalusia, is the fourth largest city in Spain. Its old town with an area of 4 sq km contains a World Heritage Site comprising three building complex namely the Alcazar palace complex, the Cathedral, and the General Archive of the Indies. My original plan was to visit two World Heritage Sites i.e. Seville and the Donana National Park. I would travel around Seville using a 24-hour sight-seeing bus pass with 14 stops beginning at the Colon, going through the Plaza de Espana, crossing the river to Triana and World Expo site before crossing the river to see the Torres de Los Perdigones and Macarena (with old city walls) and before returning to the Plaza Duque and ending at Plaza de Armes.
May 20. I took a direct bus back to Seville and stayed in another pension next to the Plaza de Armes. I spent the afternoon visiting the Museum of Fine Arts that contains important art collections with numerous master pieces by Murillo and Zurbaran. Established in 1835 in the former Convent of La Merced, the museum stands behind the Gardens of Murillo.
After the museum, I watched the 5:30pm show “Pasion” at Teatro Flamenco Sevilla at C.Cuna. The theatre is fairly large with 16 rows of seats (possibly with over 250-300 seats). I was late and was arranged to sit in the front row (so that I would not disturb others)! What a treat! I watched four pairs of dancers performing with passions and colourful costume. A lead dancer was male who is slim and handsome! It was a totally different experience (I planned to watch another performance in Triana the following day. But when I arrived at the venue, I discovered there was no show that evening).
After the performance, I strolled aimlessly in the old town. Soon I found myself at the buzzling Plaza de San Salvador. I went into the Church of San Salvador, the second largest church in Seville. Originally converted from the city’s oldest mosque, it was rebuilt in Baorque form in the 17th century. I also visited the Church of Magdalena before dinner.
May 21. I joined a full day trip (12 hours) to the Donana National Park, a World Heritage Site. Occupying the right bank of the Guadalquivir river at its estuary on the Atlantic Ocean, the Park covers an area of 543 sq km, of which 135 sq km are a protected area. The park itself and surrounding protected buffer zone amount to over 1,300 sq km in the provinces of Huelva, Sevilla and Cadiz. It is notable for the great diversity of its biotopes and different ecosystems: lagoons, marshlands, pine groves, aloe veras, fixed and mobile dunes, cliffs, scrub woodland, maquis and 30km of unspoilt white beaches. It is one of the largest heronries in the Mediterranean region and is the wintering site for more than 500,000 water fowl each year.
I met four tourists on the bus and we had a young and enthusiastic guide-driver. We spent time driving through pine forests and saw hares, black kites and hundreds of flamingos in a pond. While the two young people from Belgium went for horse-riding, our guide took us bird-watching nearby where we saw Ibis and Grey Heron. After picking up the riders, we proceeded to the famous white village of El Rocio which has a wild West feel: there is no paved road and children are taught to ride a horse at a young age. It was hot and I had a plate of fresh sardines and a pint of beer for lunch.
Then we had a lovely short hike on a boardwalk through the woodland before reaching Palacio Acebron, a beautiful stately 19th– century building which is now a museum under restoration! Our final stop was Matalascanas, known for its unique blend of natural beauty with semi-fossil dunes and cultural heritage. The beautiful shore is made of fine grain light golden sand with a green leafy belt with pine tree, juniper, rockrose, crowberry, lavender etc.
I had a wonderful day driving through pine forests, watching Black Kites hoovering around, wild horses galloping, flamingos in an expansive lagoon, Egrets and Grey Herons in a bush, walking in the forest and having a relaxing time at El Rocio.
When I was back in Seville, I hopped off near Triana so that I could stroll the picturesque river bank. Then I activated the 24-hour bus pass to take a ride with commentary on the history of areas and the monumental buildings in particular the group related to the Expo ‘29 (Plaza Espana and Americas, Pavilion of Brazil, Mexico, Argentina Guatemala Peru etc.). Because of my hip problem, I had to find ways to explore a place within my disability and found the sightseeing bus a good way to look around!
May 22. As my flight to Bordeaux would be leaving after 7 pm, I had almost a full day in Seville. My original plan was to visit the Alcazar Palace and the Cathedral. The palace is a former site of the Islamic-era citedal which contruction began in the 10th century and later developed into a palace complex from the 11th –to 13th century under Islamic rulers. It is a preeminent example of Mudejar style in the Iberian Peninsula including sections with Gothic and Renaissance elements. The Cathedral which construction began after 1401 and finished in 1506, is considered the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and one of the largest cathedrals in the world. World Heritage Properties in Seville. It contains a number of important tombs including one of the two claimed burial places of Christopher Columbus. The Palace and the Cathedral together with the General Archive of the Indies (the repository of valuable archival documents relating to the Spanish Empire in the Americas and the Philippines up to 1760), are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
As I had not purchased tickets online well in advance, I was unable to visit the Palace and Cathedral. Instead, I had time to stroll leisurely along the river, enjoy the purple jacaranda lining the boulevards and squares, stop in a local cafe for coffee and breakfast, and wandering aimlessly through the narrow alleys. The buildings and architectures including the Palace, the Cathedral, Plaza de Toros, the Theatre, the University, are colourful and beautiful. I joined a free walking tour with some 20 tourists at noon to visit the impressive and iconic Plaza de Espana, the monumental square. Our guide walked so quickly that I could not catch up. Eventually I decided to walk at my own pace and hopped back on the sightseeing bus at 1 pm to continue with my carefree bus tour.
I hopped off at Plaza Duque and had a light vegetarian lunch in a local eatery where there was no tourist! It was hot and I had no more energy to explore the old town after lunch. Instead, I headed back to Hostal Joshof to pick up my suitcase and took a taxi to the airport (30 euro). I could have taken the airport bus for 5 euro if I could walk 200m with a 20-kg suitcase to the nearest bus stop. But I was getting too old and weak. It was a short flight of an hour and a half. I arrived in Bordeaux France after 9:30pm.
Cape Town to London 2025 Part 4
Day 31 – 32 Cape Verde
I first arrived in Praia on April 28, 2015 at the end of a 36-day voyage on Ortelius from Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Verde. I stayed for 18 days and visited six (Santiago, Fogo, Brava, Sao Vicente, Santo Antao and Sal) out of the ten islands. I had fond memories and was delighted to return.
May 3 Santiago Island
During my 3-day stay in Satiago Island in 2015, I visited Cidade Velha, a World Heritage Site. Founded in 1462, it was the first European town in the tropics where Vasco da Gama, Christopher Columbus and Francis Drake had all left their marks. Today, I joined a 3-hour guided tour to Cidada Velha where I revisited the imposing royal fortress, the atmospheric old quarter with white-washed stone houses, the cathedral (which is a ruin) and the iconic Nossa Senhora Rosario Church. I spent a while by the black sand beach watching fishermen coming in with their catch and a young boy mending the net.
After lunch, I tried to join the Santiago Island Drive. Unfortunately, the bus was full though some 15 last-minute guests were still in the queue. Jonathan, the expedition leader of APEX, realised our great disappointment jumped to our rescue: he asked the expedition team for an extra minibus and took us to look for the national bird of the island – Grey-headed Kingfisher and the other five endemic birds. We saw a dozen of the Grey-headed Kingfisher perching on power lines and trees. They remained motionless and were fantastic objects for photography. We were also lucky to spot an Eurasian Kestrel, several Cape Verde Swifts in addition to Quinea fowl, Glossy Ibis, Western Cattle Egret etc. I indeed had a 3-hour fun drive and enjoyed bird-watching with keen and knowledgeable birders.
May 4 Sao Antonio Island
The ship arrived at Porto Novo early in the morning. After breakfast, we took the zodiac and landed at the terminal which has since been expanded and modernized. I love this rugged island with awesome landscape including mountain ranges, a large crater that has been turned into agricultural fields, pine forests, terraced sugar cane farming, picturesque villages, and beautiful coastline. I hiked and spent three wonderful days exploring the island using local minibuses.
Owing to my hip problem, I am no longer able to do what I did ten years ago. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed a fantastic 5-hour drive on the island: I could still remember the spectacular winding cobbled roads, topography, vegetation and villages. Instead of returning to the boat for lunch, I spent an hour strolling in Porto Novo. Unfortunately, as it was Sunday, there was hardly any soul in town. It was also too hot. I therefore returned to the boat and even managed to have a quick lunch before the restaurant closed at 3pm.
Day 33-34 At Sea Lecture Day
May 5. I had four wonderful lectures. Manu talked about the geology of Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, both are land of fire formed by volcanic activities. Ingrid, a fantastic story-teller, introduced me to Mary Kingsley (1862-1900), a remarkable English lady explorer in Africa and writer. I also learned more about fish in West Africa and Darwin as an adventurous young man.
May 6. Today, I learned more about the rich wildlife of Macaronesia (the four island groups in the North Atlantic namely the Canary Islands, the Azores, Madeira and Cape Verde). I am lucky and have visited all of them. I love these enchanting islands and always long to return. Roddy continued with the story of Darwin to his last days. Jonathan talked about the birds of Macaronesia. I also heard about the intricate life of dolphins in the Atlantic.
Day 35 – 37 Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (or Canaries) are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean located in the northwest of Africa. I was in the Canaries (after Cape Verde) from 15 to 27 May visiting four out of the seven main islands (namely Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera and Lanzarote). Each island is different with interesting hiking trails. After having spent 12 days in the islands, I had little expectation on my whirlwind visit this time.
May 7 Gran Canaria
We docked after 8 am at Las Palmas which was founded in 1478 and is now the capital of the Canaries. As I had explored the old town in Las Palmas, sand dunes near Maspalomas, Tejeda, and Teror in 2015, I took a 4-hour Bandama hike. The Bandama Natural Monument (the caldera of Bandama) is geologically a maar rather than a caldera, which reaches 569m above sea level at its highest point on its rim, about 1,000 wide and 200m deep. The crater was developed during the last heavy eruptions 2,000 years ago. The bottom of the caldera contains volcanic ash of different colours. We followed a good maintained but slippery trail to the bottom. Fortunately I had my walking poles and had only slipped once without hurting. Before returning to the boat, we were treated in a tapas lunch near the port.
May 8 La Gomera
Gomera, the second smallest island of the Canarias, is a top destination for nature lovers and hiker. In 2015, I spent three amazing days in this paradise: I had two hikes (a 13-km trail through the Garajoy National Park to El Convento and another 14-km trail from Chipude to Vallehermoso) and visited Valle Gran Rey. Today, I just joined a relaxing 4-hour “La Gomera Views and Walk in San Sebastian” tour. We followed the main road with stops at several magnificent view points over the Valley of La Gomera, the iconic Rock of Agando, soaring rock walls and a short drive through the Garajonay with a quick glimpse of the Laurisilva forest. We ended the scenic ride in San Sebastian with aleisure guided tour. This town has not changed much since my last visit: I remember the house where Columbus stayed before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to the New World, Asuncion Church, Torre del Conde and the iconic dragon tree. I did not feel energetic and returned to the boat for lunch instead of having a cup of cafe in the main square.
May 9 Lanzarote
I love Lanzarote with its uniquely white dwellings, hellish black lava fields in all strange shapes, grey-black as well as colourful volcanic soil, and manicured vineyard landscape. I spent three wonderful days in 2015 exploring its awesome volcanoes and craters, vineyards and La Graciosa. Here I was introduced to the most famous man of Lanzarote – Cesar Manrique (1919-1992) who upon his return to the native island in 1966 influenced art, architecture, culture and sustainable tourism development on the island.
Today, I joined a 5-hour trip to visit the National Park of Timanfaya and Salinas Del Janubio. Though I had taken the same guided tour to the national park, I enjoyed the visit just the same. Last time I passed by the Salinas without stopping. This time we had time to stroll around this impressive salt pan and learned about its history and sampled wine and cheese. We sat sailed for Morocco at 1:30pm. Once on boat, we had a lecture on wildlife in the Sahara Desert and the Sahel and an art class.
Day 38-39 Morocco
My first visit to Morocco was in the 1990s and have returned once to climb Mt Toubkal (4,167m). I like the country and am always happy to return. This time Silver Wind brought me to two new destinations.
May 10 Agadir. We docked before 7 am in Agadir, Morocco’s premier holiday resort that boosts 300 days of sun a year and a 10km long beach. Two earthquakes in 1960 virtually destroyed the city including its fabled 1540 Kasbah (Oufla Fort which was built in the mid-16th century by Saadian Sultan Mohammed ech Cheikh) killing 15,000 in 13 seconds and leaving 35,000 homeless. Today, Agadir is a busy port and tourist destination with modern architecture, wide, tree-lined avenues, open squares and pedestrian precincts.
I joined a “True Colour of Agadir City” tour. We were taken to visit a cooperation run by women that produces argan oil where we saw the laborious process in producing the highly priced oil. Then we were taken to another shop selling all sorts of oil and skin products from Morocco. Our final stop was the souq. I am not a shopper and find this tour the most boring one for the whole voyage. I should have joined the “Discovering the Paradise Valley” tour to see nature (I did not join as the hike up and down a gorge might be too stressful for my hip).
After lunch, I took a free shuttle to the city centre and was joined by a lady from America. As both of us had no interest in the beach, we went to a nearby casino which was empty. Then we walked to a small mall where only a few shops were open. Fortunately, my friend found and bought a few souvenirs for her three daughters. The ship set sailed for the last destination of this voyage at 6pm.
May 11 Safi. The ship docked at Safi around 6am. Then guests on a 12-hour “Magical Marrakech” tour immediately departed. As I have been to Marrakech twice, I joined a 9-hour tour to discover Essaouira, a World Heritage Site instead. Though this was the first visit to Morocco for Elaine, she preferred a shorter trip and chose Essaouira over Marrakech. The journey took three hours (over 170km) with a stop at an argan oil factory. It was raining hard when we arrived in Essaouira. Most of us had not brought an umbrella with us: we were caught in the rain feeling cold and wet.
Essaouira has long been considered one of the best anchorages of the Moroccan coast where the Carthaginian established a trading post back in the 5th century BCE. The present city was built in 1760 by Sultan Mohammed bin Abdallah and it became Morocco’s most important commercial port and diplomatic capital between the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. Mohammed III encouraged Moroccan Jews to settle in Essaouira and handle the trade with Europe: Jews once comprised the majority of the population. The Jewish quarter therefore contains many old synagogues. However, following changes in trade, the founding of Israel in 1948, the independence of Morocco in 1956 and tension between Israel and Arab states, Sephardic Jews left the country. Today, only a few Jews remain in Essaouira.
We had a wonderful walk in the rain in the medina (a walled city) with a maze of narrow alleys. I love the picturesque gates, clock tower, architecture, colours and designs of doors and windows. We went to a workshop to learn wood engraving and designs. We visited the imposing fortress (kasbah) and fortifications by the port with awesome views of sand dunes and rocks. The last stop was the Bayt Dakira (Jewish Museum). We had almost an hour to stroll on our own and I ventured outside the port. I was overwhelmed by the port teeming with fishing boats and a bustling fish market. I would like to spend a day or two in this old town.
We had a nice lunch in a five-star hotel by the beach. Then we headed back to Safi. As the ship would not be leaving till 10 pm, I took a free shuttle and had a most enjoyable whirlwind tour of Safi which is the main fishing port for Morocco’s sardine industry. Pottery has also been a mainstay of Safi’s economy. I find the city wall imposing and the winding alleys and local shops much more interesting and authentic than the souq in Agadir.
Day 40 At Sea Lecture Day
The lecture programme went on even it was the last day of the voyage. I attended four lectures: “The Human Story”, “Marine Megafauna of West Africa”, “The Azores Current” and “The Demise of the Portuguese Empire”. All those attending the art class were invited to display three of their works. Though I have no talent in painting (or actually anything at all), I happily shared three paintings I like. At 5 pm, we had Captain’s farewell with a Crew Parade followed by the final recap of this wonderful journey. We packed our bags and got ready for disembarkation.
May 13 Lisbon, Portugal – END of SAILING
We bid farewell to friends with whom we had travelled for 40 days. We disembarked after 9:30am and took Uber to Casa de Sao Mamede Hotel on Rue da Escola Politecnica where we stayed for two nights.
Remarks (to add)
Cape Town to London 2025 Part 3
Day 22 April 24 Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast with an area of 322,460 km² and a population of 31.5 million (2024 estimate), is the third-most populous country in West Africa. The area became a protectorate of France in 1843 and was consolidated as a French colony in 1893. It gained independence under the leadership of Felix Houphouet-Boigny in 1960. Since independence, it has endeavored to develop close political-economic ties with its neighbours while maintaining close relations with the West including France. Its relative political stability was disrupted by a coup d’etat in 1999 and two civil wars (between 2002 and 2007 and in 2010- 2011). A new constitution was adopted in 2016. The country is the world’s largest exporter of cocoa beans and its economy relies heavily on agriculture with smallholder cash-crop production. It has experienced high economic growth since the return of stability in 2011: the GDP(PPP) for 2024 is estimated to be around US$2,700. Yamoussoukro is the capital while Abidjan with a port is the largest city and economic centre. French is the official language while many indigenous languages are also widely used.
It was my first visit to Ivory Coast. The smooth sailing into the harbour at sunrise was beautiful. I joined a full day tour to visit Grand-Bassam and Abidjan. In the morning, we visited the historical centre of Grand–Bassam, the old colonial capital in the late 19th century, which is a World Heritage Site because of its outstanding examples of colonial architecture and town-planning, and the juxtaposition of colonial town with a traditional Nzema village. We first went to a large indoor market selling artifacts and clothes. Though I love the vibrant African colours and patterns, I can no longer afford to accumulate more junks in my tiny apartment in Hong Kong. The second stop was the National Museum of Costume housed in a beautiful colonial mansion. Our enthusiastic guide explained in great details important artifacts including the costumes of different tribes, the culture and heritage, and the bathroom that was built a century ago. We drove around before dropping off at a resort by the beach where we had a nice lunch.
After lunch, we proceeded to Abidjan, the capital from 1933 to 1983 and the biggest and most important city of Ivory Coast. Lying amid canals and waterways, Abidjan often referred to as “Paris of West-Africa” is the second largest city in West Africa after Lagos, Nigeria and looks pleasant, modern and organised with good infrastructures (bridges, roads and water transportation). I saw numerous restaurants, hotels and shops along the roads. We first went to the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral designed by Aldo Spirito, an Italian architect. Pope John Paul II consecrated the first stone of the cathedral in 1980 and dedicated the building upon completion in August 1985. It is one of the largest cathedrals in the world: it is modern and unique with an enormous Cross outdoor and an exterior face covered by 14 panels made in terracotta ceramics with the Cross and the story of Christ as the main theme. The interior is remarkable with six colourful stained glass windows covering an area of 370 metres. The themes for each panel are related to the life of St Paul.
Next we visited the Museum of Civilisation of Ivory Coast nearby. I was impressed by the wooden sculptures and pillars. Unfortunately only one hall was open. . Here we watched a dance performance before rushing off to a large souvenir market. Once we were back on the boat, we attended Captain’s welcome cocktail reception when the Captain introduced his senior officers.
Day 23-24 At Sea Lecture Days
April 25 – 26. I attended four interesting lectures on the first day and learned more about the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, birds of West Africa by Jonathan (who is a most passionate experts and a wonderful speaker on birds), insects of West Africa and sugarcane – the grass that changed the world. On the second day, I again spent most of the day in the show lounge to hear Clifford talking about “Abolition and the Return of Africans”, Manu on “Blood Diamond” by and an “Introduction to Sierra Leone”.
These talks prepared us for our next destination – Sierra Leone. The country’s current territory was established in two phases: in 1808, the coastal Sierra Leone Colony was founded as a place to resettle returning Africans after the abolition of the slave trade; and in 1896 an inland Protectorate was created following the Berlin Conference of 1884-85. Sierra Leone with an area of 73,252 sq km, attained independence from the UK in 1961. A protracted civil war broke out in 1991 between the government and the Revolutionary United Front rebel group. The conflict partly funded by the trade in illicit “blood diamond” with participation of child soldiers, lasted for 11 years before the rebel group was defeated. Relative stability has gradually returned and it has experienced substantial economic growth in recent years. It has rich mineral resources including diamond, gold, bauxite and rutile. Today, it has a GDP(PPP) of USD916 (2025 est) and a population of about 8.5 million with a life expectancy of 58.
Day 25 – 26 Sierra Leone
April 27 Tokeh
This was my first visit to Sierre Leone. Around 9 am, we landed in Tokeh a coastal town nestled outside Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, that is surrounded by mountains, forests and beautiful beaches. The Tokeh Beach is considered one of the largest and the most attractive beaches in West Africa. I spent two delightful hours bird watching with expert birders. We saw Yellow-billed (Black) Kite, Common Sandpiper, African Green Pigeon, Black-and-white Shrike Flycatcher, Little Swift, African Palm Swift, African Gray Woodpacker, White-throated Bee Eater, several types of Tern (West African Crested tern and Sandwich Tern), Dove (Laughing, Red-eye and Blue-spotted Wood-Dove), Swallow, Kingfisher (Blue-breasted, Malachite, Giant and Pied Kingfisher), Weaver, and Sunbird, Violet-backed Starling, and Bulbul etc.
As I had not put on proper footwear, I felt extremely tired after two hours’ walk and standing. I felt pain on my right hip. Though I was supposed to take a village walk after bird watching, I gave up and sat down to rest: I had reached my limit. Around 11 am, we gathered in front of the beach where villagers greeted us with traditional dance and music before returning to the boat for lunch. After 2 pm, I joined other guests to return to the beach to watch soccer organised by the “Flying Stars Amputee Football Organisation” for an hour. The tragic civil war has displaced millions, killed hundreds of thousands and left tens of thousands disabled from brutal amputations. This organisation was formed to support the amputees in bettering their quality of life by creating jobs for those living with amputations and ensuring them means to improve themselves. Very inspiring! Because of bad traffic, they were late for some 45 minutes. While waiting, I got into the water for aquarobics: the water was warm and beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed the game: they are heroes and professional playing an incredible game. We got very excited and cheered them on. We returned to boat before 5pm.
Day 26 April 28 Aberdeen
The ship sailed into Aberdeen at sunrise. Guests were offered four tours and I joined a 6-hour “Birding Tacaguma Wetlands and Chimpanzee Sanctuary”. Elaine felt tired and did not join. Tacugama is an eco-tourism hub nestled in a forest outside Freetown. We were expected to walk about 2 km to the wetland. Given my hip problem, I took a ride in a minibus to the destination. We spent less than an hour at the reservoir and wetland: I only saw two grebe. Then I took another ride to the chimp sanctuary established in 1995. In the sanctuary there are over 100 critically endangered Western chimpanzees. As only 20 visitors were admitted at a time, our group had to wait for almost an hour till 10am before we could go in with a guide. Evidence from fossils and DNA sequencing shows chimpanzee is humans’ closest living relative. Four subspecies have been recognised: Central, Western, Nigeria-Cameroon and Eastern chimpanzee. While some chimps were left outdoor, I watched 20-30 confined in a few concrete cells. They were screaming and watched us behind bars! I was not impressed by the overall conditions and did not feel comfortable watching these poor animals behind bars.
We departed at 11 am and were back on the boat around 12 noon. It was a great pity that I did not have a chance to visit Freetown. The ship set sail shortly after 1 pm. I enjoyed Clifford’s talk on “Masks, Masquerades and Militias” in the afternoon.
Day 27 – 29 Bijagos Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau
Bijagos Archipelago the largest archipelago in Africa spanning an area of almost 13,000 sq km, is a group of about 88 islands and islets located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 40 miles off-shore off the coast of Guinea-Bissau. Twenty islands are populated with some 30,000 inhabitants year-round. Bolama is the administrative capital while the most populated island is Babaque. The area has a high diversity of ecosystems: mangroves with inter-tidal zones, palm forests, coastal savanna, sand banks and aquatic zones, thus attracting long-legged migrating birds and exotic wildlife including saltwater hippos and sea turtles. It is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and an Important Bird Area.
April 29 Bolama
Bolama was uninhabited when European colonists arrived in 1792. In 1879, it became the first capital of Portuguese Guinea and later a logistical centre for seaplane transport. A seaplane crash in 1931 is commemorated by a statute in the town. However as a result of shortage of fresh water on the island, its importance ceased in December 1941 when Bissau replaced it as the capital. Colonial buildings including the Governor’s Palace, were abandoned and fell into decay. Today the island with a population of about 5,000, is surrounded by mangrove swamps and is mostly known for its production of cashew nuts.
I joined a 3-hour guided bird walk and disembarked after 8 am. The broad main street lined with colonial buildings has a derelict and somewhat eerie feel. Not many locals were in sight: it felt so empty! We wandered through the deserted main road before turning off after the church. We spotted different bird species on the roofs, power lines and trees. We walked into a dry forest before reaching the swamp I was excited to find and be able to watch a colourful Lilac-breasted Roller, Red-throated Bee-Eater, Green Pigeon, Purple Glossy Starling and Sunbird. On the way back, we walked through ruins with gigantic trees with thousands of fruit bats. Very atmospheric!
In the afternoon we had an enrichment lecture with Joao-Wellfound who operates in remote villages across the islands and mainland of Guinea-Bassau providing critical access to water, food and continuous support aiming at improving the well-being of indigenous communities. His work is admirable. At 5:30pm we had a sunset zodiac cruise where we saw lots of shorebirds feeding on the mudflats.
April 30 Canhabaque
We had a sunrise zodiac cruise at 6:30am. It was atmospheric and excellent. After breakfast, Elaine and I joined a guided traditional village walk. Canhabaque Island is matriarchal headed by Queen Mother and leans heavily on ancient rituals. The village is located about 2.5km from the beach. I was slow taking my time to enjoy nature and the atmosphere. By the time I arrived at the centre of the village, the locals (all men) were performing the welcome dancing with hundreds of villagers gathering around. The dancers were all men covered with leaves. There was one man wearing cow horns on his head and blowing the horn occasionally.I found the dance powerful full of energy. Some ladies and young girls also danced on the side.
The highlight was to meet the Queen Mother who did not smile: her face was expressionless. After filing in the her hut to pay respect, she sat outside for us to take photos. It was delightful to walk with Clifford back to the beach and I learned more about the way of their way life on the island. The villagers seem to be well-built: I suppose they have a decent diet with meat from chicken, goat, pig and cow, seafood from the sea and vegetables and crops from the field. I got back to the boat after 11:30am. After lunch, I went back to the beach to enjoy the lovely warm water. The wonderful day ended with another fantastic zodiac sunset cruise at 5:30pm.
May 1 Rubane
I had the best sunrise zodiac cruise of the entire voyage. We saw Great Flamingo, Pink-backed Pelican, Cormoront, Plover, Whimbrel, Gull, Tern, African Sacred Ibis, Palm Nut Vulture and Hooded Vulture, Yellow-billed Kite etc on mud-flats. When we were approaching the main town and port of Bubaque Island, the archipelago’s administrative capital which lies just across the strait from Rubane Island, we could see many buildings and locals. The island with a population of over 6,000 was bubbling and lively with a weekly ferry running to Bissau on the main land. We were thrilled to find hundreds (if not thousands) of Village Weaver. I have never seen so many weavers and their nests in my life.
After a wholesome breakfast on the boat, we joined a guided beach nature walk with three dance performances at three different locations. Then we had a wonderful seafood buffet at Ponta Anchaco Resort, a beautiful and comfortable resort run by a French lady. After lunch, I went to the beach for aquarobics. A few kids joined me and I tried to teach two girls to swim. I had a great day!
Day 30 May 2 At Sea Lecture Day
After five days of activities, I enjoyed a leisure day at sea. I attended three interesting lectures on crocodiles, Cape Verde and the Pano-Trade (when Clifford talked about the Portuguese and Lancado Traders).
Cape Town to London 2025 Part 2
Day 11 April 13 At Sea Lecture Day
Of the three lecture on “Venom”, “Marine Megafauna of West Africa” and “China-Luisphone Africa Relations”, I enjoyed the last one by Clifford most. Clifford whose ancestors came from Goa and who was born in Kenya before migrated to the UK, is now teaching at the Centre of African Studies at the University of Hong Kong. Given his background and research, he has insights into and personal experience of colonialism in Africa.
The Republic of the Congo (Congo) was established in 1958 and gained independence from France in 1960. The area was dominated by Bantu-speaking tribes at least 3,000 years ago. The territory dominated by a confederation led by Vungu from the 13th century, was colonized by France in the late 19th century and was incorporated into the French Equatorial Africa in 1910. Political turbulence followed and eventually led to civil war from 5 June 1997 to 29 December 1999. Congo has an area of 342,000 sq km and a population of 6,142,180 (2023 census). Brazzaville is the capital while Pointe-Noire is the second largest city and the main commercial centre and the port. The oil sector which dominates the country’s economy, accounts for 65% of the GDP, 85% of government revenue and 92% of exports. The GDP per capita was USD2,857 (2023 estimate)
Day 12 April 14 Pointe Noire, Congo
We docked around 7 am and had a busy day. In the morning, Elaine and I joined a 3-hour city tour to explore Pointe-Noire located at a headland between Pointe-Noire Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. First discovered by Portuguese navigators in 1484, Pointe-Noire prospered during the French rule. A railroad was built to connect Brazzaville on the Congo River and the Ubangui River with the Atlantic coast and Pointe – Noire was chosen as the terminus of the Congo-Ocean Railway (512 km in length) which was opened in 1934. Our first stop was the dilapidated train terminus not far from the port. Apparently freight service is still running despite the poor state of the track.
Our next stop was a small art and craft market opposite the terminal. We then stopped at the cathedral before heading to the African Circle Museum at the Lumumba roundabout which marked the boundary where Congolese natives despite acquiring French nationality, were forbidden to cross into the exclusive enclave of French elites. The museum has an impressive collection of sculptures and artifacts. Outside the main building, I saw paintings of contemporary artists. We also watched a cultural performance in the courtyard for almost half an hour. At our request, we were taken and walked in a local market for some 15 minutes before heading back to the boat for lunch.
In the afternoon, I joined the Makola Salt Glacier Exploration tour. Elaine stayed behind as she found the heat exhausting. This site is located about an hour’s drive from Pointe-Noire. The traffic was bad and it took much longer to get to the site which was an old potassium salt mine that stopped operation in 1977 after a flood of the aquifers. We had to walk along a dry river bed with a light drizzle for over a kilometre to reach the base of the glacier: the flow that remained and solidified looks like a glacier on an arid and sandy river bed. It looks surreal and unique with a pink hue owing to the iron and mineral salts present. Some guests climbed to the top for a panoramic view. Given my walking and hip problem, I was content to stay at the bottom and sit in silence to enjoy the magnificent and eerie scenery. I was back on the boat for dinner.
At 9pm, we enjoyed another cultural dance performance in the show lounge. It was with the same group of performers at the museum with more elaborate costume and music. As we all had a long day, many guests began to leave before the end of the performance which ended at 10 pm.
Day 13 April 15 At Sea Lecture Day
I remained energetic and attended four lectures: “Africa’s Culinary Legacy”, “Connecting with Wildness”, “Principles of Rarity and Extinction” and “Desert to Jungle: African Bird Diversity”. The one on culinary legacy was most interesting.
Day 14 April 16 At Sea – Crossing the Equator
The original itinerary included a day at Bom Bom Island Sao Tome. I had been looking forward to this stop. Unfortunately, the visit was canceled owing to security risk. Privacy in this area has been a problem. But what could we do? As we were crossing the Equator, we were invited to attend the traditional “Crossing the Line” ceremony by the pool at 4 pm. The weather was not cooperating: it was windy and drizzling. Anyway, we gathered to welcome King Neptune aboard to bless “pollywogs” (or “tadpoles”), the first- time equator travelers. As I am already a “shellback” (a person who has crossed the equator and been initiated in the traditional ceremony), I stood back to enjoy the performance. Both the guests and the expedition team had fun!
Day 15 April 17 At Sea Lecture Day
I spent my time leisurely at three lectures: “Connecting with Others” by Roddy, “Introduction to Togo” by Alexandra, and “African Religions Across the Atlantic World” by Clifford. All three speakers were wonderful and the lectures educational.
Day 16 -17 Togo
I was in Togo for five days (31/1-4/2/2012) and fell in love with this small but beautiful country with five million people and an area of 57,000 sq km. Togo has rich cultural heritage. Home to a diverse mix of some 40 ethnic groups, it is described as the birthplace of the voodoo religion with many extraordinary ceremonies and rites and home to many animist cults. Voodoo can be seen as a form of spiritual healing.
April 18 Lome
Lome, capital of Logo, is located along the Gulf of Guinea. We joined a 8-hour “All about Voodoo: Togo Cultural Experience” with four stops. I first watched a voodoo ceremony in Benin in 2012 when I learned that temple voodoo guardians and veneration is made to an idol which has a clear form such as a statue. We first stopped at Djagli (Ewe aka Gen people), a small village where we watched the Zangbeto spirit. We watched more than half a dozen spirits in straw dress swirling madly around. Inside the enormous dress we saw nothing but a tiny idol. Where was the force that propelled it to swirl around and performed all sorts of amazing acts. One of the spirits even climbed and jumped from a wall. Mystical and incredible!
The second stop was at Gayito Kondji. This village is much bigger but less tidy than Djagli. There were no spirit as in the first village. But many villagers men and women took part and several appeared to be in trance. The place was small, hot and crowded. Villagers joined in and cheered on. A very different atmosphere!
The third stop was at Aneho (former colonial capital of Togo until 1920). The spirit this time were all dressed up with colourful costume. The spirits represent those of the royal families.
Finally we visited a spiritual centre for the Voodoo religion with one of the most powerful voodoo priestesses not far from the Togoville Catholic Cathedral (built in 1910). In the temple, we met a group of priestesses dressed in white and learned that each year thousands of worshipers all over the world would arrive in her presence asking for her blessing in exchange for a sacrifice to the deities. (It is a pity I did not have time to visit the famous Akodessewa, the largest fetish market in Western Africa that sells objects and raw materials used in voodoo rituals in Lome).
Elaine and I decided to take the free shuttle to a nearby beach. At the end, we ended up having a ride for 6km to the Grand Market before spending over half an hour in the beach resort right next to a container yard and the port. We enjoyed a nice quiet break before returning to the boat for a nice dinner at 7pm.
Day 17 April 19 Lome Togo
I had an early start before 6:30 am as I joined a birding tour around Lake Togo. (Elaine preferred to sleep in). We had a leisure stroll along the lake stopping every now and then to watch birds. While the experts saw the black kite, buzzard, dove, cuckoo, lapwing, weaver, plantain eater, pied kingfisher, swift, swallow, egret, heron, bee-eater, sun bird, pied crow, starling, sparrow, weavers, bulbul and hornbill etc, I was content with seeing only a dozen species! We also watched a fisherman catching fish with a net: he got eight small fish. Another fisherman showed us a couple of local crabs. We ended the 2-hour walk in Kouenou Village.
We set sail for Ghana at 3:30 pm. On the way, we had a Captain’s Farewell and Crew Parade at the show lounge at 6:30pm. The Captain and crew had indeed done a fantastic job.
Day 18 April 20 (Easter Sunday) Takoradi Ghana
Takoradi is the gateway to the Elmina Castle, Cape Coast and Kakum National Park. After clearing customs and immigration, passengers set off in four different tours. I joined a full-day “Explore Kakum National Park” (Elaine did not feel well and skipped the tour). The 2-hour journey (about 107 km in distance), turned into almost 3-hour drive owing to the poor road conditions. The park covered with tropical forest has an area of 375 sq km.We spent about an hour and a half taking a 350m-long canopy walk involving 7 suspension walkways. In the park, there are a few endangered species of fauna namely Diana monkey, giant bongo antelope, yellow-backed duiker and African elephant. It is also an important bird area. Unfortunately, as it was Easter Sunday, the park was full of excited energetic young people who made so much noises that scared animal and bird away. It was a humid and hot day and some of us did not want to take another walk after lunch in the park. The expedition team kindly arranged a bus to take us back to the boat. I was back on board around 5pm and we set sail for Accra at 8pm.
Day 19 – 20 Accra Ghana
Silver Wind docked at Tema, a busy port and industrial area next to Accra the modern capital of Ghana. I explored Accra on my own in 2012 and spent a day roaming in the vibrant Makola Market and Jamestown. This time I picked two tours on offer from the ship hoping to see something different.
April 21. Elaine and I joined a “Nature & Culture in Aburi & Accra”. We first drove uphill to reach the Botanical Garden in Aburi. As it was a public holiday, locals arrived in droves with loud music. I wish people could respect silence especially in nature. Our local guide tried his best to show us various native plants (strangler fig tree, Sky God’s Tree, Silk Cotton Tree, cocoa, teak etc) while Mel and birdwatchers were busy looking for birds including the hornbill.
After a nice lunch at Accra City Hotel, we drove to Jamestown. I notice Accra has changed a lot since my last visit with many high-rise modern buildings and new hotels in the commercial area. But conditions in Jamestown which replaced Cape Coast as the capital of Gold Coast in 1876, seem worsened. As it was a public holiday, the place was deserted. We had a guided walk with explanations on the traditional method to preserve fish i.e. smoked fish using fire wood or “deep fire fish”. It was smelly and the hygiene and sanitary conditions were horrible. From a vantage point I could see the lighthouse, filthy beach of Jametown and Usshertown, and the fishing fleets.
We stopped briefly at the Black Star Square and Black Star Gate, symbols of Ghana’s independence in 1957 and unity. Our tour ended with an interesting visit to a coffin maker. As the first leg would end on April 22 with half of the passengers leaving, we had a hearty farewell gathering with a final recap of the voyage with expedition leader Lea and her full team.
April 22. Today was the end of the first leg of the 40-day journey and over 100 guests disembarked. While joining passengers were boarding, continuing passengers could join day tours. Elaine and I went on a full-day “Shai Hills & Krobo Glass Beads” (9.5 hours). The drive to Shai Hills was pleasant without traffic jam. The Shai Hills Game Reserve, first established in 1962 with an area of 51 sq km, was home to the Shai people before they were rejected by the British in 1892. Covered with grassland and low dry forest vegetation, it has five separate hills. We had a surprisingly short but pleasant walk to one of the hill tops with excellent panoramic views of the reserve. We were alone and had time to enjoy and soak in the atmosphere. We saw plenty of antelopes and baboons.
After a nice lunch in a posh hotel with a golf course, we drove to Krobo to visit the workshop of a glass bead master. The road was in poor condition and the traffic was bad: it took an hour to get there. We watched the master talking for about fifteen minutes about how beads were made (We watched a video on the ship the night before) and spent half an hour in the shop. Given the travel time and brevity of the talk, I could have given this visit a miss. I would rather have gone back to the boat after lunch. At 5 pm, we attended a session to greet 100+ joining passengers when expedition leader Lea gave an overview of the voyage from Accra to Lisbon. I met many familiar faces from APEX including Jonathan and Ingrid. The boat set sail at 7pm.
Day 21 April 23 Takoradi Ghana
Today, Elaine and I took a full day tour (9 hours) to visit two world heritage properties at Elmina and Cape Coast. These castles together with some 40 castles in Ghana are reminder of the unforgettable history of the Atlantic slavery trade. Erected by the Portuguese in 1482, Elmina Castle was taken by the Dutch in 1637 and the British in 1872. The present day Cape Coast Castle began as a Portuguese trading post in 1555 before being constructed as a timber fort by Swedish traders in 1653 and fell to the Dutch hands in 1663. The British took over in 1664 following the Second Anglo-Dutch War and renamed it Cape Coast Castle. Cape Coast became the new capital of the English possessions on the Gold Coast.
It was raining heavily when we set off. Luckily by the time we arrived at the Elmina Castle, the rain had almost stopped. We followed a guided tour in both castles. I still had vivid memories of the cells where hundreds of male and female slaves were kept for weeks and months before being shipped off to the Americas. The harbour in Elmina was packed with colourful fishing boat of all sizes: in Ghana fishermen do not go out fishing on Tuesdays as a respect for the god of fishermen. There is a shine dedicated to this god in the fishing port. For me, the most interesting part of the tour was the 30-min walk to the bridge and through the market. We had a nice lunch with music and dance and fire-eating performances in a resort nearby.
After lunch, we had a short drive to Cape Coast and a guided tour of the castle. I was surprised how much I still remembered. I stepped outside the Gate of No Return and the sight of the beach and fishing boats outside were familiar.
Cape Town to London 31 April – 1 June 2025
I love the sea and have been able to visit the North Pole, the Arctic and Antarctic region a dozen times. One of the voyages I have longed to take is the sailing along the west African coast following the footsteps of early Portuguese explorers. I therefore signed up for a 40-day expedition on Silver Wind from Cape Town to Lisbon when I learned about this voyage almost two years ago. I was glad a good friend Elaine joined as my cabin mate. In planning this journey, I added three short stops including a week in Spain, a retreat at the Plum Village in Bordeaux, and a whirlwind visit to London to visit friends.
March 31-April 2 Cape Town
Elaine and I departed from Hong Kong on March 30 and reached Cape Town via Doha around midday on May 31. We booked a hotel in the canal area close to the port/cruise terminal. I felt at home in Cape Town, the oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa, which I have already visited half a dozen times. We spent three leisure days in this beautiful vibrant city with a population of about 5 million.
March 31- We explored the Waterfront area on foot after check-in the hotel. We were hungry and had a 1-5kg rib and prawn for dinner (1090 rand for two). We bought a 2-day sightseeing bus tickets (399 rand pp) online to see Cape Town as tourists. With this ticket, we could take the Blue Line, Red Line and Sunset Line, and a Harbour Cruise. We watched a gorgeous sunset with golden orange colours after dinner.
April 1 – The Blue Line takes visitors on a big loop all over Cape Town. We spent over two hours on the bus enjoying the landscape, street scene and seascape with views of the Table Mountain, National Botanical Garden, Hout Bay, Camps Bay and Sea Point etc. It was about 1 pm when we arrived at the Waterfront. We hopped on the Blue Line again in order to get to the iconic Mount Nelson Hotel for tea at 2 pm (about 620 rand pp). The hotel is elegant and most comfortable. The service and food including a free glass of champagne surpassed our expectations. It is the most value-for-money high tea of hotels of the same category. After teatime, we took a taxi back to the Waterfront in order to join the sunset bus to Signal Hill at 5pm. It was an excellent drive through the Camps Bay. The panoramic views are unrivaled. But the sunset that evening was so-so.
April 2. We planned to go to Table Mountain. Unfortunately, the Cable Car service was stopped owing to strong wind. We took the Blue Line again to go to the National Botanical Garden (Kirstenbosch) (entry fee 250 rand pp). Though I visited it thirteen months ago at the end of the Chile-Namibia expedition on Silver Cloud, I enjoyed the two-hour guided tour. Last time, we spent over two hours strolling on our own. This time, the enthusiastic guide gave excellent interpretations that enabled me better understand the history of this World Heritage Site and the vast varieties of plants in this small corner of the world. We planned to take the harbour cruise at 4 pm. Unfortunately when we got back to the Waterfront, we were told the service was canceled due to strong wind! C’est la vie! We ended up having a lovely seafood dinner by the harbour before walking back to the hotel.
40-Day Journey on Silver Wind 3 April – 13 May 2025
My first trip to West Africa was in 2012 when I took a 69-day overland truck journey starting 5 January from Doula, Cameroon to Dakar, Senegal. I love Africa and hope to sail the whole stretch of the West African coast. This epic 40-day sea journey comprises two legs: Cape Town, South Africa to Accra, Ghana (April 3 – 22) and Accra – Lisbon, Portugal (April 22- May 13). This itinerary was scheduled to make over 20 stops in 13 countries. I am familiar with Silver Wind as I sailed on the same ship from Costa Rica to Valparaiso, Chile with my brother Lawrence and his wife Sally for 18 days last October.
Day 1 April 3 Boarding Silver Wind at Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town to Lisbon Itinerary 
Elaine and I had a short ride from our hotel to the cruise terminal and got onboard with ease. The only hiccup was whether Hong Kong SAR passport holders would require a visa for Namibia. The ship would apply visa on arrival to make things easy life easy for passengers. But according to information available then, HKSAR passport holders would not require a visa for Namibia. But the staff said the regulation had changed and I asked the ship to handle for me (Eventually, I entered Namibia without an e-visa). I felt at home once I stepped onto the ship and was delighted to see many familiar faces including Captain Sasha Kolosov, Tiffany at the reception and Medhi at the restaurant. We settled down, met the Expedition team and watched the ship sailing at a gorgeous sunset.
Day 2 April 4 Saldanha, South Africa
The first stop of this expedition was Saldanha close to the West Coast National Park which has been designated an important Bird Area. It is also a hub for iron ore exports and a naval port. Guests were offered as many as eight shore activities including kayaking, hiking and cycling. Elaine and I opted for a leisure 5-hour Khwa Thu San cultural experience with lunch. The San people, also known as Bushmen or Saan, are indigenous hunter-gatherers of Southern Africa and one of the world’s oldest continuous cultures.They now live in Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and South Africa. We set off after 8 am and took almost an hour to reach the cultural centre. On the way, we saw antelope, eland and ostrich etc. The cultural experience comprised four parts: herbal tradition, art and story telling, contact with the West and the colonization period and the traditional life. The lunch with local and fresh ingredients was very good. All guests were onboard before 5pm. At 5:45 pm, all guests gathered at the theatre to meet the expedition team led by Expedition Leader Lea who gave a quick overview of the journey and plans for the following day.
Day 3 April 5 At Sea Lecture Day
Whenever we were at sea, the expedition team would arrange 3-4 lectures on nature and culture, and the countries to be visited in addition to regular house entertainment activities including trivia, music performance, art class, golf putting, mahjong games etc. Today, I attended lecture on “The Unique Story of South Africa” by Roddy, an anthropologist, “My Journey with Nelson Mandela” by Zelda, who worked for Mandela in various capacities for 19 years, and “Diamonds & the Desert:A Tale of South Africa and Namibia” by Manu, a geologist whom I met on Silver Wind last October. For the first time in my life I took up water colour painting with Yvonne whenever we had a sea day.
Day 4 April 6 Luderitz, Namibia
This was my first visit to Luderitz, a charming historic town established in the late 19th century, with a most interesting collection of colonial brightly coloured and preserved German architecture and heavily weathered rocks. We took a 2.5-hour guided walk. A tidy row of colourful houses greeted us as soon as we left the port area. Each house has its own history, colour and design. Apart from a few main paved roads and the railroad track, all side roads are sandy and unpaved. Our first stop was a tiny local museum located next to a large modern maritime museum. We did not have time to visit it. Then we walked uphill to an iconic church on a hill top. We crossed the rail line visiting another church. The town is quiet without much going on. Yet I enjoy the tranquility and atmosphere. We set sail for Walvis Bay at 3pm.
(On reflection, I should have joined the group to visit the Kolmanskop Ghost Town which was once a bustling diamond mining town abandoned in the 1950s. The shifting sands that have taken over the buildings, have created a surreal eerie and captivating landscape. The group had a surprise treat of fresh oysters and champagne in the desert after the tour. Amazing!)
Day 5 -6 April 7-8 Walvis Bay
April 7. Two lectures (on Cape Fur Seals and introduction to the culture and history of Namibia) were held before the boat docked at Walvis Bay after 11 am. This was my second visit and I joined three activities over two days.
After lunch, I took the Petit Seal Cruise. Two great pelicans and a dolphin joined us onboard. We also watched seals and dolphins before stopping near an oyster farm to learn about the fantastic conditions for oyster cultivation. While oysters may usually take a couple of years to grow, they can be harvested in a year in this area. We headed to the Pelican Point which was crowded with many cruise boats. It was nice to watch the Cape Fur Seals surfing happily around us. We had fresh oysters and champagne as snacks on the way back to the pier. This trip was similar to the one I took last year. (Again, I should have taken a tour to the Sandwich Harbour which is a historic site where the dunes meet the sea.)
At 5:30pm Elaine and I joined a tour for a Marquee Dinner in the Dunes. We drove past Dune 7 (382m), one of the tallest dunes in the Namib Desert, one of the oldest deserts in the world. We had champagne by a small dune before proceeding to a grand marquee for dinner. Before entering the marquee, we watched three dancers performing with rings of fire. After dinner, a group of 13 local musicians performed for over half an hour. The setting, the dinner and performances were amazing. An atmospheric evening!
April 8. We had a full morning for activities before sailing to Angola. At 7 am, Elaine and I joined a Birding at Walvis Bay Lagoon Tour (We had originally signed up for a Living Desert 4×4 tour). Each 4WD took three passengers and we met Lee from the US. We saw a fair number of birds including Cape Cormorant, Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Sanderling, African Black Oystercatcher, many types of gulls and terns (large Kelp Gull, Caspian Tern, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Damara Tern, White-winged Tern, Black Tern etc.) We were told there are some two million of seals in this area. The smell and sight of thousand and thousand of Cape Fur Seals were unforgettable. All guests were onboard by 1:30pm and we set sail at 2pm.
I attended two lectures in the afternoon: one on the Benguela Current by Tristan and another on “The Great War in Africa” by Clifford. These two lectures provided useful background information on history and the forces of nature that shapes the development of the continent.
Day 7 April 9 At Sea Lecture day
I attended three lectures on “Expansion of the Portuguese Empire”, “Seabirds of the Benguela Current” and “The Namib Desert”. I totally enjoyed the painting class and learning some basic skills and terms such as painting wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, colour mixing etc.
Day 8 – 10 Angola
Angola In Brief. With an area of 1,246,700 sq km and a coastline of 1,600km, Angola is rich in minerals and oil deposits. After fighting its colonizer Portugal for 14 years, Angola gained independence in November 1975 but sadly immediately plunged into a civil war between the MPLA (People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola) and UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola). During the 27-year war, both sides had employed child soldiers (as many as 9,000 in total). By the time the MPLA achieved victory in 2002, between 500,000 and 800,000 people had died and some four millions were displaced. The war had devastated the country – infrastructure, public administration and the economy. Hence, despite its rich natural resources, its GDP(PPP) was US$7,077 (2023 estimate – 129th in in world ranking).
Angola has a diverse population of over 35 million. The main ethnic groups include Bantu-speaking Ovimbundu, Ambundu, and Bakongo; Mesticos (mixed European and African heritage) and indigenous people including the San, Himba etc and other groups and European. It is also known for its stunning landscapes, diverse wildlife and rich cultural heritage.
April 10 Mocamedes & Namibe desert. Mocamedes is capital of the Namibe Province which has a population of about 5 million. The Namibe desert is sparsely inhabited by Herero groups and small Khoisan groups. The ship was docked around 8 am at the port of Mocamedes, which was officially founded by the Portuguese in 1840. Elaine and I joined a 5-hour tour to see Welwitschia and visit the Lost Oasis.
Welwitschia mirabilis commonly refer to as a “living fossil” is endemic to the Namib desert within Namibia and Angola. (I saw this awesome plant on my first visit to Namibia about 20 years ago). The plant only produces a single pair of foliage leaves. It has separate male and female plants. It is impressive to see this amazing plant spreading all over the desert and some of which are over 1,000 years old and some specimens may be up to 5,000 years old. We stopped for over half an hour looking at this amazing plant, lizards and insects in the desert.
After an hour’s drive, we arrived at Lake Arco, a fresh water oasis. It is named after its two huge and impressive sandstone arches. We were greeted by African music and dance on arrival before walking in this wonder land which was once under the sea. I could see layers of sand, mud, pebbles, salt, fossils etc. Then suddenly we found green fields dotted with donkeys and plenty of leafy plants in the middle of a desert.
On the way back to the ship, we had a brief stop in Mocamedes to visit the cathedral and an old fort which is now a military base. The colonial buildings have added colours and charm to this small coastal town. Soon after getting onboard I attended a lecture on “The Great Bantu Migration” by Roddy that enabled me to understand the history of the Bantu people that is a main ethnic group in Africa. We set sail after 6 pm.
April 11 At Sea lecture Day
I thoroughly enjoyed three lectures: “A Map of Plants” by Tristan, “Angola’s Offshore Riches” by Manu and “Arts of the Kongo Kingdom” by Clifford.
April 12 Luanda, the capital of Angola. Founded in 1575, Luanda became an important seaport and export base for minerals and foodstuffs and for slaves sent to Portuguese colonies in Brazil. We joined a 7-hour tour to Luanda Market and Miradoura Le Tua. We began at the Fortaleza de Sao Miguel close to the port. Dating from 1576, this well-defended citadel, home to the Portuguese garrison and its merchants, is now a museum with commanding views and rich exhibits. Then we proceeded to an artifact market next to the National Museum of Slavery. Founded in 1977, the museum adjoins the Capela da Casa Grande, a 17th century structure where slaves were baptized before being put on the slave ships for transportation to the Americas. After an hour’s drive, we arrived at the Miradoura le Tua, geological sandstone formation as a result of erosion, similar to those in Bryce Canyon, USA. We had a nice buffet lunch in a resort by a river before returning to the ship.
It was still early when we got back to the ship. As there was free shuttle to a mall by the beach, I ventured out on my own. I spent an hour and a half window shopping and people-watching at this modern and up-market shopping mall, comparing prices, watching sunset and people. The difference between the haves and have-nots was visible. At 9 pm, a group of artists came onboard to perform samba dance in the show lounge. The dance by the four pairs of dancers was lively and sensual with sexual appeal! According to them, samba of Brazil came from Angola.
India 2 February 8 – 22, 2025
Footsteps of the Buddha with Plum Village
My first pilgrimage to India and Nepal (November 10 to 19, 2017) was organised by the Buddhist Charity of Hong Kong. In seven days, I visited Varanasi, Bodhgaya, Gridhakuta Hill (Vulture Peak), Venuvana (Bamboo Forest), ruins of Nalanda, Vaishali, Kushinagar and Lumbini. I am keen to go on pilgrimage again after having taking refuge of the three gems in 2023. With right conditions, I joined a 14-day pilgrimage “Footsteps of the Buddha” led by Dharmacharya Shantum Seth of the Buddha Path and joined by 8 monastics of the Deer Park Monastery California and Plum Village.
The Eight Great Places in Buddhism
Gautama Buddha (c. 563 or 480 BCE) had identified four pilgrimage sites for his followers. They are Lumbini (his birthplace), Bodhgaya (where Buddha attained enlightenment), Sarnath (where Buddha delivered his first sermon and Kushinagar (where Buddha passed away). Buddhist texts written later written by Buddha’s followers mentioned four more sites namely Rajgir (a major city of ancient India), Vaishali (capital of the Vajjian Republic of ancient India), Sravasti (where Buddha spent the largest amount of time) and Sankassa (where Buddha descended to earth from Tavatimsa heaven). There are other pilgrimage places in India and Nepal also connected with the life of the Buddha that are mostly located in the Gangetic plain (Eight most important sites are indicated in the map)
February 8 – My flight from Leh to Delhi was delayed and I landed in Delhi after 2:30 pm. I had booked a night in a hotel for one night before joining the pilgrim group on February 9. Shantum’s office met me on arrival and taken to to the hotel. To my horror, the hotel had cancelled my booking though I had been already charged. I was furious. Luckily Bina of Shantum’s office found me another hotel nearby where I had to pay another 5,000 rupees. I had a spacious self-contained flat in a nice residential gated area and had a good sleep.
February 9 Delhi
I made my way to Crowne Plaza to meet up with the group at 11 am. I met Sue from the US who stayed in the same hotel. We had a large group comprising 63 pilgrims with 13 nationalities, 7 monastics from the Deer Park and Sr Trai Neighm whom I met in the New Hamlet, Plum Village Bordeaux last November. Shantum, the organiser and leader, was supported by Jahdish, Jackie, and Santosh. We had a dozen Japanese pilgrims and Rahul was their translator.
Around noon, the hotel lobby was swarmed with passionate and enthusiastic pilgrims. We were divided into two bus groups (yellow and orange) and the only place to visit in Delhi is Gandhi Smriti where Mahatma Gandhi spent his last 144 days and was martyred. We queued up to register before boarding our bus. Sue who was in front of me, missed a step and fell while looking for the bus. I tried to find Bina and got ice for Sue. When we arrived at Gandhi Smriti, the museum staff managed to find Sue a wheelchair. Being a nurse, she knew what needed to be done. We walked mindfully to the location where Gandhi was martyred and sat on the grass to meditate. Before lunch, we had time to walk around in silence and look at the murals depicting Gandhi’s life. We gathered after lunch for a briefing and had time to introduce ourselves and our purpose/reason for joining this pilgrimage. Though I could not remember all the names and faces, I was impressed to meet several couples and mothers and their children taking this spiritual journey hand in hand. We also had time for a quick tour of the museum with Gandhi’s bedroom and study, and plenty of historical photos and artefacts of the life of the father of India. After dinner we returned to the hotel and met my nice roommate Mirella from the US.
February 10-12 Sarnath & Varanasi (Clarks Varanasi)
We departed for the airport around 8:30am. The flight was on schedule and we arrived at the Varanasi International Airport after 2pm. In 2017, I was bumped off by Jet Airways together with the HK guide and another pilgrim. As a result, I did not arrive till dinner time and missed the visit to Sarnath. I am impressed by the new/renovated airport which looks modern and user-friendly. We proceeded to the Mulanganda Kuti Vihara Monastery where Buddha upon enlightenment gave the first sermon to five monks. The Vihara was built in 1931 with financial support from Mary Robinson Foster under the supervision of Dharmapala, a Sri Lankan monk who was instrumental in the revival of Buddhism in India. I first walked around the bodhi tree and the statue of Buddha with his first disciples. There were many pilgrims from Sri Lanka and Thailand. The Turning the Wheel of Dharma (Pali – Dhammacakkappavattana) Sutra is inscribed in Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, English, Japanese, Tibetan, Korean etc. I chanted in Chinese before watching a group of monks chanting during circumambulation. It was atmospheric and reverent.
There is a daily chanting of the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutra at 6pm inside the Vihara. Shantum arranged the group to sit close to the platform. As I arrived late, I sat with the pilgrims from Sri Lanka at the back with full view of the temple and the devotees. Owing to my hip problem, I cannot sit on the floor. People around me kindly found me a stool. The insides are completely covered with most beautiful pastel-colored frescos by Japanese artist Kosetsu Nosu depicting scenes of the Buddha. As I had learnt Pali for my Master of Buddhist Studies in 2020-21, I was able to join in and chant the sutra in Pali for the first time of my life. It was a mesmerizing experience.
We set off at 5:30am on February 11 for the Ganges. This was my second visit to the timeless Varanasi (formerly known as Kashi) situated on the left bank of the Ganges. This iconic and the spiritual capital of India with 88 ghats most of which are for bathing and the puja ceremony, is one of the oldest cities in the world. The place was already packed with Hindu pilgrims who performed religious rituals and bathing in the river and dozens of boats cruising on the river. We took two boats and first sailed downstream towards the bridge. Then we sailed upstream passing the colorful ghats with and watching flurry of activities in all directions. I noticed more and bigger boats, people and birds than in 2017. Hundreds of Hindus were lining in front of Ganga Dwara (Gateway of Corridor that connects Kashi Vishwanath Temple with Ghats of the Ganges). Our boat moved closer to the shore when approaching the Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat, the only two cremation ghats. The sights of enormous piles of wood and a head-shaved man watching the wood in flames reminded me of death and impermanence. Varanasi is forever a symbol of life, vitality, force and death.
We returned to the hotel for breakfast. Afterwards, we went to the Deer Park which I have heard endless times. It was evocative when I went into the park and saw the awesome massive Dhamek Stupa (43.6m high with a diameter of 28m) marking the location where the Buddha gave his first teaching to his first five disciples. Shantum chose a quiet and cool spot under a gigantic tree facing the stupa. We listened with keen interest to his talk about history and events associated with Buddha at this site and Thay with whom he came on pilgrimage three times since 1988. We also meditated for half an hour. Given my hip problem, I had brought a foldable chair with me. Unfortunately, I had nerve pains and could hardly sit still. Eventually I found a concrete to sit on.
After meditation, we followed Shantum on a tour of the remains of the Mulanganda Kuti Vihara Monastery including the Buddha’s hut and an Asoka pillar. Then we visited the Archaeological Museum to see many well-preserved sculptures including the famous Preaching Buddha, a 5th century sculpture of the Sarnath school of Buddhist art. It is a most beautiful serene and humane image of the Buddha filled with wisdom, compassion and loving kindness. Shantum said Thay would sit and meditate in front of the Preaching Buddha. We did the same for five minutes.
After the museum, we stopped by a silk making workshop. It was the first time that I learnt about the Kashi / Banarasi silk saree known for its gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. For Indians, it is a symbol of grandeur and nobility. But in modern India, this handicraft is disappearing: the shop-owner tries to preserve this heritage by employing a couple of weavers who produce the silk saree with the loom.
February 12-14 Bodhgaya (The Royal Residency)
Bodhgaya is about 250km from Varanasi. We set off after 8am. The road conditions have not improved much since 2017. The toll highway seems half-built and below international standard. This time we spent over eight hours on the road instead of seven hours in 2017 due to heavy Kumbh mela/festival pilgrim traffic. Luckily we had a nice delicious Thai vegetarian lunch and clean toilets in a Thai temple. After settling in the hotel, we were divided into five share groups. I joined a BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) group with participants from divergent background. We shared our feelings and thoughts of the pilgrimage. Mirella and I went to bed early as we would depart for meditation at Mahabodhi temple/tree at 5:30am the following day.
Most members joined the early morning meditation session on February 13. We took tuk-tuk to the Mahabodhi Temple, a massive complex and a most revered and sacred Buddhist site. The full moon shining over the temple was mesmerizing and sacred. The temple ground packed with pilgrims was bustling and fairly noisy as the Kagyupa sect was holding a ceremony presided by a Rinpoche with several large tents set up for their pilgrims. Shantum found a quieter spot facing the full moon between the shikhara towers for the group to sit down in silence. Again I had trouble sitting on my foldable chair. At the end, I practiced standing meditation. Though it was crowded in 2017, it was relatively quiet as groups of pilgrims mostly from Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia were sitting quietly in groups or individually reciting sutras in low voices or meditating. We left after 7 am and returned to the hotel for breakfast.
We returned to the Temple after breakfast and stayed there for about three hours. The complex was much quieter with fewer pilgrims. Shantum showed us the temple and key spots all of which I had visited in 2017. What I enjoyed most this time was when we sat under a bodhi tree at the southwestern corner of the Muchalinda Sarovar Holy Pond. There was no noise except the sound of wind blowing and dry leaves. Shantum talked about Buddha’s enlightenment under the bodhi tree and we had time for meditation. I sat comfortably on concrete at the bottom of the tree enjoying my breathing with nothing on my mind. We returned to the hotel after 1 pm for lunch.
After lunch, Mirella and I had a short nap before setting off to Uruvela village where Sujata offered rice/milk to the ascetic Gotama. We first stopped in a plot of sangha land where Thay planted a bodhi tree seventeen years ago. Next we walked through the village which is tidy and clean to reach expansive fields where the villagers grow padi and vegetables. From the field we could see the hills where the ascetic Gotama once lived and practiced in a cave. We were joined by a dozen of children who looked healthy and energetic. It was almost sunset when we reached the Sujata Stupa. Santosh’s family lives not far from the stupa and we had a warm reception meeting his mom, wife, sisters and children. We were served the rice/milk that Buddha had received 2,600 years ago. His daughter sang for us and in return we sang songs of Plum Village. Our amazing evening ended with us watching the full moon rising behind the fields.
February 14-16 Rajgir (Indo Hokke Hotel)
While a group went to meditate in the Mahabodhi Temple at 5:30 am, Mirella and I slept in and took a leisure tuk-tuk temple hopping trip at 8am. There are at least 29 Buddhist temples and monasteries in Bodhgaya. We only had time to stop at the Great Buddha Statue (built by the Japanese), Royal Bhutanese Monastery, Metta Buddharam Temple (Thailand) and Tergar Monastery (Tibetan). We were able to go inside the Bhutanese and Tibetan monasteries to appreciate their respective architectural and cultural styles, as well as religious artefacts.
We left the hotel around 10 am and drove 12 km to the Pragbodhi Cave where Gotama Buddha lived as an ascetic while searching for a path to enlightenment. It was hot. After getting off the bus, we had to walk about 15 minutes to reach the caves on a steep cliffside. A large group of Bhutanese pilgrims on puja whom we had met before at the Mahabodhi Temple was there. We had to queue to go into the small cave which surprisingly can hold about a dozen people. We sat inside for guided meditation with Shantum for five minutes. It was about 1 pm when we departed for Rajgir which is 65km away.
Rajgir, “The City of Kings”, is an ancient city and university town. It was the capital of the Haryanka dynasty (established by King Bimbisara), Pradyota dynastry and Brihadratha dynasty and the powerful Mauryan Empire. There are still ruins of the ancient cyclopean wall surrounding Rajgir, capital of Kingdom of Magadha, which was the scene of many important events in the Buddha’s time. Buddha had close relationship with King Bimbisara who built Venuvan (Bamboo Grove) for the Buddha and his sangha to spend their first rain retreat.
After lunch and a short rest, we proceeded to Venuvan which was mentioned in many scriptures. The sun was setting with soft and enchanting lights coming through the bamboo forests. We set down meditating for a while before listening to Shantum’s stories. It got dark quickly and we had to leave. I loved watching the street night scenes with numerous food stalls. Though the hotel was not far from the town centre, Shantum advised us not to wander around at night on our own.
On February 13, we departed for Griddhakuta Peak (Vulture Peak) at 6am with packed breakfast in order to catch sunrise from the peak. I walked slowly and watched the gorgeous sunrise on our way to the peak. By the time we arrived at the Mulagandhakuti (the small courtyard where the Buddha sat to meditate and preached the dharma), most of the sunrise watchers were gone. The monastics performed a brief ritual in front of the Mulagandhakuti and the whole sangha bowed and sat together at this holy site in silence. We dispersed when other visitors arrived. I continued to sit and meditate close to the Mulagandhakuti before joining Shantum’s talk on the Buddha’s life and events at this location.
This was my second visit to Vulture Peak and I had was an amazing experience. I did not experience particular joy in 2017 as the platform was full of noisy tourists. We stayed briefly after reciting the Heart Sutra. I was then not a Buddhist and had little knowledge about the Buddha’s life and teachings and the importance and significance of this spot. This time, I sat (like Buddha 2600 years ago) in silence, bathing in the morning sun, gazing at the beautiful landscape below and mountains beyond, and enjoying the tranquility. I could visualise the scene when Buddha delivered the Lotus Sutra, turning the Second Dharma Wheel.
We had just over an hour’s free time till 11 am. I followed the path leading up to the Peace Stupa on the top of Bao Son Ratnagiri. The 400-m high stupa built by Japan in 1969, is one of the 80 Peace Stupa built around the world. I remembered I had taken the same path to the top in 2017. On the way back to the carpark, I took time to look for “the Stone House” (where Buddha stayed and meditated), the Boar’s Cave, Ananda Cave, Sariputra Cave, Maudgalyayana meditation cave, and Saptapani Cave as these names made sense to me now. I walked slowly (owing to the hip problem) and mindfully: I was following the footsteps of the Buddha and walking with the Buddha.
It was about noon when we left the park to return to the hotel for lunch. We stopped at two archaeological sites. In the first site, we looked at a long and deep chariot wheel marks and some engraved characters on the ground. What language? There is no clear description. The second site was the remains of the Bimbisara jail which offers a beautiful view of Gridhakuta Hill. Ajatshatru, son of King Bimbisara, under the bad influence of Devadatta, imprisoned his father in this jail so that he could take over the kingship. King Bimbisara who died in jail, was said to be able to see Lord Buddha and hear his preaching from the jail.
We set off for Nalanda around 3:30pm. Established by emperor Kumaragupta I of the Gupta Empire around 427 CE, Nalanda was a great monastery in ancient and medieval Magadha and widely considered one of the greatest centres of learning in the ancient world for a thousand years till around 1400 CE. Nagarjuna, Dharmakirti, Asanga, Vasubandu, Silabhadra, Chandrakirti, Shantideva, Xuanzang and Yiying from China, to name just a few most renowned Buddhist monks and scholars, were students or were associated with the faculty.
At its peak, Nalanda attracted scholars and some ten thousand students from near and far, with some travelling from China, Tibet, Korea and Central Asia. It was indisputably the scholarly centre of the Mahayana Buddhism world. It was destroyed by an army of the Mamluk dynasty in c 1202 CE and was finally abandoned around 1400 and forgotten till the 19th century. Systematic excavations conducted since 1915 have unearthed 11 monasteries and six brick temples arranged on grounds of 12 hectares in area. All monasteries are very similar in layout and general appearance. We had a short tour of Monastery 1, which is considered the oldest and the most important of the monastery group, passed by the Shariputra Stupa (Temple no 3) before sitting down to meditate and listen to Shantum’s talk. The sun was setting and we had to leave without having a chance to walk past Temple 12, 13 and 14. What a pity!
February 16 -17 Vaishali (The Vaishali Residency)
We had a relatively leisure day spending a wonderful afternoon time at the remains of ancient Kolhua Vaishali. This spot was significant: a monkey chief had offered a bowl of honey to Lord Buddha (the brick stupa was erected to commemorate this event), allowed nuns to the sangha for the first time, and announced his approaching nirvana. The imposing and iconic 11-metre high Asoka Pillar topped by a seated lion capital facing west is the centerpiece of Kolhua Vaishali’s historical allure. Excavations have exposed three phases of construction of Kutagarshala which represents where Buddha used to stay during the rainy seasons spent at Vaishali. Beginning as a small chaitya during the Sunga-Kushan period, it was enlarged into a lofty temple during the Gupta period and was finally converted into a monastery. There is an impressive large tank measuring 65×35 metres with two bathing ghats. As this was the spot where nuns were allowed into the sangha for the first time, Shantum invited Sr Tuc Nghiem to share her feelings and thoughts. She was emotional and evocatively about the fortune and blessing to be a nun of Plum Village. The four sisters had a picture together. Memorable and moving!
Nuns were first allowed into the sangha by Buddha on this spot 
Before leaving Vaishali, we walked mindfully from the hotel to the Buddha’s Relic Stupa at sunrise. According to Buddhist traditions, after attaining mahaparinirvana, his body was cremated by the Mallas of Kushinagar, the mortal remains were distributed among eight claimants including Licchavis of Vaishali, Ajatshatru, King of Magadha, Sakyas of Kapilavastu, Bulis of Alakappa, Koliyas of Ramagram, a Brahmin of Vethweep and Mallas of Pave and Kushinagar. The original mud stupa here measuring 8.07 metres in diameter, was one of the eight original relic stupas built over the corporal remains of Buddha. It was subsequently raised and expanded to its present size with a 12-metre diameter. Excavations carried out in 1958 miraculously discovered the relic casket of stone partly filled with ashy earth besides a small conch two glass beads, a fragmentary piece of gold and a copper punch marked coin. We sat and meditated for a while. I circumambulated three times before leaving. We returned to the hotel for breakfast before setting off.
February 17 am Kesariya
After a short drive from Vaishali, we arrived in Kesariya and stopped at the Buddhist Stupa, the largest stupa in India. It is believed this stupa was built in two phases (Sunga-Kushana and Gupta periods) at the spot where Buddha had offered alms bowl to the monks who followed when he departed from Vaishali after announcing his approaching nirvana. When we sat comfortably below a banyan tree, Shantum told the stories of the Kalamas living in this area at Buddha’s time and I remember the Kalama Sutta which is described as Buddha’s “charter of free inquiry”, advocating for prudential and critical thinking and reasoning and avoiding fanaticism, bigotry, dogmatism and intolerance. When circumambulating the stupa, we saw plenty of kusa grass. It is popular for pilgrims to use the grass to tie a knot and take home. We had a quick lunch at the restaurant nearby and drove onto Kushinagar.
February 17 – 19 Kushinagar (Hotel Lotus Nikko)
We spent the whole morning at the Parinirvana Temple with a Stupa on the same platform and two sala trees at the front. I visited the temple in 2017. Built by the Indian Government in 1956 as part of the commemoration of the 2,500th year of the Mahaparinirvana, it has a 6.1-metre long reclining Buddha image. This time, I sat sit inside the temple to contemplate for some ten minutes. When a large group of pilgrims arrived, I got up so that other could take my place. I circumambulated watching many devoted Cambodian pilgrims from the US spreading red robes over the Buddha image. We sat and meditated afterward in the garden. When we broke into five sharing groups, I decided to sit on my own on a bench as I could not sit on the ground for an hour. I meditated and chanted the Buddha name.
Kushinagar was the capital of the Mallas. In the late afternoon, we proceeded to see the excavated remains unearthed by Carlleyle in 1876 and later by Archaeological Survey of India between 1904 and 1912. They include the giant Ramabhar Stupa (the cremation place of Buddha), the Nirvana Temple on a raised platform surrounded by a group of monasteries on the western side, a group of small sized stupas with carved bricks and ornamental pilasters on the southern side, a large two tiered brick platform and smaller sized stupas on the eastern side and votive stupas and monasteries on the northern side. From here Shantum led us to the nearby Hiranyati River or better known as the Buddha Ghat where Buddha spent his last moments. Instead of taking the bus back to the hotel, I decided to walk. It was dark and I walked in the wrong direction for about five minutes. I turned back not scared. I felt safe having a most enjoyable walk for about 15 minutes before reaching the hotel for dinner.
February 19- 20 Sravasti (Hotel Lotus Nikko)
We had about 250km to drive to reach Sravasti. We sat off after breakfast and had a picnic lunch at the Piparahwa Stupa, one of the eight original stupas with a portion of Buddha’s ashes given to the Sakya clan. This is an ancient site in Kapilavastu where Buddha spent his first 29 years. This site was excavated by William Claxton Peppe, a British engineer who discovered in 1896-97 a large stone coffer containing five smaller vases containing bone fragments, gold ornaments and intricately fashioned jewelry, after digging through 18 feet of solid brickwork. These reliquaries together held the largest group of precious offerings ever recorded in a single deposit: around 1,800 gemstones and semi-precious stones, rock crystals, pearls, coral, sheet gold and silver etc.
The site is serene and beautiful with water lilies booming in a large pond. We sat down in a mango grove facing the stupa, had picnic lunch and listened to Shantum’s account of the Buddha’s life. Meditation at this special place is a blessing. We had a long drive to Sravasti with two nice surprises. First we saw a large group of beautiful sarus cranes before sunset. Second, we had a nice stop in a Thai temple which offered pilgrims nice ginger tea and noodles! I was greedy and had both!
February 19 – 21 Sravasti (Lotus Nikko)
We were thrilled when Br Phap Dung told us to sign up for a Five Mindfulness Trainings transmission ceremony to be held in the Jetavana Grove the next day. I took refuge in the Three Gems in July 2023 and joined a winter retreat in Hong Kong in end 2023 and another two-week winter retreat in Plum Village last November. Since I have deepened my faith and understanding of Buddha’s profound teachings, I felt ready for undertaking formally the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
Sravasti, close to today’s Nepalese border, was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kosala and the place where Buddha lived most after his enlightenment. It was home of King Prasenajit, the royal patron of the Buddha and home of Anathapindada, the richest early donor for the Buddha. After their first meeting in the Venuvana in Rajgir, he bought the land of the Jetavana Grove with gold and offered it to the Buddha. It is believed to be where the Buddha taught many of his sutras: 871 sutras in the four Nikayas of Buddhist Canons are based in Sravasti. Buddha also converted many famous disciples and performed the “Sravasti miracles”. It was a prosperous area from the time of the Buddha (c 5th century BCE) to at least 12th century CE. The site, one of the most famous monasteries in Buddhist history, was rediscovered by a team of British and Indian archaeologists in late 19th-century with excavations through the 1990s.
After breakfast on February 20, we walked mindfully to Jetavana Grove (about 1.5 km) which is now a historical park with remains of many ancient buildings including Gandhakuti (Buddha’s hut), Kosambakuti, stupas and the Anandabodhi Tree (the second-holiest tree of Buddhism). As soon as I entered the complex, I felt something unique and special about this atmospheric place: morning rays shining through mature trees and bamboo groves fell on the blackish and reddish brick remains. We walked past the Anandabodhi Trees with pilgrims from Sri Lankan sitting under it. Shantum found a wonderful place under bodhi trees not far from Temples 17 and 18. As usual, we sat listening to his wonderful account of the Buddha’s life and special events taking place here. When I closed my eyes meditating, I had a feeling of deja vu: I had been here before! I was moved and moist came over my eyes: I have arrived; I am home.
The ceremony was held in this most befitting and beautiful setting. The Five Mindfulness Trainings of the Plum Village tradition represent the Buddhist vision for a global spirituality and ethic. They are concrete expression of the Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. They encompass “Reverence For Life, True Happiness, True Love, Loving Speech and Deep Listening and Nourishment and Healing“. The ceremony was simple and dignified. One participant was invited to recite one practice; a monastic asked those who had signed up whether they would follow the practice and we replied “yes, I do”. At the end, each of us was called up to collect a certificate with our dharma name. Mine is Sacred Way of the Source. I was elated feeling tranquil and peaceful: I have found the Path.
In the afternoon, we visited the Angulimala Stupa and the Vishakha Palace. Angulimala was a dreaded dacoit who wore a necklace of fingers that were chopped from his victims. Appearing at his door when Angulimala was about to kill his mother, the Buddha stopped him and later turned him into a disciple. His transformation is seen as the example par excellence of the redemptive power of the Buddha’s teaching and his skill as a teacher. Angulimala is seen by Buddhists as the ‘patron saint’ of childbirth and is associated with fertility in South and Southeast Asia. Vishakha, the chief female patron of the Buddha, founded the temple of Migaranatupasada which together with the monastery in Jetavana Monastery are considered the two most important temples in the time of Gautama Buddha.
February 21-22 Lucknow (Holiday Inn)
Today was the last day of the pilgrimage. After breakfast, I walked on my own and met up with the group at Jetavana Grove at 9:30am. We stayed comfortably in the same cool tranquil spot under the bodhi trees meditating before sharing our feelings and thoughts. The three – hour sharing was moving. Shantum had suggested earlier that we could reflect on the journey by composing a poem. Some shared their beautiful poems while other talked emotionally about their thoughts and feelings. I was very moved. I told my friends that I first visited India in 1978 and this pilgrimage was totally different from the one in 2017. As a Buddhist, I found this pilgrimage a spiritual journey and not a tourist trail as before. While sitting at this particular spot the day before, I felt instinctively that I had been here before and was ready for taking the transmission of the Five Mindfulness Trainings (Five Precepts). After this pilgrimage, I am determined to practice more diligently and would return again. The brothers and sisters gave us the best souvenir: they sang beautifully for us with Sr. Trai Neighm playing the violin. After lunch, we sat off at 3pm heading for Lucknow which is about 160km away and we arrive around 8 pm.
February 22 – Delhi – Hong Kong
Today, about half of the group including myself would end our journey in Delhi and return home. The remaining half including my roommate Mirella would be heading to Agra and depart on February 23. A small group would go onto visit Ajanta and Ellora caves on February 24 – 26. We had an emotional farewell: we embraced each other, took plenty of pictures and sang heartily for the last time. It was noon when I landed in Delhi. As my flight to Hong Kong would not be leaving till 11 pm, I had at least five hours for a whirlwind visit of the capital. I originally planned to store my luggage at the airport and take the metro for the first time. Unfortunately the luggage storage facility which looks limited was full(!). I therefore took a taxi for 2,600 rupees for five hours and invited a monastic from New Zealand to join. As it was Sunday, the traffic was not too bad. The driver drove through leafy and posh districts including the Presidential Palace to the Indian Gate before taking us to a restaurant nearby. We had a nice vegetarian lunch before heading to the famous Lotus Temple, Baha’i House of Worship. It was close to 5 pm and we had to return to the airport. The driver took me to a local commercial area near the airport where I bought a few cheap Indian cotton tops. I checked in after 7pm. As usual the Delhi airport is hectic: I took over an hour to check in and got through security and immigration. I waited for another half an hour to get into a paid-lounge! Delhi airport 2025, though much better than the one in 1975, still has a lot to catch up. Anyway, I had an enjoyable and wonderful afternoon touring around the capital, departed on time and was back in HK before 7 am on February 23.
Remarks
Today was April 3: I was in Cape Town about to embark on another journey sailing along the West African Coast to Lisbon which was the path of many explorers since the 15th century. I told myself I must complete my reflections and the notes on the pilgrimage which has been the most memorable spiritual journey in this present life. I confess there are simply too many memorable aspects including people, places and moments and it is impossible to recount all aspects. Anyway, all phenomena are empty! Nonetheless as a mortal / uncultivated person, I still wish to put down a few worth noting aspects of this unique journey.
First, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to the compassionate monastics and fellow pilgrims, and the most knowledgeable Shantum.
Second, I find the sacred and holy sites more endearing this time as I have learnt more about the Buddha’s life and teachings through my Buddhist studies from 2020 to 2023, Thay’s book “Old Path White Clouds” which Shantum reminded us to read before the trip, and his highlights at each site.
Third, India has made some changes since my first visit in 1978 and first pilgrimage in 2017 especially its airport facilities. Nonetheless, the noise, vibrant colours, diversity of people and cultures, or in short the DNA of India and Varanasi, remain unchanged.
Finally, I have put the most evocative and illuminating moment of the journey in a short poem for memory and sharing. I am sure I shall undertake another pilgrimage if conditions permit.