Northwest Passage Canada – USA September 15 – 19, 2024

Posted on September 15, 2024 by Sarah

Day 15 September 10 Queen Maud Gulf – At Sea

We sailed the whole day. Part of the Gulf is part of the Queen Maud Gulf Bird Sanctuary, Canada’s largest protected area. Unfortunately, no activity was allowed. I attended Alessandro’s interesting lecture on plankton in the morning and Julie’s promotional talk on Le Commandant Charcot destinations. I am most interested in an inaugural route from Hobart to Cape Town in 2025. But it is outrageously expensive. I watched the debate between D Trump and K Harris in the evening. I find Trump’s anti-immigration remarks about Haitians eating pet dogs and cats shocking and ridiculous.

Day 16 September 11 Edinburgh Island, Nunavut

We spent a full day in Edinburgh Island: the plan was to make two hiking trips in different parts of the island. I joined an intermediate group and hiked for an hour and a half. The landscape and tundra scenery were impressive. We were lucky to spot and watch an Arctic fox before returning to the boat.

The weather was superb. After lunch, I got ready to take a zodiac ride at 2 pm for another hike at the eastern end of the island. Unfortunately, two brown bears were spotted near a nearby beach. As a result, the landing was cancelled and we could only take an hour’s zodiac cruise to enjoy the impressive land formation and tundra colours. We spotted a couple of nests on the cliffs. While some passengers were upset, I took whatever came with ease and had a most enjoyable afternoon cruise.

In the evening, I attended a concert “Around the World” performed by the five artists. Their round the world journey only covered US, Australia, Brazil, Jamaica, Spain and France. This can’t be a RTW trip today- it should include Asia and Africa!

Day 17 September 12 Ulukhaktok, Victoria Island NWT

Victoria Island is a large island in the Arctic Archipelago and Canada’s second largest island with an area of 217,291 sq km. We landed in Ulukhaktok (also known as Holman) with about 500 inhabitants in the afternoon and had over an hour to explore on our own. Some passengers had a round of golf as well. I walked along the coast and had an interesting chat with the deputy mayor who is a hunter with another job with the local government. I am impressed by the high standard of community facilities and housing (as compared with other communities we had visited). The inhabitants care about the place and have kept it tidy and clean. At 4pm, we gathered at the community hall for an excellent cultural performance. Different groups performed drums and dance. Our expedition team and some guests joined and had much fun. The last zodiac was supposed to be at 5:30pm. But the locals did not want the party to end: I finally took the last zodiac just before 6 pm.

This is our only landing in Inuvialuit. I am most impressed by the enthusiasm and energy of the locals and the provisions in a local store which was well-stocked including beautiful fabric and fur items. The coats lined with fur worn by a few locals are most beautiful. Before taking the last zodiac back to the boat, a 86-year-old lady treated us with fresh char her family caught that day.

Day 18 September 13 Smoking Hills Northwest Territories

Located on the east coast of Cape Bathurst at the junction of the Amundsen Gulf in the Northwest Territories , next to the Arctic Ocean, Smoking Hills contain strata of hydrocarbons (oil shales) that have been burning continuously for centuries. Considered one of the most fascinating, mysterious and unique natural phenomena on the planet, the cliffs were named by Sir John Franklin on his 1826 expeditions. Smoking Hills with countless smoke columns emanating from cliffs coloured in ochre and crimson are surreal. As I was in the last zodiac cruise that would set off after 10 am, I even had time for the 30-minute stretch class. for 90 minutes got close to the cliffs. It was cloudy and I thoroughly enjoyed a most atmospheric zodiac cruise where we got fairly close to the cliffs. But the sea was choppy and I almost had seasickness.

In the afternoon, I attended a lecture “Inuit life of the 1920s-1960s” given by Gwen (an Inuit) and Murielle. I have been to Greenland and Nunavat before. However, it is the first time I have heard so much from an Inuit about her own history and culture. That evening just before midnight, the Captain told us through the public address system that northern lights had appeared. I put on warm clothes and spent an hour on deck. With the aid of the phone set in night mode, I could see faint green and blue (?) colours. Unfortunately, it soon became misty and I returned to bed.

Day 19 September 14 Sailing Beaufort Sea

We sailed straight for five days till we got off the boat in Nome. The time on the boat still passed as quickly as before. I attended three lectures – “Apnea” relating to free diving, “Mastering your camera” Tips and Tricks; and “Invasive species in the Arctic”. We also had a caviar tasting with music in he main lounge. In the evening, we were encouraged to take part in “Saturday Night Fever”. Unfortunately few guests turned up! Perhaps we are all too old for disco dancing. The highlight of the day came when the captain told us to watch northern lights on deck. The lights were much stronger tonight though the colours were only visible when I took a photo with my phone with night mode on. I ended up staying up till almost 3 am watching the lights moving rapidly above my head and from the balcony of my room.

Day 20 September 15 Beaufort Sea

Life at sea continued. We had a lecture on “The Inuvialuit” one of the four Inuit regions in Canada, followed by another on “Greenland Shark” which can live for a few hundred of years! In the afternoon, the Chief Engineer and Staff Captain gave a surprisingly interesting talk about the construction and design of Le Boreal and things behind the scene. Wonderful! The highlight today was the Crew Talent Show with the participation of 12 teams. The staff had put in a lot of efforts with dance, singing, magic etc. The show lasted for over two hours. I was glad that the housekeeping team won the contest!

Day 21 September 16 Chukchi Sea

  • No Lack of Champagne & Alcohol
  • Sampled Cocktail of the Day Everyday

Day 22 September 17 Moon Festival at Chukchi Sea

Today was the Moon Festival, an auspicious festival in Chinese calendar. The Captain gave us a nice surprise when we found the boat surrounded by extensive sea ice. We had our last zodiac cruise among sea ice. They found a big piece of ice floe that could allow us to get on and have a glass of champagne. Really special especially on the occasion of the Moon Festival. We all jumped with joy and my friends and I were once again the last passengers to return to the boat. At 11:30 am our Chinese friends (22 in total) from the Mainland organised a party on the observation lounge to celebrate the festival. I joined and we sang, drank a glass of champagne and had a small piece of mooncake.

Today, we continued to have lectures on “Poles” by David, the expedition team leader, and “The Canadian Arctic Expeditions 1913-1918, a workshop on “Apnea”, and a presentation on “around the world by bicycle”. I was in a good mood and even went to the Main Lounge after dinner to listen to piano melody by Greg Gigante, Safety Officer of Le Boreal.

Day 23 September 18 Diomede Islands & King Island, Alaska

Today was the last sailing day. I was thrilled when I saw a full moon from my balcony around 7:30 am. It was most enchanting and warmed my heart. I stayed on deck taking photos and watching the boat sailing towards the Diomede Islands: the Big Diomede island belongs to Russia while the Little Diomede Island is part of US territory. The weather was perfect: we spent most of the time on deck. Before lunch, I attended a lecture on “Salmon fishing in Alaska” and another Apnea workshop. In the afternoon, we had a lecture on “Cetaceans of the Arctic” before scenic navigation of the King Island.

In the evening, I went to the theatre for an experience sharing “23 days in Kayak in Greenland Ice” with Ben of the expedition team.

September 19 End of Expedition Nome – Seattle

We had to get up very early as the US immigration officers came on board before 7 am. The weather was poor rainy and grey when I stepped off the boat around 8:30am. Goodbye Le Boreal!

We spent a few hours in Nome before flying to Seattle at 2 pm. Today Nome, home to Inupiat natives and known for its Gold Rush 1898 to 1909, has a population of about 3,700 (2020 census). There is a kind of frontier town and I find it hard to imagine it once had a population of some 10,000. I first took a bus tour to see muskoxen outside the town before taking a museum tour. The display and illustrations are excellent. I learn the history of the gold rush and how gold was mined in Nome as well as the remarkable history of the Iditarod Dog Sled Race which began in 1925. As a diphtheria epidemic raged in Nome, the territory-wide blizzard conditions prevented the delivery of diphtheria antitoxin serum to Nome. A relay of dog sled teams successfully delivered the serum from Anchorage to Nome. The weather had improved and I enjoyed spending half an hour strolling along main street visiting the Salon (since 1900), the Visitor Centre, a shop selling souvenirs and another selling marijuana products. It is sad to see many houses especially along the shore destroyed by Typhoon Merbok on September 17, 2022, are still in need of repair.

We had a 4-hour flight to Seattle. As my connecting flight to Taipei-Sapporo would be departing around 1 am, I said goodbye to Maria, Karen and Heidi and stayed at the airport. Fortunately I was able to check in shortly after 9 pm and relaxed in a lounge.

Remarks (to add)

Categories: Expeditions, My American trips | Comments Off on Northwest Passage Canada – USA September 15 – 19, 2024

Northwest Passage Canada 3-9 September 2024

Posted on September 8, 2024 by Sarah

Northwest Passage

The NW Passage refers to the sea lane between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic Ocean along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Arctic Archipelago of Canada often blocked by ice. The most well-known expedition in search of the passage was led by Sir John Franklin in 1845 that ended in disaster without any survivor. An ice-bound route was discovered in 1850 by Robert McClure during his search of Franklin’s missing party. Roald Amundsen became the first person to find a route making a complete passage in 1903-1906. The passage essentially comprises three sections: east of Baffin Island – Greenland; centre comprising Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and west – coast of the Bering Strait.

Inuit Nunangat

Inuit are the descendants of the Thule people who emerged from the Bering Strait and western Alaska around 1000CE. They are believed to have split from the related Aleut group about 4000 years ago and from northeastern Siberian migrants. They then spread eastern across the Arctic. In Canada, Inuit formed the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami in 1971 (from the former Inuit Tapirisat of Canada). Today, Inuit Nunangat is made up of four distinct regional homelands: Inuvialuit (Northwest Territories), Nunavut, Nunavik (Northern Quebec), and Nunatsiavut Northern Labrador) that became its own territory in 1999.

Day 8 September 3 Pond Inlet, Nunavat

As we would be sailing the whole morning, we attended two lectures in the morning: one on “Centralisation and development of Greenland” and the other by Nick on iphone photography (1).

Pond Inlet is not strange to me as I was there on 11 and 13 August 2018 with a Canadian expedition. As it took a while to clear customs, we could not disembark till almost 3 pm. We had the same programme beginning with a cultural performance in the community hall with a dozen performers including a 70-year-old lady who looks fit and healthy. I remember the twin sisters! The performance including throat singing, Inuit games, dance, kicking, competition etc. last for over an hour. I remember some of the faces and took photos with my old friends! Afterwards, we had a quick stop at the museum. It started to drizzle and I was back on the boat around 6pm.

Day 9 September 4 Lancaster Sound & Crocker Bay

In 2018, I visited the Dundas Harbour and Croker Bay. This time, we had a morning cruise at Lancaster Sound enjoying our first Arctic icescape. The weather was perfect and we stayed on Deck 7 with panoramic views. We saw a bearded seal with a big wound on ice too. I also attended a lecture “When Nunavut was created“

In the afternoon, we had zodiac cruise to see glaciers and icebergs in Croker Bay. We saw gorgeous icebergs in amazing shapes and all shades of blue. There were plenty of seals in the bay too. We celebrated the great day with a glass of champagne in the zodiac. In the evening, I watched a documentary movie “Ice and sky“.

c

Day 10 September 5 Beechey Island & Devon Island

We had arctic weather this morning: cold, grey and miserable. We visited the most well-known historical site associated with Franklin’s lost expedition which set off from the UK in 1845 with a total of 129 officers and men on HKS Erebus and HMS Terror under the command of Sir John Franklin (1786- June 847). Their task was to traverse the last unnavigated sections of the NW Passage int he Canadian Arctic and to record magnetic data to further understanding on navigation in the region. They had three years’ provision on board and wintered on Beechey Island in 1845-46. They were icebound in Victoria Strait near King William Island and both vessels were abandoned in April 1848 by which point Franklin and two dozen men had died. The rest led by Francis Crozier (second-in-command) and James Fitzjames (Erebus’s captain) headed south setting out for the Canadian mainland and eventually perished. Their mysterious disappearance sparked off a spate of search for the lost men and research studies. In 2014, a research team of Park Canada located the wreck of Erebus in the eastern portion of Queen Maud Gulf. The wreck of Terror was located south of the King William Island in 2016.

In the afternoon we visited another archeological site at Caswell Tower which features impressive and imposing geological feature. It was a grey bleak day with drizzle and fog. I walked a long way along the beach to see several Thule remnants with bowhead whale bones. Atmospheric!

Day 11 September 6 Creswell Bay Somerset Island & Bellot Strait

I signed up for a morning canyon walk on Fury Island which landscape has turquoise green water and sheer cliffs reminiscent of the Grand Canyon or the High Atlas in Morocco. But before 8am, we spotted four bears on the beach. Their presence changed our plan: we stayed onboard watching a big male bear and a mom with two cubs for almost an hour. No landing!

The expedition team decided to arrange us to visit an archeological sites at . Creswell Bay to visit a large Thule settlement with many units built with bowhead whales. The main one has as many as 15 bowhead whale bones. The polar desert landscape is surreal especially on a beautiful sunny day with blue sky and reflections. The water was crystal clear with a sort of jelly fish! I had a most wonderful and relaxing walk for an hour. The boat set sail for Bellot Strait around 3pm.

I attended a lecture on “Did Franklin eat his shoes again?” that refreshed my memory of this disastrous expedition. Unfortunately by the time we arrived at the entrance of the strait, it was around 8 pm. We were told we would have a scenic sailing through the 17-km long strait which has various locations with history. It was getting dark and foggy. Apart from seeing Fort Ross at the entrance, we hardly saw much. Nothing one can do with the weather! At 10pm, I went to the main lobby to enjoy live music for half an hour. There were only two guests at the lobby after a group of officers left. I stayed on till the end to support the singer with a lovely sweet voice

Day 12 September 7 No Landing at Pasley Bay & Crusing

After stretching exercise and a good breakfast, I got ready for a medium walk on the Pasley Bay which is located on the east side of the Boothia Peninsula and laying on the east side of Larsen Sound near the entrance to James Ross Strait, north of King William Island. Henry Larson overwintered on the second successful transit of the Passage, going west to east and passing through Bellot Strait in 1940-42. The landscape is supposed to include a low gravel and bog foreshore populated with sedge and cotton grasses. We were on the zodiac around 9:30 am heading to the shore only to be told to turn back five minutes later: a bear was spotted nearby and all passengers had to be evacuated. Back to the boat! C’est la vie on an expedition. The weather and strong wind meant nothing could be arranged. I attended Nick’s iphone photography (2) on “How to organise your image” in the afternoon and Daniela’s talk “Polar bear: The Lord of the Ice“. At the Officers’ Dinner tonight, I was on a table with two young female French navigation officers and three other passengers. I learnt a lot about their work at the bridge and life of officers on board.

Day 13 September 8 M’Clintock Channel

The Captain decided to make a diversion north to the M’Clintock Channel to give us the last chance to see sea ice. We were not disappointed: an hour-long zodiac cruising among the sea ice gave us an opportunity to understand the formation and beauty of sea ice that is different from ice broken from icebergs. It was atmospheric as it was foggy with a melancholic atmsophere.

I watched a documentary “The Great Ice Bear” at 11 am and attended a lecture on Roald Amundsen in the afternoon. For the second time, I watched the show ”Singing in Paris” performed by the five artists of Le Boreal in the Main Lounge till 10 pm. A full day!

Day 14 September 9 Gjoa Haven

Gjoa Haven a town named after Amundsen’s boat where Amundsen spent two years living and learned the Inuit way of life for survival in harsh Arctic environment. Today it has a population over 1000 the majority are young people. We disembarked after 1:30pm and I spent three and a half hours ashore. There is a small museum on Inuit life and culture. I flipped through a book on the discovery of HKS Investigator that made two voyages (1848-1853) to the Arctic to search for Franklin’s ill-fated expedition. It was abandoned in 1853 after becoming trapped in the pack ice. In 2010, a research team led by Park Canada located the wreck of Investigator in Mercy Bay at the northern tip of Aulavik National Park.

At 4 pm we gathered in the community hall for an hour’s performance by local artists, two female throat singers and six dancers. David and his team members, and some passengers danced with the locals. I was glad to see many kids and local people coming to watch the show, had snacks (soup made with salmon and caribou and bread) and danced. I took many photos of the lovely kids.

Tonight, I signed up for a dinner with a naturalist. It was like a blind date as I did not know who would be the host. I was indeed to find Max as our host. He is a good story-teller telling us vividly about his close encounter (less than 100m) with a big bear in Pasley Bay. This is a once-in-a-life time experience. He was calm when he looked into the bear’s eye. He felt the bear was just as shocked to see him and had no intention to attack him. After gazing at each other for a brief moment, the bear stepped back but came forward shortly afterwards (he gathered there was a slope and the bear had to advance in order to walk away). At this point, he fired at the sky and the bear ran away. After a delightful dinner I watched a 2-hour movie “Roald Amundsen” in Norwegian with English subtitles. Another long active day!

Categories: Expeditions, My American trips | Comments Off on Northwest Passage Canada 3-9 September 2024

Northwest Passage: Greenland 28 August – 2 September 2024

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Sarah

The NW Passage is the sea lane between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Arctic Archipelago of Canada. Le Boreal’s journey called “The Northwest Passage, in the wake of Roald Amundsen” suggests the route taken would follow those of Amundsen (1872-1928). Amundsen was the first explorer who succeeded in navigating the passage from 1903 to 1906 in Gjoa Havn, a small vessel (47 tonnes) with a crew of six men.

Day 1 August 28 Paris – Kangerlussuaq – Le Boreal

Our flight would depart Paris CDG Airport for Kangerlussuaq at 10am. We took ten minutes to walk to the airport for check-in. Things went smoothly and the flight departed on schedule. I love Greenland after travelling with Oceanwide from August 7 to September 2, 2015 from Disco Bay to Thule. After flying for five hours, we landed shortly after 1 pm (local time). We had a light lunch at the restaurant by Lake Ferguson before proceeding to the port where I had my first sight of Le Boreal.

I was pleased to step into my room which would be my home for the next 22 days. I unpacked and attended mandatory briefing and safety drill. We had a short briefing before dinner where we met Captain Charbel Daher, David, the expedition leader and the team. I was totally exhausted by the time I went to bed.

Day 2 August 29 Sisimiut

Founded in 1756, Sisimiut is the second largest town in Greenland after Nuuk, the capital city. The colourful stilt houses dot the underlying landscape. I went ashore after 9:30am and spent the whole morning strolling around a number of historical buildings including an old blue church (Bethel Church 1775), the new Sisimiut Church perching on a hill top, a museum on the history of the Inuit people, the town itself and the World Heritage Site of Aasivissuit-Nipisat, Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea (covering an area of 4178 sq km). This is my first visit to this town and I am impressed by the high quality interactive interpretations and presentations of the museum and in the churches. All guests had a chance to sample local cuisine. We returned to the boat for lunch.

At 1:30pm, I joined a group for a medium hike to see archeological sites of first settlers in the area. Given my hip problem, I found the rocky terrain challenging. At one point, I thought of turning back. Then I switched to a ‘relax’ group and walked with ease. Murielle, the archeologist, gave interesting explanations on site. The scenery and weather were gorgeous. I got back to the boat around 4pm. Before a gala dinner, we attended the welcome cocktail with Captain Charbel Daher and his officers.

Day 3 August 30 Ilulissat

Ilulissat, the third largest town in Greenland, seems to have grown since my last visit in 2015. The sea was rough with big waves. I was lucky to stay dry during the long zodiac ride to the pier located in the busy fishing port. I was surprised to find altogether four cruise ships in Ilulissat. We had a bus ride to the starting point of the 1.3km-long broad- walk to see the Ilulissat Icefjord, a World Heritage Site. It was cold and windy and I walked very slowly and took a while to reach the view point. Before taking the last bus at noon, I spent almost an hour in the museum. However I confess I did not have enough time to see all the exhibits. On the zodiac ride back to the boat, we were soaked in sea water as the zodiac was battling with strong wind and big waves.

Day 4 August 31 Sermigdlip Kangerdlua & Akulleq

We appreciated Captain Daher’s decision to take early departure from Ilulissat. The weather today was excellent. We had a wonderful zodiac cruising among icebergs in Sermigdlip Kangerdlua.

After lunch, we set foot on Akulleq, a desert island in Uummannaq Bay. The moonscape is impressive and surreal with mineral of remarkable ochre yellow and orange as well as foliage colours of red, yellow, and orange. I had one walking pole and managed to hike almost to the top for amazing panoramic views of the bay marred with countless icebergs in most impressive forms. We also found an archeological site comprising a fox trap on this island. Murielle pointed out how the trap worked. Apparently there is one more trap on the island. I had a most wonderful day!

Day 5 September 1 Kullorsuaq

We sailed the whole morning and had a leisure time onboard. We reached Kullorsuaq before 3 pm. We were the last group to leave the boat at 3:50pm. Once we were ashore, we watched a traditional hunter (who is 66) to demonstrate how he used the harpoon for his prey, large and small.

I wandered around this small community that is still lives off fishing and seal or bear hunting. The houses look worn out and discolored: not as prosperous as compared with those we have visited. I saw many children with smiles. They look happy and healthy! I spoke with a teacher from Nuuk who would be leaving in two days for Nuuk. She and her children moved here a year ago when she took up a teaching post. Then one of her four children is sick and the medical service here is inadequate. The child accompanied by her father and siblings has to go back to Nuuk for treatment. She therefore decides to return to the capital and stay with her family. Life is harsh!

I had problems with walking at first. Then I walked with ease with two walking poles. I was happy to finally reach the top for a panoramic view before heading back to the beach. I caught the last boat back to the boat shortly after 6 pm. The boat set sail to Savissivik which is over 300 NM away.

Day 6 September 2 Savissivik

We sat the clock back an hour. Unfortunately, my mobile phone did not change automatically. I went for breakfast after 7 am and thought I had plenty of time as I would not set off till 8:35 am. Alas, when I asked a staff for time, I discovered I only had ten minutes to get ready. I rushed off without finishing my breakfast! Our group had 45 minutes of zodiac cruising before landing on an archeological site with both Saqqaq and Thule remains. The area is known as iceberg graveyard. We had a nice cruise around medium-sized iceberg. I forgot my walking pole. luckily, the the path was covered with fresh snow and was not too slippery or steep. I managed to see both sites. We were back on the boat before 11 am.

Once we were all on board, we set sail to Canada. We had two lectures today- “The Frozen North: Exploring Glaciology and Greenland’s Arctic Landscape” by Lorena, and ‘Arctic Archeology” by Murielle. I enjoyed both talks.

Categories: Expeditions, My Europe trips | Comments Off on Northwest Passage: Greenland 28 August – 2 September 2024

Pre-Northwest Passage: UK & France 18-27 August 2024

Posted on September 1, 2024 by Sarah

Why the Northwest Passage?

The historical Northwest Passage (the Passage) has never been on my bucket list. Then in March 2024 while travelling on the Silver Cloud, I discovered a good deal on Le Boreal Ponant that charges no single supplement on the Passage this summer. The expedition would begin in Paris on 28 August ending in Seattle on 19 September. I signed up and decided to spend four days in London to visit old friends and four days to explore Provence before arriving at Paris CDG Airport on August 27. Two friends, Maria and Karen whom I first met on a foliage trip in Xinjiang decided to join. Heidi, a friend of Maria also joined. We end up having four ladies from Hong Kong on the boat!

Paris 18 August 2024

I left Hong Kong just before midnight on 17 August and arrived before 8 am in Paris. I got a day pass for 18 euro. I first took a train to Gare du Nord. As I could not check in till 3 pm, I made full use of the pass by taking a bus tour and found Paris dead quiet on Sunday. After having a Lebanese brunch, I took a metro to National Museum of Asian Arts-Guimet at Pl d’Lena. I spent two hours looking at Greco-Buddhist art (Gandhara art) mostly from present day Pakistan and Afghanistan, Serindian (Xinjiang) and Chinese art, Indian art (Amaravati and Mathura style, the Gupta and Pala period etc), Southeast Asian art from Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand), Myanmar and Japan.

The exhibitions are well illustrated (mostly in French with some English). with my hip problem, I can’t and should not walk too long. After standing for over two hours in the museum, I took the bus back to the hotel and was ready to sleep by 8pm.

London 19-22 August 2024

After a good sleep, I got up fresh and ready for taking Eurostar to London. It took me less than ten minutes to walk to Gare du Nord and I had a comfortable 2-hour ride to St Pancras station next to King’s Cross Train Station. I found a room in a basic hotel opposite the station. Nothing fancy and clean, bright and airy! I simply stayed in my room reading till I decided to look for a musical. I picked “Next to Normal” at Wyndham’s Theatre. I paid for 50 pounds for a good seat in the royal circle. It is an intimate exploration of family and illness, loss and grief. The wife and mother lost her boy developed depression and bipolar disorder. The singing and acting are powerful with a storyline that is sadly fairly common these days. I have not been to a musical for many years. I really enjoy the show. Unfortunately, with hearing problem probably set off by a flu after my trip to Australia, I found the thundering music almost beyond my tolerance. I can no longer take heavy and loud music in future.

For the next three days, I met Steuart (my former boss in Brussels), Emily (a good friend from HK), Betty (whom I met in the UK), Carla (my roommate in India) and Robert (a former colleague) for lunch and dinner. As I get older, I treasure more and more my time with good friends. Steuart who lives in Oxford is 91 and I hope to visit him again on my next visit. I was moved to see Robert who had a fall the night before but insisted to take the train to London to meet up with me. He was walking with a stick, and I was relieved when he sent me an email saying he arrived home safely. We are all getting old and with my hip problem, I also do not know whether I would be fit for travel in a few years’ time. Before lunch with Robert on 22 August, I visited the British Museum to see the Buddhist art section. Impressive illustrations and collections. After lunch, I took the Eurostar back to Paris at 6pm and stayed in the same hotel near Gare du Nord for one night.

Paris & Provence 22-27 August 2024

With my hip problem, I could not carry heavy things and walk too much. I therefore decided to explore Provence and stay in Ibis Hotel next to the Avignon Centre train station. I also bought an Eurail Global Pass with flexible use for four days. The first journey was on Eurostar back from London to Paris on 22 August. Then I took TGV from Gare de Lyon to Avignon on 23 August. I like the French train service, and the journey took just over two hours. Then I had to take a 6-minute connecting train to Avignon Centre. The hotel is two minutes away. Excellent!

As I could not check in till 3 pm, I decided to use the train pass to go places. The train that came into the station would be heading to Nimes. But I got off at the wrong station- Nimes de Gard which has nothing to see. But I am impressed by the modern design of the train station. I took the next train back to Avignon and checked in the hotel shortly after 3 pm. It was so hot that I did not venture out till 5:30 pm. I walked to the centre and had an early lunch. I bought a combined ticket for 13 euro (reduced price for senior citizens) for the Papal Palace and garden, and the Bridge of Avignon. I walked up the view point in the garden next to Notre-Dames-des-Doms. Fantastic view, peaceful and quiet. I sat and watched sunset. After sunset, I strolled aimlessly in the atmospheric old town with numerous outdoor restaurants.

24 August– I joined a “Full Day Best of Provence” (USD173). The trip started at 8:30 am with a nice young French guide Rimi. We had four passengers and explored the Provencal landscape in the Luberon (with some 35 villages). In the morning we had two main stops at Roussillon famous for its ochre soil and landscape and Fontaine-de-Vaucluse known for its Karst spring – the largest in France. We also had a brief photo stop at Gordes. Unfortunately, the lavender season was over. I must revisit this region in end June or July to see lavender.

In the afternoon, we spent over an hour in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, Les Baux-de-Provence and Pont du Gard, a World Heritage Site which is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century CE. By the time we got back to Avignon, it was almost 7 pm. I went to enjoy a sumptuous dinner at Bidendum.

  • 275m long, 6.4m wide & 48.8m high

25 August– I took the train to Marseille at 7:53 am and spent a great morning exploring on my own. I bought a hop-on tourist bus ticket for 22 euro with 14 stops. Given my hip problem, I only stopped at the Our Lady of the Guard Basilica on top of a hill and the Major Cathedral close to the port. I found Marseille vibrant and charming. The basilica offers the most commanding panoramic views of Marseille. I was unable to go inside due to an ongoing mass. The cathedral is impressive too. I was a bit tired and sat near the old port people watching.

After 2 pm, I walked back to the station and took a train to Aix-en-Provence just before 3 pm. I have heard a lot about this charming village. I soaked in the atmosphere having a late lunch till 4 pm. I strolled aimlessly visiting a couple of old churches, squares and fountains. I bought a bus ticket with Flexibus which was a big mistake. The bus (6 euro) departed at 9pm and took just an hour to Avignon. Alas, it stopped outside the old town in the middle of nowhere! Luckily I had an uber app and spent 20 euro to get back to Avignon. A mini adventure!

26 August– I joined another half day tour “Follow the Footstep of Van Gogh” (USD110). Our nice guide drove us to Arles, one of the oldest cities in France. It was a leading city of the western Roman Empire. I can see portions of the wall around the old town are Roman, a Roman arena (amphitheatre) and theatre, and an obelisk. We had a good walking tour of the main attractions before having over an hour to discover the charming town on our own. The Romanesque church of Saint-Trophime founded in the 7th century and other Roman monuments are inscribed on the World Heritage properties. Van Gogh moved to Arles from Paris in February 1888, had an artistic breakthrough with some 200 works painted during this short period. He worked with Paul Gauguin who joined him in October.

The guide took us to see the location of the yellow house when he lived, where he painted his Starry Night Over the Rhone, and Cafe Terrace at Night, and the hospital where he was taken when he cut his ear on 23 December 1889. During this productive period, Van Gogh painted some 200 works. In May 1889, Van Gogh left Arles to be voluntarily committed to a psychiatric institution in Saint-Remy-de-Provence which we spent an hour before returning to Avignon.

I got back to Avignon around 2:30pm and I planned to visit the use my combined ticket to visit the Papal Palace and the Bridge of Avignon- both World Heritage Properties. The palace and fortress built during the 14th century was the conclaves of six Popes (Benedict X11, Clement VI, Innocent VI, Urban V and Gregory XI and Benedict XIII 1334 – 1395). The complex is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe.

All visitors are given a pad for a self-guided interactive tour. Being an IT idiot, I had difficulties in figuring out how to use it at first. The palace is vast and spread over six to eight storeys (I guess). Given my walking problem, I struggled to walk up and down the endless staircases. The medieval structures and interpretations made the tour fairly interesting. After spending over two hours in the Palace, I made my way to the Bridge which last admission would be 6pm. Unfortunately when I arrived before 5:30pm, I found the gate closed with for exceptional reason. Visit by an exceptionally important guest? I could have visited it on 23 August when I got there. Lesson to be learnt: live mindfully and do thing I want and can without delay! I finished my stay in Avignon with a nice meal at Le Vintage.

On 27 August, I had a leisure travel day. I took the 6-minute train to Avignon TGV station and got on the 12:55 pm train to Paris CDG Airport. It was easy to take the light rail free shuttle train from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 and walked to Ibis Hotel by Terminal 3. My friends and travel mates Maria and Karen had already arrived from Hong Kong that morning. We had an early dinner before going to bed. But I got up at 2 am in the morning in order to attend the funeral service of Michelle with zoom. I visited her in Melbourne in late July and she passed away peacefully on 8 August. Life is precarious.

Categories: Expeditions, My Europe trips | Comments Off on Pre-Northwest Passage: UK & France 18-27 August 2024

Australia 16 July -3 August 2024

Posted on September 1, 2024 by Sarah

I took a short trip to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne primarily to visit my brother to celebrate his 72nd birthday and to visit Michelle and Caciano.

Categories: Australia & South Pacific | Comments Off on Australia 16 July -3 August 2024

Japan April 2024

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Sarah

Nowadays, I often travel for meeting my family and friends and reunions. This time, a friend would celebrate his 35th birthday on 27 April in Tokyo . As spring is a great time to see flowers in Japan, I took this opportunity to visit a few flower parks before joining my friends in Tokyo, Kamakura and Karuizawa.

Tokyo 23 – 29 April

I took a late morning flight and landed in the Narita Airport, Tokyo around 4:30 pm. The immigration service was very efficient (unlike the bad experience in Osaka last November) and I was on a bus heading to Shinjuku at 5:20 pm. I checked in a WPU Hotel which is very convenient and close to meeting points of the two day trips I had joined.

On April 24, I took a minibus tour (only nine passengers) to Mt Fuji on a rainy cold day. At the first stop – Fuji Motosuko Resort, we were given only an hour to visit a flower park known for Phlox subulata (ground pink). We paid an entrance fee of yen 1,000. While most tourists look for sunny days for selfies, I don’t mind all weathers: it is more atmospheric and moody with drizzle, mist and an overcast sky. The next stop was a spot for a postcard view of Mt Fuji. As it was raining, there was no view at all. We left after five minutes and stopped for lunch. All of us rushed in a mini-supermarket for bento / cup noodles / sandwich. Thereafter we were taken to the Gotemba Premier Outlets for two and a half hours! I headed to Konohana no Yu, a hot spring day spa which open-air baths overlook Mt Fuji. Though there was no view, the spring water proved to be good for my bones and muscles. At 4:30pm, we headed back to Tokyo. Most people on the minibus were disappointed. I took things easy enjoying the journey through mist, rain, spring green leaves and flowers.

On 25 April, I joined a tour to Hitachi Seaside Park in the morning and Ashikaga Flower Park in the afternoon. We set off at 7:30 am and did not return to Shinjuku till 6 pm. The bus was full with over 40 passengers. It took two hours to get to the seaside park: locals as well as tourists all come to see hemophilia. I found the crowd horrifying: I ran into people every single step. As I walked slowly I spent two and a half hours in a small corner of this expansive park enjoying the blue and purple hemophilia, yellow canola flower and watching people and their dog.

We had a bento/lunch box in the bus and arrived at Ashikaga famous for wisteria and rhododendron (azalea) at this time of the year. I spent a whole day in this park on my own in 2019. This time I was only given an hour to see the park. How could one really enjoy and appreciate the flowers when being surrounded by thousands of visitors? As a professional and flexible tourist, I made best use of my time revisiting the old and gigantic wisteria trees. The azalea was in full bloom with gorgeous colours. The park is indeed an extravaganza and the bright and colourful azaleas made me dizzy.

On 26 April, I moved to a hotel in Tsukiji where the famous fish market was once located. As I could not check in till 3 pm, I strolled in the area and had a fish bowl for lunch. I discovered that the Tsukiji Honganji was celebrating from 26 to 29 April the 850th anniversary of Honen (1173-1263) and the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Jodo Sect (Pure Land) of Buddhism in Japan. On the way back to the hotel, I stayed in temple and attended a ceremony. The hall was full and as the scripture was written in Chinese, I could follow the chanting. When I got back to the hotel after 3 pm, Alice also arrived from Hong Kong. We walked around Ginza with a view to finding a nintendo switch (a birthday present for Alan) to no avail. We googled and decided to take the metro to Shibuya which is a vibrant area full of young people. It was an eye-opening experience for me to see this famous game shop in a hip area. Alice and I had a beer after we accomplished our mission before joining Robert, Alan, Reiko, and Tracy for an excellent 8-course dinner at Habukatei in Shinjuku-ku.

Today was the big day for Alan. Robert, Alice and I spent a relaxing and most enjoyable afternoon to experience the neighbourhood in Omotesado Hills. I like the leafy, trendy, and relaxing atmosphere. We began with lunch at Afternoon Tea, an institution in the area famous for cakes. Then we visited a boutique shop to buy watches. We ended up in another shop buying pottery and drinking sake! In the evening, we had a sumptuous 8-course dinner in a French restaurant to celebrate Alan’s birthday. What a great day!

On 28 April, I spent a day with friends in Kamakura. We visited a friend’s holiday home in Enoshima with a lovely sea view on one side and Mt Fuji on a clear day from the other side. After spending a leisure morning strolling around and having a Thai lunch, we headed to Genjiyama Park to meet architect and ‘minka‘ expert Yoshihiro Takishita. His passion for wood and preservation of minka are admirable. We spent two hours talking about architecture, minka and art. Inspiring! We returned to Tokyo and had beef for dinner. But I had too much meat which upset my stomach.

Karuizawa 29 April – 1 May

I got up early from a sleepless night and attended a morning ceremony at Tsukiji Honganji from 7 to 8 am. Only a small number of Buddhists came and I once again could follow the chanting. The setting, clothes, decorations, music and rituals are different. I returned to the hotel doing nothing till I checked out at 11 am. I went straight to the Tokyo train station to wait for the 2 pm train to Karuizawa as I was in no mood to walk around. Tracy and I arrived in Karuizawa before 3:30pm. This was my second visit and I walked to the Kumobo Pond which still looked lovely. At 7:30pm, Robert, Alan, Tracy and I had another sumptuous dinner with wine, grilled beef and chicken at a nice western restaurant called Pyrenees.

We started the day on 30 April with drizzle. Despite the weather, we had a great busy day. We started off with a brunch finishing 1.5kg of soba in a typical noodle restaurant in Ginza shopping street in old Karuizawa. Then we visited the Shiraito Waterfall measuring 3m in height and 70m in width, in a lush forest. The next must-see is the Kumanokotai Shrine located at 1200m at the border of Nagano and Gunma Prefectures. I saw three elegant dogs that I have never seen before . The last stop was the Stone Church built with stone and glass in 1988 by American architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg in honour of Uchimura Kanzo, the Japanese Christian evangelist who founded the Nonchurch Movement in 1901. It is now a popular wedding venue. We were delighted to enjoy a nice cup of coffee in Bakery and Restaurant Sawamura that was opened in 2015. In the evening, Robert invited Tracy and I to his new vacation home which is a dream house! We had delicious shabu shabu paired with nice white and red wine. A great day!

  • Shiraitor Waterfall

The weather on my last day in Karuizawa was bad, cold and miserable. I took the 8:04 am bus to Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Prefecture which is one of Japan’s three most famous onsens (the other two are Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture and Gero Onsen in Gifu Prefecture). Kusatsu Onsen boasts the largest flowing water volume of all hots springs. The water is one of Japan’s most acidic. It is a small town with lots of hotels and eateries.

The first place I visited was the Kosenji Temple located up in the hill above Yubatake. The temple celebrates the glory of Kusatsu Onsen and has many monuments including a famous Edo poet Issa Kobayashi (1763-1827). Once again, I paid respect to Kobo Daishi here. I walked around the amazing Yubatake. Then I wandered around the narrow lanes, sampling the local pudding before finding my way to enjoy a soak in Ohtaki-no-yu. It charges a high entrance fee of yen 1100. But I am not impressed and only stayed for an hour. The onsen experience in Mt Fuji is much better. When I left, it poured with rain. As I had no umbrella, I took shelter in the cafe having a drink and noodles for half an hour. I planned to take the 2:50 pm express bus back to Karuizawa and decided to walk in the rain to the bus terminal. The rain was so heavy when I got back to Karuizawa. Having got myself an umbrella, I went shopping buying a T-shirt, a pair of pants and a windbreaker in a small local shop run by an elderly lady. She looked so happy to see me and I spent almost an hour there! A highlight of my day!

May 2 Tokyo- Hong Kong

My plane would depart at 5 pm. I decided to take the 8:17am train to Ueno so that I could visit the garden or a museum in the morning. It worked out well and I spent two hours looking at the special exhibition “Honen and the Pure Land” in the Tokyo National Museum, to mark the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Jodo sect. The exhibition is indeed impressive tracing the history of the Jodo sect through an extensive collection of national treasures and cultural properties owned by Jodo sect temples across Japan. The oldest exhibits dated back to the 13th century. They include invaluable notebooks, illustrated biographies, paintings, sculptures, calligraphy and Buddhist scriptures etc. Japanese are perfectionists: the meticulous way they have preserved these Buddhist treasures is most admirable. As a Buddhist, I could have spent a whole day with an audio guide to better understand the Jodo sect and to fully appreciate the excellent exhibits. But I had to leave around midday to take the Keisei Skyliner to the airport. Everything went smoothly and I landed in Hong Kong as scheduled at 9 pm.

    Categories: My Japan trips | Comments Off on Japan April 2024

    Swakopmund & Cape Town 23-24 March 2024 & Epilogue

    Posted on April 4, 2024 by Sarah

    March 23 Swakopmund – Cape Town

    As our flight to Cape Town would depart at 5 pm, we had a morning tour of Swakopmund a pretty city on the coast of western Namibia, about 35km from Walvis Bay. Founded in 1892 as the main harbour for German South West Africa, Swakopmund with a population of about 50,000 has been a popular beach resort characterised by 19th century German colonial architecture. The city is inhabited by some indigenous people of Namibia including the San, the Ovatjimba, Ovatue, Ovahimba and other groups. We were taken to visit Mondesa, a suburb with performance by a local community. A group of children and teenagers sang and dance while a few indigenous ladies performed their traditional dance. I tried some local food including fried insects.

    After lunch at the Tuc Restaurant by the seaside, we departed to the airport at 2 pm, departed for Cape Town at 5 pm and landed shortly after 7 pm. We were transferred to a nice modern hotel in the downtown area. Teresa and I skipped dinner and had a good rest on land after spending 21 nights at sea.

    March 24 Cape Town – Hong Kong

    My flight would depart for Doha at 7 pm. Having been to Cape Town several times, I was not keen to rush around. The only place I liked to visit this time was the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, a World Heritage Site. Acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world, it is located at the eastern slopes of the Table Mountain and home to over 22,000 different plant species and over 200 different species of birds have been spotted. After checking out at 10:30am, I went to the garden with Elita and Jimmy who are also from Hong Kong. We spent over three hours strolling in the garden taking photos of flowers and plants. Highlight of the day was when Jimmy spotted a beautiful sunbird. The photo he took can be found in the collage below.

    We returned to the hotel before 3pm and had a quick bite at Macdonald nearby. Then I departed for the airport and checked in before 4:30pm. Also the security and immigration service at the airport is incredibly slow. By the time I got inside at the departure hall, it was almost 6pm! I was exhausted and almost could not stand. Something must be wrong with the system! I flew to Doha, spent two hours at the airport and then took seven hours to fly back to Hong Kong. I landed at 9:30pm and was out of the airport shortly after 10 pm and was home before 10:40pm. Efficiency of the Hong Kong airport, immigration service and transportation are unrivalled. I am glad to be back in my small but sweet home.

    Epilogue

    This 21-day expedition far exceeds my expectations. Though I have been to Port Stanley and South Georgia and sailed to the Tristan da Cunha Archipelago, I have not really seen much in the first two places and have not stepped ashore the archipelago. Hence, I looked forward to this voyage and feel blessed as I have been able to spend memorable time in all these places this time. There are several aspects that I would like to highlight about this most memorable expedition. First, the weather was perfect and the sea was calm. As a result, we were able to visit the places as scheduled. I had no uncomfortable feeling during the entire voyage. Second, the expedition team led by Claudia with team members mostly from the Apex Expedition did a fantastic job. The 34 lectures and the six ship/zodiac cruises are excellent and most enjoyable. i enjoy meeting Peter, Shirley, Johnathan, Ingrid (a good story teller), Dave, Matt (to name just a few). When Peter told me a coming expedition this October from Costa Rica to Chile on Silver Wind, I decided to join. Third, I saw lots of icebergs when sailing around South Georgia: this is not what I had expected. Fourth, the wildlife is amazing. Though I missed the grandeur of Salisbury Plain where I landed in 1999, I was thrilled to find King Penguins on iceberg and watched them swimming and jumping out of water when zodiac cruising off the Salisbury Plain this time. I also saw Gentoo, Macaroni, Southern and Northern Rockhopper, Magellanic and African Penguins. Albatross is impressive: I was excited to see Wandering, Southern Royal, Tristan, Sooty, Atlantic Yellow-nosed, Black-browed and Gray-headed Albatrosses. In addition, we found Blue, Fin, Sperm and Mike Whales, Orca, Pilot Whale, dolphins, and millions of shearwaters and fur seals in the Tristan Archipelago and seals and flamingos in Walvis Bay in addition to countless petrels, skuas, terns, gulls and shags we saw during the voyage. As I find the camera too heavy to carry, I have mainly used my phone. Hence I had no good photos of birds and wildlife. I use below some images provided by Silver Cloud.

    • Northern Rockhopper Penguins on Rock
    • King Penguins on Ice
    • Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross
    • Black-browed Albatross
    • Shag
    • Giant Kelp
    • Striated Caracara

    The expedition on Silver Cloud is only part of my 78-day journey (8/1-24/3/24). When I first planned this journey, I intended to visit Africa and perhaps Europe after the boat trip. But in view of the hip problem, I decided to return to Hong Kong from Cape Town. As a whole I have had a wonderful time: knowing my limitations, I would only do what I can and should. I am glad I survived despite three minor falls without mishaps. I remained in reasonably good health without catching flu or Covid and had no seasickness.

    In brief, I had my amazing close encounter with half a dozen Sperm Whales in Dominica that is enchanting. Due to walking problem at times, I had not done as much as I used to do: just a few hours of activities at snail pace with plenty of rest in the evening. Travelling through the Northeast Brazil opens my eyes to how enormous and powerful Amazon is and Brazil’s rich resources. Brazil has relatively good infrastructures in terms of air and national highway. I am however not impressed by Manaus, my jungle experience and the 5-day boat trip downstream to Belem. But Sao Luis, Recife, Olinda, Salvador and Boipeba are worth visiting. I hope to return to Salvador one day to watch the carnival when I can go on to visit French Guiana, Suriname, Venezuela, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

    Categories: Expeditions | Comments Off on Swakopmund & Cape Town 23-24 March 2024 & Epilogue

    Remote Atlantic Islands & Namibia 10-23 March 2024

    Posted on March 17, 2024 by Sarah

    March 10-12 Sailing to Tristan da Cunha Archipelago (1388NM)

    The weather is the king of the sea: we sailed on in search of the calm sea and sped ahead to reach the Tristan Archipelago where fine weather would expected as per weather forecast. Nature is incredible: no one knows what is installed ahead. On March 10, we continued to encounter countless icebergs and the Captain and his crew had to sail most carefully. When the Captain realised Iceberg D28a which was split off from the Amery Ice Shelf was ahead, he steered the boat to D28a so that we could have a chance to sail along it. We got fairly close to it and watched it for over half an hour. We saw blue and jade icebergs and numerous gigantic tabular icebergs. What a treat!

    The weather began to warm up as we sailed towards the Tristan Archipelago. Days at sea passed quickly as I attended all the lectures that are interesting. At 4 pm every afternoon, I would have afternoon tea savoring a scone with cream and strawberry jam followed by recap at 6:15 pm and dinner at 7 pm. When we approached the islands, we began to spot the three beautiful species of albatrosses of the area, namely yellow-nosed, sooty and Tristan albatrosses. There are plenty of shearwaters, terns and petrels

    March 13 Gough Island by Zodiac

    I was excited to see sunrise at Gough Island, one of the least disrupted ecosystems left on this planet. The vertical ramparts of the sea cliffs of the island provide important habitat for almost the entire global populations of the Tristan Albatross and the Atlantic Petrel. Prominent features of the island are still in my memory from my last visit in 2016. But this time, I have been able to see much more: sheer cliffs and features of the coastline, the basalt rock formation, sea caves, vegetation, numerous seals on the beach, petrels, Sooty and Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, and Northern Rockhopper Penguins. Some also spotted the endemic Gough Bunting.

    March 14 Inaccessible Island by Zodiac 

    We arrived at the Inaccessible at sunrise. The weather looked great and we were all got ready for a zodiac cruise. Unfortunately, the swell was over 1.5m and it was difficult to operate the zodiac safely. Instead, we had a boat cruise of about 75 minutes. I must say a boat cruise is totally different from a zodiac cruise. We had so much time that we cruised twice: clock-wise and counter-clockwise. We had a pleasant day ending with cocktail on the pool deck at 6 pm for a recap and to watch sunset with thousands of shearwaters heading back to the island.

    March 15 Tristan da Cunha

    Tristan da Cunha first discovered at the beginning of the 16th century by Portuguese explorer Tristo da Cuhna and dominated by the 2000-m tall Queen Mary’s Peak, is the world’s remotest inhabited island with a population of 260. The 1961 volcanic eruption brought temporary disruption to the islanders who had to take refuge in the UK for over a couple of year. We were fortunate with the weather which was sunny and warm. We also managed to get ashore safely despite the swell, with the help of six experienced crew at the gangway.

    I spent the whole day on the island. While a small group hiked to the top of newly formed volcano next to the settlement, I took a leisure walk with a local guide. We stopped at a few landmarks including the post office, the Anglican and Catholic churches, the hospital (but we did not have a tour), and the Hatched House Museum. At noon, I tasted a the famous Tristan Rock lobster sandwich in the Post Office/Tourist Office/Cafe building.

    After lunch, I paid USD10 (pp) for a ride to the famous potato patches with Skip. The driver, who has been working in the UK and Australia, prefers to spend his retirement life on his own on the island. He showed me his potato patch which is a bit off the main road. While Skip took the ride back to the centre, I decided to take the 3-km long walk. I first walked back to the driver’s patch where his cousin was tilling in the field with his family. I watched the team of three work and was amazed to see the number of potatoes they got from a small plot. Their patch would give them enough harvest for home consumption for a year. Life on the island is simple: each family has two cows, two sheep, two cars and a potato patch where they have their holiday home. They can go out to fish and catch crawfish and spend the weekend away from the village if they want. They are happy to live on the island. I walked as slowly as a snail soaking in the atmosphere and was ready to return to the boat after 4pm. I got sight of a fishing boat in the port and was lucky to have a look of a live Tristan Rock Lobster.

    March 16 Nightingale Island by Zodiac

    The original plan was to have a zodiac cruise / kayak in the morning followed by a landing in the afternoon. The swell was much for kayaking. So everyone took a zodiac cruise to the Middle Island and Stoltenhof Island. We saw plenty of Northern Rockhopper Penguins swimming in clear water around the zodiac and on the rocks. The giant kelp that can grow to 40m is most impressive. The rocky shore was full of baby seals with the adults enjoying themselves in the water. The landscape especially the Stoltenhof Island is stunning. On the way back to the boat, we witnessed how a petrel took and feasted on a wounded penguin. That is a nature and survival for the fittest.

    The original plan was to land on Nightingale Island in the afternoon to look for the penguins and yellow-nosed albatross. But as the landing area is now covered with seals, the expedition team considered it not safe to land. Instead we had another cruise to explore the other side of Nightingale Island. Dave was the zodiac driver and we had an excellent time exploring several sea caves with lichen and moss in bright colours.

    March 17 Inaccessible Island

    As we had left South Georgia one day early, the expedition team arranged a morning zodiac cruise on the northern side of Accessible Island as the swell was manageable. When I first woke out and found the island top covered in mist, I was not hopeful. Anyway, by the time we stepped into the zodiac at 9:30am, the sun had come out and the sea remained calm. We had a nice cruise exploring the further side of the northern shore of Inaccessible Island. The bay was sheltered, nice and calm. We saw plenty of seals, waterfalls, and some Northern Rockhopper Penguins from a distance. However while two zodiacs continued to go east to almost the end of the northern shore, our zodiac turned back in order to look for penguins. As a result, we missed a fantastic wildlife extravagance of albatrosses, two big male seals fighting over a female seal, terns and skuas (A passenger told me about this later that day).

    The scenic zodiac cruise of Inaccessible Island drew this expedition to a happy ending. Though we would still have a day with activity in Namibia on March 22, we all felt that this expedition had ended on a high note with a grand slam in the Tristan da Cunha Archipelago. Peter Harrison, an authority on seabirds who has been travelling for over 40 years, said it was only the third time he managed to visit all three islands on a single expedition with good weather. We were indeed blessed! While having steamed Tristan Rock Lobster for lunch by the pool, we watched beautiful clouds veiling over Tristan da Cunha. It is likely to be the first as well as the last time I visit this remotest inhabited island! Goodbye, Tristan da Cunha Archipelago

    March 18 – 21 Sailing to Walvis Bay (1632NM)

    We had four full days at sea. The weather conditions were excellent and the sea was generally calm. Unfortunately there was not much to see (no land and few birds). The expedition team kept us busy by putting on three or four lectures a day and a bridge tour. In addition, there were other activities including team trivia, spa seminar, golf putting, quiz etc. When I reviewed the daily chronicles, I realised I had attended altogether 34 educational lectures plus a few workshops on ancient navigation. Among all the talks, I find Peter Harrison’s last talk on “Seven Years Seven Continents” which is actually about his life, passion, career and achievements, most moving and Shirley Metz’s account of her ski as the first woman to the South Pole in 1989 inspiring. I am truly lucky to meet this remarkable couple on this expedition.

    March 22 Walvis Bay, Namibia

    Today, we landed in Walvis Bay, Namibia. I got up early to watch a beautiful sunrise over breakfast. After docking at a pier, we disembarked and had to go the Namibia Immigration Office. I disembarked about 10 am and did not get a stamp on my passport till 11 am. Very inefficient! I joined a group to take a harbour cruise followed by kayaking. I had a wonderful morning on the boat watching the performance of a seal that leaped onto the boat to get fed. We were excited to find two the strange looking sunfish swimming close to the boat. There were numerous seals popping out of the water.

    After an hour’s cruise, we went ashore and were treated with champagne and a light lunch. I had not kayaked for years and dared not partner with Teresa who had never kayaked before. So she went off with another guest who is experienced while I took a solo kayak. There was no current and I managed to kayak with ease after a while. There were countless seals swimming around and on the beach. Unfortunately we could only kayak for about 40 minutes. We then had a ride along a long seashore lined with Greater and Lesser Flamingos, terns and many other birds. Finally we mounted a dune offering panoramic views of salt pans and a salt plant. We were back on the boat around 2:30pm.

    Teresa and I felt tired and spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for disembarkation the following day. I got all dirty clothes washed. We had briefing by Claudia and the expedition team at 4:45pm and a farewell reception at 6:30pm. We watched a memorable video of the expedition.

    Categories: Expeditions, My Africa trips | Comments Off on Remote Atlantic Islands & Namibia 10-23 March 2024

    Silver Cloud March 2-10, 2024

    Posted on March 12, 2024 by Sarah

    Why this Expedition?

    This Silver Cloud expedition with 203 passengers onboard and an expedition team of 27 goes from Puerto Williams, Chile to Walvis Bay, Namibia from March 2 to 23. During this 22-day Atlantic journey, passengers would spend about ten days visiting the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, three islands in the Tristan Archipelago (Gough and Nightingale Island, and Tristan da Cuna) and Walvis Bay. As a matter of fact, I have the fortune to travel to all these places before. But I did not see much of the Falklands owing to a storm in 1999. Our boat sailed past the Tristan Archipelago and could not land islands owing to a respiratory problem on these islands that prevented any outsiders from stepping ashore. I am have a fascination for these islands. Hence, when I saw the itinerary a year ago, I decided to join.

    March 3 Sailing: My last sea journey was on Silver Explorer from Iceland to St John via Greenland in 2019. I felt at home and quickly settled down in the routine at sea. I would attend most if not all lectures at the Explore Lounge. There are four restaurants: I would enjoy a light breakfast between 8 and 9 am, take a light lunch at noon, have afternoon tea at 4 pm and cocktail at 6pm at the bar or at the recap in the Explore Lounge followed by dinner after 7 pm. I tried to spend some time at the gym everyday to work on my back and hip problem. Time passed by quickly!

    March 4 Falkland Islands: New Island & West Point

    Falkland Islands

    The archipelago comprising East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 smaller islands with an area of 12,000 square kilometres and a population of under 3700 (2021) is a British overseas territory with internal self-governance. Port Stanley is the principal settlement. The islands have had French, British, Spanish and Argentine settlements and the British reasserted its rule in 1833 despite Argentina’s dispute. In April 1982, Argentine military forces invaded the islands and the Falkland War ended in two months later. A referendum was held in 2013, almost all Falklanders voted in favour of remaining a UK overseas territory.

    We had over 200 passengers on the boat and were assigned to four different zodiac groups. Teresa and I were assigned to Group 1. Today we were the first group to go ashore a sanctuary of animal life – New Island. We disembarked at 7:30am and would return by 10 am. After walking for about 1km, I arrived at the Settlement Rookery’s cliff, a fantastic site by the South Atlantic Ocean. Shag was the most numerous bird at this site: we saw two species – imperial and rock shags. When looking carefully, I could find rockhopper and Macaroni penguins, black-browed albatross and chicks, skua, striated caracara etc. I also benefitted from the explanations by bird experts. While walking on the island or in the zodiac, I also saw steamer duck, kelp goose, upland goose, ruddy-headed goose etc.

    We departed New Island after 11 am and arrived at West Point, a north-westerly outpost of the Falkland Islands, after 2:30pm. The highlight here was a visit to a huge colony of black-browed albatross in the rugged cliffs above the waves located about 2.5 km from the landing beach. On arrival, Jonathan found a small colony of Magellanic penguins at the end of the beach (less than 1km from the landing point). We therefore went over to look at these penguins. The walk was not long but the steep slopes in a few places were a challenge for people, like me who have walking problems. I forgot my walking poles which would be most useful. After watching two dozens of Magellanic penguins, we returned to the starting point and I began my march to the albatross colony. Sadly, I walked slowly with pain and was only half way at 4:45pm. Given my condition, I decided not to rush and turn back. We were all treated with tea and home-made cakes by a couple- the only residents / care-takers of the area. Their cottage is quint and lovely. They lead a truly self-sufficient life with their vegetable plot, chickens and fresh catch from the sea.

    March 5 Falkland Island: Port Stanley

    I was in Port Stanley for a few hours in 1999. Looking back, I would say the logistics were poorly executed by today’s standard. Passengers had to pay for a chartered flight from Santiago to Port Stanley in order to board the boat. After lunch, the boat set sailed to the Antarctic Peninsula and the group was supposed to visit Port Stanley on the way back to Ushuaia after South Georgia. Unfortunately, a bad storm prevented the boat from approaching Falkland Islands. That was my first visit to Falkland Islands.

    Silversea passengers had join a 5-km hike, a battlefield bus tour or city walk. I decided to take the bus tour. It was an excellent choice that took me to learn more about the Falkland War from the British perspective. After the 2-hour tour, we were dropped off at the museum which has been vastly improved since 1999. I also visited the Cathedral before taking the zodiac back to the boat at 1:30pm. I had a great time.

    March 7: Shag Rocks

    Antarctic waters predominantly sink beneath the warmer subantarctic waters, while associated zones of mixing and upwelling create a zone very high in marine productivity, especially for Antarctic krill.

    After sailing for almost two days, we crossed the Antarctic Convergence a marine belt encircling Antarctica with cold, northward-flowing Antarctic waters meeting the relatively warmer waters of the sub-Antarctic. This natural boundary separates two hydrological regions as well as separate areas of distinctive marine life and climates. As Antarctic waters predominantly sink beneath the warmer subantarctic waters while associated zones of mixing and upswelling create a zone very high in marine productivity, this water rich in nutrients provides abundant food for marine life.

    For two hours around lunch time, we had sighting of a dozen of killer whales (orcas), 50+ fin whales and four blue whales on our way to the Shag Rocks, a group of six small islets covering an area of less than 20 hectares with the highest peak standing 75m above sea level. Located in the westernmost extreme of South Georgia (240km west of the main island), these rocks are covered by guano of seabirds mostly South Georgia shags, prions and wandering albatrosses. Boats sailing in South Georgia water can travel at a maximum speed of 10 nautical miles an hour in order cause the least disturbance to the whale population.

    March 8: Salisbury Plain & Possession Bay, South Georgia

    We sailed into the iconic Salisbury Plain soon after a beautiful sunrise. I was surprised to find icebergs in all direction. My first visit when I saw millions of king penguins on the plain in 1999 always brings sweet memories. Unfortunately because of Avian Flu, visitors are not allowed ashore. Instead we had a zodiac cruise which gave a totally different experience. The weather was perfect and the landscape was surreal and stunning. More interesting was to find and watch king penguins standing on icebergs sliding down and swimming round the icebergs. They all seemed to have a fun time!

    After an unforgettable zodiac cruise, we stayed on board enjoying the sun and the icebergs. We were all blissful. In the afternoon, we had our first landing in the Possession Bay where we saw a colony with a few thousand pairs of king penguins. I was honoured to take a photo with Peter Harris who is an authority on seabirds. In addition to fur seals, we also found a small colony of gentoo penguins. There was so much to see and I did not want to leave: I was the last passenger to get on the zodiac at 5:30pm.

    March 9: Fortuna Bay & Grytviken, South Georgia

    We were blessed with good weather. Today, we had a gorgeous sunrise and things looked promising. Then the expedition team found the wind too strong to land on the Fortuna Bay as planned. The Captain repositioned the boat to a nearby more sheltered cove so that we could land and stretch our our legs for 45 minutes. Though there might be fewer king penguins, I had a great time strolling along the bay, watching Northern and Southern Giant Petrels and chicks, elephant seals and fur seals in addition to hundreds of king penguins and a couple of gentoo penguins. We had a tight schedule and had to set sail for Grytviken before noon.

    The fine weather continued when we sailed into King Edward Cove. Grytviken was a whaling station established on November 1904 by the Norwegian sea captain Carl Anton Larsen. During its heyday, about 300 men worked at the station. Explorer Ernest Shackleton added fame to Grytviken when he arrived here after an incredible and almost impossible journey from the Elephant Island in order to organise a recue operation for all his men sailing on the Endurance. He returned to Grytviken in 1922 where he died of heart attack on January 5 and was buried.

    The place is full of history. I could either join a 5-6km walk to the lake or join a short guided walk. Given my condition, I was on a slow lane and joined a guided walk. When I visited here in 1999, I could walk at leisure and visit his grave. The place is now preserved with more restriction on visitors who are no longer allowed to walk to his final resting place to pay tribute.

    When we returned to the boat, the Captain broke the news that owing to the iceberg situation and weather conditions, the boat would not proceed with the original plan to spend two more days in South Georgia. By getting to Tristan da Cunha archipelago two days earlier, we could avoid bad weather in both locations. I love to stay longer in South Georgia. But if the weather is bad, it is not possible to do outdoor activities as planned any way. So we sailed northeast.

    Categories: Expeditions | Comments Off on Silver Cloud March 2-10, 2024

    Chile: Santiago 27 February – 2 March 2024

    Posted on February 27, 2024 by Sarah

    Why Chile?

    Chile is adorable. I first visited Chile in February 1999 before embarking on my first expedition to Antarctica. In 2013, I stopped over briefly for three days and visited Valparaiso. I returned in 2017 (March 3-18) for a hiking trip to Ojos del Salado. I have come for the fourth time because of an expedition from Puerto Williams to Namibia from March 2 – 23. As I have travelled for over a month in Chile, I decided to explore the Amazon and the Northeast Brazil before meeting up with Teresa, my cabin mate in Santiago on 27 February.

    A Frustrating Journey to Santiago

    I had to buy my ticket from Salvador to Santiago in a great hurry on 24 January when the airline pressed me for a departure ticket from Brazil. After having trouble with Wi-Fi and the language, I eventually bought a ticket from Salvador to Santiago. Instead of sending me a ticket, Latam sent an email reminding me the time of check-in. I saw the date March 27 in the email without ever realising it was the wrong month. (This is not the first time I had made mistake because I was stuck with the date/time I had in mind without actually reading and taking in the information/data. A cognitive degeneration problem?) When I arrived at the Salvador airport around 2:15 am on 27 February and was told that I could not fly, I was shocked by the mistake I had made. As I must arrive on time in Santiago to join Teresa who would arrive from Sydney that afternoon, I had to pay about R2900 to change my flights departing at 11 am to Santiago via Sao Paulo. This mistake cost me dearly. On top of that, I spent the whole night and day at the Salvador and Sao Paulo airport. Interestingly, I noticed that I was annoyed with myself and upset for a brief moment before letting go the unhappy incident (perhaps thanks to my Buddhist training in the past three years!). I spent my time reading and watching lectures on Buddhist scriptures on YouTube. Time passed quickly and finally I landed in Santiago just before 9 pm. I took Uber to the hotel and was pleased to see Teresa who would be my cabin mate.

    3 Leisure Days in Santiago

    I am getting old and lazy. Teresa and I decided to join two full-day trips to Vina del Mar and Valparaiso on 28 February, and to the El Yeso Reservoir and Cajon del Maipo on 29 February, and an afternoon trip to Baha’i Temple on 1 March.

    I took a day trip in 2013 to Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. But I do not mind visiting these lovely places again. The itinerary is indeed different, and I was able to spend some three hours strolling in the hilly streets in Valparaiso, a World Heritage Site known for its structures, colourful houses and street art. I must say the place looks smarter, more vibrant, lively and colourful with impressive street art and murals. Reading what I wrote in 2013 and the photos, I can tell how much it has changed. I could have spent a whole day exploring the small corner of this remarkable hillside city.

    The trip to El Yeso and Cajon del Maipo is all about nature the surrounding mountains and valleys of Santiago. It is a long drive (75km), and we reached an altitude of some 2500m. We were picked up at the hotel before 7am. As I have been to different parts of Chile with even more impressive landscape and scenery of the Andes, canyons, salt lakes and glaciers, I find the scenery pleasant but not stunning.

    Our expedition began on March 2. All joining passengers would stay in the W Hotel on March 1 and take a chartered flight to Puerto Williams to board the Silver Cloud. After a delicious brunch, Teresa and I moved to the W Hotel before joining a sunset tour to Baha’i Temple at 4:30pm.

    The highlight was sunset watching at Sky Tower, the tallest building. The panoramic views are spectacular. Here I can see all the mountain ranges engulfing Santiago. I had a free glass of champagne when watching sunset. We stayed on to watch lights coming up and did not have dinner in a nice Italian restaurant till 9 pm.

    Our expedition trip began on March 2 when all joining passengers on the Silver Cloud would depart on three chartered flights to Puerto Williams. We were in Group 3 and would be leaving by bus after 12:30pm. We had a leisure late breakfast. While Teresa went out for last minute shopping, I stayed in the waiting lounge. We had a smooth transfer to a private airport and our plane with about 70 passengers took off before 3 pm. we had a 30-min stop at Puerto Arenas for refill and arrived at Puerto Williams after 7:30pm. It was raining and cold. after a short ride, we arrived at the pier and boarded Silver Cloud just before 8pm. Teresa and I had a nice suite on Level 6 with a balcony. We settled down quickly, had a “abandon boat drill” before dinner after 9pm. It was a long and tiring day. I was thrilled to watch the boat leaving the harbour while having dinner.

    Categories: My American trips | Comments Off on Chile: Santiago 27 February – 2 March 2024