Author: davidscruise

My second and last full day in Dubai, yesterday, (Day 52) got off to a slow start. The poor air quality from the day before had not dispersed, and I found little incentive to “cram in the sights.” However, I found myself in lengthy and interesting conversation with current and past QE2 personnel, as well as being given an “above the call of duty” tour of the ship. During the morning and early afternoon, travel fatigue which had been a bit of a problem, lessened as the day progressed. I had booked a table in the Queens Grill for 9pm, allowing me time to take a taxi to the Dubai Mall, and ascend the Burj Khalifa Tower to the 148th floor. I stayed up there as the sun cowered behind the “smog”. Nevertheless, the views were stunning, if somewhat difficult to photograph; crowds, and reflection off the glass being the main issues. I dropped down to floor 125, stayed but minutes and then returned to ground level for the world famous water show. I stayed for two performances before heading back to QE2 for a farewell extravagant dinner in the Queens Grill. It was one of those high end celebratory experiences which brought the curtain down on this penultimate sector of my tour.

This morning, (Day 53) it’s time to move on. I shall post this blog now, and continue when settled on board Queen Mary 2 for the final 20 night leg of this unique journey. Pictures to follow.

All the best,

David. (10.10hrs 25th March 2019)

Will this be yet another highlight of this unique oddysey? I arrived fairly late after my most pleasant flight from Singapore. Again, no upgrades as QE2 seems to be “buzzing”. My most treasured of places has, thankfully, not gone to the breakers for scrap. After an almost 10 year lay-up in Dubai during which little seemed to happen, all of a sudden, the QE2 burst into life on April 18th 2018. I have read mixed reviews, but one year on, the place is indeed full, or at least, very well patronised.

I have just completed the official tour. Our guide, Brian, had a very comprehensive knowledge which he shared with flare, enthusiasm and authority. We had a good natter in the Queens Grill lounge, where I have on two previous occasions, while QE2 was in service, as a,Queens Grill passenger, was entitled to relax or take beverage there.

Although connected to the ship’s Wi-Fi, I seem to have difficulty posting images on my blog, and, it won’t be any better on QM2, the day after tomorrow. I posted images last year, but much seems to have changed since then. What has surprised me is the number of people I have met, returning to the UK on Queen Mary 2 in two days. It seems “great minds think alike”.

I did view much of the ship today and, generally, like what I have seen, but there is that “unfinished” or “work in pogress” feel as areas are still blocked off for refurbishment.

I planned to see something of Dubai this afternoon and tomorrow. The nearest Big Bus stop was number 4, to where I took a taxi. A boat trip and night time tour is included in the reasonable ticket price. I shall have to pass on the night trip, but I did enjoy the 50 minute boat trip. My intention was to do the night trip this evening. However, my body was telling me it was four hours later than it actually was. Full marks to the Big Bus driver, he took me to within 3 minutes walk from the ship, dropping me off at a zebra crossing making getting accross a busy wide road much easier. It is frustrating not having the energy to stay out late, these days.

I don’t feel far from home now, although the voyage to Southampton on QM2 will span 21 days, including disembarkation.

Tomorrow, I have an appointment with the Burj Khalifa, the world’s highest tower, at 17.00hrs. I shall stay for the water fountain light show, then venture back to The Queens Grill for dinner, where I have a table booked.

For a second time, I had dinner in The Lido, one of my favourite places during voyages on QE2. The refurbishment is tasteful, with very pale/white marble floor. The theatre has been decorated, the seats retained but reupholstered. Slowly but surely, QE2 is gaining a Middle East ambience as hints of local influences appear in various refurbishments. It’s hard, now to imagine QE2 as a major ocean going liner. In Brian’s talk this morning, I hadn’t realised the scale of the rogue wave which struck the vessel, I think in 1997. Joyous memories of wonderful travels have been re-awakened during this (again) all too brief a stay.

Here are a few pictures taken today.

Interior images of QE2 illustrate The Queens Grill, and The Board Room. Thankfully, the Queens Grill is little changed.

Other pictures depict a very sticky afternoon in Dubai.

Many thanks for reading,

David

I don’t want to ever forget the wonderful but all too brief time I had in Singapore. Or, for that matter, all the other places I set foot in since January 31st.

I wanted to visit the Aquarium this morning in the remaining time I had in Singapore. However, a car was to pick me up at 12.05 to transfer me to the Airport; the concierge didn’t think it prudent to take a taxi out there, perhaps spend 20 minutes inside, and come back with little time, and possible error. On one of my bus tours, The Fountain of Wealth was pointed out. It was explained that it stood within five high rise tower blocks numbered 1 – 5, representing four fingers and one thumb! The Chinese are big on this kind of symbolism. I need to research this in more detail, but I think it’s all part of the nearby SunTec City complex, a massive commercial and retail hub, both overground and subterranean. I walked to the fountain with its choreographed water displays. As instructed by a notice next to the central fountain, I put my hand in, walked around it three times, and made (probably more than) one wish. As a belt and braces precaution, I went round again! The video of this second excersise confirmed I am no herculean heart-throb! This made a fitting finale to my time in Singapore, and once again, I leave with the determination to return, as there is much yet to see.

I am at there airport now, another spectacular space-age futuristic piece of civil engineering. Let’s see whether I have squandered £95 on an upgrade to Premium Economy. As people keep reminding me, “you can’t take it with you”. I hope they don’t confiscate my toothpaste again! QE2 in Dubai, next and final call before heading home on QM2.

Final pictures of Singapore.

1 – 4) Views from my 19th floor hotel room

5 and 6) View from street level

7 – 13) SunTec and Fountain of Wealth.

21.00hrs local time, Dubai (01.00hrs Singapore)

There seemed to be less formality embarking on my forward flight to Dubai. £95 for the upgrade to Premium Economy was well worth the extra, particularly as I was the sole occupant of a centre row of four, with ample legroom. I don’t think the food was any better than in Economy. Champagne was flowing rather freely.

At the airport, I purchased a memory card for my camera, and also splashed out on a set of Sony headphones. They were rather pricey, but there’s a lot of technology attached to this pair which I shall weigh up when I am at home.

I am now in Dubai, on board the former Cunard liner QE2. Those of you who have known me for some time will know already that I would sail on QE2 fairly frequently. It is now, at long last, a hotel in Dubai. This vessel was sold to Middle East interests in 2007 (I think), its last sailing as a Cunard liner being to Dubai on 11th November 2008. My last trip on her was a voyage to the USA andCanada in September 2008. I watched with a degree of nostalgia as QE2 sailed from Southampton for the last time, never believing I would be seeing her again. It seems to be doing well. I am in cabin 2093, a former Queens Grill stateroom on Deck 2. As I wrote last year, the ship is little altered, but has “scrubbed up” remarkably well. I dined in The Lido tonight. The English roast was somewhat like warm, but then, I didn’t arrive til later on.

Flying from Singapore to Dubai, my day is four hours longer, only four hours ahead of the UK. Hence, I am prematurely tired! It’s going to be fun reacquainting myself with this ship.

Thanks, again for reading.

David.

The Day became increasingly humid and the skies, menacingly grey. It had been trying to rain for a while during the pre-tea river cruise. I watched from the riverside as lightening flickered and the thunder rumbled in the distance. Later, there were a couple of almighty bangs, but the heavy rain didn’t start until I was safely inside the Fullerton, drinking Earl Grey. This place started life as a Post Office and administration centre. At the moment, it comes a close second to Raffles which is still being refurbished. The Long Bar at Raffles is open for business and tempting customers to its signature Singapore Sling, which one has to queue for and “pay through the nose” for.

I took a taxi back to my hotel, through one way systems and traffic jams just like at home, and, don’t feel like venturing out again.

As you will see from the photographs, I have had a good two days here, and of course, will be a little sad to move on.

My Lumix camera reluctantly sprang to life, and then died again. Therefore, hope all is not lost. However, it probably will need examination when I arrive home.

I should be excited; tomorrow night, I shall be on board QE2 in Dubai. Before she was withdrawn from service, I travelled on Queen Elizabeth 2 a number of times, including several Atlantic crossings. It will be slightly strange to be staying on this ship as an hotel.

Pictures below:-

1) The storm gathers.

2 and 3) Inside The Fullerton

4) Awaiting a taxi, outside the Fullerton.

I think that’s it for Singapore.

Thanks for reading,

David.

I sit in the Fullerton Hotel having enjoyed a pot of Earl Grey Tea. Magnificent! This morning, I walked to the Singapore Flyer from my hotel. It took a little more than ten minutes, but the walk afforded wonderful opportunities to photograph the triple tower Marina Bay Sands Hotel with its surfboard shaped Sky Park spanning and overhanging all three towers. I would venture there, later.

The Flyer, something similar to the London Eye does indeed offer fabulous overhead views of the city, port and all important landmarks. I enjoyed this enormously and took good video and plenty of pictures for my blog.

I was pleased that yesterday’s hop on hop off bus ticket was still valid. The yellow route bus ferried me very nicely to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. I ventured inside and found it bewildering and spectacular at the same time. I merely wanted to go to the observation platform I had been to last year. Unbelievably, I was unable to purchase a ticket either by cash or card; the computers had crashed! An alternative was to buy a voucher for a bar and eatery, higher still on the 57th floor. This was a good move, as I was able to photograph much more than I was able to last year. My voucher of 22 dollars went a long way towards 42 dollars for something to eat and a soft drink (mango). I would discover that to access the area, I wanted to visit originally, I would need to return to the basement on B1; surely the computers were up and running by now. They were, and in fact, I had all the time I needed on my trip to the observation platform. Again, plenty more pictures to record my short time in Singapore. The dumpling lunch I enjoyed in the C’est La Vie bar negated the need for my much anticipated afternoon tea at The Fullerton, where I am now.

Before tea at The Fullerton, I chose to photograph the Merlion, opposite the hotel. I looked everywhere, pacing up and down the riverside where I thought it was….It WAS there, boarded up! I made for the nearby jetty from where river cruises were available. I bought a ticket and bottle of water. I turned on my main camera to take video….dead! really? Surely the battery hasn’t run out already? I charged it up for an hour, using a portable power pack. No joy. Disaster.

Now, I can afford a replacement, but really, I don’t want to. Will Staysure help out? The camera is only just over a year old. My guess is that water ingressed while I was taking a swig. But I find that unlikely, unless this has occurred during rain showers also. I shall not write it off, it’s a Lumix, and they are good.

So far, I have enjoyed four of the items I planned for today. It became very humid, and again, I was, by now, lacking energy. Tea at The Fullerton was most enjoyable. Now it’s time to prepare for my last evening in Malaysia.

The pictures below were taken today.

1) The Singaporians don’t mince their words…a sign in the gents at The Flyer….

2 – 13) From the Singapore Flyer.

14- 25) In and around Marina Bay Sands Hotel, and from the Sky Park.

26 to the end) “Yours truly” and views taken from the river cruise.

Enjoy!

David 18.25hrs The Fullerton, still there!

Plans for today:

1) Singapore Flyer

2) Sky Park

3) Aquarium

4) Merlion/Tea at The Fullerton

5) Dinner at the Swissotel for night time views.

Possibly, revisit the Botanical Gardens for a walk in the rain forest. (I ran out of steam yesterday!)

In fact, my three night stay here spans four days. Two are complete days In which to cram in as much as possible, given that Singapore is somewhat more than “a commute” from the U.K.

I am beginning to appreciate the principle of the hop-on, hop-off Big Bus facilities available in most cities world wide.

This morning, the hotel concierge pointed me in the direction of the Big Bus service whose hub for all routes is right opposite the hotel. I started at around 11am and so far, the “red” route has given me a brief look at the older part of the city including the Indian and Chinese quarters. I am now on the “yellow” route which takes you to The Singapore Flyer, Gardens by the Bay, Botanical Gardens and many other places to explore. The Botanical Gardens enticed me to “bail out” from the “yellow” bus for the time being. I have just finished the first “sensible and healthy” lunch for two or three weeks, tomato soup, which tasted as if made from local ingredients, and a tomato salad. I shall walk around and excersise my photographic imagination as I am treated to some wonderful sights and sounds. I am finding that this trip is “complimentary” to last year’s World Voyage, and however critical one might be of “shore excursions’, most are in fact very well thought out and I remain convinced that they do offer the best opportunity to maximise one’s short amount of time at any port of call. Nevertheless, the Big Bus does give that degree of independence, time permitting, and not being committed to a ship’s sailing time. I think I prefer the mix of different modes of transport. As I emphasised in yesterday’s blog, this journey has panned out very much better than I thought it would. So I shall now explore, at my own pace, Singapore’s Botanical Gardens. It is overcast; however, the sun has roasted my head, reminding me of being thin on top! Another hat was the order of the day! Too big to pack, this will be worn all the way back to Buxton!

More later today.

Pictures taken tonight.

At long last, I got to see the light show at Gardens By The Bay. Another amazing highlight. I shall write more tomorrow when my plans are to go on the Singapore Flyer, revisit and spend more time in the Sky Park, catch afternoon tea at The Fullerton and see if I can handle some public transport. That’s the plan.

The evening pictures are taken at Garden By the Bay, Chinatown, and my hotel. I hope to add to today’s writings; I am quite tired now.

Many thanks for reading,

David.

Inside the Botanical Gardens Orchard Garden.

The above photographs are really not in the right order. In the evening I enjoyed a night tour which included the magnificent daily light show among those “funny trees” in Gardens by the Bay. Although but 13 minutes in duration, this was a phenomenal “son et lumiere” display synchronised with well known “snatches” of appropriate classical movement. The curtain was brought down on this fantastic show by the last bars of The Great Gate of Kiev, that triumphant finale from Ravel’s orchestration of Moussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” Wow!!!!

Added 08.49 21/3/19.

This has to be the grand finale of hotels. I know that in fact, the former ocean liner QE2 in Dubai will be the actual final hotel of this trip. But it cannot be as phenominal as where I am right now. The Marina Mandarin is huge and cavernous. I may be slightly disappointed that my room doesn’t overlook The Bay, but the view of a forest of spectacular high-rises is incredible. So, is my room, complete with tiny balcony. Of course, outside, it’s very warm. Sadly, I am now back in the Northern hemisphere, by just one degree. I have located $75 Singapore, which I doubt will get me very far! It’s late; hopefully not too late for supper.

A few “first impression” pictures. This hotel is massive. The later pictures are taken from one of the restaurants on the 4th floor, where Reception is situated. Even so late, I partook of a gorgeous vegetarian “three curries of the day” dish. Futuristic is no exaggeration when describing this enormous hotel. This trip around the world is no “flash-in-the-pan” special treat. Every single day has been extraordinarily special in its own way. “The Dream” is now inadequate terminology for this far-fetched fantasy of a journey. In 1983, an American journalist wrote of me, “he had the wide eyed enthusiasm of a child who had found a train under his Christmas tree!” I cringed when reading the author’s impression I must have given him when being interviewed on a very early Orient Express trip. I fear I might have been giving a similar impression to people I have met along the way on this oddysey. It’s hard to believe I am now in Singapore, letting a curry settle, as dance pop music serenades gently, before I go to sleep on the 19th floor of this giant monolith.

More tomorrow as I take in as much as I am able tomorrow.

Thanks for reading, and for your feedback, David.

I leave Australia with wonderful memories and very strong urge to come back. Here is a summary of the journey from arrival on 27th February, to departure on 19th March.

Feb 27th Puccini’s Turandot at the Sydney Opera House. (Overnight on board Cunard’s Queen Victoria)

Feb 28th Train to Coffs Harbour

March 1st Train to Casino, bus to Brisbane. (My 70th birthday)

March 2nd “The Spirit of Queensland” overnight train journey from Brisbane to Cairns.

March 3rd Arrive Cairns

March 4th Sky Rail (cable car) to Kuranda for return by train.

March5th Fly to Darwin

March 6th 7th 8th and 9th The Ghan Expedition Train to Adelaide.

Visit to Katherine, Ayers Rock, Coober Pedy

10th Fly to Melbourne

11th Puffing Billy narrow gauge steam railway from Belgrave to Gembrook and back. From and back to Melbourne by Metro and rail replacement bus service.

12th “The Overland” rail service to Adelaide from Melbourne.

13th National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide.

14th Return to National Railway Museum for a second visit. Board the Indian Pacific for Perth, after a welcome dinner courtesy of Great Southern Rail.

15th On board the Indian Pacific. This was a somewhat different experience to The Ghan. Most of the journey from Darwin to Adelaide on The Ghan was overnight, each day being taken up with a choice of off train excursions. The Indian Pacific journeys westwards from Adelaide, offering merely a half hour break at Cook, where the locomotive is fuelled and watered, and the train supplies replenished. This was a more relaxed journey, not arriving at Perth until 3pm, the following day.

16th Arrive Perth. Pre-transfer sightseeing tour of Perth and surrounding area. Cottesloe Beach

17th Red Bus to Kings Park and downtown. Boat lunch cruise towards Guildford and Swan Valley. Blue CAT bus ride around Perth before heading back to the hotel.

18th By ferry to Rottnest Island. Blue CAT bus ride around Fremantle. TransPerth from Burswood (nearest station to hotel) to Perth, then to Fremantle. (both ways).

I dined for a second time at an eatery in the very nearby Casino, part of the Crown complex, almost opposite my hotel, The Crown Promenade. I chose an over rich Linguine with bits of chicken and a small representative of vegetables! The Casino is as big as any I remember, a cathedral of slots, roulette, and other digital electronic wizardry designed to entice you, with the promise of huge wins, or a new car, to extract the contents of one’s superannuation. I am not averse to a modest flutter, but I did find this environment slightly daunting. To further entice the spending public, a super live band plays each evening in a mini concert/dance venue. These were all excellent musicians covering music I was both familiar and unfamiliar with. I stayed around for quite a while and enjoyed “being young again” on the penultimate night of my Aussie trip, St. Patrick’s Day.

19th Taxi to Airport for afternoon flight to Singapore.

Souvenirs (not many) which I purchased along the way, I have not posted to the U.K. But still, I have managed to stay within my weight and baggage limits at the airport. Security was stringent. Toothpaste, sun-block and deodorant were trashed as the contents of my carry-on baggage was “examined with a fine toothcomb”. (What, exactly is a toothcomb? – according to Google, some mammals have them as an aid to self grooming….) I should have known better than to include my bathroom items in my “carry-on” luggage. Then came the “trace of explosives test”. I am now, most reassured that my flight is “terrorist proof”.

I look back on my second Australian visit with a degree of satisfaction, and a great deal of pleasure. I have not, as I might have expected, ended up at Perth International Airport, tired out as a result of “living out of several suitcases” for 19 days. I have enjoyed the string of back-to-back experiences which, thankfully, this blog, and numerous photographs, will help me to recall individually.

Australia comes accross as a very welcoming country, vibrant, young, full of life and tastefully futuristic. However, while at Rottnest Island, I ambled into a very interesting and informative museum of local artefacts and history. It wasn’t massive, but one needed a full afternoon to do this wonderful collection justice. In one room, a video was playing, charting the unbelievably cruel circumstances the indigenous population found themselves in through no fault of their own, a graphic and hard-hitting piece of documentary. I didn’t watch it all; my ferry back to Fremantle was at 15.30hrs. But I did find it all very thought provoking.

We are up in the air now, on our way to Singapore. Two idiots in front have reclined their seats, one into my face; I promptly moved to a window seat one row back, making this my second, and hopefully final change. The upgrade of around £600 to Business Class wasn’t really worth it for a flight of under five hours. I’m comfortable now, with nobody next to me. All around, I am surrounded by bewildering Economy Class technology. Already, the exuberance of Australia is fading as long faced passengers grimace their way to the Orient. This’ll be fun! The aircraft, a Boeing A330/300 is quite nice, despite being typically cramped. Seat configuration is 3 + 4 + 3. I hope my upgrade to Premium Economy comes through for the longer flight to Dubai. My travel agent was not able to book this at the time. And I found checking in on-line impossible and time consuming. The flight is smooth and “routine”. The attendants are immaculate, and approachable. The stewardesses are turned out beautifully in oriental costume, and the stewards, impeccable in dark suits. Indeed, Singapore Airlines do set a very high standard throughout the aircraft. At 30 something thousand feet above sea level, I continue to wonder at this mass produced, taken-for granted miracle. Arrival at Singapore is estimated at 19.15hrs, precisely 5 hours after departure from Perth. There was some turbulence but so far, nothing to diminish my new found confidence in flying. They have run out of immigration forms, and we have been warned of severe penalties for drunkenness!

Below, a few final pictures taken in Fremantle and sunset from near my hotel, late afternoon and early evening, yesterday.

Thanks for reading,

David.

My last full day in Australia turned out very well indeed. The hotel concierge had booked on my behalf, an all too brief visit to the wonderfully scenic Rottnest Island. Having to pack for leaving tomorrow, I shall just post some pictures taken today. I shall write again soon.

Thanks for reading, David.