A port day so we fetch breakfast from our lounge. The lounge is only for the 80 or so people in the Neptune cabin grade, so it is fairly quiet most of the time. Today it’s completely deserted when we arrive, so I take advantage of the peace to grab a few photos.
Our driver from last week‘s Thai visit is waiting for us as agreed. We go first to the floating market. We’re not really sure what to expect, but kind-of wanted it to be lots of boats selling provender like the classic photos one sees. However it’s more like a load of pontoons and buildings on stilts.
Nevertheless we enjoy our wandering around and there are lots of photo opportunities, just not the ones we expected! Crocodile BBQ perhaps? Grubs? Fried scorpion? Or just a yummy dourian? Lovely candles and a floating dance show.
Our driver is incredibly patient, absolutely nothing makes him cross, from people just pulling out in front, to lorries seemingly having priority over cars, bikes on the wrong carriageway coming at us, the rules of the road are variable. I have driven in Bangkok and beyond, but it was a while ago and things do not seem to have improved. He is afflicted by modern life however, and I watch as he’s chatting away on a six-way Zoom call as we drive around!
After this we drive down to Jomtien where the beach stretches for 8 miles (13 km) and we head northward. It’s very pleasant in places, quite rough in others, but the sun is shining and we’re happy with ice cream. We stop at a temple briefly (it was closed) and then continue until the end where the road runs out, and we head inland.
The next section is uphill for a while and we buy bananas from 7-11 to keep us going. We wanted lychees but these were unavailable!
Dropping down the other side of the hill we end up at Bali Hai Pier where we started our adventure yesterday. Our driver is waiting and we head back home from here, having had a lovely six-mile wander. We are amused to see that all the fruit and confection chef has bought has to go through the baggage scanners!
Back on onboard we bump into Kay and Gary our Neptune Lounge friends since last cruise. They tell us that in our absence Captain has announced a change of itinerary. Instead of a sea-day then Phu My, Vietnam we are going to Sihanoukville, Cambodia tomorrow and then a sea day. This is because of weather, pretty much the only thing Captain van der Wal cannot fix.
In some ways this is satisfactory: we’ve done four ports in Vietnam already and only one in Cambodia; my birthday will now be at sea. We ask our concierge to book a suitable tour for Cambodia and we’re all sorted.
After lunch we treat ourselves to chocolate cake since it seems like a good idea, even though its not my birthday for two days. Whilst sitting on our balcony, from the dockyard comes the sound of cranes moving containers, ringing and rumbling, softened almost into melody by the distance.
By 17:00 we’re sat in a jacuzzi discussing matter HAL with Juliette and Elvi, from Adelaid. They are staying on after Hong Kong and do what we did in the first fortnight. We’re going to pass on our Thai driver’s details so they can have him next time they come in three weeks time. We sneak in an unscheduled mojito because we can!
Shower, dress for dinner and canapés, the same routine comes around reliably, regardless of if we’re at home or on holiday. Of course at home we don’t often put on a jacket, and we don’t have someone to cook for us mostly, but we still enjoy our 19:30 drinkies wherever we are in the world.
Tonight’s turn is violinist Jake Gacang. A very flamboyant Filipino performer he plays. Exodus, Eye of the Tiger, Moon River, A Portrait of my Love, James Bond and Mission Impossible Themes, Speak Softly Love, Circle of Life, Bohemian Rhapsody and he curiously finishes with Footloose.
Meanwhile dinner is fabulous, we enjoy perfect rib-eyes and rocky road, whilst the ship pushes on into the night at almost 20 knots.
