Asia exotic enough for ya?

The emails this time of year for leaving soon cruise presenting just keep getting better and better making me resolve to hold out for the last minute ones next time around. Checking messages this evening there was an offer for a ½ price ($32.50 per day for two of you) cruise with everything but airfare, China visa and tips. Here’s the itinerary:

Day 1
Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand
5:00 PM

2
At Sea

3
Singapore
9:00 AM
6:00 PM

4
At Sea

5
Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam
7:00 AM
5:30 PM

6
Nha Trang, Vietnam
9:00 AM
6:00 PM

7
At Sea

8
Hong Kong, China
8:00 AM

9
Hong Kong, China

6:00 PM
10
At Sea

11
Taipei (Keelung), China
7:00 AM
5:00 PM

12
Okinawa, Japan
12:00 PM
7:00 PM

13
At Sea

14
Shanghai, China
7:00 AM
6:00 PM

15
At Sea

16
At Sea

17
Beijing (Xingang), China
7:30 AM

Only stipulation was that you couldn't cancel a cruise you were previously booked for - that would be the case for me - again I refer to the holding out plan.

My travel partner was the smart one to have purchased her US dollars last week, as they are getting more expensive by the minute with the economic crisis. I managed to scrape together $25 in American funds for a start but will likely bite the bullet at the money exchange at the airport on Monday.

The arrangements for visits in various ports are coming together – I feel like a sailor with someone waiting for me in each port of call – so far we have Charlottetown (2 offers) Sydney (family + friend) Halifax (kids) and Boston (cousin) So in Quebec City, Saint John, Portland and Newport we’ll have to play real tourists and the remainder we’ll be visitors.

I have pulled the presentations together so I can print the notes tomorrow. I spent the evening messing with the monitor the IT folks gave me from work (old ones aren’t worth anything with the new flat screen ones out) but can’t get it to work with my antique computer system so will have to try to unload some drivers for it. Sigh.

The messages are being exchanged about menus for the Thanksgiving holiday feast as the Australian houseguest hasn't eaten roast turkey or pumpkin pie as well as the food to be created to send back to university so my Saturday is planned for me now. Will be a short visit with that student nurse due to our travel schedules. Apparently her news of the day was an excellent mid-clinical review “going to be an excellent nurse” so that kind of feedback sets up the long weekend just fine. She is unable to transfer overseas credits to her nursing program so will only be eligible to do a clinical in Sweden – this in itself is not unexciting – details later.