March 2026: Viking Cruise in SE Asia (A)

Seeking some warm weather to break up the winter weather, Tom, Joel, and Elaine found a place in the sunshine. We chose to join a cruise in Asia offered by Viking as part of their repositioning leaving from Bali, Indonesia with ports of call in Malaysia, Singapore, and Bangkok, Thailand. Tom has visited these places before on land, and for Joel and Elaine they are new. For the latter, it is part of a continuing celebration of an important year.

To get this distance one must cross a great big ocean, and it takes a long time. The main part of the trip was flights from the U.S. to Taipei, Taiwan, 13 hours, and then after a 5 hour layover, 5 hours to Denpasar, Bali, a small island, a part of the vast island country of Indonesia.

We crossed the international date line, so we are a day ahead, and we have crossed the equator. Tom began his journey in San Francisco, and the others from Portland via Seattle. We were on different airlines, but did meet up briefly at the Taipei airport waiting room.

Meeting up at gate B4 in Taipei where we are changing planes. Tom (Eva Aire) departed from gate C4 and Joel and Elaine (China Airlines) departed from gate B4.

The travel times for J and E totaled 25 hours, and T about 20. We left in cool weather which was even colder on the plane, then suddenly we dropped out of the sky to 80 degrees (feels like 90 with showers threatening). We finally got warmed up at the very busy airport and then cooled down again in our staterooms.

The ship is docked here in Bali.

Model of the Viking Venus. Our cabins are next to each other on deck 6, midship, right under the swimming pool.

We explored the ship a little. The weather was warm and humid.

Needless to say, we fell into bed and slept soundly.

March 11, 2026: Bali, "Day 2"

It is day 2 of our cruise. We arrived late afternoon yesterday and departed Bali this day at 1:00 pm.

Today we didn’t have a shore excursion but had a very leisurely exploration of our ship. We were on a Viking river cruise in Europe some years ago, but this is the first time on Viking’s more recently inaugurated ocean voyages. So far, we are very impressed. There are 900+ passengers and everything is sized accordingly.

Watching the water activities from the back deck.

We ate lunch before sail-away at the sit-down restaurant called The Restaurant!

As this is written, the ship has set sail at midafternoon. Bali is a big tourist destination, and it appears (at least on the water) that there are numerous activities we can see from our ship.

This is what we saw as the ship slowly headed out into open water.

We headed for Surabaya (Shur.. the steward says.) The water is incredibly smooth and very blue. It is warm, I’m sure and enticing for swimming. It would be great to say you went swimming at the equator!

Now it was tea time. The was in the Wintergarden, a glassed in space next to the swimming pool. To go with our tea, we were offered a choice of scones (with clotted cream and jam), crustless sandwiches, savory croissants, tarts and macaroons.

Tea Time!!!!

Enjoy.  Maybe just jump ship and stay somewhere. Jon S.

Thanks for the pictures and update. I'll look forward to more. Bj got the pork roasts ready to go tomorrow plus making a cheese cake pie and I'm getting fruit cut up for salad. Miss you Elaine. Linda D.

Dear Tom, Joel, and Elaine,  Oh my goodness, that looks like such a wonderful trip!  I’m so excited for you!  Thank you for sharing your pictures. Please keep them coming! May you have a safe, happy, and memory-making trip! Blessings, Deb and Steve P.

I hope you have a wonderful time and look forward to the pictures.   By the way in one of the pictures which one of you is paragliding?  At least that is what I think they call it. Susan D.

Dear Tom, To all of you enjoy your holiday at the best you can.Bali in Indonesië our former Dutch colonne is beautiful !  Thank you very much !Big hug from René T. in the Netherlands.

Dear Tom, Joel and Elaine, What a lovely time you must be having!  The 20+-hour flights don’t sound too enticing, but once you got on board, it looks so nice!  Your tea looked and sounded delicious. Looking forward to more of your emails.  Love, Nancy D.

I LOVE your travel diary!  This is brilliant.  Thanks Barbara F.

Dear Tom, Joel, and Elaine, Enjoy your cruise trip. Bon Voyage! Tetsuya Okamoto

Good to see you all up and taking nourishment, Tom!   I never got around to a Viking cruise, but I understand they are very nice. Wishing you all a safe and delightful trip. BAAAALIIIII HAI!   Mick M.

Is this Joel hang gliding? Nice pics! Rick G.

Tom, with craziness of war going on at the other side of the globe, you chose a good quiet spot to visit.  Just jog around the deck so you can burn off those tea time calories!  Have a great trip!  Sylvia S.

Hi Tom,  I see you're off to traveling again, great news! Thanks for including me in your email. Nice to see the 'travel bug" is alive and kicking in you and your family. Looks to me like a great trip which is sure to bring back memories of prior times. I've been loving my time at the Tam and my lucky timely arrival here. Last year I had a couple of medical conditions occur. Now that I'm mostly recovered, after 6 months of dealing with an Aneurysm and subsequent brain surgery, I too am beginning to think about travel again. Maybe next year will be my time.  Have fun on your travels and say hi to your brother and sister-in-law. Tom  O.

Wow thanks!!  Jennifer G.

Was that you on the parasail?  I didn’t see a caption to that picture! Mark Coop

Good morning from West Linn, I’m glad you, Joel and Elaine are enjoying your cruise!  I always enjoy your photos and narrative.  I particularly noted your inclusivity comment in yesterday’s (day 4) notes!  Keep me posted on PS and Portland travels! Mark C.

March 12, 2026: Surabaya [Day 3] (B)

Our cruise is a four-day immersion in Indonesian history and culture.

Greeting us as we leave the Viking Venus at the Surabaya port.

After our arrival on the small island of Bali, we sailed on to Java, the next one in the archipelago of Indonesia. Indonesia has 17,000 islands of which over 900 are populated. Java has a land area of just over 51,000 sq. miles, with a population of 159 million people making it the most densely populated island in the world. Putting that in perspective, Oregon has a land mass of 98,000 sq. miles with a population of 4.2 million. Add to that, Java is a mountainous island with many volcanic peaks, one of which is taller than Mt. Hood. Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, is located on the west end of Java with over 10 million people. A new capital , Nusantara, has begun to be built on the island of Borneo, primarily because Jakarta is sinking rapidly (6 inches a year), heavily congested, and overpopulated.

Surabaya is a bustling port city of 3 million. We docked late morning and had an afternoon tour of historic sites. It was a hot day (aren’t they all on the equator) in the upper 80’s with humidity of over 90. It is still monsoon season and can be rainy. Our guide thought that the lowest temperature year-round is about 76 and that would probably be at night. One could find something cooler in the mountains. The city is quite green this time of year with lots of trees.

The excursion's first stop at Museum Mpu Tantular

Our first stop was a museum that was full of interesting artifacts. We didn’t have much time and our guide was a bit difficult to understand. From there we saw a brief performance of Javanese dancers in beautiful costumes. One could put on a red stole and dance with them for a picture. A school had come to the site, and they had some interesting wares to sell. They also served a special drink with local spices.

Dancers who invited our troup to join in

Elaine with one of the dancers.

Our tour also included a walk through an old urban neighborhood with narrow tiled streets. People were in doorways demonstrating how they did things like hulling & winnowing rice, or grating coconut to make coconut milk. They were also making batik, a time consuming process of dying fabric. One lady was putting leaves under fabric and then pounding it with a mallet to produce a subtle pattern. Presumably our ship was hiring these people to do this for us.

Map of our villiage tour in Surabaya

Down the narrow alley-way

We are well into the month of Ramadan which has a big influence on the city since 85% of Indonesia is Muslim. There are mosques everywhere, and a few times we have heard the calls to prayer. We were impressed that when we passed the largest mosque in the city, our guide said there was an emphasis on including places for Christians, Buddhists, Hindu’s and others to pray. There is, we were told, a strong sense of inclusivity.

Making little green boxes out of palm fronds. Rice and other ingredients are cooked inside of these.

Others were making these exotice floral pieces

This was Sukarno's house (at one time). It has been turned into a museum

Now it was time to get back on the bus for a long ride to the port and and the Viking Venus.

Thanks, Tom!  Ann C.

March 13, 2026: Semarang [Day 4] (C)

Day 4 (Friday the 13th). A day in Semarang.

Continuing on in Java, Indonesia, we docked at another port city in Central Java called Semarang. Our tour began after breakfast, and we took a bus through the city to an area that has sites from the days of the colonization by the Dutch. We went to a beautiful 300-year-old church that our guide called “Protestant Calvinist.”

“Protestant Calvinist” church

Inside the church

There was an old pipe organ that is nonfunctioning since parts aren’t available. They kept it since they liked the look.

We strolled past other buildings, a Chinese house where the family sold opium on the main floor after which one could enjoy it in the upper rooms. Next to it was the first car dealership in the city. Across the street Herr Spiegel had a store that sold European products such as wheat which doesn’t grow here.

Street scene with 300 Viking tourists!

Next was a visit to an excellent museum that was easier to grasp. A lot of it was prehistoric with items that had been found in the area. There was a nice display of representations of the find of the “Java” man and other humanoids up to the current ones.

At the entrance to the Heritage museum of Central Java

Elaine is getting ready to enter the "time portal" where she will se ancient elephant fossilized remains.

Our final stop was a huge cluster of Buddhist shrines in a compound called Sam Poo Kong. Although the Buddhist population is low, this place seemed to have lots of visitors. At the end we were served some local delicacies and jasmine tea, coffee or water.

Sam Poo Kong Chinese Temple Cultural Park

A lot of the food choices are listed in English. Burgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, etc.

At the largest temple, we sat and watched some dancers with elaborate costumes. In each one were 2 young men. We were asked if we wanted to put small bills into envelopes to feed these “monsters,” the cutest ones you’ve ever seen. We were supposed to feed them. One way is to climb up on a stool and the figure will jump up to the full height of the two men and snatch it away. All the while drums are beating in the background. The money was to support the dancers. They were the most fun we had all day.

Large Temple

Removing shoes/sandals to enter temples

At the largest temkple, we sat and watched some dancers with elaborate costumes. In each one were 2 young men. We were asked if we wanted to put small bills into envelopes to feed these “monsters,” the cutest ones you’ve ever seen. We were supposed to feed them. One way is to climb up on a stool and the figure will jump up to the full height of the two men and snatch it away. All the while drums are beating in the background. The money was to support the dancers. They were the most fun we had all day.

Joel feeding the lion.

The lion dancers!

Here is a link of the lion dancers. Each lion has a person in front and a person in back under the costume. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ULDIz_HvNmU

It did rain with thunder and lightning! We were on board listening to violin and piano play Norwegian music while slides of Edvard Munch were projected on a screen. It seems that all the musicians use an iPad in place of music on paper. The violinist had a foot pedal that “turned” the pages for her.

Wow so beautiful Indonesia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world,please keep me.on the list Tom, big hug from René T.

I've envious! Be sure to wave on your port side at my old home in Sumatra! Rick G.

You’re right; the lion dancers were adorable! Love, Nancy D.

It appeared your trip to Semarang was more interesting than Surabaya. Sadly the excursions in Surabaya were not that interesting. Tom — your visit to Indonesia brought warm memories of my youth during the Dutch era. Jon H.

Thank you for including me in your travels.  Carol S.

Beautiful!  Thanks for sharing with us. Barb M.

I’m glad to hear that Jo is doing well. That was a fun time. I used to have such a great time with you and Gary.  I’d love hearing about your trips. I just booked my flight flights for next year. I know it’s a little early, but I got some good deals so I’m excited about it. Have you been on Safari to Kenya?  Carol. S.

Dear Tom, How are you doing? I hope the trip is going well and that you are continuing to enjoy the cruise as well as all the fascinating places you are visiting on land. Thank you so much for your wonderful descriptions and pictures of the trip. I am following along and enjoying it all vicariously! :) Each place seems so different, colorful, and interesting. The cruise ship itself looks fabulous, and I love the Afternoon teas! I hope you continue to have a great time. We miss you at the meetings and look forward to your return. Barbara, Ed, and I were all in Palm Springs at different times, and we are back home now. The Bay area is expecting a heat wave that will break records this week! Take care, Tom, Love, Alma U.

March 14, 2026: At Sea [Day 5] (D)

Passengers and crew, on our ship, who have never crossed the equator are known as 'pollywogs' or 'tadpoles'. Members who have already paid their respects to Neptune are known as 'shellbacks'.

On day 5 we left central Java and began sailing the Java Sea. We had a leisurely day to relax. The main activity at midday was the ceremony for crossing the equator. It is an elaborate ritual to convert tadpoles, or pollywogs into shell backs. All the crew who had not made that crossing before were roped together led to the edge of the swimming pool Their crimes were read out to them. “You from the kitchen crew are accused of pretending to be out of a certain food so you didn’t have to prepare it.”

The three "judges": Captain and Food Service guy were judging the crew members showing a thumbs up or down.

Crew member "Pollywogs" were brought in, roped together

After "judgement" they had to kiss a fish and had to jump into the swimming pool.

When they came out, towels were provided to dry the now "shellbacks". And they were handed a stiff drink.

This is my cabin on the Viking Venus, looking towards the balcony. We are on deck 6, in the middle of the ship. Joel and Elaine are next door. Our steward has unlocked the barrier between our rooms so we can go back and forth via the balcony when we are in port.

Bathroom.

This is my coffee bar. The machine is a small Nespresso type and we get new coffee capsules several times a day.

My work station! Plenty of plugs around to charge things. With pull-out refrigerator drawer.

This is looking towards the bathroom and the door to the outside hallway

I'm a shellback from the late 50's. Love your stateroom! Rick G.

Very spacious looking accommodations!  Mary N.

Love the pollywog story!  Nice accommodations! Jon H.

I’ve heard the biking ships are really nice. But I’ve never seen them, but you gave us a decent view of your place. Carol S.

Thank you Tom, for taking us along on your adventure!  David and I are in Los Angeles for a few days visiting our son Robin and partner.  It’s been unseasonably warm, but we left a pretty wet West Linn, and therefore enjoying the warmth!  Yesterday visited the Norton Simon museum and sculpture garden, and had a great picnic in a park with sandwiches from The Vegan Butcher Shop! Best regards, Louise A.

March 15, 2026: Singapore [Day 6] (E)

It’s fair to say that Singapore, an island nation at the foot of the Malay Peninsula, isn’t like anywhere else. Prior to the Japanese occupation during the Second World War, it was a British colony. It’s diamond shaped comprising 287 sq. miles with a population of 6 million. It has no fresh water and no agricultural land. Food is imported and water comes from 4 sources: rain, Malaysia, desalinization, and purification of wastewater, going for industrial water needs. It is number 1 in the world for gross domestic product based on the population.

This ship was close to us as we approached Singapore. It's called the Genting Dream and is owned by Resort World Cruises.

This is the iconic Marina Bay Sands Casino and Hotel. The "boat" on top features an infinity swimming pool. How does that sound?

The spouting white lion is Singapore's mascot: called the Merlion and it's half lion and half fish.

English is the common language, and one of 4 official languages followed by Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. Technically, Singapore is a parliamentary democracy based on English common law. In fact, it has been governed by one political party since independence in 1965. There are elections, but they are seen as ratifying the party in power.

The laws are strict and punishments include the death penalty and caning as well as fines. Chewing gum is forbidden as is vaping. Smoking is not allowed in the house. Our guide said people ask her how she is and she answers “fine. Fine for this and fine for that!”

The Merlion. This body of water was once an inlet to the ocean. It was dammed off and over time the rainwater has turned it into a fresh water reservoir.

On the street in the middle of downtown Singapore!

91% of the people own their own homes although they are all apartments in high or not so high rises. All the land is owned by the government and what you buy is a 99-year lease. There is a required savings plan, think Social Security in the US, though it’s rate is 20%. When it comes to buying a house, some of that money can be accessed, and it’s also used for education and old age pensions.

One of several brands of Chinese electric cars that we saw.

The brand name of the car company is Zeekr.

Our included tour today was a panoramic exposure to Singapore. It was about 85 and a little showery. Some things really stood out such as the great variety of architecture which is a treat to look at. There are also Chinese, Indian, and Muslim neighborhoods retaining much of the culture of those groups.  Ethnic Chinese make up about 75% of the population, Malays, next and the others a scattering.

We had a stop in ChinaTown, and our guide, who talked a mile a minute, treated us to iced coffee, tea, or “milo” as well as soft drinks. Then back to the ship for the afternoon and evening.

The items on this sign board were our reward for making it to the end of this excursion. One thing that I hadn't seen before was when your drink was prepared it was placed in a machine that sealed the top with a layer of plastic. You would stab a straw through it to get to your beverage.

Trying to find the stop for the shuttle that will take us back to the ship.

Huge shopping mall across from the Marina Bay Sands Hotel

"One thing that I hadn't see before was when you drink was prepared it was placed in a machine that sealed the top with a layer of plastic. You would stab a straw through it to get to your beverage." This is common when buying Boba drinks (tea-based drink invented in the 1980s, featuring chewy tapioca pearls) in the USA. Boba drinks are popular in the US amongst college kids.  Personally, I don 't think much of Boba - just chewy tapioca pearls. Jon H.

This looks amazing!  Barbara F.

Thanks again dear Tom; I love to read from your trip with these very good friends.You deserve this.You are a good man.Enjoy until the end and get wel home.In the meantime i keep on praying for Jon that he will heal for good. Big hugs Rene T. and Makoto.

That is one big ship!  I would be afraid of becoming lost, but what an amazing view it has! Barb M.

Singapore was one of my mom's favorite places. She'd go shopping every few months there. The company my dad worked for had two DC 3's that would fly the 90 miles back and forth. We could also take a boat up the Siak (sp) river to Pakenbaru which was the largest town near our camp. Thanks for sharing!  Rick G.

I think they should rename it Viking Venice! Sorry about the cold.  It happens so often when you travel, but it’s miserable.  I hope it continues to improve. Barbara F.

Good morning, Tom & Company! Were the giant flowers in the last picture real flowers, paper, glass, or ??? Thank you for keeping us up to date in your travelogue! We love seeing and learning about all of the parts of the world you travel to. Have a safe day and rest of your week. Where are you off to next? Hugs, Jimmy and Glenda F.

March 16, 2026: Singapore [Day 7] (F)

Singapore has a set of famous, very huge glass greenhouse structures, tucked behind the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. 

We took a shuttle from the ship and then we walked and walked to get to this fantastic indoor garden.  It is amazing what is growing there including ancient trees. It is zoned into areas such as South Africa, Mediterranean, desert, etc.

At the Gardens on the bay was "Onward Ahead", a new bronze sculpture by Cultural Medallion recipient and sculptor Mr. Chong Fah Cheong. It celebrates the 60th anniversary of Singapore.

This is the Garden complex. The 2 large greenhouses are the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. The forest of metal "trees" is called the Garden by the Bay.

A number of wooden sculptures were there for us to enjoy.

"Talking the situation over"

White Dahlias (from Swan Island Dahlias???)

Sugar Bush Protea from South Africa

The tallest azalea plant (red flowers) that I've ever seen!

Many flowers were familiar to us like hydrangeas, geraniums, and dahlias

150 fibreglass bears, each two metres tall, gathered for the ‘United Buddy Bears’ exhibition. The project began in Berlin in 2002 and has since travelled the world. Now the bear statues have arrived in Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay

We made our way out of this greenhouse and found a little shuttle that took us back to the hotel and shopping center.

We left the Singapore port and started our voyage overnight to Malaysia.

You all are having such a great trip. I have t been to SIN for quite a few years so I see huge changes. Thanks for all your pictures and notes. Say Hi to Joel and Elaine. Eric S.

These photos are absolutely gorgeous photos!  The flowers are so amazing, I've forwarded this note to my younger sister, who's a big gardener.   Also, I loved the Berlin Bears.  I saw one in 2014 in Berlin.  The one I saw commemorated the Berlin Airlift. Barbara F.

WOW!  What a trip!  Thanks for sharing, and hi to all! Deb P.

Nice! Thanks for sharing.  Rob J.

Thanks for the update.  i loved my time in Singapore with friend who lived there.  He is now in Australia.  Jon S.

Absolutely gorgeous! Jon H.

Wow! What an amazing place!!! Ginger R.

Great pictures, Tom!  Hope you didn’t spit in the street, which would have caused an arrest and diplomatic brouhaha. Sylvia S.

Great pictures and a wonderful trip you are having!  Very warm and nice here!   Summer has arrived early!  Randy H.

March 17, 2026: Kuala Lumpur [Day 8] (G)

About 160 miles up the west side of the Malay Peninsula from Singapore is the port city nearest Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, and this is where we docked for this visit.

Hmmmm. Tempting.

We arrived in the morning and were soon met by a car service sent from Kuala Lumpur by our friend Charles.  He lived for a time in Palm Springs, where he became a friend of our brother, Terry.  He now lives in the heart of this thriving capital city.

This is our driver and car which our friend Charles booked for us. He fetched us at the KL port/terminal and returned us there later on.

We rode in this Toyota branded car called the Alphard. It is very luxurious, with three rows of seats. It made the one hour ride, each way, especially enjoyable.

Elaine and I sat in these seats. Joel rode up front with the driver.

After about an hour we pulled up to a shopping center at the foot of the Petronas twin towers, the tallest twin towers in the world. And that is what we did: a tour of the Petronas Towers.

This is the connector between the 2 towers at the 44 floor. There is another walkway above for the office workers.

Charles, Tom, Elaine, Joel and strangers on the 44th floor of the Petronas tower

Scenes from the Petronas tower.

The KL Convention Center lies next to these trees.

The other tower as seen from our tower! Off to the left, is the second tallest building in the world, Merdeka 118.

Our ears were popping when we descended to the ground. Charles said the popping of our ears was included in the price of the tower tour. Since we were in KL we could chew gum to equalize the pressure without getting fined.

Bungkus Kaw Kaw is an unfortunate name for a fast food restaurant. It refers to nutrition packed foods.

When we were in the basement of the Petronas Towers, they took the picture of the four of us. Later on they pasted our image on different backgrounds.

KLCC = Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (row of arch shaped roof line above the trees.

We were treated to lunch at the Four Seasons in a private dining room arranged by our host. Tom and friends visited him some years ago, and this was the first time that Charles had met Joel & Elaine. We had time for a leisurely visit, getting to learn so much about his peripatetic life journey. How would it be to go by elevator to shop for groceries and have them delivered to your apartment? Charles could tell us.

After touring the twin towers, we were treated to lunch at the KL Four Seasons Hotel. We were in a private dining room. Delicious meal!!

For dessert, Joel chose "Bear-Shaped Mango Pudding". No bears were harmed in the making of the dessert.

Elaine and I had the Cream of Mango, Pomelo, Snow Nest dessert.

All too soon our driver was back to deliver us to the ship. A cruise traveler’s worst nightmare would be arriving at port as the ship is sailing away. 

We are leaving Malaysia with very positive feelings about a vibrant capital of about 2 million in a metropolitan area of 8 million. The city skyline takes your breath away. There are very large apartment complexes with imaginative architecture. Their gas prices are lower than in the US (government subsidies), and the roads are in good shape. We drove through a number of toll plazas, and each toll was about 50 cents.

Malaysia is officially Muslim about 65%, and many of the women wear head scarves. Malay is the official language, and English is widely spoken. Charles commented that the Malaysian people are pretty laid back. We were in a lot of busy traffic, and the drivers seemed to be purposeful, but with all the weaving in and out without much room, we didn’t hear a horn honk more than once or twice.

Great architecture pictures.  Nice to have a visit with a friend on this trip. Mary N.

Beautiful dear Tom, I was here in 2003 i took a long train from Bangkok to North East Malaysia,where i stayed one night in a hostel.From there further south and also Kuala Lumpur.It was a very nice holiday.

Nice that you all can enjoy this. Now i play music from Crosby,Nash and Young,very beautiful. Big hugs from René T.

Excellent tour! Jon H.

Looks like a wonderful trip so far. This is a part of the world Larry and I will never get to, so we are enjoying it through you. Pam L.

Can't thank you enough for sharing these with us.  Absolutely amazing!  So glad you are all enjoying your trip.  You certainly deserve it. Barb M.

So beautiful! Thank you for sharing. Barb M

WOW.  What a car.  And what a trip!  Warmest wishes to all! Deb P. 

Those are some extremely tall buildings!! How could Joel bring himself to eat that cute little bear?! Love, Nancy D.

Tom: I am enjoying your cruise.  The KL adventure must have been particularly fun with the private car service, seeing the Petronus towers and the lunch with Charles.  I always wanted to see Kuala Lumpar, maybe someday. We just returned from our second trip to Merida, Mexico with our Portland friend, Jon.  Two weeks went by quickly.  I suppose you've seen the lines in some of the airports.  We were lucky that we had Global Entry and TSA precheck as I've never seen so many people lined up.  Now it's time to wrap up the income taxes. Enjoy your trip. Don A.

Thanks for sharing. Diane P.

March 18-20, 2026: At Sea [Days 9-11] (H)

A day earlier, we had sailed up the west side of the Malay Peninsula to get to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore. Now on this day we doubled back and came around the island of Singapore, so we could sail up the east side of the Malay Peninsula. As we were eating breakfast on the deck, we looked up and there was Singapore’s skyline in the distance. Who knew we would be back to this jewel of Southeast Asia so quickly.

Singapore from the distance as we moved from Kuala Lumpur to Thailand

We didn’t stop, though, and soon it was in the distance as we spent the day heading for Thailand. We have 2 "At Sea" days before we reach Koh Samui (Nathon), Thailand, the second largest island in that country. Our excursion there was 5 hours on the beach and we ended up staying on the ship

Some thoughts about the Viking Venus cruise ship. Built in 2021, this vessel holds 930, a completely different experience from the 2 to 6,000 passenger ships that we've been on before. Every room has a balcony with table & chairs. We felt lucky that we were assigned side by side rooms in the middle of the ship so one set of elevators and stairs was just outside our doors. There is no casino, art auction, and only 2 shops, one with Norwegian sweaters and another jewelry.

Cooking demonstration: Curry Chicken (left) and Chocolate Mousse (right). I really liked the projections behind them where the cameras showed us of their work table.

Chocolate Mousse was a dessert choice that evening at the World Cafe.

The central feature of this ship is an atrium, which is 3 decks in height. There are lots of comfortable furniture, a library scattered throughout, and a large video screen that always had some interesting artistic slides. And there is a big black grand piano here and it's used mostly by a pianist who alternates with violin/pianist performers playing duets.

There were a number of game tables. There might be jigsaw puzzles being solved, card/board games being played. Some tables have a huge video screen embedded in them and offer a choice of many games.

The Atrium with a huge LED screen at the top of the stairs.

There were 20 or so musicians: 3 keyboard artists, violinist, 4 young British singers and dancers, 2 vocalists and a band. They performed all over the ship. There is a theater that holds 3-400 seats, and it is state of the art sound and light capable. Two notable shows were hits from musicals, and the Beatles.

Joel and Tom ate at Manfredi specialty restaurant this evening. Great menu of Italian dishes.

The 2 days stretched into 3 since we elected not to tender into a dock on the second largest island in Thailand. Mostly it would have been to lie on a blanket under a palm tree and go swimming. We learned to play backgammon again after many years.

This night, we honored all of the crew members in the theater. Our room stewards were on the extreme left.

Great pictures!  Randy H.

March 21, 2026: Bangkok [Day 12] (I)

The buses came to get us in the morning for our 8.5 excursion to Bangkok.

On our first day in Bangkok, we went on a city "panorama tour" which began with a 2 ½ hour bus ride into the city. (The whole tour was over 8 hours!) We had lots of time to absorb the history and culture from our wonderful guide, Vicky. Bangkok is a huge city, 11 million, 17 million including the metro area. Thailand, formerly called Siam until 1939, means the city of freedom. It also went from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy at that time.

Our first stop along the freeway: very important.

Surrounded by Japanese occupation, Thailand elected to join the Axis in World War II, thereby retaining some of their independence. Japan did bring their system of training professions like nursing, for instance.

This was the statue of Optimus Prime, the evil transformer, at this Bangkok intersection.

Vicky, our guide, was showing us how to fold the lotus flower petals in a decorative way. It exposes the inner flower parts.

Weird laws in Thailand include prohibitions on leaving the house without underwear, driving topless, and stepping on currency, which bears the King’s image. We understand that it is treasonous to criticize the king.

We stopped at several temples and toured a spectacular flower market.

Street food near the flower market

The street on our way to the flower market.

The flower market is huge and is open 24 hours every day.

Here we see a jumble of wiring hung above the street where we were walking.

The current king's mother passed away last October and there is a year of mourning for her. She was the prior king's beloved wife and the mother of the current king. We saw pictures of her at every age hung all over. She will lie in state for 1 year, then be cremated in the facility now being constructed near the palace.

I wish I knew which temple and Buddha this was. Shoes not allowed, but taking photos was.

Tom climbed 67 steps to this part of the temple. In this heat, it felt like 167 steps.

We heard lots both in a lecture aboard ship, and from guides about "Anna & the King of Siam", The story was written in 1870 and were the memoirs of the real Anna Leonowens.

The story was retold about a century later by  Margaret Landon in the book Anna and the King of Siam. The King and I stage musical and movie were based on Landon's book.  The King and I was written by Richard Rodgers [music] and Oscar Hammerstein II [lyrics] with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr.

Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr

Needless to say, most of the story is fabricated although Anna Leonowens did answer an ad to go to Bangkok to teach the king’s many, many children about the time of the American Civil War.

It would have made sense that the king would have sent for her since he was very interested in modernizing the country. This puts the story at odds with the portrayal of him as a medieval brute whom she tamed with a whiff of romance.

Actually, she didn’t live in the palace, and she mostly dealt with the children for five years until she went back to England. While she was away the king died and she received a letter that her services were not needed. She died in Nova Scotia many years later. The film was banned in Thailand since it didn’t reflect well on a king.

One more temple. It won't be the last!

It was back to the ship after a looong day. We had to get busy since suitcases had to be outside our room by 10 p.m.

I hope your trip home is safe and smooth! Barbara F.

Our little Smyrna church would look even more little compared to these amazing  ones.  Thanks again for sharing your trip with us.  Has been very interesting. Barb M.

Loving your travelogue! Say hi to Joel for me. Thanks for all the beautiful pictures. Looks like you’ve had a great trip, David Smith

Tom — was that not the famous Golden Budha every tourist is taken to Wat Suthat Temple in Bangkok? The murals and chandeliers are spectacular. Love those Hanging Wires pictures! Jon H.

Thank you dear Tom, Very beautiful makes me think of when we met in this city and had fun wrestling with fake nylon gloves on our arms with fake tatoes. Have lots of fun. Big hugs René T.

March 22, 2026: Bangkok [Day 13] (J)

More Bangkok

Orchids in the lobby of the Shangri La Hotel

More orchids (BTW they are real)

View of Bangkok from our hotel, the Shangri La on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.

Nearby building

We elected as part of the trip to stay two more nights in Bangkok, so when everyone was required to leave the ship, we were on several special buses to take us back into town. Our tour guide was Jah, the guide for the extension. She was a hoot with her manner of speaking, joking and making the journey go fast.

She explained why the Thai language is so difficult for us to learn since it has five tones.

In texting, they use 5555 instead of LOL because the number 5 is pronounced "ha", so 5555 means ha ha ha ha.

Then as an example of the tones, she used one word, which she pronounced with 5 different tones. The words have completely different meanings. We mostly couldn’t hear any difference. We might have something similar in English as our tone goes up when we when the sentence is a question rather than a statement.

With my phone I circled the people in this photo and removed them.

However, I don't know how to get rid of the circles?!?!?!?!?

The Grand Palace Grounds

Jah took us to the Royal Palace. The royal family no longer lives here; it is used for ceremonies.

We had been warned that we would need proper attire, long pants or dresses over the knees, and no shorts or sleeveless blouses. Of course some didn’t get that message.  However, no worries, people would be there where we got off the bus selling “elephant pants” and sarongs for about $5 each. “If you didn’t look like a tourist before, you will now,” said our guide.

On the palace grounds are many Buddhist temples.  Thailand is 94% Buddhist and in the temples, where many observant Buddhas bring flowers, light incense, and give small coins.

Water lily blossom

Our second Bangkok guide, named Jah.

Gentle yoga poses for us to practice.

We also saw the reclining Buddha. It is 151 feet long and covered in gold. Later on we also saw the emerald Buddha.

Reclining Buddha.

The Emerald Buddha (made of Jade)

Looking through the doorway to the Emerald Buddha. Photos not allowed while inside.

After a delicious Thai lunch at a restaurant called the Royal Princess, we checked into our rooms in The Shangri-La Hotel, a beautiful 5-star hotel dedicated by one of the royal princesses in 1986. We have a beautiful bay window overlooking the Chao Phraya River flowing through the heart of the city. It’s about the size of the Willamette River in Portland, but there the similarity ends. It’s full of boats, ferries, water taxis, barges and all sorts of activities.

Tuk Tuk vehicles entering the restaurant's parking lot.

Wow  very beautiful Tom.  Rene T.

Good choice to have more time in Bangkok. Canal cruise is interesting as well as the river ferry with stops along the way.  Enjoy. Jon S.

Thank you Tom for the wonderful pictures of your travels.  Brings back wonderful memories of our Asian trip. Safe trip home.  Ron M.

So, do you think Trump is going to want a gold statue of himself?  Linda D.

Everything – the buildings, anyway – is very pointy, isn’t it? When you wrote “Emerald Buddha” I immediately wondered if it was actually made of emeralds!  Glad you clarified.  Love, Nancy D.

Dank je lieve vriend Tom ! Kom goed thuis en groet Jon van me.!  Rene T.

March 23, 2026: Bangkok [Day 14] (K)

We had a delicious breakfast outside along the river furnished by the hotel. Anything your heart could desire. It was easy to fill ones plate with fruit since there was papaya, yellow mango, watermelon, cantaloupe, dragon fruit (red and white0, pineapple and so forth. Second to the last breakfast of this whole trip. The restaurant had a section of Thai food, Indian food, Chinese food, western food. The fruit is outstanding.

At 11:00 am, Ten, a friend of Tom’s, came to the hotel for a visit. The hotel runs a water shuttle across the river to a huge shopping center. Our plan was to look around and then to have lunch. This was one of the glitziest malls you’ve ever seen, it had a large food court unlike any we’ve ever seen with perhaps 100 food stalls cooking everything you could want. Thousands of people were eating.

My friend Ten at the IconSiam Shopping Center upper terrace.

After breakfast, we took a little walk in our neighborhood. To the left is the hotel Tom has stayed at before a couple of times (Centre Point Plus) with the white tower of the Shangri La hotel to the right.

Looking towards the gold dome of the State Tower. The Sky Bar is on top. The Shangri La water shuttle took us from that side where our hotel is located to this side where the shopping center is located.

This is the Shangri La Hotel's shuttle boat that took us back and forth across the river to the IconSiam shopping mall.

On the Shangri La shuttle boat.

All of the departures of the Viking guests who stayed on at Bangkok: Flight number with pickup times.

Ten, Elaine, Joel and Tom at the entrance to the IconSiam Shopping Center.

Inside were all of the high end shops like Armani, Gucci, Cartier, Northface.

In another area on the ground floor were all of the following food stalls:

Barbeque on skewers.

Fried eggs surrounded by many oysters!

At the Apple Store, inside of the shopping center, Joel bought a new charging cable for his phone.

The tallest building in Thailand (when it was completed in 2016). It is referred to as either the 'Pixel Tower" or the "Leggo Tower". These are the nicknames for King Power Mahanakhon, a 77-story mixed-use skyscraper. It is famous for its unique, "pixelated" facade. Bangkok has the 5th largest number of skyscrapers in the world. On the top is a skywalk with a glass floor.  Hmmmm.

Facade of the IconSiam Shopping Center.

Ten, Joel, Elaine and Tom on the upper terrace of IconSiam

The purple rain is a feature of this mall. It takes on different shapes and patterns as it falls from above. It is on the top floor with stand alone restaurants. The waterfall even spells out words (like the name of the shopping center).

We chose this Japanese restaurant (Ippudo) for lunch and ordered ramen dishes. It was right next to that giant waterfall.

A showroom of Volvo electric cars was on the third floor of the shopping center. They really look nice and sleek.

The electric EX90 SUV from Volvo.

Soon it was time to catch our ferry back to the hotel.   We have been in the hot season in Bangkok and the temperature is in the 90’s with high humidity. Aside from a little heat rash, we have made it just fine. We have our hats, and the city has lots of air conditioning.

You will be relieved to know that this will be the last report as we head home tomorrow, Tuesday for us. It should be Tuesday for hours and hours and sunny all the way. Joel and Elaine leave at 2 p.m. and fly to Taipei, 3 ½ hrs. then Taipei to Seattle, 10 ½ hrs, where they’ll clear customs and fly on to Portland 56 mins. Arriving at 10.38 p.m. Tom also flies to Taipei leaving a few hours later and then from Taipei to San Francisco.

Tom has been to all these countries beginning in 1973: Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Joel and Elaine can add them to their list of countries visited, about 60. It has been a great trip highlighted by a couple of visits with friends, and experiencing the equator at sea level. It was a wonderful way to celebrate Elaine and Joel’s 85th birthdays, and yes, Joel met Elaine for the first time 85 years ago at her baby shower!

Thanks for sharing your trip.  Nora C.

Happy to read this all.I onze flew to Taipeh 16 hours and from there 3,5 hours to Ot in Bangkok for a cheap price.Now i don.t go east there is to much sugar in the food. Don,'t need to see Ot he was mean in 2019.i have diabetes 2. Rene T.

It’s gonna be a loooong Tuesday! You should never worry about boring people with your missives.  Everyone loves getting them.  I almost feel like I was there. Barbara F.

Hi Tom, Joel and Elaine,  What a colorful place!  And it looks like the weather is gorgeous!!  Blessings,  Deb. P.

Hi Tom,  Joel and Elaine, Thank you so much for sharing your trip with me.  What a fantastic time you must have had! Looks brilliant.  And huge happy birthday to both of you. All the best and lots of love.  Have a safe journey home. Doris E.

What an absolute amazing city AND narration! You are dynomite Tom and the photography amazing! Where to next?  Carol S.

That breakfast looks marvelous!

I’m never relieved when you reach the end of one of these trips, because I enjoy reading your letters so much and seeing all the pictures. Joel met Elaine when they were that young?!  Roberta and Florence must have had it all planned out, yes? Love, Nancy D.