January 14, 2026

Ed Tucker picked us up at 5:00am for a short ride to the Green Bay airport to catch a flight to Chicago. The departure from Chicago to Tokyo was delayed by 2 hours, 30 minutes late in boarding and then we spent 1.5 hours on the plane at the gate. Snow and gusty winds were to blame for the delay. On the flight from Chicago to Tokyo I watched two movies: Rooftop and Eden. Both were interesting and helped to pass the time. Fortunately we had a 3 hour layover in Tokyo before the flight to Singapore which was cut down to only an hour based upon the delayed arrival. On the flight from Tokyo to Singapore I watched “The Long Walk” movie. Since we crossed the International Date Line the our arrival in Singapore was on January 16, 2026

January 16, 2026

Arrival in Singapore was shortly after midnight and we proceeded to go thru Immigration. Lori flew through but I was rejected. The entry document that we had filled out at home from our scanned passports had transferred the wrong passport number for me. So Lori was on one side of Immigration and I was on the other side. After a couple of attempts I finally was able to come through Immigration. We were the last ones from our flight to collect our bags and finally caught a taxi to our hotel at 1:30am. It was a short 25 minute ride to the hotel and we were in bed by 2:30am. Tonight we are staying at Hilton Garden Inn Singapore Sarangoon. Our room is small, clean, and nicely done with a king bed taking up most of the space. 

It was a short sleeping night. We both woke up around 6:30 (surprisingly refreshed). At 7:30 we heard what sounded like church bells ringing and they rang for 15 to 30 minutes. I looked out the window and saw the ringing bells no more than 50 yards from our hotel. We are staying very near the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple on Serangoon Road. We had nothing pre-planned for today so we decided to walk (about 1.5 miles) to the Singapore Flyer – a large ferris wheel.

We are staying in Little India, an older part of the town. The streets were crowded with people, vehicles, and small shops, some with good smells and some not so much. I wore long pants even though it was 80 degrees so as to not stick out too much as a tourist. The only men wearing shorts were obviously tourists.

On our way back to the hotel we had lunch at a really nice restaurant in a mall called Yakiniku Ike. At this place you ordered the meat you wanted, it was brought to the table thinly sliced and then you cooked it on a burner inset in the table between you. Lots of flavor choices to spice up the meat and rice. My order came with Kimchi which I enjoyed. Since we were filled up from lunch we went to the restaurant in this hotel to play Cribbage and Qwirkle and snack on appetizers. Tonight we are staying at Hilton Garden Inn Singapore Sarangoon.

January 17, 2026

It was a long night for me. I had severe diarrhea and had to get up about 6 times and finally at 6:30am I threw up. Not sure of the cause but I resigned myself to cancelling the planned bike ride (Lori still went by herself). The bells from Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple were ringing on schedule around 7:30am. I spent the day reclined in bed, sleeping off and on, and generally taking it easy.

Lori returned from the bike ride around 2:00pm. While I was feeling better, I was by no means back to normal so we decided that we needed to cancel the reservation at Labyrinth, a Michelin star restaurant and pay for the entire meal. After several back and forth emails with Labyrinth they agreed to change our reservation from today to tomorrow at noon, allowing us just enough time to experience the restaurant and get the cruise ship before it sailed. The remainder of the day was spent in the room and supper was had at the hotel restaurant. Since my stomach was still a bit queasy I had a kid’s ham and cheese sandwich. Tonight we are staying at Hilton Garden Inn Singapore Sarangoon.

January 18, 2026

Much to our surprise yesterday when we emailed Labyrinth to cancel our reservation they agreed (even though previously they had said no) to change our reservation to today at noon. The noon reservation gave us just enough time to enjoy the meal and get to the cruise ship on time. So after a lazy morning we caught a cab, with our luggage, to Labyrinth where they graciously stored our luggage while we ate.  The food was elegantly prepared and presented and there was a lot of food. We caught another cab for the short ride to the cruise ship terminal to board the Holland America ship Westerdam. Nothing remarkable about the evening.

January 19, 2026

The cruise day was spent at sea. We played a couple of games, did a one mile walk on Deck 3 and explored the ship. We also spent a fair amount of time in line trying to get the Navigator app and internet issues resolved. The big event of the day was my tooth ache which was unbearable. At 4:00pm we decided to go to the dispensary where I was diagnosed with an infected root. The doctor prescribed an anti-biotic. I contacted Dr Crowley (my Green Bay dentist) via email and he suggested a different anti-biotic if this one doesn’t work. Lori did origami butterflies. 

January 20, 2026

I woke early at 5:00am but since we had changed time zones it was only 4:00am. Since I was wide awake I went for a 2 mile walk on Deck 3. The ship is docked at Hoh Samui Thailand and a tender boat is required to get to shore. Since we are not doing an organized excursion we are near the last to catch a tender. We walked around the small town for about two hours. We visited two different temples and did some shopping before returning to the ship. Lori and I both did an Origami sailboat prior to a sit down dinner in the dining room with two other couples. One of the people at the table was author Judith Robbins Rose who wrote “Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco”. 

January 21, 2026

The ship today is docked at Laem Chubang Thailand. We have a private driver arranged for 8:00am to take us to Bangkok. On the way to Bangkok we stopped and picked up the private guide that we hired. Since it was a 2.5 hour drive into Bangkok we were only able to visit the Damnoen Saduak Floating market before needing to be dropped off at our hotel. We had previously arranged to have a ride in a long boat around the market. There was a maze of canals with vendors along the edge and there were actually some boats selling their wares. We bought coconut ice cream from one of them. 

Once done with the boat ride we walked to the market where I had coconut pancakes the size of silver dollars – cooked right in front of me. They were yummy. Lori found a Tiger Balm stand and purchased some to take home. After checking into the Shanghai Mansion hotel, we headed to the bar for a drink while we waited for the time to depart for our walking food tour. We chose a couple of exotic drinks, neither were very good.

The walking tour of Chinatown street food vendors was different from any of the other tours. Chinatown was crowded with people, cars, and street vendors. Sensory overload. In previous food tours we got some of the history of the area and of the food – not so with this tour – it was only about the food and there was a lot of it. There are 8 folks in our group – all from the US – and all appreciative of food. We are staying at the Shanghai Mansion hotel tonight.

January 22, 2026

Our driver and guide picked us up right at 8:00am for the short drive to the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho where we spent an hour touring the grounds before heading over to the Grand Palace. On the grounds of the Reclining Buddha we were able to view an ordination ceremony for new monks. Unfortunately, we had to be back to the ship at 2:00pm so departed at 11:00. We spent the afternoon and evening lounging in our room relaxing and resting.

January 23, 2026

We are docked in the port of Kampong Saom near the town of Sihanoukville Cambodia. We started the day by getting on the port shuttle to take us from the gate to Independence park where we met our guide, Nak (sounds like knock)  for the 12 person tour. After a short talk about the Independence park we headed to the Wat IntNhean monastery where we toured the grounds and the beautiful buildings. Back on the bus for a 15 minute ride to a fishing dock. I found this to be most interesting. Fresh seafood was being sorted and sold right on the dock. The boats were very colorful.

The next stop was at a huge shopping area that covered about 3 or 4 blocks. There were food vendors, both cooking the food and supplies, household good vendors, clothing and electronics. There were even one chair beauty shops mixed in amongst everything. Finally we went to an upscale hotel for lunch and to walk the beach. We weren’t hungry so we didn’t order much and the food was not remarkable. 

After relaxing in our cabin for a bit we had supper followed by the magic of Sunny Chen on the World Stage. The magic was excellent and enjoyable. We ended the evening in one of the lounges where a game of Majority Rules was played. We didn’t do well but it was very entertaining. The ship left port around 9:00pm and tomorrow is a day at sea.

January 24, 2026

Today is a day at sea. I started the day by walking two miles on deck 3 followed by getting my daily caramel macchiato with almond milk. I had hoped for a pickleball lesson but it was very windy, maybe later. We relaxed in the room till a cooking demonstration by the ship’s Executive Chef who made Crumbled Miso Crusted Lamb Chops. A very entertaining demo. Our dinner reservation for this evening is at Canaletto Restaurant where Italian meals are offered. The food was excellent. The evening was spent in the Billboard lounge listening to piano music. 

We were informed in the evening that the ship was required to divert to a different port. The new port is Cam Ranh Bay Vietnam and is located on a military base. Lori immediately went to Viator to cancel the tours we had scheduled. Although we were within the 24 hour cancel window, they still granted us a 100% refund. 

January 25, 2026

Our newly scheduled tour departed shortly after 8:00am and headed for the town of Nha Trang where we stopped at a couple of religious places before starting a bike ride. The bike ride totaled 6 miles, some through town and some in the countryside. The town portion was interesting-you had to pay close attention to the road. Scooters and cars were passing us and at cross streets we had to integrate into the traffic as there were no traffic signals.There were about 40 of us. After the bike ride we sampled coconut water and fruits before heading to a buffet lunch. The evening on the ship was uneventful.

January 26, 2026

Today is a day in the port of Cam Ranh Bay Vietnam. We decided to stay on the ship and do computer work, picture curating, and game playing. We went to the “Orange” party which we didn’t enjoy. The ship left port at 8:30pm.

January 27, 2026

We are at sea all day today. It was too windy for the pickleball lesson and pick up play. At 11:00am we attended a cooking demo by the executive chef. He showed us how to make Crackling Pork Ceviche. Relaxing evening in the cabin.

January 28, 2026

We docked in the morning in DaNang Bay Vietnam. Our scheduled cooking class departed on time at 09:10am for the Hoi An Vietnam tourist area. We walked around the vegetable, meat and seafood market before heading to the cooking class. We made a spring roll with fresh ingredients and Banh Xeo which is a type of Vietnamese coconut sizzle pancake? Relaxing evening in the cabin.

January 29, 2026

A day at sea. Nothing remarkable to report.

January 30, 2026

The cruise ship docked early in the morning at Ha Long Port, Vietnam. While waiting to disembark there was an emergency declared on the ship. We thought, “What a weird time for a drill.” Then the announcement added, “This is not a drill. All crew to fire stations, fire in the engine room.” Lori and I looked at each other and agreed now was the time to get off the ship. While departing the emergency was cancelled and the fire put out. We walked the long pier where we met our tour guide and 38 other folks. During the hour-long ride to our first stop we were served an excellent selection of Vietnamese food. The first stop was at a three chamber cave with 200 plus steps up to it and, of course, 200 more steps back to the ship. 

At the second stop we had the choice between a speed boat ride (for extra cost), a bamboo boat ride or kayaking. We chose a bamboo ride based upon the limited area for kayaking. Finally, we stopped at Ti Top Mountain for a 400+ step hike to the top for panoramic views. On the way back to Ha Long Port we had awesome views of the nighttime skyline of the city.

January 31, 2026

A relaxing day at sea. One of the highlights for the day was the Cake Me Away event. There was a selection of 40 to 50 different cakes. I had German Black Forest cake and Lori tried Carrot cake. Both were good but not excellent. In the evening we had dinner in the Pinnacle Grill where we split a nice steak filet and had excellent conversations with the couples near us. One couple had graduated from Kansas State University and previously lived in the Minneapolis area and the other couple was from Canada.

February 01, 2026

We docked in Hong Kong China early this morning. Many of the folks on the ship are disembarking here but we still have another 14 days. After getting off the ship at 9:00am we decided to take a local bus to the Star Ferry Port where we could walk along Victoria Harbour and the famed Tsim Sha Tsui promenade and the Avenue of the Stars. The bus ride took about 45 minutes. From the promenade we could see the cruise ship, way in the distance. When we got to the end of the formal promenade the path continued so we kept going. At some point we decided to try to walk back to the ship which we did – about an eight mile walk. Along the way we purchased an egg tart, which was OK. A bit cooler today (mid 60’s).

February 02, 2026

Relaxing day at sea. Lots of wind and waves and rocking of the ship. I went for a walk on the promenade deck twice. Everyone walking (me included) looked like drunks trying to walk a straight line.

February 03, 2026

Another relaxing day at sea. Once again we attended a cooking demo by the Executive Chef. He demonstrated Pasta with Clams and Shrimp. Nothing remarkable in the evening except as I was changing clothes I stumbled and stepped on my belt. Not only did my foot hurt but my buckle is broken and that is the only belt I brought. I’m having to jerry rig a clasp using velcro. It seems to be working.

February 04, 2026

Docked in Puerto Princesa, Philippines. We headed into town around 8:00am and hired a “tricycle” driver to take us to some of the local sites. The “tricycle” is actually a Honda 155 motorcycle with an enclosure around it and seating for two passengers. Our driver’s name was Vincent and he spoke decent English. The traffic was crazy like other destinations with lots of motorcycles, “tricycles” and cars, all weaving in and out of lanes and merging together.

Our first stop was at Binuatan Creations where a demonstration of making mats occurred and we bought a table runner. Next on the agenda was Palawan Butterfly Garden where the highlight was a demonstration of the traditional Palawan people. I especially liked the demo of the use of blow darts. Onward to Mitra’s Ranch which for us was really no big deal then to Baker’s Hill. Baker’s Hill is essentially a bakery with a bunch of eating spots with touristy statues. We were able to score a box of 10 Ube Pastillas Hopia, a classic pastry using the Ube fruit (sweet purple yam). They are excellent, a hint of sweetness but not too much. Vincent dropped us at the Baywalk Park for a short walk back to the ship. 

February 05, 2026

Docked in Boracay, Philippines. This is a port that requires a tender to get to the island. We went and got a tender number and it was 39. Since at 11:00am they were still calling only tender numbers 10 and 11 we figured we could not get ashore with enough time to really do anything on the island. We decided, instead, to stay on board and work out and walk on the ship. Our tender number was finally called at 1:30, so we made the right decision. I worked out doing squats, lunges, curls and ab work. I’ll be sore tomorrow. For dinner we decided to eat in the sit down dining room. We sat next to a younger couple and struck up a nice conversation with them. She was originally from Tokyo and him from Australia. 

February 06, 2026

Docked in Manila Philippines. We met our pre-arranged driver at 8:30 who took us to meet our kalesa (a horse drawn carriage) driver. Our first stop was at Fort Santiago which is part of the walled city called Intramuros, which means “within the walls.” It is a historic district that was established during the Spanish colonial period and served as the political, military, and religious center of the Philippines for over 300 years.

Not much of the original walled city remains, much of it was destroyed by the Japanese upon retreat and Allied bombing during the Battle of Manila in 1945. While in Intramuros we toured Fort Santiago with its ancient walls and cannon emplacements. The most interesting portion, while gruesome, was the dungeon where horrific actions were taken against prisoners. There were also pictures of dead bodies on the streets of Manila during the battle.

Our driver took us to several different sites and churches. The traffic was “normal” for the Asian countries we have been in. This means chaotic, apparently unorganized, fluid where traffic rules are only suggestions. At one point we came upon a really congested area. Our kalesa driver pulled into the opposite lane of traffic to move forward before nosing our way back into our lane. The horse was calm and responsive to commands. We made it back to the port without incident.

Lori and I again worked out and walked the ship. In the evening we went to the program presented on the World Stage. The artist was Daniel Thompson with his Return of Icons-The Country Gentleman. He told stories and sang country western songs. He was excellent.

February 07, 2026

A day at sea. I had a bamboo massage at 8:00 which was a first for me, similar to a Swedish massage but I still prefer Swedish. We attended another cooking demo by the Executive Chef. He demo’ed Honey Sriracha Salmon Bowl. Back in our room at about noon the captain came over the intercom to inform us that a dangerous storm was heading for our intended path with winds of 35 knots and 31 foot waves. So he was speeding up so we would arrive at our port at 2:00am and only experience 11 foot swells. We will spend the next night as well in port at Kaohsuing, Taiwan and will be skipping the planned stop in Keelung, Taiwan. Lori and I both worked out and had a delightful dinner in one of the dining rooms.

February 08, 2026

We docked overnight in Kaohsuing Taiwan. The seas were not too rough and the docking occurred and I didn’t even wake up. We are on our own today with no tours scheduled. We decided to head to an island that is directly across from where we are docked. Our adventure started by figuring out how to purchase tickets for the Kaohsiung light rail system. The train was quiet, clean and very efficient. Once we left the train we walked about 1 mile to the ferry station where we, again, had to figure out how to buy tickets for the ferry (both the rail and ferry were less than $1USD). The ferry was a quick hop to get to the island. 

While on the island we walked past a bustling sidewalk market with all kinds of food, cooked and raw, as well as stores selling all manner of products. Once we hit the other side of the island (it was small, about a ½ mile) we walked the coast in search of the Tunnel of Star which, according to Google Maps) was closed. Much to our surprise and delight it was not closed so we walked through the block long decorated with painting on the walls and small, Christmas like lights and the ceiling. We were again happy to find that the path continued around the island in the direction we wanted to head. We were in search of the old fort and lighthouse.

About ¾ of a mile later, after passing numerous fishermen, we arrived at stairs leading to the fort and lighthouse. About 100 stairs later and a ¼ mile uphill path we arrived at the lighthouse where we were rewarded with nice views of the harbor. There was not much left of the fort. 

Now it was back on the ferry and train to return to the ship. The train was very, very crowded and there were “pushers” to help pack more people on the train! We were near 4 teen boys who were laughing and minimally trying to talk with us. We relaxed on the ship for a few hours before venturing out again to experience the annual Winter Wonderland, a New Years celebration (featuring Ultraman) along the water front consisting of 100’s of food vendors, craft vendors, carnival games, and rides for the kids. Back on the ship we attended a musical review on the World Stage.

February 09, 2026

I got up at 7:00 and walked 7 laps (around 3 miles) around the ship while still in port. We attended, once again, a cooking demo by the Executive Chef where he made Crackling Pork Ceviche. A lazy day.

February 10, 2026

We are docked in Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan today. There were no tours that interested us so we did our own walking tour to the Torin-ji Temple, the waterfront and back to the ship. Very pleasant weather for the 3.5 mile walk. In the evening we attended the show on the World Stage where Danny Elliott put on a nice show playing different instruments for different songs. All three sets of Keiji’s piano music was easy to listen to.

February 11, 2026

We docked early this morning in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. Our plan had been to catch a taxi and go to Okinawa World. However, it was misty with a forecast for more rain so we decided to change the plan and to walk to a shopping area and to have lunch in town. Fortunately, the mist and rain stopped and the short (1.5 mile) walk to the shopping area was nice. The shopping was OK and we bought a few small gifts. For lunch we found a little cafe and ordered a seaweed wrap with Spam, egg, and rice and Unagi Kabayaki, a seaweed wrap broiled eel, rice, and unagi sauce. Both were excellent. We ate in the dining room for supper and attended a Cocktail Chat with Danny Elliott before playing two games of cribbage and one of Quirkle. 

February 12, 2026

A day at sea. The morning involved getting packed up as we are disembarking tomorrow in Osaka. Spent most of the day and evening in the room.

February 13, 2026

The ship docked in Osaka on time at 8:00am. After a quick breakfast in the Lido lounge we left the stateroom and headed down to disembark a full hour earlier than the time we had been given. Our hope was to disembark at 9:00am so we would have time to make our non-refundable food tour of Kuromon Market. Luck was with us-we were immediately taken to customs, processed, and were at the curb looking for a cab at 9:00am. Lori used a local taxi cab app to order a cab which arrived a minute later. We  had plenty of time to make it to the 11:00am tour. We pre-arrange though “Bounce” to have our bags stored near the start of the tour. A very efficient and convenient resource.

There was a couple from Germany, from New Zealand, and a man from Canada (previously Korea). On the Kuromon Market tour we had fish cakes, one with ginger and one with onion, both good but onion was better. The tour also had us sampling octopus balls (Takoyaki) with bonito shaved on top, a soup called Grilled Offal (or large intestines and other internal organs which was surprisingly good), cucumbers pickled in bean curd, and finally a soup of buckwheat noodles. It was an interesting tour through all different kinds of Japanese food. Lori called up another cab for the 30 minute ride to our hotel which is near the airport for our flight to Kagoshima tomorrow. Staying at the Toyoko Inn Osaka Itami Airport hotel. A nice hotel with a small room.

February 14, 2026

We flew to Kagoshima airport in the morning and Rie and her daughter picked us up at the airport at noon.  Rie picked a traditional Japanese restaurant for lunch where Lori and I learned it is OK to slurp your soup and noodles and to bring your eating bowl to your mouth. After lunch we stopped at the Kirishima Jingu Shrine before being dropped off at the hotel Rie reserved for us in Tarumizu (Rie’s hometown). After resting for a bit, Rie picked us up and we went to dinner at a very local, very small restaurant. We were joined by Kazue (mother, final e has long a sound), Takeshi (husband, e has long a sound) Riko (oldest daughter, R has L sound) and Hina (youngest daughter). We removed shoes, sat on the floor, ate 4 types of raw fish, noodle dishes, and soup. Staying at Hotel AZ

February 15, 2026

Rie picked us up at the hotel at 8:30 and before heading out for today’s activities we stopped by her house which is located right on Kagoshima Bay. Rie’s mother lives with her family. Rie’s house is newer, American style, small and was built on the same ground where Rie grew up. From Rie’s house we drove 30 minutes to the Ferry to Kagoshima City where our first stop was the Io World Kagoshima Aquarium. After the aquarium we went to lunch at a small local restaurant where we had pork cutlets, cabbage salad, miso soup, and, of course, rice. Our final stop for the day was at the  ground of the Tsurugane-jinja Shrine and industrial area. We dropped back at our hotel at 5:00 after a fun and tiring day. Staying at Hotel AZ

February 16, 2026

Rie picked us up at the hotel at 8:30 for the one hour drive to the Kagoshima airport and flight to Tokyo. We caught the train (45 minute ride) which was packed. After a short 15 minute walk with our suitcases we checked into our hotel and relaxed a bit before venturing across the street for a “take out” meal of tempura shrimp and pork cutlets to bring back to the hotel lobby to eat, play cribbage, and have a couple glasses of wine. Staying at One@Tokyo by insomnia booked through booking.com. The room is small and clean. The lobby is somewhat modern with complementary bread, coffee, and soda.

February 17, 2026

After a lazy morning we ventured out to find the Kappabashi cookware district and Google Maps did not disappoint us. We arrived after a 1.5 mile walk. There were all kinds of stores catering to food – tools for preparation, dishes, industrial fryers, etc. Our big purchase was a grater to make thinly sliced cabbage (about $4 USD). Our next destination was the Senso-ji Temple.

When we arrived we had two surprises. First, the place was packed with 1000’s of people with some in traditional Japanese dresses. We later found out that today was the beginning of the Chinese New Year and a big celebration day. The second surprise is that we visited this exact Temple in 1981 when on leave from Korea! On the walk back to the hotel we explored the Skytree complex. For dinner we went to a corner restaurant a block away from the hotel where we had “food on a stick” and Udon noodle dish. Spent a relaxing evening in the room. Staying at One@Tokyo by insomnia

February 18, 2026

I spent the morning in the lobby working on my computer, Lori in the room. Around noon we decided to head out on the subway to find Akihabara Card Kingdom, about a 15 minute ride and ½ mile walk. It was amazing. A 7 story building filled with all sorts of figures, trading cards, Anime, Pokemon, and stuff Lori and I didn’t recognize. And the place was packed with people. We scored a couple of trading cards for Vince and Clark before returning to the hotel. After a short rest we walked to the SkyTree complex where we had supper at Ramen Express, our first ramen in Japan. Both bowls we ordered were excellent and filling. 

The tickets we purchased yesterday for the skydeck were for 6:00pm. We boarded the elevator right on time for the short ride to the observation deck. The deck was crowded (really crowded), hot, and a big disappointment. We had purchased an additional ticket that allowed us to get a mixed drink as well. We had envisioned sitting at a table or ledge enjoying the view as we sipped our drinks. However, no tables and lots of people. Not at all relaxing. On our way back to the motel we purchased a bottle of wine (about $4) and sat in the lobby, played Cribbage and sipped. Since we were not wanting to drink the entire bottle we gave the remaining amount to another couple playing games in the lobby and headed to our room to finish watching Season 2 of Mr. Beast. Staying at One@Tokyo by insomnia

February 19, 2026

This extended vacation comes to an end today. After hanging out in the hotel until 11:00 we walked to the train station to depart for the one hour ride to the airport. Since we were really early we spent the next 4 hours in the ANA lounge which had lots of food and drinks. Our flight departed an hour late which caused no issues because we had a 3 hour layover in Chicago. On the flight I watched “One Battle After Another” and “Blink Twice” and was able to get about 4 hours sleep.  Our flight departed Chicago an hour late and we finally arrived in Green Bay at 8:00pm. Ed Tucker met us at the airport and deposited us at our home.