Saturday, March 7, 2020

重訪紐西蘭南島北端匹克頓鎮2019/莊峻華

重訪紐西蘭南島北端匹克頓鎮2019/莊峻華

這匹克頓鎮,又是一美麗之花園小城市,船停靠木材碼頭,搭上接駁巴士,我始憶得這富裕小城,我們在小鎮火車站前,接待中心雜貨店旁,我頭上便帽,針上三朵小玫瑰花,這是當地人美意,蘇珊伯戴爾教授,準備爬山,我只好跟進,我們先爬梯若罕噶山路,下山後,巧遇一毛豬,非常可愛有趣,毛豬過清溪,跟隨一段,經城中心,教授又想爬另一座山,維多莉亞領域山徑,回程我再領她,拜望我新識兩愛犬,巴爾巴和冰,不列巔戲牛犬。

這梯若罕噶山徑,需從外卡哇路上山,外卡哇路我上次經過,就是遇見莉莉母女之街上,上山處就在那座美麗家庭花園旁,遠處可望及之豪華大飯店,就在途徑旁,小徑旁置有捕鼠器,這些掠食者,食土生鳥蛋,破害生態,沿途盡是美麗山景,我開始懷疑,體力是否適合如此跋涉?終於爬到山頂,我帶了望遠鏡和相機,一身裝備,山上與一德國裔美國人聊天,他是位物理博士,也在德州農工大學服務過,蘇珊和他在船上認識,我們從山頂眺望小城海灣,他們夫婦在投蘭噶山頂,告訴蘇珊白島火山位置者也。

下山時,她經請教其他上山者後,選擇另一途徑,果然不同風景,而且比較輕鬆,幾近平地,遇見一肥大毛豬,尾隨我們渡過清水溪,牠是涉水,我們是踏石過溪,八十年代,就有台灣人客戶告知,紐國富有,溪河魚類肥美。毛豬仍舊尾隨,我拍上其玉照幾張,剛好遇見一當地女士,她甚驚訝,不些時,始是一小玩偶,居然變成一大豬,剛好準備過新年,應可適用煎三層肉,她答應通知主人牽回家,船上愛女珍妮和蘇珊教授,都與我索取相片,這社區很像美國住宅區,家庭花園美麗如加莉福尼亞州,有一耶和華見證人教堂在旁,我們也和一位割草老者談論他家兩隻綿羊,他需要減毛,但決不食用,這社區真是美麗。

穿過城中心,回到高爾夫果嶺玫瑰花園,就在巴士站旁,蘇珊要爬另外一座山,於是我帶她穿過海灣拱橋,到維多莉亞領域山徑,我已經可以看到兩愛犬之家,鼓起精神,陪蘇珊再爬一座山,這座山徑也甚辛苦,我們需要坐下路旁休息幾次,終於爬下水邊,這是一名曰包卜之海灘,又遇見這對德裔美人夫婦,和一位美麗台灣小姐,郭如倩,和她威靈頓朋友,我當場認她為愛女,最近需要寄相片給她,完成認收手續。

兩愛犬已經不再對我吠叫,主人斑賀登出來打招呼,那日初遇,雙犬齊吠,聲如雷鳴,把女主人驚醒,斑在庭院割草,兩愛犬在二樓陽台,見我們對談,顯然是朋友,事僅一週不到,愛犬聰明有此記憶,我不意外。

Friday, March 6, 2020

Visiting Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 2020/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 2020/Carlos Pueblo

Ha Long Bay is famous of its scenery islands and junk boats now a good size of dragon head tourist vessels on the pier by the huge cruise ship. At the busier time, the cruise passengers would do the islands excursion directly from the cruise to the boats; however, I didn't know and didn't prepare for such expenditure. Instead, we marched to the city center to visit a recreation center and its garden, the main street, an unsuccessful luxury residential and commercial project, etc. The whole seven days cruise is a management of time during our nineteen days tour of the Southeast Asia and I know the limit of a tour of a cruise. I'll be in bus all the time to visit the famous, Hai Phong, Hai Noi, Hue, or Saigon, etc. Vietnam only open her container ports for the ocean liners.

Amy doesn't know more than I do either. We saw the recreation center, a nice complex with ancient gate type arc in the front and several old oriental plume blossom, umei in Japanese language. They are very unique and charming in pink and I am not sure they are plume or peaches. It reminds me our visit one year at Osaka Castle of the Peach Gardens full of peaches and plume blossom. The gardeners manage many different colors flowers in the garden such as yellow chrysanthemum and I wonder how they can make it in the early spring. We then walked into the main street, a highway separated the city business and residential combination area. I saw hotels and stores on the west side and restaurants on the east side toward the beach.

A huge platform is at the south end of the restaurants section. It is originally for the city gathering obviously with a descending seats to some kinds of outdoor performance. Some cracks on the concrete ground due to poor workmanship and buildings on the edge in one side shown unfinished. Obviously the project is interrupted. Another eye catching luxury residential and commercial projects are next to the platform. They are familiar to me from some documentary television programs in the ghost town in China, beautiful yet no body occupy. I came back toward the recreation center and the ship passing by the second street behind the main street on the restaurant side. People shacked their head when I asked about the luxury buildings.

I ran into a group of high school students on their graduation ceremony. Boys and girls were on their ancient custom with sword and fan at hand. I asked a pair for their pictures then the joined the group for me to take some more pictures. One of the lovely girls has Kanji writing on her face said I am cold moon. I started my question if she learned the mandarin. She said just started in high school. I promised to send them photos when I went back to Houston.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

船靠越南下龍灣2020/莊峻華

船靠越南下龍灣2020/莊峻華

下龍灣在北越,箸名者為海灣小島,許多遊客搭船參觀,碼頭附近停泊許多美麗之遊艇,當場接駁郵輪乘客,我初次拜訪越南,無其他遊覽計劃,因此,僅在小鎮上逛街,參觀一遊樂中心,逛一大街,參觀一似失敗之豪宅計劃,又回到遊樂中心,遇見一群高中畢業生,著古裝少年男女服飾,男持劍女持扇,我幫他們照像留念,他們說是春節活動,遊樂中心大門外,是一座花園,很多菊花,還有許多古株老梅開花,也許是桃李,非常別緻。

遊樂中心有牌樓等古典建築,還有許多商家店面,大飯店餐廳等,需購門票,始得進入,我倒是喜歡外面之花園,走出中心,就是大街,我們沿南向,西向為旅店住宅區,東向為小店面,有兩三條街,都是餐廳,禮品店,和一般小鎮規格生意,有一廣闊之高台,走向海灘,並有很多袖珍型座位,高台上有幾棟未完成之建物,顯然是建商已放棄,我開始感到淒涼,高台上瓷磚縫,滋生野草,而且有裂縫水漬,類似偷工減料。高台前面是廣場和海灘,顯然是規劃大量遊客來臨,高台南側有幾大棟時髦歐洲式商住兩用建築,非常美麗,我在紀錄片上,看過許多中國都市空屋,建築中有音樂家彫像,此地也是空屋,但似有幾戶使用。

走回遊樂中心,選後街參觀,就是第二條街,有些店面已開張,我問那豪宅商區,他們也搖頭,下龍灣需要非常繁容,始得如此之消費者到來。

我在遊樂中心賞花,看到一對男劍女扇少年,請他們讓我拍照,後來又有一群同伴到來,也是古典古香服飾,一位少女臉頰上有字曰,我是冷月,於是我問她北京語,她說正在學,於是我幫她們四位拍照留念,並答應寄相片給她們。我在下龍灣,深覺回到童年麥寮鄕下,十年前,路過麥寮,麥寮因有台塑煉油廠,已脫胎換骨,高樓大廈,不復當年,當然下龍灣已是新穎,主要是越南不幸,戰亂之後。

Returning to visit Napier, New Zealand 2019/Carlos Pueblo

Returning to visit Napier, New Zealand 2019/Carlos Pueblo

Napier is another lovely township on the North Island of New Zealand on the eastern coast. I had had a tour of the beach park on the south direction toward the National aquarium and the city center on last visit about 4 days before. This time, I change my direction toward the north on the beach. It is all started with two gardens in front of the city center, Reef and Sunken Gardens. Then, I make a turn west across the city to the Clive Square which has a lovely lotus pound and flower garden. Finally, I leisurely walk through the city center to enjoy with crowded tourists. There is a restaurant even called Long Star and I know what that means in Texas.

First, the attracted gardens are started with a wall like boundary with many pots of different kinds of flowers. It is well designed and planned by the city park authority and maintained.
I ran into two of my daughters, Angela of the Azura hostess and Krisma of the Cagney's Steak House and recently promoted to be the manager of the O'Sheenan's. I have taken some of their together photos and ready to send them. Before reaching the War memorial Center, there is another lovely garden, the Sunken, with lots of lot and I check on the colorful pictures and find the small size of dahlia flowers are among those pretty flowers on the lots. Dahlia is one of my favorite flowers and I have had many photos collection in the gardens of the world.

The city's War Memorial Center is on the edge of Sunken Garden. I went inside to visit. New Zealand has no quarrel with the rest of the world and going to many wars are due to the fact of the British rule. I have been many parts of the world and seen the memorial center and monument. Some of them even listed all the wars which locals have participated, i.e. the Malaya which reminds me the Malaysia Independent has been an independent war involved.

I remember a fresh cut of Magnolia flower on a concrete bench on top of Tauranga hill. It is quite beautiful in white color different from what we have in our garden and I like to find them in the city center. I was a little bit late and the flowers were fading away, yet I got my satisfy with the lotus blossom in the square garden. They were blooming in a round shape pound with a fountain. Again, they are not huge in size yet very charming, elegant, and grace.

I Walked back toward the bus first stop in front of the two gardens and the Long Star Bar. I found another daughter Evangeline eating in a Chinese restaurant. She needs to comfort her stomach after the menu on the ship galley. I need mention that there are many antique vehicles for hire in the city center and I am very impressed of their excellent maintenance.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

重訪紐西蘭北島娜匹爾鎮2019/莊峻華

重訪紐西蘭北島娜匹爾鎮2019/莊峻華

船過一夜,繞道東南下,重訪娜匹爾小鎮,三日前,我沿海灘公園,慢步過紐西蘭國家水族館,這次,我依相反方向,參觀一座鎮立花園,一戰爭紀念館,然後就逛入鎮街中心,逛到另一鎮立蓮池花園,再幽閒體會這熱鬧之花園小鎮。

我是注意到這座花園,就在接駁巴士首站,鎮中心大馬路,和海灘之間,有一水池小圍牆開始,花圃都是精心設計,有專門園丁照顧,時值南半球春天,春花百色,多彩多姿,樹上有花,地上也到處是花,而且各色花叢,點綴於花圃,有大小號玫瑰花,我在相片中,也看到小朵大理花叢,寫遊記有好處,經由相片,回憶這一段經驗,我認為花園最美,相片集中,尚有貌美如花似玉,彬彬有禮之愛女,更是難得。這戰爭紀念館,座落在花園另端,紐西蘭是一天堂,地廣人稀,土地約台灣之八倍大,人口僅不到五百萬,與世無爭,也無恩怨,參加戰爭,全部是歐洲之英帝國故也,因此世界各地,都有如此之戰爭紀念碑館。

過街,就是鎮中心,有一鎮史建築,標誌一父親為幾位女兒築屋,屋仍在,顯已超過百年歷史,我沿路跨過市區,這小鎮很有趣,許多古典汽車出租,而且有制服駕駛,有一些導遊小團,協助逛街,上次我逛過一次,這次更閒,逕自走向另座花園,我想看一下木蘭花,就是美國南方之瑪格諾妮亞白花,我在投蘭噶山路石座上,看到一朵鮮剪木蘭,甚是美麗,白色色澤異於寒舍者,結果我看到鎮上木蘭株花,與休市者相似。這蓮花水池甚美,蓮花廷立噴水池中,難得小鎮識者賞識,我是愛蓮者。

鎮中心都是遊客,船上愛女們也下船參觀,她們結伴逛東方餐廳,或購物等,整船僅三分之一者,得以外出,就是三分之一值勤,三分之一待命,據言外出亦有兩小時限制。

Taking buses to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, Hong Kong 2020/Carlos Pueblo

Taking buses to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, Hong Kong 2020/Carlos Pueblo

It was a time to embark at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal for our week long trip to Vietnamese Coast. The clerks at the hotel gave us a second recommendation, by two buses instead of a light rail train to the Diamond Hill then transferred to a bus. I went on to check the bus stop across the street from the hotel for the next morning. Hong Kong is a big city with an excellent public transportation system and our cost is very minimum. This terminal is converted from the original runway of the famous Kai Tak International Airport. Again, we had had an excellent view of this lovely city. I have been very familiar with the boarding procedure of the ship and waiting is not a problem. We were on board before noon. I could see the precaution procedures for the Wuhan Coronavirus, mask cover on every staff and the forehead and ear temperature check up, etc. A very detail form was filled before checking in about the health questions.

Usually, I would step up to deck 8 mid-ship O'Sheenan's Restaurant for a plate of fish and chip, then go up to deck 12 Garden Cafe to finish the lunch. I ran into Lovely and Connie, the Assistant Maitre D'hotel and the hostess of the restaurant. I showed off my relationship with daughters on the cruise line and they were impressed. Lovely even removed her mask temporarily in order for us to complete the adoption procedure, taking several photos together and leaving her e-mail address for me to send her photos back later when I got home. We have had many mutual friends within the company and she knows almost every one whom I mention to. She is a manager to the French Restaurant, Le Bistro, on deck 6 mid-ship in the evening and during the day, she is rotated among some busy restaurants. Connie is the hostess at O'Sheenan's and is from Honduras.

Before April, 2016, I had had 4 cruise trips with the ship Jewel, the same one I just finished in New Zealand and Australia late last year. Only after that 2016 a trip across the Atlantic with Jade, I have intensified my travelling in cruises in  this company. Even though the company moves its staff around its fleet of vessels yet I am familiar with the old ships and mostly the services. I feel that taking a cruise is better than taking a land trip, more relaxing and convenient.

What do I do most of the time on cruise? I go hiking when I am off the ship and find something to do when it is a day or days at sea. Recently, I find swing golf at the simulator on deck 13 outside is very interesting. In the evening, I would sit down at the atrium bar or the Magnum bar to listen to the performing pianists. Now, I select vegetarian diet and quit wine drinking for my diabetes and feel less pressure to my stomach.

Monday, March 2, 2020

香港啟德碼頭上船2020/莊峻華

香港啟德碼頭上船2020/莊峻華

香港三夜四日行,十分滿意,旅店小姐指點我們,如何搭換公車到郵輪碼頭,這碼頭就是舊啟德機場跑道,香港為世界大埠,大眾運輸網,早已建立,對我如此節省者,非常方便。這艘船客滿,乘客兩千餘人,其中香港乘客約三乘餘,他們多半戴口罩,香港外乘客,若未準備,在香港市面,是買不到口罩也。郵輪也已經擺出陣仗,一個個檢驗體溫,填寫發燒問題,詢問旅行路線等,所有服務人員,也都戴上口罩,如臨大敵。

上船後,我們先到八層奧西罕吃炸魚,餐廳經理口罩蒙面,前額像愛女克拉莉妲,結果這位經理拉芙莉認識克,而且知到克接新船不成,已經轉勤到太陽號,我舉出其餘資深愛女,她都認識而且同事過,於是她說不用等到下船前,馬上拍照留下電郵住址,完成認收義女手續,她之帶位伙伴康妮,宏都拉斯美女,也隨後跟進,非常親切,我和她講些西班牙語,她特別提到一位中國侍者姑娘,非常認真學習西語,可惜這旅行期短,無法拜望。

郵輪衛生防備昇級,自助餐廳食物餐具等,均由侍者發放,已防疾病感染,我覺得郵輪很小心,而且此郵輪,不曾因食物發生問題而上報紙,我每次都不厭其煩,參觀船上廚房,洗衣廠等,非常滿意。

自近四年前,我搭乘寶玉號到歐洲,隨後陸續搭乘六次,在此船認上許多愛女,但她們多半休假回國,或是調軄他船,只在防火演習中,為一黎明號調來之餐廳經理認出,她是愛蜜琳達,現任義大利餐廳經理,難怪我幾次回黎明號,都不見其蹤影,另外一位茅莉西亞籍男經理李奇,正好休假回泰國娘家,回來後將調軄史詩號。