DAY 6 on the DIAMOND PRINCESS: Taipei

I thought the Diamond Princess was in the general vicinity of New Zealand, but on checking found that we are nearly 6000 miles away.  Anyway, just read about an extremely rare PINK grasshopper found in New Zealand.  Not really pink, as you can see, but I found another photo that looks pinkish.

With that aside, Day 6 means we're docked at Keelung Harbor, Taiwan.

Up in the hills the Statue of Buddhist Goddess of Mercy Guanyin, there to protect mariners.

This statue is located in Zhongzheng Park, which also has attractions like the Keelung Martyrs Shrine and the Zhupu Altar.

With the attractions to see from our Horizon Court buffet dining room, lunch of soup, salad and a beef/mushroom pie, with a Heineken.

For dinner, we walked by restaurants that should be crowded.  We asked why no passengers, and the staff does not know, although a couple blamed seasickness.  We went to the Brazilian Churrascaria Grill, which needs reservations, but took us because they were short of customers.

Thought we'd try out this restaurant because it's different.  My past experiences at them were less than good.  This one was great.  In fact, we both thought this was our best meal yet of the entire trip.  The meets came in large skewerw, and were hot hot.  There was fat available.  I like fats in meats.  I ordered the national drink of Brazil, caipirinha. Had three of them.

On the adjacent table, a happy birthday.

First a salad bar, then medley of meats.

There was more.  The final skewer was pineapple.  The waiter said this is the favorite for some.  We tried a piece.  Grilled pineapple.  People have different tastes.

There was a pick up your own dessert area.

Then off to dancing.

Like the restaurants, nearly empty of people.  No karaoke tonight, but tomorrow night features singing and disco dancing.  Then went to the Crooners Bar for a final drink, of a Milky Way.

Walked 8438 steps, which seems excessive.  Perhaps I forgot to set Day 5 to zero.

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DAYS 4 and 5 on the DIAMOND PRINCESS

The past two days on the Diamond Princess have been frustrating, yet mostly enjoyable.

• Still trying to get visas for Viet Nam.
• Shower water is too hot, and have had difficulty getting it fixed.  Ah, but the repairman finally showed up.  Fixed.
• Am sleeping and eating well.
• 
  Been to several karaoke sessions.  My blogs show us singing.  
• We will be on this ship for almost a month, and I want to see if I can improve from hopelessly mediocre to presentable.
• I don't mention  much the other person traveling with me to protect her privacy.  But when she sings well, I'll sneak them in.

• 
  About our TV. 
• Smallish
• Saved a lot of movies.
•  But haven't even watched one. 
•  There is a huge assortment.
• Regular stations are limited.

• 
  Mind you, the ship must have around 50 activities per day, three or four individuals and groups performing here and there throughout the day and night, the usual two theater shows/night and more.
• We have usually ended the night at Skywalkers at midnight,
• This is most unusual for us to go out to eat and participate external to 15 Craigside for karaoke and night clubbing.  But heck, everything is free, and more we drink, the more we justify the Premiere Package cost.
• The internet was terrific, until today.  Very slow.  But I trust things will pick up.

We usually sleep in and miss breakfast.  Lunch is a huge buffet, always with a ramen bar.  There is usually a soba bar during the evenings.

We tend to go for pre-dinner drinks.  Here, some kimono ladies doing something.

One of our lunches.

Beef curry.

Corn on the cob.

Part of my meal with a Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon and hot tea.

For pre-dinner drink, went to Crooner's Bar for some singing,  Had a Milky Way on rocks.

Pedometer shows I walked only 2005 on Day 4, but I was not wearing it until mid-afternoon.

Lunch on Day 5 ended with ice cream.

Spent most of the day working with staff trying to get a visa Viet Nam.  Most frustrating, for their government apparently only accept debit cards, and we don't carry them.  Drinks before dinner.  I had cold sake, mostly because this is the only bar I've ever seen on a cruise ship listing various sakes.

Had a nice dinner in the International Dining Room.  Started with tofu, tako sunomono and a fabulous wild Porcinini mushroom tartlet with acreamy veal sauce plus truffle oil.  Duckhorn Chardonnay and Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon,.

Soup of roasted corn and sweet potato chowder.

Main entré of Japanese pork curry.

We then went to Club Fusion for ABBA and karaoke.

Then on to Skywalkers Night Club for a final drink.  Walked 4730 steps.

I've been closely watching what is happening to once Typhoon Koto, now a still powerful tropical storm.  It is doing some strange things:

• Movement has been slowing down to only 3 MPH, with a track that shows landfall closer to Ho Chi Minh City
• At 0800 on December 4, the eye of Koto will be skirting Vietnam and heading for Ho Chi Minh City.

• The problem is that the Diamond Princess will be getting close to that spot, and we are scheduled to be off the coast of Ho Chi Minh City at 7AM on December 5, just about when Koto now plans to be.
• It will all depend on the track movement speed.
• Today is December 1, so who knows how strong this tropical storm will be then, and where the eye will be.
• Worse, there is a tropical depression south of Ho Chi Minh, and heading for a conjunction with Tropical Storm Koto.

• 
  As this article indicates:
• This tropical depression is moving in an unusual direction, east-northeast, at 10 MPH.
• What is particularly notable is that this is only the second ocean storm since 2001 to move in that direction.  Usually all storms in this region move west, as Koto is doing.
• Captain Salvatore Macera yesterday warned that rougher waters will soon come.

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DAY 3 on the DIAMOND PRINCESS

 On departure from the Port of Osaka, saw a tourist boat.

We left at around 7PM, and took the following photos and videos from our veranda.  We were berthed that close to largest aquarium in the world.

The Tempozan Ferris wheel has a diameter larger than a football field (330 feet), for a ride that lasts around 16 minutes, costing $6.  There are sixteen cabins.  LED lights put on quite a show at night.

Today is Thanksgiving.

So I ordered a traditional Thanksgiving meal, with glasses of Duckhorn Chardonnay and Paraduxx.

We met the Chief Sommelier Leo, who convinced us to join his Caymus dinner table on December 5.

This will be the menu.

Ended with a pumpkin pie.

Then, off to Explorers for karaoke.

About Tropical Storm Koto in our path to Singapore, here are some details.

• Appeared as a tropical depression on November 24, the day before we boarded the Diamond Princess.
• November 25:  strength increased to 45 MPH.

• 
  November 26:  became Typhoon Koto at 80 MPH.
• November 27:  up to 90 MPH.
• November 28:  weakened to 60 MPH.
• November 29:  weakened to 50 MPH.
• Expected to maintain tropical storm integrity and strength for the next few days.

• However, when Koto makes landfall in the December 2-3 timeframe, it is likely to weaken back into tropical depression strength.  The track, though, is wobbly, and the final path and landfall location are uncertain.
• The Diamond Princess will be moored in Keelung, Tapei, Taiwan on Day 6, November 30.
• We then will cruise for a day, reaching Hong Kong on Day 8, December 2.
• We leave Hong Kong on December 3, a sea day on December 4, heading south into the track of Tropical Storm Koto.
• The current landfall location is Quy Nhon, which is 1250 miles south of Hong Kong.
• The Diamond Princess will reach the next stop, Phu My (Ho Chi Minh City, or the former Saigon) on December 5.  This city is 269 miles south of Quy Nhon.
• A glance at the bottom graphic shows that the track of the storm is heading for Ho Chi Minh City, and should get there around December 5, when the Diamond Princess also arrives.
• At this point, there seems to be no concern being expressed by the captain of the ship.

Well, anyway, I'm a day behind reporting on our adventures, and will present the next two days tomorrow,  Walked 4868 steps today.

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