Viking Australia Cruise - December 5

One of the things we love about Viking cruises is the opportunity to have some free time to explore places on our own.

Today the Viking Orion remained in the Darwin port so after breakfast we struck out to find the historic center of Darwin.

Once there, we checked out the Christchurch Anglican Cathedral. As was the case of many historic buildings in Darwin, a terrible cyclone in 1974 destroyed parts of the cathedral.  All that remains of the original building is the main entrance, which you will see in the photo. The modern structure was built after the cyclone.  We also saw the skeletal remains of the old city hall, a rebuilt stone warehouse now converted into a theater, and the offices of the territorial legislature.

The historic section merges smoothly into the heart of the city including a pedestrian mall.  There we saw the streets decorated for Christmas, without a bit of snow to be seen. Walking further up and down the mall, we saw banks, pharmacies, clothing stores and restaurants - with no names we recognized.  The one exception is Woolworths - long gone from the US, but going strong in Australia.

The rest of the day was the usual pattern of lunch, a mid-afternoon lecture by the Resident Astronomer on the stars that make up the constellation of Orion, and dinner.  The Viking Orion left Darwin at 1 pm to travel through the night and all day tomorrow through the Arafura Sea in order to reach our next port of Thursday Island. More to come...

Viking Australia Cruise - December 4

We arrived at the port of Darwin, Australia about noon, after sailing through the night.  Darwin, named after the naturalist Charles Darwin, is the largest city in the continent's northernmost region. As cities go, it is relatively small, but it has a rich history which includes its role in the defense of the country during World War II.

The morning's lecture was given by the Resident Historian on the history of Australia from earliest times through the European settlement which included the convicts from England.

 The afternoon's activity was the city tour by motorcoach - mercifully air-conditioned, as it was 94 degrees outside.  Highlights of the tour included a stop at the East Point Reserve, which gave us a sweeping view of Darwin's harbor and the Timor Sea, and a stop at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northwest Territory. (The photo  shows the red cliffs of the Reserve).

The museum had on display an exhibition of the art works by Aboriginal artists including pieces made using the bark of trees. On the way to the museum we got our first glimpse of wallabys - smaller kangaroos.

The day was completed by another delicious meal in The Restaurant - one of five places aboard to find Viking's excellent cuisine.

Tomorrow we remain in Darwin for the day, so our plan is to walk into the city for a closer look at some of the historic buildings there.  More to come...

Viking Australia Cruise - December 3, 2018

Today was spent entirely at sea, leaving Komodo, Indonesia and heading for the first port in Australia - Darwin. 

However, the day was filled with fascinating activity.  First off was a lecture on "The History of Astronomy" by the Resident Astronomy Lecturer, Dr. Alan E. Wright. In a fast-paced hour, he traced the path from ancients' star-gazing to satellite technology to radio astronomy, which is his particular field of expertise.  

The second fascinating lecture was delivered by Dr. Paul Scully-Power, the first Australian astronaut. He flew in the first Challenger spacecraft to be on a scientific mission and had great stories to tell.  His observations of the excitement of the loaunch and the incredible views of earth from orbit were made real from some photographs he personally took while on the mission. Viking has a knack for choosing eminent individuals for their guest lecturers and we are the beneficiaries.

And the third guest lecture was by Dr. Peter Donovan on "Australia's Aboriginal History". With some minor variations, the story seemed to be very much like the treatment of the Native American Indian population, except a century later.  He reported on recent progress in the national recognition of the place of aborigines in Australian society, with much more to be accomplished.

Interspersed between the lectures were our appearance before an onboard Australian Immigration Officer to take care of the immigration and customs details, a delicious lunch at our favorite place - an elegant snack-bar called Mamsens, a walk around the ship's running track and mid-afternoon cappuccino. And this evening, we will dine at Manfredi's Italian restaurant, one of the two specialty restaurants onboard.  Passengers are allotted one, two or three reservations at these places according to the cabin level.

The photo is of the sundown over the ocean last evening.  Tomorrow we land in Australia. More to come...

Viking Australia Cruise - December 2, 2018

On our third day, we saw the famous Komodo Dragons.

Getting to seem them was not easy.  Even for a ship as small as the Viking Orion, it was not possible to dock on Komodo Island.  Instead, the ship had to anchor at a distance, and we and our fellow passengers had to be taken there by the ship's tenders (the motorized life-boats which hold about 200 people).  Needless to say, this took several trips, and we we in the last group. Once on the island, we met our guide and his two companions, armed with forked sticks to be used in case a dragon decided to charge. Happily this did not happen. (The photo is at the spot where we sighted the dragons.)

The dragons' habitat is a jungle, but somewhat dry in the winter. They are cold-blooded, but can run up to 20 mph.  However their method of "hunting" is to lie in wait at a watering hole, camouflaged as they are the color of mud, and when an animal trips over them, they bite.  The bite infects the prey which dies several days later, thus providing a meal for the dragon.

It was hot, and once we were back on board, a shower and change of clothes was in order. The rest of the day was much more what one expects of a cruise.  We were able to relax, enjoy the good Viking lunch, spend some time on our balcony knitting, and watch the scenery pass by.  And the evening meal was outstanding.

Tomorrow we spend the entire day sailing between these Indonesian islands and our first port of call in Australia. Several interesting lectures on on the schedule, so we will not be bored. Tomorrow you will hear all about that. 

Photo

Viking Australia Cruise - December 1, 2018

The second day our cruise started early. While still docked in Benoa, we had an early morning bus ride into Denpasar (the capitol city of Bali) first to see an art market.  It was stocked to the rafters with all sorts of artwork, some of which may end up on motel walls. Mercifully, we arrived early so that not all the sellers were ready, so we could easily look but not buy. (The photo is of Jan in the art market.)

The second stop was a museum of Indonesian history and artifacts.  It was a nice collection but poorly displayed in old, non-air conditioned buildings; nonetheless, interesting.

The third stop was a magnificent Hindu temple dedicated to the most prominent god in the Hindu pantheon. Basically a large courtyard with the monument in the center with smaller structures used in the worship ceremonies, our guide took time to explain how the temple system functioned.

The city of Denpasar and surrounding areas were filled with temples of all sizes - family temples, clan temples, community temples, city temples and state temples.  In each there were daily offerings of incense, fruit, flowers and food placed before the representations of the Hindu deities.

In the afternoon, the Resident Historian onboard gave a summary of the Indonesian culture and religious strands that make up this archipelago nation.  In the evening was the Captain's Welcome and introduction of the officers of the crew of 400 who make this voyage so effortless.

Now, as I write this, we are sailing to the island of Komodo where we will have a chance to see the famous Komodo Dragons in their natural habitat.  More to come...

Viking Australia Cruise November 30 -

Welcome to another Viking Ocean cruise and some details about our adventures.

We started on Thursday morning at 1 a.m., leaving Newark for Hong Cong.  After 16 hours we arrived at 5:30 a.m. on Friday, November 30, and after a layover of about 4 hours, we spent another 5 hours from there to Bali, Indonesia.  That's about 24 hours of travel and very little sleep.  But we made it and are now on the Viking Orion docked in the Bali Harbor in Benoa.

The travel gods were with us, as we were given a cabin update, from the 6th deck to the 8th deck, in a so-called Junior Suite. It includes a small living room, a king bed and a bathroom with double sinks - lots more room.  Viking rewards loyalty, I guess.

We just finished a light dinner outside on the deck as it is a comfortably warm evening. Tomorrow our real touring experiences begin with a visit to a Balinese Market and a Hindu temple.  The photo is the harbor from our deck. 

More to come...