“I’ve been to Nice & the isle of Greece,As I sip champagne on a yacht;I moved like Harlow in Monte Carlo...” Memorable lines from a memorable song...
And not it's not from Mimi..
Actually, this post has nothing to do with Mariah at all...
I'm a
Madonnista after all...
Anywho, I'm finally writing about what happened to me & where I've been for the past year...
It may not be complete, but this is as comprehensive as I can get...
Like most people, I don’t really like numbers. I can’t say I hate Math when I was required to study it back in my long-forgotten academic years, but nevertheless, I can’t say that I’m keen on calculating either.
Still, allow me to summarize my first year as a seafarer in numbers...
26 Countries...
11 Months...
4 Continents...
1 Ship...
Memories...
Countless It all started from my first flight outside the Philippines to Istanbul in Turkey, and culminated in my homecoming flight from Rome, Italy. Suffice it to say, I’ve had one amazing experience in my first year as a seafarer.
However, since my access to the Internet have been compromised by the ultra-slow connection on-board and the relatively ultra-ridiculous rates in most Internet cafes ashore, I have not been able to give my friends and online buddies a regular account of my adventures.
And now, I will attempt at recounting the highlights of my year in my own words...
Some pictures from what for me are the best places I’ve been in and the most enjoyable moments I’ve had with my wonderful friends are also here...
In random order...
ISTANBUL, TURKEYThe first foreign land I’ve set foot on
(though technically it’s Amsterdam where we had a 2-hour stop). Lucky for me
(and my friend Cara, who’s also on her first trip), we were given a whole day and night to experience
Istanbul before we eventually boarded our ship to start our supposedly 10-month contract.
Without much cash and without much experience going around in a strange land, Cara & I decided to just walk around the Turkish streets near our hotel. Holding on to our pocket money, we roamed downtown Istanbul doing the kind of shopping that we do best... window shopping!
Like most Pinoys who are abroad, we could not help convert the Euro-prices of the stuff we checked out to Pesos and it made us feel as poor as rats. Little did we know that compared to other European countries, shopping in Istanbul is actually cheaper.
But then again... we had enough money for some local food that actually tasted good and saw amazing mosques and some cute Turks along the way...
Our ship has docked in Istanbul
(and another Turkish city, Kusadasi) a few times after but I was unable to roam around there anymore.
But I think for me, once is more than enough.
As Cara & I usually say, Istanbul will always have a special place in our hearts...
Clowning it up in Istanbulclick on the image for more photos
VENICE, ITALYOnly 2 weeks in to my contract, our ship went on dry dock in the quiet little town of
Trieste in
Italy to do ship maintenance & interior refurbishing.
It was 10 glorious days of no guests, only contractors and the not-so-glorious task of general cleaning of our department.
However, we were given 2 days off (which is a rarity!) and my new-found friends in the Front Desk decided that we would all go to
Venice which is only an hour train ride from where we were.
I do not have to say how significant Venice would be to someone like me.
Sure, Venice is known to be a cradle of culture & the arts for the last few centuries.
Sure, it’s supposedly one of the most romantic places in the world (if you can ignore the mild stench from the not so clean canal waters).
But for me, it was an opportunity to go on a gondola along the murky Venetian waters a la
Madonna!
Forget the
Rialto,
forget
San Marco... it’s
Like A Virgin, baby!
And sure enough, with my last remaining Euros, I went with my friends on a gondola, with
Like A Virgin on repeat play in my I-pod and glided along the canals around Venice.
I’m indeed touched for the very first time...
Ganda Lang sa Gondola!
click on the image for more photos Any Catholic would be anxious to go to this wonderful city and I did not waste time pleading my way to a chance to go ashore in
Civitavecchia and go all the way to
Rome. The travel time alone to and from would be approximately 4 hours. Since on average, we are only given at the most 5 hours ashore, I had to charm the one in charge of our schedule to give me more time for this port.
And lucky enough, I was given a long break and with my friend Gretchen
(the Juday to my Ryan), we set off on our Roman adventure.
Unlucky enough, our trip to Rome took longer than expected with the perennially-not-on-time train and the heavy traffic within Rome.
So what we anticipated as at least an hour and a half opportunity to roam around Rome got down to only 10 minutes!
So we spent just 5 minutes to the one place I’ve always wanted to be in...
The Vatican!
That’s 5 minutes of a silent prayer & the obligatory ‘picture-picture’.
The other 5, was spent hailing a cab to get us back to the train station.
Luckily again, on our second time to Civitavecchia, I again was given a long break. And with a smarter travel plan & strategic itinerary, I was able to visit the Vatican once again and also have visited the
Coliseum, the
Trevi Fountain & again, The Vatican!
We saw other places along the way so my second Roman Holiday was much more fun and fulfilling
(with more pictures!).
We normally ask each other which city we’ve visited can we imagine living permanently in, and Rome is probably one of my top choices.
The energy & friendliness of the people there plus the amazing architectural structure and cultural scene seem to appeal to me more than any other place I’ve visited.
And the
gelato is great!
Live at The Coliseum!
click on the image for more photosProbably the cutest-looking and most picturesque towns I’ve seen
(especially as seen from the sea or on a tender boat ride to the port) with its houses of white & blue seemingly reflecting the white clouds above it and the clear blue skies & sea around it.
This is also where I had my first-ever donkey ride!
Okay, it’s more horse-mule than a donkey, but still!
What made the ride more exciting is that we had to go uphill at the side of the cliff to get to the town center above the port and with the barely manageable donkeys and the narrowly winding pathway, the ride was a blast!
We could have just taken the cable ride up but where’s the fun in that?
We had our fill of amazing
giros and my usual serving of ice cream and went into the narrow streets of
Santorini.
Admittedly, it felt like being in a public cemetery with the bare white walls of the houses that are so close to each other but the atmosphere is so peaceful and calm even with many tourists around.
Going home in Manila months after, I was told to watch KC’s & Richard’s movie because they shot in Santorini. Unfortunately, their crappy film was not able to capture the beauty & energy of the place.
It’s a good thing I’ve been there myself...
I Love Santorini!click on the image for more photos
CAIRO, EGYPTThe
Pyramids.
The
Sphinx.
Never in my wildest dreams have I imagined getting to see these 2 architectural wonders.
I thought that the most I’ll get to experience
Egypt is through my Social Studies classes in school and the occasional features on TV.
But there I was, under the blazing heat of the sun and the sandy winds of
Cairo, looking at and having my pictures taken with the Pyramids and the Sphinx on the background.
It’s weird though that after a bus ride that took about 2 hours, spending more than 30 minutes in the place was more than enough.
Simply put, there’s not much else to see there.
Once you see the Pyramids, that’s it!
The heat did not help either, it only made us wanna go back to the ship.
Not that I did not enjoy Cairo at all.
It’s just that in this case, once is indeed enough.
Camel-riding in Cairo!
click on the image for more photos
JERUSALEM, ISRAELJust like Rome, the Catholic in me was very eager to visit this
Holy Land.And like Cairo, it took us more than 2 hours on a bus ride to get to the
Church of Holy Sepulchre which is the sacred place where
Jesus was taken after being crucified and where He was laid before His Resurrection.
Words are not enough to describe how I felt touching the very ground where His body was washed & cleaned after being taken down from the cross.
There was this certain energy and calmness that flowed through my body and in some heavenly sense, I was able to feel His presence.
There were practically thousands of people there but I could sense the peace inside.
Unfortunately, I was unable to crawl all the way to the tomb where Jesus was supposed to have been laid to rest. But I was able to check out a similar tomb and it was really interesting.
Though I’m Catholic, I also visited the
Wailing Wall where the Jewish silently pray and where they insert their written prayers into the gaps in the stone walls.
And even if taking photos is not allowed, I had my pics taken here as well!
Like they could stop us?!?
O Holy Land...
click on the image for more photos
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIAOne of my most memorable experiences, I experienced in
St. Petersurg, Russia.
Which is not to say this is my favourite port... Hell No!
In fact, it’s safe to conclude that it’s of my least favourites.
Okay, they have some amazing churches, buildings, fountains and monuments.
But nothing that we could not see anywhere else in Europe.
But that’s not why I hated it there...
It was in St. Petersburg where I was almost arrested!
Yes, by the police. And for what?...
‘Picture-picture!!!’Since a cab ride in Russia could cost about $20 per person, we just decided to take public transportation to the downtown.
After a bus ride to the subway station, we queued to buy our train tokens.
Since the interior of the train station was beautiful with amazing murals and sculptures, we instinctively took a few photos inside.
When it was my turn to take my friends’ photos, we suddenly heard and saw 3 policemen from 3 different corners aggressively approaching me.
With one of them carrying handcuffs and another talking to me in Russian, I knew I was in trouble and was already imagining myself being carried off to a Russian prison!
One of the policemen then pulled out a paper which I thought was their Miranda rights.
Still trying to act cool and composed even though my knees are starting to fail me, I nervously peeked at the paper and realized that it was just a list of the Train System’s rules and regulations and it clearly says that for security reasons, picture taking inside the train stations and inside the trains is strictly prohibited.
My eyes then scrambled to check what the penalty would be and lo and behold, I only had to pay a fine of 100 rubles which roughly is about $5. Not bad.
It’s not only that experience that left a sour taste in my travelling mouth when I think of St. Petersburg.
The sorry state of their port, the unfriendliness of the people (and they stink!), the absence of English-speaking Russians in the streets and the extreme difficulty in going our way around without being subjected to an almost-robbery rates of their taxicabs.
It’s a good thing I have
Anastasia playing in my I-pod to get me through the harrowing day...
The 'Arrest'ing Picture...
click on the image for more photos
BUENOS AIRES & USHUAIA, ARGENTINAIt comes as no surprise that coming to
Argentina is an incredibly exciting idea for me.
To be where the woman
(whom Madonna played so well) used to reign in was so much for me to comprehend that when we finally got to
Buenos Aires, the first place I wanted to go was
Casa Rosada. The place where
Eva Duarte Peron a.k.a.
Evita used to address her loyal followers from during the height of her fame and power
(and where Madonna famously sang that Broadway showtune). Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina indeed.
I also had to visit the places mentioned in the Buenos Aires song:
Rio de la Plata,
Florida,
Corrientes, &
Nueve De Julio and got to pay my respects to Evita in her final resting place in
Recoleta.
Need I say that I had the
Evita soundtrack on my pod while I’m in Buenos Aires?
Buenos Aires is actually a great city and we’ve docked there a number of times during our South America cruises. We always head to Florida Street since it’s their shopping district where you can find practically anything you need.
At night
(we stop overnight in Buenos), it’s
Sahara where we usually go because it’s the most fun club there and most seafarers enjoy being there. We didn’t do any tango, though.
We also tried to go to a mostly-gay club
Amerika where not surprisingly, only I and my
Kuya friend really enjoyed.
Another Argentine place we went to is
Ushuaia which is officially the southernmost city in the world.
Hence, it was dubbed ‘
The End of the World’.
It’s a contrast to Buenos’ fast-paced atmosphere.
In this quiet little town, everything is a few blocks away.
The climate is also great for just walking since it’s really cold and I enjoyed the cool breeze from the snow-capped mountains surrounding it.
I'm Not Crying, Argentina!
click on the image for more photos
ANTARCTICAOur ship cruised along that
Antarctic waters quite a few times and though we were not allowed to dock anywhere there, it’s more than enough to see the place from our safe place in the ship.
We went there during winter so you can imagine how cold it was. I already had 3 layers of thick and warm clothing and I was still hypothermically freezing.
But I couldn’t care less.
I had my first taste of snow on the bow of our ship and though I was still on duty then, I raced to the bow as soon as I heard that it was snowing! Amazing!
The sight of huge glaciers and icebergs is also overwhelmingly awesome.
Any guy from a tropical country would be astounded by the experience.
And I definitely was!
Antarctic Cool
click on the image for more photos
The home of the Havaianas!
Yep, after chastising my friends in Manila for wanting to buy those expensive rubber sandals that actually look just like any regular rubber sandals, I too fell victim to the Havaiana phenomenon.
But judge me not, for in
Brazil, it’s practically a dime a dozen cheap!
So much so that I did not only get one pair of Havaianas, but three! And I also bought more than a dozen pairs for my siblings and some friends.
But of course, Brazil offers more than just these amazing sandals
(I’m sounding like an endorser now!).
Rio De Janeiro is known for the towering figure of the
Christ The Redeemer monument that stands over the above the city.
When we got there, the weather was cloudy so we could not see the monument from the city. But after about an hour drive uphill to
Corcovado mountain, we finally got to see it up close.
And what a sight to behold!
I also got to go to the famed
Ipanema beach which became popular thanks to Frank Sinatra’s song. Another famous Brazilian beach is
Copacabana (made popular by Manilow) but I did not go there.
The beach is nothing spectacularly special but the mood there is really nice. People had no qualms displaying their bodies of varying built and clearly, Brazilian men & women have no inhibitions to public display.
While Pinoy men can only go as far as wearing surf shorts when beaching, the Brazilian guys proudly cavort in their most tempting skimpy Speedos.
Again, what a sight to behold!
At one point, our ship docked in Rio for 2 nights and that’s when we took the chance to experience their nightlife as well. While most of my friends went to this modern club, I & my friends Liam, Joel, Jonathan and Jhan decided to go to a more authentic Brazilian club,
Scenarium.
It took a while before we enjoyed the night since we had to wait some time to get a table and the music is not exactly what we are used to.
But after a few drinks, we had the most amazing & unusual fun!
The Redeemer & the redeemed...
click on the image for more photos
MONTE CARLO, MONACO & NICE, FRANCEOf all the places we’ve been in, these 2 are probably the ones known mostly for its glamorous and high-end reputation.
And since I’ve always felt glamorous inside anyway, it just like home! Haha!
Actually,
Monte Carlo is the place where I most felt poverty-stricken.
With some of the most expensive cars just driving along their clean roads or parked unceremoniously in the sidewalks, and some of the most high-class boutiques located everywhere with clothes more expensive than what I actually earn in a year, I felt so little and insignificant.
But I’m a seafarer, and I always go where seafarers always go... the cheap places!
And you can actually find some in Monte Carlo, believe it or not!
In Monte Carlo, I got to their
Royal Palace where Prince Rainier & Grace Kelly stayed. Malacanang Palace actually looked better in my opinion but it was still fun to see.
I also got to witness the changing of the guards which is at best, interesting.
Nice, France is about 2 hours away from Monte Carlo and the only reason I really wanted to go there is again...
Madonna-related!
Nice is where Madonna filmed arguably her best concert ever, Blond Ambition.
Silly, but that’s the only reason.
I could not care less if it’s nice
(just like its name) or not...
I just felt I had to be there.
Frankly, it’s not much different from Monte Carlo and honestly, I would not have missed much if I didn’t go.
But still...
Madonna actually had another concert in Nice for
Sticky & Sweet this time.
It’s just a bummer that I got there a few days later!
Welcome to my world...
click on the image for more photos
LONDON, ENGLANDFinally,
London!
Our ship had London as a turn-around port for a few times but we docked in
Harwich town which is roughly 2 hours away.
Being a turn-around port, it is a very busy day on each cruise, and we are not given a lot of time ashore to allow us to visit London.
Aside from the fact that we have only a few hours ashore if we’re lucky, the ship would also be leaving the port early since it’s the start of another cruise.
Hence, I was already resigned to the fact that I will never be able to go to London
(like Paris which was 3 hours from where we docked in Le Havre, France).
Until one significant thing happened... and again, it would seem silly for those who do not know me...
I saw the movie
Caregiver starring my other idol,
Sharon Cuneta!
It’s not that I have not seen the images of the
Big Ben or the
London Bridge before, we all see them a lot.
But knowing that Mega actually shot the movie there inspired me to look into any option which would allow me to visit London anyhow.
Besides,
Madonna is a Londoner now so I might bump into her!
Wishful Thinking!
My big break came when I was assigned to do nightshift again giving me practically the whole daytime off.
Much thanks also to my Manager (Nanay Christel) for allowing me to leave my shift early and arranging that I join the bus transfer reserved for guests to be dropped off to London for free.
And so with my London map on hand, and my itinerary strategically planned as well, off to London I went on my own.
Adventure indeed!
I was dropped off at
Victoria Station where I started my walk towards
The Buckingham Palace.
Nope, the Queen was not there... It was crowded but I still enjoyed it. I had to find my courage to approach just anyone to take my picture and luckily someone did.
Then I walked towards
St. James Park station to take the Underground train to
Westminster to see the
Abbey and of course,
Big Ben.
And boy is Ben Big!
Then off to the Underground again to go to
Tower Hill where I walked a few blocks to see the
London Tower and of course,
The London Bridge!
After spending about 2 hours walking around, going Underground, walking a little bit more, I felt that I’ve seen enough and I had to get back to the ship.
I would have wanted to go
Harrod’s, to the
Wembley Stadium, to
West End... unfortunately, there was not enough time.
Heck, I did not see
Madonna again!
Bummer!
It's London calling...
click on the image for more photosSo, there!
There have been other places I've been in the course of my 11-month travel around the world
(actually, based on an on-line site, I have been in approximately 11% of the world)...
Bulgaria,
Chile,
Croatia,
Denmark,
Estonia,
Finland,
Germany,
Malta,
Netherlands,
Norway,
Portugal,
Romania,
Senegal,
Spain,
Sweden,
Ukraine &
Uruguay...
I did not include them here not because I did not like them or enjoyed my visits there...
They just were not outstanding enough to stand out...
But I'll definitely post some of my most favorite pictures on another entry...
Makes sense?!
Anywho...
Thank you for bearing with me in my understandably long blog entry...
And I do hope you enjoyed it...
... I sure did!
