2019 Ms
Maasdam Spice Islands Cruise March
Wednesday 6
March 2019
I had a
leisurely afternoon by having lunch with Ken and Steve before going home to do
the final packing before Steve drove me to the airport at 3.30 pm.
The check in
at the International Terminal was a breeze and I was up in the departure area
having a coffee by 3.55 pm. The efficiency and friendliness of the officials is
to be complemented.
The flight
was excellent, and I had an empty seat beside me. The service on Silk Air was
fantastic and I even got in a few hours sleep.
The arrival
at Changi Airport went very smoothly and from the plane to the Hotel by taxi
only took 55 minutes.
Thursday 7
March 2019
I was in bed
by 1.15 am and had a good sleep until 6 am. Sunrise in Singapore was 7.14 am
not that it made much difference as it was a very cloudy day. After checking emails
and FB I did some banking on line and then got ready for brekky by the poolside
garden.
Brekky was
great and a good variety of Western and Asian food.
I had a
leisurely morning before getting a taxi to the cruise terminal. The check in
went very efficiently and within an hour of departing the Hilton I was in my
cabin on the ship.
I went up to
the Lido for a snack and some water to fill in time before the welcome back on-board drinks up in the Crows Nest. OMG I estimate half the ship was there and
it seemed half of them were rowdy Aussies trying to get in as many of the free
drinks as possible.
It was good to meet up with some of the bar staff I had met on previous cruises. They were so busy even the lady Bar Manager (I haven’t met yet) was busy serving drinks.
After the mandatory boat drill, I made my way up to the Lido Bar and caught up with Justin, Warren, Mark and Paul who were working the Lido. We had an enjoyable time talking about past cruises and then some of the boys started telling the guests at the bar about my dress up as the Pope and that seemed to put me into Legend Status.
Back to my
suite for a shower and get ready for dinner. I had about 30 minutes after
getting ready to kill before my dinner time. I sat on the sofa to do some
reading and the next thing I knew it was 10.30 pm and I had missed dinner. So
off to bed I went.
Friday 8
March 2019
Today is a
sea day.
I woke
feeling very refreshed at 5.45 am so got ready to go up to the Lido for
brekkie. It was still very quiet up there and my new Indonesian friends gave me
VIP service and waited on me hand and foot.
Yes, I did
have Vegemite on my croissants.
At 10 am I went to the talk on the ports we are to visit over the next few days as I have never been to Borneo before. This was a hard sell by the ships shore excursions people.
For lunch today I had a Papaku Masarap Chicken Burger while I held court at the Lido Bar. Here I met Lisa the Beverage Manager who seems to be a very nice lady. I have previously met Bong her assistant manager and Ivica the Cellar Master.
The Port Talk for the 2 Malaysian ports was presented for the independent traveller by Matt. He gave an excellent presentation and I found most informative for planning the Borneo visits to Bintulu and Koto Kinabalu.
Then it was time for the Wine tasting of samples of the various packages. Ivica gave brilliant and fun filled summery of the various wines. I was seated with a couple from Brisbane and a Pommie lady. We had great conversations at our table and were the last to leave the session.
The afternoon had quickly moved on and it was time to go to the Ocean Bar for Happy Hour. What a bonus they have bought back Guinness in the can with the widget after 4 or 5 years of absence as some stupid bean counter in Seattle decided it would be cheaper to sell Guinness in the bottle that could have been brewed anywhere in the world under licence. The good thing about the widget can Guinness is that it is brewed in Dublin using water from the river Liffey.
I met a very nice couple from Perth that had already been on the ship for the previous segment. We chatted until it was time to go and get ready for Dinner.
I have my
own Papaku Table beside the rail over looking the lower dining room. (Sir John
it is 2 around from your favourite table on the VEDM.) The service was excellent and the staff soon
all knew Papaku and the fun begun.
It was a Gala (Galah) formal night and my
jacket and trousers had not returned from the dry cleaning. I wore black
trackie daks and an Indonesian shirt. Actually, the attendants complemented me
on the shirt.
It was an
enjoyable meal and the crew kept me well entertained.
After dinner
I went down to the cabin and by 9.45 pm I was curled up in bed.
Saturday 9
March 2019
I awoke at 6
am and downloaded photos and bought this report up to date, before having a
shower and going up for brekkie.
We arrived at the Industrial port of Bintulu that was 30 minutes from the town. The Pilot was 45 minutes late in boarding the ship for our entry to the port because another ship had lost power and had to be towed away from the dock allocated to the Maasdam.
From then on it was a pile of errors as there were only a few shuttle busses to take the folks into town and folk were lining up for up to an hour in the 36C heat waiting for a ride into town. I decided to wait until the ‘rush’ eased off. Well this did not happen and after I had lunch, I checked to see how long the line was. It hadn’t improved and they estimated there would be still half an hour wait so I went up to the cabin and had a nanna nap.
Many of the folk that did go into town were disappointed and of course there was another long wait to return to the ship. The old busses should have been in a museum.
I understand this is the first time a cruise ship has called in to this port and it was obvious the local mob were not prepared for the influx of visitors.
Here are some stats on the passengers on the ship:-
Nationality Breakdown
Aussies 264
Canadians 188
Yanks 159
Poms 52
The other 27 nations were made up of smaller numbers.
Mariner Status
5 Star 25
4 Star 158
3 Star 196
2 Star 143
1 Star 108
First timers 314
Age Groups
0 – 35 16
36 – 50 31
51 – 65 202
66 – 74 383
72+ 265
Unknown 52
I did the
first part of Happy hour up in the Crows Nest and trivia was on and the place
was busy with the ‘Iced water brigade’ all very serious. So, then I went to the
Ocean Bar and caught up with some of the regulars there.
Dinner was
excellent and I had a great time with the staff.
I called it
a night at 10 pm and adjourned to my cabin.
Sunday 10
March 2019
As today we
were not arriving into the port of Kota Kinabalu Borneo Malaysia until 11am I
had a leisurely brekkie in the Lido. I even tried an omelette with ham, cheese
and olives. Yummy.
As the sun
was shining in on my verandah, I even got in 20 minutes of sunbaking as I
watched our arrival into port. Even the views from the ship showed a very
inviting and progressive Asian city. This time the port was within easy walking
distance of the city and shuttle busses were also provided.
After lunch
I went out on a 4 hour Kota Kinabalu highlights tour. Boy oh boy what a
fantastic and informative tour. We visited a Heritage Village, a water village,
the Museum, The Filipino Markets and the State and city Mosque. I will let the
photos do the talking and illustrate the diversity.
Our local
tour guide was excellent and spoke most highly of the ANZAC soldiers (Aussies
and Kiwis) that drove out the Japanese forces in the second world war. She also
showed us schools and other community projects provided by the Aussies. A funny
story she told was that well before the 2nd WW Head hunting practice
had been banned but was still going on so the Aussie soldiers told the natives
it was ok if they head hunted the Japanese army guys. The Japanese were very
cruel and slaughtered the many of the locals.
So when the
ANZACS arrived and treated the locals like friends the locals assisted the
Aussies in any way they could to defeat the Japanese forces. Anzac Day is still
celebrated here in Borneo each year even after all these years. It was good for
me to here these stories as my father was one of the Aussie soldiers here in
the 2nd WW.
I was late
back for Happy Hour however I had organised in advance a few drinks. I caught
up with John and Sandy my Perth friends and had a few drinks with them.
After dinner
I went down to the Piano Bar and the boys from The Emperors of Soul got up and
sang a few songs. What a bonus, I will definitely go and see their show on the
main stage tomorrow night.
It was 11 pm
by the time I got to bed.
Monday 11
March 2019
Today is a
sea day as we head towards the Philippines.
After my
leisurely brekkie I came back to my cabin and took advantage of the sun on my verandah and got in a bit of sunbathing.
Then a
fantastic announcement was made that the bars would be having happy hour all
day, so I headed up to the Lido Bar and had a couple of Bloody Marys before
lunch. Normally these days I don’t drink until the 4 pm happy hour.
After a nice
long nanna nap I headed up to the Ocean Bar to catch up with the regular gang
for a few drinks. It was a fun time with heaps of laughs.
Tonight, I
went to dinner with John and Sandy in the downstairs dining room at 6.30pm
which was a bit early for me but we planned to see the show at 8 pm. We had
such a great time that it was 8.45 pm by the time we had finished the meal
which resulted in us missing the show.
I went to
the Piano Bar and Al filled in for the sick piano player and entertained us for
an hour. Al was once a member of the BB King group. He put on an excellent
impromptu show.
I headed up
to bed just after 10 pm.
Tuesday 12
March 2019
During my
shave this morning I cut myself on the chin and it wouldn’t stop bleeding, so I
was later than usual getting up to brekkie.
As usual I
was spoilt at brekkie and the kids waited on me hand and foot as my chin
started bleeding again. I went through a few paper towels in dabbing the cut
before one of the young ladies put a band aid on the wound and that stopped the
bleeding.
By now we
had docked in Puerto Princesa, Philippines. Wow this place had had a big face lift around the port area since I was here 6 years ago.
A great improvement.
I took the shuttle bus into town to the Mall to have a walk around. I found a beaut coffee shop with free Wi-Fi that was a bit hard to get online at first but when connected it was a good service on the phone.
When I tried the laptop, I could
not get into Gmail or Facebook so that meant I couldn’t send the news update.
After a few
hours of exploring I got the shuttle back to the ship for a late lunch before a
short nanna nap.
I called it
an early night and was in bed before 10 pm.
Wednesday 13
March 2019
Today is a
sea day so I had a leisurely brekkie and was joined by a couple from Bundy
(Bundaberg) that I had met in the Ocean Bar at happy hour.
I sat out on
the verandah in the sun and fell asleep for 30 minutes a most relaxing
experience in the warm sunshine. The seas have been very calm so far on this
cruise.
Then it was
up to the Lido Bar to watch the battle of 5 barman showing their skills at
making cocktails including their showman skills and flare for juggling bottles.
This was a fun filled time with the audience having to put up numbers for each
contestant. As Papaku I had to give each contestant a 10. I enjoyed a Guinness
as I watched the show.
After a
sandwich lunch I headed down to the cabin for a nanna nap.
Happy Hour
with the usual regulars and the interaction with John and Steve our Barmen was
heaps of fun as we tried to get sunset photos though the salt sprayed windows.
I had calf liver
for dinner which was delicious. This is not a meal I have has for many years.
It was an
early night as I was in bed before 10 pm.
Thursday 14
March 2019
Today is
another sea day as we head towards Indonesia and just after 8 am the ship’s
horn blasted as the ship crossed the Equator.
As usual I
was very well looked after and waited on in the Lido for brekkie. As I seem to
be a creature of habit, so they know what I want and get it for me. I don’t
mind as I don’t have to go near the food displays and get tempted to eat more food
than I really need.
Today I plan
not to have a drink before Happy hour at 4 pm. So, I am keeping away from the
bars.
I got in
about 20 minutes sun on the verandah especially on my back. It is also good to
get away from the air-conditioning for a while.
Before lunch
I went up to the Lido and held court for a while then got some fish and a BLT
sandwich which I took down to my cabin to have before my nana nap.
Happy hour
was very quiet this afternoon as we only had 3 of the regulars there.
For dinner I
had a perfect pork chop cooked to perfection.
After dinner
I went to the Piano Bar to enjoy the singalong and while I was there the guys
from the Emperors of Swing came a long and under pressure from the audience got
up and sang a few songs, what a bonus.
I called it
a night Just after 11pm.
Friday 15
March 2019
I went up to
brekkie early and had a window seat at the Lido to enable me to watch our
arrival at the Indonesian port of Makasar. It was raining lightly but still
warm and many officials had gathered on the port to welcome the arrival of the
Maasdam.
The locals
put on a great show on the dock with a band and a group of 8 young boys dancing
and doing acrobatics that stole the show. The local Mayor made a presentation
to the Captain and the Hotel Director and then the Captain was even dancing
with the young boys and like the Pied Piper led them and their mothers on to
the ship to show them around.
What an experience for the kids and to enjoy the ice-cream and food they were given. The looks on their faces was worth a million dollars.
What an experience for the kids and to enjoy the ice-cream and food they were given. The looks on their faces was worth a million dollars.
When I got off the ship there was a great welcome in the terminal. I went outside and got a tri-shaw for a short tour and went to a coffee shop and used the Wi-Fi which was excellent as I was the only person using it. It was good to catch up with emails and Facebook. After an hour my driver returned and continued with a sightseeing tour on the way back to the ship.
I enjoyed
lunch in the Lido as I made my self a steak sandwich and had some sushi. I went
back to the terminal to enjoy the entertainment and use the slow Wi-Fi (as
heaps of folk from the ship were there using the wi-fi.)
While there
I learnt of the shocking news of the Christchurch Massacre. What a sick animal
this evil bigot is, who murdered so many folk just going about their prayers.
This news
put a damper on our Happy Hour and the rest of the evening. Although the lamb
chops were cooked to perfection for dinner.
I called it
an early night and went to bed about 10 pm but as we had to put the time forward
by one hour tonight it suddenly became 11 am.
Saturday 16 March 2019
Today is a sea day as we head towards East Timor.
Brekkie in the lido was very quiet as I guess many folk were
taking advantage of having a sleep in on the sea day.
I had a restful morning which included an hour sleep before
going up to the Lido to hold court at the Bar and have a snack lunch. Today all
drinks after mid-day were at happy hour price. So naturally I had a few
pre-lunch drinks and it was mid afternoon by the time I had my Nanna nap.
Tonight was a Gala (Galah) night and I had arranged to have
dinner with Christine a lady I shared the cab with from the Hilton to the Ship
in Singapore. It was a great night and excellent company.
After dinner I went to the Ocean Bar and was surprised to see
so many there enjoying the band, dancing and having a drink. I stayed there
until about midnight before going up to bed.
Sunday 17 March 2019
St Patrick’s Day
There wasn’t many wearing green up in the Lido at Brekkie. I
was of course.
Today we arrived off Dili, Timor Leste and had to tender to
the island.
OMG the primitive landing pontoon on arrival was rocking and
shaking and made the climb up the gangway very difficult even for the able
bodied folk. This made loading and unloading ashore very time consuming.
I went over about 10 am and it was very hot and humid, it was
obvious there had been a tropical downpour earlier as the muddy streets had
running water and heaps of muddy slushy puddles to navigate around.
I made it
to the big Hotel Timor to escape the heat and see if they had Wi-Fi. Their wifi
was not working so then I set off to visit the markets.
On the way I realised I
had left my wallet in the cabin safe, so here I was with no identification or
money in a strange land. I had no choice but to head back to the ship. I also
was wringing wet with perspiration.
The off sea breeze had now increased to 15 knots so the
process of getting back on to the tender was even a greater challenge than
earlier on my arrival. I sat up with the driver of the tender, so I had a fantastic view on
the very choppy trip back to the ship.
Actually, not long after my return to the ship because the
wind had increased the tender transfers for taking folk ashore were ceased for
safety and were only used to bring folk ashore back to the ship.
Back on the ship I went up to the Lido and had many glasses
of water to make up for all the perspiration I had lost earlier. I then had
lunch before going to have my afternoon sleep.
The usual gang were at Happy Hour and we had heaps of fun.
Dinner had a St Patrick's Day theme and the meal was most
enjoyable.
Again not many folk were wearing green. I finished dinner just after
10 pm so I was not tempted to join the St Pats Party in the Ocean Bar and went
up to the suite to have an early night and was in bed before 11 pm.
Monday 18
March 2019
Today is the
first of 3 sea days as we head across the top of Australia towards Cairns our
next port.
I love sea
days as they are a great time to recharge the batteries and have a restful day.
After my
pleasurable brekkie and restful morning, I held court in the Lido before lunch
and had a sandwich lunch at the Lido Bar.
It was very
hot and humid today, so it was great to escape to my cabin for a long nanna
nap.
Happy Hour
was the usual fun time before dinner. After dinner I joined friends in the
Ocean Bar for a night cap.
I was in bed
by 11 pm.
Tuesday 19
March 2019
Virgo the
waiter in the mornings at the Lido gave me his usual excellent service and
waited on me hand and foot. Brekkies are a very enjoyable experience for me on
this ship in the Lido.
Today as we
head across the top of the Gulf of Carpentaria, we are going through a
monsoonal front so there were a few tropical storms with lighting and thunder and
heavy tropical downpours of rain.
The battered
fish from the Lido was my choice for lunch which I ate at the Lido Bar.
After my
nanna nap, well I guess you know the drill by now and was off to Happy Hour in
the Ocean Bar with the usual gang. Before dinner I went to a Aussie Kiwi
function in the Crows Nest.
Dinner was
as usual a great time as I held court with the nearby tables. The service and
the meal were excellent.
I decided to
have an early night and was in bed by 10 pm. Tonight we had to put the clocks
forward by 1 hour so now I am back on Queensland eastern standard time.
Wednesday 20
March 2019
The 3rd
consecutive sea day with heavy rain and mild seas as we head down the coast
line of Cape York on our way to Cairns.
After
brekkie I had to see the office as I want to take off some excess luggage
tomorrow in Cairns. I thought this would be a simple request but as the ship
will be cleared for customs and immigration in Cairns, I must present myself to
the authorities for inspection before the ship will be cleared. OMG so much
paperwork anyway it has been approved so I hope it will be clear sailing with
the officials tomorrow morning.
I had a
restful day and held court at lunch time at the Lido Bar where I had a
delicious roast pork sandwich for lunch. After my nanna nap I only had time for
one drink at Happy Hour as I was going to the Pinnacle Grill for dinner at 5.30
am.
The meal at
the PG was great and the very high standard of service made it a most enjoyable
evening. I was joined by Carolyn a lovely lady I have met on board.
I finished
the evening with a few night caps in the Ocean Bar before calling it a night
and in bed by 10.30 pm.
Thursday 21
March 2019
The arrival
in the port of Cairns was overcast but not raining. We were alongside the dock
shortly after 7 am and the ship was cleared by 8 pm.
As this was the first Australian port everyone had to present themselves with Passports for a face to face inspection by the Australian Officials.
As I was taking off excess luggage and my duty free spirits, I had to go through the 3rd degree by an officious Nazi type female Customs Officer. There we no way she was letting me take the 2 bottles home and they had to be returned to the ship and I was to take them off in Brisbane in a weeks’ time.
This woman was not the type to be argued with, so I started to go back to the ship lugging my trolley bag when I ran into Lisa The Bar Manager and she after asking me what was going on, took the alcohol from me to save me having to go back to the ship.
Madam Nazi Customs Officer seemed happy as she now crossed out the 2 bottles from the paperwork.
Outside I was met by my friend Ken who drove me home with my bag and check on my house.
We then went to his place to pick up Jan (Ken’s wife) and we returned to the
ship. I had invited Ken and Jan to be my guests for the day to tour the ship
and have lunch.
We had a great time on the Papaku tour.
After they left,
I used my phone as a hotspot to access the internet to catch up with banking
and pay some bills.
Happy Hour
with the usual gang was most enjoyable as everyone was sharing their stories of
Cairns and district on a very wet day.
Tonight was
the night for the Indonesian Crew show so I had to keep awake for that as it
was at 11 pm. This amateur performance was fantastic and full of national
pride. Well worth staying up for.
I made it to
bed just after midnight.
Friday 22 March
2019
Today is a
sea day as we make our way outside the Great Barrier Reef up towards Papua New
Guinea, would you believe it is a sunny clear day although a bit windy.
I had a
light brekkie as today was the Mariners function and lunch later this morning.
On the entry to the Show Room for the function I met Carolyn who was going to
receive her Silver medal. I sat with her for the presentation. Steve the Barman
made sure my glass of red didn’t go dry.
The dinner
was a hoot as Carolyn, and I sat with 2 Aussie couples and we had a fun filled
meal with more red. Yes, you guessed it I had a 3 hour nanna nap before Happy
Hour.
Happy Hour
was the usual fun time with our regular team and the interaction with our
barman (Steve & John).
I invited
Carolyn to join me for dinner and she is always great company.
After dinner
I went to look in on the show as it was an Aussie C&W singer named Patrick
McMahon. I had never heard of him before. He had a good voice however his
comedy was a bit slack.
I made it to
bed by 11 pm.
Saturday 23
March 2019
I was up at
brekkie when we docked at Alotau, Papua New Guinea. We were welcomed by native
dancers preforming on the dock to welcome us. They were dressed in very
colourful traditional tribal clothing and head gear.
I walked along the foreshore being greeted by the friendly locals and the kids loved to talk about Rugby league with me. They are rugby mad up here and follow the Aussie comp. They support Queensland in the State of Origin games against New South Wales.
After about
2 hours and being soaking wet from perspiration I came back to the ship to have
a shower change clothes and enjoyed a Papaku Masarap Chicken Burger for lunch
while holding court.
My well deserved nanna nap lasted for nearly 3 hours before I made it down to the Happy
hour.
Happy Hour
was fun with everyone sharing their experiences of their various adventures on
shore.
After dinner
I decided to have an early night and was in bed by 10 pm.
Sunday 24
March 2019
I was at
Brekkie in the Lido when we anchored off Kitava, PNG as today was a tender
transfer island.
Virgo my
waiter had the table set up and ready for me, so I didn’t have to go looking
for a table.
OMG, he is a treasure as he waits on me and saves me from having to go over to the self service with all the pushy shovie folk getting food for their brekkie.
OMG, he is a treasure as he waits on me and saves me from having to go over to the self service with all the pushy shovie folk getting food for their brekkie.
After I
cleaned my teeth and packed for the day, I was ready for the very wet tender
transfer. Although it was raining it was very humid in the closed tender for
the short ride.
When we
arrived, the rain had eased off to a light drizzle and so not too hot to walk
around. The natives from the 5 villages were set up on the beach and welcomed us
with song and dance. Many had set up make shift counters to sell their
handicrafts.
They were offering rides in their dugout canoes and outrigger sail
boats to another nearby island.
It was a
slight shame it was raining but still it was well worth the visit.
Happy hour
was the usual fun filled time with the regulars.
I then got ready for dinner
and held court with some of the guests and the waiters. I had the pork belly
which was great but a little too fatty for me.
I called it
another early night and was in bed by 10 pm.
Monday 25
March 2019
Again, Virgo
had my table set up when I arrived up at the Lido for brekkie and the Aussie
paper waiting for me. I only had a light brekkie and chatted with a few folks
before returning to the cabin and got a bit of sun on the verandah.
Today we
were moored off the Conflict Islands rarely visited by western tourists. The
Islands are coral atolls with pure white sand and clear blue waters a popular
snorkelling and coral viewing venue.
I decided
not to go ashore on the tender as it reminded me of the Coral Atolls on the
Great Barrier Reef. I had a rest day on board.
Happy hour
was a bit quiet tonight as many were tiered, and sunburned after the day at the
beach so didn’t make it to the bar.
I had an
enjoyable dinner with Sarah who is always great company and then had an early
night and was in bed by 10 pm.
Tuesday 26
March 2019
Today is a
sea day as we cruise down from PNG to Brisbane outside the Great Barrier Reef.
It was a perfect sunny day with calm seas and a fantastic sunrise.
After
brekkie I got a little sun out on my verandah before going up to the Lido Bar (my
Lido Office) to hold court and have some lunch.
Of course, in
the afternoon I had a nice 3 hour nanna nap before Happy Hour.
Today as well as the usual crowd I was joined by Rolf a recently retired Police Superintendent who was a colleague of mine on the District Disaster Management Group when I was working. It was great to catch up with Rolf as 7 years had gone since we last met.
Dinner was
the usual high standard with excellent service and heaps of fun with the staff
and the nearby tables.
After dinner
I went up to the Crows Nest to catch up with Wally and was surprised to see so
many couples up doing Salsa dancing. It was great to see so many folk up
dancing and enjoying themselves.
After a few
night caps I called it a night and was in bed by 11.45 pm.
Wednesday 27
March 2019
Brekkie was served
with the excellent royal treatment I receive from Virgo my Lido waiter. For the
past 3 weeks it has always been a pleasure to go and have brekkie served by Virgo.
As yesterday,
I took advantage of the sun on my verandah for about 30 minutes.
I finished packing
before going up to my Lido Office to hold court before lunch.
Happy Hour
was a bit sad with everyone saying their Goodbyes.
I had an
early night and got my bag out into the hallway for collection.
Thursday 28
March 2019
After the
last brekkie for the cruise and the sad goodbyes to the Lido staff I was down
to grab my things and head off the ship.
I was met by
my good friend Kev who took me to his home for coffee and a catch up. I had not
seen Kev for about 17 years so there were lots of laughs and conversation.
The
time went far too quickly and then he drove me to the airport for my flight.
It was a good flight from Brisbane to Cairns with the Great Barrier Reef looking fantastic from the flight and the green hills and sugarcane farms providing postcard perfect views.
It was a good flight from Brisbane to Cairns with the Great Barrier Reef looking fantastic from the flight and the green hills and sugarcane farms providing postcard perfect views.
OMG the heat
and humidify engulfed me as I stepped from the flight to walk to the terminal.
Steve a good
mate of mine was there to pick me up and take me home via the supermarket to
get some basic supplies.
As usual it
is always great to be home again even though my gardening mob hadn’t done my
lawn while I was away as had been arranged. This will give me a challenge over
the weekend.
.