Aurora - Singapore to Cape Town 3

Tuesday 21 – Thursday 23 March – at sea

Our first sea day and the first of three in a row. We had a leisurely breakfast and went to the solo meet but clearly these had not really taken off and I didn’t bother again. On the Tuesday I had arranged a Cruise Critic meet in the Uganda Room for noon. There was a reasonable turn out and everyone got chatting nicely. 

 

My sea days took on a similar routine of breakfast, a little bit of sunbathing, usually on the terrace behind the Horizon Restaurant where there was a breeze, a very light lunch of salad and fruit and then sitting on the promenade deck in the shade watching for ocean wildlife. The excessive (to me) heat and humidity precluded anything approaching activity outside the chilled air-conditioned confines of the ship but to stay inside was to miss the serene beauty of the Indian Ocean at its best.

 

 

 

The world was blue - deep blue ocean, clear blue skies. There was very little shipping. We were transiting the Malacca Straits, passing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, through the Bay of Bengal. I saw flying fish, dolphins and turtles. The dolphins were doing acrobatic spins and backflips that I have never seen them do before – such joy and freedom was magical to watch. On the 22^nd we had our official Welcome Aboard party where, chatting to an environmental officer, I was told about the Aurora Bird Sanctuary!! OK, April 1 is days away yet I said!!  Seriously, he told me exhausted migrating birds often find their way into the mooring deck and the Indian deck hands had built a cage where they got food and water to build up their strength to carry on when they were released.

 

On the 23rd we all had to undergo Pirate Drill. Since Aurora would be crossing the lower left corner of the At Risk area, we had high-pressure hoses rigged along the promenade deck, a Royal Navy liaison officer, armed security and a passenger safety plan. On a given signal those of us in inside cabins had to return to them and shut the door. Those in outside cabins had to sit in the corridors and not in front of their cabin doors. This I felt offered us a unique business opportunity - £5 to use our toilet, £2 per cup of tea…………!

 

A tanker practising their pirate drill

At night the ship was darkened with all curtains and blinds drawn and external lights off, save essential ones. The promenade deck was out of bounds from dusk to dawn and we had the rare and exhilarating experience of being on a ship doing close on her full speed of 22 knots.

 

 

 

Aurora - Singapore to Cape Town 2

Sunday 20 March - Malacca, Malaysia

Malacca was our only tender port and it was a 1.2 nautical mile run ashore. It was incredibly hot and humid! OK, I knew to expect this and had packed accordingly with cottons and linens, but it was taking me a while to acclimatise.

Trishaws touting for business by the tender platform

 

My friends led the way to a local market, then on to the fortress, palace (a reconstruction of the original one in a longhouse style on stilts) and forbidden gardens.

 

 

 

 

By then I was wilting so we headed to a café for a cold drink. Somewhat restored, we headed back towards the harbour and more markets, where I bought a batik dress. My friend chose to stay ashore and ended up doing a river cruise. The rest of us headed back to the harbour. There was now a long queue at the dock as only shore tenders were being allowed to operate. We were given cold flannels and chilled water and I watched the fiddler crabs that covered the shoreline.

 

Fiddler crab

Aurora through the heat haze

Local tenders were ferrying us back to Aurora

 

Eventually it was our turn and back on board I showered, and washed my hair. I was wet through anyway from the very high heat and humidity. As we had been late arriving we were given an extra ½ hour ashore but my friend was one of the last to arrive back due to the long queues. There were now eight of us at dinner as another couple joined our table – they were on for the full worldie. We came second in Syndicate Quiz. Bed!

Aurora - World cruise Sector - Singapore to Cape Town

Wednesday 16 March 2016

We set off for Heathrow at 2.30 and made good time. Checked in our large cases and went through security. As is now usual I was subjected to a thorough hand search as my knee set off the alarms – they even insisted on feeling inside my waistband! Then we went to the quiet area to eat a sandwich and check Wi-Fi. By the time we reached the correct gate it was virtually time to board. We were on the upper deck of the A380 near the back. My seat was a bulkhead one which I thought good until I realised it was just in front of a toilet and people let the door slam all night, quite aside from knocking my shoulder every time someone squeezed past! Got settled for the 13 hour flight to Changi Airport, Singapore.

Thursday 17 March - Singapore

The plane arrived five minutes early at around 3pm and we were quickly though immigration. Our driver was waiting for us and took us and the cases to a waiting area while he retrieved the vehicle. The heat and humidity hit us like a sauna! This was my first foray to the Far East and the whole experience was exciting and fascinating. It was not a long drive to the Grand Park City Hall hotel where we were staying for the next two nights and our friendly driver pointed out places of interest on the way as well as answering our many questions. After checking in we went up to our seventh floor room. It was very comfortable (although not quite up to the standards of the Savoy in Buenos Aires which has clearly spoiled us!).
 

 

After settling in and changing we arranged to meet with friends who were joining us on the cruise and flying in from Thailand that evening at 7pm. We then set off for the Long Bar at Raffles for the obligatory Singapore Sling and peanuts before walking the city streets to Chijmes, an historic building complex in Singapore, which began life as a Catholic convent known as the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus for dinner. 
 

 

Friday 18 March - Singapore

After a delicious breakfast, including a specially sliced Dragon fruit for us to try, we set off to explore a little. We wandered to the Cathedral via a minimarket and a few souvenir shops, watched some baseball games, and then to opposite Boat Quay but on our side of the river.
 

Dining room, Grand Park City Hall Hotel



St Andrew's Cathedral

 

Part of Boat Quay from across the river

Then it was back to the hotel to freshen up as it was very hot - very very hot! Met up at 1pm with our friends and took a taxi to the Gardens by the Bay where we spent a lovely afternoon wandering through the various habitats, waterfalls and conservatories. It was odd to walk into a conservatory cooler than the outside air! Then back to the hotel again for another shower and change before meeting up again for a drink followed by a delicious dinner on a floating restaurant at Clarke’s Quay.

 

Saturday 19 March - Singapore

The next morning we briefly went shopping before checking out of the hotel as our transfer car arrived to take us to the port where Aurora awaited us. Check-in was fast and efficient and we were on board by 1pm. We both then popped back ashore to the cruise terminal to make use of the free Wi-Fi. After muster drill and a change again, we met up for champagne in our friends' suite (B224) before heading for dinner in the Alexandria restaurant where we had been allocated a table for 8 right by the stern windows. There we met two of our new table companions. After dinner we watched a local folklore show (including Chinese dragon dancers) before going out on deck for sailaway.

We were due to sail just before midnight but paperwork delayed us until 2am so I was not able to watch the transit through the Singapore Straits.