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If you cling to Victorian sensibilities and believe some things just should not be talked about, I would recommend that you don’t read this post. Despite my worry that it might offend some, I decided that some might appreciate a more complete view of my experience on this trip. This post is therefore about toilet… Continue reading Practical Matters

On May 21 (Day 128), we landed in Muara, Brunei. Brunei is one of the few remaining countries in the world still governed by an absolute monarch. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is that current ruler. The above Wikipedia post is sobering as it recites the Sultan’s roles in the government (just about everything as far as… Continue reading Absolute Monarchy

Singapore has committed to planning interesting green areas into its dense city/island. The national orchid garden is one of those area. It was a pleasure to visit on May 18. I know this post will be a disappointment for true flower lovers because I don’t have the names of any of the orchids. The pictures… Continue reading Orchids

Our ship visited Singapore on May 17th and 18th (Days 124 and 125). This image from a store near in a small Singapore mall delighted me. It seemed to capture something about this city. Fine quality brass instruments and unexpected beauty. I don’t know that the red trombone would go over well in the Boston… Continue reading I Like Singapore

On May 16 (Day 123), the Insignia docked in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I couldn’t have told you much about this city before visiting there. Even after our visit, I mostly have a surface impression. This article gives an overview of the city. One of the notable features is that Kuala Lumpur has “three of the… Continue reading Three of the World’s Ten Largest Shopping Malls

On May 15, our ship stopped in Penang, Malaysia. The highlight of the visit for me was a tour of a traditional, high quality batik factory. The batik was all made with lots of authentic hand work. One type of batik was called block printed batik. It was made by putting a pattern onto fabric… Continue reading Batik

When our ship landed in Phuket, Thailand on May 14 (Day 121), I was looking forward to the first of many days in Thailand. Our ship was scheduled to return to Thailand for three additional days (including an overnight in Bangkok) at the end of May. The ship did indeed return to Thailand as planned,… Continue reading Just a Taste of Thailand

“Just because you made a good plan, that doesn’t mean that’s what’s going to happen.” Taylor Swift Insignia’s original plan for southeast Asia included China and Myanmar. Both of these ports got cancelled due to political and safety concerns, so the intrepid folks from Oceania had to scramble to come up with Plans, B, C,… Continue reading Exotic Port

If you start on the southeast coast of India and sail across the Bay of Bengal towards Thailand and Myanmar, you will come upon the Andaman Islands. They are actually closer to the Malay Peninsula than to India, but are politically part of India. These islands were added to our ship’s itinerary after our visit… Continue reading Andaman Islands

When our ship docked in Colombo, Sri Lanka on May 5 (Day 112), we were greeted by the impressive lotus tower. Many times during the city tour, we saw it from a distance or close up. Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist country, with other religions respected in the constitution. The lotus tower is interesting… Continue reading Colombo, Sri Lanka