| The Diary of a Sailor

I Came, I Saw, I Snorkel..

2011-01-07T06:23:00.001-08:00

My usual Thursday mornings at Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt includes frolicking in the clear blue waters of it's beaches and..

Admiring ~~perving on~~ those beautiful Russian ladies.. AMEN.

Happy Days. :)

Resurrection

2010-12-17T05:28:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it has been 8 months since my last post here. I know I promised I'll keep this blog up to date but it has been very difficult mainly because of my work load and I have been distracted so much lately. .

In a way I have been sending updates via Twitter so I was never really gone for that long.

I wouldn't keep this post longer than it should be but I promise to revive this blog and write as much important posts as possible.

I DO.

Three Corners Sandy Beach

2010-03-26T04:10:00.000-07:00

I went to the beach yesterday at the port of Sharm el Shiek..

And I was very glad I did! :)

Swimming and sunbathing in Egypt (√).

The Land of Civilization

2010-03-19T03:22:00.000-07:00

Saqqara, Egypt.

The Step Pyramid of Saqqara. The oldest pyramid of them all.

Spoiler Alert: I was right when I thought that the pyramids were located at the middle of the desert but that was thousands of years ago. It was so surprising that they are actually part of the city. And what's also surprising is the KFC and Pizza Hut stores by the gate entrance in front of the Sphinx!

Had some troubles from the Egyptian authorities last time.. Almost got arrested by taking videos on some restricted areas! :( But all's well, they let me go unharmed! Hehe

The Sphinx and The Pyramids of Giza (√)

A Rose-red City, Half as Old as Time

2010-03-12T03:27:00.000-08:00

TheTreasury. Petra, Jordan (√)

Petra (Greek "πέτρα" (petra), meaning rock; Arabic: البتراء, Al-Batrāʾ) is a historic and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that has rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans,^[2] it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourism attraction.^[2] It lies on the slope of Mount Hor^[3] in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Seato the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007 and aWorld Heritage Site since 1985. Petra was chosen by the BBC as one of "the 40 places you have to see before you die".^[4]*

The site remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was introduced by Swiss explorerJohann Ludwig Burckhardt. It was described as "a rose-red city half as old as time" in a Newdigate Prize-winning sonnet by John William Burgon. UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage."^[5]*

Priceless!

* courtesy Wikipedia

One Down, Plenty More To Go!

2010-03-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt (√)

So I just finished my first 7-day cruise onboard Thomson Celebration and I must say, so far so good..

The itinerary is to die for: Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt; Aqaba/Petra, Jordan (overnight); Sokhna/Cairo, Egypt; Safaga/Luxor, Egypt (overnight).

The photo team is awesome. We are currently missing a member but everyone works well with each other. Ferg is my manager, he's English. The other photographers are Ciprian aka Chip/Chippy from Romania and Delfin my paisano.

The work hours are nothing compared to my schedule from my previous ships. I am working for another company now based in the UK, by the way.

Things I love about this ship:

• The size is just right. It used to be the old Noordam and being a Holland America Line (HAL) baby, their ships will always have a special place in my heart.

• The cabin is so spacious. We actually have a couch inside the room plus a fridge.

As usual, no food allowed in the cabin but we're permitted to drink!

• The food is delicious. And we're allowed to eat at the Lido anytime we want. Last night they had an Asian buffet and I almost dropped my tray when I saw some familar Filipino food favorites: vegetable lumpia, maja blanca, turon, fruit salad, enseymada, pansit and champorado! Yum! And they serve this every week! =D

I really think I'll gain some weight here which is not bad because it's part of my plan, to become more huggable when i get back. Wink!

• The atmosphere is very relaxed.

• We can use the passenger gym.

• We are just a phonecall away. Yes, we can be reached in our cabin through IDD! Just hit me if you want the number. :)

• The OB (Officer's Bar) is just a few steps away from my cabin. Always a nice way to end the night with a few beers and catch up with fellow crew members. The OB here is more like a lounge, slightly different from HAL's OB. It's well lit, no jukebox but with a very BIG home theatre TV, still a smoking area with very loud people.

• This is a British ship. So the guests are mostly, if not entirely, British. Except for the Filipinos that work on Deck and Hotel Dept. and the Indonesians at Housekeeping Dept. everyone else from the crew is British; the cast, the entertainment dept. and the officers.

• I love the scones! In the afternoon, I always go up to the Lido for a light snack of scones and some English tea.

• The salary is in British Pounds!

Things I don't necessarily hate but could have been better:

• The internet. There's only one wifi hotspot and it's entirely on the opposite end from where I live. And it's so f*cking slow. :(

I haven't really been out on ports that much except when I have to go on tours. So my next agenda would be to scan the places with wifi zones and I need to hit the beaches soon as well.

I just have to warn you guys that since everything around me is so English, don't be surprised when I get back home with a British accent! LOL

Sawasdee Bangkok!

2010-03-04T05:21:00.000-08:00

Bangkok Part 1: The Grand Palace

Our ship docked in the port of Laem Chabang. About 2 hours away from Bangkok and 45 minutes away from Pattaya. We had two days to spare there so we decided to travel to the farthest place first and then come back at night, book a hotel and party the night away in the Pattaya district. We were lucky there's a lot of us in our group so we just split the $150 van rental amongst us and I think I just paid less than 15 bucks for the day trip. You should be aware though that you need to bring extra money for souvenirs, food, entrance tickets etc.

First stop, the magnificent Grand Palace!

Welcome to the Grand Palace!

Grand Palace in Bangkok (√)

If there is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without, it's the dazzling, spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city's most famous landmark. Built in 1782 - and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government - the Grand Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame indeed, that continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail, all of which is a proud salute to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people. *

Restoration going on.

Within its walls were also the Thai war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom.*

Ministry Buliding

Thai Guard.

Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings including Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains the small, very famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. The robes on the Buddha are changed with the seasons by HM The King of Thailand, and forms an important ritual in the Buddhist calendar. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace around the turn of the twentieth century, but the palace complex is still used to mark all kinds of other ceremonial and auspicious happenings.*

Wat Phra Kaew.

Temple ornaments. Wow.

Buddha Bless You.

Devotees.

Rituals

Some kind of Reflection..

Important Note:

A strict dress code applies. The Grand Palace with The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand's most sacred site. Visitors must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temple. Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves (no tank tops. If you're wearing sandals or flip-flops you must wear socks (in other words, no bare feet.) Women must be similarly modestly dressed. No see-through clothes, bare shoulders, etc. If you show up at the front gate improperly dressed, there is a booth near the entrance that can provide clothes to cover you up properly (a deposit is required).*

The Neptunes. Pants for rent are also available in purple color. LOL.

*courtesy Asia Web Direct

TAKEN

2010-03-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

I thought this only happens in the movies..

I was in line at the Cairo International Airport arrival hall, waiting to pass their immigration when one tall Egyptian guy approached me and asked me about the name of my ship..

I answered.

He said, "Come follow me.."

So I did.

Then I saw another guy, he's short, a bit fat, gray hair and talking to someone on the phone.

I approached him because was holding a sign with my name on it. So I excitedly told him, "That's me! That's me!"

He said, "Give me your passport!" and off we went to a special line.

And then he give it to the officer and ordered me to stay put, wait for my passport and meet him outside.

So I did.

After I collected my luggage, he told me again, "Come!"

And I followed him outside. A black car parked in front of us, a dark-skinned twenty something egyptian guy, came out from the driver seat, grabbed my luggage, threw it in the trunk and ordered me to get in. I didn't move. He said, "Let's go!" I looked at the older guy puzzled. Unsure what's going on because I'm not suppose to leave the airport. I have one more flight to my ship! But the older guy opened the door for me, so I went in..

And this is what happened..

I'm still alive by the way.

It turned out I really have to take a car to take my next flight because it's on a different airport!

So I really would like to take my agents for acting so quick and doing their jobs very well. I jumped a lot of lines just to get ahead and check-in first.

They gave me a bit of a fright but I guess this is how the Egyptian Agents handle their most valued clients.

Just like in the movies!

Turning Javanese

2010-02-24T23:10:00.000-08:00

But wait there's more! More bits from Indonesia..

The art of Batik making.

Batik is a cloth which traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. Due to modern advances in the textile industry, the term has been extended to include fabrics which incorporate traditional batik patterns even if they are not produced using the wax-resist dyeing techniques. Silk batik is especially popular.*

Javanese traditional batik, especially from Yogyakarta and Surakarta, has special meanings rooted to the Javanese conceptualization of the universe. Traditional colours include indigo, dark brown, and white which represent the three major Hindu Gods (Brahmā, Visnu, and Śiva). This is related to the fact that natural dyes are only available in indigo and brown. Certain patterns can only be worn by nobility; traditionally, wider stripes or wavy lines of greater width indicated higher rank. Consequently, during Javanese ceremonies, one could determine the royal lineage of a person by the cloth he or she was wearing.*

The Puppet Show

Wayang is an Indonesian word for theatre (literally "shadow").[1] When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theater, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang. Performances of shadow puppet theater are accompanied by gamelan in Java, and by "gender wayang" in Bali.*

Music is her life.

Singing is her passion.

The puppet master.

Wayang golek are wooden doll puppets that are operated from below by rods connected to the hands and a central control rod that runs through the body to the head. The simple construction of the puppets belies their versatility, expressiveness and aptitude for imitating human dance. Little is known for certain about the history of wayang golek, but scholars have speculated that it most likely originated in China and arrived in Java sometime in the 17th century.*

Wayang Golek

UNESCO designated Indonesian batik and Wayang Kulit, a shadow puppet theater and the best known of the Indonesian wayang, as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on October 2, 2009 and 7 November 2003, respectively. In return of the acknowledgment, UNESCO demanded Indonesia to preserve their heritage. *

*courtesy Wikipedia

Introducing the SAILOR MAIL

2010-02-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

"You're not normal if you don't have a problem.."

Life at sea could really be challenging if not particularly lonely most of the time, and I must say most of us sailors retreat to the comfort of our cabin (or someone else's)to listen to music, watch a movie, chat online and write e-mails.

That's basically what I'll be doing in my SAILOR MAIL entries. I'll be writing rants, opinions, problems and impulsive momentary emotions that might need to burst out whenever the need arises..

Emo stuffs..

You see, life at sea is a roller-coaster. It could be fun and exciting but it could also be very difficult and really demanding.

And this is how I cope.

STUPA LOVE

2010-02-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

I have yet to see China's Great Wall but I was glad I took the $40 crew tour to see Indonesia's most famous monument, hidden deep in the jungle, the mysterious temple of Borobudur.

Borobudur Temple, Indonesia

Borobudur is a ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.[1] A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.*

The Stupa

Each stupa is bell-shaped and pierced by numerous decorative openings. Statues of the Buddha sit inside the pierced enclosures.*

An exposed Buddha

Reaching and touching Buddha's hands for good luck!

The first circular platform has 32 stupas, the second 24 and the third 16, that add up to 72 stupas.*

A circular row of stupas.

Forest view.

Of the original 504 Buddha statues, over 300 are damaged (mostly headless) and 43 are missing (since the monument's discovery, heads have been stolen as collector's items, mostly by Western museums).*

Temple Buddhas

Borobudur contains approximately 2,670 individual bas reliefs (1,460 narrative and 1,212 decorative panels), which cover the façades and balustrades. The total relief surface is 2,500 square meters (26,909.8 sq ft) and they are distributed at the hidden foot (Kāmadhātu) and the five square platforms (Rupadhatu).*

Amazing Relief Sample

My friend Natalie.

More reliefs.

My friend Sean.

The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction.*

A carved gargoyle-shaped water spout for drainage.

A gate.

The lion gate guardian.

Pilgrims and tourists

My friends Lucy and Rean.

Josh, Anthony, Club HAL girl :), Maria and Patrick

Photo Op :)

Borobudur lay hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth. The facts behind its abandonment remain a mystery. There is no written record of who built Borobudur or of its intended purpose.*

Borobodur Temple, Indonesia (√)

*courtesy Wikipedia

It's All Coming Back To Me Now

2010-02-22T03:37:00.000-08:00

There's been not much going on lately except that next month will be the celebration of a whole year of unemployment for me, and this must end!

The past few months wouldn't necessarily be a waste since I was able to do a considerable amount of traveling specifically around the Southeast asian region.

I'm still quite lazy to write about the whole experience so I'll just post some of the highlights of the places that I visited..

Well at least for now..

Ok go.

Victoria Harbour, Hongkong

ms Volendam

Sandy Beach, Danang Vietnam

The Marble Mountains, Danang Vietnam

Hoh Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Koh Samui, Thailand

The Royal Palace, Bangkok Thailand

Merlion Park, Singapore

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Borobudur Temple, Semarang Indonesia

Uluwatu Temple, Bali Indonesia

Kuta Beach, Bali Indonesia

Finally, I have good news..

Pinoy Sailorboy will be sailing again soon.. Yey! :)

P.S.

Thanks Sean for the trip. Where to next? Haha!

The Most Amazing Show on Earth

2009-09-07T04:49:00.000-07:00

All of us were there to watch the lunar eclipse but we didn't quite expect to witness the greatest phenomenon of all..

• Watch an eclipse (√)

• Witness the northern lights show, priceless!

World Premiere! Episode 2: VENICE

2009-08-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

Finally! I was able to get some time to produce the second episode..

Here you go:

I value your comments and suggestions, so please do hit me!

Thanks!

Coming Soon..

2009-08-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

Still working on the follow-up episodes...

I'm so stoked!

Memento #1 & #2

2009-08-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

I love collecting stuff to remind me of my travels. I already have a boxful of fridge magnets from the places that I've been but I don't want to keep on buying magnets forever so I cleverly decided to move on and invest on some precious souvenirs.

Currently, I'm into collecting chess sets:

Mexican Chess Set

Close up look

I bought this in Mazatlan, Mexico for $25.

Marinakis Chess Set

Close up look

And this one I bought for 40 Euros altogether (the pieces and the board) in Rhodes, Greece just last December.

Watch out for more amazing travel finds in this Memento series!

Start Spreading the News: PS goes to NYC

2009-08-11T22:48:00.000-07:00

May 10, 2004 was my first time in New York City. After about a month of hanging around in Miami, waiting for my ship assignment, I flew to La Guardia, hailed a yellow cab upon arrival and drove to the pier to join my ship. That was my brief NYC moment. I don't remember much about it except driving along Broadway Avenue and Times Square and cruising by the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn bridge.

It took two years for me to come back to New York again and I remembered being so excited because that time we docked for three days! I got the first and second day off and I was port manning on the third day. Port manning by the way means you can't get off the ship, certain number of crew members must stay onboard to perform certain duties in case an emergency happens. Sometimes you can choose which port/city you would want to stay onboard but most of the times the manager makes the schedule (that's why it pays to have a good relationship with your superiors but not always! hehe).

So with an ample free time in hand, I gathered all my energy to explore the city that never sleeps:

SNOW!! @ Central Park

Central Park

The World's Most Famous Arena

Ground Zero, Site of the former WTC Twin Towers

Wall Street

Mabuhay! Saw this on our way to the Empire State Building

At the Empire State Building

The view from the top of the empire

I Luv NY!

Times Square

Radio City Music Hall

New York Subway

That's Roxie, my photog friend from Romania, and my personal photographer that day. Hehe.

I was there! @ Staten island

For some reasons I always thought the color of the statue of Liberty is white but I was wrong.. It's green, it's apple green..

PS Remembers Santorini, Greece

2009-08-11T01:21:00.002-07:00

Most of you might be quite familiar with Santorini because of the movie, For the First Time, starring KC and Richard Gutierrez but I've been frequenting this island eversince 2004.

The name Santorini was given to it by the Latin empire in the thirteenth century, and is a reference to Saint Irene. Before then it was known as Kallistē (Καλλίστη, "the most beautiful one"), Strongylē (Στρογγύλη, "the circular one"), or Thera. *Wikipedia

My ship anchored at Fira. In order to get to the village which is located on top of the caldera, one must ride the cablecar/fenicular (3-5mins), by walking (30-45mins) or by riding the donkey (20-30mins). I'm proud to say that I was able to experience all of the options above and I highly recommend everyone to try the donkeyride!

Oia is the most beautiful and picturesque village in the island of Santorini. From Fira, one must travel for around 45mins in order to get to the said village. Don't worry about the 45mins travel time because you'll enjoy every bits of it, the vineyards, the houses, the views etc. You can take a cab, book a tour or take the public bus to get to Oia.

Fun facts about Santorini as told by some of my friendly travel guides:
• There are more churches than houses in the island.
• There are more wines than water supply.
• And there are more donkeys than men!

Santorini is also one of the major island wedding destinations in the world.

Even I would want to get married on this island, against the backdrop of its magnificent sunset..

PS gets INKED!

2009-08-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted one.

Growing up, I've been taught that tattoos are bad. But having a lot of tattooed friends on the ship and realizing the stories behind this (tabooed) art is what made me decide to be part of the revolution.

I made my own design. It's in alibata and it reads 'traveler' in English.

@Tiger Jimmy Tattoo Studio
Broadway Avenue, San Diego CA

Pinoy Sailorboy Skydives in Hawaii

2009-08-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

Now see this!

North Shore, Island of Oahu, Hawaii

@ 14,000ft

1 minute free-fall

I have never felt sooo high.

Brought to you by, Pacific Skydive.

Pinoy Sailorboy Sings!

2009-08-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

Part of the job on the ship is to entertain guests with your (hidden) talents.

These passengers love impromptu surprises. And one important rule in

working on the cruiseline industry.. Don't ever say NO! Even if at most

times, what these people are asking is not really part of your job

description. Just keep in mind to always go above and beyond!

So here you go..

World Premiere! Episode 1: GREECE

2009-08-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

Pinoy Sailorboy visits Mykonos and explores the neighboring island of Delos.

ENJOY!

Let Me Entertain You!

2009-08-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

According to Blogger, I've been a member since 2007 but as you might have noticed (or probably, as I might have noticed, since I'm prolly the only one reading this blog) I haven't written anything here since. It's because I was still too dumb to blog here then. Hehe. I was maintaining another blog at geocities up till around summer last year but I just get notified that the site will be closing sometime this October.. Sigh. So I've finally decided to move here and hopefully to get a better, bigger and friendlier audience.. Hee hee

I would like to share my old website to you all before it completely fades to oblivion..

Click HERE.