To enable me to share this amazing adventure I have composed a diary of that experience.
I have decided to blog this, written as the trip unfolded for us, with future events unknown. It is coupled with the numerous one sec images made into a series of 5 minute video slideshows. Feel free to pause, to review interesting photographs.
Each YouTube video has been added at the end of the respective diary segment, so the images correspond to the events.
I have made a separate document listing each day's meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, for anyone interested in how well we dined. I shall add this as a post of its own, instead of listing each day's meal in the diary as I wrote it.
How does it feel and what an exciting time can be had on our "31 days on the container ship CMA CGM Thalassa"; a unique travel experience? I haven't made a polished piece of my diary. The narrative remains in my diary style of staccato snapshots.
We started from Perth Western Australia. Read on . . .
21st January 2013
I wake early as usual and today is packing day. I spend the day collecting the last minute packing. Roy does a few outside jobs. We get the last items from the chemist. Finally Roy packs his trousers, underpants and socks. I have to repack it anyway. Set alarm for 3am. Plane flies off at 7:35am. I check everything. Cases weigh 20.0 and 20.4kg each. I set off meditation recording and fall asleep.
Tuesday 22nd January 2013
I wake with the alarm. We both get dressed, and I remind Roy his traveling clothes are separate. I wear the lightweight Italian dress. I plan to arrive 3 hours before flight departure, for difficulties at check-in. We say goodbye to the dogs.They have been transferring their attentions to David these past few days. They must recognise the leaving signs with suitcases, etc. At 4am we drive to the airport. Our children come with us. We arrive well in time, dropped at terminal with cases and try to check in. It is too early so we grab a wheelchair for me and wait. Check-in is, surprisingly, trouble free, contrary to my expectations. We must wait for assistance at 6:15am. I am wheeled to coffee shop upstairs and the kids wait with us having a pot of tea each. We chat and wait easily with Roy reading the newspaper. We return to desk and get another wheelchair for Roy. We are pushed through the gates and on to emigration and customs. All very painless. We are first on board with other wheelchair assisted persons as well as non-English speaking Indians, we have no duty free but my empty bottle needs filling with water, after passing through security. My assistant goes back to fill it at a water fountain. We are seated in the window rows, three seats, and get comfortable. I can lie flat. It is a 777-200 and quite small. We have a painless 4 1/2 hour flight arriving at Singapore at midday. I take lots of harbor images of container ships at anchor; also of the Singapore skyline. It is a gentle touchdown. Wheelchair assistance takes us straight through, collects our luggage and out past customs again. Right out to taxi rank and a SG$20 ride to a very swish hotel Merchant Court Swissôtel. Our luggage is taken to our room. We have a view over the Quay and the four star hotel is very full of conference attendees. We don't need to unpack much for these few days. We rest for an hour. We decided to find a chemist and supermarket to replace nail file, toothpaste and see if we want some snacks. It is difficult to know what we need on board the ship. The bridge area and Clarke Quay is very picturesque. We look and stare. We walk slowly back towards the river bank cafes. It has been done up like a ship. We get a drink at one of the river cafes. Watching the colorful ferries, the local people and adjust to our arrival. We have all day to explore and rest up. The sequences of events for the days in Singapore were in the emails sent to family shared in next post.Video of Travel to Singapore.
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