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“The postings on this site are my own and don't represent Maersk Group's position, strategies or opinions. All views are my own”
  M/T Roy Maersk
Hong Gai, Vietnam 20th of May 2016 - Picture by Aladdin
  Thursday 17th of March 2016 and my friend was 15 minutes early for our boxing exercise. Good,  that will give me a few minutes extra before AOT Limousine will come to  pick me up at 11 o'clock.
My last boxing exercise for a while, and most likely my last fruit salad for a while. But I'm  hopeful about my diet this time joining Roy Mærsk. Otherwise it will be a disaster. I'm about to die and if I want to obtain my V-shaped torso before that I better get serious.
We finished the boxing quarter to 10 and I was off to eat my last fruit salad and a shower before taking off to Suvarnabhumi. I was down 2 minutes before 11 o'clock and they told me that the car was waiting for me. We were soon on our way to Suvarnabhumi to catch Thai Airways flight TG 407 to Singapore - Changi Departure: 13:50 Bangkok, Thailand - Suvarnabhumi International Arrival: 17:10 Singapore, Singapore - Changi, terminal 1 Traffic was almost at a full stop on Sukhumvit Road but we made it to the airport in 45 minutes. The driver, he had obviously been driving me before. He asked if I was sure I had not forgot anything. Yes, many are the times I have asked them to turn around and to take me back home to pick up something I had forgot. But this time I hope I have everything with me.  Arriving to Suvarnabhumi
 Suvarnabhumi check-in hall
 Thai Airways check in is empty
 Security check
 Immigration is empty
 Boarding the flight
Check-in, security and the immigration was done in a jiff. I took the escalator down to Thai Airways lounge where I had 2 cans of soda water while updating my web page. Boarding was set to 13:10 and the monitors had BOARDING flashing in red at flight number TG 407 on the monitors. But wise from previous experience I stayed cool and stayed behind in the lounge. So far I had never been on a Thai Airways flight that have been boarding in time. I don't know what time it was when I left, but they had not starting boarding when I arrived to gate C8. But boarding was starting a minute later and I went straight to barding after having confirmed that I'm alone in my row. We took off around 2 o'clock and I was watching Thailand disappear under us. And while Thailand was disappearing I got my first cup of tea. The first of many tea cups.  Refreshments
 I get tea
 I get a “DOUBLE” tea
We had been airborne for, well, not very long when they parked the tax free cart in the aisle next to my seats. What I guess was the senior Stewardess took a seat in the empty seats in the middle row next to my row of 2 chairs on the port side of the aircraft. She started to take inventory of the tax free cart and people going to the lavatory had to squeeze them self between the cart and my row of seat. Stewardesses came with orders from other passengers and they opened the door and closed the door to the cart every now and then. I'm here to relax, if the flight is full I accept other passengers but if they flight is half full and I pay extra to sit alone I don't expect them to open up a foocking tax free shop in the seat next to me. I was really annoyed and I gave the senior Stewardess the “WHAT THE FOOCK” look and they moved the tax free cart to where I had seen them keeping it on ALL my previous flights. At the exit between biz and coach. What the heel is this? Just because there are a few seats available it doesn’t mean that the crew should sit down there to have a chat with each other. This was an absolute low water mark. I pay extra to sit alone and I was lucky, the area was empty and I enjoyed myself. If the flight would have been full it would have been bad luck, but I would have to accept it. And now, think about it, first setting up a shop next to me and then when they moved the crew sat down chatting next to me, is this something I should accept? I already said it before, no more Thai Airways for me (unless absolutely necessary) but Singapore Airline was full this time. Totally regardless of their passengers. As with Canon, remember my camera and their long letter of excuse? This is the way to go, cheat and scam and then you ask for excuse. I would have understood if they made a mistake, everyone make a mistake! But this was a scam. The camera is OK and they had not even bothered to have a look at it.
They sent me a standard message when they get a complaint, and they are so sorry (they don't care) and then about their other products they want to sell. Many people just accept this as a sincere excuse. Of course it isn't. But this is how it works, they send a standard excuse and they don't expect to hear anything about it again. Never any improvements. But when I came to pick up my camera the second time, they all knew who I was and they treated me like something the cat had dragged in. You are welcome assholes! I don't care, I have spent more than 300 000 Baht on my last Canon camera and I expect WAY WAY better than to be treated like an idiot. One thing is for sure, I would soon be unemployed if I had this kind of attitude towards my job!  Approaching Singapore International Airport
 Approaching Singapore International Airport
 Approaching Singapore International Airport
 Approaching Singapore International Airport
I was checking in to Furama Riverside around 7 o'clock. I had been living here before, when I joined Roy Mærsk the first time. But then I only stayed in the room for an hour before checking out. I took a taxi to Orchard Road and Tony Roma's for my dinner. Tony Roma's had moved and I never found the restaurant. I made a bad decision, to go back to the hotel for their buffet. I stopped at M1 and as I need a passport to register the SIM card I will come back tomorrow. The taxi driver that took me back to Furama Riverside told me that tony Roma's had moved and it was just where he had picked me up. He showed me the Tony Roma's and it was only a painted logo on a parking house. Well, I will go for my lunch there tomorrow when I go to M1 for my SIM card.  Walking down Orchard Road, Singapore
 Walking down Orchard Road, Singapore
+++++++++++++++
Friday 18th of March 2016 and it was 10 o'clock when I got out of bed. I had been poisoned at the buffet yesterday and I had some stomach pain. So no early morning birding. Never mind, back at the hotel yesterday evening and I had found out that the huge birding park here is Singapore is caged birds. Who the duck comes to Singapore to visit a prison?
Friday night and I was surprised when I got out of the taxi outside my hotel, the music was on full blast. It was 9 o'clock in the evening and well, a beer or two with good music would not hurt,  20 YEARS AGO!!! Now I'm too old and I'm tired after having walked around in the heat for a full day.
And I had a CD with pictures that I wanted to check out so I brought my  bag with Kit Kats and diet drinks to my room.
Kit Kats, I had been at a Supermarket to buy diet drinks and as I was hungry I bought some KIt Kats to enjoy in my room. I had been around Orchard Street to look for a restaurant. Tony Roma's was full, and even if it had not been full I would have skipped the place. The seating were so close together so it was like one big company eating together. Orchard Center was a terrible terrible place. Queue to all the restaurants and the elevators, there was so much people that I had to run away taking the escalators all the way down to the bottom and in to a taxi. Stop to buy diet drinks and now I'm back in my room delirious by anticipation for the pictures.    Unbelievable, picture by a professional photographer and they charged 50 Dollars for the pictures.
At least I had expected more, but I got my water!      Yes, as you can see on the logo that I went to the Jurong Bird Park. And walking around there in  the heat made me very thirsty. All over Singapore, and if you pay with cash they  look at you like you're a criminal. Of course, at Jurong Bird Park they only accepted cash, Singapore cash.
I was desperate for water so I asked if I could take the picture and pay by card and get 6 dollars in cash. So this turned out to be a very expensive bottle of water. And the pictures, what to say? The girl was running around with a big Canon 7D and she looked  to know what she was doing.
Well, I told her about the light at some of the spots she took the pictures. This was no problem, and well, we can see the pictures above. Not very impressive if you ask me. Prison I said this morning. Well, some of the cages for the raptors was for sure a prison same with the cages for the hornbills. Big cages but really no space for them to fly. But otherwise, I think most of the birds were unaware that they were living in captivity. They had a house called the “world of darkness” and I quote from their web page: Enter the darkness of night, in broad daylight at the World of Darkness, Asia's first nocturnal house. Walk through the star-lit jungle and meet our elusive friends, the owl as they go about their normal behaviours under the moonlit 'night'. World of darkness and here were different rooms with different owls. These birds cannot have had the time of their life. But most of the other birds were free to fly around in huge areas surrounded by nets. There were a large “waterfall aviary” with a 30 meter high waterfall. And there were plenty birds. And it was like walking in the wild looking for birds  Collared Kingfisher
  Owls at the “world of darkness”
 Owls at the “world of darkness”
 Pink spoonbills
 Pink spoonbills
 Hornbill
The hornbills was amazing to see. Some of these are very beautiful and they really looks like cartoons. Before I saw my first ever hornbill at Khao Yai national park in Thailand I thought these birds were just cartoons in Donal Duck cartoons. But after seeing the first hornbill I was amazed and now I had seen more hornbills in Thailand and India. Across from the hornbills was the Lory Loft: Say g'day to some of the friendliest birds at the Park! In the world's largest Lory flight aviary, you'll see bright colours of red, yellow, green and blue fluttering above your heads, and around you. And if you're lucky, you might even have some of them perch on you while you stroll around the Australian outback-themed 3,000 square-metre aviary! Feed The Lories With a 125-year old Bottle tree at the entrance, the sprawling 9-storey high aviary features a magnificent 360-degree elevated view of the landscape. This is also where you will have the unique opportunity to participate in Lory Feeding. These gregarious, and exceptionally bold birds are a sight to behold. And because they are so forthcoming, the Lory Loft makes for great photographs. And it was at the Lory Loft I had to take the pictures to get cash to buy cold drinks.  At Lory Loft
 At Lory Loft
 At Lory Loft
 At Lory Loft - First I thought it was a bird, but it was a Lizard
Video from Jurong Bird Park's web page
 Pelican cove
 Pelican cove
 Flamingo Lake
 Waterfall aviary
 Waterfall aviary
 A Roller at the Waterfall aviary
This is a Roller I had never seen before. Almost black back and I didn't realise
that it was a roller until he flew to the next tree where I took this picture They wanted to sell me a tram ticket when I bought my ticket. But I told them that I wanted to walk around the park. I spent many hours walking around here and I don't think it would be any problem to spend a full day here if they just accepted cards at the restaurants so you can buy cold drinks. I enjoyed my stay in the park even though it was hot. There were many wild birds as well. All the Pelicans, Flamingos and storks are wild. In the Swan Lake they are seeing Kingfishers and among them the Stork Billed Kingfisher. I saw new Herons that I had not seen before. And a green lizard, Guava or whatever they call it. But I was happy to have seen the lizard at the Lory Loft, looking like a bird. I have tried to find out what it was on the internet, but I have not been able to find what it was. Anyway, it had been a nice day at the Jurong Bird Park.  Click HERE for full size map
+++++++++++++++
Saturday 19th of March 2016 and I walked over to Copthorne King's Hotel next to Furama Riverside to see the 2nd Engineer. I recognised the hotel instantly, I had lived here back in 1998 when I joined Asian Progress.
2nd Engineer was not in his room so he is most likely out shopping. When I left my room I discovered a message that they would pick me up at 18 thirty tonight. I called the Agent when I left the King's hotel and now he told me that Roy Mærsk was delayed. Furama Riverfront is full so I asked the Agent to book a room for me at Copthorne King's Hotel My plan was to keep my bag in the 2nd Engineers room until they would pick me up. But as the ship is delayed I need a room. I walked from Furama Riverfront to Copthorne King's Hotel after checking out, and it took me 3 minutes. I ran in to the 2nd Engineer and 2 other crew member when they came back from China Town.  I had a previous mess man coming up to me saying hello. He recognised me and he was together with the new Pump Man and Mess man in the restaurant. So we will be 7 to join Roy Mærsk and time has changed to early morning and check-out will be 4 o'clock in the morning. So no sleep. But the ship will hopefully be delayed by a few hours.
Lunch at the hotel, well, I didn't eat here back in 1998 and after having had a glance at the buffet I decided to go look for a Italian Restaurant and I ended up down at Robertson Quay. I took a taxi to Singapore Botanic Gardens in the afternoon so I could spend a few hours looking for birds and other excitements. I arrived to the botanical gardens around 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Free entrance and the taxi fare was 5 dollars or so.
Seems like Roy Mærsk is delayed and she is still anchored awaiting port clearance in Dumai. Captain asked me to buy two TOP UP cards for his M1 SIM card. DARN! That means that I will  have to go out again, and if I go out it means a stop at a restaurant.
Captain sent an e-mail and they would not be here until at least 12 or so, depending on when they are ready at load port. I met the Filipino on signers at the restaurant and the latest news they had was still that we had to check out 04:00. I checked the front desk and they also had 04:00 as check-out time.   Bugis Street
  I took a taxi to Bugis street to look for M1 TOP UP and while walking around they called me to inform me that the check-out time was changed to 09:00. I was very happy for this news but I  don't want it to get any later because then we're soon back to square one again with checking out in the middle of the night again, but now Monday morning.
I bought the TOP UP cards, and believe it or not, Singapore 2016 and it was not easy. Most places in the world and you just buy two top up cards. But here, I ended up in an interrogation with about 1000 stupid questions. I got my stuff and I left Bugis and I walked around looking for a nice restaurant and as it was mostly Chinese restaurant in the area I continued to walk. Suddenly, in one intersection I spotted a Turkish restaurant on the second floor in a building. I walked up the stairs and I took the seat. I asked for one kebab with mashed potato. There were problems as I wanted to have a little bit from a few dishes. This was confusing the Waitress  and I asked for the restaurant manager.
She came and we sorted out my order and it was a fantastic kebab. I was quick to order two more kebabs. Minced meat looking like a schnitzel and filled with cheese. The mashed potato, not as good as the one I do, but one of the best I have ever had in a restaurant. I had a few baklavas, well, the food was very good but the baklava was something I could have done without. I'm pretty sure the police would have showed up if you tried to sold these baklavas in Turkey I was full when I left and more walking was not to think about so it was a taxi back to the hotel where I met our Rumanian crew joining Roy Mærsk tomorrow. +++++++++++++++
Sunday 20th of March 2016 and they called to wake me up at 8 o'clock. I had asked for a 8 o'clock wake-up call even though I knew it would be no departure at 9 o'clock. They called again 5 minutes before 9 o'clock and they told me to come down.
 - The driver is here to pick you up, the rest of the crew is waiting
 - I'm not coming, the ship is not arriving until 6 o'clock tonight!
The Driver called a few minutes later and he told me to come down. - I'm not coming, the ship is not arriving until 6 o'clock tonight!
- I have orders to pick you up at 9
- I'm not going to sit down the water front waiting for 9 hours
- OK, I leave with the rest of the crew
All crew were in the reception and that is even though the new 3rd Officer had been knocking on my door at 8 thirty. He also had news from the ship that they would not be in Singapore until the evening. So I don't understand why they went down to the reception. I called the Agent and he would call the driver. Yeah, this is what he should have done hours ago as this is his job. Maersk have to pay for all this and this is much more expensive than an apple. Our 2nd Engineer was going to China Town to look for t-shirts and I decided to join him. I wanted to go for breakfast as the breakfast at the hotel are like the lunch and dinner buffet, something  you want to avoid.
We walked to China Town and we walked around looking for the shop. And as we were early most of the places were closed and we went to look for a restaurant. It took us quite some time and walking before we found a place, there were plenty Chinese restaurants, but this was not what we had in mind. I wanted a real Western breakfast with Earl Grey tea and no cockaroaches and whatever they eat in the neighbourhood. We finally found a hotel and it looked like they had tea so we crossed the street. The tea was perfect even though they didn't had pots, but they served tea from big beer glasses (special request) and the food was kind of OK. We went back to the t-shirt shop. The t-shirt shop was still closed, 2nd Engineer returned to the hotel and I went to a shopping mall and then I took a taxi back to the hotel. Latest news is that they will come to pick us up at 18:00 A little too late and I really hope we don't have any more delays now.  China Town
 China Town
I had time for my lunch/ dinner at VIVO City in the afternoon. There was a German restaurant with excellent food and I was back at the hotel around 4 thirty in the afternoon. I packed my  bags and I went to check out 15 minutes before 6 o'clock.
The Driver was there and I brought my bags to the van before going to check-out from the hotel. We were prety much ready to leave at 6 o'clock and we went to pick up the Agent. He was of course not ready and after having waited for a while we left for the boat terminal and the Agent would come there. We waited until 7 and then we went through the immigration and we were on the jetty and it took 15 minutes or so before our launch arrived. It was around 19 thirty when we left. 8 on signers and the service launch was pretty full when we left towards Roy Mæersk   Waiting at the boat terminal
    Leaving Singapore behind
   Arriving to Roy Mærsk
We stepped on board at 8 o'clock in the evening and the adventure on board Roy Mærsk can begin March 2016 - Joining Roy Mærsk in Singapore April 2016 - Anchored in South China Sea April 2016 - Part 2 - Arrival to Map Ta Phut May 2016 - Steaming North towards Si Racha, ศรีราชา, Thailand May 2016 - Part 2 - On the way to Hong Gai, Vietnam June 2016 - On the way to Singapore Swedish Springrolls - Flying to Sweden June 2016 
    
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To www.aladdin.st since December 2005
Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011
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I join the ship when they pass Singapore on the way to Nipa
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