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| Tom checking out the sights in the Darwin area. |
Today is ANZAC day in Australia. This morning, aboard the ship, services were held for Australians and New Zealanders in commemoration of this special day in their lives.
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| These plaques are embedded into the cement walkway in Darwin. |
ANZAC day is described as:
Anzac Day /ˈænzæk/ is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served.”
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| Another plaque in the cement in the walkway. |
The Aussies and Kiwis take ANZAC Day very seriously. It was quite a sight to see the number of passengers attending this special day’s celebration that Royal Caribbean honored on their behalf. With 2500 Australians and New Zealanders on board, it was an interesting perspective for us to witness.
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| Shopping area in Darwin. |
As we mentioned earlier, there are about 17 Americans aboard this ship. We still have yet to meet a single American, instead, enjoying all the other passengers from these two and other countries throughout the world.
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| A small band playing on the street in Darwin. |
This morning, when I began posting in the Promenade Cafe we met a wonderful couple from Australia, younger than us, who have done extensive travel through their home country and soon are venturing to other worldwide locations.
It’s been delightful to share stories with other travelers we’ve met during this wonderful cruise, their adventures, and hopes for the future, often not unlike our own.
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| A busy spot on the shopping walkway. |
In a few days, we’ll arrive in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Unfortunately, it’s a 90-minute ride to the city and all offered tours stop at shopping areas for the day. For us, a day of shopping is hardly in our wheelhouse.
This city is known for its varied shopping. Many passengers have brought along extra empty luggage specifically for this purpose. We could take a private taxi into town for our own tour to exclude shopping, we’ve decided not to go at this juncture
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| Double-decker, “hop-on, hop-off” buses, and lots of cars lined the busy Darwin downtown area. |
With three hours of driving time, the taxi fare would be outrageous and we’d run the risk of not getting back to the ship in time if there were unforeseen delays. On a ship-sponsored tour, the ship will wait for any late arriving passengers. On our own, they don’t wait. It’s simply not worth the risk.
As a result, many other passengers we’ve spoken to, also have decided to stay behind on this less-than-convenient port arrival. We’ll be back in this part of the world in the next few months and can easily explore on our own terms.
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| There wasn’t a huge amount of high-rise buildings in Darwin. |
We’ll continue to make every effort to post as we continue on this cruise. With five days until the cruise ends, we’ll continue to take photos in hopes of being able to upload them along the way.
Happy days to all!
Photo from one year ago today, April 25, 2015:
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| A view of the Hanalei Wildlife Refuse from a hard-to-find overlook in Princeville. For more photos from one year ago, please click here. |