UP COUNTRY - MALAYSIA

12th - 14th Nov 2011

The Railway Station, Ipoh.

The next day it was train again, 3 hours north up to Ipoh ( 1st class this time. With my 50% reduction the ticket cost RM24, £6 equivalent! ). This was where the Regimental HQ and HQ Squadron were based from 1954-57. 





Left: The Ist Class compartment. Perfectly civilised and plenty of space. I won't show you any more insides of trains for ages...promise!



Arriving at lunchtime I made a bee-line for the Royal Ipoh Club, which is close to the station anyway. This place has been going since 1895 and, I was told, featured prominently in off-duty officers’ social life. I dread to think what went on! By chance I met there a delightful ex-rubber planter, John Black, who had been in the King’s African Rifles during national service in Kenya at the time of the Mau-Mau uprising. He had emigrated to Malaya in 1963 and only gave up his last interest in rubber trees in 2009. He was one of the top-dog rubber planters in his day. He also played cricket, a batsman, for the State of Perak when they beat Singapore in 196....something; the cricket ground is in front of the Club. We had a good chinwag over a much appreciated Tiger beer. I learnt a lot about Malaya in olden days from him. Because I expressed an interest in military matters during the ‘emergency’, I was then invited to the house of a gentleman, Dato ( that’s a title ) R Thambipillay ( call me Pillay ), for tea and cake. He had been a Superintendant of Police ( CID ) in the 60s and 70s, and is one of the local high ranking dignitaries. He is also the Liaison Officer for the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans Association UK. He has been awarded lots of gongs, including the MBE presented to him by the Queen on a visit to Malaya. He and his wife generously entertained me. I am most impressed by the hospitality and unwarranted kindness I have been shown by all the Malaysians I have met so far. Even the taxi drivers have been good value; always jolly and informative! 








Right: The front door of the Royal Ipoh Club (Est. 1895). Don't suppose it's changed much.

Left: ....and the committee; I suspect this has changed quite a bit. I was interested to see, on the notice board nearby, many people 'listed' as being banned or persona-non-grata!
I didn't recognise any of them. At least I don't think any of them were hang-overs from 1957.























Right: The dining room. The menus consisted of much beautifully old fashioned, long forgotten ( in UK anyway ) and delicious British fare including steak and kidney pudding, shepherd's pie, jam roly-poly and, of course, spotted dick. Curry puffs were 'on special' on the day I took this photo.
















Left: The side of the Club looking out over the cricket ground.





















Right:.......which is still in reasonable nick. Rather a slow outfield with some longish spongy grass. Artificial wicket. The flag is that of the State of Perak.














I tried to find the old barracks in which the Regiment was based, but the place on what was then known as Ashby Road is now a large collection of Malaysian army establishments, so not possible for me to identify any in particular. Knowledge of someone who had been there at the time was needed. This photo ( left ), looking over the fence at one of the older looking parts of a military camp, might be recognisable by someone. 






I stayed at the Syuen Hotel; good value and, unlike in some Muslim countries, hotels here have bars selling alcoholic refreshments.







Right: The war memorial outside the railway station dedicated to those who were killed in WW2. I think the venerable Superintendant ( Retd ) R Thambipillay had a hand in the construction of this. He was keen that I should take a photo of it.

















The next day, Sunday 13th, was Remembrance Day in UK. That I was here then is a complete quirk of coincidence. The intention was to visit the cemetery in Taiping, about 60 miles north, where another 15th/19th Hussars Squadron was based. It is also where eight of our soldiers who were killed between 1954-57 are buried. I set off by bus, the Ipoh-Taiping Express ( a slight exaggeration here ) and arrived in Taiping at 1020hrs.






Left: The Ipoh-Taiping Express. 

Initially I was taken by another helpful taxi driver ( my opinion of taxi drivers is being reviewed ) to the British and Commonwealth Cemetery on Maxwell Hill ( now Bukit Larut ) shown here.
This is a beautifully maintained cemetery where those servicemen who were killed in or just after WW2 are buried, with a separate Indian Army plot over the road; but not our guys. I gave a quick salute and was then taken to the correct place...... 








.....The Christian Cemetery on Kamunting Road ( left ) arriving there, again by coincidence, just before 1100hrs. 
















In amongst a large, rather scruffy, weed infested graveyard are two neatly kept patches with smart uniform headstones; those of British soldiers killed during the emergency. I found ours; eight graves consisting of one officer ( 2/Lt J A Davies ), one SNCO ( Sgt Thompson ), one JNCO ( Cpl Wells ) and five Troopers; Bruce, Fitchett, Campbell, Jones, and Summers. I had my poppy with me which I left as my token wreath. Pity I didn’t bring a bugle, although those lying there would probably not have appreciated it much.






Left: The grave of one of them; Cpl Wells. I took photos of them all. Cpl Wells was only 20 years old when he died. He was a very young and undoubtedly talented JNCO. To think, if he had lived he would be nearly 76 now. It would be interesting to know what further success he would have made of his life and, of course, we never shall.
They are not forgotten.

Right: The Roll Call of those buried here. Whoever maintains this patch of earth holding our fallen soldiers deserves great credit ( War Graves Commission? ). I didn't find out.
























Back to Ipoh and a quick trip up to what is now the Ipoh Flying Club to see if I could find any trace of the Army Air Corps Squadron ( 656 Sqn ) which was based there.  Being Sunday the place was almost completely deserted. They obviously don’t go flying on Sundays, and I saw nothing that was recognisably British AAC but took a photo of an ancient looking hangar ( left ). I have been told subsequently that this is indeed a remnant of the AAC presence in Ipoh.










Just a couple more views of Ipoh for the benefit of those who were there in the 'old days'. This is one of the civic buildings opposite the railway station. A couple of traditionally dressed Malays were playing 'catch' with a bunch of flowers for the benefit of some cameras; maybe doing a publicity photo.














Left: The bridge over the river Kinta leading into the town centre. I suppose it has been there for ages.

So, that was my pilgrimage to Malaya. I must say, I expect those serving there in the 50s probably had a marvellous time on the whole. Any comments by surviving ‘old gits’ of the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars of that era would be much appreciated. Does Richard Renwick read this? His name has been mentioned as a subaltern from those days! I know Alan Bulman does. They will doubtless correct me on a few points

My last night in Ipoh I dined at a fantastic Chinese restaurant and got the train back to Singapore the next morning, again 1st Class because it is so cheap especially for us of a fairly senior age. OK, the fixtures and fittings are a bit tired and worn but it was comfortable enough. It was also running an hour and threequarters late which, I am told, is par for the course.

Incidentally, you may be aware that Malaysia is a constitutional Monarchy. What you may not know is the name of His Majesty the KIng. This, plus his ‘post-nominals’ as the RAF so quaintly call them, take a bit of remembering. He is Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Pahang Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’Ayatuddin Al-Mu’adzam Shah DKP, DK, DKM, SSAP, SIMP, DMN, DK(Perak), DK(Johor), DK(Kelantan), DK(Terengganu), DK(Perlis), DK(Kedah), DKMB, DK(Brunei), DK(Negeri Sembilan), DK(Selangor), Qiladah Badr Al-Kubra(Saudi Arabia), Qiladah Al-Sheikh Mubarak Al-Kabir(Kuwait), Grand Order of the Mugunghwa(South Korea), Hon.D.Litt(Malaya), LLD.Hc.(Northrop USA), Hon.D.Sc.(Bedfordshire,UK), Hon.PhD.(Civil Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Pahang).
His friends call him Barry.

KUALA LUMPUR- MALAYSIA

10th - 11th Nov 2011

Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

Train from Woodlands check-point on the north tip of Singapore to KL, 2nd Class. Surprisingly cheap ( £12 ) for a 6 hour journey including a 50% discount, without being asked ( I must be looking old ), for those over 60. Even 1st class would only have cost S$50 ( about £25 ), but that was full up. The Malaysian KTMB train ( 2nd Class ) was fairly basic and had probably seen better days, but had good air-con and comfortable enough seats.  A little old lady wandered through the carriages selling what turned out to be rather tasty meat and potato ‘pasties’ of some sort and plastic bags of fruit, and there was a buffet car. There were absolutely no tiresome and irritating announcements which was like a breath of fresh air and, incredible though it might seem to Oz ( and Brit ) train management, we all survived more than happily despite the fact that most of the outside doors between carriages were left wide open. I did not notice any plummeting passengers. Left to their own devices most human beings, believe it or not, are quite adept at looking after themselves.




Left: A door open to the elements while on the move. Most of them were. It provided a pleasant breeze. I didn't see, or hear, anyone fall out, and certainly nobody was complaining.

A minor station. Pletfum No. 2

Lots of stops at minor station stops and into KL at 1530hrs. There were two things immediately apparent about this place. Firstly, everyone I spoke to was extremely charming, polite and helpful; all delightfully smiley. Secondly, the whole place seemed a mass of confusion. The city transit system consisting of several unconnected and differently named metro style train lines, including a mono-rail, plus buses was, to a novice, almost impossible to fathom. This was compounded by severely disfunctional signage. In fact the whole city is a ramshackle hotchpotch of architecture. It is a fusion of high-rise, traditional Muslim, Chinese, Indian and kampong which is the result of scant urban planning; it has just ‘happened’. Tourist maps are confusing and different maps showed somewhat different city layouts. This, combined with few signs pointing the way to the major tourist attractions, resulted in little groups of tourists huddled at street corners consulting several maps and scratching their heads. I bumped into a couple from Bournemouth who were clearly at an entirely different place to where I thought I was. We parted not much the wiser, except to agree we were lost. It makes for interesting and quite a lot of wandering ( and wondering ).








Left: The main square, Merdeka Square, in the city. If there is a city centre then this place is it.


Everything is relatively cheap as you might expect. I booked into a modest, but perfectly clean with all mod cons including TV with BBC 24 and, of course, free wifi, hotel near the central station. It cost RM ( ringit ) 80 per night; that is about US$25. The confusing ‘metro’ systems were equally cheap with most one way journeys costing about RM1 ( 20p ). They made it complicated by fares varying by about RM.10 ( 1 or 2p ) either way so you were always fiddling with very tiny change. Lots of ladies in headscarves serving at ticket kiosks and various other staff as well as many modern ticket machines. It is not efficient, but a system that keeps people employed, and they smile a lot when confronted by a confused tourist.

I set off on foot across the Lake Gardens. My first port of call was the National Museum. I hadn’t planned to go there, and no signs advertised it, but it just appeared as I crossed a busy main road. It was quite interesting with sections on pre-history, pre-colonial, colonial and contemporary. I hadn’t realised that the Portugese ( in 1511 ) followed by the Dutch ( 1641 ) had colonised parts of the area and for longer periods than the Brits who first gained a foot-hold here, in Penang, in 1786. They ( the Brits ) then gained effective control of most of the Malay states by one treaty or another in 1895 and the whole ‘colony’ of Malaya, including the states on Borneo, not until 1930. It was British, with a brief period of enforced ownership by the Japanese, until Independence in 1957. Malayan wealth came originally from tin mining, then also rubber. ( Malaya produced 55% of the world’s tin at the end of the 19th century, and 30% as recently as 1979 ).

Left: Outside the museum, a 1930s fire engine, made in Britain and still in service until the late 1960s. I was tempted to ring the bell.

Right: An original rickshaw. Those were the days, eh? Not only did the idle colonial passenger travel in style and comfort, but the 'driver' kept fit and made money into the bargain; something modern-day fitness fanatics pay fortunes to join vastly expensive 'gyms' to achieve, and then don't even earn money for their pains. Bring back the rickshaw, I say. Charge people to pull the thing!

...and while on the subject of transport, this ( left ) is an original Japanese army bicycle. The sort they pedalled over the causeway on in 1942 to visit Singapore.

Right: An example of some Arabic/Moorish/Muslim architecture. Lots of buildings like this stand alongside high-rise and Malay Kampong styles.

I wandered on in search of the National Monument ( not sign-posted ) and after much quartering the area eventually found it north of the Lake Gardens. I again passed several lost souls poring over misleading maps. It was amusing to compare ideas with people of various nationalities on where we thought we were.

The National Monument ( left ) commemorates all military and police, mainly British but also Commonwealth ( Aussies, Kiwis and Indian predominantly ) and Malayan, of course, who died in WW2 and subsequent conflicts. My interest was locating the plaque in honour of my old army Regiment, the 15th/19th Hussars, which had served here during the ‘emergency’ from 1954-57. Well before my time, I hasten to add.

The inscription on the pedestal of the 'soldiers' statue reads "May the blessings of Allah be upon them". 

The colonade behind the statue had 191 ( yes, I counted them ) plaques of predominantly British regimental and battalion army badges and RAF crests fixed to the ceiling. They were all in surprisingly good nick.

This ( left ) is ours. It will bring back memories to some. 'Merebimur' indeed!

Then on to the KL Tower. This is visible from just about everywhere, until you get close to it. It stands in the middle of a ‘rain forest’ park and zoo smack in the centre, if there is a centre, of the city and then it seems to disappear. I must have walked most of the way around the outside of this park, blinking miles, before I didn’t see where the entrance was and it started to thunder and lightening and rain, heavily. I took refuge in a hotel and watched a rugger match between Ulster and Connaught ( what?! ). Ulster won. The rain stopped eventually and there was just enough daylight left when I eventually found the entrance to the park and tower. A free minibus ride takes people up the last bit of road in the park, all of half a mile; a mere nothing to the distance I had slogged, mostly in the wrong direction, previously.

Right: The KL Tower in Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve Park. It affords excellent views of the city, on the few occasions when the visibility is good. It had just stopped raining when I got there but there was some residual mist and haze.

Left: View north-west over the Petronas Twin Towers. There was an audio guide available on the observation floor of the KL tower, but it was somewhat vague and often referred to places that one could not see. 'Where Things Are in Kuala Lumpur' is a closely guarded secret.

Right: View to the east over the City airport.

Left: View to the west towards the Lake Gardens and National Monument from where I had walked, and then around the park, amongst other unknown places.











Right: The Malaysian flag. This was an enormous one flying in Merdeka Square ( the one in the sort of centre ).











Next stop will be up north at Ipoh and Taiping on further Regimental pilgrimage. This may be of interest to a few old soldiers. Must dash.

SINGAPORE 1

7th - 10th Nov 2011

Singapore Marina Bay.

Getting out of the docks at Singapore was quite a struggle with all my bags being searched and several passport checks. Can't think why all the hassle as it is normally a formality walking out of a port. I suppose the Singaporeans are concerned about 'things' being smuggled in, or maybe I have started to look guilty. I told them "I've drunk it all, and nothing sharp to declare". They were quite good humoured about it.
Back to civilisation here where, most noticeably, fast broadband internet services are provided just about everywhere free of charge, in marked contrast to NZ and Oz where you are charged just about everywhere between $4 - $6 per hour! A complete rip-off. Some telecom organisation in that part of the world must have a monopoly and is skinning people alive. In most of the far east, much to the advantage of business and private individuals, internet/wifi connection in most hotels and cafes is as automatically and freely available as tap-water and air.


Taxi up to Seletar Hills on the north-east side of the island where I was to be most generously put up by friends David and Louise in their luxurious pad. The taxi drivers in Singapore appear highly efficient and relatively cost effective; certainly cheaper than many places and they really do know where they are going. Left: This is Louise hosing down the dog. David had gone running/drinking with the 'Hash' with which many of you may be familiar. He asked me if I had brought my running kit with me.............!!!???!!!






We went for a walk around some of McRitchie Park. Most pleasant bit of greenery and several monkeys swinging through the trees. They seemed to enjoy teasing the poor dog. I was told when they want to really annoy you they pee on you from up aloft. They must be protected by law.








I spent most of the next day shopping to replen for the onward journeys. Some clothes needed replacing. This is not the first time I have been to Singapore and I was pleasantly reminded of how efficient and comparatively cheap are the city public transport systems. Dropped in out of curiosity at a museum at the Marina Bay where they had a Salvadore Dali exhibition on one level and a Titanic display on another. Photography was prohibited at the Titanic one. So here are some, of many, taken of Mr Dali's efforts.....




.....which were interspersed with sensible comments such as this ( right ). I entirely agree with him.
I hadn't realised that the Titanic had 3 propellers, the main centre one being powered by steam turbine.
I doubt if S Dali Esq. contributed much to the interior design of the Titanic. He might have had something to do with the iceberg I suppose.








.....and loads of large 'works of art' with plenty of melting clocks, drawers, slugs, faceless women, weird and rather rude pictures, and other things which took his fancy. The Titanic exhibition, featuring lots of artefacts recovered from the wreck plus some very realistic 'tableaux' including the 'grand staircase' and palm court orchestra music, was much more to my liking, but no photos because I, unlike some Japanese tourists, was feeling particularly law abiding on this occasion.



I went that night as a guest of David and Louise to a book launch! Never been to one of those before. The book in question was about cooking and Feng Shui; not subjects about which I can boast a huge knowledge. We then went for a magnificent dinner at the elegant Tanglin Club ( another hang-over from the British days ). Best nosh for months.
Period here spent happily idling about and re-grouping. However I am off next, by train, to Kuala Lumpur and stations north on a bit of a pilgrimage to visit some sites connected to my old Regiment, the 15/19 Hussars.

BRISBANE TO SINGAPORE 3

5th - 7th Nov 2011




 AS CARELIA. SHIP’S LOG (3)

Helmsman in action, Malaysian pilot ( white shirt ) calls heading changes entering Port Tanjung Pelepas.

6th Nov 2011

Posn (0730hrs): At anchor off Singapore. Overcast and humid.

Staggered back on board at about 2000hrs last night after spending some time with the two Incas at the International Seamen’s Centre at Port Tanjung Pelepas. A very smart place run by a most efficient and amusing Danish chap called Karsten. Several beers ( Carlsberg of course ) were consumed amid much jolly banter. I think we then set sail at about midnight and suppose we must have anchored early morning off Singapore having not gone very far. We are due to wait until 2200hrs tonight before moving to dock. Tedious. Surrounded by, after a rough count, 60 other vessels also waiting their turn to off-load, presumably. A sort of marine static ‘holding pattern’. One of the vast new Maersk container ships passed by. To give you a comparison, our little AS Carelia is 227m long with a beam of 30m and carries a max of 2824 containers. The Tanzania is 294m long, beam 32.2m and can carry 4800 containers. This Maersk vessel, Emma, is 420m long, beam 46m and carries a max of 14800 containers. It would not fit down the Panama canal, or any other canal for that matter.

Left: The Maersk Emma, with Inca 1 posing. While we were in the Seaman's Centre in Tanjung Pelepas we were told that Mr Maersk McKinney-Moller, age 98, was alive and well and still working part time at the Maersk HQ in Copenhagen. Hasn't he done well?

We were anchored all day here ( about 10 miles out of Singapore.

Right: This is the ship's radar display ( set on 6nm scale ) heading through the Singapore Strait. Our ship is the white 'concentric circles' marked towards the right side with a projected track 265º. All the yellow blips are ships. They seem to dodge one another somehow, with minimal radio instructions from ashore.

The mess dining room. Someone has been at the Bulgarian 'red wine' by the look of it. They built a small bar here, but it is not used!

7th Nov 2011

We finally docked at Singapore at midnight. I was in bed and rudely awakened at 0130hrs to be told that the immigration official was waiting to stamp my passport in the ship's office! Couldn't he wait until a more sociable hour? No! The ship's officers are somewhat in awe of these officials; I suppose if they do anything to upset the port authorities life could be made very awkward for them, so they grovel. I went back to bed and, after breakfast and saying good-bye to whoever was around ( Cap'n Popeye was asleep ), went ashore. Long walk, no dock bus around, to the main road and taxi to town.

The crew of these ships have it rough nowadays. In the old days, as with airlines, crews used to have a few days if not a week to relax in port and were free to enjoy their stop-overs. Nowadays they are lucky even to be able to get ashore at all. The Carelia is due to leave Singapore at 1500hrs today, sailing back to Auckland. None of the ship's company will have time to go ashore. The ship's officers do this backwards and forwards routine for up to six months at a time before getting a leave period. There is a world shortage of well qualified ships' officers, and I'm not really surprised!

 Right: A distant view of Singapore city.












Left: 'Take-off' from Port Tanjung Pelepas. One tug pulls at the front, the other pushes at the back ( sorry, I mean bow and stern ). Similar in reverse on 'landing' except they use the bow propeller to move the front end.










 So, another few seas crossed....I'm getting the hang of this seafaring business but still haven't seen a one-legged crewman with a parrot on his shoulder, or a ship's steward I can call 'Jim laaad' for that matter.

Not sure how I will be spending the next 10 days before the ship leaves from Tanjung Pelepas....but have no fear, you will read about it here if you are in the slightest interested. I am just off to get a 'briefing' and some local advice from an ex-army chum up in Seletar. TTFN.

BRISBANE TO SINGAPORE 2

27th Oct - 5th Nov 2011

AS CARELIA. SHIP’S LOG (2)

Cap'n Popeye at the helm

27th Oct

Posn (1000hrs): 15º55’S 145º28’E. Tk 342º. Sp 19.8kts

Sea State: Calm, and it’s getting warm again.

Steaming up past Cairns towards the Cape York Peninsular. Pilot came aboard because we will be going ‘inside’ the Great Barrier Reef and lots of steering around many coral reefs required. Within a few miles of the coast and some internet connection in mid-morning ( via telstra wifi device ), and again early afternoon. Amazing! Pilot ( called Morgan ) is a French/Lebanese guy from Melbourne. Very chatty and has a son who will possibly be in the Australian Olympic kayaking team. Lots of bits of atoll plus other ships and yachts around which makes a change.

Bed, and hope we don’t hit a reef overnight!

Gonzalo ( Inca 2, cadet ) and Ivan ( 3rd Mate, Bulgaria )

28th Oct

Posn (0700hrs): 10º33’S 142º02E. Tk Various N & W. Sp 16.0kts

Sea State: Calm, and it’s getting very warm.

Ship has slowed down and lots of course change instructions from the pilot. Dodging around reefs and islands in the Torres Strait. Prince of Wales Island to port, Papua New Guinea to starboard, Booby Island directly ahead. Pilot told me that the Japs lost a lot of ships around here in WW2. Not surprised. Also informed that the legal requirement is only 1 metre of water below our keel, and that is what we have right now! Seems a narrow margin to me.

Pilot taken off at 0900hrs, and we steam on westwards.

Helmsman, Ivan, Popeye, Morgan ( pilot ), Inca 2

29th Oct

Posn: (1000hrs): 9º37’S 134º25’E. Tk 281º. Sp 16.2kts

Sea State: Calm. Blue skies and v. warm.

Now into the Arafura Sea and heading towards East Timor. Slowish speed because we are a little ahead of schedule. I have noticed recently that the Peruvian cadets, Felix and Gonzalo, both seem to be a bit sullen and ‘down’. There must be a morale problem here and they don’t look as if they are enjoying their work much. I can never remember which one is which so I call them Inca 1 and Inca 2. New record for speed eating; the 3rd Mate ( Ivan, Bulgarian ) did breakfast of 4 sausages and a large omelette plus orange juice, including saying ‘good appetite’, from sitting down to getting up, in 1 min 48 secs. This is World Class stuff.

Unannounced barbeque at 1800hrs! At least I wasn’t informed until I went down for supper. I might have made other plans for all they knew! Good BBQ on stern main deck with all ship’s ( non-dry for the evening ) company present. Hopefully someone was left on the bridge, but I couldn’t work out who. Good nosh and unlimited beer provided plus a supply of vodka doled out by Cap’n Popeye himself. A jolly gathering. As far as I know nobody fell overboard ( too easy done if you ask me and nobody would notice for ages, probably days in my case, if ever! ).

Inca 1 ( Felix ), Inca 2 ( Gonzalo ) and 2nd Mate ( Andrija, Montenegro ) at the barbeque.

Alexander ( electrician, Russia ), Maxim ( 3rd engineer, Russia ) at the barbeque.

30th Oct 2011

Posn (1000hrs): 8º27’S 127º38’E. Tk 280º. Sp 15.6kts

Sea State: Calm. Blue skies and warm.

Approaching East Timor, 20 miles away and in sight. Course will take us just north around Timor between various islands into the Banda Sea. At breakfast Cap’n Popeye, who still doesn’t eat with us, visited the mess/dining room and had a heated discussion with Felix ( Inca 1 ) about a work related matter ( not clear what ) and apologised for some misunderstanding. Inca 1 sort of ‘accepted’ his apology in a rather begrudging fashion. Of course I didn’t ask what exactly, but suspect it concerned the recent Inca discontent.

Pilot ( Morgan, the charming Lebanese Aussie ) being taken off somewhere past the Great Barrier Reef,  beyond Cape York.

31st Oct 2011

Posn (0930hrs): 7º49’S 121º42’E. Tk 273º/283º. Sp 20.3kts

Sea State: Glass Calm. Sunny.

Passing from Banda Sea into Flores Sea 30nm north of the island of Flores. Saw another ship on the horizon. I have worked out that from the bridge, on a clear day, it is possible to see another ship of our size ( with binos ) on the horizon at about 15nm. Rest of the day same-same. Food is not too bad and we are always supplied with a large jug of some pink coloured sweet ‘juice’ at mealtimes. It has become affectionately known as Bulgarian red wine. The jug of water being the Bulgarian white wine.

Passing a yacht near the Great Barrier Reef, north of Cairns.

1st Nov 2011

Posn (1000hrs): 5º55’S 114º40’E. Tk 286º. Sp 15.3kts

Sea State: Calm. Sunny and warm.

Entering the Java Sea, north of Bali and south of Borneo ( not in sight of land ) in an area with a few colourful fishing boats. At least I assume they are fishing boats. Incas are still rather withdrawn. Had a kip this afternoon to recover from all the hard work, otherwise same-same.

Another oncoming vessel in the Arafura Sea. The shipping got busy after this.

2nd Nov 2011

Posn (1000hrs): 2º26’S 109º04’E. Tk 328º. Sp 15.1kts

Sea State: Calm. Overcast.

West of Ketopang, Borneo and east of Pulau Belitung island. More ships, barges and boats of all sizes and description in the area; it’s getting quite busy and Cap’n Popeye on bridge keeping a close eye out. Inca 2 on bridge, as always. His job, it seems, is continually to update the charts ( like updating the ‘Jepps’ on aircraft ). After lunch Alexander, the sociable Russian electrician, took me on a guided tour of the engine decks. Bloody hot and noisy down there, and I’ve seen it before ( on Tanzania ), but it passed the time pleasantly. 

In the engine control room. Inca 1 ( Felix, cadet), me, boiler man, 3rd Engineer  (Maxim), 2nd Engineer (Miroslav).

The top of the 7 piston engine. Hot and noisy.

3rd Nov 2011

Posn (0900hrs): 1º34’N 104º47’E. Tk 272. Sp 15.0kts

Sea State: Calm. Overcast, drizzle, mist.

Approaching the Singapore Strait. Lots of shipping about and close watch being kept on bridge. I haven’t a clue how they avoid each other. I asked, but got a fairly vague answer from 3rd Mate, and Cap’n Popeye. Apparently there are rules, but they are flexible! I’m none the wiser. We are due to dock at Port Kelang at 0400hrs tomorrow.

To give an idea of the size; spare piston and cylinder behind.

The four main generators.

4th Nov 2011

Posn: Port Kelang. Overcast and some light drizzle.

Woke up to find that we had indeed docked. There seemed to be some uncertainty as to when we were due to set sail again. I was advised it might be sooner than scheduled and, seeing as how it is a long way to the ‘town’, going ashore was not advised. As it happened they got all the relevant containers off and on quickly ( we are not in Le Havre here, the Malays work for a living ) and we set sail again at 1330hrs. Next stop Tanjung Pelepas sometime tomorrow.

Another barbecue pic. The main social event of the voyage!

5th Nov 2011

Posn (0730hrs): Docked Tanjung Pelepas. Overcast, hot and humid.

If you are not sure where this place is, it is in Malaysia only about 30 nm up the west coast from Singapore. After some confusion as to whether we could 'go ashore' or not, because none of the 'officers' had been ashore at this port before, it was unilaterally decided we could. Our stop-over here is quite long; due to sail again at 0200hrs tomorrow. Strange thing about a lot of these ex-soviets; they don't like to ask questions and they don't like to give information. They 'follow orders'. I suspect it's a hangover from the communist days. As a result they never find out what is available. It took myself and one of the Incas to ask a Malaysian stevedore to locate a dockyard bus to take us to the docks' shopping area from where I write this. 

Due to anchor off Singapore tomorrow morning. Being the very busy port area that it is we cannot be sure when we will be allowed to dock. Their are 'schedules', rather like airline 'slots', but these can change.

So, the action or lack of it will continue, hopefully, in Singapore tomorrow. I have until the 17th Nov to kill in this part of the world when the next ship leaves from Tanjung Pelepas........Stand-by!