Port Klang

　　The Diamond Princess was to call at Port Klang in Malaysia on Mar. 12th. This port is 2 hours' drive from its capital, Kuala Lumpur(KL). Several optional tours around KL were offered to passengers, but the gathering time was at the early hour of 7:30 am., because it takes 4 hours for transportation between KL and the ship. We walked around KL last autumn, and I thought that we would be bored on the bus. We were going to stay on the ship all day.
　　I got up at about 5 o'clock and headed for the deck. It was dark, but the port was working. The Diamond Princess was proceeding along the container port. The loading and unloading of containers might have been done on a 24 hour basis. There were some people in the pool and jacuzzi. I was taking pictures from an extension of the bridge, which you would be able to locate in the general appearance of the ship. I was able to look down on the balconies. If I had booked a cabin with a balcony, I would have seen the scene of the ship getting to the shore. Cabins without windows were cheapest, but I'd like to use a cabin with a balcony next time. There was the training room beside me, but no one was there.
　　After breakfast, when I went up to the deck, a small cruise ship was coming to the pier. That was "THE TAIPAN", which is based in Nassau and is registered in the Bahamas.

マラッカ海峡クルージング記：　ポートケランへ寄港

３月１２日はマレーシアのポートケランに寄港する。首都クアラルンプール（ＫＬ）の港。ただＫＬまでは車で２時間近くかかる。そのためＫＬ市内のオプショナルツアーはいくつもあったが、どれも集合時間は７時３０分と早い。昨年ＫＬの街を歩いているし往復の車中の時間が退屈だろう。そのため今日は船内探検の日としていた。
　
５時頃に起床。すぐに１４階のデッキへ向かった。まだ外は暗かったが、港は動いていた。コンテナの積み降ろしはもしかしたら２４時間やっているのかもしれない。プールやジャグジーにはもう人がいる。埠頭が近づいてきた。これらの写真はブリッジの上で撮っているのだが、ダイヤモンド・プリンセスの外観の写真を見たら、今僕がいる場所は容易にわかると思う。ここからバルコニー付きの部屋を見下ろすことができる。バルコニーがあれば、入港の様子を部屋に居ながらにして見られる。いいな。窓のない部屋は安いけど。すぐ後ろにはジムがあったが、さすがにまだ誰も使ってはいないようだった。
　
朝食を摂ってまた来て見ると小さな客船がやってきていた。ナッソーを母港とするバハマ船籍の船のようだ。船名はTHE TAIPAN。ここは国際クルーズ客船専用の埠頭なのかも知れない。