RITZ-CARLTON LUMINARA: Day 6

The Ritz-Carlton Luminara was yesterday sailing at sea on our way to the port of Phu My, Vietnam.  Lunch at Haesu Bit.  Sushi Chef Joe.

Sashimi and sushi

My meal of yellow-fin tuna and hamachi sashimi, ikura-unagi-tobiko sushi, fried truffle rice, miso soup, , green tea, hot sake, cold beer and Nikka Day whisky.

End of meal in Haesu Bit.

Picked up an ice cream cone.

This is my third time in less than a month at-sea between Thailand and Vietnam.  Tomorrow, Ho Chi Minh City,  We were supposed to have stopped at the Thai island of Koh Kood, but the captain decided to skip this because:

Koh Kood isn't inherently dangerous but recent concerns stem from reports of occasional gunfire from the nearby Cambodia border conflict (late 2025), leading some governments (like the UK's FCDO) to advise against travel, though locals say tourists are unaffected and the border issue is distant, with risks mostly related to natural factors like mosquitoes and general Thai safety precautions, not conflict on the island itself. 

I checked what was the risk of mosquitos:

• Malaria: Koh Kood is located near the Thailand-Cambodia border, which is considered a higher-risk area for malaria compared to central Thailand. The official Tourism Authority of Thailand notes that malaria-infected mosquitoes are present on the island.
• Chikungunya: Transmitted by the same Aedes mosquitoes as dengue, this virus causes fever and debilitating joint pain. It remains a risk for travelers in 2026, though outbreaks are sporadic.
• Zika Virus: Zika is considered endemic in Thailand with low-level persistent transmission. It is a particular concern for pregnant women due to the risk of birth defects.

Well, good thing we skipped.

According to Wikipedia:

• Koh Kood is also spelled Ko Kut.
• The island's remoteness and lack of development make it a potential hub for ecotourism.  Thus if you are into this sort of travel, watch out for mosquitos.
• From 1782 to 1932 was a piracy target.
• There is dispute with Cambodia over who really owns Koh Kood.

Dinner at Azur.  Spaghetti with rosé wine and sides of creamed spinach, garlic fried vegetables and cream corn.

Decided to return back to our suite for a movie.  Walked 2712 steps.

The film we saw was a bit cloying and talky.  What Happens Later is a 2023 production directed and co-written by Meg Ryan, She also starred with David Duchovny.  Rotten Tomatoes scores of 51/28.  About two lovers who bumped into each other maybe 20 years later when their flights get delayed due to a snowstorm, and spend the night at the airport reliving their past.  Had a promise that never came to be.  They have aged.  But, after all, Meg is 64 and David 65.

Also began watching the 2024 Irena's Vow, a true story of Irena Gut Opdyke, starring Sophie Nelisse as Irena, a Polish nurse who helped to shelter and protect 12 Jewish people during the Holocaust.  Rotten Tomatoes scores of 86/85.  From the 2009 Broadway play of the same name.

Irena was born in Kozienice, Poland in 1918.  She married William Opdyke, a United Nations worker from New York City in 1956.    She worte In My Hands:  Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer.  She died in 2003.

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