Hello readers, whoever you might be at this time. It’s been a year since we set sail so we thought we’d add a postscript. Memories of the trip are still vivid & a significant memory aid is Facebook. Many who sailed with us are still posting & updating their photos. We’re not writing to promote FB but it has been the best way to stay in touch with the SAS Spring 2009 community. We’ve enjoyed seeing SAS friends here in Philadelphia and also in Potsdam NY, Seattle WA and Charlottesville VA. We hope to have more reunions in 2010.
Talking about the trip with friends & relatives is sometimes awkward. On one hand, we had the good fortune to be able to go while many to whom we have spoken may never get to do the same. On the other hand, it is clear to us that travel is a high priority for us, while not so with many others. We continue to enjoy telling our many travel stories to interested listeners.
The great majority asks what your favorite thing was or where did you like best. A fair & friendly question that is impossible to answer. My stock response has become how do you compare being 2 meters from 2 male lions with seeing the Taj Mahal. Every stop had something unique that remains a special recollection. The next question often asked is where you would like to return. This one is much easier to answer but the answer is never just one place & the answer varies depending on your current mood. There were 2 unique questions: 1 person asked if we understand more about why people are the way they are while another asked what was the most important thing you learned. Both are great questions & very hard to answer but greatly appreciated.
I continue to be awed by time. We spent 60 days at sea (and 48 on land) & during those 60 days we went through 26 time changes; on 25 occasions the ship’s clock was advanced 1 hour & on 1 occasion the ship’s clock was retarded 1 hour. We celebrated Neptune Day, the day the voyage crossed the equator the 1st time, on a day that fit the academic calendar, not the actual day we crossed. We repeated a date when we crossed the international dateline, again on a convenient day, not the actual day. Clearly we had to stay in step with the rest of the world but on the ship, we were in our own world. We had to conform when arriving & departing ports but while at sea we were on our own calendar.
At sea, we didn’t have Sunday, Monday, etc.; we had A & B days to mark the class schedule with an occasional holiday. Even on land, the days of the week lost their significance; we just weren’t on an adventure that needed them.
We could observe sunrise, sunset, noon, stars, sun, moon & planets. We saw how vast the oceans are. Our longest stretch between ports was 9 days, cruising at about 21 knots. I often thought of those who ventured with only wind power & no reliable clocks. What a dangerous & unpredictable life!
We look forward to future travel opportunities. Thanks for reading!
20100119
20090510
Farewell
May 3 was Panama Canal Day. The history of the canal was reviewed on ship in a lecture presentation and a television documentary. The need for a canal was recognized in the 16th century when Balboa realized there was such a short distance from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The project was not completed until the 20th century. Three failed attempts were costly in terms of lives and money. Ferdinand de Lesseps was the engineer for the Suez Canal, a sea level canal that opened in 1869. He was asked to work on the Panama Canal in 1880. He expected to build another sea level canal but that could not work because he had to dig too deep through the mountains and could not keep the sides from collapsing into the canal. Further, mosquitoes brought malaria and yellow fever to the project, killing thousands of workers. It was not until the engineering and the medical issues were both worked out together that a canal would succeed. Steps used to stop the spread of disease by mosquitoes were the use of quinine by workers, netting on sleeping quarters and water treatment, including spreading oil on top of standing water to thwart the insects. The engineering issues were resolved by the plan to build not a canal but a bridge of water. The rain forest looked like it would be a problem but is actually what makes the canal work by providing the water for transport. As you may know, you cross the stretch by going up 3 locks and then crossing the very large manmade Gatun Lake then going down three locks and out to the Atlantic. The whole 80 kilometer length takes nine hours to cross. Operators still make the canal work by hand from the control tower. Our ship paid $125,000 to cross. The least ever paid was $.36 by swimmer Richard Halliburton in the 1920s. 13,000+ ships cross every year.
In 1903 Panama claimed its independence from Spain and became a US protectorate. The Canal opened on August 15, 1914. After an historic struggle the canal now belongs fully to Panama as of Dec. 31, 1999. The US claims the right to protect and defend Panama permanently. The Canal has been widened twice. Plans for a new canal are under consideration now.
On the night of the crossing we celebrated at the Ambassadors’ Ball. This was our one formal event for the whole community. The fact that the male to female ratio is so skewed did not deter anyone from dressing up. Many students and staff had clothing made in Vietnam and Thailand. Ladies had lovely fitted dresses of all styles with high heels. Many males took advantage of the opportunity to buy quality tailored suits for their future careers and wore them to the ball. A few went for the ugliest suit award! Dinner was in two seatings with before and after parties all over the ship. Dancing in the union was crowded but fun.
The final days of the voyage were dedicated to departure and packing. Convocation was held on May 4. Seniors graduated; 4.0 students were recognized as were student leaders. The best speaker at convocation was the ship’s captain. The voyage staff also scheduled reentry preparation. The point of this was to prepare students (and us) for issues of going home. Many people have grown and changed and what they think is apparent and enormous may not be recognized and appreciated by others at home. Further, who has time to look at our thousands of pictures and to hear all of the stories? Students were encouraged to keep in touch with each other after the return home as a way to hold on to the experience. The final days saw extended cocktail hours for all, though the students were still forced to drink undercover. Photos were taken constantly as we all tried to get one last moment with favorite new friends and to catch the final sunset.
The ship arrived in Ft. Lauderdale right on time on May 6. Groups were released one by one so that we were not all in the terminal at the same time. After sending a large box by UPS we got a cab to the airport and headed out for the last leg to Philadelphia.
Being home is a treat and a bit strange. There is no currency exchange and I can easily purchase a lime without having to sneak it onto the ship. Our cabin steward has not shown up to make our bed and bring fresh ice. We have made wonderful friends and seen a good part of the world. It was a great experience. Thank you for sharing it with us through the blog. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.
20090502
Guatemala
Guatemala is my new favorite port! The most recent port is always the best. It was also our last port. I definitely recommend a trip to Guatemala for a not-too-far-away vacation. Guatemala is the size of Louisiana with a population of 13.7 million. There is 1 police officer per 1400 people; NYC has 1 per 400 people. Because of the considerable poverty we were advised to be especially on guard to protect ourselves & our belongings. Guatemalans rely on tourism for income &tourism with tourism down violence is up. The current president who was elected by the indigenous population is working on decreasing poverty. One thing they are doing is paying families to send their children to school. Children are expected to work so sending them to school reduces family income. This model has led to some success in increasing school attendance.
In the 1950’s Arbenz was the President. He moved to nationalize the land. This was during the Cold War and smacked of Communism to the US. Further an American company, the United Fruit Company owed 70-80% of the land there. In 1954, Eisenhower wanted Arbenz out of office. The US bombed Guatemala and killed 20,000 people. A dictatorship remained in place for the next 20 years. From the mid-80s to the mid-90s Guatemala went through its own civil war. We saw a church where people took refuge during that time & also artwork commemorating the violence & suffering of those years.
We had only three days in Guatemala & managed to make the most of them. Two of us planned the trip for seven people. We had drivers to take us on all legs of the trip which was easy to arrange & clearly the best way to travel. It took us 3½ hours to get from Puerto Quetzal to Panajachel, a village in the highlands. We stayed at the lovely little Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan. Three volcanoes surround the lake, Atitlan, San Pedro & Toliman. We enjoyed lunch on the open patio, did some walking, strolling the beautiful gardens, swimming in the pool, using the hot infinity tub & finally margaritas. Dinner was in town at Casablanca, owned by German expats. The night continued with cards and bourbon & then to bed.
Day 2 started with huevos rellenos on the patio & then we walked only 5 minutes down the drive to the Atitlan Nature Reserve where we adventured on the zip-line, Cables X-tremos. We hiked up to the first station & then zipped across the reserve from the eight stations. The longest run was 320 m & lasted 45 seconds. We loved the views of the land & the lake, the height & the speed. Great time! After that we hired an outboard to boat about 30 minutes across the lake to 2 different villages, Santiago & Santa Catalina. Our driver walked us through Santiago & recommended Restaurante El Pescadores for lunch. We saw the local church that I mentioned above. We went into a back alley Mayan church where one man was praying while kneeling & smoking to a mannequin icon of their god, who was also smoking, or at least holding a lit cigarette. The man in prayer had an intermediary who was helping him to express himself in the proper manner. Other people were in the room, some eating, some collecting donations from viewers & photographers. It seemed a bit of a tourist set up; we thought they were already conducting their worship there but did not object to raising some funds from spectators. See the photo of this unique experience.
Our group split up late in the afternoon Hóg & the ship doctor & her husband went back to Puerto Quetzal. Hóg was going on a one day trip to Antigua on day 3 & the doctor was scheduled to be on call that day. The other 4 of us went to Chichicastenango, an hour farther into the highlands. A couple in the group had spent time in Panama & Guatemala in the 70’s & wanted to see some of their former favorite places. We checked into Hotel Santo Tomas & then walked through town. We had a drink at the Mayan Inn where they had stayed years ago but they were disappointed that it was not as active & attractive as they remembered it. However, the same bartender was still working there! We went back to our hotel for wine & dinner and finished the night with more cards & bourbon. Chichicastenango is known for its huge market that draws people from 60 area villages. The market area bordered our hotel. After breakfast on day 3 we spent the morning hours in the market. Very few westerners were there; the market was filled with indigenous people in local garb. Bargaining is second nature to us now but sometimes you have to stop yourself when you are trying to get down 1 more dollar (8 quetzales) with someone who is relying on this small income for handmade work. A large part of the market area was filled with vendors selling local handicrafts. Some areas featured vegetables, meats & live chickens for sale. I could not resist a few more purchases in our last port. The trip back to the ship took us through many agricultural areas where all work was still done by hand.
While Lisa was gallivanting about the countryside, I was hard at work trying to graduate on time. On day 3, I went on a Mayan Calendar Divinatory Workshop, an SAS trip that was the culmination of my class on calendars, their math, history & culture. The lecturer, Vincent Stanzione, has written several books on the subject & Mayan culture. He speaks Spanish & several of the local languages including Mayan, Nahuatl & Yucatecan. The Mayan calendar is their genesis story & when you understand their calendar you are close to understanding their culture & their way of thinking. He explained the significance of human sacrifice & cannibalism in their culture. We talked some of the significance of your birthdate & how it effects what you will be in life. I find this fascinating stuff. Later we had some free time to wander Antigua, a charming city that once was the capital. Apparently it is fine during the day but several students were crime victims while out at night. Boo-hoo! Our last port is now history.
As we move on to the Panama Canal we are wondering about the growing swine flu pandemic, locally known as la grippa porcina.
In the 1950’s Arbenz was the President. He moved to nationalize the land. This was during the Cold War and smacked of Communism to the US. Further an American company, the United Fruit Company owed 70-80% of the land there. In 1954, Eisenhower wanted Arbenz out of office. The US bombed Guatemala and killed 20,000 people. A dictatorship remained in place for the next 20 years. From the mid-80s to the mid-90s Guatemala went through its own civil war. We saw a church where people took refuge during that time & also artwork commemorating the violence & suffering of those years.
We had only three days in Guatemala & managed to make the most of them. Two of us planned the trip for seven people. We had drivers to take us on all legs of the trip which was easy to arrange & clearly the best way to travel. It took us 3½ hours to get from Puerto Quetzal to Panajachel, a village in the highlands. We stayed at the lovely little Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan. Three volcanoes surround the lake, Atitlan, San Pedro & Toliman. We enjoyed lunch on the open patio, did some walking, strolling the beautiful gardens, swimming in the pool, using the hot infinity tub & finally margaritas. Dinner was in town at Casablanca, owned by German expats. The night continued with cards and bourbon & then to bed.
Day 2 started with huevos rellenos on the patio & then we walked only 5 minutes down the drive to the Atitlan Nature Reserve where we adventured on the zip-line, Cables X-tremos. We hiked up to the first station & then zipped across the reserve from the eight stations. The longest run was 320 m & lasted 45 seconds. We loved the views of the land & the lake, the height & the speed. Great time! After that we hired an outboard to boat about 30 minutes across the lake to 2 different villages, Santiago & Santa Catalina. Our driver walked us through Santiago & recommended Restaurante El Pescadores for lunch. We saw the local church that I mentioned above. We went into a back alley Mayan church where one man was praying while kneeling & smoking to a mannequin icon of their god, who was also smoking, or at least holding a lit cigarette. The man in prayer had an intermediary who was helping him to express himself in the proper manner. Other people were in the room, some eating, some collecting donations from viewers & photographers. It seemed a bit of a tourist set up; we thought they were already conducting their worship there but did not object to raising some funds from spectators. See the photo of this unique experience.
Our group split up late in the afternoon Hóg & the ship doctor & her husband went back to Puerto Quetzal. Hóg was going on a one day trip to Antigua on day 3 & the doctor was scheduled to be on call that day. The other 4 of us went to Chichicastenango, an hour farther into the highlands. A couple in the group had spent time in Panama & Guatemala in the 70’s & wanted to see some of their former favorite places. We checked into Hotel Santo Tomas & then walked through town. We had a drink at the Mayan Inn where they had stayed years ago but they were disappointed that it was not as active & attractive as they remembered it. However, the same bartender was still working there! We went back to our hotel for wine & dinner and finished the night with more cards & bourbon. Chichicastenango is known for its huge market that draws people from 60 area villages. The market area bordered our hotel. After breakfast on day 3 we spent the morning hours in the market. Very few westerners were there; the market was filled with indigenous people in local garb. Bargaining is second nature to us now but sometimes you have to stop yourself when you are trying to get down 1 more dollar (8 quetzales) with someone who is relying on this small income for handmade work. A large part of the market area was filled with vendors selling local handicrafts. Some areas featured vegetables, meats & live chickens for sale. I could not resist a few more purchases in our last port. The trip back to the ship took us through many agricultural areas where all work was still done by hand.
While Lisa was gallivanting about the countryside, I was hard at work trying to graduate on time. On day 3, I went on a Mayan Calendar Divinatory Workshop, an SAS trip that was the culmination of my class on calendars, their math, history & culture. The lecturer, Vincent Stanzione, has written several books on the subject & Mayan culture. He speaks Spanish & several of the local languages including Mayan, Nahuatl & Yucatecan. The Mayan calendar is their genesis story & when you understand their calendar you are close to understanding their culture & their way of thinking. He explained the significance of human sacrifice & cannibalism in their culture. We talked some of the significance of your birthdate & how it effects what you will be in life. I find this fascinating stuff. Later we had some free time to wander Antigua, a charming city that once was the capital. Apparently it is fine during the day but several students were crime victims while out at night. Boo-hoo! Our last port is now history.
As we move on to the Panama Canal we are wondering about the growing swine flu pandemic, locally known as la grippa porcina.
20090424
Hawaii
Before 06:00 on April 19 we were being serenaded outside of our balcony by a Hawaiian singer, playing ukulele, & hula dancers. What a pleasant wake-up call! We were back in the United States! Our ship, the MV Explorer, docked at Aloha Tower for a two day visit. How easy it was to be “at home.” We used the US dollar, the phones, the buses and cabs, and shopped at Wal-Mart for familiar brands. It is the 50th anniversary of Hawaii becoming our 50th state. Tourism in Hawaii is down by 25% this year; some reports as high as 40%. However, it still looked active and busy and the weather was excellent. A bit of history- when the missionaries came to Hawaii in the 1820s they outlawed the hula and destroyed the temples. In 1872 when Kalakaua was elected King he made the hula legal again. When Kalakaua died his sister, Queen Lil, took the throne. The people loved her but the US overthrew her in a bloodless coup. She died years later in prison. In 1994 Bill Clinton apologized to the Hawaiian people for the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii which took away their self determination. Now we have President Obama, born in Hawaii, which may affect Hawaii’s sovereignty in a positive way.
Because we docked at such a convenient location we were able to make convenient trips in Oahu over our two days there. We enjoyed good coffee, not available on the ship. We walked a lot over the days, seeing areas that were familiar because we were close to where Tara and Gabe lived. Waikiki was beautiful. Lunch at Lulu’s was a pleasure; we ordered what we cannot get on the ship- great charbroiled hamburgers. Day two’s lunch was at Margaritaville. I went swimming both days and the water was great. We did a little shopping at the International Market Place and on the main street. We had plenty to do for our one night on Oahu. We met friends for drinks, music and sunset at the Halekulani Hotel. We moved on to Tokkuri Tei for wonderful sushi in a small restaurant that was crowded with locals & no other voyagers. Our sake cups were served in boxes. They overflow the cup into the box as a demonstration of abundance. From there we went to Duke’s for a birthday celebration. A huge ship crowd was at Duke’s and it was a great time.
Others enjoyed some things that we have done on Oahu and some that we have not done. Visits to Pearl Harbor and Diamondhead were popular. Many students got tattoos as permanent markers of the voyage. A big adventure for a large number was skydiving, apparently a rite of passage. A few had a surprise chance to see a polo game. Some drove around all or part of the island and came into rain to the north. The Dole Pineapple Plantation with Visitors’ Center was also on some itineraries. Some students in my Foreign Policy class wrote papers comparing their experiences in Hiroshima to Pearl Harbor. Once back on the ship we watched Tora! Tora! Tora! that sadly showed all of the warnings that were missed right before the bombing on December 7, 1941.
Shipboard life continues to be great fun for us. The students complain about academic expectations but that is just not a problem for us. The talent show was an impressive event which featured a great variety of acts including, singing, dancing, slam poetry, juggling and Chinese yo-yoing. A chorus of faculty, staff & lifelong learners sang a song backed up by guitar, djembe, egg (Lisa, of course, but no egg solo) & 2 ukuleles. Hóg was on 1 of the ukuleles, his first gig & in front of several hundred people, no less. The play presented this semester was a Greek tragedy and although well done was an odd selection for our student body. The fund raising auction raised over $12,000 for future voyages, scholarships and supplies. We donated a gourmet dinner for six so sometime this fall we will be expecting six Philadelphia area students to join us at our home. Students did not hesitate to bid up items like a map of the voyage route signed by the captain, the opportunity to be first off or last off the ship in Fort Lauderdale, choice space at the rail as we pull in there, and even a few vacation options. Another fund raising drive is underway now. We have been promised tacos if everyone donates. It is an easy crowd. Another recent event was a dinner with our family of orphans, the students who had no family visitors on our Cambodia trip. (Tristan, note the ties on napkins.) Last night three families competed in Trivial Pursuit for two and a half hours without a final winner. Today is Earth Day around the world. It is the 40th anniversary. 200 million participants are expected to be involved in 180 countries. Taiwan will be unveiling a new packaging product for beverages, India will be pushing for use of paper bags, and Mauritius will turn off lights and go to candle illumination for two hours. We continue to advance our clocks on many nights in order to match our travel to the east. Talk on the ship is focusing more on the end of the voyage. We have two weeks, one port, and the Ambassadors’ Ball left to enjoy.
Because we docked at such a convenient location we were able to make convenient trips in Oahu over our two days there. We enjoyed good coffee, not available on the ship. We walked a lot over the days, seeing areas that were familiar because we were close to where Tara and Gabe lived. Waikiki was beautiful. Lunch at Lulu’s was a pleasure; we ordered what we cannot get on the ship- great charbroiled hamburgers. Day two’s lunch was at Margaritaville. I went swimming both days and the water was great. We did a little shopping at the International Market Place and on the main street. We had plenty to do for our one night on Oahu. We met friends for drinks, music and sunset at the Halekulani Hotel. We moved on to Tokkuri Tei for wonderful sushi in a small restaurant that was crowded with locals & no other voyagers. Our sake cups were served in boxes. They overflow the cup into the box as a demonstration of abundance. From there we went to Duke’s for a birthday celebration. A huge ship crowd was at Duke’s and it was a great time.
Others enjoyed some things that we have done on Oahu and some that we have not done. Visits to Pearl Harbor and Diamondhead were popular. Many students got tattoos as permanent markers of the voyage. A big adventure for a large number was skydiving, apparently a rite of passage. A few had a surprise chance to see a polo game. Some drove around all or part of the island and came into rain to the north. The Dole Pineapple Plantation with Visitors’ Center was also on some itineraries. Some students in my Foreign Policy class wrote papers comparing their experiences in Hiroshima to Pearl Harbor. Once back on the ship we watched Tora! Tora! Tora! that sadly showed all of the warnings that were missed right before the bombing on December 7, 1941.
Shipboard life continues to be great fun for us. The students complain about academic expectations but that is just not a problem for us. The talent show was an impressive event which featured a great variety of acts including, singing, dancing, slam poetry, juggling and Chinese yo-yoing. A chorus of faculty, staff & lifelong learners sang a song backed up by guitar, djembe, egg (Lisa, of course, but no egg solo) & 2 ukuleles. Hóg was on 1 of the ukuleles, his first gig & in front of several hundred people, no less. The play presented this semester was a Greek tragedy and although well done was an odd selection for our student body. The fund raising auction raised over $12,000 for future voyages, scholarships and supplies. We donated a gourmet dinner for six so sometime this fall we will be expecting six Philadelphia area students to join us at our home. Students did not hesitate to bid up items like a map of the voyage route signed by the captain, the opportunity to be first off or last off the ship in Fort Lauderdale, choice space at the rail as we pull in there, and even a few vacation options. Another fund raising drive is underway now. We have been promised tacos if everyone donates. It is an easy crowd. Another recent event was a dinner with our family of orphans, the students who had no family visitors on our Cambodia trip. (Tristan, note the ties on napkins.) Last night three families competed in Trivial Pursuit for two and a half hours without a final winner. Today is Earth Day around the world. It is the 40th anniversary. 200 million participants are expected to be involved in 180 countries. Taiwan will be unveiling a new packaging product for beverages, India will be pushing for use of paper bags, and Mauritius will turn off lights and go to candle illumination for two hours. We continue to advance our clocks on many nights in order to match our travel to the east. Talk on the ship is focusing more on the end of the voyage. We have two weeks, one port, and the Ambassadors’ Ball left to enjoy.
20090414
20090413
Japan - pictures later
Our second trip to Japan was as great as the first one nine years ago but very different. That trip was in November, colder weather. This trip was in the spring; we had perfect weather for every day of our visit. The ship went to two different ports in Japan, Kobe and Yokohama. On the morning of our first day in Kobe we went to the Portopia, the hotel where we stayed in 2000. It was a short distance away on the monorail so an easy trip and fun for us to return there. Later that day we took the bullet train, the shinkasin, to Hiroshima. The ride was fun and definitely fast but expensive. We spent the afternoon at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum. Inside are two models of the three mile wide ground zero area, one on August 5, 1945 and one on August 6, 1945. The second model shows the whole area destroyed by the bomb. One building is standing, the dome which has been left outside as it was on that day. 40,000 people were killed instantly and another 160,000 died as a result of the bombing and its after effects. One little boy was riding his tricycle at his home and was killed instantly. He was buried at home with that tricycle. Forty years later his family buried him in a proper cemetery and donated the tricycle to the museum. It was so sad to see, as of course, the whole museum was. Some watches were displayed, all stopped at 8:15 when the bomb hit, destroyed by the heat. Temperatures were said to reach 7,000º C. It was quite remarkable to us that our Japanese guide was explaining details of what happened to us Americans. Though we were not alive in 1945 you cannot help but feel a sense of responsibility. We walked through Peace Park and left paper cranes at the memorial as so many others have. The Flame of Peace will burn there until all nuclear weapons have been eliminated from earth.
The next day we traveled to Kyoto. Kyoto was the capital of Japan from 794-1868. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the weather was perfect. We visited several places that we had seen before but that just made us enjoy them more. The Golden Pavilion is a breathtaking Temple, built in 1390s as a retirement villa and restored to keep its original beauty. The Chinese phoenix sits on top of the temple. From there we went to Nijo Castle, the shogun castle built in 1603 with its manicured gardens. We enjoyed lunch at Maruyama Park. I took many pictures as I enjoyed the area and its shrines, gardens, and people. Later we went on to the Heian Shrine, a huge shrine surrounded by gardens and water. It was spectacular, built in 1985 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of the capital. Back on ship we watched Lost in Translation again; some of the filming was done at the Heian Shrine and in the gardens there. Our final stop in Kyoto was Kiyomizu Temple. It was a long walk to the top and the views of the entire city were well worth the hike.
We stayed on the ship for the one day trip to Yokahama, though many chose to find places to stay in Japan. I still needed rest from the pneumonia. I do seem to be well now. Yokahama is the third largest city in Japan. Its parks and streets were filled with cherry blossoms too. We saw quite a bit of the city. On the first night we screamed with the rest of the crowd at the baseball game, Yokahama Bay Stars vs. Tokyo Giants. The Giants won 9-2 but that did not discourage the Yokahama fans. A male cheerleader works each section of the stadium, getting the fans to join in cheers, songs and claps, but not the wave. People clap plastic megaphones, beat drums, blow trumpets and wave flags. It is a hoot.
On our final day in Japan we went to Mt. Fuji and Hakone. Mt. Fuji is 3776 m high. It last erupted 300 years ago. 68% of Japan is mountainous and it is some of the prettiest scenery that we have ever seen. The peak is permanently snow capped. We could not go all the way up as hiking season is limited to July and August. We did get to the mid-point and walked in some snow. In the afternoon we visited Hakone National Park. We took a lift to the top where the views of the area with its lakes were fantastic. We ended the day with a boat ride across Lake Ashi. It really does look like The Sound Of Music country.
We are back on ship now with eight days of travel until we hit Honolulu. The students are studying for their second Global Studies exam and I am resuming yoga. Upcoming events are an auction and a talent show. The big end of voyage event is the Ambassador’s Ball after Honolulu.
The next day we traveled to Kyoto. Kyoto was the capital of Japan from 794-1868. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the weather was perfect. We visited several places that we had seen before but that just made us enjoy them more. The Golden Pavilion is a breathtaking Temple, built in 1390s as a retirement villa and restored to keep its original beauty. The Chinese phoenix sits on top of the temple. From there we went to Nijo Castle, the shogun castle built in 1603 with its manicured gardens. We enjoyed lunch at Maruyama Park. I took many pictures as I enjoyed the area and its shrines, gardens, and people. Later we went on to the Heian Shrine, a huge shrine surrounded by gardens and water. It was spectacular, built in 1985 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of the capital. Back on ship we watched Lost in Translation again; some of the filming was done at the Heian Shrine and in the gardens there. Our final stop in Kyoto was Kiyomizu Temple. It was a long walk to the top and the views of the entire city were well worth the hike.
We stayed on the ship for the one day trip to Yokahama, though many chose to find places to stay in Japan. I still needed rest from the pneumonia. I do seem to be well now. Yokahama is the third largest city in Japan. Its parks and streets were filled with cherry blossoms too. We saw quite a bit of the city. On the first night we screamed with the rest of the crowd at the baseball game, Yokahama Bay Stars vs. Tokyo Giants. The Giants won 9-2 but that did not discourage the Yokahama fans. A male cheerleader works each section of the stadium, getting the fans to join in cheers, songs and claps, but not the wave. People clap plastic megaphones, beat drums, blow trumpets and wave flags. It is a hoot.
On our final day in Japan we went to Mt. Fuji and Hakone. Mt. Fuji is 3776 m high. It last erupted 300 years ago. 68% of Japan is mountainous and it is some of the prettiest scenery that we have ever seen. The peak is permanently snow capped. We could not go all the way up as hiking season is limited to July and August. We did get to the mid-point and walked in some snow. In the afternoon we visited Hakone National Park. We took a lift to the top where the views of the area with its lakes were fantastic. We ended the day with a boat ride across Lake Ashi. It really does look like The Sound Of Music country.
We are back on ship now with eight days of travel until we hit Honolulu. The students are studying for their second Global Studies exam and I am resuming yoga. Upcoming events are an auction and a talent show. The big end of voyage event is the Ambassador’s Ball after Honolulu.
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