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| SF sail away |
41 days. Our longest cruise yet. Think we'll be able to stay married?
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| Our Itin |
We made it onboard in LA without incident and immediately sailed away. First stop: San Francisco.
San Francisco, California, USA
We arrived in the early morning darkness, sailing underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Although the bridge itself could have been lit a little brighter, the whole city was all pretty darn spectacular.
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| Port area with GG Bridge in the background |
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| Sunrise over the Bay |
Muir Woods National Monument was just the way we remembered it from about 35 years ago: serene, quiet, lovely, and awesome. It consists of a 558-acre preserve of an ancient redwood forest. And I absolutely love those redwoods. After our walk in the woods, we stopped at quaint and quirky Sausalito, a nice bayside town across the Bridge from San Fran.
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| Muir Woods |
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| Muir Woods |
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| Muir Woods |
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| Sausalito |
Speaking of the Bridge, we sailed back under it as we were leaving. It was as spectacular a sail-away as any we've had. We'll miss this beautiful city.
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| SF sail away |
Astoria, Oregon, USA
If there was a Waldorf Astoria here, it would be the Astoria Waldorf Astoria. Or maybe the Waldorf Astoria Astoria. I made that up all by myself. We were there a few years ago and tried to drive the Oregon Coast. We didn't get far that time, due to constant rain. This time, we were unable to rent a car, so we took a tour.
It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed sightseeing during the several hours we had on the bus. We stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory and the Tillamook Air Museum which was located in a huge airship hangar. Those were nice visits, but they took up valuable time that could have been spent stopping at more parks along the coast to see the sights there.
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| Oregon Coast |
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| Haystack Rock on the Coast |
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
It's a beautiful city. The main attraction is Butchart Gardens. They were indeed absolutely lovely. Even in the rain. And there was a lot of rain. We got pretty soaked. But we loved the gardens anyway.
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| Victoria's Butchart Gardens |
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| Victoria's Butchart Gardens |
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| Victoria's Butchart Gardens |
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Victoria is located on Vancouver Island. Vancouver is located on the mainland. Just wanted to be sure to get that straight. Let me know if you have any questions. Vancouver sparkles. We walked along the harbor, over to Stanley Park. It was a lovely walk, but Lady Adventurer wasn't feeling well. That was unfortunate because it would have been nice to explore that huge park even more than we did.
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| Stanley Park in Vancouver |
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| Vancouver |
Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
Catch as catch can. At least, that's what my dad used to say. It means using any available means or method. We certainly did arrive here by the typical means and method.
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| Ketchikan |
Being the poor kids on the block, we docked outside of town and had to take a shuttle to get to the famous Creek Street and other iconic locations. I jogged around a bit downtown, went back to the ship to pick up Lady A., and then headed back out for a hike in Tongass National Forest. And it was a wonderful hike through the primeval temperate rain forest. We spotted a bald eagle on the way.
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| Tongass National Forest Hike near Ketchikan |
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| Tongass National Forest Hike near Ketchikan |
Juneau, Alaska, USA
Last time we were here, we took a helicopter to Mendenhall Glacier, where we landed and walked around a bit. This time, we were about to take a bus over to the same glacier but were repelled by the cold rain. It happens.
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| Juneau |
Seward, Alaska, USA
Seward is another really cool little town in Alaska's Panhandle. We were there before when we visited Kenai Fjords National Park. This time... it was a cruise through Resurrection Bay. Resurrection Bay is technically a fjord, and in fact, it looks like it almost belongs in Norway. Maybe this one is a little wider and not quite so steep. The other thing about this one is that it's teeming with wildlife. Lady Adventurer stayed on the ship because she wasn't feeling well.
I spotted stellar sea lions, harbor seals, bald eagles, a dall porpoise, orcas, mountain goats, and sea otters to name just a few. Lots of glaciers as well.
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| Sea otters |
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| Three glaciers |
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| Just a nice Resurrection Bay view |
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| Orcas |
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| Return to Seward |
Kodiak, Alaska, USA
Kodiak (the island, not the town) might be a pretty cool place to visit in summer. But not in mid-October; there simply isn't much going on. We would have loved to see some of the famous Kodiak Bears that inhabit the island, but we didn't really get the chance. We simply just walked around the town.
But something significant did indeed happen there: we voted! Our daughter Veronica had been watching our mail for the anticipated arrival of our vote-by-mail ballots. When they did come, she sent them to the Harbor Operations Office in Kodiak, where they said they would hold them for us. Amazingly, they did! We completed the ballots and returned them via U.S. Mail. They should get back in time. I love it when a plan comes together.
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| Sending the completed ballots |
Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, Amaknak Island, Alaska, USA
This is located in the Aleutian Islands. It's kind of a remote part of the planet, to put it mildly. We took a walk to a closed museum. There was another one further down the road, but we had had enough walking in the cold wind.
Earlier, I had gone for a run up the mountain. Now that was a memorable run. My route took me up the side of a local mountain where there were some artifacts left over from the U.S. military in World War 2. The hill was both long and steep, and the views were fantastical.
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| View from the mountain |
Sea Daze
There were a bunch of sea days on this trip, including five consecutive ones between Alaska and Japan. In the process, we crossed the International Date Line and went from Friday, October 18 directly to Sunday, October 20. We sent a Happy Birthday message to Grandson Vincent from the future! What can you do whilst (sometimes severely) rocking and rolling away on a small ship like this? Let me tell you...
First, there's team trivia. We have a good team and we never miss a day. It's tons of fun. Also, and at least as important is meeting up with all of our new and old friends for dinner and other activities. Some folks are brand new friends, but others we remember from previous cruises. We're probably closest with our trivia team members, Sherman, Gloria, Peter, Carol, and Chris. Unfortunately, our friends Jennie and Trevor had to leave the ship in Kodiak when Trevor began experiencing heart problems. We sincerely hope to see all these peeps again soon. Then, there are the enrichment speakers, the entertainment, and the other games around the ship. There's really always something to do.
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| Our Trivia Team: Sherman, Debbie, Gloria, Dan, Peter, Carol, Chris |
Oh, and did I mention the food and wine? It was outstanding; much better than it was on this same ship seven months earlier.
So yeah, we get by.
Wait. Did I say five consecutive at-sea days? Make that six. We had to miss our first port in Japan (Aomori) because we had to slow down through the very rough seas. (Did I mention the motion in the ocean?) Missing a port: not good. Being tossed around by those swell waves: pretty bad. Being somewhat seasick: priceless.
Hakodate, Japan
We finally made it to Japan. Hakodate is on the northern major island of Hokkaido. We did one thing here: we visited Onuma National Park for a boat ride and hike. And it was wonderful! It was a beautiful day and the autumn hues were in full splendor. What a nice introduction to Japan.
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| Onuma National Park |
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| Onuma National Park |
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| Onuma National Park - Mount Onuma |
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| Onuma National Park |
Miyako, Japan
These people are extremely welcoming. They had a major ceremony to welcome the captain, officers, and passengers. I guess they like us. I did a run and then later a walk after taking the bus to the city center. (Lady Adventurer stayed on the ship because she wasn't feeling well. We've both had our share of issues.) Their send-off was wonderful as well.
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| Welcome to Miyako! |
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| Get that juice up to Lawson in 40 hours. They are all over the place here. None left back home. |
Oarai, Japan
We're still in Northern Japan, but we're working our way South. People from Tokyo come here to get away from the big city and to enjoy the beaches. Oarai is another small town with a small school system. I mention the school system because the students came out to welcome us and then again to say Sayonara when we left. That goodbye ceremony was nearly as good as the one Miyako gave us. Last time, it was a group of dancers, this time, it was the high school marching band that was as good as any I've seen in the States.
Yokohama, Japan
Yokohama is the port city for Tokyo, It's an hour or so away by train or car. We never made it to Tokyo due to Lady A.'s continuing illness, but Yokohama, a huge city itself, had plenty to offer. We spent two days there. I ran all over the place, and The Lady was able to get out and walk to one of the many parks.
Speaking of parks, let me tell you a little about that run. There are public toilets all over, especially in those parks. During the middle of the run, I had to go, if you know what I mean and I think that you do. Considering the usual state of public toilets in the parks back home, I almost considered going all the way back to the ship to seek out some cleanliness. But I thought I'd give it a go (so to speak). It was amazingly, sparkling clean! And it even included a nicely functional bidet. I felt like I was home!
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| Yokohama |
Shimizu, Japan
We were now South of Tokyo, and we got to see Mount Fuji! This is the place to see it, but it's not always visible. The clouds parted and we got a good look before they returned and the view was obscured once again. This was all from a black sand beach. There was no snow on top (for the first time in over a century) but it was grand nonetheless. One other thing that we did here was to visit a shrine.
The shrine is the Kuno-San Toshogu Shrine. After the cable car ride, there were gobs of steep staircases, but the climb was worthwhile. There were several different buildings, each with much religious significance as well as intricate, colorful design.
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| Mount Fuji |
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| Kuno-San Toshogu Shrine |
Kobe and Kyoto, Japan
Kobe is the port city for Kyoto and also Osaka (which we did not visit). It's also the home of Kobe beef and is the source of Kobe Bryant's first name. Kyoto is the first capital of Japan, and it's still considered the cultural and spiritual heart of the country. Also (fun fact): Kyoto is an anagram of Tokyo.
In Kyoto, we visited the Ryoanji Temple and Rock Garden (and by the way, if you're ever given an opportunity to visit a rock garden, consider brushing your dog's teeth instead). We also went to Rokuon-ji Golden Temple which was a little cooler, and the golden temple itself was spectacular. So were the crowds of schoolchildren. The crowds were even more intense in Kyoto's Gion shopping district. To avoid them, we visited the Yasaka Jinja Nishiromon Gate and Ten Shrines. Much better. Finally, our small group of six had dinner at not one, but two extremely small and thoroughly authentic restaurants. That was a cultural experience: Sake, sashimi, and heaven knows what else in one eight-seat restaurant and another stand-only one.
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| Rokuon-ji Golden Temple |
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| Yasaka Jinja Nishiromon Gate |
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| Dinner with friends at 8-seat restaurant in Kyoto |
Closer to Kobe, we visited Akashi Island (there's a big bridge to get you there), and Sorakuen Gardens, which were lovely even in the rain.
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| Akashi Island |
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| Sorakuen Gardens in Kobe |
Hiroshima, Japan
This city is famous for one thing, and we were determined to learn more about it, disturbing as it is. We visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the Peace Memorial Museum. It was pouring rain when we were in the park, so we didn't linger outside. The museum was crowded and of course, it was solemn, sad, and troubling. Most poignant was the story of our tour guide who was the daughter of a survivor of that fateful day.
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| Peace Memorial Park from the Museum |
Nawa, Okinawa, Japan
Due to incoming Typhoon, Kong-rey we went out to sea, skipping the port of Miyazaki, Japan. Instead, after the day off, we went to the Island of Okinawa. This was a great itinerary change, in my own humble opinion. That's because of the historical significance or Okinawa. It was a pivotal (and bloody) battle near the end of World War II. There is still an American base on the island.
We took the monorail over to Shurijo Castle and Park. The extensive castle was built in the 14th century. Part of it burnt down a few years ago and is now being restored. It's quite a project. The views from the walls are great.
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| Shurijo Castle |
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Kaohsiung became our port when our captain determined that the weather had made it to difficult to dock at Taipei. Although Kaohsiung is a smaller city, it’s still pretty big and the architecture is quite modern. We visited the Fo Guang Shan Shrine, which was impressive with three large Buddhas inside. More impressive, however was the huge Golden Buddha standing outside, surrounded by over 400 smaller golden Buddhas. Buddhas galore! We also went to the Kaohsiung Confucius Temple, The Chiming Tang Temple and the Pier 2 Art Center. It was all quite impressive, but the real cultural experience came at lunch, where plate after plate of strange (to us) and sometimes sumptuous Asian food was served. We kept wondering when it would ever stop.
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| Golden Buddha |
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| Chiming Tan Temple |
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| Kaohsiung Waterfront |
I can’t stop thinking about the prosperous, wonderful people here, and what will happen to them all when Mainland China attacks. Now, with the new U.S. President, such a war appears more imminent than ever.
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| School Kids in Taiwan |
Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Things have changed over the past 33 years since we were here last. Oh, there were skyscrapers then; there are more now. We took the Hop-on Hop-off bus all the way around Hong Kong Island, where we took short walks at Stanley (which was very vertical) and Aberdeen. We also enjoyed riding the famous Star Ferry to get back to our ship in Kowloon.
The two biggest changes since we were here last are the hand-over of control from Britain to China, and the recent crackdown (elimination) of freedom of speech by the Chinese Government. As tourists, these things are not noticeable at all. The people here love tourists, so long as we bring money to spend. It’s difficult to not be concerned about these people’s loss of personal freedoms, however.
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| Stanley, Hong Kong |
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| Stanley, Hong Kong |
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| Sun Yat Sen, Hong Kong |
We’ve been to some wonderful, even spectacular sail-away events. But nothing could possibly surpass our sail-away from Hong Kong. The light show was almost impossible to believe, even though it was right before our eyes. This is why we cruise.
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| Hong Kong Sail-Away |
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| Hong Kong Sail-Away |
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh is the city formerly known as Saigon. My, how it has grown. (Not that we’ve been here before; we haven’t.) It’s now a huge and vibrant metropolis in a country that is already wall-to-wall people – 104 million strong, and growing rapidly. They have certainly recovered from the Vietnamese-American War of 50 years ago. That, and then some. Nowadays, newly-prosperous Vietnam appears to have the best of relations with the U.S., and both countries benefit.
We were there for two days. The first was a tour of the Mekong River Delta area. It’s an hour and a half and a world away from Ho Chi Minh City. Not that there were any lack of people in between. The roadside shops, restaurants, coffee shops, garages, slums, and palaces were endless. Once in the Delta area, we explored the River in multiple ways: a medium-sized riverboat, snacks and then lunch on an island, and a tiny four-passenger boat (aka Sampan) through a crowded narrow canal. It was all quite the cultural experience for us. Oh, have I used that term before? Sorry.
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| Dan, Debbie and the Laughing Buddha |
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| On the Mekong River |
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| Riding the Sampan |
The second day we did something called, ‘Good Morning, Vietnam,’ where we toured different aspects of the war, including the infamous tunnels. The tunnels were interesting, as were the various war memorials and cemeteries nearby. We also visited the Women’s War Museum and the War Remnants Museum. The latter was extremely disturbing, as intended. Everything was presented from the Viet Cong point of view, so it was tough for us, as Americans, to see. I can't say I can blame the Vietnamese for showing us these things, however. For some reason, it was even more so than the Hiroshima Peace Museum. Perhaps it’s because these atrocities occurred during our own lifetimes, and we felt somehow more responsible. All this was followed by a Vietnamese lunch to complete a not-so-fun day.
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| Entering the Cu Chi Tunnels |
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| War Remnants Museum |
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| Lunch in Ho Chi Minh City |
Singapore, Singapore
This is one heck of a prosperous (and clean) place. We disembarked here, but we had over 12 hours before our flight, so we took a half-day tour. We've been here before, but having something to do for the day fit the bill.
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| Singapore |
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| No Littering in Singapore |
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| At the Jewel Waterfall in Singapore Airport |
