Japan - Kobe & Yokohama

Even though we're on our way to Hawaii (one day) and Costa Rica (three days), Japan felt like the last port for many of us. We began with two days in Kobe, where I did a Japanese homestay, along with 60 others on the ship. We each were assigned to a family, who met us at the port terminal when we arrived. I was expecting the formal bowing when we greeted each other, but when my host "mother" saw me, she ran over and hugged me like I really was her daughter. Her name was Hiroko Ohnishi, and her husband was also supposed to be there but was in the hospital for a minor procedure, so she was solo. Her English (some) was superior to my Japanese (none), and one of the first things I found out was that she was relieved I was older, since she was 68 and had worried about what to say to a 20-year-old college student.

We met up with two other Japanese mothers and their two SAS daughters, and all went to have lunch at a moving sushi restaurant. Apparently these exist in some parts of the country, but it's a great concept to have plates of food moving around that you just grab as it goes by. After that, Hiroko and I were dropped off, and I was given a tour of her lovely Japanese house. We then went on a walk around her neighborhood, which included a temple and some gardens, and I also visited her grocery store since I told her I like to cook. After some tea and cakes, Hiroko told me we were taking the bus to the community center and meeting the two SAS students and their mothers, as well as 8 Japanese families for a potluck and games (since there were children). At around 9, when I thought the night was over, we found out we were then going for karoke. This is widely popular in Japan and quite unlike American karoke....for starters, it doesn't happen in a bar in front of a big crowd, and you drink tea. We were assigned a room with leather couches and a tv, and ran into two other SAS students and their "brothers" so we all joined together---5 Americans and 10 Japanese. We took turns with Japanese and American music, and I did have a moment where I thought this must be a dream, as we were all singing "Close to You" by the Carpenters.

We left at midnight, and I was told before heading to my futon that I'd be going to one of the other SAS student's houses in the morning to be dressed in a kimono and participate in a tea ceremony. These same two students and me met again in the morning, and each spent 45 minutes getting layer upon layer of cloth wrapped around us like mummies, and were then told to kneel for the tea ceremony. That was easier said than done. Our mothers then made and served us each tea, and we in turn did the same for them. Dress-up time was over, and we were then taken to a noodle restaurant, where we again sat on the floor and slurped our noodles (slurping is essential and actually considered good manners). Finally, with just a few hours to spare before we had to be back on the ship, our mothers took us to the spa/hot springs. There were pictures, tears, and exchanges of emails before we said goodbye to probably the best experience I've had on the voyage.

We then sailed for a day before reaching Yokohama. Both Kobe and Yokohama are beautiful, clean cities, and the changing leaves in both places were the first indication of a season we had seen since leaving in August. And in Yokohama, there were Christmas decorations and music in the stores, so it started to feel like November (although it was 70). A group of us walked around the first day, going to several parks and Chinatown (the largest Chinatown in Japan), and having locals ask us where we were from, and then connecting a baseball team or player to that town. There were also a ton of dogs, all dressed in dog outfits, with they and their owners looking more stylish than all of us in our jeans and t-shirts.

On the last day, I went to Mt. Fuji, which was a 2 1/2 hour bus ride away. The weather was clear, so it was a gorgeous view from the bus. But when we got to the 5th station (a little more than half way up), it was freezing and windy, and you could just see the snow-capped top. I would have preferred to hike it, but that's only allowed every July and August.

So now we're heading east, with nothing but the Pacific Ocean for the next 8 days. The library's busy with students researching papers and finishing classes over the next week before exams begin. And then we'll be closing up shop and preparing for the next group of voyagers. I'll check in one more time before signing off........

Pictures: My host mother, Hiroko, and me; me in a kimono; Jennifer, Andrea, and me at our tea ceremony; students showing off the orgami Mt. Fuji's our guide had us make; view of Mt. Fuji from the bus.

Hong Kong & Shanghai

We had less than two days in each of these cities, so it was a bit of a tease, but both were magnificent. Hong Kong reminded me of both New York and San Francisco, and was much more modern and cosmopolitan than I imagined. I went on a walking tour of Hong Kong the first day, led by a professor who had lived there, and realized I would've been completely lost had I gone on my own. Hong Kong Island puts on a light show nightly, using all the buildings on the waterfront, and because we were docked at Kowloon, just across from Hong Kong, we had a perfect view.

We sailed for two days from Hong Kong to Shanghai, and there were only a handful of us on the ship. Most of the students went to the Great Wall and other destinations, so those of us remaining were treated to special dining both nights and movies running continuously in our Union. We also encountered the worst weather of our voyage, and as a result we were five hours late getting to Shanghai.

Unlike any of the other countries we've visited, almost no one spoke a word of english in Shanghai, so we couldn't even get a cab. I realized how spoiled I've been, and between that and the chinese signage everywhere in the city, I actually felt like I was in China, which wasn't the case in Hong Kong. The city is under a lot of construction, and there is some incredible architecture, new and old, in this city. There's no building code, so apparently architects worldwide compete to have their buildings constructed here. The shopping was also insane, with the usual bartering we've encountered along the way.

We're sailing for two days to Japan, in rough waters once again. In fact, as I'm typing this, a bunch of reserve books and cd's just fell onto the floor and the library cart rolled into a table. More to come from tranquil Japan......

Pictures: Hong Kong Park; walking thru the street markets of Hong Kong; my first bulldog sighting (Hong Kong); Melly (student) and me at a Starbuck's in Shanghai (coffee is still a priority); some of the unusual architecture in Shanghai.

Good Morning Vietnam!

This was the greeting we woke up to on the loudspeaker as we pulled into Ho Chi Minh City, and as corny as it may sound, it was an impressive start to what would be my favorite port so far. I had heard about the traffic, the cheap shopping and food, the tailored clothes you could have made, the war museum, the beaches......and after 5 days in just Ho Chi Minh City, I felt like I had barely done what I wanted to do there, let alone visiting Ha Noi or other parts of Vietnam.

I literally walked off the ship and within 30 minutes someone was walking on my back and putting cucumber slices on my face. This was the first of three massages, and at the last one I asked the young woman with her knees in my tailbone to move to America, where she could live in my house and I'd even teach her to drive. She laughed as though I was kidding. Also on my first day I went straight to a tailor shop and got measured for a traditional silk Vietnamese dress and pants, as well as a linen dress, which I picked up the last day and fit perfectly.

The next day was my birthday (Halloween), and as much as I actually do love giving out candy at the door to trick or treaters, how often can I tell people that I spent my birthday going down the Mekong Delta, wearing a rice hat? And to have 14 strangers on the day trip, all from different countries, singing "Happy Birthday" was also something I won't forget. The day ended at a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant, sitting outside with a plate of noodles, veggies, and seafood, and sharing a bottle of local wine with some friends.

On the remaining days, I'm sure I walked at least 10 miles, shopping at the Ben Thanh market (seeing yet another rat...) and a hundred other shops, as well as visiting the Vietmam War museum, which was graphic, powerful, and essential to see. One minute I'm looking at pictures of deformed children, the result of Agent Orange, and the next I'm being thanked by a local in a coffee shop for my patronage, and asked how I like Vietnam. Besides the warmth and hospitality of the people, I loved the energy of Ho Chi Minh City, with scooters and crowds everywhere, but unlike the chaos of India, it was organized and efficient (8.5 million people and 8 million scooters!). We were taught how to cross the street before we got there, and am finding that I'm missing it.....the key is to not stop once you start and to never run. I also did a service visit to a deaf school, where we took the children to the zoo for the day.

The only incentive to get on the ship after Vietnam was the fact that our Presidential election would be covered over the two days of sailing to Hong Kong. We had live coverage beginning the morning of Nov. 5, and by noon we knew Obama would be our next President. I can't begin to describe the excitement, but someone had to have heard our roar, especially when Obama made reference to "our Americans abroad." Lots of tears, and lots of phone calls home. Next up--- China!

Pictures: Presidential Election coverage on the ship; Scooters in Ho Chi Minh City; Happy Birthday to me; Jane, me, and Nancy on the Mekong Delta; Molly picking out fabric for a blouse.