Thursday, March 6, 2008
AT SEA, Thursday/Friday, March 6/ 7
We are now passing Da Nang in the South China Sea on our way to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) in Vietnam. Weather was very cool but now getting warm & humid again.
HONG KONG, Wednesday, March 5
Visit Hong Kong once and it leaves an impression that lasts forever. You immediately find yourself surrounded by a sea of humanity, all rushing to make money. The place never sleeps. The real reason people visit here is to shop. The world's most spectacular shopping free-for-all reigns supreme. With armies of hard-bargaining shopkeepers in more than 50,000 retail outlets crammed with every imagineable untaxed goods, including jewelry, watches (hundreds of thousands), optical goods, carpets, china, silks, porcelain, electronics, cameras, antiques, artifacts, clothing & more. The huge shopping centers span several square city blocks and contain only the most elegant designer shops such as Dior, Channel, Gucci, Valentino, Todd, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Fendi, Lalique & on & on. For me, it was the closest thing to heaven.Our boat docked on the Kowloon side. Having been here twice before we have seen most of the tourist attractions so we decided to take the Star Ferry on a harbor tour. We could get off at any of the 4 stops & get back on at anytime until 5:30. We ch
ose to get off at the 1st stop which was the Hong Kong side and complete the tour when we went back to the ship. We stopped at a bank to get some local currency at their ATM and the machine ate Gary's debit card. We were a little upset, to say the least, but would be able to get it back after 3:00. It was 12:00 so we went for lunch & walked the city until 3. We picked up the card and took the ferry on the rest of the tour and went back to the Kowloon side. We looked at cameras but could do the same or better at home. I did buy a 2 gig flash card, just in case. I've been taking pictures like crazy & for the $30 it cost, I won't have to worry about running out of space. We got back to the ship around 7 P.M. (from 10 A.M.), the ship was leaving at 8:30. At 8:00 every building facing the harbor puts on a light show that is just spectacular. There are beams of light shooting out in every color and the buildings themselves have lights on the entire structure that make picutres. It lasts about 20 minutes and was really something special to see.Victoria Harbor is ranked with Rio, San Francisco & Sydney as one of the world's most beautiful harbors. The infrastructure is futuristic. There are walkways above the city that go for miles with exits to every major building and shopping mall. With 6 million people it is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
Monday, March 3, 2008
AT SEA, Monday & Tuesday, March 3 & 4
We are now traveling S down the East China Sea to the South China Sea passing through the Taiwan Straight. We will be in Hong Kong Wednesday.
SHANGHAI, CHINA Sunday, March 2
We awoke this morning to a city teaming with activity. We are on the Huangpu River which is a tributary of the Yangtze. The river traffic is constant. The channel is too shallow for the super freighters and container ships so they have to unload down river and barge their cargos upstream. The port handles about 1/3 of all the
country's ocean-going cargo. Shanghai is one of China's youngest cities and has a population of 17,000,000, comparable in size to Tokyo & Mexico City. Australia has 21,000,000 people in the entire country. When referring to China's overall national performance, what is most frequently considered best, biggest, most modern, efficient or productive invariably is found in Shanghai. The municipal government is working towards building Shanghai into a world economic, financial, trading & shipping modern metropolis and is vying with Hong Kong to be the financial hub of Asia. From what we saw they are rapidly succeeding. There is construction everywhere. From our balcony alone, which faces the city, I counted 20 cranes. Our friend counted no less than 18 ships passing his cabin at all times. A slight haze hangs over the city from the pollution. However, they do have an inferior infrastructure and what we saw in Shanghai is only a small fraction of the country. The surrounding areas are very poor and underdeveloped.
We walked in the main part of the city for about 3-4 hours. There were throngs of people everywhere. We would have bought a camera, as Gary broke his, but we found the prices better at home. We were on a walking street called Nanjing where the only traffic was from very small 3 car trollys. The huge opulant signs reminded me of Las Vegas. Shanghai was an amazing experience. By the way, travel Charmin is my new bet friend. No paper in the store bathrooms, not ever to dry your hands nor was there an automatic hand dryer. The opposite of Japan.
Walking down the street we were stopped every 10 steps by people trying to sell us watches, cameras, t-shirts, purses, etc. If we went with them we would have been taken down an alley into a small store with few items on the shelves. The shopkeeper would then open a bookcase or some portion of the wall and behind it would be a room overflowing with merchandise. By the way, every store was packed with people. We were stopped by some college kids and asked to take a group photo of the 3 of them. We began to converse and they asked if we would like to accompany them to the annual "tea festival" (SCAM). They wanted to "practice their English and though it might be something we would like to see." Gary & I didn't go but several people on the ship went and were taken for about $50.
Walking further down Nanjing there were several men carrying shoeshine boxes. They ask to shine your shoes and before you can answer they squirt toothpaste (it looks like toothpaste) on your shoes. Gary had on gym shoes and they squirted his shoes. So picture Gary, walking down the street with these 2 big blobs of toothpaste on the top of his shoes. You have to love this city!
country's ocean-going cargo. Shanghai is one of China's youngest cities and has a population of 17,000,000, comparable in size to Tokyo & Mexico City. Australia has 21,000,000 people in the entire country. When referring to China's overall national performance, what is most frequently considered best, biggest, most modern, efficient or productive invariably is found in Shanghai. The municipal government is working towards building Shanghai into a world economic, financial, trading & shipping modern metropolis and is vying with Hong Kong to be the financial hub of Asia. From what we saw they are rapidly succeeding. There is construction everywhere. From our balcony alone, which faces the city, I counted 20 cranes. Our friend counted no less than 18 ships passing his cabin at all times. A slight haze hangs over the city from the pollution. However, they do have an inferior infrastructure and what we saw in Shanghai is only a small fraction of the country. The surrounding areas are very poor and underdeveloped. We walked in the main part of the city for about 3-4 hours. There were throngs of people everywhere. We would have bought a camera, as Gary broke his, but we found the prices better at home. We were on a walking street called Nanjing where the only traffic was from very small 3 car trollys. The huge opulant signs reminded me of Las Vegas. Shanghai was an amazing experience. By the way, travel Charmin is my new bet friend. No paper in the store bathrooms, not ever to dry your hands nor was there an automatic hand dryer. The opposite of Japan.
Walking down the street we were stopped every 10 steps by people trying to sell us watches, cameras, t-shirts, purses, etc. If we went with them we would have been taken down an alley into a small store with few items on the shelves. The shopkeeper would then open a bookcase or some portion of the wall and behind it would be a room overflowing with merchandise. By the way, every store was packed with people. We were stopped by some college kids and asked to take a group photo of the 3 of them. We began to converse and they asked if we would like to accompany them to the annual "tea festival" (SCAM). They wanted to "practice their English and though it might be something we would like to see." Gary & I didn't go but several people on the ship went and were taken for about $50.
Walking further down Nanjing there were several men carrying shoeshine boxes. They ask to shine your shoes and before you can answer they squirt toothpaste (it looks like toothpaste) on your shoes. Gary had on gym shoes and they squirted his shoes. So picture Gary, walking down the street with these 2 big blobs of toothpaste on the top of his shoes. You have to love this city!
Gary needed a haircut so we stopped to get one at a shop we passed. On either side of the reception desk were 7 chairs filled with people getting their hair done. The left side for men and the right for women. There were also several people waiting. We walked 2 flights up a spiral staircase to a room that had only 2 chairs. The fellow gave Gary a great haircut (it'll grow) for only $6.50.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
KAGOSHIMA, KYUSHU JAPAN, February 29
Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwestern tip of Kyushu is nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern World" because of it's bay location, hot climate and i
mpressive stratovolcano, Sakurajima. This part of Kyushu has long been the stronghold of the powerful Shimazu clan of Samurai. The 6 of us took the ship's shuttle into the main part of town and walked a couple of miles. We stopped for lunch and had a very elegant Japanese buffet. The restaurant, called "Shangri La" not only had the most delicious food, but the most interesting bathroom. The toilet seat was heated and had 3 buttons on the side. One washed and one dried. The third was eject (just kidding), the third played music. I didn't want to leave. Afterwords we caught a city bus and went to the Iso Gardens which was a beautiful Japanese garden with waterfalls, bridges and beautiful trees & flowers. We were running a bit late so we hitched a ride on one of the tour busses that was going back to the ship.
mpressive stratovolcano, Sakurajima. This part of Kyushu has long been the stronghold of the powerful Shimazu clan of Samurai. The 6 of us took the ship's shuttle into the main part of town and walked a couple of miles. We stopped for lunch and had a very elegant Japanese buffet. The restaurant, called "Shangri La" not only had the most delicious food, but the most interesting bathroom. The toilet seat was heated and had 3 buttons on the side. One washed and one dried. The third was eject (just kidding), the third played music. I didn't want to leave. Afterwords we caught a city bus and went to the Iso Gardens which was a beautiful Japanese garden with waterfalls, bridges and beautiful trees & flowers. We were running a bit late so we hitched a ride on one of the tour busses that was going back to the ship.
Friday, February 29, 2008
IWO JIMA, Wednesday, February 27th
We arrived around 12:00 noon and proceeded to circle the island. Iwo Jima means sulpher island because of the odor of sulpher fumes. The
island is only 5 miles long and 2 1/2 miles wide and was not only vital to the Japanese to defend their homeland, but it was also of strategic importance to the American forces who needed an airfield at this haf-way point for crippled American soldiers returning to Saipan, Tinian & Guam. It was also a launching platform for American long-range fighters to protect the bombers. If it wasn't for 
the marines that fought on Iwo, countless more lives would have been lost in the Pacific. The capture of Iwo Jima is recorded as the "Bloodiest Pacific Battle of WWII." 26,000 men were lost here, 8,000 Americans and 18,000 Japanese. A 4 minute ride at 60 mph going from one end of the island to the other took the marines 37 days. Sometimes it took an entire day to gain only 1 yard of ground.
island is only 5 miles long and 2 1/2 miles wide and was not only vital to the Japanese to defend their homeland, but it was also of strategic importance to the American forces who needed an airfield at this haf-way point for crippled American soldiers returning to Saipan, Tinian & Guam. It was also a launching platform for American long-range fighters to protect the bombers. If it wasn't for the marines that fought on Iwo, countless more lives would have been lost in the Pacific. The capture of Iwo Jima is recorded as the "Bloodiest Pacific Battle of WWII." 26,000 men were lost here, 8,000 Americans and 18,000 Japanese. A 4 minute ride at 60 mph going from one end of the island to the other took the marines 37 days. Sometimes it took an entire day to gain only 1 yard of ground.
It was all very emotional.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
GUAM, Monday, February 25th
They are having a ship building competition and the 6 of us have built a catamaran out of pop cans covered with shrink wrap and made a tin foil sail. Gary's dying to put a motor on it and at one point we mounted a hand fan to power it, but later found out it's not allowed. The judging is tomorrow and we're testing it in the pool tonight at midnight. Even if we don't win, it was a lot of fun...we laughed like heck. The captain is one of the judges and, coming from Chicago, we of course tried to pay him off. Unfortunately, he wouldn't go for it. Wish us luck!
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