Day 52 - Friday, April 6, 2018 - Kagoshima, Japan

Kagoshima was another port we visited last year and were able to use local transportation to travel over to the island and visit the volcano. So this year we decided to do something different.

Since this was our first Japanese port after leaving China, we had to go through Japanese immigration and customs inspection. Fortunately this year it was done in a brand new facility compared to doing it on hastily set up gear on board the ship. We got off early before the HAL tours started, so there was no line. We conferred with Jeremy and the local guides as to how we could get out to the Peace Museum. Jeremy was apprehensive and the local guides wanted us to take very expensive taxis. But I persisted and the local guide directed us to take a Chiran bus which left from a stop about 4 long blocks from the ship.  

So off we went walking in a driving wind and rainstorm. By the time we reached the bus stop, we were thoroughly drenched. Our bus was late but we began the ride at 9:30am and according to our map, the ride was expected to take an hour. The bus windows were fogged up with the moisture from the passengers so it was difficult to see out and get our bearings. Additionally there was not one single word in non-Japanese characters except for the stop # and fare on the electronic fare board up front. With the GPS on my phone I could see the route that bus was taking. When the Peace Museum showed up on my map, I was able to press the STOP button. As my bills were wet, the driver assisted in getting us change. It was around 900 Yen or $9US for the fare.

The Peace Museum is devoted to the tokkō (kamikaze) pilots who trained and flew from the Chiro airbase. No photography was allowed inside the museum, but they have an excellent electronic tablet with English commentary about the various exhibits which include pictures of the 1,036 pilots who trained and flew and died out of this airfield in the Okinawa battle. While the museum and perspective is from the Japanese view, it's still a sad commentary on what was a costly and ineffective method of fighting. Only less than 20% of the tokkō missions were successful. It's a museum worth visiting. Nearby is the Samurai Village, but we didn't have enough time to visit it. We did have enough time to enjoy a nice noodle lunch meal at a local restaurant before getting on our return bus.

A few stops later, another couple from the ship got on the bus after visiting the Samurai Village. Again we used my phone's GPS to navigate our way back to get off at the correct stop. We then walked back to the ship and arrived there before the 4:30pm onboard time. We changed clothes and went up to the Crow's Nest to watch the sailaway. The volcano was covered by clouds this year while last year it was clearly viewable during the sailaway.

We ate dinner in the Pinnacle Grill (a prize we won in the BBC trivia game a few days earlier). I had a ribeye steak while Angela had Alaskan King Crab and Lobster (the Lobster was a $20 supplement) and we shared the items. Afterwards we attended a HAL senior officer cocktail reception before watching an outstanding Jamaican singer, Monique Dehaney. Her show was energetic and she had the audience fully engaged. We chatted with her afterwards and it was interesting to hear about her career (little professional training but lots of passion about music). We then watched the late show of "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise. We really liked it.

Our next port is another repeat from last year (Hoshoshima), and we have a long walking tour planned. Stay tuned.

    

Day 51 - Thursday, April 5, 2018 - At Sea to Kagoshima, Japan - Day 2

This cruise's sea days have been very laid back compared to our previous ones. This is principally due to the absence of a second lecturer. Jeremy's lecture on Osaka and Shimizu was excellent and we enjoyed another cast chat.

After lunch Master Kam repeated his lecture on Japan including the section on toilets. We spent the remaining time until dinner chatting with Linda P about doing a walking tour at Hososhima. Doing this tour will allow us to see the Omi Shrine that we passed on seeing last year. I've regretted not seeing it for the past year.

After dinner we didn't watch the movie or 'Frozen Planet' as we've seen them previously. So our evening was spent reading in the Crow's Nest and the Ocean Bar as well as updating this blog.

Day 50 - Wednesday, April 4, 2018 - At Sea to Kagoshima, Japan - Day 1

We lost an hour of sleep last night due to our clocks being set forward to Japan's time zone. That coupled with me staying up until 1:30am reading the last part of a spy novel led to a short night of sleep. But it was nice to wake up to a clear view of the sun after 6 days of fog and smog in Shanghai and Beijing.

Jeremy gave his upcoming ports of call talk for the next 3 ports of call and it was once again excellent. The Mariner's award reception followed and for the second time in a row there were no complimentary nuts due to the anti-norovirus procedures which were still in effect all day today. After lunch we attended the BBC trivia game show and because one couple declined to participate, we volunteered at the last minute to fill in. We ended up winning the contest, but due to technical difficulties with the equipment, all of the teams received a free dinner at the Pinnacle Grill. Even though we've seen the game show many times, it's much harder to be up on stage in front of people on a moving ship and retain one's composure.

Master Kam gave his second presentation on Buddhism with a few minutes spent on the empty high rises we saw all around Tianjin. In summary it was the product of a failed Chinese policy to move people from the rural areas to the city. He noted that many of the buildings have been vacant so long since being built that they are being torn down.

Since it was a pretty nice day, we went up to the Crow's Nest and watched the open and wavy seas ahead of us. About 4pm, a Costa Cruise ship passed by us going the opposite direction which indicated to us that they must be heading for Tianjin.  

It was Gala night and we enjoyed a nice dinner in the Main Dining Room with a couple from Vancouver, BC before watching the day's movie "Roman Israel, Esq". We concluded the night by watching Katei, the Australian rock violinist we saw earlier in the cruise. He performed exactly the same show as before Before turning in for the night, we strapped our feed bags on for a late night snack in the LIDO Market.  

We have one more day at sea before reaching Japan. Stay tuned.

Day 49 - Tuesday, April 3, 2018 - Tianjin, China - Day 2 - Tiananmen Square

Our morning started early with a 7:15am buffet breakfast in the the Hotel after which we checked out and rejoined our guide and driver for the short drive over to Tiananmen Square. It's huge to say the least and security was at a high level. If you weren't with a licensed guide, there was a detailed inspection of your person and parcels and there were both uniformed and "plain clothed" personnel all over. The "plain clothed personnel were all dressed in white shirts and black suits and their eyes were darting left and right inspecting the crowd. The tomb of Chairman Mao is in the center of the square and we didn't have time to visit it. The back side of the square adjoins the entrance to the Forbidden City and it reached by an under ground passageway with more security. One then passes through three sets of massive gates and separating large courtyards before reaching the inside of the Forbidden City and the Heavenly Palace.  

The exit from the Forbidden City passes over the remains of the moat and we waited for our van. He picked us up and we went to the Da wan ju restaurant where we enjoyed another sumptuous Chinese lunch. Chinese food in China is so flavorful compared to American Chinese food. We then headed back to the ship which was about a 2 1/2 hour drive with very little traffic. We did have a little episode at one of the highway toll booths. It seems that the computer system was not working correctly and we entered a lane that was open but the equipment didn't work. So we backed up, drove perpendicular to the flow of traffic and chose another lane.

We were back at the Port by 3:00pm and quickly passed through the scanner. It was really interesting that there are absolutely no vendors or services in this totally modern cruise terminal. Today was also very cold and the termainal area was even colder. We dropped our things off at our stateroom and headed up to the Crow's Nest to relax, get warm, have a beverage, and update the blog.  

We departed over 3 hours late at 9:15pm after 4 guests didn't surrender their passports and held up clearance. I was even able to watch the cast show of 'Dance' on the Main Stage before the ship sailed.

We now have two days at sea to Japan. Stay tuned! 

Day 48 - Monday, April 2, 2018 - Tianjin, China - Day 1 - The Great Wall

Despite the fog, our Captain skillfully guided us into our berth at the Tianjin International Cruise Terminal on time at just after 7am. We were scheduled to be on tour for two days (overnight in Beijing) with Sam & Jon and met at 7:30 in Ocean Bar. Just after 8am the ship was cleared and we exited on Deck 3 midship to the sight of the Oceania Insignia moored behind us. There was a temperature check inside the terminal and just outside the terminal we met our guide, Ricco and our driver, Mr. Li.

The drive north went well for the first hour until we came upon the traffic stopped. And we sat there for an hour. Finally we started moving and Mr. Li took some side roads to get us out of the slow traffic. We skirted central Beijing, and made it to the area of the Mutlanyu section of the Great Wall which was a different section than what we visited last year. We stopped at a tourist area for a very nice lunch although the service was slow and Ricco went back to the kitchen several times to 'encourage' the cooks to work faster. It seems that our order was lost. We probably lost an hour waiting for our meal.  

When I learned that we were going to take a cable car up to the wall I was a bit disappointed as we really wanted to climb the Wall like we did last year. However, it turned out wonderful and the cable car ride was excellent while the views were a bit hampered by the smog and I do mean smog. At the top end of the cable car, we could finally see the section of the wall that we would be climbing. Initially there was a steep descent into Zhengguantai Pass. On the other side of the pass there was an even steeper section that Angela and Ricco immediately ascended. I stayed back with Sam and Jon, but after a while I climbed that steep section to the first guard tower. Angela and Ricco went two more towers higher and I waited for them before accompanying them on the way back and collecting Sam & Jon. After the ride down on the cable car, I purchased a "I Have Climbed Up on the Wall" tshirt. The vendor started at 280 Yuan and eventually settled at 110 Yuan or $17US.  

At lunch Ricco asked us if we would like to do anything that evening. He suggested the "Legend of Kung Fu" stage show for 280 Yuan or $45 per person and we all agreed that would be fun. So after the wall we negotiated the Beijing traffic to the Red Theatre and enjoyed the action packed history of how a young boy became a Kung Fu Master and eventually head of the temple. There was lots of Kung Fu action and narration in English and Chinese.

We finally made it to the Regent Hotel around 9:15pm and checked in. Angela and I wanted to go out and walk and see the area around the hotel, so we took off and found a Subway Restaurant on the 5th floor of a nearby office / retail building. We saw 4 Oceania busses parked outside so they must be staying here. It seems we hadn't had dinner because of attending the Kung Fu show. Finally, we were back at the hotel and were able to log onto the hotel's WIFI and use our VPN connection to be able to post pictures to Facebook and check messages and do other internet items.

And day 1 in the Beijing area came to a close at after midnight for me. It was a good day, but a 6:30am alarm was also going to come early and along with that new adventures. Stay tuned.

Day 47 - Sunday, April 1, 2018 - At Sea to Tianjin , China - Day 2

It's Easter Sunday morning and the fog continued unabated from yesterday. It's so thick that we couldn't see the water from deck 8 or 9. And the fog horn blasts its lonely tone every two minutes. Even the Lido chairs vibrate from its deep bass tone.

I led the 9am non-denominational Easter Sunrise Service and it went well. We had 47 in attendence in the King's Room. Master Kam presented part 1 of his talk on Buddhism. At noon the Captain announced that there was likely a norovirus on board (brought on by a Shanghai embarking passenger) and that there would be immediate changes in food and beverage procedures whereby guests could not serve themselves and we were encouraged to wash our hands well and often, not use handrails or public restrooms. Additionally a letter describing the situation and protection procedures was delivered to our stateroom.

The 2pm game show on the Main Stage was Battle of the Sexes which pitted 3 men vs. 3 women. Afterwards Angela and I read our books in the Explorer's Lounge until dinner. Following dinner we listened to the Ocean Quartet in the Ocean Bar. This quartet replaced a trio in Shanghai. They were easy to listen to.

The Main Stage entertainment was an excellent Hong Kong born harmonica player, Cy Leo.

After the show we enjoyed some great conversation with Tom, a passenger we've sailed with before, reminiscing about music; and the three of us also enjoyed a brief chat with the Captain.

Tomorrow we're on tour with another couple to Beijing & the Great Wall and an overnight stay in a hotel there. Stay tuned for details.

Day 46- Saturday, March 31, 2018 - At Sea to Tianjin , China - Day 1

The window of sailing opportunity opened this morning around 3:30am for us to finally sail out of our berth at the International Cruise Terminal located near the Bund. I remember the ship vibrating before I dozed off to resume my sleep. When I finally woke up around 8am I could see the banks 

of the Yangtze passing by. It takes around 7 hours to transit the Huangpu and Yangtze rivers and reach the open ocean. In the Captain's speach at his welcome toast, he noted that he had a 1/2 hour window of opportunity to sail out of the port.

The rest of the day was really laid back. We listened to Master Kam's lecture on modern China where he emphasized education of the elderly. It was really good. In the afternoon we skipped the BBC trivia game show and attended a makeup wine tasting that we missed the previous day. Two Washington state wines were featured and we learned a bit more about wines and how fruits and cheeses enfluence the taste of the wine. Afterwards I spent time preparing for the Easter Sunrise service which I'm leading and did some reading.

We enjoyed a Lido dinner with Erik and Marilyn before attending the Captain's Toast and the Main Stage show featuring Grant Galea, an Australian singer of Las Vegas style music. He did very good impressions of a number of artists. We even came back for the 10pm performance.

At the Captain's Toast, Captain Frank Vanderhoeven gave further details about the delay in Shanghai. He spoke like he was sitting across from you on a couch, and it wasn't stilted like a prepared speech. He's rotating off the ship in Yokohama for 3 months.

The fog is very thick tonight and the fog horn is blowing every 2 minutes and will likely do so all night.

Stay tuned for what tomorrow brings.