Thanks for keeping in touch and reading our travel log. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we loved writing it!
Love,
Amber and Maggie
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Home, Bittersweet, Home
We finally made it back to the U.S. after a few days spent in Costa Rica, a whole day sailing through the Panama Canal, and a few more days on the open seas until docking in Miami. It was hard saying goodbye to all the friends we've made over the past four months. But it was also really comforting to see our families again.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
So I guess I’ll fill you all in on the past week or so of my life on the ship. We left Yokohama, Japan on November 18th and headed back towards the United States across the Pacific Ocean. On November 22nd we had to repeat a day in order to get back to real time, and now, our clocks are behind those of the West Coast in California.Thanksgiving was spent in Hawaii- a tease-of-a-port. We were only able to spend about 12 hours there. Hawaii basically consisted of beach, beer, and a turkey feast at a local buffet. That’s all we had time for. Oh, and a trip to Wal-Mart to pick up snacks for the rest of the voyage.As we sail away from Hawaii, we look forward to arriving in Costa Rica, our last port before Miami. Unfortunately, finals are during the week leading up to Puntarenas. I just completed my first exam, with two more to go, after pulling an almost-all-nighter to study for it. Only 2 more tests and 4 days until Costa Rica! Only 11 days left of the voyage. It makes me so sad to think about :(. But I’m getting excited about seeing my family, and my kitties :).That’s about all for now. I will update after Costa Rica.
Love you all (and see some of you soon!),
Amber
Love you all (and see some of you soon!),
Amber
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
quick RED FEATHER update
I just thought I would make a brief list of where I have left my red feathers in the last three ports:
6) Vietnam: Since I travelled to Cambodia for most of my time in Vietnam, I left my feather in Cambodia at the central tower at the Temple of Angkor Wat. I felt a deep spiritual connection at this temple thus I thought it was an appropriate place to leave my feather.
7) China: I left my feather at the Water Cube in the Olympic Stadium, but when Amber found a red feather randomly for me on the ground on our way to the Great Wall, I decided to take this as a sign that I should leave a red feather there as well.
8) Japan: I left my feather by the Peace Flame inside the Peace Memorial Park at Hiroshima; the flame is an eternal flame that will only be extinguished when all atomic bombs are destroyed.
PEACE, LOVE, AND RED FEATHERS,
MAGGIE
6) Vietnam: Since I travelled to Cambodia for most of my time in Vietnam, I left my feather in Cambodia at the central tower at the Temple of Angkor Wat. I felt a deep spiritual connection at this temple thus I thought it was an appropriate place to leave my feather.
7) China: I left my feather at the Water Cube in the Olympic Stadium, but when Amber found a red feather randomly for me on the ground on our way to the Great Wall, I decided to take this as a sign that I should leave a red feather there as well.
8) Japan: I left my feather by the Peace Flame inside the Peace Memorial Park at Hiroshima; the flame is an eternal flame that will only be extinguished when all atomic bombs are destroyed.
PEACE, LOVE, AND RED FEATHERS,
MAGGIE
THE AMAZING JAPAN
I cannot wait to share about my travels in Japan. It was one of my favorite ports by far and it exceeded all of my expectations. Let me start by saying that Sarah, Allison, and I decided to travel independently throughout Japan. This is a common thing to do with lots of SASers but most take the time to plan their travels in advance. However the three of us got overwhelmed with class, travelling in port, and with sickness so we didn’t even start to plan till the night before we docked. Luckily, we had a handy travel book that helped us out. We made a list of what we wanted to see and do and hoped for the best!
We started our adventures in Japan in Kobe where the boat initially docked. The immigration process was pretty intense. We had to have a face to face inspection as well as our temperatures taken and our picture taken. We thought this would take forever but they had a video camera set up in the teachers’ lounge that we just all walked by in a line and it automatically took our temperatures and pictures. After we all had to stand in line for a face to face passport inspection with officials. Since I had an FDP on the boat I decided to stay on the boat until the end since once you got off you had to wait until everyone was cleared to regain entry on to the boat. Once I was granted permission to enter Japan, I basically jumped right back on the boat for an FDP. My FDP was titled Multiculturism in Japan and was for my Biomedical Ethics class. A guest speaker came on the boat and basically talked to us about the effects of a variety of cultures that have influenced Japan due to the variety of foreigners in Japan. He talked to us about how US citizens are seen in Japan so it was a pretty interesting discussion. After the FDP we headed out to the city of Kobe via the rail. We shopped around the city for a little and I fell in love with Japanese fashion. Our first stop was to the Gap and it was amazing, I swear completely different that the US. All the girls in Japan basically wear tights, skirts, and boots. I enjoyed adopting their fashion trends for the week. After shopping for a little we headed back to the boat to get ready for a night out. Some of the bars in town held Semester at Sea specials so we basically meet up with a bunch of SASers and danced the night away before heading back to the boat to get some rest.
The next morning we woke up fairly early to get a start on our travels. On the agenda for the day was to get to Hiroshima for the day and then spend the night in Kyoto. First we had to figure out how to use our Japan Rail Pass which basically granted us permission to travel all around Japan via the public transportation system known as the rail. We went to one station and tried to figure out how to get on the rail to Hiroshima. We stood in front of this subway map with tons of different lines going everywhere trying to find our destination, soon a lady approached us and asked if we needed help. Clearly we did. She was the nicest French lady who told us exactly where to go and before we knew it we were at Hiroshima. Hiroshima was an incredibly humbling experience. I read briefly about the history behind Hiroshima in my travel book but had a very limited knowledge about the event before entering the area. The whole area, that commemorates the horrific event, is known as the Peace Memorial Park. When we first walked up to it there was a sign that recounted everything that happened and a building that was basically destroyed except its steel frame. Everyone in the building at the time of the bomb had been killed. I immediately became extremely uncomfortable in my American skin but the people at the park could not be nicer. When we told them we were from America they could not have been more thrilled that we were there. There were a variety of different memorials all of which had a variety of meanings. There was a peace bell and the paper crane statue. The story goes that a young girl who was injured by the bomb believed that if she made 1000 paper cranes that she would survive, unfortunately she died but a statue stands to remember her and paper cranes have been sent from all around the world to Hiroshima, so around the statue there are all these carts filled with colorful paper cranes. I left my red feather at one of my favorite memorials which was the peace flame which will not be extinguished until all atomic weapons are destroyed. We took time to walk around the museum where we saw a fragmented watch that had survived Hiroshima and saw a map of the city before and after the bomb. Some parts were horrifying to see and tears started to swell in my eyes, still I could not have more praise to give the memorial. It was the most positive way to recount such a horrific event in history. Instead of focusing on the extreme damage and heartache that the bomb caused, the park focused on how we can better what was done and how we can make sure that it does not happen again. The solution is peace and I believe it is a whole lot easier to manage than dropping bombs. After spending a few hours at Hiroshima we headed back to the station to get on a rail to Kyoto. Before we knew it we were at Kyoto Station which was one of the sites to see in Kyoto. It is an extremely modern building that is basically made of glass and is gorgeous. It was so lively when we left the station; there was a large Christmas tree that brightened our spirits for sure. There was a festival going on as well with a bunch of people painting large scale paintings, music playing, and people dressed in weird costumes. We were trying to be adventurous and did not book a hotel for the night yet but this quickly proved to be a problem. We saw Amber randomly outside the station and she told us that it was a busy season in Kyoto because it was tree season. We were going to look for a hostel or ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) but once hearing that it was hard to even find a room we decided to just try the hotels right by the station. We went to about 7 hotels all who were booked and finally while in a cab we stumbled upon a ryokan! I was so excited because I really wanted to stay in one and they ended up having a room open. It was such a cool experience. We had to take our shoes off before going up to our room and wear slippers. There were public baths. We had to be back to our room by 12 because that is when the front desk closed that had our key. Our room was basically a bunch of mats laid on the ground with a table in the middle that had tea on it and cushions to sit on. We enjoyed some tea upon entering our room and were relieved to see that we had our own private bathroom. We had a great view from our window and sliding doors that separated the sitting room from the area with the table. After enjoying some tea and relaxing for a bit we decided to indulge in the Japanese culture for the night. We had sushi and sake at dinner. The sushi bar was like a conveyer belt that you just took the plate off when you wanted that type of sushi. I even ate with chopsticks, somewhat successfully. We went to a top floor of a hotel to get an aerial view of the city and then went to one of the arcades/casinos that are all over Japan. They are loud and full of the most colorful machines. We walked around a little and saw a bunch of karaoke bars that are located in these little alleys and house maybe 6 people in each bar. However we were a bit tired and anxious to get back to our ryokan so we opted for an early night. When we got back we were thrilled to see that all the bedding that was in our closet was taken out and put together on the floor. The “beds” were extremely comfortable and I slept like a baby.
The next morning the three of us set our alarms early so we could site-see in Kyoto for a while before heading to Tokyo for the night where we had booked a hotel. We pulled out our handy dandy Japan book and decided to go to the Gion District. When we walked out of our hotel rain was pouring all over the city, so we decided to pick up some umbrellas to keep us dry all day. The umbrellas, equipped with our new found love of hats, kept us dry for most of the day. Our cab driver to the Gion District was so nice; he looked like a retired Sumo wrestler and told us all the streets and about different events that happen yearly in Kyoto. He would tell me a street and then I would use my map to tell him the name of the next street, I think he was impressed. He pulled out some papers with pictures of leaves around Kyoto and gave them to me as a present. Soon we arrived in front of the Gion District. There was a huge red archway that welcomed us into the district and once inside we felt transformed to a traditional Japanese village. We found the most beautiful park area that had ponds and a little bridge. The fall leaves that were falling in every color added to the perfection of the moment. We bought these little papers that you tied to a tree and made a wish. Then we continued on the windy stone paved paths and found Buddha statues and a huge Pagoda. We did a little shopping at some small local shops. For lunch we had “humbas” which is basically sweet tasting dough stuffed with meat. It sounds disgusting but they are yummy and we were proud we had something traditional for lunch rather than McDonalds. After lunch we finally found the main temple in the area which was bright red and gorgeous. I think we went at the best time of the year because the leaves everywhere were all so amazing. The best part of the area was that there were real life geishas dressed in the traditional kimono outfit, faces painted white, lips painted bright red, and hair pulled back in a tight bun. They would scuttle around in their tall wooden flip flop style shoes. They added to the ambiance of the area. After spending the afternoon roaming around the district, we headed back to our lovely ryokan to pick up our bags and jump on the train to Tokyo. On the train there Allison and I could not find a seat so we spent about an hour chilling in the corridor in between two of the train cars. It was not the most comfortable of seats but we made time pass by having a dance party/photography session and taking naps on our backpacks. We all arrived in Tokyo at about six at night and were eager to get to our hotel for some rest. When we walked in we felt like we were at the wrong hotel or something because there were tons of businessmen walking around. It turned out there was a business conference at the hotel so we felt somewhat out of place. The hotel was amazing though, we had a room on the 25th floor so we had a great view of the city. We took a much needed rest and watched some CNN. It was crazy because at the end of one of the sports segments they showed a clip of KU football. I was freaking out and my friends and I could not get over how weird it was that Kansas was on the television in Tokyo! Small world. Also my friend Allison is from Santa Barbara so her hometown was all over the news because of the wildfires. After a while the three of us got ready and had a lovely sushi dinner in the hotel. Then we met up with some friends who were at the hotel and went out to the bar district of Tokyo called Roponggi. We ran into a lot of SASers which was exciting because we had not seen them for a few days…we all had a very fabulous time that night before heading back to our lovely hotel (Grand Price).
The next day we woke up early again…I was very proud that we managed to wake up early every day even though we had no specific time schedule, we just were all determined to maximize our Japan experience. That day the three of us and our friend Lindsey took the subway to the legendary Harijuka district. It was amazing, the fashion there is insane. Girls were wearing everything from tutus to mickey mouse sweatshirts. There was a street with tons of shops and little knick knack stores. But the best part was watching all the Japanese teenagers walking around. I found the most amazing tennis shoes (bright and colorful and one pair designed after an Andy Warhol painting) and even found a vintage store which made me very happy. After reveling in the glory of Harijuka we left for our next destination….Disneyland Tokyo! Now I must preface this by saying that on this trip I have constantly worked hard to adapt to the cultures I am in rather than just running back to the American basics. We had Disneyland on our list but I did not think we would ever make it; I also wanted to make sure we saw plenty of Japan before heading to an American version of Japan Disneyland. But I was very proud of us girls for all we did so far and was itching for a little taste of America. Before we knew it, after a quick subway ride, we were thrown right into Disneyland. It fulfilled my itch for America and left me completely satisfied. I could not contain my excitement after seeing Cinderella’s castle. We basically ran and skipped all the way to the gate to buy our tickets. Once entering we were thrilled to see it was decorated for Christmas. The Christmas tree was amazing. We went on a few rides; my favorite was Thunder Mountain because I had only been on that once a long time ago. Pirates of the Caribbean was awesome, as always. Everything was pretty similar to the Disneyland in California, except one difference we noticed was that it was very difficult to find bottled water because all the stands sold bottled green tea instead. We skipped around the park like little girls in our Minnie Mouse hats and kept saying how perfect the day was. After our Disneyland adventure we headed back to our hotel. That night we tried going to an Ice Bar but unfortunately it closed early so instead we just went back to Roponggi Street and had a very eventful and amusing night, to say the least.
The next day we woke up for what was sadly our last day in Japan. After packing everything up in our fabulous Disneyland and Hello Kitty shopping bags we headed out for the day (side note: Hello Kitty is everywhere in Japan, it is like their mascot or something. The Buddha was everywhere in Cambodia and Hello Kitty is like the Buddha for Japan. Sarah and I both liked Hello Kitty so we did not mind!). I lead the group to a street that is a market under the train tracks and it was a nice taste of Japan culture. I was on a mission to get a kimono and could not find one anywhere. Oddly there was not a lot of touristy type sopping in Japan, we could not even find a Tokyo t-shirt anywhere, not even a Tokyo Disneyland t-shirt. Anyways, I was struggling to find a kimono, one lady led me to some mall and I was on my way there when at the last second I spotted a shop full of kimonos! I went in and soon realized this was not touristy type shop because there were tons of nice, gorgeous, 100% silk kimonos that included all the traditional accessories that go along with the outfit. Soon however the ladies that worked at the shop were able to help me and they were so sweet. It was such a fun experience to be at a traditional kimono shop where I am sure Japanese woman around the area come to buy their kimonos. The quaint little shopkeepers thought it was so funny that I, a little American girl, wanted a kimono but they helped me try them on a find the color I liked best. It was a perfect way to end my time in Tokyo. After we headed back to the hotel, picked up our bags, and headed to the train station again. After an hour or so we found ourselves in Yokohama and somehow managed to find the boat in the middle of the city. Unfourtantly we did not have a lot of time to spend in Yokohama but it seemed like a cool city, it had a British type of feel but also had huge skyscrapers and a ferris wheel that lit up in multi-colored neon lights. After hauling our bags to the boat we stood in line for an hour or two to clear customs and to get our bags checked by SAS.
We finally returned to our rooms on the boat at about 6:00 that night, with our hearts still yearning for our love known as Japan. All in all I think part of the reason why Japan was so awesome, apart from all the tea, sushi, sake, geishas, chopsticks, and kimonos we encountered, was that the three of us girls did it all by ourselves. The fashion, culture, and people of Japan are one of a kind. I HEART JAPAN!!!
PEACE LOVE & JAPAN,
MAGGIE
We started our adventures in Japan in Kobe where the boat initially docked. The immigration process was pretty intense. We had to have a face to face inspection as well as our temperatures taken and our picture taken. We thought this would take forever but they had a video camera set up in the teachers’ lounge that we just all walked by in a line and it automatically took our temperatures and pictures. After we all had to stand in line for a face to face passport inspection with officials. Since I had an FDP on the boat I decided to stay on the boat until the end since once you got off you had to wait until everyone was cleared to regain entry on to the boat. Once I was granted permission to enter Japan, I basically jumped right back on the boat for an FDP. My FDP was titled Multiculturism in Japan and was for my Biomedical Ethics class. A guest speaker came on the boat and basically talked to us about the effects of a variety of cultures that have influenced Japan due to the variety of foreigners in Japan. He talked to us about how US citizens are seen in Japan so it was a pretty interesting discussion. After the FDP we headed out to the city of Kobe via the rail. We shopped around the city for a little and I fell in love with Japanese fashion. Our first stop was to the Gap and it was amazing, I swear completely different that the US. All the girls in Japan basically wear tights, skirts, and boots. I enjoyed adopting their fashion trends for the week. After shopping for a little we headed back to the boat to get ready for a night out. Some of the bars in town held Semester at Sea specials so we basically meet up with a bunch of SASers and danced the night away before heading back to the boat to get some rest.
The next morning we woke up fairly early to get a start on our travels. On the agenda for the day was to get to Hiroshima for the day and then spend the night in Kyoto. First we had to figure out how to use our Japan Rail Pass which basically granted us permission to travel all around Japan via the public transportation system known as the rail. We went to one station and tried to figure out how to get on the rail to Hiroshima. We stood in front of this subway map with tons of different lines going everywhere trying to find our destination, soon a lady approached us and asked if we needed help. Clearly we did. She was the nicest French lady who told us exactly where to go and before we knew it we were at Hiroshima. Hiroshima was an incredibly humbling experience. I read briefly about the history behind Hiroshima in my travel book but had a very limited knowledge about the event before entering the area. The whole area, that commemorates the horrific event, is known as the Peace Memorial Park. When we first walked up to it there was a sign that recounted everything that happened and a building that was basically destroyed except its steel frame. Everyone in the building at the time of the bomb had been killed. I immediately became extremely uncomfortable in my American skin but the people at the park could not be nicer. When we told them we were from America they could not have been more thrilled that we were there. There were a variety of different memorials all of which had a variety of meanings. There was a peace bell and the paper crane statue. The story goes that a young girl who was injured by the bomb believed that if she made 1000 paper cranes that she would survive, unfortunately she died but a statue stands to remember her and paper cranes have been sent from all around the world to Hiroshima, so around the statue there are all these carts filled with colorful paper cranes. I left my red feather at one of my favorite memorials which was the peace flame which will not be extinguished until all atomic weapons are destroyed. We took time to walk around the museum where we saw a fragmented watch that had survived Hiroshima and saw a map of the city before and after the bomb. Some parts were horrifying to see and tears started to swell in my eyes, still I could not have more praise to give the memorial. It was the most positive way to recount such a horrific event in history. Instead of focusing on the extreme damage and heartache that the bomb caused, the park focused on how we can better what was done and how we can make sure that it does not happen again. The solution is peace and I believe it is a whole lot easier to manage than dropping bombs. After spending a few hours at Hiroshima we headed back to the station to get on a rail to Kyoto. Before we knew it we were at Kyoto Station which was one of the sites to see in Kyoto. It is an extremely modern building that is basically made of glass and is gorgeous. It was so lively when we left the station; there was a large Christmas tree that brightened our spirits for sure. There was a festival going on as well with a bunch of people painting large scale paintings, music playing, and people dressed in weird costumes. We were trying to be adventurous and did not book a hotel for the night yet but this quickly proved to be a problem. We saw Amber randomly outside the station and she told us that it was a busy season in Kyoto because it was tree season. We were going to look for a hostel or ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) but once hearing that it was hard to even find a room we decided to just try the hotels right by the station. We went to about 7 hotels all who were booked and finally while in a cab we stumbled upon a ryokan! I was so excited because I really wanted to stay in one and they ended up having a room open. It was such a cool experience. We had to take our shoes off before going up to our room and wear slippers. There were public baths. We had to be back to our room by 12 because that is when the front desk closed that had our key. Our room was basically a bunch of mats laid on the ground with a table in the middle that had tea on it and cushions to sit on. We enjoyed some tea upon entering our room and were relieved to see that we had our own private bathroom. We had a great view from our window and sliding doors that separated the sitting room from the area with the table. After enjoying some tea and relaxing for a bit we decided to indulge in the Japanese culture for the night. We had sushi and sake at dinner. The sushi bar was like a conveyer belt that you just took the plate off when you wanted that type of sushi. I even ate with chopsticks, somewhat successfully. We went to a top floor of a hotel to get an aerial view of the city and then went to one of the arcades/casinos that are all over Japan. They are loud and full of the most colorful machines. We walked around a little and saw a bunch of karaoke bars that are located in these little alleys and house maybe 6 people in each bar. However we were a bit tired and anxious to get back to our ryokan so we opted for an early night. When we got back we were thrilled to see that all the bedding that was in our closet was taken out and put together on the floor. The “beds” were extremely comfortable and I slept like a baby.
The next morning the three of us set our alarms early so we could site-see in Kyoto for a while before heading to Tokyo for the night where we had booked a hotel. We pulled out our handy dandy Japan book and decided to go to the Gion District. When we walked out of our hotel rain was pouring all over the city, so we decided to pick up some umbrellas to keep us dry all day. The umbrellas, equipped with our new found love of hats, kept us dry for most of the day. Our cab driver to the Gion District was so nice; he looked like a retired Sumo wrestler and told us all the streets and about different events that happen yearly in Kyoto. He would tell me a street and then I would use my map to tell him the name of the next street, I think he was impressed. He pulled out some papers with pictures of leaves around Kyoto and gave them to me as a present. Soon we arrived in front of the Gion District. There was a huge red archway that welcomed us into the district and once inside we felt transformed to a traditional Japanese village. We found the most beautiful park area that had ponds and a little bridge. The fall leaves that were falling in every color added to the perfection of the moment. We bought these little papers that you tied to a tree and made a wish. Then we continued on the windy stone paved paths and found Buddha statues and a huge Pagoda. We did a little shopping at some small local shops. For lunch we had “humbas” which is basically sweet tasting dough stuffed with meat. It sounds disgusting but they are yummy and we were proud we had something traditional for lunch rather than McDonalds. After lunch we finally found the main temple in the area which was bright red and gorgeous. I think we went at the best time of the year because the leaves everywhere were all so amazing. The best part of the area was that there were real life geishas dressed in the traditional kimono outfit, faces painted white, lips painted bright red, and hair pulled back in a tight bun. They would scuttle around in their tall wooden flip flop style shoes. They added to the ambiance of the area. After spending the afternoon roaming around the district, we headed back to our lovely ryokan to pick up our bags and jump on the train to Tokyo. On the train there Allison and I could not find a seat so we spent about an hour chilling in the corridor in between two of the train cars. It was not the most comfortable of seats but we made time pass by having a dance party/photography session and taking naps on our backpacks. We all arrived in Tokyo at about six at night and were eager to get to our hotel for some rest. When we walked in we felt like we were at the wrong hotel or something because there were tons of businessmen walking around. It turned out there was a business conference at the hotel so we felt somewhat out of place. The hotel was amazing though, we had a room on the 25th floor so we had a great view of the city. We took a much needed rest and watched some CNN. It was crazy because at the end of one of the sports segments they showed a clip of KU football. I was freaking out and my friends and I could not get over how weird it was that Kansas was on the television in Tokyo! Small world. Also my friend Allison is from Santa Barbara so her hometown was all over the news because of the wildfires. After a while the three of us got ready and had a lovely sushi dinner in the hotel. Then we met up with some friends who were at the hotel and went out to the bar district of Tokyo called Roponggi. We ran into a lot of SASers which was exciting because we had not seen them for a few days…we all had a very fabulous time that night before heading back to our lovely hotel (Grand Price).
The next day we woke up early again…I was very proud that we managed to wake up early every day even though we had no specific time schedule, we just were all determined to maximize our Japan experience. That day the three of us and our friend Lindsey took the subway to the legendary Harijuka district. It was amazing, the fashion there is insane. Girls were wearing everything from tutus to mickey mouse sweatshirts. There was a street with tons of shops and little knick knack stores. But the best part was watching all the Japanese teenagers walking around. I found the most amazing tennis shoes (bright and colorful and one pair designed after an Andy Warhol painting) and even found a vintage store which made me very happy. After reveling in the glory of Harijuka we left for our next destination….Disneyland Tokyo! Now I must preface this by saying that on this trip I have constantly worked hard to adapt to the cultures I am in rather than just running back to the American basics. We had Disneyland on our list but I did not think we would ever make it; I also wanted to make sure we saw plenty of Japan before heading to an American version of Japan Disneyland. But I was very proud of us girls for all we did so far and was itching for a little taste of America. Before we knew it, after a quick subway ride, we were thrown right into Disneyland. It fulfilled my itch for America and left me completely satisfied. I could not contain my excitement after seeing Cinderella’s castle. We basically ran and skipped all the way to the gate to buy our tickets. Once entering we were thrilled to see it was decorated for Christmas. The Christmas tree was amazing. We went on a few rides; my favorite was Thunder Mountain because I had only been on that once a long time ago. Pirates of the Caribbean was awesome, as always. Everything was pretty similar to the Disneyland in California, except one difference we noticed was that it was very difficult to find bottled water because all the stands sold bottled green tea instead. We skipped around the park like little girls in our Minnie Mouse hats and kept saying how perfect the day was. After our Disneyland adventure we headed back to our hotel. That night we tried going to an Ice Bar but unfortunately it closed early so instead we just went back to Roponggi Street and had a very eventful and amusing night, to say the least.
The next day we woke up for what was sadly our last day in Japan. After packing everything up in our fabulous Disneyland and Hello Kitty shopping bags we headed out for the day (side note: Hello Kitty is everywhere in Japan, it is like their mascot or something. The Buddha was everywhere in Cambodia and Hello Kitty is like the Buddha for Japan. Sarah and I both liked Hello Kitty so we did not mind!). I lead the group to a street that is a market under the train tracks and it was a nice taste of Japan culture. I was on a mission to get a kimono and could not find one anywhere. Oddly there was not a lot of touristy type sopping in Japan, we could not even find a Tokyo t-shirt anywhere, not even a Tokyo Disneyland t-shirt. Anyways, I was struggling to find a kimono, one lady led me to some mall and I was on my way there when at the last second I spotted a shop full of kimonos! I went in and soon realized this was not touristy type shop because there were tons of nice, gorgeous, 100% silk kimonos that included all the traditional accessories that go along with the outfit. Soon however the ladies that worked at the shop were able to help me and they were so sweet. It was such a fun experience to be at a traditional kimono shop where I am sure Japanese woman around the area come to buy their kimonos. The quaint little shopkeepers thought it was so funny that I, a little American girl, wanted a kimono but they helped me try them on a find the color I liked best. It was a perfect way to end my time in Tokyo. After we headed back to the hotel, picked up our bags, and headed to the train station again. After an hour or so we found ourselves in Yokohama and somehow managed to find the boat in the middle of the city. Unfourtantly we did not have a lot of time to spend in Yokohama but it seemed like a cool city, it had a British type of feel but also had huge skyscrapers and a ferris wheel that lit up in multi-colored neon lights. After hauling our bags to the boat we stood in line for an hour or two to clear customs and to get our bags checked by SAS.
We finally returned to our rooms on the boat at about 6:00 that night, with our hearts still yearning for our love known as Japan. All in all I think part of the reason why Japan was so awesome, apart from all the tea, sushi, sake, geishas, chopsticks, and kimonos we encountered, was that the three of us girls did it all by ourselves. The fashion, culture, and people of Japan are one of a kind. I HEART JAPAN!!!
PEACE LOVE & JAPAN,
MAGGIE
i <3 Japan
Our first day in Japan I hung around in Kobe for the day. From the dock, I had to take a subway into the center of the city. Dan, Ryan and I went to a local shopping mall in search of a ticket counter so we could, hopefully, purchase concert tickets for The Who, in Tokyo. After unsuccessfully searching and not finding the tickets, I went shopping with the girls. I only ended up buying a pair of tights and a necklace because everything is so expensive in Japan. Despite the fact that my shopping fix was not filled, I had to go back to the ship and meet up with Dan because we were traveling from Kobe to Kyoto that night.After a short hour train ride, we arrived in Kyoto. We tried to find a decently priced hotel, but since it is “leaf-viewing season” in Kyoto right now, all the hotels were booked. We bit the bullet and paid $200 for the night in a really nice hotel, centrally located though. After dropping our stuff, we went out in search of a good meal. The hotel concierge helped us find Donguri, an amazing hibachi-style restaurant. It’s different than our Beni Hana’s though, because the hot plate is in the middle of every individual table, and you get to cool your own food. We had the best food at this restaurant - noodles, sausages, an omelet-looking thing, etc.We were super tired, and really full, after dinner so we went down a little tiny alley that was filled with these small bars. We opened up one of the rice paper sliding dors and sat down on the stools at the bar. Literally, your back was against the rice paper door and your knees were against the bar. Only about ten or so people could fit in each bar. Plus, there was karaoke. Ryan sang Michael Jackson, Dan sang Michael Buble, and I sang backup. It was a great end to the first night in Japan.
I couldn’t wait to wake up on Saturday morning and explore the beautiful city of Kyoto. Our first stop of the day was the Botanical Gardens. Luckily, it was a sunny, crisp fall day and the gardens were gorgeous. The trees were all changing colors and the garden was a slash of red, orange, and yellow. It was like a floral fantasy- the Disneyland of all gardens. It’s hard to describe in words how amazingly beautiful this place was. Dan, Ryan and I spent about two hours in the gardens, just wandering around and enjoying the clean, fresh air. We were excited to move on to our next destination, though. Kyoto is known for its Golden Pavillion at the Kinkaku-ji Temple, a Zen Buddhist temple built in the 1200s. It is nestled in the foothills of Kyoto and the walk through the old part of the city was so nice. We walked up to the red archway that led visitors from the street down a pathway to the entrance of the temple. As soon as we went through the gates of the temple grounds, an explosion of autumn trees and wild flowers hit our visual senses and across the lake, there stood the Golden Pavillion, sparkling in the sun. I can’t wait to show the pictures to all of you. We also visited a rock garden temple, called Ryoan-ji. It was a little farther down the road. It was cool to see a real Zen rock garden. There were about fifteen larger rocks surrounded by gravel that was raked nicely and in a meditative manner, or so the brochure said. It was, actually, a place where people come to meditate because all around the garden were people sitting =, just sitting and looking. Dan, Ryan, and I partook for a few minutes.By the time we got back to our hotel, it was getting late. So we grabbed a quick bite to eat before going to the Gion District to catch a Geisha show. When we got back, there was a party going on outside our hotel- loud music, a crown of people, and a stage where local, young artists were painting pictures to the beat of the music. Apparently there was a big music festival happening in Kyoto that weekend. Unfortunately, we had a train to catch to Tokyo.
We took the Nozumi bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo and man was it fast! When we passed through a station or went by another train, there was nothing to see out the windows but a 2-second blur. It was a two and a half our train ride. We passed the time by listening to music, sipping on white wine, and folding origami paper cranes. We finally arrived in Tokyo and easily found a hotel right on Roppongi Street- the main hang-out for young people. We got to the hotel at 11:30pm and followed the same routine as in Kyoto- dropped our stuff and went out for a night on the town. We found a nice little Irish pub called Abbot’s Corner, had a glass of Strongbow cider, some meatballs, and headed back to the hotel for bed.
I guess all the traveling caught up with us, because we slept in until about 10am and got a late start on the day. We still did a lot of touring and walking around Tokyo. We started at the Imperial Palace where we wandered through the gardens for about an hour and a half. It had just recently rained, so the gardens looked refreshed and clean. However, Ryan thought it would be funny to situate me underneath a bamboo tree and shake it. Of course, me being completely unknowing, I was covered in raindrops and soaked to the bone. Thanks, Ryan. I’ll get him back one day- I learned that he hates spiders so that might play into it.After the gardens, we went to the MOMAT- Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. We explored the National Museum and the Craft Gallery that held a really cool jewelry exhibit. After the museum, we were moseying through the park and stumbled upon the Nippon Budokan- a concert arena where we were going to see The Who the following night. Sunday, though, the 19th Annual Karate World Championships were being held there. We took about twenty minutes and watched all the teams come up. There were some pretty tough looking women karate masters.Our second-to-last stop on site-seeing that day was a interesting shrine nestled in the back of a forest that had tons of colorful paper cranes strung up all over and racks upon racks of paper wished that people tied on to the fences around the shrine.We headed back to the Roppongi district, but right before grabbing dinner, we decided to go up the Tokyo Tower, which was modeled after the Eifle Tower in Paris. It was all lit up and there was even a Christmas tree outside. At the top of the tower, we were able to see the city and all its lights. During the day, you can see Mt. Fuji and Tokyo Disneyland, or so we’re told.Dinner that night was at a restaurant, I forgot the name, where you sit on mats on the ground. It was delicious skewers, edamame, and noodles. We were supposed to meet friends back at the hotel before going out. We went to Geronimo’s bar and walked around the Roppongi district for the rest of the night. And as always, we managed to find our way to McDonald’s, which has become the main hangout for SAS kids after midnight in mostly every port.
The next day, Monday, was our last day in Tokyo. We got up late, again, and went straight to the Sumo Museum, hoping to catch a wrestling match at the arena next door. Unfortunately, we traveled a long way for almost nothing. The museum was literally one building and there were no sumo matches that day. So we got back on the subway and headed to the Shinjuku area to Tokyo. It was supposed to be a mix between New York’s Times Square and Amsterdams’ Red Light District. We walked through many bustling streets with brightly colored flashing lights and even went into an arcade and played a few video games.After that, it was time to go back to our hotel and get ready for….THE WHO! I picked up a sandwich to-go while the boys got sushi. I needed ample time to get ready for the concert. By the time I was ready, the boys were back from dinner and we headed straight out to the concert. I only knew a few songs by The Who- Pinball Wizard, Teenage Wasteland, and Who Are You? We were on the left side of the stage and our seats with meters from the stage! It was awesome! I had such a good time singing along to the songs that I did know and dancing with all the Japanese. I swear, we were three of maybe 30 white people in the audience. Then we went back to the Roppongi district and hung out with friends at an underground Irish pub.
Tuesday, we had to take a train to Yokohama to meet up with the ship. Apparently, Yokohama is the “date” place of Japan. I definitely felt the romance as soon as I exited the subway station. The wind picked up the fallen leaves of the changing trees and swirled them around my ankles. Cafes were filled with businessmen having lunch with their girlfriends or wives out on the sidewalk. Artists were painting the scenery on street corners. Dan, Ryan and I walked in the swirling leaves, stopped to watch the artists paint, and had lunch at a café. Que romantica!Our last thing on the agenda before getting back on the ship was to do some grocery shopping. It’s going to be a long way to Hawaii.
I fell in love with Japan. And will miss it a lot.
Peace, love, and dumplings,
Amber
I couldn’t wait to wake up on Saturday morning and explore the beautiful city of Kyoto. Our first stop of the day was the Botanical Gardens. Luckily, it was a sunny, crisp fall day and the gardens were gorgeous. The trees were all changing colors and the garden was a slash of red, orange, and yellow. It was like a floral fantasy- the Disneyland of all gardens. It’s hard to describe in words how amazingly beautiful this place was. Dan, Ryan and I spent about two hours in the gardens, just wandering around and enjoying the clean, fresh air. We were excited to move on to our next destination, though. Kyoto is known for its Golden Pavillion at the Kinkaku-ji Temple, a Zen Buddhist temple built in the 1200s. It is nestled in the foothills of Kyoto and the walk through the old part of the city was so nice. We walked up to the red archway that led visitors from the street down a pathway to the entrance of the temple. As soon as we went through the gates of the temple grounds, an explosion of autumn trees and wild flowers hit our visual senses and across the lake, there stood the Golden Pavillion, sparkling in the sun. I can’t wait to show the pictures to all of you. We also visited a rock garden temple, called Ryoan-ji. It was a little farther down the road. It was cool to see a real Zen rock garden. There were about fifteen larger rocks surrounded by gravel that was raked nicely and in a meditative manner, or so the brochure said. It was, actually, a place where people come to meditate because all around the garden were people sitting =, just sitting and looking. Dan, Ryan, and I partook for a few minutes.By the time we got back to our hotel, it was getting late. So we grabbed a quick bite to eat before going to the Gion District to catch a Geisha show. When we got back, there was a party going on outside our hotel- loud music, a crown of people, and a stage where local, young artists were painting pictures to the beat of the music. Apparently there was a big music festival happening in Kyoto that weekend. Unfortunately, we had a train to catch to Tokyo.
We took the Nozumi bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo and man was it fast! When we passed through a station or went by another train, there was nothing to see out the windows but a 2-second blur. It was a two and a half our train ride. We passed the time by listening to music, sipping on white wine, and folding origami paper cranes. We finally arrived in Tokyo and easily found a hotel right on Roppongi Street- the main hang-out for young people. We got to the hotel at 11:30pm and followed the same routine as in Kyoto- dropped our stuff and went out for a night on the town. We found a nice little Irish pub called Abbot’s Corner, had a glass of Strongbow cider, some meatballs, and headed back to the hotel for bed.
I guess all the traveling caught up with us, because we slept in until about 10am and got a late start on the day. We still did a lot of touring and walking around Tokyo. We started at the Imperial Palace where we wandered through the gardens for about an hour and a half. It had just recently rained, so the gardens looked refreshed and clean. However, Ryan thought it would be funny to situate me underneath a bamboo tree and shake it. Of course, me being completely unknowing, I was covered in raindrops and soaked to the bone. Thanks, Ryan. I’ll get him back one day- I learned that he hates spiders so that might play into it.After the gardens, we went to the MOMAT- Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. We explored the National Museum and the Craft Gallery that held a really cool jewelry exhibit. After the museum, we were moseying through the park and stumbled upon the Nippon Budokan- a concert arena where we were going to see The Who the following night. Sunday, though, the 19th Annual Karate World Championships were being held there. We took about twenty minutes and watched all the teams come up. There were some pretty tough looking women karate masters.Our second-to-last stop on site-seeing that day was a interesting shrine nestled in the back of a forest that had tons of colorful paper cranes strung up all over and racks upon racks of paper wished that people tied on to the fences around the shrine.We headed back to the Roppongi district, but right before grabbing dinner, we decided to go up the Tokyo Tower, which was modeled after the Eifle Tower in Paris. It was all lit up and there was even a Christmas tree outside. At the top of the tower, we were able to see the city and all its lights. During the day, you can see Mt. Fuji and Tokyo Disneyland, or so we’re told.Dinner that night was at a restaurant, I forgot the name, where you sit on mats on the ground. It was delicious skewers, edamame, and noodles. We were supposed to meet friends back at the hotel before going out. We went to Geronimo’s bar and walked around the Roppongi district for the rest of the night. And as always, we managed to find our way to McDonald’s, which has become the main hangout for SAS kids after midnight in mostly every port.
The next day, Monday, was our last day in Tokyo. We got up late, again, and went straight to the Sumo Museum, hoping to catch a wrestling match at the arena next door. Unfortunately, we traveled a long way for almost nothing. The museum was literally one building and there were no sumo matches that day. So we got back on the subway and headed to the Shinjuku area to Tokyo. It was supposed to be a mix between New York’s Times Square and Amsterdams’ Red Light District. We walked through many bustling streets with brightly colored flashing lights and even went into an arcade and played a few video games.After that, it was time to go back to our hotel and get ready for….THE WHO! I picked up a sandwich to-go while the boys got sushi. I needed ample time to get ready for the concert. By the time I was ready, the boys were back from dinner and we headed straight out to the concert. I only knew a few songs by The Who- Pinball Wizard, Teenage Wasteland, and Who Are You? We were on the left side of the stage and our seats with meters from the stage! It was awesome! I had such a good time singing along to the songs that I did know and dancing with all the Japanese. I swear, we were three of maybe 30 white people in the audience. Then we went back to the Roppongi district and hung out with friends at an underground Irish pub.
Tuesday, we had to take a train to Yokohama to meet up with the ship. Apparently, Yokohama is the “date” place of Japan. I definitely felt the romance as soon as I exited the subway station. The wind picked up the fallen leaves of the changing trees and swirled them around my ankles. Cafes were filled with businessmen having lunch with their girlfriends or wives out on the sidewalk. Artists were painting the scenery on street corners. Dan, Ryan and I walked in the swirling leaves, stopped to watch the artists paint, and had lunch at a café. Que romantica!Our last thing on the agenda before getting back on the ship was to do some grocery shopping. It’s going to be a long way to Hawaii.
I fell in love with Japan. And will miss it a lot.
Peace, love, and dumplings,
Amber
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Does anyone in China speak English?
The view through the ship’s windows of the skyscrapers of Hong Kong was like pulling into New York City’s harbor. You could immediately tell that it was a city booming with economic stability, a home for businesses, and a glamorous couture fashion capital. The gangway from the ship to the land went directly into a shopping mall. It was very convenient for the girls. However, we soon learned that the shopping in Hong Kong was only for those who could afford to spend thousands of dollars on a dress or a coat. It was fun to window shop, though. One of my friends on the ship, Jenny, was going to meet up with some family friends whom she had never met before. They were Hong Kong natives and had a few young boys our age that we could hang out with. We met up with Kathy, Paul and their nephew, Steven at the Longham Hotel. It was one of the most glamorous hotels that I have seen in a while. I definitely couldn’t afford a room, much less a soda, in that place. It was all gold, black, red and green. Very beautiful. We met the family in the lobby and expected to go to unch somewhere on the street. Instead, we were led up a flight of spiral staircases to the third floor, led down a hallway with many closed doors on either side and to a back private room. This is where we ate lunch. There was a table set for 8 and once we sat down, the food did not cease. It was course after course of amazingly delicious food- true Chinese food. We all left that room stuffed like Thanksgiving turkeys and ready to see the sights of Hong Kong, hoping to walk off at least part of our lunch feast. Paul and Kathy ordered a driver to take us around the city and Steven would act as tour guide (even though he had only been in HK for 4 days). We went to HK park which was really beautiful, walked through an aviary, explored a child’s playground, and rode the tram up to the top of Victoria Peak where you could see all of HK peninsula and island.It was time to head back to the ship to get ready for dinner and the rest of our night. We ate at CPK in the mall and headed off for the ferry that would take us to the island where we met up with another of my friend’s friend, Tim. He invited us to his apartment to hang out and then he would take us to LFK street which was apparently the best bar scene in town. Needless to say, the night was long, but extremely fun.The next day, Friday, was the day we left for Beijing. We had a few hours to spare before our bus ride to Shenzhen, a city just outside of Hong Kong, so we spent it shopping in the mall. I picked up a few things, including a 3-dimensional Hello, Kitty puzzle.After clearing customs in Shenzhen, we got onto our plane for the three hour journey to Beijing. I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep a bit on the plane.We arrived in Beijing at around 10pm. Luckily, we already found and booked a hotel- The Marriot right next to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. We didn’t have much more energy to expel past finding dinner and watching a movie before groggily falling asleep. We had a busy day ahead of us, tomorrow.Saturday we decided to see all the touristy sights of Beijing. This included Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, other temples nearby, and the 2008 Olympic buildings. We left the hotel at around 9am. Since there were 5 of us traveling together, we had to split up between two cabs. Dan and I took one and Jenny, Maggie, and Darcy were in the other. When Dan and I arrived at Tiananmen Square we quickly realized that the other girls were no where in sight. We stood in the middle of Tiananmen Square for about 20 minutes, and when they didn’t show up, we proceeded into the Forbidden City, assuming the girls had done the same and we’d see them inside. Well, the City was more crowded than Disneyland on a weekend. We finally gave up hope of ever finding them in the City and we’d somehow meet up with them at the hotel later that night. The Forbidden City was awesome- so many pagoda-topped buildings painted in reds, gold, and greens. It took Dan and I about two or so hours to see it all. Then we wandered around the surrounding area before heading back to the area around the hotel. We met up with some other SASers and had dinner at a really good noodle and rice restaurant in the mall attached to the Marriot. The Forbidden City took a lot out of us so we napped for an hour or so before meeting back up with the girls.That night we went to see the Olympic buildings all lit up. It was really cool to see the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube after watching it on TV this past summer. I saw where Michael Phelps won all those gold medals and where the opening ceremonies took place! It was an awesome end to a great day.Sunday was the day to do the Great Wall and Ming Tombs. Our group was joining another so we had 11 people in our travel group now. The van picked us up at 8am and we had many stops on our agenda. We saw three factories that produce traditional Chinese knick-knacks: first, a clossanaise workshop(pretty porcelain vases); next, a jade manufacturer and market; and lastly, a pearl shop. The Ming Tombs was our last stop before we climbed the Great Wall. It was pretty cool and in a beautiful location- right in the middle of fields of fruit trees.We spent two hours at the Great Wall, scaling the stairs which were extremely steep. The sight from the top, though, took our breath away, both figuratively and literally. I have plenty of pictures to show everyone when I get home.That night was pizza night and it was delicious! We were all pretty tired, but it was our last night in Beijing so we had to go out. We went to a few bars with a bunch of people before calling it a night.We had to get up super early on Monday because our flight from Beijing to Shanghai was at 8am. When we arrived at the dock where the boat was supposed to be, around 11am, we soon found out that it wasn’t there. Apparently, due to rough seas and a storm, the boat was going to be late- by 7 hours. All of us, with all of our luggage had to wait until 3pm to get one the boat. We left our bags at a nearby hotel and went off to get lunch and walk around a little to waste time before going back to the ship. We went shopping in People’s Square and had lunch at great Chinese restaurant. By the time we were finished with that, the ship had arrived in Shanghai Harbor. We wanted to rest for a few hours before venturing out again to find dinner and entertainment for the night. After a much-needed cat nap, Dan picked me up at my cabin (how romantic, right? Haha) to take me out to dinner. He had asked me out on a date about a month or so before and we were just now getting around to it. We went to Yuyuan Gardens which was a really pretty area of Shanghai. The pagoda-esque buildings were all decorated with Christmas lights which made it so beautiful. We walked through the gardens and across the nine bridges that wove their way between the buildings. We ended up finding a great little hole-in-the-wall noodle place for dinner. If was a good first date- noodles in Shanghai, I don’t know if any of my previous dates with other boys can top that.We ended the night by meeting up with friends at Bar Rouge for drinks. What a good way to end China!Unfortunately, there was a heavy damper put on our China experience. One of our friends and fellow classmates on the ship was killed by a drunk driver in Hong Kong the first night of our travels in China. We all learned of this terrible tragedy on Saturday morning. It was hard to react to the news because very few of us were close with Kurt. He was a super quite guy, but very nice and good-hearted. I only knew him because he was on my trip to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. When we got back to the ship and sailed away from Shanghai, the Deans of the ship called a meeting with the entire shipboard community where we could discuss what happened. It was an emotional meeting for all of us. We were still all so shocked that we had lost a member of our community.Just the other night, we had a memorial service honoring Kurt’s life. It was beautiful, emotional, touching, and inspiring. Even though I did not know him well, his friends’ words and memories made me cry and feel like I had known him just as well. We threw flowers off the aft of the ship and all said our goodbyes. It’s still hard to think that someone my age died in such an unfortunate accident. Kurt will be missed, that’s for sure, and he was definitely loved by all who knew him.I know that our families and friends back home, and even us on the ship, are praying for our safe return back to Miami. Keep us all in your prayers.
Love and peace,Amber
Love and peace,Amber
China Chronicles: HONG KONG. BEIJING.& SHANHAI
Although a few weeks late, below are the stories of my time in China!
We arrived in China by way of the Hong Kong port. We were all eager to get off the ship but immigration took some time, our temperatures were required to be taken before we could step foot in the country to make sure that we did not have the bird flu. However we eventually were granted access into the wonderful land of China. We docked basically right next to a mall and looking out the window in the morning we saw a California Pizza Kitchen which was a nice taste of home. We walked out of the boat into the mall, grabbed some Starbucks, and started our Hong Kong adventures. One of my friends Jenny had a family friend that lived in Hong Kong, she had never met the couple but they were friends of her uncles and they had a nephew living with them that had just moved to Hong Kong from the US. Jenny invited us to come to lunch with her so a group of us decided to go, a bit nervous about what to expect. However, we turned out having the most perfect day. We met the mother of the family at a hotel across the street from the boat and she led us up to a private room of the hotel. Luckily their nephew (Stephen) spoke perfect English and Mandarin so he served as an excellent translator during lunch. Soon the husband, Paul, arrived and we had the most amazing meal. We were a bit nervous about making sure to follow proper Chinese manners, but when Darcy and I were struggling with the chopsticks the couple quickly ordered us forks to make it easier for us. We had the best noodles, beef, tea, and much more. During lunch Paul asked what we were doing for the day and jenny told him we had no plans. Then he said that he would order us our own private van to take us around the city and that Stephen could come with us to be our personal tour guide. We were beyond ecstatic and grateful. Soon we were bustled away into our private van and driven to the Hong Kong Park. Stephen was the best tour guide, even though he had moved to Hong Kong only 4 days ago from Virginia, still we had a great time roaming the park looking at various gardens and a bird park as well. Then we went across the street and took a trolley/tram up to the top of a mountain that had the most amazing view of Hong Kong. We roamed around this area for a bit which was gorgeous; it was just a picturesque piece of nature situated right in the middle of the large industrial city of Hong Kong. After a while we headed back to the boat to change, and then we all indulged in a little flavor of home and had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. I could not have imagined a better way to spend my day in Hong Kong. We took a ferry ride across the island to the main downtown area of Hong Kong. The lights in Hong Kong are incredible, they are bright neon colored and come in every color of the rainbow. After dinner we met up with one of Sarah and Allison’s friend from their home university who was living in Hong Kong. He basically showed us the best place for nightlife in Hong Kong, when we got there we ran into lots of SASsers on the streets. We stayed out till 5am…it was one of the best days turned into nights ever. It was such a treat to have two local tour guides that spoke both English and Mandarin.
After our late night in Hong Kong we woke up fairly early to get ready to head to Beijing! We had a few hours to kill in Hong Kong so we did a little shopping before heading back to the boat to pick up our luggage. I picked up the coolest pair of gold tennis shoes in Hong Kong. To get to Beijing, we flew out of the Shin Zen airport which was about two hours away from Hong Kong. I travelled independently to Beijing so my group and I were responsible for getting everywhere and seeing everything. We took a cab to a mall and then jumped on a bus. After the bus we jumped on our flight to Beijing. We arrived to some very cold weather which was very refreshing, I felt like I had just stepped foot outside of KCI after coming home for Christmas break from San Diego. That night, we just checked into our hotel and got some dinner. We headed to sleep early to rest up for our full day of touring we had planned for the next day and to catch up on some sleep we had lost.
The next morning we woke up and had The Forbidden City and Tiananmen's Square on our to do list. I got bundled in my warmest coat and boots in order to explore the city happily. I was travelling with a group of five so we had to take two cabs everywhere we went, usually we would leave at the same time and basically have the cabs follow each other but this morning the first cab left and we had to wait for the second cab. We planned on meeting back up but once arriving to Tiananmen Square we soon realized that was a lot easier said than done, and we ended up never finding the first cab of people! That left me, Darcy, and Jenny to be our own tour guides. When we first got out of the cab we immediately saw tons of stores with Olympic memorabilia. Then right ahead of us was the famous building with General Mao’s face! It was crazy to see the building after seeing it on NBC so often this summer when I was glued to the television watch Michael Phelps (who I defiantly had my eyes peeled for just in case he wanted to come back to Beijing after his Olympic glory). The building was huge and there were lots of guards standing in front of it. There were so many people standing around it and we were walking around lost looking like typical tourists. Soon Darcy noticed a lady with a baby walking towards us and then turn around and start following us. At first we were all kind of whispering to each other what was going on but as soon as we turned around the lady asked if she could take a picture with us. She wanted her baby in the picture too and as her daughter took the picture she was giggling making us all laugh a little bit. It was a bit awkward to say the least to have our picture taken by a complete stranger…I mean who knows where that picture will go, perhaps on their mantle? But we could not help but feel like celebrities, especially when this continued all day! A group of young girls asked to have their picture taken with us, a son asked if his mother could be in a picture with us, and a group of young school boys bombarded us for a picture. It was insane. After viewing the Mao building we headed further inside the city to walk around the Forbidden City. It was a city where emperors lived during the Ming Dynasty and was reserved only for the elect few chosen by the emperor. There were tons of palaces and gardens, it was gorgeous. The three of us were impressed but were kind of lost on the significance of the whole thing until we rented an audio guide that saved us. It was a really fascinating area that was only open to tourists about 50 years ago. After the Forbidden City, we headed to the Temple of Heaven which was located in the most gorgeous park. We came at the perfect time of the year because the leaves on the trees were bright yellow, orange, and red. The trees lined the most picturesque pathways that lead to a bright blue temple or a simple patch of a rose garden. It was magnificent and we did not expect much except a temple, but we got a lot more. After we headed back to the hotel where we finally meet up with our other long lost 2 travelers we lost earlier in the morning. We took a rest for a little bit and indulged in some Pizza Hut, then headed out for what I was looking forward to all ay…the Olympic Buildings! I was obsessed with the Olympics this summer so needless to say I could not wait to see the actual place where Michael Phelps swam or the actual place where the Opening Ceremonies took place. We decided to go at night because we wanted to make sure we would have time to go and thought the buildings would be cool to see at night. We were brave and took the subway all the way there, very impressive. I could hardly contain my excitement walking up the steps to the Olympic area. It was pretty dark out when we walked out but still the buildings were amazing! They were right next to each other which surprised me and the architecture was quite impressive. The birds nest is huge and it really looks exactly like a birds nest. The water cube glows just like a water cube and the walls look so thin just like ice. There were men selling all sorts of Olympic memorabilia there and we bought some kites to fly around. We met some local Chinese college students who we took a picture with and joked around with for a while. I told one of them my name was Tiger as a joke and he said his name was Pig, very clever! Unfortunately we could not go into the buildings because they were not open and we never had the chance to go back. Still just being around them and in that area was a dream come true. Plus when I marry Michael Phelps, we can return to the water cube for our wedding (kidding, kinda…) I dropped my red feather at the water cube, perhaps Michael Phelps will find it. We headed back to the hotel that night and then headed out for a little bit. We went to a really cool area where there was basically a warehouse with bars on each floor but we were all pretty tired so we made it an early night. First, however we found a DVD store and loaded up on some more $2.00 DVDs. Perfect ending to an exciting day!
The next day we joined with another group of SASsers who were staying at our hotel and signed up for a tour of the Great Wall. It was so easy and nice to have everything taken care of. We had transportation and an English speaking tour guide. To start our tour we stopped at a porcelain factory and got to see how traditional Chinese porcelain was made. It was fascinating to see but we cannot help but wonder who is really mass producing all the porcelain and to think of what they are not showing us. Still we took time to enjoy the creation of this art. Then we ventured to another palace area that had the tomb of one of the emperors. Mao had once visited this area which was a big deal. When we were there Amber found a red feather on the ground which was a random coincidence. Amber gave the feather to me and we both were amused at how there was a random red feather there. Next we headed to a jade factory and were able to see how jade was made and how to find out if a piece of jewelry is real or fake jade. We had an amazing lunch at this stop. It was served on the traditional Chinese table instrument known to us as the Lazy Susan! After it was time to head to the infamous Great Wall of China. We drove for a while and then out of the blue popped the Great Wall hidden in the mountains. The wall was huge and went on forever! We got dropped off at one part of the wall and were told we could go up a steep walkway with a better view or an easier path. We went for the steep path which was a bit difficult. I did not come prepared but the walk was not too bad, we just kept telling ourselves we could do anything after climbing Table Mountain in Cape Town. The steps were very tiny and very tall, all made out of stone. There were lots of parents carrying their children up and we talked to one man who had hiked up the Great Wall after having bypass surgery. After climbing to our hearts desires we headed back down the path. I ended up leaving the red feather that Amber found for me on this wall where people leave locks or string and make a wish. I tied my feather to the chain on the wall. Even though I broke my one red feather per country policy, I felt this was an exception because the red feather was found in the country! After the Great Wall we headed back on the bus and to a pearl factory. We had our tour guide drop us off at the Silk Market located in downtown Beijing and shopped around for a little. Then we headed back to the hotel for some rest. That night we met up with Sarah and Allison who were in Beijing with a SAS sponsored trip and we all went out for a little before heading back to the hotel.
The next morning we woke up bright and early to catch a flight to Shanghai where the boat was (in the 2 days we were in Beijing the boat moved from Hong Kong to a port in Shanghai). When we arrived to the port, sadly the MV was not there because it was delayed due to storms on the ocean. A big group of us rented a small hotel room and all paid only $2.00 to store our bags today. Although we desperately wanted to return to our beds and shower on the boat, we decided to make the most of our day in Shanghai and head out into the city. We first had an amazing lunch and then shopped around a little bit before eventually getting back to the boat. The architecture in Shanghai was amazing. There were the most insane buildings and skyscrapers. There was one large tower with a large sphere in the middle of it or a tall building with a huge crown on top of it. That night we headed out to Bund St. where we went to a bar that had the most amazing view of the city lights from the outside deck. The next day we woke up early and were determined to get our rail passes for Japan (you cannot buy them in Japan) so we spent about 2 hours hustling and bustling through the confusing streets of Shanghai trying to find this one little spot where we could get the rail passes. We finally got them and then headed back to the boat to join an FDP. Darcy and I went to the Children’s Palace which was similar to a YMCA type of place. It was a place where kids could go to learn skills like drawing, playing the piano, singing opera, or dancing. Unfortunately, there were only a few kids there that day so we did not get to interact with the kids a lot but it was still cool to see that type of organized establishment for children in China. We got to go to a little shop that had some of the artwork done by the children. After we headed back to the boat, absolutely exhausted! We were the last people on the boat and missed on ship time, luckily we did not get in trouble though because we were on an FDP. We raced to Sarah and Allison’s room so we could all catch up on our travels about the wonderful China!That concludes my tales about China. My highlights of the trip include seeing the Water Cube, the impressive architecture of Shanghai, and the spectacular Great Wall of China. It was different to travel without a SAS sponsored trip but it felt great to get everywhere independently. Of course, nothing can compare to my perfect day in Hong Kong. The language barrier proved to be difficult but I want to take up Mandarin when I get home just for fun! Having strangers take random pictures with us was another unexpected addition to our China travels!
LOVE ALWAYS:
MAGGIE
ps looking forward to seeing you all in a month or so!
We arrived in China by way of the Hong Kong port. We were all eager to get off the ship but immigration took some time, our temperatures were required to be taken before we could step foot in the country to make sure that we did not have the bird flu. However we eventually were granted access into the wonderful land of China. We docked basically right next to a mall and looking out the window in the morning we saw a California Pizza Kitchen which was a nice taste of home. We walked out of the boat into the mall, grabbed some Starbucks, and started our Hong Kong adventures. One of my friends Jenny had a family friend that lived in Hong Kong, she had never met the couple but they were friends of her uncles and they had a nephew living with them that had just moved to Hong Kong from the US. Jenny invited us to come to lunch with her so a group of us decided to go, a bit nervous about what to expect. However, we turned out having the most perfect day. We met the mother of the family at a hotel across the street from the boat and she led us up to a private room of the hotel. Luckily their nephew (Stephen) spoke perfect English and Mandarin so he served as an excellent translator during lunch. Soon the husband, Paul, arrived and we had the most amazing meal. We were a bit nervous about making sure to follow proper Chinese manners, but when Darcy and I were struggling with the chopsticks the couple quickly ordered us forks to make it easier for us. We had the best noodles, beef, tea, and much more. During lunch Paul asked what we were doing for the day and jenny told him we had no plans. Then he said that he would order us our own private van to take us around the city and that Stephen could come with us to be our personal tour guide. We were beyond ecstatic and grateful. Soon we were bustled away into our private van and driven to the Hong Kong Park. Stephen was the best tour guide, even though he had moved to Hong Kong only 4 days ago from Virginia, still we had a great time roaming the park looking at various gardens and a bird park as well. Then we went across the street and took a trolley/tram up to the top of a mountain that had the most amazing view of Hong Kong. We roamed around this area for a bit which was gorgeous; it was just a picturesque piece of nature situated right in the middle of the large industrial city of Hong Kong. After a while we headed back to the boat to change, and then we all indulged in a little flavor of home and had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. I could not have imagined a better way to spend my day in Hong Kong. We took a ferry ride across the island to the main downtown area of Hong Kong. The lights in Hong Kong are incredible, they are bright neon colored and come in every color of the rainbow. After dinner we met up with one of Sarah and Allison’s friend from their home university who was living in Hong Kong. He basically showed us the best place for nightlife in Hong Kong, when we got there we ran into lots of SASsers on the streets. We stayed out till 5am…it was one of the best days turned into nights ever. It was such a treat to have two local tour guides that spoke both English and Mandarin.
After our late night in Hong Kong we woke up fairly early to get ready to head to Beijing! We had a few hours to kill in Hong Kong so we did a little shopping before heading back to the boat to pick up our luggage. I picked up the coolest pair of gold tennis shoes in Hong Kong. To get to Beijing, we flew out of the Shin Zen airport which was about two hours away from Hong Kong. I travelled independently to Beijing so my group and I were responsible for getting everywhere and seeing everything. We took a cab to a mall and then jumped on a bus. After the bus we jumped on our flight to Beijing. We arrived to some very cold weather which was very refreshing, I felt like I had just stepped foot outside of KCI after coming home for Christmas break from San Diego. That night, we just checked into our hotel and got some dinner. We headed to sleep early to rest up for our full day of touring we had planned for the next day and to catch up on some sleep we had lost.
The next morning we woke up and had The Forbidden City and Tiananmen's Square on our to do list. I got bundled in my warmest coat and boots in order to explore the city happily. I was travelling with a group of five so we had to take two cabs everywhere we went, usually we would leave at the same time and basically have the cabs follow each other but this morning the first cab left and we had to wait for the second cab. We planned on meeting back up but once arriving to Tiananmen Square we soon realized that was a lot easier said than done, and we ended up never finding the first cab of people! That left me, Darcy, and Jenny to be our own tour guides. When we first got out of the cab we immediately saw tons of stores with Olympic memorabilia. Then right ahead of us was the famous building with General Mao’s face! It was crazy to see the building after seeing it on NBC so often this summer when I was glued to the television watch Michael Phelps (who I defiantly had my eyes peeled for just in case he wanted to come back to Beijing after his Olympic glory). The building was huge and there were lots of guards standing in front of it. There were so many people standing around it and we were walking around lost looking like typical tourists. Soon Darcy noticed a lady with a baby walking towards us and then turn around and start following us. At first we were all kind of whispering to each other what was going on but as soon as we turned around the lady asked if she could take a picture with us. She wanted her baby in the picture too and as her daughter took the picture she was giggling making us all laugh a little bit. It was a bit awkward to say the least to have our picture taken by a complete stranger…I mean who knows where that picture will go, perhaps on their mantle? But we could not help but feel like celebrities, especially when this continued all day! A group of young girls asked to have their picture taken with us, a son asked if his mother could be in a picture with us, and a group of young school boys bombarded us for a picture. It was insane. After viewing the Mao building we headed further inside the city to walk around the Forbidden City. It was a city where emperors lived during the Ming Dynasty and was reserved only for the elect few chosen by the emperor. There were tons of palaces and gardens, it was gorgeous. The three of us were impressed but were kind of lost on the significance of the whole thing until we rented an audio guide that saved us. It was a really fascinating area that was only open to tourists about 50 years ago. After the Forbidden City, we headed to the Temple of Heaven which was located in the most gorgeous park. We came at the perfect time of the year because the leaves on the trees were bright yellow, orange, and red. The trees lined the most picturesque pathways that lead to a bright blue temple or a simple patch of a rose garden. It was magnificent and we did not expect much except a temple, but we got a lot more. After we headed back to the hotel where we finally meet up with our other long lost 2 travelers we lost earlier in the morning. We took a rest for a little bit and indulged in some Pizza Hut, then headed out for what I was looking forward to all ay…the Olympic Buildings! I was obsessed with the Olympics this summer so needless to say I could not wait to see the actual place where Michael Phelps swam or the actual place where the Opening Ceremonies took place. We decided to go at night because we wanted to make sure we would have time to go and thought the buildings would be cool to see at night. We were brave and took the subway all the way there, very impressive. I could hardly contain my excitement walking up the steps to the Olympic area. It was pretty dark out when we walked out but still the buildings were amazing! They were right next to each other which surprised me and the architecture was quite impressive. The birds nest is huge and it really looks exactly like a birds nest. The water cube glows just like a water cube and the walls look so thin just like ice. There were men selling all sorts of Olympic memorabilia there and we bought some kites to fly around. We met some local Chinese college students who we took a picture with and joked around with for a while. I told one of them my name was Tiger as a joke and he said his name was Pig, very clever! Unfortunately we could not go into the buildings because they were not open and we never had the chance to go back. Still just being around them and in that area was a dream come true. Plus when I marry Michael Phelps, we can return to the water cube for our wedding (kidding, kinda…) I dropped my red feather at the water cube, perhaps Michael Phelps will find it. We headed back to the hotel that night and then headed out for a little bit. We went to a really cool area where there was basically a warehouse with bars on each floor but we were all pretty tired so we made it an early night. First, however we found a DVD store and loaded up on some more $2.00 DVDs. Perfect ending to an exciting day!
The next day we joined with another group of SASsers who were staying at our hotel and signed up for a tour of the Great Wall. It was so easy and nice to have everything taken care of. We had transportation and an English speaking tour guide. To start our tour we stopped at a porcelain factory and got to see how traditional Chinese porcelain was made. It was fascinating to see but we cannot help but wonder who is really mass producing all the porcelain and to think of what they are not showing us. Still we took time to enjoy the creation of this art. Then we ventured to another palace area that had the tomb of one of the emperors. Mao had once visited this area which was a big deal. When we were there Amber found a red feather on the ground which was a random coincidence. Amber gave the feather to me and we both were amused at how there was a random red feather there. Next we headed to a jade factory and were able to see how jade was made and how to find out if a piece of jewelry is real or fake jade. We had an amazing lunch at this stop. It was served on the traditional Chinese table instrument known to us as the Lazy Susan! After it was time to head to the infamous Great Wall of China. We drove for a while and then out of the blue popped the Great Wall hidden in the mountains. The wall was huge and went on forever! We got dropped off at one part of the wall and were told we could go up a steep walkway with a better view or an easier path. We went for the steep path which was a bit difficult. I did not come prepared but the walk was not too bad, we just kept telling ourselves we could do anything after climbing Table Mountain in Cape Town. The steps were very tiny and very tall, all made out of stone. There were lots of parents carrying their children up and we talked to one man who had hiked up the Great Wall after having bypass surgery. After climbing to our hearts desires we headed back down the path. I ended up leaving the red feather that Amber found for me on this wall where people leave locks or string and make a wish. I tied my feather to the chain on the wall. Even though I broke my one red feather per country policy, I felt this was an exception because the red feather was found in the country! After the Great Wall we headed back on the bus and to a pearl factory. We had our tour guide drop us off at the Silk Market located in downtown Beijing and shopped around for a little. Then we headed back to the hotel for some rest. That night we met up with Sarah and Allison who were in Beijing with a SAS sponsored trip and we all went out for a little before heading back to the hotel.
The next morning we woke up bright and early to catch a flight to Shanghai where the boat was (in the 2 days we were in Beijing the boat moved from Hong Kong to a port in Shanghai). When we arrived to the port, sadly the MV was not there because it was delayed due to storms on the ocean. A big group of us rented a small hotel room and all paid only $2.00 to store our bags today. Although we desperately wanted to return to our beds and shower on the boat, we decided to make the most of our day in Shanghai and head out into the city. We first had an amazing lunch and then shopped around a little bit before eventually getting back to the boat. The architecture in Shanghai was amazing. There were the most insane buildings and skyscrapers. There was one large tower with a large sphere in the middle of it or a tall building with a huge crown on top of it. That night we headed out to Bund St. where we went to a bar that had the most amazing view of the city lights from the outside deck. The next day we woke up early and were determined to get our rail passes for Japan (you cannot buy them in Japan) so we spent about 2 hours hustling and bustling through the confusing streets of Shanghai trying to find this one little spot where we could get the rail passes. We finally got them and then headed back to the boat to join an FDP. Darcy and I went to the Children’s Palace which was similar to a YMCA type of place. It was a place where kids could go to learn skills like drawing, playing the piano, singing opera, or dancing. Unfortunately, there were only a few kids there that day so we did not get to interact with the kids a lot but it was still cool to see that type of organized establishment for children in China. We got to go to a little shop that had some of the artwork done by the children. After we headed back to the boat, absolutely exhausted! We were the last people on the boat and missed on ship time, luckily we did not get in trouble though because we were on an FDP. We raced to Sarah and Allison’s room so we could all catch up on our travels about the wonderful China!That concludes my tales about China. My highlights of the trip include seeing the Water Cube, the impressive architecture of Shanghai, and the spectacular Great Wall of China. It was different to travel without a SAS sponsored trip but it felt great to get everywhere independently. Of course, nothing can compare to my perfect day in Hong Kong. The language barrier proved to be difficult but I want to take up Mandarin when I get home just for fun! Having strangers take random pictures with us was another unexpected addition to our China travels!
LOVE ALWAYS:
MAGGIE
ps looking forward to seeing you all in a month or so!
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