Japan

There was so much in Japan that I had wanted to see but just didn’t have enough to do it all. There is so much to do! Because we were arriving to Japan from China, the customs regulations were intense and long. The morning started out by getting our temperatures taken to make sure we were even allowed off the ship, then we had to wait around to be called by ID number to go through customs, this process started at about 8 am and didn’t end until nearly 1pm. Once I was allowed off the ship, I headed through the terminal, picked up my passport and some paperwork, waited in line to then have my picture taken, have my finger prints scanned and have my paperwork looked over. I don’t know how to put this, but Japan is kind of a big deal. (name that movie). Anyway once we were allowed to set off into Japan we hopped on a train that brought us from the terminal to the main part of the city of Kobe. From Kobe, we traded in our vouchers for Rail Passes and jumped on another train to the station Shin-Kobe, where the bullet trains left from, and from there set out to Hiroshima on the bullet train. We got to Hiroshima later then we’d hoped, the museum had just closed minutes ago, but being there was enough. We saw the Atomic Bomb Dome, and the memorial. The feeling there reminded me of the feeling I had while in the War Remnants Museum in Vietnam. Except here there was a certain calmness that I felt. Almost too peaceful, like an eerie feeling. We were really the only people walking around at the time, which was nice cause we could take our time and take it all in as we pleased. We decided after Hiroshima, and after dinner, to head back to the ship for the night and not to head out to Tokyo until the next morning. So at about 7 or 8 we headed back out the same route to Kobe- Shin Kobe- and hopped on the bullet train to Tokyo. About a 3-4 hour ride we all napped and restored our energy. When we got there, not realizing how big Tokyo is, we found an information booth to see where we should try to find a hotel. We head to the Roppongi District where the night life is suppose to be the best and find a hotel.. actually some capsules. We figure when in Rome and decide to check them out for the night.. how long would we really be sleeping anyway.. and what an experience it was. Men and Women are totally separate, women on the 4th floor and men on the 5th. There was a locker room type area with showers and a bathroom and then there were these rooms off of the communal space with rows of double decker capsules. Inside each one was a small bed with a tv and a curtain separating each from the next. So weird, so cool. We drop our stuff off, have some down time, and head out to our first Japanese Baseball game in the Tokyo Dome. Purchasing our tickets just the night before might give you an idea of where our seats were. We’re talking nosebleed section, but it was soo much fun, packed with semester at sea students we made it worth the hike up a billion stories of stairs. We saw the Swallows vs. the Giants, apparently rooting for the Giants cause that’s what shirt I bought, we lost, but no worries, the game was fun. That night we experience the eclectic Tokyo night life. The next morning, after a little confusion, being separated by gender with no alarm clocks the day happens when we all wake up on our own. We somehow all find each other and make our plans. We walk around Tokyo for a while, check out the Sony building which supposedly has some really cool technological advances, I wasn’t too impressed with it, and decided finally to catch a bullet train back to Kobe for the last night and day in port. After some much needed rest on that ride, we arrive at Shin-Kobe station and finally make our way back to the ship. We grab some dinner, rest up, and make our way out into Kobe for the night. Kobe looks so cool at night, all lit up, karaoke bars everywhere.. some interesting fashion styles. The next morning we set out to explore Kobe for a little, search for a tattoo parlor (don’t worry mom I didn’t get one) and then head back in time for on –ship time. I have to say, I was honestly expecting a lot more out of Japan then I got. But with so many amazing countries I almost felt like I was bound to find one that didn’t meet all my expectations. This trip has been so amazing, I can’t complain about one mediocre port out of the 12 I’ve visited and will still visit. Only Hawaii and Costa Rica left and of course the Panama Canal, which I’m super stoked for. Only a few more weeks left, but I can’t wait to get home and see everyone!! Hope you’ve enjoyed reading all my travels and I hope I’ve kept you all entertained. Talk to you soon!! Xo ker.

China!

China was Amazing! My group of friends and I have long been planning this trip.. 10 of us would be going on a guided tour of Beijing. On arrival to Hong Kong we decided to take it easy and check out an amusement park.. After a long confusing and frustrating journey through Hong Kong’s subway system we arrived at Ocean Park. As you could expect from any small asian amusement park.. it was interesting to say the least. We spent the day there riding roller coasters, checking out pandas, watching an acrobat show and just taking in this strange atmosphere. After the park we headed back to the ship and back out again for a city-wide light show, which happens every night.. grabbed some reeeallly good Chinese food, and headed out to find the Hong Kong night life. The next morning we all woke early to catch our flight to Beijing. The morning is kind of a blur of ferries, buses and planes, but we finally made it to Beijing just in time to catch some r&r at the airport until our whole group was together and we headed out to our hostel. After a confusing conversation between about 6 cab drivers all discussing our route to a destination were not quite sure even they know where it is.. we head out hopeful that our hostel lies in our future. Down an alley with our backpacks on our backs, passing a crowd of local men were pointed left.. we figure they probably know where we want to go.. not that we stick out or anything. We find our destination through a little red door. Through it, the narrow space opens up to a square doorways, all leading to bedrooms of bunk beds and bookshelves, this is house one of two.. and luck has it, we’re in the other room. We make our way on foot to the other house and take in the sites of this interesting little village were trekking through. Right as the sun was setting we found our home for the next two nights. There was a corridor with about 10 or so rooms, a kitchen, bathrooms and a main hangout room. Above one side of the hostel was a roof top hang out that was really cool and looked over the surrounding rooftops nearby. We split up into three groups.. one of six where we shared a small room of three bunk beds, a group of 3 together in their own room, and one who shared a room with another traveler. We had been traveling all day so we found a restaurant down the street where we had our first true Chinese meal. We were led to a room with a round table and a lazy Susan (which we would find at most restaurants) We ate family style and had some awesome and some really interesting food. After we headed back to the hostel, hung out on our rooftop hang out until we headed out for our first night out in Beijing. As always, an interesting night ensued. Our next morning began our guided tour with our amazing tour guide Hilda, or Hilder, depending on who you ask. Bright and early we pulled ourselves out of our amazingly uncomfortable bunk beds. Our first stop was Summer Palace. It was pretty.. I’m sure you’ll all see pictures at some point, because trying to explain everything I’ve seen on this trip around Beijing is just beyond possible. Anyway, Summer Palace, sacred place, ancient times, etc etc. Very pretty.. we were very tired and very hungry all these things kept us a little distracted. After a bus ride, a nap or two, passed some Olympic Buildings: the Birds Nest and the Water Cube. Onwards toward lunch.. which again was family style, plate after plate after plate of amazing food, twirling around a lazy Susan. I love Chinese Food. After lunch were back on our little personal bus slash van and its to The Forbidden City. Beginning at Tian’amen square, this series of buildings formed the quarters of the emperor, forbidden to the public. It is quite a stretch a took us a while to walk all the way through. The architecture was really cool and our tour guide was able to tell us a lot about its history. After eventually getting through the city we met our bus at the other end and were taken to a silk Market. We were shown how silk was made (really gross) and had some time to look around. After the market we stopped at another market, this one more of a bargaining place where we all did some shopping. After that we were back on the bus and were off to a Kung Fu Show. SOO cool. In this gorgeous theatre we watched as people broke boards with their heads and were held up by steel rods. I’m not really sure if I believe it was real of not but hey it looked really cool. After the show we were brought back to our hostel and hung out there for the night. The next morning, bright and early we started our day. Hilda picked us up and we headed to the Ming Tombs. Kind of a let down, really just a bunch of boxes underground, there was some cool stone carvings but mostly just smelly and hot and not all that interesting. From the Ming tombs we walked down ‘sacred way’. This was a walkway about a mile long lined with all kinds of stone statues of animals and emperors. After about 100 pictures and poses we found the end of the walk where our bus awaited us to bring us to lunch. More good food, more traveling. Now we would make our way to the Great Wall. Sleeping took up most of this bud ride and in about 3+ hours we were at the wall, the part we would be starting at was called Jinshaling, I think. Something similar to that if its wrong. We took a short hike up to a tower to watch the sunset and then we made our way back down for a dinner with our wall-guides and we all had some home cooked Chinese food and oh yeah 5000 dumplings. No joke there must have been one plate of 30 dumplings for each person at the table. That night, with some drinks to help with the cold, we made our way to where we would be sleeping on the wall. We get to a tower with sleeping bags and nestle in for our night on the great wall. It was awesome. The next morning at 6 the hike began. We took a short bus ride and started our way from the end of the wall to meet up with the rest of the group later.. the views were absolutely amazing. Once we all met up, we took a zip-line down over the Simatai river, and then a boat down a little farther to where the bus would be picking us up. It was definitely something I’ll always remember doing. A quick stop for lunch, most of us dreading the idea of another meal of Chinese food, after were back into the bus and were headed to the train station for our overnight train to Shanghai. But first we would be stopping for an Amazing foot massage. After which were all in a state of absolute relaxation. We beg Hilda to bring us to Subway, which she does and after we grab some food we get to the train station, get our tickets.. say goodbye to Hilda and find our cabins on the train. The cabins are in sets of 4, so most of us are split up but end up hanging out together the whole time anyway. The cabins are about 500 degrees.. apparently our cars air conditioning doesn’t work, which is perfect. We stay in the dinning car until we head to bed. We would be arriving in Shanghai at about 730. We wake up just in time to a women yelling at us telling us to get off.. we assume we should probably hurry up. We grab everything as fast as we can and get off the train.. we did well, we’re in Shanghai. We manage somehow to get a cab, and it’s a shot in the dark until we see our MV Explorer peeking its head out between the skyscrapers. Home sweet home. Back on the ship just in time for breakfast, that just made our morning. A few more necessary hours of sleep and we make our way out into Shanghai for our last day in port. We explore the city for a while, see some sights, and head back to the ship for some much anticipated ship food.. while at sea we hate it, but when you’ve been eating Chinese food for 5 days straight you can appreciate a good grill cheese. It hits the spot, and then its to bed after an exhausting time in China. Next up, Japan, I’ll sleep when I’m dead.