Pacific/Hawaii

   The week it took to get to Hawaii felt like nothing since I had so much work to do. When papers are due time seems to move uncomfortably fast The only eventful thing that really happened was a charity auction where people donated things like weekends in vacation homes, maps signed by the Captain, and even the chance to raise the ships American flag in Miami. Perhaps the most notable was that some kid paid $500 for the chance to throw a pie our academic dean.

   Our one day in Hawaii was a welcomed break, even if it was just 8 hours. Just being back in America, using American money, having our cell phones work, watching American football and eating a huge western style cheeseburger was awesome. We started off the day with a friendly game of football at a park next to Waikiki beach. Unfortunately I went down the wrong way once and fractured my ankle. I forced myself to suck it up and hobble around the rest of the day, a decision which I regret today. We went to a bar to catch part of the Dallas game then relaxed on the beach until we had to be back on the ship. I tried to go to the ships hospital that night but it was too busy with drunk people (anyone who looked even moderately wasted when they got on the ship got sent to the hospital).

   I got my x-rays and subsequent crutches today. I guess it's too swollen to put a cast on so I just have it wrapped with a splint. Getting around on undersized crutches in a rocking ship sucks. So much for zip lining and white water rafting in Costa Rica

Tomorrow is Today

Tonight we cross the international date line so today is November 22nd and so is tomorrow. Many of us are trying to make it an identical day just for fun by wearing the same clothes and keeping to the same routine, minus class which we don't have tomorrow. Makes me want to watch "Ground Hog Day"

Japan

Japan is the first developed country we have been to since South Africa and the 2nd richest in the world so it offered an experience more like being in America then most of our previous destinations, but it still had many unique characteristics that kept it interesting. Grant, Andy, John and I kept our travel schedule totally flexible and went wherever our hearts desired. Surprisingly the language barrier in Japan was most frustrating.

All four of us got the Japanese rail pass before arriving in Kobe (it can only be purchased from outside of the country) which gave us unlimited JR access and we sure got our monies worth. The bullet trains were awesome. They brought me back to the excitement I had when I took the bullet train from London to Paris about 10 years ago. This was our improv itinerary; (arrive) Kobe -> Osaka -> Kobe (1st night) -> Hiroshima -> Osaka (2nd night) -> Kyoto -> Tokyo (3rd and 4th night) ->Yokohama (depart). With the rail pass we were able to just go to the bullet train station and hop in the unreserved seat cars (first 3 cars) of any train, which usually departed at least every 15minutes from about 5am to midnight. They were very comfortable and travelled at 190mph. Once in a city, each had its own extensive subway/rail system that would take us anywhere we needed to go. It’s an extremely efficient and fun system which beats the heck out of flying. JR also operates many busses and ferries across the country which we were also able to use for free.

In Hiroshima we obviously saw the Atomic bomb site and park which didn’t really put us in the best mood. The Japanese are definitely more generous about our war atrocities then Vietnam was. They basically use the whole site as a symbol for global nuclear disarmament rather than anti-American propaganda. Kyoto came highly recommended by my Dad (now you can’t say that I’ve never taken your advice). It was the capital of Japan until the late 19th century so we saw a couple cool temples including the Golden Pavilion and this huge Zen temple complex with zen gardens. We sat for a while in front of this famous zen rock garden and I could actually feel the relaxing effects of my zen surrounding as surreal as that may sound.

Since I first got accepted into the Semester at Sea program my mouth has been watering for Japanese Sushi and it did not disappoint. I’d say that 85% of the money I spent in Japan went into Sushi and Sakai at various restaurants around Japan. My favorite was in Kyoto where John and I went to this restaurant where we sat down next to a conveyer belt that had an endless supply of various sushi and other dishes. If we wanted something in particular we would just pick its picture on a touch screen monitor and the dish would promptly just show up on the conveyor belt. Also at the table was this slot where we put our empty places and they were electronically counted so at the end we just paid by the number of plates. Of course I had about 20 plates of sushi and was felt awesome about it.

In Tokyo we had a ridiculous time at Disney Sea, part of the Tokyo Disney land. We could not have been more immature as we ran around with Mickey ear hats on and went on all the rides. My stomach hurt the next day because we were laughing so much. Another highlight of Tokyo was stumbling across a Japanese electronics superstore. For those of you who know me well will know the kind of emotions this place evoked. It had tons of electronics and gadgets that I didn’t even know existed and I spent about an hour walking around and drooling.

One disappointment from Japan was the karaoke bars. I expected wild bar scenes with drunk Asians singing backstreet boys. While I’m sure all that goes on it only happens in private rooms which groups of people and their friends rent out for the night and sing Karaoke, no public embarrassment/entertainment like we are used to back in the US. We made the most out of the room we rented once we figured out how to use the damn machine but it still wasnt the same.

We are now back on the good ol Explorer heading for our one day in Hawaii. Honestly it will be nice to be at sea for a while. Having only 2 or 3 days between ports has me drained. This whole Pacific crossing will be very stressful academically but I’ll be able to get back into a swing of things and get my work done…hopefully.

Hong Kong/China

I basically had 6 days to conquer Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, so I felt like I was going a million miles an hour the whole time. We got off the ship in Hong Kong and then met back up with it in Shanghai to give us more time in China. Our one day in HK we basically walked around the length of Hong Kong Island and saw all there was to see. Early the next morning we were off to Beijing where in a period of 4 days we saw the Summer Palace, Great Wall, martial arts show, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Lama Temple, two huge markets, acrobat show, Temple of Heaven, Old District on a rickshaw, and Bell Tower. The Great Wall was well…great. I was told to expect huge crowds but we were practically the only ones on the wall and we had a lot of fun “frolicking” around one of the world’s ancient wonders. We even got to take this sweet toboggan down the wall which was in no way safe.

Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City are pretty standard and very crowded tourist destinations. I enjoyed the Lama Temple (a Buddhist temple) more than the Forbidden City because I thought it had more attention to detail and was less crowded. Both the martial arts show and acrobat show were pretty ridiculous and I refuse to believe that those who participated are the same species as me.

Every market I’ve visited in various countries has had their own feel and Chinese markets were definitely the most intense. I had to revert to my football days to get around the ladies trying to sell me stuff. Spin moves and jukes became common as they would try to block my path and grab me to convince me to buy something. I got some “diesel” shoes for about 3 bucks and this pimpin coat for less than 20. Makes me wonder what exactly goes into the ridiculous price of actual brand clothing back in the US when at least I can’t tell the difference.

I’m sure my friends who have visited China know this (Diandra, Morgan, and Alaina) but us westerners are quite the spectacle to Chinese people, especially those of us who are tall and/or have an unusual hair color (red or blond). It would start with one person asking to take their picture with me and it would turn into a 10 minute event where every person around would want a picture with me and get all excited about it. My cheeks are still sore from having to smile for such extended periods of time but it definitely made me feel real cool.

The Chinese nightlife did not disappoint. Highlights included an ice bar where they gave everyone fur coats to stay warm and loud techno club where the dance floor had a slight trampoline effect so it pulsed with the beat of the music.
When we got back on the ship in Shanghai there was an assembly regarding Kurt. It is such a sad situation and a lot of people on the ship are pretty devastated.

We have been back at sea for two days and get into Japan tomorrow. Honestly my life is pretty ridiculous having only two or three days between countries. I feel like I go to sleep and wakeup in a new country. The past day the waves have been the biggest yet. I fell out of bed last night twice and have run face first into various pillars and walls today while trying to walk around. It’s impossible to life weights when it is this rough because as the ship rocks one way it adds about 50% to the weight and as it rocks back it becomes 50% lighter. Every once in a while a series of especially big waves will hit us and the sound of glasses breaking echoes around the ship and pretty much everyone falls down or slams into a wall, even people in chairs will tip over. Grant and I made the most of it as we discovered that on the top deck the ship tilted at enough of an angle so we could jump probably 20 feet across the deck when we had a downward slope. I guess I’m easily entertained

Parent Addendum to Vietnam

The Parent Trip was a whirlwind starting in Bangkok with a cruise down the Chao Phraya River for arrival at our hotel. We met the parents and then proceeded to see all the Bangkok sights and enjoy the cuisine---Grand Palace a stunner. Off to Vietnam a few days later and all of us were counting down the minutes until the sighting of the MV Explorer and our little darlings. HCMC aka Saigon is a bustling, hot place with nearly 8 million people and 4 million motorcycles-and by the way, no stop lights. Our guide instructed us to cross the streets slowly and deliberately so the cycles could maneuver around us! Yikes



Finally met the ship and the kids and there was not a dry eye in the house. It was simply joyful. As Bob said, we treated a group of his friends to a fab dinner and got a chance to catch up on some of their adventures. We then headed up north to Hanoi and Halong Bay. Swimming in Halong bay and a leisurely boat ride among the limestone towers was about the only relaxation we had on the trip.then off to Hanoi which was my favorite---the city still has the French influence despite the war, and seems to be a place that attracts more of the cultural arts.

In summary, the Vietnamese people couldn't do enough for the American visitor. 65% of the population is under 30 which means that they weren't even around for the war. We loved our experience there and it wasn't bad to see the kid

:(

http://www.semesteratsea.org/what-s-new-at-sas-/press-releases/semester-at-sea-participant-killed-in-hong-kong.php

I don't know what to say...i knew the guy. The ship will have a memorial when we depart from shanghai.

Good Morning Vietnam

Good Morning Vietnam!

I just finished up a nice family vacation all around Vietnam. It was surreal being there at times as High School history classes built it up to be distant and exotic.

The first night in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) my parents took my friends and me out to dinner where we racked up a 6 million dong bill. It’s not actually that much but I saved the bill since it looks ridiculous. The next two days were spent touring northern Vietnam. Ha long Bay is about 3 hours east of Hanoi and is considered one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. The day we were in Ha Long Bay, Hanoi received its worst rains in 30 years (about 20 inches over the course of the day, or 1/3rd of the citys average annual rainfall). Although much of the flooded had subsided once we arrived in Hanoi, the rice fields still looked like lakes and many parts of the city were totally underwater. That evening we saw a traditional water puppet show and had dinner at the restaurant of world renowned chef Bobby Chin.

Much of the next day was filled with travel back to HCMC ,but in the morning we got to visit several places including the prison where many American pilots, including John McCain, were held (they had his flight suit on display). The place had been turned into a museum and the propaganda machine was still in full effect. They outlined the horrors committed against Vietnamese “patriots”when the prison was run by French colonists and how well American “invaders”were treated by the Vietnamese during the American War. They also showed pictures of the anti-war protests back in American and labeled them with captions such as “Some photos represent the solidarity of American people with Vietnamese people in the Vietnamese struggle for independence and unification of the Country”and “. An interesting twist on things to say the least.

The old district of Hanoi was interesting as it still displayed clear communist planning. Streets were named after various goods sold on that street. There was a “Bamboo St”, “Jeans St”, and even a “Bong and Pipe St”. Sure enough various bamboo vendors lined Bamboo St. and you could find yourself the ideal bong on Bong and Pipe St. if that is what you desire.
In HCMC on my last day in Nam we visited the American War museum which can be summed up simply as gruesome and horrible. While parts were blatant Vietnamese propaganda, there were other areas where clearly our Propaganda had been hiding the truth. Agent Orange was a pretty messed up weapon. The images were very graphic and I felt uncomfortable being there.
One thing I regret is not having time to get a suit made, many of my friends got a custom tailored suits for $65. Ralph got a leopard print suit made and I’m pretty jealous about it.

We are back on the ship on the second day of a two day cruise to Hong Kong. It Election Day today and everyone on the ship has agreed not to go on the internet so the ship has enough bandwidth to stream MSNBC in the union. Political fervor is everywhere. It will be interesting to read newspapers tomorrow in Hong Kong regarding Obama’s win, and after the foreign interest I’ve seen thus far regarding the election I’d be surprised if it’s not on the headlines. In all of the developing countries we have visited I have found Obama to be favored usually for one reason; he is in the same political party as Bill Clinton who opened up free trade and spurred an economic revolution in many developing countries. They are probably quite happy today, as is most of the ship, including myself.

Malaysia

Pretend like this was posted back on October 29th. I wrote it then but forgot to post it.

Malaysia was quite the time. We got really lucky during our time in Redang as we had clear blue skies in the middle of Monsoon season. The dives were good although the water clarity wasn’t perfect. On the first dive Ralph ran out of air at 55 feet and we had to do air-sharing, luckily it all worked out and we were able to laugh about it. The rest of the day we just enjoyed lounging around the pool and picturesque beach. We took a chance by flying back to the ship on the day it departed, but luckily all the complex travel elements worked out and we didn’t miss the ship.

One thing that struck me about Malaysia was its lack of a unique culture. As I was walking around Penang and Kuala Lumpur I kept seeing places like China Town, Little India, and Thai Districts. At first I avoided all these places since I wanted a unique Malaysian experience, but I quickly realized that this amalgamation of cultures IS Malaysia. I think this feature was most pronounced in the food dishes which could consist of Thai noodles with Indian curry and Indonesian seafood. They don’t try to hide the fact either as they often label various dishes with their countries of origin. I even found “U.S. rib eye”and “American Lobster”dishes.

A couple days ago we were in the Straits of Malacca, the busiest shipping lane in the world. At any one time I could see at least 10 huge cargo ships and oil tankers around our ship. The straits are also a favorite hunting group for pirates so we had crew on 24 hour pirate watch with fire hoses on our low decks. Yesterday we had a bunker stop in Singapore and tomorrow we get into Vietnam where I get to see my parents! They have been travelling through Thailand with the SAS parent trip the past few days and got into Ho Chi Minh City today. For those with Facebook access I just posted albums for India and Malaysia.

Hanoi

I still have more to write on malaysia, but until then this is where I am now

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/weather/2008/10/31/vo.vietnam.floods.ap