May 23

May 8 - Tokyo - We arrived in Tokyo in the late afternoon and were taken to the Happo-en Gardens for a stroll through the gardens, cocktails, appetizers, a light buffet and entertainment (Geisha & Maiko dances). We spent a good portion of our time waiting in line to have our caricature done by a Japanese artist. We were totally impressed with the bright lights and fashionably dressed people on the streets on our drive back to the ship. Driving in Tokyo on the way to the gardens, we noticed that every business person was dressed in a black suit and white shirt - business casual (let alone colored shirts) has not hit Japan.



May 9 - Tokyo - I took an all-day tour to the city of Kamakura, the home of the Kotokuin Temple and the Great Buddha. We also visited the Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu shrine (a Shinto shrine), Komachi Street (a fun shopping street) and had lunch at the Kamakura Park Hotel. On the drive to Kamakura, we did catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji even though it was a bit hazy.



May 10 - Sendai, Japan - We were just in Sendai for an afternoon, so we took the shuttle into town and did some wandering around the extensive covered malls.
May 11 - Hakodate, Japan - another misty, rainy day. We took a tour which took us to the Hakodate City Museum of Northern Peoples, took the Hakodate Ropeway (huge aerial tram) to get a better view of the mist, and shopped in the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse area (that was a fun area) before returning to the ship.

May 14 - Petropavlovsk, Russia - a cold, snowy day, but an interesting stop. I wandered around town - I don’t think this port gets may visitors. I think it’s only been in the last 20 or so years that foreigners were allowed here.


May 17 - Dutch Harbor, USA!! (Aleutian Islands) - Great to be back in the USA where the local currency is the US Dollar! We cleared customs and then went in to the village of Dutch Harbor. There was a very nice museum, the Grand Aleutian Hotel and all the Eagles you could hope for (the highlight of the visit). A native threw some food down which attracted the Eagles, so we were able to get pretty close to them. We learned that the brownish Eagles are juveniles. They look bigger because the have “training feathers” which they will eventually lose and change color.


May 19 - Kodiak - another trip into town and a nice long walk in the fresh air back to the ship. Packed up the rest of my luggage that will be sent back to Chicago which will be taken off in Seward tomorrow.
May 20 - Seward, Alaska - what a great day. Regent had an event for the world cruisers - an all day boat ride in the Kenai Fjords National Park. It was a red-letter day, the Gulf of Alaska was calm (rare) and we saw Orca Whales, Humpback Whales, Sea Otters, Sea Lions, Puffins, a mountain goat and a black bear and, of course, a glacier.