Roaming Ruth

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

May 26

Coming home tomorrow!

Except for yesterday, Alaska has been beautiful. Here are a few pictures.

Hubbard Glacier

Guy swimming in pool while we hovered around Hubbard Glacier.

Chilkat Range

Eldred Lightghouse

Juneau from Mt. Roberts

Saturday, May 23, 2009

May 23 - With Pictures

Arriving in Tokyo

Tokyo from ship

Happo-en Gardens

Hostess in traditional dress.

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.

The Great Buddha - Kamakura

Wow, the Amish have arrived in Kamakura, Japan.

Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine

Raised walk in middle of street for empress (or in this case, Aaron)

Beach in front of Kamakura Park Hotel (where we had lunch)

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.

View from Hakodate Ropeway

View on a clear day (from a postcard)

Performance by dancers as we left Hakodate (it was freezing - they all probably
have colds by now)

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.

View from balcony on way to Petropavlovsk

Here we are in Petropavlovsk (port for Kamchatka)

Town of Kamchatka

Lenin Square

Fishing boats

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.

We had rough seas crossing the Bering Strait. This was probably the roughest seas we had and lasted for 3 days. I didn't quite get seasick, but I was thinking about it!

Bald Eagle

Juvenile Bald Eagle

I think they are playing.

Another Bald Eagle

Henry & Karol walking down street towards museum.

Not sure this captures how rough the seas were crossing the Bering Sea.

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 and taken off the ship in Seward.

Approaching Kodiak.

Kodiak Harbor

View from Harbor

Someone got creative with driftwood along the highway.

View from Ship

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.

Sea Otter

Orca whale

Humpback whale

I should have waited a fraction of a second - the tail is almost up.

Holgate glacier - calving lower left.

Interesting rock formation

Steller seals

Puffins

Seward

We'll be in Juneau today - almost home!

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.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

May 16 - Day 2 Continued

April 27 & 28 - Shanghai - Took the last of my Signature Tours with Paul & Lynn. We went to a water village (Zhujiajiao - Shanghai’s Venice), visited the French Concession district in Shanghai, and The Bund. The Bund is the waterfront area which, unfortunately, was a construction war zone. They are building two levels below the street, one for parking and one for traffic so the current street will be for pedestrians only. The Peace Hotel which is in this area, was also undergoing renovation and was covered in scaffolding. This is all in preparation for the 2010 World Expo which will be held in Shanghai. Shanghai is a beautiful city and I would love to see it again when they have finished updating The Bund. The view of the city lights at night was beautiful from our ship, though, which was docked very close to the Bund.

In the evening we went to the Chinese Acrobat show which was spectacular. No pictures were allowed, but I doubt I will ever forget the metal sphere (was like a netting you could see through) & the 10 motorbikes which entered the sphere and raced around and around the interior of the sphere. One little misstep would be a disaster.

Village of Zhujiajiao

Waterway

Our boat for the ride down the waterway.

Our driver/rower.

View of waterway.

View of Fangsheng Bridge (setting fish free)

Setting fish free (lady is buying fish from vendor & will release the fish in the river)

Traffic just like home.

French Concession

Shanghai neighborhood

Shanghai at night.

On the morning of April 29, we left Shanghai for our flight to Xi’an and our excursion to see the Terracotta Warriors. We would spend 2 nights in Xi’an and then catch up with the rest of the passengers in Beijing for one night at the Regent Hotel (coincidence with the name - not related to our cruise line).

When we arrived in Xi’an, we had lunch and then went to visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. In the evening we had a great dinner and show at the Tang Palace Restaurant.

On April 30 we visited the Terracotta Warriors Museum, the City Wall which surrounds Xi’an and the Great Mosque. The Mosque was unique in that the architecture is Chinese for a Muslim Mosque.

The Big Goose Pagoda

Following are from Terracotta Warriors Museum

Reconstructed horse and carriage (were made half size)

Headquarters

Reconstruction area in Pit 1

Pit 1

Vanguards - Pit 1

Where farmer dug well which led to discovery of the terracotta warriors.

Detail - Pit 1

City wall around Xi'an (9 miles and wide enough for chariots)

View of moat from wall.

Muslim neighborhood on walk to Mosque.

One of the buildings & grounds of Mosque.

From the Tang Dynasty Show

On May 1, we left early for our flight to Beijing. Upon arrival we had a great lunch and went to the Great Wall of China at the Juyongguan Section. Our hotel in Beijing was spectacular. After a quick shower, cocktail party and dinner, I soaked in the tub hoping to restore my aching muscles from the climb at the Great Wall. There was a lotion called Relaxing Leg Balm in the bathroom which I applied after my soak and it seemed to work!

Welcoming Committee at Restaurant in Beijing

View from 2nd Tower - as far as I climbed

View of wall I didn't climb.

On May 2 we went to the Forbidden City and Tian’anmen Square. It was packed because May 1 was a holiday (People’s Labor Day). Somehow our tour guide managed not to lose any of us - he did tell us that we had to stick together like “white on rice”. (I found that amusing.) We also drove past the Olympic Village and then had to head back to the ship - this time via bus, for the two and one-half hour drive. I managed to escape using an Eastern Toilet until the bus ride home when I thought I should use one just to say I did. I have included a picture.

Crowd at the forbidden city.

Pavillion of Supreme Harmony

Three front halls.

Dowager's quarters.

Palace garden.

Gigi, Linda & Ruth at Ti'anamen Square

People's Building Ti'anamen Square

The Birdcage

Eastern Toilet

May 4 - Nagasaki, Japan - This is the first rainy day we experienced on this whole cruise while in port, so we decided we could not complain. We went to the Peace Park, the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and Glover Gardens.

Peace Statue

Fountain represents 2 doves with peace statue in middle.

Tamaki Mura as Madame Butterfly with son pointing to husband's ship returning (in Glover Gardens)

View of bay from Glover Gardens

Returning to ship from Glover Gardens.

On May 6 and 7 we were in Osaka - still rainy and chilly. We took a tour the first day and saw Osaka Castle (rebuilt 8 times due to war and natural disasters) and the Shitennoji Temple (believed to be the oldest Buddhist temple in Japan). On the second day we rode the Ferris Wheel & visited the Aquarium.