Kobe, Japan

Kobe, Japan
11/23 - 11/25/07

We finally received a shipment of mail which was sent Fed Ex to Shanghai and returned to the U.S. because we'd been given an incorrect address for the agent in Shanghai. It was great to hear from family and friends, especially Julie who sent magazines, photos and a box of DVDs of the first season of the series "Ugly Betty". That should entertain us across the Pacific.

Before we could enjoy the sights ashore, we were taken to the Immigration Office by the Japanese agent where we were to be photographed and fingerprinted. This new procedure was just implemented two days earlier and, though we had at least six government officials working on it, they couldn't seem to get the machines to work. So, we were then driven to the passenger cruise terminal where, after about 20 minutes, they finally had us all processed into the country. Rather than go back to the ship, the agent very kindly took us into the city and offered to pick us up at 5 pm for the return trip.

What a beautiful city! Very modern and extremely clean. Our first stop was Starbucks for Martha to have her mocha fix and we found one of the young counter workers who spoke some English and could direct us to some shops we were trying to locate. The best way to see the city of Kobe is to take the City Loop Bus which, for a 500 yen day pass (about $5.00) you can see the city and get on and off at a variety of stops. The banks were closed for Workers Appreciation Holiday but we were able to get local money at an ATM machine. We learned that the workers here had recently gone on strike because the government was proposing a six-hour work day (instead of eight) and the workers wanted to go to a ten-hour day. We enjoyed the architecture of the office and condo buildings and the view of Akashi Kaikyo suspension bridge and stopped at the base of Rokko Mountain, where we could hike to a beautiful waterfall. It was quite a hike up the mountain on a path of steps with railings (very nicely maintained). There were actually three waterfalls but we didn't have the time (or the energy) to make it to the two further up the mountain. At one point we'd taken a wrong turn and asked some other hikers but no one spoke any English. One man understood that we were trying to find the waterfall and indicate we should follow his group which was very helpful. On the way back down, we came upon a wild boar and weren't sure if it was dangerous or not but we were able to take some photos and kept walking. Along the trail we saw several small altars that had small treasures and coins placed on them, we assumed to give thanks for the strength to make it that far. While waiting for the agent, we walked through a small park where there is a statue of a woman, holding a clock and riding on the back of a large fish. The statue was knocked down during the earthquake of 1995 and the clock stopped at the time the earthquake struck and has been left at that time as a memorial to that disaster. We were all ready to get back to the ship - especially Sunhilde who had a terrible cold and I felt like I was coming down with one as well.The cook prepared a very nice Thanksgiving dinner, in honor of the Americans, of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and vegetables, plus apple pie for dessert.

The second day in Kobe was Saturday and Martha and I took a cab into the city for some shopping in the afternoon. Still couldn't get any stamps for our postcards so will have to mail them from Yokohama. We again visited our friend at Starbucks who directed us to an internet cafe (Nestle Cafe) where we were required to buy a membership card (only $500 yen) and order a coffee. Next goal was to get haircuts and we found a nice salon where the owner spoke a little English. We chose some cuts from magazines he showed us and were very happy with the results. The neck and head massage was an added bonus and the tea was a treat. We spent the rest of the evening shopping for a few little gifts and enjoyed looking at all the very stylish clothes and shoes.

The agent had written directions, in Japanese, for how to get back to the ship but the taxi driver couldn't quite figure it out and he spoke no English. He called the agent but there was no answer but after driving around a bit I saw a road that looked familiar and it was the right one! By the way, the taxis here are amazing. All black, clean and polished and the seats are covered with white eyelet seat covers. The drivers are dressed in black suits, white shirts and ties and white gloves (like chauffers) and they push a button to open and close the doors for you. We were quite impressed. The people in Kobe were all so fashionably dressed - Paris of the East - and there are many high end shops like Izod, Coach and Louis Vitton and gorgeous lingerie shops. As in the U.S. all the young people were listening to iPods and talking on cell phones.

Tomorrow we depart for a 24 hour cruise to Yokohama.