Snure Odyssey

Haiti trip 2/13 - 2/20/09

2009-03-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

The Promise

We saw Haiti and there was change. Did we change Haiti or did Haiti change us?

Every trip has three parts: The planning: Dreaming about the trip and how it will be to discover a new place, meet new people and have experiences you’ve never had before.
The trip: Actually travelling and being in an unfamiliar place.
The reminiscing: Recalling all the good, and sometimes not so good, times; and telling wonderful stories to anyone who will listen. You can plan and reminisce for as long as you want. It’s only the actual trip that is limited by time.

We spent considerable time planning the trip to Haiti, learning about the history and culture, reading books by Haitian authors, and sharing a Haitian dinner with our group of ten. Dick Shakeshaft (our leader), Pastor Bill Hathaway, Anna Johnson, Susan Wright, Larry Fransen, Steven Hult, Gerri & Skip Smith, John McGinnis and Rebecca Snure.

The trip itself is the most difficult to describe because I know it meant different things to different people.

Because of a five-hour delay in our travel time, we arrived at night. Like sunset in that part of the world, which suddenly takes you from daylight to dark, we were thrust into a different world when we stepped off the plane. Mimi, our Haitian contact, whisked us through the pressing crowd and into the van that would take us the two-hour drive to L’Acul, our week-long home-away-from-home. A trumpeter played a welcoming rendition of “Mocking Bird Hill,” and then lapsed into the “Star Spangled Banner,” as we headed out through the dark streets of Port au Prince. Our senses were immediately assaulted with a variety of sights, smells and sounds of a teeming city that looked like a war zone – flickering candles and kerosene lamps dotted the roadside where groups huddled in the otherwise darkness. It was a relief to leave the confines of the city and get to fresher air and the rural landscape of Haiti’s coast.

Our hosts, Rick and Kathy Land, greeted us with a welcoming dinner. The guest house at the CODEP compound was comfortable, with sufficient beds and bathrooms for our group. There was a common area with living room and dining room but we shared all of our meals on a spacious deck which looks out on the sea. L’Acul is located on the Channel du Sud, bordered by the Atlantic and Caribbean. Each evening, we shared a time of observations of the day, devotions, and announcements regarding the next day’s activities.

Our introduction to the community was a visit to the bustling local market to buy fresh produce for the week. Creole, similar to French, is the language of the country and we tried out some words (but mainly relied on smiles) as we made our way amongst the vendors. All were encouraging us to buy from them, but there was no sign of begging, and they were smiling and appreciative as we moved along. That afternoon was spent travelling up into the nearby mountains, with a stop at the Farm Store (a local co-op which Kathy & Rick started) and a bit of hiking to visit a 350-square-foot CODEP house (which is earned through a program similar to Habitat), with no plumbing or electricity, that housed a family of four, and no kitchen as the cooking is all done outdoors.

We walked to Sunday church for a beautiful service in Creole and French with the scripture in English, read by Pastor Bill; and were greeted warmly afterwards by members of the congregation. Sunday afternoon is one of Kathy’s three scheduled beach ministry classes with the children of the village and some of us helped with art classes, games and puzzles with the 10-15 children who eagerly attend. Visiting Gabriel and his family, a wonderful example of how hard-working people can live in Haiti, was particularly heart-warming. They were very appreciative of the table we presented, hand crafted by Terry Morton, from wood salvaged from a First Presbyterian renovation, which means a part of our church is now in Haiti. After Gabriel and Madame greeted us, the four older children introduced themselves and we were touched by the sharing of their dreams: The three daughters want to be: a nurse, a doctor, and a priest; and the son: an engineer. We had earlier been cautioned by Rick and Kathy not to make any promises to the people we would meet in Haiti because so many promises are broken when people return home. We made an exception in this case and promised to pray for Gabriel and his family and especially for the children to be able to realize their goals. They in turn promised to pray for us and we felt a strong bond with our new prayer partners.

The week was spent visiting CODEP project sites to see the start-up of various projects and how they’re working. We visited tilapia fish ponds, seedling nurseries (for eucalyptus trees, coffee plants and fruit trees), learned about the fertilization process, and drove through the mountainous areas to see strong evidence of the reforestation of hillsides. The schools we saw were at best cinderblock walls divided into classrooms and we were told, being privately funded, they were far better than Haiti’s public schools. In spite of the conditions, the children were smiling and well-behaved in their clean and neat uniforms. Kathy and Rick (through CODEP) have implemented a school lunch program and for many children it’s the only meal they have each day. We spent some time with a young American woman, April, who is living in-country, doing research and helping qualify families for the CODEP projects. We all got hands-on experience installing cistern systems on two homes and some opted for the 5 AM departure to hike into a more remote area to install a third system. In addition to the CODEP projects, we loved spending time with Kathy on her beach ministry program: the mother/baby nutrition program, visiting the sick and grieving members of the community, reaching out to others with special needs and concerns, and teaching and playing with the local children.

Rick gave us an in-depth understanding (by word and example) of the CODEP program, which covers 45 square miles of rural, mountainous Haiti. It’s been working smoothly, since it’s conception in 1989, due not only to a well-thought-out plan, and a lot of work by many people in and outside of Haiti, but from the assumed ownership of the 650 Haitian men and women (mainly farmers and market ladies) who participate in this wonderful program. The goal is to “help Haitians help themselves.” For a history and detailed explanation of how CODEP works, please visit their very informational web site at www.haitifundinc,com.

For our trip to Haiti, our goal was: Share God’s love, bring joy, show we care, and take their story home. We did and will do all these things, but all felt that the people of Haiti did more for us than we could ever do for them. We were truly blessed by our experience there, and the reminiscing will last a lifetime.

Submitted by Rebecca Snure

Haiti

The countryside is very poor
The mountains they are high
The rain is nowhere to be seen
The land is hot and dry

I wonder how they do survive
There isn’t much they have
And so I watch them work and play
And none seem to be sad.

I ask our heavenly Father
To watch over them each day
And to give me faith and courage
To last throughout my stay

For when the day has ended
And the stars appear above
I thank God for all he’s given me
And the greatest gift is love

Nancy Mills

Camp Run-a-mok 2008

2008-06-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

We volunteered to be "nannies for a week" for grandsons Taylor and Zach. We enjoyed watching them play hockey and baseball and had fun in the backyard pool. We spent one day starting with a planning session, then sign making and advertising and finally opened our wonderful Lemonade Stand. We actually had customers and though we didn't make our fortunes, we had a good time. We also attended a play "Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Magic" at the Minnesota Children's Theater.

After the storm - Lake Superior

2008-06-14T13:48:00.001-07:00

The night of June 6th and morning of the 7th brought 5 inches of rain to the boundary waters area of Minnesota, where our cabin is located. The pictures show the flooding that resulted as water flowed down and flooded all the small nearby creeks. A large beaver dam broke loose in the creek next to the cabin and it looked like a small niagra falls gushing through the culvert and down to wear it meets Lake Superior. Many smaller roads were closed and there was flooding and lots of debri on Highway 61.

[Photo]
[Photo]
[Photo]
[Photo]
[Photo]

Cabin on Lake Superior

2008-06-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the cabin on the 2nd of June and, though a bit cool, it's beautiful. Spring is a little late getting to the North Woods, but the leaves are budding out on the trees, the birds are back (even the hummingbird) and the "lawn" is bull of dandelion flowers. There are some lovely, unidentified, yellow flowers lining the banks of the creek which flows into Superior, and there's lots of driftwood lining the beach. Not many vacationeers have ventured this far north yet (schools in Minnesota are not yet out for the summer) so it's quite peaceful. Also, the mosquitoes havenpt arrived so that adds to the tranquility.

The Mason's visit

2008-06-09T20:49:00.000-07:00

Bill and Marilyn Mason made the trip from Lake of the Woods, Virginia to help me celebrate my (big) birthday. It had been much too long since we had gotten together and a good time was had by all.

Later, we went to watch the Blue Angels perform for the Naval Academy graduation and commissioning.

Schooner on the Bay

2008-06-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful, sunny May afternoon, we set sail on a 70-foot schooner for a two-hour tour of the Chesapeake Bay.

A Day at the Zoo

2008-06-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of being a volunteer at the Annapolis Visitors Bureau, is going on Fam Tours (familiarization tours) to the nearby tourist attractions. Here are some photos of my day at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. We got to see a baby camel and the new baby elephant, along with all the other animals. It's a small but very nice zoo.

May Day in Annapolis

2008-06-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

May 1st is still celebrated in historic Annapolis and the merchants and homeowners enjoy putting out their most beautiful May Baskets. The displays are judged and all enjoy competing for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes.

William Paca House, Annapolis, MD

2008-06-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

One of the most beautiful homes and gardens in Annapolis is the William Paca house. I toured the house and gardens and, even though it was early spring, it was beautiful. William Paca was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Daniel and Carly and Dawn's visit

2008-06-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

Over Spring Break and Easter, Dawn, Carly and Daniel visited us in Annapolis. We toured the Naval Academy and downtown Annapolis. We also spent time in Washington, DC at the National Cemetary, World War II Memorial and other monuments around D.C.

St. Patrick's Day Celebration

2008-03-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick’s Celebration in Dover

Today we did one of those things that you read about in the paper, maybe a week before the event, and say “We should do that” but then you never do. I often even rip out the article and put it on my desk but somehow as the day arrives, other things have come up or it just doesn’t sound as interesting as when you first read it.

To my surprise, Doug said yes to my idea to drive over to Dover, Delaware on this beautiful, almost-spring Saturday and celebrate St. Patrick’s a couple of days early. According to the Washington Post, the annual parade drew over 2,000 people last year and promised to be a slice of small town America. It was a beautiful hour and a half drive through the back roads of rural Maryland and we entered Delaware at the crossroads village of Marydel (wonder how they came up with that?).

Well, we didn’t have to worry about beating the crowds to find a place to park. Even on a normal Saturday I would have thought we’d see people on the streets but it was very quiet. A few blocks from the parade route we found the Johnson Victrola Museum and figured we’d have time for a quick tour and still be able to get a bar stool at the only Irish Pub in town. Our tour guide was young and enthusiastic and happy to take us on a delightful journey through the history of recorded sound, including a cute story about Nipper the little dog that has become the mascot/logo for Victrola.

It was a short stroll to the pub where we surprisingly had our choice of tables or stools. It was a small but happy crowd enjoying their green beer and Irish whisky and we joined in and sang along to the familiar Irish tunes. The potato soup was pretty good (we opted for the grated cheese and corned beef toppings) and the Rueben was excellent. Tearing ourselves away just before parade time, we found a couple of seats on the edge of a brick planter and settled back to enjoy the festivities.

As the photos above will show, we enjoyed watching the people watching the parade as much if not more than the parade itself, which was just what I thought it would be: high school marching bands, scout troops, military groups, car clubs, beauty pageant winners, politicians and local individuals in a variety of green costumes. What fun! And there were probably over 2,000 spectators though they were spread out over several blocks of the parade route.

We finished our day with a little walk about town, enjoying the beautifully-maintained park and State Capitol Houses, decided to forego the Museum of Small Town Life since we felt we’d seen it, (never found the ice cream cone I thought I’d have), and headed back to Annapolis.

I wonder what the travel section will have for us next time? Stay tuned.

Annapolis

2008-01-31T21:21:00.000-08:00

Settling In
1/10/08

After a year of travel, it’s nice to finally stop.

A five-day cross-country drive (from Phoenix to San Antonio driving one car and from there to Maryland in two), brought us to our current home of Annapolis on the 5th of January. Bill and Genevieve were there to greet us and make us feel welcome with flowers, wine and the essentials for preparing our first meal. We unpacked our bags, leaving the unloading of car trunks for later, showered and changed, and headed out to a nearby Italian restaurant for our first dinner in our new neighborhood. The first couple of days, were also welcomed by unseasonably warm weather (as high as 70°) which made it comfortable to explore our new community by foot. The above photos are of our new neighborhood (how nice of them to keep the Christmas decorations up for us).

I hadn’t realized how tiring our drive had been until I awoke the next day at 10 AM and realized I had slept eleven hours straight. Perhaps it was a combination of being travel weary and the relief of finally being in our own place after so long.

Downtown historic Annapolis is one of the most charming towns I know and we feel fortunate to have found a place here. Being boaters and loving the water, we feel so at home. Also the close proximity to D.C. is wonderful since I spent thirty years living and working in the Northern Virginia/D.C. area and that also feels like home. In fact, our very first week here, using the excuse of dropping off our printer for repair, we found ourselves headed for an exhibit at the Corcoran Art Gallery. After spending a few hours enjoying two extraordinary photographic exhibits - Annie Leibovitz and Ansel Adams - we completed the perfect day by having a late lunch at one of our favorite haunts, - The Old Ebbitt Grille. The following Wednesday found me, accompanied by Genevieve, again in the city attending a Harman Center for the Arts brown-bag lunchtime performance of the Tehreema Mitha Dance Company. Tehreema Mitha started, in 1993, the only dance company that has existed in Pakistan, but later came to the U.S. seeking more choreographic freedom. Her work, in the world of Asian Dance, defuses the line between what was considered classical and what would be considered contemporary. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

The winter weather was soon upon us and we were thankful we had spent time our first week buying some warm clothing and boots. Our second week here, I walked out of the grocery story and was greeted by a beautiful winter wonderland with big fat wet snowflakes coming down, blanketing the parking lot and already making my car a big white blob. With no snow scraper (I put that on the list) I laughed as I scraped the snow from the windows with the first thing if saw - a map of San Diego. Bet it was never used for that purpose before.

Reflections on Cargo Ship Travel

2008-01-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

Reflections on cargo ship travel
Trip ended in Houston 12/24/07

Our only prior experience of this type was an 18-day cruise aboard a container ship from Auckland, New Zealand to Seattle, Washington in 1996, which we thoroughly enjoyed. This time, for a four-month around-the-world cruise, we purposely chose a break–bulk cargo ship because, as the name implies, the cargo is bulk pieces as opposed to containers. The off-loading and on-loading of containers is much faster, which results in shorter times in port. While this is great for the shipping company, it doesn’t give the passengers much time in port. We were told, for this trip, we would have at least 15 stops with from one to three days at each stop.

We were happy with the decision we made and were in each port from one to five days. Actually, a “day” was sometimes only six or eight hours, (our biggest disappointment being our short stay in Genoa, Italy) with very little advance warning, but overall it all worked out o.k.

Our accommodations were quite spacious and very comfortable, plus there were other public areas where we could relax and play games, exercise, paint, swim, and sit on deck chairs to enjoy the sun and sea.

The meals were very good, with lots of variety of menus and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Since we changed crew two thirds of the way through, we experienced two chefs and two different stewards, as well as officers and other crew.

There were parties held periodically, with meats on the grill (and several times a roast pig on a spit) and lots of music and dancing. We were told by our crew that all Filipinos sing and dance (and I would add they are all warm, friendly and fun-loving).

We had three different captains - one from Houston to Hamburg, another from Hamburg to Shanghai, and the third from Shanghai back to Houston. The first two were Polish and the last Hungarian.

Weather-wise, we had a complete mixture and were glad we’d brought clothes for all seasons. It was warm when we left Houston in August and continued through our Atlantic crossing. Hamburg and Antwerp were very cold and we had rain for our short stop in Genoa. It became warm again for our trip through the Suez Canal and Red Sea and stayed warm from Singapore through Malaysia. Our next cold weather started with our first stop in China and we didn’t get warm again until we crossed the Pacific and arrived in San Diego. The remainder of the trip south to the Panama Canal, Costa Rica and Gulf of Mexico to Houston was beautiful, warm and sunny, with calm seas.

When we boarded in Houston, there was one other passenger aboard (Jack from Canada) and with the two of us, plus our sister-in-law Martha, that made four. Unfortunately, Jack took ill and had to be taken off the ship in Camden, New Jersey. In Hamburg we took on two more passengers (a Swedish couple, Sunhilde and Helge) and the Captain’s wife, Barbara. When we changed crew in Shanghai, Barbara left and we were six from then until Martha left the ship in Costa Rica and Doug and I finished the trip in Houston. The Swedes continued on to Hamburg to complete their around-the-world trip. It was good to have others to talk with at meals and exchange books and videos, and we sometimes toured together in the various ports.

Setting up a blog, prior to the trip, made it easy for family and friends to follow our travels and eliminated the need for us to individually keep in touch with everyone. So, I hope you’ve enjoyed traveling with us, not only on our freighter trip but for the past year, and will continue to check our blog from time to time to see what we’re up to next.

Happy sailing and may all your landfalls be intentional.
Rebecca and Doug

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

2008-01-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
12/20/07

After slowly moving through the Panama Canal, we accelerated to our normal cruising speed of 18 knots and headed north up the Caribbean coast to Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. Around 1 AM we dropped anchor until morning when the pilot boarded and we finally began our entrance about 9 AM. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we were welcomed by the sight of sand, surf and palm trees.

I was surprised to see two cruise ships at the dock since we typically arrive at commercial ports, far from the cruise ship terminals. This was a good thing because that meant there would be good public transportation for Martha. She had booked a flight from San Jose, Costa Rica on the following day to ensure that she could get to New York in time to fly to India on the 25th. So, last night was our last dinner together and this morning she said a tearful goodbye to everyone. She will especially be missed by all the crew who we all have had such a good time with. We didn’t get to know them as well as the former crew but they were all great fun. In a few days we will also be saying goodbye, when we reach our final destination of Houston.

A short taxi ride took us to the bus terminal where Martha was able to get a 2 ½ hour express bus to San Jose where she’ll stay until her early morning flight on the 21st. Doug and I continued on with the taxi to a surf-side restaurant where we dined on broiled lobster, beans & rice and fried plantain - a real treat. Our driver stayed with us and took us to do some shopping, for specific items, before returning us to the dock. I stayed ashore to stroll the shops for local treasures and a few postcards and also treated myself to a pedicure (two treats in one day). At one shop, I met a little boy (helping in his father’s business) selling cans of macadamia nuts and post cards. After buying some of each I then asked if he had stamps. First he said yes but when he went to get them, told me he was very sorry but the people from the cruise ships bought all the stamps. Just then, his father appeared and said if I wanted to give him my post card, he would have more stamps the next day and would mail my card. I said “Well, I haven’t written it yet.” and the little boy said “Come around the counter and sit down and you can write it now.” He was so cute. So, I addressed the card to our two young grandsons, Zach (6) and Taylor (9), and suddenly had a thought. I said, “Can you write English? Would you write the message on the card?” He shyly said “I guess so. What should I write?” I said “Write whatever you like”. So he wrote: My name is Alex. I am 8 years old. I live in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. And he wrote his phone number. I thanked him but explained that they might not call him, but if he would give me his address they might write a letter. He said: “Or maybe a postcard!” What a cutie he was. (See photo below of Alex writing the post card)

Nothing was being loaded on the ship here, we were simply off loading lots of new refrigerator containers, which we were told will be used to ship Costa Rican cantaloupe to the U.S., so we departed that night. It was great to be back in the tropics.

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

2008-01-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

Photos from Panama Canal

2008-01-10T18:02:00.001-08:00

Panama Canal

2008-01-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

Panama Canal

We arrived in Panama the evening of 18 December and anchored off Isla Flamenco to await the arrival of our pilots, scheduled for 0300. By 0400, we were underway and entering the Panama Canal, surely one of the great engineering wonders of the world. As early as 1534, King Charles V of Spain had ordered a topographic survey of the Isthmus of Panama for a proposed canal. The looting of gold and other treasures from the New World was complicated by the fact that these goods had to be landed in Panama from their South American ports and land transported across the Isthmus to ships waiting on the Caribbean side for further transport to Spain. However, the concept was far beyond the construction capabilities of the day.

The French, under the command of Count Ferdinand de Lesseps who had created the Suez Canal, began a sea level canal in 1880. However, climatic and disease challenges brought this to a halt and, after a second French attempt in 1894, the project was taken over by the United States in 1904. It was determined that a lock-type canal would be required and it was completed in 1914 at a cost of some $400 million. The water to operate the canal is provided by the Chargres River, in the middle of the Isthmus, which is dammed to create Lake Gatun and then operate the locks down to the Pacific side and to the Caribbean Sea. The locking up to Lake Gatun through the two flight Miraflores Locks and the Pedro Miguel Lock is about 26 meters and consequently the locking down through the three flight Gatun Locks is the same. The total fifty mile transit requires about nine hours.

On December 31, 1999, the Canal was turned over to the Republic of Panama as provided for in the Torrijos-Carter Treaty of 1977. When we transited the Canal aboard S/V Boutonierre in April 1995 there was a lot of bad feeling amongst the Americans about the "Jimmy Carter give-away". However, the Canal continues to operate with great efficiency and has contributed over $2.5 billion to the Republic of Panama since that time.

Before daybreak, we had passed under the Bridge of the Americas, which carried the Pan-American Highway, presumably from Alaska to the tip of Chile, and entered the first flight of the Miraflores Locks. In 2003, a modern impressive suspension bridge was completed over the canal north of Pedro Miguel and the highway has been rerouted over it. It was a bit sad to see the Pedro Miguel Boatyard where we had spent some 10-14 days in 1995 preparing for our sail across the Pacific aboard the 55' Tayana, Boutonierre, with our friend John Button. At that time, it was a thriving yard full of boats making the transit in both directions. We had marveled at the four man crew of an eastern bound vessel, whose average age was 68. John was then 64 and I was 61 and we thought they were a bit advanced in age for such an undertaking. Now, of course, that seems young by comparison. We completed the typical repairs necessitated by our passage from Cartagena, Columbia, had our sails mended once again, provisioned for about six months of cruising and prepared meals for freezing in the huge industrial type galley in the clubhouse. The yard is now going out of business and once gone, no other yard can open there. It's too close to the lock and, of course, the heavy commercial traffic takes precedence over pleasure vessels.

When we transited the Miraflores Locks in 1999, it was in a torrential downpour with the two of us line handlers on the bow being totally soaked through our clothes. Our passage in Rickmers-Jakarta was in a perfect day of sunshine and moderated temperatures. We completed the transit about 1515 at Colon, discharged the pilots and set a course for Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.

San Diego to Panama

2008-01-10T17:53:00.000-08:00

San Diego to Panama

Harry Bridges may no longer be alive but his influence definitely is. We were scheduled to be in San Diego for one day and stayed three. As mentioned before, our schedule in port is strictly in the hands of the cargo loaders, the Super Cargo and the stevedores. There have long been two major stevedore unions in the US, the east coast was controlled by the mob and the west coast and Hawaii by Harry Bridges and the communists. Loading and unloading was slow on Sunday and on Monday, the stevedores quit at the end of the day to attend a union meeting. The Super Cargo, with the help of Beck's beer from the ship's slop chest, was able to convince them to return early Tuesday morning so we could complete by the end of the day. We were then able to depart on our modified schedule which called for tugs along side at 0600 Wednesday.

We discharged the pilot, cleared the sea buoy by 0700 and set a course for Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. From that waypoint, we shaped our course toward the mainland of Mexico and have continued to follow a course roughly parallel to the coasts of Mexico, Guatamala, El Salvador, Nicauragua and Costa Rica on our way to the Balboa, Panama pilot station, maintaining a distance off the coast of 30 - 40 miles. We have now (on this trip) gone through 25 time zones, having made sufficient easting to put us back in the eastern time zone of North America but will revert to the central time zone we started in; after transiting the Panama Canal and returning to Houston, with one stop in Costa Rica.

The second day out, we cleared Cabo San Lucas and entered tropical waters, below the Tropic of Cancer. It is always comfortable for us to return to tropical waters where so much of our time at sea has been spent. Actually, being south of 30 degrees latitude makes us more comfortable but the balmy breezes associated with the tropics are something special. With a following wind cancelling the wind created by the ship's speed through the water, we enjoyed an idyllic three days on the pilot deck, reading and sunning in our lounge chairs. By the fifth day, we had entered the area of the northeast trades and now have easterly winds added to the ship's speed creating more than thirty knots over the deck but the temperatures, sea and air, are in the high 20's C (low 80's F) and the pool has been filled again for afternoon recreation.

Photos from San Diego

2007-12-11T11:14:00.001-08:00

More photos of Yokohama

2007-12-11T11:10:00.000-08:00

Yokohama, Japan

2007-12-11T11:05:00.000-08:00

Yokohama, Japan
11/26 - 11/27/07

Just an overnight cruise from Kobe, brought us to Yokohama the morning of the 27th of November. The good news was that we were close enough to the city to avoid the hassle of hiring a taxi and trying to communicate in Japanese (plus we love the exercise). The bad news was that we learned that we were leaving that same day and were required to return to the ship by 4:30 PM to go with the agent to the Immigration Office to clear out of the country. So, we made the most of our day.

The weather was cool and crisp but sunny so we set off for the short walk along the waterfront. Being a weekday, the streets were busy but not terribly crowded and we saw groups of school children who were anxious to talk with us and take our photos. So cute in their very neat and tailored school uniforms (short pants and jackets and ties for the boys and short skirts and jackets and blouses for the girls and all with little hats). We stopped into the City Grand Hotel to purchase a few postcards and stamps and ask directions, while we had access to an English speaking concierge.

Yokohama is the 2nd largest city in Japan (first is Tokyo of course) with a 3.6 million population which swells an additional 2.5 million every weekend when visitors from Tokyo arrive. It's a major port and fashion center for Japan and a popular tourist city for Japanese and people from around the world. Yokohama is home to Cosmo Clock 21, the world's largest ferris wheel, which is absolutely breathtaking when it's lighted at night. We passed a beautiful park that was built on top of the debri that was dumpted in the harbor after the 1923 earthquake. The fashion boutiques that line the city streets go on for blocks and blocks, one more extravagant than the next, interspersed with fashionable restaurants and spas. Definitely a city we could have spent much more time exploring.

We chose the Silk Museum as our sightseeing destination for the morning and were not disappointed. Of course I was particularly interested due to my fascination with silk painting, but Martha and Doug enjoyed it as well. It covers two floors in the Silk Center International Trade and Sightseeing Building, which was built in 1959 to commemorate the anniversary of the opening of the Port of Yokohama. It's on the former site of the British trading firm known as English House No. 1 and it's purpose was to display the science and technology of silk production, beautiful costumes and to promote the demand for silk. We were fascinated with the display of the mysterioous life of the silkworm and the stages of its metamorphosis, the process of reeling silk from cocoons, the kinds of silk yarns and the complicated procedures of weaving and dyeing silk yarns. One of the more amazing facts was that it takes approximately 110 cocoons to make a silk scarf and over 8,000 cocoons to make a silk kimona. Japan was once the largest producer of silk in the world, but China now holds that distinction.

The highlight of our day was a fabulous Japanese lunch at an elegant but simple traditional Japanese restaurant, which was recommended by a gentleman at the Visitors Office. After removing our shoes, we were shown into a beautifully decorated room that was so sparkling clean we felt we could have eaten from the floor. The waitresses, dressed in kimonas, served us tea and suggested some traditional dishes. We were served a variety of dishes of soup, pickled vegetables, a meat dish, rice and miso soup and everything we had was delicious! We were the only non-Japanese diners so attracted some attention, especially from one little boy who kept staring at Doug (probably thought he was Santa Claus) - so cute.

We made it back to the ship by 4:00 and were whisked away by the agent in order to get to the government office which closed at 5:00. Everything went smoothly and we were returned to the ship by 5:30. Not nearly as difficult as clearing in. While waiting at that office, I was fascinated by a stack of small brochures, which had the world "HELP!" in large letters, in English. Inside, the instructions were in seven different languages, that had to do with "Trafficking in Persons", a crime committed by organized crime syndicates orother criminal groups to bring in foreign women, children or others to be forced into prostitution or forced labor. It instructs: "The red page in this booklet reads: I am a trafficking victim, so please call the Japanese police. Show the red page to a Japanese person on the street and the Police or other official Japanese organizations will protect you." It then lists the phone numbers of the Japanese Police, Immigration Bureau and Counseling Center for Women-Anti Trafficking Project (NGO). This seemed like such a good program, to have the brochures available, I wondered if we have something similar in our country.

Later that night, we finished loading cargo and departed Yokohama for our eleven-day trip across the Pacific. Next stop, San Diego! It will be good to back in the good old U.S. of A., even for a brief visit. From there, we'll head for the Panama Canal and Costa Rica (where we'll off-load these huge empty containers that have been blocking the view from our stateroom since a port in China) and then our final stop in Houston.

More photos from Kobe, Japan

2007-12-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Kobe, Japan

2007-12-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

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.

Masan, South Korea

2007-12-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

Masan, South Korea
11/18 - 11/21/07

After anchoring for the night, due to a very busy port, we came along side the pier in Masan early Sunday morning. What a welcome sight to look out across the harbor at a nearby city of tall white buildings almost sparkling in the sunlight. Quite a change from the grey, dirty, dark ports of China. We're surrounded on three sides by mountains covered in fall colors and the air smells fresh and clean. Everything on the dock is neat and orderly with hundreds of multi-colored cars (Chevrolets) placed precisely in rows next to neat rows of Volvo earth movers. One problem is the language. Even the Captain and crew are having a hard time communicating with the agents and dock workers here as basically no one speaks or understands English, even though it's the language of this industry. The other countries we've visited had at least a few people who were fluent and most spoke at least a little English. We took a taxi into town and couldn't communicate at all with the driver. Luckily we planned ahead and had the local agent here write down where we wanted to go in Korean. He also wrote how to get back to the ship, which we've learned to always carry with us before going ashore in a foreign port. We were able to locate an ATM to get some local currency (Wan) and an internet cafe (where only Korean was spoken and the characters on the computer screen were in Korean). Luckily, the internet symbol is the universal big blue "e" so we could log on and access our email and my blog site. From there we walked through streets lined with small shops until we came to a mail road where we found a six-story, very modern department store (Lotte). It being Sunday, there were lots of family shopping together and young people - all very fashionably (western type clothing) dressed. The coffee shop was as good as any Starbuck's and the cosmetic and jewelry counters were the equivalent of Nordstroms or Neiman Marcus in the U.S. We'd already had lunch but the food court was very enticing with a variety of Korean, American, Chinese and Japanese offerings. Out on the street we hurried (it was very cold and windy) past food and souvenir vendors and located another large store called E-Mart which was like a K-Mart but with groceries as well. We found a book store but no magazines or books in English and a pharmacy section with no ibuprofen (the only things on our list). I had an idea to buy some Christmas cards which I could write on the long trip across the Pacific but couldn't locate anything like that. So much for our big shopping day, but we had a good time as usual.

We took a long walk in the afternoon and enjoyed being out in the fresh brisk air. Not much to see except factories and commercial ship docks but the exercise was good. After trying, unsuccessfully, to have the port agent arrange for a tour of the countryside so see some sights, we opted instead for an evening ashore for a nice dinner.
He called us a taxi and wrote (in Korean) the name and address of a restaurant in the city. That all went well and we enjoyed an authentic Korean barbecue cooked tableside with all the side dishes (including the hottest raw garlic I've ever put in my mouth), followed by a dessert of a fruit we couldn't quite identify. No one in the restaurant spoke even a little English so that was another interesting experience. What fun!

Having nothing else to do on our third day here, Martha and I set out in the direction of the city to see what we could see. It was an hour's walk before we came to any shops or people and we found ourselves in a charming little neighborhood. Like anyplace in the world at three in the afternoon, the children were returning home from school with their backpacks - little girls giggling and chatting, arm-in and little-arm, and little boys (some in Karate outfits) kicking at pidgeons and punching at each other. Some said "Hello" or "Thank you" and others stopped at bowed to us. Two little girls, about eight years old, stopped and one said "Hello, my name is Ying Sue Mung." Martha said "Hello, my name is Martha." They both said "Hello Marta!" I said "Hello, my name is Rebecca." One said "Rebecca is a nice name." As we walked away, they said "Have a nice day." Later, we saw them again and they posed and giggled for a photo. Perhaps in another ten years, shop workers will be speaking more English. By the time we returned to the ship, it was all we could do to walk up the gangway and up the five flights to our cabins. We could barely make it through a movie that night before falling into bed. I guess, from being on the ship for so long, we're not used to that much walking.

We still miss our former crew members but are getting to know the new ones. The Captain is quite chatty and seems to welcome our requests for help with going ashore and sending emails. He often gets into long discussions with us in the dining room after meals. The Chief Engineer is also quite friendly and his English is very good. The cook and stewards are helpful as well and busy getting the galley organized the way they want it, but the meals are not as good as with the other cook. No desserts yet other than jello and pudding or fruit but we're hoping when he's organized he'll do some baking. We miss Jonni's wonderful strudels and cakes.

Photos from Yokohama

2007-12-10T14:06:00.000-08:00