4-6 Final Morning in Kyoto
We again “dressed” for breakfast in the traditional Japanese fashion. What a kick … the long robe first, then the wide obi-style sash, then the short jacket. On the feet (for me) the little tabi socks with the split for the toes. Breakfast is a selection of 10 different little items (most are pickle...
Day 4 - Kyoto Dance Performance and EATING!!
Today was sunny and 71+ … no more rain! We had tickets for the Miyako Odori Performance. It is only given at this cherry blossom time of year. Luckily we had purchased tickets ahead of time not even realizing this was so special. This dance began in 1872 when Kyoto was ascending in importance as the...
Kyoto Cooking Lesson
Today was raining hard and blowing wind! We stayed in for most of the day, and went out in the afternoon for a cooking lesson. Our guide took us to the home of Junko Minakuchi who gives lessons in home cooking. She was lovely and gracious, and we had a wonderful time in her kitchen. Our menu: vegeta...
Kyoto - Day 2 - A Lovely Day and Evening
For starters: good weather! Our guide took us to the Daitoku-ji Temple Complex to visit one of the very best of the 22 sub-temples. The complex was founded in 1315. The photo shows where the Shoguns built their different temples and shrines in this area. (All told, Kyoto is home to over 2000 religio...
Kyoto: our First Night
We arrived at Hotel FuFu – yes, that’s the name! Charming and very Japanese. There was a flyer on the counter for an evening rickshaw ride for the cherry blossoms. It is expected to rain the next couple of days, so we decided to immediately book the ride. It was definitely fun, and our runner was a...
Tokyo Day 4 / Half Day
Rain greeted us once again on our final half day in Tokyo. We set off for the Senso-ji Temple in the Asakusa area of Tokyo. It is a very popular place and filled with many tourists. The street leading up to the temple is lined with little shops and snack stands. I did the traditional hand washing, l...
Tokyo Day 3
We started at the beautiful and spectacular Hama-rikyu Gardens which belonged to one of the wealthy Shoguns. Due to rain, the paths were a bit muddy, but ok. (although, not a good day for white tennis shoes!) First stop, an amazing pine tree, planted by the first Shogun in 1709. The park also had t...
Tokyo : 2nd Day Adventures
We decided with the guide to do as much “outside” touring as possible, since it was due to rain as the day progressed. We took a taxi to the Imperial Palace. The line-up to enter through the main gate was quite long, and it was beginning to drizzle already. So, we opted for a look at the outer gates...
Tokyo Day 1
The ship docked in Yokohama and our travel service picked us up for the 1 1/2 hour drive into Tokyo. (LA-type traffic!) We dropped our luggage at the hotel and headed out to the teamLab Borderless exhibit in the area of Azabudai Hills. This is a “museum without a map”. The rooms flow into one anot...
Last Day of Our Cruise
This was the last day of our cruise in the small town of Shimizu. The town is known for it’s outstanding view of Mt. Fugi. So of course I was up at 6 a.m. in the forward lounge to see the view as we sailed into the bay. Alas: Mt. Fugi was hiding behind the clouds and remained so for the entire day....
A Stop in Kochi
The main attraction here is the castle. However, it is on a mountain some 1000 steps up and there is nothing inside! We opted for the museum which was far more interesting. There was a very good history of Japan, old manuscripts, and a special exhibit of coral carved hair pins and sash pins. Really...
A Fun Day in Beppu
What a fun day we had! First over to the Global Tower for a ride up 96 meters (314 feet) for a spectacular view of Beppu. Great views. Next: the hot springs, Jigoku Meguri (Hells Tour). Natural hot springs, cherry trees in bloom and a hot springs foot bath at the end. Next up: another view point,...
A Rainy Day in Hiroshima
Well, rainy weather is not good for wheelchairs! We were able to drive by some of the most important sites in Hiroshima and then try a visit to the museum. We had a short visit to the building which houses the Museum of Meteorology This building was important during WWII. In order to preserve the b...
A Stop in Shimonoseki
This small city, population about 250,000 is so close to South Korea they have ferry connections to Busan. We did not use a tour guide here, but instead gave ourselves over to ChatGPT! Howard has become really good at in-putting the information we want and getting some impressive results. This was a...
A Full Day in Nagasaki
Our guide met us at the dock, and we taxied to Mt. Inasa. It’s high above Nagasaki, with a great view of the harbor and the entire city. Cold and windy, but beautiful views. Then, to the Atomic Bomb Museum. This museum tracks the city from before WWII through the devastation of the “Fat Man” pluton...
Cooking in South Korea
I signed up for a cooking class here, which was at a private cooking school, with a complete setup for cooking Bulgogi, basically Korean Stir-Fry. It was good to see their recommendations for slicing the beef and vegetables. We made a marinade for the beef, which was quite good, and for me the best...
First Day in Nagasaki
We did not have a tour guide today, so took off on our own to stroll down Dejima Wharf adjacent to the ship’s dock. It’s dotted with restaurants, but the fish market we expected to find had moved elsewhere. So, into a taxi and off to Glover Gardens. It’s a fascinating area at the top of a mountain...
Kagoshima Samurai, Kamikaze, and a Volcano
Lovely weather today, beginning with a beautiful sunrise over the mountains and an early morning viewing of Sakurajima, the nearby active volcano with rising steam. It erupts quite often; but not today. Our guide planned the day in the Chiran area. First, the Peace Museum, which was built in the 199...
Kobe Sake and Beef
We arrived in Kobe, from whence comes the famous Kobe Beef. It’s actually from cows raised in nearby mountains, but close enough for us to order a steak dinner from an outstanding menu at a well-known Teppanyaki restaurant. More on that at the end… We left the ship to meet our guide and took a taxi...
Stop-over Day in Tokyo
Following another sea day, we arrived in Tokyo. For us, this is the cruise’s mid point. Nearly 500 of the 600 passengers disembarked, and a new contingent of guests arrived. While all that was happening, we left the ship and began exploring Tokyo. We met our guide Makiko, and took off for the “Shibu...
Going to A Puppet Show
Rather than sign up for a ship’s shore excursion, we opted for a private guide to take us to something different and off the beaten path. Due to very rough sailing the last 24 hours, and the need to slow down the ship, we docked hours later than scheduled. We coordinated our revised arrival and depa...
Wednesday in Taipei
We docked, made our way through the terminal, then were picked up for a ½ hour drive to meet our guide at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and cultural center. The main building houses 2 museums: one memorializing the rise of Chiang as the leader/dictator of the country, the other celebrating the r...
2 Days in Hong Kong
In Hong Kong we spent the 8th on our own seeing a bit of the city, then a jaunt over to Stanley Market, well known for its many vendors of clothing, household items, luggage and “stuff”. I have been there two previous times. It was definitely different, smaller, “less” than before, but still nice to...
A Walk Around Hoi An
Yesterday was a sea day, so no photos … but nice to just hang out onboard ship. Today we docked in Da Nang, Vietnam and met our guide Erik. We decided to use our time with him to go to Hoi An … a UNESCO World Heritage Site town that is about 45 minutes outside of Da Nang. The drive there was through...
A Day Touring Saigon
Today a private guide met us at the ship dock with a car and driver. We had a mini-list of places to go and see in Saigon, and narrowed it down to four! We began with the Saigon Central Post Office. Built in 1891 in French Colonial Style, during the 100 years of French occupation of Vietnam. Truly...
An Evening in Ho Chi Minh City
Our first day was a day at sea. (Monday, March 2) Nothing to report here other than enjoying the ship, meeting people and deciding where to eat next! Day two on board: Tuesday, March 3) Sailing to Ho Chi Minh City, still mostly called Saigon. We sailed into Song Nga Bay, then through the river syst...
Our Last Day in Singapore
We had a half-day before going to board the ship, so went to visit the Sultan Mosque. It is in “Kampong Glam”, Singapore’s Malay Heritage District, preserved because of its architecture. As Singapore is an island, there is a scarcity of land, so buildings get taller and taller! However, in the late...
Day 3 in Singapore
We do not normally eat breakfast, but just for the experience I decided to have the hotel’s buffet breakfast. So big and spread out, I got lost going back to our table! Howard, as usual, just had coffee. After breakfast we headed to the Singapore National Botanic Gardens. They are beautiful, with ma...
Day 2 in Singapore's Chinatown
This is the most fascinating city with incredible architecture. Howard is loving it! However, today was all about Chinatown and enjoying the decor for the Lunar New Year. As it is Lunar New Year, there are lots of little “markets” happening. So we especially wanted to visit Chinatown today. Our firs...
A Long Flight to Singapore
We left LA on Monday night and finally arrived in Singapore 32 1/2 hours later! Why we booked our flights this way, we don't remember. But: WE ARE HERE! The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is beautiful and we got upgraded to a bay-view suite. The view is spectacular of the Singapore Flyer Ferris wheel and t...
Day 1 in Singapore
I must say, day 1 in Singapore was terrific. We are so close to the Marina Bay Sands complex that we could walk over. We went down the street from our hotel and strolled along the Helix Bridge to the ArtScience Museum. This fascinating structure looks like a flower and has wonderful exhibits. We saw...