May 14- Seward, Alaska

On Monday morning, the ship arrived in Seward, Alaska (which is very close to Anchorage).  Jessie and I had already booked a tour for the day so we woke up early and made our way to our tour’s meeting point. 

As we disembarked the ship, I realized how cold it really was but all of that disappeared when I saw the mountains displayed in every direction around me.  The colours were so beautiful and the water was pristine and calm, it didn’t look real. 

We boarded a bus and within about 2 minutes, we were brought to our tour boat for the day.  Jessie and I were booked to do a wildlife cruise of the Kenai Fjords National Park.  The park itself is over 690,000 acres and is home to much of Alaska’s wildlife. 

This tour was rated #1 on the ship and therefore was very popular with the passengers.  Luckily Jessie and I arrived early so we were able to find ourselves seats inside of the boat (where it was much warmer).  Others who weren’t so fortunate had to be seated on the outside of the ship.  This wouldn’t have been such a problem for us if we would have brought winter jackets with us, but we didn’t so inside was the best choice. 

Jessie and I spent a lot of time out on the deck watching for various wildlife.  We saw quite a lot including two bald eagles perched on the side of a mountain.  We also saw 7 or 8 whales; some humpbacks and some orcas.  They were absolutely beautiful and so graceful in the water.  We were able to get quite a few nice photos of them too because we happened to be at the front of the boat when we saw them. 

As the boat was cruising, a group of porpoises had fun jumping through the wake.  They were so playful and were a pleasure to watch.  We also saw large colonies of seals and sea lions and also an area where thousands of seabirds come to nest.  Of course, the day wasn’t complete without seeing Alaska’s famous puffins, which were actually quite small, but extremely cute. 

We were also able to see the beautiful tidewater glacier which had stunning views of bright blue colors and reflected on the water.  The air smelled so fresh and clean and the glacier was magnificent; it was a sight I’ll remember forever.

The whole day was fantastic.  We were told that Seward was having terrible weather for over a week straight until the day we came.  For us, it was sunny and beautiful.  The only negative thing was due to the bad weather, the water was quite rough. 

 At one point Jessie felt quite seasick so we went to the back of the boat to get some fresh air (apparently it’s the best location).  As I was rubbing her back (being a good ‘mother’) a crew member came back and gave her a barf bag and some napkins.  People passed by and gave her words of encouragement.  About 2 minutes later, I demanded the bag and made use of it myself.  How ironic was it that Jessie felt sick and yet I was the one who vomited.  Jessie felt better after that… I didn’t.  Thankfully this was nearing the end of the tour, but it did cause me to feel quite nasty for the rest of it. 

As we made our way back to the ship I came to realize why people always speak highly of Alaska, it’s such a beautiful and majestic place.  My typical thinking that the hotter the climate, the nicer the place was proven wrong in this destination.  It was amazing. 

May 8- Muroran, Japan

Our last port in Asia was Muroran, Japan.  Jessie and I were both very excited for this port because our other port in Japan were fabulous.  This one was also sure not to disappoint.

We decided to stay in port that day instead of paying for an expensive tour into the city of Sapporo (which is also about a 2 ½ hour drive).  Instead, we were shuttled all around the small town of Muroran and had a wonderful day.

First, as we got off the ship, we were welcomed by a bunch of high school students who presented us with a welcome package and answered all of our questions.  We then boarded a shuttle bus and were dropped off in town.

Jessie and I decided to go to the tourism and information centre first because there were events happening there.  We were warmly welcomed and given a Japanese balloon yoyo as a gift.  We then proceeded to make Japanese kites, write traditional calligraphy, watch flower arrangements being made and learn how to make origami.  We even were able to participate in a traditional tea ceremony.  Jessie and I spent a large portion of the day there making friends with the locals and learning about their culture and community.  We had such a wonderful time and the best part of it was knowing that it was purely volunteer operated.  People went out of their way to ensure that we were having a nice time.  How special!

Afterwards we decided to hike up to the Shinto Shrine.  This was no easy task as it was over 300 steps to get there but we finally arrived.  From the view on top of the hill, we could see over the town and into the harbor.  It was very beautiful.

As we walked up to the temple, we saw three Japanese girls in traditional clothing there to welcome us.  They were shrine maidens. They posed for photos for us and then offered us a taste of sake (the traditional rice wine).  It was very strong but Jessie surprisingly enjoyed it (little lush!)

Jessie and I wandered around the grounds of the temple and at the back there were no people.  I decided this would be a prime place to test out my kite and see if it could fly.  The problem was that there was no wind; so instead, I had to run very fast and hope that it caught in the breeze I was creating.  A Japanese maintenance worker thought this was very funny. 

Heading back into town, we got on another shuttle and were dropped off at a local shopping area.  Jessie and I first decided to grab a bite to eat.  We settled on authentic Japanese ramen (usually known as the instant noodle soup) however this ramen was freshly made and delicious!  We ordered two types: one miso based, and one soya based (the soya based soup was better).  The tiny restaurant only held about 8 or 9 seats, but we were lucky enough to be surrounded by many of the ship’s crew members.  We got to know many of the servers in the dining room over a nice lunch.

After lunch, we decided to do some shopping.  We were told that there were large markets in the area, but it turned out that they were supermarkets.  Instead, Jessie and I went into a department store, but everything was fairly pricey.  We decided to spend most of our leftover Yen in the 100Yen store.  Jessie filled the basket with various art supplies and special tabi socks.  Quite the shopping experience.

We also stopped to try the ice cream.  We learned that this is a special treat here in Japan and thought it would be nice to try.  We decided on the authentic flavor of Green Tea.  A tiny little cup of it cost $4 but we enjoyed every bite.

Soon it was time to head back to the ship.  As we came close to the shuttle location, Jessie and I stopped to talk to some local Japanese students.  I had mentioned that I was teaching in Korea prior to my travels and they told me of their Korean friend Mirra.  They called her over and when she discovered my slight Korean background she was thrilled.  We talked about the differences she’s experienced for a while and then the shuttle came.  She gave me a big hug and asked to keep in contact over facebook.  What an interesting experience. 

Jessie and I were soon back onboard of our ship.  As we were leaving port, the town’s people of Muroran were kind enough to put on an extravagant goodbye performance for us.  Over 100 children learned multiple choreographies and performed them for almost an hour.  Their parents and other town members were standing at the background waving to us.  The entire production was so heart warming that many people had tears in their eyes as this was going on (myself included).  The town only sees about 1 cruiseship a year, so it’s a very big deal for them.  I couldn’t believe what a wonderful job they did at not only welcoming us and guiding us throughout the day, but also in giving us such a tremendous sendoff. 

This was our last stop in Asia, and it dawned on me that I was leaving the part of the world where I spent the last 15 months.  Although I was sad to be leaving, I couldn’t have thought of a better way to say goodbye. 

May 6- Vladivostok, Russia

Today Jessie and I tried to wake up early but this was a difficult task because the clocks went forward and Jessie was up all night, so we were quite tired.  By the time we got off the ship, it was already 10:30am but we decided to begin our Vladivostok touring despite our sleepiness. 

As we departed the ship, Russian officials were standing by to inspect our passports and ensure we followed regulations.  I couldn’t believe how stern and serious these people were.  They definitely didn’t give a first impression of friendliness and warmth. 

Jessie and I decided to head for the sports park first.  This was a park that was located right on the water and was supposed to be quite beautiful.   On our way there, we came across the Trans-Siberian Railway which is quite a historical landmark.  The railway stretches over 9,200km.  Jessie and I wandered inside the station and observed the beautiful artwork on the ceilings and the stunning architecture.  It was quite magnificent. 

Carrying on after the railway, Jessie and I headed down the same street with the expectation that it would lead us to where we wanted to go.  We walked for about another half hour when I finally asked a young soldier if we were headed in the right direction.  The answer was no.  We were in the opposite direction of where we wanted to go, so we turned around and headed back to point A. 

Once we got on the correct path, we made it in about an hour to the waterfront park.  The park wasn’t exactly what we had expected, but it was quite charming.  There was a long walkway along the waterfront and in the background there was a small carnival with a Ferris wheel. 

Jessie and I walked around for a short while.  There were little vendors selling various souvenirs.  At one point, Jessie was leaning over to touch a very large stuffed crab.  I walked up behind her and scared her as she attempted to touch the crab.  She screamed and we got yelled at by the crabby Russian owner.

We got a bit lost again on the way back but soon realized where we were.  Jessie and I decided to take a quick break and grab some lunch.  Since we were in Russia, we thought it would be appropriate to eat local cuisine and Jessie’s favorite soup is Borscht.  We soon found a little café that served food and drinks.  Jessie and I found a seat in the corner and sat in big, plush armchairs.  We ordered one (fairly expensive) bowl of Borscht and shared it with a great deal of delight.  Although it wasn’t as good as what our mom can make, it definitely tasted like home style cooking. 

After our snack, Jessie and I headed back to the ship for a quick rest and to fill up our bellies with all-inclusive cruise food.  We met with Dick and Renate and shared a nice lunch and then went down to our stateroom for a quick 20 minute nap.  This was necessary because I was exhausted since Jessie kept me up all night; unable to contain her excitement about arriving in Russia.

We emerged from the boat a little while later and went on our way to do some more sightseeing.  As we walked down the small streets, we couldn’t help but notice how colonial the buildings all looked.  It almost felt like we were back in Europe.   Jessie and I soon arrived at the Submarine Monument where a former submarine had been preserved and a portion of the hull was turned into a museum.  We didn’t go into the museum, but enjoyed the walk around the submarine. 

There was also an Orthodox church located nearby and it was absolutely stunning.  The architecture was intricate and it was so finely decorated.   We were lucky enough to witness a Russian wedding that was happening too. 

On our way back to the ship, we found a bunch of vendors selling beautiful Russian souvenirs.  Contrary to the on-board travel guide, these vendors did not negotiate their prices and they were not overly friendly.  Jessie and I couldn’t resist the beautiful products so we bought a charming little music box that is in the shape of a Russian cathedral. 

As we came back on board, we went to the theater and were treated to a Russian cultural show with the local talent.  For over an hour, about a dozen Russian singers and dancers kept us entertained and educated the crowd on different aspects of Russian culture.  It was fantastic. 

May 4—Busan, South Korea

Friday was a special day because it was my last trip to Busan (possibly forever).  Jessie and I woke up early, ate breakfast and then began to haul out tons of luggage.

Our plan was to mail some of our excess goods and clothing home with the hopes that our luggage won’t be too overweight at the airport returning home.  Unfortunately, with two girls shopping here and there over a period of 3 months, a lot of stuff can be accumulated. 

We left our room with 2 backpacks, 2 duffle bags, and one large shopping bag full of stuff.  One of the room stewards noticed all of our baggage and came out very concerned asking what was wrong and where we were going.  When we explained our situation to him, he just laughed. 

We boarded the complimentary shuttle with all of our baggage and got many strange looks from fellow passengers, but soon we were dropped off in the city centre and made our way to the post office.  I was so pleasantly surprised by the service we received in the post office.  The woman helping us spoke just a few words of English but went out of her way to help Jessie and I pack quickly and efficiently.  We sent over 20kg of stuff home and it came to about $50… not bad I think!

After successfully getting rid of our excess stuff, our bags were much lighter and Jessie and I made our way to a PC Bang (Internet Café) where we called home and chatted with our dad for a while.  It was a nice conversation, but we had to cut it short because I had plans to meet my friend Amanda.

Amanda was one of my best friends while living in Busan.  She’s renewed her contract, so she’s there for another year, but I’ll miss her dearly.  We met up in the city centre and then walked around for a bit.  She had to work in the afternoon, but we had time for lunch.  We went to a small Korean restaurant and ordered a delicious stew with chicken, potatoes, rice noodles and onions.  It was a great last meal.

We also surprised Amanda with a box full of goodies we took from the ship;  lamb kabobs, steak salad, assorted cheeses, tomato and mozzarella salad, cookies, cake.  I know how difficult it is living somewhere without food that tastes like home… I thought that this might brighten up her day.  I’m sure it did.

After a delicious day, Amanda headed to work and Jessie and I walked back to the city centre.  We walked aorudn the cultural steps area and listend to a live band play for a while.  They were very good.

Later on, we had another phone call home.  It was nice to talk to the family because we don’t communicate much on the ship (the internet is ridiculously expensive).  I told them about my fantastic plan to have our annual cousin camp on a cruise ship… I think it’s going to catch on.

Jessie and I spent the afternoon wandering around NampoDong area.   We checked out the fish market, went on a wine hunt at local convenience stores, and found Jessie her last Kimbap.  She was thrilled with it and we took photos to document the monumental last Kimbap (they’ve become her favorite). If you don’t know, it’s like a sushi roll except there’s no fish, only egg, carrot, mushroom, spam and radish.

After a while of wandering, we got on the shuttle and went back to the ship.  I felt a bit of sadness at leaving this place, but I’m happy to be moving forward in life and slowly making my way back home.  

May 3- Sabitinis Dinner

On Thursday, we had an entire day at sea.  We were sailing between Dalian, China and Busan, Korea.  Jessie and I spent the day relaxing and enjoying the various activities on board.   In the evening, the ship was having a formal night and everyone was to dress to the nines.

Our friends Dick, Renate, Neil and Julie generously invited Jessie and I to the ship’s famous Sabitini’s restaurant which has an extra surcharge, but is known for its fabulous food and service.  We had an exquisite meal that was complimented by a bottle of champagne and another bottle of red wine.  The dishes I chose included fresh calamari, soft shell crab, twice baked artichoke soufflé and a trio of lobster that included a lobster risotto and a double lobster tail.  To say that the food was great would be an understatement.  Especially paired with the wine, it was fantastic!

Our dessert featured three different pastries which included a white chocolate mousse, a traditional Italian hazelnut trio cake and the most delicious lemon and citrus tart known to man… they were phenomenal.

The entire evening was filled with great conversation and lots of laughter.  One conflict arose when the waiter asked to see Jessie’s ID for the wine.  She was not the legal American drinking age of 21 and therefore wasn’t allowed to consume any alcohol.  Our dinner guests were slightly outraged by this but in turn, Neil offered the remainder of the bottle of wine to Jessie so that she could drink it in the room.  I thought this was so thoughtful and cute.  Jessie enjoyed it too.  

May 2- Dalian, China

On Wednesday, Jessie and I planned to do our own thing (without a tour) to explore the town of Dalian, China.  We had a nice breakfast and then made our way off of the ship.  Prior to departing, we had watched an information lecture on the port and had a few ideas on where we wanted to spend our day.

Our plan was to start at Xinghai Park and explore that for a bit, then go to a museum and finally spend a few hours at the zoo.  We didn’t have a map with us, but we had a vague idea of where we wanted to go and we thought we’d just wing it.

We took a complimentary shuttle into town and were dropped off at a local shopping centre.  From there, we got onto a local bus that would take us to Xinghai Park.  The problem was that the bus stops didn’t have any numbers or names on them so we had no idea where we were supposed to get off.  Most people didn’t speak English but we finally found a woman who did, and she was able to help us (along with offering us both teaching jobs at her language institute).  Within about 40 minutes, we arrived at the park and went in. 

One of the first sights we saw upon arrival was a group of older Chinese men jumping around in a very graceful manner slapping whips made out of metal and leather.  This was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before because the way they moved was like a dance, but their whips were quite ferocious. 

Another interesting sight was the old Chinese ladies who would step on two small skateboard-like shoes and zoom around the whole area.  They were like old roller-skates except the wheels went the other way. 

Jessie and I spent quite a while walking around and absorbing the beauty in this sea side park.  There was also a carnival nearby and we walked through that and enjoyed the children running around.  Jessie and I considered riding the spinning swing ride but then declined after we questioned the safety regulations in China (they’re probably not up to standard with North America). 

A short while later, we found a hotel and asked how much time it would take to walk to the zoo (the museum was written off already because we were behind schedule).  The man laughed and said that it was at least a 30 minute cab ride, and it was not possible to walk there.  Apparently we didn’t know the area as much as we thought.

Instead of wasting time in cabs etc. we decided to just stay at the park and enjoy the surrounding areas some more.  We packed a little picnic from the ship and sat down and people watched for a bit. 

At one point there was a middle aged woman who decided to climb a tree.  This was quite amusing for Jessie and I because we imagined our mother in this situation (who would never, EVER decided to climb a tree out of her own will).  This woman climber right to the top and then hollered for her friends to come and take pictures of her.  It was quite funny.  I thought that she would surely fall out, but she got down without a hitch.   Impressive!

We saw everyone walking around with these tall ice cream cones and so Jessie and I decided to buy some.  They looked delicious, but when we tasted them, our mouths were assaulted by the foul taste.  I’m not sure why these were so popular because the ones we had tasted like old plastic.  They found happy homes in a nearby garbage can. 

Jessie and I also spent some time doing a bit of souvenir shopping (with the money we were intending on spending at the zoo).  We found a woman who made jewelry out of grains of rice, where she would write your name, and then put it inside of a glass vile.  It was something that was quite unique and will make for a nice keepsake. 

At around 3pm, Jessie and I began to make our way back to the shuttle area.   We were picked up and returned back to our floating home in no time.  We had a great day in Dalian. 

May 1- Tianjin, China – The Great Wall

Tuesday was a fairly hectic day.  Jessie and I woke up at 4:30am to get ready for our tour (this is a very ungodly hour for us).  Today was the day that we would go and see the Great Wall of China.

By 6am, after a quick breakfast and getting ready, we sat in the theater and waited for our tour number to be called.  This process usually goes by very quickly, but today the crew were having some serious technical difficulties. 

We didn’t get to board our bus until after 6:45 and by then we were quite behind schedule.  The ride to the great wall was supposed to take between 2-3 hours.  This particular day was extremely foggy (probably mostly due to the pollution) but our guide assured us that the driver knew where he was going.  About 2.5 hours into our drive, the bus stopped and the driver walked out on the side of the highway.  The tour guide told us that he had to call the tour agency to see if they could bribe the police to let us take the highway because apparently the local officials had just closed the highway due to poor visibility from the fog.

This didn’t work and so we had to turn around and re-rout.  By the time we reached the wall it was shortly after 11am.  The drive had taken over 4 hours!  Nobody was impressed by this, but the positive part was that by now, the fog had pretty much cleared and the wall was much more visible. 

We had just about 2 ½ hours to explore the wall and Jessie and I made the most of it.  We immediately started walking and climbing up it.  I say climbing because the wall was not a flat, smooth surface.  It was mainly stairs that climbed up the mountain so we got a nice little workout while we explored. 

The wall stretches over 3.600 miles in length and is actually visible from the moon.  We learned that it was created by the first Qin Emperor who wanted a defense from the Mongolians.  However it reached its height under the Ming Dynasty. 

As we were walking up this wall, there were quite a few points where I would be out of breath from the steep incline and hot heat.  I could only imagine what it must have been like for the people who were building the wall.  They didn’t have the machinery or technology we have today and they hauled all of the bricks and building supplies up the mountains by foot.  I couldn’t imagine doing that… I think it would literally kill me.

Although we only saw a small portion of the wall, it was amazing to stand on something with so much history and significance. 

Following the Great Wall, our tour took us to a local restaurant for an authentic Chinese meal.  We sat at a table with 8 others and shared various dishes and rice.  The food wasn’t that outstanding but it was interesting to see how picky other people are.  Jessie and I are both fairly adventurous and will try almost anything (perhaps this is because we traveled for 2 months before this and allowed our taste buds to experience different foods) however many people around us refused to try anything that looked a bit different… odd.

The ride back to the ship was much shorter.  Within about 2 hours, we were returned back to the ship and enjoyed another wonderful dinner with our friends and then went to see a show.