Vietnam & Japan 2018
Greetings everyone….Feb 28 had to be one of the longest days of my life….on Feb 5th…I applied for a visa to Vietnam……the visa did not arrive until 4 AM on Feb 29th…my flight was in a mere 3 hours….jolting out of a fitful sleep…dazed and wondering around muttering to myself…cursing the printer which at that moment had decided to not work…dog looking at me as if to say “What is going on?” And more importantly ( at least to him) is “Where is my breakfast?”….luckily my ride to the airport was up and had a functioning printer.
28 or so hours later….arrive Hanoi….streets surprisingly free of traffic …Pho stands open and busy along the road…stagger into hotel…fell into wonderful fluffy pillows …sometimes a good bed is heaven…
DAY ONE
Breakfast had beautiful fresh fruit….some kind of pounded shrimp grilled on a stick of sugar cane….congee…which I wasn’t brave enough to try…hotel is in the Old Quarter….has a 7 story atrium with huge silk lanterns….neighborhood a mix of embassies…hotels…Mom and Pop bodegas…large tree lined boulevards…tiny squares…street pattern seems reminiscent of Paris…if you pause and look up…retail on ground level…varying degrees of residential space above….rooftop gardens…traffic was not too bad because it is the weekend…..however…seeing a green light on the crosswalk does not necessarily mean you are safe to cross….head moving like a bobble head doll…left..right..left right…dodging motor scooters…buses ….or if you are feeling reckless….put your fist high in the air and proceed….slowly….looking neither left or right….hoping for a positive outcome …lots people out walking….TikTok influencer types were poising in front of Prada and Gucci….strolled along Ho Hoan Kiem …a lake with a lovely red arched bridge crossing to a Buddist temple…tiny alleys housing any number of teas shops or Pho restaurants…child sized chairs and tiny tables ….groups of men playing Chinese chess…quick nap…then off to cooking class….2 19 yr old men from Denmark….a couple from Edmonton ( wheat /cattle folks)…an adorable late 20 something woman from Wales…who bravely arrived on a scooter….Mango our Chef…was personable and very informative…first we went to the market and shopped for our ingredients…the kitchen was wonderfully local…red lanterns…large woven lights…got to work chopping…..first a banana leaf salad…spring rolls…finally Pho…very hands on …..grateful our group was only 6 people…a Vietnamese specialty called Egg Coffee was desert….really great evening but with only 5 hours sleep…I was more than happy to sit down and eat
DAY TWO
Arranged a walking tour…6 am departure to watch flag raising ceremony at Ba Dinh Square..mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh…lots of people on the grounds…some doing Tai Chi…some running….lots of pomp…everyone very respectful ….strolled through various markets….fruit..vegetables..flowers…clothing….had Pho at a street stall….streets lined with beautiful French Indochine architecture…maize colored buildings with bright tourquise fences…very ornate iron work…the main streets around the lake are pedestrian’s only on the weekend….brides doing photo ops…huge willow trees draped over the water…very picturesque….I was approached by several groups of school children…trying to sell items for their class and more importantly….practicing their English
Let’s talk about the sidewalks……why eat inside the restaurant..better to eat in tiny chair on sidewalk…need a haircut…on the sidewalk…dog groomer…sidewalk…gutting a giant fish…...shoe shine…..yup….scooter parking …majority of sidewalk….decide to have a quiet afternoon…..head up to spa….my masseuse was a grumpy Sumo wrestler disguised as a tiny Asian woman….pound pound..slap…she’s like a Ninja..suddenly standing on my back….I can barely get a breath….”How is pressure? she asks…I make some kind of noise….”OK OK” she replies and attacks my back with more vigor…..as a finale some very rigorous hair pulling and a final slap or two on the back….was so grateful when the hour was over….she hands me a survey form to fill out…I am too afraid to put anything but excellent on the card
DAY THREE
After breakfast…lots of chaos in hotel lobby….majority were French speaking so they went on a bus…but since there was only 6 us of English speaking..we were in a van…a couple from Germany…..a couple from Florida…and 90 year old woman and me….the 90 yr old is not feeling well from her recent Covid shot……we exit the van to visit mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh…which I had visited yesterday….going through security…I had a tiny flashlight in my bag…..which was not allowed….(since all cell phones have flashlights can’t imagine what the difference might be….battery?) ….so I say to our guide…I was here yesterday…I will wait at gate…..he tells me where to wait and says they will be about 1/2 hour…happy to people watch….eventually I realize they are not letting anyone enter the square….at least an hour has passed…..more guards are arriving….one of them comes up to me brandishing a baton in my face and tells me to “Go away!”…….Not exactly sure where I am supposed to go…I try to explain that I am waiting for my group to return……language an issue…finally determine that the gate where I am waiting will be closed for a couple of hours…VIP arriving soon…..hence more guards…..I don’t have a way to contact our guide….feeling abandoned in a city of 8 million….trying to decide what to do…phone isn’t allowing me to make a call…finally I see another guide type person…he speaks English…I ask him if he could please call the hotel…..think that is a good place to start looking for help…..suddenly our guide appears ….grabs me by the arm….we step into the sea of traffic….including a bus…..literally 3 feet away…..I am sure we will be hit by any number of scooters and several cars….gratefully make to the van…collapse and wonder what else the day can bring…..we visit a Buddhist temple….everyone hops into a rickshaw for a ride …..back in the van we stop for a nice lunch then head out of Hanoi…..boulevards have palms trees with ferns growing up and down the entire tree…..city giving way to a very agricultural landscape…...eventually turning into rice paddies……sadly the humidity is very high and spent the entire day in an oppressive fog….unfortunately the beautiful Ha Long bay is not visible….arrive at the ship…..get all the safety drills out of the way…Captain announces that we should expect rough seas tonite upon leaving Halong
DAY FOUR
Very wild night at sea….ship heaving and groaning…occasionally the entire ship would shutter as we cross the Bay of Tonkin….entering the Qiongzhou Strait…things are calmer…major shipping lane…..numerous cargo ships going all directions…back in open sea making our way to Hong Kong…waves larger and rolling but mild compared to last night
DAY FIVE
Wake up to fog horns and clouds sitting on top of a gently rolling sea….arrive at port of Hong Kong…the days forecast doesn’t look promising….high humidity…possible rain…decide to forego excursion to Aberdeen….hills and skyscrapers materialize out of the mist….only to vanish again…sun appears as we arrive at dock…Victoria Peak hidden in clouds…everyone anxious to go out and explore….after lunch I ventured into the cruise terminal/ HUGE shopping mall…..every high end store you have ever heard of was in residence….wandered for a couple hours…finally finding my way out…strolled along the water….water taxis zipping back and forth….as well as several junks and some sort bright pink ship that looked like a Mississippi River boat….happy to be on port side facing the city….watching the lights come on as evening arrives….thankfully no rain but still very foggy and humid….at 8 pm all the skyscrapers put on a light show…changing colors top to bottom…billboards on top join in…quite impressive…...depart Hong Kong tonite…will sail for 2 days to Okinawa Islands…..during dinner the captain announces that passage through East China Sea will be VERY agitated
DAY SIX
Agitated doesn’t quite describe the night….the motion might be considered restful if it wasn’t for the fact that up…suddenly becomes down….BOOM….side to side swaying with an abrupt bang…..my legs can’t decide how to position themselves to keep me upright….the dining room is on a lower level aft…walking down the hallway… a view of the sea fills the windows…to be replaced by a view of the sky…..a little disconcerting when walking towards it….went up to the bridge…waves washing over the bow…windshield wipers going…walking back the length of the ship was a bit like the carnival house that had a moving floor…I even caught a little air….pouches with seasick bags are discreetly hanging on the railing in the main hallways…..went to the spa for a little time in the sauna….huge circular window looks outside…rather hypnotic sitting there watching the waves roll and break….captain announced that waves were between 8-10 feet…feels more like 40….numerous wind farms towards mainland China…imagine a lot of folks will be happy when we get to Japan in 2 days….myself included …
DAY SEVEN
Another night of the ocean breaking all that surface tension….white caps as far as you can see….trying to get some exercise but gym on top level…too much movement to contemplate using equipment …..excited to arrive in Japan later tonite
DAY EIGHT
Arrived in Ishigaki Japan…..numerous jetties surround the port…..happy to be on land …..these islands in the Okinawa chain are often referred to as the Hawaii Islands of Japan…..low hills are visible…….palms trees…..lush vegetation…..cactus…..hibiscus…bougainville….thankfully docked so no zodiac…..a short bus ride to visit a textile shop…then up to Banna Mountain observation deck…gorgeous view of the entire south end of the island…can see the ship in the port…the road up to the top is full of switchbacks…many retaining walls…quite ingenious that some of the walls are filled with square bucket type planters…..with drainage in the back but foliage in the front…practical and attractive…..majority of the population of the island live in this part of the island….well maintained trails meandering through the trees….adjacent hills have roads twisting through the foliage…hardly a house in sight looking towards the interior…a balmy 65 degrees…partly cloudy …delightful after all the wind and waves of the last 2 days….sugar cane and rice patties on both sides of the road….not a chewing gum wrapper or any trash visible…even in vacant lots or construction sites…..next stop Kabira Bay…board a glass bottom boat….cruising through the lovely bay…mangroves and mushroom shaped islands…..coral reef in reasonably good condition…indigo blue coral…brain coral…trigger fish…clown fish…tiny blue fish…sea urchins…a village just up the hill that must be insane during the height of tourist season…..free afternoon to wander the town…touristy but also had some lovely little shops with local handicrafts…lots of locals out enjoying the nice day…..sat on my little balcony for some much appreciated sun this afternoon ….after dinner…a local woman named Hirohito Kinjo played some traditional Yaeyama music…she was lovely and had charming stage presence….compared to some Japanese music…I thought her music had a much softer sound and not that jarring sound that some Japanese music sounds like to us Occidentals
DAY NINE
A 1/2 hour sail over to neighboring island of Taketomijima….a quick zodiac ride to island then shuttle ride up to central village…..absolutely enchanting…weathered wood homes….tile roofs…small gardens beautifully maintained….bougainvillea cascading over the rock walls that line all the roads…..towering cactus…..several types of palm trees….roads are made of crushed shells…the women use a broom to maintain the road in front of their home…sweeping in a rhythmic fashion….side to side…lion shaped shisa statues decorate the roofs of most of the homes to protect against evil spirits…all the flowering trees vibrant against the gray of the stone walls and the houses….deigo trees lined main road that lead back to port and ferry terminal….small cemetery….entire island like stepping back in time…peaceful and quiet….unfortunately this well preserved island of traditional homes is inundated with tourists from mainland Japan….thankful that we are ahead to the spring and summer surge
Another short sail to Iriomotejima…..two activities this afternoon…I was torn between a cruise through the mangroves or water buffalo carriage ride….opted out of another boat adventure…..zodiac to shore 1/2 hr drive to ox cart site….twisting through the heavy greenery lining the roads…suddenly open expanses of spectacular beaches….surprisingly not many people out and about….Dr Seuss looking trees…so many types of plants and shrubs…….waterfalls in the distance…water buffalo are yoked to wagons that take us across an expanse of water to the tiny Island of Yubu….there was a “bath house” for the buffalo…butterfly enclosure….lily ponds…the driver of the cart played a sanshin (think 3 string banjo that is made from the skin of a python) for us as we rode along….strolled around for a while then back to the mainland….so many mountains in the distance…hard to tell which island you are looking at in this extended archipelago
DAY TEN
Sailed overnight…arrived at Yonagunijima…the western most island in Japanese island chain….this remote island is home to Yonaguni horses only 40-45 inches tall…they freely roam the island…arriving to the harbor in the early morning….the island has plunging cliffs that surround a small bay….while I am perfectly fine with heavy seas on the ship…heavy seas…wind and rain ….are not in my comfort zone for a zodiac especially when you had to board them from a gangway on the side of the ship rather than aft from the platform…tells me it’s not my day to go…this morning there were a few folks that like me opted to stay on the ship…it was nice to hear the staff (mostly Balinese and Filipinos) …they were singing and chatting among themselves as they went about their chores….very restful day
DAY ELEVAN
Another agitated night at sea….shake rattle and roll…when I looked out the window this morning….huge rolling waves topped by white caps as far as the eye can see…..waves crashing over the sea wall….not much calmer inside the wall….the captain announces that because the wind is so strong we cannot dock at the pier…instead we will take the tenders into terminal…..tenders only slightly better than zodiacs in my mind….waves washing over the top of the tender as we motor towards to pier …..Mijakojima is a fairly large island ..they have built numerous bridges to neighboring islands…imagine a 2 mile long bridge snaking across the water…not straight but undulating not only side to side but up and down…with dips and a very high section near the middle to let small ships pass through…from the far side it looks like a roller coaster ride…..it’s called Irabu Bridge ….the small island had an observatory at the pinnacle…from the bridge it reassembles a bird ….. VERY windy but incredible views …..very few people working in the fields or on the roads…..absolutely gorgeous beaches and beautiful turquoise water….the roads used be lined with palm trees but the typhoons blow them down …the roads now lined with Fortune trees…perhaps only 10-12 ft tall but 75 to 100 yrs old …..spent some time strolling through the Mijako Botanical Gardens….butterflies everywhere….so pleased to see the sun and have a warm day to explore…final stop before returning to the ship was a salt shop/farm….this salt is so fine in texture it is called Snow salt….rest of the afternoon spent soaking up vitamin D….a local singer and drummers performed an amazing program last night…the drummers had a distinctive Māori sound and the singer was elegant and seemed more reminiscent of Hawaii to me
DAY TWELVE
The ocean has moved beyond agitated to down right angry…..Carole King wasn’t the only one to feel the earth move under her feet…..was hopeful that today I could explore Kumejima…..however after watching the first zodiac head to the beach…passengers hunched over like buzzards on road kill….waves drenching everyone ….I happily settled in with my book……sitting by the pool later in the afternoon watching the bedraggled people come off the zodiacs complaining off spending the day in wet clothes…I was more than content with my quiet day
DAY THIRTEEN
OH HAPPY DAY….sea calm…more than willing to leap in a zodiac this morning to visit the island of Iheyajima…..population 1200 and I think most of them were on hand to welcome us this am…..several dancers and a very enthusiastic group of drummers and dancers….also had a light lunch of seaweed tempura…absolutely wonderful sushi and sashimi…so fresh…feel fortunate to be able to see some of these remote islands…had some free time…a large rock outcropping was very near the port….got a good cardio workout hiking to the top…jaw dropping views of the bay and land outside the village….the ship moved to the back side of the island ….zipping through the clear sparkling water…coral …sea turtles….seaweed farms….oyster cultivation….shocking how blue the sea can look when the sun is out…..spent the afternoon beach combing and picking up some perfect shells….extensive kelp beds were visible since the tide as out…many people swimming and kayaking……I was fortunate and was invited to sit with the captain for the farewell dinner…..he seems very young but has 40 years experience as a captain…interesting to hear his stories
FINAL DAY
Zamami (pop 1000) is different than the other islands….many small islands in proximity…..I cannot describe how beautiful all the beaches in these islands are…extraordinary cream colors against the azure waters…options for today included glass bottom boat to see reef or whale watching…..I choose to explore the village…. a small ( perhaps 2 acres) park was being tended by a swat team of men with weed eaters….women then raked all the grass to take away…not a leaf blower or lawn mower in sight….numerous dive shops…in fact almost all the houses had wet suits and oxygen tanks sitting outside….procured a map of the island and decided to hike up to Takatsukiyama Observation Deck….did not see one person after I left the village proper….switch back after switch back…..puffing and sweating…stopped for a few minutes at the Peace Memorial…continued along the road…a young man appears carrying a large butterfly net….we chat for a minute…he assures me that the top is only another 15 mins….he has a semi triangular leather case attached to his belt…he has quite a few butterflies wrapped in wax paper…several black swallowtails ….off he goes…I continue to the top…..absolutely worth the walk….panoramic views in every direction…hibiscus…azaleas……vines with huge purple blooms…..no one around…..I felt like an explorer discovering the island….I arrived back at the pier just as the expedition leader is about the take the mayor onto the ship….I jump in the zodiac happy to head back to the ship…I better spend some time packing this afternoon since tomorrow I head home….as always …love seeing new places but happy to sleep in my own bed.
