VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA

Because I read this was a port you could do on your own, I did not plan an organized tour.  Rather, we went off in search of having a relaxed morning.  It did not take us long to get ourselves turned around.

We docked very close to downtown and planned to disembark with Joe, Gretchen and new friends, Meredith and Tom.  So the six of us, with maps in hand, set off to find Main Street. As soon as we left the port gates, we apparently made the wrong turn and we found ourselves in an alley.  This lady came up to us to help.  She was dark haired, and in a belted trench coat with her collar turned to the “cold and damp”– very spy-like!  It did seem somewhat strange that we were following her down this alley, into a back door and up some steps. Very “Mata Hari-ish”.  But we survived and as far as I know, we are not wanted for being International spies.

We passed over the railroad tracks and in front of the very old train station.  At one of the town squares we found a meeting of black-leather jacketed motorcyclists.  They looked a little incongruous in this blue-collar shipbuilding city. It was a great gathering place and time for a lot of photos.

We were in search of the department store “GUM” looking for Russian souvenirs.  We thought we would get a better price away from the dock area.  The 3 “girls” each wanted one of the onion-domed music boxes and thought the store would give us a better price for 3.  Upon arriving we were sadly mistaken and found they would not come down 1 Ruble.  So no music box.  :(

GUM building - old and a lot of character

Carlos in front of GUM.  Man in middle just stopped to give information.

We next headed to the submarine museum.  Vladivostok was a major submarine town for the Russian Navy.  They have one on display, C-56, and a wall similar to the Vietnam Memorial near the museum.  The war honors the thousands who died during WWII. 

We came across another park with a small onion-domed church.  It was noon and the bells were being rung.  We did go inside – it was small and lovely.

Structure near church

Bell ringers at church at noon.

Isn't this baby just beautiful?  She was in a stroller in front of church with her parents.

We headed back to the ship for lunch, having been warned not to eat or drink ashore.  The six of us agreed that Vladivostok turned out to be that fun kind of port since we all went into it with open minds.  I was so glad with did it on our own at our own pace and did what we wanted to do, not what someone said we should do.

Before the ship sailed, we were treated to a show of Russian dancers.  It was a marvelous way to end the day.

The intrepid tourist - L to R: Joe, Gretchen, Carlos, Kathleen, Bob, Meredith and Chris who sits at our dinner table.

DALIAN

Dalian was one of those ports where you asked yourself – what is there to do here and why is this a port?  Following the 2 great Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing, the question seems a valid one.  I knew nothing about this port city.  Joyce, the tour leader here, again worked with Jeff of Beijing Discovery Tours.  She had a bus of 28 fellow cruise critic members to lead around the city.  She planned and “off the beaten track” kind of tour.  Her itinerary included: Zhongshan Square, the Beida Bridge, Xinghai Square, Laohutan Scenic Park, Russian Culture Street and ended at a Dalian local market, very similar to the backstreets on my Shanghai area.

I was able to answer my own question posed above – why this port.  I found out, much to my surprise, Dalian is the largest Chinese port and one of the most beautiful cities we visited.  I found the traffic was almost orderly by Chinese standards.  And it was clean and the people very friendly in our walks around the various parks and squares we visited.  Would I return, yes, in a heartbeat. 

We departed the port for the short ride into the city.  Our tour guide today was Celine, a very nice young lady who was a tour guide part time.  That did not take away from her enthusiasm or knowledge. 



Joe - boys will always be litte boys!

We headed to one of the parks where there is an aquarium and a lot of people out flying kites.  The kids were out in full force and I caught some of them with their kites as well as many people selling them. 

Xinghai Park followed where the new foot sculpture celebrating the city’s 100 year anniversary.  This sculpture is so unique, because the “models” were actual residents.  It shows all the footprints of them starting from the very old and graduating to the smallest.  At the end, close to the ocean, is a monument of 2 small children.  Very pretty.

Footprints - not quite in the sand

We moved on the Russian Culture area.  It was filled with souvenir shops full of “stuff” from Russian.  A funny shopping place when we would be in Vladivostok in later in the cruise.  But it was worth the walk for the architecture of the buildings.



A stroll down Russian Market Street



Local market

We ended the day with a stop at a local market.  As I mentioned, this was similar to the one I had in Shanghai.  It was filled with food stands ranging from fruits to vegetables to fish to cooked meals. 

Another good tour in a great city. 

Handsome little boy riding horse



THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

One of the drawing points for this cruise was a stop in Beijing to see the Great Wall.  As with most places, Carlos has been there, done that.  But it was a first for me and one of those items I wanted to check off my “bucket list”.  Sadly, we would not be able to stay and see the many sights Beijing has to offer.  Does this mean I might go back?

We were on another Beijing Discovery Tour.  Joyce was leader on this and she arranged the tour with one of the co-founders of BDT – Andy.  Due to a problem on my Shanghai tour, Jeff and Andy wanted to make sure this one went smoothly.  But it turned out to be comical – just how many problems can come up and be totally out of one’s control.  You have to learn to roll with the punches and take what is given to you. 

Joyce had us all off the ship and through Chinese formalities long before our appointed meeting with Andy of 7:30 a.m.  Andy was nowhere to be found.  There was a guide who came up to Joyce to say that Andy and the bus were stuck on the freeway.  It had been shut down due to an accident and heavy fog.  When Andy finally arrived we were off and running – over an hour behind schedule.  However, we had to have a back-up plan, just in case the freeway remained closed.  The drive to the Huangyaguan section of the Great Wall would take nearly 3 hours.  We boarded our very nice bus and headed out the freeway – thinking all was well, only to be stopped about 30 minutes outside the port.  We came to a dead standstill.  Cars were turning around and heading back - - on the shoulder of our side of the road!  Crazy traffic in this part of the world.  At this point, Andy and Joyce were discussing canceling the Great Wall and heading to other attractions.  However, they decided to wait and see if traffic opened up.  Finally after sitting for an hour, we started to move.  Great Wall here I come.  However, would you believe some of the fun was being on the freeway people watching? Another thing I found fascinating were the freeway signs.  Many you would never see in the USA. 

Carlos waiting for roadway to open

Our arrival at the great wall was just around 11:30.  Andy said we had 1 hour – we could walk out 30 minutes before having to turn back.  The fast walkers went out like marathon runners and Carlos and I were at the back of the pack.  We were in a real-life tortoise and the hare reenactment.  But at one point with very steep steps going down, I had to leave Carlos and go on by myself.  I was determined to get just as far as I possibly could in my 30 minutes.  It was a tough go – the steps steep with unstable cobblestones.  I did not get to the one tower I had set as my goal, but I can say I walked the Great Wall of China and I can now tick that one off my bucket list.  FOOTNOTE: did see that one Diamond passenger broke her arm when she fell down the steps.  I think she was mightily lucky only breaking an arm.  And to boot, she was much younger than me.  I am grateful that it was not me.

We had lunch in a very nice place at the wall before the long uneventful ride back to the port.  What started as a bust of a day, turned out to be so much fun.  My cup is half full and I am grateful for the wonderful experience shared with new and old friends.

Busan Twice

We are half-way home and to date, the weather and seas have been unbelievable.  You could not script nicer weather and calmer seas.  I have to keep wondering if this will be the case after Muroran on our six days crossing the Pacific to Alaska.

Busan is the port city of South Korea.  We had two ports of call here – one before Beijing and the other after.  Of the 2600 passengers who boarded in Singapore, only 700 stayed on and visited Busan twice.  We were two of those.  Our first stop was very short, less than 6 hours.  So I stayed on board and did laundry, while Carlos took the ship’s shuttle and rode it around town to get the “lay of the land”.  We decided we would spend time ashore on the second port of call here.

One thing I can say about both stops, the welcome and farewell shows on the dock were second to none.  There were Korean singers and dancers.

Carlos and I went off the ship on our own.  We used the ship’s free shuttle into the town and then walked around.  We stayed until about 2 and then returned to the ship for lunch.  Busan has two famous shopping areas – their fish market and the little shops and stalls just off the south harbor dock.  Since everyone seemed to be looking for something specific and we had nothing in mind to purchase, we decided it best to head into the maze of side streets in search of treasures.  We agreed to meet Gretchen and Joe a specified point and time.  The streets are organized based on the commodity – from T-shirts to plumbing fixtures, to art supplies and clothing.  I felt like a child lost in the maze and could not find my way out.  We would turn and end up in the same location.  In one back street, Carlos found an electronic store and bought himself a new portable DVD player.  Not too sure why, but I think it was a matter of little boys with their new toys.  I myself purchased nothing.  We met back up with Gretchen and Joe and ruled out going to the fish market.  I heard it was great, but you did need a strong stomach and decided mine was not that great that day. 

Lady resting on step -  I was captivated by her face and smile.  She must have been a beauty at 16.  .

A booth in the marketplace.  Looks like she was cooking pancakes.

As mentioned above, the sail away is one of the prettiest anywhere on the cruise.  I loved the ladies who did what I called “the fan dance.” 

Graceful fan dancers.

Singers with sign holders - It says "See you again Soon"

The second visit to Busan would be the Diamond’s last visit until the fall.  So the send-off was particularly nostalgic. 

Nagasaki Japan

We arrived in Nagasaki on another beautiful, sunny day.  I cannot believe our good fortune with the weather!!

In this port, we did not book any specific tour.  After reading a lot about the city, we knew they had a marvelous public transportation system.  For just $10 for both of us, we purchased an all-day pass to ride the “cable-cars”.  This port city is the third largest island in Japan and lies on the mouth of the Urakami River.

In the port we purchased our all-day pass cards for the public transportation system.  We boarded the cable car about 5 blocks from the dock.  Our first stop – Peace Park, dedicated to the obvious, Peace in the World.  It was designed in the hopes of never having another atomic bomb dropped again anywhere in the world.  It is a beautiful, peaceful location.  The park is big and you get to it after a long climb up two staircases.  But the first steps were so worth it.  Upon arriving at the top, you could chose the second staircase or one of two circular pathways leading up.  Along these paths are the various monuments dedicated to peace from countries around the world.  At the top, there are several significant monuments.  One is the fountain, in the shape of angel wings.     

Another is the focal point of the park – the Peace Monument.  This one shows a man sitting, with one hand pointed to the heavens, and the other hand pointed to his right.  The first points upwards depicting the threat of the atomic bomb and the left hand stretches outwards, appealing for eternal world peace. The eyes are closed in prayer for the repose of the atomic bomb victims’ souls.  The folded right leg and extended left leg signify both meditation and the initiative to stand up and rescue the people of the world.  In front of the statue is a black marble vault containing the names of the atomic bomb and survivors who died in later years.  It is a very moving and memorable site.

Moving on, I came to a statue with a bell tower and bottles of water on the base.  I was told people bring bottles of water for those who survived the initial blast but were so thirsty because there was no source of drinking water.  There was also two buckets of water and 2 flower arrangements.  An elderly man came over who in his best sign language, told me he was 81 years old and a survivor of the attack.  He was so friendly and wanted me to “water the flowers” with him.  It too was very moving and I was so thankful I met him.  He harbored no ill will towards me.  Just a new-found friend. 

We left the park after an emotional visit there.  It is a living testament to the catastrophic dangers of an atomic war.  On to the area where there is a monolith designating ground zero.  More national monuments and an area that has never been touched-up – just left as is since August, 1945.  There was a museum on the grounds, but we chose not to go in. 

My day ended with an early return to the ship.  Joe, Gretchen and Carlos went on into the shopping area and a local lunch.

Our day in port ended with a wonderful send-off to the Diamond Princess.  She will not be returning to Nagasaki until October.  There was a children’s band playing and people lined the walkways outside the port fence for blocks.  It was very moving. 

I WAS SHANGHAIED!!

I love to cruise because I get to experience the sights, sounds, flavors and people and their culture from a broad spectrum of this great universe.  In so doing, you come across places you want to visit again and again, places you never want to see again, and in those rare moments in time, you find that hidden gem.  For me, Shanghai is that hidden gem.  Oh please, let me be Shanghaied again and again!!  I hope after you read about our day here, you too will want to visit this great Chinese port city.

I planned an all day tour with Beijing Discovery Tours.  I worked with Jeff, an ex-pat American lawyer living in Beijing.  He planned our Yangtze River cruise and I will be on 2 more tours within China with him – in Beijing and Dalian. I had 28 people on my tour, and picked up 3 more the morning of the tour.  Too large of a group for this very busy city.

The Diamond Princess is 997 feet long – just a little too big for the cruise terminal in Shanghai.  So we docked in the container port about 45 minutes from town.  That does not sound like a long distance, but in China it is a long way from downtown due to all the cars, buses, bikes, and people.  The roadways turn into one huge rush hour all day long.

We were met by our driver, Mr. Chang, and our guide, Rocky.  Rocky seemed to like everything American.  He was a young man who explained a lot about the city and a lot about life in China.  He would like to immigrate to the U.S.  It appears a lot of young Chinese are getting a taste of capitalism and want to leave the confines of a communist government. 

Rocky took us to our first stop – The Jade Buddha temple.  It is not allowed to take photos of the Buddha, but I did get a lot of photos going through the temple.  I had to buy a book on the temple in order to get a photo of the Jade Buddha.  It is white jade, very rare and beautiful.  The temple itself is very large with a maze of rooms to negotiate your way through.  It is an active temple, so we saw many people praying and offering incense. 

We drove down to The Bund, a mixture of the old and the new.  Across the river, there are all the new highrises and modern buildings.  We walked along The Bund which follows the river until we came upon the Z-Dragon Restaurant.  We had a delicious meal all brought out on platters for us to share.  Generally, there was a soup, lots of rice, sometimes noodles, various meat dishes (many of them very spicy), stir-fried vegetables, etc.  Some folks were more cautious than others. I enjoyed trying them.  I did not see anything that was “unidentifiable”. 

We went on to Yu Yuan Gardens.  What a peaceful, beautiful place.  It is called a garden, but most of the place was filled with ponds and stone work.  We even found the “Dragon Wall”.

We ended the day with a little shopping or a walk through the backstreets of the Old City.  I chose to go down the streets. What a fascinating way to end the day.  We saw all the locals bargaining and buying their evening meal.  There were homes over stores and the residents would hang their wash from the power lines!!  We all boarded the bus, very tired but happy having spent an action-packed day in a vibrant city.  More good memories.



Kathleen & Carlos on the Bund



Laundry hanging from electrical wires along backstreet of old city



Macau

Since both of us had been to Hong Kong on prior trips, I booked a tour to visit the island of Macau.  Macau is a one hour boat ride from H.K.  But the ferry was large and luxurious, with assigned seating in leather seats!!  Very nice and comfortable.  They even showed a movie of all the sights and attractions on Macau.

Macau is famous for its opulent gambling casinos.  Following gambling the next industry is, you guessed it, tourism.  They are improving the airport and runways to accommodate 747’s coming from Australia, Europe and the U.S.  Most of the casinos and 5 star hotels are on the island of Taipa, just across the river from downtown Macau.

Macau was a Portuguese colony back in the 1500’s.  Because of this, there is still much Portuguese influence, including architecture and Portuguese being the official language.

Even though both Hong Kong and Macau are independent territories of China, you still have to complete formalities going to and from the islands.  This significantly cut into our tour time.  In Macua, we were met by our guide, Maria.  She whisked us off to the old city to see the remnants of St. Paul Cathedral.  During a typhoon more than a century ago, the wood building was destroyed and the façade is all that is left.   Maria said if you don’t see St. Paul’s when in Macau, then you have never been there. 

In front of what is left of St. Paul's Cathedral

We walked through a pedestrian walkway and saw the sights, sounds and smells of the area.  A light rain was coming down, but it did not dampen our spirits.  Herb, there is a DQ for you!! 

We had lunch in the “Needle”. We were 800 feet high in the revolving restaurant that gave us beautiful views of Macau.  They also had an outside ledge for the thrill seekers as well as a bungee jump platform.  Got both the walkers and the “jumper”!!  To jump, you just needed $400 cash.  Decided this was not on my bucket list.

We headed to a visit of the A-Ma temple.  Seems we have hit our fair share of temples and Buddha’s. History has it that the temple was in existence long before the city and the country was named after the Temple. The temple incorporates deities from Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, making it revered by many in the region.    In this temple, among other things, was a metal bowl full of water.  The story goes if you can take the handles and make waves with the water than you are strong and lucky.  I was able to do it, but where were Carlos and the camera to capture it?  Guess that will be taken on the next visit. 

We left the temple and did a quick walk through of the Maritime Museum.  Upon coming out, I found a class of young students holding their own question and answer period.  The “teacher” was very cute, posing for a photo.

We ended our day with a drive through of Taipa, the island across the Lotus bridge from downtown Macau.  This is the new, upscale gambling mecca.  It is fashioned after Las Vegas, but on a grand scale.  Singapore airlines recently sold their 747 to a private investor who will be making non-stop flights from the U.S., Sydney and London bringing in all the big bettors to his numerous casinos and hotels. 

After our jet boat ride back to Hong Kong, we ended our day with a few hours to spare in Kowloon.  So we were off to the mall to purchase a new lens for my camera and a view of the light show.  Since we only caught the tail-end, we didn’t see much. 

It was a marvelous day.  Carlos and I thoroughly enjoyed having this tour together.  It is a rare occasion for both of us exploring a city together for the first time.   Very nice memories.