12-05-24 – 17-05-24

We were picked up from Pier 91 by friends Wes and Renee after a very quick disembark and a short wait. There are two ships docked here approximately 5000 passengers all disembarking and then many more that are here early to embark on their cruise so quite a few people, bus, taxis, shuttles, cases, bags, boxes and trolleys all milling about waiting for rides. It was well organised chaos for a while but many family reunions and happy greetings, us included as we met Wes and Renee after a 7 year break.

(P:-Luggage, we have a day pack and a roller bag each and we keep thinking we are over packed! Leaning back watching others coming and going we haven’t done too bad! We have spent 30 days on the High Seas and have another 60 to go wandering around before we return home. (Good thing we’re not in the same company all the time as people might get tired of my 3-4 day dress cycle). Judith is probably more conscious of the repetitive wear than I, I often reassure her she looks great (without even noticing what she is wearing) I am not sure that reassures her much! Back to Luggage, as we were waiting and people watching I think the Best (or worst) luggage count was 9 Super large hard suitcases and 4 overnight bags for 2 people), Jeez I don’t even own that many clothes!!! People going on for a 7 day cruise were often taking 4 – 6 large suitcases. If Judith needed that many clothes to travel she will be spending a long time on vacation in Penguin, Tasmania!)

We left the port and headed straight for their home in Camamo Island north of Seattle where we settled into a day of catching up and a lovely walk along the waterfront at their home. The next several days were spent enjoying the company, the area and some lovely meals together. Wes took us for a drive through an agricultural area north of Camamo and out to an Oyster farm where Philip purchased some oysters and mussels. Over the next couple of days Philip and Renee made crab chowder from crab they had harvested out in the bay in front of their home, and oysters prepared several ways. All the meals we shared were delicious.

While with them we stayed in the “Crab Shack” a very quaint little self contained unit, right in the beachfront in front of their house. Beautiful views out over the water greeted us each morning as we woke. How lucky are we to be able to stay in such a beautiful spot. Unfortunately the couple of days we had with them passed too quickly and we had to head back to Seattle to catch our Amtrack train to Minneapolis/St Paul.

(Great to spend time with friends, It felt the conversation sentences just continued from where we left off 7 years ago. Lots of stories (all 100% true – no BS), catch-up and reminiscing- great rural drives and awesome to see potato planting and other spring farming activities! Even more betterer to be driving around in Rural America and not down “down town city touring” – the older I get the less attraction cities have).

We all drove back to Seattle late morning where we found parking near the Station and then went for lunch close by before saying our goodbyes so they could head home out of the city before rush hour. We have had a wonderful couple of days catching up with great friends.

The train station is right near Lumen Field Stadium where The Rolling Stones are playing this evening. Capacity of the stadium is almost 70,000. We each went for a walk around the area while we waited for our train. Many concession stalls were set up ready for the crowds tonight. Food stalls, merchandise stands, K9 dogs and handlers were patrolling the area, and many people milling around.

(Curiosity had me googling the Rolling Stones Ages- High 70’s to Late 80’s. REALLY! Some people don’t know when to give up! To me it would be like paying huge money to go see well passed “used by” date performers with 70,000 aged care or geriatrics as fellow audience members! My opinion and I am sticking to it! Give the younger performers a go!)

The Empire Builder, our train goes all the way through to Chicago, we leave it at St Paul. Departing this afternoon (15th) at 4.15 and arriving at 8.30am (17th), where we pick up a hire car to drive out to Olivia, where we will be staying with friends Barbara and Brian.

The train trip was great. Travelling along the coastline north of Seattle before turning towards the East over/through the Cascade Mountain before nightfall. Next morning it’s out through East Glacier NP and then through Northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and then Minnesota. The scenery is forever changing, from range lands, to gas wells and oil wells, to old towns and country towns. We spend most of the daytime trip enjoying the observation car its large windows. The dining car and meals were great considering the limited kitchen facilities on board. The advertised 1st Class was a bit overrated but it was still a great trip.

(Not sure Judith was impressed with the Idea of travelling on another rock and roll transport mode after just retaining her land legs but here we are. I did ask at 3 am on the first night how sleep was going, the answer was really not pleasant, hence not repeatable here! It was a great relaxing trip and a different way to see some of the USA in a steady relaxing way.)

11-05-24

Victoria, Canada

Yesterday the captain told us there was a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights tonight and we also had messages from friends in the USA telling us the same so we were preparing for a late night. During the later evening we received messages and pictures from our family back in Tasmania, (southern hemisphere) that they were watching the Southern Aurora while we were outside watching the Northern Lights. What an incredible experience to have the night sky lit up with lights right across the world. Although it was pretty difficult to get good photos on a moving ship we certainly enjoyed this awesome phenomena.

Victoria looks to be a lovely old city to enjoy for the morning and early afternoon. After disembarking we grab a city map from one of the many volunteers ashore and start walking. It is a beautiful blue sky day and we can walk around the waterfront Into the city centre. We have no particular destination in mind so we just wander. Fisherman’s wharf, with its cafes and floating homes, is the first area we come to. The floating homes look so inviting on such a lovely day. Deck chairs and umbrellas, potted plants and kayaks fill their decks and entryways. Further on we wander through a local market and past some beautiful old homes, now accommodations, past ferry docks, through parks and gardens and then up past the B.C. Legislature building. This is a magnificent old building, very majestic with copper domes, huge porticos and grand stairway and the usual fountain out the front.

Continuing on we pass the Fairmont Empress Hotel which has commanding views over the harbour. This was built in 1908 and is now a National Monument. I guess it would be a little out of our price bracket. The tulips in the gardens in front of the Empress are in full bloom and make quite a show. Continuing around the waterfront walkway we people watch and boat watch as we walk. Ferries, water taxis, float planes, whale watching boats and kayaks and private boats all move about the harbour entertaining us for some time. As we walk further into the city we find China Town, Fan Tan Alley which is the narrowest commercial street in North America, at .90 of a metre wide at its narrowest point, market square and a very beautiful shopping district. We find a cafe to stop for lunch so we can try some Poutine, a local delicacy around here. Poutine is crispy fried potato chips with melted cheese curds and gravy, very delicious. (P:- The Poutine was great but I am sure blew away the benefits of the last 20,000 steps we have just walked!). We shared a serve of poutine and a roast lamb burger which was also very tasty.

We head back to the ship around 1.30 and put our feet up for an hour before we meet for our tour out to the Butchart Gardens. These gardens which are absolutely stunning, covering an area of 55 acres are now 120 years old. They were created by Jennie Butchart, in a disused Limestone for Portland Cement quarry and are still owned and operated by the family. The Sunken Garden is our favourite section. The mixture of Rhododendrons, tulips, azaleas, mature trees, annuals, perennials water features is just breathtaking.

After a short two hours enjoying the garden we tour the rural, market garden and agricultural areas prior to being delivered back to the ship and straight up to dinner. Then unfortunately it’s back to our cabin to pack our bags for disembarkation tomorrow morning. We have had a great cruise and we are now ready to enjoy the next phase of our trip.

(P:- I am not much of a city fan but I would have to comment Victoria, Vancouver Island, does it well. A beautiful easy walking city in a nice temperate climate. Like to come back here and spend a few days exploring Vancouver Island sometime. As Judith says the cruise has been great with many highlights. I even enjoyed he experiences of 48 hours of Force 10 Gales BUT I have a feeling Judith’s opinion regarding the Storm might just vary from mine! Now off we go on a rail and road trip, looking forward to bringing back some memories and talk old times with some of our great American friends. Gotta go time to hit the road)!!!

Sitka

After another very rocky night we arrived in Sitka at 8 am. We are moored in Eagle Bay and will be tendering in today as Celebrity Cruises have the cruise dock today (P:- Thanks Celebrity having us anchor in Eagle Bay means we are landed by tender into the centre of town, not 5 miles away where he Cruise port is. Last year when we were here we had 3” (75mm) of rain in a day, not today just light intermittent drizzle and overcast skies and a balmy 6 degrees C). Very pretty as the ship manoeuvres around the small islands to its mooring position, even though it is raining and foggy. As we have been to Sitka before we are just wandering today so we rug up and head ashore around 10 am. Because there is 2 cruise ships in the Main Street in town is blocked to traffic and street stalls are about with local food delicacies. We will try some later for lunch. We head out to the Totem Park to stretch our legs. This is a lovely area to walk through with totem poles throughout the park and around the beach front.

Once back into town Philip grabs a snow crab sandwich to share and then we find a cafe we found behind the Main Street last year for a coffee and tea and a sit down. After enjoying the hot drinks we head out again and walk out past the marina and cannery, up past the supermarket and hardware store and back into the centre of town. Back to the crab stand to find she has run out of crab. So we wait for 15 minutes until more is delivered. This time it’s one each. They are sooooooo good.

Another wander down Main Street and back to the dock ready to catch the tender back to the ship. Lucky enough to spot a whale as we cruise out of Eagle Bay.

09-05-24

Ketchikan

This morning we dragged our chairs up to our verandah door and sat and enjoyed the view as we cruised into Ketchikan. Although we have low cloud it’s still picturesque as we pass numerous islands and cruise part of the Tongass Narrows. There are many homes sitting right at the waters edge as we near Ketchikan, float plane docks. boats of all shapes and sizes and as we near town 3 other cruise ships.

We are docking right in town with the Eurodam in front and the Koningsdam behind. And then the Discovery Princess. This means lots of people enjoying Ketchikan.

Ketchikan has a population of 8200 but during the cruise season they receive 1.5 million visitors, the majority from cruise ships. They have a saying here that if you can’t see the hilltops it’s raining and if you can see the hilltops it’s about to rain. Average rainfall is between 13 and 16 feet per year, about 4.5 metres. It is surrounded by Tongass National Forest (17 million acres) which is the largest rainforest in the USA and 2nd largest in the world after the Amazon. Ketchikan has a huge road network of 35 miles, taking around 45 minutes to travel from one end to the other. The remainder of the island is only accessible by boat or float plane.

We are off on the Silver King Lodge Crab Luncheon tour today but first have a quick walk around the town centre before boarding our bus transfer at 11.30. There is only 28 on this tour, which is great. We ride the bus for around 20 minutes (P:- Heading Northish almost to the end of the road network ) of very scenic island vistas, along the coast, past canneries, industry, the airport which is on an adjacent island and you have to catch a 5 minute ferry ride to, past the 2nd smallest Walmart in the USA and the Marine Highway ferry dock. We arrive at Clover Pass Resort where we board our tour boat for the trip to Silver King Lodge. Philip sits down, sighs and comments “V8 engines what a beautiful sound” as they start the engines, 3 x Chev 454 Corvette V8 engines (P:- Pure good old brute force power! sounding, to me, way better than the singers and musicians entertaining on board the Westerdam of an evening)!

First stop is a small island where we spot an Eagle and it’s huge nest. The nest is around 6 feet wide and 4 feet deep. Our guide flings some fish into the air as we watch the Eagle soar down and grab it then land on the beach to devour it. Then we are back to the dock as the boat is having steering problems. We off load onto the next boat and set off again. As we cruise across the bay many fishing lodges and homes hug the shores, this area is a Mecca for fishermen in season with many places hiring boats and fishing gear.

Silver king Lodge was originally a floating lodge but in 1993 it was moved on shore. Initially it only had two bunk rooms but now has accommodation for 38. Over 70% of there guest are returning fishermen who make the trek each year. It sits in a very sheltered waterway that all types of pacific salmon pass through. On arrival at Silver King we do a short nature walk through the gorgeous rainforest before sitting down to our lunch. Tables are set with sheets of newsprint with tongs and crab claw crushers. Lunch consists of a “bucket of seafood trash” (crab legs, prawns, mussels, clams, potato, sweet corn and sausage) all dumped into the centre of the table. Then it’s help yourself. It’s a bit messy but a fun way to enjoy some great seafood. After lunch we head back into Ketchikan.

We spend the remainder of the afternoon walking up to Creek Street, the historic part of town. This is an historic boardwalk perched on pilings along the banks of Ketchikan Creek. A former Red Light District. It is now a quaint place to tour, viewing totem poles, local shops and galleries.

As the Westerdam departs Ketchikan we sit and enjoy the passing scenery before heading out into open waters again. We say goodbye to Alaska as we cross into Canadian waters this evening.

(P:We knew this would be only an “Alaskan Teaser”, cut a little short by the stormy weather we had but we got to visit Kodiak in the Aleutians and revisit a couple of places down the “inside passage” of Alaska, with its maritime climate this area is way different to mainland Alaska where we have spent most of our time previously. Our pre planned shore explorations have made this trip and todays Silver King Lodge trip was no exception. Be great to go fishing there for a week sometime. It’s not that expensive and is fully inclusive including boat hire. (Around $2700 us$ for a weeks accommodation, food and boat)

Ketchikan’s waterfront has changed since our last visit in 2000, way more commercial and tacky Diamond and Jewellery shops (trying to snag retail deprived cruise passengers) line the prime retail area! I am fairly sure buying jewellery at our local home jewellery shop would be far wiser than being ripped of by these slippery looking “sharks”! (So it’s no jewellery for Judith — Again!) Walk back a couple of streets and the old town I remember is still there. Bringing back many memories of our trip in 2000 when my late sister Eileen and hubby Ross shared a trip with us).

Ketchikan has 32 stairways that are considered streets. There need to be 25 steps to be considered a stairway. These stairways are spread through out the town.

06-05-24

Kodiak Island.

As I opened our curtains this morning I was greeted with an awesome sight of snow capped mountains, islands and land. Solid, unmoving land. What a wonderful sight as the sun kissed the tops of the mountains and the clouds revealed a blue sky. (P:-Wow that description sounds as if we have been in stormy seas for weeks)!! We are tendering ashore today and we are in the second group to go so we’re on the move early to have breakfast and clear customs and be ready for our tour at 8.30. We are catching a shuttle out to Fort Abercrombie, a 4.5 mile drive northeast of Kodiak. This was built by the US Army during WW11 to defend against a Japanese Invasion that never came due to Kodiak’s lousy weather which kept the Japanese Bombers away from the island. The area is now a 182 acre state historical park which sits on the cliffs above scenic Monashka Bay. Remains of the buildings are now being reclaimed by the surrounding trees and moss, with lovely walking tracks past moss covered trees and Lake Gertrude. This was a lovely way to start the day and get our land legs again.

We returned back to the centre of town enjoying a lovely chat with the bus driver on the way. Kodiak is the main city, one of seven communities, on Kodiak Island, with a population of around 5,500 people. It’s the 10th largest city in Alaska. Kodiak is a commercial fishing hub. The Port of Kodiak covers an area of 90 acres and is one of the busiest and largest commercial fishing harbours in America. It is home to around 1000 fishing vessels and is second only to Dutch Harbour in value of product landed and tonnage processed. It is the only port in Alaska where all commercial fish species are processed on shore. It is also a transportation hub for Southcentral Alaska, with supplies sent from Kodiak to Southwest Alaska, Dutch Harbour. Fish are also shipped directly from Kodiak to the Far East.

We stopped at Henry’s Bar for lunch as recommended by our bus driver. “Best Hamburgers in Town”. She wasn’t wrong, they were very tasty but were massive. I could have fed a family of four with my meal. We were lucky and found a table as soon as we walked in but those that followed had to wait until tables became free. Locals and tourist filled all the tables all with mountainous meals in front of them. Never saw anyone eat everything on their plates, they must waste a lot of food, but the line out the door says something about their popularity.

After lunch we wandered the central town area, visiting the Russian Orthodox Churches, the various wharf areas to watch fish being unloaded or goods being loaded before boats depart, found an little fibre arts shop stuffed full of wool and fibres in all colours of the rainbow, various souvenir shops and boats of all shapes and sizes and numerous canneries for fish processing. The air here has an underlying smell of fish, stronger near the canneries and around the floating docks but evident everywhere. (P:- not having the sense of smell may have been a clear advantage for me today). I guess people become used to the smell after a while. By 2.30 we have seen most of this part of the town and head back to the dock to wait for our tender ride back to the Westerdam.

(P:- Our shuttle was a yellow school bus which came directly from the school run, on our return into town it was just Judith and I aboard. The Lady Driver chatted away, telling us that the Brown Bear on Kodiak Island is Genetically different to its mainland cousins. It can stand up to 10’ (3m) tall, it doesn’t really hibernate like it’s cousins and the younger males are very active through their frozen winter. They are often seen around town scavenging and are part of life to the residents. I like working and industrial towns, way better than the touristy places, the people are friendly. The massive Burger Lunch (without rice) reminded us we are now on USA soil, Portion size has increased and even I couldn’t eat all I was served! A walk around the docks and Marinas had us discussing how crazy the Bering Sea fishermen are fishing the wildest of waters in rugged but not very big boats. I have noted to return to the Aleutian Peninsula one day to explore it further but thought it prudent not to mention it to my “Smoother Water” sailing wife for a while)!

01-05-24 to 05-05-25

Pacific Crossing. West to East.

Departing Japan we have 5 sea days ahead of us. (P:- Well it is actually 6 days-we get 2 x May 3rd as we cross the International Date Line and have to wind clocks back 24 hours- but I won’t tell Judith this until it happens! This also means we cross into the Eastern Hemisphere. We also cross several time zones as well). Initially we had two stops on this leg of the trip. One in Russia and One in the Aleutian Islands. Russia was cancelled before we left due to the ongoing fighting in Ukraine, the other was cancelled due to bad weather. That means 5 (P:- 6 days 😉) long days of rough seas, listing decks, closed decks because it’s too unsafe to be outside and continual movement day and night. This has not been my favourite part of the cruise and I have no intention of crossing the Pacific again. We have done Sydney to Vancouver, south to north and now Japan to Alaska. Lots of sea days are not for me.

(P:-looking at the forecast as we left Japan it was obvious the image of Smooth Sea Cruise days in the Tropics wasn’t going to be this trip! (We were well aware of this when we booked given the proximity of the Arctic Circle) “ 0le Hughy” the weather gremlin let us have it! We had to follow and then sail through a Force 10 ( Beaufort Scale) storm for around 48 hours. The Royal Meteorological Society describe the Force 10 Storm as “ Rarely seen on land, Sea Condition Mostly White, 6-8m (20-27’) wave height and unpredictable swells” I nearly had to strap myself to the rowing Machine for morning exercises! Whilst we felt a bit unsteady and know what being in a tumble dryer feels like neither of us were motion sick and we didn’t miss a meal- that is an especially good effort for my “smooth water sailing wife)!

During these days we have had some interesting speakers talking about the areas we are going through. Ie. The Ring of Fire, volcanoes, etc, (Don’t forget the lecture and presentation on Storms of the North Pacific and Aleutian Islands)!, the Aleutian Islands, and today about the ports we are heading to. Kodiak, Sitka and Ketchikan in Alaska. We have enjoyed the music in the Billboard Lounge of an evening and some of the evening shows have been pretty good to and as always the food is brilliant. If we are sitting near a window at meal times I have to close the curtain because I don’t like seeing the horizon rise and fall. Puts me off my food.

Tomorrow we hit land at Kodiak and we will be heading ashore. Forecast temperature is 4 degrees Centigrade so the thermals will be on and we will rug up and get some walking in whatever the weather.

(P:- To me it has been a most interesting experience and fascinating to see such wild weather. I have been listening to audio books on Captain Cooks Expeditions- that guy paddled almost everywhere. One can’t imagine sailing in a Force 10 storm on a tall rigger Sailing Boat without weather forecasts or an engine of any type. During the Storm we diverted out of the Pacific, further north into the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia, where 60% of the USA’s fresh seafood is harvested including Salmon, Halibut and King Crab. The next few days are sailing down the inside Passage of Alaska / Canada one of our favourite parts of the globe. We are both looking forward to that and being on land).

29-04-24

Muroran

We are off on a tour today. Heading into the country a short way, through agricultural land to Lake Toya. Lake Toya is a volcanic caldera lake. It’s is part of the Toya Caldera and Usu Volcano Global Geopark. The lake is almost circular and almost 10 kilometres in diameter, with four small islands in the centre. The deepest part of the lake is 590 feet and it never freezes because of the geothermal properties. The town of Toyako, on the shores of the lake has numerous resorts with hot pools available.

We board our “cruise” for the trip out to the largest island, Nakijima Island, enjoying great views of Mt. Yotei. A smaller version of Mt Fuji, about half the size. After cruising the lake we drive up to the observation deck for views over the lake and of Mt Usu, where we will be stopping after lunch.

Philip is more interested in the agricultural land surrounding the Observation/Restaurant than he is with the views of the lake.

(P:- This area, situated at between 41 and 42 degrees North is a similar latitude to Tasmania is South. Research had told me this was the main Potato and temperate vegetable growing are in Japan. Immaculate farms, larger than we have seen previously, dominate the drive today. It’s early spring and the first of the tillage and planting has begun. Enuff of the Temples, Castles and Cherry Blossoms next visit will be planned around late spring / early summer when the farms are looking their best! I have researched where the best ancient terraced farming is and other production areas so it’s on the bucket list. This area is a Dairy production area also and Forage crops are looking fresh and green).

We are lunching with 3 other bus loads of people but boy have they got it well organised. Each bus has their designated seating area and the meal is laid out ready for us. Slices of meat, fresh egg, soup heating in a bowl with onions, mushrooms, udon noodles and a bowl of rice. The idea is when the soup starts to boil, place the meat slices into the soup and crack the egg on top. Sounds funny but was very tasty. Quite a few screwed their noses up without tasting but generally most enjoyed the experience.

Back on the bus and we are headed to Mt Usu Ropeway and Observation deck. Mt. Usu is an active Strato volcano and has erupted four times since 1900. 1910, 1944-45 which created Showa-shinzan (a baby volcano), 1977 and March 31, 2000.

We ride the Ropeway Cable Car to the viewing deck and then climb the 126 steps to the Observation Tower for good views over Mt Usu crater, with smoke wafting out in several places.

On the opposite side we have good views of the new lava dome which was created between December 1943 and September 1945. Initially a series of earthquakes hit the area and uplifted the wheat fields. Lava broke through the surface and formed the dome as it is today. 398 metres tall and still actively smoking. After returning down the Ropeway we are back on the bus and returned to the Port.

Today we have seen the last of the Cherry Blossoms. Mostly the pink Sakura, the wild Cherry Blossoms. These are more natural settings along roadsides and up mountains.

(P:- Japan’s Cities and Towns we visited are predominantly settled on low lying flat ground with mountains rising immediately behind the population areas. They have large breakwaters to calm the oceans. It is much easier to understand the damage a Tsunami has and would cause in these cities. I was also amazed by the continuous mountain ranges of inland Japan).

30-04-24

Kushiro

This is our last port in Japan and our first day of Japanese Rain. We dock at 7am and have to be back on Board by 1pm so only a short stop. After breakfast we don our wet weather gear, jackets, rain pants and boots and head out to catch the shuttle into the centre of town. From the shuttle stop we walk for 10 minutes to the Washo Fish Market. A local market with some wonderful sashimi stands, raw fish displays, crabs by the dozens in all different sizes and one large halibut.

After checking all the displays Philip decides it’s time to taste. (P:- Nothing in my rule book saying 9.45 am is too early for Sashimi). The idea here is to get a bowl of rice the. Take it to the stand you like the most and choose the sashimi that you want to taste. Anything from salmon to shrimp, whale to squid, raw octopus, and crab of all sizes. You pay for what you choose to eat. A great idea and a good way to taste different things. (P:- Got to give it to the Japanese they do the fishy thing well! Everything is spotlessly clean and fresh. I have no sense of smell but my offsider ( Judith) who usually comments on smelly fish markets tells me there isn’t even a “fishy” smell. A comment she has made many times here in Japan. There was a very dark red fleshed fish on display, my photo to text translate app tells me it is whale. I point and the lovely lady selects a sample of a few different species of fish and seafood for us to sample. For scientific purposes only this included a small piece of whale. The rich red whale sashimi didn’t rate too well, my scientific experiment told me not to rush back for more!)

After tasting the sashimi and finishing off with some crab, we return back to the shuttle area and the more touristy market at the shuttle stop. We had intended to go out to a park today just to get some walking in before our days at sea but the cherry blossoms are barely in bud here and the weather is not getting any better so we head back to the ship. Instead of waiting in the long line for the shuttle we jump in a taxi which costs 2950 yen, about $30.00, back to the ship. We have to clear customs as we reboard as tonight we depart Japan heading North east towards Alaska.

We have thoroughly enjoyed Japan. The food has been beautiful and we have tasted many new things and eaten in lots of tiny Japanese cafes. (P:- Don’t forget the wonderful street food Judith- It was amazing). The people are all very friendly and helpful. It is beautifully clean and they have the most amazing public toilets, heated seats, music playing so person next door doesn’t hear you pee, spotless floors and basins and no smells. Most ports have put on a show as we depart with dancing and music and families waving and yelling as we sail away. We will return one day.

(P:- We have a few day sloshing around in the North Pacific to get to our next destination Kodiak Island (Alaska). When we booked the Cruise Judith, ( who prefers smooth tropical waters), and I discussed that these few days may be a tad “rocky”. I enjoy keeping an eye on Marine traffic, Weather and what’s in the night sky etc while travelling. I noticed a few days ago that a couple of low pressure systems were beginning to build up in the direction of where we are heading. The captain announced he would be slowing down to let the storm/s clear and would divert some of the trip and travel to Kodiak via the Bering Sea which will be more sheltered. 12 hours in we are in 60-70 klm winds and 3-4m seas, the Westerdam has a gentle but comfortable rock. I notice on the weather maps 200 klm ahead of us are Gale Force 100-125klm winds and and 6-8m seas. They pay the Captain to worry about that so I can worry about what s for lunch!

As we depart Japan, we do so with great memories and experiences. Language wasn’t too much of a worry and my interpretation caused a laugh or two. I had a stiff neck and went to a pharmacy and in my bestest sign language and drama indicating my stiff neck the young lady smiles and beckons me to follow. She hand me a carton and says very very good with a thumbs up. I get back to the ship and rub some of the Bright Yellow ointment on my neck – nothing happened! I translated the Japanese on the box and discovered I had rubbed the Fermented Mature (Pus coloured) Pig’s Placenta ointment on my neck. Not sure what it was supposed to do but it never fixed my neck!

26-04-24

Sea Day

Cruising from Hakodate back to Yokohama makes for a pretty relaxing day and some time to just sit around and relax (P:- Evidently I don’t “do” relax very well)! for a while. We spend some time in the Explorers Lounge at the front of the ship on deck 10. At 11.30 we head down to the Lido to check out the cakes for “Cake Away Day”. Some lovely looking cakes, Black Forest, carrot, red velvet, pancake stack, salted caramel and more. We are going to lunch with Philips Gym mate so don’t need cake first. We meet Fred and his wife Carolyn at the main Dining room and wait to be seated. We share a very nice lunch and it’s lovely to put a face to a name when Philip talks about Fred. Unfortunately they head home to the USA tomorrow when we dock in Yokohama so we won’t see them for the rest of the Cruise. (P:- Had some great conversations with Fred, USAF Interceptor ( twice the speed of sound) and in latter years American Airlines Boeing 777 Captain and Flight Trainer) I am guessing it will be twice the distance in half the time on the rowing machine without Fred to chat too)!

After lunch it’s snooze time before a wander around the decks to give us some exercise.

We are booked into the Pinnacle Grill this evening and Philip is already salivating about the Bone in Rib Eye that he wants to have. Luckily it doesn’t disappoint. The whole meal is delicious, crab cakes, lobster bisque, we share the Rib Eye and Baked Alaska for dessert.

The last time we were in the Pinnacle Grill for Morimoto Seafood dinner we were greeted by the hostess, Aurora. During dinner we discussed that she seemed familiar so when we got back to our room we looked at some old photos of our Amazon trip and sure enough we had a photo of Aurora and a couple of other girls. Tonight as Aurora ushered us to our seats Philip asked if she had been on the Veendam on the Amazon Trip and sure enough it was her. We showed her our picture and she remembered us taking it. Big hugs followed, she was so excited to see the pictures, Our waiter was moved on as Aurora took it upon herself to personally look after us!

27-04-24

Yokohama

No tours today. It’s change over day and there are only 600 passengers staying and we get another 1200 newbies join us here. We dock early around 6.30 and disembarkation for those leaving will be done by 9.30am. We enjoy a lazy breakfast before heading ashore about 9am. We haven’t really got anything planned so pick up a tourist map and booklet as we leave the cruise terminal. Our plan, when we make one is to walk up to the Silk Museum and then wander our way along the waterfront walk and see where it takes us.

The Silk Museum was a great little museum. Lots of info on how the silk was produced from silk worms to spinning to weaving and some beautiful Kimonos on display. Quite a hands on museum with weaving looms, spinning apparatus, feeling the silk worm cocoons and more. Very easy to spend a couple of hours here.

We wandered back down to the water front and discovered a small fashion display with free entry so we wandered in a looked at the displays and listened to some ladies play the xylophone. They were very good.

Then further along we found a German Beer Fest with beers and food and music. Almost lunch time so we find a stand we like with tasting plates and grab one to try. Sausages, steak, chips and prawns. All very yummy. Japanese people selling German food don’t look or sound quite right but there are hundreds of people checking the stalls, eating and drinking and enjoying the atmosphere.

(P:-An “October fest” in April in Japan? As expected the whole place was immaculately clean, the food was full of flavour and very much German flavours, BUT the brat and brocwursts were bite size in typical Japanese style. Was a fun experience.

All around the park and roadsides are masses of azaleas in varying shades of pink. They are stunning and certainly brighten a dull day.

Later we find the Nissan Global Headquarters where they had a free entry gallery. Inside and beautifully displayed are some old and new cars. This Is right up Philips alley and we enjoyed the next hour looking at vehicles. Sure is a day of diversity from silk to vehicles. (P:-Noted that Judith took a liking to a particular car, sitting in it increased her liking! Fortunately for our bank account that model is not imported into Australia)! Back outside we wander along the footpath past Pia Arena where there are lines of young people, mainly females. We guess they are waiting to buy tickets or go to a concert of something, (P:- Google tells us it’s a “girly band” hence the female line up). Further along we come to the Nippon Maru Sail Training ship which was built in 1930 to train sailors. By the time it was retired it had circled the globe 45 times , travelled 1.83 million kilometres and trained over 11000 sailors. The engine has been in use for 54 years and two months, the longest time for a marine engine. It has 29 sails and has unfurling days 12 times a year. Would be a pretty impressive sight with the sails up.

From here we walked back towards our ship, through an area with fun rides, roller coasters and a huge Ferris wheel. As the has cleared we decide to ride the Ferris wheel to get an overview of this part of the city. The Ferris Wheel was built in 1989 for the Yokohama Expo and takes 15 minutes to complete a full circle. In the centre of the wheel is a huge clock that can be seen across a huge area. This is the largest clock in the world. This was beautifully lit at night and brightened the view as we departed from Shinko Pier.

24-04-24

Otaru

We have nothing booked for today and really have no plans. (P:- As an early riser each morning I wander toward the bow of the ship to the Gym. (Don’t even attempt to laugh at the thought of me in a Gym!) Cranking up the rowing machine thing to full resistance and “rowing” 5-7000 metres passes the time and I am advised could be actually good for me! “Paddling” away on the next machine is my new friend Fred. A few years older than I we strike up a bit of a conversation as we “pull on the oars”. Fred, from Illinois, USA is a Veteran fighter pilot and after leaving the Air Force continued his career as a pilot with American Airlines. The Rowing distance soon passes as we chat away. (Seems much more sociable than all the others running and biking in their Lycra looking bored out of their brains). Fred is an interesting guy and we enjoy sharing stories).

As we step out of the Cruise Terminal this morning we decide to grab a taxi and head to the Mt Tengu Ropeway and head up the cable car to the top of the mountain. Very few people about so no waiting in line. Disembarking at the top we are faced with snow still on the ground although the main paths are clear. Some great views down over the city and port area. Our cruise director this morning told us it would a very cool day so we rugged up with warm coats but even at the top it’s not really cold and the sun is out.

As it’s a downhill run we decide to walk back to the ship. Should take us an hour or so. It’s quite a pleasant walk through local neighbourhoods, looking into gardens, schools and fronts of homes.

We eventually reach Sakaimachi Street, one of the main tourist streets and check out some of the attractions.

Durning the development of Hokkaido in the late 1800s and early 1900s Otaru thrived as a port city. Many trading companies built impressive western style buildings in the city to house their offices and shops. Many of the buildings along Sakaimachi Street have been converted into restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. Several of which still have tram lines in their floors for the trolleys to run down to the canal where small boats offloaded from the larger boats in the ports.

Sakaimachi street also offered some great street food, which we had to sample. Tasting some lovely beef and cheese croquettes, crab croquettes, sausages, tempura chicken, honeycomb icecream and crepes. (P:- All diet “lite” of course. Surprisingly to me Japan has presented us some incredible “Street Food” as expected, all the stalls are immaculately clean and the foods sold are packed with flavour).

After our tasting sessions we wandered along the canal looking at the old warehouses with some pretty impressive doorways and eventually back to the ship. A very full day considering we started out with no plans.

25-04-24

Hakodate

Today started out at 6.30 with an ANZAC Service held at the Westerdam’s World Stage. It was a lovely service, way over 150 Australian and New Zealand Guests and few ring ins attending. (P:- Fred, whom I mentioned previously, was asking me about Anzac Day. I told him and he, like myself sacrificed our “fitness” session and attended the Anzac Day Dawn Service). As a USA veteran he was quite moved by the service and was pleased he went. It was a great service to help us remember those who have served our countries.

A light breakfast before preparing to go ashore. Weather today is cool and rainy. Right at the pier is the Morning Market. (We heard one passenger several days ago ask when the morning market was on and was promptly laughed at. A case of not putting his brain into gear to think about things before asking questions.) Anyway, we wander around the market for a while, fish and fruit and veggies mainly. 1 scallop, no roe, individually wrapped was $2.30. 8 White strawberries $35.00, 6 Red Strawberries $15.00. 1 apple $3.50 and a hand of crab legs was $86.00.

From here we walked down to the Red Brick Warehouses which are now filled with glass shops, chopstick shop, restaurants and cafes and souvenir shops. As we leave the drizzle has stopped so we decide to take a taxi out to Goryakaku Park to see even more Blossoms, Japanese name for them is Sakura. For many Japanese the flowering of the Cherry Blossom symbolises human life, transience and nobleness. The taxi drops us off outside the Goryokaku Tower and for a different perspective we take the elevator to the top floor for a view looking down and across this lovely park. Quite a different view. As we take the elevator down we stop at treetop height and look through the blossoms before heading down to the ground level and into the park. Although this park is not as architecturally beautiful as Hirosaki, the blossoms are still pretty amazing. I think I’m about blossomed out now. We haven’t done too bad though considering we booked this trip over 600 days ago and we have struck the blossoms at peak time. ( given the blossoms only last 3-5 days).

We return into town and find a small local cafe for lunch. Some more lovely tempura prawns, sashimi bowl with rice, miso soup, grill squid legs and deep fried Camembert. It’s now cold and raining so back to the ship for a hot drink, a session in the Thermal Suite, hot spa pool, sauna and heat lounges (Part of out cruise package, all somewhat private and restricted access, most of the time we have it all to ourselves). before relaxing in our room before “Dressy” (P:-dressy as in good clothes NOT Phil in a dress)! Night and dinner later this evening.

23-04-24

Aomori and Hirosaki

(P:- One of our team is usually up to see the sun rise, while the other, who will remain nameless likes to snooze a little longer. This morning as I head out on deck two imposing snow covered mountains dominate the clear dawn skyline. Mt Hakodate (1585m) and Mt Iwaki (1625m) a beautiful spring morning in Aomori)

We are on a tour today heading out of Aomori to Hirosaki. From our research before leaving home we found that Hirosaki is supposed to one of the most revered locations for Cherry Blossoms in Japan. I wasn’t holding out much hope of seeing them at their best as we seem to have just missed them at their prime in some places. Philip was googling yesterday and found that yesterday and today were their best viewing days and that from now on blossoms will start to fall. The blossoms depending on weather last 3-5 days! We will see what we find.

Hirosaki is an hours bus drive from the port, driving through Apple orchards and rice paddies. This area is known for growing apples, radish, garlic and rice. 20% of Japans apples ( the famous Fuji variety) are grown here and the rice produced here is ranked the best of all the rices in Japan. As we near Hirosaki we have great views of Mt Iwaki at 1625 metres and the highest mountain in the area. It’s snow covered peak dominates the view.

We disembark the bus and head over to the Castle Park. We have 3 hours here but plan to have a Quick Look around the gardens and then later around the town before meeting the bus. Well that didn’t happen. We spent all our time in the park. It’s absolutely beautiful, the blossoms are at their peak. Some 2600 trees and 52 varieties make a Blossom overload! The best we have seen anywhere. Food stalls line the entry and people are purchasing food and sitting around under the trees enjoying the beautiful day. As we follow the many paths around great views reveal themselves and it’s almost too hard to chose a spot to take a photo. Several bridal parties (in traditional dress) were having photos taken. I think I will let the photos do the talking now. I hope you enjoy them.

As we head back to the bus we stop to buy some food. Philip finds some small octopus dumplings which are really tasty, then we try some Fuji apples and buy some apple juice. Then for sweets we find some really tasty apple tarts. All street food stalls and all very tasty. We have tried so many foods from street vendors and everything has been really good.

(P:-Any day is a great day that gets us out of the city and into rural and forested areas. Today was exceptional. A great rural drive viewing farmland and agro forestry (Cyprus and Cedar plantations) as well as the immaculately pruned Fuji Apple orchards and tractors busy in the cropping land mentioned previously. If there was ever a spring blossom overload it was today. The Cherry Blossoms in their prime overshadowed that there was another Castle in the area! I also never noticed a Shrine close up. The gardens of Japan are amazing! Did I mention the Foods of Japan are amazing also? As we sailed out of Aomori a beautiful sunset topped the day off as one to remember.)

21-04-24

Kanazawa

Today we dock in Kanazawa. This is the capital of the Ishikawa Prefecture, on Japans central Honshu Island, well known for its well preserved Edo-era districts, museums and regional handcrafts. Kenrokuen Garden, begun in the 17th century and the adjacent Kanazawa Castle which was built in the 1580s.

Shuttle buses are provided to get into the train station from where we can walk to the castle and gardens. It’s an overcast day and only supposed to be about 16 degrees. There is still snow on the mountains in the distance. We have to clear customs here this morning before going ashore as we are returning from South Korea. Finally our group is called, around 11am and we head ashore and board the shuttle for the centre of town. The train station looks pretty new and is again absolutely spotless.

Kanazawa Castle is the place the city revolves around. The castle and Kenrokuen gardens date back to 1546, when the religious school of the Honganji temple was founded. The sprawling castle park remains a place for visitors and locals to enjoy the natural beauty of the changing seasons. The cherry blossoms have almost finished but the azaleas are just starting to bloom and with many more colours, the garden will no doubt look spectacular in a couple of weeks time. Moss covers a lot of the ground, with spring bulbs and irises showing their colours soon. It is certainly a lovely garden to wander around, with many different areas and plants. Some of the bigger trees have been here for many many years and have their branches propped up to stabilise them during the snowy periods. (P:- This gardening “thing” appears to be quite an art! Very precise, immaculately trimmed and manicured.Planned, propagated and planted with precision. A Gardener was busy weeding (with Tweezers)! I took a photo and he told me “most important get weeds small 1 by 1” – Think I will forget that garden advice! I kinda think Phil wouldn’t be allowed near a Japanese Garden with his Bulldozer, Excavator, Tractor, Chainsaw, Weed-eater or a spray tank of Roundup! They seem to have taken all the fun out of Phil’s gardening techniques!)

From the gardens we walk to the Higashi Chaya District about 20 minutes away. This is the largest of three historical Geisha districts still remaining in Kanazawa. It is a perfectly preserved neighbourhood where Geisha performances can be seen during the evenings. Many of the buildings that are no longer used as Geisha houses are now used as shops and restaurants.

Just down the road is another Chaya District with many narrow alley ways and tea houses.

A fast walk back to the train station to get back before the rain starts. This has been a lovely area to explore and I would love to come back in a month or so with spring in full bloom.

22-04-24

Sakata

This morning we docked in Sakata. (P:-As we approached the port a prominent cone shape, snow covered mountain dominated the beautiful clear blue sky ( no smog today in Sakata) Mt. Chokai at 2326m. The area is known for its high grade rice production and Sake (rice wine and rocket fuel). This city faces the Sea of Japan and is located at the mouth of the Mogami River. There is a real welcoming committee on the dock to greet us. Drummers, school children, Geisha and a few stalls with free food samples of the area. I think Philip tasted everything. ( P:- it was also noted that Judith was seen sampling Sake shortly after breakfast today).

As we disembarked we watched the children from the local school playing traditional games, we could have a go at drumming, but didn’t try it, and got our snaps with the Geisha ladies. They had some great stalls besides the food stalls, with earrings, magnets, toys, general souvenirs, kimonos and some indigo dyed items. Everything was beautifully presented. After tasting some Sake, at 10.30 in the morning we boarded the shuttle bus into the town centre. Greeting the buses in town were groups of school girls, about 14-15 years old, smartly dressed in their uniforms with signs out ready to translate for us or show us where the attractions were. Very keen to help us and speak English with us. Several times through out the day these girls approached and asked if we needed any assistance.

First stop is Hiyoriyama Park, checking out the Kaiko Temple and several other smaller shrines. Good views over the waterfront from here and the park is much more authentic than some of the bigger parks we’ve been to. From here we walk down the the canal and head back towards town and the Sankyo Rice Warehouses. These storehouses were constructed in 1893 and made up of 12 buildings. 9 of the 12 storehouses were still in use in 2022. A line of Zelkova trees not only provides shade from the sun but also protects the buildings from the wind. People in Sakata regard these storehouses and trees as a sign of prosperity for the city.

Before we left this morning Philip had been on Google maps and discovered that just outside the city, a SHORT walk from the centre of town, was the start of a huge area of rice paddies. He suggested that it would be good if we could walk out there to have a look. Hmmmm not sure I want to walk that far, so after finishing at the warehouses I suggest we take a taxi out to have a look. Surely we can use Google translate to get us out there. So after some discussion, via translate we jumped in a taxi and off we went. No sure what we would see or if it would be worth it. I’m glad we didn’t walk because I think we may have missed our return time to the ship.

But it was a great ride through the outskirts of the city and into the rice paddies where they are just starting to plant this seasons rice. Well worth the $30 taxi fare to the the paddies with snow topped Mt Chokai in the distance.

(P:-Would have been a very pleasant walk but the Taxi idea worked a treat and our driver in black suit white gloves and tie (as they all are) drove us out of town to an area of rice fields for us to view. Timed perfectly as it was the first day of rice planting for the season, Two tractors were planting seed in a one pass operation into last years stubble. Water was starting to flood the corner of the first paddy planted. All happening under the shadow of beautiful Mt Chokai. Great to see a bit of real Japan! Made me smile a lot more than Castles, Shrines and Temples!

-85% of farm land in Japan grows Rice.

-The average farm is 0.8 of 1 hectare

-Ninth Largest producer of rice in the world

-Exports around 11 Million tonne of rice

-Most Japanese farmers are over 65)

The taxi dropped us back in the city centre where we found some stalls and shops selling souvenirs etc. Found one where I could try on a Kimono. And then found another that was selling used Kimonos and Obi’s (belt). Some may be travelling back to Tassie. They were being sold to help the continued support of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake in 2011. Most were being sold for 2000-3000 yen, $20-30.

As we prepared to depart the port the local community is out in force again. Traditional dancers and samurai all perform as the Mayor makes speeches which are translated into English. Half an hour of performances entertain us and the locals wave and sing and clap as we leave. They make the cruise ships feel so welcome and wish us safe travels as we depart.

(P:-The mooring lines dropped and as we cautiously left the port the sun was being chased from the clear skies by a full Moon, closing the chapter on another wonderful day.)