Spain to Egypt

Barcelona, Spain was quite the contrast to any of the cities I visited in Japan. It was dirty and smelled of bad things most of the time, the locals did not seem to care about their city and I observed many of them just throwing trash on the street. The most pleasant smells came from bakeries and flower shops scattered throughout where I would take a “breather”. If I return, I want to get out into the country and see the rural parts of Spain.

I was happy to board the ship and set sail into the Mediterranean sunset. The water was beautiful but the air was quite chilly; as we headed south for the next few days it became warmer and more like the place I expected. When we arrive in Alexandria, Egypt tomorrow it is supposed to be 76F and quite pleasant.

We will be taking the Classic Cairo tour for 12 ½ hours by motor coach, which will be a good mix of the city, museums and my favorite, the pyramids. I am excited to see what I have only read and seen pictures of. I will also be visiting the Nile River and viewing the locals that rely so much on this water source. Enjoying the cruise so far and look forward to getting out on land.

Kobe (Osaka), Japan

Kobe is one of Japan’s ten largest cities and has a unique history. In January 1995, Kobe was hit by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake which killed over 5000 people. Tens of thousands of buildings were destroyed in the quake but a short decade later, the city is completely rebuilt and is considered one of Japan’s most attractive cities.

After disembarking the ms Volendam for the last time this trip, we loaded onto motor coaches for the tour of Mt. Rokko and the Hakustsuru Sake Brewery and Museum. Being a guest was quite strange after being the guide for so long, but it felt good to just sit back, relax and listen.

Mt. Rokko sits above the city and we had a spectacular ride as we weaved our way around the curves to reach the summit. The vegetation is lush and green with a few deciduous trees were beginning to turn fall colors. A deck on the front of the restaurant and gift shop gave us a terrific view of Kobe and the port. Behind the buildings were wonderful nature trails and a view of the mountain valley, complete with a lake and golf course. We were told that in order to be a member of the Mt. Rokko Golf Club, you have to pay the equivalent of 10,000 dollars per year…wow.
To make our way down the mountain we were loaded into a cog rail train; it was literally built like the shape of the mountain and that’s the way you board it. The stairs to the train run the length of it and you walk in and sit down with the next row about three feet below you and that seat three feet below it and so on and so on…fascinating. After boarding the motor coach again we make our way to the Sake Brewery.

When we arrive at the Brewery, much to my surprise and pleasure I see the logo on the tower. Their logo is the crane (which I adore of course) and this is one of my favorite sakes, when I can get it, in the US. They pride themselves on making sake the traditional way as their predecessors did since the brewery opened in 1743; although using modern machinery the process remains the same. The rice is washed, steamed, cooled and left to mold (yum). This culturing produces a seed mash that becomes the main mash which is then filtered, skimmed, pasteurized and then stored in large tanks. After aging until Fall, the clear sake is poured into Yoshino cedar barrels and wrapped in straw mats. The finished product is then marked, labeled and prepared for distribution. Just like Coors Brewery in Colorado there was a sample given at the end and it was delicious. Japanese sake packs a punch though so be careful.

I spent my last evening at a Hotel in Osaka and had a wonderful meal of Octopus, Squid, Eel and wonderful veggies cooked in traditional Japanese style. My trip to Japan was all that I thought it would be and more. If given the opportunity, I will go back.

Kyoto, Japan

The change in itinerary due to typhoon Malor allowed us to be in the Port of Kobe one more day, as a result I decided to use the first day to visit nearby Kyoto. Kyoto was the Japanese Capital from the 8th to the 19th centuries with the Imperial buildings dating back to the 1600s. When the capital was moved to Tokyo it remained the Japanese cultural center. Locals come here to visit the city for a vacation so I knew it was worth seeing.

The best and quickest way to Kyoto from Kobe is by bullet train, a top ten on my Japan bucket list. It was amazing; the train went 180 MPH and felt like flying in a plane on the ground. The usual 45 minutes by train to the first stop took us 7 minutes, incredible. I was taken by how clean the public transportation was, just like the city streets. None of the public places have trash or stains. Part of the cleanliness is due to the fact that when walking in public, eating and drinking are frowned upon. The only trash cans you will find are in restaurants and most of the bathrooms have no toilet paper or paper towels to become litter. It took some getting used to but it was completely worth the beautiful surroundings. In case you are wondering about no TP; the ToTo’s (Japanese western toilets) have many features that ours do not, including a spray of water.

Kyoto had a feel about it; historical, spiritual, the heart of Japan and it was wonderful. I walked the streets exploring and decided to go up the tower to see where I would venture to next. The view was fantastic; temples and shrines inter-mingled with more modern buildings, a Buddha on the hillside looking over the residents and the ocean, blue and beautiful.

I made my way to the Imperial Palace, the residence of the Imperial family until the capital was relocated to Tokyo in 1868. On the way, I walked along local streets just big enough for one car. Packages were being delivered by bicycles, rickshaws had right of way to walkers and the houses one next to the other were ornately carved in the wood that covered them. The palace itself was even bigger than it looked from the tower, spanning about 8 by 7 city blocks. The whole area was surrounded by a moat filled with Koi and beautiful water plants. As I entered the gates I couldn’t believe how large the structure was before me. Hundreds of pigeons flew in the square being fed by locals. To the left was a drinking well with an ornate dragon, like so many around Japan. I tried to imagine what it must have been like to live in such a place.

Kyoto was one of the highlights of my trip and I am grateful that I had an opportunity to visit, thank you typhoon Malor.

Tomorrow is my last day of the cruise and I will be touring Kobe.

Aomori, Japan

As we docked at the Aomori port the first thing you see is a strikingly beautiful bridge. The architecture in this city and Japan as a whole has been magnificent. Along the water as we disembark was a beautiful park with grass and trees allowing me to get 2 more life birds, the Oriental Cuckoo and the Long-tailed Rose Finch.

I made my way through the city headed to the Japan Rail Building hoping to explore some of the sites nearby. I wanted to see the Sannai-Maruyama Site or go to the Great Buddah (Showa Daibutsu).

The Sannai-Maruyama is a National Historic Treasure containing ruins dating back to 4000-5500 years ago (How old is the United States?). Today, archeologists are excavating more of the site and finding artifacts and clues to how the people lived at that time.

As I stood at the station, feeling confused, with no one speaking English, I saw a picture of the Buddha on a bus….as a result I hopped on, my decision was made. When I arrived at the site it was beautiful. The first vision was fields of rice in the midst of being harvested. The drying stalks looked nothing like rice but upon closer inspection you could see the kernels. Up the hill were many buildings including two Buddhist temples. I felt humbled when a Japanese woman came out with tongs and a bucket and picked the beetles gently up to return them to the woods. They do practice what they preach. The grounds were as I would expect from a Japanese garden with statues, a waterfall, wells, a large bell and many places to sit and be reflective. As I walked up the path, what I had come to see, came into view. On the hillside sat the Showa Daibutsu and my breath was taken away. The Great Buddha was more than two stories tall sitting in a lotus flower with hands held in a Zen meditation hand gesture. Much to my delight I could enter the Buddha in the back to go inside. After removing my shoes I stepped into a round hall completely filled with Buddhist proverbs and art. This was a wonderful collection and the place felt so spiritual. I then made my way to the second floor where I rubbed the belly of the Buddha from the inside out; I then took a moment to light some incense and say a prayer. What a great experience, one that I will never forget.

The captain and crew changed the itinerary due to hurricane Malor. It was to be a direct hit on Tokyo when we were scheduled to arrive, better to stay in the safety of the Japan Sea.

Tomorrow we cruise to Kobe, Japan.

Otaru and Sapporo, Japan

Overnight we cruised to the western side of Hokkaido Island and docked at the port of Otaru. It is believed that the name is derived from the Ainu (indigenous people) word “Otarunai” meaning “sandy swampland”; not a flattering name but a most beautiful place.

My first adventure was to explore the canal. The Otaru Canal was completed in 1920 to aid in the transport of goods to the city. Prior to the canal, ships would be off-loaded onto small tug boats (hashike) from the bay and these boats would then go up the canal, lined with warehouses, and drop off the goods. It was a very pleasant walk teaming with bird and plant life.

I then walked through the city and was amazed at the mix of buildings from the late 1800’s mixed with modern, western architecture. There were more open markets and vendors along the way and many of the local dogs, the Aikita, a medium sized, adorable fur-ball.

With half of my day remaining I decided to go to the JR (Japanese Rail) and make my way to Sapporo, this was an incredible city. As I emerged from the rail station (by the way not much was bilingual, I had to read Japanese characters that matched the city names…a great experience and challenge) much to my surprise were beautiful tall sky scrapers and buildings with TV’s on them, reminiscent of Time Square in New York.

The city was alive and vibrant and yet I longed for nature; Odori-koen was my goal. The Odori-koen is a park in the center of the city about 4,000 feet long; it was originally built as a precautionary fire barrier between the northern and southern districts and was beautiful.

I then made my way to the government district, finding 6 lifer birds at the lakes and in the trees on the grounds. The Japanese used this place as a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and so did I. Another fun discovery was the Gingko trees that I only knew as some holistic herb for health were the main local trees and it was fantastic to see them in all their glory…magnificent.

Next port….Aomori, Japan

Hakodate, Japan

After 8 days at sea we happily arrive at our first port. Hakodate is on the island of Hokkaido and is the gateway between the Japan Sea and the Pacific Ocean. This port is a major base for the fishing industry with about 21,000 ships coming in annually.

My first stop was at the morning market. Vendors sold vegetables, noodles and an array of seafood like I’ve never seen before. With all my experience as a naturalist there were creatures that I could not identify. Luckily, with the help of a vendor who spoke some English I got a crash course. The big seller of course is crab in all shapes and sizes with some reaching 2 feet across. Other edible critters were scallops, abalone, mussels, snails, frogs and the Hakodate mascot, the squid. It was incredible to see such a volume of seafood, vendor after vendor, and it made me realize how much is out in the seas and how important it is to this society. I tried some local crab mixed with goodies in a shell (I believe it was the green parts of the crab) and much to the delight of locals I not only ate it but licked my hand. A good laugh was had by all and the food was rather tasty.

In the afternoon I headed to Goryokaku Park and Tower. This area is the oldest western-style fortress in Japan built in 1864 after Commodore Matthew Perry negotiated the opening of several Japanese ports. The fort was built as a precaution against the threat of Russian attack. It is configured in a five-pointed star shape which allowed defenders to trap assailants in crossfire, clever. The moat was full of water and this is where I got my first Japanese lifer, the Spot-billed Duck.

In addition to the park is the Tower. The Japanese are fond of their towers which overlook the surrounding area and have wonderful viewing areas at the top. They sell posters, have collection stamps and characters that greet guests.

It was a glorious day and tomorrow onto the port of Otaru.

Bon Voyage

After completing my summer season in Alaska I boarded the ms Volendam in Seattle, WA for a 15-day cruise across the Pacific Ocean to Japan. The Pacific is not a friendly place this time of year and despite the ship being 781 feet long and a few stories high, we could feel it. Seas, at times, reached 10-12 feet and it made ping pong and swimming a contact sport.

It took us 7 days at an average of 17 knots to reach Japan. Along the way we passed the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and the Kuril Islands of Russia following the Kuril Trench. As we came closer to land we began to see more birds and even had some sea birds using the boats light at night to fish, what a sight!

Below are some facts about the ms Volendam.

Ship's Registry: The Netherlands
Passenger capacity: 1,432
Crew members: 615
Gross Tonnage: 61,214 grt.
Length: 781 feet
Beam: 105.8 feet
Maximum speed: 23 knots
Dedicated: November 1999, by tennis professional Chris Evert

When we reached Japan our first stop was the northernmost island of Hokkaido and the port of Hakodate.