After leaving The Forbidden City, we headed to Tiananmen Square, where Mao Zedong proclaimed the Peoples Republic of China in 1949 and where citizen protests against the Cultural Revolution were put down by the military in 1976, although they probably led to the reforms that have spurred China’s economic growth. This huge public square contains […]
Read moreWe packed for 4 days and left the ship on the morning of the 20th, meeting our guide Dennis Wang (Wang Xu), who would be with us the next 4 days, on the pier. Dennis proved to be as much a highlight of the trip as the sites we saw – providing a wealth of […]
Read moreShanghai sits on bend in a river in the delta of the Yangzte River, midway between Beijing and Hong Kong. By population, it is China’s largest city and the world’s largest city (population 23 million), and is China’s primary commercial and shipping center. Shanghai’s harbor, the busiest in China is a river harbor and is also the main […]
Read moreToday we were scheduled to be in Okinawa, but due to rough seas we would have encountered getting there, the Captain made a decision to cancel that port, substituting Nagasaki instead, which is further to the north and west of Okinawa, on the western edge of Japan. I can imagine all of the ramifications of a decision like […]
Read moreManeki Neko Japan’s Beckoning Cat According to Japanese legend, long ago an Emperor was traveling on horseback when he spotted a small cat waving at him. After the Emperor dismounted from his horse to get a closer look, the horse was struck by lightning and killed. Subsequently, the Emperor pronounced that cats in general should […]
Read moreToday we booked an all day tour to Kyoto to visit various shrines and temples, and return to Kobe via the bullet train – from 6:30 am to 4:30 pm, a very full day. Usually we don’t book tours longer that a half day, so we have time to prowl around on our own, but […]
Read moreOur first time in Japan and we are not sure what to expect, but really looking forward to the adventure. We had a day and a half scheduled here, but due to the following seas and winds from the Typhoon south of us, we arrived 10 am instead of 4 pm – bonus! So far the late […]
Read moreSaipan is the second island we have visited where significant WWII battles took place. Between Guam, Tinian (a mile or two to the South of here), and Saipan, 24,000 Americans and friendly civilians lost their lives retaking these islands. The Allied commanders had, after early battles to retake Pacific islands, learned that they were better […]
Read moreWelcome to Guam! Hafa Adai, is Chomorran (the indigenous people of Guam) for hello, but the guide says it is “half a day” for the length of time they work around here. Unfortunately, it is raining hard with no let up in sight – but we venture out to see Guam. Guam was discovered by […]
Read moreMicronesia is another country made up of widely scattered islands and atolls. The Island of Chuuk, which was formerly called Truk, is home to Weno, the largest community in Micronesia, but is not the capital. Prior to World War II, Chuuk was a territory of Japan, and in preparation for the war it was built […]
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