Thursday, February 25, 2010
DAY 40
Greetings and salutations from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam!
We have arrived safely and are currently awaiting clearance through customs. It is sunny, very hot and very humid but that won't stop us from exploring this beautiful city! We arrived at the mouth of the windy Saigon River early this morning and docked about an hour ago. I don't know how this massive ship made it up this narrow river but nevertheless we're here! As I have been typing this they announced that we're free to get off the ship and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I hope all is well and stay tuned for an update and some pictures. Miss you all!
- Chris
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
A man of my word
As promised, the following is a short but sweet recap of my week in China. Enjoy!
We arrived at the mouth of the Huangpu River (south eastern China) midnight on the 16th and were guided far up to the breathtaking city of Shanghai. After docking around 6:00am and clearing customs around 11:00am, a group of us eager beaver adventurers set off running, excited to see the town. First stop, The Bund! It’s one of Shanghai’s most famous streets, boarding the Huangpu for about 1.5km, a neighbor street to a popular shopping district. We walked down it all, top to bottom, checking out some of the buildings along the way. I read that it’s comparable to New York’s own Wall Street because of its bustling business activity. At the end of the street we turned inland and found our way to the Yuyuan Gardens and bazaar. It was a beautiful and quite park smack in the middle of the city, offering a nice break from the city life (and all the car honking…they love honking in China). We had some great Chinese tea at the famous Buxington Tea House, checked out the bamboo gardens and coy pond, then headed back out for the Jing’an temple. Despite it being virtually on the other side of the city, the incredibly inexpensive cab rides allowed us to get there quickly (4 of us in a cab + ~15/20 minute ride= $0.92USD/ person…perfect). The temple is one of Shanghai’s oldest and active Buddhist temples around housing many small shrines and one larger one with a 20 foot tall jade Buddha. Each shrine had these ornate golden Buddha’s holding different poses representing different beliefs in Buddhism. It was the first official day of the Chinese New Year which carries a lot of religious significance so were lucky enough to see hordes of monks all praying and burning incense and what have you. Oh yes, my next point, the Chinese New Year! It’s a huge celebration, which they all pride themselves in very much. While we didn’t get to witness any crazy festivals or parties (as I had assumed there would be), virtually every roof and every awning of the city dawned big red lanterns which added a really nice light-up touch at night. One thing I can say is that aside from honking, the Chinese love love love their fireworks. It’s not like our 4th of July where families would head to designated parks or clubs for firework shows, but rather anyone who wanted to could simply purchase obscene amounts of bangers and rockets, walk in to the middle of the street (stopping traffic) and light off whatever they want. All day, no matter where we were, it sounded like the city was being invaded! Even on a busy street at night we watched as 2 guys lined up about 12 boxes of fireworks in the middle of the street and just lit them off one by one. It’s loud (and makes you jump) but it’s quite fun.
Anyways, we concluded day 1 in Shanghai by visiting the Cloud 9 Bar located in the Jinmao Tower, which was supposed to be the world’s tallest building until Dubai had something to say (you can see it in the daytime photo I posted, it’s the one with a big square hole at the top). There’s actually a lot of controversy surrounding that building because a Japanese company built it, but we don’t have to get in to that now. The next morning we were up and out early visiting an art museum, the Shanghai Aquarium, and a really fun outdoor market. It was jammed with people yelling prices at you and selling cheap products (and every kind of knock-off product you can imagine). Bargaining was loads of fun. I was with two other guys and being over 6 feet each, we felt like human Jinmao Towers. At one point a Chinese man asked to take a photo of us and before we knew it there were 10 other people all squeezing in to snap off some pictures. Being a celebrity in China is pretty easy I guess.
The following morning we flew out of Shanghai and 2 hours later found ourselves in Beijing for the start of an amazing trip. I was lucky enough to meet up with a Boulder friend who speaks Chinese wonderfully and she showed us around the town helping us out with the language (thanks Lauren)! The next morning we went by guided tour (with about 80 other kids from the program) and walked through the Forbidden City (pictures above). The city spit us out at the opposite end in Tienamen Square (I might have butchered the spelling… my apologies). After a brisk walk through that we cruised down to the Silk Road market for some more bargaining then boarded a bus to the Great Wall of China! I would post all my photos of it but there’s far too many. We caught an amazing sunset, had a delicious Chinese dinner in town, and then hiked over 1,400 steps back to the wall at night to camp out under the stars. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. The following morning treated us with a beautiful sunrise. After crawling out of our sleeping bags (it was in the teens 0F at night) we packed up for an easy and stunning 4-mile hike,which ended with a zipline across a river at one of the lower points of the wall. I wish I could describe this trip more but it is simply too difficult to do it justice. Hopefully my pictures will back me up. The hike ended by noon and we motored back to Beijing to visit the Olympic Birds Nest and Swimming Cube. The night greeted us with extreme exhaustion so we turned in early and flew to Hong Kong the next morning.
Hong Kong is such a great city I cannot begin to tell you. It’s so exciting, lots and lots of fun, tons to see and has a beautiful skyline. I joined an SAS trip to the outlaying island of Lantau, home to a monastery (with the best food anywhere) and the world’s tallest outdoor Buddha statue. It actually reminded me a lot of Hawaii, hot and green. It was a really enjoyable trip and by the time we got back we were ready to set sail for Vietnam! We’re back in the tropics once more so the weather is getting hotter and humid. At noon today we were ~600 nautical miles away from Vietnam with an expected morning arrival on the 26th. My only plans right now are an overnight trip to the Mekong Delta, I’ll be winging the rest after that!
And once again you all are real troopers. I typed this post and it came out to 3 pages so cutting it down to this was the best I could do. There’s no other way to cut it back while keeping the fun of the trip alive! Photos will be up soon. Thank you all for reading, stay tuned for more and more to come following Vietnam. I send my best back home and to all whom are reading.
- Chris
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
So long Hong Kong!
Hello friends and family!
I write to you from my cozy ship cabin, the lights of Hong Kong fading in the horizon, our bow aimed for Vietnam. I had the utmost incredible time in China, never having a dull moment. From the colorful Shanghai skyline to a frigid campout on the Great Wall, I soaked up the best of what China had to offer. I hate to be leaving after a great 7 days but Ho Chi Minh City is making my adventure taste buds tingle.
The past 7 days have consisted of nonstop fun and amazement and also very little sleep. I regret to tell that at this very moment I am incredibly out of this world beyond the universe exhausted and fear that I will not be able to type much longer. However, as always, I promise to you that an action packed, nail biting, heart stopping, jaw dropping, (insert adjective of your choice here), post is on its way and shall arrive at some point tomorrow (Feb 24th for me). I have lots and lots to tell you about a truly incredible adventure in one of the world’s most fascinating countries. But until then my soul is on it’s hands and knees begging for some sleep and I have no choice but to succumb to its needs. I will leave you with one of my favorite photos from the past week just to make you want more! I have well over 250 just from my Beijing trip alone so hold on to your hats. As usual I miss everyone very much and hope that everything at home is nothing shy of perfect. More tomorrow!
- Chris
PS I just realized that this is the end of day 37 of this trip. If someone has seen those days or know where they have gone please let me know. Home in 70 days…
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Good Evening from Shanghai!
Or good morning back home? A wonderful day indeed. Not much time to talk now, just dropping in to clean up and head back out to those beautiful lights behind me. It's an exciting city with tons of people and tons to do. I'll write more tomorrow!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Temporary Photo Fail
Sorry! I know I said I'd post photos and I WILL, however, just not at this moment. Our internet seems to be having some issues and photos will not attach. I will try again tomorrow. I'm sorry if this has completely ruined your day.
- Chris
DAY 28
Hello all from the East China Sea!
Or dare I say, konnichiwa? No, I dare not. Last time you have all heard from me I was mere centimeters away from Japan (on a map of course). Now, Japan and I have parted ways and China is within my reaches!
I honestly do not know how to begin describing Japan. Fascinating? Immaculate? I’ll let you decide. From the moment my size 11 Newbalances hit the pavement it was nonstop amazement. We arrived several hours late due to the rough weather but we all were still exuberant to see. As we moseyed in to the harbor, an entourage of Japanese drummers pounded away from atop the port terminal in Yokohama, greeting us with some native sounds of their culture. It was a picture perfect day, as we set off for the train, eager to get to Tokyo. After tackling our first language barrier in the station, we hopped a train and an hour later we were walking the streets of central Tokyo. Our hotel was located in the Ginza district, which, by its appearance, looked like Fifth Avenue of New York City. “Gucci”, “Prada”, “Louis Vutton”, and “McDonalds” were some of the ritzy names the lined the streets. Need less to say we were a little surprised, but after dropping our bags and grabbing a map, we hit the town looking for the real Tokyo. A few of the local residents recommended a very tasty sushi bar. Since it was more of a local’s place and not too touristy, we stuck out like sore thumbs upon arrival. However, thanks to menus with pictures (and “sushi” pronounced the same in both languages) we were soon diving in to some of the best raw fish wrapped in seaweed I’ve had. Afterwards we explored the town and visited a bar also infected with fellow SAS students.
The following morning we awoke with our legs fresh and camera batteries charged, and began exploring. My roommate and I visited the Roppongi district (which is referred to as the Time Square of Tokyo), and saw the Mori Art Museum, which blew our minds. We were fortunate to see the “Art and Medicine” exhibit which featured a history’s collection of medicine paintings, beliefs, ideas, practices, and tools. From the first x-ray machine to wheelchairs that moved simply by thinking, this place had it all. Including a set of George Washington’s false teeth! Weird, I know. We had a great two hours there looking at all kinds of weird and powerful displays.. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed. The exhibit was located 52 stories above Tokyo so we got an amazing panoramic view. Afterwards, we explored the rest of the area stumbling upon a few Shinto Shrines (which are literally just tucked in between buildings on the street) and wondered underneath the Tokyo Tower. But what is Tokyo without a little karaoke? Oh yes, my golden windpipes came out. Following a quick bite of dinner, we visited a local karaoke bar and sang the night away. It was a lot more fun than I thought; I highly recommend you try it (video of my miraculous display of talent may be provided upon request).
Well, I just started a second page, which means this post is getting long so I’ll move quickly. From Tokyo, we rode a bullet train over to cold and rainy Kyoto. After a mix up of plans, most of the day was spent traveling so we had another quick but amazing dinner (where a table of Russian senators sent us a bottle of sake, I kid you not) and turned in early. The next morning we visited a beautiful shrine and the imperial palace. At midday we grabbed another train to nearby Hiroshima and spent the afternoon experiencing the very powerful monument park. Despite it’s devastating history, it was actually one of the most beautiful cities I have been to. The monument park was gorgeous and served as a perfect tribute to the city. At the top of the park stood the “A-bomb Dome” which was an old treasury once topped with a beautiful dome. It was also the exact point over which the nuclear bomb was detonated (600 meters above known as the hypocenter). It was a bone chilling sight. I’ll let the photo above describe the rest. The rest of the park consisted of a remembrance hall, a children’s memorial, and a massive museum. I don’t think I can concisely cover every detail of it all but I would love to share with you in person. All I can say is that it was quite moving and very beautifully done. The rest of the city itself is just as nice. After seeing photos of what looks like the surface of Mars after the blast, it is still so hard to believe the city is what it is to today.
From Hiroshima we went to our final city of Osaka and enjoyed it’s nightlife. This doesn’t mean bars per say, but rather how active the city still is at night. All over were food stands and shops and markets. It was quite fun to walk around and see it all. The next morning, my buddies and I went to Osaka Castle (pictured above) and visited one last museum before trudging over to Kobe. After a mouth-watering Kobe beef meal, we re-boarded the Explorer, dropped our bags, and crashed harder than Black Tuesday. Even as I type my body is still exhausted. But, it was worth every second and I’d do it again in a heartbeat!
Annnnd breathe! Phew, that was a long one and I apologize. As you can tell, Japan had much to offer and we took incredible advantage of it! It’s hard to believe that it was only our first international stop and we still have much of the world to see! We will be arriving in Shanghai, China on the 16th. I will be making my way to Beijing shortly after, to sleep/ hike on the Great Wall for two nights, explore the town, then fly over to Hong Kong where I will visit a monastery in the island of Lantau (home to one of the world’s tallest Buddha statues). It is shaping up to be another mind boggling few days. If you’ve hit this sentence I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking this one out. I hope all is well back home and that everyone reading is doing great! I miss you all and look forward to hearing from some of you. Stay tuned for more (not that you need any) and be sure to enjoy my photos!
- Chris
Monday, February 8, 2010
ASIA!
Hello hello friends and family!
I’d like to start off this post by apologizing for not having written to you all in quite some time. It has been a busy couple of days with schoolwork and such but now I am smooth sailing! Well, not smooth at all actually. When we turned north to make our final approach to Yokohama, Japan, we hit some very rough waters and our ship was forced to a crawl as we battled 15-20 foot swells slamming against our bow. I only heard rumors as to what was causing the rough seas, my favorite one being that a submerged volcano off the coast of Japan had erupted. While I am not sure of the validity of such a claim, I am sure that whatever happened was causing some unpleasant travels. It was only bad for yesterday afternoon and all night and was back to calm seas by mid-morning today. Actually, bad isn’t even the right word! Once you get used to being tossed side-to-side it’s pretty fun. However, I am sad to say that our arrival in to Japan has been delayed. We were told initially that we would lose an entire day but our captain took advantage of this morning’s weather and opened up the Explorer clipping along at 20 knots (we don’t normally go higher than 13). With the extra speed we are only being delayed about 2 or 3 hours for a 9:30am arrival, which doesn’t sound like much, but given Japan’s rigorous customs procedures (including being scanned for viruses) we won’t be able to disembark until noon (assuming all goes smoothly).
Every student on board takes a class called Global Studies and Sunday (Saturday US time) was our first exam. It was a nice and easy 50 multiple choice test which was the only thing standing in the way between Japan and us! Today was “Asia Day” which consisted of all sorts of lectures and activities from morning until night all having something to do with the Asian culture and/ or history. As far the entire ship is concerned, we are all beyond excited to disembark and be standing in Japan. What a wild thought. I cannot believe that in just hours I’ll be in a part of the world I’d never thought I’d see. I have a feeling it’s going to be incredible.
I plan on checking out Yokohama with a good group of friends for a good part of the day tomorrow then hopping on a train to Tokyo in the afternoon. After two nights there, I’ll be heading up to Hiroshima all day Thursday. I’ve heard from many faculty and staff that it is one of the most emotionally moving cities to see in the entire trip. After that we’ll cruise on over to Osaka for one night, Kyoto another, then Kobe early on the 14th for a Kobe beef lunch then a quick 2 day sail to China! The next couple of days are going to be mind blowing.
While I’m soaking in the first of my Asian experience I most likely will not post again until we are in transit to China so let me apologize in advance. It has been a wonderful sail from Hawaii to Japan but after some heavy school work and rough seas I think even our dean is ready to jump ship! The only sign of life we’ve seen in the past 10 days was a small ship that came pretty close to us this afternoon. I don’t really know what it was doing but after slowing down and passing behind us it quickly disappeared in the horizon. It was refreshing a sight, however.
Anyway friends, that is all from me tonight. I’m doing well and feeling great! I promise to post again as soon as we are back on the ship for China. I’ll have tons of photos and updates to share so be sure to check back soon. I send my love and hellos to all back home and hope that everyone is safe and sound! Take care.
- Chris
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