Japan

Yokohama, Japan, as we were about to leave

By the Imperial Palace in Tokyo

This is as much as we saw of Mt. Fuji (it was cold).

Danielle having lunch with Kindergarteners in Kobe

From Shanghai we arrived in Kobe in two days. Kobe is not small (1.5 million) but has a small feel to it. Danielle and I went to a Kindergarten and had lunch with a class and then toured around the city; while Kathleen did a faculty directed trip with students to the Kirin Beer company. The following day we simply walked around Kobe and visited a garden and a Shinto Temple. Naturally, we had Sushi for lunch and dinner! After two days in Kobe we headed for Yokohama (a port city just south of Tokyo), a trek that took just one night. Yokohama is quite large (3.6 million) but unfortunately we didn’t spend much time there. As soon as we arrived, we left on an overnight trip that took us to Mount Fuji and Tokyo.  Unfortunately, the weather was rainy and foggy so we never saw the famous mountain. Our very nice tour guide, however, insisted that the mountain was really there. We could tell that she was disappointed that we never saw the mountain. We then drove in the bus to Tokyo where we stayed at a very nice hotel. That night poor Danielle threw up four times and had a fever, so Kathleen took her back to the ship (which luckily was only a 45 minute train ride away). The rest of us (I was the trip leader) went to the gardens around the Imperial Palace, visited the Meiji Shrine (Shinto), and had a fabulous lunch at a local restaurant. We also went to the largest Buddhist temple in Tokyo which is located in a very nice shopping district. The weather had turned much better so we were all in much better spirits on the second day. After Singapore, Vietnam, and China, Japan was just another modern, clean Asian country. Many of us on the faculty, as well as the Life Long Learners (the non-student, older passengers) have been having some very interesting discussions about what we have experienced in Asia. Mostly we are wondering what will happen to the United States since we seem to be lagging behind Asia in so many ways – economically, socially and politically.  All in all, our trip to eleven countries has been too rich to explain. We have learned a great deal and have truly seen the world. Having this opportunity, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu as a neighbor, is something we will never forget.

China: Capitalist Communism

This indeed was the view from our deck at Shanghai!

Leaping for joy at the Temple of Heaven.

At the Great Wall

No trip to China can be without a photo of Mao's image at the southern gate of the Imperial City and a tourist with a Panda Bear hat.

Here we are in front of the imperial throne room building in the Forbidden City.

Here we are with some Chinese soldiers at the Forbidden City

In a home at the Hutong area (the meal was wonderful and plentiful)

Danielle and Kathleen in their rickshaw in the Hutong neighborhood

Hong Kong City from Mount Victoria

We arrived in Hong Kong in the morning just after sunrise, allowing us to see the massive city at dawn. Hong Kong, like Singapore, is a maritime city, full of tall buildings. In Hong Kong we met up with a former student of Kathleen’s, who took us to the top of a hill near the city, for a walk around the hill, giving us a panoramic view of the city. We had a great dinner that night at a popular, local restaurant by the port and then we left for Beijing the next morning. We arrived in Beijing’s new and spectacular international airport and quickly taken by bus to an old section of the city (Hutong), were then put on rickshaws and bicycled to private homes in the old area for dinner. It was a wonderful way to be introduced to Beijing. One of our guides, Steven (the guides seem to take on western names for our benefit), told me that his family had a home in Hutong but the government made them move out in order to develop the area. Nevertheless, there are still quite a few homes in this old area of Beijing where a number of families share an inner patio. In the next couple of days, our main guide, David, showed us the key tourist sites: the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, and the Temple of Heaven. We also went to a home for kids whose parents are not providing for them and went to a Kung Fu school to watch a demonstration. Overall, most of us who went to Beijing were floored by the degree of progress that has been made in the last few decades. Rather than finding a communist country devoid of consumer goods, we found a vibrant city that is progressing almost too rapidly – the traffic was horrible, since so many people now have cars. We then flew to Shanghai, since the ship had left Hong Kong and made its way there in two days of sailing. Shanghai is a city to behold. The buildings are tall, unique, and magnificently lit up at night. Our cabin faced a beautiful part of the city so we had a fabulous view of Shanghai for two nights. Overall, China blew our socks off. Chairman Mao must be either turning over in his grave or wondering why he didn’t carry out economic reforms while he was in power. China was a big hit with pretty much everyone on the ship.

Vietnam and Cambodia

On the canoe ride in the Mekong Delta

One of the many statues of Buddha at the temples of Angkor Wat. Many of the small temples are still used by Buddhist monks.

Kathleen and Danielle at one of the central temple areas of Angkor Wat.

At the entrance of Angkor Wat with our fabulous guide, Savi, who is teaching us about the Khmer civilization.

All of us on the City tour in front of the statue to "Uncle Ho."

Approaching Ho Chi Minh City

We had just one day of sailing from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). The city is a ways up the Mekong River so the trip to HCMC was interesting. We arrived early in the morning and there were quite a few small boats (fishermen, taxis and cargo) already on the river.  When we approached the city we were quite surprised to see how modern it has become. We knew that Singapore was modern but most of us were expecting Vietnam to be way behind economically. Despite the terrible, long wars against the French, the United States, China and Cambodia, Vietnam is now having its own economic boom. Unfortunately we did not spend enough time in Vietnam since on the second day we flew to Cambodia, to the small city of Siem Riep, to see the legendary ruins of Angkor Wat. The Khmer civilization and empire built large, elegant cities and temples that have held up quite well after over one thousand years. These ruins are simply magnificent. In addition to a city tour of Ho Chi Minh City, I went to the Mekong Delta, south of HCMC, and got to go on a fun canoe ride. After it was all over, we wished that we had been able to spend more time in both Cambodia and Vietnam. Too much to see, not enough time! And then, we left for Hong Kong …

Singapore

Danielle usually focuses on the animals

The new and very impressive Sands Hotel and Casino

One of the ubiquitous public housing complexes in Singapore

Danielle Trick or Treating from Archbishop Tutu (before arriving in Singapore we celebrated Halloween on the ship)

We have now left Hawaii, where most of us simply relaxed, and are headed for San Diego. Final exams started today so we can finally see that the voyage is about to end. Most of us have mixed feelings about the end of our adventure - we are eager to go home but we are also sad to leave the ship and all of our new friends who shared so many new experiences with us.

Most of us were very surprised with Singapore, because it is so advanced, clean, modern and orderly. The degree of development is striking and the architecture and rate of construction is very impressive. We were also impressed by the degree of equality in Singapore. 85% of the population lives in government housing that is quite nice, clean and close to public transportation.

India

On the day we left India, we celebrated Danielle's birthday. Here she is with Dhara, one of her student-tutors.

The three of us in a motorized rickshaw.

We kept running into this family at various locations and so they wanted their photo taken with Danielle.

At a silk store/factory in Kanchipuram

Danielle made some friends at a Hindu temple in Chennai

Once again, I have neglected my blog. My excuse this time is that we have been busy and travelling almost non-stop. Since the last time I contributed to the blog, we have visited five countries – India, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and China!  The pace is even more hectic than before: we are at sea a couple of days and then we are in a country from two to six days. We left China a few days ago, after having been there for six days. Now we are in Japan, travelling from Kobe to Yokohama (just outside of Tokyo). First, let me tell you about India …

We docked in Chennai, which used to be called Madras. The port is very much a working, commercial port that does not see very many cruise ships.  So, in a way, it was a more legitimate experience than when we port in places that are fixed up for the tourists. Chennai is a huge city, but this means that it is also quite polluted, dirty and congested. Nevertheless, many of us were impressed with its grand boulevards and beautiful buildings, both old ones and new ones. Kathleen led a three-day trip to Delhi and the Taj Mahal, but I stayed with Danielle on the ship since I was still recovering from my eye surgery. On the first day, however, the three of us went on a city orientation.  On the second day, Danielle and I went on a trip to two southern towns – Kanchipuram and Mamalapuram – that have old and new Hindu temples. So, not only did we see beautifully built ancient temples but we also learned about the Hindu religion. Like Catholic churches in Europe, there seem to be Hindu temples almost on every street in Chennai. The next couple of days Danielle and I spent some time on the ship resting but we did go out to a market, travelling by three-wheeled motorized rickshaw, a truly fun experience. Our rickshaw driver convinced us that he was an extra in a number of movies.

Cape Town: The good, the bad, the painful

Archbishop Desmond Tutu lecturing in my Global Studies Class

Kathleen and Danielle in front of the MV Explorer with Table Mountain and Cape Town in the background

At the Cape Eye Hospital with some of the fantastic nurses on the day of my release

I haven’t written for quite as while, but as you’ll see there is a good reason for the delay!

The day before arriving in Cape Town, Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke in my Global Studies class. The students packed the Union (ship’s auditorium) like sardines, many of them sitting on the floor. The Archbishop gave a very moving presentation about South Africa in his direct but always positive manner and the students stayed and listened well past the end of the class. What a way to get ready to arrive in South Africa! There was much anticipation before reaching Cape Town since everyone had heard that it was a beautiful city and area. The ship arrived before sunrise, we could see the city lit up, and could just barely make out the outline of Table Mountain. By the time we were docked, however, the geographic beauty of the city was clearly visible. The students were quite excited because the city appeared just like another, modern, clean city in the U.S. When we received the diplomatic briefing though, one of the consular officers started discussing crime and most of us wondered if we should even get off the ship. Cape Town, after all, has the highest homicide rate in the world. (The outcome? Nothing serious happened to anyone).

On the first day we went on a city orientation, which was fine, but some of us felt it was too touristy and not of much educational value. On the city orientation, I started to see some dark spots in my right eye and began to fear that I may be having a torn retina. By that evening, I noticed a semicircular shadow in the lower part of my right eye. I had suffered a detached retina in my left eye a little over a year ago so I knew exactly what was happening. Very quickly, the ship’s doctor, Chris Tonozzi, a faculty member across the hall, Jeff Glazer, and his wife, Lisa Braun Glazer, who is a psychologist on the ship started to make phone calls and send emails. By late that evening, they had found that there is an excellent eye hospital in Cape Town. The following morning, Dr. Chris had gotten me an appointment with a retina specialist. Kathleen got us a taxi and took me to the Cape Eye Hospital and I saw Dr. James Acton. Sure enough, I had a detached retina and I felt confidence in the doctor so I decided to let him operate rather than try and fly back to Chicago which would probably lead to some major loss in my eyesight. By 5:30 p.m., I was in the operating room and was wheeled out at about 7:00 p.m. Kathleen had made friends with some of nurses and one of them gave her a ride back to the ship with her husband. I stayed in the hospital for two nights then returned to the ship, where I stayed in our cabin, laying low. They brought my meals to the cabin which was a special treat and several people came by to see how I was doing. I learned later that most people had no idea I was back on the ship. One student later told me that she had heard that I had lost my eye in Cape Town!

Overall, considering what happened to me far away from home on a ship, I was extremely lucky that things worked out so well. David Geis, the academic dean of the voyage, told me not to worry about the Global Studies course that people would cover for me and to simply take care of my eye. Kathleen and I stayed in Cape Town, in a nice hotel, for an extra five nights and thus we watched the ship sail away from Cape Town with our 8-year old daughter Danielle, on board with her grandparents, Denise and Gerry. It was a strange and scary feeling. After four days of recovery in The Commodore Hotel (a very nice place) the doctor said that I could fly to Mauritius to meet the ship. So, Kathleen and I make the one day trip on two planes and got to Mauritius a day before the ship arrived, staying at a small but fine hotel in Port Luis. The next morning we took a taxi to the port and got on the ship by 8:15 a.m. I don’t think I’ve every felt so missed in my entire life. Pretty much everyone who saw me said things like “glad to have you back,” “we missed you,” “how are you doing,” and, my personal favorite, “the Global Studies class hasn’t been the same without you.” I must say that recovering from surgery on a ship with so many nice people on board is fantastic and does great things to your mental well-being.

Ghana

A main street in Takoradi, the city in which the ship ported.

In our canoe, on the way to the "water village," with our tour guide.

The fishing village at Cape Coast.

Cape Coast Castle: This was the largest of the "Slave Castles."

At Elmina Castle: Through this door, slaves were led to small boats that took them to ships awaiting to take them to the Americas.  

Being in Ghana was an eye-opening experience. We hear about poverty, but it's hard to really understand it until we see how poor people live. I have seen poverty in Latin America, but here in Ghana it seems to be everywhere and at a worse level. Ghana has many natural resources - like Cocoa, Gold, rubber, manganese, etc - that are valuable on the world market. However, the country doesn’t process these things, where their value is greatly enhanced, and thus gets very little for its resources.  So, despite their resources, they are mired in poverty. We also went to visit two “slave castles,” Elmina and Cape Coast, where the Portuguese, Dutch, Swedes, and British kept slaves until they were sent to the Americas, including of course the 13 colonies. Over 60 of these castles existed along the “Gold Coast” of Africa where an estimated 10-12 million Africans of many tribes were enslaved, kept for about a month, put on ships, in chains and stacked upon each other, and then sent to the Americas to be sold principally to plantation owners. Many of the slaves did not survive the journey. We also went to a "water village," where people live in very “primitive” conditions, perhaps even poorer than most Ghanaians. No doubt, corruption and mismanagement exists in Ghana but, if they were able to process their own resources, they would surely be better off than they are now. Colonialism and slavery are over but the conditions that they created are still found in Africa.  The oddest thing I found (perhaps more insane than odd) was that while people are living in poverty, there is constant advertisement all over Ghana (in the form of nicely painted houses and stores) by three cell phone companies. Cell phones is perhaps the last thing that people in Ghana need, but they are being bombarded by cell phone ads. In a few hours,. we'll leave Ghana, where people were extremely friendly to us despite their poverty, and head for South Africa.

Life Aboard the MV Explorer

A typical sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean

The Pool Area

The Union: where we have large meetings and where I teach the Global Studies class

The Computer Lab

The Library

Our cabin and deck

We are now heading for Ghana after having stopped for fuel at Las Palmas, Canary Islands. Being on the ship is hectic but there are lots of things to do and places to go. In addition to classrooms, the ship has a pool, a spa (with exercise equipment, massage rooms, and a beauty salon), a piano bar, a library and a computer room. For faculty, staff and the life long learners (about 65 of them), there is a Lounge that has a panoramic view of the front of the ship. The cabins are very nice as well. Since I’m teaching the global studies class, that all students take, I have the luxury of being assigned a cabin on the 7th (top) deck. Archbishop Desmond Tutu is just two cabins down from us! In addition to the three meals we are served reach day, there are two snack bars and for those who are up later at night they have sandwiches in one of the two dining rooms. This isn’t a cruise since we are all here to teach and learn, but the ship was built as a cruise ship and is thus a great place to be.

In Spain and Morocco

When in Marrakech, you act like a tourist

We are riding on the Marakech Express!

Approaching the Port of Casablanca

Me, Kathleen, Danielle, Grandma Denise and Grandpa Gerry at the Alhambra

Danielle at the Port of Cadiz

Approaching Cadiz (Cathedral in background)

It’s been 12 days since my last entry! We spent 5 days in Spain (in port at Cadiz), one day in transit to Morocco, and then another 5 days in Morocco (in port at Casablanca). When at port, everyone goes off to do different things in each country. Semester at Sea organizes a lot of trips but many of us simply do trips on our own.  In Spain, we spent two days in Cadiz and then rented a car to drive to Granada, stopping a few hours at one of the so-called white towns, Arcos de La Frontera.  The drive was very easy, since the roads in Spain are excellent and very well marked. Granada is a beautiful small city that is home to the Alhambra, the beautiful remnants of Moorish castles and palaces.  In 1492, the year Columbus sailed east and “discovered” the Americas, the Catholic Kings, Ferdinand and Isabella, re-conquered Granada and helped to create what we know as modern Spain. We then left Cadiz and sailed to Casablanca, a less than 24-hour voyage.  There we saw Casablanca (the largest city), Rabat (the capitol), and then spent three nights in well-known Marrakech, taking, yes, the Marrakech Express … all aboard, the train … (if you remember the song).  After we left Morocco each faculty member spent one hour with a group of students sharing our experiences.  It is of course very interesting to travel but even more interesting to hear how different people experienced the same country.  For the most part, however, we had good, enriching experiences. 

Approaching Spain

Kathleen and Danielle in the Ship's Pool

Ready for dinner with the Captain of the ship

Archbishop Desmond Tutu saying a few words at the Captain's dinner

Since Halifax we’ve been advancing the clocks on the ship one hour almost every night, since the time difference between Nova Scotia and Spain is four hours. It’s been a bit tiring but now we are nearing Spain and we won’t advance the clock for at least 12 days (while in Spain and Morocco). Last night Kathleen and I were invited to dinner with the ship's captain, where the faculty and staff get to have dinner with the ship’s captain and some of his officers. We were lucky that in the group was Archbishop Desmond Tutu! Kathleen and I were able to have about a 20-minute discussion with the archbishop about politics and economics in South Africa, which was of course a wonderful thing. Tomorrow we arrive in Cadiz, where we will stay on the ship for two days to tour the city, and then we will rent a car and head for Granada for two nights.

I haven't mentioned that I am teaching the class that all of the students have to take. So, I have about 600 students! It's great fun, though, since I get to give an overview of global problems and briefly go over the politics, economics and history of the ten countries that we will visit. In addition to the students, the rest of the faculty, staff and the life-long learners (passengers on the ship who are not college students - about 60 of them) also sit in on the class.  Today I covered Spain and Morocco since we'll reach Spain tomorrow, spend five days there, and then go to Morocco for five days as well …