Heading Due South Now.....

Saturday August 31. Foggy, rain, wind. 14 C.

    We left Vancouver about 2 1/2 weeks ago with the objective to get where we will be in two days hence: JAPAN! It has just taken a long time to get here!

    As we get nearer to Japan our interest in that country rises. And, as we slowly gather bits and pieces of information we are beginning to better understand what we may be in store for the next two weeks as we bounce around this collection of islands collectively known as Japan.

   I also now understand why the Sino-Russian [Japanese-Russian] war happened circa 1905. In reality these islands we are sailing about in have been alternatively Russian and Japanese for quite a long time.

    Today is another sea day for us, we have had quite a few of them: so far this trip we have had eight, yet we have only three more for the whole trip, so we are in for a very busy time  for the remainder of our travels, starting tomorrow!

    Tomorrow we go through all the same garbage with the Russian bureaucrats again as we did a couple of days ago in Kamchatka. But tomorrow is further complicated by it being a Tender Port. So, tomorrow we look upon as an adventure and just put on our 'No Complaining' overcoat.

    Today was a bit depressing if you counted the weather. It has been foggy with rain and a decent wind as well. However we have entertained ourselves quite well in spite of being house-bound, some good speakers and good books helped!

    Our general tiredness seems to have disappeared however we are pleasantly surprised how we can sleep so well with clocks going back and relatively little physical activity.

    The pictures today are nothing really, I just need to take pictures and it will also give you a sense of how sea days can be what you make of them: either a chance to chill out or get frustrated. We chose the former.

Korsakov, Sakhalin Island, Russia tomorrow.

There is always the Ship's Shops to spend time and money on Sea Days!

Time today to question an Astronaut, neat to hear the stories. 

We arrive early to the Lectures and bring our books.

Another interesting lecture on the history of navigation.

** ** . **

As you can see, Sea Days can be a bit of a non-event but we quite enjoy them but right now we need some Port Days!

All at Sea Again...

Friday August 30. Started sunny then dense fog then sunny. 13 C.

Our clocks go back another hour tonight meaning we will be six hours behind Vancouver and a day ahead.

** . ** . **

Every day on this 38 day adventure cannot be jam-packed with excitement and exciting new things. It is a bit like being a fireman I think: Long periods of calm with brief periods of intense excitement. Sea days are the long periods of calm, ports are the excitement. The difficulty on sea days is fitting in the interesting things, made more difficult by some sessions that overlap! Oh well, such is life.

A few observations I have made...

- I find it amazing how so many folks seem to have an addiction or attraction to all things sweet. The desserts and pastries are always available throughout the ship, in the most delicious looking creations you can imagine. And, wherever they are you will often find people hovering around the counter like six year olds around a candy counter.

- I would say that more than half of the passengers have some sort of balance or walking issue, knees, hips, feet, or like me, just being cautious about where you put your feet down and how fast you move them, especially on a moving ship.

- Weight. Once again, many have some overweight problems often accompanied by some form of walking impairment. This seems to cross across most nationalities except Asian. 

- Gracious passengers. I am pleasantly surprised how pleasant and civilized the passengers are. Manner are actually the rule here, not the exception. There are very few 'loud talkers' here it seems. 

- The abundance of couples that seem very comfortable with each other without the need for large group activity is comforting to see. I get the sense that they very much appreciate the fact that they have made it to the point that they appreciate the fact that they just enjoy "Getting old together." It fits in with our thinking right on. We can also have a very pleasant lunch or dinner time chat with couples, married or just travelling together, without any future expectations. A very comfortable way to travel.

Our day was spent trying to take in the talks and lectures while still trying to not get caught up in too much busyness! One highlight was taking a brush up dance lesson on Swing! Too bad the nightly dancing takes place long after we are in bed!

A smattering of photos taken throughout the day, at random...

Sunrise this morning from our balcony.

Hard to see but there are three volcanoes on the shore in Russia. This is part of the Ring of Fire that virtually surrounds the Pacific Ocean

The 'Star Theatre' where most lectures and talks take place. Very comfortable. After every session they come and fluff the pillows and place them very precisely where they are meant to be. The Photo Pillows are of Norwegian celebrities with their signature embroidered on the back.

Fellette in our favourite seats awaiting a lecture this morning on 

'Making oxygen on Mars.'

I see that today on the covered pool deck at lunch they featured an Italian Club Sandwich. One of several places you can go the stave off starvation!

We took in this highly interesting lecture on Japanese Woodblock Prints today. There is a keen thirst for knowledge on the ship.

What a Wonderful Day We Had in Russia...

Thursday August 29. Kamchatka, Russia. 21 C. Sunny and warm, a fantastic day!

No time change today. But two more before we hit Hong Kong and then we will be the same as Melbourne Australia.

    It was a lumpy start to the day, precipitated by Russian petty bureaucracy issues. I was not wrong in my predictions of the Russian authorities making things complicated and difficult for the ship and passengers. However once we were ashore and in the hands of the locals it was completely different. I was delightfully surprised about this place

    The six buses we had at our disposal today were the best so far this trip. Our guide was a youngish woman, born here but has travelled quite a bit abroad and university educated.

    The city itself is remarkably neat, clean, quiet and orderly. The drivers were very courteous and patient as we stumbled along the not-too-busy streets and wide boulevards.

     You can sense the age of the original city as many of the original buildings, made of wood, are reminiscent of villages we visited in the Russian countryside on previous trips.

     Access to the city is only by sea or air. You would never know that, it appears to be like some European cities of modest size with all the facilities you would expect. Fishing is the main industry, tourism is far down the list I would assume. We were the sixth cruise ship in this year and the season is coming to an end.

     There is an interesting history here, on the extreme eastern part of Russia, Apparently this place played a small role in the Crimean War, 1853-1856, between Russia and Britain-Turkey-France. The British were up here to keep Russian units involved instead of them being able to help in the Black Sea. We visited a Memorial to some who are buried here, both Russian and British.

    We again went through Russian security and passport control before re-boarding shortly after noon. 

     With only six buses available for the ship today, the excursions today were slowed down considerably, so the last lot of passengers getting off around 4:00 PM may not have had such a wonderful day as we did. However the ship does not sail until 11:00 PM, so a rushed tour is not likely in the books for anybody, just a lot of time cooped up due to petty bureaucracy.

The rest of our day was spent at leisure.

Some early Russian officials await as we tied up at a commercial wharf.

We suspect that those bags hold ballast rocks for ships sailing from here empty.

A view through the many flower beds about this city.

The reflection of the far side of the lake, note the distant volcano on the right.

It is truly a beautiful setting with 115 volcanoes in the area, 15 still active.

Truly the Pacific Rim of Fire up here.

Best bus so far, and our guide, Christina.

The memorial to Russian and British sailors who died during the Crimean War.

Three stuffed bears and a wolf at a lookout. Photos after paying $1.50. 

The entrance to the harbour.

Russian Orthodox church built in 2010.

[Find Fellette.]

No sitting in a Russian Church, only for the aged.

We bought a trinket carved by this Aleut's husband.

[The Aleutians are named after the Aleuts.]

Tomorrow, Russia!...

Wednesday August 28. Mild seas. 13 C. Some fog then clearing.

Clocks go back another hour tonight. Now a total of five hours behind Vancouver, but a day ahead.

***

My computer is acting up and even typing is behaving differently. This has happened to me before in China, it is almost as if something has changed. The only thing that has changed is 'Where we are in the world!' We are now in Russian Territorial waters, you tell me! But why do Chinese characters pop up in my computer when doing the blog?

***

Easy living these sea days for sure. Awake at 5:30, coffee and plan the day best we can. Breakfast fit for a leisure day so no need to eat hearty for a day ashore.        After that  several turns around the promenade deck where there were more folks than previously as the weather warms up slightly.

  First talk of the day was on Space Tourism, given by our on-board astronaut/lecturer. Excellent.

     Later we attended a talk about Russia from the last Tsar to Putin. I find these talks of great interest and given by people very familiar with their subjects.

     Yesterday there was an excellent talk about the Decline of Europe and the Rise of China in the world. It is a bit reminiscent of Japan prior to WWII as Japan  started it's march through Manchuria, Malaysia, Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong. We all know how that ended up!

     Tomorrow morning Russian officials will board the ship where all passengers will present themselves for inspection. During our stay here we can only go ashore if on an organized tour group unless you have a Russian Visa for this specific trip. Those are costly and very complicated to get.

    My thinking is that the two stops in Russia are just to give the passengers a break from the endless sea days between Dutch Harbour and Japan. [There would otherwise be seven sea days, and that is a lot to handle!]

   My expectations are low about Russia, I certainly hope that I am completely wrong in this!

All bundled up for a breath of air.

A mural of drying fish above a wash station upon entering the upstairs buffet.

A spectacular piece of carpentry and woodworking at a bar.

Four folks very comfortably settled in with Kindles, iPads, books and phones 

for an afternoon nap! A perfect sea day activity!!

An evening show of Abba favourites was fantastic. Only four singers and dancers but great talent. A nice way to end the day.

   

2nd of 3 Sea Daze...

Tuesday August 27. Light sea, 12 C.

We turn our clocks backward again tonight so we will be four hours behind Vancouver in time, but a day ahead. [And again tomorrow!!!]

    We went to bed Sunday evening and woke up Tuesday Morning. Puff, no Monday, August 26 here. There is at least one person on board whose birthday disappeared this year. The International Dateline is an amazing thing that is sometimes difficult to understand, let alone explain it. 

    Our good friends Rod and Lyn came to visit us once after doing this journey, only going in the other direction. I could not handle so many nights where the clock is turned forward so frequently, going back as we are makes for extra time to sleep in!

    We now have only one more sea day before we arrive in Russia. On the schedule they really had Monday shown as a sea day but this morning it has also magically disappeared as a result of the dateline!

    We regain the lost day flying home, that is why we arrive at home before we leave by the gaining of those missing 24 hours. Confusing.

I spent some of my free time trying to capture Bayeux Tapestry as a result of a comment from a friend at work, Dawn.

[Funny things are beginning to happen to the Internet now, I may be out of contact for a day or so, hope not but who knows. I now have Japanese characters appearing on my computer!]

On deck for a brisk walk early today. Not many with us out there, five others to be exact.

Lunch on the covered pool deck was Caesar salad. Note the bowl carved of Parmesan cheese.

Well, here it is Dawn: in full length, all 230 feet of it!

    It is 230 feet by 20 inches and is embroidered. It tells the story of events leading up to the invasion of Britain in 1066 by A Norman Duke, eventually history named him, William The Conquerer. There is much to tell about the embroidery but I am not the expert.

    I did spend a bit of time at our end of the ship capturing what I could under poor conditions to give you a sense of it all. At all the stairwell landings.

It is hard to fully grasp what it all means. It really is a poorly made piece and was never meant to last 1000 years. It was embroidered in many segments and then poorly stitched together, we were told.

Preparations to invade.

 Battle scene.

Obviously the battle.

King Harold of Britain, killed that day by an arrow in the eye, reportedly.

Relaxing waiting for a talk to start after lunch.

At dinner tonight in a very nice Italian restaurant.

[I seem to have forgotten how to smile!]

1st of Four Sea Daze...

Sunday August 25. In the Bering sea, light swells, sunny skies. 11 C.

Clocks go back another hour tonight, Now three hours behind Vancouver.

** . ** . **

    You either hate them or love them, Sea Days that is, when there are no ports forcing you into either relaxing, taking in talks to increase your knowledge or being frustrated by being 'confined' to the ship. We both love sea days.

    This morning we were one of the first in the buffet at 7:30 AM after coffee in the cabin around 6:00. We took in two talks, one on the possibility of intelligent beings in outer space, the other on the Bayeux Tapestry and what it means. [The Tapestry is displayed on the stair wells throughout the ship. 

After lunch they had a bit of a show of us crossing the International Dateline 12 hours hence, at 1:30 in the morning. That means that we will be at the 180th Meridian, half way to Greenwich in London in either direction. 

    Fellette went to a mini-concert while I went to the cabin and did my computer work so it is not rushed later  this evening. I have gotten into the habit of taking in the evening performances by a wide range of entertainers.

    This four sea days possibly sounds terribly boring but we don't think so. A person can only take in so much into their head and on a reasonably long trip you can actually forget earlier parts of the trip completely. 

    It actually becomes mentally draining if there is little or no downtime. Granted, four days at sea is pushing it but at our time of life we love it. 

    Speaking for myself, at home, I usually set some goal to accomplish each day. Sometimes a big task and sometimes a relatively minor accomplishment. Here, that is impossible so I have had to rethink: What is an accomplishment? I have come to the conclusion that if I can learn something every day, that is a worthy accomplishment, that way I can go to bed and feel that I have done something positive today..

    I estimate that I may spend about 1 1/2 hours a day minimum between the Blog writing, daily journal writing, taking pictures and working on photos in preparation for a photo book for Fellette and I of every trip we make. 

    Between that and taking in talks, and some good old fashioned quiet contemplation, it makes up for lack of shore excursions and builds up your enthusiasm for when they do happen, otherwise they can become draining day after day after day.

    I must confess while away that I do miss the regular contact with family, work and a few other people that I touch bases with regularly. I also miss 'at ease' conversations with family and friends rather than making conversations with strangers and strangers we have met since boarding.

    As we were strolling through the ship and exploring some cozy places to curl up in relative solitude I sad to Fellette, somewhat in jest: "This is really like a Floating Rest Home that sails the world and comes into Adventureland every so often!" 

    Certainly a bit too laid back for anybody under 60 but I must confess as a 61 year old:  This is pretty darn nice!

    It's too bad we did not drink more, the bar in our cabin is stocked with whatever we want and wine flows like water at lunch and dinner.

Our day in pictures...

Breakfast anyone?

Early AM swim for one.

Skol!

Dream away...

Crossing the Dateline.

In the Bering Sea?

Definitely not a Tourist Town......

Saturday August 24. 12 C. Cloudy, clearing later.

We will put our clocks back another hour tonight, making us two hour behind and again tomorrow. On Monday we cross the international dateline and be a day ahead of Vancouver time. It becomes a bit confusing.

Dutch Harbour. The ship had no organized shore excursions here today. This is a stop designed to break up seven days at sea to only four from here to Russia. 

   The ship supplied a shuttle bus service in local School Buses today as there are no Tourist Buses in Dutch Harbour.

    We needed some domestic supplies so we took the bus to the Safeway as the first stop, next was the WWII Museum. We then took a taxi driven by a native grandmother for a trip around the old part of town a few miles away, then back to the ship. In between we got a substantial amount of walking in.

    This place also runs on fish and everything related to it it. An interesting place and the weather was not an issue at all.

   We where back on the ship around 12:30 and had a great Pub Lunch on the covered pool deck and a walk about the ship for some photos then a quiet time before starting our afternoon of speakers before dinner and then the evening entertainment. It was all good today but a bit of a blur in the afternoon.

We now hunker down for four days at sea, the International date line and some interesting talks and hopefully some more informal discussions headed by interesting and knowledgeable guest speakers.

Six months after Pearl Harbour the Japanese bombed and then invaded Dutch Harbour in June 1942. About 10,000 Japanese were involved. 10 Months later the Americans landed and a battle took place in and around here where 549 Americans were killed & 1148 wounded. The Japanese lost 2341. The northernmost Japanese island is only a matter of some 700 odd miles from here apparently. The Japanese Navy managed to evacuate the remnants of the occupying force, over 5000 were taken aboard ships in less than 30 minutes one night in spite of a US naval blockade. This is a little known part of WWII, so close to home.

Waiting for the school bus to take us to town. We ended up walking and then taking a cab!

Remnants of a Pill Box right on the bank of the bay. US or Japanese?

The original Russian Orthodox church in old town.

Also an oldtimer.

Older style homes spread around everywhere. It has a feel like Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories and also the Falkland Islands: desolate and glad you don't live here!

It looks and feels barren and windswept.

Back on board for lunch!

Pot Pie, Sausage Roll, Chips and a beer for lunch!

Serene looking for sure.

A stroll after lunch and then turn in our passports and Russian Immigration forms for our next stop, [after four sea days], Kamchatka, Russia.