Nagasaki: What a neat little city this is. It was A-Bombed a few days after Hiroshima but did not have as many casualties. One reason was of the hilly terrain here whereas Hiroshima was flat land.
The city is about the most diversified we have seen, some of the building look Dutch and there appears to be no shortage of Churches here and there. There were bagpipes playing up the hill a bit as Japan seems to have caught Rugby Fever and it appears some Scottish Rugby team is going to be here soon.
The city is about the most diversified we have seen, some of the building look Dutch and there appears to be no shortage of Churches here and there. There were bagpipes playing up the hill a bit as Japan seems to have caught Rugby Fever and it appears some Scottish Rugby team is going to be here soon.
In Hiroshima and Nagasaki the guides acknowledge the war and actually the cities benefit with tourism by that fact. We are quite happy with the tour today and actually all of the seven cities we have visited, the exceptions are Tokyo and Osaka. They are just too big to take in unless you are a lover of 'All Things City'.
The nation of Japan appears to be very orderly, well run, polite-as-a-nation, over taxed with excellent infrastructure, transportation and communications systems.
I can fully understand people falling in love with the place. However I am sure that Fellette and I will not be here again as a destination, we may some day drop in for a port or two on some far distant travel adventure, hopefully.
We were on a morning tour then walked ashore after lunch and strolled the streets which were really too hot for us. We came back and passed through 'Japanese Exit Immigration:' They want to make sure we really do leave the country!
During our afternoon stroll we saw some lovely Tortoise Shell Jewelry, that cannot be taken out of the country unless you are going back to some backward country that allows that stuff. As nice and advanced as Japan is, it seems that they continue to thumb their noses at international agreements on things like Whaling and some Endangered Species.
When we sail late this afternoon, that will be the end of Japan on the cruise. We will be in Taiwan after a sea day, then another sea day and then Hong Kong! Gad, we are almost home it seems!
We were on a morning tour then walked ashore after lunch and strolled the streets which were really too hot for us. We came back and passed through 'Japanese Exit Immigration:' They want to make sure we really do leave the country!
During our afternoon stroll we saw some lovely Tortoise Shell Jewelry, that cannot be taken out of the country unless you are going back to some backward country that allows that stuff. As nice and advanced as Japan is, it seems that they continue to thumb their noses at international agreements on things like Whaling and some Endangered Species.
When we sail late this afternoon, that will be the end of Japan on the cruise. We will be in Taiwan after a sea day, then another sea day and then Hong Kong! Gad, we are almost home it seems!
This is a statue of a cross between Jesus and Buddha, apparently, erected as the centre piece of the peace Park which is a park devoted to statues and art from around the world supporting World Peace. Kind of a Motherhood issue here after the bombing.
And here is Mother and Child.
Water feature of course.
Great transportation here, easy and relatively cheap.
The Chinese Community makes its mark here.
Fellette bought some scarfs after the tour today, at least they pack and travel well.
Amsterdam?
Tortoise Shell jewelry anybody?
This lady made a brooch of Fellette's name out of a
brass wire as we waited. $7.00. [Difficult to photograph.]
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A Ramble...
We had a great day here in Nagasaki which was topped off by a great Sail-Away which we watched for some time from our balcony. It is hard to describe the feeling of departing a foreign port with musical accompaniment unless you have experienced it yourself.
It is difficult to accept the fact that this city was basically bombed into submission in 1945, some 74 years ago by the USA. Yet, the band that played for us, [some 60 very well qualified young musicians] were sincere in playing and waving at us with great gusto as we pulled away and left their country.
It was a bit humbling for me, who has been a spectator of the terrible war between Japan and the rest of the free world. Amazing world.
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