DFR Travels

Today Was Supposed to be Korea...

Friday September 13. Bebbu, Japan.

Apparently there is some National Holiday or something in Korea so the ship decided, quite a few months ago, to avoid the port of Busan, South Korea. So, today we had a day in Bebbu. The main claim to fame of Bebbu is that this mountainous area has some 2700 steaming hot steaming fissures, varying in size and intensity. It was interesting but really a non-event.

It was only two hours but it allowed us to get up in the mountains above the town and see another small Japanese city, proving that not ALL of Japan is like Tokyo and its concrete jungles.

We returned and relaxed the day away attending only one lecture.

Last night we had a delightful evening with a couple from Vancouver that I met in the buffet area the day before while waiting for a Caesar salad to be mixed. Nice to talk to somebody from home.

For the first time in 20 years I have been communicating with Wally and his family while they too are on a ship, they are vacationing in Europe in the Mediterranean.

I have also been in touch with Yann from work who was in France for some time, now home.

I have been in touch with our next door neighbour who left on a River cruise after we left and is at present, finished the River part and are now in Amsterdam, off to Paris for the weekend arriving home Tuesday.

** . ** . **

Fellette and I are a bit perplexed by the apparent lack of entertainment on board since Tokyo, a week ago. Prior to that we had six lecturers on board and the evening entertainment performers were on for a week at a time, two performances, one early one later. Now there is not really a lot happening and then only a single late performance.

In the several 'World Cruises or equivalent long voyages' with friends Jim and Gail we became used to entertainment at night. [Even though I confess I did not usually go as Fellette would go would go with Jim and Gail].

Since Tokyo there has been little or no evening ship entertainment. There is certainly some music being played in some public places but none that disturbs the quiet dignity of the ship. This perplexed me as the people that we talk to, and that is many, this is not an issue. They are quite content without being entertained by the ship it seems. You see groups of people spread throughout the ship in quiet conversation as couples or small quiet groups quite enjoying themselves. I am also sure with the age group, many are in their cabins enjoying the unbelievable array of programmes available of their large screen TVs.

I am not sure if this is an age thing, a cultural thing or heaven forbid a class thing. I am still working on that. Fellette and I are rather content on this situation, but we certainly enjoyed the first three weeks where there was a different entertainment atmosphere.

Mind you we had eight hour changes and many, many sea day so maybe we had to be entertained. After a busy day ashore it is a challenge to stay up and then go ashore the next day. After all it is a vacation not an endurance test!

This is a bit of a enigma to me as the group that got on in Tokyo are about 10 years younger than boarded in Vancouver. There is a saying 'The Longer the cruise the older the passenger' That does not seem to be the case right now.

A rather uneventful day as you can see...

A rather overheated pond of mineral water.

Be happy!

Hot as Hell as they say here.

A fissure in the hills, there are 2700 here.

In these huts they make a mineral that locals and tourists buy and put in their tubs to 'soak in' the minerals' called Yunohana from the sulphuric steam

coming up.

I took this because it looked like Japan! Hordes of tourists prevented a better picture.

Finally, Some Japanese Country-side...

Thursday September 12. Moderate but warm still. 29 C.

We were first off the ship at 7:45 on tour this morning in search of some Japanese country-side. After an hour's ride we found it by the riverside.
We went to see the Iwakuni Castle by the Niskiki river. The castle construction was started in 1604 and has been rebuilt and renovated many times in the last 415 years.

At the foot of the mountain the Castle is erected on, are the homes of some of the homes of Samurai Warrior. That village was known as a 'Castle Town'.
It is a quiet clean little place alongside the river with the Castle towering atop it. Now it looks like a very modest and quiet place to live with some light industry mixed in with residential and commercial as well.
It was quite a change from the hustle bustle that is in the big cities. I suppose however that Vancouver or any city is 'all built up', you have to go some distance out to see country side.

It was a treat to get outside of the concrete jungles we have been in for a week, it seems that every flat piece of land has something built on it.

We had a fair amount of walking, hiking and climbing up stairs to do but we went up the mountain by way of a 30-person two-car cable car system.
It really felt good to get out in the country and walk, smell the trees and feel Mother Nature!!!

We got back about 1:00, had a hot dog on the pool deck and chilled until dinner!

At the river below the fortress and the bridge in the background. The two make it a local tourist attraction in Hiroshima and surrounds. The town is along the river bank and is quite quaint.

The first bridge was built in 1673 and has been rebuilt many times since, this one in 2001. You can barely see the fortress on the mountain above the centre span.

Spectacular site and beautifully maintained building and walkways etc.

Good for for the soul to see this area. We needed it.

A walk in the woods.

No comment!

Up close and personal to the Castle, as the call it.

See how everything flat is built up, except the river as it floods. The Castle Town is in the bottom of the photo. Photo taken from the top floor of the Castle.

This just looks so Japanese!

*** . *** . ***

There was a great Folkloric show, Kagura, put on last night in the Theatre by a local group of entertainers.

The Hero in the first photo had to slay these four dragons to win a fair maiden.

He beheaded them, one by one.

Amazing to see the actors manipulate the elaborate costumes, about 25 feet long, at least.

Hiroshima, 74 Years After The Bomb...

Wednesday September 11. More temperate weather now. 28 C, cloudy.

We had a half sea day and arrived at Hiroshima at 2:00 PM. Our morning was spent at breakfast, chatting, then a serious deck walk where I was surprised by the lack of walkers. Fellette took in a little chat about folding fancy scarfs for multiple purposes, Asians are very innovative on the use of cloth for use in so may ways. I chilled out, which I am quite good at now.

Hiroshima. Again, it is amazing how times change and what was current affairs to us growing up is now history. I remember when I was about 7 or 8 years old, [1942-43] playing 'War'. We would pretend to be shot by Japs or Germans, [that is what they were called then], we would then go through all sorts of dramas in pretending to be hit in the stomach and end up dead on the grass. [My spell-check does not even recognize the word Jap now!]

Now, 77 years later we got on a bus with a Japanese tour guide and toured this place that was blown to bits by the first atomic bomb used in a war. I remember when it went off, everybody was glad that 'The Japs are getting what they deserve!] It is a good thing that this is not censored by the Political Correctness Police, but remember I am merely stating facts.

There is one downside to growing older, I constantly have to weigh what is accepted now versus the way it was earlier in my life. Sometimes it takes a while to soak in.

It was a great tour of The Hiroshima War Memorial Park. All things to do with that day in August 1945. There were about 16 bus loads of us arriving there through the morning. It was quite a somber experience, there were no nasty remarks by anybody and the people were quite quiet throughout the whole three hour tour.
We walked for quite some while through the green trees and gardens which was great in the heat. We walked on the bridge that was the target for that day, [rebuilt of course] and saw the impact point, it was an above-ground explosion. The bombardier was off by only about 300 yards, not bad for 1945.
They left one building as it was after the explosion, that was quite a sobering thing to see. Fellette and I then went in the basement of the Museum and in the section showing paintings by witnesses to the day. Those are quite profound and almost brought tears to my eyes as i saw the horror through the eyes of the survivors and witnesses.

It was a somber day on the tour, but part of life I suppose. What a nasty world it was, and still is.

** . ** . **

Son Wally with Katrina and Nathan took off Tuesday night in Vancouver, flying to Rome for a Mediterranean cruise as a family. They return home some time after we do.

Boarded at Vancouver waiting to take off for a night flight to London.

Katrina, Nathan, [long hair and all] and Wally. Does Nathan looks like Jesus? Maybe a Family Resemblance! [Sorry, I have had a wine!]

*** . *** . ***

Our day in pictures...

It all started with this, 74 years ago.

This was all residential area of small homes in 1945. Now part of

the Peace Park,

The memorial that has about 300,000 names of casualties inside that granite case. Casualties of power gone mad, the innocent suffer, as always.

Erected by school children some years later. I suppose many/most lost relatives.

They left this building, reinforced and with a new dome as a reminder.

Good decision.

Drawings by survivors, hard to look at.

More.

And more.

Back to the real and present world as the sun was going down. Not a fun day but an necessary day methinks.

Shinto Shrine Visit in Osaka...

Tuesday September 10. Hottest yet, 36 C. Too hot to be outside.

We went on a tour this morning to a Shinto Shrine. Shinto is a 'Religion, or is it? There are no gods, no bible, Quran or anything like that. It came from China 2000 years ago really as a Way of Life. [Do no harm and all that stuff!]

Buddhism is the other 'Religion' in Japan. They keep telling us that they are not a religious people. But they do some sort of acknowledgement to both Shinto and Buddhism, just to keep them selves covered I think. "No harm in giving a 'nod' to Buddha and The Shinto Shrine just in case you need that when you die!"

We toured this city on the way in and out from the ship, back by noon. This may sound stupid but we decided to stay on board in the comfort and coolness of the ship. We found some relaxing things to do, like have an afternoon nap that we often do at home.
There are some fantastic educational, and inspirational articles on the very sophisticated interactive TV we have in or cabin. Of course the ship is only a bit more than a year old so it should be good.
On one of the programmes I listened to a speaker was told once "Write like nobody is reading" I thought that that was fantastic advice to somebody who likes to write, like me. Mind you I just write about what happens in our life, rather like a personal diary that I share with those who are interested.
I sometimes do wonder if I am the only person who thinks like I do? I suspect not, but not in all matters, that would be impossible.

We have met a few Trump Supporters by the way. They do not have horns and wear blue jeans, not the ones we met. Most times we are having a regular conversation about a variety of things and then they mention Trump. They really believe that he is doing the right thing for America. [Usually the rising Stock Market enters their conversation,] we just listen. Soon, our silence wears on them and they change the subject. I find it interesting.
One lady said that when they were travelling in Kenya the guide pointed out the 'House that Obama was born in.' Try discussing that with someone who believes it. We don't.

** . ** . **

In 1988 Fellette and I took our first trip to Africa. We fell in love with the place and we got "The African Affliction" which means you feel compelled to go back again. We have not gotten 'The Japanese Affliction".

Perfect day for photos.

Don't you just love that bridge!

The wooden bridge originally built some 1800 years ago has been replaced by this steel beauty. Beautiful shape and colour.

That is wood, beautiful carpentry.

A priest and two who know what? Shinto devotees I suppose.

They had a service here at the time and all the ladies were dressed in

'traditional dress'.

I just love the architecture.

Typical Japanese photo so I had to take it.

The proud father and his son, all dressed up in Traditional Dress.

Fellette took this for you guys, just to prove I am still on the trip.

Searing in Osaka...

Monday September 9. Moored in Osaka. 32 F, scorching!

We were cut free from any ship involvement last night and had all day today Footloose and Fancy Free. We opted to evade the bustling city again and decided to explore closer to home. It was very nice to stroll on an unpopulated street for a change, it was almost civilized.

We decided to keep cool so we went to the Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium which is close to the ship. Cool it was and very pleasant. We have been to aquariums around the world and find them all to be unique in their own way and neutral regarding politics and cultural traits. It's all about the ocean and what is in it.
After we were fully cooled off and had enough of all things aquatic we went outside and were hit with a searing wall of heat. We soon sought sanctuary in a shopping centre which amazingly had a Food Court in it! Not recognizing any of the traditional dishes we opted for a good old Wendy's burger and chips! After a while, you need a break from Ship Food no matter how good it may be.
Soon back in the sanctuary of our air-conditioned home with a striking view of the harbour, but it is too hot to sit on the balcony.

After tea with an Alaskan couple, we went for an after dinner ride and walk. The ride was on the 'Biggest Ferris Wheel in the World', according to the sign, and then for a refreshing walk on uncrowded streets with Japanese families doing the same. Good Day.

The ship, Fellette, the Ferris Wheel.

The aquarium has a central core of about three stories high and spiralling walkway down with various other tanks of various depths on the perimeter.

The main tank wall is that one foot thick acrylic block that Fellette has her hand on. Other tanks have the same material of various thickness. Impossible to smash methinks.