Our flight on ANA Airlines left on time and we had an uneventful flight. They served ice cream for desert!
We had 4 ish hours in Vancouver so we took the metro downtown and walked around a bit. It wasn’t hard to realize we were back when saw homeless people and one guy obviously on meth (sad).
Back at YVR our flight was delayed 40 minutes.
Arrival at YEG was BBRRRRR!! Cold!
Lisa picked us up. Thank you!
We took our time this morning, leaving the hotel just at check out time (11AM).
We left our bags at the hotel and then took the metro to Asakusa station ( which is the same one we went to accidentally the first day). This area of the city was where I first looked for hotels before we changed to the Akasaka area.
The purpose to go there was two fold. First we went to see the oldest temple in Tokyo ( admittedly rebuilt after the Americans destroyed the city in several different raids).
The place was just hopping! There were many young people ( especially girls ) dressed in traditional clothing; there to take photos at the magnificent buildings and grounds.
After that I wanted to walk a couple of blocks to the river and explained to Caro what happened on those bridges during the fire storms of 1945.
There is a large, busy shopping area in the streets surrounding the temple grounds and we walked them all as we had much time to kill.
Caro decided to try a shrimp treat ( the shrimp is flattened out as you wait). It was tasty.
From there we went to a sushi place with a style that Caro had always wanted to try. The place has various sushi’s going around on a moving tray or you can order from the menu. Either way all the various items you want to eat are on different coloured plates so when you are ready to pay, the attendant merely looks at your dirty dishes and determines your cost. Neat! And I actually enjoyed the raw tuna and sticky rice!
We took the metro back to our area and before getting our suitcases we went to the ramen place we went to on day 1. We each picked a plate of food and when finished we “waddled” over to the hotel to get our things.
Back to the metro we went and this time we had to make two metro/train station changes. The first was at Shimbashi station. We needed help several times to find our way to our connection line however we made our way successfully to the monorail that goes directly to Haneda airport.
Check-in had a minor hiccup but ANA Airlines was great getting things straightened out.
We had just enough money left on our Saica metro/train cards to buy a water / fruit pop. The money left on the app was not refundable so it was nice to use it all up.
We purposely chose to come to the airport early as we didn’t want to be hauling suitcases into extremely crowded metro cars. As it was, the cars were very busy but not so crazy that you had to be pushed on by station attendants.
So now we sit with three hours to go at this point before getting on the plane.
After a long FaceTime with Ruben and Tete ( getting ducks in a row for Caro to head down to Cancun) and a couple of shorter ones with Lisa and Vanessa ( to show them the room and the toilet-LOL) we headed out on the metro with the goal of seeing the Imperial Palace and grounds.
“Our”metro line took us right there so “that” was easy.
We inquired about the palace tours and were told to go to a specific spot about 12:10 to ensure we got one of the 300 spots. As we had 30 minutes to spare we walked around the East Garden area but really at this time of the year it is nothing special.
At 12:10 we went to the indicated spot and waited til 12:30 at which point we were given a ticket which guaranteed our partition in the guided tour beginning at 1:30 so we walked around some more!
By 1:30 we were in a hall with everyone and announcements were made in 6 languages indicating there would be 6 different language groups, each with their own specific language guide.
The tour was good but there are only a few remnants of the old buildings due to a massive fire in the 1600’s ( with some buildings not being rebuilt ) and the Americans bombing Tokyo heavily in WW2.
From there it was a two block walk to the Tokyo Station where we again fought the crowds, got lost in the maze of shops and concourses leading to the multitude of train lines, before we relocated the toy store area we were in yesterday. We purchased some souvenirs for the little ones and decided to get something to eat.
Caro had wanted to try some sushi so we found a stand up sushi place and we each sampled a three piece shrimp sushi. No forks were given to us so managed to use the chop sticks provided.
We stepped out into the crowds again, turned right and were immediately in front of a dumpling restaurant ( I think). Anyway we went inside for a sit down snack of crab and shrimp wrapped in some sort of dumpling ( with a Japanese beer shared between us). I found both places had tasty food.
We finally made it back out to street level and worked our way back to the metro station ( which we could have completed underground from the train station but it was too complicated). Four stops later we were at our stop and back in the hotel by about 5 PM
For our last evening in Tokyo ( that is not in an airport) we went to a nearby restaurant and shared a plate of Japanese style spaghetti and a couple of beers. We then walked the small streets of this vibrant area of the city. There are many restaurants, bars and shops. We found a great store to buy the last of our souvenirs. This place had no English translation on its checkout machine so a local helped us ( the people here have been extremely friendly to us whenever we have needed help).
This room is so small.
When we enter the room, on the immediate left is small area to hang a half dozen shirt
Next, on the right is a toilet room with a multitude of choices for your “comfort’. When you step inside the room the toilet lid automatically lifts up, and if you sit down the seat heats up. You don’t need to use toilet paper to clean yourself but it is available. The toilet automatically flushes when you get up and put the lid down.
The bath room really is for baths. If you want a shower you just shower in the middle of the room and the water drains through the drain beside the tub.
The room holds a queen size bed (which is very nice) but is very “economical “ in providing room for anything else. In the photo showing the bed you can see Caro’s elbow as she is sitting on a tiny corner piece couch. The fridge is in the bottom left of the photo and the hand wash basin is located across from the bed to the right of a TV ( which we haven’t turned on yet).
We slept sort of OK ( me more so than Caro as she is constantly thinking of getting down to Mexico to get things done).
After our hotel breakfast (which we had pre-paid for and I regret as it is a set menu that does nothing for me) we waited for our guide to show up.
Chiyoko showed up at 10 AM and we were off to tour Tokyo in pouring rain , and cold temperatures Yuck. 11 degrees but felt like 7. As part of the arrangements for this free guide service we paid for Chiyoko’s metro ($11) and later her lunch with us
Rather than buying tickets at the ticket machine at the metro we downloaded the metro/train card app and preloaded yen for our transportation requirements. It made things super easy.
Our first stop was a famous fish market followed by a famous shrine called Tsukiji Hongwanji ( which right beside the market).
We then walked to a very famous theatre where Kabuki is performed ( world famous style of theatre where men perform all roles including those of the women)
A short walk through the non-stop rain and wind ( really not nice at all) we went underground at Tokyo Station. OMG I can’t believe how massive this place is. I thought Shibuya yesterday was amazing but this station is out of this world! There are 9 conventional train company lines,5 bullet train lines at the station, and you walk through underground walkways to access five different metro lines! Of course there are so many stores that we have to go back tomorrow so Caro can find souvenirs.! Truly unbelievable!!
We caught one of the trains (using our just purchased pre-paid Saica cards, which are useable on the trains ,metros and some stores) and a while later we were in another part of the city. As we came out of the train station we were at the famous Shinjuku road crossing. At this place when the traffic lights turn red ( for all roads) the people cross the street in multiple directions. In the summer there are 3,000 people every time. Today in the rain and crappy weather there was probably a couple hundred umbrellas working their way to and fro.
At this point we suggested that the remainder of the day should be out of the rain. We caught the metro over to the Metropolitan Government skyscraper. We went up to the 45th floor to an observation area where we could see all the city. It was still rainy but we could see quite a bit.
Our day concluded with a nice lunch at a typical Japanese restaurant called Royal Host (OK.,not typical. It served all kinds of food although we chose Japanese).
As it was 4 PM by now we said our good bye’s “ and “thank you’s” to Chiyoko and made our way back using the metro. We had to top up our Saica cards (using Apple Pay) as we had spent the original 1000 yen ( about $9.60 cents)getting around today. What a great system they have here for paying for the transportation ( wished I had it yesterday when we first got here).
The evening has been quiet with Caro having a bath and me catching up on YouTube.
We sailed into Yokohama this morning to finish our cruise.
As usual we kept our suitcases with us and therefore could leave when we wanted. We were off ship by about 9 AM and found our way to the train station nearby. I had printed out the travel instructions to our hotel using Tokyo trains and metro.
We hopped on the train near the harbour and quickly realized this particular train was an express train to our connection point with the metro system ( therefore we didn’t have to make a planned changeover at a midpoint).
We got to the MASSIVE interchange station called Shibuya and following my Chat GPT printout we caught the proper metro line for our hotel OMO3 Asakusa. About 30 minutes later I realized something was wrong as Google Maps was showing us to be in another part
When I printed out the Chat GPT information back home I had inadvertently used the incorrect hotel name. We got back on the metro and this time worked our way to the hotel OMO3 Akasaka. Oh well, we had lots of time to kill until our check-in anyway. Still, I felt pretty foolish!
We left our bags at the hotel and wandered around. This area is very modern and really cool!
We stopped at a nearby ramen restaurant and had a spectacular meal ( at very affordable prices). We’ll definitely be back there again.
After check-in we went to our room and crashed for a bit. I had to use Google Translate in order to understand ( and set) the air conditioning. Also the toilet had many options so I used the translate for that.
As evening came we walked outside in the area seeing the neon lights coming on up and down the streets and tiny alleyways. We picked up some wine and a small bottle of Bacardi ( with some coke of course) and enjoyed some more relaxation time. We are still stuffed from our ramen meal so tonight is just snacks.
We cruised into this city and docked at 1 PM
On the way in we got some glimpses of Mt Fuji. Wow this mountain is much bigger than I thought!!
Before that, in the morning we went to a culinary show in the main theatre put on by the chef bosses. It was quite funny as they showed us how to make a couple types of Italian food. They got lots of laughs. We then had a quick visit to one of the kitchens to get an idea of how much work it is to keep us (and crew) in various foods and deserts.
We walked off the ship about 2 PM and spent a few hours walking around the streets finding a couple beautiful temples and shrines.
Once we returned to the ship area we caught the free shuttle up to a mall which was near a fish market. The market was neat because it was so clean it didn’t smell at all. The bus ride back was a cool experience for us. Caro and I were the last on the bus. All the seats had been filled and then, starting at the back, in the aisle area between the seats there were hidden seats that unfolded allowing even more people on!
Caro and I each sat on these seats
Mt Fuji was stunning in the afternoon with no clouds at all. Wow!
We had another hot tub and once again had a great visit with an American couple we have spoken to quite a few times.
In the evening we went to the main theatre for a folkloric traditional Japanese dancing show. Three ladies wearing beautiful kimonos performed dances with recorded music that have been danced for over 400 years. While well done it is definitely not our cup of tea
We had our final supper in the buffet restaurant and then watched us leave port.
Our day didn’t end when we arrived back in port.
After a buffet supper we went outside to watch us leave port. There was a four member musical group serenading us from the dock side. They were really good. Meanwhile the Ferris wheel right beside the dock was lit up and changing its lights making a colourful display. Meanwhile people on the dockside were getting more numerous , listening to the group (and to watch us leave). After being up on deck 14 and 15 we went down to the promenade deck (7) to continuing watching the musical group. Every time the group said they were finished the hundreds of us on board kept yelling out for “more”,so they kept on going. Lots of fun!
As we pulled away from the dock, people on shore were waving the cell phones and so were we. What a great time.
Today we sailed into Osaka.
Our tour was to the ancient capital of Kyoto.
Immigration and customs were slooooow. Immigration was extremely tight and everybody was thoroughly checked and finger prints and photos taken ( digitally).
Kyoto, on a map, looks quite a ways from Osaka but in reality it is all one city. Because we were running late right from the “get go” we went for an early lunch at 11 AM ( right beside our first stop). The lunch was really neat. We had all the food set individually out on our table and honestly I ate a bit of everything and had no idea what it was. It was tasty however.
The first stop was the bamboo forest. It was interesting but with thousands of people ( being a beautiful Sunday and is a National holiday) it was merely OK.
The shrine garden inside this UNESCO site was spectacular however! We paid the $C4.40 entrance fee each to walk around the grounds of Tenryu-ji Temple. Beautiful!
Next was a stop at Ryoanji Temple. Famous for its rock garden, we enjoyed the grounds and area much more than the first temple we visited. The sun was shining brightly so that added to the beautiful scenery.
The third and final stop was was the Golden Pavilion. Covered with gold leaf the pavilion was magnificent. We thoroughly enjoyed the visit to this site. So many photo ops.
We were both very thirsty by the end so we used our credit cards to purchase things from the vending machines. I bought water while Caro experimented and got a hot drink ( my water was cold and both items came from the same machine-neat!)
We had a few more hours of internet before our 24 hours ran out so Caro was able to have long conversations with both Fernando and Tete.
We also saw a few minutes of Vanessa and Nora.
I was able to download many podcasts and will probably end up deleting half of them due to insufficient time.
This morning we can see the southern most main Island of Japan on our left side. At the same we have a ship off our right side that looks to be doing the same speed as us.
Caro had her Zumba class and then we met to watch a presentation on our last port of call Shimizu ( which is after Osaka).
We went to play a few games of rummy out on deck 7. When we got there a great couple we met previously in the hot tub the other day were excited to tell us they had just won a cruise from a free draw held in a jewelry store on board. Lucky!
We then watched a presentation on Japan ( and learned a few words in Japanese).
At our (now) regular hot tub we met a few more interesting people (US and England).
Before our supper we stopped in at the “Good Spirits” bar in the Centre Plaza area of the ship and enjoyed a drink.
The show tonight was another good one with the resident on board Crooner bar singer/musician ( from Vancouver) being given his own show. He was wonderful and got a good round of applause.
Last night we went to the main theatre and watched a guy do a very energetic show featuring Elvis Presley music ( although he took great pains to say he was not an impersonator). He had flown in from Florida , arriving that morning, so he must have been wiped right out (which he definitely was after his show!)
Today we had a quiet day. We bought internet for the day and called everyone but were unable to speak to Mike.
We watched the hour long presentation on Osaka ( our next stop).
I caught up on my YouTube videos and other internet things I read. Caro finished her book. We also played a few games of tile rummy.
We have not been back to the main dining room since early in the cruise and continue to enjoy the buffet or the hamburger/fries from the Trident Grill
Tonight on the main theatre we watched a show featuring the music of Tina Turner. The singer (Prinnie Stevens ) is from Australia and was in the first season of The Voice Australia and she was amazing
We docked at 7 AM and were on our cruise tour to Taipei by 8 AM.
Our first stop once we got to the capital was a National Revolution Martyr’s Shrine location where we watched the hourly “changing of the guard”. It was well done.
Our next stop was the National Palace Museum. When the National party lost the Chinese civil war to the Communists they fled to Taiwan and in the process took many of the best museum pieces with them so these are now in the national palace. Our guide showed us the highlight pieces that are on display and quite honestly they are stunning!
Our lunch was a buffet style on the banquet room of the 5 star Grand Hotel.
We went to two nearby temples. The first was a Confucian temple, followed by a temple dedicated to a god (temple called DalongDong Baoan). It was in use and very busy with locals praying and giving gifts ( we are in day three of Chinese Lunar New Year celebration).
Our final stop was the Chiang Kai-Shek memorial building- a massive structure with various halls full of photos and various important information concerning his life. There was some interesting things to see there but overall it was merely “OK”
Outside the hall, however, were cherry trees in blossom so Caro was happy to finally see some.
Back on board at 4 PM
On our way to Keelung Taiwan
We had a great sleep and woke up refreshed.
After breakfast ( and Caro’s Zumba class) we got together for the “Destination “ talk on Keelung, which is the port for Taipei, which was then followed by another talk on Taiwan
After a few games of tile rummy we had a nice lunch in the buffet.
Today is a very cool day weather wise. We are travelling NE at 16 knots (29.5 km/hr) into a NE wind at 47km/hr which when combined makes for long pants and jackets and angry seas tossing us a bit.
Swirls,the ice cream shop,is doing very poor business today, however the library with its cozy warm atmosphere is so popular that they have closed the doors to any new people until a person inside leaves and a spot opens up.
I finished a book and Caro did some reading as well.
In the main theatre the singers and dancers gave an outstanding performance (got a standing ovation),
We watched a Mission Impossible movie on TV and then went to bed.
After returning to the ship we had a hot tub, then ate a late supper. By 8PM we were up outside on deck 14 (actually that is our deck as well) and looked at the building lights in Hong Kong and Kowloon. The dreary weather had cleared up and the buildings were beautiful
The main theatre show was a local Chinese musical trio playing typical Chinese instruments and singing songs in Cantonese and Mandarin. After they were finished their set a Chinese dancer/magician came out and did a very good entertaining performance. He would change his face mask somehow all throughout his performance as he danced around in a spectacular Chinese style costume.
We are outside again to watch us leave port.
We woke up to drizzle and fog.
Our first impressions were holy sh$t!! Big city!
At the cruise terminal we paid for all day passes on a hop on hop off tour company.
As we wound our way on the hop on hop off through Kowloon we were thinking this place is a concrete jungle and not “our thing” as we are not shoppers ( I imagine this place is amazing for those making purchases).
We did one route on the bus going through Kowloon and then under the harbour to Hong Kong itself.
Our next bus took us across the island to the town of Stanley. We enjoyed that ride as we went up into the misty mountain and back down to the ocean ( but always with housing and high rises).
As we were the only people on the bus on the way back we took the opportunity to video call Lisa.
We came back on another route that took us to different parts of the island, passing numerous apartments and a really interesting graveyard that was built on terraces ( like we see in photos of rice paddies in the mountainous areas)
We got off at “central” and looked around for somewhere to eat and quickly realized it was pointless ( concrete jungle and nowhere obvious to eat)
A few minutes later we were on the famous Star ferry going across the harbour back to Kowloon. Now “that” was cool ( just to say we had done it)
We stopped for a bite to eat ( a sit down meal) and then carried on walking the street filled with high end stores. We found a couple locations with good views from Kowloon back over to Hong Kong Island.
Because today is the first of two days of the new lunar year our return bus was cancelled ( which we knew about) and many streets downtown were being closed off to get ready for tonight’s parade.
To get back we took the metro to the closest station to the ship (about 1.2 kms walk along the waterfront) and I as wrote this we are looking across to our ship and enjoying the peacefulness. 
On our way to Hong Kong
After a great night of sleep we got up in time for Caro to go to a Zumba class while I had a waffle and tea before heading to the Explorer lounge for a talk on Hong Kong. We are not taking a ship sponsored tour but instead are walking around the city on our own.
We had a very quiet day with all meals at the buffet.
Caro spent most of her time by the pool just enjoying the sunshine. I listened to podcasts and later we went to the hot tub ( which wasn’t hot so we didn’t stay long)
The hot weather is over now. We are wearing long pants ( although many people onboard are still in shorts).
Caro watched a movie on TV ( the latest Wicked movie) while I again listened podcasts.
We went to the late show. The entertainer was really good !
Da Nang and Hoi An
We had another tour today leaving from Chan May. When we got on the bus we noticed our tour guide was very articulate, speaking very clear and precise English. He told us the history of Vietnam as we drove from the port into Da Nang ( about one hour).
He explained that when he was a little boy he learned English from the American soldiers and later on he went to university for a BA. He was recognized for having great talent and some years later he had earned a Masters degree (from Australia) and later on again he had a PHD in Applied Linguistics. He was a professor until he retired.
Da Nang was very pretty and we took lots of photos of the flowers and the dragon bridge.
Our next stop was the ancient city of Hoi An.
We first stopped at an operating silk factory where they actually have silk worms producing the silk cocoons which then use to produce hand made embroidery. I was really tempted to buy a large one for $US335 but I couldn’t pull the trigger. Too bad. Caro bought some smaller souvenir type items.
Next we were in the really old part of Hoi An. We went to the Japanese bridge followed by an ancient house (with a tour by the owners). Of course there were nice silks to buy!!
When we were on our own for 45 minutes we stopped at a riverside restaurant for a coffee/beer ( and a very necessary bathroom break!). Both hit the spot! While enjoying the drinks and the view a very good sales lady came by and sold Caro a fridge magnet that Caro knows how hard it is to make that particular type decoration on it!
After meeting up with the group we walked quite a ways to the bus. I took the identification number placard from the guide because he was so short the people at the back (the slow walkers) would not see the placard at all! At least with me holding it up it was much easier for them.
Lunch as at a super nice restaurant along a river. Great traditional food.
One final stop at a marble statue manufacturing facility. It was OK but not too interesting for me
We headed back to the ship along the coastal road where the US Marines came ashore in the 60’s.
We arrived back at 4 PM and shortly will be heading out
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