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Glaciers & Geishas
  • Chuck Cook
  • Glenda Cook
Sep – Oct 2023

Glaciers & Geishas

By way of Toronto and Vancouver we will start in Alaska, the land of glaciers. Then we will sail west to reach the east, down the Aleutian chain to Japan, the empire of shoguns and geishas. Lots of surprises ahead, so check back often. Read more
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  • Glaciers & Geishas
    Tomoe River and Environs
    Waving Goodbye

    Leaving Shimizu

    October 13, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    Leaving a place you have come to love is always difficult. Although we have been in Shimizu/Shizuoka only two days, I still find this place remarkable. Back when we were in Tuscany I fell in love with every small town and city we visited. Glenda started teasing me with an unpleasant name because I mentioned more than once, “Gee! We could move here and be very happy.”

    As we left the dock today Viking Orion sounded three blasts of its thunderous horn, and all of the shopkeepers and dockworkers came out to the quay to wave good bye. Waving good bye is a ceremony in Japan. A loud Japanese march sounded over the loudspeaker. They even had a brief fireworks display as the Viking Orion left its slip.

    I pulled out Google Maps as we left and found the spot where the Tomoe River Paper factory sits. While I couldn’t single it out among all the other industrial buildings, I shot a photo of its neighborhood.

    So we sail on, saying good bye to the people and things we have come to love. Maybe that’s the story of our lives.    Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas
    The Golden Pavilion
    Gardens of the Golden PavilionArchitectural Detail of Buddhist ShrineTraditional Japanese LunchA Maiko--Geisha in TrainingA Bodhisattva--Buddhist Goddess of MercyPagoda Adjacent to Former Imperial Palace in KyotoBuddhist Monk Leads in MeditationMeditation RoomJapanese Tea CeremonyVisitors to Kyoto in Rented KimonosSixteenth Century StreetBuddhist Sanctuary Room

    Ancient Kyoto

    October 14, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    Today we landed in Osaka and received our most concentrated exposure to the historic traditions of Japan yet. An excursion bus took us to wonderful Kyoto, the capital of Japan from the seventh century until 1867. The city still considers itself is some ways superior to Tokyo, the new upstart capital on the east coast. Kyoto prides itself on being the most truly Japanese of all of Japan’s cities.

    Kinkaju-ji, or the Golden Pavilion was built by a 14th-century samurai. Its two upper floors are covered with five layers of gold leaf, which must be replaced every century or so. It is famous for the gold phoenix on the top. Following the death of the builder, the pavilion was adopted by a community of Buddhist monks, who still maintain the structure today. As beautiful as the building may be, I found its serene gardens to be even more appealing.

    A traditional Japanese lunch followed. Fortunately Glenda, who has not developed a taste for sushi, bought a bag of peanuts to carry with her. As we ate we were entertained by a maiko, that is, a geisha in training. The young performer is about twenty years old, and has been studying for about five years. She will be licensed as a professional geisha one year from now. Her training will continue, however, for as long as she performs.

    Our bus took us next to a Buddhist temple where a monk led us in a form of meditation known as Zanzen. The monk spent a few minutes explaining to us how he had become a monk after going to university earning a degree in engineering. After a short career as an investment advisor he became a monk. He explained meditation and emphasized that a person of any religion can include it in their lives to enhance well-being. “Do not regret that you did not do this when you were young. You are younger now than you will ever be. Start now,” he said. In a simple minimalist room we all were encouraged to assume the lotus position and concentrated on our breathing for about 20 minutes. Fortunately little stools were provided for those of us with ageing knees. I found the exercise peaceful and restorative.

    In a nearby room equally simple and just as beautiful, we were treated to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Mieko, our guide, translated the explanation provided by our host. The matcha green tea is whisked into a kind of frothy liquid, quite unlike the traditional Chinese green tea to which I am accustomed. It’s not bad, but you don’t go to a Japanese tea ceremony for the beverage. You go because it marks an occasion. As our host put it, “In this hour we celebrate because never before and never again will this specific group of people be gathered together in exactly this situation.” The tea ceremony is a celebration of the present.

    Forty-five minutes on our own in Japan’s ancient capital led us down a historic street still holding several buildings from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Even newer buildings must conform to the style and appearance of the traditions of Kyoto. I saw the office of a modern investment firm in a new structure made of glass and steel, yet all of its exterior metal parts were fashioned to be almost indistinguishable from aged, weather-battered wood of the houses around it. It was beautiful.

    We had a relaxing drive back to Osaka on the bus during which I pondered the wisdom of the Japanese.    Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas

    Setonaikai

    October 15, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    We are sailing by some beautiful islands in the Setonaikai Sea. Each one is about the size of a city block, and it looks as though some deity just scattered them over the ocean. Their verdant green against the azure blue of the ocean is spectacular. It was in this sea that the Japanese first developed their iron warships in the late 19 century.Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas
    Hiroshima Peace Park
    The Atomic Bomb DomeRinging the Peace Bell at the Children's Memorial

    Hiroshima

    October 15, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    The inscription on the cenotaph marking the remains of approximately 140,000 people killed at Hiroshima reads simply . . .

    “Let all the people here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat this evil again.”

    No blame.

    No apologies.

    Just a commitment to peace.

    https://www.atomicarchive.com/media/photographs…    Read more

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    Kagura

    October 15, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 63 °F

    A local troupe of performers came out from Hiroshima and presented their local adaptation of a historical play. Quite similar to the ancient Japanese Noh theater, their dance tells the story of a young warrior who encounters a couple with a beautiful daughter. They tell him that they have had seven previous daughters. There are also eight fearsome huge serpents in the neighborhood. Each daughter was eaten by one of the snakes, and now they fear that their only living daughter, the most beautiful, will be eaten by the king of the snakes. If the young warrior can kill the snakes, her parents tell him, he can marry their daughter.

    There follows a colorful, thirty-minute show of the most meticulous choreography I have ever seen. The energetic dance is such that the warrior’s sword is repeatedly at the precise location of the dragon’s neck, even though the creature’s operator is inside the costume and can hardly see the warrior. With all the writhing, spinning and dancing, the color and motion of the performance is mesmerizing.

    I won’t reveal the outcome of the story. You’ll have to see it for yourself. I hope you can take this Viking cruise soon. You’ll see things you will never forget.    Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas
    Tori
    Pagoda Marking the Buddhist TempleFloating ShrineIdyllic BeautyBuddhist Temple

    Floating Shrine

    October 16, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    In the 16th century Itsukushima Island was considered to be divine. Only priests and monks could go there. Of course you know by now that the tori gate marked the entrance to a holy place, so the priests built a striking vermillion, fifty-foot-high tori for this island-temple out in the water.

    Not only is the island sacred, so are its critters. The deer, foxes and hawks that still wander here unafraid of humans. In fact, if you’re not watchful, a deer will sneak up, or a hawk will swoop down and steal your lunch.

    It is no longer true that only holy men can come here. Rivers of tourists and junior-high field trippers joined us on the ferry to the island and flowed past us into the Shinto shrine, the stately Buddhist temple and the hundreds of shops and restaurants. I got a kick out of saying, “Hello,” and hearing a dozen eighth-grade Japanese students respond “Hello!” practicing their English. Despite the masses of people, however, everyone stayed in line, remained courteous and displayed impeccable kindness. The Japanese really are amazing.

    It is still true that the island is disarmingly beautiful. Nature here is gently preserved, and the trees, pools and hills look as though they have lain undisturbed for centuries. The island holds an ancient stage for Noh theater, whose sacred actors have now gone to the cities.

    I hope you will have a chance to come to this sacred island to emjoy its unsurpassed beauty. But if you do, be careful to guard your lunch.    Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas

    Something in the Air

    October 17, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    We are docking in the port of Beppu. There’s something in the air. I can smell it. This place is an area of volcanic hot springs and geysers. Sulfur and hydrogen sulfide hang heavy in the air. This picture shows the spectacular coastal mountain range that marks the junction of two tectonic plates. Volcanoes and hot springs are common here. More to come.Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas

    Blood Pond Hell

    October 17, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Beppu is the most active seismic area on the island of Kyuushuu. Two major fault lines run along the sides of this city. Downtown, amid spectacular mountains, you can see dozens of large pipes driven deep into the ground venting clouds of steam. The ground here is hot—not stovetop-hot, but very warm hot-water-bottle hot. We visited first a facility which has made natural basalt for 300 years. Unlike regular basalt, this stuff is creamy white. A small amount is sky blue, colored with deposits of dissolved aluminum. The basalt crystals seep up from steamy cracks in the earth, growing about 1 mm per day.

    Our second stop was in a place called Blood Pond Hell. A steaming lake is colored brick red by dissolved iron oxide. The gift shop here sells images of the Buddhist demon in charge of hell. I wouldn’t want to mess with him.

    As interesting as these sights were, I was much more impressed by the kindness of the residents here. They are accustomed to visitors. Tourism is the major industry here because a large number of newlyweds come here for the thermal baths. Japanese law forbids bathing suits in the baths, so Beppu is the Niagara Falls or Myrtle Beach for Japanese nuptials. The local visitors’ center welcomed us with upbeat recorded music on the pier and a traditional “Lion Dance” performed by its employees. School children sat down to have lunch on the large field adjacent to the pier. Two athletes with baseball gloves played catch on the other side of the field.

    Beppu is quiet today. I hope the seismic forces underneath this land will be as kind to the people here as they have been to us. May the ground under Beppu lie quietly for many centuries to come so that these good people can grow and live and love.    Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas

    Decorative Language

    October 17, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    It is trendy in Japan to use English words not to communicate but to decorate, especially on clothing. One can see T-shirts here with the strangest English. I saw one with the inscription “Texas Excite Extreme Moving.” Another T-shirt declared, “Eight Bank Tofu.”

    Glenda found one with the inscription “Precise Dwarf Bravery.” Another reads, “Don’t Choice I Wicked Want Funny.”

    Finally,

    IT IS THE EVENT OF ANCIENT TIMES—LONELY GRANDMOTHER

    Words used often include “Texas,” “Luxury,” “Big,” “Increase,” and “You.” How about: “BECAUSE YOU ARE SLIPPERY, DO NOT ENTER POOL.”

    Sometimes even when the Japanese are trying to make translatable English, something falls through the cracks. A business we passed had a sign declaring it was “A Technology World’s Large Front.” I’m still not quite sure what they sell.

    Of course, we in the West do the same thing. Back in North Carolina we went into a restaurant where a waitress sported a tattoo of a Chinese character on her forearm. Although I could read the character, I asked her what it meant. She said, “It means ‘harmony or love.’”

    I did not have the heart to tell her it actually means “teaspoon.”    Read more

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    Time to Say Goodbye

    October 17, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    The Japanese people are the kindest people in the world. This morning when the Viking Orion docked at Beppu, the loudspeakers on the pier played happy, upbeat rock music in Japanese with a few great American oldies thrown in. Just now Viking Orion gave three blasts of the horn indicating we were leaving. All of the workers on the dock and in the passenger ship terminal, with quite a few local residents gathered on the pier to wave goodbye. The music changed to a plaintive farewell, and as they waved and the music played, I wiped away a tear.Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas
    Museum Is Built on Foundations of Old CastleThe Museum AtriumWander Through Pre-HistoryDisplay of Early CeramicsScale Model of Ancient CastlesGlorious Calligraphy of Ancient DocumentsEarly Japanese TransportationHand-hewn Precision GearsEarly Baskets and WeavingEarly Japanese ArchitectureHistorical ClothingEarly Water TransportationEarly Japanese Musical InstrumentsJapan Invented Comic StripsModel of First Japanese SteamshipFirst Western-trained PhysicianExhibit on Japanese Westernization

    The Naples of the Orient

    October 18, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    Kagoshima is often compared to the Italian city of Naples. The climate is about the same, both towns are festooned with palm trees, and both sit at the foot of an enormous, gorgeous volcano.

    One could argue that Japan would not be Japan without the city of Kagoshima. The streets are peppered with statues of famous men who have changed the history of this nation. Saigo Takamori was the scion of a wealthy samurai dynasty ruling here for over 200 years. He was instrumental in securing the victory of the Emperor who began the Meiji restoration in the late 19th century. In a strange chain of events, however, he ultimately rebelled against the Emperor and was killed in the revolt. We passed by the spot where he was killed in battle in 1877. Check out Tom Cruise’s movie “The Last Samurai” to get a clearer sense of the history. In the movie the character Katsumoto roughly corresponds with the life of Saigo Takamori. He was not the only hero here, however. The first Japanese physician to practice Western medicine called Kagoshima home. The list of Kagoshima’s residents who have affected the course of world events is long.

    The story I like best deals with the 17 teenagers from the 19th century who saw hints that the West was way ahead of Japan scientifically, industrially and militarily. They ignored a ban on foreign travel, escaped Japan and visited the West. Spending several years in England and the United States, they brought back the news that their homeland had some catching-up to do. Japan embraced modernization with a vengeance and and in the late 19th and early 20th centuries conducted its own Industrial Revolution on steroids.

    Our visit into this remarkable town was eye-opening. Yasu, our guide, has an excellent command of the English language and led us through one of the most interesting museums I have ever visited. In the atrium one walks on a sheet of lucite over a three-dimensional topographical map of Kagoshima Bay. The hallway is an exact reproduction of a prehistoric cavern, complete with stalactites and stalagmites. The passageway leads to the exhibit of the most ancient artifacts discovered in the area. As one passes through the museum, he advances in time until he comes to the present. Art, tools, music, writing, medicine, politics and technology are all presented in very attractive displays.

    Wandering through the well designed exhibition hall makes it easy to understand why the local residents are so proud of their homeland. Without Southern Kyushu, Japan would be radically different and not nearly so interesting.    Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas
    Kagoshima
    Wirh New Friends Mike & TomMount SakurashimaNeo-Japanese Architecture

    The Big Picture

    October 18, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    If one were looking for a place to live, he would be hard pressed to find a better place than Kagoshima. This area not only has a rich history, it has one of the most varied economies in Japan. Rich volcanic soil grows record levels of produce and livestock for the Asian market. Access to the ocean provides seafood for all of southern Japan. Careful to husband all renewable resources, local industries harvest trees from the deep woods carpeting the multitude of nearby mountains and islands. Perhaps most importantly, all of these assets combine to assure that tourism is among the major concerns in Kagoshima Bay. Good highways and airline service, along with Japan’s famous bullet trains make all of Japan’s major cities accessible.

    After looking intensively at the history and economy of this area we had the opportunity to go to an observation point high above the city. It is difficult to take in all of the potential, much less all the beauty of Kagoshima. I leave this place somewhat embarrassed that I had not previously given the city of Kagoshima much thought. After being here, though, I will long remember this magnificent city and its remarkable people, both past and present.    Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas
    Sailing into Kagoshima BayLunchtime Ash Plume

    Miss Cherry Blossom 🌸

    October 18, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Ever since we left Tokyo I have awakened every morning thinking, “Today can’t possibly be as good as yesterday was.” Yet each day we have found that every new place we visit has its own special charms. I will confess that while yesterday’s “Blood Pond Hell” may not be everyone’s cup of tea, the people of Beppu and the welcome they gave us will stay in my heart forever.

    I had the same thoughts when we sailed into Kagoshima this morning, “There is no way today could be as good as yesterday,” but as soon as I awoke, I threw open the curtains and saw a mile-high smoking volcano staring me in the face. Mount Sakurashima dropped into our bedroom to say hello, and I knew this would be no ordinary day.

    At first I thought the clouds surrounding the summit were just—well—clouds, until I realized that those clouds were going UP out of the mountain. She was venting steam and pumping out pumice ash. Suddenly I thought, “I don’t care if the mountain’s name means ‘Cherry Blossom Mountain,’ this girl is locked and loaded.” This lady could be lethal.

    She was alone on her own island until 1946 when she spewed out enough lava to make a bridge to the mainland. So now, even though the locals talk about Sakurashima Island, technically it is not an island anymore.

    Later in the morning as we were on the way to the Kagoshima Museum our guide told us that the local weather report gives a daily index of the volcano. Level 1 means the Lady is asleep. Level 5 means “Get the heck out of Dodge.” The guide told us that today the mountain is at level 3. He said “There will be some ash fall today. If the wind is from the west there will be no problem, but if it comes from the southeast, we will all be sweeping our walkways tonight.” In Kagoshima the residents are accustomed to living with Miss Cherry Blossom 🌸.

    Despite her tantrums, however, and largely because of Miss Cherry Blossom, Kagoshima is one of the most beautiful places on earth.    Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas
    Venus Wing Bridge
    Warships Being Refitted in a ShipyardNew Stealthy Warships Being BuiltDowntown NagasakiMore New Stealthy Warships

    The Port of Nagasaki

    October 19, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    From the 16th to the 19th century the Tokagawa Shogunate decreed that the only Japanese port open to foreigners would be Nagasaki. Beginning with the Portuguese traders in the 1500’s, Nagasaki was the only part of Japan foreigners were allowed to visit. For 300 years, to the Western world, Japan was Nagasaki, and Nagasaki was Japan. No wonder Puccini set his opera Madama Butterfly here in the grand estate of Scottish trader Thomas Blake Glover, which now overlooks the Viking Orion.

    The traders established shipyards here, some of which still operate. Although foreigners were required to live on an island outside the city, they could come into the town during daylight hours to trade. And how they did trade! There were so many foreign merchants in Nagasaki that they actually changed the culture. In Japanese there was no word for “thank you” until they heard Portuguese traders saying “obrigado.” The Japanese elided that word into “arigato,” and so it stands today.

    Because Nagasaki was such a busy trading center, shipyards sprung up on both sides of the long estuary to the south. First, sailing ships and later iron, coal-fired steamers were built, as Japan frenetically attempted to catch up with Europe. A major shipbuilder, Mitsubishi Corporation, diversified in the 20th century to build cars, weapons and airplanes. The Russo-Japanese War, World War I and the invasion of China in the 1930’s caused the conglomerate to expand exponentially. By 1935 nine-tenths of Nagasaki’s adult population was employed by Mitsubishi. The town was one of Japan’s most prosperous.

    What can be a blessing in one season can become a curse when seasons change. The shipyards of Nagasaki made it a prime target in World War II. Nagasaki’s shipyards were subjected to five different conventional bombing raids before the attack on August 9, 1945 made the name Nagasaki synonymous with “holocaust.”

    Despite the monumental tragedy, the postwar American occupation officials under General Douglas McArthur did not dissolve Japanese conglomerates. They realized that to restore the nation economically, the vigorous business generated by companies such as Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Toyota and Toshiba would be important.

    Those companies are still here, and so is Nagasaki, thriving and beautiful. The city is still challenged by Japan’s current economic woes spawned by mismanaged prosperity in the 1980’s. Judging from the way she has recovered from cataclysmic setbacks in the past, however, I would bet that Nagasaki is not out of the game yet.    Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas
    Leaflet Dropped on Japanese Target CitiesClock Stopped at the Time of the DetonationRemains of Catholic CathedralAerial View of Nagasaki. Red Dot at HypocenterModel of "Far Man" Showing Plutonium CoreNagasaki Peace ParkMrs. Matsushita, Survivor of BlastStatue in Peace ParkStatue Near Hypocenter of BlastOfferings of Water, FlowersShadow of Ladder Burned Into Stone BuildingStudents' Memorial ServiceA Wish for PeaceTalking English with Middle School Kids

    Nagasaki Remembers

    October 19, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    By the year 1945 Nagasaki had been subjected to five different waves of conventional aerial bombing by United States air forces. Air raids had sounded a few days before each of these attacks as American airplanes flew over the city. These airplanes were not dropping bombs, however, they were dropping leaflets.

    In the Nagasaki Bomb Museum we saw the charred, framed remains of such a leaflet. It displays the face of a clock with the hands set to 11:55 pm. By each of the the numbers around the clock-face are depictions of islands that had already fallen to the allies—Iwo Jima, Tarawa, Tinian, Okinawa, and so on. At the 12 o’clock midnight position there appears a tiny map of Japan. The message is: “Time is running out. You’re next. Evacuate.” The text on the leaflet urges civilians to stop aiding the Japanese war effort and to leave the city. Such leaflets were routinely dropped on all primary U. S. bombing targets a day or two before an attack.

    Unfortunately these leaflets had become all too common in Nagasaki, so the people ignored them. Nagasaki’s factories and shipyards had been bombed repeatedly, but they were still operating. Besides, civilians disillusioned by the war dared not resist the overwhelming power of the military government. The number of dissenters was growing, but everyone had to go along whether they wanted to or not. The leaflets had little effect.

    About 8 am on Thursday August 9, 1945 Major Charles W. Sweeney lifted off his B-29 bomber from the runway on Tinian Island. The aircraft carried the new secret weapon of the allies, one 10,800-pound bomb nicknamed “Fat Man.” Major Sweeney’s primary target was the large industrial city of Kokura. Upon arriving there, bad weather prevented the bombardier from identifying his target. At the same time his B-29 started receiving anti-aircraft fire. Major Sweeney decided to deliver the bomb to their secondary target, Nagasaki.

    When the B-29 arrived clouds obscured Nagasaki as well. As the airplane approached the downtown area, Captain Kermit Beahan, the bombardier, looked for his target, a bridge over the Uragami River. Through a momentary break in the clouds, he caught a glimpse of the city’s stadium, which he knew to be near the bridge, and he pulled a lever, dropping his payload. At 11:02 am a plutonium bomb with the explosive power of 21 million tons of TNT detonated 1,650 feet over downtown Nagasaki, instantly killing approximately 64,000 civilians.

    We visited the Nagasaki Bombing Museum and the nearby Peace Park. A group of schoolchildren stood at attention during a ceremony to honor the dead. We heard a testimony from a survivor who was 3 years old at the time of the blast. Like the museum in Hiroshima, the one here does not attempt to blame or exonerate either side. The Japanese themselves are aware of the atrocities their government committed in China, Manchuria and in the Second World War. Like Americans, they are divided about whether the atom bombs were a necessary evil. The museum’s presentation does not argue the point. It seeks simply to depict the physical facts related to the bombing. The entrance to the museum holds an inscription summarizing its position: “May the atomic bomb that fell here be the last nuclear weapon ever to be used.”    Read more

  • Glaciers & Geishas
    Orientation Hall of the Museum
    Balls Within Balls Within BallsGold Statuettes of Ancient HeroesJade Carving of a BabyIvory PagodaBlue WareGrasshoppers on Lettuce--Jade CarvingAncient CalligraphyGlenda at Monument to the MartyrsMonument to the Martyrs (War Memorial)Taoist ShrineIncense BurnerMadame Chiang Kai-shek's Grand HotelGrand Hotel (Interior)Gardens at Grand HotelEntrance to Chiang Kai-shek TombChiang Kai-shek TombNational Theater (detail)National Concert Hall

    Bucket List 🇹🇼 Taiwan

    October 21, 2023 in Taiwan ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Today I got to check off an item from my bucket list. I was a Chinese student in my early 20’s when my teachers told me about the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. When the Nationalist Chinese left the mainland in 1949, they grabbed all the national treasures they could carry. They housed them in a museum built into the side of a mountain in Taipei. Tunnels bored deep into the rock protect these ancient treasures from any assault, up to and including nuclear attack. These objects are truly part of mankind’s global cultural heritage. Seven hundred thousand artifacts are guarded here, some going back to the 8th century B. C. There are so many that they are rotated. Only two percent of the artifacts are on display at any one time, and they are rotated once every three months.

    One of my bucket list items was to see the artifacts in this museum, especially their collection of calligraphy. The items on display stagger the imagination. We saw an elaborately carved ball made of white jade. Twenty two other intricately carved balls rotate freely inside it. The whole piece was carved out of one piece of rock. It took three generations to carve—over 100 years. The Chinese are a patient people.

    An equally beautiful carved wooden box holds 121 progressively smaller carved boxes inside. In the movie The Last Emperor we see boy emperor Pu Yi playing with a pet cricket he places into the smallest interior box. What a toy!

    And the porcelain, the furniture and the paintings and bronzes!

    As if all those treasures were not sufficiently impressive, the calligraphy is beyond description. Some scrolls are fifty feet long, displayed in gleaming, illuminated cases set in dimly lit halls. Written around the time of Jesus, these scrolls are still perfectly readable to anyone who knows Chinese. As I struggled to remember characters I learned during the Nixon administration, fourth graders flanking me read these ancient analects as if they were a grocery list. The Chinese language changes very slowly. The Chinese are a patient people.

    Not only did we visit the museum, we also went to a Taoist temple, to the Chinese War Memorial, and then to the Grand Hotel, built for foreign dignitaries by Madame Chiang Kai-shek. It is the most opulent building I have ever seen outside the Vatican. Constructed according to traditional Chinese patterns, it rivals the forbidden city in Beijing. We had a lunch at a sumptuous buffet there, offering over 100 different choices of oriental and occidental delicacies.

    Finally our bus took us to to the 350-foot-tall monument to President Chiang Kai-shek. Standing high above a 250,000 square meter park, it is also the site for the National Theater, the National Concert Hall and the National Opera. Though built according to ancient Chinese architectural styles, each of these buildings is thoroughly modern and immaculately maintained.

    Returning to the Viking Orion we prepared for a delightful dinner with six new acquaintances. After dinner we listened to our friend Sophia play quiet samba music on the Steinway. We went back to our stateroom and prepared for tomorrow’s sea-journey to Hong Kong 🇭🇰

    P. S. I was somewhat delayed in posting the last couple of footprints. The wi-fi on the ship wasn’t working. When I asked about it, a crew member told me that they hoped to have it working later in the day. I found out today that the Chinese cruiser shadowing Viking Orion in the East China Sea was radio-blocking our ship’s Starlink signal.    Read more

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    Tom, Mike and Glenda

    Fragrant Harbor

    October 23, 2023 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    In Cantonese the name Hong Kong means “Fragrant Harbor.” Maybe it was that once upon a time. Every city has a certain character, an ambience that is unique. Hong Kong, a megalopolis scattered across a dozen islands with different peoples, businesses, and socio-economic levels, is a kaleidoscope that defies description. It has three languages, two ship terminals, two governments, and half a dozen different ethnic groups. Some of Asia’s richest people live next door to some of Asia’s poorest. The only country that comes close to this kind of demography is India. Miles and miles of skyscrapers are stacked together to the horizon. So are the slums. A significant portion of Hong Kong’s population is not even allowed to come on land unless they have to go to the hospital. It’s past is British; it’s future is Communist. Yet in some sense, for Glenda and me Hong Kong feels like an old friend. It is good to be back. This is our second trip to Hong Kong, and just for sentimental reasons we went on the same excursions today that we took last time. The view from the top of Victoria Peak is magnificent. Our ride in a rickety old sampan was just as charming. The Stanley street market was as crowded and dingy as ever. But this is Hong Kong.

    Now we are back in our stateroom starting to pack to go back home to North Carolina. Tomorrow we will leave the ship that has been our home for over a month. We have dear friends we are leaving behind. We just made two new ones as we met the spouse and daughter of one of our friends on the crew. New friends from Oregon and England have graced us with their company. As rich as this experience has been, however, it is true that there is no place like home, and we are looking forward to returning to the place and the friends we love the best.    Read more

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    Hurry Up and Wait

    October 24, 2023 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    We are waiting at the Hong Kong Airport. The ticket counter for Asiana Airlines does not open until 10 am. We arrived here at 9:00 am. It is disconcerting to see that the airline has only one flight daily—to Seoul and back. To meet a closed ticket counter also does not do a great deal to inspire confidence.Read more

    Trip end
    October 24, 2023
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