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October 2023

September 2023 - May 2024
Seattle to Japan! Read more
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  • TravelerOctober 2023
    11
    Day 33

    Happy Halloween!

    October 31, 2023, East China Sea

    Back home, our neighborhood gets so many trick or treaters that we routinely hand out 40 pounds of candy.

    This year, our house sitters had that pleasure.

    Meanwhile, we had a sea day for Halloween. The crew carved some marvelous jack o lanterns. Love how they used corn and pineapple in their creations.Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    1
    Day 32

    Osaka Ferris Wheel

    October 30, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Many cities these days have great big ferris wheels along their skyline, and Osaka is no exception.

    Larry and I usually walk by big city Ferris wheels, but it was such a pretty day that we gave this one a try.

    Supposedly the color of Osaka’s Ferris wheel at night is a weather forecast for the following day, with blue for rain and red for sun.

    The colors kept changing the night we were there, so I’m not sure how true this “weather forecast” idea actually is!    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    Day 32

    Osaka Aquarium

    October 30, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Since Osaka boasts “the world’s largest aquarium,” Larry and I decided to check it out.

    Oh, but before I talk about the aquarium, I should explain the second photo: As we were about to take a selfie together, a toddler ran behind us and fell flat on her face. The resulting photo is our reaction. Poor kiddo!

    Much like the Dallas World Aquarium, Osaka’s had penguins and other animals, not just fish.

    I adore aquariums, but it’s hard to take decent photos, so I simply enjoyed our time there. That cube you see is a sample to show viewers how thick the plexiglass tank walls are.    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    Day 31

    Crab & Octopus Signs

    October 29, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 59 °F

    We saw so many crab and octopus signs in Osaka that I gave them their own post.

    Note to self: If you plan to meet someone for dinner in Osaka, don’t just tell them to meet you at the place with the big octopus or crab sign out front.Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    1
    Day 31

    Namba by Night

    October 29, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 61 °F

    An overnight stay gave us a chance to explore Osaka by night. We took a tram to the Namba District, which is also called the Minami District.

    Whatever you choose to call it, we felt a distinctly Times Square vibe as we strolled by the river bathed in a neon glow.

    See that photo that looks like sushi? The meat is actually Osaka beef. One of the criterion for it is to have 25% marbling.

    Many crew members stayed out ‘til the wee hours, but we made it back to the ship before midnight.

    Despite the late hour and big crowds, we felt quite safe strolling the streets of Osaka. At one point, I saw dozens of bikes parked outside the pedestrian area. None of them were locked!    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    1
    Day 31

    October Winds Down

    October 29, 2023, Inland Sea ⋅ 🌬 66 °F

    As October winds down, it’s time for me to look back on the month. One way I do this is to read through my handwritten journal.

    Yup, I keep a handwritten one in addition to this online journal. One one side, I jot notes, on the other I jot a quick summary of each day.

    In addition to random ideas, the notes section is where I take notes during the ship’s culture and destination lectures.

    I have fun taping interesting bits of ephemera onto the cover of the journal. It helps me remember the names of all the ports and little bits of info them.

    As for the first photo; Larry was blindfolded by a magician one evening.

    Meanwhile, the citizens of Yokohama gave us a colorful send off with glow sticks beneath a full moon.

    The last photo shows the wreath that our new friends, Rick and Nancy gave us when they disembarked the ship.

    All in all, it’s been a wonderful month.    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    Day 30

    Festive Tokyo Temple

    October 28, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    The atmosphere at Tokyo’s Sensoji Temple was more like a carnival than a somber religious affair. The grounds were crawling with visitors. Many women rented kimonos to wear, and could be seen posing for photos, and snapping pics of their own in key spots.

    I even saw dogs in fancy costumes. (Dogs in strollers seems to be a “thing” in Japan.)

    A huge woven sandal adorns one temple gate. Visitors take turns touching it to ensure the ability to walk with vigor for the rest of their days.

    As we approached the main building, we paused by a large, smoky cauldron. Wafting its fumes over your head allegedly strengthens your brain. (Can’t say I notice a difference… yet!)

    Our guide, a cheery woman named Joy, instructed us to toss a small coin into a box as we entered the temple. After that, she had us clasp our hands, make a wish, then take a small bow before stepping inside.

    As Joy started to tell us about the Buddhist angels painted on the ceiling, we heard several loud drum beats. After it stopped, we watched a pair of Buddhist monks behind a screened area that’s locked to keep the public out.

    Joy said if you have a big problem you can make an appointment for the monks to pray for you in the locked area, so that’s what might have been going on.

    My favorite part of our temple visit was drawing Omikuji. For 100 yen (roughly 66 cents) you shake a numbered stick out of a metal container to get a fortune.

    The numbers were written in Japanese rather than Arabic numerals, so Joy translated. After drawing 36, I looked for a drawer labeled 36 and pulled out a piece of paper with my fortune on it. (You can see it in my photos.)

    The fortunes are labeled “good,” “bad,” and all sorts of shades in between. If you pull a bad fortune, you tie it to a row of wires and try again. That way, you can leave your bad fortune behind.

    If you wanted peace and quiet, there were little nooks with statues dotting the temple grounds. I love historic trees, so I was especially impressed by the 1000 year old ginkgo. Joy told us that Japanese eat dried ginkgo nuts as snacks. I hope to try to some.    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    1
    Day 30

    Imperial Castle

    October 28, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    Aside from Senjosi Temple, the only other place we visited today was the grounds of the Imperial Palace.

    We only had a few hours in Tokyo, not nearly enough time to do the city justice! We definitely need to come back and spend a few days here.

    Even so, we enjoyed this brief taste.    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    Day 28

    Fox & Chicken Shrine

    October 26, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    An old saying claims that, “Japanese are born Shinto, but die Buddhist.”

    As our destination lecturer explained, the two religions easily coexist because Shintoism is concerned with day to day matters, while Buddhism is primarily focused on the afterlife.

    That’s why Shinto shrines are tucked everywhere, but most cemeteries are Buddhist.

    Kochi seems to have a special connection to poultry. We saw rooster and hen statues all over town.

    A Shinto shrine we passed in the city center even had an active chicken coop housing a dozen or so birds.

    The main gate at a Shinto shrine is called a “torii.” Followers bow before stepping inside, left foot first. You are also supposed to enter through the left side. This leaves the right side free for spirits, aka “kami” to pass.

    Next, you stop at the “tsukubai” to wash your hands in a ceremonial fashion. The shrine in Kochi even had an illustration explaining the cleansing process.

    Kochi’s shrine featured numerous fox statues along with a few maneki neko, Japan’s “good luck cat.” From what I’ve read, the red bibs stand for children who died before their parents.

    I’m sure the arrows, paper and rope ornamentation all have symbolic significance, too, but I’ll have to learn about this later.    Read more

  • TravelerOctober 2023
    Day 28

    Kochi Castle

    October 26, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    When I think of a castle, I envision a stone building. In Japan, however, castles were often made of wood. For this reason, many are no longer standing, having succumbed to fire and other damage.

    In fact, Kochi’s historic castle is the only one in Japan with its tower still standing.

    Kochi Castle was in use from 1603 to 1871. It stands high on a hill, and we climbed plenty of stairs to get there.

    Visitors must leave their shoes in little lockers before entering the castle. This meant I was barefoot, but I found the tatami mats quite pleasant and cushy.

    As you can see, the castle interior is quite sparse. The wall panels were paper in many places, and secret rooms were tucked throughout for guards to hide.

    I’ve included a photo of the family crest for the Yamanouchi family, which later was adopted by a guy named Mitsubishi as a hood ornament for his line of automobiles.

    The higher we climbed, the steeper the stairs became. It nearly felt like climbing a ladder by the time we reached the sixth floor.

    I loved the views up there, not only of the mountains and city, but also of the
    “shachihoko.”

    Shachihoko are traditional Japanese roof ornaments that look like fish and are based upon mythical Chinese creatures. The top floor offered a good close up view of the shachihoko figures adorning Kochi Castle,

    Finally, I had to include a photo of some school children. Every time we pass a group, they call out, “Hello!” “Konnichiwa!” and/or “How are you?” The really brave ones will shout out their names. It’s pretty darn cute.    Read more

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