San Diego - The Last Leg

As we made our delayed departure from Honolulu, we expected to hit some big waves, and maybe do a little cruise ship surfing. However, we encountered nothing but smooth waters on our 6 day crossing to San Diego. The last few days on ship were filled with final papers and exams (for the students) and goodbyes for us.

We have plenty of people to thank for their friendship and help during our voyage. We won’t put a full list on here but between faculty, students, fellow Life Long Learners, staff and crew, we can’t thank everyone enough. It’s been great to share such a life-changing experience with so many amazing people.

Once we made it back to San Diego, we met up with Grandpa Milton and enjoyed some of the local attractions. Unfortunately, Legoland was closed, but we still visited SeaWorld. Jonathan and Marjan Greenblatt visited us from L.A. with their two boys, Ariel and Ilan. Thanks for driving down to see us!

Christy jumped right into a weeklong visit of ATEK’s facilities, the kids attended school the day after they returned, and Jay immediately met up with friends for poker night. The internal differences are slowly becoming more apparent. When we see friends, they say that it “seems just like yesterday that we left.” For us, it seems like a long time ago. On our trip, we experienced new cultures and beliefs every day. Time went by slowly for us and each week was memorable…even many of the days. We fear that we’ll just jump back into a routine and will miss enjoying the present – and experiencing each day for the unique experience it should be.

The other area that is hard to get used to is STUFF. We have so much stuff. Coming back just in time for Christmas has not helped things. We came back to a home with so many things we had not seen or played with for months. Then…Christmas descended and we accumulated so many more things…many of which we’ll never use. Many still sit in the boxes.

This is disconcerting after we went to many places in the world that did not have anything. We remember the village we stayed at in Ghana where the children wanted empty water bottles to use as a kick ball. They had nothing and could enjoy each new toy they created.

It will be interesting to see what parts of the trip the boys will remember. Luke remembers the most and has developed a worldly vocabulary and has a story to tell anyone who will listen. His new favorite game is Risk, since he wants to rule the world. He seems to remember the most impactful places we visited: Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, Angkor Wat, the Taj Majal, the Ghana village and the safari in South Africa. Ironically, he also remembers the quiet, beautiful beaches of Mauritius.

We thoroughly enjoyed our voyage around the world but are happy to be home as well. We look forward to getting back in touch with all of you over the next few months.

P.S. Semester at Sea is offering a two-for-one discount for the 2010 voyages!

Coming to America - kind of - Hawaii!

During our uneventful 10 day crossing from Japan, we re-entered tropical waters on our way to Hawaii. The warmer temperatures allowed the boys to burn off some energy on the ball court and get back into the ship pool again. The return of nicer weather was tempered by the knowledge that our voyage was coming to a close.

On this second last leg of the journey, our classes finished up and the students began to turn their attention to final papers and exams. Jay was invited to join three professors on a faculty panel in the mandatory Global Studies class. The panel presented their viewpoints on the connection between globalization and Asia, and whether the coming century will be the “Asian century”. To hear his perspective, just ask him (but only ask if you really want to talk about it!).

Hawaii was a fun way to re-acclimate to US society. Although Christy and Jay had both been there before, we had forgotten how fun and beautiful Honolulu is. We started on an educational note, with a visit to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona. Jay took some time out to play golf with two students from the boat, Chad and Mike. We spent that night and next morning at Waikiki, soaking up the rays and enjoying another day on the beach. We wrapped up our time in Honolulu with a climb up into the Diamond Head crater for the spectacular view back towards Waikiki.

After just one night on Oahu, the ship moved on to Hilo. We took full advantage of our two days and one night on the Big Island to visit the Volcano National Park and cross the island to Kona. Unfortunately (we think!) we didn’t get to see any flowing lava but we did get to see the steaming vents and walk through lava tubes. We arrived in Kona with no hotel reservation and were unable to escape the lure of the Hilton Waikoloa, with its seaside location, numerous pools and dolphin experience. We spent a great day there and the boys got to swim with the dophins and spend some time with them close up. We also got to feed some ravenous turtles, followed by a closer-than-desired encounter with the turtles in the water!

The adventure in Hawaii was supposed to end that day, as the Orris boys reboarded the ship and Christy stayed on shore to return to Colorado and business meetings. While Christy made her flight off the islands, the ship was delayed almost two days as we waited for the largest swells in forty years to subside. We got to spend a bonus day back on Waikiki, hear about 40+ foot waves for the Eddie Aikau surfing competition on the North Shore and see the ship churn out thirty knots to make up our delay getting back to San Diego. The surfing competition is only held when waves hit 40 feet!

The transition back to the US was very smooth, thanks to the gentle re-entry in Hawaii.  One big irony was the realization that after visiting many different countries and cultures, our return to the US marked the first time since Spain that we felt more concerned about keeping the boys in sight.

Land of the Rising Sun

Well, we have left the final foreign port on our voyage around the world. We now have 10 days at sea to look forward to as we cross the Pacific to Hawaii. We spent our last five days in Japan, porting first in Yokohama (outside Tokyo) and then in Kobe.  Jay had been looking forward to returning to Japan as it had been 8 years since the last time he was there and 15 years since he had lived in Osaka. Although there is not much use for Japanese in Boulder, the language came back pretty quickly and we were able to make our way around Japan with minimal issues.

We spent the first day going into Tokyo to visit the Meiji Shrine and Harajuku. Harajuku is the “funky fashion center” of Japan, with lots of used clothing and cheap fashion shops. It’s where the young people of Tokyo (and Japan) come to be individuals together and wear Halloween caliber costumes every day of the year. Christy’s first taste of the district occurred in the train station when she saw a Japanese girl wearing an outfit including green hair and red devil horns – on a Friday around noon.

After most of the day in Tokyo we returned to Yokohama for the evening (great sushi!!!!) before heading off to Hiroshima on the bullet train the next day. After some difficulty tracking down the right connections to the correct train station, we hopped on the train for the 4 hour ride to Hiroshima at 200 miles per hour. Upon our arrival we threw ourselves on the whims of chance and tried to locate a hotel for the night – this was the Saturday of the Labor/Thanksgiving holiday in Japan and many hotels were fully booked. Lady Luck smiled on us and we managed to land in a hotel a few hundred yards from the station that included a tatami room so the boys could experience true futon sleeping.

We spent the next day around Hiroshima, primarily at the Hiroshima Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum. The museum presents a fascinating view into the events leading up to and beyond the world’s first atomic bombing on Hiroshima back on August 6th, 1945. It is a highly recommended trip if you get the chance. Modern bombs are more than 3,100 more powerful than the one that destroyed Hiroshima and resulted in 200,000 deaths. In light of the damage done to Hiroshima, the destructive capability of a modern weapon is truly inconceivable.

We spent another night in Hiroshima before taking a quick bullet train ride to Himeji to see the finest example of a Japanese castle (and a pretty poor zoo!). The castle was mobbed with people due to the holiday but the boys got to imagine how difficult it would be to lay siege to a castle. After a final day in Kobe, we have again set sail for the ten day trip to Hawaii. Back to the US!

Shanghai, China

In Shanghai, our ship was docked in the heart of the city of 12 million people.  The city has grown at an amazing pace over the past 15 years and is now one of the largest in the world. We were perfectly located to watch the nightly light show displayed on the downtown buildings and famously tall TV tower.  We also enjoyed watching the steady stream of boats that passed off our balcony – most which were laden with building materials. 

Unfortunately, the weather was cold and rainy so we explored the city under our winter coats and umbrellas.  Despite the weather, we ventured out to the TV tower and city museum, stall markets, cheesy underground tunnel, and on a much needed date night.   

Hong Kong

Pulling into Hong Kong harbor, we were astounded by the row upon row of tall apartment and commercial buildings.  For a city of 7 million people, HK is surprisingly livable city with manageable traffic and an abundance of green space.    We understand why Jay’s brother, Loron, has made it his home for the last 15 years.

As our ship docked in the heart of downtown, we were greeted by Loron, Milton, and Ruth Campbell (Milton’s significant other).  Milton was rejoining the trip after a brief detour due to some medical issues.   All is well now!

We packed in a lot during our four short days.  We visited Ocean Amusement Park, Stanley Market, the Cricket Club, the big Buddha, and Victoria Peak.

Jay’s highlight was golfing on the hardest course in Asia.  The Norman Course is 1 of 13 courses at Mission Hills in Shenzhen, China.

Christy learned a lot about doing business in China by visiting a potential partner in Shenzhen.  She also met with a young woman who runs a family toy manufacturer serving Mattel.  Many opportunities exist in China, but so do the challenges. 

Christy’s newly made friends in Shenzhen took her to a traditional Cantonese dinner (with chicken feet and pigeon heads) and to a foot massage that lasted for 2½ glorious hours.

Special thanks to Loron for planning the visit and arranging activities and accommodation.  Also to Loron’s friend (and Ruth’s cousin) Loch for sharing his family with us and keeping our kids occupied.  And finally to Loron’s business partner Dave for arranging Jay’s golf at Mission Hills. 

Vietnam

After two weeks of intense traveling in India and Cambodia, we took a needed “vacation” in Vietnam and headed to a fancy resort.  Reverting back to our “traveler” days, we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City with no flights or hotel reservations but some ideas that we wanted to head to a beach resort either in Nha Trang or an island in Southern Vietnam.  Since all the flights to the South for the day had already departed, we decided to go to Nha Trang and hoped that the resort we had heard of called Vinpearl would have some rooms.

After an interesting wait on the stand-by list (for a flight that was only 1/2 full) and an hour taxi ride through the rain in the dark, we arrived at the shuttle boat to VinPearl Island.  Luckily they had room for us and we were able to reserve a room for a couple of nights.

The Vinpearl was a mini-Disney land with an amusement & water park, arcade, kid’s club, beach, and the largest pool in SE Asia.  They had one of the longest cable cars in Asia and you could take that or the shuttle boats to the island.  A typhoon had come through the area 2 days before we arrived, so the weather was not great, but we still had fun and relaxed.   Luke and Ryan terrorized crabs on the beach, splashed in the pool, checked out the rides, arcade and water park, and played games at the kids club. 

Before leaving Vietnam, we spent a day exploring Ho Chi Minh City.  It is a modern city with great bargain shopping.  With such a short time there, we only touched the surface of Vietnam during our short visit.  After being away from the ship for 16 days, we were actually excited to see the ship again.  It was amazing how much we missed our little cabin, friends and shipboard routine!   

Cambodia: Exploring Angkor Wat

From India, we moved on to one of our favorite countries, Cambodia.  We flew to Siem Reap, home to the famous temples of Angkor Wat.  We predicted that exploring these temples would be one of the highlights of our trip for the boys.    When Jay and Christy had visited Siem Reap in 2000, there was only 1 large hotel in town.  Many investors have identified Angkor Wat as the next big destination and have invested in over 50 large hotels.  The Cambodian government is also making large investments in rebuilding and preserving the temples. 

We felt like Indiana Jones as we explored the temples.  Our favorite temples where the ones that the trees had overtaken and that were in ruins.  They boys were little monkeys and climbed the steep stone steps without fear.  They loved using their rock climbing skills and being free to be crazy boys. 

One highlight was riding elephants amongst the ruins.  We learned that horses are much more comfortable to ride.  After our ride, we fed the elephants whole bananas that they grabbed by the end of their trunks and popped in their mouths. 

The Cambodian people are warm and friendly and it was the easiest country to travel in so far this trip.  They use US dollars and lots of people speak English.  Entrepreneurship starts early and we met many young children who were expert sales people.  We stayed in 2 small bungalows at a bed & breakfast only walking distance to town.  It was great to get away from the large hotels.