LungShan Temple

We also visiting a working temple. Usually visitors see shrines from the past, so a temple that's actually being used as one, is very different. 

Tourists and locals were entering the grounds. Once there it was movement and people and noise and incense smoke completely removed from the bustle of the city. 

The temple decoration was over the top 

If there is such a thing as 'Chinese Baroque' this temple might qualify. 

But I don't believe the worshipers paid much attention to it. 

     

There were 2 of the very large incense burners. 

An amazing place. 

Taipei

We took a shore excursion to Taipel, the capital city of Taiwan. We've been here many times before, but like an old friend, the city always nice to visit. Taipei is about a 40 minute drive from Keelung depending on traffic. We were moving in the morning rush hour traffic along a congested freeway filled with little cars. 

But once in town the vehicle of choice changed from car to scooter. Scooters can drive anywhere...streets or side walks...so walking can be dangerous to your health!

We passed by the old Parliament House on our way to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial. There we saw the changing of the guard ceremony. 

The main gate, with the concert hall and opera house on either side. 

The memorial building is also a museum. Right now it's hosting a Vermeer collection. 

The proud guard. 

We've seen these ceremonies in many countries. The young men who guard are the best...all pride and polish for their country. 

Moving along, we saw the tallest building in Taipei called "101” because it has that many floors. It was built in 2005 and was the tallest in the world for a short time. That honor now falls to the Burj Kalifa in Dubai. 

The huge building dominates the city center with office space and high end shops and stores. Taipei is a world class city. 

Cutest Dog

I love taking pictures of cute dogs. And this little guy should win an award. 

I believe he's called a Lion Dog. He knew he was cute too as a lot of folks were paying him court. 

Guam

We landed in Guam yesterday. It was a fantastic stop. The last time we were there was in 1986, and a lot of changes happened in the intervening 28 years. First and foremost, Guam became cleaner. Gone was most of the mold that decorated the houses and buildings. It was replaced by fresh paint! What a huge improvement

We visited the University of Guam where we taught, and I did not recognize the campus. Somewhere along the way a few typhoons blew down some buildings and they were replaced with shiny new structures. 

This is the new College of education. 

And the new College of Business. Two first class buildings. 

We also visited our old apartment complex, which was one of the taller buildings on the island, now it's towered over by high rise hotels and office buildings. 

The Alupang Cove is still a nice place to live and the views are still good as it overlooks Agaña Bay and the Philippine Sea. We have never lived anywhere else with such a spectacular view. 

We did some site seeing too by visiting Talafofo Falls. When we lived there it was a hike in the jungle to get to the falls, and a hike back out. Needless to say, we never did it, as the jungle is steamy, even in the dry season. April is the dry season, and we had a very hot humid day for a jungle ride on a gondola which carried us to the falls in non-air-conditioned splendor. The gondola did have 4 hand held fans which did provide a modicum of comfort. 

While not Niagara or Iguazu, they are very nice, considering Guam does not have many rivers.

We saw beaches 

And latte stones (which might have been used by the ancient Chamorro as supports for houses...but no one knows for sure) 

               

We also saw a few OOGs (only on Guam), like this sign at the community college

Where else can you find a Betel Nut free campus?

Most important we saw an old friend. Dottie picked us up at Apra Harbor and drove us all around the little island. She took us to lunch at Shirley's where the other DrC had their famous "hot and spicy Spam fried rice," which he loved a lot.  Dottie showed us around with great style! 

She was the perfect topping for a wonderful day.

Tumon Bay

Plaza de España

Let's go to the Beach. 

Earning My Cape

All super heroes seem to have a cape. I've declared myself to be the "super hero of crocheting," and now I have the cape to prove it. 

I made a black sparkly one for "formal" occasions, and 

Lavender and white one for more "sporty" events. I have no idea what the "super hero of crocheting" is supposed to do, so I guess I'll have to wait for the perfect "bad guy" to avenge. In the meantime, it's all great fun.

Middle of Nowhere

We are in the North Pacific somewhere between Guam on the west, Hawaii on the east, Midway to the north and the Marshall Islands  to the south. The sea conditions are slight, which means the waves are about 18 inches high or less. That's a real quiet sea. We have sailed 4345 miles from LA and we still have over 1200 miles to go before we reach Guam. 

Here's the view from our starboard (aka the right side) balcony.

If that's not exciting enough, here's the view toward the front of the ship. 

Like I said, we are in the middle of nowhere. 

The IDL

Yesterday we crossed the IDL. We did not see anything different. We did not experience a "bump in the road." Life went on normally except for one thing; Friday became Sunday! We skipped Saturday completely! Folks on the ship who had a Saturday birthday could not celebrate it as the day never happened! In case you are wondering, the IDL is the International Date Line. We even received a nice certificate saying we made this momentus crossing. 

We've crossed the IDL before and we will cross it again on this trip. When we fly from Osaka back to the US we will cross the IDL again. For an event you cannot see, feel or hear, it always has a big impact on the mind. 

Sea Daze

What do you do when you are at sea for days on end? The answer is easy...you play, rest and relax. I crochet, read, play games and watch people. I also walk about 2 miles every morning, just to warm up. Now that we are in the warmer climes, I.e., tropics, walking is a joy. It's warm and the sea is relatively flat. In other words, we are doing what Princess wants us to do. We are "escaping completely" (which is Princess' motto).

Land Ho

We saw land today, after 5 days at sea. I awoke early and witnessed a Honolulu sunrise from our balcony.

As we approached Oahu, Diamondhead was in silhouette ,covered with a wreath of clouds. Ever so slowly the sky lightened and shades of pink emerged. All along, our ship moved closer to the pier..

Honolulu was backlit 

Then a scrap of light brushed the water, before

A flash of sunlight blazed through the clouds. 

A good way to start the day! 

Honolulu is not a sleepy port city. It's a huge thriving city with lots of high-rise buildings. 

We spent some time on shore, wondering why everything was so still. Our sea legs are not needed on dry land. Back on the ship in the afternoon, where we have 9 sea days before our next stop on Guam. 

Honolulu

Tomorrow! Five days at sea...one day on shore. All is good!

Another Blanket

I'm finishing up a lot of "things" as we are getting ready for a long cruise. This time we'll head for Osaka, Japan on a Trans-Pacific voyage. It's a repositioning cruise that has only a few stops, and the stop we are looking forward to is Guam. 

One of the loose ends was this blanket. 

The nice folks at Project Linus gave me 2 shades of gray yarn, that looked awfully bland, so I perked them up with stripes of color. I think it made a neat design. I'm bringing a lot of yarn on the cruise, as we are going to have lots of sea days. In case you did not know, sea days are perfect for crocheting, and reading, and hot tub soaking, and relaxing, and talking to people, and playing, and having fun. 

Watch this spot, as I'll be posting pictures along the way.

Branching Out

This is the year of the baby blanket! I've made 6 so far.  I decided it was time to try to make something other than a blanket and I did. 

      

Last night I created a bootie pattern! Soon it was followed by a cap. The booties are tiny and too cute for words. I don't know how practical they are, but it does not really matter. I'm sure they will be used once or twice. Next item I'll work on is a baby sweater. These are good projects for the next cruise. If you would like the bootie pattern, just ask. 

One More

Add one more teddy bear blanket to the "list" of projects. 

While we were on the ship, I crocheted a white and pink teddy bear blanket that I gave to Elena who was in charge of the "Captain's Circle" for the ship. She loved it a lot. 

That blanket led to another one...which I finished last night. 

If you would like the pattern for this crocheted blanket just ask.

Morning Moon

                   

I started walking before the sunrise and I was greeted with a full moon dimly shining in the western sky. The pre-dawn sky was painted "sky blue pink." 

                     

Then off to the east, the sun inched it's way over the mountains with a glowing yellow arc of light flashing across the sky. Breath taking beauty. 

iOS Update

Apple did a good thing and updated the operating system for both iPad and iPhone. I'm generally leery of upgrades because sometimes they are not improvements. I did not think iOS 7 was an improvement from iOS6. Given that, after I "upgraded" my iPhone 5 to iOS 7, I did not upgrade my iPhone 4. 

My story is different if you are running iOS 7. Get the update! It's a huge improvement. They changed the font color from medium gray to black. I can finally see the letters clearly. They also changed the color contrast on the keyboard, making it easier to see too. Navy blue was added to the color font for the address book, better delineating lines and numbers. Folder color was changed too...it no longer blends in with the wallpaper making it easier to see folders. On the iPhone they changed the look of the phone dial, again, making it easier to see. I'm sure other "fixes" are included, but the fixes I can see are worth the 10 minute installation time. 

I'm guessing a lot of folks, me included, complained about the lack of contrast between the background and the font color. They listened and made some much needed improvements. If you have not downloaded iOS 7.1 and you are using iOS 7,  make the change. I think you will be pleased with the outcome. 

A Bit of Water

It's amazing what a bit if rain can do! The ponds are getting filled up.

 The grasses are starting to green up. And best if all, the spring flowers are beginning to bloom. 

The first rock rose of the season is viewing for attention as 

the African daisies are also in bloom. We need lots more rain, but this is a good start. Too bad the rains came in February and not December.