When Will We Learn?

Today we landed in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. It was a warm gray day with a little bit of "spitting rain" now and again. Not a good day for pictures, but a relatively good day to look at things because it was not too hot or muggy. 

We visited the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. 

It pays homage to the 1/4 million people who lost their lives in the three month long Battle Of Okinawa. Both sides had heavy casualities with the Japanese losing more than the Allies, but no one came out the same again.

The names from both sides are written upon row after row of shiny dark gray granite.  The place is somber and makes me wonder why we are so willing to brutally kill each other over ideology? 

I've been to monuments like this all over the world. They are dedicated to world peace or the end of fighting. There are 3 at El Alamein in Egypt. There are several in Washington DC. From the memorials at Normandie to the solemn battlefields at Shiloh, Gettysburg and Antietem, as well as Yorktown (from our Revolutionary War) all seem to be searching  for an answer that will bring harmony to the peoples of the world. I've come to the conclusion that harmony is an illusion.

Someone always wants to be "top dog" and that means there's always going to be war. 

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Taiwan

We landed at the port city if Keelung, Taiwan yesterday. 

As you can see the tour buses were already lined up to take us on the various shore excursions. There were also independent taxis and shuttles to Taipei, so the port was a beehive of activity just waiting for us to pull along side and bring 2000 people. 

Keelung is small compared to Taipei but it has the same look and feel of most Chinese cities. Tall apartment blocks, devoid of decoration, with small windows and grime. Since we had a gray (albeit warm) day, the grime, mold and general dinginess was highlighted more. 

Overlooking the port is a huge statue 

And a temple

Which were walking distance from the ship. A few folks even made the trek. 

Here's the Sapphire Princess in port. If you look carefully she's now from London instead of from the Bahamas. Does anyone know why she has changed registries? Usually these big ships sail under a flag of convenience, she is now sailing under a well known flag. Her home port will be somewhere in Japan for the next 3 years. We were wondering if Japanese maritime law does not allow "flags of convenience"? Does anyone know?

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.