Manila

 

Today we visited Manila, The Philippines...which makes the 120th country we have visited in our traveling years. (I think this is accurate...I use Century Traveler as my country list, as it turns out there are many ways to count countries.)

 

It has been difficult for us to get to the Philippines as not many cruises visit this port of call. When I saw the itinerary for this cruise and discovered it went to both Guam and the Philippines, I knew we were going to take it. The first part of the cruise covered countries and/or cities we have visited before, but right in the middle of the cruise were two gems...a new country and an old home. Could it get better?

 

 

 

We did not have a long visit in this massive place...did you know that there are enough islands in the Philippines that you can visit ten a day for a year and still have more islands to visit! We had a few hours and chose to see some of Manila. 

 

 

 

Manila has it all...fancy’s homes and malls and dirt poor slums, and everything in between.  We saw a huge construction project and discovered it’s being built by just one family to deal with their various business enterprises. 

 

 

 

At the Ayala Museum we learned about the cultural history of the islands through a series of dioramas (they were exquisite btw). Like Costa Rica, we saw some of their huge collection of ancient gold.

 

 

 

At the US World War II Memorial Cemetery we saw row after row of nameless headstones to the thousands of young men and women who lost their lives in the Philippines. Our guide asked how I was liking the tour and I said the tour was great, but the Memorial Cemetery was immensely sad. So much potential gone in a flash... and for what? Why are people still fighting? When will we learn that battles kill and never completely settle an issue. 

 

 

All too quickly our time came to an end and we boarded the Coral Princess in time to celebrate Halloween on board. It’s going to be a spooky night! Most of the crew are dressed in costume and having a grand time. It’s time for a bit of fun.

 

 

 

Halloween on the South China Sea

 

The ship is decorated for Halloween. There are orange and black balloons hanging everywhere...as well as cobwebs filled with spiders and their creepy crawlies. We are going to have a party tonight.

Spooky!

Yutu

There’s a bit of a fly in the ointment ... a typhoon called Yutu has reared up his head. It’s supposed to make landfall in the Philippines before we land there in 2 days. Right now we are dealing with the vagaries of the storm with medium seas and a little bit of swaying. Princess has changed our course so we are not in the brunt of the storm and they are doing a good job. Do some research on Typhoon Yutu to find out more. I’m doing the same research but my internet connection is not as good as yours. If you find anything send it to me in a text message. I’ll get it in due measure. The weather is an issue but we are still enjoying our time on the ship...don’t worry about us. 

Hong Kong

 

The view from our balcony

 

We just docked in Hong Kong. A city a lot of folks have been waiting to see...the problem is you can’t see it right now. The skies are gray and somewhat drippy and a mist is covering the city. You can see the first row of skyscrapers, but thereafter it’s like looking thru an impressionist painting. No it’s worse than that...an impressionist painting has color and form, this has gray on gray and while there is some form, it’s misted over. I’m glad I’ve been here many times as I’m not disappointed. For the first timer, this is not the welcome to the city they were expecting. BTW it’s warm and there’s not a breeze in the miasma...it’s just gray and dull.

Same location as before...still the gray

When I teach photography I tell my students, you get the day you get, not the day you want. My lemonade out of the lemons. Today we have to make some lemonade!

 

 

Drummers

 

We were drummed out of Okinawa and it was a real treat. After a “hard” day we were resting when we heard a thump...only it was not the thump of an American drum, it was deeper and harder. Then we heard another and I said “I think there are some Japanese drummers outside.” We went to our balcony and listened to tribal Japan. The best part was a tiny drummer who was carried to the dance floor. He was placed at his spot, and proceeded to drum and dance with the rest of them. 

 

A great way to end our stay in Okinawa.

 

Okinawa

After a day at sea where we became a bit more acquainted with the Coral Princess, we are now stopped in Okinawa. I found the hot tubs, swimming pools (indoor and outdoor), the golf links, basketball court, the gym and spa—also found the good coffee bars, the ice cream station, the various dining/drinking venues, etc. We’ve been on Coral P before, but it was so long ago, we are learning her anew. Our cabin is on deck 12. It has a nice balcony and an excellent attendant who will leave tomorrow. 

 

 

The crossing from Shanghai to Okinawa was very mild. I felt that we were moving but not much more. My type of sailing! We are on leg 2 of a 60 day voyage that started in LA on the 19th of September. A few folks left in Shanghai while a few folks like us, arrived. We are definitely the “newcomers” as we don’t have the history that the 60 day folks have. Given that, everyone seems to be friendly and welcoming to the new group. Last year when we were on a 55 day cruise around Australia, we were the “old timers” who tried to assimilate the newcomers into the group. It only takes a few smiles and friendly conversation. Our table mates seem to be nice folks—there’s a couple of Canada, a couple from Southern California and us. They did a nice job of including us in the group. We seem to have expert waitstaff. Eduardo and Vira were quickly memorizing our names and what we liked and when we liked it...that’s always a treat!

 

 

This morning we are docked in Naha, at the passenger terminal. We need to go thru immigration whether or not we are going on a shore excursion. I don’t remember this much security the last time we were here, but the world was a bit less crazy then. After we go thru immigration we will probably return to the ship as the sail-away is 2 PM. It’s just a short stop, before we make 3 stops in Vietnam.  Posted below are a few pictures of this bustling place. Don’t even think of the World War 2 battlefield, Naha and surroundings are very modern.

 

 

PS...there is a WW2 Museum on the island, that has some revisionist history about Japan losing the battle on the island, and the war. It’s interesting to see the not so subtle spin. 

144 Hour Rule

If you are planning to go to China for 144 hours or less you do not need a Chinese visa. If you are staying longer than 6 days you do. This is a little known rule that really does work...but it’s so obscure that most travel folks don’t know much about it.  

 

I learned about the rule from Princess Cruises as we bought a cruise that started in Shanghai, but immediately left port for Okinawa. I called my travel agent to find out more info and she did some research for me saying it was a good option for a 5 hour stop in Shanghai. I called American Airlines to see if they recognized the 144 hour rule and they did too. My next call was to the Chinese consulate in San Francisco and they confirmed it too. We were good to go using the 144 hour rule and no Chinese visa. 

 

In the meantime, I scoured the web for information and did not find much. Throughout the summer, I kept checking to find more info about this rule. Yesterday I called Princess and American to see if we were good to go and we were.

 

This morning we arrived at our departure airport early and Heidi, the gate rep for American Airlines knew absolutely nothing about the 144 hour rule. At which point I got a little nervous and called the Princess help line.  Patty answered the call and she said we needed to fill out a form and we should have it before we leave...and the form was available on a website. I’m thinking, why didn’t someone tell me this yesterday. I kept my cool, got out my iPad and went online to the website. In the meantime, Heidi is talking to her folks at American to find out more ... and miracle of miracles she ends up at the same website. BTW, it’s a website I‘ve never seen before. We quickly scan the webpage and determine that the plane from LAX would have 144 hour form.

 

About 2 hours later, we boarded the LAX plane and I asked about info for the 144 hour rule, and the flight attendant had no idea what I was talking about. I was getting worried now. What happens if we get to Shanghai and they won’t let us enter the country for lack of a visa? 

 

The flight is 14 hours long. About an hour before landing we are asked to complete an entry form. I ask if this is for the 144 hour visa and I’m told NO. The plane lands and we queue to exit the plane. We are met by a man with a wheelchair for the other DrC and he looks for our Chinese visa in our passports and does not find them. I say we are going to use the 144 hour rule. He says OK and continues to walk to the end of the very long immigration terminal and that’s the first time we see a sign we can understand that says “144 Hour Visa Waiver” on it. Whew! I breathe a sigh of relief. We fill out the white and blue form, wait in line...and finally we see the immigration officer. She carefully looks at our forms, passport and travel itinerary. She looks for an empty page to stick down a 144 hour visa stamp, she takes my picture and then says, go. We left.

 

 

The process was nerve-wracking, yet It was not hard. There was a dearth of info available and we gutted it out. In the end, it worked. Next time, it will be easier.

Watch this Spot

Tomorrow we leave on an adventure. There’s the map...

watch this spot for updates along the way. 

Right now the bedroom is a sea of “just about packed” suitcases. 

Tomorrow we fly to Shanghai!

Big Blanket

I’ve not made a bunch of blankets this year...it’s just one of those things. This creation is for a teenager. It’s soft and cozy and filled with love. I think a youngster will like it a lot.

Teddy Bears

In 2003-2004 I taught at a branch campus of Texas A & M. The department secretary loved to crochet and one of her favorite patterns was this blanket. Since I’m a Teddy Bear afficianado, I asked for the pattern and she gave it to me. I learned how to make the pattern, and if you’ve read my blog, you’ve seen numerous pictures of all the different teddy bear blankets I’ve made in the intervening 15 years. It’s one of my favorite patterns too. 

 

Somewhere along the way I lost the pattern but it did not matter as I memorized it. I’ve been crocheting the blanket for years without the pattern...but I’ve been asked many times if I had the pattern. I tried to recreate the pattern, and that’s when I discovered that it’s difficult to write crochet patterns.

 

Tonight, I was looking at Pinterest and I found the pattern...and here it is, in case you want to make this cute baby blanket.

Thanks go to Roberta Maier for creating such a fun pattern...and thanks go to Pinterest for printing it.

Sunset (not Tetons)

 

It’s hard to beat a fantastic sunset at the Tetons, but last night, we had a pretty good sunset at our home!

Sadly, a sunset is gone in a few minutes, yet the memory lingers. A colorful way to end the day.

 

License Plate

Sometimes you see a license plate that makes you feel happy...

This one had me singing the Mickey Mouse Song all the way to town....

a song I had not thought about for way too many years!

M-I-C-K-E-Y  M-O-U-S-E

 

Lake Oroville in the Fall

 

I try to take a picture of Lake Oroville every spring and fall to check on the water level. This fall the water level looks down about about 75 feet. That means there is room for winter rain, but it also means that there was not a lot of summer rain. Is California in another drought? 

Meet Babbs

 

I met this Biker Dog on Sunday...she was all set to ride her Harley with her person...

Please note, she has her leathers (with her name on them), her goggles, a special leash so she cannot fall, and her own seat.

 Babbs stands for “Bad A** Biker B*tch”...but she was really a sweet dog. She started riding the Harley when she was 6 weeks old...and now she’s 10. She’s no longer able to jump up to her special seat, so she has to wait for her person to lift her up. According to her person, she absolutely loves being on the bike, and hates being in his car. He said, all I have to do get her goggles out and she’s ready to go. 

Sunset in the Tetons

The other night we had one spectacular sunset.

It started with a pink glow in the sky...then...all sorts of wonderful stuff began to happen

The clouds turned gray and orange

Mt. Moran was the backdrop ... and it just kept getting better

What a beautiful way to end the day!

Mira’s DVD

 

We have a new RV we have named Mira. She’s a Grand Design Reflection 303RSL if you want the real “name” of the unit. For the most part we like her, but she comes with a learning curve. We’ve not had a new RV for 13 years, so Mira has 13 years of electronic sophistication that we are now learning. We will learn it, but it’s going to take time.

Tonight I’ll talk about the 48 button DVD remote control. BTW, the size of this 48 button remote control is about the same size a smallish smart phone. The buttons are about 1/4 inch big (or small) depending on the size of your fingers. The buttons are labeled with quixotic abbreviations like “EQ” or “STEP” or “A-B”— Since I wasn’t sure what these letters represented, I decided to read the manual, which I’ve pictured below.

That led to another dilemma. All the manuals for the RV are found in a small briefcase in no discernible order. I believe they were thrown in at random to confuse the buyer. After digging around, I found the manual, and then I found the diagram to the remote control. 

Since I generally read from left to right, I made an assumption that the diagram explaining the remote would have a numbering system that would read from left to right too. I also made the assumption that the first button on the left would be #1...but alas...I was wrong. The first button on the remote was labeled on the diagram “#3” while the next button is “#27” and the next button is “#35” and then we come to button labeled “#1” in the fourth spot. To turn on the DVD you need to press #3. It does not get easier! 

There’s a list explaining what each button does, because it’s impossible to read the micro print on the 1/4 inch button. Again I made the assumption that the list would be in numerical order...but no, the list is in 2 columns: column 1 is for buttons 16 to 28 and column 2 is for buttons 1 to 15, and  29 to 39. There are no explanations for buttons 40 to 48. So much for assumptions.

Then there’s the issue that the DVD player has many functions...AM/FM radio, MP3/MP4 player, USB player, and AUX. So, some of the 48 buttons are for functions other than playing DVDs...and lo to the poor soul who should happen to push a MP3 button instead of a DVD button...because then you get a message on the TV screen that says INVALID KEY.

I would think it would be easy to have different background colors on the remote...white for DVD, black for AM/FM, green for MP3, etc...but no that would be too easy.  Most of the buttons are gray with tiny black print, but there are 14 white buttons with numbers and arrows on them. In addition, 4 buttons have a colored circle around the button...green, yellow, blue and pink. If you look carefully, the green circled button is for the DVD player. These 

“Ringed” buttons are not explained in the manual. I guess it’s something that I’m supposed to know from previous experience (or something). 

BTW, the Furrion Company makes this wondrous device or maybe it’s the “Infurrion” company because folks who try to make sense out of the remote can get  infuriated with the company.

I will  learn how the remote works as we use the DVD a lot in our RVs. Give me a few days to figure out the logic of the system, if indeed there is any logic to it at all. 

AH...the joys of a new RV!

Wait till I tell you about the automatic leveling system ... or igniting the fireplace ... or understanding the thermostat ... the list of new electronics goes on and on. Despite my frustration, I am enjoying my new toy!

Wonderful Wyoming

We were driving to Dubois, WY when we saw this massive mountain dominating the view. I have no idea what the name of this mountain is...but it’s mighty pretty.

The fall colors are on display...the aspens look like flames amidst the conifers.

And then we saw pronghorn...or antelope...(hunters call these critters “goat”)

The Oxbows were also dressed for fall. It was a grayish day, and Mt. Moran still looked beautiful!

Change

The aspens are “burning” with color

The deer are foraging in the last of the wildflowers

Fall in the high country.

Rare RV

As you might know, I have a recreational vehicle or RV. I like RVs. I like to look at them. I like to explore RV possibilities...and I really like to camp in RVs. Given that, I like to look at unusual RVs too. This weekend, I saw one of those rare and unusual RVs. Only 28 were made...and they were made between 2003 to 2006. You might wonder what it is...

...It’s an Airstream SkyDeck.

I’m sorry I did not see the sky deck in operation, but this is a 2 story motorhome. According to the description I found on the web ... 

The “Skydeck”, the industries only mobile marketing rooftop patio deck, is almost double the square footage of a motor coach for entertaining and leisure. The “Skydeck” simply opens in 30 seconds by pressing two switches, complete with cushioned seating for 15 people, automatic raising safety rails, a king size sun lounger, stereo, wet bar, coolers, and yacht umbrellas. (full length upper canopy available). The roof patio is accessed via an internal hardwood staircase from the main meeting room on the main floor.The “Skydeck” Corporate Business Coach Includes forward meeting/conference room for up to 10 guests, rear meeting room up 4-6, two side entry doors, serving galley, restroom with shower, plasma LCD monitors for presentation, satellite and internet hookups, DVD/CD surround sound system, PA system, etc. Truly, an elegant corporate hospitality experience for you and your guests.

I copied this from the web too...it’s the floorplan for both the upper deck and lower deck. To use the upper deck, you press two buttons and up it goes. But if you did not press the buttons, it was a perfectly functional quite ordinary motorhome.

Well...almost ordinary motorhome with a set of stairs in the living room. It’s a Party Barge. I’ve only seen one of the 28. If you should happen to see one of these rare RVs on the road, take a picture of it and send it to me.

(Sources: http://www.doityourselfrv.com/airstream-skydeck/, 

http://www.airstreamclassifieds.com/ads/2006-airstream-skydeck-390-sd-39-wisconsin/

 

 

 

Yellow Leaves

On the cusp of green to yellow...waiting to

To cover the ground with gold

A beacon that bids hello to autumn.

 

High Heels

When you’re two there’s nothing better than wearing your mom’s high heels...even if they are on the wrong feet!

With shoes a mile too big, this little girl clip clopped her way out to the parking lot...

...  climbed into the van as only a 2 year old will do...    

Undaunted, she was NOT going to take off her high heels. I loved it! 

 

Autumn Morn

The wild grasses are yellowed

The sky is dotted with clouds. 

The weather is changing and fall is in the air.

End of Season

It’s after Labor Day and our valley is emptying out—aka the snowbirds are leaving. The weather has changed, the trees are yellowing and the air is cooler. Is it time to go?

My brother left yesterday...      

...and his RV is one of many that are battened down for the winter. Happy Trails snowbirds...we’ll follow you soon!

Golden Leaves/White Berries

The aspens are just starting to get dressed for fall

And the snowberries are ripening for the rut. Fall is definitely in the air.