Hawai'i & The Final Days

Hawaii was a great last stop on our journey. In many ways it seemed
like a baby step back into America, but in other ways it seemed just
as foreign as some of the other countries. I found myself so curious
about the ways that Americans behaved, and continued to view the
passersby through a very observant lens. After the ship was cleared,
Annie and I set off to see the Pearl Harbor memorial from our ship's
location in Honolulu. We joined some other SASers and took a cab to
the memorial. It was really interesting to go to the museum, and I'm
glad I sacrificed a few hours of beach time to see an important piece
of American history. At the museum I think I learned more about Pearl
Harbor than I had throughout all of the years of history classes. The
coolest part was going out to the Arizona Memorial and seeing the oil
tears rising from the wreckage, and the colorful little fish swimming
around. After Pearl Harbor we went to Waikiki Beach to get some sun
in, but stopped at Duke's for lunch. It was so nice to have American
food again. I had a huge plate of nachos. After a few hours of lying
on the beach, one of Lauren's friends from DU who is a Hawaii native
came and picked us up for dinner. Then we went back to the boat to
change and spent the evening hanging out with Andy and a few of his
Hawaiian friends.

The next day I had to wake up early to go skydiving! I spent most of
the morning hanging around the skydiving building and only a few
moments actually skydiving. I think it was one of the best ways to
finish out Semester at Sea. We drove to the North Shore of Oahu, and
the weather could not have been more beautiful, though it would have
been really cool to go through a cloud while freefalling, though there
weren't any. I was strapped tightly to the licensed skydive master, so
I felt much safer. I didn't have to worry about anything except not
chickening out at the last moment. The small plane we flew up in was
maybe the scariest part of the whole experience. The view, however,
was fantastic. As we circled repeatedly gaining altitude until we were
up to 14,000 feet, the panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, pristine
beaches and lush forests was breathtaking, although that could have
been the altitude as well! The hardest part was watching the first
diver, an older man who was licensed, so not going tandem, jump out of
the plane and just float, or rather, fall away from the plane. Then I
sat on the edge of the plane with my hands crossed across my chest, we
leaned forward and soon we were tumbling into the air! I hadn't
expected to turn somersaults in the air, but we definitely did a few
before the mini stabilizer parachute went up. The following minutes of
falling and then floating once the parachute went up were absolutely
amazing except the harness felt like it was going to pull my legs off.
Landing was no big deal and soon enough the whole thing was over! I
was so glad that I paid extra to get photos and a DVD of my skydive,
so I will always be able to relive it!

After I went back to the boat, I rode the bus to Waikiki to meet
Lauren and Andy. Then we headed to Diamondhead, a volcanic tuff cone
where we took a hike up to the top to take in the view. After we
returned to the bottom we enjoyed a Hawaiian Shaved Ice before heading
back to the boat.

Overnight the boat sailed to the big island of Hawai'i. We were ported
in Hilo, but there was nothing impressive about it. I immediately set
off, with Zach, Zach and Kyle to rent a car then headed to a sports
bar where Lauren was watching the Broncos play. We had a delicious
Mexican lunch next door before heading to the other side of the
island. On our way through the island we stopped at the Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park, but it was overcast with low fog, so the
visibility was very poor. We walked around the park for a while,
checking out lava tubes and a steaming lava field, before heading on
our way to Kona on the other side of the island. We took another stop
at a black sand beach called Punalu'u and wandered around. Here we
befriended local Hawaiians who were having a picnic and joined in a
game of throwing javelin-esque sticks at another stationary stick,
trying to pierce the standing stick. When we finally got to Kona we
checked into our hotel, where we had a one-bedroom apartment. Lauren
and I settled into the bedroom, changing into our suits and heading to
the beach. We caught the sunset and watched surfers enjoying the
fading daylight's waves. Next we went to dinner at the Kona Brewery
which was delicious, and I had nachos… again! From there we met up
with a bunch of other SASers in Kona and enjoyed our last night on land!

The next morning I had a delicious acai bowl for breakfast and we
headed back to the boat, this time taking the route that went over
Mauna Kea. The road was super bumpy, but I still managed to fall
asleep on Zach's shoulder a time or two. When we got back to Hilo we
returned the rental car and went back to the boat.

That night, before we left Hilo, we were called into the Union. Here
we were told that a large swell was approaching the Hawaiian islands
and we would be going back to Honolulu instead of beginning our
journey to San Diego. The details weren't clear yet but it was so
exciting to get another day, except for the looming finals that would
start in two days.

Back in Honolulu, Casey, Stephen, Brad and I ventured out for a good
breakfast and ended up at The Original Pancake House, which started in
Portland! I had amazing macadamia nut pancakes, and tropical juice.
The rest of the day I spent studying, knowing I couldn't afford to
spend a day unproductive at the beach with finals the next day. We did
go out for dinner, to Duke's in Waikiki. The next day we didn't set
sail until nearly 3:00PM so I actually took some of my finals while we
were still in Hawaii.

The rest of the voyage was bittersweet and busy, filled with long
nights of studying until finals were over, which were then replaced
with long nights of spending all my fleeting moments with the friends
I had made. It was so sad to be packing up, and all of my treasures
refused to fit into their allotted spaces. The last fun event on the
ship was the Ambassador's Ball, which included a very nice dinner and
a fun dance!

I will never forget the places I went, the friends I made, the social
issues I saw face to face, the poverty and injustice faced by many of
the citizens of the countries I visited, and the many things I learned
about myself along the voyage. Semester at Sea was the most incredible
experience in my life to date, and I am eternally grateful for the
opportunity to experience the world in such a wonderful way.

Stephanie@Sea

"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and
avoid the poeple, you might better stay at home"
-James Michener

Japan

Arriving to Yokohama, Japan was certainly bittersweet. Japan would end
up one of my favorite ports, but alas, it would be the last foreign
port on my journey around the world. Our boat ported in Yokohama. We
decided to spend half a day exploring the city before moving onto
Tokyo. Carrying our large backpacks we disembarked the MV Explorer and
went through a very stringent immigration checkpoint, which included
digital fingerprinting and having our picture taken. Casey, Stephen,
Cat, Missy, Andrew and I ventured out into Yokohama, which was a very
calm and clean city. We wandered into a complex that had Starbucks,
Cold Stone Creamery, various bakeries and some retail shops where we
grabbed a snack. It was evident from the beginning that Japan would
not be a cheap port. We had plans to go to the Landmark Tower, but on
the way there we encountered a small theme park and couldn't pass up a
ride on the roller coaster. After that, we continued our walk to the
tower. Once we found it, we headed to the 69th floor in the fastest
ascending elevator in the world! Once inside the observatory, we saw
beautiful views of Yokohama and even caught a glimpse of Mt. Fuji.

Next Stephen, Casey, Cat and I bought our train tickets to Tokyo,
which was only a 25-minute train ride from Yokohama. We found our way
to the Yokohama subway station. It was all very overwhelming—the
packed station, the array of different veins in the underground
structure leading every which way, the bustling crowds, the language
barrier. It didn't help that all the subway maps were written in
Japanese. Finally, we figured out which line we needed to be on,
bought our tickets, and went upstairs for a delicious pizza lunch. I
really loved grabbing pizza at every opportunity throughout the
voyage. After lunch, we found our platform after some asking around
and jumped on the train to Tokyo! Our first views of Tokyo were very
exciting. There were lots of big buildings and shops and restaurants
on every corner. The weather and look of Tokyo reminded me of Portland
with the trees changing color and the grey skies.

Our first mission in Tokyo was finding our hotel so we could drop our
bags off. We arrived at Tokyo station and couldn't figure out which
subway line we needed to get onto that would take us to our hotel.
After asking a bunch of people who pointed us in different directions,
one man caught our drift and personally walked us to the correct
subway station, showed us how to buy our tickets, and put us onto our
subway line. I was surprised at how kind this man was, but soon found
out that many of the Japanese people were ready and willing to help us
find our way around.

We found the correct subway station to get off the train at for our
hotel in the Akasaka neighborhood in Central Tokyo. Once we were out
of the station we again looked at the passersby and put our best
"helpless lost tourist" faces until a woman with perfect English
stopped to ask if we were lost. She quickly directed us to our hotel,
which was only a 5-minute walk from where we stood outside the subway
station. We had plenty of restauruants around us and we were very
central. Once we arrived at our hotel, it was already mid afternoon.
We looked around our surrounding area and then decided to start
getting ready for our first night in Tokyo! Most SAS kids were going
to be in Tokyo the first night, but none of our phones worked in
Japan, so we all decided we would meet up at a club called Camelot in
Shibuya. Casey, Stephen, and I got ready early and went our for a
delicious sushi dinner. I had to breathe out of my mouth the entire
time because of the overwhelming smell of fresh seafood, but my
vegetarian rolls were delicious. Our waiter was an adorable older
Japanese man who, using limited English and enthusiastic hand
gestures taught us a few Japanese phrases. It was a great first
dinner. By the time we were back outside, the already crisp Fall air
had become quite a bit cooler, and I was happy to have a jacket with
me. In so many of the countries, jackets and sweaters were left
untouched, save China… where the more bundled the better was the
underlying theme.

We hopped onto the subway to find our way to the Shibuya station,
where we would get off. We were pretty unsure where the club was from
there, so we found a group of Japanese students who showed us where to
go. We apparently chose the right night to go to Camelot because it
was "ladies night" which meant free admission for all of the girls!
Pretty soon all of our friends began showing up and everyone danced
all night. It was so much fun! We even made new Japanese friends to
dance with! The subway was closed by the time we left, so we took a
cab back to our hotel where we got about an hour of sleep, but not
before a delicious "midnight" snack of some McDonald's. This would be
the first of many Japanese McDonald's meals.

At 6 am, Casey and I woke up and went to the Tsukiji Fish Market,
which was only open from 5 – 8 am. We walked around looking at all of
the fresh catches and watched the fishermen bring in their fish from
the port. It was very interesting to see all the types of fish people
bought. The market didn't even smell bad because everything was so
fresh. All of the Japanese people carried around small straw baskets
that they would take their purchases home in. We then went to
Starbucks for a yummy breakfast and back to bed when we got to the
hotel. It was nice to use the internet at the hotel, and Stephen had
brought his computer so I took the chance to get in touch with friends
and family via Facebook and Skype when I woke up.

Once we were a little more rested, we prepared for our day of
exploration. We went back to Shibuya and walked up and down the busy
streets and went in and out of small shops and malls. Then, we found
our way to Yoyogi Park. This may have been my favorite part of Tokyo.
The park was filled with all different types of people – old to young,
children playing, people practicing dances and plays, dancers,
families strolling around – it was so much fun to watch everyone's
activities. Here, we met some guys from the US who were shooting a TV
show all around the world that is a play on different countries'
stereotypes. It is called 2x and will be on TV in 2012. We watched
guys dressed up as Godzilla and the power rangers do many stunts. They
even took a picture with us, so who knows, maybe we will be movie
stars in 2012!

After the park, we headed back to the hotel because we had planned on
meeting Missy and Andrew at our hotel that afternoon. We got ready for
the night. We decided to eat at the Italian restaurant that was inside
our hotel and sat down for what was a really great dinner. I had
tomato-gorgonzola gnocchi, YUM! Then, we headed to the Tokyo Ice Bar!
Many SAS kids made reservations in advance, so there were about 10 of
us all together at our time and about 10 more of our friends who came
in about an hour after us. Upon our arrival to the bar, we were suited
up with warm capes with hoods and pockets to keep us warm. I was
wearing sandals, so I was able to get some boots as well! They were
full on hiking boots that I'm pretty sure would fit an NBA star. The
outfits were so hilarious. Once we were suited up, we entered the bar
that was fully made out of ice, from the chairs to the bar to the
glasses. Fun techno music played throughout our time there. We were
allowed one free drink with our admission, so I ordered the "polaris"
which was a very pretty turquoise color. We had so much fun taking
pictures and dancing around in the bar, but then it began to get very,
very cold!!! After an hour, we were asked to leave because the next
group (more of our friends) had arrived. We all went to a diner to
wait for the other group to be finished so that we could all go out
together.

When they were finished, we met up once again and decided that the
best thing for such a big group (about 30 of us in total) was to do
karaoke!!! Right down the street we found Big Echo and rented out a
room for an hour. The room consisted of a U shaped red couch, a table,
and a flat screen TV at the front of the room. We were given huge
songbooks to pick songs out of as well as 2 microphones. We sang
everything from Spice Girls to Jimmy Buffett to Taylor Swift. It was a
blast! I had so much fun listening to people sing. When our time was
up, we went to an apartment that one of the groups were staying in and
hung out there for a bit before going to another bar down the street
in Roponggi. It was very small and hot in there and it was getting
late, so we headed back to the hotel.

The next morning we had to check out, so we packed up all of our
things and headed to the Imperial Palace in the Ginza area. First, we
walked around the gardens of the palace, which were huge and also had
many great views of the city and Tokyo Tower. I couldn't figure out
why, after 45 minutes of walking, we had found no signs of the Palace.
We joked about what if we accidentally weren't at the palace. Then,
after stopping a tour guide, we realized that was precisely what had
happened, and we were in the Imperial Gardens, not the actual palace.
It wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be…we couldn't get very
close because it was heavily guarded, but we did get a few good
pictures.

After all of our sightseeing was over, we decided to head to the train
station where we jumped onto a bullet train headed for Kyoto. The
train took about 3 hours and was so much fun – that thing really moved
quickly! We sat back and ordered lunch aboard the train and each took
a little nap. Before we knew it, we were in Kyoto. When we arrived, it
was dark and rainy—very Portland-esque. We walked to our hotel,
checked in, and went to dinner inside the hotel. Another group was
staying in our hotel, including some of the girls I had grown closest
to on the ship. We met up with them and just hung out in the hotel
that night. It was nice to have a relaxing night and stay dry and warm!

The next morning, we got up early, went to breakfast, and began our
tour of Kyoto. One of the girls had a travel book that took you on a 5
kilometer walking tour, so we followed that around to many temples,
famous streets, parks, and to see Geishas. I loved Kyoto. It was what
I imagined Japan to be like – traditional and beautiful. Also, the
leaves were in the midst of changing colors for fall, which was very
beautiful. We had so much fun wandering throughout the old town and
seeing all of the great sights.

We walked from our hotel to Gojo-zaka where we visited a temple before
climbing Chawan-zaka, or Teapot Lane, which was literally filled with
teapot shops. At the top of the hill we came to Kiyomizu-dera with its
unmistakable pagoda rising against the skyline. We paid an extra 300
Yen to descend into Tainai-meguri another entrance with spectacular
views and extended sightseeing. After we left we walked down the hill
to Sannen-zaka a cute street lined with old wooden houses, traditional
shops and restaurants. Here we ate pizza at a cute restaurant
overlooking a beautiful Japanese zen garden.

We continued to shop our way along the route, but eventually we split
up into shoppers and non-shoppers. Eventually we arrived at Ishibei-
koji, which the walking tour said was perhaps the most beautiful
street in Kyoto. The cobbled alley had traditional Japanese
restaurants and inns on either side. The intermixed geishas didn't
hurt the feeling of being in traditional Japan. Next we walked almost
directly across the street to Kodai-ji, walking up a large flight of
stairs. While we were up on the hill we also visited Ryozen Kannon, a
memorial the worl'd's unknown perished soldiers of WWII. Unfortunately
the memorial was closing right when we arrived but we did pop in to
take a picture of the large Buddha statue behind the memorial before
we left.

A few minutes later we found ourselves in the middle of Maruyama-koen
park, home to Kyoto's most famous cherry tree, which wasn't in bloom
in late-November. As we were cold and hungry, we didn't stay at the
park for too long. Then we walked downhill into the grounds of Yasaka-
jinja, another huge plaza with many ornately decorated pagodas and
other traditional Japanese buildings. We went back to hotel to pick up
our bags and then got on train for Kobe

That evening, we got onto yet another train bound for Kobe, where our
ship was ported. Kobe was a great city – it was like a smaller Tokyo!
We got back in the late evening, got ready and went to a bar called
Second Chance that was giving SAS kids all you can drink for $20. It
was ridiculous. The bar was tiny and so many kids were there, but it
was still really fun.

The next morning I was determined to go see one of the beautiful
castles that were located near Kobe. Two of my girlfriends from the
boat agreed to champion the last day in port and maximize our Japanese
experience. Lauren, Annie and I headed out on the train from the boat
(The train station was attached to the port terminal where our boat
was docked). The train line weaved around the edge of mainland Japan
where we passed many bridges that connected to the other Japanese
islands. When we got to the Himeji stop we got off and had lunch at a
French bistro where I had corn chowder and a delicious pastry. From
the restaurant we walked about half a mile to the castle. The castle
was built in 1346 and was a combination of beautiful stone and
woodwork. The castle was still in great shape and much of the detail
work is intact.

Everyone was sad to leave Japan because it was our last foreign port,
but I'm glad that I was able to see so much of the culturally rich
nation.

Stephanie@Sea

Hong Kong, S.A.R.; Beijing and Shanghai, P.R.C

November 11, 2009:

Hong Kong, S.A.R.

First of all, there is only one thing I disliked about Hong Kong, and
that is not having more time there. With the magnificent towering
buildings, plethora of designer stores, beautiful beaches, bustling
nightlife AND English speaking citizens, there was really nothing to
dislike about Hong Kong. We were strongly encouraged to wake up and
watch the ship sail into the port. I woke up at around 7AM and went to
the 7th deck to see the ship pass many of the small islands that are
part of the Greater Hong Kong area. Immediately I saw the huge
skyscraping buildings. Just about every big name electronic company
had it's name plastered on a waterfront building in Hong Kong, or
Kowloon across the water, where our ship ported.

As part of the trip that would take me to Beijing, the Great Wall and
Shanghai, the daytime of my first (and only) day in Hong Kong was
spent taking a tour of the city of Hong Kong. As we exited the ship,
instead of walking down the gangway, we used an airport like walkway
that went directly into the mall. At first glance, I noticed only
designer names, and we were in the children's area of the mall: Chloe,
Burberry, Dior, Gucci, etc. When we boarded the bus we were quickly
introduced to the fast-pace of life in Hong Kong. We took the 1.6-mile
underwater tunnel from Kowloon Peninsula to Hong Kong Island. Our
first stop was Golden Bauhinia Square, a lookout point where we could
take pictures of the skyline and the water. Next was lunch at a
traditional Chinese restaurant, East Lake Seafood Restaurant. Although
they made concessions to the vegetarian needs of myself and other
members of our tour group, I didn't feel very comfortable or find the
food very appetizing.

After lunch we visited the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road in Hong
Kong. The coolest part about the temple, built in 1847, was the hive-
shaped incense that hung from the majority of the ceiling space in the
temple. Next we visited Victoria Peak. We took a tram up to the peak
of the 1810 ft. mountain, which is the tallest peak on the island.
When we got to the top we took lots of pictures, and then, after
spotting a Starbucks, changed our focus to enjoying a little piece of
America in Hong Kong.

Our next stop was the Aberdeen Fishing Village. At first glance I
wondered why they had called it a village, as we boarded small
motorized boats to tour the harbor. We were instructed that only ten
"your size people" could fit into each "sam pen" boat, a simple
reference to the difference in height and bulk we saw in Vietnam, and
again in China. Once our tour began, I saw that these boats are the
homes for their owners. The driver of our boat was very funny and
pretended to race the other boats, encouraged us to yell at the slow
drivers, and insisted on taking only Asian tourist-style pictures
holding up a peace sign. Soon our ride was over and we continued on
our tour.

Next we visited Repulse Bay Beach. The beach here was absolutely
beautiful. The swimming areas are blocked off, which our guide told us
is due to high shark populations in Winter. After walking along the
beach we visited the Kwun Yam Buddhist shrine complete with dozens of
statues and a beautiful bridge over the water. A mosaic fish statue at
the shrine was the object of our attention, as we tried to throw
coins, alongside Asian tourists and residents, into the fish's mouth
for good fortune.

Our last stop was a small market. I got a few trinkets, including a
magnet that says Portland Street in English and Mandarin characters.
Apparently it is a street in Hong Kong. The bus took us back to the
boat and we changed and got ready for dinner.

As we pulled into the port that morning, I noticed the sign for
California Pizza Kitchen, which is where we decided to go for dinner.
After a delicious meal of pizza, which I have had in every country
(except India, where I had to settle for shipboard pizza), we headed
outside to watch the light and laser show the waterfront buildings put
on every evening.

After dinner we headed out on the ferry for Hong Kong island. We met
up with more SASers while enjoying drinks on a set of stairs
overlooking the water. Next we headed to Lan Kwai Fong, a popular
district for restaurants, shopping and nightlife. I had a great time
hopping between bars and pubs, happy to be off the boat once again.

November 12, 2009:

Hong Kong, S.A.R. and Beijing, P.R.C.

The next morning I finished up my packing, grabbed breakfast and
headed to meet the group that I would travel with to Beijing, the
Great Wall and Shanghai. We boarded the busses and took the hour ride
to the airport. The drive was really beautiful, as we island hopped,
crossing bridge after bridge. The Hong Kong airport was something in
itself, with just as many brand name stores as we had seen lining the
streets of Hong Kong the day before. I even found a Nike sweatshirt
that had a University of Oregon logo on it! Soon, with magazines and
snacks, I was prepared for the three-hour flight to Beijing. The best
part of the flight was the stretching and exercise routine played on
the small overhead TVs. Upon arrival, it was clear that the 80-degree
day in Hong Kong would be our last warm day for quite some time, as we
met the 0 degree Celsius air. There was snow on the ground and I
quickly pulled on the sweatshirt and jacket I had strapped to the
outside of my backpack.

As we drove to our hotel I was reminded of home so much, where winter
evenings are cold and dark, and the temperatures low. Upon arrival to
the Hua Yu hotel in Beijing we dropped our stuff and headed out for
dinner on our own. We wandered down a nearby side street, with a
recommended destination in mind, but stumbled upon another Chinese
restaurant where a bunch of our guy friends were eating. We walked
inside and our whole group sat at one big table with a huge glass lazy
susan in the middle of the table. The owner of the store, a small
Chinese woman spoke VERY little English, but we communicated through
hand motions. The restaurant had three very overweight resident cats,
which the woman spoke to and scolded like children, which was very
funny. After a dinner of rice and veggies, what I would eat for the
majority of my stay in China, we headed back to the hotel. I settled
into my bed, with the head all the way turned up, to watch a little
TV. Soon I made the discovery that none of the channels were in
English, and went to sleep.

November 13, 2009:

Beijing and The Great Wall of China

Our first stop the next morning was the Silk Market. Although the
shopping stop was initially for a later part in our trip, the frigid
temperatures had encouraged our guides to rearrange the schedule, and
I am so glad they did. We were instructed that this was the shopping
trip to get warm clothes for our upcoming visit to the Great Wall,
where it was 10-15 degrees colder. Some of the kids in our group had
brought a single sweatshirt as their outerwear, so some people had
some serious shopping to do. I bought gloves, the most ridiculous and
oversized earmuffs, a puffy vest and a hat all of which came in very
handy on the Great Wall. After we were all back on the bus, we were
detained in the parking lot for a long time, which our guide told us
was due to having to re-register our plans with the government.

Our next stop was Hutong, a Beijing neighborhood of narrow alleys
joining traditional courtyard Chinese residences. We had lunch served
by a family, and ate in the upper floor of their house, which was very
special. They gave us each a gift of a Chinese knot. After lunch we
took a rickshaw tour through some of the hutongs, stopping to point
out particular architectural features on the buildings. Next our
rickshaws took us to the Drum Tower where we heard the drummers sound
their beats signaling the time. Then we left on our drive to the Great
Wall of China!

We took the "speedy way" to the Jinshanling base of the Great Wall,
and the ride was about two hours. The first view of the Great Wall was
through steamy smeared windows, but was nonetheless very exciting!
When we arrived at the base of the Great Wall we hurried up the steep
slope where the bus let us off, and took sunset pictures on the Great
Wall. We got off the Wall for dinner and the bus drove us to another
part of the Wall where we would be sleeping. We hiked for about 45
minutes in snow and ice, under a magnificently clear sky filled with
more stars then I have ever seen before, to the watchtower where we
would spend the night. We enjoyed Nan Jing beers and talked outside of
the tower, sitting on the Wall for awhile, but eventually I got so
cold that I decided I would try to sleep.

We were each provided two sleeping bags and two sleeping mats, but
these accommodations were far from sufficient. The amount of clothing
I was wearing made it extremely difficult to maneuver my way,
especially with my Uggs on, into an Asian-sized sleeping bag. Zipping
up the sleeping bags was difficult as well, and the choice between
using clumsy mitten-ed fingers or clumsy frozen fingers was a toss-up.
It seems as soon as I had positioned myself, semi-comfortably into the
sleeping bags on the hard stone floor, I had to use the bathroom. I
debated whether or not it was worth it to get out of the, not warmth
per se, but certainly warmer environment of my sleeping bag, but I
feared that I would wake up in a panic later in the night and not be
able to remove myself from my mummified state in time to rush outside!
Actually going to the bathroom was an experience in and of itself. I
took my pump-operated flashlight and peered out of the tower in one
direction, but found CRAZY people who had actually decided to sleep in
the open. The other direction was clear, so I proceded that way. To
say that the steps were even, or the stones secure, would be a blatant
exaggeration. The stone steps were covered in ice and wobbly, and each
step was about two feet higher than the one below it. Once I had
descended the stairs, I faced a new obstacle: trying not to slide down
the icy slope. Eventually I found a sufficient stone handhold and peed
on the Great Wall of China. Thanks to all of the water, Coke and Nan
Jing, and a fear of the anxiety if I woke up and needed to go
immediately, I repeated this lovely adventure every hour or so for the
remainder of the night. The general strategy of our group was a cross
between giant spoon train and puppy pile, all of us trying to retain
any escaping heat from one another. Sure enough in the middle of the
night, after a brief bout of sleep, I woke up practically underneath
one of my sleeping neighbors. Soon enough the morning came. We learned
later in our trip that the temperatures that night were close to 10
degrees Fahrenheit.

November 14, 2009:

The Great Wall of China and Beijing, P.R.C.

Our guide, Serena, woke us up, encouraging us to look at the beautiful
sunrise. We were all nearly paralyzed with cold, but managed to roll
our mats and sleeping bags, gather our things and begin our truly
treacherous hike along the Great Wall to Simatai. The next 3 hours
were spent in a constant rotation between picture taking, careful
walking, time spent on our backs or backsides after slipping, and even
some crawling on all fours. The snow and ice made for an interesting
hike, and the purpose of the wall was clear. If the stones were so
uneven, the Mongols would have to look down, and the Chinese could
shoot them with arrows, etc.

The sights from every angle and every step along the Wall were
absolutely magnificent with terraced farms in the distance, as well as
peak after peak of the mountains that were topped with watchtowers and
the Wall connecting each tower. I took lots and lots of pictures,
knowing I may never get another chance to see the Great Wall.

Finally we reached the end of our hike, crossing a dammed river on a
iron suspension bridge. I purchased a "I Climbed the Great Wall" t-
shirt, and had a metal engraved with my name and the date I conquered
the wall. Next we got in line for the zipline off the wall to Simatai
where we would have another traditional Chinese meal. After lunch we
boarded the busses for our two-hour drive, which I spent napping, back
to Beijing.

After returning to the Hua Yu hotel, we quickly showered and headed
back to the Silk Market. After a short shopping trip, where I bought
metallic Ugg boots, to replace my regular black ones that I ruined on
the Great Wall; who knew they weren't hiking shoes! For dinner my
friend Alex and I ordered PIZZA from a restaurant in the building of
the Silk Market. As we were in a hurry to get to our acrobatic show, I
ate my pizza in a few stuffed subway cars between frantic dashes up
and down stairs, through hallways and turnstiles, through which we
were thankfully guided by Serena. When we arrived at the acrobatic
show the ten people who wanted to attend the show were shown to the
seats Serena had arranged for us, in the third row! The show was
really amazing and very entertaining, complete with crazy stunts like
twelve girls on one moving bicycle, or a man doing a headstand on a
hand-operated bicycle, which he rode on a tight wire. After the show I
went back to the hotel, completely exhausted.

November 15, 2009:

Beijing, P.R.C.

The next morning we woke up early, as we had a great deal of
sightseeing to do during our last day in Beijing. First we bundled up
and visited the Forbidden City, which was mere blocks from our hotel.
To say that it was freezing in the wind-tunnel like complex would be
such an understatement. The wind was absolutely biting, and the
temperatures near or below freezing. Although our guide gave us the
whole talk on the Forbidden City, I was so cold and so focused on
getting through the tour that I absorbed very little. What I did learn
is the Forbidden City has over 8000 rooms! The buildings were all very
beautiful and looked very traditional. Many of them had ornate
decorative trim that was very colorful.

Next we used the underground tunnels to cross the street to Tiananmen
Square, where again, I was too cold to be able to appreciate my
surroundings. I took pictures and then hurried along to where we would
meet the bus. The bus took us to lunch at a Peking Duck restaurant.
This was by far my favorite meal of the trip. We were given very thin
pancake-like wraps, and plum sauce, to make little wraps with
vegetables, rice, noodles, etc. Everyone else really enjoyed the duck,
and I enjoyed the most vegetarian-friendly Chinese meal of my entire
trip.

After leaving lunch we headed to the Olympic venues from the Summer
2008 Olympics in Beijing. We visited the Bird's Nest, and got to walk
around in the stadium. We were unable to go inside the Water Cube, as
it was under construction. After a quick ice cream cone break from the
KFC that was across the street from the Bird's Nest.

Next we continued to the Summer Palace, which was set beautifully on a
nearly completely frozen body of water. We took the tour of the
palace, and I enjoyed a local treat of candied fruit, although I don't
know what the fruit was called. It tasted like a mix of apple and
strawberry, and was red with a hollow white center. After the Summer
Palace we were done with our itinerary but had extra time since we had
toured the outdoor areas so quickly to get out of the cold. We were
given the option to shop some more or see a Kung Fu show. I decided to
attend the Kung Fu show, which was really more like a play with some
Kung Fu scenes. Although I didn't completely understand the plot, it
was still very interesting. The story centered around a young boy who
is supposed to become a monk, but rebels, but then proves his worth by
breaking stone and metal, and then becomes the head monk. After the
Kung Fu show, the bus picked us up, then those who were shopping, and
we headed to the train station.

Upon arrival to the train station, which was huge and unheated, from
what I could tell, we put our stuff into a pile and went to find
dinner. McDonalds was the best of all options. I ordered an ice cream,
French fries and a Coke from a picture menu. The language barrier was
huge in all of China, but most surprising in the train station and at
a Western restaurant chain. We took our dinner back down to the area
where our stuff was, ate, and prepared for our overnight ride to
Shanghai. Soon enough the train was boarding, conveniently at the same
time as the train across the platform from ours, so a mass of Chinese
people, peppered with Americans pushed through five turnstiles, up
stairs, down escalators, and up more stairs to platform 6. The stairs
were next to car number 52, but we were in car number 4, so I enjoyed
the nice walk to our sleeper car.

Each car had maybe 15 compartments, each housing 2-4 beds. The car,
compartments and beds were very clean. Each bed had two pillows and a
duvet, a TV, reading light and ventilation controls. I was so
relieved, since I had heard nightmares about sleeper trains in India
and had no idea what to expect. After a few hours of socializing, I
retreated to my top bunk and fell asleep.

November 16, 2009:

Shanghai, P.R.C.

We were woken up the next morning by the intercom announcing the first
of two stops and then an hour later by the announcement that we had
arrived in Shanghai. We gathered our stuff and met the tour guide on
the platform, boarded the busses and returned to the ship. I had
positioned myself at the front of the bus and ran to the line, to
avoid waiting in the line outside in mid-50 degree rain that reminded
me so much of Oregon. Once onboard the ship I showered and changed,
then had breakfast at the Piano Bar. It took them four tries to get my
breakfast burrito without ham, but I am grateful it did take so long,
or else I might have missed the fabulous announcement that we would
not be leaving that night, but rather the next day at 2:00PM. I would
get to have a night in Shanghai!

We left the ship in hopes of riding the elevator to the top of one of
the huge buildings that filled Shanghai's skyline. We decided on the
Shanghai World Financial Center building. Which we soon learned was an
excellent decision. We arrived, and rode the elevator to the 100th
floor of the 1,622 ft. high building. We learned it was actually the
second tallest building in the world, and the highest observation deck
in the world. Also, the building had 91 elevators! We took pictures
and looked around on the observation deck, but it was cloudy and we
only got glimpses of the streets below and other buildings in the
skyline. Both Shanghai and Hong Kong had the massive skylines that I
expected, but Beijing was not the ultimate city that the others were
despite the capital's large population.

Because it was so dreary outside, we decided to stay inside the SWFC
until dinner. We ate at a restaurant called Blue Frog, which served
delicious food, including veggie burgers and sweet potato fries, and
enjoyed some happy hour drink specials. Around 9PM we went back to the
ship with intentions of changing and going out that night, but I was
so exhausted and fell asleep seconds after returning to my room. I was
disappointed when I woke up, but we had a nice relaxing evening, and I
was still recovering from the post-Birthday cold.

November 17, 2009:

Shanghai, P.R.C.

The next morning was the last portion of our stay in Shanghai, but
there wasn't really enough time to explore. My friend Nicky and I
decided to go off the ship to get internet. We ended up going back to
the SWFC and having donuts and tea while using the WiFi. I got to talk
to some of my girlfriends from home which was such a nice experience.
I tried to talk to my mom, but she couldn't get a good enough
connection, which was sad. It made me realize that I have been missing
home, and all the comforts that it provides, like constant and easy
contact with your friends and loved ones. After unsuccessfully trying
to change my remaining yuan currency back to USD, we took a cab back
to the boat, and our China experience was over. It's hard to believe
there's only one more foreign port left to go on my journey around the
world!

Stephanie@Sea

Vietnam

In our preparations for arrival in Vietnam there were a number of very
emotional presentations by some of the faculty, staff and life long
learners who were alive during the Vietnam War. I started then to
realize how little I had been told about the Vietnam War in school,
and how little I knew of it. Someone brought up how it was hard to
think about Vietnam as a country, with the war standing there. But I
didn't see it that way at all. Thanks to a high school friend from
Vietnam and stories from past SAS students about how wonderful Vietnam
was. I can honestly say that Vietnam has been a country to me all
along, rather than a war. Entering a country where so many people's
parents and grandparents had been, although in a completely different
context, made it a very interesting port to experience with the rest
of the shipboard community.

November 3, 2009:

The morning we arrived in Vietnam, we were again strongly encouraged
to wake up and see the ship come in. When I got to the 7th deck to
check out the surroundings, I definitely agreed with the
recommendation we had received. To get to our port in Ho Chi Minh City
we had to sail up the Saigon river. We sailed right beside small
fishing villages and hundreds of small fishing boats. The delta was so
lush and green and the whole trip up the delta was very pretty.

Once we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, I took the SAS shuttle into
downtown Ho Chi Minh City with two girlfriends, Annie and Lauren. We
were dropped off in front of a very nice hotel that was across the
street from a very pretty park. We decided to wander around for a
while with the eventual goal of finding a tailor's shop and going
shopping. Our first struggle was crossing the street. We had been
given a very interesting lesson on crossing the street the night
before. It equated to "close your eyes and walk at an even pace". So
what did I do upon entering the street, I ran. Luckily there weren't
even any cars coming, but I had to fight the same temptation each and
every nerve-wracking time I crossed a street in Ho Chi Minh City. We
wandered for a while in one direction before realizing we needed to
turn around.

Finally we got hungry and decided to stop at a Pho restaurant. Pho is
the special brothy noodle dish unique to Vietnam. The only vegetarian
things in the restaurant were rice and flan, so I had them both along
with a delicious strawberry, pineapple and guava smoothie. Next we
wandered across the street to Ben Thanh market. We wandered around in
the market for a long time, and hardly seemed to see any of the huge
indoor market. We kept seeing these tank tops that said "same same" on
them. Finally we stopped an asked one of the persistent shopkeepers
what the shirts meant. She pointed at each of me, Lauren and Annie
individually, "same, same, same," before turning over the tank and
reading, "… but different". We each bought one, in a different color,
along with a Tiger Beer tank top. After buying some fun jewelry and
complete seasons of Sex and the City and Gossip Girl (for $20
together), we decided to continue our search for a tailor.

That morning we had gone into a few shops, that each refused to do a
dress in such a short amount of time. I was starting to lose hope that
we would find a tailor shop that would be able to make the dresses we
had in mind from the magazine clippings we had brought with us. On our
way to look down another street we stopped at a produce shop, noticing
a particularly hairy fruit that one of the dean's aboard the ship had
recommended we try. We bought a few of them and the owner taught us
how to peel back the hairy, spiny skin and access the sweet grape-like
fruit. He even took a few pictures for us, although he, like many
other Vietnamese, refused to take a picture of three people. Our
interport student had accidentally misspoken and told us not to take
pictures of tree, which confused the entire audience. She soon caught
her mistake though and explained that when you take a picture of three
it is very bad luck for the person in the center, who is believed to
die very soon after the picture. As we continued on our way, we were
so lucky to find a tailor shop not two blocks from the market. After
explaining our dresses, getting measured and picking out fabrics, our
dream dresses were well underway! How exciting!

We were all feeling pretty exhausted and remembered the salon and
massage place that was next to the lunch restaurant and decided to
head there. Lauren and I decided on manicures, pedicures and massages,
while Annie got a facial instead of massage. My manicure and pedicure
were very nice and normal, but my massage was a little bit different.
First of all, the language barrier makes the already semi-
uncomfortable pre-massage conversation nearly impossible, so I simply
guessed the amount of clothes I was supposed to remove and got onto
the table. Things were going great, and I was feeling very relaxed.
All of the sudden the tempo of the massage changed significantly and
the small Vietnamese woman was pounding on me with what, without any
exaggeration, I believe was all of her might. Moments later, searching
for greater leverage or power, she climbed up onto the table with me,
at which point she decided to use my butt as a seat while she
continued to pound on my back. At this point I wanted so badly to
laugh, but held it together. The massage continued nicely, with
slightly less force. Later though, I was awoken from a semi-asleep
state by her once again standing on the table, this time she quickly
transitioned from standing on the table to standing on me. I had
walked on other people's backs before, but never had the action
reciprocated, so this was a very interesting experience. After the
massage was over I had my nails and toes polished and I waited for
Lauren and Annie to be done. There were other SASers in the salon who
I hadn't met before, so it was fun to sit and talk to them. Settling
the bill was the best part of the experience, since all of services
together cost $18. Once we were all ready together, we realized we
were late to meet our friend Aly and her parents who had flown to
Vietnam from Oregon.

After wandering for a while, who knew there is more than one Gloria
Jean's Coffee in Ho Chi Minh City, we found Aly and I met her parents
for the first time. Aly's parents had to go back to the tailor for a
second fitting on their suits; the four of us girls went to be seated
at the restaurant. The restaurant we planned on eating at was just
around the corner from the tailor shop where Aly's parents were
continuing their fittings. It happened to be the restaurant that the
U.S. Diplomat who had spoken on the ship that morning most
recommended. Once we got to Lemongrass, the hostess told us it was
full, but showed us to the other location of Lemongrass, on the 14th
floor of the Palace Hotel, which was beautiful and so nice. It was
really nice to have dinner with parents, even though it just made me
miss my parents. After dinner we went back to the boat to get ready
before going out for the night.

We met up with other friends from the boat who were all headed to the
same club, which was recommended by SASers from past semesters,
Apocalypse Now. It was that evening that I rode on my first
motorcycle. We continued to ride them for the remainder of our time in
Vietnam, and a ride nearly everywhere around the city was $1. We got
to Apocalypse, but there weren't many people there yet so we headed to
a Circle K we had spotted earlier for some drinks and then back to
Apocalypse Now. The night was so fun, and the Semester at Sea kids,
and crew, truly TOOK over the club.

November 4, 2009:

The next morning I decided to show up to the bus of a trip I hadn't
signed up for that was going to the Mekong Delta. On the trip we
visited "the lifeblood of Southeast Asia". The Mekong river runs from
Tibet through Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. On the trip we
took a long bus ride to the river. On the way to the river, we stopped
at a Cao Dai temple. Cao Dai is a unique religion that many Vietnamese
practice, which worship gods, goddesses and figures from history. The
temple had Jesus, Krishna, Buddha and John F. Kennedy painted
alongside others above the gigantic shrine. When we arrived at the
river, I purchased a grass straw pointed hat, which probably saved me
from a nasty sunburn. Then we took a boat ride on the river, which was
HUGE. We visited an island in the delta, and saw the village life. We
saw the villagers making coconut candy, and saw the jars of snake wine
with dead snakes coiled on top of one another, fermenting. I declined
the invitation to try the snake wine.

We continued to another part of the island by donkey cart. There we
were presented with a plate of tropical fruits including dragon fruit,
pineapple, guava, small citrus fruits and some that I couldn't
identify. In the small covered area where we were eating there were
huge boa constrictors that you could hold. I don't particularly like
snakes, but I've noticed that part of SAS is just having the
experiences in the moment. So I said I wanted to hold it. My friend
Charlie helped hoist the snake on my shoulders. I was shocked at how
heavy the snake was. I had Charlie take a few pictures, and then take
the snake off my shoulders. The snake had just started to swirl around
me, maybe thinking about constricting? Then we left to take a ride on
a small wooden boat, 4 people per boat, through the canals of the
village back to the river where we reboarded our large, and motored
boat to head to lunch. Lunch was very Vietnamese and not very
vegetarian. I had rice, and a granola bar from my bag. The rest of the
group enjoyed fresh rolls filled with pieces of fried fish, from the
whole fried fish that was on a stand in the center of our table. The
lunch was elaborate, but not so fun for me, my tablemates tried to
make it better, and were nice enough to move the fried fish from our
table. After lunch we had a look around. Near where we were eating, a
large water buffalo had completely submerged himself in a narrow canal
trying to keep cool in the 90 degree and very humid weather. Then we
re-boarded our boat to head back to the busses. The two-hour bus ride
back was a welcomed nap period.

That evening we took motorbikes to the Rex Hotel, to get a
recommendation about a dinner restaurant. They recommended Ngon, which
was just a few blocks away. Dinner was really nice, about 10 of us got
to sit at a great big table in the upstairs of the really nice
building, which had sort of a plantation feel with dark wood and white
walls, and lush tropical plants on all of the patios.

After dinner we headed to a club called Gossip on motorbikes. We went
inside, but it was mostly Vietnamese people and for the first time
since we had arrived in Vietnam I felt unwelcome. We didn't stay very
long, and headed back to the boat on motorbikes.

November 5, 2009:

The next morning two friends, Charlie and Annie, and I set off with
the goal of riding an elephant. Ever since South Africa when the first
SASers reported riding an elephant, through India, where even more
people got to ride elephants, I felt a strong need to follow suit. We
went to the Rex to ask where we could find these elephants. Then we
crossed the street to a travel agency to see if they could help us. We
were told a park where we could ride elephants, and were on our way.
We grabbed a cab, since we were told it was a 20 minute drive which is
a little long to be nervously perched on the back of a motorbike. Our
taxi driver was funny, and talked to us in near perfect English the
whole way.

We arrived at Dam Sen Park, which we soon realized was an amusement
park. We paid the nominal admission and started wandering in the
direction the map told us had elephants. The park was huge and was
built around a beautiful lake. On the way to see the elephants we
wandered through an aviary, which held some very large, bizarre-
looking, bald-headed birds along with some fairly large birds of prey
that were out in the open. There were also quite a few exhibits of
caged monkeys, snakes and exotic birds like parrots and quite a few
peacocks.

Finally we arrived at the elephant portion of the park. In a large pen
there were a dozen or so elephants, and one that was already outfitted
with a basket. The three of us climbed into the basket and the
elephant driver climbed on the neck of the animal, right behind his
ears. One of the other park employees took our cameras and snapped
lots of pictures of us on the elephants, which was really nice. After
we got off we fed our elephant friend some bamboo pieces and went
along our way. We decided to wander around the park a little bit more,
and soon we found a roller coaster, which we decided to take a ride on.
Next on our agenda was attending a futsal (soccer) game, part of the
Asian Indoor Games that Vietnam was currently hosting. But first, we
badly needed lunch. After taking a cab to the arena where the game
would be held two hours later, we saw a small outdoor restaurant, and
decided to give it a try. It took a few minutes to communicate with
the Vietnamese woman that the restaurant only served beverages, no
food. We crossed the busy street and wandered to another restaurant.
Up until now, most menus had either bilingual descriptions or
pictures, making ordering simpler. Additionally most Vietnamese in
District I (still called Saigon, where our boat was docked and we had
been for the past few days) spoke a good amount of English. We did not
experience the same luck here. After sitting down on child-sized
plastic chairs, which was particularly fun for Charlie whose <6' frame
dwarfed the chair, we realized that ordering was going to be
impossible. We wandered into a hotel, where we saw people eating, but
were told that the hotel didn't serve food. When I asked why those
people were eating, but we couldn't, the woman whispered that it was
the owner. She offered to find us a place to eat nearby, gave us
directions and an address and we were off again. After about 15 right
turns, and just as many stops to ask passersby where this place was we
arrived. The complex was huge, and seemed fitting for a corporate
retreat or fancy family gathering. We sat down and ordered. Although
my dish came with tofu, and she said it was vegetarian, I was far too
creeped out by the texture of some of the pieces. I ordered plain
rice, and had just that for lunch.

After lunch we proceeded back to the arena just in time for the futsal
game of Iran vs. Turkmenistan. The futsal court was indoors, and not a
turf field, but some sort of basketball-like court material. The game
was fun, but Iranians were badly beating the Turkmenistan team. During
the game Charlie walked over to the big Iran cheering section, made up
mostly of Iranian women with traditional head coverings. He came back
with a flag, and soon Annie and I wanted one too. Not long after we
went to ask for flags, the seemingly leader of the women came to talk
to a very official looking man who was sitting very near the front row
down below us. He turned and looked at us and nodded. Soon she came
back and presented us with pins. After the game was over, the other
women in the cheering section (who I presumed to be athletes from the
matching track suits and organized team cheers) came over and we must
have taken 50 pictures in various combinations with the team. It was
really cool to see how much they appreciated our presence and how
welcoming they were to us, despite language barriers and cultural
differences.

After the game we grabbed a cab back to the boat where we ate dinner.
It was a nice change, especially after the hassle of finding a
suitable lunch spot, to just head to the 6th deck dining hall, and
have food that I knew was vegetarian.

After dinner we grabbed motorbikes and headed to another event that
was part of the Asian Indoor Games: Dragon and Lion Dancing. I was
expecting the competition to be in terms of beauty, and the
presentation to be a slow march-like dance that I have seen in
parades. Instead teams of two to five individuals all sharing the same
costume would race through a variety of different obstacle courses. In
each race particular movements were necessary, which I learned from
the fact that each team used the same moves. The competition was very
competitive and intense. At one point during a flip move, one of the
members in the two-person competition fell and was rushed off on a
stretcher. The routines were really amazing, and my only
disappointment is the fact that cameras were banned, the few pictures
our group snapped were without flash, and didn't capture the moving
dragon dancers very well. It was such a unique experience, just the
type I know I will value for a long time to come.

After a while, we decided we had had enough of the dragons and lions
and headed back to the central area of District I, where we met up
with friends at… a Circle K. It was pretty funny that such an American
institution as a convenience store, showed up in Ho Chi Minh City.
Then we headed to a new bar that we hadn't been to yet called, Le Pub.
Le Pub was a little hard to find and even the concierge at the Rex
Hotel didn't know where it was. Luckily Casey was headed there and
sent me the address. It really was hard to find. It shared an address
with twenty or so other buildings down an alley on a busy street, but
the hunt was well worth it. The small bar had a nice outdoor patio,
fun English-speaking staff and a large collection of SASers. We stayed
there for a while, and Annie and I split a pitcher of some blue
cocktail. My tongue was blue for the remainder of the night. After we
left Le Pub we headed back to Apocalypse Now, where we danced and had
a great finish to our evening.

November 6, 2009:

The next morning, Casey and I headed out with one mission: to shop
'til we dropped. We returned to Ben Thanh market and picked up lots of
goodies: beaded sandals, "designer" bags, funny t-shirts, jewelry, and
North Face backpacks. After our morning of shopping, we had no choice
but to return all of our loot to the boat before continuing with our
day. Once back on the boat Casey and I met up with Brad and Tommy and
headed out for lunch. We returned to Ngon, the restaurant I had liked
a few days earlier. I had a vegetarian noodle dish and the most
interesting egg and noodle patties, called bok thein, that were
DELICIOUS.

After lunch we headed to the War Remnants Museum. Outside of the
museum was a wide array of U.S. Military vehicles. The inside of the
museum held the gruesome stories, pictures, and artifacts of what we
call the Vietnam War, and the Vietnamese call the American War. The
whole experience was very fascinating, but very sad. Then the four of
us went out for a little more shopping, and back to the boat for dinner.

That night we got dressed, and I put on a new dress I had bought
earlier that day. We went to Circle K to get some snacks and drinks
and then to the park in front of the Rex Hotel. Then we saw a woman
selling hats made from beer cans. Casey and I both bough Tiger beer
hats, but sent them home with Charlie, who wasn't going to stay out
that evening.
Our first stop of the evening was Sax 'n' Art Jazz Club, where many of
us observed music for our History of Jazz class. The club was small
though, and we really only stayed as long as was necessary to get
enough information to write our reports. It was cool to use Jazz, and
other subjects as a lens through which to view the similarities and
differences between our own country and those that we visited.

After the Jazz club we grabbed motorbikes to a club named Lush. The
club was very nice and modern on the inside, and the people were so
much more friendly than the night at Gossip. I met a young Vietnamese
man named Pete, who introduced himself and was very happy to have
someone to speak English too. Unfortunately we were getting ready to
leave, and I had to cut the conversation short. Although we didn't
stay long, we ran into a few of the crewmembers including one who was
particularly known for being inappropriate named Florin. He made some
pretty pathetic advances at me and a few of the other girls, which
further solidified our decision to leave Lush.

Next we headed back to Le Pub. When we arrived there were a few of Le
Pub's signature red headbands running around. They were simple strips
of red silky cloth, edged in yellow stitching, with white appliqué
letters. Soon Andrew, a USD student on SAS, presented me with a
headband that said "Happy Birthday", which was a really nice gesture.
It was then, on the night two days before my birthday that we started
celebrating my birthday. I got plenty of free jug drinks that night
and lots of birthday well wishes and hugs. Casey even ran off and
purchased a crown for our planned return to Le Pub the following
evening. One of our Le Pub bartending friends, Vuong, agreed to store
it behind the bar for us! After Le Pub we headed back to Apocalypse
where I met a friend from Germany, Nick. It was fun to get his
perspective on the crazy group of American students that were taking
the city by storm! A friend recommended another bar named Buffalo, so
I headed there with my friend Taylor for a drink. By this time it was
nearing 4:00AM, and the trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels I was taking the
next morning called for a 6:00AM wake up. To say that my night's sleep
was insufficient was a vast understatement.

November 7, 2009:

The next morning brought a dreadful wakeup. Not only had the
Vietnamese food caught up with me in the form of sharp stomach pains
that continued into the afternoon, but also the beginnings of a cold
coming on. After a pastry and some juice in the dining hall (special
meals were available for the trips that left before, or arrived back
after, regular meal times), I took a seat on the bus next to Casey.
The drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels was a welcome nap. Our guide was full
of good background knowledge and funny antidotes to fill the bus ride,
though I think we all just wanted to sleep.

The Cu Chi Tunnels are a large network of underground tunnels that are
part of the larger network of tunnels throughout the country. The
tunnels were important during the Vietnam (or American) War. Viet Cong
guerrillas and their families used the tunnels for combat but also for
communication, hospital, food and weapon storage and living quarters.
These operations saved many from death or extreme effects of Agent
Orange. The entrance to the tunnels, which I climbed down into to have
my picture taken, was just slightly larger than a sheet of paper. Many
of the boys could hardly lower themselves to their knees in the hole.
We also looked at a display of the types of booby traps and pits that
the Viet Cong used, all very gruesome, but no doubt effective. The
extremely difficult to detect tunnels were a source of frustration for
the US operations and were crucial to the eventual defeat of the US.
The Cu Chi section of the tunnels is 75 miles long. The visitor area
for tourists includes above ground representation of various aspects
of life in the tunnels. We also saw the outdoor museum, where you
could buy a round of assault weapon ammunition to shoot. Casey and I
chose to split a round of AK-47 bullets. The gun was incredibly
powerful and, despite our headphones, deafeningly loud. There were
adorable old Vietnamese men there to help us, though the weapons were
mounted so there wasn't much guidance to be given. After the shooting
range we went to have a sample meal, though the lunch and dinner
offerings give a better idea to what. Last we had a sampling of the
tunnels, though the portion we crawled through had been expanded in
width and height to accommodate the slightly larger body size of
foreign travelers. I was combating various body ailments and anxiety
about the small and dark space was not a welcomed treat, though I
didn't want to miss out on the opportunity.

We headed back to the boat and I laid down for a well-needed nap. At
the midpoint of the day, I wasn't sure that I could make it back to Le
Pub for Le 21st Birthday Celebration. Due to my uncertainty, some of
my friends didn't end up showing up later. That was one example of how
tricky international communication could be. I had no choice but to
venture out to pick up the dress I had made, and by then I was feeling
better. Casey, Brad and I met Lauren, Megan and Annie at the dress
shop, where I had to give some final directions for the last set of
alterations on my dress. From there we headed to Le Pub and begun Le
Celebration in full force. Many SAS people showed up and it was fun,
with my crown on, to be the birthday girl (even if it was a day
early). The staff at Le Pub was so much fun, and between them and the
friends who arrived throughout the day, I enjoyed a wide variety of
drinks to celebrate the occasion. It was a really special birthday,
and I'm so glad I got to celebrate with so many friends, both new and
old. My friend Lauren left for a few minutes but came back with the
most beautiful bouquet of flowers that she had placed in a Bacardi
drink jug. Our friends at the bar told me to take it with me, so I
accepted the gift. The whole afternoon was filled with fun times and
laughs and lots of pictures. Casey, Lauren and I headed across the
street for a pizza later in the afternoon, but soon after headed back
to the dress shop, and then to the boat.

Although we technically did not leave Vietnam until the next morning,
Lauren and I sat on the 7th deck that evening in our new formal
dresses with a few friends talking about all of our good times in
Vietnam. I was not expecting the few short days in the country to be
filled with as much historical education, good shopping or great
times, but it was surely a visit I will not forget. This is one of the
few countries, with the exception of Morocco, where I wish I had done
different things. I wouldn't have changed anything I did in Vietnam,
but I would have loved to go to Ha Noi, Nha Trang or Cambodia, as the
stories and pictures that resulted from other people's travels to
those places were truly amazing.

Stephanie@Sea

India

October 23, 2009:

The morning we ported in Chennai, India was one of the first times I didn’t get up early to watch the boat pull in, and that may have been for the better. The industrial port in Chennai was not the cleanest, nor did it have the bluest skies. With a trip leaving at 2:30 I decided it was better to stay on the boat, rather than feeling rushed during my first few moments in India. After lunch on the boat I took a quick walk out on deck, curious about how the poor air quality would really feel while breathing. Next, last minute packing, and preparations for our trip!

When I finally got out to the busses, there was only space left on a converted trolley car. The novelty was fun, for about 3 minutes, at which point the ride started to become long and hot. As we drove through Chennai to the airport, I got my first glimpse of India. The streets were overrun with vehicles of every sort, driving with little regard for one other… with the exception of the horn. Drivers took care to use their horns, loudly and frequently, to convey a variety of emotions and expressions. After arriving at the airport we breezed through security, where they didn’t seem to care about liquids at all which was very bizarre. Soon enough we had boarded our plane and were on our way to Delhi, India.

From the Delhi airport we continued to Hotel Ashok where we would stay for the next night as well. The hotel was so entirely huge, and very nice. We were greeted by women who gave us necklaces made of natural beads (nuts or seeds) and marked our foreheads with the traditional red dot. We went to our rooms, which were so far from what I was expecting with the flat screen TV, wood floors and nice beds! Then we headed downstairs for dinner, our first meal in India. I was pleasantly surprised once again, the dinner buffet had so many different choices, and nearly everything was vegetarian. Although I did have to be careful about uncooked foods and ice/water, being a vegetarian was easier in India than in the United States since many Hindus are vegetarians. Throughout the trip, my favorite foods were paneer (a delicious cheese and flavorfully spiced sauce dish), doughnut-like fried dessert and the delicious bread naan. At dinner there was a five person band playing for us on a knee-high stage, but they played seated the entire time. After dinner we went to one of the hotel bars, but decided to go back to our room instead of going to the nightclub with some of the others from our trip.

October 24, 2009:

The next morning we were woken up at 4:15 for our busy day of travel. We convened in the lobby, boarded the busses and left for the train station. The train was one of the first times I really realized, “We’re in India.” People were asleep in large groups with lots of baggage all over the outdoor areas of the station. There were young children who were beggars, although this experience was not the worst we would have at a train station. Soon enough our train arrived and we boarded the Shatabdi Express for Agra.

Driving through Agra was much different than our drives earlier through Chennai and Delhi. Agra was much smaller, and the people were going about their lives right before our eyes. We saw the sacred cows doing as they pleased beside, and sometimes in, the road. There were many families walking around and small children that were so cute. Our first stop of the day was Fatehpur Sikri, a large expansive compound of built by Emperor Akbar as his capital. Red sandstone palaces filled the historical city that was constructed by Mughal emperor Akbar beginning in 1570. The surviving palace and mosque are a tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fatehpur Sikri was abandoned in 1585. The reasons for this remain obscure; it is possible that water sources dried up.

Then we left for Agra where we had lunch at Hotel Mansingh hotel where we had another delicious meal of Indian food. After lunch we shopped in the lobby of the hotel. In one of the shops we found shirts that said “Welcome Semester at Sea” with a picture of the Taj Mahal, which was a necessary novelty purchase. We also popped into a fabulous scarf store where I purchased a few luxurious silk scarves.

Next we continued on to Agra Fort, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort, also known as Lal Qila, Fort Rouge and the Red Fort of Agra, has seventy foot tall walls. It is a walled city that surrounded the palace of great Mughal rulers. We were told it is the most important fort in India, and used to contain the largest state treasury and mint. The fort contained the halls and palaces of the Mughals and is at least as old as 1080 C.E. when it was first mentioned. One of the best parts of Agra Fort was the view of the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort’s sister monument only 2.5 km away, which we would be seeing next.

Next we went to the Taj Mahal! The 17th century mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his Queen Mumtaz Mahal. It is known as the best example of Mughal architecture and is truly a grand building. It is also a UNESCO site and one of the man-made world wonders. To get to the main mausoleum we walked through the Great Gate, which was a beautiful structure on its own. The Taj Mahal is sandwiched between two buildings, the Taj Mahal Mosque and its identical twin, a guesthouse. Once we entered the gates, I was shocked at how many Indian people there visiting the Taj Mahal. There were tens of thousands of people, maybe more. After some pictures we walked to the stairs where we removed our shoes and attempted to climb the stairs while hundreds of Indian people attempted to do the same thing, pushing and shoving all the while. After we had reached the main staircase to the Taj, the “line” we were in got even less civilized. After some careful maneuvering, we reached the bottom of the stairs, but were separated as we merged into the crowd. A few steps up I felt someone’s hand on my back, thinking it was one of my friends, I reached behind to issue a reassuring grasp… but realized this was not a familiar hand, but a wrinkly one. Soon, the hand had migrated and was using my pants as a handle, as the old woman tried to get up the steep stairs with all of the other 1000 people on the staircase. Once we were up on the ground level of the Taj, we took a lap, admiring the views from every angle. I was soon approached by a group of middle school aged boys who wanted lots of pictures with me. They thought blonde hair was just about the strangest thing. Soon a grown man with his child also wanted a picture, shortly followed by a group of mid-20s men, at which point I had to break away from the paparazzi like situation. We decided that we didn’t have enough time to go inside the mausoleum, and spent our last Taj moments snapping pictures as the sun set in Agra, India.

We returned to Hotel Mansingh for dinner, where we experienced more of the customary short power-outages that occurred daily while we were in India. We left the hotel for our train. The train station in Agra was one of the worst situations I encountered in India, and maybe the moment where I was the most painfully aware of the poverty that exists in India. Got to train station, this is when the kids were so bad. Girls fought, men would start shining your shoes if you weren’t careful. At this point my patent leather shoes looked like they really needed it. At one point there were close to twenty beggars preying on our group, and it was one of the worst feelings trying to ignore them. Some of them had disabilities, which we learned were sometimes inflicted by the bosses of their gangs to encourage feelings of pity and money as a result. At one point, two of the young girls got into a fight. They were hitting and scratching, until one girl bit the top of her younger friend’s head, at which point the younger girl started crying. The tour guide and the train station security were soon there addressing the problem. Thankfully the train arrived not long after the fight. We got back on train and I did the traveling no-no, I plugged in my iPod. With earbuds in and a scarf wrapped around my head to close out the light, I finally fell asleep. Upon our return to Delhi we returned to Hotel Ashok and went to bed.

October 25, 2009:

The next morning we got to sleep in a bit longer, until 6:00AM and had breakfast at the hotel. We left the hotel with all of our bags for a tour of Delhi before our flight to Varanasi, the holiest city in all of India for the Hindus. On our tour we visited the Birla Temple, also called Laxminarayan Temple, which was built in 1622 in honor of the goddess of wealth Laxmi and also Vishnu, one of the three main gods of Hindu. I enjoyed looking at all of the shrines and paintings, and wandering around the bright yellow and red building. Next we went on a drive down the main strip of Delhi along Rajpath, meaning King’s Road, where we saw the War Memorial, Parliament House, Secretariat buildings and the official residence of the President of India. These grand buildings looked much like the large buildings you would see in any capital, another time where it was hard to remember that we were in India.

During our flight I looked out the window and saw an expansive mountain range. Curious, I asked the flight attendant who, like most Indians, spoke very good English. Then he told me that those were the Himalayas in Nepal, which is very close to where we were in India at the time. I thought that was so cool being able to see such a foreign faraway seeming place.
After we arrived in Varanasi we checked into Hotel Radisson Varanasi. Driving through Varanasi was much more along the lines of what I had expected of India, in contrast to the big city feel of Delhi. We had lunch in the hotel, more delicious Indian food, then had free time to get settled and nap if we wanted to. We decided to have cocktails in the lobby before heading out to a trip to the Indian Art Emporium where silk ties and scarves, rugs, woven wall hangings and customized clothes could be purchased. I picked out some of the most beautiful silk scarves.

Next we had a rickshaw through the main drag of Varanasi. Casey and I barely fit in the back of the rickshaw and easily doubled the weight of the poor Indian man who had to drag us around. Traffic was really crazy and at some points I just had to close my eyes. We took the rickshaw to the top of a large set of stairs that led down to the Ganges River, a holy river for the Hindus. We had arrived at the Dasaswamedh Ghat, a platform overlooking the Ganges just in time to see the Ganga Aarti, a simultaneous ritual performance by a number of priests on individual platforms and the lighting and release of small tea light set upon flowers into the Ganges. The priests light wicks and incense and perform a long ritual to express humility and gratitude to the gods.

After the ceremony was over we returned to the spot where we left our rickshaws. It was hard to differentiate between our rickshaw and the 100s of other male Indian rickshaw drivers, but eventually he found us! He was really a powerhouse of a rickshaw driver and we ended up passing nearly everyone and returning to the bus very quickly. Even though I’m not sure he spoke much English, I think Casey and I communicated well how good of a time we were having! Unfortunately one of the girls in our group got lost coming back from the ghat, and we were stuck in limbo wondering what had happened to her while we waited, and waited, and waited. Finally she called our guide from the hotel, her rickshaw driver had gotten lost and the only address she could find was that of the hotel. We then were able to return to the hotel where we had another nice Indian meal.

After dinner we appreciated the dance floor the hotel had set up for us, although we were hard pressed to find any new songs. We danced to a lot of Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and Michael Jackson. However, at 11:00PM the hotel insisted the music must stop, as well as the jumping up and down on the dance floor, as we were disturbing other guests. We headed upstairs for a small hotel get together, and eventually headed to bed in the wee hours of the morning.

October 26, 2009:

The next morning we had another 4:00AM wake up call, but this time it was to go see the Ganges River at sunrise. We left in the busses to the Ganges River where we boarded two boats and sailed up and down the river as the sun rose over the opposite river bank. During this time, many people were approaching the banks of the Ganges to do their morning bathing, light more of the floating votives and attend or perform cremation ceremonies. As the holiest Hindu site, to be cremated on the banks of, or floating down, the Ganges is of the highest significance. We learned that the poorer people who cannot afford the cremation ceremony sometimes just swim into the Ganges and let the river take them. We saw a few people swimming but I hope they were just enjoying their morning bath. Our guide warned us that we should not take pictures of that portion of the ride, and sure enough we passed a few cremations. We also saw part of dead body floating down the river, which was unpleasant and haunting. The Ganges is considered so holy that a vial of the river water is kept in every household and a trip to bathe in the Ganges is part of every devout Hindu’s life, they even drink a mixture of Ganges water, urine and lemon juice at the Hindu wedding ceremony for good health and wealth!

After we left the Ganges, we went back to the hotel for breakfast. Then we packed our stuff and boarded the busses for our tour of Varanasi. Known as “The Heart Beat of India” it is recognized as the oldest living city in the world at an age of over 2500 years. Then we drove to Sarnath, where the ruins lie of the city where the Buddha preached his first sermon. We visited the ancient monastery and a new Buddhist temple, as well as a museum with many of the artifacts excavated from the ruins of the ancient city.

We continued to the airport, where we were served lunch. Getting back to the boat in Chennai ended up being quite the ordeal, with our flight to Delhi delayed past the departure of our flight to Chennai. Luckily they held the plane, which makes since with 70+ passengers missing. We boarded the second plane finally and I had my last try at getting to a million dollars on the Who Wants to be a Millionaire game on the headset TV screen every airplane seat was outfitted with. That evening we returned to the boat and went to sleep, feeling overwhelmed from the long full days of traveling.

October 27, 2009:

The next morning was spent shopping. We got up and had an autorickshaw driver take us to Spencer’s market, where we could spend the rest of our Indian Rupies and pick up some Indian treasures. We shopped for a while but headed back to the ship after not too long. Riding in the autorickshaw was especially funny with four of us crammed into the backseat of an original Mini-sized vehicle.

India was an amazing place to visit, but a completely overwhelming experience. The intense poverty that I encountered, though only in glances, deeply saddened me. The infrastructure was poor and the traffic bad, but the underlying pace of India in the world’s economy is quick. India is quickly coming up to challenge other world powers, especially China for production and manufacturing. I found that throughout the time in India my opinion was everchanging. It was although the idea of India was elusive, and I wanted to pin India down, but then I would see it in a different way that would change my idea of the country. I loved India it its own way, and learned a lot about the world there. The things I saw in India, the Taj and Varanasi in particular, were so amazing to witness in person.

Stephanie@Sea

“I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad” -George Bernard Shaw

Sea Olympics

October 20, 2009: Sea Olympics

The morning of Sea Olympics, a competition between the various halls on the ship, I awoke to the glassiest water I have ever seen. Although we were moving at a normal pace it felt like we were sitting in a lake or something, a very bizarre sight. The day was filled with a variety of games and competitions. My hall, the Yellow Sea, somehow got assigned red as a color, but we were spirited despite the chromatic confusion. The night before, we met as a sea to divide up into the various games and events that would take place over the course of the day. Some of the events included spelling bee, volleyball, dodge ball, various board games, sweatshirt medley (swimming a lap in the pool while wearing a sweatshirt, wringing it out into a bucket after each lap and passing the sweatshirt to the next person—very funny!), human knot, lap sit, etc. Two of the events I was signed up for were cancelled, but I won my third event, Pictionary! Our sea ended up finishing second, just behind the Andaman Sea. The lucky winners will be the first to disembark in San Diego. While we didn’t win I got to meet a lot of new people. It seems like no matter how social you are on the boat, there are so many people that it may be impossible to meet them all!

Stephanie@Sea

South Africa

October 3, 2009:

The morning of our arrival to Cape Town, we got up early to watch Table Mountain appear on the horizon, not long after the sun had risen. We watched the boat steer carefully into our spot in the gorgeous port area of Cape Town. That day I had a FDP trip to two wineries in South Africa's reputed wine country. Before our FDP we decided to walk around the port area. We walked past beautiful hotels, a huge mall, lots of smaller shops, and a craft market before arriving at Mitchell's, a traditional style Scottish alehouse the faculty, staff and students alike frequented during our time in Cape Town. After local beers, Old Wobbly and Marzan Gold, and lunch, we headed back to the ship so as not to miss our trip to the wine country.

Once aboard the bus, we learned a lot about Cape Town and South Africa from our tour guide. Cape Town has been around since the 1400s when sailors were looking for a sea route east to Asia from Europe. In 1652 Cape Town was established as a halfway refreshment station, and a garden was built to help supply the Dutch East India Company with fresh fruit and vegetables to combat scurvy. A big part of our visit was the significance of the coming 2010 World Cup, the first ever in Africa. Lots of preparations and infrastructural improvements were in progress already to prepare for the massive amount of visitors that will be coming next summer. Before our arrival to South Africa we learned quite a bit about their political past, and some of the past and current struggles centered on race. Although the tour guide did not touch on this, I learned enough in my classes to be aware.

Our first stop on the FDP was Nelson's Creek Wine Estates, in the Paarl region of the wine region outside of Cape Town. We took a tour of the grounds, led by the general manager of the small winery, and learned about the history and production of wine, which was really interesting. Then we were seated at tables, which were thankfully shaded, amongst crates of wine complete with date stamps. While we continued to learn about wine production and management, as well as the marketing and sustainability of the winery, we were led through a proper wine tasting. We were also given delicious crackers and cheese, which I happily nibbled on. I had a lot of fun on what was my very first wine tasting.

Our next stop was Backsberg Wine Cellars, a larger winery, also in the Paarl region. We were led straight into the tasting room where we were seated at an incredibly long table situated between out of use gigantic oak barrels used to age the wine. We were lucky enough to have the CEO himself speak with us about the same operational and business areas that our trip had focused on at Nelson's Creek. A very animated man, who's job is to speak to visiting groups, led us through the wine tasting, which included an award winning (best in the world-1995) brandy and a port wine.

After we returned to the port, we changed and got ready for dinner. We headed to popular Long Street for dinner. We ate at a restaurant called Nando's and then headed across the street to Zula, which had live music that evening. The music was an interesting mix of rock, reggae and later on, a DJ who favored mid-90s semi-hits. Perhaps the most noteworthy part of our night was the ride home, when we drove past a riot, where the police officers had used tear gas. The cab driver didn't know why they were rioting, but said it wasn't a normal occurrence.

October 4, 2009:

The next morning I woke up early. Although I had really wanted to go bungee jumping in South Africa, which has the world's tallest bridge bungee jump, I was unable to because of time restrictions. Instead, I decided to fill my second day with adrenalin from a different cause: sharks. We piled into the large van that had been sent for us and headed for Gansbaai, South Africa the Great White Shark capital of the world. Situated near two islands that are completely populated with delicious treats of African Penguins and Cape Fur Seals, the shark population is large enough to merit the title. The shark company we used was named Shark Diving Unlimited. The owner, Michael Rutzen, star of Discovery Channel's Sharkman, has done more free dives with Great White Sharks than any one else in the world. We arrived at the offices, set in a house, had a wonderful breakfast and waited for the boat to come to the dock. On our way out we saw another boat offshore watching an amazingly large animal breach out of the water, at first we thought it was a shark, and I was seriously rethinking the cage dive. When we zoomed in with our cameras we saw that it was a whale, and the skipper told us that it was a Southern Right Whale. Once we were on the boat we traveled out into the ocean a few miles and the fun began.

First they "chummed" the water, pouring fish blood and guts into the water. We drove in a circular direction honing in on the area where we would perform our cage dive. Soon there were big shadows lurking underneath the boat, sharks! As we approached the cage, which had been left out by the group that went in the early morning hours, we all put on wetsuits. We were given strict instructions on what to do and what not to do. When we say divers down, go down, your head cannot be above the water when there are sharks near the cage. Do not put any part of your body outside of the cage. Do not hold on to the outer rails of the cage. Do not splash. Do not make sudden movements. Stephen was the first from our group to go in, with four other people in our cage dive group but not from SAS. Soon enough it was my turn. I was outfitted with snorkel goggles and a weight belt and instructed to climb into the cage with Missy, Andrew, Andy, Nikola and Aly. Right when I got into the water there was a shark approaching and I had to go underwater. Between my weight belt and the over the head wetsuit, I was having a lot of trouble breathing and asked to be brought out as soon as the shark was done. For a second I wasn't sure if I could really go through with the shark dive.  I readjusted my wetsuit, and to give myself more breathing room I didn't zip it all the way up. Then I got right back in. The next 10 or so minutes were absolutely amazing. One of the crewmembers on the boat would throw out a large fish head (basketball sized), and tease the sharks to get the sharks to swim close to the cage. Andrew had an underwater camera, so I will always be able to remember what the experience was like. The sharks were amazingly big and very graceful. There were a few times in the cage when the shark swam right against the cage. Although the railing we held on to was about a foot inside the cage, I slowly peeled my hands off the bar and held them back… not wanting to get nibbled on! Being on the boat while others were diving was equally amazing. When you're in the water you don't see all of the sharks circling, only those that are fairly close to you. Also, the most amazing part of seeing the sharks from the boat was when they would breach, biting for the fish heads. There were a couple of times, thankfully not while I was in the cage, when a few of the sharks decided to take a nibble on the cage. How terrifying! After each of the three groups took two dives we headed back to shore. The whole time the skipper had been videotaping the sharks, and our group, and while we had lunch (including the best split pea soup I have ever had!) he compiled it onto a DVD. We all watched the video, and our group decided to buy one and split the cost since one of the boys knew how to burn DVDs. Then it was time to head back to Cape Town. We were all so exhausted from the constant adrenalin rush.

After we got back from shark diving, Missy and I went shopping. I bought a safari outfit and hat from South Africa's REI equivalent. Then we went to the craft market. Although we browsed nearly every stall, I only bought a few bracelets. Then we headed back to the boat to get ready for dinner.

Once everyone was ready for dinner, we headed out to pick a restaurant. We settled on a place in the Victor and Albert Waterfront mall area, called Cape Town Fish Market. We shared a few bottles of wine, a handful of us now considered ourselves connoisseurs after our wine tasting from the previous day, and wanted to try even more of the famous South African wines. The restaurant was a seafood place but also had a significant Asian flair. I had vegetarian sushi, edamame and an Asian noodle dish. After we left the restaurant we again headed to Mitchell's, where we saw one of our ship-board deans. Some of our friends even took shots with them! I think it's fair to say that would NEVER happen at any of our home universities. We didn't stay out too late since our safari was leaving the next morning!

October 5, 2009:

The next morning our safari group met near the gangway on the ship, before departing for the airport. The airport, like other pieces of infrastructure is undergoing serious renovation in preparation for World Cup 2010. We walked through security without any worries, and the water bottles we had forgotten to empty weren't even noticed. We waited at our gate before boarding a large bus that drove us out to the tarmac where our plane was waiting. The plane was also a new experience for me, with two propellers on each side. Once we departed Cape Town we had a two-and-a-half hour flight to Kruger Mpumalanga airport. Upon arrival our safari dreams started to come true. The airport was exactly what I could have imagined. It had a traditional straw type roof and looked like a large lodge.

We met our driver, whom we convinced to stop for food and beverages before heading to the lodge we were staying at. Everything was fine, until we got pulled over at a checkpoint, and our driver discovered he had an outstanding ticket. One of the boys agreed to pay for the ticket, and the driver said he would pick us up and pay him back, which he did. After the period of excitement, we continued driving and driving along the two-lane road. Our first animal sighting was the large pack of goats that our driver drove aggressively towards, honking and almost hitting them. On the plane we had all read the airline magazine which had an interesting article, curiously un-cited, that said there is a growing trend in America to eat roadkill. One of the boys referenced the article, saying if we had actually hit the goats we could have had dinner! In the small towns we passed through there were lots of very skinny cows in addition to more goats.

Once we were within the park, we continued driving on a two lane road to our lodge. Most of us dozed off, exhausted from the previous days of adventure in Cape Town. All of the sudden we were awoken by a sudden change of direction as our driver whipped the vehicle around. He instructed us all to be quiet and pointed out a watering hole flush against the fence. Just over the fence were two rhinos and a hippo laying on its side in the water. We were so excited! Our first safari animals! Once we turned off the road we continued on a dirt road. Just on the way to meet our guide we saw a giraffe, zebras and kudu (an antelope relative). Once we met our guide, we said goodbye to our driver who would meet us on the last day of our safari. We transferred all of our luggage into one of the vehicles, that Kylie was driving back to the lodge, and we climbed into the safari vehicle with Mark, who would be our guide for all of our safaris. Our vehicle drove on sometimes very rough dirt roads through the savannah woodland. We saw lots of birds and game. At the airport I had purchased a fold out bird guide, at my mom's recommendation, so I had a lot of fun identifying the birds.

After a while we pulled over and Mark asked if any of us wanted a beer or soda. Then he unloaded our afternoon snack of vegetables, sausages and dip on the hood of the vehicle. It was at this point that we realized how much better this would be then going on a Semester at Sea organized trip. We continued on our game drive, getting to know Mark along the way. It was clear at the beginning that he didn't understand our sarcastic sense of humor, but soon he adjusted and knew that we weren't being stupid Americans.  As we were heading back to the lodge, we crossed a riverbed and there was an elephant right there, although it ran away we were very close to it for a few moments. It was all by itself which made me sad, but Mark said in dry season the elephants sometimes spread out a bit more to find water. He said that the elephant had probably been digging in the riverbed sand to try to reach water. Poor thirsty elephant!

Once we arrived at Drifter's Game Lodge, we were greeted, signed the register, and shown to our rooms. Alex, a new friend on the boat who goes to University of Miami, and I shared a room. Off the wooden deck, where two chairs sat looking out into the savannah, was a tent/building structure. First we had to undo the monkey lock on the screen door, evidently the monkeys learned how to unzip the screens and had wrecked havoc in the past. Once inside we were amazed at how nice it was. The floors were carpeted, and the beds looked huge compared to our small mattresses on the boat. Although the structure was some sort of permanent tent, we had lots of screened "windows" and the entire entry was screened so we could look out. The best part was the bathroom, which was beautifully tiled and huge compared to the ship bathrooms and had a shower that was open to the outdoors! We were instructed not to leave any toiletries in the bathroom, so as not to lure the monkeys into the bathroom. After not too long the dinner drum played and we wandered back to the lodge.

Once we were all back to the lodge we were led to the dining area, which was across the driveway from the main lodge. The dining tables were set up in a semi circle with the chairs on the outside facing the fire in the middle of the large circular dining area which was fenced in with a tall grass fence and covered with sand. We were seated and served. This would be the beginning of the delicious NON-SHIP food we enjoyed on our safari! The first course a butternut squash soup with cream, served with amazing home made bread. Next was a green apple sorbet served as a palette cleanser. The rest of the group had warthog step over beans that we were told were Nelson Mandela's favorite! I was served a creamy vegetable dish over the same beans. I was so thankful that they had been able to accommodate me. During dinner we heard hyenas in the distance, although we never saw them. Also during dinner, Missy had leaned too far back in her chair and tipped backwards. This was just the beginning of us loosening up the staff at Drifter's. For dessert we were served a "cooked sister", a fried dough dessert similar to a doughnut, with ice cream.  After dinner they invited us to scoot in around the fire, and we enjoyed tea and coffee and some good conversation.

October 6, 2009:

The next morning we were awoken at 5:00AM by a kudu horn blowing, summoning us to breakfast. We had a prompt breakfast of cereal, delicious bran muffins, soda bread, mango and mixed tropical punch juices, tea and coffee. It is so funny to see how the simple things make the biggest difference in my day, like a good breakfast. Food on the ship is really not good. We departed Drifter's for our second game drive as the sun rose. We had been driving for a while, having seen giraffes and zebras, as well as kudu and antelope. All of the sudden Andrew yells at Mark to stop. We look to the right and there is leopard perched on a car-sized rock, about 25 feet from our vehicle. The leopard looked at us as we looked at it. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life, it was such a beautiful and powerful animal and SO close to us. The leopard climbed down the back of the rock, and then came around, even closer to our vehicle. For a few seconds I was a little scared of what was going to happen. Then the leopard crossed the road behind us and ran off into the savannah. We tried to track it to see it again, to no avail. We continued to drive around for a while, and heard report of a fresh lion kill of a baby giraffe, which we would pursue in the evening. On our way back to the lodge we saw a mommy and baby rhino crossing the road. The mommy was so protective of the cute little baby. It was really sweet to see, especially since they crossed only about 10 feet in front of the vehicle.

After we returned we were served brunch, the entire spread from earlier, as well as a delicious fresh fruit salad and our choice of eggs, bacon, sausage and grilled tomato. After brunch, some of our group headed off for naps, while the rest of us headed to the pool for the afternoon. The pool at Drifter's was made to look like it was all rock, and was really cool. There were tables and lounge chairs around the pool area. We had a great time getting some sun and getting to know one another. The funniest part of the afternoon was probably how we decided to chill our drinks. We had a few bottles of South African wine that simply would not fit in the cooler, so we used the very cold pool to help! Eventually it got hot enough that I jumped in to join the bottles for a bob in the cold water. At about 3:45PM we were told to get ready for tea and our evening game drive.

We changed and headed back to the main lodge where we were served cinnamon and mixed berry crepes and two different types of quiche. After a quick snack we loaded into the vehicle. One of the boys, Andrew, had napped most of the afternoon and then tried to play catch up with the rest of us, ended up passing out for the evening night drive, which was definitely our best game drive of the trip. Earlier in the day Andrew had been our best spotter, with the lucky spotting (pun intended) of the leopard. On our way to see the dead baby giraffe, we drove past another piece of the park that was fenced. Laying next to the fence was a lion and lioness… and two cubs! We sat there and watched them for a few minutes, which was really cool. Not long after the lion sighting, we pulled over for snack: vegetable eggrolls and chicken wings with drink of choice. While enjoying a ice cold Coke and watching the sunset, I got up the courage to ask Mark a question. I was prepared for a no, but when I explained to Mark that I knew how to drive a stick and that I would really like to drive the vehicle, if that was OK, he surprisingly agreed. After snack, everyone climbed back in the vehicle, and off we went. He didn't let me drive very far, and it wasn't anything that needed higher gear four wheel drive, but I would have been prepared I'm sure. How many people can say they've driven a safari vehicle in South Africa, not many I'm sure. We continued on towards the giraffe kill, and although it was too far off the road to really be seen, we saw some jackals eating it. All of the sudden they ran away and when I happened to look back over my shoulder I saw one of the lion cubs running across the road behind us! There was no fence between the lions and us this time! On our long drive back to the lodge, I spotted the most rare of all of the animals we saw on our safari, an aardvark. It was so scared of us bumping into trees and getting stuck in bushes trying to get away from us. At this point Mark started to wonder if we weren't going to actually end up seeing the Battle of Kruger, the infamous video clip of the lions and alligators fighting over a water buffalo, which the boys had jokingly requested since we first met Mark. "With your goodluck, we just might," Mark joked back. After the aardvark we spotted a few waterbuffalo, rounding out our big five! On the way back to the lodge we stopped in a river bed, and did a little stargazing. The stars were so bright and easy to see because there was no light pollution in the middle of the park. The Milky Way was very visible as Jupiter.

After returning, we quickly were called to dinner. The non-vegetarians were served ostrich pate with tomatoes on half of a fresh biscuit, while I was served a biscuit with delicious mustard cream cheese. Next came the palette cleanser of the evening, a delicious pomegranate sorbet. For our main courses we were served beef mince meat, cooked in the style of local Malay people, curry style over rice and brinjal (eggplant) rolls with delicious cheese filling served with vegetables and rice. We again had tea around the fire, this time inviting Kylie to join us. As the youngest member of the staff, she was only 20 years old, Kylie identified more with us than with the staffers. She told us how fun we had been, but how rare it was to have a young group, and that we were definitely the youngest she had seen.

October 7, 2009:

The last day of our safari we were awoken early for breakfast, and quickly left for our last game drive. Before we even left our camp, we saw a giraffe. Mark was giving us lots of attitude the last morning, making the drive even more fun. The giraffe walked into the river bed bordering our camp, and Mark directed us to pursue on foot. With the giraffe in the distance we took pictures. The last of our group to have his personal picture with the giraffe, Mario, had also decided to video a few moments with the giraffe. As he slowly backed up to get even closer to the giraffe without scaring it off, Mark all of the sudden lunged, as if the giraffe was coming at Mario. Mario jumped about three feet off the ground and then turned around, scaring off the giraffe, but realizing that Mark had played his first practical joke! We all laughed and laughed! After we got back into the car, someone asked Mark to do his best giraffe impression, expecting to hear a giraffe call. Instead, Mark lengthened his neck, looked around slowly and imitated the slow, long-legged movements of the giraffe. Again we all laughed and laughed. Mark had finally caught on to our sense of humor, and stopped thinking that we were just acting like stupid Americans. On our drive back to the lodge we saw a bunch of monkeys playing in the trees, which was really cool. They were so acrobatic and playful, hanging upside down and swinging from branch to branch.

Upon our return we had a quick brunch and packed our gear into the other safari vehicle. Saying goodbye was sad, I didn't want to leave. They encouraged us to come back, and if I ever take another safari, I will. Drifter's was the perfect amount of rustic Africa, and luxury hotel. The food was amazing, the beds were so comfortable and the people were so nice! We took a different vehicle, the one the other four safari-goers had been using, that had a seat on the hood of the car. Mario asked if he could ride up there, and the other game driver, Drew, obliged. At some points Drew accelerated to have a little bit of fun, at which point Mario would look back at us wide-eyed. We arrived at the transfer point where our driver met us. Sure enough he had gotten Andrew's money. We proceded to Kruger Mpumalanga airport. Although our flight was delayed, we were given a bit more time to grab lunch (grilled cheese with tomato on wheat bread and a strawberry milkshake YUM!) and buy postcards! We arrived back to Cape Town and the ship safely, but exhausted and a little dusty!

On our safari we saw: bush baby, zebra, leopard, giraffe, lion, rhino, aardvark, wildebeest, kudu, impala, bushbuck, elephant, african wildcat, civet, mongoose, african buffalo (water buffalo) and warthog

We saw the following birds: brown hooded kingfisher, southern yellow billed hornbill (like Zazoo from The Lion King), red billed hornbill, helmeted guinea fowl (which we saw everywhere… pigeon of the savannah, stupid), saddle billed stork, grey heron, cattle egret, black collared barbet, white crested helmet shrike, red billed oxpecker, red billed buffalo weaver, red billed quelea, blue waxbill, cape turtle dove, grey go-away bird, brown snake eagle, hooded vulture, coqui francolin

That evening I went to dinner with Cat, Andy and Stephen at City Grill on the waterfront. The boys hadn't yet had their fill of authentic South African meat, so they had a skewer of warthog, kudu, alligator, etc. I had a vegetarian platter with stuffed mushrooms, mashed sweet potatoes, creamed spinach, vegetable and cheese philo dough roll up. We sat on the patio overlooking the water and Cat and I wrapped ourselves in provided animal skin print blankets. We were directly overlooking a particular ship in the harbor that was made to look like a pirate ship, and had people dressed as pirates operating the bar inside of the pirate ship. I noticed that one of the pirates standing outside, holding a cannon, was a boy from our own ship. We had a great time trying to answer why he was dressed as a pirate and where he got the pirate costume.

From there we went to Mitchell's to enjoy our last night in South Africa. We were all getting sad, and thinking about how we didn't want to leave! Then we decided we needed to try out the pirate ship, but didn't even want to stay for a drink once inside. We did snap a few pictures, but left promptly to return to Mitchell's. We stayed for a while longer, before returning to the boat, completely exhausted!

October 8, 2009:

The next morning a group of us ventured off the boat for one more delicious breakfast. Missy had heard of a place from a friend that was in the nearby mall, that was really delicious. I had a breakfast burrito and delicious hot chocolate, and everyone's meals looked so good! The rest of the group wanted to hang around and use internet, uploading pictures or talking to people from home. I decided I was absolutely not going to waste another final day in port on the internet like I did in Ghana. Since we had arrived in South Africa I had wanted to go to Table Mountain, and after talking to the hospitality desk that was on the ship daily, I decided that I could go alone safely. I ventured back to my room to change into appropriate walking shoes and warmer clothes and left the ship. On my way down the gangway I ran into a friend from USD, Zack, who was headed off the boat. He was going to meet a girlfriend of another USD SASer who I had met earlier that week, and they were planning to head to Table Mountain! Perfect! Zack tried to go on a tour to Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned) at the last minute but Kate, who is English, but traveling around the world and meeting our boat in a few places, still wanted to go to Table Mountain. We met her travel partner, Imogen, and then headed out to find a taxi. We had a great time talking in the cab, got to the bottom of the cable car, bought our tickets and waited in line. While we were in line I got a text message from Zack saying his tour was cancelled and he was coming to meet us with another friend Zack. The Zack's found us at the top of Table Mountain and we walked around taking pictures. My memory card was still full from the safari, but I got a few good shots, and will take more from Zack before the trip is over. We shared a pizza and champagne in the restaurant that sits on the top of Table Mountain, which was fun, but then it grew time to head back to the ship.

After we arrived back at the waterfront we stopped at Mitchell's. Everyone was there enjoying there last moments in South Africa, and feeling very reluctant to leave. We had a few drinks, signed the American flag that was hanging on the ceiling, danced to some American hits played the jukebox a friend from school was controlling, and… bought a Mitchell's jacket. Down the right sleeve, large letters advertise "drinking arm". Although very silly, it will always remind me of the good times we had in South Africa! Eventually we really did have to head back to the ship and got there with only 15 minutes or so to spare.

South Africa was amazing. The cultural understanding we gained before arriving was so valuable to appreciating the changes that are occurring in South Africa. When the World Cup is going on this summer I will be pleasantly reminiscing about all the great times I had while in Cape Town, visiting the wine country, shark diving and on safari in Kruger.

Stephanie@Sea