Around The World In 100 Days!

Reflections on my 100 day trip around the world

2007-07-06T03:23:00.000-07:00

Semester at Sea … The world is our Campus

"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." – Miriam Beard

When I think back on my experiences and how to sum up this voyage, it seems so indescribable. There are so many aspects of the trip, and each one played a significant role in the way I remember the amazing memories. It was one extraordinary event after another. I think the trip had an effect on me in a lot of ways, and will continue to teach me things the rest of my life.

I walked on 4 of the 7 continents … it was 100 days, 2,400 hours, 144,000 minutes, and 8,640,000 seconds full of an adventure of a lifetime! I visited 10 countries, close to 25 cities, and took a combination of ships, planes, trains, cars, buses, motorcycles, rickshaws, bullock carts, water taxis … almost every mode of transportation you can think of! I walked around the world and shook people’s hand from so many different backgrounds and cultures.

I feel so lucky to have been given this opportunity- how many people can say they circumnavigated the globe at 20 miles an hour in college? I have learned so much from each of the cultures, people, sites, sounds, and I don’t think I will ever look at a map the same way again! The countries on the map are not just a name- but they now remind me of stories …of memories … and of tons of pictures!

So if you had asked me before this trip if I would have loved every minute of this trip, I would have told you that I was nervous and really not sure if it was going to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I was scared to death to leave everything from home, to take time away from an incredible college that has amazing friends and activities that I love, to leave the ability to see and call my family whenever I wanted, and to recount every part of my day with them … that is what I was scared to death to do … and really I was very unsure of my ability to handle what I was getting myself into … traveling the world on a ship with people I had never met before! But now I have realized that I survived and succeeded! I went 100 days around the world- I don’t have a single regret- it was the best 100 days of my life and it will be hard to ever compare anything with this experience … suddenly I see why this means so much to me … it will be an experience that will be hard to recreate and explain fully to anyone.

My family has always had a desire to travel. We save our pennies during the year and plan for a big trip somewhere around the world each summer. It is something we have always looked forward to as a family, and something that I have appreciated more and more the older I get. Each place we travel to has something to offer and learn from. I think this trip has taught me to appreciate the value of traveling even more … the fact that my parents instilled in me a desire to travel, to see the world, and learn about other cultures is something that I will always be grateful for. It has made me a well-rounded person and given me an understanding of what the world has to share. I am very fascinated by people of different cultures and hope to continue the passion I have for traveling for the rest of my life.

This was definitely one of my best semesters of college! My parents helped me to prepare for the trip (and believe me I was prepared- I had done a lot of research on the countries and read message boards and past blogs) but I was not prepared to see what I have seen and experience what I have experienced. This trip was eye-opening in so many ways. I learned so much from my teachers and it was so special having a different kind of relationship with them. It was not unusual to talk with them at dinner, see them in their pjs in the morning, or be on the top deck sunbathing with them! Plus I learned so much from the other people on this ship … most of them are not conservative, not from the south, and see things completely differently than I do. That was a culture shock in itself, so I feel lucky to have been able to make friends and find people I had things in common with. That is always something that can be hard to do and I was so blessed to make some close friends on the trip … we all came from different backgrounds and all had different reasons for coming on the trip, but we all shared the experiences together, and it is something that I can always remember sharing with them.

My roommate always said, “What did I not learn?” This trip reminds you not to be so quick to judge people and their background … we all see things so differently and I think that is what makes the voyage unique. All the things I have seen and the conversations I had with people in so many countries remind me again how lucky we were to be born at the right time and in the right country. We are so blessed. This trip really demonstrates so many reasons why I am proud to be an American and to grow up at this time and to have the freedoms and opportunities that I have. Many of the people in the countries I have traveled to can only dream of having a fraction of what we have …… let alone have the opportunity to travel around the world.

We were outside of the sphere of American influence for several months, and we were challenged not to get caught up in the way we were at home before the trip. The trip definitely opened my eyes to my blind spots about the problems of the world. Ignorance is no excuse, and we learned it is alright to be intimidated by problems of the world. It is our job to have the passion to persuade and convince others to learn about the world. Plus it is important to not to ignore our responsibility to better the world.

There are some things I will not miss. First, is the fact that we had to use military time. By the end of the trip I finally got the hang of the 24 hour clock, but I still prefer our way of telling time. It will not be hard to go back to our clock! But I will also not miss the clock changes! I usually go to bed late and then additionally when we would lose an hour of sleep every other night … that did not help me the next morning! On the ship, time meant nothing to anyone … at home I can not go one day without looking at my planner … knowing what day it is and writing out my to-list for the following day … but I feel like I have gone 3 months without knowing the day of the week or month of the year … let alone what time it is!

I will not miss the potatoes, pasta, or rice! The food was not terrible but it certainly got old like any other cafeteria food! We got almost all our food for the entire voyage in the Bahamas, so most of the food had to be thawed throughout the voyage … that made for some interesting meals! I will be happy to go home to some meals that do not include potatoes, pasta, or rice!

I will not miss the water on the ship- filtered water from the sea … I now have an appreciation for good drinking water! I will not miss using hand sanitizer at every possible second and remembering to take my malaria medicine and pepto before I ate each meal! I will not miss the fact that we were isolated from influences of America- no news, no movies or TV shows, no advertisements … it was several months of separation from so many things that define our culture. I will not miss the 13 min. phone calls that cost an arm and a leg and trying to squeeze in everything I wanted to say before the time ran out. I will not miss the phone cards and trying to figure out how to use a different one in each port!

However, I will miss the 12th port, or the community on the ship … we all lived in very close proximity and formed a close bond together. All the way from the 9 month old to the lady who was 92, we were traveling around the world together and experiencing ports that many of us had never seen before. I will miss the connection I had with those people on my voyage, and the memories we shared together. I miss the 2 minute walk to class. I could roll out of bed and be in class in a matter of seconds! I will miss the wake up calls from the professors … whenever we had a time change, our global studies teacher would make an announcement that class was going to start in a matter minutes, just in case you forgot to change your clock! It was always a great way to start your morning!

I will miss our TV with 3 stations of movies and documentaries. I will miss the ship channel that I found myself watching to see where we were on the map or at what speed we were going! I will miss waking up next to the ocean and watching the sunsets off the back deck as we are ate dinner. I will miss the continuous rocking of the ship and how often it would rock me to sleep. I will miss the gorgeous weather and the view of the ocean for miles around me.

I will miss traveling somewhere new every five days, and looking forward to the excitement when we got off the ship for the first time in a port. I will miss my cabin steward and how spoiled I became when he cleaned our room and made my bed every single morning. I will miss the rest of the crew and their jokes and laughs as we got to know them throughout the voyage.

I will miss the silly moments with my friends and the late nights in our room and the fact that we saw each other nearly 24 hours a day! I will miss comparing events and memories of each port! One of my favorite times on the ship was the night that we got back on the ship after port. We would all gather in our room and pull out our favorite souvenirs to show each other … share pictures, and laugh at each other’s stories … it was a wonderful way to learn even more about each country and get an idea of what my friends’ experiences were and how it differed from mine. I loved that! Those nights were some of my favorite memories on the ship. I will miss my roommate and all the memories we shared over the past 100 days. I was so proud of her because she had never left the country before and was bold enough to travel around the world. I think we each gained a lot from one another.

I will miss getting mail set on my door after each port … mail day was big deal and something we all looked forward to! I will miss the daily announcements from “The Voice,” when we got our latitude and longitude and distance to the next port, plus all the daily activities. I will miss all of the activities when at sea … cutting off Jen’s hair at Neptune Day, and jumping into the pool with fish guts, movie nights, pre-ports, dances, barbecues (where we all ate enough for the week!), meal time, the Sea Olympics- cheering for the Mediterranean Sea, an Easter service from Desmond Tutu and hearing him talk in Global Studies, spending time with my “adopted family” on the ship, the snack bar, the pool deck, yoga on the back deck, the Ambassadors Ball and changing attire several times, waving hello and good-bye to all the ports!

We were challenged every day academically, emotionally, mentality, physically … to the point that you wondered if you would be able to handle another country in a few days with a completely new culture, language, expectations, and sites to see, things to learn, and try to remember every detail that you learned from the experiences … sometimes that was hard, but overall it just made all the memories even better … you were forced to wake-up every morning with a smile on your face and thankful to be on this trip and wonder what the day would have in store. Trust me- I made the most of everyday!

The ship had become my home for the last three months and it felt strange to leave the bubble of the ship … all the people looked familiar and we all went through the same experience … the night I saw the ship pull into the Bahamas I knew I was in for the trip of a lifetime … we would call it our home … it was always a sigh of relief to see fellow students when we were in the port- and I was always glad to be back on the ship after leaving a port … it was a safe haven and a place full of amazing people.… We learned there is enormous disintegration of community in our own country. So community was something that was stressed on the ship, and we learned how to expand our sense of community on the ship, which helped us to expand our sense of the world as its own community.

From the trip I think I gained a more critical eye when looking at the countries and questioning why things are the way they are. I learned so much about family traditions and how families make decisions based on the values they have been raised with. My family professor always said we were looking at the world with different lenses and we were learning how to observe from different points of view. In Brazil, family means more than anything, and in India families are huge and steeped in traditions. There are enormous weddings and large extended families. We studied the Asian cultures and learned how close people are to their families and the importance of children in their culture. We looked at the one-child policy in China, and studied how intense pressure is placed on Japanese students by their families to succeed in school. I have loved learning so much from my classes … because we had to write observations and journals each time we came back from a port, I think it is a different way to see the world … and I hope to continue that when I get home. It has a given me a new appreciation for learning from my environment.

I also learned from Desmond Tutu by listening to his personal stories from South Africa. It taught me a lot about dedication and how much passion it takes to achieve life goals like he has. I think he was a great attribute to the trip. He always reminded us that we have to be more aware of our surroundings and the problems that exist in the world today.

One of the other things we talked about on the ship was universal happiness. It is amazing to think about the fact that a smile and a wave can be universally read the same way around the world. I loved “smiling” at people in each port and getting almost the same reaction. It teaches you to have an understanding that we are more alike than we think.

I also learned about all the educational systems around the world and how I can apply some of those ideas in my classroom someday. And how lucky we are to grow up with the education we are given in the United States. So many countries we visited barely had enough resources to educate half of their students. Or that so many families are struggling in poverty that families cannot afford for children to go to school and children must work on the street. Or in the Asian cultures there are intense tests that determine the rest of their future. The competition is high and they have little choice in what happens after the test results.

My music class was also very interesting. It was easy to find music to listen to or cultural performances in each country because I enjoy those kinds of things. I learned a lot about how music truly defines a culture and is very representative of the people and events in the countries. I would recognize instruments or hear parts of the music that sounded familiar in class. It was such neat way to see the countries because I was focusing in or concentrating on a certain area … plus my friends and I would share what they were studying in each country and soon I had well-rounded view of the countries.

When I go home I will be back in a completely different reality … there will be my cell phone, which just recently I had a hard time remembering the number, remembering how to drive again … having to wear a seat belt in cars … being able to watch TV and go to a movie theater … being able to surf the internet and check email without it being an hour proposition …… drinking fresh water that is not salty ….. knowing that none of my stuff will suddenly shift around my room in the middle of the night …… forget that there is no bargaining allowed when I go shopping and not have to do quick conversions in my head when buying something! Just as soon as I was able to remember the exchange rate for a country, it was time to leave and learn a new one! I am happy to go back to US dollars.

So don’t ask me what my favorite country was or my favorite memory because I would have no idea how to explain … only that the entire trip was incredible!!! I know that many of you will be bored by my stories and not want to see all of my pictures and videos but you can just smile and nod. I learned that the average person only listens for about seven minutes before their eyes start to glaze over! That would amount to about one story from one of the many countries I traveled to. So I will just need to pick a few to share!

The trip definitely had a lot of “firsts” for me! Puerto Rico started the trip off with a bang! I saw Carnival in Brazil- the biggest party in the world! I met Mom in South Africa and we sat on ostriches, fed elephants and went on a safari! I had never heard of the country Mauritius before, and now I can find it on a map and say I toured the whole island! India was unbelievable and I took a boat ride on the Ganges River and stood in awe at the Taj Mahal! Malaysia was different than I expected and I got to go to Kuala Lumpur with my two closest friends! Vietnam was amazing because I did so many things I thought I would never experience- motorcycle rides, crawling through small Viet Kong tunnels, and visiting the Mekong Delta! Hong Kong was fascinating because it was so modern and fast paced! China was incredible because I got to climb the Great Wall again, as well as enjoy the sights of Beijing, like the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City. Plus I made a connection with a wonderful Chinese University student! Japan will always be one of my favorite countries- there is something about the culture that impresses me every time. I visited Hiroshima again and saw the ancient city of Kyoto! Plus I met a close friend, Hiromi, in our port city of Kobe! How can I compare any of these countries? Each one brings so many memories and stories that make each country unique!

On the trip someone gave us this quote, that “The real voyage of discovery does not consist of seeing new places, but of having new eyes.” It truly was a voyage of discovery. There were important life lessons learned and the way we defined ourselves became very visible during the journey. I think many of us surprised ourselves and found ways to gain independence and confidence from the trip. I know that I can take care of myself- I can walk into a foreign country and see the sites. I feel like I was separated from everything I knew and was familiar with, and I survived a trip around the world! Sometimes trying to make sense of all the things I learned can be overwhelming. What a crazy idea- take a bunch of college students- put them on a ship- and sail around the world! It is amazing what they can learn!

One of our professors told us that we would be walking off the ship with the world in our hands. I love that analogy because I think it expresses so very well one of the fundamental themes of the trip. In reality, the world is very small. It is important in today’s day and age to be mindful of that, and remember to keep an open mind. We are all connected in so many ways, and yet sometimes it takes a trip around the world to see that, where you are thrown into varied lands and cultures. Only then can you begin to see the similarities and understand that we all truly want the same things in life. It was a “Times Ten Experience” and holds memories I will carry with me the rest of my life!

“I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list.”
-- Susan Sontag

Pictures from San Diego !!!!

2007-07-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

Looking at the ship in the San Diego harbor for the last time!

I made it off the ship with all my luggage and have a sign from my sister!

My roommate and I trying to squeeze in the car with all our luggage!

My sister and I in my cabin on the ship!

A fantastic day at the zoo!

The polar bear looks to the camera!

Can you guess how many stripes on the zebra?

This was an animal that I had a never seen before! What a combination!

The famous panda bears at the zoo!

He is very good at staring right back at you!

This animal was always sleeping!

The animals were always looking around at all the people!

The leopard with all his spots!

Balboa Park in San Diego!

The beautiful coast of San Diego!

My sister and I visiting the seals!

Taking a trip to visit the beach!

My grandmother, my sister, and I in the city!

Days at Sea After Hawaii….

2007-07-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

Now back on the ship, we had several days of final exams. There was so much happening on the ship every night that it was hard to concentrate and get everything done! The first day was a study day for classes that are on “A Days.” I was able to sleep in a little and then spend the rest of the day studying and beginning to get organized. I had accumulated a lot of stuff the past few months and it was going to be interesting to see how I was going to get off the ship with all of these things! It was going to be a real challenge! So I spent some time packing souvenirs and putting things away that I did not need. Then I had two tests to study for….one for my family class and the other for my music class.

In the evening we had a barbecue for dinner on the 7th deck. It was one of the best dinners during the voyage and very much looked forward to. We had hamburgers and corn on the cob….plus ice cream….a very big treat! It is so nice when everyone is on the deck together and eating a wonderful meal! Later on that night we watched the children on the ship perform a short play for the ship community. It was hilarious … the captain took part in it and helped solve the mystery of pirates on the ship! It was really cute! Then I spent the rest of the evening studying … not my favorite thing to do!!!!

The following day I had my exams….music was really hard - 8 pages of short answer questions … but my family class exam was thankfully not as a difficult. I was happy to have them over and done with! In the afternoon I had my last education class and we had a party and wrapped up the class … it was a nice closure to the class. I really enjoyed my professor … he was very inspirational. I was very lucky to have him as my professor on the ship. The rest of the day was spent packing, emailing, and getting some things accomplished. I had dinner with my adopted family and talked about our day in Hawaii. It is always nice to eat a family meal with them … they even gave us some snacks for our final exam studying!

We also had a bazaar that night where you could buy or sell anything that you purchased on the trip and then decided you did not want anymore. It was so funny to see what people would sell! Candy, clothes, purses, shoes, t-shirts, flags of the countries we visited, the list goes on … it worked out well for people and it was a lot of fun! I spent more time packing and socializing with friends … we planned on spending the last few days watching movies, getting sun, and catching up on our blogs!

The hard part is that I am still on a strange time zone … we continue to change the clocks almost every night and I am still on another time zone. We figured it out to be somewhere between Japan and Hawaii. We go to bed at 5 am because none of us are tired … it is going to be a rude awakening when I get home!!!

The next day I slept in and then went to get a massage with my roommate. Neither of us had one before so we planned this as a treat after final exams. I got a hot stone massage … it was relaxing. I spent part of the day getting some sun outside and then I got in line to get an autograph from Desmond Tutu. The line wrapped all around the dining hall and I was lucky to actually get an autograph and picture!

In the afternoon I went outside to get some sun; then we had dinner, and then went to listen to a speaker. He was from a university in LA and was talking to us about transitioning when we got home and how to continue to use some of the things we learned while traveling. He was a comedian and told some amazing travel stories. It was a great evening.

The next day I spent several hours outside, packing, and the best part was that it was taco day! It is a very exciting meal in the dining hall and people were flocking to the tacos! Plus it was favorite voyage t-shirt day on the ship! Some of the shirts were crazy and I don’t think I had ever seen them before! I wore a shirt from the Taj Mahal!

In the evening we had a disembarkation meeting. We went over the logistics about getting our luggage off and how we would leave from the ship. Then they made a big joke about reentering the US. Just like we had done in any other country, we went over some typical words from the language … hello, what’s up?, hi … plus we went over food customs … be as messy as you want and the typical foods are pizzas and hamburgers! Then we got an update on some of the highlights from the US in the past few months. They went over politics, news, and media news … everyone laughed when we heard the top 3 hits on the radio…2 of the songs we had never even heard of the bands … plus movies sounded so foreign because nobody had ever thought about going to see a movie in three months. Then we heard about the newest updates on TV … American Idol and Grey’s Anatomy.

It was a strange to hear all these updates on topics that I would typically know all about … it reminded all of us how we had been living in this bubble for the last few months … just floating in the middle of the ocean and in our own reality. So as we received a pre-port to our own country, as much as it was a joke, there was some seriousness to the thoughts and feelings about coming home. The fact that reality is going to hit hard and come all too fast … more responsibilities, and tons of stories and pictures to share. It was all coming too fast for me! As much as I want to be with my family, talk to them in person, show them my pictures, see my house and cat, talk to friends, I wouldn’t mind staying just a little longer … maybe even go around the world again!

That evening we watched a slideshow from the ship photographer. He is the one putting together the yearbook, so we saw some of the pictures he had taken in each port. It was fun to look back at some of the pictures from Puerto Rico and Brazil. It seemed so long ago! We also enjoyed picking out people we recognized in the pictures and remembering the places each picture was taken. Later on that night we watched a ship-wide talent show. It was interesting to see what people performed as their talent! There was the usual singing and dancing, but then there were the strange acts that really made you wonder if you had lived with these people for the past few months! It was extremely entertaining and definitely a great way to end the night!

The last day was a blur! I was trying to finish up packing because we had to put our main suitcases out in the hallway. It was interesting trying to squeeze everything in! I think my roommate enjoyed watching me try!

In the evening we had convocation and a graduation for the seniors. One of my close friends was graduating so we all went to watch the ceremony. They gave all the graduating seniors a paper rice hat from Vietnam to wear as a cap. They put Univ. of Virginia ribbons on the hat to make it look like an official tassel! It was a very nice ceremony. Several students shared personal stories, and almost all the academic deans spoke about the experiences of the semester. Each one had something a little different to say, but it was amazing to hear how much everyone enjoyed the voyage and the memories they would be taking home. I am so glad we had the ceremony … it was a nice way to close the trip.

After convocation my friends and I spent the evening together. We took pictures all over the ship and just enjoyed each others company. Some of us even explored the crew quarters of the ship … it was fun to sneak around some areas we did not know existed! I think everyone was not sure what they should do … recap everything that happened or just pretend it was another night on the ship. Finally early in the morning we went to sleep for a few hours in my cabin! Two people were in the beds and the other two were on the floor between them - it was a final slumber party!

A few hours later we had to get up to watch the ship pull in. At breakfast we could see land approaching! We were very close to San Diego! Everyone pulled out their cell phone and started to make phone calls to everyone they knew! It was hilarious watching everyone go down their call list and say hello to people they had not talked to in months! Soon everyone raced to the decks to watch and get ready to scream and wave. Earlier in the week everyone made big signs to hold up when we pulled in! Most people were crying as the ship continued to get closer and closer. Then the ship’s horn started to blast! We could see a crowd of people in the distance! There was no turning back! It was exciting- yet it all came too fast for me! There was so much anticipation and nervousness that I think we were surprised when we finally hit land! But we made it and screamed and waved to all the families below!

The ship had to be cleared by authorities before anyone could get off. Then we disembarked the ship based on our place at the Sea Olympics! The Mediterranean Sea was towards the end, so I had time to wait on the ship. We made more phone calls, ate our last meal, and even took a nap. Finally our sea was called. My roommate and I said good-bye to our cabin and I struggled out the door with an armful of souvenirs! I looked ridiculous! I had Vietnam rice hats on my head, a bookbag, a duffle bag, and carried several more sacks! Getting off the ship was one of the worst experiences of my life- I was not sure if I was going to make it! But I did, and my sister and my grandmother were waiting for me when I got off! It was so exciting! Familiar faces! I got plenty of hugs and kisses! It was so special to have them there to pick me up! I was so happy to see them! One hundred days at sea and one hundred million memories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land.” -- Gilbert K. Chesterton

Pictures of Hawaii and Ambassador's Ball!

2007-07-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

My group out on the deck for pictures at the Ambassador's Ball!

My roommate and I pose together!

My sari blew off, so I threw it around my neck!

Another picture together during the evening!

Eating our fancy dinner at the ball!

The theme of the ball out on the deck.

The buffet where the food was amazing!

I wish I could have eaten the chocolate Taj Mahal!

My friends and I with the Captain!

The Aloha Tower in Honolulu!

The beautiful palm trees!

The Hawaiian leis!

Sunset at Waikiki!

Waikiki beach where we went swimming!

Our last port of HAWAII !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-06-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

I was really excited about Hawaii because it was a break right in the middle of our two-week sail back to San Diego. It was breather before our final exams, and just a nice day to relax at the beach. One of my friends had the winning bid at the auction we had so that she could be the first one to debark in Hawaii. This was a big deal because we only had one day in Hawaii, and those hours were going to go by fast. On the first day we arrive in any port it takes a long time to get off the ship…sometimes it takes until noon….so I was excited that she got to invite a few friends to get off with her.

So the morning we pulled into Hawaii we all had to go through customs because this was our first port back on US soil. That process took a while and then finally we had our names announced to get off first! It was exciting and the camera guy was filming our departure from the ship … one of the boys kissed the ground when he got off the ship.

The other thrilling thing was that was that we got to use our cell phones. When we pulled into port there were about 700 people out on the decks calling their family … it was a funny sight … you would have thought we had not talked to anyone in years! But I had to ration my cell phone battery time during the day because I was not going back to the ship … so that was interesting.

The night before arriving we had a cultural pre-port on Hawaii. I participated in a dance where we preformed some of the traditional hula dances. It was a lot of fun to learn the dances and then to show off what I learned in front of the ship community!

We also learned a few interesting facts about Hawaii … it is the most isolated population center on the face of the earth. Hawaii is 2,390 miles from California; 3,850 miles from Japan; 4,900 miles from China; and 5,280 miles from the Philippines. Hawaii is the southern-most state, and the fourth smallest state in the US. We were docking in Honolulu, which is the capital of Hawaii. It is on the island of Oahu, which is the most visited island by tourists coming to Hawaii. Seventy percent of the population lives on this island. It is also interesting that Hawaii has its own time zone.

I got off the ship and got a taxi to Waikiki beach. The beach is right in the center of downtown Honolulu and it is the main tourist area. I enjoyed walking around the area for several hours by myself. I also got to make some phone calls home which was very nice. I had forgotten how nice it was to be able to talk to my family on the phone and not feel pressured with a phone card or a completely big time difference when I was calling in the middle of the night.

By the middle of the afternoon I met up with some friends who had visited Pearl Harbor in the morning. (I had visited Pearl Harbor with my family a few years ago). We ate a delicious lunch of good American food! Plus we were all fantasizing about the food we missed the most from back home and what our first meal was going to be. One of the girls who got off early headed straight for IHOP because she was craving some pancakes … it really made me laugh! It was nice to be back in the United States, but it was also a realization that the trip was coming to a close.

It was strange to be able to read all the street signs, look at prices in American dollars, not have to speak slowly, and use hand motions if you had a question. When I stepped off the ship and looked at the traffic it seemed so orderly, with cars abiding the laws . And the cars seemed so large. There were SUVs all over the city … compared to rickshaws this was quite a contrast.

Also, we were back in the majority and surrounded by people of our ethnicity. In almost all of the other counties, if I saw a white person it was obvious they were part of SAS….we stood out in the countries so much - it was like we had a big sign around our neck that read “TOURIST!” But back in Hawaii you weren’t so sure … they could be on the trip or just other local visitors … it was a strange feeling … and one that reassured me that we had almost completed our trip around the globe.

The rest of the afternoon we walked around, talked on our cell phones, did some last minute souvenir shopping, and then relaxed on the beach. We took turns watching our stuff and playing in the ocean for a while. Actually, the water was very warm and we all got in the water to jump the waves. We acted like five-year-olds and splashed around for several hours. We saw the sun set over the ocean and eventually could see the stars. Then we knew we needed to start heading back to the ship.

We got a taxi ride back and enjoyed a quick snack before boarding the ship for the last time. It was definitely a disappointing feeling … back on the ship for our arrival home. I wished I did not have to think about it. It was a relaxing day and one that was well spent with friends. Hawaii will always be beautiful!

“Here I am, safely returned over those peaks from a journey far more beautiful and strange than anything I had hoped for or imagined - how is it that this safe return brings such regret?” -- Peter Mathissen

Days at Sea after Japan !!!!!!!

2007-06-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

These were the last days at sea between ports. It was strange because a lot of things were coming quickly to a close. Classes were one of those things. There was a change in the Global Studies class format. We had a short lecture at the beginning of class and then got into small groups and discussed different themes and topics from the semester. I really enjoyed hearing from the other students in my group. I think we all learned a lot from each other throughout the voyage.

I had class the rest of the day, and that evening we had a crew talent show! It was hilarious! There was tons of singing, dancing, juggling, and other interesting skills. One of the crew members even wrote a song about the semester. We also had open mic night, during which students shared stories about Japan. There were some memorable ones, and it certainly reminded me how much I enjoy Japan.

The following day I had no classes. We had a silent auction to raise money for charities we had visited on the trip. There were all sorts of things up for auction! There was even a map the crew had used to chart our course around the world. Later that night we got to see another part of the trip DVD. We saw a few more countries, and reminisced about all that we had seen.

I had class on the next A day, and we also had a fire drill. Everyone was laughing because we were so close to the end of the trip … did we really need another drill? But we all stood at the drill and answered to our name saying we were present. I had to go back to my room because I was wearing flip-flops and had to change into tennis shoes! I always loved those fire drills!

In the evening we had a fair where students could talk about different organizations they were involved in back at their home campuses. It was interesting to talk to people and learn about the many different activities going on around US colleges.

The following day was very special. It was May 2nd for the second time! For the last few months, we lost an hour or more of sleep pretty much every other day we were at sea. This was challenging for many reasons, but it had to be done because we were traveling around the globe. At the end of the semester we had lost so many hours that we were entitled to a whole day back on the calendar.

The funny thing was that they ended up changing the date several times before we got to the month of May. When this happens, it messes up your sense of time even more. Logically, it does not seem right to be able to pick a random date to be repeated. But that is what happened! We were at the “date line” so we celebrated May 2nd, 2nd! Some people even had their 21st birthday on May 2nd! This was a dream come true! It was exciting for me because I don’t think I will ever again be able to say I lived the same day twice!

The next day I had classes again. We were slowly wrapping things up in each class. It was time to turn in final papers and projects. It seemed very strange to me. I was not happy that everything was coming to a close so quickly. That night I went to a theater production. We had several theater classes on the ship, and they did a show that they had written about the trip. It was really funny and very entertaining for the entire ship community. I enjoyed hearing some of the memories from the beginning of the trip.

One of the last major events on the ship was the Ambassador’s Ball. This was a big deal and something everyone looked forward to. My roommate and I were on the committee to help with the ball. It was fun because we got to participate in the decisions on the theme and how to decorate the ship. We decided on a Doctor Seuss theme, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go.” Certain areas of the ship were decorated with flags and banners and memorabilia from each country. We were in charge of the China and Japan room. The ship community got really into it! We had to pick a group of people to sit with at dinner, and then we were assigned a sitting. We made the dining rooms look extra special, and then everyone got to choose their food from a fancy menu!

Most people wore something they had purchased in one of the countries. My group decided to wear saris at first. But because many of us had other traditional outfits, we ended up changing a couple of times during the evening! We wanted to make the best use out of each outfit! So we all started in saris and attempted to get pictures on the back deck. The only problem was that it was extremely windy! My sari kept falling off because the wind would grab it and pull it! It was hilarious! I ended up just wrapping part of it around my neck like a scarf! Needless to say, picture time was one of my favorite moments on the ship!

We ate at first sitting, and our meal was delicious! I had shrimp cocktail and steak! It was a step up from rice and potatoes! The meal was so nice because I got to eat with my closest friends on the ship. It was also special because everyone was all dressed up and wanted to make the evening a memorable one! After dinner we all changed into a different outfit and visited with other friends. We got more pictures and looked at all the country decorations around the ship.

Later on in the evening there was a dessert buffet on the deck. One of the professors gave a toast and everyone dove into the fancy desserts! The cheesecake was my favorite! We stayed on the deck for a while and then went down to the union where there was a dance. It was a fantastic evening and I thoroughly enjoyed spending it with my friends!

The last few days were busy with classes and activities. I had yoga out on the deck several times. It is always more challenging with the ship rocking. We had a Caribbean Sea meeting to discuss the last few weeks on the ship. There were many topics covered and the most important was how to pack! It was going to be an interesting proposition! There was even a drag show one evening! I did not recognize some of my professors in their new outfits! It was definitely a sight to remember!

Also, we had our last Global Studies exam. This was a big deal because it was our last exam and our last chance to help our grades! Everyone was up late, memorizing maps of Asia and trying to cram information about China and Japan. Fortunately, the test was not as hard as some of the others, and I managed to come out of the test feeling pretty good!

And we had a pre-port for the last time, for the port of Honolulu, Hawaii! It was great because we had three students from the island of Hawaii, and they gave us more insight about what it is like to live there. They shared some cultural misconceptions, and some of the most popular foods to eat and things to do. Even though Hawaii is very touristy, it is very different for the people who actually live there!

I even got to participate in the pre-port! For the past several weeks I had been learning how to dance the traditional hula. There was a group of about eight of us who performed at the pre-port. We learned two different dances, one classical and one modern. It was very interesting because almost all of the moves are motions that help to tell a story. I thoroughly enjoyed learning how to hula!

"One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."
-- Henry Miller

Pictures in Japan!!!!!

2007-05-23T14:26:00.001-07:00

The ship docked in Kobe, Japan.

A welcome sign for our ship into Kobe, Japan!

Here we are with our backpacks about to leave on our trip!

My friend and I about to get on the bullet train!

A view looking through the Peace Park in Hiroshma.

1,000 paper cranes brought to the park for peace.

This is the children's memorial where the paper cranes are displayed.

My friend and I in front of the A-Dome in the Peace Park.

School children I met in the Peace Park.

School children eating their box lunch inside the park.

People are always texting on their fancy cell phones.

The lastest fashion for girls in Japan!

I met these boys at the Nijo Castle...they wanted to get their picture taken!

These girls were eating their box lunch at the Nijo Castle.

School children I saw outside in the playground.

I talked to these school children on the way to the Imperial Palace.

The lady cooking our dinner in Hiroshma!

A picture from one of our many bus rides.

Our lunch stop before visiting the Golden Temple.

A picture with school children who interviewed us at the Golden Temple.

The Golden Temple, which is the symbol of Kyoto.

My friend and I in front of the Golden Temple!

Another temple we visited in Kyoto.

People write wishes on these and then hang them in the temples.

Some school children drinking from a holy fountain in one of the temples.

A Geisha we saw in Kyoto.

I got to get a picture with a beautiful Geisha!

A lady demonstrating a tea ceremony in a cultural show I went to see.

My friends and I in front of the public bath in Kyoto.

I am standing in front of our hostel!

Our beds folded up inside our hostel in Kyoto.

This is a baby I saw that was so cute on one of our bus rides.

I am trying to pet the deer in Nara, where the deer roam around the city.

In all the restaurants there is plastic food to use as the menu!

Our lunch in Kobe- my favorite Japanese meal!

My friend and Hiromi singing along with the words in karaoke!

Singing karaoke on our last day in Kobe!

We are enjoying our last evening in Japan!

Taking a group picture with my Japanese friend Hiromi to remember Japan!

Our big group picture on the ship!

Japan !!!!!

2007-05-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

I was very excited about our stop in Japan. When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to travel in Japan for three weeks with a program called High School Diplomats. On that program, we toured the country for several weeks and then did a cultural exchange with high school students. I fell in love with the country and all of the traditions in their culture. Since then, I have also been able to stay in contact with several of the Japanese friends I made through that program.

In most of the other countries I had taken tours with Semester at Sea, and traveled with a fairly large group of people. But since this was the last major port, my friends and I decided that we wanted to travel around Japan independently. We had an itinerary from another girl on the ship, and we decided to adapt it to what we wanted to see. There were going to be five of us traveling together, so I was really looking forward to the trip. The night before arriving in port we each packed our backpacks for our four-day adventure. Japan is fairly easy to travel in because it is so westernized. There are many people who speak English and there are tourist sites all over the country. The ship was going to be docked in Kobe, so we decided to visit the cities of Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Nara because they were not too far away. Then we would spend the last day exploring Kobe.

When we arrived in port we had a diplomatic briefing by some of the people from the embassy. They were very welcoming, and several of them gave speeches to the entire ship community. In Japanese culture, giving speeches and giving gifts is customary at every single event. Gifts were presented to the Captain and the chief staff members, and then the ship had to give gifts to all the people welcoming us. After the exchanging of gifts, there was a performance by Japanese drummers. They were impressive and gave us a taste of the music we would find throughout Japan.

Then everyone on the ship had to go out to the back decks for a group picture! This was hilarious! My friends and I tried to get ourselves in the picture! I ended up being on the third deck on the right hand side, but all you can see of me are my arms stretched out! The picture was lots of fun but the photographer was so far away (he was standing on the pier!) nobody knew when the picture was being taken! After the group shot, we had some lunch on the ship and finished any last minute packing.

Finally we got off the ship and then we had to wait in more lines! We all had to exchange money, and get maps for the cities we were going to visit. Then it was off to the trains! We had to take a small train, like a subway, to a station where we could activate our Japanese rail passes. To get anywhere in Japan it is fastest to travel on the bullet trains. These trains will take you anywhere in the country and run continually every day. We each had a pass for the bullet trains for the entire time we were in Japan.

When we reached the station there was mass chaos because about 500 other students were doing the same thing! So we had to push our way through the lines, and get directions from a local as to which train to take to Hiroshima! The train left around 3:30 in the afternoon and didn't take that long to get there. We had a late lunch at McDonalds in the train station… it was a good McFlurry!

Then it came time to find the hostel. We were not able to retrieve the confirmation from the hostel because the internet was down on the ship. We just had the name... JHoppers. We found an information desk in the train station and learned that the hostel was quite a distance from the train station. It was obvious that we needed to take a public bus. So we took a cable bus to the hostel and thankfully found the right place. We checked in, got towels for the night, and headed upstairs to find our room. We had two rooms and a communal bathroom. The rooms were very traditional - tatami mats on the floor and a mattress for us to pull out and sleep on the floor. It was perfect for a night in Hiroshima!

After exploring the area around our hostel, we found a local place that served my favorite Japanese meal called okanomiakyi! This dish is famous in Hiroshima so I wanted to make sure my friends tried it! We all sat down at a counter and ordered, and then the cook prepared the dish right in front of us. The dish has a pancake top and bottom, which is made out of egg, and then the middle is filled with noodles. Then there is soy sauce added on top! It was delicious and I think my friends really enjoyed the meal!

We continued to wander around the side streets and were looking for a public bath. This is another traditional aspect of Japanese culture. Tourists like to experience it because it is something that would not be found at home. It was very difficult for us to find the public bath because we could not read any of the signs! We were looking for it and accidentally went inside an apartment complex! We saw a sign and thought the public bath might be inside the doors. A lady came running up to us shaking her head and laughing at us! She gestured that the pubic bath was around the corner and that this was her apartment! Oops!

We finally found the public bath, only to discover it had already closed. It was disappointing but we knew we would try another night. So we made it back to the hostel and figured out how to make the beds. We ended up having a sleepover in one of the rooms and pretty much crammed all the mattresses on the floor! It was a sight, and nobody could fall asleep because everyone was telling stories and was excited to be in Japan! It was fun!

The next morning we got up and checked out of the hostel. Then we headed for the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. The park is large and there are several memorials spread throughout the area. There is a place where children or groups can bring 1,000 origami paper cranes and hang them around a children’s memorial. The story says that making 1,000 cranes is good fortune and brings long life. Now it is a symbol of peace and has become a tradition in Japanese culture.

We saw hundreds of school children all over Japan. They would be on field trips at all the major tourist sites. My friends kept joking and said that if they lost me, all they had to do was find the closest group of school children and I would probably be there talking with them and taking pictures!

The main site in the park is called the A-Dome. It was one of the most famous buildings in Hiroshima before the bombing occurred. The building now stands in ruins and is a reminder of the awful effects of war. One of the main things we talked about in our Global Studies class was that Japan has not been able to have a military unit since the end of WW II. We discussed how successful the country of Japan is today, and how they have been able to maintain a growing economy while keeping peace in their country. We talked about this as a model that many other countries around the world should follow.

After spending time in the park, we visited the museum dedicated to the bombing. Luckily we were able to check our bags in a locker so we did not have to carry them around the museum. The museum is very well done and extremely impressive. It covers all the aspects of the bombing and the aftermath for the people of Hiroshima. There were many documentaries, photographs, diagrams, and explanations of what happened the morning of the bombing. The temperatures were said to have reached 12,632 degrees Fahrenheit. There were certain parts of the museum that were hard to look at because they were so graphic. After we felt like we had seen the museum we took a public bus to the train station and got a quick lunch before going to Kyoto. We got on a train to Kyoto and found seats to sit down on and relax for a while.

Kyoto was founded in 794 as a ceremonial capital based on the classical Chinese model. It was a city of prosperity, and emphasized the cultural arts. There are over 200 shrines and 600 temples in Kyoto. It is also home to the last two traditional schools for geishas.

When we got to Kyoto we found the information desk and got directions to our hostel. We got some other questions answered and then headed off to find the right bus. Once we got off the bus we were not really sure where we were going. We walked for a while and thought we were headed in the right direction, but we were not sure so somebody pulled out the map to check. We all huddled off to the side of the sidewalk because there were bikers going past us. The funny thing was that when we moved over to the side, we noticed the name of the building we were standing next to, and it was our hostel! I think we did a double-take and laughed at the irony of the situation! We were so lucky to find it! So we headed inside the traditional Japanese hostel and checked in.

The hostel was so neat because there was a small traditional Japanese garden patio right in the middle of the hostel. There was a small living room area, and all the rooms surrounded the garden. We were sharing a room with two other girls and they were both from Australia. They were studying abroad for a few weeks in Japan. The room was set up for us, with tatami mats again and the mattresses on the floor. We received sheets when we checked in. There was also a comforter that covered us. All the walls were made out of rice paper and all the doors were sliding. This meant that the walls were very thin and that noise traveled very fast! We explored the hostel and enjoyed our room before going out to find some dinner.

There were not many restaurants in the area of our hostel, so the first thing we found was a small Mexican restaurant. We all ordered, and when we got our food we realized how small the servings are that Japanese people eat! We were used the limitless chips and salsa, huge plates of burritos, tacos, and enchiladas all served with rice. We were served on small plates and the portions were average size for Japanese. The food was delicious, but disappointing in that it was not very filling. We all ate our food within minutes and felt the need to sit and enjoy the restaurant since we had eaten so fast! Finally we headed back toward our hostel and got directions for a public bath.

We had a map and began to follow it but then we got confused. We started looking around and accidentally opened up the door of a building, which we decided was someone’s house! We continued to walk around and found a small restaurant. We sent someone in to ask while we waited outside. It was not long before the entire restaurant was helping… all we could see was a lot of discussion and pointing gestures. Soon a couple came out and gestured for us to follow ... they walked to the end of the block and pointed which way to go. They gave us a piece of paper with the Japanese characters on it that said “public bath.”

So we started on our way again and looked for the building they pointed to. When we arrived we realized it was closed on the particular day of the week we were there. So we were disappointed, but this time we had no idea where we were. So we stopped a guy on his bike and tried to ask directions. He spoke no English but found someone else who did. We explained to this man we were looking for a bath and the man understood and walked us to another public bathhouse. This walk was the insane… down two streets, turning right and left, around some corners, up this street and back down this alley! At this point we were in the middle of this small town and we had arrived at the public bath! We thanked the man profusely and none of us could stop laughing! It had taken over an hour to find the bathhouse and we had practically involved the whole town to find the right place!

We finally got to use the public bath, but the lady in charge had to help us out because we did not know you were supposed to bring your own soap and shampoo! You have to wash yourself off first and then get into the bath. One of our friends slipped and fell into the tub! It was hard for any one of us to remain composed! The water was so hot I could barely get in! All I can say is that when we left the bathhouse we heard the locals laughing at us and there was constant conversation in Japanese! It was definitely an experience to remember!

After the bathhouse we stopped in a grocery store right next to our hostel. I always enjoy looking around foreign grocery stores. This time I could not identify much of anything- perhaps only a few items like some candy or cookies that were from the U.S. My friends and I bought some “pocky,” which is one of the traditional Japanese snacks. It is like a long cookie that is dipped in chocolate! We got back to the hostel and ate our snacks in the living room area. There were several other people there, and we talked to people from Canada and Malaysia. The funny thing was that the guy from Malaysia had met some other Semester at Sea students in Brazil when we were at that port. It is really a small world! After visiting for a while we headed to bed and enjoyed a good night’s sleep.

The following day we set out to do a lot of sightseeing. My roommate and I had planned an itinerary for the day so we could see as much as we could. First we headed to the Imperial Palace, which was located inside a park not too far from the hostel. Unfortunately, we came in on the wrong side and it took us a long time to find the palace. We stopped and talked to several locals, and I talked to some school children. We ended up not being able to see the inside because they only offered tours. The only other tour given in English was in the afternoon, and we were going to be to touring other places by then. So we looked at the outside and headed to the next place.

We walked to the Nijo Castle and bought a ticket to tour the inside. It was the residence of the rulers called shoguns. It was built in 1603 to demonstrate the military dominance over the city. The overall effect is a quaint villa with gardens surrounding the castle. The castle had huge walls surrounding the building, and a moat surrounding the walls. I was expecting to tour a castle similar to other castles I have visited in foreign countries. I was wrong!

We had to take our shoes off before entering the castle, as is customary in any Japanese home. The castle probably had about 20 different rooms, and each room was for a specific purpose, but there was no furniture in the castle. There were tatami mats on the floor, and special pieces like murals and screens on the walls of the rooms throughout the castle. The most interesting thing was the wooden floors. The floors are called “Nightingale floors,” and squeak with every step to warn of intruders. It was fun to try this out when we were there. We were each trying to squeak louder than the other!

After visiting the castle we figured out which bus to take to get to the Golden Temple. This was one of the things I was really looking forward to seeing. When I was in Kyoto several years before, we did not have a chance to visit the temple, and it is one of the most famous sites in the city. It is a three-story pavilion entirely covered by gold leaf. The original building dates back to 1397 and it was built as a retirement villa. The Golden Pavilion is relatively small and it is intended to look beautiful with its surrounding scenery at the edge of a pond.

We got to the temple and decided to have a quick lunch before going to visit. We found a small café across the street and each ordered a traditional Japanese dish. Some people got soup and sushi, but I had shrimp-fried rice! The food was excellent and it was a nice break in the day. We bought a ticket for the temple and headed inside. It was a beautiful park, with the temple on the edge of a pond. It was gorgeous!

We all started taking pictures and got several group shots. Then we talked with a few school groups who wanted to get their picture with us. Sometimes they would have schoolbooks with them where they would have to interview English speaking people. So we got interviewed a lot! I loved it! They would have to ask our names, where we were from, why we were in Japan, and other simple questions. Then they had to write down our answers in their book. Their teacher would always be standing off to the side, encouraging them to come up and talk to us. We ended up standing in the same place for a long time because school kids kept coming up to us. We also talked to an American who was teaching English in Kyoto.

Finally, we continued to walk around the park and enjoy the scenery. It was the perfect day to go and visit the temple. I really enjoyed it. At the end of the park there was a place to light candles for various things as an offering. Several of us lit a candle for people as we were leaving.

After the temple we took a bus to an area that had a used kimono store. Several of my friends bought a kimono and I bought a children’s kimono to hang in my classroom or in my house someday. The lady’s shop was amazing because it was filled floor to ceiling with kimonos! It was a little overwhelming!

After finding what we wanted we took a bus to an area of town called Gion. It was the part of town where all the Geishas perform in the evenings. I had always heard about the Japanese businessmen going to Geisha shows but I always thought it was exaggerated in the movies. But I was wrong! I had not seen so many businessmen before. The area of town has cobblestone streets and is very quaint. There were businessmen all over the side streets entering the Geisha houses.

My roommate and I ended up going to see a performing arts show in the area. It spotlighted some of the main Japanese theatrical traditions. We watched a traditional tea ceremony, saw the art of flower arranging, or ikebana, watched kabuki and another type of theater call noh. At the end of the show we learned about Geishas and watched them perform a dance. It was very interesting and I enjoyed the entire performance!

After the show we found a sandwich for dinner and walked around the area a little more. This was a very ritzy part of town and it looked like one of the places where nightlife was a big deal. After enjoying the city for a while longer, we got back on another bus and headed back to the hostel. I think we were all very tired from the day and were happy to be back at the hostel!

The next day we got up early and went to one of the bigger temples called Kiyomizu. This temple is famous for its wooden veranda suspended over a deep gorge. The temple dates back to 1603. It was up on the top of a hill next to some of the forests. We climbed up the hill and spent a few hours exploring the temple. It was huge! When we first arrived there were not many people there because it was still early, but soon many school children came. I continued to take pictures of the school kids the whole time we were there!

There were several different parts of the temple, and honestly I was not sure what each part represented. There was a fountain, which you could drink out of, which was supposed to be very holy. Then there was an area of the temple dedicated to love. There were two large stones opposite each other, and if a person could walk from one stone to the other with their eyes closed then they were supposed to find their soul mate. My friends and I watched all the Japanese girls try the task! It was so funny to watch them giggling and yelling to each other which way to go. Most of them were able to do it on the first try! So we spent a long time exploring the different parts of the temple and had a good time people watching as well.

After the temple we had to head back to the hostel to check out and get our bags. Then we went to the train station again and took a bullet train to the city of Nara. The train rides are so interesting because there is complete silence on the train. If I was going to talk I felt like I needed to whisper! In Japan most people will text on their cell phone rather than talk, so that is one of the reasons trains were always so quiet.

It did not take long to get to Nara, and we got some city information from a very nice lady. However, we had to walk to another train station to set down our backpacks. The train station we came into had all the lockers full. So we finally found the other train station and set our bags down. I was happy to get rid of mine! It was a little heavier then I wished!

Nara is known for the deer that walk around the city, and especially around the temple area. They are free to walk around wherever they choose, and you can go up to them and pet them. We strolled through some of the shops first and went into the 100 Yen store, or the $1 Store. This was exciting because Japan is so expensive that many of us purchased some souvenirs in the dollar store! After finding some great buys we headed toward the temple. We had to separate because my roommate had lost her camera and had to go back and find it.

Some of us headed to the temple and stopped when we saw the deer. There are probably hundreds of deer in the city and they are all comfortable around people. We bought some official deer cookies and fed the deer. That was so much fun! As soon as you hold up one cookie, you have five more deer surrounding you! You have to be fast because they will grab the cookies out of your hand! Sometimes you can make them bow their head before eating the cookie ... everyone always says that the deer bow to you before eating! I enjoyed playing with the deer, and we took tons of pictures! We got to see part of the temple before it closed, and took several more pictures with the deer. I am sure that they are all well fed by the end of the day!

Soon it was getting late and we found a place to get some sushi to try for dinner! It was really good (although I am not sure what kind of sushi it was!) Along with the sushi we split, we headed to McDonalds to supplement our dinner. I tried a Teriyaki burger and it was really good! Too bad they do not have that at home! We picked up our bags and had to catch a train back to where our ship was docked in Kobe. We figured out the train station times and got on the right train back to Kobe.

I was really happy with our adventure in Japan. We used a guidebook for advice and my friends were really good at reading maps. I felt like we got to see a lot of sites and really packed a lot into the days we were there. We did not have any major problems and I think everyone had a great time! We made it back to the ship safely, and returned to our beds exhausted, but ready for our last day in port.

I mentioned that I had traveled to Japan before. Through the exchange program several years back I had met several Japanese girls. One of them was my roommate and her name is Hiromi. We are always sending cards back and forth, and keeping in touch through email. I had sent her the link to my blog and she had emailed me about coming to visit while I was in Japan. My parents did some of the communication for me because it was so hard for me to check my email. It worked out that the ship was in Japan during a holiday called the Golden Week. Basically it is just a national vacation for everyone in Japan. So Hiromi was able to come and visit me in Kobe! It was very exciting because I had not seen her in several years, and my friends wanted the chance to meet a girl our age from Japan!

That morning I went exploring in Kobe with one of my friends. We made some phone calls back home in the terminal and then took the train into the city. Kobe is one of the biggest cities in Japan. We walked around the streets, window shopped, and people watched. We found some areas to come back to that afternoon with Hiromi, and eventually headed back to the train station to go back to the ship. I was going to meet Hiromi at the ship, but I was a little nervous because there were several areas where she could be waiting for me. To get close to the ship you have to have ID, so it was going to be difficult to determine where to meet her.

I was just about to get on the train back to the ship when I heard my name! Hiromi recognized me and called out my name! I was really surprised to see her and also relieved that she had found me! I had not seen a picture of her in a while, and she looked so good! We went back to the ship together and I ran inside with my friend and we gathered a few more people who were coming out to meet Hiromi. I was so excited! I enjoyed having the chance to catch up with her and hear about some of the things she has been doing since the last time I saw her! She speaks very good English and my friends were so impressed with her!

We spent most of the day walking around, talking, and catching up. We used Hiromi’s ability to read the language to do some special things that day. First, one of the popular things to do in Japan is to get your picture taken with friends in a photo booth. After you take a series of pictures you go over to a station where you can add graphics, borders, write messages, and basically create fun pictures! Then they print out immediately for you! They are very small, about a fourth of the size of our wallet photos. We had fun making some silly poses, and Hiromi was an expert at making the pictures look really creative!

For lunch we wanted to try and find a place that served oknamoayki again, so Hiromi located a restaurant for us by calling one of her friends. Japanese people are so kind and they always go out of their way to help you. After lunch we wandered through some of the pedestrian streets and enjoyed the city. Hiromi found the 100 Yen store for us in Kobe and we found a few more good bargains. Then we continued to walk around the main part of the city, and later in the afternoon we did some karaoke, another popular pastime in Japan.

When you do karaoke, you rent a space for a specific amount of time. Then you and your friends are given a room (sound proof- thank goodness!) with a TV and book of hundreds of songs! We had a fantastic time singing at the top of our lungs! We each got to pick out a song and then take turns with the microphones! I was impressed because Hiromi knew some of the American songs and we had a blast singing! Karaoke was something that I really wanted to do and I am so glad Hiromi helped us do it.

After karaoke it was time for Hiromi to take a train back home. I took her to the train station and thanked her again for coming to meet me! It is not everyday that we are in the same country, so I was so happy to have the opportunity to see her! She is going to college in California next year, so I am hoping that I can have her come and meet me during her time in the U.S. We said our good-byes and I waved to her again, thanking her for being such an amazing friend!

I met back up with my friends and we had a quick dinner before getting back on the ship. After dinner we all lingered a little before getting back to the train station. I think we were all not ready to get back on the ship because it was our last port in a foreign country. Finally, it was getting late and we got back on the train to the ship. I called home again to tell them I had met up with Hiromi, and my friends had already gotten in the long line to get back on the ship. After my phone call I got in line and got to cut in front of a few people because I did not have a big bag to bring back on the ship. This was a big deal because the line was long and it was getting close to the on-ship time!

When I finally made it through the line my friends were waiting for me by the gangway. It really meant a lot to me to see them waiting for me when I got out of the line! They told me they did not want me to get on the ship by myself in the last foreign port. So we took a picture in front of the ship and gave each other a big hug! Then we had no choice but to get on the ship. We headed up to the top deck to waved good-bye to Japan and the port of Kobe. We reminisced about the trip and talked about all the amazing memories we will have to remember for years to come!

"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles." – Tim Cahill

Days at Sea after China....

2007-05-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

I got back on the ship on time, had a chance to relax for a few minutes and then went to a group project meeting. For my education class we have to give presentations on the educational system in the different ports. My group was responsible for Vietnam. Some people had visited schools, and others had interviewed our tour guides or locals on their observations. I learned a lot about the Vietnamese educational system. For example, everyone must pay to go to school even though elementary school is compulsory. The students must pay extra for classes to learn English, as well as for air conditioning in the classrooms. There is no funding for schools by the government. The schools seemed very regimented and all the students were very well behaved for the most part, and very respectful of the teacher. My presentation seemed to go fairly well in class.

With only two days before we reach Japan, all of my classes were focusing on that. We talked a lot about the cultural history of Japan, and also its rigorous school curriculum. I had time to unpack from China and look back over my pictures. There were also some discussions about the Virginia Tech incident. Because the school sponsoring Semester at Sea is a Virginia school, there were many people who were closely affected. It was interesting to learn about the situation because we are so cut off from the outside world. Actually, when the shipboard community found out about it, Desmond Tutu gave a sermon to everyone. It was very moving and seemed like a memorable and desirable thing to do at that time.

We started to plan our trip to Japan, and while trying to find time to write papers, squeezed in some naps here and there! I am always keeping busy and will be ready to set foot in Japan really soon! The ship had been really calm ... the waves were good ... the last few days. I was really happy because I did not have to take any motion sickness medicine. However, that changed once we left China, and the weather has gotten much colder. I am not looking forward to wearing gloves in Japan!

An interesting thing about Japan is that they have very high health standards that everyone must meet in order to get off the ship. So they had to take all 800 people’s temperature today. It was very comical! If you had too high a temperature they told you to go jog a lap around the deck outside. Luckily, I was healthy enough to get off!

The day before Japan was another catch up day. I did more homework and reading for Japan. There are several of us who are traveling Japan together, so we were trying to figure out how to plan our itinerary. There are so many things we want to do … it is going to be an adventure! I packed my bookbag for our week long trip and my roommate and I watched “Memoirs of a Geisha” in preparation for Japan! By now I am getting even better at packing in a backpack!

We had pre-port for Japan where we went over many of the traditional customs, and practiced some Japanese words! The two Japanese students on the ship went over some of the do’s and don’ts of the country, as well as explained some of their favorite things to do in many of the cities. Finally, at the end of the presentation many of the faculty and staff dressed up like Geishas- it was very memorable! Plus the fact that Japan is our last major port, and that we will be reaching American soil soon, there was some talk about enjoying the last few weeks in the voyage. One of the main themes of the voyage was that it is a “yes” voyage, and that you can accomplish or understand or do anything you set your mind to. Now I know we have heard this since kindergarten, but somehow when you are traveling around the world with a bunch of people, the phrase seems to have more meaning. After all, I will only have one first chance to go around the world!!!!

Lin Yutang
A good traveler is one who does not know where he is going to, and a perfect traveler does not know where he came from.

Pictures of China and the Great Wall....

2007-05-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

This is the MV Explorer in the Hong Kong Harbor.

This is a group of high school girls I met in Hong Kong!

This is a picture if the light show in the Hong Kong Harbor!

This is the ballet class at the Children’s Palace.

This is one of the little girls in the ballet class.

This is me and some of my friends in front of the ship!

This is a picture of the girls who showed me their dorm room!

This is me and the Peking University student I met!

Climbing the Great Wall!

One of my pictures at the Great Wall of China!

I will always remember the Great Wall!

Standing in front of the Ming Tombs.

Taking a break at the Forbidden City!

This is a couple I met and I am showing them the picture I took of them!

Visiting the Temple of Heaven!

Me and Mao! Everyone took a picture here!

The official countdown counter for the Beijing 2008 Olympics!

My friend and I eating Peking Duck with our chopsticks!

A picture at the amazing acrobatic show!

The Summer Palace early in the morning.

Fantastic China ... Beijing and Qingdao

2007-05-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

The Capital City of Beijing….

I was going to be traveling to Beijing for a few days, and then would meet the ship back in Quindao, China. I was looking forward to the trip because my family has traveled to China before and really enjoyed the country. There is so much to see and the people are very friendly. I was interested to go back and compare my previous experiences with this trip. I was excited because I was not only going to be traveling around Beijing, but also visiting at a university and connecting with their college students. China has a population of 1.3 billion people and Beijing has over 13 million people. The 2008 Olympics will be held in the city and they are doing a lot of construction to get ready for the big event!

A group of about 70 of us left around 9am in the morning. We took a plane ride to Beijing and got there mid afternoon. I was happy to have a chance to sleep a little on the plane. We were introduced to our guides and learned the itinerary of the next few days. First, we drove towards our hotel and towards the university we would be interacting with. Along the way I got a view of the city… there were signs everywhere advertising the Beijing 2008 Olympics! We got to see the stadium where the opening and closing events will be taking place- that was very exciting! We got to the hotel and checked in with a roommate. Then we headed to a restaurant for dinner.

The most typical way that meals are served in China is on a turntable. They continue to bring dishes after dishes, plus rice and soup… it is the best way to eat meals because if you do not know what something is you can let other people try it first and then decide if you want to try it! The meal was great… I tried some more new foods!

After dinner we headed to Peking University where we would meet some of the students. I was really looking forward to this part of the trip! The university was started in 1898 and is considered the center for administration of higher education. There are about 30,000 students and half are undergrads. There are also about 3,000 foreign students from many other Asian countries. They are always in competition with another university that some of my friends visited, called Twsingwa- they said it was like comparing Princeton and Harvard. We met the students at the university- there were about 50 of them.

We paired off and got tours of the campus. I was so lucky because the girl who introduced herself to me was so sweet and we really hit it off. She spoke perfect English and she showed me all around the campus. The campus was beautiful because it was a combination of traditional buildings and modern ones. It really reminded me of being back on a college campus at home. I saw the library, classrooms, dorms, dining hall, and all the things you would expect on a campus. She gave me a tour and then we continued talking after the tour. I brought pictures from home to show her and she showed me pictures on her cell phone. We had a lot in common and seemed to have a great conversation. The only embarrassing thing was that I asked her if she had any brothers and sisters….a very stupid question because China has a one-child policy! It was very funny! We played games as a group and I had fun meeting some of the other students. It was so cool to talk to college students and find out how similar we really are.

The next morning we stopped at a factory for some souvenirs, and then headed to the Ming Tombs. This was an area that was arranged for the burial of the Ming Dynasty. It was a huge area and almost looked like a giant park. We walked through several monuments, gates, staircases and finally reached a building where you could go down and see the tombs. It was very large underground… you stand up and walk around… there appeared to be several passageways where different people might have been buried or different things stored with the dynasty. Inside the tombs you could see some replicas of the real tombs that were somewhere inside. It was interesting to see…it seemed as though the area went on forever… there was not enough time for us to explore all of the parts.

After the tombs we had another delicious Chinese lunch- one of the things to mention is that Chinese food in China is very different from the Chinese food we have at home. We have Americanized our food so much that there is little resemblance to what the locals eat! After lunch everyone was very excited because we were going to the Great Wall of China!

We arrived at the Great Wall and realized that you can see the wall all over the mountain tops in every direction you look. It was very foggy and cloudy so sometimes you would have to look hard to see it in the distance. It was a little chilly and I needed a sweatshirt or jacket. We got up to the wall and I think I had underestimated how steep it really was… I really did not remember it was that many stairs! Guess that says something! But nevertheless I started to climb… the stairs started very steep and then eventually got easier. I was just waiting for that easy part to occur. I started taking too many pictures and my friends continued climbing without me. I stopped every once in a while- to take a breather, take more pictures, and look at the view. It is weird because there is never really an end to the wall. It continues for miles, and there are only small resting places in the wall where they have built forts where people had to protect the wall.

They are saying now that many parts of the wall are deteriorating because there are so many tourists who come to see it each year. Construction on the wall began in the 5th century, and 300,000 men were put to work connecting parts of the wall all over the country. Scholars estimate that the Great Wall once stretched 10,000 kilometers and that the amount of brick and stone employed to construct the Great Wall could circumscribe the earth with a dike eight feet high! The wall was built mainly for defense and the section I climbed was primarily large blocks of granite and bricks. The wall is 21.7 feet high and 21.3 feet wide at its base.

I had a very different experience, compared to when I came with my family, because there were not as many people climbing this time. When I was there in the summer with my family it was packed- you had to continue climbing or hug the side of the wall, because if you didn’t you might be trampled! I remember having to stay close to the sides and let people pass as we pulled my mom up the steps! This time was different because there were mainly just the SAS students climbing the wall. It was chilly and just a different atmosphere. It some ways it seemed more realistic, maybe how it really was, and not the tourist spot that it has turned into today. So I climbed as high as I could and would smile and wish people luck as they passed me by.

Overall it was an amazing experience- here I was standing at the top of The Great Wall of China- for the 2nd time in my life- enjoying the view of the wall going on for miles into the distance. It is clear I have something to be thankful for. It was really special- but I have to say that at that moment I wished my family was standing right next to me… something that magnificent should be shared with people you care about. I think that has been one of the hardest things for me on the trip… trying to balance being independent on the trip and wanting to tell everyone every important detail of the trip… but I know that the whole point of the trip is to learn about the world and to learn what matters the most to you. This voyage definitely helps you define what that is to you, and also how it differs for each individual. So, the Great Wall was fantastic- not many people can say they have had the opportunity to climb it twice by the age of 21! So I am very fortunate!

After visiting the Great Wall we headed to Peking University for a dinner with the college students. We ate in the school dining hall and met up with the students we had talked with the other night. Dinner was funny because the Chinese students were not sure what some of the food was on the table… I guess they tried to pick foods that they thought the Americans would like… but it made for some interesting taste testing! After dinner we walked around the campus some more and continued our conversations.

Later on in the evening I met up with two other girls who were willing to show me their dorm room- that was so exciting! All the freshmen girls stayed in one of the dorms… we climbed to the 4th floor and saw their room. There is no carpet in the dorm rooms and they hang their laundry in the hallway. There are poles available for them to hang it on, and they have buckets all over the floor to catch the water. Their room was tiny with two bunk beds… they each had a desk and a few drawers above the desk. There was no closet in the room. They showed us their tickets that they have to buy hot water with… they each have a huge thermos and fill it with hot water to use at the sink. To take a bath they must walk about 15 minutes to the bathhouse on campus. So they said most people bathe about once a week. They each had a computer and tons of books. They were really proud to show us their English books and all the exercises they had to do in class. Most of the students started learning English when they were 11 years old.

After showing us their dorm they took us to a small café on campus and we had some traditional snacks. It was some kind of soup with noodle dumplings. It was delicious! I pulled out some of my snacks I had for them - Cheez-its and a Kudo bar! They thought it was a very strange taste- so that was a lot of fun! After the snacks we walked around the campus some more and then the girls walked us back to our hotel. It was an amazing evening… getting to know the college students was an important part of the trip for me!

The next morning our group went to see the Temple of Heaven. This was the place the emperor went in a spectacular procession the day before winter solstice, to pray for a good harvest and to offer sacrifices to heaven. It was built with the most advanced mechanics and geometry of the 15th century. There are three main structures in the temple complex. There are a series of courtyards, gates, and structures that you go through to get to the Temple of Heaven. Everything is very carefully designed, even to the point of how many stairs there are in certain areas. The number 9 was a special number and only used by the emperor. Almost all the buildings have blue roofs that represent the sky and the heavens. I took lots of pictures and enjoyed walking around the area.

We had lunch after that and then headed to Tiananmen Square. We had some free time to explore the area. Tiananmen Square is the largest city square in the world. Originally built in 1651, it was rebuilt in 1958 to its present size of 100 acres. Ceremonial gatherings of over a million people are not uncommon. The Great Hall of the People is on the western side of the square and the Museum of Chinese History is on the eastern side, and the Monument to the People’s Heroes and Mao Zedong Memorial Hall are on the south side. It is a strange square because there is so much open space… there is one block after another and lots of open space. There are huge buildings surrounding the square, which makes the area look very massive, old, and very strongly rooted. My friends and I explored some of the surrounding buildings and then found the official counter for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. That was exciting because we knew we would see it on the Olympics and know we were there!

The main focus of Tiananmen Square is at the northern end where the Gate of Heavenly Peace and the famous portrait of Mao stand. We all got our picture taken with him! The gate was first built in 1417 as the entrance to the Forbidden City, but it burned down and was rebuilt and renamed. The gate now stands 34 meters high and has red stone walls. The gate is also surrounded by a moat that guarded the Imperial Palace, which is inside the gate.

The Gate leads to the Forbidden City, which was our next stop. The Forbidden City covers 250 acres and contains 800 palaces, halls, shrines, and pavilions, with an estimated 9,000 rooms. The Forbidden City was the home of the emperor and his large entourage, and he would only leave the palace walls occasionally. No one except his entourage was allowed inside the walls, and violating that was punishable by death. The emperor had absolute authority and was considered to be the Son of Heaven. The last emperor to live there came in 1911, stayed for 13 years, and was kicked out in 1924. So the Forbidden City was huge… there are buildings after buildings… we walked around, took pictures, and tried to guess what each building’s function was!

After the Forbidden City we went to dinner and we tried the famous meal of Peking Duck! It tastes very similar to chicken but is very well known in China. It was fun to try again and I got a picture to prove it! Next we went to a theater to see an acrobatic show. I was very excited and the show turned out to be amazing. They had several different acts and each was better than the one before. The acrobats twisted their bodies in ways that just seemed impossible! I thoroughly enjoyed the show!

The next morning I got up early and went to the Summer Palace with a small group of people. It was interesting because it was all local people, using the area as their personal park. Many women were doing tai chi, and the men were flying kites. Many couples were walking around the lake in the middle of the palace, and others were just relaxing. It was really fascinating because it seemed so peaceful. Everyone was enjoying the morning and doing their own thing. I think it is amazing that the Summer Palace can still be used and enjoyed by so many people other than the tourists. The area has so much history behind it… it might be a way for people to remember their heritage and the power of the emperors of the past. The area was gorgeous… we saw the sun coming up and enjoyed peace and quiet for ourselves. I got some great pictures!

We went back to the hotel to check out and then actually came back with our tour group later. It was a completely different place then, because it was overrun with tourist groups… it was funny to see the contrast. All the locals were gone and there were tour groups everywhere! The second time I went we climbed up a hill and looked down on the lake. It was beautiful… the Summer Palace land extends a very far distance, most of which was very visible from the top of the hill. So I enjoyed getting several points of view of the Palace, and seeing how it functions as a local park and a tourist attraction. We ended up taking a boat ride across the lake to end our time at the palace.

Then it was time to head to the airport. We flew from Beijing to where the ship was now docked, in the city of Qingdao. We arrived back at the ship late in the afternoon and I was happy to put down my bookbag! Again, I feel confident I have learned how to pack with a small amount of stuff and just use a bookbag!

The Port City of Qingdao….

I had an early dinner on the ship and went out with some friends to explore the port of Qingdao. China was one of the harder ports to travel in because the majority of the people knew absolutely no English. So I got someone to write down a few places in Chinese characters so that we could ask people where they were. We took a taxi to the center of town and walked around the city. There were people everywhere and we were a little overwhelmed. We walked around for several hours and checked out the different streets.

The funniest thing was that we kept asking people where we could find an Internet café, and to ask the question we would motion with our hands typing on a keyboard. However, we got sent to a mall that sold computers… this happened multiple times and we gave up trying to find an Internet café. But we ended up walking into a store selling Apple computers and asked one more time. Surprisingly they motioned to the computers for sale and said Internet! So we all took turns checking our email in the Apple store! Crazy! Eventually we found a small café and got some snacks and drinks. It was a fun evening and I enjoyed exploring a new city.

I went on a tour the next morning to a place called the Children’s Palace. Many urban districts in China operate a “Palace,” or a place where children can go for several hours a week after school. The children can pursue a variety of activities and hobbies such as painting, music, computers, gymnastics, ping pong, ballet, and drama. We were able to tour the facility and watch the children participate in many of the activities. I loved it! It was a Saturday morning and the place was so busy!

There were parents and children everywhere- in all of the activities we watched, every single parent was there watching. They would be in the back or off to the side, but it was evident they were there to support their child. It was interesting to note for my family class, because it really showed their dedication to their child’s education. There would always be looks for approval from the children in many of the activities… it was an interesting observation. It definitely reminded me of all the activities I was involved in when I was younger, and how my parents would have been right there watching and supporting me at every step of the way.

First we walked into a music class… all the children were about five or six years old and were sitting in chairs looking at the teacher. They had several instruments they were using… the teacher would demonstrate and then ask them to try… it was interesting to watch a music class being taught in a foreign language… surprisingly I could guess at many of the things the teacher might have been saying. The children were so cute!

We also observed a martial arts class… all the children were concentrating really hard and you could tell they were trying hard. My tour guide was so proud to point out his son to me and let me know how proud he was of him! We also watched a ping pong class, and several of us tried to play with some of the students. I think they were much better than I was!

But my favorite part was that we got to watch a ballet class. It was so exciting! All the girls had tights and leotards on, pink shoes, sweaters, and skirts… it was adorable! We watched a good portion of the class- it looked exactly the same as it does at home… short combinations, stretching activities, and combinations with partners. The only difference- instead of dancing to classical music the ballerinas were dancing to traditional Chinese music! Again, all their parents lined the room and continued to smile and watch their children. They had tambourines ready when the kids danced with them half-way through the class. I guess I was really impressed with the Children’s Palace and impressed at the amount of involvement from the community. It was definitely a memorable tour!

I got lunch on the ship and then met up with several of my friends. We took a cab to the center of the city and spent the rest of the day exploring and walking around. There was a huge pedestrian street that ran in the middle of several shopping centers. There were hundreds of people walking around and we spent time walking down the main street, exploring markets and some of the side streets. The funniest thing was that we went into a Wal-Mart! It was a 3-story Wal-Mart and it looked exactly the same- it even had the yellow smiley face on all the price signs! My favorite part was the escalators in the store… you could take your cart on them, and there would be buckets of items on the side of the escalator for you to grab as you were moving! It was hilarious! We had a good time finding things in Wal-Mart… people stocked up on snacks and other necessary items! Who would have thought of going into a Wal-Mart in China?

Our group split up and we ended up meeting later for dinner. We had pizza again and enjoyed a nice meal off of the ship. Then we headed back in a taxi and waited in line to get on the ship. Because it was getting late it was beginning to get really cold- like hats and gloves cold- so I was happy to go back to the ship- China was probably the coldest country we were traveling to.

Chinese Proverb: Walking ten thousand miles of world is better than reading ten thousand scrolls of books.

Hong Kong !!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-05-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Hong Kong early in the morning, went through the immigration process, and then proceeded to get off the ship. The name Hong Kong means “fragment harbor,” which is derived from incense wood that was once shipped through the harbor. Hong Kong actually consists of 236 islands plus a chunk of mainland China. Hong Kong is one of the largest and most important of the islands. Hong Kong has been a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China since 1997. Chinese and English are both official languages, and Hong Kong uses a currency called the Hong Kong Dollar. The film industry in Hong Kong is the 3rd largest after Hollywood and Bollywood.

I was going on a tour of the city, so I met with my group for the tour. First we took the bus to the top of Victoria’s Peak. It is supposed to be the highest point in Hong Kong and a beautiful vantage point for the city. However, when we got to the top of the mountain it was so foggy that you could not see a foot in front of you. It was strange….all you could see was clouds and fog. So I have a fantastic picture of me on the peak where all you can see is a white background! On top of Victoria’s Peak they have built some shopping centers and restaurants, so we explored that for a while and then took a funicular down the mountain.

Next we walked around the city for a while… it was such a modern city, everyone looked very business-like, and all the buildings had very interesting architectural designs. It was fun to take pictures because many of the buildings reflected off of each other. We walked through several other areas of town, and saw a famous Catholic Church left over from British rule. It was obvious that Hong Kong had a lot of British influence, and especially in comparison to mainland China, it was strikingly different.

I met some school kids at one of our stops and asked them some questions. They were in high school and were on a field trip in the city. I always try to talk to school children in each country- in fact my friends say that if they can’t find me, all they have to do is find the closest group of school children and I will be there talking with them!

Later on in the tour we visited a traditional temple. This temple, called the Man Mo Temple, dates back to 1847 and is the oldest one in the city. We explored it and took some pictures. There were several offering tables in the temple where people could leave things for different gods. It is customary to leave many different items, and not just a candle or some flowers. There were fruits, vegetables, candy, and even a half-empty Coke can. I thought it was interesting to learn what constituted an offering, and it seems like it is whatever one can give.

After learning about the temple we had some free time to walk around the area. There were some side streets and alleys that were fun to walk down. It was a quaint part of the city, and looked like an area of the original part of Hong Kong. Finally we went toward the bay and took a boat ride on boats called sampans. Ours was a small boat that fit about ten people. I enjoyed seeing the city from the perspective of the boat in the bay.

There were tons of fishing boats in the bay where many families lived. We passed by many houseboats, and it was an interesting contrast to the large skyscrapers behind the boats. I enjoyed the boat ride … who would not take the opportunity to be on another ship! The city tour ended with the boat ride, and we headed back to our ship.

The boat terminal area was huge and very modern. I was not used to being in cities that were so modern. We had just come from Vietnam where things were not as modern as here. There was a giant shopping center connected to the terminal, with tons of restaurants and side streets to explore. There was even a huge TV screen on one of the buildings- many of the SAS students could be seen watching the news because we had not seen any news in months. It was a strange feeling to listen to the news and have little idea what they were talking about… definitely a reminder that we are living in our own reality on the ship! The skyline of the city was gorgeous and would rival New York any day.

I walked around with a friend and we ended up exchanging money for China, and then exploring the area some more. It was very easy to get lost in the terminal! Later on I went back on the ship and met my roommate and some of our friends. We all met up and continued to shop and walk around. One of our friends had gotten lost and our group split up to search for her. There was a ferry that went across the bay to another part of Hong Kong, so they took that to try to find her. With no luck, we met back up to watch the light show that occurs every night.

To watch the show, we stood on a platform where you could see the skyline of buildings… they played music, and then lit up all the buildings in a way that went along with the music. It was a lot of fun, and exciting to see the entire skyline lit up.

After the light show we got some dinner at Pizza Hut. Yes, it was sad to eat there, but we all really wanted pizza. It tasted so good and was a nice reminder of home. Pizza and bread sticks just hit the spot! We all knew we were going to be eating Chinese food for the next few days. It was a great day and I felt like I had gotten a taste of the city - very modern and very up-scale. There were so many things to do… I am sure we could have stayed another week! But unfortunately I was leaving the next morning for Beijing!

“Seeing once is superior to hearing one hundred times.” -- Chinese Proverb

Days at Sea after Vietnam...

2007-05-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

The night we had to be back on the ship after Vietnam, I was trying to finish all of my postcards before they took the post office box away. We all had to turn in our postcards before "on ship time" at nine o’clock. I had many postcards to write and I recruited a few of my friends to help me write them! It was hilarious! We literally had ten minutes to get about twenty postcards written for everybody! We wrote as fast as we could for each other- then it was a mad rush upstairs for the box. I had to laugh because there were so many people running for the box- a race to see who would make it on time. Luckily I was able to get all my postcards in this time- with the help of some people and a stroke of good luck!

The rest of the evening was spent unpacking and getting organized from the past week. I have collected so many souvenirs and scrapbook items that my room is slowly being taken over by these items … we are all starting to wonder how we will ever get everything home! I got to hear the stories from everyone about Vietnam ... it always amazes me some of the things people encounter while it port! I tried to look through my pictures and found it overwhelming! The next day was a full day of classes and unfortunately I had two tests and a paper due. We had our 3rd Global Studies test… it was hard to come back on the ship from such an awesome port and force yourself to study! I found it very difficult!

The following day was really rough. My Global test was harder than I had anticipated and I wished I had studied more. But I made up for it on my other test in the afternoon. Plus I got a paper to my music teacher. Then I had yoga on the outside deck…it always relaxes me!

The last day we talked more about China and Hong Kong in Global Studies. We watched a documentary about “Tank Man” and the effect it had on Chinese thinking after the incident. It was interesting to learn that this man just stood right in front of huge military tanks entering the city of Beijing. I did not remember a lot of this history so it was a good way to get an overall idea of what happened.

We also had a birthday party for one of the girls. I think she was really surprised with her birthday party- we bought a tea set in Vietnam and it had six cups. We made her go on a scavenger hunt during the day, and then we planned a tea party with her gift. We all got dressed up for “High Tea” and then later had cake and ice cream at dinner. It turned out really well!

Just when I was starting to get relaxed on the ship I had to get ready for China! We had a huge pre-port the last night and went over all the trips to Beijing. I enjoyed the evening with friends and then got ready for a full next few days in Hong Kong and Beijing!

A good traveler is one who does not know where he is going to, and a perfect traveler does not know where he came from. -- Lin Yutang

Pictures from Vietnam ...

2007-05-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

These are two ladies selling their fruit in the Mekong Delta.

These are the boats that we traveled on up and down the river in the Mekong Delta!

This is a typical house in the Mekong Delta……I like the boat in the “garage” and how the house is on stilts next to the river.

I love this picture…A typical family in their house boat, waving to all the boats that come by.

I saw tons of people pass in boats like these and everyone used the bamboo sticks to steer the boat.

This old lady was cooking and selling her food on the street.

In the city of Can Tho, I observed many families sitting outside their stores and relaxing and talking with each other

This couple looked so happy outside their store and was just enjoying the nice afternoon.

These were some school girls I interviewed coming home on their bikes!

This is me on one of my motorcycle rides!

This is a picture of one of the men I saw participating in the service I attended at the temple.

This is a picture of the service I watched at Cao Di Great Temple.

This is our tour guide showing us how small the orginal tunnels were!

This is my friend and I inside the tunnels...we can barely move!

This is me with my video camera trying to jump or crawl or squezze through the tunnels!

The banner says “Semester at Sea, Welcome to Vietnam”

Traffic – motorcycles, motorcycles and more motorcycles!

Inside one of the beautiful temples we visited.

Riding a motorcycle! The only way to get there!

One of the meals we had at a Vietnamese restaurant.

The water puppet performance, with the puppet masters behind the pagoda set.

Here I am at the Presidential Palace!

Enjoying the variety of foods at the market.

Vietnam… A country, not a war…

2007-05-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

In class on the ship we spent a lot of time discussing our thoughts about the country, and how so many people think of Vietnam as a war and not as a country. We were challenged to think about Vietnam as its own country with a unique cultural heritage. But it was true; in history class you only learn about the war and do not have time to learn about the other aspects of the country. Our inter-port lecturer made the point that Vietnam has only been open to United States tourists for about a decade. This was a hard concept for me to grasp, and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to visit. I was curious to see the country and learn more about the people. Several of the students I had talked to prior to coming on the trip had told me that Vietnam was one of their favorite countries. So I was looking forward to seeing Vietnam for myself, and deciding what I thought of the country.

Vietnam’s total land area is roughly 127,244 square miles, or slightly larger than Italy. Most of the country consists of hills and mountains. The population is about 83 million people. Hanoi is the capital and is in the northern part of the country. Although the country was reunited in 1975, some political and cultural differences still exist between north and south. Ho Chi Minh City, which the locals call Saigon, is in the south. It is the industrial and commercial heart of Vietnam, and where the vast majority of the foreign trade occurs. The rural areas surrounding both cities are filled with small villages and houses. Vietnamese is the official language, although many people will say that English is the official second language. Buddhism is the primary religion, but there is also Cao Dai, Christianity, and Islam. Their currency is called the Dong, but interestingly enough most of us never used their currency and just used the U.S. dollar. That was strange to do in a foreign country, but it sure was easier not to have to do conversions!

One of the things I had forgotten is that there is a lot of French influence in Vietnam. We would see tons of people eating their baguettes for breakfast! Another thing I saw all over the country was Vietnamese people squatting on sidewalks and in front of businesses all day long. I could never imagine Americans being able to last like that for very long!

My favorite part of Vietnam is the traffic. There is no way to describe it… if you want to cross the street you just have to take a big breath and step into ongoing traffic! Crosswalks do not exist! All the traffic will maneuver around you until you have reached the other side. There are over 3 million motorcycles in Ho Chi Minh City and there are close to 7 million people. If you want to get anywhere in Vietnam you have to ride on a motorcycle! There are very few taxis in the city because everyone uses bikes.

One of the other interesting things is that the women are very concerned about keeping their skin extremely pale. They will wear long gloves on their arms and cover their faces with masks. Many of them also wear masks for pollution reasons, but for the most part it all has to do with fashion. This was interesting because most girls in the United States are working on achieving the complete opposite. In the stores in Vietnam all the make-up has whitening features in it to help attain the “whiter” affect. It was everywhere!

So to follow this Vietnamese proverb, Venture all; see what fate brings… I packed a lot into one week!

The first day I went on a city orientation of Ho Chi Minh City. I loved this tour because it gave me a great overall view of the city and the main points of interest. In the morning we went to the Thien Hau Pagoda. We walked around and watched a few locals practice their worship. The most interesting things inside were these incense coils that are hung from the ceiling all over the temple. These are about a foot long and will burn for about a month. I was told that families light one if they want to wish for something. My tour guide told me it is like an old-fashioned Internet to the gods!

Next we visited the history museum and I learned a little more about the history of the country. We also watched a water puppet performance. This began in the 11th century and the puppet masters are usually hidden behind a big pagoda set. They stand in the water and move these brightly colored movable puppets. Because Vietnam has such a long coastline, water is a huge part of their culture. The puppet show usually depicts daily life in Vietnam and it is set to traditional music. It was fun to watch and something everyone should see when they visit the country.

After the museum we stopped for an authentic Vietnamese lunch. I was not really sure what to expect Vietnamese food to be like, but I was pretty impressed. We went to a really nice restaurant. The main course consisted of some rice paper that we were supposed to fill like a wrap... I was not sure what I was filling it with… the only thing I recognized was lettuce! However, whatever I was eating was not too bad! Plus we had some rice and a bowl of soup… so I decided I was going to be able to survive!

Next we drove through the center of town and saw the embassies, city hall, the famous Rex Hotel, and a cathedral called Notre Dame. Familiar, right? It looked somewhat similar... I guess that is the French influence!

Finally, we visited the former Presidential Palace. The building has been left almost as it was on April 30, 1975, when North Vietnamese military tanks crashed through the front gates as they overcame the South Vietnamese. We got a tour of the building and I learned more about its significance during that time. I saw the conference and receiving rooms, the presidential family’s living quarters, and some of the underground bunker and command rooms. It was a fascinating tour.

Next we headed back to the ship, and then I went back out again with a friend to explore some more. We wandered the streets and finally found some dinner. It took us a while to find some place to eat, but we found a place with some American food, which was very exiting!

The next two days were spent in the Mekong Delta. On the drive to the Mekong Delta we went through miles and miles of rice paddies, and saw people on bicycles going to and from the market. The Mekong Delta area is famous for its coconut palms and fruit orchards… mangoes, logans, bananas, and citrus fruits… just to name a few!

We drove for about two hours and then stopped at Vin Long for a boat ride along the Mekong River. Our group was divided up into two small boats and we traveled in and out of some of the small canals and visited a floating market. Most of the people involved with the floating markets have part of their family living on these boats in the middle of the river. At certain times of the day there is a big mass of boats trading and selling with one another. It was fascinating to watch all the people interacting along the river.

During the boat ride we stopped at one of the farms along the water where they showed us how they made some of the local foods. We watched them pop rice and make “rice crispies,” but the neat thing was that they added different flavors to the mix. We got to sample a lot of the foods and see the entire process. Later on during the day we stopped at another person’s house and they provided us with some of the exotic fruits to try. The Mekong Delta is famous for having some unusual fruits… most of them I had never heard of, but they were really good! Some of them looked delicious, but others had a very strange taste that was hard to explain.

We continued along the river and then drove into the city of Can Tho. It is the most modern and commercial city in the Mekong Delta. We visited the history museum and learned some more about the Mekong Delta. Then we had some free time to explore the city. I walked around the side streets and took lots of pictures. There were tons of people just sitting outside their stores with their families. Some of them would be in lawn chairs and others would just be squatting close to the ground. The riverfront was beautiful … it had been turned into a park area for the community. The town was nice because it was small enough to explore and we were able to interact with the people.

We had dinner as a group in a local restaurant. It was really good food! We had soup, sea bass, pork, rice, veggies, and some ice cream! After dinner a group of us explored some more and found an Internet café. We all stayed there forever… taking turns using the phone or checking email. I was able to use Skype to call home. The people were always trying to accommodate us and pulled out chairs for everyone to sit on while waiting. So after a long time at the Internet café we continued to wander around the city. We stepped into a nightclub just to see what it was like in Vietnam. It was hilarious because it was exactly the same as the US! There was music playing so loud you could not think and people were dancing all over the place.

We stayed just for a little while to claim we were there, and then stumbled upon a foot massage place. Vietnam is famous for them! We got a half-hour massage for $4! They sat us down and had us relax. The funniest thing was they wanted us to put our feet in this water, and the water was definitely a brown color… it was strange but we all ended up putting our feet in anyway! We got pictures and talked to the ladies doing our foot massage... it was a memorable experience! Then before going back to the hotel we found a small café on the roof overlooking the city. I had some hot chocolate to finish up the night. It was a perfect ending to our day in the Mekong Delta.

The next morning we had to get up early and go on another boat ride along the river. This time we watched the Cai Rang Floating Market. We boarded a small boat again and observed local people bargain over fish, fruits, and vegetables. It was amazing to see all of the things people were selling. Everyone had a bamboo stick to push their boat. Most people had on the typical Vietnamese hat that keeps the sun out of their faces. Most had baskets and piles of food to sell. I enjoyed watching all the boats go by and all the people interacting with each other. You would see people just sitting in their hammocks until a boat would come by and try to buy something. I learned that there are 16 floating markets in the Mekong Delta. I also learned that many of the boats sell their food to wholesale truck drivers who then drive the food back to Saigon.

After the boat ride we visited the Khmer Pagoda and then had some free time. We walked through one of the markets in the middle of town. We had lunch back at the hotel and then headed back on the bus towards the ship. I really enjoyed my time in the Mekong Delta. When we were on the river and back in some of the canals I felt like I had gone backwards in time. Everything seemed very peaceful and very relaxed. So completely different from our lifestyle at home!

When I arrived back at the ship I was supposed to be meeting the Global Nomads group. This is a group that is traveling with us, and doing live telecasts in schools in each port. The point of the program is to have students connected and talking with each other around the world. I was going to watch the one in Vietnam.

I got off the bus from the Mekong Delta and saw the other group leaving to go see the Global Nomads. I didn’t have time to put my stuff down on the ship. So I had to take my first motorcycle ride with two book bags with me! It was an adventure. There were about 8 of us going and we tried to keep all 8 bikes together… it was hard when they were weaving in and out of traffic. Several of us got lost and I was happy when we finally all made it to the location!

The telecast was very interesting and we had the opportunity to talk with several of the Vietnamese students before and after. There were two other schools in the U.S. involved… one middle school and one high school. The U.S. and Vietnamese students would take turns asking questions of each other… they wanted to know what they did on the weekends or what they did with friends. There was also discussion about what each country had learned about each other in school. I learned a lot and enjoyed talking with the students. They all had perfect English and were very articulate. I was impressed!

This day I was also going on a tour to see the Cu Chi Tunnels and visit one of the biggest temples in Vietnam. We boarded the bus and drove a few hours toward the temple. First we stopped inside one of the villages for an early lunch. It was a delicious lunch and I had a little time to explore the village. It looked like a scene out of the movies. There were small houses back along a dirt road… people riding their bikes back and forth… families sitting outside and enjoying each other’s company. The Vietnamese people were so friendly all over the country. Whenever I would smile or wave they would always reciprocate. I played with one of the little girls who was just watching our group… she was so cute!

We got back on the bus and got to the Cao Di Great Temple in time to see the noon mass. The religion is called Caidoism and it is indigenous to Vietnam. It is the product of an attempt to create the ideal religion through the fusion of the religions of the West and East. It is the fusion of Christianity, Confucianism, Taison, Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism. The main beliefs of the religion include believing in one God, the existence of the soul, and in the use of mediums to communicate with the spiritual world. The Great Temple is one of the most striking structures in all of Asia. The cathedral is built in a Chinese-Vietnamese style, and it is decorated with dragons and other statues. At the altar hangs a giant sphere containing the “giant eye” which has an eternal flame.

There were many men outside lining up to go inside. I learned that the different colors of the people’s attire explained their status in the religion. They would be wearing red, blue, yellow, and white. The novice or laymen were wearing white. Men entered from one side and women entered from the other side. The inside was incredible. It was huge! Everyone had to take their shoes off outside before entering. All the participants were sitting on the floor in perfect lines. There was someone in the front singing chants for the congregation to follow. We were all watching from a balcony above. We watched the service and then walked around the area of the temple for a while.

Next we traveled to a war memorial for Vietnam. This was very haunting because there were over 10,000 people buried there. There was a beautiful statue of a mother and son as the focus of the memorial. Our tour guide talked a little about how this affected their country. I learned that many of the elders in Vietnam had to fight their entire life. On the ship we learned more about Vietnam’s history and how they have been at war with someone for years and years. The memorial was hard to deal with, especially because many of the soldiers buried there would have been about my age when they died in the war.

Next we headed to the Cu Chi Tunnels. I was really excited to visit these because I had heard a lot about them from past students. The tunnels were created and used by Viet Cong forces during wars with the French and Americans. The tunnels were built over a period of 25 years, and most are about 2 ft wide and 5 ft high. All the tunnels in this 124-mile network were dug by hand. No timber or concrete were used for support. They were incredibly tiny… and then there was the “foreigner size” tunnel which was still very small.

The tunnel network is several stories deep and has trap doors, living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, hospitals, command centers, and kitchens. Vietcong tunnels were used to transport goods, ideas, and people. It was a way to hide from the American bombs. The tunnels had well hidden entrances and thick roofs which were capable of withstanding the weight of tanks and withstanding bombs. The Americans unknowingly built a base camp on top of an existing tunnel system and suffered extensive damage until they realized their mistake.

We watched a short documentary about the tunnels and their impact during the war. The video had a lot of anti-American sentiment, and it really makes you think when you are listening to it from the other side. After the video we began to get a tour of the tunnels. They showed us how small the tunnels were… let’s just say I was nervous I was going to get stuck! It was eerie because on the tour they showed us all the traps and some of the weapons they used in the tunnels. I found to hard to believe that I was actually looking at something really used in war.

Finally we came to the area where we could climb into the tunnels. We climbed down a huge staircase into complete darkness. The problem was that you had ten people in front of you and ten people in back of you and there was no way to turn around… you could not be claustrophobic! It was really dark, maybe darker than I had originally thought it would be! Imagine squatting down and then shuffling along quickly… I used my video camera light in the tunnels, but that meant I only had one arm to use to go through the tunnels. Sometimes you could crawl on your hands and knees, other times you had to be on your stomach, and other times it was easier to squat and move quickly. Sometimes there would be turns that would lead into large rooms in the tunnels. Other times there would be big drops where you had to almost slide on your back down to the next level. My friend was in front of me and would tell me what was up ahead. It was definitely an adrenaline rush! I don’t think I could have been down there for much longer then I was, let alone live in them! I have no idea how long I was in the tunnels… I would assume it was about half an hour, but it seemed like they went on forever. Plus I think about having just explored only a small portion of the tunnels. It was a worthwhile experience and something I was proud of completing!

Then our group headed back to the ship. It was early in the evening and I went with a friend to a dress shop. We got on the back of a motorcycle and handed the driver the address of a store that had been recommended. One of the popular things to do in Vietnam is to get clothes made for you. They are rather inexpensive but very good quality. One of my souvenirs for the trip is a quilt I am making. I have been collecting fabric from every country to put into the quilt. I was able to explain my quilt idea to the dress shop people. That was an experience trying to explain the idea of a quilt, the way I wanted it… and I was very nervous that the translation would not be understood. But I did the best I could! We headed back to the ship and met my roommate’s mother and sister for dinner. Several of the parents met their children in Vietnam because there was a huge parent trip planned. We had an amazing dinner and I got a chance to visit with her family. After dinner my friends and I wandered around the city some more. We found a night market and explored the tourist areas of the city. Before heading back to the ship we went to the top of the Rex Hotel. I had learned that this was the famous hotel where all the reporters had left from the roof. It was a great view of the city!

On my last day I planned to explore the city of Ho Chi Minh City! Several of my friends and I planned to go the War Remnants Museum. We each got on a motorcycle and went to the museum first thing in the morning. The museum had several buildings and different types of displays. Some of it was pictures from the reporters, accounts from people, advertisements, and artistic interpretations of the war. It was interesting and hard to see. It was different to think of the war from their perspective. We all thought it was important to go visit the museum since it is such a big part of their history. We did some other errands that day like going to the post office and getting our Japan bullet train passes.

We had lunch at a typical restaurant called the Noodle Bar. All of the dishes were like big bowls of soup with thick noodles mixed with your choice of other things. It was delicious! Next we went to the Ben Thanh Market, which was this huge market in the middle of town. You could get about anything you ever thought about getting there! We walked around for several hours… looking at all the fresh fish, vegetables, and fruits. There were also knockoffs of every brand and souvenirs galore!

After we were satisfied with our souvenirs we went back to the dress shop and found out they were still working on my quilt. So my friend and I decided to try the typical $4 foot massage again! We hopped on another motorcycle and found a foot massage place close by. It was an experience! They had us take off our shoes and put everything in a locker. Then we sat in these comfy chairs, where music was playing and there was dim lighting… plus we were practically laying down in the chairs. The foot massage included some pressure points, which were pretty painful for me. I was hoping it might help my feet later, but I am sure the masseuse saw me wincing in pain! Overall it was very relaxing and I had a good time! My friend and I could barely walk after the massage! But I thought it was worth it- even just the experience! We had a good time!

We made it back to the dress shop to pick up my quilt and I was very impressed with how it turned out. I will have to finish it at home because I will want to add fabric from the next countries. But it turned out good considering the language barrier! I took my last motorcycle ride and made it back to the ship! I loved the rides around the city and will probably never get back on one ever again unless I am in Vietnam! But it was part of the culture and the best way to get around! I thoroughly enjoyed Vietnam and felt like I got to see so many different aspects of the country. It will definitely be a place to learn more about in the future!

"Own only what you can carry with you; know language, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag."

-- Alexander Solzhenitsyn

At sea after Malaysia!

2007-05-07T08:11:00.001-07:00

After a late night the day before, I had to jump right back into classes today. I had four classes today and we wrapped up Malaysia and introduced Vietnam. There are two inter-port lecturers onboard for Vietnam. One is a business man from Ho Chi Min City (where we are docking) and the other one is a girl around my age. In global studies we went over the history of Vietnam and heard some personal stories from both sides of the Vietnam War. Then I had my other three classes where I learned about the folk music of Vietnam, talked about the families in Vietnam, and debated some articles in my education class.

During the day the crew was practicing drills, which they do quite often, and they practiced the one for man overboard. The ship would stop and then turn very quickly in the water. Even though it was a serious drill it was neat to watch the ship move so quickly and see the wake of the ship as we were turning. This was a distraction during my music class! In between classes I unpacked from Kuala Lumpur and was able to get ready for the next port of call. By the end of this I will be a pro at unpacking and getting organized to be ready to go again!

This evening at dinner time the captain announced that everyone should come out to the decks because the ship would increase to full speed and we were going to be going extremely fast. Our ship can go about 30 miles an hour, so we are apparently the fastest passenger ship of this size in the world. We are going through the straits of Malacca and this is a dangerous area for pirates. We are going at full speed and the crew is on the top decks on pirate watch. Now some of you reading this might not really believe me, and actually I find this situation funny myself, but the pirate issue is real … although we are told it is not actually like Pirates of the Caribbean! So most of the students were outside on the decks watching for pirates as well. I ended up watching a beautiful sunset and saw dolphins in the distance. It was incredible! The rest of the evening has been full of homework, laundry, organizing my pictures, and catching up on things in my room. It was another amazing day at sea!

The next day was more of a relaxed day at sea. I had more time because I did not have as many classes. I continued homework, classes, sitting on the deck, eating, sleeping, visiting with friends….it was an eventful day!

The following day was Easter Sunday. It felt strange to celebrate because I had a full day of classes. Most of us got up early for a sunrise service with Desmond Tutu. It was definitely a cool experience and an Easter Sunday I will always remember. Everyone was dressed in their Sunday best as he performed the service. It was a relaxed service because the Archbishop kept making jokes … especially because we had to use the cafeteria dinner rolls for communion! At the end of the service we were all given flowers to throw off the deck of the ship to memorialize the day.

I also had an Easter dinner with my adopted family on the ship. The food in the dining hall was exceptionally good that evening. They had a pretend turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie….it was the wrong holiday but nobody complained about the upgrade in the food that evening! It was a nice treat! My family also gave me a small Easter basket. It was full of candy, a coupon for a free smoothie upstairs, and some magnets for my room!

After dinner we had pre-port for Vietnam! We learned some of the etiquette for the country, and some of cultural traditions to look for. I was really excited to be going to Vietnam! Many people who had been on Semester at Sea before had said they really enjoyed this country!

I have wandered all my life, and I also traveled; the difference between the two being this, that we wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.
-- Hilaire Belloc

Views of Malaysia!

2007-05-07T07:53:00.000-07:00

At the butterfly house!

One gorgeous butterfly!!

We visited many temples...this was one of the altars inside.

In front of a temple, after climbing a hill to reach it

Practicing playing the gongs, after the puppet performance at the welcome reception

Standing with friends in front of the president's house in Kuala Lumpur

Posing with my friends and the dancers after our evening show!

My new school girl friends!

The famous Kuala Lumpur twin towers

Showing off my new pewter bowl at the factory

Marvelous Malaysia!

2007-05-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

The MS Explorer docked in Penang, Malaysia. It is an important commercial port for Malaysia and a prime spot for tourism. The country has a long history because it has been visited by many explorers. The first explorers were the Portuguese, then came the British and then the Dutch. Britain invested in rubber plantations and brought over Chinese and Indian workers to provide labor. There are also Islamic influences from the traders who came through the Straits of Malacca. This is why there is so much cultural diversity in Malaysia. The country eventually got its independence in 1957.

Malaysia has a constitutional monarchy and is headed by a person referred to as King. Malaysia has a unique system, because it is the only country where its King is elected every 5 years. The office of King is not hereditary but elected from among the 9 sultans of the Malaysian states. The King is also the leader of the Islamic faith in Malaysia. The 12th and present King is named Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, the Raja of Perlis. And yes, that is his name ... imagine writing that in kindergarten!

Malaysia is comprised of 51% Malays, 24% Chinese, 11% Indigenous tribes, and 7% Indian. Some of the Chinese Malaysians hold superstitious beliefs. Some examples are ... numbers: 4444, 444, 444, 44, 4 are extremely bad … the number nine sound like the Chinese word that means long life, so all birthdays with the number nine in them are considered special … red and yellow are colors of good fortune … and a pineapple is a sign of good fortune.

Bahasa Melayu is the national language of Malaysia. There are also a lot of native languages spoken, as well as some English. About 60% of the Malaysians are Muslim and 20% are Buddhist. There are also Hindu, Confucian, and Christian religions. In this country there are many customs that are taken more seriously than in the U.S. Some of these include … avoid using the left hand to pass objects ... dress modestly- exposing little skin … avoid displays of affection … keep your hands out of your pockets … and don’t show the soles of your feet to anyone. I thought these were a very interesting part of their culture.

The first day we went on a city orientation tour. We drove through the city center and looked at a lot of the old buildings in the heart of the city. Georgetown, the state capital, was built around the 1800’s by the British. The area is a mix of three different cultures- Malaysian, Indian, and Chinese. The first place we stopped was a butterfly farm. It was an enclosed area where there were hundreds of butterflies all around the flowers. There were several different kinds of butterflies, and they all had gorgeous colors. We had fun taking pictures and seeing if we could get some to land on us. I had several that liked my blue bookbag!

Then we took a drive through a forestry area where there were tons of banana trees and bamboo trees. It was neat to see the local produce being sold by the side of the road. Next we stopped at a Chinese temple, Chor-su Kong, that was famous for having lots of snakes. It was built around 1850. The snakes were at the altars to act as guardians and protect the people from evil spirits. There were many of them all over the altar area and it said you could touch the snakes- but at your on own risk! We had a Chinese lunch which I was very excited about! I will never turn down a chance to eat Chinese food!

Next we went to visit the Kek Lok Si Temple and Pagoda, devoted to the “Ten Thousands Buddas.” I had to climb a big hill to reach the temple, but it was definitely worth it! There was a great view from the top. It was interesting to look at all the decorative aspects of the temple ... there were Buddha statues in every corner! We spent some time walking around and taking pictures. Finally, on the tour we walked through the Botanical Gardens. There are small monkeys here that roam freely around the area. They were hilarious! Someone had brought some bananas from the ship and threw them to the monkeys. They fought hard over these and jumped from tree to tree, and then just sat and stared at us. I loved watching them so close up!

In the evening we went to a welcome reception at one of the local universities. It was called the Universiti Sains Malaysia. In Malaysia they quite often take English words and spell them in a Malaysian form. This is a university that mainly focuses on science, or “Sains.” It was the second oldest university in the country and has about 20,000 students.

The following day I left with about 100 people to go to Kuala Lumpur. Also known as “KL,” it is the capital of Malaysia. It is in the western part of Malaysia with a population of about 1.5 million people. We left the ship in the morning and traveled by coach bus to Kuala Lumpur. We made several stops during the six-hour ride, and it was a great way to see the countryside. I was able to catch up on some sleep and watch a few movies. It was a great way to just relax.

We got to our hotel, the Swiss-Garden Hotel, late in the afternoon and explored the area a bit before dinner. We were taken to an amazing dinner and show. There was so much food ... half of which I had no idea what it was! ... but I tried some new things and enjoyed every minute. It ended up being very delicious! Later on we had a performance with dancers and musicians. It was a mix of cultural dances with traditional music and colorful costumes. It was a great evening and we went back to the hotel and ended up sleeping three in a bed. I had another friend on the trip who wanted to stay with us. We joked about it and had fun watching the foreign television!

Another interesting thing was that on the ceiling of our hotel room there was an arrow that pointed toward Mecca. I thought it was most interesting and showed the importance of religion in their culture.

The next morning we toured Kuala Lumpur, and first stopped at the King’s Palace. There was a huge gate with several guards and horses outside. Everyone took their turn taking pictures with the guards and we admired the palace from the gate. Next we went to a place called the Lake Gardens. It was a park area that had several monuments for some of the past wars in their history. There was a huge school group at the park and I got a chance to talk to some of the girls. They were so funny because they asked me where I was from, and when I told them the United States, they wondered if I was from NYC. Then they asked me if I was in college and wanted to know if I went to Harvard. I wished I could have said yes … but I just laughed and explained I was at a different school! We each got a picture with each other, and talked more about school life.

We drove around the city some and saw all of the modern buildings. It was such a contrast to India … very modern, clean, high-tech, big shopping centers, big billboards … pretty much like any big city in the U.S. It is funny because they have a “Times Square” and are building a “Central Park.” They are really trying to be like NYC! It was strange sometimes because we did not feel like we were in a foreign country … only people were dressed in the traditional Muslim clothing. We drove by the national mosque, which they said sometimes has over 10,000 people in attendance. We also stopped and walked through one of their history museums. It was interesting to look at some of the things we had talked about on the ship.

We also looked at the Petronas Twin Towers. This is the symbol of Kuala Lumpur, or "KL" as it is called, and is one of the world’s tallest buildings at 452 meters. The towers are connected by a sky-bridge at 88th floor, and the buildings are the home of Petronas, or Malaysia’s national oil corporation. Later on we had another family style Chinese lunch. At the end of lunch you can always count on having watermelon for dessert. I am not sure where this comes from … but it never fails that a plate of watermelon is brought to the table!

After lunch we headed to the KL Tower. The tower stands at a height of 421 meters and doubles as a famous symbol of the city. It is the 4th largest telecommunications tower in the world and was completed in 1996. We went to the top and had a 360 degree view of the city. It was amazing. We were able to point out a few places we had been that day. I made sure to take lots of pictures!

We made our way back to the hotel, took a break and then went wandering around. We walked along the main street and had fun doing some shopping. The afternoon went by fast and we enjoyed the free time exploring the city. We even figured out how to use the monorail to get around the city! It was my roommate’s birthday and we ate at Hard Rock Café to celebrate for her. It was nice to eat some American food! However, there was a problem because she accidentally poured chili sauce all over her French fries and we had to order another batch. Then we walked through China Town … which might have been better during the day ... there was not much to see after dinner. Overall, it was a busy day full of seeing the sites and exploring the city.

The next morning a group of us went to a pewter factory. KL is famous for pewter, but we were not really sure what to expect. We had a tour of the museum and then toured the factory. That was really interesting- for the most part the factory had all women working and we were shown the process of making pewter. We looked at different work stations to see how it was made and then got to watch the factory at work. Finally we had the opportunity to make our own pewter bowl in a small workshop. It was called the School of Hard Knocks! After the experience I realized this would not be a good career for me!

I was terrible at making a bowl! We started with a flat round piece and first had to pound in our name and date. I did all right but sometimes it slipped and it looks like there are 5 letter c’s! Then we used a mold and had to bang the pewter with the hammer. This was really hard! I did not have enough arm strength to continue to make it into the shape of a bowl. The instructor would just laugh at me and then help me out … it was almost embarrassing. After a LONG time of hitting the bowl and shaping it, we shaved off the rough edges on the side and then cleaned the bowl. Luckily I did that part right! It was an awesome experience and one I don’t think I will ever forget. Now I have a souvenir bowl I made in Malaysia!

After the factory we headed back to the ship on the bus. It was a long ride and we watched some good movies! We got back and had a little while to walk around the port city of Penang. Then we had to get in line to get back on the ship at by 7:00 pm- but because of the tendering process we were actually on the ship around 8:30. It was a long line! I was sad to leave this beautiful country- I could definitely have enjoyed several more days here!

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
-- St. Augstine

On board the Explorer from India to Malaysia...

2007-05-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

I was so lucky to have a day off after India! Most people needed the day off to decompress or recover from the “Delhi Belly” they caught while in the country. Thankfully, I escaped it. I used the day to catch up on some much needed sleep! My roommate and I slept until noon and got some lunch when we got up. It was the craziest day! People were in and out of our room… coming by wearing their newly purchased saris, or coming to compare stories or share pictures.

It was a day full of listening to funny stories, drawing comparisons on what we saw, and showing the thousands of pictures I have…100 of which were of the Taj Mahal! My bed was covered in stuff and other people’s stuff and it was seriously a comical experience! Everyone wanted to share their amazing pictures and to hear about other’s experiences! Plus everyone looked great in their saris ... the trouble was we were all struggling with how to actually put one on correctly! Sometimes we got creative with the 5 meters of fabric! But unfortunately reality set in and I had to study for a test that night. It was hard to get motivated for the test … but somehow I managed to focus on school!

The next day I had class and more class. The test was not too bad and I think I did ok! I had the chance to catch up on some homework and go to a meeting on the Ambassador’s Ball that I am helping to plan. In the evening we had cultural pre-port, talking about Malaysia... about it being a Muslim country and the customs that go along with that. We watched one of the videos in our room on Malaysia. It was a nice overview and a great way to see some pictures of what I would be seeing!

The following day was April Fool’s Day and the ship's doctor played a big trick on everyone! We were told that several cases of leprosy had been reported on ship from India, and that everyone needed to take extreme precaution. We were told that one of the symptoms was found in your ears and that everyone should check the ears of the person sitting next to them. This went on for a few minutes and some people began to look rather concerned! The ship's doctor then announced “April Fool’s” and there was a great sense of relief!

We had a Question and Answer session in Global Studies with the inter-port lecturer from Malaysia. We learned about some of the current events in Malaysia. One is the “2020 Vision,” in which they hope Malaysia will be a developed country by that year. I had some time to enjoy the deck outside and finish my schoolwork before Malaysia. At night we had logistical pre-port and talked about transportation, things to do, customs to follow, and the money conversions. Just as I leave a country and have the conversions in my head, I have to think through a new set! It really becomes quite confusing when the ports are so close together! We also learned that we would have to tender into port. This means the water is too shallow in the port for our ship, so we have to take the lifeboats instead. This can be tricky when 700 people want to go back and forth from the ship. So it was going to be an experience in Malaysia! I was excited and looking forward to a new port!

I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything.
-- Bill Bryson

Sights of India....

2007-05-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

The cows and I at the rural farm…I did not want to get too close!

A local family from the village, who came to see us

Another family in their colorful dress

My friends and I at the welcome reception

Showing off our hena on our hands

One of the many beggars on the streets of India…her face was heartbreaking.

One of the little girls selling offerings at the Ganges River

Beautiful sunrise…

Colorful scene on the Ganges, in the morning

People taking time to bathe in the river

An older man, standing by the river

A man selling flutes to the tourists

I am holding the Taj Mahal in the palm of my hand!

My big Indian extended family!

The gorgeous TAJ MAHAL!!

Reflection of the Taj in the reflection pool

Posing in front of the Taj

I could not believe I was at the Taj Mahal!

My friend and I at the train station

The famous rickshaws that I rode in around the town

My friends and I at one of the forts we saw

Incredible India!

2007-05-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

Preface to India...

This trip has been a balancing act of so many things. I am constantly trying to make the most of every day- squeezing in everything that is possible. But these last few weeks have been especially jam packed with so many ports, one right after another. I have not had time to slow down and journal my days the way I wanted to ... and secondly, I have been stuck on how to write about India. That may seem strange, but in my mind it was this huge country with so much culture, so many people, so many vibrant sites, beautiful faces of so many people, and yet a feeling of total disgust for all of the poverty in one country. It seems like this massive port ... so many stories to tell and pictures to share ... and yet I find it hard to put it into words. So with that being said, I apologize for not having updated sooner … but maybe now I have thought about it enough to find a way to share my experiences.

India is a country that is extremely culturally different from any other country I have had the opportunity to visit. I don’t think I could ever take enough pictures of the people and the scenery. Their lifestyle is so backwards compared to ours in so many ways ... and it is hard to wrap your head around the way they live life. I also don’t think I could have seen any more methods of transportation while I was in India… there were cars, buses, rickshaws, bicycles, ox-drawn carts, cows, and other animals wandering the streets at all times. I had several plane rides, train rides, and even took a boat up the Ganges River.

On the ship we spent a lot of time learning about the history and social issues of India. We learned it is the most populous democracy in the world, and that it is about 1/3 the size of the United States but has 3 times the population. We learned it has the highest number of college-age scientists, and that the middle class of India is about the same size as the U.S. population. Also, we talked a lot about the poverty in India and how 80% of the Indian population lives on less than $2 a day. We talked about the food, clothing, customs, and that they do a unique head bob to say ok! We also learned that the docking of our ship was on prime time Indian news! How exciting is that!!

India’s population just passed the 1 billion mark. One in six people in the world are Indian. The country is the same size as Europe. There are more than 1,600 languages and dialects spoken in the country, and over 23 official languages. English is the only language known throughout the country, yet only 3 in 100 Indians speak it. An interesting fact is that the number system was invented in India. Also, according to Hindu belief, cows are sacred to India, and that is why they are given the right-of-way in the streets!

There is really no way to describe the scene in India. There are the people ...there are so many people … each staring at you just as much as you are staring back at them. The women are unmistakable in their colorful saris, and those bright colors seem to dot the streets as millions go by. I have been fortunate to travel a lot on this trip and to travel previously with my family, but India definitely stands out by itself- there is no country I could ever compare it to. I guess that is why I found it so fascinating. I think I have also found a new appreciation for their culture, and it seems to be unique in so many ways.

I think a trip around the world would not be complete without stopping here. I saw so much in those few days that I don’t think I will ever be able to recap it all in my mind. Past Semester at Sea voyagers say that India is a true turning point in the trip. I believe that whole-heartedly. So I hope I can describe what I saw, and give you an idea of how much it impacted me on my trip around the world. I like this quote because I think it is a good way to see India….

Travel like Gandhi, with simple clothes, open eyes and an uncluttered mind. – Rick Steves

India up close...

When we were pulling into the port of Chennai there was a band playing for us outside our porthole and a welcome from customs officials. We were told before arriving in India that we would have to show our papers everywhere. I now fully understand that they were telling the truth. We always had to show our papers when we wanted to get on and off the ship… a type of proof we were on the ship, plus papers that our currency was exchanged at a real place. It was a crazy rule and it seemed as if you were being checked at every possible checkpoint. There were even times we had to go into a military building and sign our names on papers to leave the port area. But it was all part of the culture!

Many of us went up to the top deck and took a look around the city. We were right next to a coal plant so the filth and dirt from that would eventually get all over the ship in the course of our week there. The crew would eventually cover all the carpet on the ship with cardboard so we would not track in too much dirt from India. Plus, in our cabins we were given blue towels so we would not get our white towels so dirty from the filth of the country. There seemed to be a distinct smell and I could tell we had arrived in India. Along with the smell there was an unmistakable amount of noise… honking seems to be the way traffic is managed. There were loud cars, buses, rickshaws, people talking, and always the consistent sound of honking… not many countries have this extensive traffic pattern!

After a briefing from officials, the ship was finally cleared, and I headed out on a tour to a rural farm to see what daily life is like for many Indians. It was a long bumpy bus ride… I was in the back seat and it was perfect to watch the countryside go by. I was in awe of the traffic patterns these people were taking ... no specific lanes or rules to abide by for anyone. In our bus there was the driver plus another person honking the horn for anyone in our way. It was a crazy sight! There was someone sitting next to our driver responsible for making sure the bus did not collide with any cows or motorcycles. I think this person was in charge of all the honking!

When we got off the bus at the rural farm village, I was not really sure what to expect, but the farm I saw was not exactly what I would have pictured. There were animals roaming around, farm workers taking care of the animals, women washing clothes, and others in the kitchen preparing us lunch. The son who owned the farm said that SAS students had been coming to his farm for 13 years. He told us a little about his farm and then we took a tour of the farm.

It used to be a dairy farm and now has turned into a farm focusing on coconuts and eucalyptus. I have to say I was surprised that this would be the main crop for a farm in India, but I guess that is why I was at the farm ... to learn things like that. I enjoyed seeing the different parts of the farm and we even tried to talk to some of the workers on the farm. One old man told us he was the “cow man,” which I would only assume means he was in charge of all the cows. He seemed very proud of his job. Later on in the day the man had one of his workers climb up in the trees and reach for coconuts for each one of us. It was so fun to watch the man scaling up the tree to get to the top. He would pick a few, put them in a basket, and then send them back down. I tried the coconut milk, but I think I will stick to regular milk instead!

Later on in the day the family served us lunch on the farm. They were so gracious, and told us they tried to make the food not as spicy for us. I had to get them to explain what I was eating! I tried a little bit of everything and enjoyed eating some of the authentic dishes. Thankfully, though, rice is always a safe bet! I decided that curry is not so bad and that their bread, nan, was delicious!

The best thing about the farm was that we got to ride on a cart pulled by two oxen through the middle of town. About 15 of us hopped on the back of the cart and got ready to smile and wave. It was amazing! All the families would come out of their houses to watch us go by, sometimes smiling, or sometimes waving. There were tons of kids following the cart and we ended up passing out a lot of goodies to them along the way. It was one of the best experiences I ever had! It felt like we were right in the middle of their lives, seeing their houses, and peeking into their life for just a brief minute. The children were all very excited and continued with our cart until we turned onto the highway!

Now that was interesting…imagine being on a road with cars, trucks, bikes, cows, and then there is a big ox cart slowly moving in the middle of all this! I could not help but laugh! I took tons of pictures and sometimes along the way we would stop and visit the people… step into their house, or just give them a smile. I found myself wishing we could ride on the cart for another hour… it was great way to see the real India. I passed out candy and pens and pencils to all the children as they raced to our cart. I probably looked like such a tourist…I had my camera in one hand and my video camera around my neck… plus I was trying to switch hands so that I would not wave with my left hand, as this is not respected in their culture. The whole time on the cart was definitely an experience!

I returned to the ship and went to a welcome reception with several of my friends. We were in a park area outside, all decorated for our arrival. There were many university students there to greet us. They spoke very good English and were eager to talk with us. There was a great buffet of traditional Indian dishes, and tables where we could get hena. Hena is a form of artwork drawn on your hands. They drew a beautiful flower on my hand! I was really excited. The only problem was that we decided to get hena first and then had to attempt to eat from the buffet with our hand still wet from the hena. It was an experience. Later on in the evening we had a musical performance with some traditional dancing. I really enjoyed watching the show, especially because I had learned so much about Indian musical traditions in my music class.

When we got back from the welcome reception I had to pack for my overnight trip in India. I think after this semester I will be such an efficient packer. My family and roommates at Clemson would be happy to know I packed for 4 days in one small bookbag…only one pair of pants and one pair of shoes. We were flying so our bookbag was supposed to only weigh about 11 pounds! I think I was fairly close to that! I never ended up going to bed that night because I was packing and writing emails home. I had to report to the union at 3:30 in the morning.

We got everyone in our group together ... there were about 70 of us traveling in my group. We made it to the airport when it was still very early in the morning. We were not allowed to check bags, so it was a faster process. We had heard that women are not treated as well in India as in other countries. This was evident in several ways throughout the trip, but at the airport all the women had to be taken into separate lines for everything. All the women had to be individually searched behind a curtain when going through security. I thought this was interesting… and it seemed a little extreme. The men were allowed to just walk right on through. However, I was not going to question the procedure, but definitely all the girl students were a little surprised. After a long wait our entire group made it on the plane and flew to Delhi. Then we flew on to Varanassi. The city of Varanassi is one of the holiest cities in India, and is where many of the rituals take place for the Hindu people.

It was obvious when we exited the airport that this was going to be an intense experience. There were about a hundred men outside the airport, waiting for people, I would assume, but they were staring at our group very intently. Now it would not be unexpected to see people stare, but these men seemed to have a deep stare that went beyond the look of curiosity. My friend had warned me about this and it followed us throughout our stay in India. Once we escaped the initial stares we took a bus to our hotel and got room assignments. The bus ride on the way to the hotel was a telling sign. It was dirty, dusty, dry, smelly, and the vision of poverty and massive amounts of people was unavoidable. We drove for quite a while and then finally the bus turned to the right. There was a huge contrast… all of the sudden there was this modern hotel surrounded by these roads of poverty. It was a really strange sight…almost like the hotel was in the wrong place. Regardless, it was a safe haven and we all enjoyed freshening up before we went sightseeing. We had an amazing Indian lunch in the hotel, which I am slowly gaining an appetite for, and then we went to a place called Sarnath.

This was a Buddhist site that was famous because it is where Buddha preached his first sermon. It is holy to the Buddhists like Varanassi is holy to the Hindus. It was a gorgeous area, almost like a park with ancient ruins and a monument in the middle. There were many people visiting the site spread out all over the grass, all dressed in white. Close to the monument there was a group of monks having a prayer. Many of us watched them quietly from the side. It was neat to see people coming to this as a place of worship. There were also many beggars all over the area. You could not escape these people in India. Somehow they seemed more real in India than I had really ever thought about before. Most of them were behind this fence right up to the ruins. They would see you when you walked by, and hold out their small tin cup. It was hard not to ignore them. We spent some time there and our tour guide told us the history of Buddha and how the religion began. We then went into a museum close by with more artifacts and history on Buddhism. It was interesting because I was not aware of some of the history.

Later on in the day we visited another temple. We had to take our shoes off at the door and were allowed to go inside to look around. There was a large Buddha statue inside sitting with an altar. I got some pictures and then we headed back to the hotel for dinner. Dinner was fantastic and I decided that I might like a few of the meals besides just rice! It was too dangerous to go outside after dark, so we wandered around the hotel and visited with each other.

The following day was another early morning wake-up call. They warned us on the itinerary that this was going to be an exhausting trip- I was definitely going to believe them. That being said, this was probably one of the most fascinating days of trip. The images and sights and sounds I saw on the Ganges River are something I didn’t think I could ever imagine. At dawn there are Indian pilgrims converging on the holy waters for ritual immersion and prayer to release their souls from the cycle of rebirth.

Our wake-up call was at 4:30 and we left by 5 am to reach the river. One of the remarkable things was the drive to the river… it was close to 5 am and there were people EVERYWHERE! At home not many people are out and about that early, but in Varanassi there were hundreds of people walking, driving, shopping, biking, walking cows, chanting… it looked like 9 am in the morning. Here we were trying to keep our eyes open and this city was bustling all around us. It was one of the craziest sights I had seen. The bus could only go so far and our group had to walk several more blocks. I don’t think I could have stood out any more during that walk to the river. I am sure I looked like the ultimate tourist with my camera around my neck, snapping pictures left and right. But walking in the middle of this city was just so hard to explain, other than it felt like a weird dream.

There were people all around you, minding their own business, but at the same time staring at you with just as much curiosity as you were at them. There were young people, old people, families, or just groups of kids. I saw many people carrying a few items wrapped in cloth. I later realized it was their supplies for their bathing in the river. We made it down to the river and of course we all just stopped in awe and amazement. Here we were- standing at the banks of the Ganges River, in India, about to take a boat ride and watch the gorgeous scene along the river while watching the sun rise at the same time… it was hard to take in all at once. I remember taking in all the people getting ready to bathe and all the people who made this a daily or weekly ritual.

Our group got in a few small boats and started down the river. All I can say is that I hope my pictures can help to capture the scene better that I can describe it in words. There was never a moment when we wouldn’t see people in the water bathing with their families. There were children splashing around who seemed to be enjoying the whole idea. There were two old ladies who were widows dressed in white standing with their feet in the river. There were entire families who appeared to take the ritual very seriously. We saw people collecting water in big buckets to take back to their house… we saw many people doing their laundry… or just sitting and enjoying the morning deep in thought. The sunrise was breathtaking, and to see it on the Ganges River was undeniably beautiful. Somehow it seemed to make the morning more dream like. I even sent an offering into the Ganges River… there was a candle with flowers surrounding it. The little girl selling them helped me light the candle and then I sent it floating into the river. The candle continued to stay lit as I watched it float past the boat toward the sunrise. It was a memorable experience.

Another one of the main reasons Indians travel to Varanassi is to be cremated. There is a hotel at the top of a staircase where people can come and stay until it is their turn to pass on. We saw the bodies wrapped in gold cloth lying on steps next to the river. It is the untouchables' job to care for the bodies. They build a huge pyre and then go through many traditional rituals with the family. I know that the eldest son must take the lead in the rituals. Women are not allowed at the cremation, because they say women cry and this is not a time for grieving, that is something that was done at the home. There are several steps and then the family watches the body after the fire has completed its job. At one time many of the people were cremated and then sent to sea, but this is not encouraged today because so many people are at the river every morning.

We probably spent several hours on the boat riding back and forth along the river. It was an incredible sight. I am not sure how many pictures I took that morning. I loved how special the river was and how it was used and appreciated by so many people each and every day. I got to witness a religious spectacle that has continued unchanged for centuries.

After the boat ride we walked back to the buses. It was the same experience of people everywhere. This time there were more beggars, more kids, more cows, more rickshaws, more color and busyness! It was several hours later and the city seemed to be even more alive. I had to fight my way back on the bus and it was only from the bus do you realize you are immersed in a completely different culture. Our group had breakfast back at the hotel. It felt like lunch to me!

Next we went on a shopping trip and then wandered around the city for a little while. We left soon after that and headed to the airport. All the women were searched again this time, and luckily we all knew what to expect. We ended up having lunch at the airport and then I was happy to get on the plane. It gave me a chance to get a little sleep because we had a 2-hour flight to Delhi. New Delhi is the capital of India and also the third largest city.

First we had a brief sightseeing tour of the city. We saw the Parliament buildings and the house of the President of India. We saw some of the major areas in the city and stopped at one of the famous memorials in the city. It was a huge park area and looked like a big replica of the Arch de Triumph. There were hundreds of families there and I enjoyed visiting with several of them. I got pictures with many of them, and then many of us were asked to be in pictures with them. I had a great time…even talked and smiled with a group of kids. They were so cute!

We had free time after that and we spent time wandering around the city. We stopped at a market and I bargained for some great souvenirs! When it was getting close to dinnertime at the hotel, some of my friends and I took our first rickshaw ride. It was an experience! We fit three people in this tiny thing… I was on the end and could practically reach and touch the person next to me in the street! There were so many rickshaws and nobody seemed to have a clear path. We did some crazy driving… I was definitely a little scared at times- but I guess that is all part of the fun! I was glad to survive my first ride and happy to be at the hotel. We had an amazing Chinese dinner provided for us at the hotel (Yes, I know, Chinese? And we were in India? But it was delicious!) This hotel was absolutely amazing. We would never stay in such a lovely place like this on any of our vacations! They had a welcome sign for SAS made out of flowers for us…in was a fun place to explore after dinner. I got to bed relatively early that night because we had another early morning wake-up call.

We had to be at the train station at 5 am so we could ride to Agra where the Taj Mahal is located. The trains are famous in India and are always packed with people. The cars we were riding in were first class because they told us it would not be safe to ride anywhere else. There were seats for all of us and it became a very quiet train ride. I got to see some of the countryside and caught up more on my sleep in the two-hour ride. We arrived in Agra and rode to a site called Fatehpur Sikri. This was a deserted city built by Emperor Akar as his capital to honor a Muslim saint who prophesied the birth of an heir. It is a red sandstone palace that is still in a remarkable state of preservation. It was later abandoned by the emperor because of lack of water supplies.

Our guides told us more about some of the royals in India and we wandered around the city for a while. It was fun to take pictures and imagine people really living there. We stopped for lunch next and then headed to the Agra Fort. It was a fort for the city and we were able to walk around the area and actually see the Taj Mahal from the fort. It was incredible! All of us took turns taking pictures looking like we were holding the Taj Mahal! It was hilarious! Plus there was a huge Indian family taking a family reunion picture there! Some people in our group joined the picture, and before long we all jumped in! Pretty soon all the other visitors in the fort started to jump in the picture! It was one big massive picture! After we had gotten enough pictures we walked to the entrance of the Taj Mahal. I was so excited!

We had to stand in a very long line to get into the Taj. Once again the women were separated and searched by themselves. There was a list of like 200 items you could not bring. No pencils, pens, paper, water, gum, lipstick… the list went on and on. I passed the test and walked through a building and then was standing right in front of the Taj Mahal. I stood in awe! There is no way to describe it! It was breathtaking, magnificent, and so special you wondered if it was real. It looked so big when I was standing in front of it. Immediately we all started taking pictures.

We had about 4 hours to wander around the area. I don’t think I have ever taken more pictures of one building before, but it was definitely worth all the pictures. A group of us walked down one side of the refection pool toward the front of the building. We would stop at every appropriate picture opportunity and take a half-dozen! We had to slip booties over our shoes to walk on the marble floors. I walked through the inside of the Taj. It was perfect symmetry inside and there was very intricate detail in every corner. We also saw the tombs of man who built the Taj, and his wife’s tomb, inside. We spent several more hours exploring the whole area and taking all of it in. I was so excited to be there and continued to take pictures the whole afternoon. There were many tourists and everyone kept posing in front of it.

While I was there we also learned some history of the Taj Mahal from our tour guide. It is one of the greatest symbols of love in the world. It was built in the 17th century in white marble by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his Queen Mumtaz Mahal. It is an architectural marvel for its perfect symmetry of design and construction. It took 25 years to build.

The sun was beginning to set as we headed back to the train station. While we were waiting for our train there were tons of street children trying to get our attention. I tried to pass out some candy and pencils, but almost caused a small riot among the children. Our tour guide had to push them away so that they would not cause trouble. It was a long wait for the train. Everyone was exhausted… we slept on the train and then finally got back to the hotel that evening.

We were able to sleep in a little the last morning and get to the airport by 6 am. We had a long plane ride back to Chennai, India, where the ship would be waiting for us. One of the interesting things on the plane rides was the Indian foods. I was never sure what any of it was, but attempted to try what was put in front of me. It was always a big joke to see if anyone could figure out what we were eating! On the plane we found a newspaper that had talked about the SAS arrival in India. It was exciting because they had interviewed some of the students and professors on the ship. I saved it for my scrapbook!

We arrived in Chennai and made it back to the ship. There was a long line to get on the ship and everyone had so many bags that had to be searched. I met up with my friends and we headed back into the city. We had a hard time haggling with the rickshaw drivers, but finally agreed on a price. This was always a challenge with these drivers. Several of us walked around a big mall called Spencers. It was fun to go for a walk around Chennai because I had not spent a lot of time there. We ended up eating pizza for dinner before heading back to the ship. I can say it was one of my favorite evenings. I was not ready to go back!

Right outside the ship I made some phone calls home. There were some men who had five cell phones we could use, and then pay $1 for every few minutes. It was such a funny concept, but I was able to talk to a few people at home! When we got back on the ship we were all tired from being immersed in India for the week. But after each port we are always sharing stories and showing off the cool souvenirs we found in the country! It was certainly an evening of memorable stories and amazing pictures … the only thing I can say is that India is very distinct and unique in its own way. The sights, sounds, tastes and smells are all a sensory overload. It was an incredible port!

If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay at home. – James A. Michener

Wild Africa!

2007-05-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

This region in South Africa is well known for raising ostriches.

Ostriches are raised for their feathers, meat, skin (leather), and eggs.

Look at this adorable face!

Ostriches are not very smart. Their brain is the size of a bean!

I am trying to "walk" the elephant at the elephant sanctuary.

Mom and I are getting close up and personal with the elephant.

This is the jeep for our safari at the Schotia Game Reserve.

Seeing black and white! Lots of stripes!

An endangered black rhino!

Here are some of our favorite animals- the giraffes and their long necks!

Hungry, Hungry Hippos!

The most special part of our safari, seeing this pride of lions!

The Lion King!

A warthog.... remember Pumba, anyone?

Red hartebeests, staring straight at us.

One of the many kudus at the game reserve

Beautiful South Africa

2007-04-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

My ship, the MS Explore, docked in Capetown

My friends and I before disembarking in Capetown

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South African Nobel Peace Prize Winner, who is sailing on this voyage as a guest lecturer

Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and others were imprisoned in South Africa

Beautiful Garden Route of Southern South Africa

Mom and I at the beach in Plattenburg Bay

Schoolchildren on a field trip in Capetown

One of the many "townships" in the suburbs of Capetown

Victoria and Albert Waterfront in Capetown

View from the top of Table Mountain in Capetown

Reflections on the voyage so far…

2007-03-30T09:02:00.001-07:00

I came to the realization that the first day we dock in India the trip will be half way over, and I will be half way around the world! I looked at my map on the wall and at the route we have traveled so far- it is really hard to imagine. It seems like a good time for refection, and a good place to think about all we have seen.

We talked a lot about it as we pulled into India. The shipboard community is at a point of almost being overwhelmed- overwhelmed with where we have been and where we are going. Sometimes you get to the point of not being able to comprehend any more - I am always reading, listening, watching, and trying to absorb as much as possible. I am the kind of person who does not want to miss a moment- but I have learned that sometimes you have to take a step back and think through what you have seen. I have been in awe of the countries we have traveled to - the magic and spectacle of Carnival, the beauty and vast variation of the animals and people in South Africa. It is hard to keep in mind everything I want to remember! I talk with my friends and it seems like Puerto Rico was over a year ago!

But at the same time it is hard not to become saddened and depressed at what we are learning in class… the vast amount of poverty and social problems that seem to have followed us this entire voyage. We learn so many statistics everyday- too many to ever be able to sort out in one sitting. They all begin to merge into this idea that so many things need attention, and someone to care about the world.

There are graphs, charts, documentaries, personal reflections, and just blunt facts that hit you in the face. Sometimes it is hard not to break down and cry when you think through how people are really living- and worst of all how unaware and uneducated you feel. There is no way to describe all the feelings you experience in this atmosphere. I know from personal experience that talking logically about these issues makes you feel so small and unable to really make a difference. To see the global picture requires a lot of critical thinking, and the ability to separate yourself from the reality of the situation.

My family has been fortunate to travel a lot over the years, so I feel like I have a good perspective on many aspects of the world. However, the best part of this is trip is that I am immersed in so much of the history and culture before I even set foot in these countries. I feel like I can relate to the people, and compare what I am seeing to what I have just read and discussed in my classes. Half way through the trip makes me more aware of the fact that this is such powerful experience! We go into these countries so informed, but at the same time leave questioning what we have seen, and wondering about the reality of the situations we just walked into.

I love hearing the stories from my professors and friends about their experiences in these countries. I feel like I can take on these experiences as my own and have a deeper understanding of the places we just spent time in. Even if it was just a few days, or just a few hours at a place, I want to remember everything I can! And I know when I get home it will be hard to explain what I have seen and accomplished this semester. But hopefully through this blog you will have an idea of what I experienced and had the opportunity to see. The semester will be a combination of so many thoughts and feelings that shape how I feel about these countries from now on, and how I will look at the world. This has been such an incredible opportunity and I feel very lucky to only be half way through! I hope to gain more insight, and in some way compare and contrast the rest of the ports during the voyage. I am so excited to see what these upcoming countries have to offer- what they can teach me- and what I can seek to appreciate even more in my own life.

One of the other things that has been a gift on this trip is the people I have met on the ship. I love the relationships I have with my professors. There is a different sense of connection because they are standing in the middle of an orphanage with you, or telling you a story about their safari in Africa! There is not a better way than to live in such close quarters with them and hear about their favorite part of Brazil.

I have met some amazing friends on the trip. Since there is no way to escape each other, you find yourself having conversations about anything and everything! Each friend comes from a different place, and has their own perspectives and stories to tell. It makes things interesting and makes you wonder how you randomly met and became friends! We have had some great conversations and are sharing an experience that not many people will ever have the opportunity to experience.

At home I have some wonderful roommates at my university. We have had several years to get to know each other well. Here, my roommate and I made a quick connection that I could only have hoped for before coming on the trip. She will be a friend for life. There are so many different kinds of people on the trip- some of whom are hard to identify with. My roommate and I have an understanding that I will always cherish. I will miss Jennifer so much at the end of the voyage…when you are away from all your family and friends it is nice to trust someone enough and be able to talk to them about anything. I recently found out that I lost my great-grandmother while on the trip. It has been hard not to be home with my family in this situation. My roommate has lost her grandfather on the trip, so it has been nice to share a similar experience with a close friend. I appreciate her friendship a lot and it has made a tremendous difference in the voyage. I am very lucky to have her as a friend!

“Travel has a way of stretching the mind. The stretch comes not from travel's immediate rewards, the inevitable myriad new sights, smells and sounds, but with experiencing firsthand how others do differently what we believed to be the right and only way.”

-- Ralph Crawshaw

Life at Sea… Part 4: Mauritius to India

2007-03-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed our stop in Mauritius, actually more than I originally imagined. There was more to the island than the sandy white beaches. Some people called it a “Spring Break” for the trip, but I really saw it as another port to explore. It was an interesting mix of culture and seemed like a friendly environment. I couldn’t help remembering that my mom had said to me that a year ago that she had never heard of this island. It seemed strange in a way to stop at such an obscure island…. but I guess that is part of the trip- to make you more aware and notice the details on a map, or even just notice the people on a public bus. When I think about what I have already seen, it will be hard not to look more closely and more in depth at everything I see and do. But after several days in Mauritius we were back on the ship for another crossing, this time for about a week.

The first day at sea we celebrated one of the traditions of the ship, the Sea Olympics! All of the hallways on the ship are divided into “seas,” and my sea was the Mediterranean Sea. There are some ten seas, plus faculty and staff who make up the Pacific Ocean. Each sea has its own color, and our color was blue. The winning sea is the first group to depart the ship when it pulls into San Diego!

Before we got to Mauritius everyone had volunteered to compete in the different competitions. The morning of the Olympics everyone gathered in the union decked out in their colors, and cheered on their sea. It was a fun day filled with tons of competitions and activities in the spirit of the Olympics!

We had a torch that traveled around the ship, and Desmond Tutu proceeded to bring it into the union and allow the games to begin! We had opening ceremonies in which each sea sang songs or did skits to show their enthusiasm! I helped with the chants and rhymes for our team in the opening ceremonies. It was crazy what some seas came up with…people changed all kinds of song lyrics to show some team spirit!

After the morning festivities, we had all kinds of competitions going on throughout the day. Anyone who was not participating could go and watch and cheer on their team. We had games like slippery twister, where they kept pouring soapy water on the board. There was a photo scavenger hunt, a basketball game, a ping-pong tournament, trivia contest (that was really hard!), tug-of-war and even dodge ball!

In the afternoon there was a relay contest that consisted of flip-cup, orange neck pass, and my favorite, the balloon toss between the outside decks! It was hilarious! People would get so close and try to throw it one more time to the person above them on the decks! Towards the end of the day we had “Dean Mike Says.” Some people were really good and the competition lasted for a long time. Dean Mike ended up having to take the group all around the ship to get people out! That one was really fun to watch.

The most important competitions were the synchronized swimming and lip sinc contest! The synchronized swimming had to be held inside because the waves were too bad in the pool that day. It ended up being even better inside! Each sea worked really hard on their routine and I could only imagine what it would have looked like in the pool! Our team put a blue blanket down on the floor to represent the water, and then still wore their swimsuits for the routine- they did a great job! The lip sinc competition was after dinner, and at this point our team was doing pretty badly. I think we were tied for second to last place. It was a big disappointment, but we still had the possibility of moving up a little! Each sea did a fantastic job in the lip sinc- although there were many interpretations that were just weird! My roommate competed for our sea, and they danced to “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Their dance was really good and we actually ended up coming in first place in the competition! It was really exciting and a huge comeback for our sea! So in the closing ceremonies we did not come in first place, but we definitely redeemed ourselves as a team! I guess I won’t be the first one off the ship! But it was a fun day and a great way to build some team spirit in our sea!

The ship has not been rocking nearly as badly, so that has been wonderful! We crossed the Equator again this week after we left Mauritius. It was exciting because it reminded me again that I am really traveling around the world! I also had to start taking medicine for malaria this week. There is a risk in India, so everyone on the ship has to take medicine the entire time we are there. We changed the clocks twice, and actually one night we changed the clocks a half-hour. Instead of India having two different time zones, the country has compromised and has its own time zone that covers the country. This is just another one of the things that makes India unique! As one of my friends said, it is like we are living in the future- because we are so many hours ahead of home!

I had dinner with my adopted family this week. It was fun to find out what they did in Mauritius and what people have planned for India. I enjoy meeting with my adopted parents because they have been on the voyage several times, and have some great advice. We also had some movie nights in the union this week- my favorite, Wedding Crashers! There was also a question and answer session with the Captain of the ship! That was so much fun! We got ask anything about the ship…I found some interesting facts… we go through over 200 tons of water a day…. we use 170 tons of fuel every day…. and it costs $420,000 to fuel up the ship…. loaded, the ship weighs 40,833 tons…. and we can go 29 knots (which apparently is pretty fast!)!!!

This week at sea has been focused on learning all about India. I have been watching a lot of the movies on India in our cabin. I was not very familiar with the concept of “Bollywood,” but after watching some of these movies it is so funny! We learned in my music class that the movie industry in India is bigger than Hollywood, producing over 700 films a year. The movies are over the top- with tons of songs and choreography in each one. Apparently, it is a huge cultural force because over 15 million people go the movies every day! That is crazy! They say that the plot of the movies is not as important as the songs- that everyone sings along during the movie! I loved watching some of the movies this week before we reached India!

We have been learning a lot about the Indian culture. There has been an Indian family on the ship during our week at sea. The family came into my class on families and we learned about their lifestyle in India. They have two children and we were able to talk to them in my education class, and find out about their experiences in school. I have really enjoyed hearing the family speak this week, and I learned a lot from their perspective- whether it was about the caste system, the poverty in India, the concepts of Gandhi, or just a look at the history and culture of their country. They were such a valuable resource on India!

But I have to admit I am a little nervous about India- we had a cultural pre-port where we talked about things like bargaining for a rickshaw, what to wear, what to eat, how to eat only with your right hand, simple words to memorize (which by the way I cannot pronounce!)! In the pre-port they talked about where our ship is docked and that we are enclosed in a secured gated area. They encouraged everyone not to be afraid of going outside the secure gate and to experience what India has to offer. We have been told that India is an overload on the senses- I am not really sure what to expect and am not sure that I can compare it to any other country I have traveled to.

I just had a meeting about my trip into the interior of India, and it sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun but a real challenge. Two of the three mornings our wake up call is at 4:00 am, and the last day we get to sleep in and get up at 6:00 am! It is going to be crazy! There is a group of 70 of us traveling together for four days. I should have a lot of stories to tell!

We also had a pre-port lecture tonight that went over more of the logistical things. It sounds like it will be a little crazy because we have to meet with custom officers a few times before we are allowed off the ship. It seems they are very strict. There are a lot of medical risks- making sure we don’t drink the water or eat too much Indian food! Plus the ship is covering most of the public areas with plastic so that we do not bring in all the dirt from the country. Everyone has been provided blue towels in their cabins so we do not use our white towels…apparently the country is so dirty that the white towels would never be the same! Even the dining hall that has seating outside is closing to prevent the germs and smell of the city from getting mixed up with our food on the ship! I guess that tells me the environment I will see when I venture off of the ship! It should be a true adventure!

“The world begins to exist when the individual discovers it.”

Carl Jung

The Island of Mauritius

2007-03-28T06:30:00.001-07:00

We were supposed to arrive in Mauritius early in the morning, but because of the rough seas during the crossing from South Africa, we were delayed getting into port. It was a little disappointing because we only had three days there and I think everyone really wanted to get off the ship. Some of the morning tours were canceled and the ship finally cleared about noon. I was excited to finally get ashore!

Mauritius is an island located in the Indian Ocean about 550 miles east of Madagascar and 1,250 miles off the nearest coast of Africa. It is almost eleven times the size of Washington, DC, and has a population of 1.23 million. It is a volcanic island about ten million years old, and the coastline of 205 miles is almost entirely surrounded by one of the largest coral reefs in the world. The exotic Dodo bird was unique to the island before its extinction. The official languages are French and English, but the most common are French and the local language of Creole. The unit of currency is the Mauritius Rupee, and there are about 32 Rupees to a Dollar. Over two-thirds of the population is Hindu, and over 25% is Creole, which is a mix of French and African backgrounds.

The French took over the island in 1715 and brought over slaves from Africa to work on the sugar cane plantations. The British took over the island in 1810 because it was a good place to stop when they were en route to India. The British brought in many indentured laborers from India. In the 20^th century Chinese settlers arrived, looking for fortune in retail. The island got its independence in 1968. Most of the tourists who visit the island are from Europe, and the majority of them come from France. We docked in Port Louis, which is the capital and main port. Author Mark Twain visited the island and recorded, “You gather Mauritius was made first, and then heaven, and that heaven copied after Mauritius.”

I got off the ship and walked around with friends in the harbor area. It was nice because you could just walk off the ship and did not have to take a taxi into the city. There was a hotel close to where our ship docked so there were some restaurants and small shopping centers that were fun to walk in. There was also a fruit and vegetable market that was close by. I took tons of pictures of the food! I was not actually sure what some of the foods were. The people were friendly and I enjoyed watching the locals come to pick out their fresh food for the day. It was so colorful and very busy inside the market. People seemed to be yelling, trying to sell from their stands. There was also a small Chinatown in Mauritius, so we checked that out before heading back to the ship.

Next, we toured one of the orphanages on the island, located about half an hour away from the dock. The tour was fascinating! There were about 50 SAS students who went. We were greeted by the people who run the SOS Children’s Village orphanage, and were given an explanation of what they do. SOS stands for “Save Our Soul.” The program was started in 1969 by a man from Austria. There are over 60 of these orphanages around the world. With all of the orphans there, Mauritius has two SOS Children’s Villages. The children are usually screened before they are admitted to the village. They are likely in a shelter first, and then invited to come and live in the village.

There are about 14 houses, with about seven or eight children in each house. There are about an equal number of boys and girls living in the village, around 150 kids. There are mothers who are in charge of each house and responsible for those children twenty-four hours a day! They do all the cooking, cleaning, disciplining, and making sure the children attend school. There is a school in the village for children with learning disabilities who cannot attend public school. There is a village manager who acts as the father for the entire community of children. Sometimes the real parents might come visit their children in the village. The lady talking to us mentioned how hard this was for these children because their parents are still alive and have rejected the children. The children stay at the village until they are 15 and then they move to an SOS Youth Center. There the children remain until they are 18 and must move out of the system. During the last three years they are learning how to become more independent, and the adults help them find a job as well as become integrated into the community.

The village had a big courtyard where the children were all gathered waiting for us to play with them. The kids were awesome- some wanted to take a picture with you, others wanted to just skip or play ball. Some SAS students went into their houses and got to see the children’s rooms. I brought some chewing gum and stickers to pass out to the children. By the time we left, the children had stickers all over their arms and faces. I also gave some gifts to the mothers for them to use in the homes. Everyone was so friendly and seemed so glad we were there to visit. I really enjoyed playing with the children. Some of them wanted to show off, while others were so shy.

The kids ranged from ages three to fifteen. I talked to a lot of the children and asked about their experiences growing up in the village. They all considered each child in their house to be like a brother or sister. One of the girls I talked with had grown up there, along with her brother, and did not know anything different. It was interesting to hear her positive attitude about her situation. She said she had great friends and that the mothers had always been very kind and helpful to her. After visiting with the children for a while, it got dark and our group got back on the bus. The children all waved good-bye and blew kisses into the bus window. It was really sweet and hard to leave them standing there.

Next we went on a tour that was a Multi-Cultural Dinner and Performance. We went to a hotel and conference center on the island. When we got off the buses there was a traditional Mauritian band playing, along with dancers who were performing Sega (their national dance.) This was so much fun to watch. The girl dancers all had on traditional costumes and interacted with the musicians in the band. They played several songs and I got a sense of the style of dance. I wanted to go up and participate! I took pictures with the group and interviewed the band members for my music class. Later we were escorted inside the building where we were seated at a table. There was an amazing buffet for us that had some great Mauritian food. It was so nice to have a meal off the ship! My roommate was with me, and we ended up sitting with some people from the ship that we had not met before, so that was interesting to talk with them.

After eating a few courses of dinner, the show began. The dancers performed short segments representing all of the different cultures on the island. The dancers were talented and it was fun to watch their interpretation of these cultures. Throughout the evening they danced African, Chinese, Indian, and Mauritian styles of dance. The costumes were great and it was fun to compare the dances of each culture. And of course I took lots of pictures! I ended up talking to some of the dancers after the show and then we got to dance with them. The SAS students got into it and danced for a really long time! It was so much fun! We were just being silly and sang during the entire bus ride back to the ship.

The second day I went on a long tour for the entire day. It was called the Rainbow Tour because it highlighted all the different features of the Mauritian culture. First we went to a Hindu temple. We got a brief explanation of the religion and the different parts of the temple. We had to take our shoes off before entering the temple area. It was very colorful and I loved looking at how all the gods were woven into the design of the temple. While we were there we saw a kindergarten class that was taking a field trip to the temple to worship. They were adorable and proceeded to repeat what their teachers were saying. I loved watching their curious faces at all of us visiting their place of worship. One of the neat things about the tour was that we drove through many parts of the city to get to the different religious centers. It was a great way to observe the city and really see how people were interacting on a daily basis. I felt like I had a better idea of the city of Port Louis.

Next we went to a Muslim Cultural Center. The person in charge gave us a tour and explained a little about the Muslim religion in Mauritius. It was interesting and we had the opportunity to ask questions about the Muslim culture present on the island. After that we visited a Chinese pagoda. There were several locals inside when we visited, and it was fascinating to watch them. I took lots of pictures and learned a little more about the parts of the pagoda. We continued on our tour, stopped several places to take pictures of the city and headed to a fantastic lunch in an open-air restaurant. It was a nice setting and I got to try authentic Mauritian food. I was not really sure what real Mauritian food would be, but our lunch was mainly a combination of rice, vegetables, and chicken. It was delicious! After lunch we headed to an old colonial style house and had a neat tour. The house was decorated in an old fashioned European style, which was representative of the time the French ruled the island.

Lastly, we went to the Mahatma Gandhi Institute to learn more about the Indian culture. They had several types of museums where we took in more about the culture, and then we walked around the campus and peeked in some of the classrooms. All the rooms had desks, but nothing colorful in the rooms, and all the windows were open for fresh air. Later we went to their performing arts building, and saw a performance from the classical Indian classes. It was so interesting. Three teachers got up and explained each different style of dance, and then had some of their students demonstrate it. Most of the dances told a story, and the dance consisted of lots of gestures and facial expressions that portrayed the story. I really enjoyed the demonstration because I had never watched Indian dancing before. Their costumes were gorgeous and it seemed like they had a lot of experience with the dance styles. I even got to talk to some of them after the performance. That was my favorite part of the day!

After the tour we went back on the ship and I met up with my friends who had been doing other things during the day. We were all in our room, sharing stories about what we had seen that day. After showing off some amazing pictures and laughing at some crazy stories, we all decided to change and go back out for the evening. We took another famous water taxi back to the island. I was not going to miss getting in and out of those boats! We walked around the port area for a while and decided on a Chinese restaurant close by. I was really looking forward to the meal because Chinese food is my favorite! However, it was not exactly the Americanized Chinese food I was hoping for. Jennifer and I both ordered chicken, which ended up having lots of bones, so it was a little disappointing.

Then someone spotted a McDonalds and decided a McFlurry might be nice. To get to the McDonalds you had to cross five lanes of traffic or go under one of the underpasses. So we proceeded to what we thought was an underpass- it unfortunately led to a bathroom and we retreated. By this time it had begun to pour down rain! We walked quickly until we found the correct underpass that led to the ice cream. Once inside we took a deep breath and got our McFlurries! There were several other Semester at Sea students in the restaurant who I think had the same idea. We smiled at them and made the most of our ice cream! My friend said it was going to be remembered as the “quest for the golden arches!” After that we explored the waterfront area a little more and then made our way back to the ship via the water taxi. It was a fun evening with friends and I enjoyed the atmosphere of the town.

The last day I got up really early and was able to get the pay phones to work so I could call home. It was nice to talk my parents, even if I did accidentally wake them up with the big time difference! More of my friends met up with me and we walked around the city. We did some souvenir shopping and people watching. We ended up at an open-air food court where we each got some lunch. I settled on some pizza that I could not get on the ship! There was a music group playing close by and we watched them for a while. It looked like a community band playing for the tourists on the weekends. They were fairly good and I made some notes to use in my music class. We walked into a craft market after lunch- the funny thing is that all the souvenirs are centered on the Dodo bird. Anything you can imagine made into Dodo bird we found in the craft market…it is the symbol of Mauritius!

Soon we headed back to the ship because we were going to go the beach in the afternoon. We changed for the beach and found the public bus station. We were told it was safe to use the public transit system and that this would be one of the only countries where we could do that. My friend and I knew the name of the beach we wanted to go to and started to ask. We almost got stuck because we were on the wrong bus and it was about to pull out of the station. Everyone we asked kept pointing to the right. After about five different buses we finally found the one that said, “Flic-Flack,” which was the name of the beach we wanted to go to. We got on the bus and were clearly the only students on the bus. We asked a man on the bus how much it cost and found out it was about 75 cents. When it was our time to pay we were handed a receipt from the man we had asked the price- he had paid for both of us. He got off the bus several stops later and he waved… and we awkwardly waved back. It was a kind gesture toward tourists.

It was clear this route was taking people back to their homes outside the city. What a great way to people watch and really see where these people live! There were people of all ages on the bus. We knew the ride was about an hour and eventually we asked the man collecting money how far we were from the beach. He laughed at us and said it was another twenty minutes away. Sure enough we passed more houses and fields of sugar cane and the bus turned toward the water. We got off at a stop close to the beach and checked to make sure the bus would come back around. We were really just excited that we had made it- took a random bus ride, that was free, and ended up at a beach!

We walked into the Indian Ocean and walked along the beach for a while. It started to rain for a moment, but luckily soon stopped. We got someone to take our picture to prove we were there and picked up a shell for posterity!

The bus was running a little late and we were concerned it was not going to come, but eventually it did. We were the only ones on the bus- it was very strange. The bus went about a block, and then stopped. The driver asked if we were getting off! We were confused and explained that we needed to get back into town- the man just laughed! He shook his head and told us to wait on the bus. I am sure he was wondering what these American girls were thinking! Apparently we got on the bus on the wrong side of the road. After the driver took a break, we paid our 75 cents and enjoyed the sights as we headed back to the port. We made it back in one piece and were proud of our successful adventure.

Then we met up with some more friends and enjoyed a last meal before we had to get back on the ship. Everyone ate extremely fast because we were short on time- it was comical how fast all of my friends finished their meals! We paid for our meal and realized we all had a few extra dollars in the Mauritian currency and decided to get ice cream to go! We each ordered ice cream and put our last coins to good use- then it was a race to the water taxis!

We had to be on the boat at 9 pm the night we were to leave. At every port there is a specific time we have to be on the ship, usually around two hours before we leave. Everyone was racing to get back onto the ship…we had to take water taxis or just small boats to cross the bay to where our ship was docked. Everyone started to race towards the ship to make sure they were in line and checked in before “on ship time!” Luckily we had headed back early enough and made it about 20 minutes before penalties. It is a big joke when the time is close- everyone goes up to the top deck to cheer the people running- “the runners”. It is a pretty funny sight and I have to say that I definitely hope to never be one of those people we laugh at in each port!

Most of the students were sharing stories about Mauritius, and talking about their favorite parts. Jennifer and I showed each other our pictures, put everything away from being in port, and got ready for another week at sea! I was exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep! Close to 11 pm the lights flickered and we all heard the engines start. All of my friends ran to their rooms to take their sea sick medicine! It takes a while for the meds to start working, and the ship would start rocking very soon. Hopefully we will not have to use duct tape this week at sea. Some of my friends have taped all their drawers so that they will not continue to swing open and closed- it makes for an interesting sound in the middle of the night! Jennifer and I waved good-bye to Mauritius and thought about the next port of call – India! Now we just have to survive another week of rocking and rolling as we cross the Indian Ocean.

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.” -- R. W. Emerson

Life at Sea…. Part 3: Africa to Mauritius

2007-03-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Africa was AMAZING! I enjoyed every minute of it but now we have a fairly long crossing up the east coast of Africa to the island of Mauritius! So, because we were on the ship for over a week…there were some interesting stories!

We had one day of classes when we were still in port and then a day off when we started to sail from Cape Town in South Africa. We put away all our souvenirs and compared stories from our adventures in port. I loved hearing about people’s safaris- all the animals they saw and even the people they met in Cape Town. It seemed as though the entire ship was taking the day off and catching up on some much needed rest! It seemed like Jennifer and I slept for two whole days!

I think we also had a day off because the staff knew that the sea would be really rough. There was a cyclone around Mauritius- we would call it a hurricane. The announcement came on in the morning and basically told everyone to stay in their rooms! We were supposed to secure anything that could potentially move- now I know why “duct tape” was on the packing list! My roommate and I checked our room to make sure everything was tied down and secure so they wouldn’t shift and break. The waves had started to rise! I knew it was bad when I saw our porthole on the fourth level all wet from the splashes of the waves!

The other instructions about the rocking ship were hilarious! We were supposed to keep our hands free when roaming around the ship- so just in case you fall you would have your hands free to protect yourself! Barf bags were placed at various places around the ship- thankfully I never actually saw anyone use one! But my roommate reminded me that we still have several more big crossings to go! We were also supposed to keep all the doors in the room closed- they say every year someone loses some fingers to swinging doors! I hope they were just kidding! So after those announcements you really don’t want to move from your bed.

It is really funny now that I think about it! I don’t think I have slept so many hours in a row for a very long time. The rocking of the boat just makes you extremely tired. And going to class or the dining hall seemed like you were going through an obstacle course. Finally, we started class again and it seemed as though the ship was not rocking as badly.

Then one night the waves seemed particularly bad… Jennifer will never let me live this down. Our cabin is in the front of the ship and seems to rock more than others. It all started with things falling from the walls and some of our decorations fell on our heads! It was really funny to wake up with decorations on top of you! Then later on that night the drawers started to open and close until finally we hit a big wave and everything on our nightstands started to slide. My roommate woke up and tried to catch what she could as everything slid into the open drawers and onto the floor. The entire room just seemed to shift forward. I woke up just a moment later and freaked out! Jennifer was concerned because she thought something was wrong but I basically woke up very confused. My roommate began to laugh at me and the whole situation! She checked to make sure our laptops were ok and assured me they were fine.

There were a lot of activities later during the week at sea, or at our 12^th port. We call our ship our 12^th port! We had a talent show, casino night (the prizes were fun things to do on the ship), a Must See TV night (they showed some of the most popular TV shows one night- not current, but a great reminder of home!). They showed a double feature one night in the Union- Finding Nemo and Remember the Titans (everyone came in their pj’s- it was a lot of fun!)

During the week at sea we had another life boat drill. This time we had to stand in different locations pretending that the weather was too bad to stand outside. We had to change into warm clothing and put our lifejackets on again- guess it was just a good reminder just in case- right? We were also told that we have to start rationing water on the ship. All the water on the ship starts as salt water and goes through a process to become drinkable. We complain that the water has a distinct taste. But apparently when we are in India the water is not good enough to even attempt to clean, so we have to make sure we have enough water for our time in India. I had no idea that this was an issue, but we have begun rationing now.

Another thing I learned when we were crossing to Mauritius is why we cannot travel to other countries on the eastern coast of Africa. It is because of pirates. I thought people were just kidding when they were talking about this, but I found out that pirates are a serious problem and have attacked passenger ships in the last few years. I never realized that “pirates” still exist today! What you can find out from living on a ship!

Here are some other things I have learned from living on the ship…

(1) Balance yourself when getting up in the morning- you might be surprised how quickly you can fall over from a wave if you don’t move slowly!

(2) Make sure that you and your roommate have both set your alarms correctly … given the number of times you have to move them forward, you really need two chances at waking up before class actually begins!

(3) Do not take the elevator when the ship is rocking a lot…my friend and I soon realized it was not a good idea when it missed the next floor by over a foot!

(4) Take advantage of taco days in the dining halls…rice, pasta, and potatoes will be back the next day…also, smuggle all the boxes of cereal you can in your sweatshirt at breakfast….they are great snacks in port!

(5) Look forward to mail days…they only happen right before we leave the ports!

(6) Be aware that things shift in the room and may not be in the same place you left them…make sure to shift all the magnets in your room back to their original place on the wall when you wake up!

(7) Bring something to do when you want to go on the internet…you might be there for an hour…and resist the urge to throw your computer out your porthole because the internet is so slow!

(8) It is acceptable to jump the waves with your professors- yes, one of our professors gets everyone to jump the waves when they are really rough, and yes, this looks hilarious when a big group of people are jumping up and down in the Union at one of our ship community meetings!

The nice thing about the sea days is that I get to hang out with a lot of my friends on the ship. Sometimes when we are in port everyone has their own trips and is doing lots of things independently. I love talking with my friends because we are all from different parts of the country. I enjoy hearing them talk about their family, college, and things from their state. My friends could not believe the importance of football at southern colleges, and some of the other southern traditions.

I told my mom that I have gotten in the habit of saying that I am from Georgia, and then telling them I am from the Atlanta area. There were several students on the ship who did not know where Atlanta was located! And I know by the end of the trip that I will know the entire geography of California and most northern states! My roommate has already started to use “y’all” in her vocabulary, so I know that she has been spending a lot of time with me! Most people tell me I do not have a very heavy southern accent. There is a girl from South Carolina on the ship who has a very strong southern accent- it makes for good conversation! There are not many students from the south on the ship, so it makes for some interesting observations!

As the week at sea came to close almost everyone had tests and papers due. We had a Global Studies test that was ship-wide. Everyone reported to locations scattered throughout the ship, and was provided with a cafeteria tray for a desk if you so chose! I think I did fairly well on the test- it was about the same difficulty as the last one. I had several other papers and journals due, comparing family life in the countries we had traveled to so far. But we were all ready to finish with the reading and homework and get back on land!

Before we got to Mauritius we had cultural and logistical pre-ports in the evenings. We reviewed the history of the island and talked about some of the “must-do’s” on the island. We also talked about several of their cultural traditions, such as their national dance, which is called Sega. In the logistical pre-port the children on the ship imitated the executive deans going over the information we needed to know. It was so amusing because the children borrowed their clothes and had perfected their gestures and voices. They did a great job and went over what we needed to know- for example one of the medical risks in Mauritius is falling coconuts at the beach! Hope it does not happen to me! The pre-ports are always comical and a great time for everyone to come together and get excited about the next port!

“The sea is dangerous and its storms terrible, but these obstacles have never been sufficient reason to remain ashore.”

-- Ferdinand Magellan

South Africa....

2007-03-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

I could not believe we were actually going to be in South Africa and that I was going to get to see my mom! This was a port that I had really been looking forward to! We docked in Cape Town early on a Friday morning, and everyone went to the top deck to take pictures as we were pulling in!

South Africa is one of the most multi-cultural countries in the world, and Cape Town is one of the most beautiful ports in the world! It is a huge city, surrounded by mountains, beaches, and vineyards. Table Mountain is Cape Town’s most famous attraction and when the clouds cover it, it looks like a tablecloth on the mountain. South Africa is a country with a rich history. It has a population of 44 million people and an area of 437,872 square miles. There are 11 official languages in South Africa. English and Afrikaans are the two most widely spoken. There are many different cultures throughout South Africa, the majority of them being of African descent.

My first stop was a tour of Robben Island. We had to take a thirty-minute ferry ride out to the island, and when we reached it there was a colony of South African penguins waiting for us. There were so many of them, and they were hilarious to watch! Our group boarded a bus and began a tour around the island. The island was bigger than I thought, and very dry and sandy. There was a village on the island that was built around the time of World War II, because the island was a naval base. The island also has a large jail, which opened around 1960. Initially it was for criminals, but later it was for political prisoners. Over 2,500 have been there over the years. The word “Robben” means “cells” in Dutch, which is where the island got its name.

When Apartheid existed, there were many prisoners on the island. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years there, and was released in April of 1990. All the prisoners were freed in 1994, and in 1999 the island became a national museum. The interesting thing was that our tour guide was a former prisoner. He was in jail for six years and would have remained in jail until 2020. He talked to us about his time on the island and how he survived. He told us how all the prisoners worked at a rock quarry everyday and moved piles of rocks from one side to the other. He also talked about how his eyes were affected because they were not allowed to wear sunglasses for all those years. It was strange because he showed us his cell and explained how some prisoners had individual cells, and others had group cells. There was also a system of assigning letters to each prisoner. This was a symbol of the prisoner’s status in the jail. If they had good behavior then they got to move up letters of the alphabet. It was a fascinating story, and really hard to imagine that people spent many years of their life there. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and learned a lot about the history of the island.

I wandered back through the Victoria and Albert Waterfront area on my way back to the ship. It was a very modern area with five or six different shopping centers and craft markets. It was hard to believe it was South Africa because the waterfront area looked so commercialized and very American. But the nice thing was that the waterfront was close to the ship and a safe enough area that students could walk around very easily and feel comfortable. That will not be the case in many of the other ports we travel to.

I went back on the ship and got ready for an evening township music choir tour that I was going to for my music class. We got on a bus and drove outside of the city where all the townships were located. There are probably over twenty different townships surrounding Cape Town, and they all have hundreds of people living in them. When I was at home reading about the townships I had an image in my mind of what they would like. I was completely off base. There were hundreds of shacks lining the streets in each township. Some had water and electricity and others were far from that. Some had wooden roofs, and others had tires holding down pieces of material for roof. It was a bleak image that surrounded the wealthy city of Cape Town. Here was the hidden poverty that tourists must look outside of the city to find. The bus drove us through the streets and we looked at three or four townships. The sad thing is that it was really too dangerous to get off the bus and talk to some of the people. Most of the people waved to the bus and smiled as we drove by, but it was hard not to be able to get off and visit.

We eventually got off at a community center and toured its facilities. Basically it was a place children could come to after school or a place to hold events for the township. There was some confusion, and the band that we were supposed to meet was not able to come, so we went to dinner. We ate at what is called a “Shebeen,” or a local restaurant in the township. It was interesting and strange to eat with some of the locals. They had a small buffet set up and it was fun to try some South African food. There was a band playing in the restaurant, and everyone ended up dancing after dinner. It was an enjoyable evening, and I got a taste of the culture of one of the townships.

When I got back from the tour I was excited because my mom was planning to be waiting for me at the dock. I waited for a while, and ended up calling home to see if my dad knew anything…finally a few hours later my mom arrived at the port at one in the morning! I was so happy to see her! She had flight delays and almost didn’t make it. But I knew how determined she was, and that she would find a way to get to South Africa! It was really late at night but I took her on the ship and showed her my room and introduced her to my roommate. It was so neat to show her where I had been living for the last few weeks and let her meet Jennifer! I then said good-bye to the ship because my mom and I were going on a tour for a few days. My mom and I made it to our hotel and caught up on some of the things going on at home. It was so nice to hear about the rest of the family and learn the news from home.

Our tour guide, Bruno, met us early the next morning. We were in a small tour group with only three other people. That was really nice because we got to know the others very well. There was a couple from Wales and a girl from Germany studying law in Cape Town. Our tour was going to follow the “Garden Route,” which meant that we were going to be driving through the countryside out from Cape Town. There would be lots of small towns and very picturesque scenes along the way. The rural scenery was gorgeous and there were mountains and rivers out each window. First we drove through an area that was mainly the winemaking part of the country.

That first day we drove until mid afternoon, and stopped for lunch. Then we went inside the Cango Caves, which are these huge caves that you can walk through. We were able to see many different chambers with formations in the cave. They would turn lights on and the rock formations would be more visible. We learned about stalagmites and stalactites. The cave is over millions of years old, and the formations only grow millimeters each year!

We also went to an ostrich farm! That was one of my favorite days! We learned about ostrich feathers and meat and how ostriches are raised on a farm. I even got to sit on one! We stayed at a really neat bed and breakfast on an ostrich farm and had grilled ostrich meat for dinner, which tasted like delicious steak. Later in the tour we stayed in the small coastal town of Kynsna, and took a paddleboat dinner cruise on the lagoon. We also visited Addo Elephant Park. Unfortunately, although over 400 elephants live at the park, we didn’t see a single one! It had been cool and rainy and so the elephants didn’t need to come to the watering holes, choosing to stay hidden in the brush instead. But we did get to see elephants up close and personal! The next day we went to an elephant sanctuary. Mom and I both got to walk and pet the elephants at the sanctuary. It was really fun to do the elephant walk because the elephants grabbed onto your hand with their trunk. We also got to feed the elephants some of their daily diet!

My favorite part of the tour was our mini safari at Schotia Game Preserve. It is one of the largest game preserves in South Africa. It was a rainy afternoon but so much fun. We climbed into a huge safari jeep, and under bright yellow rain parkas, spent the whole afternoon driving around the game park in search of wild animals. We were lucky enough to see kudu, giraffes, rhinos, hippos, zebras, warthogs, wildebeests, and many more. Our favorite moments were when we came upon a pride of lions and tracked them for about an hour. We felt like we were really on safari! After a traditional African game preserve dinner, we took another drive at night to see the nocturnal animals. I loved our tour because we were able to see what South Africa looked like outside of the big cities! It was a great way to see the highlights of the country and spend time with my mom!

We ended up at our hotel late in the afternoon, and then had some time to explore Cape Town. The wind was too strong to take a cable car up Table Mountain, so we decided to walk around the city for a while. After exploring for we decided to take a taxi to the waterfront for dinner. There were tons of people in this area and we ended up doing some shopping first. One of our favorite things to do together was to walk in and out of the shopping centers and observe the nightlife. We had a great evening! We got some dinner and then decided to go back on the ship so my mom could get a better tour of the ship. We spent some time in my room first, and packed up some souvenirs and a few other things that my mom would take home for me. Then we walked through all of the decks…I showed her the classrooms, union, library, computer lab, dining rooms, and all the outside decks! I was so happy that both my parents had been able to see the ship and experience where I will be for 100 days! I love the ship and was so proud to show it off! After my tour and a last look at my cabin we headed back to our hotel.

We got up very early the next morning and knew we wanted to take a taxi to Table Mountain, one of the main sights in Cape Town. The problem was we were not very good at getting a taxi. I am laughing now that I think about how long it took us to get a taxi! But when we finally figured out the system, we saw some great views of the city as we made our way to the mountain. There was a considerable line to take the cable car up, but it was definitely going to be worth it! When we were in line we saw a group of elementary school students on a field trip to the mountain. The children were all in uniform, and were singing “Jesus Loves Me.” It was so cute and we got some great pictures of the kids! The teachers were so friendly and smiled as we acknowledged them. The children continued to sing the whole time we were in line. When we got onto the mountain there were high school students also on a field trip. They were also singing aloud. We decided it must be part of their culture.

The cable car ride up the mountain was so cool. The cable car turned around 360 degrees as we were moving up the mountain. The floor rotated and you could see all sides of the view during the ride. It was a gorgeous view from the top! We spent a lot of time walking around and checking out the view from all sides. The reason it is called Table Top Mountain is that from a distance, the mountain is extremely flat on top. We took tons of pictures. We even watched a few people mountain climbing down from the top. It looked really scary! We had an icecream on the top of the mountain overlooking the beautiful views. It was well worth our time at the top!

After coming down in the cable car we got a taxi back to the city, and went to Greenmarket, a famous streetmarket in a town square. It was fun to walk through the different stalls and talk to some of the people. We found a few souvenirs, walked around the city a little more, and then headed back to the hotel. By this time it was mid afternoon and we wanted to spend some more time at the waterfront. We got a taxi back there and I dropped off my trip bag at the ship. I loved the waterfront area- it was such a nice place to walk around. I was going to be spoiled by Cape Town when we were in some of the other ports! We did some last minute shopping and got some pizza before I had to be back on the ship. My mom came on the ship and got to see my cabin one last time before we had to say good-bye. It was so hard to say good-bye to my mom. I appreciated the fact that she was able to meet me in South Africa so much! We had such a wonderful time and it was so amazing to be able to share this experience with her! This is a trip of a lifetime and I am so happy that I got to share a piece of this trip around the world with her! It was really hard to see her walk down the gangway… especially since the gangway was on deck 5, which meant there was a huge staircase that she had to take down by herself!

After my mom left there was a Township Choir that had come onto the ship to give a performance. There were about 30 in the choir and they were fantastic! They sang a cappella, and the gestures and dancing they had to go along with their singing were so much fun to watch! The leader of the chorus would give an explanation of each song, and also try to get the audience involved. It was an impressive performance and one we were privileged to see on the ship!

After their show, we found out the ship was not going to be leaving until the next day, because of very high winds. But I knew my mom was waiting at the pier to wave good-bye as we pulled out. So my friend and I proceeded to yell down to her from the top deck, and a group of other family and friends passed the message on that we were not leaving. It was funny because we had to involve the security guard to translate the message! They finally figured out what we were saying and I got to wave good-bye to my mom for the last time. She headed back to the hotel and then had one more day in South Africa before flying home. The ship didn’t leave until five o’clock the next day; but we were not allowed to get off the ship. Then we stopped just outside of the port to refuel the ship for the next leg of the voyage. South Africa was a great port! I loved the time I got to spend with my mom…we will always have some beautiful pictures, great stories, big laughs, and some wonderful memories of South Africa!

“A man without culture is like a zebra without stripes”

-- Old African Proverb

Pictures from Neptune Day...

2007-03-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

Some of the students getting fish guts
poured over them on Neptune Day!

I am kissing the fish after jumping in the
pool with fish guts!

Some of my friends and the fish we all had to kiss!

I had to pay respect to King Larry and King
Neptune (the captain of the ship)!

My roommate getting her head shaved!

Life at Sea.... Part 2

2007-03-11T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Since leaving Brazil we have been in the Atlantic Ocean for about a week now (actually 8 days) and we are very close to land! Every once in a while there will be announcement that we are passing some small island … everyone rushes up to the decks to look in the distance at an island we can hardly see and have never heard of before. We wave to it and maybe take a picture of the only land we will see for the next few days! It has been a busy week- full of classes, homework, watching the waves go by, and sunrise on the ocean. Where to begin?!?

Everyday “The Voice” -or one of the deans on the ship- makes announcements at noon and then again around dinner time. Each day he tells us daily announcements as well as our position on the map, temperature, miles to our next port, and the ship’s average speed. One of the favorite things for our executive dean on the ship to say is that we are on a ship, going around the world at 20 miles an hour! It is a funny concept when you think about it!

Shortly after we left Salvador, Brazil, our latitude was 0 degrees – meaning we were on the equator! It was around lunch time and almost everyone went outside to look for the red line in the middle of the ocean- sadly to my disappointment there was no red line … but seriously there were several people who really thought there was going to be a sign that read “Equator.” It was still an incredible thing to think about- crossing the equator! There are not many other times you have an excuse to do that! Because we are so close to the Equator the sun is very intense. Everyone has to be conscious of not sitting out in the sun for too long because you burn so much faster! Later on during our week at sea there was an announcement that we were passing by the biggest mountain chain in the world! I was a little confused but I soon learned we were passing the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The depth of the ocean went down for miles, and that seemed hard to believe. I stayed away from the deck railing that night!

Because we are crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ocean has been a little rockier than before. I love watching the children on the ship play in the pool water when it is rocking from side to side. They think it is hilarious! I laugh when they are trying to play Marco Polo in water that is splashing back and forth spilling onto the deck! When I am at dinner, sometimes we are rocking so badly- all you can see out of one window is ocean and then you look over to the other side and you see sky…then other times the horizon seems to slip away as we rock. Someone told me the ship could rock about 70% to one side before it tipped over! I don’t necessarily believe that and actually I try not to think about it. So far we have not had waves that bad! However, the weather can be very strange when we are at sea. Because we are in the southern hemisphere it is summer time so thankfully the weather is quite warm. Typically it is in the 80’s. I am not trying to make anyone jealous! Although the funny thing is that sometimes we will pass underneath clouds and there will be a thunderstorm on the deck for a few minutes. Everyone scrambles to move off the deck and then by the time everyone has escaped to cover, the sun will be back out stronger then ever.

One of the hardest things on the ship is the changing of the clock! Because we are moving in the direction we are, we keep losing hours. When “The Voice” comes on the intercom with morning announcements everyone groans when they hear- “please advance your clocks another hour tonight!” We had to do this for three days straight, had a few days off and then three more days! It is hard because I am already a person who stays up late, and then moving my clock forward each night makes it very difficult. But we are adjusting because this is something that will continue for the rest of the voyage!

At night, most people are involved in several clubs and organizations. It is a fun way to meet more people and do something on the ship that you enjoy. I am on the Social Planning Committee and we just planned a teacher and staff talent show this week. It was hilarious! I loved watching my teachers sing, play the piano, read poetry, and just share some of their crazy talents! I am also on the Ambassadors Committee. We help the inter-port lecturers feel welcome on the ship, as well as plan a big dance at the end of the semester. We have to plan all the aspects of the dance and get decorations in the ports we are in.

Also, one of my friends teaches yoga on the ship. There is a group of us who do yoga on the deck after dinner. It is really funny to watch us try and do yoga- picture everyone with their mats, trying to balance in these yoga positions with the ship rocking back and forth- then we have music, which we can’t hear very well because the ocean and engine are making too much noise. Plus sometimes the waves splash onto the deck and we get wet…basically I have a hard time not cracking up the whole time we are having class. It is certainly an experience!

I think I mentioned that we are placed into a “family” on the ship. My “parents” are so sweet and the other “siblings” in my family are great people as well. We had dinner this week and they ordered a huge ice cream cake that said #1 Family! It was really good and nice to have a delicious desert! They are great people and I can ask them advice about the countries because they have been on the ship several times before. We also usually get together after the ports and it is interesting to hear what everyone else did in port.

I still spend time in my cabin and find it easier to study in my room. Jennifer is a wonderful roommate. And I am getting so spoiled because I can get to just about anything in a matter of minutes - food, class, friends, my room, and the deck. It makes things very easy! Jennifer and I are keeping a world map on our wall where we map where we are going and how far we have traveled! Lately we have been watching some of the movies that are shown in the cabin on the tv. There are two educational channels that show documentaries on related topics about the country we are traveling to. Sometimes we are required to watch them for class. Most of them are interesting and I find them useful for learning a lot more about the countries. Then there is a “kid friendly” channel and the “grownup” channels. Jennifer and I sometimes find ourselves watching different ones, like maybe even the Jungle Book for South Africa… the movies are nice to turn on since we do not get any other form of TV. On the ship we always joke about not really be connected to the outside world. Obviously we don’t have real tv channels, and nobody goes on the internet much because we have to be so careful about how minutes we are online. One plus is that we never have to remember to turn our cell phones on silent. Sometimes it is nice not to worry about technology, but on the other hand we all miss being able to communicate with people on a regular basis.

So far I seem to be very busy. Classes keep us occupied with lots of reading, and journals to write for reflection. It is so interesting because when we get into port, everyone is responsible for asking the local people questions for their class. I am asking about education and families, but other people are asking about the government, energy sources, and community issues. I think it is cool to hear what everyone has to learn about in each port.

Most of my classes are going really well. In my world music class, we are learning about the different types of music for each country we are traveling to. We read lots of articles or chapters in our book about the history of the music, and then listen to samples in class. Then we discuss the music and what kinds of things make it unique to that culture. We talked a lot about the music at Carnival and how much that music is part of their culture. Now we are learning about African music and how many variations there are in their culture. I have enjoyed being able to learn more about the different styles.

In my education class we are learning about the different types of education systems in each country. Over the course of the semester it will be interesting to compare them to the United States. Also one day, Desmond Tutu, archbishop in South Africa and Nobel Prize winner who is traveling with us this semester, spoke to our class. He originally started out as a teacher, and it was interesting to hear his story about teaching during Apartheid. He was an English and history teacher for high school students. He talked about the condition of the schools and how the black students we not given much at all. They had classes in a church and used benches instead of desks to write on. He explained how they had four big classes going on in the same room and students would just end up listening to the loudest teacher! He told us how teachers had to help the students use their imagination, such as when they were asked to do science experiments, since they had no materials. Desmond Tutu told us he resigned from teaching when the government told the teachers they could not teach math anymore, but were only allowed to teach English so that students would be able to talk to their white superiors. That is when Tutu went into the ministry. It was fascinating to listen to his story and then have the opportunity to ask him questions about his experiences.

In my family class we are talking about families all over the world, and how the family shapes the communities in which we are visiting. We have talked about family stereotypes and how that affects people’s perception of the type of environment a family might have. My teacher also showed us a soap opera from South Africa. It was interesting to watch because it revolved around a lot of social issues that families would be dealing with in South Africa like poverty and AIDS.

In global studies we have spent a lot of time reflecting on what we saw in Brazil and then discussing South Africa. We looked at their economy, their high poverty level, how their dry climate greatly affects their poverty, their Apartheid, and their struggle with AIDS. All of these things contributed to our discussion over the last week. At the end of the week Desmond Tutu spoke to the whole shipboard community about Apartheid and the experiences he had living through the situation. It was interesting to hear what he had to say and learn about his role in the healing process. He also talked about our trip around the world and how much we will be able to learn from the voyage. The funniest thing he said, “If you came to the voyage a strange chicken, I hope you will leave an eagle.” It was interesting analogy, and I hope I am not a strange chicken all the time, but I do think I will have learned a lot by the time the trip is completed!

One of the traditions a ship has when it crosses the Equator is the celebration of Neptune Day! The day started with the crew running up and down the hallways of the ship early in the morning- they were waking everyone up banging pots and pans! They were all dressed in white and had painted faces! They seemed to really enjoy waking everyone up! Then we were all supposed to go up to the pool deck! The tradition is that you are supposed to get fish guts poured over you, and then kiss two fish and King Neptune’s hand. It was so funny! All the staff were dressed up and full of spirit for the celebration! I got in line and the crew poured fish guts on top of my head- then I had to jump in the pool and go the other side where we had to get out and kiss two real fish. Then I had to kiss King Neptune’s hand! Well, I forgot to kiss the ring and I was pushed backwards back into the pool- it was really embarrassing! I had to do it completely over, kissing the fish again and then kissing the hand- I finally got it right! The captain was dressed up like King Neptune and had painted himself entirely green! I think he enjoyed it just as much as we did! Everyone on the ship participated- even the baby got fish guts poured on him! It was so much fun- people were screaming and laughing the whole time! The day was full of festivities and a great way to take a break from school!

Another one of the traditions of Neptune Day is that people shave their head. Back in the days of the sailors, crossing the Equator was a time to cleanse themselves, and get a feeling of “rebirth.” On Neptune Day there were tons of people who shaved their heads! There were about 100 people total and probably close to 30 of them were girls! My roommate was one of the brave girls who decided to go along with the tradition. She said her family did not believe that she was going to do it- so she wanted to prove them wrong! I was the lucky roommate who got to cut her ponytail off! They gave me big scissors and I cut her hair off! Then someone else buzzed her hair really short! At first she was a little self-conscious about her new haircut, but everyone told her she looked great! It was a crazy day! I think we all smelled like fish guts for the entire day! In the evening we had a barbecue dinner on the upper decks. It was gorgeous weather and a great night for eating outside! The food was delicious and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day. We ate overlooking a beautiful sunset and a lot of people had a new look! I loved the day and it was certainly one for a lot of pictures!

After Neptune Day, during one of the days at sea, we did a simulation of Apartheid. All the students who had shaved their heads were the privileged ones and the rest of us were not. It was similar to Apartheid in that the minority was acting superior to the majority. The staff set up rules so the majority of students could not go to a certain dining room, go outside on the pool deck, buy any snacks, yet gave the other students several other privileges. Some people thought it was funny, others took it very seriously. My roommate and I could not do a lot of things together because she had shaved her head. My friends and I got Jennifer to buy us about 5 bags of popcorn since we couldn’t buy them. It was funny because the monitors of the rules were suspicious and wondering who all the popcorn was for! Even though our analogy did not come close to the experiences in South Africa, it was interesting to think about and see how people reacted.

----
Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of food, your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating. – Michael Crichton

More Pictures in Rio...At the Sambadrome

2007-03-01T16:45:00.000-08:00

One of the many beautiful floats that was in the parades!

Me and one of the performers after his turn
in front of the crowd!

Another float that I saw in the Sambadrome!

Looking at the entire Sambadrome - there are
thousands of fans and thousands of people in the parades!

A picture of the elaborate costumes-
the costumes are so colorful and very detailed!

Pictures in Rio...

2007-02-27T18:25:00.000-08:00

Taking the cable car to the top of
Sugarloaf Mountain!

A beautiful view from the top of the
mountain looking down onto Rio!

Look at the crowd at the beach! What a gorgeous scene!

I visited the Christ the Redeemer Statue that
is overlooking the city of Rio!

My friend and I making sure to get a good picture!

More Pictures in Salvador...

2007-02-27T18:17:00.000-08:00

A group of us celebrating Carnival in the Camarote!

The Trio Electricos parading down the main
streets along with screaming fans!

The mass of people participating in the parade!

We have front row seats and are enjoying the celebration go by!

Pictures of Salvador Brazil...

2007-02-27T18:06:00.000-08:00

Favelas, or neighborhoods of houses where
the majority of people live in.

Some of the children waving hello to my group!

The main old town square in the city of Salvador!

Me and one of the locals in the main square!

A little girl celebrating Carnival with her family!

Brazil!!!

2007-02-27T18:05:00.000-08:00

Brazil was fascinating! I did not know what to expect when it came to celebrating Carnival. Basically I don’t think I could ever have imagined the amount of festivity that occurred! It was an experience I will never forget!

Brazil constitutes about one-half of the South American continent, both in land and population. The population is over 180 million, making it the 5th most populous nation in the world. Brazil is also one of the richest countries in terms of its natural resources and is the leading producer of precious gems. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese, and Brazil is a Federal Republic, with Luiz Lula de Silva as the President. About 80% of the population is Roman Catholic. The staples of the Brazilian diet are white rice, beans, and manioc flour (also called farinha). Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil, made of meat stew with rice and beans. One of the main things Brazil is known for is their celebration of Carnival. Carnival is often described as “the biggest open-air party in the world”! Carnival is believed to come from the Latin word for “goodbye to meat.” Part of the celebration has to do with the reversal of roles, meaning the poor dress up as royalty and the rich come to the parades dressed down. Carnival is full of color and produces a frenzied street environment. It is the most important time in the lives of both the rich and poor of Brazil!

A few nights before we arrived in Brazil we had 2 different pre-port meetings. The first was a cultural pre-port where we learned a lot about the city of Salvador, where we would dock, the history of Carnival, some language, as well as cultural dos and don’ts. The next night we had a logistical pre-port where we discussed how to convert the Brazilian currency of the Real into US Dollars. We also went over safety precautions because Brazil is known to be dangerous in certain areas.

We arrived to Salvador, also called Bahia, early Saturday morning and every single person had to meet with a customs officer from Brazil. To enter into Brazil I had to get a Visa and a Yellow Fever vaccination. After everyone on the ship was clear, we had a diplomatic briefing in the student union. A lady spoke to us from the US Embassy and told us more about the country of Brazil. She cautioned us to be careful, as well as informed us more about Carnival and what the atmosphere in the city was like during this time. Because Carnival started the day before we arrived in Brazil, there were already a lot of things that were different in the city. Basically, the whole country shuts down for about 6 days. Schools, offices, banks, stores, and streets are closed, and just the minimum is kept open to continue running the city. I love how they are able to take a break from everything for several days and just concentrate on celebrating the holiday!

Finally we were allowed off the ship around mid morning. One of the interesting things was that the gangway where we enter and exit the ship moved from the 2nd deck to the 5th deck depending on the tide. It was funny to see how quickly the tide could affect the ship’s placement in the water. When getting off the boat there was a traditional band of four men playing and singing for us. You could tell they were having a good time and enjoyed getting a picture taken with everyone getting off the ship! There were also about five women tying ribbons on our wrist. These ribbons are tied on your wrist with three knots. The legend is that you are supposed to make 3 wishes, and when the ribbons fall off your wrist your wishes will come true. I am excited to see if my wishes become real! I walked into town with a group of friends, which was only about a 15-minute walk. Brazil is a country where everyone needed to walk around with a buddy or a group of people because of safety issues. We always had to be conscious of what we were bringing off the ship, and even whether or not to take out a camera. I usually wore all my money under my shirt in a travel pouch and kept my camera hidden most of the time. I was thankfully very lucky while in Brazil and did not get robbed by anyone on the street.

The town of Salvador is separated into a lower city and an upper city. To get to the upper city you take an elevator up the side of a mountain. The upper city is the nicer part of Salvador and built about 75 feet above sea level. It is where the city was built originally for protection. My friends and I walked into the lower part of the city and explored a little and walked around a market close into town. The town looked very strange because everything was closed! We walked through a market and I took a few pictures of Salvador. Later on I walked back to the ship so I could be back in time for a tour, Panoramic City Tour of Salvador. We got in a bus with about 50 people and a tour guide. The guide spoke great English and I learned a lot from her. We drove around the lower city first, and we had to detour from the original routes because many of the roads were closed. Our tour guide told us that about 29 km of roads had to be closed for the celebration! We saw many of the back streets, which I enjoyed because I was able to get a better idea about the lifestyle in Salvador. There were hundreds and hundreds of favellas, or suburban slums, all over the city. Each favella is like a neighborhood of slums where the poorer people live. In Salvador 60% of the population live in these slums. On the side streets you could always find children outside playing soccer because that is the country’s favorite sport!

Then we stopped at one of the famous churches, called the church of Bonfin. It was beautiful! One of its characteristics was that it had wax bones hanging from one of the side chapels. There was a tradition that if people in the church had to have an operation on a part of their body, and if they survived the operation, then they would make a wax mold of the body part and hang it from the ceiling in the church. I thought it was an interesting tradition. The church was built in 1745 on top of a big hill, and was said to be built so everyone could see it. Our tour guide said there were enough churches in Salvador that someone could attend a different one every other day of the year.

Later in the tour we drove to the upper part of the city and got off the bus to walk around. The tour guide led us through the side streets and into the old part of the city. All the buildings were colorfully painted and the town square was preserved with four or five old buildings. There were hundreds of people in the streets getting ready for Carnival, which starts up everyday after lunchtime. They say that about 3 million people celebrate Carnival in Salvador. Some of the children and adults were dressed up and there were groups of people all with the same t-shirt on. There were bands playing and marching in many of the streets, and there was a stage in the square where they had more music playing. Some of the children were running around the city and had spray bottles of soap that they enjoyed spraying at the Americans. They thought this was hilarious! I thought it was funny - the first 5 times! We continued through the city, or the area called Pelourinho, and then took the elevator down to the lower city and wandered back to the ship. I loved the tour and felt like I got to see parts of the city that would not have been safe for me to explore on my own.

When I got back to the ship I got changed and ready to go to a dinner called, “Bahia by Night.” This was a restaurant buffet of local dishes, and then we were able to watch some of the traditional singing and dancing of Brazil. It was a lot of fun! The atmosphere of the restaurant was perfect. It was in a big manor house right on the water that had been turned into a restaurant. We ate lots of local cuisine and then watched performances from several people. They danced Capoeira, which is a type of dance native to Brazil. When slaves were brought to Brazil they started a type of fight-game, and disguised it as a form of dance. It was amazing to watch. I enjoyed the dinner and of course took lots of pictures!

The next day I got up early and walked into town again. I did some great “people watching” at the market and tried to make a phone call home from the pay phones but did not have any success. All I heard was Portuguese directions on the phone, which was not really getting me very far! After a few hours I went back to the ship and got lunch onboard. After lunch I had plans to watch some of the Carnival celebrations. Each city in Brazil celebrates Carnival in very different ways. In Salvador there were parties in the street in the upper city, and small parades of bands and people. In the afternoon I was going to a Camarote, which is a big viewing booth. I did not really know what to expect, but I had an amazing time. A group of Semester at Sea students and some of our professors went to the Camarote. It was a huge tent with bleachers and then an open section where you could stand. There were hundreds of these areas lined along the street. Each Camarote had a different type of shirt to signify that you had a ticket in that Camarote.

We watched the parade go by for about 6 hours. It was crazy! The music was so loud that you might think that you would not be able to hear again for a week! Then you are surrounded by people singing and dancing, jumping up and down, and screaming in a foreign language at the top of their lungs! It was an odd experience. Famous Brazilian singers would come by in the parade and pictures were being snapped and hands were reaching out to wave at them. I finally made my way to the front of the booth and stood with a few other girls for hours. There was a man standing close by who spoke a little English and tried to help us understand what was going on. It was helpful because he told us about the different groups and the singers that went by. We watched what is called the “Trio Electricos.” This is a big decorated truck, driven very slowly, loaded with tons of sound equipment and a band on top. Surrounding the truck there is a big rope carried by hundreds of security guards, and inside this area is called a “Bloco.”

Each Bloco sells a t-shirt, which is your ticket to gain access inside the rope. Sometimes there can be up to 4,000 people in one Bloco! In the beginning the Trio Electricos started with a pick-up truck and three people playing from the top of the truck and then as the evening progressed they grew larger and larger. All the people in the Bloco were dancing, singing, and acting crazy along with the singer. The Blocos usually have anywhere from 100 to 1,000 people dancing in them. I started watching these pass by around 1 pm and it lasts until 2 or 3 in the morning. After all of the Trio Electricos have passed by, there are judges that announce the best ones for the year. Throughout the city there are different circuits, or parade routes. It is really hard to imagine how many people are celebrating this way! After hours of celebrating like a local we survived the mass of people and made it back to the ship. Then I had to pack for a trip to Rio de Janeiro.

I woke up at 4 am because we had to be dressed and ready to go the airport at 5 am. There were definitely many people who barely woke up in time! There were 39 students and one adult who were traveling to Rio. We are not allowed to check bags when we are flying and our carry-on bag could only weigh 11 pounds…that was hard! We got to the airport and they ended up not weighing our bags or even checking our passports before we got on the plane. We were really surprised – not much security! We had a three hour flight to Rio because we lost an hour flying and we arrived mid morning. There was a tour guide waiting to meet our group and we all got on a bus. I learned that the name Rio de Janeiro means river of January, because when the Portuguese landed in Rio in January they thought the bay was a river, so they called it the river of January.

First we went to see Sugarloaf Mountain. This was a mountain that you could get to only by cable car, and actually it was 2-stage cable car. It was a gorgeous view and I took tons of pictures! Our group rode the cable cars up and walked around on the top of the mountain. The legend is that the name Sugarloaf comes from the Portuguese because they used to make bread in a mold that looked similar to the shape of the mountain. When they saw the mountain the first thing they thought was that it looked like their bread.

After seeing the mountain we drove to a restaurant for lunch. It had amazing food!!! This was a traditional type of Portuguese restaurant. There was a huge buffet and the waiters would bring around meat on skewers that you could choose to get a slice from. We probably ate for two hours and the guys kept eating more and more meat! The atmosphere of the restaurant was decorated very authentically and all the waiters were wearing masks for Carnival. After a great lunch we checked into our hotel. It was a fantastic hotel because it was right across from Copacabana Beach. We had some free time before the evening so everyone went outside to explore. There were hundreds of people on the beach since everything was closed because of Carnival. In Rio de Janeiro there are about 7 million people watching and celebrating Carnival each year!

In the evening we went to watch the most famous part of Carnival in the Sambadrome, where the major parades of Carnival in Rio take place. In Rio de Janeiro Carnival is taken much more seriously than in Salvador. They are focused on the competition aspect of the celebration. These people may be the poorest of the poor, but still work 365 days a year on Carnival. To get to the Sambadrome our group took a city bus, which was hilarious because it was so packed! We had to get about 30 people on a city bus and we all had to squeeze in with the locals. Then we took the metro to get closer to the Sambadrome. The fun thing was that there were many people in costume on the buses and metro. They would come on with a huge purple octopus costume or a giant giraffe costume. It was so funny! Family members would be with them carrying the rest of the costume in big trash bags. Feathers and sequins would be everywhere on the streets as we got closer to the stadium.

Earlier in the day we saw the big warehouses where the floats and costumes are kept. It was crazy to imagine they do this every year! The Sambadrome is an enormous stadium where samba schools compete each year. The Samadrome competition lasts two nights, with 6 schools competing one night and 7 schools competing the next. There were 13 samba schools that compete and 1 winner is announced in the end. Each samba school picks a different theme for the parade. We saw themes like African culture, Brazil’s lifestyle, technology through the ages, Greek gods attending Carnival, Viking history, and a parade where everything was upside down! They have an hour and a half to perform and to make their way down the stadium with all of their floats. There are huge clocks that line the parade ground so everyone knows how much time they have.

Each samba school has about 12 huge floats along with elaborate costumes, singers, dancers, and bands. In each samba school there is a minimum of 2500 people and a max of 4500 people performing. You can imagine how many people are involved in this each year! There are many rules for the competition and there is a specific order each school must follow. The judges are watching the whole time and have different categories for judging. The schools are judged on their theme song, floats, costumes, and enthusiasm. Every detail of the parade must relate directly to the theme. Some schools spend close to $300,000 dollars each year on the competition.

The competition goes from 9 pm at night until 7 am the next morning. My group saw 5 out of the 7 schools compete and stayed until close to 5 am in the morning. In the stadium there are about 9 different sections of seats where people can watch the schools pass by. The most expensive tickets are in the middle, where the schools stop to perform for the judges. There are over 75,000 people watching the competition each night! It was definitely one of the most interesting nights of my life!

My roommate and I got a few hours of sleep and woke up to a gorgeous view of Copacabana beach out our window. Next we went to the Statute of Christ the Redeemer on top of a mountain overlooking the city. We took a bus up the mountain as far as it could go and then we climbed the rest of the way up. It felt so amazing to finally reach the statue. I was so close it was really hard to get a picture of the entire thing. You could walk around the statue at different levels and you felt so small underneath it all. The view from the top of the mountain was also breathtaking and you could really get a view of the entire city. I will always remember that scene! It was so sunny and in the pictures we took everyone was squinting! Since we were so close to the equator the sun is a lot more powerful! I was so glad I was able to see the statue. It is one of the most famous sights in Rio. It was definitely worth it!

After visiting the statue we went back to our hotel where we changed into a t-shirt to participate in a Carnival parade. There were hundreds of people in front of our hotel where they had closed the roads. Everyone had on the same shirts and we paraded down the street, dancing and singing along with a truck blasting music. Once again I just had to laugh! I was in the middle of a mass of people, most of whom were singing at the top of their lungs this (I assume) silly song as we danced down the street. It was fun to see people of all ages participating and also fun to watch people having a genuinely good time. Sometimes in America it would be embarrassing to just let go and act silly, but somehow in this situation nobody cared. It is just about celebrating and having a fantastic time! This bloco, or parade, lasted for several hours, and I had a great time.

I finally picked up a few of the lyrics and pretended like I was singing the whole time! Some of the locals showed us how to samba and we tried the best we could! Maybe some day I will be able to do it half as good as they could! When the parade was over a group of us changed into swimsuits and went for a quick swim at our hotel. We also walked down to Copacabana Beach and stood in the ocean. It was freezing but I loved it! We walked around Rio for several hours that night, shopping at one of the markets, and just exploring the city. It was the last night of Carnival so some people were acting very crazy!

We found a place for dinner that was a big buffet of local food. It was interesting because you filled up your plate and then they weighed it in kilos. You paid for your food by the amount of kilos it weighed. It really made you think about what you wanted to eat! It was a great place for our last meal in Rio. I stayed up way too late that night and socialized with some of the other Semester at Sea students. We got a midnight snack at one of the local places and then decided we had better get some rest because we had gone to bed at 5 am the night before!

My roommate and set an alarm and also got a wake-up call- both of which we slept through. Luckily someone in our group called to make sure everyone was up. My roommate and I had 10 minutes to get dressed and eat breakfast! Fortunately we had already packed our small bag the night before! We made our way to the airport and it was a lot more crowded because many people were going home since Carnival had ended the previous day. I think our whole group tried to sleep on the plane because many of us only got about 2 hours of sleep each night! We gained an hour flying back to Salvador and made it back on the ship around lunchtime. Everyone dropped their stuff at the ship and headed back out in Salvador to make the most of our last few hours in Brazil!

We walked around the town, and did some more souvenir shopping in a market close by. A group of us decided to have dinner in Salvador because we would not see land again for about 8 days! It was one of the slowest dinners I have ever eaten! Brazil does not really have a sense of time. Dinner took 3 hours so I am glad the scenery was beautiful and that we got to see the sun set. We tried a few of the local dishes and they were delicious. It was a great place to people watch and enjoy the last hours in Brazil!

Travel has a way of stretching the mind. The stretch comes not from travel's immediate rewards, the inevitable myriad new sights, smells and sounds, but with experiencing firsthand how others do differently what we believed to be the right and only way. -- Ralph Crawshaw

Life at sea...

2007-02-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

We have been at sea for the past several days! The time seems to have flown by! We have classes every day we are at sea, and we do not go by the days of the week. Instead, the class schedule is based on A and B days, alternating. Time on the ship is in military time, and I think I have finally gotten used to figuring out how to tell the correct time! The past week we have been crossing time zones and losing an hour of sleep almost every other night. Now we are about three hours different from the Eastern Time zone. We will continue to lose hours the rest of the voyage, but we eventually make it up

by adding a day when we cross the International Date Line. My roommate and I were almost late to class one day because we forgot to change our clocks to the right time!
Classes have been going fairly well so far. As always, in the beginning of the semester the syllabus looks overwhelming and you wonder how you are going to have time to get everything done! Most of my classes require a lot of reading, and then personal reflections and discussions in class. My teachers seem to all be very passionate about what they are teaching and are just as excited about visiting these countries as we are! But classes are a little different on the ship…office hours for the professors are outside on deck and it is acceptable to miss class for being seasick! I have also gotten to know my professors very well. I sometimes eat dinner with them, see them in their pj’s and also visit with their families on the ship. It makes for a very different student - teacher relationship!

I am getting spoiled because on the ship you are about 2 minutes away from everything - your cabin, the dinning room, classrooms, and the pool! Life does not get much better! I feel like I finally know my way around the ship now. I have classes in several different places and there are two dinning rooms you can eat in. The food is not too bad, however most of the food must be frozen for the entire voyage so sometimes it seems like we have the same things! I usually study in my cabin or in some of the common areas of the ship. I have tried to study outside, but there are just too many distractions! The weather has been beautiful; however the inside of the ship can be fairly cold.

My roommate and I decorated our cabin and we like to look out the porthole. The only problem is when we see the waves splash onto our window we know it will be rocky for a while! We have also experimented with doing laundry in our bathroom sink…it is very comical, but so far we managed to make it work! Also in our room we have a TV that shows the daily announcements and shows movies that are related to the country we are traveling to. It has been interesting to watch some of the documentaries on the people and sites we will be seeing.
My roommate and I have not been seasick so far! We are each taking different kinds of medicine that seems to be working. The ship never seems to stop rocking- it is like a roller coaster sometimes! You have to hold on to the railings so that you do not fall! Let’s just say the stairs can be dangerous! I have seen some people take some bad falls up and down the stairs- I hope it never happens to me! The waves just seem to pull you up, down, and over, if you are not careful. We all laugh at our professors who try to lecturer during class- sometimes they have to sit down because it just doesn’t work to stand up all the time! The children on the ship love to play in the pool. The water rocks from one side to the other and the children think this is hilarious! It is so funny to watch them play Marco Polo in a pool that sloshes back and forth the whole time!

I really miss talking on the phone to my friends and family as well as being able to get on the Internet any time I want. The Internet is sooooo slow and since we only have a certain amount of minutes, it can be frustrating! But learning to live without things is all part of the experience!
Everyone on the ship seems to be keeping busy, whether it is studying, watching movies, playing cards, or just sitting by the pool. Of course studying can be a challenge when the weather is gorgeous! This past week at sea we also had an activities fair where students and faculty came up with different clubs and organizations they wanted to form on the ship. There were lots to choose from, and I joined a club to plan fun events in the evening and another one that is called the Ambassadors Club. In this club you help with the inter-port lecturers, who are the people traveling on the ship with us until we reach their country. They share information on a variety of topics about their country, and give students a way to find out more about the lifestyle of people in the countries we are traveling to. Additionally, I joined something called the Extended Family. Students are paired with some of the older adults on the ship and put into a “family.” It is just another great way to meet people on the ship!

Another thing I did this week was take a tour of the bridge. This is where the captain and his officers steer the ship. It was interesting because we learned all about the navigation system and how they know where we are going! Some of the students asked the captain crazy questions, like if we were going to pass any pirate ships on the voyage! Luckily I think the answer was no! I learned that the ship goes about 20 miles per hour and that it has a radar out about 300 miles in every direction looking for other ships. We got to take pictures with the captain and pretend to steer the ship! It was a fun experience!
We just passed the equator today and we will be in Brazil shortly! They made the announcement for everyone to stop what they were doing and to look outside for the equator line or the big bump in the ocean- it was nowhere to be seen! What a surprise! Some people actually fell for it! We only have about 500 more miles until we reach Brazil! I am really looking forward to it! I will be traveling to Rio de Janeiro for a few days and then also spend some time in Salvador. It will be a crazy environment because of Carnival! I am planning on taking lots of pictures!

Thanks to everyone who has been reading my blog!

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." -- Jawaharal Nehru

More Puerto Rico Pictures!

2007-02-16T21:44:00.000-08:00

Me and one of the little girls dancing in
the performance at the Welcome Reception!

Me and some of the university students at the Welcome Reception!

My friend and I at the waterfall in the rainforest!

My traditional Puerto Rican lunch!

Fun in the sun at the beach!

Puerto Rico Pictures!

2007-02-16T21:34:00.000-08:00

Pulling into Puerto Rico!

A picture from one of the forts I visited!

A view from the top of the fort!

Me standing inside the fort!

Our "welcome" to the Welcome Reception!

Our First Port!

2007-02-16T21:32:00.000-08:00

Hola from Puerto Rico! The night before we land in a port we have two different types of lectures. One is on the cultural aspects of the country, where we learn some of the main customs, traditions, words of the language, and about the people. Also, we have a pre-port lecture that goes over logistical things like the currency, safety, medical issues, and favorite places to see. We also have something called inter-port lecturers. These are people from the country we are traveling to who will speak to us in geography class, sharing their experiences growing up in the country. It is interesting to hear their stories and to be able to ask questions about their country before we arrive. After our pre-port lecture on Puerto Rico we all learned how to salsa! It was amusing to watch everyone try to get the right dance steps! I definitely need some more practice!
Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States and Puerto Ricans have US passports. The name Puerto Rico means “rich port”. The island is in the Caribbean Sea, with the Dominican Republic to the west and the Virgin Islands to the east. San Juan is the second-oldest city in the Americas, and is known as “La Ciudad Amurallada,” or the walled city. Puerto Rico has a population density of over 1,110 people per square mile, making it one of the most crowded islands in the world. The island has a warm tropical climate year round, and has a colorful culture with many different types of communities. The official languages of the island are Spanish and English. The population is 85% Roman Catholic, 15% Protestant.
When we arrived in Puerto Rico the Governor of Puerto Rico, Anibal Acevedo-Vila, came onto the ship and spoke to the entire group. It was interesting to hear his comments to all of the students. He talked about how the biggest challenge for Puerto Rico was education, and how he wanted a high level of education for the country. The Governor also talked about their cultural identity, and how Puerto Ricans see themselves as a Latin American nation. He said they were very proud to be US citizens (in 1917), but that it was important for them to keep their own culture as an island.
The first thing I did in Puerto Rico was take a tour of San Juan. There are two forts that were built in the city originally for protection. The island used to have over 3 miles of city walls that were somewhere between 5 and 15 feet thick and 25 feet high. I visited the Castillo de San Cristobal fort first, exploring the different areas, and of course taking lots of pictures! You could also get a very good view of the city because the fort was built on top of a hill. From there we walked through town to the opposite side of the island to visit the El Morro castle. It was built in1600 and was still standing! Next we wandered through the cobblestone streets of the town and found an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant, La Fonda Del Jibarito. It was great food- actually I had a variation of chicken and rice and then tried some plantains (fried bananas)! After lunch my roommate Jennifer and I explored the town some more. We did some window shopping and some actual shopping as well! It was convenient because they use American dollars in Puerto Rico, which will not be the case for the next few ports! After feeling like we had a handle on the city, we walked back to our ship which was about a half-hour walk.
Next, I went to a welcome reception. In most of the ports we visit there is a reception where university students of the host countries usually have a party for us. This time Semester at Sea students were divided up into groups and went to four different universities. I traveled to Caribbean University! It was funny because when we got there the students were outside waiting for us singing and dancing, and they even had several students on stilts! They brought us into an auditorium where they introduced several students and faculty of the university. Then they showed us a video about the university, but it was in Spanish, so we could only guess what it was talking about! After more thank-yous and presentations, the entire group headed outside. They had traditional foods for us to try, and a stage set up with people in costume singing and dancing. I decided to try some of the food first, and can honestly say I had about 8 things on my plate and had no idea what anything was! One of them was a plantain, which I concluded is not so bad, but the other food…I wished I knew what I was eating! It was fun to watch the performers on the stage. There were college age students as well as little children dancing some of the traditional dances. I talked with some of the parents whose children were dancing. It was really sweet because they were so proud of their children, and kept pointing them out every time he or she was close to us. The children looked so embarrassed! It reminded me of all the times my parents attended my recitals! The university students continued to dance, and of course pulled all the Semester at Sea students up on the stage to dance as well! I decided I need a lot more practice at the salsa! What a fun evening!!!
The next day I did not have specific plans, but some other people and I decided to visit the Bacardi factory. The only difficult part was that it was on the other side of the island. We walked into town and then took a ferry for 50 cents across a bay. From there, we either had to take a bus or taxi to get to the factory. There was some confusion because we waited for what we thought was the right bus, but it passed right on by! So we settled on a taxi, and had an interesting ride. I was happy to reach the factory in one piece! The tour was free and we enjoyed going through the museum. It reminded me of the Coca Cola factory and it was fun to make comparisons. One of the funniest things was that at the end of the tour you could send a video email saying hello from the Bacardi factory! The grounds were huge and there were many buildings that we did not even go into on the tour. Of course there were samples at the end, and even food items you could try with Bacardi rum inside. We eventually found our way back to the ship and were able to get lunch aboard the ship. My roommate and I relaxed our feet for a while and then decided we would venture out and try to find a good place for dinner. We did some more shopping and wandering before we found a popular restaurant called the Dragonfly. It was interesting combination of Asian and Puerto Rican food. After a long wait, the food turned out to be excellent, and worth the wait for dinner!
My last day in Puerto Rico I went on a tour of the El Yunque Rainforest and then went to the beach. We had a tour guide that gave us a lot of information about the rainforest. She told us that there are about 240 different kinds of trees in this rainforest. After about an hour bus ride we arrived at the rainforest. We walked as a group for over an hour, stopping to look at plants and animals, and also taking lots of pictures. I saw some tree frogs, or coqui throughout our hike! Half-way through we stopped at a huge waterfall where everyone got into their bathing suits and climbed in the falls! The water was freezing and it was hard not to slip on the rocks as you got into the water. There were many photo opportunities and everyone made sure to get at least a few pictures! Then we had to continue our hike through the rainforest, this time uphill! After finishing the hike we went to a local place for lunch and had delicious Puerto Rican food! Finally, we drove to a beach close by, and had about two hours to relax on the beach. The water was so warm and the sand was so soft you could walk out several feet into the water. I took a walk on the beach, and enjoyed looking at the scenery of San Juan from the beach. It was a perfect day! We made it back to the ship around five, a few hours before we were supposed to leave Puerto Rico. After dinner most people went out on the decks to wave good-bye to our first port. Adios to Puerto Rico!!!

"Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen." – Benjamin Disraeli

Pictures as we depart the Bahamas

2007-02-14T00:11:00.000-08:00

Getting on the gangway to board the ship for the first time!!

Dad and I on the MV Explorer!

My roommate and I on the top deck waving good-bye to the Bahamas!

The sunset as we leave the Bahamas!

The Campus..

2007-02-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

The ship is gorgeous! The MV Explorer was built in 2002. Counting the ships before it, we are sailing on the 92nd voyage around the world. There are 702 students onboard, with each state represented by at least one student, and there are also 7 international students. The students on the voyage come from over 270 universities world wide. It is interesting to note that the student body is 2/3 girls! In addition to the students, there are also close to 180 crew members onboard the ship, along with many faculty and staff members. One of the interesting things is that many of the faculty members brought their spouses and children onboard the ship with them. So there is a group of children on the ship who are also going to school and traveling with their parents. I often see my professors with their families, and hopefully before the end of the semester I’ll have the opportunity to get to know their entire family. Also traveling on the ship are 17 people we call life-long learners. These are adults are on the voyage just for the experience. There is a huge emphasis on community on the ship because we have people ranging from 7 months old to 91 years old!
Our floating campus on the MV Explorer has 7 decks. I live on the 3rd deck toward the front of the ship on the port side. The first 4 decks on the ship are full of cabins. The 5th floor has Pursers Square, which is where students go for questions, and is the location of the office in charge of trips we take on land. Also, one of the dining rooms is on this deck. The food is not that bad so far! Today we had taco day and it was delicioso! The 6th floor has the library, computer lab, school store, and another dining room. There are also about 10 classrooms spread out all over the ship where we attend classes. On the 7th deck there is an observatory lounge, exercise room, and the pool area. I find it very hard to do homework out on the deck! Everyday at noon someone announces the latitude and longitude of the ship and how many miles we have to our next port! The average speed of the ship has been about 20 knots - I still have not figured out how this is translated into miles per hour!
My cabin is wonderful! I have a porthole which is exciting to look through when we pull into port, and it makes the cabin much brighter. My roommate and I decorated our room with a world map to follow our journey for the semester. The walls of the entire cabin are metal, so we also have pictures on the walls with magnets. Sometimes the pictures slide around when the ships starts to rock too much! We each have some space underneath our bed for storage, and a closet that we share. There is also a vanity in the room, a table and chair, and a bathroom. We have a TV in the room that shows movies or documentaries related to the ports we are traveling to, and also the ship channel with daily announcements. My roommate and I have found ourselves watching the ship channel all too often! My roommate, Jennifer, is from Connecticut. I am so lucky to have her as a roommate. She is wonderful. We have many things in common and we have enjoyed getting to know one another!
I have met many interesting people on the ship. One of the funniest things we have had to adjust to the fact that we cannot call someone on our cell phone. Sometimes I will meet people during meals or in classes and if I do not write down their cabin number I have no way of getting in touch with them! Many students are from the west coast and there are over 100 students from Colorado! There are not many students from the southeast, but I have enjoyed meeting students from different parts of the country. My roommate has already started to use the word “y’all” in her vocabulary! I think it is a good sign that we will be friends!
On the ship we go by A and B days because we do not have weekends on the ship. We are in class everyday we are at sea. Because of this I can never remember what day of the week it is or the date! On the ship every student must take a Global Studies class. In the class we discuss in depth each of the ports we are traveling to. Different faculty members speak in their area of expertise to give us a well-rounded perspective on the country. We will be able to compare the basic statistics of the countries, as well as have a foundation of their individual culture. This class is held in the union and on TV in the other classrooms, so everyone on the ship is taking the class together. I am also taking a world music class. We will learn how music impacts a culture and how each country has its own unique musical traditions. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to hear a lot of music in each port! Also, I am taking a psychology of the family class. I am looking forward to this class because we are going to look at the commonalities between families all over the world. It will be an interesting class. Finally, I am taking an education and society class. In this class we will compare different types of school institutions all over the world. I am excited because hopefully I can visit some public schools and colleges while we are in several ports. My professor is the one with the 7 month old baby on the ship!
It has been fairly smooth sailing so far on the seas. However, the first night on the ship some people had to be tranquilized because they got really seasick! The captain informed us that if we thought we had been through a storm- it was going to be a long semester! So far my ear-patch medicine has been working and I have not been seasick! I hope it continues to be like this! Well, I hope I gave you an idea of what ship life is like...happy sailing! Travel makes a person wise, but a little less happy. -- Thomas Jefferson

Setting Sail...

2007-02-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

My suitcases were finally zipped with any last minute items that I squeezed in and I ended up never going to bed! Our flight to Nassau, Bahamas was at 8:00 am, which meant we had to get up at 4:00 am to be at the airport in time. In the airport all of my bags had to be weighed, and since we had a layover in Orlando my bags had to follow the domestic flight weight restrictions. Let’s just say the lady was being extremely nice to us that morning because she let my bags go with a few pounds extra! I was lucky my dad was flying with me to the Bahamas so he could take 2 duffle bags and I could take 2. Duffle bags were the best thing to pack because they could squish down and fit underneath my bed.
The flight to Orlando was fine, and actually I was so tired that I was in a fog and basically woke up when the plane landed. We had a short layover in Orlando and then took at very small plane to the Bahamas. You could not be claustrophobic if you wanted to reach the destination- it was a tiny plane! We got off the plane and in the baggage claim there was a band playing Caribbean music. I remember thinking that I was really here in the Bahamas and that it would be very difficult to go back home. There were fifty other Semester at Sea students in the airport. It was almost intimidating because I knew that the next day I would be living on a ship with all of them for the next few months. There was the occasional smile from several students and also the look of stress and fear in others. Thankfully all of my duffle bags made the flight, and we were able to get a taxi to our hotel. We were staying in a hotel close to town and the dock, so that it would be convenient to board the ship the next morning. We checked into the hotel and found our way to the hotel room. At this point it was close to three in the afternoon and we ended up just setting down our bags and then walking in to town for a several hours. Nassau is a very touristy place because cruise ships always pull in for the day. That particular day there were seven cruise ships in the port, so it was a busy place. My dad and I walked down the streets and did some window shopping. We also walked through the straw market, which is famous in Nassau. Basically, it is a huge market were all the women sell their goods. Some of the items are actually straw souvenirs, like baskets or purses they have woven with straw. It is always an interesting experience and funny to watch the women try their hardest to sell you a straw purse or hat! We also walked down to the dock and were looking for the ship that I would be boarding. It was not docked because several of the cruise ships needed a place to dock for the day. After watching some ships pull out, my dad and I saw the MV Explorer pull in right in front of us! It was amazing watching the ship at night and realizing that tomorrow morning I would be onboard and waving goodbye from the upper decks. We enjoyed seeing the ship and had dinner at the Hard Rock Café in Nassau. Then I was able to catch up on some sleep before the big day.
We had to get up early and be ready to board the ship at ten o’clock. There were two shifts of people getting onto the ship, and I was the second shift from ten to eleven. We took a taxi to the dock and began the best part, which was standing in line! The line to get on the ship wrapped all the way around the port building. It seemed like a never-ending wait when I was trying to pull my duffle bags past the mass of people waiting in line. It was very stressful because it was hot, my bags were heavy, and it was awkward trying to make friends with the people in line. My dad and I survived the longest line and managed to get all my duffle bags searched and allowed on the ship. I officially checked in and got my cabin number, 3024. This really meant nothing to me. I got to the gangway and of course I had to take several pictures of the ship! After I felt satisfied with my pictures, I got on the ship. The parents were allowed on the ship in the afternoon, to tour the ship and say good-bye. I went through another series of check-ins and then my resident assistant escorted me to my cabin. I tried to get into my cabin and the key wouldn’t work!! Ahhhh! I had to get it fixed and then finally I could go into my room! I met my roommate and her name is Jennifer. She is from Connecticut ( and more about my great RRRRRRR! Our bags were delivered to our room and we began to unpack. Soon it was time for parent’s visitation. My dad met me and we toured the ship, checked out things in my cabin, and attended a presentation for the parents. It was extremely hard to say good-bye, and especially because there were hundreds of parents and students hugging and crying at the gangway. I got a last hug and waved good-bye to my dad. My roommate and I continued to unpack, tour the tour ship, and meet tons of new people. Before we could leave we had to have a life-boat drill! We had to change into long pants and long sleeves and then report to our muster station. It was an odd experience because we all had our life jackets on, all in single file lines, and we were supposed to be quiet. Quiet- was not really what happened. We stood there FOREVER and it was interesting way to meet people for the first time. At five o’clock the ship pulled out from the dock and everybody waved good-bye!! There were cameras everywhere as we left and parents waving with signs and screaming last words of advice!
After watching the land slowly fade away- the reality sank in! I was going to be traveling the world! We had dinner in the dinning hall, which was not too bad, and then proceeded to the Union (or the main area where the entire ship has class and meetings). We had an orientation and began to get formal introductions from everybody you could think of on the ship. Then we had a meeting with our hall. Each hall is called a particular sea. I am in the Mediterranean Sea. We talked with our resident assistant and met some of our neighbors. After big welcomes and words of wisdom, things to do and not to do- everyone was exhausted and went to bed.
The next day was completely full of more introductions and orientation meetings. The faculty and staff were introduced and then we had the opportunity to meet our teachers. I am taking an education class, psychology of the family class, global studies, and world music class. We had meetings and more meetings the entire day! The captain of the ship spoke about rules of safety on a ship- such as not sitting on the railings on the deck! Don’t worry, I don’t plan on falling off the edge of the boat! It was a long day but interesting because we learned so much about the coming months!

My next update will be about life on the ship and Puerto Rico!!

30 years from now, it won’t matter what shoes you wore, or how your hair looked, or the jeans you bought. What will matter is what you learned and how you used it.

I am off!!!

2007-02-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

Hello to everyone! This is my last day at home before I embark on the Semester at Sea voyage! I could not be more excited for this trip to start! I also cannot believe that Feb is finally here. I feel like I have been planning for this for soo long and it seemed like preparations would never end! My parents and I spent countless evenings going over phone cards, cameras, 10 different foreign currencies, insurance, prescriptions, tours, visas, passport, etc., and how the heck I am going to carry all the things onto the airplane and find a place for them in my cabin!!!! Now I am down to just sitting on my duffle bags and praying that there will magically be space for 5 more piles of stuff to fit in the bags without going over airline restrictions! I think I am kidding myself! = ) I feel well prepared now, and what do you know, it's finally time to go!

My dad and I are flying out of Atlanta early Saturday morning and will land in Nassau, Bahamas. We are going to warm, sunny weather- shorts and flip-flops! We will have the afternoon to explore Nassau and hopefully go peek at the ship! We have a night in a hotel and then get there early to stand in line to get on the ship. I have heard we are going to be standing in line pretty much all day! With over 800 people to board the ship- it is going to take a while! After I am on the ship, the parents have visitation hours in the afternoon. Then all the parents are pushed off the ship and the MV Explorer will pull out of the dock around 5pm. It will be hard to say good-bye but there will be no way to turn back!

After I update this page every time I will try to send an e-mail out occasionally so that you know I have updated my blog. Thank you to everyone who responded on my blog and who emailed me!!!!! That was very exciting!!! I may not be able to respond to everyone individually because I have a limited amount of internet minutes on the ship, and once I use those up I have to pay for my internet usage- then it is really expensive! But I'll try and keep this blog updated as much as possible while I'm gone.

I look forward to updating everyone on my adventures, and hope to hear from each and every one of you at some point! Email me, post on this blog, send me mail to the countries, whatever! I'll try to update as often as possible. If you're not on this e-mail list and want to be on it or you just want to send me an e-mail while I'm gone you can send me an e-mail at: clbarrettatlanta@hotmail.com

I can't wait for this adventure to begin!

"I am not in love with a person or a place, but the idea of opening my eyes to the world for the very first time."

More About Semester At Sea

2006-12-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

Semester at Sea is a study abroad program that provides students from universities all over the United States the opportunity to learn firsthand about other cultures. I will be taking four classes during the semester on board the ship: World Geography, Cross Cultural Perspectives of the Family, Introduction to World Music, and Learning, Education, and Society. The classes are organized through the University of Virginia. While we are in each port we will travel and take part in activities that correlate to the curriculum. The ship departs from Nassau, Bahamas, on February 4th, and will return to San Diego, California, May 14th- Around the world in 100 days!!

Thoughts before I set sail...

2006-12-19T18:51:00.000-08:00

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

--Mark Twain