Hualien, Taiwan (Taroko National Park….

 

Taiwan!

With Japan in the rear view mirror, we woke up as we arrived in Hualien, Taiwan.  This is our first visit to Taiwan.  We were excited to visit a new country and one we had heard so many good things about in the past.  We were fortunate to have a bit of “insider information” from Mei-Ling White.  Mei-Ling is married to one of Beth’s cousins.  She was born in Taiwan and has been very helpful in helping us with some great ideas.  Thanks Mei-Ling!

Taiwan is about the size of the state of Maryland and has a population of around 23 million.  It is considered by most to be a part of China, although it does function  independently and has its own elected leaders.  It is known as a leader in technology, especially in the development and production of microchips.  

Over millions of years, shifts in the earth’s plates formed the island.  This upward push has formed a large mountain range that covers much of the center part of the island from north to south.  Our first impressions were great as we saw a beautiful coastline with lush green mountains as a backdrop as we were sailing in.  

Our goal for our day in Hualien was to head for the mountains…..or at least the gorge that has been created over time.  The gorge is located inside Taroko National Park, which is one of Taiwan’s nine National Parks.   The uniqueness of the gorge is not only its massive size, but that the rock walls of the gorge are marble. 

Watching over the entrance to the gorge!

Although other options such as taxi, public transportation or independent tour operators were available, we opted to take a ship sponsored excursion.  It was the kind of excursion we like.  Our guide provided a bit of information on the country, park, gorge, etc. but then we had plenty of free time to hike a bit and enjoy some time at the very nice National Park Visitors Center.   

We did a little over two miles on the Shakadang Trail….there are a couple of pictures from along the trail below. 

Marble walls hundreds of feet above us and crystal clear water below

There were low overhangs along portions of the trail. Somehow I came out unscathed!

Shrine of the Eternal Spring…..hope it works!

Monastery above the Shrine of the Eternal Spring

It was a winding road through the gorge!

We had a little time left after our scheduled tour stops so we enjoyed a nice walk along a beach path. 

It was a fantastic first day in Taiwan.  We are so happy that we have two more days to explore more of this beautiful country!  Mei-Ling was right, we love it here! 

Miyakojima, Japan……

Howdy from Sunayama Beach!

We started our tour of Japan back on October 18 in Tokyo.  We wrapped it up on October 28 on the Okinawa Island of Miyakojima.  From beginning to end, it was an amazing adventure in a country that we would definitely visit again if given the opportunity.

Miyakojima is famous for beautiful clear water and sandy beaches.  We found one of them (Sunayama Beach) just an easy 2.5 mile walk from the ship.  The small beach was ranked in the top 5 of all beaches in Japan according to trip advisor.  A few people were swimming in the slightly chilly water.   We were content to relax sitting in the sand soaking up the scenery and reminiscing about our time in Japan.

I had mentioned in previous blogs about the reception we often got on our arrival into port, or the send off on our departure.  Miyakojima welcomed us warmly as well.   They planned a Halloween Carnival to coincide with our time in port   It had the typical games you’d see at a Halloween Carnival in the US along with face painting, food trucks and entertainment.   After our beach time we enjoyed roaming the carnival for a bit.  We enjoyed seeing local children in their costumes and sampling a bit of food (we didn’t try the Octopus Balls).  Unfortunately the carnival was slowed down by a brief passing shower. 

The Halloween Market (Carnival) was an unexpected surprise!

The flyers passed out to passengers as we got off the ship was a great advertisement.  The carnival was a nice mix of locals and tourists!

To wrap up Japan here’s a few fun (at least to me) tidbits of information.   

Vending Machines-it is estimated that there are around  5 million vending machines in Japan   That equals around one vending machine for every forty people!  It was rare to not have a vending machine in sight.  If you didn’t see one, but suddenly had a craving for a cold or hot beverage just walk another 100 yards or so and one would likely come into view.

…..or in the rural areas, a well stocked and working vending machine was rarely out of sight

7-11’s-There are over 71,000 7-11’s around the world. Over 30% of them are in Japan.   It’s a popular place to pick up small needed items, but they are known for their fresh sandwiches and hot food items…….and they met all our banking needs with their ATM’s.

What an amazing country!

Naha, Japan…..

Fukushuen Gardens…..a nice place to end our day in Naha

The equivalent to “states” in Japan are called Perfectures. Naha is located on the island of Okinawa and is the capital city of the Okinawa Perfecture. The city itself has a population of just over 300,000. It was in Naha that the martial arts style known as karate was developed in the 17th century.   

Our arrival time into Naha was 7:00 AM with a “back on board” time of 6:30 PM.  This gave us plenty of time to explore, and with a little help from the visitor information staff we were off. 

Naha was an easy city to navigate. There is a single line monorail system that weaved its way around in such a way that there were stations near all the recommended sites.  It was an easy 20 minute walk from the ship to the monorail station and off we went.  

Our first destination was Shuri Castle (station 15 on the monorail line).  The castle, which was built in the 14th century sits high up on a hilltop overlooking the city and harbor.  It was obvious that the original construction was a massive undertaking for its time.   There was evidence of water collection and storage, a sewer system (pretty important even way back then) and a sundial for timekeeping.  Unfortunately the last 75 years or so haven’t been too kind to the castle.  Most of the original structures were destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa during World War II.  Replica buildings that were built after the war were destroyed by a fire in 2019.  Undeterred, a major reconstruction project is going on now. There were areas where we could get a “sneak peak” at the project and it looks like it’s going to be quite impressive.  

Shuri Castle Gate

Near the castle is the Shikinaen Royal Gardens.  The gardens were constructed around the year 1800 as a villa for the royal family and their guests.  Like the Shuri Castle, it was destroyed during World War II.   A restoration project was started in 1975 that took close to 20 years to complete.  In 2000 the gardens were registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

A few photos from the Shikinean  Royal Gardens

As we often do, much of our exploring was on foot.  We enjoyed the 3.5 mile walk from the gardens back to the ship. Along the way we walked down Kokusaidori, Naha’s famous international shopping street, which was buzzing with a mix of locals and tourists looking for bargains.  

 

Along the Kokusaidori street. Our experience everywhere was that drivers were courteous to both pedestrians and other drivers

Between the busy shopping street and the ship we made a detour to check out the Fukushen Garden.   Not only were the gardens nice, but there was a cafe attached to the gardens.  Knowing the ship was only 10 minutes away, we took our time at the cafe, enjoying a tropical drink, steamed dumplings and chatting with a nice couple from Australia who are on the ship with us.   

Stopped him in his tracks!

Fukushuen Garden

A relaxing end to a great day!

Naze , Japan (Amami Oshima Island)

 A beachy kind of day!

 After the bumpy weather we had crossing the Pacific,  from Alaska to Japan we’ve had great weather.  The skies have been clear and the temperatures comfortable.  We are continuing in a southerly direction so it is getting a little warmer.  

Naze, which is located on Amami Oshima Island,  was the first port where it looked and felt a bit “tropical”.  The island is known for clear, blue waters, numerous beaches and diverse plants and animals. By air, it’s a two hour flight from Tokyo and is a popular destination for Japanese citizens and foreigners alike.  

The city of Naze is located near the north end of the island and has a population of just under 40,000.  As is often the case, we had no real plans other than knowing it would probably include some beach time.   We picked up some suggestions from the visitor information tent that had been set up just off the ship.  We started walking in the direction of a beach that we were told was 10 minutes away.  

As we walked we started talking to a couple from Australia who were also on their way to the beach.  One big difference…….the beach they were going to (Ohama Sea Park)was about a four mile walk.  They had been told it was one of the most beautiful beaches on the entire island.  Sounded good to us, so we joined them on the walk.  It was mostly a flat walk, until we got close to the end when we had to tackle a steep hill for about fifteen minutes.  As we came up over the top of the hill our efforts were rewarded with a view overlooking the crystal clear waters of the beach below.  

The reward for climbing the hill!

The beach wasn’t crowded at all, and only a few people were braving the slightly chilly water. We hadn’t planned on swimming anyway, so we strolled a bit and found a bench in the shade to rest and enjoy the view.  

Crystal clear……

and slightly chilly!

Once again the hospitality of the Japanese people shined.   We had hooked back up with our walking buddies after a couple of hours at the beach.   Although the walk to the beach was nice, the vote was unanimous that we’d take a cab back to the port.   There were no taxis at the beach when we were ready to leave.  We asked a young man who had been sitting near us if he could call a taxi for us.  He was not only happy to do so, but he went above and beyond.  First, he said he would drive us, but his car could only hold two people.  He told us in his broken English that it would be about 30 minutes before the cab would arrive and he offered to stay with us until the cab arrived! Fortunately, a cab pulled up shortly after his kind offer and we grabbed it back to town, so he didn’t have to wait there with us after all. 

We thanked him, and filed away another example of the kind and welcoming spirit of the Japanese people.  

Sasebo, Japan…..

Sasebo International Cruise Terminal. Just a short walk away from the city center. 

It isn’t always the case, but it sure is nice when the port is located close to the city center.   With Sasebo, it’s about as easy and convenient as possible.  The city center was only an 8-10 minute walk from where we docked.  

There are advantages to being early risers!

We were off the ship quickly.  Our hopes were to beat most of our fellow passengers to the popular destination of the Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort.  It’s not a “resort” in our traditional way of thinking.  There are no hotels, or at least we didn’t see any.  There is a park, marina, aquarium, shops and restaurants.  It is designated as a National Aquatic Park that is within the much larger Saikai National Park.  We enjoyed a fifty minute narrated cruise that weaved through many of the small islands within the park. 

Oyster Farm.  Some of the farms were growing oysters to eat, while others were for cultivating pearls

There were also fish farms

When in port, why not get on another boat?

Based on the line forming at the pier for the next boat tour, the off quick strategy worked.  We shared a cab with a nice Australian couple both to the park and then. Back into town.  Once we were back near the city center we enjoyed roaming the 1 km long Saruku City Shopping arcade. The covered “pedestrian only” arcade is Listed as Japan’s longest.  

It was a sunny day in Sasebo.  We appreciated that the outdoor shopping arcade was covered!

After a couple of hours we headed back to the ship.  Another nice day in a country we grow fonder of daily!

There is a 7-11 every few blocks.  It’s a great place to pick up some snacks.  They also have ATM’s so they’ve become our bank.   

Miyazaki & Aburatsu, Japan…..

A haircut and a whole lot more!  In the barber’s words “ a so, so short cut!

 I did a little research earlier this morning.  I wanted to find out how many islands make up the Japan Archipelago.  I consulted serveral different sources, however, I still don’t know the answer.  It seems as if it’s somewhere between 3.000 and 14,500.  That’s a pretty big range!  I guess it all depends on how you define an island and if you’re counting high tide or low tide.  There is a little more consensus on how many main islands, but still some disagreement.  Some sources say four while others say five.  I guess there are bigger issues to debate, but trying to find an answer kept me entertained for a few minutes.  

I’m not sure if the small ones count as islands!

Our port of call today was Miyazaki, which is on the southeast coast of Kyushu (which does seem to be a “main island”).   The city of Miyazaki is about 40 miles from the port. It looked like a lovely city, but after several days of going at it pretty hard, we opted for a more laid back day, and one that turned out to be very entertaining.   

Aburatsu is a small town located just a couple of miles from where the ship docked.   We learned from the visitor information booth that it was an easy 30 minute walk to the town.  There were several points of interest around the town that were easy to reach by walking.  We also picked up a recommendation for a nice place to have lunch in the town. 

We enjoyed walking around the small city and checking out a couple of shrines.  Then the fun really kicked in.   

Aburatsu Jinja Shrine

The Gion Shrine was inside a small cave that faced the ocean

Beth has been doing a masterful job of  cutting my hair for years.  I usually bring clippers with me when we travel, but this time I intentionally left them behind.  We travel light, usually with just carry on luggage.  Space was getting tight because we needed a little warm weather clothes for Alaska, as well as clothes for the hotter temperatures we would encounter as the cruise moved south.  

Although I don’t have much, the few remaining hairs I do have were getting a little shaggy.  I’ve had my hair cut a few times while traveling. In Turkey the barber used a candle to remove ear and nose hair (I’m not kidding), and in the UK I was pleased to learn I was old enough to qualify for the “Pensioners Price”.  Although I had the opportunity to have my hair cut in a small town in India, when others from our group were taking advantage of the local street barber, I passed on that one.   Beth has also had a little experience overseas as well.  She got a very nice looking European haircut in Barcelona. 

Since we had the time, and Google Maps showed there was a barber shop nearby, we decided it would be a good time for my next haircut. When we walked in, there were no customers and we were greeted by a smiling lady.  She spoke practically no English and we speak no Japanese.  We communicated through a series of impromptu hand signals, and I was directed to a chair.  Shortly thereafter a gentleman came from the back (we assume, they were husband and wife).  He seemed as kind and welcoming as her.  There were more hand signals and we finally understood each other that I wanted my already short hair to be cut very short.  

Well, I got what I asked for and a whole lot more!  He didn’t pull out a razor, but it’s as short as you can go with clippers. In addition to the great haircut, he put some type of tonic on my head and buffed it in with a warm towel.  That was followed by a head, neck and shoulder massage that was amazing.  While I was being pampered Beth was enjoy witnessing the phenomenon with her new best friend, who had prepared her a cup of green tea.  They were laughing and carrying on as they attempted to communicate with one another.  After the haircut and massage, they served us wonderful cups of coffee, laughing and communicating a little better through Google Translate.  After finishing our coffee we said our goodbyes and left smiling, me with a great haircut and massage and Beth having been entertained by the whole thing and a new friend.  I’m not sure we’ll ever make it back to Aburatsu, but if we do, I know where I’m getting my haircut.  Oh yeah, the cost for this experience, a little less than $7, the memories, priceless!

A wonderful couple!

We finished our day in Aburatsu with lunch at a seafood restaurant that had been recommended at the visitors center.  Beth had requested a “traditional” place and that’s exactly what we got. When we arrived the restaurant was packed and we were the only non-Asians in sight.  We added our name to the waiting list and laughed that we’d be easy to find when it was our turn.  Of course our names were the only ones written in English  

Once we were seated the menu was all Japanese (a good sign that it was “traditional”).  Thankfully there were a few pictures so we just pointed and hoped.  While hope isn’t a strategy, in this case it worked.  The food and experience was great.  

Lobster Soup….we think!

Delicious!

As we pulled away from the dock last night we were treated to a Japanese Drum and Dance team performance.  There was a small crowd on the pier waving us goodbye and yelling for us to come again. Most of them had their cell phones lit up and were twirling to the music.  The guards even got in on it with large, red directional flashlights and necklaces. It was quite a scene and very fun to watch.

So often for us, it’s not about seeing the big stuff.  It’s about experiences like we had today.  The kind people we meet along the way are what make being a Traveling Idiot so much fun!

Hiroshima, Japan…..

O-Tirol gate on Miyajima Island (just a short ferry ride from Hiroshima)

We'll be in Japan through October 28. All I can say about our time here so far is WOW!  Experiencing the sites and culture has been amazing, and the hospitality has been world class.

Yesterday,  as we departed Osaka, we were serenaded by a 30-40 piece pops symphony while hundreds of men, women and children crowded on the cruise terminal balcony waving, cheering and blowing kisses. It was a pretty cool scene! 

A really nice Bon Voyage from Osaka!

Not to be outdone by the previous ports, we were warmly welcomed to Hiroshima!

Today we enjoyed visiting the city of Hiroshima. To most, the mention of Hiroshima is most commonly associated with the bombing that occurred here on August 6, 1945. The city was practically destroyed and it was estimated that over 140,000 lives were lost. Now, this city of over 1 million residents is a beautiful , modern, vibrant,  and of course,  welcoming city. It will always be remembered for its place in history as being the first city demolished by an atomic bomb. 

Sunrise as we approached Hiroshima

A few minutes later

The Port of Hiroshima is located about 7 miles from the Peace Memorial Park, which was our first destination.  The cruise ship offered a free shuttle to a train station.  From the train station it was just a few minutes ride on the city tram to the park, which is located in the city center.  It was an inexpensive way to get there (around $2). However, the line for the shuttle busses was quite long and we figured there would also be lines at the tram ticket machines.  We decided to split a cab fare with another couple and go directly to the park.  The cab fare was a little more than the train (around $13 per couple), but it was a lot quicker and put us ahead of most of the cruise ship crowd.  

The Atomic Bomb detonated a few hundreds yards off the ground very close to the area where Peace Memorial Park is located.   Anyone who was in that area was killed instantly, with the destruction and immediate loss of life extending out for miles.  The park is a very moving memorial to the innocent lives that were lost that day, as well as those caught up in the crossfire of wars throughout history.  

The park now contains several museums and memorials commemorating the event through stories and graphic pictures.  As we expected, it was quite a somber experience.  I don’t believe any visit to Hiroshima would be complete without a visit to the park and the Memorial Museum.  

Peace Memorial Park (taken from the Memorial Museum)

The Atomic Bomb Dome. The building was a government building and was miraculously one of the only buildings not destroyed by the bomb (everyone inside was killed instantly).  It is adjacent to the Peace Memorial Park.  

Looking back at the Memorial Museum from the opposite end  of the park.  

After visiting the park and surrounding area, we made our way to Miyajima Island.  There are several ways to get to the island.  We chose to take the Hiroshima World Heritage Boat from the Peace Memorial Park area.  It was about a 45 minute relaxing boat ride on the river and then on the bay,  that was very enjoyable.  

The small island contains numerous shrines, temples and pagodas as well as an aquarium, shopping arcade and dozens of free roaming very tame deer, looking for handouts.  The island has been proclaimed to be one of the most scenic spots in Japan, and in 1996 the Itsukushima Shrine was designated as a World Cultural Heritage site.  The beauty of the island makes it a popular destination for both tourists and locals.  Even though it was a Monday afternoon it was busy with a mix of both, all enjoying a sunny,  early autumn day in Hiroshima.  

The O-Torino Gate

Tajikistan Pagoda

In front of the Itsukushima Shrine

The marketplace on the island

We took a short ferry back from the island to the mainland to catch a train back to the shuttle bus drop off/pick up point.   Brimming with confidence that we had 

navigated our way brilliantly around Hiroshima with no mistakes, we congratulated each other on a job well done.  We were a little premature in our congratulations!   We missed the station where we were supposed to get off.  Not a big deal!  We just fired up Google Maps and enjoyed the walk through a park, and neighborhood back to the designated pick up spot.  The extra couple of thousand steps were good for us!