Japan

Leaving Kobe

ylad to be on the wat  6:30 Am  and the vibretions feel good.  The internet was down for a week in Japan.  Dont knownwhy.  r. Matt is riding his bicyle on the deck  The Archbishop and Mrs. are walinf round and roound.  Rube and Margret are gossiping in the corner and I am glad to be on the way home.

Kobe Wednesday

 

      The internet  connection is off but I cansyill write inthis blog connection.  Hope I dont lose it as I did two days ago after writing for a hour.   Temperature screening is still going on for an hour.  I will take half a day to finish the disembarkation proceedures.  Much longer than anywhere else.  Altho were are here five days there is less planned than usual.  Two days with no trips.  We are in the city and will have toi get around on our own.  Do plan a trip to Hiroshima on the bullet train on Friday.  We  have made 1000 paper cranes to give to the children of hope.  It was supposed to be a small trip but is growing as there are few options.  Big trips are getting very dificult.   Many people, students and faculty are going indpendently, but not here.  It is too expensive.   Even the rail pass is over 200 dollars.

There was a fireboa  and a brass band as we approached the harbor at 8 AM.   We all marched around  the deck as a thank you to the band.  It was a rousing welcome dispite the rain.

Qingdao continues

    The weather has turned cold, now more breakfast on the aftedeck.  Actually wore my black silk underware under my jeans {thank you Amy).     Visit to the Childrens Palace was outstan.ding.  This isan afterschool and weekend program sponsored by yhe government.We went on a Sunday morning and the many classes were packed.  Rverythig fromtable tennis, to violin,ballet, tai quan dow, watercolor, and Chinese dance.  The large classes were well disciplined and the rooms were ringed with parents.  The one child policy produces devoted parents.  Thonly two  children I saw were twins.    We werre not taken to the industrial districts or the workers barracks.   The six and ten story apartment blocks were extensivs.  Pocket parks dotted the area and street corners were taken up by men playng cards.  They will have to tackle the smog problem before the Olympics.

Qingdao, China

   Easternmost city of China.  Once a German colony.  Red roofed old town and brewery started by the Germans.  Now Tsingdao Beer is the leadingbeer o China.  Thetour through the brewery was the most spectauler sight they could produce.  It is a vast operation now jointly with Anhauser Busch.   Sponsor of the sailing Olympics for 2008.  The shorefront is beautiful and should be a peerfect venue but there was not a T-shirt in sight.  Very disapointed.  Never thought I would feel that way about a T- shirt!  The park is dominated by a huge red sculpture Independence Day-May 4  1919 when China got the city back from Japan.        Returned in nthevening  with Mary and Michel Weill  for  dinner.  Chose the most brilliantly lit restaurent on the strip.  Live fish and shellfish in the entrancway,  30 platters to choose from to see how it will be prepared' We selected three and waitwed  with our pitcher of Tsingdao beer.  The fish was grilled with tangy sauce,the spiced prk was on a bed of perfect broccoli 

Leaving Vietnam

      It was a very fast trip,  one day Saigon 3 days cambodia , ond day Saigon.  Hard to catch your breath.   Cambodia was everythihg expected and more.  The ancient relic of Anchor Wat permeates the culture.  Everyone comes to Siem Reap (city) to pay their rerspects.  one Hundred hotels have been built in the last 2 years.  There are over  adoxen major sights nearby,  we touvhed on 5 but passed many more.  This is all overlaid by tourism.  There are many other sights in Cambodia and perhaps it is better to seek out others.  Cambodias Hope is an orphanage ouside Phenom Phen  supprort ed by former SAS students.  Worth a visit a base to contribute some medical know-how and find less exposed sights.  They also have a base at the beach 80 miles away.   The folklore dance group rivals the one we saw at the dinner presentation.  Must come back.

  Cambodia is behind Vietnam in industrial ddevelopment but moving fast.  Saigon may be moving too fast.  The industry outside the city requires massive nunbers and they are all excited by Intel building a huge investment.  They will carry alot of investment along with them.  But the many dressemakesrs  still produce beautiful clothes to exact measure in three hours.   The mens suits are outstanding of fine wools with silk linings.  There is so much competition it is hard to choose. 

Vietnam

      Four hours going up the Saigon River.  The broad delta with few fishing boats gradually narrowed and became very busy.   Freighters loaded with containers going in both directions,hpuse boats with families.  The shores with tall lifts grain cylinders  long wharfs with barges along side.  As theriver narrows the traffic increases.   Alond the dock ten Vietnamese dancers are waiting to welcome.    The first view of the town is streaming motorcycles,  endless lines going in several directions at once.  We were told to cross ingroups and go slowly in a straight line.  The downtown district #1  is still called Saigon even tho the

town is Ho Chi Min City.  The women on motorcyles wear masks and long gloves to protect tnem from the sun.  It is considered advantageous to be lighter skinned.  Families with three childrenall ride on one motor cycle.   Lunch at Maxims a fancy restarant left over from the French era but with excellent Chinese food.      New york time is 12  hours behind- much easier to keep track.