India!

Since India is a land of contrasts, I thought I would take you on a tour of our sensory experiences in this beautiful country.

SIGHTS

*  Lush green plants like mangoes, bananas, coconut palms, and pineapples are growing everywhere. Burlap sacks are filled to the brim with cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, and anise.  Cochin, a large port city in Southern India, lies in the state of Kerala, which is known as "God's Own Country." It is so lush it seems that if Indians did nothing at all, the foliage would completely overtake their country in about 6 months.  

*  Brilliant green tea plantations cover the hillsides like a verdant, rolling carpet stretching as far as the eye can see.  You can see every shade of green, and the colors change with the light of day. These tea plants have been there since the 1880s, when the British came to Kerala and cleared miles and miles of forests to plant their cash crop.  Just 5 hours west from Cochin, the Western Ghats are a long range of low mountains, offering clear skies with a hint of alpine in the breeze.  But it is the view that takes our breath away.  We hike and camp for two days in Munnar, enjoying the gorgeous scenery and talking and laughing with our Semester at Sea friends as we go.  

* An older woman dressed in a beautiful red sari stands in the doorway of a pale green house.  The air is heavy with heat and humidity. We are in Ernakulum where a couchsurfer we have never met hosts us for the evening.  Shahid is a very warm, smiling, young Muslim man who lives in a large 80-year-old house with his mother and his uncle's family.  We are given a spacious room on the main level with a queen sized bed and an old wooden, carved daybed as well.  The open air home  with sparsely decorated rooms is designed in a square around a center foyer.  

*  At 5:30 a.m., we unzip our tents and make our way -- using flashlights and the light of the setting moon -- from our campsite to the top of the mountain.   With grey and white clouds below us, we watch the colors of the sky fade from black to light blue to pink, as the sun makes its appearance over Munnar.

*  A mini-Niagra Falls crashes over the rocks 200 feet below.  It is a little more mini than usual because it's not the rainy season, but Arithapally Falls is still quite impressive.  We are the only non-Indians who swim in the cool pools above the falls, and I am the only woman wearing a bathing suit.  Everyone else is in saris.  I feel terribly inappropriate and don't swim long.  Particularly after a man comes up to ask for a photo and a "Small kiss?  Small kiss?"

*  While eating our chicken tikka masala at a nice restaurant, we suddenly find ourselves in pitch darkness.  Power outages are common in India.  Fortunately, the waiter turns on a camping light that is ready just for this purpose.  The power only goes out once more during the meal.

SOUNDS

*  Laughter and cheers erupt from the circle of friends sitting on folding camp chairs by the tents.  We play charades and mafia and then sing songs around the campfire. Everyone sleeps well under the stars ... sort of.  In the morning, Austin remarks, "There was a frog croaking all night long!"  Charlie yells, "Austin!  That was snoring!"

*  Sitting in the cool cafe, we hear the sounds of drums and trumpets.  It sounds like a marching band, and in fact, it is.  We run outside to find a Communist Party parade going by.  The Communist Party of India is alive and well in Kerala, and will probably win in the next election.

*  "You happy, my happy." So says our tuk tuk driver, Sayno, often... and particularly whenever he wants us to go to stores where he gets a commission.  We are not exactly happy, but he is relentless and tracks us like a CIA operative.  He shows up after our camping trip, but we tell him we want to take the ferry instead. Then, while waiting for the boat, he shows up again and continues pushing for us to hire him.  Later that night, he jumps out of the crowd at the Communist parade, and the kids are positively freaked out.  They all begin mounting a "Say No to Sayno" campaign.  In the end, however, he wears us down, and we spend our final day driving around Ft. Cochin with him.  As we leave, Kerry gives him an exceptionally generous tip, but he merely says, "Do you have any more money?"  I wouldn't be surprised to see Sayno when we dock in South Africa, chirping, "You happy, my happy."

SMELLS

*  It is late -- about 9:00 p.m. -- and our stomachs are growling. The scent of spices and fresh Indian bread begin wafting through the campsite. When we finally eat, it is so dark we cannot see our food, which only adds to the symphony of flavors in each bite.  

*  We carry our large backpacks while strolling through the outdoor market in the heat.  Smelly fish share the stage with hanging bananas and fresh okra.  The fish win the most pungent award. 

TASTES

*  Spices in India surprise me because they are anything but their heavy-handed counterparts in the U.S. Curries are soft and creamy, with flavors that develop as you eat.  Vegetarian dishes are complex and spicy, and their heat often comes in waves.  But the breads transport us to other places altogether.  Chewy naan, thin chapatti, and the best of all, paratta -- an Indian bread with layers of sweet dough like a croissant --  truly melts in your mouth.  I don't have time to describe the biryani rice, chicken curry, chicken tikka masala, fried bananas, aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes), okra (called ladies' fingers), or dal.  But trust me, each and every dish is delectable.  

*  Stopping to get food for a picnic, we can only find a Subway.  I am depressed at the thought of eating Subway in India, but they serve tandoori chicken subs, which Charlie declares to be the best subs he's ever eaten!  I must admit, they are quite tasty. 

*  We crunch into a potato chip, only to discover spice and heat in a rare, delicious combination.  Lay's Magic Masala chips are coated with onion, chili, coriander, ginger, garlic, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, sugar, salt, and even mango flavoring!  (I checked the ingredients.)  We are hooked.

*  Ice cold milk, sweetened with sugar, tastes refreshing in the heat of the evening.   Shahid's precious mom, brings 5 small glasses on a tray without a word.

TOUCH

*  I'll tell you when we get there, but we don't think Africa Hot has anything on India Hot.  Perhaps it is the incredible humidity... or the intense equatorial sun that burns our skin... or the lack of air conditioning that our western selves are used to.  Whatever it is, we find ourselves wilting and having to rehydrate and bribe our kids with sodas to keep going.  Hey, whatever it takes! 

* The cricket bat is heavy and awkward in Austin's hand.  But he swings and swings until he makes contact with the tennis ball being pitched to him.  Kerry, Charlie, and Austin all try their hand at bat, and the crowd of Indians cheer when Charlie makes a play in he outfield.  Afterwards, I take a photo of the team with Charlie, and his white, blond hair and pale skin stand out in the sea of dark brown faces.  A beautiful collage of color.

*  The kids pull on rough, old ropes attached to massive, square-shaped Chinese fishing nets.  This ancient method of fishing still takes place in India.  Grizzled old men release long ropes which lower the massive, square-shaped nets into the water.  Then, the men pull on the long ropes with large rocks on the end of the them, to hoist the net out of the water.  Other men run out onto wooden poles and pull in the net, then scoop out the contents.  Usually, they pull in some leaves, shells and a few small fish.  But the birds are savvy, and they often pluck the fish out before the men can collect them!  Some kind workers allow my kids to both lower the nets and then pull them back up... for a small donation, of course.  

*  Mosquitos fly everywhere, as there are no screens or glass on the windows at Shahid's house.  We're all taking malaria pills, but we put on bug spray with 99% deet in it too. (Who knew there was such a thing?)  In reality, we probably don't need the bug spray because Shahid's fan offers us hurricane-force winds for our sleeping pleasure.  The kids sleep sideways together in the queen bed, and Kerry and I sleep head-to-toe to fit on the daybed.  Any mosquitos who try to bite us are blown off course by the 90 mile-an-hour winds.

*Sydney and I stand in a small shop while two women drape the most luxurious silk fabric over us.  I have always wanted to try on a sari.  Sydney's fabric is grey and red; mine is purple with gold trim.  She looks positively like a queen.  

Birthdays, BBQs, and Micro-Aggressions

I have received some requests for information about life on the ship, so for those who care, here is the latest from the MV Explorer.

I am surprised at how excited I am to be sailing again.  Living on a ship has unlocked a new place in my soul for the sea.  Something about the wide open space, the blue water, the endless sky, the colors of sunrise and sunset ... these things will forever be a part of me now.  I never knew how much my heart would sing on the ocean.

Everyone on the ship is very friendly, and it feels like we know or at least recognize just about everyone now.  We meet up with folks for meals, cards (Nerts), sitting by the pool, going to church, playing ping pong, or working side by side in the computer lab.  It's feeling more and more like a family all the time.

Our boys are celebrating their birthdays on this voyage.  Having a birthday at sea is a special event.  For Austin's, we got a huge ice cream cake delivered to the Ship Kids' meeting in the afternoon, and all 22 of the children gathered around and sang to him. Then, after the cake, we all went up to the 7th deck for the Austin Knott 10th Birthday Party Ping Pong Invitational.  Charlie worked out a bracket, and all the kids played until the final game which featured (not surprisingly): Austin vs. Charlie. Charlie won by a hair, but Austin didn't mind, and everyone had a great time!  Charlie's birthday is March 5th, so we're getting ready for that.

After being in some exotic locales, the food on the ship seems more appealing.  They serve lots of stir fries with rice, pasta with different kinds of sauce, always soup and salad, and usually cake for dessert.  When they have grapes, Asian pears, or mandarin oranges, it's an exciting day!  Right after Singapore, they had a BBQ night, which was truly monumental and cause for much celebration.  They set up grills on the pool deck and brought buffet tables outside, laden with mac-n-cheese, fresh fruit, potato salad, and... drum roll, please... hamburgers and BBQ ribs!  I have never seen the kids eat so much.  The head of the dining hall told me they budget twice as much for BBQ night because people eat so much food!  I'm hoping they do another one before the trip is over.

Our kids' room has become the hang-out spot for all the children on the ship.  At any given time there are 8-12 kids in there, listening to the shipboard music station rather loudly, playing video games on their kindles, painting fingernails, making yarn bracelets, or prank calling the college kids.  Whenever they call our room, we answer with different names like, "Captain's Desk," or "Ship Security," and often a flustered child will quickly hang up.  Last week, the kids started going door-to-door and asking the college kids for candy.  Sort of like trick-or-treating at sea.  We didn't approve of such begging, so in Myanmar, my kids bought lollipops to sell on the ship.  Charlie was up to $10 in profit when the dean of the ship found out about it and put the kibosh on his business. The Dean's Memo the next day read: "As a reminder, solicitation on the ship is prohibited, especially concerning candy and clothes."  The kids have now decided to start a bartering system where they trade candy with the college kids or -- if they can get their hands on one of those jackets with pockets on the inside lapels --  they may go underground and sell on the black market. I'll keep you posted.

We're learning a lot of lingo on the ship.  In academia, we've found, you sit around a lot and discuss ideas, issues, and most of all, feelings: how you feel about yourself; how you feel about others; how you feel about your identity; how you feel about how others feel about your identity, and so on. We've learned it's important that we all have safe spaces in which to discuss our feelings and have others validate them.  We now often use terms like "micro-aggression," as in, "Charlie, don't give me that look -- that's a micro-aggression." In all seriousness, I heard that word for the first time in a meeting where someone up front apologized publicly to someone else.  When I missed the reason, I asked Kerry and he said, "That guy asked that girl what her name was.  That was a micro-aggression. Apparently, it actually was. So, if I ever fail to ask your name, know that I am just trying not to "micro-aggress you" (as my children say), and I really do validate how you feel about how I feel about how you feel.  

Myanmar -- Land of Enchantment

Today we sailed down the Yangon River away from Myanmar, leaving behind a country that stole my heart.  I can't wait to come back.

Myanmar (renamed Burma by the British who colonized it) is a fascinating place.  After being under British control for many years, Aung San united the people and fought for independence.  He was assassinated just before Myanmar was released from Britain's grasp in 1948.  His daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, continues to serve as a heroine and inspiration for freedom.  Held under house arrest for some 15 years, she has only grown in popularity and prestige, and today she is free and an elegant voice for democracy in a nation that is just recently allowed free elections. 

Myanmar opened its doors to the outside world less than three years ago.  What a privilege to visit this nation right now in its history.  Yangon (or Rangoon), the large port city where we docked, is generally underdeveloped and rather dirty.  There is no McDonald's.  People sell meats, fruit, clothes, and supplies outside on nearly every street in the city.  Women and girls wear a beige-colored paste on their face which comes from a local plant and is supposed to help keep one cool..  They need it.  It's about 95 degrees during the day, and the sun is intense.  

But in a place that at first blush feels uninviting, there is tremendous beauty.  It is in the land... and most of all, the people.  Along the streets, people cheerfully yell their greeting: "Mingalarba!"  They start beaming when we return the greeting.  They do not usually push us to buy their products, instead sitting quietly while we look at their wares.  

At first, we couldn't figure out why the men's teeth were often red and black, but we learned that it comes from chewing betel nuts.  My children found this habit gross, yet fascinating, particularly when our cab drivers would open the door at a red light and spit out a red liquid onto the street. I read an article in the local newspaper about a new campaign to educated people on the detrimental effects of betel nut chewing.  The dentists must be behind it.

Our first day in Yangon was hot and sweaty.  We wandered the streets for a while before visiting the reclining Buddha statue.  Imagine Buddha in Vegas, and this temple is what you'd get.  This is a giant, and I mean GIANT, statue housed in an open-air warehouse-like building complete with neon lights and lots of gold.  Gold is a big thing in Myanmar.  And if you think the reclining Buddha has a lot of gold going on, wait till you see the Shwe Dagon Pagoda, an enormous, sparkling, gold complex built high above the city and full of small golden spires surrounding one gigantic gold pagoda.  We walked around the complex for a long time, taking in the sights and running into good friends from the ship.  We also met a couple of monks, who asked to take pictures of our kids and ended up telling us about their life.  We shared smiled and hugs across the cultures and langauge barriers.  At one point, we were taking pictures when about 10 Burmese women armed with brooms came marching toward us in a line.  The Broom Brigade literally swept through, only to be followed by another Broom Brigade a few steps behind!  Kerry said it was like a broom zamboni. 

We have learned a few good tips on this trip, and one is to find the parks in every big city.  We have done this in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam, and it has often changed our perspective of the cities.  What started off as only hot, crowded, frenetic, and polluted... turned into green, quiet, cool, and shady when we hit the parks.  Yangon was no exception. Right behind the Shwe Dagon Pagoda, we stumbled upon the People's Park, a sprawling green oasis in the middle of the city.  Inexplicably, there was an airplane in the park.  Then we saw two swinging bridges hung up high between three trees.  We all enjoyed swinging and jumping on them.  Then, just as the sun was setting, we followed the sound of music to an enormous area of fountains where kids were playing in the water and couples snuggled together on park benches.  It was magical. 

Burmese food is an interesting blend of Asian and Indian.  A typical Myanmar restaurant will have dishes prepared, then you choose what you want and they will immediately bring small bowls of different foods to your table, along with a big bowl of rice.  We tried pork curry, potato curry, cooked spinach, sweet and sour chicken, spicy meatballs, naan, a chicken broth soup, and other dishes.  We all liked the food and were grateful for a place to sit after a long day of sightseeing in the heat.

Our youth hostel was in a sketchy area but had a good vibe and a stellar review from Lonely Planet.  When we checked in, I learned a valuable lesson: in Myanmar, don't get a room with a bathroom attached.  Why not?  Well, the shower is often right in the middle of the bathroom, and there is no lip or doors around it.  Therefore, the water just covers the entire floor of the bathroom, and then it flows out of a hole cut in the corner of the room.  It makes for a wet and slippery floor when you're done, and in the case of Kerry and the boys' room, a mold and mildew fest.  I don't think their bathroom ever dried out.  The bottom third of the wooden door was saturated every time someone showered, and it was covered with mildew.  I saw black "something" all over the corners of the room.  I could have sworn it was mold, but Kerry insisted it wasn't.  Anyway, the boys didn't seem to mind this minor inconvenience, and Sydney's and my room was thankfully mold and mildew free! 

But what the youth hostel lacked in bathroom hygiene, it made up for in spades with personal service!  A family from our ship was also staying there, and their daughter turned 16 the second day.  When she came down for breakfast, the staff of the hotel (a group of 5 darling young Burmese girls) excitedly came out, holding a beautiful birthday cake with 16 candles!  They had seen her birthdate on her passport and gotten a cake the night before.  One even made a lovely homemade card they all signed!  I had never seen such a thoughtful expression from a hotel!

The next day, we headed to the airport for our flight to Bagan.  What was supposed to take 45 minutes took almost 2 hours in the taxi!  Yangon traffic is something else!  Fortunately for our driver, he had lots of time to open his car door and spit his betel nut juice out onto the street.  We almost missed our flight but came running into the airport just in time with our backpacks flopping on our backs.  At the gate, they loaded all of us onto a bus to drive us (literally) 30 yards to a waiting plane.   We were waiting to take off when they announced over the loudspeaker not to worry, but that we would return to the terminal to be more comfortable while we waited for a minor inconvenience to be corrected.  "I think the minor inconvenience is that the left engine isn't working," Kerry noted after noticing that only the right propeller on the plane was turning. "Every good pilot should be able to fly with one engine," he said, but I guess they didn't think today was the day for that.  After being driven 30 yards back to the terminal, we watched as a ladder was brought out and a technician armed with a wrench began working on the left propeller.  About 30 minutes later, the propeller began turning, while belching out black smoke.  I said to Sydney, 'We've got good news and bad news."  Ultimately, they shuttled us the 30 yards back to the plane, and we took off without incident to Bagan.

Now Bagan may be the hardest place to describe on our entire adventure, but I'll try.  It is a hot, dusty, plain in the middle of Myanmar.  Palm trees dot the landscape, and pink, red and orange bougainvillea grows everywhere.  The climate is dry like a desert, so the mornings are cool and the afternoon temperatures hover close to 100.  And this is the cool season.  But what Bagan is known for is Buddhist temples.  Somewhere between AD 1000 and 1300, someone decided that Bagan should be the place for temples.   At one point, there were 10,000 of them!  Today, there are about 3,000, and they cover the countryside.  The scenery is truly awesome, and if you catch it at sunrise or sunset, you are rewarded with an otherworldly view.  People who wouldn't normally get up at zero dark thirty, get up before dawn in Bagan.  And it's worth it every time.

The modes of transportation in this town range from taxi, to horsedrawn carts, to large open pick-up trucks, to unbelievably crowded public buses with people hanging off the back, to bicycles, to motorcycles, to our personal favorite, E-bikes.  E-bikes are electric bikes, somewhat like a moped.  There is a wide range of quality, as we discovered.  Our hotel rented E-bikes with varying degrees of power and reliability.  We later found a place down a dirt road that rented newer, more reliable bikes, which you will soon understand, was much appreciated.

Now hypothetically speaking, what if I told you we allowed our 11 and 13-year-olds to rent their own E-bikes in a developing world country?  Would you think that we:
a) are the coolest parents,
b) are the worst parents ever, or
c) have lost our minds. 
This is a rhetorical question; no need to email me your votes.  

Well I can tell you that, hypothetically speaking, if we were to do such a thing, it would raise us to "rock star status" in our children's eyes, and quite possibly set them up for the most exciting experience of their lives.  At least for Charlie, who, hypothetically speaking, might have yelled at the top of his lungs while flying 25 miles-per-hour down the road on an E-bike, "I'm going to get a motorcycle when I grow up!" And later, "When I die, I want to die on an E-bike!"

Speaking of dying, if I told you that three out of the five of us crashed our E-bikes -- when our wheels got caught in the sand... and we had to drag our daughter and her bike out of the path before two water trucks rumbled by... and I crashed only because I was videoing with my I-phone while driving, hypothetically speaking, of course -- would you think that we: 
a) are reckless and irresponsible,
b) are even worse than the worst parents in the world, or
c) beat the odds and came out ahead of the game. 
Again, keep your votes to yourselves.

Well, as I mentioned, our hotel had less than stellar bikes, and we discovered this the hard way.  We decided to spend the first day getting the lay of the land, so after visiting temples at sunrise, we sped all the way to the farthest village north (Nyaung U) to do some shopping at the local market.  There, I lost track of the others, and stood in the fish aisle -- watching flies swarming on the large fish carcasses in the mid-day heat -- waiting for the others.  A local man at one of the stalls saw that I was looking for someone, and he finally got my attention and pointed, as if to say, "They went that-a-way."  How did he know who they were?  I guess our family stands out a little in Myanmar.  Anyway, I couldn't find my clan for a long while, so he and several other Burmese began looking for Kerry and the kids for me.  Finally, the first guy came running up to me and was pointing way down a little street, and sure enough, Kerry and the kids were shopping down there.  The warmth of the Burmese people is amazing.

After shopping, we decided to head back toward our village (two villages away) around 1:00 p.m., which as we discovered is when the day really begins to heat up.  But that wasn't a problem because we had our E-bikes, right?  We started off zipping down the road, and the kids did a masterful job navigating traffic circles, busy roads, and sand on the edges of the road that made for very tricky riding.  Suddenly and hypothetically speaking, Charlie got a flat tire.  I dropped his key in my pocket, we left his bike by the side of the road, and then he jumped on the back with me.  Then, my bike died.  Incidentally, when an E-bike begins to lose its charge, it loses it fast.  Just FYI.  So I dropped my key in my pocket, we left my bike by the side of the road, and Sydney rode behind Charlie on his bike.  I will never forget watching them ride away with Sydney screaming, "I don't trust you, Charlie!  Not for a minute!  I'm going to dieeeeeeee!" 

We were now down to two bikes.  I watched Kerry and Austin speed off on one, Sydney and Charlie on the other, and I began the rather warm, sunny walk toward our village (about 4 miles away.)  Somewhere along the way, I checked my pocket, and I only had one key in it.  I could have sworn I put both keys in it, but at this point, I wasn't sure of anything.  So, I turned around and began retracing my steps -- in the brutal heat and sun of midday in Bagan.  I retraced and retraced, then got lost, came to a deadend, backtracked, and retraced some more.  Finally I saw in the distance an old couple bent over something on the side of the road.  As I approached them, I said, "Have you, by chance, seen a key anywhere?"  They said, "It's right here!  We were just discussing whether we should pick it up or not!"  Incredible.  What an answer to prayer!

With key in hand (actually now safely in my backpack -- NOT my pocket), I again began the trek back to our village. About 15 minutes later, I was passing a road-side stall that looked like an information booth when out popped Sydney and Charlie!  WHAT?!  I asked what they were doing there, and they said that Sydney's bike had died, so Kerry left them there while he and Austin went to get help. They had been waiting 45 minutes when I arrived.  Ironically, several people had asked them for directions thinking they were manning the tourist booth!  I had a package of lollipops that we had bought in the market, so I suggested they try selling them in the booth.  They set up their wares (just like all the other roadside booths in Myanmar), and before long two guys from France rode by on bicycles.  The kids were yelling, "Lollipops for sale! Only 100 kyat!"  The guys yelled back, "That's too expensive," and they began bargaining and laughing.  The guys ended up pulling over, and the kids were thrilled when they got out 200 kyats for 2 lollipops.  Then they asked if we had water for sale!  I told them we just had a half empty bottle, which they happily shared.  We invited them into the shade of our booth, and we learned they were pastry chefs from the South of France.  I told them about couchsurfing and invited them to come stay with us in Washington, DC.  We exchanged emails, and they said they would come see us one day.  (The way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if they're making pain au chocolat in our kitchen one day soon!)  Just about this time, Kerry and Austin pulled up in a taxi to find us all eating lollipops with our French friends.  Incidentally, Kerry's bike died just moments before reaching the hotel.  Mental note -- don't rent E-bikes from our hotel and always buy extra lollipops.

The next day, we rented E-bikes from down the road and headed out for another adventure.  This time, Kerry was behind a woman when her wallet came flying off her scooter.  He pulled over to pick it up, then went flying after her to try to return it.  She was too fast, however, and he came back with the wallet.  She was a tourist from France, and we now had her national ID card, credit cards, and cash in various currencies.  Kerry went to a nice, nearby hotel to see if she was staying there, then asked the manager to try to contact her through her credit card company and notify the police.  We have been praying for her and hope she got her wallet back.

The rest of our time in Bagan was spent taking the E-bikes down tiny dirt paths to see where they led.  We would stop at temples and explore hidden passageways that led to dark stairwells where we could climb up for the view.  Bats squeaked and chirped on the cool dark ceilings.  Back on our bikes, dry, dusty land stretched as far as the eye could see.  An old woman worked out in a field, with a skinny white cow beside her.  Small 13th century villages with open-air thatched roof houses were tucked in among the temples.  We saw people grinding sesame seeds using a cow walking in circle and turning a wheel.  Golden spires sparkled in the sunshine.  Bagan truly felt like a fairy tale.

Mid-day we would return to our lovely hotel to swim in the beautiful, but surprisingly freezing cold pool.  One day we ran into our good friends (including Connor, who is related to our neighbors, the Riemans!), and we invited them to join us for a swim.  We all enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing afternoon. 

Our last morning, we were up before 5:00 a.m. for our final sunrise adventure.  If I told you, hypothetically speaking, that we rode E-bikes in the pitch black darkness without any streetlights... and Sydney forgot her glasses... and we dodged buses, cars, and pedestrians that we couldn't see until they were dangerously close... would you think we were -- oh, never mind!  We returned to a temple we had visited before and while lots of people were on the first level, we were the only ones who knew about the hidden staircase that led to another level, so we climbed up higher than everyone else and watched the glowing red orb of the sun slowly rise through the dusty air of Bagan.  Moments later, a dozen hot air balloons rose with it and floated effortlessly above the temples on the plain.  Bagan -- I hope I can come back to see you again one day.  Until then, the images of your surreal beauty will stay in my mind forever.

China -- Where Octopus Is Welcome

Sydney's Chinese proverb

We arrived before dawn on a grey, smoggy morning, steaming upriver into Shanghai with high rises in either side of us. Hundreds of ships -- tankers, tugs, freighters, and fishing boats -- shared the waters with us. Navigating the traffic was a tremendous feat. 

We were told this is the busiest port in the world, and certainly the hardest for our captain to enter on our voyage. At one point, our ship played chicken with a barge that was anchored in the middle of the river. The barge won. After hours of maneuvering, we docked right across from the iconic, space-age Pearl. 

In order to understand what happened next, let me tell you a story.  Three years ago, we welcomed a beautiful Chinese girl into our home for Christmas.  She was a couchsurfer. Sun Yu quickly became part of the family as we celebrated the holiday together and spent several days exploring secondhand shops, volunteering with the homeless, and eating way too many desserts.  Sun Yu came back for Austin's birthday in February, then surprised us again in the summer with another lovely visit.

This past Tuesday when we pulled into Shanghai, Sun Yu was waiting in the port -- a vision in a red, full-length, faux-fur trimmed coat. She looked like a Chinese princess.  Sun Yu came all the way from Beijing to spend two days with us.  We were honored and overjoyed.

After dropping off our backpacks at the Mingtown Youth Hostel, we promptly made our way to Yang's Fried Dumplings.  The last time we were in China, Austin and I fell in love with these homemade little pillows of dough filled with pork and broth.  We couldn't wait to introduce the rest of the family to them.  Between the 6 of us, we ate almost 40 dumplings!

Imagine a slightly crispy, slightly doughy pastry with green onions and sesame seeds on top. When you bite into it, hot pork broth squirts out, usually on your clothes or the person next to you. You try not to drop it with your chopsticks. By the time we were done with lunch, every single one of us had broth on our pants, jackets, or hair. It was totally worth it! Charlie decided they would make excellent paint ball bullets.

Serendipitously, we discovered a man on the side of the street selling tiny turtles.  I asked in horror, "To eat?!" Sun Yu looked just as horrified and said, "No!" 

Now when given a chance to buy a turtle in Shanghai, of course you have to take it.  Charlie picked out a little grey one whom the kids named Penelope, and brought her back to the youth hostel.  Penelope loved the little fountain and fish pond in the courtyard.  Charlie put her in a Heineken ashtray for safekeeping while we went to get changed, but when we returned, Penelope was gone!  She is still on the lam today.

Next stop -- Yu Gardens, a most beautiful Chinese garden with rockeries, pools, and lovely arches and sculptures.  Even the kids were enthralled. We finished by walking to the Bund, the riverside part of Shanghai with incredibly modern buildings. Unfortunately, it was freezing cold and windy, so we caught a bus back downtown to a yellow-lantern-adorned Chinese restaurant, where we enjoyed eggplant in sauce, duck, fried yams, noodles in broth, and many more delights.

The next day after far too many delicious pastries for breakfast, we spent the day in the People's Park. This is a large, lovely park in the center of Shanghai, a true respite in a smoggy, urban city. With leisure time that only comes on vacation, we explored and played and had a ball.  We tried every piece of exercise equipment they had.  Charlie and Kerry played basketball with some Chinese guys.  We went on some carnival rides. The kids had a running race. We even saw a housing demonstration. 

After a while, it was time for what else?  More of Yang's Fried Dumplings!

Sadly, we said goodbye to Sun Yu as she headed back to Beijing.  She truly is like a sister/daughter to us, and we can't wait until our paths cross again. We've decided to formalize the adoption process.

Kerry was fighting a cold, so we opted to stay out of the wind that afternoon and watch "Unbroken." We all enjoyed it very much. The only funny thing was that the Japanese portions of the movie were subtitled in Mandarin, so we never knew what they were saying.

After Shanghai, we flew to Hong Kong where we stayed with dear friends on Discovery Bay, a lovely expat enclave a 20-minute ferry ride from downtown.  Kerry and Scott Hull were roommates in the mid-80s in DC. Scott now lives with his wife, Danielle, and adorable kids in Hong Kong. What a blessing to be in their beautiful home overlooking a resort-like beach and bay and to enjoy delicious food and friendship together.

The next day, Kerry and Sydney succumbed to the cold/cough combo while the boys and I headed off to visit Suen Douh camp, an hour north of the city. Our wonderful friend, John Bechtel, started the camp almost 50 years ago, and it is a very special, meaningful place! About 100 kids from around the area were playing games, picnicking outside, and eating Popsicles. My boys challenged them to ping pong and were thrilled to win a few games on Chinese soil. After doing the ropes course, they asked if they could attend the camp! When Charlie played karrom, a form of billiards, he came from behind to beat the camp director, a delightful man named Wingo Kong. 

Wingo and his colleague, Eric, took us to a fabulous dim sum lunch at a floating restaurant. Austin ate more than anyone, particularly any form of dumpling or pork bun they brought out. Dim sum means heart point, and they say you love it so much, it goes right to your heart. Austin's heart sure was bursting! He was our best eater in Japan and China!

Suen Douh Camp in Fanling

When we finally returned to the ship in Hong Kong, we discovered it was docked right next to the Star Ferry on the Kowloon side, an excellent and historic location in a fascinating  city. We were amazed at the money and the sheer humanity in Hong Kong. People queued up in long lines just to get into Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci. An entire floor of a mall was dedicated to designer baby clothes. (My favorite was the baby Versace store.) Three massive, gorgeous chandeliers illumined an otherwise dark black Abercrombie & Fitch. We jostled with thousands of people making our way through the streets, as neon flashed everywhere around us.

Our last day was Sunday, and we visited a wonderful English-speaking church that meets in the YMCA. 

Now we are back on board the ship for two days, then we hit 90 degrees in Vietnam and Cambodia!

P.S. We would sure appreciate your prayers for good health as we head out to sea again. We must learn to pace ourselves. We (and the rest of the ship) are fighting either the flu or a sinus infection. It's tough to travel when any of us is not 100%!  But God is able to strengthen us and restore us to health, and we are praying for that.

Singapore -- Two Days in a Beautiful, Tropical City

Singapore was a short, but surprisingly lovely stop on our trip around the world.  We arrived on Chinese New Year, during the national holiday.  I'm sure I didn't see the real Singapore because there were hardly any cars on the road, and many stores were closed.  But after the sweltering, throbbing insanity of Ho Chi Minh City, this was a welcome respite.  It felt very humane – well-manicured, well-organized, well-run.  In fact, it's so orderly, it sort of feels like a police state.  Not really.  But as you may know, they cane criminals, execute drug dealers, and fine you $500 for spitting or even chewing gum in public.  When Charlie swung like a monkey from the overhead handholds on the metro, I told him, "That's got to be illegal in Singapore.  You will surely be caned."

Speaking of swinging like a monkey, Singapore has a world-class zoo, and our favorite animals were definitely the orangutans.  Charlie agreed that if he had to be an animal, that's what he would pick.  "You have lots of friends to hang out with.  You get to play around, and you can swing from the trees," he remarked.  What's not to like?  Also at the zoo, we loved the majestic white tiger and a sleek, beautiful puma who paced back and forth in his enclosure like he was trying to figure out his escape plan.

Unlike most zoo snack bars, the Singapore one had food from five nationalities: Indian, Malay, Chinese, American, and another one I couldn't identify.  We all picked different foreign dishes and enjoyed some of the beauty of Singapore cuisine.  Everyone that is, except Austin, who stuck with a hot dog and french fries in staunch allegiance to his homeland.  What can I say?  He's a patriot.

After 5 hours of traipsing around with the animals in the heat and humidity, we headed downtown.  We visited the old Raffles hotel, an elegant vestige of the British colonial past.  Home to the famous Singapore Sling and favorite haunt of many authors including Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham, the hotel is as charming as ever and lends gravitas to an otherwise modern and flashy city.

Singapore is better known for a much newer hotel, the iconic Marina Bay Sands.  It looks like a massive surfboard perched on top of 3 huge towers at the water's edge. Rooms can go for $1500 a night, and people pay it to stay there and swim from the roof-deck infinity pool, with commanding views of the entire city.  Hundreds of students from Semester at Sea managed to get in and swim or even stay the night.  One kid told me they had 12 students crammed into one room!

The best part of our experience was meeting Bang.  He is a Singaporean couchsurfer who, though he was already hosting a couple from Wales and Virginia (of all places) found time to meet us for dinner in Chinatown and show us around the city.  Bang is a 20-year-old who is currently serving in the military (it's compulsory for males) but loves the culinary arts and hopes to work in a French restaurant.  He is very engaging and interesting, and he welcomed us so warmly, we were blown away.  He took us to a Hawker Center, which is basically street food, but in typical Singapore fashion, it is arranged by the government in orderly stalls in a large building.  Most were closed for Chinese New Year, but we found one Thai place that was absolutely incredible!  One man and two women (I think one was his wife) managed to cook about 30 different dishes in a sweltering space about 8 feet by 12 feet.   Everything was delicious, but the Pad Thai was the best we ever tasted, and we had to go back not once but twice to order more.  The fact that it cost $4 a plate didn't hurt either!

After dinner, Bang treated us to a special Singapore dessert which is like Hawaiian shave ice served over beans and jellied squares and covered with flavored syrups and finally topped with a mango puree.  It's like the best snow cone you ever tasted.  

After dessert, Bang surprised us with an amazing experience.  We walked to the Gardens by the Bay under the Marina Bay Sands hotel, and came upon these “Super Trees” -- gigantic tree-like structures about 6 stories tall.  Many say they are like the trees in the movie Avatar.  They were covered with live plants, but they were actually made of metal and lights.  We thought they were magnificent, but we had no idea what we were in for!  Just moments later, we saw the most incredible light show I’ve ever seen. The trees pulsated, flashed, glowed, twinkled, and shined to hauntingly beautiful accompanying music.  It was like a fireworks show in trees.  We lay down on a perfectly manicured lawn (of course -- it’s Singapore) and got lost in the moment.  It was truly magical.  Bang was a great tour guide, and this was the icing on the cake after 15 hours of sightseeing that day!

Our last day in Singapore took us to Sentosa Island, a large amusement park of an island just 10 minutes’ walk from our ship.  As in much of Singapore, the island was lovely, entertaining and rather artificial.  You can choose between bungee jumping, water parks, cable car rides, indoor skydiving, luge rides, dolphin petting, and a Universal Studios theme park.  We chose the beach, which seemed quite pedestrian in comparison, but the price was right, and the beach was pretty, even though we saw a steady stream tankers just offshore in the busy shipping lane.

We are now steaming toward Myanmar, and the weather is rather steamy too.  We’ll catch you on the flipside.

Vietnam and Cambodia -- too short!

Our past 5 days have been intense and wonderful. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) during the Tet, or New Year celebration, and I can't think of a better time to visit. The entire city was decorated with festive lights, flags, and yellow and orange flowers. Just as we buy Christmas trees, Vietnamese buy flowering or Mandarin orange trees in big pots to decorate their homes. I loved seeing people carrying large bushes and trees on their scooters through mind-blowing traffic.

Speaking of mind-blowing traffic, you have never lived until you've crossed the street in HCMC. It's like an extreme sport.  Imagine thousands of cars and scooters, with no traffic lights, and at each intersection, they are all barreling down on you as you try to reach the other side of the street.  The trick is never to stop moving.  As long as you are walking, the traffic will adjust and move around you in a fluid motion.  But if you panic and freeze, you're mincemeat.  It's like a choreographed dance that every Vietnamese knows, and somehow it works smoothly.  We drove about 8 hours in a two-day period throughout the country, and the driver stopped the car maybe 3 times. We only saw one accident where a motorcyclist was down.  Not surprisingly, Charlie adapted to the traffic the best, and he got so good at crossing streets, we all waited until he was ready, then followed him. 

Our first day in Vietnam was inauspicious.  We arrived around noon, each carrying a heavy backpack with all our belongings for the next six days.  We wandered around in the heat of the day, visiting markets and generally getting sweaty and irritable.  In order to get out of the sun, we visited the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, located in an old French colonial building with art deco floors and large open windows.  It was hot inside, but cooler than outside.  This museum  could only be described as pathetic.  There were a few, poorly arranged exhibits which we dutifully visited.  After a half and hour, Charlie said, "Did we pay to see this?"  I said, "Yes, $1 per person."  Sydney paused and said, "They should pay us."  

That evening we flew to Cambodia arriving into Siem Reap around 10:00 p.m.  We made the dreaded mistake of getting out of line to fill out our visa-on-arrival forms, and by the time we finally had our visas, we were basically shutting down the airport.  Fortunately, our dear friend, Linly, had arranged for a driver to pick us up and take us to our hotel, a lovely oasis called Mother Home Boutique.  They greeted us with cold, moist, lemongrass and eucalyptus scented cloths, a refreshing welcome after a long travel day.

The next morning, after a delicious breakfast of fried rice, eggs, pancakes, fresh fruit, and mashed potatoes (who knew?), our trusty driver, Mr. Chat, came with his tuk tuk to pick us up.  A tuk tuk is a motorcycle or moped attached to a tiny, covered vehicle which seats 4-5 people. We loved being in the open air and zipping along on the tuk tuk.  We loved even more where Mr. Chat took us -- the ruins of Angkor Wat.

The Angkor Wat park is a mammoth complex of temples built over a 20 km square area approximately 1300 years ago.  I didn't expect to be so overwhelmed by their grandeur and beauty.  It truly is a sight to behold.  We visited several of the temples, but there are many, many more that we missed.  Our favorite was Ta Prohm, which was left in the original condition in which it was found.  With giant tree roots slowly taking over the stone structures, it looks like something out of a movie scene.  And, in fact, it was... in Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie.   We also saw many young Buddhist monks in their bright orange robes, walking through the temples.  My favorite sight was watching them take selfies with their cell phones.

Our friend, Linly, who works with a wonderful NGO called Food for the Hungry, took us to a fabulous restaurant with traditional Cambodian dancing.  We enjoyed sticky rice cakes, stir fried meat and vegetables, spring rolls, noodle dishes, and to the children's delight, chicken wings and french fries.  Best of all, we got to hear from Linly and about 10 of her friends about life in Cambodia. After dinner, we wandered around the Night Market in Siem Reap.  The kids each bought a hammock for $3.  We realized we needed underwear for Sydney, so we asked how much that was, and a woman said, "$3."  Sydney said, "$3! I could buy a hammock for that!"  We loved Siem Reap and wished we had more time in that quaint, pretty town.

At lunch the next day, we were approached by a man who had lost both his arms when he stepped on a landmine 20 years ago.  He showed us the scars on his torso.  We were reminded of Cambodia's recent, tragic past when the Khmer Rouge Communists attacked in 1975, forcing the people out of the cities and into the countryside, where they attempted to create an "agrarian utopia." Instead, they starved, tortured, and massacred one third of their own people and destroyed much of the country, leaving painful memories that linger today.  Our tuk tuk driver lost three family members.  "I cannot speak about it, or else the tears will come," he said, as he traced lines on his face with his index fingers.  My heart broke as I realized that almost all of the people in Cambodia today who are my age or older have endured unspeakable horrors.

While eating lunch in Siem Reap, we sat next to a group of Americans who had just finished a cooking class and were enjoying the fruits of their labor.  During dessert, one guy held up his plate of sticky rice cake and announced, "I'm auctioning off my sticky rice cake, who wants it?"  Charlie perked up and said, "Mom, ask him if we can have his dessert."  I said, "Charlie, he's offering it to people at his table." He said, "I know, but they don't want it.  Just ask."  Well, you do weird things when you're on vacation, so I said, "Excuse me.  Do you have any of that sticky rice cake left over?  My son would love to try a bite."  They said, "Sure!" and began to send over plate after plate of sticky rice cake.  As we were all enjoying it, we began to talk, and they asked what we were doing in Cambodia. When I mentioned Semester at Sea, one girl said, "I went on SAS in 2006!" In fact, as she told us some stories from her time on the ship, she actually began to cry.  It was an incredible moment, and one that wouldn't have happened it I hadn't asked for their sticky rice cake.  I did tell them at the end though, "I just want you to know that this is the first time in my life that I have ever asked a stranger for food off their plate!"

After two days in Cambodia, we returned to Vietnam, where one of the most surprising events of the trip occurred.  Four years ago, we had a wonderful Vietnamese couchsurfer named Hien Vu visit us for about  three days in Arlington.  Today, Hien works for the United Nations in Nairobi, Kenya.  Well, about two weeks ago, when we were still in Hong Kong, Hien noticed on my blog that we were coming to Vietnam.  She too was flying to Vietnam to celebrate Tet with her family.  But she was going to Hanoi, a two-hour flight north of HCMC.  After a flurry of emails, Hien decided to come visit us in HCMC and spend two days seeing her country with us.  She ended up flying from Nairobi to Addis Ababa to Bangkok to Hanoi to HCMC in a two-day period!  When we reunited, it felt like a dream.  Hien is a delightful, warm, gracious person who is also incredibly smart and fascinating.  She was the best host we could ever hope for in Vietnam.

Hien's friend, Hung Vu, is an excellent tour guide who organized two days of experiences for us in Vietnam.  Hien also brought her 12-year-old nepherw, Minh, who became a great friend to my kids and introduced them to squid chips, among other things!  So, my family, Hien, Hung, and Minh set off in a cool, air-conditioned bus for the Mekong Delta -- a breezy, palm-tree laden region along the seven different branches of the Mekong River.  It felt like the Florida Keys to me.  We drove nearly four hours to get there, then took a boat on the river for about an hour at sunset to an island where we found our homestay.  Here, a family hosts people in open air, thatched roof longhouses built on stilts over large ponds, filled with jumping fish.  It was incredible.  That evening while under the palm trees, we helped the mother of the house, an elegant Vietnamese woman, roll and fry pork-filled spring rolls in rice paper.  Then she served us an incredible dinner on the porch -- fish from the Mekong River, soup with pumpkin slices in it, rice, sauteed baby kale, caramel pork in a clay pot, fresh fruit (I don't know what it was), and a light, crispy rice paper dessert.  

We were not alone.  While we ate, a large river rat scurried above our heads on the bamboo beam.  A lizard elicited screams from the kids, and the mother of the house came running.  After dinner, the boys discovered a good-sized spider which quickly darted under their mattress, giving them lots of think about when they went to bed!  We all retired early and tucked in our mosquito nets with great precision, then turned out the lights and listened to the night sounds all around us. Believe it or not, we all slept well, at least until the roosters started crowing around 2:30 a.m.!  Breakfast the next morning was fresh eggs sunny side up, French baguettes with homemade jam, and fresh apple milk fruit picked before our eyes.  The whole experience was breathtakingly unique, beautiful, and totally fun.

The Mekong Delta is famous for its floating markets.  Boats of all shapes and sizes navigate the grey, milky waters loaded with all manner of produce for sale -- watermelons, eggplants, pineapples, coconuts, cabbage -- you name it, it's sold on the river.  Old women pilot tiny wooden skiffs with fresh eggs from their homes. Whole families work and live on the boats, tossing watermelons from one boat to another. I loved watching the "passing of the melon."  And all this happens while cruising along the river -- a friendly, floating shopping mall. Truly this was one of our favorite sights.

One other cool stop on the Mekong River was a rice noodle making place. I can't exactly call it a factory.  It consisted of people working outside, burning rice chaff to fuel a fire, to cook a paste of rice and water like a crepe.  Then they dried the "crepes" on woven reeds in the sun.  These created round sheets of rice paper which could either be cut into strips to make noodles or left whole to be used as wraps for spring rolls or other dishes.  At the noodle place, they also inexplicably had many caged animals including a mina bird, guinea pigs, geckos, and my personal favorite, a chipmunk that most certainly had lost its mind and did perpetual back flips the entire time we were there.

Before returning to HCMC, we drove to the Cu Chi tunnels.  These were a series of tunnels nearly 125 miles long, dug by Communist sympathizers (Viet Cong) who lived in the South.  As we drove there, I asked Hien's 12-year-old nephew if he had ever been there.  He said, "No.  But I know they're the place where you attacked us, and we fought back."  I realized then how differently our two sides view the war.  That was confirmed when I watched the Cu Chi tunnels movie, produced during the war, which asserted:  "The Americans came in like a band of fiery devils, intent on brutally killing our innocent women and babies."  Obviously, that was not our intent, but the winners write the history books, and that's how history is being written in Vietnam today.

I think I had never fully appreciated how much the Vietnamese resented and really hated the French, who occupied their country for so long.  Once Ho Chi Minh threw off the French and their colonial power, he became their revered hero.  That he was a Communist was probably irrelevant to most people; he was like a savior to them.  Once free, they had no intention of ever being colonized again.  Therefore, it seems they viewed America coming "to protect the South from Communism" as a thinly-veiled threat to their newfound independence and sovereignty.  Hence, the passion, resolve, and resulting ingenuity they brought to the battlefield. 

Contrast their fervor with ours.  Our soldiers were being drafted (many against their will) and sent by an increasingly ambivalent government and hostile populous, into punishing and terrifying conditions in the jungle.  The labyrinthine Cu Chi tunnels -- completely hidden under the leaf-covered forest floor and filled with macabre traps to kill and maim the Americans -- only added to the terror inflicted by the Vietnamese on the U.S. soldiers.  The Americans couldn't figure out where the enemy was coming from.  As one remarked, "We were being shot at by Viet Cong from everywhere, but we never saw them."  These Communist sympathizers were men, women, and children fighting without uniforms in the jungles. It's no wonder the American troops faced horrible choices in conducting the war.  

After spending time at Cu Chi and in the war museum in HCMC, I was overwhelmed and saddened.  The war --  which I believe was fought with good intentions by our government, and most certainly by the vast majority of our brave and faithful soldiers -- incurred great costs on both sides.  Our guide, Hung, lived in Hanoi during the war, and he told us of seeing U.S. planes flying overhead and running for cover.  He had to evacuate the city when he was nine years old, living away from his parents in the countryside for a year.  Sharing the American perspective, Kerry told how his uncle was shot and killed in Vietnam, leaving behind two boys and his widow.  Even our small group of Americans and Vietnamese had personal painful stories from the war.

Ultimately, we all know the Vietnam War failed to prevent Communism from spreading to the South.  The North took over the entire country; Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City; and today the hammer and sickle flag of the Communist Party flies everywhere.  Of course, the museums leave out any discussion of the brutal treatment the North Vietnamese inflicted on the South after the U.S. pulled out.  Many nationals tried to leave the country, but only a small percentage made it. Those who allied with the South during the war were punished, imprisoned, and many executed. 

Obviously we can debate forever whether it made sense to enter this war, but there is no denying the horrific human cost on both sides.  The pain is still there, but the country seems to be on the move now.  Kerry noted that Vietnam seems about 15 years behind China in its move to a market economy. 

Overall, I didn't get enough of Vietnam and Cambodia.  I already want to come back.  These are two beautiful countries, filled with warm people who welcomed us heartily.  We only needed more time to explore and enjoy such special places.  Next time!

PS. We are feeling better! Thank you for the prayers.

Japan -- Land of the ...

Sydney's Drawing of Osaka Castle, rebuilt by the Tokugawa Shogunate 

Our time in Japan is wrapping up, and I must say it's been wonderful. I expected Japan to be one huge, high tech, urban metropolis.  How wrong I was! It is mainly a beautiful, verdant country with mountains and rivers, punctuated by efficient, accessible cities filled with quiet, orderly, ultra-clean people. Ok, enough of gross generalizations. 

6 days ago we began in Hiroshima, opting to skip Tokyo altogether. Our crew isn't into shopping or clubbing, so instead we took a 4.5 hour train ride west to the coast.  On the way, Mt. Fuji rose majestically, a perfectly symmetrical mammoth covered in snow. We were awestruck. Interestingly, not one Japanese person even looked out the window.

Hiroshima greeted us with cold rain which seemed fitting for such a place. As if the skies were still crying for the tragedy they witnessed. Hiroshima feels like a small town. With its quaint and inviting canals, you'd never guess what happened there, except for the bombed out, charred remains of the atom bomb dome building which still stands in ruins. I'll let Sydney's post describe Hiroshima in greater detail. She summed it up much better than I ever could.

We loved our visit to Miyajima, a precious little island with a gate that appears to be floating in the water. Deer are considered holy, so they roam freely there. We even saw one push an automatic door opener button with his nose!  Miyajima is famous for litte fresh waffle-type cakes filled with maple bean curd. They're actually quite tasty, especially when hot and crispy.

Kyoto is a big city, but it too has aspects that make it feel like a small town.  Old one-story houses with curved Japanese roofs are nestled close together. We loved the Nishiki Market, a covered shopping area with hundreds of food stalls with fresh fish, fruit, nuts, bean curd desserts, rice, chestnuts, and other treats. We sampled liberally! After some temple visits in the snow, we ran into great friends from the ship and enjoyed a fun dinner sitting on mats at the floor.

Finally, we trekked through the cold rain to a beautiful suburb of Kyoto called Arashiyama. It feels like a little ski town. My mission was for us to walk through a bamboo forest, then experience Japanese public baths, called onsen. The  bamboo forest in the freezing cold rain didn't exactly thrill my crew, and when we arrived at the onsen an hour before it opened, I thought I had a mutiny on my hands. Fortunately, we found a tiny cafe and ordered miso soup and rice to keep us going. Kerry ordered porridge with lizard, according to the waitress, but sadly, we didn't detect any lizard in the dish. 

The public baths were an experience to say the least. They are a big deal in Japan. Fortunately, they separate men and women. Then you get nekkie and bathe yourself on this little wooden stool before hopping in the baths, which are large hot tub-like pools filled with natural spring water. Some are inside, others are outside, lined with big stones with views of the mountains in the distance. You sit in silence trying not to stare at the other naked people. It's very relaxing.

Here are Austin's thoughts on the baths.

M: Austin, how was the bath?

A: It was awesome. But when we got in the first pool, everyone else moved to the second pool. When we moved to the second pool, everyone else moved to the third pool. When we moved to the third pool, everyone else moved to the first pool.

M: Why do you think people kept moving away from you?

A: Maybe because we were loud. And I also kind of broke the rule about no swimming. I sort of glided from one side of the pool to the other.

M: Charlie, did you glide too?

C: I glided.

A: Overall, it was fun but awkward. 

And then there was the monkey park. About a hundred snow monkeys with red faces and behinds roam freely on this mountain top. It's a crazy place, and I was both enthralled and terrified at the same time. You can't make eye contact with the monkeys, or they go nuts. Really. I did it. I also saw a wild monkey fight between a demon baby monkey and a bigger one. Don't mess with those guys.

No discussion of Japan would be complete without mention of the toilets.  They may be our biggest takeaway from Japan. Imagine toasty warm seats inviting you to stay a while. The sound of a forest stream bubbles and gurgles by, to remind you of a mountain hike or to prime the pump, so to speak. After relieving yourself, a jet of warm water sprays at your hind quarters. Some toilets even have a hot air dryer to finish you off. When you're done, a sink on top of the toilet washes your hands and fills the bowl for the next person. Japan, you are a clean country filled with clean people. Forget that land of the rising sun business. We've got a new slogan for you.  Japan: Land of the Clean Heinies. 

Sushi with the boys

Miyajima island 

Arashiyama bamboo forest 

Snow monkeys near Kyoto 

Crane in Kyoto