Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

Reports about cruises on Arcadia
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Dennis The Menace
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#101

Post by Dennis The Menace »

Morning all. Another update from Sue Kersh, enjoy 😀 :

Hi all,

Doubt I will get Wi Fi now for a few days. Tomorrow I am on the Great Barrier Reef and then Papau New Guinea.

Thursday 23 February - 1st sea Day to Yorky's kn*b

My shoulder was still giving me pain so I decided I would book the Hydropool package hoping the needle jets of water would ease the pain.
The difference between booking just this sector or the rest of the cruise was minimal.

The day was overcast but very hot and during the morning the sun won the battle against the cloud and it was an extremely hot day.

Another two new Speakers today - Joe McGann, the eldest of the four famous actor brothers, and best known for his role in the 90's sitcom ' The Upper Hand'. Then in the afternoon Jess Sinnot talking about Australian Aboriginal people and their Bush foods and Medicines.

Trevor Glass the Head Chef is determined that we will all gain weight this cruise. Another plate of chocolates and fudge arrived with his compliments.

I spoke to tours department regarding our disappointment with the venue and meal on our Blue Mountain excursion. They were very understanding and explained that the hotel they had booked had let them down at the last minute. They sent us a bottle of wine as a good will gesture and I am happy with that.

First Formal Night of this sector and the entertainment is James Freedman who is a pickpocket. Something different but not really formal night entertainment.

We were spoilt tonight with 2 different dance sessions. The early evening one was not as well attended and I think that a lot of dancers have disembarked. We went up for a drink in East bar before the formal night Ball.

Another relaxing sea day tomorrow.

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GillD46
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#102

Post by GillD46 »

Enjoy the Barrier Reef and no doubt lots of snorkelling.
Gill

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Happydays
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#103

Post by Happydays »

I'm enjoying your reports very much:)
I think I must be in the cabin next to you, as you make it feel as if I'm experiencing myself!!

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qbman1
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#104

Post by qbman1 »

You must be down the corridor a little as you wouldn't be able to sleep if you were next door with all that booze being consumed in SueK's place !

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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#105

Post by Dennis The Menace »

Morning all. More updates from Sue Kershaw's World Cruise on Arcadia 😀 :

Friday 24 February 2017 - Last sea Day to Yorky's kn*b

Another very hot and humid sea day. I love this weather. My shoulder is on the mend but I am not returning to the exercise classes until after the Barrier Reef snorkel. I went to the spa to use the Hydropool to blitz my shoulder under the needle jets then after only half an hour headed back to the balcony and the sun. I stopped en route to pick up some fresh fruit for breakfast.

A very extremely relaxing early morning. The colour of the water is now a turquoise blue and I am itching to get into it.

We had a meet up of old friends and new ones who had joined in Sydney. Another great crowd on board and a mixture of Aussies and Brits. We learnt some good info at the meet about some of the ports we are visiting.

Lunch as per usual on a sea day was on our balcony with a bottle of Sauv Blanc. We need to treasure these hot sea days as, after Alatoa, the six days to Japan will gradually get very cold before warming up again after Hong Kong.

At 3 p.m. The Headliners performed an afternoon show of Blame it on the Boogie. As it clashed with the Spanish Class I gave this a miss. It is the first cruise I have known them to do afternoon shows.

As a little extra for the Ligurian members of the Peninsular Club a Cocktail Party was held in the Globe. 115 of us. The Captain was there and plenty of officers. We couldn't get any info out of the loyalty team regarding the new brochures being released next month other than there are some new and exciting itineraries. I think I will invite her round and see if a few drinks will loosen her lips. It was a great evening and our officer friends ensured our glasses were never empty.

We missed the show because of chatting but as it was the second show for the comedian we weren't that bothered.

Tomorrow will be one of the highlights of the cruise for both of us.
I am going to the Barrier Reef, something I have dreamed of for so long and Garry is going on the Kuranda Railway.

Sat 25 February 2017- Yorky's kn*b

The day started bright, sunny and hot. A fairly long tender into Yorky's kn*b but the town had provided larger catamarans to help out.

My trip to the Barrier Reef didn't need a tender as we were collected from the ships pontoon onto the largest catamaran I have ever seen. There were 340 of us and still loads of spare seats.

The first deck had comfy padded seating with tables in between, a bar which sold drinks, ice cream and snacks along with suncream and sea sickness remedies, the galley was behind the bar and the very good wash room facilities were in the bowels of the ship below water level.

The 2nd deck was similar but had doors leading out to an open sided deck with plastic seating and a roof to protect from the sun and rain.

The 3 rd deck was half completely open to the weather with doors leading forward to another covered comfy seated area with a TV screen showing the reef.

We could all move around freely as there was plenty of room in all areas.

It took about 90 minutes to get to the pontoon which together with the boat would be our home for the day. This consisted of trestle tables under cover, an area where Stinger suits and fins were handed out, then outside were the snorkels, masks and safety vests.

It was easy to get into the water as there were bench seats in the water to sit on to put our fins and mask on then another level led into the water.

It was an unbelievable sight to see all the beautiful coral and the thousands of differently coloured fish of all shapes and sizes. The clams were huge and one in particular must have been over 4 ft long. I was pleased that I had opted to accept the stinger suit as the jelly fish were humongous. I was just in 7th heaven and couldn't believe I was actually snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. I had dreamt of this for so long and it was actually happening. Snorkelling in the Caribbean will never be the same again after this experience.

The weather started off really good but deteriorated at around 11 a.m. when the heavens opened. It didn't spoil the snorkelling but anyone wanting to sunbathe was disappointed.

It was a well organised day with inclusive trips available on a semi sub and glass bottomed boats for those that didn't want to get in the water or had snorkelled for a while then got changed.

A guided snorkel, seawalker helmet dive and scuba diving was also available as were helicopter rides all at a price of course.

I just wanted to spend as much time as possible snorkelling on the reef. I took many photographs and can't believe how well the coral looked. The reef certainly didn't show any signs of erosion where we were.

Lunch was served at around 11:30 and finished for 1 p.m. It consisted of different curries, rice, salad, huge King Prawns , different meats and fresh fruit. Cheese and biscuits and coffee or tea was served later.

The weather continued to be mixed for the rest of the day with bright sunny spells followed by torrential rain. It was very hot and humid and the best place to be was in the water. Close to the pontoon was a huge fish called Walter. He was very friendly and appeared to enjoy being touched and held for photographs. They must feed him at the pontoon because he stayed all day. He must be the most photographed fish on the reef.

The finale of the day was the feeding of the fish. I am now convinced that fish have memories as just before feeding time hundreds of them arrived at the viewing windows including baby sharks which I hadn't seen all the time I was in the water. Once the food was thrown in there was of frenzy of fish thrashing around and jumping up out of the water to get to the food.

All too soon the head count began and we were soon on our way back to Arcadia. I just wanted to rewind and do it all over again.

Garry did the Kuranda Scenic Railway trip and thoroughly enjoyed it except for the guide who decided to stop off at a pie shop which wasn't on the itinerary but which took at least 20 minutes out of their visit to the rainforest, and meant that they missed the guided tour of the animals at the rainforest wildlife park. There was a tour in a world war 2 vintage army duck where they had a guided tour of the plants of the rainforest, including the most lethal plant in the world aptly named The Stinging Tree which can cause severe paralysis and even kill.

The coach driver couldn't drop off passengers in Cairns so they had to go back to the tender dock and then catch the shuttle into Cairns. The good news is that it was worth while as he came back loaded down with Schweppes tonic water.

After the long day we decided to skip dinner in the MDR and just showered and then sat on the balcony with room service and a bottle of very inexpensive Rosé Wine which we had purchased in Aldi at Manley. It was surprisingly very good and I wished we had bought more.

Tomorrow we have a relaxing sea day and another Around the World Coffee Morning to attend.

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GillD46
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#106

Post by GillD46 »

Oh Sue that sounds such a wonderful day. We are planning on doing the World, or most of it, in 2020 and the Barrier Reef will of course be the highlight.

Was the water extremely deep at the pontoon? I am a very weak swimmer - can only do a couple of lengths - but can snorkel well in a life vest and fins. But I do panic if I think the water is very deep. But I am desperate to do this trip.
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Suekersh
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#107

Post by Suekersh »

Hi Gill,
Yes the water is quite deep but the life vests are very secure not the usual blow up ones. The guides are extremely good and will help if needed. X

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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#108

Post by GillD46 »

Thanks Sue, hopefully I'll be ok. Guess I can it a go and do the other activities if I find it too scary.
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qbman1
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#109

Post by qbman1 »

You could always take me along as a minder, Gill !!

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GillD46
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#110

Post by GillD46 »

qbman1 wrote: 27 Feb 2017, 13:22
You could always take me along as a minder, Gill !!
Well, I'm game, but I'm not sure what my husband would say :lol:
Gill

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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#111

Post by qbman1 »

I'm sure my wife could keep him amused !!

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wolfie
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#112

Post by wolfie »

That brought back great memories. I did the Barrier Reef snorkel whilst OH went on the Kuranda railway tour. The stinger suits are Soooooooooo glamorous!!! :lol:

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qbman1
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#113

Post by qbman1 »

I confess I had never heard of a Stinger Suit before so I had to look it up....

I see what you mean !!
untitled.png

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barney
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#114

Post by barney »

As an ex-scuba diver, I'd love to dive the Barrier Reef
Having said that, snorkelling would do. :thumbup:
Empty vessels .. and all that

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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#115

Post by Dennis The Menace »

qbman1 wrote: 28 Feb 2017, 09:52
I confess I had never heard of a Stinger Suit before so I had to look it up....

I see what you mean !!

untitled.png
Wow, they look a little "unforgiving" :!: Especially half way through a world cruise :lol:

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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#116

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Sunday 26 February 2017 - Sea day to Alotau PNG

Hot hot hot as we sail towards the equator. Another great drying day for the laundry which my butler did whilst I was eating scrambled egg and smoked salmon for breakfast. Well it is Sunday.

Next on the agenda was an hour in the spa before the Round the World Coffee Morning. I had taken my iPad with photos of the Great Barrier Reef down for a friend to look at. Many of the waiters and officers that we knew crowded round our table to look at the photos.

By the time we got back to the cabin the sun was on the balcony and it
was exceptionally hot with the temperature into the high 30's C as we are now at 12 degrees latitude and will get hotter still as we near the equator. It is Tropical though and the rainy season so there was some liquid sunshine to cool things off.

An expert on Papua New Guinea boarded yesterday and was giving a talk about it today. Joe McGann is still on board discussing his acting career and that of his siblings, as is Jess Sinnot who has moved on to discuss Aboriginal people today and how their lifestyle differs to their ancestors.

Formal night tonight but the heat deterred many from participating and the dining room was very quiet. Our waiters had only 11 passengers to wait on and their colleagues at the adjoining work station even less. The wine waiter was very attentive as he also had very few customers.

Unusually for us we went into the theatre to see Vernon Lewis the Soul and Motown singer. The theatre was nowhere near full and his performance did appear to be lacking something.

The BlackTie Ball was well attended but not as busy as in previous sectors of the cruise. We had a great night and got plenty of dancing.

Tomorrow we dock in Alotau.

Monday 27 February 2017 Alotau - Papau New Guinea

A long sail-in past mountains covered in foliage. There has got to be a lot of tropical rain here for it to be so green in the intense heat. New Guinea is the worlds second largest island with an area of 821,400 sq km. and it is ruled by the British Monarch with a Governor General.

The sun was shining and already it was 30 degrees and forecast to get hotter. We docked right next to a little shanty village. Rough houses made of anything that they could find. So very poor but the children were so happy playing at the seas edge with their sticks and floating anything they could find. They waved and shouted to draw our attention to them. Some of the older ones got in their outrigger canoes to show us their prowess. We had so much chocolate and biscuits that we could have given them but we were not allowed to take any foodstuff off the ship.

Our tour left at 9:30 and we drove past the Milne Bay Area. Ramshackle, Hot and Dusty is the only way I can describe it.

Our bus continued with only the windows for air conditioning it was like being in a hot fan oven. It took about 15 minutes to arrive at the festival ground for the Cultural Festival. The ship had organised tours here every half hour and pax could stay as long as they wished and then get any bus back to ship. This was very well organised.

Stalls selling crafts and clothes, jewellery and souvenirs as well as numerous dance troupes from around the area. These went on stage in turn and were repeated throughout the morning so that everyone got chance to see all of them. They were all different with tradional costumes and the troupes included children as well.

I had a sail in one of the large war canoes which was very unstable but at least I didn't end up in the water. Garry was videoing it hoping that I would.
We wandered around the stalls bartering for some local crafts but were not tempted to try the food. Lots of flies and bugs around and we were glad we had sprayed ourselves with Deet. The locals were dressed up as warriors or in traditional dress with children and were happy for their photo to be taken. We had been warned that there may be some nudity but other than a few bare boobs I didn't notice any.

Once back on ship we ate a late lunch with a bottle of wine and watched the local children playing in the waves with a small homemade surf board. It was just a piece of plastic but did the job. We noticed a storm gathering and the wind got up. The children seemed to be so young to be in the water alone but no doubt someone was sitting in the shade watching over them.

There was a sailaway on deck which we enjoyed from the balcony and lots of youngsters waving us goodbye. I do hope that the town got a good amount of income from the ship as they are desperately in need of it.

A diva in the theatre and Tropical party on deck. It was still hot and humid late into the night.

We now have 6 sea days before we reach Japan. Hopefully at least 4 of them will be hot.

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qbman1
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#117

Post by qbman1 »

Wow - quite an experience. There was recently a 2-part documentary on the telly box "back home" where Frank Gardner visited PNG on a quest to see birds of paradise and his experiences of the people really reinforce what you say.

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gilly88
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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#118

Post by gilly88 »

what an experience. :clap: :clap:
regards gilly.

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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#119

Post by GillD46 »

Sounds quite an experience and a shame about the customs restrictions. Enjoy your lovely sea days now.
Gill

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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#120

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Tuesday 28 February 2017 1st of 6 Sea Days to Japan

Another exceptionally hot day with some cloud cover. It was extremely windy on deck so we were lucky to be sheltered from it.

A couple events were planned out on the deck. A Fruit and vegetable carving demonstration where the onboard carver demonstrated his expertise at turning fruit and vegetables into works of art in the blink of an eye.
As it was Shrove Tuesday there was a pancake tossing competition although they called it flipping rather than tossing.

I enjoyed the relaxing sea day reading in the sun after so many busy port days, only leaving the balcony to attend the Improvers Spanish class where we are still conjugating verbs.

We had booked Ocean Grill for dinner where once again we enjoyed perfectly cooked food and excellent service. It was very busy in there and once again it was Music Night with Chris Shaw providing the entertainment.

Wednesday 1 March 2017 - 2nd sea Day to Japan

St Davids day for the Welsh passengers and a few things on the program to mark this day.

A hot and humid cloudy day but after the early morning exercise class (where I tested my much improved shoulder out for the first time), and then a session in the spa, the sun had broken through. It lasted until about 11 a.m, when the heavens opened and the torrential rain started. We thought it would pass but it continued for a couple of hours.

There was a deck BBQ which fortuitously was bring held in the Neptune Pool which has a roof which can be closed when necessary. We opted for the main dining room for lunch as it was still raining and the balcony was drenched.

The rain stopped in time for the deck party. The ship crossed the equator at 2 p.m. with the officer on the bridge doing the count down.

Captain Cook was on the Aquarius deck overseeing the Officers versus the Pirates games. If the pirates won then we would have had to turn around and go back to Australia. If the Officers won then King Neptune would allow us to continue our journey to the Northern Hemisphere. Lots of skullduggery and cheating by the pirates (made up of the Headliners and one of the loyalty managers) and it was a close run competition, but the Officers won the day and we are now on our way back home.

We returned to the cabin and as the sun was back on the balcony I spent the rest of the afternoon there.

The main evening entertainment was a magician in the theatre followed by dancing to the orchestra in the Globe.

This was our first alcohol free day for a week.

Thursday 2 March 2017 3rd sea Day to Japan

Another hot sea day with some cloud cover. The wind had increased to a force 7 but once again our balcony was sheltered from it.

After the early morning exercise class I did nothing all day except relax and read in the sun. We had room service lunch and a bottle of wine.

Joe McGann is still on board, as are the husband and wife speakers who talk about their life in Papua New Guinea, and also Stephen Morphew who is an expert in everything Japanese.

There was a party on deck called the Grand Voyage Sail Along which I listened to whilst sitting out on the balcony.

The evening entertainment was a 'Stars in their eyes ' winner Gary Ryan as Neil Diamond. He was probably the best entertainer we have had on board since San Francisco.

Friday 3 March 2017 - 4th sea Day to Japan

The forecast was for the temperature to reduce to 20 degrees today but we woke to the same hot and humid weather as yesterday. More cloud cover today and even after our usual morning routine there was little sign of the sun breaking through. The rain started mid morning. It lasted until lunchtime so we considered our options.

There was a pasta lunch being served on deck in the covered pool area.
The buffet or the main dining room.
We opted for the MDR but when we looked at the menu there was only a cottage cheese salad that took my eye and as they had run out of cottage cheese on board we went back to the cabin and ordered our usual room service. Luckily it had stopped raining and was pleasant enough to eat outside. Although there was no sun the temperature was still high at 28 degrees.

I went to the Spanish class as the weather hadn't improved. Whilst there other passengers were discussing the Hong Kong Immigration forms which have to be handed in completed tomorrow. As we had not even received ours there had obviously been a breakdown of the delivery system. Our cabin steward is unwell and has been off duty for a few days which may explain it. After a phone call to reception this was resolved and we noticed that all of B deck aft had the forms placed in their mail slot. We had another piece of important mail missing as we should have had an invite to the Ligurian special event being held in Singapore. RSVP by tomorrow and it still hadn't arrived. The loyalty managers were informed and confirmed that we should have received it. Hopefully our cabin steward will be well enough to come back soon as we really miss him.

Formal Night and another Marco menu which was excellent, although the restaurant was less than 2/3 rds full. This should change after Hong Kong when our Australian passengers leave. According to friends who are still on freedom dining the queuing is getting even worse than on the first sector. We will be sticking to our club dining for the rest of the cruise.

The Headliners show was Breakdown Blues which we have seen so many times that we went to East bar for a quiet cocktail before finishing the night in the Globe for the Formal Ball.

When we returned to the cabin the forms had arrived for the Ligurian event being held in Singapore. The event is an afternoon one at the Marine Sands Hotel. Luckily we had booked a morning trip in Singapore and will be back on ship for 12:30 giving us enough time to get ready for the 2 p.m. meet up time. Not sure what the other Ligurian passengers will do if they have a full day trip booked. In previous years this has been an evening event, although we prefer the timings of this one and the 360 degrees views from the hotel will be stunning as long as it isn't smoggy.

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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#121

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The Marina Bay Sands is wonderful and the views from the viewing deck absolutely superb.
Gill

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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#122

Post by wolfie »

The evening entertainment was a 'Stars in their eyes ' winner Gary Ryan as Neil Diamond. He was probably the best entertainer we have had on board since San Francisco.


I agree, even though I am most definitely NOT a Neil Diamond fan, he was one of the best tribute acts that we have seen on board.

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Saturday 4 March 2017- 5th Sea Day to Japan

The forecast was for cloud, showers and 16 degrees. Instead it was 25 degrees, hot & sunny which was totally unexpected.

I went to the morning exercise class, then breakfast whilst Garry went to the laundry as it was a good opportunity to line dry everything. I spent the rest of the morning reading in the sun.

We had another invite to an exclusive lunch in Sindhu. Another beautifully presented buffet with both hot and cold food including Lobster and King Prawns and a stunning desert display.

Feeling completely stuffed and after a glass of wine I decided against going to the Spanish Class and instead returned to the sun and my book. I must have dozed off and awoke when the threatening clouds appeared. It was still very humid.

It was the Round the World Cocktail party and we opted to go to the later party. The drinks flowed well especially as we were with officers from the food and beverage department. The waiters kept bringing more even when we hadn't finished what we had. They just kept lining them up. It was only a magician in the theatre so we had already decided that we weren't going in there.

Tomorrow is the final sea day before we reach Japan.

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Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#124

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Sunday 5 March 2017 - Final Sea Day to Japan

Once again the weather was far better than forecast and it was another sunny morning. Cooler than previous days but I was still in swim wear and we ate lunch on the balcony.

I tried on the jeans that I had travelled to Southampton in nearly 10 weeks ago and although I squeezed myself into them I knew I wouldn't be comfortable wearing them all day. The big suitcase came out and I reluctantly swapped my jeans for the larger size. ☹️ in readiness for tomorrow's port of Kochi.

I begrudgingly tore myself away from the sun to attend the Spanish class but as I had been in it for 6 hours I had probably had enough by then.

Formal Black & White night with the Headliners performing Reel to Reel, the orchestra playing Big Band Sounds in the Crows Nest and the Black & White Ball in the Globe.

The Clocks go back an hour during the night ready for our arrival in Kochi - Japan. We will then be 9 hours in front of UK time.

Monday 6 March 2017 - Kochi, Japan

A much cooler morning and overcast but sun was forecast for the afternoon. The view in the distance was stunning. Different mountain ranges both near and far. The nearer view was not pretty as it was a commercial working port. Kochi is situated on the Shikoku Island of Japan.

We had to have a face to face with immigration officials and our index finger prints taken. It was very well organised as we expected from the Japanese. On departing the ship we then had to walk on mats soaked in a solution to prevent Foot and Mouth disease. Apparently it is rife in Alotau which was our last port of call.

Our first part of our four part tour was to see the Chikurin Ji Temple. The route there was not for the faint hearted. The roads were narrow and with hair pin bends with a sheer drop at one side. Our young guide Yoku tried to keep our attention by giving us lots of info about the tour. She had some success but it was difficult to ignore the winding roads. Hero our driver was very competent and I felt we were in safe hands.
There were many cemeteries all along the route both up on the hills and below the roadside. Yoku explained that although the dead were cremated their ashes were placed in family tombs or shrines.

This temple is number 31 of 88 on the Shikoku temple pilgrimage route. We saw a Pilgrim making his way up the many steps to reach the beautiful Five storey Pagoda style Buddhist Temple. Unusually it also had a shrine for the indiginous religion Shinto in its gardens. There were many different elaborate shrines dotted around the grounds and huge bells with ropes to toll them. The many steps to reach the Temple were stone and uneven. Some passengers decided not to tackle them and stayed on the lower levels.

Our next stop was in the town centre at the Hirome Market. Lots of food stalls with tables in the centre. We just chose our food from different stalls and sat at the bench tables. It was full of locals and I went to the stall with the longest queue of locals and opted for the local delicacy which is Katsau tataki which is a fabulous dish of seared tuna. It is barely cooked at all and served with soya sauce. It is also known as Bonita. It came with a bowl of soup and a bowl of rice with wasabi sauce. I washed it down with a local beer. .After lunch we wandered around the many stalls and picked up another local delicacy snack which is sweet potato chips sold in bags like crisps.

The third stop on the itinerary was Kochi Castle which is located very close to the Hirome market. The gardens were immaculate with beautiful fruit trees in early blossom. By this time the sun was high and we were removing layers of clothing. There were many many steps to climb up or a walk round and round a steep slope. The castle was located on a high hill and the many steps were definitely worth the climb. We had to take our shoes off before we entered the castle and then once again, other than the ground floor, there were many more steep polished wooden steps to climb to get to the top for the spectacular views of the town and surrounding area. Only a small percentage of passengers made it to the top with many deciding to look at it from ground level and others trying but giving up part way. It wasn't an easy climb especially in socks but the views once again made it worthwhile.

Our final stop was Katsurahama Beach. This sandy crescent shaped beach is a favourite for the locals even though swimming is prohibited due to the powerful currents of the Pacific Ocean. The statue of Kochi's favourite son, Sakamoto Ryoma who was one of the well known architects of modern Japan is located here. Once again many steps to climb to see it. Lots of well maintained gardens to walk around as well as the usual touristy shops. The whole area was meticulously maintained, no litter, no graffiti to be seen anywhere and some decent free Wi Fi.

The journey back to the ship was along the sea front where once again the cemeteries were situated on the sea front. Yoku explained that these cemeteries with a sea view were the most expensive. In other countries they would have built high rise apartments and hotels overlooking the sea but not in Japan.

We arrived back at the ship completely exhausted but I had thoroughly enjoyed my first taste of Japan.

Tomorrow we sail further North to the Port of Osaka.

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gilly88
Second Officer
Second Officer
Posts: 271
Joined: January 2013

Re: Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

#125

Post by gilly88 »

sounds really interesting, the Japanese are so respectful of authority if we had a beach that was forbidden you can bet that someone would be in there having to be rescued. :lol: :lol:
regards gilly.

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