Honduras & Home

HONDURAS:

The last port on the itinerary, after traversing the Panama Canal, has been up in the air for quite a while. Originally, the final destination was Cuba, but unfortunately, some of the passengers were not cleared so the entire ship had to reroute. The second plan was to go to Guatemala, but was cancelled because of safety concerns. Finally, Honduras was settled on, and specifically, the island off of the mainland called Roatan.

With only two days and one night to spend on Roatan, the overall feeling was to not plan much and concentrate on spending time with the friends we have made. I got off the ship with seven others and we made our way to West Bay, an area of the island that is known for nice hotels, beautiful beaches, shopping, and bars. We immediately booked a villa at Infiniti Resort & Spa (one room with one bed and a pull out couch for eight people was standard by now). After changing and relaxing for a little while in the villa, we went to the beach and found that almost everyone else had had the same idea. The entirety of Semester at Sea had apparently chosen the same stretch of beach to inhabit and we were clearly taking over. I even ended up having a beer with my International Management teacher. There was a huge infinity pool (hence, the name of the hotel) with a swim up bar that dropped off only a few yards away from the clear blue ocean. It was perfect and exactly what we wanted. The beach was lined with hotels that different friend groups were staying in so we spent the day swimming in the ocean and pool and going bar to bar at all of the hotels. It poured the entire day so there wasn’t an instant that we weren’t sopping wet. Since we were in the water most of the time anyways, it didn’t matter much, but it probably would have been a very different day if the weather had been nice. I met a woman from Utah who had recently moved to Roatan who was currently bottle nursing a baby monkey. His name was Little Man and I was infatuated with the little thing. She was very protective but we were all holding him by the end of the day. Afterwards, we showered and got ready in the room before heading to dinner on the West End. We went to a Mexican restaurant and had incredible nachos and fajitas. The streets on West End were under construction and very tough to get to. Everyone kept telling us how different West End was because of this but we ended up finding a section that was a little better off and that had a few bars and clubs. We stayed out for most of the night and then came back to the hotel. Our room ended up being a melting pot of incredibly random characters that were not originally staying there- it was filled to the rim with bodies. The balcony was our self-made drunk tank and a random dog (who was in fact the hotel managers’) ended up cuddling up next to our friend Mike for the whole night. Some of us stayed up and laughed until it was 7am and the villa next to us was cooking breakfast. It was the perfect last night in port.

The next day was pretty slow moving because of the night before. After a solid two hours of sleep, we walked into town in the pouring rain to get some breakfast and souvenirs. We walked back, cleaned up the room, and hung out at the hotel bar for the rest of the day, joking around with the bartenders that had strangely become close friends in the past 24 hours. We caught a cab back to the ship about three hours before we needed to be back, which was perfect because right outside of the ship was a restaurant filled with SASers. There were hundreds of us and we ended up taking over- the best last hurrah I’ve ever seen. It was 4 pm in a Mexican restaurant but there were college students dancing on tables, singing, and yelling more than I had ever seen at any frat party.

HOME:

Landing in Port Lauderdale was extremely bittersweet. I was glad to be home and feel settled for the first time in almost four months but it was also hard to say goodbye to the people and the experience as a whole. My mom and Homie met me in Florida, which was great, and we spent a day and a half there before catching a flight to California. Most of my close friends on the ship left immediately that day or headed straight to Miami to go out that night so I didn’t see many once getting off the ship. We did have dinner with Colleen and her dad, which was extremely entertaining because he is the male form of her and funny as ever.

Some people were and are still worried about readjusting after the time that we just spent. Some friends were dreading returning home because, honestly, it was the time of our lives and home, as pretentious as it sounds, is relatively quite boring. I’m okay with coming home because as much as I love travelling and as much as I loved SAS, I’m ready to feel settled again. I’ve been in Newport for a little over a week now, visiting friends and family, and preparing for Christmas. I’m ready to get back to school but enjoying the down time. I’m currently planning two trips for next quarter- one to Denver and one to UCLA to visit friends (from SAS and from before), but the most exciting update is that I’ve been researching and applying for internships this summer. The locations that I’ve narrowed in on are Sydney, Dublin, and London. Looks like the travel bug isn’t as easy to shake as Dengue! Stay tuned!

Costa Rica

I have been to Costa Rica many times before with my dad so I knew what to expect when it came to country basics. We didn’t have many plans but I was definitely up for just relaxing and enjoying solid land after 18 days at sea with only a one-day stop in Hawaii. This was our longest stretch of sea and, as fun as the MV Explorer may be, I will never take firm ground for granted. I expected to just relax and hang out at the beach for the two days in Costa Rica. On past vacations to Costa Rica, it’s what I’ve enjoyed most – but from reading past blogs, you know better than to believe that’s what happened, right?

Day 1:
A big group of us got off the ship right away and headed to Parque Aventura, a massive place that houses all sorts of ziplines, ATV sites, and bungee jumps. We ziplined for a few hours and it was AMAZING. I kind of thought that we would only be flying for a few minutes and that there would be a lot of waiting, as there is whenever plans are made in big groups. However, we started as soon as we got there and spent two hours going from line to line, eight in total. I have grown to hate heights and was a screamer on a lot of them, but after watching 6-year-olds do it, the pride began to surpass fear. One of the ziplines that we did was one of the longest in Costa Rica, 550 meters. This one was my favorite because it flew you between draping trees and over water. The whole area was gorgeous and a perfect scene to start off our Costa Rican experience. Forests, rivers and dusty trails all backed up into each other with the ocean in the background. All of the guides were a little older than us and were clearly excited to be working with a huge group of college kids. They were hilarious and gave us a ride back in the back of their pick up trucks afterwards.

We immediately caught a cab from the ship to Hotel Club Del Mar in Hermosa Beach, right outside of Jaco. This hotel had a bunch of separate villas and a friend of mine had organized seven, with ten people in each. Seventy college students, all relatively immature, stupid, and fun-crazy, plus a constant influx of visiting friends, on a beach in Costa Rica after being stranded on a ship for weeks was potentially a very bad idea. Instead, everything went relatively smoothly and it turned out to be perfect. The hotel owner came in because he heard about the situation and talked to some of the guys for a while. He isolated our villas so that there wouldn’t be noise complaints from other guests and told us to party as hard as we wanted- that the maids were good at making it look like we were never there. We dropped off our stuff and took a cab to a beach about ten minutes away that was hosting the country’s annual surf competition. It was very fun to see their version of our US Open, so we walked around all the vendors for a while before walking down the beach farther to join the rest of the group. We had again taken over this area- people were sprawled everywhere with rented surfboards, booze bottles, and bags of chips. We had somehow picked up two dogs, asleep amongst the madness, and a 14-year-old local who had joined the crew. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach, swimming in the warm water and watching people surf. Towards the end of the day, I was swept out by a rip tide before being saved by the young local. I’m never going in big waves again without my dad. Ever. We headed back to the villas, showered, and got ready to check out the Jaco nightlife. Seven of us ended up at a restaurant that the hotel owner had suggested. In every port, we’ve eaten delicious food but after so many days at sea, anything edible tastes heavenly. That being said, our dinner was outrageous. We had fantastic nachos, mahi mahi, tuna, pizza, tacos, you name it- we got it. We headed down the street to the Love Loft and stayed there for the whole night. It was filled to the brim with locals and SAS kids. I met two guys on vacation that had graduated from the University of Wisconsin so we talked trash about the Rose Bowl for a while before remembering where we were. We were on a balcony, with hundreds of kids our age, looking over a packed street in Jaco, Costa Rica having one of the best nights possible. What even is the Rose Bowl? We all grabbed cabs back to the villa and partied there for a while on the beach before heading to bed.

Day 2:
Most of the group planned on returning to the beach that we went to the day before. We initially were going to join them but Kacie and I talked to the receptionist who convinced us to go ATVing. We persuaded a few others and there ended up being nine of us that crammed in the van to the ATV drop off. Again, it was packaged as a tour and I was a little worried that it would be a short ride with a lot of instructions and logistical nonsense. I was very wrong- they handed us helmets, gave us keys, pointed out the gas and brakes, and the guide was off! We jumped on and spent the next two hours driving through towns, little ponds and rivers, and up grassy hills on our way to a waterfall. The scenery was magnificent and showed off a part of Costa Rica that I hadn’t seen before. We got to the waterfall and swam for a while before the group decided to climb up and jump off of it- about a 40 foot jump. Kiley and I were the only ones who opted out- this trip may have made me a bit more adventurous but lets not get too carried away. For some reason, dirt stuck to my face more than anyone else. I think that it might have been because I had on a bunch of sunscreen, but I was an entirely different ethnicity for the day. Everyone wanted their own picture with the dirty girl but then they politely requested a close-up picture of themselves… the clean people. Rude. We stopped for lunch on the way back and got the typical Costa Rica meal plate- rice, beans, and chicken- I had missed it. A few of us had partnered up so that we could split the ATV cost so I shared an ATV with Kacie. I think that I actually ended up enjoying it more than I would have solo because the rides were so long and we laughed the entire time. Over and over, this trip has taught me that no matter how wonderful the place you’re in is, the people that you’re with make it. (Dad- the guide told me multiple times that I gas at all the wrong times and don’t steadily accelerate. Every time, I felt like somehow you had called and told him to get on me. He clearly does not understand my driving techniques). Poor Kacie had to deal with my driving skills or lack thereof but she was a good sport and we are alive to tell the story so it’s all okay! We got dropped off at the hotel, met up with the group, and hopped in one of the hugs vans that they had ordered to go back to the ship. We sang the entire way back- tired beyond belief but belting tunes for the hour like it was our job. There are some major characters that have created hilarious moments on the trip but I’m always entertained when I’m with the huge meatheads as they sing Beyonce and dance in their own, very special, way. There’s truly nothing funnier.

In the past four years, I have tried twice to organize a group of friends to make a trip to Costa Rica. It has never worked out because of financial and logistical reasons. I realized on this drive back that it was probably meant to be. I hadn’t even thought of it like that until that second but there was no pressure, no planning, and everything was perfect. We had more fun in two days than I could ask for in two weeks.

You would think that it’s just because we’re in the locations that we are. However, I think that an even bigger part is the people that we travel with. We tackle so much together and have so much fun doing it. Many people have grown over the past four months in ways that are difficult to describe but everyone on SAS sees. The voyage draws specific people that mesh very well together. I think that if they dumped the ship off in the middle nowhere with nothing to do, we could probably have a great time. I’m not sure how this trip inevitably facilitates such amazing experiences, it’s definitely a bit of magic that I will never understand, or forget.

A quick plug- The ship made a lipdub video that you can find on YouTube, the semesteratsea.org website, or the Semester at Sea facebook page. It’s a pretty good way to see the ship and get a sense of the crazies we have on board.

Pura Vida!

Hawaii

We spent our untraditional Thanksgiving in Hawaii. Family was exempt, home was distant, and typical customs were nonexistent. Ship dinner on the previous night included all the expected Thanksgiving foods so that piece of the puzzle had already been taken care of. Plans were not made, as with most other ports, and nationalism ran high. It had been over three months since stepping foot on American soil so the idea of an understandable language, currency, and culture was exciting. This day was clearly going to be more like the Fourth of July, rather than Thanksgiving.

We got out of port around 8:15am, easily snagging taxis. I will never take a common language for granted after this trip. Speaking to the cab driver in uninhibited English was refreshing, and almost a foreign idea in itself. We made our way to Walmart and immediately felt at home. After circumnavigating the world, making stops in so many impoverished areas, and taking classes that correspond to similar ideas, I expected to be more active in noticing labor differences, Made In China stickers, and overall cleanliness. Instead, it was a pretty typical super store-shopping trip, complete with two hundred SAS kids who had the same idea. The candy, alcohol, and beach toy aisles were raided and, for a second, I wondered if it was possible that everything was forgotten as we fell right back into our old ways. Perhaps Big Brother was successful in conditioning us to think that America is the only way. Or perhaps twenty years will always overcome three months, no matter the devastating, life changing experiences that those three months held. I wrote the notion off at the time, but today I have realized this was one more concept that is truly relative, as with most other things on this trip. The idea of change is relative- what was the starting point of this modification and in what direction, at what speed, did it occur? I expected to view everything in a different light, but perhaps, it will not be drastic- perhaps it will just be better in the sense that it will enhance the direction from which these once-everyday scenes are viewed.

After our Wal Mart invasion, we called the same taxi driver to take us to a black sand beach about twenty minutes away. We were with a huge group so the caravan of taxis was a clear sign that this beach of local Thanksgiving-celebrating families was about to be impacted. The far right side of the beach housed a cove that was perfect for us- beautiful and easy to access, but still protecting the families and other locals from our potentially invasive activities. There were around fifty of us there, with bags of snacks and jugs of spiked guava juice. It was an interesting scene and one that I’m happy was hidden from the general public. I had bought a water gun and a blowup pink inter-tube so my day centered on these thoroughly amusing beach toys. Throughout the day, many comments were made about picking up little pieces of trash and not leaving anything on the beach. I truly think that the attitude and outcome would have been completely different previous to the trip, before seeing other country’s, in specific India’s, rubbish situation. This was a small sign that this trip did more than show us all a good time. I climbed around the black rocks, using the phone that worked for the first time, calling relatives and friends. There were four turtles in the shallow area, sheltered by the high rocks, which were cool because they were so Hawaii-typical and so close and easily seen. I swam out and floated on the inter tube with two other friends for a while and had a water fight that reminded me a lot of the 4th of July. Spending a day with these people that have become so close and that would soon be on the other side of the country was fun in itself. It was great that we were in Hawaii but I’m aware that Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Honduras are not about the locations- they’re about the people. These people that we’ve traveled with, had life changing experiences with, gotten injured and sick with, and lived with will now be a five-hour flight away. This idea is sad and quite bizarre because of how close we’ve gotten over the past few months.

After the beach, we went to the downtown area, which was full of closed shops because of the holiday, and a small Farmer’s market. We sampled some of the fruits and talked with a girl working at a jewelry stand for a while. I’ve noticed how this trip has caused most of us to randomly talk to strangers a lot more. If the language barrier is surmountable, cab drivers, merchants, and locals in general undoubtedly provide the best experiences. We walked two miles to Ken’s Pancake House, which was the only place open for Thanksgiving meals. My friends all ordered pancakes, breakfast burritos, and hamburgers, but this seemed like blasphemy to me, so I ordered a Thanksgiving dinner. We then took a cab to the Rainbow Waterfall and hiked all around it, getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. Keep in mind that this entire time, including the diner and waterfall hike, I had the pink inter tube around me- pictures are a bit strange but it was a conversation starter throughout the day. A few of the guys swam at the top of the waterfall but it was freezing cold and we were cutting it close, so they made it quick and we headed back to the port in time for on-ship time.

It was a fast 10 hours but a very fun, unconventional way to spend Thanksgiving with great friends in a beautiful place. Nothing that usually reminds me of the holiday was present but, after these past months, I have never been more thankful on a Thanksgiving.

Japan

Day 1:
The first day, following a long customs line, Lindsay and I took the subway to the train to Kyoto. Public transportation is known to be incredibly efficient, easy to navigate, and the best way to travel. The trains’ cars are attached but not by solid metal and create a sense of buoyancy. Every time I was on one, I felt like I was riding the Asian Polar Express. As we sped through southern Japan, we noticed how there were no gaps in the buildings. We covered a fair amount of land and never saw rural areas. There were both residential and commercial buildings, but never farmland of any sort. After arriving in Kyoto, we wandered around the extensive train station and found a sushi restaurant. The sushi chef and hostess were so incredibly welcoming and friendly and it really set the tone for the rest of the trip. This was our first interaction with Japanese locals, which was so refreshing after our experiences in Vietnam and a few in China. We pointed to a few pictures on the menu that looked familiar enough and ended up with tuna hand rolls and cucumber rolls. They were really good and shockingly fresh. We wandered around, found a map and started walking. We had opted out of taking the bus, mainly because we had no idea which line to take, so we walked in the general direction of where we knew we wanted to go. It wasn’t an extremely busy city and we were far enough away from the touristy sites that I felt like we got a good sense of suburban, residential life. We walked for a while and then saw a little building with a ton of bikes in front of it. We asked, or rather played charades, inquiring if we could rent the bicycles. We learned that the people living in the apartment building next door in fact owned them. He talked to his wife for a little while and she ended up drawing us an extensive map to what we thought was a bike rental store. They didn’t speak one word of English but they took so much time to be friendly and help us out. We followed the map and never found the store, but we really did appreciate their effort. Lindsay and I found the area we were looking for that had a touristy street, temples, and traditional Japanese buildings. We walked around all of the pagodas and were shocked to find that there were no non-Japanese tourists there. All of the people that had come to see the Kyoto sights were other Japanese. One of the buildings, in back of the temple, was symbolic of Buddha’s mother’s womb. We took off our shoes and entered the completely pitch black building, led by a rope into a small room one-by-one that had a dimly lit large stone with carvings all over it. It is said that, while placing your hands on the stone, the wish that you make is the strongest in the world. We made a wish and realized that we also made it on 11/11/2011, which tied our American superstitions to the Japanese traditions. This was a really cool experience and one of my favorites so far. We exited and made our way to the other side of the temple where we wandered around and basically watched people. The temples that we went to in India were religious buildings that Indians went to every day. These temples in Japan were big monuments that Japanese go to as a special event, and not on a daily basis. Again, we really felt the friendly and welcoming presence. One man offered us incense sticks to burn that he had just paid for. Others offered to take pictures of us with our camera, not that they wanted a picture for themselves, but that they wanted us to remember our day. Everyone smiled and tried to communicate on a very basic level. Afterwards, we made our way to the world-renowned love stones. It is said that if you make your way from one to the other with your eyes completely closed, you will find your true love. After this trip, that’s definitely not a priority, but it was pretty cool to do with other Japanese schoolgirls our same age. Afterwards, we walked back towards the train station. We stopped to get ice cream, which was possibly the best I have ever had (Dad- you would eat bowls on bowls), and figure out the bus routes. We went grocery shopping and bought a few drinks before remembering that it’s not socially acceptable to eat and drink in public. We found a glass cubicle in the train station on our layover that was designated for eating and drinking. There was an elderly Japanese man sitting in it drinking two different beers at once, so we figured we were allowed, and joined him. Lindsay and I made it back to the ship, ate dinner onboard, and met up with a group to head out. We wandered for a while, amazed at the bright lights. Everything at night in Japan is BRIGHT- and fluorescent. The signs are so lit up and so close together, that they take the idea of clashing to the next level. It truly is the hardest place in the world to play I Spy. A girl convinced us to come in her restaurant and we took the elevator up to the top floor, right above a casino. We took off our shoes and sat on the floor in our own, separated room to share some more dinner. Every table is in a separate room and waiters knock whenever entering. There are buttons on every table that you press to get service, and they always appear right away. In addition, the way that you order in most Japanese restaurants is completely different than in America. Instead of speaking to a person, there’s an easy-to-read, advanced screen for every table. You navigate and press the button for each option, selecting whatever item you wish to order. Afterwards, we walked through the casino downstairs and wandered some more around the city. We decided to call it an early night because we didn’t find anything too fun for less than a fortune cover charge. Right before reaching the ship, we ran into the Japanese tour company that was organizing events for Semester at Sea kids. They had rented out a bar for the night about fifteen minutes away so we hopped in their car and spent our night there.

Day 2:
Lindsay and I sleepily made our way to Nara- Japan’s old, historical, previous capitol. We immediately realized that the rumors were true- deer were everywhere. They roamed the streets, unconfined and clearly respected. There were stands lining the streets to buy small, round cracker-like snacks to feed the deer with. Children pet the alarmingly calm animals as they wandered around. Lindsay and I really loved this day as well because it was such a normal, relaxing day. There were no expectations and we really felt intermingled with the population, especially the incredibly cute kids. We had a picnic in the park of fish sandwiches and apricot tea, both of which were unlike any I had ever had. The deer would come up every once in awhile and families were tossing baseballs around us. It was a regular Saturday for them, a time to relax and spend time with family, and we were in the midst of it. We then walked to a more touristy area and saw another temple, got ice cream, and headed to the site of the biggest Buddha statue in the world. The area that housed the Buddha reminded me very much of the Taj Mahal- the size, the gates, and the symmetry. We didn’t pay the entry fee to go inside but we were able to see part of it from outside the closest gate. Japanese kids, who were learning English, approached us in order to interview us for a school project. They asked us basic questions about where we were from and why we were in Nara- they could not grasp the concept of Semester at Sea or the ship, but to be honest, I still don’t fully understand it. I’m still not sure if I’ll ever comprehend the vastness of the experience we are having. I never bought food for the deer but one little Japanese boy came up and shared with me. It was clear that these children were taught the value of sharing and kindness from an early age. In Nara, we also really noticed the fashion. Before even arriving in Tokyo, a fashion capital of the world, it was apparent that these girls know how to dress. It was an average day for them but they were extremely put together and looking amazing, in their own way. I was wearing running clothes, a bright green backwards hat, sunglasses, a blue windbreaker and hadn’t showered in 36 hours so I felt a little out of the loop, but they still accepted us. Another thing we really noticed was the accuracy of the peace sign stereotype. They don’t just throw the peace sign up when taking pictures on vacation. They peace sign is EVERYWHERE- used at any opportunity, by everyone- even old women. We discussed whether it is a fad or a permanent, cultural symbol and still don’t know the answer. Another thing that we noticed is the word “Hashamashe” – (I’m butchering the spelling probably as much as I was the pronunciation). This word is used in America when entering sushi restaurants and is used EVERYWHERE in Japan- while walking by every type of shop or restaurant, and more. We took the train back to the ship, had dinner, got ready, and packed for the next few days. Lindsay and I met up with the big group- 9 of us. These are the same people that I have traveled with since Malaysia and we always have the best time. Two of my other friends, Chelsea and Mitch, who didn’t know this group, joined us and it became a huge dream team. While waiting outside at one point, we started talking with two Japanese girls our age that knew a tiny bit of English. We mainly signed but they made it very clear how much they love Johnny Depp and the Pirates of the Caribbean. We took a train to Osaka and found a hostel. Japan is known for being super expensive and we were all traveling on an extreme budget so we went to the sketchiest, cheapest places. Most either didn’t have open rooms, or didn’t want to rent them out to loud Americans- probably the latter option. We finally found one and got a few rooms- Japanese style- meaning there are no beds, just tiny, tiny rooms with a mat on the floor. There is one communal bathroom per floor and no other amenities, but it ended up being perfect. We talked to people later who couldn’t find housing for less than $60/person so we were pretty proud to say that we paid $12/person. Talk about bargain hunters! After dropping our stuff off, we made our way to Club 7-11 (Japan is too expensive for much more). We bought Strong Zeros (Japanese Four Lokos) and individually wrapped sushi triangles. We then ended up at a tiny bar where the owner invited us into his back room. We all squeezed into the room around one table on the floor and had a really fun night. We wandered around and explored a grocery store- it was so colorful and bright and different than any in America.

Day 3:
We woke up and immediately split up. We have learned that day trips are often best in small groups so Lindsay, Wendy, and I took the train to Mount Rokko. Mount Rokko is an island off of Kobe that is connected by a large bridge. We got there and took a cable car and gondola to the top to a city called Arima. Arima is a mountain town that has a few resorts and an indoor skiing facility. We walked for a while to a large public bath and spent most of our day around there. The public bath was extremely nice and well organized. We entered, removing our shoes, and promptly paid to receive our locker key and robe outfit. We went to one locker room, changed, and walked to another room, where we used the second key to leave those clothes. It was a well-thought out process that made a lot of sense but was fairly complicated. We then just went for it, disrobing and entering the area where clothes are not allowed. This was a huge, huge culture shock. Spending such a large amount of time completely naked with two friends and otherwise all Japanese women, going from sauna to bath to hot spring is a pretty unique experience. There were multiple rooms, both outdoors and inside, that offered places to bathe and relax. There was one big room with stools and mirrors side-by-side lining every wall. It was packed with women sitting on the stools and using handheld spouts to cleanse themselves with combs and soap. It was a really cool, and liberating, thing to experience. It was pretty apparent how crucial it was to act like this was a normal thing that we did- staring, shock, or hesitation was a sign of weakness. While on the cable car back down the mountain, a little girl, about seven years old, came up and gave me a few pieces of candy. I responded with my best attempt at a thank you- “arrigato”- and she replied in perfect English “I’m Korean” and walked away. Woops! We made our way back to the bottom of the mountain, ate McDonald’s (the first time on this trip, but we had to break down at some point) and headed back to meet up with everyone. McDonald’s, and other fast food places, all have a lot more room for seating than they would in America. This is because of the cultural view that eating in public, while walking, is not respectful. Even the convenience stores have little booths. We met the guys at our central, designated meeting spot- a lingerie store (I wonder who decided that) and headed to the bus stop. We got on the overnight bus for Tokyo, tired from the day and excited for our next stop. The bus was from 10pm-7am, but I probably got 3 hours of sleep. Aside from our friends, it was full of Japanese locals that clearly wanted us to be silent. I was blessed with a seat in the last row, which reclined all the way, right next to a window. Others were not so lucky so I took advantage of it by getting a few hours of sleep and resting. The bus would make stops at random truck stops every hour-and-a-half so people could use the restroom or purchase items from vending machines. (Vending machines are wildly popular in Japan and offer anything and everything that you could imagine). At one of these stops, half asleep and in a daze, I accidentally boarded the wrong bus. I walked all the way to the back before realizing my mistake. There wasn’t one white person on the bus- they were staring heavily but I thought that it was just because I was white. They chuckled as I threw up my hands, laughed at myself, and stumbled off. Stupid American! We arrived at 7am, tired, but ready to take on Tokyo.

Day 4: We got off the bus feeling tired and in great need of a shower, so we made a stop in the train station restroom. We washed our faces, as much of our bodies as possible, brushed our teeth, and changed clothes. The Japanese population heading to work seemed a bit confused but I’ve gotten used to being the grungy, out-of-place backpacker. We found lockers to rent and started our day in Tokyo. Lindsay, Ken, Tim, and I spent the day doing as much as humanly possible. We first took the train to the kitchen district where we walked around and looked at all the bizarre street food. There were fish tails pinned to a board, dried octopi, and every type of live fish you could imagine. We had sushi, the freshest of the fresh, and got some coffee to go. Throughout Tokyo, I noticed that they have really intricate walking devices. There would be one conjoined escalator that went from an incline to flat to an incline. Everything about this country is just beyond efficient. Everyone is orderly and stand in a line on one side, without fail, so that anyone in a hurry can run past on the other side. My entire time in Japan, I had been searching for a Japanese Vogue magazine. My friend Nicole from home really, really wanted one so I had stopped at every magazine stand or any store that might possibly have one. My dedication had become a joke between the people I had been travelling with at this point but Ken recommended that I try a bookstore that we passed and I FOUND IT! It was a very exciting moment! We then wandered for a while and ended up in a seven-floor electronic store, filled will everything under the sun. We played around in the music section for a while and then made our way to Harujuku district. (Nicole and Kate- this is your happy place). Japanese fashion and pop music are my new favorite things in the world. There was one main, crowded street with tons of stores and restaurants. The clothes in the stores were so, incredibly tempting and if I’m ever given a shopping spree, I want it to be there. Crepe shops split up the retail stores and offer every flavor imaginable. We shopped around for a little while but the boys got antsy quick so we had some curry for lunch, split a crepe, and headed for the temple. The temple was about to close so we hurried down the long entryway, which was covered and surrounded by immense trees and wildlife. It was incredibly beautiful and the flowers were out of this world. At almost every temple, off to the side, there is a place to hang wooden signs that individual temple-goers have written on. It was pretty cool because we cam upon a sign that our friend had written the day before. We then headed back, hung out at a pub for a few hours, and waited to meet up with Ken’s friend, Yuchi. Yuchi has lived in Japan his whole life and worked with Ken when Ken interned in Tokyo last summer. He is 25 and extremely successful. He spoke enough English for us to communicate on a basic level and Ken translated the rest. He took us to a ramen house where we ordered miso ramen- SO GOOD. The food in Japan was amazing, different, and for the most part, very fresh and healthy. Yuchi paid for everything, was so welcoming, and talked to us about everything under the sun. He told us about Japan’s business culture, where you oftentimes work 7am to 7pm, six days a week. This is a common schedule and necessary to become remotely successful. Yuchi invests in foreign currency and has about 8 million US dollars in his control every week. Afterwards, we went to a bar and talked a lot more. Again, there was the screen where you order and the drinks come almost instantaneously. For the entire voyage, my group of friends has been playing a game called Birdman- which is the most childish, yet entertaining, game ever. If someone is looking away, and you put your hands in circles over your eyes, and that person looks at you, he or she has to immediately lie on the floor. However, if that person somehow senses that you are going to Birdman them, or sees it in their peripheral vision, and blocks it by circling only one eye, than you have to lie on the floor. It sounds so incredibly stupid but is funny in certain instances. For example, my personal favorite was when Lindsay and I Birdmanned Colin as he was passing through the silent, orderly Japanese customs line. Anyways, we taught Yuchi and his friend Aoki how to play Birdman and they loved it. It was quite funny to see two proper guys in suits get so into such a bizarre game, especially when it is considered inappropriate to sit on the floor outside. They instantly caught on and were doing very well by the end of the night- a prime example of the Japanese learning curve. We caught the last train back to the ship in Yokohama and slept in our own beds that night, which was very much needed.

Day 5: Ken, Lindsay, and I spent the last day exploring Yokohama. It was basically a quaint port town with shops and restaurants, but nothing huge was going on. We just walked and enjoyed great conversation, ate curry, and shopped a little bit. We ran into a friend of ours who showed us a tattoo that she had gotten on her left butt cheek. It spelled out “Ubuntu” with an anchor next to it. Ubuntu is a word that we learned the first day of Semester at Sea and means, “I am who you are”. It’s supposed to signify a “global citizen” but has really just turned into an overused cliché for everyone on the voyage. I wonder how she’ll feel about that one in a few years. We made it back to the ship an hour ahead of on-ship time and went straight to bed.

All of the countries that we have visited have been amazing in their own way. India was the most emotional, eye-opening country, while South Africa had the most to do and was the most convenient. Malaysia was the best 24-hours of my life while Vietnam was gorgeous and had amazing food. Japan was, in my opinion, the most well rounded port. I loved the people that I travelled with and it was the perfect mix of culture and fun. In my mind, even though we still have three ports to go, the bulk of major ports are over. Hawaii is only for one day, Costa Rica and Guatemala both for two each. Each of these three will be very fun, but I’m not expecting any of them to be as crazy as what we have seen in the past few months. I am so incredibly happy with the way that things have gone and would not trade any experience for the world. The people that I have met here will be in my life for a very long time. That being said, I am getting ready to be home. I miss being home, my family, the Ducks, and DG a lot more than I expected I would. I never thought that I would be homesick because I rarely am while at school. The idea that I could be enjoying this so much yet still yearning for home a little bit is strange, but I think that it’s just because I wish that everyone from home could be here, experiencing it all as well. There is nine days on the ship before Hawaii, and we get to live Nov. 19th twice as we cross the International Dateline. My life will revolve around improving my grades, working out, and spending time with all of the amazing people onboard the MV Explorer.

SHANGHAI

Day 1:

We woke up and got off the boat pretty early, relative to other ports. Since there were less of us “in transit”, there were less passports and bodies to get through customs. I walked out of port with four others that were “in transit” and, after walking around trying to find an ATM, we hopped in a cab in an attempt to find a specific water market that we had heard of. I have no idea how to spell the name of the market but it had a lot of X’s and Z’s in it, if anyone’s been here. It was about an hour away from port but it would have taken a lot longer had we not had the driver we did. He cut in and out on the freeway, driving fast and scary- it was a bit disconcerting. We passed through the city of Shanghai, as well as the suburban areas surrounding it, and were amazed at the sheer immensity of it all. Typically in a large city, the buildings are all massively tall and clustered. In Shanghai, some are close together, but many are a block or so apart and go on forever, so that it looks like the highest skyline spans for the entire country. We passed sets of apartment buildings- five identical skyscrapers in a row, with laundry hanging out the window, that clearly houses the incredible population that China accommodates. We had no idea that our destination was over an hour away, so the one girl that spoke a little Mandarin kept asking how much longer. Even she had no idea what he was saying in response so we just went with it. We ended up getting there, but we’re lucky that the taxi fares are cheap. The water market consists of streets upon streets of tourist goods, restaurants, and local shops on either side of a river. Small waterways wind through the shops, which create the need for decorative, authentic bridges. We saw maybe two or three white people the entire time that we were there. There were definitely souvenir, tourist shops, but I got that feeling that those were for Chinese from other parts of the country. It was a very authentic experience and going in the shops that were for locals was very interesting. The grocery store really blew my mind because, in a way, it was very similar to ours. However, it had bins and bins to scoop jello-candies and aisles of food I had never seen or heard of. Dried cucumbers, anyone? We walked around and shopped, finding that people were speaking the truth when they said to do all your shopping in China. At one point, I was bargaining with a woman over a necklace. She kept telling me that it was her lowest price ever because I was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. I asked her if she told all her customers that. She dropped her Asian accent a good amount and responded “yeah- gotta make a buck”. My friend and I couldn’t stop laughing and ended up talking with the woman for a while. We appreciated the honesty and ended up buying the necklace. We went to an extremely local restaurant for lunch- we were stared at and we stared right back when we were handed the menu with no pictures, solely in Mandarin. After a few confusing exchanges, she handed us a torn, brown menu that had some English on it. There was clearly only one of these in the restaurant and it had not been used for some time. We ordered hot and sour soup, which had mushrooms and most agreed, was terrible. We also had a bowl of spicy tofu, which I really liked, and egg fried rice, that was fresh and amazing. We headed back to the ship to drop off our things and immediately head out to explore the Bund. The Bund is the waterfront that houses many shops, restaurants, and monuments. We walked along, mainly focusing on the bright buildings across the water. Shanghai is similar to Hong Kong in that it has such a variety of architecture. There is one building that is a straight needle with three spheres on top of each other. They are bright pink in the daytime and have a type of organized light show at night. One sphere is a restaurant, one is an observation room, and I’m not sure about the other. A joke between a few friends about me is my obsession with the babies that we have seen on the trip. For some reason, the African and Asian babies are, in my eyes, so much more adorable than most white babies. (Adoption might have to happen). Every time I see one, I stop and try to play with them. Often, the parents look at me with fear, but sometimes it works. Hong Kong had so many babies, that it was quite overwhelming. We’ve heard in class about how their child population drastically outweighs the elderly, which poses a population growth problem. However, I had no idea how apparent it would be. In Shanghai, as we were walking along the Bund, I was approached by a mother who wanted me to hold her son and take a bunch of pictures. It was pretty funny because they had just been making fun of my borderline inappropriate obsession. I think that she requested my contact because I was the only blonde as far as you could see in every direction, and probably farther. We kept walking and came upon an underground market, selling trinkets and fake goods. I talked to the woman for a while about her purses, but didn’t see any I liked, so I asked for more. She asked “More?” I said, “Yes, do you have more?” With that, she grabbed my hand and pressed one of the walls, leading me into a tiny, dark waiting room. I asked her to wait, and went out again to grab a boy to come with me, just in case. I returned to the little waiting room and then she pressed another door within it that led us to a room lined with designer bags, purses, wallets, and suitcases. The whole hidden, secret room with fake purses is pretty common but the darkness and sketchiness of this whole situation in particular freaked me out a little bit. After I picked one out and bargained my little heart out (she told me that I was breaking her heart and starving her family- yeah, right), I asked her why her hidden room was different from the rest. She told me that most of the purses are knockoffs, but these ones were real and stolen. I compared this purse in particular back at the ship to real ones that girls have from home and fake ones that others had bought and its definitely real. I’m pretty excited to say that I got a $600 Tory Burch bag for about $22. We had a long dinner with hilarious conversation and made our way back to the boat. My friends got ready to go out but I decided that I still wasn’t 100% and I stayed in. Taking it easy has not been my mentality on this trip in the slightest but I really want to be completely healthy for Japan. I, instead, joined a few girls that live down the hall and went to a pub around the corner to just sit and hangout. These girls had bought so much in China- I couldn’t believe it. One had bought 8 pairs of UGGs, one had bought 14 Tory Burch bags, and many had bought tons of cashmere sweaters. I came back and before going to bed, organized my whole room.

Day 2:

Lauren and I woke up early to go to the Volkswagon Factory for a FDP (class-mandated field trip). We got to the bus and found out that it had been canceled, so we grabbed our computers and went with a few others to a café to get Internet. They had to sign up for classes and I wanted to look mine over in preparation of signing up next week. There we found out that all social media sites in China are blocked- Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. We stayed for a while and then made our way to a big knockoff market. The market is the biggest in Shanghai- it’s ridiculous and something that every shopaholic needs to put on their bucket list. It’s about a square mile in width of 5 stories. Anything and everything is offered and the bargaining is ruthless. There were many, many more secret rooms but it was less scary than the one the day before. The only way to get the price to the lowest possible is to almost have a yelling match, so it’s a very stressful environment. I felt a little bit bad about shouting at strangers that were trying to sell me stuff, but it’s just the culture there. If you walk away in an effort to find a better deal, they literally follow you and grab your arm quite forcefully and bring you back to make a lower offer. I ended up getting a bunch of gifts that I’m very excited about- but the whole day was just nonstop craziness. There were a lot of things to look out for- for example, all the Rosetta Stone sets were for Mandarin language with stickers over the language title with Spanish, English, Russian, Dutch, etc. Lauren headed back to the boat for another FDP and I stayed with two other girls that we had run into. One of them, Christine, had an internship in Shanghai last summer and speaks Mandarin so she showed us around for the rest of the day. We went to lunch and got ice cream before hopping on the subway to another underground market. This one was nicer, and primarily made up of individual shops. The bargaining was less aggressive but the goods were nicer. We bought a good amount of stuff- I didn’t want to spend too much money but I bought into the mindset that I might not be here ever again and the prices were too hard to pass up. I still feel a little bad about it but I know that I’ll be okay with it when my friends have the best Christmas ever. We took the subway back to the ship and got onboard just in time.

My China experience was probably not as outrageous as some of the kids on the ship. Unfortunately, I didn’t see Steve Aoki (yes, he played in Beijing) or toboggan down the Great Wall, but those are just more reasons to return. I am extremely excited to come back and do everything that I missed but, in the short term, I can’t wait for Japan. I have a midterm this afternoon to redo the one that I slept through and then tomorrow will be spent in class and planning Japan- the next morning we’re in Kobe. We’re backpacking from Kobe to Yokohama with most of the time spent in Tokyo. Can’t wait! I’m happy and healthy and everything is perfect onboard the MV Explorer! Happy early birthday, mama!

Hong Kong

Two days before arriving in Hong Kong, I got really sick with flulike symptoms that progressed quickly. That evening was extremely painful and I ended up in the medical clinic the next day. My malaria test was negative but it was clear that it was more than the flu. My white blood count was exceptionally high so I definitely had some sort of an infection. The doctor’s diagnosed it as Dengue Fever, but I’m still not sure that that’s what it was. I spent the second day taking tests and figuring out if I was still going to participate in what I had planned for China. Hong Kong and Shanghai were both supposed to have stringent mandates for temperature screenings and medical records for those entering because of their past epidemic issues.

The ship’s plan was to dock in Hong Kong, stay for two days, and then leave for Shanghai for two days. The transit also took two days. Students had to designate weeks ago whether they would take the ship from one port to the other or travel independently and meet the ship there. Whatever you had chosen could not be changed because of manifest laws. I had signed up for independent travel because I was planning on going to Beijing in between Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Even though I felt better the morning of arrival, the doctor did not advise sleeping anywhere but the ship or going too far. This meant that I had to stay on the ship for the two days in between Hong Kong and Shanghai, and miss my trip to Beijing. The papers were signed almost immediately. I was upset about wasting two days in a country but I knew it was the smartest decision. The next decision was whether or not I would even be able to get off the ship in Hong Kong or Shanghai because of the medical paperwork that they had to submit in order to change my registration from independent travel to an “in transit” passenger.  The assistant executive dean told me that technically, I would not be allowed off the ship, but it would take time to process the paperwork so I could probably slip through.

Day 1:

After dealing with all of this, my friends were still on the ship because of customs, so I met up with them. I walked off no problem! We took the ferry across and wandered around for a little while. We walked through a huge mall, complete with every fancy designer store and a ton of watch stores, for some reason. We noticed this in other places, too- Hong Kong loves watches. After stalling for a little bit, we met up with Tim’s two friends from home. They have been teaching English in Ladi for the past six months, which is about 3 hours away by train. We immediately walked to get lunch somewhere, preferably something Chinese. This was the first non-third world port that we have been in so it was a bit shocking to see such a clean, nice city. I have never been to New York or anything comparable, but many were saying that it’s New York on steroids, with a little Chinese culture thrown in. Technically, Hong Kong is an independent republic, and not a part of China so it definitely has a diluted sense of Chinese culture. Nonetheless, the street food and markets are vibrant and smelly and everything I expected. Either way, lets be honest, I’m the last person who knows the difference between a Mandarin and Cantonese sign. We had lunch at a busy lunch restaurant that was ill fit for big groups. Most tables were for two so we were told that we had to wait a little while to get a table for six. Even though we were fine with that, a smaller group at a larger table moved and joined another party so that we would have a seat. This was one of many unspoken, kind gestures that we experienced in Hong Kong. Although we couldn’t speak the same language, it was very refreshing after Vietnam. We ordered by pointing at pictures on the menu and the waiter silently scanned everything and ordered it electronically. The food was amazing, as was every other meal that we had while in HK. We wandered around the city for a while, marveling at the hustle and bustle. The architecture of all the buildings is really extreme and intricate and many seem to defy gravity. We took an elevator to the top floor of one of the highest buildings to get a better view, which gave us a better idea of just how large Hong Kong is. Even though it was a little cloudy, you could see the cluster of islands and the massive buildings on each. After lunch, we walked to the hill that has the longest outdoor escalator in the world. It’s split up in different segments but riding the whole thing up gave us a really good feel of the area because it went through apartment complexes, outside markets, and commercial buildings. One of the two friends that live in China had been to Hong Kong briefly, so he was trying to remember what he liked and showed us those areas. It was kind of fun not having a plan and just wandering- especially when I wasn’t feeling one hundred percent healthy. We made our way to a zoological and botanical garden and walked around, looking at all the birds and monkeys. It wasn’t too spectacular but the set up was really cool and at the end, we had a great view of the city. Most of HK is on a steep slope (a lot like San Francisco) so the whole day we were either trudging uphill or running downhill. We made our way to a bar for an hour to relax and then I headed back to the ship with one friend to nap for a while. We had dinner and watched the light show from the ship, which was awesome but didn’t totally live up to what I had heard. It was pretty cool how all of the buildings coordinated their parts, but the overall impact wasn’t as overwhelming as I expected- I later found out that that was just because of where we were watching it. We ended up going out and meeting the rest of our friends but I was trying to take it easy so I came home before the night got too out of hand.

Day 2:

I woke up and found my friend Ken on the ship, when we realized that we were the only ones of our friends who had slept onboard. I was pretty unmotivated and we had no contact with our other friends so we just went into the mall and got Internet for a couple of hours. Luckily, we ran into one friend who was on her way back to the ship to change so we rallied and joined back up with the group. We walked through the subway and took a bus to a place where we could get Dim Sum. Ken was very adamant on getting Dim Sum at some point so that was a top priority. In the states, Dim Sum is a specific type of dumpling but in China or Hong Kong, Dim Sum refers to any type of tapas. We got a bunch of different small Dim Sum dishes and shared. They were all very good and I can’t wait to get more in Shanghai. Afterwards, we made our way to an electronic market because a few of us had certain things that we wanted to get- for cheap. I forgot my camera battery charger at home and I had been using another kid’s on the ship that has the same camera. He’s not a good friend, though, and I was starting to feel bad about always asking for it. We got some good deals, but nothing spectacular. Afterwards, we went to the “ladies” market that was just rows and rows of cheap clothing, jewelry, and fake goods. I didn’t buy much because I’ve heard that everything is cheaper and better quality in Shanghai, but it was definitely interesting to see. After that, most of the group split off to head to the train station and Ken and I went back to the ship. We had relied on the HK-savvy friend to get us to the market so getting back was a little tricky. Let’s just say that my sense of direction will never be trusted again. We rested, got more Internet, and headed out to take a cable car up Victoria’s Peak. We had heard that the views from Victoria’s Peak were incredible and that it would be a perfect place to watch the light show. Unfortunately, we got there and found that a lot of people had the same idea. The line was extremely long and we had to be back at the ship by 9pm so we opted out and walked around the city a little more. I really appreciate feeling safe and clean after the ports we have visited and it was great just exploring and looking at all the buildings and lights. We got dinner and headed back to take the ferry back to the ship. It was awesome because we ended up catching the light show while on the ferry. The angle we were at was prime because the lights hit the water in such a vibrant way. It was a perfect way to end our time in Hong Kong, even if it was way too short.

Ship time:

We’re back on the boat now in between Hong Kong and Shanghai and it’s a ghost town. I have a few friends on that previously planned on doing it to save money, but I’m having a little bit of a hard time being positive about it. All I can think about is that if I hadn’t gotten Dengue, I would be sleeping on the Great Wall right now. I am completely aware of how spoiled I am and how ridiculous that comment is because I am so lucky to be on a ship and in between two internationally renowned cities. I’ve been trying to study for the midterm I slept through before Hong Kong (woops!)- good thing my teachers love me. I’m going to retake it after Shanghai but studying is so difficult because all I want to do is sleep. I feel better but still not at full gear. I’m excited to get to Shanghai but even more excited for Japan. My friend Ken who I’ve traveled with through Malaysia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong is half Japanese and has been there over ten times. He’s going to take a small group of us backpacking from Kobe to Yokohama. We’ll probably spend a majority of time in Tokyo and I can’t wait!

I’m really starting to feel like a seasoned traveler. I’m totally confident going out and exploring without a plan. I used to feel like I needed to be with a huge group to feel safe, but I’m now confident and feel self-sufficient with one or two others, depending on the specific region’s level of safeness. Either way, I’m less shocked when I’m pushed through busy intersections and I only take Pepto if the food is extremely questionable. Showers are not a priority and dancing in the middle of the street is a regular occurrence. I’ve learned that even though plans are great, going with the flow and merely watching what is going on around me is sometimes the best. The places we are going to are incredible, magical places that I am eager to return to. My mom joked that I always email her right afterwards with how much I LOVE each country. It really seems like I’m over exaggerating how I feel about each place, but I’m not. The travel bug is way stronger than any disease I’ve ever heard of and this experience is kind of freaking me out because I had no idea the impact that it would have on me. I think that the biggest change it has had on me is that it has made me realize what I want my life to be about.

If each day in each of these countries has been one of the best days of my life, more than any day back home, how is it even feasible that I go home and don’t work every day to return? The mere reality is that this is what I want to do with my life. I now think that I want to live abroad after college for a little while, maybe in multiple places; but I definitely want to make it a top priority to have these experiences on a semi-regular basis. I realize that the situation of traveling the world for such a length of time with so many kids my age will never happen again, but bits and pieces can be replicated. I want to go back to South Africa and see where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet, to bungee jump, and to cuddle with cheetahs. I want to go to India and swim in the Ganges River. I want to backpack through Southeast Asia: return to Langkawi, hike to caves in Kuala Lampur, party in Singapore, and go through Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. I want to learn the rules of the streets in Vietnam, rent a motorcycle, and not have an end date to my adventure. I want to take the ferry to work every day in Hong Kong.

Will any of this happen? I’m not sure. But hopefully, some will. The reality is that these can be realities- which is extremely scary but also liberating. All of these things are done daily by adventurous, amazing human beings that I have met. At home, we are surrounded by people who don’t do what they really want, a lot of times because they aren’t aware of what they want.

Whenever people ask what you want to do with your life, it’s regarding your job, or at least the type of job you want. I don’t know what I want to do because I haven’t found a career that I’m truly passionate about. I now feel so blessed because this trip has helped me to realize my passion. I don’t particularly like public speaking, art, or any sport. I now know that I love speaking with language barriers in China, drawing with artists on the beach in Ghana, and playing soccer with children in India. Keeping this all in perspective and recognizing reality is crucial because I am so determined to have this experience become more than a dream upon return. I am overwhelmed by it all but also so excited because it is feasible.

I’m a caged animal on this ship and the only people that are helping me hold it together are the amazing people on here. Five days, three friends, one bus ticket, a small backpack and an entirely unknown country is the only thing on my mind and the only thing that separates me from that unreal adventure is this ship- oh, and two days in Shanghai. I’m aware of how lucky I am and I’m also coming to terms with the fact that it’s never okay to settle. I’ve always been okay with settling in many instances- grades, for example- but if there’s something that you want your life to be about, why not? The older people that I have met who have been to over 100 countries impress me tenfold more than CEOs of major multinational corporations, so I clearly have an idea of success in my mind. I finally have an area of life that I want to thrive in, am excited about, and will never get sick of. I’m also worried about getting back to the states because I think that that’s going to be the worst culture shock of all. Who wants to start taking bets for where I’ll be next summer?

Vietnam

Day 1: Lauren and I spent the first morning exploring Ho Chi Minh City. The city is so beautiful and nice- very commercial, but clean with city parks breaking up the hectic markets and endless buildings.  It is a bit difficult to navigate because the blocks are not square and the language barrier prevents asking for help, but we got along well enough. The traffic is absolutely absurd and I’m still in disbelief that I never witnessed an accident. Upon exiting the port, we opted out of taxi cars and vans and hopped on the back of two motorcycles. I’ve never been on a motorcycle and have always been fairly opposed to them. Something about being in such a different place changes your mindset and I now love them. The key to not being hit in the streets is consistency and confidence. If you hesitant and turn around, or change your speed, you risk being hit from every direction. The Vietnamese do a fantastic job at judging your speed and exactly when you’ll be where so they know whether to go before or behind you. It is a bit slower than the States’ traffic, even though the frenzy makes it appear like everyone is moving at 100 mph at all times. The motorcycle drivers drove us through the city, giving us a little tour. We got on and off several times, and they waited patiently. We bargained the price nonstop (Lauren and I are getting very good- and stingy). On one of my dismounts, I touched my calf to the exhaust pipe. We had all been warned about the “Vietnamese kiss” and I had been very careful but the second I let my guard down, I was taught the lesson firsthand. Luckily I brushed it and did not apply any real pressure. The skin instantly fell off- I have never had a wound like this… it’s not pretty. The nurse has checked on it every day since and apparently it’s fine but taking care of it ended up being a pain throughout the rest of the week. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that painful and I was able to do everything I had planned on (including many more motorcycle rides)- it looked a lot worse than it felt. Lauren and I went to the American War Museum (The Vietnam war to us), which was pretty cool. Dad- you know how I am with history. The facts and figures were a little over my head but I was really interested in the floor dedicated to Agent Orange information. I spent most of my time here, looking at pictures and reading the stories of those affected. The scale and variety of disfigurements caused by the chemical is mind-blowing. It has caused conjoined twins, humans born without any limbs, and people whose whole faces are mutilated. The biggest shock was that Agent Orange affects the genes of those who come in contact with it. This means that children of soldiers and civilians who are born today are severely changed by it.

Before arriving in Vietnam, we listened to two speeches by professors on the ship that served in the war. Both had incredibly ill feelings towards it and discussed how they have not been able to forgive the US government. They felt betrayed and to this day, disagree with everything that we did as a country and feel like they are in great debt to the Vietnamese. Although I knew that this was a common feeling towards this specific war, I had never heard such a passionate account from someone who experienced it so first-hand. Watching them tear up and speak about the hatred they still possess for the governing body of the country they still live in because of the contact we had with this one country, was a very real introduction to Vietnam.

After the Museum, Lauren and I went on a SAS trip to the Cu Chi tunnels. The tunnels are about two hours away from the port; looking out the window on the way was pretty eye opening. I feel like we are pretty hardened to poverty and different lifestyles after the countries that we have already visited. To me, the big difference in Vietnam is the contrast between the people and their environment. The women drive motorcycles in high heels, wearing classy makeup and nice clothing. Their appearance is clearly of great to value of them, which just seems a bit odd to me because they are straddling a dirty motorcycle, winding through crowded streets on their way from one shockingly impoverish place to the next. The houses lining the streets are similar to ones in India. They appear to be reliable structures, but they are all very grimy and look like they are quite crowded. On the way to the tunnels, we stopped to have lunch at a beautiful restaurant. The traditional food was incredible and I really loved sampling everything that they had to offer, including the sautéed morning glory that was a lot like spinach. From here on out, most every sit-down meal in Vietnam was multiple courses. They serve everything family-style and bring out the courses one-by-one. Afterwards, we drove to the tunnels. I’m very glad that we went to the tunnels on the same day as visiting the museum because I think that it gave us a more all-at-once, comprehensive feeling about it. Many kids have said that visiting the tunnels was an emotional, overwhelming trip but regrettably, I didn’t feel that. Unfortunately, our tour guide made it pretty touristy and didn’t focus as much on serious topics. Some of us did the walk/crawl through the maze of tunnels, which got tighter and tighter as they went on. The tunnels are incredibly small and make it really hard to believe that they were a regular transportation system in the soldiers’ lives. We learned that each small hole or entrance to the structure is designated for only four to five soldiers. If many enter one location, than it will be easier to detect. That way, the enemy isn’t able to distinguish which locations are, in fact, openings. I was shocked to hear that when soldiers died, the bodies were mounted on the inside of the tunnel walls. Not only does this lessen the already minimal amount of space already offered to crawl through, but also the smells and hygiene prepared through this technique is mind blowing. Some kids paid to shoot AK47 guns. I didn’t shoot but I wanted to go down and hangout with my friends that did and shoot one of their bullets, so I walked down without earmuffs. That was a huge mistake and my ears were ringing for quite awhile. We headed back to the ship and got ready to go out. A huge group of us piled in taxi vans and confusedly found a street with a lot of bars. My group ended up at an Irish pub and we stayed there for a while. The band was fantastic and we really enjoyed ourselves. I ended up talking to a Korean man who lives and works in Vietnam, who owns a company that transforms factories and makes them “green”, or environmentally friendly. His major clients are Nike and Adidas. He gave me his business card and demanded that if any American students run into any trouble, he be the first to get a call. We went to a club afterwards called Apocalypse Now, which was absolutely absurd. People who have been to big clubs in New York were saying that this night blew all of those out of the water. Hundreds of Semester at Sea kids (everyone I know) was there and we had a great time. The music was familiar and we were extremely excited to be celebrating our first night out in such a different, crazy country.

Day 2:
I never even laid down that night. I came home around 2:30am, hung out with friends, showered and packed, and got ready for our 4am departure for the airport. When I got to the meeting point, I realized that people were missing so I had to go and knock on all their doors, only to find most of them still asleep. They rallied and I helped them pack, leaving fairly quickly. At the airport, we ran into other friends and I sat and ate pho in the airport. We flew to Ha Noi and saw Ho Chi Minh’s resting place, as well as pagodas, another museum, and various temples and cool structures. They were all pretty close so we got to see a lot in a short amount of time. Some of this was hectic because SAS trips always feel a bit like they’re trying to heard cattle.
Then, we had a four-hour bus ride to Ha Long Bay, arriving at a restaurant for dinner. It was amazing and I ate the courses blindly, completely ignorant to what they were. A staple food that I was a little hesitant about was the fried, whole fish that was constantly offered. Above the restaurant, there was a rowdier section where a bunch of Vietnamese businessmen were eating and drinking heavily. There were no women and the thirty or so men were clearly enjoying themselves. It was interesting to see because apparently that’s how Vietnamese conduct business- by partying very hard. We headed back to the 5-star hotel and checked in. A few people went to the night market but I laid down and fell asleep instantly.

Day 3:
We had breakfast at the hotel and immediately headed to Ha Long Bay for our four-hour junk boat ride. The boat had two decks and was very nice, giving us a great place to witness one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It was very foggy, which gave it a magical feeling. Floating fish markets and many bizarre looking boats surrounded us as we made our way to the center. There were dramatic rock formations jutting out of the water, which made the whole scene look a lot like Avatar (the Avatar set was made after Ha Long Bay). Ha Long Bay is so hyped up and it really is amazing but, I have to say, Malaysia was probably, in my eyes, more beautiful and shocking. We did get off the boat and hike up through a cave that was much bigger than those that I saw in Malaysia. We had lunch on boat back- another multiple-course seafood meal. I have never had most of what was offered but I tried it all and liked most of it. Afterwards, we did the long drive back to Ha Noi. About halfway through, I started feeling really sick and we had to pull over. We were in the middle of nowhere but I felt like getting fresh air and having a break from the bumpy drive for a minute or two would do me good. I was very wrong and immediately got sick. I ran towards fields but didn’t make it and vomited all over the side of a house. I felt so bad because the bus was leaving and I didn’t have time to clean anything. Imagine if some tourist came driving through your town and pulled over to throw up on the side of your house and left. I still feel horrible. We only had to stop one more time and then I felt a lot better. We’ve been to seven countries and I’ve gotten sick in three. I am getting so good at getting sick. It might just be this environment because there’s always someone vomiting or feeling really sick or badly injured, but I feel pretty invincible after some of these experiences with bizarre meals. We made it back to the hotel, checked in, and left for dinner. The dinner was similar to the ones we have had but I sat with the ship’s doctor’s family. They have two sons, are from Colorado, and are wonderful. I’m so grateful that she was on the trip to help me when I got sick and with my burn, but more than that, I just loved getting to know them. The sons are ten and twelve and are incredibly mature and hilarious. It was a very fun dinner and afterwards, we went to a water puppet show. I honestly had no idea what the premise of the show was but, from what I gathered, I think that it was a collection of short pieces, most of which were derived from proverbs. The band off to the side that supplied the music for the whole performance did not have the typical American showmanship. They chewed their nails, talked with one another, and looked extremely bored whenever they weren’t performing. This was interesting because we take for granted a certain amount of attention and willingness of performers in the states, and this was not exemplified here in the slightest. We returned to the hotel and three of us walked about Ha Noi for a while before bed. It was late but the city was still very awake and active. We walked through a billiards pub, beer gardens and streets upon streets of locals, sitting on low plastic chairs, playing cards and spending time with one another. I really liked the vibe but it was hard for us to interact with locals. In Vietnam as a whole, I had a difficult time spending any time or connecting with the Vietnamese people. In every other country, if I smiled, it was usually reciprocated and conversations or friendships ensued. In Vietnam, they did not return smiles or waves and in no way tried to communicate with us. They stared sometimes but mainly ignored us. The only time I had any contact was when someone would come up and push us from behind in order to get through, illustrating their blatant disregard for personal space or, in my opinion, respect. I realize that it’s a cultural thing but after being to so many other countries that are equally, if not more, different, I didn’t expect this. We headed back to the hotel and I stayed up until about 3 just talking with my trip roommate. I didn’t know many people before this trip but I ended up making a few friends that I really liked and she was one of them.

Day 4: Three of us decided to opt out of the city tour and explore on our own. We found a spa and one girl got a massage. The other guy and I walked around the city, poking our heads in shops and watching food be made in the streets. I was overwhelmed by the smells and the crowdedness of the people. Again, I felt like they didn’t have any interest in us being there and, even, disliked us. It was pouring rain so we jumped on a motorcycle and headed back to the hotel. After emailing, packing, and relaxing, we realized that the girl who had gone to get a massage was about an hour later than when she said she would be back. I personally would have never stayed there by myself so I, of course, feared the worst. There was nothing we could do so we got lunch in the hotel lobby and waited for her. She ended up getting back (she had gotten lost) just in time to make the bus for the airport. At the airport, I was randomly selected to complete a one-on-one interview survey with a Ha Noi transportation representative about how I felt about the airport. It lasted a long time and dealing with the language barrier proved to be quite difficult. The plane was huge: three sections of nine seats in total in each row. The woman that I sat next to was by far the worst plane mate I had ever had- worse than obese people, sick people, and even crying children. She was a small Vietnamese girl, about my age, who had such a different idea regarding the concept of a personal bubble that it was astonishing. She laid on me, completely awake, like I was an old friend or family member. She just threw her body over the armrest and rested on me the whole time. Completely in shock with no idea what to do, I would push her back every now and then, but she would just smile and come right back. It was bizarre and I still have no idea what was going on. We made it back to the ship but didn’t get on and went straight to a sushi restaurant right outside of port. This was the first of three nights in a row that I ate here- it was SO good. (Kate- I can’t even tell you how sad I was that you weren’t my sushi date☹ ). There was a Heart Attacks Maki roll that had a bunch of unidentified stuff and was beyond spicy but amazing. (Dad- my taste buds are extending big time over here. I was the only kid that could handle the spice. Still not up for cooked-at-home fish, though, so don’t get too excited). We went back to the ship and got ready for the night. I took a motorcycle with my friend Brian to the Backpackers’ District- an intersection of about 8 bars and clubs that is just madness. All of them are multiple stories, bumping loud music, and crammed with people. This street is famous because it is where travelers and backpackers stop to get incredibly cheap drinks. At one of the smaller bars called Lily’s, they have $1 buckets of mixed drinks that were about the size of my head. Not a good idea for 700 college kids that are stuck on a boat with no alcohol and make up for it in port. That night I ran into a group of my best guy friends on the ship, who were celebrating a Bachelor Party. My friend Colin was having a fake wedding the next night so celebrated with them for a while and had a fantastic night. I got a Hello Kitty balloon as a tribute to Nicole because it’s her favorite and brought it with me everywhere that night. “Nicole” is in every SAS picture and video taken that night- everyone loved her and was quite jealous.
Day 5:
This was my favorite day in Vietnam. I woke up and went with a group to the Mekong Delta. We spent the day going to markets, experiencing the culture in a variety of ways, and travelling around the delta through a many transportation methods. We took several different riverboats, threading through the different waterways and stopping off at many points to do different things. We went to a big market that offered a melting pot of every product imaginable from fruits to smelly fish to sunglasses and baby clothing. We went to a fruit tasting and music show and a place where they showed us how to make coconut candy (which tastes great but smells horribly). Five of us took a ride from one side to the other in a cart pulled by a horse. We also went on a bike ride with a bigger group that was more difficult than I thought it would be. The bikes were old, rusting cruisers and we were attempting to ride over terrain that consisted of one-third dirt, one-third mud, and one-third concrete with potholes. At one point, a kid in our group went over the trail into a ditch. Apparently he was trying to steer one-handed while taking a picture- a very bold move. He wasn’t hurt but he was soaked in whatever what was in the ditch. Let’s just say that no one sat next to him on the bus ride home. The bike ride was my favorite because when he fell, the few of us at the end stopped so we got broken up from the rest of the group. It was a little frightening because we were so lost in such a confusing place, but it ended up being fun getting directions from locals and figuring it out by ourselves. Our lunch was Vietnamese rolls!! (Tiffany- I was a rock star with these because I taught everyone how to do them so thanks for making me look good. I have to say, yours are a lot better. It was super cool because we ate them in such a pretty, authentic place but the meat was fish that we pulled off of a fried, whole fish. The crunchy scales put a bit of a damper on the whole thing). Anyways, the day was extremely fun and we headed back to the ship in time for the big wedding! I napped and got ready on the ship for about an hour and then headed over to the venue with my friend Colleen. Colin and Ashley had rented out two side-by-side venues, one for dinner and one for the ceremony. It was decorated beautifully and looked like an actual wedding. It was a white tablecloth, black tie affair. A lot of girls had had dresses made and guys had their snazzy tailored suits on. We had dinner, drinks and toasted to the happy, fake couple all night. I think that the staff thought that this was a real wedding, otherwise I’m sure they would have thought us to be crazy, spoiled Americans- which, in fact, we really are (emphasis on crazy). They take US dollars in Vietnam so I paid for my dinner with a $10 bill. There was quite a lot of hubbub because they fussed and wouldn’t let me pay for it because of the small tear on one corner. It was my only bill and I was being stubborn and disbelieving and I’m still quite angry at the way they handled it. The ceremony was short and sweet, with a lot of dancing, drunken cheers, and yelling. It was hilarious to watch and I’ll never forget it. Afterwards, a few of us girls ran back to the ship and changed out of our dresses and heels. We decided last minute to replace them with makeshift Halloween costumes. A few girls wore jerseys and were sports players; I was a Harujuku girl with my friend Erin- we just wore bright clothes and makeup with pigtails and pink circles on our faces. I realized later that this could be a little culturally insensitive because Harujuku is so big in Japan and it could be interpreted as clumping all Asian countries together, but I don’t think anyone noticed. Erin and I felt a bit crazy because we were bar hopping in Ho Chi Minh City, the only ones wearing Halloween costumes, two days early. Woopsies! My friend Colleen and I went by Pizza Hut and I honestly think that the rest of this night was so amazing solely because we wore sneakers out. We went back to the Backpackers’ District- I’m now a big believer in the fact that there’s nothing better in the world than RUNNING through the streets of Saigon from bar to bar with all of your friends. We ended up meeting a bunch of guys from New Zealand that are backpacking through Asia and hanging out with them for most of the night. It was an insanely fun night on that Saigon intersection. Throughout this whole day and night I just kept thinking about how absurd our lives are. This is ten times better than any movie I’ve ever seen or any story I could ever tell. We got home at 5am.

Day 6:
I slept in a little bit and it felt pretty weird considering that that never happens while in port. I walked out and found that a lot of other people had done the same- the night before had taken its toll. I went with my roommate and other friend Analise to a coffee shop and to pick up jackets at a tailor that Lauren had made. We walked around and ended up at a sushi restaurant where we had another amazing meal. I’ve found that this is my comfort food and what I miss most about home. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Japan? I think so. Afterwards, we went to Saigon Square and shopped around for fake goods. I bought a Northface rain jacket for $20 and DVDs for 50 cents each. It was overwhelmingly crowded and everyone was massively pushy. I liked how they didn’t hassle you to purchase goods but I almost missed that about some other countries because they weren’t eager to sell, so they didn’t negotiate or lower a lot of prices. We then went to Ben Thanh market- a bit of a tourist trap but still fun. We didn’t stay there for long- I needed shampoo so I got that for $1 and kept walking. On the first day in Vietnam, I had seen a big, wooden anchor clock when we were driving through the busy streets. As you all know, any DG loves anything anchor related and I’ve been on a hunt to find it ever since to buy for my room at school. I had given up at this point, but as we were walking out of the market, I saw one! I was overjoyed and didn’t even bargain- such a great moment. (Kate and Nicole- you’re going to die. I also found a cute hat with an anchor that says D&G on the back). We then went to a massage place that was surprisingly clean and nice. I had to be very careful because I couldn’t get any water or anything else on the burn on my leg but they understood and were very accommodating. I got a manicure and pedicure for $5 total. Some girls got $10 70-minute massages and they said they were the best that they had ever had. There were some stiletto- dawning women that went in and out of the other massage rooms who probably had less than wholesome intentions but we looked the other way. I hurried back to the ship right after and met up with a group of friends that I had ran into earlier that day. We went to sushi (for the second time that day and fourth of the trip). It was clear that all of SAS had the same idea because the restaurant was packed. The guys that just wanted to drink and hangout went next door to a steakhouse, but I stayed to get my last fix with Lindsay. We had a fun girl date at the sushi bar, meeting a lot of people and complaining about the restaurant’s unpreparedness. Out of the three rolls that we ordered, they were out of two. They did not expect all this business and the waitresses were literally running. Afterwards, we went to the steak house and found that our friends had had the right idea. It was actually the restaurant opening next door so all of the appetizers, beer, and wine was free. We sang karaoke and danced with Vietnamese that were having their family reunion there, (I think? I didn’t really understand). We headed back home to make on-ship time at 9pm. Usually on-ship time on the last day is 6pm but it was late so everyone was pretty tipsy, donning all of their fake Northface jackets and purses in mass amounts, running around the boat. It was a very fun homecoming and we danced in the hallways, talking about what had happened this past week. The rooms here are smaller than the smallest dorms at UO but everyone is so close that it doesn’t matter at all. We brought mattresses in one room and had a massive sleepover. I left to come back to my room around 4:30 because I woke up to Wendy snoring and the room reeking of sweaty boy. I came back and couldn’t sleep because I am just so pumped on all of these people and the experiences that we are having.

There was a lot of things that I wanted to accomplish in Vietnam and didn’t. I definitely want to come back very soon. I think that a backpacking trip through Southeast Asia would be amazing- I loved Malaysia, there is still tons to do in Vietnam, and I would love to visit Cambodia and Laos. Who knows- maybe China and Japan will be added on to this list. I’m getting a job right when I get back to start saving for these trips. LIFE IS GOOD.

I really noticed the bizarreness of the conversations that regularly exist between SAS kids on this trip. “Remember that one night in India…” and “What are your plans for China?” are common conversations. They are asked with the same inflection and tone that we used to ask about which fraternity we’re going to that night or what the homework is merely a few months ago. LIFE IS ABSURD.


HALLOWEEN:
Halloween is today! This boat is made up of kids who are all the type that dress up BIG every year, but there is just so much going on, that it’s hard to plan. There’s a big party on board that will be very fun but I had nothing planned to wear. I was just talking to Dante, our cabin steward (who cleans our rooms) and he agreed to give me his uniform and nametag so I’ll be rocking that tonight. I am so beyond excited and will be spending the afternoon figuring out a wig or hair dye of some sort so that I have black hair. Go big or go home?