Japan... Finally!

Well here it is- the last blog entry of my voyage. It has taken me a little while to get this one posted because things have been crazy here on the ship with trying to get this semester completed. Yes, we actually do have work to do out here, contrary to what some of you may believe, and as I sit here and write this… I have completed all of my exams, all of my papers have been turned in, and it feels so good to be done!! Now that finals are done, my last few days have been consisting of packing, catching up on much needed sleep, and much needed time in the sun relaxing and reflecting. This semester has been an amazing ride and I’m so glad that I have had this opportunity.

Japan, our last port, can be described with “e’s”. It was exciting, expensive, easy to get around, and excessively clean. It was exciting, just as all of the ports that we have visited, because my friends and I had planned a very rigorous schedule full of running around the island of Honshu, which is the biggest island out of the four that make up the main Japanese islands. My friends, including 5 of my best girlfriends bought rail passes that gave us unlimited access to the Japanese rail system for the 5 days that we were in port and we took full advantage of the passes. We docked in Kobe and took time to visit Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Kyoto. All of the cities were equally interesting and I will get into that later… but for now… I must get back to the “e’s”.

Japan was expensive. Since it is an island with virtually zero natural resources, almost everything is imported and that causes prices to be out of control. Japan was easy to get around because of the rail passes… I was actually on a bullet train that was traveling around 300 miles per hour and was one of the quietest ways that I have ever traveled. Forget those little prop planes that fly to from Pittsburgh to Philly and it sounds like you are sitting inside a blender. These trains were so quiet and so safe- it really amazed me! Finally, Japan was also excessively clean. However, it was amazing to me though that there were virtually no trash cans on the street. Some students were talking about the Japanese government being concerned with trash cans being bombed so they eliminated them from public areas, but I’m not 100% sure what exactly the real reason behind the trash can situation really was.

Ok, so now onto the Japanese cities. Kyoto, the first city that I visited is a little bit of a smaller city compared to crazy Tokyo, but it still very alive. My friends and I stayed at one of the traditional “mat hotels” which is just a big room with a thatched type straw on the ground and has a huge closet with futon type mats and pillows and sheets. I literally felt like I was at a sleepover in 5th grade because we were all sleeping on the floor in this big room. But… it ended up being quite comfortable and fun. We went to a geisha show and visited the Golden Pavilion and participated in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. No offense to anyone that likes Japanese tea, but I pretty much wanted to throw up after I tasted mine… but hey, its all an experience and I would have been mad at myself if I wouldn’t have tried it.

After Kyoto we boarded a bullet train for Tokyo and spent two days in the city. We were looking for a hotel room for a few hours and thanks to my friend Cameron we actually found one where they spoke English. The hotel was listed in the Lonely Planet book as a “$” out of “$$$” and it was still close to $250 a night. We all decided that it was a little out of our price range to get two hotel rooms, so we figured that we could all squeeze into one and save some money. Well… we ended up getting a 3 person room and fit all 6 of us in it. One bathroom, three beds, and six girls- you do the math. Needless to say, we had a blast and it was the most fun that I have had with my good girlfriends during the semester and I am so glad that we were able to have our last port be so special.

While out in Tokyo one night we met some American baseball players that were playing in Tokyo for a Japanese team. They invited us to their game the following day and we actually went! It was fun to see a game, but so strange to hear typical cheers that you would hear at an American baseball game being chanted in Japanese.

After Tokyo, we jumped on the bullet train again and went to Hiroshima for the day. It was fascinating to see the memorial peace museum that has been built in the city to honor and remember the victims that were killed in the bombings that ended WWII. Since much of the city was destroyed in the bombings Hiroshima definitely has a feeling of newness that seems to be all over Japan. Many of the buildings are quite modern and it is evident that public places have been updated and taken care of.

There were a few things that surprised me about Japan. First the weather… ugh. I’m not usually a complainer and rain never hurt anyone, but it rained every single day that we were in Japan and it was freezing cold every day as well. They actually sell umbrellas in vending machines in Japan. No, I’m not kidding… you read that correctly… umbrellas in vending machines. Apparently it rains a lot in Japan. Another thing that really surprised me was the fact that most of the people that I tried to ask for help did not speak English. I would have thought that a country that is such a crucial trading partner with the United States would have more business people and people in the hospitality sector that would speak English. Perhaps I was just unlucky and did not run into the right people to ask for directions and ask how which train was going where, but I was really surprised.

After my friends and my little jaunt around the country we returned to Kobe to catch the ship, but not before we treated ourselves to the famous Kobe beef that the city is so known for. It was around $55 for the steak, but worth every dollar. I’m not exactly sure what they do to that cow, but wow, that was one good steak if I must say so myself.

Japan was a great way to end the voyage and I’m so glad I was able to finally travel with my friends and not have such a regimented agenda that SAS trips always make your group stick to. If we wanted to sleep in, we did… if we wanted a beer at 3 in the afternoon… we had one, if we wanted to eat as McDonalds instead of fumbling over a sushi menu… we ate at McDonalds. It was a wonderful port and I truly enjoyed myself in Japan.

Now… San Diego is in sight. In fact as I write this we are about 24 hours from arriving. I truly think its going to be a bittersweet feeling when I leave the ship. I’m sad I will be leaving my friends that I have made and the memories that we make almost daily, but at the same time I know we will be in touch and I know that I have an exciting summer full of more travel and fun ahead of me. Thanks for reading and following me this semester. Its been quite an adventure and I’m so glad that I have been able to share it with you.

All the best!
Love,
Leah