Our news
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Shanghai, China…
March 10, 2024 If Beijing is the heart of China than Shanghai must be its soul. After my third visit to this city, I am still intrigued by how vibrant it remains. Shanghai is one of those cities that must be experienced rather than toured. There are three reasons why I think it is so…
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Fukuoka, Japan
March 6, 2024 Fukuoka is the sixth largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Perfecrture Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of commerce. The area has long been considered the gateway to Japan, as it is the nearest point among Japan’s main…
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Kobe, Japan…
March 4, 2024 First, the pronunciation. Kobe is not pronounced with a long “e” like Kobe Bryant but rather with a long “a” like the Australians say “gooda”. Think Ko-bay. You will be corrected if you pronounce it incorrectly. Kobe, Japan is world famous for its marveled beef which can cost from $75.00 to $200.00…
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Tokyo, Japan, Part 2…
March 2, 2024 A different view of Tokyo… First and foremost, the Japanese are obsessed, no fixated, on Anime. (an abbreviation of animation) Not stores, but entire districts of Tokyo are inundated with as far as you can walk malls, shopping centers and actual people dressed up as anime characters. What began over 40 years…
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Tokyo, Japan
March 1, 2024 Of course the first thing most people associate Tokyo with is Mt. Fuji. The highest peak in Japan overshadows the city. Our son lives in Colorado and the Rockies are magnificent, but the triangular vanilla ice cream cone shape of Mt. Fuji is unique. Chongae and I are not excursion type people.…
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Naha, Okinawa Island, Japan…
February 26, 2024 Okinawa, Japan is well known for the bloodiest ground battle of World War II. During this 82-day-long battle, 95,000 Imperial Japanese soldiers and 21,000 American soldiers were killed. The current movie sensation Oppenheimer (Actor Robert Downey, Jr. does a terrific job portraying United States Atomic Energy Commissioner Lewis Strauss) tells the story…
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Ishigaki Island, Japan…
February 24, 2024 This is the first time for the Zuiderdam to disembark at Ishigaki Island, Japan and I sure am happy she did. Many travelers only visit the major cities of a country and fail to find the hidden charms of more remote destinations. Ishigaki Island is one of those gems. By definition, Ishigaki…
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Guam/Saipan…
February 20, 2024 This is my first time to the Microasian islands of Guam and Saipan. Enroute to Japan I have always travelled through the South Pacific so it is always fun to visit somewhere you have not been before. Guam and Saipan both have a strong US military presence so it is typical to…
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Eat with Gratitude…
February 16, 2024 On the way to Japan my blog was down. Time to catch up. I was raised in a tradition where our family “said grace” before we ate meals. I can still remember the simple blessing: “Bless us O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty,…
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Aloha from Hawaii…
February 8, 2024 I tested these new clean arteries with two long back to back flights (Orlando to Los Angeles 5 hours, Los Angeles to Honolulu 5 hours) and all is well. Best for me to get back in the saddle as soon as possible. There are 8 schedules sea days between Hawaii and Guam…